Selva Grill (Sarasota, Florida)

I Never thought I'd find such great restaurant in west side of Florida! When it comes to the sunshine state, people dominantly think about Miami! To be honest, I'm sick of hearing about Miami and I believe that Miami has lost its groove since several years ago! It has become so commercial that I think it lost its original taste. But this review is about Selva so I'm going to stay on the subject. 
So finally after I was sure that Sarasota was going to be the destination for my birthday travel several weeks ago, I searched for the best restaurant and came Across this fine establishment. I noticed this place was top rated and the reviews were excellent. I asked my friend whom resides in Sarasota to join me for Friday night dinner as her and  I hadn't seen each other in a long time. It was an opportunity to catch up and learn about this beautiful tropical town of Sarasota! 
As we entered the restaurant we were immediately greeted and we're sat at our table. As we were being walked to our table I noticed this restaurant was packed! 
The ambiance of the place is very contemporary and has a very cool beachy like atmosphere that can only be pulled off in Florida! 
My friend and I decided to start off with their  Tartara De Atun (Tuna Tartar) that came with this delicious cilantro and balsamic glaze sauce that was Devine. Their cocktails are also amazing as we both tried their wild berry mojito. Just perfect cool drink for warm tropical nights. Then came their empanadas, just amazing! 
This place also has a cool trendy bar in the back with a DJ and that caters to the late night crowd! Even tho it's a lounge, and a lot of times you can't find good drinks at clubs and etc, this place surely knows how to accommodate dinning patrons as well as the late hour guest who just simply want a drink! If I lived in Sarasota, is be eating here EVERYDAY!

My Fall Flavors are in effect!

Amoos Autumn and Winter Menu

Fall Special at Amoo's

Pumpkin Spice and Saffron Marinated Wild Grouper Kabob

Chef Seb's first charity event

Join WestRash Charities and myself for a great cause!!

See You There

Culinary Journey From Tehran To Tokyo

THIS EVENT IS RESERVATION ONLY

 BOOK YOUR TABLE NOW!!!

O'right Folks here are the items for this Friday's event "Culinary Journey From Tehran To Tokyo"
Ginger Marinated and Sesame crusted wild caught Yellow Fin Ahi Tuna Kabob,
Wasabi and Saffron Caviar Salad with ginger soy vinaigrette dressing
Teriyaki Beef Tenderloin kabob with fire roasted tomato
Green Tea and Saffron Bonbons topped off with barberry and rose pedal glaze

BOOK YOUR TABLE NOW!!!

Stuffed pomegranate grilled Mediterranean Branzino

Barberry BBQ Glazed Lamb Chop Kabob Wrap

Menu Item for Amoo's Event "Culinary Journey From Tehran To Memphis"

Goat Cheese and basil lime slow braised lump crab meatball

Menu Item for August 30, 2013 event "Culinary Journey From Tehran To Memphis"

Hot N Blue Koubideh Sandwich

check out my events!

Hungry? Join my group!!

Follow the link below
https://www.facebook.com/groups/315070121970176/

Takeateasy (Downtown DC)

Takeateasy is one of those restaurants I've seen grow in the past few months. The two brothers who opened this tiny downtown DC restaurant have an different view when it comes to South American cuisine. When they initially opened up, I heard about how these guys started this restaurant from scratch.

When you're in the hospitality industry, somehow you always know about other places and you always end up knowing someone who knows the owner or the Chef. Months ago, I was introduced to these two brothers via a friend who kept talking about Takeateasy all the time so finally I decided to try out this place. At first when you walk in, you'll notice that's its kind of dark, and there's no hostess, so it's important that you walk all the way inside so they can notice you! I usually sit at the bar. It gives me an opportunity to be little social with the bartenders! 

The drinks are amazing and the food is top notch. But the one thing that has stood out to me, was the Calamari. It's the best calamari in town. And believe me when I say it's the best. So tender, so soft and literally it melts in your mouth. The dipping sauce? Ketchup and mayonnaise mixed together and that's it! Simple but delicious. The breading that's used for the calamari, is made from beer batter, which for some crazy reason it goes so well with the ketchup and mayonnaise sauce. Takeateasy offers a variety of options on their menu, such as tapas, sandwiches and entrees which I've tried them all. They're all good but I've had better. On Fridays and Saturdays, they are open till late hours of the night and close around 3am!

Be sure to check out takeateasy while you're in the downtown area. It's definitely worth the visit!!

