Central Michel Richard

My Dad is great and wanted to take me out to a fun dinner for my birthday, so after a Rice alumni reception at the Hotel Monaco we did a late dinner at Michel Richard's new place, Central. The restaurant is very attractive, with stainless steel fixtures and hardware along with light hues of wood, earthen-colored marble counters and tapletops and clean white lines throughout. Lighting is somewhat dim and the bar area is actually fairly large - next time I go back I think I will try to score a couple of seats at the bar and make an evening of it.

We were seated in a perfect spot just adjacent to the open kitchen. I just love to watch cooking in action. My Dad got me a glass of a nice Pinot Noir from California to start with. We then decided on a bottle of French Grenache to pair with our meal. The wine was fruity and light and had a gorgeous and rich purple color. Perfect for the somewhat wide-ranging cuisine at Central. The menu offers both Hot and Cold Appetizers, 10 or so of each. The Cold Appetizers include Frisee Salad with Duck Eggs, Tomato and Burrata Salad, a Prosciutto Plate and a Goat Cheese Caesar Salad. The Hot offerings include Cheesy Popovers which looked gorgeous coming out of the kitchen. There are also about 8 sides available for $7 each and which include Brussel Sprouts, Asparagus, French Fries and Creamed Spinach.

We decided to share the Caesar Salad as a starter. They split the salad into two plates for us and it was still more than an ample portion for each of us. Wedges of crisp romaine lettuce were prettily arranged in square white bowls and were drizzled with salt, pepper, finely chopped tomato and probably the best Caesar dressing I have ever tasted. It was light but also creamy and rich and really just superb. The color was off-white and the salad really was a beautiful dish. For our mains, I had Grilled Tiger Prawns with Snow Peas. The prawns came head and shell on and were quite large in size. The snow peas were well-cooked and not too soft and the sauce was slightly sweet yet also buttery and had just enough soy to cut the richness a bit. My Dad had the Fried Chicken which was cooked absolutely perfectly - the meat was moist and juicy and the skin was crispy and tasty. The chicken came with the creamy and smooth mashed potatoes ever and a mustard sauce that resembled Hollandaise and which was totally decadent and lovely. We also shared Brussel Sprouts which were nicely seasoned with salt and pepper and which came with diced Pancetta which added a nice, rich essence to the dish. Other mains on the menu include Mussels with White Wine and Garlic, a couple of steak options, a delicious burger, and everything we saw coming out the kitchen looked more than appetizing. We enjoyed the lovely ambiance and certainly the food and the company. I would recommend Central for a special occasion dinner or even as a spot to hang out at the bar and have a nice glass of wine and perhaps a salad and a side dish.

Central Michel Richard

1001 Pennsylvania Avenue in NW DC

www.centralmichelrichard.com

Sunday in Virginia Wine Country

Ahh, what a perfect day out for wine country. Yesterday the wine club visited Breaux Vineyards, a 404 acre estate with over 85 acres planted in 16 different grape varieties. Nestled between the hills in Purcelville, VA, the vineyard plantings extend up the Short Hill Mountain. Long vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains can be enjoyed from the tasting room, Patio Madeleine and our landscaped terraces. On a warm and sunny day, it really was picturesque. The group was about 20 or so folks and with the hot sun we were lucky to score a gazebo in front of the winery. Allan and I did the tasting which is $5 and you get 12 wines. I actually wasn't a huge fan of any of the wines, but did enjoy the Lafayette which is 85 percent Cabernet Franc and 15 percent Merlot, as well as the Breaux Jolie Blond which is a blend made mostly of Seyval. The Lafayette was a little on the peppery side for my palate, but Allan and several others really enjoyed it. Luckily one of the club members joined the Breaux Cellar Club which enables you to purchase some of the wines that are part of the Library Collection, and we were thus all able to sample the Meritage which actually was really nice. We relaxed and enjoyed the wine and the surroundings along with fruits, cheeses and meats and all had a really nice time. Long story but I got to check out the Rio Grande in Reston at the end of the night - fun spot for sure.

Breaux Vineyards
36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane in Purcelville, VA
www.breauxvineyards.com

Tasty Salad

Love this recipe, and am planning on doing it as a light breakfast before heading out to Virginia wine country. Can't wait - should be perfect weather for a day in the vineyards. More on that later. Pair this salad with a crisp Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or even a sweet Riesling and enjoy.

Peach, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola Salad
3 Tbs olive oil
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
4 slices prosciutto
4 cups arugula
4 small peaches, halved, pits removed, cut into wedges
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
In a small bowl, place 2 tablespoons of a nice olive oil and combine with the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.
Brush the prosciutto with a little of the remaining olive oil, and sautee over high heat until crisp. Break the crispy prosciutto into shards, then toss in a large bowl with the arugula and peaches. Place in serving bowls and drizzle with the dressing. Crumble over the Gorgonzola and top with the toasted walnuts.

