Cowgirl Creamery

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.

That's what I want to shout each time I walk into Cowgirl Creamery, the brand-new cheese shop only three blocks from my office. Incredibly nice, friendly, and informative service? Check. Offers to taste as many delicious cheeses as you like? Check. Cartons of chocolate milk for sale? Check. (Not sure why this last one makes me so happy, but it does.)

On my first visit, I exhibited restraint. I tasted five or six different cheeses, but limited myself to the Mt. Tam (an amazingly decadent triple-cream), the Pug's Leap goat cheese (which was perfect atop a summer salad), and the Ticklemore (can't remember its description... I fell for this one on tasting it, and kinda like the name too).

But I walked in today, and threw caution to the wind. First I tasted their McEvoy olive oil - delicious! If I didn't already have a bottle of French olive oil from my friend's recent trip to Europe in the house, this would have been the first addition to my empty shopping basket. But not to worry, the basket wasn't empty for long. A taste of the fig and nut bread compelled me to pick some up to go with my leftover Mt. Tam and Ticklemore. But not just the leftover cheeses -- I picked up the St. Pat (Cowgirl's seasonal springtime cheese wrapped in stinging nettle leaves that has an almost artichoky taste -- go! now! before they run out of this spring's batch!) and the Oregonzola (silly name, but creamy delicious blue cheesiness that will be wonderful on the burgers we're grilling tonight). And oh! I hadn't had lunch yet, and the goat cheese, sundried tomato, and olive sandwich on a fresh baguette was tempting.

And did I mention that carton of chocolate milk? Yum.

Cowgirl Creamery
919 F Street, NW
202-393-6880

Stoney's

This just in, from Tom Sietsema's chat...

Washington, D.C.: Has Stoney's ever reopened? My grilled cheese patience is running thin!!

Tom Sietsema: News flash: Stoney's is re-opening, across from Whole Foods on P St. in Logan Circle, in the P St. Bistro space. Look for an end-of-July launch date.

Whoo-hoo!

Buck's Fishing and Camping

So I'm waiting for the bus to head up Connecticut to Buck's. In the rain. Leaving behind my condo with its leaky ceiling, my workday with its conflict and confusion, my poor cat who really would've liked an escape from the rainforest conditions of our living space. And for a second, I wonder if it really makes sense to shlep all the way up to Buck's on a night like tonight. "Wouldn't it be easier to stay home and watch a DVD," I think to myself. "M would understand if I canceled... what with the leaky ceiling and all... wouldn't he?"

And then the bus comes, and I clamber aboard, deciding I deserve a night out after the sleepless nights of flood watch I've been on of late. (Presumably, the roofers did something about the leak problem today. Presumably.)

I arrive at Buck's and take a seat at the bar. (M has already called with a delay of his own. Apparently cabs are hard to flag down during the Deluge of '06...) The friendly bartender and I strike up a conversation, and I select a glass of Kir Yianni rose. It's summer, goddamit, and I want a summer wine. Even if it is a nightmare outside. We continue chatting as M texts his whereabouts. "Hitting traffic around Dupont." "Fifteen minutes away, I promise." My bartender friend offers suggestions about the menu ("it's all good") as the friendly gentleman next to me lectures me on fascism in America today. M arrives.

And if the generous glass plus of rose didn't already melt away the stress of the week (it did), our meal certainly gave me the jump-start I needed in the middle of a week that started out on the wrong foot. We shared a starter of mozzarella and tomatoes, with greens, local beans, and a pistachio pesto that was fresh and light and delicious and summery (and yes, I'm a sucker for anything with pistachios), as well as the fried green tomatoes, which were not quite as tender or flavorful as I would have hoped. And then our mains. The softshell crab -- two perfectly juicy and crispy crabs, resting on mounds of potato salad and coleslaw. I don't think I ceded a bite, which is okay, because I barely got a taste of the perfectly cooked to medium rare steak. And although we didn't really need it, a slice of the chocolate icebox cake was a decadent and perfect ending to the night.

