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The Blind Dog Cafe

by Jenna on May 15, 2012

I love the Logan Circle/14th Street area neighborhood. I think it has the perfect mix of culture, local businesses, excellent restaurants, and necessity stores such as Whole Foods and CVS. However, my one complaint about my neighborhood is the lack of a casual coffee joint that offers wireless access, a comfortable seating area, and something good to snack on. We’ve got a Starbucks and a Caribou Coffee that are uninspiring, I adore the coffee at Pitango Gelato but there is no seating, and Peregrine Espresso recently joined the hood but also lacks a comfortable loungey atmosphere. So, I’m on the hunt for a great spot that allows me to park myself for the day and get things done in a nice atmosphere. I adore Yola in Dupont Circle and after checking out Blind Dog Cafe above U Street this weekend I might have found a new spot to frequent.

Iced latte and a sugared almond scone at The Blind Dog Cafe.

The Blind Dog Cafe is about as chill as it gets. No frills and nothing fancy going on in here. In fact you might think it’s a bit dumpy… but in a charming sort of way. The clientele is mainly hipsters who live in the area, and the interior is filled with couches to make you feel as though you are in someone’s living room. There is also a large outdoor patio which is a great place to hang out in the nice weather. Finally, this place offers free wi-fi which is so important these days. I parked myself at Blind Dog for a few hours on Sunday to do some blogging and was surrounded by about ten others who were also pounding away on their Macbooks.

Barista bar at Blind Dog Cafe

The icing on the cake at Blind Dog Cafe is that they serve fantastic coffee and food. Their lattes are as good as it gets and their homemade scones and chocolate chip cookies are to die for. The salads and sandwiches also look wonderful although I have not had the chance to sample them just yet. I am hoping that the Logan area gains a neighborhood coffee spot soon enough. In the meantime, Blind Dog is a quick walk and an easy outing on a nice day.

Blind Dog Cafe
www.blinddogcafe.com
944 Florida Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20001

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The Grille at Morrison House

by Jenna on May 14, 2012

Just a few steps off of King Street in Old Town Alexandria sits a lovely quaint hotel called Morrison House. It’s a throwback to the older days with a parlor, library, and a piano bar. Morrison House is not your typical modern Kimpton Hotel, instead it draws from the more traditional style given its Virginia location, and the hotel itself feels as if it was built in the early 1900′s because of the grandeur– I was shocked to hear it was actually built in 1985. Stepping inside the Morrison House makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time and entered a turn of the century inn with a friendly and welcoming staff and a bar that makes you want to sit for days.

Morrison House in Old Town Alexandria. Photo credit: Eric Taylor

It was a very rainy night when I was invited to join the Kimpton group for a media dinner at The Grille. The weather was perfect for the occasion as the restaurant has a dark wood bar, deep upholstered brown leather chairs, and offers a menu of comforting and hearty dishes that work well on a cold night. They started us off with warm rolls from the kitchen that had almost a crossaint-like quality to them. They were soft and buttery and I couldn’t help but eat two. I settled on the salmon tartare as my appetizer which was served as three separate pieces on the plate: tartare topped with caviar, a dollop of creme fraiche in the center, and a small stack of blini pancakes anchoring the other end of the rectangular dish. I assembled each bite by spreading the creme fraiche on a pancake and scooping a bit of the tartare on top, however there is clearly no wrong way to eat this. Assemble at your heart’s content.

Salmon Tartare appetizer at The Grille at Morrison House. Photo credit: Greg Powers

I could not resist ordering the beef bourginon for my main course. It’s a favorite of mine and something that I am frankly afraid to make for myself at home. It hit all the right notes for me– the meat was tender and pulled apart without the need for a knife, the potatoes, cipollini onions, and carrots were crispy and tasted wonderful smothered in the red wine glaze sitting on the bottom of the bowl. I would order this dish again in a heartbeat.

