J & G Steakhouse

So the other day I was having dinner with Hamid Karzai....oh wait, no, I was NEAR his hotel, but he didn't actually join us for dinner.  I assume he was at the Willard, security was hott right thar.

The W Hotel, formerly Hotel Washington, is home to a rooftop bar with quite the view.  The White House looks teeny next to the Treas from this angle!  It tickled me a bit that the Elevator Bouncer checked our IDs to head up to the rooftop, but no one checked 'em when we got our cocktails at dinner.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten is a man with a plan....to open delicious restaurants all over the place!  We may not be Paris, Bora Bora, or even Las Vegas (I'd rather be in DC than LV any day!), but we're one of the most recent additions to the JG family.  Like Bourbon Steak, the place has steak in the name, but the menu is so much more than that (links to Washingtonian & WaPo reviews show I'm not alone in this line of thought).

Drinks:  Dark & Stormy, New York Sour. 

The spring pea soup with parmesan was unbelievable.  GORGEOUS, smooth as silk, and the flaaaavors and the teeeeextures, for real.  I obviously dig pea soup--when done well, it's so so so happy.  The sweet pea puree was an awesome contrast to the thick, foamy parmesan area.  I kept tasting them separately, then together, then separately...ok, I had a little too much fun.

J had heard good stuff about the calamari - it was a big portion, but very light.  CRUNCH.

The halibut (with scallion and chili sauce, basil and celery) was quite tasty.  LB recommended it, and the fish was nice and light.  Lightly crispy top, as you can see.  And the fun underneath would make an awesome tapenade--I'd like to spread that on a cracker, you know?

J's lamb, cooked medium, with a side of root vegetables.  The first bite I had wasn't as good as the next two--those were awesome (I think the first happened to be a more done bite, and I'm all about the pink).  Very simple - seasoned with salt and pepper, then a dried black olive breadcrumb situation (this was light--if you're anti-olive, no worries).  The result was a yummy, charred, smoky, super delicious lamb dish that was so good I almost didn't want dessert because I wanted the last taste on my tongue to be that lamb.  The texture was what it should be--not chewy, not gritty, just perfect.  Root veggies were root veggies--but the puree underneath them was awe-inducing.

A bit of dessert.  Light and fluffy cheesecake with some "exotic fruit compote and sorbet."  Pineapple?  Passionfruit?  Mango?  Something, or maybe a mixture.  I didn't care for the sorbet, but the cheesecake was very good, and adorable.  And A+ to the staff for listening attentively when I said it was J's BIRTHDAY!!!!  Happy day to him.

As we pondered our meal and awaited our check, a gentleman next to us was going on and on to the server and then the manager about the Caesar salad.  Apparently his lettuce was very soggy, and it was unacceptable, and he wouldn't recommend that people return.  J and I exchanged glances that said Who Would Get a Caesar Salad With This Freakin' Menu, Is This Guy Out Of His Mind.  Then we joked about my 19-year-old cousin who orders a Caesar salad wherever he goes--he's a connoisseur.  We'd have to put it to his test to really find out if this guy was right!   For what it's worth, the manager was very receptive to the criticism, and managed the complaint nicely. 

Service was great--our server recommended the "signature" dishes, which were all ones we had heard about beforehand from other blogs and friends.  He wasn't pushy on the drinks, but definitely was encouraging for us to drink more. The line between being attentive to empty glasses and wanting to up our bill is a fine one, and he got a little close.  But I liked him.

We had a wonderful meal, and a wonderful time.  We'll be back! And yes, my photos got increasingly darker as our window seat became irrelevant--night time, a pox on you!

J&G Steakhouse
W Hotel
515 15th Street NW (Penn & 15th)
Metro: Orange, Blue, & Red Lines to Metro Center (or O&B to McPherson, or Fed Triangle...)

If you can't make it to Java Green for lunch, then go for dinner.

Recently my frequent dinnermates and I had a strange situation--we could not find any Friday or Saturday night for our monthly gathering.  Even a weekend morning brunch was out--everybody was traveling at all the wrong times.  So we settled on weekday happy hour, which obviously turned into a trip to Java Green.  Speaking of Java Green, Cafe Green recently opened, and it already has some raves (and rants) on Yelp. 

Back to our dinner.

Here was my line of thinking:  You can't go wrong with an old favorite.  I had the rice and beyond.  The new, updated menu renamed the orange chicken to be "sweet and sour," but I assure you, it's the same.  E was with me on this.  The best part of R&B (not that R&B) is that you get so many different items and (most importantly) textures!  Smooth, rough, gummy, crunchy, sweet, spicy, and I could go on.  It's all there.

Mmmm, "chicken" sandwich.  M's choice.  She seemed to like it, but I was suspicious about the ratio of bread to guts. 

 B had a lot of the same contents as rice and beyond, but also some bulgogi.  And no potsticker/dumpling guy (which I think was missed).  Otherwise, yum yum contents!

C's ramen was pretty good.  It was ramen--it didn't knock my socks off, but it was hot and noodley, and full of veggies.  If that's what you need, it'll deliver. But I'd prefer pho.

