A Booth made for Two

It's been cold and snowy on the East Coast.

If you're in DC, it's the perfect time to snuggle up in the Martin's two-seater.

The Apple Pie at Blue Duck Tavern

It's hard to beat a homemade apple pie, but Blue Duck Tavern in Washington, DC gives a homemade pie a run for the money. A-mazing.

And don't forget to get it a la mode!

Outdoor Eats in DC

It's that time of year where everyone craves to be outside... Maybe it's because the winter keeps us hibernated, or maybe it's because most of our jobs keep us cooped up indoors during the day - most likely a combination of both... but whatever it may be, we are itching to be in the great outdoors.

In DC it can be hard to beat the heat. There is a window of opportunity to get outside and still stay comfortable until August rolls around and the humidity of the swampland presents itself.

So, in the meantime, here are a couple of my favorite DC outdoor venues:

OPTION # 1 - ST. ARNOLD'S

When the hubby wants to watch some soccer games, but I can't be indoors all day without pulling out some crazy cabin fever, in comes St. Arnold's Mussel Bar...

St. Arnold's in Cleveland Park provides for both an indoors and outdoors atmosphere all-in-one.  It's a glass enclosed garage-like operation where they lift up the windows, which makes for perfect seating on a mild summer's day (breeze welcome).  Over the bar are a few TV sets, so you do get the best of both worlds.

Escargot

While the plating may never win any awards, it doesn't need to because the dish itself is not to be passed.  

It's just a French classic - delicious.  

Photo taken at Bistro du Coin, Washington, DC

Parc by Stephen Starr is coming to DC

Down town in Center City, Philadelphia, just off Rittenhouse Square, is an awesome French restaurant called Parc owned by Stephen Starr.  For those that may not already know him... Stephen Starr is to Philadelphia what José Andrés is to DC, owning a multiplicity of successful restaurants across the city.

And now, Starr will be bringing his shining *insert another word for star* down to Andrés's turf.  Parc is expected to open in DC's Logan Circle this Spring!  It'll be called Parc Deux, how cute.

Parc carries all of the French classics, all delicious, but my favorite for brunch is the Oatmeal Brulée - I mean how cool is that?! 

Ben's Chili Bowl

There are some eateries in DC that are legendary, and Ben's Chili Bowl ranks high on the list.

It's popular amongst foodies: Anthony Bourdain, Adam Richman, and President Obama, just to name a few. One is also likely to see pictures of Bill Cosby splattered all over the place, if not the man himself.

Most importantly, the chili itself is oh-so-good. Whether served on top of fries, or on a classic half-smoke hot dog, it truly hits the spot. Heck, just order up a dip on its own.

After all, not everyone gets a street named after them.

Chicken and Waffles at Marvin

Inspired by Marvin Gaye, bringing together his roots from down South with his brief, but beloved, stay in Belgium, Marvin in DC offers a wide array of all kinds of comfort foods, from Mussels & Frites and Housemade Pate to Shrimp & Grits and Fried Oysters.

And while everything on the menu is a foodie's dream come true, I'm here today to talk to you about one shining star in particular:  Country Fried Chicken and Waffles.

Now I know, I know - Chicken and Waffles?!  I was a skeptic at first, too.  But trust me, there is something magical about this combination, and Marvin nails it.  Served atop collard greens with a small, light gravy, the crispy fried chicken is cooked to tender perfection.

Add just a touch of syrup, and dig in!

Spring Mill Bread Company

If you are in the DC area and looking for a dynamite sandwich, I recommend you make your way over to Spring Mill Bread Company. 

Spring Mill is a slice of heaven (literally a slice - get it?).  Just step inside, take a sniff, and marvel in the aroma of the fresh loaves of bread baked daily.  It smells so good you can taste it.

 

Some of my favorites sandwiches are the freshly roasted turkey, a classic PB&J, or the Hummus sandwich with your choice of veggies - lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrots, and even add some basil!  I like mine toasted.  Yum.

Each sandwich is packaged up nicely in a foil wrapping so you can easily take it to go, where ever you may be headed.  Grab a seat down the street at a nearby picnic bench and dig in.

 

Circa @ your Neighborhood, DC

Great for brunch, great for happy hour, great for dinner - have you visited your local Circa? 

It's good for all around everything.  The menu changes seasonally, but there are a few reliable "go-to"s that seem to continually make each rotation.  Of these, I give you my good old trustys:

Favorite Appetizer - Calamari Frito Misto - a fried calamari dish, plus some!