No. The perfect ending to the night was returning home to find no leaky ceiling. Maybe... just maybe... the roofers did their job. Or maybe I'll wake up in the morning to find it was just a dream, a mozzarella and softshell and chocolate cake-inspired dream. Either way, it was a good night.

Buck's Fishing and Camping
5031 Connecticut Avenue, NW
202-364-0777

Colorado Kitchen

So I've gotta say... I'm a Colorado Kitchen brunch lover, but my experience a few weeks ago was disappointingly so-so. For the first time, I branched out from my standard shrimp and grits (my favorite rendition of that old favorite in the DC area), and went the crabcake benedict route. And the branching out was a mistake. Next time I go, I'll have to return to the tried and true.

First, the good. Really, the extraordinary. Those donuts. I love those donuts. I dream about those donuts. I can't decide whether I like the powdered sugar ones or the nuts and honey ones best, it probably isn't even a decision I need to make. It always surprises me that my least favorite is the chocolate -- but maybe it's that the milk chocolate doesn't stand up to the deliciousness of the donut as well as rich dark chocolate might. Hmmm...

But the benedict. You know, the crabcakes were nicely spiced, full of chunks of crab, resting on top of a thin slice of tomato, and a crunchy English muffin. But they were covered with a liberal helping of a hollandaise sauce that reminded me of... well... concentrated melted butter. It was so heavy and buttery that I found it impossible to finish, and the dish was overwhelmed.

I did snag a bite of my +1's fried catfish, though, and it was fabulous. Chef works wonders with all things (donuts, catfish...) fried.

Colorado Kitchen
5515 Colorado Avenue, NW
202-545-8280

Father's Day in China

This year, my Dad was in China on Father's Day. Always the good daughter, I called him up my Saturday night, his Sunday morning, to wish him a happy Father's Day. When we hung up, he was on his way to breakfast, I'm sure to enjoy congee and that sticky rice and pork dish that comes wrapped in a lotus leaf. (At least, those are always my breakfast favorites, and I'm assuming like daughter, like father!) And I was left craving those dishes.

So this week, my mission was to find them. And it was half-accomplished yesterday. I had the congee with minced beef at Full Kee and, although it didn't quite live up to my memories of the dish (Dad says add a dash of chili or brown vinegar), it certainly satisfied the craving. (I also had the soup with shrimp dumplings, which I can never pass up there...)

I still haven't tracked down my other favorite, that sticky rice and pork wrapped in a lotus leaf. But I'm working on it...

Full Kee
509 H Street, NW
202-371-2233

Citronelle Lounge

So it's a lovely evening when my friends and I step out of a movie in Georgetown around 9 o'clock the other night, and we begin the age-old "dinner debate". These are somewhat new friends, and don't yet know of my food obsession, so I begin by listening ... "It's a beautiful night," says one. "Let's go get drinks and appetizers on the waterfront." My heart sinks. But in the spirit of not imposing my will on all, I quietly agree. We make our way through the throngs of revelers, including a number of prom groups, me silently cursing my decision to be deferential tonight. But apparently the gods are smiling on me because, shock of shocks, there is an hour wait at the fine waterside dining establishment selected by my friend. "An hour," says my other friend. "That's ridiculous. Let's go to plan B. Isn't Citronelle not too far? And don't they have a bar menu?"

And there was joy in Mudville.

After a delicious cosmopolitan with drunken raspberries that made for a drunken me, I found myself relaxed from my harried day at work and even more harried few minutes on the waterfront. Friendly service steered us to the Cobia with Crab Risotto and Saffron Potato Puree and the Chateaubriand with Wild Mushrooms, Porcini Flavored Diced Yukon Gold Potatoes, and a Syrah Sauce. And neither disappointed. What a beautiful way to begin the weekend, and try one of DC's finest dining establishments on a whim!

