Round Tables
What do food writers really gab about when gathered at the same meal? Flyer transcribes the covert conversations of D.C.'s sometimes-cutting culinary crowd.
Photo: Mark Finkenstaedt
Feast your eyes uponthe critics: Hagedorn, Richman and Nellis,dining at Il Mulino.
David: The roses on the table, the formal service. You see they even change the tablecloths before dessert?
Nycci: And they start off with lots of little gimmes: sliced meats, marinated eggplant, bruschetta, garlic bread. Little niceties. Great people-watching here. An interesting mix.
David:: I like the way they bring the wheel of Parmesan to the table and cut chunks from it. The mussels are good. Very attentive service, I must say.
Nycci: It's a large menu. It would be hard not to find something that sounds good.
Phyllis: I like to order spaghetti carbonara in places like this.
David: I made that for dinner last night, but the inauthentic version. I used a white sauce with the bacon and onions.
Phyllis: You're probably the only person in the metropolitan area who's had carbonara two days in a row.
Waiter: Good evening. Let me tell you about our special appetizers this evening. [Gets through three of them.]
David: Are they written down anywhere?
Waiter: Absolutely! But I'm going to mention a few of my favorites. [Rattles off the remaining 15.]
David: I admire your memory! Mine ran out with the second dish.
Nycci: Are the Sardinian langoustines fresh?
Waiter: Yes, they are.
Nycci: Aren't they seasonal?
Waiter: Um, yes, they are. I recommend them out of the shell.
David: They're way too crunchy the other way.
Waiter: And for tonight's [eight] special entrées, we have...
Nycci: Do you have wines by the glass?
Waiter: Yes, we do. We have a Pinot Grigio, a Merlot, a Cabernet...
Nycci: Are they on the wine list? I don't see them.
Waiter: No.
Nycci: I'll just have a glass of Möet.
[Our Waiter disappears, leaving us to dish.]
David: I wonder what kind of melon they get this time of year for the prosciutto.
Phyllis: I got a great cantaloupe at the Metro Market the other day.
Nycci: The honeydew I bought at Whole Foods yesterday was perfect.
David: Well, OK, then! Have you been to Central yet (Central Michel Richard, 1001 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202/626-0015)?
Phyllis: Oh, yes! I like it there. He does a fabulous hamburger. On a brioche roll.
Nycci: Does he put that potato thing on it?
Phyllis: Yes! They're amazing. They are in disks of very crunchy potato. I don't know if [chef Richard] slices them and bakes them or shreds and bakes them, but they have such a good texture with that burger. Heaven.
David: The new Jack's on 17th Street (1527 17th St., NW; 202/332-6767) makes a good hamburger. Not Michel Richard, but perfect for a neighborhood hangout. These clams casino are fine...
Phyllis: I like that the clams are barely cooked. But the bacon could be crisper and they could use some breadcrumbs.
David: Maybe a dash of Tabasco or some red pepper flakes.
Phyllis: The carbonara is not what I expected. The best carbonara I've had in D.C. was at Sonoma (223 Pennsylvania Ave., SE; 202/544-8088; www.sonomadc.com).
David: I can't believe this is only a half portion; it's humongous. The rigatoni Bolognese is accurate, but I've been spoiled by David Craig's (4924 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda, Md.; 301/657-2484; www.dcbethesda.com) fettucine with meat and wild mushroom ragu.
Nycci: Tons of prosciutto here, too. The dressing on the arugula is very lemony. I like that. But the melon didn't come from Whole Foods.
David: The calamari are fine, but what can I say? I like the fried calamari at Stoney's (1433 P St., NW; 202/234-1818), except for the sauce. The renditions of the rigatoni Bolognese and the veal with mushrooms and Marsala are accurate. The lamb was cooked exactly right. There's been so much food here!
Waiter [suddenly upon us]: Would you like to try some of our house-made strawberry grappa with your dessert?
David: Thank you. Great presentation, cutting a pitcher from a giant block of ice set with berries. Very pretty.
Nycci: They say the tiramisu is the best in town, and they may be right!
David: It just occurred to me, Phyllis. Sitting here with you, I bet 60 percent of the people here think that I'm Tom Sietsema. He'd be appalled!
