DC's PASCUAL offers passionate marvelous Mexican (11-13-25)

 Last night I joined my dear friend Jodi of over 40 years for dinner and we chose PASCUAL's the Capitol Hill outpost that has been getting raves for its marvelous Mexican cuisine for 1-3/4 years now. Chefs Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss have created a hot spot that can be tough to reserve, but worth the effort.  On arrival at 7pm, there were lots of folks dining outside too (and it was chilly!), but we were luckily inside. The decor is simple with a large bar and sadly only one door at the front which allows for major drafts to come in on a cold night. The experience was superb, and our server Shannon was super helpful in guiding us through the large and varied menu. On arrival outside (at the host desk) Jeremiah was a friendly face who made us feel at home.

My only complaint would be that the beautiful wooden tables and chairs offer no cushion for your derriere and by the end of 2-3/4 hours my rear was indeed sore! A cushion would have been so welcome. I am on a medical abstention from alcohol for now, so I opted for one of the non-alcoholic options which was great. The Tacos al Pastor Margarita (no clue why the name) was made with pineapple, chipotle, morita and lime and Jodi had the Mole Old Fashioned which smelled divine and had Mole Negro Mezcal, Empirical Pasilla Chile, Plum wine and Cacao Bitters! The mezcal menu here is huge and varied and truly daunting if you are a fan, but Shannon helped Jodi choose one for her second drink!

Since my margarita was called Tacos Al Pastor it made sense to start with a snack of the same dish made here with Salsa Cruda, Salsa Morita, roasted pina and served on a blue and white corn tortilla, which are made in house and easily deserve raves on their own. The meat was flavored to perfection.

The dishes here are indeed for sharing and work so well, so Shannon guided us and we ended up with too much and doggie bags but got to taste a wide selection starting with the Kampachi Crudo with Husk Cherry Leche De Tigre, Turmeric, Flying Dragon Citrus Curd that rocked.

Next came the North Carolina Shrimp Tamal with 4 perfectly ooked shrimp with Huacatay(Peruvian Black mint), Sweet Corn, Chintextle(a chile paste) & Purslaine leaves that was spiced perfectly not to overwhelm the shrimp but light up our mouths.

The Lamb Neck Barbacoa was a dish Shannon insisted we ordered and it is a huge chunk of lamb (with a crunchy crust and a tad of fat that works divinely) with Ayocote Beans, Salsa Cruda & Herbs. It comes served with tortillas for making a wonderful little "sandwich" that fills your mouth with flavor. On the side was Fideos Negros or vermicelli made with Huitlacoche, Maitake Mushrooms and Black Garlic that I loved. Indeed, there are many veggie dishes, so I look forward to returning here with Sam to try them as well.

Lately, I have started yearning for dessert and we could not resists sharing the Nixtamalized Pear with Pistachio Ice Cream, Toasted Meringue and stuffed with a Key Lime Ganache. Pastry Chef Isabel Coss has created a delicious dish here that I could eat every night!

I need to give a nod to the Tpo Chico Mexican Sparkling water that was yummy and of course, reminded me of one of my favorite childhood TV characters, Topo Gigio on The Ed Sullivan Show with which I say--great meal and "kiss me good night Eddie!"

DC's BARBOUZARD is BRILLIANT (10-15-25)

 Last week i joined three lady friends I met at a Jacques Pepin event here in May and we headed to Chef Cedric Maupillier's new fine dining destination BARBOOUZRAD. It has been open only two months and the place was heaving, yet it still had a reserved, refined air of elegance in the gorgeous decor. There is a long bar on one side, and the very large open space has dividers, but tables are well spaced. The noise levels were muted due to carpeting and very comfy padded furniture.

