Wanderlust | Washington DC

Over our anniversary weekend this year, Marcus and I took a trip down to Washington D.C. to explore its food and drink scene, and boy, did we come back with many winners. We had a fantastic time getting to know the Capital City, so here's a summary of what we ate, what we drank and sipped, and what we saw -- essentially a little guide of sorts for those wondering what's good in the District.


Upon our arrival, we got these amazing burgers and hand-cut fries at Good Stuff Eatery (see review here), over on Capitol Hill as our late lunch. Good Stuff had some of the most unique condiments I've ever seen offered at a burger joint. I even dare say that I like this burger better than New York's Shake Shack.


As we were already in the Capitol Hill area, Marcus and I did our touristy bidding and saw the United States Capitol Building, up close and personal. That dome is certainly a sight for sore eyes!

It started to rain that afternoon, so we didn't get to walk around all too much, so we just relaxed at our Airbnb space until it was time for our late dinner at Brasserie Beck.


Brasserie Beck (see review here) proved to be a whimsical microcosm of a Parisian brasserie in the heart of DC. The restaurant put us under some captivating spell, whether by way of its refreshing cocktails, its scintillating selection of Belgian beers, or its meticulously prepared fare. Though a little on the pricier side, I say the premium was for the heartwarming experience.


The next morning, we got our caffeine fix at the highly regarded Peregrine Espresso (see review here). Come here if you're a coffee aficionado -- it offers many micro-brews of its single-origin coffees. Also, the mocha lattés here are kickass.

For lunch, we were going to go to Hank's Oyster Bar, but we had so much shellfish at Brasserie Beck that we wanted something a little different. So we opted for Kushi Izakaya & Sushi.


{5} Marcus had the bara chirashi don with diced pieces of sashimi over rice, while I had the {6} ocean's oyako don -- the "Parent and Child" rice bowl with sashimi grade salmon and salmon roe along with a quail egg. For a lunch set that comes with soup and salad, it was a pretty good deal for some decent sushi. The robata grill wasn't really fired up for lunch, so we didn't get to try the "izakaya" part of Kushi, so we're curious to try that for dinner next time we're in town!


After lunch, we found ourselves in the neighborhood of Adams Morgan, checking out the local watering hole of Tryst Coffeehouse & Bar (see review here). Really nice vibe going here -- plus the biscotti aren't anything to dismiss.


That evening, Marcus and I made our way to Birch & Barley for a relaxed anniversary dinner. Some solid dishes on Chef Kyle Bailey's menu (OMG at the sweetbreads) -- and from what I hear, the ridiculously long list of artisanal beers (555 in total!) isn't anything to huff at. Sad we didn't get to sample anything (you'll see why below), but again, a future trip to DC isn't lookin' too shabby! :P


Following dinner at Birch & Barley, we attended an intimate, two-hour cocktail tasting at The Columbia Room (see review here), a "hidden" bar inside The Passenger. The two-hour tasting walked through three different cocktails with some small food pairings and was unlike any cocktail experience I've ever had. The Columbia Room is undoubtedly a must if you're in town for the evening -- the super knowledgeable yet very approachable barstaff are exceptional crafters of spirited beverages. You will have your socks knocked off for sure.


That Sunday morning, we made our last stop for a cup o' joe in DC at Chinatown Coffee Co. (see review here), where you can find a great cup of coffee as well as a well-rounded chai latté. Pastries are nice as well.


Before our brunch, we took a stroll past 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, home to The White House.


Marcus and I met up with Krystal and Angela for a late brunch at Founding Farmers. Unfortunately, we thought the brunch here was a bit overrated -- the dishes we tried weren't all that outstanding. The saving graces were the homemade sodas and anything from the beverage menu, really.


