Even in the dead of winter, the Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market is a great source of locally-produced vegetables, pasture-raised buffalo meat, and artisan baked breads.  Not surprisingly, the selections are significantly limited compared to the bounty that can be found from late spring through the fall, but there is still quite a bit that can be found and enjoyed.  Just make sure you show up early: although the FreshFarm website lists the market's winter hours as 10-1, I have seen vendors breaking down as early as noon when there's a chill in the air.

The changing seasons and colder temperatures have less of an impact on dairy products than they do on produce, so it should come as no surprise that most of the local cheesemakers who sell at the Dupont Market are still going strong through the winter.  One of them, Blue Ridge Dairy, has been catching my eye from the first time I saw them set up at the Penn Quarter Market.  Their hand-chalked sign advertising yogurt, cheese and creme fraiche from Jersey cows' milk caught my eye, and the samples on offer made the sale even before I had a chance to ask about them.

Since that first encounter, I have learned quite a bit about Blue Ridge Dairy through conversations with the sellers and the Atlas of American Artisan Cheese.  Located in Leesburg, Blue Ridge turns out fresh cheese and cultured milk products using milk from Jersey cows.  Paul Stephan, who has been working at cheesemaking for almost a decade, cultures the milk at his facility and then stretches the curd by hand to make his fresh mozzarella, which is sold in 8-ounce balls for $6.  Other fresh cheeses are also hand-made, including a naturally low-fat small-curd ricotta and lightly sweet and creamy mascarpone.

Some of Stephan's most flavorful offerings, however, require a little more attention.  Feta is aged for two months before the 8-ounce squares are offered to the public, and their tangy bite is well worth the wait.  Slow-churned cultured butter is silky and rich, with a definite flavor and a higher fat content than what you'll find on most grocery shelves.  It is supposed to be excellent when used in baking, though I have not used it in that capacity myself.

And the most distinct of his offerings, for my money, is a smoked version of his fresh mozzarella.  Using applewood, which is popular with enthusiasts of barbecue, turkey and bacon for its deep, slightly sweet smoke, Stephan uses the "low and slow" method of bathing the mozzarella in wave after wave of applewood smoke until the finished product emerges with a latte-colored skin and an aroma more like bacon than anything else.  These smoked balls of mozzarella are sold dry in 8-ounce portions for $7, and a little goes a long way.  Unlike the fresh mozzarella, whose delicate taste and soft, moist texture encourage you to keep coming back for more, the strong smoky flavor is almost overwhelming when eaten by itself.  If you've ever tasted a packaged smoked mozzarella like the ones that can be found in Safeway and Giant (or even the ones that can be found pre-packaged at Trader Joe's), you will be hard-pressed to identify this as even remotely related...the taste is so distinct, the texture so much less rubbery.

It begs to be used in cooking, paired with caramelized onions or other semi-sweet flavors where it mellows into the taste equivalent of a deep bass rhythm.  Blue Ridge Dairy's applewood smoked mozzarella is wonderful on homemade pizzas, as well, where it can stand up to spicy ground sausage and sweet red peppers with equal aplomb.  It can be melted atop crostini or paired with fresh tomatoes and basil for a twist on a standard caprese.  Whatever you do with it, just make sure not to overdo it or you will find yourself overwhelmed by the smokiness to the detriment of your other ingredients.

Blue Ridge Dairy can be found year-round at the FreshFarm Markets in Dupont Circle, Courthouse and Penn Quarter (check the FreshFarm website for each market's hours and dates of operation).  They also sell some of their products through Whole Foods, but it's far more fun to walk up to Paul or one of his assistants at the market, take a taste, and get to know the people who make this delicious local cheese.

When she learned of my ongoing effort to highlight off-the-beaten-path cheese purveyors in and around Washington, one of my wife's coworkers insisted I check out Arrowine in Arlington.  A neighborhood wine shop in the truest sense of the term, Arrowine is located in the Lee Heights shopping plaza where Lee Highway and Old Dominion Road intersect.  It is one of a strip of small, independently owned shops that seems completely incongruous with their quintessential suburban surroundings.  Look for the row of large, colorful awnings and you'll know you've found the place.

Arrowine is a gourmet's dream - though primarily a wine store, they carry a wide range of gourmet foods, fresh-baked breads and bagels, and a terrific selection of charcuterie and meats from D'Artagnan and other top names.

Of particular interest to me, however, is their cheese counter.  Covering half of the store's rear wall, Arrowine's cheese counter is stocked with classics and rarities alike.  Head straight back from the  entrance, toward the towering painting of the waiter, and you will soon be greeted by large wheels and wedges of cheese.  Their selection spans the globe, and it is sourced with an eye toward what is freshest and what is best.  Consequently, there are only a few local cheeses available right now - with Meadow Creek Farms' impressive and flavorful Grayson the best of the bunch.  Very few of their cheeses are sold in pre-weighed quantities - most are sliced fresh when you order.  As a result, your selections rarely have time to acquire that plastic wrap residue that can ruin the flavor of milder cheeses.

