Zaytinya

[ajay]

I think that I would prefer a reservations policy with a majority of the tables being held rather than the scheme the fat guy proposes, but I would take his plan (20 minute holding time and all even though I'm chronically late-- I think it's in my genes) over the non reservation policy. Especially since I'm not a local and commitments would likely keep me busy until the peak hours when a reservation would become absolutley necesarry as I tend to eat very lightly before taking in a meal at a restaurant I expect to enjoy (so that in the words of our estimable cabby I don't have capacity problems). Howeve this strategy makes me quite cranky when I have to wait for a table.

Of course I'm not the demographic the restaurant is designed to cater to, and will just have to suck it up, but the question was voiced and I felt obliged to provide my response. I really hope I can work Zaytinya and Cafe Atlantico in on my next trip; with both being as reasonably priced as they are, I will be bummed if I don't make both. But if scheduling does not permit both, do members have any insight on which one should be preferred?

[Fat Guy]

Ajay, I anwered this on the Cafe Atlantico thread and said that for food there's really no contest: it's Cafe all the way. If you're looking at externalities, well, the Zayt. space is great (Cafe's space is getting a bit long in the tooth and could use a facelift) and the buzz is as energetic as you can imagine. So if that sort of thing matters to you, it's a tougher choice.

[ajay]

Sorry, Fat Guy, we cross posted.

[Fat Guy]

So, I went to Zaytinya.

No matter how food-obsessed and focused you are, it's impossible to avoid letting the energy level at Zaytinya affect your meal. This place is absolutely slamming -- it's as energetic a restaurant as you're likely to find short of one of those night clubs that isn't really a restaurant. Zaytinya is a serious restaurant, though. A fun, high-energy, serious restaurant . . . with an amazing, soaring interior designed by Adamstein and Demetriou (A&D, like the ointment).

The Eastern-Mediterranean/Middle-Eastern mezze/tapas/grazing concept is nothing new. Like Jose Andres's other restaurant themes -- Nuevo Latino and Spanish tapas -- the whole thing has filtered down into the deep reaches of the American culinary middle market. You see many of these same dishes at high-end supermarkets in the suburbs, and I recently endured an unremarkable rendition of the mezze concept at a straight-from-the-pages-of-Nation's-Restaurant-News endeavor in one of the planned communities (Sandestin) in Northwest Florida. So I go into such a place with a bit of a chip on my shoulder.

Zaytinya immediately disarms the cynic with its vibe and, if that's not quite doing the trick, the hot, freshly baked pita. This is such a no-brainer. It's great. They bring the hot oblong bread standing upright in a basket, and they refill it maniacally the whole night long. Yet so few restaurants in the country bother to make decent pita (or even acquire decent bread -- but that's another issue). I'm a bit of a bread addict, but I think it's fair to say that this bread is the foundation of the whole meal: you dip it in stuff, you smear stuff on it, you use it to pick up the shmutz remaining on the place after you've eaten whatever was there, you make little sandwiches, you nibble on it while you're contemplating the six-gazillion-item-long menu, you dip it in olive oil laced with pomegranate syrup (Zaytinya is Turkish for olive oil, they tell me) and you play with it when it's really hot, letting the steam pop out from the center when you rip off a corner.

There is, however, food available in addition to the bread. The two extreme standouts of the evening were the manti "Nejla" and the kalamari me spanaki. Manti are little balls of gelatinous pasta stuffed with beef (Nejla is the name of the woman Jose hired as a consultant to teach this dish to the staff -- this practice of giving some attribution on the menu is something of which I strongly approve). Visually they look sort of the shape and size of chickpeas. They're lightly coated in a sauce of yogurt, butter, and sumac. Usually, I'm happy to taste a dish, pass judgment, and move on, but I found myself competing with my tablemates for follow-up servings of this one. Each one of these little pasta things is hand crafted in the kitchen -- it must be a grueling task. Kalamari me spanaki sounds prosaic in translation: squid with spinach. But it's the tenderest squares of calamari with the most vibrant spinach -- one of those simple but beautifully executed dishes that makes you realize just how badly most restaurants (even at the upper echelons of dining) ruin these two potentially great ingredients. And at 5.95 for the squid and $6.25 for the manti;, it's just a really good value. Not that the portions are large, but they are not by any means small. If you have four people, everybody gets a reasonably heaping scoop or two of most every dish. If four people order four dishes plus one dessert each, you're looking at a food tab that's around $120. The value is quite impressive. One would not normally expect this level of technique at this price point.