We ordered a bottle of Chablis "Le Finage" La Chablisienne 2022 that was delicious but alas came at warmer than room temperature and desperately needing chilling. Where is the white wine stored? The menu is divided into several categories and the raves from Tom Sietsema's final review before his retirement from the Washington Post went on about th FAUX GRAS OPERA which was a plate of bite-sized chicken & duck liver on brioche with a dab of preserved cherry port jelly that was simply divine indeed. Some of us had salads which were monstrous sized while I indulged with the Scallops a la Plancha starter which was so NOT French and a rich, but wonderfully spiced Asian-style dish with curry, lemongrass, ginger emulsion and beets and corn royale(like miniature souffles) that was quite filling. I knew I had ordered too much when my pasta of Lapin a la Marseillaise arrived piled high with cappinelle, rabbit ragu, white wine, tomato, olive, mushroom and pecorino!! I had a couple of bites and asked for the rest to go. I was so excited when the server, Carolyn, gave me a coat check number to claim the "doggie bag" on my out! What a brilliant idea! And how stupid I was to leave without it!! 

Joseph the sommelier was very helpful, and we ordered an amazing Chinon (Cab Franc) from the Loire by Mellot that was a little earthy and full of flavor. It was great with the other dishes as well such as Daube de Boeuf (like a huge stew), Branzino and the rich Salmon with caper beurre blanc and sorrel caviar.

One of the ladies knew that the huge private party in the back room was Punchbowl News, which of course, I have never heard of..I am so not a DC person when it comes to that! We were all amazed when Chef Cedric tore himself away from the VIPs to come say hello to us! He is really an amazing chef, as well as a generous person, and I am so glad he was able to reopen in this grand downtown location with a truly top-notch fine dining establishment.

We decided to share one dessert which was the NOCTURNE, an all chocolate ultra rich, layered velvety ganache with cocoa glaze, Espellette chile for a great little spice in a saffron sauce with sea salt! I am not a chocaholic, but splitting this four ways was ideal as I got just one and a half bites!

I can't wait to get back to Barbouzard as there are so many wonderful dishes to try on the menu and maybe I can get my leftovers :-))!!

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Boston's KRASI is Greek cuisine that is cool and creative (10-12-25)

 After attending Macbeth at the opera, we were joined by the two royal leads for a fabulous dinner at Boston's KRASI in the West End.  On arrival, there was a mix-up with our reservation, but it was indeed partially my fault as the person who made it used our soprano's last name, not mine! The manager was fab though and despite claiming overbooked, he cleared a large, raised table at the rear for 8 or more people and we got to occupancy half of it for three hours until the other group on the other side arrived as we were having dessert! The space is small and narrow and long with a long bar on one side and a tad noisy, but the food and superb service we got from Jorge made up for everything.

For us opera lovers, the bathrooms were loaded with photos of famous Greeks, with Callas being impressively featured more than anyone!

The water was Zagori from Greece, a new brand for us and quite nice and the menu while not huge, required negotiation which Jorge was perfect at. Some of us has Spritz's while I ordered a bottle of Assyrtiko from Domaine Mercouri in Ilia in western Greece where we had visited 6 years before and loved it. 2023 "Kallisto" was loaded with minerality and freshness that paired well with the strong food flavors. Since I loved this wine and the winery, we stayed with them for the red Mavro Daphne grape 2020 called "Daphne Nera" which was full bodied and superb with our heavier mains.

Krasi is a place to share dishes and that is exactly what we did with everything, making it so much more enjoyable and fun. Tiropita Rolls are cheese rolls with graviera and halloumi and a Greek honey butter on the side that all just melts in your mouth. Htipiti is that rich yet spicy whipped feta spread with roasted red chilis and are served with homemade rigali potato chips.  I love artichokes and we were all excited for Agginaropita which was a tart/pie of artichoke, caramelized onion, graviera cheese, thyme and sourdough but was way cheesier than artichoke-y, though delicious. I would stick to this or the Tiropita instead.

Noumbolo from Corfu was a charcuterie of wild boar with coriander and red wine and there are many charcuterie choices (not something you think of in Greece!) and each comes with Carob bread, toursi(pickled cauliflower and carrots), caperberries and olive tapenade. It was a fab new treat.

We chose three "mains" to have starting with the Makaronada of braised octopus, makarounes (cavatelli pasta) and tapioca frigania. The octopus was tender and tasty, and the pasta was excellent.  Lavraki was grape leaf wrapped whole Mediterranean sea bass with anchovy butter, sitari (pearl barley?) and horta(greens?) which I must have missed thought the fish was fleshy and tasty and loaded with spices and tasted just like Greece. The last main was Giouvetsi or Braised Lamb Osso Buco with ripe tomatoes, orzo, and mizithra cheese which was heavy rich and wonderful, and I had a teeny taste of as I was completely full by now. 

