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07Apr

Food Wars DC – Battle of the REALLY HUGE SLICES!

DC Food Wars Airing Party

Tues, April 13th, Grand Central, 2447 18th Street NW, Washington, DC, 8:30-11pm

It’s next week! Finally! While the District of Columbia is best known for politics and historical landmarks, who would have thought that a jumbo-sized pizza slice could create such a stir? It’s a real Food War — with two warring brothers behind it all. Only one brother can win this food war. Which is it going to be, Pizza Mart or Jumbo Slice? You’ll have to watch to find out (I’m sworn to secrecy). It’s going to be exciting! Join us to watch the airing of DC’s Food Wars at Grand Central with other Fans and a one of the owners of the pizza establishments in the Food War!

If you haven’t heard, the new series titled FOOD WARS aired beginning March 9 on the Travel Channel. The host, Camille Ford, has been visiting various cities around the country and learning about their iconic food dishes. Camille has traveled to Minneapolis, Texas, Kansas, Tucson, and next up on their food journey: Washington, DC for the “Jumbo Slice.” The DC Food Wars with Dining in DC’s Lisa Shapiro, who served as a judge for the blindfolded taste test will air on Tuesday, April 13 at 10:00 p.m. EST. Who else is a local favorite? Yep! That’s right! Carla Hall. She may not be able to attend, but we’re working on it.

Here’s a Dining in DC article about the episode.

-Lisa Floresca Shapiro

Permalink Filed under: Etc, Events, Stores, Travel Tags: Adams Morgan, Camille Ford, Carla Hall, Gran Central, jumbo slice, Lisa Floresca Shapiro, Lisa Shapiro, pizza, Pizza Mart 3 Comments
29Mar

The (sacred) Inn at Little Washington. A Redux.

The Inn at Little Washington, man, I don’t know. Below I’ve laid out my Inn experience under three categories: 1) Food, 2) Service, and 3) Ambiance. I remember growing up and always hearing about the Inn. And I wonder, just wonder, if 10 years ago the Inn was hot because it was the best place to eat in the area, but as new restaurants move in and fine dining is just a metro stop away, if the Inn isn’t struggling to find its identity and its place in a burgeoning Washington, D.C. culinary scene.

The food. We arrived early and ordered some drinks while we waited for our table. We sat in the “living room” – a wonderfully cozy and sumptuous room with large pillows and quiet corners. The drink? A rosemary infused gin with champagne and other various pre-prohibition ingredients. It was delicious.

After being seated at our table, we opened our menus to find they were personalized. A nice touch. While perusing the menu we were given bread. It would have been better if it was warm. Maybe next time. We ordered some more cocktails and then were given a plate of amuse bouche – made with ingredients featured in many of the dishes on the menu. They were wonderful! A beet puree, a parmesan cream, a bite size lamb carpaccio, and a piece of black cod. We drank, we ate bread, we tasted the bouches, and ate more bread. They bread girl kept re-loading the bread dish. Eventually, I had to say no more. I didn’t come to the Inn for rolls.

Our first dishes – a Big Eye tuna, avocado, and mango salad with a saki-yuzu sorbet and some Carpaccio of herb crusted baby lamb with Caesar Salad ice cream. The tuna was good, but nothing I couldn’t find at a top-notch sushi restaurant in the city. And, honestly, it probably would have been better elsewhere. But the sorbet was tasty. The Carpaccio was flavorful and the Caesar Salad ice cream was inventive and interesting – the winner of the first course. Both dishes are pictured above.

For the second course, we ate macaroni and cheese and a homemade boudin blanc. Both were tasty, if not awesome. The mac and cheese consisted of nine ziti pieces covered in cheese with some black truffle grated on top. A bit absurd I think, and trying a tad too much. The boudin blanc was good. But really, when is sausage ever bad? Jimmy Dean is a millionaire for a reason! During this course, we also popped open a Petit Verdot – still my fav of all time.

For the mains, a delicious short rib and filet mignon combination and some medallions of rabbit. The rabbit – dry…sec…can I get a glass of water over here? It was the disappointment of the evening. And it was wrapped in pancetta! There was a collective sign of “ehhhh” heard from Washington, Virginia to Palermo, Sicily. The beef two ways was fresh, succulent, and tasted of the quality we were expecting.

