After my two previous visits to The Ledbury (www.theledbury.com) near
Notting Hill Gate and Portobello Road back in 2009 (when it had only
one Michelin star) and again last summer (just after it earned it's
second star), I had to return and this time was so happy that Will
would be in London with me to experience what I feel is the best food
in the UK, and indeed some of the best cooking in the world. We
thought about hiring a sitter for Samuel in the hotel, but the rates
that hotels charge is highway robbery, especially if it runs after
11pm, so we decided to bring Samuel with us as it would be cheaper. I
contacted the restaurant in advance and chef BRETT GRAHAM, whop said
he would be thrilled to "adjust" and create a children's tasting menu
for Samuel.
While the adult tasting menu is now priced at 95 pounds (just over
$150 at today's exchange) and is a steal at a two-star establishment,
Samuel was charged about 49 pounds, which was indeed, less than the
babysitter! We opted for the included wines bringing the total to
145pounds. A 12.5% service charge/gratuity is added but is optional,
and the staff here deserves much more anyway. So the adult bill per
person with wines and fees ends up at about $260 each (no including
the cheese course). I doubt anywhere else in the UK or Europe you
could eat (including wines) over 8 courses for this price. I have
always admired the staff, chef and indeed everyone at The Ledbury for
making each diner feel comfortable; there is no snootiness at all like
some other haute cuisine spots.
We started with Bereche et Fils Champagne which Ian, the sommelier
poured generously into the Riedel stemware. He took over from the last
sommelier (the adorable Johann) just after my visit last year. It
seems there is a major turnover in much of the staff here each year,
but Stephen the manager is still in charge and handles every need with
great panache.
Samuel was treated to a totally new drink when we asked for the
sommelier's version of a Shirley Temple (hew new favorite drink on the
cruise). A blue drink came made from some fizzy soda like Sprite mixed
with Elderflower juice; he was in heaven. The Amuse was a FOIE GRAS
Parfait topped with Gooseberry Puree in a small crunchy cone-like
holder. While we loved the "melt-in-your-mouth" feel and the crunch,
Samuel did take a small bite and left the rest. We began to worry that
this experiment was going to go sour.
Amuse number 2 (Samuel refused this one totally, but in a very adult
manner) was a medium-cooked QUAIL EGG topped with KATAFI (shredded
Turkish) pastry with Pea Puree, Bacon Bits and Cornflowers. I saw new
elements creeping into the chef's repertoire and was very excited
about what would come as this dish was a huge hit; even Will had
already begun to marvel.
The Ledbury is not a big place; I counted the tables and they don't
number more than 20. Most tables have two people, although there were
singles (a very nice man next to us from Florida), quads and one or
two larger groups. It is not noisy and the tables are comfortably
spaced. The decor is the same and you can tell after 3 times that the
goal here is to DINE and not be wowed by ostentatious chandeliers or
such.
The first bread arrived in a loaf and was a spelt-sourdough which was
simple tasty and great for mopping things up later. In the past there
were many breads with lots of flavors and I worried that they had
dropped these, but within seconds two of the traditional's came - the
Bacon & Onion Rolls that look like Cinnamon Rolls, but are much
better, and small tower-like Crystallized Malt Muffins which Sam kept
asking for more of. I was suprised he did not like the Bacon & Onion
as he adores bacon so much.
The first course of the menu was a SALAD of HERITAGE (Heirloom)
TOMATOES with Dried Olives and Herbs for all three of us. One small
cherry tomato had its skin peeled back and somehow crunchified and
Chef's signature jelly pearls were in evidence as well. Samuel thought
it was salmon caviar, which he discovered in Norway on the cruise, but
was a bit upset it was not very salty. We all gobbled up the
magnificent tomatoes which were decorated with wildflowers as well.
All our plates had a FOIE GRAS pastry (akin to a Pepperidge Farm
pirouette cookie) and Samuel ate his without a blink. Ours was stuffed
with Goat Cheese making for a creamy divine and crunchy mix. The wine
was a 2009 KERNER from Manni Nossing in Alto Adige, Italy. Ian talked
about the Kerner and was surprised we had it in Belgium blended with
Chardonnay. It was a perfect pairing as he complained it is so hard to
pair wines with salads with vinaigrette; indeed each wine was the
ideal companion to the food.
FLAME GRILLED MACKEREL with Avocado, Celtic Mustard & Shiso was very
similar to last year's menu but no less enjoyable. It was decorated
with corn shoots, corn flowers and crispy onions and accompanied by
Pickled Cucumber disc as well as a small cylindric parcel of thin-
sheer cucumber wrapped around a tartare of mackerel. I saved this for
last and savored it well as it was the new part of the dish for me.
The wine was a 2009 RIESLING Spatlese Trocken QmP from OREA called
"AR." I am often not a German Riesling fan, but this Saar Valley wine
was afull of fruit and totally dry; a delight with the intense
mackerel.
The next course was for all of us and Samuel savored the CRISP GUINEA
FOWL but did not care for the "Risotto" of New Potatoes, Morels and
Summer Truffle. Despite his discovery of mushrooms the previous week,
he would not taste the morel either, so I quickly grabbed it off his
plate before he could change his mind. Of course we loved the entire
dish and the Domaine Olivier Pithon 2009 Vin de Pays des Cotes
Catalanes, Cuvee Lais (it is the name of the winemaker's Jersey plough
cow). Samuel was rewarded for devouring his second big course with
another specialty drink-this time a lemon-lime fizz (think Pimm's fizz
without the alcohol).
All the drinking (oh, I forgot the fabulous Speyside Glenlivet
Sparkling water) makes needs for trips downstairs to the loo, which is
simple, but elegant (AND always clean). Catherine should note that our
napkins were folded beautifully immediately after we left the table
(and yes, they were laid in our laps on arrival!).
Number 4 was a poached WILD SALMON with Watercress Puree, Cauliflower
with Romanescu sauce and Potted Shrimp butter. The shrimp were the
gray ones we had so many of in Belgium and had come to love their
sweetness. the dish itself offered up a just past rare piece of fish
that again melted in your mouth. It was fun to use the mild puree or
the slightly spicy sauce alternately. 2008 A.A. Badenhorst Family
Wines from South Africa was a blend of Chenin Blanc/Grenache Blanc/
Rousanne/Viognier/Verdelho and Chardonnay that would win ANYONE over
(I already have an inquiry in to see if it's available in the USA).
Samuel had a simple bowtie pasta course with broccoli (we had told the
chef he eats these) and smothered it with freshly grated parmesan; it
was gone in minutes.
Next came the PORK JOWL roasted with Spices, a carrot puree and
chicory reduction. The hit here was the crunchy skin atop the lean
meat paired sensationally with a 2006 NEBBIOLO d'ALBA "Valmaggiore"
from Luciano Sandrone in Piemonte, Italy (I am also trying to get this
one in the USA), a true 3star wine in the line up.
We asked for a nice rest (the entire meal took well over 4 hours) and
Samuel did so as well reading his new book from the Science Museum
called WOW EARTH. We had decided not to allow the DS, phones or
electronics at the table, and this new book was just the right thing
to keep his mind going and get him involved in the conversation and
showing us things.
The second meat course for us was LOIN & SHOULDER of LAMB with an
AUBERGINE Glazed with Black Sugar and Garlic & Miso. A spinach-spice
puree was on the side of the Crispy shoulder piece as well, as we
marveled at the amazing eggplant portion; I was in love with eggplant
and now must have it this way all the time! Our wine was a 2008 Vin de
Pays du Var "Les Aureliens" from Domaine de Triennes in Provence. The
cabernet/syrah blend was again an amazing touch to the tastes of the
plate which were so multi-leveled.
Samuel enjoyed a plate of BEEF SHORT RIBS with Crispy Potatoes and
shoots. We were so proud of him trying so many things, even if he
didn't finish them.
The cheese trolley arrived and we both knew this was going to be
special. We each chose five accompanied by biscuits, flatbread and
grapes:
Will had the MONTGOMERY's 12 month CHEDDAR that was a bit dry, a
Corsican BRIN d'AMOUR, Poitiers CHAHICHOU (sp?) a hard cheese that
just needed something, a magnificent BANON Provence goat wrapped in
Chestnut leaves and the PERSIL de MARE Goat blue that was also a star.
My plate had a Valencay goat FOUILLIEU(sp?) de CHEVRE, L'AMI de
CHAMBERTIN, a gorgeous English WIGMORE (akin to camembert) and
STINKING BISHOP from Gloucester that everyone at the table could smell
and I adored as I chased it across the plate. Stephen (like the chef
is from Australia-Melbourne) was a great help in picking the cheeses
as there are so many. Samuel enjoyed a small plate of 5 year old
GOUDA, as he adores the intense hard cheese and those little crunchies
inside. He was a big fan of the Oude Brugge, a similar cheese made in
Bruges. Stephen asked us if we wished for port or wine or what and I
opted for a BLANDY's Malmsey 15 year old Madeira while will had
another glass of the AA Badenhorst white wine which we so adored.
Samuel was now up to his third cocktail concoction and was in awe of
his Virgin Vanilla Mojito.
The pre-dessert was EWE's MILK YOGURT with Strawberry Sorbet and
Strawberries and then the adults moved on to the Warm MANGO TART with
Elderflower Wine Ice Cream accompanied by a glass of 2005 CHATEAU
LAFAURIE-PEYRAGUEY 1er Cru Classe, SAUTERNES which was nice but a bit
high in acidity due to its youth. I have some of the 2003 vintage in
our cellar and plan not to touch it until it is at least 10-15 years
old!
Samuel has taken to the chocolate brownie desserts lately and he was
presented with a Fudgey CHOCOLATE CAKE with BANANA Ice Cream. As kids
are wont to, Samuel goes in and out of food phases. He stopped eating
bananas about two years ago, but said the ice cream was different. I
won't argue.
We added all of Sam's courses and they came to 7...ours something like
11. Stephen packed up our mignardises (fruit jellies, chocolates and
cookies) which we enjoyed the next day as a reminder of what will go
down in history as one of our greatest meals as a family.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
back to Bruges-Patrick Devo's amuses are not amusing! (7-1-11) addition to prev post
I found my notes on the amuses from our disappointing meal at Patrick
Devos 10 days ago and wanted to let you know about them as they are
clearly a sign of what was to come, and that was NOT good.
The first tray had three selections:
1-Rice with apple, rose radish and crispy biscuit that had all the
excitement of a plain gummy rice at at bad Chinese restaurant
2-Tartare of Cod fish with mousse (that was really soup) of lettuce at
least had some flavor from the tiny piece of fish, but none from the
lettuce (who would make a lettuce mousse the centerpiece of anything?)
3-Sourdough with Eggplant puree and sprouts-this only made me think of
the recent German e coli outbreak attributed (even if wrongly) to
sprouts, and you all know I am not an eggplant fan, especially when it
has little flavor
The second amuse was Cold Asparagus in Oil with Tomato tartare and a
Dublin Bay Prawn. Again, seasoning (even salt and pepper) were lacking
or not even included in the veggie portion and only the tiny prawn had
some flavor.
The champagne we started with was a yummy Husson Joliet N/V and again
paired well here, but then anything pairs with BLAND food.
Devos 10 days ago and wanted to let you know about them as they are
clearly a sign of what was to come, and that was NOT good.
The first tray had three selections:
1-Rice with apple, rose radish and crispy biscuit that had all the
excitement of a plain gummy rice at at bad Chinese restaurant
2-Tartare of Cod fish with mousse (that was really soup) of lettuce at
least had some flavor from the tiny piece of fish, but none from the
lettuce (who would make a lettuce mousse the centerpiece of anything?)
3-Sourdough with Eggplant puree and sprouts-this only made me think of
the recent German e coli outbreak attributed (even if wrongly) to
sprouts, and you all know I am not an eggplant fan, especially when it
has little flavor
The second amuse was Cold Asparagus in Oil with Tomato tartare and a
Dublin Bay Prawn. Again, seasoning (even salt and pepper) were lacking
or not even included in the veggie portion and only the tiny prawn had
some flavor.
The champagne we started with was a yummy Husson Joliet N/V and again
paired well here, but then anything pairs with BLAND food.
Thursday, July 07, 2011
GIRAFFE goes good for modern twist on food in London (7-4-11)
Our second night in London, we met a friend of Will's who is a
vegetarian and she suggested GIRAFFE (11 Frith Street in Soho,
www.griaffenet.com) which has a huge menu and some pretty good grub.
It is modern and open to the street and it was a beautiful night so
this was okay, but again the music and noise levels were extremely
high. We had to almost yell at times.
Samuel settled in with his PENNE TOMATO Sauce and giant heart shaped
garlic bread baguette and was quite happy. We ordered up some MELON
MARGARITAs which were way too sweet.
The starters included a tasty EDAMAME dish smothered in soy, mirin and
chillis and they were a bit oversalted, but ever so good (maybe to get
you to drink more). We also had the LIME & CORIANDER TIGER PRAWN
Skewers which numbered three large ones, but at a reasonable
5.50pounds(less than $9). Our friend liked the Roast PUMPKIN &
BEETROOT Salad with Feta, but some of the beets were not cooked well
enough. She went on to the SWEET POTATO FELAFEL Burger with Grilled
Peppers, Humus, Beetroot, Rocket (Arugula), Halloumi Cheese, Tzatziki
and Harissa...quite a bundle of things in a huge bruger bun; almost
enough for two.
Will chose the GIRAFFE BURGER a tasty simpler beef burger with dry
cured bacon and mature cheddar, while I went for the Hot "THAI" DUCK
STIR FRY which was BBQ duck with bok choy, Thai basil, mushrooms,
peppers, noodles (more akin to spaghetti), bean sprouts, chilli jam,
crispy shallots, leeks, carrots and red peppers. It was delish and
went well with the ALAMOS MENDOZA Pinot Noir 2009 we had chosen upon
the recommendation of our helpful server Dai (it's a Welsh name).
Will wanted a dessert and could not finish the huge TOFFEE APPLE
CRUMBLE with Vanilla Ice Cream which was good, but just the thought of
more food made me ill. Samuel devoured a BROWNIE CAKE with Ice Cream
and it seems he wanted a second, but none of us wanted to be up all
night.
vegetarian and she suggested GIRAFFE (11 Frith Street in Soho,
www.griaffenet.com) which has a huge menu and some pretty good grub.
It is modern and open to the street and it was a beautiful night so
this was okay, but again the music and noise levels were extremely
high. We had to almost yell at times.
Samuel settled in with his PENNE TOMATO Sauce and giant heart shaped
garlic bread baguette and was quite happy. We ordered up some MELON
MARGARITAs which were way too sweet.
The starters included a tasty EDAMAME dish smothered in soy, mirin and
chillis and they were a bit oversalted, but ever so good (maybe to get
you to drink more). We also had the LIME & CORIANDER TIGER PRAWN
Skewers which numbered three large ones, but at a reasonable
5.50pounds(less than $9). Our friend liked the Roast PUMPKIN &
BEETROOT Salad with Feta, but some of the beets were not cooked well
enough. She went on to the SWEET POTATO FELAFEL Burger with Grilled
Peppers, Humus, Beetroot, Rocket (Arugula), Halloumi Cheese, Tzatziki
and Harissa...quite a bundle of things in a huge bruger bun; almost
enough for two.
Will chose the GIRAFFE BURGER a tasty simpler beef burger with dry
cured bacon and mature cheddar, while I went for the Hot "THAI" DUCK
STIR FRY which was BBQ duck with bok choy, Thai basil, mushrooms,
peppers, noodles (more akin to spaghetti), bean sprouts, chilli jam,
crispy shallots, leeks, carrots and red peppers. It was delish and
went well with the ALAMOS MENDOZA Pinot Noir 2009 we had chosen upon
the recommendation of our helpful server Dai (it's a Welsh name).
Will wanted a dessert and could not finish the huge TOFFEE APPLE
CRUMBLE with Vanilla Ice Cream which was good, but just the thought of
more food made me ill. Samuel devoured a BROWNIE CAKE with Ice Cream
and it seems he wanted a second, but none of us wanted to be up all
night.
when in London's Chelsea, you might get a bite at BUMPKIN (7/3/11)
On our arrival in London we had a playdate arranged for Samuel at my
clients' home (well, of course, we wanted to see them as well) and
headed to dinner just two blocks away at BUMPKIN, a new organic/local/
sustainable fun type bistro (www.bumkinuk.com) at 102 Old Brompton Rd
(5 blocks from the South Kensington tube station).
While we were a bit shocked at the prices (wow, Belgium seemed really
cheap now), we were grateful for Sam's children's menu. He chose the
burger and chips and our server Katja (from Sweden) suggested we try
the REDWOOD PASS Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand 2010, which was
nice, but quite acidic rather than citrusy. Samuel enjoyed the Mum's
lemonade with cranberry and grenadine, and even devoured a thick rich
chocolate cake for dessert with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce!
(he rarely east sweets)
Will and I split starters. His was the Potted SALMON with Pickled
Cucumber which was a poached salmon in a small jair with a peppery
punch and some broad beans on the side. Mine was a Pressed HAMHOCK
Terrine with the most amazing GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY on earth made with
local green heritage (aka heirloom) Tiger tomatoes.
Will's main was the STEAK & ALE PIE made with West Country Beef, root
vegetables, ale and thyme gravy in a short-crust pastry, which Will
declared not to be flaky enough; it was more like a pot pie, but the
ingredients got raves. My Cornish SCALLOPS and Grilled PLAICE was
super with Cherry (they call them cherry wine) tomatoes, red chard and
beetroot salad was perfect and a bit lighter for a change as well.
Bumpkin has a pub-like feel with wooden tables and the music is a bit
too loud but has a comfy old world feel to it as well. The kids meal
(without drinks) is 7.95pounds (about $13) and the adult food is quite
pricey.
We opted for two desserts and Will chose the EATON's MESS a huge mix
of strawberries, meringue and cream and stuff which I thought too
sweet. I was thrilled with my Artisan's Cheese which came with celery
and crackers(biscuits) as well as warm apricots and prunes:
DEVONSHIRE BLUE a mild and creamy blue
OXFORD ISIS-a nice cow that has lots of flavor
CORNISH YARG-indeed one of my favorites, this one being quite a stinky
version of the intense earthy cheese
clients' home (well, of course, we wanted to see them as well) and
headed to dinner just two blocks away at BUMPKIN, a new organic/local/
sustainable fun type bistro (www.bumkinuk.com) at 102 Old Brompton Rd
(5 blocks from the South Kensington tube station).
While we were a bit shocked at the prices (wow, Belgium seemed really
cheap now), we were grateful for Sam's children's menu. He chose the
burger and chips and our server Katja (from Sweden) suggested we try
the REDWOOD PASS Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand 2010, which was
nice, but quite acidic rather than citrusy. Samuel enjoyed the Mum's
lemonade with cranberry and grenadine, and even devoured a thick rich
chocolate cake for dessert with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce!
(he rarely east sweets)
Will and I split starters. His was the Potted SALMON with Pickled
Cucumber which was a poached salmon in a small jair with a peppery
punch and some broad beans on the side. Mine was a Pressed HAMHOCK
Terrine with the most amazing GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY on earth made with
local green heritage (aka heirloom) Tiger tomatoes.
Will's main was the STEAK & ALE PIE made with West Country Beef, root
vegetables, ale and thyme gravy in a short-crust pastry, which Will
declared not to be flaky enough; it was more like a pot pie, but the
ingredients got raves. My Cornish SCALLOPS and Grilled PLAICE was
super with Cherry (they call them cherry wine) tomatoes, red chard and
beetroot salad was perfect and a bit lighter for a change as well.
Bumpkin has a pub-like feel with wooden tables and the music is a bit
too loud but has a comfy old world feel to it as well. The kids meal
(without drinks) is 7.95pounds (about $13) and the adult food is quite
pricey.
We opted for two desserts and Will chose the EATON's MESS a huge mix
of strawberries, meringue and cream and stuff which I thought too
sweet. I was thrilled with my Artisan's Cheese which came with celery
and crackers(biscuits) as well as warm apricots and prunes:
DEVONSHIRE BLUE a mild and creamy blue
OXFORD ISIS-a nice cow that has lots of flavor
CORNISH YARG-indeed one of my favorites, this one being quite a stinky
version of the intense earthy cheese
Le CHEF et MOI take two in Bruges is as good or better (7-2-11)
As I mentioned previously we loved LE CHEF et MOI so much we returned
there on our final night (www.lechefetmoi.be) and had the same
canalside table with such great service it was a real treat.
We told Caroline that her lobster was superior to Devos, and overall
the food had better flavor as well. She was very happy.
Samuel and us as well, devoured more excellent French bread and
tapenades and butter; Caroline even gave us another jar to take home.
Sam must have had 12 or more pieces of bread.
He also ate an entire adult order of STEAK FRITES which was cooked to
perfection; and they had ketchup!
Will and I chose the set menu again of 35Euros, but Caroline and Chef
Stefaan had changed it since they were still offering everyone else
the Lobster/Skate menu we had two days before.
Ours started with ARTICHOKE Salad with CARPACCIO of BEEF and it was a
super salad with little specks of coarse salt and some superb confit
of lemon adding the greatest flavors.
We could not decide on red or white--so ordered one of each and went
back and forth.
SANCERRE Grand Reserve H. BOURGEOIS 2009 was crispy and tasty and
ALENTEJO from EA, tinto (red) from Caruxa, Portugal 2009 was a great
medium to full red for like 23 Euros was amazing.
We opted to order an extra course as we loved everything so much and
we did enjoy the spectacular GAMBAS with MANGO Salsa that had a great
ginger spice and the fresh coriander gave a wonderful bite as well.
