Whom You Know: Peachy's Picks Washington DC

Monday, January 6, 2020

#PeachysPicks #WashingtonDC #Rasika #Winter2020 @RasikaDC @ashokbajajdc A Peachy's Pick Since 2015 #AshokBajaj #VikramSunderam Peachy's Picks Washington, D.C.: Rasika West End Starring James Beard Winning Executive Chef Vikram Sunderam of The Knightsbridge Restaurant Group by Ashok Bajaj

Executive Chef Vikram Sunderam and Lobster Malai

Owner Ashok Bajaj and Peachy Deegan

It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we know Ashok Bajaj and his Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, by far the best restaurant group in Washington, D.C.

Rasika West End earned a spot in Peachy's Picks in 2015:

https://www.whomyouknow.com/2015/04/peachys-picks-washington-dc-rasika-west.html#.XhNgUkdKg2x

This is our first return visit, and you can bet your bottom dollar that if it was also in Manhattan we'd be there much more often. It is absolutely the best Indian food in Washington DC along with The Bombay Club bien sur mes amies.

The decor and ambiance is top-notch, as you can expect to see in every single one of Ashok's culinary institutions of excellence. It goes without saying that the service is perfection.

We've reviewed nearly 800 books to date, and someday we aspire to sit in their library which is particularly attractive.

We had a beautiful corner table here:

The wine list is particularly spectacular and we sipped upon a divine cabernet, Peachy's go-to.

Even the wine glasses are stellar (and naturally the silverware too):

The culinary fireworks in our nation's capital started with the signature Palak Chaat, suggested by Rasika. Crispy baby spinach lends itself to crunchy taste sensations beautifully contrasted with yogurt. Tamarind and date also come to this festive party in a hip bowl. We particularly liked the bright tomatoes. Pictures do not lie: it really does look this stunning. We never edit pictures: you either excel like Vikram and Ashok, or you do not.

Your required response to Mango Shrimp on the appetizer list should be a resounding YES PLEASE. It is a day-brightener particularly in the dead of winter: a sunshine horizon of extraordinary taste levels awaits you with the most gorgeously-flavored shrimp, cashew nuts, ginger and coriander. Rasika achieves the right level of spice without setting Peachy's Irish taste buds on fire.

We love that there are nine bread choices.
Peachy is completely pro-carb!

We narrowed it down to two: Garlic Naan and Onion and Sage Naan, both terrific companions of fluffy freshness and exquisite seasoning that paired so well with our edible endeavors.

Of everything we tried, we were most impressed with Lobster Malai and we chose the Saffron Pulao (under rice) to go with it specifically. Its presentation in an authentic coconut shell immediately impressed us:

When is the last time you ate dinner out of a coconut?

Delving into the coconut shell, we found superlative chunks of lobster bathing in bay leaf, coconut milk and highlighted by red chili. Its ultimate succulence was achieved in combination with the spectacular Saffron Pulao.

The final firework of the classic Tandoori Chicken Tikka reaffirmed Rasika's commitment to excel. Chilies, garlic and garam masala accentuated the brilliance of this dish, a total classic in Indian cuisine and never better than at Rasika.

A Peachy's Pick, Rasika continues to be Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.

https://www.rasikarestaurant.com/

http://www.rasikarestaurant.com/westend/

https://twitter.com/RasikaDC

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rasika-West-End/167578553379545

1190 New Hampshire Ave, NW

Washington, DC 20037

#PeachysPicks #WashingtonDC #Olivia by #AshokBajaj @ashokbajajdc #KnightsbridgeRestaurantGroup

We show you the street view so you can find it if you don't live in Washington D.C. either!

It's not who you know. It never has been. IT'S WHOM YOU KNOW. And now we know Olivia, the hot new girl of a restaurant in town, to the south of Manhattan. Olivia started in January 2019.

The Ashok Bajaj hit parade continues on Whom You Know.

It is the latest and greatest brainchild of our pal Ashok Bajaj, master of Washington DC restaurants. There he is with Peachy! We love Ashok and all of his fabulous business endeavors, all of which you can eat. We really do feel like we are playing Monopoly, which we love, each time we add a property to Peachy's Picks. We have known Ashok for so long he did not have a Twitter when we met him! 701 was the second restaurant we reviewed ever in Washington DC and sadly, it has closed. But there are many other Ashok options, including this, his latest and greatest.

