Lunch at your desk just got a whole lot fresher!

Pret-a-Manger, the British fresh sandwich shop, opened its first DC location on the corner of 18th and I on Monday. Based on the idea that simple, fresh ingredients make not only the best food, but the best fast food, Pret offers a variety of preservative free, healthy baked goods, sandwiches, salads, coffees and snacks for breakfast and lunch. Their cheeky attitude is refreshing and the food delicious.

Don't be fooled by the boxed sandwiches and salads, they are made fresh continuously and the packaging makes them convenient to grab and go. Sandwiches and salads come in regular and "slim" (half) sizes. Perfect for those days when you want a soup and... or you're just not that hungry. I tried the tomato soup and a "slim" baguette with basil and brie. Both were fresh tasting and satisfying. I was a bit disappointed in the slice of white bread served with the soup - although it had a "homemade" sweetness that I liked, I found the texture to be a bit dry. I also enjoyed the Pret label Mango Mandarin soda - with a strong fruit taste and light carbonation, it was a true standout.

The full menu is online along with nutritional information. They use all natural, preservative-free, locally-sourced, fresh ingredients and, in the spirit of giving back, donate unused food at the end of each day to a food bank. Take a break from your burgers and processed food for a walk on the natural side.


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Not Common at All!

Last night we hit Commonwealth Gastropub, British-inspired offering from Jamie Leeds of Hank's Oyster Bar fame, in Columbia Heights and I must say that it was anything but common. As a starting point, the beer selection is surprising and comforting all at once - Bellhaven Twisted Thistle on draft with the traditional stout in bottles, selections from some lesser known, but terrific breweries like Cisco in Nantucket and standout stand-bys like Samuel Smith and Dominion.
The food selections are fresh twists on traditional pub fare with salads, pots/pies and mains, trimmings and puddings. I would like to return to sample the Butchers Plate - a pic-three selection of meats ranging from house-made sausages to bresaola to stuffed trotters (pigs feet). Also intriguing, but not tried was the batter-fried bacon. A beautiful selection of cheeses would round out a charcuterie-style plate.

For starters we tried the Crisp Vegetable Salad - a delicious combination of root vegetables, celery, watercress, radish and basil with a light mustard dressing - and the Rocket salad with cheese and lemonette (like vinaigarette, but lemon). The only miss of the meal was the Virginia Oysters off the specials. It was a warm starter of oysters and puff pastry that was so heavy on the Worchestershire sauce you lost the subtle flavor of the local oysters.

For mains we enjoyed the Chicken Pot Pie - full of vegetables and chunks of chicken in a perfect chicken gravy with a delicious crust. The "fish" of the day was scallops with califlower puree and a parsley sauce. The roasted chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy inside. The star of the night was the Braised Lamb Shank. It was a melt in your mouth concoction of perfectly seasoned lamb shank and olives cooked until it fell off the bone served with the perfect compliment goat cheese polenta.

Atmosphere is p[ub-like, but sophisticated. Service was good. They take reservations for dinner. Read more!

Chef's Picks - Mendocino's Barry Koslow's

I went to a fab cocktail party hosted by a business partner at Mendocino Grille and Wine Bar. I would highly recommend this Georgetown location for this type of party - or for dinner for that matter. The space was beautiful, they were pouring some delicious wines and the passed food terrific. Two of the hours'dourves were true stand-outs - the tuna crudo and the sweetbreads. But the real fun of the evening was meeting chef Barry Koslow and talking to him about his favorite DC spots.

Barry has creds - not only does he head up the kitchen at Mendocino, he has cooked for Michel Richard at Citronelle and came directly from Circle Bistro where he took a floundering restaurant and put it on the map.

In addition to his own place, of course, Barry recommends Palena in Cleveland Park and Two Amys Pizza - two of my favorites also.

Look for future chef's picks.

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High/Low Restaurant Style

Maybe its the new economy, but I am really liking the idea of opening a lower end version of a great restaurant - as in the case of Hook/Tacklebox. I loved Hook, but quite frankly don't have the dough (or the time) for that kind of meal all the time. Dr. Brut and I were headed out to the movies in Georgetown last Friday night looking for a cheap and tasty and quick meal and decided to check out Hook's younger sibling Tacklebox.

Brilliant! They same great ingredients and chef as Hook, but on the fly and on the cheap. For only $13 you choose a grilled or fried fish option along with two sides and a sauce. The portions are incredibly generous. I had the clam strips, grilled broccoli and mac n cheese with garlic aioli sauce. The clam strips were crunchy and flavorful - really clammy. The grill flavor on the broccoli was delicious and the mac and cheese creamy heaven. They mistakenly gave me the mashed potatoes (no charge) and I have to tell you that if (no when) I return I will definately be ordering them. They had a tangy flavor and perfect texture.

Dr. Brut enjoyed his grilled calamari - essentially grilled baby squid bodies (no tentacles) along with asparagus and mac n cheese. I really want to try their lobster pot to go. I think that this is an incredibly smart concept and one that should be replicated by others - taking advantage of the talent and ingredients available in fine dining to finally show people seeking fast food what good food is really about.
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It was the best of Thai, it was the worst of Thai.

Restaurant inconsistency is the bain of modern dining. How can one dish at a restaurant be atrocious and another be heavenly. I am not talking about the Salvadoran dive that does great pupusas and shoe-leather filet mignon, but thai food, coming from a thai restaurant.

A group of friends and I went to Asia Nine recently on the recommendation of a friend of the chef. I ordered, when done right, one of my favorite dishes - Thai Basil Chicken. Usually a tasy mix of chicken, vegetable, fresh thai basil, fish sauce - mmm I can taste the goodness. In this case however it was an absolute salt lick - overuse of fish sauce or soy or just plain old salt. Generally I would say inedible. Most incredible perhaps was the fact that it was recommended by the waitress.

On the other hand, a friend odered the green curry with chicken which was divine. Perfect blend of coconut and green curry, just the rice level of spice - absolutely heavenly. In fact, it was so good that two of us ordered the green curry to go following our meal.

The menu isn't huge here, so I would expect that each dish would be carefully prepared. Not sure what happened. Atmosphere is not great - it was a Tuesday night so perhaps a full crowd later in the week makes the lounge decor look a little less tired. My recommendation on this one is to order the curry and take it home for an excellent comfort meal.
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