I had a late afternoon pick-me-up before heading back to New York City at {1} Pitango Gelato, which had framed flavors on the wall, including gelatos sorbets. Some notable varieties include bacio (chocolate hazelnut with hazelnuts and chocolate chips), pistachio di Bronte (made using pistachios cultivated on the slopes of Mount Etna, an active volcano, which has different characteristics than the common pistachio;, having a longer shape and an intense flavor that cannot be imitated), black tea, créme fraîche, and quince. I wanted to try them all, but I resorted to the orange dark chocolate sorbet (easier on my semi-lactose intolerance), which embodied what an orange Milano would be in churned form. So, so, so good.

Other Recommendations from Past Visits

• Hello Cupcake (see review here): Decent cupcakes -- though I prefer the next two over this one.
• *Sprinkles Cupcakes (see review here): Red velvet and dark chocolate are my favorites!
• *baked & wired (see review here): Definitely try the chai cupcake if you can!
• *Oyamel (see review here): Great for a lively dinner.
• *Firefly (see review here): A brunch must -- order the challah French toast.

Price point: $13-15 for each lunch set at Kushi Izakaya & Sushi, $4.99 for a small gelato/sorbet (up to two flavors) at Pitango Gelato.

--April 19-21 2013

*Good Stuff Eatery (Capitol Hill)
303 Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast
Washington, DC 20003
http://www.goodstuffeatery.com

The United States Capitol (Building)
Capitol Hill
http://www.visitthecapitol.gov

*Brasserie Beck
1101 K Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20005
http://www.beckdc.com

*Peregrine Espresso
1718 14th Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20009
http://www.peregrineespresso.com

Kushi Izakaya & Sushi
465 K Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20001
http://www.eatkushi.com

*Tryst Coffee House Bar & Lounge
2459 18th Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20009
http://www.trystdc.com

*Birch & Barley
1337 14th Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20005
http://www.birchandbarley.com

*The Columbia Room
The Passenger
1021 7th Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20001
http://www.passengerdc.com/columbia

*Chinatown Coffee Co.
475 H Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20001
http://www.chinatowncoffee.com

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20500
http://www.whitehouse.gov

Founding Farmers (DC)
1924 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20006
http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com

*Pitango Gelato
413 7th Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20004
http://www.pitangogelato.com

Dessert | popbar

After a delicious taco dinner at Dos Toros Taqueria, we passed by popbar, a dessert shop that I've been meaning to visit. I had no idea it was right near Dos Toros in the West Village, so it was a nice surprise for dessert.


So popbar's specialty? It is handcrafted gelato on a stick (along with "popsicle bars" --thus the name "popbar," I gather -- made from other churned confections which include sorbet and yogurt) made from all natural ingredients. All of its popbars are Kosher certified, gluten-free, and preservative-free with no artificial coloring. All of its popSorbettos (i.e., sorbet on a stick) are lactose-free and vegan-friendly. Love the store's signage -- a popsicle stick! Sheer brilliance!


Look at that splendiferous display of multi-flavor and multicolored beauty -- wonderfully crafted bars of chilly perfection waiting for its beholders to salivate and to order to go. It was so hard to decide, which just ended with me selecting only one, promising myself I'd come back frequently to try the other flavors. What's even cooler is that popbar has a menu item called mypop for which you can create your own personal popbar starting with a basic popbar (flavored and plain). You then select your "poppings" (i.e., toppings, which includes an assortment of nuts, sprinkles, granola, and shredded coconut) and your "signature dip" (which includes dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate). The basic popbar will get dipped in the "signature dip" and covered in the selected "poppings," yielding numerous combinations of popbars to create!


With too many decisions to make, I decided to keep it simple that night and went with the Pistachio Premium, a popGelato covered with freshly chopped pistachios and half-dipped with signature dark chocolate. And it tasted exactly as it looked -- a blissful whirlwind of crunchiness from the shell of dark chocolate and the crushed pistachios. What I liked so much about this popbar is that the gelato stayed in tact (i.e., didn't melt away in seconds) and that the chocolate shell had a lovely thickness to it. So if you are looking for a new way to have your fixing of gelato, popbar is the place to go!

