Tag: review

Restaurant Week – Kaz Sushi Bistro

I know, I know – Restaurant Week was last month.  I’m slow, get over it.  So I had heard that Kaz was some people’s favorite sushi joint in town and we hadn’t tried it out yet.  Well, that’s what RW is for!  Except that we got to there and Jasper promptly threw out the RW menu, crying “I want to eat whatever I want!”.  This is not the first time this has happened.  Oh well.

First thing’s first – the sake.  They have a couple of sake tastings, and one of them is all nigori, so of course we ordered that!  It was fun to try out a couple different ones, and all of them were new to us.  We picked out favorite of the three and ordered a bottle.

Well Dined | Kaz Sushi Bistro

First up – pork belly appetizer.  Yummy, I mean – it’s pork belly.  Liked the presentation, too.

Well Dined | Kaz Sushi Bistro

Okonomiyaki – Japanese pancake with cabbage, bbq pork belly, mayo, and bonito.  I scarfed this down before taking a photo, so obviously I liked it.  But I did think it was too heavy on the bbq sauce.

Well Dined | Kaz Sushi Bistro

Next up, sushi – lots of sushi.  Standouts were the Hawaiian Walu special with wasabi leaf  (top center), lobster with wasabi mayo (bottom right), and seared salmon belly (bottom center ) – though the salon belly was not as good as Kushi’s.  Toro, uni, and unagi were standard.  The foie gras miso on the tuna and masago and creme fraiche on the salmon didn’t really add anything, I wouldn’t get them again. (more…)

Graffiato

We finally got to try out Top Chef Alum Mike Isabella’s DC restaurant Graffiato.  Of course by now the buzz has died down and he has opened 2 other restaurants, doh!  But that’s okay, it means it was easy to get a table, even on the weekend.  The restaurant is trendy and urban and almost a little hipster, with rustic wood tables and graphic, cartoon wall murals.  The cocktails are inventive and the wine list is good; they are even using a new type of device that let’s them pour from a bottle without removing the cork and without introducing oxygen, so that they can do wines by the glass that never would have been available before.  Nifty.  The food is Italian style small plates, which overall were quite yummy.  It is overpriced, though, which is what you get with “celebrity” chef’s in already pricey places like DC.  So just be prepared for sticker shock if you go.

IMG_0245

First small plate was burrata with kumquat and shaved smoked pork loin.  A beautiful mix of creamy, sweet, tangy, smokey, and salty – A+.

IMG_0246

Next up was the charred octopus, which was good but wasn’t as charred as I would like it and definitely wasn’t better than Nostos’s.

We also had the focaccia with Mike’s famous pepperoni sauce, which I didn’t get a photo of.  I was surprised at how good the sauce was, considering I am not a fan of pepperoni.  Jasper, who loves pepperoni, was a big fan.

IMG_0247

Ravioli special – chicken and mushroom.  This, along with the sweet corn agnolotti that I didn’t get a photo of, was the best dish in my opinion.

IMG_0248

This pappardelle with rabbit was good, but not great.

IMG_0249

It was the same story with the seashells pasta with snails and bone marrow – good, but not great.  Here I think the problem was a mint pesto that was overwhelming.

We were focused on ordering small plates to get a sampling of the menu, so we weren’t able to order a pizza.  I hear that they are fantastic, so I would like to return to try one (the countryman, in particular).  I would say that the stuffed pastas are smaller portions than the other pastas, but have much better flavor; the burrata was a standout; and the pepperoni sauce is worth the hype.  If I hadn’t been with my meat loving husband, I would have loved to try some vegetable dishes.  Isabella treats his ingredients with care, so I imagine that he could make a simple vegetable dish amazing.

Overall, worth a try if you can afford it.  Valet is available, but it is right next to the Chinatown Metro stop.

2941

I’ve written about 2941 before (here and here), but not since they revamped their restaurant to be a little more casual and less intimidating.  We had been checking their ever changing menu online, but nothing really caught our eye until recently.  Then, all of a sudden, the whole menu matched what we were craving and off we went!  Be aware that this menu is from a few months ago.

