DMV Dining

We have to admit, the amount of content on DMV Dining has diminished quite a bit since we moved to Silver Spring. Between chasing after a toddler and moving to a new house, our dining adventures these past few months have mostly been relegated to delivery and takeout. But rest assured, that’s not a bad thing.

You see, the move has also given us a chance to explore the abundance of excellent ethnic eateries up the road in Wheaton and Silver Spring. And let me tell you, there’s a plethora of options to choose from. The best part is that all of them are affordable if not downright inexpensive.  We’ve mostly stuck to Wheaton, but have checked out a few places in Silver Spring and know we’ve only barely scratched the surface in terms of cheap eats.

Having said that, Rachel and I have composed a breakdown of all the places we have visited thus far.

El Pollo Rico

It’s no secret than I’m a huge fan of Polla a la Brasa, so when I found out we would be moving less than a couple of miles away from one of the most highly-acclaimed Peruvian chicken restaurants in the area, this place was at the top of my list. And let me tell you, the chicken at El Pollo Rico is as good as it gets. Wonderfully crisp and delightfully moist, it is right up there with Sardi’s as one of my favorites. While most of the sides are an afterthought, the sweet corn tamales are highly recommended (they’re cooked to order so I would call ahead if you plan on doing takeout). The Wheaton location also offers delivery, too. – Brett

2517 University Blvd W
Wheaton, MD 20902
(301) 942-4419

Goldberg’s New York Bagels

Being walking distance to Goldberg’s, who in my opinion make some of the best New York style bagels in the area, is quite the perk come Sunday morning. Our new Sunday tradition involves running a few miles around the neighborhood and finishing at Goldberg’s with a bagel and a schmear. – Brett

9328 Georgia Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(240)-450-4177

Hollywood East Café

While we have written about Hollywood East Café in the past, now we have even more reason to frequent their terrific dim sum given that we’re that much closer to them. – Brett

11160 Veirs Mill Rd
Wheaton, MD 20902
(240) 290-9988

Ghar-E-Kabab

This past rainy Saturday, we were staying in after failed babysitter attempts and had a hankering for Indian food. We looked for places that would deliver and came upon Ghar-E-Kabab. After a long but expected wait for our food, the payoff was worth it. We choose traditional (boring) items of Chicken Tikka Masala, Palak Paneer, and of course Naan. It certainly hit the spot and we’ll plan to order different dishes for variety the next time we crave Indian cuisine. – Rachel

944 Wayne Ave
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 588-6656

La Casita Pupuseria & Market

We knew the Silver Spring/Wheaton area was full of fantastic pupuserias and Salvadorian restaurants, it was just a matter of which one we wanted to try first. We opted for La Casita based on its popular Yelp reviews, and judging by the crowded dining room at 5:30pm on a Sunday, we clearly chose the right place. We tried one of nearly each type of pupusa offered, and they were some of the best we’ve ever had. Our son ate them up too, in addition to the delicious mango smoothie. Next time we’ll have to try some of the other dishes on the menu, but you definitely can’t go wrong with any of the pupusas here. – Rachel

8214 Piney Branch Rd
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 588-6656

Marchone’s Italian Delicatessen

A void needed to be filled once we left Bethesda and could no longer walk to Vace, which used to be our local Italian grocery. Thankfully Marchone’s has filled that emptiness with their delicious Italian cold cut subs. A family-owned business since 1954 and housed next door to Moby Dick Sushi, do yourself a favor and order a Panino and top it off with one of the many Italian pastries on display at the front of the house. They even sell cannoli from Vacarro’s! We have also heard great things about Santucci’s Italian Deli too, so that’s up on our list to try and then compare the two. – Brett

11224 Triangle Lane
Wheaton, MD 20902
 (301) 949-4150

Max’s Kosher Deli

After living in this area for well over a decade, I’m embarrassed to admit that I had never frequented Max’s until a few months ago. Rachel, on the other hand, last visited when she was an undergrad at the University of Maryland. Needless to say we’ll be making plenty more trips after devouring their schawarma and falafel when we stopped by last month. The matzo ball soup is as authentic as it gets, too. – Brett

2319 University Blvd W
Wheaton, MD 20902
(301) 949-6297

Moby Dick Sushi

This quaint sushi shop seems unassuming at first but in reality serves up some high quality fish at a very affordable price point. Their spicy crunchy tuna roll is arguably the best I have come across in this area, not only because of the quality but also how they prepare it – instead of being dusted with tempura flakes it is instead embedded in it, basically tempura style. The result is a satisfyingly crisp roll that is always included in each and every one of our takeout orders. – Brett

