2011 April

Passing Over Opportunities to Dine Out

April 24, 2011 By Lori Leave a Comment

Passover, as Jewish holidays go, is a pain in the butt. Never mind the cooking, the cleaning, and the lugging out dishes and silver that are used just once each year. These things are not the problem. In fact, I don’t mind them all that much. The problem for me is that in not eating any bread, corn, corn syrup, beans, soy products, etc. etc. it’s too difficult to eat in restaurants. For eight days. This requires a kind of discipline that I don’t necessarily possess.

I miss dining out. I’m still following the same food blogs and twitter feeds that I always do and suddenly I feel as if the world is passing me by. I am getting behind in the fast-paced, ever-changing restaurant scene. And I was feeling pressure before I took a break.

But right now I am in the zone so I am sticking to my guns and eating matzah and flourless brownies, and specially designated for Passover potato chips in the comfort of my own home.

I suddenly realized that I didn’t have any restaurants to blog about this week. And while I am not disciplined in many areas of my life, I have been blogging “religiously” at least once a week since August.

I decide to focus this post on the top five new DC area restaurants I’m anxious to try as soon as Passover ends and the opportunity arises.

1. Fiola. This is at the top of my list. Former Maestro chef Fabio Trabocchi has opened Fiola in the DC space that was formerly occupied by Le Paradou. Fiola is described as “comfortable luxury” a simple yet sophisticated menu with fresh pasta and featuring many local products. I’m most excited about the grilled turbot and vincisgrassi lasagna. Early reviews have been excellent. 678 Indiana Avenue, NW; 202.628.288

Fiola photo from dceater.com

2. Newton’s Table. A new addition in Bethesda is always more than welcome. This one replaces Rock Creek on Elm Street. Chef/owner Dennis Friedman comes from Bezu in Potomac. Newton’s Table is billed as a “contemporary American restaurant with an Asian flair.” The website is not yet active but “Bethesda Magazine” highlights some menu items including the Newton Burger seasoned with Friedman’s “secret” spices and served on a potato brioche roll, and a burger served open-faced with filet mignon tips and tempura lobster. I can’t decide which to try first. Here’s another restaurant embracing the farm-to-table movement. Isn’t everybody? 4917 Elm Street, Bethesda, MD; 301.718.0550

3. Seasons 52 - I’m mostly looking forward to this because it is in Rockville. I am wearying of the limited options available in the neighborhood where I work and often must dine. “Seasons 52 is inspired by the seasons 52 weeks a year.” There is nothing on the menu that is more than 475 calories. Really? Desserts too? There are some interesting flatbreads and salads on the menu that have caught my attention. I’ll be dining here in mid-may. 11414 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, Maryland; 301.984.5252

4. Medium Rare -The only thing on the menu at Medium Rare is steak frites. Steak , hand-cut fries, salad and bread are just $20, which includes seconds on the beef. I don’t know if this would ordinarily interest me except that it is owned by Mark Bucher of BGR Joint and Michel Richard. Nice credentials. Chef Cedric Maupillier formerly of Central is temporarily in the kitchen. I need to get here soon! There is a vegetarian option. It’s not on the menu, so ask for it if you must. 3500 Connecticut Avenue, NW; 202.237.1437

photo from capitalspiceblog.com

5. Hill Country BBQ This is an export from New York City “honoring the barbecue and live music capital of Texas.” I tasted the brisket at the recent “Taste of the Nation” event, and liked it. ALOT. You pay for the meat by the pound, and apparently the cost can add up quickly. There are no promises of seasonal food here. My non-meat-eating family members won’t be joining me at this one. 410 7th Street, NW; 202.556.2050

Hill Country BBQ photo from dceater.com

My current dilemma is how to balance these new openings with my already long restaurant wish list. Where does this fit in with my resolution to tackle the list of Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants? It is a dilemma I will do my best to resolve. For now, back to matzah.

Filed Under: Fiola, Hill Country BBQ, Medium Rare, Newton's Table, Seasons 52

Sensations at Sensorium DC

April 17, 2011 By Lori 6 Comments

photo courtesy of Sensorium

The moment that I learn about Sensorium “the culinary and sensory experience featuring creative atmosphere and cutting-edge production,” I know this is something that I need to experience. When food and theater combine as one, how can I miss out?

