I think it's high time I introduce a new series on my blog, something to offer besides just recipes. So without further ado, I give you Tasty Travels! Every now and then I like to poke my head out of the kitchen to see what else is going on out there in this big world of ours. A huge source of my inspiration as a chef comes from the things I see (and taste!) on my trips. So now whenever I travel somewhere new I'll be remembering to put on my blogger cap. That way I'll be able to share my inspirations with you- the activities, the adventures and of course, always my favorite part of the trip- the food!
First up, our nation's capital. I went for a long (but too short) weekend to visit a good friend of mine from Santa Barbara who now lives there. It was wonderful having a built in tour guide to show me around. And what an amazing time to travel to the East Coast. Even though I just missed the cherry blossoms, I loved seeing the intense green colors and floral abundance as we strolled along the National Mall taking in the monuments. Hello Springtime!
And the tulips. Tulips as far as the eye can see...I just adore tulips.
After a full day of sightseeing, our tired feet dragged us over to a patio table at Circa at Dupont for a large glass of Sauvignon Blanc, some killer people watching and a calamari frito misto that really hit the spot. The fried lemon slices were the best part, I ate them whole! Wouldn't you?
That night we dined at Cava Mezze in Capitol Hill, a Greek tapas venue that was unfortunately much too dimly lit to snap even one proper photo. Nonetheless there were many standouts on the menu, including a whipped barrel aged feta with jalapeño dubbed "Crazy Feta," and an insanely good shrimp mezze with an Ouzo-dill cream sauce and fresh tomatoes that I am just DYING to recreate.
Definitely deserving of the Le Petit Chef Stamp of Approval.
Another memorable dining experience was the Sunday Brunch at Ardeo Bardeo, featuring a Spring-centric menu...
Chilled Asparagus Soup with Goat Cheese Mousse and Pinenut Praline, poured table side
Asparagus Fettuccine with a Poached Egg
...and all you can drink Champagne for only $27. Our kind of place.
Afterwards, we may or may not have taken a tipsy little jaunt to the Smithsonian National Zoo (it's free!).
A good time was had by all.
Let me know what you think of my first Tasty Travels post in the comments! I'll have more posts like this from my recent trips to San Francisco and San Diego coming up soon, and some new recipes too!
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