Jen and I took a trip to Miami over the weekend, and had the great opportunity to sample a number of restaurants of all walks of life.  Miami Beach, for not being a gastrocentric culture, certainly has its fair share of restaurants that proliferate the main thoroughfares of Collins Ave, Washington Ave, and Lincoln Road.  We were in search of Indian food, to which Jen had only had previous dining experiences at a more upscale Indian restaurant that seemed a bit too costly for a casual night out.  A bit of searching and we decided to take a gamble on Guru.

The restaurant falls somewhat off the beaten path, tucked away on one of the side streets of South Beach.  Stepping inside, there were few occupied tables, which put a bit of apprehension into us.  A quartet of friends near the window.  A couple on their first date, with the woman a good deal more imbibed than the man.  And a lot more empty tables in this small establishment.  Nevertheless, we picked our seat and dove right in.

We put in an order of the Spinach Pakora and the Tandoori Broccoli to start.  The former, a set of fried cauliflower and spinach patties served with a corriander based hari chutney.  Deep fried and a bit salty, but also very satisfying with every bite.  I don’t recall if we were served five or six, but I do remember taking the majority of them when Jen was distracted with the Tandoori Broccoli.  The broccoli was pretty much served up as the name described it- about 2 cups of broccoli seasoned and cooked in a tandoori oven, giving the florets a nice soft and baked taste and texture, and served with a sweet chili dipping sauce.  A very good appetizer, although a bit light in portion.  We were also treated to a a complimentary basket of sliced naan, accompanied with a cucumber yogurt dipping sauce, totally comped.  It began to dawn on us that maybe this place was more of a neighborhood establishment than one of the tourist traps of Ocean Drive.

While waiting for our main courses, Jen plowed through her pinot grigio, patiently waiting for the waiter to come by and ask to refill her glass.

That didn’t exactly happen.

So she waited.  And waited. And then….she waited some more.

And finally!

She got up and walked the 10 feet to the bar, where the waiter stood, face illuminated by the pale light of his crackberry, furiously tweeting away.

Waiter: OMG SO BORED. #atwork

Waiter: MY BLONDE HIGHLIGHTS ARE SO HOT RIGHT NOW #southbeachdiva

Waiter: @SpaceResidentDJ Can you like, put me on the guest list tonight?  And comp me some drinks?  LOL!  UR THE BEST!

Well, at least, that’s what I’d imagine was going on over there.  He was at least, apologetic, and quickly refilled oenophilic’s glass.  Comped.

Nice.  At least there’s some sort of consolation for his nonstop tweeting.  Although we didn’t find out we were comped on the wine until the end of dinner, so it was really just an added bonus.  With Jen being as laid back as she is, which is about as laid back as a Olympic luger going backwards down the side of K2, she was perfectly happy with just having another glass of wine.

My girlfriend rules.

Our entrees came quickly thereafter.  For the main event, Jen ordered the Channa Masala-  her default vegetarian dish of choice.  It’s never quite prepared exactly the same way from restaurant to restaurant, so she does get a bit of variety in it, but in the end, the basic premise remains the same.  Chickpeas cooked in a tomato and onion gravy, infused with varying amounts of turmeric, coriander, garlic, chilies, garam masala, and a host of other spices.  Nothing too outstanding about the way Guru prepared this dish, but at the same time, she was satisfied with it all the same.

I ordered the Nilgiri Korma, which really intrigued me from the moment I saw it on the menu.  Beef cooked in an almond, yogurt, and coconut curry sauce.  It sounds odd, which is exactly why I ordered it.  Truth be told, it was actually a good deal better than I had expected.  The creamy curry sauce with a slow simmered beef was exactly what I needed.  I skipped the mountain of rice that came with the dish, but made sure to consume the rest of the sauce with the mini salad at the base of the rice.

