LoveFeast Table

This past weekend, a few sistahs, rolled into my hood!  Honestly, I didn’t even see them coming!  But, these sistahs look out for one another and I happened to have met one of them through my toddler’s play group.  Cara from Land of Bean, who happened to take home #1 for best family blog in the Mobbie’s Awards last year, (just tootin’ her horn for her!) was kind enough to let me know about the Bloggy Bootcamp coming to Baltimore!  Bloggy Bootcamp was hosted by one of the SITSgirls!  And can I just pause and say here, that SITSgirl is quite the hostess!  (Ok, I’m gonna toot her horn too!)  Tiffany, AKA SITSgirl, amazed me from the moment I walked in to the restaurant on Friday night and she pulled out a chair right next to her and invited me to sit!  I was made to feel immediately like one of the family!  (In a natural, sister kinda way…not a creepy, tryin’ too hard kinda way!)  About 30 gals shared dinner together at McCormick and Schmick’s.  It was a blast!  We exchanged stories, talked about our kids, drank Sangria and were attentively served by Derek!

Now, I have to take a commercial break here for a moment and give a short review of the restaurant, ’cause we are a food blog after all!  I asked Tiffany how the restaurant was to work with.  She said, “Amazing!”  Tiffany set out to have a blogging conference with a low budget because she understands how moms typically don’t have a lot of extra cash to play with.  So, she approached the restaurant with a pretty slim (in my opinion)  budget.  The restaurant had something double that price, in mind.  But, being gifted with the ability to have others believe the SITS vision, Tiffany quickly had them seeing the benefits of keeping the cost affordable.  She negotiated a three course meal for $25.

We had seafood chowder, a choice of chicken or stuffed flounder and an amazingly, generous slice of upside down apple pie.

Our server, Derek was thoughtful and on top of things.  He doted on Tiffany, making sure her sangria glass was never empty for long!  (Oh…the sangria! I’m still dreaming about it!)  That night I met Jacob’s Cure lead twitter girl, Sarah and Dianna from Kennedy’s With 2 Girls. It was a blast and just a little taster of what was to come!

The next day was Bloggy Bootcamp!  It was a day packed with great speakers and enough information to leave a red head dizzy!  It was also beautifully orchestrated!  With each new speaker, we switched tables so we were able to meet and network with tons of women by the end of the day!  Did I mention what a terrific hostess Tiffany was?  The first session was with Scary Mommy, MamaKat from Mama’s Losin’ It! and of course, SITSgirl!  Unfortunately, the first table I sat at, was the last one in the room, so I don’t have any fabulous picks of the three of them…so, you’ll just have to take my word for it, they were fabulous!  They covered so many topics, from branding to comments and communities to twitter.

We stopped for lunch and I met some more sistahs!  I met Motherhood & Me gal!  I know we will be blogger friends as she totally spoke my language!  She went to pastry school at CIA Napa!!  (drool!)  I also met Francesca from Mayhem and Moxie.  I swear she brought a bit of sunshine with her from Cali!  A local pr rep who happens to blog, Numbers Not Invited.  (Congratulations to you and your new hubby!)  And totally adorable Today’s Cliche girl!

After lunch we heard from Resourceful Mommy. She took us on a little journey!  She spread out a PR road map and walked us through each step…getting ready, hitting the PR highway with a plan, setting some directions by knowing our strengths, and troubleshooting should we hit a “Bad Pitch” in the road!  This was a juicy session!

Just when I didn’t think I could pack in any more info in my red head, Tara from Feels Like Home, broke down SEO (search engine optimization) into terms that translated…somehow…into my non technical, all artsy, computer illiterate (ok, truth be told, that’s the old me) brain! (Somehow, Chris Ann and I are actually feeling comfortable with our PCs…or in Chris Ann’s case, imac.)  Thanks to Tara, I now know the difference between good urls and bad ones.  I know the power that a keyword carries!  And I know she loves Sara Lee!

We had a little Jello break (no, there were no shooters!) Where we were given fun, stuffed swag bags!  And I met Desperately Seeking Silence and am so glad she came and we met in person!!

Then there was serious business shared about FTC regulations!  No, really it’s not as scary as you might think.  We were given great advice from attorney Stacey Ferguson, found @justicefergie, on how to be responsible with product reviews and give aways.

