Lists Galore! Most Recommended, Favorite Dishes, and To-Eat

Sometimes I make lists.  Personalized Google Maps, library wishlists, and all of that jazz.  Below are some lists that may make it easier to narrow down your dining options.  I'll intersperse the pictures relevant to the list IN BETWEEN as not to disrupt the sanctity of the list.  The first rule of listmaking is that we don't talk about listmaking.  Wait, no, wrong movie.


Let me know what you would add!  I somehow ended up with 9 for the first two.  And also, because I love you, all of the To Do list restaurants have links to the web sites.


9 Frequently Frequented (and Recommended)
2 Amys
Cafe Atlantico
Corduroy
Palena (if you don't get the fry plate and roasted chicken, lie to me and tell me that you did)
Poste
Ray's Hell-Burger
Ray's the Steaks
Vermilion
Zola

 Ravioli at Cafe Atlantico

 
9 Favorite Dishes of the Past Year
These are my favorites from this past year, where I look back and say WOW.  That was interesting, and delicious, and I want to do it again. I'll break it down by meal.

Brunch
Smoked brisket hash at South Congress Cafe - Austin, TX

Starters
Shiitake veloute at Volt 
Pea and parmesan soup at J&G Steakhouse
Conch fritters at Cafe Atlantico
Lamb meatball sliders from Zola

Lunch 
Turkey salad sandwich at Jetties

Dinner
PIZZA at DiFara's Pizza - Brooklyn, NY
Cavatelli with rabbit ragu and fava beans at B&B Ristorante (ok, barely a year ago!) in Las Vegas
Ripieno basilico from 2 Amys  (most recently consumed in March.  Before that, December.)

Brisket hash at South Congress Cafe

Turkey salad sandwich at Jetties

On My To-Do List (excluding places where we have pending  reservations):
Againn
Black Market Bistro
Café Green (their web site makes weird things happen to my computer, I don't like it)
Café India
Cava
CommonWealth Gastropub
CityZen
Eatonville
Eola
Ethopic
Granville Moore’s
Kushi
La Ferme Restaurant
Los Cuates
Masa 14
minibar
Obelisk
Oyamel (for brunch - been for dinner, want the migas)
Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza (Ten-Frien, I'm looking at you!)
Potenza
Spices
Surfside (J has been THREE TIMES. WTH)
Sweetgreen (what?! I’ve never had a salad from Sweetgreen. Only fro yo. I want it!)
Tabard Inn
Taylor Gourmet
The Inn at Little Washington (special occasion, where are you?)
Vinoteca
Westend Bistro

Where am I going this Restaurant Week?

The answer is....drumroll.....NO WHERE.  Now that I don't work/learn downtown, lunch is out of the question.  That was my favorite part of RW!  Does anyone remember Zola from last winter RW?  It sparked my interest in the fabulosity known as Zola's lamb meatball sliders. This Capital Spice map is from Summer '09 RW, but see the void northeast of the city?   That's where I am during work hours.  Bummer city.

Not that $35 isn't still a good deal (at some establishments), but working off-Metro and having a partner-in-crime working past prime time does not equal RW success.

As for where you should go, in my total non-expert but still pushy opinion, please make sure wherever you go has a real "deal" for you.  Check out the regular menu--if all the things you would want (app, entree, dessert) barely add up to $35, then don't bother going during this crowded week.  Go at your convenience, most likely with better service and fewer crowds.

For example, what I would want from Ceiba likely adds up to about $38.  Should I rush to get an RW reservation?  Or should I take advantage of SATURDAY happy hour (with half-priced bar food), or the $29 pre-theater.  Yes, you heard me--the pre-theater menu is less than RW, and this isn't uncommon at all!  But for the thrill of RW (and admittedly, maybe a more convenient dining time), you can pay $35.10 for that fun.

I don't want to sound grumpy.  You know I love to spend money on lavish and ridiculous tasting menus.  But use your noggin, and don't let anyone trick you into thinking you got a "deal."  If you love the sandwiches (hovering around $9) at Restaurant 3, then don't go for RW.  I'm looking out for you in these tough economic times. 

I just recommended Willow to an Arlingtonian--they are extending, so maybe I can get over there while it lasts!  You can see menus and who is extending over at DCFoodies.