Sensorium is a pop-up dinner club held in a geodesic dome outside of the Nationals Stadium on the Capitol Riverfront. It is promoted as an evening of “delights, mysteries, and surprises for all five senses.” Sensorium seatings are limited to 30 people, and I wonder if I can convene an entire audience made up of people I know. How exciting! I spend an entire Zoomba class focused on identifying friends who might be willing to embark on this journey with me (this is great because focusing on something besides exercise makes the Zoomba class go faster).

I am concerned that the $150 per person price is a little steep. If I remind people that this is dinner AND theater, I believe I can find some willing participants.

What happens next is a lot of back and forth emails with my friends as well as Sensorium Executive Chef and creator Bryon Brown. I have almost succeeded in organizing a group when I open my email early one morning and there is a Groupon for Sensorium. It’s $99 for two people. If I purchase it, I will save nearly $200. I love my friends, but for a $200 savings I purchase the Groupon. I send out an email. Groupon = group off. They are on their own.

The Groupon sells out faster than the speed of light. The downside is that we can only get in to the 9:00 pm seating. We are going to need to pretend that we’re in a country where dining at this hour is routine.
We arrive at Sensorium and make our way through a damp field of grass and try to identify the entrance. This isn’t easy as it’s dark. We are told that the Groupon lists the wrong start time. It really begins at 9:30 and they are running late. Note to Groupon or Sensorium- you have our email addresses. It would have been thoughtful of you to let us know that the start time was wrong. This elicits the first in a number of sensations I feel during my evening at Sensorium. Sensation #1: Annoyed.

We are seated at 10:00 pm. There are six round tables arranged in a semi-circle surrounding a small stage. The performers/servers are circulating around the room and one is at our table making an effort to learn each of our our names. We are paired with three young women. The nice thing is that anyone who is at this event shares our interest in this culinary circus. Age is irrelevant. A willingness to have an open mind is a necessity. Sensation #2: Nervous anticipation.

The evening proceeds through twelve courses of food. Each course is introduced with a dramatic announcement and some sort of performance. I won’t detail each and every one but they vary between avante garde theater, poetry, magic, song (my favorite), and audience participation/interaction. Sensation #3: Intrigued.

The first course (an amuse buche) requires pouring a smattering of magic crystals (pop rocks) into a spoon with a kir royale grape. Sensation #4: Tingly.

course 1: kir grape with magic crystals


course 2: fennel salad


course 3: pasta with pistachio sauce

By the time we get to course three we are sensing a pattern. Each course consists of a fairly miniscule portion of absolutely delicious food. I really would have liked another morsel of pasta. Sensation #5: Desire.

Course four is beet gazpacho with goat cheese ice. This is introduced with a song interspersing the words cool and savory to the “beat” of a bongo drum.. Sensation #6: Amusement.

Our table companions are expressing their delighted with the food and wine pairings, which in turn is increasing our enjoyment of the evening. I am picturing some of our friends here and imagining a few of them rolling their eyes at some of the over-the-top performance art. I am beginning to feel grateful that I wasn’t directly responsible for the enjoyment of others. Sensation #7: Relief.

Course five: chicken with raspberries gastrique

Course Six: Deep fried tomato, zucchini, and potato

At this point, the evening has been about the senses. The next act is about non-sense. We are presented with a poem and our food– pork belly on a strawberry– is served on a teensy table and chair. Wherever did they find these? Sensation #8: Tickled.

Course seven: pork belly

Course eight is a Maryland oyster with ginger and foam served atop sea salt. I do not like oysters. I decide to go outside of my comfort zone and give it a shot. Sensation #9: Pride.

Course nine is eggplant with pomegranate gastrique. For some reason this course escaped a photo. But here’s one of course ten.

Course ten: Oxtail ragout on a bed of risotto

Course 11 is brought to us on a contraption that requires the use of liquid nitrogen. Sensation #10: Fascination.

