Chez Fonfon (Birmingham, AL)

Chez Fonfon is not a typical Birmingham restaurant. But the master chef of this bistro, Frank Stitt, is not a typical Birmingham chef either. So far I’ve had the pleasure of dining at Fonfon twice, and each time I’ve felt like I’m 21 again, sipping French wine, downing mussels, and marveling at the great city beyond the cozy walls of New York’s Pastis. Fonfon is upscale, yet familiar. I absolutely loved the bar area—high stools and cute silver hardboiled egg holders. For dinner I was fortunate enough to taste a lot of my friend’s bites. On the starter front, we ordered escargot for the table. I’ve never been a fan of snails but this escargot was very tasty—bursting with garlic and oozing butter. I opted for the swordfish which was grilled perfectly and accompanied by a very light artichoke-caper sauce. I thought it was very pleasant, but it didn’t blow me away… probably because it felt too healthy! The coco au vin shined. I do not think I have ever tasted more tender a chicken. The red wine sauce was rich but certainly not overpowering. Desserts were a mixed bag—the German chocolate cake was moist but nothing special, the pot de crème on the other hand was velvet flawlessness. The cocktail list boasted fun drinks with silly names like “Orange Thing” and “Dijon Sidecar.” I downed an impeccable gimlet—tart and fresh. I enjoyed Fonfon so much that I petitioned my co-clerks to have lunch there the next day. One of my co-clerks raved about the Fonfon burger which I was especially eager to try because this burger had taken the coveted “Best Burger Birmingham” title this past year. Unfortunately, I was slightly disappointed. It was a very good burger and there was nothing wrong with it per se. The burger itself was juicy and well seasoned and the veggies were fresh. But, in the words of my favorite blonde burger critic, Victoria, the burger was not burgasmic. I felt it missed that special umph that makes a good burger an outstanding burger. Altogether though, Fonfon is a fabulous place and I look forward to heading back soon! Note however—the restaurant does not take reservations and is extremely crowded.

Relatively Expensive ($$$). 4 out of 5 spoons!

Flip Burger Boutique (Birmingham, AL)

I really like Richard Blais. Scratch that, I love Richard Blais. For those of you with a life (which unlike mine, doesn't revolve around delicious food and television shows that revolve around delicious food), Richard Blais is a culinary genius. He won Top Chef all-stars, beating out Mike Isabella (of DC's Graffiato). He also has a burger place in both Atlanta and Birmingham. When I first learned that I was headed to Alabama for a year, one of my first thoughts was that I would get to try his burger place-- Flip Burger Boutique.

So with eager anticipation I headed there the first day I moved to Birmingham. It did not disappoint. It's super trendy looking-- red/black/white motif. Cool high booths and out door seating.

I ordered the nutella & burnt marshmallow milkshake and the "local" burger. This burger was perfect-- grass-fed beef, cheddar cheese, heirloom tomato, grilled vidalia onion, chow chow, and coca cola ketchup. Chow chow, for those of you who are wondering, is this very excellent Southern relish. Anyway, it was probably the best burger I have ever eaten, and it was huge. I ordered it medium rare (is there any other way?). It was oozing in flavor and juice. Tom opted for the captain crunch milkshake with peanut butter foam and the d+lux burger. The d+lux burger is a black diamond beef, seared foie gras, wild mushrooms, fried shallots, red wine jam, and truffle aioli masterpiece. I only had a bite, but it was pretty fantastic. The milkshakes were also amazing-- super filling and creamy. My nutella milkshake really did come with a top burnt level of marshmallows (which was awesome). Tom's milkshake was also awesome, especially the peanut butter foam. We also split some tempura sweet potato fries that came with chocolate salt and a side of truffle ranch dressing. I don't even like sweet potatoes but they were so delicious, especially with the sauce and the chocolate salt.

Ultimately, I cannot wait to go back!

4.5 spoons (the service was a bit slow). Moderately expensive (the burgers were slightly pricey, especially the $21 d+lux).

Bottega (Birmingham, AL)

Hi friends! I'm back and now in Alabama. I hope to update this a lot more. My new roommate & her boyfriend are not only super nice but also have some good recommendations that I will hit up and report on.

So I knew about Bottega before I came here as I had done some research on the "it" chefs in Birmingham. One of them is Frank Stitt. He's been nominated for a James Beard award a glittering 10 times and won for best Southern chef in 2001.

