Adventurous Italian. That's how I would describe each dish served at this DC hidden delicacy. With a maximum capacity of about 25 diners at a time, it truly offers an intimate experience with both company and cuisine. With a price-tag of about $80 per person without alcohol, the wines can add a shiny coin to your bill, but are the perfect compliment to each unique flavor brought to the table. It's a set menu, with options at the Primi, and Secondi and dolce offerings, as well as antipasti and formaggio plates.
Italian dishes are traditionally small, and both the primi and secondi dishes were true to form, but the antipasti came more in the form of Spanish tapas. Classic plates arrived with a unique flavor such as a sweet balsamic glazed calamari bruschetta. Other hand churned cheeses came along with muscles with a white wine sauce along with Tuscan bread (unsalted).
For the Primi, the choices were mainly stuffed pasta options. I had a quail ravoli that was in a soupy mixture that reminded me of a boston clam chowder. A flavorful broth highlighted with sun-dried tomatoes provided a deep saturation in which the quail could ruminate allowing the flavors to mingle richly.
Secondi came as a more full meat selection. Here I ventured into more unknown territories opting for the squab with nettles. Squab is a fowl akin to a pigeon and was smaller than a quail or a duck breast and arrived with it's feet intact curled into claws. The meat was dark similar to duck but with a bit more gaminess, although it was cooked so well that it was still able to be taken apart in the mouth with little chewing. Rather it melted with the orange butter sauce with an even consistency. The nettles provided a nice bitterness similar to dandelion garnish that brought more out of the caramelized orange glaze on the squab.
The formaggio plate came next with an assortment of fresh cheeses and a fresh basket of bread as well as an accompaniment of a fig/berry spread. I am not as eloquent as I would like to be in regard to cheeses so I will leave this dish here saying only that there was an assortment of textures, richness and solidity on the plate in order to give a range of experiences.
Finally, the for the dessert option I chose the chocolate truffle mousse, which was THE purest, softest, richest, bite of dessert that I have ever put in my mouth... period. Accompanied by home made whip cream, it was one of my favorite desserts ever.
For wine, I chose a relatively inexpensive bottle of chianti (my preference only, from spending time living in Tuscany) and asked that it arrive later with the secondi so that we might enjoy it with the cheese and dessert plates.
Looking for Obelisk, you will not see signs or lines of people, but you will find a homely kitchen seeming in the background of the DC landscape.
Bests, the variety, the attentiveness and friendship of the wait staff and the relaxed atmosphere designed to have you eat like an Italian and truly take your time to enjoy the food.
Price is the only setback here (unless you tend to stick to the plain italian of more homely pasta restaurants, then this is not your pick)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Liberty Tavern - 3195 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA
Saturday was a late lunch for myself and a few buddies. We took about an hour to figure out where we wanted to go and ended up deciding on Liberty Tavern. Liberty Tavern has recently been ranked at #75 on the DC areas top 100 list. I had never been and I was jacked.
That being said. Can I get an overrated chant?!? This place should be called "Average". Boy did it have promise though. We walked in and they had couches set up with people chillin drinkin beer. There were people playing cards at the table next to us. There was a solid beer list and the hostess was really nice.
Then we sat down. Now this was not an awful dining experience by any means. I mean this was not like Woodley Tavern or anything like that (I will write their review on a day when I am bored or get fired from my job or something). The service after being seated was slow as all hell. This is disappointing when most of the people in the place aren't eating. Ok. Remember...this was ranked 75th. Komi is 1 and Marvin was 98. Now, we each had different sandwiches. We ordered: Their skirt steak burger, the philly cheese, the North Carolina BBQ sandwich, and a Pittsburgh sandwich called the Primanti Brothers sandwich (housemade pastrami, provolone, coleslaw, French fries on housemade Italian bread with a fried egg). That last "sandwich" got the best review, a B. My burger was good, but not great. I could have had the same burger anywhere in the city. The NC bbq chicken was an insult to NC BBQ from the looks of it and my friend said it was pretty bland. Bland BBQ? That should be an automatic F. The steak and cheese was tiny, but got an "ok". Our waitress came to check on us twice throughout the whole meal and was not too pumped to be at work.
If this place was across the street from my house I would go every once in a while out of convenience to get a decent meal for cheap. However, this place is hyped and is ranked in a magazine that I trust. I give the Liberty Tavern a C+ or B-.
