HIGHS & LOWS

It's funny how for every 'high' point in your life comes a 'low' point. As you experience these 'highs & lows,' you come to grips with the mysteries of life. I had my share all in one day.

Saturday started off on such a high-note. I woke-up to bright and sunny skies, which was a nice respite from the gloomy/rainy day prior. To kick-off my list of errands, I dropped-off mail at the Post Office, then decided to go to Zara on The Promenade. I was there the Tuesday night before, and I saw a jacket/coat that I had been eyeing since before the holidays. I just wasn't willing to shell out another $149 for it, esp. after just shelling out $129 for a different jacket/coat at the same store. So that Tuesday night I saw the jacket on-sale for $59.99. I was torn between getting it and not. I let it go for drinks and food instead. Go figure. So I decided that I'd check it out on Saturday, just for the hell of it. If it was still there, I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat. If not, then eh. Sure enough, it was still there. So without even blinking an eye, I took the coat and walked it over to the register. I was about to relish in my $59.99 + tax purchase. When it rang up, it did so for $34.99! Uh, SCORE! Me and that jacket were meant to be together. I felt so complete.

Needless to say, that high was immediately followed by a couple of lows. I ended up getting a new gym membership (long story which I do not want to re-call... ever), and later that evening the valet had locked the keys in my car --engine running. We called AAA to come and open my car, but they were taking too long. So I took a cab to my apartment, and back to the restaurant - seriously, a 5 minute trip back and forth. It cost me $15 + tip. When I got there, AAA decided to get there, too. Bastards. At least I still managed to have some sort of fun.

Next morning, I got up around 8:30AM (another long story), and decided to stay up to "participate" in the Mass that was coming on at 9:00AM on Channel 29. This would be the second Sunday in a row that I "attended" Mass via TV ---in my room. I know it's wrong, but I couldn't help it. At least I didn't lay-down on my bed during the homily this time. (HAHAHA) I seriously cannot make a habit of that.

LOOKING BACK

Took a little trip down memory lane over the weekend, and found this...



I absolutely remember the time this song came out in the wake of Operation Desert Storm. I was a freshman in high school, and was completely clueless of what to expect with the war. Thankfully, it didn't last too long.

On a funnier note - it's crazy to see the plethora of people involved. It's also hilarious to see how atrocious they look in late 80s/early 90s garb. Ha!

RESTAURANT WEEK

Hey, DC --- I believe that Restaurant Week just ended. (Or is about to end.) But I just got an email saying that Georgia Brown's is extending their Restaurant Week menu/prices for a little bit. So be down for the count. Get yo' Restaurant Week on!

LA --- Restaurant Week looms ahead. Do you have your reservations? I know I do! Dakota, Tokyo Table & Chaya Brasserie - here I come!

As dineLA says, "explore. eat. enjoy." Cheers!

WORDS OF THE DAY: RESOLUTION. MODERN LIBERAL. CISED.

After writing-up my 5-part “essay” on my trip home for the holidays – wait – I mean after writing-up my 5-part “essay” on the places I ate at and/or the food I consumed on my trip home for the holidays, I feel like it’s time to break-away from the chow-babble, and move on to other things. Although I am leaning towards focusing my internet blog-space on my gastronomic experiences more and more, I still consider myself to be an “equal opportunity blogger.” For that reason alone, I feel obligated to touch upon other things. This time around, I am going to focus on words. Yes, I just said (or typed) that I will focus this entry on “words.” And not just any words. There are specific words that I want to write about… three of them, actually.

So let’s begin…

RESOLUTION(S)
As you know, with every ‘new year’ comes buckets full of resolutions. Yes, that’s right. Reso-F*CKING-lutions.” New Years resolutions are retarded. No wait, they’re f*cking retarded. I mean what do people honestly get from making these so-called resolutions, 90% of which never come to fruition anyway? To those who do make them, and stick to them, I applaud you. In fact, you deserve my utmost respect, love and affection. To those who don’t, however, I’m so over it – so you should probably be over it, too.

I, personally, make goals. And I don’t make any mind-altering goals that will change my life forever. Instead, I make plans to reach certain reasonably-attainable goals. For 2007, I didn’t plan on making any goals at all. I actually think I went into 2007 with some kind of chip on my shoulder, but this time around was definitely different. I’ll spare you the details of the mind-opening epiphany that lead me to believe that my 2008 would be amazing, but I will say that I have decided on at least one goal: to be conversational in a foreign language. And I’m not talking Tagalog or Ilocano or anything; I’m talking real deal Russian or German or maybe even French. Don’t ask me why or how or when, but someway, somehow – I will.

