Must Try: Eastern Shore Corn Risotto with Squash Blossoms at Dino

As much as I like to restaurant and bar hop, Dino has become a bit of a home away from home. Owners Dean and Kay are so nice and passionate about their food. The bartenders, Sam and Andrew, are always welcoming and serving up creative cocktails... and the patio is puppy-friendly, a key point for this dog obsessed Cleveland Parker.

I've been to the Sunday brunch many times. Normally, I'm a brunch classic kinda gal, but after an afternoon of exercise I didn't want to blow all of that work on the decadent Breakfast Bread Pudding. I love how wide open the brunch is - for just $25 you get three courses. And you can mix and match starters, entrees or pastas, cocktails or desserts... whatever you like, Dino will make it happen. (Heads up, they do the same for Restaurant Week which is coming up Aug. 15-20.)

This time around, I started with the Canteloupe Rickey and the Insalata Forte, made with local greens. But the stand out was the Eastern Shore Corn Risotto with Squash Blossoms:

Eastern Corn Risotto (photo: Tammy Gordon)

Like much of Dino's food, it's made with seasonal ingredients that are only available a few weeks a year - so top by and try it while you can!

Follow Dino on Facebook, Twitter and via Dean's famous email newsletter for the latest new specials and menu items.

Dino is located at 3435 Connecticut Avenue, just across Ordway Street from Cleveland Park Metro. Book a reservation on Open Table.

Ladies Who Lunch at Indique

I met my friend McCealaig for lunch last week and we had such a nice meal at Indique, I just had to share it with you all. I normally think of Indique for dinner, but during lunch it's got gorgeous light streaming through the windows and is more intimate for catching up on all of the girl gossip!

 When I arrived, I had a Pink Martini waiting for me and the first course had been ordered. (See, this is why it's great to have foodie friends that take control!)

The first thing that arrived were these adorable little crab cones. OK, that's what I called them, they are really called Crab Papad Roll and use Maryland crab with shallots, chiles and coconut, all wrapped up in a papery thin cone!

Crab Papad Roll (photo: Tammy Gordon)

 Next, we had the Mini Oothapam, a savory pancake with ground lentils and rice.  You can get a vegetarian version or one with chicken, both served with chutneys and side dips!

(photo: Tammy Gordon)

For my entree, I chose the Tamilnad Fish Curry, prepared with hearty fish fillets, fenugreek, onions, tomato and tamarind.

(photo: Tammy Gordon)

I had been tweeting up a storm, as I often do, and Chef K.N. Vinod must have seen it because all of the sudden this amazing pastry with a honey and ice cream side showed up on the house. Well, huge thanks chef, because we're now going to have to add this to our regular order!

(photo: Tammy Gordon)

You can follow Indique on Facebook, follow Chef Vinod on Twitter and read his blog.

Indique is located at 3512 Connecticut Avenue NW, right at the feet of Cleveland Park Metro.

PS. Don't miss half-price wine bottles on Sundays!

Wanted: Burly Men to Trade Brawn for Pedicures

See Nam's Posh Nails. I love me some new pedicure chairs, but seems like we are having a little trouble getting past the lobby.

Men of Cleveland Park, help the ladies out!

Tackle Box Cleveland Park Opening TONIGHT! Or Maybe Tomorrow?

UPDATE: No, really, its NOT TONIGHT. We're hearing they got hung up one more day and the real opening (crossing fingers) is going to be June 3rd.

No, really, it's opening tonight. Tackle Box announced on their Facebook page today that the Cleveland Park location is open for business.

It's four times as big as the Georgetown location, so hopefully it can handle the neighborhood barrage. I, for one, am excited about the shrimp tacos and blueberry pie. Check out Foodspotting's Tackle Box photos to get a better sense of their menu!

My last meal at Tackle Box Georgetown: Fish Tacos, Sweet Potato Fries & Blueberry Pie (photo: Tammy Gordon)

Reports from the Cleveland Park list serve crew that went to the tasting last night were positive - especially the friendly staff that took the crowds in stride.

I've got my PR Running class tonight, but might stop in afterwards (what? I'll have worked it off - don't judge!). Anyone else planning on going to opening night?

Farmers Market Demo by Dino's Dean Gold PLUS Recipe

This morning Cleveland Park took over the Dupont Circle Farmers Market! Last night when I was at Dino for dinner (grilled veggie antipasti, stuffed squash blossoms, soft shells, asparagus pasta, oh my!), Dean mentioned he was doing the market demo this morning, so Ike and I were there promptly at 11am.

Most Sunday mornings I'm at the market and you're lucky if the chefs doing demos even grunt at you as their team passes out samples. (No offense... a lot of chefs are gruff by nature!) Dean delighted the crowd with a dissertation on kitchen basics, why local ingredients matter, an extra recipe for squash blossoms, his market demo of Mustard Green Soup with Rice (recipe below) and an encore history of garlic scapes and how to cook with them (you can use them like green beans - who knew?)

Dino's Dean Gold cooking down mustard greens for his Mustard Green Soup (photo: Tammy Gordon)

Everyone from food bloggers to market shoppers to Cleveland Park neighbors hung out in the grass and took it in like a college class. After we tasted the soup and said our goodbyes, we went off to shop the stalls more inspired than we arrived.

