Duke's Grocery

A Taste of East London in DC

If you're looking for a casual neighborhood joint with scratch-made food, cold drinks and a cozy atmosphere, you need to go to Duke's Grocery immediately. Duke's is inspired by sleek avant-garde restaurants and greasy hole in the wall spots in East London -- my two favorite things. The chalkboard menu is updated regularly depending on what is seasonally available and fresh, and the ingredients are sourced from local purveyors and centered around sustainability. Seriously, I have died and gone to foodie heaven.

Feel Good Fish Dish

Salmon is such a wonderful fish. It can stand up to bold flavors, it's flaky, but still delicate, you can grill it or bake it or sear it -- I just love it. I get really excited when it's on sale (the fresh stuff, not the frozen stuff), so I like to treat it with love and respect when it makes an appearance in my kitchen. Since my trip to China, I've been under the influence of Asian flavors and this recipe was a big hit at my house. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Keep It Simple

One of the best things I've ever eaten is the fire roasted chicken at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. It's crispy skin and juicy meat had me at hello. Since I crave this chicken so often, I decided to try my hand at recreating it on the East Coast.