MODERATE LIBERAL
OK, so this is actually two words. But the words combined are used to describe a political view, or standpoint. As of today, I have learned that I am a “Moderate Liberal.” This surprises me and doesn’t. I’ve always considered myself to lean more towards the liberal end of the room (or the conservative end, depending on which side you’re standing on; liberal Republican, conservative Democrat). Perhaps it was my up-bringing which lead me to believe that. I come from a Republican family, believe it or not. Dad is former military; parents are extremely Catholic… Fiscally, I wouldn’t consider mom/dad to be Right Wing-ers, but they’ll be the first to claim it. Despite my more liberal views, I always considered myself to be Republican (at least fiscally). And I never took that too seriously. Example: I am extremely against abortion, but I am for a woman’s right to choose. The abortion issue aside, however, I have not been apt to participate in politics in the last few years. In fact, I don’t even remember the last time I voted.

Well, with all the talk about Hillary, Obama, Giuliani, and blah-blah-blah, I couldn’t help but wonder: where the hell do I stand? To find out in the easiest way possible, my friend, Mike, suggested I take an on-line “quiz” to determine where I stand. Two or three quizzes later (and after one quiz deemed me a “socialist/communist” –uh, no…), I have been knighted as a “Moderate Liberal.” I guess it still has me right around the middle – but more so Democratic than Republican. (*stomping-foot-on-ground*) I’m sure I will expound on this as the pages of the 2008 political novel are turned. “Moderate Liberal.” Go figure.

CISED
I heard my co-worker use the word “cised” the other day, and after she said it, she must’ve caught the expression on my face. It was seriously one of comfort, yet laden with specks of alarm all over. First of all, who says that word… in California? Second, why would anyone use it?

For those NOT “in the know,” the word “cised” is (according to urbandictionary.com) “DC Metro area slang that is most comparable to the word ‘stoked.’” Yes. This is true. This word was once an integral part of my vocab. As a grade/middle/high school student in PG County, you had to have said the word “cised.” Anyway, my co-worker did live in DC for a while – and attended Howard University for a few years. That would explain why she even knew the word. Anyway, I was cised that she said it, too.

So, boys and girls, these are the words of the day: RESOLUTION, MODERATE LIBERAL, and CISED. Now go out there and use them in a sentence.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (PART V): 3-2-1…!

That Friday before New Years, I was actually “stranded” at home with no car. Both mom and dad were at work, so it was just me and the pug. My friend, Roselle (who was home for the holidays, too), came by to do my sonogram of my main arteries to check for any impending aneurysms. Luckily, I am clean! (Shut up, you purists! LOL) When mom/dad came home later that evening, we had a quick dinner at home before I headed out to Springfield to meet at my cousin’s place. I had a night out with my cousins planned. I honestly wasn’t feeling up to it at first. I was exhausted, and over the drinking scene especially after my trip to NYC. But I figured I wouldn’t have another opportunity to hang out with them before I left. Besides, our friend – Cheryl – was also in town for the holidays, so she was hanging out with us, too. After grabbing a latte at Starbucks, I arrived at my cousin’s house. Funny, the rain came at the same time.

Since my cousin and my friend, Marz, never go out, I decided to take them someplace “sceney,” yet still low-key. We ended up at Zengo in DC’s Chinatown. It’s such a nice, posh place to hang out. While we weren't there for dinner, we ended up grabbing a couple of appetizers to go along with our rounds of drinks: the Angry Zengo Roll – spicy yellowfin tuna, avocado, sesame-chile chipotle rouille, and wasabi tobiko, and Crunchy Calamari. Both were great! For drinks, I had my vodka martini, UP, dirty on the side… and the rest of the gang tried things such as the Yuzu Fresa, Sake Sangria, and the Midnight Karma. We befriended the Filipina waitress, and by the end of the night we were so tanked that we even got her to jump in one of the pictures.

