Unconventional Dinner (4 Stars)

 Spending time in DC is always an opportunity to go out and eat interesting food.  We went to the Unconventional Diner last nigh (1207 9th St. NW, a part of the Washington Convention Center) and the trip was well worthwhile.

We started with a round of drinks.  The "Heard it through the Grapevine," pisco sour was truly exceptional.  They made it with passionfruit and simple syrup and it really was smooooth.  OTOH, the Licia Albarinio wine we had was just fair -- not as much tang and taste as some other Albarinio's we've had in the past, so when we go back (and we will!) we'll try a different bottle.

And  yes, we will go back because the food was magnificent.  We were there with friends Nancy and Jocelyn and so we had a chance to taste a bunch of stuff.  Our starters were stars -- the corn bread (that's it in the photo) came with a habanero spiced butter that was simply stunning.  We also had the cauliflower salad with spicy tahini sauce and the shitake mushroom roll with salad wrap.  My personal favorite was the crab fritters with red peppers and jalepeno and a calming remoulade.

The main courses were just as interesting.  Katy had a sweet potato curry with coconut rice and a falafel protein.  Nancy had the same thing with shrimp.  Jocelyn had the vegan Mexi-Cali "Chili" with squash, kale and avacado.  The side of lebneh was as good a lebneh as I've ever tasted.

I had the Peking Duck confit.  It came with bao bao rolls and a homemade hoisin that was ... really different.  Most hoisin is cloying and too sweet.  This one was much less so, and it was great -- it let the duck taste shine through.

We had outdoor seating that was fine and pleasant -- a bit too close to the street for my taste, but those are the sorts of compromises you have to make these days, and it was well worth it.  We will, as I said, go back.

Cranes (4 Stars)

 After nearly 18 months of the pandemic, it was good to return to the idea of eating out, traveling, posting on this travel blog, and reviewing good restaurants.   This past weekend, we were delighted to be able to dine out a a new-ish place in downtown DC called Cranes.   It won a Michelin Bib Gourmand last year.

Cranes styles itself as a Spanish Kaiseki, by which they mean that it serves a mix of Spanish tapas and Japanese sushi style food and drink.  To give you a feel, Katy ordered an Albarino white wine to drink, and Paul started with a jumaji-style sake.  

The interior of the restaurant looked magnificent, since we didn't yet quite choose to eat indoors, we sat outdoors.  Even the outdoor seating was good quality.  We were delightfully surprised to get real silverware and a real menu, not plastic and the QR code.  

For our meal we chose to try to mix styles as much as we could.  Katy chose to start with an Iberico Ham platter with a tomato salsa (pictured above).  If you love Iberico (as we do) this was just perfect. She followed up this quintessentially Japanese main course of an Hamachi crudo of sashimi-style fish with bits of roe and avacado.  Together we shared a really fun plate of thin-sliced zucchini with a hazelnuts and pesto (and some cheese sauce on the side, for Paul.

Paul in turn started with two braised bao buns with short ribs in them and a spicy/sweet Japanese mayonnaise spread. He followed that with a very small cup of cherry gazpacho that had a wonderful manchego panna cotta at the bottom and two half cherries floating in the nicely chilled soup.  But for Paul the star of the evening was an Unagi paella -- yes, you heard that right.  Take the Japanese style cooked eal add some fresh snap peas and a jalapeño aoli and marry that all to a traditional rice paella and you get ... something really different and delicious.  That's a picture of it to the left.

We finished up with an order of churros (more than enough to share) and two dipping sauces, a black sesame chocolate and a miso caramel.  Yum.

In short, this was a return to the type of "foodie" dining that we love.  Service was prompt and attentive but not overly so.  Pricing was reasonable (though a bit high) -- we did all that plus 2 more glasses of wine (the sancere and the pinot noir ) plus tip for around $240.  Not an everyday place -- but we definitely will go back. 

Rose's Luxury

In 2015 a new restaurant opened on Capitol Hill -- Rose's Luxury.  Bon Appetit said it was the best new restaurant in the entire country. They don't take reservations, so the only way to get in is to stand in line and wait.  When they open the doors at 5 PM you can either sit right down, or ask to be put in the second seating and texted when the seats open up.

