Just because it's called "That's Amore" doesn't mean I agree

Okay, I'll admit it. This is the biggest time gap between posts. But hey, I was doing stuff. And I really don’t care how vague that sounds. The ‘stuff’ I’ve been doing taught me to toss my green wig back and ignore criticism. Despite my amazing confidence within, at “That’s Amore”, I was not happy with service. Honestly, I really (and truly) think I could have gotten better service at some nearby Burger King. Right after my meal, I always let the waiter/waitress know I will review their food. But the waitress looked at me like she didn’t believe me. Trust me, it seemed almost as if she didn’t have to look at me, she wouldn’t. Usually, people will thank me or something. In fact, one of my favorite restaurants, Cava, has a winning combo. Whenever I walk in, they recognize me and we sometimes talk. They thank me for the review, seat me to a table, and then I gorge on delicious Greek cuisine. What do you think about that? But I’ll shut up about Cava. After all, I’m writing about “That’s Amore”, not Cava. (By the way, please check out my real post about Cava.) I’m sorry, “That’s Amore”, but Cava is way better. Besides, there's a personal limit of how many words aren’t about the food. As every Italian restaurant does, there was bread on the table. Wow, what a surprise. And guess what? It tastes exactly the same as most Italian breads. If they actually made the bread, then I would be thrilled. It’s one of those old fashioned things that people thrive on because nobody does it anymore. I then looked at the menu to find something perfect for me. Fortunately, I succeeded. I decided on four cheese tortellini. Before I say how fantastic it is, I’d just like to say that most tortellini I eat is in a marinara sauce. But not this one. No, this dish was served in something similar to Alfredo sauce. All in all, it would easily be a dish for everyone with its creamy texture and nutty notes. As side dishes, I had Vesuvius Potatoes and asparagus. While the deliciously high-starch potatoes were flavored with garlic and just enough salt, the asparagus was awful. It had the taste of raw asparagus, yet it was rubbery and soggy. It actually seems as if you have to try to do that. To soothe away the grossness, I got chocolate gelato. Now remember my comment about homemade stuff? Well, it turns out it’s homemade. It really made a difference. The silky smooth dessert was so unfortunately small. Overall, “That’s Amore” gets three stars.     

Spectacular food for any crowd? Just go to Amalfi Ristorante for greatness!

Every once in a while, you come across something interesting. I won’t ascend to the heights of gushing over sheer perfection. All I said was that it was easily interesting. Not bad, but not in the way of getting trillions of dollars every time you breathe. And, of course it isn’t that simple, alas. You can’t live without life. And without food or water you can’t live. This restaurant was a very alluring place. Food (good food) was hardly anywhere to be found. If you haven’t read my insults of Taipei Tokyo, then I'll fill you in- good is not anywhere near my high standards. How it wasn’t near good was because it was almost on top of my standards. And I have very high standards. I swear not to give out five stars unless I might be so lucky. Or if the owners are, come to think about it. I might go on about inner décor, except the only time I went in was going to the bathroom. I ate outside that night, so in that case, I'll definitely advise you to eat outside. As most Italian restaurants, they served bread, butter and olive oil. I’d have to say that I’m not dishing out originality points for this one; however, I admit it was a fresh chewy loaf that worked well with the full bodied olive oil. I haven’t had soup for an elongated period of time, and pumpkin potato soup was a nice change of pace. It was thick and smooth and peppery. It wasn’t exactly paradisaical, and it wasn’t quite my palette, but I liked it nevertheless. And here’s something strange: it didn’t taste at all like pumpkin. It was only potato soup, according to my taste buds. A platter of white beans soon followed after a sip of water. It had a rich, bold, savory taste; the soup surrounding it was similar, with the exclusion of the fact it was more bold, savory, and salty. Tomatoes and mozzarella (aka caprese) came. By the way, they make the mozzarella themselves. Isn’t that an excellent thing to know? The mozzarella isn’t very good plain, but pair its flavor with your tomatoes (and a bit of basil, too) and it’s a luscious, most wonderful savor. It tastes fresh, vibrant, laced with light balsamic notes. Entrees came: four cheese ravioli for me, tortellini for my mother (which I sampled and will tell you all about). My ravioli was smooth and creamy, slightly nutty, with a subtle aftertaste. The mellow tomato sauce brings out the vibrant taste of cheeses. As I said, I tried some of my mom’s tortellini, a dark dish with a mushroom sauce. The sauce was extremely well bodied and zesty. The actual pasta itself was perfectly al dente and  mild. I usually dislike mushrooms; usually, is an understatement. And to top my already fabulous meal off, I enjoyed a tartufo ice cream ball. A smooth, creamy, indulgent ice cream with a dark and light chocolate veneer- on the entire dessert, it was. Dig deeper to the ice cream and you’ll find fruity notes, hidden. The service here is great! I do not like the kind of waiter who comes all the time saying, "Is everything ok?" Most people will think this as gracious and kind. If it is a place like this, I'm on to your tricks. It makes me slightly suspicious. It shows that they're insecure about their own food, a bad sign. A waiter / waitress who does not come often is more secure about the food and a better waiter because he/she thinks the food is hard to perfect from what already has been served. If he/she is not coming to you, the business is so good that it is hard to get from one deserving customer to the next. Amalfi gets four and ½ stars! Yum!

Enjoy your next bites,

The Tiny Tastebud

Amalfi Ristorante Italiano

12307 Wilkins Avenue

Rockville, MD 20852

301.770.7888, fax 301.770.3542

http://www.amalfirockville.com/home.html

A restraint- or you could name it Taipei Tokyo- WARNING!

