white tiger

white tiger
301 massachusetts avenue NE, washington, dc 20002
tel: 202) 546-5900
hours of operation: sun-thurs lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, dinner 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm; fri lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, dinner 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm; sat dinner 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm

what was consumed: butter chicken; garbanzo beans; samosas; indian beer

on my first night in town (well, officially my second, but only be default because i got into dc from pittsburgh late and i was exhausted from the 7+ bus ride ... why did i take the bus?!), christine and i head out to eat indian food. when i was in seoul as well as in the bay, i enjoyed a lot of indian food. seeing as i hadn’t had it in some time, and christine hadn’t had it in dc yet, i figured i could appease a food craving and go with christine to a new eatery, we logged onto citysearch and looked for a restaurant that was close in proximity to her apartment and that was recommended by the site. that’s how we ended up at white tiger.

so, it was a lazy sunday night in the beginning of october. autumn had come, so it was cool enough that long sleeves were required, but warm enough for us to sit on the patio (which is what we did). we poured over the menu, but because of my (and christine’s) relatively limited knowledge of indian food, we stuck to stuff that we knew – butter chicken and chick peas (sticking to the same thing, though less adventurous, is also good as a method of comparison. how good is this place’s butter chicken compared to another place’s butter chicken? and the like) ... yum! and, of course, samosas and beer ... indian beer.

the servers were friendly and the food was good. a huge plus (for me) is also the proximity of this place to my current residence. i.e., because it’s close, i’m more willing to come here than to trek out to who knows where. knowing that i enjoyed this first encounter is also a huge plus. sitting on the patio makes for nice ambiance as well, when the weather is good anyway. perhaps i’ll sit inside next time and see if the experience is any different.

though we ordered just those two dishes (which came with rice – yum) along with the appetizers and the beer, we had a lot of food left over. enough, that is, to feed mike, who joined us with his bus loonies upon his return to dc after a few days in new york city (mike, of course, didn’t get to eat the samosas, just the entrees – too bad!). this was my first encounter with christine and her many (band-o) friends ... hahaha~

online: http://www.whitetigerdc.com/

cafe asia

café asia
1720 i street NW, washington, dc 20006
tel: 202) 659-2696
hours of operation: sun-thu 11:30 am-11 pm; fri-sat noon-midnight
1550 wilson blvd. arlington, va 22209
tel: 703) 741-0870
hours of operation: mon-thu 11:30 am-11 pm; fri 11:30 am-midnight; sat-sun noon-midnight
happy hour: $2 beers on tap, half price sake, $1 nigiri sushi, discounts on other rolls

what was consumed: sushi; beer; happy hour – mon-fri 4:30-7:30pm

i miss the plethora of sushi eating opportunities that befell me while living abroad and on the west coast of the US. there are certainly a number of different places in the dc/metro area, but one that i’ve frequented the most is café asia. for one reason or another, we come to café asia a lot (though there are 2 locations, i’ve only been to the one in dc. the one in arlington is close to where i work (as of 12/27/06), but since i don’t hang out here in clarendon all that much, i’ve never been there. i imagine it’s pretty much the same as the location in dc). some people say that café asia’s sushi isn’t that good, but i happen to be quite fond of the wide variety of rolls and other eats. granted, the nice happy hour special makes it more of an appeal for me. if not anything else, when craving sushi, café asia offers mass quantities at an affordable price. and more often than not, i leave café asia feeling quite good – stomach is full of sushi, beer, and sake. what more could a lovely lovely lady want? ^_~

*an edit of addition*

at cafe asia, i've also found this really great noodle dish (i've had it both at the rosslyn site as well as the dc site. both are delicious). i remember having something similar to it the first time i went to my friend's, jan, house way back in intermediate school. at cafe asia, it's called "bun" and it comes with either friend spring rolls or lemongrass chicken (i usually get both). it's pretty much a cold rice noodle with lots of veggies (carrots, lettuce, mint, etc.) with the rolls/chicken on top. it comes with a bowl of room temperature fish sauce/soup that you pour into the dish, as much (or as little) as you'd like. point is, it's taken me over a decade (omg, i can't believe i can say that!) to find this and now that i have, i eat it every time i go to cafe asia. i can't wait to have it again ... i wonder how it's made. point is, it's totally delicious!

