Scrumptious Grilled Fish Sandwich & Limeade

If you're hankering for a delicious grilled fish, don't hold the fat, sandwich, Austin Grill is where it's at. Don't bother ordering salad as a side at this casual, group-friendly Tex-Mex restaurant in Chinatown -- come for the homey, hungry man's fare and you won't be disappointed. You wouldn't think grilled fish is comfort food but a well-seasoned piece of snapper (or tuna on the current menu) sandwiched between avocado & tomato slices, fresh red cabbage, chipotle mayo and two buttered toasts hit the spot and then some. As it's summertime, grab a table outside, and enjoy a giant margarita (spring break serving size)or their addictive homemade limeade served chilled in glass jars. Great service and unlimited refills on their tasty salty tortilla chips, roasted salsa and soda pop. I'll be back...and leave a few pounds heavier but it's worth it.

Austin Grill
www.austingrill.com
750 E Street NW (B/tw 7th and 8th St NW)
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 393-3776

Bloody Saturday

Doesn't have quite the same ring to it but you'll be singing it once you hear about this: free bloody marys at Firefly in Dupont this Saturday, June 26th from 9AM - 2PM, and then $3 every following Saturday. Thanks UrbanDaddy for the heads up!

Firefly is located at 1310 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036.
Ph: (202) 861-1310

DC Coast = Slider Heaven

It's the last few days of DC Coast's "Cheaper by the Dozen" June special: Dozen oysters for $12 in honour of their 12th anniversary. Luckily the deal continues on throughout the year thanks to their half-off bar menu noted below. Went last night and ordered a dozen which hailed from James River, VA and were beautifully presented with ginger, cucumber, basil and chives but upon taste, were rather mild and needed extra lemon juice to resuscitate any flavour. And so we ordered sliders. Stop the press. Hands down the best sliders I've tried in DC and will be back for more. The "brioche" bun was scrumptious and tastes a bit like a KFC or Pillsbury biscuit, and that's a good thing. I don't want to know how much butter was in it but rest assured your finger tips will glisten afterwards. The burger was grilled perfectly - medium and juicy - with a thankfully not-so-overpowering aioli as the meat itself was so tender and tasty. As for the bar, beautiful and handsome, and you will be well served by DC's own French and Japanese speaking though looks like a big NYC firefighter, bartender Jeremy.

DC Coast
www.dccoast.com
1401 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
Ph:(202)216-5988

Bar Menu is Available Half-Price, Monday-Friday, 3-6pm and Every Day, 9:30pm-Close. Bar & Lounge Only. (Artisnal Cheese is excluded from this offer.)

Cheeseburger Sliders
Cheddar, Herb Aioli, Pickles, Brioche Bun
10

Chilled Market Oysters
Ginger, Chives, Basil, Cucumber
Market Price
With Frozen Imperial Vodka Iceberg
Additional 2

Kennebec Frites
Parmesan, Truffle Oil
6

"Poisson Cru" Tahitian Style Tuna Tartare
Fresh Lime Juice, Coconut Milk, Wonton Crisp
14

Ginger-Soy Braised Duroc Pork Dumplings
Sauce Chi Phan
10

Poached Shrimp Cocktail
Horseradish Tomato Jam
10

Corn and Crab Fritters
Chesapeake Aioli
10

Selection of Artisanal Cheese
Bourree (Vermont, Cow's Milk)
Valencay (France, Goat's Milk)
Idiazabal (Spain, Sheep's Milk)
Buttermilk Blue Afinee, Roth Kase (Wisconsin, Cow's Milk)
14

** Prices and menu availability are subject to change **

Happy Hour in DC: Tasty Deals

There's no question DC has a lively happy hour scene. But where does one go for budget-friendly tasty cocktails, scrumptious bites and cool digs? Here is a quick list of personal HH faves by neighborhood - will add more as I find them so check back often!

ADAMS MORGAN

PERRY'S
http://www.perrysadamsmorgan.com/bar/happy-hour-tapas/
Every day from 5:30pm - 7:30pm
$5 Tapas, $5 Cocktails, $4 Beer & Wine
One of the best deals in town. Upon entering this sushi/new American establishment, walk up the steep stairs (and ponder how many people have fallen down them) to the spacious rooftop bar with a beautiful view of upper Adams Morgan. Highly recommend the refreshing Shochu Martini - made with Shochu (a Japanese clear distilled spirit similar to vodka), blood orange juice, freshly grated ginger & honey.

BOURBON
http://www.bourbondc.com
/home/index.html
Monday through Friday until 7:30pm
$3 Draft Beers, $4 Select Bourbon, $6 Specialty Cocktails
Homey food, cozy atmosphere, great spot for all other mealtimes. Usually priced at $10, Bourbon's cocktails are always top-notch. Rye-lovers, try the Ryjou made with yellow chartreuse, sweet vermouth and orange bitters. Margarita hounds, you might like The Rested Fig made with reposado, lemon, fig syrup and averna (an Italian digestif made with roots, herbs and spices.)

U STREET

VINOTECA
http://www.vinotecadc.com/menu/happy-hour
Every day from 5:00pm to 7:00pm
$7 gourmet sliders (2 plus salad), $5 apps, $5 wine
Healthy pours at this casual, upscale wine bar off 9th and U St. Outside patio is a bonus.

