FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Intention

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There are roughly three scatter brained thoughts I have going on about dinner tonight.  I’ll start with simple first.  I had a feeling as I drove by Jackson 20 that it was a place I’d like to eat even though it had a “Pig-A-Palooza” sign out front.  Just a feeling.

Partial thought:  When I turned to Google to scope out the best restaurants in Old Town Alexandria, Jackson 20 was near the top.  Convenient.

Relevant thought:  I immediately went to their website to look at the menu and saw mac and cheese, ribs, yada yada, Pig-A-Palooza stuff, then… Vegetable? Tempeh?  I assumed they were smothered in cheese, as most restaurant vegetarian dishes are, and then stumbled upon this:

In order to accommodate every appetite, we are more than happy to offer vegan and vegetarian dishes in addition to our daily menus.

Which brings me to another point: intentional vegetarian.  I read something about intentionally vegetarian dishes at restaurants some time ago, most likely Tal Ronnen related.  It was at that point I could put my finger on why I loved certain dishes so much (Restaurant BT, whaaaaat!).  I have a huge appreciation for dishes that are vegetarian on purpose and not make-shift, dairy covered, thrown together side dish veggies.  Besides, I’d have to order them without cheese and then they’d be make-shift squared.  A bummer.

So all that scattered-ness brings me to the Roasted Vegetable Napoleon.  Wow. It had simple layers filled with flavorful bulgur wheat and complimentary pureed sauces.  It filled the fancy void that foodie vegetarians have, the void that was most likely responsible for me returning to the pescatarian world.  It was a version of something I wish could be on every menu at restaurants that are reservation and eyeliner worthy.  It was…  exactly what I wanted.

Special Treatment

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I’ve  posted up at the same Crystal City hotel spot frequently enough to know the lay of the land, but not long enough to stop thinking that Crystal City is a goofy name.  Don’t you think Crystal City should look like the picture below and not the picture above?

photo source

Crystal City… Emerald City…  Potayto, Potahto.

And since I’ve crossed the line of feeling familiar, I braved walking the dusk streets rather than ordering delivery.  This was a big step for me.  I’m afraid of the dark.  Like… more afraid than any little kid you know.

I read every street-side menu and finally decided on one of the seven Italian restaurants on the strip: Cucina Vivace.  The chilled tomato and roasted pepper soup and linguine with olive oil, spinach, and herbs caught my attention.

I could have done without the soup, it was a little chunkified for my liking, but the pasta was super fresh, delicate, and well seasoned.  I felt really terrible leaving my leftovers but, like I told the waiter (who thought my flashy camera was an indicator that I was important), leftovers and hotel rooms don’t quite mix.

Have you ever noticed a difference in restaurant service when you’re with camera as opposed to without?

KitchenBar

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Within hours of KitchenBar popping up at BT, I had a slew of emails and inquiries.  Miss Erica knows my style and was the first to send me an Outlook invite – if it’s on my calendar, I’ll be there.  I’m addicted to schedule like that.

It was definitely strange to be in a familiar place with a foreign menu, but the strangeness faded as the wine settled and the food arrived – the presentation was A+.  As far as taste is concerned, everything was good (I promise, don’t take this the wrong way), but I had a difficult time being at BT and not comparing the current cuisine to the likes of what I was accustomed to eating in that particular space.  With that being said, the most enjoyable taste on my plate was a combo I had never had before: egg and tuna.  Other favorites amongst the table were the charred eggplant puree with burratta, prosciutto de parma zeppole with rosemary doughnuts, and burratta with watercress, peaches, blackberry sorbet and almonds.  Fancy shmancy!

Then it was time for group shot, x-rated napkin folding, medical astrology, and polishing off the remaining wine – you know, the usual for a Wednesday…

Now back to Healthy Living Summit Packing!

Just Another Cafe Hey Day

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Let me just start with…  It POURED today in Tampa!  So much so that I buckled a golf umbrella, spent 45 minutes driving four miles, and considered writing someone of importance requesting that Tampa now be called Atlantis.  And when it came time for lunch, I wanted only two things: something close and something cozy.

I speed dialed my favorite neighbor, Cafe Hey, and placed an order for the VLT sandwich and kale salad.  I butchered the VLT even more than usual (sorry chef!) by adding avocado (duh!) and nixing tomatoes and vegenaise.  The next modification would happen in the privacy of my desk…

I mile high piled the kale salad on my sandwich and went to town – cuban toast crumbs were a flyin’!  I didn’t care though, the dressing on the kale salad and the crunch of the lettuce and sunflower seeds were so darn good!

Here’s to hoping for a dryer tomorrow!