Please The Palate |

Tiger Fork: Hong Kong-inspired cuisine in the heart of Washington DC

After finishing an event in the Shaw neighborhood in Washington DC, my clients and I headed off for dinner. A friend recommended Tiger Fork, a Hong Kong-inspired restaurant. I googled the location and the map said Blagden Alley, which sounded like something out of Harry Potter. We walked down 9th Street NW and turned on N Street NW. Google Maps said we were there but we only saw closed businesses. However, halfway down the street was an alley so we turned down the alley and a bit further down found murals on the walls and bars and restaurants. We were in Blagden Alley. There was no name on the door but the large window told us we had found Tiger Fork.

Blagden Alley is an historic district in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington DC. A series of intersecting brick-paved alleyways that date back to the 19th century were once home to workshops and stables and today is the location of bars and restaurants. Inside, Tiger Fork is bustling. Lighted lanterns hand from the ceiling and long communal tables run down the center of the restaurant. A large bar sits in the front center of the restaurant and flames from the woks can be seen from the open kitchen in the back.

08 March, 2018

Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Maxwell Park DC Wine Bar

Maxwell Park Wine Bar is one of the hottest spots in Washington DC right now. Modern, friendly, energetic, educational yet playful, it is a perfect wine bar for all wine lovers, no matter how much or how little you know. And that is why Maxwell Park Wine Bar (aka Maxwell's DC) is the Please The Palate pick of the week.

Maxwell's DC opened in June of 2017 in the Shaw neighborhood, one of the hippest areas of Washington DC. Sommelier Brent Kroll is the founder of Maxwell's DC which he named after Maxwell Park, a park he played in as a kid in Detroit. His partners, Daniel Runnerstrom and Niki Lang are also sommeliers.

Previous to owning his own wine bar, Kroll was the Wine Director for the Neighborhood Group for four years. During his tenure, he opened ten restaurants and oversaw the wine programs at all of them. Now he is focused on just one place and it is a gem.

24 February, 2018

America Meets France at Medium Rare, Washington DC

How do you like your steak? Medium rare is the answer, especially at Medium Rare in Washington DC where America meets France in a steakhouse. At Medium Rare, the words steakhouse and affordable are combined in a relaxed and fun environment.

Modeled after a steakhouse based in Paris, Medium Rare has three locations in the DC area - Bethesda, Cleveland Park and Capitol Hill. The concept is warm and friendly serving up tasty food in a relaxed, non-pretentious way. The music is turned up loud, making you lean in to talk, like you would if you were in a French bistro. The menu at Medium Rare is very simple. All you have to decide is how you want your meat cooked because the menu is a pre-fixe offering for $20.45.

28 March, 2017