Jorge insisted on bringing glasses of Tsipouro an aged Greek grappa which was too akin to ouzo for me but then proffered a complimentary dessert that was out of this world: Portokalopita was a gorgeous syrup-soaked orange cake made with phyllo pastry instead of flour, Greek yogurt, manouri cheese olive oil, creating a uniquely moist and custardy texture. with ice cream.

What a ball was had by all!

Boston's DEUXAVE does it well but too also overdoes it! (10-11-25)

 We arrived in Boston a day before our opera performance to ensure no delays and chose to dine at the elegant and classy DEUXAVE. On arrival, we were warmly greeted and impressed by the cozy feel, super comfy tall back seats with little lumbar pillows and the excellent service. Deuxave is elegant French, but the one big problem was BIG..the portions are huge. The place was full of all kinds of people and seating were occurring up to our departure at 10pm, so its popularity is undisputed. We were handed tasting menus and asked to see the a la carte as the tasting seemed t be five HUGE courses to start; that should have been a hint. Will ordered a glass of rose and I settled on a bottle of red for the two of us for the rest of dinner which was an excellent Burgundy from Domaine Martin-Dufour "Chemissine" 2022 Chorey-les-Beaune full of fruit and great body to boot.

Amuses of Honeynut Pumpkin Soup with Achiote and crushed nuts were yummy to start and the bread was simple and warm.

Leidy our server was super enthusiastic and recommended the Beets and Brie Salad to start which Will chose and while not monstrous, it was large loaded with gooey Brie, pumpkin butter, super sweet Warren Pears, Pomegranate Gastrique, 8-Brix Vinaigrette and Greens. I could not resist the Duet of Prime Beef, which at first I thought was a steak main course, but indeed was paired tartare and carpaccio that was superb indeed, but alas the portion was main course sized. A full large plate covered with Peppercorn-crusted Wagyu Carpaccio had a large cylinder of Prime New York Sirloin Tartare at the center with cured egg yolk, greens, pickled fennel salad (3 little pieces which was fine by me), Crispy Maitake Mushrooms, Parmesan Chips (as in potato chips) and Anchovy Aioli. I loved it all, but immediately called of Leidy and told her to change my scallop main course to a starter of Duck Confit, a super-wise move as I saw all the mains coming out nearby which were indeed humongous portions.

Will had the Spiced Rohan Duck Breast with Black Sesame Spätzle, Savoy Cabbage Choucroute, Wild Mushroom Mix, Compressed Gooseberry Tahini, Spiced Gooseberry Puree and Sauce Robert and if this sounds like too, alas it was. The duck was superb, but the conglomeration of sauces marred the duck a tad, so Will just ate the duck after tasting the rest. I was thrilled that I changed from the huge scallop dish to a Crispy DUck Confit starter with Watercress Salad and Cashew Puree. The confit was sublime with a skin as crunchy and crispy as could be. Alas the salad was way overdressed, and I really did not need th cashew puree, although it was okay, as the duck was so great. Another fruit puree was also overdose.

We decided to skip dessert, but Leidy showed up shortly with a plate of small mignardises for Will with HAPPY BIRTHDAY on it and a plate of three excellent sorbets with HAPPY ANNIVERSARY on it! I loved the apple cider, red plum and especially the black current sorbets as they were so light and flavorful. So, while we loved the decor and location from the quilted pillars to the floor to ceiling windows and warmth of the locale, the portions were so overwhelming and sauces so much that it was just a tad too much.

DC's CRANES is Spanish/Kaseiki cuisine that conquers (10-8-25)

 I often don't get to new places in DC for ages and then regret my decisions, but at last year's March of Dimes Signature Chefs Chef Paco Moncayo of the Michelin starred CRANES in downtown DC wowed me with his dish at the event and I had to buy his tasting dinner that night. We decided to head over this past Wednesday for Will's birthday and had an immensely spectacular meal which they also did a vegetarian tasting for Sam and even he was mightily impressed.

