Succulent Sundays: A Weekly Collection of My Favorite Personal Food Photography

Mazeman-style ramen with watermelon radish - The Beehive Boston

Avocado topped burger-Audubon Boston

Salted caramel and Georgia Pecan gelato - Dolcezza Washington D.C.

Eggs Benedict with Jamon - Boqueria D.C.

Pho Bo Kho - Pho Linh Quincy, MA

Edible DC/DC Sips- 4th of July Weekend 2015

Dear District of Columbia, I love you. 

Before this weekend, I couldn't conjure up an image of what my social and professional life could be in our nation's capital. 

I would love to live and love in the neighborhoods we drifted in and out of over Independence Day weekend...though not too soon.

As we sat back and took in the vibe of particular neighborhoods, not one person seemed to be in much of a rush. 

On one particular evening later in the weekend, we ordered a car to take us onto the 14th Street Corridor (a street encompassing the Northwest and Southwest neighborhoods of D.C.) and boasting numerous ethnic and diverse food venues, bars, and quaint shops.

14th was where the first streetcar lines ran. It also connects DC to Virginia via a bridge over the Potomac River as well as one culture to another.

 On this night, we started at Dolcezza for some very adult behavior...dessert BEFORE dinner! Gelato!

Georgia Pecan & Salted Caramel Gelato #DessertBeforeDinner

There were major flavors of both gelato and sorbetto on the churn at Dolcezza including Mascarpone & Berries, Champagne Mango, Thai Coconut Milk, Honey Cardamom, Peppermint Stracciatella.

Afterwards, we dined at Le Diplomate, a classically styled French restaurant, from menu to handsome staff, to food presentation, style of outdoor seating and service (in a well-behaved french resto), it was almost reminiscent of Paris but with better manners and attitude on the staff's part. 

As a bonus, I was distracted at least half a dozen times by neighborhood dogs out for walks with or in spite of their owners.

One bull terrier named daisy, with a pretty pink halter and the cutest, sweetest of faces decided, at the very last moment on the stroll down 14th, that she would hold a sit-in, to the amusement of outdoor diners, but not necessarily her owner. 

There would be no active participation in this walk though her "master"/"dad" attempted to go so far as to drag her along one short square of the sidewalk before giving in and tying her to wrought iron in front of a brownstone while he tended to other business.

 It wasn't a rare moment where I didn't ooh or ahh at either the adorable pups walking by, the food being placed down on our bistro table, or the handsome men passing by.  Good neighborhood eye candy!

We basked in the light humidity and slightly overcast sky with a cool breeze back and decided it was better than our earlier attempt to be "real tourist" on the Smithsonian Museum campus upon which we ended up hot and unimpressed at the National Museum of American History vs. our initial intention, the Museum of Natural History. #Fail

Our server Rob was extremely knowledgeable, there was also a Latino server/runner who was in his  #TopModel feelings, serving us long, exaggerated turns as he descended upon and beyond our table (lol) and lovely hostess ladies in navy a line dresses with flats and thin red belts which struck me as the only way I'd want to dress were I officially in the industry ...sans the flats.  Those who know me know I'd swap those for red pumps or stilettos. 

My Full Review of Le Diplomate will be posted soon.

We stayed in Dupont Circle at the Renaissance where I had a few nice bites for one breakfast and one dinner.

The frittata was loaded with fresh veggies (mushroom, spinach, bell peppers, onion), ground turkey sausage and topped with cheese and salsa.

For dinner one night, I enjoyed a large bowl of Maryland crab chowder topped with large pieces fresh crab meat.

The salmon was served with a tangy lemon butter sauce with rice and haricots verts.

Since Derek had arrived two days before I did, he had a surprisingly great handle on the best food neighborhood in which to hang  We both did our research!  

My research came heavily from the perspective of Washington Post Food Critic/Writer, Tom Sietsema who suggested Boqueria for a Spanish brunch. 
Derek's was from getting out amongst the people and having a keen eye for what's happening in the city as well as some historic locations like Busboys & Poets.  So we had a pretty diverse experience together and apart.

One evening, we headed over to to Busboys and Poets (the original location at 14th & V), a community hotbed for racial, political and social change.  The space is named for poet Langston Hughes who worked as a busboy at the Wardman Park Hotel in the 20's prior to his life as a transformative poet.
There are three other locations in the Metro area.

Langston Hughes at Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC - 1925

The community space features an amazing book collection (for purchase), music, art, food/drinks, and a wholly inclusive vibe from patrons of all ages, ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientation, etc.  We sat at the bar and took in the scenes.  

A busy painting hung on the wall above the back bar kept us entertained for quite some time. 
The beautifully, colorful piece by Anna Rose Soevik was eye-catching and all around fun piece!

Langston Hughes by Anna Rose Soevik- Canvas (19x6 Feet on 5 Panels) 

We enjoyed a few libations and I ordered the Tuna Nicoise salad which was bright, fresh, and pretty much on point for a Nicoise salad.  I didn't expect a huge piece of tuna steak, being that I am used to it with sliced and pan-seared tuna. Had I known, I would have requested a warmer temperature on the prep. 