DOWNTOWN

BRASSERIE BECK
http://www.beckdc.com/
Every day from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, 10:30pm until close: 1/2 Priced Drafts
Every Thursday/Friday/Saturday same hours as above: 1/2 Priced Oysters
One of my favourite restaurants in DC: Brasserie Beck serves outstanding food and carries a fantastic selection of Belgian beers. Their oysters are also some of the biggest and juiciest I have ever seen so this is why it's a personal fave. Spacious layout and great service too.

CHINATOWN/PENN QUARTER

POSTE
http://www.postebrasserie.com/
Monday to Friday, 4:00pm to 7:00pm
$5 wine, $5 beer, $5 truffle frites
Once the heat is on, you can expect Poste's gorgeous outdoor patio to be buzzing with bees, boys and belles. Great spot for people-watching, frites-munching and if you can flag a server, enjoy a $5 glass of white or red. Simply stunning outdoor space and who can resist truffle frites?

ZOLA
http://www.zoladc.com/thebar.php
Monday to Saturday, 5:00pm to 7:00pm, 9:00pm to 11:00pm, Sunday all day
$4 wine, $5 beer, $5 specialty cocktails, $1.50 "tasty bites"
Though their music selection is often spotty, this cocktail lounge inspired by the Spy Museum downstairs has an unbeatable deal for tasty bites at just $1.50 per gourmet slider which I assure you, having tried them all, are indeed tasty and well-portioned i.e. not skimpy. The lamb meatball slider is delicious - and if you're in the area, worth visiting - especially as their happy hour specials are extended to night time when it's rare to find the $5 cocktail or $4 glass of wine.

ZENGO
http://www.modernmexican.com/zengodc/
Monday to Saturday, 5:00pm to 7:30pm
$5 Margaritas, $5 Mojitos, $5 Caipirinhas, $5 Wine, $4 Beer, $5 Plates
Right off the Chinatown metro stop, Zengo's happy hour is another steal with delicious apps bursting with flavour and well-prepared cocktails at 1/2 the price. Pork belly steamed buns, crunchy calamari, thai chicken empanadas, my mouth is watering already.

DUPONT CIRCLE

URBANA
http://www.urbanadc.com/index.html
Every day from 4:00pm to 7:00pm: $4 Beer, $5 wine including sparkling
Every day from 5:00pm to 7:00pm: $1 oysters
Part of Hotel Palomar, Urbana is "one of DC's hottest restaurant bar scenes" but if you're looking to enjoy raw oysters and sparkling wine on a budget, you've come to the right place.

Sidecar

A few years ago, I had my first Sidecar at the Ralph Lauren restaurant in Chicago. The sidecar is a classic cocktail composed of cognac, Cointreau and fresh lemon juice - a concoction that is sure to warm you up in any cold weather. To prepare a sugar rim, moisten the martini or old-fashioned glass with juice from a lemon wedge and place the glass down onto a plate filled with sugar. Rotate a few times until your liking. Next, shake the following ingredients over ice and pour into sugar-rimmed glasses:

2 measures cognac
1 measure Cointreau
1 measure fresh lemon juice

Cheers!

11th Annual Washington DC International Wine & Food Festival

Presented by Washington Post, the 11th Annual International Wine & Food Festival is coming to the District next weekend. Local wineries and restaurants will be showcasing their specialties. Looks to be a great weekend with master mixologist presentations, wine & cheese tastings, cooking demonstrations and more. Check out the event schedule and purchase tickets here: http://www.wineandfooddc.com/Events.html

Jamie-O/Lazy Old-Fashioned

After coming home from work one evening, I wanted to make an old-fashioned but realized I was fresh out of ingredients. I turned to my old friend Jameson and decided he might be tasty with a few splashes of Cointreau. This drink couldn't be easier to make. I was debating whether to post it because of its simplicity but it is delicious so I thought I'd share. Of all the triple-sec brands, I find Cointreau to be the smoothest. It's a luscious spirit made with bitter and sweet oranges and enjoyable by itself on the rocks. Depending on what kind of day you've had, I recommend the ratio to be 3:1 Jameson:Cointreau and one ice cube is ideal. It was a rather hot day so I added a few more as evidenced in the photo above. I'll call this Jamie-O. Enjoy!

New Rum Bar Coming to DC: Cuba Libre in Penn Quarter

All you lucky Penn Quarter residents have something else to cheer about this Spring: the arrival of Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar at 801 9th Street, NW. While the neighborhood already boasts plenty of cocktail lounges and restaurants, Cuba Libre will be a fine addition providing over 75 different kinds of premium and flavoured rums. Will report back on this in a few months. In the meantime, check out the libations and dinner menu at www.cubalibrerestaurant.com.

Corpse Reviver #2

I first had this exquisitely refreshing drink during brunch at Freemans on the Lower East Side in New York. Gin, Cointreau, Lillet, Ouzo and lemon juice are often not the liquids you'd like to imbibe at 11am after a hard night out, but a bold friend ordered one and the rest of us were hooked. I've tried making this with Lillet Rouge and Grand Marnier which was equally tasty and a little tarter but feel free to add simple syrup or follow the recipe below. I like to garnish mine with a sliced lemon peel and perhaps next time, I'll try a sugar rim.

Shake the following with ice and strain into martini glasses:
3/4 oz gin
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
A few splashes of Ouzo