The Hunt for Brigafood

Every 100 years, out of the deep mist, appears an enchanted Scottish village, or Indian food cart. And if you miss this magical moment, it shall be lost once again for 100 long, foodless turns of the calendar…

Call me Ishmael. Call me Tommy Albright. As long as you can find me Fojol! Fojol Brothers of Merlindia that is: a traveling Indian street food cart that bears the fictional moniker and serves up some incredible Indian grub to the working folks of Washington DC every hundred years when they appear out of the mist. Or so it seems.

This cart frustratingly bounces around DC, seemingly in a longer and more erratic orbit than I originally inferred when I was first told of the wonder of Fojol's food. The only clues as to their whereabouts are their extremely inconsistent and sparse updates of their Twitter page (on the day of only). Yet wherever their colorful truck, blaring hippie anthems to the surrounding streets and their patrons alike, happens to be, the word spreads like wildfire and the patrons arrive in swarms. The line quickly gets 20 or 30 deep or more and stays that way for the duration of that day's lunch.

My buddy Eric and I started searching for Fojol every day at lunchtime at least a month ago after we saw them one day in Farragut Square with an insane line. We were fools enough to bypass this alleged amazing experience and went elsewhere. After realizing our blunder we vowed to keep searching, every day at lunch, until we were as maniacally committed as Captain Ahab was to his quest for Moby Dick. But it would not elude us. Fortune struck just last Thursday when we were least expecting it. Fojol had returned to Farragut! Plus, we had noticed early and were able to get in line even before the word had completely spread. And NOW the magic would finally happen!

So simple though, was this magic. Fojol has four (seemingly variable) Indian dishes. Our day, it was chicken curry, buttered chicken, chickpeas and pumpkin. You can pick 1, pick 2 or pick 3, and they heap large amounts of each over basmati rice in successively larger biodegradable containers (with biodegradable plastic forks even) depending on your selection. I picked all but the pumpkin (sorry, had to play it safe: no gourd today) and was highly satisfied and impressed. It really was high quality Indian food, exploding with flavor, and in this context is just fantastic. It tastes amazing – it's why they're so highly reputed – but it's at least in part due to that sweet taste of victory for even making a Fojol lunch happen.

And the buzz was certainly in force. As the line grew and grew, we were hearing the whispers on the street, in our building, everywhere. Everyone wanted some of that hype. Did they desperately want one of their famous mango lassi popsicles? Did they yearn for some of the delicately flavored Indian fare, piled high? Or were they secretly and perhaps insanely obsessed with finding that little, musical street food truck before it faded into the mist of Farragut Square for another 100 years, or possibly forever? Or perhaps their nickname was Ahab and that was enough?

Severely mixed literary metaphors or not, there IS something to get excited about this lunchtime experience. So hunt with me. Mine starts again today.

…Or you could miss out on THE experience of well, the next HUNDRED years.

Street Food Culture

Whether they like to admit it or not, my office is full of foodies. Or at least lunchtime foodies. The people I work with, young and less young, nearly all have a tight grip on the nearby lunch places and their ups, downs and other redeeming qualities. They don't always show excitement about these places, but there was definitely a little buzz when we heard about the upcoming G Street Food. But why blame us? When a generic, mediocre fast-food Italian lunch place (Ecco on G Street near 17th NW in DC) is being replaced by the new, novel, and delicious concept (street foods from around the world) of the founder and former owner (Mark Furstenberg) of arguably the area’s best lunch place (The Breadline on Pennsylvania Ave near H St NW), a lot of folks will pay attention.

And there is definitely some curiosity about this new joint opening in August. Just how wide will he spread his cultural wings? The article above mentions a lot of European-influenced street food, which is a great start. But it would be criminal to leave out Asian and Middle Eastern street foods, including Chinese, Indian, Syrian, Lebanese and Israeli. They're all incredibly rich and diverse in their street food and I'm sure there are street delights from these cultures that I haven't even heard of yet (but hope to). Between Chinese dumplings, Indian samosas, shwarma bowls, Middle Eastern cheese and meat pies and falafel, these cultures' most popular street foods even translate to the streets of New York City. Not to mention the classic New York, Jewish street food, knish.

