Capital Spice

DC is a food city worth its ice-melting salt but there are some missing pieces in our flawless plan. We listed out some destinations we wish we could move part and parcel into our fair capital. But the real question is, what restaurants do you wish would move to DC? Share the wealth.

Tartine (San Francisco) – I have long lamented the state of bakeries in the DC area. While we have a few noteworthy destinations, I have yet to come across a single bakery and cafe that suits all my needs. And this is no diva list. My needs are simple. I want a bakery that can make a killer croissant  and bad ass espresso in the same building. I want an organic feeling cafe where I can sit down and enjoy both of these masterpieces along with a book or across the table from a good friend. Tartine has mastered this equation. I wish they would bring it this way. I’ll even help them scout neighborhoods.

Hot Doug’s (Chicago) – DC is a one hot dog kind of town. Bless our loyalty but we are Ben’s bitches. I’d like to see Hot Doug’s, a Chicago hot dog institution, set up shop and give Ben’s a run for its money. Sure Hot Doug’s can’t touch Ben’s when it comes to DC history and culture. But how about a quality dog with creative, well-executed toppings? Feeling fancy? Try one of Doug’s a dogs topped with foie gras or sauternes duck sausage topped with truffle aioli, foie mousse and sel gris. Even if you are a classicist, at Hot Doug’s the dogs have a satisfying snap, the toppings are on point, and the prices are right. Please visit, Doug. DC needs you.

Casa Bonita (Denver) – I’ll level with you. The food, it is terrible. Mostly mass produced Mexican from a conveyor belt. The prices are ridiculous for the quality. I’m sure if there were actual windows or if the lights were ever turned all the way up I’d find the whole restaurant to be a mess of sticky children’s birthday party filth. But I also think DC children and DC’s young at heart would be a happier bunch if Denver’s infamous La Casa Bonita were in our town. What’s a few overpriced sopapillas when your restaurant has cliff divers? And a video arcade cave? And one of those old timey sepia photo booths where it looks like you took your family to the wild, wild west and your wife and daughter are common saloon whores? Even South Park opined the pleasures of Casa Bonita. I mean, how do birthday parties in DC survive without this place?

Casa Bonita

Three more holes in DC’s foodie heart after the jump. (more…)

Helloooooooo springtime! I hope everyone enjoyed some slightly warmer air this weekend.

Young & Hungry gives us the rundown on where to find classic, head-on Louisiana crawfish. 

Jane Black shares which restaurants successfully pairing cocktails with meals. 
 
The earthquake in Chile will take a toll on the wine industry. 
 
Prince of Petworth reports that Left Bank in Adams Morgan closed on Saturday.  
 
Kids make cucumber raita at The Slow Cook.  
 
The Thrifty DC Cook reviews Vinoteca. 
 
Sunshine and Potatoes weighs the benefits of cupcakes vs. cakes.

It’s hard to imagine Spike Mendelsohn deep in the weeds in a restaurant kitchen.  He’s a personality, a character – the smirk and the fedoras are too colorful to keep under wraps behind the scenes.  One of the things that guests at Good Stuff Eatery love is that they frequently find the former Top Chef contestant front and center when they stop in for the balanced meal that is a Blazin’ Barn burger and a Toasted Marshmallow milkshake.

As a result, it’s easy to forget that he and his cohorts at Good Stuff Eatery, Mike Colletti and Brian Lacayo, come from a sit-down restaurant background.  Working in popular New York restaurants like Mai House and Le Cirque, they’ve honed some pretty serious upscale dining chops.  Last month, they gave lucky guests at Alice Waters’ Sunday Night Sips event a tasty reminder.

On Sunday night, Spike and his team take on Michael Symon in the first episode of the new season of Iron Chef America.  In between publishing a Good Stuff Eatery cookbook and preparing to open We The Pizza next door, they found time to head up to Kitchen Stadium for what Spike described as “a kitchen brawl.” And you can bet the secret ingredient wasn’t burgers.

We caught up with Spike to ask about the experience and some of the interesting connections that show what a small world the restaurant business really is.

Capital Spice: Why Iron Chef?
Spike Mendelsohn: We’ve been doing Good Stuff Eatery for a year and a half now, and it’s been great.  But we’re not just about burgers.  Iron Chef was an opportunity for me, Colletti and Brian to put on chef coats and get our hands dirty again.

CS: What was it like to go head to head with Michael Symon?
SM: It’s funny…they always advertise the show as a one-on-one competition, but it’s really all about the team.  I didn’t feel like it was just me competing against Symon, it was the three of us working together against the three of them.  I really hope that comes across on television.

More on Kitchen Stadium, secret ingredients and a possible rematch after the jump. (more…)

We don’t make it out to Kansas City to visit Elizabeth’s family as often as we’d like.  More often than not, our visits are timed around holidays where there’s an abundance of home-cooked treats.

Tough to be us, right?  Even so, we always make it out to at least one or two restaurants while we’re in town.

For our most recent visit, we were all about the classics.  When the family asked if there were any places we wanted to eat while we were in town, we were ready with two establishments that have more than 150 years of restaurant experience between them.  We requested trips to Stroud’s and Rosedale Barbeque.

The family was happy to oblige, and so we hit up Rosedale for lunch one day and Stroud’s for dinner the next.  We were eager to see how the years had treated these Kansas City institutions.  And while Stroud’s is a long-time favorite of Elizabeth’s, Rosedale was a new experience for both of us.

Fried chicken, pulled pork and a drink called the “Chicken Choker” after the jump. (more…)

When this year’s James Beard Award semi-finalists were announced a few weeks ago, Washington restaurateurs had plenty to be excited about.  And it isn’t just our tried-and-true veterans who are in the running for recognition from the James Beard Foundation; three of the thirty-one “Best New Restaurant” nominees are in the Washington area.  This weekend, we had the opportunity to check out one of the three: Trummer’s on Main.

Full Disclosure: We went with friends who have a family connection to the restaurant.  Though we didn’t identify ourselves as bloggers, our dining experience was hardly anonymous and random.  Consequently, we’ll only focus on the food and the decor.  We did pay for our meal, though we all received a tasting plate between our appetizers and our entrees and we were comped a few additional desserts for the table.

Back in the day (“the day,” in this case, referring to the late 19th century), Clifton, Virginia, was a resort destination favored by Presidents and other notable figures.  This relaxing getaway was a short train ride from Washington and Philadelphia, and visitors could enjoy restorative mineral springs and a good meal in town.  These days, the mineral water is more likely to arrive sparkling at your table, but Trummer’s is starting to bring the ‘destination’ designation back to Clifton.

After spending the afternoon in Leesburg (outlet shopping AND antiques, thank you very much), we were ready for an evening of dishes and flavors that were at once comfortable and creative.  Everything we had read about Trummer’s suggested we wouldn’t be disappointed.

Seafood, seasonal veggies and sensational sauces after the jump. (more…)