11220 Triangle Lane
Wheaton, MD 20902
(301) 949-3910

Nava Thai

First of all, not only are we a short drive to one of the best Thai restaurants in the area, we’re a short drive to three of the best Thai restaurants in the area (Ruan Thai and Thai Taste by Kob being the other two, all within a few blocks from one another). Nava Thai just happens to deliver, so we tried that one first. In fact, this was officially our first meal at our new house after an utterly exhausting day of moving. The Floating Market Soup is extraordinary, both in spice and overall flavor, and in my opinion is a quintessential must-try Thai dish. Even traditional items such as Pad Thai and Pad See Ew are refreshingly composed in a manner that makes you want to toss out all those old Thai takeout menus. The steamed dumplings stuffed with ground pork, shrimp, crabmeat, and water chestnuts are a real treat, too. On on a recent delivery order they convinced us to order the mango sticky rice dessert, which was a delicious summer treat that our son loved as well. – Brett

11301 Fern Street
Wheaton, MD 20902
(240) 430-0495

Ren’s Ramen

While Rachel and I have still never been to Toki Underground, we’re both perfectly content getting a piping hot bowl of ramen up the street instead of waiting outside for an inordinate amount of time on H Street for the same exact thing. And trust me, I’m not dogging Toki here, it just so happens that Ren’s is conveniently located a couple miles from us and serves up some tremendous ramen without the long queue and hip interior. Yes, parking can be difficult and they only accept cash, but these are small quibbles for a place that makes some outrageously good ramen. With a bowl large enough for leftovers (though I always finish mine) starting at $10, it’s a guarantee our visits will exponentially increase once the weather starts getting cooler. – Brett

11403 Amherst Ave
Wheaton, MD 20902
(301) 693-0806

Thai Taste by Kob

Tucked literally in between Nava Thai and Ruan Thai, Thai Taste by Kob stands out in that it offers an array of Thai street food in addition to more traditional fare. We stuck with items like Pad See Ew and Chicken with Chinese Broccoli, nothing too adventurous but delicious nonetheless. We discovered Thai Taste also delivers, and with its extensive menu we now have our pick of amazing Thai food to choose from. Thai Taste was recently given a favorable review by Todd Kliman in the May issue of Washingtonian, and we can definitely see why. – Rachel

11315 Fern St
Wheaton, MD 20902
(301) 942-0288

Now that we are officially less than a week away from Passover, we thought we would take the time to compile a list of DC area restaurants that will be offering Pesach-friendly menus.

After all, just because it’s Passover doesn’t mean you can’t go out for dinner! So put down that box of matzo meal and start reading…

BLT Steak: A new entrant in the Passover scene, the DC steakhouse is offering some intriguing items such as deviled hen eggs with challah croutons and pike “gefilte” fish with English pea velouté. Guests can order items a la carte or create their own three-course menu for $60 per person. The menu runs from Monday, April 14 to Saturday, April 19.

Call 202-689-8999 to make a reservation.

Commissary: The Logan Circle eatery is offering one of the more affordable Passover-centric dining options with a $28 prix-fixe three course dinner that includes matzo ball soup, brisket, and sweet matzo kugel. The menu is also available a la carte and will be available from Monday, April 14 to Saturday, April 19.

Call 202-299-0018 to make a reservation.

Fiola: Chef Fabio Trabocchi introduces his “Passover Seder All’Italiana” with an exquisite six-course tasting menu that will be offered from Tuesday, April 15 to Tuesday, April 22. The dinner will feature an Italian twist on the Passover Seder with items such as baby artichokes salad, red mullet and fennel risotto, and a kosher rack of lamb. The dinner is $105 per person along with an optional $60 wine pairing.

Call 202-628-2888 to make a reservation.

DGS Delicatessen: Already one of the most popular restaurants in Dupont Circle, Barry Koslow’s kitchen will be featuring a spit-roasted lamb dinner for the first night of Passover on Sunday, April 13. The menu will feature spit-roasted lamb served family style, along with latkes, roasted beets, asparagus, and honey glazed donuts for $35 per person. Additionally, DGS will be offering a “Seder at the Delicatessen” four-course dinner from April 14 to 21 for $45/person, and will feature matzo ball soup, pan-roasted striped bass, Shenandoah Valley lamb, and charoset cake. There is also a $20 optional wine pairing.

Call 202-393-4400 to make a reservation.

Equinox: Chef Todd Gray will be offering a farm-to-Seder party on Monday, April 14. Featuring recipes from Todd and Ellen Gray’s cookbook, The New Jewish Table: Modern Seasonal Recipes for Traditional Dishes, the $90 dinner will include matzo ball soup, short rib, and pineapple upside down cake.

Call 202-331-8118 to make a reservation.

Rosa Mexicano: It’s Mexican Passover over at Rosa Mexicano from Monday, April 14 to Tuesday, April 22. Their Penn Quarter, Chevy Chase, and National Harbor locations will feature a “Passover a la Mexicana” menu which puts a south of the border twist on traditional favorites. From tropical haroset to chipotle-marrow matzo balls, Rosa Mexicano offers perhaps the most eclectic selection of Passover dishes thus far. Menu is prix-fixe.