Where are you going this RW?  Where have you been?  What did you like?  What wasn't worth it?  Any surprisingly good or bad service???  HELP US CHOOSE!!!!

Zola

Zola has bathrooms hiding behind a swinging piece of "wall." Shadows of PIs in fedoras and identical rooms that make you double-check whether or not you're actually looking into a mirror are the norm here.

Yup. It's next to the Spy Museum.

B and I agonized over where we'd do Restaurant Week lunch--she's a veg, so we wanted to make sure the vegetarian options would actually be worth the $20.09 lunch, and she didn't feel like having fish necessarily (like at Hook). We wanted a place that would be new to both of us, and exciting enough for our sophisticated guest from the Big Apple, L.

Zola offered their entire menu for RW. NICE.

First L and I had the soup of the day: roasted eggplant, tomato, and basil. I wasn't sure what to expect, but what I got was silky smooth and just a touch smoky. Really delish, and not too rich/creamy (a common offense with some tom/bas soup).


B noshed on the Butter Lettuce Salad, which was topped with gouda, almonds, oranges, and a flat, chip-like crouton.



For lunch, I enjoyed the grilled romaine salad with roasted chicken. It was good, but not out-of-this-world. To be honest, I went with a salad entree to ensure some room in the belly for dessert. Still, not the best grilled romaine I've ever had. B had the lobster mac and cheese, which I gather was delicious but veeery rich. And L had this unbelievably moist and flavorful lamb burger. It was so juicy and so well-seasoned, it was aaaamazing. L was also a huge fan of the tzatziki-esque sauce on the side.



Dessert was lovely. Pumpkin pecan roll (with brown sugar sour cream ice cream), key lime cheesecake (with tequila anglaise), and warm apple-quince pie (with gingersnap ice cream. My favorite was the pumpkin pecan roll.







My overall impressions: good service, restaurant is bigger than I thought, not too loud, full of ladies lunching, food was overall delicious--some things more than others, but still a very strong showing.

Zola
800 F St NW
Metro: Green, Yellow or Red Lines to Chinatown/Gallery Place. Or take a short walk from Archives/Navy Memorial or Metro Center.

Restaurant Week

A lot of people (ok, maybe it's just J--you know, of the famous J&J, soon to be featured again in another sushi adventure?) have been asking me about Restaurant Week, a semi-annual event occurring in August and usually January--this year, February. My guess is that there was too much excitement with some other D.C.-based event this January and RW didn't want to cater to the tourists. It's a local yokels thing. Lunch = $20.09, Dinner = $35.09, and yes New Yorkers, we include the weekend in our RW!

See DCFoodies for a list of participating restaurants and many menus--all the menus aren't quite out yet, but get your hands on what you can. As DCFoodies suggests, try to go to a place that offers most or all of their regular menu. The Mr. has become somewhat anti-RW because 1) he wants to order whatever he wants, not from a limited menu that may only have two or three choices for each course, and 2) it annoys him that certain restaurants are totally eat-at-able for less than $35/person, making RW not really a "deal."

Take that into consideration when choosing. Also keep in mind which restaurants are extending. I'll tell you a few of my favorites from DCFoodies' list of extenders in reverse alphabetical order, with a link to my posts on them...

1. Zaytinya (1 week)]
2. Rasika (1 week)
3. Farrah Olivia (month of February)
4. Dino (1 week)

None of this is rocket science--these are top restaurants by most standards. But I just wanted to share my feelings :)

Where am I going, you ask? Lunch at Zola--I've never been--on Monday, and dinner at Zaytinya on Friday. I really don't find Zaytinya to be very expensive, and I'm not sure how RW works because of all the small plates. I'm going because we took M for brunch last May and she's been in NY dreaming about it every since; it was clear that on her next trip to DC we'd be trekking to Chinatown.

Hudson - Restaurant Week

It's been a while. I've been eating, but not as much at restaurants. It seems school has devoured my life. But fear not! I will tell you about Hudson.

I recently [editor's note: not so recently, it turns out] enjoyed RW lunch at Hudson with two lovely ladies. Hudson replaced David Greggory at 20th and M Streets last fall, across from the St. Gregory hotel (::shudder::).

