My Winter "To Dine" List

I did okay on my fall "to dine" list: we made it two of the four restaurants on the list - A Chef's Kitchen in Williamsburg, VA, and Union Square Cafe in Manhattan.

Here's where I'd like to eat this winter:

• I still haven't made it to the Boot (not for lack of trying!), so it stays on the list.
• Topher & I still haven't made it to One Fish Two Fish either (my fault on that one).
• I'll add Blue Talon Bistro and Fat Canary, both in Williamsburg. (I'm hoping for another weekend getaway!)
• Terrapin - New American cuisine near the Virginia Beach oceanfront (a recommendation from Lisa Has Chickens via her aunt, who's a good friend of mine)

Let's see how well we do this quarter!

A Birthday Dinner for a Wonderful Husband

Today is my husband Topher's birthday (yay!), and last night we celebrated with our friends Randy & Kim at Stove restaurant in Portsmouth.

One thing I like about their menu: most of their dishes come in both small and large portion sizes. So, if you can't decide between two dishes, you can order one as an appetizer and one as your entrée. Which is exactly what Topher and I did last night.

What We Ate:

• artisan cheese plate: Syd's Neo-Pimento, Farmstead Fresh goat cheese (Virginia), Gorgonzola (Italy), and Bellavitano Black Pepper served with bread & house relish
• my appetizer: the "Stove-o-tarian," a mix of local, in-season vegetables including Brussels sprouts and several different squashes, topped with a fried onion ring
• Topher's appetizer: "visiting greens" salad - "different lettuces from the farms with our visiting cheese tossed with a mustard vinaigrette"
• my entrée: rockfish topped with cabbage and rutabagas - I love rockfish, but I mainly ordered this dish for the rutabagas, and they didn't disappoint
• Topher's entrée: Hereford strip steak topped with brie and "lardo," served with Brussels sprouts and smoked tomatoes
• for dessert: country apple tart - the crust on this was amazing: so light, flaky, and buttery!
• to drink: Trinitas Old Vine Petite Sirah

Randy & Kim have been to Stove at least half a dozen times, and Randy always orders the "Pork-o-rama" - "local darden farm’s pork sausage, my smoochie bear ham & black pig pork belly on visiting potato sauté with cured lardo and stove-b-que sauce."

Well, last night after our meal, chef Syd Meers came out and sat & talked with us for a while, and he ended up giving Randy and Topher the recipe for his "stove-b-que" sauce. It must have 2 dozen ingredients in it! Fresh herbs & spices, peppers, bacon, ketchup, molasses, apple cider vinegar - the list just went on and on. I know the guys are going to want to try to make it sometime, but grocery shopping for all the ingredients is going to be a genuine scavenger hunt.

Spectacularly Bad

I really struggle to eat well when I'm traveling alone for work, and this past week was no exception. I went to DC again for a class, and on Thursday night I tried to find something relatively healthy for dinner near my hotel. It was a minor disaster.

I chose a national chain restaurant (that shall remain nameless) where I thought I'd be able to get some vegetables and not look too awkward eating alone. This particular chain has recently revamped its wine list, and I decided to try their Estancia Meritage (usually a red wine blend). Apparently the staff has not been educated on the new wines: my waitress brought me a glass of some unknown white wine. Strike one.

Having cleared up the wine confusion, I headed to the salad bar and loaded up on spinach, mixed greens, edamame, chickpeas, & sunflower seeds. I returned to my table, lifted my fork, and uncovered a large (thankfully, dead) black insect. Strike two.

Giving up on the salad, I waited until the waitress brought my entrée: a petite sirloin (which I ordered cooked medium), steamed broccoli, and mashed cauliflower. (In hindsight, perhaps ordering a steak wasn't the smartest decision. I'll take the blame for that one.) I cut into it and discovered that it was completely rare in the middle. Not just rare, but raw - cold and still a little bloody. Thinking that maybe I could still salvage part of the meal, I stuck my fork into a broccoli floret, but it was so overcooked that it fell apart on contact. Strike three.

After a short chat with the manager, I left with a corked and almost-full bottle of Estancia Meritage (that's right - they gave me the bottle, once they finally found the right wine), and without paying.

Discouraged and disgusted, I headed down the street to Chipotle to get a chicken burrito bowl with guacamole and extra cilantro.

Fall Getaway: Distrito

On our way home from Cape Cod, we stopped in Philly for another night. Topher was dying to try Chef Jose Garces' "modern Mexican" restaurant Distrito, so we met our friends Grant & Laura there for dinner. The interior design was so fun - bright pink lights and lots of white - and the food was delicious. I almost needed a Spanish-English dictionary, though, to translate some of the ingredients listed on the menu.

What I Ate:

• Atun ceviche: big eye tuna, serrano-coconut sauce, lime sorbet, tomatillo, tostadita
• Chilango huaraches: carnitas, chorizo, Serrano ham, potato, queso Oaxaca, cotija
• Mexico City Style quesadilla: huauzontle, black beans, queso Oaxaca, epazote, salsa ranchera
• Churros: vanilla ice cream, spicy chocolate sauce, cajeta

The Scoop:
Distrito is located at 3945 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Reservations are available by calling 215-222-1657. Their dinner hours are Sun-R 5-10pm, F-Sat 5-11pm. They are also open for lunch M-F 11:30am-2:30pm, and brunch Sat-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm.

Distrito is one of seven Garces restaurants in Philly (check out the Garces Restaurant Group on Facebook). The newest addition, JG Domestic, just opened in October, and we can't wait to try it!

