CityZen: Getting Much More Than My Just Desserts

March 28, 2012 By 3 Comments

Cityzen photo: http://missvannette.webs.com/

There was never a question about where my husband and I would dine in celebration of our  29th wedding anniversary.  At least not in my mind.  It is CityZen Restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental all the way.  Never mind that it is the only restaurant in DC with a AAA Five Diamond Award, ranked #6 in Washingtonian‘s 100 Very Best Restaurants 2012, and that Chef Eric Ziebold is inarguably one of DC’s finest chefs. That’s important, of course.  But a driving factor in the decision is that we’re long overdue to dine here after last summer’s dessert tasting with CityZen’s pastry chef Matthew Petersen, who was featured on Top Chef Just Desserts.  Matthew’s desserts and his charm won him fan favorite and $10,000.  (Here’s a link to my post if you missed it.)  How did it take this long for me to get here for dinner?  Inexplicable!

The restaurant is aware that it is our anniversary and they know that I am a food blogger.  I am not really sure that our server knows, or cares.  I mean this in a good way. She is extremely competent and professional.  I am only hoping for one thing in my non-anonymity.  Seriously.  I want to have the chance to say hello to Matthew.

My husband and I each decide to do a six course tasting menu.  Me: chef’s tasting menu.  Husband: vegetarian tasting menu. I’ve decided to cop out and not write my sentiments about each and every dish. This would take more adjectives and superlatives than my vocabulary can bear.  Instead I am providing a pictorial diary of our meal.  See for yourself the wonder that is dinner at CityZen.

Chef’s Tasting Menu

1. Pacific Hiramasa sashimi with marinated yama imo, salted kohlrabi, navel orange, and wilted spinach salad

2. Soft boiled Path Valley Farms hen egg with scrapple and red eye gravy

Just this once I am going to say something about a specific dish, since it  may be my favorite of the savory dishes.  It is basically breakfast, featuring gravy made with coffee and bits of ham. I am wary since I don’t normally like soft boiled eggs, and the description doesn’t actually appeal to me.  But I decide to be a big girl and make an exception.  It’s a good decision, as this dish is exceptional.  I need to remember to go outside of the box more often.

3.  Spiced Maine lobster salad. with celery root coulis, York apple, red radish, watercress, and lobster vinaigrette

4. Felt’s country cured bacon wrapped quail with fines herbes mousseline, celery root linguine with poached Michigan cherries and foie gras emulsion

 5. Slow cooked prime Midwestern beef ribeye with corned beef tongue, savoy cabbage, baby carrots and mustard sabayon.  (Lest you think the4 corned beef and cabbage may be a touch odd- this dinner takes place on St. Patrick’s Day.)

My husband’s vegetarian tasting menu is astounding. At times he is speechless.  I would order it myself on a future visit, which says a lot since I love meat.

Chef’s vegetarian tasting menu

1. Marinated takenoko carpaccio with avocado, water chestnuts, kohlrabi, micro chives, and yuzu shichimi

2. Spring garlic risotto herb roasted hen of the woods mushroom

3.  Belgian endive pappardelle with poached kumquats, pickled turnip, crystallized tarragon and almond milk

4. Roasted brussels sprouts pierogi with whipped Kendall Farms creme fraiche and apple cider broth

5.  Cityzen knoedel with a fricasee of black eye peas, Carolina gold rice, and braised kale

I must rhapsodize about the Parker House rolls made by Chef Petersen, which accompany course five.  They are presented with a well-deserved flourish.   They are melt in your mouth buttery and oh so irresistible.    I want to eat more, but I don’t dare.  But looking at the photo makes me want to return to CityZen….now.

Dessert is an event all on its own.  First there is a pre-dessert of greengage sorbet topped with forbidden rice.  This prepares our palate for the rest of the desserts that follow.  I am well aware that I am now eating food prepared by Chef Petersen, and that I still haven’t actually spoken to him, although I’ve spotted him working in the open kitchen.   Suddenly I look up and he is at our table, with a beautiful plate in his hand.  It is not the desserts we actually ordered, which are also served to us, but instead a special anniversary dessert consisting of a vanilla chiboust (pastry cream) with cherries and crystallized ginger. Be-still my heart.

My “real” dessert is pine nut semifreddo with whipped lemonade, sugared beignet, and champagne vinegar caramel. Matthew tells us that it is a new offering which they have been tinkering with.  After we chat with him for a few minutes he departs, and leaves us to enjoy his work.  I am totally focused on the flavors when I notice him peering at me from the open kitchen awaiting my reaction.  Thumbs up! I particularly love the candied pine  nuts,  which provide a delicious crunch. The whipped lemonade is slightly tart, and not too sweet. I think this dessert is a keeper!

