I dunno where I'm gonna go when the volcano blows!

Thats right, we made a visit to Margaritaville! What poor sap can go to Las Vegas and not enjoy an ice cold top shelf margarita? Certainly not me, as this was my restaurant choice for the trip. I wish I had a picture of the dining room, but picture if you will, the rear end of fishing trollers used as booths and deuce seats, pirates and sea captains towering over you on stilts, and Jimmy Buffet singing to you via some huge projection TV's. We went in around lunch time (along with the rest of the strip) and were quoted a 25minute wait. After about 15, all was well, and we were seated and greeted by a server who strived to talk as if she were from my native state of Florida. Over use and improper use of the word, "ya'll," and poor accents made for a humorous time. There was even a huge volcano that I'll talk about soon.

Everyone at the table ordered some variation of margarita; A Ruby Red Marg, a Patron Marg, and an Uptown Top Shelf (topped with Grand Marnier). The Uptown Top Shelf was my choice and it was the BEST margarita I've had in a long time, though I do have a sneaking suspicion that the "margaritaville" tequila is relabeled Cuervo. My particular beverage had a TON of liquor in it, but was extremely smooth with the lovely sweet pinch from the Grand Marnier.

Being that I was at Margaritaville, I had to get the titled Cheeseburger in Paradise. First off, I must say that I FINALLY got a Medium Rare burger at a restaurant!!! I was ecstatic. It even came mid rare. My reasoning for this is because you eat so much in Vegas, that you'll never figure out what made you sick, so why not serve meat the way its supposed to be served? The beef quality was very good and quite juicy. I suspect a 70/30 ground beef because of its tastiness. Aside from the burger, the fries were incredibly fresh, crisp, hot, and tasty. They received some all important Heinz ketchup. To top off the meal, I received a Kosher Dill pickle and not one of those weak 'sours.' Dammit, doesn't that look good? Writing this, I want it again.

The pulled pork sandwich that the chest to the left ordered was quite tasty too. It received the same delicious french fries- but instead of the ketchup, the boobs like to dip them in a bit of ranch dressing. Carbs fried in fat, dipped in fat = tasty.
The Sandwich was made with your choice of BBQ sauce- though I can't recall what was ordered. It was tangy and sweet to the tongue. As little of a fan of raw onions I am, the diced reds made for a decent toping, crunch, and contrast to the pork.

While dining, the famous "I dunno where I'm gonna go when the volcano blows" song played. All the sudden the lights would go out and subtle sirens would start to go and lights flashed as if there were an eruption. After about 2 of these moments, this huge volcano (sorry, lighting was bad, no pictures) erupted in a frenzy of dry ice and bubbly action, taking this novelty restaurant to the top!

Japonois

So shes not my girl, but she does look good holding the chopsticks. The second restaurant we visited on the trip was Japonais. Japonais is an establishment of high sophisticate- though due to its location in one of the numerous Vegas casinos- you will see patrons who don't have on the clothing that should be considered consistent with such a fine atmosphere.I was advised that it was okay to take a picture of the dining room and not look trashy on unanimous decision that, "Its Vegas, nothing is trashy." Silverware in the dining room was neatly arranged, and there were small candle votives on each table. Lighting was on the dim side for a more intimate encounter with your guest(s). The only fault that I can find in the restaurant are the 50/60's style red vinyl chairs. They don't flow well with the concept. They belong in The Fonz's basement. Also a worthy mention is the bathroom- it was fabulous, something I'd like to have in my own home. However, there are no pictures, but if you're going to visit a bathroom in Las Vegas, make it this one.
Our server greeted us promptly and informed us that the menu was designed for sharing and that the portions for appetizers were small, a bite or two for each person. My personal belief is that she is up selling to the entrees for a higher bill since the remark about sharing would convince you to turn away from getting an appetizer and salad for yourself as a meal.

On any note, cocktails were ordered, and the most popular at the table was a Cucumber Martini. Classic, cold, and refreshing- it helped us escape the heat of the desert night. Fresh cucumers are muddled everyday in house. Cilantro, basil, and other assorted fresh herbs are added and worked into the cucumbers. The result is a smooth, slightly dry martini with an essence of freshness.












