Love Letter to Washington, D.C. 4th of July. Page 3

Formerly a regional port and a shipping center for tobacco and wheat, Georgetown, MD, founded in 1751, was one of the reasons for the chosen location for the American government. Fully absorbed by bourgeoning capital since, this University neighborhood is now a restaurant Mecca and a potent draw for the after-work crowd, whose median age hovers a tad above 30, with a slight prevalence of [young beautiful] females in the general population. There is no wonder that the amply named premier Capital Restaurant Concepts group operates its 11 highly popular restaurants of different concepts (from full-service to quick-eats) from here. Envious locations, bold designs, creative food prepared by skillful chefs, and friendly service make every CRC establishment worth a try. Alas, on a two-day trip to Washington, D.C. it would be rather threatening to this reporter’s waistline to cover (uncover) them all. To explore the group’s motto, “Create...Lifetime ...Guests,” I chose two of the newer, recently opened ones – Neyla in Georgetown, and Georgia Brown’s – straight up north from the White House (Michelle Obama had her first lunch outing with the DC Mayor Adrian Fenty and his wife here). At Neyla, A Mediterranean Grill, Chef de Cuisine Abdul Hash Housh, who grew up in Lebanon, tirelessly works on adding new touches to his extensive menu, and perfecting the staples. For baba ganoush, he uses smoked eggplant instead of a baked one, which propels the taste of this popular dish into the stratosphere. His lamb sausage Makanek with olive oil and lemon is a symphony of tastes, especially if you have some of his Labneh – Greek yogurt with garlic on a side to enhance it even more. For adventurous first-timers, Lahmajeen, that looks like pizza, but is made with pita bread, ground lamb, tomatoes and onions, would be a good dish to try and fall in love with the Neyla special cuisine. When they say, “Neyla wishes you to savor, not just eat,” you better believe it, and no matter what you order and how full you get with generous portions, and all, do not leave Neyla if you haven’t try a Mediterranean plate of Lamb and Eggplant Puree, with gingered Zinfandel sauce and micro cilantro. That smoky grilled eggplant taste will make me return on my next visit, as a lifetime guest, indeed. Neyla is located at 3206 N Street, NW, Washington D.C. (Georgetown, at the corner of N and Wisconsin). Call (202) 333-6353 or visit www.neyla.com. A lunch at Georgia Brown’s presented some timeless classics with a creative twist – deviled eggs topped with caramelized bacon crumbs; fried chicken livers, marinated in orange juice and sage, served with mustard-soy dipping sauce, and Low Country Shrimp and Grits, with Andouille sausage, mussels and piquant tomato relish. Fresh biscuits, sweet corn bread, and peach-honey butter were irresistible, but then a venison chop with parsnip puree arrived. Lean yet tender, it was perfectly paired with cherry chutney and “redeye gravy” served in espresso cups and made of deconstructed coffee. Apparently, finishing a steak with espresso is a Southern tradition, as the Executive Chef Jim Foss (originally from… Philadelphia, but a great admirer and master of Southern cuisine) kindly explained to me. Georgia Brown’s is located at 950 15th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. For more information, call (202) 393-4499 or visit www.georgiabrowns.com. Photography by Yuri Krasov. 1. Chef Abdul at work. 2. Festive spread at Neyla. 3. Private room at Neyla. 4. Dessert at Neyla. 5. Bar at Georgia Brown’s. 6. Deviled egg at Georgia Brown’s. 7. Shrimp and Grits. 8. Venison chop with redeye gravy.