Ristorante Piccalo Photos

Portobello Gratinate

Carpaccio De Manzo

Agnolotti Al Porcini

Frutti Di Mare Thermidor

Lemoncello Cake

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ristorante Piccalo Review

Ristorante Piccalo

1068 31st St NW  

Washington, DC 20007
(202) 342-7414

http://piccolodc.com/

Ristorante Piccalo is a charming restaurant in the heart of Georgetown.  It’s location in a refurbished row house explains the compact and tight seating.  The foyer of the restaurant is very romantic with dim lighting.  The restaurant spans two levels.  The walls are a warm, copper brown with indigo blue accents.  Wrought iron railings and hard wood floors are elegant additions to the space.  A roaring fireplace upstairs adds to the romantic feel of Ristorante Piccalo.  The service is wonderful.  The staff is very attentive and there to answer any questions you have and provide whatever you may need. 

Now for the bad news, the food was a major disappointment.  The cuisine was nowhere near as nice as the service and atmosphere.  The flavoring of the food was boring.  The menu’s creativity was lacking.  How can a chef/restaurant owner pour so much time, money and effort into making a restaurant look and feel great but turn around and serve barely mediocre food?  We just could not figure that part out.  Even the people dining next to us said their meal was “ok”.  The chef knew how to cook food well but it lacked flavor and panache.  Some fresh herbs can transform a dish from ok to amazing. 

The prices at Ristorante Piccalo are not too bad considering this is Washington DC.  An average 3 course meal would run you $45-$50 per person.  That is way too much money for subpar food.  If the food were to improve this would be a great restaurant for date night because of its romantic feel and the pampering you would receive from the staff.  They do not offer valet parking but there is a garage right next door to the restaurant and you can park there for $10.  Overall we give Ristorante Piccalo ♪♪. 

Portobello Gratinate

To sum it up, this was a crispy Portobello mushroom with crabmeat on top.  They baked it in a light mushroom demi glace.  It was perfectly cooked and the crabmeat did not have a lot of filler, unfortunately the dish lacked flavor.    

Carpaccio De Manzo

This finely sliced beef tenderloin was served raw and accented with EVOO, capers and shaved parmesan.  The texture of the beef was good but it lacked flavor and needed the cheese and capers to add flavor.  The chef also managed to forget the EVOO.  It’s sad because this dish needed all the help it could get. 

Agnolotti Al Porcini

This dish boasted its acclaim as a “Taste of Georgetown” winning entree…If they say so.  Needless to say, they did not consider our vote.  The good news is the pasta was handmade and the mushrooms were fresh and finely minced.  We enjoyed the delicateness of the pasta.  On the flip side it had NO distinguishable flavor…BORING!

Frutti Di Mare Thermidor

Lobster, scallops and shrimp were sautéed with shallots and a light brandy cream sauce.   Eating this dish was like having an Oscar worth script and a lavish set with mediocre acting.  This was so very sad and disappointing.

Lemoncello Cake

We have decided that this chef needs to stick with desserts.  It is clearly his strength.  This cake was DELICIOUS.  Light, fluffy and airy best describe this sweet treat. 

Chocolate Mousse Cake

This cake was also light and fluffy with a cool and creamy chocolate mousse.  The deserts were by far the best part of the meal.    

Salt Tavern Photos

Cape May Fluke Cerviche

Pork Belly Confit with Duck Egg

Chili Glazed Tiger Fish

Rabbit Confit with Pasta 

Goat Cheese Donuts with Lavender Scented Honey

Peanut Butter Tart

Salt Tavern Review

Salt Tavern

2127 E Pratt Street  

Baltimore, MD 21231
(410) 276-5480

http://www.salttavern.com

Salt Tavern is nestled in the heart of Baltimore’s Butcher Hill.  The restaurant is located on the bottom floor of an old corner row home.  If you drive by too fast you might miss it.  The food is best described as American Comfort food with a strong Asian and French flair.  Many of the dishes are robust and heavy, which simply warm the soul.  Salt is a small eatery barely seating 50 people.  We highly recommend making a reservation.  Salt Tavern is not on Opentable table so you will have to call them to make your reservation.  The décor is warm and sophisticated.  Exposed brick walls and large open windows looking out onto the street, create a warm and cozy atmosphere, while the navy blue and lime green paint and decorations create a modern and sophisticated charm.  There is a large bar in the front room that is often teaming with people eating and enjoying time with friends.  Parking is a BEAR at this restaurant.  We circled the block for 45 minutes trying to find a parking space.  They do not have valet and there are no parking lots or garages in the area.  It’s all neighborhood street parking.  The service at Salt is good.  We have been going for a few years now and the same wait staff is still there.  As is typical with all good restaurants, the chef hosts a seasonal menu.  It changes with what’s fresh and new from the local farmers and markets.  The prices at Salt Tavern are moderate.  You can expect to spend about $50 per person for a 3 course meal.  We recommend Salt as a great place to eat with friends for dinner or for a date night.  Overall we give Salt Tavern ♪♪♪♪.

Cape May Fluke Cerviche

Fluke has a heavy fishy flavor which Melissa loves.  The chef complimented the raw fish with a citrusy sauce which added a wonderful sweetness and tartness.  The cilantro opened and awakend the pallet, giving this dish a wonderful freshness, and adding a delicious floral overtone.  This dish was light, bright and airy while still remaining wintery.  It was wonderful and unlike anything we have ever had before.      

Pork Belly Confit with Duck Egg

Imagine French toast made with Brioche with a soft boiled duck egg inside.  Then set a rich, charred hunk of bacon (or in this case pork belly) on top and drizzle the whole thing with maple syrup.  That’s exactly what this chef did.  This dish was so rich, warm and delicious.  The play on textures was amazing, crunchy to soft to creamy…Heaven! 

