Full Circa

Last night, Jason and I wandered around the Kalorama neighborhood for a bit, taking pictures of the mansions and embassies as the sun was setting.  Having worked up a little appetite, we made our way down Connecticut Ave. in the direction of the circle, to see if anything caught our fancy for dinner.  I found myself mildly interested in Sette Osteria, but there seemed to be a bit of a crowd waiting to be seated, so we ventured onward.  To my surprise, Dupont's new-ish bistro, Circa, didn't seem overly crowded, and to my further surprise, we were able to score a table on the patio, no problem.

Since it seemed like a sort of neighborhood wine bar/bistro place, I decided wine was the way to go, and ordered a glass of Chilean Malbec, which was quite good (and, as I would soon find out, its sharpness was a nice contract to the cheesy doughiness of pizza I would order).  Jason got a formidable-looking cocktail called The Ultimate Mojito.  

Circa's got a nice little cocktail list and a good wine list, but I must admit, I was mildly disappointed by the food menu.  I guess, given the sophisticated palates of the surrounding clientele, I was expecting it to be a little bit more inventive, and it just seemed very...pedestrian.  Crab cakes, mac & cheese, bistro steak, etc.  Ah well, I suppose t'is better to do simpler things and do them well than to take on too much. They also probably get a lot of tourists walking in because of the location, and I suppose a really exotic menu might not do much to lure in casual passers-by.

In any case, I'd heard good things about the pizza, so I ordered the Capriciosso pizza - ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, mushroom, basil, and prosciutto.  The pizza was pretty good, despite showing no signs of the aforementioned basil.  In spite of my Chicagoan connections, I prefer thinner crust pizza, and Circa's was slightly thick for my liking.  Hard to go wrong with prosciutto and lots of cheese though, so I did a pretty good number on it.  Jason got the Free Range Chicken pizza, with sundried tomatoes, artichokes, chicken, mozzarella, and basil.  I swiped a piece, and it was decent, though the sweetness of the tomatoes verged on cloying for me.  

Service was sort of meh.  I got the impression that our server was trying to emulate the understatedness of servers in really haute cuisine types of joints, but the end result was just sort of awkward.  Think lots of weird silences and halted, barely audible responses.  Overall, though, it's a fine place to grab a casual meal, if you're not expecting much in the way of culinary revelation.  I think I'll have to give it a couple more tries to see if we caught it on sort of a blah night.  

Good to know:

Circa is located at 1601 Connecticut Avenue, NW, practically right across the street from the Dupont Circle Metro stop on the Red Line.  Just exit on the North side, and cross Connecticut as if you're going to Kramerbooks, but hang a quick left on Connecticut instead.  It's right on the corner.

The atmosphere is super casual and anything goes.  There were families in shorts, tee-shirts, and tennis shoes, and there were glitterati in sparkly dresses and strappy heels and both fit right in.

Photos by Flickr user M.V. Jantzen, who takes great photos of DC.  Check out his stuff sometime.

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.

Hot food for a cold day

Oenophile that I am, I've been super excited to check out DC's newest addition to the wine bar craze, Cork, and had made plans to go after work yesterday. Few things can compete with my mildly obsessive interest in chronicling the best this city has to offer in the way of wine flights, cheese selections, and charcuterie. (See previous post on Dupont's Veritas). As if I needed further incentive, Cork's menu boasts a pretty decent selection of entrees (or what they call "hot plates"), and dishes like Red-Wine Braised Lamb with pomegranate, radicchio, and spinach beckon.

But yesterday, it was cold. And windy. And to be completely honest, I just didn't feel like trekking across town for my dinner, delicious as it might've been. So, although few things can compete with wine and cheese, fabulous Indian food is most definitely one of those things, specifically the elegant fare turned out by Heritage India in Dupont Circle.

So we turned our wind-burned cheeks to the north and braved the nasty weather for the couple blocks between my office and the restaurant, the promise of warm naan and spicy curries sustaining us through the chill.