I decided to recklessly abandon any shred of healthy-eating decency at this particular lunch, which is why I had (1) Corn chowder (with piquillo peppers, chives, and chorizo oil), (2) buttermilk fried chicken (with whipped potatoes, gravy, and HONEY), and (3) a root beer float with vanilla bean ice cream. My food was awesome. The corn chowder wasn't super thick and creamy, so it wasn't as inappropriate for summer as it initially sounds, trust me! I rarely eat fried chicken, but if you're gonna do it, do it this way--so good! Not greasy at all!

I'll let S and L talk about their food...

S: For an appetizer, I ordered the beef brochette, which was served on top of a mini salad of frisee, pear, and a "roquefort crouton." The beef was tender, a little seared on the outside (my favorite), and so flavorful. Delicious. While I avoided the frisee (I don't waste energy eating wannabe lettuce), the "crouton" was a fried and melty blob of blue cheese. Such a good pairing with the beef. I'd totally get it again.

My main dish was a stuffed tomato florentine, which normally wouldn't be my main dish but I was tempted by the thought of a fresh summer tomato. It wasn't amazing. It was well plated, at least, with a cute little tomato hat, but I'd only recommend it to a vegetarian. It grew on me the more I ate it, but it didn't have a ton of flavor. L's beef tenderloin looked much more appetizing, but then I wouldn't have discovered the beef brochette since I probably wouldn't double up on a beef appetizer and a beef main dish. Oh well!


Despite being Miss Chocolate USA, as ieatDC just named me, I ordered the coconut panna cotta for dessert, again being tempted by a summery dish. It was also plated well with a drizzle of pomegranate sauce and a homemade tart lemon wafer cookie stuck in top. The pomegranate "sauce" was like a concentrated, highly flavorful extraction and added a nice zing to the panna cotta. Perhaps I'm not that familiar with panna cotta in the first place, but it was chewier than I imagined? I guess I thought it'd be like a flan or a mousse, but it was still delicious!

L: [Had the bet salad with goat cheese, beef tenderloin, and sweet potato bread pudding.] I thought the beets were good, though this type of salad is pretty much ubiquitous now, and I've had tastier versions at other restaurants. That doesn't mean it was bad, but it wasn't *amazing*. The beef tenderloin was a huge portion, and it was delicious. I would definitely order it again--it was the best part of my meal. The dessert was good, but the buttery sauce was too rich for me--I don't think I'd order it again.



Food was really really pretty. Generally tasty. Nothing to freak out about, but in the winter they usually have matzah ball soup, and I'm dying to try it.

Hudson
2030 M Street NW
Metro: Red Line to Dupont Circle

PS7's RW

OK, so it was Restaurant MONTH practically over at PS7's (that's chef Peter Smith and 777 I St NW), after a somewhat lackluster RW experience there last year, J was itching to go back after reading various positive reviews.

To start, J had the mussels and I had the spicy tuna tartare sliders on Parkerhouse rolls. They were absolute wonders in one teensy bite. Delicious and beautiful. I want them again. Right now.

J had the beef short rib and tenderloin - the short rib was falling apart (in a good way, not like "this friendship is falling apart!"), it was super soft (but not mealy). It was like the best brisket I'd ever had in my entire life. I was boring (and trying to be healthy), so I had fish with vegetables and it was fine, but I wasn't jumping out of my chair.

The beignets with the two sauces (one fruit and one chocolate) were divine, so do yourself a favor and save room for dessert.

Lately I've been sort of into trying cocktails, so I had a delicious drink with rum, lemonade, and ginger ale--not too sweet (so appropriate with dinner) but a nice change from beer or wine. I need to become better versed in cocktails--it'll only happen if I order them!

PS7's
777 Eye Street NW
Metro: Gallery Place, Chinatown

Hook

The Peanut Gallery should chime in here, especially the ones that dined with me at Hook. I'm not going to be subtle with you, you two.

Anyway,
How fancy am I! My new description should be Recent Diner at Hip New Georgetown Eatery.

Went to Hook for Restaurant Week and we were all very pleased! The menu had a lot of different options, both for the fish-eater and his/her potentially non-fish-eating companion.

