Photo by Lara604.Dish of the Week: BLT
Where: The Black Squirrel, Cafe Saint Ex, The Getaway
In this age of bacon worship, it’s time to make a case for the “t” in BLT. The humble bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich is so deceptively simple that every ingredient really counts—and none more so than the tomato. And while it’s easy enough to get your hands on passable bacon and lettuce year round, good tomatoes are another story. There are few things more disappointing than a pinkish, mealy, flavorless tomato; indeed, this abomination has been the downfall of many a BLT.
Saint Ex and The Getaway have solved the unripe tomato quandary by serving up a fried green tomato BLT. And while it’s hard to go wrong with fried anything, I argue that fresh is still the superior choice. A nice, juicy tomato provides some much needed moisture and squish to an otherwise crunchy sandwich. It also provides a hit of sweetness and acid that play up the saltiness of the bacon and unctuousness of the mayo. In other words, the tomato is the secret star, pulling the entire sandwich together.
Luckily, August is prime tomato season, which means it’s easy to make an out-of-this-world sandwich. These days, the farmers’ market is the best place to build your BLT. Pick up a crusty loaf of bread, a slab of bacon, and take advantage of the rainbow of heirloom tomatoes overflowing from farm stands. I like to mix it up with the less acidic yellow tomatoes, the rich complexity of Cherokee Purples, or the bright, citrusy flavor of Green Zebras. Whatever the variety, you can’t really go wrong this time of year.
Small Bites
Goodbye, Softies
BLT Steak is bidding farewell to soft shell crab season with a special crab-centric menu from August 18-31. Selections include roasted crabs with veal, asparagus, and morels, crispy crab with hummus and zatar, and, of course, a soft shell crab BLT.
Rice Police
Have you always dreamed of eating half-priced sushi while riding around in a vintage cop car? Sticky Rice is raffling off an old school police car, and the winner gets half off their meal any time they pull up to the restaurant in it. Diners will receive a raffle ticket for every $25 spent at Sticky Rice between now and September 15. There is one catch: the winner must keep the car’s original paint job for a minimum of two years.
Beer, Beer, Beer
DC Beer Week is almost over, but you’ve still got one day left to enjoy a plethora of delicious craft beverages. Check out the line-up for Saturday, which includes sour beers at Smoke and Barrel, rare varieties of Bell’s kegs at Churchkey, and a Coney Island-themed celebration on the Jack Rose roofdeck.
