Erik Moe: Critic at Large

Not the actual Georgian dumplings (Khinkali) I ate on Febgiving, but these look pretty similar

This past Febgiving was celebrated at my house with a delicious Georgian feast inspired by Darra Goldstein’s book on the subject. Celebrating Febgiving was my idea. The Georgian theme and most of the menu was Michelle’s idea (see that Tumblr link for a glimpse of some pickled cabbage that was brought to the table). She made these dumplings vegetarian-friendly by swapping mushrooms and Boca crumbles for the traditional meat filling. Finally, the Khinkali were topped with a wonderful garlic-walnut sauce (Bahze) not typically used on dumplings, but I doubt anyone in Tbilisi would complain about the delicious pairing.

The best thing I ate since last report: truffle egg toast with bottarga during brunch at ‘inoteca on the Lower East Side.

I can’t say that this is a great brunch spot (it was a last-minute pick). It felt like breakfast was an afterthought tacked on to a (probably good) dinner spot: the menu is short on A.M. comfort food, and something as simple as morning coffee seemed foreign (you’ll get Lavazza espresso served Americano).

THAT SAID, the truffle egg toast with bottarga is delicious. Crunchy toast yields to perfectly soft eggs with a delightful hint of truffle oil. The optional bottarga adds a nice complimentary texture. Yum.

PS: In DC, Pizzeria Paradiso offers something very similar in pizza form.

Mandoo Soup at Java Green

The best thing I ate this week was Mandoo soup at Java Green here in DC. The broth is flavorful, the dumplings are pleasantly plump, and a nice mix of vegetables and rice cakes (with perhaps a touch of sesame) round out the soup. Highly recommended.

P.S. Eat is the second in a series of series I think maybe I can possibly post to this space regularly. Eat will highlight the most delicious things I eat.