The main course on the fixed menu for us was TURBOT Fillet with
Vegetables and Vermicelli Pasta. The veggies were green beans,
broccoli, mushrooms and zucchini and the only not up to par thing
again was the pasta (we felt awful-but the dish was so good, we were
full and left most of the plain vermicelli). The sauce was superb and
filled with those divine little gray shrimps that are so sweet and
delicate that we came to love from our first day in Belgium.
Samuel adored the strawberry sorbet for dessert and Will took the
CREME BRULEE which he declared top notch, while I loved the freshness
of the PANNA COTTA with Strawberries.
We were sad to leave but had the chance to meet the chef before we did
and declare that Bruges best place for us is LE CHEF et MOI!
--
there on our final night (www.lechefetmoi.be) and had the same
canalside table with such great service it was a real treat.
We told Caroline that her lobster was superior to Devos, and overall
the food had better flavor as well. She was very happy.
Samuel and us as well, devoured more excellent French bread and
tapenades and butter; Caroline even gave us another jar to take home.
Sam must have had 12 or more pieces of bread.
He also ate an entire adult order of STEAK FRITES which was cooked to
perfection; and they had ketchup!
Will and I chose the set menu again of 35Euros, but Caroline and Chef
Stefaan had changed it since they were still offering everyone else
the Lobster/Skate menu we had two days before.
Ours started with ARTICHOKE Salad with CARPACCIO of BEEF and it was a
super salad with little specks of coarse salt and some superb confit
of lemon adding the greatest flavors.
We could not decide on red or white--so ordered one of each and went
back and forth.
SANCERRE Grand Reserve H. BOURGEOIS 2009 was crispy and tasty and
ALENTEJO from EA, tinto (red) from Caruxa, Portugal 2009 was a great
medium to full red for like 23 Euros was amazing.
We opted to order an extra course as we loved everything so much and
we did enjoy the spectacular GAMBAS with MANGO Salsa that had a great
ginger spice and the fresh coriander gave a wonderful bite as well.
The main course on the fixed menu for us was TURBOT Fillet with
Vegetables and Vermicelli Pasta. The veggies were green beans,
broccoli, mushrooms and zucchini and the only not up to par thing
again was the pasta (we felt awful-but the dish was so good, we were
full and left most of the plain vermicelli). The sauce was superb and
filled with those divine little gray shrimps that are so sweet and
delicate that we came to love from our first day in Belgium.
Samuel adored the strawberry sorbet for dessert and Will took the
CREME BRULEE which he declared top notch, while I loved the freshness
of the PANNA COTTA with Strawberries.
We were sad to leave but had the chance to meet the chef before we did
and declare that Bruges best place for us is LE CHEF et MOI!
--
when in Bruges, Belgium-please desist from PATRICK DEVOS (7-1-11)
We had thought of hitting the Michelin-starred place in Bruges, but
when we discovered the menus started at 200 Euros, we decided to head
to the city's avant-garde uber chef PATRICK DEVOS
(www.patrickdevos.be) just two blocks from our hotel.
The beautiful 15th century facade welcomes you into a narrow hall, and
I have to admit I felt odd as we passed the WC and there seemed to be
nobody around. Another couple was right in front of us and we all
ultimately emerged into a large art nouveau room which was quite
pretty. Another deco room adjoined this and a large serene garden was
our back. We decided to skip the garden for aperitifs as folks were
smoking up a storm out there. We chose the ALLIANCE menu which comes
in 5,6 or 8 courses and went for the full shebang with paired wines at
120Euros, we added a glass of house champagne to start which was
really a great start.
The first amuse came and while I seem to have lost the info on both
amuses, we recall clearly that they lacked flavor and invention
totally.
The first course of the menu was MACKEREL marinated in Olive Oil with
Saffron & Parsley Jelly with Green Herb Sauce, Roll of Celeriac and
Cucumber Mousse. The presentation was superb, so good I took a photo.
The jelly was flat and in a long rectangle in the middle of the huge
plate. The fish itself was tasty, but both of use had two extremely
tough pieces out of the three on the plate. It was a bit of a sloppy
mess. The wine was a Gruner Veltlinter ENTRE DEUX COUERS 2009 from
Muller-Grossmann in Kremstal Austria, and we got regular refills. So
for the wine, we were in heaven.
The next course was Local RIVER-EEL cooked sous-vide with Tarragon &
Chervil, Asapargus & Shitakes in a milky sauce which had a slightly
licorice taste (chervil foam?). Again the eel was TOUGH and I actually
almost lost a piece trying to cut it (it messed up Will's shirt with a
splash from across the table) and then it was loaded with bones. A
TOTAL DUD. The superb wine was another Gruner from the same winemaker,
this called GROSSER SATZ with lots of green apple hues and intense
mineral flavor. It's a shame they pair the wines so well and can't
seem to get the food right...and it was all VERY BLAND. The deep bowls
also caused you to lose your utensils in the sauce if you stopped
eating!
LOBSTER from Oosterschelde (nearby coast) with compote of Tomato &
Avocado, roll of Chard and Curry Sauce, a chemical powder and Olive
Oil of Lobster was next. There was some odd rice on the plate with no
taste at all and the lobster tail was broiled a bit too much and was
slighlty tough...nothing like the perfect ones the night before at Le
Chef et Moi. A RIESLING POINY 2008 from Hoch Emmerich in Austria was
again a delight.
We finally got some flavor with the Grilled MONKFISH and Mousse of
Three Peppers, Ices of Red Wine and Anchovies, Compote of Beans,
Olives & Apple Capers. The Compote was like a tapenade and quite
tasty, but the hit here was the ices which combined red wine and
anchovy falvors to perfection. The BLAUFRANKISCH CLASSIC 2008 from
Bauer Poltl kept the wines in the Austrian nation up to this point and
was a light red with flavor working well with the rich monkfish.
At this point, I yearned for a second piece of bread. We had three
choices at the start with some olive oil ( a disappointment after the
fab local salted butter) and I was told only the white rolls remained.
When I broke it open, it was so stale it splattered across the table
in crumbs.
The main course was a superb FRIED PIGEON with Crispy Pidgeon
Croquette in a divine sauce of MORELS, Puree of Peas, Vegetables(Snap
peas & Beans) with Lettuce, and Coulis of Young Onions and Parsley
with Rosti Potatoes. The red was a full bodied South African 2006
DORNIER Cabernet Sauvignon.
Will had stepped out to the WC at this point and giggled that he had
tried to get the fly in the urinal, but it was PAINTED ON! Oh well.
Dessert was a "Creme Brulee" really SPONGY CAKE with SPECULOOS (local
intense spices used for ice creams and desserts), Poached Rhubarb,
Rose Blossom Foam--it was nice but won no awards and the CUVEE AUSLESE
2009 from my favorite dessert winemaker in Austria (KRACHER) was too
young and quite acidic.
Mignardises came and we noshed on the Coconut macaroons, French style
macaroons, Cherries marinated in chocolate and mini chocolate ice
cream thing.
We left feeling that there were some nice courses, but somehow it took
forever to get to them and I wanted more for what I was paying. No
stars here.
when we discovered the menus started at 200 Euros, we decided to head
to the city's avant-garde uber chef PATRICK DEVOS
(www.patrickdevos.be) just two blocks from our hotel.
The beautiful 15th century facade welcomes you into a narrow hall, and
I have to admit I felt odd as we passed the WC and there seemed to be
nobody around. Another couple was right in front of us and we all
ultimately emerged into a large art nouveau room which was quite
pretty. Another deco room adjoined this and a large serene garden was
our back. We decided to skip the garden for aperitifs as folks were
smoking up a storm out there. We chose the ALLIANCE menu which comes
in 5,6 or 8 courses and went for the full shebang with paired wines at
120Euros, we added a glass of house champagne to start which was
really a great start.
The first amuse came and while I seem to have lost the info on both
amuses, we recall clearly that they lacked flavor and invention
totally.
The first course of the menu was MACKEREL marinated in Olive Oil with
Saffron & Parsley Jelly with Green Herb Sauce, Roll of Celeriac and
Cucumber Mousse. The presentation was superb, so good I took a photo.
The jelly was flat and in a long rectangle in the middle of the huge
plate. The fish itself was tasty, but both of use had two extremely
tough pieces out of the three on the plate. It was a bit of a sloppy
mess. The wine was a Gruner Veltlinter ENTRE DEUX COUERS 2009 from
Muller-Grossmann in Kremstal Austria, and we got regular refills. So
for the wine, we were in heaven.
The next course was Local RIVER-EEL cooked sous-vide with Tarragon &
Chervil, Asapargus & Shitakes in a milky sauce which had a slightly
licorice taste (chervil foam?). Again the eel was TOUGH and I actually
almost lost a piece trying to cut it (it messed up Will's shirt with a
splash from across the table) and then it was loaded with bones. A
TOTAL DUD. The superb wine was another Gruner from the same winemaker,
this called GROSSER SATZ with lots of green apple hues and intense
mineral flavor. It's a shame they pair the wines so well and can't
seem to get the food right...and it was all VERY BLAND. The deep bowls
also caused you to lose your utensils in the sauce if you stopped
eating!
LOBSTER from Oosterschelde (nearby coast) with compote of Tomato &
Avocado, roll of Chard and Curry Sauce, a chemical powder and Olive
Oil of Lobster was next. There was some odd rice on the plate with no
taste at all and the lobster tail was broiled a bit too much and was
slighlty tough...nothing like the perfect ones the night before at Le
Chef et Moi. A RIESLING POINY 2008 from Hoch Emmerich in Austria was
again a delight.
We finally got some flavor with the Grilled MONKFISH and Mousse of
Three Peppers, Ices of Red Wine and Anchovies, Compote of Beans,
Olives & Apple Capers. The Compote was like a tapenade and quite
tasty, but the hit here was the ices which combined red wine and
anchovy falvors to perfection. The BLAUFRANKISCH CLASSIC 2008 from
Bauer Poltl kept the wines in the Austrian nation up to this point and
was a light red with flavor working well with the rich monkfish.
At this point, I yearned for a second piece of bread. We had three
choices at the start with some olive oil ( a disappointment after the
fab local salted butter) and I was told only the white rolls remained.
When I broke it open, it was so stale it splattered across the table
in crumbs.
The main course was a superb FRIED PIGEON with Crispy Pidgeon
Croquette in a divine sauce of MORELS, Puree of Peas, Vegetables(Snap
peas & Beans) with Lettuce, and Coulis of Young Onions and Parsley
with Rosti Potatoes. The red was a full bodied South African 2006
DORNIER Cabernet Sauvignon.
Will had stepped out to the WC at this point and giggled that he had
tried to get the fly in the urinal, but it was PAINTED ON! Oh well.
Dessert was a "Creme Brulee" really SPONGY CAKE with SPECULOOS (local
intense spices used for ice creams and desserts), Poached Rhubarb,
Rose Blossom Foam--it was nice but won no awards and the CUVEE AUSLESE
2009 from my favorite dessert winemaker in Austria (KRACHER) was too
young and quite acidic.
Mignardises came and we noshed on the Coconut macaroons, French style
macaroons, Cherries marinated in chocolate and mini chocolate ice
cream thing.
We left feeling that there were some nice courses, but somehow it took
forever to get to them and I wanted more for what I was paying. No
stars here.
Bruges lunch deals are terrific at 't Niew Walnutje (7-1-11)
It was very hard trying to decide where to grab lynch on our first day
in Bruges (Brugge) where we were on the Walplein just minutes from the
city center but in a quiet square with lots of nice outdoor dining
spots. Samuel seemed inclined to have roasted chicken so we chose 't
Niew Walnutje and it was indeed a good choice.
If you have been reading Will's travelougues you will know that it is
cheaper to order a 3 course lunch for 16euros than a once course for
18. Go figure.
Sam had the yummy Vegetable soup loaded with leeks and went on to the
crispy skinned rotisserie chicken with frites and salad. He opted out
of dessert, but it was a great deal for 16 euros. Will chose the 18
euro menu with Cheese croquette, Carbonnade a la Flamande (the very
traditional hearty beef stew made with beer) and dessert for 18 euros.
We were happy when they allowed "dessert" to be coffee.
My 23 euro meal started with a slightly spicy Fish Soup that was hcok
full of local sweet grey shrimo, mussels, fish and more and went on to
to Lapin a la Grandmere...a superb rabbit stew with a brown sauce with
prunes. Amazing potato croquettes made this even better with a salad
as well.
We were all impressed with everything and will even liked the Bruge
zot blond beer made right across the square!
The setting was calm and sweet and the weather perfect. Indeed,
another perfect day in our new favorite place.
in Bruges (Brugge) where we were on the Walplein just minutes from the
city center but in a quiet square with lots of nice outdoor dining
spots. Samuel seemed inclined to have roasted chicken so we chose 't
Niew Walnutje and it was indeed a good choice.
If you have been reading Will's travelougues you will know that it is
cheaper to order a 3 course lunch for 16euros than a once course for
18. Go figure.
Sam had the yummy Vegetable soup loaded with leeks and went on to the
crispy skinned rotisserie chicken with frites and salad. He opted out
of dessert, but it was a great deal for 16 euros. Will chose the 18
euro menu with Cheese croquette, Carbonnade a la Flamande (the very
traditional hearty beef stew made with beer) and dessert for 18 euros.
We were happy when they allowed "dessert" to be coffee.
My 23 euro meal started with a slightly spicy Fish Soup that was hcok
full of local sweet grey shrimo, mussels, fish and more and went on to
to Lapin a la Grandmere...a superb rabbit stew with a brown sauce with
prunes. Amazing potato croquettes made this even better with a salad
as well.
We were all impressed with everything and will even liked the Bruge
zot blond beer made right across the square!
The setting was calm and sweet and the weather perfect. Indeed,
another perfect day in our new favorite place.
Bruges, Belgium-always begin with classic cuisine at LE CHEF ET MOI (6/30/11)
Our first night in Bruges (or the Flemish Brugge is more appropriate),
we walked to a nearby spot recommended by the hotel which turned out
to be the treat of the vacation so far.
LE CHEF ET MOI (www.lechefetmoi.be) is owned and run by manager/
waitress Caroline Seays and chef Stefaan Cardinael. On weekdays(closed
Sundays-Mondays), the manage this 30+ seat eatery and rear garden ALL
BY THEMSELVES.
It is a charming old house with droopy chandeliers, thick curtains on
the windows over the canals, and simply the best deal around for
miles.
The fixed menus are available daily and cost 35Euros at dinner ($50-
always keep in mind this includes tax & service and that a tip of
5-10% is considered generous!). We ordered a bottle of SAINT VERAN "En
faux vieilles vignes" 2008 and the wine prices here are also quite
reasonable from say 25Euros up. The byummy fresh bread arrived with
two large bowls of tapenades:Sun Dried Tomato and Olive. These were
divine and Samuel devoured them both voraciously; we later bought some
to take home and also have out our "picnic" planned here. Sam ordered
the LAMB LOIN which came with couscous and mushrooms, he skipped the
tomato/plum sauce which was on the side. We opted for the menu and
started with 1/2 BABY LOBSTER which was no baby at all. It was broiled
with fines herbes and a light butter sauce, no dipping in butter here
as the meat was so fresh from just miles away in the North Sea. We
moved on to a RHONE VILAGES 2008 from Domaine Remejeanne "Les
Eglantiers" which went superbly with our excellent main course of
SKATE with Sorrel and the now ever so famous and so sweet tiny local
gray SHRIMP. Only the pasta on the side was not at the level of the
rest of the meal, but we were so happy it didn't matter.
Dessert was a BAVAROIS of Caramel and Pear or one of PASSIONFRUIT.we
loved them both. Caroline told us the chef did not like to make
desserts, but these were creamy rich top notch pastries with fresh
raspberries and blueberries.
We all left and decided to cancel our plans for two nights later so we
could return to LE CHEF et MOI one more time as we were in love.
we walked to a nearby spot recommended by the hotel which turned out
to be the treat of the vacation so far.
LE CHEF ET MOI (www.lechefetmoi.be) is owned and run by manager/
waitress Caroline Seays and chef Stefaan Cardinael. On weekdays(closed
Sundays-Mondays), the manage this 30+ seat eatery and rear garden ALL
BY THEMSELVES.
It is a charming old house with droopy chandeliers, thick curtains on
the windows over the canals, and simply the best deal around for
miles.
The fixed menus are available daily and cost 35Euros at dinner ($50-
always keep in mind this includes tax & service and that a tip of
5-10% is considered generous!). We ordered a bottle of SAINT VERAN "En
faux vieilles vignes" 2008 and the wine prices here are also quite
reasonable from say 25Euros up. The byummy fresh bread arrived with
two large bowls of tapenades:Sun Dried Tomato and Olive. These were
divine and Samuel devoured them both voraciously; we later bought some
to take home and also have out our "picnic" planned here. Sam ordered
the LAMB LOIN which came with couscous and mushrooms, he skipped the
tomato/plum sauce which was on the side. We opted for the menu and
started with 1/2 BABY LOBSTER which was no baby at all. It was broiled
with fines herbes and a light butter sauce, no dipping in butter here
as the meat was so fresh from just miles away in the North Sea. We
moved on to a RHONE VILAGES 2008 from Domaine Remejeanne "Les
Eglantiers" which went superbly with our excellent main course of
SKATE with Sorrel and the now ever so famous and so sweet tiny local
gray SHRIMP. Only the pasta on the side was not at the level of the
rest of the meal, but we were so happy it didn't matter.
Dessert was a BAVAROIS of Caramel and Pear or one of PASSIONFRUIT.we
loved them both. Caroline told us the chef did not like to make
desserts, but these were creamy rich top notch pastries with fresh
raspberries and blueberries.
We all left and decided to cancel our plans for two nights later so we
could return to LE CHEF et MOI one more time as we were in love.
Brussels' COMME CHEZ SOI is not comme chez moi and is not worth it as well (6-29-11)
Our last night was to be a grand Michelin star outing at Brussels'
famed COMME CHEZ SOI (www.commechezsoi.be), but alas it turned out to
be a nice night at dinner with little excitement and quite a large
bill. The cheapest tasting menu (which is way less than a la carte)
rings in at 87 euros (about $125) which I am quite okay with when the
food is excellent. We pushed the door open and it continued to open
magically on it's own into a small hall and up into a narrow entryway.
We were led to a cramped table around the corner in small room that
while beautifully decorated and with a great grand view through a huge
glass window in the kitchen, was quite uncomfortable with several loud
Japanese guys on one side and another couple on the other. I would say
this room hold no more than 30 and there is one small room as well as
a kitchen table, meaning a maximum number of 50 for sure at this hot
spot that had not a single empty space.
We ordered a bottle of 2007 Crozes Hermitages from GRAILLOT Clos ST.
Jean 1er Cru and we both thought it tasted a bit odd, but were not
ready for a fight...so we drank it.
Amuse #1 came in the form of a mille feuille tartare of beef and an
small anchovy-like long narrow crostini. Both were quite good and
three more amuses arrived on one plate with a Consomme, Salmon Tartare
and radish sandwich and Matjes Herring. The presentation was clearly
important here, but little love went in to the bread (at least the
butter was superb).
The menu was simple and served to perfection:
Madagascar bio shrimps with sage, herb salad, smoked eel, capers and
Espelette pepper.
The herb salad again had no love in the heavy vinaigrette. I loved the
fried Tarragon leaves in the eel.
A deep fried crayfish was also there and I felt it could have come
from a place serving seafood at any beach resort.
Duet of roasted and marinated salmon, vegetables with chorizo,
watercress coulis with Noilly Prat
This dish worked well, but the marinated raw salmon was only a small
spoonful. The coulis was divine and they returned with extra partway
though which was great.
We had switched to one of the highlights of the evening-2006 CHASSAGNE
MONTRACHET from Bernard Morey that was one of the best medium weight
Burgundy Pinots I have ever had.
Cockerel with templar pepper, ricotta with tarragon
came with ricotta quinoa and again a super sauce. This dish-meat,
veggies, quinoa and all was excellent but no revelation for sure.
At break time I noticed nobody folded the napkins when I
left....indeed this seems to be the norm in Belgium (that's for you
Catherine).
We opted to add the cheeses and boy were we happy. Will and I each
chose 5 and they were all quite divine:
ST MARCELLIN-one of our favorites on earth-creamy and runny
HERVE-a smelly Belgian runny delight (think Belgian Epoisses) that we
bought more of later in our stay
NIVAREAU
ST PERAY du BERRY Blanc a very nice goat cheese
MUROL-another tasty Belgian treat, but firmer and nuttier
TRAPPE d'ECHOURGNOL de DORDOGNE was like a Gourmandise with guts
DOREE de LATHUY was an earthy cow
LIVAROT
BLONDE de CHOUFFE
FOURME d'AMBERT which as a blue Will liked and I was in shock
Crispy biscuit with lemon, raspberry ice cream and a Divine CHOCOLATE
LOLLIPOP made for a great dessert and a nice finish...but we were not
really thrilled or wowed, even after the Chef, PIERRE WYNANT's wife,
LAURENCE gave us a tour of the kitchen while we waited for our taxi.
We took most of the Mignardises home in a doggie bag and Samuel loved
the tasty macaroons, white chocolate, fudgy chocolate, jellies and
more...
famed COMME CHEZ SOI (www.commechezsoi.be), but alas it turned out to
be a nice night at dinner with little excitement and quite a large
bill. The cheapest tasting menu (which is way less than a la carte)
rings in at 87 euros (about $125) which I am quite okay with when the
food is excellent. We pushed the door open and it continued to open
magically on it's own into a small hall and up into a narrow entryway.