Ready for the bummer part?  If it's a nice day, maybe you want to take a little walk for some dessert.  Guess what?  Hello Cupcake closes at 7 Mon-Thurs.  Don't worry, I can bring cupcakes into any conversation.

Java Green
1020 18th St NW
Metro: Orange and Blue Lines to Foggy Bottom or Farragut West; Red Line to Farragut North

Happy Chanukah to us. Love, Todd Gray

See, even the White House was getting into the Festival of Lights! And you should, too.

You still have a few days to get yourself over to Equinox for the Chanukah tasting menu.  Even though they spell it "Hanukkah," my personal favorite involves the CH that comes with the CHET of Chanukah.  

The amuse was a double shot of warm & smoky cauliflower soup, accompanied by a spoonful of potato/leek/mushroom.  Pretty AND tasty.  Very nice.

Next, cured salmon on top of two latkes and a shaved fennel salad.  Not bad, Equinox, but I made latkes last night and if I do say so myself, mine were pretty darn good.  The salad was fresh and crunchy, a great contrast to the warm potatoeyness of the other side of the plate.

The 24-hour brisket (beef--is there any other kind?) was actually served two ways--one in the traditional chunk of meat super soft falling apart w/red wine-y finger-lickign sauce, you know, the usual.  And then two little cubes of chicken-fried brisket, battered and crispy on all but one side.  The veggies underneath were soooo good, too--not an afterthought.  Turnips, teensy onions, potato, carrot...

Oh, dessert.  How I love thee!  The apple cider doughnuts were pretty good, but to me the star of dessert was the vanilla bean custard.  It packed so much flavor and was super creamy.  Not just cream-creamy, but vanilla-creamy.  I'd do that again in a heartbeat!

The wine pairing was lovely, and a fair deal if you ask me (by reading, you impliedly asked me).  My favorite was actually the first--a Napa Valley 2007 Provenance Sauvignon Blanc.  I've been sort of "off' whites for a while, but this was a delight.

Happy Chanukah, everyone.

Equinox
818 Connecticut Ave NW
Metro: Blue and Orange Lines to Farragut West

Fojol Bros. of Merlindia - Insights from Guest Blogger LB!

[Note: I know, more food from trucks?  Even though I don't work downtown, I don't want to keep you all from being informed about your options on wheels here in the District.  Below, the fabulous and generous LB guest blogged her recent food truck experience. Thanks, LB!!!! And thanks to Fojol Bros. Twitter Page for the picture.]

If you're anything like me, then deciding what to eat for lunch is the most difficult decision of your day.  No later than 12:01 p.m., M-F, the emails start filling up your Outlook inbox, asking about your lunch thoughts, or, if the time is getting late, offering up a hunger-themed haiku (or does that just happen at my office?).

Then the negotiations commence: "Not again--we just ate there last week!"; "The weather isn't cold enough yet for soup"; "I am so sick of sandwiches." ; "That place is too far to walk in this rain." "I am not paying 9 dollars for another crappy salad!"

Today's decision was made remarkably easy by the arrival of the Fojol Bros. of Merlindia, a self-described "Traveling Culinary Carnival."  That description is fairly accurate, if your impression of a carnival involves being served curry from costumed, mustached men in a food truck while your body involuntarily moves to the catchy music blaring from the speakers.

They have three size options: a "dingo" (one pick--$2), a "meal" (two picks--$6) or a "feast" (three picks--$9).  You make your picks from a rotating selection of offerings, and each includes basmati rice.  Today's meat options were curry chicken and chicken masala, and the vegetarian options were lentils and chickpeas.  I opted for an all-veggie meal of lentils and chickpeas, and one of the Fojol brothers said my mother would be proud.  

I'm no expert on Indian food, but I did spend three months in London, which makes me sufficiently credentialed.  The chickpeas were my favorite--great texture and flavor.  The lentils were a little mushy, but once I mixed them into the rice, I didn't notice the mushiness anymore.  However, I do like my Indian food spicy, and this meal was on the mild side--it could have used more heat. I also missed naan, but I guess that's too hard to prepare from a truck. Overall, though, it was a solid meal--one option I'll definitely suggest again, when next Tuesday's lunch negotiations begin.

Fojol Bros.

Location: changes daily

http://twitter.com/fojolbros

Downtown Lunch Spot Breadline Closed for Health Code Violations

Eeek. Breadline is closed for now because of health code violations. I don't go there that often, but it can be an easy place to get a nice (albeit expensive) salad or sandwich with a friend when you are in that food-deprived area. When you're like, "No, I cannot possibly have Cosi again." You know those times!

Let's be honest, we've seen vermin elsewhere, haven't we? And did that place ever close down?

This is sort of making me re-think the time I got sick right before a big test after eating at Breadline last summer. I thought it was the nerves for the test, but maybe this violation has been going on longer than anyone thought.

Thanks to M for the tip!

Breadline
1751 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Metro: Blue and Orange Lines to Farragut West

Teaism

TEAAAAAAAA!!!!! Ice or hot, it's a passion in my (adopted) family. And what better place to drink tea than Teaism?! What a catch name.

