DC Restaurant Week Part II

Sunday Brunch: that time of the weekend that we both look forward to and dread. The rise of Sunday means either a lazy day or an afternoon spent catching up on work and chores. But brunch, at least we have that small part of the morning devoted solely to pleasure.

I will never think of brunch the same after dining at Co Co. Sala in DC's Chinatown. Known for its lavish menu consisting of all things chocolate, Co Co. Sala is one of the most envied of restaurants on the restaurant week list, because for $25.11 you are getting more for brunch than you normally would for, oh, just about anything else on the menu.

The Co Co. Sala restaurant week deal is as follows: for brunch, one gets a mystery appetizer, a main course ranging from egg dishes, to cheese souffle to typical breakfast delicacies turned up a notch, and a dessert. I know, you're thinking, "who in their right mind eats this much for breakfast?" But let me tell you, when its from Co Co. Sala, YOU DO. I didn't eat anything else for the rest of the day, and that was perfectly okay with me.

Now, at first glance, the menu seems overwhelming. My friends and I had the hardest time choosing what to order, because everything looks so damn tasty! Thats why we each ordered something different and shared. And when I say share I mean share- we each took a few bites of the plate in front of us then rotated. But lets not get ahead of ourselves- the mystery appetizer comes first.

Artichoke tart with a cream cheese crust. A lighter version of spinach artichoke dip, garnished with a roasted cheery tomato, the filling was both smooth and textured with artichokes and onions. It was perfectly seasoned- not too salty but salty enough to keep you begging for more. The crust was light, flakey and buttery. I could have eaten an entire bowl of the stuff. But then I wouldn't have been able to experience six more dishes!

For our main courses

I will begin with "Cheese Magic." What a name! It was a gooey cheese souffle. It was a fluffy cheese omelette. It was magic. Garnished with a side salad of arugula, cranberries, walnuts and bleu cheese (one of my favorite salad combinations), this dish was very rich and very flavorful. I'm glad we all shared because I never would have been able to finish such a dish on my own.

Next came- get ready for this one- French Toast S'mores. At my first bite, all words were gone. "Oh my god," I kept repeating. TOTAL FOODGASM. Imagine the fluffiest slice of challah bread soaked and pan fried in egg batter, then soaked again in home made chocolate sauce and marshmallows. This is no ordinary piece of french toast. This is no ordinary s'more. And if that weren't enough, the french toast was kept company by three slices of bananas foster (bananas that have been cooked in brown sugar and butter) and a chocolate shortbread cookie-type thing with three rich dollops of chocolate buttercream. This is any child's (or any adult that still wishes they were a child's) dream come true. By far my favorite dish of the afternoon. I was sad to pass it over.

Grown-up grilled cheese. Again, that rich and fluffy bread. Such a crucial element to a perfect grilled cheese. It was perfectly toasted with just the right amount of oil. The cheese: bread ratio was outstanding. Not too cheesy but still enough for it to ooze out the sides and make you lick your lips for more. What made this grilled cheese so special was the bread was actually toasted in truffle oil as opposed to butter. Truffle oil is one of the most prestigious and distinctly flavored ingredients I can think of, and boy did it taste prestigious. And you can't forget the tomato soup- because the two go together like peanut butter and jelly. The soup was more of a broth style than a bisque, but it still managed to provide the perfect balance as I submerged my grilled cheese in it.

And finally, not your ordinary breakfast flatbread, piled with cheesy, gooey scrambled eggs, crisp hash browns, salty cured bacon, spicy chorizo and fresh tomatoes. This was diner food gone wild. One bite of this dish summarizes breakfast as we know it. The flavors were so well balanced; no need for salt, pepper of hot sauce.

Perfectly cooked scrambled eggs resting on top of a pesto flatbread would have sufficed, to be honest. But the rest of the toppings just make it that much more amazing. $25.11 for all of this? Gladly....but we're not even through with brunch!

After about 20 minutes of digestion (thankfully) we are brought our dessert. The restaurant was out of the peanut butter cheesecake so we were limited to a chocolate mousse with salty caramel and a white chocolate mousse with raspberry filling. Two orders of each, of course! While dessert was my least favorite part of the brunch (heck, I would have eaten another order of french toast for dessert), it was still tasteful, pleasant and a perfect way to round off the meal. It was a true showcase of what talented chefs can do with good chocolate.

So for all you chocolate lovers out there, Co Co. Sala is the place for you. While the menu is a bit pricey, I definitely think it is worth not going out for a weekend to save up for and experience this brunch. Don't forget to try one of their six hot chocolates! Talk about comfort food...

