America Eats Tavern (Jose Andres), Washington, DC

[This posting is still in progress--thanks for your patience.]

America Eats Tavern

Penn Quarter 

Corner of 8th and D NW, between D&E 
Washington, D.C.
October 31, 2011/Dinner

 The following is quoted from the website of Open Table:  “A groundbreaking partnership between José Andrés' ThinkFoodGroup and The Foundation for the National Archives, America Eats Tavern features award-winning Chef José Andrés’ unique take on traditional American classics and celebrates native ingredients and some long forgotten regional dishes. This "pop-up" restaurant is a non-profit partnership which extends the exhibit “What’s Cooking Uncle Sam: The Government’s effect on the American Diet” that is currently at the National Archives through January 2012. The menu showcases the fascinating history of our nation one plate at a time. America Eats features a refined and elegant menu upstairs on the second and third floors and a similar but slightly more casual menu offered on the first floor. Open Table Reservations are for the upstairs dining rooms, while reservations for the first floor tavern area can be made by contacting the restaurant directly at 202-393-0812. Both menus are available for viewing at the America Eats website.”

Fig & Olive Restaurant, New York City

Fig and Olive - Fifth Avenue
10 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 18079

Tel. 212-319-2002

November 8, 2011/Lunch

 

It was the day after my son’s concert (“Suites by Sondheim” at the Lincoln Center, November 7, 2011), and some family friends from D.C. who came to see the show joined us for lunch at this wonderful Mediterranean restaurant in New York City.  As their website says, the Fig & Olive's signature dishes embody Executive Chef Pascal Lorange's passion for the best olive oils and cuisines from the Mediterranean region. And, as to be expected, olive oil was ubiquitous on the menu. I loved this place – the service was cheerful and super efficient, the ambience very bright but relaxed, and all the dishes we sampled were exemplary (great plating too!).

Maharlika Restaurant, New York City

Maharlika Restaurant
111 First Avenue & 7th St.
646-392-7880
maharlikanyc.com

Maharlika is still young, having started out in January 2011 as a "pop-up" place serving only brunch on weekends at the Resto Leon (East Village), and then at the Alias Restaurant (Lower East Side). Their food earned consistent raves from critics, and now, owners Nicole Ponseca and Enzo Lim together with their Chef, Miguel Trinidad, have now opened their own place, also in the East Village.


I had heard a lot of good things about Maharlika, so I made sure we visited it on our next trip to New York. We came twice, for dinner and brunch, with a group so we could sample a good number of items on their funky and playful menu.

Thai Basil Restaurant, Chantilly, VA (Luncheon & Demo)

Thai Basil Restaurant

Chef/Owner:  Nongkran Daks

14511 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy./Route 50

Chantilly, VA (703-631-8277)


Luncheon/Cooking Demonstration
Sponsored by Les Dames d'Escoffier
Saturday, October 22, 2011

 [The photo on the right is the restaurant's logo.]

PRESENT RESTAURANT (Imperial Vietnamese Cuisine), Falls Church, VA -- A Review

Present Restaurant – Imperial Vietnamese Cuisine

6678 Arlington Blvd.

Corner Annandale Rd.

Falls Church, VA 22042

Tel. 703-531-1881

Click here to see their website.

September 14, 2011

How would you like some "Silken Shawl Imperial Autumn Roll," or "Smokey Petal," or "Jewel Green Papaya," or "Treasure from the Sea?" And those are just for starters--wait till you read the rest of the menu of this excellent Vietnamese restaurant, one that boasts--and deservedly so--of a chef who cooks authentic Imperial Vietnamese dishes. They must have hired a poet to name their dishes; the names are fanciful and musical, and evocative of what you will discover in flavor, texture, and creativeness when the dish arrives at your table. This is not your run-of-the-mill Pho shop, which are a dime a dozen in the D.C./VA area--far from it--it's a top-rate restaurant that serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine fit for royalty. 

BLUE DUCK TAVERN, Washington, D.C. -- A Review

September 2, 2011

We had gone to see a movie at the West End Cinema in D.C., and were wandering around the area for a nice place to have dinner, knowing it might be dicey since it was a Friday night. Well, we got lucky -- we spotted the Blue Duck Tavern on the corner of 24th and M Streets, on the ground floor of the Park Hyatt Hotel, and got one of the last few tables available. I had expected a decent dinner, but what we got was much much more than that!!! (Click here to see their website.)

PER SE RESTAURANT, New York -- A Review

I celebrated my 60th birthday with my family (10 of us) at Chef Thomas Keller's renowned Per Se Restaurant in New York, and posted below are the photographs we took of the amazing and spectacular dishes that we had for the nine-course Chef's Tasting Menu. (The photo above is the gorgeous view of Columbus Circle from our private dining room.)

Mr. Sam Sifton, the New York Times restaurant critic, has unwittingly saved the day for me (thank you, Mr. Sifton!). Perhaps this was the reason I had kept putting off my narrative for this posting--Mr. Sifton has just published, in today's (October 11, 2011) issue of the New York Times, a glowing review of Thomas Keller's Per Se Restaurant in New York, giving it the most-coveted four stars (Mr. Frank Bruni, the previous NYTimes restaurant critic, also gave it four stars). Needless to say, I couldn't do a better job than this, so I'm adding Mr. Sifton's review at the end of the photos below.