Let's get down to it. At lunch I'm a fan of the bento boxes. Salmon = good, chicken = good (but a little decadent...it's fried), soba noodle = surprisingly better than I expected. On the soba, I was surprised that it was all cold. And then I was even more surprised that I still liked it. B was not a fan of the tuna bento box. In fact, she liked all the elements but the tuna. So maybe stay away from that.

I find their iced teas or tea drinks are either too much water and too little flavor, OR waaaay too sweet. The too-sweet can be cut with the ice water, which is available for public consumption near the food pick-up area. But the flavorless? No hope.

Reflecting right now on my many visits (instead of judging harshly on one visit, which is what I usually do), I think the soba noodle box was my favorite. Shocking.

The offending tuna


Chicken, sweet potato pieces in happy sauce, cucumber with ginger, and delightful brown rice topped with herbs and salt


You also need to have a salty cookie. Salty-oaty-crunchy cookie. Whether you get the chocolate or the raisiny one, you'll like it. Well, you'll like it if you share my flavor preferences.

Teaism
800 Connecticut Ave NW, and various other locations
Metro: Orange/Blue Lines to Farragut West
Note: The entrance to this one is on H Street between 17th & Connecticut

The Cupcake Situation

Update: I've been advised about an ENTIRE BLOG devoted to DC area cupcakeries. It's here: http://delleicious.blogspot.com/

Back to your normally scheduled programming:
It's my understanding that the Cupcake Situation (as I call it) is a trend, like sushi on every block, Frappuccinos, burgers, and tangy yogurt. And while I like fattening coffee-blended drinks and frozen topping-heavy items as much as the next girl, I do not want the cupcake trend to end. Ever.

Georgetown Cupcake
1209 Potomac St NW

[*Update, 1 year later.  I am in love with GC. I love how the cakes, while tiny, are the perfect balance of moist, buttery cake and frosting.  I love how every day there are 100 free cupcakes at each location, announced via Twitter.  I love how no flavor has disappointed me, at least not yet.]

Uh oh. I haven't been. And isn't this the original? Not that it was the first place to sell cupcakes in DC, but it symbolizes the beginning of the DC strain of cupcakemania. I think that's why I haven't been. There's always a line. I'm not so into lines. I do notice from the web site (if it's truthful) that GC seems to have the most interesting looking cupcakes; other shops are pretty standard cake + frosting/icing, not so much with the various sprinklings/flowers on top. What do you think about GC?

I do have some info--the extremely talented bakestress over at Inkpad Chocolate likes GC so much that she recreated their signature dish, as seen on Martha Stewart.

Baked & Wired
1052 Thomas Jefferson St NW


Baked & Wired is a cozy little establishment. You can get coffee and a wrap from its adjoining little non-cupcake area, and take a seat at one of the few tables hanging around the back. The cake part of the cupcake is LARGE, perhaps the largest of the choices we discuss today. Many cupcakes are tiny little cakes that are stacked with an equally-sized helping of icing. B&W has a more manageable ratio, and I'm happy about the size of the cupcake considering the $3-4 all these (GC, B&W, HC, RV) will set you back. I really like B&W, but it's somewhat inconsistent. Some flavors are really good, like the pumpkin with cream cheese frosting, and others are eh. And the cake differs a lot based on the flavor--not necessarily that one is GREAT and one is BAD, but one will be soft, fluffy and buttery, and the next more dense. If you are a strictly dense-cake person, I can't accurately recommend B&W for you because the consistency of the cake varies greatly by flavor (although if I remember correctly, coconut had dense cake). But I'm generally a fan.


Red Velvet Cupcakery*
675 E St NW

"When I walk around with a cupcake I feel the opposite of important."

"This cupcake tastes like my childhood."

E was obviously a huge fan of the red velvet (Southern Belle) cupcake she got from Red Velvet (those quotes are from her). My cupcake (on the right) was a crazy chocolate chocolate chocolate situation, with a little gold leaf on top. The "icing" was more thick and fudge-y than icing-like, which was AMAZING.



RVC wins most convenient not only for its downtown location (anything near Metro Center and Gallery Place is a stone's throw from the city's best restaurants), but for best hours. 11am to 11pm every day. Elsewhere, there maybe be one or two nights a week open until 9 but generally they close at 6 or 7. Bummaroo, but not for RVC!!!

RVC doesn't put up a front with you--they know my deal. They take one look at me and say, "would you like that on a napkin?" YOU BET I WOULD! I DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BOX! This cupcake won't last 5 minutes. K thx bye.

Also, RVC is related to Tangysweet, so if one cupcake just won't do it for you or your party, head next door for some yogurt. I like to top mine with honey, nuts, and cereal.

*It's not your imagination. Both the RVC and Tangysweet web sites take a while to load, and at first it seems like the link is broken.


Hello Cupcake
1351 Connecticut Ave NW

HC is pretty good. I've liked all the cupcakes I've tried, as have my companions, but the lack of choices is discouraging. I gather the flavors change every day. I really loved a peanut butter/chocolate cupcake I had there--it was topped with a Hershey kiss! Yum! Also, the cakes are a touch tiny for my liking. Itty bitty.