Dessert…the Seven Deadly Sins – a little sampling of everything on the menu. The vanilla panacotta and the molten lava cake were stupendous. The rhubarb crumble, I could make. And the vanilla and butter pecan ice cream should be illegal to make. Frozen ice.

All in all, we were on a food roller coaster. Some definite highs and some lowly lows (for a place of this mythological caliber)! While mostly delicious, I don’t know if I’d go the distance for another try. I’ve got The Source only a few miles away and their duck is worth the price of a metro ticket.

The service. Attentive. Punctual. On point. Our personal server seemed aloof, chatting and laughing with other tables but serving us as if we were sitting in a Soviet-era pancake house. The bread girl was very sweet. And the water filling person deserves a raise. And we’d like to give a shout out to the Ginger who walked the dining room like a ballerina with a mission.

The ambiance. Take one part Grandma’s living room, one part Martha Stewart Living, and a healthy teaspoon of fine dinnerware, et voila, you have the Inn. It is what you’d envision the Mansion on O Street to look like… but then you see the yard sale. It was both classy and comfortable. The fringed lampshades worked, but barely.

In the end, the Inn at Little Washington experience: it lived up to the expectation, but didn’t surpass it.

AEK

Permalink Filed under: Drinks, Restaurants, Travel Tags: Inn at Little Washington, Petit verdot, Rabbit, The Seven Deadly Sins, The Source, Virginia, Washington 1 Comment
16Mar

Escaping the cold…

It was the worst winter DC had seen in years, and by late-February, this writer needed an extra helping of vitamin D…in the form of direct sunlight. An opportune conference for my day job and a nonstop flight put me in Miami Beach the week of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival for the second time. But I had no sightings of Flay, Morimoto, or Valladolid. No supping it up with the muckity muck for me. Tickets for the Festival events are pricey. Still recovering from the worst economic downturn in my lifetime, I found myself pressed to the do the beach on the cheap. Sure, I had an evening of people watching while dining outdoors at a Lincoln Road restaurant and another night at STK on the dime of gracious hosts, but for the most part, I was on my own and on a budget.

The morning my conference began, I cried my sorrows into a remarkably good café con leche at Tropical Beach Café. Located in an unassuming strip at 2891 Collins Avenue, north of South Beach hoopla, TBC is easy to overlook. Never mind this hole-in-the-wall joint is not actually on the beach. Don’t go to TBC for the ambience; go for eye-opening coffee and the stick-to-your-ribs breakfasts. After consuming enough caffeine to think, I opted for the baby bistec with fried eggs. I ordered the steak medium, but knew that it would come out on the well side regardless of what I said. Don’t be fooled by the “baby” label. Portions were substantial. Breakfast included French fries and the best pan I had my whole time in Miami Beach. All for about ten bucks.

Note the service will just as likely greet you in Spanish as English, but feel free to answer and order in whichever of the two you are most comfortable. Waitresses are attentive without hovering or rushing you out. My waitress was impressed but not shocked when she cleared away my empty plates. I topped it all off with a cortado (half espresso, half steamed milk). Hours of seminars in windowless conference rooms require caffeine…and I had to get my vitamin D from somewhere.

Tropical Beach Café, located at 2891 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, open all week from 8am-8pm, just a little too late to go straight from partying to pre-hangover breakfast.

– CAF (Guest Blogger)

Permalink Filed under: Restaurants, Travel Tags: South Beach, Tropical Beach Café No Comments
14Dec

Blue Bottle Café

It’s well established that DCFüd likes coffee. In particular, we like good coffee, strong coffee, and entertaining methods of coffee production – preferably all together. It should come as no surprise, then, that during a recent visit to San Francisco, I spent more than a little time at the Blue Bottle Café, first on my hotel concierge’s recommendation, and then because it was good.

