Taberna del Alabadero

Julian and I went here for an early anniversary without the kids. It is billed as one of the most romantic restaurants in DC. It is very plush looking; with banquettes and deep red walls. We went at happy hour time because Tapas are half price and that ended up being a good deal. At first we were the only ones there practically but by 5:30 the place had filled up. You could tell that at this time of day it is definately an after work stop for the movers and shakers and for casual meetings.

The sangria is delicious; fruity without being to sweet. Some places it is like fruit punch laced with red wine but here it is a perfect light accompianment to the tapas dishes. After a few we decided to change to a house red by the glass which was so enjoyable that when we looked at the check we realized we should have paid for a bottle. Lucky we had an hour on the metro to recoup. However we stayed quite awhile.

The list is long when you go for tapas. Our favorites were the Bacalo Frito con Ali- Oli y Miel. This is like glamourous fish fingers. A Spanish friend had told us that Ali-Oli is her fathers favorite thing and we can see why. Garlic mayonnaise never fails to disappoint. Just like Aioli in France. YUM

We also enjoyed the Pulpito a la Plancha con Arroz Negro. The octopus is grilled to perfection. It is not at all chewy like it can be sometimes and the wood charred flavor was perfect. The delicous rice as too small a portion for both of us because we liked it so much.

The Patatas Bravas weren't as good as some we have had. The dipping sauce was good put the potatoes needed to be crispier.

We were surprised by the Acietunas Alinadas y Boquenons en Vinagre. Little fishes were pretty good. I thought they would be too salty but that was not the case.

The Spanish cheeses were artistically presented but I think we had tried them all before at Whole Foods. I would have liked to have a list of the chesses but we just guessed what they were from out previous knowledge and by that time we were full and our waither was too preoccupied to be able to give us any information. I think he was just glad to see us go. It had gotten that busy.

We thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant and I would definately recommend it as a happy hour stop.

Carmello's and Little Portugal

We were happy to find a Portugese restaurant close by in Manassas. The atmosphere pleasantly surprised us. We had a little nook all to ourselves which is nice because we discuss everything we are tasting. We tried to only get Portugese sounding dishes; there was a lot of Italian on the menu.

As an appetizer we got Ameijoas a Portugesa. Clams with chorico. The sausage added a mild spiciness to the garlicy sauce. There were a good number of clams and the dish was freshened by the addition of parsley. The clams were fresh and not too gritty, but I could have done wihout the clams and just eaten the sauce with bread.

Carne de Porco a Alentejana. Was an interesting combination for American tastes. We don't usually think of Pork and clams going together but Julia thought it was quite tasty. The sauce was quite garlicy and finished with cilantro. This was a clear winner.

Frango Grelhado a Porto was just OK. It didn't seem particularly interesting. Chicken with port wine, mushrooms and pine nuts. Really more of just a classic continental dish.

Paelha Valenciana was full of seafood and the rice was delicious. We thought it was too big when it came out and then ended up eating almost all of it.

Vieras Fish and veggies this one seemed to be just a continental cuisine type of dish from the eighties in the same vein as the Chicken with Port wine. I am not sure what I was expecting. It was good but nothing remarkable that I would want to try again.

We ended up with dessert and coffee. The kids wanted this ice cream ball thing and we were snookered in because we wanted coffee. It was mass produced but tasty. John got lemon sorbet that was served in a lemon rind cup. That was perfect and refreshing after the meal. But I am still not sure if it was homemade.

Hunter's Head (Upperville, VA)

For Merry old England and found a place in in Upperville that got great recommendations. It is a small place and it is often impossible to get a table. They use as much local produce and organic meats as possible. The massive bar takes up much of the small entrance room which is also the casual area of the restaurant. The menu is written on a chalk board. You place your order at the window and they will bring it to you either in that room or outside if the weather is good. Most of the standards are there: bangers and mash, pasties, fish and chips, bubble and squeak, Shepard's pie, etc.

We were there for a late lunch and the place was still fairly crowded. There are quite a few beers on tap we had Smithwicks and a hard Cider. Both were good. The cider had very little alcohol which was fine with me but it reminded me of the time the boy scouts were selling apple cider and it got too hot and started to turn. John had an Arnold Palmer.

John got Welsh Rarebit; a delicious cheesy sauce over toast. This version had mashed potatoes in it as well. I don't know if that is traditional or not but it tasted good. There was a good cheese flavor to it.

My fish and chips were light and crispy. My only complaint is that you have to eat it fast or it gets soggy. This is my issue with any fish and chips; it is delicious right away but I can't eat it fast enough for it not to go soggy on me.

Julian got the Cornish Pasties which looked a lot like empanadas or the Bolivian saltenas we had. I guess it is the same idea. Meat wrapped in pastry to make it portable. He and John said they were tasty. I am not sure if he could tell that it was organic beef in the filling but he said it sure was delicious.

We couldn't resist desert. It was an individual bread pudding bundt cake with hard sauce. It is not my kind of dessert. The sauce was too sugary sweet.However, the cake was not as heavy as I expected. The boys liked it however.

