It was 8:00pm on a Saturday night, and Adams Morgan was just beginning to stir. Bartenders along 18th street cleaned their tap lines and took their places as the night’s early birds trickled in. Mr. Green Bean and I met up with Weg-Man and Wife at Mintwood Place, a more mature establishment tucked away on the quieter Columbia Road. By the time we finished dinner, the streets were flooded with short skirts, tight jeans, and jumbo slices. We walked back to Cleveland Park grateful for our jumbo stomachs filled with top quality cuisine.
Mintwood is fabulous. It helps that the GM was anticipating our arrival. It helps that we were seated at the best booth in the dining room. It helps that I reviewed sister restaurant, Perry’s, a while back and have become facebook buddies with owner, Said Azali. However, the TLC and delicious food delivered that evening is just the way it goes at Mintwood Place. Since its inception in 2011, the restaurant has been repeatedly praised as one of the best nationally and internationally. Chef Cedric Maupillier’s Franco-American comfort food is served in a warm, friendly environment that attracts Washingtonians of all generations. (A second location to service the younger residents of Shaw is planned to open in 2015.)
We started the meal in typical fashion when dining with Weg-Man and Wife—cheese plate and cocktails. Mr. Green bean and I shared a simple mixed green salad with a zesty mustard vinaigrette.
Mixed greens salad with vinaigrette
We nibbled and sipped and placed our entree orders after the server and I dissected the menu together. I decided on the skate wing with caponata and socca. It was that last component that grabbed me. These chickpea pancakes are a new favorite in our apartment. I have been frying them to Mr. Green Bean’s delight as a side to hearty stews or a “crust” for Sunday morning frittatas. The server assured me the night’s skate dish, including the socca, was gluten-free. He should have assured the chef. When my plate arrived, adorned with a colorful sprinkling of edible flowers, I searched high and low for that socca. The beautifully fanned skate wing looked a little flat, and the caponata appeared runny. I pointed out this oddity to our server who left the table confused. He quickly returned with a steaming hot garbonza flatbread, again confirmed to be gluten-free. It seemed a misunderstanding was to blame, though I am left slightly baffled. In any case, the skate wing was light and flaky and the eggplant salty and smoky. The socca? Amazing: rich, nutty and just thick enough to soak up the caponata juice.
Skate wing with caponata and socca
Weg-Wife offered me a bite of her gluten-free, cast-iron, wood-oven roasted chicken, which was moist and flavorful, a different creature entirely from the one that regularly exits my oven either burnt or dry. Our side of broccolini with balsamic and hazelnuts offered a salty crunch, though was overshadowed by our generously portioned entrees.
Socca (chickpea flour pancake)
Dinners with Weg-man and Wife end as predictably as they begin given Weg-Wife’s tremendous sweet tooth. Spoonfulls of house-made French vanilla gelato balanced out the sodium-filled meal.
French vanilla gelato
Our digestive systems thanked us for the leisurely stroll home. Mr. Green Bean and I said goodbye to Weg-man and Wife by the zoo and continued on to Cleveland Park. As we approached the strip, our intentions of making it an early evening quickly turned into a night cap at Ripple followed by a competitive round of pool at Atomic Billiards. So take that, young’uns of Adams Morgan. We still got it!
I could not have been happier when my head hit the pillow much later that night.
I left feeling embarrassed for the restaurant. There was plenty of tasty food last Saturday night at Menu/MBK with Mr. Green Bean and our good friends, The Oreos. But, oh, I cringe recollecting our dining experience. Let’s start from the beginning…
Menu/MBK is Chef Frederik De Pue’s second attempt at reviving the old Café Atlántico space in Penn Quarter. He shuttered his seafood-themed Azure six months ago and reimagined the four story space into a layer cake of culinary delights. The ground floor of Menu/MBK features a Market open 9am to 9pm for gourmet grocery items, prepared foods, fancy sandwiches and coffee to go or to enjoy with free wi-fi on the third floor living room lounge. At 5pm the lounge and forth floor dining room become BistroBar, serving Belgian inspired beverages and thoughtful European fare. The frosting in the middle is the second floor open Kitchen with a six-seater chef’s counter serving a special prix-fixe menu that changes daily.
On that particular Saturday night, we were led up to the top floor via the service stairs, avoiding the large private party at the bar. The view from up top reveals eclectic decor with a homey, loft feel. Bare bulbs and bird cage assemblages dangle down the central cavity as if inspired by Maurizio Cattelan’s 2012 retrospective installation at the Guggenheim, NY. We were seated and perused the drink list for what felt like eons until a server finally approached and opened with an apology. They were out of the three signature cocktails Miss Oreo had her eye on, and beverage service was likely to take longer than usual due to one bartender and a thirsty bar crowd.
The Bistro menu is small (literally…the card could fit in my back pocket), and divided into price categories ranging from $8 to $34. I asked the server if he would mind going through the gluten-free options with me and he preferred I ask him specifically about the dishes that interested me. I was interested in everything. He seemed fairly knowledgeable, but proceeded with caution, looking at me wearily after every “you can’t eat that”, as if I my head might implode after too many disappointments. To his relief, we managed to find some gluten-free options that appealed. We started off easy with a cheese and charcuterie plate that arrived with three sad looking toast corners on the side, one for each wheat-bellied guest. Sensing the table’s dissatisfaction the server quickly supplemented with more toast. We slowly nibbled, waiting an uncomfortable amount of time before we saw our server again to place our food order. He asked my three dining partners if they would like homemade parker rolls with bits of bacon baked into the center, as if any gluten and pork-eating American would say “no” to that!
Cheese and Charcuterie
As our main course was served the Chef De Pue I know and love from Table finally performed. Mr. Oreo and Mr. Green Bean both ordered the Chapel Hill Farm Veal Meatballs with panisse (chickpea fritters, though not gluten-free here) and cucumber mostarda. The masculine dish was plated daintily and apparently tasted “really, really good”. Miss Oreo’s Crispy Cod with lemon parsley remoulade and fennel looked and tasted just as our server had described/warned: like a fish and chips egg roll. According to Miss Oreo, the rolls’ potato and fish filling could have used some classic tartar sauce to combat the dryness. Neither dish was fair game for my fork. Luckily I was perfectly happy with my Artic Char, served skin-side-up over artichoke hearts and diced vegetables in a light broth with dabs of what the menu calls “lemon puree”, but I call butter. The fish was delicate with a crispy skin and mild flavor that allowed the artichokes to shine.