It's going to be very difficult for me to go back to eating humus (the restaurant makes a fine rendition of that, though it was served too cold) after trying the Santorini fava preparation at Zaytinya. This is the humble fava's answer to the chickpea. The puree is enriched with olive oil, red onion, capers, and lemon. It's very good.

A trio of fried things rounded out my favorites, with the best of the three being the havoc koftesi: carrot, apricot, and pine nut fritters with pistachio sauce. Falafel was one of the few acceptable specimens I've had outside the Middle East. And the kibbeh -- basically falafel but made of beef and wheat -- were also excellent. Some of the Lebanese-influenced dishes were taught to the cooks by the people at Lebanese Taverna -- a very traditional restaurant where the classic preparations are valued. So the Zaytinya crew knows how to make the real stuff -- so it's not one of these all-too-common situations where the cooks making the falafel have never seen anyone make it right. The chef of Lebanese Taverna -- named Abdoul -- is credited on the menu for the falafel recipe (called "falafel Abdoul"). He also taught the staff how to make phyllo by hand, just as his father taught him and as he makes it every day in the Lebanese Taverna bakery. One of the Taverna owners, Dany Abi-Najm, worked with Jose to install the pita-making system. So all this genuine knowledge has been carefully obtained. But then Jose has taken almost every recipe and given it a little tweak here or there -- a little unexpected spice, or a texture variation, or something. And unlike most chefs who tamper with the classic, he actually makes improvements.

There were a whole lot of other dishes, all of them quite good. I'm just stopping here at the break point between superlative and very good. I'd also like to go back and try the other half of the menu. Apparently there are a few entree-sized items as well. I haven't tried any.

This was my first actual taste of Steve Klc's desserts. I was perversely hoping they would suck, even though I knew that wasn't going to be the case. But they were of course excellent. Still, for me the impressive thing about the desserts wasn't that they were good. It's that they cost $5.95 each and the kitchen must serve like 400 of them on a busy night, yet they're more sophisticated in conception and technique than the $16 desserts at most high-end restaurants. And more than that, I appreciated that the desserts flowed from the style of the restaurant and the savory dishes. Everything about Zaytinya -- both the premises and the cuisine -- says clean and modern. What Steve has done -- and this is his overall ethos or concept -- is gotten to the heart of the region, totally immersed himself in the ingredients and flavors, and come out on the other side with a set of reinvented, clean, modern desserts that pay homage to the region but are appropriate to a contemporary, upscale pastry kitchen.

If you've traveled around the Eastern Mediterranean (I haven't actually been to all the countries represented at Zaytinya, but I've sampled similar ingredients in Israel and Egypt) or you're accustomed to dining at Greek or Middle Eastern restaurants in large cities where the imported or produced-to-correct-specifications ingredients are available, you'll notice that the desserts are first and foremost built on a platform of ingredients that taste real. So even though the forms of several desserts are radical departures from the familiar, the substance of each is far more authentic than what you'd get in most places that adhere to the traditional forms. Ingredients include the Total brand of Greek yogurt, a goat's milk yogurt made by a Greek family in Ontario, Greek muscat and vin santo wines, a fruity unfiltered Greek EVOO, Greek honeys, and the aforementioned hand-made phyllo (which represents an uncommon level of support for pastry -- how many restaurants could possibly be doing this?). Desserts, just like savory dishes, are ingredient-dependent, yet the quality of dessert ingredients is often overlooked even in high-end restaurants. Building from that platform of good ingredients, the desserts can really soar, so, for example, the medjool dates are roasted in the Greek vin santo, the Greek EVOO forms the basis of the olive oil ice cream, the goat's milk mousse is based on the Skotidakis Goat Farm yogurt from Ontario, the yogurt cream (based on Total) is paired with a Greek muscat wine gelee on top. I'm also wondering how many other restaurants at this price point are investing in a Pacojet.

