Kibbee Nayee

Someone, somewhere, will capitalize on this untapped market. I can envision "clean citrus" purveyors, and the wedges arrive at your table in nitrogen- or vacuum-sealed packets, certified to be 100% free of bacteria, germs, and viruses.

Yes, that was me. No responses from the restaurant world. And you and I still have no idea where we might expect to get clean citrus in our drinks during (and after) the pandemic crisis.

A nice email came out from Aracosia today: Dear Valued Guests, Due to the recent outbreak, Aracosia Restaurant Group will be making some temporary changes to benefit our valued guests at this moment of uncertainty. For those guests who wish to dine with us, we at Aracosia believe that the best method to fight impurities and illness is prevention. It is for this reason, that we are constantly keeping the restaurants sparkling clean, sterile and as hygienic as possible. We have stepped up our doses of immune boosting ingredients, such as healing warm masalas (spices), potent botanicals and fresh healing herbs. We at Aracosia firmly believe that all impurities in the body and in the environment can be fended off with the right antibodies, in warm spices, potent herbs, botanical's, fresh fruits and vegetables. For those guests who wish to stay home and let this uncertainty pass We are pleased to announce that Aracosia will offer family style lunch and dinner catering through our restaurant either for pick up or delivery. Please contact us for more information. For smaller orders we will be using a third-party delivery service through DoorDash, Caviar and Grub Hub. This should be perfect for those who wish to eat very healthy immune boosting food with tons of flavor without leaving the comfort of your home or office. We are very hopeful and optimistic that this too shall pass like everything else in life and we will get through it together. “Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.”- Hippocrates “The doctors of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition”- Thomas Edison “Don’t eat anything your great-great grandfather wouldn’t recognize as food. There are a great many food-like items in the supermarket your ancestors wouldn’t recognize as food.” – Michael Pollan Warmly, Aracosia Family

From Tom's March 11 chat: Q: Clean citrus I learned many years ago that the dirtiest item in most kitchens (and bars) is the citrus fruit, and I stopped asking for lemon or lime in my drinks as a result. With the current coronavirus scare, are there any restaurants in the DC area where we can be certain that the citrus has been scrubbed squeaky clean? A: Tom Sietsema I know of no such list, but I'm happy to throw the question to any restaurant operators on the chat this morning: How are you handling citrus destined for drinks?

I couldn't tell from this write-up what part of the world Charga represents. The website doesn't really clear it up: We bring you healthy street food from around the world to include delicious American, Mediterranean, Mexican, Pakistani, and Peruvian dishes. Fusion not in individual dishes, but in the available selection. Only the best dishes using the finest ingredients while keeping your well-being our first priority. Bon appetit! Buen Provecho! That's quite the assortment of dishes. They even have chow mein on the menu!

I'm sensing a potential market for guaranteed perfectly clean citrus....maybe individually wrapped, to be cut tableside.

Some years ago, I learned from an article or a food show that the dirtiest item in most kitchens and bars is the citrus. Accordingly, I stopped ordering lemon or lime for my drinks. There were times when I asked the question to the waitstaff about the cleanliness of the citrus, and sometimes I received a whole lemon or lime with an accompanying wet paper towel. I'm wondering if the current coronavirus scare has caused restaurants and bars to scrub their fruit meticulously. Maybe I'm being a bit overboard, but I remember traveling in foreign countries in the '80s and '90s, when we bought fruit from the market and used disinfectant towelettes to clean them before we ate them. After all, we didn't trust the local water source. I submitted this question to Tom Sietsema's chat this week -- March 11 -- and we'll see if and how he responds.

For any baseball fan, the Polo Grounds is a good stop for replenishment in San Francisco. Standard pub grub -- I had a very good chicken club sandwich -- with beers on tap and daily specials, mere steps from Oracle Park. I'm sure the place is bustling on game days in the summer. A beer or two on the way into the game and a beer or two after the game would be a pleasant evening in San Francisco.

