Brussels sprouts at Ardeo+Bardeo. Photo by tedeytan.

Dish of the Week: Crispy Brussels sprouts

Where: Ardeo+Bardeo, Graffiato, Zaytinya

Brussels sprouts have been making a come back for a while now. Once a bad culinary memory from many of our childhoods’, Brussels sprouts are quickly becoming a restaurant menu trope. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

The new Brussels sprout is not some grayish, slimey ball of vegetable matter boiled within an inch of it’s life, hiding out at school cafeterias and bad Thanksgiving dinners. It turns out that the true potential of these tiny little cabbages is best unlocked by roasting, frying, or sauteing them until crisp and caramelized. This diminishes Brussels sprouts’ somewhat sulfurous flavor, transforming it into something sweet and nutty.

There are lots of restaurants in D.C. that make a mean Brussels sprout, but for the ultimate in crunch, you must go to Zaytinya. Only here is the majority of the vegetable actually crispy without being overcooked or burnt. A drizzle of creamy garlic yogurt sauce helps heighten the textural contrast and adds a nice tangy bite. Graffiato, on the other hand, offers the diner a perfect marriage of sweet and savory, pairing pancetta with maple on their sprouts. With the weather turning chilly, it’s an ideal fall dish.

Small Bites

Cupcakes for a cause
If you need an excuse to splurge on a cupcake, it might as well be for charity. On Monday, Sprinkles Cupcakes in Georgetown will be donating 100% of the proceeds from the sale of red velvet cupcakes to the Red Cross’ Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. The cupcakes will, naturally, be decorated with the organization’s signature red cross.

Lamb, the better red meat
Urbana plays host to a Lamb Feast this Sunday from 5-8 p.m. Chef John Critchey has been racking up awards around town for his lamb preparations and will be serving everything from roasted leg of lamb to lamb nachos and lamb pupusas. Tickets are $40, available online.

Till we eat again…
British-inspired gastropub Againn closed its doors on Sunday, according to Washingtonian. Againn opened in 2009 and was known for their extensive selection of 130 different types of Scotch.