The Pure Pasty Co., Vienna, VA

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Don

(See the January 26, 2011 Review here).

The Pure Pasty Co. is one of the few places that brings out primal cravings in me. The pasties here are so good that at any given moment, I could be perfectly happy jumping in my car and heading directly to Vienna.

I came out of my shell and tried a Philly ($5.99), their version of a Philly Cheesesteak, stuffed with grass-fed beef flank steak, peppers, onions, and aged provolone. Doesn’t this sound good? Well, as much as I thought I’d love it, it just left me wanting the traditional version – there were way too many green peppers (which dominated the flavor), and for some strange reason I couldn’t taste the provolone. To boot, it was very greasy (perhaps from the provolone).

The Phillys were fine on paper, and I don’t regret the two I bought, but I’m really glad I bought four of the Traditional ($5.99) pasties with grass-fed beef, Russet potato, Vidalia onion, and seasonal vegetables (carrots, etc.). To me, the soul of this bakery can be found inside the traditional pasty – it comes so close to being the perfect food item, and the very thought of it makes me salivate like a dog. I want one. Now.

If you haven’t been here yet, get in your car right this minute, and order as many of the Traditional pasties as you can.

PS Congratulations to owner Michael Burgess and his two-day-old son, William!

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Bibiana, Downtown

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Don

It had been so long since I dined at Bibiana that it got moved up from my “short list” to my “critical list.”

I pulled up a seat at an empty bar at what was a very full restaurant, with a large private party going on to the left. It was a beautiful day outside, and I’d taken a leisurely walk to the restaurant, and continued to unwind with a Campari and Soda ($12, WTF?!).

Chef Nick Stefanelli was working right in front of me, and I was certain he saw me, so rather than play the farcical game of false anonymity, I texted him, and said, “Can you make me 3 small plates, your choice?”

He wrote back, “Who is this sorry”

Oops.

“Rockwell I’m six feet from you”

Then he poked his head out, looking like a Whack-a-Mole, and saw me, saying he’d pick a few things.

There are two ways to look at this: 1) I was going to get the chef’s best effort, and everything I say should be taken with a grain of salt, and 2) I’m about to report on what the chef himself felt were the best and most representative dishes he had to offer. Both are true, and the latter is (in my opinion) extremely helpful to anyone wondering what to order.

I ordered a glass of 2009 Palazzone Procanico-Drupeggio blend from Umbria ($10). This is a medium-bodied white that works well early in a meal, and was the perfect match for my first course of Sardine ($13), grilled citrus-marinated sardines, onion compote, and bread crumbs. These were terrific sardines, and the only knock I have on the dish is that in retrospect, there were a few too many bread crumbs (read on).

For the next course, I upped the body of the wine to a 2010 Massoni Gavi ($10) from Piemonte, and I was stunned by one of best dishes I’ve had in recent memory. Animelle ($14) is hay-smoked veal sweetbreads, fava beans, black truffle-anchovy dressing, and walnuts. This was a giant mass of sweetbreads, so good that you’d swear they were wrapped in bacon, perfectly cooked, and the type of dish that makes your eyes roll into the back of your head before you fall into a swoon. It was awesome, it was amazing – get this dish.

At this point, I was starting to get full because that sweetbread dish was pretty hearty. Next up was the Scialatielli ($12, half-portion) which is a homemade, worm-like pasta served with little neck clams, parsley, and white wine. In any normal meal, this would be the dish of the night, but this was anything but a normal meal. The bread crumbs made an appearance again, and this is my only teeny-tiny complaint – I didn’t necessarily want to see them in two out of three courses. If you like pasta and clams, tinted green with parsley, and having lots of garlic, then you should chase after this dish.

Next up was a tasting portion of the Moleche ($27 as an entree), seared Maryland soft shell crabs (in my case, half a crab) with English pea puree, pea shoots, and fried lemon. With the Gavi, this was Nirvana – yet another in a string of off-the-chart dishes, the fried lemon adding the X-factor.

Nick was not going to leave any stone unturned. “There are just two more coming,” my bartender said, as I was beginning to crumble. A taste of the Agnello ($28 as an entree) was a duo of Shenandoah Valley Lamb – the first as a loin; the second as a shoulder confit, served with potato eggplant charred and confit, and basil.

