KOMI comes out on top! (7-29-10)

We went to Johnny Monis' gastronomic Greek temple KOMI
(komirestaurant.com) once before the renovation and changeover to only
the tasting menu and enjoyed it quite much (save for the tarama;
whipped too much!), but after returning last week for the multi-course
tasting menu at $125 (accompanying wines $68) we decided this tasting
was one of the tops in town! He is a star chef winner and well worth
the expense!
We had great service from our main server Kyle and the sommeliers Kat,
but it seemed that everyone works as a team at this intimate place;
there are only about 7 tables for four and 7 for 2, making the
capacity about 40! It was one of those awful humid, hot (well around
90) evenings, and we appreciated the glass of Ode Panos Spiropoulous
Organic Brut Sparkling made from moscafiero grapes with big apple and
unripe pears lingering afterward in the finish. First amuse (where the
amuses ended and the meal began was impossible to tell!) was a Steamed
BRIOCHE with Greek YOGURT, TROUT ROE and a sprig of chive that was
(like the brut) ever so refreshing. Next came the SASHIMI TRIO-
Kampachi (yellowtail) with chive, Liramassa (amberjack) with Armenian
cucumber and Red Snapper with Sumac, Onion & Caperberry which was
fleshy and full of intense flavor and had a crunch from the spice. All
were superb, but we began to notice a trend of oversalting. The salt
used was a tasty sea salt which worked fine, especially on the
kampachi, etc, but at times we felt it a bit overdone.
Maine DIVER SCALLOP was next with Australian Truffles, Mustard seed,
Dill, Toasted Almonds and Pickled Beets with Fresh Wasabi. This dish
was a revelation in the mouth and had many exciting elements,
including intensity from both the beets and wasabi!

The next white was a PONZI ARNEIS 2009 from the Willamette Valley in
Oregon, a grape not seen too much in the USA and always a welcome wine
with flavorful foods.
COLD SMOKED SALMON BELLY with Candied Pine Nuts and Shiso Sorbet was a
refreshing mouthful that had a blast and CRISPY SPINAKOPITA was
another in the mouth explosion of this traditional Greek dish turned
totally around here. It was loaded with creamy melted feta and dill
and was superb, although a bit more spinach would have been nice.
Heirloom TOMATO SALAS with MIZITHRA Cheese (a Greek sheep) made in
house was very soft and tasty (like a farmer's cheese). Added cucumber
was nice, but that salt was overdone again.

Watch out Ben's Chili Bowl up the street when your Chef of the Year
winner down the block starts making HALF SMOKES with RAMP Relish and
Watermelon Creme Fraiche! This bite in a bun would have me coming back
to KOMI regularly if they had take-out!
We moved to a TXAMIN ETXANIZ "Txchakolina" style wine from Spain
Getaria that I discovered a couple of years ago and I call salad wine
as it works so well with spice of vinegar as it has a slight
effervescence!
Roasted DATES with MASCARPONE, Olive Oil & Sea Salt (too much again)
were excellent, but all I could think of was the salt on the pretzels
at the beach boardwalk!

Our first red wine was a MENCIA with thick legs, medium body and a
great perfumey nose called LUNA BEBERIDE 2008 "made by Finca La Westa
in Bierzo. This was served with divine TAGLIATELLE (that Will felt
needed to be warmer) with Blueberry, Sausage and Blue Foot & Maitake
Mushrooms. There was a slight spiciness to the sausage which was tamed
by the blueberry in the most perfect of ways.
Our main red was a DOMAINE MERCOURI 2004 from Ilias in Western
Peloponnese that would do battle well with any quality red, proving
Greeks can make quality red wines with intensity that would also drink
alone well.
It was served with the "main course" of Braised GOAT SHOULDER with
thick-style puffy pita, EGGPLANT Puree, and a plate of condiments:
Oregano Salt, Tzatziki (chunky creamy cucumber), Hot Sauce, Pickled
Cabbage and Red Onion Mustard (that was more of a red onion marmalade
with mustard seeds!). This most rustic of dishes was as about as Greek
as one could wish with so many exciting touches as well. The different
bites with each condiment made for lots of fun and tastes, and we
adored the crunchy skin so much we almost fought over it!
A glass of Oregon Baldecker Cellars 2006 Pinot Noir from Willamette
Valley as well was an extra treat we ordered as we wanted to rest
before dessert.
The cheese course was oddly LA TOUR cow-goat from Piedmont (Italy, not
Greece) which was soft and mild with Baby Fennel Marmalade and salted
breadsticks.
Salted CARAMELS and other jellies of Orange and Cherry came as well
and I just had to laugh at all these "salted" extras! The BAKLAVA was
crispy walnut phyllo tulle and served with Virginia Honey Sorbet; this
was a revelation in the baklava filed and was served with a divine
SAMOS NECTAR U.W.C.S. 2001 Muscat loaded with honey and acidity and
just totally perfect for the dish!
LOUKOUMADES or Greek fried honey donuts came with Micro BASIL YOGURT
GELATO and Blueberry-Blackberry Compote which was another wonderful
treat that we shall remember.
We were given some jellies to take home and Orange Saffron Lollipops
for the road as well.
While the salt was heavy, the food was indeed divine and we shall
return to KOMI for sure to eat like the ancient gods of Greece!

TWO AMYs PIZZA is near perfect (7-28-10)

It's been a while since we headed 5 minutes away to TWO AMYS at 3715
Macomb Ave, NW (www.2amyspizza.com) because the lines can be quite
long. We tried again last night, parked right out front, and got a
table for six within minutes. What a break!
Samuel settled in and gobbled up his entire TWO AMYS (basic cheese,
tomato) in a flash. His almost 2-year-old friend Oliver seemed to like
the POLPETTINE al FORNO which were tasty little meatballs in a rich
thick tomato sauce.
A bottle of TREBBIANO d'ABRUZZO 2007 from Cataldi Madonna was tasty
and refreshing and worked with the spicy, but tasty small plate of
CAULIFLOWER with ANCHOVY, GARLI & HOT PEPPER. This dish had a buttery,
salty, garlicky, peppery sauce that begged for bread (think escargots,
but spicier) and when the tasty rustic slices came, I mopped up every
last bit. SALT COD CROQUETTES were not too rich and the COPIETTE di
"CAVALLO" was a tasty take on venison jerky that was tender and
delightful. The small plates are fun and also included a most yummy
Bruschetta with Tomato Fonduta made with those huge pieces of rustic
bread and a mild tomato blend.
As Sam will vouch, the pizzas are some of the best around from the
simple MARGHERITA made with superb Bufala Mozzarella & Basil to the
"design your own." Will went this route with Mushrooms & Pancetta. I
took one of the "house-styled" VONGOLE which was a Mozzarella-less
pizza with Manila clams)called cockels), capers, hot pepper, and grana
(a hard cheese grated for light flavor. This "less cheese" style was
lighter, did fill me up, but offered a cholesterol break.
A glass of Di Majo Norante Sangiovese was perfect to pair with Will's
Pancetta on his pizza and I went for the softer Cataldo Madonna 2007
MONTEPULCIANO d'ABRUZZO (same maker as the white) with mine.
Everyone was very happy and a fgood and fun time was had by all
(despite the high noise levels from the completely full room). We saw
a short line on the way out, but they were moving folks fast. We were
there about 90 minutes, and I think they prefer folks come and go
fast, but you can linger as long as you eat! And it is a GREAT place
to EAT!

CAVA makes mezze magnificent (DC Capitol Hill location) 7-18-10

Hi folks,
Just a reminder that you can view all past Phyllis-teen reviews at
this google group, but also at the blog site http://phyllistines.blogspot.com,
which is now updated regularly.
We have not created a search mechanism, so you'll have to manage that
on your own!
Last night Will & Sam arrives at Union Station by train and we decided
to head over to 527 8th St.,SE and visit CAVA for Greek MEZZE, as we
have always enjoyed their yummy tastings at the Bethesda Central
Farmer's Market over the years. We'll it was a great choice for many
reasons. The train was late and we didn't sit down until after 8pm and
Samuel was hungry. The food came fast and was filling, and we were out
pretty fast and had Sam in bed before 10pm! I do recommend that if you
wish to linger, dop NOT order all your small plates (mezze) at the
start. Take it slow and go with the flow.
CAVA (www.cavamezze.com) also has a Rockville, MD location and will be
opening in Arlington, VA (Clarendon) next winter. The decor has much
to be desired with some nice family-like photos on the wall that seem
very antique at times and very 60's as well. There is a big bar with
TV and the lighting needs some improvement. We got the back left
corner table which had some decent lighting for Samuel to do his
connect the dots while we waited. The floors are hard and the tables
are worn wood and the boring (thought not awfully loud) rock music is
like a din in the background. Once you get past this, the food is
SPECTACULAR!
Our server, also Sam (antha) thought our choices were great, and they
were. but feel free to ask for guidance as the servers know the dishes
well. Samuel ordered a kind on non-alcoholic Raspberry Mojito with
Mint & Lime which was quite tasty and luckliy lasted the whole meal
(at $7 a pop, it should have less ice and more juice!). We went for a
bottle of ATLANTIS ASSYRTIKO, a refreshing white wine from Santorini
that worked with every dish. We did move on to two types of red (we
shared these to taste each) at the end of the meal which were not
really great as the heat in Greece does not lend itself to great red
wines: DioFili Xinomavro from Siatista was an almost zin-like red with
some spice, but not lots of body. The Lykrakis Kotsifali from Crete
had even less body.
A plate of olives, olive oil and harissa (not very Greek, this spicy
Moroccan sauce!) came with warm pita and Samuel loves the olive oil
for dipping. For him, we ordered the Lemon Braised MEAT BALLS
(Avgolemono style) with herbs, which were actually rectangular shaped
and flattish. He looked at them as if to say, "these are not
meatballs," but once he tasted them, he begged for a second mezze
plate of the same. He also enjoyed the SPARRAGGIA, superbly grilled
asparagus in lemon vinaigrette (we asked for the yummy Dodonis feta on
the side). Oddly, Samuel has taken to eating the SPEARS and not the
tips (which of course, we gobbled down!).
We started with some of the best TARAMOSALATA in town-creamy, rich,
intense and a huge portion that seemed to have an endless bottom to
the ice cream shaped mound! The ROASTED YELLOW BEET Salad with
Manouri, Sea Salt, EVOO and Onions also had some purple beets and was
richly dressed (a bit too much along with the rich Tarama), but still
a great dish.
We chose three "main course" mezze, all of which were superb:
GRILLED BABY OCTOPUS was difficult to cut, but more tender in the
mouth, and cooked simply with light seasoning to perfection.
DISCO FRIES were hand cut and smothered with VEAL RAGOUT, Dodonis feta
and Kefalograviera. The fries on top were crunchy and tasty, but for
me, the ones underneath were a bit soggy from the spectacular ragout.
I suggested to Sam that in the future if they place the fries on top,
we can decide if we wish to eat them crunchy or mix them in. This dish
was like an intense VEAL CHILI FRIES with feta cheese, and while I
wasn't crazy about some soggy fries, Will RAVED and RAVED, as I did
too.
The LOLLIPOP CHICKEN has three fried legs standing vertical on a bed
of Greek yogurt with walnuts and drizzled honey that you mop up with
each leg and each bite. YUM YUM!
We couldn't face the thought of dessert. Even Samuel was full after 2
full mezze and part of the asparagus, but he did say that he wanted to
come back for dinner again soon! We agree!

