I think it is a great article, and overall, an interesting subject.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/commuting/grocery-store-openings-boost-underserved-communities-in-dc-region/2011/11/10/gIQAyCEo9M_story.html

My Wife and I at Matchbox Restaurant in DC (2009)

My beautiful wife, Alicia and I met in 2006.   I met her on MySpace, mainly because I saw that she has a cheesecake business.  Being a “food enthusiast“, I wanted to inquire about her cheesecake business (And she was…and still is fine).  We talked back and forth, which led to a date, which led to a relationship, engagement, and then marriage (We are now expecting a child).  Like any relationship, you go through “ups and downs”, but yet and still…the “ups” are certainly in more abundance than the “downs“.  Also…our love and passion for food brought us together.  A passion that to this day we still indulge.

It is a dream of ours to either open up a restaurant, or Alicia has a dream of creating a “Cheesecake Truck“, which will go around and serve small, gourmet cheesecakes.  Or…we may do both.  Who knows?  The point is…we feel like we need to do “R&D” (“Research and Development“) prior to opening up our food businesses.  The more flavors and textures we engage, the more techniques we learn, the more open we are to new and exotic foods, the better chefs we will be, and the more creative will become.  Also…we just love to eat.

Last year, I decided to compile a list of all of the restaurants that Alicia and I have been to since 2006.  In making the list, I was astonished at the amount and diversity of the restaurants we have been to.  Everything from burger joints to pizza joints.  Steakhouses to Thai…we have done it all.  Most of our list consist of restaurants in the DC Metropolitan Area (Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland), which has become in the past few years, a really enthusiastic place with regards to food.  We also have a few other places outside of the area, but whether local or not, we love food and I would like to share with you the places we went.

(*) This denotes a “Marc and Alicia Favorite“.  These are restaurants that we:  (1) Love, Go To Often, and Our Consistently Good.  Or (2) If we went once, the dining experience was so good and/or profound, that we would go to this place over and over again.
(**) This denotes an “Abysmal Restaurant“.  These are restaurants that are so god awful, that we wouldn’t recommend that a dog goes there to eat.  Whether because of being overpriced, the service was bad, and of course…the food being bad.

Well….lets list them:

Thai
Nava Thai-Wheaton, Maryland (Website:  http://navathai.food.officelive.com ) (*)
Ruan Thai-Wheaton, Maryland (Website:  http://www.ruanthaiwheaton.com )
Thai Basil-Chantilly, Virginia (Website:  http://www.thaibasilchantilly.com ) (*)
Bangrak-Ashburn, Virginia  (Website:  http://www.bangrakthaicuisine.com )
Sala Thai-Dulles, Virginia (Website:  http://www.salathaidc.com ) (**)
Duangrats-Falls Church, Virginia (Website:  http://www.duangrats.com )
Anothai Restaurant-Ashburn, Virginia (Website:  http://www.anothairestaurant.com ) (**)
Thai Square Restaurant-Arlington, Virginia (Website:  http://www.thaisquarerestaurant.com) (*)

Floating Market Soup at Nava Thai

Steakhouse
Charlie Palmer Steak-DC (Website:  http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/CPSteak/DC ) (*)
The Palm-McLean, Virginia (Website:  http://www.thepalm.com )
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse-Vienna, Virginia (Website:  http://www.ruthschris.com )
Morton’s-Reston, Virginia (Website:  http://www.mortons.com )
Ray’s The Steaks-Arlington, Virginia (No Website) (*)
Outback Steakhouse-Sterling, Virginia (Website:  http://www.outback.com )
Craftsteak-Manhattan, New York City, NY (Closed) (*)
Mon Ami Gabi-Reston, Virginia (Website:  http://www.monamigabi.com ) (**)
Ray’s The Steaks-East River, Washington, D.C. (No Website) (*)

Indian
Bombay Bistro-Fairfax, Virginia (Website:  http://www.bombaybistro.com ) (*)
Rangoli-South Riding, Virginia (Website:  http://www.rangolirestaurant.com ) (*)
Mirchi Indian Cuisine-Ashburn, Virginia (Website:  http://www.mirchiindiancuisine.com ) (**)

Chinese (Cantonese)
Mark’s Duck House-Falls Church, Virginia (Website:  http://www.marksduckhouse.com ) (*)
Uncle Liu’s Hot Pot-Falls Church, Virginia (No Website)
China Bistro-Rockville, Virginia (No Website) (*)

Dumplings Served at China Bistro

Braised Chicken Feet at Uncle Liu's Hot Pot

Americanized Chinese
Golden China-Sterling, Virginia (No Website)
Cheng’s Oriental Restaurant-Sterling, Virginia (Website:  http://www.chengsorientalva.com )
Pei Wei-Herndon, Virginia (Website:  http://www.peiwei.com ) (**)
P.F. Chiangs-Tysons Corner, Virginia (Website:  http://pfchangs.com )

Vietnamese
Four Sisters-Falls Church, Virginia (Website:  http://www.foursistersrestaurant.com ) (*)
Song Que’-Falls Church, Virginia (No Website) (*)
Present-Falls Church, Virginia (Website:  http://www.presentcuisine.com ) (*)
Pho 75-Herndon, Virginia (No Website) (*)
Pho Bistro-Ashburn, Virginia (Website:  http://www.phobistrova.com ) (*)
Huong Viet-Falls Church, Virginia (Website:  http://www.huong-viet.com )

A bowl of Pho at Pho75

Lotus Salad at Present

Greek
Plaka Grill-Vienna, Virginia (Website:  http://www.plakagrill.com ) (*)
Zorba’s Cafe-Washington, DC (NW) (Website:  http://www.zorbascafe.com )
Amvrosia Restaurant-Ashburn, Virginia (Website:  http://www.amvrosiarestaurant.com )

Diners
Silver Diner-Reston, Virginia; Woodbridge, Virginia; Arlington, Virginia (Website:  http://www.silverdiner.com )
Bob and Edith’s-Arlington, Virginia (Website:  http://www.bobandediths.com ) (*)
USA Diner-Jamaica, Queens (NYC) (No Website) (*)
Amphora Diner-Herndon, Virginia (Website:  http://www.amphoragroup.com/Diner/tabid/785/Default.aspx ) (*)
Bel Aire Diner-Long Island City, New York (Website:  http://www.belairediner.com )
The Village Cafe-Richmond, Virginia (Website:  http://www.villagecafeonline.com ) (*)

American/New American/Regional American
Artie’s-Fairfax, Virginia (Website:  http://www.greatamericanrestaurants.com/arties ) (*)
Cajun Experience-Leesburg, VA (Website:  http://www.cajunexperience.biz ) (**)
Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food and Lucky Lounge-Reston, Virginia (Website:  http://www.greatamericanrestaurants.com/jacksons ) (*)
Sweetwater Tavern-Sterling, Virginia and Chantilly, Virginia (Website:  http://www.greatamericanrestaurants.com/sweetMainSter ) (*)
Coastal Flats-McLean, Virginia and Fairfax, Virginia (Website:  http://www.greatamericanrestaurants.com/coastaltysons ) (*)
Carlyle-Arlington (Shirlington), Virginia (Website: http://www.greatamericanrestaurants.com/carlyle) (*)
Central Michel Richard-Washington, DC (NW) (Website:  http://www.centralmichelrichard.com )
Magnolia’s At The Mill-Purcellville, Virginia (Website:  http://www.magnoliasmill.com ) (*)
Market Salammander-Middleburg, Virginia (Website: http://www.marketsalamander.com )
Riverside Hearth-Lansdowne, Virginia (Website:  http://www.lansdowne.com/Dining/dining_riverside.asp )
The Wine Kitchen-Leesburg, Virginia (http://www.thewinekitchen.com )
Volt-Frederick, Maryland (http://www.voltrestaurant.com ) (*)
Restaurant 3-Arlington, Virginia (http://www.restaurantthree.com/)
Matchbox (Capitol Hill)-Washington, D.C. (http://www.matchboxdc.com/capitolhill.shtml)

Classic American
Chaps Pitbeef-Baltimore, Maryland (http://www.chapspitbeef.com ) (*)
Ben’s Chili Bowl-Washington, D.C. (NW) (http://www.benschilibowl.com ) (*)
Rockaway Fish House-Far Rockaway, New York (NYC) (http://www.rclenterprises.net/restaurant.html )

Chain American
The Original Pancake House-Falls Church, Virginia (Website:  http://www.originalpancakehouse.com) (*)
IHOP-Too many locations (Website:  http://www.ihop.com ) (*)
Ruby Tuesdays-Too many locations (Website:  http://www.rubytuesday.com ) (*)
TGIF-Too many locations (Website:  http://www.tgifridays.com )
Glory Days Grill-Ashburn, Virginia (Website:  http://www.glorydaysgrill.com )
Buffalo Wing Factory-Ashburn, Virginia (Website: http://www.buffalowingfactory.com )
Cheesecake Factory-McLean, Virginia (Website:  http://www.cheesecakefactory.com )
Cheeseburger In Paradise-Woodbridge, Virginia (Website:  http://www.cheeseburgerinparadise.com ) (*)
Cracker Barrell-Too many locations (Website:  http://www.crackerbarrel.com ) (*)
Hard Times Cafe-Herndon, Virginia (Website:  http://www.hardtimes.com )
Chili’s-Sterling, Virginia (Website:  http://www.chilis.com/EN/Pages/home.aspx )

Fast Food Chains
Popeyes-Too many locations (Website: http://www.popeyes.com ) (*)
McDonalds-Too many locations (Website:  http://www.mcdonalds.com ) (*)
Wendys-Too many locations (Website:  http://www.wendys.com )
KFC-Too many locations (Website:  http://www.kfc.com )
Taco Bell-Too many locations (Website:  http://www.tacobell.com ) (*)
Roy Rogers-Several locations (Website:  http://www.royrogersrestaurants.com ) (*)
Quiznos-Too many locations (Website:  http://www.quiznos.com )

Italian
The Italian Store-Arlington, Virginia (Website:  http://www.italianstore.com ) (*)
Trattoria Romana-Staten Island, New York (NYC) (Website:  http://www.trattoriaromana.com ) (*)
Zeffirelli’s-Herndon, Virginia (Website:  http://www.zeffirelliristorante.com ) (*)
King Umberto’s-Elmont, New York (Website: http://www.kingumberto.com )
Carrabas Restaurant (National Chain)-Reston, Virginia (Website:  http://www.carrabas.com )
Bertucci’s (National Chain)-Herndon, Virginia and Ashburn, Virginia (Website:  http://www.bertuccis.com )
Argias-Falls Church, Virginia (Website:  http://www.argias.com ) (*)
Palio of Leesburg-Leesburg, Virginia (Website:  http://www.palioofleesburg.com ) (**)
Forno Ristorante-Ashburn, Virginia (Website:  http://www.fornoashburn.com ) (**)
Dante Ristorante-Great Falls, Virginia (Website:  http://www.danterestaurant.com ) (*)
San Vito-Formerly Ashburn, Virginia (Website: http://www.sanvitorestaurant.com ) (**)