I suppose somewhere in there the waiter realized he screwed up, and we were presented with a Gulab Jamun, completely comped.  The best I could describe it (since it doesn’t appear on the menu) is a pair of gelatinous balls of dough, soaked in syrup, and served in an martini glass filled with ice cream and whipped cream.  Jen, the trooper that she is, took down the majority of the dish since I was trying to behave and not stray too far from my diet.

Guru’s a pretty good restaurant amongst the throng of pizza parlors and sushi dens that litter South Beach, and proof you don’t have to pay a king’s ransom to get a good meal.  As it goes with most places near the beach, gratuity is included in the bill, so not only should you not feel inclined to tip more if you don’t feel the service was up to snuff, you should also expect the service to be a bit more lackadaisical than you’re used to.  Having been comped the free basket of naan, a glass of pinot grigio, and a dessert, how could you go wrong?

See Guru Indian Restaurant on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Vegetarians
• Bollywood Buffs
• Sauce lovers
• Paleo heads

Not Recommended For:

• Attention Whores
• Carbophobes
• Bargain Diners
• Dinner before getting that tattoo you’ve always wanted at Miami Ink

It was only up until recently did I begin to learn more about the smoke points of oils. Essentially what that means is that when an oil is heated to certain temperature, it begins to deteriorate, creating a bluish smoke, and loses its nutrtional value. At that point, not only does it negatively affect the taste of what you’re cooking, but it also could potentially negatively affect your health, too.  The default oil of choice for a lot of people who are either on the Zone or Paleo tends to be Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO).  The problem with that is EVOO is not terribly well suited for cooking above 320 degrees Farenheit, well below the typical temperatures you’d see cooking on a stove or oven.

Most grocery stores have an abundance of oils readily available, and some of the higher end stores like Whole Foods have some more specialty oils that are seen on this list, but rarely anywhere else.  I’m not one that finds any oil other than sesame oil (with a smoke point of 410 degrees Farenheit!) really affects the taste of my food, so the next time I run out, I’m likely to go out and purchase some Avocado Oil.  At a smoke point of a whopping 520 degrees Farenheit, it sits at the top of the list of least likely to break down, carries a very light flavor, remains a monounsaturated oil, and sure beats using Baby Oil for cooking.

I took this list of smoke points from What’s Cooking America and formatted it for you below:

Chef Geoff’s isn’t really a newcomer to the DC restaurant scene, but with four establishments in the area (one in upper NW DC, one in Penn Quarter, one in Tyson’s Corner, and an Italian focused Lia’s Chevy Chase), the brand name is definitely making a…uh, name.  For. Itself.

Shit.

Jen and I headed over to their Penn Quarter location to have dinner and sample some of the large number of available offerings on their menu.  I default to the description of ‘American Bistro’ for this type of restaurant because it fits so well.  The food is certainly contemporary but not absolutely at the forefront of haute coutre with flavors or presentation.

We started off with two appetizers, the Hush Puppies served with Maple Butter and the Crispy Plantain Chips with Guacamole.

Hush Puppies with Maple Butter

The Hush Puppies were exactly what I’d been craving for a few weeks now.  Large deep fried balls of dough, although not quite the same as the kind you’d get at the beach on a Memorial Day Weekend vacation.  The portions of the hush puppies were great, but the flavor was a bit lacking, with an absence of heavy seasoning that I expected.  Thankfully, a generous knob of maple butter comes in and saves this dish.  Definitely not the best hush puppies I’ve ever had, but they’ll do when you’re jonesin’ for some with no beach in sight.

Crispy Plantains with Guacamole

The Crispy Plantains with Guacamole, however, was a easy one knocked out of the park.  the deep fried plantain chips came lightly salted and crispy but not flimsy; the guacamole was made from fresh avocado and no added salt, which really pleased Jen, who considers herself to be quite the guacamole critic.  She commented that most places usually screw up one or both of the two factors that she considers to be important, using substandard ingredients, or killing the natural flavor of the avocado with too much salt.  Salting the plantains solves this problem perfectly, and makes them pretty tasty on their own.  Which really, you might end up having to do, because there isn’t a whole lot of guacamole that comes with the chips.  Still, a winner for both of us, and highly recommended.

Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Arugula, Truffle Butter

Jen’s main course, the Wild Mushroom Ravioli, carried the rich aroma of truffles from the butter, and had a nice ‘meaty’ taste to them.  The ravioli itself was delicate and and soft, a good sign of quality pasta.  A perfect pick for her, the dish offered lots of flavor and just the right amount of food for her appetite.  A highly recommended pasta dish for the diner with a light to moderate appetite.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Collard Greens and Sweet Potato Gnocchi

My dish, the Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Collard Greens and Sweet Potato Gnocchi, evoked a bit of a mixed reaction from me.  The bacon wrapped tenderloins were juicy, hearty, and packed full of flavor.  The sweet potato gnocchi were well executed, and a great compliment to the tenderloins.  The collard greens were wilted to perfection, and great on top of the gnocchi.  The only problem I had with the dish was the loads of salt dumped into the sauce that covered everything.  This doesn’t come from someone who readily limits their salt intake.  I highly believe that sea salt and fresh ground pepper are fundamental seasonings, and put it on just about every carb dish I eat.  But this was a LOT of salt.  Not inedible levels, but still a bit much for me.  That being said, ordering this dish isn’t exactly the pinnacle of healthy choices, so I can’t completely blame the kitchen for liberally adding salt here, but I’d feel more confident in giving my full endorsement to it if it weren’t so over the top.

There are definitely some great choices here, but the menu certainly has some less perfect ones, too.  There’s no real way to tell what’s going to resonate with you and what’s not, but my suggestion is to order what you know you’re going to like…and maybe, just maybe, it’ll be one of the dishes that Chef Geoff can knock out of the park.

See Chef Geoff’s in Penn Quarter on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Comfort Food Diners
• Steak’n'Potatoes Patrons
• Vegetarians

Not Recommended For:

• Weight Watchers
• Carb Counters
• Cheese Eatin’ Surrrrrrrrender Monkeys

I’ve been having some discussion with one of the guys at my gym who already adheres to the Zone, but is interested in incorporating some of the Paleo principles into his diet, especially for breakfast. There was a glut of random bits of information, and too good for me not to share. So here’s some of the things we had gone over:

Q: I was wondering what I could replace my daily 2 block oatmeal fix with if I were to head more toward the zone/paleo approach? I will need to axe PB, bread etc, but not sure having an apple instead of the oatmeal will do the trick. Coffee will stay!

A: For protein, I’d suggest eggs- you can make a large batch and have some hardboiled and peeled ones on hand, or some having some scrambled and reheat that as you want it. You can also do (reheated) bangers ‘n’ (sweet) mash, sausages served with a side of sweet potato. Smoked salmon with capers (and dill, you have it on hand) is also great.

Salsa (added right before consumption) is a perfect complement to go with eggs, just make sure there’s no added sugar in the ingredients. Half a cup of salsa equals one block, and you can find single one cup servings in four packs at most grocery stores.

If you’re fond of kale, I love taking a TON of kale and roasting it until it gets a nice crisp, and stuffing leftovers in the fridge. About 1.5 cups is a block, and since it’s particularly cheap and easy to make a large batch, you could almost make a “chip bag’s worth”, seasoning it however you want. Salt and vinegar is nice, spicy sesame with sesame oil, or you can do whatever flavor you like. Bag them in 1.5 or 3 cup portions for 1 or 2 blocks that are quick and easy to go.

You can roast a lot of kale using as many cookie/non-stick pans as you can fit into an oven.  The recipe is here.

In order to make kale chips, just up the cooking time to the neighborhood of 35-45 minutes. Keep an eye out towards the end. You’ll want the kale to get that nice crisp and turn brown, which is perfectly acceptable.

