It was a busy weekend and a busier start of week as we had made plans to go out with our Rabbi and her 4+ year old son, Benjamin. I chose RESTAURANT 3 in Clarendon (www.restaurantthree.com) as we had plans to eat there earlier in the year and they had called me to cancel. I was quite upset and the manager, RIA, said she would make it up to me when we decided to come in. She did. We had a top notch meal with great service, a warm welcome, and a huge discount plus the wines by the bottle are 1/2 price on Tuesday!
Benjamin chose the MAC N CHEESE which comes with French Fries; how's that for a carbed up meal? This was no ordinary Mac N Cheese though. It is made with Linguini and Smoked Cheddar and really is a tasty treat. Samuel went for the chicken fingers and fries (surprise!) and both of the boys had a scoop of chocolate and strawberry ice cream each for dessert. They did just fine as we savored our dishes more leisurely.
Will started with the LETTUCE WRAPS which you filled with Slow Roasted Shredded Duck and then spread a yummy BOUBON MOLASSES Sauce on....I could easily retire Hoisin for this delight!
The Rabbi and I split two starters with mine being the TUNA LOLLIPOPS which was a great presentation of gorgeous sashimi tuna chunks on bamboo sticks with Roasted Sesame Seeds over a Seaweed Salad and Soy BBQ Sauce with Wasabi Cream that you could either combine or dip singly with the pops. YUM!
She opted for the BLEI CHEESE CHIPS -homemade thick puffy potato chips with POINT REYES Blue cheese melted, but asked for them to please leave the bacon off. They were the best chips ever and way too decadent to be allowed to try exist, but I will go back for them again!
We had a BELLINHAM CHENIN BLANC 2008 from South Africa that was quite delightful, and moved on to a superb PETER FRANUS Brandlin Vineyard 2005 Napa ZINFANDEL from Mount Veeder that was to die for. Huge flavor, but not too much spice and a monster finish; I am grateful to Ria for recommending we try this!
The main courses were all excellent with the Rabbi choosing the TUNA SALAD with Sesame Crusted Tuna (it was quite like the lollipops), Seaweed, but here a Soy Lime Vinaigrette. Will went for the HANGER STEAK and Roasted Potatoes, Mushroom & Artichoke Ragout and a Demi-Glaze that was a great way to enjoy a medium priced steak for nowhere near what the steak joints charge! My SMOTHERED TROUT was Pan Fried with a super crispy skin and topped with Mussels (sorry, Rabbi), two HUGE Shrimp (sorrier) and a divine Tomato Sauce. All this came over very filling ASIAGO CHEESE GRITS that I managed to almost finish. We tried what was called PECAN PIE for dessert but it was not really pie. It was more of a chocolate graham cracker triangle with a filling of pecan inside that came out way too dry. No worry, next time I return, I will simply order more starters and mains and avoid the desserts or try something else. The deals are great here and the warm soothing decor makes it a great place on a chilly rainy night like it was!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
ENOLOGY's first wine dinner is uneven
Back in DC, we joined some friends Monday evening at ENOLOGY Wine Bar (www.enologydc.com) just up from the Cathedral, where we have always enjoyed the wine, charcuterie and cheeses in previous visits. This was their first wine dinner and sadly many things went wrong to create the most uneven evening we have had in a while.
The guest winemaker was SPENCER GRAHAM of ELIZABETH SPENCER Wines in Napa and I was excited about tasting many new wines, but the event was so heavily booked, the glasses were filled with barely 3 ounces for each wine with each course. We arrived to a crowded room and got a taste of an unexciting Butternut Squash Bruschetta that suffered from too much bread and not enough topping. The 2007 Mendocino SAUVIGNON BLANC was yummy and when they opened a 2008 I was shocked that it was the same wine as it was so much more grassy in the nose and citrus in the mouth.
We sat down with three fairly unfriendly strangers at two 4-tops pushed together so that two people had to sit at the table-seams making it quite crowded and almost impossible to get up. The entire room was like this and the event was clearly overbooked, especially for a first time attempt. If they had cut back on 20-30% of the guests, there would have been plenty of room (and WINE!). The first glass of CHENIN BLANC 2008 from Mendocino was poured and I fell in love with the dry vanilla toned wine with some latent spice, but we waited for almost 20 minutes before any food came and we had all finished our wine. The SCALLOP B.L.T. arrived with a huge scallop on Applewood Smoked Bacon, Truffle Aioli and sat on a small Brioche. The woman serving attempted to serve one dish over my head as there was no way to access the far side of the table. The scallop fell down my back and on my suede jacket! Need I say more. It was retrieved and the damage was minimal; I found the bacon when I got up later!
The Wine Director Adam came over after I begged them to call him; he was helping to plate in the kitchen for sure. He did apologize and we managed to get two more glasses of Chenin Blanc out of it. Our friend, Maria had also began to worry as she had told her mother/babysitter that she would be home by 830pm since the event began at 630pm and when she called earlier that day, they said it would be over by 8pm (which would have been impossible). It was now 740pm!
The ROCKFISH a la NAGE was an excellent piece of local rockfish with CRAB, Potato & Fennel that was simply swimming in a dreamy broth. The 2007 SONOMA COAST CHARDONNAY was also delightful, but when we started to get the rpice points on the wines, we realized the high 20's and 30's and 40's were quite steep.
The third course was a DUCK DUO which declared on the menu "Breast, Leg Confit-Apple Latkes, Chile Applesauce." I could not find the confit and we finally guessed there were some small pieces in the pancake which was quite good, but the breast was as dry, overcooked and unexciting, as could be with nary a spoon of sauce anywhere. The SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR 2007 was another great wine, but again we knew it was not in the average shopping range.
The 4th plate was a superb rare to medium rare VENISON LOIN with Polenta, Mushrooms & Pomegranate Reduction served with the 2007 MENDOCINO GRENACHE, a huge earthy wine with lots of boldness, perfect for the dish.
We asked them to rush out our dessert to Maria could get home to nurse her infant and we were not impressed with the FUJI TART TATIN, a simple puff pastry with some apple and a scoop of DOLCEZZA Vanilla Gelato. A ROSENBLUM Lodi 2008 Late Harvest Viognier was served (I guess that Elizabeth Spencer does not make dessert wines) and we ran out the door.
We love Enology, but they need to rethink this approach if they want folks to return to these dinners in the future.
The guest winemaker was SPENCER GRAHAM of ELIZABETH SPENCER Wines in Napa and I was excited about tasting many new wines, but the event was so heavily booked, the glasses were filled with barely 3 ounces for each wine with each course. We arrived to a crowded room and got a taste of an unexciting Butternut Squash Bruschetta that suffered from too much bread and not enough topping. The 2007 Mendocino SAUVIGNON BLANC was yummy and when they opened a 2008 I was shocked that it was the same wine as it was so much more grassy in the nose and citrus in the mouth.
We sat down with three fairly unfriendly strangers at two 4-tops pushed together so that two people had to sit at the table-seams making it quite crowded and almost impossible to get up. The entire room was like this and the event was clearly overbooked, especially for a first time attempt. If they had cut back on 20-30% of the guests, there would have been plenty of room (and WINE!). The first glass of CHENIN BLANC 2008 from Mendocino was poured and I fell in love with the dry vanilla toned wine with some latent spice, but we waited for almost 20 minutes before any food came and we had all finished our wine. The SCALLOP B.L.T. arrived with a huge scallop on Applewood Smoked Bacon, Truffle Aioli and sat on a small Brioche. The woman serving attempted to serve one dish over my head as there was no way to access the far side of the table. The scallop fell down my back and on my suede jacket! Need I say more. It was retrieved and the damage was minimal; I found the bacon when I got up later!
The Wine Director Adam came over after I begged them to call him; he was helping to plate in the kitchen for sure. He did apologize and we managed to get two more glasses of Chenin Blanc out of it. Our friend, Maria had also began to worry as she had told her mother/babysitter that she would be home by 830pm since the event began at 630pm and when she called earlier that day, they said it would be over by 8pm (which would have been impossible). It was now 740pm!
The ROCKFISH a la NAGE was an excellent piece of local rockfish with CRAB, Potato & Fennel that was simply swimming in a dreamy broth. The 2007 SONOMA COAST CHARDONNAY was also delightful, but when we started to get the rpice points on the wines, we realized the high 20's and 30's and 40's were quite steep.
The third course was a DUCK DUO which declared on the menu "Breast, Leg Confit-Apple Latkes, Chile Applesauce." I could not find the confit and we finally guessed there were some small pieces in the pancake which was quite good, but the breast was as dry, overcooked and unexciting, as could be with nary a spoon of sauce anywhere. The SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR 2007 was another great wine, but again we knew it was not in the average shopping range.
The 4th plate was a superb rare to medium rare VENISON LOIN with Polenta, Mushrooms & Pomegranate Reduction served with the 2007 MENDOCINO GRENACHE, a huge earthy wine with lots of boldness, perfect for the dish.
We asked them to rush out our dessert to Maria could get home to nurse her infant and we were not impressed with the FUJI TART TATIN, a simple puff pastry with some apple and a scoop of DOLCEZZA Vanilla Gelato. A ROSENBLUM Lodi 2008 Late Harvest Viognier was served (I guess that Elizabeth Spencer does not make dessert wines) and we ran out the door.
We love Enology, but they need to rethink this approach if they want folks to return to these dinners in the future.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
superb review-SIBLING RIVALRY (Boston by Kinkead)
Our final meal in Boston was also with Samuel and we chose to go to SIBLING RIVALRY which is due to Will's connection here in DC with Chef Bob KINKEAD. Chef Bob and his brother Chef DAVID opened Sibling Rivalry in the adorable South End neighborhood just south of downtown (www.siblingrivalryboston.com) and have gleaned quite high ratings across the board. Like Kinkead's, it is an elegant but not too formal dining spot. The lighting is subdued, the presentations and plates are elegant, and the food is quality in every bite.
Our only issue on Sunday night was our clearly novice server Doug. He just did not seem to understand us to clearly.
We started with an aromatic and perfumy FEUDO PRINCIPI di BUTERA from INSOLIA in Sicily which was a great pairing with the seafood dishes. I ordered the STEAMED PEI MUSSELS with SPICY THAI CHILI-Ginger-Coconut Milk Curry, Cilantro & Lime and they were tasty, meaty and the sauce divine. The menu is divied into sibling's dishes; this was Bob. Will chose another Bob dish and told Doug her would have the Tartar. When the dish arrived it was actually the "David" tartar of PRISTINE TUNA with Warm Sushi Rice, Soy Glaze, Pickled Ginger & Spicy Aioli. I looked at the dish (a busboy actually delivered it) and took a bite and said TUNA! We called Doug over and it seems there are TWO TARTARs on the menu and he did not ask us to clarify. We said it would be a waste to trash the dish, but would he still bring the ANCHO CHILI STEAK TARTARE with Cheese Pupusa, Pickled Cabbage, Green Salsa & Avocado which was a wonderfully slightly spicy tartar, although the pupusa was uneventful. Needless to say we were not charged for the extra starter.
Samuel had opted for an appetizer portion of HAND ROLLED PAPPARDELLE with Fresh Oregon CHANTERELLES & PORK SAUSAGE in a divine sauce of Tomato, Thyme and a touch of cream. Sam gobbled up the noodles and refused to even taste the chanerelles. We managed to get some of the meat in him, and then he asked for more pasta. So we asked Doug to bring another plate of pasta minus the chanterelles and sausage. Out came a plate of plain noodles. Sam did not mind, and we were not charged, so it was chalked up to another miscommunication. Oddly, I asked Samuel if he wanted some ketchup and he responded, "yuck!" which is never a word he uses with regard to ketchup! Anyway, Doug must have missed that as well as he appeared within seconds with the condiment.
A treat arrived for us in the form of an extra plate of PUMPKIN RAVIOLI with AMARETTI Cookie & Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. It was a rich fall dish that would fill anyone up; I can't believe we had more coming! At this point our butter plates were removed, making it hard to share tastes, but we managed. We never did find out why?? The breads by the way are the Kinkead regular Irish soda cracker and large plain round buns as well.
I am one to ask the server if he knows the wines, and Doug said yes, for sure. When I asked about the KREYDENWEISS "Perrieres" from the Rhone Valley 2005 he gave me a blank look and I pointed to the bottle on the menu. Will reminded me not to be condescending, but I looked at the dated wine list and it was from July, meaning that these whites (about 20 total) had been on the list for some time! He brought the bottle back to the table and I said it was a nice Rhone blend (as I suspected, but the German name threw me; the winemaker is Marc Kreydenwiess) of 60% Carignane and 20% each Grenache & Syrah from Costieres de Nimes. It was a delightful biodynamic single vineyard wine that should get more attention and only requires some clarity on the menu as well.