Katy and I went to Rose's once before on a day that Katy just happened to be wandering by.  Yesterday we went for the second time.  We figured that on a hot day in August the line would be shorter and we could get in.  We were right and it was worth the trip.

Like we did the first time, we chose to sit at the bar looking right into the kitchen.  Half of the fun of the day is just watching the team work.  There were more than 8 people squeezed into the kitchen working like clockwork.  Almost nothing in the way of haste or disarray.  That's Wendy, on of the lead chefs, in the center making one of our dishes.

Meanwhile, the food was just fantastic.  We've had one friend who didn't like it when they went, but everyone else we know has raved -- and so do we.  We started with a small plate of Pork Sausage, Habanero, Peanuts and Lychee that was just an awesome bang of flavor.  The Catfish came next with a great green tomato relish and a saffron aoli that was smooth to the taste.  The Bucatini in a sungold tomato sauce tasted fresh and smooth in a way that red sauce does not.  And the Brisket at the end -- well, it was as tender as we've ever eaten.  Paul loved it; Katy (who doesn't like brisket at all) was even moderately appreciative.  The homemade slaw and horseradish that it came with were as fresh as you could imagine.  And we finished off with a fresh coconut milk ice cream.

The most amazing thing though, was the price.  We bought a Vouvray Chenin Blanc bottle for $60.  Total price for the meal with tax was just $159.50.  Put another way, three small courses and a large family style meat plate, along with desert cost less than $100 -- and we got the view as well.

We'll be back -- and it is worth the trip if you can find the time.

A Perfect Day in Washington DC

Yesterday was a perfect day here in the District.  It started off with the family (Mike, Debbie and 3 of the boys) coming over the night before and joining us for dinner, along with Katy's cousin, John Higgins.

The next day, Mike, Debbie and Josh got up at 5 AM to go volunteer for the Cherry Blossom run.  The rest of us slept in a little, but at 6:30 AM we go up (Paul, Katy and the other two grandsons, Ryan and Kyle) to go for a walk down to see the cherry blossom trees.  We were joined by our neighbor Nancy and her daughter, Joselyn.

A brisk walk took us down to the Tidal Basin just as the race was starting.  We saw a bit of the race and some of the trees (which were still not in full bloom) as we walked over to the Jefferson Memorial and then back around the basin.  A quick Metro ride home took us to Le Pain Quotidien for breakfast.  Nothing is better than a hot cup of coffee, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, and a salmon and chives omelet after a long, invigorating walk.  Katy discovered a new bread spread called "Speculous" with cinnamon in it that was just wonderful.

After that it was back home.  Ryan and Kyle left first and then the others swung by just to catch their breath heading home.  After lunch, we went into the backyard and started a fun few hours of clean-up.  It's always a great day when we open up the back yard, pull out the outdoor furniture, hang all the art and bring the fern out from indoors.  It says "spring is here" like nothing else.  And the weather warmed up perfectly -- I did most of my dragging and lifting in a t-shirt.

The day ended as well as it had begun.  Dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants, Zest was, as always, just cozy.  We both had the Kale salad with butternut squash.  Katy's catfish and Paul's duck were well-prepared.  Add a glass of wine each and what could be better?

Only one thing -- finishing the night with the last episode of the BBC's Sherlock, season two.  If you haven't seen the show, go get the DVDs now.  We can't wait for Season Three this Fall.

Orchids!!

How can anyone not like orchids? From the National Arboretum

Montmarte -- An Old Favorite -- 3 stars

One of our two favorite restaurants on the Hill is Montmarte. Its a comfortable French bistro where we can always find good food at a good price. The owners know who we are and welcome us warmly whenever we come. Its sort of a "Cheers" for French bistro food.

Last night was no exception. Katy started with a wonderful seasonal specialty -- mushrooms (4 different kinds) in a red wine sauce. She followed that with a well-prepared Cod that tasted just right. Paul had a nice frissee salad with warm goat cheese and apricots as garnish and then tried something new that he had never had before -- Frogs Legs! Tasted just like chicken. But the star of Paul's meal was the roots and vegatables that came with it -- beets, bok choy, carrots, etc. Wonderful taste in a garlic and parsley butter sauce.

