Dinner at the District Chophouse and Brewery

Ahh, a rainy Friday evening - perfect for dinner at a steakhouse with a casual and fun vibe. If you haven't been, the District Chophouse and Brewery is a really great spot right in the heart of Gallery Place. The restaurant offers a fairly standard menu as far as steakhouses go, but I would think pretty much anyone could dine there and end up with a dish to their liking. The prices are a bit less than some of the other more "chi chi" steakhouses, and the somewhat casual ambiance goes along with this quite well. The Chophouse was crowded on Friday so we waited for a while at the long bar that spans the length of the restaurant on the left-hand side. The homemade beers on tap are actually generally very good, but most folks started with a cocktail or a glass of wine. We were seated at two nice tables toward the back of the venue, just by the stairs to the upper level which features a pool table and various other bar-type gaming options (which also is a great option for after a meal or just for passing time when in the neighborhood). Our table started with the ChopHouse Sampler, which arrives on three large tiers and features a selection of shrimp, fried calamari, onion rings, chicken tenderloins and grilled portobello mushrooms. Everything on the platter was quite tasty, and the various sauces that came with each item were delicious. The Asian-style apricot sauce with the calamari was gorgeous, and who doesn't like crispy fried chicken with creamy ranch. The onion rings were truly stellar, and absolutely huge. The outer layer of a couple of huge onions must be what is used to make them. The platter supposedly serves four, but if you are enjoying it pre-entree I think it can easily satisfy more like 6 to 8 folks. We enjoyed a crisp and refreshing Bollini Pinot Grigio fron Trentino with the appetizer platter. The acidity wasn't too strong but just enough to cut the greasy and delicious fried treats we paired with it. For my main I ordered the Chop Chop Salad Crisp which features greens tossed with smoked turkey, Gouda, roasted pumpkin seeds, sundried blueberries and avocado all tossed in an herb vinaigrette. The salad was quite large and satisfying and was perfect after the touch of fried food I started with. The addition of the pumpkin seeds and blueberries made for an interesting sweet yet also rich flavor and certainly added a nice dimension to the texture. I also had a small glass of a David Bruce Pinot Noir which was gorgeous - a great producer for sure and the Pinot is phenom. Most other folks ordered one of the varieties of steak, including Filet Mignon Oscar, or two grilled medallions served with asparagus, lump crab and Bearnaise sauce; Filet Mignon, or center cut beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon and served with a choice of Cabernetthyme jus or Wild Turkey® whiskey sauce; Pepper Crusted New York Strip, which is aged 16-ounce NY strip, crusted with cracked black peppercorns, sautéed and dressed in cognac cream sauce; and Tenderloin Tips and Mushrooms, or pan-seared tenderloin with mushrooms and balsamic Stout glaze. Everyone really seemed to enjoy the meal and the company as well as the wine and other drinks for sure. It really is a great spot for a rainy evening and will set you along the path to washing any blues away.

District Chophouse and Brewery

509 7th Street in NW DC

http://www.chophouse.com/

Dinner at Axis Bar and Grill on U Street

Axis Bar and Grill is a rare true neighborhoody spot in the heart of the U Street area. The space is narrow with high ceilings, brick walls, a large and sturdy wooden bar and minimalist design features and furniture. The space feels relaxed and homey thanks to a friendly staff and a relaxed vibe amongst the staff and the patrons. A group of us dined at Axis over the weekend and had a really great experience. I have been to Axis several times before, but never for a full meal, so this was a treat for sure. We were seated on the small upstairs level which is only in the back portion of the space and thus overlooks the action on the main level. We started off with various libations ranging from the classic Manhattan to the more modern and fruity variety of cocktails. I shared a bottle of a quite crisp and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc, which was perfect for the hot and humid evening outside. We perused the somewhat brief yet pleasingly simple and more than ample menu while we settled in. The menu offers various starters, mains and sides, and is generally all-American fare with twists on ingredients and an upscale touch here and there. I decided to go with the Chef Salad, which for $8.50 is an absolute bargain. The salad arrives on a large oval platter topped with heaps of fresh Romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes and cucumber, shredded cheddar cheese, hard boiled eggs, thily sliced mozzerella, strips of smoky ham and lots of gorgeous grilled chicken. The dressing is a creamy and delicious ranch. Other stars were various varieties of steak, most of which come with a heap of creamy mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables, Fried Calamari, Long Island Roast Duck, Penne with Smoked Chicken and Tomato Sauce, and my hands down favorite - Baby Back Ribs. I only had one rib, but it was enough to flavor my palate for the rest of the evening. The sweet and smoky barbecue sauce was a perfect match to the moist and rich meat, and delicious caramelized bits of goodness made for a gorgeous mouthfeel. It was a perfect little added decadence to my mostly healthy meal, and the meaty rib was gorgeous with my crisp wine. Axis also has a few dessert offerings, all of which were tempting, but we finished up with our drinks and lingered a bit to end the dinner portion of the evening. Axis also offers a bar menu with around six options, all around $5 to $8, and which includes various wraps and other tasty small plates, and does happy hour until 7pm on weekdays. It's a great spot with a simple but nice wine list, about 10 beers on tap, reliable food, and it's great to have it in the neighborhood.