Fall Getaway: Mahoney's

After driving all day on Friday from Philadelphia to Cape Cod, we weren't really up for a fancy dinner out. So we decided to cook (Anne graciously let us stay at her grandparents' house).

Or rather, Anne and I drank margaritas while Topher cooked for us (isn't he wonderful?!). That evening we enjoyed seared scallops, sautéed Brussels sprouts, and spaghetti squash. Afterwards we curled up in the living room with mugs of hot chocolate with amaretto (a great way to warm up).

The next evening we were a little more rested (after our morning at the spa) and ready for something festive. Leave it to my husband to find the fanciest restaurant in Cape Cod that's still open in the off season. :)

What I Ate:

• Proscuitto-wrapped scallops
• Atlantic steaming bowl: classic bouillabaisse with shrimp, scallops, squid, haddock, littleneck clams, and mussels in a tomato saffron broth served over angel hair pasta
• Pear, Ginger, & Cranberry Crisp: Fresh pear, ginger, & dried cranberries crowned with a toasted pecan, oatmeal, and brown sugar strudel served warm with vanilla ice cream
• ... and to drink: a Cape Cod martini and a limoncello

The Scoop:

Mahoney's Atlantic Bar & Grill is located at 28 Main Street, Orleans, MA. They generally do not take reservations except for parties of 12 or more. They are open seven days a week, 5-9pm.

Fall Getaway: The Chatham Squire

On our first full day in Cape Cod, my husband surprised me and my friend Anne with a morning at the spa: pedicures and massages! Afterwards we were so relaxed that we would have been perfectly content to go back to the house and take a nap. But we didn't.

Instead we took a walk on the beach, and when we finally couldn't stand the biting wind anymore, we walked through Chatham, MA. Chatham's Main Street is lined with adorable shops: jewelry and stationery stores, kitchen gadgets and housewares stores, and even a Life Is Good store. It's exactly what you would picture in your mind if you heard "quaint New England town."

For lunch we found a tavern on Main Street that appeared to be popular with both tourists and locals alike. Their menu featured everything from fish & chips, crab cakes, and calamari, to a roast beef sandwich, cheeseburger, and chicken fingers. We opted for the seafood.

What I Ate:

• 1/2 dozen raw native oysters on the half shell
• Lobster bisque: Rich sherry cream soup with lobster meat & brandy - perfect for a chilly late fall afternoon
• Sam Adams Octoberfest beer - ditto

The Scoop:

The Chatham Squire is located at 487 Main Street, Chatham, MA 02633. Contact the dining room at (508)945-0945 for info on reservations and hours.

Fall Getaway: Monk's Cafe

Last November (basically this week last year), my husband Topher surprised me with a weekend getaway. I didn't know the destination before I left, only that I needed to pack warm clothes and one semi-dressy outfit.

We left work at noon on a Thursday and started driving north over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (one of my favorite drives - 20 miles of highway over open water). As I had suspected, we ended up in Philadelphia (my old stomping ground) for the evening.

During the drive, I figured out that Topher's cryptic clue "Joan of Arc" meant that we were headed to Orleans, MA - Cape Cod! Shortly after our arrival in Philly, my friend Rebecca, who was graciously letting us crash at her house that evening, let slip the rest of the surprise: my dear friend Anne was coming to Cape Cod with us!

Anne had a meeting at church or something that evening, so Topher & I were on our own for dinner. My first choice was a place I thought Topher would like: Monk's Cafe, a popular Belgian pub famous for its "Beer Bible," a dozen-page booklet listing its extensive beer offerings.

What I Ate:

• Thai Curry mussels: Monk's Flemish Sour, fum, Thai red curry, bais, garlic, & coconut milk - the bowls of mussels are huge, and they offer them in several different sauces, all delicious!
• Lapin a la Gueuze: Rabbit & root vegetables braised in gueuze lambic - a traditional Brussels dish - a great dish for a cool November evening
• I'm embarrassed to admit this: I had two glasses of beer with dinner - one blonde ale and one brown ale - and I can't remember what either of them was :(

The Scoop:

Monk's Cafe is located at 264 S. 16th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Their hours are M-Sun, 11:30am-1:00am. You can reach them by calling (215)545-7005, but if I remember correctly, they don't take reservations.

As I said, it's a popular (and not very big) place, so it fills up quickly after work, during the dinner hour, and on weekends. But it's worth the wait. Another of my favorites from their menu: the Ghent burger - topped with sautéed broccoli rabe, garlic, and cheddar cheese.

**This past summer, I was horrified to learn that an out-of-control SEPTA bus crashed into the front of Monk's; but thankfully no one was hurt badly, and the restaurant reopened later the same month.

Better Than Food Network

Last Christmas my aunt & uncle gave me & Topher the perfect present (for us, anyway): a gift certificate to A Chef's Kitchen in Williamsburg, VA. It's been sitting on my desk at home, waiting patiently, and this past weekend it finally got used.

The weekend's festivities started with a ride on the Jamestown-Scotland ferry across the James River, from Surry to Williamsburg. Then we met up with our friends Randy & Kim and headed to Merchants Square. There we snacked on a cheese plate and a bottle of wine (Andrew Murray Vineyards"Esperance" red blend) from The Cheese Shop and walked around historic Colonial Williamsburg.

