As some of you know, I spend every Tuesday afternoon / Wednesday morning with my grandma in Hunting Valley. We have an arrangement: she picks me up from school, I help make dinner, she makes breakfast, and we hang out! I must say that I do thoroughly enjoy this time that I do spend with her. I consider myself to be so lucky to have her around. She is such a positive force in my life, sometimes it is overhwhelming. She has always been there for me; and I try to be there for her. I am so fortunate that I have the opportunity to spend time with her frequently. In fact as I'm writing this I'm sitting with her by the fire! Some people I know seldom see their relatives with such frequency, if at all. I am lucky indeed! Thought of the day: Deep relationships are undervalued. 

Cheers, Francis!

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I know it's been a long time coming, but here it is. Enjoy!

Kinship DC:
When I was in D.C. I had the distinct honor to dine at the Kinship Restaurant. This experience was certainly in the upper echelons of my many restaurant experiences, as well as my first experience at a Michelin rated restaurant. Usually I like to break my reviews into four categories: ambiance, service, food, and the big takeaway. Enjoy!


Ambiance:

The décor in this restaurant is refreshingly modern and minimalistic. I particularly enjoyed the attention to detail with the lighting - it was just right! I could go on and on about this, but I absolutely detest eating in the dark. Now at my age, I have no problem reading the menu, but some more “advanced” folks I often see with flashlights and magnifying glasses, which completely compromises the vibe of the restaurant. Furthermore, you have to be able to see the food. At the same time, the lighting was not too bright, and contributed to the snug vibe of the establishment. The earthen flatware was reminiscent of a more classical period, but was incorporated nicely into the modern vibe and I feel only benefitted the experience. Overall, the ambiance was properly executed, but not overdone or over accentuated which is also a big no-no.


Service:
The service was undoubtably another smashing success. My server was very thoughtful and kind, furthermore, he had a complete mastery of the menu which is absolutely critical in any fine dining (or otherwise) situation. He was of course able to present and explain to me each element on the plate when each course came out. The service was overall prompt and courteous, and my water glass never went empty.


The Menu:

The menu at Kinship is very interesting. It is not organized like a normal menu going with appetizers, entrées, and desserts. Instead the food is categorized in five  sections: Craft, History, Ingredient, Indulgence, and “For the Table”. Each different section encapsulate the appetizer through dessert range. The point of this menu style is to accentuate a certain feature of each plate - a decision I quite like! Craft honors the cooking style or preparation of the food, the History section circumscribes classic dishes that are worth repeating, Ingredient respects and grooms the plate to feature a single aspect / ingredient of the dish, Indulgence obviously represents richer and / or more expensive foods like caviar, foie gras, and lobster, and “For the Table” encapsulates larger plates that are designed to be shared like a whole roasted chicken.


The Food:

My strategy for the food was to order three courses. I attempted to sample from a different menu section for each course. I was remarkably satisfied and very full at the end of the meal.


Cuttlefish Confit:

For my first course I ordered from the Craft section of the menu the cuttlefish confit. It was nothing short of exemplary in almost every distinction. The meat itself was creamy but maintained a firm texture making it an absolute pleasure in the mouth. The presentation on the fish was simple but well executed with uniformly spaced and deep scoring which also allowed a deeper penetration of the flavor from the sauce. The sauce itself consisted of a turmeric - garlic vinaigrette which added an excellent freshness to the dish. There was a small amount of couscous as well which served well as a break from the fish in conjunction with the grilled watermelon radish and the citrus.


Grilled Quail:
Next I ordered an entrée from the Ingredient section. To start on a low-note, the wait time for the quail was slightly excessive, approaching nearly 30 minutes. Although I understand that the design of the service tempo is purposely slow, this was still unnecessary. The presentation of the quail was again simple yet profound, and the aroma that accompanied it was rich and sonorous. My first impression of the dish was the Espelette (French pepper) broth; it was speckled with color and of a rich brown color. The liver that accompanied the quail happened to be my first bite, one that consisted of a slight crunch on the outside followed by a cacophony of velvet on the inside due to the beautiful temperature that it was cooked to. As for the centerpiece of the dish, the quail was done masterfully. Remember, the ingredient section represents in this case the quail, and each other aspect of the dish is meant really to only feature the quail. The bird itself had a profound crispness on the outside and absolute tenderness on the inside - similar to the liver. For me however, the broth was perhaps the best part of the dish serving as a liaison, a communicator of sorts between the quail and the other aspects of the dish such as the Garganelli pasta. My one qualm with the dish was the overall richness. At the time, it was spring in D.C. and 80 degrees outside. I can’t justify having winter fare during the spring-time - it’s unnecessary. 


The Big Takeaway:
is that I would definitely recommend Kinship DC! I really enjoyed how the menu was presented, and the service and the food were each commendable. A word on price: I was actually able to dine there for less then I was expecting. Quite a few of the menu options are very reasonable indeed, especially if you steer clear from the caviar!


Cheers, Francis

Hi guys,

how is everyone doing? Well, it's offically ramp season in the CLE!! Basically there are these wild onion / garlic plants that grow in the woods. We have them at my grandmas house, or as I refer to it "the estate". I'm happy that I've been able to create a little side business out of it, selling them to some local restaurants. I really enjoy using them for most anything in place of onions. Some pictures below!

Hey guys,
see here for my favorite trip pictures.

Biking:

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The above picture was my camp for my first night on the C&O Canal Trail in Maryland. My day of cycling was rewarded with a beautiful sunset, followed by a full canvas of stars. That night really was just a simple night of traquility (except for the trains) next to the Potomac. I was really able to enjoy myself; just me in the wilderness, without any external distractions. I absolutely loved it!

This was one of the many bridges crossing the Youghiogheny River in Pennsylvania. I did really enjoy the multitude of these large bridges on the GAP trail. I distinctly recall this morning. I had started at about 4:00 in hopes that the trail would freeze over which would be more conducive for riding as I had experienced poor trail conditions the day before, only allowing me to travel 20 miles. I was a little bit loopy from being up so early. Not encapsulated in this picture, but another vivid memory was that early morning riding. The trail had somewhat frozen over, it was pitch black out, and I was cranking my Dad's techno playlist. Furthermore there was a light snow falling so I got that interesting 3-D effect with that as well. It was so eerie but SO cool just cruising through the darkness, save for my bike light.

D.C:

Above is a photo of a section of the Berlin wall that is on permanent exhibition at the Newseum. It was so fascinating to see the juxstapostition of freedom and repression represented with a wall. The grafitti on the West Germany side is indicative of the pushback and desire for the wall to be removed as well as a representation of freedom of expression. On the other side, it is simply blank concrete.

I was super psyched to be able to go to the U.S. Botanic Garden during my time in D.C. the sheer magnitude of the space made our Cleveland botanical garden pale in comparison. I know that my Grandma Ruth would have really loved it there.

This is a picture of one of the courses of my fine dining excursions in D.C. I was pretty lucky with all of my food stpoffs on this trip, and this was of course no exception. Look for the review of Kinship shortly!