Beef bourginon at The Grille at Morrison House. Photo credit: Greg Powers

Our group decided to order a bunch of desserts to share for the table and we went for the dark chocolate molten lava cake, the apricot pudding cake and the strawberry and rhubarb dish with lemon balm ice cream. The chocolate cake was gooey and delicious as expected but we found the apricot cake to be the sleeper hit in this mix– it was surprisingly my favorite bite because the cake was so moist and the flavors were subtle yet sweet as a result of the balsamic reduction.

Chocolate molten lava cake at The Grille at Morrison House. Photo credit: Greg Powers

The Grille at Morrison House surprised me. I didn’t even know it existed or that it was just a few short steps from the main drag in Old Town. Chef Brian McPherson does the restaurant proud by bringing classic dishes to life in a traditional and stately atmosphere. The Grille at Morrison House is a perfect spot for a celebration or a special occasion. Add it to the list for the next time you are out in Virginia and I hope you’ll feel transported to a different time the way that I did.

The Grille at Morrison House
116 South Alfred Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
http://www.morrisonhouse.com/mrr-dining

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Seared Cauliflower with Miso Butter

by Chad on April 13, 2012

I had the chance to test out an All-Clad 10″ fry pan this week, and as soon as I prepared my first dish with the pan I regretted not registering for All-Clad when I got married. A good pan does make a difference. I first noticed the difference of All-Clad when I got fed up with a cheap large stockpot that didn’t distribute heat well. I replaced it with a HUGE All-Clad multi-pot and my soups and stocks have turned out much better ever since.

I love cauliflower and I typically steam and mash it and top it with truffle oil, but I wanted to try something new. The saltiness of the miso butter really pairs well with seared cauliflower. I added some baby yellow and red peppers for a little color and sweetness. In the past when making seared cauliflower for a little crunch I have added toasted pine nuts. David Chang is famous for adding Rice Krispies and I tried crumbled kettle cooked potato chips and I was very pleased with the results.

Seared Cauliflower with Miso Butter

1/4 head of cauliflower – sliced into 1/2 inch slivers
2 sliced baby bell peppers
Miso butter – 2 T of room temperature butter mixed w/ 1 T of white miso paste
Ghee – if you don’t have ghee, you can use vegetable oil
Handful crushed potato chips (or use toasted pine nuts or Rice Krispies)
Salt & pepper
1-2 tsp of rice wine vinegar (or to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Heat your 10″ All-Clad pan over medium high heat with 1-2 T of Ghee.

3. Add the cauliflower to the pan, and sear each side until brown. Be careful not to crowd the pan.

4. Add the sliced bell peppers

5. Place pan in oven for 8 minutes until cauliflower is tender

6. Remove the pan from the oven and add the miso butter, salt and pepper. Mix til fully incorporated and melted

7. Add vinegar to taste. It really brightens up the dish

8. Top with your favorite crunch – chips, Rice Krispies or pine nuts

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The Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Truck Tour

by Jenna on April 9, 2012

Who doesn’t like Ben & Jerry’s ice cream? Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, Chubby Hubby and Phish Food are just some of the infamous flavors that we all know and love. Well, great news for Washingtonian’s in the upcoming weeks: the Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Truck is coming to town! From April 16th-May 11th the truck will be handing out FREE scoops of their new flavor, Greek Frozen Yogurt. Fans can request a stop by following the truck on Twitter and tweeting a desired location in the hopes they may get lucky and get their very own visit. The new Greek Frozen Yogurt line includes four delicious flavors:

Strawberry Shortcake: Strawberry Greek Frozen Yogurt with Shortbread Pieces
Raspberry Fudge Chunk: Raspberry Greek Frozen Yogurt with Fudge Chunks
Banana Peanut Butter: Banana Greek Frozen Yogurt with Peanut Butter Swirls
Blueberry Vanilla Graham: Blueberry & Vanilla Greek Frozen Yogurt with Graham Cracker Swirls

DC will be one of the four stops on the East Coast this year so don’t forget to tweet the truck to get your free treat while they are in town.