A new friend did rave about the shrimp and grits and another about the fried chicken and collards!  
Sounds like a must try on my next visit to the District!

The next day we decided on Boqueria, a Spanish tapas restaurant, for brunch.  Boqueria boasts a spectacular Unlimited Brunch tapas, drinks, and sweets for only $39 pp with a time limit of 2.5 hours.

 The entire table has to decide to order this way in order to get the deal.  The server brought out dish after dish and pitcher after pitcher of mimosas, white/red/pink Sangrias, and then two desserts. 

It was almost disturbing how many dishes we had in front of us at any given point.  
The highlights for me were some of my favorite Spanish dishes to begin with.

Check out our feast below...

We were stuffed at this point.  I have no idea how I managed to smile without bursting wide open. 

Even with food restrictions at the table, we were all able to enjoy a full meal.

Albondigas:  classic Spanish lamb meatballs bathed in tomato sauce with sheep's milk cheese and cucumber slices which added a layer of beauty, texture, and color and coolness.

Even though the tapas were unlimited, the presentation did not lack.

Large, crisp spears of asparagus over a puddle of hazelnut Romesco sauce. Simple, fresh, and full of flavor.

A beautiful roasted beet salad with orange wedges, frisee, green pistachios, Valdeon blue cheese, and Sherry vinaigrette

Golden and Purple Beets make for a beautiful dish! 

Outside of the lovely beet fries served at GrassFed Boston, I cannot seem to wrap my brain around eating purple beets, as my grandmother's pickled beets on dinner salads continues to haunt me. I'm all about the golden,however. 

#ChildhoodPhobiaNumber 3 

#FirstWorldProblemsNumber 29840753084

And yes, I am using hashtags in blog posts now (smile).  

Your entire life can be described in fun hashtags...trust me.

Huevos Benedictinos

Wooden tray full of delicious accompaniments:  

• Fresh, warm country bread served with a garlic aioli and olive oil for dipping

• Olives and Manchego cheese cubes 

• Majorcan potato (Tortilla Espanola aka Spanish omelette or Tortilla de Patatas made of potato and egg) cut into cubes and served(very different from the traditional wedge cut) and topped with a creamy dollop aioli.

• Thin shavings of jamon Serrano

The Huevos Benedictinos was beautiful, but I unfortunately could not stomach any more breaded foods by the time it came out.

Griddled and halved English muffins were topped with thin sliced jamon Serrano, a perfectly poached egg, Hollandaise sauce and sprinkled with smoked paprika and chives.

I can hardly call this sauce or include in the title of this dish a Salsa Verde.  It was bland, thin, uninteresting.  Out of season tiny mussels yearned for undeserved recognition.  I had one and decided against giving it much more attention.  With all the bread that ended up on the table, it would have been dreamy to have a sauce worthy of' dipping housemade bread.

Service was attentive and quick.  I highly recommend Boqueria for a hearty meal and creative cocktails.

Of course I had to sample a highly rated ramen shop before leaving DC.  Check out my review of Daikaya which I am adding to my latest ramen article entitled: 

"A Collection of the Ramen, Pho, and Other Noodle Soups I've Enjoyed Over MY Past 6 Month Obsession."

Bar reviews coming soon!

Toro NYC: Part II Winter 2015 #GreedyGirlsUnite NYC Food Tour

It should be noted that because I love the original Toro (Boston) so much, my girlfriends and I have officially made Toro NYC the last stop for all of our quarterly NYC food tours going forward.

Our March 2015 #GreedyGirlsUnite NYC Food Tour covered Queens this time around, but we still made our way to Toro NYC before heading back to our respective cities.  Check out our first massive meal here back in September 2014, here.

This time around we ordered a few staple favorites like the Asado de Huesos-roasted bone marrow with radish citrus salad and beef cheek marmalade, Mollejas- grilled veal sweetbreads, Maiz Asado con Aioli y Queso Cotija-roasted corn on the cob with aioli and cotija cheese, Potatoes Bravas with aioli and romesco sauce, Tartare in a sardine can, and our signature sparkling Spanish rosé-Joseph Foraster Rosé, Trepat Penedes, Spain.

Previous photos:

Roasted bone marrow w/ beef cheek marmalade

Tuna tartare

Veal Sweetbreads

We also enjoyed a most of the newer items.  None of us were remotely a fan of the chicken and potato empanadas.  I personally found the filling to be flat and over minced, though abundant.  They lacked flavor and character.

The Carabineros-massive scarlet shrimp where drop-dead-amazing-served aside a charred, halved lemon, the ritual of pulling off the juicy heads and relishing the rich, savory liquor triggered more orders.  I couldn't get enough!

Carabineros

We enjoyed an order of Ostras en Escabeche-briny, plump, creamy Island Creek oysters served with a green strawberry, mustard seeds, chives, and verjus.

Before moving on to dessert, we introduced Sylvia to her very first bone luge with Sherry and the bone marrow bone...