Artic Char with artichokes and lemon puree
We were enjoying the last bites of our entrées when our server reappeared to apologize for the tardiness of our Peas and Carrots side. Once they arrived, it was clear they were worth the wait. These buttery, plump, green peas with carrot and potato slices redefine the TV dinner’s most common filler.
Peas and Carrots
Pre-dessert we spent a few minutes analyzing how Miss Oreo and Mr. Green Bean’s second round of tea-infused, beer and gin based cocktails varied significantly from their first glasses and didn’t quiet resemble each other either. One bartender, really? I ordered a coffee for my second round and finished the mug before the milk appeared (they were out of cream). I was quickly distracted by the dessert menu’s Sundae with caramel popcorn and nougat ice creams, Coca Cola sorbet and peanut brittle. Our server was happy to finally bring some good news: the sundae could be served gluten-free without the unnecessary cookie crumble garnish. Of course, it was delivered with the glutenous crumbles anyway and soon disappeared to melt sadly in the kitchen while an actually gluten-free version was prepared. The ice creams and brittle were unanimous winners while the sorbet looked and tasted more like a 7-Eleven Slurpee.
Sundae with caramel popcorn and nougat ice cream, Coca Cola sorbet and peanut brittle
We ended the evening filled with good food but a bad taste in our mouths. Even after all the hiccups, not one reparation was made. A simple courtesy dessert or on-the-house peas and carrots would have spoken volumes. Instead I am left to hope that Menu/MBK was just having a bad night but fear that De Pue’s recipe for this multipurpose space has a couple of bad eggs.
My birthday rarely goes unnoticed, thanks to Mr. Green Bean’s love for throwing parties in my honor. This year I somehow convinced my husband to let me fly under the radar. On the evening of my birthday, we found ourselves wandering around town in a Car2Go, hungry and hoping to feel inspired. We were in front of a very dark Red Hen (closed on Monday nights) when I realized it would be the perfect occasion to try Kapnos. Mike Isabella’s newest Greek-inspired mezze restaurant was pleasantly quiet, and we jumped at the opportunity to sit at the chef’s counter overlooking sauté pans, prep stations, and two pigs rotating slowly on spits. It just so happened to be the sous chef’s birthday as well. I felt a pang of guilt for celebrating while he worked and silently hoped he wouldn’t sabotage our food.
At first glance, the interior of Kapnos has that ever-popular, industrial-chic look. But a closer examination reveals embellishments such as arched niches, lamps, tchotchkes and floor patterns inspired by ancient Greek designs. The menu draws from Northern Greece, focusing on spreads, an abundance of vegetable mezze, and wood roasted and spit-roasted meats. Servers are well informed and trustworthy guides through a menu that is largely gluten-free. I assuredly let down my guard after making clear my limitations, knowing whatever we ordered would be properly modified to meet my needs. Our server proved herself when she retracted our order of Greek Fries after checking on the contamination in that day’s oil bath, saving me from morning after birthday woes.
We started with Mr. Green Bean’s favorite Greek dip, Tzatziki, and Kapnos’ take on hummus, Revithosalata, made with chickpeas, tahini, and a sultan chutney. Both spreads give new life to the basic Greek recipes. The tzatziki is topped with a bright pink pile of sweet watermelon that compliments the cool, cucumber yogurt perfectly and almost made me forget about the $7.00 price tag. While the house-made flatbread looks torturously delicious, Kapnos offers gluten-free patrons an accompaniment of lemon-sesame green tomatoes and kohlrabi, free of charge (unheard of in the gluten-free world). The crunchy vegetables are satisfying enough to be a dish all on their own.
Tzatziki and revithosalata with lemon-sesame tomatos and kohlrabi
Left to my own devices, I would have ordered every dish on the very intriguing, predominantly vegetarian, left side of the menu. But alas, there was my dining partner to consider. We stuck with the Farm House Vegetable Salad and Charred Brussels sprouts. From the right side of the menu, I ordered the signature wood-grilled, Charred Octopus with green harissa and eggplant, and Mr. Green Bean voted for the wood roasted, Marinated Spring Lamb with lemony potatoes instead of the ancient grain salad. The farm house, or should I say “full house” salad, arrived first, packed with zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, onions, olives, capers, and large chunks of creamy feta cheese, tossed in a red wine vinaigrette. Mr. GB picked through the “foreign” objects to find all of the cucumbers and then pushed the bowl in my direction.
Farm house salad
A large, hooked octopus arm covered in popped amaranth quickly took my attention away from our salad. It was almost too beautiful to cut through; I got over that quickly. The meat is the tenderest octopus I have had, accented by toasty grains that crackle in the mouth and a smokey, spicy eggplant purée. The chefs behind the counter and I begged Mr. Green Bean to try a bite, thinking this dish would surely convert him. Mr. GB argued that fried calamari is the closest he would ever come to grilled octopus, which the birthday chef took as a challenge. Moments later we were presented with a small plate of lightly fried octopus. Mr. GB tried it reluctantly and was polite enough to swallow.
Charred octopus
The charred brussels sprouts are prepared with black garlic, kalamata olives, capers, onion, red pepper, hearts of palm, mint, white anchovy, and a citrus vinaigrette. The dish bursts with salty and zesty flavors that match the brussels’ boldness.
Charred brussels sprouts
The marinated lamb is…soft as a lamb, and rich in flavor. Camouflaged fat might catch you off guard (and if you’re like Mr. Green Bean, turn you off). But there is no denying this hearty dish is cooked patiently and with love.
Marinated spring lamb
We opted out of ice cream and sorbet (the only gluten-free dessert option), and headed home for a surprise final course of gourmet chocolates from Bryan Voltaggio’s Range candy counter, one of the few delicacies Mr. Green Bean and I can agree on.
My impromptu birthday dinner pleased beyond my expectations. I look forward to trying Kapnos again for more unusual garden mezze, such as gigandes beans with onion seeds, bulbs, stems and flowers, and salsify with turnips, baby carrot, sweet potato and dates. More gluten-free friendly than Isabella’s American-Italian hot spot, Graffiato, Kapnos is worth the trip from north of U to Northern Greece.