Chef Nacho and I hanging in his kitchen.

This guy is very talented!!

Cafe Romeos (Glover Park)

I moved to Glover Park in NW Washington, DC in November of 2012 and immediately fell in love with this neighborhood located on Wisconsin Ave, north of Georgetown.

This neighborhood is filled with all sorts of restaurants. You can find just about any kind of cuisine. From Vietnamese to Italian, American to Latin, tapas to egg rolls, carryout, and 24 hour spots that serve some of the best food in the area. 

When it comes to pizza, I tend to look for places that are not very well known. From my own past experiences, the best food are often found in the most random spots and or it's run by mom and pops. 

Cafe Romeos is one if those places. Though I have never been there during the normal hours of the day, I have never seen this place with people in it. And that's majority because they deliver and have a huge carryout business. Cafe Romeos does cater guest with full service if you chose to dine in. Right front of the entrance to the restaurant, there's a patio, room for several tables outside where they offer flavored tobacco hookahs. 

There are few tables inside and the walls are filled with Italian artwork and posters.

There's bottles of wine every where! The ceiling is clustered with plastic grape vines hanging down. It's not a place you go for ambiance and or romantic date. But for the unusual cravings for something fast, cheap and delicious in the most random times of your life, this is your place. I have tried the gyros, the wings, chicken parmesan, and their chicken sandwich which were all ok. But my heart belongs to their Margherita pizza which is made with homemade tomato sauce, slices of mozzarella cheese and I always ask for tons of basil on my pizza. Basil is my favorite herb and so when I do order this delicious pizza I ask the gentleman who answers the phone to hit me with extra basil. This pizza it's so heavenly.... It's just a pie of contentment!  

Go there for breakfast, go there after drinking, go there and smoke a hookah while sipping on wine and beer. There's never a wrong time to have their delicious Margherita pizza! 

Creamy goat cheese and basil slow braised meatball

Old Ebbitts Grill (Washington DC)

Old Ebbitts is the oldest restaurant in Washington D.C Established in the 1850's and currently they are running on a system that most restaurants in the area are trying to adapt. They are the parent restaurant of the Clydes Group of Washington and over looks their multiple locations in the Metro area.
This is the restaurant you go to experience the real Washingtonian way of dining. You can sense the grand feeling of dining politics.
Their late dining and raw bar only enhances the experience. But yet you cant find any better happy hour place in DC.
From Mondays to Thursdays the back area bar is the best part of the restaurant to be in during happy hours.
Try anything on the menu, you will not regret it! Excellent Oysters.

Mole Poblano (Chocolate Based) and saffron marinated boneless chicken kabob

The Cupping Room Cafe (Soho) NYC

After working for so many days in a row without any time off this past month, I thought it'd be a good idea to take few days off and venture out on my own to Manhattan New York. I am very familiar with New York City style of cuisine since I lived in New York years back working as a server at an Italian restaurant.

I learned that New Yorkers love variety.

So therefore for this trip I knew I had no problem finding those hidden gems. 

Though I have lived in New York previously, I had not spent too much time in lower side of Manhattan. I never really had the opportunity to try the restaurants In particularly Soho.

After my arrival in Manhattan, I made plans to meet a friend for dinner in Soho. 

We decided that instead of using the Internet to search for a good restaurant, we'd walk around Soho and pick a place together. We started to head north on Canal towards Broadway where at first you see nothing but clothing stores. As soon as we hit Broadway, we turned right and we noticed this tiny beige doors with steps front of it. There were candles lit on the side of the steps looking up towards the main entrance. As we looked up we saw wooden sign hanging on the upper right side of the entrance doors that said "Cupping Room Cafe" 

Natalia's curiosity led us inside and we were immediately greeted by a very friendly hostess. The first thing I noticed was the Music. "Where is this wonderful jazz is coming from" I asked. 

"It's coming from the back sir"  the hostess responded. 

So I asked her if she can take us to a table that was close to the band that was playing this amazing tune I was hearing. 

We were sat at a table directly across from the band. A guitar player, a drummer and a sax player. 

It was dark in the restaurant. Candles were lit everywhere. And noticed this beautiful black crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling that only enhanced the beauty of this tiny Soho bistro. 

First we asked for cocktails and came to find out that Natalia is a huge fan of Mojitos, so we both ordered the wild berry Mojitos that was made from scratch. Best Mojitos I have ever had. 

As we were sipping our Mojitos we were scrolling down the menu to choose an entree. 