I wasn't feeling so hot, but I wouldn't dare cancel such a prime RW lunch. Sacrifice is necessary for greatness. Food greatness, that is.

I started with a local garden salad, no frills. It was delicious! The vinaigrette had such a lovely flavor, and it wasn't overwhelming (or drenching) my vegetables. The greenery was unlike any lettuce I've ever seen--I was nervous when I first eyed it that it would taste bitter, but it didn't at all. It reminded me of a tangle of clovers. Also, unlike my lunch at PS7's, my salad had more than one pine nut in it!

My fellow diners enjoyed the beet salad and the peach and prosciutto salad. On a regular healthy day I probably would have went for the peach, too. The beets were orange, which was a fun surprise, I think. There were other various salads and two "Flight of Crudo" choices. In our educational portion of the lunch, we learned from our friendly server that crudo is a bite of raw fish usually oiled and seasoned, and the flight comes with three.

For our entrees we got the wahoo (served over corn), barracuda (not the one you're thinking of, that one is poisonous to eat--but this is still rare for a restaurant) over polenta, and MUSSELS! The orange-red sauce on the mussels was described on the menu as having some fire, but I didn't really taste any heat. They did have a delicious smoky sort of flavor that I'm not used to having with my mussels--I expect either garlicky white wine-ness or red tomatoeyness. I'm not HUGE on spicy food, but I've come to appreciate that there is a time and a place for those flavors, and these mussels could have been kicked up a little bit. The sauce was delicious, and the perfect pieces of accompanying toast work well for sopping it up.

If you or someone you know doesn't eat fish, they had a hamburger and fries on the RW menu! Hah!

The service at Hook was very prompt. While we (not impatiently) waited for our first course, someone dropped by and asked if we had received our appetizers yet. When we said no, they came about a minute later. Some confusion, but at least they were paying attention to our table. Our glasses were kept full with iced water, and on a day where the temperature probably peaked at close to 100, hydration is a priority.

The space is pretty small but doesn't seem crowded because of the high-ish ceilings and open kitchen. When you walk in you can see straight back into the kitchen, making the restaurant seem larger than it actually is. I love the art on the walls (particularly one of a clam where you can see the blue, spotted interior of the shell) and the light fixtures. The long, tall table by the bar looks like a fun place to gather with friends after work.

Gripes: It is LOUD in there. Pretty on par with Central for loudness, and this was during a pretty busy but not totally wild lunch time--I can't imagine, nor do I want to, what it sounds like when the bar is full. The bathrooms are single-stall, and more than once I saw three or four girls go at once, only to realize it's just one, and then wait outside. Luckily, the bathroom has its own little enclave so the waiting people weren't hovering over another table.

Hook
www.hookdc.com
3241 M Street NW
Metro: Take the bus, Circulator, walk from Foggy Bottom on the Blue/Orange line, or take a shuttle from Foggy Bottom or Rosslyn station.

PS7's

The only reason I went to PS7’s in the first place was because when I heard it was named after the chef Peter Smith, I was tickled that I had a very brilliant, serious professor with the same name. I looked at the web site to make sure he wasn’t leading a double life as a fabulous chef, and thought the menu looked interesting—okay fine, I wanted the hot dogs. The following describes my experiences at the restaurant—one during Restaurant Week, and one a few months before. Enjoy the discrepancies.

Part 1--PS7’s On Any Old Regular Kinda Day
We may have been the only people in the restaurant, and we weren’t even inside. On a gorgeous not-too-hot summer afternoon, we sat outside and enjoyed some quality people-watching in Chinatown.

J went for the steak and potatoes, a little heavy for my lunch tastes but perfect for him. According to him, his steak was better than the one he’d had earlier in the week at the District Chophouse. I went for the 4 little half-smokes, each sitting in a delicious homemade bun, arranged in an orderly fashion beside small containers of ketchup and mustard. My side of pomme frites was a perfect complement, and I felt that PS7’s had successfully reinvented the hot dog and fries of the picnics and barbecues we once knew. The half-smokes were juicy and flavorful, which was almost surprising—their small size could easily lead to overcooking.

