Checked in: New Street Grill

The other night I met up with my dear friend Laurene, who was just passing through London for the night. We met up with her friend Francois who suggested we check out New Street Wine and New Street Grill, part of the D&D chain. You can buy wine from the wine shop and bring it over for an £8 corkage fee. This is pretty good considering most places will charge you £20 and up.

Laurene's taste in wine is impeccable and hanging out with her is like taking a 101 on wine. She spoke highly of wines from Piedmont and chose a Langhe Nebbiolo 2010. The Nebbiolo grape is the same grape used in Barolo, my favorite wine. This bottle delivered strong flavor, a beautiful fragrance with a medium body, which made it easy to down before our meal.

The Grill is a fancy restaurant, unlike the casual ambiance of it's neighboring sister restaurant Fish Market. We got to sit in a lovely booth in the bar area and decided to go straight into mains, which consisted of meats and seafood.

I was on a bit of budget and I don't really eat meat, so I went for the 1/2 grilled lobster with fries for £17.50. It was delicious, but I immediately compared it to my experience at Burger & Lobster. First, there is no easy way to eat grilled lobster. If you want to REALLY get at that meat, you need to get your hands dirty. So despite all the fancy utensils I had at my disposal, it got a little messy and I felt a bit like Daryl Hannah in Splash. For basically the same price, B&L give you the whole lobster plus a bib and mallet. Just saying...

Laurene went for the Vol-au-vent with wild mushrooms and spinach, which is a puff pastry base with chicken. She said it was delicious and it looked very tempting.

 

And Francois chose the Devilled free-range spring chicken with crumb and mustard. 

We finished our meal with the saddest cheese plate ever and a very tart lemon & vodka sorbet. The cheese slices were so tiny, it was ridiculous. I have a high threshold for sourness, but it was too intense for my friends and I would presume for most people. A nice meal, but I expected more for the price.

Hometown Glory: Virginia

Happy Holidays!


I'm visiting my mom and family for the holidays, mainly between northern VA and NYC. I love travelling between the two, it's a nice balance between the bustling city and rolling greenery of the suburbs. My family lives in Fairfax County, which is just outside of DC. When I was younger, I couldn't wait to leave behind the shopping malls and multiplex cinemas, but now having been separated for awhile, I appreciate the convenience of Potomac Mills and donuts and dinner salads at one of the Great American Grills. 


My cousin recently raved about a new culinary expedition, which got me thinking. Northern VA has come a long way since my high school days and there are some amazing eats to be had. So if you plan on driving through the state of dogwoods and bald eagles, here are few places to check out. 


Co Co Sala

Chocolate lounge and boutique. Yum. Check out the AZTEC CHEESE ENCHILADA with pepper cheese & guava, cocoa nib cheese stuffed jalapeno beignet and guava & lime sauce (um hello?!) and the Scotch and Chocolate Flight for dessert. 

Amphora Diner

This local Greek diner has been a family staple for years, we use to always go on Christmas Day cuz it's open every day of the year. The food is hearty and homey and the fresh baked pies are to die for. My favorite is banana cream. 

Rocklands BBQ

Wood-only BBQ. Most of VA is considered the South and so good southern influences are everywhere. This place is authentic and they make honey jalapeno cornbread. 

Il Porto

My parents took us here for special occasions like their birthdays growing up. It's in historic Old Town, which is beautiful especially in the spring and summer time. 

Fish Market

And this seafood place is just down the road in Old Town. I've always loved crab legs, drove my mom nuts ordering them as a kid. They also have a great raw bar. I use to hate raw oysters, now I absolutely love them. 

Gadsby Tavern

This place reminds me of Thomas Jefferson's House and trips to Virginia plantations. It dates back to the late 1700s and makes me think of Fleet Street in London. It also has a haunting feel to it, which I like. I have a thing for being spooked. They make Baked Brie en Croute with raspberry coulis and Shellfish Newberg.