You can get individual servings of Justin’s Nut Butter at Whole Foods. They equate to about 12 blocks of fat, and are a dollar each.

I’ve replaced my pb entirely with almond butter, which is paleo friendly. It’s cheapest at Trader Joe’s, so I pick up two bottles at a time. Creamy with Sea Salt is the business, but the Justin’s Nut Butter are perfect to throw a few in a bag on the go when you can’t take a whole jar with you.

Light coconut milk (cheapest at Trader Joe’s) is a good creamer substitute for your coffee, and doesn’t have a strong coconut taste. Plenty of good fats there, and at around a dollar a can, you can’t go wrong. Make sure you properly store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container and it’ll last for a good couple of weeks.

Again at TJ’s, you can get mini-bell peppers. They are sweeter than green bell peppers, and a container of them is about 2 blocks of carbs you can just eat after a quick rinse.

Fruits are a quick and easy staple. Taking a whole pineapple, cubing it, and storing it in individual ziploc containers means for grab-n-go carbs. Two cups of cubed pineapple is great for four blocks, although you can always mix in any other fruit of your choice for variety. Throw in half a cup of blueberries for one block of carbs, and a cup of strawberries also adds in a block of carbs. Half a cup of grapes, and you’re well on your way to have any number of combinations of grab-n-go individually contained fruit salads.

If you have the time, you can also take fresh mint and spend a few minutes making mint strips. Simply pick them off the stems, roll the leaves, and cut. Make sure they’re very try and store them in a small ziploc bag, and they’re a nice addition to toss onto your fruit salad for a slightly mintier taste.

Q: Any particular sausages? Are pork sausages ok to eat? Do you count fat from them or add more?

A: Sausages are great. I tend to try and get higher quality ones like they have a TJ or WF, but pay attention to the ingredients. Sugar is always bad, although I’ll be a tiny bit more lenient with they use evaporated cane juice. No sugars at all would be best. You can also pre-make a batch of turkey/pork sausage patties on the weekend in bulk. I usually add thyme, rosemary, cumin, chili powder, fresh chopped garlic, shallots, fresh ground pepper, sea salt, and a cage free beaten egg. Mix it well, let it hang out for half an hour in the fridge, and start making patties. A 1 lb package is usually good for at least 8-12 patties, and depending on how much you make them, you can get pretty close to 1 oz patties when you’ve figured out how much meat to use for each patty. A heaping tablespoon per patty will get you pretty close to that.

I don’t really pay the attention to the fat in sausage. It’s not terrible for you if there’s some fat in there. I do loosely weigh and measure everything. I try to get meats in 1 oz increments, but I’m not going to be terribly upset if I have 3.25oz of chicken for a 3 block meal. Same with carbs. A little bit over or under is okay. If you’re concerned with the amount of fat, you can always store the cooked sausages in a plastic container that is lined with a paper towel to collect the extra fat.

I’m not sure if I mentioned that you can remove carb blocks for fat blocks, as well. That has a bit of a more dramatic effect in forcing your body to get its fuel from fats and less so from carbs. It also makes things much easier when you don’t have the opportunity to WAM (weight and measure) everything at the office.

With my measurements, I’m supposed to be at 15 blocks of protein, 15 blocks of carbs, and 15 blocks of fat. With my activity level, I’ve tripled my intake of fat, which puts me at 45 blocks of fat daily. You can remove up to 50% of your daily allotment of carbs, replacing each single block of carb with three blocks of fat. That would put me in around 8 blocks of carbs a day, but I do like some wiggle room for carbs, so I only cut it down to 10 blocks of carbs a day. Since I cut out five blocks of carbs, 5 x 3 = 15 blocks of fat added.