DC's Le CHAT NOIR is beyond a bistro (7-12-10)

Last night we took Samuel to LE CHAT NOIR just above Tenleytown on
Wisconsin Ave, NW (www.lechatnoirrestaurant.com) and while it was
(believe it or not, MY first time there) I was completely amazed by
the overall excellent quality of the price, not to mention the deals.
Check out the website for specials (Monday has a 3-course prix fixe,
Tuesday has some 1/2 price wines, etc...)
There is a true bistro feel with tin ceiling, indoor and outdoor
seating and nice linens with very nice quality quilted paper
coverings, as opposed to those awful brown paper ones seen so often.
There are standards on the menu from the bistro cuisine and Will
started with the ESCARGOTS which he said were okay. So perhaps, you
need to step beyond the basic bistro cuisine and try the QUENELLES de
POISSION-gorgeous light mousse-like dumplings of mahi-mahi and halibut
with shallots in a seafood Nantua sauce that is light, not too creamy
and tinted just reddish. We had a simple Chateau LAMARGUE 2007
Costieres de Nimes Rousanne/White Grenache blend that worked well with
everything as we used the warm crunchy bread to mop up our sauces.
Even Sam was enthralled with Will's garlic butter, though not the
escargots themselves!
Samuel had a huge plate of three pieces (breast/thigh & leg) of POULET
aux OLIVES VERTES (there is no children's menu) with Lemon Confit,
Onions, Rice Pilaf and a Chablis Lemon Sauce that he swooned over.
We moved on to a mediocre at best COTES de NUITS VILLAGES Domaine
GACHOT MONOT 2007 Pinot Noir from Burgundy that was just over $50 and
not too fruit forward or tasty really. It was fine with our main
courses, but hardly worth it. Perhaps you have to venture into the
60-80$ zone for a good Pinot here.
Both our veal dishes were huge and amazing. Will has the Escalopes de
VEAU a la NORMANDE with a Calvados sauce and Cocottes Potatoes. Mine
was a monstrous VEAU a la SAVOYARDE with a gratin of Mozzarella &
Reblochon, Green beans and a monstrous mound of superb soft polenta
all in a divine Wild Mushroom Sauce.
Samuel and I ended up taking home larges parts of our huge potions.
Since dessert was included we indulged and Samuel was happy with his
PASSION FRUIT SORBET while will went for the CREPES CHAMPETRE with a
rhubarb-blueberry compote filling, which he declared not too sweet (as
rhubarb is so often OVER-sugared!), vanilla ice cream (we both skipped
the chantilly cream) and I went for the CREPES PECHE MIGNON with
slices of tasty poached pears on top, vanilla ice cream and a
Raspberry Sauce. Both were true French treats.
The menu is huge and you can eat all kinds of crepes, as well as
heavier dishes and lighter ones....We know that we will want to go
back and try more of them at LE CHAT NOIR soon!

brunch in Bethesda-go to Mon Ami Gabi and don't miss the Farmer's Market(7-11-10)

Today we headed out early around 10am to the Bethesda Central Farmer's
Market, which I just can't rave enough about. Sam was tasting
everything in sight and insisted we buy the Chicken & Basil Bangers
and Siciliana Sausages, but the revelation was that he adores PEA
GREENS! We ended up with gorgeous fresh plums, peaches, tomatoes,
cheese, soap samples, Baba Ganoush from Lebanese Taverna and even
Mango Sorbet!
Afterwards we decided to pop in to MON AMI GABI which is at 7239
Woodmont Ave, actually below the lot the market is held on. Mon Ami
Gabi is a DC branch of the wonderful Chicago chain Lettuce Entertain
You, which has some great spots in that city. Mon Ami Gabi is a
definite deal as the portions (so our server Jillian told us) are not
"French bistro" sized. My Asparagus/Pea & Spinach Quiche was so large
I had to take half home. It needed salt and pepper for seasoning and
came with a nicely dressed Frisee salad. Will's Seafood Crepe was no
skimpy one either (at $10.95!)made from whole wheat with large chunks
of shrimp and scallops and the sauce was tasty, not gloppy, thcik and
all poured as as seafood crepes tend to be.
Sam had the requisite Chicken Fingers & Frites, and while the fingers
were good, the frites were not that hot and somewhere this site of a
potato chip; a very odd thin preparation. Apple slices filled out the
plate and he was also given a small "taste" plate with some cherry
tomatoes, haricots verts and julienne carrots. For under $40 with
three non-alcoholic drinks, this was a pretty good deal with good
service and we would definitely go back again! Bravo to downtown
Bethesda fro this brunch!

coming back to KINKEAD's for the creme de la creme (6-29-10)

Yes I am biased since Will works at Kinkead's, but if you look at my
reviews, you don't see us eating there very often. I honestly should
be ashamed of that, since the other night Samuel said to us both,
"when are we going to eat at Daddy's restaurant again?" Well, we
headed right out the next day and had, as we always do, one of the
best meals in DC.
As we walked in Samuel mentioned how "snazzy" Kinkead's is compared to
other dining spots, and he has indeed got a point! The crystal,
plates, linens and are truly elegant, and the service is always top
notch, especially our sever, Stephanie.
We ordered a bottle of Gruner Veltliner which was sold out so settled
for the crisp Verdicchio dei Castelli de Jesi "Ca'Ruptae" 2008 from
Mancaro in the Marche region of Italy; it's great with oysters and
Kinkead's always has the best of those too:
Will liked the Hurricane Harbour from prince Edwards Is, while I
preferred the same locale's Salutation Cover, but we both agreed the
Little Skookums from Washington State were the tastiest of the
evening.
Samuel had the tasty FISH & CHIPS with battered flaky cod and yummy
seasoned fries (each time he looked away I munched one!).
Will started with the always pleasing SOFT SHEEL CREAB TEMPURA with
Green Papaya Salad, Thai Herbs and Lime Dipping Sauce while I went for
the House Made CUTTARA PASTA with huge chunks of LOBSTER MEDALLIONS in
a light, but slightly spicy Tomato, Clam, Fava Bean & Basil Broth. It
was divine.
We switched to the house Chardonnay 2005 JT Cellars from Alexander
Valley which is quite oaky and intense, especially due to its age,
then moved on to a divine "La Neblina" PINOT NOIR 2007 from Radio-
Coteau in Sonoma with our main courses.
Will had the Cumin Cocoa Nib Pepper & Sea Salt Crusted RARE TUNA on
Tortilla with Mole, Chayote, Chile Relish & Guacamole which has to be
one of the more inventive approaches and especially perfect in summer.
The new GRILLED WHOLE SNAPPER is rum marinated and prepared Jamaican
style with a Banana Habanero "ketchup," Mango-Lime Salasa and Red
Beans and Rice all on the side. The ketchup is tasty, but a bit too
banana-intense, although with the fish it is a great foil. The salsa
is a great change for every third bite or so as well. It makes for a
fun dish.
Don't forget the homemade Parker house rolls crusted with coarse salt,
which Sam now loves (the salt, I mean) as well as the tasty soda
cracker and peasant breads.
For dessert we split the Local PEACH TARTE TATIN with Tahitian Honey
Ice Cream & Caramel, and thie fruit tart is still one of the best
around as well. Indeed, Kinkead's always seems to wear well with time
and the quality of everything does still stand up even after all these
years.We always love going back, because it IS FAMILY and everyone is
always treated that way!

best bet is BRASSERIE by NICHE in St. Louis' West End (6-19-10)

At the opera matinee yesterday I was surprised to bump into a dear
client whom I had forgotten I booked into St. Louis this weekend. So I
quickly invited him to join me between the operas for dinner at Gerard
Craft's recently opened French bistro just blocks from my hotel.
BRASSERIE by NICHE (www.brasseriebyniche.com) is a casual indoor and
outdoor bistro with plaid linen tablecloths covered by that ubiquitous
brown paper. Large French posters adorn the walls and the space is
cozy and not too crowded. By the time we left at 7:15pm, there was not
an empty table indoors (it was still over 90 outside and had just
rained).
Our server Meredith raved about the CHICKEN LIVER TERRINE with Red
Onion Confiture, so we indulged and ordered this an a spare starter
along with our other two. It was rich, creamy and divine and the
confiture gave a great tart foil. Only five small toasted baguette
croutons came with it, so we used the warm pull-apart French loaves at
the table as well which was just as good.
I had a glass of Laporte "Le Bouquet" 2008 Sauvignon Blanc from the
Loire (the wines are mostly French and there is a large beer menu as
well) which was a very traditional steely tasty French version of the
varietal. My second wine was an also steely (read:not oaky) Domaine
Cordier Chardonnay 2008 from Macon-Charnay in Burgundy. My guest had
the SANTA DUC "Vielles Vignes" 2007 Cotes du Rhone we he said was also
quite good.
His starter was the Wild Burgundy ESCARGOTS served in a 1/2 dozen
ceramic container and loaded with a very herby butter with garlic
which was almost green from the herbs. It was nice to have the herbs
overpower the garlic for a change. My BRANDADE of House Salted Cod was
served in a ramekin with Arugula on top again with the small toasted
baguette slices and was not the rich bacalao with loads of creamy
stuff, but a tasty largely fish brandade in the very old traditional
way.
For main courses both dishes were dreamy with my guest opting for the
Braised BEEF SHORT RIBS with carrots and potato puree and my TROUT &
ALMONDS with GREEN BEANS offering up a whole boned trout without tail
or head that was completely edible and had no one sliver of bone. The
ligh butter sauce and almonds were of the highest quality adding to
the excellence of this dish.
Dessert was a treat as well, and how nice after the awful one the
evening before. BLUEBERRY CLAFOUTIS was a tasty version of the fruit
cobbler and a huge scoop of creamy homemade LEMON VERBENA Ice Cream
was ladled on top. My guest opted for a scoop of the same along with
the Honey-Lavender Ice Cream as well!
What a divine meal as my last big dinner here in St. Louis as tonight
I picnic before the opera.

Escape to 'SCAPE in St. Louis and next door to CREPES:etc. (6-18-10)

My hotel this trip is located in the wonderful West End of St. Louis
about 10 minutes from downtown with a thriving dining/shopping area
right outside the door.
The two closest dining spots were yesterday's ventures and for lunch I
returned to CREPES:etc. (www.crepestl.com) at 52 Maryland Plaza and
loved my AHI TUNA CLUB with guacamole, aioli, tomato, crispy bacon and
more. A large CAFE au LAIT woke me up just before noon after the big
meal the night before as well.
I may even go back today for one of those yummy crepes! Keep your eyes
open.
For dinner I went to their next door fine dining spot, SCAPE (really
meant as LandSCAPE) (www.scapestl.com) at 48 Maryland Plaza facing the
pretty spurting fountain outside where many people enjoy the outdoors
as long as the weather cooperates.
On arrival in the over 95 heat, I was asked would I like to sit inside
or outside. Are they NUTS? While sunny, the heat index was close to
110! But I guess some folks love to melt. I sat down at the glossy
black lacquered table with a center of bronze that are found
throughout the carpeted room with wooden booths and chairs. The noise
level is not too high and comfort is part of the scene as I sat near
the window watching the fountain from INSIDE!