Dessert was a fine example of why I’m really glad I let Nick pick for me: Cannoli ($9) was the very last thing I would have ordered here, but it was as good as any cannoli you’ll ever enjoy – an upscale version with a crispy hazelnut shell, chocolate cream, sour cherry sorbet (!), pistachio and ricotta sauce, this was to Cannoli what Ferrari is to sports cars. Get this.

An astounding meal that left me stuffed, poor, and so impressed with Nick Stefanelli and Bibiana that I’ve raised it above Tosca in the Dining Guide, and wonder if my next trip to Adour is going to be a mere formality before I list Bibiana as the best restaurant downtown east of 16th Street. Yes, I had the chef’s best effort, but regardless, this was a fantastic meal start-to-finish which is exceedingly rare regardless of whether or not a diner is “known.”

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Wagshal’s, Spring Valley

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Don

Wagshal’s has been serving Spring Valley since 1925 (although the current owners have “only” been around since 1990). It was a beautiful day for an al fresco lunch, and Wagshal’s had only one table left on a Thursday afternoon.

I felt like I was in The Italian Store because there were people standing around, waiting and waiting for their orders – total wait time was about fifteen minutes.

This article by David Hagedorn (and this corresponding flowchart) goes into great detail about Bill Fuchs’ vaunted smoked brisket, and hangs proudly on Wagshal’s wall – it was more than enough to get me to order the Smoked Brisket Sandwich ($7.99) with light mustard on rye, while my friend ordered a Cuban Sandwich ($6.99) with roast pork, lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo on a kaiser roll. I grabbed a Boylan’s Sugar Cane Cola from the cooler, and a bag of Kettle chips from the rack.

The smoked brisket is unique and extraordinary, and while the sandwich is alarmingly small, the meat is so assertive and rich that it outperforms its size. The Cuban, on the other hand, is bland enough where it’s almost boring next to the Brisket, and needs the Kettle chips for flavor – this, despite its honorable roast pork which is thick and wavy.

While I can’t rave about the Cuban, the Brisket is worth a crosstown journey as long as you’re prepared for a strong, salty, aggressive smoked meat.

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Freddy’s Lobster and Clams, Bethesda, MD

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Don

May 17th was opening night for Freddy’s Lobster and Clams, and when I walked in, none other than Jeff and Barbara Black were sitting at the bar, paying respect to owner Jeff Heineman. I knew bartender Chris Cunningham was working here, but he still seemed out of place since I’m so used to seeing him inside of the DC city limits.

I pulled up a barstool, and asked Chris to recommend a drink. The wryly named Wicked Awesome Pissa ($12) is made with Plymouth Gin, fresh lemon juice, muddled strawberries and basil, and a soda floater. As it sounds like, it’s a great summer drink, and I love the fact that it isn’t gratuitously sweet.

Freddy’s inherited some wines from the old Tel Aviv Cafe, and will need to finish going through them before their list starts to approach that of Grapeseed; for now, beers are the star of the show here. A bottle of Fullers ESB ($6.50) should do the trick with most things on the menu.

I asked Chris what his favorite things were, and he said “fried whole belly clams, a cold lobster roll, lobster stew, home style chowder, and onion rings.”

Taking that into consideration, I tried them all. 🙂

A platter of Fried Whole Belly Clams ($15) might shock those used to clam strips. Picture a marble with a tentacle attached, breaded and fried, and that’s the appearance – the marble is the whole belly, of course, and bursts when you bite into it, having a texture not unlike a juicy version of shad roe. These were wonderful clams, but I thought the batter was slightly underseasoned (remember, this was the very first night they opened). Later that evening, Jeff (Heineman) told me he tasted one of them, and said to himself, “Damn” – he thought the very same thing, and was going to tweak it.

But the onion rings, served with the platter, were seasoned just right – they’ve gotten some criticism over on donrockwell.com, but I really liked them. Plus, I really appreciated that when you bit into them, the entire onion ring didn’t come flying out, i.e., they were thoroughly cooked.