Course #11: lemon pudding pop

I really enjoy the frozen lemon pudding pop. I wish it was more than a teaspoon-full. Sensation #11: Cool.

Course #12: cake with a fruit compote

I ask our dining companions how they would rate this experience on a scale of one to five. One enthusiastically rates it a five, another agrees. The third responds more thoughtfully that this is not a restaurant. It is a dining experience and must be considered as such. It’s a valid point.

I find the food to be excellent and the performers talented. I am perfectly satisfied, but the Groupon is definitely a contributor to this feeling. Would I have been quite as happy if I had paid full price? I would need to qualify it by saying yes, if the quantity of food is increased a bit. The women at my table did pay full price and they are completely satisfied. In fact one talks about returning with her mother.

Bryon Brown comes out at the end and thanks us for being “foodie pioneers.” Ooh, I love being a foodie pioneer! Sensation #12: Pleasure.

Our parting gift is a magic bean. I won”t tell you what it does. Sensation #13: Surprise.

Sensorium is going on at least through May 1. It’s an enjoyable evening and I would recommend it if you are willing to go with an open mind. I just saw a tweet about a $40 discount, so if you are interested keep your eyes open for more of these.

Sensorium, appearing for a limited time at the Capitol Riverfront in Washington, DC

Filed Under: Sensorium DC

Cleveland: Pigging Out at Lola Bistro

April 12, 2011 By Lori Leave a Comment

When LeBron James left Cleveland, my sister was distraught. “But you have Michael Symon,” I exclaimed. Who needs LeBron? Of course that is my distorted view of the world. Celebrity chefs will always trump celebrity athletes.

When we plan a visit to see my sister and her family in Cleveland, there is no question that we will dine at Lola Bistro, owned by Iron Chef Michael Symon. Symon is my favorite Iron Chef, personality-wise. He has a wonderfully infectious laugh and seems like a genuinely nice guy. I had lunch at his B-Spot burger place in Cleveland last year and absolutely loved it, so this time I want to try his upscale establishment.

Michael Symon loves pork. In fact he is referred to as the “King of all Pork” in an episode of “Dinner Impossible” on the Food Network which aired a few years ago. It was actually filmed at my sister’s synagogue. Symon was challenged with creating a kosher-for-Passover meal. Leaving out the pork was what made this Dinner Impossible for him. (Here’s a link to Michael cooking brisket from the episode.)

Before we arrive at the restaurant, I decide that since I am in Michael Symon territory I’m going to go whole hog. We begin our meal with a charcuterie. This is not something that appeals to me but we are with my 12 year old nephew who is “starving” and its a quick and easy way to pacify him until our entrees arrive. I sample a small piece of prosciutto. Let the pigging out begin.

I share butternut squash soup with my sister. It’s topped with pancetta. I like the crunchy texture, although I don’t find the soup itself to be very flavorful.

My entree is smoked pork chop with chilies, cheesy polenta, and barbeque onions. The combination of the smoky pork with the rich polenta is excellent. It would have been perfect with a bit more onion, but I have no real complaints. It’s a solid dish and one which I would happily order again.

I end the meal with more pork…a dessert made of brioche French toast, maple-bacon ice cream, and caramelized apple. Maple-bacon ice cream is as I imagine it to be, salty and sweet all at once. I am not blown away but at the same time I feel as if nothing else would have satisfactorily completed my meal.

My niece and nephew enjoy rib eye and hanger steak, which are both tender and flavorful.

The fish dishes are not quite so winning. The scallops and the pan roasted trout with potatoes and leeks are both over-salted.

Our service at Lola is a bit off. It takes a while for a server to show up and even longer for her to ask about our drink order. She forgets to bring my husband’s salad. These aren’t fatal flaws but they contribute to our having a less than stellar experience. I do have to give points for the drink menu, presented to us on an I-Pad. Way cool!

While I wish I could rave about my dinner at Lola, I just can’t ignore the fact that some of the dishes at our table weren’t terrific and the service lacked finesse.

Somehow, this does not dampen my affection for the Iron Chef from Cleveland. I am still a fan. Cleveland may be struggling in sports, but it definitely has star power in the food arena with Michael Symon. Next trip to Cleveland…back to B-Spot!