I moved to Chef David for my superb main course of SEARED JUMBO CAPE (Cod) SCALLOPS, Anaheim CHILI RELLENO, Black Beans, Tomatillo Relish & Salsa Fresca. This scallop dish could easily stand up to the red wine and was a monstrous portion as well with four huge scallops and a gigantic stuffed chili that I simply could not finish. Don't you hate it when you cant get a doggie bag while traveling? Will chose the CRISPY PRESSED DUCK which was just that and again a huge 1/2 duck portion with Whipped SWEET POTATOES, Cipollini Onions & Sour Cherries. Both dishes were truly excellent.
We opted to split one dessert and chose the STONE FRUIT CRISP made from nectarine, Peach & Plum with Oat & Nut Crumb topping with Dried Cherry Ice Cream. It was a perfect and not to large dish.
I must also add that while prices are not sky high here, they have a three-course special for $39.00 which can be made by choosing a number of select dishes. My dinner of Mussels, Scallops and dessert made up this special and for $39 I can't imagine a better deal!
As if it were not enough, another complimentary dish arrived in the guise of the BUTTERSCOTCH POT de CREME, which is what Will really wanted to have for dessert anyway, but we decided to skip. I let him eat most of that as I am not a big butterscotch nut; the ginger cookies with it were great.
Samuel chose PASSIONFRUIT & CONCORD GRAPE Sorbets and decoured them both in no time flat but skipped the chocolate chip cookie!
Sibling Rivalry has some funny photos and articles in the hall as well. I caught one where the two argued about every way to prepare each dish, even down to a hamburger! No matter the rivalry, the results are delicious.
Our only issue on Sunday night was our clearly novice server Doug. He just did not seem to understand us to clearly.
We started with an aromatic and perfumy FEUDO PRINCIPI di BUTERA from INSOLIA in Sicily which was a great pairing with the seafood dishes. I ordered the STEAMED PEI MUSSELS with SPICY THAI CHILI-Ginger-Coconut Milk Curry, Cilantro & Lime and they were tasty, meaty and the sauce divine. The menu is divied into sibling's dishes; this was Bob. Will chose another Bob dish and told Doug her would have the Tartar. When the dish arrived it was actually the "David" tartar of PRISTINE TUNA with Warm Sushi Rice, Soy Glaze, Pickled Ginger & Spicy Aioli. I looked at the dish (a busboy actually delivered it) and took a bite and said TUNA! We called Doug over and it seems there are TWO TARTARs on the menu and he did not ask us to clarify. We said it would be a waste to trash the dish, but would he still bring the ANCHO CHILI STEAK TARTARE with Cheese Pupusa, Pickled Cabbage, Green Salsa & Avocado which was a wonderfully slightly spicy tartar, although the pupusa was uneventful. Needless to say we were not charged for the extra starter.
Samuel had opted for an appetizer portion of HAND ROLLED PAPPARDELLE with Fresh Oregon CHANTERELLES & PORK SAUSAGE in a divine sauce of Tomato, Thyme and a touch of cream. Sam gobbled up the noodles and refused to even taste the chanerelles. We managed to get some of the meat in him, and then he asked for more pasta. So we asked Doug to bring another plate of pasta minus the chanterelles and sausage. Out came a plate of plain noodles. Sam did not mind, and we were not charged, so it was chalked up to another miscommunication. Oddly, I asked Samuel if he wanted some ketchup and he responded, "yuck!" which is never a word he uses with regard to ketchup! Anyway, Doug must have missed that as well as he appeared within seconds with the condiment.
A treat arrived for us in the form of an extra plate of PUMPKIN RAVIOLI with AMARETTI Cookie & Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. It was a rich fall dish that would fill anyone up; I can't believe we had more coming! At this point our butter plates were removed, making it hard to share tastes, but we managed. We never did find out why?? The breads by the way are the Kinkead regular Irish soda cracker and large plain round buns as well.
I am one to ask the server if he knows the wines, and Doug said yes, for sure. When I asked about the KREYDENWEISS "Perrieres" from the Rhone Valley 2005 he gave me a blank look and I pointed to the bottle on the menu. Will reminded me not to be condescending, but I looked at the dated wine list and it was from July, meaning that these whites (about 20 total) had been on the list for some time! He brought the bottle back to the table and I said it was a nice Rhone blend (as I suspected, but the German name threw me; the winemaker is Marc Kreydenwiess) of 60% Carignane and 20% each Grenache & Syrah from Costieres de Nimes. It was a delightful biodynamic single vineyard wine that should get more attention and only requires some clarity on the menu as well.
I moved to Chef David for my superb main course of SEARED JUMBO CAPE (Cod) SCALLOPS, Anaheim CHILI RELLENO, Black Beans, Tomatillo Relish & Salsa Fresca. This scallop dish could easily stand up to the red wine and was a monstrous portion as well with four huge scallops and a gigantic stuffed chili that I simply could not finish. Don't you hate it when you cant get a doggie bag while traveling? Will chose the CRISPY PRESSED DUCK which was just that and again a huge 1/2 duck portion with Whipped SWEET POTATOES, Cipollini Onions & Sour Cherries. Both dishes were truly excellent.
We opted to split one dessert and chose the STONE FRUIT CRISP made from nectarine, Peach & Plum with Oat & Nut Crumb topping with Dried Cherry Ice Cream. It was a perfect and not to large dish.
I must also add that while prices are not sky high here, they have a three-course special for $39.00 which can be made by choosing a number of select dishes. My dinner of Mussels, Scallops and dessert made up this special and for $39 I can't imagine a better deal!
As if it were not enough, another complimentary dish arrived in the guise of the BUTTERSCOTCH POT de CREME, which is what Will really wanted to have for dessert anyway, but we decided to skip. I let him eat most of that as I am not a big butterscotch nut; the ginger cookies with it were great.
Samuel chose PASSIONFRUIT & CONCORD GRAPE Sorbets and decoured them both in no time flat but skipped the chocolate chip cookie!
Sibling Rivalry has some funny photos and articles in the hall as well. I caught one where the two argued about every way to prepare each dish, even down to a hamburger! No matter the rivalry, the results are delicious.
Boston brunch really nice at NORTH STREET GRILLE
We met Will's cousins for brunch on Sunday morning again in the North End and were pretty thrilled about our choice when we saw the menu. The NORTH STREET GRILLE (at the quiet far end of the street--229 North Street-tel 617-720-2010) is a tiny spot with no more than 7+ tables fitting about 30 folks, so reserve ahead if you want avoid the lines outside, and they were there (though not too long).
The decor is uneventful and the worst part of our meal was when I took Samuel to the unisex single toilet and he said it smelled like camel. I could not figure out the awful scent and told our server. When I returned again later on my own, I lifted to seat to spot something left by a diner who had obviously not been too well. The staff did immediately clean it up, but it was sad that nobody checked it out the first time around!
Anyway, now that I have ruined your appetite. The kids split CHOCOLATE PANCAKES which were indeed loaded with chips. Why is it that chocolate chip pancakes always seem to have globs of chips in the center (they need to spread them out!)? French Toast was another hot item for the kids, and while the North Street Grille does not have children's portions, two or three kids can easily split an adult portion, or an adult can easily share with a child. Extra plates are offered freely.
Will went for the CALIFORNIA OMELET of Boursin cheese, Chives, Avocado and Tomato and I decided on the divine NORTH END OMELET, a tasty egg dish cooked perfectly with LOBSTER, Parmesan Cheese, Chives and Truffle Oil. I am not a big brunch or omelet person and this was one of the best I have ever had. Each egg dish comes with a gorgeous side of HOME FRIES which were also some of the best I have ever had. Lots of folks like their home fries softish and smothered with onions. I, on the other hand, am a crispy potato nut and these small cubes were cooked to just crunchy and salted to perfection. I not only ate mine, but devoured part of one of the kid's portion!
The coffee is excellent and an order of juice may be pricey, but comes in a huge tall glass; no skimping here at all!
The decor is uneventful and the worst part of our meal was when I took Samuel to the unisex single toilet and he said it smelled like camel. I could not figure out the awful scent and told our server. When I returned again later on my own, I lifted to seat to spot something left by a diner who had obviously not been too well. The staff did immediately clean it up, but it was sad that nobody checked it out the first time around!
Anyway, now that I have ruined your appetite. The kids split CHOCOLATE PANCAKES which were indeed loaded with chips. Why is it that chocolate chip pancakes always seem to have globs of chips in the center (they need to spread them out!)? French Toast was another hot item for the kids, and while the North Street Grille does not have children's portions, two or three kids can easily split an adult portion, or an adult can easily share with a child. Extra plates are offered freely.
Will went for the CALIFORNIA OMELET of Boursin cheese, Chives, Avocado and Tomato and I decided on the divine NORTH END OMELET, a tasty egg dish cooked perfectly with LOBSTER, Parmesan Cheese, Chives and Truffle Oil. I am not a big brunch or omelet person and this was one of the best I have ever had. Each egg dish comes with a gorgeous side of HOME FRIES which were also some of the best I have ever had. Lots of folks like their home fries softish and smothered with onions. I, on the other hand, am a crispy potato nut and these small cubes were cooked to just crunchy and salted to perfection. I not only ate mine, but devoured part of one of the kid's portion!
The coffee is excellent and an order of juice may be pricey, but comes in a huge tall glass; no skimping here at all!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Taranta offers up Peruvian-Italian fusion for lots of fun in Boston
That same night we left Samuel with a babysitter in the hotel and headed to Boston's North End just blocks away, the heart of New England's Italian kitchens. While TARANTA has been open for years under the guidance of Chef Jose Duarte (www.tarantarist.com), it is only in the past several years that the cuisine has fused with that of Duarte's native Peru and oh so much for the better.
We were very discouraged at first as we entered the noisy three level crowded house, but managed to get a well separated table on the second floor, just around the corner from the appetizer kitchen (entrees and bar are on the first floor). The unexciting decor is mostly exposed brick with a hanging item here or there and some mirrors; you come here for the food for sure, not the decor or ambience.
I was impressed to note that the menu is made of recycled coffee paper and all the wines are organic and biodynamic, as is the food. This place is indeed a sustainable vision of what restaurants (and we) can be. The water is purified in-house and goes for $7 a bottle (a bit high--I think, of which $1 is donated to sustainable recycling.
Everything is indeed recycled here if it can be and they even have a compost!
We started with a bottle of VERMENTINO 2008 from ARGIOLAS "Costamolino" in Sardinia which was great with our quite spicy food. Chef Duarte uses many native chilies and does not skimp on them. The starter of CAUSA de CANGREJO was a cold crab, yellow Peruvian potatoes, egg, avocado, Botija Olives (Peruvian), Aji Amarillo (yellow Peruvian chili pepper) and RICOTO (a very spicy red pepper). It was a divine mixture and the red and yellow sauces were surrounding the cylinder or crab so that you could use more or less if you liked the spice. Our second starter was the COCCIO di PESCE e LEGUMI which was a stew of Baby Octopus, Cuttlefish, Calms, Chickpeas all in a divine spicy Tomato Sauce. I mentioned to our server Sarah, who after we settled in was a gem, that the "spicy" tomato sauce was less "spicy" than the pepper sauces on the not listed as "spicy" crab dish! She said I had a point.
We moved on to a yummy red CARMENERE Blend 2004 from San Lorenzo Estate "Chono" in Maipo, Chile which was actually 41% Syrah/44% Carmenere/15% Cab) and was a dream drink with our main courses. GNOCCHI di YUCA al RAGU VERDE STILE Secco Peruviano was a Casava Root Gnocchi, slow braised lamb with fermented corn liquor called "Chica de Jora" and cilantro resulting in the "verde" or greenish color of the ragu of lamb which also had an amazing lingering pepper flavor at the back of the mouth after each bite that was not "spicy" but just impressive.
COSTOLETTA di MAIALE con Canna di Zucchero e Rocoto used the spicy red Rocoto Pepper again but here with a Brined (huge) double cut Pork Chop with a sugar cane-Rocoto glaze that was oh so tasty. On the side was a YUCCA PIATELLA (cake) and a saute of Giant Peruvian CORN with Spinach & Caramelized Onion.
Sarah said the desserts were no made in house, but if we had to try one, the GUAVANOLI's would be choice. The perfect Italian-Peruvian fusion of Cannoli with Guava. It was served with Pistachio brittle and the whole thing was very untasty, so Will ordered a Limoncello and I had the house made PERUVIAN PISCO SOUR which in my mind was a pairing of Peruvian-Italian that worked better!
But what a fun night once we settled in and began to enjoy all the exciting tastes and flavors of this novel cuisine.
We were very discouraged at first as we entered the noisy three level crowded house, but managed to get a well separated table on the second floor, just around the corner from the appetizer kitchen (entrees and bar are on the first floor). The unexciting decor is mostly exposed brick with a hanging item here or there and some mirrors; you come here for the food for sure, not the decor or ambience.