In this country, New York, New Orleans and Chicago have incredibly rich street food heritages. Not a coincidence, in my opinion, that these three cities probably have more character than any other US city I’ve been to. DC could use a little more character. Not that forcing street food into a lunch place will give DC culture, but G Street Food could at least make us strive for that level of richness and community that street food culture can bring to a city. For a city filled with people from all over the globe, sometimes it feels like we’re all trying to be the same instead of proudly celebrating and sharing our differences. But I’m just asking for small steps. Mr. Furstenberg will certainly have his work cut out for him with so many street foods to represent, but he could be in for a welcome surprise if the closet foodies, closet New Yorkers and closet cosmopolitans of the DC area open up and embrace the spirit that he is subtly hinting at.

Still haven't found what I'm looking for

While I talk about DC area restaurants and food joints quite often, that doesn't mean that I've forgotten about the places I enjoyed in my old home town of Ann Arbor for the previous 14 years. So here I will tell not the top places in Ann Arbor, but more importantly, the top places in Ann Arbor that I have yet to replace in DC. While DC is loaded with restaurants of all ranks and genres, sometimes it’s still lacking that slight culture of uniquity that Ann Arbor is known and loved for. I should just be careful not to make myself too hungry or too nostalgic, or I might just have to extend our Thanksgiving return to Michigan next week.

No particular order, (except number one)!

9. Saica: Saica is an awesome little sushi joint in Ann Arbor, just off of North Campus of the University of Michigan on Plymouth Road. I frequented this place at least once a month since 2003, either with Julia or other roommates or friends. It is casual, open seating, very unpretentious and high quality. Above all, it's high value. I am so sick of sushi places in DC, a great one I have still yet to find, that is not entirely overpriced. Pair that with a lack of creativity to make up for the high prices, and I yearn for my far less expensive Saica classics like the Spicy Shrimp Roll, Chicken Teriyaki Roll, the most crispy, delectable shrimp tempura roll I have ever had, great tuna and whitefish Nigiri, a super spicy sashimi-rice bowl (hae dup bop), Julia's favorite rich, goma dressing over a crispy tofu salad, their over-the-top bento box. The list goes on. It's like Japanese comfort food, and I do miss it.

8. Mr. Spots: Best wings out there that I've tried. They have the reputation as being the best and lived up to it each and every time during my three years of Mr. Spot’s patronage. The little dive on State Street just past Hill in Ann Arbor employs some of the rudest individuals that I have ever encountered in the service industry. That didn't matter because these are not people you are tipping. They know how to make Buffalo wings, plain and simple. Crispy and meaty wings, the perfect amount of addictively flavorful, Buffalo spicy sauce. Plenty of chunky bleu cheese dressing (unless you get a really really rude employee and then they give you one tiny little cup of dressing). Many a cold winters night after an economics exam I would treat myself to a dozen wings, and they never disappointed. In DC all the wings I have had so far have tried to do too much – be too fancy, too sweet, too sticky, too spicy, or sometimes just too bland. I think I'll find some wings to rival Spots someday, but until then I'll just try to score some when I'm in A2.

7. Zingerman's: Best deli in the country (and yes I have been to many New York delis); best specialty food store I have been to as well. Located at the corner of Detroit and Kingsley Streets, Zingerman's has a reputation beyond compare and it is a singular draw in Ann Arbor for many. Its sandwiches are unique, fresh and loaded, and are complemented by two whole buildings filled with house made breads, cheese, gelatos and pastries; house cured meats and olives; a pantheon of rare olive oils, vinegars, mustards, sauces, spices and other specialty goodies. The dill pickles alone with their emphasis on the dill and the garlic and the salt and not on the vinegar (re: jarred dill pickles) are unrivaled by ant. I have tried about 25 different pickles in DC and none have even come remotely close to Zing's. I have tried a bunch of deli sandwiches here too and none yet have been awful, but none have had the love that Zingerman's packs into their sandwiches, which make them the best. At a DC or NY deli, if you order pastrami or ham or whatever, they slap a heaping portion between two slices of rye bread and “badda-bing.” Nice sandwich, no love. At Zingerman's, you might end up with Jimmy Wants Rosemary's Baby, piles of thin sliced country ham with house made fresh mozzarella and tomato slices, with a beautiful combination of olive oil and balsamic vinegar from their stores, all between two thick slices of house made sesame semolina bread. Makes my mouth water. But hey, you want that corned beef on rye or the turkey Reuben at Zingerman’s? They've got you covered. And still manage to pack in the love.

