Wilmington Restaurant Rave: Manna

Saturday night my mom suggested we go to a relatively new restaurant in downtown Wilmington and see a play at City Stage. Manna is one of the best restaurants I can remember going to in Wilmington especially in the upscale category. I love my standbys like Sweet N Savory and Terrazzo, but for a nice meal, this is one of the best and definitely most inventive spots in town.

We went early before the play and got several apps and cocktails. Their cocktails are what really set them apart. Their mixologist created drinks where I didn't know most of the ingredients on the menu. That's when you know it's going to be good. The addition of flower garnishes really sealed the deal.

I got the Lavender Citrus Blossom, which consisted of vodka, lemon, orange, lavender syrup and west indian orange bitters. I thought it was the best cocktail order but my mom and sister might disagree. Quin got the Elderflower Fizz made with gin, st. germain, grapefruit, lemon, soda and grapefruit bitters - also delish. My mom went really sassy with her order an opted for the Cat Smash - cat daddy moonshine, lemon, mint and soda water. 

I thought we'd peaked out too early in the meal, and there was no way the food could live up to the amazing cocktails. Wrong. We ordered 4 small plates to share and each one was awesome. For thinking I did not like beef tartar, this is the second tapas tasting where this dish was my fave. Maybe I need to reevaluate some things? This preparation had a tapenade of caper & chive, a sherry poached egg, and roasted garlic and horseradish emulsion all served with grilled bread.

The braised pork belly with a cauliflower puree was also on point, but then again, when have I not loved a dish with pork belly? This was the most hearty and comforting dish of the night.

We also tried a selection of six cheeses and meats from the charcuterie. I have no idea what they were, but all of them were tasty. We had housemade salami and prosciutto with cheeses that reminded me of blue and brie varieties. These were served with some fresh baked bread, stone ground spicy mustard, fruit jams, and pickled veggies.

Finally, there was the beet salad. My mom decided we needed some greens so we went for this. Being my first time with beets, I can now say I'm a fan. The salad had roasted yellow beets, arugula, almond oil, grapefruit, and a rhubarb and beet mousse. The mousse was awesome, but this dish was my least favorite if only because it was a salad. 

This is a solid spot for dinner and drinks in downtown Wilmington. If you're ever in the area, check it out.

http://mannaavenue.com/

Turkish Mini Meatballs with White Bean Hummus and Toasted Pine Nuts

I figured a month was long enough to go between meatball posts. Somehow I have not burned myself out on the meatball yet. They're just so versatile. Italian, Mediterranean, Buffalo, turkey, lamb, pork... However, you want to slice it, they're just delicious. I should be a spokesperson for meatballs. And tacos.

You're drooling, aren't you?

The original recipe calls for lamb, which I'm definitely taking for a spin next time. It's a big deal that I'm saying there will be a next time, meaning this dish was insane. I used a mixture of ground pork and beef, which was tasty, but I feel the lamb would really kick it up a notch.

I am obsessed with Mediterranean cuisine and would prefer to eat pita and dips all day long. This white bean hummus did not disappoint, and if you wanted to go all Sandra Lee on me, you could save a little time and buy white bean hummus or regular hummus from the store. But why would you when all you have to do is put everything into a blender/food processor? Also, much cheaper.

The recipe says to put the meatball ingredients into the food processor after you've made the dip to emulsify it with water. I wasn't sure the blender could handle this so I went the old fashion way and mixed by hand sans water. Still good, but I can see how emulsifying the water into the mixture would make it really silky. I'll remember that for next time.

Mmmmmmm

Now get in there, and make a million TINY meatballs. Mine were probably a little bigger than necessary, but I'd try to get them about one and a half teaspoons. Food is so much cuter in mini form, and that means you can eat more of it so I'm down.

They don't need long to bake since they're so mini. Check after about five minutes to see if they're almost done. They don't need to be entirely cooked through because you'll finish them off on the stove with a little more EVOO, pine nuts, fresh mint and red pepper flakes. 

These are a few of my favorite things...

Serve these bad boys over the dip with some warmed pita wedges, and you've really treated yourself. I'm kicking myself for not remembering the Greek Yogurt, Cucumber and Feta Sauce I made last night and plopping some of that on top too. It's impressive enough for a date night, your roommates or a dinner party (could be an app?) but easy enough to cook for number one. Yourself.

The long list of ingredients might intimidate you, but get over that. Most are things you already have in your pantry so you have no excuse. Unless you just prefer subpar food in which case I'm sad for you.

Turkish Mini Meatballs with White Bean Hummus and Toasted Pine Nuts

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

White Bean Hummus:

2 cans of cannellini beans

1/2 cup of Greek yogurt

1 clove of garlic

1 tbsp of tahini/sesame paste

1/4 tsp of ground cumin

1/4~1/2 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of ground black pepper

Meatballs:

1 pound of ground beef, pork and/or lamb (mix and match!)

