Way Too Beautiful: Hotel Palomar & Domaso Trattoria Moderna

After working through Saturday afternoon, a good hard run was needed to de-stress and to prepare for my reservation at Domaso Trattoria Moderna at 6:30pm. In hopes of catching the end of the "guest only" wine tasting, I made sure to arrive at Hotel Palomar around 5:40pm. The valet took my car and another stunningly/amusingly dressed doorman opened all doors for me to lead me upstairs. (I say 'stunningly/amusingly' because both African-American men have been fantastically dressed in what I consider to be 20's mobster suits. This gentleman, however, was topped with a gorgeous Fedora - it fit him and his character perfectly. He was quite charismatic, and told me the secret to getting free valet - "he only tells one lady a night" ... riiiight. I made sure to get my receipt validated after dinner.)

I thanked him for offering to bring me upstairs, but explained that I wanted to stop in Domasoteca before dinner. I made my way to the store's counter where my goals were 1) to pick up another 70% cocoa bar, because I had eaten the other one before opening the wine I intended to eat it with (ahaha, SO typical), and 2) to ask if the store, as the gourmet shop of the Italian restaurant upstairs, carried any wines like the 3 sparkling ones I had tried earlier in the week at Dino. They did not, but as a new shop looking for their customers' input, the sommelier agreed that they should start to carry some.

When I got up to the 4th floor living room, my heart kinda fluttered. The previously quiet serene place had been transformed into a chic, chill lounge. There were about 50 people in the large space ... lounging on the beautifully curves couches in front of the two-sided fireplaces, all sipping glasses of wine! How wonderful! The wine tasting was still in progress ... and by 'wine tasting', I mean that there was a man from some VA winery giving out full glasses of wine to anyone who walked up to him. While standing on the short line for a pre-dinner glass, I talked with a guy who had been downstairs in Domasoteca. He asked if I had seen the deck around back and commented how 'this' (the wine, the restaurant, the hotel, the 'space') was exactly what the area needed. He tried a red Meritage which he enjoyed, I tried a chardonnay, which I didn't. But I was too distracted to really care.

Distracted? Yeah. (No, not by the guy - he had just met up with his girlfriend.) As I sat down on one of the couches facing the entire room, I almost blushed at how 'successful' the space seemed. I was happy for the room ... or for its designer, or something. Everyone here was impacted by the space: The micro-suede chairs were turned towards the fire as if their occupants were in their own living rooms, couples leaned intimately towards each other on the couches - smiling, giggling, accepting newly-filled glasses of wine from the staff circling the tables. There were well-dressed "Upper West Side" (NYC) late-20s, kids-out-of-the-house late-40s/early-50s (reminding me of my parents), 30-somethings. Even I, sitting next to a giggling couple on one of the couches, felt like the space was my own. It is one I will always remember - and hope to visit a few more times before the hotel's prices skyrocket (they are currently hosting opening room specials for about 1/2 the price they will be.)

I started to really feel like a snob when I ask the hostess if I can be seated at the wall of windows in Domaso. (I have to be careful that my passion for tasty things doesn't turn me into some rude, spoiled brat, heh ... someone hit me, please.) All I know is that I'm awestruck walking through the bar lounge, past the bakery and open kitchen. Of all the beautiful things to tell about, the most dramatic is the curved wall of 17'-or-so-tall windows that were dark accept for the lights on the river beyond. Just outside was a patio, the size of the restaurant itself, above the river. Someone is going to have a beautiful, beautiful wedding. (And in the summer, the patio is open for dining.)


The restaurant met the living room in 'chill-ness' (quantity of 'chill'?), and surpassed it in beauty. It was especially beautiful to me, because everything was a different texture. Exotic, 'hand-cut', stone tiling on the walls, deep-grained wood tiling on the floor, suede seating, warm and dark wood furniture with subtle, metallic, embroidery. The fabrics were sheer and bronzed, separating some tables, casting a metallic sheen on the windows. The low furniture made the arched ceilings, chandeliers and windows soar. How the lighting bounced off of the fabrics and walls made the entire restaurant seem candle-lit. It was stunning.

