.::|TheDish|::.

Proof, Washington DC

Rating: 4 forks
This past weekend, my husband and I had the pleasure of visiting our nation's capitol. Aside from DC being an impeccably clean city, the home to our president and other political folk, and a cultural center with an impressive list of stellar museums, we have proof that DC is also becoming a culinary capitol; at least, that was my take from the two dining experiences we had over our weekend jaunt.

Friday night, we dined at Proof, per the recommendation of power couple and our company for the evening, Ben and Elizabeth (you may remember my recent post about Ben). Proof is classified as a wine bar, and therefore of course boasts an impressive list of worldly vintages, including a few prize bottles from the esteemed (and incredibly expensive) winery Screaming Eagle, topping out at a mere $5500/bottle. Yikes. Of course, there were plenty to chose from for us "common folk", unique small-batch wineries like Owen Roe (which we discovered at Brix in Boston) and also the 2006 K Vinters, Pheasant, Syrah, our table's choice for the evening, at $70/bottle.

Now, the food. Oh, where to begin. First off, it was absolutely divine, and I must say, Proof trumped many of the meals I have had in my hometown of Boston, by far; I'd say, from our short experience, that the dining options in DC are on par with those of NYC and San Francisco, though I would guess there's slightly fewer options to chose from. We kicked off the evening's feast with a board of soft and hard cheeses, paired with toasted nutty bread, an apple puree, pure natural honey, and Madjool dates and a accompanying plate of cured meats from their charcuterie menu, paired with fresh dijon and cornichons. Yum. Next, we shared a few appetizers from the menu:

Roasted Beets with Pea Shoots & Kaleidoscope Carrots 
sherry mustard vinaigrette, Stilton, toasted hazelnuts  $8 

Grilled Spanish Octopus
potato-chickpea salad, smoked paprika, piquillo pepper vinaigrette $13

Spicy Little Meatballs
goat cheese agnolotti, tomato fondue $10

Each were to die for, especially those little cheese agnolotti's, a fancy name for the-best-raviolis-ever. For dinner, the men both orederd-up the venison, which I don't see on the online menu; however us lady's opted for:

Honey & Spice Glazed Pekin Duck Breast
roasted jewel yam purée, pomegranate vinaigrette, grilled scallions $27

Duck & Pork Confit with Grilled Boudin
cassoulet of flageolet beans, spinach, herbed bread crumbs, lardons $25

And for dessert – I am surprised I can remember what we had after the self-induced food coma from tasting the above – we shared a warm carmel cake, and a serving of delicious homemade coconut sorbet.

If in DC, you must-must check out Proof; I can't wait to go back!

Proof
775 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
www.proofdc.com
202.737.7663

Opening Day: Market and the Living Room at the W Hotel

It's opening day in Boston! No, not the Sox, obviously, but rather the new, totally hyped-up, W Hotel is opening its doors to 2 soon-to-be urban hot spots: Market Restaurant and Living Room. I really don't know much about either, other than that the three-star Michelin chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is the mastermind behind Market. I have never dined at his posh NYC restaurant, Jean-Georges, but hear it's stellar. From Daily Candy:

The menu is a simple yet elegant mash-up of French, Asian, and Italian flavors  (it’s Jean-Georges’s thing). The culinary god scoured Boston’s local vegetable markets and scouted Beantown fish mongers to supply cod with shimeji mushrooms and miso-yuzu broth and soy-glazed short ribs with apple-jalapeno puree and rosemary crumbs.

And as for Living Room, looks like it is in-line with other W lounges: comfy, clean lines, intimate seating, dark, probably with beats and lots of short black mini's. Here's some pics, thanks to Urban Daddy Boston:
 

W Hotel Boston
100 Stuart St
Boston, MA 02116
Website
(617) 261-8700

Mistral Opens for Brunch

I am baaaack! Didn't take long for me to miss my ramblings on TheDish! And what better way to hopefully regain my reader's loyal eyes than to share this amazing announcement:

Mistral is serving Sunday brunch! You must check out the menu!

Mistral has been a favorite upscale dining spot of mine for years; the food is always impeccable, the service top-notch, the atmosphere upbeat, and the bar crowd, well, let's say nothing short of entertaining. I was so excited to hear that they have just announced their grand entry this Sunday into the brunch scene, featuring over the top creations like White Truffle 3 Minute Duck Egg ($16) and Foie Gras Parfait ($9). They also have more *typical* selections for the less adventurous, like Classic Eggs Benedict ($15), Cinnamon French Toast ($12), and Belgium Waffles ($13).

Looks like my Sunday dining adventures may just have to span a little further than my hood. No complaints here!

Mistral
223 Columbus Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
Phone 617-867-9300
mistral@mistralbistro.com
Brunch starting Sundays Oct 25, 10:30am-2pm