 

My husband has kalamansi lime souffle with ginger streusel and whole milk ice cream. As someone who adores the pairing of ginger and citrus, I am quite the fan of this dessert.

We are not quite done.  The post dessert features a small selection of truffles and candied gels.  Now it’s a perfect ending.

Six courses are each impeccably executed and display a level of consistent finesse that is difficult to attain.  The savory dishes are matched wonderfully with the sweet in both caliber and sophistication. While every single dish has its own distinct flavor profile, each dish has complexity, and a beautiful interplay of textures and tastes. I am almost relieved that Chef Ziebold and Chef Petersen have lived up to the high expectations I have set for them, even though I knew they would.

We are sent home with a parting gift in honor of our anniversary:  a gift bag containing a coffee cake and tea for us to enjoy in the morning.  I like that I get to anticipate the lingering satisfaction of the meal for a little while longer.  I can’t imagine a sweeter or more special way to celebrate our anniversary.  The memories will never desert us.

 

CityZen, 1330 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC
Washington Post review
Washingtonian‘s 100 Very Best Restaurants 2012, #6, 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)

 

 

CityZen on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: CityZen, Washington DC dining Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Getting a group-on at The Black Olive & Sotto Sopra in Baltimore

March 22, 2012 By 3 Comments

This isn’t about discount dining.  It is instead about the challenges of dining with groups.  A few times a year I travel with my colleagues for out of town meetings. As staff, we have assignments that often begin before dawn and meetings that last until sundown.     There is no time to leave the hotel.  Except for dinner.   Often one dinner is preplanned (not by me) and others are on our own.  This is where I come in, leaping at the opportunity to scope out the possibilities.  We are headed to Baltimore, a city which is equidistant to DC from where I live, but somehow still fairly undiscovered.

Night one is with a group of twenty-six at the Greek restaurant The Black Olive in Fells Point.  I haven’t planned this one, but am anxious to try the restaurant rated #4 in Baltimore magazine’s 2012 Best Restaurants list.

I’m going to skip to the ending and circle back around. I’m glad that the food is so good at The Black Olive.  They aren’t so adept- at least on this particular night- with handling a large group.  But redemption is on the plate.

It quickly becomes apparent that this is going to be a long night. We are seated at one very long table in an area off to the side of the restaurant.   One server comes to the table to pour wine.   She brings over one bottle at a time, pouring (slowly) and then going back for more.  I really want/need a glass of wine.  It’s been more than 30 minutes and we haven’t ordered.  Some of us are getting antsy.  Others seem happily oblivious.  I wish one of them was me.

Eventually someone else is sent to serve our group.  We have a four course menu with limited choices, which will help move things along. I am feeling fishy:  scallops for my first course, fish soup for my second course, grilled whole bronzini for my third course, and mango sorbet for dessert.

More time passes and the first course arrives. I am served calamari instead of scallops.  I don’t eat calamari. So as everyone else enjoys their first course, I must be content with the wine.  The scallops are worth the wait. Perfectly grilled, juicy,and tender.  I have scallops.  I have wine.  I am getting happier.

scallops

The fish soup has a nice flavor.  I say yes to some additional black pepper (which is added post photo).  I’ve never seen such large flakes of pepper before.  They actually have me coughing and gasping a bit.  This is not a bad thing.  I like the soup, even though less pepper would be preferable.

Black Olive fish soup

The bronzini is the star of the night.  It is simply prepared – grilled with olive oil and lemon juice.  The simplicity accentuates the freshness of the fish.  Fish fans should hightail it to Baltimore.  The accompanying vegetables are topped with a delicious garlicky sauce.

Dessert is served without our coffee, which finally arrives when we’re close to being on the way out.  We are a bit weary by the end of our meal at The Black Olive.  It has been a long night.  But somehow the beautiful simplicity of the meal makes up for some of the missteps in accommodating a large group.  I am ready to go back – although with twenty or so fewer people next time.

The next night I have organized a group of staff to go out to dinner at the Italian Sotto Sopra in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood.  There are twelve of us.  If we were feeling weary the night before, we are downright exhausted at this point.  I have to twist a few arms of people who want to bail out. There is concern about another lengthy dinner. I manage – with some effort- to keep the group intact.  I am trying to downplay the fact that there is a party of 50 already in the restaurant that night and they are squeezing our group in.  I know that this could get ugly. There is nothing worse than angering  a group of people you have to see every day of the week.

