Art, Soul and an FDP Birthday

March brings us another FDP birthday! And you know what that means…. A fabulous restaurant picked out by the Piggy of Honor, Kate. Kate, a well-known biscuit lover, chose the southern inspired Art and Soul restaurant on Capitol Hill. And since our schedules always seem to be ridiculously busy, we did brunch rather than dinner. But don’t think for one second that just because it was brunch we slacked on our gluttonous duties. There was plenty of food and champagne of course!

Since it was a special occasion we kicked it off with the celebratory bottle of Champagne. This time it was a 2002 Montadon Brut. While we sipped and mulled over the menu we were greeted with a warm cinnamon bun, which lasted about 5 seconds on our table. The menu presented us with many dilemmas. We couldn’t decide how many biscuits, hoecakes and fried things we should order! We did decide to start with the biscuits and gravy (which is technically a side) and the Capitol Hill salad (kidding ourselves trying to be healthy). The biscuits were light and fluffy and were the perfect thing to absorb all of the delicious pork gravy. The salad was a nice contrast with apples, blue cheese and candied pecans.

Now time for the main event! Hands down all four piggies snorted with delight when we saw Chicken and Waffles on the menu. So that was a no brainer to order. We followed that fried deliciousness with the Country Fried Steak. Yep, that’s right. Both the chicken and the steak had a beautiful thick golden brown crust on the outside and were appropriately salty. The waffle that accompanied the chicken had a light texture and was topped off with a Pecan Butter. The steak was served up with eggs any style; we went with scrambled, and some sumptuous grits. To contrast our fried extravaganza we also ordered the Chesapeake Benedict and the Lemon Mascarpone pancakes. The poach on the benedict was just right and it sat atop lovely lump meat crab cakes. The pancakes had just the right amount of lemon taste to them that counteracted the salty bacon. In this line-up there was no weak link. We devoured everything like our lives depending on it.

We loved the décor of Art and Soul. It displays fun, modern art while maintaining a southern comfort kind of feel. Our service was a bit slow (and forgetful- 3 times to ask for coffee), but at least it was nice. We would certainly go back (we didn’t get to try the hoecakes) and we collectively decided on 3.5 oinks!

Schnitzel, Spaetzli, and Steins: The FDPs take a break from reality courtesy of Cafe Mozart.

Without getting into details, let’s just say February was a stressful month for the FDPs. Craving an escape that our busy lives won’t currently allow, we turned our focus instead to an evening meal that would take us to a far-away spot, at least in our minds. This need was met by Café Mozart, a cheery German restaurant tucked away on an otherwise nondescript downtown DC street. Located amidst tall office buildings on H Street, from the outside, Café Mozart appears to be a delicatessen and German foodstuffs shop. The front of the restaurant is indeed a store where you can purchase all sorts of imported goods and some freshly-baked delights as well. But, push through the doors in the back of the store (trust us—do it!), and you are suddenly transported into another world.
Café Mozart exudes a cheerful, relaxed intimacy. It is the kind of place where you look around the room and somehow get a sense that everyone there considers themselves a regular. There is a comfortable, congenial air about the place, with patrons speaking in hushed but happy tones, which are buffered by the soft piano tunes gently filling the space, courtesy of the cheerful older gentleman tickling the keys. At the front of the room, a few men sat hunched at the dark wooden bar drinking tall steins of beer and conversing with the bartender. The rest of the restaurant is filled with tables of various shapes and sizes, all covered in crisp white linens. The walls are decorated with scenic posters depicting German castles, mountains, and picturesque towns. We gratefully gathered at a large corner table in the back, where we had privacy and yet were still enveloped in the cozy feel of the room.
Instantly the ambiance relaxed us, and we eagerly turned to the menu, which is quite extensive. We decided to start with the potato pancakes (served with sour cream and applesauce), breaded mushrooms, and the choice of two sausages—we picked Weisswurst and smoked Bratwurst. And of course, we ordered ourselves delicious German beers and wines. The appetizers were all scrumptious, but the potato pancakes and Bratwurst won the highest raves (you need to ask for mustard to accompany the sausages). For our main course, we picked the special of the night--venison goulash served with spaetzli, and the breaded veal schnitzel. Obviously we also needed a hearty side of sauerkraut and red cabbage! The food came relatively swiftly, and we dug in with gusto. The rich venison alongside the soft, melt-in-your-mouth spaetzli, and the crispy and flavorful schnitzel were both excellent choices, and the sauerkraut was the perfect accompaniment for both meat dishes. Amazingly, after we finished inhaling the main courses, we still had room for dessert. It was a tough choice, but we went with two sweet delights: linzer torte and apple strudel. Both were delicious and more than enough for four somewhat-overly-stuffed ladies to share. By the time the check came, we were fully satiated and significantly more relaxed than when we dragged our stressed-out selves through the front door.
Café Mozart is a small gem that is definitely worth discovering. For a night when you want to say auf Wiedersehen to reality and enjoy some delicious German cuisine, we give it 3 oinks!