51. Villa Mozart

Before I talk about food, I need to speak directly to Northern Virginia. Not the people of Northern Virginia, but the geographic area itself. NoVa, why do you hate me? Why do you make it so hard for me to get anywhere? I bought a GPS and told myself it was in case I wanted to make a road trip, but let’s not kid ourselves, it’s because I can’t find anything if I have to take a bridge to get there. So when I made the trek out to Fairfax the other day, I left myself plenty of time—OR SO I THOUGHT. An hour later, I finally found the restaurant. I’m not going to say I was lost per se, but I’m blaming the GPS for taking me a weird route. Not that I would know a weird route versus a great route in Virginia if it punched me in the face. But I digress…

The little commercial strip that houses little Villa Mozart is the definition of quaint. In other words, the restaurant’s got a front porch. Sadly there were tables for eating on said porch. Inside, the restaurant was a little bit like a basement. There were windows but the blinds were drawn and the place was incredibly dark for a sunny day. It was too bad too, with grey walls and dark furniture, the restaurant seemed a bit dank and dingy, which I’m sure it is not. What it is is small. I only saw twelve or so tables in the main room, and about six in another room. Lucky for me the restaurant was not exactly full, just a couple tables of business-y looking men and a table of ladies who lunch. And little old me.

I was excited to try the three-course $18 meal since a deal is a deal no matter how far, but the menu for today was lamb chops which didn’t really strike my fancy. If you decide not to go with the set meal, the rest of the menu is just pastas and salads. I tried the gnocchi puttanesca because just like me, it’s salty and zesty. The gnocchi was buttery and light, and the puttanesca was great. It is a rare occasion when I actually eat an entire plate of pasta at one sitting, especially at lunch, but I knew I’d be mad at myself if I didn’t finish and then had to snack on crappy vending machine food in three hours. So I ate to the point of nausea (from too much food, not gross food) so I wouldn’t be mad later. Take that, self.

The big question is: was it worth my oddessy to Fairfax? Probably not. But if you are in the area and jonesin’ for some pasta, I’d say definitely stop in.

Villa Mozart

Washingtonian Review

Nov 6 2009

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16. Bourbon Steak

Going to dinner at 5:30pm on a Friday night in Georgetown is not exactly “cool”. But when you’re on the way to see the super-human Cate Blanchett at the Kennedy Center, a girl makes sacrifices. So when Mom and I waltzed in to Bourbon Steak at exactly 5:31pm, we were the only ones in the restaurant. And the menus weren’t printed yet. And it seemed like the waiters were still getting dressed. But the good news is that we got our pick of tables. Ours ended up being bucolic (with a great view of the canal) and aromatic (next to the kitchen). Usually when I think bucolic, I think of smells like the back of a barn, but lucky for Bourbon Steak this was not the case.

We chose Bourbon Steak for our pre-theater dinner because, well, they had a pre-theater dinner. Since the menus weren’t printed yet, our server rattled it off to us. Though the fixed menu had dishes off the regular menu, there were little to no choices and the dessert was a root beer float. For $59 a person, I need more than a glass of foam. After a serious once-over of the menu, we decided on ordering from the regular menu and telling our waiter no less than twenty times that we had to leave by 7pm to make our play. He loved our diligence. He showed his love with eye rolling.

Neither Mom nor I are huge steak eaters, so I had the beef tartar as my appetizer so we could say we ate at least one beefy thing. I love good beef tartar, and this was definitely good, but Central’s was better. Mom had the lettuce wedge—another steakhouse standby—which was the most inventive version I’d ever seen. She also thought her appetizer was great, but when you’ve got something with blue cheese, bacon and avocado, it would have be covered in chemical waste for me not to like it. Same for Mom, though she would probably not sign on with my chemical waste comment.

As I’ve said countless times, I love roast chicken. So that’s what I got here. Not only was it a couple pieces of roast chicken (with skin!), but there was also a terrine of what I think was chicken parts. The breast was great, but I wasn’t thrilled with the terrine. I might just have been too full by the time I got to that part of my dish, but the textures were not good and a little bit nauseating. I was psyched about the truffle mac ‘n cheese served with the chicken, and it was good though pretty garlicky and mighty rich. It was good as a little side dish, but the $8 portion on the menu would most likely induce an immediate heart attack so I would steer clear of it. My mom went with the no-frills grilled salmon, which was cooked to perfection. It did have a mysterious brown streak on the plate (chocolate? coffee? mushroom?) which is never ever appetizing.

I can’t wait to go back, but because of the price point, I think it’ll have to be for the bar. Especially since the best part of the meal isn’t even on the menu—fries and dip instead of a bread basket. People, this is the future of food. Pass it on.

Bourbon Steak

Washingtonian Review

Nov 3 2009

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I love a bread basket, but seriously, fries and dip? Come on. You can’t beat that with a (bread) stick.

I love a bread basket, but seriously, fries and dip? Come on. You can’t beat that with a (bread) stick.

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Not just chicken, it’s a system of chicken.

Not just chicken, it’s a system of chicken.

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The lettuce wedge to end all lettuce wedges.

The lettuce wedge to end all lettuce wedges.