We were led to a cramped table around the corner in small room that
while beautifully decorated and with a great grand view through a huge
glass window in the kitchen, was quite uncomfortable with several loud
Japanese guys on one side and another couple on the other. I would say
this room hold no more than 30 and there is one small room as well as
a kitchen table, meaning a maximum number of 50 for sure at this hot
spot that had not a single empty space.
We ordered a bottle of 2007 Crozes Hermitages from GRAILLOT Clos ST.
Jean 1er Cru and we both thought it tasted a bit odd, but were not
ready for a fight...so we drank it.
Amuse #1 came in the form of a mille feuille tartare of beef and an
small anchovy-like long narrow crostini. Both were quite good and
three more amuses arrived on one plate with a Consomme, Salmon Tartare
and radish sandwich and Matjes Herring. The presentation was clearly
important here, but little love went in to the bread (at least the
butter was superb).
The menu was simple and served to perfection:
Madagascar bio shrimps with sage, herb salad, smoked eel, capers and
Espelette pepper.
The herb salad again had no love in the heavy vinaigrette. I loved the
fried Tarragon leaves in the eel.
A deep fried crayfish was also there and I felt it could have come
from a place serving seafood at any beach resort.
Duet of roasted and marinated salmon, vegetables with chorizo,
watercress coulis with Noilly Prat
This dish worked well, but the marinated raw salmon was only a small
spoonful. The coulis was divine and they returned with extra partway
though which was great.
We had switched to one of the highlights of the evening-2006 CHASSAGNE
MONTRACHET from Bernard Morey that was one of the best medium weight
Burgundy Pinots I have ever had.
Cockerel with templar pepper, ricotta with tarragon
came with ricotta quinoa and again a super sauce. This dish-meat,
veggies, quinoa and all was excellent but no revelation for sure.
At break time I noticed nobody folded the napkins when I
left....indeed this seems to be the norm in Belgium (that's for you
Catherine).
We opted to add the cheeses and boy were we happy. Will and I each
chose 5 and they were all quite divine:
ST MARCELLIN-one of our favorites on earth-creamy and runny
HERVE-a smelly Belgian runny delight (think Belgian Epoisses) that we
bought more of later in our stay
NIVAREAU
ST PERAY du BERRY Blanc a very nice goat cheese
MUROL-another tasty Belgian treat, but firmer and nuttier
TRAPPE d'ECHOURGNOL de DORDOGNE was like a Gourmandise with guts
DOREE de LATHUY was an earthy cow
LIVAROT
BLONDE de CHOUFFE
FOURME d'AMBERT which as a blue Will liked and I was in shock
Crispy biscuit with lemon, raspberry ice cream and a Divine CHOCOLATE
LOLLIPOP made for a great dessert and a nice finish...but we were not
really thrilled or wowed, even after the Chef, PIERRE WYNANT's wife,
LAURENCE gave us a tour of the kitchen while we waited for our taxi.
We took most of the Mignardises home in a doggie bag and Samuel loved
the tasty macaroons, white chocolate, fudgy chocolate, jellies and
more...
Le CHOU de BRUXELLES sure fits the bill for moules (6-27-11)
For our second dinner in Brussels we headed near the hotel to LE CHOU
de BRUXELLES (www.resto.be) at 26, rue Florence. They have 30
different mussels by the kilo and it was hard to choose. Sam, of
course, had the hamburger with frites. It was a great kid-size burger
and cooked perfectly, if I have to say.
I started with the Matjes raw herring, now that I am a fan of the
Dutch dish and Will had a super carpaccio. He fell in love with
Westmalle Triple Blonde beer and I very much liked the Belgian wine
called DOMAINE BOSCHBERG which is a chardonnay-kerner blend and has
lots of fruit and works brilliantly with mussels.
Will chose the MADERE with Madeira and vegetables (aka onions/celery)
which ended up being quite spicy. I went for MOUTARDE a l'ANCIENNE
with Moutarde de Meaux grainy mustard, white wine and a bit of cream.
The frites were pretty god to, bu still not as good as the stands here
in town (FRITS FLAGEY on our arrival day at Place Flagey were great,
but the oine was 45minutes long!).
We had the 3 course menu for like 31 Euros so will had the Glace au
Speculoos, a biscuit spice ice cream and I chose the DAME BLANCHE,
vanilla ice cream with gooey rich hot melted Belgian chocolate sauce
and whipped cream, which I normall don't care for, but this was a
treat.
It was 90 degrees so we opted to sit indoors as there were several
smokers in the garden; a big issue when dining outside here. It was a
good move and the family run place was a great choice.
de BRUXELLES (www.resto.be) at 26, rue Florence. They have 30
different mussels by the kilo and it was hard to choose. Sam, of
course, had the hamburger with frites. It was a great kid-size burger
and cooked perfectly, if I have to say.
I started with the Matjes raw herring, now that I am a fan of the
Dutch dish and Will had a super carpaccio. He fell in love with
Westmalle Triple Blonde beer and I very much liked the Belgian wine
called DOMAINE BOSCHBERG which is a chardonnay-kerner blend and has
lots of fruit and works brilliantly with mussels.
Will chose the MADERE with Madeira and vegetables (aka onions/celery)
which ended up being quite spicy. I went for MOUTARDE a l'ANCIENNE
with Moutarde de Meaux grainy mustard, white wine and a bit of cream.
The frites were pretty god to, bu still not as good as the stands here
in town (FRITS FLAGEY on our arrival day at Place Flagey were great,
but the oine was 45minutes long!).
We had the 3 course menu for like 31 Euros so will had the Glace au
Speculoos, a biscuit spice ice cream and I chose the DAME BLANCHE,
vanilla ice cream with gooey rich hot melted Belgian chocolate sauce
and whipped cream, which I normall don't care for, but this was a
treat.
It was 90 degrees so we opted to sit indoors as there were several
smokers in the garden; a big issue when dining outside here. It was a
good move and the family run place was a great choice.
Brussel's La BELLE MARAICHERE for sure for seafood (6-26-11)
We have left the unreal prices of Scandanavia and are thrilled by the
(relative) bargains here in Brussels. I recall on my last visit some
37 years ago prices were the most expensive in Europe, and I can
assure you that is a thng of the past. LA BELLE MARAICHERE means the
pretty market woman as the restaurant sits on the Place Sainte
Catherine where markets are indeed still held
(www.labellemaraichere.com). We met friends of mine performing here in
the opera and had a superb meal with Samuel that really started off
our land trip in the best possibly way (especially after the train
travel day from hell-those who read the travel journals will hear of
that soon!).
A bottle of Jaboulet Aine LE CHEVALIER de la STERIMBERG 2008 was a
treat as this creamy yummy white Rhone HERMITAGE is not easily found
in the USA. Instead of an amuse a small bowl of crevettes (heads and
tail on) were brought to the table with finger bowls. While the
Belgians seem to gobble them whole, I did have to remove the heads,
and they were sweet and yummy.
Appetizers consisted of Lobster Bisque with Armagnac that got raves
and was not too rich. SHRIMP CROQUETTES and the most divine SKATE &
KING CRAB TERRINE.
Samuel gobbled down his fresh grilled SCOTTISH SALMON and of course
the requisites frites. He even ate the veggies.
My WATERZOOI, the traditional Belgian fish stew was a dream with tons
of leeks, salmon, sole, cod, catfish, potato, a small crayfish and
mussels in a light creamy soup. The Grilled LOBSTER for two was a
treat and the SKATE Fish with Capers and Butter was also fabulous. It
was seafood in perfection. We had switched to a ST AUBIN 2008 "Le
Fontenotte" from Marc Colin that was more mineral than the cream in
the Hermitages, but it paired well with all the food as well.
Desserts were PAIN PERDU a la FLAMANDE, a kind of French toast/bread
pudding Flemish style with Vanilla Ice Cream, SOUFFLE GLACE au
CHOCOLAT with MANDERINE NAPOLEAN GLACE which was one scoop of rich
Belgian chocolate whipped with egg whites frozen and the other with
mandarin orange. A glass of Chateau LA TOUR BLANCHE 1998 Sauternes 1er
Cru sent us home, all ready for bed after a very long day.
(relative) bargains here in Brussels. I recall on my last visit some
37 years ago prices were the most expensive in Europe, and I can
assure you that is a thng of the past. LA BELLE MARAICHERE means the
pretty market woman as the restaurant sits on the Place Sainte
Catherine where markets are indeed still held
(www.labellemaraichere.com). We met friends of mine performing here in
the opera and had a superb meal with Samuel that really started off
our land trip in the best possibly way (especially after the train
travel day from hell-those who read the travel journals will hear of
that soon!).
A bottle of Jaboulet Aine LE CHEVALIER de la STERIMBERG 2008 was a
treat as this creamy yummy white Rhone HERMITAGE is not easily found
in the USA. Instead of an amuse a small bowl of crevettes (heads and
tail on) were brought to the table with finger bowls. While the
Belgians seem to gobble them whole, I did have to remove the heads,
and they were sweet and yummy.
Appetizers consisted of Lobster Bisque with Armagnac that got raves
and was not too rich. SHRIMP CROQUETTES and the most divine SKATE &
KING CRAB TERRINE.
Samuel gobbled down his fresh grilled SCOTTISH SALMON and of course
the requisites frites. He even ate the veggies.
My WATERZOOI, the traditional Belgian fish stew was a dream with tons
of leeks, salmon, sole, cod, catfish, potato, a small crayfish and
mussels in a light creamy soup. The Grilled LOBSTER for two was a
treat and the SKATE Fish with Capers and Butter was also fabulous. It
was seafood in perfection. We had switched to a ST AUBIN 2008 "Le
Fontenotte" from Marc Colin that was more mineral than the cream in
the Hermitages, but it paired well with all the food as well.
Desserts were PAIN PERDU a la FLAMANDE, a kind of French toast/bread
pudding Flemish style with Vanilla Ice Cream, SOUFFLE GLACE au
CHOCOLAT with MANDERINE NAPOLEAN GLACE which was one scoop of rich
Belgian chocolate whipped with egg whites frozen and the other with
mandarin orange. A glass of Chateau LA TOUR BLANCHE 1998 Sauternes 1er
Cru sent us home, all ready for bed after a very long day.
Noshing in Norway-from Oslo to the Arctic Circle (June 2011)
Our two week cruise through the Norwegian fjords and to the top of
Europe (the North Cape) has allowed us a taste of Norway and while
yummy indeed, the costs are truly prohibitive with a simple snack of
lunch often costing more than $50 for three people.
On Samuel's birthday in Oslo we promised him Norwegian pizza so we
headed for the famous chain DOLLY DIMPLES. The cost of a personal
small pizza here is about 140 kroner (about $26)!! We discovered the
all you can eat option is the way to go (about $18) and you can chose
from about 4 different types in 30 minutes at lunch time. They were
all good, but it's not a place I would go out of the way for unless
you are in Norway and need pizza.
In Kristiansand, we discovered the art nouveau-style SNADDERKIOSKEN, a
fast food dream come true where the locals run for meatballs and
potatoes. Samuel wanted pizza again and we lunched on the Norwegian
polse (a type of long hot dog) that comes in many variations. The ones
wrapped in bacon are superb and you can also have them stuffed with
cheese and chilies.
Bergen is a fishmonger's delight with the historic waterfront and the
Torget Fish market right on the harbor. Try any of the dozens of
kiosks and have them make up a plate to order if you like. We went for
the salmon and shrimp sandwiches served with egg, lettuce and mayo,
but the winner here was the grilled whale steaks which were seasoned
to perfection and grilled right in front of us. I can only describe it
as a cross between tuna and bison; firm, slightly fishy but amazingly
meaty and lean.
If you happen to be at the North Cape, be sure to head over to Captain
Roald's place in nearby Gjesvaer (pronounced "guess vhere") population
130 where you can take the bird safari with his company Stappen
Sjoproduktor to see the puffin colony of 360,000 as well as tons more
birds. The crab safari can be done separately or as a combo and is
loads of fun as you pull up the traps and then cook the crabs. We
found two king crabs and two troll crabs (North Atlantic Stone Crabs)
and had the legs pulled off and in the pot within 20 minutes. Minutes
later they were served to us and they were the best crabs ever (not to
belittle our Maryland crabs which are super); this meat is divine
eaten PLAIN with no butter or anything...even lemon. They are cooked
plain with some salt and a dash of sugar and will blow your taste buds
away. The king was meatier, the troll for me even tastier, but the
legs are smaller. At the restaurant in his fish drying plant and boat
trip center you can also eat the crabs (for about $100 a portion), but
it's much more fun to go out on the safari and collect them. There is
also reindeer stew (not tasted) and yummy bacalao (cod) stew which is
the native dish of Norway made with the famous dried cod that is a
staple of the local diet.
Heading back south you won't want to miss the charming town of Alesund
which has so much to offer to any tourist. LYST (I think it means
"lust") is a simple spot (www.lystmeny.no at Kongensgate 12) right in
the center and has a wonderfully huge "creamy shellfish sandwich" made
from shrimp and lobster as well as veggies and mayo. I had the
"marinated shellfish salad" which features superbly seasoned local
shrimp with asparagus, parmesan, lettuce, peas, string beans and other
beans.
Our best lunch by far, save for the fresh crabs at the North Cape was
in Stavanger on our last day in Norway at N.B. Sorenson's
Dampsskibexpedition located right on the waterfront at Skagen 26
(www.herlige-restauranter.com) where Samuel settled in with a kid's
menu (yes, the only one we found in Norway except for Dolly Dimples
pizza!) hamburger and fries which still priced in at $12 (65kroner)
but was a tasty 1/2 burger with spicy fries and ketchup which he
gobbled up. Our SHELLFISH PASTA with light cream sauce had the same
spices around the dish rim so you could make the dish as spicy as you
pleased. Besides the penne there were mussels, cherry tomatoes,
shrimp, cod and superb haddock. Will loved the local beer on tap and I
adored a glass of dry Riesling. These main courses were the least
expensive we had seen in all Norway at 189 kroner (about $34.50 each)
as the lunch menu here is not a full dinner menu and has special
prices. You might get a bit more sticker shock with the glass of wine
and beer ringing in at $14.50 and $13.00 respectively, but it was all
quite tasty.
We loved much of the food we had on land, the ship (Holland America's
Ryndam) also did much better than our recent cruises, but we are so
looking forward to really dining in Belgium and London in the next
weeks.
Europe (the North Cape) has allowed us a taste of Norway and while
yummy indeed, the costs are truly prohibitive with a simple snack of
lunch often costing more than $50 for three people.
On Samuel's birthday in Oslo we promised him Norwegian pizza so we
headed for the famous chain DOLLY DIMPLES. The cost of a personal
small pizza here is about 140 kroner (about $26)!! We discovered the
all you can eat option is the way to go (about $18) and you can chose
from about 4 different types in 30 minutes at lunch time. They were
all good, but it's not a place I would go out of the way for unless
you are in Norway and need pizza.
In Kristiansand, we discovered the art nouveau-style SNADDERKIOSKEN, a
fast food dream come true where the locals run for meatballs and
potatoes. Samuel wanted pizza again and we lunched on the Norwegian
polse (a type of long hot dog) that comes in many variations. The ones
wrapped in bacon are superb and you can also have them stuffed with
cheese and chilies.
Bergen is a fishmonger's delight with the historic waterfront and the
Torget Fish market right on the harbor. Try any of the dozens of
kiosks and have them make up a plate to order if you like. We went for
the salmon and shrimp sandwiches served with egg, lettuce and mayo,
but the winner here was the grilled whale steaks which were seasoned
to perfection and grilled right in front of us. I can only describe it
as a cross between tuna and bison; firm, slightly fishy but amazingly
meaty and lean.
If you happen to be at the North Cape, be sure to head over to Captain
Roald's place in nearby Gjesvaer (pronounced "guess vhere") population
130 where you can take the bird safari with his company Stappen
Sjoproduktor to see the puffin colony of 360,000 as well as tons more
birds. The crab safari can be done separately or as a combo and is
loads of fun as you pull up the traps and then cook the crabs. We
found two king crabs and two troll crabs (North Atlantic Stone Crabs)
and had the legs pulled off and in the pot within 20 minutes. Minutes
later they were served to us and they were the best crabs ever (not to
belittle our Maryland crabs which are super); this meat is divine
eaten PLAIN with no butter or anything...even lemon. They are cooked
plain with some salt and a dash of sugar and will blow your taste buds
away. The king was meatier, the troll for me even tastier, but the
legs are smaller. At the restaurant in his fish drying plant and boat
trip center you can also eat the crabs (for about $100 a portion), but
it's much more fun to go out on the safari and collect them. There is
also reindeer stew (not tasted) and yummy bacalao (cod) stew which is
the native dish of Norway made with the famous dried cod that is a
staple of the local diet.
Heading back south you won't want to miss the charming town of Alesund
which has so much to offer to any tourist. LYST (I think it means
"lust") is a simple spot (www.lystmeny.no at Kongensgate 12) right in
the center and has a wonderfully huge "creamy shellfish sandwich" made
from shrimp and lobster as well as veggies and mayo. I had the
"marinated shellfish salad" which features superbly seasoned local
shrimp with asparagus, parmesan, lettuce, peas, string beans and other
beans.
Our best lunch by far, save for the fresh crabs at the North Cape was
in Stavanger on our last day in Norway at N.B. Sorenson's
Dampsskibexpedition located right on the waterfront at Skagen 26
(www.herlige-restauranter.com) where Samuel settled in with a kid's
menu (yes, the only one we found in Norway except for Dolly Dimples
pizza!) hamburger and fries which still priced in at $12 (65kroner)
but was a tasty 1/2 burger with spicy fries and ketchup which he
gobbled up. Our SHELLFISH PASTA with light cream sauce had the same
spices around the dish rim so you could make the dish as spicy as you
pleased. Besides the penne there were mussels, cherry tomatoes,
shrimp, cod and superb haddock. Will loved the local beer on tap and I
adored a glass of dry Riesling. These main courses were the least
expensive we had seen in all Norway at 189 kroner (about $34.50 each)
as the lunch menu here is not a full dinner menu and has special
prices. You might get a bit more sticker shock with the glass of wine
and beer ringing in at $14.50 and $13.00 respectively, but it was all
quite tasty.
We loved much of the food we had on land, the ship (Holland America's
Ryndam) also did much better than our recent cruises, but we are so
looking forward to really dining in Belgium and London in the next
weeks.
HEMELSE MODDER Amsterdam's answer to fun fine dining (6-11-11)
Our second and last night in Amsterdam took us just across the canal
from our hotel to an adorable local spot recommended by our friends
who happened to live just feet away. HEMELSE MODDER
(www.hemelsemodder.nl at Oude Waal 11) literally means "heavenly mud"
and refers to their signature chocolate mousse dessert. We never got
to that dish, but did agree the food was not only heavenly, it was
quite reasonable if you choose the fixe priced options. There are two
three course menus at 29,50Euros and 33,50 and you can make one a four
course meal for just 4 Euros more at 37,50. Wines can be paired as
well at a very good price, but we chose to start with a 1/2 litre of
the house white, Vins Pays du Var-Cotes de Provence from Domaine de
Pinchinat 2009. A number of wines are available by the glass and half
litre which allows for more variety as well.
Nice bread and butter arrived, but it was not as good as the previous
night. Olives and pickled garlic cloves in small bowl were brought as
all three of us gobbled them up. Samuel was actually trying tastes
again. He ordered the simple filet with spinach and frites, and I have
to admit it was the perfect small size steak that we asked for,
although they did charge for the adult portion. The spinach was a bit
bland, but Samuel immediately took to dipping his frites (if
sparingly) in the accompanying Hollandaise sauce.
Will and I both started with the DUTCH HERRING and BEETROOT Salad
which had four gorgeous filets dappled with a mayo-remoulade sauce,
shredded beets and field greens. The herring was the star here and
indeed was like butter; you could cut it with a spoon, so fresh and
tasty.
My "extra" 4 Euro course was called Bisque of NORWEGIAN PRAWNS & Lemon
Cream but was more like a bouillabaise consistency and very tasty with
tiny swirls of the lemon "cream" yet not thick or rich or creamy; it
was just right.
We moved on to a tasty bottle SOLABAL Rioja 2007 from Rioja Alta in
Spain that was smooth and quite full bodied. It paired nicely with
Will's PASTY with Ragout of Baby ARTICHOKES, FENNEL & ONION with Warm
LENTIL SALAD. This veggie option was really a vol au vent pastry as
opposed to the British "pasty" with delicious flaky pastry and a super
filling. My PORK STEAK with SQUID SAUCE, SPINACH & POMMES DAUPHINES
was actually a tender filet with an olive-tomato based squid sauce
that was akin to a Puttanesca and indeed quite spicy. The spinach was
good, fresh, but lacked flavor and the potatoes were a creamy divine
concoction with a fried crispy potato "shell" that indeed was
heavenly.
Will went for the LEMON MERINGUE TART while I marveled at the Fresh
DUTCH STRAWBERRIES with Homemade Yogurt Ice Cream which was light and
simple, yet some of the best strawberries ever (perhaps only the
Scottish Wild ones are better). Even Samuel loved them.