From front left clockwise: Rachael, Lisa, Myself and Mariah (thanks for cutting me off!) getting ready to enjoy dessert.

Photo Credit: Rachael Holbreich

DC Restaurant Week part I

I have experienced a weekend of p.u.r.e. g.l.u.t.t.o.n.y.

Thank you, Washington, DC, and all of your marvelous culinary contraptions. Its not every day that college students can go out to some of the finest restaurants in a major city and dine like the Queen. Literally. The benefit of your $35.11 food voucher is so you can try many items on a restaurant's menu. Each restaurant does theirs a little differently, but generally there is a set menu with between 3 and 5 sets of dishes (that are on their regular menu anyway). You chose one dish from each set. Really, you are getting bang for your buck.

My experience started on Friday night at José Andrés' Oyamel. I have been a fan of Andrés since the summer before I started college, when I first experienced true Tapas at his restaurant (strategically located just a block away from Oyamel) Jaleo. While the two restaurants are comparable in style, decor and price, Oyamel has at least one essential item that no Spanish tapas restaurant would-- GUAC.

We (my four sorority sisters and myself) began the meal with house made corn tortilla chips, a light and spicy salsa and guacamole- I'm talking about the real stuff, where the waiter smashes the avocados in a clay bowl at your tableside. The guac was spicy, sweet and scrumptious. It was the perfect balance of avocado, onion and cilantro- three main components in any traditional guacamole- but still managed to be chunky- just the way I like it. The sprinkling of Cotija cheese is the perfect accessory to the dish.

The Oyamel restaurant week menu gave the option of three small, appetizer-like dishes, one taco and a dessert. WOWZA.

I began my culinary journey into the Mexican world with a Wahoo ceviche- creamy and tart, mixed with avocado and jalepeños. Think guacamole...with fish!!! Next up was charred brussels sprouts with chile sauce, pumpkin seeds and peanuts. OMG. These were by far the best brussels sprouts I have ever tasted. When I say charred, I mean charred. They were caramelized and crispy. Sweet and savory. Anyone who doesn't like brussels sprouts would like these, I promise. Next came braised short ribs with a cilantro parsley sauce. They were tender and rare, and I barely needed a knife. Cooked perfectly with the perfect sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. For my taco, I chose the very similar shredded beef taco with cumin, tomatoes and cilantro. You can really tell that the tacos are homemade and hand pressed. I have never tasted a taco shell so authentic. The perfect frame to a beautifully flavored filling.

And finally, dessert. Oh, that small section of my stomach that allows me room for dessert, no matter how full I already am. Now usually I am not a fan of flan, but this sweet potato flan with pumpkin sauce and caramel ice cream was unlike any flan I have ever had. It wasn't jiggly and artificial feeling. It was smooth and creamy and SO flavorful. Like Thanksgiving in Mexico, I kid you not.

So, Chef Andrés, I thank you. I thank you for a lovely dining experience yet again. You have never managed to let me down and your creativity and skills are pure genius. I will definitely be back for more.

Photo Credit: Oyamel Restaurant

Brunette goes Blonde

I'm finally making a conscious effort to update the blog at least once a week. I will also be reviewing restaurants in D.C. especially during restaurant week aka some of the most gluttonous dining experiences of my culinary career.

Its Saturday night. My little and I are playing house (apron included) and made Blondies. LOTS. OF. BLONDIES. We put a spin on the recipe by 1. using various extra "playful" ingredients and 2. making individual blondies in muffin tins as opposed to a pan of bars. Regardless of whether or not you choose to mix up the recipe, these blondies are truly delish!

Traditional Blondies

10 tablespoons unsalted butter- melted and cooled

1 1/2 cup light brown

1 1/2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine the brown sugar and melted butter. Add one egg and mix. In a small bow mix the second egg and add half of that to the sugar mixture. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in the dry mixture to the sugar mixture in small batches. Once it is all combined spoon the mixture into a greased 8x8 baking pan. Bake until the center is solid, about 25 minutes.

OR spoon the mixture into 12 greased muffin tins. Bake for around 20 minutes.

Variations:

S'mores

Mix in 2 handfuls each of marshmallows and chocolate chips, and sprinkle the top with crushed graham crackers

Oreos

Crumble up ~20 Oreo cookies (discard the middle) and mix into batter

Walnuts

Toast 1 cup of walnuts, chop and combine into batter

Sweet and Salty

Mix in 2 handfuls each of crumbled pretzels and milk chocolate chips

My personal favorite was the Nutella Blondie, in which I added a tablespoon of Nutella on top of the Blondie "muffin" before it went into the oven.

Feel free to get creative, but remember to be very liberal with the toppings! :)

Photo Credit: Rachael Holbreich