Review: Rosa Mexicano (Penn Quarter, DC)

Recently, Ryan and I ventured over to Rosa Mexicano for dinner. Prior to this visit, I had eaten at Rosa several times with my coworkers; however, this was the first time I went for dinner, and the first time as a reviewer.

Rosa takes a slightly modern approach to Mexican food. Although they stick to the classics, such as enchiladas and tacos, they add their own signature twist through high-end ingredients and unique sauces.

To begin the meal, we ordered a pitcher of white sangria. While the drink was refreshing, it was not nearly as good as sangrias I’ve had in the past in such trendy metropolitan areas as…Cleveland. Rosa’s sangria seemed lacking, with a strong alcohol flavor and a strange combination of ingredients, including grape and believe it or not, cucumbers.

We then sampled a dish of the Queso Fundido, which consisted of crumbled chorizo sausage and peppers in melted Chihuahua cheese. This started out well, but as the appetizer sat, something changed. Chihuahua cheese is the Mexican flavor and consistency equivalent of American cheese. As it sat on the table, the cheese congealed and became one large mass (and one large mess). Fortunately, when we pointed this issue out to our waiter, he removed the queso and replaced it with a fresh bowl.

For my entrée, I ordered the Carne Asada Tacos Al Asador, which is a grilled skirt steak served with melted Chihuahua cheese and accompanied by red bean chorizo chili, house slaw, salsa, corn tortillas and refried beans and rice. The presentation of the tacos was cute and appealing with a small cast iron skillet used to serve the meat and cheese. Unfortunately, the tortillas were a bit small, making it difficult to fill them with all the toppings. Also since this dish contains Chihuahua cheese, as the meal progressed, the once-warm cheese took a turn.

For dessert, we shared the Tres Marias Sundae, which was a trio of Mexican chocolate, peanut crunch, and raspberry-rose ice creams. It was topped with roasted pineapple, and plantains, and drizzled with spiced blackberry, bittersweet chocolate and cajeta sauces. Individually, each flavor was divine, but when all combined, the dish was a bit schizophrenic. I would be more interested in trying one of the other desserts next time, such as the warm apple empanadas with spiced Mexican chocolate sauce.

Overall, one of my biggest criticisms of Rosa is that they sometimes use too much creative license in modernizing their recipes. They often lose the traditional flavors of some of the more classic dishes. Take the beef enchilada covered in a Veracruz mole sauce, for example. It sounds like a wonderful dish, but in reality the mole sauce is completely lacking in flavor. When compared with mole sauces that I’ve sampled in Mexico, New York, and even at Merkado on P Street, this mole was poor at best.

I also dislike that chips and salsa are not free. To get chips before your meal, you need to either order them directly or order an appetizer that comes with them.

Overall, the meal was generally good and flavorful, and the ambience was a bit busy and crowded, but fun. If you order the right things, and avoid the mole, Rosa can really surprise you.

Rosa Mexicano

Address: 575 7th Street, Washington, DC (at the corner of 7th and F Streets in Penn Quarter)
Cost: $15-$30 per person
Dress: Casual
Bar: Yes
Date Place: Yes, especially after attending a game at the Verizon Center across the street

Ryan’s Restaurant Rants (Gourmet Pizza)

A grossly over-generalized look at “trendy” pizza in the District (RedRocks Fire Brick Pizzeria, Columbia Heights, DC; Ella’s Pizzeria, Chinatown, DC; Matchbox, Chinatown, DC)

Apparently, it’s all the rage to name your restaurant some variation of “RedRock” in this area. It’s also all the rage to overcharge for really crappy pizza. Don’t believe me? Just look at Ella’s, Matchbox, and the new RedRocks pizzerias.

As a New Yorker, I understand that I can be extremely picky about my pizza. I also understand that this makes me an annoying person to have an Italian dinner with. Regardless, I believe that all pizza should contain the same characteristics: tasty and generous sauce, well-distributed and generous cheese, crispy but foldable crust, and good quality toppings. Obviously, tasty variations exist (white pizza, BBQ chicken pizza, etc.), but for a standard pie, these qualities are paramount.

