You know you're a food nerd when...

Have any of your recent menus contained these words:

Basically, have you been to Minibar. If so, today's Achewood has the cultural commentary for you.

La Casa Blanca cerca de la Casa Blanca

(The White House near the White House)

I’ve eaten at Casa Blanca at Vermont Avenue and K Street several times. The restaurant serves both Mexican and Peruvian cuisines. I have ordered from the Peruvian menu each time, although my friend raved about the enchiladas. I will try the enchiladas or burritos on my next visit. I have also seen diners happily digging into chips and an interesting looking salsa, so that is something else I may order next time around.

I’ve tried the arroz con pollo ($6.25), the chicharron con yucca ($6.95), and the pollo saltado ($7.95). The arroz con pollo consisted of chicken and rice with salad. The chicharron consisted of fried chunks of pork with fried yucca. Pollo saltado included chunks of chicken, red onions and tomatoes, and is served with French fries and rice. Their salads have a tangy vinagrette-like dressing.

This restaurant serves fresh and tasty food at inexpensive prices. It is a good option for either dining in or takeout. The last time I was there, which was Friday around 1pm, the restaurant was packed, so you may want to the place after the lunch rush. They have some sort of happy hour in the evening.

The first picture is of the the chicharron con yuca, while the second is of my friend's enchiladas. When I saw the enchiladas, I almost ordered a second lunch - like a Hobbit. :)

My only complaint is that the empanadas were not good. I think they microwaved them to heat them up, destroying the texture.

A slightly outdated version of Casa Blanca’s menu is available at http://washingtondc.menupages.com.

Casa Blanca
1014 Vermont Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20005
202 393-4430

Promoting the Restaurant.com promotion yet again...

Apply the code SUPER to receive 60% off at Restaurant.com for gift certificates valid at over 7,000 participating restaurants. They have $25 gift certificates available for $4 after coupon. Some restrictions apply. Offer expires 1/31/2007.

This does not only apply to DC Area restaurants, and I have used them in various cities. Locally, I have used Restaurant.com's certificates for Matsutake and The Front Page, although the former is currently out of stock. I see that they have certificates available for Frontpage ($25 for Ballston, $10 for DC), Meskarem ($10), Ben's Chili Bowl ($10), The Charley Horse Grill ($25), Alero ($25), etc.

Just look at the restrictions very carefully because there may be party size requirements, the certificates may not be valid certain times or days, etc.

-jay

New Website for Gastronauts

For those of you who read my articles on Thai cooking and Spanish tapas-making with lust in your hearts: My oft-mentioned "Supper Club" is forming new groups in the DC area, and we're looking for smart, fun foodies to contribute. If you’re interested in getting involved with this cooking/wining/dining organization, check us out at GourmetGirls.org.

Note from the ED- the 'my' here is the lovely Karen - go check it out!

DCFUD Guest Guide: U Street

As "locals", we always try to give help our out-of-town guests move beyond the typical White House/Monuments/Museums experience. And since we like food, somehow we always end up taking them to our favorite restaurants and bars. And given that we find ourselves taking guests to the same place, over and over again, we figured we're present to you our "going out with guests" guides, by neighborhood, starting with our most frequent, the U Street Corridor.

DCFUD's Guide to Where to Take Guests in the U Street Area

Dinner
Creme Cafe (1322 U Street NW / 202-234-1884)
Still some of the most creative and tasty food in the D.C. area. This southern-inspired restaurant is among our currents favorite and never fails to be a hit with out-of-towners. Get the pork and beans.
[DCFUD Review - Washington Post Review]

Dessert
Love Cafe (1501 U Street NW / 202-265-9800)
While opinions of Cakelove cupcakes vary widely, it’s still a D.C. institution and a great place to get dessert and coffee in the U Street area.
[Washington Post Review]

Post-Dinner Drinks
Cafe Saint-Ex (1847 14th Street NW / 202-265-7839)
With good drinks, a nice bar, and a downstairs bar/lounge which frequently hosts great DJs, it's hard to top Saint Ex for a nice place to chill -- or dance the rest of the night away.
[Washington Post Review]

Late Night Munchies
Ben's Chili Bowl (1213 U Street, N.W. / 202-667-0909)
Open Friday and Saturday nights until 4 a.m., Ben's epitomizes U Street. Around since the late 1950s, Ben's serves some of the best chili half-smokes in the world. Be prepared for a long line -- but have no fear, it moves fast. No one should be allowed to leave D.C. without visiting Ben's.
[Washington Post Review]

RW - Taberna del Alabardero

It was no surprise that Taberna Del Alabardero would have a delicious menu for Restaurant Week. The place is synonymous with quality and hospitality on both sides of the Atlantic. Despite the reviews I've read, I still wasn't prepared for the majesty of the place, nearly dwarfing the quality of the food.

It would be wise for all interior decorators and designers to study the Taberna, to show how a restaurant can "make and entrance" like a movie star. The small, crowded bar area was full of people waiting for their tables or content to munch on tapas. That small waiting area quickly gives way to glorious dining chambers, featuring high ceilings, bold red paint and soft lighting. Tables are spaced far enough apart to lend a sense of privacy, and the design allows for plenty of background noise that never intrudes. The walls are decorated with various paintings, a whimsical hat decoration frames the coat check closet; classic prints from the Old World, and lend to the illusion that the next two hours will be spent in the south of Spain, not two blocks from the White House.

My friends at the table remarked at the quality of the duck mixed in with their field greens. Duck can be a tricky bird to serve, as it can go from soft and flaky to overcooked and gamey with little warning, but the light salt taste and gentle texture gave good contrast to the salad. The white bean soup was complemented with pieces of quail and slab bacon, and I was tempted to order another bowl or three. The mushroom sauce topping the salmon drew raves, while the peppered flank and potatoes were seasoned perfectly. My only complaint was that I should have ordered the white and dark chocolate mousse with almond whisky sponge cake - yeah, I gained a pound just writing that. I ordered the flan, and while it was certainly acceptable, the mousse was clearly the star.

After such a fine meal, Chef Santi Zabaleta's tasting menu looks a lot like my upcoming birthday gift from myself to myself...and it's a lot more affordable than an iPhone!

*************************************************
Taberna Del Alabardero
1776 I Street NW
Washington DC 20006
202-429-2200

Adventures in Christmas Cooking: Tofu Wellington

Despite being Jewish, Christmas is a big deal in my family. Essentially, we treat it like a Jewish holiday: an opportunity to get together lots of extended family for tons of food, lots of wine, and the occasional, uhm, heated discussion. This year, my mother had decided that we were going to have beef Wellington for Christmas dinner, an option which certainly appealed to me.

The thing is, early on Christmas afternoon, as we were preparing the beef, it occurred that one of the cousins coming to dinner is a vegetarian, and banishing her to mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce just didn’t seem OK. So, vague schemes in mind, I set out to the grocer for inspiration and ingredients. There I purchased tofu, garlic, and Italian parsley; I’d wanted spinach, but they had none.

By the time I got home, my plan was hatched. This is what I had:

1 block extra firm tofu, well-drained and sliced in half (lengthwise)
5 cloves garlic
3/4 cup water and 1 cube veggie bullion (or 3/4 cup stock)
olive oil
sherry vinegar
Italian parsley
Cremini and shitake mushrooms (mostly cremini)
Half an onion
Garlic
Puff pastry shell
Eggs, beaten with a little water
Salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 425.

First, I minced 4 cloves garlic, added the stock/bullion with a a handful of parsley, some oil, and a splash of vinegar. I put the tofu (cut down the center to make two thinner blocks, side-by-side) in this and covered it to marinate at room temperature.

Next, I chopped the mushrooms and onion. I sautéed them in olive oil with salt, pepper, and some garlic. I set that aside in the refrigerator.

When the tofu had marinated a couple of hours (more might have been nice), I poured off the marinade into a large frying pan, and then added the tofu, which I sautéed over low-medium heat for about 15 minutes per side. When finished, I drained and placed it in the refrigerator.

While that cooled, I sautéed the remaining parsley in oil and more vinegar, with the remaining clove of garlic (minced), and put that in the fridge to cool.

Then, when everything was cool, I rolled out the pastry shell, layering as follows: mushroom mix, one half of the tofu, parsley, the second half of the tofu, and some more mushroom-mix. I wrapped it up, using the egg mix as paste, painted egg mix all over the outside, and cooked until pastry was golden - about 30 minutes.

The result was a hit with even non-vegetarian guests, and disappeared rather swiftly.

You can re-create the beef version of this in obvious ways, though I suggest dropping the parsley and adding a layer of Boursin, or something similar to it.

