She's Savvy: restaurant review

Showing posts with label restaurant review. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

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 s

aw 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/

Monday, August 22, 2011

Restaurant Review: Vidalia

Over the last few years I'd heard so many great things about Vidalia. When I learned summer Restaurant Week (RW) for DC had been officially announced, I quickly made my reservations and had Vidalia in my top 3.

I ended up meeting an old friend there for lunch on a Friday afternoon. When I walked up to the door, I opened it and proceeded down a flight of stairs to the restaurant. Not really a fan of restaurants that are underground but it was fairly well lit, despite not having any natural light.

Prior to going, I'd perused the menu and was happy to see most of their usual appetizers and entrees were being offered for RW. I don't like when restaurants severely limit their options or create special dishes just for RW. It's happened before that I really liked something and went back to have it again but was told it was only something they had for the week.

Moving forward, I was seated at a small 2-seater table with my friend. As soon as I sat down the waiter came over to take my order. He came over another 3 times, while we were both clearly trying to decide one what we wanted. Eventually, I just selected something because I felt so rushed.

For the appetizer, I had the Berkshire Pork Posole. It definitely wasn't at all what I expected. It had the potential to be good if it had been seasoned adequately. I added salt and pepper in hopes of saving it, no luck. Next I had the Cornmeal Crusted Catfish. Fried catfish is one of the few fried things that I eat and also cook, so I know what I like. I figured it was Southern style, fried catfish so it had to be good right? Yeah, not so much. It also lacked taste and I ended up leaving half of it on my plate. I will say the crayfish and andouille sausage that was underneath the catfish wasn't bad, at least it had some flavor. Lastly, I the red velvet cheesecake came out. I love, love, love all things red velvet so I hoped this would redeem an already lackluster meal. That was a negative. The dessert was a small round piece of dry red velvet cake (it was actually pink) with a round, fluffy piece of cheesecake, which was more like a tasteless whipped cream sitting on top.

By this time I was ready to go and before I could say anything, the waiter was there placing our check on the table. Crazy thing is we weren't even just sitting there being squatters because we both had to get back to work. Guess he was in a hurry to turn our table, so much so he stepped on the back of my sandal as I was leaving. I turned around, no apology nothing.

Saying I was disappointed in Vidalia would be an understatement. It was even more so because each of the dishes were so nicely plated, proving looks can definitely be deceiving. Too bad such care didn't go into the recipes themselves. See the photos below. The photo on the far right was my friend's rib dish. The meat was very tender but also lacking in the taste department.

I wonder if Vidalia's former head chef was the driving force behind their success. I've heard nothing but great reviews about his new restaurant, Rogue 24, which opened this summer. Hope it's better than Vidalia, but then again, I'm fairly certain it has to be!

Vidalia
1990 M Street, NW
Washington D.C., DC 20036
202.659.1990
http://www.vidaliadc.com/

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Restaurant Review: Bobby's Burger Palace

As I write this, I'm still fantasizing over how good the food was at the newly opened Bobby's Burger Palace (BBP). On Tuesday, August 16, Bobby Flay's latest burger joint opened at the corner of 21st and K Streets NW in Washington, DC.

I learned last week that the restaurant was slated to open on August 16th but when I called to confirm, I was told the opening was likely to be pushed back. To my surprise during lunch time yesterday, I saw that one of my Foursquare connections had checked in there. When I did a search online I saw people talking about how long the lines were but how they were excited to have the chance to meet Bobby Flay who was on-hand for the grand opening to mix and mingle.

Since I couldn't leave work mid-afternoon to wait in line for a burger, I ended up going immediately after work with 2 of my co-workers. I was shocked that the line had died down, I was expecting it to still be down the street but fortunately for us it wasn't. We ended up waiting in line for about 20-25 minutes, which was much better than I anticipated.

The Inside.

The inside of the restaurant was pretty much as I'd expected it to be, bright, vibrant, eclectic and even a bit retro. The last Bobby Flay restaurant I went to was Mesa Grill in Las Vegas. BBP is no where as grand as Mesa Grill but I could see some similarities.

The Order. We all ordered burgers and for our sides the regular fries, sweet potato fries and onion rings. I had hoped to polish off my meal with the frozen cactus pear margarita but apparently they didn't have their liquor license yet (I was told they should have it by Thursday, 8/18) so of course they also couldn't serve their spiked milkshakes. Oh well. But I didn't let that get me down, just gave me another reason why I must go back.

I, along with a coworker, ordered the Bobby's Blue Burger. It was a ground beef burger topped with lettuce, tomatoes, crumbles of blue cheese and my fav two large strips of bacon. The other coworker had the Santa Fe burger.

