Mamma Lucia's- Wednesday, August 18, 8:30pm

He said:

Mutual Mastication take #3. If Italian food is your forte, this place may not be your cup of tea. I wouldn’t call myself an expert on Italian cuisine, but I’ve eaten at enough places in the area to know what something is supposed to taste like. The last time I was at Mamma Lucia’s was 3-4 years ago. I ordered spaghetti, but unfortunately, I don’t remember if I liked it or not. So, here goes my second experience at Mamma Lucia’s.

I started off the night with garlic bread. I’ve always thought that the garlic bread was made up of Italian or French bread with a mix of garlic, butter and parsley applied to the top and toasted, but at Mamma Lucia’s, I can’t even tell you what they used, because I’ve never seen anything reddish-orange on bread in my life. It looked almost like Old Bay seasoning, but it wasn’t. I ate it anyways and didn’t ask questions, because at that point in the night, my options were to starve or nibble on my fingers. I must admit that given the options, it served its purpose.

Next up was the salad which was an add-on to the entrée. The salad looked and tasted very fresh and consisted of romaine lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers and served with vinaigrette salad dressing. My only complaint is that there was too much dressing and if I have this salad again, I would ask for it on the side.

For my entrée, I ordered the Pollo alla Siciliana. The description on the menu said that it consisted of fresh chicken breast with peas, mushrooms and roasted peppers in a Marsala wine sauce over spaghetti. I ordered this dish, because I wanted to try something new. Normally, I would have ordered spaghetti with meatballs, lasagna or the chicken parmigiana, but it’s all about thinking outside of the box. Once this dish was brought out and after a few bites, I must say I wasn’t impressed. I expected the roasted red peppers to be crisp, but they were soft, likely overcooked. The dish had two medium size pieces of chicken breast, and I didn’t feel like it was real chicken. It reminded me of the type of chicken used in Chicken McNugget’s at McDonalds. Mystery meat as they call it. I’m not sure if Marsala wine sauce is supposed to be watery, but my whole meal was drowning in it. There was absolutely no taste. I didn’t think I ordered soup, or did I? The most random part of my meal was finding one piece of penne pasta. It made me wonder if it were in the bowl from a previous patron and they just forgot about it. Regardless of how it got there, I ate it anyways. Overall, I wasn’t impressed. I was actually disgusted.

Overall, I would rate this experience a 1/5. The only part of the experience saving it from a “0” rating was the salad and the service but I can get that anywhere, so I expect the next time I walk by this restaurant, I won’t even think about coming in for anything, unless it’s to use the bathroom or ask for directions to another Italian restaurant.

She said:

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

This quotation is a pretty accurate description of our visit to Mamma Lucia’s.
I was in the mood for some comfort food but feeling the need to pinch some pennies. We debated for a bit about our dozen so options for Italian in Bethesda when I remembered a $20 off coupon Mamma Lucia’s sent me as a housewarming gift. I might have seen this as an indicator of what to expect- what business offers $20 off your bill with no minimum or expiration date? But my frugal ways got the best of me so off we went to experience what Mamma herself described as “down home Italian cooking.”

We opted out of appetizers as they were all either fried or seemed overly optimistic considering the price range. Our pocketbooks were pleased to hear that, in addition to our $20 coupon, we were also eligible for ½ price wine night. A limited but not disappointing selection lead us to a tried and true bottle of Poppy Pinot Noir. With the discount, we enjoyed a pretty tasty bottle at a delicious retail price.

We were greeted with some toasty bread which, for me, may have been the highlight of the meal. Besides the wine, of course. Perfectly sliced Italian bread, dense and chewy with a very thin layer of tomato sauce brushed across the surface. It came out piping hot with a side of extra virgin olive oil with grated parmesan and Italian seasonings for dipping.

Our entrée came with a side salad at no charge but offered a Caesar or Greek at an upcharge. Keeping with the frugal theme of the evening, we both stuck with the basics. Based on the description, I was looking forward to a little extra zest with this little salad as the menu claimed it would be kicked up with some black olives and both hot and green peppers. We both received a mere standard garden salad with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. My dining partner did find a lone sliver of green pepper in his salad, but this seemed more accidental than anything.

For my entrée, I went with Eggplant Parmigiana assuming that a casual local chain would have a good handle on the fundamentals. The slab of cheese slathered eggplant that was delivered to me was enough to induce a heart attack upon sight. The gooey, greasy pool of cheese overwhelmed the entire dish and masked the slimy surprise awaiting me. Although the pasta and the sauce were satisfactory, the rest of the dish was just plain unappetizing. Once I navigated past the nearly impenetrable glob of cheese I found unbreaded, lukewarm, soggy slices of eggplant with nothing parmagiana about them.