Overall?  Amazing!

Take away point…”Know Your Worth”.

New friends?  Many, too many to mention!

Do I recommend Bloggy Bootcamp?  Absolutely!

Value? priceless

Good memories and times at the table can often be traced back to a place, the atmosphere, and of course great food.  Heidi’s Restaurant was just the type of place to leave you with with memorable moments.  Sadly, on the same day Stewart Woodman was chosen as a 2010 James Beard Award semifinalist for best Midwestern chef, Heidi’s Restaurant was destroyed in a terrible fire.  We were so shocked and sad to hear this news, since Heidi’s was one of our favorite restaurants.

Through the years, LoveFeast Table has had many special times at the table.  These are times when the conversation flows, the food is beyond wonderful, the atmosphere and decor just perfect… the servers so charming.  When a restaurant hits all these pieces in perfect cadence, the meal becomes a pleasurable dance and the memory a treasure.

This was our experience at Heidi’s.  We had been there a couple of times in the past.  Todd and I knew for sure when Kristin and Devon visited us again this was a place we were taking them.  Our expectations for a perfect night were not disappointed.

We hope that Stewart, Heidi, and Frank and the charming and delightful servers that we enjoyed so much will continue on to create yet another place that pulls together so many wonderful elements for a memorable night out.

We are saddened by your loss.  And our hope for you is that you will go on to create another beautiful place and bring those talents again, to the table.  We thank you for what you gave us…a special night, a treasured memory and a story to tell.

Charming, Delightful, Delicious, and Memorable.

That’s the way it was.

My husband made it back the day after my birthday, a day before the next storm hit! You know that saying, “Love makes the heart grow fonder”?  I missed him and was so happy to see him!  He arrived and a wrapped package appeared on the table.  The kids gathered around and Little Man proceeded to help me tear off the paper.  I was shocked!!  Absolutely stunned!  Behind the wrapping paper was a much longed for upgrade to my camera…a new Nikon!  I really was surprised.  I thought a new camera was a bit further in the future, but evidently my family pooled their resources and made it happen! (Thank you family!)

Then, it snowed again the next day…and the next.  Overall we received like 50+ inches.  This week of snow set records in Baltimore!  Because of the snow and lack of parking spaces, we had to cancel the shin dig we had planned that weekend for my birthday.  But, my mom still wanted the kids overnight and I was dieing to escape my house.  So, we made a few calls and a bunch of us braved the mounds of snow and chilling cold to venture to Joe2 (Joe Squared).  I just wanted a beer and live music!

This was our first time to Joe Squared.  I had driven by Joe Squared many times and had just assumed it was a college pizza joint.  Then a few months ago, we began to hear the buzz that it was a music venue as well.  After a little inquiry with some friends, we discovered it was quite a foodie/artist joint!  My interest was peaked! After being stuck in the house for so long, I really needed a pizza/beer/artist-y/foodie/music-y type place to be re-inspired!

Devon and I got to the restaurant before our friends, we pulled up a chair at the bar and ordered a much needed beer, Devon a Chimay (on tap) and me, Stella Artois.  (It was on my birthday wish list!)  Tom Reyes, a jazz band was playing.  I sunk into my chair, swigged on my Stella and took it all in.  The bar, dining area and stage are in one open room.  The lights were dim, but not too.  There was art on the wall…some fun piece about Sheila Dixon being “framed”.  But, the best part, I was out of my house, next to my husband.

Our friends arrived and after waiting a bit for a table we were finally seated.  (The place was a bit busy with lots of people braving the elements!)  We were greeted by our waitress and she took our drink order…beer, by the pitcher.  Devon and Derek started with wings.   Devon had the 9 Spice Wings and Derek the Ginger Pine Nut wings.  Both of which were the bomb!  They really were delicious!  Melissa ordered the Broccoli Cheddar Potato Skins.  They were good.

Then, I decided to order their specialty, pizza!  Their pizzas are all square and the crust is made from a 200 year old starter.  I ordered the Mushroom Lovers Pizza.  It arrived and can I just say, it was love at first sight!  It was a beautiful pizza!  One bite in and I knew we would be lovers forever!  It really was good.  The flavors were simple, the toppings perfectly placed and every bite was as good as the first!