This platter alone was more than enough food for me, but Jeff brought over small samples of the Lobster Stew ($8 for a small) and the Home Style Creamy Clam Chowder ($5 for a small), both of which have also received some criticism on donrockwell.com, mainly for being too thin. I take strong exception to this – it specifically says on the menu, “Our stew and chowder are authentic New England style – not thickened with flour.” Works with me! The stew is indeed thinner than many people might be used to, and its buttery component goes beautifully with the in-cred-i-ble homemade blueberry muffin that it comes with. Yes, it comes with a blueberry muffin that’s worth killing for. The chowder is naturally thicker due to the potatoes, and for my tastes, is as good as any New England clam chowder I’ve ever had.

I liked that chowder so much that I ordered a Regular ($8) to take home and have for lunch alongside a Cold Lobster Roll with Mayo ($15). Again, that lobster roll has taken some internet heat for being too small, but to me, it’s the best version I’ve had outside of Maine. As far as I know, Freddy’s is the only restaurant in the Washington, DC area serving fresh, i.e., never been frozen, lobster rolls, made with meat pulled from lobsters swimming in their 450-gallon tank that same day (or thereabouts). If there’s any other restaurant (or truck) serving fresh lobster rolls in town, someone please let me know – indeed, these rolls aren’t huge, but you only pull 3.5-4 ounces of meat from a one-pound lobster, and that’s about what these contain. And they come with fries, too.

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Mad Fox Brewing Company, Falls Church, VA

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Don

I’d only been to Mad Fox Brewing Company once before, with a large group, and somehow missed the fact that they served some of their beers in cask – it was only recently pointed out to me that they did. On the first visit, sometime in 2010, I wasn’t all that impressed with the beers I had.

So I eagerly went back to give it another try, and I’m glad I did.

They had two beers in cask on this evening: the Fennec Ale ($5.50 4% ABV) and the Defender American Pale Ale ($5.50, 5.2% ABV), and I tried them in succession.

Out of eleven beers Mad Fox was offering, the Fennec was the lowest in alcohol. An English Ordinary, what they call an “extreme session beer,” this was far better than most microbreweries’ entry-level beers (when I say entry-level, I mean “closest in spirit to what the masses might enjoy”). While a bit dilute, it had adequate flavor and was not at all bad. A step up (not just in alcohol content, but also in “stuffing”) was the APA which they describe as being “hop-forward,” but came across to me as well-balanced. I’m anything but a hop-head, and strongly prefer malty beers to hoppy ones – I’d order this again.

I assume Mad Fox rotates their cask selections, and I’m looking forward to going back and trying some more. While I haven’t actually eaten here, the food I’ve seen coming from the kitchen (and on this evening, I was sitting right next to where the runners were coming by) does not interest me visually at all. I know that’s “judging without a fair trial,” and maybe I’m indeed misjudging, so take this comment with a grain of salt.

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Jaleo, Penn Quarter

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Don

The standard line about Jaleo is that Crystal City and Bethesda are shadows of the original downtown location, and based on my experiences, I tended to agree although these restaurants all wax and wane – my last meal at the DC branch was pleasant, but nothing special.

Jaleo was absolutely packed early on a Sunday evening, with no tables, and only a single hightop that had opened up in the bar area – we nabbed it.

And then waited for it to be cleared.

And waited some more.

And then ten minutes went by, and we sat there and stared at (and smelled) dirty dishes.

Finally, two people got up from the bar, so we abandoned our table, and darted over to where they were sitting. Ironically, it was at least five minutes before we were acknowledged by the bartender, and the hightop actually ended up getting cleared for another couple before our bar area did.

My friend, looking at her watch, said, “I’m giving them exactly two more minutes, and then we’re outta here.” They made it, but not by much.

Jaleo’s Classic ($15, half carafe) is their red sangria made with brandy, lemon juice, and apples, and as a first taste of the night, is bitingly nasty; once the ice begins to dilute it, the fruit kicks in and the aftertaste (I would say “finish,” but this is more appropriately termed “aftertaste”) mellows. Next time, I’d order the sangria made with Cava instead of red wine.

We ordered four tapas:

Pan con Tomate ($5) with Passamont̩s Farmhouse Manchego (a well-spent $2) РToasted slices of thick bread brushed with fresh tomatoes and topped with slivers of Manchego cheese

Jamón Serrano ‘Fermin’ ($10) – 18-month, salt-cured Serrano ham

Endibias con Queso de Cabra y Naranjas ($7) – Endives with goat cheese, oranges, and almonds

Dátiles con Tocino ‘Como Hace Todo El Mundo’ ($8.5) – Fried dates wrapped in bacon “that you will want to eat every day”

The endives came out first (which really clashed with the red sangria (the Cava-based would definitely go better with these, but that’s not Jaleo’s fault)), then the ham, then the dates, then the bread – we had finished everything by the time the bread arrived. At about the midway point, we ordered a carafe of impressive 2009 Olivares Altos de la Hoya Monastrell ($13.50) which was by far our favorite thing of the meal. If you’re here looking for a red wine, do consider ordering this one.

