We were invited to Corduroy by a few friends in the wine business. One of them lives in the D.C. area and always has a great recommendation for food. She’s also a great cook, so she knows good food. We arrived at Corduroy before everyone else and snagged a seat at the bar for a drink while we waited. It was a great little spot, neither too big nor too small, with a sleek, black marble counter. Everyone else ended up being very late, so we were able to drink two glasses of wine and cocktail each until they got there. It was very comfortable and I honestly could have stayed there all night.

Once all our party finally arrived, we were moved downstairs into a more traditional dining area. No marble here, just wood accents, simple white table clothes, and a more formal quiet atmosphere. Our waiter was French with the most beautiful accent. Everything that came out of his mouth sounded good. We didn’t do five courses or even get desserts because we were short on time at the point, so we just did starters and entrees. Greek Easter was right around the corner, so I had go meat free, which wasn’t at all disappointing like it could be at other restaurants. That’s probably another high point…we had a vegetarian with us as well and Corduroy put together a stunning plate of vegetables for her entrée on the spot.

We decided on lobster Carpaccio and squash soup for starters. My soup was creamy and rich in flavor and the lobster was sliced so thin it basically melted in your mouth with the butter. So good! We then moved on to our entrees of seared antelope with chestnut puree and crispy striped sea bass with cabbage. Let me say that the antelope looked incredible. From what Mike tells me, it tasted just as delicious as it looked. The color was amazing with a beautiful bright red juicy center. I shouldn’t knock my sea bass, because it was also cooked to texture perfection with a light crunch on the top layer and the inside just flaking off onto my fork. The seasoning was right on point for me, because it was light and savory to let the fish shine through. The cabbage was soft and paired brilliantly with the light chive curry sauce. When we go back, I will be ordering the antelope though, because I’ve never had it before and Corduroy is known for that dish.

Conceptually, this restaurant seemed fabulous. An area of town with little choice when it comes to dining options and located inside the popular Chevy Chase Pavilion. You know you will have patrons from the mall, but also the bizarre addition of hotel guests also located inside. What could be bad? The execution. It was scattered and awkward. To be honest, I felt kind of awkward sitting in my “booth”. It wasn’t really a booth, but more like the table and bench seats you would find at any mall food court. Yes, Range is in a mall, with the Embassy Suites guest hallways directly in front of you for your viewing pleasure during the meal. I felt like I was making a pit stop between errands, on display, and spying on hotel guests. What else am I going to look at in the long time gaps between tapas?

We should probably talk about the food though…it was good tapas. Not the best thing out there, but not horrific. Our table had enjoyed this style of dining many times before in areas all over the world. We’ve had better. There is probably better in D.C. as well. The family style portions weren’t enough for the whopping three people we had in our dinner party. Thankfully, nothing was so spectacular that we fought over the last bite. Did we get the wrong plates? Not likely, because we tried something from every kitchen that Range boasts about. Don’t get me wrong, Brian Voltaggio is such a talented chef and we love going to Volt. I know this isn’t Volt, and was totally looking forward to new dishes and sleek casual atmosphere. Additionally, we’ve eaten at our fair share of restaurants located inside of something much bigger (mall, casino, airport), so it wasn’t the location that was so odd for us that we couldn’t enjoy ourselves. It was a combination of so-so food with peculiar atmosphere and crap service.

We had to flag down a server every time our wine glasses were empty. We aren’t fast drinkers, and gave ample opportunity for one of the bazillion staff members to come by. They did come by, but just walked right on past us. There was always something more important they had to do. One of the guys that was busing a table felt sorry for us, and came over to say he would find someone. The time we had to wait to receive our first dish seemed like an eternity. I almost ordered room service from Embassy Suites. There is no bread, but you can pay for a bread basket that I heard was good. We did order the iron skillet corn bread with bacon marmalade. It came out last, which was odd. I could have used that corn bread to munch on in the years it took for my actual food to arrive. Granted, it was a Friday night, and the restaurant was busy, but if you put that many seats in a restaurant, you should have trained staff so that everyone has an enjoyable experience rather than just have the opportunity to say, “I ate there”.

