Holy crap! Kangaroo! Finally! .!!

It's juicy and delicious! It's environmentally sound and low in calories! Yes, to everyone who wanted to know where to buy Kangaroo when we ran the initial article a couple months ago, your entreaties have been heard!

I swear I searched for hours with no luck, when apparently all I should have done was try the simplest URL I could think of. The aptly-named Exotic Meats store (www.exoticmeats.com) have all the Kangaroo muscle protein you desire. As long as what you desire are patties and sausages.

Now, granted, those may indeed be two of the best ways to experience these bouncy marsupials, but if you were hoping for a long-legged steak, you're still out of luck. In which case, allow me to suggest some antelope, elk, caribou, or rattlesnake- all of which can be provided here. Hey, is that an alligator/crocodile sampler? Well, I didn't want to pay rent this month anyway.

It looks like shipping to DC is expensive but it could be worse- I say group up with some friends and place one large order, then split the shipping costs. Don't have any friends? Buy some.

Update: Between the time I wrote this and the time I'm posting it, they just started offering Kangaroo Striploin, which I think is a lovely, delicate, and most importantly, un-ground muscle (someone correct me?). So now you really don’t have any excuse.

Rice you can drink

Such precious first memories: the first class of 7th grade, the first guy you turned down, the first time you heard the White Stripes. If you're young enough, they may have all happened within the same hour. And yet, all these pale in comparison to the first time you drink Roasted Rice Tea.

Ooooh that toasty nuttiness. That sweet starchiness. That warm, brown aroma of chestnuts and smoke. It's possible that this is the most perfect of liquids.

But first, the evidence. The Japanese word Genmaicha technically translates as Popcorn Tea and I don’t know why. It's definitely made out of green tea (bancha) combined with roasted rice grains (genmai) ...maybe they were being poetic? It's lower in caffeine, and of course, it tastes awesome.
I get mine at Oriental Supermarket on the Rockville Pike where they have a four or five different brands. As I type, I am sucking down Yamamotoyama's lovely version, but all of them are delectable.

But for those of you unwilling to spend the $1.75 for a box, here's what to do:

Roasted rice green tea
Put 2 tablespoons of basmati rice in a small, cast-iron skillet and set over a low flame. Stir them until they turn patchy-dark and give out a nice roasted aroma. Don't burn 'em no matter how cool that would be!

Put the kernels into a small pot. Add 4 cups boiling water and two teaspoons of good quality green tea- two teabags work too. Simmer for 1 minute. Cover, and turn off the heat. Let the tea steep for 3 minutes, then scoop the liquid off. Or strain- whatever floats your thing.

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke VI

This sixth installment in the series will continue to focus on happy hour and daily food specials. The listed prices are after discount, but before adding tax and tip.

Rhodeside Grill in the Courthouse area features a half a pound of shrimp on Thursdays for $4.95 anywhere in the restaurant from 4-7 pm. Rhodeside Grill features wings or nachos for $4.95 Wednesdays upstairs or at the downstairs bar from 4pm until the kitchen closes.

CarPool in Ballston features half price ($4) burgers from 4pm until closing on Tuesdays, and 25 cent wings (minimum order of 10) Wednesdays from 4pm until closing. They have selected half price appetizers during happy hour (from 4-7pm Monday through Friday) including Buffalo wings, Jalapeno poppers ($3), chips & salsa ($2), taquitos ($3), mozzarella sticks ($2.50), chips and guacamole ($2.50), and chicken quesadilla ($3). Their happy hour beer specials (from 4-7 pm Monday through Friday) include $2.25 Miller Lite and $2.75 Yuengling, Sam Adams, Sam Adams Seasonal, and Killian’s.

Mackey’s Public House in Crystal City is owned by the same group as CarPool. Mackey’s has the same burger night, and happy hour beer and appetizer specials, but does not have a wings night.

The Continental modern pool lounge in Rosslyn has half price appetizers (Monday through Friday 5-8 pm and Saturday and Sunday 6 pm-9 pm). These featured appetizers are basket of fries ($2.50), hot pretzel basket ($3.00), red hummus with tortilla chips ($3.00), two grilled 2 beer-soaked, all-beef hot dogs ($3.50), chicken tenders ($4.00), Caribbean jerk wings or hot wings ($4), and grilled veggie quesadilla ($3.50, plus an additional $2.00 for beef or chicken). These happy hours also feature $2.50 drafts (Miller Lite, Red Hook I.P.A, Yuengling Lager, and Widmer Hefeweizen), and $3.50 rail drinks (not including margaritas or martinis).

Sine' Irish Pub on Pentagon Row has half price burgers all day Mondays, including beef, turkey, or veggie burgers. Tuesdays, Sine' also has $9.95 prime rib all day, and half price appetizers from 4:00-7:00 pm.

Rhodeside Grill
1836 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA
703 243-0145

CarPool
4000 Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203
703 532-7665

Mackey’s Public House
320 South 23rd Street
Arlington, VA 22202
703 412-1113

The Continental modern pool lounge
1911 N. Fort Myer Drive
Arlington, VA 22209
703 465-7675

Sine' Irish Pub
1301 S. Joyce St.
Arlington, VA 22202
703 415-4420

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke I

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke II

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke III

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke IV

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke V

Sam Adams' Future Beers - Reviewed by the Five Paragraph Bitter Beer Critic

Last night, several of your esteemed DCFUD writers met at Murphy's in Woodley Park for a pint or three and good ole' fashioned pub grub. (mini-review - the Murphyburger rocks, the seafood bisque is dandy, and the meat pie was fine; avoid the overly spicy and greasy shellfish soup. Avoid musicians baffled by feedback coming through the sound system).

We were approached by a marketing rep from Sam Adams who asked if we'd like to sample a few of their future beers. We said "Yes!" faster than Jennifer Lopez accepts a marriage proposal. The rep poured us samples of the classic Boston Lager and their Light to get us started. A wise move, as none of us were drinking a Sam Adams' product beforehand, and the small samples would get us prepared for the brands' general taste. She then poured us Type A and Type B - two potential beers that they'd release next year. "A" was a Honey Porter, and "B" was a Smoke Ale.