I was impressed to note that the menu is made of recycled coffee paper and all the wines are organic and biodynamic, as is the food. This place is indeed a sustainable vision of what restaurants (and we) can be. The water is purified in-house and goes for $7 a bottle (a bit high--I think, of which $1 is donated to sustainable recycling.
Everything is indeed recycled here if it can be and they even have a compost!
We started with a bottle of VERMENTINO 2008 from ARGIOLAS "Costamolino" in Sardinia which was great with our quite spicy food. Chef Duarte uses many native chilies and does not skimp on them. The starter of CAUSA de CANGREJO was a cold crab, yellow Peruvian potatoes, egg, avocado, Botija Olives (Peruvian), Aji Amarillo (yellow Peruvian chili pepper) and RICOTO (a very spicy red pepper). It was a divine mixture and the red and yellow sauces were surrounding the cylinder or crab so that you could use more or less if you liked the spice. Our second starter was the COCCIO di PESCE e LEGUMI which was a stew of Baby Octopus, Cuttlefish, Calms, Chickpeas all in a divine spicy Tomato Sauce. I mentioned to our server Sarah, who after we settled in was a gem, that the "spicy" tomato sauce was less "spicy" than the pepper sauces on the not listed as "spicy" crab dish! She said I had a point.
We moved on to a yummy red CARMENERE Blend 2004 from San Lorenzo Estate "Chono" in Maipo, Chile which was actually 41% Syrah/44% Carmenere/15% Cab) and was a dream drink with our main courses. GNOCCHI di YUCA al RAGU VERDE STILE Secco Peruviano was a Casava Root Gnocchi, slow braised lamb with fermented corn liquor called "Chica de Jora" and cilantro resulting in the "verde" or greenish color of the ragu of lamb which also had an amazing lingering pepper flavor at the back of the mouth after each bite that was not "spicy" but just impressive.
COSTOLETTA di MAIALE con Canna di Zucchero e Rocoto used the spicy red Rocoto Pepper again but here with a Brined (huge) double cut Pork Chop with a sugar cane-Rocoto glaze that was oh so tasty. On the side was a YUCCA PIATELLA (cake) and a saute of Giant Peruvian CORN with Spinach & Caramelized Onion.
Sarah said the desserts were no made in house, but if we had to try one, the GUAVANOLI's would be choice. The perfect Italian-Peruvian fusion of Cannoli with Guava. It was served with Pistachio brittle and the whole thing was very untasty, so Will ordered a Limoncello and I had the house made PERUVIAN PISCO SOUR which in my mind was a pairing of Peruvian-Italian that worked better!
But what a fun night once we settled in and began to enjoy all the exciting tastes and flavors of this novel cuisine.
Boston's BRASSERIE JO just right for lunch
I have always been a fan of the Chicago BRASSERIE JO Alsatian bistro from Chef Jean Joho, but this was my first time at the Boston location in the Colonnade Hotel near the Prudential Center (www.brasseriejoboston.com).
We met a friend for brunch with Samuel, and while the brunch menu is not a big as the lunch or dinner choices, it is quite nice.
I convinced Samuel to try to "French pizza" which is really an Alsatian TARTE FLAMBEE, a superb flatbread with bacon, tomato, and egg. He immediately made a fuss about the white stuff (egg white) and I told him it was cheese. He ultimately ate 1/2 of the tarte and I have to say that while he ultimately DID eat, it was a major pressure job to get him to do so this time around.
I had a glass of LUICIEN ALBRECHT PINOT GRIS 2008 Cuvee Romanus which is always refreshing at midday, even in the wet Boston rain. It was just right with my STEAK TARTARE, a huge portion of superb quality meat with a small salad of tomato (not too ripe) and watercress. It was on the spicy side, which is how I like it, making the wine just the right foil.
I must also rave about the small plate of horseradish coated carrots that came to table...these were so good we asked for extras. Even Will (the Brit who dislikes horseradish) raved about them; alas Samuel would not taste a bite.
Our host had the ONION SOUP which was traditional with gobs of cheese and crouton.
Will's portion of SMOKED CHICKEN CREPE with GOAT CHEESE & Salad was indeed a huge crepe filled with creamy tasty chicken and salad (yes, in the crepe!).
It was an auspicious start to a weekend of pretty great food experiences in my alma mater state, Massachusetts.
We met a friend for brunch with Samuel, and while the brunch menu is not a big as the lunch or dinner choices, it is quite nice.
I convinced Samuel to try to "French pizza" which is really an Alsatian TARTE FLAMBEE, a superb flatbread with bacon, tomato, and egg. He immediately made a fuss about the white stuff (egg white) and I told him it was cheese. He ultimately ate 1/2 of the tarte and I have to say that while he ultimately DID eat, it was a major pressure job to get him to do so this time around.
I had a glass of LUICIEN ALBRECHT PINOT GRIS 2008 Cuvee Romanus which is always refreshing at midday, even in the wet Boston rain. It was just right with my STEAK TARTARE, a huge portion of superb quality meat with a small salad of tomato (not too ripe) and watercress. It was on the spicy side, which is how I like it, making the wine just the right foil.
I must also rave about the small plate of horseradish coated carrots that came to table...these were so good we asked for extras. Even Will (the Brit who dislikes horseradish) raved about them; alas Samuel would not taste a bite.
Our host had the ONION SOUP which was traditional with gobs of cheese and crouton.
Will's portion of SMOKED CHICKEN CREPE with GOAT CHEESE & Salad was indeed a huge crepe filled with creamy tasty chicken and salad (yes, in the crepe!).
It was an auspicious start to a weekend of pretty great food experiences in my alma mater state, Massachusetts.
Monday, October 19, 2009
still lovin' LIA's in Chevy Chase, MD
We returned to LIA's (www.liasrestaurant.com) just off Wisconsin Ave in Chevy Chase (across the MD line) and had another almost perfect meal. We went with our friends Lee & Kevin and their son Joshua, who grew up with Samuel in the same orphanage, so they go way back. The kids wreaked minimal havoc and enjoyed their PIZZA STRAIGHT UP with tomato, mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil.
We quaffed a GODELLA T.R. "Gaba do Zil" 2006 from Valdeorras which was most tasty and had the most interesting combination of flavors that I just can't describe. Monday is a great deal day at LIA's since all wine by the bottle is 1/2 price. The Godello coming in at $24.50! The meal deal is even better if you arrive before 630pm since you get three courses for $19.95!
We decided to "add-on" to the deals and order an ANTIPASTO PLATTER which we chose 6 items for. Each of the items is $5 or so and comes in 1-1/2 ounce portions which is a bit chincy and not anywhere near the amounts at say PROOF.
We choose WHITE ANCHOVIES which were nice, CAPPICOLA which was a bit chewy, GORGONZOLA Stuffed OLIVES (another ripoff for like 9 olives), marinated ARTICHOKE HEARTS (and even bigger ripoff for like 7 pieces) and two cheeses-RUSTICO de LIMON and Cypress Grove's MIDNIGHT MOON, neither of which was impressive nor a decent portion.
Our first red was a yummy MONTEPULCIANO d'ABRUZZO 2006 from MASCIARELLI that at $21.50 (1/2 price) was another bargain of the evening. Since our very sweet waiter Jon spilled part of one glass it also resulted in free glasses of MOSCATO for us all at dessert!
Our starters were all large portions and tasty ones as well:
FATTOUSH SALAD with feat, olive and flatbread
BEETS, MACHE, Orange & GOAT CHEESE
Baby LETTUCES, GORGONZOLA and Spiced NUTS
and my divine FENNEL, FRENCH BEANS & BREAOLA.
You may recall I am not a fennel fan, but this was a tasty salad and the bresaola gave just the right touch. It is supposed to come with grapefruit which would have added a nice acidity, but I had to decline and that wonderful fruit reverses the effects of cholesterol drugs!
Our third wine was indeed the wine surprise and super deal of the evening: RIPASSO di VALPOLICELLO CESARI "Casa Mara" 2006 from Verona had a huge raisin nose, but a deep red body; so Amarone in the nose, but big red in the mouth.
The kids enjoyed Strawberry and Passion Fruit Sorbets while we ate our main courses:
MUSSELS in Tomato-Herb broth with Gorgonzola Bread
BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO with Taleggio, Pomegranate and Pumpkin Oil was a bit too heavy and not as al dente as I like my risotto.
CHICKEN SAUSAGE PIZZA with Rapini & Garlic Confit & Moza(apparently an herb garnish I never spotted) is a nice pizza if you are leaning that way, but I adored the CHICKEN LEMONCELLO with olives, capers,arugula, roasted garlic POLENTA and in a portion that was more than 1/2 a chicken with plenty to take home!
Desserts were varied from a decent TIRAMUSA and CANOLI to a divine ESPRESSO y ZEPPOLE which was an Espresso semifreddo accompanied by five or so tasty small cinnamon doughnuts! Everyone agreed, this is the way to go!
Not everything was perfect, but for the price YOU CAN'T find better deals these days!
We quaffed a GODELLA T.R. "Gaba do Zil" 2006 from Valdeorras which was most tasty and had the most interesting combination of flavors that I just can't describe. Monday is a great deal day at LIA's since all wine by the bottle is 1/2 price. The Godello coming in at $24.50! The meal deal is even better if you arrive before 630pm since you get three courses for $19.95!
We decided to "add-on" to the deals and order an ANTIPASTO PLATTER which we chose 6 items for. Each of the items is $5 or so and comes in 1-1/2 ounce portions which is a bit chincy and not anywhere near the amounts at say PROOF.
We choose WHITE ANCHOVIES which were nice, CAPPICOLA which was a bit chewy, GORGONZOLA Stuffed OLIVES (another ripoff for like 9 olives), marinated ARTICHOKE HEARTS (and even bigger ripoff for like 7 pieces) and two cheeses-RUSTICO de LIMON and Cypress Grove's MIDNIGHT MOON, neither of which was impressive nor a decent portion.
Our first red was a yummy MONTEPULCIANO d'ABRUZZO 2006 from MASCIARELLI that at $21.50 (1/2 price) was another bargain of the evening. Since our very sweet waiter Jon spilled part of one glass it also resulted in free glasses of MOSCATO for us all at dessert!
Our starters were all large portions and tasty ones as well:
FATTOUSH SALAD with feat, olive and flatbread
BEETS, MACHE, Orange & GOAT CHEESE
Baby LETTUCES, GORGONZOLA and Spiced NUTS
and my divine FENNEL, FRENCH BEANS & BREAOLA.
You may recall I am not a fennel fan, but this was a tasty salad and the bresaola gave just the right touch. It is supposed to come with grapefruit which would have added a nice acidity, but I had to decline and that wonderful fruit reverses the effects of cholesterol drugs!
Our third wine was indeed the wine surprise and super deal of the evening: RIPASSO di VALPOLICELLO CESARI "Casa Mara" 2006 from Verona had a huge raisin nose, but a deep red body; so Amarone in the nose, but big red in the mouth.
The kids enjoyed Strawberry and Passion Fruit Sorbets while we ate our main courses:
MUSSELS in Tomato-Herb broth with Gorgonzola Bread
BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO with Taleggio, Pomegranate and Pumpkin Oil was a bit too heavy and not as al dente as I like my risotto.
CHICKEN SAUSAGE PIZZA with Rapini & Garlic Confit & Moza(apparently an herb garnish I never spotted) is a nice pizza if you are leaning that way, but I adored the CHICKEN LEMONCELLO with olives, capers,arugula, roasted garlic POLENTA and in a portion that was more than 1/2 a chicken with plenty to take home!
Desserts were varied from a decent TIRAMUSA and CANOLI to a divine ESPRESSO y ZEPPOLE which was an Espresso semifreddo accompanied by five or so tasty small cinnamon doughnuts! Everyone agreed, this is the way to go!
Not everything was perfect, but for the price YOU CAN'T find better deals these days!
Thursday, October 08, 2009
the British Birthday at Colmbia Hts COMMONWEALTH
For Will's birthday, he choose the British COMMONWEALTH GASTROPUB (www.commonwealthgastropub.com) in DC and we did have a great family evening. Right off the bat, Samuel ordered the same dish he had on our last visit-DOG in a PUFF with CHIPS. We, of course, ate the yummy puff pastry as Sam dunked his hot dog and thick seasoned chips in ketchup. We quaffed a bottle of RIOJA VEGA (Crianza) 2006 which was billed on the menu as Tempranillo, but was a blend of 50% Tenpranillo/25%Granacha and 25%Mazuelo. Our very handsome and accommodating server, Huck, recommended the wine and said it had a nice spicy flavor, which was perfect with our starters:
CRISPY LEMON FRIED OLIVES which are lightly breaded and you can pop into your mouth forever.
