The Source

Wolfgang Puck's The Source in DC has gotten mixed reviews, and mostly diners feel "meh" about it (but rave about the Dim Sum brunch they offer on weekends).  Generally, I try to stay away from restaurants that get those types of reviews because when I spend my hard-earned money on dinner, I want to be happy after I drop $200, and feeling like it was worth it. 

Despite the warning signs from Yelp and UrbanSpoon, I pushed on to The Source because I have had some of Chef Drewno's creations at charity events and they were tasty.  I wanted to give The Source a fair shot to wow me where others were disappointed.

We arrived for dinner on a Saturday night around 7pm.  It was a gorgeous fall day so I asked the hostess (who, in all honesty, was a bit snobby) if the patio was open for seating.  She noted that it was closed.  What?  Closed?  On a perfect 70 degree fall day?  Uh... okay.

The dining room was simple and clean with walls of wine bottles, glass, and high-ceilings.  Our waitress was very friendly, attentive and nice as we started off our meal.  I thorougly enjoyed the pear martini-type cocktail and the DC Brau beer they offered on the beer menu.  And the sesame seed green beans with candied pecans were a yummy way to start off dinner.  

For an appetizer, I would highly recommend the spicy tuna tartare.  It was outstanding and the sesame-miso cones added a great flavor and texture to the tuna. 

My husband ordered the garlic chive dumplings (and we shared, even though I shouldn't have).  They were doughy and delicious, served with a sort of sweet and savory sauce.   

We definitely grilled the poor waitress about what are the best dinner options and she  happily obliged with a set of recommendations based on our flavor preferences.  I opted for the pork in a thai red curry sauce (I needed the spice).  The curry sauce was good, and the pork was tender and succulent.  The dish was solid, but nothing quite outstanding.

My husband selected the laquered chinese duckling served with mission figs and an anise-plum wine reduction sauce.  The crispy, caramelized skin was a delicious sweet flavor to the savory, tender meat.  It was a great dish.

At this point in the meal, the restaurant got busier and we seemed to lose our waitress.  Dirty dishes sat on our table for some time as we were forced to sit a little too close to the table next to us and could not help but overhear a conversation that I wanted no part of.  <Insert record scratch here>

Finally, our servers re-emerged but by then, it was a little too late.  It was time to get out and fast, or I could be stuck at the table for another 30 minutes.  We managed to get our check in a reasonable amount of time and then made the long, three flight journey to the restroom (this thorougly displeased my date).

In summary, this restaurant gets a lot of hype due to the "celebrity chef" that owns it and delivers a quality meal but not without some service and ambiance hiccups. 

GBD

Golden, Brown and Delicious - fried chicken and doughnuts.  I might give myself a heart attack, but sure, let's try it out.  From the owners of Birch & Barley, this casual restaurant located in Dupont Circle focuses on a simple, Southern-inspired menu with a trendy, "cafeteria-type vibe" dining area.

I visited GBD for lunch and sampled their Drum & Thigh Lunchbox with a side of the Kohlrabi cole slaw and the Mumbo dipping sauce.

The chicken itself was good, crunchy and buttery like fried chicken should be.  The Mumbo dipping sauce was a nice accompaniment with the chicken, tangy and rich with a bit of heat to it.  Better than a standard BBQ sauce and it didn't overpower the chicken.  The creme fraiche biscuit did not disappoint.  Doughy and delicious, with a light salty finish, it was excellent. 

I was disappointed with the Kohlrabi cole slaw, nothing really inventive and tasted like it sat in the vinegar sauce too long.  It needs a fun addition to bring out the flavor (maybe another ingredient to give it some texture?).  This was sort of just BLAH.

I was smart enough to save room for dessert and ordered the chocolate pudding doughnut.  Sweet, rich and chocolately (and topped with chocolate rice krispies!), this dense doughnut was a tasty treat. 

Overall, GBD is a good, solid fried chicken and doughnut joint... and probably highly addictive after a night out at the bars at 2am.

Cheese and Beer at Churchkey

I love restaurants with a little specialty focus, especially when that specialty is beer.  I have heard a lot of great things about Churchkey's beer menu, so I decided it was time to try it out (along with some food!).

Churchkey is the upstairs, scaled-down version of it's sister restaurant Birch and Barley.  It's more of a pub/bar scene with simple, low-key food.  The seating is first come, first serve at Churchkey so if you want to get a seat without waiting, I recommend you show up early as the place fills up quickly on a weekend.  The layout is open and spacious with low lighting, deep, rich red walls, and large butcher tables next to floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the street.  It definitely has a cool, hip vibe.  Wear your trendy hat, you'll need it.