Call 202-783-5522 (Penn Quarter), 202-777-9959 (Chevy Chase) or 301-567-1005 (National Harbor) to make a reservation.

Mon Ami Gabi: The French bistro located in downtown Bethesda will be offering a prix-fixe Seder menu on Monday, April 14th and Tuesday, April 15th. Dinner will feature classic Passover dishes such as matzo ball soup, chopped liver with egg and onions, and beef brisket. Rachel and I went a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.

$36.95 for adults and $15.95 for children under 12. Call 301-654-1234 to make a reservation.

Vince & Dominic’s Pizzeria: Just because it’s Passover doesn’t mean you can’t eat pizza. The Bethesda-based pizzeria will be serving up unleavened pies all throughout Passover. Make sure to place your orders ahead of time as demand will be high during the holiday.

Call 301-365-4190 to place your order.

Georgetown Cupcake: DC’s most famous cupcake outpost will be selling a variety of Passover Macaroon cupcakes at both their Georgetown and Bethesda locations. These flourless coconut macaroon cupcakes will be available with either caramel or chocolate drizzle.

Sprinkles: The latest cupcake import from Beverly Hills will be selling flourless chocolate cupcakes, topped with a blue Star of David naturally, from April 14 to 22.

If you know of any area restaurants not listed above that are offering Passover menu options, please let us know by either leaving a comment or emailing us at dmvdining AT gmail DOT com.

In what has been one of the most anticipated openings in the Potomac area for quite some time, the famed Attman’s Delicatessen of Baltimore finally opened their second location in Cabin John Plaza yesterday.

Rachel and I took a sneak preview of the deli this past weekend and right off the bat we could tell that this place was going to be a surefire hit. Let me preface by saying that this area suffers from a severe shortage of legit, Jewish-style delicatessens. Sure, there are places like Parkway Deli and DGS Delicatessen, but the former is more of a diner while the latter is more of an upscale dining option.

Attman’s, a Baltimore staple known for their piled-high sandwiches, fills the niche in the best way possible. By offering a massive selection of high-quality deli fare in an area rife with deli-lovers, the Washington area finally has an authentic delicatessen, with history behind it to boot! And while Cabin John Plaza isn’t necessarily Corned Beef Row, at least parking is easy to come by.

When you step inside, the first thing you notice are the deli counters lined up against the left side housing a variety of meats, cheeses, and knishes. It’s probably best to research the menu before stepping in line as you’ll need to be prepared what to order given how extensive the menu is.

What’s also nice about the Potomac location is that they offer table service towards the back of the restaurant. And of course, their catering department should have no problems generating business given the heavily populated D.C. market they just entered. One drawback, however, is that Attman’s is not kosher outside of their Hebrew National offerings (hot dogs, salami, and bologna).

Our advice? Order the extra lean corned beef on rye with mustard. Tender, flavorful, and sandwiched between two slices of soft rye bread, this is as good as it gets. And while the pastrami was very good, it’s the corned beef that keeps you coming back here for more.

Attman’s Delicatessen is located on 11325 Seven Locks Road in Potomac, Maryland.

Now that we are officially less than a week away from Passover, we thought we would take the time to compile a list of DC area restaurants that will be offering Pesach-friendly menus.

After all, just because it’s Passover doesn’t mean you can’t go out for dinner! So put down that box of matzo meal and start reading…

DGS Delicatessen: Already one of the most popular restaurants in Dupont Circle, Barry Koslow’s kitchen will be featuring a four-course prix-fixe Seder menu from Monday, March 25 to Sunday, March 31.  Featuring housemade matzo and bitter herb crusted halibut, this isn’t your bubby’s typical Seder.

$40 per guest with optional $20 beverage pairing. Call 202-393-4400 to make a reservation.

Dino: The Cleveland Park restaurant continues its time-honored tradition of offering a Passover menu starting Monday, March 25 through Monday, April 1. Not only will Dino be opening early the first two days of Passover to allow diners enough time to get to services, but they will also lend you a Seder plate as well! The prix-fixe menu features four courses which include a choice of entrees served family-style.

$59 for adults and $25 for children. Flight of four glasses of wine (non-kosher) is an additional $29 per person. Call 202-686-2966 to make a reservation.

Equinox: Chef Todd Gray will be offering a Passover menu from Monday, March 25 to Tuesday, April 2. The five-course prix-fixe dinner will include items such as quinoa salad with figs and mint, as well as Todd’s Modern Day Brisket (the recipe can also be found in their new cookbook, The New Jewish Table: Modern Seasonal Recipes for Traditional Dishes).

$45 for adults, $60 with boutique Israeli wine pairing. Call 202-331-8118 to make a reservation.

