There's no shortage of quotes and sayings about the subjective nature of taste - pick your favorite.  Just because a reviewer prefers mozzarella di bufala to cow's-milk mozzarella doesn't make the one inherently better than the other.  And one person's appreciation of goat cheese has no bearing on whether or not anyone else is going to enjoy Firefly Farms' Allegheny Chevre.

I write about cheeses I've enjoyed and the shops where I find them because they represent my individual frame of reference.  Really good cheeses present a wonderful variety of flavors and textures, and there are plenty of bland or unpalatable cheeses out there that offer clear comparisons.  But it's just like tasting wines - no matter what experts may tell you about the sample in front of you, it comes down to personal experience.

Thankfully, D.C. Foodies have no shortage of opportunities for experiences of their own when it comes to cheese.  With so many restaurants highlighting farmsteads and small producers on their cheese plates, almost every meal can offer a chance to sample a new cheese or three.  Even better, there are an impressive variety of cheese tastings and classes on offer throughout the area at any given time.  More than merely allowing you to taste a given cheese, these formal tasting opportunities can offer pairing advice, recommendations of similar cheeses and details that the average restaurant server may not know.

Rather than give you my thoughts this week, I wanted to provide you with a couple of upcoming opportunities to do some tasting of your own.  This list is by no means exhaustive - and I would welcome anyone who knows of other upcoming events to share them so I can add them to the list.  And if you happen to attend any of these events, please let me know - I'm always eager to hear someone else's impressions of classes, tastings and (of course) the cheeses themselves.

Cheese Classes

Wednesday, February 6th - 7-9:30 PM
Introduction to Cheese with Cheese Expert Michael Kiss
This class, run by TasteDC.com, will feature a presentation on cheese making, purchasing, storage and pairings by Michael Kiss, who sources cheeses for Whole Foods here in Washington.  For $65 per person, the class will offer a tasting of 9 artisanal cheeses, wine tastings and a light dinner.  For more information, or to sign up for the class, visit TasteDC.com's website.

Wednesday, March 5th - 7-9:30 PM
Introduction to the Cheeses of France with Cheese Expert Michael Kiss
Like the general introduction to cheeses offered by TasteDC.com in February, this $65 class will offer a tasting of 9 cheeses, wine pairings and a light dinner.  But the focus of this class will be some of the 400 unique varieties of cheese produced throughout France.  It will include a discussion of regional variations in French cheese-making and will likely touch on the difference between the raw-milk cheeses produced and consumed in France and their American counterparts.  For more information, or to sign up for the class, visit TasteDC.com's website.

Thursday, March 27th - 10-12 AM
Cheese Counter - Cooking with Cheese
This class, offered by L'Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, is less about tasting cheeses themselves than it is about cooking with cheese.  This is a demonstration class that will feature recipes for: cheese and ham strudel; raj rabbit; Boursin with focaccia crisps; Gorgonzola gougere; and honey blintzes.  The cost is $65 per student.  Contact L'Academie de Cuisine for more information.

Additionally, both Cowgirl Creamery and Cheesetique offer frequent cheese classes, though neither one has any classes currently scheduled.  Cowgirl tends to offer classes that focus on specific regions, production methods, or styles of cheese.  Unfortunately, their classes are generally offered only once or twice each, so you need to be sure to sign up right away if something catches your eye.  Cheesetique, which will soon be moving into a larger space a few doors down from their current location, offers the same class five or six times per month, and their themes are often a bit broader in scope than those of Cowgirl.  Keep an eye on both of their websites for announcements of upcoming cheese classes.

Cheese Events

Monday, February 11th - 5-6:30 PM
Cowgirl Creamery Welcomes Paula Lambert
After returning from a trip to Italy, Paula Lambert started the Mozzarella Company in Dallas, Texas, in 1982.  She has been making fresh mozzarella and other products ever since, and she is the author of "The Cheese Lover's Cookbook" as well as her new book, "Cheese, Glorious Cheese," which she will be discussing at this event.  Tickets are $35 per person and space is very limited, so call Cowgirl Creamery soon (202-393-6880) if you want to attend.

