eating all the day~

boundary stone public house

2012-01-28T10:13:00.002-05:00

boundary stone public house
116 rhode island avenue NW, washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 621-6635
hours: monday-thursday 12pm-2am, friday 12pm-3am, saturday 11am-3am, sunday 11am-2am

what was consumed: delicious cocktails, beer, hot honey wings, bacon burger

in DC, and maybe in lots of other places, lots of businesses are turning towards neighborhoods and "locals" as their primary target market. i think it's a great idea and am happy to support places near where i live. boundary stone is one of those places. i hadn't heard about it; admittedly, i haven't been paying attention these days (though i'm sure i'd pass by it frequently on my runs). no matter; when d said he wanted to check it out, i was happy to accompany.

when you get to boundary stone, you enter through a large and heavy sliding door. the bar is, then, to the left through another door (you enter into a dining area, turns out). there isn't anything fancy shmancy about its decor, but that's what helped me feel right at home.

boundary stone had a nice selection of beers and an amazing whiskey selection, as well as house specialty cocktails. i started the night off with a delicious old fashioned (remember, though, that i'm not a connoisseur. i simply enjoy. ha!). our bartender was knowledgeable about her bar, about the menu, and was overall fantastic.

food: all of the reviews i'd read recommended the bacon burger. i love burgers, so am always willing to try it out. the burger was well cooked (though the server didn't ask me how i wanted it cooked; nevertheless, it came out a nice medium/medium rare) on a buttery bun that had bacon spread on it. yes. bacon spread. i love it! i received a jar of bacon spread for my birthday (thanks, k!) and have been looking for even more ways to use it (besides dipping my fingers into the jar to directly consume. yes, i know. gross. but delicious). on burgers - of course! the burger also came with fries and ... homemade ketchup. now, i'm not a big ketchup fan. i think it's too sweet and doesn't taste anything like tomatoes. but boundary stone seems to make their ketchup homemade. d was saying something about it having cinnamon and other stuff (i've since forgotten -__-) ... ??? delicious. i think i still prefer going sans ketchup, but that didn't keep me from dipping some of my fries into boundary stone's variation.

the hot honey wings were also delicious. i'm usually not a fan of wings doused in sauce, but i was happy to get all of the sauce on my fingers this time around. while "honey" is in the name, the sauce wasn't overly sweet. it was, however, hot, with a nice spiciness. the wings were prepared well, crispy on the outside, but weren't soggy despite the sauce. and the meat came right off the bones. yum!!

the couple sitting next to us also highly recommended the quesedillas. i'll have to check them out the next time i'm around. so, if you're looking for a local place (and even if you're not) with a relaxed and neighborhood feel, swing by the boundary stone public house for a drink! you will most definitely enjoy it. see you there!

online: http://boundarystonedc.com/

old ebbitt grill

2012-01-27T15:49:00.006-05:00

old ebbitt grill

675 15th street NW (between F street and G street), washington, DC 20005
tel: 202) 347-4800
happy hours: daily (except holidays) 3:30pm-6:30pm, 11pm-close

what was consumed: the orca platter!

the ladies and i set a date and finally got together. we decided on old ebbitt's to enjoy their raw bar (and a couple of bottles of wine, of course). while i was pretty sure i could enjoy the entire thing on my own (i might, next time!), k and i agreed to split their orca platter: 12 cocktail shrimp, 12 oysters, 12 clams, 12 crab claws, and a 1 pound lobster. the photos, above, show what the orca platter looked like when we were served, and then what it looked like after demolishing the entire thing. yes, we recreated an empty plate. delicious. when can we go again? it will not be too soon!

so, when hankering for oysters, or some other raw bar menu items, i highly recommend enjoying the fare at old ebbitt grill. some friends say it's the freshest and best in the city (i agree with the fresh quality). it's a total bonus that in addition to their regular happy hour, old ebbitt's has a reverse/late night happy hour. AND the happy hour applies anywhere in the restaurant, not just at the bar. i can't say that the drink deals are awesome (i don't even remember if there were any), but during HH, their entire raw bar (i think?) is half off - woohoo!

01 february 2010

old ebbitt grill
675 15th street NW (between F street and G street), washington, DC 20005
tel: 202) 347-4800
hours: monday-friday 7:30am-1am; saturday-sunday 8:30am-1am

what was consumed: spinach, artichoke, and crab dip; octoberfest platter (grilled knockwurst, bratwurst, and pork loin, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, caraway sauce and crispy fried onions); steamed canadian cove mussels (rope-cultured PEI mussels, marinara sauce, linguini, fresh herbs and garlic crouton); seafood jambalaya (shrimp, mussels, calamari, scallops, clams, chicken chorizo sausage, vegetable stew and rice)

i read about old ebbitt grill soon after i moved to DC. talk about how capital hill big wigs come here, its historical significance, a tourist draw, etc. i have to admit, the tourist-y-ness of what i read was actually quite intriguing. would i really see the DC version of celebrities? incentive to go! i honestly didn't even think about the food.

so, when friend stacey was in town, and we were looking for a place to grab a bit to eat sort of late in the evening, stumbling upon old ebbitt grill was a great find - hurrah!

old ebbitt grill is a part of the clyde's franchise (if that means anything?), so a lot of the specials that are at clyde's is also at old ebbitt grill (like their lobster meal in the summer! yumyumyum). point is, the food at old ebbitt grill is good - pretty standard american fare, i guess you can say. the crab dip we started with was a little on the salty side, but since i love salty food, it appeased my palate greatly (haha). i countinued with the octoberfest platter (you really can't go wrong with brawts! and smashed potatoes. yes, smashed. and sauerkraut! no knockwurst in my platter - they were out! sucks. i did get a double dousing of smahsed potatoes (oh, and a brawt replacement) instead, so i was happy ^_^). hearty, classic, solid. i enjoyed the meal that i had and will most likely visit old ebbitt grill to enjoy their fare again. they don't offer super unique dishes or culinary marvels, but if you want a good meal that is filling and have a great time (all while seemingly rubbing shoulders with capital hill-ers, supposedly), then old ebbitt's grill is the place to go!

AND! the service at old ebbitt grill is fantastic. the servers are nice, knowledgeable, and seem to be overall concerned about your visit and want to make it as pleasant as possible.

i also read (on their menu) that old ebbitt has a regular AND a reverse happy hour (i.e., late night eats) for their raw bar. YUM. let's go!

online: http://www.ebbitt.com/

america eats tavern

2011-12-10T15:44:00.001-05:00

america eats tavern
405 8th street NW, washington, DC 20004
tel: 202) 393-0812

what was consumed: hangtown fry (with oysters, eggs, and bacon), vermicelli prepared with pudding (the grandfather of today's mac 'n' cheese), jumbalaya, strawberry shortcake dessert, wiiiiine~~~

i am a jose andres fan. let's just get that out in the open right now. i've been trying to get reservations at 'mini bar' for some time now and am willing to dish out bucks to eat there. and so, i'd say, jose andres can do little wrong in my book.

when america eats tavern took over cafe atlantico, i was a little sad because i enjoyed much of what cafe atlantico offered (mostly the guacamole. which i can eat gallons of). but when i heard about the join effort between jose andres and the nat'l archives, i was intrigued (as was the rest of the dc/metro community, i imagine). so, when friend made the suggestion and was able to score some reasonable reservations, we were on our way. yay!

we walked into the restaurant and were quickly seated in our seats. the interior of the space is the same as cafe atlantico (of course) in that there are multiple floors of dining, but the space is rather ... narrow. but wide enough to have some privacy among different dining parties. the walls are also filled with historic (?) american art reflecting some of the history of u.s. food. there were already quite a few diners present, already eating food. the interior seemed the servers quickly came to take our drink order and explain the concept behind america eats (their website does a far better job than i could, so i'm going to forego that story here. but it's really cool!).

m and i decided to split a 3-course meal between us. i figured that'd be enough food (and it was). we picked a few favorites (mac 'n cheese) and an oyster dish (i had read that some sort of oyster dish was a must! works for me! and yes, i read about food (and others' opinion about food) rather frequently) that i heard was really good. they also had great oysters on the half shell (which i enjoyed on a subsequent visit to america eats) that was served with a variety of citrus add-ons. i will have to say that the mac 'n cheese made with vermicelli is something i could eat every day. loves it.

