They are casting other shows as well: TV Food Network Star, Pressure Cooker (where you travel and cook with a clueless friend or family member), and Beat Bobby Flay.
-JAY
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11Jun
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11Jun
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- Asparagus Salad
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- Carrot Soup
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- Chicken Liver Parfait
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- Ginger Citrus Bouquet
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- Lamb Shank
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- Pine Nut Crusted Wild Alaska
In this day and age where social media and top media lists are becoming a dime a dozen, it’s hard for one to know which lists are credible. So, my challenge this year is to attempt to try as many of the top 100 restaurants listed by the Washingtonian each year to put to the test of their actual greatness. So here’s the first entry for their 2014 list. Get ready. Eat. Indulge!
Scallop Margarita
#41 RIS– 2275 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037*
Walking into the restaurant, you get a great classy ambiance. We had the great stroke of luck to be able to sit right next to the kitchen–they opened up the doors for a private party and we got to see the hustle and bustle of the kitchen line and chef.
This restaurant is listed as a moderately priced restaurant; however, the knowledgeable waitstaff and excellent service would fit right in at an upscale restaurant. We were offered a complimentary carrot soup which was rich and full of flavor–not what you would expect from a simple looking carrot soup.
I am a sucker for chicken liver and paté so when I saw that they had a Chicken Liver Parfait on the menu, I had to try it. The chicken liver was combined with roasted strawberries, balsamic glaze and raisin walnut bread. The roasted strawberries and balsamic glaze was a delicious touch; however, I wasn’t a fan of the raisin walnut bread. It was a bit tough and difficult to eat with the liver. I would have preferred to use the liver as a spread so I ended up eating it with the complimentary bread. But the liver was nice and creamy.
Their Asparagus Salad was a nice refreshing salad perfect for the springtime; however, I would’ve loved to have more grapefruit to balance out the amount of greens on the plate.
The next appetizer we had to try was their Scallop Margarita since it was recommended as a “Don’t Miss.” This dish will definitely open up your eyes and taste buds. Scallops sitting in lime, chilies, orange, avocado and tequila ice are sure to wake up (ok, assault) every single one of your taste buds. This dish just wasn’t for me. The first bite was incredible, but the next four to five were disappointing. The tequila ice was really fun and interesting to eat with the scallops, but the amount of citrus flavor was overpowering. If I were to return to RIS, this would not be a dish I would order again.
Another dish that was on the “Don’t Miss” was their Braised Lamb Shank. This dish was enormous and included a colorful combination of chickpeas, yogurt, toasted pita, pomegranate, mint and pine nuts. This was another overpowering dish–I was not a fan of this warm yogurt sauce because it tasted rancid. I loved the chickpeas, pomegranate and pine nuts. The meat was a little tough. This is another dish I would not order again.
I did enjoy the Pine Nut Crusted Wild Alaska Halibut. I feel like you can’t go wrong with a nice flaky white fish. The prosciutto added a nice saltiness to a normally mild flavored fish.
And last but not least…the dessert to kick all of your taste buds into overdrive. The Ginger Citrus Bouquet is a crème fraiche panna cotta topped with a spiced tulle, blood orange cream and grapefruit granita. The rich, creamy, mild panna cotta was a star with the grapefruit granita giving it a sweet and sour punch. This dessert is certainly something to indulge in.
So my overall take on RIS being #41 on the Washingtonian’s Top 100 of 2014 list? I say they deserve to be there. The restaurant has great ambiance and some good dishes.
* Restaurants are tiered by Washingtonian rating.
-ADT (Angie)
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10Jun
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- Arugula Salad
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- BBQ Pork Ribs
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- Calamari Fritto Misto
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- Carrot Linguine
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- Cucumber-Melon Gazpacho
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- Prince Edward Island Mussels
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- Rustic Pork Pate
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- Sautéed Swordfish
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- My favorites!
Reasons for Mad Fox Madness:
- All their craft beers are brewed on-site in their 15-barrel Premier Stainless brewing system.
- Food products are locally-sourced as much as possible (local farms, local butchers, and the Falls Church Farmers Market).
