Seared Hake @ The Majestic

The Majestic has always been a staple for Old Town Alexandria foodies.  Their open kitchen provides a window into the sometimes chaotic world of culinary art.  The bar has always been filled with upper echelon whiskeys, bourbons, and rum.  And the bar is where you can get one of the best lunch-time deals.  For $13.00 you can select any item from their menu plus a non-alcoholic drink of your choice.  Always in the mood for a good deal, this happens to be one of my normal lunch hot spots. 

I typically go for the Royal Burger which comes with a Russian dressing and a side of fries.  For the price you can’t beat it, not even at BGR, and this burger is better.  However with the new year, I am opting more for salads and fish and this last visit was no exception. 

On this visit, I had the Seared Hake, which comes on a bed of cauliflower, celery confit, Meyer lemon, and an olive tapenade.  It appeared to be the most popular dish as my party of three plus the other three diners at the bar all ordered the same. 

The fish was cooked perfectly causing it to flake as I cut into it with my fork and yet it was still moist .  However the olive tapenade could have been a garlic tapenade as I didn’t see or taste olive but did have several whole garlic pieces.   It appears the Majestic has taken to heart the many complaints of “salty” food as this dish was under-salted.  I didn’t want to ask for salt as I didn’t see any handy but the individuals a few seats over had no such reservations and asked for salt after tasting their Hake.  It is nice to see them cut back on the salt as we can always add more easily.  The Majestic also makes their own flavored sodas, give the Lemon Lime one a try.

Seared Tune at Bonefish Grill

Going with that healthy eating fish theme again, we spent an wonderful evening @ Bonefish Grill.  For those looking to for a good happy hour place that is not a Pub or Sports Bar, give Bone Fish Grill a try.  Get there early, they open at 4:00 PM and specials run till 6:30 PM but they have a $5.00 drink menu that lasts all night.  You can’t go wrong with the house special wine selections either.  I do prefer the Cabernet over the Merlot, but that is my preference for all wines for the most part.  The appetizer menu is perfect for happy hour with a good selection for sharing with friends.  The seared tuna is a favorite of mine and can be an appetizer (half order) or a main dish (full order).  Make sure to rub the tuna through the chili sauce to get that little kick.  I’ve only had 2 issues with Bonefish Grill, it can get crowded at the bar and the appetizer menu could stand to have more non-fried items.

I’ve never been a huge fan of fish with the exception of sushi due to a fish bone swallowing incident in my youth.  As I mature, albeit slowly, I am starting to accept and enjoy fish with some level of frequency.  Seafood fans who visit or live in Washington DC and the surrounding area need to take the time to visit Hook at 3241 M St, NW in the heart of Georgetown.  Their concept is simply, treat each guest like they are the only diners in the restaurant and provide quality ingredients with creativity.  Like their Tuna Tar-tare wrapped in a crisp Parmesan crusted wafer, which I couldn’t get enough of or the sea food combination platter with lobster, oysters, prawns, and muscles which come with 3 sauces for dipping.  Trust me and try the vinaigrette with everything on the combination platter.  The fried foods can be a bit oily and with my New Years resolution to eat better, I opted to pass on anything fried.  I was in luck because their calamari is grilled and you can taste the smoky charred flavor in every bite and this calamari was not chewy like you’d find on a buffet somewhere in Maryland.  If you are eating light and need to have a helping of greens, don’t pass up on the Arugula salad with prosciutto and healthy sleeves of Parmesan reggiano.  For the sweet tooth try the cinnamon sugar coated doughnuts which went well with both Kettle One and Tonic or bubbly.  Voted one of the best desserts in Washington DC is the Lingonberry Linzertorte, which is an ice cream that when eaten has a taste of teleggio cheese an the torte provides a hint of port giving you a cheese and wine flavor.  I thought this dish could have been on Iron Chef America for its creativity an who doesn’t love ice cream?  This is an excellent finish to a seafood feast, go there and pamper yourself.  And I forgot to mention the cost is in the realm of acceptablity. 

Peregrine Espresso

I had been meaning to get to Peregrine Espresso for some time now and I happened to pick the coldest day of the year to do so.  This says a lot about me and my coffee, I’ll go through great lengths to find a great coffee shop and I think I’ve found it at 660 Pennsylvania Av SE in Washington DC, about a half block away from Eastern Market. 

It is small, but coffee shops are not meant to be Big Box Retail in my opinion either, it is green both in color and operation, and it has some of the best coffee you can find in DC.  Believe me, I’ve looked all over.  I know I’ll have some complaints or what I like to call suggestions, come one and come all with any suggestions and I’ll be happy to give them a try. 

Peregrine appears crowded at times but production is quick and painless.  The menu is simple and straight forward and the staff are very pleasant.  I truly believe they are doing what they love based on how they treat the process and the customer and the result is a wonderful cup of joy.  If you are not a coffee drinker, their Tea is served in a nice heavy pot and provides about a cup and a half.  If you are on Capitol Hill or at Eastern Market and want a great coffee, walk on over to Peregrine, you won’t be disappointed.