BRUNCH Part I: Lox and Cream Cheese Breakfast Pizza

Back in Early February, I had a bunch of the closest Scranton girl buds of BOOF over to my apartment for brunch. We were able to find a weekend that worked for everyone, and I was really excited to host a brunch because I hadn't done so in a while...and I LOVE to host friends and I LOVE brunch. Win. Win.

I started off with the simple Lox and Cream Cheese Breakfast Pizza. This was by far the easiest thing it takes a whopping 15 minutes to make. For real. And did I mention it is delicious?

Ingredients:

Frozen Pizza Crust
A Package of Lox/smoked salmon (or fresh)
An 8 oz. package of cream cheese
Capers (if you would like...)

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2) Oil pizza pan and dust with corn starch (FOR REAL...do this and your pizza crust will never stick again!)
3) Bake pizza crust
4) Once crust is cool, spread cream cheese over the crust.
5) Top with lox
6) Share and Enjoy!

Easy Peasy. Delicious. Success.

Made: 02/04/11
"Posted": 02/04/11
Posted: 06/02/11

Pizza in the Morning, Pizza in the noon day, Pizza at Supper time

you must have thought that I forgot about you, NEVER! I have been actually in the kitchen quite a lot, BUT school is hard so I have little time to post. sad day. With a small break, I am going to try and throw together all that I have been cooking and baking since the end of August...which is a lot...so we'll see how much I get done.

Let's rock and roll.

So pizza is my lazy meal. however, it is so good and so easy and then look at this pizza, it looks so fancy...right?

Ingredients:

1 Pizza dough (TJs, Wegmans, Pillsbury (any grocery store), or make your own!
1 Cup of Spinach
1/2 Cup of Sliced Mushrooms
1/4-1/3 cup of Goat Cheese
1/2 cup of Kalamata olives
2/3 cup of Marinara Sauce

Directions:

1) Preheat that glorious oven of yours to 425
2) If using a baking sheet, line with foil or just oil with the sheet with olive oil and dust it with corn starch
-- If using a pizza stone, just pull that beautiful thing out of your cabinet
3) While oven is heating, saute mushrooms in olive oil, salt and pepper until soft and then add spinach until it just begins to wilt.
4) Remove spinach and mushrooms from heat and cover pizza dough with as little or as much pizza/marinara sauce as your heart desires
5) Top pizza with goat cheese, olives, spinach and mushrooms
6) Heat in oven until crusts browns and cheese is melted about 15-20 minutes
7) Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes
8) Enjoy and Share!!!

Yes, yes, Yes. I know. Karri, you've made pizza a lot before. Welp, it is easy, delicious and there are endless opportunities. So cry me a river. Well, don't but please go make yourself some pizza, preferably this one. One of these days when I have some more time on my hands, I definitely plan on taking to the kitchen and making my own pizza crust. GASP! That, and I also plan on taking on making my own gnocchi. CRAZY TALK. One of these days...

Ella's Pizza

On an impromptu evening, the two BOOF buddies that have known me the longest, Mo and LB, and I ventured to Chinatown/Penn Quarter to use one of my livingsocial deals to Ella's Pizza. there are about a billion and one reasons that I am sad to be leaving DC this year, but one of them is definitely because LB just moved into town and it's been about 9years since we were in the same city together. sad face. nevertheless, both Mo and I bought the livingsocial deal because it is one of the few DC pizza locations that offer Gluten-Free Pizza.

Ella's Pizza has a really nice warm vibe to it and it sits right on the line of Chinatown/Penn Quarter (which I really don't understand that whole stupid distinction). It is dimly lit and almost has four different sections but all with the same casual hang out vibe. however, you definitely notice the distinction as one section has the power red walls, one section has a calmer sea blue wall, another section has a standard eggshell white wall and then there is the large bar spanning a large part of the left side of the restaurant (upon entering). although the restaurant was in my opinion good for a few friends, rather then an intimate date, I found myself wanting to have a little bit more harmony in the decor theme. but that's just an opinion. we didn't make it to dinner until much later but they also apparently have a really nice happy hour featuring $5.00 7inch Pizzas, $1.00 off American Draughts, and 3.50/16.00 (glass/carafe) of sangria(which is good). I think that happy hour is the only time I would probably go back to Ella's. More on that.

