Creole mustard aioli. $7
Boxing Room, San Francisco CA
These little balls were scrumptious and I liked the creole mustard dipping sauce. The boudin balls weren’t too dense but they were definitely rich. Here’s to a night of splurging at the expense of my arteries, lol!
Flatbread with pimento cheese. Complimentary
Unknown flowers, West Field Road.
Etoile rose mignonette. Each $3.50
Etoile, Yountville CA
Mmm, I love Kusshi oysters! They’re small and super delicious. These were shucked very cleanly and the mignonette was pre-distributed among the shells. I liked the simple and clean plating too.
Baguette. Complimentary
Salted butter.
Prosciutto, beef tartare, soppressata, picante, coppa, pork terrine, cheese, pickled vegetables, toasted baguette. $40
Etoile, Yountville CA
Wow, this charcuterie plate was amazing! And I think reasonably priced for the amount of quality food you received. All the cuts were delicious but I especially liked the pork terrine, tartare, and soppressata. The pickled veggies were also a great accompaniment.
Domaine Chandon.
Celery sticks, coleslaw, blue cheese dressing. Happy hour $5
Horner’s Corner, San Francisco CA
I kinda love happy hour at Horner’s Corner. They have a five dollar menu and the food is pretty good! These wings were plump and juicy and definitely worth the happy hour price. Noms!
Arnold Palmer (iced tea and lemonade). $3
Yerba Buena Park.
Buttered bread, sweet onion marmalade, grain mustard. $11
Starbelly, San Francisco CA
This pate was good. I liked the texture of it and the onion marmalade was great. I have a love/hate relationship with Starbelly though because the service and food is so damn inconsistent. I would say more so the service, but I’ve also had some horrible dishes here too.
7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2014
Malbec red wine.
Graffiti mural, Mission.
Soba noodles, wasabi, ginger, daikon, soy glaze. $12
Tuscarora Mill, Leesburg VA
This was disgusting! It tasted like they seared the tuna, cut it, then froze it again before serving. The texture was a combination of mushy and slimy, both of which you would never want with seared tuna. The accompaniments were also lame and ugly.
Shenandoah Caverns, Quicksburg VA.
Dijon, cornichons, caper berries, croustades. $7
Tuscarora Mill, Leesburg VA
Mmm, the duck rillette was very tasty and super rich. It was also nicely priced at what I thought was a low seven bucks. My cocktail was on the sweet side. Otherwise, I wasn’t too impressed by the restaurant. It seemed old and outdated, not in a good charming way, more in a tired and sad way.
Makers Mark Manhattan. $11.50
Great Falls Park, McLean VA.
Fried shallots. $6
WK Hearth, Purcellville VA
These eggs were ok. The flavor was ok, but the fried shallots were too powdery and all that paprika on the plate was a bit annoying. I thought the pimento cheese flavor could have been more prominent.
Morven Park, Leesburg VA.
Baked with bacon onion jam. Raw with melon granita and lemon. $8
WK Hearth, Purcellville VA
This was gross! The texture and flavor of the raw oyster with the granite made me dry heave a little. The warm oyster was a little better, but I think the quality of the oysters was off in the first place. Not a good dish.
Remarkable Sparkles flight. $13
Carte Noire, Charles Organ, Chardonnary, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, NV, Champagne, France.
Prosa, Meinklang, (Rose) Pinot Noir, 2012, Burgenland, Austria.
Puianello, Lambrusco, NV, Lombardy, Italy.
Mmm, these wines were VERY different from each other and different from the types of sparkling wines that I normally drink. The last one was super sweet but it was still enjoyable to drink. I always like trying new things.
Davis mansion, Morven Park, Leesburg VA.
Fried risotto, lemon aioli. $6
WK Hearth, Purcellville VA
I liked these arancini and they were tasty, but I thought the aioli was a little thick and heavy for the already hard-fried arancini. I thought that the center could have been a little more molten as well.
Bluemont Vineyard, Bluemont VA
Lightly poached oysters, potato confit, garlic scape, green apple juice and parsley oil, smoked parsnip veloute. Tasting menu $95
Volt, Frederick MD
Omg, another dish that I absolutely loved! It was so beautifully presented and it tasted wonderfully. Noms!
Sazerac: rye, bitter, lemon, fennel. $11
Shenandoah National Park, VA.
Caught in Rhode Island, fennel bulbs, avocado puree, grapefruit vinaigrette with smoked garlic shiro, fresh lemon thyme and flowers. Tasting menu $95
Volt, Frederick MD
Wow, this dish was so fresh and inventive. I loved the combination of flavors and ingredients. You can tell that there was a lot of technique that went into preparing this dish, but it also ate very easily. That’s why I love Volt. The food is delicious without being overly complicated and weighty. There’s a familiarity with each bite that keeps the comfort and joy that you often lose with complicated plates. Volt’s dishes are deceptively simple because each bite is exciting and familiar at once.
Freshly baked breads. Complimentary
Shenandoah National Park, VA.
Vittle Monster 