Devon and Derek split the lamb cheese steak, as did Diana and Cliff.  Devon said, “The sub didn’t leave me craving more.  There were no distinct flavors other than mint. It was tasteless.”  Devon is the kind of guy that loves that lamb flavor! Melissa ordered pizza her way, with a bunch of different ingredients, and she loved it!

Then, as we wrapped up our meal, our server brought us the check…um, we weren’t done…but, felt like we were being pushed to wrap it up.  We stopped our server and asked her for another round of beers and for information about desserts.  Honestly, she wasn’t real sure how to describe the desserts.  So, she pulled another server over and he went into detail about the desserts.  Armed with info, we ordered a slice of Earl Grey Cake and Mocha Toffee Cake.

The evening ended with much laughter!  Joe Squared delivered just what this birthday girl needed…a fun night out with good food…and beer.

You could say that I was rescued.  My husband happened to have a business trip in Mexico last week and I had to go with him.  Had to.  Because my back yard looks like this.

And, actually I could be dying of low vitamin D or even C.  So, you could say that this trip was practically a need.

And, of course, being a mother of four and multitasking a kid in every stage of life (high school, middle school, elementary school and kindergarten… I could use a little R&R.

But really the true story is that I went for the sake of research, grueling tedious research.   Because I  wanted to share with you..our dear, dear readers, especially the ones who live in Minnesota or the Upper Midwest… especially those that are mothers, or married, or those of us who work too hard and too long, those whose fingers are tired from typing and twittering, or even those in need of a destination wedding.

To let you know….there is nothing here not to like.

Unless of course…you don’t like…relaxing poolside.

Or..the idea of stuffing yourself to the brim with all sorts of delish Mexican food and nonstop guacamole snacking….

and waiters who keep you happy with fresh fruity and frozen drinks like this-

or, if you don’t long to retire at night in a bed that looks like this-

after you’ve taken a dip in your own lovely private-ish pool.

Yes, after, much inspection and fearless research..I have discovered that this place is going to be OK for you to visit –safe, restful, beautiful, maybe even heavenly.   Yes, it’s true..that I knew it right off the bat that I was going to like it here.

This was nice.

But, this was a very very good sign.

So, if your not looking to relax and be pampered,

And, if you’re not wanting to indulge in any way,

Don’t bother going here-

you’ll just be disappointed.

I’ll just save you the trip, ’cause I’ve done the research….you just won’t like it.

*Where was I?  Secret’s Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun, in Playa del Carmen.  And, the honest truth is that it’s a perfect place for a haggard mother or a destination wedding.  Unfortunately, they didn’t pay me to say that.

I just want to start by saying, I really couldn’t put this book down!  I bought the book, Ace of Cakes: Inside the World of Charm City Cakes,  thinking it was an Ace of Cakes cookbook, but it’s not.  This book is a LoveFeast kinda book!  I felt like I was sitting at the table with the gang at Charm City Cakes and hearing their stories and getting a glimpse into what drives each one of them to do what they do!  Each person at Charm City Cakes is featured in this book.  They share their backgrounds and the events that lead them to Charm City Cakes.  They also share what they’re passionate about.  Most of them have some kind of creative background that they have brought to cake shop. I love the page that lists all the bands the Charm City Crew are members of!

Yesterday I shared how Baltimore really is a quirky and creative city.  Duff and his brother capture this in the book!  They break down why Baltimore was the perfect stage for launching this dream!

They show picture after picture of the creative process of building a Charm City cake!  Looking at their set up, I really felt like I was getting a glimpse into an art studio!  Fun Fact: The building that they chose for Charm City Cakes used to be a funky little art gallery!

This book also gives you the Duff Goldman story from childhood to now.  It introduces the people that have inspired him (his momma for one!) and where his art began to take route.  He has done performance art, with Fluid Movement as well as graffiti.  I think the thing I realized from his story, is that every event in his life, really lead up to him running Charm City Cakes!  It never ceases to amaze me, that if we follow our passions and let that be the goal we run to, somehow all of our life experiences lead up to the point!

Duff and his brother, Willie (who saw the makings of a TV show and now produces it!) include the “behind the scenes” people that helped launch Ace of Cakes and the crew that keeps it going.  There are so many amazing people involved to giving us a half hour glimpse into cake making!