Oh right ... the food. Well it was nice that there were a total of 19 wines by-the-glass (red, white and sparkling - ranging from only $7-13). A Valentine's Day 4-course menu was being offered (a steal at $50 for the food, $20 for the wine paring!); I opted for the standard menu after eating-out so much this week and because there was nothing particularly stunning about the 4-course listing (a soup, a filet, a raspberry gelato heart) except for the baby diver's scallop w/ a ravioli of arugula, sheep's milk ricotta, a quail egg and goat milk butter.

I started with the Pomodoro soup (a tomato/bread soup) and asked my waiter for a wine recommendation. It was good - the fresh, pureed tomato gave it the taste of a warm gazpacho. The pinot noir (from the Russian River valley!) and some pepper gave it a nice richness. While nothing outstanding, for $6, it was very good (and I ended up getting it for free because I had a card for a free appetizer from the wine tasting.) Of the "fresh-baked-breads", the "Rustic Potato" was my favorite - it had a cornmeal-like texture.

It was my main course that stole the show. I decided against the terrific-sounding risotto-of-the-day (with prosciutto, reggiano, etc.) in favor of the Gnocchetti. (Come on, everyone knows you can always tell the quality of an Italian Restaurant by it's homemade gnocchi!) The menu read: "GNOCCHETTI: ricotta dumplings with sauteed wild mushrooms and a fontina cheese sauce". I'm not usually a fan of cheese sauces - and was gambling with a potentially overly-heavy dish - but the fontina and mushrooms won me over. The taste was spot on, the texture, perfect. The mushrooms (enoki, cremini, trumpet) were perfectly firm, and very 'woodsy but not overpowering. The fontina was extremely flavorful: nutty and light. The dumplings had a slight chew, but were not at all 'chewy' or heavy. They weren't too dense and their silkiness contrasted perfectly with the plumped mushrooms. Black pepper made it all pop. The Pinot Grigio wasn't outstanding.

As they were out of the "Spuma di Castagne" (a chestnut and chocolate mousse with quince and moscato compote), my dessert was simply another glass of Moscato di'Asti in a beautiful, tulip-shaped glass.

I'm hesitant to talk about the obvious negatives of Domaso, because there was so much good. But, as my title implies, the beauty definitely did distract me from faults that I would have been truly unhappy about elsewhere. I'll keep it short: The service. It is a new restaurant, so I know it will get better, but my waiter had yet to be trained on the offered dishes and wine. He chewed gum the whole time and made it clear that he was getting impatient that I was taking my time ordering. (He had mentioned that he had been late to work, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he had something personal going on and was extra friendly, encouraging him on his efforts after making numerous mistakes with my requests.) Also, my two glasses of wine were more like 1/2 glasses and the bread had been out much too long (not usually a complaint I'd care to write about, but Domaso does pride itself on its on-premises baked breads.)

Overall, $60 (w/ tips) got me 5 glasses of wine (2 from the free tasting), an appetizer (free with coupon), a main course (I took 1/2 of the Gnocchetii home), and parking (I was able to bypass the $25 valet fee). The atmospheres of the Hotel Palomar and Domaso Trattoria Moderna were worth every penny. Someday I'll have pictures that justify how smitten I am with these places!

Nothing Says 'Romance' Quite Like a Deep-Fried Shrimp Head...

This evening I realized that I had missed Whole Foods' "We're In the Mood For Love" Valentine's Day sweets and wine offering (chocolate fountain included), so I decided to splurge on some tasty assorted raw fish (and a Kirin, mmm). I mean, doesn't the thought of sitting alone at a sushi bar requesting whichever fish the chef thinks are the tastiest catches seem pretty romantic? ... Come on ... In the classical sense? No? Well, I think so.

I spent my V-Day dinner cuddled up to the bar at my local sushi place, Osaka. Located in a strip mall within walking distance of my apartment, I first visited the restaurant hesitantly - as a lover of sashimi, a "bad" sushi place is such a let-down. As it turned out, I was surprised at how well the fish was cut and have been back a few times since . (The generous portions in the "sashimi regular" and the delicious green tea ice cream are also selling points.)