Citronelle
3000 M Street, NW
202-625-2150

Asia Nora

Ate at Asia Nora the other night... N and I shared two appetizers, the Ahi Tuna Tartare with Crispy Nori Tempura and the Thai Style Beef Carpaccio with Lime, Chilis & Fragrant Herbs. We agreed that the tartare was the clear winner (but also agreed that if stranded on a desert island, if we had tuna tartare and a bunch of books, we'd both be happy for quite a while, so tartare might always be a clear winner). What made this tartare even better was the sheets of nori tempura on which it was nestled. Others have written about the chef's abilities with tempura, and they're right -- this treatment of the nori brought out the subtleties of nori's flavor, with the crisp lightness of perfectly-done tempura. The carpaccio, on the other hand, was forgettable. The flavor of the lime and chilis got lost someplace between the kitchen and our table.

For mains, we shared the Pan Seared Wild Sablefish with Tamarind Rice Noodles and Green Curry and the Seared Day Boat Scallops with Baby Bok Choy & Yuzu-Sake Butter. I thought both were great, if not quite excellent. The sablefish was moist, and perfectly seared to have a light, crispy, airy crust. The accompanying noodles were, to my taste, a bit salty (but N didn't seem to mind them one bit). The scallops had that texture that only a perfect scallop has -- plump and soft, with a slightly seared outside. They sopped up the delicious yuzu-sake sauce well, and were nicely accompanied by a turnip mash. And I don't know what it is about bok choy, but I love it, and last night was no exception, and I definitely ate more than my half.

On our waiter's recommendation, we had a bottle of the Wittman 2004 Spatlese Riesling. It was sweeter than we wanted, and I regretted not sticking with my original idea of a Gruner Veltliner.

The space attempts to evoke Asia, but to my mind is a little too cluttered to do so cleanly. I felt cramped, and I'm unsure whether it was the low ceilings, the proximity of other tables, or the sheer number of decorative touches. I thought fewer wall-hangings would have given the eye comfortable resting-places; as it is, I found my eyes darting from piece to piece, unsure of where to pause. (N pointed out that he found the restaurant open and spacious, because his seat faced into the open center area. So it may be that I just got the unlucky seat!)

All in all, a pleasant and tasty meal, although I'm not sure the experience as a whole lived up to what I wanted it to be. (Perhaps a problem of unreasonable expectations.) I'd go back, but it doesn't join my list of favorites.

Asia Nora
2213 M Street, NW
202-797-4860

Heritage India

Last week, my dinner companion and I went to Heritage India and ordered enough food for four (leaving me with leftovers for the rest of the week!) One highlight (because I can't remember every dish we had) was the stuffed bell peppers, which were a fantastic combination of slightly spicy filling, stuffed inside a barely grilled and still crisp and fresh-tasting green pepper. The textures and flavors complemented each other superbly, and the dish easily became a favorite for when I return. I was also introduced to the wonders that are Indian pickles. I'd always avoided them in the past (generally not liking the flavor of pickled things), but they added a great zest to the flavors of our lamb and prawn dishes.

And service, although a problem in the past, was actually quite good. Attentive without being overbearing, we were checked on enough to satisfy any need we had, but left alone enough to enjoy our feast.

The only downside to the evening was that I was too full to stop by Max's Best Ice Cream for a scoop before heading home...

Heritage India
2400 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
202-333-3120

Max's Best Ice Cream
2416 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
202-333-3111

Komi

Before last week, I had never enjoyed a five hour dinner that felt like two. How were we there for five hours? The food kept coming, our wine glasses kept being refilled. We saw a family celebrating the son's acceptance into law school, a couple celebrating their upcoming move to Tunisia -- both tables came and went, and still we ate... drank... enjoyed.

Before last week, I didn't know that simple olives could taste so good; that house-made crackers could have such subtle and deep flavors. That mascarpone stuffed dates -- I don't have the words. That pappardelle with goat ragu with a hint of cinnamon could be a new favorite (and accompanied by that Greek red wine, the one whose name I can't remember, but that our server said was an ancestor of pinot noir, and that I said was delicious). That the flavors and textures of baklava could be expressed so beautifully in gelato. That beignets sometimes go better with chocolate mascarpone cream.

Before last week, I had never experienced Komi. And after last week, I know I need to experience it again, and soon.

Komi
1509 17th Street, NW
202-332-9200