Dewey's Pizza in Cincinnati

Dewey's Pizza

3014 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH

Dewey's is a staple in Cincinnati, but I never frequented it during the few years that I lived there. I have to admit, I was missing out. If you'll remember from previous pizza posts, I'm pretty picky about my pizza. I've reconciled my relationship with pizza by coming to the conclusion that there are really three categories: 1) American pizza, which covers the gourmet variety and anything that involves gorgonzola; 2) New York pizza, which is delicious and sold by the slice; and 3) Italian pizza, which is much more difficult to find outside of, um, Italy. 

Dewey's falls into Category 1, and it does a pretty good job of it, considering that Cincinnati is not exactly a bastion of good pizza. Dewey's offers stone-baked, hand-tossed pizzas accompanied by fresh seasonal salads and a great selection of microbrews. There are a slew of specialty pizzas to choose from - such as the Edgar Allan Poe, which features mozzarella-fontina, mushrooms, garlic, Kalamata olives, goat cheese and fresh tomatoes - as well as the option to make your own. I went for the make-your-own, adding prosciutto, pesto and fresh tomatoes to a basic margherita pizza. And it was delicious. Even the crust was good - buttery and soft on top, with a nice crisp on the bottom. The cheese was rich and flavorful, and the tomato sauce balanced the perfect amount of salt and garlic - no overly sweet Midwestern pizza sauce here. 

Even the house side salad was sizeable and tasty, a pleasant surprise considering that salad is all too often presented as a sad heap of lettuce. Instead, Dewey's served up a fresh pile of romaine topped with pine nuts, goat cheese and dried cranberries, dressed in their house balsamic dressing.

Overall, Dewey's offers delicious pizzas that are made with care - unlike the heavy, cheese-laden pizzas served up by those at Mio's. The ingredients are good, the beers chosen tastefully, and the salads more than palatable. While I wouldn't take a trip specifically to Cincinnati to visit Dewey's, I would definitely put it on my list to revisit if I was already there. 

Photo credit: Cincinnati metromix

Ridiculously easy, homemade broccoli soup

My Green Grocer delivery left us with an enormous amount of broccoli for two people. So I decided to puree those green stalks into a delicious, rich soup flavored with tarragon.

4 tbsp. butter
2 large heads of broccoli, chopped into florets and stems
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp. fresh tarragon (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup half and half (optional)

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the broccoli, onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes.

In a large pot, add the chicken stock, broccoli mixture and tarragon. Simmer until the broccoli is soft, about 10 minutes.

Use a food processor to blend the soup in batches. Hint: leave the top chute open to allow the steam to escape! Otherwise you risk the broccoli fighting back. And trust me, this does not lead to a pretty situation.

Put the soup back into the pot, add the half and half to thin to your desired consistency. Enjoy delicious homemade broccoli soup.

My first attempt at beef stew

I never really thought much about beef stew until I met a guy who considered it the best food creation in the world. He made it for me, and it was damn tasty. Well, I quickly lost interest in the guy, but I'll never forget how delicious that beef stew was! So I decided to embark on a Beef Stew Adventure, ordering beef stew cubes from my CARE, and borrowing a slow cooker from some friends.

If you search for "beef stew recipe" on Google, you receive 101,000 results. But all I needed was one result - the right result, the one recipe that could easily be tossed into a slow cooker before work, in those precious minutes between sipping my coffee and microwaving my oatmeal. I read a few recipes, got bored with doing the research, and decided to just take action. This is how it all went down.

Beef Stew Adventure

1 lb. beef stew cubes

4 medium red potatoes

3 minced garlic cloves

1 onion

2 chopped carrots

1 can tomato paste, mixed with 1 cup of water

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 cups beef broth

salt and pepper

olive oil

What I did: I prepped the veggies ahead of time by chopping the potatoes, onion and carrots into chunks, then putting them in a tupperware in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning before work, I turned on the slow cooker and poured in a dollop of olive oil, then dumped in the ingredients. I set the cooker on "warm," replaced the lid, and left the house. 

What I didn't: I did not flour the beef cubes and sear them in some oil ahead of time, nor did I put any butter into the pot. I also did not have any red wine, so I skipped that entirely.  

So how did it turn out? Well, we returned home to the rich aroma of beef stew (Success No. 1). The slow cooker did not burn down the house, so I count that as Success No. 2. All the ingredients were cooked through, and the beef had even fallen apart a bit (Success No. 3). Considering that I didn't do a few important things, the stew actually tasted really good. The flavors blended well, the meat was tender, and the veggies were not overcooked. It wasn't the most decadent beef stew, but it tasted really nice, it evoked a warm homey feeling, and it was there waiting for us when we walked in from a long workday. 

What would I do next time: I chalked this round up to a learning experience, and I know I was missing that rich, beefy component. Next time I will flour the cubes, sear them in some oil, and include butter and red wine in the pot. I think the missing link was the butter. A nice stick of Kerry Gold will go a long way in providing that rich, full flavor I am searching for. 

Food for the soul, if the soul likes curry

Tandoori Nights
2800 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA

I love Indian food, even though I tend to find my favorites - saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, lamb rogan josh - and stick with them. While the husband sweats through his vindaloo, I prefer to watch his face turn red and the sweat bead up rather than partake in those highjinks. I discovered Indian food in college, thanks to a friend's older brother, and then a year stint in England reinforced my appreciation. First it was Memories of India with my roommate in South Kensington. Then in Oxford, I frequented Bagicha (now called Jee Saheb) for its "Sunday night special" - an appetizer, entree, naan and rice for 15 quid. Since then, I've had short, passionate flings with a number of Indian restaurants - the most memorable including Indie Spice in Swords, Ireland, and Banjara in Manhattan's East Village - but I've never settled down.