For quite some time now, DC area residents have rejoiced over a burgeoning restaurant industry. Not so welcome, however, are the slowly rising menu prices. Fabio Trabocchi is an anomaly among his peers. The chef and restauranteur opened Casa Luca this past summer as an “accessible” alternative to his more upscale trattoria, Fiola. The menu at his new osteria represents the simpler delicacies of Italian cuisine at more reasonable (though still not cheap) prices. Trabocchi chose decor elements from his hometown in Le Marche, a region in central Italy along the Adriatic coast, to create a warmer environment than the space’s former tenant, British gastropub Againn. He curated a menu that encourages sharing in the tradition of Le Marche, with piccoletti (small plates), antipasti, salumi, formaggi, pastas offered in half and full portions and family-style entrees. Mr. Green Bean and I arrived at Casa Luca primed to share an indulgent evening with our friends Mr. and soon-to-be Mrs. Potato Salad (I’m told to pronounce their name with a Fonzie-esk, Italian-American accent).
Wine was the first item on the agenda, this was a Friday night after all. Casa Luca’s wine menu makes it easy to keep the vino flowing. A selection of quality Italian varieties are offered at $28/bottles or $12/glass (who’s not going to order the bottle?). We began with a Sangiovese as we perused the menu. I was well aware before arriving that Casa Luca offers gluten-free pasta. One would assume, therefore, that the staff would be proficient in attending to gluten-free diners. Yet, I found myself faced with a blank stare as I probed our server for some guidance with the menu’s gluten-free offerings and suggested pasta preparations. The kitchen stocks both rice and corn based pastas (not house-made like their wheat counterparts). When I asked our server why they offer both and which one he recommends, he hesitated, then shared, “the corn is chewier and more popular.”
Our server agreeably made repeat trips to the kitchen to discover what else I could eat. The meatball appetizer contains breadcrumbs (disappointing but not surprising); the salsa romesco in the lobster crudo antipasti contains breadcrumbs (somewhat surprising); and as we discovered later on, the affogato on the dessert menu also contains breadcrumbs (um, surprising!). With the server’s help and some compromise on my part, I muscled together a safe and mouth-watering order, sharing the misticanza of winter citrus salad and salumi with the table, a modified lobster crudo and roasted cauliflower side with soon-to-be Mrs. Potato Salad (she’ll lose the pesky prefix in April), and a half portion of the oxtail ragù with corn pasta to be shared with no one.
Chef’s pick of 3 salumi
First to arrive was a wooden plank filled with a generous serving of sliced meats and a small cup of olives. Mr. Green Bean and Mr. Potato Salad quickly notice the absence of accompanying bread and were pointed to the breads listed on the menu for an additional charge. The men ordered grilled Italian toast, lest they should have to eat their meats without a crusty base. The table guzzled the meatballs while I shared my winter salad, packed with leafy greens, radishes, grapefruit, Mandarin orange, green apple, red grapes, pomegranate seeds, and pistachios. The dressing was light and the salad refreshing, though a bit schizophrenic.
Misticanza of winter citrus, with all the fixings
Our lobster crudo with pickled vegetables and toasted hazelnuts was prepared with a barely noticeable pesto sauce instead of the glutenous salsa romesco. The lobster was plentiful and fresh, though slightly overpowered by the vegetables spiced with cloves like a man doused in too much cologne. The roasted cauliflower side with pine nuts and parsley was cooked perfectly, florets peeling apart with the encouragement of the fork. They sat on a creamy puree, adding a textural juxtaposition. I did miss the sweet punch of golden raisins that the menu promised but our dish seemed to lack.
Lobster crudo
My bowl of corn pasta with oxtail ragù was filled with large pieces of tender, slow-cooked meat, and a deep red tomato sauce, sans pine nuts and golden raisins the menu described (raisin shortage perhaps?). A little fatty for my taste, the ragù had a deliciously rich flavor, disguising any characteristic qualities (for better or worse) of the almost too al dente corn pasta. I give the kitchen credit for not crossing over into mushy pasta territory, all too easy with gluten-free varieties. I’d rather crunchy to gooey any day.
Gluten-free corn pasta with oxtail ragu
We were all sufficiently stuffed, and I had more red meat in me than I’d had in weeks. But that didn’t stop us from another bottle of red and a look at the dessert menu. We confirmed that the panna cotta was gluten-free and placed our order with a few extra scoops of sorbet to go around the table. The cup of thick, creamy, lightly sweetened custard was topped with a tart cherry/strawberry sorbet. Each spoonful tasted sinfully amazing. Our accompanying deep, dark chocolate sorbet lent itself perfectly to double dipping for a combination of flavors that excited every taste bud.
Panna cotta with cherry/strawberry sorbet
Casa Luca succeeded in bringing friends together for jubilant time over delicious food and drink in a comfortable, relaxed, yet sophisticated environment. Though a few missteps with food preparations and some gluten free education in order, Casa Luca is a wonderful addition to the transforming landscape of Penn Quarter and a noteworthy restaurant among the droves.
It is the holiday season and the air is abuzz with shoppers, travelers, and partiers. No wonder our carb and sugar consumption peaks in November and December. How else would we keep our blood flowing and feet moving. These merry months are an especially busy time for Emily Robins, who can be seen dashing around DC, capitalizing on our sugar dependencies.
Actually, the truth is, since the inception of her gluten-free baking business, the Goldilocks Goodies founder has not stopped moving. She splits her time between Lancaster, PA, where she sources her fresh, locally farmed ingredients and bakes in her family’s kitchen, and Washington DC, to make deliveries to boutique coffee shops and set up camp at weekly farmers markets.
Two years ago, Robins’ fruitless quest for a nourishing, satisfying, gluten-free cookie ended at her stand mixer. Out of desperation she created Goldilocks Goodies’ signature, grain-free, nut-butter cookies, made with a short list of ingredients you can actually pronounce. They are chewy, sweet, fresh, and taste like real food, rather than artificial flavors and preservatives.
Signature peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with Himalayan sea salt
From cookies Robins’ repertoire quickly grew to brownies, muffins, whoopie pies, crusted pies, coffee cakes, quiches, loaves and more. She has mastered the ever-challenging gluten-free sandwich bread with a recipe that holds together when eaten fresh and toasts beautifully out of the freezer. The cinnamon-raisin bread with a hint of cardamom is more versatile than it sounds. Stuff two slices with turkey for a sweet and savory lunch or spread them with peanut butter to get the day started.
Cinnamon-raisin sandwich bread with a hint of cardamom
Not surprisingly, Goldilocks’ hand-made goodies do fetch a higher than average cost. With local, preservative-free ingredients, quality and freshness demand the higher price. The one-woman machine is baking for hundreds and delivering while the goods are practically still hot. Who wouldn’t pay an extra few bucks for that!