West Indian/Carribean
Teddy’s Roti Shop-Washington, DC (NW) (Website:  http://www.teddysrotishop.com ) (*)
Callaloo Cuisine-Ashburn, Virginia (Now closed) (*)
Jamaica Jamaica-Herndon, Virginia (Website:  http://www.jamaica2x.com ) (**)
Tropicana-Washington, DC (NW) (No Website) (*)
Allan’s Bakery-Flatbush, Brooklyn (NYC) (Website:  http://www.allansbakery.com ) (*)
Muffin Man Carribean Cafe-Seabrook, Maryland (Website:  http://www.muffinmancarribeancafe.com ) (*)

Brooklyn's Own...Allan's Bakery

Pizza
Sal’s NY Pizza-Ashburn, Virginia (Website: http://www.salsnypizza.net ) (*)
Don Corleone’s Pizza-Sterling, Virginia (Website:  http://www.salsnypizza.net ) (*)
2 Amy’s Pizza-Washington, DC (Website:  http://www.2amyspizza.com ) (*)
Tony’s NY Pizza-Manassas, Virginia (Website:  http://www.tonysnewyorkpizza.com ) (*)
Fireworks Pizza-Leesburg, Virginia (Website:  http://www.fireworkspizza.com ) (*)
Pizzeria Uno-Reston, Virginia (Website:  http://www.pizzeriauno.com )
Mario’s Pizza House-Arlington, Virginia (No Website) (*)
Z Pizza-Herndon, Virginia (Website:  http://zpizza.com )
American Flatbread-Ashburn, Virginia (Website: http://www.americanflatbread.com )
Church Street Pizza-Vienna, Virginia (No Website)
Pizzeria Orso-Falls Church, Virginia (Website:  http://pizzeriaorso.com )

This is the Vongole Pizza at Pizzeria Orso in Falls Church, VA

BBQ
Jammin’ Joe’s BBQ-New Baltimore, Virginia (Website:  http://www.jamminjoesbbq.com ) (*)
BBQ Country-Warrenton, Virginia (No Website)
Bluz Brothers BBQ-Ashburn, Virginia (Now Closed) (**)
Carolina Brothers Pit BBQ-Ashburn, Virginia (Website:  http://www.carolinabrothers.com )
Urban BBQ-Rockville, Maryland (Website: http://urbanbbqco.com ) (*)
Willard’s Real Pit BBQ-Chantilly, Virginia (Website:  http://www.dcbbq.com )
Smokey Bones BBQ-Woodbridge, Virginia (Website:  http://www.smokeybones.com ) (*)
Black Hog BBQ-Frederick, Maryland (Website:  http://blackhogbbq.com ) (*)

Seafood
Passionfish-Reston, Virginia (Website:  http://www.passionfishreston.com )
Hooked on Seafood-Sterling, Virginia (Website:  http://hookedonseafood.com ) (*)
Shoreline Seafood-Crofton, Maryland (Website:  http://www.shorelineseafood.com ) (*)
Moe’s Seafood-Baltimore, Maryland (Website:  http://www.mosseafood.com ) (*)
Clare and Don’s Beach Shack-Falls Church, Virginia (Website:  http://www.clareanddons.com )

Burgers
Urban Burger-Rockville, Maryland (Website:  http://urbanburgerco.com ) (*)
Ray’s Hell Burger-Arlington, Virginia (No Website) (*)
Foster’s Grille-Ashburn, Virginia (Website:  http://fostersgrille.com ) (*)
Big Buns-Arlington, Virginia (Website:  http://eatbigbuns.com ) (*)
Fuddruckers-Numerous locations (Website:  http://fuddruckers.com )
Rare Bar and Grill-Manhattan, New York City, NY (Website:  http://rarebarandgrill.com ) (*)
Johnny Rockets-Brambleton, Virginia (Website:  http://johnnyrockets.com/index2.php ) (**)
Cheeburger Cheeburger-Dulles, Virginia (Website:  http://www.cheeburger.com/home2/index.asp ) (**)
Five Guys-Numerous locations (Website:  http://fiveguys.com/home.aspx ) (*)
BGR, The Burger Joint-Arlington, Virginia (Website: http://www.bgrtheburgerjoint.com ) (*)
Joe’s Burgers-McLean, Virginia (Website: http://www.joesburgersmclean.com ) (*)
The Counter-Reston, Virginia (Website:  http://www.thecounterburger.com (*)

Americanized Mexican/Mexican Influenced
Pancho Villa Mexican Restaurant-Culpeper, Virginia (Website:  http://www.bgrtheburgerjoint.com ) (*)
Surfside-Washington, DC (NW) (Website:  http://www.surfsidedc.com/www ) (*)
Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande Cafe-Reston, Virginia; Arlington, Virginia and Fairfax, Virginia (Website:  http://unclejulios.com ) (*)
Guapo’s Restaurant-Herndon, Virginia and Manassas, Virginia (Website:  http://www.guaposrestaurant.com ) (*)
Oyamel-Washington, DC (NW) (Website:  http://www.oyamel.com )

Bakery/Confections
Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe-Arlington, Virginia (Website:  http://www.heidelbergbakery.com )
Milwaukee Frozen Custard-Numerous locations (Website:  http://www.milwaukeefrozencustard.com ) (*)
Lola’s-Leesburg, Virginia (Website:  http://www.lolacookies.com ) (*)
Great Harvest Bread-Herndon, Virginia (Website:  http://darngoodbread.com ) (*)
Curbside Cupcakes-Washington, D.C. (Website:  http://www.curbsidecupcakes.com) (*)
Cupcakes Actually-Fairfax, Virginia (Website:  http://cupcakesactually.com ) (*)
Edibles Incredible-Reston and Ashburn, Virginia (Website:  http://www.ediblesincredible.com ) (*)

Our Wonderful Wedding Cake, Made By Edibles Incredible

Mexican
El Charrito Caminante-Arlington, Virginia (No Website)
Guajillo-Arlington, Virginia (Website:  http://guajillogrill.com/ )

Peruvian
El Pollo Rico-Arlington, Virginia (No Website) (*)
King Pollo-Sterling, Virginia (No Website)

Salvadorian
Irene’s Pupusas-Wheaton, Maryland (No Website)

Korean
Yechon-Annandale, Virginia (Website:  http://www.yechonrestaurant.com/ ) (*)

Brazilian (In Concept)
Malibu Grill-Fairfax, Virginia (Website:  http://www.malibugrillsteakhouse.com/home.html )
Chima Brazilian Steakhouse-Tysons Corner, Virginia (Website:  http://www.chimasteakhouse.com/index.cfm ) (*)

Japanese
Sweet Ginger-Vienna, Virginia (No Website)
Nagoya Japanese Steak Seafood-Ashburn, Virginia (Website:  http://www.nagoyas.com )
Sakura Japanese Steakhouse-Fairfax, Virginia (Website:  http://www.sakurasteakhouse.com/ )
Sushi-Ko-Chevy Chase, Maryland (Website:  http://www.sushikorestaurants.com) (*)

Afghan
Bamian Afghan Cuisine-Falls Church, Virginia (Website:  http://www.bamianrestaurant.com) (*)

Lamb Chops at Bamian

Middle Eastern
Kabob Palace-Arlington, Virginia (No Website) (*)
The Lebanese Butcher-Falls Church, Virginia (No Website) (*)
Sahara Lebanese Market and Cafe-Sterling, Virginia (Website: http://www.saharamarketcafe.com ) (*)

Turkish
Kazan’s Restaurant-McLean, Virginia (Website: http://kazanrestaurant.com )

Deli
Celebrity Deli-Falls Church, Virginia (Website:  http://www.thecelebritydelly.com ) (*)
Hutzpah Deli-Fairfax, Virginia and Vienna, Virginia (Website:  http://www.chutzpahdeli.com ) (*)

BON APPETIT!!!

Weather forecasters predicted that we were going to have a HUGE snowstorm, starting on Friday, and it would continue all day Saturday and perhaps Sunday.  Exaggerated weather reports in the DC Met Area are often commonplace, but this time, every forecaster was saying the same thing, “Winter Storm EVENT…24 to 40 inches“…WOMEN AND CHILDREN…SAVE-YOUR-SELVES!!!  “Can this really be happening to me?”, I asked myself.  “Is this place really worth the hype, to where I am going to drive in bad weather or drive on bad roads, 40 some-odd miles, to eat?”  I got into my mind…somehow…someway, I will make it to VOLT.

Luckily for me, the snow stopped late-Saturday evening, and the snow plows were operating continuously since the storm started.  So on Sunday, the main roads were pretty much plowed, and the sun coming out helped in melting the remaining snow and ice off the roads.  I cleaned off my car, and while I was cleaning the car, I received another call from VOLT letting me know that they were open, and asked if I was still coming.  I told them, “Through hell or high-water”.  The wife and I get dressed, I nearly slip and bust my behind walking to my car, and my car got stuck twice in my apartment complex, but we got on the road, and we headed towards Frederick.

After going through the bumpy, almost non-plowed roads of Historic Frederick, we finally arrive at 228 North Market Street.  The first thing about VOLT is that it doesn’t look like a restaurant at all.  It is housed in an all-brick,  8,000 square foot, 19th Century mansion, built by seven sisters who were daughters of  Ezra Houck a wealthy local resident (Information provided by the website http://www.voltrestaurant.com/aboutthemansion.htm).  The only clue that really lets you know it is VOLT is being able to see through one of the dining room windows, as well as the big VOLT sign above the door.  Nevertheless, we were able to park in their nicely plowed parking lot, and this is where the culinary journey begins.

As we entered the front foyer area, it was dimly lit, dark woods and walls, etc.  Then we were promptly led to our table, which was in a beautiful dining room, the exact opposition of the foyer.  The walls were white, with a few paintings to give the room some personality.  White table cloths, and the room was brightly lit.  My guess…they wanted things to be elegant, but simple, so the focus can be entirely on the food.  One thing we also quickly noticed…from the General Manager, to the host, to the wait staff, to even the chefs…everybody wore black, Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers, which shows a bit of playfulness, as well as sending a message to the patrons that although we are serious about the food, they don’t take themselves to seriously.  Which soon became apparent in their style of service…efficient, pleasant, but not stuffy and pretentious.  Our waitress, Taylor took care of us, and we were handed two menu books.  They had a cocktail menu and a wine menu.  The cocktail menu is divided into two sections, “Classic Cocktails“, which has staple cocktail drinks such as Mojitos, Daiquiris, Manhattans, etc.  The other section is “Current Cocktails” which consists of their house-made cocktails, and Alicia chose to have one of their “Current Cocktails” which consisted of fresh green apples, rum, ginger, etc.  Not being a big cocktail drinker, I decided to look at the wine list, which was extensive.  I decided to order a simple glass of Cava…think of a Spanish version of French Champagne, without the nasty, dry, bitter taste that French Champagne has.  Cava has almost a “Riesling-esque” flavor to it.  I had a sip of Alicia’s drink, and although it was tasty, my Cava is better.  Usually when I got to restaurants, I rarely finish my wine.  That wasn’t the case on Sunday…Cava is now my favorite drink (((Laughing))).

At VOLT you pick from a A La Carte menu…four courses, and it is treated like a “tasting menu“, which means you have to decide which item within the course selection you want (For each of the four courses), and put the order “in” all at the same time.  Alicia and I looked over the menu, and we were able to pick out what we wanted to quickly.  Taylor came by, and we put in our order, which I will now list below.