The sight of so many great cheeses should be a hint that you're in a place where they take cheese pretty seriously, but as soon as you start talking to one of the employees behind the counter, you'll know it.  Every employee I spoke to in my three recent visits has been working at Arrowine for at least a year, and on my first visit I had the good fortune to meet Aldo Molina.  As soon as I expressed interest in the cheeses, Aldo completely forgot about the fact that it was a mere half hour before closing.  He started talking to me with an eagerness that reflects his love for what he does, showing me cheeses that I had never heard of and encouraging me to sample.  Aldo learned cheese from Steven Jenkins at Dean & DeLuca in New York, and if that name sounds familiar it's because he is the author of Cheese Primer, an encyclopedic look at cheese that is a must-read for all cheese lovers.

On my subsequent visits, however, I was not as lucky.  On both occasions, I found myself struggling to strike up a conversation with the employee behind the counter, and I had to request to taste cheeses despite my obvious interest in learning more about them.  This struck me as a bit counter-intuitive in a place that prides itself on its wide selection of unfamiliar cheeses and its knowledgeable staff.

Despite this inconvenience, I was definitely impressed with the variety of cheeses and other products on offer at Arrowine, and I found myself eager to return to see what new goodies I could find.  If you're in Arlington and planning a wine and cheese party, look no further; their staff can walk you through pairings and price points for both.  But be prepared to ask for what you want.  And if Aldo's behind the counter, ask him what he would recommend - you're in for a treat.

Arrowine
In the Lee Heights shopping plaza
4508 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA
(703) 525-0990
Monday-Saturday, 10AM - 8PM
Sunday 10AM - 4PM

There's nothing I dislike more in a restaurant than expensive dishes that I can easily duplicate at home (and probably make better myself). That's why I really like Willow Restaurant in Arlington, VA! Their menu is constantly changing with interesting variations on some classic dishes, but they're not your run-of-the-mill dishes -- the kind that a quick search on the internet turns up a similar recipe in just a few secones.

Take for instance, the homemade sausage-wrapped rack of pork. The pork is cooked just a little pink in the middle, juicy and tender. The homemade sausage packed around the pork is moist, and adds just enough spicy flavor to the dish that it doesn't overpower the pork. Add to each bite a little slice of the caramelized cipollini onions on the side, and you've got a very good fall dish. Yes, if I had enough time, I could probably duplicate this dish on my own, but only after preparing all of the ingredients for a whole day.

I haven't really had anything I dislike at Willow yet. So far, between Amy and I, we've tried a good variety of dishes at Willow. Our favorite appetizer by far is the Fritto Misto platter, which is a bunch of little fried appetizers including cheesy prosciutto fritters, chorizo-stuffed olives (by far the best thing in the dish), and blue cheese-stuffed dates. These were so good the first time we tried them, that we ordered them again on our second trip.

One thing I noticed on the menu, the chef sure likes to wrap meat. Half of the dishes were some kind of meat that was wrapped in something, or a meat wrapped in another meat, or some other combination like that. Luckily I like meats wrapped in stuff, like the pastrami-wrapped albacore tuna, which reminds me a lot of the old speck-wrapped white tuna at Komi that I miss so much, or  a potato-wrapped salmon. The salmon came with these amazing little ricotta cheese pancakes, that added a nice tang to the dish. The wrapping is mainly a presentation thing, I believe, for which the Willow chefs get top grades.

I don't usually care much about atmosphere, but I have to say that Willow has done a good job creating a nice dining environment. The dining room is quiet, but not so quiet that you can hear the conversations going on next to you, and the tables are also nicely spaced so you don't feel cramped. The bar area is fairly large and seems to always have space to sit. Last Saturday night, I couldn't get a reservation for a table, so instead, any and I just went and dined at the bar.

Service goes above and beyond as well, and the servers have a lot of information about the food and wine being served. Out waiter for our first visit was particularly knowledgeable about the wine, suggesting a buttery Pinot Blanc to go with our seafood dishes while telling us about the vineyard, how the wine is produced, as well as hints on serving temperatures.

With the food so good and portions as large as they are, it's hard to save much room in your stomach for dessert, and therefore, I haven't had as much experience with them. But do yourself a favor and try the sticky toffee pudding cake, a small moist cake topped with ice cream and covered in caramel sauce. My only complaint is that Willow doesn't have any cheese to go with their very excellent wine list. I was really craving cheese one night rather than a sweet dessert, but they don't appear to have any.