Back in November, Sister Seitan and I snagged seats in Emily Robins’ holiday cookie making class at the Living Social headquarters. We baked dozens of delectable gingerbread and sugar cookies that my family inhaled after Thanksgiving dinner.
Gingerbread cookies ready for the oven at the Living Social holiday cookie making class
I caught up with Robins a few weeks later at Pleasant Pops for tea and a Goldilocks Goodies brownie. She was exhausted from her final Living Social class but enthusiastic as ever to gab with me about starting a business from scratch, her Lancaster roots and future plans. Here is Glutie Foodie’s first published interview, Getting to Know Goldilocks Goodies:
Glutie Foodie (GF): What was your transition to a gluten-free lifestyle like?
Goldilocks Goodies (GG): I had just moved back to the States after living in China for 4 years. I was accustomed to not eating sandwiches, cereals and desserts, so I imagine it wasn’t as hard of a transition as it is for most people. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss a great, chewy, thick pizza crust, though!
GF: Tell us about the moment you decided to share your “Just Right” cookies with the world by starting a g-free baking business.
GG: I was having dinner with a friend and business mentor of mine when I came up with the name Goldilocks Goodies. After a year of thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, and another year of coming up with a business plan and deciding how to transition, I knew I was ready when I had the name picked out. It perfectly fits my story of trying a lot of ready-made gluten-free foods and finding them too dry, too sugary, too grainy, or too processed with preservatives and flavors. My products are not any of those—they’re just right! And the alliteration of Goldilocks Goodies is an added bonus for the bookworm/nerd in me. I decided to keep “gluten-free” out of the name. My goal is to provide treats everyone can enjoy that just happen to be gluten-free for those of us that check labels!
GF: You bake in the kitchen in which you were raised, on land owned by your family for generations. How have your mother and grandmother influenced your current career path?
GG: My mother and grandmother have both been a huge influence for me. Every meal was homemade from local ingredients, and my mom was baking all the time—just little things—but we always had homemade cookies, pies and treats. It was a great gift to eat locally and seasonally and I aim to do that with my line of baked goods as well.
Of course, everything my grandmother makes is wonderful, and she doesn’t use any recipes. She learned by watching her mother-in-law in the kitchen so that she could help prepare for large gatherings: holidays, corn roasts or pig roasts, barn raisings, Sunday dinners, and harvest days when neighboring farms would pool their labor. Most farmers would eat very simply through the week, but there would always be plenty of variety when folks got together. These women are extremely hard-working and have very talented hands in the kitchen, both of which I aspire towards.
GF: What is the best thing to come out of your grandmother’s kitchen? Have you adapted the recipe to be gluten-free?
GG: I’d have to say her Chocolate Caramel Cake is the most requested and most famous of all. The caramel icing—made in an iron skillet—requires a lot of love and patience and was my great-grandmother’s recipe (who probably got it from her mother). Every grandchild wants it made for their birthday and it would be the most coveted dish at a picnic or potluck. I HAD to convert this to gluten-free and I make it by special order for other special occasions.
GF: That’s true! You and Mr. Green Bean conspired earlier this year to surprise me with gluten-free birthday cake. You baked your famous Chocolate Caramel Cake and Carrot Cake (a personal favorite) for the occasion. Both were utterly delicious. My guests would never have guessed the cakes were gluten-free were it not for Glutie Foodie stuffing her face with seconds…and thirds.
Nowadays there are many options for gluten-free birthday cake. How do your products stand apart in the growing gluten-free food market?
GG: The common opinion is that gluten-free foods are sub-par in taste, texture and quality. I refuse to buy those products currently on the market and strive to make ones that are gluten-free AND delicious. I’m proud to say that some customers of mine don’t need a gluten-free diet; they just appreciate something fresh, natural and locally sourced. My treats aren’t made with cheap fillers, lots of added sugar or artificial ingredients like a lot of other products are that are allergen-free.
GF: What has been most challenging about starting Goldilocks Goodies?
GG: The most challenging part, by far, is the amount of energy it takes to start a baking business. I have had chronic Lyme disease for over 10 years now, and while most of my symptoms are much better managed now than at the beginning of my illness, I still fight aches, pains, and fatigue that make 12 to 14-hour days of baking, driving, delivering, marketing and paperwork a struggle.
GF: What has been most rewarding about starting Goldilocks Goodies?
GG: The feedback that I get is truly what makes this all worth it. I’ve received the sweetest comments and emails from people saying they are fans for life, or that their daughter had a very memorable birthday cake that year because of me, or from a food writer letting me know I “single-handedly elevated [his] opinion of the potential of gf baking for non-gf diners.” Yeah, that was a good day!
GF: What do you envision for Goldilocks Goodies 5 years from now?
GG: My goal is to have nation-wide distribution within 2 years. There’s no comparable cookie on the market that’s free of the top 7 allergens and is as satisfying and delicious as mine. I want to reach fans around the country and then, who knows? Maybe I’ll end up selling my cookies in China!
I also have goals of making a cookbook based on seasonal produce for each region of the US. Fixing the broken food chain in the States is integral to my hometown, the preservation of farmland and the way of life of my neighbors, and, I believe, the health and environment for each and every one of us.
A couple of weeks ago, as the turning leaves reached their most colorful hues, a northerly wind swept my family in for a visit. This epic weekend brought Ma and Pa Glutie Foodie and long overdue guests, Brother Bourbon and Sister-in-law Scotch, named for their fondness of the brown spirits. My older sibling and his wife trekked from NYC with my adorable 8 month old nephew, Mr. Bean. Saturday night we would be joined by my aunt, uncle, cousin and his girlfriend for a big family night out. The pressure was on to come up with a restaurant that could accommodate our large crowd, be suitable for the vegetarian and gluten-free among us and impress with quality food and service, all while not burning a hole in Pa Glutie Foodie’s wallet. The Cleveland Park steak frites restaurant, Medium Rare, is one of Mr. Green Bean’s favorites and has been enjoyed by many of the Glutie Foodie characters, including Miss Zin, Irish Coffee and Weg-Man and Wife. I deemed it the perfect choice for our party.
Medium Rare’s success over the past two and a half years can be attributed to an all-star cast, including owners Tom Gregg and Mark Bucher (founder of BGR The Burger Joint), manager Brian Zipin (last seen at Ray’s The Steaks), and consulting chef Cedric Maupillier (formerly of Central Michel Richard), who came together to design the well packaged experience. For $19.50 (plus tax), diners enjoy a first course of bib lettuce salad with mustard vinaigrette, followed by sliced top sirloin cap steak cooked to your liking, drizzled with “secret sauce” and accompanied by crispy hand-cut frites. Servers circle the table as soon as plates are cleaned to deliver a second helping from a sizzling hot grill pan. While some indulge in the encore, many box it up to go. Gluten-free diners are in for a treat, as the meal is entirely gluten-free, minus the homemade bread served right when you settle in, and which I gather from Mr. Green Bean is quite delicious.
