July Dinner: The Piggies Get Crabby

For many people here in the DC area, summertime just would not be complete without at least one pilgrimage to Maryland’s shoreline to feast on crabs. When the FDPs began pondering our July meal, we were overcome by fantasies of ourselves cracking open succulent Chesapeake Bay blue crabs at a outdoor table along the water, our hair blowing in the cool sea breeze, the stresses and strains of the city seeming millions of miles away. Alas, we were quickly brought back to reality when we started attempting to coordinate our schedules for such an excursion. Busy gals that we are, finding time to get out of town was proving too difficult. But we couldn’t let go of the idea of a crab dinner. Thank heavens for Quarterdeck in Arlington—we realized that the best solution was to have the crabs come to us!

At Quarterdeck, they receive daily blue crab shipments from the Bay, and serve them up in a small, unassuming restaurant tucked away near Fort Myer in Rosslyn. You have to call ahead if you want crabs, so that they know what to order and reserve for your party. The FDPs did just that—we booked ourselves a dozen crabs, settled on a weeknight date, and we were all set. While it is not quite the same as sitting water-side, there are outdoor tables at Quarterdeck which, like the crabs, you should reserve in advance. Sadly, the rainy Monday night we were there meant we were forced to move to an indoor table, which was slightly smoky and a bit cramped. Once the menus were passed out and a pitcher of beer was ordered, though, our spirits rose. They cook the crabs when you arrive, so we knew we would be waiting a while for the main course. To tide us over, we ordered an array of appetizers: crab balls, chowder, steamed shrimp, onion rings, and garlic bread—all items were fairly average but they did the trick of keeping our grumbling stomachs happy. Chatting away as always, we hungrily gobbled everything up, eagerly anticipating the crabs that were soon to arrive. The wait was only about 30 minutes, and before we knew it, a dozen steaming hot crabs were dumped in a big pile in the middle of our table. We were given a gigantic pile of napkins, mallets, vinegar, Old Bay (of course), and butter (which we later realized comes with an extra charge, just FYI) and we got down to business of breaking off the legs, cracking into the shells, and extracting the crabmeat. As Amanda declared, this was definitely the hardest we’ve ever had to work for our dinner! But the sweet, fresh crabmeat inside was totally worth it. A short time later, fingers reeking of crab and Old Bay, our table a wreckage scene of crab-remnants, we surveyed the damage, picked bits of crabmeat out of our hair, and declared the night an unmistakable success. The bill made us even more pleased—the pitchers of beer (plus wine for Molly), appetizers, and crabs brought us to $35 apiece, including tip. No, our version of a crab-feast was not quite the picturesque scene that one envisions when thinking of Maryland crab season, but for four over-scheduled city girls craving a night of escape to the seaside, Quarterdeck more than delivered.

For fresh crabs without the Bay Bridge traffic, we give Quarterdeck 3 oinks!

Molly's Dinner Pictures

Birthday Extravaganza

For the month of June we were celebrating the birth of Molly and decided to go... nowhere!  Well not exactly, but close.  A few months back at one of our "meetings" we were discussing different possibilities for extravagant birthday dinners.  As you know we always try and off set the birthday months with less extravagant (and less expensive) places.   We thought of the usual high end restaurants around and for some reason nothing really jumped out.   So we continued with our beverages while moving onto different topics.  Then all of a sudden this wonderful idea popped into Molly's head.  Since other people are always wanting to partake in our gatherings, particularly certain significant others, what better way to "invite" them to an FDP dinner then make them cook and serve us!  We do have a CIA trained person and some hard-core foodies at our disposal, so why not use them?!

And so it began.  Ben and Dan (we shall keep their connections anonymous for obvious reasons, okay maybe not obvious but there are reasons nonetheless) were given the task to create a multi-course meal using some of Molly's favorite ingredients.  We would host the dinner at an FDP's house and transform it into a beautifully quaint bistro.  Of course the original plan was to dine outside, but torrential downpours and suffocating DC humidity prevented that.  However that did not stop the FDPs from using their experiences and resources to make this evening absolutely spectacular.  And without further adieu I present to you Molly's Birthday Dinner Menu:

We began with passed hors d'oeuvres of Smoked Salmon in Cucumber cups with a Greek Yogurt Dill Sauce.  This was matched with Champagne Pannier Rose NV Brut and the pairing made a refreshing start to the evening.  After being seated the chefs sent out their amuse bouche of King Crab leg lettuce wraps.  We understand the amuse bouche is meant as a 1-2 bite teaser but I'm sure we could have demolished a whole plate of the crispy, sweet and salty combination.  As the appetizers were being prepared we were served Torii Mor Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley Oregon.  This lush fruity white was a nice contrast to the De-Boned Teriyaki Chicken Wing with Napa Cabbage Slaw.  The meat was so tender and juicy that it literally melted in your mouth.  The entree consisted of Bison London Broil marinated in Rosemary and Red Wine and served with a Horseradish sauce over Turnip Puree.  The subtle earthy and herbal flavors were a great match with the 1997 Chateau Palmer.  The only thing left to be desired was perhaps a longer marinade.  And if we hadn't had enough already, what's a birthday without a little cake?  Out came homemade Angel Food cake with Macerated Strawberries and a bottle of Lodali Moscato d'Asti.  A little sweet and a little fizz, just like Molly, was the perfect way to cap things off.


We truly debated over what to give this "restaurant" for a rating, as we did not want to come off as biased.  So we thought about it.  The food was absolutely excellent.  The portions were perfectly sized, leaving us satisfied but not stuffed.  The wines were also paired wonderfully.  Our server, Mike, not only presented the food and kept the wine flowing but he took pictures for us of all the food items (we are notorious for talking too much and forgetting to take pictures).  The ambiance, which was done up by Melissa, was beyond anyone's expectations.  A floral, lavender tablecloth was topped with glass chargers for our food to be presented on.  The lights were dimmed and the room was lit with candles creating and extremely relaxing environment.   So based on this, what would you give it?  Well without a doubt we gave it 4 oinks!  And definitely will return to this secret location... given we can afford the chefs again!