As I said before, portions are very large and the prices are very reasonable because of that. The most expensive entree, the pastrami-wrapped tuna, is $27. Wines can range in value. Looking at the prices of Willow's wine list from their web site, I see some wines are only $10 over retail, but others have a much higher markup. With a bottle of wine (and sometimes more), a single dessert, apps, and entrees for two, our average check was about $140 -- well worth the price in my opinion. There's nothing worse than getting a check at the end of the night and thinking that the meal wasn't worth nearly as much as you're paying, but at Willow, that thought has never crossed my mind.

Willow Restaurant
4301 Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203
Map
(703) 465-8800

Details:
Dress Code: Business/Dress Casual
Parking: There is a parking lot around the corner on Taylor St. Parking is free with validation from the restaurant.
Closest Metro: Ballston
Reservations: Taken and recommended. Although there's usually space at the bar if you can't get a reservation.
Baby-Child friendly rating: 1 diaper.
Amy's Bathroom Rating: Very nice and kept clean.

One Saturday night not too long ago, I was in the mood for something new. I'd had my full of everyone's latest rendition of the overly breaded crab cake with a side of vegetables and salad and I was on the prowl for something I'd never tried before. So I picked up Washingtonian Cheap Eats and started flipping through the pages looking for some inspiration.

What's this Taste of Morroco in Silver Spring -- that's definitely new and I've never had Moroccan food before! Sounds like a good option.

From my numerous trips to Ray's the Classics around the corner from Taste of Morocco, I knew that the parking situation is pretty good on the weekends. There are plenty of lots in downtown Silver Spring and traffic on the weekend is never too bad in that area.

You'll forgive me if I don't go on and on about the decor at Taste of Morroco and how it makes me feel like I've been transported to another world, because I really couldn't give a crap, other than the fact that my son had a really good time bouncing on the cushions on the seat along the wall. Yeah, the decor is nice, but nice decor doesn't make up for bad food (I'm not saying that Taste of Morocco's food is bad, as you'll find out by reading the rest of this) no matter what continent you're "transported" to.

(Please forgive my sarcasm. As I write this, I'm cramped in coach economy on a plane on the way to Chicago and the person in front of me just put their seat all the way back forcing me to type on my computer like I'm a sardine.)

One thing I really appreciated at Taste of Morocco was how helpful the people are at the restaurant. I think they realize that most people dining there have never eaten Moroccan food before, so they spend a lot of time explaining what the different types of dishes are. One thing they'll tell you, is that a tagine is "just anentree." You'll see sections for Chicken Tagines, Lamb Tagines, Vegetable Tagines.

Oh and the Bastillas! When our server first explained the concept, I was like "BWAH?!" You're telling me me you're going to put powdered sugar on top of my chicken? But trust me, what might sound odd, is really very good. The bastillas are one of the more intriguing things I've eaten in a while. They're sort of like a Jamaican roti, but instead of a whole wheat roti bread on the outside, you get several layers of crispy phyllo dough topped with cinnamon and powdered sugar. I could order a large chicken bastilla as an entree and leave totally satisfied. Taste of Morocco happens to make these particularly well with a flaky crust and amazing flavor of the meat or vegetable filling. Since dining at Taste of Morocco, I've dined at some other Moroccan restaurants and been very disappointed. One place actually seemed to precook their bastillas and just serve you a reheated slice. Oy!

Although I've stressed the bastillas, you shouldn't miss the other appetizers like harrira,  a slightly spicy, tomato-based soup with chick peas, lentils, and various vegetables, or the Moroccan-spiced shredded eggplant, which has a nice smokey flavor.

Your choices for entrees are pretty simple although it might look complex when first looking at the menu. Just start with the basic choice of couscous or tagine. I'm going to tell you right now that you don't want the couscous, unless you're someone who really likes couscous, because there's a LOT of couscous. I just found it boring. Regardless of this choice, the meats are cooked the same way in a clay tagine pot, which consists of a high dome at the top and maintains moisture in the pot while the meat is cooking.

You choices of tagines start with Chicken, Lamb, or Vegetarian, and from there, you get your choice of seasoning. Both the lamb and chicken come out very tender because of the slow cooking method in the tagine pot, which infuses the flavor of the seasoning into the meat. My favorite so far is the chicken with preserved lemon and olive or the spicy chicken. I, and my vegetarian guests on another trip, found the vegetarian tagine to be ok, but a little boring, especially after following up a bastilla.

Dollar-wise, the Moroccan feasts are definitely the way to go because they're a great deal. For around $50 two people get to sample each of the dishes I've described. You each get a choice of soup, an appetizer sampler of Moroccan-spiced eggplant, hummus, carrot salad, and cucumber salad, a small bastilla to share, a tagine, dessert  of cookies, and a fruit basket. The only thing is that the fruit basket is lost on me and I feel bad leaving all that fruit just sitting there at the end of the meal. I mean, if I want an apple or banana, I'll go to my local farmer's market.

