Food Happenings Around Town

 

 [It looks like it's warm enough to eat lunch outside, but really it wasn't.  Yet.  Bonus: the top of the river defrosted.]

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!  Take a sip of iced coffee and say hello to Monday morning.  Whew....we're rolling into busy season, and I don't just mean for work.  We've got travels, challenges, epic journeys, and food events coming. 

Here's what's on my local events calendar for the next month-ish--I can't make them all, but you should try.*

4/2: Glens Falls Brewfest
4/3: Jewish Food Festival. See also, FLB, HVGS, TU**
4/9: Tour de Soft Serve
4/30-5/1: Tap NY Craft Beer & Fine Food Festival 
5/7: Tulip Festival (OK, you can't eat them, but hopefully it'll be warm and toasty for tulips + brunch).

What else should be on the calendar?  Whatcha got?  Also, Montreal is quickly approaching--any last minute tips?




*No one gave me anything (free tickets, hugs, ice cream cones, dollar billz) to mention these events.  One person did ask me nicely, though.
**I was told there would be challah.  Hence the bold and asterisk.

Franklin's

First, SORRY to all the Google Reader subscribers who saw a Franklin's post the other day and got super excited, only to see it blank--I published by accident and even though I deleted it, I cannot control the feed.  AHHHH I AM OUT OF CONTROL. Please accept this apology, and this internet hug as token of my affection ::hug::

Ahem.

I drove past Franklin's in downtown Hyattsville literally hundreds of times before having lunch there recently.  And now I can't wait to go back!  Preferably after work-hours though, because by the way, this place is also a brewery, and the brewer, Mike Roy, started last month--he's blogging here.  On this particular lunch day I went for Franklin's root beer--not particularly fizzy, but a nice change from the old brand and name.  If it's local, I want to try it.


First E had a cup of chili.  I tasted it, and it was just delicious.  Really flavorful, not spicy, and filled with veggies and beans. 

Next came the sliderfest--I had a seasonal special: Chinese Barbecued Duck Sandwiches.  Three little sandwiches (on the most delightful cornmeal crusted buns) with shredded duck drenched in hoisin barbecue sauce. I LOVED that this wasn't one big ducky sandwich, because something shredded and saucy would have turned the bread into a soggy mess.  And there were THREE, so I could trade one with E for one of hers.   My shoestring-type fries were pretty good, but they weren't super hot.  I could see how piping hot they would be awesome, though.

E got the Nickel Curves--3 housemade merguez burgers, or lamb sliders, topped with tzatziki.  Super yummy lamby flavor, and a major texture shock after eating my sandwiches.  I was transported to a place quite Mediterranean, and if I made a giant bowl of Israeli salad I'd love to serve these little gems at my house. 

This place gets a big lunch crowd, but there's plenty of space.  Check out that upstairs!  With the TVs and everything!  And by the way, there's a "general store" connected to it--knick knacks, toys, tchotchkes, and also wine & beer.  And I spied this across the street, knitty friends.

Options in this area are slim, but if you work in the area or it's in between a friend's place and yours, definitely go to Franklin's.  There are at least half a dozen things on the menu I'd like to try next time--I should bring some friends. 


Franklin's
5121 Baltimore Ave
Hyattsville, MD
Metro: Red line to Rhode Island Ave or Green Line to College Park, then a Metrobus that gets you to Franklin's on Route 1.  There's gotta be a few.  Or drive!  Parking in the lot next door is 25 cents per hour--major bargain compared to the meters in Arlington.

Lost Dog Cafe

Dear Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar:

You are the sweetest, most lovely beer I've met in a while. I missed you during Passover!!!!

Love,

Me.

The world has many beers. Just look at the Brickskeller Beer List! And while I don't have some organized system where I try them all one-by-one, I try to vary what I order. So what I'm saying is, RHBN is my flavor of the month (or three).

Oh right! Lost Dog Cafe. This hoppin' neighborhood joint is full of pizza, beer, and 20-somethings. We didn't get carded, but a pair of girls next to us did--maybe they thought an underage couple wouldn't have the chutzpah to sit at the bar and order beer? Don't look for a beer list--just take a look at the shelves behind the wall, and choose quickly (because if you keep scanning and looking and reading, your eyes will get very tired).



J had Yogi the Lab's Pie without the red onions (so just barbecue chicken, green onions, and mozzarella) and it was tasty. I like their BBQ sauce, which is featured on many of the sandwiches available.

