City Perch

Posted on January 16, 2015 by melsmosaic

There are some new restaurants/bars opening in the area and I was lucky enough to check one out courtesy of a client. We visited City Perch in North Bethesda/Rockville, MD at Pike & Rose (outside of DC).

Quite the diverse menu, from drinks to food. With several of us there, we covered the menu quite well. I started with the Montgomery Blues — Greenbrier Small Batch Gin, Blueberries, Rosemary, Jack Rudy Tonic. Delicious and the fresh rosemary was a nice addition.

Some of the others at the table were Dark + Stoutly — Stonewall American Rum, Ginger, Flying Dog ‘Pearl Necklace’ Stout. It was very similar to a black & tan. One of them enjoying it stirred it to see if it would combine but it separated again.

Another at the bar was the Forbidden Garden Margarita — 100% Garden Margarita — 100% de Agave Reposado Applejack, Apple Cider, Applejack. I tried some of that — very nice. Was there really alcohol in that? That is what can cause some problems.

We also had some of the appetizers — olives, nuts, fries. Addictive. If you’re in the DC-area, totally check this place out.

Decanted

Posted on January 4, 2015 by melsmosaic

Simple pleasures, that’s what it’s all about. For Christmas I had this huge box/present that I could not quite figure out (from the exterior). It did have the very fashionable type of Crate & Barrel all over the exterior. I finally opened it, then dug through layer upon layer of bubble wrap, then, oh, layer after layer of some kind of paper, oh, then tissue paper and tissue and tissue paper. Inside I (finally) found a beautiful decanter. How perfect! Somebody must know me. I broke it in on New Year’s Eve with a magnificent red from Washington — Eleven La Ronde. It tasted even better than usual. Simple pleasures.

What (wine) do you have on tap?

Posted on August 10, 2014 by melsmosaic

There is a great pizza place in DC that has expanded and now has several locations — Matchbox. I’ve been to the one in Merrifield/Mosaic District recently.

Before enjoying their delicious pizza, I had to try their wine on tap. It’s not available at a lot of restaurant so I couldn’t turn it down. I scanned the menu and it was a tough decision. Hot as heck outside, freezing cold AC inside.

I opted for the Gotham Project Zin. Nice nose all around. Fruity, very fun for a wine on tap.

My friend arrived later and we were ordering some nice pizza and we opted for a white to accompany a prosciutto and fig pizza. We opted for a white on tap. We went with the Tangent Sauvignon Blanc. Very fruity and fresh, perfect for the meal.

Such a fun new way to enjoy wine. Can’t say that it was than much different than a normal glass, but simple changes and simple pleasures!

Zentan

Posted on February 10, 2014 by melsmosaic

Was treated to a very nice lunch the other day at an Asian restaurant near Thomas Circle in DC. The venue, Zentan. Per their own description, they are a modern Asian restaurant featuring award-winning cuisine, focusing on Japanese-inspired small and shareable plates.

The restaurant is very ‘sharp’ — that’s the best way I can think to describe it. Lunch was at 1 on a Thursday, so it wasn’t packed but busy enough. Nice decor, cool tables, overall good atmosphere. We get the menu. What to order? Too many choices! (sorry for the shadow on the picture, odd light in the restaurant)

I finally opted for the Rainbow Don Bento Box — tuna, salmon and whitefish sashimi, cooked shrimp sashimi (I can’t quite get why it’s sashimi if it’s cooked), sushi rice and seaweed salad.

I don’t really like seaweed and this salad was a knockout! Wow, so good. The whitefish was unreal. The waiter said what it was and I can’t totally remember the Asian name he mentioned. Melt in your mouth. Absolutely amazing lunch. Will totally have to check this place out for dinner, too. Add it to your list if you’re looking for a new restaurant to try in DC.

Red Hook…it’d been so long

Posted on February 6, 2014 by melsmosaic

Before the big game last weekend I went to the store to grab some brew from Seattle. There store didn’t have any Pyramid handy and another big Seahawks fan pointed out that Red Hook is brewed right near there in Woodinville. I had a couple options to choose from but opted for the traditional ESB. Extra Special Bitter, smooth & bold as they say is just about right. It was so refreshing and a perfect beer for the game.

Brasserie Beck

Posted on January 12, 2014 by melsmosaic

I was very fortunate this week to be able to return to a restaurant I visited several years ago, though this time it was just for a basic corporate lunch. It was nonetheless just as amazing. The location, Brasserie Beck in Washington, DC. It’s a “contemporary European style brasserie” with a basic yet widespread menu. Both times I’ve been there they have made amazing accommodations for dietary restrictions (lactose intolerance). The first time the chef wanted to make something totally new as a challenge.

They are well known for their beer selection, boasting 9 Belgium drafts and over 100 Belgium bottles. Darn, why was I there on a business lunch this past time?