The night was still young, but my cousin, Romelee, seemed to be talking-up the baby back ribs at TGI Friday’s. So we headed back to Springfield to swing by the Friday’s close to her house (I was destined to eat at Friday’s at least once in 2007). Incidentally, Lesley was there with her cousin and friend, Russell, so we met up with them. We got there and ordered food before last call, and for some odd reason, the drinks just kept coming and coming. And while we were all drinking, only three of us were eating (ribs, "loaded" fries, quesadillas...). Rome was being a chatterbox, and talking it up with Lesley – eating NOTHING. Since we were celebrating Rome’s birthday (which had passed about 10 days prior), the bartender handed her a shot of jeiger towards the end of the night, and it was all over. We pretty much had to roll the girl back into her house. Ultimately, it was a GREAT night with them.

The next day, mom woke me up early so we could go buy my Christmas present –a new digital camera. And while I was hung-over, I had to work hard to maintain my composure. After we got my camera, we stopped in at other stores where my mom decided to indulge in post-Christmas sales. Ugh. We did, however, grab eats at none other than Hong Kong Buffet, where I was pretty much grossed-out and contented at the same time. I guess you gotta love Waldorf. Later that night, we went to Mass, and then drove to Lorton to my brother’s place. I was going to have a “sleep over” with my niece, and stay up all night watching Hannah Montana. Right. Some of our friends came by to hang out, and we had a nicely prepared “chicken” dinner: fried chicken thighs, buffalo wings, and fried wings with mumbo sauce (courtesy of mom). YUM.

Sunday morning I woke-up after my niece, Lexie, came knocking on my door. I got to stay in her room, while she bunked with her mom and dad. We talked for a little, and she even showed off her school pictures. Joie cooked an awesome breakfast of sausage and French toast. Soon Mark came home after his early-morning race in Sterling (my bro races dirt bikes), and then my parents came by. We eventually all drive to Arlington National Cemetery to visit my brother’s grave (my brother, Dan), and then proceeded to Mark’s Duck House in Falls Church for a late lunch. Not exactly my fave place, but I was hungry. We had some dim sum items, and their infamous soup. After dropping my bro and fam back home, we headed back to Maryland, and I started to pack.

Later that evening, Siena scooped me up, and then we headed back into the city for Primo’s birthday dinner at McCormick & Schmick’s in the Penn Quarter. I had a grilled blackened wahoo dish, which was just a tad bit dry, but tasty nonetheless. And for dessert, I had a rich chocolate brownie sundae – which I passed around the table.

On New Year’s Eve, Carrie came by the house to scoop me up, and we hung out in Old Town Alexandria. We stopped in at a bag store that was having a sale, and I picked-up something for my mom and Joie. Then we grabbed coffee, walked around, and then met Leah for a quick lunch at O’Connell’s –a ‘modern’ Irish restaurant/pub that took over the old Bullfeathers space. I had half a turkey sandwich and a cup of potato leek soup. Leah had a burger, and Carrie had a cup of soup and a plate of chips. Afterwards, we said our ‘good-byes.’

At night, mom cooked-up some dishes, and then Mark, Joie and Lex came by to spend the night and ring in the New Year with us. And the following morning, I was off to the airport.

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This holiday season was absolutely fun-filled. I got to see a lot of familiar faces, got to spend some quality time with my family and friends, and I drank and ate enough to last me through the winter! It was a trip that was worth all the days of tiredness that followed. Thanks to EVERYONE who I got to see, to those who 'played' with me while in DC, for all the Christmas gifts, and - most importantly - the memories.

To those reading, I hope that my journal of eats has inspired you to eat more and more in 2008. But remember, for every meal consumed there is a treadmill waiting for you afterwards. Happy New Year!

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HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (PART IV): NEW YORK, NEW YOOORRRKKK!

With Christmas officially over, it was time for a little fun and games. Lesley, Ning and I had planned an overnight trip to NYC for the day after Christmas, so come that Wednesday afternoon we were on our way despite the rain. What could’ve easily been a 4-hr drive ended up taking almost 7 hours thanks to the downpour that followed us from Maryland all the way through to the Lincoln Tunnel.

