kanpai

kanpai
8325 lincoln boulevard, los angeles, CA 90045
tel: 310) 338-7223

what was consumed: uni! and a ramen and a spicy tuna bowl lunch special combination place. and, of course, and to the chef's disbelief, seaweed salad. he told me it would be too much food. i was ready for and accepted the challenge. hahaha.

friend k told me about kanpai after our long conversation about our mutual love for uni. so, while in LA, i took her recommendation and head over to kanpai. 

i sat at the sushi bar and took a look at kanpai's delicious menu. while i knew my primary goal was to enjoy uni, i wanted to see what else they offered. i opted for a combo plate that would give me a small taste of different things. along with a seaweed salad. and while i was ready to challenge the chef re: too much food, i had to admit that i definitely ordered enough for 2 people. at least. that's ok - i sat myself down, took my time, and super enjoyed my meal.

and here is a photo of the delicious uni i consumed. i should have ordered more. right after i gobbled these pieces up, i spent a lot of time wondering if it would be acceptable for me to put in another order. for more. lots more:

must. eat. more.

online: http://www.kanpai-sushi.net/

phil's bbq

phil's bbq
3750 sports arena boulevard, san diego, ca 92110
tel: 619) 226-6333

what was consumed: baby back ribs with potato salad ... and onion rings!

san diego, part iii!

what a great way to wrap up a delicious delicious day of eating!

s had been stuck in quite a few lines in order to enjoy some phil's, so we made sure we got to phil's at an off time. we were keeping traffic back to the o.c. in mind as well. we ended up at phil's at an off hour and there was still a line :O how is that possible?! that also let us know that the food we were about to enjoy would be that much more enjoyable. and despite everything else we had consumed up until then, we were ready!

phil's offers a slew of classic bbq options. pork or beef ribs, burgers, the fixin's ... you name it, phil's has it. and you can be sure they are delicious. we opted for the crispy onion rings (and yes, they were delicious) along with the potato salad that was really simple. and all of these were great accompaniments to the fall-off-the-bone ribs. imo, as not-a-sauce-fan, i prefer dry ribs. that said, the sauce was pretty tasty and i didn't mind the mess i was making as i gobbled up the delicious ribs on my plate.

and while i was admittedly less than hungry by the time we got to part iii of our delicious day, the delicious aroma coming from phil's did not prevent me from continuing to enjoy. i can't wait to go back and perform (i.e., eat) better. let's go!

online: http://www.philsbbq.net/

craft & commerce

craft & commerce
675 west beech street, san diego, 92101
tel: 619) 269-2202

what was consumed: devils on horseback (aka bacon wrapped dates), chicken wings ... and drinks! craft & commerce has a great selection of cocktails, both with and without the booze (i got the cucumber mint limeade - YUM).

san diego, part ii!

after a delicious lunch of sushi at sushi ota, s and i wanted to go somewhere with good ambiance, good drinks, and good food. a nice mid-day snack, you might say. she remembered a cute area in downtown san diego. so, after a bit of walking around (and a bit of a parking challenge), we set up shop at craft & commerce. 

a few delicious drinks, good conversation, delicious snacks, and all with the ocean breeze. what more could we ask for? i even may have made some comments about having eating too many dates while in Q8, but even these bacon wrapped dates called my name. YUM. craft & commerce had so many delicious things on their menu - i can't wait to go back and try the rest!

online: http://www.craft-commerce.com/

sushi ota

sushi ota
4529 mission bay drive, san diego, ca 92109
tel: 858) 270-5670

what was consumed: sushi sushi sushi ... chef's choice. to include uni. of course.

san diego, part i!

while on home leave part 2 in so.cal, friend s and i planned to get together to catch up, take a break, and enjoy some reminiscent deliciousness from san diego (where we went to school. s was much better about having visited some of these tried and true areas. i was too busy trying to complete my program. i wish i would've stopped to smell the roses back then. anyway ...)

s mentioned wanting to go back to one of her all time favorite sushi places. we were talking about how much we loved uni (who doesn't?!) and i was all in. i knew that we were in the right place when, behind us in line, were a gaggle of seasoned japanese ladies conversing in japanese. a good sign!

the both of us opted for a variation of omakase: chef's choice. i'm not sure how they calculated our bill (it all made sense at the end), but we were so glad that that was our selection. the fresh fresh sushi, delicious uni, and, a lots of different selections that the chef decided were the fresh-est and best for us to eat. YUM. to top off our meal, the double friend shrimp in the soup! 

be sure to make reservations or get there early so that you don't have to wait to enjoy their delicious cuisine! and, let's face it. even if you do have to wait, be sure to add sushi ota to your list!