Thursday, February 21st - 6:30-9 PM
3rd Annual International Cheese and Wine Festival
TasteDC.com is billing this as the "must attend" event for DC cheese lovers - over 40 cheeses with an emphasis on smaller, artisanal producers; 25 wines selected for their ability to pair with various styles of cheeses; handmade pastries from Patisserie Poupon; and a full buffet-style dinner.  Tickets are $65 in advance or $80 at the door.  This sort of event is a great way to try a lot of new cheeses at once, though it's often hard to keep track of exactly which ones you liked and which you didn't unless you take good notes.  Once again, details and signup can be found at TasteDC.com's website.

Every fall, my wife and I get together with a group of friends and drive out to Markham, Virginia, for an afternoon of apple picking and wine tasting.  We've settled on Markham because it's less than an hour's drive from Washington, it offers two orchards to choose from, and there are at least three wineries in the nearby area.

This year, we started our day at Stribling Orchard, where we spent a couple of hours wandering through the trees and picking some beautiful looking apples - mostly York and Rome.  We've learned from past experience that it's far too easy to pick more apples than you can ever reasonably hope to use, so we were careful not to pick too many too quickly.  But we readily filled three grocery bags with the help of our friends (a good amount when divided among 8 or 9 people) and then moved on to the second part of our trip - the vineyard.

In the past, we've visited Naked Mountain Winery, a Markham winery which offers indoor and   outdoor tasting areas that boast a massive fireplace and a breathtaking valley view, respectively, but this year we opted to visit Three Fox Vineyards in nearby Delaplane, Virginia.  Three Fox is a labor of love for John and Holli Todhunter, who have worked to give their small vineyard a Mediterranean feel.  Guests can sit at tables right near the vines, or they can picnic on the bank of Crooked Run.  We set up camp at one of the tables near the tasting room, where we proceeded to unpack a spread of meats and cheeses, chips and dips.

While in the tasting room buying a bottle of Viognier (a varietal that most Virginia wineries seem to do really well with), I noticed that they carried cheeses from Oak Spring Dairy, a producer from Upperville, Virginia.  I'd love to be able to provide you with a link, but Oak Spring does not have a website - in fact, the only way you'll be able to enjoy their cheeses is if you sample them at one of several northern Virginia wineries, purchase them from farm stores like the one at Stribling Orchard, or visit the dairy itself.

I purchased a wedge of Oak Spring's Bay Derby, a cheese that immediately reminded me of the Crab Spice Cheddar I sampled from Chapel's Country Creamery.  No surprise: the 'bay' in Bay Derby refers to a spice blend that is very similar to that of Old Bay seasoning, and Derby is a semi-firm cheese whose taste and texture are close to those of cheddar.  At $6.63 for a .39 lb piece, this cheese would run $17/lb if you could purchase it by weight.

The label identified this as a fresh raw cows milk cheese that is "aged naturally on the farm" for 16 months.  The bay seasoning gave the derby a slightly sharp, almost peppery flavor, though the natural butteriness was not overwhelmed by the spice.  As the cheese warmed over the course of the afternoon, it even started to give off a faint aroma reminscent of steamed crabs.  And it paired wonderfully with the Viognier I bought - the creaminess and the spice both complemented the dry fruitiness of the wine and made for a great combination of flavors.

I'm going to be looking for other Oak Spring Dairy offerings at wineries throughout the area next year, and I'll keep you posted about my findings.  For now, this one experience will have to suffice as my introduction to a local producer that definitely warrants further exploration. 

A week ago, my wife and I attended our first cheese class at Del Ray's Cheesetique, which just celebrated its third anniversary with the announcement that they will be moving to an even bigger location on Mount Vernon Avenue in the next few months.

"Best Blues" was an introduction to blue cheeses, for everyone who's ever wondered how they get that 'good mold' into some of the most distinctive (and fragrant) varieties of cheese.  We entered the shop after it had closed to the public and it was just starting to get dark outside -- anyone who has ever dreamed of sneaking into their favorite store after-hours would be right at home.  A long table took up most of the floor space, with chairs all around it.  At each place was a plate featuring ten unique looking slices of blue cheese around a small rectangle of what appeared to be raspberry Jell-O.  Bottles of sparkling water and small baskets of crackers stood at intervals along the table.  We took our seats and tried not to drool.

Proprietor Jill Erber began the hour-long class with a discussion of the history of blue cheeses and the process through which they are manufactured today.  I won't recreate the lecture here, but I would strongly encourage anyone with an interest to simply ask Jill the next time you're in the store -- I'm sure she'd be glad to tell you about it, as she loves to share her vast knowledge of cheese with customers.

