I suppose it is about time for me to review OUR restaurant, the one where Jasper proposed to me, where we spend most of our anniversaries and special occasions – Marcel’s. It is a romantic, old world, French restaurant. Marcel’s gives you the ability to choose how many courses to have in your tasting menu – 3,4,5, or 7. You may chose multiples of a dish, choose all appetizers, all desserts – whatever you want! You may also order a la carte, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You will want to be able to try many things. The Pre-theater 3 course menu is also a wonderful option (remember that you will have an amuse bouche and several additional sweets in addition to the 3 courses). If you valet your car, they will arrange to drive you via towncar to the Kennedy Center, and bring you back after the show. You can even opt to have the dessert course when you come back after the show. The wine list here is, of course, impressive. Leave yourself in the hands of the excellent sommelier – he knows what he is talking about.
The absolute best thing on the menu is Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s signature Boudin Blanc – a fluffy, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth, mousse filled white sausage. I get this absolutely every time I come. If there is foie gras on the menu, get that too – they know how to do it right. Usually it will be served on top of brioche, which is good for sopping up all that blackberry or truffle sauce – yum. Jasper loves the Diver Scallops, I love the raw fish crudos. Anything with lobster, especially if it is with pasta, is fantastic. The cooked fish courses are consistently good (especially turbot), as are the snails, when they are on the menu. The entrees are always good – I typically go for lamb, duck, veal, or anything involving phyllo pastry. Jasper tends to go for the beef. Sometimes I skip the entree entirely and order everything from the beginning of the menu. Sometimes I don’t even get dessert *gasp*! Though, of course, they are very good. They change constantly, so I can’t offer any specific review, except to say that I have never been disappointed on the few occasions I have chosen sweets over cheese. The cheese course is top of the line with cheeses like Roquefort and Taleggio, and accompaniments like honeycomb and Sauternes syrup.
I know that this review is a bit vague, so the next time that we go, I will bring back a report of exactly what we ordered to give you a better idea. Trust me though, this is a special restaurant, and special things will happen to you here.
By the way, Chef Wiedmaier practices the philosophy of using the whole animal. His other restaurants include Brasserie Beck, BRABO, The Tasting Room, and Mussel Bar.
Last weekend, we decided to visit a few wineries along the Potomac River, north of Leesburg, and end up at Patowmack Farm for dinner. The first winery we stopped at, Fabbioli Cellars, was by far our favorite. There were plenty of people there, but it didn’t feel crowded. The people were really genuine, laid back, and fun – they were even wearing costumes in honor of Halloween. For tastings ($5), you sit down at one of several small tables (4-6 ppl max) and get basically one-on-one attention from the staff member in charge of your tasting. Our server, Melissa, was one of the winemakers – so we got to hear a lot about what went in to each wine. We got generous pours of 8 wines, plus one that we requested that wasn’t on the tasting list. The wines are very good, we particularly liked the lighter Chambourcin – a variety that I had never had before; the Tre Sorelle Bordeaux; and the Reserve Cabernet Franc. The real stars of the winery are their dessert wines, though. They have a Raspberry Merlot made with raspberries that they grow themselves. They also have the Rosa Nera – a fortified wine (think port) with black raspberries – again grown by Fabbioli. The Raspberry Merlot is sweeter and lighter, the Rosa Nera is richer and goes wonderfully with dark chocolate. They had some nice fires going outside, so we bought some bread, cheese, and salami, corked one of the bottles we bought, and had a little picnic by the fire. It was lovely. http://www.fabbioliwines.com
The second winery, Lost Creek, was seriously unimpressive. It was very crowded, and they only had 2 people serving tastings, so they were rushing around a lot. We had to wait a long time for our next pour, occasionally, and had to keep reminding the server which wine we were on. The pours were ludicrously tiny, barely a sip, which was perhaps a good thing considering how bad the wines were. Save your $5, do not go here. We were originally thinking about trying Hidden Brook, next door, but I had read reviews about it saying that Lost Creek was better. And we didn’t want to go to anywhere WORSE than Lost Creek. http://www.lostcreekwinery.com