6. Shalimar: It's not that Shalimar (Main Street near Liberty in Ann Arbor) is the best Indian food out there, and certainly is not the cheapest. It's that I have not had the opportunity to find a consistent, high-quality Indian restaurant that is as simple and packed with the classics. We have been to a couple so-so Indian restaurants in DC, one pretty good high-end Indian restaurant and of course the amazing Naan & Beyond for sandwiches. But none that had a menu as loaded with different naans and other breads, crispy appetizers, Tandoori delicacies and an endless list of thick, delicious meat and vegetarian curries as Shalimar's. I think they have the best naan bread and best Tandoor chicken that I have tried, and that pairing is one of my favorite dishes in any cuisine, so that alone is saying something about Shalimar.

5. Silvio's: Authentic Italian organic pizza can be found on North University near State Street in Ann Arbor at Silvio's. And this place is a hidden gem. Competing with endless bland campus pizzerias, this place is special. The taste of the pizza is, well, real. The crust is chewy and crunchy and endlessly flavorful. The sauce and cheese actually taste fresh and flavorful and interesting. A list of over 40 organic toppings range from shiitake mushrooms and raw fresh arugula to bacon, fennel and truffle oil. You can even get grapes or carrots, but most of the ingredients are organic variations on classic ingredients. Bottom line is this pizza place is unparalleled by any I have seen and is vastly underrated, even in Ann Arbor. Needless to say I have not found a pizza place that can match up in DC as of yet, but if I ever do, it will be good enough that you will be hearing about it.

4. Pizza House: Another pizza place, you ask? Well yes, sort of. This one is not so much for the pizza, although the pizza is actually very good. It's about the atmosphere. Pizza House (Church Street near South University) is that comfortable, campus place that everyone loves. It's huge so you can almost always get a table for any party; it's open and delivers until 4AM every night; it's got a huge menu filled with pizzas, bar foods and a full bar, desserts, salads, sandwiches, their famous chapattis (huge fresh pita stuffed with salad) and even steaks and other dinner entrees; oh and it's pretty darn cheap. The place is hopping in the middle of the day, the middle of the evening and the middle of the night, and Julia and I would go there whenever we needed to just get out for a little comfort and relaxation. Whether it was meeting friends or just us, this was our little hangout for years, and it will take quite a lot for another place in a big city like DC to quite have all that it would take to be our next Pizza House.

3. Le Dog: Le Dog is a tiny little soup stand (think less glamorous than Seinfeld's “soup Nazi”) located on Liberty Street in Ann Arbor near Thompson. It is only open several hours per day during lunch, but it has a line every minute that it's open – in rain or shine or sleet. Yes, they do have hot dogs, and I have heard they are quite good, but this place is known for its out-of-this-world homemade soups. Rich, thick and comfortable, these soups are worth any wait. The portion is certainly large enough for lunch, especially with a huge hunk of Zingerman's bread that comes with it. The selection changes daily and is always fresh, ranging from Turkey Chili to Minestrone to Squash with Bleu Cheese. I have heard there are over 70 soups that rotate through the window, and I believe it. The absolute best is the weekly offering of lobster bisque on Fridays. A thin, flavorful, slightly-spiked broth encompassing huge hunks of lobster meat. Oh yah baby, that kind of comfort is well worth the $6-7. As for soups in DC, they have yet to inspire me, although I did try an extra worldly pumpkin and chorizo soup at the Bread Line in DC last week (Pennsylvania near 18th) that might have me changing my tune soon.