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Mintwood Place

by Jenna on April 6, 2012

There have been a lot of new restaurant openings across the past few months in the Washington area, but Mintwood Place stands out as a true neighborhood gathering spot that seems to have some serious staying power. It’s lovely, comfortable, unpretentious, and the food is outstanding. Nestled on Columbia Road between two of Adams Morgan’s finest, Cashion’s Eat Place and Perry’s, Mintwood Place provides a new dining option that puts a spin on classic French and American comfort foods.

The interior of Mintwood Place is quite unique with comfortable leather booths and banquettes, a great use of wood throughout, and wrought iron touches which mimic a sort of french country comfortable brasserie. There’s a lively atmosphere with a great mix of customers of all ages, and it feels welcomed to take your time and enjoy a leisurely meal. As an appetizer my friend Arielle and I split the burrata with asparagus and spring garlic (it’s hard for me to say no to burrata). The cheese was so creamy and served atop grilled and browned asparagus and was a perfect dish to split as we also enjoyed the bread and butter that was brought to the table.

Mintwood Place interior. Photo courtesy of www.mintwoodplace.com.

For dinner we both could not resist ordering the tagliatelle bolognese. Once we saw the portion size we quickly realized we could have split one order, but since the pasta was so hearty and delicious we were happy to have our own. The tagliatelle is positioned on the plate as a tightly wound log of pasta with the bolognese hovering atop and a very generous portion of shredded cheese to finish it off. The sauce is made of veal, pork, and beef and had a wonderful mix of seasonings and flavors. I just loved this dish and would have a hard time not ordering it on my next visit.

Tagliatelle Bolognese at Mintwood Place

We did our best to save room for dessert– and it’s a good thing we made that decision because the rhubarb and strawberry crumble was pretty fantastic. Served hot with ice cream on top, the dessert was topped with crunchy sugary crumble that went perfectly with the soft texture of the fruit. Absolutley satisfying and we were both happy all around. I really enjoyed the dinner at Mintwood Place and our waitress kindly gave us the heads up that brunch will begin at the restaurant this coming weekend which I am very much looking forward to try.

New places come and go quite often, but something about Mintwood Place seems right. It works so well in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, and they really nailed the right look and feel as well as a culinary viewpoint that no other restaurants seem to currently have around town. Executive Chef Cedric Maupillier knows how to impress. Mintwood Place is a gem and I am thrilled to be spreading the word about a great new spot that we are lucky to welcome to town.

Mintwood Place
1813 Columbia Road NW
Washington, DC 20009
www.mintwoodplace.com

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Boqueria Brings Spanish Tapas to Dupont Circle

by Jenna on March 29, 2012

Bringing a successful New York City restaurant down to Washington is not always embraced or met with approval. Many believe it can undermine the DC food scene and call into question our ability to produce our own stellar and original dining establishments. There is a reason why we are so proud of our hometown heroes and restaurateurs such as José Andrés, Robert Wiedmaier, and Ashok Bajaj (to name a few): they have created brands associated with Washington, DC that are respected around the world and put us on the map as a culinary destination. Boqueria has been a successful Spanish tapas restaurant in New York City since 2006 with the original location in the Flatiron district and the second outpost in Soho. Just last week Boqueria opened its newest location on the corner of 19th and M Streets NW in the old Penang location just south of Dupont Circle. Having heard great things over the years about the Boqueria in NYC I was excited to give it a try, but also hesitant as to whether it would provide authentic cuisine that was reminiscent of my time spent in Spain. Sure enough, the food was excellent, and I found myself thinking that this new addition to our dining scene from a NYC based “chain” is actually damn good and somewhere I will plan to visit often.

Boqueria DC Bar. Photo courtesy of www.boquerianyc.com.