Hidden in a courtyard which is not actually ‘on’ Mint Street, between Mission and Jessie Streets, it took me a few minutes to find the café. The space is bright and lively, with big tall windows and frankly awkward counter-in-the-middle seating. All the bubbling siphon pots make for a lovely science-lab feel I love. The menu, which changes regularly, is limited, especially since on my first visit they were out of eggs. At noon on a Saturday, this stuck me as especially poor form. The baristas were a mixed bag – but I won’t lie: the super attractive guy who gave me a free extra espresso shot in my au lait may have in fact been nicer than the girl who looked like she was chewing old lemons, but who can say?

Lacking eggs, I ordered the a waffle and siphon pot of coffee. The coffee was good, but I hate that it’s served in tall thin glasses (see above). Pretty, yes, but not a good vessel from which to enjoy hot beverage. It’s possible that this inappropriate delivery contributed to my ambivalence about the coffee. The waffle was also very pretty, and good, but came ‘pre-dressed’ with powdered sugar, maple syrup, and too much butter for my taste. Prices are pretty standard for San Francisco – I paid $13.50 for this, the standard coffee is $2.30, and special iced coffees which I had on subsequent visits were $3.50. It’s all better than Starbucks.

After breakfast, I decided to grab one of the Kyoto iced coffee things to go, since the cute barista said it was good and strong. It was both. Actually, it was phenomenal: super-strong, with a woody flavor like bourbon frozen over pure darkness. If I had any idea how to make this, I would never come down.

On my next visit, I sat at the small section of counter facing the ‘kitchen,’ which was much more comfortable, and I got to watch the mayhem back there for added entertainment. I ordered the polenta. It was tasty, but I’m not sure what makes it ‘polenta’ instead of grits. The consistency was more pea soup than anything. The pancetta garnish is the delicious but rubbery, and there was not enough of it. My companion had the toast with jam. The jam was great, but the gorgeous-looking inch-thick toast is pretty much just white bread. In the end, everything does come back to the coffee: my au lait is stellar. The second was even better, since that’s where the extra espresso shot went.

All in all, Blue Bottle Café is a good place to grab a coffee to go (especially the Kyoto one), or maybe to have a very quick sit-down bite. Or to meet a blind date. Actually, this is a great blind-date location: the seating is not comfortable enough for too much lingering – you have ample excuse to bail out quickly or to suggest a more intimate venue, should you be so lucky. Plus, the coffee is good and the food passable and not so heavy you’ll worry about looking a pig.

And yes, I lied in the first paragraph. I didn’t actually spend much time in the Blue Bottle Café, but rather drinking beverages from it.

Blue Bottle Café
66 Mint St.,
San Francisco, CA, 94103

– MAW

Permalink Filed under: Drinks, Restaurants, Travel Tags: café, coffee, San Francisco No Comments
01Dec

Is the foodie movement dead?

Eating Thanksgiving dinner – the turkey, et al – I got to thinking, “Is the foodie movement dead?” Granted, we have seen incredible advancements in the food industry over the past 50 years. At that same Thanksgiving dinner, my mother ordered raw tuna with sushi rice. Would this have happened 30 years ago in suburban Pennsylvania? Never (unless you were an immigrant from Japan, perhaps). But what is there that has the power to WOW us today? How can something be cooked different than it already is? I think the foodie movement is dead – or at least gasping for a breath.

Our global interconnectedness has brought us things young school children only dreamed about years ago. One of the best restaurants in D.C. serves goat, for the love of god – and people flock to eat it! We eat sushi when we want. Visit Ethiopia via U Street or Silver Spring. Kabobs are on street corners, and Cincinnati chili can be eaten in a strip mall. Anything and everything those children imagined is now available on our virtual doorstep.

And we’ve tasted all these foods prepared in diverse and questionable ways. We’ve deconstructed Caesar salads down to a foam. Whiskeys are now being infused with toasted marshmallows. And pears are being crossed with plums and grown in the shape of Buddha! Where else can we go? You can only sauté, boil, butter, roast, stir-fry, and bake so many things in so many ways. Only so many foods can be whipped into a foam or reduced to a powder. Liquid nitrogen is riding on the water skis with Fonzi. Perhaps, in the end, we’ve come full circle.