Highlight: Good fratmosphere with a solid beer list
Lowlight: Food, Service, and distance from my house haha.
That being said. Can I get an overrated chant?!? This place should be called "Average". Boy did it have promise though. We walked in and they had couches set up with people chillin drinkin beer. There were people playing cards at the table next to us. There was a solid beer list and the hostess was really nice.
Then we sat down. Now this was not an awful dining experience by any means. I mean this was not like Woodley Tavern or anything like that (I will write their review on a day when I am bored or get fired from my job or something). The service after being seated was slow as all hell. This is disappointing when most of the people in the place aren't eating. Ok. Remember...this was ranked 75th. Komi is 1 and Marvin was 98. Now, we each had different sandwiches. We ordered: Their skirt steak burger, the philly cheese, the North Carolina BBQ sandwich, and a Pittsburgh sandwich called the Primanti Brothers sandwich (housemade pastrami, provolone, coleslaw, French fries on housemade Italian bread with a fried egg). That last "sandwich" got the best review, a B. My burger was good, but not great. I could have had the same burger anywhere in the city. The NC bbq chicken was an insult to NC BBQ from the looks of it and my friend said it was pretty bland. Bland BBQ? That should be an automatic F. The steak and cheese was tiny, but got an "ok". Our waitress came to check on us twice throughout the whole meal and was not too pumped to be at work.
If this place was across the street from my house I would go every once in a while out of convenience to get a decent meal for cheap. However, this place is hyped and is ranked in a magazine that I trust. I give the Liberty Tavern a C+ or B-.
Highlight: Good fratmosphere with a solid beer list
Lowlight: Food, Service, and distance from my house haha.
Marvin's - 2007 14th Street NW
My girlfriends family was in town this past weekend and I was put to task to find the restaurant for Friday night. I've eaten at Marvin before and was very pleased so I was pumped for round two. There were going to be 5 of us: myself, Danielle, her mom, her aunt, and her cousin. Danielle and I got there a little early and helped ourself to their very extensive beer list. The restaurant was running a little behind and we were offered some complimentary frites, but you can't jump the gun at a place like Marvin.
We were seated about 15 min after our rez, which is pretty normal for Friday night, and started with a very affordable bottle of sauvignon blanc. We decided to try a few of the appetizers while we browsed the rest of the menu...Shrimp and Grits (some had never had a "grit" haha), Goat Cheese Croquettes with Fig Vinaigrette, and Seared Sea Scallops with Braised leeks & beurre rouge. To be honest, if you wanted to just chill here and drink inexpensive wine while you try every appetizer they have you would NOT be disappointed. Seriously though, these apps were all fantastic and they each had a very distinct flavor. My favorite was probably the croquettes with the mix of stinky cheese and sweet vinaigrette.
Now for the entrees. We ordered the seared, pepper-crusted tuna, Maine lobster with mussels, clams, and shrimp, the special (smoked Foie Gras with field strawberries), and the roasted halibut. The standout was the Foie Gras. Although the portion was more on the app side, the salty liver fat with the strawberries was something I had never tasted before and it was a 5-star dish. The tuna. Umm I flip-flopped back and forth all night on the tuna. If it wasn't so damn fresh and seared perfectly I would have been pissed I was eating a block of pepper. I mean I LOVE spicy food, but this was pepperfest. The fresh spinach served with it acted as a nice break from the spice though. The halibut was also delicious and this dish is the "popular" one in most reviews. I didn't try too much of it, but what I had was delicious. The lobster waterzooi is a task to say the least. As Danielle's aunt put it, this is for people who want to fight their food. If you fight it though it is worth it. All of this goodness still paled in comparison to the Foie Gras. I could have eaten a bucket of it. Dessert included rice pudding and crepes. Marvin still get bullied for having weak dessert, but being more of a salt guy I dont really care...at all...about "great dessert".
Marvin is a great place to eat and enjoy yourself in an atmosphere that makes you feel like you are already at the party rather than eating before it. Try to get there early and enjoy the bar scene if you can since they have a deep beer menu. All in all I would give Marvin a low A for the menu and an A+ for value with all entrees being under 30 bucks.
Highlights: Service, Foie Gras, Cheaply priced wine
Lowlight: can't think of one of the top of my head.