"A" was delicious, with ZAF summing it up that "(we) could get along nicely." It's a nice, smooth beer, not terribly heavy, and the honey notes add a softer touch. Amazingly, it doesn't taste sweet, but a little less acidic than the standard Sam's.

"B, " however, was an alcoholic travesty. Comments from the table ranged from "it tastes like smoked ham" to "it tastes like smoked gouda" to "it tastes like they added that Liquid Smoke stuff." As a rule, beer should not be described as tasting like a barbecue sauce. The best we could say is that it would make an excellent marinade for the Thanksgiving turkey.

In the interests of full disclosure, The FPBBC used to work for Harpoon Brewery in Boston, and has always been partial to his former employer. The Sam Adams' rep said that a survey found that over 72% of Bostonians preferred Sam Adams over Harpoon as "the" Boston beer. The FPBBC calmly pointed out that Leno has higher ratings than Letterman, proving that popularity has no bearing on taste.

Murphy's
2609 24th Street NW
Washington DC 20008
202-462-7171

Oooh ooh! A meme on a plate!

We at FUD have been remiss. How is it that the months have gone by without even one Snakes on a Plane parody? Could we perhaps be defying the mindless parroting of memes? Oooor, are we just culturally illiterate?

Well, whatever the motivation, Grapeseed's chef's table in Bethesda shares none of our scruples. And so, this Friday and Saturday, NM has tipped us off that they are presenting, yes,

An evening of a snake-themed set course menu and wine.

To be fair, some of the items would more accurately described as Snake-tribute, like Grilled Baby Octopus ( eight snake like tentacles!), Fresh Tomato, Lemon, and Bucatini (the most snake-like of all pastas), Carbonara. Others are strictly literary: Fresh Churros, Cinnamon Ice Cream (venom served on the side). What other wackiness can Grapeseed come up with? Wait and find out!!!

All that aside, I've heard Grapeseed is supposed to be really tasty, so you might as well ride the bandwagon on up to Bethesda and try it out.

Who Needs Tallula, Anyway?

As much as we must applaud restaurants that update their menu to reflect seasonal ingredients or new experiments by the chef, it's always a disappointment when a favorite dish disappears. This happened to me at Tallula, a favorite brunch spot of mine. Sadly, they no longer serve their short ribs and cheesy grits on their brunch menu.

So when the meat guy at the Arlington Farmer's Market was offering, among other things, short ribs, I decided that the only accompaniment could be cheesy grits. Though my recipe doesn't precisely invoke Tallula's (it's less spicy, for one, and doesn't feature any green tomatoes), it has a rich, full-bodied flavor and provides the same kind of comfort that my former favorite brunch dish did.

Bourbon Spiked Short Ribs
6 short ribs (from Farmer's Market)
flour
salt
pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
some bourbon (a half cup or so)
oil
white pepper
beef stock (you need almost one of those refrigerator-sized cartons)
thyme
red wine (just a little)
handful of chopped carrots
2 red potatoes, chopped
handful of cherry tomatoes (from Farmer's Market)
some chopped parsley

Season short ribs with salt and pepper and dredge with flour. Brown in olive oil. Deglaze pan with bourbon. Add all ingredients except broth to a casserole. Pour broth over casserole just below submerging point. Braise for 2.5 hours.

Cheesy Grits
1 cup polenta
1 cup heavy cream
5 cups water
salt
dash of tabasco sauce
1 cup shredded aged cheddar (from Farmer's Market)

Combine water and polenta in pot. Bring to boil, then simmer for twenty minutes. Add a generous amount of salt. Stir in cream, cheese and tabasco. Heat through.

Serve ribs over grits. I added a side of steamed spinach.

Great Thai Food at Sripraphai in Queens (NYC)

I was recently in New York City, and a group of friends and I ate with at my favorite Thai restaurant, Sripraphai in Queens. They have expanded since I last visited, which is great because the restaurant is very popular. The menu is available here, but may be a bit outdated.

One of Sripraphai’s strengths is that they have a refrigerated case filled with Thai desserts, instead of only having a couple of dessert options. We ate so much on this visit that we did not have room for dessert, but past standouts included custard with pumpkin, banana sticky rice, Thai marzipan, and coconut rice squares.

Another of Sripraphai’s strengths is that the restaurant really will give you spicy food. The soups tend to be hotter than the entrees, so a “Thai Spicy” soup can scald those who don’t enjoy very spicy food.

We had an excellent salad (which is pictured above), fried soft shell crab with mango sauce. The crab was crunchy, and went well with the tangy sauce. We also had the shredded green mango salad with squid, shrimp, and chicken. We generally fight over the (off-menu) garlic and pepper shrimp, so we requested two orders of it. I am not a fan of their pad Thai, but someone wanted it, so it was ordered. The noodle dishes I usually order are the rice noodles with ground beef and onions, or (spicy) rice noodles with beef and basil. The curries are great at Sripraphai, including, the red, green, yellow, and jungle curries. The duck with spicy sauce and eggplant was good, as usual, as was the tom zap soup with Cornish hen. In the past, tom zap was only available on the menu with beef offal –which it still is– but we used to substitute seafood for the beef. The fried red snapper with ginger sauce was excellent, and it is the first time we have ordered it at Sripraphai.

We spent about $20 a person including tip, but we did order an extra dish, and several people were drinking Thai iced teas.

Make sure –unlike us– to leave room for dessert. You may need something sweet after all that spicy food.

Sripraphai is walking distance from the 61st Street stop on the 7 train.