- Beer flights! Sample 4 different types of beers in 4 oz. glasses.
- Rightfully awarded “Best Brewery,” “Best Brewpub,” and “Best Craft Brews” from Northern Virginia Magazine.
- All of their beers are created by Bill Madden, the CEO and Executive Brewer.
- The “Mad” comes from Bill Madden and “Fox” from his wife’s maiden name. Cuteness overload.
I had the privilege to attend Mad Fox Brewing Company’s new seasonal menu items tasting event created by Executive Chef Brian Wilson, the newest member to join the brewery’s talented team. Upon my arrival each guest was served a beer flight.
My favorites:
- The Kölsch: a signature brew of Mad Fox is light and crisp with “restrained hop bitterness” that creates a “subtle fresh piney or spicy note,” as described on their menu.
- The Maneuver IPA: although an IPA, this is considerably light. The refreshingly clean and hoppy flavors bounced around without any bitterness, and I noted some malty tones. This was my personal favorite from the beer flights.
- Big Chimney’s Porter: smooth with an aromatic and coffee-like finish. For a porter, it is not heavy, and the black chocolate malts are blended just right to not overpower the consumption experience.
My favorites from the 7 new seasonal menu items that were served:
Cucumber-Melon Gazpacho
This unique gazpacho was refreshingly delightful on my taste buds. The coolness of the cucumber and subtle sweetness from the melon are an ingenious concoction. Additionally, the saffron yogurt added some tang while the paprika oil smoothed everything out and the garlic croutons provided a nice crunch. And that basil leaf on top? It’s fried. And I loved it.
FYI: I asked if the gazpacho is served to customers in this glass cup (photo) and Bill Madden said it is served in a bowl. I commented on the fun presentation of the gazpacho in the glass cup versus a traditional bowl, so you know who to thank if they change their minds on presentation.
Arugula Salad
A light arugula salad complimented by roasted corn, blackberries, avocado, and almonds. The lemon poppy seed dressing, the star of the salad, is not cream-based, but an emulsion that ties all of the components seamlessly together. It is a great salad for the summer season.
Rustic Pork Pate
Majority ruling amongst the event’s guests on the pork and chicken liver house grain mustard: it was flavorfully strong! Although the mustard was potent, it blended well with the slightly bland pate and toasted slices of bread. And the pickled vegetables delivered a much-needed tangy kick (and color) to the dish. This is a great choice for sharing as an appetizer or to nibble on with a glass of wine.Carrot Linguine
I was pleasantly surprised to find this was a vegetarian entree. The noodles are made entirely from carrot puree and have a slightly sticky texture. The crumble of goat cheese added some tartness to the creamy lemon butter, and the pistachios provided a nutty crunch factor. Although I am not a fan of creamy entrees, this was a delectable dish. I’m not sure if I could finish the regular dinner portion myself but I wouldn’t mind splitting it with someone.
I would like to again thank Bill Madden, Chef Brian Wilson, and our wonderful server for the evening, Brian, for a splendid tasting event experience.
I went back to Mad Fox the same week and enjoyed sipping on a few Maneuvers while munching on some mussels. The PEI (Prince Edward Island) mussels are doused in a creamy house ale sauce with bits of pancetta, shallots, and garlic. A small bed of thyme rests on top and adds beautifully to the aroma and presentation.
Their Happy Hour runs daily from 3pm to 7pm, with $2 off all their beers. I will be coming back again very soon. Cheers!
-EHY (Elina)
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- 09Jun
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06Jun
Thanks Chef Bart for letting us host DC Food Blogger Happy Hour at B Too restaurant yesterday. Above are some food pics from the event. Here is RUNINout’s coverage of the event.
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- Mayor Vincent C. Gray cuts the first of the day’s ribbons at Cambria Suites.
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- Uprising Muffins was also on the ribbon cutting tour.
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- Vegetable platter at Dino’s Grotto.
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- Dino’s Grotto: Now, that is a sandwich!
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- Mayor Gray and Dino at Dino’s Groto ribbon cutting.
