I'm a Sucker for Prix-Fixe Menus!

DC restaurants host Restaurant Week twice each year, in August and January. The idea is to get people out during the slow months for the restaurant business. Well it works! People go crazy when the list of restaurants are announced, many begin to make reservations right away. I usually tend to wait to check out the menus which Lisa of Dining in DC does so well! She's my go-to every Restaurant Week. After perusing the numerous menus, 3 of my girlfriends and I decide based on two criteria: best deals for the $35.11 price per person and it must be a restaurant none of us have been to.

This past DC Restaurant Week, we chose DC Coast because they didn't limit their menu. You had to select from a smaller list of appetizers but all of their entrees were available (some with an upcharge i.e. lobster & ribeye). Having a lot of options appeals to us in making our final decision.

Our reservation was at 6:30, right in the middle of rush hour traffic of course.  I was a bit stressed because I know some places can be a little strict about the time especially during Restaurant Week. I gave them a quick call and said we'd be a few minutes late and the host was very cordial and nice and we had our table as soon as we walked in, even 15 minutes late! Big props for being so accomodating, DC Coast.

For the appetizer, I chose the risotto fritters, three fritters in a tomato based sauce. Pretty decent but heavy for an appetizer. After a long debate with myself over whether to get the duck or pork chop for the entree, I chose the duck. Man, am I glad I did! Duck breast served with sweet potato and apple puree and brussel sprout leaves in duck ju. I have to say, this duck was cooked perfectly with lots of flavor and not overly greasy like it sometimes can be. It paired so well the sweet potato and apple puree as well.

Needless to say, I wasn't hungry for dessert but I chose the chocolate mousse tart. It was like a dense chocolate pie in a crusty tart shell. The dessert was a bigger portion that I really needed.

Our overall experience was great. From being a few minutes late to the service to the food. Oh and did I mention, I had a pear martini with dinner! Great friends with great food. It doesn't get better than that!

Well maybe...sharing it with the one I love.

Since I love Restaurant Week so much, I also decided to go to Willow in Ballston with my boyfriend. Living in Ballston, this was super easy to get to and I've always heard rave reviews from fellow bloggers. This restaurant fits my two criteria as well: great selection and it's somewhere new to us. We made early reservations and arrived on time. It wasn't packed yet. The decor was nice and the hostess was very inviting. We had a nice romantic spot in a nook in the back. It was great for a romantic date night, like ours.

The menu included a wide range of choices all of which sounded great. I finally decided on getting the paired wine flights with my meal for an extra $15. So worth it. They were basically full pours and you never had to worry what wine to order. For the appetizer course I got the Coquilles St. Jacques which is scallops in a creamy wine sauce with mushrooms and gouda bread crumbs. This was the perfect portion size and the scallops were tender. All around a perfect course paired perfectly with an Orvieto from Italy.

On to the entree course. I ordered the crispy foie gras stuffed chicken breast with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts with bacon. Again, the dish was prepared beautifully with a great portion size. The chicken and foie gras were very tender and juicy. And you can never go wrong with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts! The presentation was also very appealing. This course was paired with a Sangiovese also from Italy.

Again, I was stuffed before dessert came out but I definitely tried to eat as much as I could! For dessert, I ordered the pineapple upside down cake in a caramel sauce with vanilla bean ice cream! Perfect to pair with the Moscato d'Asti.

So all in all, it was a great DC Restaurant Week for me yet again! Both of these restaurants, I will gladly recommend and visit again. I look forward to trying some new places come August.

Cheers :)

It's been a while!

Wow, last post was back in September. Well a lot has happened since then. I changed careers and am now a Store Manager of a wine shop. It has it's up and downs. Pro: I get to taste amazing wine all the time and learn a lot about different regions/varietials. Cons: Retail schedule doesn't allow me to go out to eat as much as I used to.

That hasn't stopped me though, I just had to cut back a little. Most recently, I went to a great dinner with a girlfriend at Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro in Reston. Jenny had a groupon to use and was expiring so we made a last minute plan to grab dinner. The staff was very cordial upon walking in. Jenny was already there to put our name on the list and she was told that the table was ready before I had arrived. They offered the hold the table for as long as we needed!

Once seated, we glanced at the amazing selection of entrees and appetizers. Sea bass, steak, lamb, duck, scallops, and more were all options so it was hard to choose. We were also tempted to just order a few different appetizers because some of them were mini meals like the scallops with parsnip puree and root vegetable chips. We chose to order two different entrees. I ordered the individually grilled lamb chops with lime risotto and fig marmalade. She ordered the seared maple leaf farm duck breast with sweet potatoe gnocchi. Needless to say, these entrees sounded amazing as soon as we read the menu.