Alicia:  First Course-Yellowfin Tuna Avocado, Yuzu Vinaigrette, Chili Oil, Red Shiso, Soy Air, and Sesame Lavash…this is essentially their play on an overplayed First Course dish at alot of fine dining establishments, Tuna Tartare.
Second Course-Iberico-Red Wattle Pork Belly, Cranberry Beans, Calypso Beans, Red Ribbon Sorrel, Mostarda…their play on “Pork and Beans“.
Third Course-Border Spring Lamb Loin, Chickpea Gnocchi, Curry Yogurt, etc. (Don’t remember the rest, because I am going off the menu that is on the website, but it is the December 2009 menu, and the menu has changed)
Fourth Course-Textures of Chocolate White Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Caramel, Raw Organic Cocoa.

Marc:  First Course-Seafood Chowder, Potato Leek Soup, Potatoes, Scallop and Dehydrated Bacon (Picture below…I was able to sneak one phone pic of my food).

This is my first course...the Seafood Chowder, or at least VOLT's play on it.

Second Course-Veal Sweetbreads Flavors of Picata, Meyer Lemon, Kalamata Olive, Caper, and Golden Raisin.
Third Course-Pineland Farm Beef Strip Loin, Fondant Potatoes with Garlic Transparency and Carrots (Not an exact or accurate description).
Fourth Course-Dulce De Leche White Chocolate Goat Cheesecake, Granny Smith Apple Sorbet, and Dry Caramel.

Granted…telling you what we ordered, really doesn’t explain the complexity of the plating and other features in the dish, which I will explain a little later.  As the cooks are “whippin’ up” our food, we receive a small bite of food…an “amuse bouche” compliments of the Chef.  It was presented on these wide, porcelin spoons, and essentially you take one bite, and the food is gone.  Just a little teaser before the real “fun” starts.  The amuse bouche in this case was minced lobster meat, with herbs and spices all intermingled, and under it was either a cucumber/celery gelee (You know…like the gum drops you used to get from your grandmother’s house, only this one was made with vegetable juices.  They are using a bit of their Molecular Gastronomy skills with this.)  I believe this could be a play on a Lobster Roll, based on the ingredients, and it was very good.  Soon after our amuse bouche, our first course came out.  Now…before I continue, one may ask, “How come there are no pictures of these items?”  As you see above, I was able to sneak one picture with my cell phone, but after that Alicia did not want me taking anymore pictures.  She thought it was too “geeky” and disturbing, so as a result, I will do my best to describe the items.

FIRST COURSE-Alicia’s tuna dish was beautifully presented.  The tuna was minced, and mixed with the yuzu viniagrette and chili oil, and thenwrapped in cannelloni type edible wrapping.  The soy air, was right next to it, in the form of a foam, which made for a more beautiful presentation.  Alicia was loving the dish, and she allowed me to try it.  The tuna was of a good quality, and the usage of the viniagrette gave it a citrus flavor and the chili oil gave it a spicy bite on the finish.  As for my dish, when the brought the bowl to the table, the only thing that was in the bowl were a few pieces of potato, a scallop, and some stuff that looked like dirt.  Then the waiter poured the soup around the scallop, thus enveloping the potatoes and the “dirt“.  The dirt, was the dehydrated bacon, which as a result of the dehydration, it actually give the bacon a stronger bacon flavor.  The actual soup is a potato and leek soup, something rather common (I make it myself), but when it is executed properly, it makes for a wonderful experience.  I was really jealous that my soup was not as good.  But it made for a great chowder…all the components were there…the potatoes, the bacon, the scallop was beautifully cooked…again, a real winner.

SECOND COURSE-Alicia’s Pork Belly Dish…all I can say is “WOW!!!”  A piece of pork belly rolled up, and slowly cooked, to have it crispy on the outside but tender on the inside.  It also had a “bacon chip” on top of that, which was also “awesomely” presented (I know that’s not a word…LOL).  Then they had accompanying beans with that, to play on the whole “Pork and Beans” theme.  Being that I am not a lover of beans, I didn’t try those…but I tried the pork belly, and it was delicious.  Alicia raved about it, and I believe that it was her favorite course.  As for my second course, I had play on Veal Picata, which is normally a veal cutlet, pounded out, dipped in egg wash, then in flour and fried.  Then after it is golden brown, you make a quick pan sauce of lemon juice and butter, add capers, and then pour the sauce over the veal.  One of my favorite Italian dishes.  What they did at VOLT was get “sweetbreads“, which are the thymus glands of usually calves (Veal), dice it and make four little “sweetbread nuggets“, which they then tempura fried.  Then they puree several different sauces for dipping (The sauces are on the plate, as part of the presentation).  They had a Meyer Lemon Sauce, an olive sauce, and a golden raising sauce.  It was my first time trying sweetbreads, and I have to say that they are some of the tastiest things I have ever eaten.  I can’t wait to go get some and make them. The sauces were absolutely yummy…a perfect compliment to the sweetbreads, and again…an excellent play on a classic dish.

THIRD COURSE…our “Mains“.  Alicia had the lamb, and I had the beef.  Alicia’s lamb was an Indian-inspired dish.  Two chunks of lamb loin, perfectly grilled (Medium Rare) and served with chickpea gnocchi (They were outstanding).  There was a yogurt curry sauce that accompanied the dish, which was also very delicious.  However, the star of the dish, was a third piece of lamb in the middle.  They took some lamb, made a sausage out of it, and then stuck another piece of lamb loin, literally in the middle of the sausage.  Alicia moaned and groaned as she ate this dish, and I tried some.  I immediately regretted ordering what I ordered…well…not really.  But I would have ordered the lamb if I knew how utterly delicious it was.  With my beef dish, it was a play on steak and potatoes.  Nothing was fancy about the steak, just perfectly grilled, medium-rare beef loin, cut into three mini-filets, if you will.  TASTY!!!  Three mounds of creamy, smooth mashed potatoes (Mashed is so not the word to describe these potatoes).  Each of these mounds with its own little sauce in the middle…(1) Red Pepper, (2) Chive, and (3) Golden Raisin.  The red pepper sauce was really good, as well as the chive.  The golden raisin…hmmmm, a little sweet for my taste, especially when eating mashed potatoes, but it was an interesting flavor combination.  Not bad, not good either…just interesting.  The most interesting part of the dish, were these little, brown glass chips on the potatoes.  What were these things?  Then I remember something being said about “garlic transparency“, so I guess this was it.  Then I also thought about an episode of “Top Chef” in which Chef Bryan did something similar.  Well…I tried it, and I was truly shocked and amazed.  I am not a fan of the whole molecular gastronomy movement, but Chef Bryan used, appropriately I think, “MG” in a way that was really…well…”cool“.  Essentially, this was roasted garlic turned into a glass form.  You could crack it like glass.  I tasted it like a potato chip, thinking that it would not taste of garlic, and surprisingly, it tasted more of garlic than you would ever imagine.  Again…Chef Bryan’s play on “steak and garlic mashed potatoes”.  Incredible.

FOURTH COURSE-DESSERT!!!  After three courses, I am loving life.  So I am really interested in seeing what dessert was like.  Alicia ordered a chocolate dessert, called “Textures of Chocolate“, which I sort of take as a play on a box of chocolate(s).  You get a box of chocolate, and you have one that is just plain chocolate, another with caramel in the center, perhaps a truffle that is coated with cocoa powder.  Well…Alicia got the same thing.  Chocolate Ice Cream, White Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Caramel, and once again with the help of “MG“, dehydrated chocolate, that looked like dirt on the plate.  It’s completely dry, but once you eat it, the chocolate powder will return to its wonderful chocolate texture that we are all familiar with.  Amazing stuff.  For a chocolate lover like Alicia, she was in love…in lust…a “Disciple of the Textures of Chocolate Church“….AMEN!!!  LOL!!!  As for me, I ordered the Dulce De Leche White Chocolate Goat Cheesecake, with Granny Smith Apple Sorbet and Dry Caramel.  YES…Dry Caramel, but I will return to that in a minute.  I remember seeing Chef Bryan make this on the show, as well as seeing him do a demonstration of this dish on Voltaggio Brothers’ new website (http://www.voltaggiobrothers.com/).  The video is below, and to get the actual recipe, click on this link:  http://www.voltaggiobrothers.com/post/dulce-de-leche-cheesecake-recipe.

I am not a fan of goat cheese at all.  I think it has an unattractive “gamey” flavor that doesn’t register well with my palette.  Luckily Chef Bryan, balanced the “gamey-ness” of the goat cheese with cream cheese and the white chocolate, resulting in a very delicious cheesecake.  The cheesecake was cut into three tiny circles, each with a graham cracker “tweel“, which give you a taste of a cheesecake, without having a big ole, gut-busting slice of one.  The cheesecake was delicious, but the granny smith apple sorbet was one of the best things I have put into my mouth in a long time.  It was the same color as the skin of a granny smith, and the taste was just that…an intensified granny smith apple.  With every bite, I just couldn’t believe it.  I said to Alicia, “I’m eating an apple in semi-liquid form…I can’t believe this.”  VOLT should make this stuff and sell it.  Lastly, the dry caramel, that I mentioned in the beginning.  I was puzzled at the description, and skeptical on what it would taste like.  I put this stuff in my mouth, and again…a sentiment of, “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!!!”.  As he states in the video demo I posted, the dry caramel rehydrates in your mouth and turns back into regular caramel.  It is the freakiest and yummiest thing ever.  Alicia and I have already talked about using that component for her cheesecakes.

What a fantastic night.  Alicia and I are more than full, we’re thinking that the meal is over and it is time to ask for the check.  BUT NO!!!  We receive a complimentary dessert from the pastry chef.  MINI-ICE CREAM SANDWICHES.  Four of them.  Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and in the middle was Ginger Ice Cream.  Chocolate Cookies and Chocolate Ice Cream in the middle.  And Coconut Cookies with Coconut Ice Cream (2 of the latter ice cream sandwich).  AGAIN, Alicia and I were acting like the knuckleheaded hosts we mock on “The Food Network“, who make those orgasm faces and noises when they eat food.  But hey…this food was truly “foodgasmic“.

Finally, we are at the conclusion of our meal.  Taylor brings us our check, and then brings us more food.  The send us away with some complimentary lemon-poppyseed muffins.  WOWSERS!!!  The check wasn’t as much as I thought it would be, and we were truly happy with our meal.  By the way, Chef Bryan was there, and peeked into the dining room.  Alicia whispered to me (For my back was to him), and said, “Marc…Look!!!”.  I turned back, and saw him for a few seconds, and he presumably returned to the kitchen.  If I was facing in his direction like Alicia was, I would have told him to come over and take a picture with us.  She may have called me a “geek“, but I wouldn’t have cared.  The man is truly gifted, and deserves all of the accolades that come him way.  Alicia and I headed back down Route 15, and she had to hear me gush damn near the entire ride.  THE CONCLUSION-The finest restaurant meal I have ever had.  Thanks Chef Bryan, and I hope to return soon.  When I return, I am taking pictures, I don’t care what Alicia says (((Laughing))).

