Kapnos Taverna (in, gasp, Virginia!); the DC-VA-MD thing

Three of my dearest pals took me out last night for a birthday celebration. It's not every day I get to go out with the ladies, and so, despite the chill and pending rain, I put on a fun skirt, sleeveless top and these bad boys which most definitely needed to be christened. Aren't they fab?!

Y'all have probably figured out that I groove on great shoes. There's a reason my mom has long called me Imelda Marcos.

Anyway, my pals picked me up and off we headed to Mike Isabella's Kapnos Taverna. The one in Virginia. The entire conversation about leaving DC for Virginia was priceless.

"I'm sorry. We are going to Virginia. It's not that far. Then we're coming back! I swear this restaurant is supposed to be awesome, even better than its DC counterpart."

There is definitely a sense of competition and hierarchy in the DC-VA-MD area. Some want the "real" city experience and so live in the District despite way too many shitty schools, shitty infrastructure (like the Metro and roads) and taxation without representation. Others long ago swore off DC's awful traffic and shitty schools for lower tax rates, better publics and larger living spaces. 

This all plays out in two main ways, as far as I observe:

1. People make judgments about others based on their license plates. For example, Tom and I once heard a DC driver yell, with wild outrage, at a Marylander, "You Maryland driver!" as if that were both the worst insult ever and encapsulated everything that was of offense. 

2. DC people are very skeptical about leaving the District: Bethesda is fine, but beyond that, it might take some convincing unless you're going "on an adventure," to some predetermined destination. 

In any case, we made it. Kapnos Virginia focuses on the culinary traditions of southern Greece (seafood!) while the DC location emphasizes the northern (think meats on a spit). Everything sounded divine, and I dare say our charming waiter was impressed at the number of dishes we ladies put away: a half-dozen West coast oysters; lobster flatbread; charred octopus; King salmon tartar; a three-spread sampler with flatbread; a bowl of horta (fabulous greens cooked in a traditional Greek manner); beet salad; a shrimp entree; the Chilean sea bass special; saganaki; and two desserts. 

3 spreads: taramasalata made with carp roe, caviar and cauliflower; melitzanosalata (smoky eggplant, walnuts, feta and roasted sweet peppers); and tyrokaftari (feta, manouri, and grains of paradise)

The dips were truly wonderful: I wondered how taramasalata (traditionally made with white bread, caviar and roe) made with cauliflower would taste. I'm a hardcore tarama fan so was vaguely skeptical, but Kapnos' rendition was absolutely wonderful. It still had the pungent, salty kick of the traditional version, though was missing the odd pink hue (which I happen to love). Bygones.

saganaki (flamed cheese with lemon and a spicy honey on top)

I order saganaki at every opportunity. I mean, who doesn't want a slab of salty cheese flamed in liquor? Mamma mia. Kapnos took its version to a higher level with a glaze of spicy-pepper-honey and lemon. This was close-your-eyes-and-gasp sublime.

King salmon tartar with purple potatoes, mustard and cucumber

beet salad with orange and coriander

lobster flatbread

One thing was better than another though I thought the least spectacular were the tartar and flatbread. The tartar lacked enough textural variation for my taste, as the purple potatoes and diced cucs had almost exactly the same mouthfeel as the salmon. The quality was great, but I wished for a bit more excitement, and the mustard could have been more pronounced. 

Lobster is something best served on its own, in my opinion. Steamed with lemon butter or on a great, white, lightly toasted roll with lemon butter. That which topped the flatbread was perfectly cooked but was a bit lost in the melange of peppers, radishes, herbs, crunchy bread and so forth. 

The service was great, the atmosphere was energetic and casual in a good way, and I loved the white wine I ordered which paired beautifully with every single dish. It was a 2013 assyrtiko/athiri/aidani blend from Santorini. Assyrtiko is a white grape indigenous to Santorini and has such a refreshing freshness about it. This particular wine was made by Hatzidakis, so look for a bottle at your local wine store next time you're shopping. Great for summer!

After stuffing our faces and laughing for nearly four hours, we headed back to the "safety" of the District. It was totally worth leaving, and in fact, I'd do it again soon!