for our entree, we chose the very shareable jambalaya (in fact, it's supposed to be shared). it was chock full of shrimp, sausage, and other goodies, served with a fresh salsa/salad of peppers that was a nice and cool addition to the piping hot jambalaya. the jambalaya, while prepared in the kitchen (of course) is plated right at your table. very nice, very nice. i will have to say that the jambalaya was a bit of the salty side. but it's supposed to be that way ... ??? frankly, i really would've have it another way. so much so that i had it again at a subsequent visit. haha.

and, of course, dessert. neither m nor i are big sweets fans. but we do appreciate fresh and in-house-made things. our strawberry shortcake dessert was fresh, light, not too sweet, and a nice end to our meal.

america eats has a nice selection of beers and wines as well, and options that aren't overly expensive. that's always nice to see.

i've both been back to america eats as well as visited the exhibit at the national archives (though, both times i've been to the archives, i hurried through the museum because i was running short on time. maybe the third time will be the charm? and really, i can't seem to see the declaration of independence and constitution enough! do you blame me? nerd.) and still look forward to going back. again. next time, i'll be sure to get something other than the jambalaya. but it's so good! sigh.

online: http://www.americaeatstavern.com/

the sweet lobby

2011-10-04T21:12:00.002-04:00

the sweet lobby
404 8th street SE, washington, DC 20003
tel: 202) 544-2404
hours: monday-thursday 10am-9pm, friday-saturday 10am-10pm

what was consumed: macarons! i've had a variety of flavors, but my favorite is the salted caramel. by far. once, they didn't have any (they were making more) and i almost cried. seriously. k also tells me that their cupcakes are delicious. i trust her opinion. you should too.

i'm not big on sweets. i've even once said, albeit facetiously (because all presents are wonderful), that i'd waaaay rather receive a bag of beef jerky over a box of chocolates (and FOR SURE over flowers. flowers suck. no offense). i'm also the lame restaurant patron who will ask if a side salad or fries (always fries!) may be substituted in a price fixe menu. nevertheless, my desire to try all things food does not preclude me from trying delicious desserts. so, when k told me that i had to try the "perfect macarons" from the sweet lobby, i couldn't resist. per usual.

after a nice lunch, k and i were looking for a little something to have with our mid-day cocktails (yay mid-day cocktails!). she mentioned that there was a (relatively) new place on barracks row that i had to try. she knows that i'm not one for sweets (she really isn't either), but she said that i just had to try the macarons. i, of course, was happy to oblige. so, we head over to the north end of barracks row into a really tiny tiny store front, where we were greeted by a glass case of cupcakes, neatly lined up. looking oh so sweet and pretty. on the other side of the L-shaped counter was the glass case of the macarons we were there to enjoy.

i don't have lots of experience with macarons. i've had some delicious ones in san francisco, but that's about it? i understand, though, that the texture is just as important as the flavor of the macaron. agreed!

k and i got a box of 6 to share. the sweet lobby has a variety of flavors for you to choose from. some are more ... traditional flavors as well as unique and new flavors. we got a few of the more interesting flavors (including passion fruit and green tea). she told me that i just had to try the salted caramel, her favorite; we each got one.

the macaron shell was just perfect - light, soft and yet crisp on the outside, just the right texture. the filling was chewy, but not gummy, sweet, but not overwhelming. i'm glad k suggested i get the salted caramel - it is now my favorite macaron. a nice combination of salty and sweet. YUM.

the sweet lobby also has a neat story - be sure to check it out on their website (they do a far better job telling the story than i do).

k has since gone to, and returned from, paris and had authentic macarons. i'll have to ask her how the sweet lobby compares. in the meantime ... i'll take another salted caramel macaron, please! thanks ^_^

online: http://www.sweetlobby.com/

thai x-ing

2011-07-10T21:00:00.001-04:00

thai x-ing
515 florida avenue NW, washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 332-4322
hours: tuesday-sunday 5:00pm-10pm

what was consumed: fixed price special dishes menu (chef's choice!) which included a cilantro and onion chicken salad, soup (2 kinds), squash curry, poached fish, mussels, noodles (like drunken noodles ... ?), and dessert (mango slices with sticky rice)

thai x-ing had been on my list of "must eat" for some time now. but the thought of making reservations well in advance and a fixed price menu was sort of intimidating (i'm not sure why). but when friend m invited me along, i was in!

our entire party met at the east u street exit, out of convenience (the nearest metro is shaw/howard university), then walked the loooooong walk (ok, it wasn't that long. but it was a hot summer DC night. blech) over to the ledroit park location. when we approached 515 florida avenue NW, a rowhouse turned restaurant, i was quickly overwhelmed by the delicious scents that were coming out of the place.

thai x-ing has a downstairs and an upstairs. after a quick peek downstairs (it's super duper tiny - looks like that's where the kitchen is?), we head up the stoop stairs, took off our shoes (as directed), then head to the upstairs dining area.

thai x-ing has take-out options (or so i hear), but the way to go is to make reservations (which you will have to do well in advance) and enjoy the chef's specialties available through the fixed price dining option. i found the multi-course dinner to be well worth the money that i paid. we even left with food to go! which means we had a lot of food considering the size and characteristics of our group (i.e., i was in the group and i eat A LOT). thai x-ing also does not serve alcohol, but is not opposed to you bringing your own and enjoying it during the meal. we surely did!

our meal began with a fresh chicken and cilantro salad. it was chock full of cilantro and onions, had a really fresh flavor, and was lightly dressed with thai flavors. while i love the flavor of cilantro and onions, i don't particularly enjoy chewing them. i.e., the salad was quite tasty, but i didn't eat a whole lot of it. the others at my table seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

next was the soup. we were given 2 kinds! one was similar to tom yum soups i've had at thai restaurants in the past (maybe that was what it was. i don't know what all of these dishes are called and our server referred to them simply as "soup" - haha. despite the heat of outside, the warm soup was delicious. i prefer it more spicy, but it was still delicious. a lighter broth filled with veggies, and welcomed hints of lemongrass. the other soup had a light broth with cooked cucumber stuffed with beef (or was it pork? anyway, stuffed with some sort of meat) which i hadn't seen too much of, but still greatly enjoyed.

next was a squash (i think) curry and poached whole fish (there were, like, 3 huge fish for the 8 of us. i love it!). this was, of course, served with (white) rice. we piled the rice onto our plates, then drowned them in the curry sauce that was flavorful and chock full of squash, veggies, and other goodies. and the fish! i love fish and wish i was better at preparing it myself. the fish came out with a sauce that we poured all of the fish. the sauce helped to take away what others would describe as the "fishy" smell (it's a fish, what else is it supposed to smell like?) and don't enjoy. anyway, we proceeded to devour the fish, leaving pretty much just the bones.

after the fish and curry, and we (mistakenly) thought we were finished with the main portions of our meal (we were pretty full), we were served baked thai-style mussels that had its own sort of curry on top of it. it's sort of hard to see, but there were grilled veggies that accompanied the mussels, which were topped with basil, garlic, etc. - the usual delicious toppings that often accompany thai cuisine. oh, and it was not one, but two plates of mussels. we were thoroughly stuffed by the end of this course.

and then, AND THEN, noodles. i love noodles! but i was so full, i didn't get to eat that much of 'em (we took the leftovers home), but i made sure to at least have a bite. so delicious! our noodles were similar to what you would get if you order drunken noodles (that is, the noodles were fat), but the noodles were covered with much more curry/sauce.

our meal ended with some dessert. yes, there was even dessert - sticky rice with sliced mango. the sticky rice was just the right sweetness (i.e., not a lot), and a great end to the meal, despite me already being totally full. i passed on the mangos (i'm not a fan of fruit AND i was overly full), but my party kept telling me to try as they were really delicious. i'm sure they were!

we all rolled out of thai x-ing, leftovers in hand, talking about how great our meal was. agreed, agreed, agreed!

do you have reservations for thai x-ing? do you have an extra spot? let me know! i want to go! delicious delicious delicious!

online: http://www.thaix-ing.com/

medium rare

2011-07-09T14:11:00.003-04:00

medium rare
3500 connecticut avenue NW, washington, DC 20008
tel: 202) 237-1432
hours: monday-sunday 5pm-10:30pm, saturday-sunday 11am-2:30pm

what was consumed: bread, salad, steak & frites (seriously, there are no other options) ... oh, and wine

i love the concept of medium rare: fresh ingredients, well prepared fare, set menu ... so, on a slow-ish weekend, c&j and i head out to get our fill of medium rare. c tried to call and make reservations (recommended), but couldn't get one (i forget the reason why). we decided to take a shot and wait for a table - are we glad we did!

