Bearnaise, South Capitol Hill

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Don

After a long day of running around, steak tartare sounded perfect to me and my young dining companion, and after hearing about the version at Béarnaise, it sounded like the perfect restaurant for us.

Given how crowded Good Stuff Eatery and We The Pizza were, I was surprised to see that there was walk-in availability at Bearnaise (this could be a simple matter of price – I, myself, did a double-take when I saw the prices of their three steaks online). We took a seat at their lovely, but completely empty, marble-topped bar at around 7:45 PM.

Our charismatic bartender, Luke, poured me a draft of DC Bräu’s “The Corruption” ($7) and a bottle of Bell’s Two-Hearted IPA ($8), while improvising a mocktail for Matt, a variation on a Thyme Lemonade ($6).

The steaks at Bearnaise come with unlimited frites, but the price-points (8-ounce flat-iron, $28, 14-ounce entrecôte, $38, and 8-ounce filet, $42) are a bit startling when you’re used to the Mendelsohns’ other restaurants, and also Cleveland Park’s Medium Rare. Given that the steaks come with unlimited fries, they’re less expensive than at first glance. When I walked back to the restroom, I noticed a beautiful-looking entrecôte on a plate, charred on the outside, nice and bright red on the inside – it was a lovely looking steak.

We both got our own Beef Tartare ($15), and this rendition is as good as I’d heard it was. The tartare is hand-chopped to order, and comes with some of the condiments left for the diner to mix in, including a raw egg yolk on top (if this was a quail egg, it’s the largest I’ve seen). It wasn’t served with the potato crisps I was expecting; rather, with an abundant quantity of decent-quality bread – not baguette, not focaccia, but something rectangular and airy – honestly, this dish would be better served with the house made potato crisps I’d read about. Also, this version of beef tartare leaned strongly into the acidic side of the register, so keep that in mind when you order it – it’s within the norm, but certainly an acidic (rather than an unctuous) version. Overall, we both liked it a lot.

Having ordered the green beans, Luke steered us away from them, and toward the delicious Brussels Sprouts ($9) – a plate of halved, thoroughly grilled beauties topped with enough Bearnaise to cut through any bitterness, and to nudge this dish into decadence. While delicious, you might want to ask for the Bearnaise on the side if you’re worried about calories.

A second side order of Champignons à la Montréal ($9) was a plate of roasted portobello mushrooms, thoroughly braised in red wine. I got to enjoy most of this, as Matt still hasn’t developed a palate for red wine reductions, but if you enjoy them, then you’ll enjoy this. It was as simple as it could be, perhaps with some Provençal herbs in the mix, but just a little bit.

Matt was starving from a day of exercise, so I ordered a glass of wine and ordered ushim a dessert. Most of the wines here are all $40 by the bottle, $10 by the glass, and I spotted a 2009 Duboeuf “Domaine des Quatre Vents” Fleurie on the menu, but since I was sitting at the bar, I looked up and noticed open bottles of the 2011 and 2008. While I am not a fan of Duboeuf, I do like this one particular bottling (one out of about a thousand), and when I saw the 2008, two words were bouncing around inside my head: “Distributor Closeout.” Although this retails probably for around $20, I didn’t care – I knew the 2008 was drinking, and asked for a glass. I got a hefty pour, and it was just wonderful – putting the “flowery” in “Fleurie, and fully mature while not being one jot over the hill. While it lacked some depth (it was, after all, a Duboeuf, it was that rare moment when you get to enjoy a fully mature glass of Cru Beaujolais). If they have the 2008, get it by the bottle – don’t get the 2011; get the 2008. They’re probably paying $10 for this, and you shouldn’t care if they are.

For dessert, we got an order of Profiteroles ($ ), three very good, reportedly house made, pastry shells, filled with fairly generic vanilla ice cream, but served with a pitcher of good, warm, chocolate syrup. I was trying to back off at this point, but I still got my licks in. While not Et Voila quality, this was still a fun dessert that was worth ordering.