I ordered up 2 each of the featured raw bar oysters and they were both
dreamy:
those always wonderful KUMAMOTOS from the West Coast and the large
plumper, briny and tasty BLACKBERRY POINTs from Nova Scotia (I'll have
to find these when we head there later this summer!). The oysters come
with traditional cocktail sauce with a dollop of grated horseradish on
top (you know I never put this on fresh oysters, but do enjoy it on a
piece of bread) as well as two vinaigrette style sauces called ASIAN
Salsa and JALAPENO Salsa. They were both pretty mild and I liked
dipping my fork in these for a simple dribble to enhance each oyster.
The bread was crusty and fresh and there was also a large scone (odd
choice for dinner).
My salad was a THEIS FARMS Heirloom TOMATO with Fresh Basil, Goat
Ricotta, Hazelnut Vinaigrette, Hazelnuts and a puff pastry stick with
olives. While the vinaigrette was superb and the salad nice, the
tomatoes themselves don't come close to those we had from our own
garden last summer (Cherokee Purple) or for that matter any really
good farmer's market.
I asked for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and told the brand had been
changed (to one I don't care for as much) and opted for the
CASALFARNETTO FONTEVECCHIO VERDICCHIO 2006 which was fine.
My server Ellen steered me toward the DUCK CONFIT and she hit this
right on the button. Two legs and thighs with the crispiest/crunchiest
of skins were moist inside and truly superb with the light Mustardy
Sauce. Stewed Leeks and Fingerling Potatoes made this dish the hit
that it so often is not usually because the duck is dry). I marveled
at every bite.
Dessert was, for me, a disaster. I debated over the peach cobbler and
"Wimbledon" PAVLOVA and should have gone with the former. Ellen said
the meringue on the Pavlova was great and it came with Strawberries,
Cream and Nutella which sounded interesting. The order of ingredients
was wrong. Cream should have been first as this dish was piles and
gobs of way too much whipped cream, a disc of very hard and way to
sweet meringue, several strawberries and a slash of nutella for fun
flavor. The sweetness had me stop after 3 bites and the berries were
gone. To top this off the Cappuccino was small and had no froth...this
sad from a cafe/creperie sister that excels in their coffee drinks!
So while you will want to escape to SCAPE, be careful of the sugar
when you enter the dessert realm.

St Louis' NICHE number #1 and not just in St. Louis (6-17-10)

I returned to St. Louis again for my annual opera trip and was happy
to head right to NICHE (www.nichestlouis.com) just south of downtown,
where I have truly found the best dining places in the states--
repeatedly!). Seconds after arriving and greeting from all of the oh
so friendly staff, Chef/Owner Gerard Craft moseyed over to say
"hi" (his parents are friends of ours in DC) and apologize that he was
not in the kitchen for the evening as he had to handle some business.
He now has three dining spots in St. Louise, with NICHE keeping the
top honors as his quality dining spot, TASTE by Niche next door for
smaller plates (I gather) and his new Brasserie (where I head
tomorrow!). He left Chef Adam Altnether in charge, and I couldn't find
one fault with his perfect staff when he took off!
Niche now has a larger window looking in on the kitchen, and I did get
to witness a small pan fire at one point! The decor oozes simplicity
with linen cloths covered by those brown paper squares I am not so
fond of. On each table is coarse ground pepper and salt and a single
short marigold in water along with a small votive candle. The star
here IS THE FOOD!
If you head to NICHE, you really must have the Chef's Tasting Menu,
still unbelievably priced at $55 (wines are $35 extra). I ordered a
small order of WHITE ANCHOVIES on Toast with Smoked Paprika and
munched on the lemony fish with a glass of delicious refreshing TREANA
Viognier/Marsanne from Central Coast, California 2007 (a wonderful
white that I must look up back at home).
The tasting began with MAPLE CUSTARD which was served a la Thomas
Keller in a brown eggshell. The custard on the bottom was lemon-maple
and it was topped with superb local Roasted Mushrooms and bonito
"caviar" which was actually gel pearls from the bonito fish stock as
opposed to its eggs. It was a tantalizing start bursting with flavors
and if you could call it an amuse, one that would get anyone so
excited for what was to come. A GERARD BERTRAND CREAMNT BRUT 2007 from
Alsace made from Chardonnay/Chenin Blanc and Mauzac was a refreshing
accompaniment with a bubbly twist.

My server, Jeff (who was simply drop dead gorgeous, making the
experience even more enjoyable) explained the next dish BEET and
BUTTERMILK, which I will call "everything soup." The cold broth of
beets was mixed with buttermilk and cucumber broth so that it was
fairly light and thin and most refreshing as well in the 94 degree
heat! Mint and chives were added for flavor along with small pieces of
roasted beets and beet crisps for crunch. Several pasta folds (Jeff
called them akin to tortellini) were filled with a thick beet puree
and a couple of pickled cucumbers were floating along as well. I found
these pickles a bit mismatched with the multiple ingredients, but
that's just my preference. Pea shoots were scattered on top and the
entire dish was really a perfect summer treat. CHATEAU LAMOTHE
BORDEAUX BLANC 2009 (Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon) was a simply perfect
pairing for this fascinating experience.

My next wine was a BELLE GLOS "Meiomi" PINOT NOIR 2008 from Monterey/
Santa Barbara and it filled my mouth with a huge explosion of fruit
and flavors. I got to enjoy this for a while as I took a break and
also was treated to two EXTRA courses courtesy of the chef (not on the
tasting):
1)ASPARAGUS SALAD with HOUSEMADE RICOTTA was the perfect dish for
anyone not wanting to fill up on a starter. There were raw ever-so-
thin slivers of asparagus and with blanched whole spears in a Ramp
Vinaigrette with Fresh Clove & a dash of Orange Oil al meshed with
fresh baby cress.
2)For someone looking for a veggie starter, but warm and slightly more
filling than the Asparagus, the BABY CARROTS Braised in CUMIN & ORANGE
with Candied Maple Bacon and Vanilla Oil is a buttery, but not to rich
dish topped with those yummy pea choots again.

As I looked at my surroundings, I did notice that the noise levels as
the place was full were pretty high. I later realized that music was
playing, but could not be heard until much later when at least 1/2 the
tables had cleared!
Niche is not noisy, but I would love for them to find a way to lower
the noise level.

Back to the tasting!
PORK SHOULDER PAPPARDELE is a ragout of braised pork on ever so yummy
homemade pasta (at the level of our finest Italian pasta back in DC!)
in a rich sauce of Apples, Mascarpone, Champagne & Olive Oil that has
a southern BBQ sweetness to it that really brought out a slight
Southern feel to the dish. It is perfect as a taste or starter, but as
an entree it would be way too rich. The Pinot was simply divine with
the intesnity of the sauce and the pork.

Cucumber Mint Sorbet was a refreshing and tasty intermezzo before the
PORK main course. A medium sized cube of meaty (and very little fat)
PORK BELLY(smoked then slow roasted) was seared crispy on top and
served with a rich sauce of FARRO (thing large risotto-style) mixed
with Comte Cheese, Toasted Groats, more pea shoots Braised TURNIPS and
a slash of Strawberry-Black Pepper sauce. I adore pork belly, but tend
to avoid it due to the high fat, but here it was perfect and I managed
to eat almost every bite. The wine was not my favorite match of the
night. A lighter TAVEL ROSE 2009 from Domaine Lafond was chosen
obviously to counter the richness, but I still would have preferred a
big red.

Dessert was LIME & BASIL CUSTARD which was very akin to Panna Cotta
and served in a RHUBARB Consomme with Poached Rhubard and Crystalized
Basil that was a sweet crunchy treat on top. The wine was a La
SPINETTA Biancospino MOSCATO d'ASTI 2009 which again worked perfectly
and finished my meal to perfection. Chef Adam came out and I told him
that everything was perfect while he was in charge. I hope he doesn't
sneak off and start his own place! As always, all the Niche staff
really make you feel at home, welcome and serve up a great dining
experience!

I am so glad I get to head to Gerard's newest spot, Brasserie by
Niche, tomorrow, but am already looking forward to my next trip to St.
Louis when I can head straight to Niche.

TILLMAN's ROADHOUSE is terrific in Ft. Worth (5-29-10)

Our second night in Ft. Wort took us several minutes west of downtown
to a spanking new neighborhood full of upscale stores, dining and
offices that were nowhere to be seen on my last visit a year ago.
Hidden a block off West 7th Street is TILLMAN's ROADHOUSE
(www.tillmansroadhouse.com 2933 Crockett Street), a branch of the
Dallas location, but with it's own amazing and wondrous character.
Full of blond woods, booths and sadly more still not so comfy wooden
chairs is a huge spacious set of rooms, one with is huge central two-
story bar made from slices of cork and logs. Dripping crystal
chandeliers, knickknacks abound and a wall full of animal head, but
here made from wood instead of stuffed, make this one of the hottest
new, yet casual, destination to dine.

Again, the kid's menu amazes and Samuel had a $6 plate of superb
CHICKEN FINGERS & Fries with housemade ketchup and ranch dressing dip
(he would have none of the latter). As we sat down two huge pewter-
like ladles were set before us, one filled with house roasted peanuts
and the other with divine Truffle Butter Peppered Popcorn (we took
refills on this as well as a small box to go!) which we all gobbled up
fast. The water served was filtered NATURA for free and comes in
sparkling or still!
Our server Kelly was kind, friendly, casual and helpful describing
everything we were unsure of and helping us to choose. Will had the
LAUGHING BIRD SHRIMP (Caribbean) CEVICHE with Salsa Roja, Corn
Poblanos and Tortilla Chips. This was a less traditional ceviche (not
limey or vinegary), yet tasty with cumin-dusted chips to boot. My
FARMER's SALAD made up of oh so many local wonderful ingredients was a
treat: Tassione Farms Arugula, Mr. Lembey's Blackberries (tasty wild
morsels), Pickled Fennel, Grilled Cooper Farm's Peaches, Smoked Almond
slices in a Sherry Vinaigrette with two of Paula's Goat Cheese
croquettes on the side that just melted in my mouth.

For main courses Will could not resist the novelty of the VENISON
FRITO PIE with White Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream and Scallion Greens, a
variation on the ground beef frito pie and served with an extra bag of
Frito's on the side in case you go for more crunch. My LANDY BURGER
was an excellent Sirloin & Foie Gras Burger with Madeira Aioli,
Tassioni Farm Pea Tendrills and Goat Milk Gouda Tater Tots on the
side. The huge burger had to be cut in quarters and each bite was
simply and explosion of divine flavors in my mouth.

Samuel's blueberry ice cream was not a hit, but we were so full, we
left without even thinking of dessert.
We wanted to go back today for lunch, but they are closed for the
holiday!

Ft. Worth breakfast Southern Style at the Ol' South Pancake House

Saturday morning we opted for a late breakfast and the hotel
recommended the OL' SOUTH PANCAKE HOUSE about 5 minutes from downtown
(www.olsouthpancakehouse.com 1509 South University Drive) as we knew
Samuel loves pancakes. I must mention how kid-friendly most dining
spots are here since everywhere has these really cheap kids' menus.
Samuel had a $5 plate with 2 pancakes, 2 slices of bacon and a large
one egg omelet. He devoured it all and asked for another omelette
(which they charge $1.00 for!).
Will went for the CORNED BEEF HASH with Poached eggs, with a side of
BISCUITS & GRAVY which were two huge tasty biscuits with an entre full
bowl of gravy!
I, feeling totally southern, went for the CHICKEN FRIED STEAK and
Scrambled Eggs which came with a Biscuit and smaller bowl of gravy.
The steak was, of course, not a prime cut, but it was tasty and
battered and fried to a crisp tasty perfection.
We were all set for the day and could not eat a bite until dinnertime!

Ft Worth, TX-divine dining experience at ELLERBE's (5-28-10)

We all arrived here for the long holiday weekend and chose a slate of
all new places that have opened in the past year and everything has
been truly a treat so far.
Our first night was an adult dinner before the opera and we stopped by
the adorable wine bar in our hotel (The OMNI Ft Worth) called the WINE
THIEF for a quick sip. Will tried the flight of sparkling wines
consisting of 2005 Marques de Gelida Cava Brut which was quite tasty
and yeasty. The other two were Flor Proseccos, a brut and a Rose that
was the driest rose around. I opted for the chardonnay flight with a
tasty bright Millbrandt 2006 from Washington State, and over the top
Hahn SLH 2006 from California that was just too old-style California
for drinking alone and a yummy Charles Wiffin 2007 from Marlborough,
New Zealand.

