Friday, July 29, 2011

Stone - Arrogant Bastard Ale

"You're Not Worthy"

If Stone's Ruination beer took me on a route away from what I have found to love in my favorite beer Dogfish Head 90min IPA, Arrogant Bastard Ale puts them back on track. Not that there is anything wrong with either direction, because I hope to find lots of beers out there worth drinking to add to my arsenal. Variety is the spice of life!

Arrogant Bastard Ale is a lot browner then the Ruination, and attacks with the hops up front. Its caramel-ly sweet and finishes bitter with more piney hops! Don't like Hops? Stay away from this one! Overall, this one is really worth a try and generally not as expensive as the Dogfish, which is a great thing! I'm making myself thirsty right now... and it's only 8am...


I'm loving the things Stone Brewery has to say about their beers, it's a fun read:
This is an aggressive ale. You probably won’t like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory–maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it’s made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beverage will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make things taste better. Perhaps you’re mouthing your words as you read this.

At Stone Brewing, we believe that pandering to the lowest common denominator represents the height of tyranny - a virtual form of keeping the consumer barefoot and stupid. Brought forth upon an unsuspecting public in 1997, Arrogant Bastard Ale openly challenged the tyrannical overlords who were brazenly attempting to keep Americans chained in the shackles of poor taste. As the progenitor of its style, Arrogant Bastard Ale has reveled in its unprecedented and uncompromising celebration of intensity. There have been many nods to Arrogant Bastard Ale…even outright attempts to copy it… but only one can ever embody the true nature of liquid Arrogance!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Gordon Brothers - Syrah 2006


I'm a huge fan of Syrah and wine's like this one are why. When you first pour this wine from the bottle, and see its deep dark purple-red color and smell its wonderful aromas, you know you're in for a real treat. With each sip dancing on your tounge, you're transported to Washington's Columbia Valley and dream of row after row of grapevines glistening in the sun shine.

We've had this wine before and it's on our favorites list. Its got big bold fruity flavors and a light bite. It pairs nicely with grilled meats and spicy foods like most of my favorite wines, so fire up the grill and enjoy this wonderful wine! I actually got some Mia's Pizza to go, and enjoyed it with that.. don't be jealous! We picked this up for $19.99 at Total Wine, and it's worth every penny.



COMPOSITION: 100% Syrah, Estate Grown
AGING: 24 months in French & American Oak

Winemaker Comments: This Syrah opens with aromas of olive, cocoa powder, and tea with hints of lavender floating in the distance. As the wine evolves in the glass, layers of fig and anise mix seamlessly with blueberries and cassis. A soft entry with firm tannins, one is greeted by flavors and cranberry and currants framed by black licorice. A lingering finish makes this a perfect dinner wine for grilled meats and braised vegetables.


Saturday, July 23, 2011

DC Restaurant Week!

DC Restaurant Week was announced last week and everywhere is booking up fast... I know I know, i dropped the ball. There are some decent deals to be found, but it seems to be getting harder each year. I wanted to fill you in on some resources I use when trying to figure out where to go, or if to even go at all.

Here's the deal:
Gourmet Prix-Fixe Menus (usually 3 items: appetizer, main course, dessert)
August 15-21, 2011
$20.11 Lunches & $35.11 Dinners

This Open Table page is a great way to see where you can book for the days and times you can go, and know exactly who still has openings:

I generally pick my time and day, usually the only Saturday available, and search around 7PM. Open Table will find anywhere with times within 2 hours of what you search on.
Then I sort on Stars, to begin with. 
I also look to see what's booking fast, and figure they are probably good places to start with, or I look for places I've been interested in going, or have heard good things about, if any are left.

When I find something I like, I read up on them, and check out what their menu will be like when possible.

DC Foodies offers a great comprehensive list of menu's for Restaurant Week:

I look to see if the places I'm interested in let you pick from the full menu, or have a set menu. After I read up on that, I can get a good idea if it's going to be worth my 35 bucks.

This time, I'm going to give Acadiana a try. I've never been there, and haven't had some good Cajun/Creole food in a long time. Seems like a good time to give them a shot.