Mo ordered the Gluten-Free Napoletana which has tomato sauce, capers, anchovies, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella. For Mo, it is all about grading the crust and for her, it was a well-done Gluten-Free crust. It had a good crisp to it but the only really good thing about the whole pizza was the crust. The anchovies, basil and mozzarella were all very fresh but there was no seasoning on the pizza and the sauce was extremely bland. This is something that we would all criticize in our pizzas.

LB ordered the Melanzane which was topped with a tomato sauce, red onions, olives, yellow peppers, eggplant and goat cheese. I also eyed this pizza on the menu but once again, we were underwhelmed by their "Wood Fired" pizza. The ingredients were great but there was little to no seasoning on the pizza. Mo made an accurate comment that if you have to put red-pepper flakes, pepper, and salt on you pizza, then there is something wrong with the pizza.

I ordered the wild mushroom with spinach, tomato sauce and mild goat cheese and it was more of the same. Good ingredients, poor outcome. I love me some goat cheese so I tend to think that is an automatic winner but the spinach and mushrooms lacked any flavorful depth that really could make this pizza sing.

After having good pizza at il Canale, 2 Amys, Liberty Tree, and even Vapianos, I guess I would at least expect a nice tomato sauce. I clearly think that the Tomato sauce was the downfall of the pizza. Well, under-seasoning all around. The combinations that they have on their menu are really great and the ingredients are good, but those factors are unable to outweigh the lack of flavor. The crust on the non-gluten free pizza was fine but nothing to call home about. Ella's just get a different sauce (I mean, even TJ's Tomato Basil Marinara has better flavor) and get a little heavier handed on your seasoning, and you'll be fine.

Grade: C

BlackFinn

for good buddy of BOOF's birthday, Coast, a large group of us ventured to new foggy bottom staple, BlackFinn, for dinner. Ever since BlackFinn came onto the scene in DC last fall, I have always enjoyed all my adventures there and I am a true fan of their happy hour. Furthermore, I also came to know that it is a pseudo big city chain, and the Foggy Bottom location is not its first DMV location but they also have another location out in Bethesda (which I have now also been to).

Black Finn takes on the identity of an "American Saloon" but it simply plays to idea of a restaurant/bar vibe. When it initially opened up, it was purely filled with the young and professional crowd which was definitely to my liking, but as GW (yup, i'm going to trash my alma mater for a second) students got wind of this new place, it quickly became a location of numerous frat parties and everyone's friends winning "happy hours". essentially, it became too collegiate. The decor of the restaurant does not have anything too special going on, it has a front bar and a back bar, and it has slightly elevated seating on the left side of the restaurant to accommodate those who would like to sit down for dinner. The right side and the back of the restaurant also has booth tables and seating along with high stools and tables for the more casual drink and happy hour partakers.

the divide that this BlackFinn has between the two (the dining area and the bar area) is very nice, but because the happy hour crowd is quite large and loud, the restaurant area definitely does not take well to a more intimate dining experience with your sig other. nevertheless, the dining area does do well for large groups, such as we were, but it is a shame that if you sit for dinner, you are unable to get the great happy hour deals even during "happy hour".

to start off, i ordered the spinach artichoke dip which is essentially is a staple on any menu and one that i am always inclined to order. i also find that it it something that is hard to mess up. the spinach dip was done well but i was not overwhelmed by some special and amazing flavor.

the birthday girl, CaCoast, ordered the Beef Sliders which are three miniature beef burgers topped with melted American cheese and grilled onions and served on potato rolls with au jus on the side for dipping. she enjoyed these and said the meat was seasoned well. she also ordered a side of fries and we all really enjoyed the seasoning that was on them.

Coast's bf, NY Sports Fan, ordered the Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwich prepared in hot, medium or mild Buffalo sauce and served on a warm ciabatta roll with lettuce, tomato, red onion and a side of bleu cheese dressing. Not a fan of condiments, NY Sports Fan was pleased by this sandwich because it was not drowning in buffalo sauce as an afterthought. it was a nice balance of the sauce with the chicken because the grilled flavor still came through.

i ordered one of the summer specials which was a Grilled Portobello Pasta featuring whole wheat spaghetti, grilled portobello
mushroom, baby spinach, oven roasted tomatoes, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. I really quite enjoyed this dish and was happy to see something besides a salad and a veggie burger on the menu to satisfy this hungry vegetarian's appetite. my only recommendation is that the dish could have used a little more seasoning because I could barely taste the garlic coming through and the pasta was a little drier then i would have liked. a little bit more olive oil probably would have done the trick. however, to be able to see portobello on the menu as a center to a dish was really pleasing.