Axis Bar and Grill

1340 U Street in NW DC

DG and Grillfish

It was a really crazy week at work so I was glad to have happy hour plans on Friday and an excuse to create a stopping point and try not to work over the weekend and to enjoy the two day vacation. I met Chan for happy hour on David Greggory's patio, which was a perfect spot to enjoy the crisp, sunny and only slightly warm spring evening. I had a couple of glasses of the house red wine, what was a Tempranillo (as usual), and Chan had a couple glasses of Dogfish Head. They ran out of the brew and so he tried an Aggenbach, which he liked but said it was a bit light for his tastes. We shared the DG Pizza which is a steal at $5 during happy hour, and comes with spinach pesto, chopped tomatoes, a mix of mushrooms and a couple of gooey cheeses. I only eat the cheese and topping and just had two small slices, so it was the perfect snack and the savory notes paired nicely with the wine. I walked across the street to Grillfish to meet my dinner group. I arrived just in time to head to the large table with everyone to choose a seat. I started with a glass of Pinot Noir which was fruity and well-balanced. They were pushing fun martinis and many folks opted for the Pineapple-Infused Vodka Martini or one of the coconut drinks. I had a sip of a Coconut Martini and it actually was pretty good. The menus, including a value-oriented wine list, are written on chalkboards and are displayed on the walls throughout the restaurant. A couple of the most popular dishes are Grilled Shrimp Scampi or Clams in Garlic and Wine. They start you receive chunky, crusty bread with butter and a rich and tangy olive tapenade. I think mussels are almost always a lovely appetizer, so I shared the Mussels with Tomato and Garlic with a tablemate. The mussels were large in size and the broth well-seasoned and tasty, and they gave you plenty extra to use to soak up the bread. One of my neighbors sampled the Ginger Calamari, which was lightly breaded, well-cooked and the ginger flavor really paired perfectly with the crispy breading on the squid. I realize we were at a seafood place but I really wanted a salad, so I ordered the Grilled Chicken Caesar. The salad was huge and the portion of chicken was more than ample. The meat was grilled nicely and the dressing had a nice "anchovyish" tang. With a little extra pepper it was delicious. I love Arctic Char, and it often is hard to find on menus, so I recommended that to a few people who ordered it and really enjoyed it. I had a bite and it tasted quite a bit like salmon last night, but without the oily quality salmon often imparts. The fish dishes come with a big scoop of rice and dipping sauces - sweet onion or garlicky tomato - to round out the meals. We all were too full for dessert, though the Brownie Sundae with Caramel Pecan Sauce and Banana Cheesecake were tempting to a couple of folks. It was an enjoyable and relaxing Friday night dinner for sure.

