INCA SOCIAL still super save for a few things (4-17-24)

 After our fabulous introductory meal at INCA SOCIAL in Arlington we returned with friends a week ago and had for the most part, a pretty wonderful meal. Our server Franklin was helpful and attentive, although, when things started to come out wrong or only portions of our order, it got a little frantic. It did not help that our birthday party of 6 was seated right next to an even larger birthday group; indeed, our chairs were back-to-back, so the din was a tad nuts.

As always, we started with wonderful Pisco Sours then moved on to wines; Will had a spicy margarita. The white was Chateau Vartel Sauvignon Blanc made for Ambar(Restaurant) from Moldova, which was very good, although we did not realize there was a relationship between Inca Social and Ambar!  As always photos are on FB!!

Ceviche is almost a must here and we ordered a variety including a sampler (classic, Aji-amarillo and Rocoto cream) and a Leche De Tigre, which always has a great kick.  Some folks are not fond of the Peruvian Sweet potatoes, but I love them in the ceviches as well as that giant white soft corn from Peru!! Chicken Empanadas were ordered as was a Causa Sampler which had three wonderful causa(shrimp/avocado/lime with golf Inca sauce; chicken salad with avocado lime sauce; and veggie with beets and corn with avocado, lime sauce & Inca sauce) all of which we marveled at.  there was a starter special of SCALLOP ANTICUCHOS that was spectacular with chalaca, onion, cilantro and lime with the scallop still in shell; sadly, the foot was missing!! Another bravado Anticucho were the Beef Hearts skewered with roasted potatoes, choclo, Inca sauce and chimichurri sauce. WOW!! 

We moved on to a Trevenezie 2022 Pinot Noir from Salvalai that was nice but not very huge bodied, so after that ended up with the Romulo Malbec 2021 from Mendoza(we also tasted the Impero Merlot 2022, not as big body either).

The mains went from fabulous to mediocre. Next came AL OLIVO, a divinely huge portion of Octopus with black olive sauce, avocado and our Inca sauce.  Salmon Andino with balsamic reduction, parmesan risotto, quinoa, asparagus and white corn as well as the Pescado(mahi-mahi) a lo Macho topped with calamari, shrimp, mussels, octopus, seafood sauce and white rice both got raves. The Huachana Burger was chorizo with fried egg, tomato, lettuce, onion, avocado sauce and rocoto sauce, while the Cordera a la Norteña was a stew-like braised lamb in cilantro, aji amarillo sauce, canario beans, white rice and salsa criolla. The dud was my Lomo Saltado that was steak with fries, rice, oyster-soy sauce and onion that was as dry and overcooked as it possibly could have been. The dish is way too carb-heavy as well. I could not figure out what went wrong with this and was really disappointed.

We ordered one Tres Leches which was very nice, and a complimentary combo dessert arrived as well as a chocolate birthday slice for our birthday boy!

NYC's HAV & MAR has it all (4-5-24)

 We had a leisurely evening free before a weekend chock full of opera and Broadway and settled on HAVE & MAR, owned by the famed Marcus Samuelsson but helmed by James Beard Award nominee Chef Fariyal Abdullahi. We arrived for happy hour at the bar and chose their signature HAV & MARtini drink made with Tito's vodka & gin, pickled red onion, gentian, vermouth & blue cheese olive which I loved, but Will was not nuts about. The dozen oysters were superb as well.

We settled into our table and Kent proceeded to explain the menu and what he suggested. There was so much to choose from we simply opted for the Chef's Four Course tasting for $95 and gave him some of our favorite likes. We ordered a bottle of Domain Reverdy-Ducroux Beauroy Sancerre which was superb and went with all the various items that came first, but before that, Kent hauled us to the kitchen to meet the chef who was an absolute gem. She hails from Ethiopia but is well-versed in dozens of cuisines which really showed on our journey through the evening!!

Frist came warm Teff (the world's smallest grain!) Biscuits with honey butter that melted in our mouths(all fotos on FB). First came Tuna Tartare with miso, shishito aioli, aji amarillo, crsipy injera and walnut oil which was accompanied by Hamachi with Black Ceviche(basically the black ash oil from what is scaped off the oven!!), cippolini onions, Granny Smith apple and fennel. We loved them both but the hamachi really won if comparing. 

