Hail to HAZEL for fun food (10-12-19)

Last Saturday we headed over to the Shaw neighborhood in DC and had no clue it was Howard University homecoming weekend, so the place was a madhouse. It took 20 minutes to get there and then 30 minutes just to go a couple of blocks and eventually find a parking space(every lot had huge lines) about 8 blocks from the restaurant; what a pain!

We settled in and I ordered a FIERY & FAMOUS with mezcal, aperitif, Genepi, Citrus and and Urfa Pepper rim that was herbal and tasty, and while the rim had a kick the drink itself was mild. The décor here is cool with lots of stairwell spindels(dowels?) and such making a wall to divide the space. Service is attentive and Italo was a gem as we kept asking him to slow down a bit as we had a multi-course meal coming, but here the idea is Middle-Eastern small plates, so a lot came at one time. The wine list offers 6 whites, 3 bubbly and 7 reds all by the glass or bottle and the variety is wide and interesting.

When the gorgeous huge manouche, giant grilled flatbread akin to pita(see FB photos) arrived it was steaming hot, delicious, and perfect with the spreads of zhug(garlic, pepper and green herb paste), carrot haidiri and tahini with a shallot jam, chile butter and crispy lentils on to that was divine.

Heirloom tomato salad was a farewell to the summer with Calabrian chiles and peaches(they could have been a bit more ripe) and we adored the Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi from Castel Farneto 2015 that worked with all the different spices and flavors. While the food here is Mid-Eastern/Mediterranean it really encompasses a huge area reaching from Morocco in the southwest all the way to the Middle East and then back through Turkey, Greece, Italy and Spain to the west!

Everyone (but me) was in love with the cabbage which was steamed and had an intense smokey-tea flavor and was laced with a yummy jalapeno-truffle broth with coffee and an alium vinaigrette and topped with a toasted garlic-ginger crumble and radish sprouts. It was really a novel dish and I have to say it looked gorgeous, and everyone but me was in love with it!

Diver Scallops came next with rice and beans in a light yogurt sauce with chickpeas which was to die for and then came the monstrous beef short ribs(see FB fotos)laden with crispy beef and Baharat spices. On the side was harissa marinated tomatoes and then we went into shock when a whole roasted Floun der arrived with watermelon radish, fremolata with a side of braised veggies in Moroccan curry! Our red wine was a yummy Chateauneuf du Paper 2016 from Domain Berthet-Rayne which I managed a little of, but my tummy was on the verge of full, so even though there were six of us, I asked for the remaining short ribs to go!

Of course, they would not let us go with out multiple desserts: Revani was an almond and corn cake with chantilly cream and squash while there was a trio of Chocolated coated balls with strawberry sauce and sesame tuile. Way more than we could handle and what a wonderful time we had as well. Just avoid this neighborhood on weekends and busy nights!

Vermilion makes magic in a truly terrific tastying menu(10-6-19)

I can't believe that I never hauled myself to Vermilion in Alexandria and now I am sorry about all the amazing meals I must have missed because last night Chef Joshua Abrams(working under Chef Tom Gardinelli) and the entire staff served up one of the best tasting meals in ages.

We ordered drinks on arrival, and alas, a number of the cocktails have grapefruit ingredients which is a no-no for us statin folks, so I did mention this to the mixologist on our way out. I had the Old Town Quite Cosmo(sans grapefruit) with Belle Isle habanero dried peppers on the rim(SPICE KICK!), vodka, cointreau lime and cranberry which was nice, but the wines starred last night for sure for every single course.

Our server Andrew was a gem and set the perfect pace and never failed. Trisha, one of the managers, assisted and all I can say is that the setting upstairs in the alcove with candles lit above us, wooden floors and table, wine racks all over and a nice subdued quiet feel, made it all just perfect.

First came a Lightly Cured Hamachi with grapes, pumpkin seeds for crunch and a pumpkin seed vinaigrette. Light and divine and paired with a superb crisp yet oaky Champagne Mondet "Fut de Chene" from Cormoyeux in Valle de la Marne. we were all in love from the first bite(photos on FB), but had little clue what was next. Chef Joshua explained the FOIE GRAS CONFIT was poached in duck fat and then aged in the fat for a month so that it becomes like a torchon terrine consistency and then served with Butternut Squash, Seaweed, Brioche with sea salt and a light dash of maple syrup. The acidity of a 2014 Veritas Vineyards Petit Manseng from Afton, Virginia was ideal with the intense richnees of the foie gras that melted in our mouths. The seaweed was an interesting touch also to cut the richness.