The restaurant has a large bar area that seats over 25 people and provides a great happy hour menu including Sangria and a few small tapas at very reasonable prices. Boqueria encourages sharing or “family-style” dining so our group ordered multiple dishes for the table so we could get a sampling of some of their best bites. We relied heavily on our very knowledgeable waitress who instructed us to order 2-3 plates per person and made some excellent recommendations. We started with a bottle of the 2010 Albariño which was crisp and perfect for the March spring evening. A cheese plate that included Manchego, Mahón, and Monte Enebro was a great opening act for the meal which was served with pan con tomate, raisin bread, and some olives and other accoutrements.

Meats and cheeses at DC's new Boqueria.

From there the dishes started to filter in as they were ready and there were a few major standouts. We all swooned over the bacon wrapped dates stuffed with almonds and blue cheese. They were sweet and savory at the same time, and they had a dessert-like quality without being too much. The cold tortilla española was authentic and reminded me of the version you get while in Barcelona. The creamy croquettes with mushrooms and serrano ham melted in your mouth and were so smooth and delicious, and we also loved the flavor of the seared lamb skewers which had a kick to them as a result of the salsa verde. The razor clams and oysters were both specials that impressed all of the diners at our table, and finally we were very surprised at how much we loved the vegetables we ordered including the asparagus, sauteed spinach, and wild mushrooms with manchego. They weren’t just throwaway or obligatory sides– these were “must orders” that really stood out and were packed with delicious flavor.

Cheeses, Pan con Tomate, Tortilla Espanola & Bacon Wrapped Dates at Boqueria DC.

Boqueria has only been open for a week and a half so the restaurant was relatively empty when we dined there this week. Might have just been the fact that it was a Monday night, or might be that word has not totally gotten out just yet. Either way, it was a lovely experience with a great group of friends and food that exceeded expectations. As soon as the news travels about this great new Spanish tapas outpost in Dupont Circle I can assure you the tables will be booked up and the wait times will increase. It’s a fun spot, and even though it might be a New York transplant, we should still embrace it as a great addition to our scene. The food is top notch, and after all, that’s what counts.

Boqueria
1837 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20037
www.boquerianyc.com

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Rasika West End: First Thoughts

by Britt on March 28, 2012

Last night I was able to snag one of the soft opening reservations at the brand new Rasika West End. Normally when I give first thoughts on a newly opened restaurant I am careful to say something like, “well, with some time they should work out the kinks.” I’m happy to say I won’t be needing to use that phrase in this post. Nearly everything, with the exception of the delivery of our naan order after our entrees were pretty much finished, was perfect.

The service was impressive. Our waiter was great and our table received several visits from beverage manager, Alexander Carlin, who previously worked at Baltimore’s Wit & Wisdom Tavern. He selected a great wine to start us off then put together surprise beer pairings for our main courses based on our personal preferences and what we had ordered. I should mention he had no idea I write for a blog. It seems they were just pulling out all the stops for their first night open.

We started out the night with cocktails at the widely buzzed about Banyan Tree Bar. I had a tequila, lime and all-spice drink and my husband enjoyed a gin and sparkling wine cocktail. Both were delicious. I’ll check back once I get the names of these.

Once we settled into our table in the library room (yes, they are all real books, we checked) we got down to business. There were 4 of us and we decided to get everything family style. As usual the entrees were great but the real stars are the vegetarian side dishes and starters. Here’s a run-down of our seemingly never ending menu.

Starters
Palak Chaat- Crispy spinach, sweet yogurt, tamarind, and date. I’m happy to say it’s as good as the original.

Tawa Baingan- Stacked eggplant with spiced potato and peanut sauce. Again, a repeat from the original Rasika and spot on. Next time I want an order all to myself!

Sev Batata Puri- Crispy biscuits with spicy chutneys, vermicelli and mango- I’ve never had these before but overall they were great and added a nice level of spice and heat to our first round of dishes

Mango shrimp- Shrimp, mango, and mint chutney. Very nice light appetizer. Good but not a knock-out.

Entrees
Chicken Pista Korma- Chicken and pistachios in a creamy sauce. I tend to shy away from chicken but this was so tender and creamy I’ll keep it on my regular rotation.

