Date Night!

Phew. This kid has been working like nobody’s business. Luckily I have a gentleman friend, the one and only Bananas, who is willing to do silly things like take me out on “dates,” even though we’re a little past the dating stage.

Last Saturday night, when I demanded to be taken on a date that I didn’t want to plan or know anything about, we ended up at Mourayo, a charming, unassuming Greek place just north of Dupont Circle, where the waiters all wear sailor suits (love it!) and the tables are set with cheerful gerbera daisies.

We started with a shared plate of 8 or so different spreads, including taramosolata, my all-time favorite; a garlicky hummus; a fava-bean puree; and a spicy potato cream, among others. Tasty, and made even better by the pleasantly greased pita bites they came with.

For our mains, Bananas got a seafood stew type thing, with mussels, clams, and fish in a tomato-based broth that tasted pretty much just like ocean (in a good way). I had the special crab ravioli, which was clearly freshly made and perfectly al-dente, with a big crab flavor inside and a subtle tomato-basil sauce on top. I probably could have eaten twice as much, but that is usually the case, and is more a reflection on my gluttony than the restaurant’s small portions. The service was efficient and effective, and I really did enjoy those boys and their accents in their sailor suits.

After dinner, the plan was to head up the street to Veritas for a glass of wine, but it was too crowded for proper date conversation, so instead we landed at Firefly, which I’ve been intending to try for a while.

I had two cocktails—one, the “garnet,” was mostly blood orange juice with a sprig of rosemary and gin, I think. It was good, but the real star for me was the “ruby,” a bubbly concoction of champagne, grapefruit juice, and cardamom-infused vodka. Heavenly. I need to go back for another one of those.

Bananas and I also split a banana split done Firefly-style; the banana was caramelized like the crust of a fantastic crème brulee, and topped with scoops of sweet potato, vanilla, and peanut butter ice creams, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. The overall effect was rich, comforting, and just new enough to command attention.

Date night was a rousing success. Next up: Valentine’s day dinner at Asahi.

-Apples