The two best desserts are the "Turkish coffee" and the dates. The "Turkish coffee" is actually a warm liquid center cake and chocolate cream quenelle, both of which Steve reports he makes with E. Guittard 72% chocolate (an excellent product), served on top of a cardamom foam (aka espuma -- I should probably get with the program and start calling it what Adria calls it), which is essentially a foamed cardamom creme Anglaise, with a sauce made of espresso and Raki (a Turkish liqueur like ouzo) and sprinkled with sea salt, candied orange rind and toasted sesame seed. The date dessert consists of amazingly nice jumbo Medjool dates -- I don't think I've ever seen better ones, and Steve reports they have to be flown in direct from a grower in California because no one else is DC carries anything in that category -- roasted in Greek vin santo with orange and cinnamon, placed on top of a layer of pistachio cream with crumbled orange shortbread on top, and it's finished with a quenelle of olive oil ice cream, some of the reduced date sauce and a sprinkle of sea salt, candied orange rind and pistachio powder.

As I was saying, Zaytinya has the amazing vibe and space. Here's the architectural photo from the publicist, taken in an empty restaurant under daylight conditions, so you can get an idea of the space:

(Zaytinya's photo)

Now wait until nighttime, climb to the top of those stairs, turn around, and look down:

(Ellen Shapiro's photo)

Do you get the idea?

We made a stop at Jaleo afterwards for additional dessert, specifically Jose's "crema Catalana a new way." This may have been the very first use of an Adria-style espuma in the US. It's an almost weightless dessert served in a tall glass, with a barely caramelized sugar crust on top, a custard espuma/foam, cinnamon gelee in the middle layer, more espuma, and lemon compote on the bottom. Great.

Jaleo was still packed when we got there, even though it was late, so we had to stand up in the corner of the bar in order to eat our desserts. This kind of sustained success is kind of amazing considering the restaurant is about to celebrate its 10th Anniversary beginning on April 1st. And during that month, the Steve Klc desserts will be introduced. So I guess I'll be back.

[vengroff]

Excellent report Mr. Shaw. My current faves at Zaytinya are the squid with spinach and the stuffed cabbage. Did you try the latter, with the olive oil and lemon foam? The dates, of course, are incomparable.

As for the crema Catalana at Jaleo, I would never have ordered it without the "new way" moniker, and the waiter's subsequent description. "Trust me," he said, "it is served in a new way that you have not had before." I actually appreciated that more than I would have a more detailed description, because each layer I encountered was refreshing and new. With all due respect to Steve Klc, whose desserts are stupendous, I hope the crema can retain a position on the menu as an honorary classic.

[Fat Guy]

My current faves at Zaytinya are the squid with spinach and the stuffed cabbage.  Did you try the latter, with the olive oil and lemon foam?

Nope.

I hope the crema can retain a position on the menu as an honorary classic.

The thing that's so amazing about that dessert is that it comes from a non-pastry-chef, yet it's one of the best desserts going. Now I think Steve can probably improve upon it -- perhaps by keeping it as a component of a larger plate and pairing it with something that has a little density -- but it's a great accomplishment. I haven't actually tracked the category -- if there even is one -- but I'm guessing this goes on the hypothetical list of "Top 10 desserts by chefs who aren't pastry chefs."

