This morning, I noticed a reference to a local pizzeria coming up as number two slice in the USA, which is not the same as their best pizzerias in the USA list. So, a couple of hours later, I checked out Slice and Pie at 14th and Florida Avenue, a small pizzeria with very limited seating.
I tried the Detroit Style with peperoni and honey, BBQ Brisket collaboration with Federalist Pig, and (plain) Cheese. I don’t know if this spot is really number two slice in the country, but it puts out some really good slices. I was surprised at how much I liked the BBQ slice (white garlic base, mozzarella, Federalist Pig Smoked Brisket, caramelized onions, pickled onions, pickled jalapeno, potato, sticky garlic sauce) and will definitely return to try some other slices soon.
Also, not by the slice, but you can order a New England Clam Pie or a variety of Gluten Free options.
The only pizzeria on the best pizzeria in the USA list on the top 50 anywhere near DC is in Baltimore and came in at number 50.
Thanks Cassandra Hetherington (Main Streets Cleveland Park Director) for this scoop: “Stop by Coldstone Creamery (3501 Connecticut Avenue NW) on Tuesday February 11th between 5-6pm to meet the new owners Abby and Jingo. Grab a free scoop of ice cream while you’re there too!!”
Now we know where to go for watermelon sorbet with gummy bears this summer. Yes, it’s a thing!
And, thanks to our friend “Sh” for forwarding the message with the Coldstone Creamery intel.
We recently attended a media preview at the new Mezeh location on Capitol Hill. It’s a fast casual Mediterranean restaurant where you can order already designed bowls or wraps or build your own meal. I’m rushing this article a bit to let you know about the (today only) grand opening special (scroll down) and am including images (like my steak bowl from that evening). Their zhoug and fried eggplant are stand outs. For a soft drink, I mixed the Mandarin Cardamum and Strawberry Dragon Fruit (don’t judge) which was good.
I snagged some of the spice mixes they use on their proteins and am having fun adding them to dishes I’m making.
Mezeh does catering pickup and delivery, but this location only does pickup.
-JAY
Disclosure: From time to time, we are given free items, meals, or entry to events. Our words are still our own.
Side-by-side sister restaurants, Karizma and Karma Modern Indian are a block from Chinatown and have some very interesting dishes. Karma has transitioned to a reservation-only tasting menu concept, with a selection of 4, 6, and 9-course menus show casing a rich culinary journey across the Indian subcontinent. We were lucky enough to try a few of these modern Indian dishes and a couple of cocktails and a small media dinner. Karizma is more casual and features an ala carte menu.
The cocktails we tried at Karizma were the Silk Route, featuring Tequila, Pineapple, Turmeric, Basil and A Moment, featuring Vodka, Beetroot Shrub, Aperol, Falernum. I preferred Silke Route since A Moment was a little sweet for me, but both were well-crafted cocktails.
Karizma’s signature dish, Nirvana 37 includes 37 carefully-selected ingredients: mango, fennel root, turnip, watermelon radish, lotus root, edamame, affila cress, micro cilantro, basil leaves, Aji Amarillo peppers, onion, garlic, Kashmiri chilies, dates, ginger, spinach, potatoes, lemon, beetroot, sorrel, frisée lettuce, radish daikon, jaggery, tamarind, asafoetida, mustard oil, chickpea flour, rice flour, black rice, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, onion seeds, fennel seeds, black salt, fenugreek seeds, turmeric powder, and black pepper. This vegan dish is a tasty collection of flavors and textures. The crispy noodles are made from chickpeas and rice, giving them a different texture than heavier traditional chickpea only versions.
We moved next door to Karma where we tried the Tellicherry Pepper Crab (roasted garlic cremeaux, jakhiya, and yellow chili powder; region: Kerala), Coconut Avocado Tikki (red peppers, shallots, and spearmint; region: Tamil Nadu) and Saffron Duck (fennel, broccoli rice, watermelon radish; region: Himachal Pradesh). All three of these dishes were excellent, but I found the avocado dish to be the most surprising, since I have not tried similar cooked avocado dishes.
Desserts were the Dal Lentil Halwa with Pat De Fruit and Dodha Burfi with Rabri Mousse. Both desserts were both creatively presented and tasty.
Pricing at Karma: 4 course menu – $95, 6 course menu – $125, 9 course menu – $165.
It is great having these restaurant concepts side-by-side in the area. Give them a try if you’re an Indian food fan.
-JAY
Disclaimer: From time to time, we are given free meals, but out opinions are our own.
