Eve of Consumption

AC and I recently turned 30, and my very thoughtful father and stepmother set us up with a gift certificate to Restaurant Eve, the big buzz place in Alexandria right now. Lucky for us, we live very close to Eve so we’ve frequently enjoyed their proprietary cocktails (we wrote about them here). We’ve also eaten there once when AC’s father treated us to the tasting room, which was a completely over-the-top experience that, in my case, involved nine courses. So, once again we find ourselves headed for Eve for another amazing meal. This time we opted for the bistro, which we found was just as revelatory.

We decided to pull out all the stops on this meal, nonetheless. We both started out with appetizers: the housemade gnocchi in housemade ricotta cheese and the selection of charcuterie. The gnocchi was second to none—light and pillowy, as opposed to most gnocchi, which are often dense and chewy. Most of us think of cured meats when the word “charcuterie” is used, but in this case, the dish was mostly a pate- and terrine-oriented array of meats. There was a small pot of chicken liver paté, slices of duck pastrami, rabbit terrine, squab terrine, one more terrine that I can’t recall, and “fromage de tête,” which, though it was technically head cheese, was thin slices of flavorful sausage rather than slices from a jellied cube of snouts. I almost never pass up the opportunity to enjoy paté or terrines, while AC prefers to steer clear of the liver products.

For entrees, I opted for the Muscovy duck breast with a “doughnut” peach (basically a freshly stewed half peach), all over a bed of slaw. As it was presented to me, the waiter poured some doughnut peach au jus over the top. The duck was meaty and juicy like a perfectly cooked steak, and it soaked up the wonderful peachy jus. AC went for the ribeye steak, which came with a potato galette. The steak, according to AC, was the second best steak he’s ever had, the absolute best being from Peter Luger’s in New York. Still, it’s a very respectable position to be in, and he even ate all the fat—a rarity. And the galette was out of this world. It was presented to us on a small cast-iron skillet, popping and sizzling. The inside was appropriately creamy while the crust was crispy and golden and heaped with minced garlic. There was so much garlic, in fact, that I was certain we could be smelled from several tables away. But I happen to be obsessed with garlic, so I put my self-consciousness aside and shamelessly enjoyed this little piece of heaven.

While we’re still discussing savories, it’s critical that I spend time discussing the homemade bread. Slices of warm, crusty whole wheat bread simply melted in our mouths, and that was before the butter was applied. I don’t know what these cows are fed, but the butter was the richest I’ve tasted. I hypothesized that it’s Irish butter, as I’ve tried that before, and the taste was similar. The proprietor and head chef is also Irish, so perhaps he just had to serve it in his restaurant. Still, even though we had loads of food coming to us, we insisted on a second round of bread, totaling six slices each. And we ate it all.

Half way through our entrees, AC declared that there would be no dessert, but that he would look at the menu. I countered that we shouldn’t even look at the menu, as we would definitely be tempted to order and eat two desserts, resulting in major stomach strain (and I was wearing my super-skinny pants that night, stupidly). A few minutes later AC said to me “I’m not even looking at the dessert menu; we’re not eating dessert.” I concurred. But what happens is, wait staff usually have this line that they say. It goes something like this: “Would you like to see our dessert menu?” The response, “yes,” was involuntary. Next thing we know an amazing parfait of pistachio custard, apricot puree, and buttermilk cream arrived in front of me, all layered beautifully in a highball glass. AC got the Chocolate and Marshmallow dessert, which was a cool idea, but the execution was a bit lacking. It was a sliver of rich chocolate with a graham cracker pastry beneath it, accompanied by only a smidgen of marshmallow on the side. Even after he was done, we had to do double duty on the parfait because of the volume of it. Each layer was pretty dense and due to the width and depth of the highball, the dessert seemed to never end. Plus, I was really testing the strength of the hook-and-eye closure on my pants. Still we’re glad we did it, as it was a top-notch meal, and in addition, the service and ambience at Eve are first class. Case in point: As we were waiting for our table to be prepared, the head chef and local celebrity Cathal Armstrong stopped on his way to the busy kitchen to say “hello.” That’s just how things go down in Virginia (and Ireland?).

Next stop: Eamonn’s: a Dublin Chipper, a fish-and-chips place and brand extension of the Eve empire. Only this one is straight up peasant food and alcohol. Count us in.

Restaurant Eve
110 South Pitt Street
Alexandria, VA
(703) 706-0450

What We've Been Doing

We have indeed been remiss in updating this blog regularly. We have no excuse. Actually we do have excuses, but they're all lousy, so we won't share. But we will share with you our recent food write-ups for DCist.