Nycci: He gets some of the wackiest questions in his online chat.
David: You must have had some doozies in your day, Phyllis.
Phyllis: So many people thought that there was nothing to the job of being a restaurant critic. My favorite? A brain surgeon once called me to say that it was his dear friend's fiftieth birthday and it would be so nice if for a gift I would let his friend write my column. I said, "OK. If you let me do one of your brain surgeries!"
David: What a wonderful story. You know, a delightful restaurant experience is about much more than the quality of the food. It's about the whole show. The atmosphere, the lively conversation, the laughter. This has been a lovely meal, ladies. I could not have asked for better company. I've had a ball!
My Dinner at... Oyamel
When the curtain fell at the restaurant Andale in Penn Quarter last summer, it came as a shock to everyone, including its chef, Alison Swope. But the change turned out to be fortuitous, because, to paraphrase an old adage, when one door closed, three opened. Chef-mogul José Andrés transported his tapas-style restaurant, Oyamel (401 7th St., NW; 202/628-1005; www.oyamel.com), from Crystal City to the Penn Quarter outpost previously occupied by Andale; chef Roberto Donna transformed the old Oyamel into the new Bebo Trattoria (Washington Flyer; January/February 2007); and Swope, with two smash-hit runs behind her—she was the original talent behind Woodley Park's New Heights Restaurant—is getting ready for a brilliant third act. (Shhhhhh!) For this meal, the following round-table discussion includes Nycci, Meaghan Wolff and Melissa McCart:
Waiter: You guys were here last week, weren't you?
Nycci: We're baaaaack!
[On the menu: Margaritas ($10/ea.), Bouterra Merlot ($8/glass), guacamole prepared tableside ($11); plantain chips with tomatillo salsa ($6); cactus salad with prickly pear dressing ($7); shrimp and crab ceviche ($10.50); sopas (mini-cornflour cakes) with chorizo, potatoes, refried beans and crema ($7); braised short rib with mole verde ($9); French fries with mole poblano ($5.50); corn tamal with Chihuahua cheese and guajillo chile sauce ($5.50); hand-made corn tortilla tacos with chicken ($3), seared red snapper ($4), sautéed wild mushrooms ($4) and confit of baby pig and pork rinds ($4); tres leches cake with rum, pineapple salsa and caramel ice cream ($7); and chocolate coffee flan with star anise ice cream ($7). Our dinner for four, tax and tip included: $215.]
Nycci: Let me tell you, if you like margaritas, they're really good here.
David: They top them with salt foam. I'm not usually a big foam fan, but it works here. Gets rid of the grittiness from the rim of the glass. If you prefer shots, they have 20 or 30 kinds of tequila to choose from.
Meaghan: On a Monday night? Tuesday, maybe... I'm a sucker for Mexican food, though; it's a comfort thing for me. I don't live far from Taqueria Poblano (2503A N. Harrison St.; Arlington, Va.; 703/237-8250; www.taqueriapoblano.com) and go there frequently.
Nycci: A lot of people think of [Mexican food] as sloppy, too much cheese. But what they do here is aesthetically pleasing, tasty, with enough spice but not overwhelming. I could make a meal out of the guacamole and
plantains, which are absolutely addictive.
Melissa: The goat cheese queso fresco on top of the guacamole is a nice touch.
Meaghan: It's very fresh. Citrusy, almost more lemony than limey, isn't it? Really chunky... ooohhhhh...
David: They've microplaned lime zest on it. The house salsa with the tortilla and plantain chips is nice and smoky. I'm glad it's puréed; the chunky stuff doesn't always survive the journey from the scoop to the bite.
Melissa: The ceviche is bright and fresh. Large pieces of crab, not overmarinated.
Meaghan: The ceviche bar in the corner window is a great idea. The videos playing above it are cool. They look like old movie clips or newsreels, almost. Is that Mexico City on the screen now?
Melissa: This short rib is perfectly cooked. It just falls apart; you don't need a knife.
David: The relish with it is a nice complement: the basil, the tomatillos …
Nycci: Onions and cilantro, too, no?