Chocolate Cremeaux (Dark Chocolate Cremeaux with Olive Oil Ice Cream and Coffee Crumble), Crisp Cinnamon-Sugar Churros with Orange-Chocolate Sauce, Vanilla Semifreddo with Olive Oil Cake, Blood Oranges, and Pistachios

Another fantastic evening at Toro NYC.

You can read my Toro Boston reviews here and here.

Asian-Parisian Delights: Happily Surprised by Good Asian Bites- 2nd Arrondissement, Paris, France

My first bowl of ramen was quite delicious.  Sapporo Japanese Restaurant at 37, rue Sainte Anne is a busy, densely-packed space where people come for a leisurely or rushed lunch of piping hot, steamy ramen.  There are two other locations in Paris.

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Many variations  are offered.  

I kept it simple with ramen and roasted pork.  the ramen was a satisfying bowl of warmth with perfectly salted and seasoned broth, hearty ramen noodles, veg, bean sprouts, and scallion.

Pork Ramen

One of my sides was the demi curry with rice.  A horribly disappointing, unremarkable dish (go figure?)  Hey, I tried...

Curry

The gyoza was delicious.  Flavor-packed, pan-fried dumpling morsels filled with moist pork.

Gyoza: Pan-fried pork dumplings.

For dessert, we headed across the rue to Aki Boulanger.  I was told they offer awesome eclairs and other pastries boasting fillings/ingredients like yuzu, matcha, and mochi.

Because I love the umami nature of yuzu, a beautiful East Asian citrus fruit which I fell in love with a number of years ago through a creative cocktail master in Boston, I had to sample the yuzu eclair.  

My tastebuds were rewarded for their devotion-fresh, moist eclairs filled with tangy, bright, sweet, zesty yuzu cream.

Yuzu Eclair

Aki Boulanger offered a perfect sweet treat on our short walk over to see the Seine River and surrounding attractions!

On another afternoon, I had the pleasure of enjoying lunch at another Lamen (Ramen) spot with two other locations called Higuma.

Champon Lamen

Pork and Squid ramen with cabbage, carrots, onion, fresh noodle, topped with pickled ginger. 

Cocktail Series: Art of the Cocktail - The Labor of Liquor. A DrFoodie and Boston Center for the Arts Collaboration during 2014 ArtWeek Boston

My vision finally came together after a summer of planning with the fabulous folks at Boston Center for the Arts!  The first installation of our Cocktail Series on October 1st was a great success and I cannot wait to do it again!

 Cocktails and visual arts came together in an illuminating tasting amidst the Boston Center for the Arts’ exhibition “Labor in a Single Shot.” 

Teaming up with myself, Head Distiller, Maggie Campbell and Vice President of Sales, Kevin Martin of Privateer Rum (Ipswich, MA), and the Boston Center for the Arts Team co-hosted an intimate conversation about rum.  

 We were honored to be a part of ArtWeek Boston 2014.

You can read Maggie and my interview with Cynthia Woo of BCA, here.

Attendees learned about the history of rum locally and internationally and even the processing of sugar for its production.  

Massachusetts has a deeply embedded history of rum and I for one can listen to my friend Maggie speaking on the topic at any given moment. 

 Attendees were fascinated by the information, the tasting of the pure hand crafted product and two beautifully crafted cocktails created by Kevin, past bar manager at Eastern Standard Kitchen and Drinks in Kenmore Square.   

Maggie Campbell, Head Distiller at Privateer Rum, Ipswich, Massachusetts

 Inspired by the themes of labor in the Mills Gallery exhibition, the evening highlighted the process and work behind creating liquor and cocktails. 

We explored the creative and artistic process of distillation, the aging-process, rum’s distinct flavor profile and its use to craft the perfect cocktail while guests enjoyed a private viewing of the Mills Gallery exhibition!

 
Kevin taught guests how to make his latest Fall cocktail creations:

"Use real lemons ONLY!" -Kevin Martin

Ghoulish Punch
 Privateer Silver Rum
Apple Cider
 Maple Syrup
Cynar

The Equinox
Cinnamon infused Privateer Silver Rum
Fresh lemon juice
Bitters
Maple syrup

 
Sweets designed by Sarah Cohan at The Sweetery Boston were spectacular and also received rave reviews.

Ginger Molasses Rum cookies, Bacon and Bourbon Minicupcakes, Bananas Foster Pound cake with Rum Caramel glaze by Sweetery Boston

Me, Maggie Campbell, Jax Sinclair, Erika Harper, Summer Williams, and Michelle Caldeira

 

Ghoulish Punch and Bourbon and Bacon mini cupcake.

The next seminar in the series will be taught by Meaghan Sinclair and Harmony Dawn of Booze Époque, a craft cocktail catering company (the first in Boston). 
These ladies will amaze you with their holiday punch creations!  

Come out and learn how you can wow your family and friends this Holiday Season on December 15, 2014 at Mills Gallery in the South End (BCA campus).  
Ticket sale links will be posted at a later date.