DMV Dining

Brasserie Beck has been on our bucket list of restaurants to visit since they first opened back in 2007, yet when Mussel Bar (Robert Wiedmaier’s newest venue) opened down the road from us, the journey took a little longer given the latter’s proximity to our home. Nonetheless, we finally shook off the laziness and had our very first meal at Beck a few weeks ago. We soon realized that we will have to start making that excursion more often.

The timing could not have been more appropriate given that it was Belgian Restaurant Week. This particular Wiedmaier restaurant is more upscale than its Bethesda counterpart in regards to its menu, interior, and service. Mussels are still prominent, but you’re not going to find, say, a Cuban Panini at Beck.

After surveying the expansive beer menu, I ordered a traditional Bavik Pils while Rachel got the St. Bernardus Pater 6. With the smorgasbord of Belgian brews to choose from, it certainly sounds like a great place for happy hour (half price drafts from 5-7pm), let alone lunch or dinner. Not that Mussel Bar doesn’t provide that option, but Montgomery County’s draconian beer laws certainly don’t help in the wallet department.

We started our evening off with the steak tartare. Nearly the size of a hockey puck, it was anything but stiff. The meat was very tender, but I was even more enamored with the presentation what with the variety of colors found on the plate. Topped with a slice of toasted brioche and a fried egg, it was a very enjoyable first course. My only beef (no pun intended) was that there was a little too much emphasis on the red onion, so much that it nearly overwhelmed the flavor of the beef.

Rachel also ordered a large roasted beet salad which was accompanied with goat cheese, caramelized walnuts, and mixed greens. She remarked that it was one of the prettiest salads she has ever laid her eyes on. Oh, and it also tasted rather good for those that were curious…

For our main course, Rachel and I decided to split two entrees. We of course had to get an order of mussels, but we also wanted to try one of their other dishes as well. We ultimately settled on the veal Bolognese mussels and a half-order of the braised lamb pappardelle. We felt that this would be a suitable amount of food for the two of us as well as have an opportunity to explore Beck’s menu.

First, let’s get to the mussels: they were simply terrific. While Brasserie Beck does not allow you to take mussels home with you, is there a policy of just wrapping up the broth to-go? I would buy that stuff by the pint. The amount of veal found in the sauce was incredible. Mind you, the mussels themselves were great, but it was the ragu that took them to that next level. I think the server came by at least three times before he could clear my plate just so I could enjoy every last drop of broth.

As for the pappardelle, the homemade noodles were excellently cooked and were very delicate. The braised lamb was succulent while the accompanying tomatoes, peas, and onions helped balance the dish. I wouldn’t have minded a thicker sauce, but given that we just had veal Bolognese by the spoonful, it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Once we finished our entrees, we were so full that we were ready for the check. Unbeknownst to us, our meal wasn’t done yet. Our server brought over a Belgian chocolate torte (special for Belgian Restaurant Week), compliments of the house. After taking one bite, let’s just say it was hard to put the fork down. Topped with roasted plums from Toigo Orchards and drizzled with raspberry sauce, this was one rich, phenomenal dessert.

All and all, we had a great evening at Brasserie Beck. Between the exceptional food and service, it’s hard to imagine that this was just our first visit. Rest assured, we’ll be back for many more meals in the near future.

Bethesda residents won’t have to wait much longer for Beer Wine & Co. to open its doors. The craft beer and wine store could potentially open as early as this Friday according to one of the partners we talked to yesterday.

As we reported back in March, Beer Wine & Co. will be the sister operation of nearby Food Wine & Co. The store plans on selling most of the beer and wine found on Food Wine & Co.’s menu, and then some.

Considering that Food Wine & Co. has one of the better beer selections in all of downtown Bethesda, residents won’t have to travel far to find their favorite microbrew.

Beer Wine & Co. also plans to sell sandwiches, meats, and cheeses in addition to their extensive beer and wine selection. The store plans on featuring a variety of American craft beers as well as a vast selection of imports.

Pending Montgomery County inspection, they are hopeful to open this Friday, but if not, then sometime next week at the very latest.