David: I think you're right. But my vote goes for the sopas. I had forgotten they were made with chorizo. Open-faced gems, a good pick-uppy thing. The little tortillas are very delicate.
Melissa: The corn tamal is a clear standout. I spent the day with a woman making masa. She shipped the corn from California and had a special blender to cut it with. It's very labor intensive.
David: That's why there are so many bad ones out there. It's one of those peasant dishes that takes real finesse to make the right way. They can be pasty, but these are so rich and light.
Nycci: I like what they've done to the place. They took out one of the walls from the back room; it's much more open now. They changed Andale's bright-colored walls to earth tones.
David: Details are nice: pressed tin panels on the columns, papier-mâché sculptures...
Nycci: I was curious about how they would transfer that giant butterfly mobile from the 40-foot wall of the old Oyamel space. You know where the name comes from? The tree that shelters Monarch butterflies?
David: They cut the sculpture down and spread it across the ceiling. Clever.
Melissa: It's cozy, personal. No corporate feel like at Rosa Mexicano (575 7th St., NW; 202/783-5522; www.rosamexicano.com).
Nycci: Which is a very pretty restaurant that serves great drinks.
Meaghan: A good place to go with someone on a date, but it's not a food thing. I like to go to down-to-earth places that excel at what they do. Like 2Amys (3715 Macomb St., NW; 202/885-5700; www.2Amyspizza.com). And Johnny's (Johnny's Half Shell; 400 N. Capitol St., NW; 202/737-0400; www.johnnyshalfshell.net) is a mainstay for me.
Melissa: Totally agree. Rosa Mexicano is not necessarily where you'd go looking for a beef tongue taco.
Meaghan: That's why I love that you can get really amazing eats at the bar of places like CityZen (1330 Maryland Ave., SW; 202/787-6006; www.cityzenrestaurant.com) and Palena (3529 Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-537-9250; www.palenarestaurant.com). It's smart of Eric Ziebold and Frank Ruta to offer a way to experience what they do without burning a hole in your wallet ... Those fries at Palena with spicy mayonnaise? Mmmmm.
David: Have you tried these French fries? Not crazy about the mole with them. They're fine with any of the other sauces on the table, but I'm not digging the chocolate in the sauce. Too sweet for me.
Meaghan: [picking up my recorder] "Note to self: French fries with mole. Me no like. Me no like."
David: I've finally found something not improved by chocolate.
[Chef Joe Raffa, formerly of Majestic Café, stops by our table to check in.]
David: What was your first cooking job, Joe?
Joe: Cooking was a second career for me. I came here from Honolulu to go to American University, then worked as an investigator for the GAO. They were laying people off, and instead of waiting for that to happen, I went to L'Academie de Cuisine. I did my externship with Susan Lindeborg at the Morrison-Clark Inn. I was with her from the beginning when she started Majestic Café.
Nycci: How are you handling the difference between how you cooked at Majestic and what you are doing here?
Joe: I love it! It's like coming home because I worked with José at Café Atlantico. What I like about working for this group is that they are so supportive, especially about the things I'm trying to be daring with here.
Nycci: A lot of people are raving about the grasshopper tacos. [An Oaxacan specialty.]
Joe: They're not for everyone. I thought they would just sit on the menu, but we're flying through them. It's traditional, and that's what we want to do.
David: I love the tamales. The texture is velvety. So light. What's in them?
Joe: A lot of cream and butter. That's why they're so good. Well, nice to have all of you here. Enjoy your desserts.
Meaghan: Dessert is the most interesting part to talk about. This shortcake is amazing. Everything about it works. The pineapple, the cream, the lime zest, the ice cream.
David: What kind of ice cream is that?
Meaghan: Caramel. And I taste rum in the cake.
Melissa: The chocolate looks like pudding. Very licorice-y, like Sambuca. Ah, I see. Star anise ice cream.
David: Steve Klc does the desserts here and at Zaytinya. At all of José's places, I think. He likes to put unusual elements together. The pineapple really works for me. A very refreshing way to end a meal of so many assertive flavors.
Nycci: You guys, we're the only people left in the dining room!
David: We're those lingerers we restaurant folk always complain about. It's time to go!