2010 August

Once and Againn*

August 28, 2010 By Lori Leave a Comment

Before my dinner at Againn Tavern in Rockville, I had already chosen the title of my blog post. “Not, Againn.” I decided that I wasn’t going to like it so that I could use this clever (although probably not original) title. About half way through the meal, I was thinking I would change it to “Once, Againn,” meaning that this was a decent one-time dining experience but I would probably not be back.
A few days have gone by. This doesn’t happen often, but I am now starting to like the meal better as I look back on it.
Pub food is not usually my thing. The menu at Againn Tavern is on the heavy side. Fish and chips, ribs, shepherd’s pie, steaks, etc. There are a couple of salads but nothing that sounds interesting besides a salmon salad that I’m just not in the mood for at that moment.
I’m having a tough time deciding. A manager comes over and tells us that the fish and chips will “knock our socks off.” That’s all I need to hear. I like having my socks knocked off. I order the fish and chips.
You know what? I liked it. The batter is crisp but not too heavy. The fish is moist and there is a light sauce tartar sauce on the bottom that’s very nice.
Service is a little uneven. Our server takes too long to bring us our bread. The manager offers to bring us some homemade pickles and then forgets about it. She never comes back to see about our socks after we finish our meal.
My friends and I walk out and we agree that on a 1-5 scale we would give it a solid three. We may not rush back, but it’s a definite possibility among the crowded but not so interesting dining selections on the Pike.
But subsequently one of my friends emails that she’s upping her score to a 3.5. I’m starting to think that it’s a decent dining option for a night at the symphony at Strathmore Hall.
I’m pretty sure that I will be dining Againn. And if I wait a few months, when there is a chill in the air, the menu will be somewhat more appealing than it was on a muggy night in August.

*Does anyone remember this TV series that ran from 1999 to 2002 starring Sela Ward and Bill Campbelll? It was about two divorced parents trying to make it work as a couple. Liked it a lot. Sorry, I digress.

Againn Tavern, 12256 Rockville Pike, Rockville
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 3.5
Tom Sietsema First Bite Review

Filed Under: Uncategorized

It’s (Almost) Always a Good Time for Restaurant Week (J&G Steakhouse)

August 25, 2010 By Lori Leave a Comment

I was in NYC with a group of friends, and one of them casually announced that she had received an email about DC Restaurant Week (RW). New York’s RW happened to coincide with our visit, and we had just returned from a satisfying RW lunch at Molyvos.
I let out a squeal, startling those around me, and my heart started pounding. I had been checking websites anxiously for the official announcement of DC Restaurant Week. And here the news had arrived at a most inopportune time.
So here I am walking down a crowded street in Manhattan, Droid in hand, frantically searching through the list of participating restaurants.
And there it was. J&G Steakhouse. J&G is for acclaimed New York chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. It is #4 on Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants list. Tom Sietsema gave it 2 ½ stars. Zagat rated it a 25 out of 30.
My friends had given it mixed reviews, so I didn’t really want to go there and spend top dollar. But RW was a perfect time to try it out.
The dilemma presented itself immediately. The only time slot open on the night I was available was at 9:45 pm. Did I really want to go to dinner at 9:45, even on a Saturday night? I went for it, confident that I could get an earlier reservation as time went on.
Flash forward to this past Saturday night. No luck on getting an earlier reservation, but we arrived at 8:45 in the hope that someone would vacate a table early.