Add a nice 1/2 bottle of a Bordeaux and the meal is complete. What more can you ask for than a nice welcome, a good meal and a reasonable price.

Time Stands Still -- 3 1/2 Stars

We went to the Studio Theater the other night and saw a play by Donald Margulies, "Time Stands Still." If you have a chance you really need to go and see this play. It was one of the most memorable plays we've seen in quite a while. We would recommend it generally as being exceedingly well acted and produced.

The two lead protagonists are a photo jounrnalist and her boyfriend, a print journalist, who spend their lives covering conflict in Iraq/Sudan etc. The play is set back here in the US where they have just returned after she is injured in a road-side bomb attack. Holly Twyford, who plays the female lead, is just wonderful as a photographer who just can't say "no" to the challenge of covering conflicts.

We don’t pretend to know a lot about journalism but this play had the feel of verisimilitude. They players struggled with the effects of the horror on them; with the challenge of observing bad events and “not doing anything” and with the conflict between their yearning to be doing “something” and the desire for a safer quieter life. We have to imagine that this play would resonate with journalists everywhere and with those who consume the news.

At its core this is an excellent play that is just plain well done!

TruOrleans -- 3 Stars

We love New Orleans. We especially love the cajun and creole food that goes with the music and the vibe of the city. It's been a long while since we were able to find that taste outside of Louisiana.

But halleluiah. New Orleans has now come to DC. Last week, we went to TruOrleans, a true taste of the bayou brought to us by a native cook, Marcia Johnson. We split two great appetizers -- eggplant fries and crab cake balls. Then for a main course, Paul had the Leland's jambalaya and Katy had the crawfish ettouffe and both were a perfect taste of the Big Easy. And the Sweet Potato pound cake desert? To die for. Throw in Abita beer on draft and this place could be in the French Quarter.

We especially liked the vibe of the place -- it has the feel of a traditional New Orleans down-home restaurant. The chef and the general manager are friendly and were wandering the floor making people feel at home. If it weren't for the fact that the food was amazingly tasty and guaranteed to add pounds to the waistline, we would go there almost every week! As it is, we've found a winner.

A Quiet Friday at the Museums

It was a beautiful day here in Washington yesterday and the streets on Capitol Hill were empty. So we went for a pleasant walk down onto the Mall (where the crowds were much bigger) and stopped in at the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art.

They have a couple of neat exhibits there right now. One is "Warhol's Headlines" -- a fascinating collection of Warhol paintings in which he takes newspaper headlines and turns them into art. His small changes are sometimes amusing and always interesting, but the idea of just copying a newspaper kind of makes you wonder what art really is. Still, he's iconic and it was fun to see so many of his paintings in one place.

A highlight of the visit was the Portuguese tapestries -- a recently restored set of tapestries that recount the conquest of Tangiers in the early 1400s. We'd seen the Bayeux tapestries a few years ago and these were much the same but on a much grander and finer scale (after all they are 300 years later in history!). We could have spent an hour just looking at the 4 of them -- well worth the trip.

And then, surprise! A small room with some more moderns out of the regular collection including some old friends, Monet, Manet and Cezanne. Also a new Mondarian that we hadn't seen before. Quite fun.

We topped the day off with a quick trip to the National Building Museum for their new exhibit on "Unbuilt Washington" -- a collection of drawings and concepts for parts of DC that never got built. A pyramid for the Lincoln Memorial. A Memorial Bridge with medieval towers. An East Capitol street (where we live) with a row of Federal office buildings. Moving the Supreme Court to where National Stadium is now. A real fun walk down "what might have been" lane and well worth the trip.

Add in tapas at Jaleo for dinner and a brisk walk home and what could be a better day?

Rasika -- 3 1/2 Stars

Yesterday was Katy's birthday. We had dinner with her son, Mike and our daughter in law, Debbie at Rasika's in DC. Once again, the dinner was a home run. Rasika is an Indian restaurant that uses a more nouvelle fusion style for its food. You just couldn't have beaten it with a stick!