Our last winery was Tarara (Ararat spelled backwards in honor of the Biblical story of Noah). It is a very large property with a lake, pavilions for parties or concerts, trails, etc… They are more structured here, perhaps because of volume of visitors. They have a large counter at the entrance for buying tickets to tours or tastings. We had wanted to do a tour of the cellar, but they had already sold out of tickets. After paying our $5 for a tasting, we were told to go into the next room. It was extremely crowded in the tasting room, we had to wait for a couple to leave before we could get a space at the counter. Our server was not as overstretched as the one at Lost Creek, but it was definitely not the intimate experience of Fabbioli. Her comments on each wine sounded very rehearsed, she would pour the wine (a decent size pour), give her speech, and move on to the next person. The wines were ok, nothing to write home about. Our favorites from the tasting were the Charval – a white blend, and the Long Bomb Edition 1 – the signature red. Tarara offers a wine club that includes 3 bottles every quarter, 20% discount on purchases, free tastings, and tickets to summer concerts. http://www.tarara.com
At the end of our day, we headed of for dinner at Patowmack Farm – a literal farm to table situation focused on sustainable foods. Reservations are required here, by the way, no walk-ins allowed. We arrived a little early for our reservation, so we wandered around and got a look at their vegetable garden, chickens, and goats, before heading to the glass greenhouse like structure for dinner. We were seated (by the owner) with a gorgeous view out to the hills and the Potomac, and got to enjoy a lovely sunset. Our menus were printed with a welcome and our last name at the top – a wonderfully personal touch. Our server, Bill, was enthusiastic about the philosophy of the restaurant and the ingredients used. We got detailed descriptions from him at each course explaining where the ingredients came from and how each vendor practices sustainability.
We each ordered the tasting menu, and Jasper got a wine pairing – several of the wines were from Fabbioli Cellars! We were served an amuse bouche of a mini flatbread pizza, with pumpkin puree, organic feta, and olive. This was followed by a gougere – a cheesy bread puff – that was incredible. It made me want to try out the gougere mix we sell at Williams Sonoma. The first course was a raw crudo of swordfish with pickled carrots and celery, saffron, and fresh anchovy. It was very fresh and flavorful. Both the menu and Bill were careful to point out that the swordfish came from Linda Greenlaw, whose name you may recognize from The Perfect Storm. She is the only female sword-fishing captain on the East Coast, and only uses rods (not nets) to catch fish, insuring that she is not damaging the ocean floor and that she can throw back anything that is too small. Anyway, the next course was a green apple consume with butternut squash tortellini, puffed barley, and sage. The broth was sweet and tart and very clear, the barley adding a little crunch. I wished there was more than one of the tortellini. The third course was our favorite – braised veal ragu with potato and pumpkin gnocchi, ricotta, and nasturtium leaf (similar to watercress). The ragu was tender, rich, and flavorful, and the gnocchi were tiny and perfect. This was followed by a frozen spiced pear palate cleanser, and the main course – Venison Leg with autumn greens, marinated apples, rosemary pear sauce, and juniper spice pesto. The venison was good – not tough or gamey. However, venison is not my favorite meat, and the veal ragu from the last course was so delicious, that it was a little disappointing. The greens, and rosemary pear sauce were very good accompaniments, and I was fascinated by the juniper spice pesto – it was an incredibly strong blend of spices. We were warned that a little of the pesto went a long way, and it was very true. I ended up dipping the tines of my fork in it to get the right amount for each bite. The venison came from Broken Arrow Ranch in Texas, where they take a mobile processing center around to cooperating ranches to hunt and process wild animals on site. The animals are not trapped or transported, so they never become stressed or afraid – it is very humane. For dessert, I had the butternut squash cheesecake, which was creamy and delicious. Jasper had a mocha souffle, which he enjoyed thoroughly. Overall, it was a lovely experience, and one that I would definitely recommend if you have time for a bit of a drive and a relaxing dinner. http://www.patowmackfarm.com
We went to see Cirque du Soleil’s OVO Sunday night at the National Harbor. The show was great (as usual) and afterwards we headed to the waterfront to have dinner. We went into the Gaylord National Resort to eat at their steakhouse – Old Hickory. The inside of the Gaylord is amazing – a huge glass atrium with a fountain light show. Old Hickory looks out onto the atrium and, more importantly, onto the Potomac river. The decor is GORGEOUS – room after room of clean, white, square architectural details on dark blue paint. I loved the bar area especially with it’s white marble bartop and modern glass doors. We were sat with a view out to the river, it was dark already but the view was still lovely.