Restaurant Week Report: Mendocino Grille

The California cuisine and intimate but unpretentious atmosphere drew my group to Mendocino Grille to kick off Restaurant Week on Monday. Though Restaurant Week isn't always the best time for a place to show off its charms (particularly in the service arena), we still had a fine enough experience for us to gravitate towards the restaurant again...that is, when we all get raises.

Mendocino's menu is already on the small side, so when they limit the Restaurant Week options by tacking on $5 and $7 upcharges to the majority of the appetizers and
entrees (even on some desserts), the selections which allow you to stay in the $30 range become pretty limited. Still, all six of us managed to enjoy our meals while avoiding the upcharges (yeah, we're those customers the management loves this week; at least we ordered alcohol), though not all were wowed with every selection.

I started with the duck confit appetizer. I'm not a huge fan of sweet dishes, so I was pleased that Mendocino's offering stayed squarely in the "savory" category; not necessarily a guarantee when you're having duck. This one sat on a bed of meaty white beans, and the skin was nice and crispy. I was pleased with my entree, thinly-sliced hanger steak on a bed of pureed potatoes and broccoli rabe, accented with a peppercorn sauce. The dish was slightly marred by the omnipresent whole peppercorns, but delicious overall. The biggest surprise for me was dessert - there are few around that suit my tastes, but the goat cheese cheesecake with citrus sorbet had a just-right combination of tartness and creaminess for me. Overall, the portions are measured, if not generous.

Friends raved about the beet salad and striped bass, but were underwhelmed by mushroom consumme and house cavatelli (which should be noted was the only vegetarian choice of entree). No dessert, whether it be banana ice cream or chocolate pot de creme, was consumed without praise.

Mendocino's charms that might go unnoticed during a Restaurant Week excursion include an extensive wine list with many by-the-glass options (I had no qualms with the tart "J" Pinot Gris I chose) and a wonderful cheese selection; it has much in common with its trendy sister restaurant Sonoma on the Hill. Service wasn't impeccable - it was rather slow and two parties' credit cards were wrongly charged - but was polite and gracious throughout the meal. While my budget will likely put me back at Sonoma than have me returning to Mendocino, the food convinced me that the restaurants' purveyors deserve my patronage in either context.

Mendocino Grille
2917 M Street
Washington, DC
20007
202-333-2912

DCFUD Attacks Restaurant Week - Table Bussers Annoyed!

We at DCFUD try to get together every month or two for a small happy hour, discuss new restaurants, recipes, chefs on the move, all the good gossip in town. Last month, we ate at Nirvana, the fine vegetarian Indian restaurant in Northwest, and while the food was delicious and the service impeccable, the lack of meat in the meals dictated that our group Restaurant Week outing had to rectify that. The task of organizing a RW dinner fell into my hands, and as our dear friend and colleague MAW would be heading back to grad school down South on Tuesday, we had to do something Monday night. We passed around a list of participating restaurants, and selected which ones we'd like to try. Our short list included Viridian, Taberna Del Alabardero, The Prime Rib and Bobby Van's Steakhouse. It's hard to find fault with any of those places, and my experience at Bobby Van's last summer certainly made me eager to go back. We selected Bobby Van's for the meal as they were able to accommodate our group, and to our pack of carnivores, there's just something about a good steak.

As was the case previously, the food was straightforward, seasoned and cooked to perfection. Our server Paul was conversational, friendly and, in a skill so many servers seem to lack, understood the light-hearted mood of our group. And, just like last year, Chef Eric was making the rounds, though this time he recommended that we try a serving of scallops with seaweed, radishes, mashed potatoes and a light sauce. No ridiculously exotic ingredients, but presented and prepared wonderfully. While everybody else enjoyed the RW offerings, I chose their standard menu's Porterhouse for Two...by myself. My ability to overeat is almost legendary - ask DCFUD scribe Jason about my one-man attack on Kam Fong last New Year's Day - and the chance to order what Washingtonian Magazine called the finest porterhouse in the city was all I needed to go from gourmet to gourmand. And what an absolutely wonderful cut! Each bite was glorious; the New York Strip side flavorful and the Filet Mignon side tender, the whole seared with the right amount of crust. Remember John Candy's steak-eating scene in The Great Outdoors, when those last bites forced down with anger and spite? Not me - I'll admit the presence of a small tear in my eye when the bone was bussed away. We didn't mean to be the last group in the restaurant, and we apologize to any of Bobby Van's staff who may have missed a bus or Metro.