Sripraphai Thai Restaurant
64-13 39th Avenue
Woodside, NY 11377
(718) 899-9599

If It's Tuesday, This Must be Neyla

I was supposed to sign up for a gym membership sometime this week, but opted to go out every night for Restaurant Week instead. (I love writing for DCFud. Anywhere else I would have to defend that choice, but you....you guys really get me! *sniffle*)

The Boy took me to Neyla in Georgetown the other day. Neyla is named for the Mediterranean spirit of prosperity, abundance, and success, but while the regular menu includes dishes like baba ghannoug, stuffed grape leaves, and chicken shawarma, executive chef Faisal Sultani has mysteriously created a restaurant week menu showing almost no sign of Mediterranean inspiration--an olive here, some goat cheese there. I briefly considered ordering off the regular menu, as I am usually helpless in the face of Mediterranean temptation, but that idea fell by the wayside when I saw, I kid you not, watermelon gazpacho on the restaurant week menu. I was not about to pass up the chance to try watermelon gazpacho.

Of course, the problem now is that I have a fever, and the only prescription is more watermelon gazpacho. It was fruity and sweet but not overpowering, with rock shrimp and tiny scoops of pickled canteloupe and honeydew. The Boy, who practically has a black belt in gazpacho, also detected some red wine vinegar, which kept it from being dessert-y. In any case, this dish was the best thing I have had so far during this RW go-round. I wanted to pick up the bowl and drink from it, but figured that sort of thing would go over especially poorly in Georgetown. We also had the sauteed calamari tossed with scallions and shaved garlic served with a lime-tomato fondue, which was tart and spicy and tender.

We usually don't order the same thing in restaurants, but neither of us could pass up the pan-roasted New York strip served with sweet and sour dandelion greens. That meant we didn't taste the swordfish or the egg pappardelle, but I regret nothing. The steaks were beautifully marbled, tender, and juicy, and I thought they involved gorgonzola, but that might have been a beautiful dream, because it does not appear on the otherwise-accurate online menu. The coconut panna cotta was fine but not amazing, although I may have liked it more had I not just had the transcendental amaretto panna cotta at Coeur de Lion the night before. One thing--the server, who was mostly excellent, was a little taken aback when I asked for the panna cotta without the pistachios on top, due to a nut allergy. I understand that chefs don't like omitting ingredients, but when your only real dessert option (nope, berries don't count) includes a topping to which many, many people are allergic, you have to be prepared for the request.

Another nice thing about Neyla--it's very pretty. When I heard that it was a "place to be seen," I naturally assumed that it had the same kind of masculine, ultra-modern steel-and-glass decor found in Zaytinya, IndeBleu, and to some extent Rasika, but despite the huge windows, Neyla is softer and more feminine than other hot spots in DC. The windows look out onto a gorgeous old brick courtyard, and the light glow rather than gleam. The front patio is a great space to people-watch.

I highly recommend this for restaurant week, but I can't vouch for the regular menu yet. More research is clearly needed!

Express still loves us

And why shouldn't they, I mean, we really are just that cool. And needy. Thanks Express!

Oh My Damn, Bobby Van's!

Back when the Restaurant Week lineup was announced in July, I scanned the list and saw that Bobby Van's was one of the participants. I quickly made reservations, given their sterling reputation in New York. I used to work with a young lady from Massachusetts who summered in the Hamptons, and she raved about Bobby Van's Bridgehampton location. Now, I'm just a relatively middle class guy from Maryland. I'm guessing that "summered" is rich person code for "sunbathed in an expensive resort and did nothing but revel in luxury." I've never "summered" in my life. I've "weeked" - well, if you consider Ocean City's or Dewey's crowded beaches, all-you-can-eat buffets and sexually-suggestive t-shirt stands luxurious.

In my previous Restaurant Week entry, an anonymous commenter told me I made a mistake in selecting Bobby Van's for dining, saying that they catered only to the VIP crowd. I took the comments seriously - perhaps this anonymous person is a former employee, wrongfully terminated, or a diner who received shoddy service when they dared pay for their meal with a Discover card instead of an AmEx Titanium Card. Or, conversely, since the commenter chose to remain anonymous, perhaps it was a former employee rightfully terminated with an axe to grind, or somebody associated with a competing restaurant, hoping for a good plug. In the end, I chose to keep my reservation, and had four friends join me.

Let me assure you of this - a full 15 hours after dining there last night, I can still taste the perfectly-prepared medium rare Petite Fillet Mignon, accompanied by slightly-smoky mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. The Caesar salad, and the rich chocolate cake and incredible New York cheesecake rounded out the courses, and each bite was fantastic. I had feared that a "Petite" filet would be small 5 or 6-ounce serving, but our steaks were closer to 12 ounces. Even the well-done filets came out thoroughly cooked, and not butterfly-chopped like in other establishments. Our server was professional, friendly, and made a distinct point to make us aware of the Restaurant Week courses on a separate sheet from the regular menu. One of their chefs, Eric, made a friendly tour of the dining room, making sure everybody was enjoying themselves. The table adjacent to ours had a bit more menu diversity than my steak-obsessed crowd. Somebody there had the Crabcakes (the recipe is on their website) and another had the Andouille Sausage and Pulled Chicken Rigatoni, both of whom raved about the quality.

For a high-end steakhouse, the atmosphere was professional, yet relaxed. It's classy, but not stuffy - there's no dress code, and patrons wore suits or jeans in nearly equal numbers. Valet service is a manageable $6. The anonymous commenter's fears couldn't have been more dispelled - if not for a four-course tasting menu at Palena in May, last night was the best meal I've had in D.C. all year. Everything was so tastefully done that I have already planned a September dinner there, where their acclaimed "Porterhouse For Two" sounds less like a luxury and more like a rite of passage. I am so impressed by Bobby Van's strong Restaurant Week showing that I practically walked out singing The Happenings' classic tune "See You In September."

Bobby Van's
809 15th Street, NW
Phone: (202) 589-0060

Komi follow-up

Komi does not list an email on their website. This makes me truly saddened because my plans for the morning included reading Fark, messing with my hair, and writing Komi to thank them in unseemly detail for the best meal I have had in a long time.

Maw has already enunciated the allures of this perfect dinner place, so I won't talk about the food, but allow me to add my 2p. Komi is good. Good in a way that makes you blather to your coworkers the next morning. Good, like your next meal feels vaguely profane and sacrilegious. Good, as in a week later, you turn to your dining partner and say, 'that was a damn fine meal' and he'll know you aren't referring to the pizza you just ate.