Mixed green salad with mustard vinaigrette
The atmosphere is far more charming than the space’s former tenant, Yanni’s Greek Taverna. Medium Rare chose simple decor, with dim lighting, white paper table liners and vinyl flooring that tends to be slippery (I have come frighteningly close to falling right on my butt several times). The music selection (think classic rock) seems a little out of place, but the bathroom soundtrack, lessons in French pick-up lines, reminds visitors of the restaurant’s French influence.
Medium Rare does not take reservations on weekends. But call 30 min ahead and they will add your name to the wait list. On this rare occasion, a fluke in their system (i.e. a new employee who made a mistake) won us a reservation for 11 at 7:30pm on a Saturday. Awesome. We arrived, were promptly seated and debriefed by our waiter on how our meal would work. No time is wasted on a menu, no long-winded inquisition of gluten ingredients necessary, just state how you like your meat cooked and Voilà.
Brother Bourbon, a fairly savvy carnivore, summed up his meal just as I would: The steak is good, but the salad, fries and gravy really make the meal. Medium Rare doesn’t serve up the finest, most flavorful cut, and they don’t always get the temperature perfect—just ask Mr. Green Bean about his very pink portion—but they do enough right that it truly doesn’t matter. You get just what you pay for, and at a fair price, I’m fine with that.
Culotte steak with “secret sauce” and hand-cut fries
Where the restaurant fails is in their accommodations for vegetarians. The non-meat option is a grilled portobello steak with a red pepper sauce, priced the same as the regular meal. The mushroom does a nice job of acting like a meat steak, but doesn’t quite satisfy in the protein department. Sister Seitan took one for the team and didn’t complain…too much. I often use the vegetarian option to my advantage by ordering it and stealing a few slices of Mr. Green Bean’s steak for a perfectly well rounded meal.
Grilled portobello steak with red pepper sauce and hand-cut fries
The process is so efficient that tables turn quickly. It’s a great place to grab dinner before catching a movie at The Uptown, but often feels rushed for a leisurely meal. However, our large party slowed the service down, giving us plenty of time to enjoy several bottles of wine. The carefully curated wine list offers half a dozen reds and whites well suited for this particular cut of steak. We further extended our meal by ordering a few notoriously enormous desserts. The House Specialty hot fudge sundae is gluten-free if ordered without the chocolate crunch balls, and is well worth the extra trip to the gym the next morning.
House Specialty: hot fudge sundae
The bill arrived with a glass full of bubblegum, a sweet something to soften the blow of a final tally unsurprisingly inflated from the $19.50/person base rate. Large parties beware of the ambiguous “Dine In” fee, a 20% tip added to the bill that can easily be missed. The family departed chomping on our gum with full stomachs and smiling faces. By the time they visit again, the restaurant will have opened its impending second location on Barracks Row. Well-done, Medium Rare.
You say, “come enjoy gluten-free donuts and beer to support the Celiac Disease Foundation,” and I say “hell, yes!”. This past Saturday night’s sold out Gluten Free Biergarden was organized by SourceHorse, crowdfunded through EventStir, and held at the multipurpose event space, Tabula Rasa. Guests donated $30 to enjoy gluten-free savories by Ridgewells Catering, sweets by Dough: A District Bakery, kegs of cider from Magners and Woodchuck and endless bottles of gluten-free beer from Bard’s, Dogfish Head and New Planet. I attended the event not only to enjoy all of these delectables, but also to grow awareness of my humble blog. Funny thing is, you get together a bunch of gluties in their 20s and 30s, offer them gluten-free treats, a pumping DJ and an outdoor courtyard on a beautiful October night, and the last thing they want to do is talk about being gluten-free. So I worked my mouth on the food and drink instead of the crowd.
Ridgwells Catering
Bethesda based Ridgwells Catering must not have expected such a terrific turn out. The buffet of small bites ran out in the first half hour, well before Mr. Green Bean showed up. I arrived early enough to taste everything, in order to report back to you diligently, of course. The display included a Mediterranean skewer bar with grilled chorizo and spiced Shrimp that satisfied, and overcooked lemon oregano chicken that turned to sawdust in my mouth (harsh, I know, but true).
Mediteranean skewer bar with (left to right) chorizo, shrimp and chicken.
Vegetarian options included artichokes with sun-dried tomato tapenade, grilled vegetable rollers with guacamole and black bean spread, and tomato, mozzarella and basil skewers. Though the food didn’t offer much to get excited about, I was impressed by the soft, chewy wrapper used for the veggie rollers, maintaining a pleasing texture and holding together nicely.
(Left to Right) Grilled vegetable rollers; artichokes with sun-dried tomato tapenade; tomato, mozzarella and basil skewers
Dough: A District Bakery
Dough’s baked goods were also tough to come by, mainly because guests couldn’t get enough of the bite-sized red velvet cupcakes, pumpkin spice donut holes, and miniature eclairs! The new DC bakery has yet to establish a store front, making accessibility a bit of a challenge. Founder and baker, Hilary Nelson, has utilized Tabula Rasa for a couple of Saturday pop-up events and is happy to take orders online. Nelson is all about fostering DC culture by sourcing local ingredients to supply the community, both gluten-free and not, with soulful sweet treats. I certainly tasted the love. Each piece I sampled was light, airy, fluffy…all adjectives typically used to describe what gluten-free is not! The oblong pastry of the eclair closely resembled that of a conventional eclair, filled with a touch of vanilla custard and decorated with a sweet chocolate frosting. My favorite was the donut hole, bursting with pumpkin flavor and enhanced by a glistening coating of cinnamon and sugar. Catch Dough if you can as she grows her budding business through upcoming local engagements.
(Left to right) Mini eclairs; mini red velvet cupcakes; pumpkin spice donut holes
Once the food ran out, beer and cider flowed. I sipped on Dogfish Head’s Tweason’ale, a twist on traditional gluten-free brews, made with fresh strawberries, sorghum and honey. It was a refreshing choice for the night’s lingering summer air. I’m not a personal fan of Magners or Woodchuck cider, but red solo cups kept filling up. Good marks were also given to New Planet’s Blond Ale, a sorghum and corn extract based beer.