[jparrott]

Excellent report, FG. My only complaint about Zaytinya is that the waiters on the floor tend to be inconsistent, even when the restaurant is mostly empty. I do enjoy the bar area, however, with good keeps (some of whom I knew from past restaurants) and relatively quick service, given the crowds. Also, the excellent selection of ouzos/rakis/araks is much easier to explore at the bar, as the service requires three vessels. But the araks especially are brilliant matches with some of the food--Al Massaya (blue bottles) with fish and dips and Ksarak with heartier dishes and cheese. So I end up eating at the bar most of the time, and going by to drink at odd hours when the keeps can talk a bit more. I've also had the keeps order my dinner for me, and they do a pretty good job of choosing .

But I love the food, love the desserts, love the room, love the wine list (and the prices are okay). I do think the turkish coffee isn't, well, coffee-y enough compared to other specimens, but it's a nit-pick.

[Fat Guy]

We sat upstairs and there must have been nine or so tables in the section -- with just one waiter and one captain-type, plus the runner (maybe two of them). It was extremely thin staffing and the service definitely could have been improved with extra person-power. Whether the prices could be maintained is an open question; I think you've got to evaluate the service based on price point. It's friendly, it's reasonably effective, and therefore it meets or exceeds the standard at a restaurant that sells maybe $30 worth of food to the average dinner customer (aka less than the cost of a single entree at many fine-dining places). I'm actually amazed everybody in my section actually got bread and water refills promptly -- I know plenty of restaurants with 300% as much staffing (on a per-customer basis) that don't get that right. Plus it's not like you can hire the best waiters in town at that price point. You do what you can.

[jparrott]

Sure. But I'll still sit at the bar.

[Steve Klc]

Like them, love them or not, one thought about the desserts I should interject at this point: none of the desserts are "mine." As in wholly, independently, created completely in isolation and then bestowed upon Jose Ramon, Jorge Chicas the head chef and the public from on high. In terms of presentation, composition, sugar balance every single dessert at Zaytinya went through this joint discovery process--where over a period of months Jose and I sat down, shared, commented, tweaked and as a result every single end product was suffused or infused with his palate and expertise at the highest levels of achievement in dining and also in volume production.

He made all of "my" desserts there more effective and more consistent.

Mostly all of this is transparent to the diner--but some might find that kind of evolutionary process or collaboration interesting. Some specifics: left to my own devices the espresso/raki syrup and the pistachio cream would be slightly less sweet, the olive oil ice cream would have more lemon juice--Jose wanted less lemon juice so even more of the olive oil could come through and he kept urging me to make the espresso and pistachio just slightly sweeter because he knew the diners would find them more accessible and enjoyable that way. Left completely in the Steve/Colleen lab the pistachio 'creme brulee' would have been made without perceptible sugar--figuring the dates and date syrup would be sweet enough to balance it on the edge. Jose knew, though, the raki/espresso syrup would seem strange to our diners without the sweetness to temper the espresso, made with the Nizzi blend from La Colombe. Without the sugar, both desserts would have been more trendy and "media-cool" but with the % of sugar they are better restaurant desserts--and better serving the clientele.

Those of you that know me a little bit have no problem imagining that I originally fantasized about presenting these glistening and painstakingly peeled dates lined up perfectly on top of perfectly cut rectangles of the orange shortbread with a perfectly placed quenelle of the olive oil ice cream on this very cool rectangular plate. Guess what? That might have been possible at a different price point--and at different levels of experienced staffing--but that frustration of not getting perfectly cut, perfectly level pieces of shortbread was frustrating for about a day. Not to mention the idea of servers walking so far with several plates of these dates sliding around.

So we just eliminated the flaws and frustration, yet kept the same great tasting ingredients, by simply re-arranging them. That's why the shortbread--baked and then cut into rough portion sizes--is now crumbled in a single layer in the bowl a la minute. The dates stay put embedded in the crumble. So does the ice cream. All problems of imprecision solved. It actually eats better as well--it's more easily scoopable, still texturized, and you don't have to cut through that rectangle of shortbread. Since we already were doing a warm flat piece of a semolina cake on another dessert--crumbling removed the potential visual redundancy as well.

