Last lunch in Lima is mighty good at MATRIA(12-26-21)

 Our flight home was slated for 140AM and we knew we had to eat a decent meal before heading to the airport at 930pm, and we wanted it to be special. Sadly it was Sunday and a holiday weekend, so most places were closed. MATRIA was a 5minute ride from our hotel in San Isidro and the menu looked great, especially with tons of vegan and veggie options. WRONG! Apparently, the team doing our restaurant research in Lima screwed up and there were only two items on the menu and Sam did not want either. He left in a puff and headed back to the hotel on foot and we tried to make the best of it. We had a 330pm reservation as our ground team said the kitchen closed at 5pm, but on arrival we were told we had 25 minutes to order anything and everything as the kitchen would close at 4pm!! Another error making me very unhappy with a ground operator I have used for years!

I have to say their Pisco Sour was nice and we chose quickly enough, but the food came well spaced, so it was not a disaster. I was in love with the Estratido Palteado which was a filet of sole tiradito(raw marinated fish slices) with leche di tigre and toasted quinoa that gave it a great pop. A glass of house white was delish, but I never did find out what it was.

Will started with the Thai Coconut Milk Soup with Shrimp which he liked as well and then went on to the Sopa Criolla(yes, two soups) made with tenderloin, pasta, poached egg, toasted oregano and panrattato cheese...it looked and sounded great. My Cazuel de Lechon was a huge rack of confit pork tibs that feel off the bone sitting on a pot of black beans, panuela, chroizo, Peruvian corn and spices with a side of rice. It was divine and truly filled me up for the overnight flight. The house red(again not sure what it was) paired perfectly. 

It was a nice meal, but I felt horrible for Sam and was even madder at my vendor, who four days later still has not responded to my complaint. It was a gorgeous day and we decided to walk back to the hotel which was not even 30 minutes away and settle in for the rest of the afternoon waiting to head home.

Le Perroquet is pretty bad and The Restaurant at B HOTEL, Lima is one of the best (12-25-21)

 Christmas Day in Lima meant that many restaurants were closed and we really did not enjoy our dinner the night prior (which I completely failed to write up) at our hotel, so we really needed to move on. We are at the beautiful Country Club Hotel and the very elegant Le Perroquet here on Christmas eve. Simply said the waiter dropped Will's entire dish and then they brought our main courses while we were having our starters, even though we asked for 20 minutes between. Added to that is the fact that we sat over 20 minutes before anyone even approached us and then when we placed a drink order, it took another 20 minutes! By the way, the hype on the American Bar's Pisco Sour here is no biggie; theirs is the same as all the others we had.

So last night we headed about 15 minutes south to Barranco and the very trendy B Hotel, a Relais et Chateaux with a modern restaurant and an exciting menu, even for vegetarians!

The setting is three white walls in the hotel courtyard which is covered but open to the outside through the next courtyard. One wall is all covered with greenery and here are lots of potted palms fronds and such. The artwork is minimal and consists of one weird piece and a part of an old car! There were no linen napkins, just paper, which was a bummer and there were table linens, but they were covered with white paper(why?).

The drinks menu was eniticng and Sam loved his B Sangria made with Vittoria Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon(from Peru), Aperol, Pisco (of course), red fruit syrup, pineapple, blueberries and dried orange(check out the photo on FB) and my Ritual was Pisco Tabernero 3 cepes, Avelino Peruvian Vermouth, Passion-fruit, kombucah, panel-huactay (black mint( and muna powder(also mint) was a revelation being fresh and akin to a Pisco Sour but not minty as our wonderful server Juan Carlos promised.

We tried the Vittoria Tabernero 2019 Chardonnay from Peru and also loved that and they guys had their traditional Pilsner Beers from Peru.

Will & I loved the simple starter if Artichoke Carpaccio with thin sheets, emulsiion, lime dressing and Grana Padano cheese, while Sam was insane about his Ceviche Caliente Vegetal loaded with  asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms, artichoke, nuts and more in a Leche de Tigre Rocoto(pepper) sauce.

We split a starter of Potatoes with Huacaty Pesto and Chalaca Sauce and then adored our main courses:

Will had the Ricotta & Scallop Ravoli wiht a rich Lime Butter Sauce, Confit Tomato and Cashew 

Sam  had the Berenjena al Josper which was avocado prepared a milliion ways: smoked, emulsion, croquettes and burnt!

My Fiduea Chupe was a stew served in a cast iron pan with toasted shrimp, chowder, quail egg and a super yummy crunchy topping and alioli on the side.

Great meal and the folks at the next table were from Alexandria!

One more meal today before we head home on the very early AM flight!!

Lima's CENTRAL is a culinary conquest (12-20-21)

 We had one night for dinner in Lima at the beginning of our week long stay in Peru and we knew month ahead where we wanted to go. CENTRAL is considered the top dining spot in South America and one of the top rated restaurants on earth! We headed there and we fell in love as we were escorted through the magnificent garden past a table with all kinds of ingredients that were explained to us(and were included in the meal) to a small private dining room where our wonderful server, Jesus, asked about of dining preferences and needs and we settled in for one of the most fascinating and exiting dining experiences ever! the space was elegant with fine linens and top quality crystal(Italesse & Riedel), but very sparsely decorated. Any decoration in the dining rooms was food itslef!

I was happy that the menu was brought to us and it is called MUNDO MATER and offers 14 courses each from a different region of Peru that Chef Virgilio Martinez curates down to each and every ingredient. The menu read several ingredients, the altitude and region and you really do TASTE every corner of Peru in this magnificent journey.

We made sure that Sam would be accommodated with a vegetarian menu and it was no less exciting and he declared it one of the best fine dining experiences of his life; we agreed.

We decided to take the wine pairings as well and I will try to keep a clear concise record and relay this fabulous dining experience and journey as best I can. I am using a course numbering system to keep it a bit clearer as well. Remember that many photos are on my Facebook page!

1)Black Rocks (10 meters below sea level):Yuyo Seaweed, Clams, Squid

The Black rocks were "Spheres" of crab and Charella(a white fish) had clam emulsion in a ceviche like preparation with Squid crackers. It was paired with Mauzvac 2017 sparkling wine from Domaine Plageolets

2)Dry Valley(55 meters above sea level): Shrimp, Loche Squash, Avocado was a Crawfish alone and an amazing squash with ash on top all paired with a Rainer Wess Gruner Veltliner from Austria

3)Upper Jungle(1350 meters above sea level):Cocona, Papa Voladora, Yacon

The cocona was presented at the table first and while a fruit, it looks like a giant mushroom turned to stone. A bread was made from the heart of the fruit and a yogurt with yacon was for dipping. The cocona skins were combined with cheese and made another dipping delight. More Gruner Veltliner arrived.

4)Extreme Altitude(4200 meter above sea level):Corns, Kiwichas, Sweet Potato Leaf

was paired with Tatty Bogler Pinot Noir 2016 from Waitaki, North Otago which was one of the best Pinot Noirs ever(yes!!) with an intense nose, forward fruit and a feel of very hi alcohol in the mouth, despite it not being the reallity.

White corn was served with purple kiwicha(cereal) and mashua as well as quinoa(yellow) and a green sweet potato leaf!!

5)Murike Grouper had a fried crispy beer dough topping with artichokes, capers and peas--easily the best grouper ever and was paired with Jurancon Sec Vitatge Vielh(old vines) from Jean-Bernard Larrieu 2017.

