Roberto's Ristorante Italiano in Vienna, VA is serving up a spectacular SEVEN FISH DINNER (12/23)

 A couple we met on our cruise this summer were in DC for the holiday weekend staying out at Tyson's Corner and we asked them to join us in nearby Vienna at Roberto's on Friday night. The menu had changed a lot since out last visit in October, most notably was the holiday set dinner for $110 (that must be ordered by the entire table) that we could not resist. It is called "Chef Roberto's Seven Fish Dinner" and we can't say how simply superb it was and you really need to try this before it is removed from the holiday menu.

We were sorry to see that our regular server for decades, Deborah, had headed home to the UK for the holiday, but Sara and her team did a great job (except for one small item, quickly rectified). we started with our favorite white on the menu the Manincor La Manina from Alto Adige which is a superb blend of pinot blanc, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. I am really excited that we will visit this winery next October when I take a small group for a food and wine tour of the Dolomites! The wine has everything going for it and we polished it off with the starter of Baccala Mantecato con Le Rappe Rosse or Poached Cod whipped with Olive Oil atop Red Beets (of course, there are FB fotos of all).  The wine was also good for wolfing down the delicious breads from those peppery grissini to the soft focaccia to the amazing cheese buns; we had to ask for extras.

We knew we had a Calamaro Ripieno con Salsa All'Aglio Nero coming and the Calamari was stuffed with bread and seafood in the most divine yet thick Black Garlic Sauce (a real touch with the white and black contrasts), so we ordered another white suggested by Dmitri and the acidity in the Pala 2021 Vermentino from Sardinia was perfect with the rich sauce. we finished out white with the next course of Zuppa di Zafferano, Vegetale e Cozze which was a superb Saffron Soup of Autumn vegetables with mussels. On arrival Sara had asked about allergies and we repeated our usual dislike of all things licorice, but our guest had a real allergy to bell peppers, which there were in the soup. but we spotted them, and her bowl was whisked away and replaced with the Argentine Shrimp Crudo, a starter off the a la carte menu with spicy green sauce, radish, jalapeno and home-made pickled Chanterelles! I have to say the warm soup was perfect for this coldest of nights in what seemed years as the wind chills were below 0 degrees Fahrenheit and the thermometer was reading single digits.

We needed to move to a red wine that went with the heavier fish dishes and Dmitri agreed with my choice of the BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO, NOTTE, VILLA ELENA 2015 that was drinking as smoothly as could be. Our next course was the Cavatelli con Scungilli, Salsa Neonata Calabrese con Arucola and this was simply divine dish of home-made Ricotta Cavatelli(like gnochhi) with conch, arugula and a kicky Calabrese chile Neonata sauce. The wine was ideal with this to boot.

Our second pasta was just as spectacular with the Raviolo di Aragosta, Ragi di Grancio, Salsa di Aragosta. The single huge raviolo was filled with lobster & Mascarpone cheese, topped with crab ragu and served in a decadent lobster sauce. OMG!!  I may have wanted more of both these amazing pasta dishes, but we moved on to the Capesanta Al Tartufo Nero e Spuma di Patate or a Sauteed Sea Scallop with Black truffle on Potato Foam. It sounds light, but it was a filling dish, and we discovered our Barbaresco was gone, so we ordered four glasses of a wonderful Amarone from Tenuta del Sarto. This wine comes in 3L bottles or Jeroboam. It was listed on the menu as 2015, which is great, but still a tad young and we were thrilled to see a 2012 had just been opened.  I wish we had ordered the whole Jeroboam!! At $18 a glass this is a STEAL and went truly perfectly with our final fish course of Tonno ai Porcini e Salsa Barbaresco, yes-an Ahi tuna with porcini mushrooms(in a lattice over the tuna) in Barbaresco wine reduction, which of course was a hefty dish and worked brilliantly with the Amarone (or the Barbaresco if you had some left).