PORK PIES with GREEN Sauce for dipping which Will would call "pasties" in the UK or you might call empanadas here, esp with the Latin-leaning green sauce which was just right.
The PORK BELLY SLIDERS are served on Challa Bread (there has to be something very unkosher about that!) and Cucumber. They are a bit bready which is always an issue with sliders these days, although the belly was nice and tasty.
Our second wine was a lease spicy and milder KERMIT LYNCH Rouge 2007 billed as Grenache on the menu, but a Cotes du Rhone blend. It was nice with our less intensely flavored main courses. Will had the SHEPHERD's PIE made with Braised Beef, Squash, Potato and Bella Vitano Cheese and raved on about this (altho we poo-pooed the veggie tofu version available--I guess one should taste it).
My CHICKEN N DUMPLINGS was a 1/2 Beer Braised chicken with yummy Bella Vitano and Ricotta Dumplings and Squash as well. The sauce was divine and slightly creamy.
Will tried the STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING but asked for it with Vanilla Ice Cream instead of the non-British whipped cream and liked it much better this time. I opted for the cheeses which were BIJOU Goat from Vermont, GRAYSON & APPALACHIA both from Virginia served with a Date Compote and HomeMade Beer Mustard which I spread on the toasted thin seasoned bread crisps.
Samuel had the BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE PUDDING which is billed a 70% Cacao /"American Style" which indeed it was, just like the kind we ate as kids in the 60's. Sam adored it but was bouncing off the walls all the way home and then some.
Next time--good food, good party, less chocolate for Sam!
CRISPY LEMON FRIED OLIVES which are lightly breaded and you can pop into your mouth forever.
PORK PIES with GREEN Sauce for dipping which Will would call "pasties" in the UK or you might call empanadas here, esp with the Latin-leaning green sauce which was just right.
The PORK BELLY SLIDERS are served on Challa Bread (there has to be something very unkosher about that!) and Cucumber. They are a bit bready which is always an issue with sliders these days, although the belly was nice and tasty.
Our second wine was a lease spicy and milder KERMIT LYNCH Rouge 2007 billed as Grenache on the menu, but a Cotes du Rhone blend. It was nice with our less intensely flavored main courses. Will had the SHEPHERD's PIE made with Braised Beef, Squash, Potato and Bella Vitano Cheese and raved on about this (altho we poo-pooed the veggie tofu version available--I guess one should taste it).
My CHICKEN N DUMPLINGS was a 1/2 Beer Braised chicken with yummy Bella Vitano and Ricotta Dumplings and Squash as well. The sauce was divine and slightly creamy.
Will tried the STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING but asked for it with Vanilla Ice Cream instead of the non-British whipped cream and liked it much better this time. I opted for the cheeses which were BIJOU Goat from Vermont, GRAYSON & APPALACHIA both from Virginia served with a Date Compote and HomeMade Beer Mustard which I spread on the toasted thin seasoned bread crisps.
Samuel had the BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE PUDDING which is billed a 70% Cacao /"American Style" which indeed it was, just like the kind we ate as kids in the 60's. Sam adored it but was bouncing off the walls all the way home and then some.
Next time--good food, good party, less chocolate for Sam!
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Chef Catalani on Capitol Hill triumphs with TOSCANA Cafe
Last night our friend Bill asked us to join him on the Hill just blocks from his house at a new secret that opened there only months ago. Chef Daniele Catalani (ex of Galileo) started up a take-out and small spot at 601 2nd St, NE (www.toscanacafedc.com) and has a hit with only 9 tables upstairs that hold no more than 22 or so people. Toscana Cafe was jammed (I don't know if you can reserve, but you might call ahead before you take the trek-202-525-2693) last night, and it truly exemplifies the neighborhood. This is not fine dining at simple tables that are a bit crowded, but it is great local Italian cuisine which is what we need these days. Add to this prices that just can't be beat (we paid $193 for 3 people with tax for all the food and 2 bottles of wine PLUS 2 extra glasses) and portions that scream left-overs and you have a sure hit.
We started with a crisp mineral-intense VERMENTINO di SARDEGNA Costamolino 2008 from Argiolas which was only one of the many wines under $30. The glass prices did seem a bit high (the glass is generally 1/3 of the bottle price), so come planning to order a bottle, especially if your party drinks at least 3 glasses total! The menu is simple and varied with 2 salads, 11 starters, 7 pastas and 4 secondi (main courses) as well as desserts, which we never got to since we were so full.
My antipasto was the SALUMI plate which was simply described as Prosciutto, Mortadella, Cacciatorino, Spek and MORE. This is an understatement. There were figs, artichokes, tons of olives, pepperoncini and at least 10 slices of various meats all for $9.00! The PORK FENNEL SAUSAGE antipasto has three huge sausages with Canneliini Beans in a Tomato Sauce with Sage and is a tasty and also quite filling treat. The Octopus (listed on the menu as "polipo" as opposed to "polpo"--maybe I'm wrong?) was also a tasty warm option as well.
Secondi were huge portions as well from the PAPPARDELLE served with Roasted LAMB Ragu having perfectly al dente pasta and a divine rich sauce to the SALTIMBOCCA di VITELLO having lean slices of veal with crispy Prosciutto, Sage, Fontina Cheese, Porcini Mushrooms and a Potato Puree on the side.
My RISOTTO of the day was with OSSO BUCO and the risotto was a tasty dish, but the star was the huge shank replete with marrow and meat that fell off at the touch.
A CHIANTI CLASSICO 2007 Berardegna from FELSINA was recommended by our server Grace, and she made a good choice as the wine was big enough to go with our very intensely flavorful dishes. The glasses of wine were BORGOFORTE SuperTuscan 2007 Villa Pillo which was nowhere near as big as the Chianti.
The service is decent, but it is hard for the staff to keep running up from the kitchen to the tiny upstairs. There are two servers, so usually one is nearby, and our requests for utensils, bread or whatever, were always handled quickly.
TOSCANA CAFE is Capitol Hill's new secret; see you there soon.
We started with a crisp mineral-intense VERMENTINO di SARDEGNA Costamolino 2008 from Argiolas which was only one of the many wines under $30. The glass prices did seem a bit high (the glass is generally 1/3 of the bottle price), so come planning to order a bottle, especially if your party drinks at least 3 glasses total! The menu is simple and varied with 2 salads, 11 starters, 7 pastas and 4 secondi (main courses) as well as desserts, which we never got to since we were so full.
My antipasto was the SALUMI plate which was simply described as Prosciutto, Mortadella, Cacciatorino, Spek and MORE. This is an understatement. There were figs, artichokes, tons of olives, pepperoncini and at least 10 slices of various meats all for $9.00! The PORK FENNEL SAUSAGE antipasto has three huge sausages with Canneliini Beans in a Tomato Sauce with Sage and is a tasty and also quite filling treat. The Octopus (listed on the menu as "polipo" as opposed to "polpo"--maybe I'm wrong?) was also a tasty warm option as well.
Secondi were huge portions as well from the PAPPARDELLE served with Roasted LAMB Ragu having perfectly al dente pasta and a divine rich sauce to the SALTIMBOCCA di VITELLO having lean slices of veal with crispy Prosciutto, Sage, Fontina Cheese, Porcini Mushrooms and a Potato Puree on the side.
My RISOTTO of the day was with OSSO BUCO and the risotto was a tasty dish, but the star was the huge shank replete with marrow and meat that fell off at the touch.
A CHIANTI CLASSICO 2007 Berardegna from FELSINA was recommended by our server Grace, and she made a good choice as the wine was big enough to go with our very intensely flavorful dishes. The glasses of wine were BORGOFORTE SuperTuscan 2007 Villa Pillo which was nowhere near as big as the Chianti.
The service is decent, but it is hard for the staff to keep running up from the kitchen to the tiny upstairs. There are two servers, so usually one is nearby, and our requests for utensils, bread or whatever, were always handled quickly.
TOSCANA CAFE is Capitol Hill's new secret; see you there soon.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Arlington's BANGKOK 54 tops for Thai
Last night friends of ours invited us along with Samuel for a superb feast at BANGKOK 54 (www.bangkok54restaurant.com at 2919 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA) which was indeed a treat. Easily the best Thai in Arlington, and perhaps the DC area, (although Zagat does give several better ratings), we enjoyed every bite. The decor is pleasant, traditional and comfortable; the service attentive and helpful.
We started with SPRING ROLLS to which they added chicken to the veggie version on the menu for Samuel. We tried the HOUSE SPECIAL DUCK ROLLS which are more like pancake wraps of tasty lean duck with duck sauce and veggies with a hot mustard/sweet and sour swirl to dip in on the side.
If you like spice try the dishes marked with little peppers. SPICY ROASTED DUCK SALAD has crispy coated pieces of duck in a lettuce salad with ginger and pieces of pineapple and has some mild heat. The GREEN PAPAYA SALAD is much hotter and comes with minced shrimp, tomato, peanut and needs something cool (like water!) to wash the heat (which fades fast) away.
Will opted for the SINGHA Thai beer and I had the SHIRAKABE GURA TOKUBETSU JYUNMAI Sake which was nicely chilled and a great deal at like $16 for a small bottle.
There were so many dishes it was hard to choose, so we let our server guide us to the PANANG CURRY. We chose the chicken which comes in a rich creamy coconut and peanut curry with broccoli. It comes with white rice, which I think works best with the rich curry, but you also get whole grain rice if you like. Speaking of rice, Samuel asked for the SIMPLE FRIED RICE with CHICKEN which he gobbled up. It is a very tasty fried rice with soy, scallions and egg.
STIR-FRIED SPICY EGGPLANT can also come "not spicy" if you like and while I am not an eggplant lover this dish is a great veggie option with chili, bell peppers, sweet basil and a yummy black bean sauce. This dish comes under the "HOT WOK" category listing many dishes that can be ordered vegetarian or with chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or seafood.
FLANK STEAK is cooked nicely and comes with mushrooms and the grain rice as well, but our favorite dish was unquestionably the huge FRESH JUMBO SOFT SHELL CRABS tempura fried and served with a tasty CHILI-BASIL sauce. These were indeed very JUMBO and I was thrilled to get one last taste of them before their season closes!
FRESH MANGO and STICKY RICE is a pleasant dessert if you are still hungry; I tasted one small spoon, but was oh so full from all the yummy tastes!
I asked the owners why "54" and they said it was a nice number that adds up to 9. So much for why the name is 54! Who cares, I give it a very high number rating too!
We started with SPRING ROLLS to which they added chicken to the veggie version on the menu for Samuel. We tried the HOUSE SPECIAL DUCK ROLLS which are more like pancake wraps of tasty lean duck with duck sauce and veggies with a hot mustard/sweet and sour swirl to dip in on the side.
If you like spice try the dishes marked with little peppers. SPICY ROASTED DUCK SALAD has crispy coated pieces of duck in a lettuce salad with ginger and pieces of pineapple and has some mild heat. The GREEN PAPAYA SALAD is much hotter and comes with minced shrimp, tomato, peanut and needs something cool (like water!) to wash the heat (which fades fast) away.
Will opted for the SINGHA Thai beer and I had the SHIRAKABE GURA TOKUBETSU JYUNMAI Sake which was nicely chilled and a great deal at like $16 for a small bottle.
There were so many dishes it was hard to choose, so we let our server guide us to the PANANG CURRY. We chose the chicken which comes in a rich creamy coconut and peanut curry with broccoli. It comes with white rice, which I think works best with the rich curry, but you also get whole grain rice if you like. Speaking of rice, Samuel asked for the SIMPLE FRIED RICE with CHICKEN which he gobbled up. It is a very tasty fried rice with soy, scallions and egg.
STIR-FRIED SPICY EGGPLANT can also come "not spicy" if you like and while I am not an eggplant lover this dish is a great veggie option with chili, bell peppers, sweet basil and a yummy black bean sauce. This dish comes under the "HOT WOK" category listing many dishes that can be ordered vegetarian or with chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or seafood.
FLANK STEAK is cooked nicely and comes with mushrooms and the grain rice as well, but our favorite dish was unquestionably the huge FRESH JUMBO SOFT SHELL CRABS tempura fried and served with a tasty CHILI-BASIL sauce. These were indeed very JUMBO and I was thrilled to get one last taste of them before their season closes!
FRESH MANGO and STICKY RICE is a pleasant dessert if you are still hungry; I tasted one small spoon, but was oh so full from all the yummy tastes!
I asked the owners why "54" and they said it was a nice number that adds up to 9. So much for why the name is 54! Who cares, I give it a very high number rating too!
Thursday, October 01, 2009
A superb celebration at SPEZIE (& right in the center of DC!)