Dogfish Head Tweason’ale
Stay tuned for future gluten-free crowd-funded events by SourceHorse. The young company aims to make planning, funding, and promoting events of all kinds a cinch. The millennial generation to which SourceHorse caters is known for creative mindedness. SourceHorse brings their ideas to fruition. In the gluten conscious world we live in, it’s no surprise this g-free event drew such a crowd. Though SourceHorse admits that high overhead left little profit to be donated to the Celiac Disease Foundation, building awareness is worth a great deal.
Mrs. Refined Sugar and I have been friends for a long time, back when we were both unrefined. We shared some strange food adventures in our younger years, the details of which I will spare you, except to divulge that we chewed paper and analyzed various pulp qualities. Besides a few odd adolescent experiments, we ate very well between our two houses and experimented with our own cooking once we could be trusted. Now grown and living a few cities apart, we support each other’s independent culinary explorations, her’s being the highly successful ice cream blog, 365 Scoops. It was a true feat to steal away Mrs. Refined Sugar from her eight month old baby, Sugar in the Raw, to meet for a day in one of East Coast’s most advanced gluten-free foodie cities, Philadelphia. For weeks we looked forward to indulging our now more sophisticated palettes with some quality grub. Between Refined Sugar’s vegetarian habits and my gluten-free demands, we narrowed down our options to a few recommended locations. I knew we were on the same page when we arrived wearing the same black, elastic waistband leggings: make room for food!
HipCityVeg
We started our eating tour with a light lunch at HipCityVeg, a locally sourced, environmentally friendly, vegan sandwich and salad joint. This fast-food spot has just one location off of Rittenhouse Square. I imagine the concept would make for a highly successful chain. The menu airs on the healthy side with a few treats mixed in, such as sweet potato fries and a few desserts. There are a number of gluten-free options and the staff is extremely versed in parsing ingredient lists to help navigate allergen-free choices, refreshing for a fast-food establishment. Mrs. Refined Sugar and I both ordered the Bistro Bella sandwich, mine deconstructed on a pile of arugula instead of the bun. The salad contained herb glazed portobello mushrooms, olive tapenade, tomato, artichokes and red onion, a unique alternative to my tired salad repertoire. With fuel to burn we were off to shop, what else?
HipCityVeg (image courtesy of hipcityveg.com)
Sweet Freedom Bakery
By late afternoon we were ready to recharge at Sweet Freedom, Philadelphia’s only bakery free of (long inhale) gluten, dairy, egg, corn, soy, peanut, casein and refined sugar (no offense to my companion of the same name). As we entered this sweet treat mecca, I checked my gluten-guard at the door and surveyed the cupcakes, donuts, cookies, brownies, oat crumbles, cake balls, etc. Mrs. Refined Sugar left the ordering to me, a weighty task. The friendly associate recommended the strawberry shortcake cupcake, yes please, and I couldn’t resist the chocolate salted caramel cupcake. Our fruity pick was a creative combination of classic shortcake and trendy cupcake. The dense, vanilla flavored, scone-like cake was layered with dairy-free cream, fresh strawberries and just a touch of strawberry syrup. This not-too-sweet delectable paired nicely with the rich and chocolaty cupcake, oozing gooey caramel from its center. A fudgy chocolate frosting was sprinkled with flakes of sea salt, rounding out a most stimulating feast for the taste buds.
Strawberry shortcake cupcake
Chocolate salted caramel cupcake
Before leaving we felt it our duty to sample the newly released bread loaf that Sweet Freedom has worked diligently to perfect. Toasted with a smear of apricot jam, it was quite satiating. However standing alone, the slice was slightly too dense and bitter in flavor for my taste. Not bad for a first run, but perhaps in need of some more fine tuning.
Sweet Freedom’s new loaf of bread with apricot jam
Zahav
After a quick visit to The Barnes Foundation’s world-famous art collection in its new Philadelphia home, we rushed to make our dinner reservation. The final stop of the day was Zahav, a gem tucked away on quiet St. James Place. Chef and owner Michael Solomonov was born in Israel and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. At the age of 19 he returned to Israel, fell into the culinary world, and later returned to work in the restaurant industry in Philadelphia. The death of his brother in the Israeli army clarified for Solomonov his mission to share the flavors of his native land, and Zahav was born.
Stepping into the airy, limestone laden dining space and peering into the open kitchen, Mrs. Refined Sugar and I both had the same first impression: We’ve just entered Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s Jerusalem cookbook. Yet Zahav offers its own interpretation of the the little country’s big flavors. We were greeted by an enthusiastic server who was unperturbed by our many dietary restrictions. She grabbed a pen and swiftly lined through items to avoid on each of our paper menus. Not surprisingly, Mrs. Refined Sugar’s vegetarian sheet was more marked up than mine. The server then explained the restaurant’s sharing style and pointed out the tempting $39 Tayim tasting menu, which offers a generous sampling from each section of the menu. We weighed our should’s and could’s over a Lemonnana cocktail and Israeli Salad Martini and decided the day called for an indulgent finale.
Our tasting menu began with half a dozen fresh salatim (salads), hummus, freshly baked pita for Mrs. Refined Sugar, and cucumber slices for me. Small bowls filled with beets in house-made tahini, pureed eggplant, sliced fennel, spicy green beans, chopped cucumber, and creamy hummus were all gluten-free. I avoided the tabouli salad, a cracked wheat based dish. The first course alone would have left us buzzing about Zahav. But there was much more to come.
Salatim
Aware of our limited time, our server kept the food rolling with a second set of dishes: the watermelon salad with marinated cobia, israeli olives and smoked honey; the roasted zucchini with bulgarian feta, hazelnuts and zucchini babaganoush; and the heirloom tomato salad with matbucha (roasted tomatoes) and house-made ricotta. We ferociously tasted each plate’s complex combination of flavors and textures. A symphony of “mmmm’s” hummed from our table.
Watermelon salad, roasted zucchini and heirloom tomato salad
The Al Ha’esh (grilled over coals) course followed with spiced eggplant, prepared with harissa, black lentils and garlic tehina, and the highly recommended hanger steak with babaganoush, mushrooms and spicy schoug. (I channeled Mr. Green Bean for my one meaty choice.) Our server graciously treated us to the trumpet mushrooms, which we had been eyeing, served with shakshuka, fried egg and legumes. A dozen or so dishes now crowded our little table, and we attempted to take it all in (figuratively of course, we couldn’t possibly clean our plates).