VOLT Restaurant
228 North Market Street
Frederick, Maryland
(301) 696-VOLT

http://www.voltrestaurant.com

]]> http://blackfoodsnob.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/finest-dining-experience-ever-courtesy-of-volt/feed/ 0 blackfoodsnob Volt Seafood Chowder...my first course http://blackfoodsnob.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/damn-damn-damn-great-bbq-in-frederick-md/ http://blackfoodsnob.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/damn-damn-damn-great-bbq-in-frederick-md/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:43:55 +0000 blackfoodsnob http://blackfoodsnob.wordpress.com/?p=304 ]]>

In reading recent food blogs lately, people in the DC Met Area believe that you really can’t find any decent or good BBQ.  From some of the posts I have read, some of the posters don’t seem to have a “grasp” or knowledge of BBQ, or the ones that do, seem to be a bit “over-particular” about how the BBQ is prepared.  Sometimes one has to just free oneself from all of the pretentious B.S. that comes with food, and just sit down, eat, and enjoy what’s in front of you.  At Black Hog BBQ & Bar ( http://www.blackhogbbq.com ) located in Frederick, Maryland (Located about an hour northwest of Washington, D.C.).  Yes…you have probably heard about Frederick, Maryland, because it is home to rising chef and recent “Top Chef” finalist, Bryan Voltaggio’s acclaimed restaurant, “Volt”, which is less than a mile from Black Hog BBQ.  But as I drove through Frederick, specifically “Historic Frederick”, it is exploding with myriad of local restaurants which will make it a “Food Enthusiast Destination”.  But I digress…back to Black Hog BBQ.

A small restaurant which seats about 30, it was casual and comfortable, without being the cliche’-ish “dive” BBQ restaurants that one normally encounters.  The menu is a tour through the “American Regional BBQ Spectrum”….Carolinas, Memphis, Kansas City, and Texas ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbecue_in_the_United_States#Regional_styles ), so there is something on the menu for everybody, with heavy emphasis on pork, specifically pork that comes from the Black Hog, which according to their site, the meat “…is exceptional”.  Although the site also sends a mixed message.  On their site, they cite a figure from the American Livestock Breeds Conservatory that states that there are under 300 registered breeding pigs in existence.  The restaurant says that these pigs are endangered, where the ALBC puts their status at “critical”.  The question is…if these pigs are so endangered, why use them?  Or, as they state on the site, the Black Hog is just simply a metaphor that represents, “…the fine quality of food and service that we offer at the restaurant.”  Which is it?  At the end of day, I want good food, but not that the expense of the extinction of a sub-species.

I was joined by my “eternal partner in crime”, my wife, Alicia, and my good friend, Laverne, who lives in Frederick.  We sat down, ordered are drinks, and ordered our food.  Here is what we ordered.

For all of us…we ordered their Black Hog Hot Wings, which they rubbed in their signature spice, and you can get it “sauced” with one of three sauces:  (1) Classic Buffalo, (2) BBQ, and (3) Mustard BBQ.  I chose the Mustard BBQ sauce, we all ate the wings, and we all unanimously agreed that they were OUTSTANDING.  For our individual orders.

Alicia ordered the TWO MEAT DINNER PLATTER (TWO MEATS AND TWO SIDES)-She ordered the brisket and pulled pork (Pork Shoulder), and had the Mac-N-Cheese and Baked Beans for sides.
Laverne ordered the TWO MEAT DINNER PLATE (TWO MEATS AND ONE SIDE)-She ordered the brisket and pulled pork (Pork Shoulder), and had Cole Slaw for her side.
Me, Myself and I…I ordered the RIB & ONE MEAT DINNER PLATE (1/2 SLAB of RIBS, MEAT AND ONE SIDE)-I chose a 1/2 slab of Kansas City Wet Ribs, Pulled Pork (Pork Shoulder), and Mac-N-Cheese.
*Cornbread came with all of the orders.

Moans, Groans, and other “Foodgasmic” looks were common during this time.  We almost felt guilty and ashamed.  The plates of food came quickly, all served unpretentiously on butcher’s paper, as they do in BBQ joints out West.  All of the meats were spiced with their signature spice, which was spicy, but not overbearing.  I loved it.  We all did.  The pulled pork was well seasoned and smoky, and it was tender.  We almost wanted to order another “round of pork”, believe it or not.  But the star of the night, had to be the ribs, which I ordered.  Of course I shared some with my wife and Laverne, and they were jealous that they didn’t order it.  The sauce, the spice, and the way it was cooked…was simply perfect.  The meat pulled from the bone, just a little bit.  The meat wasn’t so soft that it pulled off the bone immediately, but it wasn’t so tough that you had to struggle with it.  You bit into it, and you left your teeth marks in the rib…the mark of a perfectly cooked rib.  The sauce was cooked into the rib, not just sloshed on, like some chain joints do it.  We were in “hog heaven” (Pun Intended).

What was more of a surprise was the quality of the sides.  Most times you go to BBQ joints, and they place so much emphasis on the BBQ, that the sides often suffer.  Not here.  The Mac-N-Cheese was stunningly delicious, creamy, and kind of “Grandma-like”.  I didn’t have the beans (I don’t like beans), but the wife and Laverne were “Hee-Hawing” over them, so I guess they loved them.  I didn’t get a chance to eat the Cole Slaw, because Laverne and Alicia ate it so quickly.  Laverne commented on how “creamy” it was, and Alicia positively commented on the texture of it.  Both good signs when eating Cole Slaw, which usually is soggy and people use too much mayo.  Unfortunately, the cornbread didn’t really do it for any of us.  We thought it was “OK”, but it wasn’t too much to write about, so I won’t.  Get Jiffy!!!

One thing that I realized during this experience.  I ordered an orange soda.  For me, orange soda compliments BBQ very well.  Will this mean we will have “soda pairings” in the near future?  I just wanted to throw that out there.  But it’s true, the soda made the food taste better, and vice-versa.  We will have “Soda Sommeliers” at restaurants…I can see it now.  As for dessert, we ordered apple pies, that they get from a local bakery.  The only thing that sucked was that they don’t serve it with ice cream.  Also…when Alicia and I asked for ours to be served at room temperature, ours came back fairly cold.  That being said, the pie was delicious, but we wished we had them warm it up for us, and we wish they had ice cream.  I mean, come on…you got to have apple pie with vanilla ice cream.  They also had “Coca-Cola Cake”, which is a classic and decadent southern dessert item, so thumbs up for that.

This place was awesome.  We left satisfied and happy.  In talking with Alicia and Laverne, on a scale of one to ten, our scores averaged out close to a “9″, so I’ll just round it to a “9″.  Good BBQ does exist in the DC Met Area, and if you’re willing to make the drive to Frederick, Maryland, you’ll certainly get it at Black Hog BBQ & Bar.  Because more than likely, you will not be able to get a seat at Volt (((Laughing))).

Black Hog Barbeque & Bar
118 South Market Street
Frederick, Maryland 21701
(240) 436-6080
Website:  http://www.blackhogbbq.com

Prior to the “winter storm” (Can’t call it a blizzard, I found out, because it can only be a blizzard based upon the wind speed therefore causing snow to blow creating inches upon inches of more snow, on top of the snow that has already fallen…follow me?), people go into panic mode.  They go to the Home Depot and buy all of the salt, shovels, duct tape, flash lights, batteries, beef jerky, military m.r.e.’s, etc., etc.  They go to the grocery stores and buy every bit of milk, butter and bread on the shelves, knowing that they can’t do a bit of nothing with it…LOL!!!  These people are nuts.  Luckily for the wife and I, we already had a good amount of stuff in the freezer, but I still stopped at the new, ethnic grocery store right down the street to buy a few items, so we could have a more “gourmet”, “snowed-in” experience.

Friday Night, we ate at a local restaurant, one of our reliable favorites, which has actually gone “down” a bit…but since then, I have been a cooking idiot.  Making stocks and broths.  Braising and Frying.  Chopping up celery and carrots.  Pureeing and straining.  Adding cream to this, salt and pepper to that.  And the worse job of all…cleaning the kitchen I don’t know how many times over and over and over again.  It’s like “enough already”.

Here is the menu of things that I have cooked thus far, since Alicia and I have been locked in.  I am about to eat some of the gravlax I started to cure on Friday, and then go out and shovel some snow around my car and the wife’s car.  I need the protein.  See ya when I see ya.

Saturday
-Shrimp Tortellini in a Tomato/Pepper Cream Sauce
-Skate Wing Milanese (First time I ever cooked with skate wing.  I messed up in cooking the skate wing)
-Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque (Texture of silk)
-Tomato-Pepper Soup (The veggie lasagna that I made for my office party last week, I still had alot of sauce leftover.  The sauce was made with roasted red and orange peppers, carrot, onion, garlic, herbs, grape tomatoes, and tomato puree.  So I combined it with veggie stock that I made, pureed it, put it through a sive, added a hint of cream, and made a soup out of it.)
-Veggie Stock

Sunday
-Lemongrass Curry Paste
-Braised Lemongrass Curry Turkey Wings

Monday
-Lax and Bagels
-Vietnamese Pho

This blog entry is dedicated to my “peeps” from Philly, Amy “A-Milli” Miller and Ryan “The Rizzle” Levins.  Holla at ya boy!!!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania…it’s famous for alot of things.  The World Champion Philadelphia Phillies Baseball Team (OK…not this year, but last year, and hell…they won the National League at least).  It’s where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.  Some of the great R&B  and soul singers and songwriters came from Philadelphia.  But perhaps no other icon is synonomous with Philadelphia, than the Philadelphia Cheesesteak.  I hope I am giving it the proper title, because there is a “vernacular” when it comes to talking about this sandwich, and even when it comes to ordering the sandwich…both if you’re not in the know, you will surely be “dogged”.

Philadelphians are protective of their beloved sandwich.  They know what it is made of, how it is made, and anything other than that…it’s not a cheesesteak.  Example:  A few weeks ago, I went to grab me a bite for lunch at a respectable joint that I have been going to for well over ten years in Arlington, Virginia.  I asked “A-Milli”, thinking that “Hey…maybe she would want a good cheesesteak, and I know a good place down here that makes them”…I offered to grab her one.  Went to get it, brought it back, and we ate.  Me…I was loving life, enjoying the interplay between bread, meat, cheese, bacon, peppers and onions (That’s how I like my sandwich).  The look on Amy’s face, was a bit more….how shall I say…”pensive”.  I asked her the verdict, and she said she enjoyed the meat and cheese aspect of the sandwich, but the bun…(((Record Scratch Sound)))???  I did have to admit, the bun was a bit “dense” that day.

Actually…let me correct myself, it’s not a “bun”, it’s a “roll”, specifically the roll that a true, authentic cheesesteak is always to be on is an AMOROSO Roll http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amoroso%27s_Baking_Company .  These rolls almost have an almost ”mythic”…well…”role” in the development of the cheesesteak.  They are soft, but at the same time, able to stand the grease, meat, veg, and any other kind of crap that goes on the cheesesteak.  So I looked for places in the DC Met Area that served cheesesteaks in the authentic way…I found a few.  But it wasn’t until last week, during congressional recess, where I did a quick and simple search and found a place in NW DC…a new place, called JJ’s Cheesesteaks.  Myself, and fellow staffer, Peter “The Hoff” Fise, went off to the U Street Corridor to grab some sandwiches, and see what this whole Philly Cheesesteak thing is all about.