The setting is very nice with comfy tables and very earthy color tones, although I must note that some of the chairs are way more comfortable than others and mine was not so great. Realized this much later and simply should have changed chairs! The sound levels are okay, but the music was a tad too loud for me at times; I am old and prefer a wonderfully quiet setting when enjoying food.

Ondaree Cava was poured by our charming server Carolyn on arrival, was there at every turn to make sure we were happy and inform us of what was on our plates. We sat right opposite the open kitchen and had a great view of all the plates as they came out!

Chef Paco, who came over to chat with us midway through the meal and is indeed an impressive restauranteur and chef, was at the helm, but also moving around the room to check on everything. He hails from Barcelona but comes by way of Singapore and other places giving his cuisine a unique Spanish/Asian spin that was delightful, different and super tasty.

Three amuses arrived on the first plate (all photos on my FB page) starting with a nori tostada chip with edamame cream, then a superb crabcake with a to die for sauce that was reminiscent of XO with a kick and an artichoke stuffed with chicken (Sam got eggplant).  Each course was paired with wine or sake, and our glasses were always full and Sam chose to drink beer.

Crescent Moon sake came next with a Bluefin Tuna Tartare, avocado creme, dried olives, squid ink tuile which was rich as well as spicy while Sam's was a tomato-based tartare. Another sake arrived Nanbu Bijin which was Junmai and creamier (I love that) and came with a Sofrito Rice cake that was simply perfection and had an amazing crunch with mushroom, romesco, lobster sauce, shrimp and edamame that may very well have been my favorite dish of the night, although it is hard to choose.

Vina Otanto Viura was a very fruit forward white served with Grilled Halibut a la Plancha (many of the dishes use this grill), red wine glaze, miso broth and an amazing tempura maitake mushroom with onion puree that was also out of this world. Another superb white I loved was the unoaked Castilla y Leon old vines which was 100% Prieto Picudo(another new varietal to me!) made by Valdevimdre. Carolyn described this as "grippy" and indeed it did beg for the food pairing. It was served with the ideal dish: Wagyu Grilled Flank Steak a la Plancha with veal jus, Camisu Sauce, Spring Onion, Garlic Tapioca Chip and a Sanchu Pepper "compote" that was very green pepper in its flavor, so not my favorite (I prefer yellow, orange or red!). The steak was as tender as it gets and cooked to perfection. Sam was wowed by has Grilled Napa Cabbage in a Cava Beurre Blanc Sauce.

Grape Sorbet with shiso, Coconut foam and ginger jelly was a palate cleanser and then we fell in love with our first ever Spanish ice wine called Dulce Enero made by Rosalina Molina which even Sam had a healthy serving of as he does adore good dessert wine. It was paired with Mushroom Chocolate Cremieux, which is a novelty in itself that had a slight funkiness but was really delish. Chanterelle Ice Cream (yes!), Miso Caramel, Toasted Marshmallows and Crushed Hazelnuts made this dish really different, special and so tasty.

Mignardises arrived in the form of Gojuchang, Kiwi filled Mochi (which even I liked and I do not care for mochi) and Jellys made with Pepper. sugar and Cocoa. And of course, there was a slice of Black Sesame Basque Cheesecake with a candle for Will's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY and it was indeed VERY HAPPY! Bravo to the entire amazing team.

I cannot wait to see what Chef Pepe makes at March of Dimes later this month!

DC's The RED HEN always rocks (19-30-25)

 Tuesday night we joined friends for a fab dinner at THE RED HEN here in Dc where we have been away from for way too long. Chef Mike Friedman cooks some of the meaning Italian food around town with some wonderful spices and an American flair.

Our server Katie was a gem and very helpful as we wanted to try a lot of things but also share plates, which is so easy here indeed. The sommelier, Mike (every other person here is Mike!) also was perfect in guiding us to a French Rose from the Lire 2023 Thibaud Boudignon made from Cabernet Franc and Grolleau Gris (that was new to me, and we just got back from the Loire a month ago!). It was delightful and refreshing and worked with everything as did the Corinto Nero d'Avola "Ypsilon" 2021 from Tenuta di Castellaro in Sicily a yummy red blend that was pretty full bodied to boot.

