Matzo Balls and Mischief at DGS Delicatessen

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I was all on my own on my last night in Washington D.C., and it was the first night of Hanukkah. Not wanting to waste the night sitting in my hotel room, I decided to embrace the holiday and find some comfort food. I found myself at DGS Delicatessen, a Jewish artisan deli near Dupont Circle, named for the District Grocery Stores that used to line the streets of D.C. The space buzzed with hungry diners at butcher block tables lining the warm brick wall spanning two stories. I walked past the open-concept kitchen with its shiny white subway tile and watched chefs chop and latkes sizzle.

I got a seat right away in the back of the restaurant at the marble-top bar. Exposed bulbs hung from the white-washed beamed ceiling and the bar glowed under the lights. This was my kind of place. If the food was as good as the atmosphere, I knew I’d be in for a good night.

I ordered a glass of Rioja, a red wine that always reminds me of my summer in Spain. The bartender gave me a nod of approval at my choice. I had picked his favorite. He poured me a glass, and another for himself.

I waffled between getting the short ribs or just going all out and ordering the Hanukkah Dinner tasting menu. Who was I kidding? Of course I was getting the Hanukkah Dinner. For the full tasting menu, a glass of wine, tax, and a generous tip, I paid $38.

The first course was a small dish of pickled vegetables with dill. They tasted like… pickles. The challah bread and butter that came along with it, however, was fresh and tasted like home.

The next course was matzo ball soup, a Jewish classic comfort food. Despite the fact that it is normally a bit bland and boring, DGS Delicatessen’s version was flavorful and delicious. The single tennis ball-sized matzo ball was just the right texture, soft and easy to cut with my spoon, and it was packed full of flavor.

When the main course arrived, the aromas from the red wine braised brisket and the fresh fried potato latkes were almost intoxicating. The brisket was so tender, I could pull it apart with my fork. The potato latkes were like hot patties of heaven – crispy on the outside and soft on the inside – just the way they should be. Even the sauteed spinach had me swooning!

I had to exercise some self-restraint to keep myself from eating the whole meal. It was easily enough for two people, but too tasty to leave behind. When it came time for the final course – dessert – I just couldn’t do it. I skipped the sweets and took the bartender up on his offer for a second glass of rioja instead. Who was I to say no to a free glass of wine?

As you can see, I’d been snapping photos of my food all night long, so the bartender and I got to talking about travel and what I do. I told him I was taking pictures for this site, and shared a little about the blog and my upcoming travels. Little did I know, I would be more than just a travel blogger that evening.

At the end of the night, when the general manager came by to ask the bartender how things had been going, I heard the bartender respond just loud enough to make sure I could hear, “Hey, you know the travel guidebooks, Frommers?”

“Yeah, sure, of course,” the manager responded.

“You’re never going to believe this,” the bartender lowered his voice further. “The senior editor of Frommers is here. She had our tasting menu.”

The bartender snuck me a sidelong glance and nodded the manager in my direction. I summoned all my inner strength to keep from smirking and ruining his prank. You’re the senior editor of Frommers, Sonja, hold it together!

The manager came over and introduced himself and nervously asked how I’d enjoyed the tasting menu. It had been nothing short of incredible, so he would have had nothing to worry about, even if I was from Frommers.  I assured him I was quite satisfied, and would be sharing my thoughts with my readers (hello guys, that’s you!) He asked me about my travels, and conveniently I didn’t have to lie once. We talked about my upcoming trip to London and India, and all the great Indian food I’d be eating. Then he gave me his card and, I imagine, prayed for a positive review.

We couldn’t let him sweat for too long, so a few minutes later, the bartender gave up the gag and told him the truth. We all laughed and this time I gave my card to the manager, and told him to look up my real travel blog.  Mark, if you’re reading this, sorry for the mischief! Hope I can return to DGS Delicatessen someday, and I promise I won’t pretend to be from Frommers. 🙂