After a quick change of clothes at our hotel, we headed back out and grabbed a cocktail at the Blue Talon Bistro (their menu looked awesome, and I definitely want to go back there for dinner sometime). Then we made our way to the main event.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with A Chef's Kitchen (as I was until we received the gift certificate and I started doing a little research), Chef John Gonzales came up with the idea "because he 'felt sorry for the audiences on the Food Network,' who never get to eat the meals they watch being prepared," according to Frommer's Virginia.

The restaurant is set up stadium-style with three rows of ~8 seats each and an open kitchen. Chef Gonzales and his sous chef Sam Hall prepare your dinner there in front of you, teaching you how to make each dish as they go along (they even give you a recipe booklet to take home). There's only one seating each night, and the meal takes ~3 hours, with half an hour for champagne and hors d'oeuvres at the beginning. The meal was good, but the experience was great!

What We Ate:

• appetizers: goat cheese balls rolled in crushed pistachios, and olive tapenade on toast - paired with champagne
• Parsnip & Chive Bisque with Applewood Smoked Bacon & Sour Cream
• Mâche, Carrot, & Apple Slaw with Golden Raisins & Toasted Pecans - paired with a (not oaky) chardonnay - very good! a healthy, colorful, & flavorful dish that I would definitely like to make at home
• Skillet Baked Corn Bread with European-style Butter
• Shrimp & Butternut Squash Risotto with Fresh Thyme - paired with a sauvignon blanc - well made (the shrimp weren't overcooked, and the risotto was just the right consistency - not crunchy, not mushy), but a little too sweet
• Seared Broadleaf Farms Venison with Braised Boneless Berkshire Spare Ribs over Mashed Celeriac & Virginia Apple Purée - paired with a regional Spanish red wine that I can't remember - this was the absolute, hands-down highlight of the evening! the spare ribs were so tender, juicy, & flavorful that my mouth is watering just thinking about them ... and I really want to start eating celeriac at home
• Lemon Mousse with a Chocolate Shortbread Cookie & Port Braised Figs - the three elements of this dessert were good (especially the shortbread), but somehow the combination of the three just didn't work

The Scoop:

A Chef's Kitchen is located at 501 Prince George Street (near Merchants Square and William & Mary) in downtown Williamsburg, VA. Dinner is served Wed-Sun at 6:30pm. Reservations are required and should be made well in advance by calling 757-564-8500.

Playing Tourist in My Hometown

This past weekend Topher & I flew to Savannah, GA, to visit my parents. The weather was gorgeous - sunny & 70°F - and the four of us spent Saturday "playing tourist." First we took a trolley tour of the downtown historic district.

Now, every kid in Georgia public schools spends a year learning about Georgia history and doing projects on their city or county. But I haven't lived in Savannah for over 10 years, and I've forgotten most of the local lore. So the trolley tour was a great refresher: we heard about Tomochichi and General Oglethorpe, Casimir Pulaski and John Wesley, Juliette Gordon Low and the Waving Girl, and of course Paula Deen and Lady Chablis (although I don't think the last two were part of the tour I got in 3rd grade).

Afterwards we headed to the St. Paul's Church & Hellenic Center for lunch at their annual Greek Festival (more on that later this week), then home for a walk and a much-needed nap.

That evening the four of us got dressed up and went out to dinner at Elizabeth on 37th, housed in a huge old Victorian home at 37th & Drayton. Specializing in upscale Southern cuisine, Elizabeth's is definitely a "special occasion" place (read: expensive), but our meal was wonderful!

What We Ate:

• biscuit with butter & marmalade
• my appetizer: blackeyed pea patty served over shredded greens & halved cherry tomatoes, with mustard sauce - the patty was slightly crispy on the outside (a good texture, IMHO), and the mustard sauce was mild but flavorful
• salad: mixed greens & herbs, julienned red apples, goat cheese, and house vinaigrette - a fabulous salad, full of mint, cilantro, spinach, arugula, and goat cheese (need I say more?)
• my entree: mustard-garlic glazed Scottish salmon, served over shredded greens & halved cherry tomatoes, with roasted potatoes - paired with a glass of sauvignon blanc - when I ordered this, I didn't realize it was served over the same greens & tomatoes as my appetizer - I guess I got my vitamin C and lycopene for the day. The mustard-garlic glaze was subtle but flavorful, and the salmon was moist & flaky ... yum!
• Topher's entree: pork chop with five cheese macaroni and apple-cabbage slaw - although he shared a bite of pork chop with me (delicious! not overcooked, still tender and slightly pink in the middle), I did not get to taste the macaroni & slaw: he was scared that I would like them too much and want to switch plates, and he was probably right - the macaroni was full of fontina, and the slaw was full of cilantro!

The Scoop:

Elizabeth on 37th is located at 105 East 37th Street, Savannah, GA 31401. They're open for dinner Mon-Sun at 6pm. Reservations are available online or by phone (912-236-5547). (Disclaimer: I went to high school with the owners' daughter.)

Note: The photo above came from this website.

Tapas for Two - Twice

I knew that Topher would be working late most nights this week, thanks to the end of federal fiscal year; so I scheduled a few dates with girlfriends (since cooking for one isn't much fun). Not intentionally, both meals ended up being at tapas restaurants in Norfolk - one at a place I'd never been before, and the other at an old favorite.

My friend Beth and I had planned to go to the Boot after work on Monday. But about halfway through the day, I remembered that the Boot is closed on Mondays, so we decided to meet at Pasha Mezze instead. Well, we both drove up about the same time and found out that, yep, it's closed on Mondays too.