Dinner was at ELLERBE Fine Foods (www.ellerbefinefoods.com) in a new
up and coming neighborhood just 5 minutes southwest of downtown. A
converted 1920's gas station has concrete floors, brick walls, nice
table linens (but wrecked by that large piece of brown paper!), not so
comfy wooden chairs and exposed ceilings with a stellar staff headed
by owner/manager Richard King and a kitchen run by owner/manager Molly
McCook, who hails from Louisiana, and had brought her home style
recipes with her to Texas.

Our server Woody raved about the salads and said all the produce is
very local, so Will opted for the Scott Farm Heirloom TOMATO Salad wit
Carter Farm HARICOTS VERTS, Creamy Basil Dressing, Brazos MOZZARELLA,
Crispy PANCETTA and Marcona ALMONDS--it was worth raving about. My
RABBIT CAILLETTE ad CONFIT on Frisee with Spring PEA Coulis, House
Made Mustard and Country Bread was really two items. A simple rabbit
sausage with pistachio was divine on the salted/peppered toasted bread
and the salad with a mustard-oil dressing on the frisee and confit.
The coulis on the side was great as a little "sauce" on the sausage,
but the frisee/confit combo was the highlight.
We had ordered an ANAM CARA PINOT NOIR "Nichols Estate" Chehalem
Mountain 2006 served in quality Spiegelau crystal was a huge
flavorful Oregon Pinot that won us over. The first round of bread (LA
Brea Bakery Baguette flown in from LA) did not excite us, but the
PLUGRA Butter from France and Red Hawaiian Sea Salt made this a
special treat in itself. The second small plate of bread came out warm
and made this an entire course you would want to order!

The main courses were superb. My Grilled HERB CRUSTED (parmesan) VEAL
T-BONE came out extremely rare, which was fixed very fast and cooked
fine after a second heating. A rich and creamy SHERRY CREAM sauce (not
too much) was generously sprinkled with fresh local MORELS. It was
served with tasty FARRO and B&G Gardens ASPARAGUS. The meat was divine
and the dish just heaven. Will went for the BRAISED Leg of LAMB
LASAGANA with Kalamata Noodles, Crumbled Bazos FETA, Curry Bechamel
and Toasted Pine Nuts--a real stroke of genius in the kitchen here.
Woody suggested we try to Texas Bay SHRIMP & Louisiana Maque Choux
side dish, which we could have eaten as a main course. This slightly
creamy and slightly spicy dish with tasty shrimp, fresh corn,
scallions and a crunch from pancetta.

We could not resist splitting one dessert and chose MAWMAW's BREAD
PUDDING, a segmented muffin with creamy and caramelly WHISKEY Sauce
and Pralined Texas Pecans. The recipe did really come from the chef's
grandmother, but while tasty, was not our favorite or outstanding, but
it was quite good. Yummy French press coffee came with mini-DUCLE di
LECHE Linzer torte-style cookies.
We left full and knowing that Ellerbe's in on out list of must-return
spots in Ft. Worth.

dining at the Argetine Ambassador's and the Opera Ball (5-21-10)

While we have attended some pretty wonderful Opera Ball's here in
Washington, Friday night's truly took the prize. For those of you that
know about "Opera Balls" they are the major fundraiser for a company
and can often bring in MILLIONS of dollars. Here in DC there are the
Embassy suppers that precede the actual ball, and we were invited to
the Residence of the Argentine Ambassador for a wonderful meal with
about 20 or so folks.


Our meal was superb and included GAZPACHO, a Baked VEGETABLE SALAD
with Sunflower Seeds and Pine Nuts with the most beautiful tomatoes to
boot. The white wine was Catena Chardonnay, but the amazing reds were
actually made by the Amabassador's wife, Anabelle Sielecki, who owns a
winery in Mendoza. She named the winery MENDEL after her grandfather
and the two superb wines we drank were MENDEL MALBEC 2007 and MENDEL
UNUS MALBED 2006 (a blend adding 30% Cabernet).
The main course was a tender tasty MONKFISH in CHAMPAGNE SAUCE and a
light Mango sorbet followed as we had the Grand Dessert Buffet coming
at the big ball....

Afterwards we all headed to the Russian Embassy which was truly a
"winter wonderland."

We were greeted by dozens of supers dressed as Boris Godunov (when he
introduced himself, I said I was Natasha and my partner was
Bullwinkle :-))!), princesses, tsars, boyars and more. The courtyard
of the embassy was the scene of a light snowfall saluting the SOCHI
Winter Olympics of 2014 and a ZORB (large hollow bouncing ball) was
bouncing dozens of feet in the air in the snow with a gymnast or
dancer in it!

Upstairs (I think for the first time ever) a concert hall was
dedicated to a showcase performance by the "rising stars of the
Bolshoi Opera" who were flown in for the event. We heard some arias,
and I enjoyed some of the novelties:

Swan Princess Aria from "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" sung wonderfully by
Venera Gimadieva. She also performed Shemakhan Tasritsa's aria (Queen
of Shemakha) from "The Golden Cockerees"(?). Perhaps it should have
read the Golden "Cockerel?"

Less impressive musically was tenor Pavel Kolgatin in Levko's song
from "A May Night."



"Tolstoy's Library" just outside the concert hall featured a Champagne
& Cordial Bar serving up Dom Perignon, Veuve Cliquot and Perrier
Jouet, while the "Tea Room" featurted a pianist

and in the Golden Ballroom replicas of Faberge eggs were being sliced
and served (they were yummy chocolate cakes!).

Our favorite stop was the Blue Room or Ice Palace with 8 foot high ice
sculptures of the Kremlin, the Russian double eagle seal and more. In
the center was a sevruga caviar bar, oysters, lobster cocktails and
yummy iced pepper vodka. Actually, there were different vodkas
everywhere, not to mention quality wines and spirits. This definitely
was a splurge all event and we all really did feel like Cinderellas &
Cinderfellas at the Ball!

ALAN SAVADA of Washington, DC

doin' the pre-theater at DC's DISH (5-14-10)

I don't often eat out at home before the theater, but last night an
short dinner was in order prior to attending the NSO at the Kennedy
Center. As I don't like to start venturing too far, there are not a
lot of choices within 2-3 blocks, so I decided to return to DISH at
the River Inn (www.theriverinn.com/dish/) where I have not been for
quite some time.
We were rewarded with a friendly greeting from manager Keith,
excellent and efficient service from our server Pascale (as well as
recommendations) and a superb meal.
The salads were superb with a MIXED GREENS having small goat cheese
balls inside a kind of crouton and my amazing BEET SALAD coming like a
cylindrical tower with Feta, Arugula, Grapefruit and a Citrus
Dressing. A glass of TORRONTES, Crios de Susana Balbo 2008 Argentina
is always refreshing and paired wonderfully with the citrus of the
salad while my host had the Shiraz/Grenache from Ken Forrester 2005
Stellenbosch, South Africa with her salad. I moved on to a tasty and
full fruit POPPY Pinot Noir from Napa with my perfectly just past PAN
SEARED AHI TUNA with Mixed Greens Salad, Tomato, Basil & Olive Salad.
My host had the winner of the day in the HERB CRUSTED New Zealand Lamb
chops (six chops!!) with Spiced Tomato Marmalade, a brilliant sauce
and such a change from awful mint! The cylinder of Sweet Potato &
Andouille Sausage packed a bit of spice and was one of the best sides
around! A glass of KUEKA LAKE 2007 Cabernet Franc from the Finger
Lakes in NY was a nice wine, but could not hold up to the spice and
big meat of the dish.
Cappuccinos here are superb and I headed off the symphony knowing that
Dish can do it!

1409 Playbill Cafe's full portions and fine neighborhood cuisine

The Dupont Circle/Scott Circle/and are neighborhood corridors have
been busier and busier over the years, but a great stalwart for 15
years is the almost funky 1409 PLAYBILL CAFE at 1409 14th St, NW just
across from the Studio Theater.
We attended a show in their small performance space last night and
found ourselves hungry afterwards and decided to grab a small bite.
They were setting up karaoke and we were kindly seated in a rear
booth, but the singing was actually not loud or even bothersome; some
of the performers were actually quite good!
Our server Jonathan, who goes by Shelby (it's a long story) was a gem;
always with a smile and attentive, he really was a gem. The staff help
each other as they rotate and perform, and nothing seems to get lost.
We had a decent bottle of $25 Cabernet/Merlot Blend from Covey Run in
Washington State (2004 was the vintage, so it's been around a while I
guess!) and each ordered up our sandwich choice. Will went for the
RUEBEN which came oozing hot cheese and a side of superb onion rings.
My FALAFEL WRAP was HUUUUGE (well, Shelby did say they were bigger
than the ones at Chipotle) and had a fine thing wrap that went around
only once, not making this dish too much of a wrap with too little
filling. The Falafel balls were tasty moist and peppery and the salad
accouterments were nice filler. I only wished for a tad more sauce,
perhaps TAHINI dressing in the mix.
There were many options on the burgers (turkey, salmon, veggie, etc)
and entrees as well (meat loaf sounded good) and I think that 1409
offers up a lot of simple home cooked dishes for a very reasonable
price (ours were $10.99 each). Head here if you are hungry, as the
portions are indeed huge!

sampling Charlotte,NC cuisine (ENSO Asian Bistro & Zink-5/8/10)

Over the weekend I hopped down to Charlotte to see a good friend
perform at the opera and was shocked to see how vibrant the downtown
dining and nightlife scene is. Oddly, there is little else to do such
as shop; other than a couple of museums everything is out of downtown.
Before the opera I ran across the street from the Ritz-Carlton where I
was staying (and forwent their BLT-Bistro Laurent Tourondel) to the
new EPICENTER which is a small complex with movie theater and several
dining spots as well as a CVS and some other stuff. ENSO (meaning
circle in Japanese(at 210 East Trade St) is a huge dining complex, bar
and sushi lounge. It was pretty quiet at 6pm, but I gather it was
jammed later on as the place began to fill around 7pm. Sadly, the
thumping music bombarded the place and kind of shook the place with
the huge bass.
My server Ginny was sweet but just kept going on and on about the
quality of the food, etc. There are two menus (sushi and ala carte)
making decisions harder, so I chose the SEAWEED SALAD with cucumber
and baby greens which was nice and a glass of smooth OZEKI house sake.
I decided on two sushi rolls:
TUNA TATAKI (at $13) was EIGHT pieces (WOW for that price) of barely
seared tuna wrapped around rice, spicy tuna, avocado and cucumber. It
was nice, but not a prize winner.
SPIDER ROLL (again EIGHT HUGE PIECES for $16) was deep fried SOFT
SHELL CRAB (I doubt it was fresh!), lettuce, avocado, cucumber and
masago with a sweet glaze and sesame seeds. The crunch from the
tempura was a treat and Ginny did bring two dips which worked superbly
with each of the dishes rather than soy sauce.
For the crab a thick CHILI Japanese MAYO was rich, but great if used
sparingly. For the tuna a light PONZU-SOY sauce was perfect.
The place has some fun huge chairs, red vinyl chairs, lots of
banquets, a HUGE noisy bar with three large screen TV's sporting
sports and a monstrous blown up photo of a sumo wrestler on the wall.
The decor is nice, but I would dread the noise after 8pm!

