Brasserie by Niche makes St. Louis seem like France (6-19-26)

 The ngiht after dining with Chef Ford Craft we headed over to his very traditional French bistro BRASSERIE BY NICHE for an early light supper before the opera (which was Romeo et Juliette, alas in English here at OTSL). We got a great dose of France though with many full tables outside (it was quite hot, but not humid!) and lots of great small, varied spaces inside. we were taken to an interior room which was darker, quieter and had beautifully embosses walls and stamps on the wall with hanging single bulbs. 

Within seconds our gracious server Jennifer appeared with two complimentary glasses of Gamay/Cab Franc Henry Varney Sprakling Rose from the Loire, Refreshing and great on a hot day, this was our first of many doses of the tastes of France. Will moved on later o a glass of Milou Rose from Provence, but like in France if you don't seek anything specific you can order house wine by the glass or carafe, which I am sure is just fine.

We could not eat a lot before the long opera, so decided to share some starters at first. Delicious bread and butter arrived and then our Wild Burgundy Escargots with herbes (spelled that way on the menu!), garlic and doused in butter arrived with toasted bread slices. They were hot, sizzling and delicious and we did remark that when in home at Bordeaux, we do not see them a lot as they are indeed a regional dish from Burgundy!

Next came the Steak Tartare with fines herbes in a mild preparation that really starred the meat itself. Someone here loves bread as there were over 20 thinly sliced crostini accompanying the dish in a beautiful fan. We probably used no more than three each for the dish! (always photos on FB).

Jessica arrived with a plate of Gougères which were better than any I have had in this country. They were large, soft, warm and cheesy indeed and really filled us up.

Will said he was stuffed, but I had a small yet satisfying simple salad of Mixed Lettuces & Goat Cheese with Hazelnut Croutons in a shallot vinaigrette. I loved it and felt very old-fashioned French finishing with a salad.

Will wanted to try the Rhubarb tart tropezienne with sugared brioche, rhubarb ginger jam, roasted rhubarb pistachio creme madame and rhubarb sherbet, which was okay, but a tad sweet and the cake was dry. Jessica appeared with a complimentary dessert of Chocolate Mousse, Hazelnut Liqueur, Espresso, whipped cream and brown sugar cocoa nib tuile that was delish, but I could not manage more than a small spoonful.

We left very full and are so happy we return for brunch today with a group of singers as this has become an Opera Theatre of St. Louis newer tradition here as we end our weekend.

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A return to St Louis' LITTLE FOX will knock off your sox (6-18-26)

Rather than risk a delayed flight and miss an opera here this weekend at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, we set out a day prior and checked in with our friend Chef Ford Craft about where to eat these days. For years prior to its closing, we loved his award-winning NICHE where I first visited back in 2008 when his now late father (who lived in DC) told me I HAD to try it. I was in LOVE instantly, and while Chef still has places here in town (we go to Brasserie by Niche tonight for supper and Sunday for brunch!), the long stretched out fine dining meals are gone. He got back to me and said he would meet us at LITTLE FOX (who knew he would join us?) where we had a fabulous brunch two years back. It's tucked away in a quiet area south of downtown and very unpresuming, but the entire place was jammed last night at 7pm, including the outdoor seating as it is simply gorgeous weather here!

Will and I arrived a tad earlier and settled in with a "Here's the Thing" a divine cocktail of Sotol, green chile vodka, bay leaf, banana pepper, Thai bitter, lime and an egg white froth on top (a la pisco sour) which had a nice spice and tasted so refreshing. Our server Chad was super and was fine with us ordering slowly so we could pace ourselves and enjoy our 3+ hours there, and he was also very nice to look at!

Chef Ford arrived and he asked the folks next to us what was good; that always works and he said we have to try the Potato Churros made with Manchego and a romesco dipping aioli that I loved. Our neighbors hit it right with the Crispy Green Tomatoes that were very different from those we know as they were corn-flour battered like onion rings with lemon, basil yogurt sauce, pickled banana peppers and crispy fried basil leaves on top. YUM.