We arrive at Sotto Sopra and they lead us through the large group to an area in the back.  The restaurant is beautifully decorated with colorful murals on the walls.

photo from www.600block.com

I settle into my food happy place when I see the menu.  I’m delighted with the choices as is everyone at the table (even if there is some initial uncertainty about what to order.)  There are only a few other tables of patrons in the restaurant aside from the large group, and they seem to be ordering at the same time.  I can’t imagine how the kitchen is going to handle this.  I am amazed when they do- effortlessly- at least it seems that way to us.  If they are overwhelmed by serving so many people at once, they never show it.

My starter is a panzanilla invernale with arugula, beets, dates, pancetta, goat cheese, and a tangerine dressing.  If you follow my blog regularly you may be thinking, “really, beets and goat cheese….again?”  I know, I know.  But I find the addition of dates and pancetta and the tangerine dressing irresistible.  Sometimes you have to go with your instincts.  This is a great combination of salty and sweet.  I am not ashamed to say that I would order it again.

A few people have a caesar salad, which they describe as deconstructed and reinvented.  They rave about the presentation and taste.

I am relieved when a colleague agrees to split pasta dishes with me, as I am having trouble deciding on an entree. The first is ravioli d’aragosta with lobster, brandy shallot reduction, and fried leeks.  I would have been perfectly content with this dish, but our second pasta blows me away and it’s hard to compare.

ravioli with lobster

Our second pasta is sacchetti di zucca con salsiccia.  Translated:  pumpkin pasta with amaretto cookies, broken sausage, and cream.  The combination may seem unlikely, but somehow it works.  Wonderfully!  This gets passed around the table and the feeling is unanimous.  The dish may not look so beautiful, but trust me, it has a great personality.  This is one of those dishes that I would go out of my way for- or at least all the way to Baltimore.

Sotto Sopra has scored a home run for our team.  The service is competent and the food memorable.  We couldn’t appreciate it more.  We consider sharing a dessert or two, but the wishes of those who are ready to head back to the hotel drown out the voices of those who wouldn’t mind a taste of something sweet.  For once I can’t say that I really mind.  Sometimes tired does trump eating.

Heading home from Baltimore, I reflect on the meeting and it goes without saying, the restaurants. Dining with groups can be a challenge- for the restaurant and the patrons.  An experience that begins with shaky service can still end well if the food is good.  A restaurant that excels at serving a group with good food and service makes a lasting impression.  My discovery- I can travel north just as easily as south to find great food- with or without a group.

The Black Olive, 814 S. Bond Street, Baltimore, MD

Sotto Sopra, 405 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD

Black Olive on Urbanspoon

Sotto Sopra on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Around the US, MD Dining, Sotto Sopra, The Black Olive Tagged With: , , , ,

Bibiana- Once is Not Enough

March 17, 2012 By 1 Comment

One of the dilemmas of having a restaurant review blog is that I always want to try new places so I can write about them.  I don’t have the luxury of being able to try a restaurant more than once before writing a review.  I wish I did because I know that writing about a single experience doesn’t really present a full picture.  That said, one of the ways I measure how I really feel about a dining experience is to think about whether I want to go back, and how soon.

We are going out to dinner with cousins A & B. They tend to frequent a handful of restaurants rather than try new places.  Granted their wheelhouse includes some excellent restaurants, but I think its time for them to stray out of their comfort zone.  I recognize that this can go horribly wrong if we have a bad experience.

We agree on Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca which is the Italian restaurant from restaurateur Ashok Bajaj (Rasika, Ardeo + Bardeo, 701, etc). My husband and I dined there in its infancy and liked it, but frankly we weren’t  compelled to rush back.  But the time is right for another visit.  Bibiana is listed in Washingtonian‘s 100 Best Restaurants 2012 as “on the rise.” Plus, I’ve read rave reviews about Chef Nicholas Stefanelli’s black spaghetti with crab. I have already decided that I will not be swayed by anything else on the menu.

When a meal starts off with really great bread it sets the tone.  Bibiana serves a warm, crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, foccacia bread dotted with bits of potato.  It’s actually reminiscent of a  potato knish.  Dip it in a wonderfully aromatic olive oil and you almost can end the meal right here.  But then that would be foolish.  It’s a good sign that we’ve already found something that warrants a return visit.