I decided to forgo my usual "sashimi regular" for-A-go (teehee!) at the a la carte menu. With my tiny pencil I marked anything I've never tried, and some of my favorites. (Again, this is a small, local, strip-mall place - the choices weren't too vast.)

My menu? Toro (Fatty Tuna), Sake Toro (Fatty Salmon), Saba (Mackerel), Hokkigai (Surf Clam), Scallop Salad with tobiko and scallions (no fresh scallop in stock), Tomago (Egg) and White Tuna.

SIDENOTE: What is being served in sushi bars as 'white tuna' is typically either albacore, or one of tuna's cousins, Escolar. Both are extremely pleasant and silky when cut correctly. They look similar, but Escolar is the whiter, smaller grained (and more expensive) of the two. Albacore can have traces of pink. You'll likely have to ask the chef which one he'll be using. While Escolar is my preference, the two are similar-enough that I don't ask.

... unfortunately, they were out of Uni (Sea Urchin) - which I would have loved to have tried. So, I asked the lead chef what he would have for himself. He thought long, "hmmm ... have you had Ama-ebi?" I had not. It is a sweet, raw shrimp and he serves it with deep-fried whole shrimp heads.

My response? "Bring it on."

They (the shrimp heads) stared at me like the chef warned, but it was also cute how they looked like they were kissing. The couple next to me laughed nervously, commented how they would never try one and offered to take a picture of me eating one, "so my friends would believe me." I [of course] took them up on their offer and handed over my cell phone - thanks technology!



The shrimp heads had the crunch and the bit-of-chewiness of a deep-fried soft-shell crab (which I love). With more exoskeleton to crunch through, however (including some pointy whiskers and black, bubble-like eyes), they tasted more like a well-toasted version of the Asian shrimp chips my grandfather used to buy. An interesting and dramatic choice, but I'd rather pay $5 for some more salmon, here.

DINO Wine Wednesday: Dry Fizzy Reds!

While mid-week splurges on tasty meals cannot be the norm (I have to save some room for the weekends!), a little bit of wine and foods that make me swoon-ey were much-needed after a rough 1/2 week back at work. In the past 3 days I've logged 41 hours . While I wish I had more to show [my bosses] for the effort, instead I now have a new experience to share! (A more delicious one, at that.)

After my first experience with a sparkling red this past weekend at Domasoteca, I was very excited to hear about this week's Wine Wednesday event at Dino: a sampling of 3 'local' Italian sparkling reds, each with a small antipasto pairing - for $25. (Dino hosts a different wine-themed event every Wednesday.) The little event menu that my waitress offered me to keep explains: "Italians have a totally different outlook towards wine than Americans. They drink what's local. And in several great growing regions, the local wines include dry fizzy reds. [...] These are uncomplicated wines designated to go with simple rustic starters and cured meats. You quaff them: they are not serious wines for contemplative drinking. And they are just plain fun!" Hah ... "quaff". Excuse the immaturity, but the meal has left me in a better mood.

Let me start with the restaurant itself. Beautifully Tuscan in color, the walls were perfectly warm and orange after a day of sleet and rain. On the corner opposite the Cleveland Park Metro, the building seems square from the exterior, but the inside leads you around bends from hidden area to area. Some are ceilinged with stone, like a rustic hearth, others have large windows, but the hidden upstairs (visible past the small bar through a wrought iron railing in the upper back corner) was so cozy - I wished, later, that I had chosen to sit up there. When I go back with a friend, we'll have to find ourselves a corner upstairs to enjoy some small rustic plates and a handpicked wine. (If you check out Dino's website, you'll find that the owner has spent a lot of time visiting small wineries in Italy.)

I ordered the wine special and was brought out three small glasses filled with wines that not only varied in color (from watermelon-hued to a glossy burgundy) but in "fizziness" (is that the correct wine-verbage?). The bearded, casually dressed owner, Dean, came over and told me a bit about the wines and said I should definitely drink the last one with the prosciutto. This Lambrusco can be found all over Modena, a region located between Parma and the region that produces parmigiana reggiano. Let me tell you, the tart and dry wine tasted almost watered-down on it's own ... but the meaty-ness of the prosciutto, and the sweetness of the aged balsamic combined with the light dryness left the most delicious taste lingering.

