DMV Dining

A few weeks ago, we decided to take a staycation and have some fun in our fair city of DC. We had been curious to try America Eats Tavern since it first opened and thought it would be fun to see the corresponding exhibit at the National Archives that was about to close. Additionally, we had a gift card to use for any ThinkFoodGroup restaurant, so we figured what better way to spend it than at Mr. Andres’ newest establishment (trust me, we tried calling Minibar… no dice).

Anyway, after a rainy afternoon at the Archives, we made our way over to the restaurant. We got there just in time for their happy hour, which is great and kind of a hidden secret. The Thomas Downing Oyster and Cocktail Hour runs from 4 to 6 p.m. and then again from 9 to close. Of course, we had to try their oysters so we started off with half a dozen and then ordered some more because they were that good, and a steal at a dollar apiece.

What makes their oyster hour really fun is their house made vinegars.  Between the two of us we tried the pear vinegar, the sparkling wine, the pear and raspberry, the red wine, and the lemon. It was nice to mix and match the vinegars with the different types of oysters and see which paired well together. Their cocktail list looked awesome, but we couldn’t resist Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald on tap for $4. That’s just too good to pass up.

Moving on, we were seated upstairs for dinner in their more formal dining room. We didn’t realize till we got there that there were two different menus. The downstairs menu was more casual and had more sandwich options while the upstairs menu featured more entrees. Upstairs we went, even though based on what we ordered, we could have sat anywhere.

The menu itself had an incredible amount of detail in that each item came with a story of the origin of the dish. I have to say what makes the menu confusing is that many of the entrée items are only available on certain days of the week, so you need to pay attention to see if what you are in the mood for is available. Looking at the options, we were definitely drawn to many of the appetizers over the entrees, so we decided to start with a few of those and go from there.

The first two appetizers we tried were the hushpuppies with housemade sorghum butter and the fried chicken with catsup. I have to say, I’m not sure which I loved more.  One of my favorite bar snacks I had in 2011 were the hush puppies at Food Wine and Co., and these blew them away. They were warm, buttery, and somehow incredibly light and crispy. They tasted even better when dipped in the corn butter that accompanied it.

The fried chicken could have been a meal in itself, if only we could have ordered a larger portion. The chicken had a nice crispy crust along with incredibly tender and juicy meat. What was different was the blackberry catsup that came with the dish. Apparently catsups back in the 1800s were much thinner, more vinegary, and came in a variety of flavors before Heinz standardized it. They have several to choose from off the menu, but we were very happy with the blackberry mixture.

Next up was vermicelli prepared like pudding, a dish I had read about which proclaimed it as basically a fancy version of mac and cheese. It had a nice crispy crust and was tasty, but it was almost too small to really enjoy and was probably the least memorable dish we tried.

Finally, we decided to continue with the appetizer trend and got the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We had heard so much about this from various reviews complaining how something so simple could cost $8 (I think it used to be $10 but they lowered the price). But yeah, it really is just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You could add foie gras to it if you want (for double the price), though just imagining the combination of PB&J plus liver doesn’t seem too appealing.

The only difference was that everything was housemade. They even cut the crusts off like mom did, and it came with a small glass of milk with a straw. They definitely got points for presentation with that. It was a tasty sandwich, but the peanut butter overpowered the jelly a little too much.

After all these fun apps, we were pretty full and decided to go straight to dessert. In the end we chose the pineapple upside cake, which was warm and delicious, and I guess pretty fitting since Dole is a sponsor of the restaurant.

Although we had never been to Cafe Atlántico before, we definitely love what they did to decorate the place for America Eats. It really does mirror the exhibit that ran at the Archives and the restaurant itself looks like something out of a museum, filled with historic pictures and artifacts and decorated in red, white and blue colors. As a final touch, they presented our check inside a book. I definitely appreciate when restaurants get creative with the check presentation.

There’s still time to check out America Eats if you haven’t yet. They were supposed to only be open until January 4th but we were told they extended their run through July of this year. While the food we tried didn’t blow me away, it was definitely fun and felt like a history lesson at the same time. I would go back and maybe share some entrees too, or see what their brunch is like. Who knows what Jose Andres will decide to do come this July?

It only took us ten months or so, but we finally tried Medium Rare last week. I can’t speak for Rachel, but I have been dying to try this place not only because of the simple concept, but plainly because I love steak frites. Turns out Medium Rare was designed with me in mind, and I greatly appreciate it.