The room is small and pretty, and so are the expert staff. They guide you through the short but exquisite wine list, and then bring you dish after dish of the kind of mouthfuls you must close your eyes to fully enjoy. After an hour you start entering an olive-scented haze of alcohol and goodwill. 12 hours later I am still imagining the crunch of sea salt on a stuffed fig.

I can't write a letter to you, Komi, so I can only hope you google your name now and then. Bravo.

RW Reflections: DC Coast

Choosing which establishment to patronize during Restaurant Week is always a challenge - who will offer full (or nearly-full) menu selections? Who will have a reservation free? Who will feature servers that roll their eyes at you when you say you're there for the RW menu?

Take all those challenges and add a pair of semi-picky parents (though really no different than any other set who don't consider special tibs one of the four food groups), and you had my dilemma for RW lunch selection. Figuring seafood would be a safe bet (neither parent likes Indian or non-Chinese Asian; Dad doesn't care for Italian), I settled on DC Coast.

The Tunks restaurants really do a nice job of making you feel special during restaurant week. Though they slightly limit your dessert and appetizer selections, for lunch, we had our pick of the DC Coast entree choices. The service was attentive, and prompt without feeling rushed.

Our selections:
Yellow Tomato Soup: My dad raved. I was expecting something along the lines of Ceiba's yellow tomato gazpacho, but this was warm, and a much richer offering. It was garnished with a sundried tomato mousse; yum!

Scallops appetizer: Two scallops, perfectly cooked, and accented with a spinach/bacon mixture and a pineapple sauce. Sweeter than my usual tastes, but the flavors all blended well.

Cold cucumber soup: Flecks of crabmeat make this one a winner.

Trio of sliders: I'm not partial to BBQ (sue me) but my father ordered this - a selection of chicken, pulled pork and beef brisket mini-sandwiches, and was more than satisfied. We could have done without the accompanying cole slaw.

Roast chicken with pomegranate sauce: This was delectably juicy, and the sauce was a nice touch. Accompanying vegetables were a bit overcooked, but were a colorful selection and candied pecans added a special kind of sweet something to the plate.

Blackened Tilapia: This was the meal's gem - the fish was spectacular, and the paprika hollandaise that topped the asparagus was some of the best I've had.

I'm not a dessert fan, but the selections were good, and not too large to overwhelm at the end of the meal. I'd particularly recommend the lemon/blueberry creme brulee for something unique and delicious.

DC Coast is a safe bet for Restaurant Week: All the elements are in place to make it a treat of an experience for those trying to sample somewhere new at an affordable price.

Flee to 100 King

It's a brave soul indeed who is willing to forge through the throngs of Midwesterners that make up Old Town Alexandria's main population. They bounce ponderously up King street and down to gape at the balloon sellers of the waterfront, their army son-in-laws looming out of the humid haze. Yes, it's a veritable corn- fed amoeba, polyester-clad and sweating, waving maps and strollers and frappuchinos and canvas tote bags at the embarrassed scenery.

Which is why it's so bizarre to come across 100 King . In a sea of restaurants that offer menus in three languages and Ruby Tuesday food, 100 King is shockingly acceptable. And no surprise, they are owned by the same family that bestowed upon us the Lebanese Taverna restaurants. This is a family that knows their hummus.

Decor is Helix Lounge meets Creme: fashionable and industrial, with just enough empty space to remind of a hotel bar. But that's alright, because the food, oh the food. I'd suggest just skipping the mains and ordering your way down the appetizers/ tapas menu. The zucchini cakes are delicious and crunchy, the crab meat perfectly fishy and fresh. I shall be salivating for the polenta soufflé with blue cheese and mushroom sauce for days.

I can't, in good conscience, suggest this restaurant as a destination. But for those who find themselves in the area, flee to this sane, tasty, pretty restaurant like it was the last bastion of culture in a very touristy world.

100 King St
Alexandria, VA

To your health

When the news of wine's health benefits first came out, alkies the world over grabbed their closest critic, pointed them at the research, and said, "See?". But if you still aren't enthused at the idea of shooting your daily dose, try taking your medicine the old fashioned way: In a martini glass.

Pomegranate! It's seedy and fashionable! It comes in a crazy shaped bottle! I mean, even without the health claims, who wouldn't want a liquid that stains everything it touches? Try this medical wonder:

Pomegranate Martini:
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
2 oz. white tequila
1 oz. Cointreau liquor
Squeeze of lemon

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glasses. Pomegranate seeds as garnish, or use a bit of lemon.

Health benefits:Vitamin C, antioxidants, and a rich source of folic acid and vitamins A and E. Pomegranate helps with heart disease, cancer, skin cancer, osteoarthritis, and, technically, unborn babies tho I guess you should distill out that pesky 'alcohol' part first.

Green Tea Over the years, green tea's been purported to do everything from curing cancer to slimming your ass. It will also do your laundry and make your kids move out of the house. Slurp this, for health reasons only of course.

Green tea martini:
1 ounce strong green tea, chilled
2 ounces citron vodka
1 teaspoon Cointreau
1 teaspoon simple syrup
Orange twist

Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Health benefits: This prevention list includes heart disease, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease , infection, and impaired immune function.

Carrots Your mom promised you it would help you see in the dark, and she was never wrong, ever, about anything. Drink to her health while propping up yours

Carrot Martini:
2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce vermouth
1 1/2 ounce carrot juice
1 1/2 ounce orange juice
Dash of Tabasco sauce

Shake with ice and strain into a cold martini glass. Garnish with a celery stick

Health Benefits: We got antioxidant compounds and vitamin A to guard against cancer, emphysema, blood sugar regulation, and, yes, to promote good vision. And Heart Disease. Incidentally, the tobacco sauce will spike your metabolism, help with arthritis, high blood pressure, depression, migraines, flu, ulcers, muscle pains and um, herpes. It's practically your duty to drink this stuff.