For those looking for last-minute reservations, Viridian is packed tighter than a Tokyo subway train, and considering their RW special is pretty much everything on their menu, they get bonus points for really getting into the spirit of the event. The Prime Rib has long remained a mystery to us at DCFUD - our startling lack of trust funds, expense accounts or lottery winnings has rendered this fine restaurant untouchable to our meager budgets - and a mystery it shall remain for us as they are only participating in RW for lunch. Bobby Van's is busy during the prime dining hours, but their bar side should accommodate smaller parties and offers the RW menu. Taberna Del Alabardero is likewise busy during the 7pm to 9pm stretch, but the menu looks like it'll be worth the wait. I'll let you know after Friday night!

Let us know where you're going and what you've enjoyed in the comments. We're always appreciative of restaurants that treat RW as a chance to shine rather than a tiresome gimmick to fill some seats.

Couscous for Breakfast

Inspired by Claudia Roden's gorgeous Moroccan/Lebanese/Turkish cookbook Arabesque, I turned the kitchen into a minor disaster last night, with completely worth-it results. Lamb Tagine with Apricots and Eggplant with Yogurt and Pomegranate may take three hours to cook if you have to reduce pomegranate juice into pomegranate molasses yourself, but I loved every second of it. Plus your kitchen will still smell amazing the next day.

It was this smell that inspired me to open up the same cookbook this morning in search of something sweetish and starchy for breakfast. I ended up adapting the recipe for "Sweet Couscous" into something a little less impressive (I didn't, for example, shape it into cones or decorate it), but much easier to do first thing in the morning.

Boil 1 cup of water, and stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar. (You can skip the sugar if you have remembered to buy confectioner's sugar--just sprinkle it on at the end in that case.) When sugar has completely dissolved, turn off heat and stir in 1 cup of plain couscous. Let it stand for about ten minutes to allow water to absorb, then stir in 1/4 stick of butter cut into small pieces. (If your couscous has gotten cold you can stick it in the oven to warm it up first.) Fluff it up a little with a fork, and serve with honey and cinnamon, and maybe dried fruit.

Vegetarian Sauce Provinçial

A few weeks ago I decided to treat myself to my own version of Mom Krasnow’s Sauce Provinçial – minus the meat. Instead, I added something that every vegetarian loves (provided you mix it with something that actually has a taste) Tofu. Also added a few side dishes and an apéritif.

According to Wikopedia an aperitif is an alcoholic drink usually used as an appetizer before a large meal. Though I usually eat light, I’m sure the folks at Wikopedia won’t mind me saying I had one before I went vegetarian hog-wild on my small course.

For my first culinary feat I sought out the cheapest bottle of white wine that I could find at Giant. So for $4.99 I picked up a bottle of Funky Llama chardonnay, which hails from Argentina, a country actually known for its wine. According to the company that makes the wine, its wines “are a clean expression of our land, lively, fresh, and flavorful.”

To see if Funky Llama is what the makers say, I poured about six ounces of the chardonnay in a wine glass then added a pinch of Cassis. The result is a drink with a sweat and tangy taste all rolled up in one. It was, well, it made me want to go back to Argentina to see La Boca, a neighborhood in Buenos Aires with multi-colored houses. Unfortunately I missed this attraction last time I visited.

Kir (aperitif)
white wine (a glass, i.e., 6-8 oz)
Cassis (less than half a tspn, the less the better)

Squash Con Nada
Squash (two)
Pam no-stick cooking spray

Pre-heat your oven to at least 350 degrees F. Cut the washed squash into half-inch rings. Cover a pan with tin foil and spray it with Pam. Put the squash rings in the pan. Let the squash heat for a half an hour or until it’s ready.

Naked String Beans
String beans (3/4 lb)

Remove the ends from the washed string beans. Place them in a steamer with boiling water. Let the string beans heat for 15 –20 minutes, or until they are ready. Drain the water.

Sauce Provinçial a-la Tofu
Olive oil (two tbsn)
Onion, big white (one, chopped)
Minced garlic (one tbsn)
Vermouth (1/2 cup)
Black olives (6-8 oz)
Tofu cubed (4-5 oz)

Add olive oil and chopped onions to frying pan. Allow the onions to sauté for an hour. Add garlic, vermouth, black olives, and tofu. Sauté the items until they are heated and blended. Don’t forget to put in the olives like I did. They’re the best part.

This post is by Guest Bogger Jay D. Krasnow from www.hyperactivestyle.com. Thanks Jay!