So we took a seat, placed our numbers in front of us, and waited for them to deliver each of our meals. The manager, Lawrence, came over while we waited and explained to us each of the sauces (Burger Sauce, Jalapeno Ketchup, Chipotle Ketchup along with the usual condiments) along with making small talk about the restaurant. He did share with us that we'd missed meeting Bobby Flay by only 30 minutes.

The

Sides. When the food came out, since I'm one of those weird people who like to eat everything separately, I slowly enjoyed each of the fries (both were crispy on the outside and soft in the middle with a hint of sea salt) and then moved on to the onion rings. I never eat onion rings but these were absolutely delicious. They were lightly breaded and the onion was slightly sweet which made for a pleasant surprise.

The Burgers. After like 5 minutes, I finally cut my burger in half and went to town. My burger was so juicy and flavorful the blue cheese and the other toppings seemed to be just an added incentive. Advice: It was a bit messy so make sure when you eat there you're not wearing white. The thing I liked most is although there were plenty of sauces available (the "Burger Sauce" is my personal fav) my burger didn't need any of them to top it off. It was perfect as-is!

Lawrence came back over to check on us and asked us which of the burgers did we wish we'd ordered. At first we thought it was just a random question, next thing you know we had a hot Miami burger in front of us. The Miami burger was made like a Cuban sandwich. It was beef patty, topped with ham, cheese, pickles, mayo and mustard and the hamburger bun was pressed like a panini.

While I loved my B

obby Blue, that Miami Burger just did something to me. The sauces combined with the pickles and ham, whew just the thought of how it tasted makes me want to go back again and again. Yes! it was really that good, I even made noises to express my satisfaction.

The photos I took of the meal via my iPhone don't even do it justice. The service was spectacular, the venue was very welcoming and had a communal feel and most importantly the food was amazing! Next time I may even ask to be "Crunchified", it's when they put potato chips on top of your burger.

Make sure when you go, you ask for the BBP Rewards card which enables you to rack up points toward a free burger, sandwich or salad. I have no doubt I'll be using mine often, which means I need to put in an extra workout each week. Since they will be serving drinks soon, beer, wine, and margaritas (all under $5), I'm sure this will make for a great happy hour spot.

Bobby's Burger Palace
2121 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
202.974.6260
www.bobbysburgerpalace.com

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Restaurant Review: Taberna del Abardero

Feels like I haven't written a restaurant review in a while and I am long overdue.

Being that I'm a fan of Spanish food, when I saw an offer on The Capitol Deal for Taberna del Abardero I knew I had to buy it. Since the menu is somewhat pricey I decided I'd go during lunch so I could get more for my money.

One of my friends from college met me there around 1:00PM on a Friday afternoon. The weather was perfect so we grabbed a seat under an umbrella on their patio. The staff was very attentive and constantly checked up on us as we finally came to a decision on what we wanted. I ordered the Roasted Sea Bream and Shrimp in Garlic with Cayenne Pepper served With Sautéed Wild Mushroom and my friend ordered the Supreme and Thigh of Baby Chicken stuffed with Shitake Mushrooms, Scallions and Marinated Vegetables. We also ordered a side of Fried Potatoes. Would've been nice to have ordered a glass of wine too but since I had to go back to work I decided against it.

As soon as we ordered a basket of bread came out. Either I was really hungry or that bread was some of the best bread I've had in a while. It was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, just how I liked it. They already had olive oil on the table for dipping so I went to town.

While my friend and I chatted we noticed the pace of the meal was somewhat slow, especially since we were both on our lunch breaks. But I do know from going to Spain they relish in having leisurely meals and this was pretty normal being that it's an authentic Spanish restaurant. All that was missing was a bowl of olives.

So the food arrived and the aroma had me hypnotized. I was also enticed by the presentation. If there's one thing I look for at restaurants of this caliber it's the plating. My friend and I were ready to eat but of course I had to snap a few shots before we dug in.

My fish was lightly seasoned and the sauce was delicious. The dish also had 4 small shrimp and sauteed mushrooms. It was a perfect meal for lunch because it didn't leave me feeling weighed down. The fried potatoes we shared on the side were delicious and didn't need any sauce and were perfectly seasoned. I really could have just eaten those by themselves, but they were a welcomed addition to an already great meal.

Things got very quiet as we both enjoyed our meals. I had a bite of my friend's dish, it was good but definitely not as good as mine. Hers definitely had an interesting taste, it was hard to describe but it tasted kind of like a mix between curry and barbecue sauce with a hint of cumin.

