Sounds of the City- Awaiting the finalist selection

It's cinco de Mayo and the day of the James Beard Foundation announces the winner of the 2014 Best Chef Award later at the  Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in New York City. Tickets for the Black-tie Award Dinner event start at $450 - I couldn't justify the cost. A pal informed me that tonight's event will be live streamed.

I've completed my journey of visiting all the 2014 Best Chef finalists for the Mid-Atlantic region:

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA) 
 
Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA
 
Spike Gjerde, Woodberry Kitchen, Baltimore
 
Brad Spence, Amis, Philadelphia
 
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika, Washington, D.C.
 
Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore


The best part of the journey was discovering venues I would visit again and recommend to others. Many thanks to the employees of the restaurant I met along the journey.

In honor of cinco de Mayo and the Awards finalists I'll be sipping my Tequila with a splash of lime and munching on tortilla chips topped with my homemade spicy guacamole closely watching the live stream for the final decision.

Congratulations to all the restaurants and their chefs for being selected!

Be well,
Technicolor girl

Charleston, 2014 James Beard Award Finalist - Great Expectations

I had to check out the Charleston. Charleston's Chef, Cindy Wolf, was the only woman in the Mid Atlantic Best Chef  finalist category and she had been nominated twice before. I sent a text to my pal Bebe to see if she would be interested in visiting. Bebe responded affirmatively immediately. I like dining with Bebe because her sense of taste is amazing, she likes exploring cuisines, and she has a discerning eye for presentation.  As the date of the visit grew closer I told friends about my excitement and the great expectations  I had about dining at Charleston.

The dining gods looked out traffic me the day of the visit, I navigated through rush hour traffic from Virginia to Baltimore well enough to arrive early.  I opted to sit at the bar and wait for Bebe. The  bar area speaks of quiet sophistication. - gleaming counters, comfy looking chairs.  I ordered a glass of Brut Rosé  while I waited. Bebe arrived and tried the Rosé as well after a moment of hesitation.  This Brut  Rosé was light, crisp, with a slightly dry finish. Bebe nodded and smiled after her initial taste. A server brought us potato crisps accompanied with crème fraîche to enjoy with the Rosé.

As gentleman approached us and asked if we were ready for dinner. We were guided to the dining room and placed at a table with a direct view of the kitchen. I gave silent thanks to the dining gods!  The gentleman gave us an overview of the restaurant concept: multi course dinner, select the dish you would like for each course. He then asked us if we would like anything else to drink and told us the restaurant had an extensive wine cellar. It turns out we were talking to  Tony Foreman, Charleston's Wine Director and co-owner of Charleston.

We decided to try the four course meal.  An assortment of bread and creamy butter was brought to the table. A sharp smell crossed the table, disappeared, and returned. I thought I smelled mildew. I asked Bebe if she smelled something as well. She confirmed that she did and asked if: 1)  I wanted to change tables  or 2) it was possible that it was her cologne. I liked the view from the table and  didn't want to move.

Course 1

We both ordered the Rich Lobster Soup with Curry. The bowls arrived with arugula oil, curry oil and lobster meat already in the bowl.

 

rich lobster soup prep

The aromatic curry was tasty  with hints of cardamom and other spices. Bebe  didn't finish her soup because of the significant amount of lobster cartilage she found in the lobster meat in her soup. I didn't encounter cartilage in the lobster meat in my soup, some pieces were a bit chewy, perhaps overcooked.

rich lobster soup

 

Course 2
Bebe's golden beet salad appeared to hastily constructed; she frowned. The ingredients were good though - Vermont goat cheese, frisée and balsamic vinaigrette

golden beet salad

The spinach and blood orange salad looked good, but tasted like water (the spinach tasted as if it were  was either frozen or old). I asked if the salad could be replaced and asked for suggestions . The wild octopus salad was recommended.

spinach and blood orange salad

The wild octopus salad was amazing. The octopus is poached in wine  and then seasoned. For those who may be leery about trying octopus this salad is a wonderful introduction. The firm octopus has no 'fishy' taste  at all. The fava beans add a touch of color and additional earthiness to the salad.

wild octopus salad

Course 3
Bebe ordered the Rockfish with French Green Lentil Cream, Vidalia Onion Beignets. She shook her head in disapproval after the first bite and moved the plate to me. The Rockfish dish was a study in contrasts. To me, the French lentils were savory and  heavy (reminiscent of dal makhani or black eyed peas)  and competed with the  Rockfish.



