Clarendon Culture

Better Know a District: Eastern Market

Eastern Market is the type of place where I think to myself, “I’m ok living in a city with exorbitant real estate prices since we have places like this.”  

Admittedly, we don’t get out there as much as I’d like to.  We do have an annual tradition at the start of autumn where we head there for brunch, and we bring back a haul of produce or meats for a locally-sourced autumnal dinner.  (last year, we picked up venison for a venison stew.  This year, we picked up some beautiful green tomatoes and a butternut squash.)

At Eastern Market, you’ll find fresh meats and seafood, flower arrangements, every type of seasonal fruit or veggie, herbs, jewelry, handmade crocheted items, art, and so much more.

In addition to our annual autumnal dinner haul, we were also particularly excited about brunch at Market Lunch.  We had passed by it before (just look for the really long line in the main hall), but it wasn’t until we heard they had fried green tomatoes that we decided to check it out.  It took at least 30 minutes to get through the line, but I used that time productively: I read through most of Market Lunch’s Yelp reviews to help narrow down what to order.  In addition to the Yelp reviews, excited patrons in line around us also gave good recommendations.

We narrowed it down to three items to split: fried green tomatoes, blue buck pancakes, and the crabcake benedict.  

The fried green tomatoes and blue bucks were the big winners.  The tomatoes were nice and firm on the inside, fried in a zesty batter, and at $2.50 per order, an awesome value.  The blue bucks were big, fluffy, buttery, and filled with fresh blueberries.  

The benedict was served with a side of creamy green chili grits.  Each component of the benedict was perfectly executed: the english muffin was house-made, the crabcake was fresh and contained much more crab than it did filling, the egg perfectly poached, and the hollandaise sauce gave the entire dish a nice boost with its hint of cajun kick.  

Eastern Market is right off the orange line, so an easy 20 minute commute from Clarendon with or without a car.  A few things to keep in mind: Get there early - the line stacks up after 9:30 AM; breakfast isn’t served on Sundays; it’s cash only.  

If you want to read more about Market Lunch, check out some of these other reviews:

• We Love DC
• Examiner
• TwoDC
• Buffalo Chow
• Erin’s Kitchen

Better Know a District: Citronelle

@CitronelleDC was the best meal I’ve had in my life.  I realize many of you will balk at me for throwing that out there, but for me and my husband both, it’s true.  We kind of gave each other a “seriously?!” look when discussing it, but we stand by it. 

We’ve been to all the great restaurants in the area - Inn at Little Washington, Komi, Minibar, Volt, CityZen, L’Auberge Chez Francois, Marcels, etc.  All of them were fabulous, all were memorable, all served us an outstanding meal, but Citronelle, from start to finish, was absolutely flawless.  

The occasion was our 5th wedding anniversary.  We wanted a special meal at a restaurant we’d never before been.  Citronelle had been on our list for years, and we decided this was the year to try it.  Going in, I don’t think either of us thought that Citronelle would move to the #1 spot to beat out Inn at Little Washington, which is the meal we enjoyed the night we got engaged.  Perhaps it was helped by the fact that after five years of marriage, we are that much more in love.  

Citronelle is a multi-tiered restaurant tucked into Georgetown’s Latham Hotel.  The interior is clean and crisp, with warm and modern touches.  White tablecloths, minimalist china, glass walls separating the dining room from the wine cellar, and light panels which rotate colors, adding a dream-like glow to the room.

We were greeted by the kindest wait staff.  If felt like we had a whole team attending to us, and it occured to us throughout the meal that each one of them seemed to have a personal relationship with the food.  They helped guide us through the menu with a real, deep-seated passion for the food.

After we placed our order, they quickly served the amuse bouche. All three melted in our mouths, but the chive and gruyere tart was my personal favorite.

Our sommelier was not only knowledgeable, but also conversed with us as if we were old friends, talking about friends, family, and experiences in our lives.  She helped us pair 2 glasses of white wine with each of our first courses, and gave a welcome seal of approval on the bottle of red my hubby chose for our main course.  The wine selections were splendid.

