Graffiato (Washington, D.C.)

[2019 update: Graffiato has closed.]

On the occasion of the imminent opening of celebrated D.C. chef Mike Isabella's third restaurant (the Greek-themed Kapnos), I decided it was time to revisit his first outing, nearly 2-year-old Graffiato, to see how it's holding up. I was delighted to find that Graffiato is as vibrant and tasty as ever.

Prior to his Top Chef fame, Isabella worked as executive chef at Zaytinya, one of several small-plate-concept restaurants from D.C.'s top toque, José Andrés. Then, after placing second in the Top Chef all-stars, Isabella opened his first restaurant, Graffiato, which embodied a similar serving style as Zaytinya but adapted to Italian-American cuisine with a focus on seasonal, fresh ingredients. Although Isabella became famous on television for Gail Simmons-swoon-worthy pepperoni sauce, in D.C. he was quikcly better known for Graffiato's sweet corn agnolotti, which became the restaurant's signature pasta dish. Isabella's presence loomed large in the restaurant: if he wasn't expediting or working the pizza oven, he was providing big-smile photo-ops to appreciative customers.

I visited Graffiato several times when it first opened and loved it. Most everything I ate there was incredibly good. I was a big fan of the pizza and the pasta and, of course, the pepperoni sauce, which was served under chicken thighs. It was at Graffiato, eating the deliciously fresh Caesar salad, that I started to embrace anchovies. The simple two-story space was great for lunch with coworkers and dinner with my husband.

Fast-forward a year and Isabella opens his second D.C. restaurant: Bandolero. Unlike Graffiato, this wasn't a resounding success. Sure, its Georgetown location and Isabella's reputation guaranteed a crowd, but the irreverent Mexican cooking received mixed reviews (including from me). Knowing he had plans to expand his restaurant empire further, Bandolero's unevenness begged the question whether this was prudent.

If the current state of Graffiato is any indicator, D.C. should be more than ready to welcome another Isabella establishment. He may not be a constant presence in the Graffiato kitchen these days (helmed now by Chef de Cuisine George Pagonis), but he seems to have left it in good hands. Upon opening my menu, I found it very difficult to choose what to order, so many of the dishes sounded like they'd be good.

Flatbread with pepperoni sauce

We began our night with the pepperoni sauce, still available with chicken thighs but now also served as a dipping sauce for nicely charred, soft-textured flatbread. Repurposing the sauce in this manner is like starting the evening with a deconstructed pepperoni pizza. It's an inspired move and a great way to experience this famous condiment in a new way.

From there, we moved into vegetable territory, where the choice was the hardest. Although I was intrigued by the charred asparagus and smoked beets, we opted for the broccolini, which was perfectly cooked with a hint of lemon and served with red pepper relish, walnuts and feta.

With Gail Simmons still on my mind, we moved next to chicken liver mousse, a dish I'd never had but wanted to try (Simmons fawned over this dish as prepared by Kristen Kish on the most recent season of Top Chef). Chris and I had divergent views about it. I liked its silky texture and earthy, meaty taste, but Chris didn't care for it. We did, however, agree that the gnocchi were pretty much perfect: light and pillowy, served with a delicious pork ragu with just a hint of red pepper plus rosemary and whipped ricotta.

Luigi,  a ramp pizza

Although the menu changes seasonally, Graffiato has a small super-seasonal menu, from which we ordered the Luigi pizza, a celebration of seasonal ramps topped with both pesto and chopped greens from the wild leek with a cultish following. I loved the contrast of the pesto with the greens and the crust was as good I remembered with just the right combination of chewy, crispy and char. Chris had initially wanted the steak, but after our server recommended this, we got it instead. I was glad that Chris later said it was his favorite thing we'd had.

We finished our evening with a rhubarb tart served with cardamom gelato, a sweetly satisfying dish with a good hit of eastern spice. It's hard to refuse a good crumble top.

