There is no Sincerer Love Than the Love of Food

I had a difficult time choosing where to celebrate round 2 of my birthday. Food is so important in our family, especially when it comes to special occasions. My dad was in town yet again, so I truly had my pick of restaurants, and I wanted to pick one that lives up to our "sincere love of food" (according to the Greek philosopher Socrates). Previously, I had been to Zaytinya just for drinks and a few dishes, but that brief encounter left me wanting more of the Greek mezze. So this seemed like the perfect occasion to go all out.

Zaytinya has had quite a reputation in DC for some time, especially because it is a Jose Andres restaurant, but ever since the last season of Top Chef when executive chef Mike Isabella competed its popularity has exploded. It is no longer possible to just walk in and be seated, you are looking at an hour wait (at the minimum) if you don't make a reservation.

This is a place where you can go to satisfy almost any stage of hunger. It is quite possible to go to the bar and order a cocktail and 2 or 3 plates off of the $4 Mezza Ora menu during the restaurant's happy hour. But you also can take a seat in the large airy dining room and enjoy a leisurely meal where the dishes keep coming out of the kitchen - each one more exciting than the last.

On the night that we went to the restaurant, we were lucky enough to meet Jose Andres. Mr. Andres has built quite a reputation in the culinary world and beyond; he even carries the nickname of "Spain’s unofficial ambassador to the United States." He is one of the nicest chefs that I have had the opportunity to meet. Besides standing and chatting with us for a good 10 minutes, he sent over some of his favorite dishes during the meal.

When you first take a look at the menu, it is almost impossible not to be overwhelmed. The list seems to go on forever and almost every dish looks like it could be the best. My suggestion is to ask your waiter or waitress for their recommendations. Many of them have been working at the restaurant for quite some time and they all have had extensive training. The waitress that we had that evening was knowledgeable without being preachy. She was not only able to accurately describe dishes that we had questions about, she also could tell us the stories behind many of the ingredients that are used.

Every dish that came out of the kitchen that evening was truly wonderful, but there were a few standouts that deserve to be mentioned. The fresh chickpeas (still in the pod) that were marinated in lemon and dill that were incredibly unusual, but so good. My roommate said, "I want to just go to the bar, order the chickpeas and drink a glass of wine." Chef Andres also sent out a wonderful dish of hand-stuffed, lamb-filled pasta (about the size of the nail on your pinkie finger) and covered with a yogurt and paprika sauce.

A word to the wise - save room for dessert. One of the most amazing dishes of the night came during dessert: greek yogurt with apricots and pistachios. The description on the menu doesn't do its perfection justice. Zaytinya does a brilliant thing and offers two different sizes for their desserts, large and mezze style. I wish more restaurants did this, because sometimes all you need a few bites of sweet, and not an entire dish.

I left dinner that evening feeling comfortably full, which I think is the best feeling after a great dinner. Thank you Zaytinya (and Chef Andres) for an amazing birthday dinner. It's a meal I won't soon forget.

images: recipesfoodandcooking.com and dc.about.com

A Mexican Passover in Chinatown

I've lived in DC for the past 5 years, and I would estimate that my dad has somehow wound up here for maybe 3 of the past 5 Passovers. To be honest, I'm not sure how that happened. But it did, and our go-to restaurant for this culinarily-limiting holiday has and will continue to be Rosa Mexicano in Chinatown. I never would have thought that a Mexican restaurant would be one of the only places in the city that features a menu that complies with the dietary rules of the holiday.

Rosa Mexicano has amazing guacamole that is made table-side with fresh avocado, jalapeno, tomato, onion and cilantro. Generally this dip is served with warm tortillas and chips, but not tonight. Instead, I was able to enjoy the perfectly prepared guac with matzo. What a treat! [But that was only the beginning.]

My dad and I both ordered the Mixiote de Barbacoa de Res, also known as banana leaf wrapped brisket. The slightly spicy meat was so tender that I never needed to pick up my knife. The tsimmes (a side dish of cooked carrots, yams and dried fruits) that the meat was cooked in added the right amount of sweet and tangy to the mix. And although I am not much of a kugel person, my dad devoured spinach-potato version and hardly left a bite on his plate. If you are comparing Passover food to Passover food, this is as good as it gets... especially when you get to stare out at the the bustling street corner of 7th and F Streets NW and people watch to your heart's content.

I don't know if I would send people to Rosa Mexicano on a normal day. After all, the food isn't exactly cheap. But for Passover, it is the best that you can get in the city. So go! Enjoy. And just remember that this night really is different than other nights, because you can't eat the same amazing and warm corn tortillas as the couple sitting next to you.

images: godc.com

God Loves Us and Wants Us To Be Happy

Benjamin Franklin once said that, "beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." As someone who is not the biggest beer drinker, I would have been up for a good argument with with this Founding Father. Well, before heading to Birch & Barley with my Dad, anyway. We met there for a final dinner before he headed back to Cleveland.

And though I have never been to a Neighborhood Restaurant Group establishment - as many of them are in Virginia and my car lives in Ohio - I have certainly heard people praise the overall experience at their restaurants. Lucky for me, NRG just opened up their first restaurant/bar in the District. I'm even luckier because it's located in Logan Circle and around the corner from my dad's hotel.

