Fond of fungus?

Morel season is just around the corner. Bet you didn't know there is a Mid-Atlantic mushroom club? More details to follow...

For my DC area readers and locals

Image courtesy of The President Wears Prada

Cafe Saint-Ex still has reservation space available for their "Canned Beer Tasting." The 5-course menu complete with beer accompaniment sounds delicious! I stumbled upon Cafe Saint-Ex a few years back when I went to catch an Ely Guerra (known as the Mexican version of Alanis Morrisette--though I'd argue with that) show at the famed Black Cat Club. My date and I wanted to catch a bite for dinner before the show and happened to park right in front of the restaurant. It is located on the same block as The Black Cat. Named after Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, (author of Le Petit Prince) it is a cozy restaurant with an emphasis on bar/lounge atmosphere. If you want to check out a show at The Black Cat, this is the place to catch a bite to eat beforehand. The "Canned Beer Tasting" is next Tuesday, March 9th from 6pm-9pm. Cost is $70 per person and is exclusive of tax and gratuity.

1st Course

21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat

crispy bufala mozzarella/lavender balsamic/smoked fennel

2nd course

Konig Pilsner

scotch eggs/almond garlic puree/honey dijon

3rd course

21st Amendment IPA

bacon-cheddar oysters/mushroom leek ragout/coriander lemon sabayon

4th course

Young's Double Chocolate Stout

booker's bourbon-smoked pork loin/mocha bean puree/ chocolate bbq sauce

5th course

Bellhaven Scottish Ale

mascarpone ricotta cannoli/orange vanilla sauce/ pistachios

Location:

Cafe Saint-Ex

1847 14th Street NW

Washington, DC

Contact: Ashley@Saint-ex.com

FYI: The Black Cat hosts DC's Biggest Britpop Dance Night. Also grammy-nominated recording artist, Janelle Monae will be at The Black Cat on Monday, March 15. If you're into indie-punk with a twist of funk, she isn't to be missed. Grab a bite to eat at Saint-Ex before the show!

Ruth's Chris News

David Sadeghi, COO of Big Steaks Management, (which run Greater Baltimore area Ruth's Chris Steakhouse locations, as well as Havana Club) announced yesterday that a new Mahi-Mahi dish would be added to the already tantalizing, Ruth's Chris menu. If you haven't dined at Ruth's Chris, you are missing out on the ultimate dining experience.

Ruth's Chris is known for their USDA prime steaks, served on sizzling plates with just a touch of melted butter. If you ask me, I say forget the Mahi--I don't care how it is prepared! Order a steak! Side dishes are delicious and served family style. Their sweet potato casserole will drive anyone wild, and is good enough to have for dessert. Make it a point to check out their Pikesville, MD location. Service is friendly and professional--really top-notch! Reservations are recommended--especially on weekends. This place gets packed. Trust me, I have experience.

By the way, in reference to my last blog, your martini olives can be stuffed with blue cheese at Ruth's Chris for no additional charge. I noticed a nasty little practice that some restaurants have succumbed to, is charging extra for blue cheese stuffed olives. At Ruth's Chris, they go the extra mile to keep you coming back.

You can follow David Sadeghi on twitter if you'd like: http://twitter.com/david_sadeghi

Martini with a twist--or not.

As a child I really looked forward to Friday evenings. Not because I was out of school and looking forward to the

Photo by wickenden/Flickr CC

weekend. Definitely not for that. In fact, in our household there was no weekend. No. Saturdays were consumed by Ukrainian school and Sundays were dedicated to church. The real reason I looked forward to Friday evenings was because of a ritual my parents shared...the Friday night martini. A gibson really. Friday evening, just before my father would arrive home from a long day of work, my mother would have a gibson waiting for him on the kitchen counter.