Komi: Well Worth the Wait (and a return trip)

I’ve been meaning to try Komi pretty much since it first opened in 2004. It seemed the obvious thing to do – it was close by, the menu looked interesting, and everybody was raving about it – but the excuses were endless: I don’t have time, I’m too poor, no one will go with me, et cetera.

This week, as I found myself following my birthday by gearing up to leave DC for grad school in Atlanta, I realized that I had the perfect opportunity. Why? Well, because that means I was able to convince my parents to take me to Komi for a combined birthday/departure dinner! And so it was that we found ourselves with 8:45 reservations at Komi this Tuesday night.

We arrived, and the host walked us back from the entrance to the end of the long, hallway-like dining room, to the one round table in the place, set apart from the other tables, at the back corner. Right next to the kitchen, with it open door and large picture window to the inside. My father hates sitting near the kitchen, but before he could complain (which he was beginning to do, despite there plainly being no other tables available), I cut him off, saying that I was happy to get to peek in to this famed kitchen. You can’t see much through that picture window, but you get a hint of what’s going on, and I for one enjoyed the view.

We decided to go all-out, and each ordered the complete dinner and wine pairing – which was clearly one of the best decisions I’ve made all month. We began with a glass of prosecco – lightly carbonated, dry, with some mineral flavors – and a small bowl of house-cured olives. These were bright green, but had a texture and mild taste such that my dad commented that if blindfolded, he might have thought them black olives. They were tasty, either way.

After the olives began our flight of small plates, most of which were simply one bit’s worth for each of us – just a taste, leaving room for all that was to come. First, we had a delicious seared Greek cheese topped with steak tartar. Next came the Buffala – creamy mozzarella topped with anchovies over a cucumber-and-something puree, also quite lovely. After that, the first of the evening’s real knock-outs arrived at our table: three dates, stuffed with mascarpone cheese and a few well-placed grains of salt, rosted to gooey heavenliness. Next was the one thing we disagreed on: little sandwiches of pork shoulder and beets that were reminiscent of Chinese pork buns but also different. My mom and I thought these were divine, my dad was blah on them. Then, two at once: a plate of two deliciously battered soft-shelled crabs, and a set of three crostini topped with a fish roe sauce, both quite tasty.

The last of our appetizers were a perfect summer dish, and a perfect cap to this extended first course: watermelon slices, topped with a bit of strong feta and arucola leaves. Delish! The pacing of these plates was slow – there was a good pause between each dish – and I found it perfect. We savored each small plate, and had time for its flavor to fade from our palettes before the next experience began. I should also note that, more than once, we didn’t even notice the servers clearing our empty plates – they were that quick, smooth, and unobtrusive.

Komi
1509 17th St, NW
202-332-9200

Following the appetizer series (which could itself have made a perfectly excellent light dinner), our wine server came and poured our first glasses of wine, explaining each vintage and why it was paired with our respective pasta dishes. I have no idea what the wines were, but they were all Greek or Italian, and very yummy.

For our pasta, my mom ordered the pappardelle in roasted baby goat ragú, my dad the linguini alla vongole, and I the ravioli. Each was delicious, but I think that my ravioli, filled with ricotta cheese and in a light Bolognese, edged the others a touch to be the best (lucky me!).

After pasta, came the ‘main’ dishes. My parents split the whole roasted bronzini, which came out light, fluffy, very lemony and totally delicious, while I also thoroughly enjoyed my white tuna wrapped in speck. The tuna was cooked to perfection, and its speck ‘skin’ complimented the fish extraordinarily well. Though we all had fish, we opted for red wines as opposed to white. Our server presented us with a pair of relatively light, dry reds, perfectly matched to our meals. My parents liked theirs so well, my dad wrote down the vintage: Paunus Cesanese del Piglio – 2003, Lazzio, Italy. It was really, really good.

But wait! There’s more. After our fish course, and some time for digestion, arrived a plate of three cheeses: a soft goat’s blue, relatively mild but still tasty; a Romano surpassing any I’ve ever had before; and a soft-in-texture-but-not-flavor sheep’s cheese, which had a powerful aroma and beginning, but mellowed beautifully in the back of the mouth. There was more fantastic wine here, too.

Finally came dessert. My mom had a selection of sorbets, the highlight of which was nectarine. My dad had baklava gelato – topped with philo and crumbled pistachios, it was absolutely divine. For reasons of personal pride, I would like to say that my dessert, the home-made donuts with chocolate mousse, was the best, but to be fair, the gelato’s competition was fierce. I have to call this one a tie or, in more sensible terms, an “always go with someone who will order the other so you can have both.”

At the end of these many courses, spanning more than two and a half hours, we all agreed that we were full. Not stuffed: just full. And very, very happy. The house-made orange lollipops that came with the cheque were saved for later (I had mine the next day, and it was quite yummy), and we all agreed that Komi had easily lived up to the hype. This is easily my new favorite place in DC.

It’s not cheap – the dinner was $64 and the wine pairing $40, but for the amount and quality of the food, it’s no at all overpriced.

I Punish My Liver So You Don't Have To

Fellow DCFUD scribe Jason and I went to Dr. Dremo's in Arlington last night for a pint (or three) of beer. Dremo's has a few self-brewed beers, including their tasty James Brown, Redneck and Centennial Pale Ales, plus a decent selection of microbrews and imports. Usually, their taste is spot-on - Rogue Dead Guy Ale on draft, for instance, is one of the better beers to come from the Pacific Northwest, and Smuttynose Porter is always a good time.

But, just like every Chris Farley has his Rob Schneider, and every Empire Strikes Back has its Phantom Menace, Abita's Purple Haze is like that dumb kid in college who brought down the bell curve. It's full of raspberries - that fruit can kill a beer, as Oxford's Rasperry Wheat comes to mind - and this New Orleans' brewer uses way too much. It tastes like a torte without the cream cheese. Of Abita's roster of fine brews, this is their weakest.