For my first course, I had the beef tartare. It came with crunchy potato strings, a gorgeous fried egg coated in a crispy batter, and a sprinkling of fluer de sel. Cutting into the egg and having the warm yolk drip all over the beef was wonderful. The meat was bright red and very tender – just right. Jasper ordered the warm Maryland blue crab on recommendation of our waiter. It was a large portion of lump crab meat mixed with a mustard aioli and topped with crunchy cauliflower. I managed to steal a bite and it was very good. For our entree, we both ordered the grass-fed tenderloin (medium rare, of course). Oh my goodness – tender, tender, tender, and packed with flavor. It didn’t need the sauces we ordered, but I am glad we ordered them. Jasper said his peppercorn sauce was the best he’s ever had (and he has had a lot), and I could have eaten my Bearnaise with a spoon – creamy, lemony perfection. We opted out on dessert in favor of a cheese course, for which the Old Hickory is famous. They have a special case calibrated to keep the cheeses at the perfect temperature. The Maitre D’Fromage wheels out a case filled with cheeses and explains each one. We opted for six cheese selections, since we like different kinds of cheeses. Jasper picked a cheddar, a pecorino, and another sharp hard cheese. I selected a smokey blue from Oregon, a fragrant triple creme, and a gorgeous taleggio. The cheeses were served with pickled raisins, dried apricots (of which I wished there were more), and Marcona almonds.
The restaurant also has a cigar terrace with a cedar humidor, should you be a fan of after dinner cigars.
This Italian restaurant in McLean is the sister to Assagi Mozarella Bar in Bethesda (#90 on the best of list), and also Open Table’s winner of Diner’s Choice 2010. But the reason we decided to eat there was because we missed Italy. We were sat in the private-ish wine room at the back of the restaurant, which fills up pretty quickly. The view out of the large windows was, unfortunately, of the Irish Pub next door. Other than that, it was a very nice table. The outdoor sitting at the front of the restaurant looks lovely, though.
We were served fresh bread accompanied by some FANTASTIC olive oil that needed no salt or vinegar added to it. The Sommelier recommended a fantastic Super Tuscan (Il Solissimo Lucignano) based on our description of wines that we liked. We decided to start in the traditional Italian way with some fresh burrata cheese with baby tomatoes and basil. Fresh, creamy, with a juicy tang from the tomatoes – this is the perfect way to start an evening (or morning, or afternoon…). For my primi piatti I had the butternut squash soup with crispy prosciutto. It was very good, just right for a squash soup – but nothing extra special. Jasper had the scallop risotto, which he found tasted too fishy. For our secondi piatti we both had the special – a veal ravioli with mushrooms and sage. This was excellent (Jasper is still talking about it weeks later). The veal was moist and flavorful and rich, and the sage flavor was very present without being overpowering. The pasta, of course, was the perfect texture. If this was a regular menu item, we would go back all the time. For dessert we had the signature zeppoli – Italian doughnuts served with a sabayon sauce. One word: heaven.
While there were some missteps, the overall experience was very nice and we will likely return. Based on other reviews I have read, I definitely want to try the beet ravioli stuffed with goat cheese. It is purported to be a winner. But oh, those zeppoli… I will be thinking of them the entire dinner.
So – we finally made it out to Komi (the raved about #1 restaurant in DC) for our 6 month wedding anniversary. It is a tiny little place right next door to Sushi Taro. The decor is very simple and clean. The service is enthusiastic and friendly and not at all stuffy. This is not a white glove type of establishment, but definitely a special occasion spot.