We got to the hotel around 7:30PM, and got ready to go out. We took a cab to Rockefeller Center, where we got to see the famous Christmas tree. Despite the rain, tourists were out and about, and even the skating rink was in full-operation. We quickly took some pix, and then ran into a hot dog stand that happened to be blasting Jocelyn Enriquez’s "Do You Miss Me?" on the radio. We took that as a sign: we were meant to be there at that moment. Serendipity. OK, maybe not so much. We were starving like hostages, so we decided that we’d hit the first place we saw. We turned the corner and before us was TGI Friday’s. We thought about it for a second, then decided that we did not drive all the way to NYC to eat there. Luckily, after turning another corner, we saw an oasis against the rainy backdrop along W. 49th Street: Alfredo’s.

We didn’t have a reservation, but they graciously accommodated us. The scene was familiarly "New York City." It was loud inside, and the dining room was nicely lit. The décor was simple and chic – clean lines (square tables, chairs, wall-frames), and bright colors (oranges, yellows, reds). The restaurant is one of just a handful, with the original in Rome (incidentally, the original restaurant is credited for naming the famed fettuccine dish). People of all types were seated for dinner –from the nicely coiffed party having after-work drinks and eats, to the tourists wearing their parkas and tennis shoes. It was busy and bustling; extremely "East Coast." Our waiter took forever to tend to our needs all through the night, but that was expected. We put in an order for drinks, and Ning and I were schooled on how to order a dirty martini by getting the most "bang" for our buck: up, dirty on the side. (Thanks, waiter!)

We started off with the Frittura Alla Romana, a generous mix of calamari, shrimp, and veggies fried in tempura batter, and served with a spicy marinara sauce. It was a great way to curb our hunger after the long drive from MD. When our dinner came, we were already buzzed (up, dirty on the side!), but not far-gone enough to miss out on the feast before us: veal for Ning, New York Strip for Les, and the sea bass for me. Either we were overly hungry or the meal was genuinely delicious. Whatever the case was, we plowed through our dinners. I can’t even say that I remember how good the meal was because memories of the drinks dance around in my head more so as I try to think back. At any rate we took a chance at a winner. Prego!

The rest of the evening/trip is all a blur, but it went something like this: drank more at a bar on 86th and 2nd (?) with Maria and crew, grabbed more eats afterwards at a place called Gemini Diner (where I "stole" the rest of the fries that Ning and I couldn’t finish), slept, checked-out of the hotel, took a cab four or five blocks to Herald Square, walked by the Christmas windows at Macy’s, did a little shopping at H&M (so not the same), then grabbed lunch at some place called Martinique ---which was just OK. Eh. We fought the rain, and the traffic, and finally – a cup of yogurt and a meal at Popeye’s later – made it home around 8PM on Thursday night. We were spent.

Without the rain, we probably would’ve ran into less traffic, and we might’ve had the chance to do more in the city as we had hoped. This time there was no SoHo, no Greenwich, no Times Square or Broadway. No Century 21, no Grey’s Papaya, no Peanut Butter & Co. But we did go to Rockefeller, ate well, and certainly drank well. That was all we needed.

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Coming soon… Home for the Holidays (Part V): Winding Down.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (PART III): CHRISTMAS DINNER AT HOME

The next few days at home were spent restaurant-less, as we started to buckle-down and get serious about the food prep for our family Christmas dinner. This year we were having the usual family members join us. Long gone are the times when mom and dad would invite family, extended family, and friends from every nook and cranny of the universe to our humble home for Christmas dinner. Those days were simply crazy. The house would be packed like a clown house, yet the food over-flowed. I will never understand how or why my parents were able to pull that off each year. Anyway – since I graduated from college, the Christmas dinners have been much simpler: less guests and less food prep. It’s only fitting since my parents are getting older.

Sunday morning, my parents and I headed to the Commissary at Andrews Air Force Base. I was straight-up excited because I hadn’t been to the Commissary in years. It brought back sweet childhood memories of those long Summer days when mom would come home from work and tote my siblings and I to the Commissary or the BX to pick-up groceries, or to go shopping. The prices on base were always significantly cheaper than Safeway or Giant, so it was pretty much a “must” to go there for groceries. My mind swept through my years of memories, and the sights and sounds – although quite different – were still, in a weird way, very much the same. The usual run-ins with old family friends also took place; everyone had the same idea as we did. Since I decided to prepare some dishes for the dinner, I also picked-up some groceries to add to mom’s crop. I decided to go with appetizers, and I bought the ingredients to make red bell pepper & Boursin tartlets, a smoked salmon plate, and in Italian sausage & fennel bread pudding. On top of those, I opted to include a dessert: a “sticky bun” bread pudding made with day-old challah bread. My mom had her own menu – made up of some of her timeless holiday classics: roast beef, honey-glazed ham, pancit bihon, kare-kare, meatballs, and a number of other dishes that are usually served during Christmas. Unfortunately, the Commissary didn’t carry some of the more “interesting,” as mom would call them, items that I was looking for: puff pasty, challah bread, and fennel among other stuff. We would make our way to a couple of other stores, including some random international grocery store that mom found somewhere in the back-end of Oxon Hill, before finally heading home. Later on that evening, I drove off – in the rain – to Alexandria, VA to stop-in at Whole Foods to find my missing ingredients. As suspected, I found everything there. I then took some time to finish off more Christmas shopping at Barnes & Noble.