6)Amazon Connection(148 meters above sea level):Cecina, Arapiama, Yuca

the pork air-dried cecina was salted and served with the famous huge Arapaima fish of the Amazon with turmeric and fish salt.  The Jurancon Sec continued.

7)Sea Ground(0 meters): Scallops, Sargasso,Cucumber

Scallops were raw with with coral and emulsion with sargasso seaweed and pickled cucumber--a dream dish indeed, paired with Fita preta 2019 from Antonia Macanita, a funky wine that was not our favorite.

8)Octopus was in a broth with onion, seaweed, chamomille, quinoa, leaves and sea lettuce and was paired with Vajra Nebbiolo 2020, a very young wine I am familiar with and found odd with octopus, but it worked. The real shock was that a young guy in dirty pants served the dish and then we realized this was Chef Virgilio himself..HOW EMBARRASED I was not to recognize him; he looks like a twenty-something year old and hard to believe he has created the greatest food empire in South American cuisine!!

9)Mil Cento(3750 meters above sea level): Native Potato, Chaco Clay, Altitude Leaves

The chaco clay was brought with the potatoes(camutello) and it was explained how they are roasted with herbs and served with a dipping sauce of uchucuta(herbs) cream. OMG--you will never have a baked potato in the US again and not think how awesome this was. The Nebbiolo was really great with this as well.

10)Amazonian Water (190 meters above sea level):Pacu, Watermelon, Coca Leaf

Pacu is like Pirana fish and is served with Lulo juice, watermelon, lime, awesome spices with a kick and it resembled ceviche. The wine was an Orahovica Silvanac Zeleni(Croatian Silvaner)--that's as out of the way as it gets!!

11)Pork Belly came with fermented carrot, tentacle mushroom(you have to see the Facebook picture) and popcorn in an out of this preparation paired with Vina Bosconia 2008 Rioja which was to die for....you know I love my aged wines and this a pairing that I will never forget.

12)Forest(Loma) (810 meters above sea level): Goat's Neck, Diverse Roots, Tomato

So our adorable server Jesus brought the goat neck to the table and then served this dish with the same 2008 Rioja I was in love with (no complaints there). It was tasty and had beets and that is all I can remember and glean from my notes.

13)Sacred Valley(2700 meters above sea level):Cabuya, Chirimoya, Muna

The dish was the ashes of cabuya(agave) with chirmoya(fruit) and muna(mint) .It was a crunchy cookie delight paired with a dry Riesling from the Moselle 2018 Markus Molitor (Ockfener Bockstein Spatlese)--not my favorite dessert wine, but great with the chocolate,

14)Cacao Cruncho (1800 meters above sea level):Mucilage, Seeds, Shells was the final course of our journey with a hot cocoa infusion  and a fluffy cake paired with sauces that we could have fun with mixing up how we prepared it ourselves, We adored the paired Mistela a Peruvian wine fortified with Pisco that was akin to Madeira. I had extra and we all left thrilled that we finally got to Central after trying to plan a visit 4 years earlier that got thwarted by a flight delay and closed airports. WE MADE IT...and if we return to Lima, we will return again for sure for this insane UMAMI experince.

Guayaquil, Ecuador's CASA JULIAN is just the best (12-18-21)

 We had only one evening in Guayaquil, ecuador after disembarking our cruise and heading to Peru the next day, so we opted to head to what was rated the topo place in tow.

On our full day of touring the entire city, our guide Leticia suggested lunch as Lo Nuestro which has amazing huge dishes and three of us went  for seafood and crab dishes while Sam loved his soy, rice and veggie dish. We were quite full so we moved dinner to 8pm and headed over to the other side of the river to Hotel del Parque where Casa Julian sits in an 18th century mansion on the river converted to the hotel's restaurant.  It is quite large with a huge bar and tons of outdoor seating which was completely full, so we headed to the cooler more comfy indoor tables well spaced. All folks wear masks here indoors and outdoors and Ecuador is doing an amazing job keeping infection levels down and we felt completely comfortable everywhere we went. 

As we were seated the hostess brought us small paper bags(think airplane sick bags) for our masks, and all the dining spots here clean and bag the silverware and napkins so nobody is touching them before we use them! We perused the menu and all ordered yummy Pisco Sours(we head to Pisco in Peru next week, so need to start comparing!). There were a la carte items, tapas and a tsting menu of 5 courses for $55 with paired wines for EVERY course at an additional $15. WHAT A STEAL. Samuel asked if a veggie option could be done and they checked and said yes, so we proceeded to settle in as the warm bread and focaccia arrived with a local cheese spread with some type of fruit jam on top; YUMMY! 

The first course was on the main menu as was the dessert, but the three in between were completely new for the chef and everything was amazing and delicious and full of flavors and new foods and spices for us(we were googling a lot of items with not tons of luck). Charcoal roasted Plantain Tartare came with cured Egg Yolk, Almond Chili Relish and "Salprieta" (typical side dish from the province of Manabí, Ecuador, used as condiment and contains equal parts of toasted corn and toasted peanuts, both ground to a coarse powder; then mixed with finely chopped coriander, dried oregano, salt and black pepper. Achiote oil can be added to give color to the mixture.). It was divine and was paired with a refreshing bright Armonia Rose from Dos Hemiferios winery in Ecuador(as all the paired wines were and they were all fab!!).

By this time there seemed to be a thumping loud disco music coming from outside  and competing with the more mellow elevator music indoors. It grew to an almost cacaphony, but luckily subsided within 30 minutes, or we might have gone deaf.

Pargo (porgy) was the fish in our Ceviche with Mango Sauce and Avocado Mousse that was another revelation while Sam had a veggie version with superb local ripe tomatoes(all photos on FB). He was loving the local Pilsener Beer while we enjoyed an Enigma Chardonnay.'

Armonia Chardonnay from the same vineyard was next with a bright sour apple taste and was paired with our favorite dish all night. White Tuna with Manaba Butter which was extremely rich and obviously something that is so local, we could never replicate it at home. Sam had the same sauce loaded with amazing wild mushrooms hazelnuts and crushed that he loved ( a revelation in itself as he does not usually care for mushrooms) due to this brilliant sauce.

Armonia Merlot 2019 arrived to pair with our Osso Buco with mashed Mashua (a truly alliterative dish from a local tuber that is like no other) over Fava Beans and sprinkled with Onion Ash!! Sam had the same Mashua but with Roasted Cauliflower that he loved. 

Dessert was a Coconut Cloud with Banana Jelly with Cocoa Nibs, Biscuits, and Spice

d Ice Cream (with pieces of dried orange and fruit peels). It came in a huge hollowed coconut shell and was superb with a paired Demi-Sec Cava from Dom Potier in Spain.

We were full, but were told the taxi would take about 25 minutes so Sam & I ordered Caipiranhas(odd they came with a sugared rim) and Will a Campari & Tonic, which we ended up gulping down as the taxi arrived in 15 minutes.

Only one night here in Ecuador, before heading to Lima today and the wolrd famous Central Restaurant for dinner tomorrow!

Ft. Lauderdale's LOUIE BOSSI has its big bumps (12-1-21)

 We wanted something simple and fun for our last night here before sailing to South America and we were a group of 7. Our hosts said that Louis Bossi just nearby had great pasta, lots of veggie options and the best Cacio e Pepe ever! That was all true, but the experience sadly had a lot do desire.