BOOF Buddy, England, had the Ultimate Bacon Cheddar
Twice the bacon, three times the cheese! A BlackFinn Burger topped with four slices of applewood-smoked bacon, three times the aged cheddar cheese, crispy fried onion strings and sliced dill pickles on a grilled bulky roll. England also enjoyed his burger and mentioned that it was cooked well and was very filling. Nothing too special in the burger but it was done well.

One of BOOF's closest buddies, Twin, ordered the simple Old School Classic which is just a BlackFinn Burger topped with your choice of melted cheese and sliced dill pickles on a grilled bulky roll. For a side, she ordered a side of grilled carrots that were superbly tasty and good. Similarly to everything else that evening, the burger was done well but nothing too special and to call home about.

Our group was larger than this but critiquing the other half of the table was nearly impossible/a bit excessive. however, i think everyone pretty much had the same quality food with simple american flavors done well but nothing too special. my favorite part of BlackFinn is the happy hour not even because of the drink specials but because of the food specials. All of their pizzas are half off and the pizzas are all really really good. They are flatbread pizzas and two of the four are veggie friendly (the roasted vegetable and the marghertia). During happy hour, they end up being $5.00 which is a deal that you just can't beat.

Overall, I think BlackFinn will always remain a happy hour joint for me and not necessarily a sit down meal. Although there was nothing wrong with the food, there was not special about it and if I am going to sit down for a nice dinner, there are plenty of places that I think I would prefer to try.

Grade: B

*I may have gotten a few of these wrong but no biggie.

Liberty Tree

lovin' me some H street. i've given you guys my posts of both Sticky Rice and dr. granville moore's which are both absolutely delicious places. i have some a few more h street locations to "hip" you guys to (my dad's word, not mine) so that you too become just as obsessed with the up and coming h street corridor as i am.

i won't do the whole h street corridor # 1 up and coming neighborhood DC blurb like usual, just know that if you have not gotten up here, liberty tree is another reason to do so. liberty tree opened as a restaurant featuring traditional new england seafood flavors and brick oven pizza. really? did heaven just come to h street? seafood and pizza? all I really needed was them to have some mac & cheese on their menu and i really might have become the hostess there.

buddy of BOOF, lm and I decided to get out of the house one evening and head to liberty tree for dinner. I usually order in their brick oven pizza and walk the 3 minutes around the corner to pick it up but we decided to eat in there which was definitely a benefit to BOOF. liberty tree is located between 10th and 11th on H street and it boasts definitely a very new england feel inside of the restaurant with sea blues on on the walls and table clothes and dark brown furniture. the head chef, graig glufing, at liberty tree is no stranger to the DC food scene as he was formerly the exec chef at matchbox. 'nough said.

for an appetizer, we ordered the fried calamari which was good. after the calamari I had at Il Canale , I was definitely expecting a little bit more flavor and a little bit more of a kick but they were fried well; however, il canale definitely wins in the fried calamari department.

for dinner, LM ordered the atlas burger which is a 8oz Grilled Angus beef, gorgonzola, caramelized red onions. she really enjoyed the burger and said it was cooked very well. with all the new burger joints opening around the city, liberty tree offers a very classic but yet flavorful burger that does what it is meant to do, be a burger.

departing from my usual brick oven pizza (and I recommend any pizza at liberty tree), i ordered the grilled eggplant lasagna. it has been a while since this vegetarian has enjoyed some eggplant lasagna or lasagna at all for that matter, and it was a nice and well done entree. It featured marinated eggplant, fresh mozzarella, basil, mushrooms, and tomato sauce. my biggest complaint about the dish is that it had too much tomato sauce. rather than just having a touch of tomato sauce throughout the lasagna, it was drowned in a soup of tomato sauce which definitely took away from a lot of the flavor of the eggplant, mozzarella, and mushrooms.