1. AC and I are particularly fond of Southside's fried chicken. Not only is it appropriately spiced, succulent, and comes sheathed in a super-crispy skin, it seems to arrive in record time. This is a very good thing for two people who are  always hungry.

2. Read here about my adventure at the fish market in DC.

3. AC and I went to Patisserie Poupon to enjoy its rich quiches, French onion soup, and amazing pastries, which come in both large and small sizes! We recommend the spinach and bacon quiches.

4. If you enjoy a tall wheat beer and a hearty goulash or sauerbraten, read up on Cafe Berlin, a fantastic German restaurant (and one of the last of its kind) in the DC area.

5. Many restaurants treat brunch as an afterthought. Not Majestic Cafe. This posh little diner serves up amazing deep fried poached eggs (yes, you read that correctly), corned beef hash, and country sausage, gravy and biscuits.

6. Until now we thought the best pint of ice cream we could buy at a grocery store was Haagen Dazs or Ben and Jerry's. Until we tried packaged pints of Philly's Capogiro gelato, the creamiest and richest stuff we've tasted.

7. We recently tried some new things and old faves at Shiney's, a Pakistani joint in Annandale. If you venture out there, don't be turned off by the buffet; they make up all of their meat and veggie dishes to order. And they have the best gulab jamun this side of the Indus River.

Crafty Carving

It would just be downright wrong to not partake of the national dish while in China. So, even though I'd already had one of the famed lazy susan meals that day, I insisted that JX take me for the real-deal Peking duck experience.

There was no question where we were going, as far as JX was concerned: Quan Ju De, a famous Peking duck chain restaurant based in Beijing.

It's very possible that there were other items on the menu other than the roast duck dish, but I honestly can't recall A. what they might have been or B. what we even had for an appetizer (it was probably something tofu-related, as many of our dishes were that week). Why we even ordered an appetizer is beyond me, as you'll soon understand how extraneous it was.

Still, any other menu items would be sadly reduced to a footnote at a place like this. Once we were seated, it was hard to avert my gaze from the parade of duck chefs (?) coming out of the kitchen one by one. Tall, quiet gentleman pushed their respective carts holding bronze, shiny whole ducks to salivating diners. While we waited, a server brought over the accoutrements
that are essential to experiencing Peking duck—a dish of hoisin sauce,
a dish of julienned scallions, and a plate of rice flour pancakes.Once our chef arrived at our table, he silently and effortlessly began to carve.

First, he lopped off several pieces of skin and fat (only a tiny bit of meat was attached). These pieces were meant as appetizers, only to be dipped in the hoisin sauce and not to be wrapped in the pancakes or garnished with onion, as is customary with the meat. At first, it seemed bizarre to just eat pieces of crispy skin and fat, but then I came to my senses—what could be better than eating straight crispy skin and fat!? And so we did. The pieces gave a little crunch as the fat and small amount of meat melted away in my mouth. While it's not exactly the kind of thing a person should eat on a regular basis, it is one of those dining experiences that stays with you for a long time (in this case, two years).

After we ate our fair share of fat pieces, it was time for the meat. But we did not eat without first getting quite a show. The carver, with the most delicate sleight of hand ever executed, took on each quadrant of the duck with total perfection. Perhaps it's all muscle memory to this guys by now, but it was sure impressive from where I was sitting. The meat was pink, juicy and tender, and each piece had a panel of that fantastic skin attached.

If you're lucky enough to be in Shanghai, visit Quan Ju De at:

4F, 786 Huaihai Zhonglu
Shanghai, China
+ 021-5404-5799

—AK

Lazy Susan Roulette

I knew long before I even left for Asia that great food was in my future when our Chinese guide and translator, JX, emailed me to ask, “Do you like roast ducks?” The answer, of course, was “yes.” And for the next three weeks, I couldn’t wait to board the plane.

The highlight of the 2004 trip (for work) was the three days I spent in Shanghai with my mom, DV, and JX. JX, I learned not only had an appetite to match mine, but also the same bizarre interest in new, interesting foods. Of course, we were on his turf, so I was getting to truly experience the new and interesting, while he happily showed us the ropes.

I decided right off the bat that I didn’t care what came across my plate—I was going to try it...at least twice. Luckily I didn’t have to read a menu or worry about what type of cuisine to have, as all of our meals were either orchestrated by our hosts or planned by JX. So they led, and I followed.