Rosa Mexicano: It’s Mexican Passover over at Rosa Mexicano from Monday, March 25 to Saturday, March 30. Their Penn Quarter, Chevy Chase, and National Harbor locations will feature a “Passover a la Mexicana” menu which puts a south of the border twist on traditional favorites. From tropical haroset to chipotle-marrow matzo balls, Rosa Mexicano offers perhaps the most eclectic selection of Passover dishes thus far. Menu is prix-fixe.

$42 per guest. Call 202-783-5522 (Penn Quarter), 202-777-9959 (Chevy Chase) or 301-567-1005 (National Harbor) to make a reservation.

Mon Ami Gabi: The French bistro located in downtown Bethesda will be offering a prix-fixe Seder menu on Monday, March 25th and Tuesday, March 26th. Dinner will feature classic Passover dishes such as matzo ball soup, chopped liver with egg and onions, and beef brisket. Rachel and I went a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.

$36.95 for adults and $15.95 for children under 12. Call 301-654-1234 to make a reservation.

Vince & Dominic’s Pizzeria: Just beacuse it’s Passover doesn’t mean you can’t eat pizza. The Bethesda-based pizzeria will be serving up unleavened pies all throughout Passover. Make sure to place your orders ahead of time as demand will be high during the holiday.

Call 301-365-4190 to place your order.

Georgetown Cupcake: DC’s most famous cupcake outpost will be selling a variety of Passover Macaroon cupcakes at both their Georgetown and Bethesda locations. These flourless coconut macaroon cupcakes will be available with either fudge or dulce-de-leches drizzle.

Sprinkles: The latest cupcake import from Beverly Hills will be selling flourless chocolate cupcakes, topped with a blue Star of David naturally, from March 25 to April 2.

If you know of any area restaurants not listed above that are offering Passover menu options, please let us know by either leaving a comment or emailing us at dmvdining AT gmail DOT com.

Perhaps one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of 2012 was Dupont Circle’s DGS Delicatessen. Rachel and I have longed for a Jewish deli that would not only do New York proud but also wouldn’t be another short-lived, poorly-executed knockoff.

Remember Uptown Deli and Bubby’s? Those two didn’t fare so well, and while Parkway does a reasonable job providing an assortment of Jewish fare, the place gets so chaotic on the weekends that we’ve sworn it off for brunch.

Enter DGS Delicatessen. With head chef Barry Koslow working the kitchen, we knew this wouldn’t be your average deli. We went with a couple of our friends for brunch a few weeks ago to finally see if DGS met the hype.

We kicked the morning off with some libations. The Le Marais is the gem of the brunch cocktail list, comprised of champagne, St. Germain, orange juice, and bitters. It’s a shame this beverage isn’t served in pitchers, because I easily would have had gone through four more glasses.

While it’s oftentimes nice to do a spin on things and make them fancier, sometimes you just want a good ol’ pickle plate. DGS’ plate included just four pickle spears and some other pickled items such as radishes and cauliflower. And while it was beautifully arranged, we kind of yearned for the complimentary pickle bar at Parkway.

For our main course, it was no surprise that I went for the pastrami sandwich. This is a sandwich that is prepared with care and for good measure – it takes eight days to make! Brined for over a week, the smoky, succulent meat is sandwiched between two slices of warm double baked rye along with a shmear of house mustard. The result is a tender, smoky sandwich that leaves you wanting more. For $13, the sandwich isn’t piled as high as anticipated, but it’s still one of the best you’ll find in the District. However, one would expect some sort of side to accompany the sandwich given the price. Chips, coleslaw, something.

Rachel opted for more of a classic brunch choice, DGS’ rendition of Eggs Benedict, aptly dubbed the Benedictberg. Featuring poached eggs, house-smoked salmon, latkes, and sumac hollandaise, this dish was a clear winner. The combination between the crispy latkes, smoky lox, and rich hollandaise really worked well and made for an excellent brunch dish.

Overall, we felt the food at DGS was terrific while being slightly overpriced. With tip, Rachel and I spent roughly $60 between the two of us. And this was for brunch. With each cocktail at $10 per glass, a meal here adds up quickly. The service was very accommodating given we had two babies with us, and they gave us a table by the front of the house with more than enough room for the strollers.

Suffice to say, this will be the first of many visits to this establishment. We only sampled just a fraction of the menu and with items such as pickled blue fish, flanken, and kreplach still waiting to be tried, a return to DGS is definitely in order.

Now that we are officially two days away from Passover, we thought we would take the time to compile a list of DC area restaurants that will be offering Pesach-friendly menus.

After all, just because it’s Passover doesn’t mean you can’t go out for dinner! So put down that box of matzo meal and start reading…

Dino: The Cleveland Park restaurant continues its time-honored tradition of offering a Passover menu starting Friday, April 6 through Friday, April 13. Not only will Dino be opening early the first two days of Passover to allow diners enough time to get to services, but they will also lend you a Seder plate as well! The prix-fixe menu features four courses which include a choice of entrees served family-style.