We were able to procure a table for four with ease on Friday night, but that’s also because we were having a 6pm dinner. Rest assured the place was nearly full an hour later. It’s amazing to think that Yanni’s Greek Taverna is where Medium Rare now sits, but this is a great addition to the Cleveland Park neighborhood.

Helmed by Mark Bucher of BGR The Burger Joint fame, Medium Rare is the simplest of steakhouses – a prix-fixe menu of bread, salad, and steak & fries for $19.50. And yes, that even includes a second helping of their steak frites. For an entire meal under $20, it’s an incredible value.

The artisan rustic bread was crusty on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and our waitress gladly refilled our basket once we had gone through the first batch. The mixed green salad, topped with cherry tomatoes and Dijon vinaigrette, soon came next. We all enjoyed the salad as the lettuce was crisp without being completely saturated in dressing.

Then, it was time for the main event. The culotte steak (top sirloin cap) was topped with the restaurant’s “secret sauce” and served with a generous heap of frites. The steak, just like the name of the restaurant, was cooked medium rare. The thin, tender strips of beef were full of flavor, but the addition of the kitchen’s gravy/béarnaise concoction really got the taste buds flowing.

Just as I had finished my plate, our server came by with a grillpan full of more steak and fries to distribute evenly amongst our table. Rachel was full by this juncture, but I happily had her seconds (are you honestly surprised?).

The four of us decided to split a dessert, so we went with the apple pie accompanied with vanilla bean ice cream. The pie was piping hot, flaky, and overflowing with apple. I especially enjoyed the ice cream as the vanilla flavor was very pronounced.

We had a great meal at Medium Rare, and it’s a terrific option for those not looking to break the bank. You’re not going to be getting a prime filet, but for the price, I was very happy with my steak. All and all, I would definitely come back, though you really have to be in the mood for steak frites since, well, it’s your only option.

A few weeks ago, Rachel and I were trying to figure out where to eat dinner before seeing Billy Elliot at the Kennedy Center. While several restaurants in the Foggy Bottom area offered prix-fixe pre-theater menus, we weren’t necessarily looking to have a three-course dinner let alone spend over $30 per person.

We were simply looking for a venue where we could have a decent meal without breaking the bank. Rachel then suggested that we try out the newly-opened District Commons. Given its proximity to the Foggy Bottom Metro station as well as their modest prices, it made perfect sense.

Jeff Tunk’s latest venture opened back in October, and since we don’t frequent the Foggy Bottom area that much, it was an opportune time to try out the restaurant. We made our way towards the lounge area and found plenty of tables available. Even better, we made it before happy hour ended (6pm), so we were able to enjoy a couple of $4 drafts before ordering our food.

A few people suggested that we try the hot pretzel baguette, and we did just that. For only two dollars, we received a piping-hot loaf of pretzel bread, complete with their “beer mustard” butter. Warm and soft, it doesn’t get much better than pretzel bread and beer after a long day at work.

For our entrees, we decided to share the lamb sausage flatbread as well as the white mussels. The flatbread was prepared with roasted eggplant, Kalamata olives, Feta, and pomegranate molasses. The Mediterranean-style ingredients worked really well together while the crisp crust had a nice char to it.

Meanwhile, the white mussels featured house limoncello, oven-cured tomatoes, and lemon thyme cream. I enjoyed the sauce, but the overall quality of the dish fell short compared to mussel pots found at Granville Moore’s or Brasserie Beck. Then again, for only $12, you certainly get your money’s worth as it was a generous portion of mussels.

Considering that our entire meal cost under $30 for two people (excluding drinks), District Commons was exactly what we were looking for before heading down to the Kennedy Center. The food was good, the prices were modest, the atmosphere was laid-back, and the service was pleasant. For those looking for a casual dinner before a show, or just to have a few drinks for that matter, District Commons is an ideal destination.

A few weeks ago, I was able to visit the new and improved Cesco Osteria and Co2 Lounge on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda. Most people would be familiar with this locale from its predecessor, McCormick and Schmick’s, known for their fresh seafood and famously good happy hour. Unfortunately, their lease was up and they decided not to renew, so Cesco decided to jump into the space.

Cesco has for years lived on a corner block on Cordell Avenue, and earned a reputation over the years for quality Italian food from head chef Francesco Ricci. Brett and I have always wanted to try their food but never had the opportunity. So when I went to lunch with a few coworkers and vendors we do business with, this was one of the first places that came to mind.

