Jaye V.'s Profile

I enjoyed the atmosphere of this neighborhood place, but the sandwiches at lunch are a bit off.  It reminded me of ordering familiar American staples in foreign countries - where the ketchup tastes more like worcestershire sauce, or the nachos are really pita chips with hardened melted cheddar.

For example, I ordered the Cuban sandwich, and instead of the Cuban bread being pressed down on the grill, they used already-flat pita bread and grilled that.  I didn't mind that -- however, the ultimate mistake was putting sickeningly sweet bread and butter pickles on the sandwich instead of the dill variety.  Yuck!  Thankfully my boyfriend's sandwich came with a dill pickle spear, which I cut up and put in my sandwich.

As for his sandwich, it was an Italian hoagie with all those Italian cold cuts.  It was a much better attempt but still a bit off.

I'd like to come back here for dinner to try the Ethiopian fare instead.  Until then, I'm afraid the 2 stars will have to stand.

The fried cod is much better than the version I had at Bono's favorite joint in Dublin.

Better than the version I've had at A Salt and Battery in NYC (and that was with the higher-priced haddock).

Just as good as the version I've had in Galway, Ireland (and this was using even higher priced hake).  

The fried cod is Eamonn's specialty, and that is what I'm reviewing.  (Why would you go to try the chicken pieces?  This isn't KFC or Dairy Queen.)  

But I have to say...even though it's on par with Galway, I prefer Eamonn's batter.  It was less of a batter and more of a crust.  The crunchy, even coating reminded me of a crisp potato pancake.  I wouldn't be surprised if it even contained potato flour.  It also amazingly kept the fish interior piping hot until the very last bite.  

I think I burned the roof of my mouth five times, but I couldn't stop myself.  The fish was perfectly cooked to order - moist, crazy fresh, and flaking apart in my hands (I think I burned a couple fingers too).  Its flaky, soft texture was a great contrast to that crispy crust.  Once we received our order, we tore open the bag immediately and used it as a plate (like you're supposed to); keeping that bag closed would turn crunchy into soggy.

We also shared an order of chips (fries), which for $3.75 was HUGE.  We couldn't finish them (and we only split 1 small and one regular sized cod order).  They were hand cut and hearty, but not as crisp as I like them to be.  Then again, they're chips...not frites...  

We chose a couple of sauces -- the Chesapeake (Old Bay seasoning and mayo) and Hot Chili (tasted like Sriracha with mayo).  I would have prefered the Chesapeake to be more of a Cajun remoulade, but I did like the hot chili.  I think it's all a matter of personal preference.  In the future, I'll get the traditional homemade tartar sauce and perhaps the "Marie Rose", which is mostly mayo with some ketchup.  Simple.  The malt vinegar brand they had at the tables was awesome with the fish, too.  Just by itself.

The atmosphere is very bright with wooden tables and benches -- it really does remind me of pubs in England (actually moreso than it reminds me of the ones in Ireland).

3.5 stars

Went here for brunch on Sunday, as the boy is half English.  Although he was highly tempted by the Sunday roast, while I was tempted by the authentic gastropub-style offal offerings on the butcher's plate (black pudding w/sunny side up, grilled pork belly, deviled sweetbreads), we decided to eat lighter.  Beer takes up a lot of belly space anyhow.

We liked the beer selection - he ordered an authentic English pumped ale, and I ordered the Lancaster Strawberry Wheat from Lancaster, PA.  We were both happy with those choices -- the strawberry wheat was a refreshingly lemony, unfiltered hefeweizen with a subtle hint of the strawberry.

We ordered the fried olives stuffed with lemon -- a comfort food of salt meets tart.  They were interesting, but a little on the salty side for me...I would have liked some sort of unsalted dip for them (but that's just how I was raised -- they reminded me of southern fried pickles that you dip in buttermilk ranch).  

I ordered the ale steamed mussels, which were delicious and plump.  Even the boy liked them because most of them did not have that chalky texture that he dislikes.  It was a smaller portion that I'm used to; whenever I've had mussels as a meal anywhere else in the world, it's been a large bowl since the amount of protein is otherwise quite small.  

He ordered a frog in the puff (I believe they called it that, which I call a 'toad in the hole', or a egg fried inside a slice of bread), with rashers (bacon) on the side.  I was still a little hungry and ended up stealing a few bites of his hearty breakfast food - which was also pretty tasty.

With an extra beer each, we were completely full.  Too bad, because I should have traded it to try their version of sticky toffee pudding -- one of my top 2 favorite desserts.  I may go back just to try that (and a couple of offal meats).  I also liked being outside on the sidewalk and watching all the varied people of the area walk by :).