As I type this, I’m dancing around, avoiding a generalized slam of this place, but it’s hard. The food here has an aspect of being thrown together in a hurry, and assembled rather than cooked – the endive dish was a fine example of the assembly-line feel that these dishes had – lined up in a row, and looking like something that took about ten seconds to plate.

Even the bacon-wrapped dates – which I think I’ve ordered every time I’ve ever come here – were at a much lower level of quality than I’ve had in the past. They arrived barely above room temperature, with the exterior thick and bland. Yes, the combination of flavors is fine, but the execution was downright awful. The ham was fine, of course, and the bread was very tasty albeit a high-profit item.

I’ve been to Jaleo probably twenty times in my life, and I’ve never once been to La Tasca which I’ve heard is so mediocre that it’s painful. But honestly, if I do ever go to La Tasca, even with very low expectations, I’m going to expect it to be better than this meal was.

Downgraded in the Dining Guide (available only to participating donrockwell.com members).

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The Majestic, Alexandria, VA

Posted on May 14, 2011 by Don

When people think of “good service” at Alexandria restaurants, their thoughts automatically turn toward Restaurant Eve, but The Majestic – while not having the sheer numbers of staff on the floor – has service that’s otherwise its equal.

My young dining companion and I were extremely fortunate to snare a last-minute reservation for Saturday at 6 PM, and the restaurant was just about full when we arrived.

We were led to our two-top along the left wall, and immediately given menus. Matt started the meal with a glass of The Majestic’s terrific homemade Limeade ($4.00) while I had my first-ever Port City Optimal Wit ($7.00). I’ve read a lot of murmuring about Port City being overpriced relative to its quality, but I really liked this beer a lot (most of The Majestic’s beers are priced at seven dollars; I’m not sure what it retails for).

The bread basket here is simple but outstanding (Nathan Hatfield makes all the breads for the Restaurant Eve group, and has blossomed into one of our area’s very best bakers). Although I don’t know, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the salted butter is Kerrygold like it is at Eve.

You have two choices: you can split a side order of House-Made Gnocchi ($9.75) as your first course, or you can hate yourself forever for not doing so. A perfect gnocchi, this is currently being served with peas, fava beans, pecorino, Meyer lemon, crème fraîche, and thyme. Regardless of whether or not you split this as a first course, you absolutely must work it into your meal somehow. Get this.

Knowing that we’d be splitting everything, we ordered very different entrees: Matt ordered the Home-Style Meatloaf ($21) with green beans, bacon, whipped potatoes, and pan gravy, and I got the Seared Muscovy Duck Breast ($26) with sautéed arugula, watercress, truffled wild mushroom risotto, and cherry sauce. If this had been a dog show, both of these dishes would have earned Best in Class – the meatloaf a large portion of homeyness and comfort; the duck elevated by its sophisticated saucing and condiments. They really didn’t go together at all, but they weren’t supposed to, and besides my wine was custom-picked to go with my duck (which I ended up Bogarting a bit): a glass of Miguel Torres Santa Digna Shiraz ($9.50) that picked up the cherry and ran with it.

These were large entrees, but exquisite in their clarity and straightforward approach – not once did they lose their flavor interest. This, despite us being completely stuffed, mainly due to us saying yes to a second bread basket.

But not too stuffed for dessert. “How about a wafer-thin mint?” I asked Matt. And sure enough, we got the Chocolate Brownie Sundae ($8.00) – a warm fudge brownie with walnuts, vanilla gelato (from Dolcezza), and chocolate sauce. After a huge meal, I could only respect it, whereas Matt enthusiastically proclaimed it “the perfect dessert.”

I’ve been to The Majestic several times under the new ownership, but never have I so thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the meal, from start to finish. Truly, I don’t know how I could have loved this any more than I did – chef Shannon Overmiller is doing tremendous work here.