You will remember we once reviewed NOPA:

https://www.whomyouknow.com/2014/01/peachys-picks-washington-dc-nopa-of.html#.Xeg3X-hKg2w

Olivia is now in the NOPA space and it has replaced it.

The interior is absolutely gorgeous and Ashok himself designed it.

Ashok personally goes to all of his restaurants every day. He is an omnipresent like no other restaurant owner we have ever met, and we've met a lot. He does about ten times the work because he owns around ten restaurants. However, he cannot do everything himself and hires a spectacular staff. As you might imagine, Peachy Deegan in no way travels light. This was her first stop and she was graciously greeted with everything!

General Manager and Wine Director Tim Hays was outstanding! His recommendations were spot-on and after talking to him, we realized we had worked with him once before!

https://www.whomyouknow.com/2014/10/peachys-picks-washington-dc-bibiana-by.html#.Xeg6YuhKg2w

Talent that works with Ashok advances and excels.

You do not see this everywhere.

Eric Rodriguez, Event Coordinator, was also extremely gracious and did a fantastic job! He has some Notre Dame blood in him via his Dad and Peachy was able to expand on her personal goal of befriending Notre Dame people (her favorite obviously is still Regis.) If you have not read us before, you should know that Peachy went to Boston College and is an extremely avid Boston College athletics supporter. She wrote professionally on all BC sports before she ever wrote on food. Though BC has had some tough years recently v. ND, we still remember that God is Good and so was Gordon's Kick.

Olivia is a hybrid of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, and is highly original and trendy in its culinary endeavors. We began with the Tzaziki Labne, which was super lemony. With a greek yogurt base, it incorporates cucumber, basil, dill (we love) and is garnished with some sensational trout roe. They make housemade Lavash which is a cracker of Moroccan unleavened bread. If you ask for French Bread (Peachy is a French Bread monster akin to the Cookie Monster) that is also fabulous to vault into this wonder.

Peachy has a close relationship with Burrata, and to that end, she was thrilled to see it on the menu. We have never seen it like this: Warm Burrata Terracotta. It is enveloped by Zhug, which is a Middle Eastern spice with parsley, cilantro and oregano and though Burrata in our experience is usually fresh and warm, here it was hot and emanated these spices, making it stand out.

Chioggia Beet Salad has got the Beat! We applaud their extensive vegetable section and think Dr. Oz would like it too. Tertilla cheese, red beets and local greens are enhanced with creative pistachio vinaigrette (on the side for Ms. Pretty Picky, of course they listen here) and what you might think is a Hershey's kiss is date molasses here.

Littleneck clam glamour shots

Definitely the Littleneck Clams were our favorite dish we tried. In this case, of course they are not coming from Long Island like the ones in Manhattan because that would be utterly ridiculous. They are sourced from Assateague Island in Maryland and arrive in style directly to Olivia every other day. The Littleneck Clams are in a Vinho Verde broth of artichoke, fennel, cilantro, onion and oregano. P.S. if you are in Manhattan, obviously you should have Gerard's Littleneck Clams...you know, the Marvelous Mr. Meagher

https://www.whomyouknow.com/2019/10/peachyspicks-manhattan-terrifictakeout-oldtown-bar-restaurant-gerardmeagher-meagherfamilly-bestchili.html#.Xeg_juhKg2x

(Maisel films at Chez Gerard, Old Town)

The presentation at Olivia is top-notch, and this is how our entree arrived.

Under the big top!

Under fish, meet Whole Grilled Mediterranean Dorade. Every fish entree in our opinion should be a whole fish, like the sensational Lavraki at Ammos.

This Dorade at Olivia is deboned and is beautifully embellished by a Saffron Rouille. Pea Shoot Salad, Orzo, Tzatziki and a fabulous Chorzio Shrimp Escabeche make this plate a total party.

We were also impressed with the quality and depth of the wine selection.

You absolutely must save room for dessert: you will love to indulge in both the Hazelnut Profiterole of Milk Chocolate and Milk Jam with of course Hazelnut, and also the classic Baklava.

Go to Washington to eat with Ashok!!!

