Hamilton in DC

We actually stopped by this other club/restaurant first but it was a toss up as to whether we would get a table so Miss Barb asked the bouncer to recommend a place because we could not wait to eat...at least we could not wait more than 10 minutes to find out if we could get a table just to *eat* food that we are paying for...

So he recommended the Hamilton - all he said was the food was really, really good.  He did not talk about the drinks...

I think we probably chose the wrong drinks. After an hour's wait, we finally got a table to eat. We also realized that the efficiency was just not great. They had many an empty table and we think this was due to the fact that people wanted to go to the main dining room instead which is smaller but closer to the bars.

Complimentary Bread with fresh butter

It was quite slow and the drinks came out quite late. We were served bread which came much later as well. The bread was pretty good, nice and crusty with a soft chewy center and was divine with the very  fresh butter they gave with it. Yes, folks, the butter was super fresh because it didn't come in wrapping and it even had the fresh dairy taste.

Betty's Apple

The drinks - we got this drink called the "Betty's Apple" which was terrible. Not at all palatable. It was a poor version of the Appletini, which is saying a lot about how bad it was. Oh, and did I mention how the drinks arrived when we already were served dinner? Yes, they did.

Braised Beef Shortribs

Anyway, I was feeling quite disappointed until the food came out. Let's start with Barb's food as I don't eat beef [much]. Barb got their braised beef shortribs which came out with farro, kale, butternut squash, and its own juices. It looked tasty. Barb seemed to enjoy it a lot.

Upclose and personal with the beef shortribs

 I opted for my favorite - PEI mussels with beer, fennel, chorizo, french fries, and saffron aioli! And I actually liked the fries...really!

All the deliciousness together...in one shot...

The fries were well seasoned - not just salted, crispy and hot. They were some of the very best fries, I've had and I usually don't eat fries!!

Very delicious fries...surprisingly!

As for the mussels... What can I say? I'm a sucker for crustaceans. And these shellfish were fresh, with a lovely taste and except for all the fennel on top, perfect. The mussels were clean and plump, and the sauce was absolutely yummy with bits of chorizo floating around it. Had I not finished up the bread earlier from my hunger pangs, I would have dipped the bread into it and eaten it that way!

Prince Edward Island Mussels with fennel, saffron aioli and chorizo

This was a very satisfying meal and yes, I ate all but 2-4 mussels! But guess what? We had the nerve to ask for a dessert menu...:) Did I mention that all I had that morning was a piece of whole wheat toast and a bit of peanut butter? Well I did! And that's why I was starving by the time 9:30 pm came around and we got our table!

However, dessert was decidedly uninspired so we went to CVS and our hotel in that order. :)

Hamilton is great for the food alone - drinks not so much and service a dismal *SLOW*. However, I deem it worth it to eat there...at least once. Just make reservations first.

The Hamilton
600 14th Street, N.W. (14th St & F St)
Washington, DC 20005
tel. 202.787.1000
Hours: 24/7

Public House

Yesterday, we went out to Public House for lunch. The Public House is a sports bar/restaurant - at the bar and some tables, you have a view of the large screens filled with sports images.

It is a rather large and open space. Beware though - get a reservation because they fill up and if you like sitting in booths, then a reservation is a must.

After debating over the many dishes on the menu, we finally ordered:

Pulled Pork on Poppy seeded Bread

David got the luscious looking pulled pork on a poppy roll with shoestring fried onions, pickle and he substituted the coleslaw for the well seasoned fries (salted and herbed). I was offered and tried some of the pulled pork. This pulled pork was moist, well seasoned and beyond easy to eat. And eat. And eat. But I only took a small forkful. It was not drowning in a well of sauce and was absolutely delicious.

Mediterranean Salad with chicken

Rania made the calorie conscious choice of the hummus with pita bread salad - aka Mediterranean salad with chicken. It's got that brown dipping sauce. Very delicious, she said.

And I broke my usual beef-free diet by having the Public House Burger. As always, I like my burger really well done. So my well-done burger came really well done like I requested. Love it! It was not as moist because it was really well-done. In this case, I would have blended the meat with chopped onion before grilling it because that adds moisture and flavor.

However, it was still a very tasty burger - served on - get this - English Muffin!! You had your choice of toppings, from mushrooms to bacon to onions, etc. I chose mozzarella cheese and bacon. And they did what most places do not... Well done bacon!! It was lovely, super crispy and just awesome.

Public House Burger, with mozzarella and bacon

I always cut my burgers - this time in just halves and then demolished it all. I did remove the sliced of onion and the tomato first before I added ketchup. It was a decent burger - should have more taste in the meat itself but with the saltiness of the bacon and the mozzarella, it turned out fine.

Now the one that you must taste here is definitely the french fries. This time it was a bit saltier than usual but it was well peppered with herbs and salt. Dipped in ketchup, it was nice toasty crunch! Much better than many places. They should give mayo so you can have ketchup mixed with mayo for an even tastier combo. :)

All in all, Public House is a great lunch or happy hour spot. I've had their appetizers and they're delicious.

Public House

140 East 41st Street

New York, NY 10017

tel. 212.682.3710

Hours:  

Lunch Daily: 11:30am - 5:00pm
Dinner Nightly 5:00pm - 11:00pm