DC Foodies shows that Acadiana has their Restaurant Week menu on their facebook site, so I went and checked it out:

DINNER - $35.11
Includes your choice of the Appetizers listed below.
You may choose any of the Entrees on the Dinner Menu.
(There is an additional charge of $9 for the Jumbo Lump 
Crabcakes and the Ribeye Steak.)Dessert options are listed below.
 Appetizer Selections
Classic Turtle Soup
Smoked Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo
Roasted Corn & Crab Soup
Trio of Deviled Eggs
Mixed Green Salad
“B.L.T.” Salad
Boudin Balls

Dessert Selections
Warm Vanilla Bread Pudding with Bourbon Crème, Praline Crunch Ice Cream
Bourbon Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee with Apple Butter, Toasted Brioche
Chocolate Mint Cake with Tahitian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

I like how they allow you to pick from their full menu for the main course, with just a few exceptions (extra for crabcakes and steak, which is standard during the week at most places), they offer some decent appetizer choices and dessert selections that I would be interested in trying.

Definitely see what you're getting into, some places make a specific menu and you don't get your money's worth. I've had some great restaurant week diners at Chef Geoff's, Vidalia, and The Palm.

It's not a great week to seek out romantic diners, with how busy it gets, but it's a great time to group up with your friends and try out some new places together!

I'll let you know how Acadiana goes after I try it out.

See you at the tables!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Pick Your Own!

The cool breeze brushes along the water reserve and crescendos in my face harmonizing with a sun beam chorus as I stand hidden among the blackberry bushes. I am transported to a world full of music orchestrated by the elements and earth's minuscule inhabitants that can not speak my language, but sing for me just the same. It is here that I reach for their creations, born from the soil, the rain, the sun and on the backs of my new little friends. Gently I pluck their labor from the bush before me, and with the warmth of the sun's embrace still emanating from within, I partake in the composition. Each drupelet explodes with a sweetness and richness on my palate in a symphony, conducted by nature's maestros. I am transcended, and it is here that I hope to leave my worries behind.

Homestead Farm
15604 Sugarland Road
Poolesville, Maryland 20837

The Peach trees and Blackberry bushes are calling you! Nature is calling you! Last weekend we headed out to one of our favorite local farms where you can pick your own fruit. The season going on right now is White Peaches and Blackberries. It's a wonderful time to escape the city and enjoy all that nature has to offer. The Peaches were ready to be plucked, but need a few days to soften in the fridge. We have not been eating them yet, though I'm sure they are delicious. The blackberries are amazing, so juicy and sweet, so full of flavor, we've nearly finished all that we picked and are thinking about heading back to the farm this weekend for more.

The key to blackberry picking is to get the ones that need nearly no effort to pluck from the bush. They are generally the really large ones, and you can tell the leaves have matured on the bush, they shouldn't be dainty or new looking. You can certainly taste test areas till you get the hang of it. When they're not quite ready they are a little sour, but the ready ones have an amazing sweet taste! We learned that blackberries start by being red and are hard, which you'll see on the bushes along with the ripe ones.

Homestead farms also has a full farmers market type shop. Home grown sweet corn, peppers, eggplant, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, the list goes on and on. They also have their own preserves(jams), pickles and local honey to name just a few other things. If you can't head out and pick yourself, they have also done some of that for you.

This truly is an amazing time of year to head out and do some pick your own travels. This is a great site to find farms in your area that have it, or you can head up to ours in Poolsville.
 The people there are a great help and will give you tips on what to do and what to buy. Thanks Sandie for all your help and generosity, couldn't appreciate it more!



Homestead also has some farm animals to check out, for the kids and the kids at heart, like myself!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Mia's Pizzas

There is nothing bad I can say about Mia's pizza at this point. It's what I strive my own homemade pizza to be exactly like. I only wish I had my own wood burning oven in the backyard...  ...maybe someday!

The crust was just how I like it, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and top. This is gourmet pizza, so they go light on the sauce and have an ample amount of high quality ingredients to choose from. They also put some seasonings on the crust, which were really nice and made it easy to scarf down every last bite. Even you crust haters out there would have a hard time not finishing them off.