We were seated about 15 min after our rez, which is pretty normal for Friday night, and started with a very affordable bottle of sauvignon blanc. We decided to try a few of the appetizers while we browsed the rest of the menu...Shrimp and Grits (some had never had a "grit" haha), Goat Cheese Croquettes with Fig Vinaigrette, and Seared Sea Scallops with Braised leeks & beurre rouge. To be honest, if you wanted to just chill here and drink inexpensive wine while you try every appetizer they have you would NOT be disappointed. Seriously though, these apps were all fantastic and they each had a very distinct flavor. My favorite was probably the croquettes with the mix of stinky cheese and sweet vinaigrette.
Now for the entrees. We ordered the seared, pepper-crusted tuna, Maine lobster with mussels, clams, and shrimp, the special (smoked Foie Gras with field strawberries), and the roasted halibut. The standout was the Foie Gras. Although the portion was more on the app side, the salty liver fat with the strawberries was something I had never tasted before and it was a 5-star dish. The tuna. Umm I flip-flopped back and forth all night on the tuna. If it wasn't so damn fresh and seared perfectly I would have been pissed I was eating a block of pepper. I mean I LOVE spicy food, but this was pepperfest. The fresh spinach served with it acted as a nice break from the spice though. The halibut was also delicious and this dish is the "popular" one in most reviews. I didn't try too much of it, but what I had was delicious. The lobster waterzooi is a task to say the least. As Danielle's aunt put it, this is for people who want to fight their food. If you fight it though it is worth it. All of this goodness still paled in comparison to the Foie Gras. I could have eaten a bucket of it. Dessert included rice pudding and crepes. Marvin still get bullied for having weak dessert, but being more of a salt guy I dont really care...at all...about "great dessert".
Marvin is a great place to eat and enjoy yourself in an atmosphere that makes you feel like you are already at the party rather than eating before it. Try to get there early and enjoy the bar scene if you can since they have a deep beer menu. All in all I would give Marvin a low A for the menu and an A+ for value with all entrees being under 30 bucks.
Highlights: Service, Foie Gras, Cheaply priced wine
Lowlight: can't think of one of the top of my head.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Ray's the Steaks-2300 Wilson Blvd-Arlington VA
As a celebration of the end of a grueling Q1, a colleague and I made the trip up Wilson Blvd to Ray's the Steaks. Walking into Ray's, a feeling of comfort washes over you as you view the incredibly unintimidating atmosphere and the awesome absence of sleazy lawyers/politicos hitting on 30 year old maneaters drinking martinis. Ray's has no bar, just a no frills interior filled with ordinary people who enjoy a good steak and a reasonable bottle of wine. To begin the meal, you are givin salty and sweet peanuts and bread and butter. The wine list contains a section of twenty or so "great value wines" all priced under 25$. The famous sommelier (formerly of Citronelle) Mark Slater was on hand to help us choose a bold flavored 19$ Chilean Red. To begin the meal, we chose to skip the famous Crab Bisque (my cholesterol is at dangerous levels) and we instead split the entree, Crab Imperial. The gigantic portion of delicously sweet Maryland Crab was perfectly seasoned and after only a few bites, to my surprise, my steak arrived. I went with the Hangar Steak, traditionally described as he least tender, yet most flavorful steak on the menu but at 20$, an incredible value. Rays is probably the one steakhouse on the entire Eastern seaboard that offers free sides, with creamed spinach and mashed potatoes coming with every meal. With a delicious steak, free sides, lump crab meat, and chimichurri as a condiment, I was in heaven. Rays only fault is their rushed service. 90 out of 100.
