Happy Food Day!

And a happy food day to all of you - a couple highlights from the WaPo's food section today:



Dish: One of our least favorite restaurants, Butterfield 9, may have just given us a reason to go back: Manabu Inoue, the new executive pastry chef straight out of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's kitchen is now making such treats as white chocolate flan with passion fruit gelee and a green tea tuile, and sesame meringue with vanilla bean ice cream. I've been wanting a reason to give it another shot, and now I've got one.

Tom's Chat: Apples got in two questions today (good job Jill!):

Washington, D.C.: Hi Tom,

I ate at 1789 on Monday night with a group of friends; I ordered the pork chop, mostly because it came with fried green tomatoes, which I've been craving. The waiter asked how I'd like it cooked; I took your advice and requested that the chef cook it as he see fit. My poor pork chop came to the table rough, tough, and (in my mind) overdone. When I had already asked for the chef's recommendation, would it really have been wise to send it back?

Tom Sietsema: How odd that the chef of a major restaurant would overcook a piece of meat. Then again, I'm getting really mixed reports from diners who have been to 1789 recently -- reviews I trust because I, too, have had middling plates there in the past few months.

and

To Anonymous: If you're looking for solid, inexpensive food near Dupont with outside dining, Zorba's is tough to beat. Have the Greek salad and the caviar dip (which I won't attempt to spell).

Tom Sietsema: Good idea. The dip you refer to is taramasalata -- fish roe whipped with olive oil, lemon juice, bread crumbs.

Fare Minded: There's a very good positive review about Liberty Tavern in Clarendon, which is good to see because, well, it's our neighborhood. For our review of Liberty Tavern, click here.