it's not worth the meal (or wait) at MEL's @ 22 in Coooperstown, NY (7-29-16)

Last year when we came to the Glimmerglass Festival we grabbed lunch at Mel's @ 22 in the center of town as it was heaving with people and the menu looked great. The food was good, but the wait and service were unbearable then. This time, the place was virtually empty (it was a Friday at noon, and not a Saturday or Sunday like last time and we figured we would give it another go.

We noticed that the five folks who came in behind us were seated before the 5 of us were, and then it took ages before our server Carmen came over and seemed like we were not a priority (sadly, she also seemed to be assigned to the host desk which was two rooms away!). We ordered and I asked for water, which I drank up promptly, but had to ask for more from another server. Our friend Mel, asked for sweetener with his tea, but after waiting over 20 minutes, he got the little container from another table.

Sam had the Chicken Caprese Panini that he liked the year before with grilled chicken, basil, spinach, mozzarella, roasted red pepper and balsamic reduction. Everything comes with a side salad, fries, pesto garlic fries or tater tots (many of the mains are also fried). The simpler sandwiches seem to be the hits as are the salads such as Will's huge Cobb with blue cheese and chicken (shrimp are extra).

Mel & Juan split the special wrap and I went for a whole one: Asian Fried Shrimp Wrap with Sweet Thai Chili sauce, kale and cabbage. It was a good size and came out piping hot on a super hot plate that Carmen handed to me (and I almost dropped it) as I was across the table! The wrap was very sweet at first and spicier at the bottom making me think the Thai sweet chili sauce had two alter-egos.

Oddly, all the pesto garlic fries came out lukewarm and soggy. Did I mention, it took almost 45 minutes for our dishes to arrive in a place where the place was full by 1230pm and everyone else seemed to be seated, served and left before we were. They were out of lemonade(?), but the wines were nice and I enjoyed a crisp light Finger Lakes Gewurztraminer from Lamereaux Landing whose wine we like a lot.

It was fun to eat with our friend Mel at Mel's@22 and get a photo, but I doubt we shall ever return again, save maybe for the big yummy salads.

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DC's DISTRICT COMMONS is still uncommonly wonderful (7-18-16)

Friends of Will's were visiting from Switzerland staying in the Dupont Circle area, so District Commons was first to come to mind when we seeked a truly American spot to eat for our families with kids and it was simply perfect.

The seven of us settled in, ordered up some of the superfun Hot Pretzel Baguette with Beer Mustard Butter that was a huge hit as we sipped a wonderful Breaux Viognier 2014 from Virginia (we wanted to really show off American food and wine--and we did). Our server Cheryl was bubbling with excitement when I chose the wine raving about some of the wonderful wineries in the area as we recommended some of the wonderful dishes we knew on the menu.

Shrimp Cocktail arrived with tasty fresh Oysters (Wellfleet from Massachusetts and one of my faves-Sister Point from Washington) as well as Benton Smoked Bacon Flatbread with Vidalia Onion & Vermont Creamery Fromage Blanc which two of the boys gobbled up. There were Vegetarian Hand Pies of Corn, Spinach, Mushrooms, Pepper Jack Cheese and Ranch Dressing which were specially chosen for one of their teenagers who doesn't eat meat or fish.

Starters included a beautiful Shaved Asparagus & Burrata Salad with American Prosciutto, Arugula and Pickled Red Onion and many our family could not resist the spicy yet tasty Hand Cut Steak Tartare with Sriracha Aioli, Quail Egg and Grilled Country Bread. (photos on FB)

We moved on to a delicious full bodied and fruit forward Andrew Rich 2012 Verbatim Pinot Noir from Oregon that was a huge hit with our visitors and us, so we had a second bottle!

Main courses were very varied although three of us chose the Crispy Beer Battered Soft Shell Crabs with Spicy Potatoes & Bacon Hash, Spring Veggie Slaw and Lemon Tabasco Butter which were superb, but a bit over battered for my taste hiding the superb crab itself. North Carolina Trout with Broccolini, Pine Nuts and Citrus Burnt Butter was another example of local quality American seafood and the Spring Peas & Parmesan Ravioli with Rose Tomato Sauce, Grilled Spring Onions and Beech Mushrooms was a great example of farm fresh ingredients. Brick Pressed Chicken, Rainbow Chard, Mashed Potatoes,  Preserved Lemon & Parsley Jus was a revelation for our guests' youngest teen raving about the quality of the chicken and the sauce. They mentioned that indeed it is virtually impossible to find chard, especially Swiss Chard, in Switzerland!

Cheryl wanted our friends to taste a Virginia red and offered up some Rockbridge 2011 Raphine Meritage which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Cab Franc that packs a punch.

Will settled in with a Macallan 18-year old scotch for dessert and we choose some desserts, all quite chocolate intense:

Almond Joy Sundae Coconut Ice Cream, Hot Fudge, Candied Marcona Almonds

BTS Brownie Sundae Choice of Ice Cream, Hot Fudge, Smashed Candy Bars  (the BTS is for Burger Tap Shake next door, but also for Butterfingers, Twix and Snickers which are the candies therein)--total overdose of sweet.

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake Cherries and Whiskey,  Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Of course the mignardises of jellies, cookies and bars arrived to send us home, just in case we had not eaten enough.

I think we truly found an American gem to show our guests as District Commons really does it so well.

Olney MD's SARDI's FUSION--super starters, filling and rich entrees and fun food. (7-16-16)

We headed up to Olney, MD last night to catch the excellent production of EVITA and stopped in to Sardi's Fusion (www.sardisfusion.com) which was a new name to us in town only to find out it occupied the place we last ate in in Olney about a year ago. The new place is cool with neat modern Latin art, cool lighting and excellent service. Pierre our waiter was assisted by the owner who always asked if we needed anything.

I started with a Pisco Sour and the foam was perfect and the drink divine while Will enjoyed his Pomegranate Martini. The prices are high (low teens for cocktails) for suburbia, but worth it. The starters are quite inexpensive and were all superb.

Samuel loved the flaky pastry on his Chicken Empanadas but did not want to try any of the olive or other sauces that accompanied them. Speaking of sauce, you get three salsas with salty potato chips (or were they yucca) and they were all super from jalapeno, medium and mild all of which were creamy in texture yet not rich at all.

Will and I split two items and the ceviche comes from a choice of about 5 different ones so we went with MIXTO of Shrimp, Calamari, Otopus, Bay Scallops and Rocoto(Peruvian Peppers) Leche de Tigre. These come with the large Peruvian corn kernels as well as popped corn nuts for crunch. The other appetizer was GRAN PULPO with a huge piece of grilled octopus with Marble Potatoes, Microgreens, White Truffle Vinegar, Beech Mushrooms, Black Olive Aioli and Asian Pear Puree. There are gorgeous photos of these dishes on my FB page, but the Pulpo was sheer artwork, not to mention delicious!

Sam's coke was constantly refilled at no charge and sometimes before he had even finished half a glass, they would whisk the used glass away and replace it with a full new one. While this is attentive, it is a bit wasteful.

Salads come with each main course and were tasty with an interesting, if salty, Spicy Balsamic Dressing.

His main course was Tallarin Verde con Bistec which is a Linguini with Spinach Pesto Cream and Pan Fried Breaded Steak. The steak was eaten, but I had a bite and it was not the most tender. The pasta was a huge rich portion and a bit gummy. Frankly, I would avoid pasta in a Peruvian kitchen. Will ordered the Aji de Gallina or shredded chicken with spicy Aji Amarillo, White Rice, Boiled Egg & Olive which was the best of the main courses, but also quite rich and heavy.

I wanted fish and something lighter and Pierre tried to steer me to the Salmon with Crab Risotto, but I restrained and chose the Grouper Chorillana which was pan seared with aji amarillo mashed potatoes, smoked bacon and tamarind sauce.

The fish was excellent but buried in the heavy mashed potatoes and sauces which I left behind for the most part.

I think we will stick to many starters and multilple ceviches if we return.

