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Archive for July, 2012

Jul 31

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birthday gifts for you

Everyone loves a birthday, right? Or at least a celebration. And definitely presents. Well, you are in luck. We’re having a little birthday party over here at two bites. We are officially one year old! Exciting, huh. And in honor of this celebration we’re sharing the love with our readers and supporters, both new and old. A party isn’t any fun without guests and you guys are most definitely the life of the party.

our gift to you

So here’s how it works:

We have two gifts all wrapped up and ready to go.

The first will go to a lucky winner taken from our current followers (via blog, email, twitter, and facebook). No need to do anything special, just keep up reading, commenting, and tweeting.

The second gift will go to a new two bites follower. To enter the drawing just do one of the following:

1. Follow the blog (via the WordPress follow feature or via email).

2. Follow us on twitter + tweet about the giveaway, including @twobites22 and a link to this post.

3. Like us on Facebook.

For extra entries do two or more of the above. It’s that simple.

The two winners will be announced on Monday, August 13th. Then this set of picnic goodies may just be headed your way. Thanks again for all of the support + good luck!

Included in each picnic gift: {to serve} lidded pie boxes with forks and bakers twine + reusable tear-off luncheon napkins {to sparkle} two good nacht lanterns, including candles {to sip} spiraled shoppe straws {to store} white wired basket {sorry, cake not included}

Jul 30

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london calling (part two)

We’re going to pretend that it’s because of the Olympics, but our little ‘london calling’ series would probably exist regardless. We paid London a brief visit a few weeks back and the vast majority of our dining experiences were the result of several recommendations. Friday’s part one was a visit to The Grazing Goat. Part two involves a trip to Covent Garden, courtesy of a fellow traveler and food lover.

Canteen

Our next recommendation was one of many sent over by Susan, cook and writer at Susan Eats London. I believe it was our shared love of pastry that brought us together across the internet and ocean, and she is a blessed resource when it comes to foodie recommendations in London. Need a place to eat, just ask her. We did and I’m oh so glad.

the daily roast of duck, with greens, carrots, roasted potatoes & apple sauce

Canteen has several outposts in London. We paid a visit to the newly-opened Covent Garden restaurant at the tail end of lunchtime and, with one step, were transported from the overcast afternoon into a bright and cheerful dining room. Much like The Grazing Goat, we were presented with variations on classic British fare. A tempting array of savory pies, fish and chips, and a daily roast. But there is no knife-dulling meat or shapeless veg here. The vibrancy of the plates presented elicited a little squeak of delight from me and a grumble of appreciation from Ken. You know how to make a serving of cooked greens wildly appealing? Steam them until the crispness of the taste mirrors the crispness of the color. A tender side of roast duck doesn’t hurt either.  oh, yes, there’s more…

Jul 29

colorful weekend

{one, two, three} pics from two bites {four} pic from color run

During some Sunday morning reading I stumbled across the Color Run. I’m not a big runner. I’ve tried, I really have. But whenever friends ask me to join up for a race of any duration I shake my head no. It’s just not my thing. But the Color Run may just change my mind. It’s a 5k jog where runners sporting the mandatory white shirts run a course and get coated in color in the process. It’s a mass finger painting session, but people are the canvas and no one yells at you for getting paint everywhere. And everyone just looks so happy doing it. There are two races in DC this year but both, not surprisingly, are sold out. I’ll just have to be on the lookout for when they are back in town next year. In the interim, however, we had our own colorful weekend. Maybe not quite so bright, but leave it to summertime to provide plenty of fruits and veg so we can do a little creating of our own. Hope your weekend has been a happy one.

Jul 27

london calling (part one)

pimm’s & a pint

Maybe you are in London. Maybe you are headed that way. Maybe you are craving a day under the English summer sun [there is one behind the rain cloud] and a view of the Olympic games. If it’s the latter, sorry. I’m of no help whatsoever. But if you want to talk about dining spots in that great city, pull up a chair.

First full disclosure. I’m slightly fanatical about things British, particularly London. I try to hop the pond as often as I can. I have my favorite shops and special walks. Both Ken and I have [incredibly] kind friends who let us crash on their sofas – or live in their conservatories – from time to time. If I’m anywhere near Trafalgar Square and have as little as five minutes I dash into the National Gallery and plunk myself in front of my favorite painting and just stare. And, not surprisingly, I have my favorite pubs, cafes, and restaurants. It doesn’t matter how often I make it to London, however, the culinary landscape is constantly shifting. The city is sprawling, the quantity of food establishments far exceeds a countable number, and restaurants come and go in mere blinks of the eye. So when we stopped by London a few weeks ago we did the only sensible thing: we asked for recommendations and let our appetites call the shots.

