I type atop the lowered tray table of aisle seat 20-C on Aeroflot flight SU105, Moscow bound. At this point, all of my worldly possessions are either stored away in the garage of a family friend’s Takoma Park home or stuffed into suitcases in the belly of this former Soviet vessel. I’m leaving D.C. for a few months at least, setting…

“I do not have a favorite restaurant or bar in D.C., nor in any city I’ve ever lived in.” So goes my answer to a question I get asked far too frequently. I have a favorite mood though, and it’s one I’ve been lucky enough to find myself in quite often lately. Relaxed on a late summer afternoon, thirsty for something shaken and…

It was love at first sight. Goofy, silly puppy love. On a recent wine hop my friend recommended Boundry Road “for cocktails, for wine, for pretty much anything.” We spilled out of The Pursuit (a.k.a. that new place with the grilled cheese and wine) into Boundary across the street, nabbing a seat at the bar. I asked for a…

“Smell my hands,” I insisted, reaching forward from the back seat of my friend’s car on Tuesday night. They smelled like ground corn, earthy and dank in the heavy summer heat. The sides of my mouth sizzled pleasantly from residual salsa, marred by aggressive little bits of habanero hidden amidst garlic and cilantro. Three tacos for…

February 2nd must have been a big day for America’s most reliable meteorologist, Punxsutawney Phil. He probably noshed nervously on a soil-crusted parsnip root before emerging from his hole, only to return right back again, spooked by the dark shadow of his plump ground-hog body. He predicted 6 more weeks of winter. What he did not predict was 10 more…

Last week a French-accented human metaphor marched straight into my radar, unwillingly shattering my composure and making me blush like a damn fool, but also unknowingly re-awakeing within me an interest in pastries as well as a nostalgia for the culture of caring – but like really caring – that surrounds it where I come from. A tiny shot of bitter,…

Not long ago I took part in a pretty cool menu development exercise in the Marriott HQ test kitchen in Bethesda, Maryland. The article is published here: http://www.thedailymeal.com/dc-writers-and-chefs-colloborate-new-marriott-menu/24414 Thought I’d add some photos.

There is a restaurant inside a gas station and it sells sandwiches that are really good. I’ve known this for months now. A friend suggested the place last summer, when I was still very new to DC’s food scene. It seemed like a quirky idea but I generally shy away from gimmicks when searching for good…

I’ve been eagerly anticipating an evening at barmini since the very first time I had a Gin Tónica à la José at Bazaar in Miami one year ago. It once represented to me the pinnacle of the G and T, the highest peak to which the drink could be developed. There were aromatic juniper berries rolling between fine cubes of ice and…

Not too long ago I attended a special progressive dinner, part of a weekly series called “West End Wednesdays.” The idea was to showcase the restaurants of a neighborhood that is often overlooked as a dining destination. The participating restaurants were Westend Bistro, Blue Duck Tavern, Marcel’s and Ris. At each stop we were treated to a dish paired to a cocktail…