Brasserie Beck

We are now in Europe so we are fairly familiar with the cuisine but it is fun anyway. For Belgium we chose Brasserie Beck which is also a pretty "hip" place in DC. It was crowded and noisy because there is really no ceiling and there are alot of hard concrete surfaces. The exposed pipes are simply painted a neutral color so they seam like a ceiling. They have a wall of all of the specialty beer glasses behind the bar. The waiter brought us the extensive beer list. We started off with a Classic Flemish Red Sour Ale that is available in this country only at Brasserie Beck. and a Pilsner Huyghe which is exclusive to BB. The Red Sour Ale had so little alchohol that it seemed like soda. Julian's pilsner was light perfect to start off.
We started the meal with house smoked salmon it was done two different ways. The first was salty and laced whith dill. The second preparation is plain and sweeter. The celery remoulade that goes along is delicious. They serve the most delicious crusty warm bread and the butter that tastes like it was made from fresh cream that morning. IT is not the kind of bread you want to send away.





We were happy to find the dishes we had researched on the menu. We knew moules frites was a must and they did not dissapoint. The moules were plump and succulent not chewy. I had them "saison Dupont" which is just the classic garlic, wine and parsley. John tried chorizo and fennel. I found his to be a bit salty for my taste but he loved it. We went through plenty of bread sopping up the sauce. The frites were thin and crispy: addicting. They were served with aioli, a red pepper mayo and a mustard. We all had to make ourselves save room for our meals.



Julian tried the beef Carbonnade made with Kasteel Donker beer. Of course he had one of the beers with it. The beer was thick and bitter. I didn't like it at all. The sauce was a bit sweet and the stew was served with a rutabaga puree which (surprisingly) was a hit with us all.






Waterzooi is a traditional dish of Belgium so Julia tried it. It is a pretty simple dish of chicken in a lemony cream sauce with peas, carrots and watercress. We also tried some belgian endive. It was slightly bitter which contrasted well with the cover of melted gruyere cheese.
Belgian waffles with blueberry sauce topped of a very fun and yummy evening.

What the heck is Around the World in 80 Meals?

Hey there world. We are the Tolbert's from Virginia. We are going around the world as best we can through the restaurants in the DC area. We think it is cool to try foods from different countries and learn about different cultures.
Here are our ground rules.

No national chain resturants.
Each diner orders something different.
To the maximum extent possible try something never tried before.
Everyone tastes each dish.
When friends and family come to visit they go with.

We decided to begin in the Carribean and Central America. From there we head to South America then we will go across the ocean to Africa and work our way up to Europe we will continue weaving North to South as we travel west around the world. We will throw in American cuisine from time to time when we need something familiar.

So far this has been fun.

We hope you enjoy sharing in our adventures through our post and pics

Lavandou

We have arrived at the south of France. Having traveled there, we really just needed a reminder of the the flavors. We had read mixed reviews of Lavandou but it is the only restaurant that semed to have an emphasis solely on Provencal cuisine so we decided to give it a try. I got a good vibe when I called to make a reservation and the host said "Lavandou bonjour".
We arrived a bit late for our reservation which was no problem because the place wasn't very crowded. I ordered a Kir and Julian had a Pastis. As appetizers we had Escargots (even though they are not really Provencal) and some croustade with rilletes de canard (pate) and ratatouille. Everything was very well prepared and delicious. I thought the ratatouille could have used more eggplant. The pate was very smooth and declared yummy by the meat eaters. The parsley butter with the escargots was a vibrant green and delicious. We soaked up every drop with the bread.



Our main dishes reminded us what we had tasted in France. The portions were also European sized but that is OK with us it gave us room for dessert. We had Daube Provencal, Cassoulette de fruits de mer, Baudroie, and Agneau suce miel. The Daube is a typical provencal stew; dark brown and rich yet not as heavy as Bouef Bourguignon. Julian chose veggies instead of noodles with it and they were delicious: lightly steamed with tons of garlic. I think I stole most of the veggies. John's Cassoulette was really a light version of boulliabaisse. There was a good amount of seafood and the broth had a delicious flavor of tomato and a bit of anise. The aioli was heavy on the garlic and smooth. You just can't go wrong with garlic and mayonnaise. Julia's lamb with honey glaze was yummy. The glaze wasn't cloyingly sweet and there was the faintest hint of lavendar in the background. It went beautifully with the grilled artichoke accompianment. My Baudroie was good but not terribly inventive. It was just monkfish with olives and a sauce. However it was perfectly prepared. For wine we just went with the house wines a Pinot and a Sancerre. They were very nice and a good deal. The negative review we read said the saving grace was the creme brulee, so we just had to order some. We all thought it was amazing. I don't even like creme brulee and I wished we had ordered two. It had the crunchy topping and a creamy filling but it wasn't as eggy as most creme brulee I have tried. I swear I would go back just for that.

