30th
The GoodFellas Dinner Association (First 3 Weeks in the Books!)
about a month ago, a group of friends and i decided to start a new tradition of trying out a new washington, dc area restaurant every (or sometimes every other) week. the point of this event was to have a good core of people—you know, people you’re gonna like, that are one of us, good fellas—and to invite others along the way that we think might enjoy it, or bring something to the table, so to speak. the core members of the group would then rotate turns selecting a new restaurant.
the original goodfellas dinner association
naturally, the spirit of the event is to choose a restaurant that you are completely obsessed with that others might not have tried yet, or to choose an exotic place that you might not particularly venture out to for your usual dinner plans. (read: no restaurant where the waiting staff wears flair.)
for the sake of entertaining myself and perhaps some blog reader in idaho, i’ve decided to start documenting (or at least scribbling a few notes) about every restaurant along the way.
things you will not see at any of the selected restaurants
the restaurant selected during the first week was carlyle in shirlington, va. this restaurant was selected by the first member based almost entirely for its ribs which supposedly taste like heaven smothered in barbecue sauce with a side of delicious. hilariously enough, the restaurant was completely out of ribs which basically destroyed the hopes and dreams that night for the person responsible for that particular restaurant selection.
carlyle is part of the “great american restaurants group” (i.e., sweetwater, coastal flats, etc.) and serves a menu of american cuisine with (i believe) an emphasis on seafood. I decided to go with the short smoked salmon filet with steamed jumbo asparagus, mashed cauliflower (a staple on the south beach diet if i remember correctly) with pomerey mustard sauce. although it might not have been the best salman i’ve ever tasted, the meal was prepared well and the atmosphere was great for bringing a bunch of friends together after a long workday, throwing back a few cold ones and sharing stories, while laughing at the person in the crew who was looking forward to eating the ribs all day.
the second restaurant selection was my responsibility and i decided to go with a quaint little place called el paso cafe located in arlington, va. i had heard glowing recommendations of this tex-mex restaurant from friends and found almost all positive reviews from online sites such as yelp. one of the interesting notes about this restaurant is that it was a favorite go-to for former president george bush, condoleezza rice and other cabinet members for their tex-mex cravings. this particular week drew a large dinner crowd as we indulged in chips and salsa, piping hot fajitas, various enchiladas, and other south of the border delectables.
perhaps the most satisfying aspect of the restaurant was its extensive menu comprising of top shelf tequilas and margarita list. i was able to satisfy my thirst for don julio and other libations which thankfully didn’t leave me face down somewhere in a gutter which might’ve occurred any other given tequila swilling evening.
it was quite possibly the best tasting mexican cuisine i’ve had in the dc metro area. however, it might also be a bit hard to compare since most of the other mexican restaurants have a “bell” at the end of their name or are typical “american-ized” versions which contain far fewer fresh ingredients and vegetables and focus more on fat, grease, and leave you with a general “my heart hurts to pump blood” feeling. i would definitely recommend this restaurant to those seeking a more authentic style of mexican cuisine.
breaking news: unlike your typical cuervo, premium tequilla doesn’t make you wear lampshades on your head, sleep with people you might not normally want to share an elevator with, or wake up with a hangover equivalent to a juiced up barry bonds teeing off on your head with a louisville slugger.
most recently, the 3rd restaurant selected was a turkish restaurant in mclean, va called kazan. i have actually been to this place on a few occasions for lunch while working in tysons. i had also been pleased with their lunch menu and was interested in how the selection of dinners would compare. i decided to go with the always satisfying adana acilli (spicy) which is a skewer of grilled chopped lamb, seasoned with spices and servied with garnish and rice pilaf. although you may walk out of the restaurant with $30+ missing from your wallet, you sure won’t leave hungry. along with a salad and warmed pita bread, the entrees completely cover the dinner plates and will leave you in need of adjusting that belt buckle an extra hole or two.
the word “kebab” is turkish and translates to “grilled meat,” but i’m pretty sure it actually means “don’t make plans for the next 8 hours.”
because i read that the owner of this establishment was at one time a young chef who prepared a favorite dessert for queen elizabeth II during her visit to turkey, i decided to also try that dish- the orange baklava a la kazaan. perhaps i was overly stuffed from the previous meals, but i felt this dessert was too rich and sweet for my liking.
overall, if you have an appetite and aren’t thinking about doing any diets that start with “atkins,” i would suggest you try this elegant family restaurant. don’t forget to try the turkish coffee which has a potent aroma and flavor and is probably stronger than a 5-hour energy drink dumped into a double cafe latte at starbucks.
#4 restaurant up next (which should include actual pictures of the event, food, and attendees)….
