Restaurant Review: Sou'Wester

Since the purpose of Restaurant Week is to try new restaurants out for a fraction of the cost, every time that week rolls around I take full advantage. This go around my second restaurant choice proved to be much better than my first which was when I went to Vidalia. I decided to finally try out Sou'Wester which is located in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel located in Southwest quadrant of Washington, DC, hence the name.

It was a beautiful day so I jumped at the chance to sit outside. The patio area overlooked a grassy area where they were just dismantling from a wedding. It was very quiet and peaceful back there, so much so it was hard to tell you were still in the city.

The waiter came over introduced himself and welcomed us to the restaurant. They had an extensive wine list but I decided to stick with a glass of Riesling while I decided on what I wanted to eat. Honestly, practically everything looked good on the menu and it took me a little while to decide on my three courses. I love when places offer most, if not all, of their regular menu during Restaurant Week.

For my appetizer, I started off with a wedge salad but this wasn't your run of the mill wedge salad. It was drenched in a buttermilk ranch dressing and topped with lots of fresh bacon. I'm sure it had twice the calories of a salad that would have been good for me, but I settled on eating something that was good to me instead.


Next, I had the grilled North Carolina shrimp with Anson Mills Grits, Roasted Tomato, Pearl Onions, Felts Country Ham Sauces for the entree. It was just the right portion after having that hearty salad. From the first taste of the shrimp and grits, I knew it was a winner. Prior to having the shrimp and grits at Sou'Wester, Art & Soul was my hands down favorite. Now Sou'Wester has taken #1. The grits were incredibly creamy, the shrimp was fresh and I'm sure I tasted some andouille sausage in there which was a perfect complement to an already excellent dish.


By this time, I was full and didn't think I could eat another bite but that was until I saw what came out. The blackberry cornbread buckle (similar to a cobbler) was served with a side of sweet corn ice cream. I was a special place in my heart for blackberry cobbler and I'm glad to say this dish didn't disappoint. It was baked to perfection. I truly appreciated how they put the ice cream on the side so that it didn't melt into the dish and detract from its rich taste.

Overall, Sou'Wester impressed me from their very accommodating waiters to their superior food and atmosphere. Everything I had was an A+ and it will definitely be going on my list of places I must take guests who are visiting Washington, DC. If you haven't been there, it's a definite must!

Sou'Wester
1330 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20024
202.554.8588
http://www.mandarinoriental.com/washington/dining/souwester/

Food Truck Review: Red Hook Lobster Truck

Let me first begin by saying, I was always a snob when it came to food trucks. Typically, when I'd see them in the past, I'd turn my nose up and say I'm not eating from somewhere where there's no sink for the people preparing my food to wash their hands or use the bathroom. Well times have changed.

A few months ago, I heard there was a new food truck coming to DC that's speciality was Maine lobster. Being that I L-O-V-E all things with shrimp and lobster, the thought of it made me drool with excitement.

After reading their daily tweets (@LobsterTruckDC) and seeing their launch pushed further and further back, the anticipation had died down and I'd forgotten all about them. A little while ago, I just happened to see a tweet from an associate of mine who works down the street saying the truck was going to be in our area. I figured this was finally my chance.

She ended up not going but I didn't allow that to dissuade me. I walked over to McPherson Square to see what all the fuss was about. That day it was extremely cold so I figured the line couldn't be that long. Wrong!

The truck got there at 11:00 and by the time I got there around 1:00 there were still a good 20-25 people in line in front of me. I ended up chatting it up with a older Polish woman which made my 30 minute or so wait go by a little faster.

I finally got up to the window and ordered the Lobster Roll Connecticut-style, meaning it didn't have mayonnaise and was drizzled in butter instead of being creamy. I couldn't wait to get back to my office to see if it was really worth the wait. Let me tell you, it was sooo worth it. The bread was perfectly toasted and the roll had just the right amount of lobster. I'd say there were 5 or 6 large lobster claws in it. It was succulent and seasoned just right with a slight lemon and butter taste. It ate every last morsel.