Findings: While the prices at popbar are a bit on the high end, I think the quality of the ingredients along with its well-crafted popsicle bars can arguably justify the price point. I like that there is a "create-your-own" option, making the menu very versatile to satisfy any palate at hand. What really got me was the total inundation of pistachio flavor that I experienced with the Pistachio Premium popGelato that I ordered. It was quite heavenly as the freshly chopped pistachios really brought out the flavors of the gelato and gave it a great overall crunch with the dark chocolate "popping" -- just delish!

I'm hoping to go back once more before the year's over -- perhaps to try a popSorbetto or be audacious enough to concoct an original "create-your-own" popbar.

Price point: $4.50 for each Premium popGelato.

--October 28, 2011

popbar
5 Carmine Street
New York, NY 10014
http://www.pop-bar.com

Dessert | Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream

After dinner at Izakaya Sozai, Bill and Pam took us to Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream over in the Outer Sunset area.


During a previous visit to San Francisco, my extended family (including my mom) spent some time with Bill and Pam. Incidentally, they had brought them all to this small gelateria, which in many ways, is quite unconventional (more details on this later in the post). My uncle Frank, the one of the pickiest eaters I know (one with extremely high standards--barely anything satisfies his palate enough for him to commit said food item to memory), was unconvinced to try a taste of anyone's gelato. My aunt Cynthia (his wife) kept insisting that he had to try it because it was just that good--she knows him better than he gives her credit for, that much I'll say). He stayed adamant and obstinate for a while until he couldn't take it anymore. To put to rest any more nagging (though I wouldn't put it that way--it's more like palate restoring) surrounding the mysterious gelato flavors from Marco Polo, he finally decided to take a try.

Boy, did Auntie Cynthia win total rights to do the "I-told-you-so" dance for the rest of the night at Marco Polo because he totally fell in love with it and continued to rave about this gelateria to everyone he knew once he returned to the Tri-State area after the trip to San Francisco. I still hear about it today, and even before Marcus and I had left, he told us to make sure to stop at "that gelato place--you know, the one Bill and Pam took us." Bill and Pam took these orders to heart, leading to them bringing us there no later than the night we arrived to town.


Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream has been around since 1982. Pam told me that she and her sisters used to go there when they were growing up, as it was just around the corner from where her parents lived. She also noted the place hasn't changed since, in both flavors, décor, and operations. Its flavors, the quality that undoubtedly makes this place stand out from other conventional gelaterias, are inspired by Asian ingredients (e.g., black sesame, guava, durian, green tea, red bean, taro, jackfruit, etc.) that you don't typically see used in the traditional Italian preparation of gelato.


To be able to taste a good range of gelato flavors offered by Marco Polo, I had lychee (left) and guava (right) in a small cup. While I've had lychee sorbet before, I've never had the pleasure of trying lychee flavored gelato, let alone lychee gelato with chunks of real lychee incorporated into it! It was really light and refreshing--it was almost like a lychee sorbet but creamier. As for guava, which I absolutely love and wish were available fresh over on the East Coast, it was very refreshing, too, though it was definitely blander in flavor than the lychee flavor. I liked the combination of the two together as their tastes tend to balance well together as tropical fruits.


Marcus had a small cup with sesame and Irish coffee. The sesame tasted fresh and toasted, just like a bunch of crushed black sesame seeds churned with cream. The Irish coffee flavor was slightly stronger than the coffee flavored gelatos and ice creams that I've had before. It was quite rich and flavorful--just as aromatic as a fresh cup of brewed coffee with a splash of cream for taste and color.


Pam went with a small cup with coconut (left) and pistachio (right). The coconut was refreshing and fragrant, while the pistachio, like all pistachio-flavored gelatos, was lovely with its rounded, soft nutty flavor. If there's any gelato that you're sure to get, it'll always be the pistachio one.


