We at the Best Bites Blog like our glasses half full, especially if they’re half full of a gingery winter Pimm’s cup. (Okay, we’d be happier with a summer Pimm’s cup, but we’ll take what we can get.) If there’s one upside to cold weather, it’s the opportunity to hunker down at home and whip up your favorite cold-weather dishes and drinks one more time. We’ve compiled a collection of our eight of our favorites from the (never-ending) season, plus a few staples.
1) Winter Pimm’s cup from 2 Birds 1 Stone
We love barkeep Adam Bernbach’s subterranean 14th Street cocktail den. The space is cozy on a snowy day, but we like the idea of mixing up this gingery riff on the classic Pimm’s cup at home even better.
2) Dan O’Brien’s spicy chicken breakfast loaf
Recipes don’t often cause a scene, but as soon as we posted one for this decadent breakfast sandwich, the phone lines at Seasonal Pantry were clogged with requests. (O’Brien was even nice enough to serve it as a one-day special.) Cut down the marinade time to fry up the spicy chicken tonight.
3) Lamb chili from G by Mike Isabella
It’s tough to pick a favorite from G’s menu, but this hearty lamb chili has been our go-to order on cold days. This isn’t your average stew, with plenty of chilies, bacon, and beer in the braise and a topping of harissa yogurt and Sriracha chickpeas.
4) Thai red curry chicken from the Source
What chefs feed their staff for family meal says a lot about how the restaurant operates, so we weren’t surprised that the Source’s team runs on delicious dishes such as Scott Drewno’s Thai curry. You don’t need a master’s degree in Asian cookery for this simple comfort dish.
5) Sweet potato latkes from DGS Delicatessen
“Thanksgivukkah” is long past, but we still love frying up chef Barry Koslow’s crispy sweet potato latkes. The sweet-tart fruit topping is guaranteed to brighten up a snowy day.
6) Macaroni and cheese from Vidalia
No roundup of winter comfort foods would be complete without Vidalia’s macaroni and cheese. But be warned: The perfectly creamy dish inspires frequent cravings.
Each of chef Jeff Black’s eight restaurants offers this dish, so you know it has to be good. If you’re feeling bogged down from rich winter meals, these garlicky mussels are a wonderful comfort-food compromise.
8) Chocolate chip cookies from Tom Wellings
Wellings has changed jobs since we requested this recipe years ago; he currently makes craveable desserts for Fabio Trabocchi’s restaurants, including the new Fiola Mare. Luckily we can still whip up these chewy rounds, dusted with a little sea salt for kick.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