This place is really simple…they only have four kinds of cheesesteaks (“The Ben Franklin”, “The Liberty Bell”, “The Capitol”, and “The All-American”).  They differ because of the toppings.  Peter and I both ordered Ben Franklins…I ordered mine with provolone and bacon (The thought of Cheese Whiz in my body is enough to make me wrech).  I believe Peter ordered his WIT WIZ.  Peter’s future cardiologist will thank him…LOL!!!  We ate when we got back to the office.  I had the opposite effect that Amy had when she had my place’s cheesesteak.  Don’t get me wrong…this place had decent beef, but it wasn’t really seasoned…it was missing something.  I wish they were a more generous with the cheese…oh well.  But…I do have to admit…THE BUN does make the difference.  I see what the Philadelphians are talking about.  I see why they are so anal about it.  Peter and I both agreed on this point.  The Amoroso roll is soft, yet sturdy.  The price of the sandwich wasn’t that much either, so if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have been too pissed off.

I think for a person from Philly who misses home, this could be a good “substitute” of sorts.  From a taste point of view, I believe that this place still has room for improvement.  On my “1 to 10″ scale, “1″ being “complete and utter crap” and “10″ being a “completely foodgasmic experience”, I would give this place a “5.75″. 

And by the way…DAMN YOU EAGLES FANS!!!

JJ’s Cheesesteaks
1939 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 518-7777
http://www.jjscheesesteaks.com

China Bistro Dumplings-Picture Courtesy of Fenny L. (Yelp Member)

Most people enjoyed a day off, because of our national observance of Veterans Day (My Father, Grandfather, and Great-Uncle are vets of Vietnam and WWII respectively), although Alicia (AKA-”The Wife“) wasn’t so fortunate.  However, she took the day off anyways, and we slept in on a dreary, rainy, Autumn day.  After waking up around 10:30 a.m., Alicia complained about how hungry she was.  I asked her what she wanted to eat, and like normal, she didn’t know what she wanted.  I went down the list of “usual suspects“….diner breakfast, pho, this thing-that thing…nothing seemed to please her.  Then Alicia said she had a taste for “dumplings“.  She said it was getting to that hour where it was no longer breakfast, but moving close to lunch, so she wanted something more savory.  Alicia was also looking for a place that was going to serve quality dumplings.  The kind of dumplings that they serve at Nava Thai and Ruan Thai in Wheaton, or Thai Basil in Chantilly.  Being that it was early in the morning, I thought about looking for places that serve “dim sum“, but I knew that the only places that serve respectable dim sum were places located in Falls Church, Arlington, or places in Montgomery County.  I also didn’t know which Chinese Restaurants served the best dim sum and/or dumplings for that matter.  So…I went to the computer to do some quick research (QUICK THOUGHT-I hope “The Wife” doesn’t get this way when she is pregnant, or else I am going to put a lot of miles on my car).

I went to Chowhound.Com, went under the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore Group, and then typed the keyword “Dumplings“…several entries came up.  I clicked on one “thread” that dealt with dumplings, and one restaurant that kept being mentioned by my fellow “Chowhounders” was China Bistro located in Rockville, Maryland.  So I went to Yelp.Com, and typed in China Bistro/Rockville, Maryland, and it received a 4.5 out of 5 star rating.  42 people wrote reviews of this place.  And just about every review said the same thing…THE DUMPLINGS ARE AWESOME.  THE DUMPLINGS ARE THE BEST.  THE DUMPLINGS ARE FREAKIN’ GOOD.  One quote caught my attention the most.  A lady named Elissar K. from Gaithersburg, Maryland wrote a complimentary note about China Bistro, giving the place five stars.  She said, “I feel like calling them dumplings doesn’t do them justice. Instead, I think I will call them perfect little pockets of comforting delight.”  Now you all can guess where I received the inspiration for the title of this blog entry.  Alicia looked at these responses, and BOOM…we are on our way to Rockville (A 30 to 40 minute trip, including traffic lights).

This restaurant is situated in a small strip mall (In Rockville’s “China Town“), with other ethnic restaurants…Filipino, Vietnamese, Peruvian, etc.  We get our parking spot right in front of the restaurant, and walk in…BOOM…a line.  If you’re going to this restaurant for ambiance…this may not be the place for you.  It’s small…16 seats in the main seating area in the front.  Then they have another seating area, as if you were walking towards the kitchen.  I would only guess that space would hold another 15 people or so.  The main bulk of their business is takeout, which is what Alicia and I were forced to do.  I overheard the checkout lady/waitress/cook/takeout phone receptionist say that two of their people were out for the day, so they were really behind.  That’s kind of surprising, because when you call most Chinese Restaurants, you can order 15 lbs. of stuff off of the quintessential 200 item menu, and no matter what…it is always “10 minutes“….(((Laughing))).  Not at this place.  Why?  Two things you notice immediately.

(1) Most of the people who were eating in the restaurant were Chinese.  ALWAYS A GOOD SIGN!!!  Which means that the menu, the food…is mainly geared towards a Chinese clientele.  Yes…they have all of the “faux-Chinese-American” classics that people love like “General Tso’s Chicken“, but the Chinese in the restaurant were not eating that stuff.  They were eating the authentic stuff…stuff like “fish mixed with peanuts“, house-made kimchee, bean curds, this and that.  The noodles for the soups at this place…they make from scratch.  That alone will attract the natives.  With American food tastes changing to the more authentic, this place is definitely becoming a site for foodies who are tired of “Hunan-this” and “Panda China-that“.

(2) ALL OF THE DUMPLINGS ARE HOUSE MADE, AND MADE TO ORDER.  I REPEAT…MADE TO ORDER.  Not pre-made, frozen, and then steamed.  I peaked back into the kitchen…there is some old woman back there, with another guy, and they are literally rolling out dumpling dough.  You don’t see that at too many places anymore, and as I said above, they are making their own noodles too.  You know if they are putting this much detail into their dumplings, the dumplings are going to be something. 

Alicia and I grab a menu.  Obviously this restaurant knows their dumplings are a “hit“, because they have a whole separate dumpling menu.  Twelve different dumplings…I’ll list them below:
(1) Mama’s Special Dumpling (Pork, Shrimp, Chives, and Napa Cabbage)
(2) Pork Napa Dumpling
(3) Chive Pork Dumpling
(4) String Bean Pork Dumpling
(5) Vegetable Dumpling
(6) Vegetable Triple Dumpling
(7) Pork Squash Dumpling
(8) Pork Dill Dumpling
(9) Ji Cai Pork Dumpling
(10) Beef Celery Dumpling
(11) Chive Shrimp Dumpling
(12) Fish Meat Dumpling

The “Mama’s Special Dumpling” is their signature dumpling, as described by many people in the food blogs, and Alicia and I were immediately drawn to it when we saw it on the menu.  Two orders of the “Mama’s Special Dumplings“, a coke for me, and an Almond Bubble Tea for Alicia.  “25 minutes your order will be ready“.  So…we…wait!!!

Plate after plate of dumplings are going out into the main dining room…I am just gazing upon them with “awe“.  Alicia is looking elsewhere…pissed off at the fact that we can’t dine in the restaurant.  Hell…what can you do?  I certainly didn’t know about the physical makeup of the dining room.  Watching the plates of dumplings going by I am sure didn’t help her mood either, as I am sure she was hungry (As I was).  But…”patience is a virtue“, and I like to think that I am a virtuous person.  We’re sitting on stools set up near the front entrance, waiting, and waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting.  The one waitress…this girl is hustling.   She is doing everything except making the food (She was making the bubble teas).  You could see she was flustered, but she kept her composure.  Hell, when I paid for the food, I actually gave a tip (On a takeout order).  That’s what I did to pass the time…I just watch her bust her behind serve the customers.  Our patience eventually paid off, “Two Mama Specials and an Almond Bubble Tea“…BOOM, and we’re out the door.  I didn’t want to waste anytime in eating the dumplings, so I wanted to eat them in the parking.  Unfortunately, there was some lady right in front of our car, kind of looking at us, and Alicia felt funny about the lady looking at us.  I couldn’t care less, because I wouldn’t have been looking at the lady.  I would have been focused on the dumplings, but because I want “peace” in my life, we drove to a different location, and parked.  NOW…we can dig in.

THE VERDICT…Alicia’s face instantly lightened up and smiled.  A big smile.  At that same time, I ate my dumpling, and I smiled, and looked at her.  I then thought of that quote given in the Yelp testimonial…”perfect little pockets of comforting delight“, and that’s what they were.  Perfectly flavored, but more so than anything, the dough was absolutely PERFECT!!!  Most places where you get “pedestrian dumplings“, the dough is generally the problem.  It is often thick and dense.  This dough was so light, that as soon as you ate the dumplings, they would instantly melt in your mouth, while at the same time strong enough to hold the meat filling inside.   The flavor of the filling…FANTASTIC!!!  Being that Alicia is from Queens, an area of NYC, that arguably has one of the best Chinatowns in the nation, I asked her if these were the best dumplings that she has ever had, and before I finished the question, she was shaking her head to gesture “YES“.  We ate all of our dumplings, and were quite satisfied (Believe me, it was a difficult ride home…we were “food drunk“).  Oh, by the way, Alicia liked her bubble tea, although she said she has had better bubble tea at other places.

On our very unscientific scale from “1 to 10“, “1” being “complete and utter crap” and “10” being a “completely foodgasmic experience“, we gave this place a “9.25“.  Unlike most places that we judge, we are waiving the “ambiance” scale and “service” scale, because this place was not that kind of restaurant (Despite the fact, that our one waitress was really doing well under the circumstances).  I don’t know about the rest of the menu, and personally I could care less.  The dumplings at China Bistro are absolutely worth the drive.  If you live anywhere within 50 miles of this place…GET IN YOUR CAR AND SPEED TO THIS PLACE.  Just call and order your dumplings in advanced…LOL!!!

China Bistro
755 Hungerford Drive
Rockville, Maryland 20850
(301) 294-0808

The diet industry takes in an estimated $35 to $40 Billion Dollars a year.  You have vegans and vegetarians spewing, what I feel, is their one-sided, elitist way of thinking when it comes to eating food.  You have environmentalists who are talking about how factory farming abuses the environment…polluting the air, leaving carbon imprints, and other esoteric ”tree-hugging” b.s.  I don’t mean to be such a cynic.  If you want to pursue a healthy lifestyle (Or what is perceived to be a healthy lifestyle), that’s great.  Lord knows, Americans as a whole need to be healthier, African Americans REALLY need to pursue healthy lifestyles, with regards to food.  However, I think we have focused so much on the healthy, that we have nearly forgotten about the “pleasurable” aspects of food, the “sensual” aspects of food.  Those familiar smells, textures, and flavors that bring us to the table over and over again, like some kind of Pavlovian experiment, yet remind us of some of the best memories of our lives.  I honestly can’t imagine me sitting around with a friend a few years from now and saying, “You know…remember that time, you and I were eating that stalk of celery and that rice.  WOW!!!  Great memories!!!”  Hell Nah!!!  The psychological effect of eating a plesaurable meal, in my opinion, can help you live as long as eating, the raw carrots and celery that one believes is good for you.  I think someway…we need to have love the food eat.  Explore flavor.  We need to eat a good piece of meat, and not necessarily give a damn on where it came from, as long as it is aged, cooked medium-rare and well rested, and served with a wonderful side item.  This past Friday, that happend for my wife and I, but we were joined by a “special guest” eater, who is not necessarily accustomed to the wonders that food has to offer.  Well…Charlie Palmer Steak, in Washington DC, provided all of the wonders in the world for all who ate.

