Food and Fellowship (2/27/2017)

 "Good friends are like the stars. You may not always see them, but you know they're always there."
After months of schedule rearranging, my friend Jasmine and I finally, ​had a chance to catch up and spill a pot full of tea.  We have our regular food spots, but we thought it would be nice to switch things up a bit. We ventured out and went to Marcus in the beautiful MGM down at the National Harbor.  Chef Marcus Samuelson is someone that I have admired for years.  He, along with a few other Chefs have served as my inspirations for the recipes that whip up in my own kitchen. When I found out that he was going to have a restaurant in the National Harbor, I knew that I had to go and experience his menu for myself; but breaking bread is SO much better with friends!  When we walked in, we were greeted almost simultaneously by the hostess and our two servers.  The interior design of the restaurant was a harmonious balance of minimalism and rustic accents.  The high ceilings, light fixtures, gold, rose gold, and black accents and matte finished, wooden floors worked so well together.  Once Jasmine and I were seated, our water glasses were quickly filled and our orders were brought out piping hot and were delicious.  We started with complimentary Aunt Maybel's Cornbread paired with honey butter and "Wild Go-Go Wings" which were drumettes coated with Marcus' "Uptown Sauce" and was paired with a light bleu cheese dressing. The star of this appetizer really is the sauce which gives a nod to the Washington DC staple Mambo Sauce that is loved by true Washingtonians everywhere!  Our beverage of choice was a Shirley Temple, and what I appreciated in particular was that they gave us extra Maraschino cherries (no Shirley Temple is complete with out them).  Then we placed our entrée orders. Jasmine selected the Sammy's Chicken and Waffles and I chose the Catfish Sandwich on Rye.  The menu is on the pricy side, but the food is very good,
The flavors shine in each dish, and are for an adventurous, more sophisticated palate; don't let that scare you! Though the flavor combinations are unique, Chef Marcus does a beautiful job of complimenting each ingredient with another.  Jasmine and I left Marcus with to-go containers, full and pleasantly satisfied with our experience there. 
We ended our afternoon, stopping in to Sarah Jessica Parker's exclusive shoe store, SJP. ​​The shoe boutique has walls of vibrant colored pumps and heels for literally every occasion. It was like walking through Carrie Bradshaw's closet on Sex in the City. ​The saleswomen told us that every shoe in the store was hand selected and designed by SJP herself and that she has been in the store three (3) times since opening! Good customer service makes all the difference; from start the start of our outing to the end of it, we were treated with kindness and courtesy.
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Be sure to stop into the MGM to see all of the exciting stores and restaurants that it has to offer and please tell them that Simply Ari sent you!

Marcus
​101 MGM National Avenue,
​Oxon Hill, Maryland 20745

SJP By Sarah Jessica Parker
7200 MGM National Ave,
Oxon Hill, MD 20745

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