I think it was an obsession with the sleek, conical glass, so elegantly perched atop that long stem that initially sparked my interest. Gradually, it became more than just an affinity for glassware aesthetics. One day, I decided to pluck out one of those cocktail onions and gobble it up. The tartness--and the way my cheek muscles contracted in reaction--that reflex alone, was reason enough to fish out another. By the time my father would get home, his gibson stood there--naked--an ungarnished martini in actuality. And so it became a habit. Friday after Friday, I would get reprimanded for eating my father's vodka-soaked cocktail onions. In time, my mother--thinking she could ween me of this habit, cleverly left a small glass of cocktail onions next to my father's cocktail. Her preventative method proved unsuccessful, as I continued to eat the onions--first from the gibson--then I'd "plunk" the other onions one-by-one, into my father's drink. This pattern continued for several years until sadly, the ritual stopped altogether.

As an adult, aside from wine, my cocktail of choice is a martini or gibson. Wherever I go, if cocktail onions are available, I opt for the gibson--up. The most delicious martini I've ever had was at Pravda, in New York City. It is called "The Gogol," after the Ukrainian-born, modern-realism novelist, known commonly as Nikolai Gogol. The martini is made with house-infused horseradish vodka, garnished with a sprig of dill and a pickled quail egg. Talk about over-the-top. I had three. (Over a lengthy dinner, of course.) Thanks God for taxis! I soon learned that this martini could be made at home by infusing my own vodka and pickling my own quail eggs. The process is quite simple really, and if horseradish-infused vodka isn't your cup of tea, then perhaps a fruit-infused liquor is? I picked up a book called Infused. It is loaded recipes for different liquor infusions--none of which are overly time consuming. If you don't see a recipe that interests you--use your judgement and make one up. Upon deciding that Bakon brand vodka was too reminiscent of Bac-Os imitation bacon bits, I have since decided to infuse my own bacon vodka. I'll likely infuse several different variations. It is an interesting project and great for entertaining. The possibilities are endless.

Other fun martini garnishes:

roquefort-stuffed olives

chevre (goat cheese)-stuffed cherry peppers

marinated mushrooms, pickled green beans or okra

pickled quail eggs recipe: Local Harvest

Because sometimes, you just gotta have one

Despite the fact that Krispy Kreme franchises have been closing down faster than you can say "original glazed," I still argue that their doughnuts are better than the number number one baked goods chain in the world, Dunkin' Donuts. Very few of you will disagree, I'm sure. Unfortunately, Krispy Kreme has fallen victim to the sluggish economy--a result of opening too many stores too quickly. In just over the last year, both the Owings Mills and Columbia locations closed their doors permanently. I now see that all Baltimore-area locations have closed down. This leaves us with Royal Farms and Harris Teeter stores to satiate our sugar cravings. Both stores carry limited varieties of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

I admit, a doughnut is somewhat of a taboo to me. As someone who has struggled with weight issues for most of my life, I was constantly told, "You shouldn't eat that." Krispy Kreme doughnuts of course, fell into the "you shouldn't eat that" category.

I had heard of the Kripsy Kreme phenomenon about ten years back and was always jealous of those who described in depth, their love affair with the hot, sweet-filled cakes. It was a joyous occasion for me then, when my grandmother introduced me to my first Krispy Kreme doughnut in 2002. It was apple filled. If you haven't tried one, you will not understand the heightened sense of excitement that a bite of a hot Krispy Kreme doughnut fills you with. It is an unexplainable, cheek-flushing, sugary rush. I understood then, that something like this should only be consumed but once or twice a year. If you do the math, Krispy Kreme consumption twice a year per Krispy Kreme consumer--well, you understand where I'm going with this. No person in their right mind is going to eat Krispy Kreme doughnuts daily--it is akin to gluttony. No wonder Krispy Kreme franchises are dropping like flies.

We are now faced with this grim news; if you want a hot Krispy Kreme, you'll have to travel all the way to Rockville to get one. ( If you walk there, you might burn off the calories in a single doughnut.) There's good reason to go too. Remember how I said that artificial banana flavor was the worst thing I've ever tasted? I lied. So, I'm semi-hypocritical. There is one exception to the rule: banana pudding. Today, Krispy Kreme is introducing their new Banana Pudding and Banana Cake doughnuts. As with most specialty doughnuts, the banana flavored doughnuts are available for a limited time, through April 18th. If you're lucky enough to have an open and running Krispy Kreme location nearby, I suggest you go and get one while they're hot.