D.C. Restaurant Riffs

I had an excellent lunch at Bistro Bis the other day with my friend, Lauren. She ordered what Bis called a "pork cannoli." When it arrived, sure enough — it looked a little like cannoli. But it was shredded pork inside a soft crepe-like roll.

She let me taste it, and it was delicious. I ordered the duet de saumon, a house-cured salmon + a seared salmon. Both were excellent.

The only disappointment was dessert. I ordered the carrot cake. If I had to give it a grade, the cake part would have earned a B-. Traditional cream cheese frosting would have been better than the uninteresting gelatinized topping that the pastry chef produced.

Better option: Bis's apple tart.

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Lunch at Michel Richard's Central was excellent. I wish they offered a better range of wines by the glass, but I must admit that the ones they offer are good. I drank a glass of white from the French region of Savoie.

I started with a frisee salad (which came with a poached egg on top). It was wonderful.

My friend had a cheeseburger, which he was very pleased with. I had the roast salmon with lentils. It was cooked perfectly. Their fries are always tasty.