Samuel decided we should split the Alfajores for dessert and this was a winning hit of the best we have ever had of these cookies stuffed with dulce de leche and served on little swizzles of chocolate sauce. The Picarones are fried dough drizzled with honey and indeed while tasty were way too much for us to finish, even if they were a gift from the manager. I think a table of 6 might do well with one piece each, but we preferred the yummy Alfajores (2 huge cookies in a serving).

The wine list says 40 wines under $40, but I only counted some 2 dozen plus and they are not of the best quality. You do well to stick to the Pisco Sours, but they do give a generous pour and my Oyster Bay Chardonnay was decent with the grouper as was Will's Malbec.

We get to Olney several times a year for shows and we would return for sure, but would avoid the heavier dishes at Sardi's!

Sticky Rice (H St Corridor NE) is sticky on service with food that sticks to your guts and fills you up for less (7-10-16)

Sticky Rice (Stickyricedc.com) is another popular spot in the up and coming H St, NE corridor (1224 H St, NW) that is narrow and simple due to the old townhouse buildings that all seem to be minimally decorated and also have not too comfy seating.

Upstairs here there are some tables with old vinyl and metal chairs, but the booths are all wood with no cushions and quite a nuisance for those who prefer to relax their rearends when dining.

The three of us waited a good 15-20 minutes after receiving menus before anyone approached. Unfortunately, this was what the service was for our entire stay; not impressive at all. We asked our server, (and not to be PC) who was pierced, tattooed and seemed to be at a loss for what he needed to do, for some suggestions and got a bit of input. I think he said it was his first day and then told us what most people liked.

I ordered a Jalapeno Margarita which came loaded with slices of fresh jalapeno and tasted even spicier; it was tasty, but I needed tons of water and food to cut the spice. I love spice, but this was insane.

Samuel and our friend Rick played it safe with the Fried Chicken Potstickers to start which was a large serving of 6 and honestly, I thing the portions could be smaller as they really fill you up if you want two courses (and all mains seem to be under $12!). I tried the special Tater-Achoes as Sticky Rice is famous for it's bucket of Tater Tots with secret tot sauce & Wasabi mayo. The Achoes also had Chili, Cheese, Sriracha, Bacon chunks, Scallions, Refried Beans and Sour Cream creating one giant Tater Tot Nacho dish that was gooey, filling and actually quite yummy, but way too much even for several people to finish (photos on FB).

Samuel also played it safer for his main course with Chicken Sesame Noodles made with thick udon noodles, heavy on the green and red peppers a la Chinese food of the 60's and 70's and a nice sauce, but not a lot of chicken.

Rick had the Coconut Shrimp which are sautéed with onions, more of the red and green peppers, carrots, all in a quite spicy coconut-pepper sauce with cucumber, crushed peanuts and toasted coconut. Many of the mains come with your choice of noodles or sticky rice and he chose the vermicelli rice-thin which was a nice choice for this dish and a foil to the spice for sure.

Sushi is very popular here and I want to go back to try some of the raw fish specials, but last night was attracted to the Spider Roll Special of Tempura Soft Shell Crab with Spicy Mayo, avocado, cucumber and "unicorn kisses" which our server had no clue what it as. I think it was the generous sprinkling of tobiko on top for a nice crunch.

On the way out I saw a monstrous sushi pile called The Volcano and it looked interesting, but again way huge and I think in the future more restraint and more sharing is called for.

a holiday weekend workout/cookout...or what does one do when two superstar chefs come over to cook-Haidar Karoum & Victor Albisu are all about this(7-3-16)

As part of last year's March of Dimes Signature Chefs we purchased both of these chefs cooking at our home for a magnificent meal, which was truly perfect in every way.

While Chef Haidar has been at Proof, Doi-Moi & Estadio here in Washington and was the winner of 2014's CHEF of the YEAR at the Rammys Awards, he recently left and will appear elsewhere in the near future. Chef Victor followed soon in his steps to win Chef of the Year in 2015 for Del Campo & Taco Bamba; so not a bad couple to have over for dinner!

I did not take notes and there was much more than I can recall, but we shared the wine responsibilities and started with an ELK COVE 1999 Sparkling Rose of Pinot Noir from Oregon and then the hor's d'oevres began to flow with scallops, lamb empanadas and Crab Cakes. We moved on to a Brandborg Gewurtztraminer also from Oregon and the Burnt Tomato Panzanella arrived with a Goat Cheese Crema and a wonderful hint of Anchovy flavor for saltiness.

We pulled one of our chardonnays from California for the Ceviche Mixto of Halilbut, Octopus, Leche de Tigre and Fresnos Chilies which was sublime for sure. A delicious Vovray was paired with the orgasmic Smoked Uni Pasta with Crab, caviar & Chives; truly one of our favorites all night, but then they all were.

We pulled one of our 2003 Sauternes from the Bar Mitzvah stash to pair with another brilliant dish of Whole Roasted Foie Gras with Burnt Cherries & Malbec, and then took a long declared respite before the main course of Grilled Asado arrived:

Brisket, Ribeye, Wagyu Skirt Steak and Bone Marrow stuffed with Lobster were all on the various platters (photos on FB) and this was served with a superb huge bodied red Tempranillo from Walla Walla Washington (sorry, the name slips my mind).

Dessert was a delicious Crepe Souffle stuffed with cheese and topped with grilled Pineapple, and we managed to find more Sauternes for that as well.

Needless to say the 4+ hour event was magnificent and we are so grateful for these two brilliant and kind chefs who donated their time (and money and staff) to raise needed dollars to help save the babies that March of Dimes so wonderfully assists.

Come to this year's gala on November 2 (single tickets are available through me as they are not being sold to the public, only full tables are!!) and watch us bid again!!

Capitol Hill's GRANVILLE MOORE's seems to give more and more (6-25-16)

The H Street, NE corridor is humming every night with so many new hot dining spots, but last night before heading to the In Series Opera "Fidelio" at the Atlas Theater, we decided to try one of the first places to open when the neighborhood began changing almost a decade ago. GRANVILLE MOORE's (http://www.granvillemoores.com-1238H St, NE) is about as unassuming a place than can exist, with a small door and sign, narrow entry to a lower level of a townhouse (if u can call it that) with a long bar and tables),  a steep staircase to another narrow upper floor with bar and wooden booths that would benefit from a cushion. The feel here is definitely less than casual, shall we say come as you are, neighborhood pub. The specialty here is what the sign says on the front, "FRITTES-ALES-MOULES," and I must say while I am not a beer person, the ale menu is impressive while the 6 wines by the glass/bottle are just adequate. The fries here have to win a city-wide prize for some of the best. Served in a basket with paper tray they are spiced up with sea salt and seasonings and come with two dipping sauces per each huge $6 order (extra sauces are a ridiculously low 25cents each!). They are crispy, crunchy and tasty and even without the sauce win my prize. We chose Kalamata Aioli which was rich in the salty Greek olive taste, but the Truffle Mayo wins a prize as well. The mussels also win prizes for the ingenuity in flavor blending such as "BLEU" having Hook's Blue Cheese, Pork Belly, Shallots, Spinach, White Wine and Lemon which immediately attracted me. The pork belly is crisp and meaty in little squares and the spinach leaves abound as well. The broth is light but rich with blue cheese flavor and ideal for mopping up with the thick slices of French bread. Thai Mussels have a huge kick with Curry, Coconut, Lemongrass, Ginger, Chilies, Basil, Cilantro and Peanuts.

If you desire starters, they tend to be rich, so we just had mussels while one of us tried two starters: Arancini are Fried Parmesan Risotto Balls with Mushroom, English Pea Pesto for dipping, Aged Ricotta and Lemon Zest and come on a small excellent salad bed to boot. Grilled Shrimp are head on with Pineapple Glaze, Cucumber-Pepper Broth, Mango Salsa and Summer Radish.

Chef Teddy Folkman is splitting his time these days between ventures and was sadly not in house, but the staff was super friendly, helpful and just plain nice, so his team is in good hands for sure, and the food was all top notch.