The meals with our hosts were outrageous. Both meals involved roughly eight to 10 Chinese men, JX, myself and my mother. JX tried to keep up with everyone so as to give us a Cliff’s Notes version of what people were talking about, all while trying to eat. Meanwhile, food was being brought out in various stages. Bowl after bowl and platter after platter of food would be placed on an enormous lazy susan, so as too ease sharing between so many people. The dishes were enormous and plentiful; I believe fresh dishes were coming out for the duration of the meal (about three hours). Our hosts in both instances were pleased that we were eating so heartily (myself more than my mom) and even encouraged me to keep eating, even when I was clearly at capacity and ready to prostrate myself in my hotel room. More, more, more.

More of what, you ask? Herewith I include a list of every item placed on the lazy susan (as taken from my notes) at both meals:

Meal No. 1
-goose liver
-crunchy, marinated sheets of squid
-shredded tofu
-sweet and sour pork
-barbecued park
-sauteed greenleaf
-deep-fried crepe with sesame pork
-cold tofu slices
-a dish of mushy small shrimp in soy sauce
-Peking duck
-tofu in coconut broth
-pork spring rolls
-cole slaw (the vinegary kind)

Meal No. 2
-more sheets of squid
-green vegetable with squid
-fish in a sizzling hot pot
-barbecued duck
-tofu in broth
-soup of bamboo stalks and pork
-small shrimps (heads still on)
-some kind of strange yellow vegetable
-fish pieces
-dumplings with more green vegetable
-beef in lettuce
-and yet even more green vegetable
-watermelon
-chicken soup

Stay tuned for more on this trip in future posts.

—AK

Triple Cream Dream

The DC food media love to hype up new restaurants to the point of extreme oversaturation. And when that happens, our inclination is avoid the subjects of such abundance praise.

Of course, there are exceptions.

While AC scoffed at the notion of trying out the new outpost of California-based Cowgirl Creamery after weeks of incessant hype, I was intrigued and went there with a friend.

I love cheese, and because I know very little about all the varieties, I went into this shopping excursion with an extremely open mind and pretty much ready to buy anything the proprietors said I might like.

Upon walking in, I was already intrigued by a few wrapped wedges of cheese, jarred preserves and jams, and lovely varieties of crackers, olive oil, and other cheese companions placed near the front counter.

But the real action was taking place in the back, where a couple of women, dressed in their chef gear, were offering tastes of just about anything, and ringing things up like mad. At one counter, one of the cheesemongers enthusiastically offered, “would you like to try our homemade cottage cheese?!”

Normally, I would make the throw-up pantomime when the words “cottage cheese” are uttered. Thanks to a few college friends who would pile a generous scoop of it on top of canned peaches or Jell-O as part at the dining hall, my opinion of cottage cheese has always been rather low. Plus I never liked the texture and tanginess of it. But again, with an open mind, I tried it, and it was insanely creamy and only had a slight bit of tang. This stuff would KILL in a lasagna.

Interest piqued, I moved over to where several customers were hovering over massive wedges and wheels of cheese. I decided that I didn’t want something so novel that I wouldn't be able to eat it in large quantities. I enjoy the bries and the camemberts and the blues indiscriminately, so I wanted something accessible like my favorites, but also something with a different flavor or texture. I explained my needs to the cheesemonger, and she replied, “Oh, you’ll want our Mt. Tam; it’s our signature cheese, and it’s a triple cream.” Well, I am down for anything that is “signature.” To me, that means “nothing tastes quite like it because we make it right here.” I tried some, and after it instantaneously melted in my mouth (think brie without the pungent taste and way way creamier—just a clean, fresh, cheese), I picked up a wedge. Even the once-skeptical AC said it was the best cheese he'd ever tasted, and he reserves such superlatives for very special situations.

I also wanted something made with raw cow’s milk. Why? I don’t know, it just sounded like a good idea at the time, so I bought some Constant Bliss purely on the nice lady's recommendation. Constant Bliss, which is from a farm in the Pacific Northwest somewhere, is a bit firmer than the Mt. Tan, tastes a tiny bit sharp, but was also very creamy and fresh. Both cheeses paired nicely with the Mitica Fig Jam I picked up.

Check out Cowgirl Creamery:

919 F Street NW
Washington, DC
(202) 393-6880

All in the Details

We apologize for the long delay, as AC and I have been struggling to get back into the habit of regularly posting after our recent wedding and lavish honeymoon at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

We have many things to write about, as we have resumed our culinary adventures since then. But first, I want to share with you some special details from our time away from the real world.