Unfortunately Bottega did not blow me away but I want to try it again because I didn't quite care for the things I ordered.

Starters: Yelpers described the parmesan souffle as "to die for," so I eagerly started with that. I thought it was "meh"-- it tasted like and somewhat resembled quiche. I don't like quiche but I suppose if you like quiche you would have thought it was good. I did like the mushrooms and prosciutto on the side. Tom started with the red snapper crudo. It was light and the fish was very fresh but I thought the mint warped the flavor. When I was little and misbehaved my mom use to punish me by forcing me to drink mint flavored cod liver oil. It was so gross-- and for some reason the mint on the fish just triggered that taste of the cod liver oil. Tom loved it though-- he called the crudo "beautiful" and "inspired."

Entrees: My entree was also relatively mediocre. I had the pork loin. I thought it was over seasoned (too much pepper for my tastes) and a bit dry. I really enjoy pork with an a jus sauce or a fruit chutney. This pork came with figs which were interesting but didn't really satisfy the craving for a sauce. The farro side was just okay-- kind of bland. But the polenta was divine-- creamy, cheesy, almost like grits. Tom enjoyed the lobster spaghetti with crushed tomatoes and hot chili. I had a bite and it was incredibly flavorful. I wanted more but Tom liked it too much!

Desserts: We split the gelato trio. Usually dessert is not my favorite part of the meal but this gelato was scrumptious. Chocolate Jack-Daniels, fig ricotta, and caramel. All were creamy. Maybe the best gelato I've had (at least in awhile).

I really liked the atmosphere-- very modern, Spanish/Italian feel. The service was a bit slow. They never gave us menus after they brought us our drinks-- I had to ask for the menus. Though I've noticed that about a few of the Southern restaurants so maybe it's just a culture thing?

In short, I wasn't that impressed but I'd like to try it again. And I'm still very interested in trying Stitt's other restaurants-- Highlands & Chez Fonfon.

I should note that Tom LOVED this restaurant and would have rated it 5 spoons (plus a bronze!). When I told him I gave it three spoons he threatened to "destroy me" with a counter-point in the comments.

Three spoons. Moderately expensive.

Scalini Fedeli (NYC)

A quick trip to NYC to visit some friends/my sister led me to Tribeca's Scalini Fedeli. What a delightful experience! Scalini features two options: the prix fixe menu where you select a primi, secondi, and dolce plates or the tasting menu. Tom & I opted for the prix fixe menu and it was definitely enough food.

The restaurant itself is beautiful, albeit a bit stuck in the 1980s. Beautiful green velvet covered chairs, pink roses with baby's breath at every table, waiters in tuxedos, wine bottles cramp the windowsill, classical music. Very Old School. Think the Soprano's Vesuvio's. The waiters were definitely from Italy and extremely charming.

The food was gorgeous and delightful.

The waiters first served a cute amuse bouche-- a porcini ravioli with a truffle foam. Fresh and as a sucker for truffles, delicious!

I started with the butternut agnolotti. It was served with a warm sage butter sauce, top

ped with amaretti & buffalo mozzarella. The mozzarella definitely elevated the agnolotti. Sage butter sauce has been done-- but the cheese brought it over the top. And it still tasted and felt light. Tom started with the restaurant's take on spaghetti arrabiata. It was served with mushrooms, black olives, and minced Spanish anchovy in a spicy tomato sauce. I thought it was a bit too heavy on the olives (but I don't like olives); Tom loved it.

Next I absolutely devoured the slow roasted duck breast and leg confit, smothered in black truffle sauce, gently set on a warm corn risotto. In the words of the venerable Gail Simmons, "Yum!" I thought the duck breast was delicious but the leg confit was out of this world-- absolutely the most tender duck I have ever had. Tom opted for the veal chop with orange and fennel dusted sweetbreads in a porcini-Dijon and green peppercorn sauce. The veal chop was crazy huge. I'd never seen veal prepared that way. The sauce was interesting. I didn't care for the sauce as it tasted kind of horseradishy and overpowering. But again, Tom loved it.