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Today marks exactly 100 days until the end of my little project. This leads to the question I know is in the forefront of all of your minds: WILL SHE FINISH?? Well, as you can see by this awesome graphic I cooked up, I’m on top of it! I’m green in this chart, the natural order is red. If I had any Excel skills other than what I learned in third grade, you would be able to see that for yourself. But nonetheless, look at my little green line!

Today marks exactly 100 days until the end of my little project. This leads to the question I know is in the forefront of all of your minds: WILL SHE FINISH?? Well, as you can see by this awesome graphic I cooked up, I’m on top of it! I’m green in this chart, the natural order is red. If I had any Excel skills other than what I learned in third grade, you would be able to see that for yourself. But nonetheless, look at my little green line!

Nov 1 2009

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Dirt Cheap Eats, Quick and Dirty

It’s been a busy couple weeks for me, including a much-anticipated and beautiful wedding extravaganza. So I’m just now getting around to working my way though the giant stack of magazines sitting by my bed. After numerous US Weeklys (this girl’s got priorities), I finally came to this month’s Washingtonian. And it’s all about deals. Since I’m an eater who can’t turn down a deal, this hit me in my sweet spot. And many of you must not get the print version of Washingtonian since I did not get nearly as many congratulatory emails when I was in the magazine as thought I would (hello! I even showered that day!), so I will now summarize and supplement for you:

Happy Hour Deals

Lunch Deals

Pre-Theater Meals

I added many of my own found deals, but I’m sure I haven’t hit them all. If there are any floating out there, let me know and I will add them to my semi-comprehensive list!

Oct 30 2009

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Food Porn Pic of the Day Shrimp Skewers, Four Sisters

Food Porn Pic of the Day

Shrimp Skewers, Four Sisters

Oct 29 2009

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80. Etete

About every third time I go to Etete, I actually get a table there. The other, not so lucky times, I end up going down the street to Dukem. Dukem is great, but just not the same. This week, I learned a very important fact which I will now share with you: if you go to Etete any time besides Saturday night, there are tables. MANY tables! Tables on the second floor! Where there apparently is room for a band! So that is today’s tip to you, dear readers, eat out on Mondays.

One reason I like Etete so much more than other Ethiopian places in the U Street locale is because the waitstaff is so friendly and helpful to those of us who did not grow up hitting Ethiopian hot spots in suburban Maryland. I always order the vegetarian sampler, which I feel is useful because it gets you all the yummy extras that spice or de-spice your dish, and then usually just hold my menu up in front of my waitress and tell her to pick something as my meat dish. She probably thinks I just can’t read, but whatever the reason I like what I get from their recommendation.

The menu is a bit overwhelming—especially for beginners. And for those who are going to be trying Ethiopian for the first time my tip is to read the descriptions of the meat carefully. Some meat dishes are served raw, as in, not cooked. At all. That can be an unwanted surprise if you’re already getting used to eating with your hands.

Our waitress recommended the derek tibs, which is beef sauteed until crispy with peppers and onions. The meat is so well cooked and intensely flavorful, with a smokey hot taste instead of a spicy hot burn-your-brain taste. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of spice on the dish, but you are left to your own devices to spice it up or down. I like it spicy, in case you are curious, which is why I always have an Ethiopian beer or five on hand to deal with my numb tongue.

All in all, I’m glad to see Etete get the respect it deserves. It is a cheap alternative to a night out, and in my opinion, a great date location. Brushing hands while you’re both going for the same bit of lentils is the going-for-the-popcorn hand brush of the future. Mark my word.

Etete

Washingtonian Review

Oct 28 2009

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Garides me Anitho Zaytinya, #37 Not only because it’s tasty, but also to pay tribute to D.C.’s other Top Chef Mike Isabella, I bring you garides me anitho from Zatinya. Ingredients: 2 T minced shallot 12 shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 T minced garlic 2 T whole-grain mustard 2 T lemon juice 2 T extra-virgin olive oil 2 T white pepper 2 T unsalted butter salt to taste minced fresh dill to taste olive oil as needed Instructions: In a saute pan over medium heat, sweat the shallots in a little oil. Add the shrimp and saute briefly, until shrimp start to turn slightly opaque. Add the garlic to the pan and saute for another minute. Add the mustard and cover the pan. When the shrimp are almost done, about two minutes, add the lemon juice, tablespoon of oil, and dill. Season with pepper and salt. Cook for another mintue, then add the butter to the pan. Swirl the pan until the sauce becomes creamy. Garnish with more dill. Serves 2.  

Garides me Anitho

Zaytinya, #37

Not only because it’s tasty, but also to pay tribute to D.C.’s other Top Chef Mike Isabella, I bring you garides me anitho from Zatinya.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

In a saute pan over medium heat, sweat the shallots in a little oil. Add the shrimp and saute briefly, until shrimp start to turn slightly opaque. Add the garlic to the pan and saute for another minute. Add the mustard and cover the pan. When the shrimp are almost done, about two minutes, add the lemon juice, tablespoon of oil, and dill. Season with pepper and salt. Cook for another mintue, then add the butter to the pan. Swirl the pan until the sauce becomes creamy. Garnish with more dill.

Serves 2.  

Oct 26 2009

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