We had outdoor seating in the most adorable of pergolas in the huge courtyard that was jammed with dozens of people and a huge table of more than a dozen next to us making the loudest racket ever. Our table was round, but we could not even heard each other across it! On top of that there was very loud and unneeded music piped in.

Big Jim was our server and while he was a riot, he was also a bit brutish and invasive. He kept leaning into Will to explain things; a bit too close for Covid comfort.  He had his own unique method of explaining the menu in a slightly condescending way, as if we knew nothing about Italian pasta names. He was indeed funny at times, and the service was decent to good. I ordered a bottle of Grillo/Viognier blend from Stemmari in Sicily called ""Dalila" as I could not resist the operatic/biblical connection; it was delish, crisp, refreshing and superb with our large charcuterie and cheese platter(see FB photo) laden with salamis, prosciutto, Taleggio, Burrata, Parmeggiano, pickles, olives and the best grissini on earth.  Sam loved his Italian mojito made with aperol as well and had a flashback to our last trip to Italy with the Peroni Beer! Arancini with truffle aioli were also a treat. A huge loaf of crusty bread came with olive oil with chili flakes.

We switched to a superb red 2017 Palazzo della Torre Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso which I have had often and also in our cellar. A treat indeed especially since on Wednesday's all wines under $100 are half price!!

Indeed the Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti was delish as well as the Pasta special of Rigatoni with Mushrooms, Mascarpone and more(optional shrimp or chicken as well). Will ordered the Radiatore Alla Vaca with Prosciutto & Chicken which came lukewarm and he sent back; it returned the same temp! My Ferrzazzoli(a bucatini-like pasta with a hollow) Frutti di Mare was also not that hot and the worst part was the scallops that tasted like mushy potatoes. The Mussels & Clams were okay, and the Shrimp & Calamari were super with the amazing spicy San Marzano tomato sauce.

We left stuffed, but would rethink the crowds, noise and dishes we choose if we go back!

Ft. Lauderdale's HARBORWOOD in the Hyatt Centric gets high points(11/30/21)

 Our friends we are staying with here in Florida live next to the Hyatt Centric and we headed there for dinner last night and were treated to a bottle of white(Sonoma-Coutrer Chardonnay) & red(Ken Wright Pinot Noir) from the sales manager at the hotel, whom I had met earlier in the day! We sat outside on a glorious evening and had a superb time with 4 of our Florida friends.

After we finished the chard, we had a bottle of Squealing Pig Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and then when we needed a second red, our brilliant server Jordan suggested a bottle not on the menu, a fine 2015 Ysios Rioja from Spain.

Appetizers were all delicious, although the Chopped Romein Salad was a bit boring even with cucumber, olives, cherry tomatoes, stuffed grape leaves, feta and vinagrette.

The Chilled Togarashi Crusted Ahi Tuna Tataki with Yuzu Ponzu sauce, pickled mushrooms, avocado and lotus root chips was delicious but would have been even better if it was a tad more on the rare side. The Roasted Heirloom Cauliflower with toasted almonds, soused sultanas, crisp capers(a nice touch) and romesco had white, yellow and purple cauliflower and was delish. Pan Seared Ocotpus came with a yummy Carrot Ginger Spread, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes(lots of potatoes), smoked pimenton and Lemon EVOO , but the big winner was the Hand Pulled Chicken Empanadas with sofrito & mozzarella and a chipotle sauce. Thing BBQ pulled chicken (here it was cooked sous vide) that melts in your mouth.

The main courses were all very good but the big hit seemed to be the Char Grilled Vegetarian Beyond Burger on Brioche which was declared as beyond delicious. The Beef Burger and Peppercorn Crusted Wagyu Sirloin were also great beef dishes. The Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon came with Quinoa & Sweet Potato Hash, Garlic Sauteed Green Beans and Fire Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette while my Pan Seared Cajun Shrimp were atop a rich Creamy Lemon Saffron Risotto with Grilled Asparagus and a Fennel Lobster Sauce in which you could taste no fennel(loved it that way).

We were too stuffed to even think about dessert, but what a great evening we all had!!!

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NYC's Benno is batting high for French haute bistro (11-26-21)

 Our last evening on the quick holiday trip to NY was supposed to be the vegetarian tasting menu at Dirt Candy as Samuel loved that place. We got a call around 1pm that they were closing for a while due to a Covid case, so we scuttled and Sam decided he wanted to see his friends. Will and I headed to E 27th Street at 5th Avenue where the Michelin-starred Benno can be found in the lobby of an unassuming hotel. There is a bar in a large back room, but we were escorted past that and up the stairs to what looked like an art deco speak-easy club with cushy banquettes, a very cool chandelier that defies description and another bar at one end of the not too large room. I loved the fact that each table had a portable light on it, just in case you needed it to read the menu, which is simple and straightforward as they have a $250 tasting menu or a la carte from several categories with several items in each. We went tasting of course and were very happy we did. We opted not to take the $150 beverage pairing and instead chose a white and red which was perfect. The Vacqueyras Blanc 2018 from Montirius was creamy but also very mineral intense, hence the name "Mineral" on the bottle!  our sommelier was Cedar(named for a jazz musician) and he thought my choice was excellent as it was clearly not a wine folks choose. We spoke about the red and decided on the Ferrando Carema Etichetta Blanca 2015 Nebbiolo from Piemonte which he said is from the north and hence quite herbacious and earthy. We loved it! There was also yummy bread in the form of a salty Seaweed Roll(and it was truly seaweed intense) as well as a Polenta Baguette(which we never tried).

There were no amuses so we started immediately with a decadent and rich and creamy signature dish of Chef Mark Zuckerman's called "Royal White Sturgeon Caviar" which sits atop slice of abalone with a Matsutake Custard(photos on FB). It was an over the top dish which we adored and the minerality from the wine was ideal with the dish.

Next for me came the Marbre de Foie Gras which was a terrine of Hudson Valley Foie Gras with braised leeks and black truffles on the side, a telicherry pepper brioche and  frisee with vinaigrette. Will is not a foie gras person so he substituted the Coddled Egg from the Vegetarian Tasting Menu(which by the way looked fabulous as well) which came with Pole Beans, Chanterelles and Brown Butter; he loved it! Our server Satomi has suggested it and what a great choice indeed. She and the entire team were attentive and always there when we looked up for anything. We never had to ask for wine to be poured and after every course, someone swept the crumbs(even if there were none) off the table.

We had moved on to the red wine which was great with our pasta dish, a very rich and spicy Corzetti(these are black and white flat discs of pasta(with stamp designs on them) made from squid ink and saffron respectively and were served with Squid & Shrimp in a Calabrian Chile Sauce. we loved the dish and I have to say, I learned about a new pasta!

The Venison Saddle was pepper crusted and came with Braised Red Cabbage, Parsnip Puree and Sauce Poivrade and was just the right size as we were filling up

The cheese course was Arethusa Blue with a Persimmon Steamed Pudding with watercress, honey & candied walnuts that was a wondrous creation. It was followed bty a palate cleanser of Charentais Melon Sorbet with Sparkling Lemon water(in the sorbet) that was tart and refreshing.

The dessert was a Delice Au Chocolat that was like a bombe with Jivara mousse and Passion Fruit Ganache inside. Raspberry Dark Chocolates came before we left and we knew we had reached our limits. Benno was indeed a bravura bistro-style spot, but the elegance and attention made for the perfect meal as well.