2. Ashley's: Ashley's, located on State Street near North University in Ann Arbor, is a surprisingly good Irish pub with surprisingly good food. The surprising part is that although it is “Irish,” its selection of imported beers, ranging from high-quality Belgium beers to Irish to local Michigan microbreweries, is astonishingly vast and cheap. They have a book of beers (with extensive lists of wines, liquors and mixed drinks in the back) that has beer descriptions, a taste guide and even flights. It is a fun place to go, which is likely why it is packed to max most evenings and nights. I even enjoyed having dinner at Ashley's sometimes – it was a little pubby of course, but they manage to sneak quite a few interesting (and even healthy) dishes on their menu. Nothing spectacular like the beers, but definitely worth eating at if you're trying to decide.

1. My Mom's Home Cooking: There ain't nothing like it no matter where in the world I could possibly travel, and I miss it most of all!

Check out my reviews of these places in even more detail at Menuism.com!

Slow Cooked Sweet Potato

I decided to get experimental recently and try making something that resembled Indian food. Even more adventurous, I tried to do so in my slow cooker, a machine that I'm not always comfortable improvising in. All in all, the risk paid off though, so I was pretty happy with the effort.

I had three large sweet potatoes, so I wanted my curry (for lack of a better term) to be sweet-potato based. I turned my cooker on high and put some olive oil in the bottom with a large dollop of Smart Balance (you could use butter or more oil). To this I added a roughly chopped onion (big hunks) and about eight smashed but not chopped cloves of garlic. With slow cookers, it is important not to chop anything to finely due to the long cooking times. I added a little salt and pepper to the aromatics and let them sweat a little bit with the lid on.

Meanwhile, I peeled my sweet potatoes and cut each one into large hunks. I also chopped some fresh shiitake mushrooms into hunks as well. I added them to the slow cooker, along with about a cup of vegetable stock and half a cup of skim milk. I also added a little more olive oil, a dash of cream, salt and pepper. I also added several teaspoons (or more) each of turmeric and cumin. Those were the Indian-esque spices I was going for. I would have liked to use whole spices for the sake of the slow cooking, but didn't have them, so ground spices had to do. Lastly, I added a handful of fresh whole cranberries to add some sweetness and tartness without the gratuity of sugar.

At this point I was content with the flavor of the base and decided it was time to lid and leave the slow cooker. I left it for over four hours on high, or until the sweet potatoes were fork tender. I was waiting to see how much liquid was absorbed by this time to see if I was going to puree the curry or not. There was still too much liquid at this point, though the ingredients looked and tasted great, so I decided to puree the whole lot. I got my food processor and carefully (hot!) ladled in a few ladles at a time and pureed it all. The consistency was perfect, very similar in thickness to a curry from a restaurant. It wasn't quite as curry-flavored, but it was well spiced and definitely had a curry vibe. That's all I was really going for.

I served the curry with some toasted Fabulous Flats garlic naan bread, perfect for sopping up the flavorful, sweet potato goodness that my slow cooker managed to produce. I guess I helped a little too. I'll help it again soon if it pumps out something nearly as good as this again.

Naan Discoveries

Some of you who know me, know that I love Indian food and naan bread. Many of you who don't know me, just read my reaction to Naan & Beyond sandwiches and THEN you'll know that I love naan bread. So how do you think I reacted when I saw beautiful, puffy, whole wheat naan in a package in my grocery store? Yes, jumping up and down (at least in my head). Plus, these Fabulous Flats Whole Wheat Naan were mostly healthy and definitely had no trans fat (hey, you always have to check. Just last week I glanced at "fat free" Pringles to see what was in them, and lo and behold, there were partially hydrogenated fats in the ingredients despite all zeroes in the total fat, saturated fat and trans fat sections of the nutrition facts.)

Anyway, so with my 2 Fabulous Flats naans setting me back $2.50, I pondered what I could make that would be absolutely delicious. What I thought of was not Indian cuisine in the least, but it was still mouth-wateringly delicious. I grabbed a bunch of wild mushrooms including baby portabellas, shiitakes and oysters along with some mascarpone cheese before I left the store.