We now go out and order meatloaf. We go gaga when tater tots are on the menu. Macaroni cheese has popped up in the finest of restaurants. Are we returning to the 1950s? Have we eaten so many new and exotic cuisines that we now demand the comforts of home, the delicacies that still reign supreme in Ohio, the recipes of Betty Crocker? I wouldn’t go so far. But I do think, with so many choices, that we’ve become tired of the exotic and the new. My mother eats sushi for Thanksgiving because she’d never eaten it until five years ago. You and I grew up with it. It’s normal. We’re immune to the insane.

So where do we go from here? Unexpected combinations of food? Fire-roasted cherry and peanut balls? Anything is possible. And don’t get me wrong, I love everything that’s going on in the foodie world. I just wonder how much farther we can push it. Good, fresh ingredients cooked to perfection, absent the molecular dressings, can entice even the pickiest of eaters. Let us look to the future boldly and without fear. A new trend is bound to arise, a new food discovered, and new cooking technique perfected. And we’ll all be there, hoping for a bite or a sip, confident that while the foodie movement may be ailing, we know our own adventurous spirit will never die.

AEK

Permalink Filed under: Etc, Travel Tags: Foodies, global cuisine, molecular gastronomy 1 Comment
29Nov

Drunken Korean in San Francisco

I was on San Francisco for a work trip, and was not about to let the grueling conference schedule interfere with my penchant for finding random weird people at a happy hour someplace not a hotel bar. As usual, some obliging randoms (hi Juan, Mai, and JJ, if you’re reading this!) entertained me at a recommended bar (Vesuvio) one evening during my stay. Sadly, they’d been drinking all day and were ready for bed by about 10PM, leaving me to realize that I had not had anything but bar snacks for dinner, and was actually pretty hungry.

So I wandered back towards my hotel, keeping an eye out for food. Being slightly tipsy and more than a little indecisive, I ended up steps from my hotel before realizing that I was still, in fact, hungry (and slightly tipsy). There I came across Cocobang. It’s near the hotel (a bad sign), but was full of people, including ones speaking Korean, drinking and eating and looking like they were having a good time (a good sign); anyways San Francisco is known for great food of the Asian variety, so I figured I’d give it a shot.

I went in to the dark restaurant and was greeted by cheesy techno and a friendly host, who sat me in a corner where I could observe the whole scene. May I mention how much I love California’s smoking ban? In Atlanta, this place would have been full of cheap cigarette smoke. My server brought me tea (in a plastic cup), a menu, and asked if I’d been there before. I told him no, but that I loved Korean food and wanted to try his favorite dish on the menu. I don’t think he believed me, and tried to steer me towards the fried chicken wings which, on the next table, looked OK, but not at all like what I wanted.

Again emphasizing that I wanted the regular version (as opposed to the for-whiteys version), I ordered the spicy beef short rib BBQ plate, because it smelled really good from the table on the other side of me from the chicken. I was loving the hilarious music videos being played on the giant TV over a bar that looks more like someone’s office than a place to set drinks (papers are piled high on top), and only nearly stopped myself from adding a soju cocktail to my order. But, I had to be up for work in the morning!

My food came out: slices of beef in a neon red sauce. My server again looked incredulous when I told him that I didn’t need a fork and knife (I’d been glancing now and again at my neighbors, ensuring I had the proper technique in mind). Since the ribs were bone-in, and you really just had to gnaw the meat off the bones, it was messy and a bit of a challenge, but food’s more fun when you earn it!

It was tasty, but not the best I’ve ever had. The sauce was nice – not much oil in it, letting the fat from the beef take care of that texture – and while not as spicy as I’d have liked (mine was clearly not as spicy (by smell alone) as the one next to me), it was not too sweet and still had good flavors. The accompanying kimchee, pickled soybeans, and radish were good too. I finished my meal, happily sated but not stuffed at all (the portion was really just right for me). I sipped tea and water, watched the really drunk patrons (most of the others there) and giggled at the videos.

All told, Cocobang is not the kind of place I’d go out of my way for, but as far as tourist-district restaurants go, it was tasty, pretty cheap ($15 plus tax etc.), and open very late. If I was in town on vacation and staying near Union Square (OK, that’s not likely, but whatever), I’d probably end up there for end-of-night munchies.

Cocobang
550 Taylor St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 292-5144

-MAW

Permalink Filed under: Restaurants, Travel Tags: Korean, San Francisco No Comments
07Oct

Save The Deli!

