Wireless Service in Metro

It’s always been the main selling point for Verizon – it works (better) on Metro, my friends would taunt as I tried pathetically to keep up with Sprint and more recently AT&T.  The best I could do was talk or type for as long as possible on the way down then keep trying (obsessively) on the escalator up.  Suddenly, almost miraculously, service would light up after being dark the entire trip.

Until recently.

I noticed it first on MNF a few weeks ago when I was running late to meet my group.  I sent my text as I rushed down on the escalator.  Same as always.  Then on the train, I got a beep.  How was that possible?  I looked down at my iPhone and saw …. bars!  How could there be service on Metro?

Sure, the network would fade, sometimes to nothing as the trains went between stations, but somehow, at each station, the bars would re-emerge.  Long enough for me to send a text.  Marvelous.

Had AT&T finally upgraded their 3G network?  Why ask?  Just be thankful … as I keep composing email responses on the way home …

Pesce: Old Standby in New Location

For years, Pesce has been a Dupont Circle neighborhood gem.  More than that, it’s been consistently one of the best seafood restaurants in DC.  A great place, with terrific food, good wines and no pretense.

In fact, that was always the downside:  a little too little pretense, no reservations.  For years, Pesce was first come, first serve.  Which meant standing in line in the crowded entryway on P Street for 45 minutes waiting while being tempted by the delicious aroma of grilled fish, seafood stew and whatever other specialties the chef had prepared.  If you were lucky, you could wait at one of the few seats at the very crowded bar, smushed against the other patrons.  In either case, you were crammed in for the long haul.

More recently, the restaurant changed the policy to allow reservations for 4 or more, which helped.  A bit.  Except for date night or the random evening out.

A few months ago, Pesce moved down P Street to where Johnny’s Half Shell and then Monsouris used to be (2002 P as opposed to 2016 P).  A larger space, or just a better laid out space?  In either case, the new Pesce seemed more spacious, more lively, even, but still as intimate.

We took a seat at the bar – we were next in line – and ordered two glasses of Vouvray from the cruvinet, a new addition to the restaurant.  There were several French wines written on the chalkboard next to the bar, but it was a nice day (even in mid-November!) and white seemed to be th thing to do.  We had barely sipped it when our table was ready, so we moved to our table at the back of the restaurant.

The waiter brought over an empty chair and prompted up a chalkboard covered with the day’s offerings.  Another server brought us crusty French bread and water, while we pored over the options.  Lobster risotto or sauteed halibut?  Maybe blowfish tail (what is that?).  Or salmon on rice.  Flounder?  I love flounder sushi … or monkfish, the poor man’s lobster.  Then there were the appetizers … for the non-seafood types, there was an offer of duck magret or NY strip steak at the bottom – but why come to Pesce for land lubber’s fare?

Pineapple and blood orange sorbet

In the end, I went with old favorites, and they didn’t disappoint:  rock shrimp sauteed in olive oil, garlic and parsley which was a wonderful accompaniment to the bread.  The salty flavors set off the Alsatian Pinot Blanc (another standby).  The grilled whole branzino on a bed of spinach and mushrooms was flaky and light, albeit a bit messy (reminiscent of Venice ….)  Note to self:  next time, ask the server to filet it, instead of trying to do it myself.

For dessert, pineapple and blood orange sorbet.  Old favorites that were as good as ever, maybe even better than I remembered.

Destination Dining in Frederick (!)

Our friends E&I have been talking up “this great restaurant, fine dining, no really” in Frederick, MD, for a couples date.  I was polite, but cool – and frankly a bit skeptical.  I wasn’t so convinced of gourmet dining in Frederick.  And besides, there were so many good places in Washington, that are just a cab ride away.  Was it really worth the hour drive?

Rabbit Four Ways

We found out last Sunday.  We headed up 270 with E&I, past Rockville, past the industrial parks and biotech companies, past Butler’s Orchard where we sometimes pick berries and headed into Frederick, past the big box stores to the cute little downtown lined with brick houses and shops.

Volt was hopping on Sunday night at 7:30.  We settled into the bar/lounge where quite a few of the patrons had come up from Washington.  My rum and cider cocktail was perfect for a crisp Fall evening in the country.

The restaurant itself was a mix of original and contemporary — Victorian brick house with original mosaic tile in the entryway, modish bathrooms with opaque glass running 3/4 the length of the wall.  The main dining room was light and airy, light colored leather against whitish walls, where works from local artists were featured.

