Midweek lunch date

Thank goodness Spring is just around the corner! However, hubs and I did not let February's bitterly cold weather keep us from going to try new (to us) places. We had decided to go on a mid-day date a few days before Valentine's day, which included going to Iron Gate for lunch. 

While I am sure that Iron Gate has come across my list of DC restaurants to visit, it stayed on my mind after a White House staffer mentioned it. She over heard me me go on about my love of fine dining and recommended it. This was right after

the intern lunch with Dr. John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, in the Navy Mess within the West Wing. Another awesome experience! But, I digress. 

After playing tourist, hubs and I went over to Iron Gate. We loved the atmosphere of the whole place. To get to the dining room, we passed through the carriageway-turned bar and garden patio areas. The dining room had a cozy, tucked away feel. And we were seated near the fireplace, which was great considering how chilly it was outside. 

Crispy feta

Round #1: Small plate starter

On the menu, there are a number of small plate items and a handful of entrees. Hubs and I decided that we would start the meal with an small plate recommended by our waiter, the crispy feta with local honey and balsamic vinegar. 

Have you ever had an appetizer that was so delicious that the first few bites made the trip worth it? I would say that's how we felt about this dish. And that's considering that feta is one of those cheese we just like. If we had not ordered entrees, we might have gotten more of the crispy feta. 

Scallops in tomato broth

Round #2 Entrees 
There are a few entrees that are automatic go-to's for hubs and I. For both of us, it's any scallops dish. The special for that day was scallops and beans in a warm tomato broth. However, I'll also gravitate towards any dish that has lamb in it - in this case the open faced lamb sandwich. Scallops or lamb! I just didn't have the stomach space for both. And since I had a hard time choosing, hubs decided to forgo the gyro special and went with the scallops dish. So I was able to try both. And they were very tasty!

Open-faced lamb sandwich

Lemon tart with rosewater whipped cream

Round #3 Dessert? Um... Yes!
I really should curb my sweet tooth. But after reading the sweets menus, I begged pleaded pouted asked for dessert. And I love lemon desserts, so we got the lemon tart (also highly recommended from the waiter). While the lemon tart was very tasty, the rosewater whipped cream was memorable. I feel like the taste of the rosewater lingered for a long while after the meal. 

During our meal, Exec. Chef Tony Chittum came out to talk to one of the tables near us. I will admit that I'm not the best at following chefs or even looking them up before going to their restaurants. This is partly because I'm less focused on who's making the food and more focused on the whole experience, especially if was worth it to come back. Hubs and I have been to a few places where we had been intrigued by the name of the chef but were disappointed with the meal.

Anyway, when saw Chef Tony come out, we both were thinking, "He looks really familiar." Hubs was the one who remembered that Chef Tony was the one who prepared and explained the the farm table meal we had at Vermillion a few years back. We were both really excited we were able to enjoy his creations yet again at Iron Gate. We even got a few moments to tell him that. 

Will we come back to Iron Gate again in the future? Considering that it will warm up soon and that there are dining opportunities for brunch and dinner as well as an outdoor patio for happy hour, I think so. 

The tasting menu from the farm table meal we had at Vermillion in 2012

Starting 2015 with a healthy brunch.

HAPPY 2015! OK, I'm a bit late with the New Year's post. But I have a good reason - I was on my honeymoon for the past week or so. 

Since it's resolution season, my blog related resolution is to update this blog every couple of weeks. Hubs and I go out pretty regularly, so it's a shame not to share our gastronomic adventures.

As we are all in the "healthy eating" phase of the year, I'm going to share my thoughts on a brunch hubs and I had at True Food Kitchen in the Mosaic District.  

View of the kitchen from our table. Hubs commented that it has a Founding Farmers meets Ikea feel. 