We all left happy but still tired after another long day in Amsterdam
where we had visited our favorite pancake house (see August 2010)
PANCAKES AMSTERDAM for lunch (the day before we went to our favorite
FRITES stand (see August 2010), and headed to bed to ready for our
cruise to the North Cape and Fjords or Norway on Sunday.
from our hotel to an adorable local spot recommended by our friends
who happened to live just feet away. HEMELSE MODDER
(www.hemelsemodder.nl at Oude Waal 11) literally means "heavenly mud"
and refers to their signature chocolate mousse dessert. We never got
to that dish, but did agree the food was not only heavenly, it was
quite reasonable if you choose the fixe priced options. There are two
three course menus at 29,50Euros and 33,50 and you can make one a four
course meal for just 4 Euros more at 37,50. Wines can be paired as
well at a very good price, but we chose to start with a 1/2 litre of
the house white, Vins Pays du Var-Cotes de Provence from Domaine de
Pinchinat 2009. A number of wines are available by the glass and half
litre which allows for more variety as well.
Nice bread and butter arrived, but it was not as good as the previous
night. Olives and pickled garlic cloves in small bowl were brought as
all three of us gobbled them up. Samuel was actually trying tastes
again. He ordered the simple filet with spinach and frites, and I have
to admit it was the perfect small size steak that we asked for,
although they did charge for the adult portion. The spinach was a bit
bland, but Samuel immediately took to dipping his frites (if
sparingly) in the accompanying Hollandaise sauce.
Will and I both started with the DUTCH HERRING and BEETROOT Salad
which had four gorgeous filets dappled with a mayo-remoulade sauce,
shredded beets and field greens. The herring was the star here and
indeed was like butter; you could cut it with a spoon, so fresh and
tasty.
My "extra" 4 Euro course was called Bisque of NORWEGIAN PRAWNS & Lemon
Cream but was more like a bouillabaise consistency and very tasty with
tiny swirls of the lemon "cream" yet not thick or rich or creamy; it
was just right.
We moved on to a tasty bottle SOLABAL Rioja 2007 from Rioja Alta in
Spain that was smooth and quite full bodied. It paired nicely with
Will's PASTY with Ragout of Baby ARTICHOKES, FENNEL & ONION with Warm
LENTIL SALAD. This veggie option was really a vol au vent pastry as
opposed to the British "pasty" with delicious flaky pastry and a super
filling. My PORK STEAK with SQUID SAUCE, SPINACH & POMMES DAUPHINES
was actually a tender filet with an olive-tomato based squid sauce
that was akin to a Puttanesca and indeed quite spicy. The spinach was
good, fresh, but lacked flavor and the potatoes were a creamy divine
concoction with a fried crispy potato "shell" that indeed was
heavenly.
Will went for the LEMON MERINGUE TART while I marveled at the Fresh
DUTCH STRAWBERRIES with Homemade Yogurt Ice Cream which was light and
simple, yet some of the best strawberries ever (perhaps only the
Scottish Wild ones are better). Even Samuel loved them.
We all left happy but still tired after another long day in Amsterdam
where we had visited our favorite pancake house (see August 2010)
PANCAKES AMSTERDAM for lunch (the day before we went to our favorite
FRITES stand (see August 2010), and headed to bed to ready for our
cruise to the North Cape and Fjords or Norway on Sunday.
Amsterdam's BLAUW aan de wal will bring you wondrous food (6-10-11)
This year we start off our European adventures in Amsterdam and had a
superb evening with our dear friends at BLAUW AAN DE WAL, even if the
service got a bit spotty here and there, (Oz. Achterburgwal 99, tel
020-3302257)
One approaches this red light district dining spot in a very old
building through a narrow graffiti filled lane and all of a sudden a
small garden appears outside the lower level. We climbed the narrow
curving staircase (be careful coming down if you drink a lot!) to the
roomier top floor that is quite bland with white walls and some silver-
panted bare light bulbs in the wall. A bit of art might be welcome,
but then we did come for the food.
We all were intrigued by the PINOT ROSE BRUT aperitif 2009 from
Winterling in the Pfalz region of Germany as I have rarely had a
cremant that was German, yet bone dry. The sparkling water is the
British Hildon and then came the "bagna cauda" dip of anchovy spread
with crostini, sweet radishes and other tasty veggies. The bread was
simple and the French fleur de sel butter divine.
We moved to a Domaine Corsin Vieilles Vignes 2008 SAINT VERAN Cru de
Bourgogne that was deliciously dry and went superbly with some FIN DE
CLAIRE French Oysters as well as the starter of YELLOWFIN TUNA (raw,
but fresh from Panama) with field greens and an anchovy, egg and caper
spread that was between the tasty thin slices of fish. Green herb oil
was on the plate with artichoke hearts and several tasty fried
anchovies. We had all chosen this dish and was thrilled when it
(finally) arrived as it seemed to take forever. We mentioned he delay
and our sever kind of tried to make excuses. We noticed the table near
us had also complained and got free drinks. We opened our months and
got another bottle of the Saint Veran (40 euros) on the house; we were
placated. I have to admit I found ourselves often pouring the wine and
water, so we have to say the service was indeed a bit lacking.
Our red was a superb yet not too intense Pinot Noir HAUTES-COTES de
BEAUNE "Sous La Muree" 2008 from Domaine Arnoux pere et fils. It was
another perfect pairing wit the Crispy seared DUCK BREAST with Spring
Cabbage in a disc along with Beet Disc and Carrot disc (the veggies
here were super), Potato Puree al in a superb ALBUFERA Sauce that we
could not resist mopping up with the bread. The other main course was
a Filet of BRILL in RIESLING Sauce with Spinach, LOBSTER RAVIOLI and
Green Peas. The ravioli were a bit salty for my tastes, but the dish
overall a winner.
We could not resist cheese and chose one of each of the cheese options
to share amongst the four of us which was a smart move, leaving room
for dessert.
One cheese platter was Fresh Parmigiana with salt crystals, Poached
Pear & Black Pepper which was a flavorful and novel combination. The
other were three cheeses with Fig Chutney:
COMTE
THIERRY ROBERT which was a creamy rich decadent style and
BLUE d'ECOSSE a medium blue that is rich and creamy as well
The desserts were both superb (each course here has only TWO Choices):
PANNA COTTA with Strawberries, Blueberries and Basil
and a divine NECTARINE CRUMBLE with Creme Suisse and Frozen Yogurt
A glass of FEILER ARTINGER 2009 Beerenauslese from Austria was the
perfect final taste of the night.
We all had a great time and I think we would return for the food, if
not the service.
superb evening with our dear friends at BLAUW AAN DE WAL, even if the
service got a bit spotty here and there, (Oz. Achterburgwal 99, tel
020-3302257)
One approaches this red light district dining spot in a very old
building through a narrow graffiti filled lane and all of a sudden a
small garden appears outside the lower level. We climbed the narrow
curving staircase (be careful coming down if you drink a lot!) to the
roomier top floor that is quite bland with white walls and some silver-
panted bare light bulbs in the wall. A bit of art might be welcome,
but then we did come for the food.
We all were intrigued by the PINOT ROSE BRUT aperitif 2009 from
Winterling in the Pfalz region of Germany as I have rarely had a
cremant that was German, yet bone dry. The sparkling water is the
British Hildon and then came the "bagna cauda" dip of anchovy spread
with crostini, sweet radishes and other tasty veggies. The bread was
simple and the French fleur de sel butter divine.
We moved to a Domaine Corsin Vieilles Vignes 2008 SAINT VERAN Cru de
Bourgogne that was deliciously dry and went superbly with some FIN DE
CLAIRE French Oysters as well as the starter of YELLOWFIN TUNA (raw,
but fresh from Panama) with field greens and an anchovy, egg and caper
spread that was between the tasty thin slices of fish. Green herb oil
was on the plate with artichoke hearts and several tasty fried
anchovies. We had all chosen this dish and was thrilled when it
(finally) arrived as it seemed to take forever. We mentioned he delay
and our sever kind of tried to make excuses. We noticed the table near
us had also complained and got free drinks. We opened our months and
got another bottle of the Saint Veran (40 euros) on the house; we were
placated. I have to admit I found ourselves often pouring the wine and
water, so we have to say the service was indeed a bit lacking.
Our red was a superb yet not too intense Pinot Noir HAUTES-COTES de
BEAUNE "Sous La Muree" 2008 from Domaine Arnoux pere et fils. It was
another perfect pairing wit the Crispy seared DUCK BREAST with Spring
Cabbage in a disc along with Beet Disc and Carrot disc (the veggies
here were super), Potato Puree al in a superb ALBUFERA Sauce that we
could not resist mopping up with the bread. The other main course was
a Filet of BRILL in RIESLING Sauce with Spinach, LOBSTER RAVIOLI and
Green Peas. The ravioli were a bit salty for my tastes, but the dish
overall a winner.
We could not resist cheese and chose one of each of the cheese options
to share amongst the four of us which was a smart move, leaving room
for dessert.
One cheese platter was Fresh Parmigiana with salt crystals, Poached
Pear & Black Pepper which was a flavorful and novel combination. The
other were three cheeses with Fig Chutney:
COMTE
THIERRY ROBERT which was a creamy rich decadent style and
BLUE d'ECOSSE a medium blue that is rich and creamy as well
The desserts were both superb (each course here has only TWO Choices):
PANNA COTTA with Strawberries, Blueberries and Basil
and a divine NECTARINE CRUMBLE with Creme Suisse and Frozen Yogurt
A glass of FEILER ARTINGER 2009 Beerenauslese from Austria was the
perfect final taste of the night.
We all had a great time and I think we would return for the food, if
not the service.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
McCormick & Schmick's makes seafood superbly(6-6-11)
About a decade ago I chaired a charity food event and had the pleasure of meeting the chef at the Dc downtown location of McCormick & Schmick's. Their PR person pushed me to come in to dinner, and in these very reviews I wrote about how heartily I was impressed, despite the "chain image."
Last night we headed to the Crystal City location (2101B Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA) and was impressed yet again. The three of us know Chef Marc Kennedy from our synagogue, and he truly LOVES to cook. He regaled us with a tale of how a week or so ago a patron wanted a "sashimi-style" fish dessert, and how he constructed it with caramelized bananas and spun sugar to boot! McCormick & Schmick's is indeed known for its fresh fish and last night it was the fish that starred, although Samuel opted for the kiddie meal burger & fries!
We started with a superb bottle of PARDUCCI "Sustainable White" 2008 which we discovered (through the internet) is a blend of 41.5% Chenin Blanc, 38% Sauvignon Blanc, 12% Viognier, 7.5% Muscat Canelli and 1% Fruliano. While this blending seems to hint at sweetness, the wine was bone dry and perfect with our tasty plump oysters:
Rappahannock River, Virginia
Blue Point, Oyster Bay, NY
Chef's Creek, Baynes Sound, British Columbia
& Malpeque (also BC)
Will chose the CITRUS BAY SCALLOP CEVICHE appetizer with Blue Corn Tortilla Chip which was a bit on the bland side despite the inclusion of calamari and small shrimp. My SALMON LOMI LOMI prepared tableside was divine with tomato, pineapple, onion, lime and soy mixed with superb quality salmon tartare.
A small tasting arrived from Chef Kennedy that was made of freshly delivered Copper River COHO SALMON SASHIMI and a small Seared Coho Salmon sushi wrapped in nori. There was drizzle of truffle oil on the sashimi and the sushi had a avocado, hoisan, spicy mustard dollop on the side making these two just divinely inspired.
We moved on to a bottle of CUVAISON 2009 Carneros Chardonnay which is usually huge and oaky, but it seems the Californians have moved in a different direction and garnered 92 points from Wine Spectator to boot.
It was an amazing pairing with my Sauteed SOF SHELL CRABS with hash Browns and Spinach in a superb butter sauce that was plain and perfect. Will and I switched main courses halfway and his WILD ALASKAN HALIBUT & SALMON was baked in PASTRY with Shrimp and a SunDried Tomato-Hazelnut Pesto that was just the right touch.
We were full, but that didn't stop Will from taking home a piece of Key Lime Pie!
It just goes to show you that a chain name can be broken!
Last night we headed to the Crystal City location (2101B Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA) and was impressed yet again. The three of us know Chef Marc Kennedy from our synagogue, and he truly LOVES to cook. He regaled us with a tale of how a week or so ago a patron wanted a "sashimi-style" fish dessert, and how he constructed it with caramelized bananas and spun sugar to boot! McCormick & Schmick's is indeed known for its fresh fish and last night it was the fish that starred, although Samuel opted for the kiddie meal burger & fries!
We started with a superb bottle of PARDUCCI "Sustainable White" 2008 which we discovered (through the internet) is a blend of 41.5% Chenin Blanc, 38% Sauvignon Blanc, 12% Viognier, 7.5% Muscat Canelli and 1% Fruliano. While this blending seems to hint at sweetness, the wine was bone dry and perfect with our tasty plump oysters:
Rappahannock River, Virginia
Blue Point, Oyster Bay, NY
Chef's Creek, Baynes Sound, British Columbia
& Malpeque (also BC)
Will chose the CITRUS BAY SCALLOP CEVICHE appetizer with Blue Corn Tortilla Chip which was a bit on the bland side despite the inclusion of calamari and small shrimp. My SALMON LOMI LOMI prepared tableside was divine with tomato, pineapple, onion, lime and soy mixed with superb quality salmon tartare.
A small tasting arrived from Chef Kennedy that was made of freshly delivered Copper River COHO SALMON SASHIMI and a small Seared Coho Salmon sushi wrapped in nori. There was drizzle of truffle oil on the sashimi and the sushi had a avocado, hoisan, spicy mustard dollop on the side making these two just divinely inspired.
We moved on to a bottle of CUVAISON 2009 Carneros Chardonnay which is usually huge and oaky, but it seems the Californians have moved in a different direction and garnered 92 points from Wine Spectator to boot.
It was an amazing pairing with my Sauteed SOF SHELL CRABS with hash Browns and Spinach in a superb butter sauce that was plain and perfect. Will and I switched main courses halfway and his WILD ALASKAN HALIBUT & SALMON was baked in PASTRY with Shrimp and a SunDried Tomato-Hazelnut Pesto that was just the right touch.
We were full, but that didn't stop Will from taking home a piece of Key Lime Pie!
It just goes to show you that a chain name can be broken!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Georgetown's LA CHAUMIERE is surer than ever (5-17-11)
Last night a number of us from work were treated to dinner in Georgetown at the quaint and adorable LA CHAUMIERE (www.lachaumieredc.com at 2813 M Street, NW) by our lovely and charming Fairmont/Raffles/Swissotel rep. We all had superb food, wine and chat as well, making for a rare fine dining experience in Georgetown these days.
I actually know how hard dining is in the are, so I arrived 20 minutes early to seek a space without a meter (the $2/hr rates in now insane!) and almost 1/8 of the space where parking is free along 29th Street were empty! How rare is that? making my experience in the normally noisy, crowded and overpriced Georgetown a dream to start.
I ordered a bottle of slightly citrus-y DORUHIN 2009 SAINT VERAN which was perfectly refreshing and went perfectly with the BAKED OYSTERS "CHAUMIERE" that many of us ordered. They are plump Long Island Creek oysters baked with a hint of ginger and topped with spinach and crumbled hazelnuts. It's much lighter than a "Rockefeller" type with cheese and bacon and is a really wonderful starter that isn't quite as rich as some of the usual French dishes can be. Of course those that chose pate and foie gras were quite happy as well!
La Chaumiere has a large and varied menu and is known for it's nightly specials (in the winter on Thursday the cassoulet is a must!) so there is something for everyone. A Dover sole was simple and cooked perfectly while the RIS DE VEAU (sweetbreads) came in a huge portion (most dishes do here, although they are quite reasonably priced compared to the neighborhood) and were cooked divinely and cut like butter (say it with that Streisand accent!). While I did not taste the duck, it too seemed to be a hit.
The majority of the table went with my lead as we have just entered the SOFT SHELL CRAB season and here they are pan sauteed with fine herbs, shallots and a tasty lemon butter. The early ones this season were huge and the again the portion quite large with some simple veggies and mashed potatoes topped with two towering latticed potato crisps. I was in heaven!
We were full but some had sorbet or Creme Brulee and some agreed to share a small cheese plate. It is, of course, all French and quite a good selection:
creamy Camembert, a firm Petit Basque, a creamy/yet crumbly goat (called Valenque?) and a rich divine Saint Andre. They came with a tasty apple compote and walnuts.
Our server Ramon handled the 7 of us quite well, although I did have to get up and pour the wine once.
It was a delightful evening and although I had lunched earlier this year there, I really had forgotten how superb the food is.
I actually know how hard dining is in the are, so I arrived 20 minutes early to seek a space without a meter (the $2/hr rates in now insane!) and almost 1/8 of the space where parking is free along 29th Street were empty! How rare is that? making my experience in the normally noisy, crowded and overpriced Georgetown a dream to start.
I ordered a bottle of slightly citrus-y DORUHIN 2009 SAINT VERAN which was perfectly refreshing and went perfectly with the BAKED OYSTERS "CHAUMIERE" that many of us ordered. They are plump Long Island Creek oysters baked with a hint of ginger and topped with spinach and crumbled hazelnuts. It's much lighter than a "Rockefeller" type with cheese and bacon and is a really wonderful starter that isn't quite as rich as some of the usual French dishes can be. Of course those that chose pate and foie gras were quite happy as well!
La Chaumiere has a large and varied menu and is known for it's nightly specials (in the winter on Thursday the cassoulet is a must!) so there is something for everyone. A Dover sole was simple and cooked perfectly while the RIS DE VEAU (sweetbreads) came in a huge portion (most dishes do here, although they are quite reasonably priced compared to the neighborhood) and were cooked divinely and cut like butter (say it with that Streisand accent!). While I did not taste the duck, it too seemed to be a hit.
The majority of the table went with my lead as we have just entered the SOFT SHELL CRAB season and here they are pan sauteed with fine herbs, shallots and a tasty lemon butter. The early ones this season were huge and the again the portion quite large with some simple veggies and mashed potatoes topped with two towering latticed potato crisps. I was in heaven!
We were full but some had sorbet or Creme Brulee and some agreed to share a small cheese plate. It is, of course, all French and quite a good selection:
creamy Camembert, a firm Petit Basque, a creamy/yet crumbly goat (called Valenque?) and a rich divine Saint Andre. They came with a tasty apple compote and walnuts.
Our server Ramon handled the 7 of us quite well, although I did have to get up and pour the wine once.
It was a delightful evening and although I had lunched earlier this year there, I really had forgotten how superb the food is.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Top Chefs toque it out for us-CARLA HALL & ROCK HARPER
Over the years we have always enjoyed Top Chef and some of the other food shows, but they are really great when you know the contestants! DC has sent many of its star and non-star chefs to the Food Network or other and they have returned triumphant.
Chef "Rock" Rahman Harper (ex of B. Smith's) was the first winner of Hells' Kitchen and our dear Carla Hall has gotten to the finals of Top Chef twice now!
Over the weekend, the two joined forces for a charity dinner and we had one of the best nights ever.
Their food and our (those of us attending) wines made for a spectacular event starting with Moet et Chandon White Star Champagne and moving to Pol Roget 1990 Champagne "Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill." Lobster tails and shrimp on skewers all poached to perfection with Kumamoto Oysters graced the seafood snack table and there was a Charcuterie heaven with Torchon of Foie Gras (with pear compote), Duck Rilettes, Prosciutto, Dried meats, gherkins, pickled onions and all kinds of tasty condiments.
We knew what was coming so we had to be careful.
CHANTERELLE SOUP with BLACK TRUFFLES, chervil and chive started us and it paired ingeniously with a minerally intense MONTAGNY 1er Cru 2004 "Le Vieux Chateau"
ASPARAGUS SALAD was taken to new heights by pan roasting them along with diced Golden BEETS, Baby Arugula and SHITAKES with Tarragon-Dill Vinaigrette and a Goat Cheese Boursin on the side. ELK COVE RIESLING 2008 was again a perfect combo.
HEIRLOOM TOMATO SORBET was a perfect palate cleanser with fried basil leaf and a dash of aged balsamic and fruited olive oil. This, the bread and pastries came from the Stratford University's executive pastry chef Charleen Huebner who really did an amazing job as well.
PATX & HALL DUTTON RANCH Chardonnay is creamy and rich and was a dream with large browned SCALLOPS served with Deviled QUAIL EGG. BACON, Field greens with Truffle Vinaigrette and Sweet White Corn Grits in what Chef Rock termed an "ode to country breakfast." It was just that and the adorable little egg along with the grits heightened this dish to 3-star level(that's out of 3 stars!).
PROSICUTTO-wrapped MONKFISH arrived next with Braised Cippolini and Fresh Peas (you Carla loves those peas!) with a divinely refreshing CUCUMBER RISOTTO. We all marveled at the genius of the risotto and this dish being a bit more intense was paired with our first red a NOVY (owned by Siduri) 2001 Page-Nord (Napa) Vineyard SYRAH which was made in volume of 244 cases only!
It's truly DC spring when SOFT SHELL CRABS arrive and our yummy tempura-style ones were in rice flour with tapioca over a succotash-style corn and red pepper salsa. The wine here was FRITZ RUXTON Vineyard Chardonnay 2006 from Russian River Valley, perhaps a bit too light for the salsa, but nice nonetheless.
Poached DUCK BREAST came beautifully sliced with a DUCK CONFIT DISC topped with DUCK CRACKILING that we all oohed and aahed over. A PEAR ONION JAM for the breast was plated with a SHALLOT QUINOA that was again light and refreshing. The BELLE PENTE 2007 PINOT NOIR from Oregon's YAMHILL Valley was another perfection in pairing.
The last meat course was WAGYU FILET with GREEN TOMATO JAM, adorable tasty POMMES FRITES in a cute paper cone with Demi-Glace paired with a superbly drinking 1990 SILVER OAK CABERNET.