Fab day plus a new bar (Sotto) and restaurant review (Le Dip)

Yesterday was an absolutely wonderful birthday; the best I've had in years! Thank you so much to everyone who reached out via phone, email, Facebook and good old-fashioned card. Thank you for the flowers and warm messages of love and friendship.  Thank you for the hugs and compliments. 

coffee at Leopold's Kafe

two pals wearing springy shoes (CF, thanks for putting on your pinks for me!)

After seeing friends, spending some time in the garden, playing with the kids and getting a massage, I put on a dress and heels, and T took me out for drinks and then dinner.

We started at Sotto, the new bar/smokery under Ghibellina on 14th Street. If you've read Em-i-lis for a while, you surely know  how much I love Ghibellina (full disclosure: I am friends with one of its founders/managers, but I would feel exactly the same way even if I weren't), so I was thrilled T and I were able to leave early enough to enjoy an aperitif before our 7:30 dinner reservations.

Sotto, which means 'below' in Italian, feels as hip and warm and welcoming as does Ghib even though its aesthetics are different.  It's a long, narrow space, a generous shotgun really, with a lengthy bar, cozy tables and a room at the rear for live music and private parties. The hooks under the bar and parts of the light fixtures and cabinetry are custom iron-work. It's not remotely heavy feeling and lends a extra layer of masculinity to the rough-hewn wooden bar (polished smooth but the shape is wonderfully organic), minimalist lights and doors behind which sit bottles of liquor and spirits aging in old wooden barrels.

As at Ghibellina, the wine, beer and cocktail lists are unique and inspired. I get so excited by a drinks menu that is so obviously well-considered and created by someone who cares. T had the Right Away cocktail, a blend of Rye and two different Amaros, and I had a flute of Brut Rosé which is always celebratory.

We wished we had room to try a few things, but I have been looking forward to dining at Le Diplomate for many months so vetoed the idea of ordering anything. That said, the menu looked fantastic, and I'm eager to return. Heavy on smoked meats, roasted vegetables and small snacks, the offerings are trim but sound heavenly.

Bravo to the Ghibellina/Sotto crew. I can't wait to return.

On to Le Diplomate, a popular French bistro on the corner of 14th and Q. The looks of the place are such that you can't walk by and not want to go inside immediately. It has great energy, and overall, the style is charming. 

I didn't expect it to be small inside, but I was surprised by how cavernous Le Dip is. There are several dining rooms as well as an extensive outdoor eating area, and, as I always do, I loved that the windows and doors could be thrown open to the elements on pretty days. The whole place was packed, with what seemed to be a mix of first-timers and neighborhood regulars. Despite the crowd, the acoustics are pretty good so we never felt we were front row at an AC/DC concert.*

My enthusiasm for Le Dip started to wane when I saw the wholly uninspired wines-by-the-glass list. Tom often wants beer with dinner (not Coors, people; good Belgian stuff!) so I tend to take the opportunity to try different wines. The options for bottles were solid, but by the glass? Forget about it. I started with a Burgundian white and later moved on to a Pinot which I didn't finish. I know, right?!

We started with a half-dozen raw oysters because, generally speaking, I love them. Two of the three tasted like seaweed, straight up. I like my oysters briny and OF the sea, but I don't order pricey bivalves to eat salty kelp, you know? And the mignonette was way too strong for the delicate oysters; vinegar gone mad I tell you, and I tend to love me some vinegar.

At this point, my interest in ordering anything but standard French fare had been completely tamped. Instead, I chose the mushroom tart and the warm shrimp salad with lemon beurre blanc and avocado, while T opted for the steak frites.

He was very pleased with his steak which did have a gorgeous, shellacky-looking exterior and a perfect (for Tom) medium-rare interior. The fries I stole from him were undersalted but he said I must have just gotten unlucky because his were fine.

My mushroom tart was beautiful to look at, but I was disappointed by the crust which was both slightly overcooked on the bottom and a bit more leaden than a good butter-based tart crust should be. The topping was nice, though I did add salt.

I beseech you to not order the $20 warm shrimp salad. I swear to you it tasted like something Red Lobster would serve. There is nothing wrong with Red Lobster, but I was not at Red Lobster and was also paying twenty damn dollars for a salad. You feel me?

There were five, not-Gulf shrimp sitting in a pool of warm'ish beurre blanc. The salad was cold, overdressed and desperately needed a zing. It literally cried out for some lemon and love. If this shrimp weren't your average Joe farmed guys, you could have fooled me. 