Homemade


My friend made these happy chocolate and vanilla with vanilla frosting and red sparkles cupcakes for a party recently, and they were delightful. Thanks, C!



What's your favorite cupcake place around here? Please leave your comments and be as detailed as possible (place AND flavor!!!). Thank you!

Java Green

We need to talk about Java Green. I have days where the only thing that gets me up and brushing my teeth is a promise to myself: You can have JG for lunch. The phone number is saved in my cell, and I often call from work to pick up lunch on my "way" to school (OK, it's three blocks out of the way--like I care).

I'm not a vegetarian, but I used to be. But I'm still recovering. That makes me susceptible to cravings for fake meat products (some of you may think this is super weird), like the orange chicken from JG. Although JG isn't vegan, they have everything available to make your meal vegan (like soy cheese instead of the real thing).

You know I'm not a fan of just a sandwich, or just a salad. I like a bunch of things all mixed together (or at least in the same container or on the same plate). That's why Java Green's RICE AND BEYOND is the best thing ever. First of all, rice is just one of many things, so it's a lot more BEYOND than rice.

1. Slaw-like cabbage/carrot
2. Green veg (kale, maybe?)
3. Purple rice
4. Jobche noodles - these clearish, happy noodles have a little bit of heat!
5. Surprise! Sometimes "meat" on a stick, sometimes a little potsticker
6. Topping. This is your protein, people. I'm a HUGE fan of the orange "chicken."

JG can be a little expensive, but they love the Earth (with their fancy recycled and recyclable containers and utensils) and this food will fill you up. I don't know about you guys, but I eat a turkey sandwich at Potbelly's (skinny wheat, turkey, lettuce, tomato, mustard = 4g of fat) and need a snack in a few short hours. And it's great that Potbelly sandwiches are cheap, but for $11 (or $9ish if it's a daily special) that Rice & Beyond will last me hours and hours. Depending on the size of my breakfast, I've stretched the old R&B to be lunch and dinner, followed by a late snack.

We'll see if my obsession continues into the spring. I know part of the cravings is the whole "hot bowl of steaming happiness in the freezing weather" thing. Yummmeeeee.


Java Green
1020 18th St NW
Metro: Orange and Blue Lines to Foggy Bottom or Farragut West; Red Line to Farragut North

Poste Moderne Brasserie

I apologize in advance that I forgot my camera and only have phone photos for you. It is my submission that a not-perfect picture is better than no picture at all in most instances, so that's why I'm sharing.

I'd been eying Poste for a long time, and we finally made our appearance there before A Chorus Line. I didn't realize they had a pre-theater menu (it wasn't originally offered to us, despite our 6:00pm reservation), but when our server realized we were on our way to ordering a three-course meal she suggested that option. We never actually saw the pre-theater menu, but she told us what was on it. Both of our appetizer option were on it, but J ended up with not-his-first-choice (but still yummy) entree, and I gathered that all of the desserts were available. Let's do a hit list.

French onion soup: Yum. Hot. Cheesy.

Arugula salad: It says "mint, figs, basil, parmesan, aged sherry vinaigrette," but I saw and tasted a pile of arugula dressed with the sherry vinaigrette with approximately 5 pieces of fig underneath, topped with a single 3 inch shred of parmesan. Gathered on one side of the plate, the clump of arugula resembled a pile of leaves. It was fine, but it wasn't that good, and the presentation was underwhelming.

Beef bourguignon: J enjoyed the ribs and cheeks served in a little pot with soft roasted vegetables (including fingerling potatoes). The meat was so tender that we barely had to chew, which was relaxing.

Goat cheese ravioli: I looooved this, with its crispy shallots, organic beets, and pine nuts. The goat cheese was creamy and sweet, and the salty/sweet contrast in the dish was exactly what I love and what I was looking for. The portion was dainty, so I'm glad we were on a three-course track. Next time I'd like to try the poussin (baby chicken, essentially)--the words apple and cider appear in the description, so that's an obvious pick for me.


The gingerbread cake with roasted pears was the night's biggest disappointment. The cake was dry and generally not good; I honestly prefer J's homemade spice cake (and the man is no pastry chef) to what was on our plate. The pears were kind of dry, too. They could have used a little bath in something gooey, maybe.

The red velvet cake was GREAT! It was like having two chocolate brownie-like cakes, one covered in delicious raspberry sauce, and one naked. Our server recommended the tasting of salted caramel and the red velvet, but how was I to know that what she possibly meant was "these are the only good desserts"? I felt confident that those were just her favorites, and that I'd like most of the desserts on the list. Not true. Then again, at Central D was assured by our server that the Kit-Kat Bar is better than the chocolate lava whatnot, and that's probably not true.

Wine: I asked our knowledgeable server for a recommendation for a glass under the "Eclectic Reds" list and got a really really good Malbec. The list had a range of options, including very reasonably-priced bottles and half bottles.