Sussex Slipcote cheese soufflé with a honey-roasted fig & walnut salad

The Grazing Goat

This visit saw us staying in a part of town we’re not very familiar with. Just above the northeast corner of Hyde Park, we were nestled a few blocks behind Marble Arch. And while I’m madly in love with Marylebone High Street just a neighborhood away, I know nothing about this particular pocket of town. So we asked for a good local spot and were rewarded with The Grazing Goat. It sits halfway down New Quebec Street, which spans one solitary city block. And perhaps my new favorite block. The Grazing Goat is home to a pub, more formal restaurant, and hotel. With the ashen wood floors, picture windows, and a bucket of wild flowers dwarfing the front of the bar I succumbed to its charms the minute my foot crossed the threshold.

chicken, leek & tarragon pie served with chips

After a quick review of the menu I settled myself firmly into my chair and resolved not to budge for the foreseeable future. With a pint for Ken and a Pimm’s Cup for me we were off and running. The Sussex Slipcote cheese soufflé with a honey-roasted fig and walnut salad; I stopped reading the menu when I reached that line. It speaks to so many of my favorite flavor and food combinations – airy soufflé, anything involving figs, fruit with a savory dish, salads dotted with nuts – that there was no chance I wasn’t ordering it. Read more

Jul 25

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spreading the local love

{one} hugh & crye {two} baked & wired

So, where are you from? It is an utterly benign question, one that is asked countless times a day. It is an easy way to break the ice, start a conversation, find some common ground. And my answer is very simple. DC. No, not born and raised, but my tenure here most decidedly puts me in the the permanent resident rather than transient or loiterer category. The reaction to my response, however, varies dramatically from person to person.

Oh, do you live in Virginia or Maryland? Neither; when I say DC I mean DC. And I love my city dwelling. (Not to knock my stately neighbors; I pay them visits regularly.)

Which part of the government do you work for? Not a single one. I’ve never been a government or politics gal and it is highly unlikely I will ever be (but that doesn’t mean I haven’t watched a State of the Union or presidential debate with a cluster of friends and medicinal alcohol on hand when the occasion called for it.)

{one} style love from fifteen-eleven {two} maggie austin

Georgetown is so fabulous, isn’t it? Yes, I suppose. The concentration of sleek and shiny retailers is a shopaholic’s - and sometimes my – dream. And it is home to one of the best cupcakes around (no, not Georgetown Cupcake. Baked & Wired, people, Baked & Wired). But never limit your sights to Georgetown; our little town has so very much more to offer.

I just love the National Mall. Yup, me too. No arguments there (and we’re working to make it so much better).

I could go on and on. Presidents; scandals; taxation without representation; all of the iterations of Marion Barry; ungodly hot, swampy, sticky summers; how we don’t have a vote in Congress; the vagaries of politics; the Smithsonian; nope, we still can’t vote (I keep saying it, I know, but it’s still true).

{one} seasonal pantry {two} sidra forman

But of all of the varied paths these conversations wander down rarely do they land on one of my favorite subjects: the ever-growing pool of fabulously creative – and productive – people who call this city home. They are folks who have turned their passions into careers, who have opened brick-and-mortar shops, who have cultivated communities online, and who have welcomed strangers into their homes just to share their craft. They are the folks who bring the inspiration, style, and love to DC every day.

Want to be the most dapper lad at dinner? Look no further than Pranav and Philip at Hugh & Crye, purveyors of the well-fit shirt and hand-printed pocket square. Need beautiful and clever decor ideas for your upcoming dinner party or celebration? Maria and Kelly of Ritzy Bee dole out daily gifts of design inspiration on the companion blog to their event company’s website. Want to dress up your fete with simple and stylish paper products? Stationer extraordinaire Suann Song will thrill you with the beautiful items stocked in her shop Fifteen-Eleven. There are the ladies who left their nine-to-five jobs to snap exquisite photos of life and love – and sometimes even food – around the city. Individually they are Maria of Maria Vicencio Photography and Kate of Kate Headley Photography; together they create some of the most photogenic moments in the region.

And what about the food? From the chefs going rogue to the back door speakeasies to ice cream delivered Uber-style, DC residents are on the receiving end of some quality culinary creativity. And while the homegrown empires consistently satisfy and delight, it is the small shop neighborhood gems that often amaze with their own form of magic. Chatting with Dan O’Brien of Seasonal Pantry, home to a market and supper club, reminds you just how contagious a love of food – and feeding people – can be. When you make it past the doors into Sidra Forman’s at home restaurant you feel as if you’ve been embraced by some epicurean higher power and rewarded with mushrooms foraged for your enjoyment and yours alone. And then there is the sweet and sublimely choreographed delight of the cakes created by Maggie Austin (though be forewarned – only students and clients with cake tastings are privy to samples of the confections she cooks up in her bakery; no cupcakes for sale here).

The trail hardly ends here. With home bakers turned farmers market suppliers and healthy meal delivery services and food-fixated illustrators, the list threatens to be endless. But humor me while I focus your attention on just two more. Read more

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