Restaurant Week at Westend Bistro

The week of August 16th marks the summer Restaurant Week here in Washington, DC. Despite the gloomy economy and bipolar weather, reservations were filled up weeks in advance in the most sought after restaurants. I only had a few that I really wanted to try, Westend Bistro being one of them. I have recently become a big fan of Eric Ripert, whose restaurant "Le Bernadin" earned 3 stars from the Michelin guide, the highest honor that any chef in the world can get. Naturally, one would expect similar quality of food in his DC restaurant.

Unlike other restaurants, Westend Bistro did not post their RW menu on the web, so I assumed that I could pick off their normal menu.

I arrived at the restaurant, which was right next door to the Ritz-Carlton. The decor was very impressive, modern but not overdone.

I was handed the menu and was immediately disappointed by what was offered. There were only 2 options to pick from for each course. For the appetizer there was a house salad and a heirloom tomato consomme. Entree: Fish burger with mesclun salad and Grilled Chicken with Isreali couscous. Dessert: Creme Brulee and profiterole, which is a creme puff served with a chocolate sauce.
My friend and I both opted for the tomato consomme to start. The presentation was beautiful, with the server pouring over the cold soup in front of you.


The consomme was very refreshing, especially on a hot day. The heirloom tomatoes were flavorful, and the basil and cheese added the perfect touch to the dish. My only complaint would be that it left me wanting more!

For my entree, I ordered the fish burger. I have to say I was a bit disappointed to see that it was fried. The fish patty was flavorful, but the big chunk of tomato and loose slices of fennel seem really out of place in the burger. I had to pull them out and eat them separately. The bun was buttery flavored, however, the grease of the fish soaked into the bottom of them bun which made it a little unpleasant. I did like the addition of the mesclun salad and the dressing that was served.

My friend ordered the grilled chicken, which seemed like a very tasty dish (I didn't taste it). Butthe chicken looked perfectly cooked. This would have been the dish to go for if you decided to go to Westend Bistro for RW.

The dessert was my favorite part of this meal, and usually I'm not a very big dessert person. The puffs were filled with a delicious cream that wasn't overpowering in sweetness. The chocolate added the extra kick to make the dish even more flavorful. My friend and I were both tempted to lick our plates clean in the end.

Overall, I wouldn't say this was a disappointing dining experience had I not had so much expectations out of it. But I just didn't feel like what was offered in their RW menu really reflected Eric Ripert's forte. He is known for his seafood, however, the only seafood item on the menu was a fish burger, which can scarecely reflect on a chef's usage on the "fruits de mer."
The service wasn't all that great either. I felt very rushed to order, and the waiter dropped off the check before we finished our dessert.
I wouldn't say I won't return, because there are other dishes that I want to try out. However, for restaurant week, I would suggest you look elsewhere. And if you're ever in New York, go to Le Bernadin!!

Moule Frites at Granville Moore's

Who would've thought that a small country like Belgium would be famous for some of the best food items in the world like waffles, fries, mussles, chocolate, and of course beer!!! Granville Moore is one of the several Belgian restaurants in Washington, DC. Despite its convenient location in NE DC, there is always a line outside this small dive known for its mussels. This probably has to do with the publicity it got when it was featured on "The Throwdown with Bobby Flay", a show on the Food Network.

A friend suggested this place when a group of us wanted to take another friend out for her birthday dinner. We had agreed to meet up early at 5:45pm so that we won't have to wait too long for a table. Well, we didn't get in until about 7pm. The restaurant is small and has 2 floors, each with a bar. There are several appetizers on the menu, but everyone comes for one thing, their mussels, fries, and beer. Their beer list has over 60 different types of bottled beer from Belgium. There are 5 different mussel dishes, each priced at $16. The 3 of us ordered "Moules Maniere", which is flavored with white wine, herbs, and butter, and "Moules Navigateur", which has a red curry flavor to it. The meal of "moule frites" couldn't be complete, of course, without an order of fries which came with a choice of sauces in which we chose the truffle aioli.