we walked into the basement-esque first floor of the building to medium rare, already hustling and bustling with people. while we were worried about getting seated within a reasonable amount of time, the hostess assured us that we would be seated in 20-ish minutes .. and we were! (in the end, we resolved that that the tables turn over pretty quickly here, despite people taking their jolly time, because all of the time hemming and hawing over what to order is automatically cut out - good call!). the hostess showed us to our table, and our server soon came to our table, took our drink order, asked how we liked our steak cooked ("medium rare!" we all shouted. seriously), and off he went! that was it. simple.

medium rare was delicious. soon after our server took our "order," he returned with some freshly cut bread and butter (i know freshly cut because i saw the server actually cutting the bread) - chewy, crusty, delicious. then came out plates of crisp salad, lightly dressed with a sort of honey mustard. i'm usually not a big fan of honey mustards, this dressing wasn't too overwhelming with mustard flavor, so it was a nice compliment to the fresh greens. then, just as we polished of our salads, our server came with our plates of steak and frites. the steak was cooked to perfection - medium rare. the steak is served with a steak sauce that is liberally poured over the slices. while i'm not a sauce person, i happily welcomed the dousing of my steak with this sauce. j described the sauce like the rarebit sauce at meridian pint. i concur! finger lickin' delicious (to borrow a phrase). the frites were nice and crispy, well salted. and what makes a great thing even greater? seconds! that's right. after your first go at he steak and frites, our server came back with another serving of steak and frites and sauce. we proceeded to enjoy every bite (other friends who've been tell me they wrapped up the seconds to enjoy the next day. not us. all gone that night). we literally waddled out of there, totally content with the food we had just inhaled, knowing we would be dreaming of steak and frites that night. DELICIOUS!

so, let me know when you want to go, because i will happily accompany you. i can't wait to go again! yum!

online: http://www.mediumrarerestaurant.com/

luke's lobster shack

2011-07-08T16:00:00.002-04:00

luke's lobster shack
624 E street NW, washington, DC 20004
tel: 202) 347-3355
hours: daily 11am-10pm

what was consumed: schooner combo (crab roll, maine root soda, miss vickie's ships, pickle), hurricane's soups (maine lobster bisque)

i didn't grow up on the same coast as the great state of maine. as a result, i'm relatively new to the phenomenon that is the lobster roll. and i am loving it! i have been to a few establishments and have indulged in their lobster rolls (delicious). and no, i have not (yet) waited in that super duper long line for the red hook lobster truck (but my time is coming). but it is true that 'the lobster roll' is becoming a standard addition to many places. also, there seems to be a sharing of NYC's cuisine with us down here in "the south" (well, sort of "the south" here in DC). i welcome them with open arms.

that is, i welcome luke's lobster shack with open arms. friend s and i were trying to think of a place to grab a good bite to eat. yay for the (then) newly opened luke's lobster shack! they have a pretty limited menu as it is primarily seafood rolls, soups, chips, and sodas (making it easier to make a decision because i have a hard time with deciding what to order). it's nice to have a limited number of things to choose from. i like that luke's specializes in something, and does it very well. when i visited, they were out of the shrimp roll. i take this to mean that once something sells out, they are out, until they get a fresh new shipment in. that's a good thing, right? right? right?

so, in the midst of the usually crazy busy chinatown area, we walked in to a pretty empty luke's (we luckily got in before the dinner/pre-verizon center crowd), ordered our meals from their window, and proceeded to scan the (sort of small) dining area as we had the pick of our seats (yay for early dining!).

i opted for the crab version of the schooner combo (s got the lobster, and she tells me it was delicious!). it was chock full of crab meat, lightly seasoned (with mayonnaise? butter? lemon? some combination of the 3?) on a lightly butter-toasted bun. i really appreciated that, while buttery, the roll wasn't dripping with butter. that just seems to take away from the flavor of what is supposed to be filling the roll - the seafood!

i also couldn't resist the lobster bisque. i know that the bisque is usually made with cream, and cream often upsets my stomach, but i was willing to take the risk. the bisque was delicious! creamy, just seasoned enough, filled with lobster meat ...

i will have to visit luke's again to try the lobster and shrimp rolls. and with the way my appetite has been lately, it will be during the same visit! yes, i eat a lot. oink oink. but i will make room for the fares from luke's lobster shack! nom nom nom ...

online: http://lukeslobster.com/dc/

graffiato

2011-07-07T10:17:00.003-04:00

graffiato
707 6th street NW, washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 289-3600
hours: monday-friday 12pm-5pm, sunday-tuesday 5pm-12am, wednesday-thursday 5pm-1am, friday-saturday 5pm-2am

what was consumed: fresh fennel vegetate (with stone fruit, hazelnuts, moscato), green salad (with apple, radish, mint, ricotta salata), ham plate (with prosciutto di parma, porcsalt holiday ham, and a prosciutto of the day ... i think), pork & beans pizza (with pepperoni, sweet peppers, white bean puree, arugula), prosecco "on draft", tony starr cocktail, and ff coppola 'sofia' can (with straw)

what is it about local 'top chef' cheftestants that i can't seem to get enough of?!?!

i really anticipated the opening of mike isabella's new restaurant in the dc/metro area. and then, when k sent me an article that said that graffiato had prosecco "on tap," i needed (not wanted. needed.) to go. immediately. fresh ingredients, great flavor combinations, and wonderful things to drink? no need to twist my arm.

k and i met up after a long day of work. when k arrived, she tells me, she had the pick of seats. when i got there (soon after! i wasn't that late!), the place was bubbling with people, and in the middle of our meal, i looked around to see the place pretty packed with people. good sign!

the graffiato bar is well stocked, including prosecco on tap! what a genius idea, one that totally makes sense and that i think should be more common (imo, of course). we sat on the other side of the restaurant, at the part of the bar that was in front of the woodfire oven. i love that the kitchen is exposed and works well with the exposed brick that adds to the decor of the restaurant. seeing all of the food being prepared also was an inspiration as to what we would ultimately order - it was really neat to see ingredients go into the oven and come out cooked, then to have the cooks plate the food using all sorts of different sauces with a variety of different colors and textures. i could barely contain my growling stomach.

k and i initially had a hard time deciding what we were going to order. pizza or pasta? veggies or not? yay or nay on the cured meats? everything looked really good and we were starving. we opted for a some veggies and cured meats to start. the server made sure to let us know that all of the starter dishes are served at room temperature. we weren't really sure what that meant, but we went with it. and, in the end, it didn't really matter. the fennel salad was delicious. the light dressing covered all of the salad's components just right and the roasted hazelnuts were a delicious addition to the dish (in fact, i would have enjoyed more!). the cured meats came out on a platter, all 3 kinds. each had a bit of a distinct flavor, all delicious. of the 3, the porcsalt was my favorite - salty and meaty. the meats were drizzled with honey (which we only later realized. i know. too much prosecco already - hahaha).

we also ordered a salad, which came out later than everything else (slight mess up - no biggie), but it was totally worth the wait. the light, citrus dressing , the small cubes of fruit, and the crumbled cheese made this simply salad simply delicious.

and the pizza! our pizza was delicious. you know me, i love pizza. the pizza at graffiato are made "for one" (i.e., one person could probably eat the entire thing, neopolitan (is that right?) style). i like my pizza with arugula on it (and k was totally cool with going along with it). the 'pork&beans' pizza used bean puree instead of tomato sauce, making the crust really crispy and flavorful. coupled with the salty pepperonis and the sweet peppers, along with the fresh arugula, each of the slides of pizza were quickly gobbled up.

graffiato also had a series of desserts, which we politely declined as we opted to drink our dessert calories (haha). graffiato, we will be back. and soon!

online: http://graffiatodc.com/

cava

2011-05-05T15:44:00.006-04:00

cava
527 8th street SE, washington, DC 20003
tel: 202) 543-9090
hours: monday 5pm-10pm; tuesday-thursday 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-10pm; friday 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-11pm; saturday 11:30am-11pm; sunday 12pm-10pm

what was consumed: some variation of the following - taramosalata (whipped salmon roe, citrus), green beans (sautéed, roasted garlic, dill) lollipop chicken (fried, honey, walnuts, greek yogurt), shrimp orzo (san marzano tomatoes, wilted bitter greens), grilled baby octopus (baby octopus, grilled to perfection), kokkinisto (braised beef short ribs, tomato, cinnamon, burgundy, evoo crisped fries), roasted beet tartare (dodonis feta, sea salt, evoo, onions), donuts, and monday half-price wines (yay!)

