THE WASHINGTON POST • FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2010
16
Tom’sTakes
EZME (UNRATED)
2016 P St. NW. 202-223-4303. Small plates, $4.95-$9.95
When someone crushes a pistachio or pu-
rees a tomato in Turkey, the action is referred to as “ezme.” A quick study of the menu of the restaurant and wine bar that replaced the original Pesce this spring makes clear why brothers Yavuz and chef Harun Bolukba- si christened their latest effort Ezme: Among the dozens of small plates on their Turkish script in Dupont Circle are plenty of ingredi- ents that have been mashed (chickpeas for hummus), chopped (grilled eggplant for a sal- ad) or reduced to a pulp (tomato relish with chicken kebab). The siblings are not new to the scene; their other interests are Meze, a nine-year-old Turkish restaurant in Adams Morgan serving similar dishes, and the French-inspired Bistro Cacao on Capitol Hill. At the 50-seat Ezme, the genial service and the muhammara, a zesty paste of roasted red peppers and walnuts, suggest that more Turkish food around here would be a good thing. Small plates include classics such as doner kebab and manti, and are found under headings such as “Garden,” “Land” and “Air.” Ground chicken meatballs fall in that last cat- egory, prompting a pal to crack, “When’s the last time you saw a chicken fly?” The dish is plenty satisfying, as is the pillowy bread with which we eat it. (Previewed May 5)
LA CARAQUEÑA BB
300 W. Broad St., Falls Church. 703-533- 0076. Entrees $10 to $20.
Salteñas — picture empanadas on ster-
oids — are a typically Bolivian dish. Arepas — flat, white ground-corn cakes amenable to stuffing — are staples on Venezuelan menus.
Raul A. Claros serves both snacks at his sun- ny, three-year-old La Caraqueña in Falls Church. The dishes are expressions of where the son of restaurateurs was born (Ven- ezuela) and where he moved as a young teenager (Bolivia). They’re also reminders of where Claros spent much of his time as the youngest of three boys in his family: in the kitchen of his parents’ restaurants. The chef’s fist-size salteñas are handsome, their surfaces braided and tinted yellow with achiote, a mildly bitter seed popular in Latin American cuisine. Cut away part of the top of the turnover and you’ll find a party of flavor beneath the slightly sweet crust: beef min- gling with diced potatoes, carrots, peas, an olive or two and some chopped egg. Claros’s arepas take more time to get to know. There are nearly a dozen fillings from which to choose, including the Domino (black beans and grated white cheese), the Sifrina (chick- en salad rich with mayonnaise and avocado) and the Perico, which a waiter tells us sells well in the morning. No wonder: It’s heaped with scrambled eggs, tomatoes and bell pep-
pers. (Reviewed April 25)
Coming Sunday: Don’t miss highlights
from Tom’s recent online chats in The Wash- ington Post Magazine.
Restaurant recommendations from Post food critic Tom Sietsema
Ratings Guide:
B Satisfactory
BBB Excellent BBBB Superlative
BB Good
Ratings are based primarily on food quality but take into account service and ambiance.
JAMES M. THRESHER FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Small plates and friendly service make Ezme a destination for Turkish food.
buddha bar from 8
dozens of people in line outside. To guaran- tee admission, you need to reserve a table for bottle service, which starts at 10 p.m., or get a table for dinner. Everything else is first-come, first-seated. Nick Monoje, a 34-year-old banker, com- plained that five friends had to wait outside for 40 minutes one Saturday night. “And the place was half-empty. You can do that in New York, but you can’t do that in D.C.” That didn’t stop him from coming back, though. “I don’t think the food is up to par with the rest of the vibe of the place. I was expecting a better meal. But the vibe is cool.” If you want to skip the lines, says general
manager Shelly Galloway, the easiest way is to make a dinner reservation, then move over to the lounge or bar after eating. The last dinner seating is at 12:45 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, or an hour earlier the rest of the week.
In your glass: For the most part, the drinks are sweet concoctions that follow a vodka-and-fruit formula, or pile on flavored liqueurs. The cocktails with the most per- sonality feature Asian ingredients. Spicy Thai chili peppers star in two of the best: the Ying Coco Yang, a smooth gin cock- tail where chilis are balanced by rich coco- nut cream and fresh lime juice, and the Pineapple Spicy Martini, where muddled pineapple chunks and pineapple liqueur benefit from the potent kick. Other standouts include the Heart of
Darkness Port, a full-bodied drink that plays port and muddled grapes off a cinnamon syrup, and Wow!!, a gin cocktail that lives up to its name with a liberal dose of white pepper, pomegranate liqueur and raspberry syrup.