Natalia noticed the duck stuffed ravioli that was steamed in a creamy garlic and white wine sauce. 

I noticed that the entrees came with mixed green salad. Natalia not being that hungry asked if we could split the entree. I agreed and waited for the meal to arrive. Meanwhile, the band was starting to warm up and the tunes were only getting better. I hadn't seen Natalia for several years so this gave us the opportunity to catch up. Minutes passed and our salad arrived followed be the ravioli. The salad was simple but delicious. Served with a side of French passion fruit vinaigrette dressing that was just perfect for this mixed fresh arugula and baby spinach salad topped off with walnuts and grated Gouda cheese.

Next up was the pasta! At this point it was time to order two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc to go with this dish. This ravioli was steamed in the white wine cream sauce and stuffed with duck breast fillet. It was Devine! Best way I have had duck. The cream sauce for this dish was balanced right. Not too garlicky and just perfect! 

It was a delightful experience as we drank wine, enjoyed very serene music and savored an awesome dinner as Natalia and I caught up over a great conversation. Definitely a place you'd want to check out of you're ever in Soho.

Unforgettable experience!

Amoo's ginger marinated and sesame crusted wild yellowfin tuna kabob

Malbec wine and basil lime marinated wild caught Chilean sea bass kabob

Let me know if you have any questions or need help.

Obviously the fish is the most important part of this process and therefore it is very critical that you get the right fish, otherwise the true potential of this entrée would be compromised. In order to get the right fish, there are few spots in and around Washington D.C that sell very good quality fresh wild caught black Chilean sea bass. The fish market on the waterfront has the freshest fish and I normally get my fish from them when it comes to cooking at home.  But for those of you who live in the center or around the city of Washington, your best bet would be Whole Foods Market either on Wisconsin Ave in Glover Park DC or the one on Wilson Blvd in Arlington VA. Whole Foods has the best wild fish compared to other grocery stores.

8oz of sea bass is needed per serving, so if you are cooking for 4 people, then you'd need to get 2lbs of the fish, if its for 2 people, then you'd need only 1lbs.
When buying the fish, ask who's ever is serving you, to give you the center cut fillets. This is important because its the firmest part of the fish which contributes big time when it comes to skewering and grilling this amazing fish.
Once you have the fish, you'd need to cut it into 3 inch cubes. Do not take the skin off. The fat on the skin provides a lot of flavor.

THIS IS DESIGNED TO SERVE 4 PEOPLE.

How to make the marinate using a blender:

You need a 1/2lbs of fresh organic basil leaves (pluck the leaves from stems), 1 cup of Argentinean Malbec wine (preferably from Mendoza), 1 whole peeled organic lime, 1 whole peeled organic orange, 1 tablespoon of sea salt, 1 tablespoon of black pepper, 2 table spoon of raw sugar, 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, and 1/2 cup of heavy cream.

First, poor the wine and the heavy cream in to the blender then add the basil, orange, lime, salt, black pepper, raw sugar and olive oil.
Blend everything until the whole mix has completely liquefied.

How to marinate the fish:
Once the marinate is ready and you have cut the fish into 3 inch cubes, all you need is, to place the fish in a container that can be covered completely. The size of this container should be something similar to size of a shoe box. Once you have the fish in the container, you will need to poor the marinate over on top of it so the fish can be marinated over night in your refrigerator.

How to grill the fish:
When you're ready to grill the sea bass, make sure you are using a charcoal grill and that you have placed your charcoal in a hill shape so it provides equal amount of heat throughout the grill.
Skewer the fish cubes on the wooden skewers and place them on the grill for them to cook. Using a tongue, keep flipping the skewers so the can be cooked evenly. Once the fish gets a brown goldish crust, that's when you know your fish is ready.


You can enjoy the sea bass kabob with any kind of salad, rice or pasta. It goes with everything..... I hope you all enjoy this recipe like as many of my guests have enjoyed this amazing dish.
Please let me know how you have enjoyed it.
Bon Apetit!!

La Sandia (Tyson's Corner)

I noticed when La Sandia opened few years back and I always wanted to try this restaurant but never got a chance to actually taste their food. 

Luckily, my sister and I were talking about if there are any good restaurants left in Tyson's Corner since the corporate restaurants have taken over that whole market. She mentioned how she wasn't really thrilled by Seasons 52, Coastal Flats, or Brio. So we started to talk about La Sandia and how neither one of us had been there. And so we decided to try the place out. As we went in the restaurant, the host noticed us and walked us to our booth. We were immediately greeted by the server and placed our orders. I ordered their fresh Watermelon juice which was really refreshing.

