Photo courtesy of Oceanaire.
Dish of Week: Baked Alaska
Where: Oceanaire, Mintwood Place, DBGB Kitchen and Bar
Snowzilla put D.C.’s snowfall total ahead of Anchorage, Alaska. While last weekend was one potent taste of the Last Frontier, next week brings a more flavorful tribute to our northernmost state: February 1 is National Baked Alaska Day. The showy, retro dessert has its own holiday, creating an irresistible excuse to partake. Usually sized to serve several people, Baked Alaska is made of cake and ice cream coated in meringue. It’s baked at high heat for a hot second to firm the meringue without melting the ice cream. For extra oomph, it’s often flambeed tableside in a boozy blaze.
District diners can find this throwback at DBGB Kitchen and Bar (931 H Street NW), Mintwood Place (1813 Columbia Road NW), and Oceanaire (1201 F Street NW), among other restaurants. It’s on the house at Oceanaire on February 1, complementary with the purchase of two one entree.
Small Bites
WTF: What the Falooda
Say hello to Burmese falooda, a dessert drink launching stateside at EatsPlace (3607 Georgia Ave NW) midday Saturday. A mother-daughter company called Toli Moli is the creative source behind this Burmese treat, a popular street food in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Toli Moli’s thoughtful interpretation combines textures, shapes, colors, and flavors into a mystifying glass of liquids, semi-solids, crunchy bits, spongy squares, and more. The initial menu includes three flavors that range from $7 to 9: the Royal Falooda, a combination of pomegranate-ginger jellies (similar to jello), ginger milk, and vanilla ice cream, topped with rose water syrup, pumpkin seeds, and slivered almonds; the Black Eye contains cold brew coffee jellies, sweetened iced coffee, and vanilla ice cream, topped with condensed milk and a crumble of oats, ground coffee, cookie, and marshmallow; and the vegan and gluten-free Mango Mogul contains mango-carrot jellies, fresh mango, turmeric milk, and mango sorbet, topped with rose water syrup, coconut, and pistachios. The launch runs from 11 a.m. until they’re sold out or 3 p.m. The event is not ticketed, so Toli Moli advises guests to arrive early for this one-day launch event. If you miss it, watch for another pop-up in February at a different location.
Restaurant Week Extended
Snowzilla took a monstrous bite out of Winter Restaurant Week, which was set for January 25-31. As we reported Monday, almost all participating restaurants are continuing their RW specials through February 3, and a good number are going many days beyond. To plan accordingly, consult the handy scorecard of restaurants staying in the RW game.
Seasonal Savory Biscuits
Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. (1309 5th Street NE) is expanding their menu. The Union Market stand has added a special weekly feature. Every Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m., patrons can order a hearty, savory dish of the week. Think beef bourguignon, chicken curry, or barbecue pulled chicken.
Italian + Indian = Curry & Pie
When it comes to winter comfort food, there’s no such thing as too much information. So, we are sharing our discovery of Curry & Pie (1204 34th Street NW), a three-month-old restaurant in Georgetown’s west end. Following a tip from an enthusiastic DCist reader, we journeyed to the river’s edge to conduct essential research. Our fact-finding mission concludes thusly: combining the comforts of curry with the year-around need for pizza is a novel idea and a fine dinner. The menu has traditional curries, classic pizzas, and a mash-up of the cuisines. Have your Indian curry as a pizza. Drawing from the Americas, there’s a Tandoori chicken tamale and Tandoori wings. Traditional Indian chaat is served atop a bed of fries, translating to French fry chaat. There are sweet potato samosas, because why not? Just know that the drink menu is sobering—the restaurant doesn’t have a liquor license, so you’ll have to rationalize it as a school night dinner.
Valentine’s Day Preview: “Bite Me”
The new Harper Macaw Chocolate Factory (3160 Bladensburg Road NE) is serving a Valentine’s Day pairing menu of locally made eats and drinks. The event is appropriately titled “Bite Me: A Pairing Menu of Local Provisions & Concoctions” and features items from Atlas Brew Works, Pie Sisters, Sona Creamery, and more. Groups and individuals are also welcome. Seatings are February 12 and 14 and cost $100 for the four-course affair. A limited number of early bird tickets are available for $85.
SAVOR Week Beers Announced
While still months away, The Brewers Association’s premier food and tasting event, SAVOR, has released the list of breweries who will be pouring some of their finest beers at the National Building Museum on June 3 and 4. Right Proper was the only brewer from D.C. chosen in the lottery system. While no Maryland breweries were chosen, Virginia’s Adroit Theory Brewing and Center of the Universe Brewing Co. were lucky enough to get picked. Regional sponsors Flying Dog, Port City, Hardywood, and Devil’s Backbone will also be in attendance. With an event that has such a sought-after ticket (often selling out in minutes), the week leading up to SAVOR has all the breweries who are coming into in town setting up dozens of events throughout the city for all to partake in without having to track down a ticket. Keep your eyes peeled for DCist’s SAVOR Week coverage this spring. —John Fleury