Favorite Brunch - She said Egg White Omelet, He said Eggs Benedict

Favorite Lunch - Grilled Cheese (with or without ham)

Favorite Flatbread - BBQ Chicken

Favorite Drink - All of them!  I'm not joking.  They know how to mix up their cocktails.  But okay, okay, here are my top five fabs: Watermelon Cooler, Dark and Stormy, Pineapple Mojito, Blackberry Margarita, and the Foggy Bottom.

Cafe Bonaparte and French Crepes

DC is just full of a multitude of French restaurants.  We're so spoiled.  So, you get to have favorites.  Your favorite place for Steak Frites, your favorite place for Ham & Cheese, your favorite place for Mussels, and of course, your favorite place for French crepes.  The latter favorite being Cafe Bonaparte.

Begin the night with one of their refreshing cocktails - the Pear Martini is my favorite!  It's the perfect aperitif ("before" meal) to end the day, but start the night.  Then, tease the taste buds with one of the many delicious appetizers. 

One can never go wrong with a classic French Onion soup, or a well crafted French-style salad.  The Mussels Belgian are delicious with that mustard cream sauce, perfect for dipping (order a side of Bonaparte fries to spoon up that sauce).  Also highly recommended are the sauteed calamari and the bruschetta.  And on my gosh, the risotto with asparagus and truffle oil, just divine.

And now, onto the crepes...  I greatly enjoy ordering up a savory crepe for my entree.  You've already had a drink (maybe two) and a lite bite, so the crepe is just the right accompaniment to fully satisfy your feast.  Some favorites - Budapest (beef with light cream), Marseille (chicken with red sauce), Mirabelle (shrimp with saffron sauce), or the uniquely Bonaparte Crepe Roll (seafood stuffed goodness).

 Then finish it off, of course as the Parisians would, with a digestif ("after" meal).  Order up an Amaretto, Grand Marnier, or one of their many tasty coffee or teas.  Heck, go ahead and combine the two with a Cafe De Paris - cappuccino with bailey's, amaretto, or frangelico.

Sushiko and Sushi

In DC we like to get our sushi fix at Sushiko.  Sushiko is always fresh and flavorful, and their roll combinations are just right.  Some of our favorites are the Tuna and Jalapeno Ura-maki roll, or Shrimp and Cilantro Ura-maki roll.  The Dragon Ura-maki roll with barbecue eel is really good, if you are into that kind of thing.  And of course, there is the California roll.  I recommend upping the ante and getting the genuine blue crab (only $1 extra) as opposed to the crab stick.

The original location is in Glover Park, but due to popular demand, they have opened up a second location in Friendship Heights.  While the ambiance does greatly differ (the original really isn't much to write home about), the food itself is superbly consistent.  Be it either location - Sushiko is highly recommended.

Added Bonus:  They deliver! within the immediate surrounding area.

Rasika (West End)

We had been trying to make our way to Rasika since it first hit the DC scene, but it was one of those places where you could never seem to get a reservation. Then, word came along of a second location opening in West End, which raised our hopes (temporarily) until we found that there, too, you had to book a month in advance. Shucks.

Well, we finally got our act together, or some friends of ours did, and booked us a reservation in advance.  Table for four, please, we'll see you a month from now.  It's okay, it was so worth the wait!

A seat at this place is a hot commodity, so try it all we must, and did.  We started with a few appetizers and the Bread Basket, of course inclusive of a couple of Naans.  The crispy spinach was so good, we ordered a second round for the table.

Onto the main courses... we went with some of the classics, like the Chicken Tikka Masala and spicy Lamb Chettinad.  Both were delicious, as to be expected.  One of our dining companions ordered the Wild Boar, which was a real treat.  And not to be expected, the side of lentils, which personally I find to sometimes be a bit boring, were full of flavor and goodness. 

Bistrot du Coin

DC is a cultural mecca - a true melting pot.  With the many visitors, travelers, and occupants, it attracts delicious foods from around the world.  One region of the world that DC seems to have adopted particularly well is France.  And thankfully, that adoption translates to the city's cuisine.

In Washington there is a plethora of French cafes and bistros.  We frequent many of the bistros that the city has to offer, but our favorite French food fix has to be Bistrot du Coin (pronounced "de qua").

Start off with a classic French cocktail, like a Kir Royale.  Then for starters, get a pot of Mussels.  You can go small, which comes with bread, or get the larger portion, which comes with both bread and fries for dipping in the all-so-delicious sauce.  Some of my favorites - La Traditionelle Mouclade des Charents (mussels in a light cream curry sauce) and Moules Bretonnes (mussels with lobster bisque).