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- Pasta being made at Dino’s Grotto.
A few days ago, I attended the ribbon cutting for seven new Shaw Businesses (see pics above). This included Dino’s Grotto and Uprising Muffins. I very much enjoyed Dino’s food — I definitely need to go back and try more dishes.
-JAY
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30May
We have tried some great products recently, and can’t wait to tell you about them.Pinch Dumplings are awesome. They sell them at various farmer’s markets including the White House Market and Reagan Building Market. My favorites are the Shrimp & Pork, Traditional Pork, Traditional Lamb, and Lamb & Leek. The shrimp texture really pops nicely in the Shrimp & Pork dumpling. I can’t get enough of the lamb or pork versions either. The dumplings come with a nice dipping sauce. Dan (the Dumpling Guy) really knows his stuff!
We recently wrote about NAR Gourmet (Turkish) products in a Test Kitchen article. The producer has since sent me two more jellies to try, peach marmalade and apricot marmalade. Are they actually marmalades? No, they are jellies. Are they good? Yes, they both taste great and are and very spreadable.
We recently sampled a box full of Giovanni Rana Fresh pastas and sauces. We loved everything we tried, including the Marinara Sauce, Pesto Sauce, Fettuccine, Cheese Ravioli, Cheese Tortellini, and Spinach Ravioli, but our favorite my the Artichoke Ravioli. Cy had to go to Safeway and buy more Artichoke Ravioli and Marinara Sauce. Safeway even carries Rana’s fresh Lasagne Sheets.We’ve been shopping at the Springfield Butcher recently. They have fresh seafood (crab cakes, bacon wrapped scallops, salmon, grouper), house made BBQ ribs, ground elk or venison, venison brats, and various cuts of beef, pork, and poultry.
If you are into jerky, read about Duke’s Smoked Meats in this article about Savor (the beer show).
I recently started using T-fal’s Ingeneo pans. They are actually quite good and easy to store because they have interchangeable handles and lids.
-JAY
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24May
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- Best ground!
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- Best Shoulder & People’s Choice!
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- The judges had access to this wine and loved it.
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- You’ve heard of wine in a box; here is 3 Stars Beer in a box!
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- 3 Stars came to the judges rescue with beer!
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- Best in Leg!
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- Chef Michael Costa of Zaytinya: Jamison Lamb Kibbeh Nayeh – radish, mint, allspice, Shepherd’s Manor Dairy “Ewe” Crème.
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- Best in Show!
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- These came with Chef Ed Witt’s (The Partisan) dish: Lamb Shawarma on Lavash.
Last week, I was (for the 2nd time) a judge at the Lamb Jam competition at Eastern Market. Above are some pictures, and below are the winners. In an interesting decision, the winner of Best Shoulder (who later on won People’s Choice), was not the shoulder dish that one Best in Show. So, Occidental Grill moves on in the competition to the next show.
Best in Shank: Chef Erik Bruner-Yang from Maketto with cumin lamb shank chow fun
Best in Leg: Chef Victor Albisu from Del Campo with lamb empanadas
Best in Ground: Chef Wes Morton from Art and Soul with curried lamb sausage
Best in Shoulder: Chef Dimitri Moshovitis from Cava Mezze Grill with lamb Benedict
People’s Choice: Chef Dimitri Moshovitis from Cava Mezze Grill with lamb Benedict
Best in Show: Chef Matt Baker & Rodney Scruggs from Occidental Grill with a lamb “Dagwood” sandwich
-JAY
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20May
The ever-growing trend that started in California, food trucks are appearing more and more in Virginia as they migrate down south from D.C. But I was shocked when I saw two rows of food trucks around 12:30PM ready to serve on an adjacent road off of Greensboro Drive, a commercial street that connects many corporate companies in the McLean area. The trucks were parallel parked, and most had 4 or 5 customers waiting to place their order. PhoWheels’ line took over the entire length of a large sidewalk.
Waiting in line for 30 minutes.