Bill got a small cone with fresh banana walnut (top scoop) and arcobaleno (bottom scoop), which is a combination of vanilla, pistachio, almond, and chocolate. The combination of these two flavors were more on the savory side (creamier and heavier use of chocolate). The fresh banana walnut effused the flavors of ripened bananas and contained the crunch of real walnuts, while the arcobaleno was just a swirl of gelato's best ingredients. I really enjoyed the arcobaleno as it seemed like you were getting multiple flavors all in one roll-up of a gelato flavor.

Findings: I think a trip to Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream is a must in San Francisco. The concept of using these Asian-inspired ingredients that are atypically seen incorporated into the churning of any "flavor" of Italian gelato. And when tasting the flavors, it's like you're having a freshly whipped dollop of light cream mixed in with the real ingredient (a fruit, chocolate, or nut--whatever is applicable). Can't beat that kind of experience in taste! Sesame, arcobaleno, guava, and lychee were my top favorites--ones you should consider ordering. I guess a key benchmark for me is to always notice when Uncle Frank is raving about a meal, restaurant, or something of the like constantly--you'll definitely know the food will be amazing because his palate wouldn't accept anything less than that.

Price point: $3.35 for a small-sized cup or cone (1 to 2 flavors).

--May 19, 2011

Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream
1447 Taraval Street
San Francisco, CA 94116
http://www.yelp.com/biz/marco-polo-italian-ice-cream-san-francisco

Dessert | Mia Chef Gelateria

In an effort to soothe the resulting discomfort from Marcus's post-wisdom teeth removal, I decided to take him to Mia Chef Gelateria over by Kips Bay.


I had heard about Mia via Grub Street, who brought attention to its incorporation of "classic" American flavors (but unusual compared to typical gelato offerings), highlighting its Cap'N Crunch creation. Now, this I had to see and taste!


Along with really interesting gelato flavors, Mia also serves organic coffee and a Hungarian pastry (in three flavors) called kutosh, which is a hollow and cylindrical. The dough for the kutosh is made in-house, offered in the flavors of gianduja (i.e., hazelnut-chocolate blend), dulce de leche, and toffee.


The gelatos are made fresh daily, using ingredients imported from Italy. The second one from the top left is the Cap'N Crunch (notice the "C"-shape made using Cap'N Crunch cereal bits), which Marcus jumped on ordering. The fourth from the bottom right is the Ferrero Rocher flavor, which is what I decided to order. Among the flavors offered while I was there included mango margarita (in honor of Cinco de Mayo), pistachio, Oreo, Snickers, Nutella, and some others).


The Cap'N Crunch was as delicious as it sounded in theory (if not, more). Executing one of the classic American childhood cereals can certainly be a challenge, but Mia has certainly done right by the Cap'N himself! It captured the essence of those tiny sugary, sweetened corn-flavored squares submerged in a sea of milk, except there's no worry about the structural integrity of the cereal in milk or how quickly you have to eat all the cereal before it becomes all mushy and soggy (though, you can't eat too-too slowly for it will melt into gelato soup!).


My Ferrero Rocher gelato was very nice as well, though there weren't as many chunks of chocolate-hazelnut goodness as I would've liked. Nevertheless, the chocolate pieces I did manage to scoop up went amazingly with the chocolate base of the gelato.

Findings: I really enjoyed our detour to Mia Chef Gelateria. The Cap'N Crunch gelato is, hands down, one of the best scoops of gelato I've ever had (and certainly one of the most original)! The Ferrero Rocher was also enjoyable, but for my next visit (and boy, will there be many), I hope to try the Cinnamon Toast Crunch (yes, another to go with the American childhood cereal theme), Snickers, and pistachio as well as for the kutosh, which I saw samples for but was unsure of what it actually was, until I reread the Grub Street article (mentioned at the beginning). Marcus said he would kind of like to do what we did at Madeleine Patisserie (now called La Maison du Macaron)--you know, that time we spontaneously decided to buy a box of 20-ish macarons for $50 so we could "try" all of the flavors. Not sure if my stomach could handle that much dairy or that much sweetness in one sitting, but as a consolation, Mia does offer you samples of any flavors you wish to try, so maybe we could do that instead! I'd also like the note the two individuals behind the counter were super helpful and so kind to us and all of the customers that were coming in and out of the gelateria. They certainly made us more excited and extremely welcome in the new café--great job on service!