The evening at Birch & Barley did not start off so great. Frankly, it had me wondering why people always go on and on about NRG restaurants and their service. Although the hostesses at the front door were nice, it seemed as if they were unprepared for the sheer number of people coming through their doors. When I was told that we were going to have to wait for our table to be ready even though we had a reservation, they weren't entirely sure where to stand without getting being in the way. We wandered up the steep, wooden stairs to see the hubbub that is ChurchKey. It was a Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. and the place was hopping. The back of the bar showcased the infamous 555 different beers that have been imported to the restaurant from over 30 countries. I would have loved to hang out upstairs a bit longer, but there wasn't a spot to be had at the bar... or anywhere near to the bar, for that matter.

Downstairs at the back of the restaurant is a bar that is considerably more subdued than the one upstairs. The list of beers on tap was incredibly impressive, but what was more awe inspiring was the design behind the bar. There is a series of what appears to be copper pipes the are connected to the 50 kegs upstairs. The lumination from the tealights on the walls reflecting off of the pipes reminded me of the organ at my synagogue in Cincinnati. Maybe Birch & Barley sees beer as somewhat of a religious experience. But on to more important things: the beer! The selection of beer on tap is impressive, even to someone who doesn’t typically enjoy beer. Our bartender acted as a sommelier of sorts and allowed my father and I to try a number of different beers that he thought we would enjoy. I wound up with a beer from the category “sweet and tangy,” and my dad had a beer from Great Lakes Brewery. It was almost like he had never left Cleveland.

When we finally sat down, I was more than ready to feed my grumbling tummy. Thank goodness the food did not disappoint. Prior to visiting the restaurant I had heard about their amazing bread plate. Oh goodness, there are not words that can adequately describe how wonderful that platter full of hot carbs smelled and tasted. The hit of the table was absolutely the fresh pieces of pretzel. This is no Auntie Anne’s in the mall or New York City street vendor, it is an honest to goodness delicacy. I was pleasantly surprised to taste just enough salt without being overpowered (the crime that gives hot pretzels a bad rap).

The next course at our table could have been called the beet course. Beets are a fairly new addition to my list of favorite vegetables and the dishes that we tried confirmed my newfound love. I chose to have the Vialone Nano Risotto, also known as risotto with roasted beets, wilted greens and goat cheese. The beets made the risotto rice a gorgeous burgundy color that tasted as pretty as it looked, and the addition of the goat cheese gave a wonderful creamy texture to the dish. It was bit too rich to eat with another course coming, but it made a wonderful light lunch the next day. Dad had the beet salad, which I fully expected to be some beets over leafy grains with a few pecans on top of it. Not even close. This was a beautiful cup of beets with a citrus vinaigrette. Yum.

I presumed the main course would be somewhat of a letdown. After all, this is a fairly new restaurant, and at most new restaurants there is always something that isn't quite up to par. Not at Birch and Barley; kudos to them! My skate was cooked so that it was flaky and it had absorbed the parmesan broth to give it this wonderfully unexpected flavor. The Brat Burger that my dad ordered looked like monstrosity of meat topped with sauerkraut. I only took a little bite (sans sauerkraut), but that was ok. My dad ate the entire thing.

Saying goodbye to my dad was made slightly easier by the perfect, little key-lime icebox cake that capped off the meal. It was the perfect mixture of sweet and tart. A wonderful end to a wonderful evening.

image: dailycandy.com and seriouseats.com

The Land of Lobster Burgers and KitKats

I'll admit it - I'm extremely lucky because my father comes to DC for work on a fairly frequent basis. His time in DC doesn't just mean that I get to have some good "daddy/daughter" time, but it means that he gets to feed me.

Since I was a little kid, food was always an incredibly important part of my family. Food Network was the TV channel of choice. Family dinners were a time to catch up every evening. Cooking for a meal was turned into a make-believe cooking show hosted by my attention-loving younger sister. And eating out was always an adventure - it was the goal to try and find the newest restaurant, the best food and the most creative cooking.

Over the past 5 years that I have lived in DC I have had the opportunity to eat at some amazing restaurants, yet there is one that I keep going back to time and time again. I've been to Central Michel Richard to celebrate both my birthday and college graduation and last week I had the opportunity to return - and it was better than I remembered it.

About 6 weeks ago my father asked me to help him plan a dinner in DC for some of his business associates. Immediately I decided that it would be at Central - how could it not? The food is wonderful and the service is impeccable - two things that every impressive business dinner should include. Yet, I was still having doubts. Maybe it was because I've been there a few times and I wanted something new. Or maybe it was because there has been a turn over in the kitchen. Who knows what it was. But, during one of the Washingtonian's food chats their critic, Todd Kliman, said " I would take my food-loving visitors to Central...because it's unique. There's nothing like it anywhere else. So that, then, becomes a must-stop -- an experience thy won't find in their own city."

And what a good choice we made. The food once again found the ability to make my taste buds swoon during every course. I started with the traditional gougeres, which are otherwise known as cheese puffs. If you go to Central and you only order one thing these little bit-sized pieces of heaven should be it.

The rest of dinner flowed as freely as the wine. The service was unobtrusive, but the waiters always seemed to anticipate the table's every need. The lobster burger that one of the dinner guests had lived up to the hype. My short ribs were so tender that they fell off the bone with the lightest touch. My dad's tomato and mozzarella salad was not only presented beautifully the mozzarella was made in-house and transported me back to the markets in Rome.

The grand finale of the evening was Michel Richard's famous KitKat Bar - or at least that was what it was called the first time I ate there. Now, though it is referred to Michel's Chocolate Bar. Yet, the name doesn't matter, what matters is how incredible it tastes. It took some convincing but soon everyone around the table was swooning over the decadence and simplicity of this dessert.

I walked out of the restaurant feeling comfortably full and having no doubts that Central truly deserves every award and word of praise that is bestowed upon them.

image: nytimes.com