online: http://www.cafeasia.com/

bullfeathers

bull feathers
410 first street SE, washington, dc 20003
tel: (202) 543-5005
hours of operation: mon-fri 10:00 am-10:30 pm, sat 11:00 am-10:00 pm, sun 10:30 am-10:00 pm
happy hour: mon-sat food (3:30-6:30pm) and daily drink specials (4-6pm, all day saturday)

what was consumed: french fries; chicken wings; beer

on an otherwise ordinary and run-of-the-mill friday evening, we (christine, jess, danny, and myself) wanted to see steven isserlis and (my favorite) joshua bell ... as did what felt like a million other people. christine tried to get tickets on ticketmaster (there is no charge for the tickets, only for the ticketmaster surcharges. this is so great seeing that the surcharge is so minimal compared to the cost of going to see isserlis, et al, in concert), but even the day after the tickets went up, all of them were gone. what the heck! so, we went to stand in the standby line. according to the website, the library of congress distributes standby tickets at 6:30pm. how standby tickets work is this: you get in line to receive a standby ticket (each individual may take 2 tickets, max); once you receive the ticket, you come back to the concert hall at 7:30pm (most shows begin around 8pm); they begin calling standby numbers for seats; the more empty seats there are, the more standby ticket holders get seats. we got in line around 6:10pm. already by then, there was a long line of standby patrons. we were numbers 87-90. when we got to the concert hall at 7:30pm, the ushers announced that almost everyone who got a ticket came to the show. argh ... sucks for us. the ushers then proceeded to place chairs along the back of the auditorium as well as in the aisles in order to fit as many people into the hall as possible. but even then, they got up to 77 (or was it 78?). oh, so close! if only i had known where to go! we would’ve been in line at 6pm, beating a few dozen other people, and getting us into the show! you see, i got off the metro and was at the library of congress well before 6, but i didn’t know where to go ... DARN IT!

so, after this disappointing attempt at attending the library of congress performance, we head out to grab a bite to eat (despite earlier bites) and drown our sorrows in beer (a review of the concert said that it was one of the best that the library ever put on. darn them and their small hall!!!! anyway ... ). our choices were mexican or american. for one reason or another, we chose american ... so bull feathers on capitol hill it was!

jess had been before, saying that the burgers are good, though he said he only came when the burgers were the happy hour special (mondays, $4 burger and fries) and with guys from the navy. is there any connection between the navy and bullfeathers (minus its rather close proximity to the naval yard)? well, bullfeathers has a “teddy roosevelt” motif going on, but as far as i know, TR had very little to do with the navy, so ...

we entered the bar, ready for some beer and bar food. our server was baffled with some of my questions (sorry – i ask servers lots of questions about the food being served ^^;;), our order of finger foods came out. my sentiments? not too shabby ... though i would like to try their hamburgers (but i wasn’t that hungry). next time, i will have to try. they have red hook on tap, which is a preferred beer for many. point is, the server made sure the beer continued to flow. the only strange part about bullfeathers? there was a holiday party going on, filled primarily with those of the older generation and let me tell you – they were pretty sloshed. now, i’ve seen toasted old people before, but i guess when it’s cold outside, it’s the holidays, and there’s lots of booze flowing, that’s an open invitation for lots of people of all (legal) ages to consume much alcohol. apparently, bullfeathers is a popular place to hobnob with political bigwigs (of sorts ... perhaps i should come and rub shoulders with “high powered” individuals!), though the night is usually filled with a younger crowd. the night i was there brought sort of a mix of both. perhaps it was the mood that we were in post concert rejection (sucks!) that put on damper on any place.

when in a better state of mind, i’ll have to visit bullfeathers again~

online: http://www.bullfeatherscapitolhill.com/

the hitching post

hitching post restaurant
200 upshur street NW, washington, dc 20011-4848
tel: 202)726-1511
hours of operation: tue-sat noon-midnight

what was consumed: half fried chicken dinner with 2 sides (i had the steamed broccoli, baked potato, both were smothered in butter ... just the way i like it. hahaha ... jess had the macaroni & cheese and cole slaw while amy had the macaroni & cheese and french fries – a heart attack in the making) ... but oh, so good~
$10.95 + tax & tip
$4 beers (bottled – none on tap)

after reading a review in the paper, jess (with amy) invited me to eat at a “local favorite” (according to the paper). apparently, they had been meaning to try this place out, especially because there’s not a whole lot right around where they live. so, i made the trek out to the northwest, met up with amy, and drove out to “the hitching post” (though, mind you, we could’ve (and should’ve) walked to the restaurant that was just about a mile away from where they lived ... and after the meal, a nice walkin’ would’ve done us some good!).