So where does that leave me? Well, after trying a few places in the D.C. area, including Heritage India in Dupont and Aroma in Shirlington, I can honestly say that I don't have a favorite place. But when the urge for korma hits, we head over to Tandoori Nights in Clarendon. With two area locations (Clarendon and Gaithersburg), Tandoori Nights offers Indian and "Indo Chinese" dishes. The meat is always tender (not always the case at Aroma), the sauces savory, and the naan warm and fluffy. Plus the portions are sizeable, so two people can easily split an entree with a side order of naan. Even the vegetable samosas - which too often taste like fry batter and nothing else - come out as plump baseballs stuffed with spices, peas and potatoes. The last time I was there, a diner ordered a whole roast fish that came out steaming and crackling. I want that fish.

That's not to say I am not open to trying more Indian restaurants: Kohinoor Dhaba, Sangem, Delhi Club and Delhi Dhaba have all been recommended (mainly for their murgh butter chicken). So for now, let's just say, "to be continued ... "

Butternut squash soup, aka pumpkin's less sexy cousin

I've written odes to pumpkin, so now it's time to spread around the gourd love. Welcome to the wonderful world of butternut squash. Butternut squash, a cousin to the pumpkin, is a winter gourd that carries a similar nutrient profile. While not as sexy or lusciously colored as a pumpkin, butternut squash has its own place on the dinner table. One cup of cooked, cubed butternut squash contains approximately 60 calories, 16 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, according to the LiveStrong Web site. Even better, the vegetable provides 300 percent of your daily value of Vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that maintains skin health, and 50 percent of your Vitamin C, as well as potassium, beta carotene and fiber.

Butternut squash is pretty versatile, as vegetables go. It can be boiled, baked, mashed, broiled or grilled. Add simple salt and pepper, or spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. A really easy way to enjoy butternut squash is to whip up a simple homemade soup. When I first made this recipe, it called for three times as many ingredients, and I ended up with over a gallon of soup. My kitchen looked like a butternut squash massacre had occurred. I think I still have butternut squash puree in the crevice between the cabinets and the stove.

Easy Butternut Squash Soup

1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 leek, white parts only

1 cup whole milk

1 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

Nutmeg

Combine all the ingredients into a large soup pot, and bring to a boil. Once a boil is reached, lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 35 minutes, or until you can mash up the squash by pressing gently with a fork.

Use a food processor to blend batches of the soup until smooth. You now have a solid butternut squash soup base. Add additional salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Thin with milk to reach the desired consistency.

Washington Green Grocer - mail order produce

I returned home from work the other day to find a nice surprise on my front door step - my first delivery from the Washington Green Grocer. I ordered one box (small, organic, $37) to try out the service. It's not that I can't find good produce - we're surrounded by farmers' markets and there are two Whole Foods within a 15-minute drive - but instead, I was buying the same produce over and over again. Sure, it was colorful and healthy - spinach, sweet potatoes, red and yellow bell peppers, bok choy, apples and bananas - but we really needed to branch out and try some new items.

Owners Zeke and Lisa launched WGG in 1994 guided by the mission "to provide excellent quality produce and locally and regionally produced products" to those in the D.C. area. Today, WGG offers conventional and organic produce, meat and poultry (grass-fed local beef, free-ranging hormone-free local chicken, and soon turkey, pork and lamb), dairy and eggs (eggs from free-ranging hens, organic milk, local small-batch butter, local cheeses), local and regionally produced pantry items, and seasonal specialities such as cranberry sauce, local free-range turkeys and challah.

Every week, participants have the option to receive a box of conventional or organic produce (the majority of which is sourced locally) delivered directly to their doorstep. There is no contract required, and you can sign up for deliveries as often as you like - one time only, bi-monthly, or weekly. Plus, you can blacklist items you don't want, substitute other items, and add additional items as you see fit.

The box contained:

Purple potatoes
1 box of grape tomatoes (very sweet)
1 box of red seedless grapes (nice texture, but not very flavorful)
1 avocado
Two large heads of broccoli
Navel oranges
D'Anjou pears (once ripe, these pears are amazing!)
1 bunch of four green bananas (delicious, and a nice normal banana size)
York apples
1 large bunch of sweet white turnips
Tatsoi (Asian spinach) (didn't have as much luck preparing this as I had hoped)
Red leaf lettuce

It was like an early veggie-ful Christmas! It's a lot of produce for $37, considering I can easily drop $40 at the farmer's market on barely half this amount. I think we'll be pretty solid on produce for a while.

And while I'm at it, this recipe for Turnip-Potato Puree looks intriguing:

4 medium turnips, trimmed, peeled and halved
2 russet potatoes, peeled and halved
4 tbsp. butter
salt

Boil turnips and potatoes in a pot of salted water for 40 minutes until soft. Drain, return to pot, and mash. Stir in butter and salt to taste.

Note: I made the Turnip-Potato Puree last night and it is amazing! Very smooth, and less starchy than pure mashed potatoes. I think I will always add sweet white turnips to my mashed potatoes from now on.

Killer salad dressing

OK the headline is a bit sensationalist, but I bet it got your attention. When I was growing up, my family's idea of salad dressing was insanely simple - balsamic, followed by olive oil, followed by some salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Voila. That was salad dressing in my house. I never really questioned why we didn't have the Wish Bone or the Ranch dressing that the other kids' families had - I didn't have it, therefore I didn't miss it.