On to desserts. Another amuse bouche! The waiter served me a roasted pineapple with sorbet and Tom received a strawberry sauce with mascarpone sorbet. Both were bright and absolutely delicious. At this point I cannot eat another bite but the waiter insists on bringing dessert. Who can argue? I opt for an apple tart with caramel ice cream; Tom had a trio of gelato (which the waiter mercilessly mocked given the other fabulous options). Every bite was stupendous. I couldn't fit in the last bite (a pistachio biscotti) but it looked excellent.

The service was tremendous. The waiter was delightful and recommended some truly excellent wines. My favorite was a new one for me-- an amarone wine. I definitely got chocolate and vanilla on the nose. And it tasted like chocolate too. The waiter explained we should have gotten mocha so I was close! He explained how winemakers craft amarone--very interesting, they dry out the grapes until they are of a raisin consistency. Amarone has one of the highest alcohol content of all wines (15%). And he even gave us each a complimentary glass of moscat for dessert. I wanted to be his friend. He was awesome.

5 of 5 spoons plus a bronze spoon! A word on rating: the restaurant absolutely deserved five spoons. But it wasn't as good as Next and it was certainly better than Ardeo. So for every restaurant that reaches five spoons, I may also add a bronze, silver, or gold spoon (like Michelin stars).

Relatively expensive ($$$).

Ripple (DC)

I have absolutely no idea why this place is so popular, especially because Ardeo is only doors down and does what Ripple does except much much better.

The service at Ripple might be the worst I've seen at the nice restaurants in DC. We waited 5 minutes to get seated at the bar, 10 minutes to get the bartender to give us menus, another 10 minutes for the bartender to take our order, and 15 minutes to get the drinks. At some point another bartender came over to see if we had been helped and when we said that supposedly the bartender was making our drinks he gave us a completely condescending look and told us that the bar had gotten busy very fast. No apology. Our table is ready after 45 minutes and the hostess told us it would be easier if we closed out our tab. So we try. First we ask the hostess. She can't close out our tab-- only the bartender can. Um, ok. Another half an hour later (not exaggerating) we finally are able to close out our tab despite expressing such a desire thrice times.

At this point I am starving and so very ready to go to Ardeo instead of wasting my time here. But we stick it out. The hostess was nice enough and kept thanking us for being patient. Our waitress too was very nice. But honestly the food did not blow me away. I started with the farm egg and tomato consume. It was OK. It tasted like spicy chorizo. If you like chorizo you would love this dish. My boyfriend ordered the popcorn soup. It looked like vomit. I had to close my eyes when I tasted it. Like the consume, it was just ok- flavor wise. For entrees I had the steak (which was waaay too chewy) and my boyfriend had the angoletti which was tiny sized and a bit too olivey for my tastes.

The cheeses and the drinks were very good. Between us we sampled three wines and three cocktails. All were on par with a place like Gibson's. But ultimately I could not get over how unapologetically bad the service was. At first I thought it was just under staffed but I came to realize that the problem was that not enough people were trained to be bartenders. Three people managing as hostess were not needed-- instead they needed more bartenders.

Ultimately, this place really sucked but could get better with a new manager.

2 of 5 spoons!

Moderately expensive ($$$).

Ardeo (DC)

In the heart of Cleveland Park lies Ardeo—perhaps D.C.’s best kept secret. Ardeo use to be two establishments—Bardeo, a wine bar and Ardeo, the restaurant. Now only Ardeo remains.

Simply put, Ardeo is my favorite D.C. restaurant. In fact, it may be my favorite restaurant, period. The service is sublime. The food never disappoints. I’ve dined at Ardeo perhaps a dozen times – every Sunday after mass. Last week I visited my parents in Rhode Island and Tom and I drove back to D.C. for nine hours straight in order to visit our favorite place. Ardeo is that good.

I’ve sampled too much Ardeo food to write about it all but standouts include the foie gras, the pork cacciatore, the chilled corn soup, the tuna tartare, and the crispy brussel sprouts. The foie gras is creamy, served with a side of Brioche toast and fig mustard. The cacciatore is filling and comes with a crispy bacon top. The chilled corn soup is bowl licking worthy. The tuna tartare is served with grilled watermelon and pistachio nuts. The crispy sprouts rival Rasika’s famous flash fried spinach. The desserts here are divine—the pecan pie with Bourbon ice cream is a must.