A bottle of I Basalti Soave was a dry minerally choice for the mussels and worked fine. Erin helped us choose, but steered us away from the Corn Chowder Mussels (she does not like corn, she admitted) which sounded very rich with Leeks, Onion, Garlic, Celery Cream, Clam Juice, Thyme & bacon--perhaps on a cool autumn evening....next time.

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Peking Gourmet Inn is just ducky!(6-22-16)

It was the last dinner before the six visiting family members and friends headed home for the UK after Samuel's Bar Mitzvah and we were graciously asked to join our dearest friends at one of their favorite places, Peking Gourmet Inn in Falls Church, VA which has been a steadfast fixture on the DC dining scene for decades.

We love going here as everyone seems to be celebrating (they sing Happy Birthday in Chinese to so many tables!) something and we all had so much to celebrate: Samuel's 13th birthday and hugely successful Bar Mitzvah, our family visiting the US for the first time, great friends we have cherished for decades and decades and so much more.

Many of the Brits wanted Bud Lights, but we also had a tasty Snoqualmie Sauvignon Blanc from Washington's Columbia Valley which was delightful with those spicy chili pastes and hot mustards on the appetizers as well as a yummy J. Lohr Seven oaks 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. Our server Alex was delightful and sweet and made me laugh each time we ordered another bottle of what he called, "the Sauvignon Blanc from Columbia PIKE," which for those of you not in our neighborhood, is a street just around the corner from this restaurant!

If we did not fill up enough on the thick tasty Chinese noodles with thick garlic sauce, we might have eaten more of the many dishes to follow.

Starters included Vegetarian Spring Rolls which are so crunchy the pastry falls apart and my new favorite Fried Leek Dumplings. Of course, Samuel wanted his own order of Fried Pork Dumplings, even though he loves leeks!

We left the starters to move on to what is always a loving and true production at Peking Gourmet, the Peking Duck. We had two ducks and our host explained one was prepared Peking style, with crunchier skin and one Hong Kong Style with less fat rendered and thicker less crunchy skin. Well, I'm a crunch guy so I gobbled up the legs which nobody seemed to want while everyone else enjoyed their pancakes stuffed with Duck, Hoisin, Scallions and/or Cucumber. I have to say it was as good as the duck we had in Beijing, maybe better. Each duck is lovingly carved tableside all the way to the bone (you can ask to take the carcass home to make soup!) and it seems that the production yields enough to serve dozens and dozens! It's a miracle.

One of our favorite dishes is the Jeo-Yen Shrimp (see FB photos) which are huge, crunchy and succulent and then there is the Lamb Chops Peking Style which are crusted and seared New Zealand lamb chops cooked to order (ours were spot on not quite medium rare as requested!) and of course, we keep the tasty garlic sauce for dipping all of these.

Other dishes at the table were Szechuan Beef, Orange Beef, Vegetable Fried Rice and the Gourmet Pan Fired Noodles with Beef, Jumbo Shrimp, Chicken and Vegetables, a veritable meal in itself (I know because we took so much home!).

A side dish of Baby Bok Choy with Japanese Mushrooms was also superb.

The service here is so friendly and welcoming, and the staff is very attentive; we were sorry to disappoint their friendly faces when we had to turn down dessert menu! No wonder!

Shirlington's new HULA GIRL Bar & Grill gets you going (6-21-16)

I had the pleasure of meeting Chef/Owner Mikala Brennan at a James Beard event earlier this month. She opened Hula Hurl earlier this year in Shirlington (4044 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA-www.hulagirlbarandgrill.com) and I had not even noticed it with our many jaunts to Signature Theatre. So it was the perfect place to grab a bite before taking the whole family to see La Cage Aux Folles at Signature(which you should not miss).

We got tied up in traffic and the huge storms so by the time we arrived it was just for a main course making a return necessary to try the various starters of ribs, poke and Hawaiian treats--I will skip the spam!

Burgers were in order for the most part with most of us ordering variations of the Hula Girl Teriyaki Burger made of chuck and sirloin with Grilled Onions. Each main course comes with two good-sized sides as well. My Maui Onion Rings with dipping sauce and Grilled Baby Bok Choy were superb. Only my burger was a bit overcooked at medium. Some went for the Applewood smoked bacon, cheese and/or fried egg toppings as well. The fries all disappeared and the Wood Ear Mushroom Salad was a huge veggi treat!

I have to praise the wonderful drink menu loaded with spicy treats. I had the Hula Girl Mai-tai made from Appleton Rum, Ginger Liquor, Tiki Bitters, Roasted pineapple puree, Macadamia Nut Orgeat Syrup, Lime, Goslings Black Rum Float and Chile infused pineapple on a skewer with a jalapeno! The Margarita got spicy raves as well.

I wish we had more time to dine and enjoy, but alas the weather ruined us and the theater called.

Dino's in Shaw shows the Brits Italian food, American style (6-20-16)

With the bar Mitzvah over, Will's family and friends are still here from the UK so 9 of us hopped over to DINO's IN SHAW on Monday for a veritable feast which started with Mortadella wrapped parmigiana reggiano; Vadouvin Deviled Eggs which I still declare the best on earth with their crunchy Prosciutto, anchovy sriracha aioli, salsa verde and silk road spices; Squash Blossoms with ricotta, parmigiana reggiano, egg, herbs, garlic and a diviner light summer tomato essense; Fried 'Not Green' Local Tomato which is a new treat for me made from local tomatoes fried with parm, panko and served with pickled green strawberry, onion and balsamico--a delightful different treat and Spicy 'Forte' Salad.

Our first wine was a sparkling red Lambrusco and that was followed by Oregon's Eyrie Rose for the above starters.

The next wine was an earthy Graci Etna Bianca from Sicily that I loved and this arrived with multiple pastas:

4 Cheese Risotto Primavera with cherry tomatoes, snap peas, spring onion, broccoli, kohlrabi, garlic scapes, lemon paste and 24month aged Parm that was a veritable veggie garden of delight.

Fungi with  Pappardelle (Sage roasted mushrooms)

and then Sam had a yummy Pappardelle with Cinghiale-wild boar sauce with rosemary, cocoa, cream and pecorino cheese.

Free form lasagnette came as one of the main courses for Will's sister with Prok & Veal Ragu, bacon, fonduta and that 24 month aged Parm. Pasta Overdose? Never.

We enjoyed a superb Brunello from Sasetti Pertimale "La Querciolna" (sp?) Montecucco in Montalcino that was quite hearty and demanded food. We each chose a main course and had plenty to take home for leftovers:

Duck Breast is Dr. Joe's Heritage Pekin Duck seared and pan roasted with rare Tuscan Mole that was a it as were the Lamb Chops with Balsamico & Ramp Butter.

Some folks were so full they just ordered starters of Grilled Artichokes with roasted shallot/lemon/herb aioli and silk road spices or

Octopus Cooked Under a Paper Bag that I never did get to taste!

Tiramisu arrived for dessert but I just had the Apple Asian Pear/Saffron Limncello which was delilsh and I preferred to the Bergamnot Orange Limoncello....which others preferred; to each his own!

No matter we all loved it.

RIPPLE really treats your tastebuds (6-11-16)

Samuel's 13th birthday week began with a special menu created for the adults by Top Chef contender this past season Marjorie Meek-Bradley who has created a niche and name for herself in the Washington restaurant community; we are all glad she chose this city!

Will and I started with cocktails: his was "Pour it Up, Pour it Up" a refreshing mix of Campari, Doulin Rouge (Sweet Vermouth) and some bubbles while I went colorful fancy (see the FB fotos) with The Vex made from lavender Mezcal, House Limoncello, Sherry & Black Pepper Shrub & Egg White, which had a beautiful aroma but a mild not sweet taste that was quite yummy coming from my newfound favorite mezcal. How appropriate it was lavender for Gay Pride Weekend.

The amazing Parker House Rolls arrived with soft butter and the four were gone in seconds flat and Will could not resist the Gribiche Deviled Eggs so he ordered a small plate of those as well.