I tend to stick to the pre-designed ones myself, trying some new combination I might not have tried before, or wouldn't bother making at home. We gave two pizzas a try, Jorge's Inferno and Vegetale. Both were cooked perfectly, super high in quality and had great toppings. The combination of pesto and tomato sauce was interesting on Jorge's, giving it a unique flavor which I really enjoyed. The pesto was more evident then the lightly added red sauce, but I didn't mind. The waiter told me this was all of the employee's favorite pie. Next time I want to try a pizza where they go more heavy handed on the pizza sauce, to see how I like it. Pizza sauce can really make or break a pizza for me.

Mia's was recommended to me as one of the top pizza places in the area, and I can honestly tell you I can't wait to go back! It's a cute little sliver of a building that fills up fast with locals and their kids, so get there early or go there late and don't expect a romantic night out, just expect amazing pizza.

jorge’s inferno – pesto, tomato sauce, pepperoni, olives, garlic, fresh hotties, mozzarella

vegetale – tomato sauce, zucchini, eggplant, portobellos, red pepper, onion, olives, smoked gouda


Got a favorite pizza place, please let me know about it, and I'll go check it out asap to compare! So far, I think this might be my favorite.

http://miaspizzasbethesda.com/

Mia's Pizzas Bethesda
4926 Cordell Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814

(301) 718-6427

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

I really needed a treat a few weeks ago after a workout, so I tried to take some delicious and relatively healthy ingredients and blend them with ice to make a nice frozen treat. I adjusted to taste and this is what I came up with. If you love peanut butter and bananas this will knock your socks off, especially with how low the calories are. On beautiful hot days like this, blend one up for lunch and enjoy the outdoors!



1/2 cup fat free skim milk
1 banana
2 tbs. chunky peanut butter
7 cubes of ice, add more one at a time if it's not thick enough.

Step 1: Throw all of these things into a blender and blend till smooth!
Step 2: Relax and enjoy!


Here's the best part:


Cals Fat (g) Carbs (g) Prot (g)
Peanut Butter 200 16 6 7
Banana 105 0.4 27 1.3
Fat Free Milk 45 0 6 4
Totals 350 16.4 39 12.3















































Saturday, July 9, 2011

Haandi - Indian


If you have not tried good Indian food, you are missing out. Yes, it's an adventurous endeavor, and not for the feint of heart, but if you're sick of the same old stuff day in and day out.. .at least give it a try. Now, I had never had Indian food until about 9 years ago when I moved to the Washington, DC area and I was as apprehensive as anyone could be to give it a try. Fortunately for me, my good friends and coworkers brought me to one of the best places in all of the DC area, Haandi.

That first trip got me hooked. The flavors, the spices, so full of life and so yummy in my mouth, it's now one of my favorite cuisines. Since that time I've tried a dozen other Indian restaurants, some were OK, and others down right horrible.. so if you ever ate at one of those places and hate it, I could totally understand.

Haandi offers a daily buffet for lunch, and it's exactly the same amazing quality they offer at diner, only you get to try a dozen things, don't have to buy your naan (baked bread), mango chutney, dessert all separate, and it's only around 12 dollars. If you want to give it a try, definitely go for the buffet.. The only downfall is that when you fall in love with the food, you're going to end up in a food comma for the rest of the day and night.


Start with what I consider the best item, and easiest to fall for, Murgh Makhani. Same places call this Butter Chicken, and it's a tame dish, but full of creamy, nicely spiced, but not spicy hot, goodness that I pretty much tell people if you don't like this dish, you are good to give up on Indian fare altogether. You can see it in the picture on the left side, with it's characteristic bright orange color. Generally it contains such ingredients as chicken, butter, tomato, garlic, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, coriander... nothing to be afraid of here folks!

If you're into that, give some other dishes a try. Curried chickpeas, Lamb, spinach or other curries mixed with chicken, veggies, farmers cheese, or potatoes usually. Tandoori cooked chicken is another huge favorite, yogurt and spice marinated chicken baked in a special clay oven. The chicken has a bright red or orange color from the turmeric of chili powder, but it is not a spicy hot item as you might fear.