The second wine was the "flattest" of the three. On its own, the fruit wasn't at all balanced by a necessary depth. Thank you again, chef, for such a wonderful pairing. The smaller bubbles were enhanced by the most delicious crunch on the outside of the potato/prosciutto/cheese croquette. I'm not a big fan of fried foods, but this 2"-long golden log of goodness has the taste and crunch of well-toasted French fry bits, but absolutely no hint of excess oil. You could taste the fresh potato, and the shreds of prosciutto gave the filling a slight chewiness - amazing!

It was the last pairing that I decided was my favorite of the three. A braised veal and pork meatball (Saltimboca, a traditional Venetian snack) with one of the purist marinara sauces dolloped on top. Not soft enough to cut with my fork, the texture was perfect - for me, at least. I'm a fan of a firmer meatball but don't get me wrong, it wasn't at all dry. The veal gave it a wonderfully meaty flavor. The word "umami" came to mind. As for the wine, it was my favorite of the three. Not as bubbly as the first, and a bit fruitier, the "Gragnano" 2006 Campania held up on its own. It brought out the rich (but light) tomato taste of the sauce, the fresh basil and helped the meatiness last and last - subtly.

Once my plate was cleared, I decided I wanted to enjoy a bit more and asked for a dessert menu and a coffee. I quickly decided that the scoop of homemade vanilla gelato with a 25yr aged balsamic poured over the top. And why not add a $5 glass of Moscato di' Asti?? I thought I'd try some Prosecco or something a little outside my [very] comfortable box that is the lovely, crisp, sweet goodness of Moscato di' Asti, so I asked my waitress. She actually recommended the Moscato with the Gelato Balsamico. While I wasn't so sure that the wine and balsamic wouldn't clash, I went with her recommendation.

Gloriousness. I almost wept. The balsamic over the creamy, yellow, speckled gelato produced a tart/sweet/creamy heaven. H-E-A-V-E-N. (Yes, I am that girl who will sip aged balsamic from the bottle (don't yell, Dad) ... but, still. Heaven. Trust me.) Ok, it was time to possibly ruin the heaven with a sip of Moscato. Instead? I wept some more. Glorious Moscato! Sweet and crisp even over the balsamic! And when I tasted the gelato again? The rich balsamic was transformed into a buttery caramel or butterscotch! It was like a completely different taste, not acidic like I had anticipated - and just as wonderful! As a side note, the coffee was very very good - the dessert was just better.

Overall? A fantastic experience. A little pricey for the small amount of food, but I did appreciate that the servings were the size they should be and the quality definitely compensated. I would have been more willing to spend the money on a weekend dinner.

SIDE NOTE: Italian sparkling reds are different than the Australian variety that is gaining exposure in America (according to Dean.) I agree. The Italian reds are more subtle and much lighter in taste and body. The sparkling Shiraz I bought at Domasoteca is very bold and - unlike the three I tasted tonight - should be served well chilled. It also was noticeably more "sparkling".

Domasoteca: Chocolate and Wine

Yesterday, I returned back to my apartment in Northern VA after taking my first vacation from my full-time job. I went skiing in Colorado with three friends - we cooked some fantastic meals and drank 9 of the 10 bottles of wine that we brought with us.

After spending some time on washingtonian.com and thelistareyouonit.com (two of my favorite sites for finding great food news around DC), I found a listing for a free event at Domaso Trattoria's new goumet shop, Domasoteca. Located in the lobby of Hotel Palomar in Arlington, this "global wine experience" opened last month and offers fresh breads and various wine goodies. Today they were hosting a free chocolate and wine tasting. The VA Wine Showcase was happening out in Dulles, but it was $35 and I knew I'd want to drink more than I should with the drive.

I arrived at Hotel Palomar about 45min early for the 3-6pm event with the intention of picking up a 'gourmet' sandwich for lunch. I met one of Domaso's chefs in the shop; he made me my sandwich of choice as I gushed my excitement for potentially finding a new dessert wine that compared to the Harvest Moon 2007 Late Harvest Zin I had when visiting the Russian River Valley last winter. (That Late Harvest means a lot to me and, when I tasted it for the first time, the owner of the winery, Randy, served us with perfectly-matched dark chocolate. I promptly bought the wine and the chocolate.) The Domaso chef happened to know of Harvest Moon Winery and I thought that was pretty awesome.