NYC's AI FIORI has fallen in fare quality (11-24-21)

 Each year (save for the lost one in 2020) we head to NYC for Thanksgiving to catch some shows and be with our family. The weekend always starts with a Wednesday matinee on Broadway and yesterday's TINA, The MUSICAL was superb. Aftewards we have traditionally dined at the excellent AI FIORI in the Langham Hotel where the Michelin star service and food have always been fabulous. On arrival last night we were so happy to be back after last year's lost time and really wanted to have an amazing time. We settled into our cozy table overlooking Fifth Avenue from one story up with all the lights and people and Sam decided he wanted to try to Vegetarian Chef's Tasting Menu. When you do the tasting, the whole table has to do it, so we agreed and our super server ,Nicola, said that we could do the regular menu($175 each) while Sam had the veggie ($150). I ordered a bottle of delicious Zibibbo from Benvenuto 2018 in Calabria and some bread(olive rolls, sourdough and sesame) arrived. I knew something was wrong as the bread presentation here pre-Covid was enthralling and we always had the best breads and so many choices. The three placed on the table were okay, but won no prizes at all. I knew even more was wrong when NO amuses at all arrived. Even in prior years, when we ordered a la carte, amuses always abounded. I also noticed at this point that the lone fake hibiscus flower in the small vase on the table was so sad. I know that things are hard, but I think no flower is better than a fake sad looking one.

The first course arrived for Sam in the form of a simple salad that he said was delicious, but the love and presentation were truly no there. Our Himachi with olive puree, candied kumquat, kumquat puree and a piece of glazed fennel was simple yet filled with had a burst of flavors for a great start. 

Next Samuel got a nice buratta and we got a superb Beef Tartare with cornichon and two "zabagliones" of onion and tarragon, which were really delicious aiolis! Of course, there are photos on FB! The third course was Risotto; vegetable with trumpet mushrooms for Sam and Nova Scotia Lobster with little squares of apple for bursts of flavor and an odd fried chip of some sort on top. The lobster was skimpy and I felt really cheated. Chef Roberto Donna makes risotto so much better in Dc that it would throw this one out of the ring at first bite.

We moved on to a magnificent Aglianico del Vulture 2015 "Titolo" from Elena Fucci. I love trying wines from women winemakers and this was indeed a treat. Our fish course was a Halibut with fried and sauteed Sunchokes, Sunchoke Puree, Brussels Sprouts and Meyer Lemon Marmalade in a Virzo sauce that was excellent, indeed a winner and making us feel that the food was back on course. Same had Mezzaluna(ravioli) with squash and sage. 

The Duck course came with Red Endive, Mostarda and Huckleberry Sauce while Sam had a Polenta cake with pomegranate, cocoa bean puree and barley.  Both dishes were very good indeed and again our wine pairing shone with the duck.

We had told the servers when we arrived that we like all food save licorice and cannot have grapefruit due to statin medication for cholesterol. The sorbet that arrived was pomegranate-ginger with grapefruit gel,  They disappeared after our reminder and came back without the gel, refreshing.

Dessert was a very sweet White Chocolate Mousse with Banana Meringue, Coconut and Banana Gelato over Cocao Nibs. I thought that some of it was a bit cloyingly sweet, thought the banana meringue was neat and gelato was fab. When I told them, they took $10 off the final bill. Pumpkin Spice chocolates were a nice send away, but we left feeling that some of the love was gone at Ai Fiori. Is it us, is it the pandemic or is it just  that we yearn for a time before all the crap started? Not sure, but we will definitely rethink our next visit with a price tag like that one!!

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MOON RABBIT tasting menu(Washington DC) makes your mouth water!(11/16/21)

 Each year at March of Dimes Signature Chefs we always buy a ton of dinner to use with friends during the year. Last night 12 of us gathered to use one from two years ago as we lost more than an entire year of these events. We gathered in the private dining room as Daniel served us delicious refreshing cocktails made of a Merlot reduction, St. German and Prosecco; I think many of us had seconds! Our meal was supposed to be a 7-course tasting but it started with an course that Chef Kevin Tien calls "Bread." We have had these amazing Turmeric Mantou Buns served with Cultured Honey Butter and Chili Crisp(really small pieces)on top that when spread on the warm buns melt so fast that you cannot resist popping half the bun in your mouth fast to keep the butter from running off! (Fotos on FB). These are indeed filling, but well worth trying when you come in for dinner at this gorgeous dining venue overlooking the water on the Wharf in the Intercontinental Hotel.

Next was a divine Crudo of Citrus Cured(in salt, sugar and seaweed) Wester Ross Salmon with Green Apple Nuoc Cham(spicy fish sauce), Moon Grapes, Celery & Puffed Grains. One of our guests declared that if all salmon were like this, she could eat it daily! I have to agree as the fish just melted in your mouth and the seasonings were sublime with that added crunch from the rice for fun. Our first wine for the first courses was a yummy Gradis Ciutta Collio Pinot Grigio 2020 from Robert Princic in Italy. We then moved on to a wonderful Dido blend from Montsant in Catalunya of Macadeu, White Grenache & Cartoixa 2017.

Australian Lamb Tartare with Cumin, Fennel, Shaoxing Pickled Shallots and Dill was served on a Large Crispy Banh Hoi (rice vermicelli cracker). These were the same crackers Chef Kevin used last week at this year's March of Dimes event but in that venue they had pate with spicy cherry jam!! The tartare was amazing and the dish allowed the meat to truly shine.

Siu Mai or Chinese Sausage Pork Boudin was served with a Mascarpone Hot Mustard --think fried wontons on crack!! OMG, what a great flavor and fun treat. Next came a Steamed Icelandic Cod with Cured Radish & Ginger Scallion Dashi. The fish was delicate and flaky and the radishes were so pretty we did not want to touch the magnificent plating.

We moved on to a yummy 2018 Duckhorn Merlot from Napa which was served with the amazing pasta course that I had requested as it was on the menu several weeks earlier for a James Beard Foundation fundraiser at Moon Rabbit. Everyone went insane over the Temomi Ramen Noodles tossed in XO Beurre Monte with Crawfish, Aromatic Panko and Chinese Sausage!! This dish could win a prize in any competition--as indeed they all could have, We were approaching "full" and thankful that the Beef course was small and simple yet full of flavor. Reverse Seared Ribeye was on a bed of Clementine Puree that was tart and a great foil for the met as well as Black Pepper Fish Sauce and Caramel Grilled Scallions. Shallots & garlic finished off the meat to perfection.

The dessert was another revelation and one of our guests who hails form Singapore was thrilled to see Ube on the menu. It is a Fiipino yam that is used for sweet desserts and his favorite is Ube ice cream. Last night it was Ube Flan with Palm Sugar Caramel, Coffee Gelee, Chocolate Streusel, Condensed Milk Ice Cream and Hazelnut Foam. I can only describe it as akin to panna cotta, but again "on crack."

we left thrilled to be of help to such a good charity and also knowing we would be back again soon as we still have one more similar tasting meal form last year's March of Dimes fundraiser on Zoom. Thanks to Chef Kevin Tien, our server/barman Daniel and the magnificent team at Moon Rabbi headed by Satoko at the front of house!