online: http://www.sushiota.com/

cracker barrel

cracker barrel
17115 dumfries road, dumfries, va 22025
tel: 703) 441-2764

what was consumed: traditional breakfast favorites, including eggs over easy (my preferred), potatoes, fried fish, sausage, bacon, grits, biscuits and gravy, applesauce (?), and lots of coffee! YES!

i grew up on the west coast (the o.c., to be exact). so while we had lots of different delicious options, cracker barrel was not one of them. that might explain my obsession with wanting to go to a cracker barrel (any cracker barrel!) asap ... !!!

fab k and i got together for some "american" fare out of the bubble that is no.va admittedly, it was more about playing with k than it was to eat at cracker barrel. the awesome-ness that is cracker barrel was totally icing on the cake. that said, i was happy to do the drive.

and so, after some perusing through the cracker barrel store and sitting in some fantastic rocking chairs (i could've sat in those chairs all. day. long), we head inside for some good 'ol american treats. and i couldn't get enough. will i be back? very likely. very very likely. hehehe ... 

online: http://www.crackerbarrel.com/

great wall szechuan house

great wall szechuan house

1527 14th street nw, 20005

tel: 202) 797-8888

what was consumed: pan fried noodles, crispy beef szechuan style, and delicious mapo tofu

sometimes, all you want is some good chinese food. and if they use the szechuan peppers that might make your mouth numb, all the better. when in town, be sure to check out great wall szechuan!

friend f and i got together, after a bit of HHing, for some sort of comfort food. we'd commented on wanting to eat spicy food, but our primary goal was to stuff our faces (we did). the spices were definitely a welcome perk. because, you know, sometimes all you want is a nice combination of asian-y spices on a bed of fluffy and steaming white rice. definitely not something i have as often as people may think, but something i enjoy each and every time. YUM.

i've also seen notices saying that great wall szechuan house also does hot pot. FOR REALS? i haven't tried it, but in addition to all of the other delicious chinese options, i will have to go back for hot pot. have you been? thoughts?

online: http://greatwallszechuanhouse.com/

nom nom nom ...

 

kangaroo boxing club

kangaroo boxing club
3410 11th street nw, 20011
tel: 202) 505-4522

what was consumed: brunch! with a side of mac & cheese and a big house salad.

after a few years on the BMENA region, i can't help but cry out for delicious pork dishes. how do others who have entire careers there do it?! good question. anyway, c and i were on a quest for a delicious brunch and pork on the menu was preferred.

kbc has a nice selection of dishes for brunch. some are classic (eggs, bacon, toast, etc.) and some twists on classic favorites. i was most in to the pork options: breakfast-zed pulled pork, lots of bacon, all with a side of some sort of potato, coupled with bottomless drip coffee. and when the fare is delicious, i can't help but to cry out - i'll have s'more please!

in addition to some of the delicious brunch options, they have a slew of sides that i'd highly recommend. in particular, mac and cheese. while you generally can't go wrong with this comfort food, there's something about being able to enjoy it 1) with breakfast, and 2) as cheesy (literally) as possible.

and for the michigan (university of, not state) fans, we understand kangaroo boxing club is your place. that is, if you missed the gigantic "M" that hangs on the outside of the eatery. hahaha. and even if you're not a fan (or a fair weather fan), be sure to come and eat! yummy~~~

online: http://kangaroodc.com/

thally

thally
1316 9th stree nw, 20001
tel: 202) 733-3849

what was consumed: small bites! today's choices include potato croquettes and delicious roasted brussel sprouts. and drinks!

fancy-pants friend fred and i got together to catch up and eat some good food over good drinks in the "neighborhood" restaurant, thally. and for sure, thally is not just a regular neighborhood restaurant.

thally has a great selection of beverages and quite a knowledgeable staff. and without any of the pretentiousness! i could definitely see myself getting quite comfortable here. their drinks menu included non-alcoholic house-made sodas (my favorite). if only i lived closer!

the small bites we enjoyed were also so delicious. it was hard to limit myself to my half of our share-sies sampler ... !!! crips in just the right places, season so well, and presented beautifully.

i was so happy to see such a great addition to the mt. vernon square/convention center area. next time, i'll have to stick around for more delicious food!


online: http://www.thallydc.com/

district taco

district taco

1309 F street nw, 20004

tel: 202)347-7359

what was consumed: burrito bowl! with beans, rice, steak (my choice of protein) and lots and lots of salsa piled on.

there can never be too many tex-mex-ish options!