Like the food menu, the drinks menu has so many great choices that it can be hard to choose. We were  intrigued by the aged cocktails, which our explained are mixed and then aged 3 months in oak rum and whiskey barrels to enhance their flavor. We ordered one of each: the Martinez with old tom gin, vermouth and Luxardo, and the Negroni, made with gin, Campari and maraschino liqueur. The rum-barrel-aged Martinez was quite smooth with nice hint of smoke. The Negroni was more assertive but also quite good.

The wine list is similarly inviting. Graffiato still offers all its wine by the glass (but requests a two-glass minimum for its pricier bottles). The list skews heavily towards American wines and features my favorite regions: Napa, Columbia Valley and Willamette Valley. There's also a sprinkling of Italian wines and wines from unusual places (Chris tried a wine from Idaho). Hats off to Taha Ismail, Graffiato's head mixologist since the restaurant opened, and Stephanie Babcock, wine director, for assembling these great libations.

In addition to the food, we enjoyed the excellent service, which was spot on. Our server was friendly, attentive and genuinely excited about the restaurant's new spring menu. Dishes were nicely timed. We didn't feel rushed but the dinner moved along at a welcome pace.

As much as I remember liking Graffiato in 2011, I think I love it even more today. The team is definitely not resting on its laurels, but continuing to tempt and excite, guided as much by its celebrity chef and Italian leanings as it is by the seasonal ingredients that its menu effectively showcases. Consider me primed and ready for Kapnos.

Graffiato, 707 6th Street NW (between G and H Streets), Washington, D.C. (Chinatown). (202) 289-3600. Reservations: City Eats.

Cinco de Mayo Cocktail: Margarita on Fire

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Celebrate with a good margarita. Smoky mezcal and spicy habanero shrub give this otherwise traditional margarita a fiery kick.

Margarita on Fire

1 oz. reposado tequila
1/2. oz mezcal
3/4 oz. Cointreau
2 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. agave nectar
1 dropper of Bittermens Hellfire habanero shrub
Kosher salt
Lime wheel (garnish)

1. Wet the rim of a margarita glass and coat the rim with kosher salt. Fill the glass with crushed ice.

2. In a cocktail shake with ice, combine the tequila, mezcal, Cointreau, lime juice, agave nectar and habanero shrub. Shake until cold strain into prepared glass. Garnish rim with lime wheel.

Mint-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I'm wrapping up mint week with this delectable sweet treat: mint-chocolate chip ice cream. It's simple, classic and very satisfying.

For anyone that was expecting it to be green, please realize that mint ice cream is really white. It's only green if you add food coloring (and I didn't).

I used Jeni Britton Bauer's Backyard Mint Ice Cream as the basis for this and added dark chocolate chunks. I also used mascarpone instead of cream cheese, which I find is richer and more subtly flavored, thus less likely to distract from the flavor of the fresh mint in this recipe.

Mint-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Adapted from Backyard Mint Ice Cream, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

2 cups whole milk
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. cornstarch
1 1/4 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. light corn syrup

3 tbsp. mascarpone, softened
1/8 tsp. salt
Large handful of mint leaves (probably about 30 or so leaves), roughly torn into small pieces
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1. Whisk together 2 tbsp. of milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl.

2. In a large saucepan (4 qt.), combine remaining milk, cream, sugar and corn syrup, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 4 minutes (watch carefully to prevent boiling over).  Remove pan from heat and gradually whisk in the milk/cornstarch mixture. Return to boil and cook, stirring frequently, for about a minute longer.

3. Combine the mascarpone and salt in a large bowl. Gradually pour the hot milk mixture into the bowl, whisking constantly to combine with the mascarpone. Add the mint and pour the mixture into a gallon-size sealable plastic bag. Submerge bag in a large bowl filled with ice water until cold, about 30 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator to steep overnight.