So we went around the corner to Bardo Edibles + Elixirs, an Asian fusion tapas bar with a fun (and extensive) menu. We both ordered a few dishes to share, and while everything was good, my favorites were the cocktail and the dessert.

What We Ate:

• To drink: The Alchemist – spiced rum, Chambord, Citronge liquor, Honest Tea, and a splash of sour - very good but could be dangerous: the tea completely masks the liquor
• Eastern Shore edamame (sautéed in butter, Old Bay, green onions, garlic & lemon)
• Boursin fondue, served with crackers & bread
• Steamed lobster & potato dumplings, with Old Bay cream
• Three-Bean Tagine: green beans, black beans, & edamame cooked with tomatoes, chipotle, lemon & garlic, served over sticky rice - more spicy than you would expect! (not a bad thing)
• Potato-wrapped Salmon: maple B&B glazed salmon served over Bardo succotash
• Garlic and soy Brussels sprouts - more soy sauce than you would expect (not a good thing)
• “Dip Sum” donuts with milk chocolate & white chocolate chopsticks, served with three dipping sauces (chocolate, caramel, & raspberry) - as our waitress explained, you stick the chocolate chopsticks into the warm donuts and they "gooify" - yum!

The Scoop:

Bardo Edibles + Elixirs is located at 430 West 21st Street in the Ghent section of Norfolk, VA 23517. They're open Sun-Fri 11am-2am and Sat 5pm-2am. You can find them on Facebook. They're the sister restaurant of Still in Portsmouth, VA.

*****

On Tuesday after work, I met up with my friend Stacy at Crackers on Granby Street. I've been there twice before - once to celebrate Christmas with all of my cousins, and then again on September 30, 2009 to celebrate the end of FY09 with some coworkers. This time we celebrated Stacy's upcoming wedding and move to Charlottesville (I'll miss you, Stacy!).

Crackers doesn't look like much for the outside, and it's not exactly in the trendiest part of Norfolk, but it's a fun place with a cool atmosphere and good specials. Their cocktail menu is a two-page spread, and they offer both hot and cold tapas.

What We Ate:

• Prosciutto wrapped asparagus - not overcooked (a good thing)
• Butternut squash gnocchi with hazelnuts & sage brown butter
• Sesame noodles with bok choy & wild mushrooms - served room temp or slightly chilled, not hot
• Pork & ginger pot stickers with sweet chili sauce & ponzu - fried crispy but not greasy (also a good thing)
• Blackberry swirl cheesecake
• To drink: Magnolia - really wish I could remember exactly what was in this, but it was fantastic; it might become my regular drink there

The Scoop:

Crackers is located at 4226 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23504. They're open Sun-Sat 5pm-2am.

*****

P.S. As you might have noticed, I really tried to get in as many green veggies as possible while dining out this week: edamame, Brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus, and bok choy!

Rainy Day Brunch in Brooklyn

View of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Promenade

The second day of my weekend in NYC was not nearly as pretty as the first: it was chilly, rainy, and foggy for most of the afternoon and evening. But that didn't stop us from venturing out. We visited a church that Anne was interested in, then stopped for brunch at Le Gamin Cafe on Vanderbilt Avenue (recommended by blogger Jessica of What I Wore).

It might not look like much from the outside, but this little place is adorable. French posters and advertisements adorn the walls; the water is served in elegant blue and green glass bottles; and, there's a shaded courtyard out back that would've been perfect in better weather. The small wooden tables and plastic wicker chairs are packed in pretty close together, but we didn't really mind. We were too busy enjoying the delicious meal.

Oddly we were both in the mood for goat cheese and ratatouille - maybe the weather made us want something rich, savory, and filling. But whatever the reason, after perusing the menu we were eying the same two dishes, so we decided to order one of each and split them. But we ordered our own mimosas - no sharing there.

Afterwards we wandered around Park Slope for a while, poking around in Unnameable Books and finally landing at Heights Coffee Lounge for a much-needed afternoon hot cup o' joe.

What We Ate:

• Oeuf Gamin - poached egg on a goat cheese potato cake, served with homemade ratatouille
• Vegetarien Gamin - herbed polenta stuffed with goat cheese and smothered with ratatouille
• To drink: coffee and mimosas

The Scoop:
Le Gamin Cafe is located at 556 Vanderbilt Avenue (between Atlantic Ave & Pacific St) in Brooklyn, NY 11238. They're open for breakfast, lunch, & dinner; reservations are not needed. You can reach them at 718-789-5171.

Broadway and Bacon Ice Cream

This past weekend I flew to New York to see my dear friend Anne, who's currently living in Brooklyn. Her birthday was two weeks ago, and since I couldn't visit then, we celebrated on Saturday night instead. Our evening consisted of dinner at the fabulous Union Square Café, a performance of "Promises, Promises" at the Broadway Theatre, and drinks at Flatiron Lounge.

Dinner
Union Square Café was recommended to me by my friend Jen, who works with Topher. A New York native, Jen declares that she's never had a bad meal at USC, and after my experience there, I believe it: the meal and the service were close to impeccable.

USC gets a lot of its produce and meats from the Union Square Greenmarket, a huge open-air farmers' market (open 8am-6pm on Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat) that's just around the corner from the restaurant. Many of the menu items feature the name of the farm that supplied the ingredients: Eckerton Hill Heirloom Tomatoes, Sycamore Farms Sweet Corn, 3-Corner Fields Feta, Anson Mills Polenta, Four Story Hill Farm Rib-Eye ...