Thursday night was the 15th Anniversary of our commitment ceremony and Will and I chose to celebrate at SPEZIE (www.spezie.com at 1736 L St, NW) where our friend Cesare Lanfranconi is in charge. Well, Cesare was in absentia as he had hurt his back, but the staff, as always, did a great job, and we were thrilled to be with our friend Karen, who has truly been the hostess with the mostess around town for so long, and our server Luciano, who hails not only from all the Galileo's of the past but back to Tiberio!
It was a great night to reminisce and eat and drink, starting with a glass of prosecco and the most divine Portobello Arrosto con Polpetta di polpa di granchio e burra alla erbe. This is truly the perfect Italian-take on our local crab cake, but here on a portobello mushroom with a yummy herb butter sauce. The entire creation is indeed a new revelation in the crab department. The winning touch to this dish was the simple microgreens on the side.
We were virgins to the Fiano grape with a FIANO di AVELLINO from Terradora di Paolo 2006 in Campania which was very rich, yet totally crisp as well. A great white for the crab and the pastas that followed. Stefano, the manager and sommelier hails from Sicily (we talked lots about that too) and he really introduced us to two star wines.
Our pastas were a split portion of FETTUCINE al SUGO di CONIGLIO al Verminto, Carciofi e maggiorama--a superb Vermentino (white wine) braised farm rabbit ragu with artichoke, parmeggiana and marjoram. The other half of the plate was perhaps the winning star with a TRENETTE al PESTO alla GENOVESE, which doesn't get much simpler, but was a divine linguine with a Genovese basil pesto, green beans, potato cubes and aged pecorino that all combined just made one of the best pasta dishes around.
We moved to our red wine, a GRAVELLO LIBRNADI from Val DiNeto in Calabria 2004 which is a blend of Gaglioppo and Cabernet, the first obviously being the new varietal to us. It opened up after a bit and we enjoyed every last drop.
The main courses were a Roasted FENNEL Dusted PORK CHOP with Cannellini Beans, Acorn Squash, Rosemary Mash, Balsamic and Braised Cipolline Onions that was not too fennelly at all and was a perfectly cooked chop to boot not to mention everything else. Will savored the CARE d'AGNELO Arrosto con Carciofi, fave e pancetta brasati ala menta, salsa alle olive liguri which was a divine Rack of Lamb (huge as well) roasted with Artichokes, Fava Beans, Pancetta and a bit of mint with a Ligurian Olive Sauce.
We were full, but the staff insisted we have a celebration dessert, which was a light and delightful PEACH & BLUEBERRY COBBLER with Vanilla Ice Cream. A creamy way to end a wonderful anniversary dinner.
It was a great night to reminisce and eat and drink, starting with a glass of prosecco and the most divine Portobello Arrosto con Polpetta di polpa di granchio e burra alla erbe. This is truly the perfect Italian-take on our local crab cake, but here on a portobello mushroom with a yummy herb butter sauce. The entire creation is indeed a new revelation in the crab department. The winning touch to this dish was the simple microgreens on the side.
We were virgins to the Fiano grape with a FIANO di AVELLINO from Terradora di Paolo 2006 in Campania which was very rich, yet totally crisp as well. A great white for the crab and the pastas that followed. Stefano, the manager and sommelier hails from Sicily (we talked lots about that too) and he really introduced us to two star wines.
Our pastas were a split portion of FETTUCINE al SUGO di CONIGLIO al Verminto, Carciofi e maggiorama--a superb Vermentino (white wine) braised farm rabbit ragu with artichoke, parmeggiana and marjoram. The other half of the plate was perhaps the winning star with a TRENETTE al PESTO alla GENOVESE, which doesn't get much simpler, but was a divine linguine with a Genovese basil pesto, green beans, potato cubes and aged pecorino that all combined just made one of the best pasta dishes around.
We moved to our red wine, a GRAVELLO LIBRNADI from Val DiNeto in Calabria 2004 which is a blend of Gaglioppo and Cabernet, the first obviously being the new varietal to us. It opened up after a bit and we enjoyed every last drop.
The main courses were a Roasted FENNEL Dusted PORK CHOP with Cannellini Beans, Acorn Squash, Rosemary Mash, Balsamic and Braised Cipolline Onions that was not too fennelly at all and was a perfectly cooked chop to boot not to mention everything else. Will savored the CARE d'AGNELO Arrosto con Carciofi, fave e pancetta brasati ala menta, salsa alle olive liguri which was a divine Rack of Lamb (huge as well) roasted with Artichokes, Fava Beans, Pancetta and a bit of mint with a Ligurian Olive Sauce.
We were full, but the staff insisted we have a celebration dessert, which was a light and delightful PEACH & BLUEBERRY COBBLER with Vanilla Ice Cream. A creamy way to end a wonderful anniversary dinner.
Monday, September 21, 2009
make it MARVIN's for me, best French bistro around
Last night we headed to MARVIN's (www.marvindc.com) at 2007 14th Street (at U St), NW in an area that has truly had a major renaissance foodwise in the last decade. This wonderful Belgian style bistro is just that with wooden chairs, a pub-ish feel and a very relaxed atmosphere, dedicated to Marvin Gaye's two years in "exile" in Ostend, Belgium. There is some jazz music, but the star here is the food and it was impressive, and very reasonably priced as well.
We started with a bottle of refreshing Mas de la Dame "Rose du Mas: 2008 a very dry rose from Les Baux de Provence that goes with almost everything (save the steak, which Will ordered a glass of house red for!).
The food is Belgian bistro with that American twist with some delectable starters such as LIVER & ONIONS which is a monstrous slab of Hudson Valley FOIE GRAS with Sweet VIDALIA Onions, Pear and BANYULS Vinegar. At $17.00 this might be an indulgence, but it's size makes it worth every cent and every bite. If you feel the need for duck, you can also have the less pricy DUCK CONFIT, a filling leg and thigh with PICKLED BEETS, CHEVRE cheese and a small MACHE Salad with a tasty yet light vinaigrette. The SEARED SEA SCALLOPS are three large nicely browned on the edge scallops on a bed of superb BRAISED LEEKS with Beurre Rouge.
We were all impressed at this point, and we kept telling our server Lenore (we did really want the cute blond guy in the shorts, but Lenore was perfect in all her suggestions!) when she asked how everything was, that it was indeed, FABULOUS. Chef James Claudio must be very proud of the plates that come out here.
Our main courses were just as superb starting with the Southern-influenced Free Range COUNTRY FRIED CHICKEN Breast & WAFFLES which comes over a bed of COLLARD GREENS with traditional rich gravy and for those in need of sweet indulgence, Maple Syrup on the side. The STEAK FRITES is a hit here with a very low priced yet wonderfully tasty Cowgirl (which I did not know means off the bone!) 18 ounce RIBEYE with Petite Salade, SAUCE BORDELAISE & ROSEMARY Caper Sauce. A divine and yes huge (at 18 ounces of all meat with no bone, so there was leftovers for sure) steak with some of the best frites in DC!
I opted for the very Belgian MOULES FRITES which can be had in several sauces here. My choice was the COCONUT CURRY when Lenore said it was indeed not a sweet sauce, but a mildly spicy one and she hit this one on the nose. There were scattered jalapeno slices for a bite if you chose to devour them and the plump mussels bathes in a rich sauce that did require massive mopping up at the end with the traditional tasty French bread. The FRITES were truly the stars here and they come served with three sauces: a nice ketchup and two divinely thick mayonnaise sauces--one Wasabi and one Curry, both of which I could not resist.
MARVIN is a spot to consider on its own or when you are anywhere near the U Street Corridor...we will be back very soon!
We started with a bottle of refreshing Mas de la Dame "Rose du Mas: 2008 a very dry rose from Les Baux de Provence that goes with almost everything (save the steak, which Will ordered a glass of house red for!).
The food is Belgian bistro with that American twist with some delectable starters such as LIVER & ONIONS which is a monstrous slab of Hudson Valley FOIE GRAS with Sweet VIDALIA Onions, Pear and BANYULS Vinegar. At $17.00 this might be an indulgence, but it's size makes it worth every cent and every bite. If you feel the need for duck, you can also have the less pricy DUCK CONFIT, a filling leg and thigh with PICKLED BEETS, CHEVRE cheese and a small MACHE Salad with a tasty yet light vinaigrette. The SEARED SEA SCALLOPS are three large nicely browned on the edge scallops on a bed of superb BRAISED LEEKS with Beurre Rouge.
We were all impressed at this point, and we kept telling our server Lenore (we did really want the cute blond guy in the shorts, but Lenore was perfect in all her suggestions!) when she asked how everything was, that it was indeed, FABULOUS. Chef James Claudio must be very proud of the plates that come out here.
Our main courses were just as superb starting with the Southern-influenced Free Range COUNTRY FRIED CHICKEN Breast & WAFFLES which comes over a bed of COLLARD GREENS with traditional rich gravy and for those in need of sweet indulgence, Maple Syrup on the side. The STEAK FRITES is a hit here with a very low priced yet wonderfully tasty Cowgirl (which I did not know means off the bone!) 18 ounce RIBEYE with Petite Salade, SAUCE BORDELAISE & ROSEMARY Caper Sauce. A divine and yes huge (at 18 ounces of all meat with no bone, so there was leftovers for sure) steak with some of the best frites in DC!
I opted for the very Belgian MOULES FRITES which can be had in several sauces here. My choice was the COCONUT CURRY when Lenore said it was indeed not a sweet sauce, but a mildly spicy one and she hit this one on the nose. There were scattered jalapeno slices for a bite if you chose to devour them and the plump mussels bathes in a rich sauce that did require massive mopping up at the end with the traditional tasty French bread. The FRITES were truly the stars here and they come served with three sauces: a nice ketchup and two divinely thick mayonnaise sauces--one Wasabi and one Curry, both of which I could not resist.
MARVIN is a spot to consider on its own or when you are anywhere near the U Street Corridor...we will be back very soon!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
certainly SEI should be seen and more...
SEI opened earlier this year next to the Shakespeare Lansburgh Theater at 444 7th St, NW (www.seirestaurant.com) in the Penn Quarter and has already garnered much acclaim (2-1/2 stars from the Post). It will soon have a different type of competition next door when the British uber-Asian chain Wagamama opens its first DC location!
SEI calls itself "modern Asian cuisine," and that is about as accurate as it gets. There are many highs and some lows here, so do listen up, and you may wish to access the Post review (dated April 5, 2009) and I intend to refer to it as well (I just adore to bash Mr. Sietsema!).
I must first give the critic praise as he is totally correct about the brilliant and exciting cocktail menu at Sei. I felt the APPLE BLOSSOM (Gala Apple infused Vodka, Sparkling Cider, Lime Juice, Apple Cider) was a bit too sweet and the MISCHIEF (Yazi Ginger Vodka, Triple Sec, Lime Juice, Simple Syrup) was a bit too sour, but my LIQUID WASABI was a dream come true. Mr Sietsema called this "a little pain followed by a lot of pleasure," and I must totally disagree. The drink is just right, and too hot at all. It has NO wasabi and is made from unfiltered Sake, Lime Juice, Habanero & Ginger Infused Simple Syrup and delighted me to no end. Everyone agreed it was the winning drink of the table.
The wine list is not too big, but has some nice surprises and we opted for a MERLEIN "Chupacabra" from Paso Robles 2006 which is a Cabernet/Petit Verdot/Syrah blend that does match well with some of the spicier dishes, but also goes down smooth with the milder ones.
We ordered the EDAMAME starter which is pretty much about the same as everywhere else; I was looking for something modern or novel here. The WASABI GUACAMOLE however does excite and uses the lighter Wonton Chips for crunchiness and lightness.
We sat back and enjoyed the almost all white decor with gold accents, the elegant sushi bar with a huge window or orchids behind it and more. The noise levels were high, but not unbearable, as we arrived at after 9pm (we had just come from seeing the superb PHEDRE starring Helen Mirren!) and the place was starting to wind down.
We decided to order a number of starters and one main each: FISH & CHIPS ROLL was a wonderful sushi concoction made from Flounder, Malt Vinegar with crunchy Potato Crisps sprinkled atop and a light Wasabi Tartar underneath. These delectible bites did not need wasabi, although a dash of soy (and maybe a slice of ginger) added to the great taste. This dish made me want to come back and try more sushi, but sadly we had already ordered too much!
The BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN WINGS with Teriyaki Glace pack a huge spice punch and come with wet towels to clean up with (a nice touch). The spice dies only after several minutes, so do be forewarned; but I adored the intense flavor.
WAGU TARTARE with Naan and Panko Crusted QUAIL EGG was a nice starter size tartare of excellent lean beef and the egg was just the right touch. There are about 8 slices of the puffy naan (each about 1-1/4 inch diameter) which is a bit much unless you just put a tad of tartare on each piece--no way--I would not want the bread to overpower the wondrous meat; but you can always eat the little rounds separately.
The SEAWEED SALAD is a gorgeous one as is the plain green salad, both large and satisfying.