Since my hour lunch break, had evolved into an hour and a half, as soon as we finished eating we requested the check. Our waiter and another staff person came over to convince us that we couldn't leave without having dessert. We kindly refused but when our waiter brought the check, he also set two small glasses with a creamy concoction inside. It tasted like some kind of mousse with frozen bits of cantaloupe, watermelon, and apple, with shaving of pistachio on top. I'm still not sure what is was but it was definitely good and a welcomed surprise.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the service, the atmosphere and most importantly, the food. I'd definitely go back again. My advice would be to go for dinner and not lunch. The pricing is actually pretty much the same and you'll have time to sit back and enjoy the

Upcoming Event
Sommelier Gustavo Iniesta of Taberna del Alabardero hosts a Wine & Tapas Tasting.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 6:30 - 8:00PM
Cost: $65 per person

Taberna del Alabardero
1776 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006
202.429.2200
http://www.alabardero.com/

Monday, June 20, 2011

Restaurant Review: Souk Moroccan Restaurant

Last weekend, I decided to go to Souk, they call themselves a Moroccan Tapas Bar, located in the revitalized H Street Corridor. I'm a lover of all things Moroccan so when a deal for the restaurant was on Groupon, I jumped at getting it.

I made reservations for 7:30, but had to call them to let them know I wouldn't be there until closer to 8. They said no problem, which was cool for a Saturday night. We walked in right at 8 and were given the choice of sitting in the front bar area or the dimly lit cozy back room, we chose the latter. I have to say it wasn't at all what I expected. While there were random Moroccan elements such as lanterns, it wasn't at all like the Moroccan restaurants I've been to where you sit on pillows and the wait staff are dressed in their native clothing wearing a fez. But different can be good right?

As soon as we were seated, our waiter came over to take our drink orders. I was feeling adventurous so I ordered this blackberry whisky & vodka drink that our waiter suggested.

When he brought it out I took one sip and was like whoa, it was way too strong. I told him I didn't like it and 2 minutes later he came back with a better, less lethal version of the same drink.

Since, I'd done my research I had an idea of what I was going to order. Although the reviews were a little shaky, everyone seemed to rave about how good the Baba Ghanouge (photo 1) was. So we went with that for starters. Truthfully, I think I like saying it more than anything. It was tasty and the perfect consistency, but when our waiter brought out the spices, that really complemented it and changed the taste completely. Needless to say, we devoured it within a matter of minutes, and it was an ample size for an appetizer.

I'd never had a shrimp dish, nor any other type of seafood, at a Moroccan restaurant so I was pleasantly surprised to see some there. They usually specialize on chicken, beef and lamb. We ordered the Harissa Shrimp for our second course. It was seasoned with just the right amount of spice. The only

thing was the shrimp were really small, but at least we got a lot of them and they were fresh. (photo 2)

For the entree we wanted something different than just the usual Moroccan dishes, i.e. bastilla, chicken with lemons or beef kabobs. Once again our waiter came to the rescue and suggested we try the Mixed Grill (photo 3). According to the menu, it was a combination platter of chicken and kafta kabob and lamb merguez (sausage), served over rice with saffron-infused tomato sauce. It was dee-lish! I will say I'm not a fan of lamb so that was the only thing on the plate I didn't eat but everything else was amazing.

I'll definitely be adding Souk to the list of my places to recommend. The food was excellent and the servers were very attentive and full of suggestions. So glad I didn't listen to the reviews on Yelp.

Food A+
Ambiance B
Service A

Souk
1208 H Street Northeast
Washington D.C., DC 20002
(202) 658-4224
www.souk-dc.com/

Friday, April 8, 2011

Restaurant Review: Litestars

A few weeks ago, I saw a promotion online about a new restaurant called Litestars. It's conveniently located near my job so I purchased the offer and headed over one day during lunch. According to Litestars website their mission statement is as follows: We pledge to provide our customers with healthier and tastier food choices prepared with fresh ingredients resulting in a meal with less fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates and sugar contents.

It's a fairly large place and on my first visit it was pretty empty. They have a sizable assortment of food from tarts (or tartlets as they call them), salads, and SoupDrinks.

The first time I went there I had absolutely no idea what to get but the staff allowed me to sample whatever I wanted to help me make up my mind. The great thing about Litestars is just as their name states, everything there is very fresh and light. They also don't use creams, sugars, or sodium.

At first, I was like this going to be interesting, while I enjoy eating healthy I'm still big on the way things are seasoned. They do have a season "salt" substitute which is very tasty in the case your food is missing a little something. While there, I met the chef, a nice woman with a a thick French accent. She was very pleasant and asked me how I'd heard about the place. I ended up getting the mango chicken salad that also had walnuts and cranberries in it over a bed of crisp greens. I grabbed a bottle of this carbonated water with not a drop of sugar in it. I was a little skeptical at first but it ended up being delicious and quite refreshing. The mango chicken salad itself was tasty and I liked the mix of the sweetness of the mango and the saltiness of the walnuts, I could've done without the leafy greens as they didn't really add anything to the meal. Another bonus is they are very accommodating so you can customize your salad the way you like it.