Anne has a gluten allergy, so I called ahead to confirm that they could accommodate her. Sure enough, upon being seated we were brought a basket of gluten-free wafers instead of bread, and our waitress was prepared to answer all of Anne's questions about the menu - what dishes she could have, and what dishes could be altered to be gluten-free. Yay!


What We Ate:

• My appetizer: "Savory" Kabocha squash bread pudding topped with bacon ice cream, sliced apple, frisee salad, & sherry vinaigrette - This is one of the best dishes I have ever tasted! My entree was good, but for me, this dish (shown above) was the real stand-out of the evening. I never wanted it to end ...
• Anne's appetizer: Black Pearl Salmon Crudo with Cucumber Gazpacho, Crème Fraîche and Steelhead Trout Roe - Anne let me taste this, and it was one of the best pieces of salmon I've ever put in my mouth. The freshness of the cucumber gazpacho perfectly balanced the raw fish. (Check out pictures of this dish and USC's other summer specials here.)
• My entree: Grilled Lamb Chops Scotta Dita, Norwich Meadows Swiss Chard and Potato-Gruyère Gratin
• Anne's entree: Pan-Crisped Duck Confit, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Mission Figs, Chanterelle Mushrooms and Chicory
• My cocktail: USC Cooler (San Pellegrino orange-flavored Aranciata, Campari, fresh lime juice, and an orange slice)
• Anne's cocktail: I can't remember :(
• Our wine: half bottle of 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Ladera, Napa Valley

The Scoop:
Union Square Café is located at 21 East 16th Street, NYC 10003. They're open for lunch every day, noon-2pm; dinner is served Sun-Thurs 5:30-10pm and Fri-Sat 5:30-11pm. Reservations (highly recommended) can be made online or by calling 212-243-4020.

*****

The show we saw - "Promises, Promises" starring Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked) and Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) - is based on the same story as "The Apartment," the 1960 movie starring Shirley MacLaine & Jack Lemmon. Like most musicals, it was a bit cheesy but a lot of fun. And, as much as I like Kristin Chenoweth, this was definitely Sean Hayes' show!

Drinks
Afterwards we went back to down to Chelsea/Gramercy for cocktails at Flatiron Lounge, a swanky but unpretentious place that Topher & I visited last fall with our friends Adam & Meredith. On that trip we went before dinner, closer to opening time, so it was quiet and not very busy. This time Anne & I arrived a little after 11pm, and it was much more crowded/noisy. But the service was still good, and we were able to get a table. I liked their version of a mint julep so much last time that I ordered it again; but their menu is full of unique, culinarily-inspired concoctions. I'd definitely like to visit again!

What We Drank:

• My first drink: Mint Jules - Makers Mark bourbon with muddled mint and smashed limes
• Anne's first drink: King Rose - gin, strawberries, & lime, garnished with a large basil leaf
• My second drink: A Bird in the Heart - raspberry jam, smoky aged rum and egg white foam - the flavors come in stages, so it's a little strong at first with more fruit at the end
• Anne's second drink: Miss Lynn - vodka, cucumber, Pimm's, and Chartreuse

The Scoop:
Flatiron Lounge is located at 37 West 19th Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues), NYC 10011. They're open Sun-Wed 5pm-2am and Thurs-Sat 5pm-4am. You can reach them at 212-727-7741.

My Fall "To Dine" List

Here are a few places that I want to try this fall. Watch for reviews to come!

• The Chef's Kitchen - a restaurant in Williamsburg set up stadium-style, so you can watch the chefs prepare your meal and learn as you go; this one is leftover from my summer "to dine" list
• One Fish Two Fish - a seafood restaurant in northern Virginia Beach; also a leftover from my summer "to dine" list ... sort of ... to see what I mean, check out this post (it's a funny story)
• Boot - a "local kitchen & wine bar" in the Ghent area of Norfolk, specializing in locally grown foods
• Union Square Café - in NYC; uses meats & produce from the nearby Union Square Greenmarket; highly recommended by our good friend Jen

Actually, my "to dine" list is quite long, and it just keeps growing as I get recommendations from family & friends (which I love, by the way)!

Where are you dying to eat this fall? Do you have any suggestions for me?

Back to DC: Founding Farmers

Every few months I travel to DC for training for work, and this week I'm back again. The last time I was here, I had lunch at a farm-to-table American restaurant in northwest DC (near George Washington University) called Founding Farmers. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to go back for lunch again today.

Founding Farmers is big on knowing where their food comes from. Their website states, "When ingredients are available locally and it is sensible for us to buy them, we do. We serve chicken, beef, pork and dairy from certified sources that state their commitment to sustainable farming and clean foods; we buy our seafood from vendors committed to the standards of FishWatch."

Today it was more crowded than on my first visit, and I had to sit at the bar; but it turned out not to be too bad - my bartender/waitress was prompt & friendly. Both times I was able to get in & out and back to class in under an hour. I tried two different pasta dishes, but the rest of their menu looks good too, especially the entrée salads and the Roasted Vegetable & Avocado sandwich.

What I Ate #1:

• Straw & Hay Pasta: housemade macaroni noodles simmered in a light creamy broth with asparagus, bacon, mushrooms, & peas
• To drink: Cranberry Cucumber Cooler (non-alcoholic) - very refreshing!