The mussels were fresh and meaty, and the sauce tasted refreshing. Yet, I did came across 2 or 3 mussels that wasn't very fresh. I personally preferred the white wine sauce better because I was able to taste the natural sweetness of the mussels. The red curry sauce was too overpowering for a mussels dish. However, that doesn't mean I can't soak up all the delicious juices with the sides of bread. Mussels on its own aren't very filling as a dish, but after 3 plates of bread dipped in the yummy juice, I was stuffed. The fries were average, it was a bit soggy and greasy. The truffle aioli was the only thing that made it a tad better. I have yet to find a place in DC that can actually do fries the "Belgian way."
Granville Moore definitely could be a cool hang out place if it isn't so crowded. I was satisfied with my meal, but is it really worth the trek up to NE and an hour and a half wait? I'm going to have to say no.
Granville Moore is located at 1238 H Street NE, Washington, DC.

Lunch at the bar at 701 Restaurant

I love dining out, but at the same time, I can't afford to eat off the regular menu in the majority of the restaurants in DC, so I take full advantage when I know of a special lunch deal. Many fancy restaurants in DC offers deals if you dine at the bar/lounge area during lunch hour. This attracts many business people around the neighborhood or people like me who have nothing to do on a Tuesday afternoon. I have been to Proof a few times for their $12 lunch at the bar special. You get to pick a glass of red or white wine and an entree. A great deal given the quality of the food and wine. It also gives you an excuse to have a glass of wine at lunch!
After meeting a friend in Chinatown for coffee today, I decided to treat myself to lunch. I was close to walking into the doors of Proof, knowing that I would not be disappointed. However, at the very last minute I decided to be adventurous and try something different. So I walked a few blocksd own to Pennsylvania Avenue, into 701 Restaurant. The lunch special at 701 is similar to that of Proof. You get a glass of wine and an entree, but for $15. What 701 offers is a choice between the 3 white wines and 3 red wines, whereas Proof only offers one of each.
I asked for a tasting of the Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc. The bartender was more than willing to let me try both. I usually like the full body character of Chardonnay, but in the end I decided on the Horse Heaven Sauvignon Blanc from Washington State. It had a light and crisp grapefruit flavor to it. The Chardonnay from Argentina had a bit of a cough medicine aftertaste which I didn't appreciate too much.
They had a great selection for entrees. It offered 2 pasta dishes, a burger, a grilled cheese, and a steak salad. I debated between the 2 pastas and decided on the Goat Cheese Cavatellis in the end. I have never had cavatellis before, and was excited to try it. The dish had a beautiful presentation. It was topped with artichokes, oyster mushrooms, broccoli, goat cheese, parmesean cheese, and a perfectly poached slow cooked egg. The sauce was made of white wine and butter and complemented well with the pasta and vegetables. The cavatellis had a doughy and chewy texture. The egg was soft with a runny yolk. I loved the way the egg was cooked, however, I felt like it was a bit out of place with the dish. My favorite by far was the generous portions of oyster mushrooms in the dish. While the dish was called "Goat Cheese Cavatellis", I found that there was actually more parmesean cheese than goat cheese. The dish was also a bit too greasy. After I scooped off my last piece of cavatellis, I found a pool of oil still lingering on the plate. The dish would've had more of a kick to it had I asked for hot pepper flakes to go with it. My selection of wine though ended up being a great pairing for te dish. It had enough taste to it yet didn't overpower the dish.
The service was great. The bartender was nice and chatty. He even poured me a little extra wine after I had finished my last sip.
I was really surprised to find how empty the bar was when I walked in at 1:30pm, but I wasn't complaining. It's not everyday that you can dine quietly and peacefully at one of the most touristy areas in DC.
I highly recommend 701's lunch at the bar for their selection of wine and entrees, the ambiance, great service and location. I will definitely go back to try some of their other entrees (and wine, of course!)

