Category Archives: Restaurant Review

A Tryst Treat

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Image courtesy of Tryst DC Facebook

I spent a good chunk of my day yesterday curled up in a squishy, brocade armchair at Tryst, my neighborhood hipster watering hole. In honor of my lazy Sunday reading the City Paper and downing some figi green iced tea, I wanted to post about an experience I had at Tryst back in February.

Since November I had been in a nearly constant state of indigestion, and knowing my proclivity for food-related discomfort, I was ready to take my allergist’s advice, and attempt an elimination diet. Undertaking such a dietary regimen would allow me to isolate foods that were problematic for me. I based my elimination diet on this model, cutting out all wheat, dairy, and meat (except chicken), and a whole host of fruits and vegetables, including corn.

As you can imagine, eating became an extreme sport for me. I tried delicious new dishes (kale salads, coconut-date balls) at home, but dining out was almost impossible. During this time, I took a friend out to eat on her visit to DC. After making our rounds of the Mass Ave embassies, we wandered up to Adams Morgan for a bite at Tryst, the sister cafe to Open City. It happened to be Superbowl Sunday, and we were hoping to avoid the hype by hiding out in an uber-hipster café with Victorian couches and low, beat-up coffee tables. We were, thus, shocked to find that the one lone TV in the restaurant was actually playing the Superbowl. I had never even noticed they had a TV!

Tryst is actually a wonderful place to visit during an elimination diet because they have a special “build-your-own-salad” menu. Having been resigned to decidedly monotonous salads for the past 3 weeks, I was hopeful that the various toppings offered may add up to a more interesting dish than usual. In particular, I was interested in the chicken salad, but my server was unsure of whether it contained any ingredients excluded by the elimination diet. However, just as I was about to say, “Ok, I guess I’ll have the carrots,” she says, “let me go look it up,” and whisks away to grab the ultimate restaurant tool: The Ingredient Book.

I’ve come across this kind of resource rarely, but I assume that many restaurants have such a tool, whether or not they choose to share it with their customers. To my delight, the Tryst ingredient book had literally every ingredient, spice and herb that had gone into the dish, allowing me to make a completely informed and confident choice in what to order (chicken salad was a no-go, but the tuna salad was completely kosher..I mean—safe).

I wonder about the feasibility of this kind of tool for all restaurants. In general, I would assume that chefs who offer a relatively static menu might easily prepare such a document for general use, but may be hesitant to share their entire ingredient list with the world. In addition, a restaurant with an oft-changing menu may find the maintenance of such a document an unnecessary burden. From my standpoint, though…it was awesome–a fantastic resource for someone with any kind of dietary restriction.

Is an Ingredient Book a good idea for all restaurants? Would you feel safer about your food choices if you could study such a document? Have you ever tried an elimination diet to illuminate personal food issues?

Tryst                                                                                                                                      2459 18th Street NW Washington, DC 20009

Ode to Oyamel

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At the beginning of the week, our team was forced to say goodbye to our lovely summer intern who was returning to medical school in Massachusetts. We had tasked her with choosing the location of her farewell luncheon, and we couldn’t have been more pleased with her selection: one of José Andrés’ best restaurants, Oyamel Cocina Mexicana. Located in Chinatown, Oyamel is known for its fantastically inventive and playful dishes. As it was only 1:30 on a Monday afternoon, our group couldn’t quite justify imbibing, but if we had, the margaritas with Oyamel’s signature foam would have been just the ticket.

But let’s back up. I’ve eaten at Oyamel twice before, so I knew roughly what to expect from the menu. The only difference was that my recently discovered food intolerances meant that I was no longer eating any legumes (read: beans), or corn. As corn and beans are ubiquitous to Mexican cuisine, I took a bit more action than usual – I called ahead to speak with a manager. Just as I had hoped, the manager was extremely gracious, and went over different items on the menu that would be appropriate, or could be slightly modified to accommodate my needs. I felt pretty confident that I could eat well and safely at Oyamel.