Since then I've been back a few times and tried the Turkey Tartlet and a Roasted Tomato tartlet along with a soybean salad. I will say if you're looking for a huge, weigh-you-down kind of lunch spot this isn't the place for you. Everything they have is light and healthy, you definitely won't leave there feeling stuffed. It's definitely a place you'll either love or hate. I'm proud to say, I love it.

They offered a Groupon about 2 weeks ago, ever since the place has been pretty busy during lunch. I hope others take a liking to this place because I'd hate to see this concept not survive.

Insiders Tip: Before I forget, if you're a social media buff like I am and use Foursquare, everytime you check-in at Litestars you'll receive 30% off of your meal. Don't forget to flash the cashier your phone, it's as easy as that.

Litestars
2101 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
202.293.0281
http://www.litestars.com

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Restaurant Review: Founding Farmers

A few weeks back, one of the people I follow on Twitter posted a tweet about Founding Farmers having a viewing party at their restaurant. The chef had been featured on a show called Meat & Potatoes on The Food Network and they invited everyone to come out to watch it at the restaurant's bar and enjoy some complimentary appetizers.

I'd heard many rave reviews about their sister restaurant, Farmers & Fishers, so of course I jumped at the chance. We arrived around 9:30, the viewing party was scheduled for 10:00, and the place was still pretty full. We decided to grab a seat at the bar. The first thing I noticed was how spectacular it was. They had every type of liquor you could possibly imagine with an ample collection of infused fruits sitting in large containers. It was way past happy hour and a week night so I decided to pass on drinks and ordered an appetizer and meal instead.

The menu had so many great options, it was hard to decide. While driving over I perused the menu and was all set on getting the Southern Fried chicken salad but somehow ended up ordering the Shrimp and Grits instead. My friend and I ordered the skillet cornbread for an appetizer. It came out in a matter of minutes, which was perfect because I was famished. It was so delicious I could've easily eaten the entire thing by myself, despite how large it was, but had to save room for the food.

Shortly after, our meals arrived. Both of our meals looks incredible. I admit I was jealous of my friend because he ended up ordering the Southern Fried chicken salad I had originally planned on getting. His salad was like nothing I'd ever seen before. There was 3 huge pieces of golden brown, fried chicken sitting on top of a bed of crisp greens, with avocado, red onions, chunks of bacon, cherry tomatoes, cheddar, topped with a mixture of honey mustard and ranch dressings. I took one bite and knew that would forever be my staple choice on their menu. While my shrimp and grits were also very good, that salad was hands down the best thing I've eaten in quite a while. Truthfully, I've had better shrimp and grits elsewhere but I enjoyed the fact that the shrimp was very fresh and I like their farm-to-table concept. The grits were also very smooth and creamy and not at all gritty, which I'm not a fan of.

Let me not forget to mention the other appetizers we sampled during the viewing party. They had their signature Bacon Lollis and fried green tomatoes. Being that I'm a true lover of bacon, when I saw bacon I stopped eating myown food and had to get a taste. They were large slices of bacon (just the meat) with a coating of brown sugar and cinnamon served on a stick. Had I not already eaten so much already I would have taken a handful, but I didn't want to be greedy. Then the fried green tomatoes came around and I fell in love. I've had them on a few occasions from other places but was never all that impressed. These on the other hand, were breaded in cornmeal and the green tomatoes were perfectly tender. I've never experienced anything like them.

Not only was the service excellent and the food impeccable, when the check came we didn't even cringe. I was shocked at how affordable our meal was and we both even ended up with leftovers to have for lunch the next day.

Since then I've been back once and can't wait to go back many more times. Hopefully, next time I'll be able to make room for dessert.

Founding Farmers
1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20006
202.822.8783
http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Restaurant Review: The Reserve on L

I'd been to The Reserve on a number of occasions for parties and special events. This time I went to use my What's the Deal voucher for dinner with a friend.

We arrived for our 7:30 reservation around 7:10, and went to the upstairs bar while we waited. We came back downstairs to find there was only one "table" available which was really a sagging couch and an Ikea table. The seating situation wasn't really conducive for eating but we went with it.

My friend and I ordered a salad and 4 tapas. I was a little concerned because our waitress didn't write anything down and had to clarify what we ordered twice. I'm somewhat of a picky eater so my orders typically require me to request meals without certain foods.