W Hotel Bar

J&G is in the relatively new W Hotel downtown. The line for the Rooftop Bar was just forming in the lobby and it was thoroughly entertaining the watch the tourists intermingled with 20-something women with their astonishing display of cleavage. We could have done without the extraordinarily loud pulsing music, perhaps appropriate for a fashion show runway but not for a conversation over cocktails. Nevertheless, we ordered drinks at the bar and waited somewhat impatiently for our table. We were finally seated at 9:55.
Thus began the dinner I had anxiously awaited. Bread was brought to the table. I found it unremarkable, which tends to start me off on the wrong foot in any restaurant. I ordered the watermelon and goat cheese with cracked white pepper and olive oil as my first course. Something about it was missing. It felt like a few component thrown together that didn’t really come together as a dish. My husband had the sweet pea soup, which he liked very much and my friend had the salad with crispy bacon, to which he gave a thumbs-up.
Three of us ordered the seared halibut with scallion-chili sauce, basil and celery. All three of us found it too salty, as did a Chowhound poster who was there the same night It had potential to be great, it just missed the mark with too much salt. I will say that a Chowhounder who was at J&G earlier in the evening found the halibut to be seasoned perfectly. The petite filet got another thumbs-up. I had warm chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. The cake was quite good, but I found the ice cream to be too gritty.
Overall, I wasn’t unhappy with the meal, mostly because it was a great value for $35 per person. The food was decent but would I have rated it #4 in DC? Absolutely not.
The restaurant week menu items seem to be available year-round as a prix-fix pre-theater dining option. If you haven’t been to J&G, I would say give it a shot. Maybe you’ll get the halibut that’s not too salty.
I wish I had been able to try more restaurants for RW, but it didn’t work out this time.
I know that when next year’s Restaurant Week rolls around, my heart will start racing as I hurry to snag reservations at a couple of choice spots. Can’t wait!

P.S. My conclusion about dining at 9:45. It is seriously too late for people who are over 50. Unless you’re in a country where the restaurants don’t open for dinner until that hour, and in that case you can take a siesta!

J&G Steakhouse, Pennsylvania Ave. at 15th Street NW
J&G Steakhouse website
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 3.5

Tom Sietsema review

Filed Under: DC dining, J and G Steakhouse, Restaurant Week

My Not So Secret Obsession

August 21, 2010 By Lori Leave a Comment

Cupcakes first appeared on my radar in 2004 during a visit to NYC.. We were strolling through the Village when we noticed a line of people snaked around the block. What were they giving away, we wondered? The line was for Magnolia Bakery. We were headed to dinner and decided not to indulge. But I was intrigued. Anything that resulted in so many people standing in line had to be great. Right?

It took me at least a year to get back to NYC and Magnolia Bakery, but I was determined to try those cupcakes. We stood in line, ordered a variety of flavors, and started our sampling. I was unimpressed. But somehow the experience of that long line stayed with me. There must be something to this cupcake thing. Thus began my somewhat inexplicable infatuation with cupcakes.

In February 2006, Cake Love opened in Silver Spring, Md. I went. I tasted. They were dry, cold, and flavorless. That should have been the end of it.

Kara’s Cupcakes

But on a business trip to San Francisco’s Ghiradelli Square in early 2008, something happened. I stumbled upon Kara’s Cupcakes. I tasted the banana caramel and all at once everything changed. My infatuation turned to obsession.

Everything unfolded quickly after that. Business trips and vacations to NYC, LA, and a return trip to San Francisco fueled me on to try cupcakes whenever I could. Crumbs, Kyotofu, and Billy’s in NYC, Sprinkles in LA, Molly’s in Chicago, and random dessert shops everywhere which include cupcakes in their offerings.

The DC area has exploded with options. I do my best to indulge my passion whenever possible.

I am not alone in my devotion. The halls of my workplace are often filled with debates about the best cupcakes, and business trips to various cities often include a cupcake outing. Two of my colleagues conducted their own cupcake tour, sampling a number of different shops, and ranking the cupcakes along the way. I wish I had their stamina.

And now, reality TV has caught on to the cupcake craze with “DC Cupcakes” on The Learning Channel and “Cupcake Wars” on Bravo. I find that I cannot watch these shows. They make me yearn for cupcakes and since I generally watch TV in the evening, it’s not practical for me to bolt out of the house in search of the nearest cupcake shop (which is at least 20 minutes away).

My adoration for cupcakes is not a secret. My friends and family indulge my fantasies. My Mother’s Day gift this year was half a dozen cupcakes, flown in from Crumbs in New York. During a recent trip to NYC, my friends walked with me for miles while I searched for cupcakes. Why are there no cupcakes in the Times Square area and only a Crumbs bakery on Madison Avenue between the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the 80’s and Penn Station in the 30’s? Someone needs to rectify this situation!

