2941: Smoked Burrata Ravioli

Posted on March 12, 2014 by BestThingonTheMenu

If you’re married, you’ll face immediate regret upon dining at 2941. The high ceilings scream special occasion and the naturescape (albeit man-made) on the other side of the widows is picturesque enough for your big day. Even Frida Kahlo would envy tying the knot there, given the funky art punctuating the walls. The decor isn’t the only thing that changed for the better after the recent renovation, so did the food.

Classically trained, adorably accented French Chef Bertrand Chemel has a habit he can’t kick. He spends every day trying to make his customers happy, which can be a challenge given the eclectic mix likely to wander into a restaurant accessible only by traversing a ganglion of highway intersections in Virginia. What he settled on thematically is Upscale Casual Modern American French Mediterranean Cuisine, which takes a full breath to say. But only one bite to enjoy.

The Best Thing on the Menu is a prime example: Smoked Burrata Ravioli with Escarole, Spicy Duck and Arbequina Olive Oil. France and Italy share a border. They also share secrets. When Chef Chemel was working for Daniel Boulud (yes THAT Boulud) he had chance to learn pasta making from Andrew Carmellini. That is why an uber-talented French chef can pull off pasta. The ravioli dish is smoky because of the burrata, bitter from the escarole and gamey due to the spicy duck sausage. Try this along with the pillow-top mattress gnocchi and minty lamb orcchiette.

Another stunner is the Elysian Fields Farm roasted lamb loin with gnocchi alla greca, semi dry tomato, feta cheese and garlic-mustard jus. Further evidence that lamb > beef. We also can’t stop ourselves from mentioning that the 2941 dessert menu is an (unintended?) hat-tip to Justin Bieber. Don’t skip the Never Say Never selection.

Despite our fawning over the space, there is one bad seat in the house. According to sommelier Jonathan Schuyler, it’s next to the big, beautiful amethyst because it’s a sobriety stone. In Greek, amethyst means not drunk or a remedy for intoxication. So, if you want your wine to work its magic, sit elsewhere.

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

Izakaya Seki: Kakiage

Posted on March 10, 2014 by BestThingonTheMenu

Izakaya Seki is a different kind of father/daughter dance: Father Hiroshi expertly slices sashimi and molds triangular onigiri while overseeing every move in the downstairs kitchen. Daughter Cizuka dances with grace around the V Street restaurant, making sure patrons are seated in precisely the perfect place and that everyone leaves full, happy and with clothes that carry the scent of Japan.

The traditional-with-a-twist Japanese pub food at Izakaya Seki ranges from raw to fried and even includes an item that’s still alive. We’ll get to that. But first, The Best Thing on the Menu: Kakiage – rock shrimp and vegetable fritters can’t be missed. Onions and other vegetables stack up like an unkempt pile of firewood inside fried batter and every few bites you’ll encounter a rock shrimp or two. This will make you rethink your commitment to traditional tempura. These pancakes are way more fun to tear apart, share and dunk into a mild dashi sauce. Just don’t try making it at home, unless you have a kevlar grease shield.

Adventurous eaters should try two things, especially if they’re sitting at the downstairs arena looking into the kitchen. The first, an order of live uni, translates to a 10-minute show. Watch as a cook tickles a live sea urchin with tweezers until all that remains is the meaty yellow flesh. The taste and texture can only be described as savory and pungent frozen yogurt.

The second challenge is tuna natto. We’re betting you’re no stranger to maguro sashimi, but its bowl co-chair is sticky, stringy, fermented and hated by at least half of the population of Japan. Fermented soy beans, known as natto, are a divisive dish (even within one Japanese family). You either love them or hate them.

Eating natto involves an acquired skill of transporting the small beans to your mouth while twirling long sticky spider web strings before they get on your nose, forehead or dining companion. They’re super healthy though, and can be attributed to a youthful looking complexion (read: eat this fountain-of-youth food and look like Jennifer Lawrence forever).

For more pictures from the meal click here.

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

Bub and Pop’s: Pop’s Beef Brisket Sandwich

Posted on March 6, 2014 by BestThingonTheMenu

It would be ludicrous to tell you that this is a mom and pop kind of place. But, we just did. You feel like family the moment you walk in and receive a warm welcome from Arlene, who by the way will thank you for even the most standard of tips. This is more curiously refreshing than Schweppes. Plus, just about everything, including the pickles and chips, are homemade at Bub and Pop’s.