A couple of things before I go: I was surprised, to say the least, that Chef Race recognized me – I honestly didn’t think he knew me from Adam, especially since I look very different right now, but sure enough, he brought out the first course and we chatted briefly. Because of this, I’m obligated to mention a few things: I was steered away from the green beans and towards the Brussels sprouts, the potato crisps were 86d and we got bread instead, and most importantly, I just found out now that the profiteroles didn’t make it onto the check (I should have reviewed it earlier, but this could have easily been an oversight because we ordered dessert last-minute). The bill after tax was $87.69 and if I recall, we left an $18 tip.

All of this preface because (and I think you know what’s coming next) I have to initialize coverage of Bearnaise in the Dining Guide. Using the simple criterion, “if someone were taking me out to dinner, where would I want to go,” and based on this one meal – including my sighting of that steak, and the fact that they had the 2008 Fleurie in stock for $40 – I’m initializing Bearnaise in Italic, behind only Montmartre and Beuchert’s Saloon in Capitol Hill South. 

“Did you really just rate one of Spike’s restaurants in Italic, Don?” 

Yes, yes I did.

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The Swiss Bakery, Burke, VA

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Don

The Swiss Bakery is the only restaurant that I know of in the Washington, DC area that does not allow tipping. Because of this, I make it a point to go there at least once a month.

I needed to head out to Fairfax early Saturday morning, and wanted a grab-n-go breakfast. The Swiss Bakery (in Burke) opens at 7 AM, so it fit the bill perfectly – it’s right off the beltway, on Braddock Road.

The Swiss Bakery is the only restaurant that I know of in the Washington, DC area that does not allow tipping. Because of this, I make it a point to go there at least once a month.

A Ham and Swiss Croissant ($2.75) was exactly as its been each time I’ve gotten it (surely over a dozen times now). Served at room temperature, it’s pretty much a perfect croissant crust, stuffed with a modest portion of lean ham and about the same amount of cheese. It’s delicious, and very difficult not to wolf down in five bites – if you do manage to make it home, and want to heat it up, use an oven – or be very careful about microwaving it for any longer than a few seconds.

The Swiss Bakery is the only restaurant that I know of in the Washington, DC area that does not allow tipping. Because of this, I make it a point to go there at least once a month.

Their Almond Croissant ($2.25) is an entirely different shape – round, not rectangular – with slivers of almonds and powdered sugar on top, and marzipan in the middle. This is guaranteed to rain all over your shirt if you eat it in the car, so I advise against it, but good luck resisting.

The Swiss Bakery is the only restaurant that I know of in the Washington, DC area that does not allow tipping. Because of this, I make it a point to go there at least once a month.

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Sushi Yoshi, Vienna, VA

Posted on September 7, 2013 by Don

Vienna has a big, big sushi identity crisis. In particular, there are three sushi restaurants within a 1-2 mile strip that begin with a “Y” – Sushi Yama, Yoki Sushi, and Sushi Yoshi.

Forget about Sushi Yama – it’s just not that good (spending my own money so you don’t have to).

Yoki Sushi I still haven’t tried – it’s in Oakton, and I’ve only seen it driving by.

Sushi Yoshi is the place you definitely want to know about. Forget all about the similarity in names, and just remember “the place next to Bazin’s on Church and Alegria.”

I called last night to see if we could get a table at 6:15, and a very pleasant receptionist told me she could seat us, but that they have a 7:30 reservation at our table, and asked if we would mind finishing by 7:30. Isn’t this the type of situation that people complain about on Yelp? Well, I thought it was a perfectly polite exchange, and I appreciated knowing about it. “Sure,” I said. “No problem!” We arrived just after 6 PM.

Go before 6:30 if you can – not only because it gets very crowded, but because there’s a discounted menu. Granted, it’s only about a 10% discount, but there’s enough on it worth ordering, and we made an entire meal out of it last night (note that all prices listed are from the pre-6:30 menu, and are about 10% higher on the regular menu – this isn’t enough of a discount to get excited about, but it’s a nice bonus if you can get it). 

