I’m not sure if the wording on this bib describes my personality or the seafood I’m about to eat. Maybe both.
Three Places That Are Fun and Fabulous
Whenever I visit another city, I always inquire of family, friends, and even total strangers as to which restaurants they’d recommend. While in Washington DC recently, I followed the advice of my grandson, Andrew, who strongly favored L’Ardente, a fairly new Italian place near Union Station. Being a fine gourmet cook, he didn’t steer me wrong.
My other selections varied from an upscale Indian place (highly recommended by our Uber driver) to an Arlington crab shack, a favorite of Debra’s from her childhood.
Quarterdeck Crab House
How do you explain this many crabs on a table? Well, there were five of us. . . and there’s really more shell than crab meat, we told ourselves. Besides, dismantling a crab can work up an appetite. Even so, we had a few leftovers.
Debra and Channing suit up for a fun evening.
Russ and Deb give a table tutorial on how to pick a crab.
Getting to the meat is a slow, messy process.
The Quarterdeck crab shack has been in Arlington for decades.
L’Ardente Italian Restaurant
When I heard that L’Ardente’s signature dish was a 40-layer lasagna, I had second thought. But then I remembered Crown Candy’s Heart-Stopping BLT, a tower of porcine extravagance, that includes 14 strips of bacon. I’ve never had it, but somebody must, because it’s been on the menu for years. Then there’s the dessert classic, Maryland’s Smith Island Cake, that has a mere 12 layers, albeit thin ones.
I succumbed.
But before going to L’Ardent, I found an online video of their French chef preparing the revered Italian pasta. It was amusing as well as amazing. The plated lasagna was not the oversized serving you’d expect, but an average portion sliced from a much larger piece. (See photo below; mouse over photos for captions)
Rasika Indian Resturant
Rasika exterior
Naan
Marinated Black Cod a.k.a. Sablefish
This bowl of Palak Chaat was incredibly tasty! The dish includes tomatoes, crispy fried spinach, onion, tamiand, and yogurt. My Chicken Korma was equally splendid, but not photogenic.