Dinner at Berber with a few friends was a pleasant surprise. I'm not aware of truly Tunisian restaurants in the Washington DC area, so diving into this cuisine was a rare treat. The meal began with mezze for the table -- grilled octopus, dips and bread (muhammara, bissara, zaatar lebna), and crispy brussels sprouts. Bread was delicious and fresh from the oven, and the food was perfectly spiced and delicious. I followed with the lamb tagine, accompanied by olive-spiked couscous. The lamb was melt-in-my-mouth tender and the dish was superb. I can't overstate how much I enjoyed this dish. I also had a shot of Tunisian liqueur, made from figs. Quite powerful stuff, but nicely appropriate for the venue. Service was slow even by San Francisco's laid-back standards. I should note that the bathroom was beautiful. A supper club with entertainment is next door.

Sam Spade lamb chops last night were superb. Absolutely delicious. I started with a righteous martini, moved to the lamb chops with a glass of California Cabernet, and all was right with the world.

I am in San Francisco, just a block away from Saison, but I have no reservations there this week. However, I just learned that Chef Laurent Gras has departed.

This is far and away the best restaurant in Springfield, but....there isn't a whole lot of competition. We had a party of six for dinner tonight, and it was superb. Bottom line up front -- spectacular meal; more food than we could eat; appetizers, mains, and desserts; plus 3 bottles of wine; all in with tax and tip was $340. Less than $60 a person. The appetizer mezzeh platter was a hit. We were introducing two out-of-town guests to Afghan cuisine, and they raved about the flavors. My daughter has been experimenting with a plant-based diet, and the butternut squash blew her away. Main courses included two of the lamb chops with tenderloin kabob platters, a salmon platter for Lady KN, a boneless veal platter, an oxtail platter....whatever the Pashto word for "delicious" is, I have to learn it. Really, really delicious food, in that way where the spices and the textures combine for unique flavor that is incredible. Those of us who usually pass on dessert had the cardamom ice cream and the rose water ice cream, and both were pleasing and interesting. I almost never eat dessert, but I will always order it here. I can't rave about this place enough. I'm looking forward to trying the outposts in Palisades and McLean.

What did we Springfield residents do to deserve such a fate? Next thing you know, a Cheesecake Factory will appear hereabouts. (There's one in Woodbridge, which is too close.)

Hijacking the topic a bit, but Austin Grill is atrocious. I'll take your word for it, but it's abysmal now.

I'll begin by noting that it is not my intention to die tonight or anytime soon, however, should such an unfortunate fate befall me, then I am happy to report that I had what would be my wished-for final meal. Lady KN and I postponed our Valentines Day dinner out to Saturday, and Me Jana was our chosen venue. The first thing to hit the table was the standard trio of za'atar with olive oil, plus lebneh, plus olives, along with a basket of piping hot pita bread. I love beginning our feast in this way, allowing for a casual nibble as we conversed our way across the menu. We next moved to the appetizers of hummus with meat, plus kibbeh nayyeh, plus sauteed chicken livers, and all of these were delicious. The hummus with meat featured identifiable chunks of meat with spices, atop a house-made hummus with pleasant, creamy quality. The chicken livers were big and juicy and nicely pink in the middle. The kibbeh nayyeh came in a cold stone bowl that resembled a shallow mortar bowl, surrounded by shaved radish, mint, and scallions. It was a nicely meaty generous portion, and almost creamy smooth. My board moniker was well-honored by this namesake dish. We could have stopped at the appetizers, and we were certainly getting full, but the main courses arrived barely before we finished the starters. Lady KN enjoyed the sea bass special, and I had the lamb chops. She was all smiles with her dish, and I was licking my fingers after four very meaty and flavorful lamb-sicles were devoured. As we were wrapping up our meal, the owner stopped by the table for a few pleasantries in Arabic, and we promised to return again soon. Four years since the last write-up is somewhat surprising, so I encourage my fellow Rockwellians to go here and enjoy our area's best Lebanese restaurant.