We ended up getting the greens salad for starters, it was ok. It was basically a garden salad with a bunch of green beans on it. Next our waitress brought out the Shrimp on garlic sauce (why it's not called shrimp in or and garlic sauce is beyond me) and the taquena w/ guacamole. Both of those were very good and I'd highly recommend them. After that we had the chicken sliders and a side of fries. The chicken was pretty bland but the sauce and pineapple salsa saved it, the fries were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside just the way I like them.

After that course we just sat and waited for our final course the shrimp penne pasta which is apparently one of their signature dishes and is much larger than their traditional tapas. While we waited, the other waitress working on the main level finally brought out the water we'd asked our waitress for since before we'd even ordered our meal. The other waitress took up our plates and asked us how was everything. I told her good but we still had another course.

Finally our waitress came back and was like oh you have something else? I politely said yes and reminded her about the shrimp penne pasta with no mushrooms (the dish I had to repeat twice to make sure she didn't put mushrooms on). if she'd written it down, there wouldn't have been a problem, just saying. Needless to say, she'd forgotten to put in the order but blamed it on being delivered to another table, yeah ok. I said whatever and that I'd just take it to go.
Overall, The Reserve has a nice vibe to it. The food is pretty good. If our waitress wasn't so scatterbrained the rating would have been a solid 4 stars.

Honestly, I doubt I'll be going back anytime soon, unless it's for drinks and more of those tasty taquenas.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Restaurant Review: Casa Nonna

I went to Casa Nonna the first Monday of Restaurant Week and it also happened to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Walking up to its corner location pn Connecticut Avenue brought back the memories of passing by the California Pizza Kitchen that used to be there. It wasn't that I frequented CPK, it was just always a place I'd somehow end up at and could easily find my way home after getting lost in DC countless times.

A friend and I walked in and the first thing I noticed was it didn't seem all that busy for a restaurant located in Dupont Circle and especially not one that was participating in the much awaited Restaurant Week. Later I realized it was probably due to the freezing rain that was in the forecast. Guess I didn't pay attention to that.

Fast forward, we were seated in one of their many dining alcoves. We were surrounded by about 5-6 other couples. I liked the way our area was sectioned off, which made it seem more intimate than if they would have had a huge open dining area. Our waiter was very attentive and did an excellence job of explaining everything to my friend and I.

I'd checked out the regular menu and the Restaurant Week menu prior to getting there so I was ready to order as soon as we were seated. I ordered a Blood Orange Margherita (margarita) for my cocktail. I liked the sweet and sourness of it but it didn't have much alcohol in it.

Our meal began with a complimentary Antipasti dish, it consisted of eggplant, ricotta and prosciutto. I'm not usually a fan of eggplant but it was made into a delicious sauce with the ricotta sprinkled on top and it went well with the toasted bread they gave us. We ended up eating every last morsel.

For my first course, I ordered the potato gnocchi (pronounced Noh-

key, I always forget how to say it). I still can't get over how much melted gorgonzola and parmesan cheese it had in it. It was so good but too rich for me to eat it in one seating. Our waiter came over, looked at the dish and then me and said I'll wrap that up for you. Let me just say, it was even better when it was reheated.

Next, I had the Braised Pork Shank served with mustard greens and mashed potatoes. The pork was super tender and was well-seasoned. Since it was a shank cut, there really wasn't much that much meat. I'm a slow eater but I'd say I was done eating it in less than 3 minutes including the mashed potatoes.

Lastly, I had the tiramisu. I wouldn't say it was the best I've ever had but it was quite delicious and I fell in love with its presentation.

Overall, my experience at Casa Nonna was a pleasant one. I definitely have it on my list of places to go back to.

Food A
Ambiance A
Service A

Casa Nonna

1250 Connecticut Avenue

Washington, DC 20036

(202) 629-2505

http://casanonna.com

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Restaurant Review: Merzi

I'd first heard of Merzi through a tweet a few weeks ago. When I went to the website, I thought it was a great concept and I had to try it out for myself. I'd heard a few people describe it as an "Indian Chipotle" and that's exactly what it is.

They have a few base options like rice and naan. You then select a meat, I believe they had 2 types of chicken, lamb, beef, and shrimp. Next they had several other toppings including peppers and onions, potatoes, chickpeas, a salsa-like concoction, corn, and several sauces ranging from mild to medium to hot.

I chose the rice bowl with chicken, most of the toppings and the warm medium sauce. I love eating mango ice cream after having Indian food so I ordered their drink called the Mango Fantango.

As I sat down I honestly didn't know what to expect. I love Indian food, in fact one of my favorites Rasika is right around the corner, but Indian fast food was a new concept for me. The food ended up being very good and everything tasted fresh. Halfway through, I started to get that full feeling like I do when eating a Chipotle Burrito Bowl but of course I didn't want to stop eating. I left a few bites and polished off the frothy mango smoothie which was refreshing and very pleasing to my soul.