Now, it was less than a month ago that I ate at Charlie Palmer Steak, and I reviewed it (Here is the link to the review:   http://blackfoodsnob.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/three-restaurant-reviews-together/).  Although I enjoyed the ambiance, and service, the food lacked in some areas.  Also, I was eating alone that night, because my wife was on a business trip.  Despite the few dishes that lacked that night, I enjoyed my experience at CP Steak, to ask my wife to join me for dinner there after work this past Friday.  My co-worker/friend/ace, Ophelia Rivas, heard that I was going to CP Steak, and asked if she could join Alicia and I for dinner.  She has been wanting to hang out with us for awhile, and she has been wanting to step out and do different things, other than just the normal Friday Night stuff that DC has to offer (Bars, Clubs, etc.).  Originally from Brooklyn (NYC), she hasn’t had the opportunity to venture out into the city, so Alicia and I found this to be a great opportunity to have Ophelia hang out, have a great culinary experience (While at the same time expanding her culinary horizons), and just see a different side of DC Nightlife.  RESERVATIONS FOR THREE AT 6:45 P.M….JOHNSON PARTY.  Ophelia and I got off at 5 p.m. that day (We normally get off at 6 p.m.), and we had to wait until my wife got off at 6 p.m.  Ophelia and I got to CP Steak around 6:40 PM, and we were escorted to our table, and you could see the happiness in Ophelia’s eyes.  When we got to the table, she leaned over to me and said, “Wow…I felt like I was a ‘somebody’ when I walked in here.”  I simply replied, “Then the people here at the restaurant are doing their job.”  The thing I love about this restaurant is the ambiance, decor, and service is all dedicated to making its clientele feel important, even if they are just simple “working stiffs” like Ophelia and myself.  The colors are bright, but not too bright.  The waitstaff was attentive, without being overbaring.  They were friendly without being fake-friendly.  It’s a beautiful thing.  Ophelia looked over the wine list, as we waited for my wife to arrive, and luckily for my stomach, we didn’t have to wait too long…Alicia showed up about 10 to 15 minutes later.

Kissy-Poohs are exchanged, the small-talk ritual begins, but enough of that stuff…LET’S EAT.  The only thing I had that day was a salad, and I wanted some prime, aged meat in my belly.  I knew what I was getting, so Alicia needed time to look over the menu.  Ophelia, with a little bit of help from your’s truly, decided on what to order before we arrived.  She originally wanted a huge, freakin’ ribeye.  Although I don’t doubt that she may be able to fork that steak down, I figured that she may want something a little bit smaller, yet still substantial.  She wanted filet mignon, but filet mignon is overpriced and so boring.  I suggested that she ordered the hanger steak…that way, she still gets a decent sized steak, for a good price, with alot more flavor.  Also prior to coming to the restaurant, she told me she had a lousy steak at another restaurant, which led me to ask her about how she likes her steak cooked.  When she told me “well done“, I immediately found the answer to her problem.  I suggested that when she goes to the restaurant, that she has her hanger steak cooked “medium-rare” or if she really has to…”medium“.  It was really difficult for her to do, but she took my suggestion, and ordered the hanger steak, medium-rare.  Anyway, it’s time for all of us to order.  I’ll put everybody’s order below….

Ophelia
-Marinated Hanger Steak (Aged 21 Days)…cooked medium-rare
-Truffle Twice Baked Potato (Side)
-Chocolate Peanut Terrine (Dessert)
-Sparkling White Wine-Roderer Estate, Brut Rose, Anderson Valley, California (Glass)

Myself
-Braised Short Rib Ravioli (1st Course)
-Rib-Eye “Bone In Cowboy” Cut (Aged 21 Days)….medium-rare
-Herb-Parmesan Gnocchi (Side)
-Trio of Creme Brulee (Dessert)
-Ginger Ale and Coffee

Alicia…AKA, “The Wife“
-Frisee and Spinach Salad  (1st Course)
-Roasted Grass Fed Veal Chop….medium-rare
-Creamed Spinach (Side)
-Chocolate Hazelnut Pyramid (Dessert)
-Pinot Grigio Wine-Stone Mountain Vineyards, Dyke, Virginia (Glass)

As Alicia and I anxiously await for our first courses, the waiter brings us all a complimentary “amuse bouche” of sorts…a little “sumthin-sumthin” to hold us over and to culinarily express to us what is about to come.  It was a simple butternut squash soup in a tall, slender shot glass, topped with roasted pistachios, with a hint of cinnamon oil.  Alicia and I love butternut squash soup, and make it when squash is in season (I will be making it real soon).  For Ophelia, this will be her first time, so Alicia and I are both interested in what she will think.  The good thing is that she wants to try it…that she doesn’t suffer from the culinary incuriousity that quite a few people have when faced with something they never experienced before.  Alicia and I tried it, and loved it.  The texture was very smooth and creamy, and the roasted pistachios added texture and additional flavor.  Ophelia LOVED IT.  She savored it, wanting to experience the flavors, more like a wine connissuer.  I think this tipped her off to what she was about to experience.  A few minutes later, my first course arrived, as well as Alicia’s.

The title that I wrote for Alicia’s first course, really didn’t speak to all of the ingredients in her salad.  It wasn’t just some leafy green salad and that’s it.  Yes, it had frisee and spinach, with a nice dressing, but the best part, was the fried “pig trotter” that came with it.  YES..PIG FEET.  Not “southern style“, with vinegar and hot sauce (Although that is good too).  But they braised the pig feet, then finely chopped up the meat, fat, and cartiledge.  Put it into the shape of a tiny disk, about the size of a chicken nugget, crust it with bread crumbs, and then deep fry it.  It came out hot, and when you bit into it, the essence of pork just came out in a big way.  Meaty, porky, sticky….YUMMY!!!  Three of those “nuggets” came with the salad.  I am so happy that Alicia shared that pig trotter with me.  Ophelia didn’t try the pig trotter unfortunately…that’s OOOOOOO-K.  More for us!!!  Alicia wasn’t too thrilled otherwise with the salad.  She felt that it was a bit overdressed, and that the salad lacked a certain something.  She wished that she just received a plate of the pig trotter nuggets (Laughing).  My braised beef ravioli was pretty good.  The pasta was nice and light, and the beef was pretty tasty.  I guess I was just expecting more inside the ravioli than just the braised beef.  Maybe a mushroom, a truffle or two.  Maybe a lil bit of cheese.  But I think that was the chef’s intention with the dish, so that was cool with me.  The dish was served with a beef jus-like sauce, mushrooms and artichoke hearts.  Alicia actually like my dish, and so did Ophelia.  NEXT COURSE!!!

We didn’t have to wait that much longer after our first course to receive our THE MAIN EVENT…THE MEAT, and sides.  Alicia received her veal, which was beautifully presented, the bone beautifully and cleanly “frenched“.  My ribeye…just a huge freakin’ piece of meat.  That’s how I like it.  Ophelia’s hanger steak, was really nicely presented.  Cut into thin segments, which is often done with hanger steak, accented with sauce, and I believe mushrooms.  And because she had it done medium-rare, the pink color of the meat made the presentation look all the more beautiful.  Each of us ordered side dishes as well, so our table was pretty full.  The gnocchi, spinach and potatoes…the latter which was ordered by Ophelia, which she didn’t expect to be so big.  Alicia and I were really looking at her side dish, because it was accented with black truffle, and you could smell it on the baked potato.  ANYWAYS…we dug in.  Oh…before I forget…one cannot forget to mention the “mustard tasting plate” of five different mustards from “mild to spicy” as the waiter tell us…champagne mustard, tarragon mustard, blah-blah-blah.  Personally, I would never put mustard on a perfect cooked steak…but hey, to each is own.  NOW…we dig in.

My ribeye was perfectly cooked.  Tender to the fork and knife.  A “wonderful interplay between fat and meat“…ahh forget all of that culinary, esoteric b.s….IT WAS DAMN GOOD.  Alicia, surprisingly, was not too thrilled with her veal, and wished she ordered a steak.  It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the flavor, or the sauce (It was served with a blackberry sauce), but I think her cut of veal had alot of connected tissue and fat, that just wasn’t too pleasing to her.  I would like to say that I was empathetic to her plight, but I was too much in my “comfort zone“.  That being said, she enjoyed it enough to still get her proverbial “eat on”.  As for Ophelia…with a bit of trepidation, she ate her first piece of medium-rare steak.  REACTION?  Let’s just say that the fireworks were going off at the nearby National Mall on the Fourth of July in her mouth.  She just had a very, very happy reaction on her face.  She kept saying that she didn’t know that steak could taste that good, and ate more and more and more, until it was GONE!!!  Well…she certainly got her “Atkins-On” that evening.  But again…the joy she got out of eating something new (to her), and the joy that Alicia and I received for introducing to her to that, just made the dining experience all the more pleasurable. 

We move to the sides…Alicia had her creamed spinach.  It was good, but nothing to write home about.  I think there was a bit too much water in the spinach, which is always a problem when making dishes with spinach.  You always have to squeeze all of the water out of the spinach, or else it will totally screw up the dish.  She liked the flavor though, and continued eating.  Ophelia, originally intimidated by the size and quantity of the twice-baked truffled potato, took her first bite, and was “pleasantly puzzled” by the flavor.  She couldn’t grasp what the flavor was, and Alicia and I immediately knew what it was…the wonderfully “sexy“, yet earthy flavor of the black truffle.  Alicia is a truffle fanatic, and Ophelia was more than gracious to share some of her potato and Alicia didn’t waste anytime in accepting Ophelia’s graciousness (((Laughing)))…neither did I.  DAMN…FREAKING…GOOD!!!  If I was President, I would pass a law stating that baked potatoes should only be done like that, until otherwise changed by executive order.  Maybe I can talk to President Obama about that, but I digress.  But nobody…nobody’s…nobody’s side dish was as lucious, sinful, decadent and as wonderful as my herb-parmesan gnocchi.  Again…when I was at CP Steak before, my two complaints against the gnocchi were:  1) no herbs and 2) some of the gnocchi were a bit dense.  Well through telepathy, they must have heard my complaints, and adjusted the recipe accordingly, because there was herbs, and each gnocchi was a “pillow of wonderful goodness“.  My wife had some, and nearly caught the Holy Ghost.  So I offered some to Ophelia, and straight up told her, “If you don’t like this, something is wrong with your mouth.”  She tried it, and did what Giada and Rachel Ray do all the time when they eat food, but it’s fake with them…she closed her eyes, because she was having a true “foodgasm”.  That’s right…A FOODGASM.  I believe it was at this point, she said something that I never heard being said at a dinner before…she said, “Jesus in here tonight!!!”, hence the title of this blog entry.  The food experience she was having was so good, that it evoked the name of the Lord.  THAT’S AWESOME!!!  That’s how it was for me when I first started to get seriously into food, so I recognize the kind of sensory overload she was experiencing.  There is nothing like it.  Shortly after that…Alicia, Ophelia and I are all competing to eat up my damn gnocchi.  They need to back up off me (((Laughing)))!!!