What I did NOT expect was the extraordinary service the staff imparted as soon as my party walked in the door. As we sat down, the hostess asked who had the allergy; I raised my hand, and she gave me a menu. But this menu was just a bit different from the other ones she was passing around. This looked as if a small child had been given a red crayon and black sharpie and told to “go crazy, kid!” Every single dish on the very extensive menu was either circled, crossed out, or starred with a message indicating that a substitution or change could be made easily to the dish. No guessing game here. Someone at Oyamel had taken the time to sit down with the menu, and mark up every single dish, in order to make my dining experience easier.

Things were looking good, but I still felt a small twinge of jealousy when my colleagues started chowing down on the chips and salsa. Oh, for a salty, hot-off-the-fryer tortilla chip. It’s the little things in life, really. I digress.

We ordered guacamole—made table-side in a massive molcajete—and I was presented with a delightful plate of sliced radishes, cucumbers, and carrots as a substitute for the chips. Nicely done. The red fish that I ordered needed no modification, and was delicious with a crispy skin, surrounded by a luscious stew of tomatoes, capers, jalapeños, onions and olives. I rounded out the meal with a dessert I had tasted on a previous occasion—the sweet potato flan with green apple sorbet and tamarind sauce. It was heavenly.

It was an extraordinary meal, yes, but José Andrés is pretty darn good at that. What was really special was the added care that the staff took to attend to my needs. Many of my colleagues actually ordered things with peanuts, but I felt no apprehension about cross-contamination or carelessness. Oyamel means business—plating exciting and delicious food, and doing so in a safe, accommodating, and pleasant environment.

Until my next meal…

Oyamel Cocina Mexicana | 401 7th Street NW, Washington DC 20004)

Colonel Bartlett and the Tale of the Wise Bartender

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The food has gotten rave reviews, and I can’t imagine anyone disagreeing that the rustic, farm-house interior provides a delightful and homey setting for enjoying a delicious meal. And as an inventive, smart and attractive restaurant situated in a neighborhood more often known for shenanigans like this, Mintwood Place truly stands out. On my second visit, at about 10pm on a Saturday night, the bar at Mintwood Place was, refreshingly, not packed to the gills with AdMo party-goers. I, along with three friends, found 4 stools at the bar and were offered a great assortment of drinks and food. Let’s just say that the Colonel Bartlett Rickey was the most refreshing cocktail you could possibly hope for, especially when the temperature was barely dipping below 99 degrees.

I am always slightly wary about ordering food from a bar, as I’ve found many bartenders to be less knowledgeable, and almost always busier than regular servers. But check out the menu disclaimer! For those of us with nut problems, Mintwood specifically notates every item with nuts, and explicitly asks its customers to inform the staff of allergies or dietary restrictions! To me, this indicates that the restaurant is cognizant of the severity of allergies, and legitimacy of any kind of dietary restriction—a responsible and timely business practice. Good form, Mintwood.

As we were ordering our first item (not the escargot hush puppies, unfortunately, due to my corn intolerance), the pickled deviled eggs, I informed our bartender of my allergy, and urged that he let me know of any problems that might cause with our order. Soft-spoken, yet poised, he assured me that they didn’t use peanuts or corn in the dish we had selected, and that I would be completely safe. Thank goodness – because they were delicious. We ordered a second drink, and that would have been it, had we not smelled the fries from a fellow bargoer’s plate. Rumor has it (later confirmed by our bartender) that the potatoes are dipped in beef tallow before frying. Ummmm…yes. As fried foods are often the culprit in my allergic reactions, I asked one more time, specifically about the peanut oil issue. Again, our accommodating and understanding bartender assured me about the safety of the food—and its deliciousness. He wasn’t kidding. I could have used 3 more orders of those fries.

What are your experiences with ordering food from a bartender? Are they knowledgeable? Are they able to duck out momentarily to go ask the manager or chef? What kind of training should bartenders be receiving?

Mintwood Place                                                                                                              1813 Columbia Road NW Washington, DC 20009

NOTE: I went to Mintwood Place again this weekend, and feasted on gazpacho, goat cheese & beet mountain pie, blistered shishito peppers, and tagliatelle bolognese. The food truly speaks for itself here.