Jaleo in Washington, DC

While in Washington DC the other weekend, I had the pleasure of dining at Jaleo, one of Jose Andres’ many restaurants. Jaleo is a Spanish tapas restaurant that has a really fun vibe. The bigger tables are glass topped foosball tables so you can play foosball during your meal! Since there were only two of us, we were not seated at foosball table, but I would love to go back with a big group and sit there!

We arrived a little early for our reservation so we decided to head to the bar for a drink. Their drink menu had an entire section of gin and tonics! A g&t is my favorite cocktail, so I was really excited to try some of theirs. All their gin and tonics were served with one huge square ice cube, and they would pour the tonic in right in front of you when they served it. We each had one at the bar and one with dinner, and all of them were delicious. I don’t even think I could pick a favorite!

Once we were seated, we ordered a bunch of small plates, including cured meats, cheese, gambas al ajillo, oysters, house-made chorizo, and grilled squid. Everything was absolutely to die for. My favorite was the grilled squid with rice and squid ink. We actually saw it on the table next to us and I’m so glad we asked them what they had ordered! I love gambas al ajillo and I order it at every single tapas restaurant I go to- I love to compare and contrast all the gambas. This dish was definitely one of the best renditions that I have had. The house-made chorizo was also quite good, and for this meat lover, a good addition to a seafood dominated meal! The tapas were a perfect size so we could share a bunch without being overstuffed.

Calamari

I really enjoyed the meal. All our plates were delicious, and a great size. The cocktails were quite enjoyable as well! Another Jose Andres hit- if you are ever in DC, I highly recommend Jaleo.

Cowboy Rubbed Ribeye

My boyfriend came to town in March for his spring break, and I knew it would be a perfect excuse to splurge on ingredients and cook a really out-of-this-world meal together. I am a huge red meat lover and so we decided to go for a twist on a favorite, steak and mashed potatoes. I turned to the never-failing food52 (seriously, I have never made a bad recipe from there!) and found a recipe for a cowboy rubbed ribeye which sounded perfect. My boyfriend’s favorite things are coffee, dark beers, and anything spicy, so this was a dish made for him. While reading the comments section, I noticed someone had commented that they made it with goat cheese and caramelized onion mashed potatoes- so I immediately searched for that recipe thinking it would be a perfect pairing!

We headed to Savenor’s to purchase our ribeye and when they asked us, “can I interest you in our dry-aged ribeye?” we were powerless to say no. This was the best cut of meat I have ever purchased. It was phenomenal. Do yourself a favor and check out Savenor’s dry aged meats- you will not be disappointed.

Our beautiful steak with the rub and from the side!

Before starting the steak, I caramelized the onions and then proceeded to make the mashed potatoes. It was labor intensive but not too difficult- as long as you have patience while caramelizing! It was fairly straightforward to make the steak. I just put the rub on, seared it, and finished it in the oven. Then I made the pan sauce using Finch’s Secret Stache Stout. It was not a chocolate stout but it definitely did the job! We served it up and enjoyed with the rest of our stout. I highly recommend trying these recipes- let me know if you do!

The Blue Room, Kendall Square

Two weeks ago for Boston’s Restaurant Week, known as Dine Out Boston, or Dig In Dine Out, I had a delicious meal at The Blue Room in Kendall Square. My boyfriend was in town for the weekend and we decided to take advantage of Dine Out Boston and go to the Blue Room. We got an extra chuckle out of it because the campus center at our alma mater has a little cafe called the Blue Room. Needless to say, the one in Kendall was better!

For Dine Out Boston, we got three courses to choose from their restaurant week menu. We shared everything because I refuse to not have a taste of everything on the table. For starters, we ordered the orecchiette and the smoked mackerel rillettes. The orecchiette was delicious, but I was glad that we shared it with a lighter app or I may have been too full to order an entree. I really could have enjoyed it as an entree myself- especially if I was in the mood for pasta! The smoked mackerel rillettes were also really tasty. I love any type of smoked fish, and they were a fun and yummy play on the traditional smoked fish and bread dish. They also were the perfect size to accompany our very decadent entrees.

We decided to go the carnivorous route with our entrees, and they both were to die for. We ordered the skirt steak and the pork shoulder. I was really craving steak, but I ended up loving the pork shoulder. I think because it was not a cut I normally order and the sides were much more noteworthy. The pork shoulder was such a rich cut of meat paired with kale, root vegetables, and horseradish. The skirt steak was also delicious, but I think the pork won this time (although I guess it was not a competition!).

For dessert, we ordered apple crisp and the walnut cake. Although we were stuffed, we managed to clean our entire plates!

The best part of the night was the wine. The Blue Room offers wines at retail price on Sunday. Our awesome waiter was able to recommend us an amazing wine based on what we described as our preference and we were able to order a bottle that would not have ordered at restaurant price. That wine was to die for and we really appreciated the waiter helping us navigate the menu.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Blue Room based on my restaurant week experience. Hint: Go on a Sunday!