Beer Wine & Co will be located on 7029 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda.

You may have already heard about (or already tasted) some of DC’s first and finest new beers from DC Brau. Only a few months old, DC Brau is the first fully operational brewery to open in DC’s 60 year history, and we couldn’t wait to visit the brewery for a tour and tasting.

DC Brau now offers tours and tastings most Saturdays from 1-4pm, and we decided to make a day of it after getting our fill at MGM Roast Beef. The biggest challenge may have been actually finding the facility. Tucked behind a post office on Bladensburg Road, it’s hard to believe a fully functional and thriving brewery is located behind this strip mall. We finally found the place and went right inside for samples.

Both the owners Brandon Skall and Jeff Hancock were on hand along with other Brau employees. Jeff took us on a tour after we tried the Public Ale and the Corruption. I think I liked the Corruption better, but both were good beers. Meanwhile, there was a constant line of customers coming in to fill their growlers and buy six-packs of the Public. We have tried the Citizen before at Iron Horse Taproom and loved the Belgian-style flavor. We can’t wait to try the Penn Quarter Porter either since we’re dark beer aficionados.

The tour itself was very intimate and really showed how passionate the owners and brewers are about this new venture. We saw the whole process from start to finish, including a special room filled with whiskey barrels for aging. There was even a full mural in the back that friends painted when they were first starting up the brewery.

DC Brau is continuing to grow and add to its beer selection. We highly recommend a trip over to the brewery to check it out for yourself. On top of being the first brewery to open in the District, they also paved the way for others who are following them including 3 Stars and Chocolate City. It took some time to set up their tasting room since they actually had to be involved in new DC Council legislation to allow for beer tasting in DC.

If you can’t get out to Northeast to see the brewery, look for their beers in many local bars and restaurants as well. Just make sure you get your drafts early since, based on recent experience, it goes pretty quickly and you may get left out!

We already wrote about Food Wine and Company when they first opened last fall, and while the restaurant definitely had a promising start, we thought the food was just okay yet was lacking some direction. Clearly our hunch was right, as since that time Food Wine and Co. has been through several chefs and growing pains.

One chef, the well-known Carole Greenwood, only made it 48 hours. Since then, we have noticed great changes in the menu and offerings. Their new chef, Michael Harr (formerly of Butterfield 9), brings much experience with him that is clearly evident in his dishes and overall presentation.

We have always enjoyed Food Wine and Co. and welcomed it as a much-needed replacement to the generic Pizzeria Uno’s. This past week was the first time I tried dinner there, and what better way to experience multiple dishes than during Restaurant Week.

Since their happy hour is one of the best in Bethesda (in our humble opinion) we couldn’t resist enjoying some drinks at the bar first. While the place is called Food Wine and Co., we should note their extensive beer selection. It’s one of the best in Montgomery County, which isn’t easy to do given their alcohol restrictions. Even better, their happy hour menu includes both beer and wine flights for $9.

I decided to get the beer flight, which included any four draft beers in 4oz pours. It was a great way to try some new beers that I haven’t tasted before, and after finding one I really liked, I ordered a full draft which also happened to be on special. They also had dollar oysters, so you know we couldn’t pass that up. We tried a mixture of Blue Point, Rappahannock, and Old Salts, and I have to say, they really are some of the best oysters I’ve tried recently, and at a dollar a piece no less!

Happy with our drinks and oysters, we made our way to the dining area for our reservation. I should point out that they did offer a fairly extensive menu for Restaurant Week. It wasn’t the complete menu, but it wasn’t just three entrees either. After some debate, I decided on the watermelon and tomato gazpacho with ricotta. It was light and refreshing, but not too chunky or heavy like some gazpacho dishes I have had. In fact, I had one earlier that day at Assaggi and you couldn’t even compare the two in terms of quality.

The main courses included everything from pizza to salads to sandwiches to mussels, as well as full entrees. I figured I might as well try one of their pricier selections, so I ordered the salmon with English peas, alba mushrooms, radishes, and a horseradish cream sauce. It was perfectly cooked, seared on the outside while medium rare on the inside. The vegetables that accompanied the salmon were so fresh that I felt like I was tasting part of summer. I was really happy with my dish but tried not to eat it all so I could save some room for dessert.