The appetizers were wonderful: Katy and Mike both had the Wild Mushroom Uttapam (a pancake) with coconut chutney. Debbie went for the Mango tandoori shrimp and Paul had the most unusual fig & lentil combination with marscapone cream. Each dish had the "zing" of India, but put together in a totally new way.

The entrees were even better. Debbie says that her Tandori lamb chops were "exquisite." Tender and succulent with just the right level of spice. Add some paneer cheese over the rice and she was in 7th heaven. Mike had the mixed grill and was especially pleased with the tandori salmon. Katy had a goa fish curry that made the steam come out of her ears -- to her great pleasure. And Paul had a lamb roganjosh that was just the right degree of spicy.

Of course we also had the traditional accompaniments of Naan and Roti breads, but this time with the homemade chutneys -- one tomato; one mango; and one eggplant. These are MUST try taste sensations.

We owe a special thanks to the sommellier. We asked for a good fruit-forward wine that would stand up to all the tastes and spices. He brought us a wonderful gewirtzendaner (I can never spell that right) from Germany that had just the right touch of orange and berry in it to make a statement but not overwhelm the spices of the tandori and curry. If you go, and don't know what you want, you can safely put yourself in his hands.

Dinner was followed with deserts that went to the next level. Katy had the chocolate samosa -- the chocoholic's delight. Mike and Deb both had the apple jalebi (essentially a begniet) with cardomon ice cream. And Paul had a Nougat Kulfi with brandy sauce that tasted like a cross between caramel ice cream and fine liqour.

We leave tomorrow for Chicago, where we hope to have similar gastronomic pleasure with our other kids. This was, however, a nice way to leave DC and we'll remember the meal fondly.

Kaz Sushi -- 3 1/2 Stars

We go to Kaz Sushi fairly often. Its an avant garde sushi place that tries to combine traditional tastes with new ones. And it just keeps getting better every time we go. This time around Katy had a yellowtail ceviche that was a uniquely Japanese take on the Spanish classic. Paul started with a traditional hijiki salad that was just perfect in texture.

As always the sushi selections ranged from the typical (California roll and eel) to the sublimely different. We had one of Kaz's signature dishes -- salmon with a dollop of mango on it -- that we always enjoy. But the surprises were in some of the other, equally wonderful novelties. We shared a seared scallop sushi covered in lemon salt that was just the right combination of salty and charred. Paul had the super-fatty tuna, that had more marbling than we've ever seen on a fish. And Katy had a side dish of shaved brussell sprouts, seared with onion and some kind of sauce we couldn't identify that was as good a veggie dish as we've had in a long time. To top it off, Katy had a wonderful New Zealand savignon blanc that was fresh on the tongue and a great match for the quiet tastes of the sushi.

Nora's -- 3 1/2 Stars

Last night we had a wonderful dinner out at Nora's. Nora's is self=titled the "first certified organic restaurant" in America. Whatever the truth of that claim, it is certainly true that Nora's does fantastic food. It's been roughly 2 years since last we went and our pleasure this time was enhanced by the fact that our daughter-in-law, Natalia, joined us. Natalia is in town for a couple of days on business and this seemed a good chance to share a great meal with her.

And it was great. For appetizers, Katy had a beet salad that was a wonderful medley of fresh tastes. Natalia had a Dungeness crab & avocado salad that looked scrumptious and Paul had a black trumpet mushroom and goat cheese tart that simply sang with sparkling on the tongue. We accompanied the meal with a Freeman Pinot Noir from Sonoma, that was very reasonably priced and had just the right level of fruit, without too much push to it. Delightful.

Main courses also hit the mark: Katy had an Amish Veal Roast with fennel; Natalia had Divers Scallops with cauliflower puree; and Paul had a fillet mignon with carmelized onion mashed potatoes and some bone marrow. Yum. We finished the meal with Chocolate mousse cake; pear & cranberry crisp; and Katy's traditional sorbet.

Nora's never fails to make good on its promise of good food, in a cozy and friendly atmosphere. Our servers were pleasant and helpful. Perhaps best of all, they make their own sparkling water, so the water was free! Talk about great deals.

Komi -- 4 Stars

Last night we had our annual dinner with our good friends Dev & Ellen. This year we went to Komi. Komi was rated #1 last year in all of Washington by Washingtonian Magazine and in the Top 10 by Tom Sietsema of the Washington Post.