There were two slight misses in the meal, and one was the Edamame ($3.25), and that’s only because they were a little too old and had started to grow fur. Don’t laugh – the first time I ever saw this was many years ago at Sushi Taro. They needed seasoning, and the salt shaker turned out to contain a mixture of crystals, some light, some dark, one of which may have been MSG, so just be aware before you shake that it isn’t straight salt.

I drowned my fear downed my fur with a Sapporo ($7.95 for a large, $4.95 for a small).

We each got a Salmon and Avocado Roll ($4.10) and they were pleasant – the salmon here looks good in general – the rice being a touch on the dry side, but not enough to kill the rolls, and the orb of wasabi being the most perfectly round thing I’ve seen in a long time that wasn’t human. Soy sauce time.

The Vegetable Tempura ($4.50) gets my vote as Dish Of the Night (DON). Six-or-so pieces, each different, and as good as any tempura I can recall having in the DC area. There was green bean, squash, broccoli, taro, etc. This dish was so well-done that I *had* to get a second order. If you come to Sushi Yoshi, please remember to order the vegetable tempura – it’s a great dish. And it came with its own sauce.

Gyoza ($4.00) was a plate of five little pork dumplings, delicious on the inside, well-fried on the outside. We’ve all had wonderful gyoza, and this was certainly one of them. And, of course, it came with its own sauce (which made three different sauces on the table, all soy-based, all slightly different).

There’s quite a bit of yellowtail jaw in the area, but not as much Salmon Jaw ($4.30). This was a good, hand-sized chunk that contained some white meat on one end, and some of the fattiest salmon I’ve ever eaten on a different part of the bone. This dish was served with enough “normal” (albeit overcooked) salmon to satisfy an unadventurous eater for a few bites, while leaving the more intrepid diners to essentially suck on salmon fat – but man was the meat in there tasty.

I was nearly certain that the Chicken Wing Karaage ($4.50) was going to be great when I saw it: five really nice-looking pieces, seemingly perfectly fried and attractively plated. As it turns out, they weren’t quite as good as they looked, being a bit bland and a touch, but only a touch, overdone. Still, if you like chicken wings that aren’t tiny little throwaway frozen things, you might very well enjoy these.

Total bill before tax and tip: $46.15. Can’t beat this! Sushi Yoshi is maintained in Italic in the Dining Guide, and is the best Japanese restaurant that I know of in the Virginia suburbs (which really isn’t saying much of anything). I haven’t plumbed the depths of Tachibana’s menu in awhile now, but I’d be surprised if I like it any more than I do Sushi Yoshi.

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Baked and Wired, Georgetown

Posted on September 7, 2013 by Don

(See the April 2, 2011 Review here.)

If I had one, and only one, question to ask a stranger, in order to determine whether or not they were plugged in to the DC food scene, it might be the following:

“Where do you get your cupcakes in Georgetown?”

My expectations of Baked and Wired have become so unwaveringly high that when something falls short of perfection, it sounds like a wrong note in Mozart K545 (the “Simple Sonata” in C Major).

After a business meeting at one of the three (ugh, yes, three) Georgetown Starbucks, I hiked up Thomas Jefferson Street to Baked and Wired around 3 PM, delighted to see it packed with people, just as it richly deserves to be (for far too long, Baked and Wired languished in the overwhelming shadow of its highly publicized neighbor and rival; not any more – people in-the-know have found it, and even though they may prefer one over the other, they still *always* at least mention it in reference to my question up above, thus passing my superficial little test.

I ordered two Cakecups (that’s what they call them) and a Bar (“sweet squares of something special”) to go, enjoying nibbles of each later in the day.

The Carrot Cake Cakecup ($3.50) was glorious perfection, and everything you could possibly want in a mini-carrot cake. Baked and Wired’s website describes it as “moist carrot-filled cake with an even balance of spices and crunchy pecans (no raisins here) and cream cheese frosting.” As tempting as that description sounds, it was happily incorrect: there were lots of raisins, lots of glorious raisins, just as there should be in a proper carrot cake <ducks as tomatoes are thrown>.

