sibling rivalry!

My camera recovered as quickly as it became ill. Perhaps it had a touch of swine flu?

So this weekend is Parent’s Weekend here at BU. Fortunately I saw my mother last weekend in NYC, or I’d be hella homesick, because the college is full of beaming kids (or sullen kids) and their parents. Although, eurgh, there have also been sightings of mothers doing their kids’ laundry. Seriously? You are (at least) 18 years old.

Anyway, my adorable roomie and her adorable parents, who she has told about our foodie adventures, were nice enough to include me in this evening’s dinner plans. We went to a restaurant I’ve been STOKED to try since I heard of its existence: Sibling Rivalry!

It was beautiful and classy and (like all my pictures lately!) dim.

For those who haven’t heard from it, the Kinkhead brothers (anyone DC area knows of Kinkheads- they are one and the same!) started this restaurant- Bob and David. On a given night, they have several seasonal and delicious theme ingredients, and each brother makes a dish- appetizer or entree- with his spin on it.

Thus, a menu that looks like this:

   

Picking out something to order was AGONY. But I did it. But first, bread!

A delicious selection, which included the lovely raisin bread seen above- the edges were almost crumbly and melba-like, but the inside was soft? A wondrous mystery.

So everyone else was getting an appetizer and and entree, and I was like “Holla! I’ll get two things too! One less dish to eliminate!” I actually got two appetizers, because they sounded the delicious-est. It was the perfect amount of food for me.

To start, from Bob’s side of the menu, his take on “chili”:

Which appeared as:

Oh man. Let’s break this thing down. Center: The steak tartare was LUSCIOUS and tender and velvety and included a kicky mixture of capers and red onion and I’m not sure what else. Top and bottom: The salsa verde was tooooo diiiiie for. Right: The pupusa was different than ones I’ve had before- rather than a cheese filling, the cheese was incorporated into the dough. It rocked, and was enhanced with the zesty cabbage on top. Left: The avocado was underripe, but that was my ONLY complaint, and it is October in Boston. The dish didn’t really need it, they might as well take it off.

My roommie got the Moroccan-style brik, a phyllo-crusted savory dish filled with lusciously seasoned (definitely cumin!) ground lamb, golden raisins, and poached egg (!)

 

Fabbity fab.

For the main, I ordered from David’s side (I wanted a taste of each brother!) and his twist on “pork”.

 

This was hand-rolled tagliatelle pasta with jammy tomatoes, broccoli raab (!) and pork sausage, and a sauce made from chanterelles and creammmm. It was stroganoff with a pedigree. I am physically unable of turning down handmade pasta when it is available to me.

Finally, dessert.

 

A chocolate bread pudding with port wine sauce, currants, and chocolate malt ice cream. Good, but not the best I’ve ever had (that goes to the pain perdu at Mon Ami Gabi).

Finally, the best photograph I got! Which is not actually of a dish I ate:

The roommate’s boyfriend’s butterscotch pudding with ginger snaps and crystallized ginger on top.