On your plate: The lo mein-style Buddha
Bar Hot Noodles were good, but not very spicy. Not so with the peppery bowl of bat- tered Rock Shrimp. The sushi rolls were great, including the Buddha Bar, which managed to wrap in spicy tuna, yellowtail and snow crab. But for the most part, the menu doesn’t tell you what’s in the rolls, and the bartenders don’t always know. “I haven’t tried that,” one con- fessed when asked what was in the Spider Roll.
Price points: Given the nature of the place, drink prices are reasonable. House martinis and cocktails are $10. Champagne cocktails are $1 more. Mixed drinks made with premium spirits (rum, vodka, whiskey, etc.) are $9. Appetizers and sushi rolls range from $8 to $15.
Need to know: There’s no cover charge or dress code.
Nice to know: Even if you’re avoiding al- cohol, you can still enjoy a drink. The “Mocktails,” priced at $5, include the spicy, fizzy Saigon Dream (ginger, cinnamon syr- up, fresh-squeezed lime, apple juice and ginger ale) or the fruity Dragon Fly (peach nectar, orange, lemon and soda water).
fritz.hahn@washingtonpost.com
from previous page
Real Salt Lake. RFK Stadium, 2400 East Capitol St. NE. 202-397-7328.
www.dcunited.com. $23-$52.
RECREATIONAL
GOLF
NATIONAL REHABILITATION HOSPITAL’S PRO-AM GOLF TOURNAMENT Tuesday,
registration begins at 10. Benefits the hospital’s various programs supporting those with disabilities including brain and spinal cord injuries and stroke victims. The Members Club at Four Streams, 19501 Darnestown Rd., Beallsville. 202-877-1776.
www.nrhrehab.org. $150.
HIKING
CAPITAL HIKING CLUB Hike 5.5 or 9.1 miles in Shenandoah National Park on Saturday. 301-984-3216.
www.capitalhikingclub.org.
CENTER HIKING CLUB Hike six miles in Greenbelt Park on Saturday. 301-773-7527. Hike 10 miles in Little Bennett Regional Park on Saturday. 301-468-1896. Hike seven miles along the Potomac River on Sunday. 703-346-2292.
www.centerhikingclub.org.
HOWARD COUNTY SIERRA CLUB Hike nine
miles in Catoctin Mountain Park on Saturday. 410-964-1902.
MOUNTAIN CLUB OF MARYLAND Hike 11
miles from Greenbrier State Park to the Washington Monument in Washington County on Saturday. 410-747-2868. Hike 17 miles in central Shenandoah National Park on Saturday. 443-935-0374. Hike six miles in the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area on Sunday. 410-381-5489. Hike five miles in the Howard County Conservancy on Wednesday. 410-381-7212. Hike six miles in Patapsco Valley State Park on Wednesday. 410-750-8512. Hike eight miles in Druid Hill and Wyman parks on Wednesday. 410-544-3952.
www.mcomd.org.
NORTHERN VIRGINIA HIKING CLUB Hike
7.3 miles in the U.S. National Arboretum on Saturday. 703-220-4219. Hike 9.5 miles in
Shenandoah National Park on Saturday. 301-330-1633. Hike 5.3 miles at Manassas National Battlefield Park on Sunday. 703-590-1442. Hike eight miles in Patapsco Valley State Park on Sunday. 410-531-3230. Hike 7.7 miles on Old Rag and the Saddle Trail on Sunday. 703-508-3250.
www.nvhc.com.
POTOMAC APPALACHIAN TRAIL CLUB
Celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday with one of five hikes in the Shenandoah National Park ranging from 1.8 miles to four miles. Register at Byrd Visitor Center in SNP, where all hikes will originate. 410-939-5029. Visit the new Appalachian Trail Museum and do a circuit hike in the surrounding area on Sunday. 301-371-6656. Hike 19 miles along Great North Mountain on Tuesday. 540-984-9536. Hike four miles from Carderock to Wide Water along the C&O Canal towpath on Wednesday. 301-365-1933.
www.patc.net.
WANDERBIRDS Hike nine or 12 miles in Shenandoah National Park on Sunday. 703-591-2822.
www.wanderbirds.org.
SKATING
WASHINGTON AREA ROAD SKATERS Friday at
7. Beginner free skate over flat terrain through the monuments. Meet in front of the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue.
www.skatedc.org.
RACES/WALKS
SUSAN G. KOMEN GLOBAL RACE FOR THE
CURE Saturday at 8, pre-race activities begin at 6:30. Runners starts at Seventh Street and Madison Drive NW, walkers start at the National Mall and Fourth Street. Register Friday 11 to 6 at Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave. NW. 703-416-7223. globalrace.
info-komen.org.
YOGA
LOVE YOUR BODY - NORTHERN VIRGINIA YOGA AND WELLNESS DAY Sunday 10 to 4.
Yoga studios and wellness centers of Northern Virginia will be offering classes, providing services and sharing educational information on ways to take care of your body. Reston Town Center, 11900 Market St., Reston. 703-860-9642.
www.belovedyoga.com.
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