Capital Icebox

Welcome, ST. I must ask -- do you actually enjoy Kvas? I can't stand the stuff. I'm looking forward to being able to get some of the black bread (that's literally what it's called in Russia), that stuff goes great with smoked salmon, cured meats, etc.

So can you just show up now to try and get a table?

I lived in Siberia for two years, and it taught me that "Russian Gourmet" is an oxymoron. I'll check this place out anyways, though.

If I had a friend, boss, or kissing cousin that came into town looking for a true taste of DC, I would throw them in my beat-up Saturn (thanks, Mom!) and take them straight to Oohhs and Aahhs.

First, it's a small operation, with two owners, one of whom you will almost always find behind the counter. Yesterday, as one of them mixed my wings in with his housemade buffalo sauce in a wok-shaped pan on the stove and fielded what must have been a dozen phone calls for carryout orders, we listened to his partner doing an interview with a local radio station. They had sent over a healthy sample of their cooking to the DJ ahead of time, and she spent most of the interview raving about the perfect blends of spices in the food and how happy she was to finally find a place that can properly season and fry a catfish. You could see how proud it made them to be getting this kind of exposure. With several DC restaurants suffering from their creators' absence as of late, it is wonderful to visit a place where ownership is a concept beyond a name on the marquee and a PR rep.

The intimate design of the place, even if done by necessity, is a welcoming one: you feel like you’ve walked into someone else’s kitchen, and they couldn’t be happier to have you there. (I am kicking my ass for having walked by this place so many times on the way to Ben’s, that sad excuse for a DC institution down the street, with its cardboard boxes of frozen half smokes, wimpy fries, and surly service, when I could’ve been at the counter at Oohhs and Aahhs, picking at wings and gulping down copious amounts of sweet tea.)

Most importantly, the food. The wings, mac and cheese, and cornbread extolled in this thread are exactly as they should be. Butter is prevalent, dried spices the norm (using their own blends), and you won’t find pork excessively used to flavor their veggies. In fact, you won’t find it used at all, and I was a bit surprised I didn’t miss it. Collard greens, long the victim of ridiculous amounts of fatback, are presented here in a simpler, truer form: salt, spices and a healthy but not overpowering amount of vinegar, slowly braised for a deep flavor. The star, for me, is the crab cake (broiled). For $18, you get two of these beautiful cakes, with just enough spices to enhance the crab flavor, not overwhelm it, and two sides. The meal could easily feed two, leaving you room for one of their cobblers or pies. If I lived anywhere near this place, I would be a complete lard ass by now.

I hope this place does well. I hope the word gets out and lines get long and this city finally has a soul food joint to be proud of. I hope the lines become longer than the lines at Ben’s, maybe even so long that they have to open up another venue or expand. Most of all, I hope Indiah Wilson and Oji Abbott will be here behind the counter for some time, doing what they do best – bringing some soul back to DC.

I'm sorry, but what makes this an "all time classic?" Or even moderately amusing? A Washington Post blogger in Turin (for the olympics!) runs into a chef from Washington that he doesn't recognize. If a toupee had fallen off or cheese had been flung at someone, I could see it. But this is just video of someone not immediately recognizing someone else in a foreign city currently inundated with foreigners, plenty of which hail from our city.

ETA: missed the context on the blog post. Still, far from classic.

The New York Times reported last year (at the opening of season one) that the chefs know in advance two possible secret ingredients, one of which is revealed during the show for them to prepare.

And unless audience members must sign a non-disclosure agreement about the production of the show, I don't know why they wouldn't be at liberty to discuss it.

Has anyone been to Taco Baja on Route 50 near the Greatlands Target?  Curious...

Once, some time ago. Like many such joints in the area, the menu skews heavily towards Salvadorean rather than Mexican cuisine and the food isn't bad, just unremarkable, from what I can recall.

I concluded with the birthday cake.  Tasty but a bit dry or something. It almost tasted like it had picked up some refrigirator taste or something.  Just not as good as the last time I had it.  I mentioned it and I'm sure whatever went awry will be fixed before I get back because that's the kind of place Eve is.

They have a new pastry chef, I hear, just starting within the past few weeks. I do hope that things improve in the dessert department here -- it seems to be their one weak spot on the bistro menu. The fritters I had the other week were nearly devoid of apple and were overcooked. Other visits have resulted in similar dessert disappointments -- a very dry birthday cake, for example. Often I'll go for a cocktail on the sweeter side in lieu of something from the pastry menu, as in a recent visit when the Pear of Desire was available.

Alton Brown recommends heating a bit of oil in your skillet then adding in a few handfuls of kosher salt, wiping it around the pan with a rag or paper towel. The salt picks up all the residue, apparently.

Ray's haunts me. The other night I dreamt I was at a new Ray's in Culpeper (open only in the summer) where guests are seated at long communal tables under white tents. I sat down at the head of the table and realized we were celebrating my birthday. In front of me I noticed a large plate with a "Cowboy Birthday Cake" on it: six 28 oz. cowboy cut ribeyes stacked on top of each other (presumably held together by unseen skewers), a ring of candles and "Happy Birthday" written in mushroom sauce on top. Just as I was about to take my first bite, I awoke.