2 Amy's Pizza

Alright, I know there are probably a million other blog posts about 2 Amy's pizzas out there. We've heard it all; it's either the best Neapolitan pizza in the area (or the country), or it's an overrated, crowded and expensive pizza restaurant for yuppy people who live in the area.

Here's my take: 2 Amy's is definitely my type of pizza. If you're looking for an all-American huge ass pizza with a million toppings on it, well this is definitely not the place for you. But if you're in the mood for a pizza that is simple, this is the place. I find that a lot of times, it is harder to make something that seems easy taste good. Let's take their famous margherita pizza for example. It consist of the following ingredients: tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella cheese, basil, and olive oil. Not one ingredient should be overwhelming. Since the ingredients are so simple, it means that it must be of great quality. This is what 2 Amys does well. For people who aren't used to a Neapolitan pizza, when the pizza first comes out, it might be a bit surprising to see how few toppings there are. But the crust is baked just right, and the sauce and the ingredients complement each other. It's better to cut the pizza as you eat it rather than precutting it, since it does get a bit watery in the middle.

We started off the meal with an order of bruschetta and potato frittata. The frittata wasn't as good as I hoped since it was served cold, however the tomato on the side did make up for the lack of taste in the frittata.
We also ordered a stuffed pizza with ricotta and Mozzarella cheese, a Caprese pizza with olives, anchovies and mozzarella cheese, and a pizza with salami and bell peppers.
The stuffed pizza was to die for. The pizza came and it looked like the cheese was about to burst, and once you cut into it, all of the yummy ricotta comes oozing out. It was excellent! My favorite pizza of the night was the Caprese! The Olives and anchovies went really well together!
I didn't feel like the prices at 2 Amy's were that over-priced. At the last restaurant I worked at, they charged $14 for a Margherita pizza, and let's just say the taste does NOT even compare!
But again, 2 Amy's pizza probably isn't for everybody. Some people like the New York Style, others like the deep dish Chicago pizza. I'm definitely more of a Neapolitan fan!!

Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar

I discovered Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar through the Groupon program online. I don't know how a foodie like me discovered Groupon so late, but this was actually my first Groupon experience. I paid $15 for a $30 Groupon to Sonoma. I had searched the restaurant online, and was thrilled to find that they sourced their meats and other ingredients locally and sustainably.
The restaurant is located on Capitol Hill, and to my surprise was packed on a random Wednesday at lunch time, good thing I made my reservation! It was definitely a place frequented by a lot of lobbyists, and I felt severely underdressed when I walked in. The menu was extensive and has a great selection of salads, pizzas, pasta, fish and meat dishes. I started out with a glass of Sangiovese. I had already skimmed through the menu before I went and decided to try the Amish Chicken, which is served with fingerling potatoes, leeks and a grainy mustard seed. I have to say, while the chicken tasted delicious, and actually taste like a chicken, I was a bigger fan of the supporting ingredients in this dish. The potatoes were tender and cooked just right, as well as the leeks, and the mustard seed sauce added the perfect touch to them. I also found the chicken to be a little bit overcooked. The dish definitely isn't enough to fill you up, so make sure you order an appetizer! It's definitely a place I'd go back again!

Oh and just to add another twist, I currently work at Blue Ridge Restaurant, which is owned by the same people as Sonoma!

RW: Tavira in Chevy Chase

Oh yes, restaurant week ended in DC, and a lot of foodies like me are disappointed that we're going to have to wait for the summer to have another chance or excuse rather to fine dining!
Good thing Bethesda decided to have their own version of Restaurant Week. Bethesda, a suburb of DC located in Montgomery, Maryland boasts its own share of excellent restaurants. It's restaurant week offered a $15 lunch or a $30 dinner course. Knowing me, I opted for the lunch.
I decided to try out, Tavira, a Portugese restaurant that I have read great reviews about. I have never had Portuguese food in my life, and a lot of my friends hadn't either. There was also a coupon for a free bottle of wine, and hey who can say no to that?
My friends, Dorothy, Simon, and of course Amy joined me for this fun dining adventure.
The ambiance of the restaurant was very pleasant. As we walked in, I could already smell the many wonderful dishes that they had to offer.