I love the chapter about “Why Cakes Suck!”  Duff (obviously) doesn’t think cake sucks, but as an artist choosing a medium to work with, well this is not a predictable medium!  I’ve made a few wedding cakes in my day, but never (except for the time I tried to recreate a crumbling cake into a tee-pee cake) have I attempted to sculpt and shape the cake!  Hello!  Recipe for disaster in my opinion!  But, Duff has learned to wield knives, air guns, spatulas and chainsaws (I’d guess) with the skill of a master!  His crew make it look easy and fun!  Without a doubt, you know these guys love what they are doing and appreciate the fact they all have jobs that bring them joy!  This comes through the book with screaming clarity!

It’s beautiful to look at.  Inspiring to read.  Raw in the transparency of sharing who they are.  It’s personal.  It’s quirky.  It’s adventurous and creative!  It really captured the essence of the city that has embraced Charm City Cakes and gives a great snapshot of what makes Charm City Cakes so successful!

Now to the fun stuff!  We are going to GiftAway a signed copy of Ace of Cakes; Inside the World of Charm City Cakes, from the signing event at Atomic Books.  In order to get two chances to win you need to do two things.

1.  Leave a comment here at this site, telling what kind of cake you would have Duff and his crew create for you if given the chance!

2.  For a second chance to win this book, copy the link to this post and share it on your Facebook wall.  But, remember to leave a link here at our site to your wall, so we can verify you’ve done it!  (We won’t go and hunt it down!  So, please remember to let us know here that you have done this!)

We will be drawing a winner using RANDOM.ORG.

The contest starts now and will end on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 9:00p.m.

You just have no idea how incredible this drink was.  It is the drink I’ve been obsessing about since last summer, when my husband Todd and I had a lovely pre-anniversary dinner date at Heidi’s, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Maybe I was tired, maybe I just needed to relax, or maybe I was thirsty.  But whatever it was, this drink hit the spot.  It could have been that our server muddled my second mojito table side, the smashed mint wafting in the air.   Definitely, it has risen to the top of my drink experiences, right up there with drinks I’ve had at the Pegu Club and Death & Co. in New York City.  This drink led me to a down right obsession in tracking down the sake this drink was made of.   Sake, mint, sugar.  Muddled-Happiness.

But, Heidi’s is more than just about great cocktails.  Heidi’s is about the creative energy and talents of Chef Stewart Woodman, along with his wife, Heidi (thus the name of the restaurant), and partner and maitre d’, Frank Thorpe.  Together they have created a charming near perfect experience nestled in a city neighborhood.

So when Devon and Kristin, our fellow LoveFeast Table partners-in-crime, flew in from Maryland this weekend, we knew exactly where we would take them for a flawless and friendly ride through amazing tastes guided by “spot-on” servers with attentive personalities.

At the beginning of our order our server, Megan, offered us a “surprise” starter.  Let the fun begin!  We went for the Shrimp Spring Roll with a zippy cilantro sauce that woke up our palates right off the bat!!

After that we received our first courses. We are best of friends here at LoveFeast Table so we all tasted and shared our plates so that we could all experience every little surprise of color, flavor, and texture.  We’re not going to share about the Duck Confit because it was quickly overshadowed by all the other dishes we tasted-if you know what I mean.  And, after the seared Scottish Salmon in wasabi and puffed rice appeared, all was forgiven.

We didn’t want a single flavor of the salmon to leave our mouths, we could have lingered with them all night.  But, soon our stomach’s were warmed by the Lobster Bisque with Sweet Potato Wontons.

At, this point I mentioned to Megan, that I would love a reintroduction to the killer sake from the summer.   Along came our second courses beginning with a side of Black Truffle Pappardelle.  It was creamy truffled heaven.

The Arctic Char was a colorful dish in a savory bacon-beet-red wine sauce.  The chive-dill gnocchi were perfect.  The Char-crispy heaven.

The Lamb Shank, braised tender, fell off the bone, in a slightly pasty sauce.  But the cabbage it rested on was delicious and the cellophane noodles added a nice and unique texture and crunch.

Now, does this dish say fall or what?  Beautiful, comforting, tender and tasty Pork Loin and lentils.

