Dupont Circle

So my travels had me heading North after business in Virginia Beach and Richmond to the Washing DC area. Once I got into town, I was little tired, so I checked into the Hotel and caught a 30 minute nap before heading out for dinner. I have to tell you, that this Bay Area boy is getting a lesson on what humidity is, but more about that latter.

After the Nap I was not sure what I wanted for dinner, so I decided to head out to a busy neighborhood to walk and just find something. I’ve been to DC in the past and so I decided that Dupont Circle would be a good spot wander around to find a meal and a cocktail. I walked around the plaza a little, where people were hanging out around the fountain just trying to cool off. A dozen or so people were playing chess and checkers, and there was even one three card Monty game going on.

I headed down Connecticut and found Café Citron. My server was a warm and helpful woman with a Spanish accent. She explained that everything was made from scratch and suggested a couple of dishes. I took my time to review the menu, but ordered the Sangria right away. It was a warm evening. I decided on the empanadas and the jerk chicken.

The restaurant was decorated with warm colors, colored lights and lots of mirrors. The place had Latin flavored techno music playing in the background. Later in the evening, they switch to live Flamenco music, which mad the place come alive. I had a mojito as a follow-up drink as I listen to the music.

The empanadas were very good, but I was not crazy about the Jerk Chicken. The chicken was over-cooked. The jerk rub and sauce was okay, but the overall dish failed to deliver.

Overall Café Citron was a great environment to relax. I would suggest going for the appetizers, cocktails and the music and stay away from the Jerk Chicken dish.

By the way to finish up on the heat and humidity, as I walked after dinner I found that after one block I was soaking wet. Boy, O’Boy do I miss the San Francisco Fog. More from the DC tomorrow.

The Greatest Four Weeks of the Year

Cal and New Mexico Last Night

For sport’s fans, today open’s the greatest four weeks of the year, the start of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. For me this is the best sporting event of the year, more exciting than the NFL, more passion than the NBA (that’s not hard to beat), two to three buzzer beating shots each day of the first two weeks, and a good reason to take an extended lunch if your team is playing an afternoon game.

Since my California Golden missed the NCAA Tournament, again, I sat through an opening round game of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) as the Bears hosted New Mexico. I had not seen New Mexico play this season but the game had peak my interest with former Indiana star Steve Alford coaching. Alford, the former Mr. Basketball for Indiana, is the same age as I am and enjoyed watching him play. In 1987, Alford led the Hoosiers to the NCAA Championship Game against Syracuse. The Hoosiers won the game on a late baseline jumpshot by Keith Smart. But, Alford did his part, shooting 7-10 from the 3-point line, scoring 23 points.

Alford as a coach has his team shooting the three. In his first year with New Mexico he and the Lobos went 24-9, and led the nation in three-point shooting at 42.5 percent. Just like Alford in his playing days this was a patient and disciplined team. Down by 10 at half they climbed back into the game on the back of JR Giddens, who had 26-points, 13 rebounds and six assists. The big fellow could do it all, and you could tell was well coached in the motion offense that Alford learned from Bobby Knight. The Bears pulled out the win (68-66) with two freethrows by Jamal Boykin, but I was impressed with the Lobos.

After the exciting finish, I stopped at Blake’s on Telegraph. They have recently remodeled and the place looks cleaned up. I never went to Blake’s as a student because I could not afford to eat or drink there. As a got older it has become a standard when I head over to campus for an event. They have 11 beers on tap and drink specials every night. It looks as if they are trying to get a younger crowd with drink specials every night of the week. An example is: $5 Long Island’s on Monday’s, $1 Beer on Wednesday’s or $3.75 Jack and Cola on Saturday. The food at Blake’s is always very good, but the service at times can be slow. Try the Burger and the fries.

http://www.blakesontelegraph.com/

Dopo -- Delivers Big

Dopo on Oakland's Piedmont Avenue

So the other night my wife and I, join our friends James and Brenda for dinner. The dinner was arranged by my wife and James, and it was suggested to go to Dopo, on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. Now the reason was James and Brenda suggested the restaurant was because they thought we had dined there in the past, fact was a few years back we dined across the street at LoCoco’s. LoCoco’s is fine homey, down-to-earth, tasty pizza and Italian food place, but I had no idea that a mistake had been made, until later in the evening during dinner conversation, but this was a terrific mistake.

In all years eating on Piedmont Avenue, I had not been in Dopo so it was great to get a chance to try something new. James had a bottle of wine from the Piemonte Region, a 2005 Nebbiolo, Casina Morassino, waiting when we arrived, a very versatile vintage. A very good call by James. Dopo offers a very good selection of Italian wines and the list is designed to support the menu with good bottles from small producers. It’s easy to find a selection to pair with your meal. If you are craving a cocktail you will have to wait a while, Dopo currently has a limited liquor license, and they are petitioning to expand the bar offerings.

Dopo is sleek and sophisticated with warm lighting and abstract prints. Jon Smulewitz, a former cook at Oliveto in the Rockridge, assembles food from an Italian menu as tiny as the space itself. We started with Dopo’s house-cured salami; Copa, mortadella and Calabrian-style salami show there is a true passion for the pig in this kitchen. The plate was an excellent starter with our wine.

The second bottle of wine was from the Tuscany Region, a 2005 Morellino di Scansano, Erik Banti. This was a hardier bottle with a heavier taste. The table liked the first bottle, but you got to test them to know.