The beer menu at Churchkey is a book.  Seriously, it's about 20 pages.  19 more than the food menu.  And the draft menu is 2 pages.  They even include on the beer menu what type of glass the beer is served in (e.g., tulip) and the temperature at which the beer is served.  It can be a little overwhelming.  So I focused on the draft menu.  After much deliberation, I selected DC Brau's The Rider.  It was hoppy with a little Belgian flavor, absolutely delicious.

To accompany our beer, we opted for a few appetizers from the menu -- the disco fries and the mac and cheese sticks.

Meat and cheese on fries... oh my!

The disco fries were hands-down, the best fry basket I've ever had... the cheese and sausage gravy topping could have gone terribly wrong (think goopy cheese whiz mess) and it didn't.  It rocked.  Or rather "discoed." It was just the right balance of saucy topping on the fries and was DELICIOUS!  

Mozzarella sticks, but with mac and cheese... interesting

The mac and cheese sticks were good as well, a light crispy outside with yummy mac and cheese on the inside.  The mac and cheese could have been a little more creamy on the inside (maybe add a layer of cheese on top of the mac inside the crispy shell?) but generally, it was darn tasty!

More cheese please!

Since I clearly had not met my cheese quota for the evening, I went for the grilled cheese sandwich for dinner.  The truffled grilled cheese sandwich was gooey and creamy with a smooth truffle flavor to accompany the cheese.  It was served with a side of tomato soup dip, which really didn't do anything for me.  It was a cool idea, but I think it should be a little more creamy and light for dipping the sandwich. It sorta just tasted like pureed tomatoes to me.  The hand-made potato chips were crispy but a little bland.  They could definitely benefit from some salt or malt flavoring.  It was a good dinner, but it could have been a little more flavorful.

Overall, the beer at Churchkey is fantastic - great seasonal selection and so many options to choose from.  The food was good as well but, you can tell Churchkey spends more time on their beer menu than their food menu (there's only so many hours in the day!).  I believe my man over at the Midnight Raver Blog (who joined us for dinner) summed it up best "This shit is goooooooo.....D, man!"  He's so articulate.... 

  

Meat and More Meat!

If you read my blog, you have probably come to realize that I really enjoy meat a great deal.  It doesn't even have to be real meat.  My favorite snack is a Slim Jim with a slurpee - and I think of Slim Jims as meat.  I like jerky.  I love scrapple.  And I will choose a hot dog over a hamburger any time.  I think it's because I grew up in New Jersey. Or I just have random taste buds.  Either way, I could never be a vegetarian willingly.

This past weekend, we enjoyed a great deal of meat dining on Korean barbeque at Hee Been in Annandale.  For those of you who don't live in the DC area (or don't venture down to the suburbs), Annandale is the home of great Korean restaurants (Little River Turnpike to be exact).  Sure, you can go to Woo Lae Oak in Tyson's, but come on, that's not the real deal.  

If you have never had Korean BBQ, you should know that it's awesome.  You select different types of meat and they cook it on a grill at your table.  And then they bring all kinds of side dishes like kimchi, roasted seaweed, and pickled vegetables.  When the meat is cooked, you make little Korean burritos of meat, sauces, and rice wrapped in lettuce.  I am sure it's an acquired taste for some (especially the kimchi) but it is really good and everyone should try it once.  

At Hee Been they have a whole buffet of sushi and Korean BBQ (among other things) but we focused on the Korean BBQ.  I started off with some Miso soup and then we got to cookin'!

Look at all that meat cooking!

We got lots of side dishes like kimchi, cucumber kimchi, seaweed, lettuce and other things I can't recall.  At a buffet it's sort of nice to get one of everything.  And then we cooked up bulgogi (thinly sliced beef) and I think I grabbed galbig (marinated short ribs).  

Add extra sauce and make it spicy!

Delicious as always!  Our Korean BBQ dinner hit the spot, nice and spicy.  We were definitely full when we left and I had no room for dessert.  As an extra bonus, it looked like they were setting up for karaoke.  We had to leave and missed the show (every hour counts when you have a babysitter, people!) but I guarantee there was some Gangnam Style.