The dinner is a set price of $125 per diner and is degustazione style, meaning – the chef sends out what he wants, there is no menu. You can of course request a dish you have had before and loved, or ask to avoid foods you are allergic to/ don’t like. The meal progresses from a series of mezze (small dishes), to a pasta course, to a shared entree, then a series of desserts. The chef is Greek, and the name Komi comes from a location in Greece, so it is no surprise that the food has a Mediterranean influence.
The mezze portion was definitely my favorite of the evening. I love small perfect bites, and this was exactly that – brought out one by one in a parade of tasty excellence. The first bite set the tone – a wonderful warm ball of bread topped with Greek yogurt and trout roe – yum! Included in our mezze for the evening were also several raw fish selections topped with various herbs and sea salts – super fresh, and the accompaniments were just right. The scallop with truffle was particularly special. One of my favorite bites was a take on spanakopita (phyllo dough with spinach and feta) that had a liquid spinach center, a crunchy outside, and sat in a greek yogurt sauce. And let’s not forget the medjool date stuffed with mascarpone and topped with sea salt… heaven. I had specified in the beginning that I did not like spicy dishes, so when they brought a spicy sandwich out for Jasper, they also brought a dish made for me. That kind of service really makes me smile. My dish was dragon tongue beans (which I had never heard of) with a gorgeous soft farm egg on top. The pasta course was a house-made tagliatelle with duck ragout and truffles. The pasta was the perfect texture, and the duck ragout was creamy and gamey (in a good way), and the truffles… how could you go wrong? But the main entree stole the show. It was a huge portion of roasted goat that was crispy and salty on top and falling off the bone. It was served with the thickest, freshest pita and all kinds of house-made accompaniments including tzatziki, hot sauce, oregano salt, pickled cabbage, and eggplant puree. I was very impressed, and very pleased. The desserts were a bit downhill from there, but good nonetheless. A standout was the “frozen baklava”, which I liked better than I have ever liked actual baklava. Others included loukoumades (Greek doughnuts), and a cannoli type dessert that neither of us particularly favored.
Please, please go to Komi at least once in your life. It is magnificent. Just make sure to call at noon exactly one month in advance of the date that you want a reservation. http://komirestaurant.com
We have eaten at Bazin’s on several occasions, and are never disappointed. It is in a cute, oldtimey looking stretch of Church street in downtown Vienna. The decor is traditional American – with exposed brick walls, exposed wood ceilings, large stretches of windows, and a pub style bar. DO NOT try to do a walk-in on a weekend night, as we did the first time we went, it fills up completely and quickly. Luckily we were able to snag some space at the bar (after waiting about 45 min). After that, we have been careful to always make a reservation.
They have a few signature drinks, my favorite being the fleur-de-lis – vodka, elderberry liquor, and grapefruit. It is incredibly crisp and refreshing. The peanut butter dessert martini is also pretty special.
The pre-meal bread is lightly toasted and warm, which I love (toast being my favorite food). I usually like to order a selection of appetizers instead of an entree, because I like to sample lots of different tastes. One appetizer that I make sure to always get is the lamb lollipops – a generous portion of char-grilled rack of lamb that tastes like the outdoors and summer – I’m not even kidding. They are served with dollops of goat cheese crema and red grape relish. I order this as an entree all the time, it is definitely filling enough.
The asparagus salad is a mix of crisp asparagus (obviously), warm roasted fingerling potatoes, a warm goat cheese fritter, spicy arugula, edamame, and fresh tomatoes in a citrusy vinaigrette. The combination of cold and warm, crisp and creamy, spicy and acidic make for a very satisfying dish. The chopped salad is a bit of a Mediterranean departure from the usual – involving feta, pistachio, chickpeas, and olives in a lemon dressing.
The potato and onion ravioli is so intriguing that you will find yourself taking bite after bite wondering “what is that?”, and suddenly it will be all gone and you will be craving more. The filling is so creamy, and the ravioli is perfectly cooked. It is served with a creamy lobster sauce with generous chunks of tender lobster, drizzled with herb oil, and sprinkled with chives. It is a perfect combination of savory and sweet with plenty of tangy acid. One of my favorite pasta dishes was a special that is not regularly on the menu but should be – a gemelli pasta with pesto and speck. It was so perfectly creamy and salty and fresh and herby – yum!