The restaurant is in an old building, and somehow that translates into the closest bathroom being out the door, through the hotel lobby, and up one floor. Don't drink too much and limit your visit to one. Also, somewhat amusingly, the elevator has a typo--it lists floor 2 as the one with "Post Restaurant."

I'll definitely go back to Poste--not only for the main meals, but also for the delightful afterthoughts (like white chocolate-covered gooseberries).


Poste Moderne Brasserie
555 8th St NW
Metro: Red, Yellow, and Green Lines to Gallery Place-Chinatown

Central

We recently re-visited Central with our sophisticated NY guest. We've only had good experiences there, and this dinner was no exception.

What DIDN'T we eat? We had fried chicken, fish and chips, lamb, a side of mac and cheese, and who knows what else. Everything was delish (at least everything I tasted). The mac and cheese is SO good but very rich, so please share--maybe with several people.

For dessert we got a handful of things. We'd had the Kit-Kat before, and it's okay, but I think other desserts shine brighter. If you're really jonesing for chocolate, the Kit-Kat might not do it for you. Moving on to more delicious things: THE BANANA SPLIT. Ridiculous. The portion is huge (please share, once again) and the ice creams are so rich. The chocolate isn't some watered-down Breyers situation, it's deeeeep and quite wealthy in chocolatey flavor, and covered by a semi-hardened fudgey shell. You need to have it to believe it. Stop denying yourself the power of the chocolate.


Excellent service, excellent food, a touch of fanciness, and all without [completely] breaking the bank. You really can't go wrong.

Central Michel Richard
1001 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Metro: Blue or Orange Line to Federal Triangle or Metro Center

Zaytinya

Yumyumyumyumyum. I'm a tapas/mezze lover. Small plates allow me to try a lot of different things without (a) wasting food, (b) emptying my wallet, (c) eating entirely too much. I loved Zaytinya.

No matter what you get, it's likely to be good. For dinner, I loved the arayes (pita filled with lamb), kibbeh (crisp and golden-brown bulb-shaped fritters filled with meat and spices), the falafel (old favorite, but seriously, it's a must) and the grape leaves. I would eat everything that I had again, but it's necessary to mix it up so eventually you hit everything on the menu. I already forgot how good the spanikopita (feta and spinach in phyllo dough) was--it comes out last and it is worth the wait.

The creamy hint-of-a-tangy-note labneh transported me back to the breakfast table in Israel, a place where the produce has a sharper, brighter taste and the cheeses cause the word "portion" to disappear from my vocabulary. The staff thankfully keeps refilling the basket of their pita, a 3-D diamond-shaped pocket-like bread, which entertains me on the table as the steam pours out of a small hole at the top. Dip it in every sauce, cheese, and yogurt. You know, just to make sure it's still good.

A note about the wine: Though $9 for the cheapest glass made me do a double-take, this "glass" was more like 1.5--the large pour was pleasing.

Brunch is equally delightful at Zaytinya. The patata harra, a stated favorite of our server, was a tasty treat--a fried egg placed prettily on top of a hashy potato mixture. The omelet with vegetables was very vegetable-y tasting--not my favorite, but still good. My FAVORITE were the poached eggs (cilbir) with Greek yogurt, paprika butter, and sumac. After the initial puncture, the running egg yolks and deliciously creamy sauce were subjected to my incessant dipping with my pita. I also think this dish offers the most bang for your buck, because it's a lot of food (especially with the abundant opportunity to dip) for $6.95. The traditional Lebanese French toast (with honey-marinated bananas) was so moist that my father refused to believe it was actually made of bread--he likened it to flan, the Spanish custard dessert. It tasted like a grand finale for me, too!

Servers recommend 2-3 dishes per person, and for brunch we ordered 2 per person plus 3 more for the table of 6 total guests. We had plenty and all left full.

Service is friendly--our hummus was forgotten but we received two orders of fried eggplant, which we promptly ate. We were only charged for what we ate.

I'm totally obsessed...I think Zaytinya is my new favorite restaurant in DC.
1. Not super-expensive
2. Ridiculously delicious
3. Many options
4. Lots of sharing
5. Lots of cheese

Updated note: Forgot to tell ya'll how it's superdeeduper loud at dinnertime because da bar iz hoppin. If you are bringing old folks, try brunch! It's quiet and reservations don't need to be made 3 weeks in advance, harumph.

Zaytinya
701 9th St NW
Metro: Green, Red, or Yellow line to Gallery Place, or Blue, Orange, or Red Line to Metro Center. It's situated pretty much in between, and they are close together.

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

Rasika

Do you love Indian food? Are you hungry right now? Stop reading, go to Chinatown, eat at Rasika, and then come back and read the rest of my nonsense later.

...

Welcome back! Isn't it gorgeous inside? At our recent trip to this modern twist on the never-boring (to me) Indian restaurant, J and I started with the Asparagus Uttapam. Uttapam has a pancake shape and texture, and usually the ingredients (like asparagus) are cooked right into the batter. It was fun to try, but next time I'd probably get something different with more flavor. Next was the Palak Chaat. Don't worry if you forget to write it down, I think the servers are trained to recommend it. It's basically flash fried spinach mixed with tamarind, sweet date chutney, and yogurt. It tastes similar to but better than french fries, and spinach definitely counts more as a "vegetable" than potatoes.