The service is absolutely perfect. Last week they sat us at 930 even though the kitchen closed at 10. The manager asked if we wouldn’t mind closing out our check at 10 and gave us a complimentary drink and a dessert sampler. We thought the sampler would include small bites. The sampler consisted of four FULL desserts. Like I said, the service is impeachable.

I describe Ardeo as D.C.’s best kept secret only because it’s never that crowded. We’ve never had a reservation and we’ve always been accommodated right away. It’s a beautiful place too—candles everywhere and you eat under arches filled with wine bottles. It feels romantic and homey at the same time.

The only thing Tom and I weren’t wild about was the brunch here but even the brunch is better than most.

5 of 5 spoons!

Moderately expensive ($$$).

Angelo's (Providence, RI)

In the middle of the Italian section of Providence, Rhode Island is a gem of a place called Angelo's. Eating at Angelo's is like eating in Nonna's kitchen. Granted, I don't have an Italian grandma but if I did this is how I imagine it would be like. The menu includes tripe and braciola.

There isn't much by way of atmosphere. This is a no frills kind of place-- booths,

no tablecloths, no candles, no water glasses, noisy, family oriented. A toy train on a track attached to the ceiling hums above your head. The walls are covered in family pictures-- weddings from the old county, smiling grandchildren from America. It's comfortable at Angelo's and it's cash only.

The food is delicious, for the most part. The salad and bread is nothing to write home about but the entrees shine. I opted for the chicken parmigiana with a side of freshly made linguine. The chicken portion was huge (I took home leftovers which is a rarity!). The sauce (Angelo's house sauce) turned out to be a very lovely marinara-- very flavorful. I wish there had been more cheese on it but I tend to like an insane amount of mozzarella. The pasta was very fresh-- but perhaps cooked slightly took long-- it was a bit limp, not al dente. My mother had the lasagna-- she said it was a bit mushy but that the noodles were nice and light.

Inexpensive ($$) and definitely worth a second visit. Remember to bring cash!

Three of five spoons!

Dewolf Tavern (Bristol, RI)

Now that the bar exam is over, I hope to be eating & blogging more often!

Last night my parents and I went to Dewolf Tavern. The servers were super friendly, joking with us the moment we stepped in. I loved the attic-rustic-nautical feel. Granite-stone walls and exposed beams, with a view of the harbor. The drink menu featured three different Belgian beers. I'm obsessed with Belgians so already I felt good about this restaurant.

The menu was a bit weird- the restaurant couldn't quite decide what it wanted to be. There was a distinctive British/Indian feel to some of the dishes but others were simply American.

Appetizers:

My dad & shared the lobster popover. I thought it was delicious-- it was absolutely smothered in this mild creamy tomato sauce-- sort of a tomato vodka sauce. The popover itself was a bit soggy but I didn't mind.

Entrees:

I had the Charcoal Tandoor Roasted Natural Chicken. This dark honey-tomato sweet-spice sauce surrounded the chicken. I really liked the sauce- I wish there had been more of it! It was almost like a very very very mild curry sauce. The chicken was a bit dry and smothered in cheese. I wouldn't have minded cheddar cheese which is what the menu claimed. Unless my taste buds were way off, I swear it was covered in swiss cheese, which I'm not a big fan of. The thing I liked most about the dish? The side of Brussel sprout/corn bread hash. Yum! I'm not usually into Brussel sprouts but the corn bread really cut down on the bitter taste of the sprouts. I could have eaten an entire plate.

My dad had the fish stew. I didn't have a bite but he seemed pleased. My mom had the filet mignon with mashed potatoes. I wasn't too impressed with the bite I tried but then again she ordered it medium to medium well. Who ruins a perfectly good piece of meat like that!? I swear growing up I thought I hated red meat but I'm pretty sure it's because my parents insisted on cooking it until it was grey. My mom hates the blood- I call it "meat juice." I don't need it to moo at me, but in my humble opinion anything less than medium rare is a crime against meat. I recently read a study that eating well done meat DOUBLES your risk of bladder cancer. Anyway, I'm getting off topic.

Drinks:

This was probably the most disappointing part. They didn't have the beer my dad asked for and my cocktail was pretty terrible. On the waitress's recommendation I opted for the coconut cocktail. The rim was pretty fun-- sugary coconut pieces (but I bit messy to drink). The cocktail itself was way too strong. It was so strong it tasted like soap. Honestly, I fixated on the soapy taste. All I can really say about it is that it tasted like when your parents washed out your mouth with soap.

