Restaurant Reviews
Savor Twice
Two styles of Mexican cooking are on display at two Arden-Arcade restaurants. Separated by one block, their styles couldn’t be more different. Each excels at unique Mexican cuisine.
East Meets West
Christopher Fairman is a walking advertisement for a well-run restaurant. Having been a manager at The Shack and Magpie, he knows how to work with good people who run good businesses and make good food.
When he told me he was going manage a new, buzzy Italian place in Midtown, I couldn’t wait to try it.
The restaurant is Pazza Notte—Crazy Night in Italian—at 18th and L streets. It’s fun, irreverent and inviting.
Black and white photographs line the walls, portraying celebrities and models, cars and kittens. The vibe is old country and new world.
Steamed Or Fried?
When I heard the Chinese restaurant where I grew up was closing, I was inconsolable.
The Mandarin survived 40 years in Arden-Arcade. It was our family’s go-to restaurant, as much of a culinary tradition as Nana’s Sunday gravy or Auntie Nina’s potato salad.
Never again would I savor the General Tsao’s chicken, the snap and pop of sizzling rice soup or the doughy goodness of Mandarin’s pot stickers.
The good news is, due to an outpouring of support, The Mandarin stayed open. But the initial thought of its loss gave me the freedom to explore other Chinese standouts.
Warm & Welcoming
Basha Taste of Jerusalem is a vibrant example of Palestinian cuisine. Marrying flavors of the Middle East and Mediterranean, the Fulton Avenue restaurant delivers punchy spices and expert cooking from the Levant. It’s dished out with warm and welcoming service.
When I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, Fulton Avenue cuisine was burgers, pizza and cheesesteaks. Tiny’s Drive-In and The Buggy Whip spoke with meat and potatoes and cooking from another era.
Now, Fulton Avenue draws from around the world. The street features foods from Southeast Asia, India, Latin America and especially the Middle East.