By now we had gone to our first wine a beautiful creamy Viognier from Ilahe in the Willamette Valley of Oregon that the sommelier Becky suggested; she knew her wines for sure, and what a wonderful list indeed. 

Sea Scallops were in a ramp soubise with morel mushrooms and house-cured pancetta which I chose as they simply sounded superb, but while not bad, they were probably my least favorite dish all evening.

A beautiful (and complimentary) Summer Squash Salad with grilled and marinated squash, charred onion and yogurt arrived with agrodolce and crunchy Marcona almonds. It was delish but paled next to the amazing Beet Salad with a yogurt-like smoked aioli, amazing crunchy crisp a urfa quinoa, dill, lemon and pickled mustard seed. 

Chef regaled us with storied about his growing up in DC first working in a kitchen in Utah in his late teens and ultimately ending up as a hugely decorated chef in St. Louis, while I scribbled notes back to him due to my decreed silence due to nodes on my vocal cords!

Royal Trumpet Mushrooms were also suggested by our table neighbors and these huge grilled Ozark Forest fungi arrived delicately cooked in a not too rich soubise sauce with frisee, sherry vinaigrette and chive oil. Becky arrived back and helped us chose a Broc Nero d'Avola 2023 from Mendocino's Fox Hill Vineyard, California called "The Badger" which we loved. I can't recall seeing this varietal ever grown in the US, but Broc can do it!

It paired spectacularly with our two pasta dishes: CAVATELLI with asparagus, fennel, yeasted saffron butter, piave vecchio (cheese), preserved lemon and garlic breadcrumbs. Some small cherry tomatoes added acidity to the richness, and it was a hit. Even better was the GARAGNELLI with braised pork trotters, jus, pickled ramp and Arugula. The huge pasta sopped up the large shreds of braised meat like a sponge and the flavors just melded with the wine.

There was no room for dessert, so we polished off the wine and headed back to our hotel for some good rest before our three operas this weekend here. How nice to see Chef Ford again and know he is doing so well and hearing about another dining venue (fine dining) he will hopefully open by our next visit!!

Make mine MAKETTO when on H St, NE in DC it's delicious (6-6-26)

 We had a magnificent early dinner before an early curtain at the Atlas Performing Arts Center and I knew we had to return to Maketto where Chef Eric Bruner-Yang really cooks pan-Asian awesomely! This is a place you could come and dine for hours tasting and sharing many dishes with friends, but more comfy chairs would help that. 

The servers are attentive and helpful and full of smiles and can help you choose a dish if you aren't sure, but I think we had our minds made up, until we saw several dishes whisked by and maybe re-calibrated. It seems the small dishes are not so small, and the medium dishes are quite large; we ended up taking home some extra, but luckily not a lot. the three ladies next to us were packing up giant fried chicken sandwiches that looked so tempting (medium??!!)

Will loved the Cora Rose from Montepulciano and I waited till my food came to enjoy a refreshing glass of the Christina Gruner Veltliner that had a slight effervescence when poured and quickly dissipated but went great with spicy food!

Will had the Steamed Pork Bao which were two large buns stuffed full and a hoisin dipping sauce on the side. I went lighter, or so I thought, with the amazing Ginger Chicken Soup Dumplings with peanut chili vinaigrette that were so intense and flavorful and loaded with chilis in the sauce that I loved. They were really even better than the soup dumplings I had in Shanghai several months earlier!

For our mains Will chose the Duck Noodle Soup which was a full 1/4 duck(leg) with wonton crisps on the side, noodles, local greens and mushrooms. It was quite filling and while declared "medium" I say it's a meal! My Cambodian Noodle Salad came with Crispy Pork Shoulder(warm) on top of the room temperature noodles, bamboo shoots, carrots, a crunchy topping of fermented (shrimp?)fish, peanuts herbs and even a spring roll stuffed in on the side! It came with a sweet and sour vinaigrette on the side so i was able to add a bit at each level as I ate through the noodles and tasty meat! Yes, medium again, and check out the FB pictures to see how big you think medium is! I have to say these noodles were also superb and far surpassed the mediocre ones we had several weeks prior at Chay!