This dish, the Australian Sea Bass, in a parsley puree, with parsnips, centered in a creamy mussel foam is the Heidi’s must-have dish.  Megan, highly recommended it.  Todd & I, had this dish this summer.  I’m sure it’s still on the menu because it is simply amazing.  Kristin’s favorite part was little surprises of parsnips tucked into the parsley puree.

Yes, we were full…but there’s always room for dessert, right?  The Maple Glazed Pear with ginger ice cream was lovely with a sesame snap.  And, elegant and beautiful as you can see.

Another, Megan recommendation, was the mint infused Tapioca, topped with pineapple and punctuated by cherries.  This was the most unique dessert, kitschy, yummy, light and flavorful, just a perfect ending!

As you can see, dinner at Heidi’s is like visiting a fine art gallery.

We had a wonderful time and would definitely recommended sharing a table at Heidi’s.  There are lots of reasons why it’s one of Travel & Leisure’s 50 Best New Restaurants, for 2009.

Heidi’s is a gem of a restaurant.  So is this little bottle of sake.

Heidi’s, we fell in love with you.

“And that’s the way it is” -Walter Cronkite

Hamden, Hon!  Home of Cafe Hon, Golden West Cafe, Red Tree, In Watermelon Sugar and many other favorite shopping boutiques!  It is an area that has been blooming and blossoming into a little hub of creative activity!  It is a bit reminiscent of the hipster Williamsburg area in Brooklyn, NY.  I have to say, Hamden gives me just a little hope, that Baltimore can emerge to be a fun city with some true personality!  Ok, enough said.

My husband and I were approached about a year ago, about opening a wine bar.  We racked our brains trying to figure out where in the Maryland area a wine bar would thrive.  The only place we landed on, was Hamden.  Fast forward a couple of months later, word on the street was that a new wine bar would be opening next to Golden West Cafe!  (We called it!)

Last night, I headed down to see if 13.5% Wine Bar would be all I was hoping and praying it would be.  You see, I’m not a business owner in Hamden, but knowing the shops that are down there, and the traffic those shops are starting to attract…I thought that a bit of an upscale, unique menu, type wine bar would be a welcome addition.  Now, I had heard from a little birdie, that the renovations that went into 13.5% Wine Bar were quite remarkable.  With a reported $25,000 going into the bar design alone.  I didn’t want to set my expectations too high, but I had my fingers crossed!

I met a good friend for a much needed (okay, third one this week) girl’s night out!  The place was busy.  The bar was full as were all the tables inside.  I found the manager, who was also the hostess and she asked if we’d like to sit outside.  We hopped up into these cool, retro, orange stools, only to discover they were on the verge of tipping if you moved the slightest way, left of center.  I really didn’t want to spend my entire evening in a balancing act, so we headed inside.  A table had just opened up and we slid into solidly grounded chairs!

We were quickly greeted by our kind server.  He brought us drinks and took our wine order.  We ordered a bottle of  Clos la Coutale 2006 Malbec, Merlot from France.  I was leaning towards ordering a flight, as the prices were so reasonable, but I thought I’d save that experience for a night out with Devon!  We began to pour over the menu.  There were a number of salads and starters.  The cheese tray brought table side, looked appealing…but, again, better with Devon and a flight of wine!  They had a long list of paninis and a number of entrees, one of which caught my eye!  Honey, garlic hen with fresh peach compote and arugula.  Can I just tell you, the balance of ingredients and the way they are put together, are right up my alley!  This is how my husband cooks!  I didn’t order this entree (I will go back).  I ordered my server’s recommendation instead.  He said The Scooch was his personal favorite!  It was a panini with natural capricollo, spicy sopressata and prima donna cheese drizzled with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, red peppers and wilted baby greens.  My friend, Laura ordered the Spicy Napolean stack.  This was a layered medley of marinated eggplant, zucchini, roasted red pepper, and sriracha whipped potatoes.