The morning of Christmas Eve was dedicated to food prep… at least for my mom. As usual, she was up early to start the chopping, the braising, the cleaning and everything else that goes along. I still had a couple more Christmas gifts to get, so I borrowed dad’s car to go out. (Actually, my real reason for wanting to go out was to find a Caribou Coffee so that I could get a fix… ahahah…) I drove to Clarendon and found my final gifts at Crate & Barrel, Barnes & Noble (again), and Harris Teeter (for wine). I also found Caribou Coffee, and got my fix – much to my elation.

When I got home, mom and dad were preparing to have lunch. I was pretty vocal about my craving for wings and mumbo sauce, and mom was quick to make the call to the local Chinese take-out. After placing the order, and getting off the phone, mom broke the news to me: the wings had to be picked-up. I was slightly frantic because #1) I would’ve rather had the wings/sauce delivered (but apparently our order was under the minimum purchase amount for delivery), and #2) I was nervous about going to Yummy Yummy for fear that I’d run into someone. I just wasn’t feeling social, and I was cranky after running around town on a mission. But my craving for the wings outweighed any anxiety, so I was off. Those people who aren’t familiar with the chicken wings and mumbo sauce that can be found in the DC area are missing out. Well, I know a couple of people who aren’t fans, but those types are few and far between. I, for one, am an avid enthusiast. The wings are deep-fried golden, and are the size of what I imagine “do-do birds” to be. The wings are huge –as in seriously laced with steroids. And the mumbo sauce is a cross between BBQ and seafood sauce with a hint of hot sauce or something. I’ve tried looking on-line for the origins of mumbo sauce, but can’t seem to find a conclusive answer. Eh, but yum. It made my lunch.

After the Christmas vigil service later that evening, I began the prep for my contributions to the family dinner. I chopped up veggies, thawed out the puff pastry sheets, and I actually made the Italian sausage & fennel bread pudding – which turned out OK. It smelled great, but was missing something. I couldn’t point my finger on it.

At around midnight, we coaxed Lexie to go to bed before Santa skipped out on our house (ahaha), and the adults exchanged Christmas gifts. The next morning, Lexie woke-up excited as ever to see what Santa had brought her. She got many things that left her smile growing bigger and bigger with each gift. As she played with her new toys, mom, dad and I continued with the food prep. I began working on the red bell pepper tartlets by spreading softened Boursin cheese over the puff pastry. I then sautéed the bell pepper slices, and spread them over the pastry shell as well. I popped it in the oven, and let it bake. I then began to prep the salmon plate by mixing dill with sour cream, and spreading the smoked salmon, chopped shallots, and capers on a serving dish. It was the easiest dish of the bunch. When those were complete, I put together all the ingredients for the “sticky bun” bread pudding, and threw that into the oven as well.

The guests started to trickle-in, and everyone, of course, marveled at mom’s spread. My additions added some new flavor to the mix although my cousin-in-law thought them to be a little too “bougie” for her tastes. Whatever. Those who have a taste for smoked salmon enjoyed that spread. The red bell pepper tartlets were a hit, and were gone before the end of the night. Likewise, the “sticky bun” bread pudding garnered rave reviews. One thing I know is for sure – I will definitely not be making that Italian sausage and fennel bread pudding again. It’s not that it was gross, but it just didn’t have as much of a “yum” factor as I had expected. I actually had to drizzle gravy from the roast beef on the bread pudding to give it more of a kick, and it helped a little.