Chili Glazed Tiger Fish

We had never tasted tiger fish before; it is reminiscent of Rock fish.  It has a flaky white flesh that it nice and firm.  The use of ingredients created a sweet and savory combination that was perfection.  He also added a BBQ pork belly and lentils that made this dish amazing.  It was such a warm and delicious dish. 

Rabbit Confit with Pasta

This meal was the epitome of comfort food.  Fresh homemade pasta with confit’ed rabbit and large chunks of Parmesan cheese made for a foodies paradise.  This dish was warm, rich and soothing.  It tasted like something a grandma would make.  It was perfect for a cold winter’s night. 

Peanut Butter Tart

This tart was surprising because it looked much heavier than it was.  The peanut filling was super light, almost like a mousse.  The crust was a bit too heavy and the chocolate was a bit too thick considering how light the peanut butter filling was, but we forgave the chef for his oversight. 

Goat Cheese Donuts with Lavender Scented Honey

I know this dessert sounds crazy…but trust us you don’t want to miss out on this.  These little cheesy treasures are AMAZING!  They are warm, soft and savory.  The lavender honey is hot and sweet.  The combination of salty and sweet is enough to make you smack somebody.  The espresso ice cream is wonderful because it allows you to clean your pallet after each bite.  This is one of our all time favorite desserts. 

Bobby Van's Photos

Colossal Crab Cocktail

Sweet Chili Calamari

Sesame Encrusted Tuna

Roasted Pork Chop

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Key Lime Tart

Bobby Van's Review

Bobby Van’s Steak House

1201 New York Ave NW
Washington, DC
(202) 589-1504

Bobby Van’s is a chain steak house with 2 locations in Washington DC, 6 locations in New York City and 2 more locations in Long Island.  The atmosphere at the restaurant we visited was dark and heavy.  The walls were a cream color, accented with lots of medium brown wood paneling and hunter green marble.  Old and not at all fabulous chandeliers adorned the ceilings.  The appearance was reminiscent of an old Englishman’s library or study.  It was not the warmest environment.  It actually felt quite stuffy and dated.  We were confused by the strange collection of overgrown wine bottles scattered all over the restaurant.  There were multiple seating areas both upstairs and downstairs, for parties of all sizes.This restaurant seemed to be attached to a large office complex and felt a bit out of place considering its surroundings. 

The service was very good.  Our waitress and her assistants were very helpful and attentive.  When she found out that we were sharing our meals, she asked the kitchen to split the items in the back, which meant that the food came out on two different plates.  That was the first time a restaurant has done that for us and it was a very nice touch.  The food coming out of the kitchen however was far from wonderful.  Much of it was unseasoned, boring and one dish was downright repugnant.  That tomfoolery had to be sent back to the kitchen.  

A mixed crowd of patrons were found throughout the various dining rooms.  If you desire to waste your money and visit, it would be a spot to go with friends.  It is definitely not a kid friendly restaurant.  There is valet parking available for $8 which is not bad for DC.  The prices here are very high considering the lack of quality in the food.  Without our living social discount this meal would have cost us well over a hundred dollars.  With our discount and the food we had to send back our total only came to $40.  We don’t recommend that you waste your time or precious finances at this restaurant.  Overall we give Bobby Van’s Steak House ♪♪. 

Colossal Crab Cocktail

Imagine the biggest jumbo lumps of crabmeat you have ever seen piled high in a bowl.  Now place a delicious homemade cocktail sauce mixed with the perfect amount of horseradish to give it a splendid kick.  That’s Colossal Crab Cocktail.  This was by far the best dish of the night.  Imagine that…it was the only dish that did not have to be cooked.  Lol

Sweet Chili Calamari

The chef attempted to fry calamari.  Unfortunately his attempt was an epic fail.  The calamari was tender.  However his heat on the oil was not hot enough so the breading was super soggy and therefore just crumbled and fell off the squid.  It was very greasy and soggy.  The peanut dipping sauce was flavorful and buttery.  The sauce helped to rescue the dish.

Sesame Encrusted Tuna

This tuna was very deceiving.  It came to the table with a brilliantly deep red color that was so very alluring and tantalizing.  Once we bit into the fish it was bland and flavorless.  We were duped, hoodwinked and bamboozled.  That beautiful fish had as much flavor as a shoelace.  Fortunately there was some seaweed in this dish and it added some flavor and depth to the dish. 

Roasted Pork Chop

This poor little piggy was treated with so much disrespect that we almost called PETA and the ASPCA.  They roasted that poor chop until it was dry as the Sahara Desert and hard as a 10 foot cement wall.  It had NO and I do mean NO flavor what so ever, not even a flake of pepper.  Thank God we did not order a steak.  I’m scared of what they would have done to it.  Then the chef had the nerve to add this rancid, repugnant concoction that was so bad we had to spit it out of our mouth.  It was this pureed oniony, pickle flavored craziness that was sweet, salty, sour and unidentifiable.  It was the nastiest thing I have ever tasted.  Our faces twisted up like a baby who had just had their first taste of lemon.  When the waitress came to the table I asked her, “What in the world was that mess?”  She replied chutney.  I have had a lot of chutney in my lifetime and that was the worst rendition of chutney I have ever tasted.  Chutney makers around the world should revolt and protest.

Dark Chocolate Mousse

The mousse was not too bad.  It was light and fluffy, while at the same time rich and creamy.  The chef added pineapple to the dish and it reminded us of a fresh pineapple upside down cake. 

Key Lime Tart

The key lime filling in this tart was more akin to a mousse than the standard custard.  It was much like a key lime meringue.  The crust was way too heavy considering the lightness of the filling.