Dessert was Tortino di Panettone and I was really worried as I think of dry rock-hard fruitcake when I hear the word panettone, but this was a Warm Panettone pudding in vanilla and caramel sauce, and I quickly gobbled up the yummy dish leaving not a bite left. Limoncello as well as Amaro della Sirene(made locally in DC) were offered as digestifs, and we of course indulged and rolled ourselves out to the car and headed home in the bitter cold.

Chef Roberto Donna never ceases to amaze us all at the table and this meal was one of the best to date since his opening last February. I know there will be many, many more.

Take #2 for Turkey in DC at the delicious OTTOMAN TAVERNA(12-11-22)

 After dining out the night before in Arlington at the wonderful, but simple, Istanbul Grill, we headed into Dc the next day to OTTOMAN TAVERNA, where the decor is almost decadent, the prices are higher and the food was indeed a step up. One warning is that the address is 425 "I" St, NW but the restaurant entrance is on Fourth St, north of "I"!! There's no parking lot here like in Arlington, and indeed parking in this hip new "Noma": neighborhood can be hard or nary impossible. We lucked out as it was a quiet Sunday night.

So at Ottoman Taverna it is a fixed-price four course mean and a quite nice and varied one, too. We four decided to order a selection of four cold mezze(one each on the menu) to share, then we chose three warm mezze(to share) and a main course and dessert each. It was a filling meal and a great deal for sure. The wine prices here are about 20% higher for the same wines we had the night before. we started with a Vinkara 2019 Kalecik Karasi which is indeed the Turkish kin to Pinot Noir. When ordering, be careful as they also have a white from Vinkara (called Hansedede) which we had in Turkey and love, but had to send back. Our server Bugra was apologetic and immediately whisked the wine away, but left me a small pour to enjoy! The red is a yummy medium bodied wine that goes with almost everything. Our second red was a bigger one that Bugra suggested, the KAV-a blend from Anatolya of Okuzgozu and Bogazkere varietals. Now you try to figure all that out!

Our cold mezze were Hummus(uneventful). Ezme (a sundried tomato paste with onion, pepper, garlic, parsley and Turkish spice), Pembe Siltan of beets and yogurt which we all loved and the very spicy Aton of garlic, yogurt, celery and sun-dried chilies!! The bread here was warm and delish and closer to focaccia than pita.

The warm mezze were Felafel with yogurt that was a tad dry, Patates Kofte, which looked like the felafel but was a potato cake with feta and yogurt and the yummy Sigar Boregi or feta and onion cigar-shaped bourekas.

Main courses were all delish and as I said there are a couple dozen or so.

-Adana Kebap is chargrilled beef kebab with red pepper and herbs on bulgar pilaf with ezme dip and carrot-red cabbage slaw on the side

-Beyti Kebop is Char-Grilled Spicy Ground Beef Kebap wrapped in Lavash Bread with Eggplant Puree, served with Tomato Sauce & Yogurt 

-Doner Kebap is another variation with Thinly Sliced Beef Döner Kebab Served with White Rice, Ezme(Turkish Salsa) and Carrot-Red Cabbage Slaw 

-Moussaka here is as rich as it gets with Eggplant, Potato, Ground Beef, Bechamel Sauce & Kashkaval Cheese 

The desserts are very nice and simple. We tried the KATMER or phyllo with pistachio and cream, the Baklava and the Sutlac, an oven-baked rice pudding with cinnamon.

If you want a classier Turkish option downtown, this is a great choice for sure, and the service is friendly, and the decor is indeed very warm and lush.

Arlington's ISTANBUL GRILL is great for true Turkish and a budget (12-10-22)

 Friends of ours suggested ISTANBUL GRILL in Ballston in Arlington and the unpretentious place is a gem indeed. Wines are $40 or so a bottle for excellent Turkish varietals that can be hard to find in the USA as well. The food is low priced, hearty, tasty and filling. We tried the Majestik 2019 Syrah and Kalecik Karasi blend first and loved that and our server, Suat, suggested the Yakut 2019 Kavaklidere which we also loved. Two hearty reds that stand up to the food as well.