I didn't realize how unhealthy processed salad dressing is until I took a class with Simply Being Well chef, Monica Corrado. She asked the class, what happens to oil when it encounters the cold air of the fridge? Well, olive oil, coconut oil and sesame oil all get cloudy and solidify. But what does the "oil" in bottles of Newmans Own, Kraft, and Wish Bone do? It stays in liquid form. So the next question is, what do the food manufacturers do to those oils to keep them in a liquid state in the fridge? According to WellnessTips, commercial salad dressings contain vegetable oils that have been refined and heated in the extraction process, oxidizing them. Genetically modified canola and soybean oils are often used as well. If that doesn't concern you, consider the insane amount of sodium, color, high fructose corn syrup, emulsifiers and preservatives floating in that bottle of "Italian" dressing. And what do all those manmade ingredients do in your body? This is worrisome.

So my husband and I shun processed salad dressings in favor of making our own. It's cheaper than buying pricy "gourmet" dressings, and we can whip up pretty much anything from everyday foodstuffs. I find Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions to be my favorite source for salad dressing recipes. Her recipes include a delicious tahini dressing, bleu cheese dressing, lemon vinaigrette, garlic dressing, creamy dressing, etc. I also like to experiment - the easiest way to whip up a dressing is to squeeze some fresh lemon juice (bottled lemon juice doesn't have the same nutritional benefits as fresh) and whisk it with olive oil, garlic and basil. Whip in some feta and you have a fresh, light homemade vinaigrette. For something sharper and more tangy, I whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard, with a pinch of salt and pepper.

If you're a true salad dressing novice, keep in mind the three basic components of salad dressing:

1. Oil - try olive oil, toasted sesame oil
2. Acid - balsamic and red wine vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, champagne vinegar
3. Spices and Herbs - salt, pepper, garlic, shallots, basil, parsley

Feel free to experiment - if you like creamier dressings, add in mayonnaise, cream, or buttermilk. If you want something sweet, try honey. Just whisk to taste. Do you have any homemade salad dressing recipes to share? Paste them in a comment below!

(Photo credits: mvissat)

Bagels make my tummy happy

Capital Bagel Bakery
3610 King St., Alexandria, VA

So while I'm not a "professional" bagel connoisseur by any means, I consider good bagels to be in my blood. Growing up on Long Island, my childhood weekends revolved around the morning bagel runs. Like any good New Yorkers, we were enamored with the dough circles and would launch full-scale arguments about which bagelry to patronize. It's tough finding good bagels that are chewy, crusty and dense, with the right ratio of salt to dough. Because the best bagels (and pizza, obviously) are made with New York water, I've been suffering for years - that is, until I wandered into Capital Bagel Bakery in Alexandria.

Although the outside has a strip mall facade, the inner workings of CBB are pure neighborhood bagelry. Eclectic mix of tables and chairs - check.  Large wire baskets of fresh bagels made in-house - check. Overloaded bulletin board hawking petsitters and tutors - check. Delicious lox and cream cheese - check and check. Not only does CBB boast a varied assortment of bagels, but they have bagel sandwiches and platters as well (check the chalkboard menus), plus they sell Boar's Head cold cuts. On Sunday morning, the line stretches to the doors, but don't let that scare you away, because it moves quickly - maybe a 10-minute wait.

I ordered my personal favorite, a toasted everything bagel with plain cream cheese and lox. You would think that this is pretty straightforward and difficult to mess up, but I have suffered through too many tasteless, doughy bagels, flavorless lox and skimpy cream cheese smears in my life. Thankfully, this was not so at CBB. The bagel could have been toasted more, but it was warm, stuffed with lox, and sporting a solid bagel-to-cream cheese ratio. Perhaps my standards have fallen, but I consider CBB to be a pretty decent bagelry (of course I would ditch CBB - kick it to the curb - the minute someone handed me a solid New York bagel).

Note: People tend to complain that CBB's service is terrible, but it was fine. Just order your bagel from the people preparing them, then walk to the cashier and pay. The interaction time is so short, who can really determine the staff's level of competence?

(Photo credit: mvissat)

Berry Buttermilk Cobbler - light, fluffy, buttery goodness

I love fruit pies, but sometimes they're a little too much for the steamy D.C. summer. Too much sweetness, too much crust ... when it's hot and sticky outside, you need something a little less intense. I found a recipe on the Whole Foods Web site that blended peaches and blackberry into a golden buttermilk batter. I couldn't find any ripe peaches, so I amended the recipe to include a variety of fresh berries instead. Smart move.


This combination of fresh berries, butter and buttermilk batter creates a light, fluffy, buttery concoction that remains soft in the middle and golden around the edges. The warm, oozy berries pair perfectly with the tangy buttermilk. The dessert's sweetness derives directly from the berries - there's no added sugar, only a small amount of maple syrup. Just add some vanilla bean ice cream or homemade whipped cream, and you have the Ultimate Summer Dessert. You will thank me.

Berry Buttermilk Cobbler

1/4 cup maple syrup (the real stuff, not that flavored corn syrup Aunt Jemima crap)
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 six-oz. carton blackberries
1 carton strawberries, trimmed and sliced
1/2 stick butter, cut into chunks
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups organic lowfat buttermilk

Preheat over to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and cornstarch. Add the berries and toss to coat. Set bowl aside.

Put butter chunks into a 9-inch round (or square) glass (or metal) cake pan. Place the pan in the warm oven for three minutes, or until the butter is melted. Set pan aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in buttermilk. Pour this mixture into the pan with the melted butter. Do not stir. Scatter the berry mixture over the top of the batter.

Bake until golden, 50 to 55 minutes.