Walking in, the space was huge. It seemed even bigger than when McCormick was there. We were seated right away and I immediately recognized our waiter from Mussel Bar. I guess they had recruited him over to the new digs. For lunch, there are essentially two menus to choose from — the main menu has more formal signature dishes from the chef, while the casual menus (which were also our placemats) included pizza and build-your-own pasta or salad with different ingredients.

I ordered the soup of the day, which was lobster bisque with angel hair pasta. It wasn’t cream-based so I didn’t find it very heavy, and it served as a nice starter. I tried not to consume all of the pasta in the soup since I knew I wanted pasta for my entrée.

I decided to try a homemade pasta dish and went with the gnocchi with roasted vegetables, ricotta, and a light tomato sauce. I have to say, this might have been one of the better gnocchi dishes I have had recently. The potato dumplings themselves were light and fluffy and paired really well with the roasted vegetables that seemed almost like a ratatouille. There was just enough sauce to bind everything together but it wasn’t too much where that was all you tasted. I really loved my entree and could have easily finished the very large portion but somehow made it home with enough to share with Brett. He agreed that it was a great gnocchi preparation and expressed his eagerness to try Cesco as well.

Overall, everyone was happy with their dishes and enjoyed the service and atmosphere. I would come again to try one of their build-your-own pasta dishes and see what their happy hour is like.

I should state that this review is solely for Cesco Osteria and not its new counterpart lounge, Co2 Lounge. There are many things I could say about that, but I’ll just let the press release speak for itself. One bit of advice for the restaurant: we know you want to be exclusive for your club, but just having a sign-up form on your website is not an inviting way to get to know a restaurant. It would be helpful to also post information on the restaurant, the chef, and the menus. In the world of Yelp and Facebook, no one wants to be surprised with menus or prices before eating somewhere.

New Years Eve is perhaps the most overrated holiday of the year, so instead of dropping over $100 on one of those silly “open-bar” parties where the venues are overcrowded and short-staffed, we opted to go out with a few of our close friends for dinner instead. We ultimately decided on Ardeo which offered a four-course prix-fixe menu for a reasonable price of $65.

Rachel and I haven’t dined at Ardeo since 2008, and it’s received quite the makeover since our last visit. Because we had a party of ten, we were seated at their “community table” – a long table which made conversation with the entire community just a tad difficult. I won’t blame that on Ardeo though, a round 10-top is typically found at banquet halls, not restaurants.

Anyway, the amuse bouche for the table was a beef tartar accompanied with egg “caviar” and black truffle. I liked the execution of the egg caviar, very clever.

Diners had six options to choose from for their first course, so naturally I went with the beef carpaccio. And yes, while I’m aware I just had the beef tartar moments ago, I’m a glutton for all things beef, so this decision was rather easy. The four thinly-sliced pieces of beef were topped with a couple of 63 degree quail eggs as well as pickled brown beech mushrooms. Lovely presentation and a solid first course dish.

Rachel ordered the gnocchi salad, which was prepared with spinach salad, crisp gnocchi, braised fennel, and truffle vinaigrette. She thought it was a great first course. The gnocchi were a little different than what she is typically used to in that they were longer pieces, but they weren’t too heavy and you could definitely taste the truffle oil.

For our main course, I ordered the seven hour braised leg of suckling pig. I haven’t had suckling pig since my 30th birthday at Komi, and while the grilled barrel-cut rib-eye caught my eye, I simply could not do a trifecta of beef in one sitting (… or could I?).

Back on topic, the pork was accompanied with cheddar grits, black-eyed peas, redeye gravy, and peanuts. It slightly reminded me of the Kalula pork we had in Hawaii, except the meat at Ardeo was dry in some areas and not as rich in flavor as its Pacific counterpart. It’s also a shame there that wasn’t any crispy skin included, but again, that’s Komi’s fault for taking this dish to the next level. I probably would have enjoyed Ardeo’s rendition more had Johnny Monis not completely spoiled me with his exquisite preparation.

Rachel’s entrée was the Day Boat Scallops with a butternut puree, spaghetti squash, bacon, and a lobster emulsion.  The scallops were charred nicely on one side, but as our friend Keith mentioned who had also got the same dish, they may have been better if they were seared on both sides. The best part may have been the butternut squash puree as dipping the scallops in it made them taste even better. The spaghetti squash added a nice texture to the dish, but she couldn’t really taste any lobster in the emulsion.