Cambridge Eats

Hello world,

Since I have done an egregious job at tracking my recent meals out, I thought I would do a round-up of some Cambridge area restaurants that I have enjoyed recently!

Puritan & Co: Located in Inman square, I came here for a meal with my parents. It has such a fun vibe, and the food was really delicious. We also enjoyed our cocktails and the service was wonderful! I will definitely be going back.

Craigie on Main: I’ve been here twice now. One time, I had the tasting menu, which I cannot do justice to try to describe. Another time, I waited in line at 4:45 PM to get one of the famed Craigie burgers. Check out this article to see what makes them so amazing. I was almost worried I was going to be disappointed, but it did not disappoint. They only have 18 burgers a night, so go early, but DO IT! I do have a picture of this burger:

Kirkland Tap & Trotter: From Tony Maws of Craigie on Main, this place is so good. I’ve now been for dinner and brunch. Their burger is also one of the best burgers I’ve had, and their brunch is delicious. It has a super fun atmosphere and an amazing menu. I would highly recommend it. Additionally, they were super accommodating of our long and leisurely brunch during one of our blizzarding Sundays when nothing else was open!

Tupelo: Tupelo is located in Inman Square, and I had a great meal there on a snowy Sunday night with friends. I had the fried oysters, which were amazing. They also served our beer in mason jars, which was a wonderful finishing touch. The service was great as well- they were super friendly!

Alden & Harlow: In anticipation of snow (a theme here), I went to Alden and Harlow for my day before Valentine’s dinner date. I really enjoyed my meal. Any restaurant with sharing plates is one that I like! We ordered a couple really yummy cocktails and beers. We enjoyed the bone marrow croquetta, which was too good to be true and the chicken fried rabbit. We also obeyed my foie gras rule (if its on the menu, order it) and ordered the foie gras custard, which did not disappoint. And finally, we had the charred swordfish belly with bok choy kimchi, which I do have a picture of. I love swordfish, and this dish was amazing. I definitely recommend it!

Let me know if you get a chance to try any of these Cambridge faves!

Girl and The Goat

Hi, world!

Time for a long belated post updating you on a meal I had in Chicago. I went to Stephanie Izard’s Girl and the Goat in November to celebrate my anniversary with my boyfriend. Their menu changes, but if your meal is anything like mine, it will be phenomenal. We made a reservation roughly a month in advance.

Girl and the Goat has a menu with medium size plates to share. We started off with one of their breads. This was a bread with sausage in it and two different spreads. While this was definitely one of the simpler items that we ordered, it was absolutely delicious and a great start to our meal. Plus, I love starting out with some bread while I peruse the menu and decide what to order next.

Next we ordered the woodfired oysters. I was born and raised in Illinois, but I’ve been a New England girl for almost 9 years now. This has lead to me becoming quite the connoisseur of raw oysters on the half shell, one of my favorite foods. I was interested to try the wood fired oysters and see how they matched up to their raw, mignonette-drenched counterparts. They were phenomenal! I really enjoyed them and I would highly recommend them.

Next we ordered of the “Goat” section of the menu. We tried goat carpaccio. It was a little gamey-er than beef carpaccio, but in a really delicious way. I haven’t had goat before, but this was delicious. There was none left on the plate!

After the carpaccio, we ordered escargot ravioli. My boyfriend had never had escargot before and we were excited for this course. The escargot worked deliciously as a ravioli filling. It was really rich- I couldn’t have had a whole entree portion, but the sharing size was perfect.

Next up was the beef heart. A new pick for each of us, but it was worth it. We love trying new things, and the heart combined with mushroom and veggies was a perfect combination. The heart is not fatty, but it is a muscle, so it was similar in texture to a lean meat. It was great! (Apologies that you can’t see the heart pieces very well in the pic).

Finally, we ordered the pig face. AMAZING. I can’t even describe how good it was. I’ll direct you to this article (not for the squeamish) if you’re curious what their wood-fired pig face is. Combined with the potato strings and the runny egg, it was to die for.

How could we not top this meal off with dessert? We ordered a peanut butter and jelly dessert and it was a delicious end to an amazing meal.

To drink, we had some local Chicago beers. I didn’t get pics, but we had the God Damn Pigeon Porter by Spiteful Brewing and the Christmas Ale by Begyle Brewing. Both were amazing, but I think I enjoyed the porter a little more.

I would highly, highly recommend Girl and The Goat to anyone living in or visiting Chicago!

Food in DC

My boyfriend recently moved to DC, so I’ve had a few fun trips down there to visit him! In addition to the phenomenal museums, we have had the chance to enjoy some amazing food when I visited.

We went to 1789 which is a restaurant in Georgetown. We got drinks at The Tombs first and then had dinner. The food was to die for and the service was excellent! One of the best meals yet! I highly recommend it.

