Would you like wine with your cheese?

This entry is dedicated to my best friend because this week was her 25th birthday and one thing we share besides friendship is a love for vegan food. This week has brought many changes in my life, seems like I'm turning over a new page in the book we call life.

In a short of coming out celebration, I tried a wine bar Saturday on 14th St called Cork. As we walked up to the front of the building people spilled out the door like a voluptuous woman in too small a dress. The crowd was fairly young, loud, and lively. It was not a scene for the timid or claustrophobic. Once inside I immediately noticed the exposed duct work, artistically uneven paint and a giant built in book shelf full of wine books and fancy bottles... giving it a rustic look with a modern twist. We had heard it was crowded so we called ahead, I asked the hostess where we were on the wait we discovered it was still an hour and a half out. We made our way to the bar, where there was barely even standing room. After a few glasses, a handful of nuts, and a lot of talking, we were seated. The restaurant boasts great French, Italian, and Hungarian wine along with a tapas style menu. Of course one has to order a cheese patter- one goat, one blue, and one sheep paired along with raisin bread which complimented our drinks nicely. We ordered several other small dishes... all organized neatly on the menu by cold and hot. Although, the menu was tapas style the portions were quite generous. My favorite was off the cold menu- avocado, pistachios, toasted pistachio oil, sea salt, served on grilled bread for an added crunch. In my mind, simple is always better. And you definitely cannot go wrong with fresh ingredients like avocados that melt in your mouth. From the hot menu we chose several things: lemon and black pepper calamari, french fries tossed in parsley with homemade ketchup, and sautéed wild mushrooms with a dash of madeira and marjoram. All of which were excellent and well worth the extended wait.

Seattle- family and fresh food

Here I am again, back in DC after a weekend trip to my favorite place on the west coast: Washington State. Nothing is better than ocean views and amazing fresh seafood! It was unfortunately not all fun and games while visiting the family... the reason for my trip was truly to say goodbye to my sick grandmother- never an easy thing to do. Sadly, as soon as I got off the plane I learned she had passed that morning. I tried to keep the weekend light and remember she would have wanted me to have a fun time in my favorite city.

My first real meal was with the rest of my family the following evening, Salmon with a peach sauce, curried cauliflower, and fresh homemade white bread. I have to say the home cooked meal was probably the best of the whole trip. We talked about green ideas- my uncle's solar paneled garage roof, Grandma's adventures and laughed, probably a lot more than you would think one should at a time like that. Its amazing how a good meal with family can really lift every one's spirits.

There were a few good lunch and brunches there too, but not nearly as notable as Pike's Place Market in downtown by the waterfront. It is a food lover's paradise. Fresh fish, fruits, flowers, pastries, galore! Its best known for the fisherman yelling and tossing the fish around but I think my new favorite was a little shop called Piroshky-Piroshky, a Russian bakery just outside the market. Just walking by it was almost unnoticeable... but as soon as you walked past the scent would bring you to a halt. What was a Piroshky anyway? The word Piroshky comes from the Russian word Pir which means fast. I soon learned it is a little hand pie with different contents.... meat, vegetables, or sweets. I thought about getting one but the line was down the street. Of course after we had walked alittle past the sky opened up, in Seattle fashion and it rained cats and dogs. I took it as a sign that the store front was covered and decided to wait in line after all. It was worth the wait!! I of course had a vegetarian one: a potato, mushroom and onion Piroshky. Buttery outside and yummy gooey filling. I have to say though, I was grateful after two Piroshkys I had gone to a local yoga class to afford all these extra calories.

The second notable stop was Beecher's Handmade Cheese. The name really says it all. You can't really go wrong with fresh, homemade cheese. The shop even has a menu of cheesy items you can order using their wonderful cheeses! I haven't really had cheese in a few years (my stomach is happier this way) but this was a time where one must break down and try everything. Three blocks of cheese later and a bag of house made honey and almond crackers, we were set to go. Worth every penny.

A Beginning

Where does one start on a blog? As a newbie to blogging, I would ideally like to start off with a bang. But as far as dining experiences in blizzard conditions... this is difficult. I think the idea of this blog was to be a creative outlet for a foodie like me. Some people eat to live while others live to eat. I'm definitely one who lives to eat. I always have had a special relationship with food since I was child... food incentives from the folks (if you get these allergy shots, you'll get 3 scoops of ice cream!) and heartfelt memories surrounding favorite meals (Friday nights at Armand's with famous Chicago pizza and orange soda). Of course my relationship has evolved since childhood... but its still one I hold close to my heart.

Recently I moved to the city, living my whole life in the burbs this is a new experience. Besides all the trash, a few scary crackheads, and endless parking tickets its been nothing but pleasant. The city seems to always be open with something new to try or experience every weekend. I feel slightly glued to the brightest young things website for new posting on local stuff to do. City life seems like life in the fast lane: on a cycle of work, yoga, dog walking, eat, rinse, sleep and repeat.

With the new city life I had to give up Daniel (the ever reliable Hyundai) semi-permanently to the folks and attempt to get around by foot or public transit. Unfortunately, my adventures with my bicycle have been a bit short lived, after a painful experience with a parked car.... put me out of practicing (yoga) for 2 days with a swollen hand. I'm sure when the weather is better I'll give it another whirl.

Thankfully, this weekend I get to escape snowmageon to Seattle. Boy, am I ready. As for the food part of my blog, this morning I had to fix my own brunch- vanilla french toast with cantaloupe and coffee. So no report on a good brunch spot today.