Ostensibly, we chose the Greenbrier so that we might enjoy just a slice of what the landed gentry types get to soak up on a regular basis. What we got was much more than that.

Certainly, the activities (falconry, sporting clay shooting, and a sulfur soak in the spa), the outstanding meals, and the unparalleled politeness of the staff (every single staff member asked us how we were—every single one), put us square in the midst of the high life. But it was the little extras in the main dining room that took the whole experience to a level of greatness we have never experienced.

The crudité: Before placing our orders, we were brought a simple porcelain dish with some celery, cauliflower, endive, and carrot, accompanied by a ramekin of ranch dressing. Contrasted with the hickory smoked pork tenderloin, fancy steaks, seared fish, and foie gras we enjoyed night after night, it almost seems silly to serve such a bare bones appetizer. But in fact, the fresh veggies and dip were a welcome entrée into a rich two-hour dinner, and the offering conveyed the very traditions and hospitality for which we traveled four hours to enjoy.

The iced tea: There was nothing outrageous about the iced tea at the Greenbrier. It wasn’t infused with herbs, or sweetened, just garnished with a big wedge of lemon. At times, the iced tea, which we've seen referred to elsewhere as the "table wine of the south," seemed like the only soft drink on offer. Even at the daily 4 p.m. teatime, it seemed that people were enjoying just as much of the iced variety as they were the milk and sugar version. We got to the point that after lunch at Draper’s Café, the in-hotel luncheonette, we would get our refill of the tea, settle our bill, then take our teas up to our room to enjoy them while we decompressed in front of the television. And at dinner, it was a refreshing counterpoint to the pinot we gulped down each night.

The saucer and doily: Whether it was the iced tea, the freshly squeezed juices, or even ice water, it came in a tall glass on a saucer with a doily. Even water! We loved this special touch because, to us, it feels like the best water/juice/tea on the face of the planet was brought to us. No other glass of sweet, delicious nectar compares to this one right here, and because we are such special guests, we shall enjoy the best of everything at the Greenbrier. Reality check: The lovely doily/saucer combo prevented water rings on the tablecloths.

The finger bowl: With the bill after each breakfast and dinner service, we were brought a small silver bowl, lined with a thin filter emblazoned with the Greenbrier logo, and filled with warm lemon-scented water. The first time I was bestowed with the dainty thing, AC and I had NO idea what to do with it. AC suggested it was for “washing our hands,” so I did. I scooped some warm water into one hand (hard to do with such a small bowl), and rubbed my hands together as if they were under a faucet. I felt like a complete dolt doing this, but someone had taken the trouble to offer the bowl to me, so I was going to use it in whatever way seemed most prudent. At breakfast the following day, I took the liberty of asking how to properly use it. Our waitress said, “just dip your fingertips in it” in a delightful drawl. Luckily, we found out that we were not alone in our confusion. The waitress shared with us a story from the previous evening wherein a young girl thought it was consommé, and was ready to start slurping away at this seemingly superfluous "soup course".

Melba toasts: Thanks to the Greenbrier, I acquired an addiction to Melba toasts, those small, thin toasts used mainly for hors d’oeuvres. During dinner and lunch, a staffer walks around with a big breadbasket ready to take diners’ requests (soda bread and cornbread were also available). This takes place throughout dinner, so many, many pieces of bread can be had. I went for the Melbas because I figured they were a bit lighter than other breads; I wanted to save room for the ample entrees, salads, and appetizers. But the problem is this: I got like five or six of them each time. I would take the real butter (fashioned in the shape of the Greenbrier logo), smear it all over these little things, and munch away. Things only get worse when the breadmaster comes around again. I think, “Well, I’m getting the foie gras, and they only give you a couple of brioches, so I’ll need more toasts.” And then more toasts, and more. We’re talking toasted bread and pure butter, and a lot of it. And the foie gras is still being prepared! I would like to tell you all that there was a point at which I stopped eating the Melba toasts. But I can’t. The good news is I’ve been off Melbas for over a month, and I’m doing fine.

—AK

Goin' Up th' Country

We've been pretty busy as of late, and it doesn't look like we'll have any new content at least until the week of June 12th. We hope that you'll bear with us for now, and give us a chance to entertain you anew thereafter. In the interim, we haven't been able to link to all of our DCist efforts, so if you've been curious about what we've been up to on that front, then each of the following links will take you to a page that lists most of our articles thus far:

AK's Articles

AC's Articles

Rock.

—AC & AK