Category Archives: Eastern Market

The Chesapeake Room

Posted on by Hungry in DC

Location: Eastern Market

Price: $$$$

Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary: A superb showcase of the area’s best seasonal flavors with minor mis-steps in execution 

As the blue crab season winds down, we were glad to have finally made our way to The Chesapeake Room, one of few restaurants we hadn’t sampled on Barrack’s Row. Usually when we’re on 8th St, we have a different restaurant in mind or look at the menu and opt for a cheaper option (there are plenty around). Yet, the open-aired seating at the bar and cozy atmosphere of the back patio complimented the night’s weather so well that we couldn’t resist. In hindsight, we can’t imagine why it took us so long to make the trip.

Before we had even started our dining experience, it was obvious that one of the highlights of The Chesapeake Room was the ambiance. The open air seating was lovely, the deep, atlantic blue walls and rich wood moulding offset by the candles. The atmosphere was casual, but refined. We sat on the patio, complete with ceiling fans and rolling upholstered arm chairs. Our server bent over backwards to find the right bottle of wine to match our first thoughts for entrees and sold us on more than one of our ultimate selections.

Our first order was the Cucumber soup, freshly pureed cucumber with sour cream and parsley. Crisp and light, the soup had a surprisingly full body for that with a cucumber-base. This was thanks in part to the addition of sour cream that also lent some pleasant tang without dominating the cucumber flavor. The aftertaste had a slight spice and brought out a great finish on the soup. If you usually don’t partake in sour cream, we recommend you simply ignore the fact that it’s there and enjoy the combination, only a slight tang from the cream catching on our tongues. Besides enjoying the soup itself, it was refreshing to have a chilled soup that didn’t have a tomato base and reminded us what we loved best about summer.

For our second order, we chose the Cream of crap soup, a creamy mix of lump crab and cayenne pepper. While there wasn’t a large amount of actual crab in the soup, the crustacean’s flavor shown through brightly and what crab we did enjoy was wonderfully delicate. WIth a full body that didn’t weigh down our palate, this was one of the better versions of this classic dish that we have encountered this summer.

With the name Chesapeake Room, we would have been remised not to have ordered the Maryland crab cakes, two cakes of lump crab topped with a small amount of whole grain mustard creme and served with a watercress salad, house slaw and house mac-n-cheese. The crab cakes had little filler and were bound by a a black pepper and mayo combination, allowing the succulent flavor of the  quality crab to boldly shine through without any extras getting in the way. The mustard creme topping the cakes complimented the crab well and thankfully the amount of sauce didn’t drown out the fresh crustacean.  Unfortunately, everything else of the plate seemed like a throw-away after thought, the mac-n-cheese having a grainy texture and very thin body. While we appreciated the attention given to the crab, too often restaurants follow this pattern of serving two crab cakes and leaving you with nothing else on the plate to look forward to.

For our final plate, we decided on the Eastern shore bourbon & honey glazed farmhouse chicken, served with a mix of jasmine rice, sautéed green apples, white raisins, arugula and topped with a honey curry sauce. Served bone-in, the chicken was tender and a joy to eat, the glazing on the skin highlighting the sweetness of the chicken with notes of honey. The honey curry sauce covering the bird seemed like a forced combination and, while the chicken tasted well enough with the it, each aspect of the sauce seemed to compete with each other. The jasmine rice mixed with small pieces of green apple and red onion gave the dish a soft, sweet/tart mixed character that we had seen attempted before, but not successfully executed until now.

The Chesapeake Room prides itself on bringing an organic, sustainable & free range dining experience while bringing to life the natural & fresh taste of each season. Everything we were served whole-heartily supported their boast and, combined with on of the most inviting atmospheres in the area, put it in our minds as one of the better restaurants available on Barracks row. Although some items on the plates could be improved or given more attention, the meal overall sold us on the idea of coming back again before the end of the blue crab season. It may not be the cheapest option on 8th St, but it’s hard to argue that you don’t get your money’s worth.

The Chesapeake Room on Urbanspoon

Ted’s Bulletin

Posted on by Hungry in DC

Location: Eastern Market

Price: $$

Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary: An updated diner experience that best serves as an area option for breakfast or fantastic shakes

We emerged into the DC light at the early Sunday hour of noon, desperate for the kind of meal we could only get at a local diner. Our patience was thin and our location didn’t allow for the usual options so we made the trip to Eastern Market. We knew of Ted’s Bulletin from previous trips to Barrack’s row and had sampled their “adult” milk shakes, but this meal would by necessity not include any alcohol. After a longer than expected wait of 30 minutes, we were seated and given our mock-newspaper menu, the 1920s bulletin style fitting in with the roaring ‘20s theme of the restaurant. At the moment, the only roaring was our heads and we were all to too eager to order some coffee and our brunch.

While we did order coffee, we decided that the diner atmosphere demanded a milk shake. We ordered their coffee flavored shake, enjoying sips of fresh tasting ice cream. While we were not in a state to have them, their impressive list of shakes with added liquor and assorted alcohol is a great treat late at night when passing through Eastern Market.

It was hard to ignore something so unabashedly named Walk of Shame Burrito, especially when our server recommended it without a second thought. Breakfast burritos were not our usual faire, but the diner atmosphere swayed us to make an exception. A great lesson in not judging a book by its cover, the burrito turned out to be a great decision. Surprisingly tender sirloin steak filled a wrapped tortilla with scrambled eggs, hash browns, cheddar and a green chile sauce. Topping the burrito was a chedder-chili sauce that reminded us of some of the better chili we’ve had, working whimsically with the burrito’s interior. The added slices of avocado was a thoughtful touch, but added little taste when compared to what was already bursting from the flour tortilla’s seams. The paired hash browns were disappointing, bland and poorly cooked through, but still served as a means to soak up the remainder of the burrito’s sauce. As a note, the pictured bacon was ordered a la carte. Why? Because why not.

