Having only lived in my neighborhood for three weeks, I saw this as an opportunity to get to know some of the local options, as well as a chance to cross restaurants off my list of places to try.
First up was Tesoro. File under neighborhood gem, this small Italian cafe specializes in handmade pasta, fresh ingredients, and innovative flavor combinations. The atmosphere was quiet, but not so desolate that we questioned our decision to go there. The pasta was indeed homemade, and just slightly the al dente side. Added perks? It's right by the Van Ness metro, making an easy dinner destination after work.
| Linguine alle Vongole at Tesoro |
The next night, we snagged the last available reservation at Founding Farmers, a place I've been hearing relentlessly positive things about since I moved to this area. Being, however, the last available reservation, we didn't arrive at the restaurant until 9:45, by which time all of us had scavenged for food elsewhere. We settled on a dessert-and-drinks plan, which M and T subverted ever so slightly by ordering an appetizer of bacon lollipops.
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| My friends gobbled these up at Founding Farmers. Surprise flavor = cinnamon. |
For our third dinner out, my friends wanted to try 2 Amys Pizza, which is within reasonable walking distance from my apartment. Apparently it was on a few foodie shows recently, and T had seen it consistently pop up in lists of America's Best Pizza. (This brought to my attention the fact that I seldom know whether a restaurant is locally famous or nationally famous.) It was a 15-minute walk from the Tenleytown metro, lengthened by the sudden and strenuous rainstorm, but it was worth it. It was also worth the 30-minute wait once we arrived (though sitting in the nook by the bathroom was a little awkward, let's be honest). Because during the wait, we kept spotting dishes of these delicious looking balls on nearby tables.
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| Suppli a telefono at 2 Amys Pizza |
Once seated, the menu gave little guidance about which of the appetizers these might be. There was a salted cod option, a potato and prosciutto croquette option, and some ambiguously shaped options. When in doubt--as clearly we were--ask the waitstaff. Our waitress identified the Mystery Balls as "suppli al telefono," or "telephone rice croquette." Whatever you want to call them, these little guys are filled with risotto and cheese, then breaded and fried. Low carb, no. Yummy, most certainly. The calzones (in 2 Amys lingo, "stuffed pizza") and design-it-yourself pizza (ricotta, buffalo mozzarella, and pesto) also did not disappoint.
The last meal was special--it was M's birthday brunch. I knew Co Co Sala did a prix fixe special--and really, who doesn't want three courses of chocolate-infused awesomeness to kick-start their Sunday? We landed there at 11:30, when it was full but not packed. First good sign: the women at the adjacent table were photographing their food with high-end cameras with unnecessarily long zoom lenses, as though they wanted to see the molecules that made it so damn good. I mean, this is the kind of place that can convert the person who doesn't like chocolate. It's somehow in everything on their menu--more obviously in the S'mores Pancakes than in the crab cake, but still--and it makes for delicious hot chocolate and frozen hot chocolate options.
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| M was impressed with her birthday treat |
And let's just say it: The food at Co Co Sala is exquisitely arranged. I'm sure someone's paws must have been all over those plates, but come on, they made Lincoln-logs out of fried chicken and then built a small fort with it. They deconstructed a S'more, fused it with a pancake, and made it look like a really interesting science project.
So now it's Tuesday; my friends have returned to the south a little plumper and a little happier than when they left.
And I face my fridge slightly intimidated--both by the leftovers, and by what this city can do with food.
And I face my fridge slightly intimidated--both by the leftovers, and by what this city can do with food.