EatBar

Earlier this week the wine club met at EatBar in Tallula Restaurant for a wine and cheese tasting. Every Tuesday EatBar offers a tasting for $10, and it is a real deal. You get a flight of three ample wine samples and three cheeses which arrive on a carving board with sliced baguette and marinated currants. The cheeses were gorgeous - the first one was a Garrotxa and it was semi-hard but smooth and delicious. Next was a delicious and creamy Mahon which almost looked like a thick slice of Muenster. We finished with a Manchego. All of the wines were tasty and paired well with the cheese. EatBar has a stellar menu which offers lots of small plates and sides as well as larger dishes, and all for very reasonable prices. Mer and I split a bottle of a Spanish red which was really delicious and at not much more than $20 a bottle a super deal as well. I started with the Mushroom Ragout, which is wild mushrooms sauteed in some sort of tasty fat (bacon perhaps?) - they were so good everyone ended up sharing the dish. I also tried the County Ham, Tangerine & Pea Shoot Salad which was very lightly dressed and really a nice match of the savory ham and sweet tangerines. I tried one of the mini burgers as a comparison to those at Matchbox. EatBar's mini burger is really tasty, and the meat is tender and well-seasoned, but I think I prefer those at Matchbox as they come along with yummy onion fries and sides of condiments. Mer and David and Cathy and I also shared Mussels with Chorizo. The mussels were actually a bit small, but the broth was nice and the chorizo was delicious. Nice big chunks were scattered around the mussels. We all had a great time, and I can't wait to go back and try some more of the wines on offer as well as Bacon-Wrapped Figs with Mascarpone Cheese.

EatBar in Tallula Restaurant
2761 Washington Boulevard in Arlington
www.tallularestaurant.com

Easy and Light Springtime Meal

Yeah, signs of spring have returned. So nice to enjoy a crisp and sunny morning on a spring's day. In that light, wanted to pass along a couple of light and easy side dishes that can easily pair with a range of mains. I first enjoyed them with Linguini with Pecorino, Butter, Pepper and Arugula, which works beautifully. Add in a light and somewhat fruity white wine and enjoy this simple and colorful meal.

Proscuitto and Peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1-pound bag frozen peas, thawed
4 ounces prosciutto, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper, and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the peas and saute until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the prosciutto and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the parsley and remove from the heat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve.

Mushroom Parmesan
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the grill pan
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup marinara sauce (store bought or homemade is fine)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over both sides of the mushrooms. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil on the grill to prevent the mushrooms from sticking. Grill until the mushrooms are heated through and tender, about 5 minutes per side.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Place the grilled mushrooms on top of the marinara sauce and top with the remaining marinara sauce. Sprinkle with the cheeses and bake until the cheese melts and the top is golden, about 15 minutes.

Yummy Sandwiches

I know the weather isn't quite springlike right now, but wanted to pass along a couple of recipes for tasty sandwiches which are perfect for a picnic or even a quick bite while out and about exploring the city or lunch at work.

Taleggio and Pear on Pumpernickel

4 slices of Pumpernickel bread

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

4 ounces Taleggio cheese, sliced

2 large pears, apples or peaches, cored and cut into inch wedges

1 Tablespoon of honey

Pinch of kosher or sea salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Large handful of arugula or spinach
Preheat two non-stick skillets over medium heat. Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and place the bottom-half of the bread slices in the skillet in a single layer. Heat until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Continue with the remaining top slices of bread.
While the top slices of the bread are in the skillet, begin forming the sandwiches. Divide the cheese among the warm bread. Cover the cheese with slices of fruit. Drizzle the fruit with honey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a handful of arugula. Place the warmed top half of the bread over the arugula and return the competed sandwich to the skillet and top with the bottom of the other skillet for 1 to 2 minutes more to finish melting the cheese. Remove from the skillet and cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

Pita Rueben Sandwich
4 whole wheat pita bread halves
1 lb. corned beef
1 cup prepared Sauerkraut
4 Tbs. Spicy mustard
4 Tbs. low-fat Thousand Island Dressing
8 slices Swiss cheese
In each pita bread half, spread 1 Tbs. Mustard on bottom and 1 Tbs. Thousand Island dressing on top. Layer each half with corned beef, sauerkraut and 2 slices of Swiss cheese. Microwave on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until cheese melts and sandwich is heated through.

Great Happy Hour

I was taking a break from work yesterday before having to finalize a couple of projects and popped into Viridian on my way home from Whole Foods. I had been to Viridian on other occasions, but they have changed their bar menu for the better in my opinion. They have happy hour all evening on Tuesdays, and offer a few beers by the glass as well as a Cava, white and red wine, all for $5 each. The red was a nice Merlot/Cabernet/Mourvedre blend - well-balanced and nice and fruity. There are four appetizers on offering, also for $5 each. These include a Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, a Petite Calzone, Roasted Chicken Drumettes and Mussels. I tried the mussels which were large in size and cooked perfectly. The light cream and curry sauce with garlic and sauteed onions was delicious. Definitely pop in if you are in the neighborhood.

Viridian

1515 14th Street, NW

www.viridianrestaurant.com