What I Ate #2:

• Show Stopper Pasta: Mussels, shrimp, white fish, & chorizo over housemade spaghetti in a light wine sauce, served with crusty bread - this dish was fun to eat: the sauce was light, not heavy & creamy, and the shrimp & chorizo were "hidden" towards the bottom of the dish, so each bite revealed a little more, like toasted (pine?) nuts and mixed herbs ... yummm
• To drink: Mint Limeade - tart & refreshing

The Scoop:

Founding Farmers is located in the International Monetary Fund headquarters building at 1924 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 2006. Reservations are strongly recommended (even for lunch) and can be made by calling (202)822-8783. They serve breakfast M-F, lunch & dinner M-Sun, and brunch on Sat-Sun.

Curry Cravings

If I could add one and only one restaurant to our offerings in downtown Suffolk, I would probably pick an Indian restaurant. It's easy to find good Indian in the DC area (Bombay Curry Company, anyone?), but not so much in Suffolk. We've got sushi, Italian, Mexican, and Chinese takeout, but no Indian. And sometimes a girl just needs a little curry, ya know?

So when Topher & I want to satisfy our cravings, we visit Rajput in Ghent. Topher first took me there a couple of years ago for my birthday. (It was the first birthday we'd celebrated together as a couple, and Topher set the bar for gifts very high: he gave me a first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird, my favorite book!)

We went back this past February for Valentine's Day, which fell on a Sunday, so we got to indulge in their amazing Sunday lunch buffet. All-you-can-eat paneer masala, chicken tandoori, lentils & chickpeas, basmati rice, naan, and kheer (rice pudding with raisins, nuts, and rosewater) - it was a perfect date for us.

Last week Topher's friend Matt and his new fiance Allison were in town for a visit, and we ate lunch with them at Nawab on Military Highway. (They have another location in VA Beach near Hilltop.) Nawab has a lunch buffet, so we gorged ourselves on vindaloo, curry, biryani, eggplant bhartha, and palak paneer, finished off once again with kheer.

A couple of nights ago I "cheated" on Topher and went to Rajput with my dear friend Stacy. It was delicious as always! But I felt kinda bad that Topher missed out. I was brave, though, and ordered my entree "medium-hot" (level 3 out of 5) - Topher would've been proud.

What We Ate:

• appetizer: vegetable samosas (stuffed with potato & peas)
• our entrees: chicken korma (mine) and chicken tikka masala (Stacy's), served with basmati rice and naan
• to drink: mango lassi (a sweet yogurt drink) - I would've liked this to be a little bit colder, but it was still very refreshing.

The Scoop:

Rajput Indian Cuisine is located at 742 W. 21st Street in the Ghent neighborhood of Norfolk, VA 23517. They serve lunch M-F 11:30am-2:30pm and Sat-Sun noon-3pm; they serve dinner Sun-R 5-10pm and F-Sat 5-10:30pm. You can make reservations online or by calling (757)625-4634. (I think their food is a little better than Nawab, and the decor is definitely nicer - it's better for an evening out.)

Note: The images above were found here.

Kincaid's and the Virginia Stage Company

Topher & I (okay, mainly me) are already looking ahead to fall and planning our calendar. Along with a few weekend getaways, we want to go to the Virginia Opera Company's production of Mozart's "Cosi fan Tutte" in November, and I'd like to see the Virginia Stage Company's "The Diary of Anne Frank" in September. (I already have in mind where I'd like to eat on our evenings out, too!)

Our first experience with VSC was last fall, when my aunt and uncle invited us to join them for a Sunday afternoon matinee at the historic Wells Theatre in downtown Norfolk.

We saw "Alive and Well," a romantic comedy about a heartbroken Civil War re-enactor and an emotionally desperate New York journalist searching for the legendary "lonesome soldier" Civil War veteran in rural central Virginia. The play itself was a little strange, but the theater was gorgeous! (The photo above is from HamptonRoads.com.)

Afterwards we walked to Kincaid's for dinner. Yes, Kincaid's is a chain restaurant, and yes, this location is in a mall. But don't be fooled! It's still a great restaurant with a solid menu and excellent service. The four of us sat and talked for almost three hours and never felt like we were being rushed out.

What I Ate:

• steak with crab-stuffed shrimp, steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes - it doesn't get much more basic than steak, potatoes, & broccoli, but man, was this good!
• a few bites each of pear bread pudding and crème bruleè cheesecake with strawberries

The Scoop:

Kincaid's Fish, Chop and Steak House is located on the first floor of the MacArthur Center at 300 Monticello Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23510. They're open for dinner M-Sat 5-10pm and Sun 4-8pm. They also serve a "first seating" three-course prix-fixe ($25) meal daily 5-6pm. Check their website for hours for lunch, Sunday brunch, and the lounge. You can reach them at (757)622-8000.

Pho for the First Time

This past weekend Topher & I drove to Williamsburg to visit our friends Grant & Laura and their baby daughter Ava (she's gorgeous, with big dark eyes!).

It was a laid-back, relaxing visit. We drove up after work on Friday afternoon; Grant grilled bacon-wrapped steaks and Laura made tossed salad & roasted fingerling potatoes for dinner. We started to watch "Happy-Go-Lucky" but decided about 15 minutes in that we weren't up for it, so we watched Discovery's "Shark Week" instead. On Saturday morning, after a breakfast of sausage & pancakes, we went to the neighborhood pool.

We had planned to eat lunch at the Blue Talon Bistro, but Ava got a little fussy after her swim and needed a nap; so instead we ordered takeout from Saigon Pearl, a Vietnamese place near their house. Which worked out well, because Topher decided that it was high time that I experienced pho (pronounced fuh).

