Monday, March 14, 2011

DINO's in DC is doing it better than ever (3-10-11)

Every year Food & Friends has te Washington, DC citywide benefit
called DINING OUT FOR LIFE. Many restaurants donate a portion of their
proceeds and DINO's was generous this year at the 35% level, so we
decided to return with Samuel and our friends Mel & Juan. The place
was jammed when we arived and we had a short wait for our table and
enjoyed somes wines by the glass at the bar: ALERAMO (Cortese) 2009
from PIedmont and Mt. Eden Arroyo Seco Chardonay 2008 from Monterey
while we munched the yummy complimentary olives, pickled veggies,
tapenades, bread, marianted beans and more that grace the bar each
evening.
When we got to our table Samuel ordered up his standard Pasta with
Tomato Sauce and a giant meatball (extra Parmesan, please) as he
dipped the yummy bread in olive oil (quality stuff). He was one happy
camper as we ordered some starters to share:
BURRATA with Kalamata Olive and Red Pepper Purees and Oven Roasted
Tomatoes is still some of the best burrata to be found around.
CAVOLINI are Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions, Crispy Pork
Belly and Aged Balsamic and will make any Brussels spout lover (we
both are) happy, although there were some belly pieces that were a bit
too fatty.
CARCIOFI FRITTI -These baby green artichokes are flown in from the
Santa Monica Farmer's Market and fried simply with black salt and
lemon and were gone so fast, we thought we should order
more.....but....
There is a fixed price 3-course option most evenings and at $39 for a
starter or half pasta/ main course/ and dessert we needed to move on
and avoid over-eating to boot.
Our first wine was a creamy but dry Santa Barbara "Le Vaglie"
Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi 2009 from Marche.
Juan started with the superbly seasoned and tasty TROTTER TOTS which
are a croquette made from potato and pig's trotters from Ossabaw pork.
This take on the "tater tot" is a great way to get kids into their
foods with new tastes!
RISOTTO ai FUNGHI was rich and creamy with sage and garlic and the
PAPPARDELLE with FUNGHI sported some great wild exotic mushrooms but
was not as exciting as the other pastas. My pasta was the simply
termed SUGO which was a mix of many meats in a rich dark sauce with
wide pasta that was simply superb. It was a huge portion, but I
managed to get through it (I did have to take home part of my main
course!)
We moved on to a \COLLEMATTONI 2007 Rosso di Montalcino 2004 and then
finally an intense La Chiete Brunello di Montalcino 2004 La Chiete.
These were, as all the wines at Dino's are, superb fully rounded and
just right for our food wines as suggested by owner Dean Gold, who
really knows his stuff (they are starting wine classes there again
soon).
Our main courses went from the lighter side of CAPESANTE- SPIGOLA alla
MOSAICA, grilled Rockfish in a traditional Livornese Jewish spicy
summer tomato essence (only Dean Gold, a Jewish chef who runs an
Italian restaurant could do this justice!) and Parsley Sauce which
comes with Wilted Turnips, Kohlrabi Radish and House Pickled Shallots.
What a treat!
SALSICCIA are huge eco-friendly garlic pork sausages with prosciutto
and lentils, cabbage and pancetta...another heavy but wonderful winter
dish.
If you sense the dishes are getting heavier, on you next cold night go
right for the SCOTTIGLIA, a Montalcino stew made with Texas Wild Boar,
eco-friendly pork from Virginia and Dr. Joe's Duck from Pennsylvania
in a soffrito (onion/celery/carrot) with wine that I dare anyone to
finish if they are eating three courses! It is rich and satisfying and
just plain filling.
We moved on to desserts with some yummy dessert wines
(grapefruitcello, berry grappa, moscato) and were thrilled with the
take on BUDINO di PANE or bread pudding that had barberries, raisins,
vanilla gelato and amaretto (whipped) cream that was none to overdone
or heavy. TIRAMISU is always great here and chocoholics will adore the
CAPPUCCINO di NUTELA with Mascarpone, Bourbon Cherries and Amaretto
Cream.
I always go for the cheese and opted for ROBIOLA ai TRE LATTI, a cow/
sheep/goat treat and GUFFANTI BLU di Moncensio that is creamy and
rich, yet not intensely blue (which I prefer).
It was a great night for food, friends and charity indeed.