When I got home, I chopped the mushrooms into slightly smaller pieces and then sautéed them in a little olive oil, salt and pepper until they were golden and tender. I had preheated the oven to 350 degrees for something else, so I just left it there. I spread a thin layer of creamy, luxurious mascarpone on my naan bread on some tin foil. Then I put a very large amount of the sautéed mushrooms on top and placed the whole "pizza" on the foil into the oven. I cooked it for about 10 minutes, took it out and cut it into 4 pieces. Enough for a delicious little appetizer for a few people.

The mushrooms were so tasty and salty on the little layer of mascarpone and the moist, fluffy, super-tasty naan. It was an unbelievably satisfying dish as well as use of this new naan discovery. I will be making this again and likely buying the fabulous Fabulous Flats naan again even sooner.

Cloud Naan

I just had an incredible Indian sandwich. Indian sandwich, you ask? Yes indeed! Before today, I had never even heard of one before, and my coworker Nora had not either. But nevertheless we went with Eric (who himself only just discovered Indian sandwiches a few weeks ago) to test out these innovations at Naan & Beyond, a little hole-in-the-wall doing an AWESOME, line-out-the-door lunchtime business, near L St and Connecticut NW in DC.

And yes, for these tikka sandwiches, they quite literally fill a fresh, pillowy, chewy, BIG piece of naan bread (the popular Indian flatbread you normally order with Indian curries) with a myriad of addictively delicious ingredients, tandoori style. Everything is marinated in fabulous Indian spices and then skewered and cooked in the large clay Indian oven, the Tandoor. The grilled taste is unbelievable. You can get marinated chicken, lamb, shrimp, paneer (homemade cheese), veggie (zucchini, mushroom, onion and eggplant grilled) or sheesh (shredded beef). I had chicken, which is supposedly marinated overnight – and boy does it taste like it. They were probably the most tender, juicy pieces of skewered chicken I have ever had, with an absolute explosion of amazing Indian herbal flavors. They pack the meat or vegetarian filling in very generously, but also still manage to add some really good accoutrements: a light cabbage slaw and tomatoes for some crunch and tang, and a choice of their hot chutney, mint chutney or mango chutney to drizzle on your sandwich. The chutney (I got mint with my chicken) really put me over the top. Again, flavors were central here with the chutney itself, but even more so in what flavors it was able to bring out in the contents of the sandwich. My one complaint was that I ran out of the chutney before I finished the sandwich and really wanted more for the last third, because each bite was so dreamily tasty.

It is food like this that makes me happy, makes a workday go by more enjoyably, even make me want to devote the last 15 minutes of my lunch to telling as many hungry readers as I have where to find an ultimate sandwich and ultimate Indian tastes -- all in one $6 sandwich.

Check out my reviews of this place in even more detail at Menuism.com!

Top 10 (12) Olympic Cuisines

You have diligently read about my physical (and mental) travels in the world of food all week. I'll try to reward you with a fun, Friday post.

TOP TEN FOODS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO EAT IN HONOR OF THE OLYMPICS (regardless of calories). Okay, it will be a Top Twelve in fact, so I can be a little more inclusive. It’s hard to exclude people(s).

12. Italian – Insalata caprese and ciabatta

I had Italian last night, so it’s not throwing my senses into haywire this morning like the other ones, but nothing beats an Italian restaurant and the myriad classic dishes that never fail to disappoint. I choose this appetizer because it’s fresh and has basil, tomato, cheese and bread – the four base ingredients of much of Italian cuisine – at their simplest and most elegant.

11. Mexican – Carnitas with fresh tortillas, salsa, guacamole and lime wedges

We all have a place in our hearts for some variation of Mexican food – a very Americanized version for many, but one nevertheless. I happen to love the tang of pork in my tacos or burritos when I can afford the slight indulgence. This classic way with big flavors and without the burden of lots of cheese, beans, rice and sour cream make this taco-esque dish refined and well, to-die-for.

10. Greek – Pistachio baklava

I am a big fan of Mediterranean food, and Greek cuisine is at the center of this pantheon. I could go on about many of the dishes that Greeks get to enjoy all the time, but I go for the ultimate dessert right now. The filo, the nuts, the honey, the spices. I would love the universe where it was okay for me to finish every meal with this dessert fit for Zeus.

