Ris

Brunch is my favorite meal.  We had a brunch wedding for crying out loud.  Happiness is a post-nuptials omelet station.

J&J are great dining companions because they are up for anything and have pointed me in the right direction more than a few times.  So recently we made a last minute rez at Ris early on a Saturday morning--add it to your list of places open for Saturday brunch.  And BTW for all things brunch-related, check out brunch and the city.

I won't lie--the inside of Ris is a little nicer than I expected.  Not that I thought it was going to be gross, it's just that it's a little more grown-up nice and less downtown funky than I imagined.  The namesake, Chef Ris Lacoste, is the woman behind the great eats in some of the city's best restaurants.  And that's not all--her dog is ADORABLE.  Check out the slideshow in this WaPo article.

Our drinks kicked off our amazement.  A tiny creamer cup came with our iced tea.  Lemon juice?  No.  SIMPLE SYRUP!  I can honestly say that this is amazing because we have ordered iced tea pretty much everywhere we've ever eaten, and we have never seen this presentation.  If sugar falling to the bottom of your iced tea without dissolving bums you out, then RIS is right up your alley.

Foodwise, first came the house made donuts.  My only complaint is that there weren't twice as many, but I know that's more gluttonous than an actual valid gripe.  YUM.

Obviously I had a delicious fluffy omelet filled with veggies and cheese.  It's my trademark.

Chicken fried skirt steak with poached eggs and collard greens for the Dude.  That plate got CLEANED, ya'll.  The steak was cooked at a true medium to medium-rare, which can be tricky with the "chicken-fried" element.  Big portion, too.

Deconstructed lox and cream cheese bagel!  White pile?  Egg whites.  Yellow pile? Egg yolks.  Capers, tomatoes, and onion round out this DIY delight.  The Philadelphian was happy.

Chorizo, fried egg, and sheep's milk cheese on a Portuguese roll.  Talk about a good looking breakfast sandwich, this thing is adorable.  And I hear it tasted great.

Looking back, I could have used a wee bit more food.  The portions were the right size for regular people, but I pretty much always wake up starving.  Next time I'll get the French toast and make everyone have a few bites.  Side of extra entree, anyone?   : )    Although if I go that route I probably won't have room for a Z Burger shake on the way home.  Ohhhh decisions.

I'll definitely go back to Ris--brunch, dinner, whatevs.  Maybe one day I can make it for happy hour, aka Rush Hour. 

Ris
2275 L St NW
Metro: Blue and Orange Lines to Foggy Bottom

Blue Duck Tavern

To celebrate two years of married bliss, we recently hit up the West End's Blue Duck Tavern--you could walk to Georgetown from Foggy Bottom hundreds of times and not realize this restaurant at the first floor of the Park Hyatt at 24th & M Streets NW.

First, I had the spring pea soup with cuttlefish ravioli, and J had the warm asparagus with mushrooms and a poached egg. Both were good, mine was better. There's nothing like peas in the spring/summer time. The servings were very nice, and the food was delicate. Every flavor was accessible and pleasant.





For dinner, I ordered the duck breast. Ever since we went to Farrah Olivia, I’ve been trying to order that well again. When I got that quail, I’d never even had quail before. But it sounded delicious and I went for it, and it was amazing. So even though the duck was okay (maybe better for someone who loves duck breast from the start), it wasn’t a Farrah Olivia quail situation. I’m trying not to get the same old white flaky fish + side vegetable when I go out—I can make that at home! (And I do...).



I liked J’s dinner. He had the braised beef rib. Reviews online were mixed on this, some liked it, others said it was ok but nothing special. I thought it was delicious. I liked the sauce a lot, and it was so darn tender. I like how it was served “on the bone,” as in literally just sitting on top of a bone. Chewing was pretty much unnecessary, the meat was melt-in-your-mouth buttery. If your birthday falls on the week you get your wisdom teeth pulled, go to BDT and get this dish.


Also: online there are mixed reviews about the fries. Some people are like, “I don’t get it. What’s the big deal?” or “Maybe I’m not a fry person, but I just don’t know what’s so special...”

Dear Naysayers: Stop wasting the calories on what you aren’t enjoying, and bring them to me. I am wanting your fries now thxkbye. We seriously mention them at least once a week. Especially when we see crappy skimpy fries. We're like, "HAH! They are no Blue Duck."

The fries are HUGE square cut characters that are well-seasoned without being salty and SUPER potatoey. I loved them.



BDT is sort of family style. I say sort of because the dishes are large enough that they are easy to share, but not huge enormous platters or something. This is important to know for the desserts. You don’t get a slice of apple pie, you get a little mini pie. Ours was cinnamony and gooey and delicious.



Overall, BDT is a touch pricy, but with generous servings, good food, and really fantastic service. You will not be rushed.

Blue Duck Tavern
24 & M Sts NW
Metro: Orange and Blue Lines to Foggy Bottom