In addition to the roll I ordered, they had a mayo-based one (Maine-style), Shrimp Rolls, clam chowder (I'm guessing that's just for the winter since it's not listed on their website), whoopie pies from Maine, Cape Cod chips (I love the Sea Salt & Vinegar) and Maine Root sodas.

If you have a chance to catch up to the Red Hook Lobster Truck, I say go for it. Make sure you follow them on Twitter so you'll know when they'll be in your area. Thanks to the Lobster Truck, I have to say I am no longer a food truck snob and I'm sure you will definitely not be disappointed.

Red Hook Lobster Truck
Moving Targets throughout DC
202.341.6263
http://www.redhooklobsterdc.com/

National Harbor Restaurant Week (2/15-27)

If you love Restaurant Week as much as I do, you'll jump at the opportunity to take advantage of Restaurant Week at Maryland's National Harbor.

This year's event begins today, February 15, and runs through Sunday, February 27, 2011. Like the RWs in DC, Bethesda, and Alexandria, it's $20.11 for a 3 course lunch and $35.11 for a 3 course dinner.

I believe this is their second year hosting the event and since they've added several new restaurants over the past 12 months this is the perfect time to take advantage. Some of the restaurants included are: Rosa Mexicano, National Pastime (in the Gaylord Hotel), Ketchup, and Grace's Mandarin. I'd also suggest Cadillac Ranch, not so much for the food, but for the chance to ride the bull. Yes, they have a mechanical bull and it's quite hilarious to watch people get thrown off of it. After a few drinks, you may even want to try your luck.

For more information about National Harbor Restaurant Week and to see the menus of those restaurants participating, click here.

Find Today's Daily Deal on Your City's Best Things To Do at Groupon.com!

Restaurant Review: Smith Commons

First, let me begin by saying I won't be too harsh in my review because I did go on the 3rd day after their opening, so I'll be nice. 

I'll begin with the space itself. It's a 3 story renovated row house located on the revitalized H Street NE Corridor.  On the inside it's absolutely beautiful tons of exposed brick, contemporary lighting fixtures and tastefully chosen furniture.

My girlfriends and I arrived at 6:45, just in time for Happy Hour, unfortunately HH only included beers and Jim Beam or so the inexperienced waitress told me.  I ended up ordering a margarita.  It literally took our bartender over 10 minutes to make it.  I was wondering what was taking so long and was shocked to look over and see she was reading instructions on how to make the drink (yes! a margarita) and was using the jigger to actually measure out everything.  Really?  I couldn't help but laugh because she looked so serious as she measure out every ingredient and constantly referred to her guide.  Nice, friendly girl but her bartending skills were definitely not up to par.  Imagine if I would've ordered something not so common.  I'd definitely expect more from that kind of establishment.

So we left the bar for our 7:30 dinner reservations and were promptly seated at one of the larger tables in the back of the restaurant on the 1st floor.  Shortly after we were seated, our waiter came over and we ordered our drinks and meals.  I ordered a glass of Riesling and was told they only had a Riesling blend.  After reviewing the wine list again, I politely corrected our waiter and informed him that they did in fact have it on the menu.  Let's just say I should have just had another margarita because I was not a fan of that Riesling.

Since they were offering 25% off for food on their limited first week menu, I wanted to take full advantage.  I ended up ordering a Caesar salad, the Tiger Prawns with a side of potatoes and the Molten Chocolate cake.

The wait for food was pretty slow considering the dining area wasn't that crowded but the girls and I were having a great convo so it wasn't a huge issue.  For some reason, my entree arrived just before my appetizer salad, so my food was left to get cold while I ate it first.

The salad was a typical caesar salad, nothing to rave about.  It did have capers and some toasted parmesan which gave it a slightly different taste.

I was pleasantly surprised by the tiger prawn dish.  It was topped with extremely fresh tomatoes, diced and cherry, with a mixture of olive oil, basil and something else I couldn't quick pick out.  It was delish!  Wish I would've ordered the larger portion since it only came with three shrimp.  I also ordered a side of potatoes (since most of the dishes don't come with any) they were tasty and well seasoned.