I worked for Harpoon Brewery of Boston during the `90s microbrew boom, and got to taste-test the competition. Sounds like a post-college dream job, but for every quality Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, New Belgium's Fat Tire Amber or Boulder Brewing Company product I enjoyed, I had about 10 lousy, overwrought, overbrewed, overhopped beers from hell. It seemed every craft brewery in North America wanted to out-do each other with exotic flavors, especially with their seasonal brews. I still get the cold sweats thinking of Pumpkin Ale, Cinnamon & Nutmeg beers, Strawberry and Creme lambics. Sam Adams and Rogue both made Hazelnut beers, which sounded a lot better than they tasted. Frederick Brewing Company made an almost undrinkable hemp beer. My rule of thumb became - "If you can make a pie or hippie shoes from the ingredients, I won't drink the beer."

So, it was with a healthy bit of trepidation that I approached Dremo's Chocolate Donut beer. Beer's not exactly health food as it is, and adding an ungodly amount of sugar just seems unwise. But Dremo's home brews are usually quite tasty, and while I don't suggest dunking this Chocolate Donut into a cold glass of milk, it's a good, sweet beverage. You can definitely taste the rich, almost fudge-like chocolate. It smells like chocolate donut, and is thicker than many porters and some stouts. This would be a fantastic dessert beer.

Consider Chocolate Donut the port of beer.

Dr. Dremo's
2001 Clarendon Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
703-528-4660
drdremo@msn.com

What to Cook When The A/C Breaks

Our Supper Club themes are usually thoughtfully chosen, for reasons like, "Well, soon Mab is getting married, so let's surprise her with a bridal shower, and while we're at it, why don't we make it a gourmet brunch? I'll make the scrambled eggs, you bring the caviar," or "It's cold outside--let's melt a whole bunch of cheese!" This time our theme was "Jocelyn just bought a new table, and it looks vaguely Asian--hey, have we done Thai yet?"

Here are some (but by no means all) of the highlights from Supper Club Thai:

Heather's Green Papaya Salad

1 green papaya (tip: buy your papaya at a Chinese grocer, and make sure it is labed "green papaya" )
1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts (or plain roasted)
approx. 1 cup bean sprouts
1 to 2 tomatoes, cut into long thin strips
1 red chilli, diced (seeds removed if you prefer a milder salad)
3 spring onions, sliced into long matchstick-like pieces
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped if leaves are large

DRESSING:
1/2 tsp. shrimp paste (if vegetarian, substitute with 1 Tbsp. vegetarian fish sauce, or soy sauce)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (if vegetarian, use vegetarian fish sauce)
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. honey

PREPARATION:
Prepare the dressing by mixing together all ingredients in a cup. Make sure shrimp paste dissolves fully. Set aside.
Peel the green papaya, then slice it in half and remove all the white seeds.
Using the "fattest" grater you have, grate the papaya (or you can use a potato peeler to create ribbon-like strips). Place in a large bowl. Add the sliced tomato, spring onion, chilli, bean sprouts, and most of the basil. Add the dressing, tossing to combine.
Add the peanuts. Toss again, and do a taste test. If you've used honey-coated peanuts, the salad should be sweet enough (if not, add a little more honey or brown sugar, as desired). If not salty enough, add a little more fish sauce. Turn onto a platter, and sprinkle with remaining basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Kristen's Coconut Sticky Rice with Mangoes

3 cups sticky rice
2 1/2 cups coconut milk
3/4 cup palm sugar
pinch salt
4 ripe mangoes

Soak the rice overnight (or as long as you've got time for) in half a cup coconut milk and enough water to cover the rice. When you're ready to start cooking, steam the rice in a rice-cooker. Meanwhile, heat the coconut milk over medium heat, and stir in the sugar and salt. When the sugar is all dissolved, and the rice is cooked, stir one cup of the liquid into the rice. Let it sit for a while so all the flavors meld. Peel the mangoes and cut into big slices. Place the mango slices on top of the rice, add the rest of the coconut milk, and serve. The leftovers are fabulous - hot or cold - for breakfast the next morning.

Jocelyn's "Tom Kha Gai" - Coconut Lemongrass soup w/ Chicken

1 lemongrass stem
4 lemon leaves (I couldn't find these, so I didn't use
them)
1 piece galanga (available frozen in most Asian
supermarkets)
8 oz mushrooms
2 tomatoes
1-2 ts chilli paste
1 lb chicken fillets
13 fl oz coconut milk
4 tb lemon juice
4 tb fish sauce

Cut lemongrass into 3 cm long pieces, fold lemon leaves, wash galanga and slice.
Cut mushrooms into half. Dice tomatoes.
Slice chicken fillets. Heat coconut milk and add lemongrass. Simmer coconut milk for two minutes.
Pour in 3/4 l (1 1/4 pts) water and heat. Add chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes and simmer for five minutes.
Season with chilli paste, fish sauce and lemon juice.
Remove lemongrass and lemon leaves before serving.

Oh, and one other thing--if you're throwing a Thai dinner party at your house, and your a/c breaks, just remember, Thai food is supposed to be served in a tropical locale! Just turn up the music and pretend you planned it that way all along.

A (wary) defense of La Tasca

Truth be told, I've always kind of considered La Tasca the poor man's Jaleo. The tapas aren't as high a quality as the Jose Andres restaurant, plus La Tasca has the added "bonus" of sporting a decor that, as my friend Audrey put it, "invites the image of Antonio Banderas swinging in on a chandelier." Plus, it hails from the dreaded "Arlington Chain Restaurant" family (though come on; there's four La Tascas and three Jaleos. Is this really giving them a fair shake?)

I wonder if a poor man's Jaleo with cheesy decor really is a bad thing. Sometimes you really are poor, and feel like taking advantage of La Tasca's within-walking distance location. Plus, there's the occasional roaming Flamenco dancer. I've found La Tasca's tapas hit and miss, but they're cheaper than Jaleo, have larger pitchers of sangria, and are a great place to hold a birthday gathering. On the negative side, our service was pretty inattentive (and I prefer the traditional tapas serving style of bringing dishes out when they're ready, rather than overwhelming the table all at once).

