Washington, DC New Menu Report: 3/16/16
The District and environs have their booze game handled and on the food side there are belly-filling bites to go with every kind of drink from beer to cocktails, American whiskeys and rare magnums.
Blue Duck Tavern
We hope you are still enjoying the weekly Tuesday lineup featured in the "Blue Duck Uncorked" wine program at Blue Duck Tavern. Every Tuesday, from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. until March 29, the folks at Blue Duck are pouring one specially selected rare magnum not found on the restaurant's featured wine list. Lucky guests can count on Blue Duck Tavern general manager Joseph Cerione's choices and can try each vintage by the glass for $30. Next Tuesday's selection for March 22 is a cult California Cabernet Sauvignon that will win your heart. It's the Karl Lawrence Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley California 1997.
Bobby's Burger Palace
Burgers are their thing at Bobby's Burger Palace and now vegetarians can dine alongside their carnivore friends without going hungry, thanks to owner and chef Bobby Flay's new salad selections. Chef Flay has added a few standouts that include something for everyone, not just vegetarians, so look for tasty salads when you dine. If you want lots of texture in your salad consider the Chopped Crunch, which is a blend of romaine, radicchio, watercress, chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, and feta cheese tossed with a red wine vinaigrette and served with crisp tortilla chips; get your daily intake of fiber from Palace Quinoa, which sports red quinoa, baby arugula, toasted almonds, mint, dried cranberries, ricotta salata with a tangy red wine vinaigrette; or consider Super Kale, which is a mix of Tuscan kale, peppadew peppers, cotija cheese, crunchy pita, and scallions perfectly coated in a tangy Meyer lemon vinaigrette. Still craving a meaty protein, no problem; just order a whole chicken breast, ground turkey, or Certified Angus Beef to your salad.
City Perch Kitchen + Bar
The entire month of March we suggest you head to City Perch Kitchen + Bar at Pike & Rose in Bethesda and get your fill of James Beard Award-winning chef Sherry Yard's meatball slider special. National Meatball Day (which was on March 9th) was the spark for her meatball slider flight, but these tasty little by bites of heaven will make you say, "Mama Mia!" all month long. For $12 you get three sliders made with mozzarella-stuffed meatballs topped with garden basil, Pomodoro, and crispy prosciutto that are sandwiched between rich brioche rolls.
Macon Bistro + Larder
If basketball doesn't get you jazzed this time of year, how about a little micro brew madness for March? All this month, AJ Johnson, our beverage guru of choice who heads up the beverage program at Macon Bistro & Larder, is featuring a selection of American sours fermented with Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces, which you can order individually or as part of a flight for $25. On offer are:
- Allagash's Interlude 2015, an oak-aged ale from Maine
- Anderson Valley's German-style Gose brewed with blood oranges from California
- Boulevard's Love Child, a barrel-aged wild ale from Missouri
- Ommegang's Rosetta, a traditional Belgian-style Kriek from New York
Takoda Restaurant & Beer Garden
If Buster Poindexter was here he would definitely say Shaw's food scene is "Hot, hot, hot!" At the top of our list of hot places is Takoda, a contemporary American eatery that includes a beer garden with a killer beverage program. Takoda just opened March 11 and their potent potables list includes more than 24 American beers on draft like Bell's Brewery plus local favorites such as DC Brau. Whiskey fans will rejoice at the more than 50 American whiskies on offer that include standbys like Basil Hayden Bourbon, Widow Jane Bourbon and Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon plus new kids on the block like Hillrock Estate Solera-Aged Bourbon, Filibuster The Boondoggler, and High West Campfire. If you prefer your spirits in a cocktail you can find 10 handcrafted cocktails featuring house-made syrups and fresh juices complemented by six wines, available by the glass and bottle, showcasing wines from California and Oregon.
Summer Whitford is the D.C. Editor at The Daily Meal and also writes about food, drink, and travel. Follow her on Twitter @FoodandWineDiva, on Instagram at thefoodandwinediva, and read more of her stories here.