This may seem tedious and anal, it's certainly not rocket science, but it's quite a fun process taking things down different roads for different situations and then ending up at a place you both know is right. One of the neatest aspects of my work with Jose.

[deirdre]

If you haven't yet made it to Zatinya, please put it on your "to do" list. I went for a "snack" (ha!) this afternoon. I was by myself and had three of the mezzes. The menu is on their website at www.zaytinya.com, which is how I know the names of what I ordered. One was hunkar begendi, braised lamb with eggplant puree and cheese, heavenly. It sounds like it would be ungainly looking, but it's not, it looks like a wonderful stewy lamb and tastes fantastic, the eggplant/cheese is a tan puree and with the sauce (what is that!), it's a terrific dish, I gobbled that one up. Another was havuc kofteji, carrot/apricot/pine nut fritters in a pistachio sauce -- excellent as well, quite flavorful. The last were scallops in a yogurt and dill sauce, two huge sea scallops, perfectly done. A good dish but not as exciting as the other two. Someone else at the bar was having the shrimp in the yogurt dill sauce and described it as "oh my god" so that sounds like something to try next time.

This is the best way to eat, lots of different tastes in one meal. Before everything arrived, I was served homemade pita, very light and warm, with olive oil and a squirt of pomegranate reduction. I had a glass of Greek sauvignon blanc, actually 50% sb, and 50% a grape I can't remember the name of. I think the wine was Biblia, very good with my meal. The menu is huge, ideal for a few people to try a lot of things. I sat at the bar, comfy chairs and great service from the bartender. Tried a taste of one of the Metaxa brandies, and of course I don't remember the name of this particular one but it comes in what looks like a pottery (white background with multicolor decoration) decanter -- that's some yummy stuff. Unfortunately I didn't have room for dessert and I've heard that they are fantastic and interesting, as they would be with Steve Klc doing them, so I'll have to return numerous times.

Lots of light, a pretty big space. Big bar with lots of cocktail tables (also large) in there. And nice bathrooms.

I definitely plan to return and recommend it highly to all of you.

Deirdre

[hjshorter]

Thanks Dierdre for the recommendation. We went last month with a few fellow e-gulleteers - vengroff posted a link to the thread - and had a great dinner. Haven't had time to go back but it's definitely on our list.

[bilrus]

Steve,

I have been meaning to pass this along, but my wife is enamored of the Turkish Delight at Zaytinya. As good as the food there is, I think it is the main reason she always wants to go there.

I also had a question. I had the Olive Oil Ice Cream last time I was there and was curious about something. I tasted a fruity flavor in it and wanted to know if that was from the olive oil or if there was actually some fruit involved.

[bilrus]

And now I see in the previous post that there is lemon juice. I guess it pays to read more carefully.

[Steve Klc]

Yes there is lemon juice bilrus--but Jose kept after me, pulling more and more of it out--so the olive oil itself could come through better. It mainly depends on the olive oils themselves--we were using this cache of a very fruity fragrant Greek evoo that was incredible, drinkable, lickable by itself, and then had supply problems 6 months after opening. The first batches using the new oil weren't as fruity so I bumped the the lemon juice and fromage blanc content up 5%. That fromage blanc can also contribute to the perception of fruitiness--and in fact it's one of the two absolute keys to whatever "technical" success the ice cream has: the Vermont Butter Company is tangy yet 0% fat and that it is made in the PacoJet.

That Greek olive oil ice cream is the element I get the most positive comments about from guests and their relatives I meet who are Greek or Turkish or Lebanese. And it's one of those little things that help you realize you connected, that you make a little bit of a difference.

Thank your wife for me, her favorite dish is also heavily ingredient-driven--especially the Skotidakis Farms goat milk yogurt, the Greek honey, caramelized (Spanish) pine nuts and roasted walnuts. It's tough to screw that combination up.