Samuel started Lamb Tartare which disappeared so fast we couldn't even think of tasting. It had fried green tomatoes, Old Bay Aigre-Doux, Capers & Pickled Mustard Seed.

Our first course was Marinated Blue Crab with Fresno peppers, Celery, Cucumber, Ginger & White Soy Vinaigrette which was superb, refreshing and tasty in the 96 degree heat! A yummy Tesco Blanca "La Zorra" from Spain that was yet another new varietal for me was a perfect match with rich minerality.

The second course was Rye Flour Malfatti (Italian for "made bad") which is a kind of large pasta that is kind of thrown over the ingredients which here was Braised Path Valley Rabbit Sugo with Roncal Cheese(aged sheep). This is one of the best pastas I have had in a long while and Samuel looked and glared and begged for a taste then he ordered a whole portion as his second course! the pairing was a Guild Lot 10 Red from Columbia Valley that is a blend of 68% Syrahm 19% Mourvedre, 8% Durif (another new varietal) and the rest Grenache and Cinsault which was slightly earthy but also not too heavy and brilliantly matched the richness of the meat and pasta.

I have to give great credit to manager Caroline for finding these amazing wines and to our server Kristen for doing such a superb job pairing them.

The third course was a Seared Branzino with perfectly crispy skin, Wild Rice (puffed and al dente), Tamarind Aioli, Pepitas and Treviso (a type of radicchio). I loved the aioli and the fish was perfect as well making the entire dish truly a brilliant combination of flavors. Coenobium 2014 from Lazio was a white made by Trappist nuns from Trebbiano, Malvasia and Verdicchio that was slightly earthy funky yet again ideal with the tamarind and big flavors of the fish.

Samuel had ordered the Roasted Amish Chicken Breast with Sofrito Braised Thigh, Chickpea Hummus and a side of, naturally, hand Cut Fries with House made ketchup.

Our main course was a gorgerous Roseda Farms NY Strip with Shitake Steak Sauce, Maitake Mushrooms, Celery, Carrots and Sous Vide Shallots; the vegetables alone deserved a prize. An Orben 2008 from Rioja in Spain was the perfect Tempranillo pairing yet again.

It was getting late (we had been there almost 3 hours) but dessert was included and two arrived. Samuel said he could not possibly eat anymore and packed up most of his chicken to go home.

Cheesecake & Mousse were the Miso Carrot Cake which I had on my previous visit with Strawberry Ice Cream, Candied Ginger and Toffee Chips. The Greek Yogurt Mousse came with Candied Pistachios, Pistachio Sponge Cake, Salted Caramel, Saffron Poached Oranges and indeed was a big winner in my book--well they both were. The wine was a BenRyé Donnafugata from Zebibo in Italy that was a rich orange intense dessert wine that paired so wonderfully with the poached oranges.

We were full, gave our gracious thanks to one of our most favorite chefs around, and then headed home to crash before the big weeks gets started!

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the James Beard Foundation celebration culinary women with a super SUNDAY SUPPER at UNION MARKET (6-5-16)

I had attended the first James Beard SUNDAY SUPPER at Union Station 4 years ago and was thrilled to be able to return this past Sunday for another superb Sunday Dinner, this time benefitting both the James beard Foundation and Women in Culinary Executive Program with a slew of mostly women chefs making merry for the hundreds of us in attendance. On arrival the valet whisked my car away (superb service) and we were welcomed into a covered area outside the market where mixologists and chefs were at work.

My first stop was for a Blackberry Iced Tea which was very nice, but I craved alcohol and made my way to uber mixologist Gina Chersevani of Buffalo and Bergen (actually at Union market) who was whipping up T1 Exceptional Reposado Tequila with Grapefruit, Ginger, Cointreau and Passion Fruit in a magnificent drink that I fell in love with. For us tequila nuts, there was also a shot of T1 Anejo for sipping.

My first food stop was with Chef Jamie Leeds of Hanks Oyster Bar(and many more places now) who was serving a super Crab & Shrimp Summer Seafood Bisque into which she placed a yummy chunk of homemade Corn bread! YUM!

It was hot, but this soup was refreshing and rich and oh so delicious. I wanted seconds, but knew the night would be long and filling, so I refrained.

Suzanne Simon and Bettina Stern of the newly opened CHAIA in Georgetown had a veggie dish as that is what Chaia is about: Spring Asparagus Taco with Green Garlic, Alleghency CHevre, Hot Cherry Pepper Spread and Preserved Lemon. I'll need to pop in to Chaia to see what's tasty on the menu there for sure.

Mikala Brennan of Hula Girl in Shirlington served up crispy wonton chips with Ahi Poke that was simple yet superb. I am in Shirlington all the time and failed to notice this new spot.

Next I visited Jordan Cotton, founder of Cotton and Reed which will open DC's first Rum Distillery across the street soon. He was mixing up several rum cocktails and I loved the one with allspice and Caribbean flavors. Once my run stash at home expires, I'll just have to buy local!

Chefs Ruth Gresser(of Pizzaria Paradiso/Veloce) and Janis McLean(Seasons Culinary Service) had a yummy Crostini con Fegato Escarola which was a simple crostini slathered with Escarole, Chicken Liver, Walnuts, Parmesan and Sour Cherry Drizzle that I could not stop eating!

Freshly shucked Chesapeake Oysters were also being served....I must have finished off a 1/2 dozen.

The dinner bell rang just as the rain started and hundreds of us hurried inside to the long tables and I had a table which was at one end next to the chef's serving area; how lucky for me(and you) since you can see some great photos of the superstar chefs on my FB page! You could spot well known faces in the food biz such as Chefs Haidar Karoum, Nora Pouillon, Ris Lacoste and more floating through the crowds.

Wines were poured and I settled in on the Williamsburg 2015 Viognier (most were from Virginia!) which went very well with a lot of the dishes. Everything is served family style, but there's plenty for everyone and two dishes arrive for each of the three courses. There was also a nice Alain de Treille Rose.

First at bat was Chef Amy Brandwein of Centrolina with Charred Garlic Scapes, Roasted Shitake & Creamed Fava Bean that I fell in love with instantly. It sounds so simple, yet the dish was complex and flavorful. Opposite was the lone male chef of the evening (how did he get in?)Nick Stefanelli of Masseria with Burrata with Skinny Dipper Oysters, Caviar & Cippollini Onions. I love burrata and this was a superb presentation, but I felt it was the least innovative dish of the evening, though still delicious.

I moved to red wine and liked the San Elias Cabernet being served which was perfect with my favorite dish of the evening Macnhester Farms Quail Drummette l'Orange which was an entire deoned quail crispy fried and served with Thai Bird Chiles, Scallion and Orange Glaze. Top Cheftestant Jennifer Carroll, who recently opened her Requin in Fairfax was the source of this delicious dish and I could not compliment her enough. Chef/Author Elizabeth Falkner made the other plate of Carrot Top-Sunflower Seed Pesto, Roasted and Raw Carrots, Spiced Lentils and Seeds that had a flavorful punch and mixed so many different things to sublime veggie offering.

The "main" course was shared with one dish by Top Cheftestant Karen Akunowicz of Myers & Chang in Boston with a yummy Blue Catfish & Green Fried Rice--Peas and Tendrils, Ginger, Lime & Chile that needed more catfish and less lemongrass, but was as tasty as ever. I had to go back to the Viognier as there was no Riesling for this spice-packed dish. The other dish was from one of our favorites, Chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley(watch this space for a super upcoming meal from her this weekend) of Ripple/Smoked & Stacked who pulled out all the strings with a "Tasting of Autumn Olive Farms Pig" consisting of Andouille Sausage, Glazed Shoulder, Roasted Belly, Braised Greens, Chile & Ginger. The dish was lean and tasty and the belly crunchy and flavorful; each element a treat.

By this point I had switched to RdV Vineyards 2010 Rendezvous which sells for close to $100 a bottle and I was surprised to see being served so flowingly. It is still a young Bordeaux blend, but since the bottles were opened on the table at the start of the dinner, by this time it was drinking very well and worked to perfection with all the pork elements!