Our table had three pasta orders and a calzone. James and I had the braised short-ribs over pappardelle pasta. The sauce had an excellent flavor and complemented the meat. The pasta was cooked to perfection. My wife had the seafood (clams, mussels) spaghetti and Brenda had the calzone. The menu changes, so I will not go into the dishes in great detail, except to say that the quality of the food was fresh and full of flavor.

Even though no one at the table ordered pizza, you could tell it was a staple of frequent diners. Dopo uses a wood oven to create crackly, chewy pizzas: spicy peppers and sausage option, coated with vibrant tomato sauce and the buffalo mozzarella and basil flowed out of the kitchen. A must try next timed.

The desserts are simple but not boring, the offerings included a lemon tart, rich chocolate-almond torte and a cannoli. I had the cannoli, not the best ever, but very good for the West Coast.

Overall Dopo delivers. The service was good, although we were talking and enjoying the wine, although I truly did not notice the job the server was doing, which is a good thing. As mistakes go, this was one my taste buds could live with.

Dopo
4293 Piedmont Ave Oakland, CA 94611
Phone: (510) 652-3676
Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; dinner 5:30-10 p.m.
Reservations accepted for parties of five or more.
Credit cards accepted.
Beer and Wine.
Street parking is tough, tough, tough.

La Coco’s 4270 Piedmont Avenue Oakland, CA 94611 (510) 652-6222. Cash only.

Great Little Neighborhood for Food and Beer

Kingfish

With more rain in the forecast, I took advantage of the sun we had yesterday and headed over to 51st and Telegraph in Oakland. This area is the Temescal neighborhood, and it has two of my favorite places to grab some food and one great dive bar. Yesterday, I only got to visit two of the three yesterday (what happen to the two drink lunch?).

First off a little about the neighborhood. This Oakland neighborhood has changed dramatically after the housing run-up in the Bay Area and especially in Rockridge neighborhood just to the North. During construction of the 24 Freeway, the Temescal was severely neglected and many who lived in this neighborhood just packed up and took flight to the burbs, but with its great freeway access and close access to BART this neighborhood is once again thriving. The main business corridor of Telegraph Avenue has seen an enormous growth and with it has come shops and restaurants.

So what do I like in this neighborhood.

First off a great deli. Genova Delicatessen and Ravioli at 5095 # A Telegraph Ave. This is a great place to pick-up a sandwich and a beer if you like (just not yesterday). They have a few tables both inside and out if you would like to sit and eat. Genova's is now inside a shopping center that takes up most of the western block. I still remember the old shop that was a few hundred yards away, where you could barely fit 10 people inside with all shelves filled with food circling you. The old location had a real cast of characters that could entertain as they made your sandwich. Some of those characters made the move over to the current location and if you get one of the old timers you will get a sense of what the old deli was like. Grab a box of Raviolis and some gravy to go for the evening dinner.

If you want a treat, walk across Telegraph to Bakesale Betty, 5098 Telegraph Ave. There is no sign, but you will see all of the people at this corner location. The cookies and pecan shortbread are just awesome. Betty's also has sandwiches. The have become legendary in the neighborhood for their Fried Chicken Sandwich. Betty's also makes chicken pot pies, and I would suggest that you order ahead they go fast, you can call your order in 510.985.1213. Betty's has seating outside and uses old iron boards as tables.

Finally a place to get a drink. Although I did not stop in yesterday, a great local dive is the Kingfish 5227 Claremont Ave. Just one block from Genova's and Betty's. The Kingfish traditionally is Cal hangout, but this former bait shop is a true neighborhood watering hole. The Kingfish serves beer and wine (in a box). This shack is a hole in the wall but it does have shuffleboard, great jukebox, a dice game if you want to get in. Plus, my initials are etched into one of the post since 1987. Just a great place to hang out.

If you haven't visited this great Oakland neighborhood, give it a try.

Holiday Break with Bao Bing and a Cocktail

I have been on vacation the past two week and I have been very busy around the house without adding in the task of a job. I have a host of things that I am trying to accomplish before returning to my day job. So as the vacation winds to an end, neither my wife or I felt like cooking, and we took a dinner break at Ching Hua, 1650 Park Street in Alameda.

Alameda has no shortage of Asian inspired restaurants and about a dozen of them are Chinese. What standout from the other resteraunts is Ching Hua has a great bar, I had two cocktails, the first was a Tanqueray and pom and the second was a Crown Royal Down. Both very good, preferred the gin drink. Would recommend if you like tart drinks. The second is the quality of the food. Chinese food in Alameda can vary from the very poor and greasy to the mediocre, but Ching Hua has step up the level.

Last night, we ordered the pot stickers, won ton soup, lamb bao bing and dry sautéed green beans. The entire order was good, my favorite was the pot stickers they get them very crisp. The soup stock was very flavorful and the won tons packed with meat. The bao bing is a solid meat dish with tons of flavor. The green beans are flashed fried and then tossed with a mixture of ginger, garlic and preserved Chinese turnips.

Tip: Ching Hua serves brown rice.

This is a sit down dining place with real napkins and the price reflects it the food was about $35 for the order. Cocktails range from $6-$10. Ching Hua is located in Alameda's Market Place and if you get a chance take a tour though the hall, some great vendors.

For look at Ching Hua's menu http://chinghuaonpark.com/index.htm.