Tag Archives: Mockingbird Hill

Eat The Rich: Swordfish to the Face

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Eat The Rich

You don’t have to love oysters to like Shaw (somewhat newcomer) Eat The Rich. Sure, there are oyster cage chandeliers above prison bench seating and briny sections of the menu. But there is so much more you don’t have to slurp. If a Mainer and a nice German lad birthed a dish it would be The Best Thing on the Menu: Swordfish to the Face featuring grilled swordfish, smoked pork-sausage, sauerkraut and North Carolina head-on shrimp. Oktoberfest on a yacht. A fisherman wearing lederhosen.

This top dish is rich and creamy and provides a completely original marriage of swordfish and sauerkraut. The head-on shrimp are a nice touch, especially since the noggins are already nice and loose for you to pop off. We’re not surprised by this level of attention to detail coming out of one of Derek Brown’s spots.

ETR Cocktail Pitcher

So, what is one to eat to cut the cream and amplify the flavors of this land-sea compilation of sorts? You can be boring and order a Sauvignon Blanc that has that just-filled-my-mouth-with-wet-rocks taste or, you can be bold and get the Buck Hunter: A pitcher of Belle Meade Bourbon, House Ginger Syrup, Lemon, Sarsaparilla Bitters. At $32 it will serve four friends and then some.

Our visit to Eat The Rich was the culmination of our Shrawl – a self-made Shaw bar crawl. These Facebook photos are proof of the fun to be had. Our order of operations was to start at Southern Efficiency, due to it being the newest and therefore the spot likely to be the most crowded since this city is horny for anything new. Then, a visit to BTM favorite Mockingbird Hill didn’t disappoint (here’s what to get). Other spots to visit include All Souls and Right Proper.

Swordfish to the Face not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

Mockingbird Hill: Manchego, Honey and Chocolate Covered Corn Nuts

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Mockingbird Hill Manchego

Sherry and food pairing may be a new frontier for DC, but Mockingbird Hill, that Shaw Sherry bar, has you covered. This is especially impressive because Sherry has more aromatic compounds (307!) than regular old wine. You can expect to taste notes of everything from hazelnuts and lemongrass to oyster shells and hay. So our number one snack, a.k.a. The Best Thing on the Menu? Manchego cheese that you slip and slide through honey and finish off with a dip into chocolate covered corn nuts. Classy and corn nutty all at the same time.

Mockingbird Hill Pork

A close second is their pork rillette. Who doesn’t love rich, luscious spreadable meat? It’s served with buttery toast and pickled vegetables and goes great with any variety of Sherry – Amontillado (Edgar Allen Poe’s fave), Oloroso, Palo Cortado, Amoroso, Fino, etc. See, there’s way more than Manzanillo! Obviously, since it’s a Sherry AND ham bar, you can’t go wrong ordering a ham sampler, our favorite of which was the lomo.

Mockingbird Hill Sherry Flight

Probably the best way to experience Derek Brown’s Mockingbird Hill is by ordering a flight. It comes with snacks, and premium Sherry education. Sherry wizard Chantal Tseng or one of her handsome young bartenders will explain everything you need to know – like the fact that Sherry can only be called Sherry if it’s from three specific towns in Spain, or that it’s produced using a complex solera system that involves mixing of different vintages to add complexity and balance. Visit their Facebook page for special flight offerings.

Manchego, Honey and Chocolate Covered Corn Nuts not your BTM? Share your favorites in the comments section.

You might also like Cork, Boqueria, or Estadio.