So, where do these restaurants go wrong? Each has their own problems:

Ella’s Pizzeria:

I have been told that Ella’s has some great pasta dishes and dinners. This review isn’t about them though, since I’ve honestly not tried them. My beef with Ella’s is their pizza.

Sarah and I went to Ella’s not long after I relocated to DC from Manhattan, and I ordered what has always been my favorite, go-to pie: a plain pizza with meatballs.

What I received shocked me. It was a large, round cracker. A cracker with trace amounts of watery, orangey sauce. Scattered around the cracker were the occasional half a meatball and patch of mozzarella cheese. Missing were the well-distributed cheese and plentiful toppings, and the sauce definitely left something to be desired.

Ella’s might be a good after-work spot for the Chinatown crowd, but I can honestly recommend staying away from the pizza (very, very far away), or you’ll only be disappointed.

Matchbox:

It pains me to write anything bad about Matchbox. I absolutely love this establishment…just not for their pizza.

Matchbox has some of the most flavorful and delicious mini burgers. These delectable little treats are moist, tasty and served with a fabulous pile of onion straws. Matched up with a pint of Allagash White or a can of PBR, the mini burgers are a meal in themselves, and worth the trip to Chinatown alone.

Unfortunately, Matchbox’s pizza is not nearly as good as their mini burgers. The problem with Matchbox pizza isn’t the crust, or a dearth of cheese or toppings, it’s actually the sauce.

Upon receipt of a Matchbox Meat pizza (pepperoni, sausage, bacon), I found my mouth watering from what appeared to be a real New York pizza. But upon tasting, I found something lacking. The pizza was a little burnt around the edges (as expected from wood-burning oven), and the burnt crust and pepperoni were the only detectable flavors.

Thinking that maybe there wasn’t enough sauce, we requested more. When the extra sauce arrived, we liberally applied it to the pizza, only to find that there was enough sauce the whole time, it just didn’t taste like anything.

There is a silver lining to this. Since only the tomato (marinara) sauce at Matchbox is lacking, any pizza without red sauce (white pizza, chicken pesto, etc.) is perfectly delectable and totally delicious.

So, if you have a hankering for solid mini burgers, good beers and some tasty specialty pizzas that don’t have tomato sauce, I can confidently recommend Matchbox.

RedRocks Fire Brick Pizzeria:

RedRocks is a new restaurant that just opened in Columbia Heights (C Heights, bitches!). As a resident, I’m always excited when a new place opens because I love the neighborhood, want to see it thrive, and dig supporting local establishments through my habit for eating out.

I went to RedRocks late one night truly hoping to have a great experience and find another local jaunt where I can waste my money and destroy my diet. It was a damned shame when every single aspect of this establishment went bad.

For starters, Sarah and I began our meal with an order of bruschetta, an Italian standard of tomatoes and onions, tossed in dressing and served on warm, toasted Italian bread. Unfortunately, we never got to try it, since it was served to our table at the same time as our pizza and promptly sent back to the kitchen.

I was excited to try the sausage, pepper and onion pizza, which is truly one of my favorite topping combinations. The sausage, peppers and onions were delicious, but the pizza they were served on was awful.

The crust was another cracker-esque, too-thin, burnt edge, round piece of bread. The sauce was scarce and flavorless, and the cheese was nonexistent and randomly scattered around the pie, instead of evenly distributed.

The only thing worse than the pizza at RedRocks was the service. Our appetizers were late and arrived at the same time as our pizzas. What was worse, was that our terrible server tried to pass her mistake off as a positive thing by saying, “now you get to have your bruschetta AND your pizza!” Sorry sweetie, that’s not how it works.

When we complained about the terrible pizza and the lack of sauce and cheese, we were brought a cold ramekin of sauce and another of (obviously) uncooked mozzarella to place on our pizza. When we complained that the extra sauce was cold, we were brought out another ramekin of warm sauce, but it tasted strangely like Ragu. When I made a joke about being a New Yorker, our server said (and I can’t make this up!), “I used to live in NY and I think NY pizza tastes like shit.”

As you could imagine, an Italian boy from New York being told that some of the best pizza in the World is “shit” by an Asian girl from DC does not sit well.