The staff and service were excellent. I appreciated the fact that they were very patient and quick to offer suggestions since I was clearly a newbie. If it were a little closer to my office (it was an 11 block walk in 30 degree weather) I'd be a regular there, it's a nice alternative from the usual. Next time I need a quick fix of Indian food, I'll definitely be back.

Merzi
415 7th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
410.746.2729
http://www.merzi.com/

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

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

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Restaurant Review: Market 17 (Ft. Lauderdale)

Market 17

When I first arrived to Ft. Lauderdale, while in the taxi headed for our resort, I noticed a restaurant by the name of Market 17. It looked like a quaint little place and there was a sign saying it had just opened in October. In DC, I always love trying places within the first few weeks of their opening so I jumped at the opportunity of trying this new restaurant.

Later that evening, I Googled them and was glad to see they had a clean, fully-functioning website, which seems to be rare among newer restaurants for some reason. Since, I'd already made reservations that evening for YOLO, I decided to schedule something for the next day.

We arrived around 8:00PM to a scene that was the total opposite of YOLO the night before. It was very low-key, not at all crowded.

Within moments of being seated we were warmly greeted by our waiter. He explained to us that the restaurant was based on a "farm to table" concept which meant they dealt with local farmers for everything from the vegetables to chicken, beef, fish, etc. There were so many options, and each of them was paired with an interesting selection of ingredients which made the decision even harder.

I would have to say I was most surprised by their extensive wine list, they have over 350 different varieties. I really liked the fact they offered their wine by the glass in 1/2 glasses which made it extremely affordable to try out a few, my first glass was only $4.50 which is unheard of in DC, even during happy hour.

When it was time to order our waiter came over and I still had no idea what to choose since everything on the menu looked so yummy. I ended up starting with ceviche, because I love it and when I read that was custom-made, I knew it was something I had to try. What an experience! The snapper and shrimp I chose were so fresh, they could've been caught that same day and I wouldn't have been surprised. The other ingredients created such an excitement in my mouth, I ohhed and ahhed the entire time. I can still taste it.

I ended up ordering the chicken breast with potato risotto, mushrooms, onions, walnuts and a sherry vinegar pan sauce. When it came out I didn't even want to touch it. I have a thing for meals that are nicely plated. When I took my first bite of the chicken and risotto, it tasted as beautiful as it looked. It was tender, juicy and seasoned to perfection. My coworker had the poached Maine lobster served in a rich basil and cream sauce with collard greens. I took a small bite of her lobster and I'd have to say it was amazing.

Lastly, I was full but had to try some dessert. They had chocolate cake on the menu and it came highly recommended by our server so of course I had to try it. Like the other dishes the dessert came out so beautifully plated I didn't know where to start. The cake was coated with a cylindrical layer of milk chocolate, topped with cream and chocolate shavings. That dessert was so good, I could have easily demolished the entire thing but I was so full, I settled for eating the cake but leaving the chocolate coating. Our server commented on it but I was find with it, it was just enough to keep me satisfied.

After dinner our server gave us a tour of their "Dining in the Dark" room a concept that apparently is big in Europe and has a small following of restaurants in LA and South Beach (Miami). It was a small glass enclosed room with large, curtains to keep all light out. Those who dine in the room as seated at one of the 3 tables and serves from a tasting menu. The trick to it is you eat completely in the dark which is supposed to heighten your sense of taste. I need to check around and see if they have any places like that in the DC area because it's definitely something I'd love to try.

Although I don't live in Ft. Lauderdale, I have a feeling Market 17 could definitely be one of the city's Hidden Gems. The food was amazing and the service could not have been better. Hopefully, I'll make it back down that way soon!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Restaurant Review: YOLO (Ft. Lauderdale)

Last week, I spent several days in Ft. Lauderdale for a mix of business and pleasure. We stayed at the Marriott Harbor Beach which is a fabulous oceanfront resort with several restaurants and plenty of outdoor activities. Although the resort is designed to provide its guests with everything they needed, we decided to venture out to a few local restaurants.

YOLO

Our first stop was at a restaurant called YOLO. (YOLO stands for "You Only Live Once") We pulled up to the restaurant at 7:00PM on a Wednesday to a vibrant scene. The driveway leading to the entrance hosted several high-end vehicles including a Maserati and a Bentley. When I saw this I knew I'd chosen a great place. The weather was beautiful so we asked to be seated outside. I was so glad I made reservations well in advance because we would never have gotten a seat.