The food was beautiful!  The flavor combinations blended nicely.  The food perfectly seasoned.  The execution, not pretentious.  I really enjoyed my sandwich and it went well with the Malbec.  I would’ve given this a total thumbs up, if my sandwich had been hot.  It was just shy of lukewarm.  Because I ordered a panini, I fully anticipated a warm sandwich.  Laura, was not as impressed with her stack.  She said, “It was okay…not a wow.”  Looking at her plate, it was beautiful.  I personally thought it could be rounded out with just a little side of a micro or baby green salad…just my opinion.  There were two things that impressed me with the 13.5% menu…one, the prices are reasonable!  All the menu items were under $10.  Two, the menu is interesting and diverse.  Some wine bars get into these small plates of cheese, fruit and pates, but sometimes a girl wants just a bit more to choose from.

The atmosphere was urban chic.  I loved the flag stone wall that was flanked by the wire shelves of bottles of wine.  The round club chairs looked comfy and orange always stimulates appetite!

The service was top notch!  I’m sorry to say, I did not get our server’s name, but I will say, whatever training the management of 13.5% Wine Bar did to prepare their servers, it paid off!  Our server has been at 13.5% Wine Bar since it opened in July.  He was attentive and thoughtful.  He kept our glasses full without interrupting our conversation and carefully made inquiries when we paused.  I did not feel rushed, at all!  In fact, I think we lingered for close to four hours.

It is a new gem of a find in my Baltimore Black Book.  I will definitely been setting a date with my husband!

We had heard good things about Miss Irene’s and when friends of our asked us to go, we jumped at the chance!

We arrived, were warmly greeted and escorted up to the upstairs dining room.  We started out with a cheese plate and other antipasti and began to pour the wine!  Malbecs have been up there with my favs lately, so we ordered a bottle of Malbec and settled in for a fun evening!

Our server Rusty and his counterpart, were on top of things from the very beginning.  Devon and I like service that is attentive but not over bearing.  Servers that anticipate our needs before we have them…servers who enhance our dining experience, not take away from it.  We don’t mind a little conversation.  In fact, we like to know a little about out servers and we like to see their personalities come through.  I have to tell you, our server experience on the second floor of Miss Irene’s was one of the best I’ve had in a long time.  Rusty is the real deal.  He’s an actor, who supports himself by being a professional waiter.  I felt like we were in his dining room (no offense to the owners!) and he was taking care of us.  Our glasses stayed poured and napkins folded! (Sign of good service is refolding your napkin when you get up to use the restrooms!)

The calamari was delicious!

I ordered the rockfish.  I would like to say that it was amazing, but I really can’t.  It was so heavily salted, I could not even begin to finish it.  Typically I would send it back, but this was the first time, the service redeemed the dinner!  I was having such a good time, I let the salty fish slide.

My husband had the lamb shank and can I just say, he was in his own little world…just him and his lamb.  Really!  He was enjoying every bite!

We ordered a couple of desserts.  They were good.  But, quickly overshadowed by a round of drinks we shared with Rusty and friend after our dishes were cleared.  They must have zoned in on our “foodie” ways and knew that a little after dinner love would leave us with a great impression!  It worked.  We were sold!

So, for the record, the food was good.  The prices reasonable.  The atmosphere warm and inviting.  But, the service was excellent!  I just hope the owners at Miss Irene’s know what a great job their servers are doing!  They did their job so well, that we left with a good impression, even though I couldn’t finish my dinner!

While we were in Washington DC, for dinner at Potenza…

which was less about Italy…

and more about the wallpaper…

and the wine…

We got to see our friend, Elyse, who happened to be in Washington, DC on business as well!  We visited Elyse in New York City, last January where,  Elyse took us to one of her favorite places for cocktails, Death & Company.  We also dined, with her and her family at Hearth.  So, while the guys played pool…

we caught up with Elyse.  We were glad we stayed up the extra hours to do that, even though we were so tired we could have grown a rocket ship on our head,  to take us off to zzz-land!!!

Thanks for coming out with us Elyse, we’ll see you soon!!

Tuesday night we drove into Washington, DC., for dinner at Potenza. First, let us say that we had a great time!  We always have a great time together whether we are lost in Rome, swinging on the front porch in Baltimore or dining on the deck in Minneapolis.  However, our dinner at Potenza last night was bumpy like a dirt road in Tuscany.  Thankfully, the wine was flowing and good, and it didn’t really matter what we were eating, because we enjoyed being together!