We adjourned from the dining area back outside, where the rain had passed and temperature and humidity had dropped to a super comfortable evening and many desserts were being served. I skipped the long line for Dolcezza gelato and headed to the miniature pastries:

Christina Marie Chambers of BLACK PEARL in Dc had two and I tried the tasty Rhubarb Orange Crumble Tart with Rhubarb Orange Jam, Almond Poppyseed Crumble, Blond Chocolate and Poached Rhubarb which was nice but could not hold up to the amazing Milk Chocolate Peanut Bites and Valrhona Chocolate Sandwich Cookies from Emily Luchetti of Marlowe/Park Tavern/Cavalier/Leo's Oyster Bar. Bluebird Bakery was represented by Camila Arango & Tom Wellings who served up Kouign Amann-Flakey & Sweet Pastry from Brittany and Strawberry Tarts with Tahitian Vanilla Cram, Wild Strawberry Preserved and Strawberry Meringue.

I was indeed full after a glass of Painous Cava Brut and completely forgot to try the Compass Coffee Nitrogen Infused Cold Brew everyone was raving about!

What an amazing evening it was and lots of money raised for such a good cause!

ESTELA in NYC's East Village is a cute spot for cool cuisine (5-29-16)

Our last dinner in NY at ESTELA (estelanyc.com) brought us to East Houston Street where this small narrow restaurant can be easily missed as it is a 1/2 flight up. The huge front window was open and facing the street which scared me as the temperatures were still warm and they seemed to have no air. It was not perfectly comfortable where we were near the rear, but it was quieter than the front bar area. It's a small unassuming spot with wooden tables, chairs and bar. Even the menu is simple and they serve only organic sodas like ginger ale and ginger beer, so forget your Coke here. Luckily Sam likes Ginger Beer.

I have to mention the bathroom only because it was clean and had nice aromatic spray and hand soap which one often finds lacking in even a good dining establishment these days.

We bypassed the cocktails and Zwan, the sommelieuse was a great help guiding us to a novel French wine from Ardeche called Chasselas by Pierre Gonon 2014 that was deliciously creamy and full of earthy tones. What a superb choice it was with all the starters from the tasty Peter's Point Oysters with yuzu kosho mignonette to the tasty Beef Tartare with Crispy Sunchokes, Onions, Capers and Mustard served with toasted sourdough. Sam insisted on having his own even though the idea is to share here. Burrata with Salsa Verde and charred bread was pretty and served with a sweet potato leaf, and while it was nice, I can always have burrata at home of fine quality for so much less. The salsa verde however was more akin to a Mexican JUGO Verde as it was quite thin but also very vegetable-y and not spicy at all. Samuel loves mozzarella, but refuses to try burrata which I like to call mozzarella on steroids.

For his "main" Sam chose the Steak with Spicy Marmalade, Potatoes and Taleggio cheese, and while he offered me a taste of the marmalade, no steak was forthcoming for me to comment on here.

Will and I chose four superb dishes. First was Fried Arroz Negro with Squid & Romesco that would win a prize anywhere. Our server Siobhan suggested this as her first choice, and whle she seemed to not be feeling too well, this was a spot on hit.

Swordfish with Heart of Palm (sliced in thin long shavings) and Meyer Lemon that was like a chunky glaze we loved.

We had switched to an amazing red thanks to Zwan and fell in love with a Pinot from Lombardy in Italy called 'Ca' Fracia Valtellina Superiore from Balgera that was a 2000 vintage full of amazing earth tones and again superb pairing with all our rich dishes.

 Ricotta dumplings with mushrooms and pecorino sardo indeed had a super rich sauce that was divine. Our final Pork (fotos on FB) with Burnt Cucumbers and leeks was a nice change from the regular pork dishes one sees so often.

For dessert Will ordered the novel Parsnip Ice Cream with Sesame & Caramel which was nice and I had the (surprise) cheese which was a winner of a plate with

Fromage d'Affinois -that creamy super rich brie from Rhone Alps

Gutensberg from St. Gallen in Switzerland which was a real novel treat in the USA

and Picon Bejes from Treviso, Cantabria in Spain where blue rules.

I do have to warn that the cheeses are $8 each and I begged to get a $4 portion of each sharing all three which took some arm-twisting as they don't usually do a 3-cheese plate unless u want 3 full $8 portions!

Zwan found the perfect dessert wines: Domaine Marengo No. 655 Muscat from Corsica 2012 and Vollenweider "steffensburg" Riesling Auslese 2010 Gold Kapsel from Mosel, Germany.

We left full and happy and ready to head back to DC the next day after a wonderful weekend of theater and food in  NYC.

NYC's TXIKITO in Chelsea is the best Basque around (5-28-16)

We needed a place to eat an early and not too heavy dinner near the Theater District for our second night in NYC. After some research, I found TXIKITO (the Basque name for the Spanish "chicito" or little) at 9th Avenue at 25th Street (240 9th Ave-www.txikitonyc.com) which is simple, basic and friendly but offers up some of the most novel tapas and dishes in NYC.

The 15 minute walk from our Times Square matinee where we saw Aladdin (loads of fun) was a bit taxing in the 90 degree heat, but worth it. On arrival, the restaurant had no opened yet (they open at 530pm), but we were inside the cooler dining room within minutes. The hostess took us to a table in a second room, where we lasted several minutes before moving back to the first room and bar area as the a/c had not yet kicked in! We drank lots of water and ordered up a bottle of 2013 Domaine Ametiza Rose from the Basque region of France made from Irouleguey, Tannat & Cab Franc which was dry and refreshing. I can't ever recall hearing of Irouleguey so this was our first novelty.

The décor is simple with wooden tables in small rooms and simple wooden chairs; it really is a neighborhood spot, and what a treat to find this in my searches.

We chose a number of tapas starters to share and first to arrive (fotos on FB page) was the op winner Esparragos made from Navarran white asparagus marinated in Celery-Black Truffle Vinaigrette with Chopped Egg. We could not get enough of the tasty treat and ended up using the bread to mop up all the excess vinaigrette. Next came a Pintxos, usually a tapas served on bread, sandwich-like and ours was called TUTERA with large toasted bread slices smothered with a Gratin of Artichokes, Roncal Cheese and Jamon. Sam adored these and ended up ordering extras!

Our third starter was as simple yet tasty PULPO which was layered carpaccio of octopus with lemon oil, marjoram and piment d'espelette. It was superb and seasoned just right with delicious fresh green herbs as were most of the dishes (were those the first baby corn shoots of the season on the asparagus?).

Samuel chose the Albondigas (his often go to tapas) but here the huge meatballs were made with lamb and served in a simple minted broth; a big hit.

Will chose the special Suckling Pig with crunchy skin and Chimichurri sauce that was tasty, but did not come close to the amazing quality of my Grilled Brook Trout with Crispy Serrano, Crispy Garlic and Garnacha Vinaigrette.which our server Carlos (who hailed from Guadalajara) said was his favorite special on the menu and whenever it appeared sold out fast; no surprise there. The fish was fileted to perfection with the head and tail and skin still on and smothered with huge layers of crispy crunchy Serrano ham and small pieces of crunchy garlic slices and the sauce which was light, still was rich with butter and lemon and wine that simply made my mouth super happy. It was a sight to behold on the plate and a magnificent revelation in the mouth.

We chose three desserts and Samuel got the winner with Pastel, a lemon scented butter cake with crème fraiche which disappeared fast save for the two bites he shared with us. Cuajada is a goat milk yogurt with honey and walnuts that won no prizes and reminded me of a nice breakfast yogurt. The cheese tray was very nice with Quince Paste and Raisin walnut toast but had three cheeses very similar in texture and could have used a bit more variety. Ossau Irraty, Roncal and Idiazabal are all tasty cheeses from the region that are hard with different flavors and a Blue de Basques was a creamy rich blue we adored,

We loved our little new discovery and found out they have another just tapas spot across the street called El Quinto Pino and two more different places in Brooklyn, one a café, and the other, La Vara in Cobble Hill Park. Check them all out.