As we walked down the street after the opera around 1130pm, I was
shocked to see people spilling out of noisy bars and discos
everywhere. The opera has a post-performance party at a super noisy
place where we lasted all of 5 minutes before heading to ZINK
(www.harpersgroup.com/zink.asp at 201 N Tryon St) where the place was
quite deserted. The bar had several occupied tables, but we were seven
people, so the manager opened up the quite nice main dining room for
us, but did warn there was a limited after hours menu from 11pm-1am.
It was super! I salivated over Housemade BLUE CHEESE Potato Chips and
LOBSTER MAC 'n' CHEESE, but we all ultimately chose the various
burgers which are 1/2 price after 11pm. That means HALF of $10...or
$5.00 for my ZINK BURGER of tasty Angus with melted American cheese,
1000 Island Mayo, crispy tasty MAPLE-PEPPER BACON and some slightly
soggy fries. WHAT A DEAL at $5.00. We down a couple of bottles of
WRITER's BLOCK SYRAH from California and went home VERY HAPPY to be
able to chat and be with friends while enjoying a superb burger!

LA's ASANEBO is a sure bet for sushi & more...(4-18-10)

On my last evening in LA, headed just 15 mins (traffic permitting)
from downtown to Studio City's ASANEBO, a small out-of-the-way not
well known Japanese spot that was jammed by the time we left at 9pm!
Asanebo gets consistently high ratings (11941 Ventura Blvd, Studio
City, CA tel 818-760-3348) for its food from Chef Shige Fujimoto, but
the prices are much lower than the Japanese gastronomic temples that
can cost hundreds per person.
Upon arrival, every guest gets a group shout of something like "hello"
from the staff making everyone feel welcome. I was meeting a high
school friend of mine and her son who live nearby; they got the shout
too!
While waiting I ordered a glass of ASANEBO House Sake (from Fukuoka)
that was super smooth and poured to excess not only to overflow the
glass, but the small plate below. I am not sure where this tradition
comes from, but the Bible says it great with, "my cup runneth over..."
Later I switched to the other Dai-Ginjo sake on the menu by the glass-
MATSU no MIDORI (from Kyoto) that was a bit more tart and actually
went better with the spice in some of my dishes.
My friend's son had the SALMON entree served with mashed potatoes
which are NOT easy to eat with chopsticks! She had the Grilled CHILEAN
SEA BASS with Butter Lettuce.
I started with several small plates:
SEARED TORO with Fried GARLIC and a greens with a Garlic Cream to dip
was a superb sashimi dish of the most gorgeous tuna around.
YELLOWTAIL SASHIMI was served up two ways-one with Sesame Miso Serrano
Peppers and the other with Spicy Yuzu Soy Sauce. Neither was very
spicy, both were tasty and again the finest quality fish around.
My entree was the GRILLED BLACK COD with Miso which was also cooked
perfectly; even the crunchy skin was divine.
While my friends munched on a decent Creme Brulee and a rich Chocolate
Cake (almost molten) with Ice Cream, I ordered one last small plate of
WILD AJI Sashimi (Spanish Mackerel) that is a more intense fishy fish,
yet served with a superb Scallion Soy that tempered the fish to
perfection.
I did not want dessert, so I ordered the Fried Japanese Mountain
Potato with Green Tea Salt which was tasty skin-on fries with a super
tasty not too salty salt that we all gobbled up. I enjoyed a glass of
URAI Sake which finished off this superb and excellent meal from a
superb staff in and out of the kitchen, as well as a real wonderful LA
weekend.

dinner at DRAGO CENTRAL in LA (4-17-10)

DRAGO CENTRO at 525 S. Flower Street in next to the Bonaventure Hotel
is only a year old and is the offshoot of the superstar chef Celstino
Drago's Santa Monica location. It is huge, tall, loud and busy; not
ideal for taking opera singers.
After the 5-1/2 conclusion to the Ring (Gotterdammerung) I took my two
clients who were in the lead roles of Gunther and Guntrune (the
Gibichung siblings that aide to bring about Siegfried's fall and
ultimately the "twilight of the gods".
We settled in and I sipped a TAROCO made from vodka, cointreau,
tangelo, cucumber and lemon juice. YUM!
We ordered up a bottle of ARGIOLAS from Pedera "Isola deii Nuraghi"
made from the Monica grapes in Sardinia, which we sipped while we
chatted.
Amuses arrived and we dug in (quite hungry after so long a show) to
the rich tasty COLD PEA SOUP shooter.
Our starters were simple with salad variations mine being the POLIPO
or Octopus with Blood Orange & Mixed Greens. A Roasted LOBSTER Bisque
was rich but not a prize winner.
We all split two pastas and these were rich sauced heavy meaty dishes
that were just divine (like the gods that had just been destroyed:-)):
Papardelle al FAGIANO with Roasted Pheasant and Morels
and
GARGANELLI with Pork Sausage, Parmesan & Fennel Seeds.
Julie our most pleasant server suggested a LA SPINETTA-PIN 2005 which
was a blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera from Piemonte which was simply
silky and delish. It was the first time I ever recalled this varietal
combo and it works quite well.

The main courses were I POLLO -chicken with Parmesan crust, farro and
mixed veggies which was neatly packed up for take-away for my guests
who could not finish. They then got a coat check to pick up the
package on the way out so as not to have to keep it at or under the
table and then forget it! A brilliant idea.
I had IL MAIALE a rich sauced braised PORK CHEEK with a Turnip cooked
sous-vide that was too hard and boring and yummy spinach and the
hugest blackberries I had ever seen.

We shared I BOMBOLINI, doughnuts with apples, amaretto, caramel and
ricotta in brown butter sauce, but were too full to finish.
DRAGO was pretty good, but only if you really like crowds and noise.

enjoy LA breakfast/lunch or whatever on THE FARM of Beverly Hills that is (4-17-10)

Yesterday I was treated to a yummy brunch at THE FARM of BEVERLY HILLS
which now has 3 locations in LA:
439 N. Beverly Blvd, Beverly Hills
189 The Grove Drive, The Grove, Los Angeles
and the newly opened 800 W. Olympic Blvd, downtown in the middle of
the new LA Live center adjacent to the Staples Center & Convention
Center.
We were at the latter and LA LIVE offers dozens and dozens of dining
options, but THE FARM was full and I loved my BLTA Sandwich with
Bacon, Lettuce TOmato and Avocado on homemade white farm bread. The
coffee was superb and my hoists both had the Crepe Egg Wrap kind of
thingie which they said was divine. I would easliy go back for
breakfast/lunch or snack!

LA's ORTOLAN is outstanding (4-16-10)

Upon arrival in LA last night I headed straight to ORTOLAN (8338 W.
3rd St - www.ortolanrestaurant.com) on the line between Beverly Hills
and West Hollywood (just blocks from the Beverly Center) and settled
in to my comfy chair at a spacious well-spaced table in a gorgeous
room with over a dozen drippy cut crystal chandeliers. I may have been
3 hours behind, but I was ready for a dining experience. The beautiful
antique wooden floors add to the ambience and do not make the sound
level high at all! The walls are heavily curtained and there are 6+
foot high secluded booths for those LA folks who don't want to be
seen. On the other hand, there is a large table in the front window
for those who want to be seen and watch the passersby. Each place has
a gray 12" square slate plate for the table setting and Schott Crystal
adorns each place.
I started chatting with Samantha, the sommelieuse, who actually spent
much time working in DC and knew lots of folks we know! She has been
at Ortolan for less than a year, but knows the ropes and the wines.
Her boss chef/owner Christophe EME actually came out shortly into the
meal to greet everyone. It is a great credit to him and his 5-year old
elegant establishment!
I avoided the champagne trolley (over $20 a glass for those) and
headed right to the shorter tasting menu of $85 ($50 extra with
pairings, rather than the 13-course menu for $145; $75 for wine). It
was a perfect choice and almost everything was at a level of superb
quality.
The amuses was a small tray with two large test tubes of soup with
emulsion and a straw in each: one was carrot with thyme, the other
asparagus with truffle. A medium size bowl of Eggplant Caviar Tapenade
with Aioli was superb, and you know I am not an eggplant fan. This is
meant to be shared; I gobbled up the WHOLE BOWL.
A glass of Gerard METZ 2005 Pinot Blanc from Alsace arrived and
Samantha was pouring most generously; I did not worry. The first
course was TOMATO COULIS with CELERY RAVIOLI and Yogurt Sorbet. Fresh
herbs (rosemary/lavender) adorned the plate and were infused to each
mouthful as well. I adore the fact that Chef Eme uses these herbs in
almost every dish. This was basically a tart and glorified gazpacho
that I could have every hot summer night. There was a dash of herb oil
in the deep red soup and the amazing celery-made ravioli was stuffed
with tomato tartare for a slight chunkiness. The yogurt was slightly
sweet and added a wonderful creaminess to several bites. The wine was
a brilliant pairing to this tart treat.

SCALLOP was sliced and seared and laid atop ENGLISH PEA Soup and
LENTIL GNOCCHI in a large brandy snifter-like glass; a frothy herb
emulsion floated on top. I love peas and these were my first fresh
ones of the season, so I was quite happy. The wine was a simple
grapefruit-intense WHITEHAVEN SAUVIGNON BLANC 2008 from Marlborough in
New Zealand.

LOBSTER MOUSSE was in a cylinder surrounded by Spaghetti and served
with magnificent MORELS, White ASPARAGUS and a White Asparagus Cream.
Herbs Caviar on the side looked like black lentils, but were a
gelatinous, tapioca-like chemically induced treat that were herb-
intense. A Guy BOCARD 2004 MERSUALT Vieilles Vignes was a subtle
accompaniment.

My first red was a tasty huge New Zealand PINOT NOIR from WILD ROCK
2008 "Cupid's Arrow" from Central Otago. This is as good as New
Zealand Pinot gets and was superb with my HERBS CRUSTed steamed COD
with Cauliflower Mousse (more like a cream sauce) and Roasted
Hazelnuts. I adored the tasty crust with chunky salt and herbs as
well as the paper-thin layer of Mushroom-Basil (duxelles like)
underneath making for a contrast with the light fish. Celery Tapioca
Pearls were on the side; another fun treat that Chef Eme seems to like
so much.

I asked for a long break and then came the SHORT RIBS with Winter
Vegetables, Pommes Souffle that were little crispy hollow potato
pillows and Herbs Salad. The wine was a Chateau PETIT BOCO 2005 from
Saint Estephe which was fine with the intense meat, but did not work
so well on its own. I also noticed at this point the background music
was all wonderful French cabaret-style that never was too loud or
intrusive.

The pre-dessert and my substitute dessert (I did not want the
Chocolate Ganache) arrived together. The former was a small dab of
Apple Jelly topped with LAVENDER Ice Cream and Lemon Foam and the main
dessert was STRAWBERRY CAVIAR with Vanilla PANNA COTTA and Honey. The
strawberry gelatinous pearls were served in a real caviar tin for
added fun and they covered the superb panna cotta. A ROZES Reserve
Port came with this,which I had only a couple of sips of as it was
quite heavy and intense, and I was tired (the time was not yet 10pm;
but my body said 1am!).
I know that a future trip to LA will have to include ORTOLAN!