The love is well deserved. Komi serves a tasting menu with a Greek/Italian influence. Each dish is just a bite or two but every last one of them is a taste sensation. Some are startling, some are subtle. And the kitchen is very accommodating -- they were more than happy to make substitutions for Katy to avoid cheeses and for Dev & Ellen, who aren't mad for raw fish. The only plates with more than a bite or two were the two entrees near the end. Here's a sampling of what we had (out of 15 separate courses):

Hamachi sashimi with a rock salt and a small onion slice
Lobster -- a small bite with garnish
Spanikopita inside out -- with a bread outside and a searing liquid inside
DC half-smoked sausage on a bun with home made mustard -- it tasted NOTHING like Ben's half-smokes.
Dates -- covered in a dash of rock salt
Casarelli -- a small pasta dish with eggplant
Boar and Duck -- the main entrees accompanied by home made tsadziki, eggplant puress and cabbage
Loukoumades -- baby Greek donuts

A special shout out to Kathryn the sommelier for helping with the wines. She didn't try to up sell us at all, but instead brought us two simply perfect bottles of wine: To start a 2008 Verdejo, Martinsancho Rueada from Spain that was perfect for the early lighter fish courses -- just the right level of fruit and sparkle on the tongue. For the entrees she brought a 2001 Merlot, Elena Walch, Alto Adige from Italy. We haven't had many Italian merlots but this one sure hit the mark -- just the right level of depth and tannin to complement the boar and duck without competing.

On the whole, a truly special (albeit pricey) place. If you have never been ... go.

The Day After Christmas

Our grandchildren came over for Christmas dinner last night. We had a wonderful dinner (thank you Katy) of Turkey, stuffing, veggies and the like. Debbie brought along the world-famous Hooshay (which, if you've never had, is just wonderful) and we spent a warm evening in the house in front of the fire opening Xmas presents. I think the hit of the evening was Aaron's new Rock Band 3 for Wii.

The kids spend the evening in a sleepover. This morning, Paul got up early and went to the gym with grandson Kyle, whose only wish on his 1oth birthday was, oddly enough, to go with grandpa to the gym and work out. Who knew? And who could say no?

After a breakfast of eggs and pancakes we went down to the National Botanical Garden. There is nothing like going into the jungle in the midst of a coming snow storm. And the place was packed! Everyone had come to see the trains and the orchids. As you can see the family had a good time.

Kushi -- 2 1/2 Stars

Last night we went to Kushi -- a new Japanese restaurant in the new Mass. Ave corridor near the Convention Center. It's a totally different experience from the "normal" Japanese style and well worth the visit.

The decor is very spare and modern -- a hard box like structure with two open kitchen areas. One kitchen is the traditional sushi bar; the other a much more innovative charchol and wood grilling area. Both had serving counters for those who wanted to watch the food being cooked.

The architecture made the place a bit noisier than we might like. Worse yet, even on a Tuesday night it was wicked crowded. We had to wait 20+ minutes for our table. But there was a fair amount of energy in the room -- the place has a hip, New York kind of vibe to it. And the owner, Darren, who sensed that we were getting impatient with the wait, made up for it by sharing a glass of chardonnay (J Lohr) and sake with us.

And in the end, the wait was worth it. The style was one of lots of small plates served as they came out of the kitchen. Think sort of "tapas" for Japan. We had some neat and interesting tastes we had never had before -- a fried tofu dish; a pork belly skewer with some sweet sauce; wood-grilled eggplant; and even a really good kimchee. To top it off we finished with some sushi -- which was a more expected type of taste, but even here the quality of the fish was higher than we usually expect.

In short, Kushi is worth a return visit. It's relatively newly opened and still working the kinks out, but if they can solve some of the problems this one will be a keeper. We give it 2 1/2 stars.

Cava -- DC

Last night we had a pleasant night out at a new (to us) restaurant on Barrack's Row (8th St. SE) in DC -- Cava. Cava bills itself as a Greek mezze restaurant -- think tapas for Greek food. Unlike the Spanish tapa concept, however, here the portions were rather larger and so the number of dishes you could order was less.