The choice of wines and beers can be disappointing. The Moroccan beer on the menu is never available (in the Silver Spring location) because they can't get it imported into the state of Maryland, as is the same with the Moroccan wines. To get them, you'll have to go to Taste of Morocco's Arlington location, which personally I found to be a little better than the Silver Spring location. Everything we had there was basically a little better and cheaper as well. The feast itself was about $10 cheaper to start and the wines and beers are cheaper because it's in Virginia instead of Maryland.

(And oh yeah, there's bellydancing too.)

Taste of Morocco

8661 Colesville Rd
Silver Spring,  MD  20910
Map
(301) 588-4003

3211 Washington Blvd.
Arlington,  VA 22201
Map
(703) 527-7468
www.tasteofmorocco.net

Details:
Dress Code: Casual
Parking: For Silver Spring, you have street parking and parking lots which are free on the weekends. In Arlington there is plenty of street parking and public lots.
Closest Metro: Silver Spring and Clarendon.
Reservations: Taken at both locations.
Baby-Child friendly rating: 3 diapers. Plenty of high chairs and the staff is great with children.
Amy's Bathroom Rating: They're acceptable.

If there's any reason for me to consider moving to Del Ray, it's Evening Star Café. If you live in Del Ray, then you probably don't consider this news, as you've been there several times, but for those of us that don't, well....we're all secretly hating you.

Evening Star Café is my perfect neighborhood restaurant, and it's not in my neighborhood...yet. Both times we've eaten there, we order a very nice bottle of wine, whatever entrees, appetizers, and desserts we want, and the bill is less than $100. From a value perspective, Evening Star Café can't be beat.

To continue with the value theme, the best thing about Evening Star Café is the inexpensive wine list. With a standard policy of charging $10 over retail and Planet Wine (which is owned by the same restaurant group) next door, you can get a huge wide variety of wines for good prices. For instance, one of my favorite Cabernets is produced by Avalon, which retails at anywhere from $13 to $16 a bottle. At Evening Star Café, it's $23 so the $10 above retail is actually true retail pricing.

Food-wise, we've had good luck with the appetizers we've ordered. The smoked duck spring rolls are to die for. That's all I have to say -- just do yourself a favor and try them. A hearty chicken and andouille sausage gumbo contains just enough heat to sneak up on you. I'd make it spicier myself, but then again, I like my food a bit spicier than most.

Bored of fried calamari with your typical marinara sauce? Then try the fresh fried squid with a spicy chipotle honey sauce, which reminds me of a similar dish I had at Restaurant Eve, but at $7 probably costs half the price.

The roasted duck breast outshines the other entrees on the menu. It's the obvious choice if you're a duck fiend like me. You could serve this with unbuttered mashed potatoes and it'd still be good, but instead it's served with a sour cherry bread pudding and a port reduction sauce. It's not quite what you expect from the corner café. Following a close second to the duck breast as best entree is the brined chicken. Even though it's brined, it's not overly salty and is probably the juiciest chicken I've eaten at a restaurant.

Amy loves the wasabi-pea-crusted salmon so much, she ordered it both times we ate at Evening Star Café. The cooks do fish very well, especially if you let them serve your fish at the recommended medium rare. The salmon is served with a cold buckwheat noodle salad with cucumber relish and has a nice Asian flare.

The one drawback I've noticed is the inconsistent desserts. In my trips there, we've managed to sample all five of the desserts. Two are good and the other three you're better off skipping. Let's start with the good.

The lemon chess pie is heaven and I really enjoyed the tart flavor of the pie combined with the sweet blueberry sauce. As well, the chocolate chip cannoli, with filling that doesn't blow you away with its sweetness, is a fun treat to mix with the Illy coffee.

However, the runny crème brulee was a huge disappointment to Amy, who is a crème brulee addict. The first night we dined at Evening Star Café, our friends ordered the brownies and ice cream which was like eating a chocolate brick with really good ice cream. We finished the ice cream -- left most of the brownie. The same night, I ordered the strawberry shortcake hoping to relive memories of eating fresh picked strawberries with my mother's homemade shortcake, but it fell way short.

Our service has always been consistently friendly. During both of our visits, the restaurant was bustling with people busy. While our waiters were probably loaded with work, they still managed to maintain her composure and clear our plates with speed and efficiency. Our waiter the first night, was very helpful and helped us navigate the menu, making suggestions for what was good, and what he thought was only so-so.

After two trips to Evening Star Café, I'm convinced that this is the start of another beautiful restaurant relationship and I know I'll be returning. The question is...how often? 