IMG_1088

Steak tartare with basil, Parmesan, toasted bread, and micro greens.  This is really a 1 per person size, and trust me – you won’t want to share.

IMG_1089

Zucchini fritters with a feta and mint dip; salmon carpaccio.

IMG_1090

Beet salad (sorry for the fuzzy photo – somebody was impatient to eat it).

IMG_1091

Tuna tartare with avocado, crispy shallots, and jalapeno.  I was actually I little disappointed because the avocado was more like guacamole, which wasn’t what I was looking for.  But by no means was it bad.

IMG_1094

Asparagus ravioli with white asparagus, mint, thyme, burrata, and Parmesan.

IMG_1092

Duck confit ravioli with tomato jam and fiddlehead ferns.

IMG_1093

Yummy steak fritte dish.

IMG_1095

Strawberry shortcake with coconut, shredded phyllo, and white tea ice cream.

Overall, everything was as fresh and beautiful as it’s always been and the more relaxed atmosphere was refreshing.  I don’t think the remarketing has done any damage to 2941 and I hope it helps to bring in more people.

Mintwood Place (Top 100, 2013)

This fairly new Adams Morgan located bistro was crowded and noisy when we went on a Sunday night.  The decor is all rustic farmhouse and the tables are crammed in to fill up all available space like some kind of massive game of tetris.  So I was a little nervous when we sat down, despite great reviews, but the attentive service and stellar food soon made me forget the crowd.  Here, plates and utensils are cleared and replaced after each dish – service I would expect from a much more upscale joint.  A well-stocked and well-priced wine list and unique cocktails (hello, “Farewell to the 20’s”) are icing on the cake.  As usual, I was more excited by/impressed with the small plates, but the mains were very good as well.  Some of the dishes are reminiscent of the style of DC star Michel Richard, which makes sense because Executive Chef Cedric Maupillier apprenticed under him.

IMG_0960

First up – the beet and goat cheese “mountain pie”.  This was so delicious – thinly sliced beets layered with buttery lettuce gained depth from shallots and chives, while toasted bread served as the crust for a warm goat cheese and beet tart.  I eat beet and goat cheese salads all the time, but this one is truly special.

IMG_0961

Bacon and Onion Flammekeuche – an Alsatian style flatbread that seems simple, but is just awesome.  Crisp, smoky, creamy – I could have eaten 5 of these.

IMG_0962

Lamb tongue moussaka – this was good, but not as good as the other 2 small plates.  Part of that may be that it didn’t actually taste like moussaka to me.  Chickpeas and heavy cumin (as opposed to cinnamon) made it seem more Middle Eastern than Mediterranean.  That being said, it was still tasty and interesting; the tongue was very tender and it had a nice subtle heat.

IMG_0964

Tagliatelle Bolognese – signature dish, gorgeous presentation.  Unfortunately, I was not a big fan of this – heavy fennel made the ragu taste like Italian sausage, which I am just not that into.  Sausage lovers – this is for you.

IMG_0963

Shad filet topped with shad roe and lardo, over a potato and broccolini hash, with brown butter and lemon demi-glace.  The roe topping was not my favorite, but the fish was well cooked and the hash and sauce were excellent.  I seriously want more of that hash right now.

IMG_0965

Pine nut tart with vanilla bean ice cream.  I hate pecan pie, but I love this tart – the buttery pine nuts were so soft and just melted into the sugary base.  There was also a creme brulee that I didn’t photograph because everybody knows what creme brulee looks like, right?

All-in-all this place was great.  I would love to come here for drinks and apps before hitting up Adams Morgan, but I don’t know that I would go out of my way for dinner.  I would love to try brunch, though.