That turns my diet into this:

15 blocks of protein (p)
10 blocks of carbs (c)
60 blocks of fat (f)

Here’s a sample of my diet on a given day, at 3x fat (samples included):

0515 (pre WOD)

1p (1oz sausage or 1 hard boiled egg)
1c (1/2 c of fruit)
3f (1 tsp almond butter)

0700 (post WOD)

3p (3 1oz sausages, or 3 eggs, or 3 oz of meat, your choice)
4c (1 medium sized sweet potato, tossed in the microwave & 1/2 c fruit)
0f

1030 (lunch 1)

3p (3 oz meat)
1c (1 cup of mini sweet peppers)
21f (63 almonds)

1500 (lunch 2)

3p (3 oz meat)
1c (12 asparagus spears, prebroken and washed and microwaved)
21f (avocado, pitted and skinned with salt, pepper, lemon, or alternately, lime and sriacha)

1830 (dinner)

3p (3 oz meat)
2c (3 cups of cauliflower, boiled, chopped, and sauteed in grapeseed oil and 3/4 cup of puttanesca sauce)
9f (1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil, used above)

2130 (pre sleep/fast snack)

2p (2 oz meat)
1c (1/2 cup of fruit)
6f (1 heaping teaspoon of almond butter)

The post-WOD meal is deprived of fat to help restore glycogen levels and allow quick absorption of the proteins. I make up for it with large amounts of fat intake during my lunches that carry me through the day. Meals are fairly equally spaced out every three to four hours, so I’m never hungry or full.

Coppi’s is one of the many restaurants on U St. in DC that has seen a surge in popularity in the past few years.  Their pledge to the environment spans from their locally sourced organic produce, grass-fed/free-range meats, a wood burning oven, wind powered electricity and ultra-low wattage light bulbs.  How low?

Coppi's Interior

The focus here is definitely pizzas, with the highest of quality ingredients.  That’s not to say that’s all the restaurant does, as they also have a solid selection of antipasti (appetizers), insalate (salads), entrate (entrees), and dolci (sweets/desserts).  So, I started with what I can only remember as the Piatto di Carne.  The meat platter itself seemed a bit light on the side, but really, all I was looking for here was my meat fix before splitting a pizza with Jen.  Truth be told, the smoked salmon, the salami, the pancetta, and the smoked ham did just that for me.  A tasty sample of cured meats, but the salami was a bit too “meaty” for me.  Considering that they were all grass-fed meats, I guess that’s just my mis-perception of what high quality food costs, right?

Right.

The pizzas here are off the chain good.  Jen and I split the Al Cinque Formaggi- a white crust topped with ricotta, provolone, mozzarella, pecorino, and romano cheeses.  Do you know what that’s like?  It’s delicious, like having the last unicorn steak in existence.  I’m not sure if it was the organic magic at work here, but this was a damn good pizza.  A perfectly baked crust, lots of gooey, stringy cheese, and just the perfect amount of sauce to hold it all together.

You can always follow up that meal with your choice of dessert, so Jen and I split the bread puddding a la mode.  Your standard fare bread pudding, but well executed and presented for optimal omnomnomnomnomnom.

Here’s a photo of the bread pudding:

Bread Pudding a la mode

All in all, Coppi’s serves up a very tasty and very expensive meal.  The question of price for quality comes to mind again, amongst others.  Will we all one day have to pay more realistic prices for food when our food sources become scarce?  Are you an ardent fan of high quality ingredients (Red Sea sea salt, Micronesia olive oil, Vietnamese Maroon Pygmy cinnamon) when you eat?  Do these pants make me look fat?

The pizzas here are very good and a fairly good value, but I’d skip out on the appetizers and desserts.  The restaurant also holds very generous hours, open even during the blizziest of blizzards that take over DC.  If you’re craving a good pie and you’re in the area, stop in and give Coppi’s a try.