The Sixth and I Historic Synogogue is having a ($6) lecture by David Sax: Save the Deli, In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen on October 21st:

“As a life-long deli obsessive, David Sax was understandably alarmed by the state of Jewish delicatessen – a cuisine that once sat at the very center of Jewish life had become endangered by assimilation, homogenization, and health food trends. And so Sax set out on a journey across the U.S. and around the world in search of authentic delicatessen. As chronicled in his new book Save the Deli, Sax investigates everything deli – how it’s made, who makes it best, and where to go for particular dishes.

Sax will speak about how Jewish people view deli cuisine in relation to their health, weight, and bodies. Todd Kliman, Food and Wine Editor and Restaurant Critic for The Washingtonian, will then interview Sax to uncover if it is still possible to save the deli. Join this rallying cry for a new generation of food lovers, and sample some classic deli fare while you’re at it.”

I’m really looking forward to this lecture. 🙂 It does make me want to head over to Chutzpah for some pastrami.

-JAY

Permalink Filed under: Etc, Restaurants, Travel Tags: David Sax, Save The Deli, Sixth and I, Todd Kliman No Comments
15Aug

AEK on vacation – Part 2

The Portland Epicurean Tour…

Tomato-orange Soup at Elephants Delicatessen – a Portland legend. Tomato, yes. Orange, a little more nuanced. Not the liquid love it’s hyped up to be.

Bridgeport Beer…delicious. And the entire operation only produces one dumpster of waste per week. Portland has more breweries in its city limits than anywhere on earth. Pretty amazing, and it creates an atmosphere of something for everyone. I learned the history of the IPA – hint, it involves India.

Pearl Bakery…sourdough bread, buttery croissants, and brownies. The best part – an amazing olive oil that is only sold in bulk to large-scale operations. The bread and pastry, while nice, could have been bought at a Whole Foods.

Next up, wine tasting and mustards at the cooking school In Good Taste. The only highlight was curry mustard. We bought some to take home and I forgot it was in my carry-on bag. It sadly made it’s way to the trashcan. We also learned about ceramic knives…I’m intrigued…more on these later.

We then went for tea. Chinese and nothing to do with Portland.

After tea, Hot Lips Pizza. The chefs create seasonal toppings like peaches and feta. Why doesn’t D.C. have this exciting pizza creativity? Forget the giganto sloppy slice! Interestingly, I learned a woman on our trip – who looked like Trey’s mother from Sex and The City – worked for the Reagan White House. How interesting! Food brings everyone together!

It was also here we first tried Dry Soda – in flavors of rhubarb, lavender, and lemon grass to name a few. Inspired with a nice glass of gin.

And finally, we went to Cupcake Jones. Any loyal reader of AEK knows I HATE HATE HATE the cupcake craze! But I will admit, while I didn’t try it, this establishment attempts to make flavors like Root Beer Floats – filling the cupcake with root beer flavored buttercream.

All in all, Portland is a liveable city. The Pearl District, where we primarily ate, was a New York City sized U Street. The tour was great and I suggest you sign up – and then walk around after and explore the area.

AEK

Permalink Filed under: Drinks, Restaurants, Travel Tags: food tour, Oregon, Pearl District, Portland, Portland Epicurean Tour No Comments
03Aug

AEK on vacation…Part 1

Seattle….food tour…Seattle Bites Food Tour…FABULOUS…

Let’s take a tour of Pike Place Market for $30 (per person) and get healthy sized tasty bites from various famous stands. This is a MUST do in Seattle! And the highlights were…

1) Crepe de France…a Nutella/banana/almond crepe with whipped creme.

2) I Love New York Deli…pastrami and pickels shipped in from New York daily?! A knish that’s a REAL knish!? All from a stand that’s about the size of my bathroom?! I do love New York, even in Seattle.

3) Pike Place Chowder…supposedly the best New England clam chowder in the U.S. Yeah, right, this isn’t New England! But wait, I think it might be the best chowder. And they aren’t allowed to compete in Rhode Island any more because they just kept winning.

4) Maximilien…an “eh” cheese tarte. But a full glass of wine and beautiful view. They say it’s the most romantic restaurant in the market – kissing and such.