Overall, Redrocks served us crap pizza with cold sauce and unmelted cheese and couldn’t even make up for it with friendly, apologetic or amiable staff. No manager ever came to our table, despite our many problems, and our server just didn’t care.

What’s bad: I got my hopes up for quality pizza just blocks from my house, just to have them come crashing down. What’s worse: I know being one of the only pizza places in my restaurant-starved neighborhood will help this hackneyed restaurant thrive.

Should be avoided:

Ella’s Pizzeria:
Address: 901 F Street NW Washington DC 20004
Cost: $10-$20 per person
Dress: Casual
Bar: Yes
Date Spot: If you like bad pizza…

Should check it out:

Matchbox
Address: 713 H St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Cost: $10-$20 per person
Dress: Casual
Bar: Yes
Date Spot: Damn straight…even the word “sliders” sounds sexy

Should be condemned:

RedRocks
Address: 1036 Park Road, NW, Washington, DC
Cost: $10-$20 per person
Dress: Casual
Bar: Yes
Date Spot: If you hate your date…and yourself

Redrock Canyon Grill (Silver Spring, MD)

Working in downtown Silver Spring, I’ve had the opportunity to dine at Redrock twice; once for business, and one time that was supposed to be for pleasure.

The first time I ate at this Midwest-based, upscale chain restaurant was my first day at my new job. Trying to keep it cheap for my boss, I ordered only lunch and stayed away from appetizers and dessert.

I ordered the chicken pot pie, which was average at best. The crust was flavorless, and so was the filling. The chicken, which was meat pulled from their “famous” rotisserie chicken, was good, but overall, the seasoning was lacking and the meal fell flat.

With a former Silver Spring resident, and friend of Sarah’s, visiting town, we found ourselves with another opportunity to try Redrock Canyon’s food. Honestly, I welcomed the chance to try a larger sample of the menu.

Unfortunately, I left wishing we had tried one of the many other fine restaurants in Silver Spring.

The beer selection at Redrock Canyon Grill is complete but not exceptional. As a beer lover, my skin crawls when restaurants try to pass Blue Moon and Stella off as premium or gourmet beers. Both are good, but neither is spectacular…and a six pack of both can be bought for less than $10 at a Giant supermarket.

We began our dinner with the Fiesta Eggrolls, a southwestern style eggroll with chicken, spinach, corn, black beans and two kinds of cheese. The eggrolls were tasty, with just the right amount of crispiness. The “campfire” sauce served for dipping was also very good, with just the perfect amount of heat. Unfortunately, these eggrolls would remain the only good part of our meal.

For a main course, I ordered the Persimmon Hill Meatloaf Stack. The meatloaf, a combination of beef and pork sausage topped with a tomato-based sauce, was dry and overall uninspired. The flavor of the sausage in the meatloaf was lost, and when coupled with the tomato sauce, which was horribly overpowering, the meatloaf’s flavor was lost altogether.

The side dishes served with the meatloaf were tasty, and included red-skinned, garlic mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. It was the unexpected discovery of a black, long, gelatinous mass in the mashed potatoes that left me uneasy and a bit disgusted. The manager of the Redrock Canyon Grill assured me that it was a piece of wood (something they use in multiple cooking techniques) that had fallen into the potatoes…I was not necessarily convinced.

Moving on from dinner, Sarah and I decided to give dessert a try. We ordered the apple blossom pastry; an apple, wrapped in pastry, topped with an apricot and caramel glaze, and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The concept of the dessert was great, and the flavor wonderful, but someone forgot to cook it. The pastry was raw and gooey, instead of warm and crispy, and it had to be kissed goodbye and sent back to the kitchen.

Overall, Redrock Canyon Grill has some great ideas, but seriously lacks on execution. Unidentifiable, gelatinous masses should not be found in the mashed potatoes, desserts shouldn’t be raw, and management should show some serious concern for the quality of the product coming out of the kitchen. Comping entire meals due to unacceptably poor quality is not, after all, a way to keep customers...or make any money.

Redrock Canyon Grill

Address: 928 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring, Maryland
Cost: $15-$30 per person
Dress: Casual
Bar: Yes
Date Spot: Only if she likes “surprises” in her ‘taters

Review: Logan @ the Heights (Columbia Heights, DC)

We managed to sneak into the brand new Logan @ the Heights on Friday, June 22, 2007 for its opening night, and I must say, this restaurant in NO way seemed like it had just opened for business.