I rave about the appetizers but don’t get me wrong, the entrees are very good as well. Jasper usually orders a steak, and he has also tried the scallop dish. He is always very pleased. If you do order an entree – make sure you get the truffled macaroni and cheese as a side. It is the god of all macaroni and cheese – decadently creamy and rich with plenty of truffle flavor – served piping hot and oozing over the side of it’s individual size dish.
The deserts are good, but not stunning. We enjoy the berry crisp and the creme brule. My favorite dessert, however, is a nice glass of moscato 😉 After writing this, I am really craving some Bazin’s… maybe we will go tomorrow…
… is sliding a bit 🙁 I was really disappointed by our last visit. I decided to deviate from my usual favorites – which was my first mistake, I suppose. I ordered the hoisin duck crepes, which ended up being too spicy for me to eat. Jasper ordered the clam chowder – which he enjoyed, but I thought was waaaaay too salty, to the point of being inedible. I had been wanting to try the goat cheese agnolotti for awhile. It was alright, but I found myself wanting more of a citrus flavor in the butter sauce. I was also confused by the zucchini in the dish – it was in awkward little rounds that should have either been cooked much longer or much less – the in-between texture was disconcerting, and the flavor did not mesh with the agnolotti at all! It was the only bad meal I have ever had at CG’s, and it was very frustrating 🙁
A happy week brought us to 2941 to celebrate and relax. If you have never been here before, it can be tricky to find – set behind a wall of trees on the the first floor of an office building. But my-oh-my is it worth the hunt. The location is stunning, first of all, with several koi filled ponds flowing and waterfalling down and around the glass-walled building. The inside of the dining room is no less beautiful, with long strands of glass sculpture hanging like curtains from the lofted ceiling. The mood is very serene and romantic. The cocktail list is innovative and fresh. I ordered something with grapefruit and elderberry – fantastic.
We ordered the 6 course tasting menu with wine parings. I should have taken notes, because I can’t remember all of the dishes (which may have something to do with the wine pairings…). Which is not to say that they were not good, they were all wonderful. The dinner blends together in my memory in a mix of culinary joy and romance. The bread that is served is baked in house daily. There was a variety and they were all fresh and yummy. Our first course was a duo of canapes – two perfect bites. Beef tartare on brioche with quail egg was rich and delicious. Smoked salmon topped with popcorn (yes, popcorn) was equally good. This was followed by a perfectly cooked scallop. Our fish course was paired with a creamy souffle of masa harina (native American corn) that I couldn’t get enough of. Before desert, we were served a shot of frozen wine. I had the desert presented on the tasting menu – a sour cherry gateau – and Jasper requested something chocolate. Neither of us was disappointed.
The tasting menu changes daily, so don’t expect to see what is on the website, or what you had last week, or yesterday. But do expect it to be fun, fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented. (And ask for a copy of the menu if you want to remember what you had – doh!)
Buon Appetito and welcome to our favorite Italian restaurant. We have actually eaten here several times, and I have yet to review it – shame on me. Especially because each time we have eaten here we have felt like VIP’s.
The decor is trendy and modern, and the bar menu is innovative and cool. A long-time favorite drink is the Bibiana (just the right proportion of Prosecco to fruit puree). The wine menu offers different pour amounts providing a wider variety than glass vs. bottle, so you are sure to get exactly what you want and nothing more.
Be sure to start with several of the Piatti Piccoli (small plates), these are often my favorite part of the meal! The Arancini (rice balls with saffron and Parmesan) are always fantastic – crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, with great flavor. The Bruschetta is another favorite – thick cut country bread, charred just right and topped with fresh cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and fresh creamy Ricotta cheese.
Next comes the slightly larger Antipasti course. Choose from several salads and small dishes including tender braised veal meatballs on top of creamy polenta, crispy fried sweetbreads, and (my favorite) fresh house-made Burrata – a soft version of fresh Mozzarella cheese. Also available are house-made salumi plates.