after a few other trips to liberty tree, I am also well aware that they boast a very nice wine and beer list, so you can always enjoy one of those with your meals. and again, i definitely recommend the pizza.

my biggest drawback about liberty tree is that in this summer heat, they can't seem to be able to get their AC under control. on the evening that i went with LM, it was so hot in that restaurant that by the time we were finished with our meal, we were running out of the restaurant because it definitely appeared to be cooler outside then inside and outside it was 95 degrees. it is not a good thing when you can feel the sweat droplets forming on your forehead during dinner, gross. I thought that this may have just been a one time broken AC problem but after another recent trip to liberty tree, it was still pretty warm inside that restaurant. it was definitely cooler outside than inside and although the heat was not as uncomfortable as the first trip, when we got our red wine, the room temperature was definitely a little too warm for a red. liberty tree, i appease you to please get this fixed as we definitely have not seen the worst of summer and i really want to come back for some clams, scallops and peppadew peppers.

if you want a nice trip to new england, liberty tree is definitely your place as I am pretty certain that it is the only place in dc that is uniquely new england cuisine.

Overall Grade: B (really, the AC docked it from a B+)

Things to do: hang out with me. I would also definitely recommend taking a trip next door (!) to Rita's for some nice water ice and custard for dessert. YUM.

il Canale

before good buddy of BOOF, toochi, shipped off to China for the summer we knew that we had to get together. we are always trying to find time in our hectic schedules to hang out but it is always tough to get us in the same place at the same time. i had a livingsocial deal to a new italian restaurant in georgetown, so we finally made a date and a time and we were on the books for dinner.

il canale is located on 31st in georgetown between M and K overlooking the canal. apparently before il canale came in, there was a pretty bad italian restaurant in the same location but let me tell you, il canale is definitely not the same place. il canale is traditional italian food highlighted by Neapolitan style pizzas (told you i was eating a lot of pizza!) and classic flavors. il canale is marked by its very warm and well lit interior but it also features a nice covered roof top deck which overlooks the "canale", perfect for a nice summer evening. the interior is modern with simple colors to not withdraw your attention from the food as it is nothing too spectacular.

we started off with the frittura di calamari e zucchine which is crispy tender calamari served with a spicy marinara sauce. the seasoning and flavor of these bad boys was quite delicious. the calamari essentially stood on its own, not necessarily needing the sauce because the seasoning was quite perfect...not too much but not bland. the zucchini was also a nice touch because as all of you may know, i'm a sucker for some seafood and veggies. especially, when they are fried. :-)

tn originally ordered the Pacch eri di Gragnano which is an artisan large tube pasta with classic neapolitan meat sauce, and a touch of imported bufala ricotta and mozzarella. unfortunately, tn was not quite in the mood for what she ordered so she ended up sending it back. however, it looked super delicious...i'm sure if the sauce did not have meat in it, i would have ate it and loved it. because this restaurant is very traditional, do not expect to find an alfredo sauce on the menu. as our moroccan (random, i know) waiter explained to us, alfredo sauce is not italian at all. so only expect true italian flavors and dishes to come out of il canale. the presentation was also still lovely, and the large tube pasta is not something that i am accustomed to seeing but it was also a pleasant surprise. additionally, be a little prepared for this to be cooked al dente, unless you ask them otherwise.

i ordered the Parmigana which is a neapolitan style pizza topped with a tomato sauce, parmesan shavings and the staple imported bufala mozzarella. the pizza was really good the parmesan added the perfect amount of sharp flavor to the pizza and the crust was cooked very well. if I were to do a little crust comparison from my most recent pizza ventures i would say il canale= 2 amys > Vapianos. however, they have all been tasty, the ingredients have all been fresh and I have been very pleased.

as a substitute for her pasta, tn switched to pizza and ordered La Regina which was just like my pizza accept minus the parmesan and plus proscuitto. she was much more pleased with this option and enjoyed it greatly. the flavors were simple but classically done so there were no complaints from our end.

il canale was good. was it the best italian meal i have ever had? probably not but it was definitely really tasty, well prepared, fresh and traditional italian food. the location is really great and with enough word of mouth, this place can definitely be put on the dc map for a really great authentic italian meal. supposedly, for happy hour from 4-7, you can get a pizza and a glass of red/white wine for $9.99. I think that is a steal and without even that deal, I would definitely come back here for a nice dinner.