yay small plates, yay sharing, yay cava!

right as you sit down, a friendly server (all male, btw. i thought that interesting) comes to take your drink orders and drops off some tasty bites of pita bread with oil, olives, and tapenade-like spread. now, this spread. it is so delicious. a bit spicy, the spread ended up finding itself on all sorts of things as the meal progressed. apparently, you can purchase it retail (maybe at whole foods?). as for drinks, cava has a variety of specialty cocktails as well as the standard beer and wine. they also have a half-off bottled wine day which is always wonderful, especially because i think their wines are good and reasonably priced (even more so when they're half off!). cava also has their own lemonade (with and without alcohol). it was a bit sweet/sour for my palate, but when i mixed it with a glass of club soda, it was perfect (i know - weird), though that was on a non-drinking day. some cava lemonade, a splash of club soda, and a clear adult beverage sounds wonderful.

on my first visit to cava, it was a seafood day - taramosalata (whipped salmon roe) and grilled baby octopus. i love seafood (not see food), i love roe, i love octopus. so, while i'm biased in that i probably have a higher tolerance for bad seafood, i most confidently say that these two dishes were wonderful. the taramosalata was lightly whipped, great as is or spread on some pita. i probably could have eaten twice the amount that was served, on my own, in one seating (though sitting with k prevented me from such gluttonous activities. i share, people!). and it was just the right amount of roe-y-ness. if you don't like roe, don't try it! but if you do, or are curious, it's a must. the baby octopus was also delightful. grilled just enough so that there's a bit of char and crunch, fresh octopus that is soft and chewy at the same time ... and with some lemon sprinkled? wonderful.

at subsequent visits, i've had the pleasure of trying out more plates (not-pictured as where we were sitting was light enough as a diner, but too dark to take some good photos). as a whole, i can confidently say that i thoroughly enjoyed all of the plates that i have the pleasure of tasting. i would recommend getting a number of plates and sharing them among you (i guess that's sort of the point of tapas and small plates, no?). the ingredients are fresh, the dishes are well seasoned. and at the end of the night, all gone.

i would also like to note that cava has some great outdoor seating. of course, this also meant that people stopped by to say "hello" to k so often (k is really popular), but it was such a nice day it was worth it! i am more of a washingtonian than i'd like to admit (haha). all the better that the waitstaff is good about making sure we were well taken care of. that's important!

cava, i can't wait to visit you again!

online: http://dc.cavamezze.com/

toki underground

2011-05-04T14:33:00.003-04:00

toki underground
1234 H street NW, second floor, washington, DC 20002
tel: 202) 388-3086
hours: monday-wednesday, sunday 5pm-10pm; thursday-saturday 5pm-12am

what was consumed: toki hakata classic, kimchee ramen, curry chicken hakata, masumi vegetarian, pan-fried pork dumplings, fried beef dumplings, taiwanese style cold tofu, pickled cucumbers, dessert bento box, warm cookies
toki underground is FINALLY open!!! woohoo!!! toki's chef, eric, let m know that they were doing a sort of unofficial opening. bunches of us, then, put ourselves on the reservation list and counted the days. yeehaw!

i remember when, while still under construction, i had the pleasure of visiting the (then future) site of toki underground. i got the low down on what the space was going to look like, some of the knick knacks that they planned on putting up, and the flare that sort of represented their version of youth. the space was once described to me as "a boy-hood playground for me," and i think it pretty accurate (haha). the decor of toki underground is chock full of skateboards, bar-like seating, plinko, and japanese culture-infused figurines (ok, so i probably butchered what all of the things are called. sorry!). point is, the decor is a lot of fun, well thought out (minus the hooks for ladies' bags - i hear they're coming), and a great effort regarding the efficient use of space.

we started our meal with some appetizers. one of the things that they want to make sure they get good at is dumplings - a great pairing with ramen. i personally like the pan fried option the best. when we went, admittedly the dumplings needed some work - the deep fried ones were too fried and the pan-fried ones were fried strangely. BUT, m went back and said that they adjusted their dumpling times and now, they're just right. and delicious. that's great to hear! so yes, pan-fried pork dumplings is what i would recommend.

in addition to the dumplings, we also enjoyed some of their other appetizers. for some reason, i looked at the cold tofu and thought it said cold noodles (i know - brain fart). but that's ok becuase they were delicious. the soft tofu was in a more salty than sweet sauce, topped with all sort of goodies (fish flakes? what are those things called?). i could eat this all day long - i love tofu. m got the pickles (yay pickes!), cucumbers that were slightly pickled in the asian way (i.e., more salty, a bit sweet. not dill or sweet like american pickles). yum.

and then, the ramen. i love ramen (makes sense, seeing that i love noodles. i've mentioned that here, i think). all kinds. even the cheap-o top ramen (seriously, you can make it pretty darn tasty), though that's not necessarily my "go to" (obviously). i've had real japanese ramen (i.e., ramen IN japan) and have had delicious japanese american variations. i got the kimchee version of the toki hakata classic (a way for me to get a taste of eric's kimchee along with the ramen. the kimchee was good, but i prefer my mom's kimchee. isn't that how it always is?). the pork broth was delicious, full of flavor, and salty as ramen should be (i know that it's just the right amount of saltiness when i, in the middle of eating, have the need to dilute the broth with some water. i know. gross. but i like it that way (and i do it, hopefully, discreetly). leave me alone!). i wish there were more noodles; i will order the extra noodles the next time i go. the noodles, in and of themselves, were also delicious - just the right amount of chewiness, not soft and mushy at all.

m had the vegetarian option and it was GOOD. i mean, really good! the broth had a lot of flavor, resulting from seaweed/dashi, soy sauce, radish, etc., i imagine. i tried making a vegetable broth (also for m) when making seaweed soup once and it was hard (though i'll have to say that mine didn't come out half bad. i will try again). oh, and i like the pork broth. what's wrong with that? nothing! haha ... for me, i think if i was wanting a lighter ramen option, this vegetarian bowl would be great. lots of other little toppings came along with this bowl. i wish all of the other bowls of ramen came with it as well. a girl can dream~

w had the curry chicken ramen. i was curious as to how this would be, as japanese style curry has its own flavor and flare. i would say that the chicken was cooked well and the broth, while chock full of curry, was more along the lines of se asian-style noodles in broth. the curry wasn't overpowering, which is good, and a nice option for those who may want an alternative to the more pork-y ramen (i don't know who says no to pork, though). now, w doesn't eat a whole lot. but while i was barely halfway through my ramen, he had demolished the whole bowl and was on the verge of licking (literally) up the droplets left. now that's a good sign!

to round out the meal, we had dessert. i'm not really one for dessert, but the containers that the dessert came is was just so darn cute. the dessert bento box was filled with chocolate truffles, all a different flavor (coconut and lemongrass, some sort of liquor, miso, and sea salt). we all literally took tiny bites of them, just to taste. delectable. i didn't think i would like some of the flavors because they sounded so ... odd. i mean, miso powder on chocolate? weird. but delicious. i like miso, i like chocolate (for the most part), why not put them together! i didn't get to taste the milk and cookies (and yes, it comes with actual ice-cold milk), but the presentation (imo) was just lovely.

i think there are a few kinks that the staff at toki are trying to iron out. it's also super hipster (for those of you who are not into that), but it's also on H street NE, so i guess you can't really avoid that (no offense). nonetheless, it sounds like it's already a great hit (yay!) and have full confidence that it will soon join the others on the list of DC's "must-dos." yay yay yay! now, if only i could get a seat ... hee hee~

online: http://tokiunderground.com/

bojangles' famous chicken 'n biscuits

2011-04-12T14:46:00.002-04:00

bojangles' famous chicken 'n biscuits 50 massachusettes avenue NE (inside union station), washington, DC 20001

what was consumed: gravy biscuit meal (with soda and bo-tato rounds), 2 piece (thigh and leg) chicken dinner, buttermilk biscuit, bojangles' dirty rice, bojangles' cajun pintos, bo-berry biscuit

yay for bojangles' in DC!