I have written about cupcakes far longer than I intended. I have to end this piece so I can decide which cupcake shop I will head to tonight before my Restaurant Week dinner. I can’t go downtown and not get a cupcake!

MY FAVORITE CUPCAKES

DC
Baked and Wired
Elvis Impersonator AKA The Unporked Elvis: banana cupcake topped with peanut butter frosting and drizzled with chocolate

Georgetown cupcakes

Georgetown Cupcake
Salted Caramel

New York
Crumbs Bake Shop (there are better cupcake bakeries in NY but unfortunately I haven’t been able to explore them as I usually spent most of my time in Midtown Manhattan. That said, this flavor is pretty darn good.)
Caramel Apple

The Ron Bennington at Molly’s Cupcakes

Chicago
Molly’s Cupcakes
Kiwi Lemon
The Ron Bennington (winning cupcake on Cupcake Wars) chocolate cake, peanut butter filling, chocolate ganache, crushed butterscotch topping

Other DC Area Venues for Cupcakes
Just Cakes Bakery
Frosting- A Cupcakery Bakeshop
Hello Cupcake
Red Velvet Cupcakery
Something Sweet
Buzz Bakery
Cupcakes Actually

Interesting Cupcake Links
Washingtonian Best Cupcakes
Washington Post Best Cupcakes
DC Cupcake Blog
Cupcakes Take the Cake (national cupcake blog which includes a list of cupcake shops by state!)
New Yorks Best Cupcakes

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Chicago: A Winning Dining Experience

August 18, 2010 By Lori Leave a Comment

Four days in Chicago with my husband and kids meant that I had the opportunity to research, and subsequently experience, a variety of restaurants in a notoriously excellent food town. Yay! I took advantage of my usual tools –Zagat, Chowhound, recommendations from friends and relatives of friends, and frequent visits to www.chicagomag.com in order to plan our meals. My weekend dining included food from a Top Chef winner, a Top Chef Masters winner, an Iron Chef, and a Cupcake Wars winner. That’s what I call a winning weekend!

Before we left I had plotted out two dinners and two brunches, and had stuffed a file folder full of printed web articles about additional places to explore. There were a wealth of options, and not nearly enough time.

Topolobampo was at the top of my list. Topo is owned and operated by Rick Bayless, the winner of Season One’s Top Chef Masters, and is one of the highest-rated restaurants in Chicago. No brainer.

I had a recommendation for Mercat a la planxa, a tapas restaurant that happened to be in our hotel. Again, highly rated and convenient for my son and I to eat dinner, and my daughter and husband to enjoy drinks with us before they ate a Kosher Shabbat meal in the room. (our workaround for Friday night).

The Saturday night plan was for us to go to Mana Food Bar, a vegetarian restaurant in Wicker Park that had received terrific reviews and would meet all of our dining needs.

Sunday morning we would dine at Karyn’s Food Bar, a vegan restaurant that again would satisfy everyone.

And finally, Monday morning when it was just my husband and I, we would enjoy one of our favorite breakfast destination’s anywhere, Lou Mitchell’s.

It was on the train from the airport to the city when I realized that one of the Top Chef winners was from Chicago. Stephanie Izzard, winner of Top Chef Season Four, had recently opened The Girl and The Goat in the West Loop. I could hardly contain my excitement. I was going to reach number six on my Top Cheftestant experience list. But when? There was no choice. We were going to have to squeeze in drinks and appetizers on Saturday afternoon.

I am going to have to devote a future blog entirely to cupcakes. It is something that I have truly been obsessed with for the past few years. But suffice it to say, Molly’s Cupcakes, winner of an episode of Cupcake Wars, has some of the best cupcakes I have ever had (and I’ve had a lot of cupcakes). We visited twice during our four-day trip!

Lest you think that all we did on our trip was eat, rest assured that we walked for miles (had to work off some of the food), saw an air show, visited family, toured the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio in Oak Park, and thoroughly enjoyed the architecture of this great city. The most delicious part of the trip was having my family of four together. It’s rare these days. But I am fortunate that they indulge me and whenever possible, join me in my eating adventures.

Here is a quick wrap-up of each of the restaurants.

