DC's ST JAMES swings Caribbean but costs a cent! (7-19-23)

 We had heard great news about the Caribbean cuisine at ST JAMES located at 14th & U Street, NW and we loved the black and white decor on arrival as well with tables and booths along the right wall, a long bar with stools on the left and high tops down the center. 

We decided to order just starters as we were concerned about the portion sizes and possibly ordering two much. It was wise as the two starters of PORK POW & ACCRAS were quite filling and of course, very carb-centric. (Fotos on FB)

ACCRAS are salt-fish(cod) fritters that come with a cilantro(spelled culantro on the menu, which may be a Caribbean variation)-chili aioli that is very cilantro flavored and on the milder side. The fish flavor was less apparent than the dough and I, for one, would like more cod inside. The term Accra comes from the city in Ghana where these originated as vegetable fritters in the local cuisine.

POK POW was a huge winner with a Trini-style Chine steamed Bao bun(thinner than Bao, which I preferred) filled with a deliciously spicy ground pork. We both loved these!

Our wine was a Chateaux Grand Jean 2020 Bordeaux from Entre Deux Mers that was billed on the wine list as just Sauvignon Blanc but in reality was an SB/Semillon blend.

Marlene, our most helpful server managed to break the cork opening it but was saved by one of the managers. We liked the wine but at $48 it is one of the lowest priced on the menu, which is pricey indeed. 

Which brings us to the main course. We decided to split the main of DUCK & DHAL which is a 36-hour cooked leg quarter with dhal puree and coconut rice. The duck 1/4 was nice and crunchy and flavorful and the dhal was indeed completely pureed, which I did not like as much as having the whole or thicker lentils. The $36.00 price tag seemed quite high for a dish that was not that large. 

We were a tad hungry and decided to split dessert and Marlene said our choice was excellent Passion Fruit-Sago Mousse with Coconut Hibiscus/Passion Fruit Coulis was a tasty dish indeed that sent us home quite happy.

Centrolina Chef's Table is terrific with Chefs Amy Brandwein & Kevin Tien(7-13-23)

 Last week we rose early in Des Moines for our 6am flight back to DC and still were awake to head to a small intimate Chef's Table dinner in the wonderful private dining room at Centrolina in downtown DC. Chef Amy Brandwein has been doing these dinners every month or so and we have sadly missed them all--UNTIL NOW! She invited one of our favorite chefs in DC who is temporarily restaurant-less(although there is a pop-up at Little Vietnam!) as he looks for a new place to house his Moon Rabbit or new incarnation, where we shall promptly flock again! The evening started with an amuse bouche where the two chefs did side by side delights:

EGGPLANT nigiri with Yuzu Miso & Sesame (all fotos on FB) was twice cooked and hand torched and made this simple and tasty(not spicy) dish from Chef Kevin a dream, while

Chef Amy chose to go the spicy route with a Vietnamese Chua Lua(pork sausage) in a grape leaf(instead of banana) with Nonnata du Pesce(preserved anchovy) and cucumber that was a novel and spicy approach from the pair.

We ordered a bottle of Fiano Planeta "Cometa"from Sicily  which we always love as it was recommended by the team for these dishes and it was superb. Wines are not included so it is either order by the glass or bottle and we chose the latter. 

Next came the first course from Chef Kevin of KANPACHI CRUDO in a magnificent lemongrass tomato broth (I need this recipe made with ginger, garlic & shallot!!!) with a hint of mint(I did not taste it) and pineapple. Just when we thought it could not get any better came a novel and terrific TURMERIC TAGLIOLINI from Chef Amy which was sauced with Tomato, Coconut, Lime, Peanut and Soft Shell Crab. There was a huge spiciness to this superb creation which was also quite rich and creamy, but then healthy due to the turmeric!! This was where our Fiano wine shone as well.

The third and main course from Chef Kevin was a 10 grain MISO PORRIDGE which we declared was "Congee on crack" with a 72 HOUR (cooked) SHORT RIB, Coconut Caramel and Fried Shallots atop that all just melted in your mouth. Again, these chefs had reversed their normal spice intensity roles! For the main course we added a glass of full-bodied and yummy 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella from Campedel.

The dessert was a refreshing OLIVE OIL TORTA with Ginger Plum, Sesame Whip and Crunchy Vermicelli that sent us home all very happy and very sated. I can't wait for the next of these dinners and do hope we are available to attend!!

Des Moines' DJANGO is delicious!! (7-10-23)

 We wanted to go someplace special on Monday in Des Moines as that is the day off for the Des Moines Metro Opera which was the purpose of our trip to Iowa. It worked out wonderfully that we found a super space downtown called DJANGO which fir our group of seventeen for dinner perfectly into their great private dining space. 

Will & I arrived early to meet Kaylee, our server, and I explained we would order some wine and probably switch bottles around every now and then, but just to keep it coming. We took our time sipping on the Paco & Lola ‘Rainbow’ Albariño, La Vielle Ferme Blanc & La Vielle Ferme Rouge while we perused the truly monstrous menu.

Some folks ordered oysters after we gobbled up the yummy baguettes and whipped butter(extra charge!), but I felt heathy and got a yummy Caesar Salad which Kaylee managed to get a ton of anchovies on top (photos on FB). Escargots, Poutine(with beef or veggie style), and Beef Tartare all of which were excellent.

