Miscellany

Now that the hubbub of the inaugural festivities is dying down, we Washingtonians need something else to occupy our hearts, minds, and stomachs. Enter Winter Restaurant Week 2009. The food powers that be have announced the Restaurant Week will be from Feb. 16 to Feb. 22. I've snagged reservations at Jose Andres' Cafe Atlantico and Corduroy (whose seared big-eye tuna is pictured above). I've never eaten at either (mostly because they're a bit out of my price range), and I am totally psyched.

Oh, and even though the inauguration's over, excitement about Obama's influence on food policy continues to mount, as Alice Waters and others work to garner attention for the Slow Food movement, farm-to-table ethos, and local, sustainable ingredients. Know someone with a green thumb? Nominate him or her to be the first White House Farmer. And speaking of Alice Waters, I would be totally remiss if I didn't link to WaPo's story on Alice Waters' events in DC this past weekend (one of which took place at The Phillips Collection!). According to this write-up in the NY Times, cookbook author (and hostess to one of Waters' dinners) Joan Nathan choked on a piece of chicken, and received the Heimlich Maneuver from none other than the Top Chef himself: Tom Colicchio! The drama! The mayhem! Nathan recovered from her near-catastrophic poultry encounter, declaring "Tom Colicchio saved my life." No harm, no fowl, right?

In the meantime, I've been neither choking on chicken, nor performing the Heimlich Maneuver on anyone, but I have been trying to figure out what to bring to my friend Erin's potluck on Saturday. The theme is Italian, so I immediately thought bruschetta, but tomatoes are woefully out of season. So now, I'm thinking artichoke bruschetta. Once I nail down a recipe, I'll post it here.

Vapiano, andiamo!

After enduring one too many disappointing happy hour experiences at the pan-Asian cafe/sushi spot/bar across the street from our office, my co-workers and I decided that it was time to branch out. In search of a suitable alternative, we wandered around the nightlife-challenged no-man's land that surrounds our office building, and were about to give up and go to Mackey's after collectively rejecting both Rumors and Sign of the Whale, where you can get hit on by aging frat boys wearing Ralph Lauren polo shirts in almost any hue in the color spectrum, or lose a slingback to the interminably sticky, beer-stained floor, respectively.

And then we stumbled upon the airy, casual-yet-sophisticated Vapiano, and after a quick peek inside revealed a refreshingly spacious layout, fresh rosemary growing in terracotta pots on each table, and a welcoming ceramic bowl of Gummi Bears, it was determined that Mackey's would have to wait.

Vapiano is actually a German-owned chain that serves upscale, but surprisingly affordable Italian-ish fare, and has a habit of opening locations in urban neighborhoods densely populated by, ahem, yuppies hungry for a slightly more grown-up iteration of your typical happy hour. (Area locations include M Street, Ballston, and - soon - Chinatown). Essentially, my co-workers and I are their target demographic, an observation confirmed by the scores of other post-work young professionals already populating Vapiano's space when we arrived at approximately 5:07 p.m.

It soon became clear why Vapiano has been consistently crowded since it opened the M Street location. From the cheerful, contemporary decor to the wide selection of build-your-own pasta and pizza to the nicely varied wine list (available by the bottle or the glass), Vapiano distinguishes itself amid a sometimes indistinguishable mass of preppy DC watering holes.

Another unique aspect of Vapiano is that every patron receieves a card upon entering (pictured above) on which you keep track of your purchases. At first, I was skeptical of the idea, as it seemed like it was just adding another step to the payment process, but in truth, it was pretty nice not to deal with cash all night, and to bypass the whole divvying-up-the-bill mess that sometimes accompanies happy hour with a group of people.

We ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio and a bottle of Malbec (which turned into several bottles of each as the evening progressed). We were also charmed by Vapiano's food menu, featuring thin-crust pizza (try the Capricciosa with ham, mushrooms, artichokes, olives, and mozzarella or the Rucola with parmesan and arugula - pictured above). At $7.25 to $10.25 per pie, it feels like a steal. Our order of bruschetta was also notable for the toasted garlic bread that stayed crisp even as it sagged under a bright pile of garlicky tomato and basil with olive oil.

Several hours later, we were happily full of aforementioned wine and pizza, and we left Vapiano already discussing our plans to return. The handfuls of Gummi Bears that we snagged on our way out seemed like the perfect ending to a thoroughly delightful evening. Indeed, Mackey's may have to wait a long, long time.

Good to know:
Vapiano is located at 1800 M Street, NW, an easy walk from either the Dupont Circle Metro or Farragut North Metro on the Red Line.

Photo by Flickr user Liquidx.