Eat: Little Serow

And I was back in DC.

Why were you there, you ask? Well, movie meetings, and as we get closer to this grand event I will share many more details. But after two days of meetings, shmoozing, and air kisses, the introvert in me was aching for a dark corner and quiet.

A bonus in traveling to our nation's capital is visiting with my dashingly charming cousin, a recent resident of the District. Inevitably he is dragged out as my dinner date, this is a perk for him. This adventure we decided to try the Thai restaurant all of DC was raving about, Little Serow.

Little Serow is a tiny bungalow tucked downstairs on 17th St. It has no sign and sits next to Komi, one of the city's best restaurants. 

I get the exclusivity of being a secret, tucked away place- but two things happen as a result of this:

1. You get people like myself, who are doomed to stroll back in forth in very high heels looking for the right door to walk in to, hoping it's not someone's home (Surprise!)
All for your own Folly.
and
2. Who doesn't love a good font? I do! I love fonts, I love information! No sign just makes a restaurant seem incomplete.

Welcome.

Nevertheless I found it (thank you Yelp and all your user reviews). It's a very cute space. Low-key, easy, quiet- not a lot of money spent on the decor, but it's darkly lit so you barely notice and it really doesn't matter. Little Serow is all about the food.

This restaurant is a set menu, 7 courses of whatever the kitchen makes that night, served family style. No reservations so come early or later for the best chance to not wait, there are only 6 or so tables and a bar, so the line for entry can stretch down the street. 

We grabbed two seats at the bar and promptly ordered our drinks. Because, of course. 

After viewing the menu (really just to be informed) our first food to be delivered was a basket full of vegetables and a pile of sticky rice. Odd, we thought, but beautifully presented. "This is to counteract some of the spice should you need to, and also to cleanse your palate between courses." Right, ok.

My friends had warned me "The food is good, but spicy." When you arrive the hostess tells you, "The food has a lot of spice," when you sit down your waitress says, "The food has a high level of heat.". I GET IT, IT WILL BE SPICY. But saying that and experiencing that, are quite different. I have never chugged that much water in my life. And that vegetable basket? Gone. Gone and refilled. At one point Sean told the waitress just to leave the water pitcher.

The flavors developed in the varying dishes were exquisite and complex. I appreciated the menu structure and was a fan of nearly every dish. Except the snakehead fish dumpling soup, that was not a success. But every person we've told about it's existence is absolutely ENTHRALLED by this idea. I would imagine they stop listening at snakehead.

My favorite by far was the tofu and in no way do I eat a diet that includes tofu. That impressed me Mr. Chef.

By the time our 6th course was coming our way, I thought my mouth would never be the same again. Our waitress presented the dish saying, (and I paraphrase because the spice had interfered with my hearing) "This dish has sweet Thai chilies that are mild (me: OOH!) at first, then slowly gain heat and leave a lingering spice on your palate." (me: Nonononono).

This was the duck, which was also delicious

Honestly I don't know if I was full from the food or the copious amounts of water and sticky rice I shoved down my throat, but once we paid our check, the conversation went something like....

Me: "I am so full, I don't know if I can ever consume anything again."
Sean: "Bar?"
Me: "Yep, let's go."

Would I recommend Little Serow? YES. Not only is the food delicious, but you know what? Life is an adventure. You'll never experience it to its fullest if you don't get out of your comfort zone and explore every now and then.

P.S.: It's spicy.

Spring = Time to Drink Rosé

It's spring now. Officially and finally. Soon summer will be peaking her head round the corner, so, PRIORITY TIME: the wine and liquor cabinets must be properly stocked.

To do this we must choose the spring/summer essentials, and we shall begin with Rosé's, my favorite spring/summertime wine. If you are American, I hear you judging me, Rosé's have a really horrible reputation in the US; it's seen as the cheap wine you get in the box or as a massive jug that sits in the fridge all year (ah.... memories of my grandmother) and often confused with White Zinfandel's which someone had the AUDACITY to bring to a dinner party I hosted... #firstworldproblems. Moving on. Rosé's are delicious, and easily a favorite of mine. So recoil your negativity and prepare to get educated.