Evening Star Café
2000 Mount Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA
Map
(703) 549-5051
Web Site

Details:
Corkage: Not allowed, but you can purchase wine at Planet Wine and have it sent to your table.
Dress Code: Business casual but jeans are common.
Parking: Street: Street Parking and very limited parking in the restaurant's own lot.
Smoking: Allowed only at the bar/lounge.
Closest Metro: Probably Braddock Rd. It's a hike.
Reservations: Taken. Friday evenings no reservations are taken from 6 to 10 PM and they only accept walk-ins.
Baby friendly rating: 3 Diapers. The atmosphere is loud, which makes for child-friendly dining. Plus there are tons of people there with their children (particularly on the early side), so you wont feel out of place.

UPDATE April 1 2006:

Rays is back open after a weeks hiatus. See here for more info or continue reading this post.

I only started going to Ray's the Steaks recently -- maybe it's because of the whole Virginia/crossing-the-river factor or because of all the attention that Ray's has been getting lately. I guess I just figured it was about time I tried it. So far, each dinner at Ray's the Steaks was been wonderful! I definitely ate some of the best steaks I've ever had in this area, and they were far better than Morton's or Ruth Chris. So what made my meals so good you ask? Well, let me explain.

I like to think of Ray's The Steaks as the anti-Morton's. It's unpretentious and unassuming. The dining room reminds me of the Ye Olde College Diner at Penn State, and is anything but swanky. You won't find big-wig execs with their own wine locker taking up space in the dining room with their expense accounts. What you will find is fresh, unadulterated beef and people who appreciate it...and a lack of expensive a la carte sides.

Our first night there, I had the NY Strip with silky mushroom cream sauce and blue cheese crumbles. I have to say though, of all the steaks I tried at Rays, this was my least favorite. Not that it was bad by any means, it just wasn't as flavorful or tender as the steaks I tried in my later visits.

Also that first night, Amy ordered a buttery tenderloin with mushroom brandy cream sauce, which melted in my mouth with every bite that she allowed me have.  If I were to describe any or Ray's steaks as "sexy", it would be this one. I preferred how Amy ordered her filet with just the mushroom sauce (and minus the blue cheese), mainly because I think that the blue cheese masked the flavor of the beef too much.

Before our steaks came though, I had to try a cup of the simply-prepared crab bisque. When it first came, it looked like just a normal cup of soup, but once I put my spoon into the creamy pink broth, I realized that this was no normal crab bisque. The broth was full of jumbo lump crab meat, and when I mean full, I mean "Would you like some bisque with your crab?" Excellent.

Another night, I started with the clam chowder, which was different than I'm used to, because it had corn and carrots in it. The broth was not quite as thick as most chowders, but that probably just means that it wasn't made with heavy cream and a ton of flour. I prefer the crab bisque.

But back to the meat. I have to say I enjoyed the hanger steak the most. Honestly, you won't find a better steak for $20. Please go and order this medium rare with nothing on it. You won't regret it.

And if you think that's a good deal...one night, we ordered the bacon-wrapped fillets, which ended up only costing us $16. Add to that the fact that you get creamed spinach and mashed potatoes included on the side, and you have yourself quite a good deal.

Here's just a little tip for those of you that have never been to Ray's. I'd recommend that you order your steak a little more done than you usually like it. Most places, I order my steaks medium-rare, mainly to keep the cook from overcooking it. At Ray's it's more likely that your steak will be undercooked. That was just my experience the few times I was there and from talking to others, they notice that as well.

Never once at Ray's did I feel rushed or like I had to leave. This is mainly because the kitchen is ultra efficient. Minutes after we ordered, our appetizers were delivered. Not ten minutes after we were done with our appetizers, our steaks came out like clockwork. The first time we ate at Ray's the Steaks, I didn't realize until I got back in the car that we were in and out in forty-five minutes. Another time, Amy and I lingered over glasses of wine and the complimentary hot chocolate included at the end of your meal.

I'm sorry to have to say though, at the time I'm writing this, I've read that Ray's in Arlington will be closing March 26th until further notice. I don't know if this is because of the upcoming opening of a new location in Silver Spring, or if it's because Michael Landrum, the ecclesiastic of unadulterated, unpretentious food, is done with his Arlington location and moving on to bigger and better things. I hope it's not the latter.

Of course it might be due to the fact that recently the reservation policies of Ray's the Steaks have come under fire (okay, maybe I'm dramatizing that a bit.) Complaints about time limits for seatings before 7 p.m. (90 minutes), and the requirement that you call the day of the reservation by 1 p.m. to confirm have some people bitching about how arduous these policies are. (Yeah, I'm sick of this topic too but I've got to mention it otherwise the comments will be dominated by this.)

But despite these policies, the restaurant is still booked weeks in advance. Don't like it you say? Then don't go! It just makes it easier for me to get a reservation. Yeah, so the chef/owner Michael Landrum's a bit uptight about the seating at his restaurant, so what? Trust me. Things could be worse.