Pentagon Row's (Arlington, VA) MATTIE & EDDIE's make for excellent Irish pub fare(11-11-21)

 We headed out to Chef Cathal Armstrong's newest venture in Arlington set opposite the skating rink in Pentagon Row (where you can sit outside with heaters and watch the skaters!)for a fabulous Irish feast. This is indeed going back to Chef's roots as this warm cozy pub has such a great feel, and the food is indeed comfort food.  We sat inside in cozy leather chairs and red fabric banquettes and it was pretty empty for a Thursday, so we felt totally at ease with tons of space. Wood tones are prominent with old pub signs and mirrors abounding. Our server, Karina, gave us some suggestions and we ordered some cocktails. The drinks were good size, but a bit unexciting. Ould Poire is Grey Goose Poire Vodka with St Germaine, and Q Elderflower Tonic, while the Irish Bellini was Irish Mist Honey, Peach Schnapps, Peach & Honey Syrup & Prosecco. We switched to wine and loved the 2019 Neyers Chardonnay.

Cockles & Mussels were in a cream, white wine & dill broth and were delicious and served with large slices of Irish Bread & Butter as was the Irish Oak Smoked Salmon with greens, capers & lemon--a truly mouth melting salmon indeed. Sausage Rolls are crispy pastry with a yummy filling and a great sauce to dip in. The Ham & Cheese Toastie is a winning sandwich and would make an ideal lunch!!

Eamonn's Fish & Chips comes with 7 secret sauces and took us back to the old fish and chips spot Chef Cathal named for his son in Alexandria that we loved so much! House-Cured Corned Beef came with Cabbage Confit and Parsleyed Potatoes and the meat was indeed some of the most tender ever. My Lobster Pot Pie had the perfect puff pastry crust on top and was filled with tons of lobster chunks and a rich cream sauce. The side of Brussels Sprouts & Bacon should not be missed.

For dessert there was Apple Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream and Bread & Butter Pudding with Toffee Sauce & Cream that got raves. My Irish Farm House Cheese was a selection of three (Mossfield, Willoughby & Cashel Blue) that was excellent with a blueberry jam and a fruit-nut bread that was niece, but quite intense reminding me almost of a slice of fruit cake! we had a great time with friends and are happy to know that we can still get those awesome fish & chips nearby, and so much more!

James Beard Foundation Taste America returns to DC--and MOON RABBIT makes it magnificent (10-25-21)

 Last night MOON RABBIT on the DC Wharf was full of foodies as a part of the 25 city James Beard Taste America tour. each city has a host restaurant wine Chef Kevin Tien at Moon Rabbit brought his friends Tim Ma and Paola Velez to join him in a super evening of food and drink.

The evening started off poorly as I entered the garage at the wharf at 6pm(for the 630pm event) I hit a huge line of cars backed up the ramp and was stuck. After a while I got into the lot, but there were no spaces as the Anthem had a live concert at 8pm of H.E.R.!! Well, from now on, I will check the Anthem schedule before even thinking of trying to park at the Wharf. One of our friends was so upset after an hour of driving around, he gave up and went home. I go to the restaurant about 650pm and my other guests arrived just after 7pm.

I was so stressed and manager Noemi Herrera clearly saw I was frazzled and got me the arrival cocktail called RABBIT's TAIL of Rabbit Hole Cavehill Kentucky Straight Bourbon with Five-Spice Dram, Lime, Lemongrass, Pineapple and Barley tea Syrup (created by Gemma Hardy).

Moments later, the photographer Shannon Finney stopped by (she thought she knew me) as I was still seated alone and asked how things were going. I may have been pretty miserable, but she totally cheered me up, as the drink did and soon after my friends arrived and we began what turned out to be a wonderful meal and evening.

The first course of "Bread" was created by Paola Velez & Kevin Tien: Pepita Cornbread with Charred Pineapple Butter & Chile Crisp(this was a dreamy spicy kick-ass butter) and whipped salted Kerrygold Butter were paired with Turmeric Milk Buns(think Bao) with Fermented Chile Honey that I fell in love with, but resisted so I could enjoy all the meal. There were assorted Kerrygold Cheeses and Eclectic Jams (but we did not know what they were??!!). Fotos are on FB

Tim Ma's appetizer of Skuna Bay Salmon Carpaccio(Crudo) with Pickled Charred Shallots, Sichuan Preserved Lemon & Herbs(he called it secret Chinese stuff!) was light and dreamy and topped with Beet Chips compressed in Miso & pickle juice. The wine was Venus La Universal Dido Monstant Blanc 2017, which in itself is a crazy enough name for a wine, but was quite tasty and a great pairing.

The main course by Chef Kevin was XO Rice Cake Gnocchi with Crawfish, Garlic Chives, Aromatic Panko Bread Crumbs and Lime. Chef explained that there was also krill in the broth and the sauce was a superb kick-ass spice that I fell in love with and will surely ask him to duplicate on our next visit(2 weeks from tonight!). There was a non-seafood veggie option as well with the Miso Rice Cakes and Roasted Mushrooms with Egg & Chive! Everybody was happy and the wonderful wine was a Colene Clemens Dopp Creek Pinot Noir 2019 as the dish was a heavy one and really begged for a nice red.

I forgot to photograph Paola Velez' simple but delish dessert of Coconut Panna Cotta with Tropical Fruit, Vanilla and Salted Oat Crumb topping. This was paired with the same flight of Rabbit Hole Whiskeys we had at the last Taste of America here in DC back in the spring!! As before I avoided the two middle drinks as they were way too intense for me and loved the first of the flight, but ADORED the last:

Cavehill Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was nice;

Heigold Kentucky Striaght Bourbon Whiskey & Boxergrail Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey are not for me, and

Dareringer Straight Bourbon Whiskey (finished in PX Sherry casks) is my fave!!

A yummy fun night that started off bad, but turned terrific!

Istanbuls' MIKLA makes a magnificent meal and an elegant evening (10-18-21)

 On our last night in Istanbul we braved the taxi once again., but since it was a bit rainy, the traffic was minimal as we got to the Marmara Pera Hotel where MIKLA is located on the rooftop fairly quickly! On  arrival the front door staff escorted us inside quickly (after the mandatory security check that every hotel has) and popped us in a private elevator to the top floor. The view of Istanbul to the north was beautiful and our table overlooked the Bosphorus Bridge in the distance all lit up at night. The tables had crisp white linens, Nude crystal (the brand that most fine dining places seem to use there) and we settled in for a wonderful meal with superb service to boot from our wonderful server Timuçın (he told us to call him Tim!).

We had spent all week educating ourselves about Turkish wines(there are so many different varietals and regions that it is indeed daunting) and decided on a Corvus 2016 Emir(white varietal that is somewhere between Sauvingnon Blanc & Chardonnay) that we knew would be dry and refreshing from the Kapadokya region. Corvus is one of the well-known wineries, so we felt we could not go wrong and we were indeed correct. Mikla, it should be noted, has a monstrous wine list to boot and won the 2020 Wine Spectator "Best Award of Excellence!" It is also on the list of "The 50 Best Restaurants in the World!"

Four amuses arrived and they were all beautiful, different and superbly tasty:

-Lettuce with SeaBass

-Flax cracker with Hummus, cucumber and chile

-Spiced Lavash(flatbread) with Dried Duck & Mushroom

-Turkish cheese from Izmir with bergamot & Tomato

If the food to follow was anything like these varied and exciting tastes, we knew this would be one of the best meals we had all week; and it was! Bread arrived in the form of an entire "course" with a plate of wheat and sourdough joined by Cold Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Genius(I forgot to try and find that at the duty free the next day!) that was divine, Sheep Butter, Rock Salt and a divine four cheese mix spread that was soft sheep and cow that had aged to a delightful funkiness. The entire affair was a real treat and the various flavors just excited us even more about what was to come.