Lastly was dessert.  I knew what I was ordering….the trio of creme brulees, small tasting portion sizes of three different creme brulee’s: (1) Classic Vanilla, (2) Orange-Basil, and (3) Expresso with a Cinnamon Foam, served with Almond Biscotti cookies.  Alicia ordered the Chocolate Hazlenut Pyramid…another awesome dessert.  Chocolate Phyllo Dough triangles formulated to shape a pyramid around a dome of chocolate ganache.  And then the waitress pours additional chocolate sauce around the pyramid.  The chocolate being poured around the dessert, caught the attention of a lady at another table, and it damn near made her “swoon“.  Lastly, Ophelia ordered the Chocolate Peanut Terrine.  It would be difficult more to describe it, but it was a beautifully presented dessert…a work of art, and the flavor profile as described, made me wanted to snatch it away from Ophelia.  Alicia, again…not having the best of luck, enjoyed the dessert, but found problems with it.  Don’t get me wrong, she loved the chocolate, she appreciated the presentation, but again, she felt that something was “lacking“.  As for me..my complaint with the trio of creme brulee the last time I was at CP Steak was:  1) Not enough flavor in the orange-basil creme brulee and 2) some of the creme brulee suffered from “scrambled egg syndrome.  NOT TONIGHT!!!  I tried the orange-basil creme brulee, and the flavors, hit you harder than bricks (in a good way).  I had Alicia try some…and all she could do was “hate” on me as she wish she ordered my dessert.  The real test was Ophelia, again, never having creme brulee before, it was interesting to see what she would think.  She first tried the orange-basil creme brulee…BOOM!!!  Grand-Slam!!!  She laughed, because it tasted so good, and the same goes for the other two flavors that she got to taste (Of course the wife tasted them as well, which just merely increased her playful resentment against me for ordering a better dessert than her).

At the end of the meal, the waiter brought us complimentary snacks of cookies, truffles, and raspberry gelees…by this time, Alicia and Ophelia were “food drunk”.  I was just happy for the experience.  I have used this quote before in a blog entry, but the quote by Anthony Bourdain really rings true for this occasion…”A perfect meal is a perfect confluence of other forces…the right sound in the background, it’s the right smells in the air, the people you’re eating with, the colors….it’s everything, it’s the particular needs and feelings that you brought to that particular time and place.”  Although Ophelia’s comment about Jesus being in the place was true.  Me being a Christian, I believe He is with us everywhere, all of the time.  He worked through those chefs to prepare a wonderful meal.  The front of the house staff provided excellent service.  The restaurant itself…a beautiful place to eat and be comfortable.  And of course the great company that I dined with.  I guess I did dine with Jesus.

Alicia (Despite some of her dining issues) and I, gave this place a “9″ on our “1 to 10″ scale, “1″ being “complete and utter crap”, and “10″ being a “completely foodgasmic experience”.  We certainly look forward to heading back to CP Steak sometime in the near future (Well…my checking account has to recover first…Laughing).

Charlie Palmer Steak
101 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 547-8100
Website:  http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/CPSteak/DC/

Now, you may be asking yourself, “Marc, if you don’t like chains, how and/or why are you reviewing this place?”  Yesterday afternoon my sister calls me, and asks if my wife and I would like to join her and my parents for dinner at a restaurant.  Mind you, while she is asking me this, I am kind of suspicious, because my sister is not as…how should I say…”adventurous” or “dedicated” when it comes to food.  But being that this is about family, I graciously accepted.  She calls me later on before I leave work to tell me that “Mom and Dad said they never been to Ted’s Montana Grill, so they want to try it”.  I am still kind of suspicious.  While at dinner, I come to find out my sister has been to Ted’s Montana Grill a few times, and been to the location that we dined at with such frequency that she remembered the waitress.  Sounds like my sister wanted to eat there more than my parents.  Either way, I met up with my family there.

For those who don’t know about this place, this is a restaurant chain started by Media Mogul Ted Turner…yeah, the same Ted Turner who started CNN, was married to Jane Fonda, and managed to pursue one of the most horrid business deals in history (AOL/Time Warner Merger).  He is also, if memory serves me, the largest private landowner in the United States, owns a sizeable chunk of Montana, and on his acreage, owns a great deal of buffalo…which is a theme ingredient at the restaurant, as well as a logo of the restaurant.  They got buffalo ribeyes, buffalo burgers, etc., etc.  In addition to that, they have the same old tired menu items they have at most chains…grilled shrimp, onion rings, ceasar salad, blah-blah-blah-blah.

I don’t really want to spend too much time reviewing this place, because it was really that bad.  I mean, I asked myself last night “Was it bad, because it was really bad?” or “Was it bas, because I am a food snob?”  And really…it was the former…it was bad.  I ordered some grilled shrimp for an appetizer, and if the shrimp was grilled…I surely didn’t taste it.  It was more than likely pan-seared, and it was slightly overcooked.  Also, the shrimp was way overseasoned.  I gave a piece to my father and he nearly puckered up his face because of the salt content.  It was served “lazily” on a piece of bread…not impressed at all.  Mind you, it took about 20 minutes for my appetizer, as well as my wife’s appetizer and my parents’ appetizers to get to us.  The place wasn’t well-staffed at all.  I ordered for my main a bacon, chedder, and bbq bison burger.  Because bison doesn’t have a great deal of fat, like beef, one should never cook bison no more than medium.  I asked for a medium-rare burger.  The cook, I guess, doesn’t know what medium-rare means, because I received a “rare” burger…it was purple-ish/red in the middle.  I was so hungry at that point, I didn’t care.  A side of densely onion rings were served with them.  They were dipped in cornmeal and then fried…not good texturally.  Honestly…I think the onion rings were not fresh at all.  I believe they were frozen.  LAZY, LAZY, LAZY, LAZY COOKING!!!  The best part of my meal was the ginger ale and the check.

The food sat in my stomach all night so bad, I couldn’t sleep.  My wife had the same reaction.  This is commonplace in alot of chain places.  They have to learn that there is more to life than onion blossoms, mexican-style egg rolls, and flavorless soups.  Fresh ingredients, proper technique…and yes, you can do that, and serve it for a good price.  Mr. Turner can’t run a restaurant like he does a business, and for this, he gets a “3″ on the “1 to 10″ scale that Alicia and I have (“1″ being complete and utter crap and “10″ being a completely foodgasmic experience).  I think the only reason why I didn’t give it a “1″, was because the waitress was very sweet, and she was doing the best she could with the little resources she had.  My parents left her a decent tip, and I went home to a night of indigestion and “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”.  DEAR GOD!!!

I usually give out the website to the restaurant…NOT THIS TIME!!!!

Today, I am going to do a first on BlackFoodSnob…I am going to review THREE RESTAURANTS in one posting…Mo’s Seafood and Pasta in Baltimore, Maryland; Charlie Palmer’s Steak in Washington, D.C. and Sushi-Ko in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

(1) MO’s CRAB and PASTA FACTORY-First heard about this place through my parents.  They were in Baltimore a few months ago on a Sunday afternoon, the same day Alicia and I decided to go up there and eat at Chaps Pit Beef, a restaurant which has now been popularized on many travel and food shows, and also my blog (http://blackfoodsnob.wordpress.com/2009/04/19/ignorantly-deliciouschaps-charcoal-restaurant/).  Not knowing that my parents were only a few miles away, I called my father to see if he wanted something from Chaps.  He had the sound of a drunken man when he answered the phone, not because he was full of liquor, but because he was full of food.  He kept trying to tell me about the food at this place, not just the quantity, but the quality of the food.  At the time, I really wasn’t focused, because I was still in “pit beef nirvana“.  Well…that all changed when over the Summer, Alicia and I were watching Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” on the Travel Channel, specifically the episode titled, “The Rust Belt“, where he ventured to three U.S. Cities…Baltimore, Detroit, and Buffalo.  While in Baltimore, Tony chatted with Felicia “Snoop” Pearson of HBO’s hit show, “The Wire” over seafood at Mo’s.  Being that Alicia and I never really had the opportunity to see what my father was talking about, we really took noticed, and what we noticed, was something that was VANGLORIOUS!!!  WHOLE CRABS piled on a plate in a garlic cream sauce, a crab cake the size of a small child, a “kitchen-sink“-type dish called “The Hookup“, and a strong, mixed drink concoction wrongly, if not affectionately named “The Obama“.  Check out the clip below.

We move to October 4th, 2009.  My mother’s birthday.  My birthday was only a few days before, and I ate pretty well.  Well, it was about to get even better.  My father called me on Friday, and told me that we were going to Mo’s Seafood on Sunday for Mom’s Birthday.  I hear “cannons going off“, I hear “trumpets being played“…a great day in Johnson Family Culinary History.  I say that, because only a few weeks before my sister had the gaul to suggest taking my parents out to Golden Corral for their 41st Wedding Anniversary.  I was just hoping that my father wasn’t leaving my mother’s birthday plans up to my sister as well (By the way, we didn’t go to Golden Corral…I took charge, and we ate at a much better restaurant).  Alicia and I, knowing what we were getting into, decided not to eat alot on Saturday, so we relegated our diets to salad and sushi.  We felt like kids on Christmas Eve, anticipating the seafood bonanza of a lifetime.  On Sunday…we are on our way to Baltimore, and we were blessed enough to find a parking spot, directly in front of the restaurant.    We (Father, Mother, Myself, My Sister, Alicia, and My Sister’s Friend..Blaine) sit our tables happy and ready to go…I know I was.  Now…the whole ride up to Baltimore, I was talking about “The Obama“, and the previous day, I showed my father the YouTube clip that I provided above so he could see what “The Obama” is.  We got there, I ordered an Obama, as did my father, and my sister’s friend.  I asked the waitress what was in it….151 Jamaican Rum, Patron, Watermelon Liqeur, Pineapple Juice, and whatever stuff that makes mixed drinks blue.   I’m not a drinker, but I know about certain liquors, and when she read off that list of poisons, I was scared.  My mother ordered some whiskey and water, Alicia ordered an amaretto sour, and my sister who doesn’t drink under any circumstances, ordered water.  The waitress brings out our drinks in huge glasses, unlike what you see on “No Reservations“.  I took a sip of my “Obama“, and I see why they call it “The Obama“, because once you drink it, you would qualify for some kind of government healthcare plan.  I only touched about 25% of it.  My 70 year-old father…tossed the whole thing down, and became a “comical mess” as a result.  My sister’s friend downed his, but was much more restrained.  OH…the food, let me get to that.