See Coppi’s Organic on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Pizzaholics
• Deep Snow Dining
• Organic Aficionados
• Vegetarians

Not Recommended For:

• Inexpensive Dates
• Zone Dieters
• Paleoheads
• Carbophobes

I’ve passed by Sea Pearl numerous times on the road, as well as having passed up numerous opportunities to eat there after a quick glance at the menu.  Most restaurants in Vienna don’t really capture my attention, and the offerings on the menu look like you standard fare of bistro type establishments.  The restaurant is part of a large complex of restaurants and shops in Merrifield that establish the base of a multi-unit apartment complex that was completed just as the housing bubble had burst.  Plans for renovating the area into a major, pedestrian friendly town center called the Mosaic have been put off year after year, but there still exists a number of businesses holding down the perimeter of the yet to be built town center such as Sea Pearl Restaurant.

Nothing quite prepared me for the wonderment that awaited inside.  The very contemporary setting was a welcome refuge from the cold and snow outside, which also served as a deterrent for what would likely have been a much busier afternoon here.  A great deal of attention had been paid to carefully selecting a color palette that was both vibrant, yet sleek.  Curtains of metallic oyster medallions adorned the walls, and rows of cove lighting transformed the space into something quite otherworldly.

My friends and I quickly opted for some appetizers to silence the howls emanating from our stomachs.  Luckily Sea Pearl drops a generous basket of delicious onion bread on each table, helping tide us over.

Having the restaurant almost entirely to ourselves, we were quickly served our appetizers.  Or maybe that’s just how they roll?

Crispy Cornmeal Crusted Calamari

The Crispy Cornmeal Crusted Calamari is nothing short of perfection.  Not too greasy nor too fried, the only thing that could really improve on this dish would be a swapping out of the sauce it comes with.  The Chipotle Tomato Salsa was a bit lacking, but that doesn’t mean the calamari couldn’t hold its own without it.

Gulf Shrimp and Crabmeat Spring Rolls

Luckily, the Gulf Shrimp and Crabmeat Spring Rolls came with two other sauces for dipping.  I couldn’t tell you which one was the one that was better suited for the calamari, but I suppose that just means you’ll have to order them both together and find out for yourself.  These crispy spring rolls come fried and intent on satisfaction.  Julienned carrots and radish help fill out the shrimp and crabmeat, making these a winner.

At this point, I’m already feeling bad for having neglecting Sea Pearl for so long, and passing judgement from the road.

I’m sorry Sea Pearl, Daddy didn’t mean the nasty things he thought about you.

My friends and I also each decided to go for a different burger, and it’s worth noting that Sea Pearl doesn’t do what you’d see many places do, simply slightly altering the sauce and cheese on a standard burger and slapping it between a brioche bun.  The burgers here are decidedly different.

All Natural Grass-Fed Angus Burger

The most basic burger here, the All Natural Grass-Fed Angus Burger takes no shortcuts on quality of ingredients.  Top rated grass-fed Angus, cooked to order, and served with the perfect amount of fries and your standard accouterments.  It’s very refreshing that the owners decided to take the high road on their basics, and gets two thumbs up from me.

Grilled Lamb Burger

The Grilled Lamb Burger comes on an entirely different platform.  Lamb is ground, seasoned with garam masala and curry, and served on a flatbread with a side of cucumber ratla for a very different take on how a burger should be done.  A great execution and presentation, although the addition of a sheep’s cheese would take this item to the next level.  Still, a very good lamb burger, which I rarely see offered.

Akaushi Beef Burger

The Akaushi (Kobe) Beef Burger was also a winner.  Delicious marbled Kobe beef topped with sharp cheddar, caramelized onions, and served with piping hot garlic herb fries.  Om. Nom. Mothereffin’ Nom.

What can I say?  I was wholly impressed with the entire meal, and can say that this place really offers something else that isn’t easily found in the area.  I feel slightly guilty for not giving Sea Pearl a chance before, but it’s also very easily accessible for me, and that makes me uberexcited to go back.  With separate menus for Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hour, and Dessert, I’m sure that’ll happen very, very soon.

See Sea Pearl on a map here.