Dessert was simple in perfection with a STRAWBERRY/RHUBARD TART with Lime flavored MERINGUE, and a compote of Strawberry, Rhubarb & Basil. 1977 TAYLOR-FLADGATE Vintage POrt arrived with Chocolate Truffles (we took these home) as we rolled out of what had to be one of the greatest chef pairings ever!
Chef "Rock" Rahman Harper (ex of B. Smith's) was the first winner of Hells' Kitchen and our dear Carla Hall has gotten to the finals of Top Chef twice now!
Over the weekend, the two joined forces for a charity dinner and we had one of the best nights ever.
Their food and our (those of us attending) wines made for a spectacular event starting with Moet et Chandon White Star Champagne and moving to Pol Roget 1990 Champagne "Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill." Lobster tails and shrimp on skewers all poached to perfection with Kumamoto Oysters graced the seafood snack table and there was a Charcuterie heaven with Torchon of Foie Gras (with pear compote), Duck Rilettes, Prosciutto, Dried meats, gherkins, pickled onions and all kinds of tasty condiments.
We knew what was coming so we had to be careful.
CHANTERELLE SOUP with BLACK TRUFFLES, chervil and chive started us and it paired ingeniously with a minerally intense MONTAGNY 1er Cru 2004 "Le Vieux Chateau"
ASPARAGUS SALAD was taken to new heights by pan roasting them along with diced Golden BEETS, Baby Arugula and SHITAKES with Tarragon-Dill Vinaigrette and a Goat Cheese Boursin on the side. ELK COVE RIESLING 2008 was again a perfect combo.
HEIRLOOM TOMATO SORBET was a perfect palate cleanser with fried basil leaf and a dash of aged balsamic and fruited olive oil. This, the bread and pastries came from the Stratford University's executive pastry chef Charleen Huebner who really did an amazing job as well.
PATX & HALL DUTTON RANCH Chardonnay is creamy and rich and was a dream with large browned SCALLOPS served with Deviled QUAIL EGG. BACON, Field greens with Truffle Vinaigrette and Sweet White Corn Grits in what Chef Rock termed an "ode to country breakfast." It was just that and the adorable little egg along with the grits heightened this dish to 3-star level(that's out of 3 stars!).
PROSICUTTO-wrapped MONKFISH arrived next with Braised Cippolini and Fresh Peas (you Carla loves those peas!) with a divinely refreshing CUCUMBER RISOTTO. We all marveled at the genius of the risotto and this dish being a bit more intense was paired with our first red a NOVY (owned by Siduri) 2001 Page-Nord (Napa) Vineyard SYRAH which was made in volume of 244 cases only!
It's truly DC spring when SOFT SHELL CRABS arrive and our yummy tempura-style ones were in rice flour with tapioca over a succotash-style corn and red pepper salsa. The wine here was FRITZ RUXTON Vineyard Chardonnay 2006 from Russian River Valley, perhaps a bit too light for the salsa, but nice nonetheless.
Poached DUCK BREAST came beautifully sliced with a DUCK CONFIT DISC topped with DUCK CRACKILING that we all oohed and aahed over. A PEAR ONION JAM for the breast was plated with a SHALLOT QUINOA that was again light and refreshing. The BELLE PENTE 2007 PINOT NOIR from Oregon's YAMHILL Valley was another perfection in pairing.
The last meat course was WAGYU FILET with GREEN TOMATO JAM, adorable tasty POMMES FRITES in a cute paper cone with Demi-Glace paired with a superbly drinking 1990 SILVER OAK CABERNET.
Dessert was simple in perfection with a STRAWBERRY/RHUBARD TART with Lime flavored MERINGUE, and a compote of Strawberry, Rhubarb & Basil. 1977 TAYLOR-FLADGATE Vintage POrt arrived with Chocolate Truffles (we took these home) as we rolled out of what had to be one of the greatest chef pairings ever!
Monday, May 09, 2011
I sure would return again to AGAINN-Dc's newest gastropub (5-7-11)
Saturday night Will and I headed to dinner at AGAIN (www.againndc.com) at 1099 NY Ave, NW (entrance on 11 St, NW) which is a great place for a drink, bite or full meal. There is outdoor seating for nice days and inside is dominated by a large bar with lots of sports on the TV screens (which at one point was showing a commercial for green tea moisturizer and lots of dry skin--not too appetizing for a restaurant!). The decor is simple and bare with lots of wood tables, booths and chairs which are comfy, but not cushioned. The hard floors do make for some noise, but the levels are not unbearable, although it was only about 75% full on Saturday night.
AGAINN is Gaelic meaning "with us," "at us," or "are you going?" and they are careful to pronounce it with the very guttural "g" which sounds nothing like our word "again."
We perused the menu which is not huge and has many options. We started with a selection of a dozen oysters split between Blue Point and Malpeque, the former being huge and juicy, and the latter a bit more tasty...gobbled up and gone in seconds. Our white wine was a Loire Sauvignon Blanc "Cheverny" 2009 from Domaine du Salvard showing some mineral tones, but having a great french Sauvignon flavor of light citrus; perfect with the bivalves.
Our server Scott was super friendly and helpful with the menu and specials and another server, Siobhan helped as well and always had a smile. We did sadly have to pour the wine ourselves at least twice.
Will's starter was the Warm ASAPARGUS with Smoked Hen Egg (aren't all chicken eggs from hens?) and Guanciale Dressing. It was a large plate of huge spears and the dressing had chunks of tasty seared pork cheeks (guanciale). My CORNED BEEF TOUNGUE came with Arugula over Confit POTATOES with a tasty green sauce (a bit spicier than the traditional British, but superb). If I had not had the oysters, I would have loved several more slices of the tasty bovine which was lean and yummy.
We switched to a superb red DOMAINE SAINTE-EUGENIE La Reserve 2008 (Corbieres) and I am going to search this one out as it was velvety, medium to full bodied and a hit with us from the first sip.
Will went English with the SHEPHERD's PIE made with Shenandoah Valley VA. lamb), Scallions, mashed potatoes and they even honored his request to melt some fresh cheddar on top. It was perfectly made and truly superb in every bite. I tried the special SLOW BRAISED VEAL BREAST which was Cider Glazed and served with mustard SPAETZLE, Scallions and Green Garlic. the breast came out with a BBQ-style glazed crunchy skin and was as juicy as could be, not a dry bite (save for the skin). The spaetzle were an added treat and I have to say it was one of the best veal preparations I have had in a while.
We decided to split a dessert and chose the BANOFFEE PIE. We have both visited the home of Banoffee Pie in England, but Scott warned us this was a deconstructed version and served in a Mason jar. Banana, Caramelized Milk was over a Graham Biscuit with Chocolate Ganache and topped with Whipped Cream and the entire dish was indeed well "de" constructed. I normally don't care for whipped cream, but this was really good.
We went home full and happy knowing we would return AGAINN and AGAINN.
AGAINN is Gaelic meaning "with us," "at us," or "are you going?" and they are careful to pronounce it with the very guttural "g" which sounds nothing like our word "again."
We perused the menu which is not huge and has many options. We started with a selection of a dozen oysters split between Blue Point and Malpeque, the former being huge and juicy, and the latter a bit more tasty...gobbled up and gone in seconds. Our white wine was a Loire Sauvignon Blanc "Cheverny" 2009 from Domaine du Salvard showing some mineral tones, but having a great french Sauvignon flavor of light citrus; perfect with the bivalves.
Our server Scott was super friendly and helpful with the menu and specials and another server, Siobhan helped as well and always had a smile. We did sadly have to pour the wine ourselves at least twice.
Will's starter was the Warm ASAPARGUS with Smoked Hen Egg (aren't all chicken eggs from hens?) and Guanciale Dressing. It was a large plate of huge spears and the dressing had chunks of tasty seared pork cheeks (guanciale). My CORNED BEEF TOUNGUE came with Arugula over Confit POTATOES with a tasty green sauce (a bit spicier than the traditional British, but superb). If I had not had the oysters, I would have loved several more slices of the tasty bovine which was lean and yummy.
We switched to a superb red DOMAINE SAINTE-EUGENIE La Reserve 2008 (Corbieres) and I am going to search this one out as it was velvety, medium to full bodied and a hit with us from the first sip.
Will went English with the SHEPHERD's PIE made with Shenandoah Valley VA. lamb), Scallions, mashed potatoes and they even honored his request to melt some fresh cheddar on top. It was perfectly made and truly superb in every bite. I tried the special SLOW BRAISED VEAL BREAST which was Cider Glazed and served with mustard SPAETZLE, Scallions and Green Garlic. the breast came out with a BBQ-style glazed crunchy skin and was as juicy as could be, not a dry bite (save for the skin). The spaetzle were an added treat and I have to say it was one of the best veal preparations I have had in a while.
We decided to split a dessert and chose the BANOFFEE PIE. We have both visited the home of Banoffee Pie in England, but Scott warned us this was a deconstructed version and served in a Mason jar. Banana, Caramelized Milk was over a Graham Biscuit with Chocolate Ganache and topped with Whipped Cream and the entire dish was indeed well "de" constructed. I normally don't care for whipped cream, but this was really good.
We went home full and happy knowing we would return AGAINN and AGAINN.
Friday, May 06, 2011
U Street's ULAH BISTRO - boisterous but not unsuccessful (5-5-11)
Last night we happened upon ULAH Bistro (http://ulahbistro.com) at 1214 U Street, NW and managed to snag a rear corner (quieter than most) table in the jammed restaurant/bar. It's a noisy happy hour scene at the bar which stretches the length of the cramped room with hard wooden chairs and banquettes, but I have to give credit to the food as it is most tasty.
Our server May had some trouble getting me a taste of one of the wines served by the glass, and then when we opted for the bottle of Cuvee Marine, Haut Marin 2010 from Cotes de Gascogne, she had to place it in a large chiller for 5 minutes before it was cold enough to serve. This was odd, as the wine list is not huge and I could not understand why they don't have space to chill the whites. It was a refreshing crisp white with some floral tones and would go well with anything including some of the spicier dishes (Ulah having some Cajun roots, I assume).
Pizza is a big item here and they are large ones for individual portions. Samuel finished off half of his Margharita with chunks of tomato and fresh basil and loved it along with his Shirley Temple.
I started with a huge (understatement) bowl of the STEAMED MUSSELS in Garlic & White Wine which come covered with four pieces of cooked pizza dough slices turned downward to keep the mussels warm. This works and is great for mopping as the bread is softish and doughy and reminded me of pizza-slice shaped pita. Will's AHI TUNA TARTARE with Asian Seaweed, Orange Sesame Dressing & Wasabi was fairly mild, and while tasty, fairly unexciting.
He went on to a "design your own" pizza which are $10 and the toppings are $1.00 each. At $13.00 he loved his Artichoke, Mushroom & Bacon Pizza. I went for the CAJUN FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH which was a huge sandwich on Mini-Challa with a tasty Mango Salsa. The meat was juicy and tender and crunchy on the edges of each breast piece and the spipces were nicely blackened and flavorful. This came (as many sandwiches do) with their metal container paper coned FRENCH FRIES, which were good, but no revelation. I had to ask for the AIOLI that is supposed to come with it; it was chunky with garlic and quite intense; not bad, just different.
Oddly, our main courses were served before I had finished my mussels and nobody seemed to think this was odd.
With lines at the door waiting for tables, I guess their theory is to move you in and out as fast as they can.
The noise levels are not awful, but this is not a quiet spot; the outdoor area might be better on a warmer evening.
We were so full we couldn't even fathom the thought of dessert.
It was fun to walk around the newly revived U Street Corridor, as we don't often meander streets when we head out for dinner. It was bustling and parking spaces were indeed at a premium, but on a warm night, it's definitely an "in" spot these days!
Our server May had some trouble getting me a taste of one of the wines served by the glass, and then when we opted for the bottle of Cuvee Marine, Haut Marin 2010 from Cotes de Gascogne, she had to place it in a large chiller for 5 minutes before it was cold enough to serve. This was odd, as the wine list is not huge and I could not understand why they don't have space to chill the whites. It was a refreshing crisp white with some floral tones and would go well with anything including some of the spicier dishes (Ulah having some Cajun roots, I assume).
Pizza is a big item here and they are large ones for individual portions. Samuel finished off half of his Margharita with chunks of tomato and fresh basil and loved it along with his Shirley Temple.
I started with a huge (understatement) bowl of the STEAMED MUSSELS in Garlic & White Wine which come covered with four pieces of cooked pizza dough slices turned downward to keep the mussels warm. This works and is great for mopping as the bread is softish and doughy and reminded me of pizza-slice shaped pita. Will's AHI TUNA TARTARE with Asian Seaweed, Orange Sesame Dressing & Wasabi was fairly mild, and while tasty, fairly unexciting.
He went on to a "design your own" pizza which are $10 and the toppings are $1.00 each. At $13.00 he loved his Artichoke, Mushroom & Bacon Pizza. I went for the CAJUN FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH which was a huge sandwich on Mini-Challa with a tasty Mango Salsa. The meat was juicy and tender and crunchy on the edges of each breast piece and the spipces were nicely blackened and flavorful. This came (as many sandwiches do) with their metal container paper coned FRENCH FRIES, which were good, but no revelation. I had to ask for the AIOLI that is supposed to come with it; it was chunky with garlic and quite intense; not bad, just different.
Oddly, our main courses were served before I had finished my mussels and nobody seemed to think this was odd.
With lines at the door waiting for tables, I guess their theory is to move you in and out as fast as they can.
The noise levels are not awful, but this is not a quiet spot; the outdoor area might be better on a warmer evening.
We were so full we couldn't even fathom the thought of dessert.
It was fun to walk around the newly revived U Street Corridor, as we don't often meander streets when we head out for dinner. It was bustling and parking spaces were indeed at a premium, but on a warm night, it's definitely an "in" spot these days!
Sunday, May 01, 2011
it's still all about EVE in Alexandria and it's even better than ever at RESTAURANT EVE (4-30-11)
Last night we returned to what is clearly one of the best places for
fine dining for miles around. Chef Cathal Armstrong and his superb
staff make dining in Eve a truly fabulous experience. The BISTRO
section of EVE (as opposed to the even more-multi-course Tasting Room)
is warm ,pleasant, relatively quiet and calm and exudes fine dining to
a tee. On Saturdays there is now only a 3-course tasting menu in the
bistro for $65 and it is a perfect meal as well. The four of us had
one of the best meals we have ever had in DC and nary a thing went
wrong; okay, I had to pour some red wine once during the evening when
the empty glasses went unnoticed.
We sat down to a bottle of FERRATON Pere et Fils "La Matiniere" 2008
CROZES HERMITAGE and it is a superb white Rhone for the price and goes
with everything.
Our starters were varied and all mouth tingling and exciting:
My TARTARE of Pine Ridge Farm BEEF came with Housemade Rye and was a
divine dish with a pepperiness that I always look for in tartare.
Diced BIGEYE TUNE with Hefeweisen-Orange Broth Spring Flowers and
Coriander is another dish chock full of flavors and taste, while the
CRISPY GOAT PATE with madras Curry Vinaigrette is a novelty in that
the goat is rare amongst pate makers I know and this was prepared in a
disc of meat that is coated and fried to a crisp but not greasy at
all.
Our first red was the yummy LUCIEN MUZARD 2008 Santenay "Champs
Claude" Vielles Vignes which had a wonderfully intense earthiness
rather than tons of the usual Pinot Noir fruit. Had I known we were to
receive a special extra dish, I might have chosen white to go with the
richly divine and tantalizing Butter Poached MAINE LOBSTER with WHITE
ASPARAGUS RISOTTO, FAVA BEAN Puree and Kumquat.
We liked the wine so much, we had a second bottle with our main
courses:
Filet of Chesapeake RICKFISH with Maine LOBSTER, Virginia ASAPARAGUS,
Bacon & Sauce Soubise was a lighter main course, but superb
nonetheless. BASQUE STYLE SEAFOOD STEW is similar to bouilliabase but
missed that aioli crouton I always adore! It was tasty and the fennel
was mild (the French version often is so intensely anise-flavored I
can't eat it at all) making for a perfect seafood melange.
Roasted BELLY of KUROBUTA PORK with Pickled RAMPS, Salt & Vinegar Pork
Rinds and Poached Morels was a huge portion of free of fat and
perfecly cooked, altough I must admit I have never been a huge fan of
pork rinds. My Crisp VEAL SWEETBREADS with SMOKED KIELBASA, PIEROGIES
and Braised MUSTARD GREENS was one of my favorite plates of all times.
Simply cooked glands were gorgeous at every bite and the
accompaniments were varied and fun making each taste a bit different
as well. The pierogies were potato filled and creamy pasta pillows and
the kielbasa added a bite here and there. I even adored the greens.
A side dish of SUNCHOKES with Caramelized Onions is one to go for if
you feel like extra veggies. They are tender and tasty and the onions
cooked just so sweet.
As we relaxed and finished our second bottle of Pinot, Chrissy our
sommelieuse suggested we all do the cheese course as we wanted to
taste so many of the wonderful cheeses. She split 3 cheeses to each
plate and then we passed them around the table four times after
dividing each cheese in 4 smaller portions. In all, we were able to
taste 12 cheeses and it was a treat. they were accompanied by a fruit/
nut bread and regular bread--oh I forgot to mention the warm bread
that arrived at the beginning had us begging for more (even the
butter, I am sure it's Irish, is the best)--and a compote of apricot &
cranberries:
Plate 1-
Mileen's Washed Rind (Cork Ireland)
Gubbeen, a hard cow also from Cork
& Cashel Blue (Tipperary)) made up the Irish plate.
I was not thrilled with the Gubben, but the Cashel was divine.
Plate 2-
Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville, WI is an
intense mushroomy cheddar-like cheese that comes from jersey cows that
feed on wildflowers
La Mancha-a manchego-style sharp sheep is from Locust Grove Farm in
Knoxville, TENN
& Point Reyes Blue is from that town in California and is one of the
punchiest blues around.
Plate 3-
Petit Frere is another wash rind earthy cow from Crave Bros in
Waterloo, WI
Mountaineer from Meadow Creek Dairy in Galax, VA was my least favorite
& Julianna is a goat wrapped in herbs de provence from Capriole in
Greenville, IN
whcih got high marks from everyone and could have been the all time
winner.
Plate 4-was the overall top plate combo for me
Durrus from west Cork, Ireland was a superb cheese I had never had
before
Old Kentucky Tomme-also from Capriole was a gorgeous goat as well
& Demi-Sec frpom Pipe Dreams in Greencastle, Pa is another great goat
with great intensity
When they came back I had pocketed the menu and said it was all so
good, I ate the menu.
These were enjoyed with a bottle of PESQUERA 2007 TINTO, a Tempranillo
from Ribera del Duero that worked perfectly with the cheeses across
the board.
Desserts were calling and we chose two to split, but first GM/
Sommelier Todd Thrasher delivered some specialty drinks that he has
become quite famous for. Will gulped down his GIN & TONIC and the
other was (bad notes) St. PATRICK's (something) and Kevin decalred it
an Irish sensation.
The desserts were a tasty, but not too thrilling LEMON-PISTACHIO ICE
CREAM SANDWICHES and COCONUT CREM PIE with COCONUT Ice Cream that we
all loved. Before we could blink, two extra dessert arrived in the
form of the "Birthday Cake...just because." a mini-pink cake with
icing that would delight for any celebration, but the clear winner was
the CHOCOLATE & PEANUT BUTTER Mousse Layer Cake with Peanut brittle
and Candied Peanuts. Now remember, that Will detests peanut butter in
any form or phase, and decalred this dessert a winner in his book. We
may yet have a convert!
Whatever the case, we all have been converted to follow the cooking
genius of Chef Cathal Armstrong and promise not to wonder so long
aimlessly again without returning to EVE!
fine dining for miles around. Chef Cathal Armstrong and his superb
staff make dining in Eve a truly fabulous experience. The BISTRO
section of EVE (as opposed to the even more-multi-course Tasting Room)
is warm ,pleasant, relatively quiet and calm and exudes fine dining to
a tee. On Saturdays there is now only a 3-course tasting menu in the
bistro for $65 and it is a perfect meal as well. The four of us had
one of the best meals we have ever had in DC and nary a thing went
wrong; okay, I had to pour some red wine once during the evening when
the empty glasses went unnoticed.
We sat down to a bottle of FERRATON Pere et Fils "La Matiniere" 2008
CROZES HERMITAGE and it is a superb white Rhone for the price and goes
with everything.
Our starters were varied and all mouth tingling and exciting:
My TARTARE of Pine Ridge Farm BEEF came with Housemade Rye and was a
divine dish with a pepperiness that I always look for in tartare.
Diced BIGEYE TUNE with Hefeweisen-Orange Broth Spring Flowers and
Coriander is another dish chock full of flavors and taste, while the
CRISPY GOAT PATE with madras Curry Vinaigrette is a novelty in that
the goat is rare amongst pate makers I know and this was prepared in a
disc of meat that is coated and fried to a crisp but not greasy at
all.
Our first red was the yummy LUCIEN MUZARD 2008 Santenay "Champs
Claude" Vielles Vignes which had a wonderfully intense earthiness
rather than tons of the usual Pinot Noir fruit. Had I known we were to
receive a special extra dish, I might have chosen white to go with the
richly divine and tantalizing Butter Poached MAINE LOBSTER with WHITE
ASPARAGUS RISOTTO, FAVA BEAN Puree and Kumquat.