These policies give Michael a better turnout for reservations, but they also guarantee that 1) you won't have to wait for your table when you arrive and 2) your check will be $10 cheaper at the end of the night. Amy and I were able to dine at Ray's for about $90 each time. With wine and appetizers that's pretty damn good. Glasses of wine are cheap considering how generous the pours are, at about $7 each, and the steak prices range from $15 to $35 depending on the cut or size of the steak.

This topic also came up in Tom Sietsema's chat today, and supposedly, Michael Landrum told Tom "I'm closing because I have to find a way to bring the restaurant back to the neighborhood, where it belongs, even if it involves reformatting my operations." I'd speculate that Michael Landrum will be changing his reservation system and possibly more, but I'll update this post when I have more specific information.

So in the mean time, go to Ray's while you still can and hope that it reopens soon after it closes.

Ray's the Steaks
1725 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22209
Map
(703) 841-7297

Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday: 6PM to 10 PM

Dress Code: Casual
Parking: There is a parking lot but it can get crowded.
Smoking: Not Allowed.
Closest Metro: Rosslyn or Courthouse
Reservations: Not taken. First come, first serve.
Baby-Friendly Rating: 4 out of 4 diapers. Laid back and casual environment. There are less tables now, and there is plenty of room for that child seat.

Last night, Amy and I re-visited Tallula for dinner. I wanted to see if they'd worked out the kinks we witnessed during our last visit, a mere week after they'd opened. Since Tallula STILL doesn't take reservations for parties under 7 people, we anticipated that we'd have a long wait. (I have to say that's a major pain in the ass.) When we arrived at 8:30, the hostess first told us that there was a two hour wait for a table for two. Amy laughed hysterically. But, it turned out that only a single group of two was ahead of us so they lowered that to ONLY 45 minutes. -- Phew -- I've never been so glad to hear I had to wait 45 minutes to be seated. This is just an observation -- When the hostess took our name, she also took our cell phone number. While this might initially sound smart, the bar is so loud that there's no way in hell you're ever going to hear your cell phone ringing. VIBRATE MODE NECESSARY. We actually were sat only 10 minutes later. The other table of two in front of us was nowhere to be found and they just ended up seating us instead. Lucky us.

The waiter came by soon after we sat down. He had water on the table as soon as he greeted us. Soon after that, he took our drink orders and then our food orders. Everything started out really smooth.

I immediately noticed the same delay getting my drink as our last visit. It's pretty much a 10 minute wait to get a drink. I even thought I saw people getting up from their tables and walking over to the bar to get a drink. That was odd.

We started out with four of the awesome corn dogs and an order of fried green tomatoes which I was unable to get during our last visit due to some supply problems. The corn dogs were excellent as last time. They're so excellent, that they're the reason I added Tallula to my top 5 meals for last month. I love the spicy brown mustard they're served with and the corn breading the chorizo sausage is fried in is heavenly. The fried green tomatoes were worth going back for alone. They were served with duck cracklings and an interesting sauce that I couldn't identify. Anyway, it would be difficult to screw this dish up, but the chef does a good job of making it unique. Our appetizers all came out at the same time, but they took a while to come. I was almost done with my drink by the time they came.

I started noticing a serious decline in the service level. I finished my drink soon after our appz came and it stayed empty until our entrees came. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Keeping peoples drinks full is the easiest way for a waiter to keep a tab up. Mine stayed empty for most of the meal and I was perfectly willing to have one or two more. While we were getting our appetizers, another table of two was seated next to us, and they had asked the waiter three times for bread. (It turned out that they were out of bread, so we offered them ours. I wonder at what point in the night the manager realized that they were going to run out of bread and started recycling bread off the tables...) They ordered a bunch of different "two biters" for appetizers and a couple of them never came out. About this time we started talking to them about how quickly we got our table because the people in front of us left, but it turned out that they were the people in front of us and the hostess just didn't see them at the bar. In a bar as big as Tallula's, they need one of those flashing-coaster pager systems.

After we were done with our appz, we waited a very long time for our entrees to come out. It was probably a good 20 minutes. When they did, the plates were burning hot. Obviously, they'd been under a heat lamp the entire time. They seriously need more expediters. The butter sauce on Amy's butternut squash ravioli had formed a congealed layer on top of the ravioli. So she had this sort of rubbery texture on the top and a soft, overcooked texture on the bottom. As for the diver scallops, I ordered, the quality of the scallops were lacking. There's nothing I dislike more than when I am chewing on a scallop and I get an occasional crunch. It's like getting shell in a crab cake. They fell short of the quality that I expect from a $22 scallop dish where there are only four scallops on the dish. The truffled parsnip puree which the scallops were served on complimented them well. It didn't overpower the flavor of the scallops like most sauces do. I believe that if the quality of the scallops were better, it would have been a great dish.

We skipped dessert.