We thought the appetizers would be next, but boy were we wrong when Tim brought us another beautiful presentation of Balik Ekmek, Mikla's signature dish, which is a Turkish street food that has been fancied up beyond gorgeous. The plate featured two pieces of fried crispy "fish bread" standing on edge in semi-circles with lemon foam and chives to dip in! OMG! What an amazing treat bursting with a quasi-anchovy salty taste that was out of this world! The fish comes from the nearby Black Sea and this is one snack I could eat every day!

Will started with Zeytinyağli a delicious olive oil braised artichoke with sorrel and vegetable purée, while I was insane about my Lamb Heart with fresh Mushrooms from adjoining Thrace, Cress, Pomegranate Vinegar, Sumac, Malkara Lentil Purée and Pickled Plum. It sounds like alot, but the flavors all melded magnificently (be sure to catch all the FB photos).

We asked Tim for help choosing a red wine and decided on the Chateau Kalpak 2016 Şarköy also from Thrace and a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. We have found these to be the best Turkish reds and for some odd reason they all have very high alcohol levels (15% here!) making them quite strong. 

Will and I decided to try the two lamb main courses and switch halfway. His was the Grilled Lamb with Charred Smoked Eggplant, Kars Gravyer Cheese, Isot Chili and Mushroom, while my Braised Lamb had been cooked for 12 hours and was served with Walnut Pesto, Olive Oil, Braised Çibes(we never did find out what this was!), Potatoes & Bergama Tulum Cheese. Needless to say, we were stuffed, but the set menu included dessert and it was indeed a special treat!

Wıll chose the Şüllaç, a rice pudding with fig seeds, hazelnut crumb and sour apple sorbet. I am not a fan of rice pudding, but this dish was fabulous and my dish was simply termed "Strawberry" which the menu described as "Condensed Strawberry, Cardamom, Basil & Antep Birdshit Pistachio. YES!!! It is apparently a specific pistachio, but who knew?? The entire dish was light, refreshing and superb, including the birdshit, not to mention the use of pressed wild strawberries and both peach & blackberry sorbets!! Don't forget to check out the fotos. WOW What a great last night!!

Istanbul's Karaköy Lokantasi kills it across the board! (10-17-21)

We had much more success on our next night out here in Istanbul the taxi managed to find the restaurant only about a 100 m after we passed it.

 The location in the Novotel was right on the water although the docks blocked our view. It really didn't matter as our eyes were set on the mezze(appetizer) bar as we walked in and the wonderfully varied menu.

There were beautiful teal tiles on the walls and fine white linens on the tables(something we have not seen here) and while many tourists were here, locals seemed to love it as well.

We ordered a bottle of a novel rosé made from Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah called Innocent Angel from Sevilen which was very dry with citrusy notes and high acidity, perfect with the varied mezze we decided to try:

We knew we had to try the Tarama, a super spread made from fish roe that was thicker than the Greek version we know, more like a paste here and richer too; heavenly on the toasted fresh bread.

Marinated Sea Bass came and reminded me of pickled herring in cream sauce (just not pickled nor as fishy) as it was creamy with a mayo sauce and onions.

The Artichoke in EVOO was also nice and simple but tasty.

The hit was the warm Hummus served with dried Pastrami and chili oil(all fotos on FB) that we fell in love with. Grilled Octopus was tender and simply grilled with superb seasonings.

We switched to a yummy red our super server , Azer, recommended from Chamlija called Nev-i Şahsina Münhasir 2018 a wonderful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc. Merlot and Petit Verdot which came from  Lüleburguaz Kiriklareli in Thrace, the region of Turkey outside Istanbul on the European side.

As we were filling up, we decided to share one main course as we know the portions are large. The Dana Çökertme was tender straps of veal cooked in a yummy yogurt and tomato sauce with shoestring potatoes underneath. 

We knew that the Ritz-Carlton had sent us a small anniversary cake, so we headed back for a bite of that and bed.

One more night out before we head home Tuesday!

--

Istanbul's NEOLOKAL loads it on for a fabulous food and wine experience with a view (10-15-21)

 On our 2nd night here in Istanbul we hopped a taxi from the hotel and we were absolutely sure he knew where he was going, indeed his English was pretty good and he used his translator app to say that it was his friend who was the taxi driver the night before who was extremely distraught over what happened... We told him it was OK and he told his friend that we were not mad and that we were out for another great night of food.

Neolokal  Is is located on the 3rd floor of the M Gallery hotel very close to the Galata Tower and our table had the best view across the Golden Horn to the magnificently lit Sülemaniye Mosque(Sulaiman the Great's homage to Islam).  It had started to rain but it didn't matter as the view was spectacular and we were ready for a wonderful night. We debated the various menus and finally selected the 6 course tasting menu with paired wines after our server, Yildirim, assured us the portions were small. WRONG!  We were stuffed by the 4th course and barely ate any of the meat course but it was a wonderful experience and the wines were truly spectacular including a repeat of the red wine we had discovered the night before that we fell in love with.

 Istanbul and even more Turkey are very inexpensive for Americans.  Most of the meals we have had for 3 people have cost $20, Neolokal is a very special restaurant and it was $65 for the tasting and $50 for the wine pairing, but back home this would have cost over $200 at one of the top restaurants in any city. There were mostly foreigners here, thought some locals that were celebrating special occasions or such.

 Sourdough bread with parsley butter and cep mushroom powder was brought to the table along with an amuse which consisted of  two amuses: crispy cucumber with yogurt sauce inside, as well as a timbale of tomato paste with cumin and garlic.  They were both very nice but what came next really got us excited. Baked Celeriac Börek  comes with Apple celeriac butter,  carrot and Celeriac sauce and celery mayo.  This was basically a deconstructed Borek pastry with a layer of phyllo on top of the creamy rich vegetable purée, it was one of our favorite things all night. Yildirim paired this with a Hasandede(local white varietal) 2019 from Vinkara in the Kalecik region near Ankara,  which was a super crisp wine with apple notes and extremely dry and refreshing to cut the richness of the dish.

 Stuffed leek with bonito,  raw bonito  dried bonito Mayo, dried bonito and bonito juice was an interesting dish but since the bonito is extremely close to the Mackerel ,the intensity of the fish really overwhelmed us. Turasan 2020 Emir(another white varietal) from Cappadocia was a mineral intense wine worthy of the strong fish.

Kalecik Karasi is Turkish for Pinot Noir  And they really know how to make this wine with a huge nose much fuller, less fruitier and way more oomphier than anything I have ever tasted other than a truly aged French Burgundy. Vinkara made this wine as well from 2017 called Mahzen."  It was served with the Kadinbudu: ground chicken and lemon compote in crispy skin with an extremely rich rich rich heavy sauce, chicken demi-glace and potato chip atop.  I think the fact that this dish was so rich is what completely filled us up as it was also really delicious.

 We went back to white wine with a Blanc de Noirs from Vino Deserra 2020 which was creamy and citrusy and loaded with acidity to fight the bluefish that was to be served with it.  Black Sea Bluefish was cooked in fish broth and served with Badalan beans and carrots, Bluefish sauce, leek and onion, scallion oil.  The fact that the 2nd fish was also intensely fishy got to me. The seafood here I am sure is awesome but we seemed to get two really strong fish dishes.