Rockfish with French lentils

I tried ordered the Turbot with oyster and button mushroom fricassée, lemon beurre blanc. The sauce on the turbot  had a delightful popcorn butter like scent. The mushroom fricassee was tender.



turbot

Course 4
Bebe ordered the Buffalo tenderloin and followed our server's suggestion to get buffalo medium rare. The  buffalo dish that arrived  was overcooked and tasted like cube steak. Our server urged Bebe to send the dish back to be prepared again.



buffalo tenderloin

 I ordered the duck magret and followed our server's suggested in meat temperature. It also arrived cooked longer than requested. Rather than send another dish back, I shared the dish with Bebe.

duck

 

cheese service is available

 It was rather late in the evening, so we initially declined having dessert. Our  server informed us that dessert is included in the multi course experience and encouraged us to select an item that we could take with us.







The service was attentive, helpful and efficient. The bathrooms were clean and bright. As a fine dining establishment, the type of food delivery missteps that occurred was  disappointing to experience. I felt embarrassed because Bebe was present at my invitation and had encountered a very uneven dining experience. It seemed as if Bebe was reading my mind when she said to me near the end of the meal, 'I know you're disappointed, but you have no control over the meal'.  The mildew smell had returned. I took that as my cue to exit.

Single diner note:  Charleston has a two party minimum to make a reservation via OpenTable.

Valet parking is available. Metered off street parking is available and be forewarned, parking enforcement is active.

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Amis - Roadtrip!

When  I saw Amis on the list of 2014 James Beard Award finalists for Best Mid Atlantic Chef the question I struggled with was when I would visit, not if I would visit.

I contacted a pal about  taking a roadtrip to visits Amis. My pal, Mimi, disclosed that her fiancé, Andrew, loves food, so we couldn't go on the roadtrip without him.  The drive to Philly was  Philly was quick thanks to  Andrew.

After checking in and getting settled at our hotel (thank you Hotel Palomar!) we took a taxi to Amis. While we waited  for our table to be setup, I asked the woman at the reception station  for suggestions. She admitted she
usually worked at another Vetri restaurant (Vetri is the name surname of the family that owns several restaurants in the area, including Amis) so she wasn't aware current offerings, but she highly recommended the meatballs appetizer.

We were offered a drink menu and food menu to peruse. It was  busy evening, but our server appeared quickly at our table and brought glasses of water to sip  and bread with olive to nibble on while we perused the menu.

We started with mussels with spicy broth,  imported bufala ricotta, and Sal's old school meatballs.The bufala and meatballs were the table favorites. The delicious bufala's nutmeg and black pepper elements delighted all of us. The meatballs were tender and juicy, the tomato potato was soft and full of flavor. The mussels were just okay - the  mussels seemed to be overcooked; the spicy broth was tasty, but too spicy for one person at our table.

Sal's old school meatballs with tomato potato

imported bufala ricotta





mussels with spicy broth

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spring bellini

We ordered to drink : Spring bellini, granita, and Rosso Dei politici Montepulciano '12. The Spring Bellini, a blend of prosecco and pineapple, was described as 'great'. The granita featured prosecco and red wine granita-  had just a touch of sweetness. The Montepulciano was soft and smooth with a bit of tannin. I hope to add the Montepulciano to the wines I serve at home. Amis' drink menu also features house made sodas and a number of draft and bottle beers.