For my first course I have crispy fried artichokes with parsley and lemon.  They are crisp but not too oily, with a nice balance of salt and citrus.

 

crispy artichokes

Cousin A has saffron rice fritters (arancini) with tomato sauce, which are well executed, although she prefers the version at Two Amy’s.  I can’t compare, but I like the crunchy texture of the Bibiana offering.

arancini

My husband has barbabietola, which is salt roasted beets with gorgonzola, and candied black olives.  The delicate and subtly sweet gorgonzola transforms what could be just another beets and cheese dish into something special.

barbabietola

I must admit that I am a little too full to thoroughly appreciate the spaghetti al nero di seppia (black spaghetti with crab) dish beyond the first few bites. (All those times I warned my children not to fill up on bread are coming back to haunt me.) But I’ll always remember those first bites of chewy pasta lightly coated with garlic, oil, peperoncino, and generous pieces of crabmeat.  This is not to say that I don’t nearly finish the dish.  It really is too delicious to leave uneaten.

black spaghetti with crab

Cousin A has decided to keep it simple.  She has ravioli with romano cheese, tomato, and basil.  She finds the cheese a little too strong, although overall she enjoys the dish.  I am pleasantly surprised to find that the ravioli is not at all simple.  It’s actually the strongly flavored cheese that adds character.

ravioli

My husband and cousin B order the same dish- Amalfi Coast scialatielli with yellow tail tuna, green olives, tomato, and chili.  Cousin B, however, modifies the dish, leaving out the olives and asking that the tuna not be rare.  He doesn’t love the modified results.  My husband on the other hand does, particularly the flavor of the olives and the dense texture of the pasta.

 

scialatielli

All’s well with a meal that ends well. Dessert at Bibiana hits the right note.  Cousin A orders baked chocolate mousse with a dark chocolate overcoat, dulce de leche gelato and a tuille of coffee and chocolate.  The smooth, rich, dessert feels like a guilty pleasure that’s worth the guilt.

baked chocolate mousse

My husband and I are having a hard time agreeing on a dessert.  He finally agrees to share panna cotta with lemon tuille and blood orange.  He is not particularly excited about this choice, but he changes his tune when he tastes the tart, smooth, refreshing dessert.

The service at Bibiana is competent, although our server could exhibit a touch more personality.  We also feel a bit rushed.  We are compelled to hand over our table before we’re quite ready.  On the plus side, we appreciate the sleek setting and while the tables are full, we can all hear each other without shouting.

A&B aren’t quite as enthusiastic about the meal as we are.  But I consider it a success just the same.  Because when I ask the question “would you go back?” I get a yes.  For me, a return trip would mean that my restaurant to do list doesn’t get checked off quite so quickly.  But another chance to taste the bread, the black ink spaghetti, and the baked chocolate mousse dessert just might be worth the sacrifice.

Bibiana Osteria Enoteca, 1100 New York Ave. NW (Entrance at 12th and H), Washington, DC

Washington Post review
Washingtonian review
Washingtonian‘s 100 Very Best Restaurants 2012, On the Rise, 3 stars (out of 4)

 

Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca, DC dining Tagged With: , , , , ,

Hot (or not?) at Urbana

March 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Some reviews are simple to write.  I love a place or I don’t, and the words flow out of me quickly and easily.  Sometimes a dining experience isn’t so clear cut.  I’ve been struggling all week to write about my dinner at Dupont Circle’s Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar in the Palomar Hotel.  It’s finally time to commit my thoughts to the page.  Now, if I can only figure out what they are.

I am dining with a group who are in town for the policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).  The group includes a childhood friend who now lives in Connecticut, plus her spouse and friends. This includes fellow blogger, Liz Reuven from Kosher Like Me. It’s a rare treat to meet a person who shares my passion for food and writing, and has a similar demographic profile. My husband is Kosher like Liz (no shellfish, no meat in restaurants), so we have plenty of common ground to cover.

Urbana features Mediterranean cuisine. I did not choose the restaurant, but I’m more than satisfied, as it has been on my list for some time. I’ve read some good things, and it doesn’t hurt that Chef John Critchley recently won the Eater.com contest for DC’s Hottest Chef.  He came in second nationwide when the polls closed just this week.