Once inside Heritage's uniquely decorated dining room (think soothing peach tones, low lighting, and a giant bronze Buddha statue), we settled into a table for two and ordered drinks (a SoCo Sour for Jason, and a Maharani cocktail for me - made of peach schnapps, orange juice, Grey Goose, and white sparkling wine.) With the drinks warming our cheeks, we turned to the menu, which is a rather intriguing mix of contemporary Indian tapas-style dishes (like grilled Tandoori mozzarella, tomato, and basil), and more traditional offerings like kabobs and curries.

We started with an order of pleasantly salty Garlic Naan, and from there, I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, and Jason went with the Lamb Vindaloo. The chicken was unbelievably tender, accented by the tang of the creamy and spicy masala sauce. And lo and behold, Jason's Vindaloo was sufficiently fiery, which is a victory in and of itself. I can also vouch for the Tandoori Chicken, marinated in a savory tomato-yoghurt sauce, which I enjoyed during a previous visit to the restaurant.

Our server (who was attentive without being overbearing, by the way) brought us dessert menus, but there simply wasn't room. It was that good.

Good to know: Heritage India is located at 1337 Connecticut Ave, almost directly across from the South entrance of the Dupont Circle Metro on the Red Line.

Photo of Heritage India's Saag Paneer by Flickr user Il Primo Uomo.

A Veritable Wine Bar

Really, is there anything better than wine and cheese? Well, actually there may be. Try three wines paired with sumptuous cheeses and some well-chosen charcuterie, served in a cozy, dimly-lit bar with the casual strains of Jimmy Buffett and Van Morrison playing in the background. Thus is the winning formula at Dupont's new wine bar, Veritas, where Jason and I found ourselves warming up after our Saturday expedition.

Having found Veritas intimate (read: tiny) space completely packed the previous evening by 8 p.m., we decided to try again on Saturday at 5 p.m. Sure enough, we snagged a seat with ease on Saturday but by the time we left at 6:30, it was already filling up, so eager vinos should be prepared to come early or wait for a table. Indeed, Veritas' exposed brick setting measures only 800 square feet, but, rest assured, some very good things come in this small package.

Veritas serves wines by the glass or bottle, but perhaps the best way to sample a few varietals is to order one of the flights - three half-glasses grouped together by theme or region. With playful monikers like "Allied Powers," (a trio of red blends, two from France, and one Californian), Veritas doesn't take itself too seriously, in spite of its sophisticated premise.

I started with the "Three Blancs" flight, a smart trio of whites, including a Chenin Blanc from Washington state, a Pinot Blanc of Alsatian provenance, and a Californian Sauvignon Blanc, each one smoother than the last. Jason, meanwhile, ordered the "Underrated" flight, composed of three earthy reds, all Californian, including one Merlot, and two Cabernet Sauvignon varietals.

The wines were wonderful. But what's wine without some cheese? we asked ourselves. Thankfully, Veritas offers non-wine samplings as well. Our cheese flight consisted of a smooth-as-butter Brillat-Savarin, a creamy Humboldt Fog goat cheese, and a semi-hard Manchego-like Spanish Idiazabel. I think I died and went to heaven, and that was before the charcuterie, which consisted of a chicken pate, spiked with champagne and a spicy Italian salumi. The cheese and charcuterie come with crusty sourdough bread, as well as marinated olives, pickled gherkins, and rasberry jam. Now that's what I call a snack.

Good to know:
Veritas is located at 2031 Florida Avenue, a short walk from the Dupont North Metro stop. After exiting the Metro on the North side, walk up Connecticut Ave. Veritas is located on the left side of Connecticut Ave. at Florida Ave.

Wine flights will run you betwen $14-$23 for three half glasses. You can order three cheeses or two charcuterie selections of your choice for $11.

Atmosphere is casual chic.

Image taken from Veritas' website.