I’ve had the Pretty Bitchin’ Cakecup ($3.50) before and loved it (it’s chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting – what’s not to love?); yesterday, however, it became the first thing I’ve ever eaten at Baked and Wired that wasn’t pretty much perfect (this includes coffee, quiche, etc.). While the quality was clearly there, the cake-cup had seen better times in the past: it was the first dry cupcake I’ve ever had here, and the peanuts on top were just a little too old. If I were someone visiting for the first time, and I’d gotten only this, I probably wouldn’t return (I do hope Baked and Wired reads this – it’s meant as constructive criticism only).

A hilariously named Soccer Mom Bar ($3.15 I believe) is Baked and Wired’s 7-Layer Bar, graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, pecans, and “lots of sweet, gooey stuff.” It’s the type of bar that every child in the world would adore, and every adult would bemoan because of the calories – it’s something you’d want to eat every day, for every meal.

Despite one dud, Baked and Wired remains strongly in Italic in the Dining Guide, and is my favorite cupcake shop in the whole world. Okay, I haven’t been to every cupcake shop in the whole world, but I can try.

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Chief Ike’s, Adams Morgan

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Don

I went for a post-midnight Chief Ike’s beer tonight, getting a PBR ($3) and a Famosa ($3), enjoying the beers on their patio. The bartender was as friendly as could be on a slow night, not even asking us for a card when we went outside.

No food, no nothing; just good service and fun, late-night sidewalk beer enjoyment, with everyone being super low-key.

 

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Me Jana, Courthouse

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Don

“Something European; not Italian. Maybe something healthy – I’d love to have some good food tonight.” That was my young dining companion’s response when I asked him for his hunger level (“6”), and a rough sketch of the evening’s meal.

I’ve been to Me Jana somewhere between three and five times, and it has been remarkably consistent – never outstanding, but always very good – and last night it was exactly as I expected, with the weather providing a patio bonus.

A basket of warm housemade pita is served with a small trio of olives, herbed oil, and a very refrigerated, sour cream-like rendition of labneh. I washed it down with an Efes Pilsner ($5.99) – I only took a cursory glance at the beer list, but (assuming it was on there) I remember wishing I’d ordered the double-roasted dark lager.

Hommus with Meat ($9.50) started disappearing before I could get much of it. I’ve had better hommus here in the past – this one was quickly congealing, the sauteed beef was cooked to death, and the pine nuts were large and aggressive. 

This was served alongside an excellent but ice-box cold Fassolia ($7.50), large lima beans stewed with tomato, garlic, and cilantro. I’m not certain this was house made, but if it was, it was impressive because it was extremely balanced (which is hard to do well in small quantities). 

The dish of the evening, at least to me, was the Kibbeh Nayeh ($12.99) which was just perfect with its shaved radishes. In theory, the version at Lebanese Butcher is better, but Me Jana’s has more flavor and a more integrated burghul texture.

An appetizer of Beef Shawarma ($10.50) was also extremely overcooked (though not as thoroughly leather-like as the beef with the hummos); yet, it was seasoned well, and came in enough of its juices that it was very pleasant – also very useful as the coup de grâce for a hungry sixteen-year-old. If you order this, ask for a little extra tahini which, when mixed with the juices and chased by a pickled radish, makes this dish complete.

Its foil was the Spinach Pie ($7.50), or as Matt called them, Spinach Hamantaschen (well, why not – it was Rosh Hashanah) – four fateyers of good, acidic spinach served slightly warm, and just the right amount of green to call this a healthy dinner.

A solid showing for Me Jana which is maintained in Italic.

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Fish Taco, Cabin John

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Don

The Chef of Fish Taco is Eddie Moran, former Chef de Cuisine of Sou’Wester. He conceptualized the menu, and is working daily on-site. Yesterday, I had a late lunch there, and he was sitting at a table, prepping one of his employees.

Figuring everyone is going to be ordering fish tacos, I decided to try something different, and went with a Grilled Skirt Steak Burrito ($9) with Mexican rice, beans, grilled scallions, mushroom escabeche, and crema; and a Diet Coke ($2 with refills). Fish Taco also has soups, salads, quesadillas – it’s a classic quick-serve taqueria, but with very expensive, modern equipment (Cvap Silver Edition, NuVU Smoke 13 (all the chiles and tomatoes for the salsa are smoked, and the brisket is smoked for 12 hours), Vulcan Range, infrared gas grill, etc.). They’re sourcing their tortillas and corn chips from a local tortilla maker – Casa Blanca.