Chef John Critchley, photo by R Lopez on eater.com

We are introduced to our meal at Urbana with the delivery of a bread basket and olive oil for dipping, an assortment of olives, and an amuse bouche of homemade cheese with olives and pimento.  It is a satisfying start for all.

amuse bouche

My starter is carrot soup laced with sumac berry and turmeric, and topped with  an “aged” cheese crisp.  The soup is creamy and satisfying, if not terribly unique.  I do enjoy the cheese crisp.  (I wonder how old it really is?)

carrot soup

“Kosher Like Me” and my friend share a salad of baby mixed field greens, bucherone du chevre, aged red wine vinaigrette, and candied walnuts.  They both comment that the salad seems like it is made with packaged greens.  It’s boring and essentially “there is nothing happening on the plate.”

My husband, on the other hand, is absolutely loving his starter of blackened escolar.  He finds the meaty fish filling, and he particularly likes the contrast of warm fish against the cool citrus of the salad.

blackened escolar

Another member of our party orders pizza with artichokes, mushrooms, and caramelized onions.  She likes it, but my husband thinks it is not quite flavorful enough to be better than good.

On to the main course.  My dish is slow braised lamb shank with passilla chili, ras el hanout (blend of Moroccan spices) over risotto milanese, finished with epoisse cheese. The lamb is tender, and the chili gives it just a hint of heat.  I wouldn’t mind if it was turned up a notch or two. My favorite part of the dish is the creamy risotto. I leave only a few bites on my plate, and not willingly.

 

lamb shank

My husband has ricotta filled tortellini with brown butter, sage, preserved lemon, and parmigiano reggiano.  He adores the flavor and praises the firm yet delicate pasta.

tortellini

Blogger Liz and my friend are sharing an entree of grilled swordfish over lentils du puy, parsley, lemon, and peppercorn oil.  The server has declined a request to split the dish, so they are on their own to divide the portion.  The swordfish is dry and unremarkable, while the lentils have some appeal.

The noise level at Urbana is quite high, so it’s difficult to catch what is going on at the other end of the table.  What I learn, however, is that one of the men in our party has spilled wine on his shirt.  The server sees this and brings him a clean and dry shirt, remarkably in the correct size.  On the one hand we have a server who won’t split a dish in two, but  then he gives another diner the shirt off his back (well not exactly, but sort of).

For dessert, my husband and I share caramel apple with spiced sugar cookie, peanut crumble, and dulce de leche.  I don’t know what to say about this except it is disappointing at best.  The apples seem like they are out of a can, and the whole dish is missing substance.

caramel apple

So why am I having such a hard time writing about Urbana ?  Is it that (a) my food is good but not particularly memorable (b) my fellow blogger is completely unimpressed with her meal  (c) my husband is raving about his dishes (d) everyone else at the table seems content (e) the server has denied a simple request and then done something uniquely generous  (e) all of the above.

Obviously the answer is (e). It is simply just too difficult to define a restaurant when opinions and experiences vary so wildly. Sure, it’s cool to be tasting the food of DC’s hottest chef.  But ultimately what I’m really looking for is some consistency, and a dash more sizzle on the plate.

 

Urbana Restaurant & Wine Bar, 2121 P Street, Washington, DC

 

Urbana on Urbanspoon

This week the Los Angeles Times announced that it will no longer include star ratings with restaurant reviews. According to the Times, Star ratings are increasingly difficult to align with the reality of dining in Southern California — where your dinner choices might include a food truck, a neighborhood ethnic restaurant, a one-time-only pop-up run by a famous chef, and a palace of fine dining. Clearly, you can’t fairly assess all these using the same rating system. Furthermore, the stars have never been popular with critics because they reduce a thoughtful and nuanced critique to a simple score. In its place, we’ll offer a short summary of the review.

My experience at Urbana leads me to agree wholeheartedly with this approach. No more ratings with my reviews.

Filed Under: DC dining, Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Finding a great Source for brunch

March 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I have had an epiphany. I didn’t realize that there was undiscovered territory in terms of dining out.  But there it was.  Brunch.  And now that I see the virtues, I may be in trouble.

Up until now I have not been much of a brunch-goer.  It’s not that I don’t like brunch food, I do.  But most weekends it’s hard to squeeze in daytime restaurant meals with all the bill-paying, shopping, and other assorted errands that must be accomplished.  Darn that job.  It really gets in the way of having a clear schedule on weekends, which would definitely free up more time for me to eat out.

That said, the last three weekends I found myself going out to brunch.  And now…I could really get used to weekend brunching.

My first brunch was at GrillMarX in Olney, which I wrote about as part of my Valentine’s Day celebration.  The more time that passes, the less I like that experience.  It was supremely ordinary.  My second brunch was at the newly-reopened kosher Pomegranate Bistro in Potomac.  I was more than pleasantly surprised at the variety, value, and creativity of the food.