For dessert, each patron received a trio of desserts. The first was a chocolate bonbon stuffed with vanilla ice cream and then dusted with more chocolate, the next was a coffee mousse, and the third was a chocolate-pistachio tart with salted caramel and a milk chocolate glaze. The tart was my personal favorite while Rachel favored the mousse.

Because it’s not New Years Eve without some bubbly, our waiter came by with some complimentary glasses of champagne to close out the meal. While the service was slow at times, I have to tip my hat to the manager. When one of our friends thought her cod was overcooked, the manager sincerely apologized and asked if she would like to order a different entrée. Within minutes, she received a freshly-grilled rib-eye and was very pleased with it. Now that’s excellent customer service.

When we received the bill, gratuity was not included which I felt was a little peculiar. Because we were such a large party, it’s often typical that restaurants include gratuity at a predetermined percentage, but apparently this was not the case for us. No matter, it just made splitting the check a little more time-consuming.

Overall, we had a great New Years Even dinner at Ardeo. Everyone had an enjoyable time and was satisfied with their meal. While restaurants are typically more expensive during the holiday, I felt that $65 was a fair price considering the quality and quantity of food we received throughout the night. I wouldn’t mind going back in the near future just to order from their regular dinner menu let alone their champagne brunch.

When one thinks of Local 16, their bar scene instantly comes to mind, specifically their rooftop terrace in the summertime. We haven’t been in years (mostly because it is typically too crowded), but an offer from The Capitol Deal a few months ago piqued our interest: $15 for a brunch entrée as well as bottomless mimosas or Bloody Mary’s.

At first, we honestly had no idea that they served brunch, but after doing some digging, it turns out that Local 16 was also home to DC pizzaiolo Edan MacQuaid, formerly of local pizzerias 2 Amy’s and Pizzeria Orso. Evidently Local 16 was MacQuaid’s new residence and that his pizzas were receiving some rather high acclaim.

While the brunch menu offered typical fare such as Eggs Benedict, pancakes, and French toast, both Rachel and I opted for one of their pizzas instead. I ordered the Aden, which included house made sausage, piquillo peppers, caramelized onions, fennel, and mozzarella. The chewy crust had a nice char to it while the peppers added some spice to the dish. I particularly liked the sausage as it had a very pronounced flavor and blended well with the caramelized onions.

Rachel went with the Garfield, which featured tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan. Local 16 sources their produce from Whipple Farm in Virginia, so it’s no wonder that the cherry tomatoes were delightfully rich in flavor.

And how we could not mention the bottomless pitchers of mimosas? Local 16 kept the libations flowing throughout our meal, even well after we finished our pizzas. Even better – they weren’t gradually diluting the beverages after each pitcher, something we’ve experienced at other restaurants offering unlimited drinks.

For $15, it was an excellent deal. The pizzas alone will cost you $12 a la carte while glasses of mimosas and Bloody Mary’s are $3 and $5 each, respectively. The funny thing is that it had turned out we didn’t even need to buy The Capitol Deal voucher as Local 16 offers the brunch special year-round as long as you are a fan of their Facebook page. Good to know for next time, obviously. Just be sure to make a reservation as they do book up for this special.

Coincidentally, Don Rockwell recently announced that MacQuaid will be partnering up with one of Local 16’s owners to open his very own pizzeria on 1832 14th Street NW. The menu will feature a handful of wood-fired oven pizzas as well as some other dishes. No projected opening date as of yet, but rest assured, we’ll gladly keep our eyes peeled on it.

The redevelopment of College Park has long been overdue, but it’s finally coming to fruition with the addition of several mixed-use developments along Route 1. From University View to The Varsity, the landscape of downtown College Park has changed dramatically from when I first attended as an undergraduate back in 1999.

With so much retail space now available in a prime location along a major thoroughfare, restaurateurs are taking advantage of the opportunity as there are thousands of customers just footsteps away from their businesses. From ChiDogO’s to Austin Grill Express to a soon-to-be-opened Sweetgreen, College Park looks far different compared to a decade ago.

One of the major highlights of the redevelopment thus far is the newest location of celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s burger joint. Having just opened Bobby’s Burger Palace in K Street last summer, the College Park location followed suit just a couple of months later. My friend Scott and I headed over to Bobby’s last week for a pregame meal before the Maryland basketball game that evening.