We could not even ponder dessert, but knew we would head back to Maketto, perhaps on a Sunday evening this summer when things are quieter and parking is free as the veggie options for Sam are numerous!

NYC's PLANTA Queen is near perfection (5-30-26)

 Our NYC family weekends have become a fun tradition with opera, musicals, shows and usually a nice dinner and we found a new (well, old) vegetarian spot, which also has a branch here in Bethesda, MD, called PLANTA QUEEN which really rocked.

There was a fun cocktail list, but our server Emira explained most of them tended to be sweet, so Will asked for a Mezcal Margarita which ended up coming with a salted/spicy -tajin rim that made me order one as well. Sam enjoyed Mint Lemonade and then Hudson North Cider. The wine was a tasty Cune Tempranillo 2021 but I do have to admit the wine list was short and limited.

The setting was nice with a long bar at the front and comfy seating booths at the rear. A nice change from the loud places!

The menu leans toward sharing and Sam and I started to agree on things as Will wanted his own dishes, but that changed as soon as he heard our choices and joined in warmly.

AVOCADO BEETROOT TARTARE was with pine nuts, citrus, soy sesame, cilantro and yummy taro chips (photos on FB) which was very refreshing and loaded with flavor. The Steamed Edamame Dumplings arrived with a sweet chili peanut sauce and were delish, but the Crispy Gyoza were even better with cabbage, carrot, cilantro, mushroom and a spicy chili soy dip.

Two noodle dishes were as different as could be: DAN DAN NOODLES were with Szechuan kamut (a grain like farro), a rich coconut milk sauce, sesame and cilantro. A mild spice came through, but nothing as kicky as the RAMEN CHILI CRUNCH, a noddle bowl with Kaarage "chicken", scallion and cilantro. This was fried chicken made from tofu that tasted amazing with a spicy sauce that we all declared perfection. You may not lots of cilantro and sesame, but they were very careful to advise which dishes had sesame seeds (very few) as it was often a paste or oil! Cilantro-haters would not be at home here!

Wok Fried Bok Choy with sesame ponzu was a nice side veggie and then Will got his Crispy Mushroom Roll with avocado, gochujang, pickled ginger and unagi while I tired the Spicy "Crab" Roll made from hearts of palm and spicy mayo. The rolls were nice, a tad messy to eat, but tasty. Next time I might go for the sushi instead of the single hadn rolls, but stick with the amazing tasty dishes we loved.

Will would not even taste the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and coconut Caramel, but it was a good dessert, even if not the perfect copy of the Yorkshire version; Sam & I were happy.

Nice to know Planta has a DC and Bethesda location--can't wait!

Friends of the Flock is fabulous fun at DC's ROOSTER & OWL with Chefs Erik Bruner-Yang & Yuan Tang's terrific tasting! (5-27-26)

 I was lucky enough to get on ROOSTER & OWL's email list for a series of guest chef tastings here in DC with Michelin starred resident chef Yuan Tang. How did I miss the fact that this place got its star back in 2021! And I also discovered that Chef Tang is one of the first Chinese-American chefs to win a star in this country! 

On arrival to Rooster & Owl we were warmly greeted at the door with a glass of chilled cava and taken to our table which was in a quieter corner. I say this as the place can have a loud noise level, added to the fact that there were some large loud groups at this event! we loved our corner and the service everywhere we noticed was truly excellent as was the food, so this calls for a return visit soon to check out the regular tasting menu there! I only wish the chairs were a tad more comfortable!