Since we had a vegan joining us for the evening, a round of fresh sake steamed asparagus was in order as an appetizer. The execution of this dish left something to be desired. Whomever cut the asparagus did not trim it of enough of the fibrous stalk, and the next person to handle it was unable to steam it correctly, leaving it a bit more limp than necessary. In all, it was bland and could have really used some salt and pepper- which coincidently were not on the table.




My dining neighbor ordered the tuna dish. The server, not knowing (of course she couldn't have) that we were all chefs (minus the vegan) came out with our favorite line, "Ah, the Tuna. Well since it is a very high grade- Ahi- the chef suggests that it be cooked to medium rare. Is that okay?" My friend replied with, "Actually, thats more than okay, lets see it come rare." The server smiled and accepted the order. I had the liberty of tasting a piece of the tuna. It was perfectly cooked, but lacked the slight crunch that I've grown accustomed to- whether it be sesame seeds or cracked peppercorns. However, my favorite thing about the fish was when it was served. The outside was searing hot, while the inside was ice cold- perfection in preparation. Don't ask me to tell you what as on the rest of the plate though.

The lovely girl in the first photo ordered what might have been the best meal over the entire trip. Le Quack- as it was called on the menu was possibly the best duck I have ever had the liberty to consume. Exceptionally memorable notes of its succulence were its moistness and perfect skin. Typically you'll find duck with a dry flesh and crisp skin, or moist flesh and chewy skin, but this came out as perfection with excessively moist flesh and a just right doneness of the skin- similar to perfectly cooked bacon "not to crisp, not to soft." The mango relish that accompanied the meal was wonderful as well. It was quite obviously fresh, had a hint of heat, and complimented the gamey duck well. The only complaint I have over the dish was the presentation. I'm unsure what the massive pile of garnish on top is, and what its function might be.

For my meal, I ordered the Red Snaper and Diver Scallop. The fish was steamed in sake, and was perfectly cooked. The skin was served on, which was peculiar, but I ate it anyway as it was quite soft and didn't interfere with the soft white fish. Now- a side note about all of the dishes- except the duck- All of the food seemed underseasoned. I haven't brought it up thus far because I'm not sure if the concept of the restaurant prides itself on "freshness and natural flavors." If this is the case, they do it well, but if not- there could have been some improvements made to both fish dishes. Again, not bashing, just unsure. I took it with a grain of salt and just enjoyed the naturalness. Back to the Snapper, it lacked any seasoning minus the slight impartation of the sake. Salt and pepper would have done wonders for it. The diver scallop was seasoned with something so discrete that it didn't alter the taste of the scallop, and there wasn't enough of it to do anything except char when the scallop was lightly and perfectly seared. The sauce on my dish was a black bean vinegarette which I found to be quite intriguing. Beans have the natural protein and fiber, that when purred, can act as a thickener for sauces. In this case, it was applied to a vinegarette, which I found very unique. It tasted strongly of rice wine vinegar, and helped to flavor anything bland that was coated or dipped in it; especially the asparagus. The baby bok choy that was used as a socle for the fish was outstanding. The only qualms I have are: 1. another scallop would have been nice for $40. 2. The dressing broke. 3. Again with the nest garnish!! At least mine was diakon, YUM!

Our vegan ordered some side dishes that were staples in most places, and thus there are no pictures of them, nor did I get to taste them. He needs all the food he can get...not consuming meat and all. However, he did order some Sweet Potato Fries that were amazing. Typically these are cut thickly and aren't cooked all the way. At Japonais, the potatoes were cut in a fashion a tad thicker than shoe string potatoes. The result was a non soggy, not overly crispy fry. Great execution, there were very few burnt casualties, and FINALLY, the seasoning was added to something! It was A1.


