Cashion In

I've been looking forward to this weekend all month because my parents will be in town! They live in Chicago (a fantastic food city in its own right), so they only get to DC one or two times a year. For that reason, it's pretty special when they come to DC, and I like to take them out for at least one memorable meal while they're in town.

I gave careful consideration to my restaurant choice this time. My requirements were stiff. The restaurant had to be easily accessible from my apartment (for parental units unaccustomed to and potentially stressed out by zipping around on the Metro), quiet enough to have a real conversation, not so popular that it would be overwhelmingly crowded (sorry, Zaytinya, Oyamel, and the Jose Andres empire in general), with a selection of straightforward fare to satisfy my dad's meat-and-potatoes palate (sayonara Perry's and Sushi Taro), but at the same time, more nuanced than your prototypical Washington steakhouse (ahem), with a good wine list (something we can all agree on), and a restaurant unique to the DC area.

As it turns out, the perfect place exists right in my own neighborhood, in the form of none other than Cashion's Eat Place, the Adams Morgan neighborhood gem serving an eclectic menu of interesting, yet unpretentious American dishes. Despite its proximity to my apartment, I've never eaten there, but I walk by it constantly, and have always been intrigued by the retro neon-pink signage and warmly-hued interior.

Has anyone been? Any menu recommendations?

Autumn Baked Goodness

Something about the crisp autumn air makes me want to bake, bake, and bake some more. I'm tempted to order my own copy of Brooklyn's eponymous Baked. The book is a collection of the bakery's favorite recipes, like The Sweet and Salty Cake, the Peanut Butter Crispy Bar, the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf, and their famous Cheddar Chipotle Biscuits. Mmmmm.

You can order your copy here.

Photo from Baked by Tina Rupp.

Birthday dinner at Citronelle

For my birthday, Jason (the most amazing boyfriend in the world) took me out for an absolutely incredible meal, at DC's famed Citronelle. We decided to go all out, and get the 10-course tasting menu - the Promenade Gourmande - with wine pairings. It was a truly epic experience, and difficult to "review" in a single go, but I want to at least describe the highlights.

PROMENADE GOURMANDE

AMUSE BOUCHE
Egg surprise, escargot crumble, chicken “lollipop” Champagne Francois Billion with “Cuvee de Reserve”, Brut Grand Cru, Chardonnay

The egg surprise referred to the cup in which this dish was served, fashioned from an actual egg shell that had been cut in half. The egg shell was filled with a light-as-air cauliflower foam, silky cubes of salmon tartare, and scallion bits. Escargot crumble was a diminutive glass cup of escargot topped and baked with a buttery sauce and garlicky bread crumbs. The "lollipop" was a toothpick holding the most tender morsel of chicken I've ever tasted, breaded and delicately fried (and more densely flavorful than I knew poultry could be) perched in a tiny puddle of mustardy cream sauce.

VICHYSSOISE “2008”

Michel Richard's updated version of Vichyssoise, a classic French soup, traditionally made with cream, chicken stock, and pureed vegetables. Ours featured an elegant disk of creamy, Parmesan-flavored gelee (almost flan-like in texture), amidst a decadent chicken stock, topped with some kind of crispy chicken-flavored crumbs. The creamy savory deliciousness of that broth had me tilting the plate toward me in a rather inelegant attempt to coax every last drop onto my spoon.

MOSAIC
“Surf & turf” with Sancerre Domaine Roland Tissier 2007

This is, perhaps, the most visually stunning dish I've ever laid eyes on. A flat square-shaped plate is "tiled" with circles of various meat and fish, like tuna, salmon, scallop, beef carpaccio, etc., along with circles of roasted peppers, then drizzled with a basil olive oil and sprinkled with frisee and arugula. It was truly a feast for the eyes, and was every bit as tasty as it looks.

SABLEFISH

Broiled, saké-miso marinated with Riesling Grand Cru “Geisberg” Domaine Kientzler 2004

The simple flavors of this dish were a welcome palate-cleanser after the complexity of the Mosaic. The sweetness of the miso marinade didn't overwhelm the mild fish, and a side of tender baby vegetables provided a hint of bitterness that contrasted nicely with everything else. The Riesling was also quite refreshing at this point in the meal.

LOBSTER BURGER

With Puligny-Montrachet “Sous le Puits,” Premier Cru, Domaine Larue 2003

Tender, creamy chunks of lobster meat in a buttery bun, graced by a small circle of tomato confit (an upscale riff on ketchup). Served with a conical bowl of ethereally crisp potato chips.

SQUAB
Leg confit, foie gras-syrah sauce with Chassagne-Montrachet “Morgeot” Premier Cru, Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard 2004

Any misgivings I'd had about eating squab were put to rest with this lovely dish. Unbelievably tender and moist, the squab was served with a sweet and tangy syrah sauce, and dotted with petite vegetable globes. Though it lacked the pizazz of the Mosaic or the Amuse Bouche, I think this dish was my favorite for its uncomplicated, earthy flavors.

SELECTION OF IMPORTED CHEESE

With Zinfandel, Turley Wine Cellars “California Old Vines”

My memories are not quite as crystalline at this point (remember, we were doing the menu with wine pairings!), but I do remember something sinfully creamy (I'm guessing it was something like a Brillat-Savarin), and some type of blue/gorgonzola.

STRAWBERRY COCKTAIL

A tiny glass cup of brightly-flavored strawberry gel, studded with chunks of strawberry

KIT CAT BAR

With Banyuls “Heylos,” Domaine Alain Reynaud 2002

Melted chocolate with hazelnut overtones encase crispy stacked layers of Corn Flakes, milk chocolate and peanut butter. As completely amazing as it sounds.

PETITS FOURS
A platter of small, fruit-inspired sweet cakes. See petits fours.