As usual, we all eased through the night with good food, great conversations, and fun company. It was great to hang out with the fam-bam and play “catch-up.” Likewise, it was even better to have time to play with all of the kids! The kids are growing way too fast. All in all, Christmas dinner was in many ways the same old, same old –but fresh and new at the same time. It was definitely one for the books.

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Coming soon… Home for the Holidays (Part IV): New York, New York!

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (PART II): ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK –ERR, BANGKOK JOE’S

Day two of my trip at home brought a mixture of things my way. I woke-up just before lunch that Saturday, and I milled around the house looking through old things. As usual, I made myself laugh by looking at old photos, or looking through old magazines that have piled up in my old room. I even noticed my mom’s “collection” of religious reading material in the bathroom –-nicely situated an arm’s reach from the toilet. Gotta love mom for that.

I heard my brother’s voice as he came through the front door; my sis-in-law mentioned to me (on the phone earlier) that he was on his way to mom’s house. So as I heard him playing with Bubba the pug, I quietly came down the stairs and stuck my head into the hallway from the staircase. He happened to glance up and started to say to himself, “OH MY GOD!” Surprise #3 was a success! (Incidentally, the night before I had surprised my dad before I went out to dinner… and he was almost in tears!) I had seen my brother, and the only person left to ‘surprise’ was my niece, Alexis.

Anyway – my brother left to run an errand with my cousin, and my mom stepped away to make a cameo at a neighborhood Christmas luncheon. While they did that, I hopped in my rental, and made my way to Old Town Alexandria to grab a cup of my favorite mint mocha at Cosi. As usual, I fought traffic across the Wilson Bridge (on a Saturday, no less), and quickly found a vacant parking meter. I went to Cosi, and quickly noted some very obvious changes: it’s wasn’t as dark inside as it had been (the dimmer lighting adds to the coffee-house effect), and the people running the show were Persian. Not that Persian people running the neighborhood Cosi makes a difference, but it just wasn’t what I expected. I ordered a tall mint mocha, skim. It was just OK. It wasn’t the same, which turned to be a major disappointment. I got back in my car, mint-mocha in hand, dropped something off at the post office, then headed home. Mom and I then hopped in the car and drove to Lorton, VA to see Joie and Lexie. That was certainly fun times! As always, it was a pleasure to see my sis-in-law, and my niece was in great spirits. She hugged and kissed me, and talked me till the cows came home. It was an hour well-spent. As they readied themselves to attend a party at a friend’s, mom and I headed back home to meet dad. We attended the Simbang Gabi service at St. Columba that night, and I got to see some familiar faces in the crowd. Afterwards, I drove to Siena’s house to meet up with her and Primo. We had dinner plans looming ahead.

We didn’t exactly have a place in mind for dinner, but we decided to go some place we each haven’t been to. We ended up in Georgetown, and the familiar haunts were calling out to us: Vietnamese cuisine at Miss Saigon, Ethiopian at Zed’s, Turkish at Me In Yu, or even Italian at Philomena or Paparazzi. I was a little disappointed that Cilantro was no longer in business, but the new spot that opened in its place looked interesting. We decided to go for something we each haven’t had before – Bangkok Joe’s at Washington Harbor. The restaurant had been there for a while, even before I left the area back in ’05. I’d been for drinks before, but never for dinner, so this was an experience that the three of us would share together.

The spot was dimly lit – very appropriate for a date night or something like that. The décor was Asian-chic; not overly modern, but definitely not at all traditional. There were stainless steel fixtures all over the place, even serving as coat hangers at some of the booths. The fixtures, for some reason, reminded me of sperm on crack – for lack of a better term or description. But it was funk-a-delic and cool in its own way. The wait staff was dressed in gear that looked more like batik-printed pajamas, although I think they were going for a modern take on the traditional garb/print. It wasn’t too much of a miss. The waitress took our drink orders, and I placed one for my usual “vodka/soda.” What I got back was a hot mess: club soda and water. For some reason, she must’ve heard me say “water and soda.” NOT what I said. Still, I was willing to forgive that. I took it as a sign that I needed no alcohol that night (after the drinkfest I had at Lucky Bar the night before). We ordered a few appetizers and our main dishes, and the wait was on.