Recommended For:

• American Bistro Buffs
• Those holding doctorates in Eateauxnomics
• Suburbanites
• Sub-suburbanites

Not Recommended For:

• Weight Watchers
• Carb Counters
• Blandness Boffos
• Carless Foot Soldiers

Only 4 Ingredients!

2 cups Organic Crunchy Almond Butter
1 ¾ cups Raw Honey
2 ¼ cups Vanilla Arbonne Protein Shake
3 cups Quinoa Flakes 

1) Dry Roast Quinoa (can be done in oven or on stovetop) 

Stovetop Dry-Roasting

2) Mix Almond butter and honey in microwavable bowl. Heat for 60-90 seconds. Mix well.
3) Add Protein Powder and Quinoa and mix well.
4) Spread in 9×13 pan. 

5) Refrigerate 1 hour. Cut into 24 squares. 

There are tons of herbs, roots, and flowers out there that do wonders for healing your body, often lumped into ‘holistic’ remedies when a lot of commercial pharmaceuticals use the very same extracts.  So Jen and I thought it’d be a good idea to go over some of the more easily accessible items that will help keep you healthy through the winter months.

1. Echinacea – Also known as the coneflower, this flower activates white blood cells in your body, helping your body fight and resist the common winter cold.  It contains several crucial vitamins and minerals, including copper, iron, iodine, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and E.  All of the Echniacea flower, from the root, leaves, and flower are considered medicinal and worth taking.  To use Echinacea, try taking approximately half to one teaspoon of Echinacea extract every two hours until your syptoms have disappeared.  Echinacea is also very commonly found in tea blends that can be found in most grocery stores.
   
2. Ginger – Ginger is one of the most widely accessible items on this list, and easily one of the cheapest.  It is well known to ameliorate a number of indispositions such as motion sickness (nausea), digestion (helps break down proteins and fats), and serve as an excellent anti-inflammatory agent to quell sore throats, fevers, and migraines.  Ginger also also acts as a antihistamine, warms the body through stimulated blood circulation, and soothes the stomach during a bout with an upset stomach.  This root contains a number of powerful minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. Typical instructions for quick consumption dictate simmering ginger in a water for 20 minutes, and adding lemon and honey to taste.  Don’t worry, your honey can still be Paleo and Zone!
   
3. Thyme – This herb (a part of the mint family) contains thymol, which is an extremely powerful antibacterial, antiseptic, and antioxidant.  It assists the actions of the cilia in your bronchi, effectively squashing inflammation in your upper respiratory tract.   Thyme contains calcium, iron, magnese, and tooooons of vitamin K.  To the point of being a strong antibacterial, thyme is a no-brainer addition to your raw salads and meats to kill anything that might have accidentally made its way to your fridge.  You can use it in the same manner as ginger to make a tea with lemon and honey, although I often use tons of thyme in making a large batch of sausage patties to eat through the week.
   
4. Sage – Another easily accessible herb, this one differs from the rest in that you have to take a bit more caution in consumption.  Adequate amounts of sage have positive effects by being both an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant, while consuming too much sage can quickly cause negative effects in the body.  This herb has long been known to help in fighting off coughs and sore throats, relieve tension and alleviate headaches.  To soothe a sore throat, pour  four ounces of water over two teaspoons of either dried or fresh sage.  Gargle until the mixture is gone, and repeat three times daily.  For sinuses, all you have to do is drink a cup (eight ounces) of sage tea, mixing in four teaspoons.  Sage also works as another great herb to toss in with making some sausage patties!
   

Georgetown is filled with numerous unique concept restaurants, but despite being along the waterfront, the neighborhood doesn’t exactly evoke images of fine seafood offerings. In fact, I can’t think of any place that really emphasizes seafood as the focus of the establishment. Most places here are generally focused around the retail shops, the bar scene, and a scattering of restaurants, each pursuing their own theme and goals. So why not a seafood setup?

Two, in fact.