For RW, they offered their "Taste of Portugal" menu which for the appetizers came with the choices of :

Caldo Verde: Portugal’s National soup, shredded kale, onions, potatoes & olive oil, garnished with chouriço
Salada da Horta: Fresh market greens, tomatoes, onions with Mediterranean dressing

Mexilhões na Cataplana: Steamed mussels, tomatoes and bell peppers in white wine sauce

Portuguese Sadrines: Marinated sardines with cloves garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, bay leaves,paprika served at room temperature served at room temperature

For our free bottle of house wine, we decided to go with a white wine, since we were going to be ordering seafood for the most part. It was a decent bottle of wine, and did I mention it was free?

I decided on the steamed mussels, Simon and Amy ordered the Caldo Verde, while Dorothy went with the Portuguese Sardines.

My first taste of the mussels was good, yet it was cold. I then asked the waiter whether the dish was meant to be served cold. He said oh no, and went ahead and took it back to bring me a new one (what is it with me with having to send food back, seriously?!") When it came back it was steaming hot. The tomato based soup was excellent; the red peppers were cooked just right and had a sweet after taste to it. The warm temperature definitely made the dish what it was.

Dorothy's sardine were marinated very well, and the olive oil base complemented the dish very well. Unfortunately I didn't try the Portuguese National soup, since it had meat in it.

For the main course the following were offered:

Bacalhau à Braz
Shredded salted cod sautéed with onions in olive oil, combined with straw potatoes, olives and egg
Lombo de Porco a Caçador
Pork loin with wild mushrooms, braised in brandy Croft, served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes
Frango à Piri-piri
Grilled chicken, Portuguêse style in Piri Piri sauce (hot spicy pepper sauce), served with home made potato chips
Caldeirada Portuguêsa
A traditional Portuguêse fish stew with shrimp, clams, mussels, sea scallops, potatoes
Parrilhada Mariscos
A traditional Iberian mixed seafood charbroiled on a skewer, served with aioli
Simon and I ordered the Charbroiled mixed seafood while Amy and Dorothy ordered the shredded cod. When the food came out, we were definitely wowed by the presentation of the Seafood skewer!

The taste of the seafood, however, was a bit bland and under-seasoned. It could've used a lot more taste as I found myself pour balsamic vinagrette over all the pieces. The rice was a good base to go along with the seafood.

The shredded cod was definitely an interesting dish. You definitely don't expected it to be what it was. First of all, there was very little taste of cod in it because it was blend up with so many different things. It was a bit on the salty side. The dish also tasted like a breakfast/brunch entree because of the eggs and potatoes inside. However, it still tasted mildly pleasant.
The dessert had to be the best part. Amy and I ordered the flan while Simon and Dorothy had the chocolate cake with ice cream.

The flan had to be one of the best that I have ever tasted. It was soft and creamy inside, and not to sweet for someone who likes my dessert on the lighter side. The portion was just right, and it was the perfect way to finish the meal.
Overall, it was a very nice meal, although the appetizers and desserts definitely outshone the main entree. I'd definitely recommend their "Taste of Portugal" menu as even during none RW days, they offer it at a special price, and it's a great way to try out some Portuguese favorites!

RW Take 2: Zola

Zola is a restaurant that serves up contemporary American cuisine directly above the International Spy Museum near Gallery Place/Chinatown. The decor inside was very bright and had a very nice feel to it.

Zola had extended their RW by one week, and I was super excited because they were offering their full menu. Before the meal, they served a crispy flat bread along with tiny rolls. They were both delicious, but I decided to same some room for the rest of the meal!

Originally I had wanted to take a double take on Tuna. Having the Tuna Tartare for Appetizer and their tuna mignon for the entree. Unfortunately, someone else had order the last tuna mignon. I was highly disappointed; I scrambled to find another entree. Nothing else had sounded as appealing. Then I saw that their beef sirloin came from a farm in Shenandoah Valley, I decided why not? I haven't eaten meat in about five months.