We liked the wine so much, we had a second bottle with our main
courses:
Filet of Chesapeake RICKFISH with Maine LOBSTER, Virginia ASAPARAGUS,
Bacon & Sauce Soubise was a lighter main course, but superb
nonetheless. BASQUE STYLE SEAFOOD STEW is similar to bouilliabase but
missed that aioli crouton I always adore! It was tasty and the fennel
was mild (the French version often is so intensely anise-flavored I
can't eat it at all) making for a perfect seafood melange.
Roasted BELLY of KUROBUTA PORK with Pickled RAMPS, Salt & Vinegar Pork
Rinds and Poached Morels was a huge portion of free of fat and
perfecly cooked, altough I must admit I have never been a huge fan of
pork rinds. My Crisp VEAL SWEETBREADS with SMOKED KIELBASA, PIEROGIES
and Braised MUSTARD GREENS was one of my favorite plates of all times.
Simply cooked glands were gorgeous at every bite and the
accompaniments were varied and fun making each taste a bit different
as well. The pierogies were potato filled and creamy pasta pillows and
the kielbasa added a bite here and there. I even adored the greens.
A side dish of SUNCHOKES with Caramelized Onions is one to go for if
you feel like extra veggies. They are tender and tasty and the onions
cooked just so sweet.
As we relaxed and finished our second bottle of Pinot, Chrissy our
sommelieuse suggested we all do the cheese course as we wanted to
taste so many of the wonderful cheeses. She split 3 cheeses to each
plate and then we passed them around the table four times after
dividing each cheese in 4 smaller portions. In all, we were able to
taste 12 cheeses and it was a treat. they were accompanied by a fruit/
nut bread and regular bread--oh I forgot to mention the warm bread
that arrived at the beginning had us begging for more (even the
butter, I am sure it's Irish, is the best)--and a compote of apricot &
cranberries:
Plate 1-
Mileen's Washed Rind (Cork Ireland)
Gubbeen, a hard cow also from Cork
& Cashel Blue (Tipperary)) made up the Irish plate.
I was not thrilled with the Gubben, but the Cashel was divine.
Plate 2-
Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville, WI is an
intense mushroomy cheddar-like cheese that comes from jersey cows that
feed on wildflowers
La Mancha-a manchego-style sharp sheep is from Locust Grove Farm in
Knoxville, TENN
& Point Reyes Blue is from that town in California and is one of the
punchiest blues around.
Plate 3-
Petit Frere is another wash rind earthy cow from Crave Bros in
Waterloo, WI
Mountaineer from Meadow Creek Dairy in Galax, VA was my least favorite
& Julianna is a goat wrapped in herbs de provence from Capriole in
Greenville, IN
whcih got high marks from everyone and could have been the all time
winner.
Plate 4-was the overall top plate combo for me
Durrus from west Cork, Ireland was a superb cheese I had never had
before
Old Kentucky Tomme-also from Capriole was a gorgeous goat as well
& Demi-Sec frpom Pipe Dreams in Greencastle, Pa is another great goat
with great intensity
When they came back I had pocketed the menu and said it was all so
good, I ate the menu.
These were enjoyed with a bottle of PESQUERA 2007 TINTO, a Tempranillo
from Ribera del Duero that worked perfectly with the cheeses across
the board.
Desserts were calling and we chose two to split, but first GM/
Sommelier Todd Thrasher delivered some specialty drinks that he has
become quite famous for. Will gulped down his GIN & TONIC and the
other was (bad notes) St. PATRICK's (something) and Kevin decalred it
an Irish sensation.
The desserts were a tasty, but not too thrilling LEMON-PISTACHIO ICE
CREAM SANDWICHES and COCONUT CREM PIE with COCONUT Ice Cream that we
all loved. Before we could blink, two extra dessert arrived in the
form of the "Birthday Cake...just because." a mini-pink cake with
icing that would delight for any celebration, but the clear winner was
the CHOCOLATE & PEANUT BUTTER Mousse Layer Cake with Peanut brittle
and Candied Peanuts. Now remember, that Will detests peanut butter in
any form or phase, and decalred this dessert a winner in his book. We
may yet have a convert!
Whatever the case, we all have been converted to follow the cooking
genius of Chef Cathal Armstrong and promise not to wonder so long
aimlessly again without returning to EVE!
Monday, April 25, 2011
DINO's does PASSOVER near perfect (4-24-11)
Each year a couple of places in town offer Passover "Style" menus, and while none of these are truly kosher, DINO's gets it pretty good(http://www.dino-dc.com). Just across from the Uptown theater, with indoor and outdoor seating, Chef/Owner Dean Gold melds Jewish and Italian cooking wonderfully for some truly great dishes.
While this special is now over, the $55 per person ($25 for kids) is literally a full seder meal with everything served family style so you don't have to choose between the items as well (although you can ask for more of something and less of another, etc).
ANTIPASTI:
Venetian, Egyptian and Ella's (Ashkenazi style) Harosets clearly show the difference between the tasty date inclusive of the first two and the traditional Ella's (Dean's mom) which sadly falls flat in comparison. Plenty of Aviv Matza is served and it tastes even better according to Samuel with olive oil and the coarse sea salt on the bowl at each table. I tasted the White Horseradish and deemed it the best ever. It was so fresh, it had to be with a great vinegary lemony taste. It was GOLD's! It was divine on the superb tasting JACK's FISH MARKET GEFILTE FISH which Dean prepares by hand each year from a recipe he got in Chicago. The SPRING SALAD has Zach's "bitter" and spicy greens from Virginia with lemon and old balsamico dressing that is superb on this tasty salad. We started to take down the dressing recipe, then gave up as it seemed just too much work!
Dean's "Better than Ella's" CHOPPED CHICKEN LIVER was a big hit with me, but the rest of the table was not wolfing it down, maybe it's cultural or an adult thing (we were three adults and two boys).
next came a peppery CHICKEN SOUP loaded with greens and Dean's "Better than Ella's" Duck Schmaltz MATZO BALLS. The balls disappeared as fast you could say "dayenu" and I really though the kids were going to ask for more. While the adults liked the soup as well, the peppery taste was a bit too much for the kids....more for us.
The main courses were
MANZO al VINO ROSSO-a slow cooked brisket with red wine, which was good, tender, but some pieces were a bit dryish
POLLO alla CACCIATORE-a traditional as it gets Chicken braised in tomato, wine and mushrooms
and the most delicious
HALIBUT AL MOSAICA-a wild Alaskan Halibut cooked perfectly with tomato, garlic, parsley, spices in the traditional Jewish tradition of Livorno.
There were sides too:
a tasty MATZO FARFEL which did not suffer from gumminess at all,
SAUTEED SPRING GREENS and
yummy al dente TZIMMES, which also often suffers from such overcooking it is mush.
Dean said he offered kosher wines one year and nobody wanted them. We gave in and ordered a bottle of "LE PUPILE" Traminer/Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from MAREMMA "Poggio Argentato" that we all loved as it was crispy and dry but full of flavor. Our red was a divine Occhipiniti NERO d'AVOLA "Siccagno" 2007 from Sicily that Dean described and lush and spicy like Sophia Loren. It was indeed just that.
It's asparagus season and the boys got some gorgeous fresh ones and Dino's even has WILD ASPARAGUS on their menus now!
There are also Passover desserts:
A TORETA di RE-dense, gooey almond cake with barberries
TORTA di CIOCOLATO-a flourless chocolate cake
and of course I always go for the cheese.
Last night I chose
GUFFANTI ROBIOLA Invecchiato in Foglia di Castagne- a cow cheese from Cuneo wrapped in chestnut leaves
and
GUFFANTI ERBORINATO di PECORA from Val Pusteria- ahoney drizzled sheep that is blue and peppery and intense and I ADORED despite its amazing intensity
Our friends had never been to Dino's before and could not wait to return AFTER Passover for the real menu of pasta and more...and us too!
While this special is now over, the $55 per person ($25 for kids) is literally a full seder meal with everything served family style so you don't have to choose between the items as well (although you can ask for more of something and less of another, etc).
ANTIPASTI:
Venetian, Egyptian and Ella's (Ashkenazi style) Harosets clearly show the difference between the tasty date inclusive of the first two and the traditional Ella's (Dean's mom) which sadly falls flat in comparison. Plenty of Aviv Matza is served and it tastes even better according to Samuel with olive oil and the coarse sea salt on the bowl at each table. I tasted the White Horseradish and deemed it the best ever. It was so fresh, it had to be with a great vinegary lemony taste. It was GOLD's! It was divine on the superb tasting JACK's FISH MARKET GEFILTE FISH which Dean prepares by hand each year from a recipe he got in Chicago. The SPRING SALAD has Zach's "bitter" and spicy greens from Virginia with lemon and old balsamico dressing that is superb on this tasty salad. We started to take down the dressing recipe, then gave up as it seemed just too much work!
Dean's "Better than Ella's" CHOPPED CHICKEN LIVER was a big hit with me, but the rest of the table was not wolfing it down, maybe it's cultural or an adult thing (we were three adults and two boys).
next came a peppery CHICKEN SOUP loaded with greens and Dean's "Better than Ella's" Duck Schmaltz MATZO BALLS. The balls disappeared as fast you could say "dayenu" and I really though the kids were going to ask for more. While the adults liked the soup as well, the peppery taste was a bit too much for the kids....more for us.
The main courses were
MANZO al VINO ROSSO-a slow cooked brisket with red wine, which was good, tender, but some pieces were a bit dryish
POLLO alla CACCIATORE-a traditional as it gets Chicken braised in tomato, wine and mushrooms
and the most delicious
HALIBUT AL MOSAICA-a wild Alaskan Halibut cooked perfectly with tomato, garlic, parsley, spices in the traditional Jewish tradition of Livorno.
There were sides too:
a tasty MATZO FARFEL which did not suffer from gumminess at all,
SAUTEED SPRING GREENS and
yummy al dente TZIMMES, which also often suffers from such overcooking it is mush.
Dean said he offered kosher wines one year and nobody wanted them. We gave in and ordered a bottle of "LE PUPILE" Traminer/Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from MAREMMA "Poggio Argentato" that we all loved as it was crispy and dry but full of flavor. Our red was a divine Occhipiniti NERO d'AVOLA "Siccagno" 2007 from Sicily that Dean described and lush and spicy like Sophia Loren. It was indeed just that.
It's asparagus season and the boys got some gorgeous fresh ones and Dino's even has WILD ASPARAGUS on their menus now!
There are also Passover desserts:
A TORETA di RE-dense, gooey almond cake with barberries
TORTA di CIOCOLATO-a flourless chocolate cake
and of course I always go for the cheese.
Last night I chose
GUFFANTI ROBIOLA Invecchiato in Foglia di Castagne- a cow cheese from Cuneo wrapped in chestnut leaves
and
GUFFANTI ERBORINATO di PECORA from Val Pusteria- ahoney drizzled sheep that is blue and peppery and intense and I ADORED despite its amazing intensity
Our friends had never been to Dino's before and could not wait to return AFTER Passover for the real menu of pasta and more...and us too!
Monday, April 18, 2011
M Street Bar & Grill makes M Street pretty good (4-16-11)
Last month we purchased a meal for 4 at an auction for the M Street
Bar & Grill in the St. Greogory Hotel (at the corner of New Hampshire
Ave & 21 St, NW) (www.mstreetbarandgrill.com) and had quite a
surprisingly good meal there. Chef Edgar Melendez does well with a
basic hotel menu but ups the ante a notch or two with quality food for
a very good price to boot. You can eat any main course in the $20's
here and the wiens are the same or a bit more if you choose. We liked
the Penfold's Rawson's Retreat Merlot '08 as well as the Paul Dolan
2006 Zinfandel made from a blend of Mendocino(63%) and Amador
County(37%) grapes.
A nice crunchy amuse of two large plump coconut crusted shrimp arrived
and we gobbled them up quickly.
The starters were CHICKEN & TORILLA SOUP with Pico de Gallo and the
House made EMPANADAS with Guacomole and jalapenos. Neither was very
spicy (again, this is a hotel) and the one issue we had was that the
food was not piping hot; it was about lukewarm to low hot.
The main courses were impressive dishes of PAN SEARED SALMON with
MUSHROOM DUXELLES, Chorizo Mac & Cheese Spatzle, Garlic Cream Sauce
and Crispy Leeks. The salmon had a tasty crust as well and wowed us
all. The Mac & Cheese Spaetzle also came as a side dish and it has to
be one of the best versions of MAC & CHEESE anywhere!
The NY Steak is a Grilled 10oz Angus Steak with Garlic Mashed
Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus and finished with Sauce Mornay- a true
delight. If you want the steak sliced and spicy go for the M Street
Steak Inferno
Pan Seared Center Cut Sirloin Steak, over Bacon- Potato Hash, Wilted
Watercress
Topped with Cognac Cream Sauce and can be served “au poivre” which
makes for a superb tasty dish and a great juicy steak.
Desserts were SEASONAL BERRY CREPES with Creme Anglaise (which turned
out to be whipped cream) and a tasty (we were told) BANANA FRITTERS a
la Mode with Caramel Sauce.
All in all the service was quite good; we had to pour our wine once or
twice, and the food quality and reasonable.
I can't say that it is a revelation, but it is a good pacle to dine
for sure!
--
Bar & Grill in the St. Greogory Hotel (at the corner of New Hampshire
Ave & 21 St, NW) (www.mstreetbarandgrill.com) and had quite a
surprisingly good meal there. Chef Edgar Melendez does well with a
basic hotel menu but ups the ante a notch or two with quality food for
a very good price to boot. You can eat any main course in the $20's
here and the wiens are the same or a bit more if you choose. We liked
the Penfold's Rawson's Retreat Merlot '08 as well as the Paul Dolan
2006 Zinfandel made from a blend of Mendocino(63%) and Amador
County(37%) grapes.
A nice crunchy amuse of two large plump coconut crusted shrimp arrived
and we gobbled them up quickly.
The starters were CHICKEN & TORILLA SOUP with Pico de Gallo and the
House made EMPANADAS with Guacomole and jalapenos. Neither was very
spicy (again, this is a hotel) and the one issue we had was that the
food was not piping hot; it was about lukewarm to low hot.
The main courses were impressive dishes of PAN SEARED SALMON with
MUSHROOM DUXELLES, Chorizo Mac & Cheese Spatzle, Garlic Cream Sauce
and Crispy Leeks. The salmon had a tasty crust as well and wowed us
all. The Mac & Cheese Spaetzle also came as a side dish and it has to
be one of the best versions of MAC & CHEESE anywhere!
The NY Steak is a Grilled 10oz Angus Steak with Garlic Mashed
Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus and finished with Sauce Mornay- a true
delight. If you want the steak sliced and spicy go for the M Street
Steak Inferno
Pan Seared Center Cut Sirloin Steak, over Bacon- Potato Hash, Wilted
Watercress
Topped with Cognac Cream Sauce and can be served “au poivre” which
makes for a superb tasty dish and a great juicy steak.
Desserts were SEASONAL BERRY CREPES with Creme Anglaise (which turned
out to be whipped cream) and a tasty (we were told) BANANA FRITTERS a
la Mode with Caramel Sauce.
All in all the service was quite good; we had to pour our wine once or
twice, and the food quality and reasonable.
I can't say that it is a revelation, but it is a good pacle to dine
for sure!
--
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Rosslyn's CHINA GARDEN is a steal and a deal and good, too! (4-10-11)
We decided to make it an Asian weekend taking out our house guest who was starring in the UrbanArias Festival at the Artisphere in Rosslyn (Arlington, VA). We headed right across the street to CHINA GARDEN RESTAURANT (www.chinagardenva.com) at 1100 Wilson Blvd on the mezzanine level (validated parking available)
and we were totally taken by the meal and the deal.
We had ordered take out before from China Garden ages ago and it was great, but the last time we did takeout, it was not too good, Perhaps it was the items we chose, perhaps they had a bad night.
We headed up the escalator and saw a huge group of Chinese folk in the main room and it looked like a private party; it was. We were worried they might be closed, but they were taking regular diners in the not too elegant back function room. We heard the goings on for this "Chinese New Year party" in the main room including some truly awful singing, lots of speeches in Chinese and other entertainment; it was indeed, entertaining.
We ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and were told that it was sold out. The server suggested the Chardonnay, but that was only available by the split (Vendange, like they serve on planes) which was totally unacceptable. I asked which whites they had in full bottles and only the Pinot Grigio was still in stock, so we asked for the Merlot.
She tried to give us Cabernet and then said the Merlot (Glass Mountain or such) was $5 more--so $25.00 We were okay with that and it was indeed just about decent, not much more.
The starters we opted for were the FRIED WONTONS, which were crispy and nice, but needed a bit more filling.
The SPRING ROLLS were also crispy (although so hot, I burnt the roof of my mouth) and stuffed full of yummy stuff. We wanted STEAMED VEGETABLE DUMPLINGS, but were told these were also gone, so we switched to tasty CHICKEN DUMPLINGS instead which also came with a thicker than soy dipping sauce that was just perfect.
We did listen to our server and BOY were we glad we did as the three main courses were all top notch dishes, filling with lots of meat and really everyone just perfect.
SINGAPORE CHOW FOON is a noodle dish with curry (she said spicy, but it was very mild) loaded with shrimp, chicken, Chinese veggies and more; we all loved this.
We looked at a Lamb special, but we were steered to the SPICED LAMB with GINGER & SOY which was tender and perfectly seasoned. The hit dish of the evening was the CRISPY TEA SMOKED DUCK with STEAMED BUNS which came with a sauce that was akin to Hoisin and not sweet or plummy (as the Peking Duck sauce is). The duck was perfectly cooked and crispy skin made it a treat. We loaded the simple puffy buns with duck, scallions and sauce and gobbled up the "sandwiches."
As we finished we received the requisite fortune cookies but also a complimentary RED BEAN PUDDING which was like a cross between a pudding and a panna cotta yet made with beans, giving it an odd flavor with a bit of a pasty texture. It was interesting for sure, but I wouldn't order it again.
We really loved everything and would run back to China garden since it's only 5 minutes away!
and we were totally taken by the meal and the deal.
We had ordered take out before from China Garden ages ago and it was great, but the last time we did takeout, it was not too good, Perhaps it was the items we chose, perhaps they had a bad night.
We headed up the escalator and saw a huge group of Chinese folk in the main room and it looked like a private party; it was. We were worried they might be closed, but they were taking regular diners in the not too elegant back function room. We heard the goings on for this "Chinese New Year party" in the main room including some truly awful singing, lots of speeches in Chinese and other entertainment; it was indeed, entertaining.
We ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and were told that it was sold out. The server suggested the Chardonnay, but that was only available by the split (Vendange, like they serve on planes) which was totally unacceptable. I asked which whites they had in full bottles and only the Pinot Grigio was still in stock, so we asked for the Merlot.
She tried to give us Cabernet and then said the Merlot (Glass Mountain or such) was $5 more--so $25.00 We were okay with that and it was indeed just about decent, not much more.
The starters we opted for were the FRIED WONTONS, which were crispy and nice, but needed a bit more filling.
The SPRING ROLLS were also crispy (although so hot, I burnt the roof of my mouth) and stuffed full of yummy stuff. We wanted STEAMED VEGETABLE DUMPLINGS, but were told these were also gone, so we switched to tasty CHICKEN DUMPLINGS instead which also came with a thicker than soy dipping sauce that was just perfect.
We did listen to our server and BOY were we glad we did as the three main courses were all top notch dishes, filling with lots of meat and really everyone just perfect.
SINGAPORE CHOW FOON is a noodle dish with curry (she said spicy, but it was very mild) loaded with shrimp, chicken, Chinese veggies and more; we all loved this.
We looked at a Lamb special, but we were steered to the SPICED LAMB with GINGER & SOY which was tender and perfectly seasoned. The hit dish of the evening was the CRISPY TEA SMOKED DUCK with STEAMED BUNS which came with a sauce that was akin to Hoisin and not sweet or plummy (as the Peking Duck sauce is). The duck was perfectly cooked and crispy skin made it a treat. We loaded the simple puffy buns with duck, scallions and sauce and gobbled up the "sandwiches."
As we finished we received the requisite fortune cookies but also a complimentary RED BEAN PUDDING which was like a cross between a pudding and a panna cotta yet made with beans, giving it an odd flavor with a bit of a pasty texture. It was interesting for sure, but I wouldn't order it again.
We really loved everything and would run back to China garden since it's only 5 minutes away!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
T.H.A.I. in Shirlington is a treat-sometimes (4-9-11)
Shirlington (in Arlington) is a great little neighborhood, except when it is jammed on Saturday night. We had theater tickets at the beautiful Signature Theatre complex and headed over to T.H.A.I. in Shirlington (nobody could explain the periods in the name) beforehand.
It seemed to take a while to get noticed, but once we did, all went well. We quaffed a $20-something perfectly ideal for spice or not VIOGNIER from MONT PELLIER 2008 in California that they also serve by the glass.
Appetizers range from a special COCONUT FRIED SHRIMP that is more of a fried shrimp ball than the whole battered shrimp with a nice sweet chili dip to Pan Seared SQUASH POTSTICKERS which sounded so great but were bland in their butternut squash and sweet potato filling and the scallion spicy ginger-soy dip was not spicy at all to the uber SUMMER ROLL, a simple soft rice roll with shrimp and pork loin, veggies and a killer Sweet Peanut-Chili Dip that packed a punch.
Chicken Coconut Soup was nice, but needed a bit more spice or lemongrass as well.
The four of us smartly settled on three main courses:
PENANG PERFECT is a chicken in coconut curry with peanut sauce, basil and kaffir lime leaves and needs lots of rice as it is quite rich, but yummy.
