The Return of a Home Town Girl--Washington, D.C.

A long weekend back in Washington, D.C. after at least 5 years away.  The low density is Washington's biggest asset.  However, it is still a one-company town that gives off a very self-satisfied vibe.  This is still a city I would rather visit, than make my home. 

How did the Adams Morgan neighborhood become the hot thing?  Most of what is new are the constantly changing college bars on upper 18th Street, and the handful of restaurants at the crossroads of Columbia Road, 18th Street, and Calvert Street.  Venture south of 18th and Kalorama and the neighborhood looks like the same un-hip neighborhood where I grew up.  Of course, now there is the Unity Market on Saturdays, where representatives from the under-appreciated Latino community have food stalls.  This at least is an improvement.

There have been many restaurant changes on Connecticut Avenue between Calvert Street and Woodley Road.  While you can find edible food in this neighborhood, there is still not enough to support the locals and the tourists staying at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. 

Open City is the place to go for your morning "Red Eye" and an inviting array of breakfast offerings, which are also available all day.  Its Intelligencia coffee, moderate prices, no-rush service, and child-friendly atmosphere make this a busy place from dawn to dusk.

Vie de France still bakes some of the best french bread in town.  It is a reasonably priced alternative to the fast food offered at the Air and Space Museum, for which you will have to stand in line for at least 45 minutes.  There are several Vie de France locations, primarily in office building lobbies.

Nam Viet & Pho 79 (3419 Connecticut Ave., NW), across from the Uptown movie theater, serves decent Vietnamese food, generously portioned.  Authentic?  I am not able to judge.  The staff is accommodating and pleasant.

Tono Sushi (2605 Connecticut Ave., NW) is a popular after work sushi restaurant with a welcoming waitstaff, fresh food and affordable prices.   Do not expect the sushi and sashimi to be sublime.

The National Zoo is still a treat.  Parts of it are being well maintained, while other parts look a little neglected. 

The National Building Museum (401 F Street, NW) was a revelation with its Lego Exhibit.  I cannot understand why I found no mention of this exhibit in any of the Washington, D.C. on-line tourist sites. 

The Air and Space Museum is still a wonder, but how can it justify having only one set of restrooms on the second floor in operation on the opening weekend of the Cherry Blossom Festival, the real beginning of tourist season?  The space ice cream is still a treat.

Ben's Chili Bowl (1209 U Street, NW) is a guilty pleasure if you like chili hot dogs and chili half smokes.  I am sure the neighborhood "appreciates" the weekend influx of tourists crowding the regulars out.  More lines.

Le Verdure, Eataly, Again

Had a satisfying lunch at Le Verdure, the vegetable-centric restaurant in Eataly.  One of the daily specials was Ribolleta Soup with a Mixed Mushroom and Robiola Panino.  The soup was a simple vegetable with a tomato base, served in a small bowl.  The panino had the perfect ratio of mushroom to cheese, with neither overwhelming the other.  A glass of the Bastianich Rosato was a suitable accompaniment.

Sit at the counter or at one of the inside tables.  Sitting on the aisle at Le Verdure or at any of the eateries at Eataly is not relaxing with shoppers and browsers walking back and forth.  For lunch, or solo dining at any time of the day, I prefer the counter where you can watch what is going on in the open kitchen.  People watching is part of the fun of Eataly.

The service was excellent, attentive, but not intrusive.  Eataly must hire only people who genuinely want to work there, and who understand that a welcoming demeanor makes everyone's day better.

Malevich and the American Legacy. Gagosian Gallery

Hats off to the Gagosian Gallery.  Instead of displaying art for the sole purpose of selling it, the Gagosian has organized an exhibit of art that educates and enlightens the viewer.  Yes, the gallery does represent many of the American artist appearing in this show.  However, a real attempt, and a largely successful attempt, is made to show how Kazimir Malevich influenced, either directly or indirectly, these artists.

Not only is it a pleasure to see so many of Malevich's works in one place, but to see it in an uncrowded environment is a treat.  You can stand and look at a painting without getting in anyone's way.  I wish I could live with at least two of his works--"Suprematist Painting: Rectangle and Circle" and "Painterly Realism of a Football Player-Color Masses in the 4th Dimension."