We decided to each pick a different dessert so we could try a few different ones. I ordered the Coconut Joy while my friends got the double chocolate bread pudding and the Elvis. I have to admit, I definitely had some food envy when I tried theirs. Mine was good, but it was originally supposed to have coconut and chocolate sorbet along with coconut macaroons, chocolate almonds, and rum syrup. Turns out they were out of the coconut sorbet and substituted it with raspberry instead. It was still decent, but it didn’t even compare to my friends’ dishes.

I would order the Elvis next time – peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, fudge crispies, sweet and salty peanuts, bananas and chocolate sauce. The bread pudding was to die for as well. And considering that I work in the same building as this restaurant, there will be many next times. I may have forgotten to mention that before, but Food Wine definitely isn’t a bad place to work right above! Maybe we can get a discount for being neighbors?

This past Sunday, Brett and I were fortunate enough to obtain passes to the Summer Fancy Food Show at the Washington Convention Center. Even though we already had reservations that morning for Birch and Barley’s decadent brunch, we knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to explore this behemoth of an event.

I used to work for the Food Marketing Institute, so I had an idea just how massive these food exhibits can be, but nothing prepared us for the countless rows of vendors from all over the world showcasing everything from fresh meats and cheeses to chocolates to wine to vegan and gluten-free fare.

This was a unique opportunity, as the reason for the DC location was due to their home at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City undergoing extensive renovation. In total, there were 2,400 exhibitors, 80 countries represented, and 24,000 attendees. Whew! To say we were overwhelmed would be an understatement.

We started off wandering the aisles one by one, which soon proved fruitless given the endless number of them. Some cool features we got to check out included the “New Brands on the Shelf” area, highlighting the newest specialty food and beverages that would be debuting soon. We quickly realized that the hall was organized with countries along the back and companies in the front, with various showcases for states in the U.S. as well.

While wandering through an aisle, we happened to see a crowd of people gathered around a cooking demonstration. Turns out it was none other than Cat Cora showing how to make a Mediterranean dish with eggplant, Santorini tomatoes, and other vegetables. She was right by her booth of branded sauces and cookbooks, and also happened to be the keynote speaker at an awards event. Crazy to think we saw her the day before on an episode of Iron Chef America!

It’s hard to remember everything we saw, but some of our favorites included the endless amounts of olive oil, olives, and fresh cheese from Greece and Italy, trying a mangosteen fruit for the first time from the Thai exotic fruit exhibit, and of course, a Jelly Belly mural of Harry Potter.

We also heard there was a craft beer sampling booth, so with five minutes to spare, we found ourselves in front of the exhibit from the Breweries Association. It was our last stop of the day, and within a few minutes, we tried new brews from Dogfish Head, Allagash, 21st Amendment, Victory, and Lagunitas. Not a bad way to end a Sunday!

Last week I had the pleasure of being in Colorado for a conference, and Brett and I went out a day early to check out Boulder before heading to Denver. We knew we wanted to hit up a brewery or two, and first on our list was Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery as it earned high marks on BeerAdvocate for both its food and beer selections.

We walked in and were seated right away in this welcoming brewpub. The walls were brightly covered with paintings for sale, and there were board games behind us if we wanted to play while we waited.

We immediately decided we would try the six beer sampler where we could choose any six of their selections for $10.50. We went with the Java Porter, Blackberry Wheat, Colorado Kind Ale, FYIPA, the Ginger Beer, and the Stout. They were all great but I think our favorites were the ginger, the porter, and the blackberry wheat.

We started our meal with a cup of their vegetarian black bean chili. It came with a side of corn chips and was not only delicious but also priced at a fantastic $2.95.