PhoWheels serves popular Vietnamese cuisine with its own modern twist. Despite the truck’s clever name, pho (Vietnamese rice noodle soup) is not the most popular menu item. By the time it was my turn to order, there was a big “SOLD OUT’ sticker placed over the taco section of the menu. But that’s alright because I was happy to try their pho and banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich).
Pho:
It’s served in a to-go bowl. You select eye-round steak, meatballs, or chicken (beef broth for all three choices), and it comes with scallions, cilantro, red onions, lime, and jalapeno.
For those who do not enjoy fully cooked beef slices in their pho, I would not recommend this item. My eye-round steak slices were thoroughly cooked by the time I opened the container. Other than that, the seasoning of the broth was quite delicious, but is it worth $9? Personally, I would rather drive to a pho restaurant and pay the same amount for a bigger portion and get the beef slices on the side (so it cooks in the broth right before my eyes). But some people don’t mind the fully cooked beef. To each their own.
5 Spice Maple Glazed Pork Belly Banh Mi and Eye-Round Steak Pho.
5 Spice Maple Glazed Porkbelly Banh Mi:
Ah yes, banh mi. The traditional Vietnamese sandwich is normally served in a French baguette, but PhoWheels serves their banh mi on a choice of French baguette or croissant. Banh mi meat choices: Soy Garlic Chicken, 5 Spice Maple Glazed Pork Belly, or Mushroom-Onion Tofu.
“5 Spice Maple Glazed,” the mere name of their porkbelly was delicious enough to make me salivate. And thankfully, the taste of the maple glazed pork belly intertwined with pickled radishes, carrots, truffle aioli, and cucumber lived up to its expectations. Is it worth the $8? Absolutely!
Now, one can only imagine how flavorful and delicious the sold out tacos are…
-EHY
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19May
Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar recently opened its Tysons, VA location. I was happy to be present at Paladar the night before the official opening for the Food for Others Fundraiser; it is nice to see a restaurant group contributing to the community where they are opening. Below are some of the highlights of the evening.
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- Co-CEO Andy Himmel working on flower decorations prior to the event.
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- Empanada production: They use the same empanada press that I do.
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- Their house made chips are huge, tasty, and made of various vegetables.
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- Tacos: Adobo-Rubbed Blackened Tilapia with Pickled Onion & Pineapple Slaw.
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- The Tilapia & Avocado Ceviche is delicious and served with crushed peanuts & plantains.
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- The Ropa Vieja is made with shredded braised brisket, and served with Sweet Plaintains and Pickled Onion Slaw.
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- Traditional Guacamole with Malanga Chips, Spicy Guacamole with Plantain Chips, and Grilled Corn and Honey Chipotle Glaze Guacamole with Yuca Chips.
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- The Mojo Marinated Atlantic Salmon is served with crispy yucca spaetzle and sautéed zucchini.
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- The Rum Glazed Cuban Pork is very flavorful and is served with black beans, coconut mango rice, and pico de gallo. This is a great combination!
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- Hand-Muddled Pomegranite Ginger Mojito!
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- The Sweet Potato Donuts are phenomenal. Next time, I’ll try the Churros.
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- Make sure to stop by for their Happy Hour specials.
I really like the vibe of this restaurant and it has a great staff and phenomenal food. There is a huge menu, so I definitely need to go back to try more menu items. They have great happy hour specials and also feature “Taco Tuesdays.”
I got to talk to , Co-CEO Andy Himmel, who gave me a tour of the kitchen. He knows his stuff, and put a lot of thought into the design of the restaurant and kitchen. He opened his first Paladar in Cleveland, and now has a number of locations across the country. Rockville recently opened, and Gaithersburg will be next.
-JAY
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16May
I attended Savor (the huge beer show) in Washington, DC last night. I sampled some great beer at the show, and will show you some of the highlights. Let’s start with the oysters, which of course are great with beer.
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- A Master Shucker!
The Choptank Oyster Company was shucking their Choptank Sweets (Chesepeake Bay oysters), and serving them with lemon or one of three great sauces (ok, one was really a Champagne gelée so if more of a condiment) . The oysters were tasty, and my favorite of the three sauces was the Szechuan Chilli Mignonette, but the shucker’s favorite is Agave Kaffir Sauce.