Kid Goat- Over all this dish was good and the presentation was great served in a copper pot with basmati rice, chunks of lamb and naan baked on top (think Indian pot pie) but it was definitely not an ideal dish for sharing without making a huge mess at the table. I also found it just a little bland.

Vegetarian Sides
Baingan- Smoked pureed eggplant. Not one to fall in love with eggplant dishes, this was absurdly good. No one at the table could get enough. It was delicious scooped up with our garlic naan.

Gohbi Matter- Cauliflower, peas, cumin and ginger. If you love cauliflower you will love this dish. Simple and tasty.

Beer pairings
Clearly I should have written the names down but just ask for apple beer if you like a lighter beer and the oatmeal stout if you prefer something heavier. You won’t be disappointed.

By the time we got to dessert there was absolutely no way we could eat anything else. Perhaps next time we’ll save room. Oh and just for fun… celebrity sighting several seats away, Juan Williams.

Rasika West End
1177 22^nd St. NW
Washington, DC
Note: Entrance is on M St & New Hampshire

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Strawberry, Shrimp & Quinoa Salad

by Britt on March 27, 2012

I’ve recently become obsessed with quinoa. I’ve found myself putting it in everything. Then I get this month’s copy of Self Magazine proclaiming it’s numerous health benefits. Lucky for me, I already loved the stuff and now apparently I’m doing my health a favor by too! I think the greatest thing about this power grain is that it has a flavor all it’s own. That’s right, it tastes good and it’s healthy too! How often does that happen?? I should also mention it’s pretty inexpensive AND you can cook it in 15 mintues flat! So with all that in mind, I’ve been trying to come up with all different ways to add it into my diet. Now that summer is just around the corner I’ve also started craving fruit based salads that fill you up without being overly heavy. This dish combines the fruit and quinoa together for hearty, healthy dish. Enjoy!

Strawberry, Shrimp and Quinoa salad
Makes one entrée salad
1 handful of mixed baby greens chopped
2-3 large basil leaves roughly chopped
4 large strawberries diced
2-3 tablespoons of feta
Juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup of cooked quinoa and chilled
6-7 medium shrimp marinated for several minutes in lemon juice and then grilled
Combine all ingredients, toss and serve

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Sou’wester Ham Giveaway from Darden Farms

by Jenna on February 26, 2012

Eric Ziebold, Executive Chef of CityZen and Sou’Wester at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington is hosting a ham giveaway contest from Darden Farms in Smithfield, Virginia. Ziebold purchased ten hams to show support of the local business which he will be raffling off between now and March 1st which is National Pig Day. In order to win patrons can drop of their business cards into the drawing bowl at Sou’Wester and you have the chance to win one of the 22-pound Darden hams along with some of Chef Ziebold’s personal favorite ham recipes.

Sou’Wester is located at the Mandarin Oriental hotel at 1330 Maryland Avenue, SW.
Darden Farms is located at 16249 Bowling Green Road in Smithfield, VA.

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Free Sangria & Prizes at Jaleo!

by Chad on February 23, 2012

After nearly 20 amazing years of sharing the story of Spain, Jaleo begins a new chapter and José Andrés invites Washingtonians to celebrate with him and include 50 of their friends! Everyone is invited to come to Jaleo located at 480 7th Street NW in the Penn Quarter from now until renovations begin on Sunday, February 26th to say farewell to the old Jaleo as ThinkFoodGroup prepares to transform this celebrated tapas destination restaurant. Take a picture in front of Jaleo’s iconic mural with the Flamenco dancer, post this picture to Facebook, tag Jaleo Tapas Bar, and receive a free pitcher of sangria when Jaleo in DC reopens in dramatic fashion.

Everyone who posts and tags will automatically be entered into a drawing by José Andrés for a chance to win a private, all-inclusive, Sunday brunch for 50 friends at the new Jaleo!

For all the details, terms and conditions, please visit Jaleo’s website for more information

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