4. Strain out the mint. Process the mixture in an ice cream maker until it is thick and creamy. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Transfer to a container and freeze until hard, at least 4 hours.

Mint Julep

Just in time for tomorrow's Kentucky Derby, here is the most classic of mint cocktails: the Mint Julep. The drink originated in the American south and is traditionally made of bourbon, sugar, ice and mint.

Portland's Clyde Common bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler's excellent cocktail blog (which he sadly doesn't appear to update anymore) has a good recipe for a classic mint julep, as well as a post dismissing a version made with lime, lime juice, sour mix and Sprite as "the most horrific excuse for a Mint Julep many of you have ever seen." Bottom line: Mint Julep doesn't have lime--that's a mojito, which is a great drink but not a julep.

Although I'm challenged by a couple things to match the pedigree of Morgenthaler's drink. Unfortunately, I don't metal julep cups, so I used highball glasses. I also lack a good tool for making crushed ice pieces of a roughly consistent size (I use a food processor). Despite that, I've tried to be faithful to the classic, simple recipe. Hopefully if Morgenthaler saw this he wouldn't declare it a "horrific excuse" for the drink. 

Mint Julep

12 mint leaves

1/2 oz. simple syrup

2 oz. bourbon (I used Woodford Reserve)
Mint sprig (garnish)

Add mint leaves and simple syrup to a glass or julep cup and gently muddle together. Add bourbon and stir to combine. Fill glass with finely crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig. 

Basic Mojito

After the Mint Julep, the Mojito is the other very prominent mint cocktail, which has enjoyed a great deal of popularity of late.

Often when I've made mojitos, I've muddled the mint and lime wedges in the glass and left them in the bottom, but I like that this version, adapted from the one that appears in the PDT Cocktail Book, strains them out.

Mojito

1 oz. simple syrup
8 mint leaves
2 oz. light rum
3/4 oz. lime juice
1 oz. club soda
Mint sprig (garnish)

Add simple syrup and mint to a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add rum, lime juice and ice and shake until cold. Strain into a chilled collins glass filled with ice. Top with club soda and garnish with mint sprig.

Pasta with Mint Pesto

Pesto is traditionally made with basil and pine nuts, but as a blend of ground herbs and nuts with oil and cheese, its a recipe with a lot of versatility. In late summer, when basil comes into its peak, traditional pesto is incredible, but you can make it year-round with other seasonal ingredients.

Pesto comes together easily in the food processor.

For springtime, mint makes a wonderfully bright pesto. Enhancing its zippy flavor, I added a bit of lemon juice and, for color, blended pistachios in with the walnuts (I'd have used only pistachios except that I ran out of them).

Mint pesto

Although I served this over pasta, I could see it going great with other things, like lamb chops perhaps, or spread on crusty bread and topped with grilled asparagus, goat cheese and arugula.

Pasta with Mint Pesto

1 lb. dried penne pasta
Handful of grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups loosely packed mint leaves
1 cup loosely lacked basil leaves
3 tbsp. roasted shelled pistachios
3 tbsp. chopped walnuts
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (may also use parmigiano-reggiano), plus more at the table

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions for al dente. When done, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water, drain noodles and return to pot with the reserved pasta water. Add tomatoes and stir with the hot noodles.

2. In a food processor, combine mint, basil, pistachios, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Pulse until mixture is ground up. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube until the mixture is emulsified and smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the cheese. Add pesto to pasta and stir until combined. Serve with additional grated cheese on the side.

The Feed: May 1, 2013

The Feed is my weekly round up of interesting food-related stories from newspapers, magazines, blogs and websites.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants by Restaurant Magazine.
The annual list of the best places to eat in the world is out and, after 3 years at the top, Denmark’s Noma has last its claim as the world’s top restaurant (hopefully it will be content at #2 and realize that’s still higher on this list than the millions of other restaurants in the world). The new champ is El Celler de Can Roca, a modernist restaurant in Spain. America’s top restaurant is in fifth-place: Eleven Madison Park.