All in all:

Some hit or miss dishes. I'd probably go back for lunch because they seemed to have some interesting sandwiches on Naan bread. I'd definitely go back for the Brussel sprout/corn bread hash.

Price: $$-$$$

Spoons rating: 3.5 of 5!

Next Restaurant (Chicago)

What can I say about Next Restaurant that hasn't already been said? For those of you unfamiliar with Next, it's a restaurant like no other. I'm not even sure restaurant is the right word. Experience is better.

The restaurant does not take reservations per se. Instead, you must buy tickets. Ticket prices vary depending on when you dine and whether you sign on for the wine parings. The ticket is inclusive of all food and beverages. There is no menu where you can select items ala carte. The ticket also includes a service charge because you do not tip in the end. It's truly a brilliant system considering how much money restaurants lose when customers no show and how much food they must waste when they cannot predicate exactly how many customers will frequent the restaurant. Usually restaurants must calculate all of these risks in pricing their food. In theory, eating at Next is truly affordable (at least compared to other five star restaurants) because the ticket system solves for these risks. In actuality, unless you are incredibly lucky, you have to get the tickets off the black market (eg. Craigs List) for crazy prices because the tickets sell out so fast.

The other thing about the restaurant: the theme and the food served changes every three months. Opening theme: Paris 1912 Escoffier at the Ritz. But check back soon for Bangkok 2060.

I'll skip the slightly long and sketchy story of getting the tickets off Craig's List and skip to the restaurant itself. It's impossible to describe how excited I was about this restaurant. I am obsessed with the restaurant's executive chef, Grant Achatz. I ate at his other restaurant, Alinea, in February and was still thinking about how the Alinea meal was the best meal of my life. As soon as we had the tickets, I obsessively read every review I could find on Next and spent countless hours refreshing Yelp to read more. My roommate Allison had attended one of the previews of Chef Achatz's new bar Aviary (next door to Next), and I made her tell me every detail.

Basically, I was so excited that there was no way that Next could meet my expectations. But it did. Oh, it did.

The food was fabulous.

First, a platter of Hors d'Oeuvres. Quail egg with an exploding yolk, topped with a little white anchovy. Foie gras torchan: so creamy, so delicious. And the black truffle egg custard in half an egg shell was beautiful.

Second, a turtle soup consomme. Difficult to describe but fragrant, herby, like a winter vegetable garden. They served the soup with a sherry and it sounds bizarre, but it worked.

Third, a fish dish like no other fish dish. A sole with a crawfish mousse and some buttery French sauce that left me in food bliss.

Fourth, poached chicken. I wasn't a huge fan of the side of poached cucumber wrapped in salt pork. Warm cucumbers are just sort of... well, odd. But the chicken itself was perfectly poached and the sauce was delicious. Again, a sort of buttery sauce with a hint of cream.

But by far the raison d'etre for going to Next is the pressed duck. OMG the duck!!!!! Yes, all of the exclamation points were necessary. It's rich, it's tender, it's favorable. It's everything a duck should be. I could have wept over this duck. And the sauce! Oh, the sauce! No words can describe other than AMAZING. It tasted like meat and barbecue and kind of had the feel of a mole sauce. Just when I worked up the nerve to ask for more sauce, the servers brought some more preemptively. Also, the duck is served with potato gratin. Sliced potatoes + cheese + cream = pure heaven. If I ever get to choose the last meal before I die, I would choose this and die happily.

The rest of the meal blurred by (could have been the wine, which they just left in whole bottles). The duck and potato gratin made everything else pale in comparison. There was a salad after. It had vegetables, it was fresh. There was a delicious ice cream dessert with brandied cherries. But I was still stuck on the duck.

The service was incredible. Unlike Alinea, the servers felt like real people and didn't take themselves too seriously. We had a server/sommelier at Alinea who told us how he likes to drink this expensive dessert wine before he munches on tacos at 3 am (yeah right, I'm sure he drinks PBR just like the rest of us). He also kept calling his wine pairings a "little weird" but in this creepy, off-putting way like he was letting us in on a dirty secret of his. But the servers at Next were perfect. After the Hors d'Oeuvres, one of the servers quipped, "Did you enjoy the apps? How about those mozz sticks?" I loved how relaxed they were. It was as if they were saying: yes, this is the best meal ever, but at the end of the day, it's just a meal that should be enjoyed, not worshiped with tiny statues and incense.

