mezze with michael

Minutes before another episode of Top Chef, I think it’s only fitting to tell you all about a restaurant I visited this past weekend and a celebrity chef I happened to meet.

I’ll give you two guesses who it was.

Clue #1: No, it wasn’t Tom Coliccio. I wish!
Clue #2: He may have been the first contestant in Top Chef history to have been on the winning team of an elimination challenge and on the losing team facing elimination.

Ok, I’ll tell you. While happily dining on some Medeterranean mezze (small plates/tapas) at Zaytinya in Washington DC, executive chef Michael Isabella graced our table with his presence and schmoozed us up a little.  Still don’t know who I’m talking about? OK…

This is the professional picture:

This is my sneaky paparazzi picture (I mean, what respectable food blogger asks for a picture with the chef?):

Michael Isabella in the flesh!

After my sneaky pic, Michael come over to our table and politely answered some of our questions. And no, he did not tell us the winner. But I speculate that he did not win as he mentioned being around the resto for “years to come.” That and he cooked some god awful shrimp last week.

OK, enough gossip. Let’s get to the real reason we’re all here…the food!

Stuffed eggplant

Chicken with orzo in a tomato sauce

Octopus santorini (grilled octopus)

Grilled lamb chops

Crispy skirt steak

It was a delicious meal.  The grilled lamb was certainly best, and the chicken with orzo is becoming my new favorite dish to order (well, anything with orzo that is).  While the waiter was taking away our plates, Joe Mitchell casually mentioned that I was a “NY food blogger.”  After a short exchange about some of the great new Greek restaurants in NYC (Anthos/Anthos Upstairs, Kefi), I fooled this guy into thinking I was a real food blogger!

Wait. I am a real food blogger.  Well, anyway, he obviously thought I was more important than I was because he returned with dessert – free of charge!  It was some sort of deconstructed something, and honestly it was a little too conceptual for me.  But hey, free food is good food.

Chocolate visne

It’s 9:45 and we’re just in time for some Top Chef…can’t wait to see Michael Isabella on TV!  To think, I actually spoke to him! Uh, I mean…it was fun, but it’s not like I was starstruck or anything.  C’mon, what real food blogger gets star struck?

so long summer

This weekend marked the official end of fun…I mean, summer.

To many, Labor Day has marked the official end of summer.  Schools are back in session, the weather should be cooling off soon, and vacation rentals in the Hamptons are nearing the end of their lease.

What Labor Day should stand for is a day of rest for well, laborers.

I like to think that because those who labor over preparing our foods for a living are spending some QT with their friends and family, the rest of us have been forced to fend for ourselves.  And what better way to do so than with a great big BBQ with the neighbors!

Luckily, I was invited to a BBQ while spending the weekend in DC.  Check out the delicious grub we (OK, I didn’t really have anything to do with this beyond eating) cooked up:

An assortment of goodies

Guac by Carrie and Anne. Delish!

Burgers grilled to a medium perfection

Hot dawg!

Homemade white sangria

It was a simple yet delicious feast, and the perfect end to another summer in the big apple!

For all of you who wish to keep the summer alive, a bowl of guacamole and some chips are a ray of sunshine on any day! Here’s a quick recipe I’ve tried:

What you’ll need

• 2 hass avocados, pitted
• Diced shallots (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• A few sprigs of cilantro, chopped
• Kosher salt/fresh pepper to taste
• Lime juice of 1 fresh lime

What you’ll do

• Combine the guacamole, shallots, chopped tomato and lime juice in a bowl
• Mash/mix up ingredients (I like my guacamole to have some substance, so I don’t like to mash it up too much)
• Season with salt and pepper
• Garnish with some finely chopped cilantro

What you can do differently

• To add some heat, try adding a tsp of chili sauce or freshly chopped peppers
• To add some sweetness, add some chopped pineapple
• To add some texture, add some roasted corn