While waiting for our food, we ordered a few glasses of wine and enjoyed conversation over the complimentary bread which is also very appetizing. Our plates arrive and the portion sizes were pretty decent. She mentioned when she ordered the duck last time, it seemed to be a bigger portion but it was okay because we were definitely full at the end of the meal.  My lamb chops were cooked perfectly and didn't even need to use the steak knife they brought me.

The service from the time we walked in to the time we left was perfect. The server didn't give us any trouble with using the groupon even though we left the groupon at home. I found the voucher number online and he still gave us the discount!

I would definitely come back again and maybe get the short ribs or pork chops next time! It is fairly pricey so without the groupon, I'll have to wait for a special occasion.

Cheers :)

Walking for a Cure!

Diabetes...It's a disease that affects so many people I know. Including my grandparents, friends and most of all, Bryan. Bryan has had Type 1 diabetes since the age of 11 months. It's a disease that affects our daily lives and he's such a trooper about it. Currently, there is no cure for diabetes and a pancreatic transplant is not even in the works.

We're doing our part by walking in this years Step Out walk in DC October 23, 2010. So far we have raised over $1,400 and continue to raise money every month. We also have family joining us in the walk in October.

If you would like to contribute, either monetary or join us in the walk, please visit our team website:
http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/StepOut/DistrictofColumbiaMetroArea?team_id=468019&pg=team&fr_id=7239

COMPLETE Career Change

Scary, I know! I've worked the standard 9-5 business jobs ranging from banking, insurance, and accounting ever since high school. Even while in high school, I worked part time for a CPA. So needless to say, these dead end office jobs have taken a toll on me.  My first and foremost passion in life is food and wine. I got started back in 07 working part time for Barrel Thief as a sales associate and server.  I had little to no wine knowledge other than Franzia and I was NOT the red wine drinker I am today. Ever since that job, I've gravitated back to wine as a passion and possible career one day.

Sadly, I never took the leap because accounting was a good paying job and there are plenty of jobs to go around. Now 3 years later, I have my shot! I just took an opportunity to run my own store!  I will be the Operations/Store Manager for two wine shops. One is in Reston Town Center and the other in Great Falls. My main focus is the Reston shop, Market Cellars. I will do everything from accounting/finance to marketing to event planning to retail sales.  My dream job is to own my own shop one day and this is perfect experience to see if I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

So far, I've already set up some social media sites for Market Cellars. We are on Twitter and Facebook. where I will be posting upcoming events and tastings. Please feel free to stop by the store(s) and check it out. I also appreciate all the support I am receiving from my friends and family. It's going to be a fun ride!

Steakhouse Dinner In the Comfort of Home

I spent this past lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon watching hours of Food Network which resulted in 1) me being veryy hungry and 2) motivated to cook a lavish dinner.  Since the freezer is packed with steaks/meat from Omaha Steaks, I decided to plan a steak dinner worthy of the best steakhouses around. Yeah, you Bourbon and BLT ;)

I marinated beef tenderloins and let set for most of the day, covered and in the fridge. Also on the menu was shrimp scampi, garlic roasted potatoes, corn on the cob with herb butter, popovers using BLT Steak's recipe and a hot fudge brownie sundae. Below are helpful recipes for the perfect dinner for two.


Shrimp Scampi:
6 frozen shrimp, deviened and tail off
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp of parsley, chopped

Heat olive oil and butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted, saute the garlic and red pepper flakes. Add the shrimp and saute until curled and pink. Add salt and pepper to taste. Make sure to not overcook the shrimp. Top with fresh parsley.


Garlic Roasted Potatoes:
2 large russet potatoes, cubed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place potatoes on a non-stick baking sheet in single layer. Roast for 45-50 minutes.

Corn on the Cob with Herb Butter:
2 ears of corn
4 tbsp butter, softened, separated
1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Bring large pot of water to a rolling boil. Place cobs in the water with 2 tbsp of butter and liberally add salt.  Mix the remaining 2 tbsp of butter and parsley in a small bowl and place in the fridge to harden up a bit. Boil corn for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with herb butter.

Popovers: (BLT Steak's recipe)
1 cup of milk
2 eggs
1 cup of flour
1 tsp of salt
1/4 c of gruyere cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place popover/muffin pan in oven while it heats.  Warm milk gently in small saucepan. Meanwhile, beat eggs until frothy. Slowly stir in the milk, be careful not to add to quickly which will scramble the eggs. Add the flour and salt and mix until well blended. Take the pan out of the oven and spray with non-stick spray.  Fill each cup 3/4 full and top with grated gruyere cheese. Bake 15 minutes then turn the pan a quarter of a turn. Bake another 35 minutes until each have puffed up and turned golden brown. Serve immediately.