Despite the hour and a half wait due to opening night crowds, and what I would consider a pretty poor reservation policy (only groups of six, and only before 7PM or after 10PM), this new addition to the Columbia Heights (C-Heights Bitches!) neighborhood surpassed my expectations.

The bar offers a simple but diverse selection of beers and wines, covering all of the basics from drier to sweeter whites and reds and lighter brews to dark stouts, so there should be something for every beer and wine drinker. The mixed drinks, however, are creative and delicious. Try the blended, frozen blueberry drink with 44° Above huckleberry vodka and blueberry puree, it’s deceptively strong thanks to a sweet berry flavor that almost makes you think your drinking a fruit smoothie.

The menu at the Heights is American-inspired fair that is elevated to a higher (get it?) place.

We started with the crispy wings with sweet garlic chili expecting a simple battered and fried chicken wing, and were more than pleasantly surprised to receive an un-battered (but still very crispy) meaty collection of wings with an extremely flavorful Asian-inspired sauce and an incredible, creamy dipping sauce with equal parts sweetness and heat.

The only words I could mutter to Zach, our incredible, if not slightly-overburdened waiter, were, “World’s greatest Super Bowl party!” Zach responded that as soon as takeout is available, that could be a reality.

The mixed greens with jicama and a delightful honey-citrus dressing was next out of the kitchen, and although tasty, was an almost-forgotten detail of what was to become an incredible dinner. Although no fault of the chef (or the salad), it was just…well…a salad amongst some very fine food.

The main courses at the Heights are truly reasonable and diverse in their proteins, from a very well cooked and presented salmon, to a blue cheese stuffed filet and boneless southern fried chicken, it would be almost impossible to not find something on this menu to enjoy. I tried the maple-citrus pork loin and was blown away.

The pork loin was just the right consistency and flavor. Not too tough, but not fork-cuttable, it was just to the tender side of chewy. The flavors in the maple-citrus glaze were true to its name, and truly complimented the meat. Grill-seared slices of sweet potato were an excellent side as they benefited from the maple-citrus glaze as equally as the pork and were a fabulous combination of sweet and savory, without being overpoweringly saccharine.

Somehow still considering dessert after opening belts and pants buttons, we ordered a forgettable and somewhat soggy apple crisp and what became the highlight of the meal, a sweet and delicious slice of banana cake. Avoid the crisp…but don’t leave without the cake, which was an incredible and rich combination of banana and hazelnut flavors with a deceptive moistness.

Overall, the new Logan @ the Heights was more than an enjoyable dining experience. The wings and entrees were fantastic and offered truly distinct and unique flavors that I have yet to experience elsewhere and the banana cake was one of the most creative and delicious desserts that I’ve sampled in this city. Our server Zach was attentive, ready with recommendations (that were DEAD-ON) and seemed to truly care about the level of service and quality of product that we received. Even the bread was crusty and delicious.

Put on your Kevlar, dodge some bullets and come to my neighborhood in Columbia Heights (C-Heights, Bitches!) to experience the Heights. This restaurant is truly worth it.

On second thought…don’t come to the Heights…although food this good is worth an hour wait…I’d much rather get seated and get to eatin’!

Logan @ the Heights

Address: 3115 14th St. NW, Washington DC, 20010 (Corner of 14th & Kenyon in Columbia Heights [C-Heights Bitches!])
Cost: $15-$30 per person
Dress: casual
Bar: yes
Date Place: you bet your sweet ass

Brunchin' It Up

Sarah and I try to sneak out of the house every Sunday to grab brunch in Georgetown. Since it’s not easy waking up and getting out of the apartment before noon, I thought I’d share some of our favorite Georgetown brunch spots with you that make rolling out of bed and fighting through your hangover a worthwhile experience.

Why Georgetown? Why not Georgetown? I think we brunch here more for the ambiance, the really cool homeless guy that screams at Sarah, and the fact that there’s shops and things to do that make walking off a huge brunch less of a chore.