Apparently we weren’t the only ones with that idea as the line was nearly out the door, although it did move at an efficient pace. The basic burger starts at $6.75, but varieties such as the Miami Burger or Buffalo Style Burger will only cost you a dollar more. You can also have your burger “crunchified”, meaning the kitchen throws some potato chips atop the patty.

They also offer a rotating Burger of the Month, which is what I decided to try. For December, that meant a Pacific Northwest Burger: white American cheese, cremini mushrooms, and a red wine BBQ sauce. I asked it for it to be cooked medium, and also got a side of sweet potato fries too.  The cashier gives you a number, and then they bring your meal to your table when the order is ready.

When the burger arrived, Scott instantly remarked how the kitchen “torched” my burger. He was right – the patty was well-done. Meanwhile, his medium-rare burger was prepared the way he asked, so I’m not really sure what happened there. On top of that, we both received our orders of fries a minute or two after they had served the burgers instead of all at once. Rather odd.

I would have sent the burger back, but we were short on time and the kitchen appeared slightly overwhelmed due to so many customers at once, so I just tried to enjoy it. The beef was of good quality, but it was the combination of the mushrooms, cheese, and BBQ sauce that was able to detract from the well-doneness of the patty. The bun, however, was disappointing as it was limp as soon it got to the table. The bottom half was especially soggy, so between that and the overcooked beef, it was a fairly pedestrian burger.

The sweet potato fries were fair, and while they were priced at $3 a serving, at least you receive a decent amount of them. The honey mustard horseradish sauce was a nice touch instead of reaching for the ketchup bottle. Speaking of which, Bobby’s offers nearly a half dozen sauces to top your burger with. The “burger sauce” might have been my favorite, with the chipotle ketchup as a close runner-up.

Our meal cost a little less than $24 for two burgers and two orders of fries. Not a bad value for two people, but honestly, I would take Ray’s Hell Burger any day of the week over Bobby’s. If Flay’s burger joint was the only game in town, then sure, but there are so many other places in the DC area that serve up a better burger for around the same price with much better quality and consistency. As for pregame meals, I’ll be sticking with Fishnet for the foreseeable future.

One of the reasons I love DC so much is that, despite its relatively small size as a city, there is something new to explore each and every day. Take A. Litteri, for instance. I have long heard about this Italian market as the place to get a sub, whether it was raves from my coworker Jeff, a DC native who lives in Brentwood and routinely stops by for lunch, or tweets from Jack Kogod of the Washingtonian, recommending the 9” hard roll sub as one of his favorites in the city.

Jeff decided that it was due time that I check out this establishment for lunch, so off we went to Northeast DC to buy some subs. Honestly, I wouldn’t have known this place existed if it wasn’t for Jack and Jeff. Situated in the Florida Avenue Market amongst warehouses and a stone’s throw from Gallaudet University, A. Litteri has been operating since 1932 and is a District treasure, albeit a slightly hidden one. Patrons are here for a purpose.

When you walk inside, you have stepped into perhaps the finest Italian market in DC: a large selection of goods stuffed into the smallest space you can possibly imagine. Stacks of canned tomatoes, pastas, olive oils, and wines adorn the shelves. Around the corner, there’s a cooler housing frozen pastas, pizza dough, and homemade sauces, just to name a few of the many items contained inside.

The back of the market, however, was our ultimate destination. Not only is this where you order your sandwich, but you can also buy fresh meats and cheeses by the pound. I have never seen such an extensive selection before, let alone where one has a choice between six different kinds of prosciutto!

When it came time to order, I went with Jack’s recommendation: the classic Italian on a 9” hard roll. The ingredients? Capicola, Genoa salami, prosciuttini, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, hot peppers, and of course, Italian dressing. My coworkers and I tried to resist noshing on the sample tray while we waited for our sandwiches, but it proved rather difficult when they kept replenishing it.

As we made our way to the register, I had a last-minute urge to grab some pizza dough. I just could not bear to leave A. Litteri with only one item in hand. Oh, and the sandwich? Good heavens, this was as good as it gets. I cannot ever recall enjoying lunch at my desk as much as I did while eating this sub. The freshly-baked hard roll kept the layers of fresh meats and cheeses soaked in dressing intact without getting anywhere close to soggy. As if this wasn’t good enough, the total cost of this excellent sub was a mere $4.95. Yeah, you read that correctly.

I’m so glad I finally got to experience a sub from A. Litteri, but at the same time, I’m a little mad at myself for not checking it out sooner. I cannot believe what I was missing out on for so long.