friends and i got together for a quick bite to eat at district taco before heading out to see a show at POV (yeah, it was an out of the ordinary show venue, but it was still super fun). district taco offers fresh ingredients presented in  tex-mex fashion - burritos, bowls, tacos, etc. that basics are set - beans, rice, protein, veggies. then you pile on from their salsa bar, my favorite part. lots of people compare district taco to chipotle. say what you will. i'm glad i got to try district taco and i'll be back! yum.

there are a few other locations of district taco. it doesn't matter which, just make sure you make it out to district taco!

online: http://www.districttaco.com/

farmers fishers bakers

farmers fishers bakers
3000 K street nw, 20007
tel: 202)298-8783

what was consumed: whirley pot kettle corn pot, purple and black kale salad, and simply seared sushi grade tuna ... with homemade ginger soda!

bjl told me his favorite restaurant was some place in georgetown. and so, before heading out to dulles, we stopped in for a quick and delicious bite to eat. i'm surprised i hadn't heard about ffb! so many chefs and restaurants engage in the farm-to-table "movement," and i'm glad they do! 

we were only planning on a quick stay, so happily took seats at our favorite dining spot - at the bar. bjl ordered his usual (campari and soda) while i was being super indecisive about their homemade soda choices. their super delicious homemade soda choices! i went with the ginger soda and boy, was it delicious! super gingery, not at all sweet, totally refreshing. i tried to savor ever single drop, but really just chugged it down. it was far too easy.

we started our meal with ffb's version of bar nuts - bits of bacon and nuts in the midst of all the delicious kettle corn. we then moved on to kale salad, dressed just right. we topped off our meal with seared and lightly crusted tuna that sat atop heirloom tomatoes served with a side bean salad. nom nom nom nom nom nom. i don't even know where to begin to describe how fresh and delicious the tuna was, how delicious the entire meal was.

       

and, if you can, get a seat next to the windows. of course you should. but especially if you are at the georgetown waterfront and you have the opportunity to dine overlooking the potomac, why not? i surely will the next time i go to ffb. and i hope it's soon!

online: http://www.farmersfishersbakers.com/

etto

etto

1541 14th street nw, 20005
tel: 202)232-0920

what was consumed: a nice selection of different things off their menu. a few things from their antipasta menu, salad, cheese, and (of course) pizza!

friend vicki and i were to meet for dinner, the first time in a couple of years. etto was on my radar as a place to check out, so it was an easy suggestion to make. pizza, italian fare, and good conversation with a good friend? yes please!

etto has a series of antipasto that they have on display in their bar area. as we waited for our seat, we drooled longingly at the options that may be available to us. you can be sure we ordered a couple of them. in particular, i really enjoyed the roasted chick peas. the peas are roasted and salted in their pods, served cold. you take one, with shell, and pop the chick pea into your mouth straight from the pod. or, if you're like me and enjoy a strong helping of the roasted flavor, you can pop the entire thing into your mouth and spit out (in a lady-like fashion, of course) the shell. i was 2-seconds from ordering a second helping of this dish.

the highlight (and goal?) was ... pizza! the pizza is served thin crusted, hot and piping. so delicious. you can see all of the fresh ingredients that they place on the pizza. 

after all of this, there was little room for anything else, so vicki and i opted out of dessert. i want to go back and try more off the menu, a menu that is always changing!

online: http://www.ettodc.com/

gcdc

gcdc

1730 pennsylvania avenue NW, 20006
tel: 202) 393-4232

what was consumed: the kim-cheese-steak, the mediterranean, loaded tator tots

in the vein of food trucks turned brick and mortar establishments, gcdc is another example. an eatery that specializes in grilled cheese sandwiches? what's not to like? yes please!

bjl and i were lucky with our timing as we nabbed a seat right before the hordes of worker bees descended upon gcdc for lunch; the line was out the door and around the block. and once our selection arrived, we were happy to devour our grilled cheese sandwiches.

gcdc has come up with some creative grilled cheese sandwich varieties. gone are the days of only cheese between two slices of bread (that still exists as well, don't worry). different meats, veggies, spices, and sauces have been added. like kimchee! i want to tell them that i've been eating sandwiches with kimchee since i was a kid, but i wasn't the first person to make it a thing. drat!

gcdc is also liberal with their cheese, maybe to a fault. but let's be honest - i loved that the cheese was oozing out of my sandwich and i could later pick it off my plate when it cooled. YUM.

re: tator tots. they reminded me of the delicious tator tots i used to enjoy when having weekend breakfasts with mom at carl's jr. it also gave me some good ideas on how to make some delicious loaded tator tots. tator tot bar, anyone

nom nom nom ... YUM.

online: http://grilledcheesedc.com/