Girl Meets Food

Full disclosure: This post is based on two visits, one paid out-of-pocket and one at the invitation of management.

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Remember summer nights spent as a kid catching fireflies in a jar? That’s the relaxed mood Firefly in Dupont Circle aims to inspire.  At the entrance, you are greeted with a large, floor-to-ceiling “firefly tree,” hung with candles and lanterns.  To the right is a tiny bar situated in front of a partially-open kitchen.  In the cozy dining room, the low ceiling does little to dampen the noise of a bustling crowd.

On this Sunday afternoon, whatever relaxed mood Firefly seeks to replicate fireflies right out the window when rowdy twenty-somethings still wearing clothes from the night before are involved.  On my previous brunch visit, the lone waiter seemed harried and absent-minded, rescued by managers and complimentary mimosas.

The focus of both visits has been the very unique Elvis sandwich ($12).  Warm, gooey peanut butter, very ripe bananas, and sticky maple honey are punctuated by the contrast of crisp, smoky bacon.  All on the softest slices of toasty challah bread.

This is a sandwich I’d make if I were a child home alone. The grown-up in me substituted truffle fries for an additional $4.  These crispy shoestrings are hot, salty and fragrant with musky truffles and garlic.

The hog roll ($13) is truly a man’s manwich for a man’s appetite such as Ken Noli’s.  Cradled on a hot, chewy French baguette, the fried oysters were soggy and tasteless; thankfully they are brightened by savory, grilled Italian sausage with a firm snap.  Sautéed red bell peppers, onions and fries complete this very filling, very hearty sandwich.

Perfectly poached eggs seem to be too much to ask, but at Firefly, they are effortless.  Elegant eggs Florentine ($13) balance soft, silky yolks on a bed of creamy spinach and Hollandaise sauce. The home fries were slightly greasy but very good and comforting.

Tofutti Cutie ordered the French toast ($12), made with the same heavenly challah bread that makes ye forgive thy rambunctious dining neighbors.  With subtle flavors of orange and vanilla, it is delicious with real maple syrup and apple-raisin compote.

Spirited earth-child Tofutti Cutie enjoyed the eco-friendly cardboard doggie bags, gluten-free menu, and the fact that Firefly supports local purveyors such as Dolcezza Gelateria, Cowgirl Creamery, and the Tuscarora Organic Growers Co-op.

Noise level is usually not a concern for me, however Tofutti Cutie and I agree that the acoustics at Firefly makes it more suitable for after a night of partying in Dupont Circle.

Roll in for Sunday brunch in your pajamas and score free coffee.  Wear pajamas with fireflies on them and score a free cocktail.  You can find Firefly’s extensive menus for all-day dining plus gluten-free here.

Firefly at The Madera Hotel
1310 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
202.861.1310

Breakfast:
Monday – Friday, 7 am – 10 am

Lunch:
Monday – Friday, 11:30 am – 2:30 pm

Brunch:
Saturday & Sunday, 9 am – 2 pm

Dinner:
Sunday – Thursday, 5:30 pm to 10 pm
Friday & Saturday, 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm

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Full disclosure: I got a free meal out of this. However, there’s nothing I like more than a good kvetch. So if something’s not kosher, I’ll be sure to let you know.

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Since arriving sixteen years ago, there are two things I refuse to eat in D.C.—one of them is Italian food.  Up until recent years, D.C. was at the mercy of restaurants like Romano’s Macaroni Grill, which its very name is offensive to Italians (it was started by a Texas businessman).

Then on the other end of the spectrum was the late Maestro at the Ritz Carlton, which was needlessly expensive for Italian food.

Seared scallops; shrimp and avocado in the background.

You know I used to get a heaping plate of hot linguine with steaming whole clams at Giovanni’s in Queens for nine bucks?  That’s the way Italian food should be—delicious, satisfying and affordable.

So only at the invitation of Floriana’s management was I willing to break one of my cardinal D.C. dining rules.  Naturally, I left the gun and took my Ken Noli along for a second opinion.

Before you enter this converted Victorian rowhouse, you’ll pass Floriana’s outdoor patio, with wrought-iron two-tops and chairs, perfect for observing the drama on 17th Street or establishing base camp before a raucous night out in Dupont Circle.  The bar downstairs is cozy, modern and whimsical, decorated by colorful party lights and a wall of liquor.