$59 for adults and $25 for children. Flight of four glasses of wine(non-kosher)  is an additional $24 per person. Call 202-686-2966 to make a reservation.

Hudson: Chef Demetrio Zavala has prepared a special Passover menu for Hudson that will be available this Friday and Saturday night. Entrees include roasted chicken, leg of lamb, grilled Atlantic salmon filet, and braised brisket.

Call 202-872-8700 to make a reservation

Rosa Mexicano: It’s Mexican Passover over at Rosa Mexicano from Friday, April 6 to Friday, April 13. Part of the restaurant’s Flavors of Mexico calendar, their Penn Quarter, Chevy Chase, and National Harbor locations will feature a “Passover a la Mexicana” menu for both lunch and dinner which puts a south of the border twist on traditional favorites. From red snapper gefilte fish to duck & beet borscht, Rosa Mexicano offers perhaps the most eclectic selection of Passover dishes thus far. Menu is a la carte.

Call 202-783-5522 (Penn Quarter), 202-777-9959 (Chevy Chase) or 301-567-1005 (National Harbor) to make a reservation.

Mon Ami Gabi: The French bistro located in downtown Bethesda will be offering a prix-fixe Seder menu on Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7. Dinner will feature classic Passover dishes such as matzo ball soup, chopped liver with egg and onions, and beef brisket. Rachel and I went a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.

$36.95 for adults and $15.95 for children under 12. Call 301-654-1234 to make a reservation.

Casa Nonna: Chef Amy Brandwein will be featuring several Passover-themed dishes at the Dupont Circle restaurant. From April 6 to 14, the Italian eatery will offer items such as Sfoglietti, a type of pasta made from matzo flour and eggs that is baked before boiling. Diners have the option of ordering items a la carte as well as a tasting menu for $40.

Call 202-629-2505 to make a reservation.

Perry’s Restaurant: Chef Mark Furstenberg will be serving a Passover menu starting Saturday, April 7th through the following Saturday. Diners will have a choice of sautéed chicken livers or tsimmis with flanken for their entrée, in addition to gefilte fish served with homemade horseradish. The most appealing part, however, is the matzo ball soup featuring chicken stuffed matzo balls! The meal even includes a glass of kosher wine.

$45 per guest (entire table must participate). Call 202-234-6218 to make a reservation.

Tragara: The Italian restaurant located in Bethesda offers a Passover-friendly menu throughout the holiday. While classics like homemade gefilte fish and matzo ball soup will be available, Tragara also offers some unique entrees such as matzo-crusted rack of lamb.

Call 301-951-4935 to make a reservation.

Vince & Dominic’s Pizzeria: Just beacuse it’s Passover doesn’t mean you can’t eat pizza. The Bethesda-based pizzeria will be serving up unleavened pies all throughout Passover. Make sure to place your orders ahead of time as demand will be high during the holiday.

Call 301-365-4190 to place your order.

Crumbs: Keeping with the tradition of their NYC stores, the DC location will also serve up flourless cupcakes during Passover. Flavors include the Holy Moses (chocolate cake, fudge filling, chocolate cream cheese frosting covered in chocolate fondant and sprinkles) and Raspberry Red Sea (nut cake filled with raspberry preserve, raspberry vanilla cream cheese frosting, sliced almonds and raspberry drizzle). Please note that while they are kosher, they are not kosher for Passover.

Georgetown Cupcake: DC’s most famous cupcake outpost will be selling a variety of Passover Macaroon cupcakes at both their Georgetown and Bethesda locations. These flourless coconut macaroon cupcakes will be available in plain, chocolate drizzle, and caramel drizzle.

Sprinkles: The latest cupcake import from Beverly Hills will be selling flourless chocolate cupcakes, topped with a blue Star of David naturally, from April 6-14.

Fancy Cakes by Leslie: The Bethesda bakery will be offering an extensive list of Passover desserts, ranging from French macarons to almond-crusted lemon tarts.

If you know of any area restaurants not listed above that are offering Passover menu options, please let us know by either leaving a comment or emailing us at dmvdining AT gmail DOT com.

Now that we are officially two weeks away from Passover, we thought we would take the time to compile a list of DC area restaurants that will be offering Pesach-friendly menus.

After all, just because it’s Passover doesn’t mean you can’t go out for dinner! So put down that box of matzo meal and start reading…

Perry’s Restaurant: Chef Mark Furstenberg will be serving a Passover menu starting Monday, April 18 through the following Monday. Diners will have a choice of sautéed chicken livers or tsimmis with flanken for their entrée, in addition to gefilte fish served with homemade horseradish. The most appealing part, however, is the matzo ball soup featuring chicken stuffed matzo balls! That really does sound amazing.