Warm pita-like bread and olives arrived, and we started with the Cold Mezze Platter which has plenty for everyone: Hummus, Cacik(cucumber dip akin to Tzatziki), Babaghanoush, Haydari(Thick yogurt, walnut, garlic, mint and dill) and KIRMIZI PANCAR TARATOR(beet dip with yogurt). The Grilled Octopus Salad with Beans is huge and a really super dish. It uses the main part of the tentacle, so for those who don't like the little cups on the legs, this is perfect! A super dish that one does not see often is Patlican & Biber Kizartmasi which is pan-fried eggplant and pepper in a yogurt sauce= DIVINE! The eggplant was cooked perfectly and then smothered with yogurt but was not gooey or slimy at all.

Main courses are many and we chose to split some:

The MANTI here are made from ground beef in dumplings with a yogurt and tomato sauce and taste delish, while I would normally not order fries, these are wonderful with a nice spice on them. A large group can order the double MIX GRILL PLATTER, but I would stick to a single and then get another dish as these platters are huge and loaded with everything from Doner Kebab to Lamb to Sauteed Beef and Chicken Adana (kebab like).

We were more than full, and plenty left to take home. What a deal and what a simple, yet great place. My only qualm was the nice linen napkins were quite frayed and torn to shreds :-(

another amazingly awesome meal at ANJU (DC-11/29/30)

 We had such a great time an ANJU in October, that one of our guests decided to invite us back for another feat on her birthday as well as her and her husband's anniversary. The repast was remarkable, and we all had the greatest time indeed.

Soy Humo! is my go-to drink here now made with Chacho Jalapeno Aguardiente, Bahnez Mezcal, soy/agave syrup and lime juice. This smokey miracle is great on a cold winter day or anytime. Our wines included a Provence Rose that one of the guests brought as well as a 2020 Pinot Noir Rose from Domaine Pelle-Menetou-Salon, "Morogues" in the Loire that was a wonderful fruity yet full-bodied choice with the spicy food. Our red was a 2016 Easton Zinfandel from Amador Country that easily stood up to the spice.

We shared starters and all were terrific One of our favorite tartares around is the Yukhoe which is a luscious beef tartare made with palm sugar, chili basil seeds, pine nuts, and served with lotus crisps to scoop it up. All agreed this is a signature star dish that can never leave the menu! The Mandu are yummy dumplings of pork and kimchi that are pan fried and the Chickin is another divine dish that is fried to perfection with spicy gochujang glaze & white bbq drizzle.

There are many main dishes to choose from, but Will & I headed right for the "Mama Lee's Classics" section and chose the Kimchi Jjigae, a pork rib meat stew, soft tofu with aged kimchi that packs a kick, but the tofu totally matches the spice. If you seek a spicy thick soup to warm you up on a winter evening, choose the Jjappong made with thick noodles in a spicy seafood broth with wok roasted shellfish filling the bowl.

Gamjatang is a braised pork shank with potato, napa, perilla & radish and then there is the Dak Jjim or Korean braised chicken thighs with potatoes and onions, another one of Mama Lee's specialty, as is the Dolsot Bibim Bap the hot stone bowl of rice, assorted vegetables, and choice of bulgogi (or tofu). All the fotos are on FB of course.

We split two desserts and chose the Ginger Funnel Cake we loved so much last time which comes with caramel, apple & pear compote, soybean powder & sesame cream.

The Jujube Flan De Queso is another winner which comes with honey, granola, black pepper whipped cream & lemon. Of course there was a birthday cake and we all left fuller than full and with lots of doggie bags as Anju is a great place to over-order and have leftovers for several days!

Our server Abby did an amazing job keeping us all more than happy!