Inedible pied de cochon at Jackson 20

Jackson 20
480 King St., Alexandria, VA

Oh, Jackson 20 - I want to love you more than I do, but I'm sorry to say that it's just not going to work out between us.

I had last visited J20 - located in Old Town's Hotel Monaco - for Mother's Day brunch. We were happy with the spread, so I was eager to return for dinner. Plus the place offered a beer that I was anxious to try (21st Amendment, Back in Black). So we landed a couple of gift certificates, booked on OpenTable, and were well on our way. J20 was busy Friday night, but our server made some immediate, spot-on beer recommendations. The hubs started with Back in Black (which turned out to be too hoppy for my taste - perhaps this was an omen?) while I fully enjoyed an Old Chub Scottish Ale. We ordered appetizers, and that leads me to Mistake No. 1.

I ordered the pied de cochon (foot of pig for you non-francophiles). I have eaten pied de cochon in Paris, and loved the crisped pork and rich pork fat. Unfortunately, J20 approaches the dish a bit differently, serving up "picked and pressed pork trotter" accompanied by a pan-fried sunny-side-up egg with frisee and sauce charcuterie. Sure - if this translates to grinding up a pig's foot into an unappetizing brown-grey paste, then lightly frying it into a patty shape. This odd pig foot patty was extra unique in that its charred areas were left battling to the death against the overall mushy, grainy texture.

The server, probably observing my less-than-thrilled look, suggested that the egg would help give the dish "a creamier texture." Yes, perhaps, for the three bites afforded by the yolk. I left the last few bites on my plate - I just could not bring myself to eat them - and naively figured I would at least enjoy the greens. Mistake No. 2 - the accompanying frisee was topped with an over-salted charcuterie sauce. Fail.

Meanwhile, the hubs chose Oyster Rockefeller, six baked Rappahannock oysters topped with herb butter. They were decent enough, but nowhere near our amazing oyster experience at Kushi. At least his oysters had been left well enough alone, and not ground up into an insulting, sad oyster paste. Hmph. Thankfully our "main" beers arrived, and my Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager (which smells and tastes like pure dark honey) cheered me up.

I chalked up the pig foot patty as collateral damage - perhaps I shouldn't have tried a chef's interpretation of something that should remain uniquely French - and moved on to the main. Mistake No. 3 was ordering the "local fish of the day," which was bluefish topped with a Chesapeake crab sauce, accompanied by a green bean casserole. I should have read between the lines when the server mentioned that bluefish is "an oilier fish." Not only was the bluefish taste overpowering, but I removed seven bones from three bites of fish. Seriously, people? I decreed it unpalatable and survived on the far more edible dollop of Chesapeake crab sauce, then picked at the green bean casserole, aka green beans in an anemic cheese sauce topped with fried onions. Fail again.

Even the hubs' main, the full rack of barbecued pork ribs, failed to impress, with the sauce cloying and sticky. If you want amazing, fall-off-the-bone ribs, please check out Founding Farmers' pork ribs. However, J20 did serve up two nice sides - apple cider coleslaw, which was tart, crunchy and fresh, and a light, creamy mac n'cheese that wasn't overly decadent. Sides 2, Mains 0.

Overall, I was disappointed. I would return for brunch, or for Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager, but never again for dinner. If we had not paid for the dinner with gift certificates, I would have strongly inquired about the chef's reasoning behind the preparation of the pied de cochon, as well as the bluefish. Really, really underwhelming.

(Photo credit: mvissat)

Lobster + Mayo + Toasted Roll = Heaven

Red Hook Lobster Truck
Location: Various points in D.C.

Lobster is one of my all-time favorite foods. Sure, they're ugly things, but inside that hard red carapace hides something beautiful - tender, sweet white meat. You don't need to invest a huge amount of preparation in lobster to make it taste delicious - just steam, crack, dip in some melted butter, and voila - heaven. Unless you take it one step further, and introduce ... the lobster roll.

Lobster rolls are relatively simple - chunks of fresh lobster are tossed in a mayonnaise-based sauce with celery or scallions, then stuffed into a buttery, toasted roll. Shredded lettuce, lemon juice and salt and pepper may be added as well. I remember my first lobster roll clearly - I was 10, and we were eating at Lunch/Lobster Roll in Amagansett. There was nothing as delicious as that lobster roll - soft, buttery roll, tender chunks of lobster meat. Mmm...

Unfortunately, growing up on Long Island and then going to school in Boston ruined lobster rolls for me - there is nothing better than wandering over to Quincy Market to pick up a lobster roll from Boston & Maine Fish Co. Until recently, D.C. didn't have that option, and the city's paltry offerings didn't match up. My husband was disappointed in the lobster roll at Hank's Oyster Bar ($23), although people on Yelp profess to love it. I wasn't thrilled with the lobster roll at Tackle Box ($19), finding the meat less-than-stellar, the sauce lackluster, and the roll limp and sad. Jackson's in Reston Town Center offers a nice option ($20) but the freshness just wasn't there.

But one day the Lobster Gods smiled down on D.C., and Red Hook Lobster Pound out of Brooklyn decided to bring their lobster truck to D.C. "We at the Red Hook Lobster Pound take great pains to deliver the freshest lobster and lobster rolls to the good people of New York City," Red Hook Lobster Pound states on its Web site. "We drive up to Maine several times a week to bring home the best that Maine has to offer." And now Maine's best is available for D.C. consumption.

How does it work? Follow LobsterTruckDC on Twitter to find the day's location. As soon as the location posts, grab your wallet and sprint, because the line gets looong. But it is so very, very worth it. The chunks of lobster meat are literally chunks - no flaked meat to contend with - and they are huge, some requiring two bites to eat. The meat is fresh and insanely juicy. The mayonnaise sauce smacks of scallions and lemon, and the celery adds the right amount of crunch. Finally, the roll is toasted, buttered and delicious - this is the lobster roll I've been waiting for!