So really, it's your call. Don't walk into La Tasca expecting a culinary epiphany. But don't hang your head in shame as you enter its doors, either. But don't worry. I won't be coming by next week with a (wary) defense of The Cheesecake Factory. Some things are blasphemy.

The tapas we sampled this weekend:

Sangria a La Tasca: So fruity you forget it contains alcohol, their offering may be too sweet for some sangria purists, but it's delicious and the pitchers are generous. And if it's not your thing, they have about 8 other options for you (even, strangely, a Red Bull sangria).

Patatas Bravas: This was fried potatoes with a tomato sauce and a garlic aioli. A little on the soggy side, but satisfying (I must confess a prejudice; I don't like mayonnaise, so I avoided the aioli)

Manchego and Jamon Serrano: Good ham and cheese, but definitely could have used a less generous dousing of olive oil

Monkfish: Subtle without being bland; I was a fan.

Baby Octopus: Just enough chewiness and crunch for my taste - a simple, paprika-based presentation.

Salmon y Queso Fresco: Almost seemed a little too NY-breakfast to be at home in a Spanish restaurant, these rounds of bread with cream cheese and salmon were nonetheless tasty.

Flank steak and potatoes: The sherry-based marinade for the meat was fantastic.

Tomato and goat cheese salad: A refreshing side dish, particularly in light of some of our heavier choices

Shrimp with avocado: The shrimp were good; they skimped a bit on the avocado, but it was a nice combination.

Lamb chops: Meaty offerings, nice and tender.

Marinated pork loin: I found the accompanying peppers overcooked and uninteresting, but the pork was thinly-cut and well-seasoned.

What to "Cook" in Flores

The restaurant next to the Petenchal Guest House in Flores was tiny and charmless and grubby, with sunbleached pictures of the World Cup teams taped to the walls. Even to backpackers, this was an inauspicious place, and we walked past it in our search for good local food one night. But "good" and "local" were almost mutually exclusive for me in Guatemala, as I remain unconvinced of the charms of beans and corn tortillas. Oh, how I craved fruit (forbidden by my Lonely Planet) and milk (impossible to find).

Flores is a pretty and colorful but tiny town on an island in the middle of Lago Peten Itza, so before long we were back where we started, in front of our guest house and the grubby restaurant. This time there was a older couple seated out front: Maya, by their dress. The woman had twinkly eyes, and when she saw us approach, she smiled at us. I thought, she knows something about this place that we don't.

Even before our food arrived, I was thinking of Thailand. When the Boy had taken his students to Chiang Mai six weeks before, he had signed them up for a cooking class, and come back with tales of searching the markets for spices with the chef, and tossing unpronounceable ingredients into exotic dishes. I was enchanted, and wondered why I had never thought of that in my travels. So when the waiter came over to chat (something I loved about Guatemala), I asked him if he knew where I could learn to make Guatemalan food. Within minutes it was settled--we were to come back the next day, and the cooks would teach us. Did we speak Spanish? No. The cooks spoke no English, would this be a problem? No, in fact, it was even better. And the food, when it came, was good, heavy, but strange--there was a tang to it, something familiar but wrong.

The next afternoon, the tiny kitchen was a hundred degrees. The cooks, Olga (in the picture) and Rosa, were younger than us, cheerful, and found us terribly amusing. They showed us how to assemble burritos, and put mayonnaise on top, much to my dismay. That's what the strange taste was the night before! They microwaved some pulled meat and had me slice up an avocado. That I could already do. They showed us how to mix corn flour and water and shape the paste into tortillas to cook on the griddle. They asked us (by showing us a menu) what else we want to learn, and I realized--this is why there are no cooking classes in Guatemala. There is hardly any cooking. So far in that country I had not eaten anything that was complex or well-spiced or sauced or slow-simmered. The meats were delicious and tender, but I suspected that any meat-preparation class would begin with the words, "First, catch a chicken."

Still wanting fruit and milk, I turned to look at the shelves, and saw plantains. I pickd them up and put them into the cold frying pan, saying, "Fry?" Olga and Rosa were pleased that I chose that, and showed me how to slice up the plantain and put it into extremely hot oil. I get speckled with little oil burns. Rosa got a bowl of white goo out of the fridge and offered me some. It tasted like a combination of cream cheese and frosting. "Queso!" she said. "Name of cheese?" I asked in my best Spanish. She shrugged. "Queso." I'll never know. Freshly fried plantains with sweet cheese turned out to be exactly what I needed in Guatemala, shared with two girls who laughed at every English word we said.

Farmers' Market Finds

It's kind of amazing I've lived in Courthouse for a year and never made it to the Arlington Farmers' Market (which during the summer is operating 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays). Now that I've been, I won't continue to neglect the place.

The market is considered a "Producer's Market", which means all the participants have to have made or grown all their products. And what an array of products it is!

Saturday's trip was profitable. Blackberries. Peach Lemonade. Horseradish Cheddar. Purple peppers. Short ribs. You name it, I threw it in my backpack for the bike-ride home (I'm going to need to get a basket one of these days).

Here are a couple recipes using my Farmer's Market loot. But I highly recommend you check it out, whether you're in the market for homemade soap, corn on the cob or that delicious sorbet that everyone lines up to try.

Blackberry polenta cake
I used 2 tbl sugar and found that I wanted a sweeter cake, so I'm upping the recipe. If it does not come out as sweet as you'd like, top with maple syrup, as I did

1 cup fresh blackberries from farmer's market
1 cup flour
1 cup dry polenta
4 tbl sugar
2.5 tsp baking powder
about a tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted

Blend dry and wet ingredients separately, and then together. Pour into pie pan. Add blackberries, spread out evenly throughout pie. Bake at 400 for approx 20-25 minutes.

Stacked Eggplant Parmesan
breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 large purple eggplants from farmer's market
half a large ball of fresh mozzarella from farmer's market
1 can diced tomatoes
handful basil from farmer's market
Italian spices of your choice
olive oil

In saucepan, combine tomatoes, basil, spices and a touch of olive oil and simmer as you prepare eggplant. Preheat oven to 375.