The table opted to steer clear of the mussels entrée special after trying the mussels in spicy broth appetizer. We ordered:  charred asparagus with fried egg and truffle pecorino, rigatoni with sepia, spinach and toasted breadcrumbs, roasted lamb shoulder with potatoes, and fried brussel sprouts and lemon.  The asparagus and lamb shoulder were liked by everyone at the table. Mimi loved the  asparagus taste and texture, especially when the egg yolk was mixed with asparagus. Our server forewarned us that the lamb shoulder would be cut into pieces, formed into a patty and roasted a bit longer so were not surprised by the dish's appearance. The lamb was tender, well seasoned and hard to resist. The potatoes were a nice accompaniment, but did not stand out.  The table was divided on the brussel sprouts - those who were impressed with the dish enjoyed the tartness of the lemon added to the dish; this was the same reason some thought the dish was too bitter. The rigatoni was an attractive dish to look at - the bread crumb revealed texture differences. The person who ordered the dish commented that the dish had a 'fishy' taste, looked at the list of the dish's noted flavor elements and didn't know what sepia was. Our server stopped by shortly to check on us and explained that that sepia is similar to calamari. Our server offered to bring another dish to replace the rigatoni. We decided not to replace the dish - after all, the intention of the road trip was to explore the menu.


rigatoni with sepia





charred asparagus with fried egg

fried brussel sprouts and lemon

roasted lamb shoulder with potatoes



Our server cautiously approached the table and mentioned the word 'dessert'. The looked pleadingly at the server as if to say, 'did you see what we just consumed?'. We debated whether or not even try dessert.  Mimi and I decided to order the olive oil torta and Belgian style waffle with  nutella. Our server not only delivered the desserts we ordered, but surprised the table with a salted butter semifreddo sundae with chocolate sauce, orange marmalade and almond.  The table  suddenly awoke for a third round of tastes. All the desserts were delightful. The whipped cream tasted fresh, the vanilla semifreddo was smooth and creamy, but not too heavy. The nutella was described as 'perfect  as usual' (yes, a  report from a definite nutella fan).




Back left: olive oil torta,  back right: salted butter semifreddo sundae,
 front: Belgian style waffle with nutella

 Andrew reported that the bathroom were in good working  order.

When the bill arrived a brochure about the Vetri Foundation for Children was attached. Mimi and Andrew decided immediately to make a donation after viewing the photo of the adorable little girl on the brochure's cover. Even better: the Vetri  family of restaurants will match all guest donations!


Mimi and Andrew felt that Amis would be a great place to go on a date. I surveyed the room and noted the number of single diners at the bar and in the dining area - all the single diners appeared to be comfortable, taken care of and enjoying their food. Single diner note: Amis accepts reservations for 1 person.

As we made our way to the door the woman at the reception station asked me if I enjoyed my meal. I thanked her for recommending Sal's old fashioned meatballs and shared that Mimi and Andrew had begun planning their return visit in a few weeks.  Several staff had gathered around as we chatted. I wondered if someone had looked at my OpenTable profile or had seen my happy Tweet about the dishes and then dismissed the thought as we were enjoying ourselves.  We walked onto the sidewalk and discussed the merits of walking back to the hotel after eating so much food versus taking a taxi .

Amis offers sidewalk dining  and diners can enjoy their meals a the bar if they choose. Valet parking is available at Amis. On street parking is available, but be prepared to drive around for a spot. Reservations for Amis can be made via OpenTable.

I discovered while chatting with a member of the staff that Amis has advanced to the James Beard Award  finalist round before, and that they are very excited about being a 2014 finalist. 

 Be well,
Technicolor girl

Woodberry Kitchen - refined simplicity

I asked a pal who works in Baltimore where Woodberry Kitchen was located and what he knew  of Woodberry Kitchen. His response was, 'it's not far from my job and it's a hoity-toity place'. I decided to go anyway. I got lost enroute because I didn't see the sign Union Street (this could be a challenge at night). After getting back on track I arrived in the Clipper Parkway area. 

Woodbery Kitchen is located in a converted mill space. The restaurant's large windows, exposed brick walls create and ambience décor which I would describe as ' rustic and refined simplicity'. Nearby studio space is occupied by retail shops. Woodberry Kitchen's whimsical website explains the restaurant's concept is farm to table highlighting local and organic ingredients.

While I perused the menu a member of the staff brought  crusty bread, soft bread that is made on premises. Matt L., my server told me that the butter is from a Pennsylvania creamery.

I had a half portion of the Turtle boy green salad: yacon root, carrots, cremini mushrooms, pita toast, mustard dressing.  Also had pickled orange bell peppers and red onion. The salad were greens fresh crisp and brightly colored . The sourdough crisps were a bit tough to manage. This was paired with Riesling Trocken, Stock and Stein. The Riesling seemed to compete with the vinaigrette.

Broccoli soup: ham. Cheddar, sour cream. Very tasty. Great color. More salt than I would've expected., it kind of  takes away from the  broccoli. The Riesling paired better with the soup.

broccoli soup

Wood roasted sausages: weiswurst and lamb, red potatoes, braised red onion, harmony pickle, herb sour cream.  Paired with Rousanne, picpoul Hecht & Banner 2011. This very savory German inspired dish was very tasty. Matt L told me Woodberry Kitchen makes the sausage on premises. The Hecht & Banner wine was a good choice. 

wood roasted sausages
 

I ate part of the entrée, the rest was packaged to eat another day. Matt L smiled a conspiratorially as he slid the dessert menu in front of me. The bourbon pecan pie paired with buttermilk sherbet  caught my eye (I adore Bourbon and my mother is one the best pecan pie makers I know). This pie was delicious! I'd venture to say the bourbon pecan pie would 'mother approved' - she'd love this combination as I did.

bourbon pecan pie and buttermilk sherbet

 

Woodberry has an extensive and impressive wine list including Muscadet, Rousanne, Dolcetto,  and Cab Franc. Mead, craft beer, and cider are on the beverage list too. Woodberry Kitchen uses Riedel wine glasses - a nice touch.

What about my friend's 'hoity toity' comment'? I didn't find it be true of the restaurant staff . If the comment was meant to apply to the other diners, I didn't see that either. Families, groups, and couples dined near me and I didn't sense the 'what are you doing here?' vibe that permeates some establishments and/or the establishment's diners. Adult contemporary music played during my visit (think James Taylor to Stevie Wonder)  in the background; the noise level is higher in bar area

The staff is casually attired: women in white shirts, gray skirts, min jeans and shirts. Everyone is pleasant, polite, and attentive. I checked out the bathroom early on in my visit. It was clean, but some of the supplies (e.g. paper towels) were almost gone (this can be remedied easily enough - a member of staff checks the supplies every 30 minutes). Later as  I departed the restaurant a queue had formed in the hallway for the bathroom.

Single diner's note: Woodberry Kitchen accepts reservations for 1 person. The staff does a good job in making sure you are taken care of.

Valet parking is available. On street parking is available, please note the posted signs. The attire is  casual (a few people had on jeans) and the restaurant is family friendly.  Reservations are recommended and can be made via OpenTable. 

Side note: Woodberry Kitchen is active on Twitter, @wk restaurant is the restaurant's Twitter handle. When I responded to an inquiry about my weekend activities and mentioned that I would be visiting Woodberry Kitchen within a hours I received  a reply from Woodberry Kitchen, "We look forward to seeing you!" Had Woodberry Kitchen been on the lookout for me?  I suppose I need to return to find out!

Ask for Matt L when you visit.

Would you like to follow me on Twitter? My handle is @Techdinegirl.

Be well,
Technicolor girl

2014 James Beard Award Finalists - the final round

A month ago I wrote about the restaurants that advanced to the finalist round for Best Mid Atlantic chef.

There were three restaurants on the finalist list that I had not visited before :
Amis in Philadelphia, Pa
Charleston in Baltimore, Md
Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore, Md

I debated whether or not to venture out and visit the nominated finalists. I finally succumbed to personal curiosity and a bit of wanderlust. I invite you to follow me as I seek the remaining restaurants on the list 2014 James Beard Award Finalist list for Best Mid Atlantic Chef.

Be well, 

Technicolor girl