Lola Bistro, 2058 East 4th Street, Cleveland
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 3.5 (pork chop 4.0)
AAA four-diamond rating.

Filed Under: Around the US, Cleveland, Lola Bistro

A Sweet Ending at Bistro Bis

April 4, 2011 By Lori 2 Comments

http://uhockey.blogspot.com

I’m tempted to start this review by telling you about one of the best desserts I have EVER had. But sometimes it is good to save the best for last. Sneak peek: I loved my dessert at Bistro Bis.

If someone asks me how I feel about French food, I would say it is not at the top of my list. I tend to favor the stronger flavors of Asian or Indian food. Middle Eastern cuisine is high on my list as well. This is why as I work my way through the Washingtonian‘s 100 Very Best Restaurants, the list of French restaurants left to try are piling up. I will say that a wonderful Restaurant Week dinner at Adour this past summer went a long way towards changing my view. Village Vines, the site offering 30% off at some of the area’s high end restaurants, includes Bistro Bis on its list, which helped steer me to the Capitol Hill establishment sooner rather than later.

The atmosphere at Bistro Bis is soothing, with warm cherry wood and beautifully upholstered banquettes. I like it immediately, even though they are just opening for dinner so we are basically the sole diners at least for a while. I realize how much a bustling room can add to an atmosphere when you enter an empty room. However, we are greeted by an enthusiastic server, who replies to our compliments on the menu and decor with “that’s why I’ve been here seven years.” I like a server who likes his job.

We’ve arrived just one day after the spring menu has been launched. This gives us the opportunity to try some new dishes. This turns out to have some great advantages and one small disadvantage.
Advantage: the salads. I have the beet salade au citron with boursin cheese, pistachio, and orange. My husband has the endive salad chardenoux with crisped pears, walnuts, and blue cheese. I like his a teensy bit more than mine. Both salads are fresh, beautifully prepared, and include a beautiful blend of fruit, greens, and creamy soft cheese. My husband declares his salad “one of the best I’ve had in a long time.” The bread is as it should be: warm with a crispy crust. It is a more than satisfying start. In fact, it is the kind of start that puts me in a good mood in anticipation of what more is to come.

beet salad

endive salad

We order two entrees to share. The first is ravioli forestiere with wild mushroom artichokes, turnips, spring pea coulis, and truffle butter. The flavors are delicate. The flavor that stands out most is the peas. This amuses me because now when I think about pea puree I think about “Top Chef DC.” You will only understand this reference if you watched the show. If you didn’t its not worth an explanation and I apologize for the somewhat obscure reference.

Disadvantage. Our second entree is Monkfish a la Soubise. This is a porcini mushroom encrusted fish with spinach, vegetable brunoise, beluga lentils, and sweet onion cream. The first bite of fish is salty. After that I don’t taste the salt so much, but the fish is neither warm nor crisp. It is a bit of a letdown from the salad course. I do eat every bite however, so by the time the server comes by it is gone. I do not offer any feedback, but in hindsight this is a mistake. This dish is new for the spring menu, and perhaps our opinion would be helpful.

Any disappointment I feel is wiped away by the dessert. It is listed on the menu as Tarte aux Cerises. The server tells us that the wait staff tried it the night before and couldn’t get enough. It combines vanilla shortbread, white chocolate semifreddo, and amarena cherry gelato. It is beautiful. It is phenomenal. Every bite is a symphony of tart cherries oozing out from beneath the sweet creamy chocolate, and the delicately crisp shortbread and the cold gelato. A ribbon of spun sugar on top is simply dazzling. I have one piece of advice if you happen upon Bistro Bis and this dessert- do not share it. You deserve your own serving. Trust me.

An entree is otherwise known as a main course. Does it have to be? I find the main course during this particular meal at Bistro Bis to be dessert. But it may not be the next time. I would definitely put Bistro Bis back on my list to try again. Another entree may indeed produce better results. I already know what I’m having for dessert.

Bistro Bis, 15 E Street, NW, Washington, DC
My rating (on a 1-5 scale): 4.4
Zagat rating: 25
Washingtonian review
#15, Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants 2011