Spiced eggplant with harissa, black lentils and garlic tehina
Hanger steak with babaganoush, mushrooms and spicy schoug
With our elastic waistbands fully extended we made room for just a few bites of dessert. I ordered the tahini semifreddo, a rich and creamy mousse with hints of nutty sesame flavor, accented by sweet cherry compote topping. I melted over a couple of spoonfuls and still regret not taking the rest home.
Tahini semifreddo with a cherry compote
Overall, elaborate preparations and beautiful presentations of fresh produce, hearty grains and quality proteins resulted in an impressive representation of the melting pot of Israeli cuisine. I am critical of the kitchen’s heavy hand with salt and weak pour for expensive cocktails, small crimes for an otherwise first-rate meal.
Although the establishments we visited offered some pretty delicious items, credit must be given as well to Mrs. Refined Sugar. Some dining partners just make food taste a little sweeter and a little richer. Before we parted ways, we made plans for a reprise rendezvous in The City of Brotherly (and gluten-free) Love.
Chef and restauranteur Robert Weidmaier is a family man. He named his first restaurant, the highly acclaimed Marcel’s, after his first-born and the ever-popular Brasserie Beck after his second son. His restaurant progeny is treated with the same diplomatic paternalism. Over the past 14 years, Weidmaier has indiscriminately set roots in Washington DC (the above mentioned restaurants), Alexandria, VA (Brabo and Brabo Tasting Room), and Bethesda, MD (Mussel Bar & Grill, with a rebellious second location in Atlantic City). Six rocking establishments all serve up expertly executed cuisine inspired by Weidmaier’s German/French upbringing.
The chef’s latest creation, Wildwood Kitchen, exposes Weidmaier’s quieter side. The restaurant is a neighborhood gem, a casual go-to spot for well-to-do Bethesda dwellers, with a menu offering healthy Mediterranean inspired food, far lighter than Weidmaier’s typical fare. Dying to try the place, Mr. Green Bean and I dragged Ma and Pa Green Bean and Sister Seitan from all the fabulous dining options in DC, up the long stretch of Old Georgetown Road.
The space, modestly tucked into the Shops at Wildwood in North Bethesda, is surprisingly bright and airy for its small size. High ceilings cut down on noise, a much appreciated feature for this slightly older crowd (I’m being kind). A “woodsy” theme abounds with exposed beams, natural wood tables and a trim of wallpaper featuring a glowing forest of plush trees. We were seated and soon greeted by our server sporting a custom-made plaid button-down uniform.
The menu is small, yet offers a wide variety of appetizers and entrées featuring fresh seasonal vegetables, seafood, and white and red meats. As we looked over our options, we were served a basket of crusty french bread with a side of fresh tuna salad in a bowl of olive oil, sprinkled with fresh peppers and spices. While my table mates reached for the gluten, I was the only one enjoying the far more noteworthy condiment (which I’m sure would have tasted even grander spread on that bread).
Tuna salad with olive oil and spices
I started in with my waiter to size up Wildwood’s gluten-free consciousness. The restaurant proved to be one of my favorite types: predominantly gluten-free or happy to adapt with staff that is sincerely concerned but not alarmed by the allergy. At restaurants like this, there is no need for a gluten-free menu or gluten-free indicators, as the chef will make sure to customize whatever you’re craving. I decided to start with the gazpacho, a predictable summer starter that I usually refuse to order in protest of its unoriginality. However, this one was unique with its yellow tomatoes pureed to a translucent broth, poured table-side over finely diced watermelon and one tiny shrimp packed with a salty ocean punch. The bowl was perfectly balanced between its acidic, salty and sweet components.
Yellow gazpacho with watermelon, shrimp and sweetie drop peppers
For my main course, I opted for the night’s special: skin on fillet of trout, simply grilled with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lime. The fish was topped with roasted tomatoes, green Mexican chickpeas, olives, sesame seeds, and a light pesto vinaigrette. Trout itself is not the most spectacular of fishes. But it acts nicely as a neutral platform from which scrumptious sauces and toppings can be laid. The dish was light, fresh, and perfectly portioned with a variety of textures and flavors. I actually felt healthier after cleaning my plate.
Evening Special: Grilled trout with roasted tomatoes, Mexican chickpeas, olives, sesame seeds, and a pesto vinaigrette
To my dismay the other plates ordered at the table were off-limits for my wandering fork. But the Pan-Seared Salmon, Grilled Farmhouse Chicken, and Braised Short Ribs all received fine marks. Sister Seitan had the chef cook up a vegetarian option, making sure it included something starchy (flashback to BlackSalt where the chef concocted a $28 plate of vegetables). She was pleased with her mystery dish, featuring her most favorite food group, pasta, and cashing in at an appropriate $18. With the menu as versatile and health conscious as it is, I’m baffled that Wildwood does not have a vegetarian item listed with its entrées. It’s amazingly true that being vegetarian is often more limiting than being gluten-free.
The dessert menu is a bit disappointing for us gluties with only sorbet and ice cream as options. We decided to pass, or so we thought. As we were celebrating the occasions of Mr. Green Bean’s birthday and our wedding anniversary, the obligatory sweet treat was served, accompanied by our family’s first-rate singing. How can I resist a bright yellow scoop of mango sorbet sprinkled with….I stopped as soon as I noticed suspicious chocolate balls adorning the bowl. The dish was whisked away (though it was a shame to waste and should have been left for others to enjoy), and a gluten-free, ball-less bowl was soon presented. Though not the most original dessert, it was some of the best mango sorbet I have tasted—sweet, tangy and creamy beyond what I thought a mango was capable of.
Mango sorbet with fresh mint
Overall, our experience was relaxing and delicious. I have some scruples about slightly overpriced appetizers, such as the night’s special tomato salad, featuring a meager amount of heirlooms and not much else, priced at $12, and the absence of a veggie main dish on the menu. However, of all the Weidmaier enterprises I’ve tried, Wildwood is my favorite child.
As an epicurean with celiac, I’m like the kid left out of the sandbox when it comes to culinary adventures. I dream to participate in chef tastings, secret supper clubs and the newest trend, underground restaurants with no menu, all challenging experiences when one has a severe “allergy”. But one foodie venture is capitalizing on the rise of celiac and gluten-sensitive diners by offering a gluten-free experience not to be missed. Dishcrawl was founded in 2010 in San Jose, CA, and now has chapters in numerous cities throughout the country. It hosts ticketed progressive dinners that take participants to four restaurants for four different dishes over a three hour period. The DC chapter, led by ambassador Qui-Juan Jones, organizes themed crawls in various neighborhoods around the District and surrounding areas, to acquaint a group of strangers both to each other and to the many sides of DC’s gourmet kitchens. Last week’s first ever gluten-free DC Dishcrawl in Barracks Row attracted 17 hungry individuals on all spectrums of the gluten-free diet (strict observers, occasional subscribers, and loyal supporters). I couldn’t wait to mingle with fellow gluties on a mystery food tour of Capital Hill.