As we chatted it up, we were hardly expecting the food to arrive so quickly. But soon enough we were in the presence of fried calamari, pork ‘n crab shu mai, and a lobster roll ---all of which were decent. The best of the three was probably the lobster roll, which was a nice combination of traditional flavors and modern execution; a “sexy” spin on a somewhat traditional appetizer. Our dinners quickly followed, and we were each awed by the presentation: Rama Chicken, Ginger Beef, and Siamese Pork. Primo’s take on the pork dish was good, and he was quite happy with it. Ditto with Siena’s Ginger Beef rice bowl. I had the Rama Chicken curry bowl, which was a mélange of grilled chicken breast, wilted spinach, garlic, ginger and peanut sauce. It was a valiant attempt at something mind-boggling, but fell short by just a small margin: the sauce was a little too watery, and the sen-mee (rice vermicelli) took away from the flavor. For most of the bites, I tasted more “noodle” than sauce, and it was just OK. But I didn’t expect much. I had heard from other people that Bangkok Joe’s wasn’t the place to go for a mind-altering foodie experience. I still prefer the cheap prices, and excellent tastes, of the hole-in-the-wall spots of L.A.’s Thai Town compared to Joe’s. But if you want someplace more sceney than foodie in The District, then this is the place for you.

Perhaps if I got my vodka/soda as I had ordered, it would’ve been a different story… or not.

The experience wasn’t a complete loss. After dinner we got to walk around Georgetown. The pavement was wet, with the rain having just passed through. But the night air was chill as we walked along cobblestone paths. It was interesting to note some of the old, familiar businesses no longer in operation with new spots taking over. But the façade of the old city was still intact; where history and the present day entangle themselves in a never-ending dance.

We attempted to hit the National Christmas Tree afterwards, but the lights had already gone out. Instead, we trekked back across the river into Alexandria, and caught a late showing of Sweeny Todd. Tim Burton has his way of making me want to throw-up my dinner, but I managed to sustain myself. The movie, itself, was a dark, interesting masterpiece-of-sorts. But you wouldn’t expect any less from Burton and his muse, Johnny Depp. An interesting end to an interesting night.

(Photos from heyrog, kthread, & erniea @ flickr.com. Thank you!)

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Coming soon… Home for the Holidays (Part III): let the holiday foodfest begin!

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (PART I): BECKONED BY BECK

I had such a great time while I was in DC for the holidays. For once, my trip home did not revolve around rehearsal dinners, picking up tuxedos, and/or rushing to and from churches or receptions, and then having to squeeze-in quality time with the family all in one day. This time, I was able to really lay out some awesome plans for my trip home, or to simply “go-with-the-flow.” I managed to play both cards, and ended up having such a great time.

Aside from seeing the faces of family members, and old friends, my time at home was pretty much filled with all sorts of great eats and overflowing libations. But then again, I wouldn’t have had it any other way! In case you already didn’t know, I planned my trip home as a surprise to my family – whom I had lead to believe I wasn’t going to make it home for the holidays. I was able to keep the secret at bay for the most part, except for the fact that my mom got my “out of office” email response to something she sent me that Friday I arrived. Instead of surprising her by already being settled in at the house, I had to settle with a surprise over the phone as I made my way home from Tysons Corner. After I landed at Reagan on the morning of the 21st, I picked-up a rental car and drove to Tysons Corner to meet with my good friend, Arlene. We had lunch at Coastal Flats, which was yum as always. We got to catch up over great food and drinks. It was after lunch that I decided to call mom to see if she had left the office. I’ll spare you the details, but being the mom that she is, I couldn’t seem to get a word in our conversation so I ended up just spilling the beans. I literally had to scream, “Mom… MOM! I am HOME. I’m HOME! Surprise! I am here!” It was still much to her delight, which was a good thing. With her help, though, I managed to surprise my dad and brother in a better way, and everything pretty much fell into place.

The real focus of this post, however, is not-so-much the way that I came home to surprise mi familia. I had strategically planned a dinner that night with some foodie friends; I planned it months in advance. You see, when I lived in DC I thrived on the city’s growing restaurant scene. A few years ago, the DC foodie scene was up and coming. In the few years that I have been in California, the DC foodie scene has gone through many changes: some restaurants shifting in style and cuisine, certain doors closing, new doors opening… The scene has transcended from a burgeoning one to a more well-defined part of the city’s cultural landscape. DC cuisine has arrived.

