gastronomic delights

this week is d.c. restaurant week. prix fixe three-course menus at the best restaurants in and around the district. $20.08 for lunch, $30.08 for dinner. last night, she and i went to bobby van's steakhouse on new york avenue. described online as the birthplace of the power lunch, i had high hopes for a great meal. having been to bern's in tampa though, bobby van's had a high bar to meet as well.

appetizer. we both had the mussels and vegetable chowder. great for the nasty, wet weather we encountered in our two block walk from the metro. a little thinner than most chowders i've had before, but it was phenomenal. yes, it helps that mussels are probably my favorite shellfish. i'm going to see if i can replicate it sometime soon. the salad that looked the best to me had a grapefruit vinaigrette on it, and i'm not a fan of grapefruit at all.

main course. i the filet mignon, she the penne pasta with sausage and cream sauce. the filet was the only steak choice on the abridged menu, i felt obligated to try their steakhouse fare. i was not disappointed. perfectly seared, melt in your mouth perfection. i shared some with her, and she didn't eat another bite of her pasta. not because the pasta was bad, the steak was that good and she didn't want to lose that great taste. the pasta is currently in my fridge. i think she forgot about it!

dessert. i was going to order the chocolate pineapple flan, but i was "told" i was having the cheesecake. it was good, but the flan was better. amazing. i may go to bobby van's for a beer and the flan sometime real soon.

oh yeah, i almost forgot. the wine list only sold by the bottle, which i guess i should've expected at a quality steakhouse. i asked for a guinness instead. rebuffed by the waiter, "we don't serve guinness." asked then what the gentleman at the next table was drinking (which i could see was clearly a stout), he replied, "murphy's irish stout."

perfect.