ok, so i didn't grow up with a bojangles' around the corner, so maybe i don't get the hype (though i appreciate it. after all, i get all worked up for my childhood favorites and other people don't get it either - ha!). but as some coworkers and i considered where to go for our friday lunch outing, we were highly intrigued by the brand spankin' new opening of bojangles' in DC proper. so hop on the metro we did and head from the downtown area to union station.

i was hoping that we would get to the union station food court before the crowd (after all, it was bojangels' opening lunch service). but alas, we were greeted by a line 50+ people deep that wrapped around the food court's dining area a la disneyland. i was more astonished with how surprised all of the security people there looked at all of the people who came to eat at bojangles' ... though i may be more in tune with the food fanatics' crazy behavior than they. anyway, we got in line and began the wait (on an aside, just as i get in line, i run into friend L! what great fortune! awesome to see friendly faces ^_^). about 45 minutes in (which isn't too bad considering the number of people in line), we put in our orders. for real, i ordered two "set" menus. don't laugh at me! i wanted to give bojangles' a good try. who knows when i'll be back at union station! anyway, we put in our order, got our food, then proceeded to fight to find some place to sit in the food court.

once seated, i was excited to try the food. what's not to like about (fast food) fried chicken? a tasty batter covering the outside of the chicken with a slight bit of spice, buttery biscuits, biscuits covered in gravy, salty cajun rice, hash brown-like tator tots ... YUM. though there was something missing in the bojangles' cajun pintos. even just adding a bit of the bojangles' hot sauce (a variation of tabasco) added good flavor to the beans. if i were to make a really general (and maybe even "sacriligious") comparison, i would equate bojangles' to popeye's (though, for you popeye's haters, i will have you know that the bulk of my popeye's experiences took place in seoul - delicious!) - southern-style fried chicken and sides. well aware of my huge purchase, i dished out the extra 5 cents for a plastic bag thinking that i would have plenty of leftovers to bring back to the office. i was wrong, though, as barely a biscuit was left. nonetheless, i ceremoniously placed it into the bag and carried it all the way back ... with jealous stares coming from all around.

the final the verdict? i would visit bojangles' again and will be highly tempted to enjoy if i were to see it included in a list of eateries at a rest stop. would i go back to union station specifically to enjoy bojangles'? less likely. nonetheless, successful trip! bojangles' lovers, i concur!

online: http://www.bojangles.com/

pasta mia

2011-03-17T13:53:00.000-04:00

pasta mia

1790 columbia road NW, washington, DC 20009

tel: 202) 328-9114

hours: tuesday-sunday 6:30pm-10pm

what was consumed: bread, caesar salad, gnocci in pesto, pappardelle pasta in meat sauce, and wine! yum.

one of my biggest gripes about food in DC is that there seems to be a dearth of affordable italian restaurants in the city (or maybe it's my arrogance that says that i could "make it better" at home. is that true?). every time i mention it, though, there's always someone who says that i really shouldn't say anything until i try pasta mia ... to which i'd always respond with "i don't want to wait in that line" or "it's just pasta" and so on and so forth. i finally caved. and it was delicious.

c & i planned it all out. the first seating at pasta mia is right when they open, so we got in line about 30-40 minutes before (c got there first and was still behind, like, 8 people - what?). soon after my arrival, the line started to go eastward on columbia road. some people, in fact, got in line, considered their chances of getting in on that first seating, and decided to go elsewhere. when pasta mia opened their doors and we were ushered in, i could hear a little cheer coming out of my mouth (ok, so it was actually a verbalized cheer. don't judge).

c and i were seated right next to the window - wonderful seats. since we'd thought about this dinner all day long, we were already ready to order by the time our server arrived (which was soon after we sat down). a basket of bread was soon served and while it was so delicious (was it the bread or our hunger? no matter), dipped in olive oil, we had to remind ourselves that we had huge meals coming our way. our large caesar salad came next (good thing we ordered one to share). the lettuce was crisp, and was light on the dressing (just as we asked), with a hint of fish which is what (imo) makes caesar salads so delicious. so simple, and so delicious!

i'd heard that i should be patient and wait as all of the food is cooked to order. but soon after we were finished with our salad, our pastas came. hurrah! and boy, were people right about portion sizes! the mountain of gnocci and what would otherwise be a box of pappardelle pasta were placed in front of us, covered in sauce, and piping hot. yes! more please! the meat sauce over the papperdelle was generous with the meat and seasoned well in the tomato sauce. all of which was covered with cheese. and the pasta was cooked just right - not too soft, but cooked. the gnocci was super soft, maybe some of the softest i've had, but not mushy and formless - just the opposite in fact. and the pesto it sat in was light and flavorful (some people ordered the gnocci with the meat sauce - so heavy!). i've never eaten so much gnocci in one sitting. and i love gnocci! nom nom nom ...

c & i left with small containers to go (instead of the large ones that everyone else seemed to have). admittedly, this was a point of pride for the two of us. tee hee hee. and note. my (long) run the next day was awesome. yay carb-o loading!

some will say that pasta mia is their favorite pasta place in town. i can see why they say that. despite all of the negatives (i.e., waiting in that line), i can see it rising to the top of my list as well. quickly. yay carbs! haha~

online: no website! argh ... though so many people have review pasta mia (a la yelp and other sites). better that than nothing?

pho viet

2011-03-16T15:06:00.008-04:00

pho viet
3513 14th street NW, washington, DC 20010
tel: 202) 629-2839
hours: monday, wednesday, thursday 11am-9:30pm; friday-saturday 11am-10:30pm, sunday 11am-8:30pm

what was consumed: summer rolls (an order of 2 for me, an order of 2 for c~), papaya salad, bahn mi (accompanied by fried sweet potato slides and a soda), pho (with beef eye round & flank)

though i didn't have pho until i was well into my college years, i haven't been able to get enough of it since. and that i grew up next to the 'little saigon', i will admit that i have been spoiled, thus affecting my preferences when it comes to vietnamese food (as much as that is possible, anyway). so when i found out that there was a large vietnamese population in washington, dc, i anticipated the hope that there would be many vietnamese eatery options ... but was quickly disappointed to find out that there were very few (and that the good ones were out in the 'burbs ... as is the case with lots of asian food options). lucky for me, a few have popped up as of late ... and close to where i live! wonderful! and so, when c and i were thinking about a place to go for a nice warm meal on a chilly day, pho viet was at the top of the list.

our meal began summer roll appetizers (an order for me, an order for c - i love summer rolls!), papaya salad, and a bahn mi platter (to share). yes, we ordered a lot of food (we may have scared our server. what kind of girls order enough food for an army? no comment). we gobbled up our fares quickly, but couldn't help comparing them to similar options at other places. "i like it better when summer rolls have ...", "i like it better when the papaya salad is ...", "i like it better when the bahn mi has ...", you know. that sort of thing. don't get me wrong - we still enjoyed, of course.

when our pho arrived, i was pleasantly surprised! so surprised (or maybe more excited?) that i forgot to take a photo (how is that possible?!?!?!?!?!). our bowls of pho arrived as they should - with the slices of (raw) meat on top of the properly cooked noodles in a hot broth ... hot enough for the meat to cook in the broth as the bowls are brought to the table. the broth looked a little light, but i enjoyed the unexpected flavor with my first spoonful. as is my way, i scooped out all of the green onions and cilantro (they add to the flavor, but i don't like to chew those buggers), added my bean sprouts underneath my noodles (as to slightly cook the veggies), added a bit of sriracha sauce for spice, then mixed it all up ... and thoroughly enjoyed. and all this despite having already consumed a meal of "appetizers."

while i may not go back to pho viet for some of their other fare, i will definitely think of them first and foremost when i'm hankering for a nice bowl of pho. more pho please!

online: http://www.phovietdc.com/

the argonaut

2011-03-15T17:51:00.009-04:00

the argonaut1433 maryland avenue NE, washington, DC 20002
tel: 202) 250-3660
hours: monday-thursday 5pm-2am, friday 4pm-2am, saturday-sunday 10am-2am

what was consumed: hush puppies, sweet potato fries, benedicts (smoked salmon on two poached eggs on english muffins with classic hollandaise; bacon; rosemary potatoes), cheese grits, huevos rancheros, arboretum salad (mixed greens with red onion, dried cranberries, walnuts, and blue cheese; lemon vinaigrette), bottomless mimosas

the first time i went to the argonaut, it was for a bridal shower, when the h street corridor/atlas district (maybe) just barely qualified for the "up and coming" status. we were intrigued that the argonaut was there altogether and pleasantly surprised by the english-style tavern fare.

