Photo by Nickoo.
Dish of the Week: Tomatoes
Where: Jaleo, The Pig, your local farm stand
On the last Wednesday in August, residents of Buñol, Spain pelt each other with nearly 40 tons of tomatoes in an epic, lycopene-fueled food fight. And while that may be all well and good for the people of Spain, a late-summer tomato is a terrible thing to waste. Now is the time when your local farmers market is overflowing with heirloom gems, and even the conventional tomatoes at the grocery store are good. Come February you’ll miss these juicy fruits when you bite into a mealy, anemic slice on your burger or salad.
In celebration of (or perhaps atonement for) all the tomatoes tossed in Buñol, Jaleo (480 7th Street NW) is offering a special tomato-centric menu through September 15. Sample the Tarta de Tomates con Paleta Iberica de Bellota, a savory tomato tart with Iberico ham made from acorn-fed pigs, or cool down with a tomato and strawberry sorbet finished off with tangy yogurt foam. There’s even a tomato-based cocktail made with tomato water (that flavorful liquid the tomato gives up when you slice it open), white ale, lime, and cumin salt.
Now is also a great time to order that gazpacho or heirloom tomato salad on special at various restaurants around town. I recently sampled a lovely salad of tomatoes, pickled nectaries, and burrata cheese at brunch at The Pig (1320 14th Street NW). The combination of lightly pickled nectarines adds a second dimension to the tomato’s inherent sweet-tangy quality. And pillowy burrata would taste good on an old shoe, but here it gives the salad richness while a dusting of toasted sesame seeds satisfies the need for some crunch. Still, it doesn’t take a restaurant to made good with the season’s best tomatoes. Even a plain ol’ BLT can become transcendent with a ripe tomato, so get slicing.
Small Bites
Bread for the people
Mark Furstenburg, founder of Marvelous Market and outspoken critic of D.C.’s food scene, will be opening up a bakery in Van Ness. Bread Furst, located at 4434 Connecticut Avenue NW, is scheduled for a February opening. Look for a wide selection of carbs, from croissants and scones to cookies and pie, along with plenty of artisan loaves.
Restaurant Week redux: Turkish edition
Next Friday kicks off Turkish Restaurant Week, running from September 13-23. However, unlike the regular ol’ Restaurant Week, the deals will be extra good: $18 for a three course lunch or $30 for a four course dinner. Participating restaurants include Agora, Cafe Divan, and Zaytinya. Check out the full list of participating restaurants or book your table online.
Movin’ on up
Kangaroo Boxing Club (3410 11th St NW) is getting a second floor this winter. The restaurant and bar will close in February to begin construction with a target completion date in the spring. In addition to expanded seating, KBC will re-open with new menu items, including ribs. The upstairs will also double as a secret marsupial boxing arena community event space.
Georgetown, now with 100 percent more margarita-filled patio
The ever-popular El Centro is opening up their second location today in Georgetown (1218 Wisconsin Ave NW). Like its sister restaurant, there will be an outdoor patio, plenty of tequila, and excellent nightly food and drink specials – $4 drinks from 5-7 p.m., $6 food specials from 5-9 p.m., and a $6 late-night menu from 11 p.m.-2 a.m.
