Annapolis Book Festival TODAY! ~ Celebrating 10 Years (Love to Read)

It's time to hit the books or bury your head into a great novel.  Put the ipads, iphones and remote controls down for a second and take in the JOY OF READING.  This is a shameless plug to promote the Annapolis Book Festival on behalf of my son and The Key School.  The Festival will have something to offer for the whole family.  A great panel of nationally renowned authors will discuss recent Best Sellers.

The Festival will also feature:

Live Music

Children's Activities

Used Book Sale

and a Coffee Shop

KOMI - A Culinary Delight!

I was oh so excited to go to Komi....  It has been the #1 restaurant in DC for at least 3 years now, with it's rock star Chef  and Co-Owner Johhny Monis.   I finally made the trip over to try it out and was in the clouds for at least a week straight.  All I can say, it's well worth every penny.

I would first like to say they need to teach a Hospitality School.  Even with an incredible meal if the service is not up to par, your experience is ruined.  From our first step into Komi until the end of our 3 hour Culinary Delight the night was absolutely perfect.  Our server and sommelier were very knowledgeable, professional but very laxed which I can appreciate.  You would think a restaurant of this caliber would come across a bit stuffy, but it has a very casual vibe.  The servers come off very friendly, which makes the entire experience enjoyable.  How they space their seatings you feel like you are your servers only guests, which is great! 

The restaurant has minimal decor, it is very simple and quaint...not what I had pictured in my mind. 

I'm ready to begin my journey, I will try MOST things at least once.  I'm no Andrew Zimmern but I am adventurous.

Now for the big show, the meal begins:

TARAMOSALATA
The first amuse bouche was a brioche, topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt and fire orange trout roe that just bursts in your mouth.

SEA URCHIN
Next came a thin slice of Hiramasa New Zealand kingfish sashimi topped with Alaskan sea urchin. I love sushi, but never a fan of how sea urchin looked. But tonight I was trying EVERYTHING and it was creamy deliciousness!

SCALLOP
Scallop crudo two ways. A thin disk of scallop sashimi arrived, laid inside a large pearly white shell, garnished with a slice of rhubarb and a sprinkle of lemon salt. Next to it was a spoonful of scallop tartar, diced into a fine brunoise, combined with thick coconut milk topped with a tiny purple chive blossom.

Wine & Beer Pairing List

SALMON
A slice of house-cured Scottish salmon on top of black squid ink toast, garnished with tatsoi microgreens and red-veined sorrel leaf.

ASPARAGUS
Burrata was served with asparagus so lightly grilled it was almost still raw. The fresh crunch of it played well with the cool, creamy cheese, and a sprinkle of garlicky, lemony breadcrumbs on top added a nice dimension to the dish.

SPANAKOPITA
♥ Squared!  When they said the next amuse bouche was spanakopita, it drew my mind to the million ballroom receptions I have attended.  But THIS tiny little square, full of spinach, feta and dill awesomeness, literally explodes in your mouth. It was one of the the first things that come to mind when I remember that evening?

HALF SMOKE
Served with Farmhouse Ale (as any decent half smoke should),one of Komi’s signature dishes shows the "street food" side of the Mediterranean. (which doubles as a DC staple)  This half smoke gives Ben's Chili Bowl a run for its money.  This couture dog is served on a buttered grilled bun, topped with tomato jam and Old Bay-dusted Chicharron.

FOIE GRAS
The next best thing to a hot dog :) this foie gras, was house-cured and smoked! Buttery, and smooth it was served over sautéed mushrooms (to die for), slices of kumquat and peashoots.  Foie gras is not an everyday dish if you like having a healthy heart but this was worth skipping a beat.

DATES
A sweet treat before we moved the main course, roasted dates filled with mascarpone cheese, generously dusted with coarse sea salt, and drizzled with olive oil.  A favorite as well!

GNOCCHI
Yukon gold potato gnocchi in sea urchin butter sauce made you crave for more.  Hmmm, I just craved some as I closed my eyes.  This dish was amazing.

TAGLIATELLE
Small morsels of  tagliatelle was next on the menu, served with salt cod, thin shavings of flash-fried nutty caper berries, tiny currants, and pine nuts in a tomato sauce…YUM!!

KATSIKAKI
The pièce de résistance was the Katsikaki – a massive serving of an entire bone-in leg of baby goat, slow roasted for four hours. Prior to this, the only goat I have tasted was curried Jamaican style.  This was crispy outside, like a perfectly prepared duck and the most tender meat I have EVER tasted.  The goat was served with homemade pita and gourmet condiments, which I love! Included in the line up: charred red onion mustard, preserved lemon sea salt, slightly pickled Fresno peppers, homemade tzatziki, and translucent slices of baby radishes.  You were encouraged to eat with your hands and I did.  The charred red onion mustard needs to sold in stores, because I wiped it out!

President Obama and our First Lady (Mimi O)

The main entree was followed by chocolate ganache and salted caramel layered over a crust of peanut butter crunchies & praline and we parted with a gift of gourmet lollipops.  

Bottom line, the meal was memorable as well as the wine & beer pairing.

A meal fit for a king or a queen, lets make that the President and his First Lady...... and me too!

Enjoy

Komi Restaurant

1509 17th Street NW
(between P & Q Streets)
Washington DC 20036

(202) 332-9200