Friends of the Flock has Chef Erik-Bruner-Yang of Makoto visiting last Wednesday and these two guys cooked up a tasty Asian-influenced and spicy meal that had us raving all night. Our server Renee arrived with a smile, and we said we were interested in ordering a bottle of wine and directed us to the Devium white blend of 45% Roussanne/28% Viognier and 27% Grenache Blanc from Les Collines in Walla Walla, Washington which we loved. It was ideal with all the difference spices and flavors we enjoyed all evening. 

FRIED AYU SWEETFISH (flown in from Japan) from Chef Eric was up first layered over Maryland Crab, Sweet Potato leaf and pickled daikon (my pomelo was removed) and these tasty little fired imported whitefish were a true treat while our local crab a great combination!

Tasty Pineapple Bread arrived at the table warm with cultured butter and scallion oil. I love good fresh pineapple but never thought it would make a great savory bread; this is a winner with a saltiness and crustiness that made it so yummy we almost asked for more! Luckily, we did not as so much was yet to arrive!

Chef Yuan gave us his BLUEFIN TUNA TARTARE with strawberry boshi, citrus dashi and caviar. I make great tuna tartare but I see why this dish is a regular on the Rooster & Owl menu. There was a nice heap of Petrossian caviar on the gorgeous raw fish with a fermented strawberry gelee and I think there had to be some wasabi mash for spice?

We were not sure what to expect from Chef Eric with the STUFFED CHICKEN WING as it sounds so unexciting, but stuff it with fermented pork sausage, sticky rice and fermented chili paste and you have an umami blast in your mouth that I would call the "chicken wing on crack." It was so full of flavor and made this a dish I could go back to over and over again.

At some point here, I noticed my wine glass (not quite empty) had been whisked away by an over-attentive server and within seconds, our server Renee had replaced it with a complimentary glass of the same wine (they have by the way a small wine list of which almost all come by the glass for pairings!). About 3 minutes later, the sommelier Greg was apologizing and opening another whole complimentary bottle of the Devium White!

I have heard of good service, but this was above and beyond the call of duty and indeed, cemented the fact that we needed to return again!

No less exciting was Chef Yuan's LOBSTER MAPO TOFU which was explained as a traditional dish but here made with Lobster & Scallops, tofu cavatelli, preserved mustard stem and Sichuan chili oil. Normally beef is used but the shellfish works great and created a fabulous and funky fermented dish that would have been super without the seafood as well for any vegetarian (always thinking of our son--and they have a vegetarian tasting menu here as well!).

The "main" dish was a collaboration of the two chefs and they joked how "he's on top, I'm on the bottom!" with IBERICO CHAR SIU or the "wagyu" of pork charred and presented with Shoyu donburi, ginger scallion and garlic chili crisp in the style of a Japanese rice bowl that was creamy and rich with shoju butter. 

Dessert for Will was Chocolate Mousse with Black Sesame Cremeaux and Malted Milk Ice Cream which he adored. Renee explained that there were uncooked sesame seeds in this dish, so I got the tasty MANGO STICKY RICE PAVOLOVA with chili-lime kiwi and Passionfruit-Mango Sorbet. I am not a meringue person, but the flavors were great. To boot, we got strawberry pate a fruit and Salted Caramel Dark Chocolates as a treat making this a truly memorable, exciting and tasty teaming for dinner.

CHAY is fun Vietnamese veggie food in Virginia (5-23-26)

 We needed a place to go with Sam before theater in Falls Church and chose CHAY which hs been getting raves for its strip mall veggie cuisine and deservedly so. First thing to remember here, ORDER SMALL, everything is huge. The food is filling and delicious and if you want spice, it will be there.

Bi Chay Rolls are filled with shredded tofu, sweet potato, taro and bean noodles with a dipping sauce, while Grilled Chay Rolls have vegan sausage, vermicelli and a peanut mushroom dipping sauce. You cannot miss the Fried Avocado and its yummy tamarind sauce!