$30 per guest (entire table must participate). Call 202-234-6218 to make a reservation. (Thanks to Girl Meets Food for the tip!)

Dino: The Cleveland Park restaurant continues its time-honored tradition of offering a Passover menu starting Monday, April 18 through Sunday, April 24. Not only will Dino be opening early the first two days of Passover to allow diners enough time to get to services, but they will also lend you a Seder plate as well! The prix-fixe menu features four courses which include a choice of entrees served family-style.

$55 for adults and $25 for children. Flight of four glasses of wine is an additional $24 per person. Call 202-686-2966 to make a reservation.

Hudson: Chef Demetrio Zavala has prepared a special Passover menu for Hudson that will be available throughout the week-long holiday. Entrees include pan-honey roasted chicken, free range lamb chops, potato-crusted salmon, and braised brisket. Diners have the option of ordering items a la carte as well as a three-course Seder meal for $30 (choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert). Hudson will even prepare a Seder plate for the table for an additional $10.

Call 202-872-8700 to make a reservation (48 hour notice required for Seder meals and plates).

Zola Wine & Kitchen – On Wednesday, April 13, Zola Wine & Kitchen will be offering a “Cater Your Seder” cooking class starting at 6:30pm. Participants will have the opportunity to work with chef Robbie Meltzer in preparing some trademark Passover dishes such as brisket, sweet potato kugel, and matzo ball soup.

$75 per guest. Registration can be found here.

Rosa Mexicano: It’s Mexican Passover over at Rosa Mexicano from Monday, April 18 to Monday, April 25. Part of the restaurant’s Flavors of Mexico calendar, both their Penn Quarter and National Harbor locations will feature a “Passover a la Mexicana” menu which puts a south of the border twist on traditional favorites. From banana leaf-wrapped barbecued brisket to tropical haroset, Rosa Mexicano offers perhaps the most eclectic selection of Passover dishes thus far. Menu is a la carte.

Call 202-783-5522 (Penn Quarter) or 301-567-1005 (National Harbor) to make a reservation.

Mon Ami Gabi: The French bistro located in downtown Bethesda will be offering a prix-fixe Seder menu on Monday, April 18 and Tuesday, April 19. Dinner will feature classic Passover dishes such as matzo ball soup, chopped liver with egg and onions, and beef brisket. Rachel and I went last year and really enjoyed it.

$34.95 for adults and $14.95 for children under 12. Call 301-654-1234 to make a reservation.

Casa Nonna: Chef Amy Brandwein will be featuring a special Passover dish at the Dupont Circle restaurant. From April 18 to 25, the Italian eatery will offer Sfoglietti with beef ragu and fava beans. Sfoglietti is a type of pasta made from matzo flour and eggs that is baked before boiling.

$22. Call 202-629-2505 to make a reservation.

RIS: The West End restaurant will be offering homemade matzo ball soup from April 19 to 26. Patrons can enjoy this trademark dish either in the dining room or can take it to-go in cups, pints, and quarts.

Call 202-730-2500 to make a reservation.

Uptown Deli: The Bethesda-based New York deli will be offering an extensive Passover menu complete with all of the favorites, including a large selection of desserts. Advance ordering is required and all orders must be placed by Wednesday, April 13. More information can be found here.

Additionally, Uptown will be offering a special Passover lunch and dinner menu from April 19 to 25. Not only will sandwiches be served on a matzo rolls, but the deli will also be serving up Matzo Brei for breakfast.

Bubby’s: Not to be outdone by nearby Uptown, the newest entrant in the Bethesda-meets-New York deli scene will also be offering a catering menu for Passover. Advance ordering is required and all orders must be placed by Friday, April 15. More information can be found here.

Tragara: The Italian restaurant located in Bethesda offers a Passover-friendly menu throughout the holiday. While classics like homemade gefilte fish and matzo ball soup will be available, Tragara also offers some unique entrees such as matzo-crusted rack of lamb.

Call 301-951-4935 to make a reservation.

Vince & Dominic’s Pizzeria: Just beacuse it’s Passover doesn’t mean you can’t eat pizza. The Bethesda-based pizzeria will be serving up unleavened pies all throughout Passover. Make sure to place your orders ahead of time as demand will be high during the holiday.

Call 301-365-4190 to place your order.

Crumbs: Keeping with the tradition of their NYC stores, the DC location will also serve up flourless cupcakes during Passover. Flavors include the Holy Moses (chocolate cake, fudge filling, chocolate cream cheese frosting covered in chocolate fondant and sprinkles) and Raspberry Red Sea (nut cake filled with raspberry preserve, raspberry vanilla cream cheese frosting, sliced almonds and raspberry drizzle). Please note that while they are kosher, they are not kosher for Passover.