Rick Bayless

Topolobampo. This was a disappointment. The food was fine but my high expectations were not met. There was nothing unique about the flavors, and our surly server detracted from the experience. My son found the texture of his food lacking and the taste just so-so.
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 3.5
Zagat rating: 28
www.rickbayless.com

patatas bravas
Mercat a la planxa. Terrific Catalan tapas. Their presentation of patatas bravas was gorgeous. The pea soup with goat’s cheese and a pea sorbet was out of this world. Each dish had a unique flavor and beauty. This further demonstrated what was missing from our lunch at Topolobampo. And, we got a bonus. This is a Jose Garces’ restaurant. Garces’ is the newest Iron Chef America. I didn’t even know this until two days later and I still loved the dinner.
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 5
Zagat rating: 26

http://www.mercatchicago.com/

The Girl and the Goat

The Girl and the Goat. Wished I could have tried more. We loved the feel of this place. Cool music. Rustic décor. Large open kitchen where you can watch Top Chef’ winner Stephanie prep the food. When a server tells you, “the cauliflower here changed my life,” believe her. The artisan bread with honey butter and tomato relish is also worth the trip.
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 4
www.girlandthegoat.com

Mana sliders

Mana Food Bar. I have come to appreciate vegetarian food. I wish more cities had quality vegetarian restaurants. Why don’t they? There is so much to like about this place. Favorites: jicama, mango and cucumber salad; thai rice noodles, mushroom burger sliders and sweet potato pancakes. Everything was delicious. Don’t be afraid to try it!
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 4
Zagat rating: 26
www.manafoodbar.com/

Karyn’s on Green

Karyn’s on Green. This is a Vegan restaurant. I knew from the reviews to expect high quality, top-notch food. But, I was a little skeptical. Verdict: My banana pancakes were great. Didn’t miss the eggs at all. My daughter absolutely loved her chilaquiles with salsa verde. The “chicken” and waffles also received high marks.

My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 4
www.karynsongreen.com

Lou Mitchell’s. This is a Chicago institution, and I had been looking forward to the Greek omelette in a skillet since the last time we dined here, a number of years ago. I also had fondly remembered the donut holes they handed you at the door. The second time was not such a charm. The donut holes were cold. The omelette was good but nothing special. I am not sure if I had built this place up in my mind over the years, or whether the quality had declined. Either way I’ll try someplace else next time I go to Chicago.
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 3
Zagat rating: 23
www.loumitchellsrestaurant.com

Filed Under: Around the US Tagged With: chicago, top chef

Re: Volt

August 12, 2010 By Lori Leave a Comment

I spent nearly two hours in heaven the other day. That’s the only way I can describe brunch at Volt. We were seated within a bird’s eye view of the kitchen, where I could watch Bryan Voltaggio at work. Heaven.
I assume that most people who follow the DC area restaurant scene have either been to Volt or want to go to Volt. At this point, given all the coverage, I only have one piece of advice. Go for brunch. At $25 per person for a three-course meal, it is well worth it. Even if you order something with an up charge (which I did), it’s still a great value.
Bryan is a chef who embraces molecular gastronomy. (He is also a chef who now has his own bobble head). Watching one of the kitchen staff put the liquid nitrogen tank to use was pure entertainment, which most of us are only accustomed to seeing on Top Chef. The foam on top of my goat cheese ravioli reminded me that this was a dining adventure. Although the salt foam that topped my son’s coconut dessert did seem a tad out of place.

goat cheese cheesecake
To appreciate Volt, you must appreciate the fact that the 1/4 teaspoon of puree on your plate is so packed with flavor that you simply don’t need any more. I was satisfied with the three inch piece of goat cheese cheesecake perched on top of white crumbles the texture of dippin’ dots which turn out to be caramel. But not everyone will feel this way. My husband admitted that he left a little bit hungry and was ready to partake of the parting gift of a savory blueberry cake.
Volt’s Table 21 has become legendary, so I couldn’t leave without making a reservation for the next available date. Don’t ask me to do anything on October 23, 2011. I already have plans.