But ultimately, it was the best meal of my life, perhaps worthy of worship. 5 out of 5 spoons!

Graham Elliot (Chicago)

I wanted to like Graham Elliot. I really did. Chef Elliot appeared on Top Chef Masters and he was nominated for a James Beard Award. Three times. I had promised to take my roommate Allison out for her birthday and she and I had put together a list- GE was on the top. So when one of our friends asked us if we wanted to go, we eagerly accepted.

Graham Elliot started strong. Truffle popcorn rather than humdrum bread! Seasoned with truffle butter, pepper, and parmesan, it was so delicious. And the waiter refilled it (but only when we asked).

Next, we opted for the deconstructed Cesar salads. We were excited because the menu boasted that the salad included a brioche twinkie and parmesan fluff. The lettuce was limp. The "twinkie" was definitely weird. It was hard, not spongy. And it was not filled with a parmesan fluff. The filling was bizarre. Rather, the "fluff" was a weak anchovy-tasting watery sauce.

I opted for the farm egg. And my friends went with the crab cake and the french onion soup. The farm egg and the onion soup were terrible. The egg was runny and cold, the salad lacked any flavor, it included this weird "soil" of graham cracker that made absolutely no sense. The french onion soup was nothing like the onion soups of anyone's French childhood. It was more of a consomme with these little floating onions bits. Again, no real flavor. The crab cake was better-- crispy and tangy. But good, not great.

Entrees, my friends opted for the foie gras and lamb. I sampled. The foie gras was very rich and included a strawberry compote. It was tasty but perhaps too rich: Allison proclaimed that she was convinced she'd get gout eating it. The lamb was better-- medium rare and Mediterranean, served with a lovely lentil salad.

The meal was disappointing, but I do have to recognize one standout. We all opted to try the foie gras lollipops, which is a Graham Elliot classic. Picture a circle of creamy foie gras mousse. It is rolled in strawberry pop rocks. Yes, you read it correctly. Pop rocks! I cannot even describe how good they were. The foie! The pop rocks! It was creamy. It was exciting. It was one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten.

Ultimately, the meal was not terribly memorable. Except that darn popcorn and the foie-pops. Go for those!

Expensive ($$$$). Foie-pops 5 out of 5 spoons. Overall, 2.5 out of 5 spoons!

Ristorante Damiano (Boston)

I'm a sucker for Italian, so I was excited when my father suggested we try an authentic North End Boston Italian restaurant before the Celtics game.

Ristorante Damiano serves up small plates in a tiny intimate space. Readers, if you go with your parents, make sure they understand the small plate concept. My father could not get over the small portions!

As it was Restaurant Week, we were each able to order an appetizer and two small courses for the low price of $33. I ordered the baby eggplant, the pumpkin ravioli, and the mushroom risotto. My father chose the fried calamari, aglio olio, and the seabass. I absolutely loved, loved, loved the baby eggplant-- ovals of lightly-fried Japanese eggplant, fresh tomato sauce, Parmigiano cheese, and basil. Light and slightly crunchy and so, so flavorful. Unfortunately, it was downhill from there. Small plate alert! Only 2 pumpkin ravioli but it was definitely enough, because they were worse than unmemorable. The menu boasted flavors of sage, brown butter, and mascarpone cheese. But instead they tasted like they came out of the freezer. And like rubber. My kid sister could do better in a microwave. The risotto did not fare much better. Risotto should be creamy and should spread. Instead the rice was hard and sat in a stiff mound. But I'll give credit to the mushrooms: they were earthy and meaty. My father enjoyed his meal quite a bit more. The calamari was nothing special but the aglio olio and the seabass packed the flavor. I love garlic, and this pasta could leave you with bad breath for weeks. With a slight hint of tomato and olive oil, it was unbeatable. Perfectly flaky, the seabass oozed lemon. The taste of the fish reminded me on the wine tasting concept of connectedness-- which describes the bond between the wine and its land of origin. You could just tell the fish came from Boston.