David Greggory

2030 M Street in NW DC

http://www.davidgreggory.com/

Grillfish

1200 New Hampshire Avenue in NW DC

http://www.grillfishdc.com/

Dinner at Bobby Van's

Last night the dinner club I am part of dined at Bobby Van's on New York Avenue in downtown DC. I met a friend for a pre-dinner drink at Capitol City Brewing Company, which is right nearby, and when I arrived at Bobby Van's the bar area was packed with the usual and somewhat rowdy and festive happy hour crowd. We were a group of 30, and were seated at one long table in a relatively quiet part of the restaurant, which was conducive to relaxing a bit and to conversation. I already had a glass of the house red wine, which was a Malbec last night, and joined the group in trying to figure out how to navigate the fairly expensive but delicious-sounding menu. I already had checked it out online, but there are no prices offered in that format. Most folks ordered a martini or another cocktail, and served for the table was whipped butter with sliced baguette and raisin bread. I decided to just do one course, figuring I could sample a bite of what other folks ordered, and opted for the Harry's Salad, which is chopped shrimp, string beans, tomatoes, red onions, roasted red peppers all topped with bacon. It actually was delicious, and served in a somewhat small bowl it didn't seem like much, but it was enough for me. I also shared the sauteed mushrooms with Angela, which were well-seasoned, garlicky and fabulous. The strong savory flavors in each dish paired nicely with the Malbec as well. Each side comes in a portion for two, but at $8 a pop I sort of wished they offered individual portions as well. Sides include a choice of preparations of Spinach (Steamed, Creamed or Garlic), Asparagus, Crispy Fries, Home Fries, and Baked Potato. Yes, Virginia, this is a steakhouse, and so you will probably pay around $40 for a steak entree, and your side of greens will be an upcharge. Anyhow, Amy had the St. Louis Ribs, which came in a heaping pile with lots of sauce, and chipotle mashed potato, home made cole slaw and jalapeno corn bread. The sauce was a bit thick but had a nice vinegar flavor, but still was a bit sweet for me, but was tasty nonetheless. Most folks ordered one of the varieties of steak, which all came a little well-done for my taste, but still were very juicy and delicious. The Gorgonzola Sirloin was my favorite, ahhh so good, but I also tasted the Porterhouse, which had a nice char on the outside but was moist and flavorful, and the Filet was lovely too. Joe kindly gave me a nice portion of his Calamari, which was very crispy and had lots of seasoning, and was served with an absolutely delicious and pungent peanut sauce which also would have been a perfect pairing for a Sate of some sort. My end of the table was not offered dessert for some reason and just received our check after the mains, but I think everyone was more than sated anyhow. We lingered over our drinks and enjoyed the rest of a festive, Friday evening.

Bobby Van's
1201 New York Avenue in NW DC
www.bobbyvans.com

Matchbox, Again

I realize I recently went to and wrote about Matchbox, but I have been asking the organizers of the dinner group I am in to do an event there for months now, so I was very excited to learn we were finally going to dine there. We actually had to do three reservations, as the group last night was about 30 in size, and any night at Matchbox, certainly a Friday night, is certain to be super busy. My group was the last to be seated, which was fine by me as I yet again somehow managed to score my favorite seats at the bar - those at the far end which are somewhat cozy and provide a perfect view of the pizza making. I opted for my favorite wine on Matchbox's list - the Stump Jump (how can you not love the name alone?) - for pre-dinner libations. The bar was quite crowded, and it actually worked out nicely that our tables were seated in a somewhat staggered manner. I got to catch up with folks even if I would not be dining with them. Once seated, my tablemates and I immediately decided to get nine mini burgers, which are a fabulous appetizer for the table. I think the restaurant must get the meat mixed specifically for them, because it is really especially juicy, delicious and rich in flavor. They also always manage to get that nice char-grilled quality without over-drying the meat out. I don't really do carbs, and so I had about half a burger with a sliced pickle and several fried onion straws - fabulous. Mer and Trish and I decided we should do a bottle of Stump Jump to pair with our mains, so we enjoyed that as well. I also ordered my usual Simple Salad, which was good, but I thought the Parmesan crisps tasted overly salty and were baked a few minutes too long. Mer and Matt enjoyed the Spinach Salad, which comes with fresh basil, roasted pear tomatoes, candied walnuts and warm apple smoked bacon vinaigrette. The salad looked beautiful with all of the varied and bright colors, and apparently the nut mixture had perhaps some Jalapenos? Mer and Matt both said the nuts had quite a kick. We were six at our table, which provides a nice opportunity to try several pizzas and other dishes. The Spicy Meatball pizza is my favorite, so I convinced Chris to share one with me. Mer does not eat red meat but loves chicken, so she ordered the Q Special, which comes with grilled herb marinated chicken, portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, zesty tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella. It was delicious. Trish likes spicy food, and she ordered the Fire & Smoke, which is described as very spicy, and comes with fire roasted red peppers, sweet onions, chipotle pepper tomato sauce, smoked gouda and fresh basil. It was very tasty and certainly quite spicy, but not one of my favorites. I only eat the cheese and other toppings (the no bread thing - just think it's sort of a waste of calories), so was able to sample a slice of each variety, so it was a pizza smorgasbord of sorts. So fabulous. We collectively finished our wine and decided to join friends at IndeBleu for after dinner drinks, to continue the lovely evening and hopefully work off a bit of our delicious dinner as well.

Matchbox

713 H Street in NW DC

http://www.matchboxdc.com/