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- Speakers at the “The Art of Pairing Craft Beer and Jerky” salon.
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- Duke once ate a piece of jerky this big.
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- This is the jerky selection for the Salon.
I attended a Salon (class) at the show: The Art of Pairing Craft Beer and Jerky. The presenters were Justin “Duke” Havlick (Duke’s Small Batch Smoked Meats), Mike Lawinski (FATE Brewing Company), and Jason Oliver (Devils Backbone Brewing Company). Salon description: “Duke’s Small Batch Smoked Meats teams up with Devils Backbone Brewing Company and FATE Brewing Company to show attendees that smoked meats and jerky make for a quick, easy, versatile and most importantly, tasty partner for craft beer. Four beers will be perfectly paired with smoked meats and jerky from small batch producer Duke’s.” (Yes, they were good pairings.)
I was new to FATE’s products, but they have only been in business a but over a year. FATE and Duke’s Small Batch Smoked Meats are both based in Boulder, CO. Devils Backbone is local favorite for me since it is brewed in Virginia (and is excellent).
I like Green Flash, this beer, and Pork Belly Brioche, but IMHO this was an unsuccessful pairing; the beer overpowered the food.
My favorite of the 4 jerky’s was the Island Teriyaki Beef Jerky because I loved the chewy (but not tough) texture; it was paired with Devil’s Backbone’s Schwartz Bier, a German Style Black Lager. I very much enjoyed FATE Brewing Company’s Moirai IPA (with it’s grapefruit reminiscent scent and flavor); It paired well with the Sweet Bar-B-Q Braised Pork Strips. The Spicy Bar-B-Q Beef Brisket Strips are nice because they are from a different cut of beef and is spicy; they were paired with FATE’s Barrel Aged Baltic Porter. The Traditional Dry Rub Beef Jerky is for the traditionalists; as someone who didn’t grow up eating jerky, it’s a tough chew for me since you have to gnaw on it. The Traditional Jerky (smoked with hickory and hops) was paired with Devils Backbone’s Striped Bass Pale Ale. BTW, Duke’s Shorty is delicious as well, although it was not part of the salon tasting.
Most of the beer pairings were spot on, especially the ones paired with dessert. Below are some of the highlights. Yes, wild/sour beers and dessert pairing were common themes this year.
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- I’m a fan of Allagash, so even though the food pairing was no longer available, I tried their tasty Saison.
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- The pairing for this was not available, but I had previously sampled the food item (it’s delicious), so I tried this stout. Yum!
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- I don’t often eat sturgeon, so it was nice to try this well-thought-out pairing. Plus, Hardywood is local (VA).
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- This wild/sour and was paired nicely with Cocounut Cheesecake with Coconut Meringue.
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- I’ve yet to try a Devils Backbone I didn’t like, and they are local (VA).
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- Devils Backbone’s Danzig porter paired with Espresso-Crusted Bison on Back Bread!
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- Brooklyn Brewery feels like my hometown beer; the wild/sour beer paired nicely with this smoked bison combination.
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- Another great dessert pairing. Sticky Toffee Pudding is a British cake.
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- Clever sandwich concept that you half drink: rye, lox, and mustard!
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- This was another nice wild/sour, paired with the Brie Tartlet.
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- Who knew that IPAs pair well with smoked mackerel and caviar?
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- Scottish Ale and Duck Sausage!
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- This dessert pairing of a Keegan’s Stout with Spice Cake was possibly my favorite pairing of the evening.
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- Nice pairing of Left Hand’s Milk Stout with Espresso-Crusted Bison on Back Bread.
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- Another great dessert pairing, and I’m not usually a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie fan.
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- It’s hard to say no to Guinea Hen Confit on Wonton Crisps.
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- Green Flash defaced their own sign. I moved the coaster there to identify the brewery.
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- Another of my favorite pairings: An Imperial Porter with Dark Chocolate Budino.
-JAY
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