DC Harvest, DC

I'm back! After a bit of a hiatus BASE jumping all around the world, I'm back for a few weeks. It is bitter cold here with highs in the single digits and it feels like a great time to get caught up on restaurant reviews! I'll start with DC Harvest.

DC Harvest opened in 2014 in the H Street corridor. One of the owners, Jared Ringel, reached out to me to ask if I would review the restaurant. I'm not often asked to review a restaurant by the owner, so why not?!

So, on a Monday night a few months ago, I met a friend for dinner at DC Harvest. An unassuming, old, white and green row house sits on H Street. The sign outside the restaurant doesn't really match the decor inside the restaurant. In fact, although it matches the restaurant name, it looks a bit cheesy and not like it feels on the inside--this is where I think there is a bit of a disconnect because when you walk in, although it is a small place, you realize this could be a really nice place. With its nice bar with white granite top to its quaint dining room, this place has some definite promise.

I immediately found Mr. Ringel behind the bar and he showed us to our table. It's a small restaurant--smaller than I had expected with less than 10 tables. The lighting is dark, the walls are white, and the bar area is quite large. On this particular night, all of the tables were full at one point--not bad for a Monday night.

Mr. Ringel stopped by to explain the menu and pointed out which items were either vegan by design or could be made vegan. I started with the Friendly Fire drink made with cilantro-infused blanco Mezcal, tangerine juice, lime juice, gomme syrup, cilantro, and grilled jalapenos. Yum!

A bowl of pickled vegetables were dropped off, which consisted of a few carrots, a few celery sticks, a pickle, and a lone green bean. It looked a little sad and empty.

We started with an order of the Fried Green Tomatoes made with pea shoots, charred eggplant puree, and lemon vinaigrette. We thought they were nicely breaded and enjoyed the puree--nice pairing.

Next, we shared the Sauteed Summer Greens made with walnuts, currants, and spring onions. It was fantastic.

For my second drink, I tried the War of the Roses made with four roses yellow label bourbon, gomme syrup, peychaud aperitivo, rhubarb, and dry vermouth. Very nice.

Lastly, for my entree, I had a housemade fresh pasta made with okra, tomatoes, and walnuts. The pasta was so fresh and the veggies amazing. I loved it!

Unfortunately, none of the desserts were vegan. Other vegan items on that seasonal menu included tomato and watermelon salad, summer greens, and smoked broccoli. As the menu is seasonal and I'm a bit late in posting this, it has already changed, but the waitstaff is happy to tell you what can be made vegan outside of what is already labeled as vegan on the menu. They are currently open for brunch on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as well as dinner every night of the week.

Overall, I'm excited that a small restaurant like this has so many vegan offerings and I love that the menu is seasonal as you can try something new every season! The food was good, the drinks were fantastic, and prices on the high side. I'd recommend this as a great option for those looking for a fun brunch, a dinner for a special occasion, or as a higher priced regular weekly meal. Bon appetit!

DC Harvest
517 H Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 629-3296



Full Disclosure: Although the meal was provided to me at no cost to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion.

Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup

This soup is pretty amazing. With just some cashew cream, mushrooms, onions, thyme, and a few other ingredients, you can whip up a sensational Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup and I'll tell you how. I found this recipe in the cookbook called Homestyle Vegan by Amber St. Peter.  The only flaw in this recipe was too much salt, which I corrected below. This would be a fantastic soup to serve friends and family--loaded with umami and love.

Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 lb assorted mushrooms (any kind)
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 Tbsp plus 1/8 tsp salt, divided (original recipe called for 1 Tbsp, but that is way too much)
• 1 tsp ground pepper

Instructions
In a medium-size bowl, soak the cashews in the warm water. Set them aside to soften.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic, onion, and mushrooms until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Pour in the sherry and continue cooking for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sherry liquid reduces by about half. Pour in the vegetable broth, fresh thyme, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, and pepper and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

While the soup simmers, make the cashew cream by blending the soaked cashews, the water they're soaking in, and the remaining 1/8 tsp salt to create a thick cream. Pour into the simmering soup, and remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion or high-speed blender, carefully blend the soup in batches or all at once. Garnish with fresh thyme. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated and reheat as needed for up to 1 week.

Bekiri's Family Fast Food, Zakynthos, Greece

Oh this beautiful island! We wanted to get away from the restaurant we ate at every day and somehow ended up at Bekiri's Family Fast Food. Not a fast food joint at all, but an indication that they can prepare your food quickly. However, we soon found out that was not the case.