I ordered clams casino for an appetizer, and seafood alfredo for my entree.  Other things being ordered around the table were Cream of Crab Soup, Crab Cake Entrees, Broiled Seafood Entree, and Fried Seafood Entree.  The Clams Casino was average…not because of the clams per se’.  The clams actually were huge, fresh, and tasty.  They were average, because of the preparation of the dish.  The classic preparation of Clams Casino calls for garlic, butter, wine, breadcrumbs, bacon, and maybe a “hint” of parmesan reggianao…the emphasis on “maybe” and “hint“.  Unfortunately for them, they slathered on thick pieces of mozzerella cheese, which basically took away from the clam, and the bacon was almost non-existant.  I tried Alicia’s cream of crab soup….very, very good.  Nice, comforting…great for a winter’s night.  Let’s move on to the “mains“.  I ordered a “seafood alfredo“, which consist of fresh mussels, crabmeat, shrimp, and scallops.  When this thing came to my plate, it looked like a “Mount Everest of Seafood Alfredo“, and all of the seafood was fresh.  None of that imitation crabmeat, that isn’t really crabmeat.  Mussels that were nice and pink.  I started to eat, and it was just incredibly rich and decadent….I just kept repeating these words, “Oh My….Oh My….!!!“  Anytime a crabcake came to the table, I would just give a look of “bewilderment“, because they were “eyepoppingly” huge.  My mother crudely said that they were “Boob-Size”…probably Dolly Parton boob size.  There were that large.  Like Anthony Bourdain asked when he went there, “How does this place stay in business serving portions like this?”…I kept wondering the same thing.  I tasted my mother’s crabcake, and it just wasn’t big, it was absolutely delicious.  Alicia said it was very good, but she said it had a little bit more breading for her taste, however, she understood that a crabcake of that size needed that much breading to hold it together.  Still…the ratio of crab to breading was about 90-Crab to 10-Bread.  Whether you were eating scallops, shrimp, etc…the seafood was very, very fresh tasting.  The cooks at Mo’s know how to broil and fry food equally, and they season food properly.  To make matters worse, we ordered a chocolate mousse dessert, and we all shared it, because it was that big.  It was outstanding as well.

CONCLUSION-Alicia and I gave Mo’s a very favorable rating.  The service can be a bit better, but this place has a “dive” kind of feel, so we are not necessarily expecting “Michelin-star” service.  Although the portions are huge, this is not a “Cheesecake Factory” kind of place where this place is capitalizing on just huge portions and little else.  This place has very good food.  However, you can order one plate of something, and share it, thus saving money.  Now if you are in a “pig-out” state of mind, I would advise you all to fast and pray.  Alicia and I give this place an “8″ on our “1 to 10″ scale.

Mo’s Crab and Pasta Factory
502 Albemarle Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
(410) 837-1600
Website:  http://www.mosseafood.com

(2) CHARLIE PALMER STEAK (DC)-It’s 6:00 p.m., Thursday afternoon (October 8, 2009), time to go home and hang with the wife.  WELL…not this time.  The wife is on a business trip to Texas, and usually when she is out of town, I don’t like being home by myself.  I decided to take myself out on a “date“…yes, I said it…A DATE.  I didn’t want to eat in Virginia, like I usually do.  I wanted to stay in the city and do something different.  I wanted steak.  Well…one won’t have a problem in this town, being that DC is full of steakhouses.  However, most steakhouses in this town are of the “old-school model“…emphasis on big steaks,  a few seafood items, lobster bisque, iceberg lettuce salad, creamed spinach or some kind of potato dish as a side, very masculine-centric, and the decor always includes some kind of dark wood.  Charlie Palmer Steak breaks that molds.  When walking in there, I didn’t know if I was walking into a refined French restaurant, or nouvelle-American cuisine establishment, or some post-modern art museum…nothing masculine, clubby, or old school about this place, located a “stone’s throw” away from the U. S. Capitol (Not so much of a novelty for me, considering that I work on the Hill).  Escorted down a small corridor, with a small indoor lake, with a pebble bottom, I was escorted to my table, near the floor to ceiling glass windows that face out towards Constitution Avenue.  I was waited on by a beautiful and attentive waitress (Which always makes the meal more pleasant), who presented me with a rather simple, yet different steakhouse menu.  I say “different”, because I see items on here, that reflect Asian, Mexican, French, as well as American influences.   While waiting to order my meal, I was given a complimentary cucumber and crab-ceviche’ salad “amuse bouche”.  Absolutely delicious.  I’m thinking “If the rest of the meal is just like this small bite, then I am really in for a hell of a ride“.  To started off,  I ordered the “Spiced Yellowfin Tuna Cannelloni” served with Avocado and Ponzu.  Essentially a rolled-up raw piece of tuna, served with tortilla straws, advocado, some sort of salad (I don’t remember), and then the ponzu was poured onto the fish tableside.  The tuna was absolutely tasty, and the presentation, despite my horrible description of it, was lovely.  The problem with the dish, to me, is that it suffered from “culinary identity crisis“.  Because of the tortilla strips and the advocado, one would think that the dish could be Mexican.  But with the ponzu being poured over the fish…a raw fish at that, one could think that this dish was Asian-inspired.  In that way, it kind of confused me.  Also…the ponzu was a bit overpowering.

Charlie Palmer Steak (DC)-Image Courtesy of CP Steak (DC)

For my main, I ordered the “Cowboy Cut” Ribeye Steak (Medium Rare) and a side order of their Herb and Parmasean Gnocchi.  Again…another beautiful presentation.  The steak…aged 21 days, had a beautiful char on it.  It was more “medium” than “medium-rare“, but I can be forgiving of that.  It was tasty, delicious…what a steak is supposed to be.  They presented a separate “mustard-tasting plate“, with five different mustards, that I could dip my steak in…everything from a citrus mustard to a tarragon mustard.  Personally, I don’t believe in dipping my steak in ANY kind of sauce.  A good steak doesn’t need a sauce, and if it does, mustard certainly wouldn’t be my sauce of choice.  That being said, I tried each sauce, and I enjoyed the tarragon mustard alot.  The one thing I was very disappointed about was the gnocchi.  If you tell me that I am going to have a herb and parmasean gnocchi, I expect to see some herbs and parm on the gnocchi.  I didn’t see not ONE herb on the gnocchi, and that was a bit disappointing, because herbs would have really added something to an otherwise decent side item (Although some of the gnocchi were a bit more dense than others).

For dessert, I ordered a trio of creme brulee…kind of a sample platter of one of my favorite desserts.  In each mini-cup, they had a different flavor….a) Orange Basil, b) Classic Vanilla, and c) Expresso with a Cinnamon Foam, served with Almond Biscotti cookies.  Of the three, I enjoyed Expresso Creme Brulee the best.  The Orange Basil didn’t have quite the citrus punch that I wanted, and also, the custard suffered from “scrambled egg syndrome“.  The Classic Creme Brulee was smooth, creamy, and delicious, it was just that the third one was different, exciting, and the almond biscotti cookie was really tasty.

CONCLUSION-Despite my “nit-pickings“, the service was more than attentive, quick, and after my dessert, the pastry chef sent out a complimentary plate of small desserts…cookies, truffles, and raspberry gelees.  You feel like someone important here, in beautiful surroundings, and still with wonderful food.  Alicia wasn’t here to help me with the rating, but…for my own rating I would give this place a “7” on our “1 to 10” scale.

Charlie Palmer Steak (DC)
101 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Website:  http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/CPSteak/DC/

(3) Sushi-Ko (Chevy Chase, MD)-A beautiful Sunday Morning (October 11, 2009), a great “soul-stirring” sermon at church, and a handsome well-dressed couple.  That only equals one thing….SUSHI (RECORD SCRATCH SOUND)???  Not your typical “Sunday Dinner“, right?   Usually after church, Alicia and I have established a tradition of stopping at Harris Teeter, and buying good ole fashion, “pedestrian“, supermarket sushi.  For a supermarket, they don’t do half-bad, which is why we frequent the place.  But that day, we didn’t even want to do sushi…we wanted something a bit more exotic.  We wanted a bowl of a soup that we haven’t had in months, Thai Floating Market Soup (As pictured below).

Thai Floating Market Soup-Image Courtesy of DCIst.Com

There is only one place in the DC Met Area that I know makes and serves the stuff…Nava Thai in Wheaton, Maryland.  Alicia and I make the drive to Wheaton, about 25 minutes from our church in nearby McLean, Virginia.  Unfortunately, we show up the very day that they are having a festival in Wheaton, and we could not find a parking spot anywhere.  To say we were disappointed was an understatement.  I had to think fast…”Where to eat next?”, I am thinking to myself.  Although familiar with restaurants in Suburban Maryland, I am not as familiar with restaurants in Suburban Maryland, as I am with restaurants in Northern Virginia, or DC for that matter.  However, I did remember a place that I heard about from the Washingtonian Magazine as well as other publications.  It was a sushi restaurant, known as “Sushi-Ko“…they had two locations, one in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and the other location in the Glover Park section of Northwest DC.  Alicia and I went to the Chevy Chase location of DC’s oldest sushi bar, located amongst the “glizt and glamor” of Chevy Chase’s high end shopping district (Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s, etc.)  Alicia and I entered a sheek looking restaurant awashed in colors of blue, white and gray.  Like always, Alicia wanted to sit in a booth, which I was surprised, because usually when we go to our normal place to eat sushi (Hooked on Seafood in Sterling- http://www.hookedonseafood.com) we always sit at the sushi bar.  I guess she didn’t feel comfortable sitting at a sushi bar she never been to before, so she let me have my way for once and we ate at the sushi bar.  And I think Alicia was glad that we did.  Why?  We were able to watch true sushi artists at work.  Chef Tjan and his crew worked quickly, clean, and with discipline…and with barely anybody in the restaurant, it was like we had the whole place to ourselves.  Alicia and I started out with a series of appetizers…she ordered “Chicken Yakitori“, basically Japanese Kabobs, glazed with teriyaki, and accented with green onion.  I ordered the “Grilled Baby Octopus with Mango Sauce“.  Let me tell you all this…I WOULD HAVE TO SAY, IT RANKS AMONGST MY TOP THREE FAVORITE APPETIZERS OF ALL TIME.  PERIOD!!!  It was so good, that I ordered again.  They marinated the octopus in some kind of soy or teriyaki sauce, and then grilled it, giving it a nice char, without making the octopus chewy or “tire-like“, which alot of people do.  They served it with a small watercress and radish salad, and mango sauce.  OUTSTANDING!!!  If you don’t like sushi, just go to Sushi-Ko for that appetizer alone.  Alicia was eating off my plate.  Oh…did I forget the mains (((Laughing)))?

Of course, we ordered sushi for our mains.  My wife ordered the “Jo Sushi Moriawase“, which the website describes as the “deluxe chef’s assortment of today’s finest fish“, and fine it was.  9 different fish…everything from fatty tuna to yellowtail to mackeral to eel to shrimp…it was a “smorgashborg of sushi“, and the wife thoroughly enjoyed it.  The fish was extremely fresh, and well put together.  I ordered the “Rainbow Roll“…a wonderful combination of tuna, whitefish, shrimp, salmon, cucumber and avocado.  Again…really, really fresh, and tightly rolled.  If I was to nitpick about anything about our experience, was that I wish that the sushi rice was a bit more seasoned, but that’s a nitpick I can happily do without.

Chef Tjan at Sushi-Ko Chevy Chase-Picture Courtesy of Wash. Post

CONCLUSION-Although a bit overpriced, the best thing that happend on that Sunday was our inability to park at Nava Thai in Wheaton.  I can’t wait to go back to Sushi-Ko, again and again and again.  The General Manager, watching me order everything, brought over a menu, suggesting the next time I come, I should order their $65.00/9-course tasting menu.  You know what…I think I may take him up on his offer (I wish he was paying for it).  Alicia and I gave this place a “9” on our “1 to 10” scale.

Sushi-Ko
5455 Wisconsin Avenue
Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815
Website:  http://www.sushikorestaurants.com