The special Pan Asian SEA BASS with steamed veggies and Jasmine Rice was simply nice
and the CRYING TIGER was a slightly overcooked to medium (and hence dry) flank steak with a great sauce...just ask for it medium rare!
Will saw the BANANA SPLIT BRULEE and I knew it would be a basic sundae with banana, Coconut Ice Cream, Thai Coffee Ice Cream, Strawberry Sorbet, peanuts and Caramel & Chocolate Sauces...what a mess in my mind.
The FLAMBE THAI BANANA is much better and flambeed tableside in Grand Marnier for a show and served with orange peel, toasted coconut, sesame seeds and Chocolate Ice Cream.
If you are in Shirlington, THAI is a decent choice, but anywhere else in Arlington, Falls Church or the area, I think better Thai exists.
It seemed to take a while to get noticed, but once we did, all went well. We quaffed a $20-something perfectly ideal for spice or not VIOGNIER from MONT PELLIER 2008 in California that they also serve by the glass.
Appetizers range from a special COCONUT FRIED SHRIMP that is more of a fried shrimp ball than the whole battered shrimp with a nice sweet chili dip to Pan Seared SQUASH POTSTICKERS which sounded so great but were bland in their butternut squash and sweet potato filling and the scallion spicy ginger-soy dip was not spicy at all to the uber SUMMER ROLL, a simple soft rice roll with shrimp and pork loin, veggies and a killer Sweet Peanut-Chili Dip that packed a punch.
Chicken Coconut Soup was nice, but needed a bit more spice or lemongrass as well.
The four of us smartly settled on three main courses:
PENANG PERFECT is a chicken in coconut curry with peanut sauce, basil and kaffir lime leaves and needs lots of rice as it is quite rich, but yummy.
The special Pan Asian SEA BASS with steamed veggies and Jasmine Rice was simply nice
and the CRYING TIGER was a slightly overcooked to medium (and hence dry) flank steak with a great sauce...just ask for it medium rare!
Will saw the BANANA SPLIT BRULEE and I knew it would be a basic sundae with banana, Coconut Ice Cream, Thai Coffee Ice Cream, Strawberry Sorbet, peanuts and Caramel & Chocolate Sauces...what a mess in my mind.
The FLAMBE THAI BANANA is much better and flambeed tableside in Grand Marnier for a show and served with orange peel, toasted coconut, sesame seeds and Chocolate Ice Cream.
If you are in Shirlington, THAI is a decent choice, but anywhere else in Arlington, Falls Church or the area, I think better Thai exists.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
NYC's AMBER ambles and survives (4-2-11)
Amber has several locations in NYC and Saturday night I hit the one on
the Upper West Side at 221 Columbus Ave (@70th St.-
www.amberwestside.com) in between two wonderful opera performances at
the Met.
On entry I noticed my cellfone was low and I asked at the hostess
stand if they could find an outlet to charge it...they were kind and
offered to watch the phone at the stand and charge it there. I then
hit the nice clean bathrooms and then settled in to see a woman and
her two boys (aged 2 & 4) at the next table chowing down on sushi. I
remarked that perhaps they could come and give our Samuel a lesson on
eating sushi as they were so good at using the kid-friendly chopsticks
(and Sam refuses to touch sushi). There is dining on the glass
enclosed sidewalk section or the more darkened rear dining room
depending on your mood as well.
As soon as I sat two servers came by to ask if I wanted a drink, but I
had not even opened my menu. I decided on what was called a "personal
bottle" of saki. These actually are 250-350ml size bottles and I was
surprised at the low prices all below $20. I chose a smooth medium dry
yet with huge flavors in the mouth Junmai called Hitori Musumi, a
great choice with all my 3 courses.
As I awaited my first course the woman with the two boys was clearly
upset over her quite expensive Omikase platter which she said was
basic sushi and sashimi (it kind of was, but it was very pretty);
nobody seemed to care she was upset. At this point her boys stopped
munching sushi and started to just mess around. One played with wasabi
with his fingers and cried when he rubbed his eyes and then ran around
the restaurant for an hour. OK, maybe I prefer Samuel's behavior when
we dine out to this and he can skip the sushi for now!
My first plate was a MIXED FIELD GREENS with SASHIMI (tuna, salmon and
whitefish) and a Lemongrass White Soy Dressing. The greens were simple
and it needed more dressing especially for the fairly bland sashimi
(now I felt for the lady with the Omikase). It sat in a kind of thin
bowl of rice paper which was stabilized with a glob of wasabi
underneath. I did not know this and broke apart the "bowl" and munched
and then hit a ton of wasabi with some greens!
KUMAMOTO Oysters come in a dozen and are larger here than normal with
a Citrus Dressing and Golden Tobiko Garnish. When they arrived I
noticed that there was no tobiko and so I asked my server who came
back to tell me that a "tobiko Garnish" is pulverized into the citrus
dressing--ok what kind of crap is that? I must, however, say the
oysters were superb and the slightly soy-tasting citrus dressing was
just a dab on each oyster and just right.
PAD THAI with CHICKEN is a super dish here and at $12 or $13 is a
steal for a west side dinner garnished with peanuts, tofu, bean
sprouts and even nicer leafy greens than the salad and a lime wedge.
It was the perfect main course on a not so warm April evening....
I left thinking I might come back and avoid the sushi dishes and stick
with the Asian cooked ones.
--
the Upper West Side at 221 Columbus Ave (@70th St.-
www.amberwestside.com) in between two wonderful opera performances at
the Met.
On entry I noticed my cellfone was low and I asked at the hostess
stand if they could find an outlet to charge it...they were kind and
offered to watch the phone at the stand and charge it there. I then
hit the nice clean bathrooms and then settled in to see a woman and
her two boys (aged 2 & 4) at the next table chowing down on sushi. I
remarked that perhaps they could come and give our Samuel a lesson on
eating sushi as they were so good at using the kid-friendly chopsticks
(and Sam refuses to touch sushi). There is dining on the glass
enclosed sidewalk section or the more darkened rear dining room
depending on your mood as well.
As soon as I sat two servers came by to ask if I wanted a drink, but I
had not even opened my menu. I decided on what was called a "personal
bottle" of saki. These actually are 250-350ml size bottles and I was
surprised at the low prices all below $20. I chose a smooth medium dry
yet with huge flavors in the mouth Junmai called Hitori Musumi, a
great choice with all my 3 courses.
As I awaited my first course the woman with the two boys was clearly
upset over her quite expensive Omikase platter which she said was
basic sushi and sashimi (it kind of was, but it was very pretty);
nobody seemed to care she was upset. At this point her boys stopped
munching sushi and started to just mess around. One played with wasabi
with his fingers and cried when he rubbed his eyes and then ran around
the restaurant for an hour. OK, maybe I prefer Samuel's behavior when
we dine out to this and he can skip the sushi for now!
My first plate was a MIXED FIELD GREENS with SASHIMI (tuna, salmon and
whitefish) and a Lemongrass White Soy Dressing. The greens were simple
and it needed more dressing especially for the fairly bland sashimi
(now I felt for the lady with the Omikase). It sat in a kind of thin
bowl of rice paper which was stabilized with a glob of wasabi
underneath. I did not know this and broke apart the "bowl" and munched
and then hit a ton of wasabi with some greens!
KUMAMOTO Oysters come in a dozen and are larger here than normal with
a Citrus Dressing and Golden Tobiko Garnish. When they arrived I
noticed that there was no tobiko and so I asked my server who came
back to tell me that a "tobiko Garnish" is pulverized into the citrus
dressing--ok what kind of crap is that? I must, however, say the
oysters were superb and the slightly soy-tasting citrus dressing was
just a dab on each oyster and just right.
PAD THAI with CHICKEN is a super dish here and at $12 or $13 is a
steal for a west side dinner garnished with peanuts, tofu, bean
sprouts and even nicer leafy greens than the salad and a lime wedge.
It was the perfect main course on a not so warm April evening....
I left thinking I might come back and avoid the sushi dishes and stick
with the Asian cooked ones.
--
Monday, March 14, 2011
NYC-NATSUMI is neat in Times Square(3-12-11)
I found myself wandering north of Times Square Saturday evening before
the theater and remembered how I adored Natsumi (www.natsuminyc.com-
226 West 50th Street)on my previous visits. I headed right over and
the place was very quiet at 5:30pm, only to be full when I left two
hours later.
I was seated at the sushi bar and got to watch the three chefs at
work, and even chatted some, although they were busy and didn't seem
to like small talk in English.
I started with a SPICY MARTINI, knowing my show was a light musical, I
could drink heavily! This large portioned drink made with jalapeno
vodka, canton ginger liqueur and a splash of lemonade, is not too
spicy but is a strong martini for sure and was indeed a nice foil to
may starter salad of ENDIVE, Mustard & UNAGI. I am in love with this
simple salad of SMOKED warm EEL served in three large Endive leaves
with walnut pieces on the side (they should sprinkle them on top for
crunch as using chopsticks to move them can be tough--I reverted to
fingers) and a soy based Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette.
As I was at the sushi bar, I decided to forego some of the Asian-
Italian fusion pasta dishes I love here, but still chose the Italian
named "BACIA de FROCO." This Spicy Super White Tuna Sushi is made with
Kani, Tempura Flakes, Asparagus and has an medium spiced Asian Chili
Sauce. I liked to quickly dip each piece in soy for a bit of extra
flavor, although the wasabi on the side was totally unnecessary.
Indeed the ginger here is so fresh and tasty one could munch on it to
no end.
I enjoyed this with SHICHIKEN JUNMAI GINGO SAKE which is served by the
half carafe and each carafe has a hole in the center for ice to keep
it cold, but not dilute; how smart is that? After finishing this sake
I went on to a less pricey, but even better OTOKAYAMA JUNMAI.
I had a hard time choosing sushi and really wanted the DOPPIO TORO
(another Italian namesake), so the lady next to me offered me a piece
of hers as she could not finish....how nice was that! The Doppio Toro
melds two toro sushis-salmon and yellowtail--with asparagus, avocado,
tempura flakes (I love these for crunch), pesto and a spicy mayo
sauce. The sauces come beautifully decorating the platters and are
never overdone or too much, and you can easily use just a smidgen if
you like as it is not in a bowl or dish to dip.
I loved the TORO so the sushi chef suggested the HAMACHI TORO of two
pieces which was simply plain and perfect. I then finished my sushi
course with the CHUTORO two pieces of tuna toro, one seared and one
not. The unseared was a bit chewy, but the seared was perfection.
A small plate of WAFU SEAWEED Salad was my "dessert" here presented
atop cucumber "logs" with a slightly too rich Ponzu dressing. I will
stick to the seaweed at my Sushi A GoGo and in the future head to the
unagi/endive salad when here.
the theater and remembered how I adored Natsumi (www.natsuminyc.com-
226 West 50th Street)on my previous visits. I headed right over and
the place was very quiet at 5:30pm, only to be full when I left two
hours later.
I was seated at the sushi bar and got to watch the three chefs at
work, and even chatted some, although they were busy and didn't seem
to like small talk in English.
I started with a SPICY MARTINI, knowing my show was a light musical, I
could drink heavily! This large portioned drink made with jalapeno
vodka, canton ginger liqueur and a splash of lemonade, is not too
spicy but is a strong martini for sure and was indeed a nice foil to
may starter salad of ENDIVE, Mustard & UNAGI. I am in love with this
simple salad of SMOKED warm EEL served in three large Endive leaves
with walnut pieces on the side (they should sprinkle them on top for
crunch as using chopsticks to move them can be tough--I reverted to
fingers) and a soy based Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette.
As I was at the sushi bar, I decided to forego some of the Asian-
Italian fusion pasta dishes I love here, but still chose the Italian
named "BACIA de FROCO." This Spicy Super White Tuna Sushi is made with
Kani, Tempura Flakes, Asparagus and has an medium spiced Asian Chili
Sauce. I liked to quickly dip each piece in soy for a bit of extra
flavor, although the wasabi on the side was totally unnecessary.
Indeed the ginger here is so fresh and tasty one could munch on it to
no end.
I enjoyed this with SHICHIKEN JUNMAI GINGO SAKE which is served by the
half carafe and each carafe has a hole in the center for ice to keep
it cold, but not dilute; how smart is that? After finishing this sake
I went on to a less pricey, but even better OTOKAYAMA JUNMAI.
I had a hard time choosing sushi and really wanted the DOPPIO TORO
(another Italian namesake), so the lady next to me offered me a piece
of hers as she could not finish....how nice was that! The Doppio Toro
melds two toro sushis-salmon and yellowtail--with asparagus, avocado,
tempura flakes (I love these for crunch), pesto and a spicy mayo
sauce. The sauces come beautifully decorating the platters and are
never overdone or too much, and you can easily use just a smidgen if
you like as it is not in a bowl or dish to dip.
I loved the TORO so the sushi chef suggested the HAMACHI TORO of two
pieces which was simply plain and perfect. I then finished my sushi
course with the CHUTORO two pieces of tuna toro, one seared and one
not. The unseared was a bit chewy, but the seared was perfection.
A small plate of WAFU SEAWEED Salad was my "dessert" here presented
atop cucumber "logs" with a slightly too rich Ponzu dressing. I will
stick to the seaweed at my Sushi A GoGo and in the future head to the
unagi/endive salad when here.
DINO's in DC is doing it better than ever (3-10-11)
Every year Food & Friends has te Washington, DC citywide benefit
called DINING OUT FOR LIFE. Many restaurants donate a portion of their
proceeds and DINO's was generous this year at the 35% level, so we
decided to return with Samuel and our friends Mel & Juan. The place
was jammed when we arived and we had a short wait for our table and
enjoyed somes wines by the glass at the bar: ALERAMO (Cortese) 2009
from PIedmont and Mt. Eden Arroyo Seco Chardonay 2008 from Monterey
while we munched the yummy complimentary olives, pickled veggies,
tapenades, bread, marianted beans and more that grace the bar each
evening.
When we got to our table Samuel ordered up his standard Pasta with
Tomato Sauce and a giant meatball (extra Parmesan, please) as he
dipped the yummy bread in olive oil (quality stuff). He was one happy
camper as we ordered some starters to share:
BURRATA with Kalamata Olive and Red Pepper Purees and Oven Roasted
Tomatoes is still some of the best burrata to be found around.
CAVOLINI are Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions, Crispy Pork
Belly and Aged Balsamic and will make any Brussels spout lover (we
both are) happy, although there were some belly pieces that were a bit
too fatty.
CARCIOFI FRITTI -These baby green artichokes are flown in from the
Santa Monica Farmer's Market and fried simply with black salt and
lemon and were gone so fast, we thought we should order
more.....but....
There is a fixed price 3-course option most evenings and at $39 for a
starter or half pasta/ main course/ and dessert we needed to move on
and avoid over-eating to boot.
Our first wine was a creamy but dry Santa Barbara "Le Vaglie"
Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi 2009 from Marche.
Juan started with the superbly seasoned and tasty TROTTER TOTS which
are a croquette made from potato and pig's trotters from Ossabaw pork.
This take on the "tater tot" is a great way to get kids into their
foods with new tastes!
RISOTTO ai FUNGHI was rich and creamy with sage and garlic and the
PAPPARDELLE with FUNGHI sported some great wild exotic mushrooms but
was not as exciting as the other pastas. My pasta was the simply
termed SUGO which was a mix of many meats in a rich dark sauce with
wide pasta that was simply superb. It was a huge portion, but I
managed to get through it (I did have to take home part of my main
course!)
We moved on to a \COLLEMATTONI 2007 Rosso di Montalcino 2004 and then
finally an intense La Chiete Brunello di Montalcino 2004 La Chiete.
These were, as all the wines at Dino's are, superb fully rounded and
just right for our food wines as suggested by owner Dean Gold, who
really knows his stuff (they are starting wine classes there again
soon).
Our main courses went from the lighter side of CAPESANTE- SPIGOLA alla
MOSAICA, grilled Rockfish in a traditional Livornese Jewish spicy
summer tomato essence (only Dean Gold, a Jewish chef who runs an
Italian restaurant could do this justice!) and Parsley Sauce which
comes with Wilted Turnips, Kohlrabi Radish and House Pickled Shallots.
What a treat!
SALSICCIA are huge eco-friendly garlic pork sausages with prosciutto
and lentils, cabbage and pancetta...another heavy but wonderful winter
dish.
If you sense the dishes are getting heavier, on you next cold night go
right for the SCOTTIGLIA, a Montalcino stew made with Texas Wild Boar,
eco-friendly pork from Virginia and Dr. Joe's Duck from Pennsylvania
in a soffrito (onion/celery/carrot) with wine that I dare anyone to
finish if they are eating three courses! It is rich and satisfying and
just plain filling.
We moved on to desserts with some yummy dessert wines
(grapefruitcello, berry grappa, moscato) and were thrilled with the
take on BUDINO di PANE or bread pudding that had barberries, raisins,
vanilla gelato and amaretto (whipped) cream that was none to overdone
or heavy. TIRAMISU is always great here and chocoholics will adore the
CAPPUCCINO di NUTELA with Mascarpone, Bourbon Cherries and Amaretto
Cream.
I always go for the cheese and opted for ROBIOLA ai TRE LATTI, a cow/
sheep/goat treat and GUFFANTI BLU di Moncensio that is creamy and
rich, yet not intensely blue (which I prefer).
It was a great night for food, friends and charity indeed.
called DINING OUT FOR LIFE. Many restaurants donate a portion of their
proceeds and DINO's was generous this year at the 35% level, so we
decided to return with Samuel and our friends Mel & Juan. The place
was jammed when we arived and we had a short wait for our table and
enjoyed somes wines by the glass at the bar: ALERAMO (Cortese) 2009
from PIedmont and Mt. Eden Arroyo Seco Chardonay 2008 from Monterey
while we munched the yummy complimentary olives, pickled veggies,
tapenades, bread, marianted beans and more that grace the bar each
evening.
When we got to our table Samuel ordered up his standard Pasta with
Tomato Sauce and a giant meatball (extra Parmesan, please) as he
dipped the yummy bread in olive oil (quality stuff). He was one happy
camper as we ordered some starters to share:
BURRATA with Kalamata Olive and Red Pepper Purees and Oven Roasted
Tomatoes is still some of the best burrata to be found around.
CAVOLINI are Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions, Crispy Pork
Belly and Aged Balsamic and will make any Brussels spout lover (we
both are) happy, although there were some belly pieces that were a bit
too fatty.
CARCIOFI FRITTI -These baby green artichokes are flown in from the
Santa Monica Farmer's Market and fried simply with black salt and
lemon and were gone so fast, we thought we should order
more.....but....
There is a fixed price 3-course option most evenings and at $39 for a
starter or half pasta/ main course/ and dessert we needed to move on
and avoid over-eating to boot.
Our first wine was a creamy but dry Santa Barbara "Le Vaglie"
Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi 2009 from Marche.
Juan started with the superbly seasoned and tasty TROTTER TOTS which
are a croquette made from potato and pig's trotters from Ossabaw pork.
This take on the "tater tot" is a great way to get kids into their
foods with new tastes!
RISOTTO ai FUNGHI was rich and creamy with sage and garlic and the
PAPPARDELLE with FUNGHI sported some great wild exotic mushrooms but
was not as exciting as the other pastas. My pasta was the simply
termed SUGO which was a mix of many meats in a rich dark sauce with
wide pasta that was simply superb. It was a huge portion, but I
managed to get through it (I did have to take home part of my main
course!)
We moved on to a \COLLEMATTONI 2007 Rosso di Montalcino 2004 and then
finally an intense La Chiete Brunello di Montalcino 2004 La Chiete.
These were, as all the wines at Dino's are, superb fully rounded and
just right for our food wines as suggested by owner Dean Gold, who
really knows his stuff (they are starting wine classes there again
soon).
Our main courses went from the lighter side of CAPESANTE- SPIGOLA alla
MOSAICA, grilled Rockfish in a traditional Livornese Jewish spicy
summer tomato essence (only Dean Gold, a Jewish chef who runs an
Italian restaurant could do this justice!) and Parsley Sauce which
comes with Wilted Turnips, Kohlrabi Radish and House Pickled Shallots.
What a treat!
SALSICCIA are huge eco-friendly garlic pork sausages with prosciutto
and lentils, cabbage and pancetta...another heavy but wonderful winter
dish.
If you sense the dishes are getting heavier, on you next cold night go
right for the SCOTTIGLIA, a Montalcino stew made with Texas Wild Boar,
eco-friendly pork from Virginia and Dr. Joe's Duck from Pennsylvania
in a soffrito (onion/celery/carrot) with wine that I dare anyone to
finish if they are eating three courses! It is rich and satisfying and
just plain filling.
We moved on to desserts with some yummy dessert wines
(grapefruitcello, berry grappa, moscato) and were thrilled with the
take on BUDINO di PANE or bread pudding that had barberries, raisins,
vanilla gelato and amaretto (whipped) cream that was none to overdone
or heavy. TIRAMISU is always great here and chocoholics will adore the
CAPPUCCINO di NUTELA with Mascarpone, Bourbon Cherries and Amaretto
Cream.
I always go for the cheese and opted for ROBIOLA ai TRE LATTI, a cow/
sheep/goat treat and GUFFANTI BLU di Moncensio that is creamy and
rich, yet not intensely blue (which I prefer).
It was a great night for food, friends and charity indeed.
Monday, March 07, 2011
over in the Atlas District-having fun at the H Street Country Club(3-6-11)
H Street NE is DC's newest hip spot (if you can find a parking space) and is starting to sport many mid-range and upscale dining spots.One of the quirkiest has to be the H STREET COUNTRY CLUB (http://www.thehstreetcountryclub.com) at 1335 H Street, NE right next to the gorgeous Atlas Theater complex.