The Chesapeake Room
We began our journey at the The Chesapeake Room, a small, casual restaurant with an interior dominated by a long narrow bar, a couple of horseshoe leather booths, and a few high tops. A large outdoor patio offers more seating, but certainly not on this scorching hot DC summer evening. The bar brought in a selection of Omission Beers and Angry Orchard Cider just for the occasion and are considering keeping one gluten-free bottle option on the menu. We were served our first dish by the executive chef who explained that their American/French/Italian fusion menu offers several gluten-free options. Our plates, winning for best presentation of the night, included a trio of tastings starting with a seared scallop over a fava bean and mushroom risotto. While the scallop was over-salted it was nicely seared to produce a caramelized surface while retaining its soft interior. In the middle of the plate was a scoop of crab salad on a slice of raw tomato with an avocado dressing (adapted from the menu’s fried-green tomato version). A sprinkling of greens added texture to the mayo-heavy yet fresh tasting crab. The final element was a watermelon gazpacho, a refreshing choice for the heatwave we were in. The addition of orange juice to the recipe pushed the chilled soup too far on the sweet spectrum. But overall the variety of flavors between all three items and the well portioned plate made for a successful first stop.
The Chesapeake Room: Seared scallops over fava bean and mushroom risotto, crab stack, and watermelon gazpacho
Pacifico Cantina
For our next dish, the group crossed 8th Street SE to Pacifico Cantina for some Tex-Mex flare. We were greeted by festive Mexican decor and music and servers ready to take our margarita and mojito orders. Fresh guacamole was served family style at our table, accompanied by salsa and corn tortilla chips fried separately from anything glutenous. The guac was heavy on the salt, but the salsa had just my speed of heat. We were then served a cup of shrimp ceviche with jicama, corn, tomato, cilantro and cucumber over a touch of spring greens served with a few chips (not a regular menu item). Around me my fellow diners started reaching for liquid relief from the spice. I seemed to get a mild batch that was well balanced and tasty. Our plates were cleared and we prepared to move on when surprisingly another fleet of dishes headed our way…then turned on its heels and disappeared. The manager embarrassingly explained that the kitchen accidentally prepared a chicken taco on a flour tortilla, this after his speech on how gluten-free friendly Pacifico Cantina is. The staff quickly rebounded and soon delivered a soft corn tortilla topped with chopped chicken, pico de gallo, salsa verde and cilantro. The double layered tortilla was crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and folded nicely over the slightly overcooked yet flavorful chicken. We walked away stuffed after that plentiful sampling of average tasting Tex-Mex. Overall, Pacifico Cantina is a fun spot to sip on sweet drinks and nosh on addictive tortilla chips.
Pacifico Cantina: Chips and guacamole, shrimp ceviche, and chicken taco
Cafe 8 We hobbled just a couple of doors down from Pacifico Cantina to our third location, Cafe 8, which offers unpretentious Turkish/Greek cuisine in an authentic, Mediterranean atmosphere. Unfortunately the air conditioner was having technical difficulties, but we filed into the bar area and were served cold water on the spot. Plates soon arrived with plentiful helpings of shaved doner meat over white long grain rice, covered with tomato sauce. The meat heavy dish made up for its unrefined appearance with its rich, salty flavor (notice a trend?) and tender consistency. The kebab is made in-house with 80% lean beef and 20% lamb that marinates for days in milk and spices before being pitched on the spit. The dish was a crowd pleaser, even given our full stomachs. I forced myself to stop after a few bites for fear of impending button popping. Cafe 8 offers a number of gluten-free options, as is often the case with Mediterranean menus. The quaint restaurant’s low key, eccentric vibe and quality, reasonably priced food tempts me to return for another try on a cooler night. Pleasing carnivorous Mr. Green Bean will be the true test.
Cafe 8: Doner kebab over rice
Pitango Gelato We had one more stop to go and luckily it was dessert. After all that high sodium food, I relished the thought of something sweet. We walked toward Eastern Market to bombard the tiny storefront of Pitango Gelato. A young, spirited associate was prepared to manage our group and pitch us the spiel about Pitango’s direct line to fresh milk from Mennonite farmers, pistachios sourced from the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna in Italy, and nuts roasted with infrared light for the most natural flavor possible. Pitango now has five locations in DC, Maryland and Virginia, all serving the highest quality, seasonally changing gelato and sorbet. We were thrilled to learn that everything in the store is gluten-free accept for the cones. But the tiny colorful spoons are so fun, who wants a cone anyway? Our server’s patience astounded me as she allowed each of us to try multiple flavors before ordering. I am a frequenter of this gelato joint and can vouch for every flavor I’ve tried, which is many. The classic Pistachio di Bronte is nutty bliss, the Green Tea is subtly herbalicious, and the Chocolate with Chips is born-again classic. The vegan sorbets taste nearly as creamy as their dairy counterparts. Nothing compares to the mango, which you’ll swear is packed with fat. When the rush to order was over, we passed around cups and swapped spoons. Gelato has a way of making even strangers fast friends.
Pitango Gelato: White grapefruit and rhubarb sorbets
On that sweet note, I solicited some reflections on the night and received overall positive responses. While the food was not the finest Barracks Row has to offer, it is a challenge to find committed and enthusiastic restaurants given the size of the group, our food limitations, and the logistics of the program. Thanks is due to Qui-Juan Jones, Dishcrawl DC, and the participating restaurants for providing us gluties the opportunity to let down our guard and dine out free of the usual hassle and stress. It should be mentioned that these pre-set, traveling dinners may still be a challenge for those who are less adventurous or more limited in their eating habits. While Dishcrawl makes every effort to take into account food restrictions, the substitutions seemed lacking (in other words, had Mr. Green Bean accompanied me, he may not have gotten his money’s worth). But for someone like Glutie Foodie who will eat anything (gluten-free), I enjoyed myself immensely knowing that our Dishcrawl ambassador had done all the work, asked all the tough questions, and cleared a safe and healthy path for a night of culinary indulgence.
Glutie Foodie 