It turns out I wasn't man enough to take the spice on the Chicken Green Masala--without the heat it would have had a real cool, fresh taste from the mint that I would have enjoyed. That doesn't usually happen, but neither does the next part. My FAVORITE entree was the Lamb Dhansak, made with Dhansak masala, pumpkin, dill, and lentils. Dhansak masala is made with every spice and herb under the sun, along with ginger, garlic, and lentils--it just tasted like super good sauce, to me. The dishes were complemented by a white rice and long grain brown rice, respectively.

There were so many delicious-sounding (and looking) sides to choose from, but we went with the Palak Aloo Kofta (spinach, potato, fenugreek, and cumin). We were both pretty psyched that the potato mixture was sort of in a low mound hiding in the spinach, as opposed to being dispersed throughout the bowl. It was very flavorful, but next time I'd like to try something more daring--overall the vegetables are pretty tame, though. Maybe something with coconut next time. I love anything with eggplant (look for a "baigan" dish) but I had eaten too much of it during the week--effectively eggtplant-ed out.

Next time I may request that our naan come out with our main dishes--we ate it all with our appetizers and didn't have any left to soak up the delicious sauce from the lamb. We could have gotten more, I know, but how much naan must we eat?

Get dessert. If I hadn't stuffed myself at dinner I would have chosen the date and toffee pudding. I love dates. Still, I don't regret sharing the Chocolate Samosa, which was like a flaky pastry version of the savory favorite, filled with warm thick chocolate (sweet, not bitter at all). A little tricky to eat with a fork, but otherwise fantastic.

Dinner at Rasika lasted just over 2 hours for us speed-eaters, and was a perfect prelude to our movie at E Street Cinemas.

Rasika
633 D Street NW
Metro: Red, Green, or Yellow line to Gallery Place/Chinatown

Lunch at Central: Guest Review by Mr. iEat

I have come to determine an unfailing truth, that is that the food at Central tastes great, but food at Central paid with an expense account tastes even better. A recent business lunch with two of my associates at Michel Richard's Central in the heart of downtown Washington D.C. was quite the enjoyable experience. The lunch menu at Central does not make decision making easy. The burger, fried chicken, fish & chips, grilled hanger steak, and the lamb shank immediately jumped out as first choices. How does one narrow down from such an appetizing array of options? Fortunately for me, our server believed the fried chicken to be the best around and so I took his word and ordered it along with the french onion soup as a starter. The server noted that "their" french onion soup was a little different that normal because the broth was sweeter more like a miso as he described it. To me and one other diner at my table it sounded promising.

First, warm baked bread was delivered to our table. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, but MOST importantly it was pre-cut! I am not just talking about sliced half way through, I mean cut into individual slices. I have been to too many restaurants for business lunches around the district where the crusty bread is only half cut and what ensues is inevitably a messy and crumb filled attempt to finish slicing the bread with your own dull-as-a-spoon bread knife. Cheers to Central for slicing their bread. Everyone wants bread at a business lunch, but not everyone wants to either put their hands all over the bread to rip it apart or attempt to make a mess all over the table at those non-cutting establishments.

Next to arrive was the iced tea. As a semi-professional iced tea aficionado, I happily found Central's iced tea to be both well brewed and provided with a generous lemon slice. Again, Central warms my heart with its tubular "european" style sugar packets (including Splenda!) which both look and function in a superior manner to traditional rectangular packets.

After a reasonable time passed, the soup arrived in an earthy clay bowl with a baked cheesy top. I don't often order french onion soup, but I am glad that I made the decision that afternoon. The broth was indeed light and sweet and complemented the cheese well. It was warm and gooey, without being too gooey. Also, for french onion soup it was surprisingly "light".

I enjoy fried chicken, but I don't know if I've ever enjoyed it as much as I did at Central. The order comes with one large boneless chicken breast and one drumstick, both coated with a delicious crunchy crust, served on top of finely whipped mashed potatoes with a side of mustard sauce. The potatoes were excellent, creamy and smooth. The chicken was finely battered and fried and greatly enhanced with the tangy mustard sauce. A side of mixed salad greens was also served on the large plate but went ignored due to the generous portion size and quality of the entree served.

The other entrees ordered by my colleagues were the fried chicken (also enjoyed) and the lobster burger. The burger was served handsomely with a multitude of fries. I was lucky enough to have a piece of the burger which is all lobster (no filling or bread). It was quite tasty. Did I mention that we also ordered a side of Mac and Cheese? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...this ain't your grandma's Mac and Cheese. Served in a mini cast iron skillet, the Mac and Cheese is made with ziti pasta swimming in a delicious creamy cheese sauce and lightly topped with bread crumbs. This little pan was a big hit at the table and was scraped clean.