I wanted a birthday dessert in a serious way, but by this point, even T said, "Babe, let's stick with simple." Indeed. I chose the crème brûlée. Although it came with a dry madeleine, the reason for this pairing I cannot fathom, the crème brûlée itself was wonderful. The burned sugar shell was perfect -I could taste both almost-too-much caramelization and sweetness- and the chef did not skimp while scraping vanilla beans into the custard. Our waiter also brought some almond-based cakes with a candle. The cakes were tiny rounds, about the size of a quarter, and puffy. They were scrumptious. Truly sublime.

It's a surprise when dessert is the best course at a restaurant but it was a good way to go out last night.

The service at Le Dip left something to be desired. Or at least our waiter did. He was an odd combo of overly affected and absent, qualities which are not optimal alone but are certainly no good when paired. I have heard Le Dip's brunch is spectacular, so I'd go back to try it, but I'm in no hurry for now. 

T went to get the car because I had on these awesome babies, a gift from my sis, which are not made for distance strolling. And we came home and kissed the boys and called it a happy done day.

*No, I do not know if AC/DC even still performs live, but their volume is what I think of when I think LOUD! Spare me, I'm 39 now. 

All the good food in and out, an expression and a story

It is exceedingly chilly here. Stop it winter. You are pushing my buttons and making me tired. My grandmother -Nanny the great for those who don't yet know of her- had two older sisters, one of whom, Aunt Da, used to say of folks who irritated her, "(S)He makes me tired."

This was always my favorite of her expressions because it says so much in so few words. I mean, wouldn't you get me exactly if I said, "Suzanne Somers makes me tired." You would know clearly that I'm not thigh-mastering or wearing a shiny leotard that somehow doesn't go up my bum even though it is SO high-cut. No, you would understand that I am totally over Suzanne Somers and her charlatan claims about pretty much everything.

She makes me tired. So does Kim Kardashian, Kim Kardashian's ass, Ted Cruz and this infernal winter.

What to do in this case? Eat well and ignore Kim, Ted and Cold as best as possible.

Last night, before I awoke at 3am upon hearing Jack enter Oliver's room and wake him up to ask if he wanted to play Legos (to his credit, Oliver said, "NO Jack, go away. I am sleeping!" And then I took J downstairs for a lemonade date and ultimately we fell asleep together in his bed listening to a child's meditation CD which put me out like a light.), I cooked such a good meal.

Despite the utterly sub-par picture, this Aleppo pepper and yogurt chicken with lemons is to.die.for. These are kebabs at their very best.

To go alongside, I made a quinoa salad with apricots, lime, pistachios and mirin. 

Tonight, tired after my early morning escapade with sweet J, Mom and I went on a date to Macon Bistro over in Chevy Chase DC. You might remember my first trip there, last August with Tom. This place is such a great addition to the DC restaurant scene. I just love it. 

And it didn't disappoint this evening. Again, we perched at the bar and of course I started with the biscuits, honey butter and pepper jelly. Mom got the chicken liver mousse which is completely not my bag but does prompt another good story which I simply must, as an aside, share with you now. 

Mom has always loved liver. I, on the other hand, have always found organ meats positively repulsive. Liver is so thin and not a good color. Anyway, when I was about eight, Mom made liver and onions for dinner. She instructed Dad NOT to tell my sister and me what we were to eat.

As the story goes, I looked skeptically at the slab of liver and asked, "What kind of meat is this?" Mom said "Steak!!" with unnatural enthusiasm, and I cut a small bite. After chewing it maybe three times, I said, "Well let me tell you, there is something wrong with this steak!" At that point, Dad said, "IT'S LIVER, IT'S LIVER!" because he doesn't like it either. So we were all saved except for Mom who got to eat as much nasty liver as she wanted.

Tonight's chicken liver mousse was dressed with a liberal garnish of relish (a horrid concoction) and did ruin the mousse for Mom. Otherwise, dinner was great.

Look at my johnny cakes with deviled crab and fried capers!

Check out this spicy kale with fried grits and onions!

Mom's halibut with orange, chiles and greens was marvelous!

And now I am zonko tired and going to bed. Buona notte!