The exhibit is mounted on three separate floors.  Be sure to pick up a copy of the exhibit plan for each floor, because the individual paintings are not labeled. The security guards will surprise you with their insights, if you take the time to chat with them.  Another advantage the Gagosian Gallery has over MOMA, the Whitney and the Met, etc.  However, the gallery staff does have just enough of that art gallery "hauteur" to remind you that you are not at a museum.

Thanks RR for joining me for this exhibit.

Musings from Ferran Adria, 92nd Street Y

Ferran Adria, Spanish chef, creative, innovative, risk taker.  Adria epitomizes the chef who welcomes you to eat what he has prepared.  No menu--do you offer a menu to people invited to dine in your home?  Chef as artist, unwilling, or perhaps unable, to repeat himself night after night.  Does a musician play the same music night after night?

If you accept raspberry sorbet as a valid way of serving a raspberry, even though it no longer has the look or texture of a fresh raspberry, why criticize Adria's olive essence which has been encapsulated?  It still tastes of olives.  (People who criticize his innovation have forgotten that innovation has been the hallmark of all the great chefs, from Careme to Escoffier to Daniel Boulud, Jean Georges Vongerichten, etc.)



ElBulli will close this summer to be replaced by the elBulli foundation, a place for ideas, creativity, innovation, and perhaps the public.


For more insights about Adria find Adam Gopnick's article in The New Yorker several months ago.

Cascabel Taqueria

The hunt for Mexican food continues.  Cascabel Taqueria,  1542 Second Avenue (80/81).  UES taqueria, not quite a restaurant, but not a joint either.  Tasty Avocado Pummelo Ensalada with grape tomatoes, fresh cilantro and plenty of red onions.  The avocado was ripe, generous, and a perfect foil for the red onions, slightly sour pummelo and sweet grape tomatoes.  Nice mix of textures.

Two tacos to an order, each served on two fresh corn tortillas.  The Tacos Pescardo consisted of a crispy fried piece of yellowfin tuna belly, topped with sliced hearts of palm, chopped olives and onions.  I am not a big fan of deep frying fish.  Perhaps a less delicately flavored fish should be used.  All ingredients tasted fresh.  Definitely want to return to try the tacos carnitas, and to sample the churros.

The staff is hospitable, from front to back.  A busy place, even early on a Thursday night. 

Ditch Plains, UWS, delivered.

After a long day at the computer, cooking was the farthest thing from my mind when I got home.  Am longing for the beach, so I ordered from the recently opened, Upper West Side branch of Ditch Plains.
(Ditch Plains is an East Coast surfing "mecca" on Long Island.)

The Lobster Roll is a generous portion of lobster salad served in a long, toasted potato roll.  While lightly spiced with an Old Bay-type seasoning, the lobster was a little salty.  The  accompanying Sweet Potato Chips were greaseless and appeared homemade.  The Beef Chili with beans was meaty, but not the least bit spicy.   The portion was a little small.  Even if you added the Cheddar Cheese that comes with your order to the chili, you would have to add a salad and a roll to make the Beef Chili into a meal.

Delivery was prompt, perhaps Tuesdays are not busy order-in days. 

"Hammer Guy" loves the fact that the menu is in rounded dollars, none of those silly $0.95 in each price. 

Bittman's "Braised and Roasted Chicken"

NYTimes Sunday Magazine, 3/13/11.  Worth the effort if you have a free afternoon and a staff of prep people.  The idea is good, but the cooking times need to be reduced to avoid mushy veggies and dried out dark meat.  Even when the veggies were cut in 3/4" dice, they became too soft.  Hate to admit that the yummiest part of the 3-part recipe (Quick Chicken Stock, Chicken-Skin Croutons, Braised Chicken w/Vegetables), was the chicken-skin croutons.  If you love the crispy, fatty skin that you find at the neck end of your Thanksgiving turkey, you will love the chicken-skin croutons.  They are in my fridge.  I would feel guilty if I just ate them as a snack.  Bittman suggest crumbling them on a salad, think bacon bits; or serving them as a snack.

This recipe is good practice for improving your knife skills.