NEST is nice in your neighborhood -Bethesda, MD (4-14-10)

Two families took five children ( we were a total of 10) to NEST
(www.nestcafebethesda.com) at 4921 Bethesda Ave, just behind the Giant
and across from EuroMotorcars. It is a small almost hidden spot with
good food and great for families with an extensive kid's menu (about 7
choices-chicken fingers and fries for Samuel).
Our server Ashley was a gem and always managed to get everything we
needed and on time as well. When I inquired about a wine, she quickly
brought a taste over of a different one made from the same varietal,
which led me to order a bottle of the CATARATTO-INZOLA white blend,
PRINCIPE de CORLEONE 2007 from Sicily (related to The Godfather?)
which was crisp, refreshing and a great pair with the starters we
shared:
EDAMAME come steamed with a Ginger-Chile Dipping Sauce for flavor
which is nice, but not spicy.
CRISPY CALAMARI and ARTICHOKES is a great combo dish and has a
slightly spicy SALSA VERDE for dipping which was also fun.
I felt like a salad and asked if the Caesar had anchovies; Ashley
said, "no problem, on request!" My salad was dressed perfectly with a
creamy but not overdone dressing and there were at least eight
anchovies! The only thing that was not superb were the bland croutons.
Indeed, this was the only unexciting item that we all ordered; so
pretty good rating in my mind.
Our red was a superb LINDSEY's CUVEE "Truth" 2006 from Sonoma which
was a tasty blend of Cabernet Sauvignon/Cab Franc/Syrah & Malbec. It
was smooth, tasty and just perfect with our burgers.
The burgers were on the special menu and listed as the "Nest Healthy
Option" as they were perfectly cooked BISON burgers smothered with
CABERNET Onions, a layer of ARUGULA and melted Sharp Wisconsin
Cheddar. The side was TEMPURA ZUCCHINI "Fries" with Mustard Seed
Aioli. This is hardly low calorie, but was indeed delicious! Another
option for sides are the ITALIAN Fries, regular potato fries seasoned
to a tee (no ketchup here).
The kids loved the Ice Cream BOMBEs for dessert and we all headed home
very happy and full.

Passover-style at ROSA MEXICANA misses the mark (4-4-10)

I have been to the wonderful "Passover style" menu meals at ROSA
MEXICANA in NYC, but this was my first time trying it here in DC
(http://rosamexicano.com/Locations/WashingtonDC/tabid/98/Default.aspx)
across from the Verizon Center (or whatever they keep changing the
name to!).
We should have skipped it this year; for all the decent food, the
service was on the verge of awful nearing disaster. Our bill kept
getting reduced by the manager to the point where we paid less than
1/2 and indeed, we did say we would try and return another time to
give them a last chance.
The GUACAMOLE made tableside does work great with matza, but we had to
ask for matza like ten times and they brought 2 pieces with the
HAROSET TROPICAL we ordered which was a decent Haroset but gets no
raves. We asked for more matza and after 20minutes got 2 more pieces.
This was only the start.
Actually, it started as we tried to find parking on Easter Sunday/
Cherry Blossom/Spring Break day...our first mistake. We ordered a
bottle of BARON HERZOG Chardonnay to calm us down, but that took
almost 1/2 an hour to arrive and then we had only two glasses for 4
adults. We asked for more glasses, which took another 15 minutes. they
said they were running short and would comp the wine. When we ordered
our bottle of red (Baron Herzog Coastal Cab), we rinsed our glasses at
the table with water and used those, as we were told they had none
left!
Samuel ordered the Salmon in a half portion, but we asked for it
without the spicy beets and it came covered with beets...so that had
to go back. It did arrive and Samuel loved it. I ordered the same main
course SALMON con SALPICON de REMOLACHAS with sweet potato spicy
pancakes and spicy roasted beets.
It was delish and huge.
We started with the Crema de POLLO con Chile Guajillo, a simple cream
of chicken soup with veggies and small cubes of chicken that were so
dry I was in shock. They were out of the Gefilte Fish made from Red
Snapper, but luckily not the main course of MIXIOTE de BARBACOA Res, a
braised wrapped brisket that was served with dried fruit. Sadly,
Will's had a hair in the Spinach Potato Kugel!The non-Passover PATO en
Salsa was probably the best bet at the table. They were out of Mango
sorbet, so Sam settled for Blueberry which tasted and looked like no
berry at all and the Passover PISTACHIO Meringue cookie was decent
sandwiched with Strawberry Ice Cream in a Red Berry Coulis.
The server Luis just seemed to be having his worst day, and Gillian
the manager tried hard to keep lowering the check and saying how sorry
she was.
We left knowing that ROSA can be good and we will give them another
chance, on a quieter night.

CARLA (HALL) Can cook--or a TOP CHEF comes to town (3-28-10)

Upon our return to DC we had the pleasure of hosting TOP CHEF Carla
HALL at our home for a small dinner party as part of a charity event
purchase. We have known Carla for many years, and indeed she had
cooked at our home several years ago before her television fame.
This time it was even MORE fun, getting all the dirt and hearing all
about TOP CHEF itself! What a treat!
We filled up on champagne with FOIE GRAS MOUSSE with FIG SYRUP on a
crostini, SHRIMP BEIGNETS (fritters of Tiger Shrimp) with corn
kernels, red peppers and a superb Calypso Sauce, Roasted Red Pepper &
Zucchini Tartlettes filled with veggie custard and topped with sauteed
zucchini & pepper brunoise with black flake salt.
She had already won "our" show by this point and we had not even sat
down at the table yet!
We served Miner Viognier with her creamy rich WILD MUSHROOM SOUP with
caraway seeds and parmesan caraway crisps and then enjoyed a Rhone
white blend with SEARED ROCKFISH in CARROT GINGER BROTH with
lemongrass and micro cilantro. The fish was superb and we all could
not stop raving about the intense, but not overpowering flavors of the
broth.
BRAISED SHORT RIBS with extra virgin olive oil, wine. veal stock,
tomatoes, garlic and seasonings were sprinkled with gremolata and
served with buttered Egg Noodles. This dish was another blockbuster
worthy of any TV or anywhere top prize and I was happy to serve it
with a super BAROLO from 1999 from my cellars.
A refreshing Salad of ESCAROLE with Apples, Candied Walnuts & MT. TAM
Cheese came with Shallot & Apple Cider Vinegar and stood out for the
fresh ingredients and the tasty tangy creamy triple-creme style
cheese.
Many LAYER NAPOLEAN with Lime Cream and Sour Cherry-Thyme Compote was
a perfect light, refreshing and innovative dessert, and as if this was
not enough CARLA's famous COOKIE COLLECTION (which can now be
purchased online at Alchemy Caterers (www.alchemycaterers.com) which
is her company. These miniature-sized buttery rich cookies are worth
their weight in gold as is having Carla as a friend, as she is truly
one of the kindest people in the food biz we know!

the last mexican Supper-cautious at CASA DEL LAGO at Rosewood Mayakoba (3-26-10)

Our final meal in Mexico was at the elegant Casa del Lago in the main
building of Rosewood Mayakoba with our friends and clients (Frank &
Angela) who I had booked there at the same time. We originally had
intended to treat them (they are very good clients), but the pool
fiascos of the day ended up with us all getting a completely free
dinner!).
We were led in and told our party had already arrived and the hostess
tried to seat us with some strangers! Now that was a first! After lots
of conversation about the day we chose a superb CASA GRANDE CASA
MADERSO Chardonnay from Parra in the state of Coahuila which was so
good, we took a second bottle (well, we weren't paying!). Our red was
a magnificent GABRIEL (named by the owner-a retired US banker- for his
deceased son) from ADOBE GUADALUPE in Valle de Guadalupe, Baja
California. This 2007 wine was indeed the best Mexican red ever, now
giving us two yummy ones we will look for in the future.
The amuse was a goat cheese (mousse) with sundried tomato vinaigrette
which was okay, but no show winner for sure. I loved my MAINE LOBSTER
CARPACCIO with Tomato Bread Sherbet, Olive Oil, Lemon, Watercress &
Olives. It was light after a hot long day and so refreshing. The
SHRIMP were sauteed and served with RICOTTA GNOCCHI in Parmesan Cream
and Madeira Wine reduction. Tasty--but very rich and heavy. Yes, it
might have been late winter/early spring, but the high 80 degree temps
make this food hard to take.
RISOTTO with PORCINI MUSHROOMS and Idiazabal Cheese Fritters, Wild
Mushrooms and Fresh Herbs Essence was also a heavy duty dish. The main
courses were also quite large and rich: SUCKLING PIG (leg & ribs)with
Apple Ravioli had a yummy Onion Compote and Jus with Peanuts. RED
SNAPPER came with Sea Urchin Vermicelli and Light Garlic Cream, but
the recommended SOLE in PAUPIETTE with Soft Pancetta and Low
Temperature Cooked Egg with Morel Sauce (recommended by the server)
was a dud...bland as could be.
Sauteed DUCK BREAST came with Portobello Carpaccio, Roasted Apples and
Mesquite Smoke and worked well...
We enjoyed a bottle of SANTA JULIO TARDIO dessert wine which was nice,
but the desserts were iffy:
CHOCOLATE CAKE with Caramel Cream over Intense Hazelnut Praline with
Macaroon Pistachio Ice Cream was the best, the APPLE CRUMB CINNAMON
Roll Ice Cream was decent and my "TORRIJA" with Rhubarb and Strawberry
Compote and Key Lime Pie Chilled Cream was more like creamy meringue
with very little fruit in evidence.
It was okay-but I am sure glad we didn't have to pay!

Rosewood Mayakoba's beach place PLAYA BONITA is a deal (3-25-10)

We are stopping here at Rosewood for two nights on the last of our
three stays on the Riviera Maya. After gorging ourselves on the super
food at Grand Velas, getting shocked by the prices as Banyan Tree, we
were thrilled to hit PLAYA BONITA an adorable little indoor/outdoor
beach spot just a block from our suite here.
Samuel started off with Los verduros preferidos de Bugs Bunny, a bowl
of steamed carrots, zucchini and tomato which he adored and went on to
the Penne Pasta Bolognese, followed by Raspberry/Apple/Mango Sorbet
trio. He was in heaven.
We started with a bottle of SAUVIGNON BLANC from Los Vascos in Chile
that was refreshing after a hot, humid day. Chips arrived with salsas:
Tomatillo-Molcajete Mexicano with Jalapeno, Dried Guajillo Chile with
Peanut (which was superb), Red Tomato/Molcajete and Jalapeno and
finally a traditional Pico de Gallo. We devoured all with gusto, but
eventually stayed away from the real spicy ones.
The theme here is tapas style Mexican food and they do it great
charging about $6 per plate, which is super for a luxury hotel and
great fro kids as well.
SAUTEED SHRIMP with Butter, Garlic & Guajillo Pepper on Soft Tortilla
with Farm Cream and Fresh Cheese sounds bit like the traditional
shrimp in garlic, but this was a dreamy dish with all those great
local ingredients Mexican style for sure.
CRISPY DOGFISH QUESADILLAS were also so yummy that Will ordered a
second plate!
CEVICHE YUCATECO de Caracol y Pulpo was another dream ceviche from the
are made from tender octopus and conch.
DUCK TACOS with MOLE--need I say more?
Our wine steward, the handsome Andres was a genius when he suggested
MARIATINTO 2007 a Mexican red from Ensenada in Baja California made
from Cab, Syrah, Petit Syrah & Grenache. The wine had a plum jammy
sense from the Syrah and opened up maginificently. What a treat!
We ordered two of the local GUISADOS or stews, also in small portions
which were good, but not as great as the other tapas.
CHICKEN in PUMPKIN SEED & PISTACIO SAUCE was the best and a side of
Arroz Verde (green rice form the coriander) was great. The TINGO de
RES was shredded beef and tomato sauce which just did not win a prize
as almost everything else did.
TRES LECHES con Chile Habanero confitado was a spice & sugar meringue
that was too hard to even cut with a habanero chile confit style due
to infused sugar cider. While the dish sounded interested, it fell
flat on the plate.
It was so great to eat well for less than a fortune and enjoy the
ambience too. Well, at least after Sam got over the one mosquito he
saw as we sat down and promptly threw a fit.