After the history lesson, the discussion turned to pairings with wine and other foods.  Everyone present seemed to grow just a bit more attentive at this point...or maybe that was just us.  There were a few pairings that would not surprise anyone who has ever eaten at a steak house -- red meat for one, apples and bitter greens for another (house salad with crumbled Gorgonzola, anyone?).  But there were others that did not come to us as easily, such as figs, honey, dried apricots, and quince.

That's right - quince.  One of those "Foods that Start with the Letter Q" that Rosie Perez made semi-famous in White Men Can't Jump.  As it turns out, the raspberry Jell-O looking thing in the middle of our plates was a quince paste called membrillo.  And it tasted every bit as amazing with the blues we had before us as had been promised.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Jill also provided us with a few choice wine pairings, should we want to wash the cheeses down with something stronger than water.  Try a salty Gorgonzola with a sweet muscat or a similar dessert wine.  Sip on a full-bodied red with a piece of tangy Stilton (but be careful not to pair it with an overly tannic red or you'll end up with a bitter, metallic aftertaste).  For best results, try a full-bodied Roquefort with a glass of your favorite port -- a truly decadent and delicious pairing.

When we could stand it no longer, Jill unleashed us on the samples that sat before us.  I've recreated the list of cheeses we tasted below, with a few of my own notes in place of the descriptions provided.

All in all, the class provided a wonderful overview of one of our favorite types of cheese in just under an hour.  It made for a terrific foodie "date night," and it has definitely provided us with some new cheeses to look for next time.

The Blues

1.  Mountain Top Bleu
Origin:  Firefly Farms, MD
Milk:  Goat

Sold in pyramid(mountain)-shaped molds, Mountain Top has that tangy flavor common to most goat cheeses, but its rind is similar to that of brie.  The blue veins weren't all that pronounced, so it tasted much more of goat than of blue.

2.  Cambozola
Origin:  Germany
Milk:  Cow

This has been one of my favorite cheeses for a while now -- a double-cream cheese with healthy veins of blue-green running throughout.  I like to describe it as the perfect marriage of stinky and creamy cheeses, and I would encourage you to check it out for yourself.

3.  Cashel Blue
Origin:  Ireland
Milk:  Cow

Cashel is a mild blue cheese that was described as being young and less salty, but most of us at the tasting felt like this was actually a rather salty cheese.  It had a nice texture, but it wasn't especially flavorful.

4.  St. Agur
Origin:  France
Milk:  Cow

Out of all the new cheeses I tried, this was my favorite.  Creamy and rich, but not quite as soft as the cambozola.  This cheese seemed like it would melt over a burger or steak perfectly, and the flavor was sweet and salty at the same time.

5.  Ba Ba Blue
Origin:  Wisconsin
Milk:  Sheep

The only sheep's milk blue we tasted, Ba Ba Blue was overwhelmingly salty, but the blue veining gave it a great appearance.  Definitely not one of our favorites.

6.  Aged Stilton
Origin:  England
Milk:  Cow

Aged four months (instead of the usual two), this Stilton had a mellow flavor that was reminiscent of some aged cheddars I've tasted while featuring the drier, tangy character that makes Stilton so popular.

7.  Mountain Gorgonzola (Gorgonzola Piccante)
Origin:  Italy
Milk:  Cow

Sharp, tangy, and crumbly, this cheese is full-bodied and flavorful.  This is one of the blues you'll see most often in steak houses.  We were encouraged to try it drizzled with honey (apparently an Italian tradition).  Haven't had a chance to try that yet, but it sounds wonderful!

8.  Valdeon
Origin:  Spain
Milk:  Cow, Sheep and Goat (Raw Milk)

This was the cheese that Jill recommended as best paired with the membrillo on the plate, and it didn't disappoint.  The sweet and salty combination was great.  And the cheese comes wrapped in sycamore leaves, which makes it attractive as well as tasty.

9.  Whiskey Blue
Origin:  Wisconsin
Milk:  Cow (Raw Milk)

I'm a bourbon drinker, so you'd think this cheese would have been right up my alley.  But the alcoholic sweetness was too much, overpowering the taste of the raw milk cheese and even the tang of the blue veins.  It's definitely smoky, but I think it may be an acquired taste.

