Photo by (Mike Mozart)
Dish of the week: Artichokes
Where to find it: Lupo Verde, All-Purpose, Bibiana, Estadio, Bistrot du Coin,Panas Gourmet, Ghibellina, We, the Pizza, Righteous Cheese, Old Ebbitt Grill, District Chophouse
April showers will bring not only May flowers to D.C., but also an abundance of fresh and scrumptious artichokes.
Although artichokes are (technically speaking) categorized as vegetables on the official food pyramid, these edible globes are actually the pre-mature flower buds of a variety of thistle native to the Mediterranean. Luckily for us all, this robust and spiky delight made its way to America over a century ago, with March through May being peak artichoke season in the United States. While staples like spinach and artichoke dip can be enjoyed year round, now is really the time to eat everything artichoke and capitalize on the vegetable’s peak freshness.
Italian restaurants are a good place to start when looking for a tasty choke or two. Lupo Verde (1401 T St. NW) offers up the Roman classic Carciofi alla Guidea, also called Artichokes Jewish-style, which are fried crispy and tossed with salt and pepper. All-Purpose (1250 9th St. NW) tosses baby artichokes with romesco, oregano, and orange ramp ranch while Bibiana (1100 New York Ave. NW) smothers their fried artichokes in mint, lemon, and Pecorino Romano on its spring menu.
After saving a taste of Roman cooking, feel free to branch out across D.C.’s broader Mediterranean culinary scene for a greater diversity of offerings. Estadio (1520 14th St. NW) serves up a Spanish-style pinxtos of anchovies, artichokes, and olives, while Bistrot du Coin (1738 Connecticut Ave. NW) tosses baby artichokes with asparagus and Parmesan, serving all this goodness on a bed of greens.
For something a little different, there’s also Panas Gourmet (2029 P St. NW), where these green guys get stuffed into empanadas with a hearty combination of brie and mushrooms, as well as a fleet of District pizza joints, like Ghibellina (1610 14th St. NW) and We, The Pizza (305 Pennsylvania Ave. SE) that serve generous portions of artichokes on a classic pizza pie. And the happy hour deal at Ghibellina is a particularly good one, as you can dig in to an olive and artichoke pizza with sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzerella for $10 (Monday and Tuesday 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday through Sunday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.)
But for those who want their classic, year-round fix, you can’t forget good old spinach and artichoke dip. Righteous Cheese in Union Market (1309 5th St. NE) smothers it on a mind-blowing grilled cheese. District staple Old Ebbitt Grill (675 15th St. NW) mixes it with fresh crab, and plenty of other establishments, such as District Chophouse & Brewery (509 7th St. NW) serve it up straight with pita bread and chips.
