Category Archives: Restaurants

Traditional Best Thing on the Menu entries detailing the must-get item on a restaurant’s menu. Don’t agree with BTM? Post your favorites in the comments section.

Barcelona Wine Bar: Pulpo Gallega

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BWB Pulpo Gallego

A meal this weekend may have tipped the balance to the amorous side of my love/hate relationship with Barcelona Wine Bar. Trying to score a seat at this place had all but transported me back to those tough high school days of desperately trying to snag an invite to the after prom party. Hence, the hate.

Barcelona Wine Bar

It took FOUR tries (spread out over many months) to accomplish the impossible:  An actual table. With seats. With my name on it. It wasn’t on the patio or anything though; we’re not THAT cool.

What made me forgive being turned down so many times was the food. The tapas weren’t half bad, and were a fraction of the cost of Estadio’s renditions. The Best Thing on the Menu tapas title goes to: Pulpo Gallego with octopus, chorizo, fingerling potatoes and pimenton. There’s nothing worse than a rubbery cephalopod in your mouth. BWB’s 8-legger is cooked to perfection.

Traditionally this simple Galician dish is comprised of boiled octopus, potatoes, olive oil and paprika. Fortunately, BWB ups the ante with ground chorizo, adding heat and nuttiness. Slippery onions lend sweetness, too. Click here for more photos from the meal.

BWB Grilled Spring Onions

For those keeping score, here’s how BWB stacks up compared to its competition on certain dishes, in our humble tapas opinion (an opinion garnered from a 7-month study abroad experience in Spain that involved an ogre of a host mother who only cooked hot dogs).

  • Grilled Spring Onions: Estadio > BWB
  • Albóndigas: Boqueria > BWB
  • Croquetas: BWB > Estadio
  • Boquerones: Estadio > BWB
  • Charcuterie: BWB > Estadio & Boqueria

Disagree? Let us hear it in the comments section.

1789: Halibut Cheeks

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1789 Halibut Cheeks

Smile, the Best Thing on the Menu at 1789 are Halibut Cheeks with Riesling Creamed Leeks, American Sturgeon Caviar and Crispy Leeks. These half-moons might look like fried pirogues, but they’re actually the very best part of the Alaskan fish.

Smile even wider sweet cheeks, because 1789 just announced that this summer (June 2- Sept 12) they will offer a deal every day except Saturdays. Choose ANY appetizer, entree and dessert for $45. We have departing deep-pocket Georgetown students and the Congressional recess to thank for this seemingly impossible price point.

1789 Lamb Shoulder

Chef Anthony Lombardo says he uses more lamb than any other restaurant in the city. One look at the lamb shoulder entree, which has as many wheels of lamb as a tricycle, and this factoid is no surprise. However, if you show up expecting this entree to be on the menu, you could be cruising for a bruising. The restaurant’s whole animal philosophy means a different lamb dish every night. After all, when was the last time you saw any animal with an endless supply of shoulders.

1789 Dessert

Finish the night with something over-the-top decadent from Pastry Chef Ryan Westover. There’s something special about a man covered nearly full-sleeves of Batman tattoos who can put together elegant dessert after elegant dessert like this Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream Pie for Two. Doesn’t it look like some kind of dinosaur nest egg from Jurassic Park?

Halibut Cheeks not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

Red Apron Butcher: Sunday Supper

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Sunday Supper

People have been putting meat and cheese between bread ever since our favorite Earl, the Earl of Sandwich, couldn’t be bothered to leave his card game to knife and fork his way through a meal. That was on November 3, 1762. Fast-forward 252 years and by god have we (the world) perfected the sandwich concept.

Sandwich shops are popping up in DC as fast as condo buildings with ridiculous amenities. One of the newest to throw their bread into the ring is the Penn Quarter location of Red Apron Butcher located on D Street NW. This new address joins the Red Apron Butchers located in Union Market and Merrifield, VA.

However, you can only get The Best Thing on the Menu: Sunday Supper weekdays during lunch in Penn Quarter. In this messy, nap-inducing hoagie you’ll find pot roast, horseradish mashed potatoes, beet horseradish slaw and Duke’s. Leftovers should fill a sandwich more often (kind of like the Best Thing on the Menu at Capriotti’s)

Burger

Those that insist on the patty approach should try The Dino, a spicy cotechino pork burger topped with broccoli rabe, fontina and tomato aioli on a kaiser roll. It’s like a quick trip to the Italian market (pretend we have one of those).

Sunday Supper not your BTM? Post your favorites in the comments section.

You might also like Taylor Gourmet and Bub and Pop’s.

Toro Toro: Cachapas

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Toro Toro Cachapas

If $79 doesn’t sound like a deal to you, give us a moment to change your mind. That’s how much the Rodizio Experience costs at Richard Sandoval’s latest iteration Toro Toro. By latest iteration, we mean they opened this week. We also dare to say it’s Sandoval’s best DC concept to date.