Plus the price is competitive - $15 nets you a lobster roll one of two ways - "Maine-style" is the traditional mayo-based dressing, while "Connecticut-style" is drizzled in butter. $18 gets you a lobster roll "meal," which includes a lobster roll, Cape Cod chips and a Maine Root soda. There's also a Shrimp Roll ($8), Whoopie Pies from Maine ($3.50) and $2 Maine Root soda and homemade lemonade.

So follow LobsterTruckDC, and then run - don't walk - to enjoy the tastiest lobster roll this side of the Mason-Dixon line.

(Photo credit: mvissat)

Beignets at brunch make everything alright

Carlyle Grand

4000 Campbell Ave., Arlington, VA

Sunday morning, I was focused on one thing - getting a great brunch. Luckily there are some pretty reliable brunch options in my neck of the woods - we could visit Liberty Tavern for its amazing brunch buffet, or rely on the old standby Clyde's. Instead, we headed over to Shirlington for a brunch rendezvous at the Carlyle Grand. Carlyle, one of the many, many ventures belonging to the Great American Restaurants conglomerate, offers a pretty tasty brunch. The fact that they provide fresh baked goods from the Best Buns Bakery (BBB) (located right next door) only adds to the warm, gooey happy-brunch feeling. 

As soon as you sit down, the attentive wait staff drops off a selection of bread products from BBB - to call them "bread" is to disgrace them. No, these were warm slices of banana bread, studded with walnuts, and a couple of pillowy soft, utterly decadent beignets dusted with sugar. Nothing tastes as good on a Sunday morning as those warm, soft balls of sweetened dough. As soon as you tear yourself away from the bread basket, you can choose from BBB Brioche French Toast, the Squibnocket Scrambled Eggs, and the Grilled Trout - all of which are delicious (I think the BBB Brioche French Toast has a cult following on Yelp).

But Sunday was definitely a lazy, overeat, eggs benedict kind of day. All that was missing was ... crabcakes! Thankfully the Carlyle dishes them right up. The crabcakes were lightly fried so that the breading crisped up with perfect golden corners. Unfortunately, while the breading didn't really have much flavor, the lump crab made up for it - the large chunks of tender white crab meat were topped with poached eggs that spilled their golden yolks at the slightest poke of the fork. The accompanying hollandaise was a rich yellow, light and fluffy. The hubs' steak and eggs benedict was similarly delicious - tender, medium rare steak sandwiched between brioche and gently poached eggs slathered in hollandaise.

Throw in a few cups of coffee and a homemade dog biscuit for the pup, and I can honestly say that the Happiest Brunch was achieved.

(Photo credit: mvissat)

Samuel Beckett's Irish Gastro Pub comes to Shirlington

Samuel Beckett's Gastropub
2800 S. Randolph St., Arlington, VA

I find Irish pubs in America to be somewhat of a guilty pleasure. I've been to the real deal in Ireland - from the tourist traps in Dublin to the tiny musical pubs of Doolin - and I had my own "local" in the UK, so I've been lucky enough to experience real pub culture. Unfortunately, American Irish pubs come nowhere near replicating these important aspects of Anglo life - instead, they tend to take on the persona of an Irish TGIF, with Guinness on tap, Harp on special, and flair and schmutz hanging from the walls.

But I still like them - the beer lists tend to be better, the food is hearty and filling, and who can ever shy away from a real Irish accent (when they're available)? So I'm looking forward to the latest venture from Mark Kirwan, of O'Connell's Restaurant fame. Kirwan, who grew up in County Tipperary, Ireland, is bringing a little craic to Shirlington this fall. The new Samuel Beckett's Gastropub - slated to open sometime in November - is the result of a $2.2 million investment, according to the Washington Business Journal.

Samuel Beckett's will boast three bars, 280 seats, and two fireplaces in its 5,500-square-foot space. The facade and interior were manufactured by an Irish company, and have been shipped overseas to Shirlington. And the decor is not the only thing that will be genuinely Irish - apparently Kirwan is recruiting young workers to come over from Ireland to staff Samuel Beckett's as well.

In terms of food, the Business Journal also reported that Kirwan has been working with the Irish Food Board to push the boundaries of Samuel Beckett's menu - turning away from Irish-American pub fare in favor of the food he grew up with  - such as fish pie in a white wine cream sauce covered in puff pastry to a Sunday roast lamb. The pub will open a patio next year, offer live music, and cater to soccer and rugby fans. My only request? That they offer pub quiz as well. Even without, it looks like I've finally found my American "local" - an Irish gastropub in Shirlington.

(Photo credit: Samuel Beckett's Facebook page)

Kushi Izakaya and Sushi - a Japanese gastropub comes to D.C.

Kushi Izakaya and Sushi
465 K Street NW, Washington, DC

Kushi's main identity is as an izakaya, a Japanese gastropub that focuses on serving food to accompany drinks. According to Wikipedia, the term literally derives from "i" (to sit) and sakaya (sake shop), meaning a place to sit and consume sake. Tom Sietsema writes in his excellent review that owner Darren Lee Norris was unsure how D.C. would react to an izakaya, so he added sushi to lure in the crowds. It was an unnecessary move, judging from the amount of people lined up Friday night, but a delicious one at that.

