timber pizza co.
809 Upshur St NW, Washington, DC 20011
tel: 202) 853-9746
what was consumed: the mina (salad), the green monster, pretty in pepperoni (mix and match! that's ok!)
more pizza please!
and while there are lots of options in most of DC's quadrants, be sure to visit timber pizza co., preferably more than once. all of their pizzas are made to order in their wood fire oven. what's more, they used to be a food truck and now they have their brick and mortar location! yaaassssss ...
online: http://www.timberpizza.com/
cafe divan
1834 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007
tel: 202) 338-1747
what was consumed: mixed mezze platter, doner kebab, iskender kebab (with yogurt!)
k wanted turkish food (note: k also spent a foreign service tour in turkey, so her opinion and expectation for turkish food is much much higher than average), i wanted anything that a preggers lady could get her hands on (haha). cafe divan it is!
cafe divan is a great little turkish restaurant in georgetown. cafe divan offers a wide variety of turkish dishes. i loved that we could get a sampler appetizer plate with the lentil kofte that is just ... so so good. and be sure to get lots of yogurt with whatever you order. it's just so delicious that way!
online: http://www.cafedivan.com/
the smith
1314 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009
tel: 202) 250-3900
what was consumed: crab cake tots, kale caesar, daily special (fish and chips) ...
i passed the smith out on u street countless number of times, wondering what it was all about. japanese language partner and i decided to check it out. note: be sure to specify which of the 'the smith' locations you're meeting at so that you don't end up at the chinatown/penn quarter location while the other is at the u street location. just sayin'.
the smith has a pretty traditional american fare menu, imo. they do a good job with what they offer and the service is great. i do like that the u street location has a seating section that is inside, but outside at the same time (the street-facing wall of windows opens up! great feature). one don't miss thing, though, are the crab cake tots. if you're a fan, definitely grab the few bites that makes up this dish. the tot-shaped crab cakes, along with the dressing and the toppings, are super delicious bites!
online: https://thesmithrestaurant.com/location/u-street/
convivial
801 O St NW, Washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 525-2870
what was consumed: happy hour! cheese plate, spicy lamb sausage, bacon cheese burger, panisse (chick pea fries), floating island (dessert)
yay for happy hour! friend k and i head to convivial for some delicious eats and good conversation.
even on their HH menu, you can sample so many delicious things, as well as get a sense of the creativity that those in the kitchen offer their patrons. the chick pea fries, for example, are a great and creative alternative to traditional fries and the dipping sauce! oh so delicious.
be sure not to skip out on dessert! we wanted something interesting and opted for the floating island dessert - a meringue ball in a pool of delicious caramel "soup" topped with crunchy nuts. a great way to end our delicious meal!
online: http://www.convivialdc.com/
momo yakitori
2214 Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington, DC 20018
what was consumed: Tofu to Rukkora Salad, yaki onigiri, hang 10 (chef's choice of 10 skewers)
yakitori (aka grilled chicken) is a staple in japanese cuisine. so when my japanese language partner heard from someone at hana market (the local japanese market in the city) about a new yakitori place opening up, we were intrigued. momo yakitori is located (what seems like) a thousand miles away, but it's well worth the trip if you fancy japanese style grilled things.
we opted we opted for the chef's choice of 10 skewers, which was fine, but i'd also encourage you to take a look at the menu and pick and choose among the interesting items. and definitely get the onigiri (though i could have easily eaten two orders on my own) and a salad.
most of all, i loved the little details and the ambiance of momo yakitori. the dishes that were used, the charcoal used to filter, etc. very japanese ;)
online: https://www.momoyakitori.com/
bakers and baristas
501 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20005
tel: 202) 347-7895
what was consumed: Butterkuchen (german butter cake), coffee with lavender
among the hustle and bustle of galleryplace/chinatow, is bakers and baristas. if you're looking for a quite bite to eat, some delicious coffee, and/or a sweet treat, be sure to check them out.
their signature butterkuchen is more butter than sweet (that's the best!). find time to enjoy it on location as bakers and baristas will heat it up so that it's oh so delicious!
online: https://www.bakersandbaristas.com/
chloe
1331 4th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
tel: 202) 313-7007
what was consumed: sheep's milk ricotta, crispy cauliflower, bok choy, crispy fingerling potatoes, spicy beef hummus, russet potato gnocchi, crispy whole fish, meyer lemon tart, cheese plate
i'm so glad chloe was introduced to me! in the midst of all of the fast casual places (or just straight up places to get sloshed) in and around nats stadium is this gem of a restaurant. their food is delicious (flavorful, creative, varied), their service is superb, the ambiance is welcoming and lively, and and and ...
friends and i went and opted to order a bunch of different things from the menu. all of our dishes were delicious (we definitely did everything but lick our plates), but the sheep's milk ricotta, the crispy fish, and the meyer lemon tart (which we ordered by accident!) were the highlights for me.
i can't wait to go back!
online: http://restaurantchloe.com/
takohachi
3249 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204
tel: 571) 312-7678
what was consumed: lunch bento (grilled salmon, mackerel, sushi)
while learning japanese, we also spent a lot of time looking for places to enjoy japanese food. so, when takohachi opened near school, we (as well as our japanese teachers) were pretty excited about being able to get some pretty solid bento boxes, especially at lunch.
takohatchi also features a pretty good HH, which i've been told is a good deal for pretty good bites. their service can be a little slow, but when your stomach is happy, not a whole lot else matters, wouldn't you say?
online: https://www.facebook.com/takohachijapaneserestaurant/
dangerously delicious pies
1339 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002
tel: 202) 398-7437
what was consumed: theater menu! sausage tomato fennel pie, steak chili pie, chocolate peanut butter chess pie, baltimore bomb pie
when in and around the H street corridor/atlas district, and especially if you're going to catch a show/performance at the atlas district, be sure to hop in next door for some delicious slices of pie at dangerously delicious pies. they have a pre-theater menu (1 savory slide + salad and 1 sweet slice) that is sure to satisfy your stomach.
i'd only had this baltimore native's treats via their truck (and this is now years ago). i'm glad there's a brick and mortar location i can look to whenever i'm in the market for some delicious bites!
online: http://www.dangerouspiesdc.com/
timber pizza co.
