Pineapple and Pearls - A lot of talent in a little place

Pineapple and Pearls

715 8th St. S.E.

Washington, DC

www.pineappleandpearls.com

I finally had the time, luck, and wherewithal to hit one of the most talked-about restaurants in the country. Above is the first cocktail of the evening created by legendary stick-man Jeff Faile. Jeff has worked with NRG, Fiola, and Frank Ruta. This spin on what would normally be the second cocktail of the evening is a non-alcoholic version of the Fennel and Absinthe Bonbon. You don't have to be a drinker to have a good time at P&P. All of the cocktails you'll see in this post are crafted specifically for the non-tippler.

The first bit of the evening was pineapple and country ham over asparagus. While very pretty to look at, it was not my favorite of the evening. The flavors/textures didn't meld. They were there, but didn't complement each other and it was difficult to eat without the topping falling off.

Dish number two was a little more playful. Baby elotes with some smoke coming up from underneath.

There were many NA bevs served to us over the course of the dinner. Some better than others, and I can't remember them all. However, what I do remember is the care taken in their crafting and the presentation. Look closely and you'll see this is a bud with tiny flowers all over it. Very cool.

Caviar with horseradish and avocado was beautiful. I should have asked for seconds of this. This is where things started to get interesting for me.

This was the bread presentation. Note the fruits to the left and the fois gras mousse on the right with hazelnuts. It brought to mind Michel Richard's faux gras plate.

Summer garden egg drop soup was a punch in the face of beautiful umami. Awesomeness in a bowl.

Fluke Veronique was very pretty and the fish was perfectly done.

Sweetbread stuffed chicken wings were interesting. I loved the presentation. Not my favorite dish, but it was fun to eat.

Another of Jeff Faile's booze-less creations. Yes, we ate some of the coconut too.

This was the condiment portion of the Summer Red Curry and Coconut Rice dish. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the finished dish as I was enthralled with the process when chef Scott Muns prepared it table-side. It involves a using a high-school science lab vacuum that some over-the-top types now use to brew coffee. It was very entertaining and Chef Scott is always a pleasure to chat with. I'm not sure how much of the flavor of the dish is developed during the process, but it's fun to watch. The dish itself, once composed, is excellent. The curry broth is creative and just spicy enough to keep your taste buds entertained while not ruining them for what's next.

Blueberry Shortcake and Brillat-Savarin was a lovely start to the end of the meal. Brillat-Savarin is a triple-cream cow's milk cheese named after the 19th century epicure who's quote was the basis for the name of my blog...little factoid for you there.

This is the Crispy Buckwheat and Honeycomb Ice Cream presented with the chocolate soufflé below. They stick the landing after this dinner.

The chocolate soufflé was a 10. Bitter chocolate to go with the honeycomb ice cream. We didn't leave anything for the porter to clean up on that one.

Closing thoughts are that this place is like Disney World for foodies without having to leave your seat.  It's definitely a good choice for any birthday or special occasion.

The talent here is undeniable and well-sorted. I recommend taking the time to score a reso here (do your research long before you try) and get thee an Uber. The cocktails flow, and there is no financial penalty involved for enjoying them to the fullest.
Well done Aaron Silverman & team. Well done.

Rose's Luxury...It's all that and a bag of chips.

Rose's Luxury

717 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
(202) 580-8889

http://rosesluxury.com/

Rose's Luxury is a two-story restaurant on Barracks Row. If you're a foodie, you've likely already been here or read about it.  There's been a lot of hype. Sometimes places have good PR and don't live up to it. This place is not one of those. It doesn't hurt that they have Elizabeth Parker blabbing all over the internet about it...love you! In any event, I was flying solo as I'd just dropped my wife and son off at the White House for a Christmas party. It took me two hours to get the 13 miles from our house to Obama's. I decided I wasn't going to brave the traffic leaving the city and I'd just go sit at the bar and have dinner.

 As usual, I walked around until I found someone I knew so I could get a seat in the right place with the right person taking care of me. The hostess recommended I go to the upstairs bar, but I went to the downstairs and ran into Elizabeth. She told the bartender I was a friend and to take good care of me. Exactly what I needed!

 They start you out with a little loaf of bread and some soft butter with crispy shallots on top. Nice. I chose a Manhattan to start. Very nice. My cheftender Brian (I think) was very knowledgeable about the mixing arts and the food at Rose's.

 The downstairs bar....and my friendly cheftender. Nice selection slightly left of the beaten path.

The Vietnamese Pate. Think creamy liver spread topped with chopped peanuts and served with some house-made pickles and micro Thai basil. Avant Garde Banh Mi. Very nice.

A little difficult to put in your mouth, but worth the effort.

Lychee and habanero sausage salad. Nice combination of flavors and colors going on here. There were some crispy bits in there that really made it an interesting dish.

Elizabeth told be about the special before I even sat down. Linguettine in butter/garlic with shaved White Alba Truffles. She knows I'm a truffle whore. It was literally the best truffle dish I've had in years. I'm not sure if the last two or three seasons were not as kind to the lovely fungus or if there was something else going on in the market, but these were so perfect and fragrant I almost had to take a knee when I was finished. At $30.00 I also considered ordering a second helping. I've paid much more for a much less satisfying experience in some very nice restaurants locally. I apologize for the color treatment here, it was kind of dark and you can't get the full sense of the beauty of this dish.

This was the cheese course. Marscapone with some crumbles and fruit. It was lighter than it looks/sounds and a nice change of flavors/textures/temperature after the truffles.

This was also a dish not to be missed. Fois Gras French Toast. Salty/sugary/crispy crumble with battered brioche and caramel ice cream with a slab of sauteed FG. I appreciated that the Cheftender passed me a glass of beer fragrant with apples to enjoy with this, but the after taste of the beverage was a little bitter with this dish. Maybe I'm just a traditionalist when it comes to FG, but I think a sauternes, port, or muscato would have paired better.

Aaron Silverman. Chef/owner and maestro at Rose's. He's doing a hell of a job and I expect we'll see great things from him and Scott Muns in the future. 

Well done folks. Keep it up and keep your sense of humor.