10.  Smokey Blue
Origin:  Oregon
Milk:  Cow (Raw Milk)

Cold-smoked over hazelnut shells, this cheese's rich flavor is somewhat reminiscent of barbecued pork, but it has the sweet creaminess of a raw-milk cheese and nice blue tanginess.  A much more enjoyable variation on blue cheese than the Whiskey Blue.   

"Jason, Are you ok? Are you crying? " Heather asked.

(pause)

"Yes, perfect. This is just SO amazing!!"

(flashback four days earlier...)

When I found out that our babysitter Heather was leaving town permanently and had NEVER been to Komi, I insisted that she let us take her as a going away present. It's my favorite place to eat, anywhere, and I just couldn't bear for her to leave town without eating there. My motivation might have been a tad selfish, because I was looking for an excuse to return to Komi, but regardless she obliged and let us take her.

Given Komi's recent press (with Johnny being in the upcoming July issue of Food and Wine's Best New Chefs 2007), I would've expected to have had to call further ahead to get a reservation, but I only had to call a few days in advance. Granted, we were going on a Tuesday, but I still expected to be turned down because of my usual lack of planning.

In preparation the day of the dinner, I didn't eat all day. I never eat breakfast anyway and I skipped lunch completely. I had a late meeting at work and traffic getting into DC from out in Reston was a nightmare so we were running very late. I've never actually had to drive to Komi. Up until our recent move, it's been a quick 10 minute cab ride away, but now it's a 20 minute drive for us. Luckily, our reservation was early, and Komi doesn't overbook their tables, otherwise we would've been hard pressed for time.

When we arrived, Heather already had a glass of champagne and was happy. Our waiter came over to our table, who'd interestingly enough been our waiter many times over at 2 Amys and had moved up in the world. "Whatever she's having is good enough for me. Thanks!"

The menu was what I was expecting -- a vast array of dishes that I can't get anywhere else, making it  impossible to choose. There's now an option to order what is called the "Degustazione", which puts you in the hands of Johnny for the evening. You get what Johnny thinks is you should eat; sometimes things from the menu, sometimes not. If he has a spare cut of meat in the back that he's experimenting with  it might just be on your plate at some point -- you never know.

"Degustazione" is more food than you receive for ordering the regular "Dinner" -- usually a couple meat and pasta courses each, and a couple more starters (or what they call mezzathakia), a cheese course, a dessert, and also includes a wine pairing for $150. The "Dinner" alone is now $78, a little more than it was the last time I was at Komi ($64), but still a steal for all the food you get.

With dinner you get a flight of several mezzathakia (or starters), a choice of pasta course and a choice of meat...and you get to choose your own dishes, but what's the fun in that. Since Heather doesn't eat red meat, we went with the regular "Dinner" menu instead, which turned out to be more than enough food for us.

The mezzathakia started coming out one at a time. First, the house-cured olives. These have become a staple at Komi, much like the dates filled with mascarpone or the speck-wrapped white tuna (R.I.P.). I can't think of a better way to start a meal. Next, some buttered radish topped with salmon roe and butter, cut to look like little fish. It was a great little bite of creamy salt and pepper.

Ever heard of Amberjack fish? Yeah, me neither, but Johnny was serving a simple Amberjack sashimi with sea salt, chives and Meyer lemon oil. Next came the dates filled with Mascarpone cheese. As I said they're a staple now. I can't remember not ever having them at Komi and I hope they never go away. I've attempted to recreate them on my own, but I've never been able to match the delicate flavor that Komi's kitchen produces. The mascarpone cheese was oozing out the side of the date oh so slightly and the date was warm and just slightly caramelized. MMMM!

The next delicacy to come out was a deep-fried foie gras fritter, probably about the size of a medium-sized marble with crispy breading and the nutty, sweet filling. After that, a mint and english pea panna cotta with a quail egg in the center. It took me back to the cauliflower panna cotta that I always would've ordered by the quart if I could, and this was better than that. It was like Spring in a Jello mold. Amazing.

I didn't think that anything could top the panna cotta, but then the next dish appeared and was probably the most odd combination of ingredients I've ever had -- charred octopus with sliced avocado, quail egg, on top of a mold of lentils and pig knuckles. The octopus was crispy and tender and when you mixed it with the rest of the ingredients it was a fabulous combination of texture and flavors - creamy, salty, meaty. I don't know if it was this dish that was suddenly made me start to cry or if it was that I had just realized how long it'd been since I'd eaten at Komi, but either way, I was in heaven. I wasn't balling and there weren't really tears, but Heather and Amy could tell I was moved. We all started to laugh a little. Amy said, "Now if only I could get him to react that way!"

After that, everything is a little fuzzy although I remember everything was equally amazing: a sardine with a salad of carrots, currants, capers, raisins, mint and pine nuts; a soft-shell crab fried in crispy Japanese panko bread crumbs, a peekytoe crab cannoli, and a mint fennel cucumber compote and quite possibly quite the best soft-shell crab I've ever had; a spoon with celeriac soup, sea urchin, and crispy fried sweetbreads (seriously, where does he come up  with this stuff?); and the Komi gyro with oxtail meat, a sweet yellow beet tzatziki and pomogranite glaze. That finished off the starters.

We were served three different pastas for the pasta course. My favorite pasta was actually the one that Amy was served, a fava bean and mint ravioli with lamb tongue ragu. I had an agnolotti (basically tiny ravioli cut in little cylinder shapes) that was served in a broth too salty for my tastes.

Entrees were better than ever. To accommodate Heather's diet, she was served an individual serving of the whole bronzini (Mediterranean sea bass) which normally comes in a portion for two. It's cooked in a salt dome to keep the heat even and give the fish an extra flakey texture. Amy and I shared the spit roasted kasikaki (or kid goat), a whole thigh of kid goat, roasted until the meat is falling off the bone, amazingly tender and juicy, and a smoky flavor that tops that of the old suckling pig that Johnny used to make.

I'd be missing half the meal if I didn't mention the wine pairings which Derek Brown described in great deal before each course. The wines are paired very well with the food and do a great deal to enhance the entire meal. If you order the pairings with dinner, it will cost you $50, but the pairing is included with the "Degustazione". My favorite pairing was an unfiltered 2004 Gewurztraminer from Lazy Creek Vineyards with a smoky fruit flavor and not too much residual sugar. There was also a slight acidic flavor that cut down on the fruit a little.

At a little over $400 for the three of us, it was quite an expenditure. Komi is still an incredible value and worth every penny, but it's solidly a special occasion restaurant for me now rather than the whim place it used to be. The increase in price is partially due to the success that Johnny Monis has had recently, but also because the menu isn't available a la carte anymore.

Komi
1509 17th St NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 332-9200
Map

Hours:
Closed Sunday and Monday.

Dress Code: Business Casual
Parking: It's very difficult to find parking in this area. There is a pay parking lot around the corner in an office building that's open until 12.
Smoking: Not Allowed.
Closest Metro: Dupont Circle
Reservations: Taken and recommended.
Baby-Child friendly rating: 1 diaper. I wish I could give it more but the atmosphere just isn't appropriate for a child.

Thursday night, I think I finally got Palena.

For the first time while dining at Palena's more casual bar, I was completely fullfilled and I think it had a lot to do with the fact that my friend and I ordered the chicken and dessert. In my prior trips to Palena I always left hungry and wanting more.

Our dinner started out fairly uneventful.

Some wine and beer.

(complaint #1 - no beers on tap. Don't they call this Palena Bar?)

Bread and butter.

(complaint #2 - Is it so hard to leave butter out for a little bit before bringing it to the table? Major pet peeve of mine)

(end complaints)

Our first course consisted of the Palena fries and nettle gnocchi. As usual the gnocchi, on a bed of butter and cheese and mixed with fava beans, had its pillowy-soft texture which I crave daily and use as a basis for comparison whenever I eat gnocchi anywhere. The Palena fries were, well...fries. The fried lemon slices were especially good in the spicy "mayonnaise" that came with them on the side. When we were done, my friend and I were like, "Yeah, that was pretty good. Next course."

After a little wait, our entrees came out. My brined organic chicken looked like it had been tossed in a fire for 30 seconds and taken out. It had this charred (but not burnt) look to it and was fairly crispy on the outside. I smelled aromas that reminded me of the tandoori chicken that you'd find at an Indian restaurant -- but didn't look anything like it. However, it was 50x better than any chicken I'd ever tasted. Perhaps the tandoori chicken thought popped into my head because my friend and I were talking about Indian food just before the food was brought over to the table, but there are definitely Indian spices in this chicken -- cardamon, curry, etc. The moans coming from my mouth were enough to convince my vegetarian friend to try it himself.

I had just a little taste of my friend's pappardelle primavera (sans pancetta) to tell me that I should continue eating my chicken. While it was good, it didn't hold a candle to my chicken and I felt bad for my dining companion -- which brings me to my next point. Palena's menu (at least this version of the bar menu) isn't terribly vegetarian friendly. While I'm not one to usually sympathize with the plight of the dining vegetarian, I felt kind of bad for dragging my vegetarian friend to Palena. Perhaps this is an issue everywhere though.

(OK, maybe that's half a complaint as well)

Our meal still hadn't peaked. When it came time to order dessert, I knew we had to get some due to the pastry chef being Ann Amernick. One look at the menu and my friend and I knew we had to order the goat cheesecake. "Goat cheesecake??" I asked. I also ordered the espresso ice cream sandwiches.

They put the goat cheesecake down in front of my friend. Lucky bastard. The ice cream sandwiches were good and probably better than most desserts I've had, but the goat cheesecake was heavenly. It was topped with creamy lemon meringue which added a sweet yet tart flavor and complimented the goat cheese. The texture was perfect - not dry, lumpy, or too soft, but still smooth, creamy with just the right amount of cakiness. This was SOOO GOOD! And the meal reached it climax...wait for it...now.

Our server was very professional and courteous the entire time and despite the warning of the 45-minute wait for the chicken, I really didn't notice that our entrees took long to come out. My wine glass was kept full the entire time - every time our server came by, if my glass was empty, he'd notice and ask me if I wanted a refill.

Three glasses of white burgundy, two beers, gnocchi, fries, chicken, pappardelle, cheesecake, ice cream sandwiches and coffee cost us about $95 before tip. A seriously good value for the quality of food we ate. Sigh. I need to go back.

Two hours later, I returned home to Amy. The first thing she asked when I came in the door: "Where's my gnocchi?"

Whoops. I forgot! To the dog house with me.

On a related topic, there's an entire thread at DR.com on how to duplicate the top secret recipe of The Palena Chicken. I might need to join in myself.

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.

I'm officially adding Komi to my Foodie Experiences category. Why? Let me explain.

Actually, let me give you some background first...it was Amy's birthday (December 27th) and there was no other restaurant that she wanted to go to more than Komi. So when I tried to make reservations last Monday for tonight, I learned that Komi was going to be closed for two weeks for renovations. "WAIT NO!! You can't be!"

It wouldn't have been that big a deal if this didn't happen to us every year on Amy's birthday. Every year, we try to go out on her birthday and the restaurant we want to go to is closed for some reason. Her birthday either comes on a Sunday, or the restaurant is closed the week after Christmas, or the whole restaurant gets the flu.

I wrote some quick emails to our babysitter, "Hey, are you gonna be around this week at all? Any chance you're free for babysitting ANY night this week?!!" Lucky for me, she was.

So on Thursday night, we headed over to Komi for dinner. It had been a while since we'd been there -- probably at least two months and a good deal had changed, but in the end, it was still the same old Komi.

The most noticable change was the menu. There were a many new dishes on the menu, all of which I wanted to try. Lucky for me, there was a tasting menu available. For $57 a person, you get a series of small plates (which basically ends up being small portions of all the appetizers on the menu), your choice of pasta course and dinner course, a cheese course and your choice of dessert course. We also asked for a wine pairing which will run you an additional $40 a person, but is well worth it because they basically never let your glass get empty.

Our first dish was just a few olives that Chef Johnny Monis and his girlfriend discovered during their trip to Italy last summer. They were mild flavored and juicy to the point where you bit into them, the juices would squirt into your mouth.

Following the olives, was another amuse bouche and quite possibly the world's most perfect food -- two dates, heated to just before the point of carmelization, filled with mascarpone cheese and topped with olive oil and a touch of sea salt.  There's so much to this: flavors of sweet, salty, creamy, smooth. It's a huge dish of contrast and simplicity in four little bites.

Shortly after we finished the dates off, out came the Burrata di Bufala, which came topped with crispy breadcrumbs, a slice of fresh anchovy, and just the right amount of sea salt. If you've never had burrata before, it's a type of mozzarella cheese that's very creamy and rich in flavor -- and quite hard to find. I loved that the cheese was topped with the crunchy breadcrumbs. Normally burrata is great on its own, and I didn't think it was possible to make it better.

Next, two dishes were brought out at the same time. The first was a grilled bread topped with prosciutto and figs -- a perfect contrast of sweet and salty -- and is representative of Johnny's menu which embraces influences from Italian and Greek cuisine. The second was a crostini topped with a slice of deviled egg. Both were fantastic and nothing I ever would've thought to make myself.

Those dishes were followed by a fried ricotta ball, which was good, but a little too salty for my taste. Moving on.

Following the ricotta ball was probably one of the more adventurous and different dishes I've eaten all year -- a cauliflower and tallegio panna cotta. It took me a little while to figure this dish out, but once I found the quail egg surprise in the center of the panna cotta -- oozing out when you sliced into it with your fork -- and mixed it with the shaved rutabega and (of all things!) blood orange slices, I realized that Johnny Monis has raised the culinary bar for dishes in DC. Absolutely delicious!

One of the nice things about Komi is the pacing of the meal. When you order the tasting menu, the kitchen spaces it out each of the courses well to give you time to digest the food. I took advantage of this time to clear my mind of the panna cotta, finish off my glass of wine, and allow myself to move onto our upcoming pasta course. Lucky for me, our pasta course was excellent as well.

I chose to go with the bread soup with kale and homemade lamb sausage, which I had loved during our last trip to Komi when Amy had ordered it. This was overshadowed, however, by the ricotta ravioli with mushrooms and almonds that Amy ordered. After trying the ravioli, the bread soup just didn't seem quite as good as the last time I'd had it. I still have yet to eat anything with mushrooms at Komi I didn't love.

Moving on to our entrees, I decided to order the one thing that I've never had at Komi: a grilled lamb tenderloin with lentils and rutabega. The lamb was quite complex. The lentil and rutabega salad on the side was seasoned with something spicy -- most likely a curry of some kind, which went well with the lamb. Once again, Amy went with her favorite, the Bronzini Me Harti -- and why shouldn't she? It was her birthday for Christ's sake. The bronzini is a very light and fluffy fish which is simply topped with olive oil, lemon and salt and served with fingerling potatoes and some fresh greens.

At this point, I was pretty full, despite the spacing of the meal. We'd been there for close to two hours, and we still had the cheese and dessert courses to go. Luckily, the cheese course wasn't very big with three small pieces of cheese, one of which was a delightfully stinky blue. The cheese was served to us with a glass of Vin Santo, a traditional dessert wine from central Italy.

We had our choice of any dessert on the menu, which was a difficult choice. "Should I take the safe route and order the donuts?" I asked Amy.

"The donuts are good." Amy replied. "But you can't always write about the donuts. You should try something new."

It might have been because we were so full, but the desserts didn't leave quite the impression on us that the rest of the meal did. I tried the Pumkin Flan which was dense and sweet but I really wished we'd ordered the homemade donuts, because there's no dessert in the city that's better.

Ever since our first trip to Komi, service has never been an issue, and this time was no different. As usual, the whole restaurant worked as a team to make our meal seamless. No complaints there.

In my opinion, Komi is an extremely good value when you consider what you're getting. The food easily competes with that of Michelle Richard's Citronelle and Maestro and at those places you're guaranteed to spend twice what you'll pay at Komi. Our check came to $200 before tip and taxes. This included the tasting menu and wine pairing for both of us. I believe when Amy and I went to Citronelle for my birthday, the check came to over twice that, and Amy wasn't even drinking at the time.

One last thing I want to add (and for those of you who are still reading, I thank you): For every person I talk to who eats there at my recommendation and loves it, there's someone who just doesn't get it, and here's the reason I think they don't get it. They go, and order off the menu like it's a normal appetizer, entree, and dessert kind of place. This, in my humble opinion, is a mistake. You really need to get at least four courses at Komi to truly get the full experience.

Read about my past trips to Komi.

Komi
1509 17th St NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 332-9200
Map

Hours:
Closed Sunday and Monday.

Dress Code: Business Casual
Parking: None, nada, zip - street parking is a rare in Dupont. No valet either. I recommend taking a cab. Or take the Metro to Dupont Circle and walk a few blocks.
Smoking: Not Allowed.
Closest Metro: Dupont Circle
Reservations: Taken
Amy's Bathroom rating: Immaculate.

Back in August, Amy bought tickets for Roberto Donna's Stuffed Pasta Cooking Class at Laboratorio del Galileo as an anniversary gift for me. Ever since, I've been counting down the days, anticipating making brilliantly stuffed raviolis and moon-shaped pasta. Finally, after a month of anticipation, the day of the class came last Saturday and I was ready to cook.

