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Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca with Bibbiano Wines

Recently, I was invited to a lunch hosted at Bibiana Osteria by Mr. Tommaso Marrocchesi Marzi of Bibbiano Wines. Besides being a fan of wines from Italy, I was also impressed at how Bibbiano Wines has been a family business for 5 generations.  While I am a wine lover, I am by no means an expert. I felt slightly out of place being around so many people who were highly knowledgable about wine. 

Luckily Tommaso was a great host and I learned a lot about the wines. 

It's important to note that real Chianti aka Chianti Classico can only be made in the Chianti region of Italy. In addition, the grapes have to be grown and produced in the region, being a blend of at least 80% Sangiovese grapes (typical of the region).

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You can tell if it's an authentic Chianti Classico by the seal. 

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This was a four course meal with a wine paired with each course. 

First Course: MISTICANZA arugula, aceto balsamico

Paired with Bibbiano Chianti Classico DOCG

I have never been really good at pairing food and wine together but these two things went hand in hand, the wine really helped enhance the arugula salad.

Second Course: Gnocchi, Smoked Potato Gnocchi, Seasonal Vegetables, Parmesan

Paired with Chianti Classico DOCG Montornello

Another delightful pairing that went incredibly well together. 

Third Course: Grilled Sirloin, Anson Mills Polenta, Slow Roasted Carrots, Balsamic

Paired with Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva Vigna del Capannino

This was another delicious dish, perfectly cooked steak and the balsamic glaze pair perfectly and the polenta was the best I have ever had.
 

Dessert:Chocolate Ganache Terrine with Crispy Chocolate Crust

Paired with Vin Santo San Lorenzo

This dessert was one for the books, a perfect chocolatey indulgence. I didn't quite understand this pairing and I wasn't a huge fan of the Vin Santo San Lorenzo, it was way too strong tasting for me. 

This was a meal that was created specially for the wine tasting (at least from what I was able to see online) but if it is how Bibiana cooks normally they did a great job. I will be coming back at some point to give their normal menu a try. 

As far as the wines went I was really impressed. I liked all of them on their own (the first was my favorite). This experience made me appreciate how well you can pair wine with food. I have tried to pair wine with my meals before, but this is the first time I have experienced the smooth transition between taking a sip to eating a bite. My favorite combo was the first course with the arugula salad and Bibbiano Chianti Classico DOCG and I will definitely be searching around to pick up a bottle of this and impress some dinner guests...or just keep it for myself :)

After a little research here area couple of retailers that sell Bibbiano Wines in the DC area. You may be able to get them at Total Wine and More in the NOVA area too, I haven't had time to go and search though.

Pearson's Wine and Spirits
MacArthur Beverages

1100 New York Ave NW
Washington DC
Downtown

While this was a complementary meal, I was not compensated to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Clarendon: Z Burger

Apparently, I am determined to clog my arteries by going to two burger places in one week. I have driven by Z Burger a bunch of times; curiosity rising each time I did. Fate seemed to agree with me so when I saw a Groupon for Z Burger, I quickly snatched it up.

The setup is very similar to Five Guys when it comes to placing your order. You make your selections for the basic burger foundation (single/double, cheese/no cheese, bacon/no bacon) and then you pick your toppings.

My friend and I both ordered single bacon cheeseburgers with toppings of our choice. While the burger itself was a bit too bland for my liking, the toppings were delicious and very fresh.

We also split an order of ½ fries ½ onion rings. Both were decent; the batter on the onion rings was tasty and the onions stayed in the batter when you bit into them (if you ever had that moment where you found yourself holding a hollow piece of fried batter, you would understand why this is a KEY factor of Onion Ring Evaluation). The fries were standard and a little dry, but dipping them in ketchup made up for it.

Taste wise, this place does not really stand out on its own compared to local burger joints in the area. Although Z Burger is not quite my new "go-to" burger place, I will point out that that pricewise, Z Burger is good and pretty comparable to mainstream fast food franchises (ie: McDonald's, Burger King, etc.) but offers better taste and quality in their food.

Would I come back??? Maybe. If I needed a late night bite or milk shake.

3325 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA