Zaytinya and DC Brau - a beer dinner

 When I received the email about Zaytinya's beer dinner featuring DC Brau I immediately checked my calendar and responded to of the email that I was interested in attending.I admit it, it's hard for me to say no to events at Zaytinya.  In general I like Zaytinya - I like the building design, the variety of well seasoned dishes, and that the dishes are reasonably priced.

 

I rushed my from work to catch the metro to Zaytinya and got  caught in rush hour delays. When I crossed  Zaytinya's threshold I was greeted by the reception desk team. John Livanos,  one of Zaytinya's Restaurant Managers, called me by name and welcomed me. I was impressed- he wasn't looking at a sheet and all the guests had not arrived.  He said he remembered me  - again impressive because I hadn't stepped foot in Zaytinya in about four months. John took my coat and showed me to my table.

  

On the menu:

Welcome

Kibbeh Nayeh- Lebanese style beef tartar, bulgur wheat, onion, mint, saved radish

Midyes - fied mussels with garlic yogurt

Model Citizen American Cream Ale

 

Midyes- traditional Turkish fried mussels, garlic yogurt, pistachios

I enjoyed both appetizers The presentation of the midyes was very nice. The crunchy coating enveloped the sweet and tender mussel. I liked the American Cream the Ale. This beer would be great for sipping on a hot summer day - refreshing, light.



First course

Salt Cod Carpaccio with local root vegetables and potato skordalia

Citizen Belgian IPA



Salt cod Carpaccio

 This course tasted as good as it looked. Cod is one of my favorite fish and this dish reminded me why I like cod. The potato and local root vegetables made this dishe mroe substatial than if it were just cod alone. 

Second Course

Papiatopita- house made phyllo wrapped around beer braised duck and foie gras

Horta - local greens braised with duck fat, cumin urfa pepper

 

Wings of Armageddon Double IPA

Papiatopita and horta

A few members of the table whispered 'what is this?' when this course was delivered to the table. Everyone was pleasantly surprised by this course. The Papoatopia tender exterior contained an amazing filling- that melted in the mouth.  I loved the horta. The greens were tender and had lots of flavor. John Livanos told the table that horta was often served in Greek homes for dinner.  The Wings of Armageddon beer paired well with this dish. I'd consider adding Wings of Armageddon to my own bar or serving it to guests.

  

Third Course

La Ratt fingerling potatoes - crushed with Greek olive oil and sea salt

Seasonal mushrooms- almonds, dates, cumin

Spit roasted Jamison Farm lamb shoulder- rubbed with garlic, oregano and black pepper

Exaltation Belgian Strong Ale

Spit toasted lamb shoulder

Seasonal mushrooms

LaRatt fingerling potatoes

The table loved this course.  The spit fired lamb was tender, well seasoned and juicy (versus dried out). The seasonal mushrooms were also tender and seasoned well. The addition The preparation of the fingerling potatoes was a nice, simple alternative.  Exaltation strong ale was a keeper in my book. It blended well with the seasoned dishes, but could be drank alone.

Dessert

Chocolate baklaba with Ikranian honey ice cream

Penn Quarter Porter 

 Chocolate baklava

Dessert was a chocolate lover's dream. The dense chocolate baklava was good to look at and eat. The honey ice cream complemented the baklava, but could also be served alone. The porter was a good pairing- it's chocolately, coffee notes were enhanced by the dessert.

Chef Costa is one of the friendliest chefs I've met. He walked from table to table chatting with the beer dinner diners asking people what they thought of the baklava and answering questions. Chef Costa told the table that he and his team spent several weeks developing the chocolate baklava and that were several attempts that he had his team didn't like. Because the chocolate baklava is rather labor intensive to create it will most likely be prepared for special events only.

 One of  the diners at the table asked if the Papiatopita and horta could be added to the menu.

It was obvious the DC Brau team love what they do. They answered questions, shared anecdotes, and  brought DC Brau branded items for diners to take home with them. I made a mental note to add DC Brau to the list of beers I look for when dining out or might recommend to  others.

Zaytinya does a good job of keepinng the bathroom neat and tidy.

I was fortunate to be assigned to a table with people whose faces looked vaguely familiar. By the third course one couple shared that we had attended another event hosted by Zaytinya. The gentleman on my left reminded me that I met him and his wife at an event hosted by Zaytinya.

I was pleased to see a good number of women and people of color at this event  enjoying the delicious dishes and well chosen beers.

Zaytinya is a very short walk from the Gallery Place metro stop. Reservationsare suggested and can be made via OpenTable.
 