For my meal I enjoyed an amazing Diver Scallops Salad — Avocado, Citrus, Shaved Fennel and Rocket Salad. This is where they used oil to pan sear the scallops vs. butter.

My colleagues each enjoyed the Grilled Hanger Steak Salad — Mixed Greens, Charred Scallions, Warm Fingerling Potato Salad, Blue Cheese.

None of us had a bite of food left on our plates. Would recommend checking this place out for lunch, dinner or just a nice happy hour.

Holiday Lunch

Posted on December 19, 2013 by melsmosaic

Today called for a holiday lunch, which also meant I got to check out a new (to me) location in DC. Had a nice 3-course meal at Decanter at St. Regis with some colleagues.

We started with delicious focaccia and a mesclun salad. Under all the lettuce was an amazing tapenade. Heaven for olive lovers!

For the main course I opted for the scallops. Pan seared with both a chickpea puree (can we say hummus?) and chickpeas, along with great seasoning. Very nice portion size, too!

Though white would have paired a bit better with the scallops, I went for some Malbec. The waiter said this stuff was great and I couldn’t turn it down. The rest of the table was drinking beer or white so I had to take one for the (red) team. I enjoyed some Siete Fincas from Argentina. Medium body, smooth, fruity.

The other food options were a steak or pasta. They were both inhaled/enjoyed quite a bit.

The meal closed with a nice dessert of 3 sorbets — lemon, raspberry, lime, with a little meringue on top. Perfect ending.

I would be interested in checking this place out for dinner, as well. Delicious food, excellent service, nice atmosphere. Might just add it to my list.

DC Brunch Spot

Posted on December 13, 2013 by melsmosaic

Last Sunday the weather was bad but that was no reason to avoid heading out for brunch. It had been planned and was going to happen. There is a great restaurant called El Centro on 14th Street with a (food and drink) bottomless weekend brunch on Saturday and Sundays from 10:30-3 for $35.

It’s a great Mexican fare and you order, essentially, small plates. So, you can have a little bite of everything. The drink menu contains everything from Mimosas to Bloody Marias to seasonal mixes. What’s ironic? You HAVE to pay for coffee, tea and juice. Dang!

As soon you get there they bring you great chips and salsa and come on, guac is a requirement!

I tried some of the ceviche, chicken tacos, beans and eggs. Others at the table had beef tongue, jicama, chile relleno and more. Didn’t get pictures of everything. It was delicious. Definitely worth checking out. It was very slow, though. Sort of ironic with things like ceviche that don’t really cook and the restaurant wasn’t that busy. But, there was no rush since it was an ugly weather day out there.

A Pre-Halloween DC Tradition

Posted on October 31, 2013 by melsmosaic

Note: This post has nothing to do with food. But, it’s fun to change gears sometimes. I have been living in the DC-area for over a decade and finally made it to the High Heel Race this year. It takes place the Tuesday before Halloween and is a huge tradition in the city. The weather was perfect, the costumes put most of us to shame by just going to the costume store and the entertainment was phenomenal!

Some local news (recap) links are at the bottom, too.

Lots of pictures (there was so much going on that the quality isn’t great on all of them because I was in constant motion)!

http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/23824780/thousands-cheer-on-runners-in-27th-annual-high-heel-race#axzz2jKPGttyH

http://www.voanews.com/content/washington-dc-halloween-race-features-high-heels-drag-queens/1780650.html

New All Around

Posted on August 6, 2013 by melsmosaic

Had some friends over for dinner the other night and there were new tastes all around the table, from cheese to salad to wine.

For pre-dinner, my friend was kind enough to bring non-cow milk cheese to make the lactose intolerant person happy. One of them was a Honey Goat Gouda from Trader Joe’s. I normally can’t stand goat cheese but love gouda. This was totally on the good side. I highly recommend it! The other was a manchego from TJ’s that I’ve had before that is equally as delicious! Great way to kick off the night.

We had three wines throughout the evening, kicking off with a Virginia white. The first was Rappahannock Cellar’s Viognier. It was a nice local grape, pairing nicely with the appetizers.

For dinner I made a recipe I had been wanting to try for awhile — Citrus-Avocado Salad. It was AMAZING! For the tamari almonds it calls for, a friend gave me the great idea of making them vs. buying them to save money. All you need to do is toss the almonds in some soy sauce, a couple dashes of Worcestershire Sauce and a pinch of sugar. You bake them at 250 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Done! For the blood oranges, sometimes they are tough to find. I came across red oranges at one grocery store. Otherwise I was going to use grapefruit or just regular oranges.

With this salad I served some pan seared (vs grilled because I live in an apartment and can’t have a BBQ) chicken breasts and quinoa.

The wines we enjoyed with this included two reds. One from Virgina — First Colony Cab from a winery in Monticello — very nice. Again, I’m finding Cabs I like — something is happening to me. The second red is one I discovered/was introduced to a few years back — Eleven. It’s from Washington and the specific varietal was the 2008 La Ronde.