Delicious morsel of oyster at The Queen Vic.

This first bite of this hotness was not the first time I’d had the chance to encounter The Queen Vic as an establishment.  In fact, the gastropub had already carved a space out in my heart as an incredibly gracious host to my favorite DC rugby team, the Washington Rugby Football Club.  It was one night during DC Beer Week 2011, however – one that did not also involve a day full of rugby-watching – that I discovered this fantastic dish.

After filling our bellies with mid-western brews, Dumont and I were not hungry enough for two orders of the Queen Vic’s amazing fish and chips.  Instead, we decided to go with one order and an appetizer.  After perusing the menu for a short amount of time, the fried oysters on the half shell.  But even looking at the menu, we realized these were not going to be just any fried oysters, on any ol’ half-shell.  These oysters were going to be fried, topped with duck confit, foie gras*, and cornichons, placed lovingly into a shell for easy handling, resting atop a lemon slice for the always-appreciated-by-when-it-comes-to-seafood squirt of citrus.  Hotness, right?

Simply put, the bite was one of the best morsels of food I’ve ever had the chance to put in my mouth. The bite was crunchy oyster, followed by soft and chewy confit, followed by creamy foie, followed by briny cornichons and a hint of lemon.

Oyster love is all you need.

I am not often afforded the opportunity to take part in food-as-art, with one-morsel bites of flavored air and beef tenderloin in truffled cotton candy.**  This bite, however, got me pretty close to what I’d expect in fancy, one-bite kitchens…. except maybe a bit more rustic.  And, fortunately, a bit more me.

* Please read Foie Gras Wars by Mark Caro. I am not a vegetarian, so I choose not to draw the line at foie gras when it comes to eating meat.  But I believe Caro has written an important book that contributes to the dialogue about the dish, as well as eating meat on the whole.
** Yes, I made that dish up.

Sad to see the music industry lose such a legendary talent. Check out both of these videos – and remember what kind of talent what we’re missing today.

If you like Pina Coladas... You probs won't dig this.

Because the only thing sillier than devoting a post to the Slurpee… is devoting a post to the “Sort-of” sucking of a 7-11 Pina Colada Slurpee on Free Slurpee Day.

Chris, you may be an excellent food reviewer and Editor over at Young & Hungry at the Washington City Paper.. but I am surprised you had such high expectations for your 7-11 franchise on 7/11.  A few, quick notes to set you straight:

1. Since I was 4 or 5, I’ve frequently visited a 7-11 on a hot day to realize that the only flavors they have left are Coke (because both kids and adults love colorful Slurpees) and Pina Colada (blech).  Whether the machine is “malfunctioning” or your 7-11 franchise is looking to get rid of it’s less-popular flavors is beyond me, but suffice it to say… the fact that you got suckered into a Pina Colada Slurpee ain’t really news.

2. Slurpees are best when mixed.  That’s right, I’m talking Alienade mixed with Fanta Red Cherry or Orange, with a splash of Pina Colada in the middle.  If you have to stick with one flavor of Slurpee, you may want to consider throwing in the towel on your Slurpee Day (especially when that flavor is not neon-colored!).

3. Pina Colada is a flavor only to be used in mixing.  If you had to relate it to a cocktail, drinking a Pina Colada Slurpee would be like drinking Malibu mixed with flavored coconut water.  You need some tang of citrus, or acid, and my guess is Pina Colada Slurpee has little-to-none in comparison to the other ingredients.

4. Not all 7-11′s are created equal.  And neither is every day at the same 7-11.  I love a good 7-11 hotdog, but if I walk in and the dogs turning next to the register look a little funky, I’m walking.  Likewise, consider hitting up your 7-11 tomorrow for a red + blue Slurpee – should the machine be working – and be happy you aren’t stuck drinking Pina Colada again.

It’s not that I think the Slurpee is a must-have food (although if you haven’t had one and live in the US, what?).  It’s just that I think you went into the experience with unrealistic expectations.

Next time, do yourself a favor and avoid the Pina Colada.  Better yet, visit your 7-11 on 7-10 and pony up 99 cents for a mixed-flavor Slurpee.

Cheers (and looking forward to your next blog post!).

However, my most recent outdoor gig brought me a surprise that even I was surprised would be blog-worthy: a leftover bag of 12 Tarocco oranges from Sicily.  I’ll admit it: I’m usually the first one to grab the cookies instead of the fruit.  But after snagging a couple of quick slices from one of our volunteer tents, I’m thanking my lucky stars that I went with the healthy snack my paleo friend had been checking all day.

Honestly, these Sicilian blood oranges may be the best oranges I’ve ever tasted.  Slightly red and super ripe, they were  so sweet… but not in a sickening way.  The flesh had a slight bitterness to them that seems to be standard with blood oranges, but lacked the sour I’ve seen in some other varieties at farmer’s markets.

I have no idea where these oranges came from, as I’m not sure who made the delivery of oranges, granola bars, chips and sandwiches… but I’m determined to find more to share!

Also, you’ll note a serious upgrade in picture quality: I just got my Canon SD4000, and I love it.  Can’t wait to use this on some burgers.

I also HATE waiting in line for anything.  We live in a great city, no one needs to wait in line for food.

However, sometimes a gal gets a craving for a chunky lobster roll with a buttery bun.  And, if she sees a post on Twitter saying that the lobster roll fairy (the Red Hook Lobster truck!) will be one block from her office in 15 minutes… well, you know what happened next. I grabbed my Kindle, strolled down the block, and waited not even 10 minutes in line to order the lobster roll that has everyone talking.

