Weekday Dim Sum

I gave Mark’s Duck House another try (after a disappointing meal a few months ago). They are back in their winning form.

They have the traditional dim sum on weekdays beginning at 11:00 am. We there right when they opened so got first dibs on almost everything. Every single thing we picked from the carts, from the Har Gow (shrimp dumplings) to the roasted pork with the crispy skin, was done really well. We left happy. I need to ask for another day off from work so I don’t have to battle the weekend crowds.

Mark’s Duck House   6184-A Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22044   703.532.2125

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Burrata

Burrata

 

My day started out with a text from my nephew Nick: “the cheese came!!!”. I instantly texted back that I would be there within the hour – and I was. Nick works at The Italian Gourmet, our town’s local Italian deli.

The cheese that got me all fired up is Burrata. I had it last year at Obelisk in Dupont Circle and have been on a quest for the real thing ever since. Trader Joe’s has it under their own label for almost seven dollars and Whole Foods Market carries the Bel Gioso brand (and the exact same look) at the same price . Private labeling anyone?

The Burrata I had at Trader Joe’s was okay as far as cheese goes but I would not call it Burrata. It had obviously been made in a huge batch (every piece was the same exact size) and had been sitting in water for a while (the outer layer was tough and the inside was almost grainy).

The Burrata I bought from the Italian Gourmet was the real deal. It was formed into a pouch and it’s top-knot was sealed with green plastic straw. It did not have the traditional asphodel leaf and came instead wrapped in a piece of green plastic. Nevertheless, it was sitting in just the right amount of whey. 

As I make my first slice, the pouch of slowly starts to open and I can immediately see that it is still fresh. It looks milky white and as I take my first bite, it does not disappoint. It is creamy beyond perfection. I immediately taste the richness that comes from the cream. Many describe Burrata as a soft, creamy version of Mozzarela di Bufala. A few minutes after I first sliced into it, there was a pool of milk that had formed in the bowl, just another sign of freshness.

I decide to make a salad and simply drizzle a minuscule amount of very good quality extra virgin olive oil on the Burrata and season it with salt and pepper. To the greens I add some tomatoes in season and nothing else. I have, in my mind, made the perfect salad. My younger son has the same salad for lunch and immediately likes the Burrata. As I write this I wonder if I have ruined all future cheese eating experiences for him. Oh well.

The good quality stuff tends to spoil you. I would never buy anthing else at this point and am grateful that The Italian Gourmet carries it.  I was glad for the inside tip and I guiltily admit, I felt very special. Although if anyone has ever been there, you know that everyone is a regualr and treated like a friend.

The Italian Gourmet 505 Maple Ave, Vienna VA 22190 (703) 938.4141

 

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Ray’s Hell Burger

Ray's Hell Burger

Nothing says “Happy anniversary, I love you!” more than lunch at Ray’s Hell Burger….with the kids. Oh how far we’ve come! 

We’ve always celebrated our  wedding anniversary with dinner at restaurants that have freak out at the sight of kids. Maestro, City Zen and last year’s favourite – Restaurant Eve. All sitter-worthy restaurants that cost about the equivalent of a college fund payment. We do it anyway. It is always nice just to get out and be adults. Have the food you hope your kids will want to eat as adults because it it is one of the finer things in life that you don’t get to indulge in too often.

This year’s anniversary, our eleventh, came and went in a blink of an eye. Between work, the kids, soccer, soccer, and soccer, it seemed too much to even research a fine dining restaurant much less look for a sitter. We’ve been meaning to try Ray’s Hell Burger anyway and it didn’t disappoint. They are 10-ounce burgers that were cooked really juicy. Because we had the kids with us, we got straight forward cheese burgers, potato puffs, mac and cheese  and some Piranha Sauce on the side. The bun was nice and soft and seem to meld with the meat by the third bite because it had sopped up the juice running from the burger.

The no-frills place was packed. We  got there at 11:25 am (it opens at 11:30 am on a Sunday) and were the first in line and by the time we got our food, the line was out the door. The place is cramped and people are hovering around you as you eat to take over your table. This is not a bad thing. I loved that our burgers came out quickly and cooked just right. I loved that they had rootbeer on tap.  We had pretty plain burgers but looking at the menu, you could go all out and have some foie gras added – maybe next time. In a nutshell, we were ridiculously happy.

In a twisted way, it says a lot about marriage. We are essentially simple people. We can be fancy if we choose to be but would choose having our kids with us over anything. We don’t need things wrapped in fancy paper to know that this is the real deal. I am not about to abandon fancy dinners but I predict we might be back next year for our twelfth.

 

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Four Sisters Again

 I had dinner at Four Sisters – again. Many of my Vietnamese friends swear that there are better restaurants out there and that they would take me to them. In the meantime, I tried their Shaky Beef and Caramelized Tofu in a Clay Pot. I’ve had the beef before so it did not disappoint. My new favourite though is the tofu. It had the flavor of lemon grass and chili powder plus the sweetness brought out by the caramelization. Perfect.
To all my Vietnamese friends who keep promising to take me out, I am still waiting.

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