This is my Q&A section with an imaginary question-asker:

What is rosé wine? Isn't it sweet and gross?
No, mon chérie, it is delicious! There are two differing styles to rosé's: old-world rosé's and new-world rosé's. Old-world tend to be dry, but with big flavor; new-world tend to be a bit sweeter (not sweet, just fruitier and not as dry). Most (and this is a generalization) California rosé's do tend to be new-world, so if you're looking for a dryer option, look to French rosé. 

How is rosé made?
Rosé wine is made from red grapes through four various methods: bleeding, pressing, limited maceration, or run-off. Bleeding is when the grapes are stacked one on the other in a tank and allow gravity to press on the grapes to provide juice. These rosé's tend to be the fruitiest, and most complex and often the most colorless as the juice is in contact with the skins for such a short period of time. Pressing is, imagine above, but instead of gravity, the winemakers press the grapes until the desired color is reached. For Limited Maceration the winemaker lets the skins sit in the juice until the desired color is reached, and then that juice is moved on to be fermented; and finally Run-off is when the winemaker removes wine early from a red wine fermenter, this "run-off" is what he/she then uses to make a rosé.

Extra homework, find 4 rosé's, each made in a different method above, and have your own taste test to see which method you like best.

Do I let rosé age like I do red wine?
Nope! Drink away friends, drink away. Best when it's aged between 1 and 3 years. 

At what temperature should I drink my delicious rosé?
Cold, very cold.

Do I drink rosé with food? Or is it a dessert wine?
People! I just said above it's not a sweet wine. I drink rosé's with steak, chicken, pasta, veg- get the grill going, make a feast, and serve rosé. I basically just planned your weekend for you. You're welcome.

I've chosen three of my favorites, have a gander and tell me what you think! And bonus, most wine shops will start to open their doors with Rosé tastings in the warmer weather. Go and try some and let me know which you like best.

1. Whispering Angel

Made in the Provence region of France, Whispering Angel is a blend of Grenache, Vermentino, Cinsault, Syrah, and Tibouren grapes. Vinified in stainless steel, the wine has a crispness to it, pale in color and bold in taste. It's nose is summer fruits and it's taste berries and cherry. Drink it cold and try to not consume the entire bottle in one go. (or do, no judgement here)













2. Liquid Farm Rosé

This lovely rosé is crafted in California, in Santa Barbara County by a fascinating winery that is trying to create "old world" wines right here in the quintessential New World. I have yet to taste their Chardonnay's (I hear great things) but I love this rosé. It is bone dry. 95% Mourvedre grapes, 5% Grenache, neutral oak fermentation and aging. According to their website it's a nicknamed "Pink Crack" and I could jump on that train. It's addicting, and lovely, and earthy, and perfect to consume on its own or with food. 













3. Turkey Hill Vineyards Rosé

An Australian rosé from the Barossa Valley, which apparently has the perfect climate to produce rosé's. I really enjoyed Turkey Flat's 2013 rosé, so I guess that must be true. 81% Grenache, 10% Shiraz  6% Cab Sauv, 3% Dolcetto. The wine is a salmon color, the nose is fruit and rose petals and the taste fruity yet still dry. A winemaker I follow says on the palate is the taste of 'poached strawberries', who in their life has tasted a poached strawberry? Why would you poach a strawberry? But I do taste basic strawberries, so I'm going with that, and also spice. I was inspired by the color and paired this with salmon and it was delicious! Definitely perfect with fish.










Here you are, just to get you started. I am going to a rosé wine tasting next week, so if I discover something else beautiful and delicious, I will update our rosé page, don't you worry.

Slainté!

