Ballston's (Arlington,VA) SALT LINE is super for seafood(8-22-22)

 Last night four of us headed to Ballston to try out the second SALT LINE that has opened in the DC area (first one is in SE near the Stadium) and we had a ball. We were worried about parking near the shopping mall, but there were plenty of street spaces and we only had to plug the meter from 630pm to 8pm as it's free after that!

The menus here are pretty simple but there are so many starter options from the shucked oysters(7 kinds) to seafood platters and more. Will & I split the SEAFOOD CHARCUTERIE which was a great deal and had a ton of options served with grilled bread: Nori-warpped Shrimp & Scallop Terrine, Marinated (in agua chile and cucumber) Mussels, Cold Smoked Salmon, Rockfish & Shrimp Merguez Sausages, some jardiniere(pickled fennel), and Monkfish Liver Pate.  The highlights were the superb yet so simple salmon, the sausages and the pate---DIVINE and rich and creamy. 

Crispy Octopus comes with super spicy fingerling potatoes, zhoug, garlic aioli, pomegranate, almonds and orange and is a big winner while the Smoked Whitefish Salad with Fried Capers and Pickled Onions that comes on Sourdough is a tad tiny yet tasty.

We were lucky enough to have an extra starter sent out and it was one of my favorites(that I would have chosen next) called the NASHVILLE HOT Soft Shell served on grilled bread with Pickled green Tomatoes and a magnificent drizzle of Black Garlic Honey. These battered darlings were cooked to perfection with an amazing crunch and that balsamic drizzle to die for. (fotos on FB).

While I did not taste them there was a Fish House Punch(rum based) and a sweet frozen orange crush drink with alcohol as well. We went right to the wine and while a tad pricey (almost every bottle is over $60) the 2020 Greco di Tuffo from Terradova was a super white that stood up to everything. We moved on to a Cantina del Taburno Falanghina from Sannio in Campania next which was more acidic, a tad more expensive and not as much to our liking, so for the last bottle we moved back to the Greco!

Main courses were all superb, but the Lobster Rools at $35 are a tad chintzy with meat. They come either warm with melted butter or cold dressed with aioli.

My Olive Oil Poached Halibut was sublime with Summer Beans, Oyster Mushrooms, Chili Crisp and a Dashi-Wine broth.

Sides of salads, fries and Broccolini(with crispy garlic and anchovy aioli) were delish as well.

We settled on three desserts and our excellent server Jack brought out a 4th just in case!

The fourth extra was the Black Tea Panna Cotta with Lemon Curd, Strawberry Sorbet, Grilled Peaches and Nilla Wafers. It was light, but easily the best of the bunch.

Almond & Rhubarb Parfait had olive oil cake with almond creme legere, rhubarb compote and a topping of almond and coconut granola. We basically said it was an overly creamy trifle and Jack agreed less cream more fruit would be great.

Ultimate Banana Split has everything from vanilla, chocolate & strawberry ice cream to fudge, caramel, blueberry compote(although we could not find that) and peanuts, while the most insane dessert of all was the

COOKIES & CREAM "Over the Top" milkshake which is scary enough when it appears at almost a foot tall!! Vanilla, Ice cream, Coffee Syrup, Cream Cheese buttercream(!!), Chocolate Espresso Streusel (which is attached to the outside of the glass), Marble pound cake with toasted marshmallow!! The cake itself is piled on top and was a tad on the dry side, but it was a marvel to look at(foto on FB).

Another nice treat was the bowl of dozens of flavors of taffy at the door on the way out--irresistible!! I wanted to stuff my pockets, but refrained.

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DC's MAIZ 64 makes for great meals and a tad too much noise(8-17-22)

 Last night we joined friends at the relatively new(opened last fall) MAIZ 64 and as it was a beautiful evening (to start) we decided to sit outside and the very classy tables with huge umbrellas. 

We ordered their signature drink ALMA DE MAIZ which is a mezcal margarita withe corn and a spicy rim --it as DELISH. There was a choice between the $55 three course restaurant week menu and a la carte, two of us chose the former and it was all delish.

A small bowl of Tomatillo & Eggplant Puree came with crispy blue corn tortillas which we gobbled up with our yummy drinks.

The starter of Fish Pate Tostada had a pate of Cobia that was the texture of hummus but tasted fabulous and had a cucumber relish all on a large blue corn tortilla(FB fotos). The a la carte folks chose the also delish Tuna Tostada made with ponzu, avocado, cucumber, spicy mayo and salsa macha, again on the crispy blue crone tortilla.