Fish Taco seems destined to be a chain, but the single most important thing for you to remember is that right now, it isn’t. (Do you remember at the very first Cava Mezze Grill, they had a pot of lamb braising on the stove? No longer.) It will take Fish Taco days, perhaps weeks, to settle in – both the service and some of the recipes are still being tweaked – but once it does, I suspect it will never be better than it is now, with Chef Moran almost literally at the stove. There was a slight flaw in my burrito in that some component of it had a touch too much reduced vinegar flavor which came close to dominating, but this is the type of thing that is quickly and easily addressed.

I wrote Chef Moran about the burrito, and here’s more information than you could possibly dream of having, but it’s indicative of the pride that he has put into his work:

“So, the burrito is made with local flour tortillas; Mexican rice perfumed with clove orange and achiote; the beans are also vegetarian, made with garlic cumin epazote; skirt steak is rubbed with an adobo chile paste that we make with the best dried chiles from The Chile Guy in New Mexico grilled in small batches; grilled scallions; poblano a chile rajas; portobello mushroom escabeche – that’s where the acid was from actually [I mentioned this component to him]; then finished with a chipotle crema that we make our own chipotle adobo out of – morita chipotles and really good quality Mexican crema which is creamy, a little grassy, and has a nice touch of salinity.”

Well!

Based on everything I’ve now read, seen and experienced, my best guess is to wait a week or two, then go and give it a try. Initialized in Italic.

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Joule and The Whale Wins, Seattle, WA

Posted on August 10, 2013 by Don

Filling Two Beards With One Zone

I only had one night in Seattle, as logistics dictated we’d make it a layover on the way to Canada (logistics being that the *entire* city was booked, save for an overpriced airport Doubletree), so after one very long day of travel, the day got even longer and more exhausting by trying to fit in a 2013 James Beard nominee.

We were deciding between several places, two of which were Joule and The Whale Wins, with chefs Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, and Renee Erickson being nominated as 2013 semifinalists for Best Chef, Pacific Northwest. The Whale Wins was also long-listed for a national award for Best New Restaurant.

The problem is: they both had the same address. Huh? For about twenty minutes, we had a genuine, out-of-town, WTF moment. Then, this from SeattleMag.com: “The Power Of Two: Joule and The Whale Wins,” by Allison Austen Scheff. Apparently a growing trend in the Pacific Northwest, sort of like it is in Springfield, is sharing of space by two distinct restaurants under completely different ownership.

Think about it: The Fremont Collective – which probably had pretty low rents – instantly turns from nothing, into a dining destination. Our dining choice(s) became a no-brainer.

Twice, we needed to call Joule and apologize for pushing back our reservations. A long walk, then a light rail, then a cab, took *much* longer than we thought it would, and I was exhausted – cranky exhausted – the type of exhausted where you just want to go home, curl up, and do nothing. (Little did I know that our train to Vancouver the next day would take 8.5 hours. The definition of “suck?” Yep, that’s it.)

As we waited for our table in Joule, I sipped a Fremont Brewing Summer Ale ($5) – we were, after all, in Fremont – while Matt had at his delicious-but-way-too-iced-down Sweet Roasted Corn Tea ($3).

Five minutes later, we were seated at the end of a community bar table (no privacy issues – the spacing was fine), and went light on Part One of our Diptych Dinner. More and more, I’m letting Matt pick our meals so he becomes more comfortable with taking control (he is, after all, going to college in a couple of years, and needs to impress the ladies). 

Salmon Caviar Dip ($6 for a small) with yuzu crème fraîche was the consensus favorite of the trio, and quite frankly, it’s hard to believe this was a small (a large is $10). Well, the square bowl it came in was fairly small, but the amount of roe was quite generous; the crispy bruschetta were decent dipping chips, but we only got four of them – our server offered another order of them which I suspect happens often. If you enjoy bagels with cream cheese and lox, this is the starter for you.