When first coming to the restaurant it looked like a purely Japanese restaurant because of the beautiful painting that would catch most eyes, consisting of 10 lovely ladies. However, I was disappointed to see the American desserts on the menu; one of which was Reese’s Cup pie! Did the Japanese invent that? I didn’t think so. I ordered avocado sushi, which I realized too late was the only good dish. Good is not what I expect- good isn’t the superlative in the apple of my eye. I expect better. That’s why I chose it as my description. I mean, I will say it was fresh and mellow, with a cool aftertaste, yet I got the feeling “they could have done better”. I do not have the impracticality to report five stars to a one star place. And sadly, I won’t spare mercy to those restaurants- I speak the truth. Tempura, as you probably don’t know, is a dish that I really find irresistible. Deep fried, the vegetables are sweet and rich. I worship that tempura god, wherever he may be in your conventional wok. But now, I get the feeling that he overlooked my tempura dish. It was awful! It wasn’t a crisp, light coating, but a flavorless, dry one. Vegetables? It was soggy, raw, and terribly peeled- they were too thick and hard, for tempura god’s sake! I mean come on. Then came vegetable dumplings; thick, hard, plain- a slightly raw dough deathtrap, honestly. And service?! The gum under the tables does not just reflect the quality of workmanship, but it is also associated with the quality of customers. And I doubt they’re good ones (there’s the word of the day again). I rate Taipei Tokyo one star- or less. Watch out Taipei!


                                                   Enjoy your next bites,

                                                     The Tiny Tastebud


Taipei Tokyo


www.taipei-tokyo.net

14921 Shady Grove Rd # D, Rockville

(301) 738-8813

Tapas and much more- especially fantastic service in detail- at Jackie’s Wine Club

Jackie's Wine Club

I need to just clarify here one thing, before anything happens. I do not drink. I can’t drink. My point is I’m not even allowed to walk to the Rockville Public Library by myself from my new house. And it’s only 20 minutes away. So I did not come to get a shot of wine. I’m not 21. Not 18. Not 16. No, I’m not even 15. So stop trying to guess, okay?! I was going to CVS the day before yesterday, and my mom noticed a restaurant she hadn’t particularly favored had closed. Then we saw it: Jackie’s Wine Club. She excitedly said the only reason she went to the other place was wine. She wanted to try it out. Doubtfully, I said I didn’t have the will to go to a wine club (see where I’m going here?). So next thing I know we’re in the wine club, which is more like a tapas bar anyway, and ordering, CVS bags in hand. What came out first were delicious Spanish olives. They had a vibrant taste, and then a citrusy aftertaste that I thought was very nice. They were also very oily in a good way, probably because they were laid in olive oil. Then, we chose two cheeses from the Spanish plate. Fontina and manchego cheese. They were both different, as the fontina was soft and smooth with a light tang in the aftertaste. The manchego was totally the opposite, however. It was sharp, bold, and aromatic; as well as interlocking a nutty flavor. Then there were morrones- mmm. They were fire roasted red peppers that tasted tangy yet lightly sweet flavored with a hint of spice and a subtle finish. At the same time, then came a tapas hall of famer- what more than tortilla de patata? Now this one; singularly, was classic. It was rich as far as potatoes go, perfectly salted, airy, and addicting. Good thing I didn’t get a picture of me, stuffing my face with tapas. Stand by for an unfortunate dish, the only one, actually. The spinach empanaditas that I wasn’t stuffing my face with were too salty and tasted… really raw to me. Actually, too green is my idea on taste. Papas a la huancaina (aside from being hard to pronounce) were great. It tastes like potato salad with a distinct mustard taste and has enough salt, pepper, and spice for most people. A bit late was pizzeta, which was basically pizza with two extra letters in it. It had a very crispy texture and well bodied flavor. It may have been fontina cheese and mozzarella mixed together. And then I had a long conversation with the waiter (great service!). This is for you, Tom! I think Jackie and the gang deserve four and a half stars. Thanks a lot!


                                                           Enjoy your next bites,

                                                     The Tiny Tastebud (happily)

Jackie’s Wine Club

12 N. Washington Street # 7

Rockville, Maryland 20850

DC's Chinatown can lead you to great places like Chinatown Express

Hi! I'm sorry about not posting for so long. I'm not disloyal; it's just my time, schedule- I want a good life, too! And from the taste of Chinatown Express, I think I am. After going to the DC National Portrait Gallery with friends, I was famished! We had gone to the same area before and by then, everyone was starved. It took a bit of time to wait, but the wait was worth it. The timing was slightly off, but it was fine. I got a plate of Steamed Broccoli, now regretting my choice. It was undercooked and very bitter. I had to put two gallons of soy sauce until it was decent (perhaps the least ethical thing to do), much less deliciousness. A bit later, Vegetable Dumplings came, probably straight from heaven and a pan meant for deep frying. I might have shoveled eight in my mouth at the same time they were so good. Tip: If you ever go, definitely get these tasty little fried dumplings; they're great and only six bucks. One friend of mine let me sample some Szechuan Eggplant, a spicy dish. It had a perfect amount of salt, and a pleasant texture. I rate Chinatown Express to be three stars.
                                                               Enjoy your next bites,

                                                                 The Tiny Tastebud


Chinatown Express Restaurant
746 6th Street, N.W., Washington DC 20001
Tel: 202-638-0424