SAKE CURED COD with EDAMAME Puree and Oyster Mushroom was the hit main course with silky smooth fish in a yummy sauce that was tasty, but not too rich. Deyaku SALMON was also getting high marks. Sadly, my choice was the dud of the evening and I blame it all on Mr. Sietsema. The TOFU "Steak" comes with WASABI MASCARPONE, Tamarin Soy, Crunchy Lotus Chips and Shitakes and looks divine but needs something else flavorwise. The wasabi is minimal and while Mr. Sietsema said he also ordered it "for its joke value. The laugh was on me, however." I have to say that the laugh was ON ME, as I thought the dish way too bland, as I often do tofu, unless, as Will remarked, it is made by our Rabbi, who prepares it brilliantly!
Desserts had highs and lows as well with a nice ORANGE Miso BREAD PUDDING with Caramel Soy Ice Cream, a divinely rich and yummy (my choice, yay) ROASTED TEA CREME BRULEE with fresh berries and an awful dry and bland CHOCOLATE FONDANT with Sake Sorbet and Green Tea Anglaise. I also have to say that while the menu states "fresh berries" with my huge portion of delightful creme brulee, there were indeed only two 1/8" slices of a strawberry on the side! They could not even use a whole strawberry or two...so much for the "plural" berrieS.
All in all, we had a great fun time and most of the food was super. I would definitely return for another Liquid Wasabi cocktail or some of the sakes with some sushi and some of the other starters for sure. Just avoid the tofu and fondant.
SEI calls itself "modern Asian cuisine," and that is about as accurate as it gets. There are many highs and some lows here, so do listen up, and you may wish to access the Post review (dated April 5, 2009) and I intend to refer to it as well (I just adore to bash Mr. Sietsema!).
I must first give the critic praise as he is totally correct about the brilliant and exciting cocktail menu at Sei. I felt the APPLE BLOSSOM (Gala Apple infused Vodka, Sparkling Cider, Lime Juice, Apple Cider) was a bit too sweet and the MISCHIEF (Yazi Ginger Vodka, Triple Sec, Lime Juice, Simple Syrup) was a bit too sour, but my LIQUID WASABI was a dream come true. Mr Sietsema called this "a little pain followed by a lot of pleasure," and I must totally disagree. The drink is just right, and too hot at all. It has NO wasabi and is made from unfiltered Sake, Lime Juice, Habanero & Ginger Infused Simple Syrup and delighted me to no end. Everyone agreed it was the winning drink of the table.
The wine list is not too big, but has some nice surprises and we opted for a MERLEIN "Chupacabra" from Paso Robles 2006 which is a Cabernet/Petit Verdot/Syrah blend that does match well with some of the spicier dishes, but also goes down smooth with the milder ones.
We ordered the EDAMAME starter which is pretty much about the same as everywhere else; I was looking for something modern or novel here. The WASABI GUACAMOLE however does excite and uses the lighter Wonton Chips for crunchiness and lightness.
We sat back and enjoyed the almost all white decor with gold accents, the elegant sushi bar with a huge window or orchids behind it and more. The noise levels were high, but not unbearable, as we arrived at after 9pm (we had just come from seeing the superb PHEDRE starring Helen Mirren!) and the place was starting to wind down.
We decided to order a number of starters and one main each: FISH & CHIPS ROLL was a wonderful sushi concoction made from Flounder, Malt Vinegar with crunchy Potato Crisps sprinkled atop and a light Wasabi Tartar underneath. These delectible bites did not need wasabi, although a dash of soy (and maybe a slice of ginger) added to the great taste. This dish made me want to come back and try more sushi, but sadly we had already ordered too much!
The BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN WINGS with Teriyaki Glace pack a huge spice punch and come with wet towels to clean up with (a nice touch). The spice dies only after several minutes, so do be forewarned; but I adored the intense flavor.
WAGU TARTARE with Naan and Panko Crusted QUAIL EGG was a nice starter size tartare of excellent lean beef and the egg was just the right touch. There are about 8 slices of the puffy naan (each about 1-1/4 inch diameter) which is a bit much unless you just put a tad of tartare on each piece--no way--I would not want the bread to overpower the wondrous meat; but you can always eat the little rounds separately.
The SEAWEED SALAD is a gorgeous one as is the plain green salad, both large and satisfying.
SAKE CURED COD with EDAMAME Puree and Oyster Mushroom was the hit main course with silky smooth fish in a yummy sauce that was tasty, but not too rich. Deyaku SALMON was also getting high marks. Sadly, my choice was the dud of the evening and I blame it all on Mr. Sietsema. The TOFU "Steak" comes with WASABI MASCARPONE, Tamarin Soy, Crunchy Lotus Chips and Shitakes and looks divine but needs something else flavorwise. The wasabi is minimal and while Mr. Sietsema said he also ordered it "for its joke value. The laugh was on me, however." I have to say that the laugh was ON ME, as I thought the dish way too bland, as I often do tofu, unless, as Will remarked, it is made by our Rabbi, who prepares it brilliantly!
Desserts had highs and lows as well with a nice ORANGE Miso BREAD PUDDING with Caramel Soy Ice Cream, a divinely rich and yummy (my choice, yay) ROASTED TEA CREME BRULEE with fresh berries and an awful dry and bland CHOCOLATE FONDANT with Sake Sorbet and Green Tea Anglaise. I also have to say that while the menu states "fresh berries" with my huge portion of delightful creme brulee, there were indeed only two 1/8" slices of a strawberry on the side! They could not even use a whole strawberry or two...so much for the "plural" berrieS.
All in all, we had a great fun time and most of the food was super. I would definitely return for another Liquid Wasabi cocktail or some of the sakes with some sushi and some of the other starters for sure. Just avoid the tofu and fondant.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
the PROOF is in the palate and more at PROOF in DC
After our first visit to PROOF several months ago in the Penn Quarter (www.proofdc.com), I was so impressed, I wanted to return again soon. The opportunity arose when two business associates popped into DC this week and we were looking for a place to dine that was not too heavy, but still lots of fun.
We settled in after a glass of PROSECCO for the CHEF's CHARCUTERIE BOARD and at $20-something, this is still a great deal for 3-4 people. There were slices of the Prosciutto San Danielle (which I liked better this time), Jamon Serrano, Speck, Bresaola, Saucisson de Paris, Rosette de Lyon, Artisanal Salamis, Cacciatore, Sopressata, Finocchiana, Coppa, a Duck & Red Pepper Terrine and of course, gherkins. We enjoyed this with a superb bottle of WESTREY 2004 RESERVE Pinot Noir from the Willametter Valley in Oregon that was intense in fruit and flavor, but worked with the meats quite well.
I had gotten the "out-of-town" ladies all excited about our soft-shell crabs, only to find out they were out that night. AWWWW! I hope we get one more chance at them somewhere this season!
Don't forget the super flatbread and the yogurt dip that comes with it!!
We went on to several starters to share:
HEN of the WOODS MUSHROOM QUICHE with French Beans and Radish is a tasty quiche, but not great revelation...although I loved the beans.
Thyme & Brown Butter Basted VEAL SWEETBREADS with Roasted Corn, Fingerling Potatoes, Sweet Pepper & Basil is a true hit of a standout dish and quite a large portion (as were all the starters).
Grilled OCTOPUS Salad with Potato-Chickpea Salad, Smoked Paprika and Roasted Red Peppers is another divine dish, as was the Side veggie order of CRISPY CAULIFLOWER with Lemon-Tahini Sauce which I remembered so well from my first visit.
A creamy metallic and totally intense 2005 JM BOILLOT PULIGNY MONTRACHET is a true find at under $100 and a rare treat as well. There was a little room for dessert so we shared the CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PROFITEROLES with Chocolate Sorbet which I did not taste, but got raves and the WARM SUMMER BERRY SHORTCAKE which I adored (you know I'm a fruit fan).
It was a great hit of a night and kudos go to the entire great staff, but especially to sommelier Sebastian who rounded up two surprisingly superb wines and the manager, Michael, who hails way back from Teatro Goldoni when it first opened.
The proof is in the product, the pate and the palate!
We settled in after a glass of PROSECCO for the CHEF's CHARCUTERIE BOARD and at $20-something, this is still a great deal for 3-4 people. There were slices of the Prosciutto San Danielle (which I liked better this time), Jamon Serrano, Speck, Bresaola, Saucisson de Paris, Rosette de Lyon, Artisanal Salamis, Cacciatore, Sopressata, Finocchiana, Coppa, a Duck & Red Pepper Terrine and of course, gherkins. We enjoyed this with a superb bottle of WESTREY 2004 RESERVE Pinot Noir from the Willametter Valley in Oregon that was intense in fruit and flavor, but worked with the meats quite well.
I had gotten the "out-of-town" ladies all excited about our soft-shell crabs, only to find out they were out that night. AWWWW! I hope we get one more chance at them somewhere this season!
Don't forget the super flatbread and the yogurt dip that comes with it!!
We went on to several starters to share:
HEN of the WOODS MUSHROOM QUICHE with French Beans and Radish is a tasty quiche, but not great revelation...although I loved the beans.
Thyme & Brown Butter Basted VEAL SWEETBREADS with Roasted Corn, Fingerling Potatoes, Sweet Pepper & Basil is a true hit of a standout dish and quite a large portion (as were all the starters).
Grilled OCTOPUS Salad with Potato-Chickpea Salad, Smoked Paprika and Roasted Red Peppers is another divine dish, as was the Side veggie order of CRISPY CAULIFLOWER with Lemon-Tahini Sauce which I remembered so well from my first visit.
A creamy metallic and totally intense 2005 JM BOILLOT PULIGNY MONTRACHET is a true find at under $100 and a rare treat as well. There was a little room for dessert so we shared the CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PROFITEROLES with Chocolate Sorbet which I did not taste, but got raves and the WARM SUMMER BERRY SHORTCAKE which I adored (you know I'm a fruit fan).
It was a great hit of a night and kudos go to the entire great staff, but especially to sommelier Sebastian who rounded up two surprisingly superb wines and the manager, Michael, who hails way back from Teatro Goldoni when it first opened.
The proof is in the product, the pate and the palate!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
a little late on ALADDIN's in Shirlington
I forgot to give you a quickie write-up on this pretty decent little spot with nice outside tables on the "mall" in Shirlington (4044 S. 28th St, Arlington, VA-www.aladdinseatery.com) which is a great place to grab a bite or light (or heavy) dine as well if you are looking for decent Middle Eastern fare.
Aladdin's is part of a large nationwide chain with more than a dozen spots in Ohio, some in Pittsburgh and also Chicago, Charlotte, San Antonio and yes, three in Virginia. The food is standard, but tasty Middle Eastern, the prices are low and the portions are big.
We started with several apps the FOOLE M DAMAS being the nice surprise with Pureed FAVA Beans, Garlic, Olive Oil, Lemon and diced Tomato and Parsley with Pita (everything comes with Pita for dipping!). FALAFFEL here is made with the traditional CHICK PEAS, but also FAVA Beans and has a Tahini Yoghurt Dip that is used with many other dishes as well. They are not greasy and have great flavor. The very lemony DAWALI are rice, chick pea and tomato stuffed grape leaves with feta and parsley sprinkled on top with the house "Aladdin's Dressing."
We both had the SHWARMA ROLLED PITA, one beef and one chicken. These are large "wraps" filled with meat, greens, tomato, onions, turnips, pickles, parsley and the Tahini Yogurt Dressing. They have just the right amount of spice, but always beware that dressing oozing out the bottom. That's why they come in foil wraps!
We tried the Baklava which was nothing special, but the fact is that you can eat here for a pretty decent bargain and the food is quite tasty. The Rolled Pitas start with meat ones at under $6.00 and the apps average the same. There are many large salads if you wish to avoid the pita and carbs, again in the same price range! The wines are decent with a nice Lebanese house white running in the low $20-range.
Aladdin's is part of a large nationwide chain with more than a dozen spots in Ohio, some in Pittsburgh and also Chicago, Charlotte, San Antonio and yes, three in Virginia. The food is standard, but tasty Middle Eastern, the prices are low and the portions are big.
We started with several apps the FOOLE M DAMAS being the nice surprise with Pureed FAVA Beans, Garlic, Olive Oil, Lemon and diced Tomato and Parsley with Pita (everything comes with Pita for dipping!). FALAFFEL here is made with the traditional CHICK PEAS, but also FAVA Beans and has a Tahini Yoghurt Dip that is used with many other dishes as well. They are not greasy and have great flavor. The very lemony DAWALI are rice, chick pea and tomato stuffed grape leaves with feta and parsley sprinkled on top with the house "Aladdin's Dressing."
We both had the SHWARMA ROLLED PITA, one beef and one chicken. These are large "wraps" filled with meat, greens, tomato, onions, turnips, pickles, parsley and the Tahini Yogurt Dressing. They have just the right amount of spice, but always beware that dressing oozing out the bottom. That's why they come in foil wraps!