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NYC's THE BRESLIN brings brilliant British cuisine stateside (5-27-16)

We headed right from the airport to 5th Avenue and 29th St (16 W.29th) to meet a friend for dinner at THE BRESLIN as I thought it be nice to have some British-style cuisine for a change. We were running about 30 minutes late for our reservation and despite the capacity crowds, the management was most gracious in holding our table due to our flight delay.

It's a busy spot and while noisy, not unbearably so. The décor is eclectic with booths and leather and lots of cows of ceramic, papier mache or other artsy styles, even the coat hooks have longhorn cattle. The tables and floors are dark wood and the ceiling above us looked like tin, but it was not as shiny; perhaps it was ceramic? The menu is not huge, but there are many fun things to share. We had only had several rounds of drinks back in DC at the American lounge and then more on the plane, so another cocktail was in order. I loved the idea of the Pickled Ramp Gibson and asked if it could be made with Vodka. Our sweet server David said he would check and came back with a happy face and ultimately a superb Grey Goose Vodka Gibson with some superb pickled whole ramps in the glass; this beats an olive or onion any day, especially in this spring ramp season when I use them regularly to make one of the best vinaigrettes I can rustle up all year.

We chose some starters to share including a superb miniature BEEF & STILTON Pie which we managed to cut into four totally miniature bites. At $10 it's a pricy two-bite small dish, but has great flavors and is a yummy pastry pie as well. SCRUMPETS were described to us as battered breadcrumb meat sticks which are deep fried, and while they were tasty, especially with the quasi-chimichurri dipping sauce made with malt vinegar for that British touch, the half stick that Samuel got was virtually one big piece of fat with fried breadcrumbs. LAMB MARROW was a special starter and a big winner. We got about 5 or 6 pieces of bones with the albeit very salty marrow and a yummy carrot parsley sauce that cut the salt. These were accompanied by housemade whole wheat bread slices which we could slather th marrow and further cut the saltiness for a super hearty and tasty treat. Our last starter was the first one I spotted on the menu as I have an eye for Sweetbreads. Here they were FRIED SWEETBREADS with 'nduja (that yummy porky sauce), Ramp Kraut (who can resist more of that) and a Black Garlic Aoili and there were chunks of Smoked Blue Cheese for extra flavor; this was a winner for sure.

We wanted a nice rose and David brought over a Schneider & Bieler Cab Franc Rose 2015 from the Finger Lakes in Upstate NY for us to taste as it is served (oddly, on tap) by the glass. It was nice, but we wanted something different and Nick, the sommelier-manager suggested a superb Monteniddo Rose 2015 from San Gimignano in Tuscany made from the Canaivolo grape. It was just right with all the various flavors. Our red wine to follow was a huge winner with the Lopez de Heredia Tempranillo/Granacho blend 2004 from Rioja called Vina Bosconia. It was a great match with the juicy huge Chargrilled LAmBURGERS (A Signature dish) served with Feta, Cumin Mayo and awesome Thrice Cooked Chips (that's fries). It also paired beautifully with the Crescent Duck Breast which came with Duck Sausage as well, a huge potato rosti underneath the entire dish, but still crunchy and flavorful and topped with fermented ramps (YUM) as well as poached rhubarb. Th dish was a perfect medley of flavors and was only marred a little by the fact that the duck skin was quite fatty (I cut it out) instead of crispy, my preferred choice for all duck skin.

We were stuffed and headed to our hotel without dessert to find a plate of cheese, grapes and even mini-cupcakes in our suite on arrival at the Regency; what a nice treat on the start of our big NYC weekend.

PENNSYLVANIA 6 in DC provides a perfect meal (5-16-16)

We were invited to dinner last night by our dearest friends at the spanking new PENNSYLVANIA 6 (www.pennsylvania6dc.com) located on Franklin Square at 1350 I St, NW and we were mightily impressed.

Since it was a belated celebration of Will's birthday, we started with Franciacorta Brut Sparkling from Guido Berlucchi in Lombardy which is a delicate super dry sprakling which surpasses the mediocre Proseccos we see so much of these days.

It's a great wine to have with some of the fun starters such as the Olives marinated in Rosemary, Chili and Citrus Aromatics or the super Fresh Ricotta Spread with Olive Oil, Black Pepper & Thyme served on a large slate with Grilled Bread slices and a super yummy, yet mild, Orange-Fig Jam. This is a really great fun starter and in addition you should consider the Sardinian Flatbread. These days, I always avoid the starchy, even though tasty, flatbreads as I prefer to avoid the carbs. This is a very crunchy flatbread that is more like lavosh which is smothered with shaved Aged Goat Cheddar, Radish slices, Arugula, Truffle Oil and 'Nduja, which our ever so sweet server, Olesea, explained was a slightly spicy sausage paste, that I just could not get enough of.

We were thrilled to find an old friend at the helm of the wine program, Sommelier Mark Slater, who hails from Jean-Louis at the Watergate and Citronelle, if you go back some years. He brought out a divine Geroges Vernet 2009 "Les Terrasses de l'Empire" Condrieu which has to be one of my favorite varietals on earth. Condrieu is a very specific varietal of Viognier that comes from a very small region on the Rhone that I could easily visit over and over; I can't wait to go back again as it is so beautiful, and also has magnificent views of the river and the Alps beyond. The nose was to die for and the wine simply earthy and full of body. It was ideal with the Charred Spanish Ocotpus with Gigande Beans, Fennel, "Nduja(more of that!!) and Salsa Verde; this dish is one of the best starters around town. We also tried the superb trio of Crudos of which my favorite was the Black Kingfish (Cobia) with avocado, ginger, palm hearts, serrano chile and citrus ceviche sauce. It sounds busy, but works. The Yellowfin Tuna Crudo with yuzu-miso, mango, roasted peanut and spicy cress was nice, but you know I make the best Tuna tartare around, so the Kona Kampachi Crudo with gooseberries, cumin salt & salsa verde was the least exciting for me.

I noticed a great deal for Happy Hour (4-7pm) at the bar with $1/oysters and $5/oyster shooters....gonna have to return for that, and the bar is huge with a very large lounge area to relax with all those deals.

The raw bar is extensive, but we refrained.

It was hard to choose main courses, and I was torn between the Monkfish Osso Buco but went for the Berkshire Pork Chop with Sweet Potatoes, Candied Pecans, Fried Brussels Sprouts and an amazing Bourbon Lacquer. the meat was perfectly cooked and the portion HUGE, so it will be eaten later in the week for sure. Will chose the 14 ounce Bone-in Fillet with Chimichurri, but they brought extra sauces and the meat was divine, charred on the outside, rare in the middle. Steak is great here and the décor is that of a clubby leathery steak place for sure, but next time I'm headed for the large choice of seafood for sure.

Sides are amazing here from the Wild Mushrooms to Duck Fat Fries which come with a decent ketchup, but an awesome mustard sauce. The Fried Brussels Sprouts which were on my plate can also be ordered as a side and have to be the biggest on earth and the tastiest. FB pictures can be seen of the main courses and desserts.

Our main course wine was a 2008 Pommard "La Chaniere" from Domaine Mallard Pere et Fils which was so fruit forward and truly a revelation. Will got a glass of the much bigger and heartier The Prisoner Zin/Petit Sirah/Syrah

blend that is available by the glass.

Mark brought us amazing Sauternes with dessert, Petite Vedrine 2010 which we all loved and we split two desserts: Spiced Apple Cake with Butter Toffee Pecan Caramel Sauce & Bourbon-Vanilla Gelato and the delish Bread & Butter Pudding with Black Currants, Butterscotch Sauce and Mick Chocolate Gelato.

We all had a great time and there is something for everyone at this new spot in Downtown DC.

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NYC's James Beard House presents the TASTE OF CHARLOTTE with super Southern cuisine (4-16-16)

Last night I was joined by a friend and client at James Beard House where I love to go on an off night in NYC as the events are always a treat.

On arrival, you always pass through the kitchen and this was different as four chefs from North Carolina were working on the hor's d'oevres (check my FB) and the place was a zoo.