For his first course, my husband ordered the signature Tuna Nicoise.  The dish was prepared “napoleon style” with layers of thinly sliced tuna and potato tuile.  The “egg” you see perched atop the napoleon isn’t actually an egg.  The “egg white” is mozzarella cheese, and the “yolk” is made of a yellow tomato confit.  Michel Richard’s dishes are skillfully and playfully created by the hands of not just a chef, but an artist.  My husband says it was the best appetizer/1st course he’s ever had (and he’s not even normally a tuna guy.)

The calamari risotto was also much more multi-dimensional than I had anticipated.   It was a medley of seafood, including calamari and mussels, and the risotto was topped with house-made raviolis, poached quail eggs, and what tasted like house-made cocoa puffs. 

Our entree was the star of the show: the 60-hour braised short ribs with peppercorn sauce, served for two.  Handmade French knives are brought out for cutting the meat, but in all honesty, a fork was all that was needed - it was that tender and juicy.  I would give anything to see with my own eyes the sous vide technique for cooking this meat.  It melts in your mouth. The waiter was grinning with excitement when he brought it out, and I can understand why.

Served with the short rib are sauteed vegetables, a napoleon of potato tuile and mashed potatoes, and house-made tater tots.  The creamy and crunchy textures of the potato napoleon made it the perfect accompaniment to the short ribs.  The tater tots added an almost over-the-top element, in terms of the richness of this course.  We could have done without them, while still being just as blown away by this incredible dish.   

We’re both chocolate-lovers, so for dessert, we ordered the Chocolate Degustation, featuring a chocolate bar, a dark chocolate tart, a bite-sized chocolate chip cake, and a chocolate ice-cream pop.  Divine.  Just when we thought we couldn’t put another bite in our very happy bellies, a small tray of petit fours was brought out.  

I don’t know Michel Richard personally, but I do know that he is an incredibly talented man who has a gift of sharing his love of food (and art) with the world.  You can’t eat in his dining room without feeling exhilarated and transported to a place you’ve never been.

Better Know a District: Hill Country BBQ

It’s no secret I’m from Texas.  My Texas pride went through the roof when I moved here in 2006.  I’ve mentioned my roots repeatedly on this blog, I say “y’all” and am not ashamed of it, I have Texas bookends on my shelves, a stained-glass Texas flag on one of our windows, and I have this Texas cookbook sitting proudly in my kitchen.  I love Texas.

When I first heard about Hill Country BBQ, it immediately became next on my ‘Better Know a District’ to-do list.  I knew everything I needed to know about Hill Country when I’d heard that they have Shiner Bock on tap and had Blue Bell ice cream for dessert.

Alla & friends joined me for an evening of Texas.  A few things that immediately stood out after we were seated & drinks were ordered:

• Gigantic Texas mural behind the state;
• Cowboy boots lined up at the bar
• Shiner Bock served in a mason jar

The food ordering system is a little wacky.  Even though a waiter takes care of your drink order, you’re on your own with the food (which makes tipping a tad confusing?)  When you are first seated, the waiter will give you a card which you carry with you for the rest of your meal. 

You have to order your meat by weight (a half pound, for example), and you order your sides in individual helpings or larger helpings, for groups.  It’s basically cafeteria-style (just like how it’s done in Texas.)

Hubby and I shared a half pound of dry brisket and 3 sides: mac and cheese, green bean casserole, and sweet potato.  The brisket is served in kraft wax paper, the sides in paper cups, and you eat your food in a paper basket (you get to use real silverware, though.)  If you prefer to eat your meat sandwich-stye, they also throw in some sliced bread.

The brisket was on the fatty side (as you can probably tell in the picture above), but that aside, it was the best brisket I’ve had in town - especially the flavorful char on the ends.  BBQ sauce is served in squeeze bottles on the table right next to the rolls of paper towels.  The whole experience is a little messy, a little frustrating, and a bit expensive (I can understand why Yelp reviews aren’t so hot), but the food is SO good.  I especially loved the mac & cheese, green bean casserole & the BBQ sauce.  The brisket would have been out of this world had we not received a huge hunk of fat, which needlessly made our meat more expensive.

Didn’t snap a picture of it before we inhaled it, but the vanilla Blue Bell ice cream was the piece of the meal that really transported me back to Texas.  Man, I miss Blue Bell.  Washingtonians are really missing out on good ice cream by not having Blue Bell available in every freezer aisle.