I personally didn't order dessert, but a friend did and got a hold of the Green Tea Panchetta with thai basil sorbet. It panchetta was prepared properly and didn't have that over gelatanized texture like the Top Chef contestants. Inside of the panchetta, was a suprise- leeches! Leeches are amazing, and highly regarded by most culinarians as nothing short of awesome, but hard to get a hold of. When you do, they're usually brined in heavy syrup that most restaurants make the mistake of not rinsing off. However, Japonais got it right, and having that small surprise really topped off the experience. The plate was especially unique as well, it had some really awesome waves in it, but had the raised portion in the middle to form a bowl. Great plate.

Overall, the damage done for the evening was around $260 for the 5 of us with a wide assortment of appetizers, entrees, sides, and of course, drinks. The evening tallied out to more of a loss when I hit the slot machines, but I gained it back at the tables. All in all, a wonderful evening started by wonderful food.

In N Out #1

This is a chronological recollection of my food travels of the West, namely Vegas. It will be updated each free moment so as not to wear myself out writing it all at once and making this collection monotonous.

Over the past week, I've made my way into Phoenix and Flagstaff, AZ and Las Vegas, Nevada. To date, this was the furthest west I've been. After being received in Phoenix, the first stop HAD to be In N Out.

Now, I've heard a million and one things about how fabulous In N Out Burger is supposed to be- namely fresh ingredients and numerous refusals to generous offers to sell the chain in an effort to retain and promote the consistency of the quality offered by In N Out to the customer. As a result, I was very, very excited to finally visit the chain. Upon entering, we were greeted kindly by a young girl who was replacing a trash bag- usually not something that one smiles about when receiving new customers. The floors and the entire establishment were nearly spotless, with no visible spills, promptly cleaned tables from those unruly patrons who leave their undesirables on the table, and even a very kempt soda dispensing area.

After waiting a short stint in line, I was greeted with a smile and a "What can I get for you today?" I kept it simple the first time and ordered the burger and fries combo. Now, for those who don't know, In N Out is famous for preparing each meal when its ordered. Looking behind the counter, this is certainly not a misconception. The employees in the funky paper and ball cap hats and white uniforms managed to stay professional, upbeat, and clean; offering what I believe is to be the best service I've ever had in a fast food establishment. The kitchen is easily visible and had little to no mess on the floor, very clean working areas, and frying oil that wasn't on the verge of turning into a black abyss of something that resembles crude oil. I even noted sanitation buckets- a HUGE surprise.

Back to the food- As I unwrapped my delicious smelling (and steaming hot) burger I noted again that the reason the chain does so well is because they don't compromise quality. At In N Out he buns are received fresh each day, the beef patties are formed on location, and the fries are cut in house in an attempt to keep as natural and preservative free as possible- all pretty decent qualities for a fast food chain to stand out among a million others. Picking up the burger, the bun was easily deflated in my hands- a sure sign that it was quite fresh. Upon first bite, moist meat juices flooded into the taste buds, but soon dissipated because of the thinness of the patty (not a bad characteristic). The flavors of the meat weren't of anything added, infused, or engineered. Just "plain ol' beef" which lets you know that you've got the real deal in your hands. The bun had the proper yeasty flares without the sense from overproduction of alcohol. The lettuce crunched with freshness, as well as the pickles (not that they're "fresh"). I polished off the burger itself fairly quickly.

The fries left a little something to be desired- which surprised me considering they're cut in house each day. On this trip, they weren't cooked completely and were a bit moist inside still. Now, for some this may be desired, but I prefer that golden brown color and accompanying slight snap of the outer layer breaking. They were, however, very well seasoned. The salt was not overwhelming, just enough to make you salivate and taste the (at the time) fresh frying oil.

Overall, my first experience at In N Out was a bit of a let down in the sense that I was partially mislead. Based on reviews and fan websites devoted to In N Out, I was under the impression that the seasoning and flavors were the big sellers; as is the case for many other fast food chains. My opinion is that In N Out has a more classical approach- fresh, natural food. My only fear and concern for the establishment is this: had I been just another everyday customer and not being aware of the devotion to quality that In N Out has, it could have been perceived as just another fast food burger. They may have even called it bland. Unfortunately, this has all too often become the case in this country. Customers have a hard time comprehending quality, even when it smacks them square in the face. As an informed customer, I applaud In N out for being able to offer an extremely high quality meal for a very competitive price in a fast food world dominated by chemically engineered smells and flash cooked foods. In regards to other fast food burgers, In N Out provides all of the ingredients a customer wants- fresh, made to order, and REAL quality food with a price tag that is less than the competitors. It is extremely unfortunate that others can't follow this formula. Thank you In N Out!

Random Tasks

I got hungry at around 11pm tonight and decided that a rice cake or a piece of string cheese just wasn't going to do. It took me about five minutes worth of digging around in my pantry to decide what I was going to make for myself.

I ended up with a Butternut Squash Soup with Lime Pepper Shrimp, Caviar, and Herbs de Provence.

(Yes, I had just finished watching Top Chef. Why can't Howie go home?)

Anyway, my logic in creating this monstrosity was as follows:

I had the squash soup ready-made in a box, frozen shrimp in the fridge, and caviar I'd yet to open (lumpfish, so not expensive caviar).

I was originally going to just use the shrimp and soup, but I tasted some of the soup cold and decided that it could use salt, and why use salt to add saltiness to something when you can use caviar! At any rate, the "lime pepper" seasoning was arrived upon simply via thinking that lemon pepper is good with any seafood and then realizing that while I didn't have lemon juice, I had plenty of lime.

In all honesty, the herbs de provence were included because I thought it needed something green and because the seasoning on the shrimp wasn't as strong as I'd hoped, so it needed some more kick.

At any rate, it made for a pretty tasty near-midnight snack. Here's a picture of the dish sitting on top of my messy just-utilized cutting board:

















NOTE: I cooked/wrote this after 3.5 Johnny Blacks on the rocks, so it may well be crap, both post and dish. I guarantee nothing!

Home Meals

Alright, while I haven't been out anywhere of great value lately, I have made a few meals that may be of interest to everyone. While I don't usually take the time to plate very many fancy meals for myself, I occasionally get on a whim to do so. This is such that example- simple, but efficient and I could have plated it a little better. On any note, I'm a fan of a little bit of "dead space," as some chefs call it, on the plate. I don't believe that the whole surface should be strewed with sauce or accompaniments. Personally, I find it more elegant to have it and I frequently use it like a painter's table- it’s a spot for me to mix my flavors and plate composition. On any note, here I've made a Rosemary, garlic, sage, and cracked black pepper pork tenderloin(courtesy of Sams Club : D) that was seared and then finished in a 350* oven until medium.

The Arborio Rice (Risotto) was concocted from a stock that I made earlier in the week from chicken broth and some roasted garlic and vegetables. I put my own small twist on it and added ingredients classically found in rice pilaf- carrots, onions, and celery (I’m a fan of color). Seasoning was accomplished with thoughts of how to complement the pork. I settled on finely minced lemon zest and a lemons worth of juice- in addition to the broth. Cracked black pepper and kosher salt were also added. In the ring mold under the risotto you'll see baby broccoli florets in a white cheddar cheese sauce. Cheese sauce, you say? Why would you do that?! At least, that is what I'm used to hearing : P Very often, risotto has cheese added to it. I chose to leave it out of the actual side itself and apply it more as a sauce to the broccoli that further added further complexity to the risotto when consumed together. The broccoli was lightly steamed then tossed in butter, where the cheese was then added to melt. Only salt was added as a seasoning because I didn't want to over excite or confuse my palate with different seasonings on each part of the plate- considering the starch and vegetable were to be consumed as one.
Eating: Pork was great, next time I could stand to chop or grind the rosemary finer yet. I hate to get jabbed in the roof of my mouth. While I enjoyed my risotto/broccoli combination, I wasn't thrilled texture wise. Now, some might argue and say it was a great idea and the contrast was fulfilling; I however, found that I should have taken the fibrous ends off the florets of broccoli. Though it was still young, the stalks made for a crunchiness and crispness that I did not appreciate in my risotto. This is due to my conception that risotto to should extremely moist and velvety with eloquently pronounced flavors. The blunt crunchiness of the broccoli interrupted this for me. I made a mental notation that I should cut the fibrous stalks off next time I use this combination. Furthermore, consuming the broccoli with the pork was just as periless. I wound up eating the broccoli separately and combining my pork and risotto. The zest from the risotto combined well with the pepper and rosemary on the tenderloins seared outer edges. Overall, I was satisfied with my meal, noting that at the least, I can execute the dish fairly quickly.

Review: Hook DC

I will start off this review by saying that sustainable fishing is one of the few “causes” that I actually get behind in any meaningful way, largely because I find most of the denizens of the deep to be delicious and I’d like to continue feasting on them for the rest of my days. That said, I’ll generally support any seafood restaurant that serves only sustainably-fished critters, even if it’s not otherwise spectacular, but this time around I luckily didn’t have to choose between the two.

Hook is a new Georgetown fish stop that serves only those items that are judged to not be in immediate danger of disappearing off the face of our planet, which is encouraging. It’s bad enough for species to go extinct, it’s even worse when they go extinct because we actually ate every last one of them. Fish like bluefin tuna, Atlantic cod, and orange roughy will quite literally cease to exist in twenty or so years unless we start being more responsible about our consumption. Mark my words, if one of you eats the last orange roughy and I can never have any ever again, I will come to your house and kill you.

Chef Barton Seaver uses the Monterey Aquarium’s sustainable fishing guide as the outline for his menu, wherein he features such unconventional food fish as weakfish, bluefish, and wahoo. You might be surprised what other fish make the list, it is encouraging to note that favorites like mackerel and mahi-mahi are both fished in a manner which will preserve their populations for the foreseeable future.

I did not care for the dining room, it is loud, poorly ventilated, and bright. I felt more like a kid on spring break in a Mexican bar (from the noise, not the décor) than I did like a diner in a $60/person fish restaurant in Georgetown. Apparently there is a more sedate dining room upstairs, which I will definitely request for my second visit.

While the restaurant does serve conventional appetizers, the most appealing way to start a meal at Hook is via the “crudo”, which are offerings of raw fish lightly garnished with different flavors. The garnishes include things like lime juice, blueberry coulis, sea salt, cilantro, and other tasty bits. Think of this as Italian sashimi. It seems very reasonable at only $3 per crudo with 3 plates available for $8, however the portions are very very small, with each “plate” really only offering a single bite each for two people. Some of the crudo, like the Amberjack and Blackfin tuna, were somewhat overwhelmed by their garnishes, tasting less like fish and more like whatever was served with them. I honestly don’t even know which fish was served with the blueberry coulis, as it tasted quite a bit like pie and very little like fish. Several were fantastic however, including the mackerel, the mahi-mahi, and most notably the trout roe. I had never eaten trout roe before and you probably haven’t either, but I can assure you that it is positively bewitching. I will now go to almost any length to buy it for my home pantry, and I’ll probably put it on all sorts of inappropriate things. In this case, the roe was served simply over a couple of soft bread croutons with fresh dill, and the starchiness of the bread complimented the briny caviar beautifully. This was by far the best thing I ate all night, and it could be the best thing I’ve eaten all year.

We decided to forego any traditional appetizer after polishing off our crudo, as we had managed to scarf down 6 mini-plates of raw fish and we weren’t sure how big the entrees were going to be. I urge any future diners not to make this mistake, as the appetizer menu looks delicious and we could’ve easily at least split one and still finished dinner and dessert. There is a “country ham tasting” consisting of two types of ham and quarter-sized buttermilk biscuits that is apparently popular with the Bush Twins, and the warmed spinach salad in morel vinaigrette sounds pretty killer.

When I go out to eat with my wife, there is typically something of a competition as to who can order the better entrée. She outdoes me with ruthless efficiency almost every time, however this time both she and I agreed that I got the better meal. That said, both entrees were extremely fresh and attractively presented, and both demonstrated very intelligent flavor pairings and dish composition.

My wife had the Barracuda, which I’d never even seen on a menu before, but that apparently has the consistency of salmon with the flavor of rockfish. It was beautifully seared on one side with the skin intact on the other side, moist throughout, flaky, and delicious. It was served on a bed of barley that had been seasoned in an apparently forgettable manner, as neither she nor I thought much of it nor did we recall what the seasoning was. A strong starch such as barley is too overpowering to serve with a fish like Barracuda, and it was only this fault that gave my entrée the ultimate advantage. I would have preferred a mild cauliflower puree or perhaps some grits flavored with fish or lobster stock. Her entire entrée was garnished with a very delicious deep-fried crispy kale, which is a Southern treat that pleases me every time.

I ordered the arctic char, which is apparently very similar to salmon, although I did not know this when I ordered it, I expected to get a white fish. I was a little disappointed at this when it was put in front of me, however the disappointment only lasted so long as it took for the first forkful to reach my mouth. This was an inspired piece of fish, perfectly grilled on both the skin side (left intact, lightly salted, and delicious) and the flesh side, perfectly flaky, with no other flavorings. I can not imagine that it could have been better prepared anywhere else in the world, it was that good. The fish was served atop a very flavorful shell bean ragout, which had a rich poultry stock flavor that actually blended very well with the rich fatty arctic char.

I have been on a roll with side dishes of late, and so we decided to get an order of ratatouille to split. It was everything you could ever expect ratatouille to be, flavorful and yet not mushy. I will admit that our choice of this particular side was somewhat influenced by our unbridled love of the recent movie by the same name. If you’re the kind of person who would waste ten minutes reading my miserable excuse for a review and not regret it, you’re the kind of person who would immensely enjoy that film.

Seeing as how we hadn’t eaten appetizers, we decided to split a fairly rich dessert. I pulled the trigger on a lemon pound cake with blueberry compote, a blackberry ice cream, and a tart, cold lemon curd. The combination of flavors was delicious, and I made a point of getting a taste of each component in every bite. Blueberry and lemon is most definitely a pairing that I will be experimenting with further on my own.

In closing, Hook was both a very enjoyable restaurant and a great example for other chefs to follow in regards to sustainability. I will return to Hook again before the year is out, possibly more than once. Some of the dish composition does reveal to the observant diner that the chef is fairly young (28) and perhaps inexperienced, however it always seems to be merely a matter of balance rather than there being any actual single poorly executed item on the plate. In general, I feel that Hook provides world-class fish at prices well below that of, say, Oceanaire or DC Catch, with a good sustainability message to boot. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a stand-out fish restaurant in our city.

www.hookdc.com

Review: Fahrenheit DC

I strolled into Fahrenheit on a whim two weeks ago and while I did not expect to be impressed, I imagine I will be strolling back that direction a few times a year from now on.

Terence Feury’s recently made-over restaurant is located at the Georgetown Ritz-Carlton, which was conveniently next door to an office building in which I had a 2-day training class. My wife had wanted to check out the restaurant and thus against my better judgment (it being a hotel restaurant) I had her meet me there for an early dinner.

Hotel restaurants get a bad reputation and it is often well-founded. Hotels by definition are in the business of providing accommodations and not food, and they generally only provide a restaurant as it makes life easier for those who choose to stay at the hotel. That said, I should have been less apprehensive about Fahrenheit as I have come to realize that Ritz-Carlton takes their hotel restaurants very seriously. The Tyson’s Corner Ritz is, after all, home to the incomparable Maestro, which was voted to be the best restaurant in the DC area two years in a row amongst some very stiff competition.

Last June I had the pleasure of staying at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne and dining at their surpassingly fantastic Italian restaurant Cioppino. I was generally floored by the dish composition and attention to detail and thus I’m not entirely sure why I didn’t walk into Fahrenheit expecting the same.

The décor is attractive but derivative, with the ubiquitous high ceilings, exposed brick, and steel fittings designed to make a newly-constructed building appear as if it was once an abandoned warehouse. I generally have little tolerance for this sort of thing, particularly in an area as affluent as Georgetown, in which there have never been any abandoned warehouses, but this particular iteration was actually very inviting. Luckily, the simplicity applied to the dining area carries over into the cuisine with delicious results.I have never been to Tom Colicchio’s renowned restaurant “Craft”, although some of the “home cooking” philosophies he’s put to work there have migrated into Fahrenheit, to its advantage. Dishes are simply prepared, fresh, and often available in both a “small” and a “large” size, allowing diners to order sides for two, four, or more people. Fuery made his bones at “The Striped Bass” in Philadelphia, a favorite of mine, and thus it is a gross understatement to say that his preference and specialty is seafood.

As is the trend these days, we got started off by an amuse-bouche in the form of a cold squash soup that was tasty but confusing. The presence of mint, fennel, and a myriad of other oddly-paired flavors masked and overwhelmed what was otherwise a solidly delicious traditional squash soup. This, I might add, was the only dish we had all night that I wouldn’t want to order again and again, so I will allow for some slack.

Ignoring chef Feury’s obvious expertise in and preference for seafood, we decided to try the “Hot Rock” Kobe Beef appetizer, which involves slices of raw beef which you quickly sear yourself on a fire-heated steel mini-grill that is brought to the table. I first must say that the term “Kobe Beef” is widely overused, and that while this was delicious Wagyu sirloin, it was not true Kobe Beef. Real Kobe Beef is light pink in color due to all the marbling, and this appeared more like “merely” grass-fed dry-aged Wagyu. That said, it was very tasty, particularly with the peppery house steak sauce and the garnish of pickled wild mushrooms. We deeply regretted having shared a single order rather than having gotten two. My only advice is to sear very briefly, maybe 4 seconds per side, as the grill is very hot and the meat is best served nearly raw.

My wife and I were both wise enough to order seafood for our main courses and we were repaid handsomely for the decision. I enjoyed four succulent fire-grilled diver scallops and my wife chose two handsome fried softshell crabs (currently in season and local in DC).

I will begin with the crabs, and as a longtime Maryland resident, I will say that it is not easy to surprise me with softshells as I’ve been eating them essentially since birth. I can, however, honestly say that these were likely the best I’ve ever had, with the frying process really adding only a delightfully crispy texture to what remained a briny, flavorful delicacy underneath. It was a simple preparation and one that demonstrated an expertise with local methods. The crab was served with lemon-coriander rice that provided a welcome, somewhat creamy contrast to the sharp flavors of the crab.

While I order scallops quite often, they are generally served pan-seared rather than grilled. It can be difficult to grill them as they tend to be small and easily overcooked, however at Fahrenheit they were ideal, being lightly charred by grill marks on the outside and still only room-temperature and slightly translucent on the inside. They were not in the least bit chewy, which was my greatest fear, but instead cut like sashimi and melted in the mouth. The scallops were not otherwise garnished, but a trio of sauces were provided on the side to enjoy them with. The tangy house steak sauce made a re-appearance, along with a mustard sauce and a blood-orange relish, all good, but the scallops were best enjoyed without any sauce, in my opinion. I was served a simple pea and onion ragout on the side, which was buttery and luxuriant without feeling heavy.

I don’t generally mention sides as they tend to be self-explanatory, however I feel the need to mention that we ordered the jumbo asparagus and it was extraordinary. Seasoned with a simple lemon butter, the flavor was bolder and more pronounced than most. Composition is important, but it is with a simple dish like a side of asparagus where the diner can best ascertain how serious the chef is about sourcing beautiful and pure ingredients. At Fahrenheit, I can confidently say that chef Feury is as serious as they come.

The wine list is a welcome change from the typical DC overpriced show-off fest in that there were a number of bottles available for under $40 and the staff is as eager to recommend a $30 bottle as a $300 bottle. We do not typically order bottles of wine when it is just the two of us and this visit was no different. I enjoyed a Talisker and a Penfolds Chardonnay and my wife ordered one of her requisite fruity sweet cocktail abominations.

All in all I came away from the experience very impressed and immediately looking for any and all excuses to return. Fahrenheit is not Citronelle, however that doesn’t mean that it isn’t still fifty times better than it really has any business being. Highly Recommended.
http://www.fahrenheitdc.com/