Some restaurant chefs are just plain better than others. That’s why when my friendCYNTHIA CONNELLY (see photography to the left here), started telling me about this hot, hopping joint in Columbia Heights, Meridian Pint, I was hopeful, but not overly optimistic.
Now for my first digression: I’m a huge game meat-eater of game. When I went to South Africa, all I could think about was “what is the gamiest meat I can find.” Turns out the answer was Kudu, and that zebra is the best tasting food I’ve ever eaten anywhere.
Well, in America, you have to be more circumspect in your selections. Eating a striped horse is frowned upon. It’s rare to find even the fairly common animals on menus outside of the chicken, pork, lamb, beef oeuvre—quail, cartridge, pheasant, goose, rabbit, etc. And I like to think of myself as perhaps the biggest fan of antelope in Washington D.C., except maybe for my friend Olivia.
Well, in America, you have to be more circumspect in your selections. Eating a striped horse is frowned upon. It’s rare to find even the fairly common animals on menus outside of the chicken, pork, lamb, beef oeuvre—quail, cartridge, pheasant, goose, rabbit, etc. And I like to think of myself as perhaps the biggest fan of antelope in Washington D.C., except maybe for my friend Olivia.
However, where Olivia won’t go, I will. I am a rabbit fan. She had a rabbit as a pet, so I guess I get that. However, I think rabbits, well, they breed like rabbits, right? They should be extraordinarily affordable. Well, they are not.
So one Monday night, Cynthia called in a state, “Matthew, Matthew, David’s serving rabbit. We have to have to get over there.” My gawd, they were pairing the food that night with beers no less. Rabbit and beer!? Positively Germanic, I thought. Was it? What on earth made the chef think, “Yeah, I can pair rabbit with beers.” I decided to find out.
Cynthia and Dave at Meridian Pint over Pumpkin Soup
On the right night in the hands of the rightchef, rabbit is the bee’s knees. Due to scheduling, I couldn’t get my interview with David done in time for this post; however, let me encourage you to visit Meridian Pint and a chef who completely understands how to cook rabbit, David Shewmaker.
He has a flair with rabbits that surpasses the typical Italian recipes you’ll find by Lidia Bastianich. David has a sensitivity for the little devil that makes it the most delightful entrée this side of quail.
Upcoming post: an interview with David. Stay tuned for more from alunchboxblog.com
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
- DAVID SHEWMAKER AND MERIDIAN PINT | A LUNCH BOX BLOG - [...] fairly frequent piece of the Meridian Pint business is in-store events. Beer and Food pairings, Food Day celebrations, and …
photo copyright 2011 Cynthia Connolly
3400 11th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20010
(202) 588-1075
$25-35 per person, depending on what drinks you order