We had an excellent meal. We had two cold mezze platters: First, a spicy hummus that was regular hummus jazzed up just enough with red pepper to tickle the tongue; and second, caponata -- an eggplant and walnut dish that Cava adds some sweetness to with raisins (we think). For our two hot platters we had spicy lamb sliders that were truly stunning (ground lamb topped with tahini sauce). The only disappointment of the night was the other hot mezze: a pork souvlaki which wasn't bad but wasn't very special either.

And the surprise of the night: A quite pleasant Greek wine that was a tempanillio/cabernet blend. It was the most expensive Greek glass on the menu and didn't disappoint. If you are in the mood to graze Greek style, Cava is a nice choice.

Our Anniversary -- Blue Duck Tavern

For our anniversary last night we went to the Blue Duck Tavern in the Park Hyatt hotel. This is another of our top-10 restaurants in DC. Katy started with Sardines on "toast," a tasty preparation of a typically bland fish. Paul tried bone marrow for the first time, spreading it and roasted garlic on some toasted bread. For the main course, Paul had two magnificent crab cakes and Katy ordered the whole fish fillet. The meal was accompanied by a delightful wine -- the 2006 Mendel Unus from Mendoza, Argentina. It's a 70/30 Malbec/Cabernet meritage blend with a very fruity nose and a strong alcohol finish. It improved very much as the evening went on.

What we particularly liked about this visit to Blue Duck (besides the food which was, as always, spectacular) was our chance to watch the kitchen. We'd told them in advance that it was our anniversary and, to our surprise, they saved us seats right by the kitchen, so we got to watch the preparations. One of the interesting pieces was the finishing chef (who knows what his official title is?) whose job was to put on all the garnishes and to grind on the last little bits of topping for the dishes. He was a master of the "small touch" and we really enjoyed the show.

Overall, Blue Duck rates tops for ambiance and food. Well worth a visit.

Black Salt -- DC

We went to the Black Salt Restaurant last night for dinner -- the first time we'd been there in more than a year. We had such a good time, we wonder why we don't go more often -- though it is geographically undesirable, located over in the MacArthur Park area of town [all the way across the town from our Capitol Hill house].

Black Salt has a fish market in the front of the restaurant that gives the place a nice local feel. People from the neighborhood by the fresh fish there. Even better, the whole place has a nice ambiance -- not overly pretentious and a friendly staff. [Paul even met one of his rugby buddies there who was tending bar].

We had a great meal. We had fish of course, since it is a fish market! In fact, the restaurant provides a list of daily fresh fish that are available for grilling or baked. Last night they had everything from tuna to tilefish.

Katy started with a sashimi appetizer platter (one of the daily specials) that had hamachi, scallps and some strange Japanese fish whose name we forget. It was served with a sea urchin vinagrette that served as the dipping sauce. Quite lovely. Paul had the gazpacho -- a cold soup served, in this case, with lump crabmeat and a whole tomato in the center.

For our main courses, Katy ordered off of the daily specials and got a roasted rockfish with a suprisingly spicy panag curry sauce and great fresh vegatables. Paul was even more adventerous -- he said "let the chef choose whatever he wants to do." He wound up getting a grilled mangrove snapper [we were told that is the rarest snapper around] covered in a dijon cream sauce layered on top of fresh sweet corn, more crabmeat, cooked tomatoes and peas. The sweetness of the corn was perfectly matched with the crab meat and the dijon sauce and the fish was cooked to perfection.

We accompanied the meal with a 1/2 bottle of 2005 Muga Riserva Roja wine from Spain. The wine was a good full bodied red, that was perfect with the appetizers, but it clashed with the main courses -- especially Katy's spicy rockfish. In retrospect we should have gone for a Pinot Noir or a white wine of some sort.

Of course, the best course of the night was dessert! Katy had a wonderful Dark chocolate flourless cake with raspberries and coconut sorbet (with real coconut grated in it). Paul had something called Butterscotch creme which was a utterly sinful concoction of scotch, vanilla, cream, almond crackle and two shortbread cookies. It was so sweet that he didn't finish it, if you can believe that!

We don't know why we don't go here more often ... but we are going to fix that in the future.