Vermilion Skies

It has been a weekend full of being sick and very little eating or cooking. I was sick Thursday through Saturday and my boyfriend was sick on Sunday. So when we were both finally feeling better we wanted good and fresh food but nothing exotic. I was hungry and no longer wanted soup or crackers. Lucky for me, my boyfriend is a foodie as well and came up with the perfect place, Vermilion in Old Town Alexandria.

The restaurant is also created by the same people who have brought to D.C. such places as Rustico, Birch & Barley, ChurchKey, and Tallula. All of which are on my "must haves" for brunch. Vermilion gets most of its produce and meats from local farms, and the chefs are known to be masters with those fresh goods. Obviously my expectations were high.

There is a "Farm Table" available two nights a week is an extension of Chef Tony Chittum's commitment to the local farmers, purveyors and foragers who provide the restaurant with an amazing array of regionally grown goods. The :Farm Table" is available Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and unfortunately we were off by a day. So that means I must go here again.

A small shot sized cup of chilled carrot soup was brought out for us to enjoy with fresh bread and whipped chive butter. The carrot soup had a dollop of creme fraiche and what looked and tasted like pepitas...errr pumpkin seeds. I normally do not like cold soups. It is probably because I come from a part of the country where soup is comfort food for when you are sick or the weather is cool/cold out. That being said, the soup had the perfect blend of sweetness from the fresh carrot and creamy texture from the creme fraiche. The shot was the perfect amount for me & went lovely with the bites of crusty sourdough.

I ordered the Maryland all natural beef duo (medium rare). It includes baked crespelle, hen of the woods mushroom, swiss chard & truffle jus. The beef was perfectly cooked and melted once it hit your mouth. Think rustic food with all the high end details. I do wish that there was a bit of horseradish in the dish or offered on the side. It would have brought a smooth counter balance to the fresh sauteed mushroom and truffle jus.

The beau ordered the grassentials farm rabbit with greek village salad, marcona almonds, smoked bacon & parsley “pesto”. I do not eat rabbit and did not try this dish. But he left the plate clean and had a slight disappointed look when I refused to try it. I know that rabbit is a delicacy for some and part of a normal diet for others. But for me, it reminds me of the pet I had for 15yrs. So I can not bring myself to eat it. From a culinary perspective the rabbit appeared well seared and perfectly prepared. The presentation was rustic elegance.

I look forward trying the "Farm Table" and their renowned Sunday brunch in the very near future.

A Rogue Dance

As promised I went back to Rogue 24, this time to enjoy the dance from the stage and not the salon. I have been looking forward to this for about a month. My mother came to visit me and I took her to Rogue for her last dinner in DC. I have told her about Chef Cooper, showed her the website, and talked with her about my last experience. She too is excited because she has never ell her en to a place like Rogue, which I am sure that few people even in the DC area have tried.

We were welcomed at the door by the General Manger and the Hostess. Politely we are asked to wait in the salon while they ensure that we are seated at the proper table. As we are shown our seats I am delighted to see that we are only a small table away from the kitchen and directly in the middle of the room. This will give me a wonderful opportunity to watch everyone who will be part of this Rogue dance, as described in my last blog about Rogue 24.

As my mother has some dietary issues snd there were some courses that were not served to both of us. My mother is also sensitive to many of the sulfates that are found in wines, domestic beer, and some liquor. This is explained to our waitress and Chef Cooper. They think through things a bit. I hear Chef call to his GM and he sends the GM down the street to pick up my mother a few bottles of imported beer. I know that there are not a lot of people with chemical poisoning issues as my mother has and we were prepared for her to have the non-alcoholic. So the fact that Chef Cooper and the GM were kind enough to make such a gesture for my mother was heartwarming. The GM, who is also a well known accomplished sommelier, brought back a light beer imported from Singapore for my mom to have with her dining experience.