Citronelle Bar-3000 M St. NW
For young professionals curious to what the hoopla is about the "world class" and "most popular restaurant in DC" (according to zagat), you do not have to break the bank while dining at Citronelle, just choose to eat in the bar instead. On a breezy spring evening my companion and I made the short walk to Georgetown to visit the home of the culinary wizard, Michel Richard. Upon arrival, sitting outside was none other than Chef Richard, relaxing and sipping a fine French Bordeaux with some companions. The bar takes no reservations, and there was only one other couple dining at prime hours which was nice. To drink, we started with a French White labeled "recommended by Chef Richard" that was only 24$. The wine list affords a chance to drink at resonable prices, up and down France. For an appetizer, I chose the escargot tart, which was lovely. Succulent and garlic infused escargot are baked in a tart resembling a personal thin crust pizza, which was well worth the 14$. To follow I had the halibut, very delicious, but a boring choice by me. The halibut was cooked to perfection, and was draped in a rich lobster cream sauce with roasted fresh vegetables. The overall tab was a little over 100$. Not bad for a Tier 1 restaurant in DC. 91 out of 100.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Cleveland Park Bar & Grill - 3423 Conn. Ave. NW
It looks as if the winter months are finally behind us and we can put away the heavy jackets and thick socks for good. Aside from Braves season and the Cherry Blossom Festival, this means one major thing to me...dining and drinking can now be moved outside. This is a huge plus and makes any experience exponentially better. This past Saturday my roommate and I were looking for an outdoor venue where we could drink some good beers and soak up the sun without having to navigate the chaos that is M street or break the bank at the waterfront. We ended up at Cleveland Park Bar & Grill (CPBG).
CPBG is a fairly popular sports bar that is packed to the brim during the NFL season and throughout March Madness, but this past Saturday it was not too crowded at all. Neither of us had ever been here before and were going more for the beer than the food. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how extensive their menu was for being a sports bar. When you first walk in CPBG it strikes you as nothing extraordinary. There are plasmas out the ass and the downstairs bar has a dungeon feel (typical sports bar right?), but there is a pathway towards the bathrooms that leads to an upstairs deck with a full bar overlooking Connecticut.
My roommate and I started out with a couple pints on draft and each were only 5 bucks. 5 dollars is still 3 dollars too many, but all things considered that is a pretty good deal. The service was fantastic in my opinion and the staff was very attentive throughout our meal. I wasn't too hungry so I just had some chicken tenders and "Dad" had the turkey club. The chicken fingers were deep fried and came with a vinegar based bbq sauce that overshadowed the McDonalds-esque honey mustard. For 7$ i got 7 or 8 fingers which was nice. The turkey club was pretty average as well. We ended up running into an acquaintance randomly and their order was far superior to ours. They had the margarita pizza, some hot wings, and the chicken alfredo which all got rave reviews. I am curious to try some more of their food, but I was just as satisfied to do some top deck sippin on a great day. I give CPBG an A...the scene was awesome and I cant wait to go back and try some more food. I will post an update when I do so.
CPBG is a fairly popular sports bar that is packed to the brim during the NFL season and throughout March Madness, but this past Saturday it was not too crowded at all. Neither of us had ever been here before and were going more for the beer than the food. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how extensive their menu was for being a sports bar. When you first walk in CPBG it strikes you as nothing extraordinary. There are plasmas out the ass and the downstairs bar has a dungeon feel (typical sports bar right?), but there is a pathway towards the bathrooms that leads to an upstairs deck with a full bar overlooking Connecticut.
My roommate and I started out with a couple pints on draft and each were only 5 bucks. 5 dollars is still 3 dollars too many, but all things considered that is a pretty good deal. The service was fantastic in my opinion and the staff was very attentive throughout our meal. I wasn't too hungry so I just had some chicken tenders and "Dad" had the turkey club. The chicken fingers were deep fried and came with a vinegar based bbq sauce that overshadowed the McDonalds-esque honey mustard. For 7$ i got 7 or 8 fingers which was nice. The turkey club was pretty average as well. We ended up running into an acquaintance randomly and their order was far superior to ours. They had the margarita pizza, some hot wings, and the chicken alfredo which all got rave reviews. I am curious to try some more of their food, but I was just as satisfied to do some top deck sippin on a great day. I give CPBG an A...the scene was awesome and I cant wait to go back and try some more food. I will post an update when I do so.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Ristorante Tosca- 1112 F Street
I decided to try Ristorante Tosca near Metro Center this weekend. The restaurant has a really modern feeling, and there were a fair amount of people just sitting at the bar when we arrived.
I had the buffalo mozzarella with roasted bell peppers to start, and then the roasted scallops with artichoke puree. I really enjoyed my choices, and everyone else's food was excellent as well. One of the best Italian restaurants I've been to in DC.
I thought it was going to be a somewhat expensive dinner, based on the menu online. What I did not know, is that a lot of the prices on the menu are for the appetizer-sized portion. They are assuming that you'll get the starter, a pasta, a meat, etc. But if you get the "entree" size, watch out. This is a really expensive restaurant in disguise, so careful of what you order.