Lastly, the molten chocolate cake came out.  It was nicely plated but not at all what I had imagined.  Usually when it's a molten cake, it has hot chocolate inside of the cake, this one did not.  It was a small, actually tiny, piece of chocolate cake served in a teeny-tiny ramekin with a smear of melted chocolate on the plate and some thick whipped cream (I was hoping for ice cream to offset the chocolate).  The cake was a little dry for my taste.  Afterwards, I realized I should've just ordered a glass of Moscato d'Asti for dessert (since they had 2 on the wine list which isn't very common).

Overall the food was good, I wasn't overly impressed.  Our waiter was extremely friendly and we had a lot of fun joking with him which made the experience better despite a few hiccups.  Local celebrity Paul Wharton (Stylist and Real Housewives of DC character) was there making his rounds as a social butterfly and posing for pics, so it made the night a little more interesting.

After dinner we ventured upstairs to check out the 2nd and 3rd floors.  They both had fairly large bar areas and a few seating options.  It seems to be a pretty laid back with a nice, diverse young professional crowd.

With that said, I definitely intend on going back.  Hopefully in the coming months they'll have all of the kinks worked out.

Food B
Ambiance A-

Service A

Smith Commons

1245 H Street NE

Washington, DC 20002

202.302.8229
www.smithcommonsdc.com

Restaurant Opening: Cuba Libre DC - October 1

When I first heard about Cuba Libre coming to DC, for some reason I was sooo excited. While, I've never been to their other locations in Philadelphia, Atlantic City or Orlando, I've heard countless rave reviews about their food and drinks.   Since, I'm a lover of all things Latin of course I had to book a reservation to be one of the first to try it out, review to come next week.

The DC location was initially scheduled to open during the middle of summer but due to unforeseen circumstances, the opening date kept getting pushed back.  I hoped they would be open in time for my 30th Birthday celebration, but it didn't happen. 

When I was initially trying to plan my birthday festivities, I contacted Emily Jarmuth, the Director of Sales & Local Marketing, who has provided me with follow-up over the last few months and I truly appreciate her keeping me in the loop.

I'm so happy to share that they will finally be opening up for "limited business" on Friday, October 1st.  As of today, reservations are completely booked Oct 1-3, but the other days are still open.  They are offering discounted prices off of the dinner menu for the first 2 weeks, 50% the first week and 25% the second.  See below for part of the press release.

Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar Announces October 1st Opening with Introductory Prices at Dinner Nuevo Cubano newcomer offers a welcoming discount for guests during opening. Washington, D.C. (September 20, 2010)― Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar is excited to announce the preview opening of its new DC location in Penn Quarter will begin October 1st. It will open with a new menu specifically developed for Washington by Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot. Guests of the inspired "Nuevo Cubano" restaurant can also look forward to a 50% discount on their dinner from October 1st until October 7th. Then from October 8th-13th, guests can enjoy a 25% discount before the full price menu begins on October 14th. This special savings only applies to the cuisine (beverages will be offered at full price) during this preview period and is available at dinner service only, which is served daily from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m.

Cuba Libre
801 A 9th Street (corner of H Street), NW 
Washington, D.C.
202.408.1600 http://www.cubalibrerestaurant.com

H Street's Own Restaurant Week August 16-22

Just received word that the H Street Corridor is offering their own version of Restaurant Week to coincide with DC's official week.  From August 16-22, many of the restaurants will be offering three course meals for $20.10, not $35.10, for both lunch and dinner, and in some cases breakfast.

The H Street Corridor is trying their hardest to compete with the likes of Georgetown, Gallery Place, and Penn Quarter where restaurants are concerned.  Hopefully, this promotion encourages more people to support the businesses in this up-and-coming part of NE.

Here's a listing of the participating restaurants.

Argonaut – 1433 H Street
Biergarten Haus – 1355 H Street
Capital City Diner – 1050 Bladensburg Road
Dangerously Delicious Pies – 1339 H Street
Ethiopic – 401 H Street
Granville Moore’s – 1238 H Street
H Street Country Club – 1335 H Street
Liberty Tree – 1016 H Street
Star and Shamrock – 1341 H Street
Sticky Rice – 1224 H Street
Taylor Gourmet – 1116 H Street
 
For a complete listing of the menu items they have available for this promotion, click here.