We were seated and immediately our waitress came over and informed us of the specials and took our drink orders. I ordered The Devil's Hammer, a drink that contained Patron Tequila and Bourbon infused cherries. What drew me to it, besides the fact I'm a lover of Patron, was because on the menu it said in bold "Limit 3". If they had a limit, I figured it had to be good and it was.

We began by ordering the meatball sliders topped with blue cheese. While, I'm usually not a fan of blue cheese, these sliders were absolutely delicious. The cheese was very mild so it complemented the sauce on the meatball very well. The meatballs were so tender and juicy, they just melted in my mouth. Next we had the YOLO chips, which were handmade, thick-cut potato chips with blue cheese, bacon pieces, and truffles. They were also very tasty and filling.

By the time my entree arrived I was already pretty full but of course I made room for crabcakes. They were lightly breaded, just the way I like them, and the portions were huge, I didn't even know where to start. The only thing I didn't like was they were very heavy-handed on the sauce. The crabcakes already had a different kind of topping, the sauce they were sitting in was overkill. It came with a huge side of shoestring french fries and green apple slaw. Both were great but again the portions were huge so I barely ate half of the plate.

Overall, I enjoyed the food, drinks, and the atmosphere. It definitely seemed more trendy like something you'd find on South Beach or even LA, not Ft. Lauderdale at all. It was definitely a welcomed surprise.

YOLO Restaurant - You Only Live Once

333 E. Las Olas Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2259
(954) 523-1000
www.yolorestaurant.com

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Restaurant Review: Masa 14 (Left A Bad Taste Again...)

During the early part of the summer, I had heard a lot about Masa 14, one of the newer restaurants located on the 14th Street Corridor. I'd heard so many wonderful things about it so I decided to try to host my 30th birthday happy hour & fundraiser benefitting the March of Dimes there.

I contacted the events staff about 2 months in advance and told them what I was planning. We went back and forth via email for about a week, then the person kept telling me that he would have to ask his manager if he could accommodate my party. My request was quite simple so all I really needed was a yes that date is available or no. All I wanted to do was have 20-30 people and to order several platters of food for my guests to enjoy. After, several days of not hearing anything, I decided to look else where.

Finally, I received an email indicating that they would not be able to handle my request. To this day, I still don't know why 1) they couldn't accommodate 20-30 people when it's a huge space and 2) why I had to go through all the rigmarole. (I ended up having my event at Local 16, they were extremely accommodating and it went off without a hitch.)

After that Masa 14 left a bad taste in my mouth and I vowed to never support them...that was until last night.

Restaurant Review: Cafe Atlantico

Just realized I never posted some reviews from Restaurant Week (RW).

I made reservations for Cafe Atlantico for the Friday of RW. Ended up meeting one of my friends there at 8:00 for our reservation and both of us were starving.

When I arrived there was a huge crowd of people inside and out on the side walk. The hostess informed us that there would be a wait and that we were welcomed to wait by the bar. Since it was so crowded, that was not really a viable option so I found a little nook near where the valet guys were and we stood there. Soon others followed our lead and that area got a little crowded too. I was glad when we finally got a seat.

Around 8:45 we were seated and since we were way beyond famished, we quickly surveyed the limited RW menu and ordered. My first dish was the "beetsteak" tomato salad. It was an interesting mix of flavors but nothing special. The second dish was the pork cheeks served with rice and pureed black beans. It wasn't seasoned how I liked it but once I mixed in the incredibly spicy pepper sauce that was on the plate (see photo #2 the red spots on the right side of the plate) it made it more flavorful.

The first two courses weren't all that impressive, so I hoped the dessert would make up for it. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I ordered the chocolate cake with some lime flavored whipped topping and vanilla ice cream. Didn't really like the pairing of the cake and lime topping so I stuck with the ice cream. The cake wasn't as moist as I liked so I ended up eating the cold stuff instead.

I would definitely have to say I was severely disappointed. One of my friends swears Cafe Atlantico is one of her favorite restaurants, wish I could've said the same. It was surprising as well since I love the other restaurants that belong to the Think Food restaurant group (Zaytinya, Jaleo, Oyamel).

Maybe I'll give them another try one day, when it's not Restaurant Week. Not a fan of restaurant that severely limit their menus and "create" dishes that they wouldn't normally serve. On a more positive note, seems like it would be cool for happy hour, when it's not so crowded since they do have tasty mojitos.

Food C
Ambiance B
Service B-

Cafe Atlantico

405 8th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 393-0812

www.cafeatlantico.com

Monday, October 4, 2010

Restaurant Review: Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar

Before I start this post, all I can say is I don't know why I had never been to Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar before last week. That place was absolutely amazing!

On a Friday evening, I went with a friend who was in town from LA to Sonoma. It's located on Pennsylvania Avenue SE between 2nd and 3rd Streets. If you're driving by and blink you'd easily miss it.