The first bite into any sandwich on the menu will have you wondering, hey, is a serious chef behind this operation? Yes. Chef Jonathan Taub, formerly of Pound the Hill and Adour, is at the helm of the shop named for his grandparents who started a deli business in Philly after World War II.

Only a chef could create The Best Thing on the Menu: Slow braised beef brisket sandwich with apple-horseradish cream, 5-year aged Gouda, and veal jus. The real show stopper in this sandwich is not the fried egg, which you can add for $1 extra. Rather, it’s the Gouda that comes straight from Holland. It’ll have you picturing windmills, tulips and wooden shoes in no time.

While this sandwich is scrumptious, there are several ways to be a more adventurous eater. Like trying The Real Obama, or taking on The Challenge: “Eat the entire Li’l Petey, and whatever drops on the tray, including the potato chips it is presented on in 15 minutes and you get your sandwich for free, plus your picture on the Wall of Fame.”

Bub and Pop’s completes the trifecta of sub shops located in the Golden Triangle part of town that bridges Dupont and the Farraguts. Hoagie lovers can choose from Taylor Gourmet, Capriotti’s and Bub and Pop’s. Caution: Once you go Bub and Pop’s, you may never go back.

Pop’s Beef Brisket not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

Restaurant Nora: Beef Tenderloin Tartare

Posted on March 4, 2014 by BestThingonTheMenu

When a maître d’ asks how I’d like my steak cooked, I always answer tartare. This usually warrants a laugh or a snarl, because no one likes an off-menu order, especially when it involves making a rare meat mush and folding in delicate herbs. So when I do find a nice tartare on the menu, I rarely (pun intended) pass it up.

After tartaring my way around the District, I have found the best version this city has to offer. It’s The Best Thing on the Menu at Restaurant Nora: Grass Fed Beef Tenderloin Tartare with preserved lemon salad, harissa and lavash crackers. Unlike other local takes on the dish, Restaurant Nora’s tartare is smooth in texture, making it easier to spread on crackers and stack on bites of salad. When steak tartare is as chunky as tuna tartare it can be off-putting. The other factor that makes this appetizer a stunner is the touch of Middle Eastern spices found in a delectable mahogany colored paste.

It’s not surprising that the grass fed cows participating in this dish lived happy lives, given that Restaurant Nora holds the honor of being America’s first organic restaurant in the country (this went down in 1999). The cattle (Scottish Highland or Ancient White Park) hail from Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, VA, where they avoid nasty habits like antibiotics and sitting in pens.

Not a meat monster? Restaurant Nora has one of the more inspired vegetarian options I’ve seen in a while: A Japanese style nabe hot pot filled with shichimi crusted tofu, soba noodles, bok choy, shiitakes and crispy yams. This is precisely what I was eating when Ralph Nader walked by, so hopefully it made a good impression. …

Great news for Nora fans: This month, the restaurant is celebrating their 35th anniversary. Not too many places can say THAT these days! Head in on any Wednesday in March to enjoy a special “retro” 3-course menu for $35. Give them a call for more information.

Beef Tenderloin Tartare not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

Water and Wall: Duck Confit

Posted on February 26, 2014 by BestThingonTheMenu

Water & Wall, the newish Virginia Square restaurant has some really solid, crave-worthy dishes. However, we came away from our first meal there with a little confusion. We ordered beer but got a glass of wine offered only by the bottle. We arrived with excitement about the lambchetta advertised online, but couldn’t find it on the menu. We kept looking for the rest of the cocktail list, but they only offer three vodka drinks in an era when brown booze is the best. The last bit of mystery: Why would a restaurant with water in its name shun fish dishes and opt almost entirely for the world’s fattiest cuts of meat (pork belly, short ribs, sweetbreads,..)?

The Best Thing on the Menu: Duck Confit with Caramelized Brussels Sprouts, Truffle Aioli and Cider Gastrique fits squarely in the world’s fattiest cuts of meat category, but we don’t care. You’ll pick up that bone with zero to no shame to carnivorously grab every last shred of caramelized meat. There’s a glossy, sticky candy like quality to the duck, which gets offset by the creaminess covering the fried Brussels sprouts. This is the best duck confit dish in the DMV bar none.

Water & Wall is Chef Tim Ma’s second restaurant. The engineer-turned-chef’s first spot, Maple Ave is known for its chicken wings, among other tasty things. We’re glad to see the wings made their way onto the menu at Water & Wall too. They’re covered in crème fraiche and Korean red chili paste.