From there, we each tried one of their daily specials. I ordered the Beet Lover’s Salad, which came with roasted beets, fresh farm greens, Bermuda onions, and a goat cheese sauce. I added beer-baked tempeh to the salad, something I had only tried once before and was curious to have again. I wasn’t steered wrong, as it was a great, nutty addition to a nice summer salad. I’m a sucker for beets and goat cheese together, and this was filling but not overly heavy for a lunchtime meal.

Brett got the Mountain Mi, a spin on a traditional banh mi sandwich. It featured marinated chicken breast, pickled carrots, dikon radish, sliced cucumbers, fresh jalapenos, cilantro, Thai basil, mint and sriracha mayonnaise, all served on ciabbatta bread. He clearly loved the sandwich after clearing his plate, and has been on a banh mi kick since.

At one point a server came by and thought we had ordered a separate order of fries. We said we didn’t since Brett’s sandwich came with them, but he just left them anyway with us and didn’t charge for them. We certainly lucked out there since these were fresh-cut fries and highly addictive.

We really loved this place, and not just for the food and beer but also for the great atmosphere, friendly people, and pleasant service. You could tell that this is a perfect venue in a college town, and we lamented that there wasn’t something even remotely close to this in College Park when we went there.

We would definitely recommend Mountain Sun to anyone who happens to be in Boulder. Considering that there was a line for a table way past the lunch hour, this was clearly one of the city’s top local hangouts.

Van Ness used to be a barren wasteland for restaurants, but with places like Comet, Acacia Bistro, and Jake’s American Grille bucking the trend, perhaps there is hope for this neighborhood after all.

Rachel and I as well as a couple of our friends went out to Jake’s for dinner last week. We had been looking forward to dining there for quite some time given the expansive menu and diverse beer list, especially in a location where it is somewhat difficult to find both of these things in one setting.

There is a relatively large bar area on the left side of the room which looks like it would be a great happy hour spot. In fact Jake’s offers two happy hours: 4pm to 7pm, Monday through Friday, and a drinks-only “reverse” happy hour from 9pm to close, Monday through Thursday.

We were able to secure a table as soon as we arrived and were seated towards the front of the house. The interior gives off somewhat of a homey, neighborhood feel to it with its brick walls, wooden floors, and dim lighting. The menu primarily consists of tavern fare which featured an array of burgers, sandwiches, chicken, and fish.

I went with the red curry yellowfin tuna while Rachel ordered the southwestern tilapia. When I ordered my tuna, the waiter didn’t ask for a cooking temperature, but assuming that the kitchen would cook it on the rare side anyway, I didn’t think much of it at the time. When the dish arrived, the tuna was definitely rare, if not a little undercooked.

The parts of the fish that were cooked at the right temperature weren’t bad, but the quality of the tuna itself was just subpar. Considering that I have had similar dishes at other restaurants, I was slightly disappointed. I did, however, enjoy the side of buckwheat soba noodles that featured baby corn, broccolini and edamame which was covered in a red curry-coconut sauce.

Rachel certainly liked her tilapia, but she felt that the dish was missing something as it only came with a side of black beans. It could have been accompanied with some sort of vegetable, rice, side salad, something! She put it best when she described it as “a plate of fish and beans”. I mean, this is supposed to be an “American grille”, not a taqueria.

All and all, outside of spending some quality conversation with our friends, our meal was pretty forgettable. Nothing really stood out in regards to the food, and while the prices were rather reasonable (our two entrees combined cost us $31), everything was just average.

We’re hoping that Jake’s will improve with age as it’s a great space in a location begging for business, but until the kitchen improves, we’ll probably just stick to happy hour visits in the interim.

Jake’s American Grille is located on 5018 Connecticut Ave in the Van Ness neighborhood of DC.

While word is out that Jack Rose will officially open its roof deck this weekend, we were lucky enough to check out this gorgeous space last Saturday night.

We had heard a lot of buzz about this new DC behemoth, and couldn’t wait to see if it lived up to the hype. Unfortunately the main bar area wasn’t open when we visited, and won’t be until June 14th according to Eater. No matter, we walked right upstairs and were very impressed by what we saw.