While sauce is simmering, peel eggplant and slice into rounds. Dip in egg, than coat with breadcrumbs. Brown in oil.

Stack eggplant circles with little slices of mozzarella in between each round in square baking pan.

Pour sauce over eggplant stacks.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Serve with pasta or as sandwiches.

Basil/Arugula Pesto
Pine nuts will certainly work with this recipe; I just happened to have almonds on hand

1 cup basil from farmer's market, packed
1 cup arugula from farmer's market, packed
about 1/2 cup olive oil
about 1/4 cup almonds, ground
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup romano cheese

Chop argula and basil in food procesor. Add nuts and garlic, then cheese, then oil in a steady stream until desired consistency is reached. Serve room temperature over pasta, spread over bread, etc.

East Meets NW

Anyone familiar with the DC blogosphere knows that approximately one out of every four DC blogs is dedicated to complaints about our nation's capital. Transplants from New York, especially, say that DC is boring, but I am completely baffled by that statement. How are they not completely overwhelmed by all there is to do around here? Do they need a fun starter kit? Here's one! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the International Club of DC. (No, I have absolutely nothing to do with its existence; I just like to present things.)

As part of my never-ending quest to learn to make every sort of cuisine on the planet, I attended the ICDC's Indian Cooking class at Heritage India on Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park. Heritage India chef Sanjeev Tuli led a lively, sparks-flying demonstration of five courses. Strangely, he started off with a calamari appetizer, which is not exactly Indian by Heritage, but was sautéed with coconut and lemon for an Indian-fusion flavor. The squid was beautifully tender and delicate, even though I couldn't shake the "but this is Italian!" feeling....as I scarfed down my calamari.

Happily, the remaining courses were more authentically Indian: chicken pasanda (a light chicken curry in a creamy almond sauce, and the clear crowd favorite), vegetable dishes aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower)and bhindi masala (sautéed okra), and kheer (a sweet, wholesome-tasting rice pudding). Tuli even passed around curry leaves and curry powder to demonstrate the gap in aroma and flavor between the two. Tuli was dismissive of curry powder, saying that it is a "British invention" having nothing to do with Indian cooking. I personally love curry powder, but I had to admit there was a big difference between the two, and resolved to cook with curry leaves next time, just to mix it up a little.

Recipes were given out at the end of the three-hour class, but Mr. Tuli could not be reached for permission to reprint them here. Luckily for you, however, the ICDC is offering this class again on Sunday, September 3, from noon to 3. The class includes a demonstration, lunch with dessert, and recipes, and costs $39 for a limited time. I recommend you buy your tickets as soon as possible, as these classes always sell out.

Namaste, and happy cooking, DC!

Natalia's Elegant Creations

Ok, I'll admit it. My standard response to anyone recommending Cakelove for anything other than an eclair is "have you tried Natalia's Elegant Creations?" And yes, I know...some of you like the Cakelove cupcakes. Well, maybe those of you that haven't - as I have - been spoiled by NYC cupcakes from places like Magnolia and Buttercup. I haven’t tried Natalia’s cupcakes yet, but if they are the same quality as her cakes, they should be quite good.

Natalia does not have a storefront, but her cakes, bars, cookies, and cupcakes are available at Dean & DeLuca in Georgetown. She can be reached through her website, or phoned at (571) 239-0256.

I was lucky enough to try Natalia's desserts last summer, when she was selling at the Clarendon Farmer's Market...until a positive article about her - made from scratch, European-style - baked goods appeared in the Washington Post food section. At that point, she was just too busy to shlep to farmer's markets.

You can order directly from Natalia, and have her deliver to you for a fee, which is $7 for Arlington and Falls Church, and $7-12 for DC, and Fairfax and Montgomery counties. By ordering direct, you can request custom orders, and order from her catalog, including gluten-free or nut-free items.

Natalia is currently looking for a location for a storefront. I hope that works out for her.

Dean & DeLuca
3276 M St. NW
202-342-2500

From West Marin To The World

One of the best things about having gone to culinary school in San Francisco is that there really is no other place in this country where everything comes so neatly together. There are three world-class wine regions within an hour's drive, there are all sorts of fresh seafood (both fin and shell fish) coming in from the Pacific ocean and the San Francisco bay, and best of all, California has all sorts of farmers' markets where local farmers will sell their wares. Even the local 7-11 carries varieties of food and wine that you have to go to Dean & Deluca to get here.

While I was out there, I indulged in the guilty pleasure of practically every other chef in town: cheese. For most of us, Whole Foods served as our local dealer (really, it is very similar to crack cocaine, you give the guy behind the counter a ten-spot, and he gives you a "rock" of the latest and greatest cheese they have). It was at a local market that I became aware of one of the best cheese-makers in the Bay area: Cowgirl Creamery. Founded by two women that were no strangers to the culinary world, Cowgirl Creamery quickly gained a very good reputation for turning out some of the tastiest cheeses around, simply by being extremely fussy over the ingredients they chose to use.

In addition to a very tasty creme fraiche, the folks at cowgirl creamery make a very addictive cottage cheese (we're not talking Breakstone's here), and a classic fromage blanc to round out their fresh cheeses. As for their aged cheeses, I like the Mount Tam (named for Mt. Tamalpais in the north bay), and the St. Pat, which is their seasonal spring cheese, wrapped in stinging nettle leaves (the leaves are washed and frozen first to remove the sting), which impart a smoky artichoke flavour. Their Pierce Point cheese, which is only produced in the fall and winter, is washed in a muscato wine, and rolled in dried herbs from the Tomales bay coastal region, which produces a complex yet not overpowering cheese.

The reason I'm telling you all of this is because the women that founded Cowgirl Creamery are originally from this area, and they have just opened a store in the Penn Quarter of the district (right down the street from the newly renovated Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery). In addition to cheese, their store here also sells charcuterie (cured meats, among other things), local breads, and wines. Check it out!

Cowgirl Creamery
919 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 393-6880