Actually, now that I’m typing, I take it back: Matt’s favorite was the Beef Tartare ($10), with Asian pear and spicy cod-roe aïoli. He was pretty hungry, and this dish came with a good portion of clearly hand-chopped steak. I backed off a bit and let him plow through it because I saw he was starving.

I thought sure the dish of the night would be the Smoked Tofu ($6) with “honshimeji confit,” (quotes explained in a moment), and soy-truffle vinaigrette. The tofu didn’t have much smoked flavor, and there was almost nothing I could discern that should have been termed confit – the honshimeji were placed atop the tofu, and there was some oil at the bottom of the dish, but that’s about it. 

The dessert menu was tempting, but we had, after all, another restaurant about twenty feet to our right (the building is pictured in the article I cited in the third paragraph, but the setup was similar to Radius and Tonic in Mount Pleasant). So after paying the bill, and taking a five- or six-second stroll across the corridor, we found ourselves in The Whale Wins.

It’s hard not to instantly fall in love with a restaurant featuring a drawing of a Moby Dick-like whale severing Captain Ahab’s ship in half, especially when you’re instantly seated outside on a gorgeous evening (both of these restaurants are nearly identical in design, and both are open to the sky in the front end).

Matt started with a delicious mocktail – I don’t know what it was, but it had honey, ginger, and was probably gin-based when served high-test; I started with a local beer, “brewed right across the street” - Hilliard’s Chrome Satan (only $6 for a 20-ounce draft).

An important ordering strategy at The Whale Wins is that, according to our server, the “large plates” are double the size of the small plates, even though they’re only about 30% more expensive, so *always* get the large plates if you want the most value for your money – because of this, we ordered two entrées and nothing else.

Well, okay, one other thing, and it was money well-spent, too: a basket of Columbia City Bakery Bread & Butter ($4), about six pieces of two types of bread, one sourdough-based (and fantastic); the other more of a traditional baguette styled loaf. The butter was both creamy and salty, and you should get this to swab (get it?) up your sauces. 

Hama Hama Roasted Clams ($20; a “small” was $14) with sorrel, tarragon, crème fraîche, lentils, and urfa biber were good, fresh clams in a *great* sauce, perfect for ye olde bread dunk. These clams weren’t quite good enough for me to order a second time, but I have no regrets trying them once, and you won’t either.

Around this time, I ordered an Interurban IPA ($6 for a 20-ounce draft) which I slightly preferred to the Hilliard’s – this, even though I’m not a huge IPA fan in general. These beer prices are amazing, and this was yet another beer brewed right in Seattle.

Carlton Farms Roasted Pork Shoulder ($20 for two pieces; $14 gets you one piece) with Willowood Farm Braising Greens, drum roll please … ROCKWELL beans (always in good taste, and a must-try for anyone serious about food), anchovy butter, and lemon peel was, at first taste, extraordinary, with a crispiness to the exterior of the pork shoulder that made our eyes as wide as saucers. However, as we got further into the dish (and began to get absolutely stuffed), we began noticing that the interior was fibrous and tough, and that the exterior was the highlight. The menu said “roasted” and I believe them, but this is the type of toughness you get with sous-vide cooking of certain meats, easily enough concealed by a high-heat searing at the finishing step. Still, while this wasn’t “the perfect meat,” it was a very fine value for the money, an interesting combination of flavors, and boy was that finishing sear close to perfect. 

It wouldn’t be fair to choose a favorite, based on ordering appetizers at Joule, and entrées at The Whale Wins, but the combination of the two restaurants, side-by-side, makes the trip irresistible. You won’t regret going, but *do* call for a reservation, and I recommend Joule first, The Whale Wins second, due to the lighter-to-heavier nature of the cooking.

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Astor Mediterranean, Rosslyn

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Don

I can happily say that I got a non-Egyptian pizza at Astor Mediterranean that was every bit as good as the Egyptian: a Regular Pizza ($10.95) with red pepper, kalamata olives, eggplant, and mushrooms ($1.50 per topping) was a vegetarian’s delight. I actually preferred this to the Egyptian because the jalapeños on the Egyptian are a bit much for me (after the 7th piece).