Overall, we didn't see any improvement from our first visit. The staff was...understaffed. The entrees were inventive, but suffered because of the delay in getting them to our table and lack of quality ingredients. Our appetizers were once again excellent. So at the very minimum, Tallula is a great place to get some drinks and appetizers with some friends after work. I do think Tallula has a lot of potential still. The chef's dishes are interesting and inventive and the concept of the restaurant is great. I'm curious to see if and when they can work out the kinks. The bill came to about $80 for 2 appz, 2 entrees, a bottle of sparkling water, and my 2 drinks. 

See my article about our previous trip to Tallula for full restaurant details.

A couple Wednesdays ago, Amy and I went to Tallula with our friends Mike and Jen. Although two weeks ago is quite awhile in Foodie time, it still remains fresh in my memory. The decision to go to Tallula that night was a long deliberated decision. We hadn't originally planned to go to Tallula, but were thinking we'd go to Thai Square. Amy and I have never been there and Mike and Jen swear by it. Another option was Ray's The Steaks, but I was terribly absentminded about making the reservation. When I called on Tuesday...uh...yeah, what else was I expecting -- completely booked the entire week. On the other hand, I'd been talking with Melissa via email out going to Tallula. The day we were supposed to go out, Jen emails me and suggests that we go to Tallula. We're there!

Of course, after we decided to go there, I started perusing their menu (which I have to say is one of the more tantilizing menus in the area right now) and IMing with Amy about it.  Of course you've all read about that already. Any place that had fried green tomatoes on the menu is all right in my book. I emailed Melissa asking her if I should make a reservation, but she said that Tallula did not take reservations unless you were a party of 7 or more. Bummer, there's only four of us. But Melissa said that on a Wednesday night, the restaurant should be able to handle us.

So when we arrived...45 minute wait. Crap. And let me tell you, when they say 45 minutes, they MEAN 45 minutes. But when it came down to it, I was glad we had to wait. We ended up sitting down at the bar area, which is really a restaurant in itself. There are these little booths that are separated by sheer curtains with small tables and ottomans surrounding them to sit on. The bartender came and gave us the menus. There were two bartenders covering the entire bar -- tables and all. They were also responsible for making drinks for the restaurant. To say the least, they seemed a little overloaded, but were handling it in style. The drink menu peaked our interest.  Drinks range from $7 to $9, which I thought was pretty reasonable for a place like this. Other similar restaurants will have a flat $10 drink price. We'll see how long it takes Tallula to do the same. The Wimbledon was a hit with Amy and Jen, but not because of any reference to the movie or tennis. The drink contains vodka, champagne, strawberry puree, honey, and is topped off with a pop rocks rim. This is probably as girly a drink as you can get anywhere. Mike and I, on the other hand, opted for the Old Fashioned, which turned out to be rather good. I also had a Tallula lassi later - Just think of a mango lassi from an Indian restaurant made with Bacardi Vanilla. Very good! Also, I have to admit that the Wimbledon was very good as well even if it was extremely girly. ;-)

We decided that we would have some food while we were waiting as well. On Tallula's menu, you'll find a "two-biter menu". Items on the menu are priced per piece and obviously each piece is meant to be eaten in two bites (duuuuuuuh). We ordered a few items off the menu including a couple foie gras finger sandwiches, "steak and cheese", citrus and vodka cured salmon, and corn dogs. We were waiting a while for the food to come and we started getting into a discussion about foie gras and whether it was right to eat it considering how they actually make it.

At some point someone asked "I wonder why it's taking so long?" to which Mike replied, "They're probably back there force0feeding the bird right now."

Amy then added, "Take it bitch!" And we all laughed hysterically.

(No seriously, animal cruelty is no laughing matter. I'm going to go donate money right now to PETA...)

I'll now jump to the part where I tell you that the beer-battered corn dog is totally kick-ass. Amy and I ended up ordering a couple more later with dinner. You could hate everything else at Tallula, but you'd have to go back for the corn dog. Of course, they don't use a real hot dog, but rather homemade chorizo sausage. YUM. Amy and Mike thought the foie gras sandwiches were ok, but had too much blackberry preserves and not enough foie gras. We commented to the bartender about this, and he told us that other people had just complained about there not being enough preserves. Guess you can't win either way. I rather liked the "steak and cheese" --  made on a cracker with steak tartare --  it was not your everyday steak and cheese. Billy Penn is rolling over in his grave. (If you're from Philly you'll get that.)

(Wow, this is the longest God-damn post ever. When is he going to get to the actual meal?)