Also, everything was piping hot! I LOVE my food either hot hot hot or cold, and lukewarm is NOT going to do it for me. Perhaps that’s why I eat so quickly…I truly heed the advice to “get it while it’s hot.”

Our service was impeccable—you never know when it’s empty if you’ll be smothered or ignored, but our server was friendly, funny, honest in his suggestions, and best of all he made sure our glasses of iced tea were full. After all, we were sitting outside. In DC. During the summer.

We didn't have appetizers or desserts because hey, it's lunch, and what do you think this is? Restaurant Week?!?! That's later.

PART 2, JUST AS IMPORTANT AS PART 1--PS7’s on Restaurant Week:
The restaurant was bustling. I was so excited to share with a friend the wonder I had discovered that is PS7’s, which I felt (at that moment) was underrated! I started with Sarah’s Salad, which the menu describes as containing strawberries, pine nuts, gouda, and pearl onions. The plate I received was embarrassingly large for the serving of salad that sat on it. Too much dressing, too little of what was touted by the menu. Some scrawny shaved gouda was on top of the salad, but I wish it was cubed. The salad lacked texture, which is funny because there were supposed to be pine nuts in it—crunchy, no? More like pine nut. Singular. Salad can be so delicious when it’s done right—all the ingredients were there (in theory), but the ratios were off, along with the temperature (not quite cold enough) and the amount of dressing. There's a different salad with the same initials I would have rather had, and it comes from a place that starts with a C and ends with an -osi.

M started with the risotto with chorizo, or something like that. It tasted all right to me, but to her (much more) sophisticated palate, it seemed undercooked. She said that in theory it seemed like a good idea on paper, but the execution was lacking something. I liked the smoky flavor, but otherwise didn’t think it was that special.

Next I got my seared scallops, asparagus, seared (and finely diced) tomato with plum vinaigrette. The golden color on top of the scallops was perfect, and the plating was pleasant to my eye. I LOVED the flavors introduced by the plum vinaigrette, sweetness really does it for me.

M wasn’t thrilled with her particular cut of lamb. It was okay, very peppery, but still good. It may not have been as disastrous if two things hadn’t gone wrong at this moment. One, her side order of potatoes never arrived, even when we’d been told they were “on their way.” Two, the supposed “rustic bread” that was to be served with her lamb was mysteriously missing from the plate. Neither of us would have realized #2 save for the fact that we still had our menus so we could contemplate dessert. Our waiter sort of looked at us like we were crazy when I inquired about the “rustic bread.” The potatoes, it turned out, had gone to the wrong table, and they were taken off the bill. Our iced teas never actually appeared on the bill…okay with us.

Dessert! Lemon cheesecake for M, the beignets for me. Beignets were definitely better, I thought. They were tasty either dry or with the strawberry sauce, but I didn’t care for the aftertaste from the chocolate sauce. It wasn’t creamy or thick enough to deserve to be paired with those little perfectly crisp doughnuts. The cheesecake was good, I really enjoyed the crispy little pieces of something—maybe shortbread?—and candied lemon rind (I think?) that sat on top of it, and the blueberry compote was good too. Nothing wrong with the cheesecake, I just liked the beignets better. Simple girl.

Our server was apologetic about the potatoes, and like I said, they were taken off the bill, but mistakes and annoyances like that can't help but put a damper on the meal. At one point, two women were leaving the restaurant, walking slowly, and 6 servers stared at them from the server station a few feet from our table. Was she famous? What was she doing? Who cares? All I know is, I don’t want 6 servers standing two feet from me all staring at someone. It’s awkward and makes diners uncomfortable. Didn’t their mothers collectively teach them not to stare? Also, it didn't seem like the servers knew what to do with themselves--I felt like saying, "Take me to your leader" but was sure there would be no leader. They lacked direction and seemed confused. It wasn't that crowded, and even if it was, you want to at least put forward the appearance of order.

Anyway, the food can be interesting and tasty, but while I entered thinking PS7’s should be The Next Big Thing, I left weirded out.

Being disappointed on Restaurant Week is like raaaaain on your wedding day, it's that freee riiiide when you already paid...

PS7’s
www.ps7restaurant.com
777 I Street NW
Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown