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…
Daikaya has a lot of die-hard fans and I guess I can understand why. It’s cool, the menu is versatile and the venue is geographically accessible. The kitchen stays open late and plays music loud enough to make you think you never left da club. The izakaya upstairs boasts a creative cocktail menu paired with exciting bites…
I think by this point I’ve harped on plenty about my love for sweetbreads. At the restaurants of Buenos Aires I ordered them time and again, and once I started befriending locals who would cook for me it practically became a staple. Mollejas sizzling on the grill, taken off when cooked through just right, doused with…
Recently I attended a wonderful event at Zaytinya. Local craft brewery D.C. Brau was invited to pair some of its signature ales to Chef Michael Costa’s Greek-inspired Mediterranean cuisine. For the full story, check out my coverage of the event for The Daily Meal. Here is a quick slideshow of the delicious treats I tried:…
On a trip to Argentina, Patagonia and Mendoza balance each other out perfectly. Or at least they did on mine. After 4 days of strenuous physical exercise – glacier trekking, mountain climbing, horseback riding, lamb eating – nothing felt better than a few days of lounging poolside with sun and cool mountain breeze. In Patagonia…
Strange coincidences seem to be the theme of my 2014. Instead of progressing naturally towards the future, my life seems to have come to a temporary halt to peek back at what I’ve left scattered behind – unfinished business all over the globe. Opportunities for closure seem to present themselves readily and I, recognizing them…
There was a burger joint here. And it looked pretty cool. My recent visit to Argentina was just a bit overwhelming. It was a week full of “what if”‘s, “if only”‘s, and “well I’m glad I didn’t…”‘s. There were 1-in-a-million chance ex-boyfriend spottings and ghosts lurking around every corner. There were effeminate hissy fits from more recent flings and a dramatic,…
There’s a new lunch deal to be found just North of Pennsylvania Ave, at NoPa (Kitchen + Bar) that is! The newest D.C. venture of restauranteur Ashok Bajaj, NoPa opened in May of 2013 and is still in the process of growing into its idealic Penn Quarter location. Elegant and impressive with a rustic-industrial décor, the restaurant faces the…
I have the same type of love/hate relationship with Las Cañitas in Buenos Aires as with South Beach or LKF in Hong Kong. These are polished up neighborhoods designed to attract tourists and expats like moths to the neon-tinted flame. In each one there is usually at least one fake-ass “Tuscan Trattoria” with red and white checked, plastic tablecloths. There…
“But we can go somewhere else,” he offered nervously. Even before landing in Mendoza he had brought up the idea of treking out to this place on the outskirts of the city. But he seemed to think I wanted to sit on touristed Sarmiento swirling a glass of overpriced wine with the sun bouncing off my chalk-white skin.…
That Best Bite 