Boqueria DC- the potential to be a star

A food enthusiast pal of mine and I decided to check out Boqueria on a wintry Sunday evening. The place appeared to be nearly empty when I walked in. My pal had already arrived and was seated at the table with an adult beverage.  She immediately suggested I try her drink - it was not too sweet, but  was a refreshing combination. I followed suit and ordered the blood orange sangria. Our server explained the restaurant concept - order two or three tapas per person  and share with other at the table. We settled in and tried to only select five items. We ordered:

Buñuelos de Bacalao (Salt-cod and potato fritters, citrus aioli)

Txipirones (Baby squid seared a la plancha, fries we had hoe, romesco vinaigrette, tomato confit, crispy scallions)

Espinacas a La Catalana (Sautéed spinach, garbanzos,‎ pine nuts, garlic, golden raisins)

Pintxos Morunos (Seared Colorado lamb skewers, pickled shallots, salsa verde)

Salteado De Setas (Sautéed wild mushrooms,‎ manchego cheese, thyme)



Salt cod and potato fritters

 

We loved the bacalao. The accompanying aioli was surprisingly light and paired perfectly with the cod. The mushrooms were chopped into small pieces and sautéed until just tender. The spinach was delicious - lightly sautéed and  finished with a squeeze of lemon juice and salt.



Sautéed spinach

Sautéed wild mushrooms

 



lamb skewers

The txiperones (squid) and lamb were disappointing. The squid was not seared - it tasted oily and heavy. The accompanying frisee could not absorb the oiliness of the squid and the vinaigrette seemed to make the dish greasy tasting. The tomato confit didn't help the dish at all. I think thinly sliced pink grapefruit or pomelo would have been a better choice. The lamb skewers were surprisingly tough and gamey- was it the cut of meat or was it because the meat had not marinated for a sufficient period of time?



Txiperones

 

Monte Enebro plate

For dessert we tried the Monte Enebro - a goat's milk cheese aged 2-3 months in ash. It was smooth, creamy and where the ash had seeped in the cheese had a divine earthy flavor. The cheese was served with golden raisins, pitted olives, grapes and raisin  bread. The raisin bread was an acceptable choice, but not outstanding.  Along with the cheese we had cortado and chocolate caliente. Both were warm and satisfying and fortified as we anticipated stepping outside into the cold winter night.

 

The mood Boqueria wants to create seems to be undecided. On ourvisit loud rock, pop, and R&B streamed through the speakers. At times it was hard to hear the server and nearby diners spoke loudly to carry on conversations.   I think a much better approach would be to play acoustic guitar, flamenco, or Spanish influenced music (think Gipsy Kings, Ottmar Leibert, Jesse Cook) with the volume down a bit.

 

Boqueria has the potential to be one the best tapas restaurants in the area. I hope it succeeds.

Boqueria is a short walk from Dupont Circle and Farragut North metro stops. Metered street parking is available - parking is free on Sundays.



 

Zest - an American Bistro

I discovered Zest after an unsuccessful attempt to have dinner at Rose's Luxury. While chiding myself for loading the parking meter with coins I  decided to give nearby  Zest a try.

Zest's website states that is committed to being environmentally friendly and has taken a number steps towards being green. Wood from the restaurant demolition was saved and made into the dining room tables and bar top, non-toxic paint was used on the walls, the water heater, sinks and toilets are highly energy efficient and the bamboo floors are a sustainable resource.

Zest offers creative dishes at competitive prices (when I visited entrees ranged in price from $13.95 to $22.95). I tried the kale salad (colorful, fresh and tasty it  features roasted butternut squash, beets, french beans, purple cabbage apples, toasted sesame seeds, goddess tahini dressing ), the salmon special (salmon accompanied with haricot vert and risotto- good idea, but the flavor elements of the risotto and haricot vert competed with the salmon) and brownie sundae (sweet and satisfying).

kale salad

salmon special

brownie sundae

The staff was moving at a brisk pace the evening I visited. For a couple of customers the pace wasn't fast enough as they left after they were seated brought beverages and waited for their server to return.


Reservations for Zest can be made via  Open Table. Note to single diners: you may be offered a seat at the bar if the restaurant is busy. The night I visited I sat at the bar. The bartender recommended the kale salad that I ordered.


The bathroom was clean but is near the bar and an area where table items are bussed are being removed from diner's table. I exited the bathroom slowly but nearly collided with a server enroute to pick up a drink order. Yikes!

Zest is family friendly and has a children's menu.

Zest is in the increasingly popular Eastern Market section, of DC. The restaurant makes efficient use of its small space; I recommend making reservations if you plan to visit the restaurant. Off street metered parking is available on 8th Street SE (meters run Monday  through Saturday evening). Adjacent streets have zoned/permit parking.  The close metro stop is Eastern Market.



Zest was okay, but didn't impress me enough to make it my 'go to' place when I'm in the Eastern Market area.