Lunch before the snow storm at Willow

I told Karl that I would try to get some photos of more recognizable scenes along the Potomac today, but then I learned that taking the Metro several stops away could be problematic if the snow started at 2:00 PM as predicted.  It is now 2:40 PM and no snow, though it feels immanent.

Anyway, we decided to have a fine lunch instead, to get away from the igloo awhile. Because the grocery stores are running low on things like fresh tomatoes, I expected that restaurant chefs might find it challenging to come up with ingredients.

However, Chef Tracy O’Grady is creative. First, her anchor specialty, flatbreads, is always excellent and so are her salads. Yet, there is something even more intriguing on the menu today, duck and chicken pot pie. I saw another couple enjoying the dish. But, I opted for a less hardy lunch of the old standby, flatbread and salad. The Caesar salad featured excellent Parmesan cheese and Spanish style anchovies. I also had an excellent glass of fruity chardonnay.

Because we had to walk back in the snow, I felt that we earned a Chocolate jamocha mousse cake for dessert. With the snow coming, I asked if they were going home. Chef Tracy said that she and her husband would be spending the night at a local hotel. That is dedication and why we remain devoted customers.

“It began with a wedding and continues with a menu that offers new interpretations on French and Northern Italian cooking. Willow restaurant opened its doors Friday, September 2, with the nuptials of its chef and co-owner Tracy O'Grady. She was escorted down the restaurant's aisle by her mentor and well-know Washington, D.C., chef Bob Kinkead, where she was joined in matrimony to Brian Wolken, the restaurant's Director of Operations. Willow's cuisine style is described as modern continental. O'Grady has combined the freshest American ingredients with classic French and Italian influences. Her innovative dishes, created in an artful, but straightforward manner are followed by decadent desserts, which also play to the styles of France and Italy.”

Oh yes, it is about the snow.