Kushi offers so much, and you want to try everything, so your first experience can be a bit overwhelming. There's the raw bar, the sushi and sashimi bar (where you can choose from maki, nigiri or sashimi, or sushi and sashimi sets), the kobachi (small plates), gohan (rice and soup), and the crowning glory - the robata (charcoal grill) that dishes up a range of grilled kushiyaki (choose from chicken, pork, beef, duck and vegetable). And the options don't end there - for your kushiyaki, you can choose between simple salt, or the Tare house-made glaze (a blend of sugar, mirin and soy sauce).


The raw bar - I've heard excellent things about Kushi's raw bar, so I didn't hesitate when ordering 1/2 dozen oysters - one of each. The oysters were phenomenal. The hubs is not a huge oyster fan, but these changed his mind. The Kushi and Kumamoto varieties were solid and meaty, with just the right amount of brine. While the sauce was a nice touch, the amazing taste of the oysters made it unnecessary. I easily could have downed another 1/2 dozen.

The kushiyaki - We had three kushiyaki - grilled pork belly, grilled duck sausage and Wagyu beef. These small skewers (each 2.5 oz.) are perfect for sharing. The pork belly was phenomenal - the crispy skin, the melt-in-your-mouth fat, and the salty, sweet, smokey flavors of the Tare and the meat. The duck sausage was also pleasing, but the Wagyu beef just tasted like ... grilled beef.

The sushi - Kushi devotes a special section of its menu to bringing you succulent sushi from the world-famous Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. The fish is flown in weekly, and I actually swooned when sampling the madai (red seabream snapper) and inada (young Yellowtail). Served on little beds of rice, with a hidden dab of wasabi, the fish absolutely melted on the tongue. It was like ultimate sushi. To compare, we ordered two rolls of maki (tuna and salmon), but the maki couldn't live up. Next time we'll skip those in favor of the Tsukiji options.

The kobachi - We couldn't miss out on the small plates, so we ordered Japanese potato salad and special house blend seaweed salad - the former was tasty, and a nice filler. The latter was accompanied by a delicious creamy dressing and strips of red cabbage - quite a change of pace for seaweed salad, which tends to be served plain, or perhaps with a citrusy dressing.

The omakase dinner - We did not partake in this, but Kushi also offers a chef's tasting menu every Wednesday through Saturday, from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm. There are two options - one $40 pp, with a $20 sake pairing, and an expanded version for $60 pp, with a $30 sake pairing. The omekase dinner is only served at the chef's counter (sushi counter or robata).

Overall verdict - fantastic, but definitely not inexpensive! Ordering each individual piece quickly adds up. I definitely recommend reservations for Kushi, at least until the chaos and shiny new patina wear off - the wait list was insane on Friday night - easily 1 hour+. Order kushiyaki and please, please take advantage of the Tsukiji Fish Market offering. You will not be disappointed, and you will fully enjoy your first visit to the Japanese gastropub.

(Photo credit: mvissat)

Crumbs Bake Shop in Arlington - coming soon!

Crumbs Bake Shop
Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA

I love cupcakes, probably because I have fond childhood memories of school birthday celebrations. Back in the 1980s, it was considered acceptable - even commendable - to serve your classmates homemade baked goods. They were considered hallmarks of tradition and caring, and not the obesity-causing, peanut allergy-promiting devil tools of today. My mom even had a special "cupcake box" - a hinged wooden box with a handle - that we used to transport her homemade cupcakes safely through the minefields of elementary school.

So while most people roll their eyes at the opening of yet another trendy cupcake shop, I choose happiness instead. My feelings of glee extend to Crumbs Bake Shop, which will open in Clarendon before the end of the year, according to the company's Facebook page.


Launched in March 2003 in Manhattan, Crumbs is known for its more than 50 varieties of "handmade gourmet" cupcakes, including Dulce de Leche, Cookies and Cream, Tiramisu, Pumpkin, Cookie Dough, and Vanilla Coconut. Crumbs releases a special new cupcake every Monday (this week it's Apple Crumble - apple cinnamon cake with apple preserves topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting and streusel crumbs - yum!).

Crumbs brilliantly offers its cupcakes in three sizes - the "Signature" size is the heavyweight, with a 4.25" diameter; the "Classic" is a more typical 3"; and the "Taste" size is a mini, more waistline-friendly 2.25."

With 18 locations on the East Coast and five on the West Coast, Crumbs has been slowly expanding its cult following across the country. The chain debuted in the District this past year, opening its first location at the 11th Street NW and F Street NW. A second location in Union Station is due before the end of the year, with future expansion planned for Cleveland Park, Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, Reston (VA) and Rockville (MD), according to the company's press release. Crumbs Bake Shop, we welcome you.

(Photo credit, Crumbs.com)

Rustico Ballston vs. Rustico Alexandria

Rustico, the beer-centric eatery north of Old Town, is one of my favorite places to visit. Perhaps its the amazing beer selection - not only does Rustico boast 300 beers and cask ales, but Beer Director (and God Among Men) Greg Engert has organized them into tasty, adventurous flights ("Luke, I am Your Father" was a recent collection of four dangerously dark stouts and porters - get it?). So not only do I always find something to enjoy, but I discover new favorites as well.

Tucked away on quiet Slater's Lane, Rustico in Alexandria is always packed with diners - older couples from Del Ray, young families, Engert fans, etc. Although the restaurant originally debuted as an Italian joint to mixed reviews, a quick chef change and switch to American fare resulted in much improvement. I personally appreciate how the menu revolves around the seasons. I've found the fish to be amazingly well-prepared (their Arctic Char is a masterpiece), and I love what they do with vegetables (olive and fennel salad, anyone?). While their oven-fired pizzas are nothing to sneer at, I do have a lingering bad memory of one topped with smoked gouda ... ugh. (But then again, I have specific pizza requirements, see my Fire Works entry for details).