 

Frieten and Falafels

I have been fortunate enough to travel to Amsterdam twice (once while in college and again on a side trip after attending my friend's wedding in England) and the food there is delicious.  I remember eating a lot of street food including a good amount of frites (similar to french fries) with a mayonnaise dipping sauce.  So when I saw the write up for Amsterdam Falafelshop in the Post's Washington 40 Essential Eats, I vowed to make a special trip up to Adams Morgan just to try it out.  

I will go to Adams Morgan and attempt to find parking, just for you Amsterdam Falafelshop

Like most locations in Adams Morgan, the shop is tiny with about 5 tables and a few bar stools to eat at (with a cool counter design made of 'menus' from the various coffeeshops in Amsterdam).  The menu is simple - they offer frieten and falafels.  You basically can order a large or a small falafel sandwich (small = 3 falafel balls, large = 5 falafel balls) and frieten (Belgian french fries).  I really like places that only offer two to four things on their menu because chances are, they do those menu items really well and aren't distracted by trying to do too much in terms of selection.  

They even take Euros!  But what about the guilder?  Hmm...

I got the small falafel sandwich and my husband and I split an order of frieten.  Amsterdam Falafelshop has an extensive topping bar to select different accompaniments for your sandwich.  They have all kinds of toppings including yogurt dill sauce, hummus, red cabbage, pickled beets and fried eggplant.  

So many choices and only one sandwich to work with...  Nooooo!

There is a special technique involved to be able to smash down the falafel balls and load up on the maximum amount toppings.  I have not mastered it yet, but I feel that with some practice, I could get pretty good.  For my sandwich, I added the yogurt dill sauce, jalapeno cilantro, and some tomato/onion mixture.   

The toppings make every sandwich different than the last

My falafel sandwich was fantastic.  The falafels were so good - crispy and spicy with definite flavor of cardamom.  And the toppings were the perfect additions.  Halfway through my sandwich I ran low on toppings.  You know that means - a trip back to the topping bar!  This time I opted for the garlic sauce and the red cabbage.  The special treat for my lunch were the frieten.  

Even served in the paper cone like they do in Amsterdam

The frieten were golden and lightly salted - yum!  And the mayonnaise dip was expertly crafted - creamy and smooth (very different than American mayonnaise which can be bitter and is not the same when dipping frieten).  As an added bonus, they provided the wooden picks to spear your fry and dip!
  
It was well worth the wait to find the time to get up to Adams Morgan for lunch at Amsterdam Falafelshop.  I would love to go again and try different combinations of toppings.  If only parking weren't so difficult!  Maybe there is an Amsterdam Falafelshop food truck in the makings?  

Guess Who's Back? Sawatdee Thai in Arlington!

Today is a day of celebration!  My favorite Thai restaurant in Arlington, Sawatdee Thai, is back open for business after renovations.  I have been going to lunch at Sawatdee Thai for over 10 years, ever since my original office building was located in Courthouse.  That's some commitment.  

Many Thai places have come and go in the Arlington area including Tara Thai, Sala Thai (now where a huge high-rise apartment complex is being built), and Thai at Corner.  I have tried them all, but Sawatdee Thai always wins out as my favorite. It's like a time honored tradition.  

So when they closed this summer for renovations, I was heart-broken.  I was like a lost puppy wandering around the streets of Arlington craving curry and larb gai.  But low and behold, the renovations are complete and Sawatdee Thai has opened its freshly painted doors to patrons.  YAY!!!  I crave Thai food generally every week and now my Thai restaurant is back!  

I went for lunch the other day and it is lookin' good.  They redesigned the bar and the seating, but the layout is still the same.  And more importantly, the food is still outstanding.  I ordered my usual - Gang-Dang (the red curry chicken).  Oh spicy, delicious curry chicken, how I've missed you!

there you are, you've been hiding you naughty curry

The menu has generally the same items as before, but new pictures and design.  Fine with me, why mess with a good thing. 

Lunch, as always, was yum -- great spicy Thai food.  I am so glad Sawatdee Thai remained true to its core, offering the same great food with an updated dining experience.  Good things should never change...



   

Southern Dining at Sou'Wester

Last night we went to Sou'Wester in the Mandarin Oriental for dinner.  I have been to the Mandarin Oriental a number of times for dinner because my absolute favorite dining experience is, hand down, CityZen.  We decided to try Sou'Wester because the chef from CityZen, Eric Ziebold, opened Sou'Wester in 2009 and I absolutely love his food.  

We sat outside on the patio to enjoy the fall weather in DC.  Their patio overlooks the garden and last night, there happened to be a wedding in the garden.  So we got to eat and watch the wedding cocktail hour which was quite entertaining.  It was fantastic ambiance, very romantic.