We only had a group of six or so and were in a hurry so none of us ordered alcoholic beverages. By the time they finally took our order, we still had like an hour left before we needed to be back to the hotel. Forty minutes later--still no food.

Finally, when they delivered the food, it was meh. I ordered the simple Spaghetti Vegetarian, which was like an entire box of pasta mixed with tomatoes and mushrooms. It really wasn't that exciting.

Given the slow service and mediocre food, I wouldn't recommend this place.

Bekiri's Family Fast Food
Alykanas 290 90
Zakynthos, Greece

+30 698 626 1124

Corned Bean Hash

I found a recipe for Corned Bean Hash, a play on Corned Beef Hash, listed in the breakfast section of Homestyle Vegan by Amber St. Peter, and I thought it would make a great dinner.  After mixing simple ingredients together like red potatoes, kidney beans, tahini, and onion, I had a great tasting dish. The fantastic flavor could be attributed to the mix of tahini and cayenne pepper. It is a very filling and satisfying dish. Feel free to double the recipe if you want more.

There was something missing from this recipe--what to do with the beans. So, I'll just write it the way I made it.

Corned Bean Hash
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked kidney beans
• 1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup finely diced white onion
• 1 cup chopped red potatoes
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp cayenne (I added 1/4 tsp)
• Chives, chopped, for garnish

Instructions
In a small bowl, mash about three-fourths of the kidney beans with a fork and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onions for 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Toss in the potatoes, beans, tahini, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and cayenne, stirring to combine.

Cover and continue to cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. If things start getting stuck to the pan before the potatoes are ready, you can add 1 Tbsp of water as needed to loosen things up.  Once the mixture is becoming browned and crispy, remove from the heat. Garnish with fresh chives and serve!

Full Disclosure: Although the book was provided to me for free to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion.

Koukounari Taverna, Zakynthos, Greece

We decided to go to a fancier place for our last dinner on this island. That led us to Koukounari Taverna. This was not the most vegan friendly place on the island, but I had some of the best food on the island.

I also loved that grapes were growing over us!

Of course, we started with wine. But, when it came to ordering, it proved difficult for me. Most of the things that appeared to be vegan were not including the eggplant dip.

So, I went with a Greek salad without feta, which was really great.

And grilled vegetables--eggplant, squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, and herbs. It was incredibly good.

I loved this place with its outside seating, nice atmosphere, friendly staff, and great food! Okay, back to BASE jumping over the blue water!

Koukounari Taverna
Katastari Alykes Road,  
Alykes 252 00, Zakynthos, Greece

+30 2695 085009

Anatolikos Taverna, Zakynthos, Greece

We jumped on our scooters in search of another great restaurant on Zakynthos Island and we found it at Anatolikos Taverna. At this beachside restaurant where most, if not all, of the seating is outside, the weather is amazing and the view is equally so.

I started with a nice glass of white wine--super cheap on this island.

For lunch, I ordered the stuffed tomatoes and peppers. As simple as it sounds, it was oh-so-good. Stuffed with rice and spices, this was a very filling meal. And like everything else on this island, it was served with baked/fried potatoes. Delish!

The Gigandes bean dish is fantastic as well! I just took a few from my friend's dish, which was a huge bowl of tomatoey beans!

Service was a bit slow, but we were a party of 20 or so without a reservation so there's that. But, loved the food, drink, and company!

Anatolikos Taverna
Alykes Main Road
Alykes 290 90, Zakynthos, Greece

+30 2695 083158

Apollo Restaurant, Zakynthos, Greece

As the restaurant that was directly across from the Letsos Hotel that we stayed at, Apollo saw us about every day during our time on Zakynthos island. The server there was a lot of fun and made it easy for me to be vegan.

Each time, he asked whether I was in the mood for sweet or dry, red or white wine and would choose a wine for me. For just two Euros per glass, I really couldn't ever complain.

On my first visit, he said he'd choose something for me and when he brought it out, I was delighted! It was Briam--roasted vegetables in a thick tomato sauce served with fried potatoes and salad. It was so delicious that I came back several times for this same dish!

I also tried the Dolmades also served with fried potatoes and a salad. Delicious.

The waiter, who may have been the owner (I don't know), also took a selfie of himself when we asked him to take a pic of us. So, I have this. LOL

I loved this place. Fun atmosphere, outside seating, great food, great prices, and great service. Highly recommended.

Apollo Restaurant
Main Road
Alykanas 290 90, Zakynthos, Greece
+30 2695 026562