Ken Noli and I sat in the main dining room of golden lights, warm red walls, ornate fireplace, and pressed linens.  It looks like the dining room of a doting Italian grandmother who isn’t afraid to hit you in the head with a broom.

Less threatening but just as attentive was our server Chad, with whom we left all menu decisions.

If words like buttery, rich and creamy make you smile, order the refreshing shrimp and avocado appetizer ($12), drizzled with a creamy lemon aioli.  Spectacularly delicious on my previous visit as well.

Classic lasagna

With it, try the Kir Italiano ($10), a wine cocktail made with Moscato D’Asti and Campari; it is ruby-red, sweet and bubbly.

Seared scallops ($12) are soft and sweet against a caramelized crust of balsamic-mandarin Grand Marnier reduction.  Tender spears of asparagus are delicious bystanders which succumb as well to the thickened acidic glaze.

Floriana’s traditional lasagna ($17) layers ground beef, chunky tomato sauce and warm, melted mozzarella.  This is a hearty, put-meat-on-your-skinny-bones dinner like Nana made.  Wash it down with a fruity, medium-bodied Avignonese Super Tuscan.

If the classic lasagna is a rustic Sonny Corleone, then the tortelloni mignon ($19) is his brother Michael—smooth, intriguing, and classy; homemade pillows filled with grilled, chopped filet mignon in a bright tomato-cream sauce.

For dessert, the simple, exquisite bomba is a chocolate shell that hides creamy vanilla and chocolate ice cream.  Enjoy it with a flute of effervescent, sweet Casorzo Voulet.

Take advantage of Floriana’s extensive wine list every Wednesday and Sunday when all bottles of wine are half-price.  That means you can order a bottle of Veuve Clicquot for under $50.  That’s a reason to celebrate!  Or come in Mondays and Tuesdays, when select pastas are half-price as well.

That’s an offer you can’t refuse.

Floriana
1602 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.667.5937

Open Sunday – Thursday 5:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 5:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Full disclosure: I got a free meal out of this. However, there’s nothing I like more than a good kvetch. So if something’s not kosher, I’ll be sure to let you know.

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I always thought a locavore was a dinosaur that was too lazy to hunt for food. You know, like how a manatee just waits around for algae to drift into its mouth.

I can’t say I disagree with that mentality.  So I was thrilled to discover that not only do I not have to go far for my food, my food does not come from afar.

Photo: Flickr TPWP

Cafe Saint Ex, the place best known as a laid-back bar for drinks with friends, and great music in the basement Gate 54, is lovingly named after Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the French writer and aviator.

Saint Ex has a clean, dark, masculine aviation motif with lots of neutral colors and dark wood, feeling worn in and comfortable like a classy pub.

Few people know that Chef Billy Klein has been quietly pumping out incredible cuisine with his unique, fun and daring style of cooking.  He likes to experiment with different ingredients, and doesn’t apologize for it.

If you are part of the local food movement, you’ll be happy to know that Saint Ex gets its ingredients from local farmers’ markets like 14th and U, Dupont Circle and Bloomingdale. Chef Billy also relies on reputable local farms like Smith Meadow Farm in Berryville, Virginia; Eco-Friendly Foods in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia; and Path Valley in Pennsylvania, for his meats.

But let’s talk food.  First, the chilled asparagus soup with lemon crème fraiche.  It is like air-conditioning for your soul; cool, creamy—with the smoky, mouth-filling taste of smoked blue foot mushrooms.

The North Carolina tuna ($22) is seared, its center translucent pink and cuts like butter.  Served with a basil-pine nut risotto, smoked wild mushrooms and smashed figs, this was definitely my favorite dish of the night.

Lastly, dessert.  How sweet it is.  Pastry Chef Alison Reed’s almond cake ($8) is made with real almond essence, not that artificial stuff, so it smells like candied almonds, accompanied by chocolate gelato and local blueberries.  Who knew the flavors would go together?

Ask for a seat in the cozy outdoor patio; long, comfortable bar; or a booth by the window, and run, don’t walk, to Saint Ex before these delicious offerings are extinct.

Menu items are subject to change due to availability and season.  See Saint Ex’s sample dinner menu here,

Cafe Saint Ex
1847 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.265.7839

Open Sundays 11:00-1:30 a.m.
Mondays 5:00 p.m.-1:30 a.m.
Tuesdays-Thursdays 11:00-1:30 a.m.
Fridays-Saturdays 11:00-2:30 a.m.