Red Hook offers a few different types of seafood rolls: a shrimp roll, Connecticut lobster roll (with butter, small sliced green onions, and lemon), and a more traditional Maine style lobster roll.  They also offer whoopie pies, Cape Cod potato chips, chow-dah and Maine Root soda in a variety of flavors.  Not one to take my trip lightly, I ordered the Connecticut Lobster Roll meal, with Cape Cod chips and a sarsparilla soda.  (At $18 for the meal, it’s a splurge, but not one that I plan on making every month!)

The lobster roll? It was delicious and had huge chunks of lobster claw meat.  In fact, I’m now motivated to try my hand at making Connecticut rolls for friends this summer.  The sarsparilla soda was like a clear birch beer.  Not too sweet, either, which almost made me want to roll down the block for my free refill.  Almost.

My one suggestion to Red Hook would be to nix the pickle, or serve it as far away from the buttered lobster roll as possible.  Tucked underneath the sandwich, with the roll already exuding butter…  it just gets a little messy.

Now, who wants to find me great lobster and split-top rolls at reasonable rates in DC?

It would make me ever so happy to see DC get summery spring weather sooner rather than later.  Since mother nature is choosing to threaten snow in April, leaving us all wondering whether we should really have put away all our winter clothes… I decided to hit her back with a soup recipe that I most definitely will be making again.

This vegetarian soup is so easy, so cheap, and so warming it might make you want the cold weather to stick around for one more week.  (And I’ll hope you don’t get your wish!)

For a heartier meal, I also cooked up some homemade croutons with some delicious pita I had leftover from Harris Teeter.  Next time, I’d also try serving it up with some pork, as I think the flavors would all fit nicely.

Chickpea, Spinach, & Tomato Soup with Homemade Croutons

• 1 package frozen spinach
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 box low-sodium chicken stock (I like Kitchen Basics!)
• 6 pita pockets (or some other kind of day-old bread)
• 2 pinches dried chipotle pepper (found in the produce section at Whole Foods)
• Dash of Olive Oil
• Onion Powder
• Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Basil, Parmesan to taste

For the homemade croutons, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut your bread into 1 inch cubes and put in a bowl.  Toss with a light, light coating of olive oil, pinch of onion powder, herbs and parmesan cheese to taste.  Place on an aluminum-foil-lined pan and cook for 20-30 minutes.

For the soup, microwave the spinach (I’m a steam-in-a-bag frozen veggie kind of gal, so if you use fresh spinach you can also place in a bowl with a bit of water and steam in the microwave).  Then throw the spinach, chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic and stock into a pot of your choosing, and simmer for 20 minutes or as long as you’d like to have the flavors meld.  Add chipotle powder, salt, pepper, onion, and any other seasoning you might like – but be sure to include the chipotle powder, as it gives the soup a great flavor!

To serve, top with homemade croutons and sour cream.

It was, in a word, an AMAZING experience – one that I hope to have again in the near future!

We, The Pizza Review

Ciao!

“So… did you have the Strawberry?”

“What strawberry?  I had po’boys, hurricanes, and oysters, but no Strawberry.”

“Oh.  This time of year, Abita releases their Abita Strawberry.  You should have brought some back, it’s amazing.”

So yeah… apparently while I was in NOLA for work, I missed the boat on Abita Strawberry, and when I got back everyone treated me like I must have been blindfolded during my whole visit for not having tried it.  Not wanting you, the reader, to suffer the same fate, I’d like to offer you a little advice as to where to find this lovely beer in DC/VA!

Last year about this time, there was not an abundance of New Orleans-style restaurants and bars here in DC.  It was just the Red and the Black (now the Red Palace), holding the flag for Abita brews down on H St. NE.  Never one to turn down a (food/booze finding) challenge, I started calling all the distributors in DC to see if they’d sell me some Abita Strawberry.

Finally, I tried Total Beverage.  I was happy to find that the Landmark Total in Alexandria, VA had just received a shipment of Abita Strawberry.  I picked up 2 cases of Abita Strawberry and headed on home to play Abita Strawberry Fairy to all my friends and neighbors.

Today, you can find Abita Strawberry at The Bayou, The Cajun Experience, Bayou Bakery – and your local Total Beverage.  Run, do not walk, to the Abita Strawberry – et laissez les bon temps rouler!

I have been to Dukem and Zenebech Injera (which I absolutely loved), still long to check-out Etete, and have heard great things about Lalibela and Meskerem.   So when I was asked what I’d like to do for a work birthday lunch celebration, catching a meal at Zed’s (which is only a 5-10 minute walk from my office) seemed like a great option.

With a table of five – including one vegetarian – we chose to order the Vegetarian Combination plate for two with red lentils, yellow lentils, cabbage, and greens, the Chicken Infillay with Spinach and Rice, and the Beef Kaey Watt.

The standouts?  The chicken dish, the red lentils, and the greens were well-seasoned and came out tasting and looking fresh.  The first order of injera was spongy and moist.  And the dining room receives SO much natural light, it truly is a great place to sit for a meal on a nice, sunny DC day.

The pitfalls? The yellow lentils and the beef dishes seemed as though they’d been plated far before the other dishes, and they were a bit congealed by the time they arrived to the table.  Having been obsessed with the cabbage at Dukem, I was a little disappointed with the flavor of the cabbage.

My biggest gripe with the meal?  The injera, after our first plate of it, was dry.  The injera on the silver platter (which each of the dishes is served on top of) was dry.  The second plate that was brought to our table as an injera refill was dry.  Given that our first serving of it was not dry and stale, my thought is that this injera was sitting out and not adequately stored before coming to our table.

On the whole, I’d say Zed’s was pretty good.  Would I go again?  Absolutely!  The service was good, and our table next to the window was lovely.

That being said… is pretty good, good enough considering DC is a haven for Ethiopian cuisine?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I was featured on Metrocurean’s 5 Bites last week.

Take a look!