The Scene:  I met my friends for a catch up dinner at The Gramm Restaurant.  The restaurant is simple, with clean lines and very little décor. However, the little details you do see capture the theme of the restaurant oh so perfectly.  The creative neon sign of the restaurant logo, a glass bar cart where tableside cocktails are made, and an open kitchen.  The dining room is long and narrow and there are a few outdoor tables.

About the Chef: Chef Erwan Kenzo Nakata is a young Franco-Japanese chef from the south of France.  His menu reflects his upbringing between France and Japan.  You’ll see those influences in the miso glazed fish or the smoked salmon garnished with edamame.  Chef Nakata and his young, energetic staff also focus on sustainability, sourcing their produce from local farms and adding organic wines to their list.  We spent hours eating, drinking and talking and had the opportunity to chat with the chef as they were wrapping up in the kitchen. We loved listening to him talk about his passion for food and what inspired him to create his menus.

The Food:  The Gramm Restaurant Brussels does not have a fixed menu but rather a tasting menu which changes daily depending on the availability of ingredients.  The six course tasting menu is 42 Euros.  We started the evening with the restaurant signature drink: a gin and tonic of gin distilled in Flanders.  Although I don’t remember the name of the gin, I sure remember the warm, herbal flavor of the drink.

The dishes arrived in creatively concocted plates.  The portions were small but packed in flavors.  We started with smoked salmon with thinly sliced black radish and edamame.  We continued on with a poached egg with a pulverized bacon garnish.  The heavier dishes consisted of a fish topped with black roe and a succulent cut of duck breast.  We concluded the meal with a rhubarb sorbet with cream.  The dishes were light yet satisfying.

The Service:  Brussels has a reputation for bad service, especially in restaurants.  My friends who live in Brussels and I, a six year expat veteran of the city were amazingly pleased with the service of the restaurant.  We heard our server talking to patrons in English, French, and Dutch.  When my friend said she did not eat pork, the server immediately provided her with an alternative dish of mushrooms. What we appreciated the most is that he thoroughly described each dish that was presented to us.

The Verdict:  Whether you are local or visiting the Brussels, The Gramm Brussels is definitely a Dining Traveler pick for a unique dinner away from the madness of the Grand Place area yet walking distance to the city center.  Between the tasting menu, cocktail, and two bottles of wine, our check came to 75 Euros per person (4 people). Very reasonable for the superb quality of food and excellent service.

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About:  Locally owned &pizza has ten locations in the DC Metro area.  My first experience was at the &pizza at my neighborhood in Brookland.  I quickly became fond of the custom artisan pizzas made swiftly in front of you without losing the flavor.  The employees aka “tribe members” are friendly and animated which makes the experience not only efficient but fun.  When I found out there was a &Pizza DCA location opening, I found a way to get the behind the scenes scoop on the place.

&Pizza

The Scene:  An airport restaurant is a challenge when you have factors as space and security.  The space of &pizza DCA is pretty small with a small eating area but the pizzas were quickly churning out while I was there.  From families to pilots, there was a constant stream of people wanting to indulge in pizza during my visit.  In a high stress environment such as an airport is was refreshing to see employees happily interacting with the customers.

The Food:  Sometimes there’s a disconnect from a menu you see at a restaurant to its airport location, however, I did not see this with &pizza.  My pizza, the Moonstruck pizza (Mushroom Truffle, Roasted Wild Mushroom Blend, Crumbled Goat Cheese, Fig Marsala, Red Pepper Chili Oil, and Cracked Black Pepper) had the same quality as the one I’ve had in their Brookland location.

The Verdict:  It’s refreshing to see airports, train stations, and hotels starting to recognize traveler’s needs for great food.  It’s exciting to see the movement here in DC, especially when locally owned shops like &pizza are able to open locations in both Reagan National and Dulles Airports.  Tip:  The airport locations are the only ones which serve breakfast! 

* I was invited by &pizza to discover their DCA airport location.  As always, opinions are mine.
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The Scene:   I heard some amazing things about the restaurant but it was busy all weekend.  I was able to snag the last reservation standing on Open Table at 9:45 on a Sunday.  Thankfully, my friend lives in the neighborhood and obliged.  The restaurant is warm and cozy with deep wooden tables, decorated with succulents.  The music is dim and the diners are into their own worlds.  Upon our arrival at 9:45pm the restaurant was still full and lively. We were ready to eat.

Cocktails: We started our dinner at Cosme NYC with cocktails. I went for the “Striptease” a mezcal based cocktail with vermouth, guanabana, lime, and absinthe salt.  The key ingredient here is guanabana or soursop.  It’s such a rare thing to see it on the menu anywhere in the United States, so I had to jump on it.  It was delicious.  I wanted to order a different cocktail for the second round for the sake of this post but I was drawn back to the striptease.  Perdóname.

The Food:  The dishes at Cosme NYC are designed for sharing.  There may be some sticker shock when looking at the menu (coming from DC), followed by the waiter telling us “probably best if you order 2 items each”. Gulp.  We felt our two cocktails should suffice as appetizers.  Every other review of the restaurant talked about the Chicharrón (pork rind).  This was not your typical chicharrón.  It was light and airy yet filled with flavor.  It melts in your mouth with a savory flavor accompanied by the spiciness of the hot sauce. Delicious.

We continued to our other two dishes. The crispy octopus and the NY strip for tacos.  I am a huge fan of octopus and it was the first thing that jumped at me from the menu.  It was crispy on our the outside and moist on the inside. The hazelnut mole made you wish there was more of it left.  The steak was nicely cooked and served with warm blue corn tortillas.  We ate everything on that plate, even the charred jalapeños.

We were glad we only took three dishes as we saved room for dessert.  We had a rhubarb tamal and the meringue with corn cream.  The tamal was nice but it was outshone by the meringue.  Our server raved about the meringue and he was right. When you crack open the meringue and the sweet corn cream oozes out, you know its something special.  The airiness of the meringue merged with the sweet and creamy filling makes it truly special.

The Verdict:  I may have gulped when looking at the menu but you get what you pay for. It’s not the quantity but the quality of the ingredients and the attention to detail placed in each of the dishes.  Chef Enrique Olvera has done something very special with Cosme NYC and it’s worth the visit on your next trip to NYC.

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