A Milestone Month...

December is a very special month for the piggies. Not only is it our beloved Amanda’s birthday month, it’s also the anniversary month of the FDP’s. 2 years ago this week, we met and started our glorious food relationship!

For our ultra-special December dinner, Amanda decided on Obelisk in DuPont Circle. Obelisk has 2 seatings a night, and thanks to Amanda’s culinary connections, we were able to make a reservation for the 9:30 seating on Saturday night. This special spot is very difficult to get into not only because of the amazing food, but also because of the small size and intimate setting--we counted 12 tables. The menu at Obelisk changes every day depending on what the Chef has fresh, and how the mood strikes.

We arrived at Obelisk a bit early, and were greeted by a very enthusiastic hostess named Tina. Once inside we found the tiny bar and decided on a drink of the day which consisted of Campari, Prosecco and lemon juice and was a refreshing way to begin our amazing meal. Soon we were seated and our hand-written menus were presented. The meal is prix-fixe and consists of antipasti misti, primi, secondi, formaggi, and dolci. Since there were four of us dining and we share everything anyway, we were able to choose everything on the entire menu. We opened a bottle of Graham Beck sparkling rose and Amanda ordered a bottle of Freisa from Langhe, and here’s how the meal went:

We were first each brought a plate of luscious burratta, a soft, creamy fresh mozzarella with olive oil and pepper. The antipasti came with 4 amazing dishes: a rich and creamy duck pate, lovely little savory sausages on a bed of lentils, a fresh, bright chicory salad, and a crispy duck leg confit over a tangy slaw. All 4 antipasti were amazing, with rich flavors and freshness.

The first primi to arrive was a fresh butternut squash ravioli with a savory duck gizzard ragu, which was salty and rich on top of the delicate raviolis and simply to die for. Next came a pasta dish called bigoli, a thick and chewy whole-wheat type of spaghetti with a fuller texture. It was paired with a wonderful, slightly crunchy pancetta and tomato sauce. Third primi, shrimp soup - a clear seafood broth with big beautiful prawns.

By now we were already pretty sated with 3 courses still to go. Secondi: the first dish was a lightly seared grouper cooked to a perfect, flaky, golden-brown and served with earthy matsutake mushrooms and a chive, lemon, and butter sauce. We were also presented with succulent quail served with spinach, pine nuts, and raisins, and a large plate of veal (for 2) served with stewed borlotti beans and a wilted escarole. All 3 entrée dishes were amazing and cooked to perfection. The veal and quail were lovely dishes perfect for a cold winter evening, and the grouper was a light, fresh accompaniment.

Cheese came next--we each received a plate with a soft creamy robiola cheese, a nice wedge of pecorino stagianto with cogna, a Toma piedmontese and a little dollop of jam to cleanse our palettes.

For dessert, we had a hazelnut tart (with a birthday candle for the birthday girl) paired with a flavorful cinnamon ice cream, a puff pastry with caramel blood oranges and zabaglione (a light and fluffy egg and sugar custard) and a chocolate cake with a mint anglaise. Not only were the desserts beautiful to look at, they were each unique and brought our amazing meal to a perfect close. We finished with small chewy candies and very full bellies.

Obelisk is a pricy option and is perfect for a very special occasion, and we unanimously voted on 4 oinks for both high-quality food and perfect service.

Dirt Cheap (and Delicious!) Dim Sum

For our November meal, in anticipation of the holiday season ahead, including a December month that would involve both a birthday and a very important FDP anniversary, we decided to search for something cheap and casual. Fun was also key, of course, and somehow the idea of dim sum brunch got came up as a potential solution to our needs. We consulted our imaginary boyfriend Tom Sietsema (food writer of the WaPost and unwitting soulmate of the FDPs) and found mention of a tiny Chinese spot in Annandale that he enjoyed. Its name was A&J Restaurant and it boasted small plates, dim sum all day, and foot-long, deep-fried breadsticks. Sold!
On a sunny November morning, the FDPs made the trek out to Annandale (a mecca for all foods Asian, see Honey Pig blog for further details of this delicious neighborhood). A&J is indeed tiny and tucked away in a building that also holds a Chinese grocery store, bakery, and video store. Blink and you’d miss it, although the gentleman selling dim sum treats out of a truck in the front parking lot was a sure sign we were in the right place. Once inside the small, simple restaurant, we were seated fairly quickly with no reservation (they don’t accept them) after a brief delay caused by our need to fetch cash (they also don’t accept plastic). When we were finally settled, we were presented with menus. Unlike many dim sum experiences, at A&J, you circle your choices (sushi-style) instead of ordering from a chart. Luckily, they provide descriptions next to the items so there is no guessing involved. A&J does not serve alcohol, so we sipped tea as we perused the extensive menu. We started with the breadsticks, which are pretty much just as described, not terribly exciting but enough to satiate us while we waited for the rest of our dishes. The wait was very short, though, and in a manner of minutes, plates began arriving. We started with a dish billed as “smoked chicken” which quickly earned raves from the table for its incredible juiciness and intense smoky flavor. We also began with a light seaweed and bean sprout salad in a garlic and vinegar sauce and a lightly crispy scallion pancake, which was delicious in its own right but also added a nice texture variation from the other dishes on the table. These were followed by fried pork potstickers, steamed pork buns, and steamed veggie dumplings. The steamed items were certainly tasty, but (no surprise) the fried potstickers pleased us the most, with the yummy crispy outside giving way to tender, juicy pork inside. Delicious! Finally, we tried the “5-Spice Spareribs” which come in a clay pot and are literally smothered in a spice rub that is quite intense, at once both sweet and slightly smoky. It was a bit hard to find the meat under all of the rub, and you had to be careful to chew around the bone, but the FDPs aren’t afraid to work for our food. Finally, we ordered one last dish—a “sweet” to finish. We ordered buns with a red bean and pine nut paste in the middle, which were full of flavor but not sugary, and just sweet enough to finish the meal.
We know that you must be reading all of this and thinking, but oh! All that food! The bill! As we leaned back from the table, bellies full and very content, we awaited the damage. Imagine our joy when our bill came and we realized that (including tax and tip) this veritable feast came to $11 a person! We exulted over our successful discovery of a ridiculously affordable and delicious meal. While reaching this destination certainly requires a trek outside of the city, and you have to be sure to bring cash and check your hankering for a mimosa at the door, for an authentic and inexpensive Chinese brunch without much (ok, any) fanfare, the FDPs give A&J three oinks.