Last week, the Neighborhood Restaurant Group opened its second Rustico restaurant - this time in Ballston. Located on the 4000 block of Wilson Blvd., Rustico is exactly what Ballston needs, as the metropolitan neighborhood has been languishing for far too long under its burden of chain restaurants and office buildings. The new Rustico has the same menu and beers, but a completely different vibe. Rustico Alexandria is modern and "urban funky," with mosaic walls decorated with plates, broken china, bits of mirror, etc. (check out the gorgeous red and teal mosaic glass tiles above the fireplace - I covet). Couches and fireplace make the bar area not only cozy, but also the perfect place to while away an afternoon with the Sunday edition of the NYT and a few flights of beer.

The new Rustico is much more "urban chic," with leather banquettes, a a rich, dark color scheme, industrial light fixtures, and a large wraparound bar. It's gorgeous. Imagine more dark wood and leather, less funky mosaics and couches ... more Clarendon, less Del Ray. The beer list is going to be even more impressive, with more than 400 beers available, and 40 on tap. The place was crowded Thursday night but the staff did an amazing job of keeping up with the frenetic pace.

The menu was the same as Rustico Alexandria, but Rustico Ballston seemed to offer an abbreviated beer menu. Where was the beloved beer binder of the original Rustico? I love hauling that metal-plated book up into my arms to peruse the extensive options - it's certainly a conversation piece if nothing else.

Overall, the new Rustico is nice - exceedingly nice. The menu and the beer selection will lure current Rustico fans, while the chic vibe will bring in a new crowd of regulars. It's exactly what Ballston - the skinny, dark wallflower younger sibling of the cool, popular, golden Clarendon - has always needed. Bravo, Ballston, bravo. You scored a date to the prom, now you can hold your head up high.

(Photo credits: delliceicious.blogspot; yelp; welovedc)

More reviews, more posts, more recipes!

Founding Farmers - a retro-active posting

Founding Farmers
1924 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.

We spent a year listening to all the accolades being heaped on Founding Farmers. People. Loved. This. Place. We personally were impressed with the restaurant's purported eco-consciousness, and we loved the fact that the meat was predominantly grass-fed and locally sourced. Plus the restaurant itself is LEED Gold-certified (a nice touch!). So we finally decided to give it a try, and we trekked over this past summer. Here are my thoughts...

I had heard complaints that FF was deafening inside, but the ambience was good - it was loud, but there was a nice energy to it all. I had heard good things about the cocktails. The list was insanely impressive, with a few "Prohibition-Era" cocktails made from genuine early 1900s recipes. I had a "Farmer's Favorite" Organic Cucumber Delight ($12) that blended Square One organic vodka with organic cucumbers and cantaloupe. It was dangerously delicious - as in, I downed two and then sat there in a happy fog of booziness for the rest of the meal (how much booze was in those things?). As full beer snobs and loyal Beer Advocate readers, we were satisfied with the beer list - Brother Thelonius, Stoudt's, and Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale add a nice rounding to any selection.

The service was eclectic - at first, we were the most popular people there. Servers couldn't wait to drop by the table - refilling water glasses, taking our drink orders, asking if we had any questions ... in fact, so many servers dropped by that we weren't even sure that we had an assigned person. It was a service free-for-all. But after we finished our meal, this dropped off completely, and we waited 20-30 minutes for the check. Perhaps we offended them. Perhaps I had something green in my teeth. Perhaps they were frightened of my sucking down the cucumber thingy. Perhaps someone else was just that much cooler. Who knows.

So the mains - this was what we had been waiting for! This was what people talked about. The kitchen was definitely on target that night. The portions were enormous. I had the Fork Tender Pork Ribs - glazed with FF BBQ sauce - and the name says it all. The ribs literally fell from the bone. The bones were completely clean, and I didn't pick up my knife once. The hubs ordered the Low Country Shrimp and Grits, which boasted a "light sherry tomato sauce" that was more bisque-like than anything I've had on shrimp and grits. It was delightful. We were happy.

Unfortunately, there was a seamier side to this good time. We ordered hush puppies and they were soft and utterly tasteless. Good hush puppies are crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, but these were doughy balls of cornmeal. We weren't happy with the fried green tomatoes. The batter was "meh" - there was no kick. The fries that accompanied my meal were weak and limp, with a terrible mealy taste (this wasn't such a bad thing, since it prevented me from eating them). My other side, coleslaw, was bland, bland, bland. I think the kitchen forgot to add the vinegar. It was basically sliced and diced cabbage in a creamy sauce. Not worth it.

Since then, I've heard a lot of mixed reviews. When the kitchen is on target, it is ON. But some nights it's just ... off. I mean, everyone has bad days. So give it a shot. But if you aren't happy with something, be sure to speak up and tell the server/manager. Maybe all FF needs is some constructive criticism.

* NOTE: When I posted this review on Yelp, the FF Manager contacted me via e-mail to apologize for the poor quality level of the sides, and pledged to discuss the issue with the chef. I am unaware as to whether this did, in fact, occur, as we have not been back since.

(Photo credit: coredc)

C.A.R.E. - Community Alliance for Responsible Eco-Farming

Mm, I am excited to get next week's order of meat. I have delicious grass-fed, organic ground beef coming my way, plus milk-fed pork and beef stew cubes (doesn't this weather just scream for a hearty beef stew?). Every week I submit my order through my local C.A.R.E. (Community Alliance for Responsible Eco-Farming). These private associations of farmers and community members work to "strengthen and protect small farms and family farms through education and activism," according to club literature.