[Michael Laiskonis]

I, too, missed the last series of posts initially, but enjoyed Steve Klc's description of the evolution and thought process behind these dishes. It sort of gives me an "I'm OK, you're OK" kind of feeling... Steve, I envy the collaborative relationship you have with Jose. That sort of rapport must be rare in our business...

By the way, the addition of fromage blanc also did wonders for the olive oil ice cream I've been doing. Thanks for the tip!

[Monkey]

Went to Zaytinya Sunday night with the girlfriend for some meze; my third time, her first. She is Turkish and nearly had an orgasm looking at the menu. Only had to wait twenty minutes at the bar, as opposed to the two hour wait my first time there. I'll do my best to remember everything we ate.

Fattoush salad(cucs, tomatoes, green pepper and crispy pita)

Ordered some cheese and pastirma, which is strong as hell cured beef from Turkey. I only had one slice as I'm not a big fan of this and if you eat a lot of it the smell actually emanates from your pores. She ordered a second plate of it.

Puff Boregi(cheese wrapped in lightly fried pastry) She seemed at recognize the cheese, I didn't have a clue, but it was damn good.

Adana Kebab(ground lamb skewer) This stuff is amazing, we ordered two more plates of it. Seasoned with some spice I couldn't recognize.

Shish Taouk. This is the best chicken shish you will find anywhere. I think they use the leg meat instead of breast, amazing flavor, great onions on the side.

Seared salmon with pearl couscous and pomegranate reduction. Very good.

Soft shell crab witha potato garlic sauce. A special, fried in a light tempura. Very good.

Shrimp with dill, lemon and olive oil. Great flavor, excellent shrimp cooked perfectly.

Baked oysters with bay leaf. This is the one dish I don't like at Zaytinya, but the gf wanted to try it. I guess I'm too used to raw oysters at this point.

My girlfriend ordered a few more dishes that I didn't try and have no idea what they were. She assured me they were excellent.

Dessert was a Lebanese dessert wine, Turkish coffee and of course the Turkish Chocolate Delight(or something like that). This is the third time trying this and I am almost convinced this is the best dessert in DC. Ended up ordering one for the gf after I force feed her some cardamom espuma.

Little chocolate molten cake surrounded by a pool of chocolate sauce with Raki and around that is cardamom espuma(foam) and some sesame seeds sprinkled on top. I usually detect some flakes of fleur de sel but I must not have been paying attention this time. Perhaps Steve can explain this dish in more detail, but it really is amazing combination of flavors and textures.

Overall, excellent as always, but I wouldn't expect anything less from Jose Andres. Anyway, my girlfriend said it's a good as anything in Turkey, if not better.

[Rail Paul]

Dessert is definitely a treat a Zatinya. Intense flavors and atypical ingredients (olive oil ice cream, anyone?) rising off the plate.

Dee and I stopped in for dessert a few weeks ago and were absolutely delighted. Even on a rainy Saturday afternoon, the place was 3/4 filled.

I'll dig out my notes and post.

[Al_Dente]

I had a fava bean dish there Thursday night that was incredible. I must somehow steal the recipe. It was a sort of hummus like thingy-- I believe it had carmelized onions, thyme, but I'm not sure what else?

Any idea on how I can get my hands on this recipe? I suppose I could start experimenting...

[vengroff]

I've taken to eating at the bar there rather than waiting for a table. Jorge the bartender offers great service. And I agree about the shish taouk. It's been one of my favorites since the first time I went there.

They used to serve the pastrima with a soft cooked egg. The yolk complemented the beef nicely. But I don't recall seeing it on the menu last time I was there.

[Steve Klc]

Darren, yes, the bar strategy is a good one. When my wife calls me to help get her a table at the last minute I tell her, just go to the bar. We've heard from bar aficionados on this site that Zaytinya does good bar. I concur but then I'd never try to eat at Z. on a weekend night anyway. I'm asleep by the time the action starts, I'm afraid.