Grade: B+

Additional: There is plenty to do in the Georgetown area. You can shop, walk around georgetown and up the canal/down the river. You can also catch a movie which makes for a really great date night. I would definitely leave the kids or large groups at home because this restaurant definitely has more of the feel of a dinner with a good friend or couple of friends, or a date night with your schnookums.

2 Amys

good buddy of BOOF, eh and I had been trying to get together for some time now. we finally found a saturday when both of us were free, so I threw out the idea of grabbing lunch and she agreed.

being a new yorker, i am very picky about my pizza to say the least. being that pizza is my favorite food (group), i am once again very picky about my pizza. so when people tell me, that these restaurants in DC have "GREAT" pizza, i politely nod my head but really i am thinking "these people have no idea what GREAT pizza is". needless to say, it is common knowledge to DC foodies that 2 Amys serves up some of the best pizza in DC, so I was a little excited to check out what all the rave is about. eh agreed to meeting at 2 Amys for lunch as she also had never been there before.

2 Amys is Washington Top 100 restaurant along with a Washingtonian Top 100 Cheap Eats, so you know that you are supposed to be getting a lot of bang for your buck. It is located a little up from the national Cathedral so Kinda Tenleytown/Glover Park area. So the neighborhood is pretty lovely and perfect for a nice sunny afternoon stroll after lunch.

It is not located right on Wisconsin which I think adds a little bit of more character to the restaurant. it is filled with large windows, pretty open seating and it also features some outdoor seating out back. the decor is simple with just nice clean hardwood floors and tables giving it a very warm feeling when you walk in. you are automatically met with the wondrous scent of brick oven pizza when you walk in and you know you are definitely in for something tasty.

we started with the bruschetta with tomato fondattu which was absolutely delicious. although you might say well, bruschetta is super easy to make...which it is but this was more than just bruschetta. under the bruschetta was perfectly toast garlic bread with butter and it appeared that the bruschetta was place on right at the perfect moment that the bread wasn't too soggy but just the flavor had permeated through the bread the right amount. so good. get the bruschetta with tomato when you go. you won't be dissapointed.

another side comment is that i ordered the lemonade as my drink and man o man, it was so good. i didn't realize how long it had been since i had a nice tasty glass of lemonade but you can tell that this was freshly squeezed, perfectly tart with a nice sweet undertone. so good.

for our meals, eh ordered the marinara which is just simply topped with marinara tomato sauce, garlic and oregano. she also added onions and anchovies to the mix.

i ordered the simple marghertia which is topped with a tomato sauce, mozzarella di bufala, and basil.

we were both extremely pleased with our pizzas. the ingredients were super fresh and the crust was so delicious. eh was pleasantly surprised how much flavor her pizza had despite having no cheese and i was just happy to have a well made pizza with a crust that has some taste and doesn't taste like cardboard. the pizza is neapolitan style so it is very distinct from NY pizza, if DC wants to be the experts on neapolitan style, i definitely think they are on their way with 2 Amys and Il Canale (post soon to come). although it is not the most amazing pizza i have ever had, 2 Amys did a really great job. the flavors were spot on, the ingredients were good and the crust was delectable which all in all makes for a good pizza. the restaurant is also a really nice and warm set up, so you can definitely go with either a large group, a good friend or a sig other. it is definitely bustling on weekends but they get people in and out pretty quickly, so you should not have to wait too long if there is a wait.

the restaurant also features a winebar with meats and cheese accompaniments but i think that would have to be its own special trip.

Grade: A-

Things to do: 1) you should go right across the street for dessert at Something Sweet. 2) Take a stroll to the National Cathedral, sit in on a mass or just visit. it is beautiful. Some of the embassy row is also in the same area so you can also take a gander at many of those.

Vapianos

i love how all of my dinners with buddies seem to have this SATC theme to it. four girls, talking life, love and all the above while hitting up various locations throughout OUR city. i mean, it's a little different but no biggie.