I got worried when I saw a pasta course on the menu, but PAPPARDELLE here was a small portion with Blood Sausage Ragu with apple and mushrooms and Crips Sunchoke Chips on top. The folks at the table who don't care for blood sausage marveled and I adored the whole dish, but especially the 2017 Emile Beyer Gewurtztraminer from Alsace that was slightly sweet on its own, but went intensely peppery with the pairing

Dayboat Scallops were two huge perfectly seared mollusks with beets, plums and braised oxtail with a dash of sour cream and radicchio. It was a rich and heavy dish, but the perfect sized portion and ideal with a 2016 Lola Pinot Noir from North Coast California, which was surprisingly large and caramelly, as North Coast reds tend to be lighter in style.

The duck was presented as a whole breast by the chef at first and it was gorgeous. Rohan Duck had been aged 21 days and then roasted with honey and served with lentils, figs, port and a poiverade(chocolate and pig's blood) sauce again with radicchio and a hint of Malden sea salt which is always a winner.2016 Domaine Mucyn "Les Entrecoeurs" from the Rhone had a nice plummy syrah forwardness that made it again ideal. Indeed all the wines and winemakers were new to us and pairings simply beyond brilliant.

When a chef takes a magnificent BLEU 1924 Roquefort style cheese(1/2 cow,1/2sheep and cave aged),sprinkles it with a touch of Malden salt and pairs it with an Apple Tarte Tatin you have a huge winner. Paired with a 2016 Chateau Laribotte Sauternes and you need nothing more....BUT

then came the Marcona Almond Tart with Black Mission Figs, home made vanilla ice cream and a glass of 2012 Badia a Coltibuono Vin Santo from Tuscany you really go home saying you love dessert(s).

Vermilion has a bar and bistro downstairs, but we fell in love with the space upstairs and even marveled at the fake or real cork walls and ceiling! Comfy chairs and benches, great service and for me what amounted to the best tasting menu in a long time gives this place my top rating.

Philly's FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY is good EVERY day! (9-22-19)

My last night in Philly I headed with a friend to Friday, Saturday, Sunday which oddly is now open most days. It is a charming spot around the corner from Rittenhouse Square with a busy bar downstairs(830pm on Sunday!) and a quiet small but beautifully appointed dining room upstairs. The tables are far apart and you fell quite comfortable; not something you get in today's noisy dining spots...this is refined, as is the cuisine. the décor is wall paintings of serene alndscapes with quiet 70's & 80's music playing and a good supply of mirrors to make the place feel a bit larger. The tables, chairs and linens make you want to stay all night, and even though we  did not eat a lot, we were the last ones out.

It was hard to choose, but I headed right for a bottle of the Melon de Bourgogne, a wine we have seen less and less here in the US, this one from Domaine Landron called "Melonix." Crispy lavosh arrived stuck into a wad of soft butter drizzled with honey on  the plate which was superb. The wine was perfect with the Octopus starter with Prok, Rancho Gordo beans and pickled onions and also with my Beef Tartare which came with crispy shallots, smoked beef heart creme fraiche. Since it came with toast Alexander, our brilliant server, suggested some endive to avoid the carbs! It was divine. I could not eat a main course as it was late and chose the Sweetbread Katsu appertizer with bone marrow tartare that was adorable and just the right size. My guest went for the delicious Roasted Potato Gnocchi with Potato Gremolta and burnt cream. Our red wine was a Blaufrankisch from Glatzer in Austria which our server Alexander said was his favorite on the list. The wines here are really wonderful and varied and I think I had a fan as soon as I chose one of the more esoteric ones.

No dessert as we were full, but Alexander brought over some yummy fruit pates of vanilla and peach that we loved. We know that whatever day we get back to Philly, Friday, Saturday, Sunday will be on the program!

