Weekend wonderful-ness

A weekend of culinary goodness awaits.

Tonight: dinner at Penn Quarter's critically acclaimed contemporary American restaurant, 701, one of many local restaurants participating in this week's "Appetite Stimulus Plan." The deal is similar to Restaurant Week. $35 will get you three courses at some of DC's top establishments, a fine deal for both the taste buds and the wallet. Today's the last day to participate, so hit up OpenTable to snag a last-minute reservation.

And now, onto the important part: the food. For the Appetite Stimulus Plan, 701 is probably offering a fixed menu of some kind, but that will hardly matter if the food lives up to its reputation. With exciting offerings like Smoked Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops (with melted foie gras, blackberry gastrique, and tobiko creme fraiche), and Sesame Crusted Salmon (with chilled thai glass noodle salad, green melon vinaigrette, and honey lavender glaze), 701 has garnered attention for Chef Bobby Varua's gently playful cuisine, whose delicate flavor combinations are enhanced, but not overwhelmed, by Asian influences. Dishes like Chestnut Ravioli (with beurre noisette, cider gastrique, and apple endive salad) and Stuffed Muscovy Duck Leg (with foie gras butter, cranberries, pumpkin veloute, and poire williams tapioca pearls) also reveal a commitment to the seasonal bounty.

I know that restaurants sometimes have a hard time meeting the demands of the overly zealous, minimally patient crowds attracted by these kinds of promotions, and I am anticipating that it might be rather hectic on a Friday night, particularly given 701's prime location in the city's theatre and entertainment district. I plan to approach the experience with an open mind, a deep pocketful of patience, and quite possibly, a sample or two from 701's impressive wine menu, to tide me over.

Saturday: Thanksgiving potluck party with friends. You wouldn't run a marathon without completing several fairly long runs beforehand. The same logic applies with Turkey Day, my friends. If you want to finish your plate on Thanksgiving proper, it makes sense to warm up beforehand with a comparable meal. Hence, the pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving. I'm making Sweet Potato Pie Bars to bring.

Sweet Potato Pie Bars
1 (18.25-ounce) yellow cake mix, divided use
6 tablespoons margarine OR butter, melted and divided use
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided use
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg whites
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Set aside 1 cup yellow cake mix.
In a mixing bowl, blend together remaining cake mix, 4 tablespoons melted margarine, and egg; mix well. Pat mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. In a separate mixing bowl, combine sweet potatoes, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, sugar, egg whites, and evaporated milk until creamy. Pour filling over prepared crust.
Mix reserved 1 cup cake mix, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, remaining 2 tablespoons melted margarine, brown sugar, and pecans and sprinkle over filling.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until filling is set.

Photo from 701's website.

Modern Mexican at Oyamel

Whew - it was quite a weekend. The variety of things to do in this city never fails to amaze me, and this weekend included jaunts to the Japanese Street Festival, the new Newseum, The Lansburgh Theatre for a showing of the Reduced Shakespeare Company's "The Complete History of America (abridged)," and the National Zoo, where we got to see the Orangutan's on the O Line. With all this activity, I'm sorta surprised we even remembered to eat, and yet we somehow managed to sneak in a meal that I'm counting among one of the best in recent memory at Penn Quarter's lovely Mexican cocina, Oyamel.

I don't know how to explain it, but as Jason and I stepped into Oyamel on that balmy Saturday evening, I suddenly felt a little bit more alive. My bones virtually tingled, infused with the bright energy of the warm color scheme, the oversized butterfly mobiles, the cheerful bustle of the wait staff ushering plates of miniature tacos to tables of grateful patrons, many slightly overdressed in their sequin-y theater garb (there are several venues within stone's throw of the restaurant).

It soon became apparent that Oyamel's menu (made up of antojitos, or small plates) is a worthy match for its exciting atmosphere. We started our meal at cocktails - mine was sweet and coconut-y with rum, and it was called Horchata something, but I can't find it on the Oyamel's website. Jason had the restaurant's version of a margarita, which comes topped with "salt air" (which seemed to be a sort of salient foam), and which Jason later declared to be the "best margarita ever" (and, trust me, this guy knows his margaritas).

Properly buzzed (it doesn't take much these days), we moved on to the Ceviche Verde "El Bajio," a coolly verdant blend of yellowtail kingfish with avocado, tomatillo, green olives and jalapeño chiles. From there, I moved on to a charming plate of seared scallops, with pumpkin seed sauce, pumpkin seed oil and toasted pumpkin seeds. The toasty flavors of the pumpkin elements contrasted gorgeously with the sweet scallop meatiness. Jason, meanwhile, was similarly enraptured by a tureen of baked beans and chorizo.

To accompany our second round of drinks (margaritas for both of us this time), we each ordered two tacos a la carte. Jason chose the wildest offerings - Taco de Chapulines, stuff with sautéed grasshoppers, in a shallots, garlic and tequila sauce, and the Lengua Guisada taco - braised beef tongue with radishes and a sauce of roasted pasilla chili, tomatoes, onion and garlic. I got to try an errant grasshopper - it was salty with a highly concentrated, almost nutty, flavor, but not altogether unpleasant. The braised beef tongue mostly just tasted like beef, but slightly gamier than the more conventional cuts. I chose the Carnitas taco stuff with confit of baby pig with green tomatillo sauce, pork rinds, onions and cilantro, an agreeably zesty combination of ingredients. I also got the comparatively tame Pollo a la Parilla taco, with grilled marinated chicken breast with guacamole and grilled Cambray onions. I wasn't as wild about the Pollo a la Parilla, but perhaps it isn't really fair to compare it directly to the more exotic items.

We were simply too full to sample any of Oyamel's desserts, but I am intrigued by the hibiscus and margarita sorbets, served with a meringue froth, tequila “jello”, and fresh orange and lime. Maybe next time. Maybe soon.

Good to know:
Oyamel is located at 401 7th Street, NW, a hop, skip, and a jump from the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro stop (green, yellow, or red lines) or the Archives/Navy Memorial Metro stop (green and yellow lines). Within easy walking distance of The Shakespeare Theater, Woolly Mammoth Theater, National Theatre, and Warehouse Theater.

Photo of grasshopper tacos by Flickr user Angela N. Photo of Oyamel exterior by Flickr user Sp3ctr3man.