I moved to the patio where Bob Peters, Mixologist from the Punch Room at Charlotte's Ritz-Carlton was serving Bottled Sherry with Topo(Top of the Hill) Southern Amaro (made specifically for this event).

The drink had a slight bitterness from the Amaro, but was nice and smooth and was truly ingenious with the many rich treats we were munching especially the Deviled Eggs with Smoked Trout, Trout Caviar, Dill & Pickled Onion (my favorite of them all). Just as rich and tasty was the Ashe Country Cheddar Pimento Cheese, Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Croquettes served in Romescu Sauce. While the starters were a collaboration in most cases, these came from Blake Hartwick of Bonterra Dining & Wine Room in Charlotte. Pastry Chef Ashley Boyd of 300 East in Charlotte and Heritage Food & Drink in Waxhaw created an odd mixture of Peanut Butter Biscuit, Salted Peanut & Black Pepper Ricotta, Muscadine Jam and Celery Sorbet served in a small spoon and while tasty, just had too much going on for my mouth. Green Garlic & Goat Cheese Panna Cotta filled out the group.

We sat down to find awesome hot biscuits in a cast iron skillet on the table with Strawberry Mostarda from Chef Boyd and launched into the first course, again a collaborative effort:

Pastrami-Cured No. Carolina Strip Loin in Cardinal Gin Smoke Oak Staves, NC Pink Lady Apple-Braised Red Cabbage, Toasted Cararway Tuille and Thousand Island Dressing which was one of the best quasi-Rubens ever. They mentioned that we would get take home bags with goodies and I was hoping for pastrami in mine, but alas there was none. This was accompanied by a Bob Peters' Cardinal Barrel Rested Gin Cocktail with Cheerwine "Cherry" a soda like Dr. Pepper from the region that was quite tasty.

Chef Hartwick gave us Ayden No Carolina Fried Catfish in Chicken Fat with BBQ Cauliflower, Pac Choi Slaw, Pickled Ramp Aioli, Geechie Boy Blue Corn Grits and Church Hot Sauce Bubbles which easily was the best catfish I've ever had in my life. Bennett seeds finished off the dish and that hot sauce was bubbling for sure, but all mixed together it was just simply perfection. Chalk Hill 2014 California Sauvignon Blanc was a perfect foil to the spice and fish.

Chef Chris Coleman of the Asbury at Dunhill Hotel in Charlotte prepared Chicken & Dumplings here with Slow-Roasted Springer Farms Chicken, Chevre Gnocchi, Newtown Farm Beets, Arugula, Radish, Pickled Green garlic and Roasted Lemon Jus. Chive, Chervil & Tarragon added depth to this winning dish served with a tasty Claude Riffault La Noue Pinot Noir Rose 2014 from Sancerre.

Chef Paul T. Verica of Heritage Food & Drink in Waxhaw was next with Heritage Farms Pork Belly, Sweet Potato, Swiss Chard, Black-Eyed Peas, Carolina Gold Rice and Cheerwine Glaze. The sauce was amazing and the chard was wrapped around the rice to make a sushi-like roll. If this was not enough, the belly was crispy, tasty and meaty with little unneeded fat. Just right with the 2013 Gilles Robin "Cuvee Papillon" Crozes Hermitage Rhone Blend. The entire dish was covered with shaved sweet potatoes all curled up that were fun as well.

Our pastry chef returned in glory with Local Goat Cheese & (Asheville)White Chocolate Cheese Cake with Textures of Strawberries, Sorrell Puree and Buckwheat Streusel & Marshmallows which was not too heavy despite the cheese and chocolate and I think every plate was cleared completely. Hou Hou Shu "Bubble, Bubble!" Sparkling Sake from Okoyama Japan was a novel sparkling sake that is easily a new fun fave of mine.

Lots of love form this huge team went into planning this dinner (which was slated months and months ago), and we all sadly remarked that our boycotts of North Carolina for the time being will not allow us to visit these great places, but at least they came to us, and I am sure these chefs will do their best to change the mindless efforts of some of their politicians and bring them round with a good plate and drink!

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another NYC find in FUJI SUSHI (4-15-16)

If you happen to be in NYC and find yourself looking for yet another fine sushi spot between Times Square & Lincoln Center (especially on April 15 to cut costs) then head to FUSHI SUJI (238 W 56th St-between Broadway & 8th Ave) for a great selection and an even greater deal.

I passed this teeny spot twice already in the last day and hundreds of times over the years and it's so narrow and easily missed, I never noticed it. A long narrow room has a bar up front, lots of simple wooden tables and chairs and a sushi bar at the rear where no less than four chefs were working hard to serve the several dozen diners.

I was headed to La Boheme at the Met, is only a 2 hour opera, but with the Mets tedious long intermissions runs just over 3 hours!! I needed a light meal and started with a superb Seaweed Salad which here has a bed of cucumber slices and a cherry tomato on top. Green tea was warming as the evening chill was back again tonight, even at 6pm. I asked my server which if the many rolls and sushi to choose as there some 4 pages of choices and that was just rolls, sushi and sashimi. I chose the NY Beauty and it was indeed a beauty. Each of the rolls here is 8 HUGE pieces of sushi stuffed with Warm Grilled Lobster, Lettuce, Cucumber, Mayo, Avocado & Tobiko. The only thing I could complain about here was the mild wasabi, but the rolls are awesome and this warm one was a novelty for me as I am so used to cold sushi. I ordered a small (180ml) mini-bottle of Saki which was a creamy smooth rice-intense Hanaomai Junmai Katana and a steal for $9, not to mention perfect with the lobster.

I was still a tad hungry, so for "dessert" I made a selection of three sashimi:

Red Skimmer Clam, Mackerel & Salmon Belly were all superbly sliced and served atop a pile of shredded radish and all top notch quality with the tender clams and rich fish.

The whole bill came to about $50 and I was in awe. I shall return to Fuji Sushi....

NYC's ANDANADA is truly the route to terrific tapas near Lincoln Center (4-14-16)

Several years ago I wrote a rave review for a Spanish restaurant near Lincoln Center called Gastroarte, and sadly never returned. I made a reservation to dine with a friend at another place which I did not realize had actually opened in the same location some 4 years ago. ANDANADA (www.andanada141.com) is a cute simple spot at 141 W 69th Street just off the corner of Broadway. Several steps down it is a very white place, with white brick walls, splashy bright art and great food from a Michelin starred chef to boot.

As I entered the place came right back to me as the décor has not changed at all. The menu is simpler with lots of tapas and many paella offerings as well.

We both enjoyed the Pazo Pondal Albarino white as NY was warming up a bit from the past cold spell, and most of the tapas are seafood centric.

A tasty amuse of truffled potato soup came and was gone in seconds. Another item was the Red Endive leaves with a dip of Blue Cheese, EVOO & anchovy that was okay, but won no awards. I adore both blue cheese and anchovies, but something just was not quite right with the flavor combination.

Our first tapas was Grilled White Asparagus with Salsa Verde (called Spanish emulsion in the English) and Mussels which was divine. I had never had the giant white European asparagus in this country before; they arrive in April/May each season and are called Feldspargl in Austria and I miss them horribly. They were a dream here...huge and white and char-grilled to perfection with that simple salsa and several steamed mussels.

Next came Ravioli de Espinacas y Gambas which is a true misnomer. You can see pictures of this on my FB page and they are really spinach stuffed into a shrimp "purse" with gratineed seafood sauce that was creamy and rich with pistachios and shimeji mushrooms; a true marriage of ingredients made in heaven (or this kitchen).

Next was Langosta y Pepino, simply a hollowed cucumber boat filled with Lobster and dabs of Lime aioli. It was simple, refreshing and a perfect dish as the weather warms up.

The last tapas we shared was Salpicon de Pulpo and was the only spicy one we tasted, but cooked perfectly with Cold Octopus layered with spicy peppers and topped with slices of fresh creamy Avocado. It is served like a tart and looks as good as it tastes.