London Fashion Week - Autumn/Winter 2014

And fashion weeks continue! New York was impressive, it was a fantastic runway season. But now we're in London (a.k.a. the best city in the world) and it's a new fashion world waiting to begin. I love the varying aesthetics of the different Fashion Week cities, it is truly fascinating to see how the world is translated by designers. 

If you've read previous posts you will know how much I love white. Looooove white. So when we started London FW with the J JS Lee show, well, I was as happy as a deer in a hunter-free meadow full of green grass and crisp, cool water. Do I love the styling? No, ugh, bad, but the clothes themselves are lovely.

My love for this coat is strong. Love the quiet tartan.

Sweaters and coats are my most favorite articles of clothing, which directly correlates with my covet level for the coats walking down the Haizhen Wang runway. Haizhen is a newer London label, with Wang himself designing in the past for All Saints and Max Mara. Clearly he has a beautiful eye for taking urban, chic designs and tailoring them into soft, approachable pieces. If you want to stalk his Portobello Road studio, I'll meet you there.

I absolutely need this coat.

Color and femininity were inserted into the season by Temperley London along with some crazy prints that were really lovely on the runway, but I'm not sure how well they will translate to any red-carpet life excursions.

Marios Schwab's show was all about the little black dress, varying designs all on the same theme. Colors shifted but all driven by a sixties vibe, LBD-inspired no matter the hue.

Schwab was followed deftly by the always tasteful and elegant Emilia Wickstead. Love the ease of this collection, minus the weird lace and python-print moments, please don't do that again.

Actress Allison Williams rocked this dress at an Oscars after-party.

Yes. A thousand times yes.

Finally, yay, it was time for one of the two shows I was geekily excited for: Burberry. Because, who doesn't love a classic? But what a unique twist on the Burberry brand this season was. Flowers, flowers everywhere! Flowers that I loved which is praise indeed from the girl who hates flouncy feminine clothes. The classic trench wove its way into the collection as well as deliciously warm Scottish-woven blankets the models wore as shawls. It's as if a lightness infected Burberry, and what a beautiful result.

And from Burberry to my second love, Tom Ford. Quite the contrast to Bailey's lightness, Ford's show was simple, strong- the complete antithesis of his 2013 F/W Collection. Again (like other collections this season) we see the London 60's as an influence, yet mixed here with an American ease.

The year of Ford's birth.

Gah, I love an exposed shoulder. So. Sexy.

Giles created some gorgeous black and green plaid coats and dresses (my favorite of the collection).

Antonio Berardi remains a consistent sexy presence in my fashion designer closet, his shows rarely disappoint the sophisticated, modern woman. This season was no exception. Dominated by my second favorite color, black, this season was all about the hourglass shape and precision in tailoring. Thanks to Scandal this word has been majorly overused, but I would feel like a gladiator in most of these clothes. Ready to take on the world with my sexy chicness.

Finally my last two favorite shows: Simone Rocha and Barbara Casasola.

Simone Rocha's show maintained her quirky aesthetic and merged it this season with regal ready-to-wear. Leathers, wools, satins dominated the runway. I really loved this show- it was fun, beautiful and truly unique. If my bank account allowed, and I were this fancy, I would wear these clothes everywhere.

Barbara Casasola is a London-based designer originally from Brazil. She's designed for Cavalli, Lanvin, Chloé and launched her own collection as recently as last year. Her tailoring is exceptional and her translation of the woman's body, perfection. Her time living in Italy is very prevalent in this season's work, an influence she incorporated beautifully. This show was a fascinating collection of colors and materials- yet another to covet and collect. I look forward to seeing the progression of this line in the years to come.

I love this skirt as much as I hate this hat.

If you're interested in pre-ordering any pieces for fall, you can do so at Moda Operandi (the link will take you there). They are an online shop that specializes in ordering straight off the runway. They have stylists to help you if you're fashion-putting-together helpless (like 99% of us), and they have boutiques for what's in vogue for Spring 2014. So go forth and shop! Too many pretty clothes and not enough time to wear them all. LOVE Fashion Week.