So, yes…I ate there. I don’t recommend it to anyone. I don’t want to go back. I’ve heard the service has improved, but we weren’t there that long ago so I think what we got was the “improved”. Below are the dishes we sampled. We ordered the bone marrow for our friend to try. He had never tasted it, and we raved about how delicious it cooks up. Sadly, he didn’t try his first taste because even we weren’t excited to finish it.

Iron Skillet Corn Bread, Bacon Marmalade

Tasting of All Hams (range fresh hams, surryano Virginia ham, newsom’s Kentucky country ham)

Pork Cheek Ravioli, corn, caper tomato

Salumeria pizza with preserved tomatoes, burratta

Beef Marrow Bones, pinenuts, golden raisin

Roseda beef ribeye cap steak, chimichurri, roasted shallot

Roisserie potatoes, bacon, caramelized onion

Fried Brussels sprouts

For two people that love the culinary amazement that is Alinea, but live 700 miles away, we are always up to try something in our neck of the woods that can woo us. The double-digit course restaurants have a lot of pressure to perform since so many courses can be easily forgotten or compared to others. Not to mention, it still has to TASTE good. You can make anything look pretty on a plate or create a foam out of everything in your pantry, but it only counts if it is still enjoyable to eat…and worth the hefty price. Rogue 24 seemed to have forgotten these important details.

Following suit with other upscale, blow-your-paycheck dining establishments, the place was impossible to find. Our cab driver didn’t want to leave us because he thought we were in the wrong place. It’s almost like a scavenger hunt just to eat dinner.  I suppose it’s a part of their natural selection…if you don’t lose your temper trying to find us, you might not have a conniption when the bill comes. Wandering in heels down alley streets finally pays off and we get to the front door.

Opening up with a simple loft-esque décor (think brick/steel/natural woods) is the lounge area. Even though the place had just one other dining party at the time, we still were asked to sit down in the lounge. We had the Rogue24 version of an alcoholic lemonade that actually wasn’t too bad. The metal straw added to the already industrial ambiance. You have to sign a waiver before dining: no phones, no tweeting, no flash photography, commit to the 24 or 16 course, blah, blah, blah. Dietary restrictions these days shouldn’t be a big deal because everyone and their brother has some kind of food allergy. They still make it a big deal here though with their “dining contract”. I’m not cliff diving here, I just want to sit down in a chair and eat the food. The lounge pit-stop serves as place to get anyone that hasn’t already signed the dining contract, which is emailed to you upon making the reservation, to do so. The contract is to ensure all diners have a “valued experience”. We must be in for some show!

In the actual dining room, the kitchen is center stage with tables lining the walls around it. It’s a nice way to pack a place but still have everyone get a good view of your work. We prepared ourselves for sleek and delectable…little did we know we would receive sorry and detached. The servers were there for one reason only: to put in front of us what we should eat or drink. No personality, no warmth, practically no talking, and all business. The show must be solely the food itself. There is no menu, but you will receive a list of the items you ate when you pay the bill. The title of your food content? “The Journey”. Yes, indeed. It was the most expensive “journey” to BLT steak at 10 p.m. to finally get some food that tastes good and can be considered a real meal. Not to mention, a place where you can complain with your friends about spending that kind of money for nothing when you could have gone some place really good. You can also talk about how some of the dishes weren’t even original. The ossetra caviar was the twin sister presentation from The Inn at Little Washington. I really wished we had gone there instead.

The carrot terrarium would have been ok if the “dirt” hadn’t actually tasted like dirt. It was a huge turn-off for the rest of the meal for our dining party. Suspensions were fun in the first three course set. Once you get past the copycat presentation, the dishes were beautifully plated. Unfortunately, that is where all the heart was. No one in the overly staffed kitchen of garnishes seemed to care that these bite sized courses were completely unfulfilling once actually eaten. I can ooo and ahh all day at pretty things, but for dinner, I want my food to taste good and satisfy my hunger. Other restaurants in the “tasting menu” sector achieve it all the time, so I don’t think I’m being overly critical. Rogue 24’s story begins with a great opening hook of presentation, forgets to tell you the plot, and unfortunately concludes with blank pages.