Dessert. Again, Michel does not make this choice easy. With several extremely tempting choices we each decided to get a different desert and share. I had the kit kat bar. This is a fun dessert that easily fixes any chocolate craving while not being too overwhelming. I also had a bit of the apple pan dowdy and the chocolate cake. Each was tasty and well presented. I don't think you can go wrong with any dessert at Central. In fact, I don't believe you can go wrong with ANYTHING at Central. So next time you are looking for a delicious downtown lunch to impress yourself, a date, or clients, look no further than Central.

Central
1001 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Metro: Orange, Blue, or Red line to Metro Center

The Average Lunch

It's a weekday, and last night you were up late and just weren't feeling that turkey and watercress sandwich (or pb&j, pick your poison). No one's cooked in a few days so you're low on leftovers. What are you least likely to regret at the old regulars?

Here are my top choices:

Signature Salad from Cosi
Chicken Guacamole sandwich from Breadline
Aloha Pineapple from Jamba Juice (yum, liquid lunch!)
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich from Old Ebbitt Express
Hot dog from Five Guys
Mac & Cheese and a salad from Au Bon Pain


What are yours? (Cue: You leaving a comment)

Old Ebbitt Express

Lunch is a difficult time for us government-types. Bringing lunch is definitely the least expensive option, especially on the measly government intern salary (or lack there of), but sometimes that equals staying inside. All day. Sad! If you haven't been to the supermarket lately, or you just feel like having something that's difficult to make, take your $10 (or maybe make it $15) and head out to some regular spots.

Before I talk about Old Ebbitt Express, my new FAVORITE lunch spot, I'll give you my top choice at other local favorites.

Turkey sandwich at Potbelly
Signature Salad OR Chicken Parm Melt at Cosi
Pretzel from Cart Guy at 17th and Penn...remarkably filling.

NOW--Old Ebbitt Express is the take-out lunch offshoot of Old Ebbitt Grill (a skip and a jump from the White House), owned by Clyde's. My first time at OEG was on a memorable February 14 (thanks hun), and when I heard I could get a hearty lunch there for a reasonable price, I ran--NOT WALKED--across the street.

I'll start with THE BEST. The turkey burger I had at OEE was the best turkey burger I ever had. It wasn't a dry circle-shaped slab of turkey meat. It was spiced and seasoned, ground up with vegetables, and THEN put into a circle shape on my lovely roll. I would get this every time if it was available.

The Italian Chicken salad featured an herbed breaded chicken breast served over...lettuce. The chicken was delicious, and looked it, too--several people asked what it was that I was holding and chagned their orcers--but the rest of the salad was just okay.

The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich is not as spicy as I feared! A little messy, but very satisfying and quite tasty.

There are pasta dishes that sound delicious, but usually entice my companions instead of myself. They've never complained, and enjoy the opportunity to eat pasta for less than $10 at lunchtime, as well as the flexibility of ordering either half or full size portions.

Most options come with chips, a cookie, or a piece of fruit, and there may be a combo including a fountain soda. FYI there are TWO kinds of cups--styrafoam for those just getting water, and regular soda fountain types, for the soda people. For those like my parents, there is a bowl of reading glasses to assist with the tiny font size on the menu.

You can expect lunch to set you back about $12 at OEE, depending on what you get it could be a little more or a little less. With the portion size and array of options, it's a good deal. Plus, you can't eat Five Guys every day can you?

Old Ebbitt Express
675 15th Street NW
Old Ebbitt Express
Metro: Blue/Orange Line to McPherson Square or Blue/Orange/Red to Metro Center

Central

Ah, Central. The poor wo/man's Citronelle. Another birthday destination, here. I had SUPER high hopes, after reading and reading about it, seeing how the reservations filled up quickly as soon as the date became available for booking through Open Table (I believe it was 1 month in advance). If you are looking to impress coworkers who are "in the know" about DC restaurants, Central is a good place to start. You can definitely get away with a classy but funky dinner there without blowing a hole through your wallet.

The decor is minimal, typical of Michel Richard, but the clean lines are pleasing to these eyes. The bar is nice to look at, too, and I'm sure a great place to enjoy a more upscale happy hour than we're used to having. I will say that I was surprised that with all of the clean lines and elegant details, the beautiful bathroom had a major detraction--a plastic bottle of Softsoap. I know it's petty, but with so much thought going into the other "little things" that plastic container was an eyesore!

Also, this may seem obvious but I (of course) didn't think of it before we went: it was REALLY LOUD in there. SERIOUSLY loud. Maybe it would be different if the bar wasn't so crowded (it was a Thursday) but who knows. Loud = not romantic.

And the woman at the table next to ours was seated so close to us that she jokingly said, "Hey, sorry we're late!" as she and her husband were seated. Despite her early attempt at light-hearted humor, she went on to be the most obnoxious customer ever, glaring at our server when he tried to do anything right, complaining when he took things away (or didn't take them away soon enough), and made a remark every time he left their table. It would have ruined my meal if I didn't have my cool-as-a-cucumber dining companion smiling across the table. The problem is, if you have some cranky customers and you sit them SUPERCLOSE to non-cranks, the cranks ruins other people's meals. The solution is don't seat people that close together.
On to the eats: We started with the homemade cheese puffs because I felt like we had to--that's what everyone talks about! I know, I'm a slave to fashionable appetizers. They were okay. I almost wanted just a few to taste, and not the rest--they come in a wire cone, and there were a lot. The flavor wasn't quite what I expected, but the first few were definitely delicious--still warm, even. A better appetizer for 4 people maybe than 2, because midway through we were sort of sick of them.