Our favorites:

Papermoon – Brunch Buffet

Address: 1073 31st St. NW * Georgetown, DC 20007
Cost: $15 per person (alcohol NOT included)
Dress: casual
Bar: yes
Date Place: most definitely

Papermoon is right in the center of Georgetown on 31st street, but not too far of a walk from your annoying waterfront, back-in-only parking spot. The brunch is served buffet style with a variety of breakfast and lunch foods, carving station and omelet/waffle station.

The breakfast foods include the normal and traditional buffet brunch items such as eggs benedict, french toast, assorted breakfast meats and made-to-order omelets. Nothing here is amazingly creative, but it is all good when hot and fresh. The omelet and waffle station is quick and efficient and should be your first stop for a fabulous egg-white omelet or fruit-covered belgian waffle.

The left side of Papermoon’s half moon-shaped brunch buffet is what sets it apart from others I’ve experienced in the past, even New Jersey’s fabled Olde Silver Tavern (where they have yet to recover from an Andrew Stevens-induced bacon shortage).

The left side features lunch items that are flavorful and, although not inspiring in their creativity, different from the average brunch buffet offerings. Tortellini pasta in tomato cream sauce, pork ribs, stews with yellow rice, fish dishes and roasted chicken have all appeared under the silver lids of their enormous chafing dishes. And unlike the right side of the buffet…they have rap cat.

There are also a tremendous variety of cold salads, bakery items and deserts available. Nothing fabulous, but all tasty in their own right.

Papermoon suffers from the same problems as every other buffet, the food can be on the chillier side of hot (lets say “warm”), and the large roast (approximately half of one cow) at the carving station is often a bit tough, but the variety and value is what makes Sarah and I continue to go back. For all of your Sunday gorging needs, Papermoon is the place.

However if you’re NOT in the mood to eat (way) too much, there’s always…

Chadwicks

Address: 3205 K Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20007
Cost: $10-$15 per person (alcohol NOT included) / $16 for unlimited champagne brunch
Dress: casual
Bar: yes
Date Place: I wouldn’t date a girl that didn’t dig this place (although I might hookup with one…)

Chadwicks is one of my favorite non-national-chain bar and grills in DC. They have locations in Georgetown, Old Town (Alexandria) and Friendship Heights. The Georgetown location is by far one of my favorite places to relax and enjoy some different and inspired breakfast tastes.

The meal starts with some warm, freshly made muffins (usually blueberry, banana nut or lemon poppy) that are surprisingly moist and start the morning off on the right foot.

The menu incorporates many old favorites such as omelets, but also features some creative twits on traditional breakfast foods.

The eggs Idaho are an interesting combination of scrambled eggs and one of America’s favorite bar foods; the potato skin. The skins are hollowed, fried and filled with a tasty combination of eggs, bacon and cheese. The egg-filled wonders are arranged like traditional potato skins, in a circle around a ramekin of sour cream for dipping or spreading. This creative concept is delicious and makes you wonder why more people don’t make breakfast ‘skins.

The breakfast burrito is another favorite. Chadwicks uses andouille sausage (a spiced, heavily smoked pork sausage brought to America by French settlers in Louisiana and used in Cajun cooking) in place of traditional breakfast sausage. When combined with other flavors, the andouille gives the burrito a spicy and much-welcomed kick. The burrito is served with a side of salsa, but you can request a little sour cream to help take a little bite out of every bite. Unfortunately, the home fries that accompany this delicious burrito are almost an afterthought and rather dry, but the burrito more than makes up for the pitiful potatoes.

And if you’re looking to get right back up on Saturday night’s horse, a champagne brunch is also available at a per-person charge of around $16.

Georgetown is a great place for cheap Italian suits (check out Riccardi's clearance rack), good shopping, fresh air, lack of Metro accessibility, and now, great brunches. All you have to do...is get your ass out of bed!

Review: Duangrats (Falls Church / Bailey's Crossroad)

Duangrats has become a popular destination for Sarah and I. We try to make it out at least once every few weeks. Although we still can’t pronounce the name of the establishment (dwayne-grats? drowned-rats?), we love the food and can’t really get enough.