Washington Post: “Spirits: A booze columnist says goodbye,” by Jason Wilson.
After 6 years of cocktail coverage during a period Wilson calls a “Golden Age of Booze,” Washington Post Food section Spirits column writer Jason Wilson is turning in his jigger. His column has been an exciting way to learn about cocktails during a period of renewed interest in fresh ingredients, speakeasies and even how molecular gastronomy can redefine what we drink. Says Wilson, “It’s a rare gift for a writer to get the chance to write about a topic at the exact moment of its cultural tipping point.” Indeed. Let’s hope he continues to write regularly on his website, Table Matters. As a parting gesture, Wilson offers versions of two of his favorite cocktails reconceived as rickeys (D.C.’s official cocktail). The Nice, based on the Antibes, sounds particularly appealing.

New York Times: “Before Rewards, Demands,” Saison restaurant review by Pete Wells.
If you’re looking to spend money on dinner and feel the $225 charged at Minibar isn’t enough, then Saison is the place for you. Wells reports the San Francisco restaurant’s tasting menu starts at $298, causing him to ask whether a restaurant that expensive, that will start without you (if you’re late, too bad), charge full price if you have to cancel sooner than 3 days in advance, and takes 3 hours for a meal is really worth it. Surprisingly, despite that setup, the answer is “yes.” I was really skeptical, but then Wells’ description of the food makes it sound really quite magical. He talks about how almost every dish is touched in some way by fire, reminding me of how Michael Pollan describes the work of Spanish Chef Bittor Arguinzoniz (Asador Etxebarri) in Cooked. Then there was the kicker…as I began  reading the review, I was listening to Phil Collins’ No Jacket Required, which is apparently the kind of music they play there. I don’t quite have the $300 plus extra for drinks, tip and tax to drop on dinner, but maybe someday.

Washington Post: “A boot for D.C.’s food trucks?” by Editoral Board.
For months, the D.C. Council has been considering legislation that would effectively shutter the vibrant food truck scene that has developed in the city. Yesterday, the Post editorialized against the legislation, which would put burdensome restrictions on which trucks could go where and when. Sure, responsible food truck regulation is reasonable, particularly collecting taxes in way that’s fair to restaurants who also must pay them, but putting seemingly arbitrary limits on how much free sidewalk must be available before a truck—chosen by lottery—may pull up and start serving is ludicrous. Trucks like Fojol Bros., TaKorean, and SUNdeVICH (to name just a few among my many favorites) have done a lot to enliven the city’s culinary scene, offering a variety of affordable tastes that would otherwise be beyond reach of a downtown officeworker with $10 and 10 minutes to procure sustenance. Restaurants that feel threatened should consider that they face as much, if not more competition from their own, as new places open seemingly daily in the city. Chasing the trucks out of town is the wrong solution.

CNN Eatocracy: “Ramps, fiddleheads, fava beans and other spring vegetables about which people are freaking out,” by Kat Kinsman
If you’re visiting farmers markets these days, then you’ll be familiar with this great list of seasonal produce that isn’t typically available at your everyday grocery store: things like ramps of course, but also sunchokes, salsify and fiddleheads (a type of fern). Lots of creative potential here.

Refinery29: “3 Fun & Fizzy Drinks To Make At Home, Straight From Estadio's Bar Guru,” by Adele Chapin.
Estadio bartender Adam Bernbach shares recipes for three of the popular Spanish restaurant’s seasonal cocktails, all of which sound really quite good.

Drink DC: “Amaro Guide: Gain the Courage to Try These Classic Liqueurs,” by Swabreen Bakr.
Amari, which are Italian digestif liqueurs, are hot ingredients in cocktails (I have a bottle of Cynar in my fridge right now). Bakr has a nice guide to some popular favorites, including Cocchi Americano and Fernet Branca.