The Best Things I Ate This Week (August 29, 2021) — Call Your Mother, Spanish Diner, Homemade Jammy Eggs

Pro-tip: eating at home is not the same as eating in peace

An early and short post this week because I’m off on a cross-country road trip that will take me to some of my favorite food destinations. Will report back by Labor Day. In the meantime, stay safe and cool, and for any unvaccinated adults still out there, please heed the official CDC guidance and question the life choices that led you here.

Call Your Mother, Various locations in DC (Park View, Georgetown, Capitol Hill) and Bethesda MD

The Bacon Sun City Bagel Sandwich

Call Your Mother really upped DC’s bagel game when they opened in Park View a few years ago. Their bagel breakfast sandwiches may be the best in town. CYM’s continuing expansion — another location is launching in Pike & Rose — has brought good bagels to more neighborhoods and relieved the long lines at the original.

One small downside of expansion: it’s led to the pruning of some of CYM’s terrific “Jew-ish” menu items like pastrami fried rice, white fish croquettes, and Your South American Grandma’s Matzah Ball Soup. On the other hand, they’ve added doughnuts and new sandwiches and kept the latkes, so I’m only kvetching a bissel. 

Spanish Diner, 7271 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda MD

Pan con Tomate

Food doesn’t get much simpler or more humble than this pan con tomate. It’s just five ingredients: bread, tomato, olive oil, garlic, and salt. But take the right bread, tomato, olive oil, garlic, and salt, and put them together in the right way, and magic can happen. Not surprisingly, Chef Jose Andres nails it at his new homey Bethesda spot that took the place of Jaleo this summer. Treat this as an elevated bread service and then explore the lengthy menu, including the entire page devoted to nothing but eggs (nicely crisp-edged from being cooked over high heat in olive oil).

A small confession. I like eggs, but personally they’re not my idea of dinner. All you breakfast-for-dinner people can wax eloquent about how much you love eating omelettes and pancakes at 7 pm but I just don’t get. Dinner food is so much more interesting. Now, if you want to talk about eating dinner food for breakfast, you have my attention.

My Sister Jill’s House

Jammy Eggs

My sister Jill made these gorgeous jammy eggs that straddle the line between soft- and hard-boiled. They’re solid enough to cut into quarters but the yolk is still supple enough to give you that velvety, not-quite-set mouthfeel. Here are Jill’s directions for making them, all you need is eggs, water, and a stopwatch: Fill medium saucepan with water and bring to a low boil. Add eggs gently and cook over medium heat for exactly six minutes. Remove the eggs and, when cool enough to handle, run under cold water and peel and quarter. Put them on salads or really anything.

Totally by coincidence, this seems to have turned out to be a special “All About Eggs” edition of Rick Eats DC. Look for other theme editions if I get to the end of future posts and realize there’s a theme.