5) Uli’s Famous Sausage…good sausage, darn good sausage.

6) Pure Fish Food Market…not the one where they throw the fish, but pretty darn amazing. Smoked salmon. Ah, the smoked salmon. Even my fish-hating fellow traveler gobbled it all up.

7) La Buona Tavola…pretentious “small-batch” wine seller. Filled with passionate winers, the kind that say they don’t drink desert wine because it’s not real wine. They knew their stuff and garnered some instant respect. And the wine was wonderful.

And the tour completed. 3 hours, tons of food, and an inside into the market. Here’s an interesting fact – look up why there are no Japanese sellers in the market. Google it – trust me – it’s interesting.

As a side note, we also grabbed some delicious pastry at Piroshki Piroshki – doughy filled yumminess. And no, we didn’t go to the first Starbucks. And yes, I did go to the first Sur La Table. And no, we didn’t drink Seattle’s Best Coffee – it’s owned by Starbucks. P.S. the FABULOUS flower bouquets are $5 after 5:00 because they want to get rid of them. But you’ll learn that on the tour. You can find them through www.tripadvisor.com – do it when you go…or else!

Up next…PORTLAND!

AEK

Permalink Filed under: Etc, Restaurants, Travel Tags: food tour, Pike Place Market, Seattle No Comments
22Jun

Eating Seattle: Finale

Having already gorged myself on delicacies like fois gras and bahn mi, I realized that my time in Seattle would not be complete without a visit to at least one of Famous Chef Tom Douglas’ restaurants. So, for my final day there (sans conferencing) I wandered back down towards the market and decided to try brunch at Etta’s (WARNING: mildly obnoxious flash site!).

I was greeted and seated quickly, at a nice booth looking out the window or at the bar. And there, I waited (luckily, it was also Free Comic Book Day, so on my way down I’d picked up a selection to read). Finally, the waitress brought me some much-needed coffee, which unfortunately turned out to be a cup of the aforementioned Starbucks.

A while later, I ordered, choosing the salmon-cake Eggs Benedict. This was, sadly, a mistake. The hollandaise was a bit bland, the cakes heavy and a touch dry. Plus, I really have to ask: why the hell would you make a salmon CAKE with all that fabulous fresh fish available, just across the street?? I admit my fault in ordering it, but I was curious (and hopeful). Le sigh. Lesson probably never to be learned.

Willing to give the Iron Chef winner a second chance, I decided to eat my final dinner in Seattle at Palace Kitchen, conveniently located across the street from where I stayed. I got there fairly late again, and rather than wait for a table, I opted to sit at the very pretty bar, overlooking the entirely open kitchen and with a good view of the Sounders game, which was on TV. The place feels much bigger than it is, and has a nice, wood-fire-like lighting scheme. I really love getting to watch the kitchen work.

The bartender was very nice (also: hot), and immediately introduced me to the bar-snack bowl of hickory smoked almonds. These were bloody fantastic, but apparently a stand-in for the usual pistachios. I can’t imagine how those could be better. I drank some local cream ale whose name I don’t remember but which was delicious. For my dinner, I had two appetizers: a small order of plin, and sliced raw geoduck with pickled vegetables.

Plin are a Piedmontese pasta – basically tube-shaped ravioli. Filled with roast pork and chard, these were fabulous. The pork was sweet and nutty, perfectly complimented by Parmesan over top. The chard hinted at itself but I couldn’t really taste it as much as I’d have liked – a touch more might have been nice. The geoduck was also quite good: it’s most similar, for me, to octopus, but with a smoother texture and a more floral and almost nutty flavor. The black pepper vinaigrette was perfect on the acidity scale, but I’m not sure that black pepper wasn’t too much. I might have preferred white.

All in all, Palace Kitchen was quite good. Some of the details were less than perfect for me, but on the whole I had a great time and left happy. Had I more time in Seattle, I’d go back for a proper dinner, and maybe even be a regular at the bar. It’s a bit pricey (the small plate of plin was $14), but not terribly so. And I could eat those almonds off the bartender’s abs all night.

-MAW

Permalink Filed under: Restaurants, Travel Tags: iron chef, Seattle No Comments

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