For dinner I had the mussels. They were very good--then again, steaming mussels isn't exactly rocket science.

J had the 72 hour short ribs. They were soft, flavorful, and the sauce was "tasty." Overall a happy camper.

DESSERT! THE HIGHLIGHTIEST HIGHLIGHT OF THEM ALL!!! Richard's homemade kit-kat dessert was delicious. Chocolatey wafery happiness, put in a take-out container for the very full diners aka us.

I hear the lobster burger is to die for, and on a return visit I plan on trying it or having someone I'm with try it.

TTFN, folks.

Central
www.centralmichelrichard.com
1001 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004

Teaism

Forever and ever I meant to go to Teaism, I mean, RACHAEL RAY went there on $40/day, it’s always suggested on The Chat, and it kept slipping through the cracks. [For what it's worth, the fellas I dined with seemed very excited about the fact that Ms. Ray recommended Teaism. Interesting sidenote.]

Recently I finally went to the Penn Quarter Teaism for lunch and was overall pleased and am looking forward to returning there—although maybe a little earlier, next time!

The PQ location was very crowded during the normal lunch time. Despite a sign politely asking people to not “save seats,” seats were being saved—we could see people sitting alone at empty tables with no food, waiting for the person in line. What is the problem with this, you might ask? Someone else may very well eat and finish by the time you get through the line! Seriously! The three of us had to sit outside in order to sit together, which wasn’t the most pleasant option on a typical steamy day.

The fried chicken bento box was our meal of choice. Small pieces of fried chicken (light, not greasy at all), cucumber ginger salad (reminded me of the cucumber dipping sauce at Thai restaurants, but with whole slices of cucumber), and sweet potato pieces. I noticed while online that as your food makes it down the Teaism assembly line, some unmarked squeezy bottles are picked up and the food is drizzled in—um—something. I’m not sure what was on top of my sweet potatos, but I’d rather there wasn’t so much of it.

To drink, the Mint Morrocan Green Tea was not nearly as flavorful as it should have been. When mint is the first word, it should taste MINTY! It did not. Another tea, the “special,” that I can’t remember the name of, had lots of tamarind in it (listed as the main ingredient), and was apparently delicious. The ginger limeade, according to a colleague, was too sweet—the first few sips were good, and after that it was a little too much to handle.

Overall, Teaism is a unique place to go for lunch when you are sick of the typical Cosi/Potbelly scene.

Soon I’ll be posting an It’s Just Lunch—or is it? segment with all my favorite area lunch choices to help you the next time 12 rolls around and you have no clue what you want. Or your picky coworkers want suggestions.

(Friends, if you don’t start commenting I will disown you all.)

Teaism
www.teaism.com
Lafayette/Penn Quarter/Dupont

Corduroy

Corduroy was a birthday destination, and I’m returning soon for Restaurant Week this August (partly to double-check that I’m remembering the food correctly). I’m bound to get hungry while recapping the experience we had last time, which was sensational.

Location: awkward. I have friends that walked by Corduroy daily without knowing it was there, until I clued them in. The restaurant is hiding inside the Four Points Hotel, for now. It’s scheduled to move to Shaw (1122 9th St NW to be precise) at the beginning of the new year. While I want it to be packed with people, both for Chef Tom Power’s sake and for the welfare of the people (seriously, they are missing out right now!), I kind of liked it being somewhat of a secret spot. I felt like I knew something that no one else knew—just me and everyone else who reads Tom’s chat. We walked from Dupont because it was a warm-but-not-hot day and we enjoy a good stroll.

Enough small talk. I had the buffalo mozzarella porcupine, which was divine. I can’t really explain what it is, but it’s cheese, it’s warm, and it has a spiky (but not painful) breaded outside that made me downright glad. Being a recovering vegetarian, I opted for the safe roasted chicken as my entrée. This was the first time I had ordered chicken in a while. As a relatively non-threatening choice, grilled or roasted chicken is my go-to food, but I had an incident in Philly that curbed my chicken appetite. Basically, I had the same rubbery, dry grilled chicken for lunch and dinner for four days straight. Blech.

My meal at Corduroy reopened my heart to chicken dishes, and made me a believer in the 3 hour dinner. We lingered over wine, thought about dessert for more than 2 minutes, and—how is it so—DIGESTED a little in between each course. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxing, the perfect private and romantic birthday spot.

The vanilla bean crème brulee was a fine choice in dessert. I have nothing negative to say about this meal, except that I made the mistake in not repeating it weekly ever since.

Corduroy
www.corduroydc.com
1201 K Street NW
Metro: Metro Center or McPherson Square