When you walk up to the building it's evident that it's an old building and has historic DC charm. There is a small area for patio seating in the front that can accommodate about 10 people, since it was brisk we decided to take our chances to wait inside for a seat inside. Once you walk in you're greeted by a huge fully stocked wine bar on one side and a beautiful exposed brick wall on the other. There is also a large staircase that leads to the upstairs more lounge like area. It was reserved for a private party so we didn't have a chance to check it out.

Since it was a Friday night and we didn't have reservations, there was a wait but we found a seat at the bar and enjoyed a glass of wine. The wine list by the glass and bottle were very extensive and offered us many options to enjoy. While we waited, the incredibly friendly hostess walked over to us every 10 minutes to give us an update on the status of our table, which was nice because that never happens.

Once we were seated, we could barely focus on the menu because of the food that was arriving at the table next to us. Everything looked so good, we didn't even know where to begin. Eventually we decided on a few things. For our appetizers we shared an arugula salad with goat cheese, bacon, beets with a bacon vinaigrette and the house-made meatballs in polenta. From the first bite we were in love, not with each other, but with the food. Within a matter of minutes, both plates were empty.

For the main dish he had the Braised Beef Ravioli with potato and mushroom marmalade and I had the North Carolina Shrimp & Grits. The beef in the ravioli was very tender, well seasoned and melted in your mouth. The shrimp, which were more like jumbo prawns, were grilled to perfection with light seasoning and the grits were so smooth and creamy. We polished off both dishes and were pleasantly full. I didn't have room for dessert so I ordered a nice, ice-cold glass of Moscato d'asti, which was by far one of the best I've ever had.

To top things off a group of middle-aged men all dressed in black suits caught our attention. We both speculated they were part of a musical group. Apparently it was one of their birthdays and they sang the most impressive rendition of Happy Birthday that I'd ever heard in my life. They followed up with another song where they harmonized like nobody 's business. I definitely would have paid to hear them sing like that again. I'm sure that isn't a frequent occurrence but it made a wonderful night even better.

Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar is truly a hidden gem and I will be making it my point to make sure more know about it. Nothing is better than attentive service and food that is to die for. Just thinking about it is making me want to make my next reservation.

Food A+
Ambiance A
Service A

Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar
223 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003
202.544.8088
http://www.sonomadc.com/

Friday, August 27, 2010

Restaurant Week Review: Bibiana

After being treated to an amazing lunch at Carmine's the previous day, I ventured out again this time to Bibiana (It's actually called Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca but for brevity I'm sticking with Bibiana). It's located in the heart of downtown about a block away from the Grand Hyatt on H Street.

I arrived about 15 minutes early for the reservation and took the time to observe the beautiful surroundings while I waited for my sorority sister to arrive. When you enter through the glass entrance you are greeted by an expansive bar. The restaurant is filled with dark woods, mirrors, black leather and silver accents, it felt very modern and posh.

Once we were seated we continued to check out the scene. The restaurant was packed, not sure if everyone was there for Restaurant Week (RW) or it's usually like that but I took it as a good thing. We quickly glanced at our menu and decided what we wanted.

For appetizers, we had the Suppli al Telefono (rice fritter) and Soppresata (Italian-dry cured salami) with pickled vegetables. My rice fritter was a ball of deliciousness. It was rice (the consistency was more like risotto though) and it was filled with mozzarella, peas, ham, and tomato sauce. It was sooo good. I could definitely see myself going back for happy hour just to order that with a glass of white wine.

Next was the main course, she ordered the Atlantic skate while I asked for the steak. When my dish came out I had to admit it wasn't at all what I expected. It truly looked like a gourmet hamburger (without the bun) and fries. Truthfully, had I known it was going to be ground steak I'm sure I would've ordered something else. I'm not really a fan of burgers or ground beef for that matter. The steak was cooked to perfection and was well-seasoned, the potatoes were enjoyable but I would've preferred they weren't fried. Needless to say eventhough it was a nicely sized portion I ended up devouring it.

Finally, it was time for the dessert. I remember as I was waiting a woman walked up to the host stand and proclaimed that their chocolate mousse was the best she'd ever had in her life. After hearing that glowing comment of course I had to try it. It come out with some type of nutty wafer on top and was drizzled with a hazelnut syrup. It was heavenly! Each bite was savored and I'm sure I even made a few noises to express how happy I was with my choice.

Bibiana definitely did not disappoint. Although I was satisfied with all of my selections, my favorite was the chocolate mousse hands down. Buon Appetito!

Food A-
Ambiance A
Service B

Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca
1100 New York Ave Washington, DC 20005
(202) 216-9550
http://www.bibianadc.com/

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