This brings us to brunch number three at The Source by Wolfgang Puck. I’ve been to The Source  for dinner, happy hour, and now for brunch.  Brunch is hands down my favorite meal here in terms of how the execution of the food relates to the value. This dim sum brunch is in a class of its own.  There are several ways to approach the brunch, which features more than 25 dim sum options.  You can order a la carte.  You can order a five dish option for $30, or eight plates for $40. You can also order the five dish option and add a la carte items. Decisions, decisions.

I am with my son, who is a vegetarian.  I have already told him that for the most part we’re doing our own thing here.  There are too many dishes that I am dying to try. I am not in the mood for compromise.  We each opt for the five item plan.  A bit too much food, but this is how we roll at a dim sum brunch. (if you’re not big eaters, sharing eight dishes for two people is probably fine).

We begin with cocktails.  Because, well why not?  Me: Café Mocha Butterscotch, Godiva Chocolate, Coffee.  It’s surprisingly not too sweet.  Him:  Shanghai Mary Bloody Mary with chili paste and lime juice.   This is a damn good Bloody Mary. It’s one of those times when I covet something the other person ordered.  (Does this happen to you as much as it happens to me?)

Our first food items arrive.  Me: duck bao buns.  Chef Scott Drewno is known for his killer buns, so this is one of the items I’ve planned on in advance.  Yep,  great buns. Tender meat with a crisp skin, just the right amount of sweet, and cucumber to add some crunch.

photo courtesy of Nycci Safier Nellis

My son has fried rice with a wok fried egg, a modification of a version that comes with Chinese sausage. He likes it, but doesn’t think it’s anything special.  I don’t taste it as I’m busy enjoying the buns.

Dumplings are next.  Me:  crystal chive dumpling with Chinese mustard and king crab. Son:  wild field mushroom dumpling in a ginger mushroom broth.  These are some  beautiful dumplings.  The outside is lightly crisped and slightly chewy, just the way I like it.  The sauce is delicate and not too overpowering.  Winning.

crystal chive dumplings

The next dish pretty much blows my mind- Shanghai noodles with curry, chili, and braised oxtail.  The silky smooth noodles are coated with a delicious tangy sauce, interspersed with bits of meat, and every now and then a cool bite of onion or cilantro. I can’t say enough about this dish.  Wonderful. Memorable. Destination-worthy. Okay, now I’m done with the adjectives.

Shanghai noodles

While I am completely absorbed in my noodle dish, my son has roasted sweet potato samosa with a tamarind reduction.  He is equally enthralled with his food and urges me to taste the sauce. It’s hard to tear myself away from the noodles but admittedly the samosa and sauce is pretty great.

sweet potato samosa

My appetite is waning but this doesn’t mean I am going to stop eating.  There is another dish I’m coveting – General Tso’s wings with roasted bird chilies.  More crunch, more spice, more sweet.  This is a recurring theme of many of the dishes, which is not at all to say they taste they same.  Each one has a different flavor combination that makes it unique.    It should also be noted that there are choices that would add variety to my meal, including Kobe beef sliders, Maine lobster club, and Maryland crab cake benedict. These don’t tempt me, however.  I find the appeal in the Asian-themed dishes.

General Tso's chicken wings

At this point, the vegetarian menu options have been exhausted.  My son is given a few choices that the chef will prepare as an alternative.  He decides on stir fry vegetables with yogurt and curry sauce.

We order two desserts to share.  I’m ready for some sharing.   We have beignets, my only disappointment with the meal.  If only they were hot.

beignets

The tangerine gelato is a much better way to end.  Smooth, cool, and with just the slightest bit of crisp from the candied orange zest.

tangerine gelato

At the end of the meal, my son declares the samosas as his favorite dish.  His experience as a vegetarian is admittedly not quite as revelatory as the one I’ve had.  He is pining a bit for some eggs benedict.  I, on the other hand, couldn’t be happier.  I’m eager to discover some other great destinations for brunch in the DC area. For now, however, I am content in knowing that I have already discovered a terrific source in The Source by Wolfgang Puck.

The Source by Wolfgang Puck, 575 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (brunch, Saturdays only)
My rating (on a 1-5 scale):  4.4 (for brunch)
Washingtonian‘s 100 Very Best Restaurants 2012, 2 1/2 stars (out of 4)

The Source on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: DC dining, The Source by Wolfgang Puck Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
Questions or comments?
Send an email to lorisue6@gmail.com