So put on your adventure cap and head out to Bethesda and give Haandi a try! If it's your first time, let me know what you thought!
  
4904 Fairmont Avenue, 
Bethesda, MD
(301) 718-0121

Sunday, July 3, 2011

BlackSalt Fish Market And Restaurant

As far as restaurants in the greater DC area go, BlackSalt is hands down my favorite of all the restaurants I've been to. This Palisades neighborhood gem is just far enough from downtown Georgetown that it's easy to get to, easy to park at and full of locals looking for high quality, well prepared seafood. The food and service is always perfect, and the noise level is perfect for romantic diners and easy conversation. Don't think you can just walk in and get seated, make a reservation a week in advance and prepare for the best seafood ever.

As you enter BlackSalt, you first encounter the Fish Market. You're welcome to pick your own seafood and have them prepare it for you your way, or at the chef's discretion. I've never gone this route, always picking from the menu, but I know it's there, just in case there's a specific item I'm ever really in the mood for.

Beyond the Fish Market is the bar area. You might be lucky enough to get seated here last minute, but it's a crap shoot. Off hours you might be able to get a drink and an appetizer from the menu, possibly getting seated just across from the bar at one of the few tables there.

The dining area is small, minimally appointed and with a full view of the kitchen through a wall of glass. Dimly lit, I find it very suitable for a romantic special occasion, and I love the fact that the noise level is manageable for holding conversations. Most of these conversations will surely turn towards how amazing every bite of your meals are. This is a large part in what makes it my favorite restaurant and sets it apart from all the others, even the other few Black's Restaurant Group restaurants in the area.

The only bad thing I can say about this place is in the wine menu. There is a severe lack of affordable wines, all starting at around 40 dollars and go up well into the hundreds. I love wine, but I am not dining out for the wine, I'm out for the food and that's where I want to put all my money. I suggest getting a glass of wine each for 2 or a bottle for 4 and enjoying it slowly throughout the meal, so as to not break the bank. After all, you're really here for the food, so skip multiple glasses of wine if you can or beware for the sticker shock at the end of the night. If you do find a wine you love, they're all said to be available at the wine store just next door. Stop in after your meal for better prices and have a nightcap when you get home.

Seared Day Boat Scallops
Potato Bacon Gnocchi

This was a delicious starter my wife and I shared, though I felt it was not enough food for the money. They split the order in two, so what you're looking at is just half the order. The gnocchi was cooked perfect and the sauce a nice complement to the potato, bacon and scallop. However, I would recommend going with their signature mussels your first time to the restaurant!


Atlantic Bigeye Tuna
Blue Shell Mussels, Fennel,
Olives, Smoked Bacon Mariscada

My wife, a lover of all things Tuna, went with the Atlantic Bigeye Tuna despite the bacon sauce that is not usually her healthy cup of tea. The big chunk of bacon (pork belly) was kind of odd and really an inedible mass, but I forgive them since it seemed more for show. This dish was delicious, tuna cooked perfectly and tasty, though we would probably have preferred it prepared with different accompaniments and sauces.

Bouillabaisse
Monkfish, Sea Scallop, Oysters,
Blue Shell Mussels, Gulf Shrimp,
Saffron Broth, Rouille Crouton

This bouillabaisse was probably one of the best things I've ever eaten. I was blown away. The Monkfish was the superstar, despite my initial thought that it would not be for me. Everything was cooked perfect and the stew had such amazing flavor packed into it, I was in shock. Next visit I will find it very difficult to try something other then this... so I just might not steer away from it.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cake
Caramelized Bananas, Peanut Brittle

The dessert was delicious, and probably pushed us over the top for food we needed to intake. It was dense, chocolatey and peanut buttery, with the bananas stealing the show and the brittle unnecessary.

Do yourself a big favor and spend your next special occasion at BlackSalt, you won't be disappointed!

BlackSalt Fish Market And Restaurant
4883 MacArthur Boulevard
Washington D.C., DC 20007
(202) 342-9101