Beef Tenderloins:
2 6 oz beef tenderloins
1/4 c of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c of Asiago and Parmesan dressing (Kraft)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine marinade and steaks. Let sit, covered in the fridge for 3-5 hours. Preheat grill. Place each steak on grill and cook 5 minutes per side for the perfect medium rare steak. Baste each side with leftover marinade after each turn and also before plating. Once cooked, place steaks in an aluminum tent to rest for another few minutes. This helps to redistribute the juices inside.

Brownies with Hot Fudge Sauce and Ice Cream:
1 package of brownie mix
1/4 c of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c of heavy cream
Vanilla bean ice cream

Prepare brownies according to package.  Make a double boiler with saucepan and glass bowl. Boil water in saucepan. Make sure when the bowl is placed on the saucepan, the bottom does not touch the water. This will cause the chocolate to burn.  Add the chocolate chips and cream. Stir until melted. Serve with brownie, scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and drizzle the fudge on top.

This menu was the perfect steakhouse dinner that can be done at home! I also paired this meal with a great Virginia Merlot from Prince Michel. It was a great hit and allowed for a more intimate experience. Although, we will still have dinners out, this was a good alternative especially on a not so pretty Sunday.

Burger Lovers Rejoice!

I always find myself on a certain quest to find the best eats in town. So this week...who has the best burger?! My burger options often include Five Guys, McDonalds, you know the usual.


My friend was curious to see if BGR: The Burger Joint was comparable if not better than those so I offered to try it out for lunch. Having been on TV with Throwdown with Bobbly Flay and also Man vs Food, I had high expectations. They definitely lived up to the hype.

It's a small burger joint and a great lunch option for the many business people who were there diving into their juicy burgers. The menu is much more diverse than Five Guys. You have the options of regular beef burgers, lamb burgers, veggie burgers, sliders, etc. They also offer regular fries, sweet potato fries, asparagus fries, and gigantic onion rings. Literally, this onion rings are over 2 inches thick, each! The best deal is the box set for $8.99 which is what I got. It comes with the option of a regular burger, veggie burger or sliders, fries and a drink. This deal is only good for lunch between 11-2pm. I chose the regular burger with the works meaning lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and they're special mojo sauce. I came to the conclusion that the mojo sauce is mayo with a bit of spice, maybe hot sauce?! The only downfall was the bun was not sturdy enough to support the burger and all the toppings. It was a bit of a mess but so worth it.

With this chain taking off and opening new stores in the DC metro area, it's definitely worth a quick trip to try it out. Prices, value and the amount of food is comparable to Five Guys but BGR takes the cake! More options and better tasting burger, how could it not be the best!

Fun, Tasty Way through DC

So I'm sick and tired of accounting. I mean how long can one sit in a cubicle and feel like their life is fulfilled. C'mon. My passion is of course food and wine. I got my start in the wine industry a few years ago working part-time for a wine shop/cafe in Richmond, VA (Barrel Thief). Probably the best job I've had to date. Drinking, serving, learning, what's not to love. Ever since then I've gravitated back to wine as potential career.  Luckily beginning in September I am starting the WSET courses to gain more knowledge of wine and the industry.

Now that that's on track, how do I get into the food industry without making big sacrifices and a pay cut? DC Metro Food Tours to the rescue! This is such a great idea and I have told everyone I know about it since finding it myself.  They host tours through neighborhoods in the DC metro area but it's not just any tour. They're called "culinary walks" meaning you may learn a little history and fun facts but stop at restaurants along the way for tasting menus.  Right now I'm working on the Old Town Alexandria tour and have learned so many fun facts about the area. Other tours include Georgetown, Capital Hill, Little Ethiopia and even in Baltimore. Each tour is about 3 and a half hours and guides you around important/cultural parts of the neighborhood.  In the Old Town tour we make 6 different stops at restaurants ranging from American, to Lebanese to a coffee and tea shop.  The restaurants on the tours may not be ones you would typically go to or feature dishes you may not typically order which is a great way to see the city and taste numerous dishes.  This is probably the best kept secret for locals and tourists alike. I highly recommend trying out a tour one weekend and enjoy a diverse food menu. There's no other tour like it!

Can't wait to see what the future may hold! Oh and don't forget to sign up for a tour. Maybe even the Old Town one and I can show ya around. And please show up hungry!

Cheers :)