Alma de Cuba...Philadelphia's chain is a notch up and elegant too(9-21-19)

On my 1st full day in Philadelphia I had a full schedule starting with a private tour of the Barnes Foundation which was open to us before the public was allowed in. I squeezed in some work before a 2:00 p.m. matinee at the opera and then decided to grab one of those $35 fixed price restaurant week dinners at Alma de Cuba... A quiet unassuming darkish yet very good place that I have always enjoyed before as it is part of a chain in this country as well as overseas.

My server Lianna  was quick to offer a selection of specialty drinks which of course raises your price on that restaurant week menu, but infortunately the watermelon fresca with vodka and rose wine was a bit too sweet for me.  She offered to switch it out but I was OK. I started with a very nice gazpacho of watermelon heirloom tomato cucumber and garnished with radish and avocado. It was served in a short highball glass and that meant the portion size was quite small, but enough for me.  It was not spicy but it was tasty on this near 90degree day. I looked around and noticed that most of the tables seemed to be extremely low and I was worried about how I was going to get out of my seat after dinner; I managed, but the design is a bit disconcerting. There was quiet salsa music, low lighting and everything was either white wood or tile with historic black and white photos of Cubans projected on the walls.

Delicious white Cuban rolls arrived with a white garlic dipping sauce, which was superb and spicy and I used them to mop up the gazpacho as well.

 My main course was a delicious grilled Berkshire pork chop with kidney bean and bacon Congri rice with a sour Orange mojo and again loaded with cilantro... I guess it's a trend in Philadelphia.

 I'm not a dessert person but I had to choose from the set menu, so I tasted the coconut tapioca pudding which was really very good but even better because of a sesame cashew nut toffee, coconut foam and toasted coconut on top.

 It was a nice meal though not incredible and the price was very good as well as I headed out to my evening entertainment across town which was a fringe festival production called Let Me Die that truly had me  wondering what the guy who conceived it was thinking of!!

SPINCE FINCH for fun food in Philly(9-20-19)

 On arrival in Philadelphia, I discovered it was restaurant week and every restaurant in town seemed to be offering a $35 special for 2 weeks in the middle of September.

 We in Washington do this for a week in January in a week in August and often many restaurants extend that, but it is definitely what we call an off season event to encourage dining out. Philadelphia seems to take a different approach and every place was jammed especially with the warm weather.

 I had chosen to go to space Finch months earlier because I knew chef Jennifer Carroll and her fiance Billy Riddle opened this restaurant, so I specifically decided to stay at the Warwick which the restaurant is in!

 I arrived and told my server Dylan as well as the generous manager, Jess, that I really wanted to eat a lot of small plates and tastes and not really have large portions.  I discovered that both chefs were out of town indefinitely which led me to suspect that they might be on an upcoming TV show... But everything was perfectly timed and served in my evening out.

 I started with a drink called Rest in Pete's,  a mix of vodka and prosecco with preserved lemon and served in a champagne glass with a mix of spice made from turmeric, sumac and saffron down the side of the glass.  As always photos are available on Facebook. It was a delicious drink and the spice really made it fun to take a lick between sips. Sparkling water served here is St. Anio  from Catalonia and Spain and is quite good but a little too gassy for me.

 The space is made up of mosaic tile tables with ceramic and wooden floors as well as a large square bar at the center surrounded by stools. There are multiple rooms and the noise levels are high but not unbearable; I sat right next to a huge window that opened out on to the passers by and 17th street.  There were these adorable little pots attached to the wall with succulents all over the place indicating that while this was a Mediterranean restaurant, it was mostly South and West of the Mediterranean as opposed to Italian or Greek or Spanish.

 A huge selection of starters arrived including some of the best grape leaves I've ever had in my life stuffed with Farro, fennel, apricots and served on lemon yogurt. The farro gave the grape leaves and almost meat like texture which was truly delicious.

 There were crudites of all types of vegetables, a beet borani made with feta and za'atar, garlic yogurt made with herbs, Aleppo pepper and Olive oil which was for the vegetables or the magnificent Berebere crisps, magnificently spiced grilled pita.

 The next course was Turkish spiced tuna loin which was seared but raw inside and spiced to perfection. There were Marconi almonds that gave it a magnificent crunch as well as gooseberries, preserved lemon and pepper all served on the yellow pepper puree with cilantro, onion and tomato on top.  According to the menu the dish is usually served with pineapple but I guess the chef in the kitchen had decided gooseberries would be more appropriate since I was asking for everything very differently than most of the guests doing the restaurant week menu.

 A monstrous plate of broccoli tabbouleh made with quinoa, tomato and garlic tahini arrived as did another huge plate of blistered shishito red and green peppers with tahini and harissa!   Both plates were so huge I offered half of them to the couple sitting next to me who seemed thrilled to have a little extra to dine on.

 I had moved on to a crisp white Vermentino from Poggia dei Goreiri in Liguria, Italy and then switched to a red Rhone Grenache from Ondins  which was paired deliciously with the intensely rich lamb ribs that arrived and I could no way eat more than 2 small ones myself. The rest were packed up for my new friends at the enxt table!  They were crusted with Apple radish and roasted garlic and topped with a charmoula.

 I settled in with a very plummy delicious glass of Iuli Barbera... and asked Dylan to bring me one single date truffle from the dessert menu which was made of pomegranate and covered with a cashew streusel and torn herbs,  The perfect ending to a delicious night as I headed up to my room and to sleep. Great food, great fun and a great start in Philly!

Adams Morgan's Osteria al Volo offers voluptuous carb cuisine(9-10-19)

Last night our house guest for the week wanted to take us out and chose the tiny Osteria da Volo in the center of Adams Morgan, which is so small, I hadn't ever noticed it in its three years of existence! We were warmly greeted in the tiny space which was quite loud at 730pm, but  small corner table was a treat and we were quite happy when the large slice of soft focaccia arrived with a peppery olive oil laden with cooked garlic cloves, rosemary and more. 

The space is very small and has delft-ish table tiles with wicker chairs and an open kitchen the size of anyone else's bathroom! 

The wine list is small and offers 8 reds (6 by the glass) and 6 whites, also all by the glass. We chose the 2018 Falanghina La Capranegra from Campania which was crisp yet has a slight creaminess to it and went amazingly well with our huge starters(FB photos) of Octopus Salas with a kicky Romesco sauce(dressing) over potatoes, cherry tomatoes, arugula, red onion and octopus confit. The Polpetti are three huge meatballs in sauce covered with cheese and are enough for a meal!

90% of the mains here are pasta and Volo does it voluptuously with huge portions(all three of us had doggie bags!) and lots of specials, so it's very hard to choose. I had the Fettuccine Amatriciana which had a spicy marinara sauce and small crispy bits of pork belly; they do spicy really well here! Will had the Pappardelle special with Wild Boar Ragu which was superb, but a bit over rich with too much ricotta cheese on top, while our host chose the same Pappardelle ai Funghi, which must have had a pound of varied mushrooms in it laden with porcini and earthiness and a beurre blanc, white wine sauce. The pastas are excellent and we were all happy, but very full very fast. We also enjoyed a superb Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2017 from Filari that was more medium bodies than many of its kin Montepulicano which can be lighter.

Our helpful and friendly server Jamal brought over glasses of grappa as we declined dessert knowing that when the carb craze hits, Volo is where to go!

TAQUERIA DEL BARRIO boasts simple but filling fare and a bang for your buck (8-27-19)

We headed over to Upshur Street last night because we had a coupon for TAQUERIA del BARRIO and we were thrilled to pop in there and have great fun on what would be Sam's last family meal out before heading to NY this weekend for school.

The place is modest with brick walls and 1960's green vinyl and chrome chairs and wooden tables. The service was good and Avery, who had been there 4 days, did his best to make us very happy. As we left at just after 830pm, a drag show and quiz was getting underway which was loud and hard to hear, but funny as hell. I think the quiz was about Quentin Tarantino!

Chips and red salsa arrived within seconds and we munched down as they were superb crunchy and large and the salsa was nice with a slight chunkiness and good bite. Sam ordered up the Guacamole which was also very tasty and Will & chose our drinks. He started with the regular classic Margarita and I went for the "Take a Bite Out of My Flower" made from Lunazul Tequila with triple sec orange, lime and hibiscus and Habanero Syrup with a chile/salt rim. YUM. And at $11 the tasty quaffs were so good, that Will switched the second time around to the spicy margarita!

Ceviche was nice with Aguachile, Shrimp, Octopus, Avocado, Red Onion and chiles and Sam let us share his Chicken Taquitos with black beans, cream and cotija. The best starter was the Elote or grilled Mexican corn with lime-chili aioli and cotija! WHAT a spicy treat and it reminded me so much of the corn we had when back in Mexico.

Tacos came next and there are so many to choose from but at $3 each, they are all a steal. Barbacoa was chipotle braised shredded beef with onion, tomato and cilantro while Carnitas have that wonderful marinated beef. I went wild and loved the Nopales made of grilled Oaxaca cactus which is something we don't see a lot of in the states, but my favorite was the LENGUA, tongue with onion and cilantro, but it did have way too many onions.

We thought we might all split ONE entrée, but we were so full, we finished our drinks and headed home quite full with the entire bill coming in at under $40 for all the food!! Of course, the drinks were more!

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a fond farewell to DC's DINO's after a decade and a half of fabulous food(8-26-19)

On Monday evening, six of us headed to Dino's Grotto in Shaw for what was sadly a farewell dinner after close to 15 years of dining in owners' Dean Gold & Kay Zimmerman's truly local and superb Italian spot. We started at Dino's when it was on Connecticut Avenue opposite the Uptown Theater where we were introduced to Dean & Kay by Christina Scheppelmann, who had just moved to town to head up the Washington Opera. We fell in love and returned there regularly with singers, friends, and often our son, who was only 1 at the time, in tow. Samuel grew up there and joined us two days ago as well as this was also a farewell for him as heads off to boarding school for the first time this weekend. 

Omar greeted us with open arms and later Kay & Dean popped us as well as Andrew who has tended bar for ages. All their stories can be found at https://dinosgrotto.com/staff/, and we shall miss them all so much. I ordered a Prideful Mule which was loaded with Citrus Civic Vodka, house lime cordial, K&B Ginger Brew and was a huge drink that lasted for what seemed forever. Our first wine was a hail back to our winery visit in Sicily 2 years ago at Alcesti with their superb "Edesia" Grillo 2018. Wines here are still 1/2 priced on many days for the bottles over $60 so our reds were a bit more adventurous.  Starting with a superb Beconcini Chianti Riserva 2013 blended of Sangiovese & Cabernet, but the big fun was the over the top Costanti Brunello di Montalcino 2006 that was like drinking silk; what an amazing blend of flavors and red intensity.

Will could not resist ordering the Burrata with oven roasted tomato, fire-roasted red pepper puree and Kalamata olive puree. Burrata was introduced to DC by Dean ages ago when Alitalia started flying nonstop from Italy and he had it flown in regularly! We were in love with this top end mozzarella from Puglia where we got to go 2 years ago to enjoy it; Dino's is as good as any in Italy! I split the main course of Soft Shell Crab on Linguini with Arugula, Garlic, Almond Pesto that was a dream, and this year the crabs are bigger than ever.    Sam had his regular starter of yummy Meatballs and the Caesar Salad was a huge beautiful plate of two beautifully dressed heads of Romaine lettuce.  Of course, in season, Squash Blossoms are always on the must have list. Photos are on FB as always.

All the food was divine and indeed it was one of the best meals we ever had, making it even more sad. Main courses ranged from Linguini with Meatballs to the truly decadent and rich Duck Bolognese Lasagna and I smartly split an order of the tasty Rosticciana Pork ribs grilled Tuscan style with Fagioli all'uccellatta, a perfect side of garlicky beans with tomato. We ordered this as a side dish as well so others could enjoy and also chose the Sauteed Green Beans with a yummy Arugula Pesto, Tuscan roasted potatoes with shallots and herbs and the Roasted Eggplant with Peppers(because you get four sides for $21!)

Limoncello always arrives as a treat and this was the herbiest one ever and we all split a yummy Stone Fruit Cobbler of Peach, Plum, nectarine & Blackberries with Triple Sec Orange, Black pepper and Amaretti Crumble topped with Vanilla Gelato before we kissed and hugged everyone and had to depart.

It is so sad when one of your favorite places to dine or go shuts down, but we can only wish Kay & Dean much love and happiness in their future which will offer them a bit more free time to enjoy life as well.

Dino's Grotto is open through September 15 if you want to make it there for your own farewell!