The bar itself actually consists of five separate bars, include a main floor, a roof deck with a main bar, a side deck bar, a beer basement, and an executive tasting room. Phew! Color us impressed the minute we walked in.

Although the main room was still under construction, we peeked in from the window and couldn’t get over how long the bar itself was, 52 feet to be exact. There will be 20 taps alone there, along with rare casks and imports in the den downstairs, with shared taps upstairs in addition to cans. Essentially a beer lover’s heaven.

View of the main bar, still under construction

But this place is really catering to those who love Scotch: there will be over 1,000 types of Scotch and bourbon, not to mention an extensive cocktail list, mainly for the tiki-type bar outside. Yep, this place is paradise for drink lovers of all kinds, they don’t discriminate!

Right away we were impressed with the layout of the open-air terrace. While you can see the Washington Monument off into the distance from the top of Jack Rose, the decor made you feel like you were somewhere in New York or LA and not blocks away from the rambunctiousness of 18th Street.

There’s a long bar against the wall, but plenty of space for standing around and some tables as well. A nice touch is the pit barbecue area, where you can order sandwiches and other dishes. Brett ordered the pit beef on Ciabatta bread while I ordered the grilled vegetable sandwich.

Both were served with a type of purple slaw on the side. I really liked my sandwich, which came with goat cheese, grilled eggplant, red peppers, and spinach. The veggies held up well against the crunch of the bread, and the creamy cheese went well with the char of the grilled veggies. Brett enjoyed his sandwich as well, but his only complaint was that the drippings from the beef made the bread a little too soggy resulting in a little messiness.

We also each ordered a Bell’s Oberon, perfect for an early summer night. I was tempted to try some of the cocktails listed, but thought I would save them for another time. After we ate, we walked around the outdoor area to check out the side bar, which wasn’t yet open, and the inside room, where there was a party already going on.

We can already envision this place being packed on the weekends, and lamented the place wasn’t fully open in time for Brett’s birthday, since it would have been perfect.

Obviously we don’t have a complete picture of Jack Rose since it wasn’t officially open or ready yet, but all we can say is that DC is in for a treat and we can’t wait to make a return visit.

After years of vacancy at the former McDonald’s space, Tackle Box finally opened its doors yesterday. Between this and Medium Rare, new life has been injected into the Cleveland Park dining scene.

We had the opportunity to check out the restaurant’s newest location (the original is located in Georgetown, right next to sister venue Hook) for a friends and family event. Tackle Box offered a stripped-down version of their regular menu, at no cost, from 4pm to close. Talk about spreading goodwill to the neighborhood!

If you are not already familiar with Tackle Box, they are a casual seafood eatery that offers selections of grilled and fried fish, oysters, lobster rolls, clam chowder, and much more. The Cleveland Park location, however, is not only two stories, but also features an expanded menu.

The space sets the tone of a lobster shack, complete with buoys lining the walls while American flags are adorned in several corners of the restaurant. As their website proclaims – “We like summer vacation at the beach. That’s why we decided to open a lobster shack in the middle of the city for those days we couldn’t make the drive.”

Once we stepped inside, we felt like we were transported to the shore as the place was packed with communal picnic tables along with servers who looked like they were no older than 20 years old. Not that you’ll be looking for elite service with this type of venue as orders are brought out by number with servers hunting you down with plastic trays with meals prepared in paper plates/platters.

The huge bar that runs down nearly the entire length of the bottom floor looks like a great gathering place after work. The best part? They offer Natty Boh on tap!

Rachel and I split a half dozen raw oysters prepared at the raw bar by the front of the house. Accompanied with cocktail sauce and vinegar, these were some surprisingly large oysters. They were freshly shucked, very clean, and nicely presented in a wooden bowl (orders of dozen came out on a steel tray).

As for our entrees, we both ordered the Maine Meal which comes with a choice of fish, two sides, and a sauce. I ordered the grilled tilapia with lemon-garlic aioli, grilled broccoli, and mashed potatoes while Rachel got the grilled cod with a grilled portabella mushroom and corn on the cob.