After exactly 45 minutes of waiting, two or three drinks each, a bunch of two biters, and guilt over animal cruelty, we were seated. Rather than ordering wine, we just ordered another round of drinks. I was already fairly familiar with the menu, but I took one last look before I decided what I wanted. The waiter informed us that they were out of the rib-eye (which has actually since been changed to a t-bone), so that was out.  The braised shortribs sounded really good, but I was hesitant to order them since the ones we'd had at Komi a few nights prior were so good. I ended up ordering the roasted duck breast, Amy and Jen both went straight for the shortribs, and Mike, the butternut squash ravioli. For appetizers, we ordered some more of the two biters, crabcakes, and tuna tartare. Of course, they were out of the fried green tomatoes which was one of the main reason I wanted to go there. Our entire table was fairly upset. Sad, I know.

Once again, our food and drinks took a while to come out. I'm sure that since the restaurant is so new that the kitchen and bar are working out the kinks. Plus, since they were so crowded on a Wednesday night (probably unexpectedly so), the bar was understaffed. It's been a couple weeks so I'm be interested to see how they're faring now. Service on a whole was excellent - gracious and apologetic for the wait. Of course, we were in no hurry, so we just talked for a while.

One other thing worth mentioning is the wine list, of which Tallula highly prides itself. I was happy to see many wines in the $20 - $30 range. Glasses of wine come in half and full glasses and aren't just the cheaper wines. Prices for a glasse of wine range from $5 - $22 with, half glasses being about half the cost of a full.

By the time our food came out, we were pretty hungry again. Of course, we ordered more corn dogs because we couldn't get enough of them earlier. As well, we had the baby burgers. With caramelized onions and truffle butter, they were interesting. I don't have much to compare Tallulas "baby burgers" to because I haven't had anyone elses. (Tiny food is becoming trendy. I know Matchbox has had their "mini-burgers" for a while now and they have been a hit.) The beef had good flavor I think, but it was hard to taste over the stong onion flavor. We had the citrus-cured salmon as well, but while writing this, I couldn't recall anything except for the fact that I was thinking about a similar dish we'd had a Komi and how I thought Komi's execution was a little better.  Jen really enjoyed her crab cake with its roasted peppers and fresh crab meat. I tried it as well and agreed with her. I have to say the addition of coriander to the creme fraiche was good. I've promised myself that I won't ever order another crab cake unless I'm at the Maryland shore or at Jerry's. I'm just bound to be disappointed if I do. 

Shortly after we were finished with our apps, our entrees came out. Amy and Jen's shortribs looked outstanding. There was a lot more beef on the plate than I expected. The cheddar grits and green tomato salsa were a nice addition. Amy, our resident grit expert, gave her thumbs up sign of approval. The grits were a little larger than usual, which was a nice change and they had the perfect amount of cheddar cheese. The shortribs were all right. Amy really liked them, but I didn't find that they were as good as those we'd had at Komi a few weeks ago. Mainly, I thought that the cut of meat was fatty. Maybe it was because it was a Wednesday and the cuts of meat they had left we not the best. That was really the only thing that was wrong with the dish though.

Mike was just staring at his plate of 10 ravioli. He was doing math in his head and then blurted out, "These are some pretty damn expensive ravioli. They're like $1.50 each!". Just about every time we eat out with Mike and Jen, Mike ends up ordering a dish that is smaller than everyone else's and leaves him hungry at the end of the night. This is usually where my critics will speak up and mention that it is quality and not quantity that defines a meal and I shouldn't critique a meal by the size of the dish and blah, blah, blah. And in this case, I'll say that I agree with them. I tried the ravioli myself and I thought it tasted rather good and was well worth the $15 for the dish. It was a similar size to the ravioli dish we love at Spezie and around the same cost. NOT as good though...

The duck I ordered was good. The preparation was good with the duck confit and cranberry glace with the sweet complimenting the slightly gamey flavor that duck has. The duck was cooked a quite perfect medium rare, but slightly fatty. I wasn't blown away by this dish, but it was satifying.

We chose to skip dessert because we were pretty full after all the food we had eaten. Plus, it was getting late. It was already 10:15 and we had arrived at the restaurant at 8:00. The bill for the four of us was about $150 which didn't include the drinks and food we'd had at the bar before sitting down at our table.  All in all, it was pretty reasonable for four people. If we hadn't spent so much time at the bar, we wouldn't have spent nearly as much. I'll be going back for more corn dogs and to try the fried green tomatoes. Also, I was *this close* to ordering the pork chop, so I'll have to try that next time -- or maybe the scallops. I'm not sure. Tallula offers a lot of promise and could probably become one of the better restaurants in the area once they've worked out all the kinks. I can see us going there again, especially since it is literally around the corner from Mike and Jen.

Tallula
2761 Washington Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia 22201
703.778.5051

Parking on location and on the street.
Valet: None
Hours:
Dinner: Sun-Thurs, 5:30-10:00pm, Fri-Sat: 5:30-11:00pm
Brunch: Fri-Sun only, 11:30am-2:30pm
Dress Code: Business Casual (but a nice pair of jeans will be ok)
Reservations: Taken for parties of 7 or more