we walked into the place and noticed that i was the only asian and jess and amy were the only white-folks. it didn’t make me feel uncomfortable and initially, i didn’t even notice (it was only in retrospect that we actually made that observation). but here’s the thing – the ethnic make-up of a particular restaurant is important in that if the place is filled with those who are of the “place” from which the food that is being served originates, then the food must be good. in this case, that statement was once again correct and we were not disappointed. the hitching post is run by the owners – it looked like the wife of the fine establishment did much of the serving while the husband did much of the cooking/frying (though, my guess is that they share in the different roles. it’s just that the wife was the only one who came to our table).

all three of us ordered the fried chicken dinner. our server asked if we didn’t want to order a variety because three chicken dinners equals a whole lot of chicken (and she was right – each chicken dinner was to come with one-half chicken, fried, and 2 side dishes. of course, when i thought side dishes, i thought a standard scoop of mashed potatoes or a small helping of broccoli. but no, it actually meant a whole head of broccoli and a bowl of macaroni and cheese). the thing is, the review said that the fried chicken was most excellent and we all wanted most excellent food, so ...

with our meals, we ordered a few beers – standard dining procedure. we received our beverages, but waited a good 45 minutes for our chicken to arrive. but let me tell ya, it was totally worth the wait! the chicken was fried in the classic “fried chicken” way – not too bland, not too salty, not over fried, not under fried. ‘now THIS is fried chicken!’ was the thought that passed through my mind. not to mention the sides ... as stated above, i ordered broccoli and a baked potato as my side. i received, literally, almost a whole head of broccoli that was stuck with slabs of butter (that’s the best way to eat it! and yes, i ate all of my broccoli). the baked potato oozed with melted butter and sour cream that was beginning to seep down the sides of the potato, the result of the potato’s inner heat. amy, the mac ‘n cheese connoisseur, said that the mac ‘n cheese was some of the best she’s ever had and jess gave the cole slaw two thumbs up (saying something along the lines of “you can tell a good place by it’s cole slaw ... this is a good place.”). we all rolled out of the hitching post, doggie bags in hand. oh yeah, seeing that we visited the eatery toward the end of the year, the folks also provided a cottage calendar for us as we began our departure.

oh, hitching post, i shall visit you again~

the aftermath ... after consuming the fried chicken and butter filled meal, i felt much better the following day. i think that when sick (in the future), i will consume food such as that of the hitching post in order to appease my body of it’s ailments. and what of the leftovers? jess said it best: “fried chicken = good cold.”

mr. henry's

mr. henry’s
601 pennsylvania avenue SE, washington, dc 20003-4303
tel: 202-546-8412
hours of operation: mon-thurs 11:15am-midnight; fri-sat 11:15-1am; sun 10am-midnight

what was consumed: fish ‘n chips; potatoe slices as french fries; onion rings; lemon drop

the first time i came to mr. henry’s, it was to see a dave’s jazz band perform. good food, ok drinks (i should’ve just had beer), and good music – sounds great. the second time the thought of mr. henry’s came up, danny decided that his shirt was too tight, and suggested that we go someplace else. why? because it turns out that mr. henry’s is a gay bar (at least upstairs). not that this deters me from going, but it certainly did danny (haha). the second time i did go to eat here (a couple days after the incident with danny and his shirt), i had the roast beef sandwich. though my bun came back burned (as did willie’s – he ordered the same thing. at least there’s consistency!), the roast beef was quite good otherwise, with some great au jous sauce. i totally love their french fries and onion rings, but you know me and fried foods ... YUM.

cafe citron

café citron
1343 connecticut avenue NW, washington, dc 20036
tel: 202-530-8844
hours of operation: daily 10 am-midnight (though i have most definitely been there past midnight)
happy hour: mon-fri 5-7pm – specials include $4 traditional mojitos ($5 for the frozen mango version); $3 bottles of sagres (a portuguese beer); $5 glasses of the house sangria; $25 pitchers of caipirinhas, mojitos or frozen margaritas.