For that chunk of change you get unlimited small plates (there are 27 to choose from), unlimited sides (there are six), plus the entertainment of handsome young men visiting your table with skewers of seven different kinds of meat (and one hell of a grilled pineapple). Someone might want to get these strapping lads some cougar repellant though…

Toro Toro

The rodizio meats were all executed well, especially the chorizo, which tastes a bit like it made friends with a Kiełbasa. But, the Best Thing on the Menu is a small plate selection: Cachapas a.k.a. duck carnitas served under corn pancakes topped with oaxaca cheese and tomato jam. The good news is that you’ll be ordering this dish multiple times, so you’re likely to get the pronunciation down at some point. Wherever they eat this for breakfast, that’s where we want to move.

Another top pick from the small plates section is the seared seafood ceviche. Prawns, calamari, and scallops swim in a milky ginger, sweet potato broth that gets some help from habanero peppers.

If you want to experience Toro Toro with the vibe volume turned up to 10, check out the grand opening party featuring DJ Robbie Rivera from 10 PM to 3 AM on April 5th. Get your tickets here.

Cachapas not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

Boundary Road: Bison Hanger Steak

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Boundary Road Bison

A stone throw’s from Union Station sits Boundary Road. The menu stays true to the appetizer/entree/dessert formula, eschewing small plates, share plates and other nonsense. What’s even more refreshing is that the most expensive dish is $27 and zero creativity is sacrificed, making it the perfect start to a night hopping around the best H Street NE has to offer.

Chef Brad Walker has a playful menu full of uncommon ingredients like quark and black pepper pierogis, chioggia beets, fregola, porchetta and jagerwurst. He also digs delicious proteins, like The Best Thing on the Menu: New Frontier Bison Hanger Steak with Roasted Cauliflower Puree, Spicy Kale and Sauce Choron. Bison has so much more personality than beef, and it also has less fat, fewer calories and more protein. The creamy cauliflower puree, a creative substitute for buttery mashed potatoes, means a healthy meat and “potatoes” kind of meal.

Boundary Road Foie

A little less on the healthy side is another must-try menu item: The foie gras torchon PB&J with grapefruit Malört marmalade. It’s in the appetizer section, but no judgment here if you draft it for Team Dessert. The dish would be a dash better if the foie was warm, but then it wouldn’t be a torchon. Torchons, after all, are an art. We think Grandpa’s Candy, an Applejack centric cocktail, would pair nicely with this gourmet bite that will have you rethinking your old favorite grade school snack for months.

Sundays are perhaps the most adorable nights to visit Boundary Road. They lower the lights and drop down a projector in order to show films. April promises to bring a lot of rain, so expect movies with this breed of precipitation in the title.

Bison Hanger Steak not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

Spice 6: Naan Pizza

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Spice 6 Naan Pizza

There’s nothing better than food that proves you wrong. Fast casual CAN be flavorful. Fast casual CAN mean from-scratch cooking. Fast casual CAN be so good that it warrants a trip down Rhode Island Avenue to Hyattsville, MD.

Meet Spice 6, a fast casual Indian restaurant that only shares one thing in common with the Chipotle concept: Speed. Spice 6 hasn’t conformed to be bland. Those who fervently avoid shy spices and mild flavor will see what we mean, especially if they go off menu by requesting Vik’s hot sauce.

The Best Thing on the Menu: Naan Pizza is innovative, yet familiar enough that Indian newbies will feel comfortable. Load up a freshly baked round of naan with a sauce (Tikka Masala, Kadai Masala, Korma Masala or Spinach Masala) plus a protein (chicken, lamb, veggies, tofu or house made paneer cheese). Complete your pizza with a few more toppings and mozzarella cheese before it goes back in the oven for a hot sec. Then, BOOM New Delhi Domino’s to the face.

In choosing your protein remember that lamb is the reigning defending, undefeated, undisputed champion of Indian food. It’s not like chicken, which just sits there soaking up sauce. The owner, Vik Singh, must really trust his Nepali Chef, Upendra Thapaliya. Being a strict vegetarian, Vik’s never tried the meaty parts of his menu. Don’t worry Vik, your chef’s got it under control.

Spice 6 Chaat

Another top pick is the chaat, a typical Indian street food. In a year when street food is king (even Anthony Bordain is opening up a street food hall in NYC), the chaat is a must try. Fried strips of naan are topped with a savory pile of chickpeas, herbs and sauces (the best of which is a sticky sweet tamarind chutney). Wash it all down with a mango lassi.

Naan pizza not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

You might also like Rasika or Bombay Club.

1905: Confit Turkey Leg

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1905 turkey legs

Medieval Times called. They want their turkey legs back. It must be because they’re in a different category of deliciousness. These confit gams are a no contest Best Thing on the Menu at 1905. They come with two seasonal sides and pastrami mayo. The menu says leg (singular) so when two showed up, it was like Christmas in March.

