In a crazy twist of triplicate small world phenomena, my good friend Jacob and I have had dinner out together every couple of weeks for the last 6 weeks (not to mention mixology). Amsterdam featured a group dinner at Sardegna that included an interesting pasta and mushroom dish concocted with flaming cognac inside a parmesan wheel. Of course the highlight of that evening was insanely good mixology at Door 74.
San Francisco included a trip to the very trendy two star Benu, which was very good but slightly disappointing at the same time. The pairings were definitely the weak point of that meal. High point was meeting Jacques Bezuidenhout for drinks earlier in the evening (he is the head of mixology for the Kimpton hotel chain).
The best thing at benu: duck with truffle bun. This was delicious.
Last week’s trip to Virginia featured a drive across the Potomac River to Frederick, MD for another fancy pants dinner at Volt. You’re not going to believe this, but dinner at Volt was superior to Benu by an order of magnitude (and 2/3rds the price as well)! It was the wine work that did it. Far superior pairings and a sommelier who listens.
The best dish of the entire sequence here, ravioli at Volt. Absolutely outstanding.
So, Frederick, MD (home of Fort Detrick and their evil bio-weapons programs) dogs San Francisco in the super high end experimental three city tour. Rock on East Coast!
As an extra bonus dining tip, this Saturday’s impromptu meal at Tallulah included an outstanding Pheasant concoction and some actual mixology. Barman Steve Rossie created a Yorktown as follows:
1 oz bourbon (he used Wild Turkey 80..I would switch in Blantons)
1 oz apple jack (laird’s bonded)
1 oz sweet vermouth (he used Martini & Rossi I would use Dolin’s in this drink)
.5 oz madiera
2 dashes Angustora bitters (this should be either Fee Brothers West Indian Orange or Reagan’s No. 6)
orange twist (flame for fun)
Plenty of good pickings in the NoVA area for discerning diners.