A few other things to note: we were perplexed at the glaring contrast in attention to detail, such as cloth napkins but disposable plastic ramekins for sauce. The website proudly noted that the owners “spend a majority of their time in the restaurants.” I can only hope that this particular evening was an anomaly and perhaps the owners had taken the week off because the restaurant was just plain messy with debris strewn about the floor and tables and left unattended for the entire length of our visit.

They also say in life you get what you pay for. After all these discounts and disappointments, I took my money and ran, opting for dessert elsewhere.

Would I return to Mamma Lucia’s? Hell yeah, I would. On a Wednesday night. To sit outside and splurge on a half price bottle of wine after having dinner elsewhere first.

Louisiana Kitchen and Bayou Bar- Wednesday, August 11, 8:45pm

He said:

Mutual Mastication take #2. When you think of Louisiana, the first words that come to mind are "gumbo" and "jambalaya". I'm sure over the years of bar hopping, I passed Lousiana Kitchen, but somehow I never really saw it until a friend told me she had brunch there with her mother a few weeks ago. It was recommended, so I figured maybe one day, I'd have to try it out for myself. Looking for something cheaper to eat, we came upon this place. It was a Wednesday evening closer to 9pm when we pulled up. I got a parking spot right in front, which put me in a great mood and therefore I was looking forward to the meal. Looking through the window, the place was empty. If anything, an empty restaurant means good service and good conversation. We were greeted and seated quickly and actually decided to move to a different location. Prior to entering, I looked at some pictures online. I'm not sure what happened, but the inside looked like a crap hole. It also didn't look as big. Their photographer must've been laying on the floor when he/she took the picture. It was like an ant's eye view. I started off the night with a vodka/club soda. They didn't have a huge selection of vodka, but at least they had Ketel One. After a few sips, it was over. They make drinks very strong and if I didn't have a lemon or lime ASAP, I would've been passed out drunk in my chair. Looking over the menu, I didn't have too many questions, but my partner did. The waiter didn't really seem to really know too much about what was good and what was bad. He recommended Po'Boy sandwiches and then said the Catfish Po'boy was very popular. My counterpart mentioned the catfish as well, but the last time she had it was ten years ago. Could things have changed over time? I figured on this go-around, I'd try something I never had before, so for starters, we ordered Alligator Beignets. For my main dish, I ordered the Chicken Creole over the gumbo and jambalaya, because I liked the description. Everything is good when tomato sauce is involved, and plus, it's good for the prostate.

After a few minutes, the appetizers came out and the main course followed. We probably only had 2 minutes to enjoy the alligator, which tasted like chicken, but was very fatty, before the main dish came out. I only had 2 pieces and left the rest for my partner. Needless to say, I wasn't very impressed.

On to the main course, chicken creole! Since I have never had creole before, I had nothing to compare it to. I really didn't know what it was supposed to look like, but gumbo is normally in soup form and jambalaya is usually a bunch of stuff mixed in with rice. The creole was spicy tomato sauce with peppers and onions on top of white rice. It tasted good, but, I feel like it could've been much better. The chicken wasn't dry and might have been the best part of the dish.

For dessert, without a menu nearby and recommended by the server, I ordered the Beignets. Beignet's are New Orleans doughnuts. Even after years of working in a bakery, I never knew or heard of anything like this before. When it came out, there were three 2.5 by 2.5 pieces topped with powdered sugar. I guess the idea was to dip into the mound of sugar in the middle of the dish. I'm not a huge dessert fan, but this was actually decent. My dining partner said that maybe they should've topped it off with honey as well, and I think that would've made it 10 times better. If I were to rate this on a scale of 1 to 5, I'd give it a 3.

Overall, I really don't have too many descriptive words for this meal. At 9pm, I was starving but, I didn't finish my meal and it was at half size. Something has to be said when you're asked if you want a to-go box, and you have to think twice about getting one. It was just too plain. For a non-cooker, I probably could've done this myself, minus the chicken and alligator. It was a good experience, but maybe next time, I should try the brunch which was recommended over looking for something to get through the night.

She said:

The recent need for an impromptu late night meal lead me on an online search for casual, cheap fare. A quick review of Washingtonian Magazine’s latest edition of Cheap Eats brought my attention to a longtime Bethesda staple, Louisiana Kitchen and Bayou Bar. Previously known at a different location as Louisiana Express, the current owners were former employees at the old restaurant and brought the recipes with them when they opened the new location.

I have never been a huge fan of creole/Cajun cuisine, but I am always up to try something new and this night was no exception.

Louisiana Kitchen is a small restaurant with plastic checkered tablecloths and a random array of dusty looking New Orleans inspired decor. With a limited drink list and wines listed simply by varietal; this is a place you go to for cold beer and spicy food. After searching to no avail for Dixie beer, an old New Orleans favorite, I chose a Modelo Especial over the heavily flavored types of Abita beer offered.