Italian fare is never complete without pasta. Some of the knockouts here are Squid Ink Spaghetti with big chunks of crab meat, ravioli filled with braised veal in a pancetta and brown butter sauce, and ricotta agnolotti with a creamy lemon sauce. My husband’s favorite is the risotto with black truffles.
I have yet to order a fish entree, but I am sure they are lovely. As for the meat, we have tasted various beef, veal, and lamb dishes that have all been successful. If there is anything braised on the menu, get it – it will knock your socks off. For vegetarians – fear not. We have dined with vegetarians on several occasions and they have had no problems asking for vegetarian versions of dishes, or enjoying the dishes that are already meat-free.
For desert, enjoy one of the house-made “digestives” (liqueurs) or Amari (bitters). The panna cotta is a creamy vanilla custard, typically served with fruit and a pistachio crumble. The decadent chocolate “bomba” is a chocolate cake topped with chocolate custard and covered with a dome of chocolate mousse. And who can resist a classic Italian Tiramisu?
Bibiana is off of the Metro Center metro stop in DC, but they also provide valet parking. The owner’s other restaurants include The Oval Room (7/100), Rasika (8/100), and 701 (41/100).
Number 15 on the Washingtonian’s top 100 restaurants is Sushi Taro, which flies its fish in from Tokyo! This place is top of the line, super fresh, and really expensive. We decided to go on a special occasion – Valentine’s Day. Usually the restaurant has an a la carte menu along with the “Kaiseki” menu (chef’s tasting menu), but for this night, only a special tasting menu was offered. After some champagne in our limousine, we were ready to submit ourselves to the whims of Chef Nobu Yamazaki; and we were not disappointed. Each dish was intricate and complex and artful – both in taste and in presentation!
We started with a sweet champagne cocktail with plum wine and yamamomo fruit, followed by sesame seed tofu with uni (sea urchin). The tofu was the most interesting texture! It was creamy and gelled at the same time. The uni was rich and creamy and fresh, and the savory sauce was fantastic! Next was unagi (eel) in a dashi starch sauce. The eel (one of my usual sushi favorites) was perfectly steamed, tender and flaky. The sauce was an interesting texture and complemented the eel perfectly. The next dish was both of our favorites from the whole night – fatty tuna tartar. I cannot even describe how delicious this tartar was. Fatty tuna is already one of the most delicious raw fish, and when it is this fresh it is unbeatable. The sauce was a perfect combo of vinegar, salt, savory, and sweet flavors. It was fantastic. Next was a gorgeous arrangement of sashimi including more toro (yay!), sweet shrimp – with the most unusual creamy texture, snapper, and salmon roe. The plate looked like a piece of modern art, and the fish was the best I have ever had (and I eat a lot of sushi). We asked for real, fresh wasabi with our fish – the green paste you usually see is not the real stuff – and they did something I’ve never seen before. They brought a whole wasabi root and grated it table-side! Next was a sake based soup with fish and tiny star shaped fish cakes. After that was a hairy crab sunomono (vinegar salad) – very refreshing. After that we got to choose from a list of sushi 4 items. I tried arctic charr, golden thread snapper, soy marinated tuna, and (of course) more fatty tuna. The fish was once again outstanding – better than I’ve had anywhere else. The last dish was a dramatic presentation of sukiyaki (stew). The broth and vegetables were brought in individual pots bubbling away on top of stone candle holders carved with symbols. They brought a plate of very thinly sliced Kobe beef to dip into the broth to cook instantly. It was served with a poached egg in vinegar which we were told to break and mix together to make a sauce to dip the beef in, rice, and pickled vegetables. It was beautiful, interactive, fun, and delicious – the ultimate comfort food. Even after all of that – the desert still blew us away (though the credit must go to Locolat for that). It was a chocolate raspberry cake with an airy-crisp crunch to it.
The sake list is also fantastic, we sampled 2 types that we had never seen before and both were excellent. The last was a sparkling nigiri (sweet, milky, unfiltered sake). Sushi Taro can be very expensive, but it is definitely worth it. The dishes are stunningly beautiful, creative, and complex, and the fish is stellar.