Pho, a cheap and flavorful beef noodle soup, is usually sold from street carts in Vietnam; in the US it's served in large, wide-rimmed bowls. It's not exactly a takeout-friendly dish, so when Topher & Grant brought it home, we realized that it was really "assemble your own" pho.

The pho tai chin that Topher ordered for us came in three containers: a large cup of steaming beef broth; one box of sticky rice noodles, thin sliced beef (both cooked & rare), and scallions & fresh cilantro; and a second box of "toppings," including crunchy bean sprouts, lime wedges, and jalapeno & onion slices. Add contents of box 1 and box 2 to cup A, and voila, yummy pho soup!

At first I was a little wary of the rare beef, but the hot broth cooked it in almost no time. The sticky noodles separated and softened in the broth, too. The soup was a little awkward to eat -- neither chopsticks nor fork/spoon are quite the right utensil for this dish - but after getting past the fact that I was going to have to slurp a little, it was filling and delicious. And the best part: I could add as much cilantro (and as few jalapenos) as I wanted!

After lunch, Topher & I packed up and drove home to Suffolk. Instead of taking the interstate, though, we decided to go the long way via the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry through Surry, VA.

More on Pho:
For more about the history of pho and its significance in Vietnamese culture, check out this article from the SFGate.com: "A Bowl of Pho: Vietnam's treasured beef noodle soup that brings families together." There's a recipe at the end.

Unfortunately, Hampton Roads doesn't have a "little Saigon" like San Francisco, but there are a few places in Tidewater where you can find Vietnamese: Pho 78 (VA Beach near Holland Plaza), Vietnam Garden (VA Beach near Great Neck/Hilltop), and Pho 79 (two locations - VA Beach near Town Center, and Chesapeake near Battlefield Blvd).

If you're not in the mood for pho, the com thit nuong (barbecue pork with rice and tomato/cucumber salad) that Laura ordered from Saigon Pearl looked and smelled delicious.

Note: The pho photo above was found online here.

A Locals' Favorite in Ghent

Since my husband Topher and I switched churches a few months ago, there are some good friends who live in Norfolk that we don't get to see as often as we used to. So I make a point of scheduling "dates" with those friends every few weeks or so, to make sure we stay in touch. Plus, it gives me a great excuse to sample (and review) fun restaurants, like Press 626 and No Frill Grill.

No Frill Grill in Ghent is one of those places that you can always count on for a good meal and enjoyable dining experience. Their menu has something for everyone, and the atmosphere is casual and relaxed. The dining room isn't huge, so if you show up with a large party right at dinnertime, you might have to wait a while, but it's worth it. They also have a covered outdoor patio.

What I Ate:

• Grilled Chicken, Portabella and Andouille with wilted baby spinach, provolone, and sundried tomato garlic pesto over penne pasta, tossed with roasted red peppers, onions and tomatoes, served with herbed pita points - plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day!
• peach pie with vanilla ice cream - yeah, I know I just talked about leftovers, but there's always room for dessert

Other menu highlights include ...

• Spotswood Salad: baby spinach, granny smith apples, bleu cheese crumbles, bacon, Bermuda onions, radishes, cucumbers, red peppers, mushrooms, Roma tomatoes, caramelized almonds and raisins (add your choice of grilled chicken, grilled tuna, shrimp, or London broil for a few bucks more) - my cousins' wives LOVE this dish
• Crab cakes served with corn and black bean salsa, remoulade, cornbread and your choice of two sides - from a girl who tries everybody's crab cakes, these are pretty good
• New York Deli Style "Special": Medium rare roast beef (or oven roasted turkey or pastrami) piled high on thick Jewish rye bread with Swiss cheese, 1000 Island, coleslaw, tomatoes, onions, and spicy brown mustard

The Scoop:

No Frill Bar & Grill is located in Ghent at 806 Spotswood Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517. They're open Sun-R 11am-10pm and F-Sat 11am-11pm. Their brunch menu is available on Sun 11am-3pm. You can reach them at (757)627-4262. They also have a location at Hilltop in Virginia Beach.

Note: The photo above of the Spotswood Salad is from HamptonRoads.com.

Second Time's the Charm

Earlier this year Topher & I ate at Todd Jurich's Bistro with our friends Bonnie & Andy during Norfolk Restaurant Week, and although we had a wonderful evening, the meal just wasn't all we had hoped for. (I have a personal theory about Restaurant Weeks: the restaurants might be less expensive than usual, but the food won't be nearly as good.)

But we kept hearing such great things about it, so we wanted to give it a second chance. Our opportunity came when Topher was given a gift certificate as a thank-you present. We finally used the gift certificate this past Saturday night, for dinner before my cousin Heidi's modern dance ensemble's performance. And I must admit, this meal totally redeemed Todd Jurich's in our estimation: it was fantastic!