Duangrat’s location might make it a bit of a secret to the inside-the-District crowd, but don’t be fooled by it’s less than impressive presence on the side of Route 7 in the Bailey’s Crossroad area. This is some of the FINEST Thai food I have consumed in DC AND NY, served by traditional kimono-clad waitresses. Zagat's has rated them some of the finest Thai in the DC area...but who cares what those hacks say...

Duangrats does everything well, but their appetizers border on crave-able. My personal favorite alone, the crispy spring rolls, are enough to make me want to abandon the concept of eating in and take a ride every night. Sarah enjoys their crab wonton soup equally as much, and orders it every time we go. The chicken satay is moist (which is a difficult task to accomplish with such thin slices of meat) and the peanut sauce has just the right amount of sweetness so you don’t feel as if you’re eating Skippy.

Duangrat’s main entrées are equally impressive. In the tradition of Thai cuisine, flavors are layered and complex. The ginger pork has the flavors of curry, Asian basil and ginger that make every bite unique. The panang beef and beef masamune are also extremely delectable and feature beef braised to the point of fork-cutting tenderness as well as wonderful Asian flavors like coconut and curry.

Desserts leave a bit to be desired, but do incorporate interesting elements and Asian flavors to bring combinations to your palate that you might not have thought of. The banana spring rolls and other desserts are hardly transcendent, but the small portions and bright, crisp flavors make them an excellent ending to a filling and tasty traditional Thai meal.

Duangrats also features a full bar with Thai beer, as well as domestic beers on tap. However, the true stars of the bar are the mixed drinks such as the outstanding Mai Tai and Bangkok Sunrise.

The only real downfall for this establishment is its service. Patrons often wait a while for tables, and then find themselves waiting even longer to place their orders and get their food.

Regardless of the bad, and sometimes disorganized, service, Duangrats is by far some of the best Thai in town. If you’re in the area, check it out…and don’t be afraid to order something other than the historically-safe pad thai. Everything here is good.

For the best experience, come during the week when the already-poor service isn’t being trampled by the weekend rush.

Address: 5878 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041
Cost: $15-$25 per person
Dress: casual
Bar: yes
Date place: yes…unless you spend more time looking at the kimono-clad waitresses than at your date

Review: Iron Gate (Dupont Circle)

Sarah and I ate dinner at the Iron Gate for Valentine’s Day 2007 and were shocked by the poorly executed and terrible tasting food. After eating (or attempting to eat) at this restaurant I could not recommend it to anyone, friend or foe. Surprisingly, this is one of the Washington Post's picks, and a highly suggested destination.

Let's start out with the positives. The ambiance and off-set location make the Iron Gate romantic, mysterious and charming. Unfortunately, the positives end there.

The wine list, although long, included a handful of bottles that the restaurant currently did not stock - most notably the only Riesling on the menu - which is a VERY popular wine among young people, and a great wine for beginning drinkers that find it more pleasing to their palate than heavy and oak-aged reds and dry whites.

The menu was limited, but I ordered the lamb shank which, when presented, was reminiscent of something that would be served at a hotel wedding. The meat was cooked perfectly and fell from the bone (a huge plus), but the taste was bland and uninspired. No sauce was used, or seasoning given to the meat. Granted, a lamb shank should taste like lamb, but for over $25, one would expect the chef to be more adventurous and bold with his flavors…or maybe use some thyme.

If possible, the sides were even less inspired than the lamb. Orzo was served with crumbed feta cheese on top, but was dry and lacking any complexity in flavor. Even a house of fraternity boys with access to a local supermarket could cook pasta and crumble feta cheese on top (no insult to fraternity boys…I myself was one). The other side was steamed broccoli…steamed broccoli? Are you kidding me?

Needless to say, the dish was promptly returned, and the Cuban-style pork was requested in its stead. That's when things took a TURN!

Unfortunately, that turn was towards the inedible. The pork was sour and tasted exclusively of vinegar. The rice and beans were dry, and the plantains rubbery and cold. I've eaten Cuban and Latin inspired pork before that was crunchy on the outside with tender meat on the inside and had a sweet, citrus flavor. This was soggy, sour and not nearly as delicious. I was unable to get it down.

Needless to say, I went home without dinner, and the Iron Gate ruined Valentine’s Day. Way to go guys!