Volt, 228 N. Market St., Frederick, MD

My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 5

Filed Under: MD Dining

Not So Artful Service at Masala Art

August 8, 2010 By Lori Leave a Comment

Is it possible to ruin delicious food with ridiculously bad service? Unfortunately the answer is yes.

I was excited about going to Masala Art. It was my third outing in less than a year. With the exception of neighborhood restaurants, I rarely go back to the same place when there are so many options to explore.
But the Adraki Lamb Chops at Masala Art are on my list of the Best Things I Ever Ate, and they were beckoning me. And, Indian food is my very favorite cuisine.

We arrived at 7:00 pm. We ordered drinks and appetizers and asked the waiter for a few extra minutes before ordering entrees. He seemed to be watching us somewhat anxiously and finally he came by and encouraged us to order entrees before a large party arrived.

At around 7:30 our entrees arrived. We hadn’t been served our appetizers. The waiter apologized – he forgot to put in the order. We sent the entrees back. We wanted our appetizers. We were concerned our entrees would be brought back later, cold and soggy. We were assured they would start over and bring us fresh food.

We got our appetizers around 7:45. One was incorrect- although they left it for us and brought the right one. We finally got our entrees but a grilled shrimp dish was cold and overdone. We never got our Onion Kulcha —which is always a required accompaniment to Indian food.

The Adraki Lamb Chops hadn’t changed, but the flavor wasn’t singing to me the way it had previously. I honestly think that the experience affected the taste. And that large party the waiter warned us about? They were nowhere to be seen.

I won’t omit the good news. This is a restaurant where close to 1/3 of the menu is vegetarian, so my husband is particularly happy dining here. The prices are reasonable. And were did enjoy the food, once we were served. Here are some highlights:

Pani Poori. Puffed hollows stuffed with diced potatoes and chickpeas, topped with chutneys – eaten whole in one bite
Dahi Bhalle. Velvety lentil dumplings in yoghurt sauce
Bhelpuri. Puffed rice, chickpea vermicelli, chopped onion, diced mango, cilantro and drizzled with tamarind chutney
Malai Kofta. Velvety cottage cheese cubes in a tangy tomato sauce
Rock Salt and Cilantro Nan

They took the appetizers off the bill. They served us three desserts and didn’t charge us for them. They gave us a different waiter midway through the meal. Nice gestures but I would much have preferred to enjoy my Adraki Lamb Chops without all the aggravation.

Masala Art, 4441 B Wisconsin Avenue NW
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 3.5

Tom Sietsema review.

Filed Under: DC dining

The Reality of Top Chef

August 6, 2010 By Lori Leave a Comment

I love reality TV.

This includes talent competitions such as So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol, Project Runway, and Work of Art (so fun to see people create really awful art and then use pretentious words to make it sound like they created a masterpiece). This summer I started watching Big Brother because an Orthodox Jew was in the house and I had to see how that played out. Unfortunately he was voted out fairly early, and more unfortunately I was already hooked on the show.

Cooking competitions are a perfect blend of reality TV and food. There has been an explosion of these shows so I have had to narrow it down to a select few. I like Top Chef best because it creates celebrities who often become accessible as chefs in local restaurants.

To date, I have experienced the food cooked by five Cheftestants. Here’s the lowdown:

Harold Dieterle

Harold Dieterle, winner Season 1, owner and chef, Perilla, NYC. Dined here in 2007 and have no idea what I ate. I remember that I liked it. I remember seeing Harold running through the dining room. I remember that the dessert menu was strange. It’s definitely a worthwhile destination.

Hung Huynh

Hung Huynh, winner Season 3, previously chef at Solo, NYC. I am not sure how Hung ended up cooking at a Kosher restaurant after winning Season 3, but somehow he did. Eating here was a unique opportunity for my daughter, a Top Chef fan who keeps Kosher. The meal we had here was one of my favorite meals anywhere. It was two years ago but I can tell you that I had Asian-spiced short ribs. Fantastic. We told the waiter that we were big fans of Hung (actually didn’t like him that much on the show,as he was portrayed as the villain) and he came out to say hello. He was genuinely nice and surprisingly humble as I raved about his food. My daughter was only slightly embarrassed as I rattled on. Just went to the website for this restaurant and surprisingly the current chef is Eli Kirshstein from Top Chef Season 6. What’s with this restaurant and Top Chef? Need to get back there pronto!