4.25 stars - Dinner menu

I've been to Liberty Tavern a few times for drinks, and it's pretty decent.  The only things that stood out were that a) it's nonsmoking, and b) the bar food is much better than the average bar, with mostly wood oven fired pizzas on the menu.  The one I really want to try someday is the "Vermont": Cabot white cheddar, proscuitto, caramelized onions, granny smith apples, and sage.  Without having tried that yet, I would have probably given it 3.25 stars.

Well, last night added another star because I tried their dinner menu. The upstairs dining room was empty that early on a Tuesday evening, so we chose to sit downstairs at one of the bar tables by the windows.  We ordered a couple of delicious cocktails - he had a Manhattan with Sazerac rye and gourmet Luxardo cherries, and I had a classic sidecar.  As a former bartender, I was impressed with everything except that they should have used a sugar rim with bigger crystals instead of the fine Domino variety.  Oops.

The main dishes are big enough to split, and the pasta dishes are offered in main dish or pasta course sized portions.  For the seasonal menus (they change at least twice per season - ramps, morels, and trumpet mushrooms, anyone?) and local/regional farm ingredients used here, the prices are very reasonable.  First courses are all under $10, and main dishes are $20-22 max.  The ingredient combinations are thoughtful, while the protein offerings are varied and follow the latest food 'trends' (e.g., skate, baby goat, skirt steak, arctic char, pork belly). There's both familiar and "something different" always incorporated into the current menu.  Plus, the bread, bacon, pepperoni, smoked fish, and pastas are all handcrafted and/or made in-house.

We split a first course of "Grilled Octopus and roasted Clams, fennel, red onion, blood orange, pea shoot/mint salad".  It was a small octopus, marinated/grilled/cut into about 8 pieces.  And like I expected, tender beyond belief.  Nice charred parts from the grill, with the blood orange wedges taking the place of the usual lemon to help with the usual octopus fishiness.  The three clams were sweet and plump and briny, their juices herb-tinged and great drizzled on the greens and fennel.  For some reason, though, the octopus was a little gritty in certain bites, which is something I'm more used to with clams, not octopus.  A misstep, but I enjoyed it anyway.

For our main course, we split the "Branzino, spinach spaetzle, smoked pepper sauce, housemade maple-juniper bacon".  The fish was light, flaky, fresh, and cooked perfectly.  I loved the combination of the green spaetzle with the smoked red bell pepper sauce, finished with a parmesan flavor.  It reminded me of the flavors of a grilled cheese sandwich with creamy tomato soup, but more in a macaroni & cheese form.  Although not in the dish description, the fish was elevated by a mound of swiss chard, but that also had the flavor of sweet English peas.  I'm assuming pea tendrils may have been in it as well.  And the slices of housemade thick-cut bacon on top was slightly sweet, rustic, and a little charred.  A really great fish course with really tasty components.

Although we could have probably done without it, we couldn't help but order the NY style lemon cheesecake.  It came out the size of a creme brulee, with homemade whipped cream on top that was flecked with vanilla bean (I've never seen that before).  Lemon curd danced around the plate, with small powdered sugar coated shortbread cookie coins that were remarkably tart and lemony.  Combined with the soft, almost pudding-like texture of the cheesecake, it was also delicious.  

The food came out quickly, and the guy who delivered our food to us was great.  Our waitress was more of a bar waitress, which made her really good with the drinks, but not as prompt otherwise - especially with the bill (even when we told her we had a show to catch). We still (barely) made it, though.  And the busboy there is like a hawk; if your glass or plate is within one biteful or sipful, he swoops down to take it off the table.

All in all, this is really a gastropub with casual prices and service.  Upstairs is more formal and intimate, but downstairs is more lively.  Wherever you choose to sit, however, the food will be the same - surprisingly pretty high end.  We were stuffed after spending less than $40 on food for two people; it was the pricy cocktails that got us.  Definitely a place to take visiting relatives.  I've marked it down as a place to check out the brunch buffet offerings too - both the table and a la carte menus are online and are impressive.

3.5 Stars

Do yourself a favor and order from the Malaysian menu.  They also have the Americanized Chinese menu, but they're thrilled when you order the Malaysian food...because, well, they're Malaysian.  

It's pretty good for takeout, which really hits the spot sometimes.  The lady on the phone was super friendly.  She gave us two free Cokes for ordering the delivery minimum, she understood us easily, and asked if we liked it really spicy.  We eagerly replied "yes!"  

The food came really quickly and was steaming hot.  We ordered the Malaysian Curry Lemak (chicken, peas, mushrooms, onion, with coconut milk) -- slightly sweet, spicy, with white meat chicken that was remarkably moist and tender.  The Char Koay Teow (stir-fried flat rice noodles with shrimp) was even better.

This is our go-to Asian delivery joint since we're in the neighborhood.  I'm eager to try Panang's Asian Laksa (hot and sour fish noodle soup), Rendang (stewed beef in coconut milk), Pandan Chicken (cooked with chili, turmeric, and pandan leaf), and am curious about the Curry Rose Chicken (special curry sauce in coconut milk).