BOOF buddies eh, kh (not me), cc and I are always trying to find a time for all of us to get together. needless to say, it is ALWAYS super hard/rarely ever happens. however, we all found a day and an evening to grab dinner and so we initially had planned to go to matchbox (yummm) but it was packed (per usual), so we opted for vapianos in china town.

i have only been to the vapianos in dupont before and I really do love it, but I definitely felt it was kind of "been there, done that". however, i really enjoyed the china town location. I also switched it up and ordered a pizza (we actually all did) instead of pasta, so that was also a welcome change.

unlike its dupont counter part, the chinatown location is much more open but it does lack the nice outdoor seating that the dupont location boasts. however, i always feel like the dupont location is very dark, and although it is a nice chill vibe, I did enjoy the nice natural lighting that was present throughout the whole restaurant. i also found that it was easier to find a table at the chinatown location, which might just be in large part due to it not being as busy. there are TONS of restaurants in chinatown (as there are in dupont), but everything is in much a more confined space in chinatown. also, a major plus about vapianos is their happy hour.

for those who have never been to vapianos, i really wish more restaurants worked like this. upon entering the restaurant, you are given a "card" in which you then essentially "swipe" when you order your meal. you also can do the same thing for drinks and desserts, and when you leave, you give them a card and all of your purchases appear on your bill. it takes away the mess of splitting the check various ways and adding tip etc. furthermore, when you order, you choose what type of pasta you would like with whichever "topping" but there are also "design your own" options. they make everything right in front of you, so you know that exactly what you want is going into your meal. pizza takes a little bit longer (clearly) but they are all baked in a brick oven so it is GOOD pizza.

eh, cc and I all ordered the Verdure which is topped with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Roasted Vegetables and Mushrooms. it was very tasty and definitely hit the spot. nothing too spectacular or to call home about but it was a well done pizza with good flavors. as a pizza EXPERT, i clearly judge by the crust and the crust is tasty and airy enough but not too hard and tough. well done vapianos.

kh decided to be the renegade and she ordered the Rucola which was topped with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Arugula and Parmesan. she enjoyed it and mentioned that it was well prepared and had good flavors.

all in all, i really enjoy vapianos and i think i have been converted to the chinatown location. the happy hour is also really really good with $4.00 house red wine, house white wine, peroni draught and pilsner draught. you really can't be that.

Grade: B

Good for buddies who are looking to catch up over an inexpensive meal or a first date. Things to do: Catch a movie at the theater, catch a concert at Verizon Center, catch a play at Woolly Mammoth theater, check out the latest exhibit at the National Portrait Museum...get the picture? So many things to do. Also, for dessert (in Chinatown), check out Tangy Sweet or Coco Sala. In Dupont- Kramerbooks.

Bell Pepper, Spinach and Mozarella Pizza aka My lazy meal

so this was meant to be one thing and then it wasn’t. it happens.

I intended to make a very special pizza that i found on smitten kitchen, however, a key ingredient was no longer “good”, so i had to toss it and save the recipe for another day. sigh.
nevertheless, i was really in the mood for pizza which is very ironic (you will find out why in a few posts to come), so I just grabbed some fresh items from the fridge and went to town with my DELICIOUS trader joe’s garlic pizza crust. they make it so easy to make good pizza. god bless you trader joes. god bless you.

the thing i love the most about pizza, well maybe not the most but its definitely at the top of the list, is that you can throw whatever you are in the mood for on top of that pizza preferably with a red sauce, and be GOOD to Go for a delicious meal that you are sure to enjoy. so this is what i was in the mood for. simple but yet delicious. veggie ventures.



Ingredients
1 Bell Pepper
1/2 Cup of Spinach
1/2 Cup of Shredded Mozzarella (or whatever type of cheese you prefer on your pizza)
1/3 cup of Tomato Basil Marinara or Garlic Marinara or no sauce
1 Pizza crust (either homemade, one day i will be that brave) or any other that you can find in your local grocery store

Directions
1 ) Preheat your oven to 425 (trust meeee)

2) While oven is heating, roll out your dough with a rolling pin or a some sort of glass bottle and dust with corn STARCH

3) Drizzle baking sheet with oil and a few pinches of corn starch and place dough on the sheet

4) Chop up bell peppers (or whatever else you want to put on your pizza)

5) Add red sauce to your crust

6) Top with Cheese and other various toppings

7) Cook for about 15 minutes until the edges of the pizza are a nice brown

8) Enjoy and Share!