La Dolce Vita

This was a disappointing stop on our journey around the world. I knew Italy was going to be difficult because Italian food is so well known and represented or is high end and expensive, tasty but not necessarily authentic. I decided that it would be fun to try the restaurant owned by a family that lives near us. They are originally from NYC and I thought it would be authentic. They do have this fun wood fired stove. The place was packed when we arrived so my taste buds were prepared for some good old New York Style Italian food. After we'd eaten I can't say I can figure out why it is so crowded.
The appetizers and desserts were the best parts of the meal. The Vongle Oreganata was yummy with lots of garlic, parsley and toasted breadcrumbs. The clams were tender not rubbery and the topping perfect. The Melanzane Ripieni were good although very small. Roasted peppers in the stuffing gave them a distincly sweet finish.



The pizza Napoletana was good. The crust is very thin; just the way I like it. It actually looked exactly as it had been described in a book by someone who had been to Naples to get this exact pizza. A sweet thin tomato base is topped liberally with fresh mozzeralla and a few basil leaves give it some color. The basil leaves are missing because we were so hungry we forgot to take a picture.


Everyone else chose pasta dishes. Julian got Fettucini a al Chingale. Very disappointing. I think we found three small pieces of boar nestled in the pile of pasta. We should have known. Lidia's in Kansas City makes a truely exceptional wild boar ragu and I am not sure if anyone can measure up to it. Spaghetti Puttanesca is a typical southern Italian dish so Julia got that. It was tasty enough; slightly spicy with a disctinct yet mellow anchovy flavor. Still I make as good or better at home. John got Linguini al Vongole. We were impressed by the amount of clams and the fact that they were tender but otherwise just a pretty OK dish.

We had a glass or two of wine; a very fruity Gavi and an Orvieto that was a bit sour not just dry.
The two house made desserts are tiramisu and cannoli. Neither one dissapointing. The cream in the tiramisu is light and not too sweet. It has a nice coffee flavor which left me wanting more. Cannoli are not my favorite but the filling is light and not too sweet a very nice finish to a meal.
Dolce Vita is fine if you just need to get a meal that isn't horrible, but we save our eating out dollars for what we hope will be worth spending money on; something we can't make at home or wouldn't make at home. Not necessarily fine or fancy dining but something worth going out for. I guess the trouble is we eat a lot of Italian at home and have become pretty good at the usual suspects. I hope we can find a better choice when we get to Northern Italy.

Zatinya

This had to be the best experience we have had so far. It definitelty helps to tell our server what we are doing. They usually take an interest in helping us find the right dishes. Our waiter Jab was great. The restaurant specializes in Leabanese, Turkish and Greek. Since we had already done Lebanon and Turkey we asked Jab which dishes were specifically Greek and he pointed us in the right direction. The plates are all mezze (small servings) which we love because we can try a big variety. After we ordered our first set of mezze Jab brought us as a surprise a taste of Ouzo. Not my favorite flavor but it was nice of him. It was actually a smoother anise flavor than the Raki we had in "Turkey".


Our first round of mezze consisted of Zuchini patties, Tzaziki, Augotaharo, Garides Saganaki, Spanakopita, Cretan Snails, Octopus Santorini, and Rabbit Stifado.
We got so many dishes that I can't describe them all in detail. The Augotaharo it is a bit strange. Like a carpaccio of very salty intensified smoked salmon. The Spanakopita was like a canoli stuffed with creamed feta and spinach: not what we were expecting at all. The Saganaki sauce was so good I could have just had a bowl of it to dip my bread in and been a very happy camper. The Octopus surprised me; grilled it wasn't chewy at all and it really picked up the flavor of the grill. The tzatziki was so creamy and delicious. It is hard to believe that it is simply cucumbers, yougurt, garlic and a bit of salt.

We had some very nice Greek wines with our meal. The whites were Malgousia and Robiola they were both good. They went very nicely with the meal. The red was Agiorgitiko. It was a nice complement to heavier flavors. We orderded a couple more dishes. Sakikopite and Short Ribs Kapana. The short ribs had cinnamon sented tomato sauce. The sauce was not sweet and the cinnamon does not overwhelm. It was delicious.
Even with all of that we saved room for desert and coffee. We got the fresh cheese tart and the Turkish delight.

It was strange that both were deconstructed ice creams basically. I must admit I was a bit disappointed when the desserts arrived because they were not what I expected. However, the flavors were very nice. The Thyme ice cream was actually good and it was served with a scoop of the fresh cheese and sprinkled with pieces of a crust like cookie. The Turkish delight was walnut ice cream and a cinnamon wafer with some of the fresh cheese spread as a blanket under the the ice cream.
Jab must not have liked our choices. We had finshed our desserts when he arrived with a chocolate dessert and a special after dinner drink on the house. The chocolate lava cake with cardamom cream was so good we finished it and forgot to take picture. The drink was a dessert wine from Comandaria de St. John. It is the only wine they make and it is one of the wineries in the world. We would not have thought to give it a try. The wine had an intense raisiny nose but did not taste to sweet. It is not like grappa with a lot of alcohol; just a nice end to the meal.
The best surprise was the bill. We had tasted more flavors and had a fun experience than our last several restaurants and the bill was less. The mezze are definately great for getting a wide range of tastes. All in all it was a great way to spend an hour or so going on vacation while not leaving DC.