“The Journey”

Gazpacho/compressed/solid/liquefied

Asparagus/arugula/hazelnut

Tuna/avocado/chilies

Pairing: Nitro Mint- death’s door whiskey/mint/snow.

Ossetra/cucumber/trout

Urchin/lava/corel/seaweed

Watermelon/everona/sorrel/embers

Pairing: Sineann- gewerztraminer/Yamhill 2010

Musk melon/benton’s ham/basil/yogurt

Violet Potato/sea grass/rouille

Madai/coconut/ginger tapioca

Pairing: Raspberry Flash- Plymouth gin/lemon/dolin blanc/raspberry

Little peas/pig’s ears/gels

Ray/brown butter/spinach

Garden leaves/duck tongue/leek

Pairing: Unibreau le fin du monde – from Quebec

Wagyu/smoked eggplant/radish

Foie Gras/benne/mango/curry

Artichoke/flowers/lemon

Pairing: Le Clos du Tue Boeuf “le brin de chevre”

Lamb/yogurt/cucumber/lettuce

Farm Egg/fowl skin/black garlic/nasturtium

Shashito/lime/pork skin/huitlacoche

Pairing: Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee Pinot Noir 2009

Carrot/terrarium

Tail/celeriac/celery/onion

Rogue Blue/apricot/pistachio bliss

Pairing: Reserve Especial Tempranillo Rioja 2006

Passion Fruit/coconut/honey

Coffee/cream/carmel/hazelnut

Happy Endings/little things/small bites

Pairing: Le Flor d’Or Semillon Sauternes 2009

Let me start by saying this: We wish we would have gone to Komi sooner. Sooner and repeatedly. Since I just discovered it, it will be my request for a birthday, anniversary, and Christmas gift. I’m of Greek heritage, meaning my father was off the boat from Ikaria to the U.S. at 26 years of age and my mother is 100% Ikarian on both sides.  The culture is all about passion and tradition. I learned to cook in my mother’s kitchen, my grandmother’s kitchen, and in our church banquet hall. Trays of moussaka, spanakopita, pastisio, bakalava, vasilopita, and of course, lamb have all been a part of my life since birth. Our food is rich, hearty, and usually prepared in huge batches to feed the entire church parish.

Komi takes the most elegant spin on traditional Greek fare by making bite sized portions, still rich in flavor, and keeping true to the integrity of the dish. For those of you that shy away from Greek foods because the flavor profile is not quite something you are used to, Komi continues to impress by bringing the intensity down to a level that would please any palate. Mike is not the biggest fan of Greek food, despite my efforts, but he absolutely loved every dish at Komi.

Komi does not have a menu online to view. They don’t offer a menu at the table. It’s just like going to your cousin’s house in Greece. You are warmly welcomed, they happily just cook for you, and food arrives to the table during conversation. Our server explained we would have a few mezzethakia, or smaller, lighter dishes, before reaching our main course. We chose to do the wine pairing with our meal, which did not disappoint. I was anxious to try out their Greek wines as Timeless Wines doesn’t offer any in our portfolio…yet.  Komi elevates the wine pairing by being true to the Greek culture as well…they keep your glass full at all times. Oh yes! They refill your wine glass, so drink up!

I will start with the wine:

Moschofilero, “Amalia Brut”, Ktima Beledos, Greece, NV- This was a Greek “champagne” if you will, but had real body and the palate profile that will go the distance. We were blown away with this one and I’m ready to buy some cases for my own personal use!

Gavi, “La Meirana”, Broglia, Piedmont, 2011

Pinot Gris, Paul Blanck, Alsace, 2011

Flanders Red Ale, “Duchesse de Bourgogne”, Verhaeghe, Belgium

Nerello Mascalese, Passopisciaro, Sicily, 2010

Rioja, “Vina Cubillo”, Lopez de Heredia, Spain, 2005

Moscato d’Asti, Vajra, Piedmont, 2012

The mezzethakia is served family style, but on some of the dishes, each couple was given a plate to share between them. It is a savvy way to present the dish and without having the awkwardness of a full table diving in on some yogurt. The main course of goat and lamb are served family style as well.

