Thursday, December 29, 2016

Blue Duck Tavern: Apple Pie

Bill

You'll probably see Blue Duck Tavern's Apple Pie if you visit the restaurant.  It's visually spectacular and prominently displayed in the evening.  Seeing several of these vertical pies in various states of preparation, from cuts of dough to glistening golden brown crust in low light conjured an image of the golden age of pie.  It's a shop in Britain in the 1600s, with a wooden sign painted with "Pye", and it only makes pies.


Alas, Dear Reader, we write to warn you not to be fooled.  This pie was memorably bad.  The crust and apple slices were infuriatingly dry and there was no gooey filling to save those failings.  The apples were nearly flavorless.  Even mixing it with the ice cream at additional cost couldn't create a dish we could call satisfying.  We plan to give it another try because the Blue Duck Tavern's other food is so good and this pie is a signature dish.  We really want to believe.  For now, skip this pie.

Open Table (4.7/5; Customer Award)
Trip Advisor (4.5/5; Certificate of Excellence)
Yelp (4/5)
Washingtonian 100 Very Best Restaurants 2016
Zagat (4.6/5)

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Farmers & Distillers: Banana Cream Cake

Bill

We tried the Banana Cream Cake on Farmers & Distillers’ opening night.  I was surprised to see that name on the menu based on the cakes I saw on the bakery counter, so I asked one of the bakers about it.  The baker called it "banana rum cake”, and that’s a more accurate description of this cake.


The cake portion's flavor is similar to carrot cake with a banana twist. The frosting has a cream cheese base, and solid rum flavor underlines the cake.  The cake layers soften on the edges by mixing with the frosting, and are still dense and moist in the middle. The salted caramel ice cream is excellent and pairs very well with the cake's flavors.  The entire dish mixes soft textures, with the spice and rum offset exquisitely by the decadent smooth cream cheese.  Unfortunately, Farmers & Distillers is currently serving this and other cakes in very small slices relative to those at other Farmers Restaurant Group locations.  We hoped it was an opening-night issue, but this was still a problem as of December 16. A standard Farmers slice of this cake would deserve our great rating, but this version earns our good rating.

Open Table (4.3/5)
Yelp (4.2/5)

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

The Palm: Big Chocolate Layer Cake

Bill

Chocolate cake is a steakhouse classic, so it's usually your best bet for dessert at a steakhouse.  The Palm's Big Chocolate Layer Cake meets those high expectations.



It's generously topped with a chewy fudge frosting that continues in a thinner spread down the back, where cake crumbs adorn it.  Five additional tiers of frosting slice through the cake layers.  The cake portion is impressively moist for such a large slice.  It's served with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, fresh whipped cream, and fruit, all mostly for presentation.

This cake is a unique and indulgent combination of textures.  The crumbs on the back form a cushion to flatten out the sharp chocolate taste of the fudge icing.  This dessert earns our great rating.

Washington Post (Editors' pick) 
Yelp (3.5/5)
Trip Advisor (4/5)
Open Table (4.6/5) 
Zagat (4.5/5)
Gayot (13/20)