Astor, if you’re reading this, your online ordering system does not have a checkbox for eggplant – thus, I had to order on the telephone. Also, get cho shit together, homies!

I would compare this pizza favorably with The Original Ledo Restaurant in College Park, Joe Squared in Baltimore, etc. – different styles, of course, but the same genre of pig-out pie, football pie, or whatever you want to call it, both being wonderful representatives of working-man’s pizza without slipping into the foul depths of mass-production, sixteen-wheeler-delivery crap-o-la.

This pizza was expensive (over $18), but easily enough for two adults – eight bountiful pieces with a thick, bready crust, and very generous toppings.

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Ghibellina, 14 UP

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Don

To honor our long-time member Jonathan Copeland – who, in case anyone doesn’t know, was Sous Chef at Palena, and opening Chef de Cuisine at Palena Café – I decided to take him up on his cocky message to me which basically said, ‘Stop in sometime if you want to have the best pizza in the entire DC area.’

Well …

I got there early, super early, about 5 PM – nominally to find parking and a bar seat; actually to drink and drink cheaply.

Ghibellina has one of the best happy hour menus in town, and I plumbed its depths like I was snaking a drain. Here we go:

Rebuli Prosecco ($5) – Served in a beautiful Luigi Bormioli Champagne glass, with about a 4-5 ounce pour, this was an elegant Prosecco – “elegant” for me means “crisp, dry, and no off-flavors,” as Prosecco (like Cava) is not my favorite sparkling wine; but this was good.

Estate in Toscana ($6) – One of three happy-hour cocktails, made with House Gin (Gordon’s), lime juice, pineapple juice (not too much), and basil.

Beauvignac “Syrah Rosé” ($5) – Oh yeah, this is your wine. From from the Languedoc-Rousillion region, it’s a Vin de Pays from Côtes de Thau, and has none of the excessive grapiness that is often found from this region. Not bone dry in the least, but a good pizza rosé that will make you happy.

Pizza time!

Olive E Carciofi ($8.50 (!)) – Eight-fifty for this thing? *Eight* *Fifty*?! This was a huge, four-slice pizza made with Nostraliana (Leccino) olives, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, smoked mozzarella, basil, garlic, and peperoncino. Hyperbole time: this was the best pizza I’ve ever had that cost less than $10 (note, these are all happy-hour prices, happy hour running Tue-Sun 4:30-6:30). Yep, not only that – it was a contender for best pizza in the DC area, just like Jonathan boasted it would be – he was right. An unbelievable Neapolitan hybrid, its char was right on the boundary of acceptable, but never crossed that boundary. Served uncut, but with pizza scissors, it’s best cut into quarters, picked up, folded, and enjoyed a la New York slice. An incredible pizza that is vaulting Ghibellina right to the top of DC’s pizza scene. 

Salsicce E Cipolla ($8.50) – No, I didn’t eat it at Ghibellina (I was dining solo), but I sure as heck got it to go. Sausage, provolone, wood-roasted onions, oregano, peperoncino, and grana – I had some cold, and while I don’t think it’s quite the pie that the Olive E Carciofi is, it’s awesome all the same. I enthusiastically Facebooked Jonathan (who is out of town for a wedding) on the way home, raving about the pizzas, and he said, and I quote, “Put a sheet tray in your oven and heat it to 350 or 400 for a few minutes. Then throw the pizza in for 5 or so minutes to reheat and refresh” – so that’s how you reheat it properly.

This was my first visit to Ghibellina, and needless to say, based on this one visit, I’m enthusiastically bumping it up to Italic. 

Is it better than Etto? I’m going to ask everyone a favor: be patient, don’t listen to *anyone* else compare pizzas, and let me bide my time and decide which is better. I’ve got a long, strong track record that I can defend, and if another publication chimes in and says this-or-that, you’re just going to get confused. I’ll be having Ghibellina and Etto several times over the next few months, and I will sort it out on an objective, consistent basis. By all means, take note of what other people say, but please trust my pizza palate – it’s a damned good one, if I do say so myself. :)

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