Tag Archives: Todd Wiss

Firefly: Goat Cheese Gnocchi

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Firefly: Goat Cheese Gnocchi

Escape for an evening of enchantment and whimsy when you enter Firefly, a true fairytale of a restaurant. Adorned with beautiful birch bark and a central tree, you get the sense that you are in for an ingredient-centric meal that features sustainable food as the star.

Thanks to local-born Chef Daniel Bortnick’s strong command of produce, you can enjoy four seasons of flavor no matter what the month. Spring claims our favorite dessert of warm zucchini bread with basil corn ice cream as well as the halibut served with carrot puree, spring pistou, fingerling potatoes and snap peas. Summer highlights include fried green tomatoes and a farro salad full of a garden’s treasures. There are hints of fall in the smoked lamb shoulder, another winner. Finally, winter is represented in one of Firefly’s signature dishes, a personal pot roast, which we would likely be writing about if it wasn’t 100 degrees.

But the Best Thing on the Menu: Goat Cheese Gnocchi with Morel Mushrooms, Sweet Corn, Squash and Truffle Vinaigrette stands alone atop of the flavor pyramid. Replete with earth-driven umami goodness, this winning dish combines elements of all four seasons. Needless to say, it warranted multiple orders from our table.

In a city that loves customization and catering to dietary needs, Firefly takes their menu options to the next level by offering gluten free dinner, lunch, brunch and dessert menus in addition to the cutest kids menu you’ve ever seen. It appears Chefs Danny Bortnick and Todd Wiss know their clientele, which is made up of primarily locals despite being housed in a Kimpton Hotel.

Think you’ve experienced all the magic once dessert is through? Just wait for the whimsical way they deliver the check.

Goat Cheese Gnocchi not your BTM? Post your favorites in the comments section.

Brainfood Burger Battle: Best of the Best

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Mad Fox Brewery Co. Burger

Sunday’s Brainfood Burger Battle was a quintessential summer activity that left us smelling of mesquite and sleeping sitting up. Ten of the DC area’s top chefs got sweaty and smoky in the Poste courtyard to compete for bragging rights, and a good cause. It was so hot that the chefs had more wardrobe changes than a magician’s assistant, but they still managed to flip fantastic burgers. Click here for photos from the event available on the Best Thing on the Menu Facebook page.

While three official awards were given out, People’s Choice (Poste), Chef’s Choice (The Source) and Judge’s Choice (The Source), BTM had its own take on the carne contenders.

Best Meat Blend: The “110% Burger” by Poste’s Chef Dennis Marron

Poste's 110% Burger

This mathematically impossible sous vide burger was made out of brisket, chuck, short rib, beef cheek and bone marrow.

Best Lamb Burger: Firefly’s Chef Todd Wiss

Firefly's Lamb Burger

Lamb is encouraging burger lovers to think outside the beef. Until recently, you could only get a lamb burger at a Greek restaurant. Thank goodness for the newfound popularity and sweet, gamey flavor. The aioli on this bad boy was amazing.

Best Bun: Granville Moore’s Chef Teddy Folkman

Granville Moore's Beef Bulgogi Burger

Teddy used a pretzel bun to house his beef bulgogi burger.

Best Schmutz: Ripple’s Chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley

Ripple's Burger

Marjorie’s California-inspired burger game with two colorful dollops to dip your burger in: smoked egg yolk yellow and avocado green.

Best Outside the Bun: Iron Gate’s Chef Anthony Chittum

Iron Gate's Lamb Pita Burger

There’s only so much brioche one can eat. Kudos to Anthony for going with pita instead. We can’t wait for Iron Gate to open this August!

Best Overall: Our pick for best burger went to Mad Fox Brewery’s Chef Andrew Dixon.

Mad Fox Brewery Co. Burger

Andrew’s short rib burger was topped with crispy pork belly, beer cheese, relish, arugula, and a friend potato chip. It also came served on a pretzel roll.

Mad Fox Brewing Co. is located in Falls Church, VA. The best day to visit is Wednesday because they offer a uniquely concocted “Epic Burger” that continually changes. You can wash down your Epic Burger with another Wednesday special, the Crazy Cask. Mad Fox’s beer scientists go to work in creating a funky brew; a recent one involved Fresno chilies. The team at Mad Fox are fun, friendly and offer 10-12 of their own beers on tap. We can’t wait to make the trip.

All proceeds from the burger battle went to Brainfood, a non-profit youth development organization. The DC organization uses food as a tool to build life skills and promote healthy living. Local high school students participate in programs that include hands-on cooking classes, lectures, field trips and community service projects. Learn more at http://brain-food.org/.

Where can you get the best burger in DC? Post your favorites in the comments section.