The bread that they brought to the table was cornbread, in keeping with the Southern style of the menu, and it was delicious.  It was warm, spongy and melt in your mouth.  We ate two baskets of bread, it was that good.

Made with fresh corn!

For an appetizer, I ordered the Creamy Corn Soup and my husband got the Pork Fritter.  The soup was good--simple and creamy.  I think it could have benefited from roasted red pepper or some other spice to add a little more flavor, but it was a solid dish. 

More corn, please

The Pork Fritter was absolutely fantastic.  It was served with pickled garlic over a bed of  roasted peppers and eggplant.  The blend of flavors was perfectly balanced and the presentation was unbelievable.

I love you, Pork Fritter

For dinner, I ordered the Chicken-Fried Softshell Crab which was served over shrimp and tasso ham jambalaya with a spicy tomato emulsion.  It was a great dish, the crab coupled with the jambalaya was so yummy.

Crab, shrimp and tasso ham come together for a cool twist on jambalaya

 We also ordered two side dishes, the hush puppies and pimento mac & cheese.  The hush puppies were excellent--crispy, warm soul food. 

how can you say no?

 The pimento mac & cheese was underwhelming, it sort of reminded me of Kraft macaroni and cheese.  It could definitely use some improvement.  Like a cheesy, breadcrumb crust.

I need a little pick-me-up

Overall, Sou'Wester was delicious, Southern food in a romantic atmosphere with attentive service.  I would definitely go back again and am super excited that they have a Sunday Jazz Brunch, I can't wait to go back for that!

Sunday Brunch at American Tap Room

I love brunch.  Brunch is hands down, my favorite meal and sadly, it generally is only available on Saturdays and Sundays.  At brunch you can get breakfast and lunch foods paired together as a mid-day treat, embellished with fantastic beverages like mimosas and bloody marys.  Seriously, what is not to love?!?

Given that at this point in my life I have two young children, I don't get to frequent brunch very often because it interferes with pool visits, birthday parties, and nap time.  Total bummer.  But this past weekend, the kids had a sleepover at their Grandmom's house so we got to go to brunch!  I could just hear the mimosa calling my name when I woke up on Sunday morning (in a quiet house - which was a treat unto itself).

We decided to go to American Tap Room in Clarendon for brunch because we work nearby and have often wondered what it was like.  So off we went for our highly anticipated, much coveted brunch experience.

We had to wait for a table (about 15 minutes) since it was prime brunch time (around 12:30pm on a Sunday) -- not bad at all considering if you head to Eastern Market for brunch you could find yourself waiting about 30 min to an hour.  We went to the bar and ordered a drink (don't judge - it was after noon and it was brunch!!).  I got a mimosa and my husband ordered a bloody mary.  My mimosa was delicious but from what I was told, the bloody mary could have been a bit more spicy. 

I hear you mimosa, and I'M COMING!!!

We were quickly seated at our table (in an oversized chair that was comfy but a little unwieldy) and I ordered the eggs benedict while my husband ordered the carolina pork hash - we agreed to share our order because we honestly wanted a little of both.  I am no fool though, and I knew that I had to order the eggs or I would get nothing of those because my husband can put food away really quickly.

The eggs benedict were fantastic.  Perfectly poached eggs, the right amount of hollandaise sauce - yum.
  

Break the yolk!  Break the yolk!

 My husband absolutely LOVED the carolina pork hash.  I tasted some and it was good but apparently for my husband the very idea of bbq for breakfast was the hook, and he could not get enough.  I swear when I wasn't looking, he licked his plate clean.

Bar-be-Que for breakfast, a special treat

It was about this point in the meal, while I was sipping my mimosa and chasing it with coffee, that I realized that we were listening to crappy 'house' music.  My husband maintains it was not 'house music' but some version of pop, but either way, it was distracting from an otherwise relaxing brunch experience.  It was just a weird mix.  I would expect this type of music at a bar at 11pm, but not really at brunch.

Regardless of the music, the waiter came around with a dessert tray and we were hooked.  We had to have the dessert equivalent of what was described as an "Irish Car Bomb" - something about a brownie made with Guinness topped with Bailey's flavored ice cream.  It was really, really good.

Couldn't wait to take the picture, had to get that spoon in there!

It was a great brunch experience at American Tap Room and I will be definitely be going back to try their dinner menu with fried pickles!