CENTROLINA for Will's birthday is bravissima (10/8/24)

 We headed downtown last night to celebrate Will's birthday quietly and always have some of the best food in DC at CENTROLINA. Last night was no exception where Chef Amy Brandwein had a full kitchen and an almost full house with many diners outside as well.

I loved the Prampolini made from Casamigos Blanco with Mole Bitters, Honey & Red wine with a slight aroma of chocolate yet and intense flavor that was never sweet. Our wine was a superb blend of Pinot Bianco(60%)/Chardonnay(30%) & Sauvignon Blanc(10& from Alto Adige's Terlan called Cuvee "Terlaner" 2022 that had a great acidity for the dishes we ordered but great terroir as well from this fab region we visited just a year ago!

Will started with the TONNO, a bluefin tuna crudo with baby kale and orange agrodolce that made the fish truly shine. My RICCI DI MARE were buttery rich Santa Barbara Uni on grilled toast with roasted chanterelles and lemon peel. It was as rich as the name says and truly delish!

A surprise course arrived in the form of Tempura-fried squid CALAMARI in a squid-ink batter making them look like beets at first as they arrived. Goran explained that the sauce was made from cuttlefish, anchovy oil and a hint of white chocolate! The flavor bursts were amazing, but we were filling up!

Will's TAGLIONI was with a Scallop puree that our wonderful server Goran explained had none of the actual shellfish on it just in the sauce. It had local Porcini mushrooms and black truffle on top. The pasta was perfect, and I have to say I think the birthday boy was over-pleased! My ANATRA was a crispy duck confit served with yummy charred Trevisano radicchio, a poached pear and a wow chai/pomegranate sauce that was more like a glaze. Goran suggested a glass of Susumaniello 2022 from Masseria Le Veli in Puglia which was superb once it opened up with medium tannins and a nice tart flavor to pair with the duck. 

For dessert, Will had a scoop of raspberry sorbet, and I had to have the cheeses which were spectacular (check out the FB foto) as was the plating: local Farmhouse, Ubriaco, Robiola and Carambola blue were the great selections with a yummy honey comb, some crispy waffle like crackers/bread and housemade apple puree and more! A glass of Recioto della Valpolicella from Farina was a great pairing

We loved it all and were surprised to learn that Goran's roommate of ages is Debbie, as they met at Galileo back in the day!! What fun for a wonderful birthday dinner.

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NYC's C as in CHARLIE is cool Korean cuisine (9-28-24)

 I was in NYC over the weekend only for one night with our son and his roommate and they really wanted me to try this new place they found in their 'hood, which was 2 blocks from my hotel to boot. C AS IN CHARLIE is simple with a crammed feeling inside and there were folks spilling out onto the curb as well with outdoor seating!  We had been told that for three people we were allotted 90 minutes, and this is not my favorite approach, but the food is so good and service very good that it does work, provided everyone arrives on time!

Our server Kyle brought us small tastes of complimentary sake that was woody in flavor and fun, but we ordered a bottle of Niwa No Uguisu 60 ("Garden's Nightingale") a superb Junmai Gingo with a hint of spice and beautifully smooth.

I think Sam likes this place because there are many veggie options, but the menu is hugely varied and all over the place. The restaurant was apparently started by Koreans who were trying to raise money to pay for school, and as the letter "c" was very hard for them to pronounce, they chose it for the name of the restaurant!

We each ordered a couple of plates as everything is shareable, like tapas. The Fluke Ceviche with Clementine, Leche de Tigre pickled tomato, chili oil and micro cilantro was as good as ceviche gets and full of flavor with great spiciness. The Popcorn Chicken was a revelation served in a popcorn box and perfectly fried nuggets with a spicy killer Gochujang Glaze! It was indeed irresistible!

Sam had the Corn-Y-Salad with corn relish and Gem lettuce with pecorino cheese and it was indeed delicious, but not super exciting. He also had the Green Tomato Hot Pocket filled with Mozzarella and Basil with a Balsamic Soy dipping sauce which he loved.

He also ordered the amazing Potato Nuggets with Truffle Mayo!

Seoul's Bury Steak was a fun name for a ground beef patty which sat on Gruyere Grits with Galbi Jus. The burger was okay, the grits were divine!

Oxbone Pasta was another revelation with spaghetti meeting bacon and scallions in a carbonara-like preparation that was loaded with flavor.  Kyle explained that this was a take on a Korean dish, but that the ingredients were not found when the folks came here, so pasta was used instead! This, along with the chicken and ceviche were my faves. The Mushroom Bibimbap was made with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms and had a Shimeji egg on top and while it was good, it needed more spice or kick.

We loved the place, the food, the fun and then came the little "scratch book" that came with the check where they asked you to write whatever you want. Check out my FB photos as there are some really great sketches I took pics of.

How lucky Sam is to have this place only 10 minutes from his apartment.

Vienna's LE BISTRO Domaine Berthet-Rayne Chatueaneuf-du-Pape winner dinner is delicious (9-26-24)

 When we were at dinner at Le Bistro in Vienna, VA. earlier this month we found out about this fab wine dinner and could not resist. Chef Roberto Donna and his team cooked up a storm and the wondrous wines were served by Laurent Lala of Elite Wines!

Champagne arrived at our special table as we were celebrating the arrival of Will's cousin visiting from the UK and then the yummy warm French bread came with a yummy herb butter.

The first course was a perfectly Butter-Poached Halibut with Leek Confit, Roasted Heirloom Carrots in a Lime-Vanilla Beurre Blanc with thyme and garlic. There was a superb sear on the fish and the 2022 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc that was served with it was ideal (I was not crazy about the wine on its own!).

Venison Ossobuco was a Gremolata topped shank in a red wine sauce with a Celery Root Puree, orange/lemon/garlic/parsley!! The dish had a delicious peppery taste and was ideal with the 100% Grenache Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 2021 "Elixir des Papes."

More meat was in store(many of us took home doggie bags!) with the Flat-Iron Beef Paleron and a Potato Foie Gras Torte that was amazing. The meat was stuffed with veggie and carrots in a sauce Bourguignon. The 50% Grenache/50% Mouvedre Chateauneuf du Pape 2020 "Cuvee Cadiac" was wonderful but could use more time in the bottle for sure.

Dessert was another revelation of Lemon-Raspberry Mille-Feuille with whipped cream in lemon curd sauce and served with an unctuous and sweet Mas Amiel Muscat de Rivesaltes 2021 from Roussillon. The pastry was excellent and while not a dessert fiend, this was super duper amazing.

Looking forward to more wine dinners at Bistro and Roberto's from Roberto Donna!