Now, on to an honest review of this newish restaurant.  They opened in March of this year.  We stumbled on them through Urbanspoon.  We had taken a look at many restaurants in DC, because we wanted the perfect experience for our one night out together.  Maybe, it was the pictures of the vats of limoncello or the velvet booths…you know we are always about atmosphere.  Whatever it was, we landed on Potenza.

We ran through the rain from Todd’s hotel, dried off and slid into our chairs.  We were greeted by our waiter, who made a few suggestions and we began our order.  We like to share, so we can taste all the flavors.  We decided to start with antipasti.

We ordered Fried Risottoa Balls stuffed with Provolone and Wild Boar …or should we say, “Bore”?  They looked beautiful and tasty, but one bite told us differently.  They were tasteless, there was no bite of boar sausage or flavor of provolone present.

Next, came the Spinach Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce and Toasted Walnuts.  Hmmm….ummm…what can we say, it was mushy, soaking in a puddle of pale, cool sauce.  Gnocchi should have a bit of a nice crisp skin on the outside…ahhh…no crisp skin, they were prepared wrong.

We moved on to a visually beautiful plate, the Charred Octopus on a bed of Chopped Tomato, Cucumber and Crouton Salad, that reminded us of gaspacho.  This dish was good.  It had clean flavors. But, it was hard to say at this point just where this dinner was going.   Like we said, it was a bumpy road.

Next, came a beautiful green piled rocket salad, ahhh, you can’t ruin rocket can you?  Well, after it was sent back, the chef had tasted and agreed it was so salty it was unedible.  We lost our mojo for it and didn’t even want to replace it.  At this point you would have thought the table staging, the camera flashing, the plates going back to the kitchen, would have signaled to the waiters, management, and kitchen to step it up a notch.  We wouldn’t expect special treatment, just good food, and wine glasses kept filled.

Next, came the wrong order of roasted vegetables, which they replaced for the correct medley of Roasted Fennel, Pan Seared Cauliflower with Truffle, and Caramelized Cipolline Onions.  Thankfully, you can’t really screw up roasted vegetables and they were delicious.  At this point, we had finished our first bottle of wine, our glasses were empty and we were in need of flavor.

Where was our waiter?  Our glasses of wine were left empty, the new bottle not yet ordered and our small plates were finished.  We were left high and dry.  At this point the exceptional wallpaper in the dining area and bathroom, became the topic of conversation.  Way more exciting then this dinner.

Next, came our entrees.  Unfortunately here, our mouths were gritted with the nasty Basil Pesto that was grimed onto the Sirloin.  It was so distracting we could hardly finish it or mentally try to recover any hope of enjoying the beautifully Whole Oven Roasted Bronzino (fish) with Truffled Cavatelli and Roasted Cauliflower.  Like we said, this was a bumpy ride.  And, at this point awfully unpredictable.   The manager then, deboned it tableside.  It looked mouth watering.  And, thankfully was nearly perfect, taking our dinner travels up the hill again.  We stayed at the top of the hill and also enjoyed the Lemon Olive Oil Poached Monkfish.

With the main courses finished, could we chance dessert?  We ordered the Tiramisu and a most delicious Panacotta.  Then, we inquired about the homemade Limoncello, pictured on their website.  Part of the reason we chose this restaurant was our fondness of Limoncello and we were excited to try both their Melloncello and their Grapefruitcello.  The waiter, looked blankly, not knowing if the elixir existed.  He went to check and came back with both the Grapefruitcello and Limoncello.  As Devon, sampled ours, we heard a gasp from the table next to us.  They basically spit out their Limoncello at the same time as Devon.  We then made friends.  We had a common bond with the table next to us, at this point, swapping stories of Tuscany and Limoncello, and exactly what this glass wasn’t.

So, here’s the thing.  This restaurant is on a great piece of real estate, it’s on the corner of H Street, with a great bakery and a beautiful wine bar.  It has killer bathrooms and beautifully done decor.  The bets were in, would this restaurant last a year?   Would people’s palates or hotel traffic win the day?  From all appearances, Potenza pretends to offer the whole package!  But, one bite tells you, it has missed the mark of it’s Potential!  If the quality of food is brought up to the level of beauty the environment has to offer, this establishment will deliver a smooth ride down a Tuscan road.