We’ll be back for brunch because that menu looks a little more inspired with its Eggs & Kimchi, Venison Omelet and Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes.

Duck confit not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

The Fainting Goat: Porchetta

Posted on February 24, 2014 by BestThingonTheMenu

A block off the intersection of 14th and U Street sits The Fainting Goat: Middle ground between the cheaper but more blasé food of U Street and the more inventive, but sometimes overpriced, food of 14th Street. Read: Food that doesn’t know how great it is yet!

The menu categories at TFG – nibble, graze, chomp and feed – hold no more than four selections each, making the menu easy to conquer for four diners willing to share. Start with The Best Thing on the Menu: Porchetta sandwich with fennel, dill and parsley on cibatta. It blew our hoofs off.

So what the pork is porchetta? It’s been popping up on a lot of menus lately, and for good reason. Typically a whole pig is prepped (we’ll spare you the gory stuff) then lovingly layered with stuffing, meat, fat and skin. Next, it’s rolled, spitted, and roasted with a heavy hand of salt and sometimes garlic, rosemary, fennel or other herbs. Thank you Italy, we were grateful for Barolo, but this is better. At TFG, the chef spreads cibatta with a miracle paste made of fresh dill and fennel before generously applying the porchetta.

Is it criminal that we didn’t go with goat for the BTM? Perhaps, but we gave it a good hard try – two different ways in fact. The Fainting Goat offers their namesake meat as an appetizer tartare and a juicy seared entree. Our BTM pick doesn’t so much shun the goat, as it does celebrate the best damn sandwich we’ve had in months.

Other top picks? Seared scallops that taste of vanilla, and a bowl of warm winter vegetables called “The Garden,” that’s topped with caper-sized mustard seeds. Click here for more photos of the meal.

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

Donburi: Ebi Katsudon

Posted on February 21, 2014 by BestThingonTheMenu

There’s nothing like a good restaurant named for the dish it serves, especially when that dish is donburi – the ultimate Japanese comfort food. Think of donburi’s soothing ways to be on par with the American grilled cheese sandwich.

On any given night at the Adams Morgan newcomer, there are about nine rice bowls to choose from ranging from raw to golden fried. The Best Thing on the Menu belongs to the latter category: Ebi Katsudon with panko coated shrimps, sliced onions and a half cooked egg with donburi and tartar sauce. Sure, they have pork and salmon sashimi, but the humble set of four shrimp are superior and much easier to sling around with chopsticks.

The owner, Seungjoon Jang, answered the call for a quality and satisfying $15 dinner in an era of DC dining where it’s hard for a table of two to escape a small plates meal for less than $100. He does so by adding value in surprising ways, like tangy pickled jalapeños or all you can drink barley water.

The one glaring menu omission? The familial and tasty oyakudon, or “parent and child” rice bowl, featuring chicken and eggs. Here’s hoping this post inspires a menu addition, since eggs and chicken are already available. Attempts to make oyakudon at home end in failure without an adorable donburi pan. So leave it to Jang and his team of professionals.

Ebi Katsudon not your BTM? Post your favorites in the comments section.

The Red Hen: Burrata

Posted on February 18, 2014 by BestThingonTheMenu

There are hundreds of reasons to get yourself down Rhode Island Ave. to The Red Hen. This charming, edgy and entertaining spot has helped put Bloomingdale on the map.

We’ll stick with just a few reasons though, starting with The Best Thing on the Menu: Burrata with Broccolini Marinati, Pickled Red Chiles, Mint & Vin Cotto. Burrata, Buffalo mozzarella’s brother from another mother, is super soft and oozes cream when pierced with a knife. Instead of going the tomato/basil route, Chef Mike Friedman surprises diners with bitter broccolini and peppers that manage to be sweet, sour and spicy. You’ve been warned; once you go burrata you never go back.

There’s also something special to drink at The Red Hen. We’re willing to bet our burrata that you haven’t tried orange wine. Whether it’s a trend or just a fad remains to be seen, but it sure is luscious. There are eight different orange wines to choose from at the restaurant, hailing from Slovenia, Croatia and Italy. The taste will take your breath away. Did someone fortify your wine with Scotch? Is there actually a full bouquet of flowers from UrbanStems in there? No, in fact, orange wine is simply made by producing white wine more like red wine, where the stems, skins, seeds, etc. have a longer maceration period.