I went back into the small hotel lobby and asked the doorman if there was a more appropriate place for me to eat my sandwich (as the small arrangement of curvy stools by the window didn't seem the place to unwrap my lunch.) He smiled and said he had the perfect place. I was lead up to the 4th floor "living room" where the most chill music and retro granite-clad two-sided fireplaces were waiting. The doorman, Gareth, welcomed me to choose any seat, to put my feet up and enjoy the fire. I was very glad to have worn nice jeans, and nicer shoes to the tasting - the space was incredible.

The 'living room' was located outside the entrance to Domaso Trattoria. I took a glance at the menu and made a mental note to definitely make reservations sometime soon with a person I know would love the space.

I went back down to Domasoteca at 3 for the tasting. I was in the first group - 5 of us stood at a counter with 5 red wines and a box of 7 different-cocoa-percentage chocolates. We each took a piece of each percentage, ranging from 37% to 99% cocoa. The first two wines were dinner (vs. dessert) wines. I didn't make note of the first, but it was good to experience how its dryness was balanced by the sweeter chocolate and how the higher-percentage chocolates brought out too much acidity of the wine.

The second wine was a sparkling red shiraz from south Australia called Paringa. I had never had a sparkling red before it was chilled and very fun on the tongue. It is fruity but dry and almost bubbled the lovely chocolate taste off my tongue. When asked, the sommelier said that it was best alone before a meal, or paired with a chilled duck/steak salad. At $9.99 (the cheapest of the offerings, by far) I bought 3 bottles. One for my wine shelf, one for the meal I'm planning to cook for a friend, and one for my father who's grilled duck salad recipe I'm planning to steal for the meal I'm cooking for my friend :) I knew it was a bag idea to bring my wine bag.

The third offering was a Portuguese Madeira - which I've never had before. (The Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira, New York Malmsey Special Reserve, to be more specific.) Needlesstosay, the smoky espresso-like taste of it was so pleasant that I immediately smiled. The 60% and 70% (midrange) chocolates balanced the sweetness best. I don't have a good knowledge of what qualifies a 'fortified' wine , but the fact that this white-grape made wine will last on my shelf opened gave me good reason to pay $50 for the bottle.

The fourth wine was a port. I've had a few ports (tawny, vintage and this late bottled vintage) and I guess I'm just not a fan. I always feel like there is too much alcohol in the taste and cannot drink more than a sip or two. The chocolate still tasted good.

I was most excited for the final offering, a Late Harvest 100% Monstrell wine from Jumilla, Spain. I've only had one other wine from Jumilla, called Pico Madama, at the restaurant Lima in DC. (Both the wine and the restaurant were incredible.) This Late Harvest was just amazing. It made me so so happy. It is super deep in color, and sweet enough to stand alone as dessert, but best paired with very high-percentage cocoa. It is called 2004 Olivares, Dulce Monastrell. At $33/bottle, it was comparable to my Harvest Moon favorite. I bought a 70% cocoa bar to accompany the bottle.

Overall, the event was wonderful. The new store lost power in the middle of the pairing, but it didn't stop people from coming in or the employees from continuing the tasting. The owner of the store, Christianna Sarget rang-up my order and gave me a 10% discount for coming. There is another discount if I go to dinner at Domaso before Sunday. I plan on trying to get in on a hotel-guest-only tasting that Gareth told me about on Saturday afternoon, then staying to enjoy a meal later that night. It will be my first restaurant review :)

Here we go ...

I think a short introduction will do.

My name is Kabri and I graduated college in May 2007. I have always been a fan delicious and interesting foods and wines. Now that I'm out of school, I've found myself with the opportunity to taste my way through DC, NY and wherever else I visit. This blog is a commitment to myself to pursue the things I love (as I figure out what those 'things' are) and to give credit to the people - the chef's and sommeliers - and places - the restaurants, gourmet shops and wineries - that help make my life more interesting and fulfilling.