Cleveland Parkers: Andrew Shapiro, Chad Hamilton & Jenna Sauber (photo: Tammy Gordon)

Dean Gold's Mustard Green Soup With Rice
Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts mustard green leaves in 2 inch strips
• 1/2 onion sliced into rings
• 1/2 cup carrot rounds
• 2 cups good tomato sauce
• 4 cups veggie stock
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon finely cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Sriacha sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped sage
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• Optional: lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Jasmine rice boiled til al dente
• 2 cups shredded grana cheese

Instructions:

1. Saute onions and carrots in olive oil til they begin to soften.
2. Add mustard greens and stir fry til well coated with oil and wilted.
3. Add tomato sauce and veggie stock to cover. Add half the seasoned salt, sage and parsley. Simmer 2 hours or more until the greens are wilted and very well cooked. 
4. Adjust seasoning and add remaining herbs. If needed, add a little lemon juice for brightness. The soup should be a bit spicy. 
5. If serving hot, add 1-2 tablespoons of cooked rice and 1/4 cup grana cheese to each bowl

Dino is located at the corner of Connecticut and Ordway Street in Cleveland Park. 

Have You Seen the Flower Thief?

This is a guest post by Cleveland Park neighbor, Marcia Stein:

Several recent Listserv postings alerted us about a neighborhood flower thief and provided a description of a possible suspect - a short, white male, about 60 years old with wavy salt and pepper hair. Someone, perhaps the same individual, made his/her annual visit to the Newark Street Community Garden in the past two days, stealing some 50 peony stems from several garden plots, stripping bushes clean of all stems with flowers and or buds. It is difficult to understand how this person goes unnoticed, walking thru the gardens located between the 2nd District Police Station and the Newark Street dog park, a children's playground, and across the street from the McLean Gardens condos, where people are out and about at all hours, especially early in the morning walking their dogs -- which is when we suspect the thief appears.

One McLean Gardens resident has seen a man fitting the given description leaving the community garden, arms loaded with flowers. The previous Listserv postings sited the same man in various neighborhood locations including the Glover Park trail behind McLean Gardens, walking with armloads of unwrapped flowers in the early morning hours, and even cutting hydrangeas from people's home gardens, then quickly walking away. 

Let's protect our properties and catch this thief. If you see someone fitting this description who looks suspicious e.g. walking with an armload of unwrapped flowers, especially in the early morning hours in or near the Community Garden, please call 911 and take a picture of the suspect if you can. 

If you have any information, please e-mail newarkstcommunitygarden@gmail.com.

DEALS: Discounted Group Running Programs in Cleveland Park

Running is one of my favorite ways to stay in shape. It doesn't cost a monthly fee like a gym. I can take my dog or go with friends... but I'm not a *good* runner and I slack every winter. So, today's Groupon has my name all over it.

PR Training Programs are located right in the Sam's shopping center right at Cleveland Park metro - and they offer three different levels, depending on your skill set.

I see these people... all healthy and laughing in their PR shirts and I've always wondered how to get in on it. Well, I'm about to! Get your Groupon here and join me. I need motivation.

TO DO: Barton Seaver Book Signing & Wine Tasting This Friday

I'm beach bound this weekend, but one thing I'm bummed I'm missing in Cleveland Park is Chef Barton Seaver's book signing this Friday, May 13 from 6-8pm at Weygandt Wines.

I'm kind of a Barton Seaver junkie. Not only is he a super talented, local chef (and then man who started Hook, Tacklebox and Blue Ridge menus) but he's a HUGE global advocate for sustainable seafood.

Chef Barton Seaver (photo: TED.com)

What the hell is sustainable seafood and why should you care? Well... if you have a favorite fish, you should care. Basically, the "trendy" fish are being overfished and are threatened in their environment. In some cases, invasive species (people, dumping Nemo in the Potomac... bad idea) with no natural enemy are taking over their space and driving the natural species (the ones we like to eat for dinner) out. My most popular blog post over on Florida Girl in DC was actually about Chef Seaver's plan to fish the invasive lionfish out of existence.

Anyway, this hugely talented (adorable) local chef is going to be in OUR NEIGHBORHOOD... so get down there and say hello. He'll be signing copies of his newest cookbook For Cod & Country: Simple, Delicious, Sustainable Cooking and Weygandt will be offering complimentary wine tastings.  The cookbook is organized by month and features recipes with fish and ingredients that should be harvested at that time. Brilliant!

For Cod & Country (photo: BartonSeaver.org)

Weygandt Wines is located at 3519 Connecticut Avenue in Washington, DC, right at Cleveland Park Metro.  Get all of the details on the Facebook event page here.

Peonies Popping in Cleveland Park

My favorite spring flower spotted on Macomb Street is getting me psyched for the farmers markets the next two weeks. I can't wait to have a nice big bowl of these on my coffee table.

(photo: Tammy Gordon)

Related: watch out for the flower bandit! Take a pic if you spot him. (There's a guy who strips our neighborhood yards of their awesome flowers)

More Springtime Scenes from Cleveland Park