 We asked for a very long break and they accommodated us perfectly and then came a yummy lime sorbet followed by the main course of Slow Roasted Lamb, Fig Beğendi and red plum sauce with an eggplant paste served with our new favorite wine, the Porta Caeli Ament blend 2017!! Perfect!  We barely touched the meat and in addition 4 women from Spain sat down at the next table and were wearing so much perfume we were beginning to choke. If the late Charlie Trotter was the chef at this restaurant, I'm very sorry but he would have died from the perfume scent mixes.

Şekerpare  Is a Semolina Orange cake served with peach cream and caviar pearls along with a Turkish coffee ice cream that was absolutely spectacular. This was paired with a nice refreshing Late Harvest Muscat(called Misket) from Sevilen in the Izmir region. Chocolate truffles and Madeleines followed which we packed up to take home for dessert in our room tonight!!

 The experience was amazing but it was sadly way too much food and a lot wasted. I think if we return we will definitely not eat anything all day long!!

Istanbul's YENI LOKANTI is local, modern and loads of fun(10-14-21)

 While our 1st meal here in Istanbul started out as basically as a disaster since the taxi driver had been misinformed of the address for the restaurant and what should have been no more than a 30 minute drive took almost 2 hours to get us to the restaurant through the horrific traffic here, in the end the evening turned out to be a total delight once we arrived. The hotel was so horribly upset about what happened they took care of the taxi and sent a private car to pick us up after dinner which turned out to be a truly spectacular affair.

 The staff greeted us at the door warmly and escorted us in  to a cute little space with a large bar and cozy seating(with good spacing) and offered us a cocktail menu and we immediately chose the Çarkifelek, a delicious of spicy meets a tad of sweet mix of passionfruit,  and Isot(Turkish native pepper)pepper vodka.

Hakan was our server and sommelier and was thrilled we wanted to try new Turkish wines and we hit the jackpot with a Porta Caeli "Ament" 2017 from the Gelibolu region which was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot with a 14.5% alcohol levels that made is hugely gutsy and reminiscent of an American red zin!! 

Hey UK folks --Yeni Lokanti now has a London branch where the owner/chef, Civan Er, himself is on site at 55 Beak Street W1F 9SH!!

A delicious amuse of Onion and Ginger dumpling in a yogurt sauce with chili oil was a hint of the magnificent meal to follow. Bread arrived in the form of a delicious homemade roll with a peppery butter.

Çig köfte tartar was an excellent Steak Tartare with a Potato Croquette perched atop and amaranth flowers.  The surprise treat was when you cut open the crochet a is at a yolk burst out and covered the entire dish which was seasoned with sumac and isot chili.

Kitel, antep kuru patlican, kestani mantari, yoğurt was a novel version of a traditional dish of Bulghur Fritter with Antep dried aubergine(eggplant) with chestnut mushrooms, cabbage and yogurt with chili oil. There are photos on FB for your viewing of these amazing preparations.

For our mains we shared two dishes: Odun Firinindan is a melt in your mouth Oven Roasted Beef ribs with isot chili. Cumin and yogurt sauce, while the second dish by a similar name was Oven Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Procini Mushrooms, Spinach and Tamarind.

We were stuffed and exhausted after having traveled in from Nairobi on a flight from 4am to 1030am and headed home without dessert, but fully thrilled with our first meal in Istanbul.

Hey UK folks: Yeni has opened in London at 55 Beak Street, W1F 9SH and is headed up by owner/chef Civan Er, who has left his Istanbul home in great hands!

We're in HEAVEN in Kigali, Rwanda (10-6-21)

 We arrived back in Kigali after an amazing 3 day/2 night trek to the northwest to visit the Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park that was a truly event of a lifetime. We were both finally feeling much better after various ailments (tummy and minor sprain) so headed to HEAVEN here in the capital for a truly delicious meal on our last night.

Everyone here in Rwanda is kind and MORE than friendly and we felt at home within seconds as soon as our server Chanceline introduced herself and was so attentive to everything we asked. I must add that while I was miffed about the wine price 3 nights earlier, the wine list here started at 45$(45000 francs) so the $55 we paid Monday was not crazy. We ordered another $55 bottle of Vonderling Shiraz 2018 "Baldric" from Voor Paardeberg in South Africa. Our beyond brilliant guide here, Ezra, explained there is a huge import tax on wine, so the prices tend to be high. I joked with Chanceline that I wish there was Rwandan wine and she said, "there is banana wine," and proceeded to bring a taste of the after-dinner-liqueur like drink with a super-high alcohol content, smooth, but strong.

We were quite surprised when an amuse of Carrot-Ginger Soup arrived which was superb, although we had a lot of this up north and I had had a superb Spicy Carrot & Tomato Soup for lunch; it is a local staple worth repeating often. Will ordered a starter of Slow Cooked Soup with Chicken, Lemongrass, Ginger and Coconut Cream, that had a nice kick and was super tasty.

For main courses Will chose the Grilled Chick Brochette with Peanut & Turmeric Sauce and a side of French Fried (he passed on the accompanying salad) which he loved. My Rwandan Beef Filet with a Rustic Tara(yam) mash, Sauteed Green Beans all in a Virunga(Rwandan)Beer Brown Butter Sauce and an awesome Cassava Leaf Chimichurri which was easily the best main course we had in the entire trip; even the meat was as tender as could be and cooked to a heavenly medium rare.

We didn't want anymore and were shocked when the whole staff and our guide showed up to sing Happy Birthday to Will(28 hours before his b'day on the 8th) with a chocolate fudge cake and huge sparkler(which did not get onto FB fotos as it burned out so fast!!). What a great treat and a perfect end to our amazing stay here in what could be one of the friendliest countries on earth!!

Rwanda's Repub Lounge gets some raves (10-3-21)

 We arrived here in Kigali last night shortly after midnight and a 24 hour trip from home, so tonight was our first dinner out in Rwanda and Repub Lounge just across the valley in a neighborhood that seems to have all the top dining spots next to each other was  a great choice. The weather has turned rainy, but we sat on the covered terrace with a view of the city center all lit up and settled in with a couple of Vodka(Absolut) & tonics, running about 6000 Rwandan francs each(under $6!).

Will & I decided to share two starters and two mains and we chose fairly well with a brilliant plate of local fried fish called SAMBAZA which was battered with a nice spice and served with a tartar-style sauce based largely on onion.; the dish was so good the sauce was not even necessary. The other dish was Pilipili Sausage & Rwanda cheese which had a quite spicy sausage with mustard and the simple but tasty local cheese which worked well to cut the spice from the sausage. We were both happy that Rwandans seem to like nice spice.

We ordered a bottle of white wine, but there was no wine list, so more on that later, Donath, our server, brought a yummy bottle of a white blend from Pay's d'Oc in France called Roche Mazet. It also cut the spice in the sausage and was great with the fried fish, which it turned out is a small (no bones at all) sardine from nearby Lake Kivu.