Service was consistently attentive without being overbearing and the server was more than willing to provide thoughtful answers to our many questions. We were one of only a few tables when we arrived and among the last to leave.

We started off the meal wanting to be a little adventurous. Included for starters were an assortment of gumbos as well as seafood soups and a multitude of fried finger foods. We opted for Alligator Beignets, served with remoulade sauce for dipping. The use of the word beignet seemed to be a bit of a misnomer as there was no dough or breading involved. It was flattened chunks of alligator tail deep fried in a cornmeal batter. The alligator itself was decent in flavor but odd in texture. There were small bits of meat surrounded by huge globs of chewy fat. It was rather unappetizing and I never made it past my first piece. I enjoyed the batter and remoulade so in the future I might be tempted to try this again but go for the Catfish Beignets instead.

In an attempt to really taste some traditional Louisiana fare, I went with a Cajun Rotisserie chicken served with vegetable jambalaya instead of the Fried Shrimp Po’Boy that initially caught my eye. The chicken was good. Deeply flavored and cooked to perfection, this would suit a variety of tastes. The jambalaya was not my cup of tea. As I mentioned before, I am going out on a limb with this type of cuisine as I know I generally don’t like it. It is hard to say whether it was good or not. I did not like it one bit. But I have a feeling that people who really like Cajun food would probably enjoy it. Besides the flavor not meshing with my taste buds, I felt that the rice was overcooked, giving it a mushy consistency. I also kept biting down on something that was difficult to chew through. I never figured out if it was a spice or a part of the rice husk, but it was definitely unappetizing. Served with a dried out biscuit, it just wasn’t doing it for me. Just goes to show you- always trust your instincts. I bet that Shrimp Po’Boy would have really knocked my socks off.

To round out the meal, there was a nice variety of desserts and coffee. I went with Bread Pudding served in a Whiskey Sauce. You know the famous scene in “When Harry Met Sally” when Meg Ryan rather vocally displays her enthusiasm for all to see? This is how I felt while eating the little slice of heaven that is the bread pudding at Louisiana Kitchen. The bread is moist and dense and chock full of pecans and raisins. Served piping hot and gooey with a nice little whiskey kick, it was so good I couldn’t get enough.

I would return to Louisiana Kitchen for a cheap meal but next time my Yankee tastes will stick to the basics and hold out for the big finish from the Big Easy.

Bezu- Saturday, July 31, 2010 9:30pm

He said:

Mutual Mastication take #1. Restaurant Week in Bethesda. When I first walked into this restaurant, I wasn't sure what to expect. They say not to judge a book by its cover, and just looking from the outside it actually looked like a decent place to eat, but there are nice places that look horrible outside yet serve great food. A great example of this is "Daddy D's" in Atlanta. Looks like a shack outside, but has the best ribs in the south. For my first experience with Bezu, French for "kiss", located in a tiny strip mall in Potomac, MD, "What the hell is this place doing here"? flashed through my mind. Classy from the outside, and as we walked inside, I noticed it was classy inside as well (the key to this is to look straight ahead and not at the ceilings, which reminded me of school classrooms. The type of tiles you could probably lift up and slip a dead rat in to stink up the room). The restaurant was half full, but we had a reservation, so we were seated quickly, but at the time, it probably wasn't required. It wasn't long before the server showed and he explained the menu and mentioned the restaurant week insert and took questions if we had any. I started the night off with a Ketel One/Club soda with a lemon - my drink of choice and when it came back, I was happy to see it come the way I ordered. I only say this because, most places end up giving me a lime probably because they think of the drink as a gin/tonic. If I had gotten the lime, I'd still drink it, so it's really not such a huge deal. Anyways, the drink was very strong and I actually couldn't even drink it like the other Ketel One/Soda's from other bars/restaurants until the very end when the ice had melted and took away the bitterness of vodka. After a few minutes the server came back and took our orders. For my 1st course, I ordered the Edamame Ravioli, 2nd course, I ordered the Hanger Steak with Garlic Fried Rice/Bok Choy (Steak cooked at medium) and for the 3rd course, I chose the Banana Caramel Lumpia. Here are a few details of my meal:

Sliced bread - May need to go back to figure out the ingredients in the dipping sauce. The bread came often, and they were definitely on top of it, likely watching like hawks. No complaints.

Edamame Ravioli
a. If I lived in a third world country, I would've been really excited about the amount of food, but I don't so, all I can really say is that the presentation was good. Two pieces of ravioli and 2 soybeans. Luckily it wasn't a party of 4, otherwise, we'd have to split each soybean in half for all to enjoy. Unknown contents inside ravioli (Riccota?)
b. Taste - Overall, it was okay, only after dipping it into the sauce (Mystery Sauce)
c. I probably won't order this again.