For me personally, Hill Country is the next best thing to hopping on a flight to Texas.  I can’t wait to go back (to Hill Country AND to Texas.)  

Better Know a District… Standard Bar and BBQ

This ‘Better Know a District’ review brought to you by the lovely Alla!  Last weekend, Alla and I enjoyed beer, BBQ, blue skies, our boys, and a baby (mine) at Standard in NW DC.  It was such a great time, and I’d encourage anybody looking for great BBQ in the District to head over there (especially when the weather is nice!)  Read Alla’s take on Standard, and be sure to follow her!

alla1:

Let Me Talk To You About: Standard Bar and BBQ in Logan Circle, DC

This weekend some friends and I checked out the newly-opened Standard BBQ on 14th st NW. It got good reviews on Prince of Petworth and a few of the other legit DC blogs - so we figured it was likely going to be legit.

And was it ever.

Brisket for daaayyyssss, hush puppies, great beer, seasoned fries, slaw dogs, and fried pickles.  I’m no food writer, so I probably can’t describe in adequate words the awesomeness of the food - but here’s a pro/con chart for Standard.

Pros:

• delicious food
• outdoor seating patio
• close to the metro
• great beer
• open until 2am

Cons:

• first come-first serve seating (and very looooong waits for tables)
• they were OUT OF PULLED PORK. How do you run out of pulled pork? This is a bbq place?!? 
• they were also our of Bells beer on tap. hmph 
• vaguely mediocre service
• hipsters, hipsters everywhere
• almost no seating indoors, and not enough seats outdoors
• doesn’t open until noon

(Source: missmala)

Better Know a District: Rasika (Restaurant Week)

Last week, hubby and I celebrated the 5th anniversary of the day we met.  Lucky for us, this particular anniversary happened to land on DC’s Restaurant Week.  After studying the list of participating restaurants, we booked a dinner reservation at Rasika, an Indian restaurant in Penn Quarter that neither of us had previously been to, but had heard so much about.

Walking into Rasika, my eye immediately went to the “wall” of hanging crystal strands separating the bar from the dining room.  The crystals were catching the light in the room so beautifully, and gave a subtle majesty to the intimate space.

I feel terrible that we didn’t get our waiter’s name, because I do not have enough good things to say about him.  From the moment we sat down, he was kind, welcoming and attentive, and seemed genuinely honored to be serving us.  Even though it was Restaurant Week, and even though every table was booked solid all week, he took one look at us as soon as we sat down, and asked us which occasion we were there celebrating (even though I made no note of any occasion in my reservation).  

For our meal, we decided that each of us would order a different item from each course, and split them all.  For our first course, we ordered the Palak Chaat (recommended by our waiter) and the Parsi Lamb Cutlet.  Let me just say - we could have walked out after eating the first course and been two of the happiest and most satisfied people in the city.  This course was easily the best of the night.  The Palak Chaat is baby spinach cooked to a tender yet fine crisp, and garnished with yogurt and date chutney.  It was amazing - simply amazing.  This is the type of dish that you will never be able to replicate in your own kitchen.  Never.  The photograph I took does not even begin to give this little appetizer the justice it deserves.

The other appetizer we chose was the lamb cutlets.  On the surface, it looks like something you’d see at an Italian restaurant.  Thinly sliced cuts of lamb dredged in flour and an egg wash, fried, then topped with a tangy Masala sauce.  (Please note: the flour, egg wash, fried bit is my feeble attempt at describing the texture of the cutlets.  I could actually be incorrect on the technique.)  We were practically licking the sauce off our plates by the time we were done with this dish. 

For our entrees, we chose the Black Cod (recommended by our waiter) and the Lamb Pepper Masala.  The Black Cod was the clear winner of the two.  It cut like butter, and it had a menagerie of flavor including honey, dill, star anise, and red wine vinegar.  The Lamb Pepper Masala was great if you love spicy food, but didn’t seem that different from something you’d find at any other traditional Indian restaurant. 

The entrees came with a side of steamed basmati rice, and an order of buttery naan bread.  For extra measures, we ordered the Palak Paneer a la carte, because Palak Paneer tends to be our “litmus test” for Indian restaurants.  Turned out to be a wise decision to venture off the Restaurant Week menu.  It was easily the best Palak Paneer we’ve ever had.  