We tried the Baklava which was nothing special, but the fact is that you can eat here for a pretty decent bargain and the food is quite tasty. The Rolled Pitas start with meat ones at under $6.00 and the apps average the same. There are many large salads if you wish to avoid the pita and carbs, again in the same price range! The wines are decent with a nice Lebanese house white running in the low $20-range.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
way back home to Washington's wonderful WILLOW (Arlington,VA)
Am safely back home weighing a bit more than I had hoped...so on a diet next week! Last night we headed to WILLOW in Arlington (www.willowva.com) which has always been one of our favorite places, especially for Samuel who has taken a great liking to the flatbreads. Last night he chose the BBQ Chicken version which was so big, he took home 2/3 of it! It had yummy smoked chicken, cheddar and mozzarella with loads of pickled shredded onions, which we quickly removed, and he was okay with. I tasted it and especially loved the smoked cheese.
We did not know that WILLOW has a super bar menu and were treated to a plate of CHEESE GOUGERES (those divine puffy delights that here are larger than golf balls and weigh nothing) with a spectacular BLACK TRUFFLE BUTTER for dipping; this alone added an inch to my waist! Will and I decided to split a small CALAMARI ALI OLIO Flatbread which was smothered with Roast Garlic, Savory Parmesan, Fontina, Roasted Tomatoes, Calamari, Parsley and tasty Lemon Rind. Our only complaint was that when you eat the whole slices of squid they pull the topping off (hopefully next time they will cut the calamari to avoid the mess).
We ordered a bottle of refreshing pear and apricot nosed TEGERNSEERHOF GRUNER VELTLINER 2007 from Bergdistel, Wachau in Austria that was perfect with our fish dishes.
We also split a starter of CRISPY CRAB CAKE & SOFT SHELL CRAB with Corn Pancake, Corn Sauce, Radish & Thyme. The crunchy radish was nice, but it looked like pancetta at first, and I was kind of hoping for that smoky addition to the dish and was a slight bit upset with radish which does not emit much flavor, and alas no smoke. The crab was superb as was the pancake and sauce and this is also a huge dish, easily split between two.
As Samuel enjoyed a scoop of Mango Sorbet, we enjoyed our main courses with Will choosing the Seared Norwegian SALMON with LOBSTER & BARLEY Risotto, Caramelized Fennel Puree and Lobster Butter. I may not be a salmon fan when dining out, but this dish was a star (It's kind of like eating chicken in a restaurant, and by the way--the Fried Chicken dish at Willow seemed to be our first choice, but it was a bit too much after everything else). I opted for the Seared Day Boat SCALLOPS with EGGPLANT Ravioli, Shitakes, Smoked Tomato Butter and Grilled Corn. This dish had three huge scallops seared just right and crunchy on the edge sitting atop the shitakes and ravioli that along with the butter and corn made for a superb flavorful sauce and a completely perfect dish.
Sadly, after all this none of us could even think of dessert. We asked our smiling server Said for the check and headed home a very happy family.
We did not know that WILLOW has a super bar menu and were treated to a plate of CHEESE GOUGERES (those divine puffy delights that here are larger than golf balls and weigh nothing) with a spectacular BLACK TRUFFLE BUTTER for dipping; this alone added an inch to my waist! Will and I decided to split a small CALAMARI ALI OLIO Flatbread which was smothered with Roast Garlic, Savory Parmesan, Fontina, Roasted Tomatoes, Calamari, Parsley and tasty Lemon Rind. Our only complaint was that when you eat the whole slices of squid they pull the topping off (hopefully next time they will cut the calamari to avoid the mess).
We ordered a bottle of refreshing pear and apricot nosed TEGERNSEERHOF GRUNER VELTLINER 2007 from Bergdistel, Wachau in Austria that was perfect with our fish dishes.
We also split a starter of CRISPY CRAB CAKE & SOFT SHELL CRAB with Corn Pancake, Corn Sauce, Radish & Thyme. The crunchy radish was nice, but it looked like pancetta at first, and I was kind of hoping for that smoky addition to the dish and was a slight bit upset with radish which does not emit much flavor, and alas no smoke. The crab was superb as was the pancake and sauce and this is also a huge dish, easily split between two.
As Samuel enjoyed a scoop of Mango Sorbet, we enjoyed our main courses with Will choosing the Seared Norwegian SALMON with LOBSTER & BARLEY Risotto, Caramelized Fennel Puree and Lobster Butter. I may not be a salmon fan when dining out, but this dish was a star (It's kind of like eating chicken in a restaurant, and by the way--the Fried Chicken dish at Willow seemed to be our first choice, but it was a bit too much after everything else). I opted for the Seared Day Boat SCALLOPS with EGGPLANT Ravioli, Shitakes, Smoked Tomato Butter and Grilled Corn. This dish had three huge scallops seared just right and crunchy on the edge sitting atop the shitakes and ravioli that along with the butter and corn made for a superb flavorful sauce and a completely perfect dish.
Sadly, after all this none of us could even think of dessert. We asked our smiling server Said for the check and headed home a very happy family.
Friday, September 04, 2009
The POLO LOUNGE at the Westcliff in Johannesburg is just right for wine and tapas
Our last night was at the informal POLO Lounge (or is it Polo Club) at the Westcliff Hotel in Johannesburg. We all met in the lunge and had wine or drinks; I quaffed a CONSTANTIA 2009 Sauvignon Blanc and munched nuts/biltong(quiz--do you remember what that is?) and Chutney flavored Fritos..that was a weird one.
We moved into the dining room high over the western part of Jo'berg with views to die for and all ordered small palates as we were clueless as to what time or meal it was. We had been up since 430am for our 515am game drive and then had breakfast, drove hours to the airport and flew to Jo'berg. I have to say that while I may have lost tons of sleep and gained too many pounds, we all seemed to just keep on going like the Energizer bunny.
I started with the CROCODILE CARPACCIO with CHAKALAKA and Baby Rocket. The dish was an amazing blend of pumpkin seeds, baby arugala (rocket) and the yummy chakalaka, a kind of Asian tomato/bean/curry mix. The crocodile was fleshy and reminded me of a thicker white carpaccio, say swordfish, but still very different and oh so delicious.
We moved on to a yummy ZANDVLEIT 2006 SHIRAZ from Robertson (you may recall this is north of Hermanus and Franschhoek) which was brilliant with my GRILLED POLENTA FINGERS and Smoked PARPIKA CAPONATA. This dish while billed as tapas, was huge and I had to share with everyone as they did with me. The Spinach-Cheese Phyllo spinakopita-like treats were served with a Vietnamese dipping sauce, which really explains how varied the cultures and food here are. Vegetarian Cous Cous was okay, but the TEMPURA PRAWNS with LIME & CHILLI were superb. Our fearless leader, Jenny, who has taken us on this amazing food, wine, travel and more experience enjoyed the Mushroom FILLET, a superb beef fillet w/ vegetables and new potatoes in a creamy mushroom sauce. While one of us enjoyed the CHICKEN CAESAR Salad, I polished off the superb fresh anchovies, which apparently come from nearby Mozambique.
My third tapas was a LAMB TANDOORI with yoghurt, cucumber and was more like a sausage of lamb wit spicy greens. It was the first truly pure Indian dish I had here and was quite superb, especially with the Shiraz.
Dessert was not an option and I headed back to my room to pack abit, watch the news, write some emails and cry a lot, as I have truly fallen in love with this place so far away, yet so truly amazing, exciting and adventurous that I know it won't be to long before I am back again.
Thanks for enjoying this special journey with me!
ALAN--at the BA lounge in Jo'berg airport enjoying 7 wines from South Africa and the yummy local Camembert that is as runny as it gets!
PS-My biggest regret is that we can't bring Biltong back to the US due to the import restriction!
We moved into the dining room high over the western part of Jo'berg with views to die for and all ordered small palates as we were clueless as to what time or meal it was. We had been up since 430am for our 515am game drive and then had breakfast, drove hours to the airport and flew to Jo'berg. I have to say that while I may have lost tons of sleep and gained too many pounds, we all seemed to just keep on going like the Energizer bunny.
I started with the CROCODILE CARPACCIO with CHAKALAKA and Baby Rocket. The dish was an amazing blend of pumpkin seeds, baby arugala (rocket) and the yummy chakalaka, a kind of Asian tomato/bean/curry mix. The crocodile was fleshy and reminded me of a thicker white carpaccio, say swordfish, but still very different and oh so delicious.
We moved on to a yummy ZANDVLEIT 2006 SHIRAZ from Robertson (you may recall this is north of Hermanus and Franschhoek) which was brilliant with my GRILLED POLENTA FINGERS and Smoked PARPIKA CAPONATA. This dish while billed as tapas, was huge and I had to share with everyone as they did with me. The Spinach-Cheese Phyllo spinakopita-like treats were served with a Vietnamese dipping sauce, which really explains how varied the cultures and food here are. Vegetarian Cous Cous was okay, but the TEMPURA PRAWNS with LIME & CHILLI were superb. Our fearless leader, Jenny, who has taken us on this amazing food, wine, travel and more experience enjoyed the Mushroom FILLET, a superb beef fillet w/ vegetables and new potatoes in a creamy mushroom sauce. While one of us enjoyed the CHICKEN CAESAR Salad, I polished off the superb fresh anchovies, which apparently come from nearby Mozambique.
My third tapas was a LAMB TANDOORI with yoghurt, cucumber and was more like a sausage of lamb wit spicy greens. It was the first truly pure Indian dish I had here and was quite superb, especially with the Shiraz.
Dessert was not an option and I headed back to my room to pack abit, watch the news, write some emails and cry a lot, as I have truly fallen in love with this place so far away, yet so truly amazing, exciting and adventurous that I know it won't be to long before I am back again.
Thanks for enjoying this special journey with me!
ALAN--at the BA lounge in Jo'berg airport enjoying 7 wines from South Africa and the yummy local Camembert that is as runny as it gets!
PS-My biggest regret is that we can't bring Biltong back to the US due to the import restriction!
Thursday, September 03, 2009
SAVANNA Private Game Reserve rates tops with food and friendliness (Sabi Sands Reserve near Kruger ark, So. Afr)
Our second game reserve was at the Sabi Sands Private Reserve which is adjacent to Kruger Park, perhaps the most famous, but not the most desirable park to visit as it is open to the public (picture a drive through wild animal park). Sabi Sands is much smaller and there is a confederation of several private lodges on the western edge which means that very few people are in any area at any given time. It is all done with private rangers and trackers, and the prices at Savanna are about half that of Royal Malewane, where we stayed the previous night.
As soon as we drove through the gate we saw "English" style gardens and while everyone at every hotel here in South Africa has been most welcoming, it was at Savanna where we immediately felt like family. There are less than 10 rooms and they are all amazing. It is what is called a "tented" lodge, but you don't live in a tent. This is MY KIND OF TENT, where the accommodation is huge spacious, luxurious and a the room has a huge canvas tent over the top of it. This is done mostly so you can "hear" the sounds of the animals, birds, frogs, etc. at night and fell like you are "in" the veldt.
Although we had arisen at 5am for a game drive at Royal Malewane, had breakfast after that and traveled for 2 hours (and done a site inspection of yet another lodge), we had no clue what meal we were supposed to be eating! Our hosts sat us down to a huge lunch buffet and we all dug in. If you know me, I eat whenever there is food. (I sadly weighed myself today and found out I had gained 8 pounds in the last 16 days on this trip!)
We set off on one of the best game drives ever (we saw lions mating from 20 feet away and tons more).
Upon return we were advised we had about 45 minutes to clean up and appear in the owner's suite for a cocktail party. A bath with bubbles had already been drawn in our suites and I was in heaven; this experience goes WAY beyond just the food.
We headed off to the owner's suite for GRAHAM BECK Sparkling Wine from Franschhoek and some VORSS, which is the somewhat Afrikaans equivalent for "wurst" but refers to the dried sausages made from beef, ostrich, eland, kudu and more. Here is was a beef vorss and had a mild Thai dipping sauce. YUM YUM.
After meeting the wonderfully sweet owners, David & Dee, who hail from Austrialia, we went to the BOMA for the first time on our trip. It was the last night in the east (our final night was in Johannesburg) and we all really wanted to have a BREII (bbq) in the BOMA, an enclosed area with a campfire in the ground that is about as uniquely South African as our 4th of July BBQ at home, but done all the time.