Brioche-steamed brioche, crème fraiche, and salmon roe

Spanakopita-due to its liquid center, they recommend you eat in one bite as well

Itoyori-sashimi style and very mild

Shima Aji- fish in its own light consommé.

Scallop-sliced lightly-seared bay scallop with just a touch of lemon

Our Yogurt-The creamiest and most flavorful Greek yogurt you can get in the States. I didn’t leave anything of it on the plate.

Grains

Foie Gras- crispy fried outer shell with warm liquid foie gras center.

Sourdough

Dates-dates stuffed with mascarpone cheese served piping hot

Raviolio- a large pillow of egg yolk pasta stuffed with crab and chick pea

Katsikaki –spit roasted baby goat shoulder with homemade pita bread.

Suckling Pig-with crispy skin and also served with homemade pita bread.

Popcorn

Loukoumades- Chocolate, rather than traditionally dipped in honey. They were quite good.

Chocolate-rich and small bite sized

Lollipops-They are cherry sassafras, so it can give off a cough syrup vibe.

I really should separate these two as they were two very different experiences, but they blended well and I try to keep these reviews to one per occasion. To explain further, if you are able to snag a reservation at Minibar for your meal, the final dessert courses will be just on the other side of the wall at Barmini. If you think about it, it’s quite the production. They must ensure that each group of 6 has seating timed perfectly with their dessert courses. Now we know why reservations are a must at both establishments. The execution was seamless, but more on that later.

All the best gastronomy restaurants with phenom reviews have one thing in common:  they are usually slightly hidden and give taxi drivers that aren’t familiar a bit of a hard time. Minibar was no exception. Our cab driver dropped us at the proper block, but we were all stumped as to where this place was. We walked up a block and asked a doorman at another restaurant. He laughed and directed us to go back and look for the first door from the corner of the block. Sure enough, there it was, and “Minibar” was etched in the same concrete as the building just beside it. We entered to a host stand, where we were then escorted to a small reception room to the right. There was a beautiful marble chair, cushioned loveseats, chairs, and a center coffee table.  We were offered a complimentary reception drink of our choice (champagne & bourbon for us!) and puffed Japanese seasoned rice paper served in a wooden chest. This area is a must for a restaurant with only two seatings. (6 people at 6:30 and 9 people at 9:30.) Everyone gets a chance to arrive and get comfortable before being escorted to the dinner room. We chatted with the two other couples that would be at our 6:30 seating. We were all escorted and welcomed into the dining bar. It is wonderfully open and clean. The kitchen is a half circle presented in front of two long bar-style tables. We were given a short introduction and welcome from one of the chefs and our first beverage accompaniments were poured. A great feature here is the 4 levels of beverage pairings to choose from. One non-alcoholic, and three tiers of alcohol by price. We chose the middle of the road alcohol beverage pairing since the top level consisted mostly of bubbly. A woman in our group ordered the non-alcoholic pairings and they looked like delicious and colorful cocktails! They don’t dial it at any point for their guests.

A double digit course count has a huge potential for failure with the wrong pace. Too fast and you don’t get to savor the bite…too slow and suddenly your watch dial encompasses your attention in between yawns. Minibar gets it right on the money. Below is our meal breakdown:

• Oaxacan Marshmallow – delicious frozen themed cocktailish gulp of sweet goodness!
• Asian “Coco de Vidrio”- delicate paper-like texture with flavors of anise and spice
• Parmesan Leaf- Beautifully crafted and just crunchy enough to crave them in a large Costco sized chip bag.
• Popcorn Empanada- Sweet and savory, perfectly seasoned and in a portion that makes you want more.
• “When Pigs Fly”- A perfectly shaped pink pig molded from bacon ice cream and filled with meringue. The portions were in perfect harmony in every bite.
• Foie Bomb- Um, yeah. Nuff Said, right? I say to those of you who are turned off by a creamy, fun
• Churro Tendon –beef tendon perfection of sweet and savory
• Almond Tart with Blue Cheese-almond puree molded into a circular shell and filled with blue cheese.
• Chicken “Shawarma”- The texture on this was amazing…like an air puffed stick of herbs and savory meat.
• Thai Soup- baby cylinders of peanut and coconut milk float in the broth. They are gel-like in texture, but the taste pairs beautifully with the broth.
• Baby Carrots with Coconut & Curry-The sweetness of these carrots was amazing. It’s really a liquefied carrot with drizzled olive oil and spices.
• Beech Mushroom Risotto with Black Australian Truffle –this was served in a plastic cooking bag they cut open while served in front of you. The aroma burst out was the true star of the dish.
• Smoked Oysters with Escabeche-The prize on this dish was the aroma that comes off the dish. They clearly know this because the dish comes out covered in a glass dome. All at once, the servers lift our domes to release the most savory and pleasing scent of apple wood. Mixed with the chicken broth (the oyster was sitting in), the dish was just amazing. I wish I could get a candle of it.
• Fabes con Almejas- (Beans with Clams) – Once again, the beans are actually pureed and shaped to look like regular beans. It gives a great overall texture accompaniment to the suspended clams.
• Espardenyes with Bone Marrow- Put bone marrow with anything, and I’ll happily eat it. This was like a surf and turf spin. Sea (urchin?)…I googled it and it said “sea cucumber”, but it is definitely creature of the sea.
• Roast Squab with Oysters & Seaweed-This was most like a traditional presentation, only in a one bite portion. The squab was tender and perfectly cooked.
• Dragon’s Breath with Hot Toddy Shot-This was a lot of fun. Curried popcorn dipped in liquid nitrogen. We were asked to pop the bite into our mouth, turn to the person next to us, and breathe out of our nose. Yes, you looked as if you were dragon breathing smoke out of your nostrils. It tasted great too!
• Christmas in J
• Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango- coconut flavored rice pudding with mango sorbet. The mango sorbet was made to look exactly like a real mango, even with a ruby colored skin.
• Pina Colada Tablet-Frozen pineapple bite covered in a coconut milk outer shell.
• Sable Bon Bon- Another one-biter of apricot filling inside a sweet dough. By this time, I was on the cocktails, so it did not impress enough to beat out the flavor of my Veruka Salt.
• TerraMisu- Chocolate shell with liquid center. It did a good job of getting the flavors of tiramisu, but I missed the soaked ladyfingers.
• “Jurassic Park”- a dusted dinosaur bone shaped two-biter of chocolate. It was “hiding” under the previous dish and had to be “dug” out with tweezers.
• Matcha Mochi- self explanatory
• Chicarron- A dish of dipped pork rinds and apricot.

Barmini- The last few courses (from Terra Misu on) are served in the bar area (which you also need a reservation to enter). Sounds pretentious, but it is really to get a handle on the seating for the guests enjoying dinner at Minibar. There is seating along the wall and only three “lily pads” if you will of actual bar top seating. The Décor of whites, creams, and beiges was the perfect backdrop for the star of the show…the cocktail. All liquor is kept below the waist, so the shelves that are eye level are filled with vintage glassware pieces. Walls of hands holding citrus fruits line a side wall. Coincidentally, there is a wall of toilet paper rolls jutting out on spindles of the unisex bathroom wall.

We had read reviews on the best drinks and started with those. I got a Veruka Salt, which sounded scrumptious with peanut rum, Drambuie, pineapple grog, and simple syrup with peanuts and salt for garnish. It was harmonious in the glass and made me think of a gourmet peanut butter pie with a touch of pineapple upside cake. Our bartender was making my second Veruka Salt when he told me that a customer once told him the drink “tasted like Vietnam”. And moving on…

Mike had a Maple Leaf…bourbon, lemon, and maple syrup. These are three of his favorite items rolled into an alcohol package. He was thrilled and also ordered a second.

There are a few items on the Barmini menu that we happened to see going out of the kitchen while enjoying dinner. They were too good to miss. Grilled cheese and truffle sandwiches. Oh yeah! Grilled and filled to perfection with shaved truffle. We also got the Foieffle. This, ladies and gentlemen, is worth going for just on its own. A waffle injected with foie gras, topped with drizzled peanut butter and honey. It was so good that we still talk about it months later. It’s worth the trip just to experience the Foieffle.