So if there's anything you take from this post, the Cap'N Crunch is a must-order--I promise you'll be thanking me through your last bite.

Price point: $4.50 for a small cup of gelato, $6.25 for a large.

--May 5, 2011

Mia Chef Gelateria
379 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10016
http://www.gelatomia.com

Dessert | il laboratorio del gelato

After a big lunch at Katz's Delicatessen (post to follow), I was really full, until I saw that il laboratorio del gelato was right across the street. As my uncle Alan always says, there's always room in my second stomach for ice cream (in this case, gelato). I recall reading an article in Edible Manhattan about il laboratorio, about how "over 90 percent of il laboratorio’s gallons go to chefs, and they want deliveries well before dinner service starts at 5 PM," and as a result, Jon Snyder, the proprietor of the enterprise, decided to move from his small 550-square-foot shop to its current location across from Katz's Delicatessen (a 2,750-square-foot operation).

Frozen churning (gelato, ice cream, sorbet, and the like) has been in Mr. Snyder's family for three generations already, which is how was able to gain insight and experience in the industry. He was actually the man who started Ciao Bella, the now nationwide supermarket gelato and sorbet pint maker, back in the 80s when it was originally aimed toward restaurant chefs (as il laboratorio is doing today). Mr. Snyder sold the business, pursued an MBA, and worked a bit in finance before he decided to come full circle back to the churning business. il laboratorio has certainly come a long way since then. Mr. Snyder still runs majority of the operations, just in a bigger, more fitting space.


I love the neon-powered signage at il laboratorio. It really emphasizes the laboratorio/laboratory in its name.


As you can see, the set-up of the entire gelateria is very atypical--sterile and spotless--which is not like the classic Italian gelaterias and cafés. The whiteness of it all implies a determined, sole task at hand: to have the capacity lots and lots of gelato, sorbet, and ice cream in numerous flavors and combinations. Kind of a no-bullshit policy. Just fresh frozen delights made daily (traditional and unconventional in flavors).


On the left, I decided on the fresh black mission fig gelato, and on the right, Marcus went with licorice gelato. I love how fruit seeds (those found in berries, kiwi, and of course, figs) feel against my teeth, so the use of fresh black mission figs (the classic type of fig: blackish-purple skin and pink colored flesh) made the gelato not only fig-flavored, but with actual figs in it! I was a bit hesitant with Marcus's choice of the licorice flavor, thinking it could be executed very well or very poorly, but after having tasted it, it had a very nice flavor to it (not as overpowering as I've experienced with actual licorice candy--which turns me off from it in general), if you're a licorice lover. Marcus enjoyed it very much, saying it reminded him of licorice ice cream he had several years ago.

Findings: Overall, I think this is a great gelato place, especially if you're adventurous and/or looking to try something new (here's the laundry list of flavors offered--over 200 currently!). As over 90% of il laboratorio's sales go to restaurant kitchens, you know you'll be getting quality gelato here! As Mr. Snyder says on il laboratorio's website, "our small retail cafe offers an expansive window into an open kitchen, where our frozen desserts are hand-made in small batches, ensuring the highest quality. We source the world over for flavors of purity and excellence, when possible sourcing locally and organically." I really admire the gelateria's use of fresh ingredients and the philosophy behind it all. It's nice to know that the owner is ensuring all of these things for his customers, his clients, and the resulting clients onward. This is the perfect place to take friends, family, and out-of-town guests on a warm day!

Price point: small cup at $3.25; medium cup at $4.50.

--December 4, 2010

il laboratorio del gelato
188 Ludlow Street
New York, NY 10002
http://laboratoriodelgelato.com/index.html