On my next visit to DC, we went to Chinatown Coffee Co. I tried an iced coffee and a latte and they both were great! Not to mention the latte art was so pretty! My boyfriend, quite the coffee snob, gave them his seal of approval as well.

We also went to Oyamel, which is one of Jose Andres’ restaurants in DC. I really enjoyed our meal. The cocktails were unique and very tasty! I would especially recommend the brussels sprouts and the tuna ceviche. You have to order the guacamole as well- they make it at the table and it is fresh and delicious!

So far I have yet to be disappointed with a meal in DC- I can’t wait to go back and try a few more restaurants!

(Degas in National Gallery of Art)

WIAW!

For What I Ate Wednesday, I have a bunch of pictures of yummy food I have eaten in the last month or so!

No such thing as too much cheese. Here’s some blue and brie as an appetizer before we had a friend over for dinner!

I made this peach-raspberry pie from my Hoosier Mama Book of Pie cookbook. All the pies I have made from this book so far have been DELICIOUS. I highly recommend this book if you are in the market for a good pie cookbook!

On the Fourth of July, my friends and I made walking tacos. Apparently a lot of people have never heard of them- my friends included. You just get all your taco makings, pour them into a bag of Fritos, and eat with a fork. They’re kind of silly, but they are delicious!

Barbeque at one of my favorite barbeque places, Red Bones! Here I got the meat & three, so I got to pick three side dishes to go with my barbeque. It was amazing, as always!

I’ve been really into homemade pizza lately. I made a huge batch of homemade pizza dough following this recipe. Food52 never fails me! Its so easy to thaw and have homemade pizza in around 20 minutes. My favorite combination is cheese, onions, spinach, and a little white truffle oil.

Another really easy dinner: chicken thighs roasted with olive oil, garlic powder, lemon pepper, and Mrs. Dash’s poultry seasoning. It turned out perfectly and I served it with some frozen spicy sweet potato fries.

I didn’t get to take a picture of my food here, but I went to Stoddard’s with my boyfriend and a friend of ours and it was to die for. We shared fondue, mussels, and beef tartare as our appetizers which were all phenomenal. We also tried quite a few drinks on their extensive cocktail list- they were all delicious. Definitely on my list to go again.

I’ve definitely been eating my way through summer and enjoying every second!

Morocco

At the end of May, I went to Morocco with my family. It was such an amazing trip! I had a wonderful time and I really enjoyed getting to spend some time with my family. One of the highlights of my trip to Morocco was getting to take a Moroccan cooking class and learning how to make some Moroccan cuisine.

In Morocco, we ate a lot of tagine, which is a stew-like dish that is cooked in a ceramic cone-shaped pot. We made chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives. Preserved lemons are just lemons and salt sealed in a jar for three months. Our instructor, who is also the restaurant chef where we took the class, said that she preserves lemons every day because she uses them so much.

This is the set-up before our cooking lesson began.

This is me mixing up the spices with the chicken.

The chicken in the bowl ready to go into the tagine!

Chicken ready to cook.

Adding in the olives for the last 10 minutes.

We also made some Moroccan salads, which were cooked veggies in a marinade of oil, vinegar, and spices. They are delicious!

Mixing up the cucumbers!

Carrots and green peppers.

We also made semolina bread from scratch.

Doughy hands!

The bread baking.

Finished bread!

Our final place setting.

Lunch was delicious and even more satisfying knowing that we made it ourselves! Let me know if you would be interested in the recipes- I do have them. I believe you can replicate tagine in a slow-cooker, although I haven’t tried yet.

All in all, it was a great trip and a fantastic cooking experience!

I’m back!

Sorry that I took an unexpected blogging hiatus! Things got crazy at work and then I went away with my family! I’ll be back soon with lots of delicious food to tell you about from my travels!

Restaurant WIAW & It’s My Birthday!!

Today is my birthday- happy birthday to me! I plan on celebrating with some friends at Border Cafe for some delicious Tex-Mex and margaritas.

In other exciting news, I won a box of FiberLove bars from Kaila‘s giveaway! I was so excited to receive them yesterday- they were a perfect early birthday surprise. I can’t wait to try all the flavors- I love FiberLove bars but the supermarket near me doesn’t carry all the flavors!

Two weekends ago my mom came to visit and I got to enjoy a few amazing meals out. First up: Hungry Mother.

My appetizer: pimento cheese. It was to die for.

Entree was fish. Also amazing.

We had a coconut cheese cake for dessert even though we thought we were too stuffed for even another bite!

Gratuitous picture of me, my mom, and my sister!

Oysters at B&G Oyster!

The best lobster roll ever. (With bacon!)

A HUGE seafood and pasta dish at Rabia’s in the North End!

Birthday latte!

Brownies with Reeses inside courtesy of my awesome coworker!

Champagne and St. Germain to make St. Germain cocktails from my friends!

It was a great birthday and so fun to reminisce about my delicious meals out this week!