"Perhaps Steve can explain this dish in more detail, but it really is amazing combination of flavors and textures." I think you did a great job 'splaining this dish Monkey--hearing your gf liked it, that the flavors weren't jarring for her but familiar makes my night--did you get it in the new clear glass bowl? I preferred the old white bowls, the same white china line El Bulli used, but too many of them broke since October with the volume the restaurant does. That's by far the most popular dessert there--and that's saying something. It is not too sweet. Granted it is chocolate but with anise and Raki and cardamom its popularity just might begin to belie DC's reputation for not having an adventurous palate. I think DC just might be becoming less conservative after 20 years or so! Some keys to the dessert which aren't listed on the menu are 1) the chocolate--exclusively E. Guittard 72%, 2) that little pinch of "spice" sprinkled at the end--and yes it contains toasted sesame seeds and fleur de sel but also little bits of candied orange rind. If I'm actually sprinkling these bits on you can rest assured I'd put exactly precisely 3 salt grains, 12 sesame seeds and 5 orange rind bits each and every time. (Yeah right.) When I'm not there, well, good help is hard to find. Only kidding. But in some restaurants I do have them pre-portion this sprinkle mixture in little plastic cups with lids--here we do so many of them it's reach in, grab a pinch, sprinkle it on. But getting some salt is key--I don't like to talk about that, since everyone and their brother are putting salt on desserts, but with this dark chocolate (and with caramel, too) it really works; 3) not over-whipping, not over-aerating the cardamom espuma is key, which is just a creme anglaise infused with cardamom; 4) using good espresso, La Nizza blend from La Colombe for the espresso/Raki sauce--which is just espresso, Raki and thickened with a little pectin. The cake we've talked a lot about on the site, it is "a la Conticini" (not Jean-Georges and not Bras) baked for only a few minutes at very high heat (500) in an exclusive aluminum timbale mold by JB Prince in NY which heats up very very quickly. That's what gives you the texture contrast between outside wall and inside.

Al D--that little understated Santorini fava is one of my favs--and yes, it does seem to be made like hummos whizzing it up in the RoboCoupe--and last time I had it it was sprinkled with red onion, capers, diced egg, some parsley and olive oil. But that might vary. (The chef sprinkle box is right next to the Pacojet on the line and the dessert sprinkle boxes are just to the right of that. Hopefully you won't get pistachio/sea salt/orange rind mix on your fava. If you did, that might test your limits of calling Jose a genius. And he is every bit deserving of that tag.)

You both could easily do versions of these at home. And I think the thing about some of those grilled meat dishes that gets me--like the shish taouk--is the spice on those onions. Sumac powder. One of these days I'll be doing a dessert with sumac, it's very very intriguing.

[Monkey]

Steve, thanks for elaborating on the dessert, and yes, it was served in the clear glass bowl. I thought I detected orange, but it tasted more like chopped candied orange segments than orange peel. Aren’t those candied oranges used in another dessert? Maybe someone felt like experimenting the other night.

Sumac dessert? Not sure DC is ready for that. Infused into a crème brulee, but that is too ordinary. I see a chilled strawberry/sumac soup, maybe a hint of rosewater, as a palate cleanser. Sumac caramel? I’m sure you mind has come up with fascinating ideas, I’d be interested in hearing them.

[Al_Dente]

Thanks for the info on the Santorini Fava, Steve!

I'll be dedicating my entire weekend to re-creating it...

[VivreManger]

Sumac has a lemony sour taste that would go well in deserts that usually include citrus. It would also go well with mango. I just pulled some off my shelf -- great taste. I am making a fruit salad for 25 on Friday. Perhaps I will try some on the strawberries.

[jparrott]

Jorge the bartender offers great service.

I've followed Jorge from Catalan West to Colvin Run to Zaytinya (he was the reason I first went to Z.). Raconteur extraordinaire (though he is a Real Madrid supporter).

Edited May 28, 2003 by jparrott (log)