Olivia is Recommended by Whom You Know!

https://www.oliviawdc.com/menu

Olivia

800 F Street, NW

Washington, DC 20004

(202) 347-4667

Recent Testimonials by Brand Ambassadors on their Experience with Whom You Know

"I work with Peachy Deegan because she's prolific at what she does. She's a hard worker, she's thoughtful and she's tasteful at what she writes which is very important. Peachy gets the facts correct, and just that alone is worth its weight in gold."

-Edward Tricomi, Master Stylist and Owner of Warren-Tricomi
https://warrentricomi.com/

"No one has yet to express their taste for our cuisine better than Peachy Deegan on Whom You Know. Thank you for transforming our flavor into words, unlike any other before.
Sometimes WHOM YOU KNOW, really makes a difference and Ammos Estiatorio is grateful to know Peachy Deegan!"
-
Dimitris Nakos, Founder and Owner of
Ammos Estiatorio
https://ammosnewyork.com/

“Whom You Know has done an amazing job of featuring our company over many years [seven]. Peachy has worked tirelessly to create a well-curated selection of topics and brands that are clearly of relevance to her growing audience of readers. Her articles are filled with great insights based on first-hand experience. She does her research, knows her business and is a pleasure to work with!”

-David Sasuga, Owner of Fresh Origins Microgreens
www.FreshOrigins.com

"Peachy Deegan has the pulse of the nation and highlights exceptional opinion leaders in more than 23,000 inspiring and entertaining posts. Her 100,000 twitter followers are a true testimony to Peachy’s ability to inspire, motivate and entertain. She is a feminine force to be reckoned with and an exemplary example of an influential voice in today’s world."

-Mica Mosbacher, author of the new book The Hurricane Factor: Stormside Patriots and tv political commentator

"It was an honour to be chosen for Movers and Shakers by Peachy Deegan. The questions in the interview were intelligent and insightful and I thoroughly enjoyed answering them. The reaction to the interview has been overwhelmingly positive and has helped bring my art practice to a wider audience."
-Damien Flood, Internationally Acclaimed Artist
http://www.damienflood.ie/

"We were so fortunate to hit Peachy’s radar. Her review of our Warmies was spot-on and came at a great time in our company’s early history.
Peachy has such a strong relationship with her readers. She provides honest and real comments; she is truly a trusted source in a very large circle
of consumers."
-Scott Wehrs
President
Intelex U.S.A.
http://www.intelexusallc.com/

"We at Primola love working with Whom You Know and are proud to have been a highly-ranked Manhattan restaurant by Peachy Deegan since 2012, and are featured seasonally. We appreciate the fantastic work Peachy does highlighting our cuisine with her sublime writing style and the whole neighborhood of the Upper East side. Also, we are glad that she has started a Made in Italy column! If you have the opportunity to be considered for review, we'd highly recommend working with her."
-Giuliano Zuliani, Owner of Primola Restaurant
https://www.facebook.com/Primola-Canaletto-restaurants-NYC-135616799831091

"
Peachy Deegan is a gem. She is wonderful to feature our Irish brands in 'Whom You Know'! The articles are beautifully and passionately presented, bringing products and brands to life, making both relevant and fun for her many faithful followers to read. I am immensely proud for our hand-crafted products to be included in this venue!"

-
Bill Follett
President, Belleek Group North America
www.Belleek.com

"As you know from my past features, Peachy Deegan and I were in the same class at Boston College prior to either of us becoming entrepreneurs. When we played together on the BC Alumni softball team in Central Park years ago, she mentioned she could not find a great dentist in Manhattan and could often be found networking on her phone in the outfield hiding from the ball. She was my second patient ever in 2006 when I opened my dental practice; I was one of the first sponsors on Whom You Know and the first Mover and Shaker featured in 2009 and have worked with her continuously since. She's even talked her friends that are doctors into being my patients, and they subsequently send their hospital colleagues. I don't know anyone that is as great of a networker and writer as Peachy, nevermind that she is upstanding and always good for her word. Cosmopolitan Dental is so happy to be in the company of the caliber of major brands she works with today, and although she will tell you a million ways to get your teeth dirty between Peachy's Picks, Terrific Takeout and Peachy's Pantry, Peachy Deegan will tell you there is only one way to get your teeth clean!"
-Dr. Garo Nazarian, Founder and Owner of Cosmopolitan Dental
http://cosmopolitandental.com/