My mom at first felt bad for them having to make adjustments to her Evolution. But then about a half hour into our food journey a lovely couple is seated next to us and they are celebrating the husband's birthday. He also has some dietary adjustments and my mom leans in and tells me that she is happy to see Chef Cooper and his staff are open to making adjustments to the course menu. She begins telling me stories of the restaurants she used to eat at in NYC when she was in her 20s.

  My Evolution

First Rotation

Tuna/avocado/chilies

• Cucumber/compressed/liquified
• Tuna/avocado/chilies
• Urchin/lava/corel/seaweed

The tuna with smoked chili and and avacodo wrap is a simple looking course but the flavors are not. The tuna is perfect and the accompanying sriracha mayonnaise was a beautiful compliment to the avacodo.


 Second Rotation

• Madal/coconut/ginger/tapioca
• Spaghetti/farm butter/smoke/truffle
• Artichoke/flowers/parmesan

White Asparagus/sorrel/brown butter/miga

Third Rotation

• Lamb Tartare/cucumber/lettuce/yogurt
• White Asparagus/megas/arugula
• Oxtail/celery root/celery/onion

One of the surprisingly appealing dishes was the White Asparagus/sorrel/brown butter/migas.  It was warm and creamy. There is a lot going on in this tiny dish but the flavors come together perfectly in a few deliciously liquid bites.

Fourth Rotation

• Rogue Blue/champagne grape/pistachio/bliss
• Coffee/cream/ caramel/hazelnut

Foie gras/benne/mango/curry

Because of my mom's food sensitivities she was served this Foie Gras. I obviously had to take a taste. The light dollops of mango and curry add a sweetness that cuts into the strong flavor of frozen ribbons of foie gras.  Yes, I said frozen. The cold and frozen texture add to the sensuality of the dish on your tongue. 

So now that I have brought you along the food journey...err Evolution...that I experienced at Rogue. It is now time to talk about the rest of the experience. I got to spend a few hours chatting with my mother and helping to guide her through her own Rogue Evolution. Showing her how to use the giant tweezers for the sea urchin dish and explaining the sea foam on that dish. I tell her about the rotary evaporator (rotovap) sitting next to the front door in the salon. She smiles at me and says, "You love this place because it combines your science geek stuff and your foodie geek stuff." She knows me oh so well.

At the end of our course we settle down to chat over some French press coffee (for my mother) and fresh steeped loose leaf tea (for me). When I have a chance I strike up a conversation with the couple next to me. As Rogue is an intimate setting and I view the whole place as a stage, I admit that I had been listening to some of their comments about their dinning experience. One of the first things that they got to share was a birthday shot of bourbon for the gentlemen. As soon as Chef Cooper heard it was his birthday he yelled to his staff, "Birthday Shot" and the whole staff repeated his words. Chef teased him about not doing the shot as an actual shot but I thought it was endearing that he took a sip and handed it across to his wife to try before finishing off the shot. It is obvious that they are excited about all the tasty intricate dishes placed in front of them.

Anyone who reads my blog understands that the reason I write is to discuss the experience of breaking bread and sharing wine. Originally, I was going to speak more about my time with my mother. But to my delight last night my mother and I were able to meet this couple. Somewhere in our conversation I felt the need to bring up how my mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in November and has gone through her double mastectomy and is cancer free now. I see a wide eyed look in the young woman across from me. Her sister has gone through a Breast Cancer fight in the last year. She is cancer free now. The day after her diagnosis her boyfriend proposed and they shall be getting married at the end of the summer. The story warms my heart and it is the moments like this that I live for.

We were perfect strangers only a few hours before and to be honest we are still strangers to each other. However, the four of us were able to share moments of our lives. Moments that deeply have effected us separately and yet now binds us somehow. I now have a family to add to my prayer list of cancer fighters and survivors. It was when my mother and I stood to prepare to leave that we all finally introduced ourselves. We hugged and all agreed how great it was to meet. I apologized for interrupting their Evolution but Chef Cooper was nearby and did not seem to mind too much. As we walked out the door my mother thanked me for the experience at Rogue and we both agree that the food was excellent as was the staff but it was meeting the "Birthday Couple" that we will remember most.