Lemon potatoes. $21
Kapnos, Washington DC
Finally, something that I really enjoyed at Kapnos (besides the eggplant spread), but I still think it was a bit over-priced. At least it was delicious.
Arts and Industries Building.
Squash, zucchini, tomato. $29
Le Diplomate, Washington DC
Hmm, this wasn’t my favorite. There was something bitter and a bit fishy to this dish that I didn’t enjoy. It’s weird because I had brunch here the day prior and everything was great. Why couldn’t dinner be equally as fabulous. Perhaps I ordered the wrong things…
Washington Monument.
Veal, Paris mushrooms, pearl onions, steamed potatoes. $28
Monsieur Benjamin, San Francisco CA
This dish lacked the warmth and comfort that comes with good French food. Don’t get me wrong, it tasted fine, it was beautifully plated, and the technique was there but it didn’t draw any emotion from my while I ate. Sad…
Driving on the 101.
Yellow peaches, young fennel, turnips, lavender honey, swiss chard. $33
Etoile, Yountville CA
Hmm, I thought that the duck was on the dry side. Actually, I thought this entire dish was on the dry side. They needed a more substantial sauce beside the random smear on the side.
Domaine Chandon.
Roasted leeks, tomatoes, watercress, charon croutons, bone marrow vinaigrette. $37
Etoile, Yountville CA
The beef was tender and flavorful, but the charon croutons were my favorite part. The bone marrow vinaigrette was also lovely.
Domaine Chandon.
Nettles, heirloom beans, smoked clam nage, piment d’espellette. $33
Etoile, Yountville CA
This was a very clean tasting dish. The halibut was cooked nicely and the other ingredients were lovely. I don’t know that I was amazed by this dish though. Nothing about it was particularly exciting. That said, it was still tasty.
Domaine Chandon.
Sweet corn, bacon, wild mushrooms, sweetbreads, chanterelle mushrooms. $36
Etoile, Yountville CA
This was a beautiful plate of food and the ingredients were great. I will admit that I’m not sure that everything worked cohesively. It seemed more like a plate of lots of individual components.
Domaine Chandon.
Daeji bulgoki. $20.27
My Tofu House, San Francisco CA
This definitely arrived to the table sizzling hot! The pork had a nice flavor (but perhaps a slight fishy flavor(?) in a good way), but I was a bit shocked by the price. Sure there was a generous serving of pork, but I don’t think I’ve ever paid over twenty bucks for bulgogi even with the banchan taken into account!
Tea. Complimentary
Golden Girls Christmas Show at the Victoria Theatre.
White bread, horseradish and slaw. $28
Rose’s Luxury, Washington DC
Omg, shut the front door! This brisket was frickin’ delicious! The was smokey and fatty and I didn’t want to stop eating it. It is served family style and I will say for $28 there was plenty to feed the four of us. I still have visions of this brisket and wonder when I can have it once more…
DC sunset.
Potato salad and jalapeño radicchio slaw. $16
Starbelly, San Francisco CA
This was pretty good. The chicken pieces weren’t that greasy, but I will say that they were a little overdone. I liked their smoky flavor and the refreshing slaw. I wasn’t too impressed with the potato salad. It reminded me more of dry mashed potatoes than anything.
Bread and olive oil. Complimentary
Colorful scooters, Castro.
Marinated in shio koji, pureed salsify, pan roasted salsify, grilled leeks. Tasting menu $95
Volt, Frederick MD
Eh, this wasn’t my favorite dish. The short rib tasted fine, but I wasn’t a fan of the accompanying flavors. The pureed and pan roasted salsify components were too much. Or maybe I’ve discovered that I’m not a fan of salsify (which probably isn’t true). Anyway, I guess you can’t like everything…
Shenandoah National Park, VA.
Calamari and pepperoni, roasted tomatoes, ricotta cheese cavatelli with squid ink, grated parmigiano reggiano. Tasting menu $95
Volt, Frederick MD
This pasta was very rich and delicious. I like that it was unconventional with the seafood additions of calamari in the sauce and squid ink in the pasta. These ingredients really changed the flavor and feel of the bolognese. This was about the point when I was getting VERY full and started wondering how many more dishes were left, hehe.
Sazerac: rye, bitters, lemon, fennel. $11
Shenandoah National Park, VA.
Vittle Monster 