Basically, C.A.R.E. links the urban public with small area farmers who raise whole, organic, nutrient-dense food that is untouched by hormones and antibiotics, and is grown in an environmentally sustainable manner. By fostering these relationships, C.A.R.E. benefits farmers by providing them with an expanded private market presence, and urban buyers receive access to real food without having to rely on a market as the middle man.

Having previously been a member of the Polyface Buying Club, which links NoVa buyers with Joel Salatin's amazing organic, pastured farm (of Omnivore's Dilemma and Food Inc. fame), we were familiar with the process of ordering food from local farmers. While we love Polyface and fully respect Joel and his work, we found that our favorite items were frequently out of stock (it's popular!). So when we were invited to join a C.A.R.E., we jumped at the chance.

Nothing tastes better (in terms of tastebuds, as well as morally and ethically) than knowing that our dinner came from a quiet, organic, pastured family farm in the Mid-Atlantic. Our pork comes from free-roaming pigs that ate a full and varied natural diet - not each other. My ground beef was never sprayed with ammonia to kill feedlot E. coli, since the cows grew up on green pastures and were carefully and consciously butchered. The chicken, unstressed and allowed to live in pastures, tastes almost buttery and the skin crisps up perfectly in the oven.

Today we walk right by the meat section of the market, and instead submit our weekly for delicious, healthful, real meat. If you're interested in sourcing natural, local, sustainable food in the D.C. area, check out these options:

• Local Harvest is a great online resource to find farmers' markets, CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) and family farms. 
• Join a CSA for local meat, dairy and produce deliveries. 
• Check out the famous Polyface Buying Club
• Green Grocer provides weekly organic fruit, vegetable, meat and dairy home deliveries in the D.C. area. 
• Fruit Guys provide organic and conventional fruit and vegetable home and office deliveries.
• FarmerGirls is an "online farmers market" that allows buyers to purchase from local farmers and producers.
• Arganica is another online local food buying club that promotes "natural, spray-free, free-range and sustainable" products sourced from small producers and artisans. 
• The Organic Butcher in McLean, VA gets amazing reviews.
• There's always Whole Foods, where you can sometimes find local grass-fed beef.

(Photo credits: polyface farm by hartkeisonline.com)

Pumpkin part three ... the obsession continues!

So we've covered pumpkin coffee cake and pumpkin muffins ... I think it's time to leave the baked goods behind and get down to business. Let's get something savory in here. I found this recipe a couple of years ago in a tattered, dog-eared copy of Vegetarian Times. We're not vegetarians (just conscious omnivores), but I love VT for its constantly fresh approach to preparing veggies, grains and fruit. A few small tweaks, and this becomes one of my favorite dishes to whip up. It's surprisingly easy, and the combination of flaky crust, melted gruyere, and nutmeg-enriched pumpkin makes me swoon. It's like autumn in every bite! Pair it with a large, fresh salad to really take advantage of a nutrient-filled meal.

Pumpkin Gruyere Quiche

2 cups lightly packed shredded Gruyere cheese (buy a small block and attack it with a cheese grater)
1 frozen prepared 9-inch pie crust (yes, this is cheating)
1 cup organic whole milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle the cheese across the bottom of the (still frozen) pie crust. Grab a mixing bowl, and mix the rest of the ingredients, blending them together with a spatula. Pour the pumpkin mixture on top of the cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees, and cook an additional 45 minutes. Voila!

(Photo credits: mvissat)

Paromi tea makes my taste buds happy

I never used to like tea - I gave it a shot in college, but the milky, flavorless Celestial Seasonings blends just didn't do it for me. I didn't understand - or appreciate - tea until I became employed in the UK. There was something about those hourly "cuppas" with my colleagues that really changed my mind. There's nothing like a hot, milky cup of Earl Grey to warm up a chilly grey English day. Pair it with a couple of McVities (OK, or five) and it's just so deliciously Anglo!

Since returning to the States, I've been relatively impartial to tea, unless I'm ordering jasmine or green tea at my favorite sushi joints. That is, until I encountered Paromi Tea during a recent roam through Whole Foods. Before I tell you about how awesome it is, let me come to full disclosure - I am not familiar with or related to anyone associated with Paromi Tea, and I am not receiving any compensation for this review. That said, let's get on with it.

The Paromi Tea representative, one of two brothers who own the Bethesda-based company, was providing free samples in the Clarendon Whole Foods. He explained that Paromi Tea stands out from the competition because it's packaged in an amber glass jar. Unlike the boxes that house mainstream teas such as Tazo and Celestial Seasonings, Paromi's jars are tinted to keep out the damaging effects of UV light and moisture, and their airtight properties ensure that the tea remains fresh and fragrant for easily two years.

And forget those crappy little paper envelopes of dried tea - Paromi uses transparent, biodegradable pyramid sachets that evoke a higher echelon of tea. I didn't realize what an enormous difference these details would make until I opened the jar of Cinnamon Chai and was instantly bathed in the rich, spicy, vanilla aromas of roobois tea. My mouth watered. I had to have it. Now.

Paromi Tea offers six varieties in its Sachet Collection - Lemon Ginger, Pineapple Papaya, Mint, Earl Grey Dolce, Cinnamon Chai and Coconut Almond. There are three additional flavors as well - Palace Green, Royal Breakfast and Chocolate Almond. The company has gotten fairly good press, and apparently Alexandra Cousteau is a big fan.

The tea needs to be steeped for a full five minutes, according to the Paromi rep. But don't worry, the flavor won't become bitter. I fully plan to visit Whole Foods again to pick up the Royal Breakfast or Earl Grey ... what could be better to cheer up this chilly D.C. fall than a steaming cuppa?

(Photo credits: mvissat)