The tuna tartare was served with a cucumber salad and lemon cream on top, taro chips, and spicy lime vinaigrette.

The presentation was beautiful. The taro chips were lightly seasoned and crispy. To me the lemon cream was a little unnecessary on top. It didn't really go with the flavor of the tuna. The lime vinaigrette though was delicious, the spiciness definitely matched well with the tuna and cucumber on top.

My friend Amy ordered the Porcini Mushroom Ravioli as the appetizer dish. The flavor of the ravioli was decent, however, I found that the filling to be a bit mushy. I was somewhat expecting to see pieces of actual porcini mushrooms inside the ravioli.

The main entree was the biggest disappointment of the meal. First of all, when the dish was served pieces of the meat had fallen off the couscous and the whole plate was a mess. For a high class restaurant, something that's not presentable should not have been served. When the dish was delivered to me, I literally was thinking, "what the hell is this?" Secondly, I had asked for my sirloin to be cooked medium-rare. What was served to me looked to be medium-well. It was overcooked, so I asked for it to be taken back. The picture below tells the story.

After about 10 minutes, they brought my dish out again. This time, it was cooked right and it looked presentable. The meat was flavored well and cooked perfectly. The couscous though had some huge chunks of cream in some portions while some couscous just wasn't cooked well enough. The pancetta was a bit excessive in the couscous because there was already enough meat in the dish itself. The flavor was good, but it could've done without the pancetta.

Meanwhile, Amy ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese, which sounds irresistible from the beginning! The portion was huge, and had a decent amount of lobster chunks in it. The flavor of the lobster was well incorporated into the mac and cheese. Overall a very comforting and satisfying dish.

I wanted a light finish to my meal, so for dessert I asked for the different flavors of sorbet. They had passion fruit, cassis and apple cider. I am a sucker for passion fruit, so I can't say no to that, but just to mix it up I asked for a scoop of cassis as well. Amy ordered a pear crisp tart. The slice of pear on her dessert was a bit bland. It wasn't crispy like a chip, yet it wasn't a full slice of pear either. Amy found it really hard to eat and gave up after one bite. For some odd reason, for a simple as a dessert of passion fruit and cassis sorbet, the kitchen managed to mess that up as well! Instead of the cassis sorbet, they brought out this toffee flavored ice cream. And of course once again the waitress was no way to be found. I notified the other waiter, and he took the dessert back in. When it was brought out again, I noticed that they had simply removed the toffee ice cream and replaced it with a scoop of cassis sorbet instead of bringing out an entirely new bowl.

I then asked for the manager, because I found this entire experience to be unacceptable. The food was good, but the the messing up of not once but twice took away what potentially could've been a very pleasant dining experience. I ended up having my meal for free, but I still walked out with a feeling of not wanting to return to Zola again.

Maybe for restaurant week, Zola just didn't take things very seriously. But it's no excuse to be serving food that's not presentable nor messing up a simple order such as sorbet. It's also highly disappointing that one of my only 2 RW excursions turned out to be so bad. People told me that I should give it another chance, but I'd rather take that chance to another restaurant that's going to be worth my time, palate, and money the next time I go out to eat.

Chinatown Coffee Company

I'm sure many of you, like me, are sick and tired of seeing only Starbucks or Caribou coffee around Washington, DC and its suburbs. What's even more disappointing is that more and more independently owned coffee shops are shutting down. I'm not big into espresso drinks, I mainly drink black drip coffee. What I really longed for is a cafe with freshly brewed coffee right as you order them, nothing served in a giant pot that's been sitting there for who knows how long.

I had read about "Chinatown Coffee Company" in the Washington Post a while back. I remember trying to find it once without writing down the address, not very smart of me. This time I made sure I have the address and phone number with me, so that nothing less than a visit would satisfy me!

