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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