Piola

I have a favorite new happy hour spot - Piola in Rosslyn. Good thing it isn't a little closer to home or I probably would be there every other day. From 4 to 7pm they offer half-price house wine by the glass, and fabulous complimentary snacks. The house red is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc - may sound like a bit of an odd mix but it really works. The wine is well-balanced and fruity and perfect for a house wine. The white is a mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio and is refreshing and slightly crisp. The space is open with very high ceilings and somewhat industrial decor. It manages to feel really comfortable though. The front of the space is all glass, so you are able to enjoy a bit of people watching as well. During happy hour there is a three-tier display featuring chunks of Brie, balls of Gorgonzola and sliced Parmesan. Yum. The staff brings out trays of others snacks periodically, including grilled bread with tomato sauce, ham, Gorgonzola and Mozzerella, and various varieties of pasta salad and bruschetta. Again, snacks are all free. It's pretty nice really as you can have little bites along with your libations all for little money in a relaxed setting. Not a bad way to wind down after work eh? This past Wednesday my wine club enjoyed happy hour and then decided to stay afterwards for dinner. Most folks got one of the many varieties of pizza. I shared a mixed green salad and Carbonara pizza. The pizza crust is great thanks to the wood-fired oven, and the Carbonara was nice and actually not overly rich given that the toppings include bacon, eggs and a couple of cheeses. Most folks seemed to be really happy with the food and the evening in general.

Piola

1550 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, VA (near Rosslyn metro)

http://www.piola.it/index_en.php

Tasty Lamb Recipe

Since it is the season of lovely spring, I thought I would pass along a tasty lamb recipe. Enjoy with cherry tomatoes with chopped flat-leaf parsley and bathed in a good balsamic vinegar, grilled flatbread, some slices veggies a couple of cheeses and voila - a lovely meal. Goes well with a light-bodied red as well, perhaps a Tempranillo or Malbec, or a Carmenere from Chile. You can substitute a nice, creamy hummus for the dipping sauce to make things more of a quick-fix.

Pan Seared Lamb Chops with Roasted Garlic and Shallot Yogurt Sauce

Marinade:

1 rack of lamb (8 lamb chops)

1 cup plain yogurt

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Dipping Sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 heads garlic

2 shallots

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon black pepper

Kosher or Sea salt to taste

Combine all of the ingredients, and allow the lamb to marinate for at least 2 hours before cooking. Wipe excess yogurt from lamb chops before cooking. Heat skillet to medium high, and oil with a small amount of olive oil. Sear lamb chops for about 3 minutes on each side depending on desired doneness, lamb chops may be finished in the oven by cooking at 375 degrees for no more than 3 to 4 minutes.

For the dipping sauce, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove skin from outer layer of both the garlic and shallots and carefully cut off the tops of both. Drizzle with olive oil, and then place in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. Remove when the bulbs have turned golden brown and place in the refrigerator to cool. Once cooled, remove the individual roasted garlic cloves and place in a food processor with the shallots, yogurt, vinegar, and pepper. Purée until the ingredients are well combined, and season to taste. Serve in a small dish for dipping along side the lamb chops.

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/

Morton's

Friends and I gathered for a Paso Robles wine tasting at Jury's in Arlington on Tuesday. There was a lovely selection of about 30 wineries and lots of yummy red wine. I am usually not a Zinfandel fan, but the region really does produce some great ones. I also enjoyed several amazing blends and Syrahs. J. Lohr, L'Aventure and Robert Hall were hands down favorites. There was some nice cheese and finger food, including crab cakes and seared tuna with aoili and mushrooms in phyllo dough, on hand as well. Even better, we befriended one of the wine reps and he offered to take us to Morton's for dinner afterwards, on his account. Hmm, not a tough decision. It was a gorgeous and very warm evening, so upon arriving at Morton's we decided to dine on their outdoor patio. We started with a nice bottle of Pinot Noir, to keep the evening going and all. I ordered the lobster and a side of sauteed mushrooms - absolutely gorgeous, really. Mark, Lee, Kristin and the rest of the table ordered one of the amazing steak offerings, and for the table we went for sides of spinach, sauteed potatoes and mashes potatoes. Ahhh, so good. It ended up being a very late and somewhat crazy Tuesday, but a great time was had by all.

Morton's

1050 Connecticut Avenue in NW DC

www.mortons.com

Etete

After watching some exciting March Madness action yesterday, we were more than a bit hungry and decided to do Ethiopian for dinner. I love Etete so we popped in to what was quite a bustling evening for the restaurant. There was a table of about 20 or so folks celebrating some sort of occasion, but were lucky and got the last available table right away. Etete actually has a cute albeit small wine list and we each ordered a glass of Pinot Noir. Perfect - light and fruity. We ordered one of the veggie platters (a must do when eating Ethiopian) which comes with Yemisir Wat (slit red lintel cooked in Ethiopian red pepper sauce, meten shiro, oil, onion sauteed together), Yeataklit Wat (fresh green, carrot, potato, green pepper and onion sauteed with garlic, ginger and tomato), Yekik Alicha (a dip of delicately spiced cooked legumes), Gomen (fresh green, carrot, potatoe, green pepper and onion sauteed with garlic, ginger and tomato), Tegabino Shiro (Mitin Shiro, oil and onion sauteed together), and Azifa (choppen onion, green pepper, garlic, lentil, lemon juice mixed with Ethiopian mustard). We added Doro Wat (chicken leg seasoned with onion, garlic, fresh ginger, hot pepper, cooked and simmered with berbere sauce and served with hard boiled eggs) and Yefem Tibs (charcoal broiled sliced prime tender beef marinated in white wine and rosemary, with a touch of garlic and black pepper). Of course everything comes with injera as well. No need to add much more, but yum - what a perfect way to end a fun day. Definitely pop into Etete if you are curious about Ethiopian cuisine, or for no reason at all.

Etete

1942 9th Street in NW DC

www.eteterestaurant.com

Bistro du Coin

I really can't say enough about Bistro du Coin. This "corner bistro" is almost always hopping with energy and fun folks, and the food and drinks are consistent and fabulous. Friends and I visited on Tuesday evening, after a fun happy hour at David Greggory, and had a lovely evening. We started with two large orders of curried mussels, which are rich and delicious and come with a nice bowl of crispy and tasty fries on the side. Paul had the Steak Frites, always a winner, Ben had the Mahi Mahi which looked light and delicious, and I shared the Roast Chicken with a side of garlicky and yummy green beans with a friend. We all enjoyed a bottle of Cote du Rhone with the meal. Really, just a lovely and gastronomically fulfilling evening.

Bistro du Coin
1738 Connecticut Avenue in NW DC
www.bistroducoin.com

March Madness

Ahh, such a great time of year. Since I seem to be keeping up with the theme of new favorites, I thought I would recommend a couple of tasty takeout items that are perfect for enjoying during the games. I do recommend trying to cook at home and avoid doing takeout generally speaking, but sometimes there really is just nothing more luxurious and satisfying. My favorites include: Radius Pizza's Broccoli Rabe and Mushroom Pizza and Simple Salad, Skewer's Hummus and Lamb Kebab entree, Chicken with Mixed Vegetables in a Light Brown Sauce from Mr. Chen's Organic Chinese, Burger with Bacon, Mushrooms and Cheddar with a side of Sweet Potato Fries from Saint Ex, and Panang Curry with Chicken from Simply Home Thai. Make sure to add your favorite veggie side and a nice brew or glass of vino, and voila. Here's to happy game watching (and a happy St. Patty's Day too!)....