Highlight: when someone in the restaurant proposed- and everyone started clapping...it was straight out of a movie.
Lowlight: unexpected prices
I had the buffalo mozzarella with roasted bell peppers to start, and then the roasted scallops with artichoke puree. I really enjoyed my choices, and everyone else's food was excellent as well. One of the best Italian restaurants I've been to in DC.
I thought it was going to be a somewhat expensive dinner, based on the menu online. What I did not know, is that a lot of the prices on the menu are for the appetizer-sized portion. They are assuming that you'll get the starter, a pasta, a meat, etc. But if you get the "entree" size, watch out. This is a really expensive restaurant in disguise, so careful of what you order.
Highlight: when someone in the restaurant proposed- and everyone started clapping...it was straight out of a movie.
Lowlight: unexpected prices
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Minh's - 2500 N. Wilson Blvd Arlington, VA
This past Thursday we were looking for something quick and cheap to eat without having to resort to the Chipotle belly bomb or 5 guys. I also wanted to avoid the hassle of looking for parking in Dupont or Georgetown so I decided to try Minh's in Arlington. Minh's is a Vietnamese restaurant that recently made a name for itself by cracking the Top 100 restaurant list.
I had no problem getting a table even though the restaurant was relatively crowded. The restaurant is filled with all sorts of nick-nacks (not the Bond character who also yelled "da plane, da plane" in fantasy island) that make you feel like you are eating in someone's house rather than a restaurant. We decided to start off with the combination rice rolls (Rice paper wrapped w/ shrimp, pork, lettuce & vermicelli) and the shredded pork rolls (Rice paper wrapped w/ shredded pork & salad). Both of these were served with their own dipping sauce that ranged from sweet to extremely spicy. The brown sauce (spicy) was the better of the two. They were about 5 bucks per appetizer and the helpings were more than enough. In hindsight I think that we probably could have gotten away with just ordering one. My girlfriend ordered the shrimp, scallops & calamari sauteed w/ mixed vegetables while I ordered the catfish stew with vegetables. Both of these entrees warranted a to-go box and they were about $12 each. The catfish was very good, not spectacular, and definitely worth the money spent. I like a little more spice in my food and the focus seemed to be more on the sweet side. All of the seafood was very fresh and was an obvious upgrade from the usual Chinese take-out seafood...and it was cheaper.
All in all I would give Minh's an 88 out of 100 and a very high rating on bang for your buck. This place is open for lunch and dinner so I can only imagine the cash they rake in during office lunch breaks. I think next time I go I will go with 4 or more people so we can sample more dishes.
Highlight: Catfish stew
Lowlight: I had to go to work the next day
.................................
On a completely unrelated note: A friend of mine shared this song with me and I wanted to pass it on. Enjoy!
I had no problem getting a table even though the restaurant was relatively crowded. The restaurant is filled with all sorts of nick-nacks (not the Bond character who also yelled "da plane, da plane" in fantasy island) that make you feel like you are eating in someone's house rather than a restaurant. We decided to start off with the combination rice rolls (Rice paper wrapped w/ shrimp, pork, lettuce & vermicelli) and the shredded pork rolls (Rice paper wrapped w/ shredded pork & salad). Both of these were served with their own dipping sauce that ranged from sweet to extremely spicy. The brown sauce (spicy) was the better of the two. They were about 5 bucks per appetizer and the helpings were more than enough. In hindsight I think that we probably could have gotten away with just ordering one. My girlfriend ordered the shrimp, scallops & calamari sauteed w/ mixed vegetables while I ordered the catfish stew with vegetables. Both of these entrees warranted a to-go box and they were about $12 each. The catfish was very good, not spectacular, and definitely worth the money spent. I like a little more spice in my food and the focus seemed to be more on the sweet side. All of the seafood was very fresh and was an obvious upgrade from the usual Chinese take-out seafood...and it was cheaper.
All in all I would give Minh's an 88 out of 100 and a very high rating on bang for your buck. This place is open for lunch and dinner so I can only imagine the cash they rake in during office lunch breaks. I think next time I go I will go with 4 or more people so we can sample more dishes.
Highlight: Catfish stew
Lowlight: I had to go to work the next day
.................................
On a completely unrelated note: A friend of mine shared this song with me and I wanted to pass it on. Enjoy!
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