Main courses were Nyama Chana or roasted goat which was nice, but a bit on the dry side. A side(all mains come with one side dish) of Kachumbari was a perfect chimichurri or pico de gallo style salsa of tomatoes, chiies, garlic, onions and lemon juice. The Coconut Curry Fish was superb made with the local Tilapia also from Lake Kivu and a nice sauce, not sweet or too rich. Donoth suggest we take a rice dish, and he was spot on with the side of Ginger Rice. The winning side dish, however, was Isombe, a mix of cassava leaves and ground nuts the consistency of creamed spinach, that we both fell in love with. A nice plate of Crepes Flambees was set aflame tableside with orange liqueur, but we have now noticed (also at breakfast) that the local crepes are also called pancakes and sit somewhere between the two, not as thin as they are at home or in France, the thickness of a tortilla.

When the bill arrived I was quite thrilled to see the total was 50,000 francs, under $50, but attached below was a bill for the wine only at an additional 60,000 (yes, $60 and more than ALL the food). It seems there is no wine list so they can offer up a quality wine for a very high price! Next time I will ask for the price, as most folks don't  drink wine here!

Off to Volcanoes National Park tomorrow and home to the famous gorillas of Rwanda.

DC's BLACKSALT always gets big bravos (9-24-21)

 Last week we had the pleasure of returning to our neighborhood's and the best fish restaurant in DC since pre-Covid; Blacksalt did not disappoint.  The menu choices were wide and varied and we all tried new dishes as well in many cases. I started with the House Made Spaghetti all Chitarra made here with lumps of Maryland Crab, Fava Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, Fines Herbes & Shaved Bottarga all with a nice spiciness to boot. The Fried Green Tomato Remoulade looked fabulous as well with a load of Maryland Crab & Crayfish, Guacamole, Gazpacho Sauce, Local Chiles & Basil. I have never ordered the BlackSalt Oysters Rockefeller and may have to next time as this signature dish here has bacon, spinach, vermouth cream and parmesan; to die for. king Crab & Hiramasa Tartare was a new special that Will loved with Avocado Relish, Grilled Shishito Peppers, Habanero & Passion Fruit Aioli and Crispy Tempura(fotos on FB as always).

Our server Catherine was a gem and Kristin the sommelier was a super help as we enjoyed some magnificent wines starting with a Saint Joseph (Marsanne/Rousanne) 2018 from Romain Duverney in the Rhone that was creamy yet loaded with mineral flavors that are so common in the Rhone! We moved on to a Pinot Gris from Eyrie 2018 in Oregon's Dundee Hills which was more acid and went great with our starters. We finished with a Ken Wright 2019 Pinot Noir from Willamette, Oregon that was quite nice, but wouldn't win awards in my book, but paired well with all or fish mains.

Speaking of mains there were two takers for the Washington State Wild King Salmon with Black Beans, Chile & Local Corn Hash, Arepas & Salsa Verde, while the signature Blue Crab Cakes are always a huge hit with Lemon-Caper Aioli, Broiche Roll & House Sale. My special Pan Roasted American Red Snapper was divine with Sweet & Sour Clam Broth, Vermicelli Noodles, baby Corn, Water Chestnuts and Snap Peas giving it a truly Asian feel.

yes, dessert could not be skipped and we tried the Key Lime Pie with Blueberry Compote, Passion Fruit Caramel, whipped cream and Pistachio Milano Cookie!! tThe exciting was the Butterscotch Pot de Creme with Scotch-Vanilla Milkshake, Almond Brittle, Milk Chocolate ganache and Butter Shortbread, but had many different flavors and options to enjoy. Raspberry Eton Mess is Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Raspberry Mousse, Poached Local White Peach with Raspberry Coulis, Lemon & Yuzu-Lime Custard with Salted Caramel Ice Cream. Will always chooses something with salted caramel, but the Mess was not the best dessert. I loved the decadent and way too rich  Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte  made of Crunchy Peanut Butter Crisp, Caramel Mousse, Dark Chocolate Ganache, what a great way to go! What a great place to dine and just 5 minutes from our house!

DC's MODENA makes it magnificent(mostly) 9-4-21

 On holiday weekends we know DC is pretty quiet so we headed to dinner at Modena downtown as we know Chef John Melfi and had not tried the spot since he moved there.

On arrival we found out he was in Italy(and he did not buy his tickets from me!), but we found the place quite empty and quite quiet, elegant and snazzy.

Will did not like our table, so we moved, but the air was on full blast (we should have eaten outside, but it was fully booked) and so a chill pervaded. I loved the aluminum coil chandeliers and overall decor with one dining alcove with huge photos of Italy separated by a hanging beaded wall(later a loud group of 8 moved in, luckily we were on the way out).

Our server Victor was sweet and helpful and offered up some extras after the meal, which was a nice touch.

I had a nice Grey Goose Martini and Will a Campari & Tonic, alas the glasses sweated all over the beautiful wood sheen tabletops.

We decided to share everything and started with a beautiful and tasty Heirloom Tomato Salad  with Straccitaella Di Bufala(Mozzarella), Balsamic "Caviar", Dehydrated Olive Oil and made special by  a fabulous Basil Gelato. The tomatoes were ripe, tasty and amazing. The Crispy Fried Artichokes are awesome here and cooked in Bagna Cauda seasoned with Lemon Oil, Espelette Pepper and Sea Salt. The four crispy delicacies were divine and the flavor came through as they were so simply dressed. My only complaint is with the large bowl as the silverware we used kept falling into it. This happened alot during the meal and I guess nobody ever checked that out when they were buying all the china and cutlery for the restaurant. On the other hand the Riedel crystal was perfect.

Speaking of Crystal we ordered a bottle of 2018Aglianico "Vigneti del Vulture" form Pipolo in Basilicata as we have fallen in love with this grape and it is a great deal anywhere. It was nice and medium bodied, but not as much as the d'Angelo we have at home(truly a great rose and red both)!!

The Tortellini in Brodo is filled with Braised Shortrib, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Sheep's Milk Ricotta and served in a fabulous Smoked Parmesan Dashi that was divine. The tortellini were nice, but a bit doughy and I rally did not get much flavor from the tiny amount of filling. We are spoiled having been to Emilia Romagna on our last trip to Italy, so if you like Brodo, go for this.

The Amish Chicken Saltimbocca had Yukon Gold Potato Puree, Rapini and was wrapped in a crispy 24 Month aged Prosciutto with Crispy Sage leaves and a Lemon-Caper Butter. The meat was a tad dry, but the dish was overall delicious. The Spice Crusted Duck was delish with great seasoning and cooked just as I had asked. Heirloom Baby Beets (both shaved and cooked) decorated the beautiful plate with a Farro "Stir Fry", Charred Peach and Blackberry Jus. (fotos on FB)

I could not resist the cheese options, but first Victor brought us a superb scoop of Raspberry Sorbet on a bed of Crispy Yogurt that was an amazing and perfect palate cleanser.  I chose three cheeses and the portions were very large and all three were superb:

Caciotta al Tartufo-Truffled cow from Toscana

Vacche Rosse-the famous red cow Parmigiano-Reggiano(from Emilia Romagna) that I have never seen in the US and adore

Gorgonzola Dolce-also cow from Lombardy that was mild and tangy and perfect with a tad of the honey it came with. There was also a thin toasted fruit bread as well as granola(a novel and interesting touch) and the weirdest bowl of pickles(Victor said it was artichokes and something else??).

Will ordered a Laphroaig Scotch Whisky and then Victor surprised us with the Dark Chocolate Mousse, a chocoholic dream of Chocolate soil(fun!), Valrhona Milk Chocolate Gelato(wow!) and a Bittersweet chocolate sauce poured at the table.

We loved the place, loved most of the food and really loved the atmosphere and look forward to a return engagement.

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