what was consumed: drinks

every time i go to citron, i pretty much just drink. sometimes very little, sometimes a lot. lisa is a GREAT bartender, making drinks that are really tasty (e.g. mojitos, mai tais (in champagne glasses! i totally dig that), and ... jolly ranchers? i think that’s what those shots were called. i remember having a conversation with myself about how i really like jolly ranchers and about how the drinks really tasted like jolly ranchers ^^;;) people say that the food here is really good, but i don’t ever remember eating. i have, however, apparently tried to eat a chicken bone from the chicken wings that were ordered for me, but eaten by nate (what an oinker). i’ll have to go next time and be sober enough to order something to eat.

online: http://cafecitrondc.com

cafe l'enfant

cafe l'enfant
2000 18th street NW, washington, dc 20007
tel: 202) 319-1800
hours of operation: mon-fri 6-close; sat 10am-close; sun 10am-close

what was consumed: belgian beer happy hour (half off belgian beer) – tues 4:30-7:30pm; crepes

the first time i came to cafe l'enfant was for their belgian beer happy hour on tuesday evenings. christine had been talking about it for a while and seeing that i'm a fan of belgian beer as well, the decision to go was quite easy. so, christine and i took the metro, got off at dupont circle, and began our trek out to adams morgan. now, she had been there before, but seeing as her sense of direction is as it is, we must have made a couple of wrong turns before cafe l'enfant appeared before our very eyes.

we made sure to get there just as the happy hour began (which, coincidentally, is also when the place opens). we walked in, and there was nobody there, outside of the restaurant staff. 'ok,' i thought, as we took our seats and our server came to take our order (she's french with a totally awesome accent). willie joined us after a little bit (christine and i had polished off our first beers of the night - delicious!) and soon after his arrival, the place became packed with adams morgan residents, regulars, and everyone else and their mothers. good thing we came early.

with the happy hour being as it is (half off belgian beer), i decided that i wanted to try as many as i could (they were out of some of their selections, but only 1 or 2). i also made sure i tried "delirium," which i liked (high alcohol content aside). after a bit of time, we also did order a crepe, which the three of us shared. it had lots of veggies in it, which is much preferred (for me) over the fruity kind. of course, this was only the beginning of our night (and it was truly a fun one at that!). nonetheless, i look forward to the next time i will go to cafe l'enfant.

online: http://www.lenfantcafe.com/

whitlow's on wilson

wiltlow’s on wilson
2854 wilson boulevard, arlington, va 22201
tel: 703)276-9693
happy hour: $2.50 beers on tap tues-fri (4-8pm); half-price wine wed (4-9pm); $5 mugs with $1.50 refills for beers on tap thurs (4-8pm)

what was consumed: widmer heffeweisen, a few french fries

so, i finally made it out to whitlow's (i had walked almost a mile in the opposite direction ... i work literally 2 blocks away from whitlows, but my little detour eventually had me walking almost 2 miles ... in heels) to meet my friend for happy hour drinks. i had read about this place on the internet, so i was pretty excited about having beers for $2.50. if i remember correctly, i had a couple pints of widmer hefeweizen and a random gentleman sitting next to me (prior to my friend's arrival) bought me some french fries (which were good, by the way). the place has a dining area and a bar - the bar in small in area (maybe 15 stools with everyone else standing), but there are lots of tables for eating. since i didn't eat there, i'm not sure how it is (though i've heard good things about the bar food there - especially their hamburgers ... i don't know which day has a happy hour deal (half price!) on the hamburgers, but i'll have to check it out).

online: http://www.whitlows.com

gua-rapo

guarapo
2039 wilson blvd., arlington, VA 22209
tel: 703) 528-6500
hours: mon-thu 5-10:30 pm; fri-sat 5-11:30 pm; lounge: thu-sat 9 pm-1:30 am

what was consumed: guarapo (i equate this to a thick "kerns"-esque alcoholic drink - super fruity ... ); sangria (i love sangria! comes in red or white); empanadas; ... ... mar

a friend of mine invited me to a gathering of her grad school friends for dinner and drinks. seeing that i'm close to the courthouse metro stop (just one away at clarendon), it was an easy "that sounds fun!" sort of decision for me to make. guarapo is a nice lounge-y place to grab a bite to eat as well as some good drinks. it's also in the hip clarendon/arlington area that people seem to flock to (more or less). i hear there's some sort of dancing and stuff at guarapo as well, but you know me - not too into that. ha!