Hook and Tacklebox are a pair two seafood focused dining establishments; the former, a more upscale dining experience, while the latter is more of a rustic, beach shack, fast seafood type of experience.  Both are owned by the same group, located directly next to one another on M Street, serving two different groups of clientele built upon the idea of serving sustainably caught fish.  A good, forward thinking notion, no?

I went all out for lunch at Tacklebox, starting with the Fish Tacos.  Two tilapia tacos with cole slaw served on warm corn tortillas for $8, these things are spectacular.  Feel free to up the ante to three tacos for an additional $3, and be sure to not spill any on yourself, a disaster I narrowly avoided.  These things are off the hook good.

Fish Tacos

I also ordered the Maine meal: Your choice of fish, two sides, and a sauce.  I opted for bluefish, accompanied by sweet potato fries, mac and cheese, and a bit of tartar sauce to dunk everything in for $13.

Some people might complain that, for $13, you’re not really getting your money’s worth here.  The crispy grilled fish fillet is a tad on the small size, weighing in somewhere around 2.5 to 3 oz, and the sides are tasty, but not outstanding.  To that, you have to remember that most meats in this country are HEAVY subsidized or acquired through non-sustainable practices, so what’s the real cost here?  A few extra dollars towards a few more days in our lives with fish as a viable source of food is worth it, in my opinion.  The mac and cheese here is actually pretty good- a thick, creamy consistency, with soft elbow macaroni noodles, done just right. The sweet potato fries are a nice offering on the menu, but were less crispy and more soggy and limp upon arrival.  Luckily, the fish here is perfect.  Flaky and slightly charred on the outside, tender and soft on the inside, I was tempted to go back and order another fillet.

The Maine Meal

Except I had already ordered and received the coup de grace, their famous and self-proclaimed “Best Blueberry Pie in DC”.  How did it do?

Blueberry Pie

This this is PACKED with blueberries and light on the sugar and other fillers, topped with a thick crust and served on a paper plate, this thing had no chance in hell making it out alive.  I’m no blueberry pie connoisseur,  but this is a damn good blueberry pie, and an excellent way to finish off a meal here.

So what’s missing?  What’s the one side dish that you think of when you picture beach restaurants in your head?  For me, it came down to just one thing, the seasoned and fried bread balls known as hush puppies.  Maybe it’s the the fact that they things are so bad for you that only adds to the appeal to me, but they simply aren’t on the menu.  A conversation with the staff informed me that it was a conscientious decision by the owners to omit the offering from the menu board.  Without speaking to the owner as to why the decision was made, I can’t see how you can see any seafood restaurant worth its salt without them, but then again, I’m sure there’s a good reason for it.  Maybe they’re still working on the perfect recipe for them.  Maybe they can’t find a way to sustainably acquire the ingredients for them.  Maybe there’s an opportunity here for me to run a food cart selling them outside…but without them, I can’t justifiably say that I totally had my cravings fulfilled.

So what’s the cost of investing in the future?  Is it worth the hike in price?  Or can the high prices just be attributed to the exorbitant rent fees of having an establishment in the heart of Georgetown’s commercial district?  Luckily, I was able to shave off half of my meal through the likes of online group-coupon sites like Living Social, so a $30 meal turned into $15 seemed perfect.  Had I not, however, maybe I would have made an entirely different selection of dishes. Still, it’s nice to see that some people are considering what world we’ll have in a few decades, and if they can make taste as good as the fish from Tacklebox, I might just have to do it.

‘Might’ can be transformed into ‘definitely’ if you guys started making some hush puppies, Tacklebox.  Hint, hint!

See Tacklebox on a map here.

Recommended for:

• Pescetarians
• Beach lovers
• Paleo heads
• Blueberry Buffs
• Sea Captain Horatio McAllister

Not Recommended for:

• Vegans
• Vegetarians
• Landlubbers
• Zone Dieters
• Frugalistas