Mmm... Tea

Decision #1: Drinks? During brunch, why not? Though I had a sore throat that morning and wanted something warm and soothing. The tea choices aren't on the brunch or beverage menu - they're on the desert menu - so I had the waiter list them. Hearing all of the eight choices of teas overwhelmed me a bit, so I went with the Oolong since that was one that I recognized. (Side note: the teas are individually priced, ranging from $4-6. I ended up ordering the lone most expensive tea. Luckily, $6 doesn't break Hub's bank).

There are a bunch of different drinks, particularly the juices that sounded interesting. I've made one similar to the Kale-Aid before. I'll have to try theirs to see if it tastes similar. The bar is also well stocked with a bunch of organic wines. Plenty of reasons to try this place again during lunch or dinner. ;-)

Decision #2: Appetizer? The menu boasts some tasty looking starters, but I was in the mood for something more "breakfast" than what was offered. So we decided to get the Goji Berry Granola to share with the hubs. The granola was good - light and a bit tangy from the goji berries - and decent starter for brunch.





Decision #3: What to eat? I love breakfast foods, which often is sweet. But, that morning I was looking for something more savory. The Chicken Sausage Scramble sounded like a good fit. I think what surprised me about it was the strong shiitake mushroom favor that permeated throughout the dish. I would say that they kind of overpowered the other flavors. Overall, it was very tasty.

Hubs got the Street Tacos (not pictured) with beef, which were well seasoned. The only complaint about them was that there was a lot of cabbage that the beef was a little lost.

Decision #4: Dessert? Why not! I was a bit full, but my sweet tooth was winning out. So hubs and I shared a pomegranate sorbet. A nice and refreshing way to end the meal. 

Overall, I had a tasty little brunch with hubs at TFK. It was nice to know that the restaurant boasts the healthy factor. I look forward to coming back and trying their lunch and dinner options.  

I LOVE YOU SHEENA!!!!!  <----- AHH!! Hubs graffitied my post when I was drafting it. Had to keep it. ;-)

Brunch at Founding Farmers

Valentine's weekend was a chilly one, and also a busy one for Hubs. (Yes it's a couple of weeks after Valentine's day, but it's better late than never)

Childhood favorite! 

We had to postpone our Valentines celebration until Sunday. But instead of dinner, I decided that I wanted brunch. Why brunch instead of dinner? Well, I love brunch! Mostly because I love breakfast foods.


Even though Founding Farmers in DC has been around for a while now, we had not gone there for brunch. February 16th seemed as good of a day as any to go for food at this awesome restaurant. 

If you haven't gone to Founding Farmers (or haven't been there I a while, know this...Reservations are a must! Otherwise you can have an hour and a half wait if you don't. 

Banana Fluffer Nutter (top right)

Dessert for breakfast?!?! Yes please!! Talk about an awesome way to start breakfast. I really enjoyed the little chocolate bites - because we all know chocolate haste ability to make anything better!

Eggs, sausage/bacon, toast, fruit salad -  brunch/breakfast staple. This kind of meal is my go to when I can't make a decision. The chicken apple sausage - mild and sweet - was a nice alternative to bacon or breakfast sausage. To go with my toast, I Hubs requested some if the tasty blueberry butter - he didn't want to share. Founding farmers breakfast with sausage 

New York Egg Creme Soda - vanilla and classic (chocolate) 

They tasted like milk shakes, but weren't as thick. This was my first egg creme soda, and I'm pretty sure that I would be more than content to drink them all day. Hubs definitely preferred his - vanilla - and I preferred mine. So it was better that we got one of each. Do I recommend these? Um, YES!

Chicken, Eggs, and Waffles (with blueberry butter) 

Some good soul food! The chicken was nice and crispy and I wanted to steal more of Hub's waffle than the typical bite we normally exchange. The blueberry butter was an add-in from another dish he almost got. It's so tasty he didn't want to share. 

While I realize Founding Farmers is not new, and neither is the brunch, it was new to me. I would definitely go back for brunch, just like I would definitely go back for dinner.