Photo by Josh Novikoff.
Dish of the Week: Double Fried Tofu
Where: Mango Tree
The photo may not be a great one. But the table could not help but ravage the plate.
Mango Tree‘s tow hoot tod, a double fried tofu off their appetizer menu, is a drool worthy option in CityCenterDC for vegetarians, and meat-eaters certainly won’t miss the lack of animal on the plate. Brining the bean curd keeps it juicy when it’s dredged and batter fried. Once an order comes in, the pre-fried tofu is fried again to get it crispy, mixed within a pile of lettuces, flowers, green and red onions, and dressed with a creamy peanut-coconut dressing. The tofu is full of flavor from the brine while the sauce clings to the cubes’ golden border.
It’s a dish that chef Adrian Salazar says everybody likes. Salazar was part of the January opening team at Mango Tree after a stint as sous chef at Zaytinya. When the restaurant cut ties with restaurateur Richard Sandoval and ended the Latin direction, they appointed the youthful Salazar as executive chef, giving him free reign to overhaul the menu with his explorations of contemporary Thai cuisine.
Small Bites
Half Price Drinks at Joes, Now for Cocktail Hour and Brunch
Earlier this spring, Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak, & Stone Crab (750 15th Street NW) began offering one of the earliest happy hours in the city. Cocktail hour in the elegant Banking Hall starts at 2:30, lasts until 6:30, and includes cheap crab rolls, oyster po’ boys, oysters, mac & cheese sticks, and half priced beers, wines, and signature cocktails. Those half-priced drink offerings will also be available at Joe’s weekend brunch to help wash down dishes like colossal lump crab cake benedict and poached eggs Oscar with Alaskan king crab.
Macon Artisan Dinner Series
Macon Bistro & Larder (5520 Connecticut Ave) is launching an Artisan Dinner Series weaving local artisanal goods into the evening’s menu. The first one, on July 29, will feature vinegars from Lindera Farms in Virginia with five-courses at the restaurant that feature the small batch vinegars. Dinner is $65 per person, not inclusive of tax and gratuity. Seating is limited to 16 people and reservations can be made by e-mailing ajohnosn@maconbistro.com.
BRGR Bash
This Saturday, the third annual BRGR Bash returns to Gateway Park (1300 Lee Hwy, Arlington) from noon until 6:00. Tickets range from $19 for a single-burger veggie option to $45 for a VIP pass, (buying before Saturday will net you an early bird discount). Each ticket entitles attendees to a pre-selected flight of 2.5 oz burgers from four of the sixteen restaurants competing in this year’s burger thunderdome (you don’t get to mix-and-match yourself), and if you want to try more than four burgers you’ll need to buy more than one ticket. The event will also feature beer from DC Brau, Atlas Brew Works, Old Ox Brewery, and Old Bust Head as well as live music from the bands Jamison and Double O Soul, White Ford Bronco, The Original Moonlighters, and Jeff from Accounting. — Jacob Dean
BBQ World
If stuffing your face with burgers on Saturday can’t fill the emptiness inside, how about unlimited BBQ? This Sunday, Mess Hall (703 Edgewood Street NE) hosts BBQ World, a gut busting smorgasbord of meat from DCity Smokehouse (which will be closing their shop for the day) and Sloppy Mama’s. Also on site for the festivities will be the founders of DC Brau, Westray’s Finest Ice Cream (who will be selling boozy milkshakes made with vodka from One Eight Distilling), and Logan Sausage. Regular admission will run you $60, while an $80 VIP admission gets you a complimentary boozy milkshake, a doggy bag for after the event, and the ability to skip the line at any point. All ticket purchasers can also opt to add $5 to their ticket price, which will be donated to Miriam’s Kitchen. — Jacob Dean
Denizens First Anniversary
Denizens Brewing Co. (1115 East-West Hwy, Silver Spring) celebrates their 1-year anniversary this weekend. The festivities begin on Thursday, but visit the brewery on Saturday for a party featuring happy hour prices all day long, an anniversary beer release, and live music from DJ Sway and Sound Maker’s Union. — Jacob Dean