Georgetown Cupcake: DC’s most famous cupcake outpost will be selling a variety of Passover Macaroon cupcakes at both their Georgetown and Bethesda locations. These flourless coconut macaroon cupcakes will be available in plain, chocolate drizzle, and caramel drizzle.

Sprinkles: The latest cupcake import from Beverly Hills will be selling flourless chocolate cupcakes, topped with a blue Star of David naturally, from April 18-26.

Fancy Cakes by Leslie: The Bethesda bakery will be offering an extensive list of Passover desserts, ranging from French macarons to almond-crusted lemon tarts.

If you know of any area restaurants not listed above that are offering Passover menu options, please let us know by either leaving a comment or emailing us at dmvdining AT gmail DOT com.

Who would have imagined not one but two New York-style themed delis would open not only in the same town, but also a block apart from one another?

It was only five months ago when Uptown Deli started up shop in downtown Bethesda, offering a menu reminiscent of Jewish delis found in the Big Apple.

Now enter Bubby’s New York Deli.

Taking over the space on Cordell Avenue previously occupied by Rustique and Sasso, Bubby’s (Yiddish for “grandmother”) offers patrons waiter service with a large dining room – two things which differentiate themselves from their nearby counterpart.

We went to their grand opening last Friday for lunch and checked out a few items on the menu.

The waiter came over and greeted us, served us a bowl of pickles and coleslaw (nice touch!), and asked for our drink orders. While it was not listed on the menu, Bubby’s does indeed serve Dr. Browns, a prerequisite for any New York deli.

Rachel and I started off with the Chicken Athena – a plate of marinated, grilled chicken breast with Feta cheese, pepperoncini, romaine lettuce, tomato, olives and Greek vinaigrette. While the dish was good, we were kind of thrown off why Feta was thrown on top. Kosher style this is not.

For our main course, I went with the lunch special which consisted of a bowl of soup and half a sandwich. With a choice of chicken, French onion, or mushroom barley, I of course went with the matzo ball soup.

The matzo ball was superb. At just the right density with fluffy texture, it really complemented the broth, which was great in itself. While a little oily, it wasn’t too heavy on the salt and tasted rather authentic given the focus of the restaurant.

As for the half sandwich, the hot corned beef was a no-brainer. And while the meat was full of flavor, I have to admit it was rather disappointing that there were only so many slices in between the slices of fresh rye bread.

If you’re going to call yourself a “New York Delicatessen”, you better start piling the cold cuts high. What’s even more surprising was that Bubby’s wasn’t following their own mantra where the slogan “Bigger is Better” is found under the Sandwiches section of the menu.

Meanwhile, Uptown Deli generously stacks its sandwiches with so much meat that you’re stuffed from eating just half of it. We’re just hoping that this was a first day snafu and not something that will become normal practice. I don’t think my Bubby would approve of that.

She would, however, kvell over the stuffed cabbage and spinach knishes. Rachel ordered these appetizers as her meal and they were about as genuine as you can get when it comes to Jewish delis. The knish was not greasy at all and tasted more baked than fried. The filling was a blend of spinach and potato and really hit the spot. Meanwhile, the stuffed cabbage had a perfect balance of sweet and sour sauce. It was so filling that I had to help her with it, not that I had a problem with that.

We were told that they would serve dinner till 9pm during the week and 10pm on the weekends while offering more entrée type dishes. We talked to the owner who seemed very excited about his new venture, and when Rachel complimented the stuffed cabbage, he smiled and said that was his son’s recipe.

He said they will open every day at 11am and plans on offering brunch in a month while keeping open the idea of opening earlier for breakfast, if there is interest. He pointed out that since it is a sit-down restaurant, most people would not have time for a full meal during the week.

He also showed us his sign for “Bubby’s Wall”, a dedicated wall inside the restaurant where he encourages patrons to bring in pictures of their Bubby’s to proudly display while diners nosh on their meals.

Nonetheless, the real winners in all of this are deli aficionados. With two New York delicatessans within 400 feet of each other (no, seriously – look at Google Maps if you don’t believe me), Bethesda diners that are craving a tounge sandwich went from zero options to two venues in a mere matter of months!

Bubby’s New York Deli is located on 4866 Cordell Avenue in downtown Bethesda.

Before heading over to the Free Energy show at Rock and Roll Hotel last Wednesday night, we thought to ourselves, what better way to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah than by having a “holiday meal” at nearby Star and Shamrock?

While we have been to the Atlas District countless times, we finally had the opportunity to step foot into H Street’s Jewish deli meets Irish tavern.

We grabbed two seats at the bar and, without hesitation, ordered the latkes. It is Hanukkah, after all.

Just a few minutes later, six huge, freshly fried potato pancakes arrived in a basket with a side of apple sauce. While I wasn’t too crazy about them being deep-fried as opposed to being traditionally cooked in a pan, they were still rather good.