We split a bottle of MacRostie Pinot Noir (from the Carneros Region of California). On the menu, the vintage was described as 2006. We received a 2007 vintage with no explanation. But the markup was not unreasonable ($35 for a $20 bottle). I thought it was an excellent wine (easily a 90 point +). Dark ruby red, tasted like cranberries and cherries. Very balanced.

Ultimately, I thought Damiano's barely missed the mark...much like the Celtics against the Bobcats. Somewhat expensive ($$$). 3.5 of 5 spoons!

15 Point Road (Portsmouth, RI)

15 Point Road is a beautiful, romantic restaurant, facing the idyllic Sakonnet River. Named the best of Portsmouth for 9 years in a row (2000-2008), it boasts a menu of seafood classics (think littlenecks, lobster bisque, and scrod) as well as steaks, chicken, and lamb. The quiet restaurant evoked childhood memories of the seashore at dusk. My mother and I opted for the price-fixe menu: $19 for a salad, a choice between 5 entrees, dessert, and a glass of wine (red, white, or rose) or beer. The waitress first presented a relatively standard salad-- greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Garden-fresh, but nothing exciting. I had the grilled salmon with Bearnaise sauce and my mother had the 1/2 roast chicken. Both came with crisp steamed broccoli and carrots as well as a baked potato. The salmon tasted bright and simple. But it was nothing spectacular. And the roast chicken was a bit dry but a nice, flavorful Madeira sauce accompanied it. The steamed vegetables were fantastic-- I never eat vegetables, and I was tempted to ask for seconds. They were buttery, but somehow still light. The dessert was easily my favorite part of the meal-- fluffy carrot cake, slathered with velvety cream cheese frosting. Easily one of the best pieces of carrot cake I've eaten. The meal was very good for the price, but I look forward to ordering from the menu next time.

Somewhat expensive ($$$) for on-menu; inexpensive for price-fixe. 3.5 of 5 spoons!

The Duck & Bunny (Providence, RI)

Hi friends! I'm expanding my horizon and blogging about any and all restaurants! So here's one for you, from Providence, Rhode Island.

The Duck and Bunny is a restaurant with a subtitle. It calls itself a "snuggery": a cosy (sic) and comfortable place. And D&B is both. Picture an intimate comfy tearoom with antiquey looking chandeliers and familiar pictures with a twist (faces are ducks! and bunnies!). D&B is famous for creative crepes and cupcakes. My mother and I ordered bacon wrapped dates, squash "crepolini," and a dessert crepe called the Angelina (blueberry blini, Des Nuages cheese, raspberry chocolate, and lemon zest). Everything was fabulous! The crepolinis were amazing-- think of a cross between a ravioli and a crepe, absolutely smothered in a brown butter, creamy sauce, dotted with dried cranberries. I'm still thinking about those crepolinis! The dessert crepe was also lip-smacking good-- actually two blinis (almost like a small buckwheat pancake), covered by blueberries and raspberry jam. Although the description said chocolate--I couldn't taste it. Des Nuages cheese (almost like ricotta cheese) topped the blinis. The bacon wrapped dates were good (but not great) and came on a bed of balsamic honey glaze. Ultimately, I prefer the dates I make (I stuff mine with honey goat cheese and use the bigger, Medjool dates).

D&B recommends wine pairings with each dish. Providence doesn't quite compare to the food Mecca that is Chicago. So the wine pairings were a very nice touch. My mother recommended I try a Portuguese wine called "vinhno verde." The name literally means "green wine" so I was a bit skeptical. But apparently green does not refer to the color but to the age of the grape (young). It was very nice-- extremely light, with a slight fizz. It's hard to describe the bubbles-- vinho verde doesn't really qualify as a sparkling wine, but there is a definite petillance there, almost like a spritzer. It tasted very fruity, especially paired with the dessert crepe-- it drew out the zest of the lemon. It's low in alcohol and inexpensive (it's a table wine) so I'm looking forward to drinking more!

D&B is snug and savory. And relatively inexpensive ($$). 4.5 of 5 spoons!

Al Tiramisu (DC)

I am so FULL. Today has been a very Italian day. And I am stuffed to the gills with carbs.

