Johnna Knows Good Food Restaurants, Drinks & Recipes Washington, D.C.

Drinks on Me: Sofia

Johnna — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:00:40 +0000

It's a long weekend! With weekend forecasts looking sunny and hot, drinks are in order. Stay cool with whatever fancies you and if you're up for it try the recipe below via Don Ciccio & Figli. Have a safe and relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

Sofia

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Don Ciccio & Figli Ibisco/ Hibiscus

Prosecco

Combine and serve in your favorite Champagne flute or coupe.

*Johnna's tip: DCF's limoncello is another favorite that would be the perfect way to spike the punchbowl. Cheers!

Where I’m Eating: The Curious Grape

Johnna — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:00:41 +0000

Brunch is one of my favorite pastimes. Unfortunately, everyone in the District feels the same way so the brunch calendar in the city is already booked up until September. For this reason alone I am a fan of restaurants like The Curious Grape. I recently visited for Sunday brunch and besides the delightful flight of Bloody Marys in a few of my favorite flavors, the no wait seating was the most appealing. Don’t be misunderstood, however, there were patrons throughout the entire restaurant but there was a flow that seemed to keep customers coming in and space opening up for each person who entered the restaurant. Perhaps it’s the space that the restaurant has or maybe it’s the efficiency of the restaurant in turning over tables that made things run so smoothly. Whatever it was it worked for me. The menu raised my curiousity about the person prepping the dishes in the back. The brunch menu goes all over the place. You would either appreciate the broad range or be irritated to find that your favorite bacon and eggs breakfast is not lining the menu. For the curious grape in you, however, you will be intrigued by dishes such as the Austrian Pancake Souffle and the Chinese Breakfast, which is a true trip through authentic Chinese fare. Brunch does equal a lunch portion, which the Curious Grape does a good job at with their Spice-Roasted Chicken versus their Penne Pasta, which ironically disappoints with little to no flavor. Brunch should be a time of R&R with plenty o’ food and libations. The Curious Grape ensures you have all the tools you need for a good brunch. No wait, plenty of diverse dining options and a playful cocktail menu…brunch anyone?? *The Curious Grape, 2900 South Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22206

Dishes We Love: Pizza, Pizza

Johnna — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:10:06 +0000

What do I love more than good food? New good food. For this reason a call from Capital Cooking to join her for dinner at Piola did take much convincing where the restaurant just opened its doors on the 14^th street corridor. Excited, I almost skipped to 14^th street for much needed pizza and pasta on the brain. I get there and after spending two hours of my life that I cannot get back, my initial thoughts of Piola left me feeling like I had spent time with the sweet, considerate date that just could not get the end of the night kiss right. After about a 25 minute wait at the table, the waiter came over to take our drink orders. Though the waiter was extremely nice and pleasant, the drink orders came back wrong and the appetizers we had ordered were preceded by the main entrée, pizza that we had ordered. Now do not get me misunderstood, I am not a blogger complainer (*someone who totally b****es about small glitches in the service or restaurant). These were just things that would have been more fluid had the staff been communicating a little better. The food, despite the glitches in the matrix, was pretty good. The beet salad is my new favorite summer salad. Every restaurant needs a healthy combination of roasted beets, oranges and goat cheese. The pizza followed with wheat as an optional crust and not taking away from the traditional pizza pie flavor I crave. The Odessa keeps it simple with the flavors of authentic Italian fare: Prosciutto crudo (*Translation: raw prosciutto) and goat cheese rule this dish. The Carbonara lacks the eggs I was fantasizing about beside the bacon and grated parmesan cheese. The Carne & Compagnia was perfection. It is the meat lover’s pizza that is necessary after a night spent on U Street. I like Piola because despite the meal imperfections, the staff was so accommodating and patient. As I have spoken about this in many Etiquette Tuesday posts, service is one of the main keys to a successful restaurant. Even when your carbonara fails the test of the night, a smile and a kind gesture will bring that taste tester back for another round. I guarantee Piola will see me soon and it might even be as soon as this week…every dish on the menu is 50% off until Monday. Dinner anyone?? *Deets: Piola, 2208 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, (202) 986-8729, website

Etiquette Tuesday: Lessons at Elisir

Johnna — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:34:15 +0000

There are some restaurants in the District that I feel “meh” about visiting and then there are others that I feel excitement weeks in advance about visiting. This weeks Etiquette Tuesday focuses on my visit to Elisir, a Downtown Italian restaurant where I was especially anxious to visit this winter. Elisir is the restaurant you visit for business meetings, celebrations and the like. The white linen service begins from the time you valet until you get your keys back in your hands. The food and service are rolled out at a pace that offers an experience versus a meal in transit. Why, you ask, would this be the topic of an Etiquette Tuesday?? Unfortunately, there was a gliche in the matrix which provided inspiration for this week’s tip: clever ways to redeem yourself, things every restaurant should now. Nothing makes me smile more when leaving a restaurant than good service. The food may have been “meh” or it could have been splendid but if the service is on point, this will most definitely make my experience a memorable one. On this particular visit, the service was going well at Elisir until my server came over to refill a glass of water and spilled my guests glass of red wine in my creamy gnocchi dish. He quickly went to clean up the space but did not offer to refill the glass and/or get me another serving of gnocchi. So now I sit here with a $14 glass of wine that I have to pay for (*it was a birthday celebration on yours truly) which is mostly splattered on the table and in my bowl of gnocchi. Additionally, I have a bowl of gnocchi that I do not want to finish because the creaminess and red wine are not meshing well in my mind. I like Elisir but this explicitly pointed to an Etiquette faux pas that should have been addressed with a more cleverness than simply wiping up the mess. Now I am not one of those people who simply complain for the heck of it but I think there should be some quick fixer upper in a restaurants training manual that goes in to action after incidents like the one described above. Though I know I will return because the restaurant does have good service and the food was exceptional, knowing that after I hand over a hefty payment and tip, I will receive half of what I ordered discourages me from wanting to return. What would have changed my attitude?? A new bowl of gnocchi.

Art & Soul’s Artisanal Reopening Fair

Chassis — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:30:52 +0000

After this year's inauguration, Chef/Owner Art Smith opted to close down the restaurant for a month-long renovation. This past March, Art & Soul on Capital Hill threw a wonderful fair of a shindig to show off all of their recent changes for the menu and the restaurant's aesthetic features. Among the new ambiance/decor and the tasty Southern bites were a few of Art & Souls partners like Geechie Boy Market & Mill who provides their grits, Butcher & Baker who created their uniforms, and Smooth Ambler who provides some of their small-batch spirits. (Courtesy of Art & Soul, 2013) The restaurant itself received an uplift of herringbone wood floors, textured walls, and diverse artwork while the cuisine received bigger sharable menus, and more Southern items with a modern twist. Naturally, the traditional shrimp & grits and fried chicken remain but there are so many other new delectable items like fried green tomatoes, Cajun boudin bites, deviled eggs, and bacon cornbread. Art & Soul's modernized Southern smorgasbord has returned at it's finest, tastier and better-looking all around. Reserve a table on the weekend to be a part of the close-knit family style Saturday dinners that include live music, drink pairings, appetizers, and a full dinner. Also be sure to check out their weekly patio Pig & Oyster Roasts that starts two weeks from now on May 29th. That alone should be a HOOT. Happy eating :)

(Courtesy of Art & Soul, 2013)