It's a nice and cozy cafe by 5th and H Street. The interior is simple, but has a comfortable feeling. It has brick walls lined with photography from all over the world. There are maybe about 10 tables inside. I got super excited when I learned that they serve both french press and hand-pour coffee as well as your usual espresso drinks and a selection of baked goods. My friend and I shared a large pot of French Press coffee with Brazilian coffee beans. It was enough to pour 2 mugs and more. All for around $4.50. It is such a rare treat to find a place that serves up fresh and aromatic coffee. The baristas were nice, friendly, and very patient with me as I asked them about the different coffee and prices. The nutty flavors of the coffee plus the ambiance of the coffee shop made me want to stay there for hours and hours. The place offers free wi-fi as well. I think my only complaint would be that the chairs aren't particularly comfortable, therefore, it's hard to sit after a few hours.

But generally, if you want a nice coffee drinking experience from a place that's not ubiquitous around the world, Chinatown Coffee Company is definitely worth checking out!

For more information check out their website http://www.chinatowncoffee.com/

RW Part 1: Rasika

Rasika is probably the most well known Indian restaurant, as well as one of the most popular restaurant altogether in the Washington, DC area, whether it's by a word of mouth or in dining guides. In last October's Washington Post Magazine's 10th Annual Dining Guide, food critic Tom Sietsema raised Rasika's from three to four stars.
It's been about a year and a half since I've done RW, so as soon as I heard that Rasika was participating in RW, I booked my table almost immediately!
I must say I broke one of my personal rules, the menu of Rasika is rather limited, however, it does offer meat, fish, and a vegetarian option.

Here is the lunch menu for RW:

Appetizers:
1. Malai Chicken Tikka
2. Tamatar Goli Kebab (lamb meatballs)
3. Palak Chaat (crispy baby spinach)

Entrees:
1. Chicken Makhani
2. Lamb Roganjosh
3. Tandoori Salmon
4. Palak Paneer/ Vegetable Mix

Dessert:
1. Black Cherry Sorbet
2. Mango and yogurt ice cream
3. Carrot Halwa with Cinnamon Sabayon
4. Gulab Jamun with Cardamom Ice Cream

For appetizer, I started with the Palak Chaat. It is a dish with fried baby spinach with a yogurt sauce on top. The first bite was delicious, crispy, salty, but balanced out with the yogurt sauce. However, I do feel like towards the end the dish get end up being too salty. It could've used more yogurt sauce. My friend Amy ordered the Malai Chicken Tikka, even though I didn't try the chicken, the cream cheese sauce that came with it was excellent and would be good if we had naan to dip it in!

I ordered the Tandoori Salmon for the entree. And I was surprised to see the two big portions of salmon that came out on my plate. The salmon was to die for, and hands down it was some of the best salmon that I have ever tasted. It was soft, tender, and juicy inside. The spices wasn't overpowering. The sauce that came with it matches well with naan and the mint paratha that came on the side. I had to force myself to finish those 2 pieces because it was so delicious. I would almost go back just for the salmon! I was a little disappointed in the naan, it was a bit on the dry side, and wasn't very fresh.
Amy ordered the lamb roganjosh, which is a dish that goes very well with rice.

For dessert, I chose the Carrot Halwa, which is one of their house specialties. It's a dessert with chooped carrots with raisins and cashews inside. It was a little sweet for me, but still very good. It was a nice balance to finish the meal, and a way to justify eating a dessert. Hey carrots are good for you right? Amy ordered the Gulab Jamun, which is similiar to little donut balls soaked in a sugary sauce, and it came with a cardamon ice cream. I really liked the ice cream, the spice just jumps out right at you.



Overall, I'd say Rasika almost matched up to the hype. One thing I did not appreciate was that the waiter dropped the check right in front of us while we weren't even half way through our dessert. That should be a big no no, especially in a nice restaurant like that. Then it took him forever to take my credit card once we were finally finished.
It is now 6:40pm, and I am still full from my lunch!