and then there was a fire.

we'd heard that the argonaut came back from the fire, in full force! so, as a few of us contemplated where to head out for brunch after church, we decided on the argonaut. and we went, curious as to how it had changed ... and were pleasantly surprised! while many things were renovated and things were moved around, the same comfortable feel seemed to emanate ... and i was glad!

we took our seats, and in between all of our girly chitter chatter, we managed to order our brunch items. which began with hush puppies. and sweet potato fries. the hush puppies weren't on the menu, but there was another table that ordered them. which we then proceeded to do as well. the hush puppies were nice and crispy on the outside, but nice on the inside. and while the hush puppies came with some spreads, they were delicious on their own. as were the sweet potato fries! they were fried just right and sprinkled with a bit of salt that contrasted the sweetness of the potato. delicious.

our brunch items were quick to arrive (yay!). i, of course, could not pass up eggs benedict (or 'the argonaut's version of eggs benedict), with the eggs poached just right on top of smoked salmon - yum! and hollandaise on the side, just like i like it. AND it came with delicious bacon. AND it came with home fries. ahhhh~ and to top it all off, i got a bowl of the cheese grits (no brunch is complete without grits!). okokok, so it was a lot of food, more than the norm. but there was something about the creamy, cheesy-ness of the grits that did not prevent me from pretty much consuming the entire bowl ... after the entire plate of food, of course.

m and s also had much success with their entrees (of which i tried, as usual. don't worry - i shared mine as well!). a fresh salad for s (with delicious bacon - yay!) and huevos rancheros with vegetarian bacon! what a plus - vegetarian meat options for the vegetarians in your life. how progressive? no matter - totally awesome.

and don't forget the bottomless mimosas! for the price of a regular mimosa elsewhere, you can enjoy mimosas all morning long~ more or less, anyway. the argonaut also has a bloody mary bar for those who prefer a more tomato-y drink. and i will have to say, both the mimosas and the bloody mary were definitely not easy on the booze. just the way they're supposed to be!

welcome back, argonaut! i'm sure i will see you again soon.

online: http://www.argonautdc.com/

acacia mid-town

2011-03-10T13:26:00.003-05:00

acadia - midtown
2601 west cary street, richmond, VA 23220
tel: 804) 562-0138
hours: monday-thursday 5:30pm-9pm, friday-saturday 5:30pm-10pm

what was consumed: price fixe dinner! butternut squash soup with bacon, mixed greens salad, pan roasted duck breast (with fois gras lentils and greens), pan roasted beef rib-eye (with roasted fingerling potatoes), 3-cheese plate, moulton chocolate cake

m and i planned a day trip to the capital of virginina - richmond. i'd never been there and he'd attended school there, so it was high time a trip was planned (woohoo!). so, after a bit of touring (i love hearing people's stories about where they grew up, where they went to school, etc.) and walking up and down the cary street area (so cute!), we were off to dinner. finally!

i got the name of acacia off the list of "critics' favorites" list in the local richmond magazine. the critics can't be too wrong, but they can select restaurants out of my price range. additionally, the james beard award nominations? awards? anyway, the james beard award list had just come and and what was on the list? acacia - midtown. we had to try it. provided the prices were reasonable and the food looked good, that is ... and they were! on both fronts. BUT, when we checked, they were not yet open (what?) because we were too early. we figured we'd check out some other places and if they were better, we'd go to those other places. but in the end, we both were in agreement to stick it out until 5:30 to try to fare at acacia.

right as we walk in, we're greeted by the hostess who asks us if we had a reservation (we didn't), but sat us right away (the restaurant was empty) after asking for our names. weird, but we didn't question it. despite what we were each thinking of ordering (which wasn't available anyway. apparently, acacia changes their menu every day), we both resolved to get the price fixe menu (that was only available that first hour). yay for early dining!

we were first greeted by some rolls that were de-licious. and super buttery (maybe that's what made them so delicious!). they served us 2 and i wondered if we would get more if we asked (though not necessary). our server mentioned that there was something special about the butter, but i have since forgotten. honey butter? something like that.

appetizers: m opted for the mixed green salad. the addition of other veggies (i forget which. i think endives, among others) as well as dried fruit gave this otherwise common salad what felt like a acacia twist. fresh and dressed just right, it was a fresh way to begin a meal. because he got the salad, i opted for the soup - a creamy and thick butternut squash soup. unlike many butternut squash soups i've had, this one wasn't overly sweet. instead, it was squash-y (is that even an adjective?) and creamy. and about every other spoonful had a bit of bacon. bacon! you can't go wrong with bacon.

entrees: i was having a hard time deciding between the pan-fried duck and the fish. our server mentioned that the chef was sort of known for fish, but that the duck came with lentils in fois gras. duck it was! and it was delicious. the pan-fried duck was nice and juicy, offering more juice to mix with the lentils for increased flavor. it wasn't too tough or stinky (as something poultry can be) and it was a pretty hefty serving (in fact, both of our meals were. i mean, they seemed comparable in size to the things that others were ordering ... we think. in the end, it didn't matter as it was still a lot of food. that we ate all of). m ordered the steak which came with this amazing green sauce. his steak was cooked more than he wanted, but that didn't prevent him from eating the entire plate (though i did suggest that he say something about it - he didn't). i think it was my duck that came out rare (look how red it is!), but i like it that way, so ...

dessert! we were afraid that dessert would be totally overwhelming. after all, we were already filled with all sorts of goodies. i had selected the cheese plate. when it came out, i was pleasantly surprised. bits of cheese just enough to let me taste, and then some. they told me which each one was, but what do i know of the names of cheese? all i know is that each had a slightly different cheesy flavor, and one was really creamy and had the consistency of a spreadable cheese. yum. m got the molten chocolate cake with ice cream. with just the right amount of chocolate and just the right size (small), the cake oozed richness and deliciousness. a great way to end the meal!

a quick comment about one of their drinks. i forget what it's called, but it comes with ginger beer. apparently, acacia makes their own ginger beer. and even m, who says he doesn't particularly enjoy ginger, enjoyed the ginger drink. it was ginger-spicy-y, but delicious.

the next time you're in richmond and thinking of going somewhere with delicious food and a sort of modern/chic ambiance, be sure to put acacia on your list!

online: http://www.acaciarestaurant.com

the passenger

2011-02-22T11:59:00.002-05:00

the passenger
1021 7th street NW, washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 393-0220
hours: sunday 2pm-12am, monday-thursday 5pm-1:30am, friday-saturday 5pm-2:30am

what was consumed: gourmet hot dogs (cole slaw, kimchee, etc.), hummus plate, route 66 chips, nachos, and libations (beer, wine, and spirits)

the passenger is one of my favorite bars in town. i've been with small groups, i've been with large groups, i've stood around, i've sat at tables. when i go, though, i try to sit at the bar (which is generally a favorite seat of mine) as to have immediate access to their bartenders. the servers are great, but one of the awesome things about the passenger is that you can tell the bartender the type of beverage that you'd like (e.g. a bitter, whiskey based drink that is not sweet) or ask for one of their specials ... and you will always be pleasantly satisfied. the passenger has a nice selection of beers and wine as well - everyone will be satisfied!

as for food ... they have a small menu, which seems to always change just a little bit, and is not on their website. i've had bites of a variety of different things, including their kimchee hot dog which was one of the first things that intrigued me (it was delicious. in my k-snobbery, though, i made comments on what i would do differently ... all the while happily polishing off my order. tee hee hee). the hot dogs come with chips, which luckily doubles as wonderful ahn-joo (drinking snacks). i would most definitely be able to eat more than one hot dog on a hungry day (i.e., every day - ha!). all in all, the fare, while more snack-ish than meal-ish, is inventive, fresh, and delicious.

a quick comment about one of the passenger's fixtures. they have this ceiling fan in the middle of the main room that i look at every time i visit. it's a 2-legged (legged?) ceiling fan that has regular desk fans on the end of them! so, the desk fans are oscillating while the ceiling fan's "legs" also oscillate (does this even make any sense? yeeees ...). anyway, how great is that?! i love i - so there!

oh, passenger, i've had a lot of fun with you - great drinks, great snakcs, great ambiance, great company! i will be back for more. yay yay yay!