Carla Hall

Carla Hall, Top Chef Season 5, owner and chef, Alchemy Caterers, Silver Spring, MD. Carla was serving small bites of food at Taste of Wheaton last year. The bite was really too small to make an impression but I wasn’t wowed. Just signed up for a cooking class from Carla so I will have another opportunity. Hootie hoo!

Spike Mendolsohn

Spike Mendolsohn, Season 4, owner and chef, Good Stuff Eatery and We the People, DC. I finally got to Good Stuff Eatery in DC a couple of weeks ago. I found the food ok. The burgers were tasty but we had to send the fries back because they were lukewarm and soggy. Once we got a new batch they were better. I was disappointed in the toasted marshmallow shake- it didn’t have that much flavor. (If you’re in Cleveland try the same flavor shake at Iron Chef Michael Symon’s B-Spot- it is way better). It was fun to see Spike working at the grill. He looks younger than he does on television. I plan to eventually try his new We the Pizza next door. Why? Because he was on Top Chef!

Bryan Voltaggio

Bryan Voltaggio, runner up Season 6, owner and chef, Volt, Frederick, MD. I ate at Volt before Bryan appeared on Top Chef. The restaurant was highly rated at the time and I recall an extremely satisfying meal. Stay tuned as we are headed there for brunch on Sunday.

I am so disappointed that Top Chef 7 was filmed in DC and I had no opportunities to see it live. I enjoy watching the season because of the familiar venues, but the contestants are pretty lackluster. However, I’m sure if I have an opportunity to eat food prepared by any of this season’s group, I won’t turn it down.

NOTE: I have had readers tell me that commenting on my blog is difficult. I was able to change the settings and you can now sign in as a guest. So if you have anything to add, comment away.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Two New Turkish Restaurants Present a Dining Dilemma in Dupont Circle

August 4, 2010 By Lori Leave a Comment

Ezmè vs. Agora
How do you choose between two restaurants with similar menus and locations? My usual strategy is to go to the experts, which include bonafide critics and the wannabes on Chowhound.
So when two meze restaurants opened in Dupont Circle recently, I pondered the menus and wondered whether I should attempt to make a decision on my own. The thought made my head spin.. Nothing about the websites or menus presented a clear choice.
So, I posted a question to Todd Kliman of Washingtonian, who hosts weekly restaurant chats. Ezmè or Agora? His response: “too soon to tell.” I posted the question on Chowhound. The response: “it’s a toss up.”
Forced to make a decision on my own, I decided to try them both.
First Ezmè. The décor is nothing fancy- some tiles on the exposed brick walls and a few other decorations which half-heartedly evoke a Middle Eastern feel.
I love when a meal starts off with some great bread. It just gets everything off to a satisfying start. At Ezmè the bread is undistinguished, and it comes without any accompaniments. Our order of babaganush came a few minutes later. It was tasty but the portion was teensy.
Don’t get me wrong. Some of the dishes were yummy including dolmas, Sebse Begendi (vegetable delight), and veggie lentil cakes. Others were pretty good including grilled lamb, and a grilled whole bream fish. But the salmon kabob was overcooked and a bit disappointing.
And basically, the small plates were just a little too small. I would rather pay a bit more for each dish and end up with bigger portions. Overall, the meal was decent, but nothing memorable to compel me to return.

: Ezme

Note: Ezmè had some very reasonably priced tasting menus that are probably a good way to go. The problem for me is that many of the dishes contained walnuts and one thing to know about my food preferences- NO NUTS IN MY FOOD. (The only exception is pine nuts but they aren’t really a nut.)

Ezmè, 2016 P Street, NW
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 3
Washington Post quick take

The highlight of the evening was our stroll to Dolcezza Artisanal Gelato.
This is gelato and sorbet at its finest. The flavors are unique, the textures sublime.
Now this is what I call destination dining. Flavors include pineapple honey lime, plum, lemon ricotta cardamom, and a dark chocolate fudge that was so intense it took me by surprise. I can’t wait to go back as there were so many intriguing flavors to explore.