Our second ordered entree was the Buttermilk Country Fried Steak, crispy fried cube steak served with black pepper white gravy along with our choice of sides, mashed potatoes and onion rings. The breading of the steak had a nice peppered breading, but the battered meat had little flavor of its own and a tough texture to boot. Even the kitchen drowning the steak in white gravy did little to help the rough cut of beef. By the fault of either the heavy gravy or the preparation of the dish, cutting into the steak itself caused it to involuntarily shed its fried coating and made it a struggle to consume one complete piece. Although the onion inside of the battered rings had the sweet flavor of top grade yellow onion, the plain taste of the crumbled coating covered up most of the taste with a poor, bland breading. The mashed potatoes were creamy and packed a lot of butter, the preferred amount truly subjective to the diner’s own taste. However, the potatoes being served cold was not. On our next trip to Ted’s, we’ll likely be ordering something else.

There is much more to Ted’s Bulletin than the so-so entrees we were served. Homemade pop tarts, fresh deserts and nightly specials also fill the restaurant’s wall-mounted menus. The availability of good breakfast at anytime without being forced to visit an IHOP or College Park diner is handy in DC, but that mood hits us only so often after 2pm. If you’re hankering for a diner-quality breakfast or a fantastic milkshake while south of the Capitol, Ted’s is your place.

Matchbox

Posted on by Hungry in DC

Location: Eastern Market & Chinatown

Price: $$$

Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary: Simple, well executed dishes make this a place worth waiting to pack into

It had been a while since we had last ventured to Matchbox and we were hungry for some quality pizza. There are other places around DC to grab a quick slice, but fond memories convinced us that only they had what we craved. Matchbox’s DC area locations are in Chinatown and Eastern Market, the great weather making us choose the latter location to enjoy their outdoor seating. Although the restaurant has been around for a few years, the crowds and long waits haven’t disappeared. Since the restaurant doesn’t take reservations, waits range from immediate seating to 45 minutes. The atmosphere is fun and casual, its beer menu ranges from PBR to Delirium, and space is limited. The question is whether Matchbox’s American cuisine focused menu and execution still warrant cooling your heels or if it’s just another place that serves burgers and pizza.

Although we had the option of six or nine, we decided upon only three Mini Burgers as an appetizer. Certified Angus beef patties are on toasted brioche with pickles and then topped with a large amount of onion straws. Gouda, mozzarella or gorgonzola were available for an extra charge. The burgers were surprisingly well cooked and juicy for being small pieces of meat, the flavor of Angus beef coming right through the toasted brioche. The thin, bountiful onion straws were lightly breaded and maintained their great taste without being heavily greasy. The additional light sprinkle of parmesan cheese was a nice touch and made me seriously consider ordering another round. Mini burgers are nothing new at restaurants, but this is the first time they’ve been the same quality as their bigger brother.

Our second dish was a bowl of the watermelon-infused Gazpacho, a cooled tomato soup with an infused watermelon flavor, finely minced vegetables and a shaving of basil. We’ve had many forms of Gazpacho before, some better (Jaleo) than others, but this is the first time we’ve sampled a version featuring another flavor so openly. The watermelon addition was an interesting flavor combination, the fresh taste of the fruit lending itself naturally to the light soup. The sweetness overtook any usual spice that gazpacho has, something that began overloaded our senses the more we tasted it. The watery consistency of the watermelon also made this dish much thinner than usual. It was nice take on the dish, especially with the heavy heat of a DC summer, but this soup would probably be better served as just a shooter instead of in a fullsized bowl.

It’s worth noting that Matchbox is known for its wood-fired, brick oven pizzas. Unable to decide which one to get for our main course, our waiter bowed to our indecision and suggested splitting one large pizza with two options on the menu. Safe to say, we applauded this compromise.

Our first choice was the Spicy Meatball, house-made spicy meatballs combined with crispy bacon, crushed red pepper, garlic puree, tomato sauce and mozzarella. The meatballs were fantastic and the spice was just right, letting you taste the crushed red pepper and spiced sausage without needing to drown your tongue in water afterwards. The bacon added some needed emphasis to the meaty flavor, since the actual amount of meatballs were few, but we enjoyed the chance to have more than just crust and animal parts. While other pizzas on the menu, like the Matchbox Meat, throw so much at you that you can process it, the Spicy Meatball’s more balanced approach doesn’t make you feel like a heart attack is the next step after your meal.

The second half of the pizza was Chicken Pesto, featuring grilled marinated chicken, house-made pesto sauce and mozzarella. The ground basil and garlic sauce works well with the grilled chicken, the light flavors a welcomed addition to the meal. While some pizzas’ heavy cheese and toppings can weigh the diner down, this Chicken Pesto allows you to enjoy some great flavors without quickly feeling uncomfortably full. Onions and pine nuts were also added at our request. The only complaint we had was that the chicken itself was rather pedestrian. For a pizza that has such a little cook time, there was an opportunity to showcase more tender, perhaps even rotisserie, pieces.

Matchbox is a great place for beers, burgers and pizza for a moderate price without the atmosphere of a low-lit sports bar or feeling trapped by a menu containing only greasy, fried food. Although the wait for a table can often be long since they do not take reservations, it’s easy enough to cool your heels with their decent drink selection. The staff is friendly and happy to take on special requests (cue the pine nuts). Although it is not reviewed here, their brunch menu does impress, especially their Eggs Chesapeake that wraps the featured crab cake in bacon. Much of Matchbox’s menu is the usual American faire, but the simple items they execute well will likely bring you back for seconds.