And since I’m the type of person who strays away from having his latkes on the soggy side, I came away impressed with the crispy texture. Just judging from their sheer size alone, these are not definitely your bubbie’s latkes.

For dinner, I ordered the open face roast beef sandwich with gravy, one of the specials Star and Shamrock was offering that night. While the roast beef itself was decent, the bread was ridiculously over-buttered to the point that you could nearly taste the food that was cooking on the griddle earlier that day.

The butter flavor nearly overpowered the sandwich’s contents, and that includes the subpar gravy. While the bread surprisingly did not become too soggy, it was unfortunate the meal took such a dive after the latkes.

Rachel, on the other hand, played it safe and went with the traditional matzo ball soup. The matzo ball itself was very large, yet had good density – not too hard but not soggy either. Yes readers, there is a science involved when it comes to matzo balls.

In fact, it was so big that it took up nearly the majority of the bowl. It was difficult to enjoy the broth when you had to cut through so much of the matzo ball. In regards to flavor, it was just average.

All and all, nothing really stood out except for maybe the latkes, and considering we recently cooked some frozen ones from the Golden label a few days ago (which are excellent, by the way), that’s even a stretch.

At least Free Energy put on a great show.

Bethesda has benefited from many new restaurants in 2010.  I will say that given the number of questions we have received about this place, one of the most anticipated restaurants to hit the Bethesda dining scene has to be Uptown Deli.

You may have seen a previous post a month or so back where we wrote about Uptown Deli, and gave a preview of its menu. As you could tell, we were closely following the signs of the deli’s opening, and every time we were near Norfolk Avenue, we would look in the windows to see the progress.

While the deli was originally slated to open its doors back in July, inspection delays with Montgomery County (unsurprisingly) held up the opening. Deli owner Howard Wasserman recently setup Twitter and Facebook pages, and would give updates from time to time on how close he was to finally opening up shop.

Last week, Wasserman wrote that he was training staff and testing out dishes, and sent out a message on Twitter that up to 20 people in the area were welcome to come by and try out some sandwiches. Within minutes, I had sent a direct message to @NYDeliBethesda and suddenly two co-workers and I had our lunch plans for Friday.

The Jets and the Mets

It wasn’t quite a run of the whole menu, but that didn’t matter. We were to pick a piece of paper from a basket with a sandwich written on it, and whatever we picked was what we got to try. His reasoning was that he couldn’t possibly start out making 20 Ruebens for everyone, since the staff had to learn to make everything on the menu.

We walked into the place and you could already tell Wasserman thought of every detail when creating the atmosphere for Uptown. There were some pictures on the wall for Canter’s and other famous delis, a display of black and white cookies, rugelach, and other treats, as well as a fridge stocked different flavors of Dr. Brown’s soda.

The menu is quite extensive, and consists of traditional favorites such as matzo ball soup, knishes, and bialys, to more unique items like the “Nish Nosh”: a deep fried knish cut in half and stuffed with pastrami and mustard. Tongue and chopped liver are on the menu as well, and your vegetarian friend can get the “What’s Up Doc”: roasted root vegetables and creamy havarti dill cheese on multigrain bread with alfalfa sprouts and a sweet onion sauce.

Half of a Fuggedaboutit

Karin randomly selected the “Porky’s Triple Decker”, consisting of honey ham, roasted turkey, crispy bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on three slices of marble rye (Hey, we never said this was a Kosher deli!).  It was a huge sandwich and she said it was enough for dinner that night as well.

I selected next and wound up with the “Fuggedaboutit”, a piled-high sandwich with Italian capicola ham, Genoa salami, Lebanon bologna, and pepperoni, with provolone, lettuce, tomato, onions, hot peppers, and oil and vinegar on an Italian Hoagie roll. Now, I’m generally not a picky eater, but I don’t usually eat ham and pepperoni, so Aileen graciously traded my sandwich for hers.

And boy was I happy she did! I ended up with the “Jets and the Mets”, already a good sign since I grew up a Mets fan. According to the menu, the sandwich consisted of hot steamed corned beef and pastrami with deli mustard on twin onion rolls. When my sandwich came, the meat was on toasted rye bread instead, but it was still delicious and didn’t take away from the dish at all. The corned beef and pastrami was perfect and tasted exactly like what you would have at 2nd Avenue Deli, with just the right amount of seasoning on the pastrami. The meal also came with a half sour pickle and a side of coleslaw.

We all ordered our sandwiches to go since they were so big, and I had planned on bringing the second half of mine home for Brett. The only problem was that it was calling my name the rest of the day at work, and by late afternoon, I couldn’t resist any longer and simply had to finish it. Brett was disappointed, but lucky for him, Uptown Deli is now open as of this past Saturday, and now we can go there all the time.