For dessert, we decided on the Gulab Jamun (our waiter’s recommendation) and the Carrot Helwa.  The Gulab Jamun consisted of fried dough soaked in a sugary-sweet sauce, and served with a side of cardamom ice cream.  Even though we have a terrible habit of discriminating against non-chocolate desserts, we both loved the Gulab Jamun.  The Carrot Helwa was basically an Indian version of carrot cake.  The kitchen even added candles to the helwa in celebration of our day-we-met anniversary.  

The last treat of the evening was a leisurely stroll through a beautiful city on a perfect summer evening with my handsome hubby.

Better Know a District: Eatonville

This ‘Better Know a District’ feature is a bit unexpected.  We were in the city Saturday morning, about to head back to Clarendon when I got a sudden hankering for comfort food.  I’m from Texas, and when I get a hankering like this, I want a down-home, Sunday supper, soul-nourishing type of meal.  I want to be transported back to the South. This was a craving that I knew nothing in Clarendon (or anything along the orange line, for that matter) could even come close to satisfying.  

After a bit of scurried research on our cell phones, we decided on a place that was only 2.2 miles away from us: Eatonville.  They offered a Saturday jazz brunch and the menu looked fantastic - heavy in southern creole dishes.  5 minutes later, we were parked out front.

The Eatonville dining room is alive, featuring crystal chandeliers, bronze ceiling tiles, palm leaf fans, and a 5 piece jazz band on weekend.  The polychromatic hand-painted murals adorning the walls of the dining room depict the life and words of Zora Neale Hurston, the American Folklorist who penned “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”  Eatonville is named after the town where Zora was raised.  It was one of the first all-black towns to be formed after the Emancipation Proclamation.  

Along with the dining room decor, even the table details are closely attended to.  Our waters and sodas were served ice cold out of mason jars.  Instead of the typical stale cloth napkin that you’d see at most other restaurants, Eatonville uses red striped kitchen rags - the kind that you’d leave at your sink to wipe up any spills.  These details fit the restaurant’s concept so well.  

The Eatonville menus feature an array of southern classics such as shrimp and grits, po-boys, fried green tomatoes, collared greens, mac and cheese, biscuits, and bread pudding.  Had the fried green tomatoes been available on the Saturday brunch menu, we would have started with those.  Nonetheless, we went straight to the main meal, and ordered the catfish and grits, mac and cheese, and biscuits all to share.  

The meal was truly one of the best (if not THE best) southern style meals that either of us have had in this city (and that includes Georgia Browns).  The catfish, served atop a bed of collared greens, cheesy grits, and tomato puree, tasted incredibly fresh, and had a little heat in each bite - it was just the right amount to satisfy both the spicy-food-lovers, and those who don’t like spicy foods. The grits were done the way grits should be done - they were not too bland or too overpowering in flavor, and they had just the right amount of firmness to them.  The collard greens were fresh and well seasoned.  Everything on that plate was done right.  The mac and cheese was the only piece of the meal that we could have gone without.  Our preference for mac and cheese is usually the creamy type, and this particular mac and cheese was greasier than what we would have liked, which might be the result of the 3 cheese combination used in the recipe.  The biscuits, on the other hand, were perfect.  Fluffy, buttery, right out of the oven, and served with a side of butter and strawberry jam - the perfect ending to our meal.  

We walked out of Eatonville discussing how soon our next visit would be.  I could go there every weekend for a little southern comfort.  It was that good.

Follow Eatonville on Facebook and Twitter for the scoop.

Better Know a District: J&G Steakhouse

Welcome to Clarendon Culture’s new series: Better Know a District!  This is the first installment of what will be a monthly or bimonthly feature.  Better Know a District will highlight our adventures, dates, and dining experiences in the nation’s capitol.  Fear not, my friends – Clarendon Culture will remain almost entirely devoted to Clarendon, but every once in awhile, you’ll see me give a shout out to our friends in DC.

Tonight, a recap from our unforgettable dinner at J&G Steakhouse (at the W Hotel) to celebrate our 4^th wedding anniversary.