The bar served up anything we wanted and I started with a BEYERSKLOOF PINOTAGE 2008 knowing that I needed a BIG wine for the heavy duty food; I was right. CHICKEN, OSTRICH, LAMB CHOPS, BOERWURST (huge sausages) were the grilled meats on tap with multiple sauces. One the side was piles of potatoes, PAP (the polenta-like maize staple) which here was much more typical as it was quite sticky and served with an amazing Tomato Sauce, Corn on the Cob, Veggies, Potatoes, and just about anything else you wanted. We sat at two huge tables and I sat next to Dee and a wonderful couple from Miami (Dee & David's friends) who were celebrating their 49th anniversary that night and had been there for an entire week.
I went on to a 2008 SPIER SHIRAZ from Stellenbosch which was a bit lighter, but totally brilliant and then a huge CHOCOLATE OBLIVION Anniversary cake came. I offered up a special bottle of PELLETIER ICEWINE from Canada that I had brought from the US and we all truly felt like a family, even though we had only known each other for 3 hours.
Although, we had been in South Africa for quite some time, and as I said, everyone had been super friendly, it was here at SAVANNA that we were at home....a place I know we MUST return to, to eat, be friends, enjoy the wildlife and so much more....
As soon as we drove through the gate we saw "English" style gardens and while everyone at every hotel here in South Africa has been most welcoming, it was at Savanna where we immediately felt like family. There are less than 10 rooms and they are all amazing. It is what is called a "tented" lodge, but you don't live in a tent. This is MY KIND OF TENT, where the accommodation is huge spacious, luxurious and a the room has a huge canvas tent over the top of it. This is done mostly so you can "hear" the sounds of the animals, birds, frogs, etc. at night and fell like you are "in" the veldt.
Although we had arisen at 5am for a game drive at Royal Malewane, had breakfast after that and traveled for 2 hours (and done a site inspection of yet another lodge), we had no clue what meal we were supposed to be eating! Our hosts sat us down to a huge lunch buffet and we all dug in. If you know me, I eat whenever there is food. (I sadly weighed myself today and found out I had gained 8 pounds in the last 16 days on this trip!)
We set off on one of the best game drives ever (we saw lions mating from 20 feet away and tons more).
Upon return we were advised we had about 45 minutes to clean up and appear in the owner's suite for a cocktail party. A bath with bubbles had already been drawn in our suites and I was in heaven; this experience goes WAY beyond just the food.
We headed off to the owner's suite for GRAHAM BECK Sparkling Wine from Franschhoek and some VORSS, which is the somewhat Afrikaans equivalent for "wurst" but refers to the dried sausages made from beef, ostrich, eland, kudu and more. Here is was a beef vorss and had a mild Thai dipping sauce. YUM YUM.
After meeting the wonderfully sweet owners, David & Dee, who hail from Austrialia, we went to the BOMA for the first time on our trip. It was the last night in the east (our final night was in Johannesburg) and we all really wanted to have a BREII (bbq) in the BOMA, an enclosed area with a campfire in the ground that is about as uniquely South African as our 4th of July BBQ at home, but done all the time.
The bar served up anything we wanted and I started with a BEYERSKLOOF PINOTAGE 2008 knowing that I needed a BIG wine for the heavy duty food; I was right. CHICKEN, OSTRICH, LAMB CHOPS, BOERWURST (huge sausages) were the grilled meats on tap with multiple sauces. One the side was piles of potatoes, PAP (the polenta-like maize staple) which here was much more typical as it was quite sticky and served with an amazing Tomato Sauce, Corn on the Cob, Veggies, Potatoes, and just about anything else you wanted. We sat at two huge tables and I sat next to Dee and a wonderful couple from Miami (Dee & David's friends) who were celebrating their 49th anniversary that night and had been there for an entire week.
I went on to a 2008 SPIER SHIRAZ from Stellenbosch which was a bit lighter, but totally brilliant and then a huge CHOCOLATE OBLIVION Anniversary cake came. I offered up a special bottle of PELLETIER ICEWINE from Canada that I had brought from the US and we all truly felt like a family, even though we had only known each other for 3 hours.
Although, we had been in South Africa for quite some time, and as I said, everyone had been super friendly, it was here at SAVANNA that we were at home....a place I know we MUST return to, to eat, be friends, enjoy the wildlife and so much more....
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
ROYAL MALEWANE really makes safari luxurious (Thornybush Private Reserve, So. Africa)
I have ben out of touch in the safari parks of eastern South Africa and enjoying it so much and getting up at 5am for game drives and going to bed at 11pm after them in the evening that I have not had a chance to email you. Our first park was THORNYBUSH PRIVATE RESERVE about an hour east of Hoedspruit (pronounced hode-sprite) airport. In this reserve are numerous lodges, but unquestionably one of the most luxurious elite and not 5-star, but 55-star places is ROYAL MALEWANE ('e' is silent).
Of course, to eat here, you must stay in one of the less than a dozen suites that start at $1000+ per person per night based on double occupancy. The prices include almost everything except the spa, which means 2 game drives daily, tons of food, all alcohol and more.
We arrived just after lunch and sat right down over the water hole as nyala, kudu and more joined us for lunch (they were below). The lunch was multi-course, but we had eaten so much that day, we chose only the starter of SALAD COMPOSEE of POTATO & FENNEL CAKE, Scottish SMOKED SALMON, Mozambiquen PRAWN, with White Wine and Fennel Sauce, The sauce was not too fennelly and was rich and creamy and divine. It was mostly the cake that was the body of the "salad" and the salmon (Scottish, instead of the more common local Smoked Salmon Trout from Franschhoek, which is much milder) was as fresh as could be despite our location. The CHARDONNAY was a truly intense vanilla BOUCHARD FINLAYSON Crocodile's Lair 2005 from Kaaimangat in Overberg near the coast in Hermanus where we were a week before.
I didn't mention that I ended up in the Presidential Suite where Elton John, amongst others, stays for a week each year. Now you know where the Lion King came from! The price is almost $7000/night but includes private game drives and spa treatments as well as a chef and butler! Dinner was at the main building by the fire and we had a starter of KAFTI (phyllo wrapped) PRAWNS on a Bed of Avocado & Tomato TIan with Thai Curry Sauce. The dish used the amazing local avocados and had a very mild Thai sauce with a bit of cream for body. The Kafti was almost like a shrimp cake in phyllo.
CHUNKY Mushroom Soup was thick, rich and aromatic and garnished with BLUE CHEESE TOAST. The local blues are some of the best I have had in the world and oh so mild.
We drank HOOPENBURG CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005 from Stellenbosch that was divine (the wines are all included unless you choose from the private cellars), and we were given champagne on arrival and in our suites with no limit.
The main course was a buffet of roasted meats:
Marinated Leg of Lamb (the excellent Karoo one gets here)
Loin of Ostrich with coarse grained homemade mustard
Lemon & Herb or Peri-Peri Spatchcock Chicken
Roast Butternut Squash with Cinnamon & HOney
Sweet Potatoes (they are white here) with Sweet Chili (locals spell it "chilli") sauce
Roasted Potato Wedges
Veggies
Greek Salad
After tasting virtually every item I could not even consider dessert. On a side note, for our earlier (yes, we had two) lunch that day in Jo'berg Airport changing planes we stopped at South Africa's premier fast food place NANDO's and had a small roasted PERI-PERI chicken and it was divine as were the spicy potato wedges!!
The Royal Malewane easily surpassed this and the potatoes were million- times divine. All-in-all a great night even if buffet.
Of course, to eat here, you must stay in one of the less than a dozen suites that start at $1000+ per person per night based on double occupancy. The prices include almost everything except the spa, which means 2 game drives daily, tons of food, all alcohol and more.
We arrived just after lunch and sat right down over the water hole as nyala, kudu and more joined us for lunch (they were below). The lunch was multi-course, but we had eaten so much that day, we chose only the starter of SALAD COMPOSEE of POTATO & FENNEL CAKE, Scottish SMOKED SALMON, Mozambiquen PRAWN, with White Wine and Fennel Sauce, The sauce was not too fennelly and was rich and creamy and divine. It was mostly the cake that was the body of the "salad" and the salmon (Scottish, instead of the more common local Smoked Salmon Trout from Franschhoek, which is much milder) was as fresh as could be despite our location. The CHARDONNAY was a truly intense vanilla BOUCHARD FINLAYSON Crocodile's Lair 2005 from Kaaimangat in Overberg near the coast in Hermanus where we were a week before.
I didn't mention that I ended up in the Presidential Suite where Elton John, amongst others, stays for a week each year. Now you know where the Lion King came from! The price is almost $7000/night but includes private game drives and spa treatments as well as a chef and butler! Dinner was at the main building by the fire and we had a starter of KAFTI (phyllo wrapped) PRAWNS on a Bed of Avocado & Tomato TIan with Thai Curry Sauce. The dish used the amazing local avocados and had a very mild Thai sauce with a bit of cream for body. The Kafti was almost like a shrimp cake in phyllo.
CHUNKY Mushroom Soup was thick, rich and aromatic and garnished with BLUE CHEESE TOAST. The local blues are some of the best I have had in the world and oh so mild.
We drank HOOPENBURG CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005 from Stellenbosch that was divine (the wines are all included unless you choose from the private cellars), and we were given champagne on arrival and in our suites with no limit.
The main course was a buffet of roasted meats:
Marinated Leg of Lamb (the excellent Karoo one gets here)
Loin of Ostrich with coarse grained homemade mustard
Lemon & Herb or Peri-Peri Spatchcock Chicken
Roast Butternut Squash with Cinnamon & HOney
Sweet Potatoes (they are white here) with Sweet Chili (locals spell it "chilli") sauce
Roasted Potato Wedges
Veggies
Greek Salad
After tasting virtually every item I could not even consider dessert. On a side note, for our earlier (yes, we had two) lunch that day in Jo'berg Airport changing planes we stopped at South Africa's premier fast food place NANDO's and had a small roasted PERI-PERI chicken and it was divine as were the spicy potato wedges!!
The Royal Malewane easily surpassed this and the potatoes were million- times divine. All-in-all a great night even if buffet.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Port Elizabeth's SHAMWARI Townhouse is fine, but firm for overnighters
Since our flight leaves tomorrow at 8am, we are staying in the city at the Shamwari Townhouse, a fairly new property that oozes chic and deco and is run by the same folks that run the game reserve we just came from.
Dinner is a choice of two or three items and is 3 courses for about $30 and is now open only to hotel guests, but that will be changing. So, if you find yourself here in the main city of the East Cape at the end of the Garden Route, dine here.
I started with a slightly sweet SWEET POTATO & COCONUT Soup with Crispy Parma Ham. A dash of fresh pepper made the soup perfect and the bread that was a grain nut was a perfect wipe up for the bowl. Our wine was a divine HAUTE CABRIERE PINOT NOIR 2004 from Cabriere in Franschhoek which was the best wine buy I have seen dining out. At $30 this full of fruit huge nosed wine oozed character and was simnply divine with our without food. If it is $15 in the store, I HAVE to FIND IT!
The main course was a nice TOMATO & CHILI TAGLIATELLE with MUSSELS, SCALLOPS, PRAWNS, Calamari and Basil Pesto with Parmesan. The big treat were the small local scallops which carried their coral, a sight rarely seen back home. The dish itself was a welcome sight after all the big meat and fish we have had...we all chose the pasta and said how nice it was for a change.
Dessert was a Warm Chocolate Fondant with Nougat Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce and it was nice, but I at only half. Our server insisted we try the chef's new AVOCADO Ice Cream, which may have been green but tasted more like rich thick creamy plain ice cream with little avocado flavor. Oh well.
Exhausted from being up since 5am, I ned to get to bed as we head out so early again for the next 3 days!
Dinner is a choice of two or three items and is 3 courses for about $30 and is now open only to hotel guests, but that will be changing. So, if you find yourself here in the main city of the East Cape at the end of the Garden Route, dine here.
I started with a slightly sweet SWEET POTATO & COCONUT Soup with Crispy Parma Ham. A dash of fresh pepper made the soup perfect and the bread that was a grain nut was a perfect wipe up for the bowl. Our wine was a divine HAUTE CABRIERE PINOT NOIR 2004 from Cabriere in Franschhoek which was the best wine buy I have seen dining out. At $30 this full of fruit huge nosed wine oozed character and was simnply divine with our without food. If it is $15 in the store, I HAVE to FIND IT!
The main course was a nice TOMATO & CHILI TAGLIATELLE with MUSSELS, SCALLOPS, PRAWNS, Calamari and Basil Pesto with Parmesan. The big treat were the small local scallops which carried their coral, a sight rarely seen back home. The dish itself was a welcome sight after all the big meat and fish we have had...we all chose the pasta and said how nice it was for a change.
Dessert was a Warm Chocolate Fondant with Nougat Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce and it was nice, but I at only half. Our server insisted we try the chef's new AVOCADO Ice Cream, which may have been green but tasted more like rich thick creamy plain ice cream with little avocado flavor. Oh well.
Exhausted from being up since 5am, I ned to get to bed as we head out so early again for the next 3 days!
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