I always love Mexican wines which can be rare in the states and Maiz 64 has a small but decent selection. The Trasiego 2020 Seleccion Blanca from Baja is a white blend of 60% Viognier, 25% Arneis and 15% Marsanne making it a most unique blend of Italiand and Rhone varietals! we all loved it. Our red was a simple wine we have had before, the 2020 Santo Tomas red blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Santo Tomas vineyards are known for their excellent reds, but this was a very simple wine and lacked a lot of depth and character we found in their higher end wines.

The main course choice from the $55 menu we had was a superb Short Rib with Panut Mole and roasted Spring onions. The onion bulbs were so large I thought they were Cippolini and the meat melted in your mouth as it shredded apart. Less exciting off the main menu was the Brisket with Cegueza Mole, Cauliflower Puree and Seasonal Vegetables as the meat was a tad chewy and not as beautifully cooked. The whole Dorado "a la Talla" was a butterflied whole fish grilled Acapulco style with dried Chiles Adobo and green salad.

About halfway through the main course the rain began and at first it was light enough and the huge umbrella seemed to protect us. After a while, we needed to move inside, which our server, Jose, made happen very fast. The only problem was the interior was so crowded and noisy we could not hear each other. After the rain stopped, we shuffled back outside where we finished our meal.

The desserts were a nice Flan with fresh berries and Churros.

Jose, who was a gem, brought out some mezcal for us to try and we left full and happy.

It was great to get together with friends we had not seen in years as well!!

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DC's NEW HEIGHTS still soars after 36 super years (7-31-22)

 I first ventured to the then brand new NEW HEIGHTS across the street from the Omni Shoreham back in 1986. I was mightily impressed, and it was always a treat to dine there almost monthly at first under the management of owner Umbi Singh and his super talented staff. Attention to detail never failed from every dish that came out of the kitchen under so many chefs who went on to make a name for themselves to each server who seemed to truly care that we had a great dining experience.  I remember learning about new wineries such as Murphy-Goode and I even remember brining our son Samuel there about 14 years ago where he enjoyed Rabbit Terrine two-ways and Quail, although he still won't forgive me for "making" him eat rabbit.

While New Heights was shuttered for some while recently, Umbi has passed the baton on to a new and brilliantly talented team that keeps the tradition he started burning bright. Indeed, our dinner on Sunday has us taken once again to new heights.

The new triumvirate is made up of Olena Fedorenko and her husband chef Jose Molina who hails from Bolivia, joined by Mark Namdar, all from the Graham Hotel in Georgetown.  Olena welcomed us with warm arms and explained much of the ideas behind the menu including her native Ukranian Borscht (we chose starters that we could more easily share). They have redecorated the beautiful setting perfectly and there is even a corner dedicated to Olena's homeland, Ukraine. 

We were served by Katya or Katarina, who is also from Ukraine and needless to say our concerns and thoughts were of their families as Katya's husband is fighting at home.

She was helpful, a super server and also the sweetest of souls.

We ordered three appetizers to share: Crispy Fried Oysters in Panko with Tartar Sauce and Pickled Cauliflower. The succulent mollusks come on top of a bed of arugula making it almost a side salad! Tempra Beech Mushroom Fries are a must and come with a Moroccan Spice Blend fired to perfection and two dipping sauces: Jalapeno Aioli & Truffle Mayo. Another treat was the Tuna Poke Tacos with Avocado Mash & Sesame Oil, which has three tacos, perfect for the three of us to share! Our wine was a refreshing Albarino from Mila in Riax Bais. Katya apologized that they were out of the Albarino (Bodegas Eidosela) that was on the menu, but came up with the perfect substitute.

we moved on to a yummy Barboursville Merlot 202 that might be young, but is drinking superbly. Our mains might have called for white, but we felt a light red was truly in order.

Free Range Chicken is Mustard & Herb Marinated and comes with a Rosemary Lemon Pepper Puree and Rainbow Bell Peppers. It's a juicy treat if you don't want red meat. Speaking of no red meat, the vegetarian option of Kale & Mushroom Paella with Saffron Rice, Sofrito, Oyster Mushrooms has fried kale on top with a fired egg resting on the whole miracle. My Pan-seared Branzino had crispy skin with Israeli Couscous and a simple sauce with capers. These were amazing dishes and we were so impressed we had to try desserts. Smore's is presented atop a small hibachi to melt the chocolate, cook the marshmallows and assemble the treat. It was fun, but a tad messy as well. Chocolate Pot de Creme was a rich silky version of the treat.

Everything was so perfect that we knew we would be back again soon. Besides after 35+ years how can we not head to New Heights?