Rachel originally wanted to order the whole steamed lobster, but alas, it was 86’ed by the time she stepped up to the counter. The fact that they included this on the complimentary menu spoke volumes on their effort to appease new customers though.

Anyway, I enjoyed the tilapia. It was nothing fancy, but for $7 a la carte (the Maine Meal is normally $14.50), one shouldn’t need to complain. While it was a tad salty, it was a decent piece of fish. When my platter arrived, I received a generous portion of grilled broccoli but my mashed potatoes were nowhere to be found. After informing the waiter, he told me that they had run out. Minutes later, he delivered a fresh batch of French fries! Nice gesture (and really good fries, to boot).

Rachel’s cod was excellently grilled and had great flavor to it, especially when dipped into the lemon-garlic aioli sauce. The corn was a little cold by the time she had bit into it, but it still had a nice char to it, if not a tad too buttery. The star of the show had to have been the mushroom, which she thought was huge, until she saw a fellow diner’s even larger mushroom. She said that alone could be an entree, and was a great deal as a side.

We also split a brownie sundae which arrived with two scoops of vanilla ice cream. It was a great way to end the meal as the homemade brownie was soft and delicious while the ice cream, which was nearly melted by the time we got around to eating it, was still very rich in flavor.

We can see Tackle Box being very successful in Cleveland Park given the location, expansive menu, and huge dining space. It’s been a long time coming for that long-vacant space, and we can’t think of a better restaurant to fill the void than Tackle Box.

Tackle Box is located on 3407 Connecticut Avenue in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of DC.

After months of renovations to the old Rock Creek space on Elm Street in Bethesda, Newton’s Table opened its doors several weeks ago. While they were initially open for dinner, they have started offering lunch and happy hour service as well. Some of us decided to check out their happy hour to see if it would live up to expectations as a new Bethesda destination.

We arrived at the restaurant and went straight for the bar, which wasn’t particularly crowded for a Thursday evening. The actual layout wasn’t much different from its former tenants, but the colors were inviting and tasteful.

For happy hour, Newton’s offers several food items at a discounted price, such as Wagyu beef sliders for $10, $5 Gougeres (or French cheese puffs), $3 per salt and pepper shrimp, $5 rosemary Parmesan fries, and a $2 buffalo chicken egg roll, which debuted that evening.

Drink specials consisted of $3.50 drafts, $5 rail drinks, $6 wines, and $7 specialty martinis. Nothing was much of a steal, but the food was definitely of higher quality than some other happy hour joints we frequent. The sliders were excellent and you could taste the intense flavor of the meat. Still, $10 is a lot for three small sliders, even for happy hour. Same goes with the $5 fries. The Gougeres were different as they were light, airy, and a fun dish to split. For only $2, I hope the egg roll remains on the happy hour menu as it was definitely the best deal of the night.

The beer list wasn’t extensive, but Brett ordered a Stella and a Sierra Nevada for $3.50 each, so he wasn’t complaining. My friend and I each had a glass of wine, but there was only one white and red option. Not that it was a problem, but it is nice to have some more options for happy hour.

While we were at the bar, we asked to look at their lunch and dinner menus. The dishes sounded tasty, but our excitement waned as soon as we saw the prices. Suddenly, Newton’s became a special occasion restaurant, aside from their happy hour deals. Most of their dinner entrees ranged in the high 30s, and lunch was in the upper teens to 20s. The most inexpensive item for dinner was a $16 hamburger!

I’m not sure what would justify that price for a hamburger, but considering that we just had Ray’s Hell Burger for $7 per person, those are high expectations to live up to. That’s not to say I don’t want to try many things on the menu at Newton’s, but there would have to be a compelling reason to go and spend the high prices there.

We also strongly recommend they work on their website, and fast. It is great that new restaurants like Newton’s are using social media sites like Facebook to create a fan base before opening, and that’s what they were able to do. They slowly started posting food descriptions and snippets of the menu after opening, but we still have yet to see a full menu, and only saw the surprisingly high prices once we arrived at the restaurant. At least potential customers would know before visiting what type of dining experience they are in for if they saw the menu and prices beforehand on their website.