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By DCist Contributor Jenny Holm
Dish of the Week: Goulash
Where: Domku, Bistro Bohem, Old Europe
Let’s face it: you’re cold, everyone you know has been sick sometime in the past two weeks, and despite your New Year’s resolution, the last thing you want to eat is anything resembling salad. This week, satisfy all your cravings with a steaming bowl of goulash, Central Europe’s not-so-secret weapon to beat back the winter blues.
The dish originated in Hungary, where herdsman (from whom the stew took its name) left cooked meat to dry in the sun, then packed it into bags made from sheep’s stomachs from which it could be reconstituted into soup with just a little water.
Thankfully, nobody’s aiming for that kind of authenticity. Today, goulash (spelled variously depending on the nationality of the person you ask) implies a thick, slow-cooked beef stew, typically seasoned with paprika and served over egg noodles. Onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and caraway seed are common additions. It’s just the kind of healthy yet stick-to-your-bones meal you need at a time like January.
You can get yourself some goulash at Domku (821 Upshur Street NW) in Petworth, where it’s served with chicken over mashed potatoes. Keep the warm feeling going with a glass of spiced Swedish glogg. In Shaw, head to Bistro Bohem (600 Florida Avenue NW), the cozy Czech restaurant and café, where the goulash is made with soft bread dumplings instead of noodles. Wash it down with any of several house cocktails made with Becherovka, an herbal Czech liqueur developed by an 18th century pharmacist as a cure for stomach ailments. And the Glover Park German standby, Old Europe (2434 Wisconsin Avenue NW), ladles out goulash two ways: as an entree stew with house-made spätzle, red cabbage and apples, or as a brothier, vegetable-laden starter soup. Try it with a German red wine or an anise-scented digestif.
Small Bites
2 Birds, 1 Stone Goes Under the Sea
Get your reservations now for aspiring seafood counter and market Albright Special’s first public preview dinner at 2 Birds, 1 Stone (1800 14th Street NW) just after Valentine’s Day. The culinary might behind Albright Special comes from Brittany Frick, formerly chef de cuisine at Doi Moi and pastry chef at Estadio, and Greg Kakaletris, a familiar front of house face from Estadio and 2 Birds, 1 Stone. The menu for the nine-course meal hasn’t been released, but will likely feature the same kind of clean, unfussy dishes planned for the seafood counter itself: crudo, oysters, smoked mussels, steamed crab legs, chowder, etc. There are still tickets available for diners on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 8:30 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $47 per person and are available here . Beer and wine cost extra.
Get Your Game Gut On
Everyone’s got something to cheer about even if your team’s not in the game next Sunday. All four D.C.-area Shake Shack locations will be giving out two pints of frozen custard for the price of one from Thursday, January 29 through Sunday, February 1. Vinoteca (1940 11th Street NW) will offer 15 wines for $5 a glass, as well as $5 Peronis and specials on bar snacks at their low-key viewing party, which kicks off at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Jack Rose (2007 18th Street NW) will show the game in conjunction with a competition of their own, this one centered around beer and barbecue. Choose from a $10 plate of either Carolina-style chicken barbecue with mustard sauce and jalapeno cornbread or Kansas City-style pulled pork barbecue with a sweet and spicy red sauce and potato salad, plus plenty of other snacks. They’ll also be pouring $5 pints of select Flying Dog and 3 Stars beers all night, along with $6 glasses of punch and several $7 whiskeys.
Did Someone Say Mexican Baklava?
Bloomingdale’s two-month old SoCal Mexican spot, El Camino (108 Rhode Island Avenue NW), starts serving brunch this weekend (11 a.m. – 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday). Get excited for migas (scrambled eggs with onions, peppers, chorizo, queso fresco, and tortilla strips), green chili breakfast tacos, and “Mexican baklava” with maple sugar, cumin, and pumpkin seeds. They’ll also be serving their full drink menu.
So Many Menus, So Little Time
Starting on Wednesday, January 28, Rogue24 (922 N Street NW) will roll out new three- and five-course menus every two weeks, serving a total of 24 different menus over the course of 2015. The three-course menu goes for $45 per person, while the five-course comes in at $65. Beverage pairing are available for an additional charge. The first menu in the series features choices including chipped foie gras with quince jam, toasted pierogi with brussels sprout leaves (D.C.’s favorite!), and duck breast with horseradish spatzel.