You know the kind of restaurant where you've paid $100+ per person for dinner, sit back in your chair and think, "That was worth every penny"?  You sigh with contentment and feel like the entire experience was like a "mini-vacation"?

Well, Farrah Olivia was NOT one of those restaurants.  

The entire night was a comedy of errors.  The only high point of the experience was the manager apologizing to us that they had overbooked, telling us that if we still wanted to dine at the restaurant, it would be another hour (9:30pm).  He was very professional, giving us his card and personal cell phone number if we'd rather rebook on another date, and giving us complimentary dinner for 2 for our next visit when we came back (this was in late February).

The food was trying too hard to fit in with the fad that is molecular gastronomy.  That's fine, but to just throw things together without anything really tying them together?  The dishware itself was beautiful, and the food looked pretty on it -- but the main course was placed in the center, with some sort of foam on the far left, and some sort of flavor beads on the far right.  It reminded me of Bobby Flay, and how he just squeezes those red and green sauces on every plate for decoration - without giving much thought to whether or not they really accent or complement the dish.

The waitstaff scoured the ceilings with their eyes, trying to remember what the dishes were that they put down in front of us, but only if you stopped them from running away first in order to ask them.  They didn't tell you what they were serving, what the accompaniments were, or anything.  The service was very slow, abrupt, crude, and brusk.  I overheard our waiter totally making up something incorrect as a response to another diner's questions.  Instead of checking in on you, he'd loudly interject, "Hey, make sure you try the beads and powders on the side," motioning back and forth with his finger before running off.  I would expect an expensive restaurant to be able to get experienced waiters, especially in this economy.  Yeesh, I have honestly had warmer, more knowledgeable, attentive service from a lower-end restaurant chain.  And I'm not one who's picky about service, especially if the food is worth it.

The vanilla poached lobster was pretty decent -- but it tasted (surprise) like a piece of lobster with a little vanilla sauce.  It was cute, but there were no new flavors or anything really surprising about it.  Most of the other dishes also reminded me of dishes I've had a million times, to include comfort foods, but made more upscale.  Except they just tasted like average comfort foods with some fancy foams/powders/beads on the side.  The pre-meal bread was cold and tasted of a refrigerator's insides.  The short rib was just barely warm, too.  There was nothing surprising in the way of flavors; I could get better flavors at a soul food kitchen.  The only thing that we thought was different and hence enjoyed were the different sauces that came with the bread, but only because some were "interesting" (but not necessarily tasty).  Otherwise, the only thing really good was the amuse bouche.

Too bad, I was excited about this place.  I can't say I will ever go back to his reopened restaurant, or any of his future locations.  I've had much better at more moderately priced restaurants in both DC and NYC.  Did I come back even though I had a free dinner for 2?  No.  It wasn't worth ruining another night -- that alone speaks volumes.

4.5 Stars
(Dinner, Wednesday evening)

"Italian" food in the US is one of my least favorite "cuisines".  All that melted cheese and bland tomato sauce put haphazardly together with endless pasta?  Yuck.

Sorry, but when I want Italian food, I am craving the amazingy briny, plump oysters from the Mediterranean... or a homemade pasta with fresh porcini in a deceivingly light, simple sauce that oozes the very essence of the mushroom... or a bunch of small plates to eat along with your bottle of wine.  And to me, pasta is great as a pasta course, but should not be confused with the main event.

I'm not Italian, but I've eaten my way through Northern Italy and Rome (including local haunts where they don't speak a lick of English), and I have to say that this place is great.  I was lured in by the chalkboard outside with the daily specials that I pass every day, and it seemed like it wasn't your typical American cookie cutter "Italian" restaurant.  

It wasn't.  The interior is reminiscent of enotecas I've been to around Rome, and I love that I can walk to it in my Del Ray neighborhood.  All the pasta (*save for the penne*) is fresh and made in house - you can even buy some from their store to take home.  There is an extensive wine list, including some expensive high-end gems on their wine specials blackboard.

The dinner menu is mostly Northern Italian cuisine, with appearances of dishes from many other Italian regions and some higher-end takes on some American-Italian food here and there.  No chicken fettucine alfredo?  Check.  No lasagna?  Check.  No manicotti?  Check.  There are pasta courses, yes (~$16-18).  But there are many Italian seafood and meat main courses as well (~$19-27).  Some of the American-bastardized Italian fare can be found, but in the "bambino", or kids, menu.

Lots of seasonal ingredients have also found their way into the menu, and fresh ingredients are what makes good Italian cuisine simple yet amazing.  Fresh morel mushrooms are here right now, for example.  Today's main course special:  "veal chop served with mashed potaoes, fresh morel mushrooms, yellow tomatoes, sugar snaps and a porcini mushroom sauce".  [Morels are $53/lb right now at Dean and Deluca, and twice that much at the Dupont Farmers Market.]