My sister stuck with water and we went for our entrees. She ordered the shrimp and chicken fajita which were dry. The shrimp was not soft and it was very chewy. The chicken was pretty much the same. But the main reason why I decided to write about this place, is because of how good their skirt steak that was topped off with grilled bell peppers. That steak was one of the most tender and tastiest steaks I have ever had. I didn't even need a knife to cut the meat. The sauces that were on the side compliment the steaks really well. 

I loved the interior of the place and the service. It's definitely worth the try. It's not a place where you'd be drooling for afterwards, but surely much better then the other restaurants in that particular part the shopping center. 

Glory Days (Fairfax)

After being forced by my friends to come check this place out, I was actually really impressed! I have a personal rule: DO NOT DINE IN CHAIN RESTAURANTS! After being convinced, I decided that I should break my own rule for once and try this place out! And I am glad I did. My friends and I were extremely hungry. As we walked in, we were immediately greeted! That was a good start! Then, we were taken to our booth. As we were walking to our table, I noticed that the restaurant was extremely clean which you normally don't see chain restaurants.  Shena, our server greeted the table and brought our drinks right away! We ordered the prime rib steak with steamed broccoli and carrots. The steaks were cooked perfectly and thy were very tender. The presentation looked really nice and overall, the experience was amazing! One of the managing partners came over to the table and introduced himself which shows that this restaurant emphasizes on guest relations! They have wings night which I need to check out. Im a huge diehard Redskins fan and they broadcast just about every game at their sports themed bar.

 Definitely worth going back and I hope the experience will be the same next time I go back!

Martins Tavern (Georgetown)

My friend and I went to Martin's for dinner. We were immediately greeted by the hostess. We were sat in the famous booth 3 where JFK proposed to Jackie which was pretty cool. And as soon as we were sat i noticed that the NBC news Anchor Chris Mathews and his wife were sitting in the next booth over.
The place has a great atmosphere and it is often that you might just notice someone famous there.
As far as the food goes, we ordered three apps and two main courses.
The three apps were the mussels, Pan seared Sesame Tuna and Lump Crab Cocktail that was were amazing. As far as the entrees goes we ordered the Meatloaf and Chicken Marsala. I was not impressed with the Meatloaf hence why i gave them only 4 stars on other sites. As a chef, I have seen many types of meatloaf I know other places can make better meatloaf. The Chicken Marsala was sensational and plenty enough for us to take home.
The service was on point and our server Alejandro made sure that everything was delivered on time. Our drinks were filled as soon as they were empty. This place has been around since 1933. Its been passed down from Grandfather to Grandson. Its the oldest family owned restaurant in DC. And just about every American President has dined at Martin's since the 30's.
Their consistency with their food and service that's been around for that long, Is impressive.
This is one of my top favorite restaurants in DC ranked at number 10.

Always make reservations. They are a very busy restaurant.
I will def go back.

My first blog about food!!

Hello Everyone. My name is Sebastian Oveysi and I am the Executive Chef and Managing Partner of Amoo's House of Kabob In Mclean VA. My family has owned Amoo's since 2007 and we have come along way since then. Currently, Amoo's is ranked one of top five restaurants in McLean on yelp.com and tripadvisor.com. Amoo's was also awarded the best restaurant in McLean by The Greater Mclean Organization last month.
The restaurant is doing really well and that is the result of dedication and devotion that my family gives to Amoos. Starting with my fathers golden touch to my mothers lip smacking recipes.
We are continuing to grow through our delicious food and unforgettable service along with intense PR and marketing strategies.
But as much as I love to talk about Amoos and how well we are doing, I think I will dedicate this blog to talk about other restaurants in the area that I really enjoy. I will leave Facebook, Instagram and yelp to  talk about Amoos.
Most of the blogs you'll see I post here will not be about places that I am welling to try or because they are new, but rather about restaurants that are very established and have been around for a long time. I will talk about why these restaurants are still operating and successful and what's my favorite of their selections.
And Finally, other blogs I post will be about recipes and dishes that I personally love to cook and share with my friends and family. I will always make recommendations and suggestions.
looking forward to see everyone on here reading my blogs.
P.S Im completely open to ideas on how to write better. So if you have a suggestion, please feel free to write me, as I have tons of room for improvements.