I had the Burro on K's recommendation. She loves it, but it wasn't for me. It was essentially (and tasted like) an okay-ish version of TJ's 5-layer dip (with beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole) and shredded lettuce on a flatbread. It didn't seem like dinner. I know now I would have been better off with something hot and cheesy, but I was in a weird mood that night. Any night where I can pass up a hot pizza with basil on it is definitely a weird night. Next time I want the Pedigree Pie, with garlic butter, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, spinach, parmesan, fontina, mozzarella cheese, and basil. YUMMMMM.



The Burro





Yogi the Lab Pie






Lost Dog Cafe
5876 N. Washington Blvd
Arlington, VA
Metro: More of a driving place, but not super far from East Falls Church Metro on the Orange Line

2 Amys

The end of Passover was blissful. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about eating the bread of affliction and thanking everybody who could have possibly been involved in getting my ancestors out of slavery in Egypt, but matzah leaves much to be desired.

So for the second year in a row, we noted (not celebrated) the holiday's end by eating at 2 Amys. Check out my last post to read a more colorful description of 2 Amys background (certified by a Neopolitan pizza association, the definition of ripieno, etc).

We had BEER. I had Bells Kalamazoo Stout (I liked it a lot, but I wanted it to be a little colder...if possible), and J had the Hitachino Nest White Ale--I love the cutie patootie owl on the bottle, and it was DELICIOUS. Sort of sweet, but not in a gross way. A really refreshing Belgian-style wheat beer. But $9. YIKES.



We ate the exact same thing (as last year, not each other). Abruzzese pizza for J. Ripieno Basilico for me. J's pizza was (again) delicious, but he was definitely eying my ripieno when the ricotta started oozing out of the delicious crust. In fact, he took that opportunity to scoop some cheese up for himself. Thanks a lot!

J's pizza



My stuffed pizza



For appetizer, we shared bruschetta with tomato fondutto--delicious grilled bread (bread!!! REAL BREAD!!!) with olive oil, garlic, then topped with delish tomato excitement. If you get the regular bruschetta, that refers only to the grilled bread rubbed with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.



It was so good that when our neighbors on the right were peeking over, I assured them that it was amazing and that they had to get it. They didn't. Fine!

We remembered this time that their homemade ice cream is divine, so we ordered both the strawberry w/chocolate chips ice cream AND the apple spice cake (which came with...drumroll...a side of vanilla). J unsurprisingly went nuts over the apple cake, and unfortunately I think strawberry w/chocolate chips is now my favorite-but-impossible-to-find flavor. So fun.




2 Amys
3715 Macomb Street NW
Metro: A hike from the Red Line to Cleveland Park, or drive.

Brasserie Beck

A few years ago J and I visited Brussels and went to this brewery. When we learned that Brasserie Beck was serving up Cantillon Geuze, we knew we had to get over there quickly, but then we got, er, delayed by life.

Geuze? Is that like gauze? The medical stuff? Geuze is a lambic beer aged in oak barrels that has less bitterness than other beers and more of a cider-y taste. The first sip may seem a little sour, but in a good way. It's light and delicious, and was just as I remembered at Brasserie Beck.

While my favorite part of Belgium dining was the beer, frites came in a close second. Beck's crispy frites with fresh parsley were perfectly hot, flavorful, not too salty, and not greasy at all. I wanted more. The trio of mayo that came alongside was fun, our favorite being the tomato mayo. The others were curry and garlic, we deduced.

The saltiness of the veal cheek meatballs in J's pea soup married nicely with the mild green soup. My leek and potato soup was creamy and delicious without ruining my appetite for dinner, and I love how the soups were poured into our bowls from mini copper pots at the table.

The lamb shank was enormous, and very tender--it didn't require much chewing. The accompanying white beans in a light broth was good. Belgian fare is known for its heartiness, and I chose salmon with fennel curry sauce as a lighter option. My nice-sized fillet was hot with a nicely crisped top and a perfectly-done creamy soft inside. The sauce was tasty but not overwhelming at all, and I used it in moderation.

The waffle with flambeed raspberries was good as expected, but the cinnamon honey ice cream it came with was particularly delicious. The creme brulee was all right, a little thinner than I expected and with an inconsistent temperature--some bites were colder than others, and I prefer it at total room temperature or slightly warm.

Our service was friendly but not overbearing, we were seated promptly as per our reservation (unlike at Hook), and the bathrooms get an A+. We'll be back, but not too soon--our gastronomic adventure was a little expansive, thus expensive. It's possible to eat at a little lower price sans drinks, apps, and dessert, but that just wouldn't be as fun. Beer is where this place shines (they have a beer list that's separate from the wine list) and the appetizers/sides may be your favorite part of your meal. Next time I'll have a glass of kriek for dessert.


Brasserie Beck
1101 K St NW
Metro: Orange, Blue, or Red Lines to Metro Center