Pan Seared Scallops with Sunchoke Puree, crispy sunchokes, celeriac, turmeric, pickled fresno chile was a revelation as the richness of the puree was foiled by the kick ass spice of the fresno pepper! At this point we switched to a red wine, but I seem to have failed to note which one. It should be noted the wines all run $60-80 by the bottle.

Our "mains" were many from the HAVatini which is bucatini pasta with crab, shrimp and an uni butter truly decadent and rich rich sauce! Banana Leaf Snapper came with Coconut Rice, Dill Salsa Verde ad crispy Brussels sprouts and treated the fish like royalty with a wonderful crispy skin. A side of Oxtail Rice with Fermented Beans, egg, sesame oil, chile and teardrop peppers was a complete revelation when it comes to rice; we had specifically asked for this. Addis York is Ethiopian fried chicken where Chef Abdullahi is not afraid to splash on the chilies. It comes with Doro Wat which is stewed chicken inside a sauteed or fried injera that was like a spring roll on crack, ayib (Ethiopian cheese) & soft-boiled egg and was a dish we shall always go back for again and again.

Chocolate Layer Cake and Yuzu Lime Tart were both delectable desserts that we could not resist, but to soften the sweetness, Will had a Lagavulan, and I had Carcavelos 1997 Quinto Dos Pesos dessert wine.

The location just off the Hudson River on 11th Avenue is quiet and offers super high ceilings but that did not make it too noisy. There is a huge bar in the center and that Happy Hour runs from 5-7pm!! Oysters are $3 each! 

Kent was a superior server giving us tons of time in between the courses and the entire team was really perfect. Easily on of our new NYC faves!!

Alexandria's VERMILION is victorious and Chef Tony Chittum tantalizes (3-30-24)

 Our first dinner our after returning from our 8-weeks away was at VERMILION in Alexandria as we saw that Chef Tony Chittum had returned there after a long absence and totally turned around the menu. We were thrilled to see Chef in house and chat with him and find out that he still maintains his position and ownership at IRON GATE in DC as well!

We were warmly welcomed by our server Tucker who brought over some glasses of sparkling wine for us as a treat as we perused the menu and tried to make choices as you can go a la carte or family style here and there are so many options!

We went a la carte, and everything was delish, even the yummy fresh radishes that came out complimentary with a wonderful, caramelized onion dip(photos on FB) which were so delightful, I wanted to head right to the farmer's market, which I did the next morning! We ordered a 2018 Williamsburg Viognier from Virginia, and I was also thrilled to see the huge Virgini wine list as well as many other places offering so many options. First came BETTIE's BUNS, a family recipe that has yeast rolls in a cast iron pan served with whipped sorghum butter and some pickled chiles. The three buns were gone in seconds as they melt in your mouth and come piping hot. 

Starters were so varied and indeed novel such as the CRISPY CHESAPEAKE OYSTERS with sweet and sour apple remoulade, celery root puree and pickled mustard seed. I could have eaten a dozen of these! It was a nice change from all those amazing fresh oysters we had Down Under and reminded me that a cooked oyster can be terrific.

New Frontier Bison Tartare came with preserved oyster mushrooms, porcini aioli and St. Malachi cheese and I was only yearning for a hint more of mustard or spice to give it an extra kick that I always like.

We moved on to a Shenendoah Ox-Eye 2021 Cabernet France that was out of this world. We always like Virginia Cab Franc's and this one is a standout.  My main was BUTTER BASTED SCALLOPS with Pork "Scrapple," Braised Shell Beans, Lacinato Kale and two mustards. This dish is unlike any scallop preparation you have ever had. It is a huge and rich dish loaded with flavors that surprisingly do not overwhelm the tasty mollusks. The "scrapple" is really like hush puppies on crack! The wine was ideal with this as you would always tend to white with scallops, but this dish was so hearty and indeed a great winter dish(it was chilly if spring)! SMOKE IN CHIMNEY TROUT came with black salsify, potato, crispy ham bits, leeks and a creamed clam broth that got raves and the DOUBLE RAVIOLI was filled with melted cabbage and golden potatoes with crispy Brussels sprouts, green apple and Valley Thunder Aged Cheddar Cheese offering a wonderful veggie dish that is sure to please!

Dessert was a Butterscotch Custard with salted caramel, whipped cream, chocolate crackle cookies that I tasted as I am not a fan of butterscotch--sorry. I was so full and happy anyway I did not need another bite.

What a great meal for our first time out back in the USA!