Mintwood Place Website – for more information

Maple Avenue Restaurant

I have been going to Maple Avenue Restaurant (located on,  you guessed it, Maple Ave) for lunch pretty regularly the past couple of months.  I am so sad that I didn’t discover this place sooner, because it is awesome!  It is super tiny (like 20 seats max) and not much to look at, but the food is super fresh and seasonal and local and just great all around.  I don’t know much about the chef, I haven’t been to one of their “meet the farmers” events, and I haven’t even been for dinner, but I just love this place.  They have a super awesome lunch deal of 2 courses for $20 which, considering a main is like $22 usually, is a pretty good bargain.  The menu changes all the time, so it’s likely that dishes I post about here won’t be on the menu any more, but they can give you an idea of what you can expect.

The baked mac and cheese – this is one of their most popular small plates, and for good reason!  Really good pasta, cooked to the perfect al dente, with gruyere and cheddar, topped with an herbed panko crust. (more…)

Labor Day 2012 Inn at Little Washington

Last year we made our first trip to The Inn at Little Washington over Labor Day weekend and we had a wonderful time.  This year we were debating whether to spend the holiday weekend at the beach, or return to the Inn.  Eventually our taste buds won out and we decided to head to Washington, VA.

Unlike the year before, we decided to stay at the Inn itself (instead of one of the less expensive B&B’s nearby) and our room was absolutely gorgeous!  We stayed in the Norman House Garden Room with a living room, wet bar, huge bathroom, and private garden – just wonderful!  We also upped the ante this year by having 2 dinners at the restaurant – one of which was at the chef’s table in the kitchen!

Here we are with Chef Patrick O’Connell in the kitchen!

(more…)

Joel Robuchon Las Vegas

After years of wanting to go and not being able to due to finances or timing, we were finally able to make a trip to the best restaurant in Las Vegas.  Located in the MGM Grand, Joel Robuchon is one of the highest rated and most awarded restaurants in the country, including being one of only a dozen 3-star Michelin rated.  So, as you can imagine, it’s kind of a big deal.

image courtesy of bestofvegas.com

And they certainly give you the start treatment.  Reservations are required and if you are staying on the strip they will send a golden limousine to pick you up and take you to the private entrance at the back of the casino.  Through a big set of iron gates is the entrance to The Mansions at MGM Grand (exclusive villas for high-rollers); here the hostess will meet you and escort you through the property to the restaurant, passing though a gorgeous temperature controlled atrium with custom scents piped in (I’m not even kidding).

image courtesy of lasvegasrestaurants.com

The interior of the restaurant is beautiful – opulent, but not old fashioned, and decked out in rich purple.  The flower arrangements and table settings change seasonally – ours were bright orange and gold.  There is also a lovely enclosed terrace with a vertical garden that I would love to be seated in next time. (more…)

Las Vegas 2012 Pt 2: The Food

The Cosmopolitan Hotel has lots of great food options which was a nice bonus for staying there.  My favorite has to be Holstein’s Burgers, which has a huge selection of glam burgers and adult milkshakes.  They also have a good bar with a whole menu of drinks based around my favorite liquor – St Germain.

This was my first meal at the trendy burger spot (yes, I went back) – The Billionaire Burger with Kobe beef, foie gras, port onion marmalade, frisee, and truffle mayo. Fan-freaking-tastic.  I got it with sweet potato fries and the Drunken Monkey Shake (Reese’s, banana, malt, Frangelico).

(more…)

Las Vegas 2012 Pt 1: The Hotels

So sorry for the long break!  Being in Las Vegas and then recuperating from the trip have taken some time.  Every year at the end of July, my husband gets sent to Vegas for training.  Since the hotel room is payed for, I like to tag along and relax while he is working hard (poor guy).  The food scene in Vegas is pretty stellar, so we always like to try some new places in addition to hitting up old favorites.

The first half of the week of training is located at Caesar’s Palace.  Sometimes we stay there, but this year we wanted to try out the brand new Cosmopolitan Hotel.  The photo is the amazing view from our balcony out over the Bellagio fountain show (which I totally love).  Yes, the Cosmo decided to be risky and is one of very few places in Vegas with balconies! (more…)