Hanger Steak, garlic fried rice with shallots and bok choy
When the steak was initially brought out, I knew I made the right decision. My mouth was watering more and more as they brought it to the table. Although, in most situations, the salmon would've been just as appealing.
a. Garlic fried rice - Good (brown rice used), and just as my counterpart noted, I could eat this rice forever.
b. I Will definitely order this again with an additional side of rice.

Banana Caramel Lumpia
a. Bananas didn't seem to be fresh.
b. Could've done without the powdered sugar.
c. I Would not order this again. I actually should've gone with the Chocolate Opra.

In conclusion, I was satisfied with the meal. I would definitely give this place another chance. As much as I would like to order something different off the menu, it's the hanger steak and garlic fried rice that will bring me back.


She said:

Bethesda Restaurant Week does not conjure up the same excitement or participation locally as D.C. Restaurant Week. For us Bethesda locals it gives us a great excuse to get gussied up and go out on the town to some of the fancy-schmancy places we usually reserve for special occasions. Somewhat ironic that my first review of a Bethesda restaurant is actually a Potomac restaurant participating in Bethesda Restaurant week.

My first impression of Bezu was whilst comparing menus and reviews online for other restaurants participating in restaurant week. The other restaurant we were considering had a review that mentioned someone finding a caterpillar-like insect in their salad. Truth be told, this was enough to convince me that Bezu was the right choice but after seeing Bezu’s absolutely gorgeous website http://www.bezurestaurant.com/, I was convinced.

Walking up to Bezu late on a Saturday night, the façade stood out in the neighborhood like a diamond in the rough. The décor inside was nice, although somewhat understated. We noticed some obvious wear and tear on the furniture around us. The restaurant was decently crowded for a late dinner, but I was disappointed that my request for a nice table to help celebrate a special occasion went ignored. Especially when it became apparent that the open tables around us in better locations were not going to be reseated for the evening.

Our server came over quickly after we were seated and helped to guide us through the menu. Although he was quite pleasant , I couldn’t help but wonder what was beneath this guy’s smarmy attitude. I found the wine list to be a bit unapproachable as there was a very limited selection of wines available by the glass. I settled on a Gabbiano Pinot Grigio. I would have paid more for a better glass if one had been listed but my only other option was to order a bottle.

We were sent over a goat cheese-potato croquette, compliments of the Chef, after placing our order. A nice touch. It was crisp, delicious and served its purpose well- afterwards I was hungry and eager to taste more. We were also brought some bread served with a garlic-mustard aioli type of spread. Interesting combination of flavors but a little quease-inducing in any large quantity.

As it was a three course menu for Restaurant Week, I ordered the opposite of my co-conspirator so we could maximize the amount of dishes we could try. In truth, I am a stickler for fresh mozzarella and tomato salads and generally lean toward fish over steak so it wasn’t much of a stretch for me anyway.

My first course, the aforementioned Tomato Mozzarella salad with an aged balsamic reduction, was superb. Initially it seemed a bit out of place on this menu. Perhaps I was just really buying into the whole Asian-French fusion concept but I swear the balsamic had a distinct and unique taste. Subtle soy sauce? The red and yellow tomatoes were at the peak of ripeness and the mozzarella tasted quite fresh. It was evident that the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar were of high quality and the basil was fragrant and flavorful.

For my entrée, I chose a dish of grilled salmon. I wish I could describe its every last detail but truth be told, it wasn’t all that memorable. It was somewhat over seasoned and inconsistently cooked. Some parts were quite rare while others were nearly dried out. It was served with a buttery sauce. Delicious, but completely unnecessary for a good quality piece of fish. It came atop a medley of Asian inspired vegetables. Crunchy and tasty, though the baby corn seemed a little odd with this particular dish. The snap peas, on the other hand, were simply perfect. I tried some of the Hanger Steak entrée we ordered and was quite pleased. The steak was tender and juicy, served in a mouth-watering sauce and came with a divine serving of garlic fried rice.

The grand finale- a chocolate opra. I couldn’t help but snicker a bit at the name of this dessert, likening it to the famous talk show host. A quick google search of “opra” provided no clues into the origin of this name. It was a small square of multi-layered chocolate cake. It was not good. At all. Dried out and lacking in any of the rich, chocolatey goodness I had hoped for. A bite of my dining partner’s disappointing Banana Caramel Lumpia dessert confirmed my suspicion that dessert is just not Bezu’s forte.

All in all, a decent meal. The dishes we sampled all seemed to be hit or miss. Such big misses are a little hard to swallow when you’re dining in this price range. I would return but probably only if I happened to be in that part of town. And someone else was picking up the tab.