We settled in for while and my only complaint other than the noise levels (space is all brick and wood) are the very hard wooden chairs. When I mentioned it pillows appeared! We ordered two of the "toasts" which are grilled rustic breads with toppings:

1)Cultured butter with Sea Salt, Shaved Radish and Sicilian anchovies (optional, but really a must!) which of course is a twist on the French offering of radish with butter.

2)Chicken Liver & Foie Gras Mousse with Blueberry "Conserva" and Fresh Thyme 

which we had had a month before when Chef Mike cooked at our home and we HAD to have again. It was rich, divine and delish!

We had a starter potion of Grilled Spanish Ocotpus with Crispy Gnocchi alla Romana, Roasted Hazelnut Romesco that packed a nice spice punch and Blue Basil that could have been a main and was again so easy to share.

We split 3 pasta dishes all of which were super. First was GNOCCHETTI with Roasted Corn Fonduta, Chanterelles Mushrooms, spring onion, Jimmy Nardello Peppers, Oregano & Parmigiano which was rich and mild. Moving on to CAMPANELLE with Venetian Duck (did it really come from Venice?) & Prosciutto Ragu, Baby Kale, Rosemary, oregano & Parm which was indeed ideal in the middle of the three. The ragu was perfect. I think we all adored all three, but we loved the SQUID INK LINGUINI with Calamari, Fresno Chili, Garlic, Ginger, White wine, lemon, basil and Pecorino Romano that packed a little punch and was again perfect in the order it came.

Guess what? We were all stuffed and could not even face the dessert menu and waddled home to have a glass of dessert wine!

What a fun night.

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Minneapolis' Bucheron may be the best in the Upper Midwest (9-12-25)

We are in St. Paul, MN for a wedding this weekend and had one night free for dinner and chose Bucheron located on the south side of Minneapolis, just across the river. It was a brilliant choice indeed. While Bucheron boasts family ownership by Chef Adam Ritter and his wife Jeanie Janas Ritter, they have assembled a friendly, courteous and helpful team which works in sync and was led at our table by the charming Adriana. They just won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant 2025, which is no small feat to beat!

The menu is French/MidWestern using local and in the case of seafood, not so local, ingredients to the best of their capabilities. The menu can be a tad confusing so we let Adriana guide us and she did superbly as we decided on four dishes to share and then Will opted for dessert. The wine list is varied (with prices starting in the 60$ range and going up to the thousand plus!) and Adriana guided us to a super dry French white Grenache Gris "Mas Gabinelle" Vieilles Vignes 2022 from Autignac in Langued'Oc/Roussillon that we later learned from Jeanie was imported by a guy who live locally and actually worked at the winery! When we asked about reds by the half-bottle, Adriana's face lit up and she said the Chateau Haut-Segottes Grand Cru from St. Emillion (right near our home in Bordeaux) 2021 was a fab Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend that we loved.

The setting is a tad crowded, but not awful, although the noise levels are quite high. The room was jammed to the gills on our arrival at 740pm as was the bar seating and outdoor area, not a table was unused. There was some background music which was totally unnecessary. The tables are wood, the chairs and banquettes are leather-like and the walls have little decoration save some modern sconces; it is all about the food.

We started with the Kingfish Crudo with watermelon, Fresno chile, basil and rhubarb salt which had a slight kick from the chile but was simply like buttah! It was so refreshing as it had been a hot and muggy day. Next came Venison Tartare with poached egg yolk, spruce tips and rye chips. The rye chips were fun (think bagel chips/tortilla chips cross) and worked superbly, but the tartare itself was tender and spiced just right not to intrude with the meat's flavor.

Summer Beans was a farm treat that tasted like it was so local made with zucchini, tarbais beans, a rich miso bagna cauda and came with delicious bits of charred octopus and small chunks of pork secreto. We loved it all, but the best had to be the Vadovan Curry Pappardelle with rabbit ragout, peas and carrots, Parmesan and Thai basil.

Will loved his dessert of Corn Cake with grilled Peach, Plum, Caramel Corn and Corn Ice Cream, another local farm treat that resembled a granola cobbler with popcorn!

we had a super time with the super staff and the excellent food and left raving to the team how great it was to find this amazing find.

I have to add that an 18% hospitality charge is already INCLUDED in all the prices, just like in Europe and so many other places, eliminating the need for figuring out how to tip!

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