Restaurant: Muchas Gracias (Washington, D.C.)

It's been over 3 years since I've posted a story on Cook In / Dine Out. I've been thinking of restarting it--not as frequently as before, but occasionally writing about new recipes, old favorites and of course, restaurants. With COVID-19 having shut all restaurant dining in, it's going to be really more like "Cook In / Dine In" for the time being.

Thankfully, a lot of great restaurants are offering food for pick-up or delivery, a good reason to continue to support your favorite neighborhood spots, as they need that support now more than ever. We have continued to order from our favorite neighborhood places--Buck's Fishing and Camping and Comet Ping Pong--pretty much every weekend. Yes, we miss our wonderful servers, but having one of those amazing wood-grilled burgers or a Stanley pizza is such a comfort. We are glad they are still open for business and hope they stay that way.

Amazingly, the owners behind our two favorite local hangouts have gone and done something that seems absolutely bonkers: they've opened a new restaurant. Yes, there is a new member of the Forest Hills dining family. And it's pretty incredible.

To set the stage, I must remind you that Chris and I love Mexican food. I mean, it's one of the reasons we typically plan a long weekend in Texas each year. While there, we seek out really good Mexican (and barbecue, another favorite) since, unfortunately, really good but inexpensive Mexican isn't as prevalent in D.C. as we'd like, especially in our neck of the woods. Sure, Poca Madre is divine, but that's neither inexpensive nor convenient to where we live.

Chips with guacamole and salsas

Enter Muchas Gracias, a pop-up taqueria that opened in the former Besta Pizza space next door to Buck's. For a minute, it was called Buckaroos, in a nod to its sibling neighbor. But Muchas Gracias is perfectly named, since that's exactly how I feel about having this absolutely incredible tacos+ restaurant in my neighborhood.

The menu is fairly short, and tacos are the star. As I've checked out the site during the last week, the offerings seem to change a little bit (carnitas was not available the night I ordered), but the short list includes favorites like chicken tinga verde--succulent pieces of chicken stewed with vegetables--and skirt steak fajitas, which smartly side-step the typical sautéed onions and peppers to provide only tender morsels of perfectly grilled steak enriched with a side of honey-chipotle butter and complemented with a scattering of fresh cucumbers. Although we haven't tried it yet, roasted mushrooms and chiles sound like a tasty alternative for those wanting a non-meat choice.

Our favorite taco, the best taco we've ever eaten from a D.C. restaurant, is the short rib birria. Wow wow wow is this good eats. Chef Christian Irabién, an Oyamel alum, has crafted something truly special here, braising short ribs and serving them in red mole broth with pickled onion and preserved cherries (which taste so much like Luxardo maraschino cherries that I'm wondering if that's in fact what they are). Every bite is tender and tasty, with enough spice to keep it interesting and just a hint of sweetness from the cherries. I could eat this taco everyday (it could be a problem having this just blocks from home).

Family taco night

For dinner, I definitely recommend getting the "family taco night." It comes with your choice of filling, freshly made corn tortillas (a little smaller than usual and smacking of true homemade goodness), chips, salsa verde, salsa chipotle (absolutely incredible), red beans (amazing), garlic rice, and pickles (tasty but careful with those pickled jalapeños--they've got quite the kick). You also get some peanuts and grasshoppers to snack on beforehand and a decadent slice of tres leches cake garnished with whipped cream and strawberries for dessert. The night we got it, they even threw in a kale Caesar salad with Buck's garlicky Caesar dressing and large croutons. Because it's so hard to choose just one filling, I recommend you add at least one or two others. Toss in some extra tortillas and you have lunch or dinner covered for the next day too.

Because I couldn't help myself, I also ordered a side of guacamole and some extra chips (which we enjoyed with mezcal margaritas I made before dinner). The guacamole is exactly as it should be, bursting with fresh avocados and topped with a few toasted pepitas and a sprinkle of queso fresco. And the chips are really good too, crisp with true corn flavor just the way good tortilla chips should be. So many other things call to me from the menu: I really hope to try their carnitas sometime soon, and I'm curious about their queso dip, including the vegan cashew "queso." Although they don't seem to offer it right now, the online menu shows they also make crispy brussels sprouts with black garlic and smoked jalapeños. Doesn't that sound good?!

Given the times, Muchas Gracias is open right now from 4 to 8:45 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday for pickup (call to order) or online delivery via Caviar or Door Dash. Although this is billed as a pop-up, I hope it sticks around and becomes permanent. I couldn't be happier to have this down the street.

Muchas Gracias, 5029 Connecticut Ave., NW, (202)-244-5000.

Related

Buck's Fishing and Camping

Comet Ping Pong

Best Restaurants and Bars of 2016

Another year comes to a close at the end of the week. Like other recent years, it was a very busy time for new restaurants in D.C. (Eater D.C. counted 102 openings in the fall alone). I made an effort to get to many of the ones I thought sounded most interesting, but of course, there were still quite a few I haven't visited yet. I also like to mix in older restaurants which, after all, can do new and interesting things all the time, even if they've been open for years.

It wasn't a big year for me travel-wise, and I found myself less interested in writing about the places we visited while away from home. I really meant to do a round-up of places we ate in Southern California, but just didn't get around to it. So, I'll make up for that right now, briefly, by sharing the highlights: 1) Norah in West Hollywood is fabulous--delicious food, good service and an inviting space, 2) Breakfast in L.A.'s retro diners is the best way to start the day with a Southern-California frame of mind (Mel's Drive-In and NORMS in West Hollywood were both good, and the old-Hollywood charm of Fred 62 is perfect before a morning hike in Griffith Park), 3) The Good Lion cocktail bar in Santa Barbara has a very friendly staff shaking/stirring some really excellent drinks, and 4) I didn't expect much from Long Beach, but was pleasantly surprised by great whiskey-focused bar, The Blind Donkey.

So, here then are my favorites of the year (restaurants are in D.C. unless noted):

Best Starter/Small Dish: Leeks Dijonnaise, Convivial. It's easy to turn leeks into soup; harder to serve them in larger form without ending up with a squishy, stringy texture. Convivial treats the allum just right in this delicious, nicely textured opener. Runners up: wood-grilled carrots with yogurt at Buck's Fishing and Camping, bhel puri (puffed rice, fruit, and mint grain salad) at Bindaas.

Best Pasta: Sfoglina. The just-opened fourth D.C. restaurant from chef Fabio Trabocchi and his wife Maria has quickly proven itself to be an excellent spot for a top-quality bowl of pasta. Whether you go for a short-rib filled agnolotti or a deeply mushroomy corzetti, you're in for a treat. Runner-up: Corn Ravioli at Tail Up Goat.

Best Pizza: All-Purpose. D.C. has been blessed with an abundance of delicious pizza in recent years (see "Survivor of the Year" below for another good one). The opening of All-Purpose this year has really upped the game with its wonderfully flavorful crust and perfectly balanced toppings. Pepperoni pizza hasn't been this exciting since the '80s. Runner up: Farmers and Distillers, which also serves a good pepperoni pizza with whole-grain crust and flavorful red sauce.

Best Tacos: Mayahuel (NYC). Here's a wonderful secret about New York's top mezcal-loving cocktail bar, Mayahuel: The food is also amazing. While we liked everything we ate at Mayahuel--and the smoky salsa is a particular standout--the spicy, flavorful tacos were just incredible. Can't wait to go back for more. Runners up: Empellón Taqueria (NYC), Espita Mezcaleria.

Best Entree (That Isn't One of the Above): Autumn Olive Oil Pork, The Dabney. Perhaps the best pork dish I've ever had, this tender, flavorful dish was a highlight among an evening of standouts. Runner up: Coq au Vin Fried Chicken at Convivial.

Best Dessert: Key Lime Pie, Convivial. Tart and sweet achieve perfect balance in Convivial's key lime pie, a dish as beautifully composed as it is tasty, topped smartly with slices of fresh kiwi. Runners up: Churros with chocolate at Mayahuel (NYC); Sorghum Custard at The Dabney, 15-Layer Carrot Cake at The Source.

Best Fast-Casual Newcomer: Shouk. If eating "vegan" is still a turnoff to you, then fine, skip Shouk. That just means I'll have a shorter wait for what has become one of my favorite lunch spots, serving insanely delicious pitas and bowls stuffed with spiced, roasted vegetables. Although I haven't tried it yet, I hear their new burger is a knockout.

Best Cocktail: The Six Shooter, Mayahuel (NYC). Mayahuel has many, many good cocktails, as I've written about last year, including the Dijahbone, last year's cocktail of the year. Well, The Six Shooter, a bracing and dark combination of rum, mezcal and quite a few modifiers, may just be the cocktail of the decade. We love this so much, I tried my hand at approximating it. Runners up: Always Betz on Black at The NoMad (NYC), Smiling Rabbit at Espita Mezcaleria.

Best Service: Tail Up Goat. I have a lot of pleasant memories from our dinner at Tail Up Goat, but what I remember most was the excellent service. Despite the very busy Saturday evening we were there, the service from everyone was friendly but not overly so, prompt but not rushed and marked by genuine affection for the food and their work. I can't stand being in a busy restaurant that feels like they want to rush you through to seat the next billing as quickly as possible--I didn't feel that way at all here. Runners up: Mayahuel, The Dabney, All-Purpose.

Best Overall Experience: The Dabney. Today we may use microwaves, gas burners and sous vide machines, but cooking started with simple, smoky fire. That The Dabney cooks everything over (or near) a massive open fire pit makes its food kissed with smoke and char in delightful ways that still deliver texture and flavor. The homey decor and friendly service enhance an experience that I look forward to repeating next year. Runners up: Mayahuel (NYC), All-Purpose, Convivial.

Restaurant I'm Sorry to See Go: Kangaroo Boxing Club. This delightful Columbia Heights restaurant saved my night this summer after a lousy experience at a nearby bar. They completely turned my evening around with delicious barbecue and friendly service. Sorry to hear it's closing. Also closed this year: Espuma (Rehoboth Beach).

Survivor of the Year: Comet Ping-Pong. Consider this an extra-honorable mention for one of our favorite neighborhood hangouts that has weathered with patience and grace unthinkably cruel attacks based on groundless conspiracy nonsense. That the attacks spilled over into the rest of the neighborhood and turned violent hasn't stopped the neighborhood from voicing its support for this and other nearby great establishments.

Restaurant: Sfoglina (Washington, D.C.)

When I moved to the Van Ness neighborhood 10 years ago, about the best thing people said about its restaurant options was that there were a lot of sandwiches: Subway, Quiznos, Jerry's, Schlotsky's and Potbelly. Otherwise, there was a pretty grim selection of rather mediocre options, including a couple of subpar Chinese restaurants, an Indian restaurant I heard was not good, a combination Taco Bell/KFC and Tesoro, an Italian restaurant catering to the Days Inn guests and Tim Russert that failed to impress us enough to warrant a second visit.

Since then, this little enclave of businesses around the University of the District of Columbia has finally started attracting some decent to pretty remarkable places to eat. All of the aforementioned places except Subway, Potbelly and Tesoro are now gone. Today, Van Ness boasts a decent pho outlet, a pretty good Thai restaurant, an attractive restaurant/wine bar, a promising market and a James Beard award-nominated bakery.

With Sfoglina, Van Ness finally gets a full-service restaurant with A-list credibility. It's the fourth D.C. restaurant from the city's reigning duo of top-quality Italian cuisine: Chef Fabio Trabocchi and his wife/business partner Maria. First came Fiola, the downtown establishment known for its amazing lobster ravioli that recently was awarded a Michelin star, then Casa Luca, another downtown outlet that's more causal and less expensive (but just as tasty), and then Fiola Mare, the seafood-focused restaurant in Georgetown.

The Trabocchis' other restaurants have always been known for their pastas, which take center-stage at Sfoglina, which literally means "pasta maker." At present, the menu offers three classic pasta dishes and four seasonal choices, plus daily specials. Both of the pastas we ordered were absolute stunners. I had corzetti with mushrooms, a wonderfully woodsy flavor match for the perfectly al dente pasta coins served with a just-buttery-enough sauce offset with fresh herbs. My husband got the meaty Agnolotti del Plin, ravioli-like pasta stuffed with beef short ribs and served with a parmesan and rosemary sauce, a wonderfully wintery pasta. A side of roasted cauliflower was a great way to add some additional vegetables to the meal.

Our pastas went down easy with the restaurant's interesting selection of Italian wines, which includes about a dozen by-the-glass options like the bold Tolaini Valdisanti, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese and cabernet franc. Want something stronger? There's also a short cocktail menu that includes a sensational "Van Ness" Manhattan made with byrrh quinquina and orange bitters.

The run-up to our main course was good, although not nearly as stellar. A salad of arugula, citrus, soft cheese and pomegranate arils is a good way to get some greens into the meal. Sfoglina's house bread, a crisp, crackery affair that arrives in a bag, is more interesting for its story (printed on the bag) than its flavor. Perhaps some spreads would make this initial offering more interesting. Caramelized vanilla pudding with chocolate provided a satisfying sweet end.

Service at Sfoglina was friendly and prompt. There was a bit of unevenness, but I think that's probably because the restaurant hasn't even been open to the public for a week. One of our servers butchered a few descriptions of the menu items and another was kinda pushy with the dessert menu when we'd said we wanted to sit a bit and finish our wine. These are pretty minor issues among a team that's otherwise polite and professional.

I love the design of the restaurant, which is warm and cozy. It's a fairly small space--not nearly as expansive as Fiola or Casa Luca--fitting with its status as a neighborhood restaurant. I also really appreciate that it's not nearly as noisy as most new restaurants these days. I'd read that smart design choices help dampen the noise at Sfoglina, which I really appreciate.

Sfoglina does face a few challenges, and it will be interesting to see how it handles them. For starters, the restaurant is sort of "out of the way," in comparison to the Trabocchis' other establishments. Van Ness, while on the up-and-up, is not a "hot" food zone like Shaw nor as highly trafficked an area as downtown or Georgetown. Sfoglina is also fairly expensive for the area--priced about the same as Casa Luca--probably about the most expensive restaurant north of Cleveland Park. As well heeled as the neighborhood is, this puts Sfoglina in a category of nearby restaurants we might enjoy for special occasions, but it's too heavy a hit on the wallet for us to warrant becoming regulars. For this reason, I doubt it will actually steal much of the tourist traffic away from Tesoro across the street.

Despite these challenges, I have high hopes that Sfoglina will succeed. It's nice to have an option like this in Van Ness, a neighborhood that has long been in need of a top-quality restaurant. Sfoglina's warm atmosphere and top-shelf pastas are an exciting draw in a corner of the city that's becoming tastier all the time.

Sfoglina, 4445 Connecticut Ave NW (In the new Park Ness building). (202) 450-1312. Reservations: Reserve.

Related

Restaurant: Fiola (Washington, D.C.)

Restaurant: Casa Luca (Washington, D.C.)

Scared, But Not Scared Off: How a Gunman Interrupted Our Lunch and a Community Stands With Comet

Where I grew up, I could walk half a mile to the closest main street. However, all it offered were car dealerships, and the sole business of potential interest to foot traffic, a record store, was bulldozed in the mid-80s to make way for...another car dealership. We lived in a nice neighborhood: it just didn't have good commercial amenities we could walk to.

I'm very luck that where I live now provides easy access to many amenities within short walking distance, particularly the one-block commercial strip along Connecticut Avenue just south of Nebraska Avenue that's just a few blocks away from me. It's a little too far north to be Van Ness and a little too far south to be Chevy Chase. Although technically it straddles two neighborhoods, I've taken calling it Forest Hills, which is both bigger and better known locally than the other option (Wakefield).

The area is home to a CVS, two dry cleaners, three gas stations, a nail salon, a chiropractor, a bank, a liquor store, a kitchen remodeler, a paint store, an art gallery/framing shop, some law offices, a small market/cafe, five full-service restaurants, and the strip's best-known business, Politics & Prose, a popular independent bookstore that survives and thrives in the Amazon era. It's a wonderfully varied collection of mostly independent businesses providing a sort of "small town within the big city" feel for the local inhabitants and any Connecticut Avenue commuters on their way in or out of town.

My husband and I have lived nearby for more than 10 years. We eat out in the neighborhood restaurants almost every weekend. I've met Michael Chabon, Elizabeth Strout and countless other famous authors at Politics & Prose. This is our neighborhood and we love it.

And it's under attack.

For the past month, the neighborhood's pizza restaurant, Comet Ping Pong, has been the target of a an outlandish conspiracy theory claiming the restaurant is a front for child trafficking and pedophilia. The basis of this is some stolen emails between Hillary Clinton's campaign manager and Comet's owner discussing pizza. Convinced this must be a coded message, conspiracy theorists dove into the social media accounts of the restaurant, its owner and its staff (and their friends), looking for photos to convert into nasty memes and anything else they could use to attack the restaurant. Not content to just attack Comet, they decided the whole neighborhood must be in on it, and spread their attacks to the block's other businesses.

Last Sunday, the story evolved from online harassment into something dangerous. As unbelievable as the so-called "pizzagate" story sounds, it was enough to convince Edgar Maddison Welch that children were being held captive in the restaurant. Claiming he intended to free these kids, Welch armed himself and drove 350 miles from his home in Salisbury, North Carolina, to Comet Ping Pong to "self-investigate."

That afternoon, we were sitting in Comet Ping Pong ready to enjoy a laid back pizza lunch in our favorite neighborhood pizzeria. We'd ordered our beers--Firestone IPA on tap--and pizza. Although I usually get a Stanley (sausage and roasted pepper) or a Jimmy (meatball), that day I decided to try the Momma'zu, a white pizza with sausage, fontina, ricotta and a side of meat sauce. Our beers arrived, but I never even took a sip.

A young man (who we later learned was Welch) entered the front of the restaurant and walked quickly through the main dining room, the bar area, and the ping-pong room in the back. He didn't stop or talk anyone. It wouldn't have been so odd except for the fact that he was toting a giant black assault rifle. As he walked by our table, my husband and I looked at each other in surprise. Did that just happen? Was that supposed to happen? Is that a prop for a forthcoming concert? We looked around. It happened so fast that not everyone noticed. A lot of people were happily still eating their pizza. But a few had noticed. And we noticed each other noticing, and so did the staff. And that's when the realization crystallized: We were in danger.

A few people got up and then moments later everyone did. We quickly exited the restaurant, followed by the staff. Not wanting to stick around to see if the gunman would come around from the back or out the front to shoot us, we quickly vacated the area. Soon after, the police arrived in droves. Welch, having searched the place and found nothing (of course), surrendered. He'd fired some shots during his search, but thankfully not at any of us customers. We were rattled for the rest of the day, ashamed we hadn't reacted faster, scared of what could have happened (or what might happen next) and angry, intensely angry, that one of our favorite neighborhood hangouts was (and still is) subject to an unending onslaught of baseless defamation. The next day, it all became national news.

We felt powerless and frustrated. Social media platforms have done little to nothing to stem the tide of harassment against the neighborhood. Despite having terms of use and a community standard against bullying and harassment, Facebook does not consider many of the attacks against Comet to be a violation of this policy. I've reported many of these nasty comments to Facebook, but so far, the company has found that only one of them violates its community standards. Facebook claims they "don’t tolerate bullying or harassment," but clearly the company tolerates it just fine. Having a policy it doesn't enforce may give Facebook users a false sense of security, which is a problem.

And we were concerned for Comet. Surely this would hurt business. Would the staff quit? Would Comet close? Would the attackers then turn to the next neighborhood business and continue their assault until it closed too?

Locals show their support for Comet Ping Pong

Then something remarkable happened: the community came together. I wasn't the only one who was angry. Scores of people turned out to support Comet. They left flowers and messages by the restaurant when it was closed Monday. They showed their support online. And when Comet reopened Tuesday, they ate pizza. The restaurant has been busy as ever, and during the weekend, a concerted effort to encourage people to visit Comet and the surrounding businesses, known as #StandWithComet, meant Comet was so packed they erected a tent to cover the front porch as a waiting area. It was completely full when we walked to the block around 6:45 on Friday.

Yesterday, we went back to Comet. Although it's usually kind of slow on Sunday afternoons, we had to wait 40 minutes for a table. The place was packed! I ordered the same pizza I ordered last Sunday, but didn't get to eat, the Momma'zu, and it was fantastic. We also got two rounds of Firestone IPAs, our usual and favorite tap selection. We talked about TV, our jobs and the amazing response from the community. I thought I might be apprehensive about being in Comet again, but it actually felt totally normal (except for the bigger than usual crowd, but that's a good thing). We've spent so much time in Comet, that we feel right at home there--the only time we haven't felt that way was last weekend when we got chased away. It was nice to have our normal Sunday afternoon back again.

Comet Ping Pong Momma'zu pizza: the pizza I ordered last Sunday but didn't get to enjoy until a week later. Delicious!

After witnessing the conspiracy theory against Comet and the neighborhood unfold, and having been at Comet when it turned really ugly, it has been nice to see the neighborhood rally behind these businesses with such an outpouring of support. In a time when people can act so bitterly against one another, it made us hopeful to be reminded that they can also be caring. The attacks against our neighborhood businesses aren't just felt by their owners and employees--us residents feel it too, and we're not going to put up with it. Our neighborhood is a special place, and we're going to fight to keep it that way. We #StandWithComet and all the local businesses that contribute to making our neighborhood a great place to live.

Want to #StandWithComet too? There are many ways to do so. Of course, the most obvious way is to visit the restaurant and enjoy its great pizza. Don't forget to support the neighborhood's other businesses too: grab a burger at Buck's Fishing and Camping, order a pizza from Besta Pizza, pick up a delicious sandwich from Little Red Fox, take in a warm bowl of Beef Bourguignon from Terasol, or enjoy a pint and a game at Jake's American Grille. And be sure to peruse Politics & Prose afterwards; maybe you'll meet a famous author or find a book you've been meaning to read. There's also a Go Fund Me effort to help Comet defray expenses from the days it was closed and the extra security the restaurant has hired. You can also show your support online, such as on Comet's Facebook page. And finally, importantly, be a critical thinker. There are so many sources for information these days, which means we must evaluate if what we're hearing and reading is sensible, factual and fair. Actions always have consequences and each of us must be responsible for our own actions.

Restaurant: Bindaas (Washington, D.C.)

Roasted sweet potatoes

What does it take to turn around a declining neighborhood restaurant scene in a tony corner of Upper Northwest D.C.? Indian street food, apparently, and we're all the more lucky for it.

Cleveland Park, one of the coziest northwest red-line neighborhoods, used to be a prime dining destination in the city. When I moved to the neighborhood in 2001, I was excited to live in an area known for its diverse dining options. This was well over a decade before places like 14th Street and Shaw became filled with a seemingly endless array of eating options.

Recent years haven't been kind to the Cleveland Park dining scene, which has been marked by a number of closures--Palena, Dino and Ireland's 4Ps most notably--without notable, or in many cases any, replacements. There are still good reasons to eat in Cleveland Park, such as Fat Pete's barbecue, Italian Coppi's and Top-Chef alum Marjorie Meek-Bradley's Ripple, but the long-vacant restaurant spaces really stick out, as the aforementioned three vacant spaces are among the most prominent locations in the neighborhood.

The reasons for the vacancies are not entirely clear. Some say it's because new restaurants are more interested in hot zones like Shaw, U Street and the SW Waterfront. Some say it's because of the area's high rent. Others blame local zoning rules that cap the percentage of Cleveland Park commercial space that can be used for restaurants at 25 percent. Although I've read this was done to help ensure the neighborhood maintains a variety of commercial uses (and not just eating and drinking), it seems that non-restaurant businesses are not interested in these spaces. After all, what type of business besides a restaurant would be interested in a space configured for a large seating area and an industrial kitchen?

If the aforementioned zoning rules are the reason behind Cleveland Park's restaurant gaps, you may be wondering how Bindaas managed to pull of its opening? Well, it's technically more of a repurposing than a wholly new space, as it occupies the former Bardeo half of Ardeo+Bardeo, and is mostly but not completely closed off from Ardeo, which now returns to its former half-size (and both Ardeo and Bindaas have the same owners).

All this to say that the fact that the area's newest restaurant has foodie tongues wagging--in a major way unseen for years in the neighborhood--is a major coup for Cleveland Park.

And deservedly so, for Bindaas is a thoroughly enjoyable and unique dining experience. Sure, there's no shortage of good Indian restaurants in D.C., as I wrote about last year. This includes Indique, which is just a block away and recently refreshed its menu. It also includes Rasika, the downtown restaurant generally regarded as the best Indian restaurant in the city (and among the best restaurants period). That bodes well for Bindaas, since its kitchen is helmed by James-Beard-award-winning Rasika chef Vikram Sundaram. While the name may be familiar, the cooking might not be, as Bindaas' menu is inspired by Indian street food, making it an exciting departure from the usual tandoori, curry and tikka masala dishes available at most American-Indian restaurants.

As is common in newer restaurants, our server informed us that all the dishes on the menu are meant to be shared. The night we went, we had another couple in tow, giving us the opportunity to sample than we would have normally. And almost everything was a home run. "Oh my god, this is so good" because the mantra of the night.

Golgappa

The menu opens with a selection of chaat, small plates of just a few bites. Nothing we tried from this section of the menu was disappointing. One-bite golgappa, crispy fried biscuits, arrive filled with avocado and set atop overlapping streaks of yogurt and spicy-sweet tamarind chutney. Crunchy fried shisito pepper pakodas, which I've read can be hot, but ours weren't. The accompanying pickled onion chutney adds a tangy note.

Although the fried goodies are tasty, the chaat selections also include more healthful offerings like sweet potatoes roasted with cumin and chili and enrobed in sweet chutney and yogurt (pictured at top). Our favorite from this section of the menu: bhel puri, a wonderfully fresh grain salad of puffed rice, mango and mint.

Uttapam with corn and peppers

Having chosen so many chaat dishes, we selected fewer tastes from the rest of the menu, which consists of slightly larger dishes. The pao bhaji was another winner, a spicy vegetable stew served with grilled buns perfect for dipping. Although I've heard the naan at Bindaas is stellar, we opted instead for uttapam, a rice pancake that Bindaas serves with several topping options--we chose corn and red peppers, another winning combination. The only dish out of the bunch that fell short was the chicken kebab, which came with a delicious makhani sauce but the chicken itself was surprisingly tough and rubbery.

Kulfi

For dessert, we opt for kulfi--so good we're told by our server that we decide to order two of them. And we made the right choice. The treat is a cone of ice cream on a stick served over noodles with crunchy almond nougat and other sweet sauces and spices.

A nice surprise awaited us at the end of the meal: the bill. It was surprisingly small. Granted, we ate a bit on the light side, but not so light that we weren't satisfied. Our party of four spent as much as a party of two can easily spend around D.C. these days.

Who knows whether the holes left by Palena, Dino and the 4Ps will be filled anytime soon. I sure hope they are. In the meantime, Bindaas's excellent cooking and fine service is more than enough to distract from that issue, providing an excellent reason for choosy diners to discover (or re-discover) Cleveland Park.

Bindaas, 3309 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC (Cleveland Park, near Macomb Street). (202) 244-6550. Reservations: Resy.

SaveSave

Restaurant: All-Purpose (Washington, D.C.)

Buona pizza

It's hard to believe there was a time--not too long ago--when 2 Amys was viewed as the only serious pizza game in town. My how things have changed.

Today, Washingtonians have an almost embarrassing selection of riches when it comes to finding good pizza. Comet Ping-Pong, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last weekend, perfected the casual vibe of a neighborhood pizzeria with decidedly fine quality wood-fired-oven pizzas. Wiseguy NY Pizza satisfied that craving for New York-style pizza without going to The Big Apple. And the 14th Street crowd are in good hands with the pies from Etto, a 2 Amys offshoot, and Ghibellina. I've enjoyed quite good pizza at Ardeo, Arcuri, Graffito and Vace. Almost every style of pizza is well-covered here, save for good Chicago-style pizza, which is MIA since the closure of Armand's Tenleytown a few years ago (and yes, I'm aware of District of Pi--the less said, the better). A few other places I haven't visited, such as Il Canale and Menomalé, also draw rave reviews. And while it's not exactly "gourmet," an Adams-Morgan Jumbo Slice certainly hits the spot in the wee hours of the morning after a night of bar-hopping.

Against this backdrop of seemingly endless choices for crust, sauce, cheese and toppings, I was skeptical when I heard that D.C. was getting yet another pizzeria with All-Purpose. Sure, it was opening in Shaw, the city's white-hot restaurant neighborhood, with a prime slot near 9th & N, a geographic focal point of the D.C. new food boom.

That skepticism quickly vanished after my first visit to the handsome and inviting establishment.

Sleepy Hollow pizza

My first trip to All-Purpose was at lunch, just days after Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema named the restaurant his favorite in the city for his annual Fall Dining Guide. I arrived early, expecting it to be busy, but was actually surprised by how sparsely packed the dining room was (note to All-Purpose fans: weekday lunch appears to be a good time to get a table here. Second note to All-Purpose fans, unlike other hot D.C. restaurants, they take reservations! Yay!). With the piling accolades, I was expecting something fancy, but All-Purpose has a very casual, laid-back vibe, with bare wood tables, wood paneling and tile flooring (all those hard surfaces, while lovely, do make for a pretty noisy restaurant when it is busy).

All-Purpose's warmth doesn't stop at the decor. The staff is quite friendly too. Both during my lunch and dinner visits, I encountered friendly hosts, managers and servers, the last of which were efficient, attentive and prepared to answer questions. I even got to chat with one of the cooks who came out of the kitchen to tell me how they make their dough (more on that later).

Starting the evening with a cocktail isn't a bad idea. All-Purpose's drinks list includes a short menu of classic cocktails like a Black Manhattan, an Italian spin on the whiskey classic that substitutes Averna for sweet vermouth. There's also a short list of European and American wines by the glass, a longer list of beers and a quite long list of wines by the bottle.

And the pizza? It's divine. Absolutely among the best pizza I've had in D.C. or anywhere. During my first visit I ordered the Buona, quite possibly the best pepperoni pizza I've had in my life. It's insanely good. Simple too: large slices of pepperoni, chili-honey (basically lightly spicy honey) and fresh basil top a traditional base of mozzarella and tomato sauce. I'm getting hungry writing about it. It was so good that when Chris and I went for dinner a couple weeks later, I insisted he try it too. We also got the Sleepy Hollow, a seasonally delicious mixture of roasted Brussels sprouts, pancetta, smoked mozzarella, onion and tomato sauce. As much as I loved the Buona, it would be hard to say I preferred it over the equally masterful Sleepy Hollow.

Caesar Salad

All-Purpose pizzas come in an individual size, so ordering several and sharing (or if you must, one for yourself) works great. Although pizza is clearly the focus here, All-Purpose offers a few other entrees, including a lasagna, and quite a few small plates. At lunch, there are also some sandwiches. During dinner, we started the evening with a fresh-tasting Caesar salad, which arrives as a stack of little gem lettuce leaves coated with a nicely acidic anchovy dressing, parmesan and breadcrumbs (quite small, so don't expect croutons). If you like the Caesar, it also shows up at lunch as the Cape May pizza, which I haven't had but hear is another standout.

Now let's talk about that pizza crust. You know how sometimes you eat pizza and skip eating the final arc-shaped piece of crust without toppings? (Yes, I know this practice is anathema to many of you, but some employ it as a way of portion-control.) Well, you won't want to do that here, because the crust is absolutely delicious. This is where chef Mike Friedman has gotten quite inventive. All-Purpose uses a blend of flours that includes whole-wheat flour--unusual, since most pizza just uses all-purpose flour (sort of ironic, given their name). It also incorporates malt powder, which gives the yeast an additional source of fuel while also providing caramelization for the crust when it bakes. Then, the dough is aged for 3 days, allowing for significant fermentation. The pizzas are baked in a deck oven, rather than the trendy wood-fired oven.

If you're hankering for dessert, All-Purpose has a partnership with Tiffany MacIsaac's next-door bakery, Buttercream, an inspired establishment in its own right. Although the cakes sound amazing, we split a delicious dish of peanut-butter soft-serve ice cream with caramel sauce and cookie crumbles (the menu said it had a concord grape element too, although I couldn't discern that by taste). If you're thinking of skipping dessert, at least stop next door and pick up a few of Buttercream's wonderful cookies for later. You won't regret it, nor will you regret giving this gem of a pizza restaurant a chance.

All Purpose, 1250 9th Street NW (near M Street across from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center). (202) 849-6174. Reservations: Resy.

D.C.'s Michelin-Starred Restaurants: Local Perspectives

A salad from Tail Up Goat

The D.C. restaurant scene was abuzz this past week with the long-awaited reveal of which restaurants would receive stars from Michelin, the French tire company that, for over a century, has also published various travel guides.

When people talk about restaurants' Michelin stars, their referring to the ratings in the red guides--Michelin publications that review the restaurants in a particular major city. With the addition of the Washington, D.C. guide last week, Michelin has four guides to U.S. cities, which also include Chicago, New York and San Francisco (previously published guides to Las Vegas and Los Angeles are no longer updated).

That Michelin would consider a guide to Washington, D.C. at all raised a few eyebrows: "Washington, D.C. isn’t typically regarded as a destination for fine dining," begins the CBS news story about the D.C. guide. "No knock on D.C., but it gets into current Michelin Guide while L.A. doesn't? As 4th U.S. city in guide? Nuts," tweeted former New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni.

Some speculated that the guide was, in part, a ploy to improve Michelin's image among American lawmakers and regulators--keeping in mind the aforementioned fact that selling tires is Michelin's main business, which is potentially affected by transportation law and regulation. Michelin confirmed as much in an interview with Washingtonian. Yet the article also pointed out that "excitement, evolution, and innovation in the culinary scene" are the first and most important factors in selecting a city for a guide.

Certainly Michelin is not alone in recognizing D.C.'s emergent status as a culinary destination. Bon Appétit named Washington its "Restaurant City of the Year" for 2016. D.C. restaurants consistently get nominated for and win James Beard Foundation awards, such as this year's Mid-Atlantic chef award for Aaron Silverman of Rose's Luxury. 

Those, like me, who have lived in the city for some time and paid attention to its restaurant scene have watched that scene explode in recent years in very exciting ways. When I first came to D.C. in 1999, the restaurant scene was a lot different. Most of the "fancy" restaurants downtown consisted of steak and seafood places situated to take advantage of lobbyist expense accounts. Neighborhoods like Georgetown, Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill had a few worthy spots, but finding a good meal in places like Logan Circle, Shaw or H Street NE would have been a real challenge back then. Even parts of downtown, like Penn Quarter, weren't fully developed into the kind of restaurant destination zones they are now. Downtown D.C. is vibrant place on weekends now; 15 years ago, it was a struggle to find a decent place to have lunch on Saturday, as there simply weren't many choices that were open. We mostly ate in Dupont Circle or Adams Morgan on the weekend, and hardly ever ventured east of 17th Street--there just weren't many reasons to do so. 

Pork entree from The Dabney

Today the story is very different, with neighborhoods all over the city sporting significant restaurant openings every week. The last few years, D.C. restaurant openings have proceeded at a pace that's impossible to keep up with, as areas like 14th Street, Shaw, Bloomingdale, H Street, Petworth and Navy Yard have transformed into major food destinations. Once the Waterfront development is completed soon, expect another boom of new restaurants there. 

So, if you've been paying attention, the Michelin Guide for D.C. isn't that surprising at all. Neither is the fact that most of the restaurants picked for stars in the inaugural guide are fairly new. Below, I profile those restaurants, including links to local reviews (including my own for the four 1-star restaurants I've visited). Want to know more about how the reviews work? Washington Post has you covered. Want to see all the restaurants mapped? DC Eater has that very useful post here. There were also some snubs of restaurants that many expected to get stars. Rasika is surely top of that list. Washington Post's Tom Sietsema identifies that and others. Some were also surprised that no D.C. restaurants received 3 stars--Michelin's highest grade--although I suspect that perhaps next year one or more of the 2-star-rated restaurants may move up once the inspectors are able to better judge consistency. On to the restaurants!

3-Stars

(none)

2-Stars

The Inn at Little Washington

Location: 309 Middle Street, Washington, Virginia (about 90-minute drive west of D.C.)

Cuisine: American

Chef: Patrick O'Connell (chef/proprietor)

Opened: 1978

Notes: Many were surprised to see The Inn at Little Washington on the Michelin list, since the guide had stated it would only rate restaurants within the D.C. city limits. However, a special exception was made for The Inn. When you consider how important it is the area's dining scene, it makes complete sense. The Inn at Little Washington has long been considered a top food destination for the area, a place of elegance and--since it's 90 minutes away--a good excuse to get out of the city and make a weekend of it. Says Washingtonian Magazine: "Turning the big 4-0? Celebrating an anniversary? There are few more over-the-top occasion markers in the country than Patrick O’Connell’s baroque Rappahannock County getaway. The grande-dame decor, with its mauve silk lampshades and tapestries, isn’t for every taste, but the place somehow doesn’t feel stuffy. Credit O’Connell’s seamless fusion of folksy and fancy."

Minibar by José Andrés

Location: 855 E Street NW (Penn Quarter)

Cuisine: Modernist

Chef: José Andrés (chef/owner)

Opened: 2012 (a smaller precursor opened as part of Cafe Atlantico in 2003)

Notes: As much a magic show as a dinner, Minibar has been described as a dining experience unlike any other, delivering D.C.'s most innovative tastes. It's also very expensive: the chef's counter starts at $275 per person; the "private dining" experience starts at $565. Regardless, chef and owner José Andrés is one of the great--perhaps greatest--chefs from D.C., helping to put D.C. on the food map with restaurants like Jaleo and Zaytinya (which made the Bib Gourmand list below). Says Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema: "No two deliveries are ever the same at Minibar, the intimate restaurant from José Andrés that adds up to a comedy show, a science demonstration and one of the most original dinners staged in this country. Over the course of a few hours, everything you think you know about food is likely to be challenged."

Pineapple and Pearls

Location: 715 8th Street SE (Barrack's Row)

Cuisine: Eclectic, creative

Chef: Aaron Silverman (chef/owner), Scott Muns (head chef)

Opened: 2016

Notes: No D.C. restaurant opened in the last 5 years has made a bigger splash than Rose's Luxury (see below). So expectations were high for Rose's chef Aaron Silverman's second course. More upscale than Rose's, Pineapple and Pearls offers a creative multi-course tasting menu. Like Rose's, it has earned many accolades (including 4 stars from the Washington Post). Unlike Rose's, it takes reservations--in fact, they are basically required. Says D.C. blogger Been There, Eaten That: "While we’ve dined at similarly priced restaurants that infuse wizardry into their presentation, the approach here is more subtle and playful, while still captivating."

Blue Duck Tavern's famous apple pie

1-Star

Blue Duck Tavern

Location: 1201 24th Street, NW in the Park Hyatt Hotel (West End)

Cuisine: American

Chef: Franck Loquet (executive chef), Brad Deboy (chef de cuisine)

Opened: 2006

Notes: Blue Duck Tavern is a wonderful example of how a hotel restaurant can be so much more than that. Although it's been around for 10 years, it really started to heat up in 2011 under its former chef, Chef Sebastien Archambault. My take: "The setting fits the food perfectly. Low, warm lights, large glass windows, lots of natural wood and some old-fashioned wall quilts speak to the rustic but upscale American cooking coming from the kitchen."

The Dabney

Location: 22 Blagden Alley NW (between M and N and 9th and 10th Streets NW in Shaw)

Cuisine: Mid-Atlantic/Southern

Chef: Jeremiah Langhorne

Opened: 2015

Notes: Shaw's red-hot restaurant scene doesn't get hotter than this. Quite literally actually, since chef Langhorne cooks all of the restaurant's food on a giant open-pit fire, making for a wonderful visual and absolutely delicious flame-kissed cooking. My take: "If you're still apprehensive about wandering down an urban alley to find dinner, keep in mind that Diagon Alley is where you go to find all the best magic shops in the Harry Potter world. And in Blagden Alley, you'll find The Dabney brings a touch of magic to the real world."

Fiola

Location: 601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, entrance on Indiana Avenue (Penn Quarter)

Cuisine: Italian

Chef: Fabio Trabocchi, Chris Watson (executive chef), Alex Rosser (chef de cuisine)

Opened: 2011

Notes: D.C. has no shortage of good Italian restaurants, but this handsome Penn Quarter destination is perhaps its finest. Since opening Fiola in 2011, chef Fabio Trabocchi has successfully expanded with Casa Luca and Fiola Mare, with a fourth restaurant, Sfoglina (in my neighborhood!!!!) coming soon. My take: "Our recent dinner there was exceptional, marked by both good food and good service."

Kinship

Location: 1015 7th Street NW (near the Convention Center)

Cuisine: American

Chef: Eric Ziebold 

Opened: 2015

Notes: When Chef Eric Ziebold left 4-star CityZen in the Mandarin Hotel in 2014, the restaurant owners closed it instead of finding a new chef. A year later, Ziebold returned to the D.C. restaurant scene with Kinship, his new concept which, along with its sister-restaurant tasting-menu focused Metier, has already proven as popular and acclaimed as his previous establishment. Says Tom Sietsema: "Kinship’s menu, divided into categories including “craft” and “history,” requires some concentration, but the payoff includes custardy veal sweetbreads served with designer ham and truffles, and a mushroom torchon accessorized with toasted brioche and a tangy celery root salad."

Masseria

Location: 1340 4th Street NE

Cuisine: Italian

Chef: Nicholas Stefanelli

Opened: 2015

Notes: Chef Nicholas Stefanelli has been an up-and-comer in the D.C. food scene for some time, cooking at noted area Italian restaurants such as Galileo, Maestro and Bibiana (he even did a stint at The French Laundry). With Masseria, he steps out as a chef/owner and his earning his most promising accolades yet. Says D.C. blogger What Mickey Eats: "The inspired tasting-menus are rooted in the flavors of Chef Nick's Italian heritage and showcase the organic, exploratory sensibility of the country’s cuisine emerging from its daily markets and seasonality of ingredients.  Each course was a virtual trip to the pretty seaside of Puglia."

Plume

Location: 1200 16th Street NW (Jefferson Hotel)

Cuisine: American

Chef: Ralf Schlegel 

Opened: 2009

Notes: Plume's inclusion among the Michelin-starred restaurants was a bit of a surprise, as it hasn't had quite the profile of the other choices. But it's food accolades are solid. Says D.C. blogger Girl Meets Food about the restaurant's Lobster Fumidor: "And while Plume at the Jefferson Hotel is every bit as fancy as Babette’s Supper Club, nobody gets hurt here.  Except the lobster."

Rose’s Luxury

Location: 717 8th Street SE (Barrack's Row)

Cuisine: American

Chef: Aaron Silverman

Opened: 2013

Notes: Since opening 3 years ago, Rose's Luxury has become D.C.'s most talked-about restaurant, notable as much for its mouth-watering food as it is for its blocks-long line (annoyingly, it refuses to offer reservations except for very large parties). Says D.C. blog In a D.C. Minute: "The menu at Rose’s Luxury is fit for the wealthiest DC lobbyist in the finest suit, yet the waiting line is filled with rolled up sleeves and women wearing comfy flats."

Sushi Taro

Location: 1503 17th Street NW (Dupont Circle)

Cuisine: Japanese

Chef: Nobu Yamazaki

Opened: 1986

Notes: Like Plume, Sushi Taro has a comparatively low profile, although I understand it is well-respected among those who love sushi. Says D.C. blogger Capital Spice: "The fish was among the freshest I had tasted at that point, which helped me branch out beyond my comfort zone and try some new items like uni (sea urchin) and hokkigai (surf clam)."

Tail Up Goat

Location: 1827 Adams Mill Road, entrance on Lanier Place (Adams Morgan)

Cuisine: American

Chef: Jon Sybert

Opened: 2016

Notes: After Pineapple and Pearls, Tail Up Goat is the second-newest D.C. restaurant to earn a Michelin star--more than half the 12 restaurants earning stars have been open 5 years or less. In that time, it's already become one of the best reasons to check out an increasingly revitalized Adams-Morgan. My take: "I expected the food at Tail Up Goat to be good, but I was pleasantly surprised by the caliber of its service. Everyone was friendly, including a manager who came by and thanked us for coming. And their excitement about the restaurant seemed genuine."

Bib Gourmand

In addition to the starred-restaurants, Michelin also provided a list of "Bib Gourmand" restaurants, other recommended establishments at a lower price point. Those that I've visited are linked to my reviews (which, coincidentally, are the four restaurants under José Andrés' umbrella).

Bad Saint

Bidwell

Boqueria

Chercher

China Chilcano

Das

Doi Moi

Jaleo

Kyirisan

Lapis

Maketto

Ottoman Taverna

Oyamel

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace

Red Hen

Royal

Thip Khao

2Amys

Zaytinya

Restaurant: Tail Up Goat (Washington, D.C.)

Restaurant accolades are a big deal these days in D.C., where the buzz about our constantly improving restaurant scene just continues to get louder.

Of course the James Beard Awards are the biggest-deal of the big-deal prizes, but another notable indicator, especially of new restaurants, is Bon Appétit magazine's list of the country's best new restaurants. The list was introduced as top-10 in 2009; since its expansion to a top-50 in 2012, D.C. has notched 10 restaurants on the list, including the magazine's #1 pick for 2014, Rose's Luxury.

The only other entry to make the top 10 so far was Little Serow in 2012 (#7), the basement offshoot of acclaimed Greek restaurant Komi. Since opening 5 years ago, the heat of Little Serow's buzz has been matched only by the chilies in its Thai-style dishes.

One of the names on this year's list just happens to be Tail Up Goat, opened earlier this year by three former employees of Komi and Little Serow. Although I've not visited either of those restaurants, I've heard enough good things for me to set fairly high expectations for this new endeavor (also on this year's Bon Appétit list: The Dabney, the Southern-leaning restaurant with the open-hearth kitchen where we enjoyed a very memorable dinner earlier this year).

Unsurprisingly, Tail Up Goat was quite busy when we had dinner there on Saturday. Would the swamped staff still be on top of their game? Would the kitchen rush orders and cut corners? Thankfully, there was no need for concern at Tail Up Goat, where we enjoyed a sensational meal. Sure, it took some time for us to get our drinks, but our server--who was extremely delightful the entire evening--acknowledged this, apologized for it and even comped the drinks, which we didn't expect at all. Nice to see a restaurant that clearly takes keeping its guests happy quite seriously.

The drinks were worth the wait, and we had something quite different. I opted for a refreshing mix of gin, allspice dram and shrub, while Chris opted for a bracingly strong rum drink flavored made bitter with gunpowder tea. Never heard of shrub? It's a sort of tangy fruit-juice and vinegar mixture from the colonial era that has seen a revival lately, especially in cocktails. As a palette-cleansing starter, Tail Up Goat serves a small short of melon-jalapeño shrub, a refreshing sip with just a hint of spice.

Tail Up Goat's menu is divided into sections that roughly correspond to snacks, breads, small vegetable plates (basically salads), pasta and large plates. We chose one from each category except snacks, which, along with a dessert, was just right for two people.

If you're thinking of skipping the bread, don't. It's wonderful. We opted for the red grit sourdough, which was flavorful and perfectly textured, plus it comes grilled, just enough to give it some light toasting but without drying it out. The accompanying liver mousse and green tomato jam is a nice savory-sweet departure from the usual butter. We followed the bread with a fresh summer salad of cucumber, melon, potato and pepitas. I loved the light creamy dressing, and the smoked trout roe provided little salty-briny bursts.

"Summer on a plate" is how our sever described the corn ravioli, bright with the fresh flavors of sweet corn, sungold tomatoes and fresh peppers. Caper-flavored breadcrumbs give the dish a bit of crunch. You know how sometimes the big meat entree you order doesn't live up to everything else that comes before? Not at Tail Up Goat, where the grilled pork, served with romano beans and a pancetta-flecked sauce spiced with espelette peppers, was another highlight of the evening. The pork was amazing, tender and perfectly cooked. Next time we go, I have my eye on a plate of lamb ribs for two; the next table over ordered them, and they looked divine.

I expected the food at Tail Up Goat to be good, but I was pleasantly surprised by the caliber of its service. Everyone was friendly, including a manager who came by and thanked us for coming. And their excitement about the restaurant seemed genuine. It's nice when a server has clear affection for the food and can really sell the dishes while offering spot-on recommendations. I didn't feel like I was being offered something that that kitchen needed to get rid of, but rather something she really liked. The almond cake she recommended for dessert, for example, was incredibly good, moist, flavorful and dotted with toasted almonds, musk-melon cubes and whipped yogurt. While I know the restaurant is known for its sommelier, it was our server who made the excellent recommendations for what we should drink when we wanted to follow our cocktails with a glass of wine (the sommelier poured the wine, so we benefited from his insight too). If you can't make up your mind what to get, your in good hands here if you just ask for help.

Tail Up Goat more than earned its spot as one of Bon Appétit's 50 best new restaurants list. It was one of the best meals we've had recently in a restaurant--old or new. With excellent food and service that matches, it's a worthy addition to our city's growing roster of high-caliber eating establishments.

Tail Up Goat, 1827 Adams Mill Road (one block north of Columbia Road; entrance is on Lanier Place), Washington, D.C. (Adams-Morgan). (202) 986-9600. Reservations: Rezku.

SaveSaveSaveSave

Restaurant: Family Meal (Frederick, Md.)

I have a consistent problem when I visit a Bryan Voltaggio restaurant: I find it hard to decide what to eat, since so many of the choices on the menu sound amazing. This was a problem at Volt, his elegant first Frederick restaurant (our 2011 visit was pre-blog, but it inspired this Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad), and even more so at Range, his expansive Friendship Heights, D.C., restaurant, which has a menu with so much variety that I supplemented my first review with a second a few months later.

This is a happy problem, of course, best solved by visiting in a group so you can share dishes and sample as many of the kitchen's delights as possible. I was lucky to have not just my husband but also my mother with me when we visited Family Meal, the centerpiece of our day trip to historic Frederick.

Family Meal is a striking space, all ale wood, glass and tile. Although it resembles an upscale diner, it was actually converted from a former car dealership (which means there's plenty of parking, however the asphalt desperately needs repair, as some of the potholes are approaching sink-hole size). The vibe is slickly casual, a contrast to the refinement of Volt or the urban cool of Range. The name says it all: it's perfect for family and a great meal.

Knowing that Family Meal leans Southern, I knew that fried chicken had to be on the docket. The basket is filled with a generous half chicken (breast, thigh, wing and drumstick) fried with a crispy skin and juicy flesh. It's as good as you'd hope. It arrives with buttery, flaky biscuits flecked with cheese and onion, a puckeringly good ramekin of mixed pickles (cucumber, radish, green bean) and a (fairly mild) hot sauce. Keeping with the Southern course, I also ordered a side of braised collard greens with bacon, which were incredibly good: tender, flavorful and tangy.

If a sandwich is more to your liking, I recommend the pulled pork barbecue with bourbon sauce. The potato bun arrives piled high with tender, smoky pork laced with cabbage slaw. The pulled pork has a nice consistency--not too mushy or sloppy like it can sometimes be. Family Meal's menu is a la carte, so if you want fries with that, it's a separate order. You can spring for standard fries or fried in duck fat. We opted for the latter, which arrived crispy and hot and served with three dipping sauces: a buttermilk ranch, an aioli and a sriracha, which was my favorite.

I definitely recommend arriving at Family Meal hungry, but if for some reason you're not up for a big meal, creamy tomato soup hits the spot. The soup is thick and savory and not too salty. It comes with a side of fried cheddar-brioche sticks, perfect for dipping in the soup.

But if you do arrive hungry, as I recommend, you'll probably also want to spring for dessert. We ordered the chocolate doughnuts, which arrived piping hot and crusted with sugar. They were also served with a wonderful coffee ice cream. The only thing that didn't work was the caramel sauce: it was tasty, but too thick, forming a sticky coating on the plate rather than an integrated part of the dish. A minor gripe for an otherwise very good meal.

Service at Family Meal was friendly and efficient; however, those who are noise-sensitive should be aware that the restaurant's hard surfaces make for a rather loud environment. But when it comes to the food, I can't complaint at all. Family Meal delivers a delicious experience whether enjoyed with family, friends or solo.

Family Meal, 882 North East Street, Frederick, Md. (301) 378-2895. Reservations: Open Table.

Related

Range (Washington, DC)

Second Helping of Range (Washington D.C.)

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with Chèvre, Spring Herbs and Coffee Soil