Dolcezza Artisanal Gelato

Dolcezza Artisanal Gelato 1704 Connecticut Ave NW
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 5.5 (it’s my rating scale, I’m allowed)

http://dolcezzagelato.com/

Agora
Agora is on the funkier side of Dupont Circle. The benefit to this location (vs. Ezmè ) is that it’s near the DC Jewish Community Center, where we find ourselves at least every couple of months. So I wanted to like it. The good news is that I did.
I can’t really remember the bread at Agora, but I know that I liked it and that it was served warm. We ordered two spreads, htipti and cacik, and enjoyed both. The kasar cheese was a little bland but the orange marmalade on the side was delicious. Kasik and beet salads were both winners- fresh and flavorful. The scallop dish was well-prepared and the charcoal smoked eggplant was a nice accompaniment.
The things that I like better about Agora are: the menu is more creative, the portions are a little larger, and the atmosphere has a better vibe.

Agora

1527 17th Street NW

http://www.agoradc.net/

My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 4

My verdict: Agora is the winner of Turks vs. Turks. Since Agora is close to the DCJCC (and I like the food) I know we’ll be back. Since Ezme is close to Dolcezza Artisanal Gelato, it’s not out of the question. And it’s always nice to have more vegetarian-friendly options in the area.

Urbanspoon on Ezme

Urbanspoon on Agora

Filed Under: DC dining, DC Restaurant

To My Blog Challenged Friends

August 3, 2010 By Lori Leave a Comment

Last night I launched my blog. I pressed send on an email to my friends, posted the launch on Facebook, and anxiously awaited for some sort of validation. Within an hour I had a couple of Facebook comments. By morning, I had nearly a dozen emails. More messages of congratulations and appreciation flowed in throughout the day. I checked the blog periodically, wondering when my first blog comment would appear online. Nothing. But when I received two messages from people reading me their comments because they couldn’t figure out how to post them, I realized the real issue. My friends are blog-challenged.
I am going to forge ahead with my blog in the hope that people will figure out they can subscribe, bookmark the site and check it periodically, or see that I’ve updated it with my postings on Facebook. I will continue on… even though a primary characteristic of my Myers-Briggs personality type is that I need feedback and positive reinforcement.
On the bright side my blog followers have quadrupled from 0 to 4. Now those are results I can feel good about.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Ris is Risk Free

August 2, 2010 By Lori Leave a Comment

When I started to text a friend about my dinner at Ris, my phone’s auto-text changed the word to risk. But dining at this restaurant is anything but a risky endeavor. Nearly everything on the menu appealed to me. I settled on a starter of the Scallop Margarita, which is lime marinated scallops with chiles, orange, avocado and tequila ice. It was refreshing with just a hint of spice to it. Plentiful- but not too filling. A perfect starter. The Caesar salad received a rave review as did the Gnudi (ricotta dumplings on tomato and eggplant fondue with spinach and crisp prosciutto, but I was too busy reveling in my scallop dish to notice.
My entrée was Orecchietti Pasta with rock shrimp, pesto, summer squash, spinach, goat cheese and pine nuts. Some of my very favorite ingredients are in this dish, and I could not have enjoyed it more. Actually, had I not been so stuffed from the appetizer, I probably would have been a little better off. But there’s nothing wrong with some leftovers for the next day. Sunday lunch was delish!
Gingered beets and bok choy were a nice accompaniment, although I didn’t really need more food with my entree. But I am never one to ignore beets on a menu, particularly when paired with ginger.
We shared three desserts among six people. I would have been happy to devour the entire summer fruit cobbler on my own. The berry upside-down cake had a flavor that I couldn’t identify and didn’t much like. There was also a roasted banana covered in chocolate with nuts and caramel on the side. I do not like nuts at all but caramel is another favorite, so a few bites of this dessert were just fine with me. I look forward to a return visit and that’s something I don’t often say about restaurants in this price range, as there are so many to choose from. But in this case I hope to enjoy Ris sooner, rather than later.
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 4.5

Check out a review by Tom Sietsema of The Washington Post.
Washingtonian Magazine named Ris best new restaurant of 2010.