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 shallot, finely minced

1 tsp of ginger, grated

1 small egg, or 1/2 large egg

1 1/2 tbsp of corn starch

1 tbsp of olive oil

1/2 tsp of ground allspice

1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp of ground cumin

1/4 tsp of ground coriander

1/2 tsp of salt

1/8 tsp of ground black pepper

2 tbsp of water to drizzle in (if using food processor method)

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle

2 tbsp of pine nuts

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 bunch of fresh mint, chopped

1~2 tsp of chili flakes

Pita 

Directions:

Drain the cannellini beans of any excess water (the dryer the better). Add beans, Greek yogurt, garlic, tahini/sesame paste and cumin in the food processor. Run until a very smooth puree forms. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. You could cook the puree in a pot for a few minutes to get rid of the “can”-taste, but it doesn’t really bother me so I wouldn’t stress it. Set it aside until needed.

If using food processor to mix meatballs, clean the food processor bowl and towel-dry it really well.  Add ground beef/pork, garlic, shallots, ginger, corn starch, olive oil, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, salt and black pepper.  Pulse until all the ingredients are evenly combined, then keep the machine running on low and start drizzling in 2 tbsp of water.  Keep the food processor running for a few seconds until the mixture become “paste-like”.  You could also do this on a stand-mixer with a pedal-attachment.  

If going old fashioned, mix all meatball ingredients together without the water by hand until fully incorporated.

Preheat the oven on 430ºF.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray. Form the lamb mixture into tiny meatballs, approx 1 1/2 tsp each and lay them evenly on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the meatballs start to brown and are set in shape, about 5 minutes, but keep an eye on them. Once the meatballs are set, take them out of the oven. Heat up 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat.  Add the meatballs and brown them all over. Add the pine nuts and let them toast until golden brown (this would happen relatively quick!). Then add the minced garlic, fresh mint and chili flakes.  Cook only for another few seconds. Re-season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the white bean hummus on a big platter or individual plates. Add the meatballs and pine nuts on top and drizzle more extra virgin olive oil and chili flakes on top.

Serve with hot pitas.

[Recipe adapted from Lady and Pups]

Restaurant Rave: Estadio

Treat yo self

This was a big food weekend for me. As I've said here before, weekends are for treats. When Annie suggested we go to Estadio on Friday, I was game. I've been wanting to try this place for over a year but have never gotten around to it since they don't take reservations. Plus, I've had a mild tapas obsession after going to Tia Pol in New York this fall. While I still think Tia Pol wins, this is definitely the best tapas place I've been to in the District.

Since we had no other plans, we were fully expecting and fine with a longer wait. The atmosphere of Estadio is busy and fun so the wait seemed like nothing. We waited for about 30 minutes at the bar drinking sangria and watching the plates come out of the kitchen. We needed some inspiration! The red and white sangrias were delicious, but red was my favorite. This one had hints of lime and mint that were a nice surprise. We moved on to the sparkling cocktails next - tequila, grapefruit, Cava and rosemary. Yum! We didn't go wrong with any of the drinks.

Now onto the best part. The food. We got five dishes to split (six if you count the pinxtos), which was plenty. First out were the pinxtos, which is literally a skewered bite of layered ingredients. We got the chorizo, manchego and pistachio crusted quince. I wanted six more of these, and they were the perfect way to start off.

Pinxtos with grapefruit cocktail in the background

My favorite thing was the brussel sprouts. I love brussels and have had my fair share, but these were the best I've eaten (better than Ardeo+Bardeo!). As Annie said, there was nothing healthy about them. Crispy-fried and topped with currants, caramelized onions and spicy pine nuts, this dish had a flavor combo that sung. The sweetness of the currants and onions with the spiciness of the pine nuts followed by a splash of vinegar worked perfectly.

The sauteed shrimp with garlic, parsley and lemon is a standard dish for a tapas restaurant. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, and the oil was great to dip the bread in even if a little too lemony for my taste.

Brussels and Shrimp 

The second biggest hit of the night after the brussels was the beef carpaccio montadito. This open faced sandwich seemed so simple that I was hesitant when Annie suggested it. I was so wrong. The thin slices of beef were layered on the toasty, buttery, garlicky baguette and seared lightly on the outside. It was served with arugula and aioli. Can you tell by now I'm a fan of aioli mayo?

I would like this for lunch every day. Thanks.

The patatas bravas were my idea since they're such a staple Spanish item. The ones I had at Tia Pol were life changing. These were delicious and from what Annie said, possibly more authentic than the Tia Pol ones. The change here was the addition of tomato sauce into the mix with the aioli. Tasty but not my favorite dish of the night or rendition of patatas bravas.

The Spanish version of french fries.

Finally, the scallops and cauliflower arrived. I discovered my love for scallops about a year ago and try to order them as much as possible now. These were cooked to perfection, but the overall dish lacked a little something. It was pretty forgettable.

Ehhhhh

Overall, the drinks, atmosphere and food will keep Estadio in my brain. I definitely will be going back and trying new dishes and sticking to a few favorites. I suggest you do the same.

http://estadio-dc.com/