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Mark’s Duck House, Seven Corners, VA

Posted on May 13, 2011 by Don

If you’re ever in the mood for pure protein, get a carryout order of Roasted Pig with Crispy Skin ($8.35) from Mark’s Duck House, and make sure to order it “warm.”

“Ten minutes,” the gentleman told me on the phone.

Fifteen minutes later, I was there, and they hadn’t started working on my order yet. So I waited, and watched a man attack a section of one of the hanging roast pigs with a cleaver, cutting and cross cutting until things were chopped into bite-sized cubes, some with skin. Then, he took the cutting board and walked over to the microwave oven, zapped it for 30 seconds, and dumped it into a styrofoam container.

I was thinking to myself, “There’s no way this skin is going to be crispy,” but sure enough, it was, and it was great, too. If you love pork, pork, and more pork … maybe you should become a politician, and this is the carryout dish for you.

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Dickson Wine Bar, U Street Corridor

Posted on May 13, 2011 by Don

One very important thing to remember about Dickson Wine Bar is that it doesn’t open until 6 PM, even on Fridays.

Happy hour runs from 6-7 PM, and on this day was featuring glasses of Gruet Blanc de Noirs ($5, normally $9) and a fine, hefty plate of Charcuterie (3 for $10, normally 3 for $19). At full price, these items aren’t cheap, but at happy hour prices? Well worth it.

After happy hour ended, it was back to full price, but when you can get a 2008 Flos de Pinoso Monastrell for only $30, you really don’t even notice. This is a perfect match for one of Dickson’s Bánh Mi, and I got to try both the Beef Ribeye ($12) and Pork Belly ($11). These are upscale, glorified Bánh Mi, with thick cuts of quality meats (the pork was from Berkshire Farms, and the beef was from Creek Stone Farms). I’d be surprised if the vegetables weren’t organic. If you haven’t tried one of these, you should – I know they’re expensive, but they’re worth ordering.

This is a fun, quirky little place, with a sterilized-hip, geometric feel to each of its floors. What they do, they do very well. It also gets crowded quickly, so you’ll be doing yourself a favor if you get here early. Since there are no entrees on the menu, it’s a perfect place to nosh and nibble, especially with their well-priced, well-chosen wines.

Dickson Wine Bar offers several charcuterie items made by local charcutier Jamie Stachowski, and a wine list that is 100% either biodynamic or organic.

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Heritage Asia, Glover Park

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Don

I’ve been curious about Heritage Asia since the sign first appeared on Wisconsin Avenue last year. Heritage India has been upstairs for years, but what, exactly was this?

There are two different chefs (Mohan Singh at Heritage India, and Thasana Midee at Heritage Asia), and their carryout menu refers to “both kitchens,” so there’s apparently a separate kitchen I didn’t know about (I’d always assumed there was only one).

Chef Midee was the opening chef at Tara Thai, so despite the Pan-Asian bent to the menu, I decided to stick with Thai-based dishes. I even ordered a Singha (not sure why I always order Tsing Tao at Chinese restaurants, Kirin Ichiban at Japanese restaurants, and Singha at Thai restaurants – I guess it sort of puts me in the mood).

Hoijor ($7.95), chicken and crab meat wrapped in a tofu skin, was almost surely purchased, given the tight wrap and nearly identical size and shape of each piece. The filling was sausage-like, and it was topped with a slightly spiced sweet sauce. Honestly, I ordered this because I’d never seen the name before – it wasn’t a bad dish, but wouldn’t be a repeat for me.

Lamb Korlaa ($13.95) interested me, not only because I was unfamiliar with the name, but also because I rarely see lamb at Thai restaurants. There’s definitely an overlap between Heritage India and Heritage Asia, and in fact you can order Heritage India’s menu downstairs at Heritage Asia. There can be little doubt that they get their lamb from the same supplier, and the meat itself was pretty good, served with Thai herbs in a moderately spicy sauce. The one thing I could have done without is the unadorned vegetables (cauliflower, etc.), just sitting there on the side of the plate, arranged in the shape of a fan but having no purpose whatsoever.

After one meal here, my curiosity was saté-d, and I left the somewhat forlorn restaurant with a very neutral feeling. Bar service was non-existent, and neither dish I had was enough to make me want to rush back.

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