Al Tiramisu is the real deal. Tom (my boyfriend...what am I kidding, anyone who could possibly be reading this knows that's the case) & I ordered the parma & mozzarella, mushroom risotto, veal ragu & fettuccine, and of course, at a place called Al Tiramisu, we ordered tiramisu! Everything was delicious. The portions were so generous that I took leftovers home (a rarity for me). So much parma-- and they split it between Tom and I without us even asking. The risotto was exceptionally creamy (though maybe a bit too al dente). The ragu was super savory and flavorful. The tiramisu was probably the best I've had (absolutely dripping in liquor, but not in an overpowering way at all) and gorgeously plated. The food alone deserves five spoons, unfortunately the space is a bit small and cramped. We were pressed up against a really obnoxious table of 8 or so. They had obviously drank quite a few bottles of wine and were demanding that the stranger at the table behind them give a "birthday speech" after they found out it was her birthday. Some guy at the table kept loudly talking about reading Moby Dick (show off). And there was general mayhem with the pounding of the table.

Despite the cramped space and loud patrons, I definitely recommend this place. A word to the wise though-- wines by the glass are extremely limited. Most wines are bottle only.

Rating: 4 of 5 spoons!

Teatro Goldoni (DC)

My boyfriend and I came here for lunch. The food was surprisingly good, but the service was a bit sketchy.

We had the burrata & peppers, the amaretto butternut squash soup, the chicken "parmigiana", and the capellini pomodoro. The burrata was just okay-- it was a tad bit too salty and it came with this tasteless green cylindric creamy/gelatinous thingy on the side. I have no idea what it was. I thought it was some sort of liquid nitrogen thing but the texture wasn't hard at all. Maybe it was an olive spread or something? Unclear. Anyway, the burrata mozzarella portion was HUGE. Definitely no skimping on the portions! The soup was kind of uninspiring and lukewarm. But it did come with tiny duck filled raviolini, so that was winning. The entrees were much better-- my chicken "parmigiana" was as big as my face and topped with mozzarella cheese and EGGPLANT. I think the eggplant explains why "parmigiana" was in scare quotes. When I asked the waiter about the scare quotes, he said it was because there was a side of spinach included. But I think he was just confused. The pomodoro pasta was certainly above average and very filling.

Rating: 3 of 5 spoons!

Founding Farmers (DC)

Tonight was the third time I went to Founding Farmers. Some say three times a charm. But others say three strikes you're out. If we have to go with a cheesy adage, the latter wins.

Service: I called ahead and they say they will put me on the wait list and if I get there in 15-20 minutes they will seat me and my boyfriend. I get there in 23 minutes and the hostess asks me who I talked to. I say "Some guy, I don't remember his name." She explains that the guy "doesn't really work there." Hmmm, no idea why he is picking up the phone then... Anyway, she says maybe we will get a table in another 20 minutes. We actually got a table in 10. Despite the nasty-ish hostess, point one for Founding Farmers. Past that though the service was molasses slow-- appetizers came way before the drinks and the only thing that came in less than 10 minutes was the check.

Food: my boyfriend and I ordered fried green tomatoes, bacon wrapped dates, lentil & pork stew, and winter pasta. Nothing was spectacular. The fried green tomatoes proved Paula Dean wrong-- not everything fried is edible. The salt completely overpowered the juice of the tomato. The bacon wrapped dates were mushy and the bacon was limp, like they microwaved it. The lentil & pork stew came with a poached egg on top-- which sounds genius, but ends up being gross because the soup just tastes both burn-your-tongue hot and slippery cold. I thought the pork would be shredded-- instead it manifested itself as lumpy cubes. The winter pasta was decent, but ultimately bland and unexciting.

Drinks: I had the fraise fling-- strawberries, lychee, organic vodka, agave, and Prosecco. I couldn't really taste the lychee but nevertheless, this was one of the best cocktails I have ever had. It was like the fourth of July exploded in my mouth. It took me back to block parties and summer and everything wonderful.

Great place for drinks, but ultimately not worth the hype.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 spoons!

Introduction

Hi! My name is Marisa. Chances are if you are reading this, you know who I am and you are probably my mother (assuming she can figure out how blogs work). For those who know me, you are probably well aware that I LOVE food. I think my first word was "yum." I almost went to cooking school but everything I cook ends up charred or horribly raw. So those that can't cook, critique! This blog maps my culinary adventures in Chicago, DC, and probably Birmingham (assuming I do not find this project utterly pretentious and arrogant by the time I move there in August). I hope this blog will pique your interest-- buen provecho!