There is no alcohol here (oopsie!) but the teas (iced and hot) and the Vietnamese Iced Coffee are all fabulous.

When the mains arrived, we went into shock. The arrival of the first platter (which turned out to be mine) was met with "where shall we fit it on the table?!!" as the Bun Dau Mam Chay-Vegetarian Vermicelli Platter was loaded with Fried Tofu, Veg Pork Belly, vegan patty, lettuces and herbs, cucumber and fermented vegan shrimp paste sauce and a huge pile of vermicelli at the center. A lot of this was packaged to go, needless to say!

The Nem Nuong Mien Trung -Chay Wrap & Roll Platter was another monstrous plate where you wet your own rice paper and make rolls from grilled vegan sausage, vermicelli, lettuce, cucumber and herbs with mushroom dipping sauce! there were also fried crispy rolls on the side, just in case!

Will was not crazy about his Cari Chay Coconut Curry of Vietnamese soy ham, sweet potato, taro, mushroom and carrots, but our friend Scott loved his! So go figure.

I think the biggest hit was the Fried Tofu Dish with vegan tofu floss. The tofu was whipped into a mousse, battered and fried and served with a grated cheese0like tofu floss on top which Sam declared as unique and also said the amazing vegetarian variety was great! I have to agree!

Wooden chairs, simple and very inexpensive make for a great quick meal if you are in the Bailey's Crossroads area (P.O. is Fall's Church, but this is Annandale!)

#17 in North America: MOON RABBIT rocks! (5-22-26)

 Each award and honor that Chef Kevin Tien gets never surprises me as he is one of the most inventive chefs in the country and this week, he is honored with Top 50 restaurants in North America's place #17! WOW!!

Last Friday, 18 of us stopped in for a feast that was truly fabulous with every bite being a revelation and everyone having a ball!

There were drinks and so many choices I cannot enumerate, but I started with a fun tasty "Grandma's Candy Jar" made from butterfly infused Seoul night soju, salted plum soda and tia to "caviar" served on the side which was a fun, if sweet, addition that was tapioca-like balls to have with the drink (hence candy jar). I loved the Hoa Sen/Lotus which was toki whiskey(learned to love Japanese whiskey when there in March!), lotus infused green tea, lemon, lemongrass syrup and soy milk clarified. The white wine was a slightly effervescent Malinga Gruner Veltliner that was not to my taste, but the Freja Cellars Pinot Noir 2017 from the Willamette Valley was a true treat. 

Taro Milk Bread with cilantro butter, lemon olive oil melted in our mouths and more kept appearing on the table (and disappearing) as we moved on to plates of starters:

Summer Roll was made with daikon, hearts of palm, veggies, sprouts and had a sunflower hoisin dipping sauce which was very light and refreshing.

Ora King Crudo treated the citrus cured salmon with care  in a lovely rau ram nuoc cham(fish sauce), lemon balm and strawberries.

"Muffaletta" was a deconstructed version that I never would have guessed with Vietnamese mortadella, rice noodles, olive tapenade, sesame crunch and a fried egg aioli

Water Fern Rice Cake had caramelized braised king trumpet mushrooms, sunchoke XO and herbs in a ginger oil

(all photos on FB).

We caroused some before the mains arrived and I enjoyed one of my favorites ever dishes here

SWEET POTATO & CRAB which were light sweet potato tapioca gnocchi with tomato, roasted crab fat and Maryland Jumbo lump crab. The spice was fabulous in this dish with a creamy sauce which made me go for seconds and thirds.

LEMONGRASS PORK was Berkshire pork collar with sticky rice, nectarines and more of that XO (here a jus) all presented beautifully.