say yes to YAXCHE for a Mayan meal in Playa del Carmen, MX (3-24-10)

While shopping in town today we stopped in at YXCHE
(www.mayacuisine.com) in downtown Playa del Carmen, just off the main
shopping street (5th Ave.) and we were glad we did. While Sam was less
excited about the food, he chose chicken fingers and fries and loved
the smoothie made from Strawberry, Orange and Mango Juice called
"Tulum" for the ruin south of here. Will tried the Chayamade which was
a lemonade made with the green chaya that we have come to love in the
veggie juices served at breakfast (jugo verde). My margarita was one
of the best and biggest so fare made with Tequila Reposado and costing
65 pesos on the menu (just over $5) which is about 75% less than at
the hotel! Indeed, halfway thru the meal, our friendly server came
over with another saying that at this lunch it was 2-4-1. WOW-$2.60
for a super drink!
The chips that came to the table were the best so far on this trip and
came with a deadly habanera salsa, a creamy garlic salsa, that Samuel
adored and a yummy pumpkin seed paste that was also quite tasty and oh
so local.
Will opted for the Ka'naab Hana, Fish stuffed Tortillas in a yummy
green salsa and I went for the Chixchulub which was described as
fettuccine pasta with chaya (that local green veggie), shrimp, squid
and scallop (bay) flambeed (not at table) with Xtabentun Mayan Liquor
in a special chef's sauce, which turned out to be very alfredo-like
and quite rich, but delicious. I would have preferred a lighter sauce
at lunch, but everything here was superb and the whole meal rang in at
about $43 with a tip.
The decor is very traditional with a ceiling murals of blue and golden
orange of Mayan figures and lots of faux Mayan engravings on the
columns that are most convincing. The place is spotless, as are the
restrooms...so give this one a try next time you are in the
neighborhood.

Playa del Carmen's JOHN GRAY's PLACE is not so pretty (3-24-10)

After being shocked by the prices at Banyan Tree we headed out on our
second night to town to a place well known for it's chef. JOHN GREY's
PLACE now has four locations in the Yucatan and the ex-Ritz Carlton
chef has created a mini-Mexican empire. This Playa del Carmen spot is
nothing to mention visually, and it was very crowded and very noisy,
making for a less enjoyable evening overall.
The wine list is small, but we found some for under $50 that were
quite good starting with a Lagar de Cervera ALBARINO from Spain that
was sour apples and gooseberries all over, but needed a bit more
chilling. We felt rushed as the food came fast and with no breaks; we
knew they just wanted to turn around the table so more diners could be
fed.
While Will's STEAK TARTARE starter was yummy, it was the slightly
mustardy traditional French fare with zero points for presentation as
it looked like a pile of dog food in the bowl! My ESCARGOTS in
PORTOBELLO & RED WINE SAUCE were divine and tasty as well.
The main courses were varied and Will had the GRILLED SWORDFISH with
HERB BUTTER that was only okay; just nothing novel really. The sides
of GRILLED ASPARAGUS with Coarse Salt & Balsamic and the CRISPY
POTATOES were excellent. My Fresh Local CORONADO (known at homeas
Amberjack Fish) was cooked in a yummy Black Olive Butter and served
with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. Again, about a 2 (out of 10)
for presentation, but the fish was firm and tasty and overall. I loved
it.
Will ordered the MOCHA CREME BRULEE which I tasted and it was nice,
but we left feeling that John Gray is no longer a food destination.

SEN LIN & more in Mexico, the modern Mexican ORIENTE at Banyan Tree Mayakoba (Riviera Maya-3/23/10)

Hi folks,
I must apologize profusely for losing all my notes on the SUPERB meal
the three of us had on our last night at GRAND VELAS' SEN LIN Asian-
inspired restaurant. The decor was elegant and very Zen-inspired
relaxing, the service superb as it had been in all the Grand Velas
venues, and the food again truly excellent. The local and Asian
infused ingredients made all the dishes tasty, novel and exciting. The
presentation was also on the level of any top notch luxury restaurant.
Our three dinner, lunch and breakfast buffets and just everything made
me confident that an all-inclusive resort can conjure up great dining
experiences.

Yesterday we moved right next door to the MAYAKOBA complex where we
will spend the rest of our stay here. Our first stop is the one-year
old Asian inspired and truly beautiful BANYAN TREE MAYAKOBA. The just
over 100 suites/villas here have the choice of three dining
experiences and we chose ORIENTE, the modern Mexican spot. It is a
silly name as they have a Thai spot, which would be more "oriente,"
and our server actually could not explain why the Mexican restaurant
was named as such!

It is a large place with slate and mosaic floors, huge woven rattan-
like chairs with big pillows and lots of wrought iron, especially in
the chandeliers. We ordered a bottle of CHATEAU d'AUGLES Rousanne-
Marsanne from Coteaux de Languedoc 2006 which was quite yummy,
although the price list has no more than several wines ringing in
below $50. The glasses here are Schott (modern style) as opposed to
the restaurant Riedel next door at Grand Velas, and we had to
constantly asked to have thee glasses filled. Failure #1, even though
we kept telling them that we drink fast!
A small cylinder of BEEF TENDERLOIN TAQUITO arrived as an amuse with
CHILMOLE (a mole made with local chiles) and cheese that was a yummy
one bite pop in the mouth. Samuel's beef tacos arrived and the meat
was top quality fajita style lean beef. The rolls looked basic, but
when we opened the small buns they were filled with a mushroom
duxelles-like paste made from the local HUITLACOCHE that was divine.
Samuel thought it was pesto and gobbled it up until the words local
mushroom were mentioned. So much for his continuing to eat something
he likes when he thinks the ingredient is something he DISlikes.

Both starters were huge and of top quality ingredients as well. CONFIT
PRAWNS, Vegetables & Avocado Ice Cream was oh so much more with a
poached-egg looking yogurt, asparagus, cucumber, carrots, beet and
onion all arranged in an Asian-like salad around the huge prawns with
the yummy ice cream as a "sauce" scoop on the side. Will's Shredded
BEEF CEVICHE was again tender meat on crispy CORN TORTILLA with Ranch
Aged Cheese. There was not much cheese and a squeeze of lime might
have made the salsa with sour cream a bit more exciting, but the dish
was delish.
We ordered a second bottle and it took about 10 minutes for them to
tell us it was all gone, so we settled for a very buttery ESCUDO ROJO
CHARDONNAY from Maipo in Chile. Will had the VERACRUZ Style Grouper
with Creamy Zucchini and Blossom Rice which was a delish fish as it
should be for $33 (the prices here ranged from $14-21 on starters, and
$28-36 on mains). My choice was indeed the $36 Seared CARIBBEAN
LOBSTER TAIL with the CHILMOLE & Tomatillo Sauce, Sauteed Veggies,
Portobello, Oyster & White Mushrooms. The sauce was excellent, the
vegetables superb and the tails HUGE but sadly cooked a bit too much
to a slightly dry stage! DAMN! The attention to this mos important and
quality ingredient in the kitchen had totally failed.

We decided to share a dessert of CHURROS with Mexican Chocolate dip
and Mexican Coffee Ice Cream. At $16 this was about 7-8 churros with a
thick and gloppy chocolate sauce that just didn't do much and the ice
cream was nice but won no awards. At this point we really were glad we
decided not to dine at the adult only Tamarind (where cold starters
run $13-21, $31 for foie gras terrine;warm starters $19-25, and mains
$31-47) in the resort tonight, but instead head into town.

Found notes re SEN LIN at Grand Velas Riviera Maya is SUPERB!(3-22-10)

FOUND THE NOTES !!
Yes folks, I am way behind and I just found my notes on the superb
ASIAN dining spot at Grand Velas in Mexico from our recent vacation.
The service was elegant and superb as it was at every Grand Velas
dining option, and we were graciously offered a FRENCH 75 (Grand
Marnier, Cognac, Champagne & 7UP) to start. The glasses were Riedel
and the plates were gorgeous. Samuel asked for a plain non-lettuce
salad and got a magnificent Asian construction with a soy dressing
that he fell in love with. We got an amuse of SALMON TARTARE with
Oyster Sauce, Wonton Crisp & Black Sesame and then another of CHIRASSA
PEPPER with a Cream of Dill, Paprika & Yello Curry. This was an
ingenious use of the local ingredients fused Asian-style.
TORI TEPANYAKI was Sam's main course and was a Chicken with
Vegetables, more Soy and Udon Noodles...he loved it so much that he
said he wanted soy sauce all the time. when we suggested he try sushi
with soy sauce the next day he said he would; alas, he did not!
Will had the okay TOM YAM SOUP a spicy seafood with coconut, lemon
grass and Krachai essence which was similar to our Thai version at
home; nothing spectacular. My PAK CHOI TAKO was hearts of bok choy,
carrot sprouts, lily flower salad over vacuum packed baby octopus with
Eucalyptus Tears (dressing) with air of black tea with rice honey. It
was too salad-y and needed more seafood.

UNAGI KABAYAKI TIBIO was a magnificent warm LOBSTER dipped in creamy
Masago(urchin roe) Sauce with Picasso Eel reduction, blue fire garam
masala smoke and a small spoon filled with crab and crunchy slaw. I
was in heaven. MAGURO GOMA for will was a rare tuna with Black Sesame
Crust over Shitake Sauce, Edamame, Jasmine Rice and Citrus Infusion.
The ingredients were all of the highest quality here making for an
even better experience. PEKING DUCK was pretty top notch too!
The Ichiban Sake served was quite nice (you could have this cold or a
cheaper hot version) and Will stuck to beer. Desserts were nice too
with SAIGON SALVAJE being roasted strawberries with Vietnamese black
pepper and Cardamom Ice cream and PRIMAVERA being a spring roll with
banana, Mango, Soybean Honey Glaze & Ginger Ice Cream.
Lychee flavored Sake finished us off for sure and we left our final
dinner at Grand Velas knowing that we will come back for more!

more great vittles at Grand Velas (Mexico)- PIAF (French adult dining with a flair -3/21/10)

Our second dinner at Grand Velas here on the Riviera Maya was just
next door at the Grande Classe Suites section which is adults over 12
only. We gave Samuel a room service dinner of Tomatoes (beautiful ripe
and plenty) with a Pesto Vinaigrette followed by Beef Tacos. He wolfed
all the tomatoes and 4 tacos down as well. Off to kid's club for the
evening with his friend Maia (who arrived that day) and we headed two
steps away to PIAF, which was as quiet as could be, elegant and classy
as well. All black lacquer, black marble floors and hints of red
flocked velvet walls and chairs gave a slight bordello feel with huge
Venetian-like crystal (probably Mexican) chandeliers as well.
While the wines were a slight improvement as three "champagnes" were
offered up with the same standard cheap stuff. We tried the IVAN
LESCOMPTE Brut from Baja Mexico which had a odd beer yeasty taste and
reminded me of the DT Beer I had a week before at Sur La Place in DC!
I moved on to the LOUIS PERDRIER Brut Rose which had a big strawberry
taste, Will stuck with the Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc.
A tasty amuse of baked OYSTER in SABAYON cream with Salmon Caviar,
Fennel and Fresh dill was an exciting bite for sure. There was live
music again in the form of a solo violinist, which just sounded a bit
sad as he played alone and the violin alone is a bit high for my
tastes. The breads were DIVINE with a Roquefort filled POPOVER
starring and wonderful butters, one made with shallots and white wine
and the other a punchy one with garlic and parsley. Fine LOBSTER SALT
was also served, but was indeed VERY salty.