It is time for another visit.

Took the boss and a few others to Rasika last week and had a good experience. We tried most of the appetizers, and the real standout (as Sietsema also notices) was the fried baby spinach, the Palaak Chat, which the waiter directed me to. The texture of this dish is delightful, a perfect crunch to the leaves before they disappear in your mouth. The other dishes, however, didn't seem to go above and beyond good Indian fare, and nothing was spicy enough to send me diving for a lassi, which was disappointing. Naan in particular was a disappointment -- chewy, dense, and a small portion at that. Our service was fine, and the atmosphere indeed "hip," and we had a feast for five, including drinks, for just over $200. (Valet is an additional $6.) If I need to entertain a mid-sized group in the mood for Indian again, it fits the bill wonderfully. But I won't be going back by myself for the food.

I feel sorry for the folks that tried to make the "Chipotle Meatballs" from last week's New York Times:

Because of an editing error, a recipe last Wednesday for meatballs with an article about foods to serve during the Super Bowl misstated the amount of chipotle chilies in adobo to be used. It is one or two canned chilies, not one or two cans.

Yowza!

Tom S. mentioned in his chat today that Oceanaire is now serving both shad and shad roe, definitely worth checking out.

If you're going to CB, I recommend getting there on the early side and staking out your spot. This place is awfully crowded as of late.

Thought this might be a good time to resurrect this thread -- I'm curious if anyone can recommend ethnic markets (preferably Asian and Latino) in the North Alexandria (Del Ray, Crystal City, Old Town) area.

Is the Lickety-Split lunch back?  Anyone been lately?

It's back all right -- I've been twice since the holidays, and each time I can't resist the bacon egg and cheese salad. When you consider that this item alone runs in the $14 range during lunch, the $13.50 lickety-split (any 2 items from the lunch menu, basically, when dining at the bar) is quite a deal. And I always call ahead the day I'm planning to go, just in case.

ETA: Why the bacon, egg and cheese salad is so good: It's that damned egg. It is poached so perfectly, so you break it open and the yolk gets all over the lettuce, parmesan, bits of lardon and vinagrette and you realize that even though this perfect harmony has escaped you until now, at least you have the rest of your life to put poached eggs on your salads.

I'm there.

Went yesterday (lines were very short), and again my pork shoulder was overcooked, in some places burned, and the thing was too chewy and burnt tasting to even finish. Sadly, this sandwich just hasn't been up to par the last five or six times I've tried it, so I'm considering giving it up entirely. My plan B, the hot dog, keeps arriving with excess amount of ketchup and mustard so I can hardly taste the meat. I appreciate the friendly prices and cannoli here, but that's about it these days.

It looks super-cluby from the outside.  I was surprised to learn that it's a restaurant too.  Don really leaves no stone unturned!

It's not that clubby, and definitely worth a visit. I've only snacked there, but they have a decent Belgian beer selection and a very friendly waitstaff. It's packed on weekends, but it's a nice urban lounge-style alternative to its neighbors like Mister Days, and the Clarendon Grill or Ballroom. And there's no cover.

Perhaps there's something else that still needs to be added to the brine?

Michael, you are right.  Smith Point is the Bush's joint.

Haven't they shown up at your place yet?  They are from Texas, I assume they like their cow.

Actually, they're both right. They've hung out at both Smith Point and Town Hall, more often at the former.

Read about it here (Scroll down.)

Circle Bistro's lunch offerings for RW are paltry in comparison to the other places noted here (with the exception of Indebleu) -- first course is a choice between their mixed greens salad and smokey white bean soup; entrees are limited to chicken or fish (trout); and the desserts are apple tart or mini chocolate bundt cake. I went for the latter, and it was so dry that I couldn't bring myself to put the thing out of its misery. The chicken entree, however, was fantastic -- plenty of salt and jus and a slighlty breaded exterior resting on a bed of pureed sweet potatoes and braised escarole. It blended together wonderfully. No service missteps, despite a packed house, but with so many other places offering their full menu this week, I wouldn't put it on a list of must-eat RW destinations.

Circle Bistro would fit your needs perfectly, and their happy hour runs til 8.

Maybe that is the reason for the surcharge.  The berries may be from the other hemisphere.

A-ha. I forgot we had a whole other hemisphere... I guess I am used to seeing "seasonal" preceded or followed by "local." Doesn't have to be that way, of course.

To keep on topic, the Corduroy I visited tonight was nothing like the one described in Tom's chat yesterday -- everything on point. I'd go into detail, but it's all been covered.

Seasonal Fresh Berries

with whipped cream…add 4.50

Now I'm as big a fan of Vidalia as anyone in the world, but this is kinda funny, even when it is 55 degrees in January.

Same exact thing (maybe even an identical upcharge) is on the dessert menu at Corudory at the moment. Any chefs care to chime in? What berries are "seasonal" in mid-January?