FRIED QUAIL & TOMATO RICE used one of my fave birds perfectly but stuffed with Duck Sausage with crispy tomato rice, clementine mustard and herbs

CRISPY MOUNTAIN SALAD sounds simple but was a delight of preserved lime stracciatella, crispy amaranth, , dandelion, braised peanuts in a lemongrass chili vinaigrette

Dessert arrived with three choices:

SEAWEED in the form of a pandan panna cotta, coconut creme, coconut granite, chocolate streusel and yes, seaweed

CURRY was a sponge cake with avocado sorbet, soursop mousse, fish sauce caramel and finger lime that I LOVED and

DURAIn was fun as so many people love to hate this tasty fruit here in a mousse with passionfruit granita, white chocolate streusel and dill!

As it was my birthday a slice of sponge cake, Vanilla Pandan chiffon, creme anglaise and pineapple sorbet with a candle! At least there weren't 70+1!

Congratulations Chef Kevin and the entire fantabulous MOON RABBIT team on a great dinner and a well-deserved award--it's just the beginning!

Bordeaux's Bo-tannique will tingle your tastebuds! (5-5-26)

 Will had been to way more restaurants than me as he spent almost 2 months here alone back in the fall and he really wanted me to try Bo-tannique where our friend Hugo had taken him. This was going to me my last dinner out before returning to DC tomorrow. Bo-tannique ("un jeu de mots" or play on words because "tannique" refers to the tannins in wine) is right in the center of the revitalized old town facing a small square with outdoor seating on the square as well. Some folks were outside last night, but "pas moi" as the temps were hovering around 60Fahrenheit and it was quite wet and damp as well.

We were joined by Brad, our now local Bethesda, MD, US-expat real estate agent, without whom we would never have found a place to live here. He really is great at his work and was so patient and helpful in our home search almost 3 years ago (seems like a lifetime)!

We settled in to a cozy table indoors facing the glass wall to the kitchen so we could sneak a peek at what was going on. It was a Tuesday, so things were quiet. The menu is, like so many places, very simple with four starters (entrees) and four mains (plats) as well as some tasting options.  We had enjoyed some cheese at the apartment, so just ordered entrees and plats.  

The host/sommelier/manager came over to ask about wine and I asked her about a red Bordeaux which she said was gone but suggested a red Rhone blend Crozes Hermitages instead. A couple of minutes later she returned to apologize that this wine, too, was sold out. Maybe they need to print a new list! She suggested a similarly priced Loire red "Les Ardelles" 2022 from Herve Villemade in Chevery which interestingly enough was a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. The Gamay was strong and fruity, and the wine was quite satisfying and full-bodied but not "tannique!"

An amuse arrived (photos on FB) which was a large piece of seared tuna atop a small "salad: of various greens including cabbage and a hefty amount of cilantro. The white sauce had horseradish or wasabi and there were chopped peanuts, too. It was quite yummy and had a bite as well. Bread came which was okay, but not as good as it usually is here in Bordeaux. 

Will and I ordered both the same dishes and Brad joined us for the main but started with the Anguille fumee or smoked eel atop buckwheat souffle, cream, petit pois, onion (royale d'oignon is apparently a duxelles with cream, butter, egg and chicken stock) and teriyaki. Will and I chose the Asperges because here they were the huge local white ones (and I knew I was leaving town soon) with a fabulous smoked haddock, kalamansi vinaigrette and mousseline (whipped cream of asparagus if you will). It was heavenly indeed.

We all three chose the Canette or small duckling, which was simply a breast grilled with honey and spices "a la rose" which could be pink or also with rosewater in a duck sauce or gravy as Brad said it would be called locally ("jus court")! Either way it was cooked perfectly, and the seasoning was just right and paired so well with the Loire red, we had to have a second bottle. The duck came with beautifully grilled broccoli that was in no way overcooked with a light herbed tahini.

Will took home half his plate for later, so needless to say the thought of dessert did not even enter our minds. Bo-tannique was yet another great find for me in this town that just keeps revealing new places, flavors and fun every day! I am sad to be leaving tomorrow but know we are back in just over 2 months yet again and have booked an even longer stay in the fall and winter.