We arrived a few fashionable minutes late and everyone was seated at a large table in the Laboratorio eating chocolate pastries and drinking sparkling water and French-pressed coffee. The cooking class started at 10:30 AM, and not long after I ate my first chocolate pastry, Roberto called everyone up to the cooking area and the class started.

There were basically four people there, including a waiter, assistant chef, assistant-to-the-assistant chef, and Roberto himself. All of the staff were scurrying around, fetching ingredients for Roberto and us while we were cooking. Every once in a while, one of Roberto's assistants would mess up and forget to get him something on time, and Roberto would start chewing them out in Italian.

At about 11:30 AM, the waiter started pouring us glasses of Chardonnay, and they were pouring glasses for Amy as well, which I didn't mind much. She would take a few sips and then pass the glass over to me to finish off. Cooking over open flames and alcohol -- what a wonderful combination!

The first thing we did was make the pasta. Well, let me correct myself and say that we watched Roberto make the pasta, but it was fun anyway. I never realized how easy making pasta is! Some flour, an egg or two, water, salt, olive oil and voila! Pasta dough. Oh, and when you see those sadists on the Food Network who like to put a pile of flour on the counter, crack some eggs in the middle and stir it with a fork to make the pasta dough, just think about how Roberto pulled out a Cuisinart, dumped all the ingredients in and hit the blend button. It came out just as good and it was done in less than a minute!

When it came time for us to actually cook, it was usually to make sauces or fill the pasta. We made some general red sauces with some plum tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic, fresh basil, and crushed red pepper. It was very simple but while everyone was cooking it over the stove, the room smelled intoxicating.

There were five recipes in all. Three were variations on ravioli: a basic one filled with ricotta and topped with meat sauce; another made with unbleached flour and warm water and filled with grouper and mixed greens; and a half-mooned shaped one filled with pureed beets and ricotta and then topped with a butter poppy seed sauce. The last was the best ravioli by far in my opinion.

Another dish, which I definitely plan to make on my own, was a stuffed shell dish. The filling was fairly simple with parsley and fresh ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. What made the dish more complex was that we stuffed the shells with the filling, placed them face down in the pan, and then topped each one with a slice of fresh mozzarella and half a cup of the sauce we'd made. Roberto's assistants then baked them for about 15 minutes until the cheese was melted and shells cooked all the way through.

The last but not-to-be-forgotten dish was the Timballo Di Cannelloni. I could spend a couple paragraphs talking about this dish, but instead, I'll just put a couple pictures here. This was the king of all dishes we made, but I'll never have the patience to make this on my own. It took literally the entire class to make this dish between the rolling and stuffing of the cannelloni and making the pasta and sauce.

As we created the Timballo in an assembly-line-esque manner, Roberto acted as the coach and shouting to us "Let's go people! Faster, faster. This Timballo isn't going to make itself!" At one point, I put too much filling on one of the cannelloni and Roberto shouted "NO NO NO! Too much filling!" I replied with a wimpering, "Sorry."

Once we were done cooking, we sat back down at the large table, and Roberto and his two assistants prepared all of our plates with the food we (or Roberto and his assistants) had cooked. With the lunch we had a red wine which I thought I spotted as the house Cabernet (even the house wine at Galileo is about $12 a glass), and the waiter was very generous. If you emptied your glass, he filled it. Between the Chardonnay we drank while we were cooking and the Cabernet with the food, I probably had five or six glasses.

I didn't hear any complaints from the people eating -- they all tasted wonderful and like we were eating at Galileo itself. The best by far was the Timballo di Cannelloni, which would make sense because it took the longest to make. We were even given dessert -- a chocolatey slice of tiramisu that hit the spot rather nicely after all the pasta.

At some point someone shouted the inevitable, "My compliments to the chef" to the waiter. I'm sure he's never heard that one before. :)

At $100 a person, I thought that the class was a complete bargain. You'd probably spend the same, if not more, for an equal amount of food and wine at Galileo, and you get to have fun and meet Roberto at the same time. I wish I'd actually gotten to make a little more of the food myself, but I have this feeling the class would've taken twice as long if everything was made by the people taking the class.

For more information on Chef Roberto Donna's Cooking Classes, go to his web site and you can see the full schedule of classes.