What We Ate:

• amuse-bouche: thin-sliced cucumber topped with mint & melon salsa
• my starter: "Chef's Garden" iced gazpacho with lump crab meat - a perfect summer soup
• Topher's starter: Five spice seared foie gras, served atop a Peking duck roll, with damsum plum - this was the best foie gras I've ever tasted (great smoky flavor), and the plum sauce was unusual but very tasty
• my entrée: Pepper seared tuna, served over a warm quinoa salad (chick peas, cherry tomatoes, carrots), topped with eggplant "caviar" (paired with Hendry "Unoaked" Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2007) - the tuna was seared medium-rare, and as you know, I'm a sucker for a yummy quinoa salad - this whole dish was delicious! I'm not a huge fan of chardonnays, but the Hendry was quite good: still a little buttery but, as the name suggests, without the huge oaky flavor - a nice pairing for the tuna
• Topher's entrée: summer lamb grille served on a naan "pizza" with cucumber tahini sauce (paired with Vino con Brio "Matzin" Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, 2005)
• dessert: Southern bourbon pecan pie topped with brown sugar cinnamon ice cream - the ice cream was amazing! the perfect consistency with the right blend of sweet & spicy

The Scoop:

Todd Jurich's Bistro is located at 150 W. Main Street, Suite 100 (the entrance is on Boush Street between Main & Plume Streets) in downtown Norfolk, VA 23510. Reservations are available online or by calling (757)622-3210. Dinner is served M-Sat 5:30-10pm; lunch is available M-F 11:30am-2pm.

"A Strange but Beautiful Place"

Last week Randy & Kim invited me & Topher to join them and our friends Mike & Jane one night for dinner at a hole-in-the-wall eatery in Portsmouth: Stove, the restaurant. The whole evening was a bizarre, delicious experience.

Randy had mentioned Stove before, but we'd never eaten there or heard anyone else mention it. So I did a little online research and discovered that 1) Stove is located near the Midtown Tunnel, not in cute, quaint Old Towne Portsmouth, and 2) parts of their website are weird, which led me to believe that the owner/chef Syd Meers is also a little strange. But the menu looked pretty good, and the restaurant had received favorable reviews on Yelp and Urbanspoon, so I was hopeful.

On this particular evening, the Lord decided to bless Hampton Roads with all the rain that He'd been withholding all summer long. Just as we left Randy & Kim's house it began to pour, and the deluge continued all the way to Portsmouth.

Crazy thunder & lightning, driving sheets of rain, downed trees, flooded streets - it was a mess! The drive took almost twice as long as usual because everyone was traveling at half speed with their caution lights flashing. When we finally arrived at the restaurant, we had to take off our shoes and wade through the street to even get to the front door!

Once inside the real fun began: the mint green walls were covered with mounted animal heads and Syd's original artwork - "wacky" is the word that comes to mind. We were seated in orange mesh chairs and served drinks in curved glasses. The spelling on the menu is, um, creative (Itlay, really?), and is accompanied by a "foodtionary" explaining unfamiliar terms on the menu such as "lardo," "holy trinity," and "smoochie bear ham."

I was immediately excited by the extensive cheese list, as well as the chef's apparent obsession with pork and bacon (judging by the number of dishes listing one or both as ingredients). I was torn between several dishes, and this is exactly how they were described on the menu -- I mean, how could I make up this stuff?

• "real big gulf coast brown shrimp b-4 bp (hehe) - pan sauté of jumbo shrimp with tomato, shiitake and scallions with a pimento cheese pancake and grilled pork belly bacon"
• "u-10 diver scallop: seared big scallop on creamed corn and smoochie bear ham with a stone ground grits timbale and peppered lemon crème fraiche" - Randy ordered this as an appetizer, so I got to taste a bite: the scallops were just a tad undercooked, i.e. perfect, not rubbery at all, slightly seared on the outside and translucent in the middle

I ended up choosing one of the specials: "the visiting fish - i look for the just out of water fish my guy bruce gets me and I then will put together a nice dish for you, we’ll inform u of the evenings dish." Sounded good to me!

Not only was the food fantastic, but the service was great as well. Randy & Kim are regulars, so they knew our waitress. She had a great sense of humor, perfect timing, and confident recommendations. She brought clean silverware for every course and periodically cleaned the table with a crumb brush.

We didn't feel rushed, so the six of us just took our time and enjoyed the conversation and fellowship. (Never mind that it was a weeknight, and we all had to get up for work the next day.) Three hours later as we were getting into Randy's car to head home, Topher mused, "That's a strange but beautiful place." I couldn't have said it better myself.

What We Ate:

• artisan cheese plate: Buttermilk Bleu, Green Hill Camembert, Bellavitano Black Pepper, and Syd's Neo-Pimento, served with house relish & chips - don't roll your eyes: this was the best pimento cheese Topher or I have ever tasted!


• salad: crisp hearts of romaine lettuce and baby lettuce, watermelon radish & our visiting cheese tossed with a mustard vinaigrette


• my entree: sauté sockeye salmon on a pan roast of mixed summer squash, topped with Vidalia onions and shrimp in a cherry tomato pinot reduction - being a Georgia girl, I was excited about the sweet onions from Vidalia, GA; the salmon was cooked perfectly, too - just a little underdone


• Topher's entree: "the ‘pork o rama’ bbq - local darden farm’s pork sausage, my smoochie bear ham & black pig pork belly on warm visiting potato salad with lardo and stove-b-que sauce" - Topher gave me a taste of the pork belly, and it was delicious! He also said the barbecue sauce was really well done.


• dessert: out of the oven - fresh peach "petite cobbler" sprinkled with smoked sea salt and topped with fresh whipped cream - not too big, just enough to have a taste of something salty-sweet at the end of the meal

The Scoop:
Stove, the restaurant is located at 2622 Detroit Avenue, Portsmouth, VA 23707. They're open for dinner T-R 5-9pm (with an early bird special 5-6:30pm) and F-Sat 5-10pm, and for brunch on the 1st Sun of every month 11am-3pm. Reservations can be made only by phone: (757)397-0900. Find them on Facebook. And check out their Farm to Feast Week, August 8-14!

Note: The pictures above are from Stove's website.