9. Ethiopian – Injera and vegetarian wat stew selection, with salad

Perhaps not as mainstream as some of the others, this cuisine is a winner. Go find your local Ethiopian restaurant if you have not already and make time soon for an experience. They’ll bring you a table-sized piece of flat bread, put a big salad in the middle and then speckle the sides with little piles of different and extremely flavorful stews. The vegetarian ones, full of onions, collard greens and lentils are very rich and smooth, but the meat versions are also quite popular.

8. Spanish – Manchego cheese, crusty bread and mixed olives

Spanish tapas make me happy with their depth and creativity. Perhaps the simplest and most classic one is the best though. To really kick off your meal in style, enjoy some assorted olives and bread with a salty, nutty cheese and an opening glass of red wine.

7. Israeli – Labneh with zatar and fresh, hot pitas

Israeli food is another chapter in the Mediterranean realm that I love. I picked this popular hummus-replacement dish from Israel that I was introduced to recently by a friend because it, well, rocks! It is a thick, smooth cheese-like yogurt. It has the tang of yogurt and the richness of cheese. Served with an awesome Israeli spice, zatar, this is the ultimate opener to a nice Med meal.

6. Chinese - Dim Sum

An experience like none other. That is how I have and will continue to describe my experience with Chinese brunch fare. An assortment of different dumplings, soups and meats very different from standard Chinese food is not one I could handle every day, but every four years or so, I give this the ultimate gold medal.

5. French – Crepe with brie, tomato and some type of meat

French food is so expansive and complex, I can’t always decide what I like and what I don’t like about it. Some of its simple classics like the omelet and the crepe are very easy to decide upon. A light crepe can be a nice elegant brunch, or a loaded one can be the ultimate drunk food. Believe it or not, I prefer the loaded ones.

4. Brazilian - Gaucho style barbecue

If you eat meat and have not tried Brazilian barbecue, go and reserve your next paycheck to visit a churrascaria. Okay, well it’s not THAT expensive, but the high-end version in the United States is pretty much the only version I’ve seen. Typically, after going through an endless pre-dinner buffet of salads, sushi, fruits, cheeses and Brazilian side dishes, you return to your table for an all-you-can-eat meat onslaught. The waiters travel from table to table, each with their own beautiful cut of a different barbecued meat. Beef, chicken, duck, lamb, pork. Indulgent. Endless. Perfect -- every four years or so. (During the Winter Olympics though, to space out the dim sum.)

3. Japanese – Tuna, salmon, whitefish, shrimp and yellowtail nigiri

If I had to eat the same meal every day of my life, it would be sad and even depressing. But after making the easy choice of sushi, the brilliance of this simple meal would certainly cheer me up each day. I haven’t mentioned sushi much yet, but it will be a regular contributor to my food thoughts. I love a really tasty, creative roll of sushi with three kinds of fish, tempura flakes, avocado, fish eggs and two crazy sauces as much as any sushi lover. But it’s the classic nigiri listed above that are truly impeccable.

2. Indian – Tandoori chicken tikka with naan and rice

Like any warm-blooded American male, I love barbecued meat. Too bad Brazilian (see above) and Indian are my favorite preparations. The Tandoori clay oven method gives chicken or fish an incredible charred taste. The marinade of yogurt and spices give off an aroma and character unlike anything I get in from cuisine. With 1 medal per Summer Games since 1956, I don’t know how many Olympic medals my brainy Indian brethren will be winning this year, but in the culinary games, they are on my podium.

1. American – Buffalo wings with blue cheese dressing

Okay, so who ever said patriotism was dead? American food, like its athletes, is really good in a few areas and really mediocre in many others. But we still TRY in ALL the areas, whereas most others stay to their niches. THAT is what makes us the best. Forget unexciting, unperfected hot dogs, hamburgers and corn on the cob. If you want THE all-American food, look no further than the holy chicken wing from Buffalo. Now how do you say “gold” in Chinese?