online: http://www.passengerdc.com/

buddha bar

2011-02-16T16:17:00.001-05:00

buddha bar
455 massachusetts avenue NW, washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 377-5555
hours: 11:30am-2am

what was consumed: salt and pepper grilled shishito, rock shrimp tempura, buddha bar hot noodle, mass roll, green papaya salad, seaweed salad (which is not on the menu, but still available - just ask! i love seaweed salad) ... i think this is a representative list of what was consumed. it was really dark, so i didn't take photos of everything ...

i'm not sure when i first heard about buddha bar. was it from some nyc blog/article/post? was it in reference to celebrity endorsements or international presence? no matter. when i saw the construction begin on the buddha bar in DC, my interest was piqued and buddha bar got on the (illustrious and ever lengthening) LIST. what's more, when there was a groupon (or living social, or whatever) option, a few of the girls jumped on it and planned for a night out at buddha bar.

we walked in and were taken right to our reserved seats (yay!). granted, we visited buddha bar on a sort of "off" day, but the nice treatment is still nice. the servers pulled out our chairs for us, brought little stands for our bags (so that we wouldn't have to put them on the ground or on the backs of our chairs), and were attentive regarding our drink orders. yay great first service impressions!

the buddha bar decor, on the other hand, was a huge topic of conversation among the girls. then again, it was really dark inside (as to make the dining area feel more ... intimate? because you have to get closer to see the people you're dining with?) - this also explains why my photos are so ... dark. there is also a huge huge huge buddha in the main dining area, sort of watching over all of the patrons. i still don't know what to think of that ...

about the food ...

buddha bar has a large selection of a variety of asian/asian fusion foods. we started our meal with some of the appetizer like small plates, including a (quite large for what it is) sushi roll and grilled shishito peppers. i also made sure to get some seaweed salad since i, for some reason, can't seem to get enough. and even though the seaweed salad wasn't actually on the menu, we were accommodated as seaweed salad accompanies some meals. and it was totally worth it - delicious seaweed salad. we proceeded to order a few other things from the smaller plate menu (for whatever reason, the entree options were not that appealing to us. but i think maybe we were just in moods? hmmm). the papaya salad was really fresh, noodles were cooked (and seasoned) well, and the rock shrimp was interesting (maybe too mayonnaise-y? well, i felt it was too mayonnaise-y. i don't even know if there is mayonnaise in it) ... but our server said it was one of the most popular things on the menu so we had to try it! haha ...

so, my overall view of buddha bar? i had a good time (thanks k and j! you guys are awesome) and left with some goodies in my belly. if the opportunity presents itself, i'll probably go back. but maybe more for the company and the (potential) ambiance. oh, the parking ticket that i got at the end of the night for not having enough change to cover the last 5 minutes of the metered time was a terrible way to end the night. but then i remembered the good times i had, and it made me feel better - ha!

online: http://www.buddhabardc.com/

capital city diner

2011-02-14T17:14:00.001-05:00

capital city diner
1050 bladensburg road NE, washington, DC 20002
tel: 202) 396-3467
hours of operation: tuesday-thursday 6am-10pm, friday 6am-sunday5pm (24 hours on the weekends), closed mondays

what was consumed: chicken and waffles, loaded waffle fries, an egg (over medium ... for k), bottomless mimosas

diners are awesome. there's just something about greasy spoons that has a special place in my heart. no, i didn't spend a bulk of my youth hanging out in such diners, but the enclosed (and sometimes tiny) space just makes everything smell so delicious. and this is exactly what i thought when i walked into the capital city diner: this place smells soooo good. my stomach quickly proceeded to grumble in agreement.

i had read about capital city diner some time ago. about how they took one of those old school diners and shipped it down to DC. my pastor has mentioned it a number of times and has spoken about his delight in the diner's fares. so, when k and i were thinking about where to go and eat, i remembered capital city diner, and we were off! note: if you're not careful, you could possibly miss the diner. capital city diner is nestled in between two large(er) buildings on bladensburg road, but once there, you will kick yourself for not having seen it before. ha!

so, right as we walked in, we were greeted by two lines - one for those waiting for seats, and another for takeout orders. k and i were set on sitting at the counter, so we waited until there were open spots for us. once seated (honestly, the wait wasn't that long - they have a pretty high turnover, so people seem to always come in and out), we delighted in the counter design and how the cooking was being done literally on the other side of where we were sitting. there were a couple of servers who made sure our bottomless mimosas stayed filled (except that one time when k's glass was filled, but mine wasn't. what's up with that?), we had napkins, and that we were well taken care of.

capital city diner offers breakfast all day long (for you breakfast lovers). they also have a variety of other fare for the non-breakfast-ers, so no worries! k and i opted for chicken and waffles (a must try!) and some loaded waffle fries. the waffle was made to order, and came with some fried chicken that was crispy, salty (but not too salty), and delicious. k got an egg (over medium) because brunch is never complete without eggs! ... though i opted out. this time. our waffle fries seemed to have the same seasoning as the fried chicken (so, delicious) and were piled up with pieces of bacon and slices of american cheese melted on it. yes, lots of fried (but delicious!) things.

great conversation and yummy food, capital city diner was a hit! and even though i smelled them in my hair for a number of hours afterward, i can't wait to go back and check out some of their other things ... like their soul food tuesdays! ahhh~ so many options, so much food, not enough time and not enough stomach space! oh well. thank you capital city diner ... until next time!

online: www.capitalcitydiner.com/

taylor gourmet

2011-01-22T14:11:00.005-05:00

taylor gourmet
485 K street nw (city vista), washington, dc (there are multiple locations; this location is the only one i've visited)
tel: 202) 289-8001
hours: daily 11am-9pm

what was consumed: 9th street italian hoagie (with genoa salami, capicola, prosciutto, sharp provolone), broad street chicken cutlet sandwich (fried with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone), rocky's risotto balls (arancini - served with marinara sauce)

i didn't really grow up eating sandwiches (i'm korean. we eat rice). i'm also not a connoisseur of fine breads and other baked goods (i mean, i can tell between good and bad, but i have a hard time between great and greater ... it's all great to me!) when i eat it (bread) at all. but i will say that a really good sandwich is always welcome. always. after all, i do love all of the rest of the ingredients that go into sandwiches, meats, veggies, cheese. a combination of all of those things sounds wonderful!

so, after some contemplation, j and i decided on taylor gourmet for dinner (ok, so it was more me saying "this is what i don't want to eat" and j saying "what about this, what about this, what about this" ... thanks for the ideas and suggestions! hee hee ... i'm so bad about thinking about/suggesting where to go to eat when i'm not 'in the mood' for/craving something. sigh. food is all so good! nom nom nom ...). yay sandwiches! ... which is the bulk of taylor gourmet's options. their location also has a number of other options for sale (beer, wine, pastas, etc.) of which i have not enjoyed, but maybe i will. one day. maybe. anyway, we opted for sharing 2 different sandwiches (yay! sharing is caring!) and risotto balls. yum yum yum ...

the sandwiches at taylor gourmet are delicious. made to order and on crusty bread with wonderful things filling the middles (see previous personal comment about bread and sandwiches). the 9th street italian hoagie was a cold sandwich filled with lots of meats. and veggies. and cheese. and onions (blech) which flavored the sandwich wonderfully after i took out the onions (no offense, onions). i could've gone for more veggies, but that's just my schtick. yum. the broad street chicken, a hot sandwich, had fried chicken with cheese and ... broccoli rabe! i love broccoli rabe. i could eat it all day, in lots of different forms. and it's definitely a delicious addition to the combination. the cheese was nicely melted into the sandwich and the mixture of flavors was delicious. one cold, one hot. a wonderful sandwich dinner combination.

oh, and risotto balls! taylor gourmet's risotto balls are delicious. delicious. delicious. fried on the outside, savory, and cheese in the middle! you can't go wrong with cheese in the middle of a fried ball of risotto. of course, like many fried things, these are best eaten warm so that the cheese oozes out when you take a bite of it. oh, and dipped in marinara sauce is awesome. yum. i imagine dipped in marinara sauce mixed with sriracha sauce is even better!! i will have to try that next time (the sriracha sauce combo is a mix of my own, not offered at taylor gourmet. but it should be!! haha).

j said something about that night not being taylor gourmet's best work (our risotto balls were really fried, as was the chicken). of course, that didn't prevent sandwich enjoyment.