We headed there with Samuel yesterday after a matinee and were surprised to find the downstairs bar has miniature bowling and shuffleboard (for a fee), while the upstairs restaurant sports a miniature golf course at the rear (which is free to diners on Sun-Tues:$7 other times and not really worth that). We had fun for 20-30 minutes playing the nine small holes (#4 is a killer) and even Sam was in good spirits as we sat down. Of course, they have a kids menu and of course he chose the Chicken Fingers and a Ginger Ale. The dish came with a red sauce that resembled ketchup, but was a very spicy habanero salsa (OOPS!) which was quickly replaced with ketchup (they don't always have this, despite the kids menu).
The menu is Tex-Mex and a large tequila menu as well. If you arrive between 5-8pm nightly the happy hour (offered at dining tables) sports $3 Bud Light or Dos Equis, but we went right for the $5 Classic Margaritas which are a great deal. Last night they also have the Frozen Guava model on special!
The servers (Angela was ours) are cheery and the decor is about eclectic as it gets with metal tables and light fixtures made from upside down coffee urns, toasters and cuckoo clocks with antlers. This is not classy or fine dining, just a good deal. We started with BLACK BEAN SOUP for Will and I chose the NOPALITO SALAD made from slices of tasty cactus paddles with tomato, red onion, cilantro, Romaine and queso fresco with a light vinaigrette. We devoured the tasty salted pumpkin seeds on the table and even asked for more....
Will chose the CHICKEN ENCHILADAS with green rice and beans and a side of SPINACH that was way too salty. I went for the CHILAQUILES with ROASTED DUCK which was a whole half one of the biggest ducks I have ever seen on corn tortillas which were alternately crunchy and soft (depending on where they were in the casserole), Longhorn cheddar and a crema roasted tomatillo sauce (you can also get red tomato sauce).
The portions were huge and we couldn't even think about dessert, but sadly Will had a bad tummy all night, so not sure what to attribute that to (Sam & I were fine).
I do also have to note that one of the two bathroom doors does not close tight or lock, which could be an embarrasment.
We headed there with Samuel yesterday after a matinee and were surprised to find the downstairs bar has miniature bowling and shuffleboard (for a fee), while the upstairs restaurant sports a miniature golf course at the rear (which is free to diners on Sun-Tues:$7 other times and not really worth that). We had fun for 20-30 minutes playing the nine small holes (#4 is a killer) and even Sam was in good spirits as we sat down. Of course, they have a kids menu and of course he chose the Chicken Fingers and a Ginger Ale. The dish came with a red sauce that resembled ketchup, but was a very spicy habanero salsa (OOPS!) which was quickly replaced with ketchup (they don't always have this, despite the kids menu).
The menu is Tex-Mex and a large tequila menu as well. If you arrive between 5-8pm nightly the happy hour (offered at dining tables) sports $3 Bud Light or Dos Equis, but we went right for the $5 Classic Margaritas which are a great deal. Last night they also have the Frozen Guava model on special!
The servers (Angela was ours) are cheery and the decor is about eclectic as it gets with metal tables and light fixtures made from upside down coffee urns, toasters and cuckoo clocks with antlers. This is not classy or fine dining, just a good deal. We started with BLACK BEAN SOUP for Will and I chose the NOPALITO SALAD made from slices of tasty cactus paddles with tomato, red onion, cilantro, Romaine and queso fresco with a light vinaigrette. We devoured the tasty salted pumpkin seeds on the table and even asked for more....
Will chose the CHICKEN ENCHILADAS with green rice and beans and a side of SPINACH that was way too salty. I went for the CHILAQUILES with ROASTED DUCK which was a whole half one of the biggest ducks I have ever seen on corn tortillas which were alternately crunchy and soft (depending on where they were in the casserole), Longhorn cheddar and a crema roasted tomatillo sauce (you can also get red tomato sauce).
The portions were huge and we couldn't even think about dessert, but sadly Will had a bad tummy all night, so not sure what to attribute that to (Sam & I were fine).
I do also have to note that one of the two bathroom doors does not close tight or lock, which could be an embarrasment.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Seek out the SOURCE (but not for quiet) 2-28-11
Last night after the Helen hayes Awards nominations were announced
Will and I headed over to THE SOURCE in the Newseum (http://
www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3941), the well known and
sadly a bit too noisy dining emporium of Wolfgang Puck where chef
Scott Drewno reigns and does a pretty good job with a modern take on
Asian fusion.
We waited almost 10 minutes after being seated before anyone
approached the table with menus. I was surprised and this only
occurred when I caught the eyes of one server and kind of shrugged.
We ordered a bottle of superb STEINIGER "Loisium" Gruner Veltliner
from Kamptal in Austria, listed as vintage '07 on the menu, but '08
came. It had a superb dry apricot flavor hinting that this grape might
be superbly suited for a Trockenbeerenauslese sweet wine if harvested
late!
An amuse of SPICY TUNA TARTARE in a Sesame Miso Cone was divine and
then a second amuse of Szechuan Green Beans with Toasted Sesame Seeds
and Candied Walnuts was a perfect blend of medium spice for this
traditional dish with the slightly sweet nuts (Will did not like
them).
The appetizers here are large portions, especially those with wontons
or dumplings.
I had the SCALLOP & SHRIMP SUI MAI with Shanghai Lobster Curry-Uni
Emulsion and a Spicy Slaw and Fresh Cilantro on top. The 6 dumplings
were stuffed with fresh shrimp and scallop and the sauce was divine, I
wished for only a dribble more to coat each tasty dumpling.
Will started with the HOT & SOUR LOBSTER Egg Drop Soup with lobster
Wontons and Crispy Shallots which he asid was quite spicy, although we
both liked it. Again filling with the wontons. Instead of a main
course, he opted for a second starter with the GARLIC-CHIVE DUMPLINGS
with king Crab and Pork, again a large filling portion...so two
starters do easily make a meal here.
I had the CRISPY GLAZED QUAIL with Garlic Chili Sauce, Mizuna Salad
and Rice Sticks. There were no rice sticks so they brought another
salad with the sticks which were merely some rice cellophane noodles
on top. It was nice of them and the salad was great, but the quail was
slightly spicy and a superb preparation. I had switched to nice
Palacios Remondo "La Vendima" Tempranillo 2009 from Rioja (served by
the glass for $10) which was quite nice.
The BERRY CRUMBLE with SALTED STREUSEL and Vanilla Ice Cream was nice
but won no awards.
SOURCE is nice, but try to go when it's not crowded and maybe the
service and noise level will improve as the food is well worth the
visit.
Will and I headed over to THE SOURCE in the Newseum (http://
www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3941), the well known and
sadly a bit too noisy dining emporium of Wolfgang Puck where chef
Scott Drewno reigns and does a pretty good job with a modern take on
Asian fusion.
We waited almost 10 minutes after being seated before anyone
approached the table with menus. I was surprised and this only
occurred when I caught the eyes of one server and kind of shrugged.
We ordered a bottle of superb STEINIGER "Loisium" Gruner Veltliner
from Kamptal in Austria, listed as vintage '07 on the menu, but '08
came. It had a superb dry apricot flavor hinting that this grape might
be superbly suited for a Trockenbeerenauslese sweet wine if harvested
late!
An amuse of SPICY TUNA TARTARE in a Sesame Miso Cone was divine and
then a second amuse of Szechuan Green Beans with Toasted Sesame Seeds
and Candied Walnuts was a perfect blend of medium spice for this
traditional dish with the slightly sweet nuts (Will did not like
them).
The appetizers here are large portions, especially those with wontons
or dumplings.
I had the SCALLOP & SHRIMP SUI MAI with Shanghai Lobster Curry-Uni
Emulsion and a Spicy Slaw and Fresh Cilantro on top. The 6 dumplings
were stuffed with fresh shrimp and scallop and the sauce was divine, I
wished for only a dribble more to coat each tasty dumpling.
Will started with the HOT & SOUR LOBSTER Egg Drop Soup with lobster
Wontons and Crispy Shallots which he asid was quite spicy, although we
both liked it. Again filling with the wontons. Instead of a main
course, he opted for a second starter with the GARLIC-CHIVE DUMPLINGS
with king Crab and Pork, again a large filling portion...so two
starters do easily make a meal here.
I had the CRISPY GLAZED QUAIL with Garlic Chili Sauce, Mizuna Salad
and Rice Sticks. There were no rice sticks so they brought another
salad with the sticks which were merely some rice cellophane noodles
on top. It was nice of them and the salad was great, but the quail was
slightly spicy and a superb preparation. I had switched to nice
Palacios Remondo "La Vendima" Tempranillo 2009 from Rioja (served by
the glass for $10) which was quite nice.
The BERRY CRUMBLE with SALTED STREUSEL and Vanilla Ice Cream was nice
but won no awards.
SOURCE is nice, but try to go when it's not crowded and maybe the
service and noise level will improve as the food is well worth the
visit.
Georgetown lunch-LA CHAUMIERE(2-28-11)
Yesterday I enjoyed a relaxing and enjoyable lunch at Georgetown's LA
CHAUMIERE which has been around for ages (http://
www.lachaumieredc.com) and still has great charm and great prices,
too.
We had two fish main courses, both in the low teen price range! TROUT
AMANDINE came with mashed potatoes and carrots and the butter/almond
sauce was perfect while the trout was tasty and fresh.
HALIBUT came in a brown butter sauce with yummy fried potato chips
standing up in the puree on the plate.
SANCERRE by the glass was tasty and a great pairing.
You folks know I am not a Georgetown person, but this lunch treat at
La Chaumiere was much better than my last dinner experience there!
CHAUMIERE which has been around for ages (http://
www.lachaumieredc.com) and still has great charm and great prices,
too.
We had two fish main courses, both in the low teen price range! TROUT
AMANDINE came with mashed potatoes and carrots and the butter/almond
sauce was perfect while the trout was tasty and fresh.
HALIBUT came in a brown butter sauce with yummy fried potato chips
standing up in the puree on the plate.
SANCERRE by the glass was tasty and a great pairing.
You folks know I am not a Georgetown person, but this lunch treat at
La Chaumiere was much better than my last dinner experience there!
Monday, February 21, 2011
when in Westchester, maybe MERITAGE in Scarsdale, NY (2-19-11)
Dining with large groups ultimately has its issues. Dining out
Saturday night ultimately has some issues, and dining out with your
family can often be a disaster.
Last night TEN of us headed about 10 minutes away from my mother's to
MERITAGE at 1505 Weaver St in Scarsdale, NY
(www.meritagerestaurant.net). It is a nice, if too dimly lit, spot in
a mini-strip mall that makes you feel away from the crowds, although
Scarsdale hardly has crowds! The decor is nothing special, and the
service leaves a bit to be desired, but the food is quite good and
reasonable as well.
Since my sister only likes Chardonnay for white, we chose the Vincent
JJ Bourgogne Blanc 2008, which was declared too fruity by some though
most of us liked it as an aperitif while we ordered and said hellos.
We switched to a big okay Sonoma Chard "Overlook" from Landmark that
was instantly declared as corked. So I suggested we move to a light
red. Nobody at the table, other than us, had ever heard of the
DOLCETTO d'ALBA and the sommelieuse, who seemed pretty knowledgeable
said it was quite intense for a Dolcetto. The ROAGNA 2008 was more
than medium bodied and it satisfied all perfectly; we even had a 2nd
bottle!
Samuel was super pleased with is TAGLIATELLE alla BOLOGNESE which was
a monster portion, so we asked for a doggie bag which they lost. At
the end of the meal they simply sent out a fresh 1/2 order to take
home at no cost, which was a good move.
The starters were all quite yummy from the pates to the Marinated
Artichokes, and my divine STEAMED MANILA CLAMS and MUSSELS in a
Garlic, Tomato sauce with ARUGULA Crouton, which turned out to be a
large slab of bread soaking in the sauce and dusted with pieces of the
greens for flavor.
The pasta category on the menu had "All fresh pasta is homemade" under
it, which gave me a giggle. Pasta dishes were indeed all fresh and
good including Will's LINGUINE with Cauliflower, Garlic, Olive Oil,
Chive & Bread Crumbs.
For the main course several ordered yummy chicken specials, fluke and
two of us had the Sauteed HUDSON VALLEY DUCK BREAST with Cauliflower
Puree, Apples and Dates. The preparation was perfect, but after asked
for mine rare to medium rare it came out RAW. They fixed it quickly as
our very giddy (her laugh was more bothersome than infectious) server
Callie giggled as she tried to apologize.
We were all tired and the dessert menu offered little more than
sorbet, ice cream, cookies, bread pudding, cheesecake and some
chocolate dish, which none of us felt like...so we headed home, happy
for the most part, but realizing that large family dinner, especially
on Saturday can get dangerous.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Phyllis List" group.
To post to this group, send email to phyllistines@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to phyllistines+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/phyllistines?hl=en.
Saturday night ultimately has some issues, and dining out with your
family can often be a disaster.
Last night TEN of us headed about 10 minutes away from my mother's to
MERITAGE at 1505 Weaver St in Scarsdale, NY
(www.meritagerestaurant.net). It is a nice, if too dimly lit, spot in
a mini-strip mall that makes you feel away from the crowds, although
Scarsdale hardly has crowds! The decor is nothing special, and the
service leaves a bit to be desired, but the food is quite good and
reasonable as well.
Since my sister only likes Chardonnay for white, we chose the Vincent
JJ Bourgogne Blanc 2008, which was declared too fruity by some though
most of us liked it as an aperitif while we ordered and said hellos.
We switched to a big okay Sonoma Chard "Overlook" from Landmark that
was instantly declared as corked. So I suggested we move to a light
red. Nobody at the table, other than us, had ever heard of the
DOLCETTO d'ALBA and the sommelieuse, who seemed pretty knowledgeable
said it was quite intense for a Dolcetto. The ROAGNA 2008 was more
than medium bodied and it satisfied all perfectly; we even had a 2nd
bottle!
Samuel was super pleased with is TAGLIATELLE alla BOLOGNESE which was
a monster portion, so we asked for a doggie bag which they lost. At
the end of the meal they simply sent out a fresh 1/2 order to take
home at no cost, which was a good move.
The starters were all quite yummy from the pates to the Marinated
Artichokes, and my divine STEAMED MANILA CLAMS and MUSSELS in a
Garlic, Tomato sauce with ARUGULA Crouton, which turned out to be a
large slab of bread soaking in the sauce and dusted with pieces of the
greens for flavor.
The pasta category on the menu had "All fresh pasta is homemade" under
it, which gave me a giggle. Pasta dishes were indeed all fresh and
good including Will's LINGUINE with Cauliflower, Garlic, Olive Oil,
Chive & Bread Crumbs.
For the main course several ordered yummy chicken specials, fluke and
two of us had the Sauteed HUDSON VALLEY DUCK BREAST with Cauliflower
Puree, Apples and Dates. The preparation was perfect, but after asked
for mine rare to medium rare it came out RAW. They fixed it quickly as
our very giddy (her laugh was more bothersome than infectious) server
Callie giggled as she tried to apologize.
We were all tired and the dessert menu offered little more than
sorbet, ice cream, cookies, bread pudding, cheesecake and some
chocolate dish, which none of us felt like...so we headed home, happy
for the most part, but realizing that large family dinner, especially
on Saturday can get dangerous.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Phyllis List" group.
To post to this group, send email to phyllistines@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to phyllistines+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/phyllistines?hl=en.
Friday, February 11, 2011
NYC has great tapas at GRAFFIT (2/9/11)
While in NY overnight for a recital I made agreat find just blocks
from Lincoln Center. GRAFFIT (www.graffitrestaurant.com) at 141 W 69th
just opened about 7 weeks ago and is already hopping.
I entered at 6pm down several steps to the almost hidden location to
find a long entry with long white bar lit from above and below (it
even has purse hooks under the bar!). The front room has high tables
with Plexiglas not to comfy high chairs and this is where the tapas
menu is found. If you wish to move to the elegant rear dining room you
must order off the main menu (although you can also order tapas along
with main courses here).
The front room has exposed brick walls with graffiti which upon
closer inspection has pictures of women's faces with long flowing
hair. The lighting is subdued, the Latin beat-themed (it did vary to
American and mid-Eastern at times) music was nice, but just a tad too
loud.
It was tough to decide what to eat by my excellent server Amalia
helped me choose from the large tapas and appetizer menus. Nacho, the
wine steward /manager from the north of Spain was there in flash to
help me with the wines as well. I started with a superb crisp acidic
Godella Louro do Bolo 2009 which was perfect with the PULP a la
GALLEGA a gorgeous presentation of Octopus served flattened and
squared off at the edges in a large rectangle dotted with cubed purple
potatoes and puree as well as white potatoes enrobed in paprika and
white puree with an odd flat disc of paprika potato as well. The dish
uses Spanish smoked paprika which is less intense than Hungarian, but
gave flavor and there was Olive Oil as well for flavor.
Tasty warm bread comes with the yummy oil as well.
Nacho let me taste the Priorat "Embruix" Vall Llacj 2006 which was too
bold at 4-1/2 years old so I went with the smoother Rejadorada 2006
Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). It was great with my other two tapas:
CONFIT ARTICHOKES with Serrano Ham and Clams. The tiny clams were in a
salsa verde and there were sauces of "ham" reduction along with a
chemical "ham powder" that actually melted like cheese as the dish
warmed the powder. It was fun and reminded me of the ingenious new
style tapas dishes I had in Barcelona two years ago! The overall
effect and flavor was divine.
The final appetizer was the "Not your average" EGG with Seasonal
VEGETABLE STEW. Apparently one of their signature dishes and again
MAGNIFICENTLY presented the dish has a soft egg yolk wrapped in a
white made completely from CAULIFLOWER! YES! It was fun and it was
great!
The vegetables in a superb rich broth included endive, sprouts, purple
potato, cauliflower and more. A true vegetarian's dream dish.
Dessert was a hard choice and I went with the WARM Liquid CHOCOLATE
FRITTERS with Orange Textures. These melt in your mouth mini fritters
oozed milk chocolate and sat on gelees, rinds and purees that you
could dip them in. The BLOOD ORANGE PUREE being the best (they should
bottle and sell it!).
Nacho suggested the PEDRO XIMEMES Bodegas Tradicion VSOP aged Sherry
which was super sweet and again a great match and really an extra
dessert.
It was all a great treat...only the table next to me with a loud woman
with awful grating voice and her male friend who kept hitting me as he
got up and down were a problem. I will go back, but into the dining
room next time!
from Lincoln Center. GRAFFIT (www.graffitrestaurant.com) at 141 W 69th
just opened about 7 weeks ago and is already hopping.
I entered at 6pm down several steps to the almost hidden location to
find a long entry with long white bar lit from above and below (it
even has purse hooks under the bar!). The front room has high tables
with Plexiglas not to comfy high chairs and this is where the tapas
menu is found. If you wish to move to the elegant rear dining room you
must order off the main menu (although you can also order tapas along
with main courses here).
The front room has exposed brick walls with graffiti which upon
closer inspection has pictures of women's faces with long flowing
hair. The lighting is subdued, the Latin beat-themed (it did vary to
American and mid-Eastern at times) music was nice, but just a tad too
loud.
It was tough to decide what to eat by my excellent server Amalia
helped me choose from the large tapas and appetizer menus. Nacho, the
wine steward /manager from the north of Spain was there in flash to
help me with the wines as well. I started with a superb crisp acidic
Godella Louro do Bolo 2009 which was perfect with the PULP a la
GALLEGA a gorgeous presentation of Octopus served flattened and
squared off at the edges in a large rectangle dotted with cubed purple
potatoes and puree as well as white potatoes enrobed in paprika and
white puree with an odd flat disc of paprika potato as well. The dish
uses Spanish smoked paprika which is less intense than Hungarian, but
gave flavor and there was Olive Oil as well for flavor.
Tasty warm bread comes with the yummy oil as well.
Nacho let me taste the Priorat "Embruix" Vall Llacj 2006 which was too
bold at 4-1/2 years old so I went with the smoother Rejadorada 2006
Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). It was great with my other two tapas:
CONFIT ARTICHOKES with Serrano Ham and Clams. The tiny clams were in a
salsa verde and there were sauces of "ham" reduction along with a
chemical "ham powder" that actually melted like cheese as the dish
warmed the powder. It was fun and reminded me of the ingenious new
style tapas dishes I had in Barcelona two years ago! The overall
effect and flavor was divine.
The final appetizer was the "Not your average" EGG with Seasonal
VEGETABLE STEW. Apparently one of their signature dishes and again
MAGNIFICENTLY presented the dish has a soft egg yolk wrapped in a
white made completely from CAULIFLOWER! YES! It was fun and it was
great!
The vegetables in a superb rich broth included endive, sprouts, purple
potato, cauliflower and more. A true vegetarian's dream dish.
Dessert was a hard choice and I went with the WARM Liquid CHOCOLATE
FRITTERS with Orange Textures. These melt in your mouth mini fritters
oozed milk chocolate and sat on gelees, rinds and purees that you
could dip them in. The BLOOD ORANGE PUREE being the best (they should
bottle and sell it!).
Nacho suggested the PEDRO XIMEMES Bodegas Tradicion VSOP aged Sherry
which was super sweet and again a great match and really an extra
dessert.
It was all a great treat...only the table next to me with a loud woman
with awful grating voice and her male friend who kept hitting me as he
got up and down were a problem. I will go back, but into the dining
room next time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)