I started with the PETIT SALADE de Lentilles aux Poires which was made
with Lentils (I guess they are called pear lentils, as there was no
pear in the salad!), medallions of langoustine "a l'Etouve" translated
as "neutro stew" which our super charming server Alejandro explained
was a basic cooking style., Caramelized Hazelnut Vinaigrette and
"Harmonie de Feuilles du Jardin aux Huiles Parfumees." I giggled at
the translations feeling they were like a Chinese restaurant back
home; this turned into "leafs from the garden and perfumed oils
harmony."

Will opted for the PACIFIC Ocean TUNA in Black Pepper Crust
"Unilateral" Style over Perfiollo Sauce Mirror, "Keta" Caviar and
Light Smoked Eel Caramel, which was superb and top notch quality tuna
to boot.

Alejandro said we must try the soups, so Will went for the French
Onion with Gruyere which got raves and my Veloute of Lobster with
Cognac was served over a chunk of lobster and was not as thick as
bisque making it less filling and truly excellent as well.
We moved on to the better quality Chianti House red and the main
courses were again perfect productions, as virtually every dish in
this resort is. Again, outsiders are welcome with reservations in
advance, but beware the prices (our meal for Piaf rang in at over
$400). Will had the Black Angus Fillet, Rosemary Sauce, Potatoes au
Gratin Dauphinois with Glazed Baby Onions and Mushrooms and my French
DUCK BREAST over Lombardia Style Red Cabbage (which was slightly
sweet) came with Lacquered Orange Sauce. On the side was Roasted
Garlic Cloves over Guerade thick salt (think bigger and saltier than
kosher!).

The dessert menu translated Creme Brulee as burned cream, but we opted
for the Tartelette Normandie Chaude flambe a votre table avec cognac
et calvados. Will said the warm apple tart was good, but still did not
compare to Kinkead's at home. It came with a Sorbet a l'Estragon et
Julienne de Jingembre Cristalise, which translated as "saffron sorbet
with crystallized ginger. Funny, I always thought "estragon" was
tarragon in English?
My Croquant aux Noix d'Acajou, Creme Legere de Citron Jaune and Fruits
de Bois was a yummy (if a bit rich) Lemon Chiffon in a bird's nest of
macadamia nut pastry with red berries. On the side was a tiny spoon of
Tomato & Grey Goose Vodka Granite that was a bit odd and the whole
thing sat on a yummy bed of Mexican Vanilla Creme Angalise.
We enjoyed every bite and again the superb service, ingredients and
use of them made for a novel and local version of superb French-style
cooking.

Bethesda's BLACK'S BAR & KITCHEN (3-7-10)

While we have been to Jeffrey Black's local spot BlackSalt here in the
Palisades, this was our first visit to BLACK's Bar & Kitchen
(www.blacksbarandkitchen.com) in Bethesda, and it is surely one of the
stalwart finer places in the area.
We settled in (again, if it's chilly, which it was not) you might want
to sit further towards the back. Black's has a warm feel and the staff
is sure friendly enough.
We did notice at the Black's website that Sunday was 1/2 price wine
and perused the menu with glee only to find out that the 1/2 price
deal extends to only ONE page on the back of the wine list. We opted
for the GODELLO 2008 from Vina Godeval in Valdeorras, Spain which even
without oak was a creamy tasty wine that anyone would enjoy alone or
with food. A yummy slice of complimentary Clothbound Cheddar with
toasted raisin bread and honey arrived to our surprise.
We then went on to some oysters. Will and I each had one of the five
offerings:
Chesapeake Bay
Daybob Bay (Washington State)
Stellar Bay (Wash State)
Kuchi
and Quilcene
(I think the last two are from BC?)
They were all superb and while Will loved the Daybob best, I preferred
the Stellar, Kuchi & Quilcene.
Our friends had the side of ASAPRAGUS with Local MUSHROOMS that was
yummy but lacked salt (easy to fix that!).

We moved on to a MANU Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from Marlborough, New
Zealand that had one of the most intense grapefruit noses and tastes
that we loved with the oysters as well.

Our starters were WoodGrilled BRUSCHETTA with White Beans, Roasted
Garlic & Prosciutto which suffered only from way too much oil making
it soggy. The Organic BABY BEET SALAD with Baby Spinach, macerated Red
Onion, Toasted Pecans, Bruleed Goat Cheese, Pickled Pumpkin Bacon
Vinaigrette was a delightful salad, and did not suffer from being too
small or chintzy as beet salads can do. I went toward the heavier side
with the Oven Roasted Long Island DUCK BREAST with Quinoa Risotto,
Golden Raisins, Macerated Shalltos and Port Demi-Glace which is indeed
a huge starter and was really a treat as well. It filled me enough,
that I could enjoy the lighter mussels for my main!

We moved on to a delightful red from DW Hinman in Washington
State(Columbia Valley) called FIVE HERITAGE H 2006 made from 85%
Merlot and 15% Primitivo, a grape I have never seen in Washington
before (only Italy & Calif). It was just slightly spicy and was great
with two of the slightly spicy PEI MUSSEL dishes, which can be either
a starter or main. At first my CAJUN MUSSELS with Amber Ale, Tomato,
Tasso Ham, Crawfish, Oregano and yummy FRIED OKRA on top did not seem
to spicy, until I actually sipped the tasty broth. ADDIE's Mussels are
more traditional with Tomato, Garlic, Shallots, Lemon & Parsley, but
also had a slight spiciness.
FRIED CHICKEN looked superb, but was slightly dry and came with Sweet
Potato Waffle, Bacon Braised Collard Greens and a Molasses-Pecan Jus
that was not quite enough to moisten the meat. SEARED SEA SCALLOPS we
were told after ordered would be switched to the smaller BAY Scallops
(they ran out) with CRAWFISH-THYME Butter, Sauteed Swiss Chard and
Garlic Whipped Potatoes which was another success.

We wanted desserts but were filling up and decided to split two:
BANANA BREAD PUDDING with Caramel Sauce, Bruleed Banana and Peanut
Butter Ice Cream (we substituted Vanilla) was okay, but the star was
the CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMEL TRIO made up of Warm Brownie, Salted
Caramel Tart and Salted Caramel Ice Cream (which had an odd taste, but
did please). Aim for this and you will go home happy.
Our delightful server Eric Boxton (who goes by Boxton, not Eric!)
brought out some plain and chocolate fudgy Madeleine like spongy
cookies and we went home quite happy.
I do have to say that a number of the items on Black's menu are carbon
copies of those at BlackSalt, but we did not mind as we love them as
well!

PS 7's serves up superb 7 course special (2-23-10)

We always enjoy going to PS 7's (www.ps7restaurant.com) and last night
was no exception with Chef Peter Smith and Uber mixologist/Sommelieuse
Gina at the helm. We had heard about the 7 course tasting special for
$77 INCLUDING DRINKS per person that is offered and this has to be one
of the best dining deals around.
Be forewarned this menu is not available unless you pre-arrange
directly with the restaurant. Usually, the guests are seated at the
bar, although, we opted for a table since the bar can be a bit noisy.
The menu comes folded over with a wax seal embossed "PS7" setting the
scene for a special evening. Upon opening the menu it is not easy to
decipher, so we simply let Gina and Peter do this for each course.

CAST IRON -celery root, mushroom, sweet potato
was the first course which came after we had already munched on the
always miraculous bread (cottage cheese-dill rolls, bacon biscuits and
focaccia). It was a "Canneloni styled" poached and roasted celery root
with divine mushroom duxelles a duchesse style sweet potato puree all
topped with frizzled leeks in a mini cast iron pan. Rich and filling
the dish had hints of Italian pasta with vegetarian overtones that
would start to fill anyone on a cold winter's eve. Gina's TEA PUNCH is
her version of a drink from Sint Maarten made with fresh sugar cane,
bitters, rum, lime juice and packed a puckery bite that worked well to
balance the creamy rich dish.
As you can see this "special" is not a wine pairing, but a
mixmistress' genius at work. Her next "work" was CYTRAS SAKE made from
a new Polish vodka on our market called Cytras mixed with sake, lemon,
rosewater, lime and Cava sparkling wine. This drink had a subtle
flowery flavor (from the rosewater) and was perfect with
RED BULLET-kombu,guajillo, dashi,
a seared bonito flake encrusted sushi-top quality tuna that had a red
bullet rare center. A small salad on the side was made from kombu or
seaweed kelp which was like fried noodles with Hen of the Woods
mushrooms. A dashi lime broth was underneath with guajillo or little
rounds of chili gel on the side for flavor. This was one of my
favorite dishes of the evening, but also, one of the best tuna
presentations in town!

(hold your breath) was listed next on the menu alone and I asked, "for
how long?" It turned out to be a home made beef jerky that was spicy,
chewy and tasty and reminded me of the biltong I so adored in South
Africa (we asked to take some home as well, it was so yummy!)

PhO - noodle, thai basil, sprout
was indeed the traditional Asian noodle dish with rice noodles in a
duck broth with slices of tasty rare duck encrusted with coriander,
caraway, fennel and star anise. On top was a small slice of Foie Gras
Torchon with sherry. The dish was finished with soy sprouts and was
another wonderful modern take on a very traditional dish.
SOOOO...SAKE was the accompanying drink and I had stepped away from
the table to return to a tablefull of "can you guess what this is"
faces. Well, I knew there was sake, but had lots of trouble
deciphering the other flavors. I thought there was a yeasty champagne,
which turned out to be MILLER HIGH LIFE BEER! The other ingredients
were Cognac, Ginger, Lemon and of course, Sake.
It was actually a very refreshing drink, but I must admit pairing
anything with a broth soup is not easy.

TATONKA -rutabaga, mushroom, apple
was the BISON itself (from Gunpowder Farms, MD) seared to perfection
with a mushroom powder crust and apple gastrique. The dish was
accompanied by more of those divine frizzled leeks and wild mushrooms.
If you like bison, this was a dish to be reckoned with!
TOASTED SPICE PUNCH was the drink made from apple (picking up the
apple flavor from the dish) and bourbon as well as Navan (a vanilla
cognac), Madagascar vanilla, orange peel, toasted star anise and green
cardamom. As always, Gina manages to combine flavors to perfection
even to the point where I can not taste the anise as it all blends so
well.

AWWWW NUTS!
our first dessert was not at all what we expected....a chocolate
enrobed Hazelnut Mousse and lacquered swatch of crunchy chocolate
adorned the plate in a gorgeous presentation with caramelized sugar,
and a little dollop of whipped cream. The dish was rich, but not too
intense and we all devoured every bite.
As Gina is wont to make fun of many things, last night she chose
Starbucks (and the coffee bar biz in general) and her accompanying
warm drink was entitled
EFFIN STARBUCKS.
Steamed Frangelico milk was seasoned with Kojete Mexican cinnamon and
laced with Benedictine B&B. Give me this after dinner instead of
coffee and I might just give up lattes forever!

ONE MORE BITE...!
was one of Chef Peter's signature tasty DOMAINE de CANTON CHEESECAKE
Lollipops here decorated with Gold Leaf petals.
Gina paired it with SCORCHED MILK which was a chilled milk having been
scorched with Cardamom, Vanilla and powdered ginger laced with
Sauternes & Bourbon and touched off with Cinneamon & Fleur de Sel. It
was a nice farewell "glass of milk and lollipop" before we headed home
to bed.

By the way, it was celebrity night at PS7's and I would have had no
clue had someone told us (I'm not into sports) that New Orleans'
Saints' footballer REGGIE BUSH was just a couple of tables away.
Someone brought up this photo on their I-phone (click below)http://
concreteloop.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/rbush4.jpg and I still
didn't recognize him, but wished that he would take his shirt off!

Anyway, despite the lack of abs at our table, we had one of the
funnest and most delicious meals available in town!
ALAN