Blackfinn's New Menu & $25 Gift Card Giveaway

The bf and I were invited to try Blackfinn's new menu at their DC location (8 locations nationwide). We've been to the Bethesda location a couple of times to drink with friends, but never tried the food. This classic American restaurant is moving away from "bar food" and using more seasonal and local ingredients. Old favorites remain on the menu, but there are a lot of new items to try. The restaurant chose the following dishes for us:

We started off our meal with the Blackfinn Crab Tower (chilled jumbo lump crab salad, coconut curry rice cake, wakame, tobiko, miso vinaigrette) for $14.99. Each part of this tower was tasty on it's own, however the flavors didn't meld together to create an overall taste.

They replaced their pizzas with flatbreads. We had the Roasted Vegetable Flatbread (asparagus, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, balsamic portobello and feta served on Mediterranean lavosh) for $10.99. The lavosh reminded me of matzah. I usually order vegetables on my pizza/flatbread, so I liked that they were roasted. A sauce or olive oil may have added more flavor to it.

Rarely do I order fish as my entree, but this was such an AMAZING surprise! Hong Kong Style Chilean Sea Bass (Asian spices, coconut curry rice cake, soy sauce, spinach) for $26.99. The fish was cooked perfectly leaving a flaky texture. The rice cake soaked up the slightly sweet sauce very well. There was nothing left on this plate when we were done.

The presentation was beautiful on this one! Queen City Chicken (bacon-crusted chicken stuffed with sweet sausage, sweet potato mash, asparagus) for $14.99. The three meats wrapped inside one another reminded me of a Thanksgiving turducken. The dish was good, however it was opposite of the crab tower in that it was more one noted, and I couldn't taste the different elements involved.

Right when we were about to explode, it was time for the Blackfinn Hot Chocolate (fallen chocolate and peanut butter souffle served warm, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel drizzle) for $6.99. Peanut butter and chocolate is one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations, and this dessert fell short for me. The bf liked it and ended up killing it.

I was in love with the Individual Key Lime Pie (classic graham cracker crust, fresh lime custard, whipped cream, raspberry sauce) for $6.99. Everything tasted and felt homemade! The crust had a great texture and the key lime had a good balance of sweet and tart.

I would say overall the menu was decent, with a few memorable items. The price range is $10-20 with an exception of a few items. Other new features: free wifi, an expanded wine list and fresh squeezed signature cocktails. I was given a $25 gift card and I want to give it away!


$25 Gift Card Giveaway:
1. Follow me on Twitter or Facebook
2. Comment in this post and tell me what you'd try if you won (Menu)
3. Leave your email address
4. Enter by Oct. 15th 11:59PM
5. Winner chosen by www.random.org

1620 I Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
202-429-4350
www.blackfinndc.com

Vapiano- Dupont Circle, DC

In celebration of my friend's DC Metro-themed music video, we all met up at Vapiano for dinner. This is an upscale cafeteria-style Italian restaurant. There are parking garages and street parking, but we took the metro. The closet metro stop is Farragut North on the red line (1 block away).

When you walk in, the cashier hands you a plastic card, which is what you use to keep track of your purchases. After you visit a food or drink station, your items are swiped onto the card. You eat your food, and THEN pay your balance off at the register before leaving. Pretty cool concept!

The restaurant is split in half. The left side is the bar and lounge. They also have an outdoor patio on that side of the restaurant. It was very crowded when we first walked in around 8pm.

This is the restaurant portion of the restaurant. They have a huge open kitchen with different stations labeled pasta, pizza, salad, etc. The wooden blocks the women are standing next to is where you get your trays, flatware and glasses.

The decor of the restaurant is very modern. The tables are very high and you use bar stools. They are also open seating, so you may be sitting with sitting with strangers like we did.

The bf and I only went to the pasta station, so I can't really comment on how they make pizza, etc. The pasta guy was like "you take photo?" haha. You tell the pasta maker what dish you want off the menu, then choose from like 9 different kinds of pasta. It takes only a few minutes for your food to be ready and you can make your food spicy if you want. They offer whole grain pastas for those who want to be somewhat healthier.

They also give you free bread with your meal. On the table there are bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. OMG I was in heaven because the quality of the oil and vinegar was awesome. I could have just eaten that for dinner.

The bf ordered the 'Filetto Di Manzo E Rucola (Filet of Beef, Fresh Vegetables, Mushrooms, Arugula) with Whole Grain Rotini pasta' for $11.95. We both weren't fond of this dish. It was very bland and watery. There wasn't enough meat in it either. The bf did mess up and accidentally denied the addition of garlic and chili peppers into the dish because he heard the guy wrong. I'm sure that contributed to blandness and the fact it was with whole grain pasta.

I ordered the 'Pesto E Spinaci (Light Cream, Spinach, Tomatoes, Hint of Pesto) with Penne pasta' for $10.95. I LOVED my dish. The pasta was cooked al dente, the sauce was just salty enough, and the flavors worked very well together. I was recommended this by a friend, and I'd totally recommend this to someone else.

This 'Gold Peak Green Tea' was so light and refreshing. I'm not sure where or if they have fountain drinks. I just saw everyone drinking from the bar or a bottle.

One very unique thing are the actual herb plants on your table! You can pick them and put them into you dish to add some flavor. We had a basil and oregano plant at our table.

After paying they have a bowl of gummie bears for you to take from! If you're a germaphone, I'm sure you're cringing right now, haha.

This place is really cool and young. It has a more of a bar/lounge feel than a restaurant, so it VERY loud in there. Everyone looked and dressed like a young professional, but its still a casual environment. Food is expensive considering its like a nicer Noodles & Company, but you're also serving yourself cafeteria-style. I was able to finish my entire dish, so the portions were average. I think its a very fun, interactive meal that's good for groups.

1800 M St NW # 6
Washington, DC 20036-5828
(202) 640-1868
Website

Mon-Thurs: 11am-11pm
Fri: 11am-12am
Sat: 11am-12am
Sun: 12pm-10pm