For Entrees, I like to go with the classic Steak Frites.  My go-to is the steak with the shallot red wine sauce (Onglet a l'echalotte).  Although the Pave pepper cream sauce and classic Bearnaise dishes are just that - classic.  The Chicken Frites (Poulet roti au four) is also pretty tasty.  In the end, it's all about the sauce, and the French just know how to do it right, every time.

Brunch at Martin's

I know I have posted on Martin's Tavern before, but as I mentioned, Martin's really is our home away from home.  Along with Chris Matthews, we practically live there, night and day.  And, as I've also mentioned before, brunch is very important to Washingtonians.  So, of course we do the occasional Saturday or Sunday brunch at Martin's.

For groups of more than two, it's best to make a reservation and sit at one of the tables, booths, or best yet - in the Dugout, but when it is just us two, it is quite enjoyable to saunter up to the bar and grab a stool.  Gladly to greet you is Aniko, a wonderful bartender who isn't shy to talk of her glory days at Nathan's.  She will treat you well, as she always does us.

One of the best parts of brunch at Martin's is their signature housemade bloody Mary.  It's a classic, usually mixed together the night before by Aniko herself, but what tops it off is that the glass is rimmed in Old Bay seasoning.  Old Bay seasoning is like Ketchup or Mustard to an east coaster.  Primarily used to season steamed Maryland Blue crabs, it's a staple around DC.  And of course, reliable Martin's.

The menu offers your classic brunch staples.  Some of our favorites are the Eggs Benedict, any style, Buttermilk pancakes (seasonal pumpkin are to die for), and the good old Corned beef Hash.  There are a variety of options, including some pub style sandwiches like the Hot Brown or the Monte Cristo, and of course the British hangover classics of Bangers & Mash or Fish & Chips.

It takes not just one, but 2 Amys

What do you get when you take a gal by the name of Amy Pastan and another by the name of Amy Morgan, and put the two together?  An amazing pizzeria called none other than... 2 Amys!

Two Amys takes pride in their pizzas being certified D.O.C. - Denominazione di Origine Controllata.  Did you pronounce that correctly? I didn't... So what is D.O.C.?  It's a fancy way to say that their Neapolitan-style pizza is produced using specific standards with regards to ingredients and technique, as acknowledged by Italy.  Basically, it just means it's awesome, trust me.

Most importantly, Two Amys cooks their pizzas in a wood-burning oven, which is really how all pizzas should come to be, giving it that crispy outside crust with a fluffy and airy inside.  It's perfect, 'nuff said.

So let's start with, of course, the starters.  Two Amy's does not take reservations, so sometimes you've gotta put your name in at the front and then stroll on back to the bar with patience.  Order up a glass of wine or a frosty beer while you wait, but also don't be shy to go ahead and get to ordering some grub.  There's a wonderful array of mezze lining the bar, as legit Italian trattorias do, with plenty of options to choose from, all quite satisfactory as an appe"teaser".  We tend to frequently go with the standard risotto balls and salted cod croquettes.  Delish.

Bayou on Penn

It's the closest you can get to New Orleans without hopping on a plane.  Bayou, located on Pennsylvania Ave NW, is a vibrant concept restaurant with all the jazz of NOLA and of course, the accompanying cuisine.

Bayou falls under the Georgetown Events family with sister eateries like the popular Jetties and Surfside. The menus are collectively designed by the DC's well known Chef  Rusty Holman. So of course, one is expected not to be disappointed.

Now let's talk Bayou eats... It's the real deal with spicy Cajun and creamy Creole that every stomach desires.  There are too many delicious, mouth-watering options, so let's take it course by course.

For brunch, there's the Fried Green Tomatoes Benedict!  Any of the brunch choices should be accompanied by an order of the Jalpeno Cheddar Grits - yum...

For Appetizers, I highly recommend the Barbeque Shrimp, Seafood Gumbo, Fried Green Tomatoes, Tuna & Green Tomato Tartare, and the Crawfish Cheesecake (yes, you read that correctly, it's a crawfish and sausage cheesecake appetizer, highly indulgent, but well worth a taste). And don't forget them biscuits!

You can't go wrong with any of the Po' Boys, but my favorites are the Frenchmen (fried oysters) or the Marigny (half fried oysters and half fried shrimp).  Get them dressed, or shhh naked.