Dishes come in solo or family portions, but the solo portions were definitely large enough to split family style themselves (for 2-4 people).  We split a small, simple salad of field greens with a balsamic based vinaigrette to go with the complimentary housemade rosemary foccacia (where the rosemary comes from the backyard garden) as our first course.  Then we had something simple - the gnocchi alla Bolognese (traditional meat sauce of beef, veal, and pork).  The gnocchi was made with ricotta cheese mixed in so that we couldn't tell where the potato  began and the delicate cheese ended.  It was heavenly, with a pillowy-light texture I've only encountered in Florence.  I have to say this -- it was better than its equivalent at Mario Batali's Lupa osteria in NYC, so I guess that makes La Strada's version the best gnocchi I've had in the US.

For our main course, we split the Gamberoni alla Siciliana, with jumbo shrimp in a white wine seafood broth with tomato, pine nuts, capers, currants, and sauteed spinach.  The five shrimp were huge, and that seafood stock enriched broth reminded me of a wonderful clam or mussel broth that you just want to dip loaf after loaf of bread into.  I loved the slightly briny capers, the slightly sweet currants, the earthy rich pine nuts, and the freshness of the spinach.  Each ingredient stood out strongly on its own but yet combined to make something truly outstanding.

We had about a third of our gnocchi left over, which turned into a quarter when we kept on picking at it even after we were full.  I was only sorry that I didn't have enough room to split a dessert.  The fresh berries with zabaglione custard was calling my name...

This is now our favorite restaurant in Del Ray.  It's a moderately-priced, family-run establishment that is also relaxed and casual -- some people had suits on, and some people donned shorts.  It really is a good fit in the neighborhood.  The service was attentive, the food came out quickly, and we were greeted by the owner at the door both upon arrival and departure (he served us our main courses too).  I also can't wait 'til the weather gets warmer so I can eat outside on the side patio.  We'll definitely be back any time we're in the mood for high quality, soul-enriching comfort food.

I'd suddenly developed a craving for this greasy spoon's specialty chicken and an egg roll -- 15 years after moving away from Houston.   I had completely forgotten about it until a random bout of nostalgia hit me from nowhere recently, so I made a mental note to visit the place the next time I visited family.  

Alas, I"ll never get a chance to satiate this craving and eat here again.  It is now closed and gutted.  It had been around since 1979, and like many places that have been around a while...the economy's downturn is finally hitting them.  Gems that have been around up to 50, 75 years -- are sadly shutting their doors.

There was something crack-like about their deep fried, boneless marinated chicken breast...that crispy, crunchy outer coating surrounding the juiciest chicken ever was divine with sinus-clearing Chinese hot mustard squeezed over it.  It was the only thing I ever ordered.  I wish I had remembered this place earlier; what I wouldn't do to eat the chicken 'n egg roll platter one more time  It was like a mix of soul and Chinese...like an Asian version of chicken and waffles.  Sigh.

I'll admit, I get a hankering for simple, Americanized Chinese takeout sometimes.  The roast pork lo mein was good -- exactly what I expected.  However, the other two dishes, although different in their descriptions, had nearly the exact same sauce.  And although one was a fried bean curd (yum) dish that was supposed to be on the sweet side, the other was supposed to be spicy.  Both of them were overly sweet.

Hotate.  They have hotate -- huge butterflied raw sea scallops, sweet and buttery and tasting freshly of the ocean.  I spent years trying to find fresh hotate nigiri sushi in the DC area, and now I've found it.

Yes, the high end sushi restaurants will have hotate, but the great thing about Momo is that it's a small, casual cafe.  However, you can still rack up quite the bill because they offer some higher-end fish choices (like uni/sea urchin).  

We ordered the aforementioned hotate, rockfish, unagi, salmon...as far as the nigiri sushi goes.  Everything was really fresh and sumptious.  We also ordered a spicy yellowtail (hamachi) roll and a specialty roll with white tuna, spicy tuna "crunch", tuna, avocado...  The spicy yellowtail roll was drizzled with a spicy mayo sauce...delicious but we could have taken it with more heat.  The specialty roll was really juicy from the white tuna... the fish on it was great, but I would have preferred it separately as sashimi.  It was huge.

For an appetizer, we were given free miso soup, which was more flavorful than usual (or maybe it was just me), with small bits of cubed soft tofu.  We also ordered the shrimp shumai, which consisted of 5 little open-faced dumplings filled with firm, diced shrimp and a lightly seasoned dipping sauce.

All in all, a hit.  We'll definitely be coming back.  It was a warm, relaxing place to go to on a freezing Tuesday night.  Love the artwork made from fake food, too -- especially the rad sushi clock.