Tuna Tartare

Our meal started promisingly with a shrimp dumpling amuse bouche and a selection of tantalizing breads, none more so than a chive buttermilk biscuit .

I moved onto the tuna tartare – beautiful presentation and great textures.  Complemented the Ponzi pinot noir we ordered.

Next up was the halibut, which our server described as one of her favorites.  A perfect piece of

Halibut

fish on ruby quinoa and butternut squash puree, with salsify and dots of browned butter on the side.  Silky texture and flavorful mouthfuls that complemented, not overwhelmed the fish.  Who knew you could get such good fish — all the way in Frederick!

Lamb

While I was quite happy with my entree, I was a little jealous of my dinner companions.  The lamb looked perfect — barely singed, just as it should be. And the rabbit four ways looked adorable — the tiny rack of rabbit was too cute for words.

In truth, I didn’t want dessert — not a huge dessert person and wasn’t wowed by any of the choices on the menu.  That said, the banana split that others shared was creative and (according to them) tasty, and our chocolate textures was equally imaginative and beautifully presented.  I liked the white chocolate ganache ribbon, but didn’t love it.  More likely, I was so impressed by the french press coffee, I couldn’t concentrate on the dessert!

Verdict:  worth the drive, worth another trip.

Added bonus:  On our way out, we met celeb chef Bryan Voltaggio of Top Chef fame — I don’t watch the show, but I later learned that one of my friends has a crush on him …!

Banana Split

Textures of Chocolate

Deep in the Bowels of Verizon Center

Who knew there was a Coaches Club underneath the ice (or floor) at Verizon Center?  Makes sense, but I’d never seen the signs — or the signs.

After the recent loss to the of-so-woeful Islanders (is it me or do the Caps love close games against crappy opponents — DANGER! — in five Caps games so far this season, I’ve been to two shoot outs and an overtime.  Fun for me, but not so good for a team that should be putting opponents away …) a friend of a friend hooked us up with passes to the mysterious Johnnie Walker club.

Question:  does one order Johnnie Walker at the Johnnie Walker club?

Answer:  this fan had a Bud Light.  Didn’t want to be pretentious.  It is hockey, after all.

So we joined the privileged few, hanging out in the darkened club – a small bar with a lounge-y area where the NBA game was on and a two-sided rail with bar stools . Only downer? Apparently, the players were as bummed out by the overtime loss as the fans.  No shows at the club.  Alas.

Calling Ahead to Reserve … Pizza Dough

A couple years ago, I heard rumors of a brick oven pizza place in Philadelphia where you have to call ahead to reserve the pizza dough.  I didn’t really believe it.  Not that the source wasn’t good.  I mean, Stanley’s the kind of person who has a good restaurant recommendation wherever you might be going – Chicago, New Orleans, Paris or Kazakstan.

But the place didn’t ring a bell.  And I lived in Philadelphia for a couple of years.  More importantly, the hub is a Philly native.  I chalked this up to confusion over cities or some urban legend.

Then I heard about it again, from a Philadelphia native who’d just left there a year or two ago.  Must be real.  She said it was worth the drive up.   Niffy’s recommednation:  tomato and spinach pie.

I’m not sure Tacconelli’s is worth a drive to Philly, but it’s a close call. If you’re in Philadelphia, it’s definitely worth a detour.  Just remember to call ahead to reserve your dough. In our case, we called before we got in the car and snagged a 4:30 rez (for dough!).

We wandered off 95 into a neighborhood lined with little brick houses.  We stopped at a corner store – turned out to be a corner bar – for a six pack to go with our pizza.  (Like many neighborhood places in Philadelphia, Tacconelli’s doesn’t serve alcohol, but they allow you to bring your own wine or beer).

We sat down in a booth and ordered a sausage, mushroom and basil pie which was delicious.  The crust was thin and crispy, the toppings were fresh and high quality.  Wonderful, and went well with our cans of Miller Lite.

Meanwhile, there were a few other tables of people eating pizza, and a steady stream of people picking up carry out orders – in one case, a guy left with 7 pies.  In another, the guy got two pies and one half-baked pie (who knew?)

Glad we had a chance to check out this Philadelphia institution – and we’ll be back next time we’re in town.