The mains were HUGE and the 8 ounce steak looked more like a pound or more! A lot of us chose the superb Moulard DUCK leg confit, potato Parisienne, charred cipollini cream, pickled plum, spiced baby carrots, Sunstead Farms spring garlic and fennel frond pistou(pesto), which was not very fennel-y at all! Huge plates of Moules Frites(many different options), Seared Sea Scallops with Asparagus,  red onion, sweet corn, lobster pomme puree and beurre blanc which boated five giant diver scallops!

Everything was yummy and Kaylee kept up with us and always excelled.  I don't think anyone could fit dessert, but I know some of us stayed until the doors closed drinking more red wine until I think Des Moines had shut down (which is not that late!) having a super time.

Django will always be on our go-to list when we return.

Des Moines' ALBA is heavy-handed Italian but nice (7-9-23)

 We joined a friend who lives in Des Moines for dinner last night at a simple Italian place downtown called ALBA that is one of the few options for dinner on a Sunday in this very quiet city. We started with a yummy D'Arenburg "The Hermit Crab" 2021 Viognier-Marsanne blend from McLaren Vale in Australia that is always a winner and ordered some of the yummy Deviled Eggs with Beet Tartare, Brioche Crumble and Leek Ash Tuile. They were nice and only needed a tad of spice, maybe a sprinkle of paprika!

The three of us chose to start with the Steak Tartare which came on two huge pieces of toasted brioche with Anchovy Aioli and Grana Padano cheese with an herb and caper relish. We told our wonderful server Cole that we would wait to order our mains to see how full we were....and BOY were we. Will chose to have the Rhubarb Salad with goat cheese, strawberry vin, pistachios and pickled rhubarb which was huge and quite good and I chose a half potion of the NY Strip Stroganoff which had to be the largest half portion anywhere and the heaviest with local mushrooms, crispy shallots on top and ricotta...I had several bites and shared some, but over half was left. 

We were quite surprised to see a 2013 wine from Puglia on the menu and the Copertino Riserva Negroamaro was earthy and full bodies and we adored it!

We stayed around to close the place as it was quite empty, but enjoyed the food and were happy we chose not to order our mains and end up being way over-stuffed, because with what we had we were more than full indeed.

ESTUARY at the DC Conrad is easy if a tad expensive(6-26-23)

We had dined a while ago at ESTUARY in the Conrad Hotel in Washington and we decided to return there again last week with the same friends. The setting is nice and also quite relaxing and quiet with a beautiful view over the rooftops of DC and we even got a nice sunset!

Our server Rafael was a bit overtaxed as there were only two servers working and at times we had to wave a couple of times to get his attention, but other than that he was super helpful with wines and making dining suggestions as well.

We started with a 2018 Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rose which was a nice aperitif and was great with our starters:

Ceviche of Himachi with Pickled Fresno Chile, Toasted Sesame, Red Onion and a divine Calamansa Granita on top. The dish had a nice spice and the granita totally complemented that. 

Roasted Tall Timber Oysters came with garlic & chili crumbs and marinated trout roe while the Mushroom Strata was like a mushroom bread pudding with boursin aioli.

For the main course we moved to a novel red from Adelaide Hills, Australia called Unico Zelo "Pipe Dreams" 2021 that is a wonderful Nero d'Avola. We will have to search it out when we head there in February!

Seafood Carbona was shrimp, bay scallops and Middle Neck clams with pasta and Tobiko in a Chinese Sausage sauce that got raves. Seared Rockfish with mushroom larb and kaffir lime was in a green curry sauce with herb salad and also was a big hit. My Rabbit Guisado(stew) came with snap peas, new potatoes and grilled asparagus and was a hearty dish with superbly cooked meat in two different preparations(all fotos on FB).

Desserts were all excellent and we all shared the Cherry Clafoutis with Creme Fraiche, Almond Custard and Cherry Compote alongside the Tres Chocolates which is a very rich Tres Leches Sponge Cake with Mango Nectar(think salsa) and Chocolate "rocks." A yummy rich glass of Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine was my dessert.

Estuary is indeed an easy place to enjoy, but the prices can get a tad high, but then most top hotel dining spots in DC are like that.

DC's NEW HEIGHTS still heavenly (6-29-23)

 We headed back to New Heights in DC last Thursday and all had a superb time indeed. The setting is still one of the calmest in DC overlooking Rock Creek(and the Omni Shoreham Hotel) with beautiful decor and excellent food and service.

We started with excellent Ceviche made with shrimp and halibut, Cilantro, onion, Jalapeno, lime, avocado, and yummy yuca chips. The Tomato & Burrata Salad looked yummy and the Broccolini Caesar was a huge hit. We all shared the decadent Cheesy Onion Fondue which is gooey Fontina with caramelized onion and lemon which is flambeed tableside and served with Garlic Ciabatta. It is indeed rich, and we were all glad that it was a great share dish as it might have been a tad too rich for one person! Our first wine was a yummy Le Paradou Provencal Viognier which was creamy and delish with all these dishes. We moved on to a Jean Brocard Chablis--great with the fish dishes that followed:

Jumbo Lump Maryland Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce and greens offered up two huge cakes, Moules Frites came with spicy mayo for the fries and my Kale & Mushroom paella with saffron rice, sofrito, oyster mushrooms and fried egg on top is a great veggie option indeed.

Our server suggested we try the chilled Ukrainian vodka shot with pickles and it was delish indeed and fun for $5! Speaking of fun, dessert here can be very fun when you cook your on Smores on the hibachi brought to the table, but I fell in love with the light and tasty Pistachio Ricotta Cake...a great change from rich cheesecake and so fluffy!!

Always a treat when we head to New Heights!