A few months ago, we shared an image of Freshfarm’s weekly (individual) Market Share. Here is yesterday’s family Market Share. This bigger version usually has larger amounts of that week’s seasonal produce than the individual share with an extra item or two. The produce changes weekly. I picked up at Foggy Bottom, but other options are Columbia Heights, Ballston, City Center, Whittier Elementary, Minnasota Avenue, and THEARC.
The seedless green grapes from Mickley’s Orchard (which sells at the Whitehouse Farmer’s Market) are really good.
-JAY
Editor’s Note: Pawpaw fans will be pleased to know that Two Boots Farm will be selling them the next two Sundays at the DuPont Farmer’s Market.
Watermelon Salad, Baba Ganouj, Duck Prosciutto, KaranabPandora (Gin, Lavender, Lime)Ras-El Hanout Short Ribs with Grilled Potatoes.Whole Levraki: Grilled Seabass, Asparagus, FennelAntep BaklavaShish Kunafa
We visited Ala late last year and enjoyed a great meal. Recently, we heard that the menu had been updated, so decided to return. I brought the same guest to both dinners. It was her birthday, hence the candle in her baklava. We did order Antep Baklava and Baba Ganouj again but everything else was new to us.
We ordered the Pandora (gin, lavender, lime) and glass of Tarrida Brut Brut Cava (Spain). We were wondering how gin, lavender, and lime would work together — would the gin overpower it? It turned out to be a great cocktail that we will order again. The cava was refreshing, and full flavored with very well-balanced acidity. It was one of the better cavas we have tried.
Duck Prosciutto was new to us, and we both enjoyed it. It was flavorful with a nice slightly chewy (cured) texture. The crispy rice lavash it was served on was flimsy, making the duck a little difficult to eat, but well worth the effort. We always enjoy their Baba Ganou — this is the third time we have ordered it. The watermelon salad (watermelon, feta, water cress, mint, pomegranate) was refreshing and a nice flavor and texture combination. The Brussels sprouts, walnuts, and toum (garlic sauce) dish (Karanab) was very well executed, and my guest made a point of mentioning that she really enjoyed it.
The entrees (Grilled Seabass and Short Ribs) were both standouts. We agreed that the beef dish was the favorite of the evening (very flavorful with a nice meaty texture and served with delicious grilled potatoes), but the fish was a close second. The Seabass was delicate and worked well with the grilled lemon, red onions, radishes, fennel, and asparagus. We originally intended to order the Turkish Coffee Rub Lamb Shank, but they were out of it. The lamb probably had enough caffeine to jump the fence and make a run for it.
The Antep Baklava (vegan) and Shish Kunafa (pistachio, rose, sweet cheese, pistachio, rose) were both very good desserts.
The service as always is really good at Ala. Everyone is personable and attentive and the dietary restrictions (a few between the two of us) were handled well. They even let us switch tables to one where the lighting was better when they saw us taking photos.
If you ever wondered what Freshfarm’s Market Share looks like, below is this week’s bounty. It includes two bunches of celery, one kohlrabi, a half pint of blueberries, a pint of cherry tomatoes, one large zucchini, basil, and a lot of scallions. This is the personal share which sells for $26 per week. The family share sells for $40 per week. They also have a grain share for $10 a week which was black beans this week. There are about a half dozen pickup spots including Foggy Bottom, City Center, and Columbia Heights. Their website says EBT/SNAP customers get a huge discount, so be sure to tell anyone that applies to.
Beresovsky’s Deli (in Navy Yard) now has a popup Monday to Friday 11am to 3pm at Mi Casa in DuPont Circle. We were at the soft opening today and tried the brisket, pastrami, and corned beef, and highly recommend the corned beef.
-JAY
Editor’s note: Also try the corned beef at Deli City in Northeast (near the Arboretum), which is open weekdays during the day.
We tried 2fifty’s new location in DC (Mount Vernon Triangle) yesterday for lunch, arriving at about 11:30 a.m. Since they could not find DC landlord willing to let them smoke meat, the BBQ comes from their Maryland location.
Luckily, 2Fifty still had wagyu brisket at 11:30am, since they tend to run out of it early. The wagyu brisket was truly great, and the pulled lamb, mac n cheese, and pickled vegetable accompaniments were good. This is the best barbecue I’ve had in the DC area so far. The tamales were showcased on a handwritten specials list in the front window, and only $7 for two. The brisket tamales are definitely made in a Salvadoran style (the owners are Salvadoran).