The seafood restaurant scene in DC has surely gone through many changes in the last couple of years. You have some local favorites still doing their thing – such as J. Paul’s and Sea Catch in Georgetown, or even Kinkead’s in Foggy Bottom. My personal favorite had been DC Coast – the brainchild of Chef Jeff Tunks and his business-savvy cohorts. I had gone to dinner there some years back with my good friend, Florence, and I remember having one of the most wonderful culinary experiences there. It was the Mushroom Crusted Pacific Halibut that did it for me – making DC Coast the place to be. I’d been to many other seafood places in the city, including The Oceanaire Seafood Room, but nothing came as close to DC Coast. But I’m pretty sure that I’ve found a new spot in the city’s roster of great restaurants.

After I moved to Los Angeles, one of the things I regretted was not having been to Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s restaurant, Marcel’s. It had been on my “to do” list for a while, but I never got to make it there. I had followed Wiedmaier’s career in DC, and when he opened Brasserie Beck in April 2007, I decided then that I had to try it. And so the wheels began to churn, and I pre-planned a dinner at Brasserie Beck for the night I arrived in DC for the holidays. While BB is not exclusively a seafood restaurant, a great portion of its menu is devoted to fruits de mer. BB is Belgian in all aspects --- from the cuisine to the beers that are paired with each entrée.

Carrie, Leah and I met up in the city that night (Primo had to cancel due to work and travel) ---despite the fact that I was beginning to feel the jet lag set in. We entered the restaurant, and the hue of the dark wood paneling along the walls easily lead me to believe that the place was classy yet comfortable. The bar scene, as most of DC’s stylish restaurant bar/lounge areas are, was bustling. After-work conversations intermingled with quasi-romantic ones as people sipped drinks and/or waited for their tables. Thankfully, my Opentable.com reservation got us through quickly, and we were seated well before our slated reservation time. We were quickly handed menus, and were given an introduction to their beer selections. I can’t quite remember what it was that we each had, but they ranged from dark to medium to light; stout to fruity. All in all, the beer selections that were made that night were amazing accompaniments to our dinners.

We skipped the starter course, and dove right into dinner. Leah ordered the Crispy Skate Wing a la Jacqueline, which was served with garlic spinach. In a simple word: amazing. Carrie enjoyed the Grilled Trout in a Lemon Caper Sauce, which was also perfectly prepared. And, as pre-planned, I went with the Steamed Mussels with Belgian Frites ---prepared in a curry and apple sauce. Absolutely divine. The taste of the curry was not at all overwhelming as one might encounter at an authentic Indian curry house. Instead, it was warm and mild, and nicely sweetened with the flavor of the apples. It was the perfect taste suited to warm the senses after being bitten by the evening chill. The mussels were not at all overdone, and pretty much melted in my mouth. Being a self-proclaimed “fry guy,” the frites were a bonus. As Filipinos do, we shared bites of our dishes with one another, and surely enjoyed doing so. Neither of the dishes fell short of any of our expectations. Even the side of Brussels sprouts, which neither of us ever had, was surprisingly delicious.

As dinner progressed, along with our ever-shifting conversations, we each took notice of the restaurant’s décor – an interesting blend of what seemed to be nautical lines meshed with dark wood colorings, and random splashes of colors by way of paintings and/or other wall pieces. It gave off an aura of being in a classic New York City steak house fused with a modern European twist. The sound of patrons engaged in loud chatter was comforting, and it did not take away from the enjoyment of the cuisine. The attentive staff knew their stuff, too, and were quick to cater to our every need.

We ended the night with the Gateau of Chocolate. The perfect end to a very wonderful ‘foodie’ experience. The dessert, itself, sealed the deal. Brasserie Beck now tops my personal list of DC restaurants.

Incidentally, Chef Wiedmaier named his first restaurant, Marcel’s, after his first-born son. Beck, as you may now realize, is the name of his second son. While I have yet to try Marcel’s, there was something about BB that beckoned. And being the obedient foodie that I am, I went. It was a perfect way to kick-off my 2007 holiday season. It makes me wish that more of the L.A. area restaurants are as re-assuring as Brasserie Beck. But in a city where ambience seems to take precedence over palates, you can’t really win. This is why I still prefer DC’s restaurants over L.A.’s.

(Photos from: pcswineledger.blogspot.com, dc.about.com, and http://www.jacobgrier.com/)

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Coming soon… Home for the Holidays (Part II): a taste of Thailand in Washington Harbor.