Pair your first glass of orange wine with The Best Pasta on the Menu: Saffron Fettuccine with Rabbit Sugo, Cinnamon, Grilled Kale & Mustard Breadcrumbs. Let’s all admit that rabbit is the new duck. And, according to the Twittersphere, duck is the new pork belly. Rabbit, though totes adorbs in the flesh, is elegant and perfect for pasta. This brilliant bowl is a bit autumnal, so we hope to eat it come October (Read: Please keep on the menu!).

One last can’t miss dish is the Grilled Octopus with Shelling Beans, Frisee, Crispy Capers & Romesco Sauce. The octopus is flame kissed and super smoky and Romesco is the best sauce, it just is.

Though an appetizer, the octopus dish is the perfect size. We have a special appreciation for The Red Hen because it bridges the divide between small plate lovers and big plate purists by offering medium-size plates that can in fact be split among friends without feelings getting hurt. Click here for more photos of the meal.

Burrata not your BTM? Post your favorites in the comments section.

Agua 301: Pork Belly al Pastor

Posted on February 14, 2014 by BestThingonTheMenu

If Hawaii and Mexico had a baby, a perfect baby, it would be this taco. The Best Thing on the Menu at Agua 301 is undoubtedly: Pork Belly al Pastor. Three succulent tacos filled with crispy fried pork belly, pineapple habanero salsa, al pastor aioli, salsa de arbol arrive at your table glistening with an entrancing glaze.

As if the world’s most perfect protein needed any help…Chef Antonio Burrell lightly breads and fries the belly, which has already been slow-cooked to optimal tenderness. The pineapple habanero salsa is what transports you directly to a Hawaiian luau, where the pig of the party is cooked underground to an equal level of deliciousness. Hopefully by men in ridiculous outfits.

If picking the right margarita has always been a problem for you, we’re here to help. The Humo en el Agua (translation Smoke on the Water) is the right choice. This pomegranate margarita made with Fidencio Classico, Pama Liqueur, pomegranate juice, and fresh squeezed lime juice. Fidencio Classico is key because it’s mezcal, and thus delivers smoke. Typically mezcal is paired with citrus fruits, but here’s hoping that the smoke and berry combination is a new trend. Mezcal is one of my favorite things right now, with its notes of beef jerky and peat. Fair warning though, mezcal is a gateway drug to scotch because once you go smoky, toasty, roasty – you never go back.

Finish the evening at Agua 301 with Chef Burrell’s apple empanadas. They’re stuffed with his mother’s good old-fashioned apple pie recipe. You’ll undoubtedly be choosing between these and the churros. Choose these.

All and all the tacos and the guacamoles (with bacon!) steal the show at this new spot in the Navy Yard. They outshine the entrees and will be perfect before or after a Nats game come spring. Click here for more photos.

Pork Belly al Pastor not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

Taan Noodles: Duck Ramen

Posted on February 11, 2014 by BestThingonTheMenu

THIS RESTAURANT CLOSED EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2014.

Pork is overplayed when it comes to the meat component in most ramen. Taan Noodles takes it to the next level by going with duck confit that falls right off the bone and into your broth. The Best Thing on the Menu: Taan Shoyu Duck Ramen also contains pickled cucumbers, dashi tomato, scallions, shiitake mushroom, spicy mustard greens, crispy shallots, taan hanjuku tamago (pink egg!) and bamboo shoots.

Think fowl are foul? No problem, there are plenty of pork belly bowls to go around inside this Adams Morgan noodle shop. Like heat? They hook you up with togarashi spice flakes and spicy sesame oil, so you blast off your taste buds if that’s your thing.

If you’re ravenous and in need of a snack before your bowl arrives, there are a handful of appetizers that pull from Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisines. The best pick here? Japanese okonomiyaki, the traditional street food of Osaka. Having downed many of these fish pancakes from street carts in Osaka, I’m a tougher critic than normal. While the sauces were nailed (Japanese mayo and savory brown sauce) the fish to cabbage ratio could have been more generous. Daikaya has a cool take on this classic.

Unlike their friends Sakuramen down the road, these folks have booze. More importantly, they have a lot of fun with their booze. We loved Second Place is not First Place (the perfect drink while watching the Olympics at the bar) made with Bulleit Bourbon, grapefruit juice, Barenjager and togarashi spice as well as There are Hippies in Asia – a tasty concoction of Nolet’s Gin, lavender vanilla simple syrup, tonic and lavender spice bitters.

Taan Shoyu Duck Ramen not your BTM? Post your favorites in the comments section.

Don’t miss a bite: Keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter. You might also like Toki Underground and Zentan.

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