If I had to complain, I would say it was the table location. This one table was set aside from the others which is why I asked for it, but once seated, the servers kept having to knock my arm and back to get past me to the other tables. Also, once we finished our tapas and were waiting for dessert, it took some time before anyone offered to wipe off the several blobs of olive oil or food on the table which had fallen during our meal. These were right in front of me and a bit disturbing.

Dessert was Torrijas de Calabaza which our server explained as French toast-like and it was served with yummy pumpkin ice cream and sugared almonds. It was nice, but won no awards and the menu said it came with vanilla soup, which the server said was never served before??

Not to worry--the food was superb and worth a return visit for sure!

RIPPLE rules in DC with Top Chef-testants Marjorie Meek-Bradley hosting Carl Dooley from The Table in Cambridge,MA (4-11-16)

I was lucky enough to snag a seat at last night's awesome dinner at RIPPLE (rippledc,com) where Chef Marjorie Meek0Bradley has held court now for several years. After her recent turn of Top Chef (where she should have won at least Fan Favorite) she is in the process of expanding her empire as well as growing her worthy name. For this amazing dinner she was joined by co-Top Chef contestant CARL DOOLEY who reigns at THE TABLE(www.cambridgetable.com) in Cambridge, Mass. These two are indeed a natural team (as so many of this year's Top Chef-testants were, so hopefully we will see more visiting here) and presented a superb evening of varied and exciting foods while also taking time to greet each diner and chat (catch my FB photos of the meal as well of me with Chef Marjorie).

As I sat down, I decided to take the option of paired wines for each of the five courses but also started with a 1/2 glass (yes, they offer half pours on wines by the glass!) of Weingut Tinhof, Blaufrankish Sparkling wine from Burgenland in Austria which had a sweet nose, a tinge of cherry in the mouth, but was bone dry on the finish; a truly wonderful summer treat for sure.

The magnificent piping hot Salted & Seeded Parker House Rolls arrived in a cast iron pan with 4 to a pan. I was alone, yet I still got four (but ate only 3:-))......while most couples got four as well. The salted butter was divine as it melted faster than I could spread it.

The courses were indeed divided by chefs and we started with the out-of-town guest, Chef Carl, who it turns out had a stint in DC for over a year at the now-departed Palena under DC uber-Chef Frank Ruta.

Terrine of oie Gras & Rabbit Confit was a delight and while it came with a deliciously grilled bread, I skipped most of that and left my carbs for the rolls in between and as a sauce mop. The terrine was beautifully plated with slices of Rhubarb, little dots of Purple Mustard (Chef explained to me this is done with grape must) and Spiced Almonds. As my wine was poured, a Donkey & Goat "Stonecrusher" Rousanne 2014 from El Dorado, California, the server explained it was "orange wine" and my face dropped. I had orange wine only a couple of times prior and the last time it was funk, fermented-tasting and truly awful (check my blog to find out where last year). This was not really funky or offensive like the previous incarnation, and indeed it paired quite well with the dish, although I could never drink this on its own.

Chef Marjorie was up next and always excels at pasta: Here we got a magnificent dish of Spring Pea Agnolotti with Chanterelles, Pickled Ramps, Hazelnut Dukkah & Pea Shoots. The dish was divine and these were my first ramps of the season (oh, I did make Ramp Pesto on Sunday and our son had it with pasta yesterday for lunch, but I have not partaken yet). Christian Lauverjat "Perle Blanche" Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Sancerre from France was a superb Sancerre oddly more citrusy than Sancerre tends to be with a full mouth of acidity that was just right.

I adore tongue, but can't ever recall having pork tongue. Chef Carl here mixed Pork Tongue with Brown Rice Congee, Carrots, Beans, Spring Vegetables, Black Garlic, Ginger, Basil and Coriander that was a miraculous wonder of mouth tastes that had me won from the first bite. We had moved to red wine with an Alain Coudert, Clos de la Roilette 2014 Gamay from Fleurie that I instantly fell in love with. I should note that while the servers worked as a team all night, so I had what seemed to be a dozen different and totally excellent folks serving, it was Matt who won me over with several extra pours. I am already inquiring about this magnificent wine which while light packed a mouthful of great tastes.

Chef Marjorie returned to the fore with La Belle Farms Duck Breast seared rare and served with Braised Endive, Roasted Beets and a White Asparagus-Mustard Puree that was heavenly. I even told her point blank, that this duck was excellent and better than that at Brushstroke in NY just last week. The wine pairing was an Olga Raffault "Les Picasses" Cabernet Franc 2009 from Chinon in the Loire was delicious but had the funkiest nose that I got past quickly. I still was in love with the Gamay I guess.

Finally came Miso-Carrot Cake which was rich and decadent with a White Chocolate Cream Cheese-like Frosting, Benniseeds & a scoop of superb Strawberry Ice Cream. I love carrot cake, but am not a big icing fan, although this dish was superb. The Candied Ginger sprinkled around was perfect to cut the richness and I truly love that stuff, I could have eaten it alone. The wine was a viscous treat with Donnafugatta "Ben Rye" 2013 Zibbibo from Sicily that was loaded with sweet apricots and would give any top notch dessert wine a run for its money and sweetness.

On departure we were treated to a small 3 inch rectangular wrapped treat from The Table in Massachusetts which I opened this morning and was thrilled to find a fruit/nut/grain bar which was just perfect with my coffee. How nice to remember the meal all over again at breakfast. I am so anxious for another event like this as it was indeed a special treat.

An Loi-Columbia, MD's amazing Vietnamese venue for delicious deals (4-10-16)

After a matinee of Sweeney Todd at Red Branch Theatre where Will is in the superb production of Sweeney Todd, a whole bunch of us were looking for a reasonable dinner spot that we could also bring along 4 tweens to.

We found it in AN LOI (http://anloirestaurant.com) an unobtrusive spot in a local strip mall somewhere in Columbia. we all looked at the menu and marveled that virtually nothing cost more than $15 for main courses and $7-8 for starters, so the entire meal was a real bargain. They serve only one brand of wine (Sutter Home) and it's all priced at $15.95 a bottle; it's decent Chardonnay or Cab for the price and works well with the spices (we, of course, avoided the White Zin!).

Shrimp Green Papaya Salad was superb here with good acidity, not a ton of shrimp, but enough, and intriguing enough to get those that had never had it to give it a try and be thrilled to find a new dish. It is served here with Seaweed Jelly & Fish Sauce.

The Grand Combo Appetizer was superb and offered up a lot of choices and comes in varying sizes. We got TWO Grand ones for everyone to share and there was plenty of spare food.

Tops on this dish are the Grilled Grape Leaves stuffed with tasty Beef and served with two Dipping Sauces(for all the starters) of Fish & Peanut Sauces.

The Spring Rolls were large, stuffed to the gills and light as well, the Summer Rolls (what we would call miniature Egg Rolls) were also delish. The Grand Combo can be had with a satay-like grilled beef, chicken or pork though here not served on a skewer and hence not as dry as satay can get. The peanut sauce was amazing with this.

The main courses are hugely varied with dozens and dozens of choices, but noodle soups of varying kinds are the largest selection.

Tai is a Northern Beef Noodle soup with slices of Eye Round Steak. Many of the Pho and Bun are not very spicy (Some are) and you can add as much of the hot sriracha sauce or hoto chili in oil on each table's lazy susan loaded with various condiments.

If you seek Bun, try the Bun Ba Mon which allows you to combine three different items in the bowl.

The bowls are all huge and the broths are super, not to mention the top quality noodles.

I had the Hu Tieu Hoac which comes with rice or egg noodles in a rich chicken broth with minced pork, garlic, scallion and believe it or not a SIDE dish with a 1/4 dark meat of Crispy Fried Chicken and amazing Ginger Dipping Sauce.

Pickled Cabbage, Sprouts, Basil, Coriander and more veggies are piled high on a plate to allow you to manage your dish so it does not overflow. Needless to say, few of us finished our monster bowls and we all skipped dessert, but enjoyed the little Tamarind Sucking Candies that came with the check!

We don't get to Columbia a lot, but this was a fun spot and such a bargain, we would easily reconsider it if in the area.

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