It goes without saying that the meat falls right off the bone. The leg only has to catch a GLIMPSE of a knife and fork before it slides onto your plate and into the pastrami mayo, doing all the work for you. You lazy caveman you.

Known first and foremost for its roof deck, 1905 is tucked away at 9th and T Street NW, bridging the Shaw and U Street neighborhoods. It’s perfect for a first or second date because of the favorable lighting, cozy fixtures, cheap(er) cocktails and unobtrusive service.

1905 Hush Puppies

Whether intentional or not, the menu leans a little gluten free. There are spicy quinoa-crayfish hushpuppies and a bunch of sauces involving sorghum. Vegetarians can find solace too. The seared cauliflower “steak” and warm heirloom grain entrees actually give vegetarians a choice instead of a one-dish mandate.

Confit turkey leg not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

Capriotti’s: The Bobbie

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Capriotti's

Tax-free shopping, Ryan Phillippe and Dogfish Head aren’t too shabby. But, do you know what else comes from dot-on-the-map Delaware? Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop. Visit them in Dupont Circle…or soon, several other locations in the DMV. They serve 20+ hot and cold hoagies/subs/heroes/grinders, depending on where you’re from.

Every night, the M Street location roasts a rafter of Butterball turkeys. And no, they’re not serving Thanksgiving to a football team in March. They’re preparing for a full day of making their top selling, award-winning sandwich and Best Thing on the Menu: The Bobbie with Homemade Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing and Mayo. In fact, take a short trip back in time and check out their baby-faced CEO talking about The Bobbie being the #1 sandwich in America. It has all of the bonuses of Turkey Day leftovers, without the whole “I’m so sick of turkey, I don’t want to look at it until next year,” feeling.

Other top picks include the cheese steak (be sure to add sweet & hot peppers!) and the Capstrami loaded with hot pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and cole slaw. It seems the Russian dressing has not yet been embargoed… Click here for more sandwich pictures.

The Bobbie not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

You might also like Bub & Pop’s, Stoney’s or Taylor Gourmet.

Flight Wine Bar: Pulled Duck Sandwich

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Flight Pulled Duck Sandwich

The humble French fry—so often relegated to the role of a caloric afterthought cowering on the side of the plate. Not so at Flight Wine Bar, where the fries are fermented. Based on the classic combo of salt and vinegar, Chef Bradley Curtis takes the mess out of it by fermenting potatoes with a simple solution before they hit the fryer.

You’ll find these zippy spuds next to The Best Thing on the Menu: Pulled Duck Sandwich with Spiced Berry Reduction and Napa Cabbage Slaw. Duck is auditioning in this dish to take the pulled pork world by storm. It holds moisture really well, and lends a little bit of gaminess.

Flight Beet Salad

The pulled duck sandwich is actually a little bit of an anomaly at Flight. Much of the menu has notes of Mediterranean and North African influences. Standouts include the sumac bronzino, squash dolmades and roasted beet salad featuring a perfect soft-boiled egg. Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Mediterranean, Whatever…all menus should have at least one bursting egg. In the case of this salad, the egg yolk replaces any need for dressing.

Flight is a wine bar after all, so if you see either of the husband/wife owners, be sure to ask their opinions on what to drink. Swati Bose and Kabir Amir can help with pairings, or challenge you to try something from a lesser-known wine region.

Pulled duck sandwich not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

You might also like Cork or Proof.

Lupo Verde: RA2 Pizza

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Lupo Verde Pizza

Lupo Verde is the newest Italian stallion to set up shop on 14th Street, falling in line after Ghibellina, Etto, Mcafe Bar and Posto. Lupo Verde stands out because of its cheese shop operation, which we’ll try when spring gets its act together, making picnics possible. Oh, and the dashing Italian chef (Domenico Apollaro) and Italian owner (Antonio Matarazzo) are standouts too. They grew up in neighboring towns in Italy.

Antonio Matarazzo

Get ready for some intense menu handholding. You will get a walk through of every menu category in terms of portion size and the “prescribed” number of items you MUST order per category. Don’t you wish you had a little card that you could display on your table that said something like This Isn’t My First Rodeo? Kind of like the Green GO/Red STOP card at Brazilian steakhouses?

We’re glad we went rogue and ordered too many pizzas, because that’s how we discovered The Best Thing on the Menu: RA2 Pizza with Mozzarella, Stracchino, Mortadella, Pistachio, Radicchio and Honey. This pint-sized pie doesn’t rely on tomato sauce to sting you with flavor. Nuts and honey, plus some bitter greens do the trick.

Lupo Verde Pasticcio

Other top picks? The Seppia al Forno from the Antipasti section. It turns out squishy cuttlefish covered in shoestring fries is a winner.  So too is the Pasticcio. Though we wish they would call it what it is: Mac and cheese inside a pastry shell. Your inner child will thank you.

RA2 Pizza not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.