Walking into the W on a Friday night was as eye-popping as one might expect.  With soaring ceilings, bright wisteria-colored chandeliers, and a vibrant social scene, the lobby of the W brims with energy.  We were so preoccupied by the people-watching that we almost forgot how starving we were.  

The J&G dining room is itself an artful continuation of the hotel’s gorgeous lobby.  The huge columns and arched windows add height to an already towering room, while the lovely ceiling fresco gives your eyes something to feast upon while you enjoy your meal. 

Bill pored over the wine list while I munched on fresh house bread accompanied with a nicely salted butter.  As an appetizer, we chose the calamari, which had received high marks on Yelp and a hearty endorsement from our waiter.  Before the calamari was brought out, we were served a raspberry Bellini amuse bouche:  a perfectly refreshing little tonic from the scorching Washington summer outside.

Next, the waiter brought out our appetizer, and it wasn’t the typical basket of rubbery o-rings to share.  He brought out 2 fully dressed half-portion sizes for each of us.  The calamari was as good (if not better) than the calamari we had in Greece (when the fisherman pulled the giant squid out of the water and beat it to its death before grilling him up for our dinner.)  It was juicy, melt-in-your mouth tender, and flavorful, which is a rare combination when having calamari.  The breading was fluffy yet maintained a nice crisp shell.  The dipping sauce was foamy in texture, and gave the calamari a subtle acidic pairing.  This dish absolutely won over our already high expectations.

Deciding what we were going to have for our entrees was not an easy task.  The menu is not especially large, but each of the items sounded appealing, and with a diverse array of sides, there are several ways to customize your entree.  Eventually, Bill went with the Wagyu sirloin steak, and I chose the Braised Short Ribs.  For sides, we ordered the Potato Gratin and the Beet Salad.   The waitstaff brought our meal to the table, and we could hardly wait to experience it.   I should note here that they initially forgot to bring the potatoes out with our entrees, however, without our prompting the waiter quickly caught the error, had the dish expedited, and put it on the house.  This kind of attention to detail was perfectly representative of the wonderful service we experienced all night.

We took our knives and forks to our meat only to discover we didn’t even need those knives.  First time in my life I truly experienced the phrase “it cuts like butter.”   The gorgeous piece of meat, sitting on a bed of perfectly-cooked carrots and carrot puree, was phenomenal.  Each bite melted in my mouth.  As if the tender and juicy meat wasn’t already perfect, the glaze, bold, yet with a hint of sweetness, gave this meal the grand finale it deserved.  Such a work of art this dish is.  The photograph doesn’t do it justice. 

After a single bite of the Wagyu steak, Bill admitted it was one of the best steaks he’d had in his life.  The flavor was unlike anything he’d had in DC (yes, we’re huge fans of Ray’s, but this steak was a different animal.)   

Within 2 minutes of having our main entrees, a piping hot iron skillet full of cheesy, hand-sliced potatoes was brought to our table.  The potatoes were worth the wait ten times over.  They were cheesy, but not overwhelmingly gooey.  They were soft, but not mushy.  The dish reminded us of a dish we had in a small town near the French Alps called Aligot.  It was a warm memory brought back by our taste buds.  The beet salad was dainty and flavorful.  Toasted hazelnuts were sprinkled about the salad.  The beets were petite, but were so full of flavor.  It was a wonderful light accompaniment to our otherwise indulgent meal.

In the best possible way, we were absolutely done.  We could not stop singing the praises of this meal to our waiter.  We instantly moved J&G up the queue to rank as one of the top 5 restaurants in DC we had ever experienced. 

Even though we had dessert waiting for us at home (a mini version of our wedding cake), we still could not say no to dessert.  We ordered the strawberries and poppy seed ice cream.  The strawberries were flash-boiled to help draw out the choice the juices and the true strawberry essence flavor burst forth in every bite.  It was the perfect finish to the perfect meal. 

The waiter offered to have us escorted up to the rooftop terrace as VIP guests.  Without hesitation, we happily obliged.  The rooftop was abuzz with romance, laughter, and unbeatable views of DC.  We had our grossly overpriced cocktails, reminisced about 4 great years of marriage, and kissed goodnight to a perfect evening.

(and yes, we still chowed down on our mini wedding cake, courtesy of Heidelberg Bakery…)