i dissappointedly did not finish my half of the sandwiches we purchased (my stomach has shrunken! shucks!). i did, though, polish of the leftovers for lunch #1 on the following day. despite my laziness that prevented me from even contemplating some sort of microwave for heat/water to restore moisture, the cold sandwiches were still delicious (and i wish i hadn't eaten all of the tomatoes on the 9th street italian hoagie the night before). but that's a good sign, right? delicious that day, still delicious the next day. yay! i will have to go back to taylor gourmet and try the other options on their menu. and many many more risotto balls. YUM.

online: http://www.taylorgourmet.com/

arlington cinema 'n drafthouse (& old arlington grill)

2011-01-21T13:40:00.003-05:00

arlington cinema 'n drafthouse
2903 columbia pike, arlington VA
tel: 703)486-2345

what was consumed: nachos! and wine and beer and ... bar food genre~

it might be more accurate to say that this blog is about both the arlington cinema 'n drafthouse AND old arlington grill as the food comes from old arlington grill, but consumed (at least by me) before (and during!) film screenings at the drafthouse. but really, to me, they're one in the same.

now, what's better than a good movie while eating yummy food? very little, if you ask me. i think that's why i enjoy the arlington drafthouse so much and keep saying that i want to visit more often (and w, this is ideal for drunken movie night as you have the option to grow increasingly intoxicated as the night goes on (increasing my likelihood of staying awake ... and helping me remember the movie altogether ... whoops ...) as opposed to being totally sloshed prior to the start of the flick - yay!).

the first time i visited arlington cinema 'n drafthouse was to see 'the hangover'. that was totally fun! both the flick and the drafthouse. again, there's nothing better than eating and drinking while watching a fun flick. most recently, k and i decided to catch 'social network' while enjoying lovely bar fare. we had a GREAT time!

a few words on the food. according to their website, old arlington grill "specializes in old-fashioned american grill classics with a modern twist." that's a good way to put it! k and i had their nachos - chips, baked, topped with cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and jalapenos (they could add more jalapenos, but i'm a fiend when it comes to spicy stuff - i love it!). at first, she was trying to 'conserve' the cheese (to make sure it would last), while i just stuffed chips into my face ... but then we noticed that there was more cheese waiting for us on the next layer of chips. we immediately proceeded to throw out thoughts of conserving cheese. haha ...

i didn't get to try, but look forward to trying, the fried mac 'n cheese triangles. i wish they came with fries (as is the case at red derby), but so be it. is there a limit to how much fried food one may take in? i'm not willing to test it on my own, but sometimes i wonder if i come pretty darn close - ha!

there's also something to say about the ambiance at the drafthouse. i get a sort of "dinner theatre" vibe from the place (which is totally a good thing), so i had no qualms about making comments about the film to k sitting next to me (of course, quietly) ... and it was ok! that definitely added to the fun of the drafthouse in that the conversation is often interesting and hilarious at the same time - yay!

arlington cinema 'n drafthouse has some live programming as well as "deals" (e.g., $1 monday, $2 tuesday movies). fun stuff! be sure to check their schedule on their website to see what movies are coming. and when you decide, let me know! i can't wait to go back. yay yay yay!

online: http://www.arlingtondrafthouse.com/

redrocks firebrick pizzeria

2011-01-20T12:19:00.001-05:00

redrocks firebrick pizzeria
in columbia heights:
1036 park road, NW, washington, DC 20010
tel: 202) 506-1402
hours: monday 5pm-11pm, tuesday-thursday 11am-11pm, friday-saturday 11am-1am, sunday 11am-11pm
in alexandria:
904 king street, old town alexandria, VA 22314
tel: 703) 717-9873
hours: monday-thursday 11am-11pm, friday-saturday 11am-1am, sunday 11am-10pm

what was consumed: everything ... the list of things i've had at red rocks is ... a lot. here are a few (of things i currently remember. i'm sure there are others that i've had that are no longer on their menu): italian olives (marinated and warmed, with house-baked bread), broccoli rabe (with aged balsamic dressing and hot peppers), asparagus salad with prosciutto bites, mixed greens salad (with aged balsamic vinaigrette), margherita pizza (tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil, olive oil, sea salt), rugola pizza (arugula, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, cherry tomatoes), baked calzone (fresh mozzarella, ricotta, spicy marinara, parmesan), meatballs al forno sandwich/panini (meat sauce, parmesan, house-baked bread), tiramisu. my current favorite is the rugula pizza with pepperoni added.

i totally thought i'd written about red rocks before. silly me, turns out that was all a part of my imagination. so, here goes!

i love pizza. but these days, i find myself eating most of my pizza at redrocks (and no no no, it's not because of m and her connection to that place - i loved redrocks way before that!). here's the thing: redrocks is currently the only place where i will eat the crust of pizza. crust is usually not a big deal and i usually leave it by the wayside, but at redrocks, i will eat every last bite. as much as my stomach will hold, anyway.

redrocks is known for their neapolitan 'style' pizza - you know, individual size, thin crust deliciousness. they have pizzas with preset toppings for you to choose from, but you also have the option to make your own creation as well ... and are all deliciously cooked in their firebrick oven. their meats are cured deliciously (esp. out in alexandria - they cure their own meats! ahhh!!) and their cheese is always fresh and delicious. in fact, all of their ingredients are fresh, following with what's in season (i can't wait for their fava bean appetizer at the alexandria location to come back!). redrocks also has a series of delicious antipastas (love the marinated olives - a frequent starter for me. and their veggies! the balsamic dressing they use is plentiful, but not overwhelming ... and whatever dressing is left over makes for good bread dipping sauce), salads (i love their beet salad, even though i'm not a super huge beet fan. i think the combination of the dressing works well), lots of things with arugula, as well as other options for the non-pizza lover (if they even exist!). e.g. their paninis - so delicious! the bread is the same dough they use to make their pizza crusts. yay! seriously, i can't get enough.

i also really enjoy the tiramisu at redrocks. it's not overly sweet; rather, it's super creamy, but super light. i'll barely have a bite of dessert at other restaurants, but will eat a good portion of the tiramisu at redrocks. so delicious, so worth the extra few bucks to end a meal that is already so so so wonderful.

and don't forget about their drinks! at both of the redrocks locations, they have wonderful beers on tap (though my go to beer is the brooklyn lager - love it!), great wines, and an array of special (and standard) cocktails. during the thanksgiving season, they had this amazing pumpkin cocktail that was literally pumpkin pie for adults (i.e., alcoholic), in a glass. definitely worth considering. or just be like me and enjoy tasty beers. yum.

the first time i visited redrocks: a couple of years ago (back when i was working as a server at domku), i heard about redrocks' opening in columbia heights from some of the locals who were "in the know" about places opening in columbia heights. i was meeting with ines at the time, so we decided to visit redrocks on one of our meetings. we walked over (red rocks is conveniently located just a few blocks from the columbia heights metro) and enjoyed our pizzas outside. ines ate her entire pizza (as did i, of course) which was sort of a feat because she, at the time, couldn't have been more than 8? 9? something like that ... and i couldn't wait to head back.

i've since returned to redrocks on quite a few occasions (i celebrated my birthday here!). most recently i participated in a redrocks + brooklyn brewery food and beer pairing dinner. i love so many of the beers that come out of the brooklyn brewery, and it was awesome to have redrocks favorites with some awesome brooklyn beers. i wish i had a bigger stomach (and an even higher tolerance) as we left, stuffed, with take-out boxes of leftovers, feelin' really really good. hee hee ...

redrocks has since opened an old town alexandria location, which i've been to as well. the menu (and ambiance) is slightly different, so if you've been to one location, be sure to visit the other! it'll be worth your while. all of this writing is making me hungry. again. pizza anyone? let's go to redrocks! yay yay yay!

online: http://www.redrocksdc.com/

tacos impala

2011-01-06T08:44:00.006-05:00

tacos impala
1204 H street NE, washington, DC 20002
tel: 202) 375-0537 (call tacos impala directly! don't call erik! haha~)
hours: sunday-thursday 12pm-10pm-ish, friday-saturday 12pm-3am-ish

what was consumed: carnitas taco, steak taco, beans and cheese taco, red sauce, green sauce, chips and salsa

so, erik (a key person behind tacos impala) is a friend so you may say that this review is biased. but it's not! seriously, only good things about tacos impala - here goes!

the toki underground website (which looks great and delicious) went up, so a bunch of us got all excited and set a date to go. turns out, toki isn't open yet (hurry up!!), but their sort of related taco stand has been up and running for some time now and we decided to try only their wares instead (this turned out to be better as our original thought was ramen, then tacos. i.e., waaaay too much food. per usual.)

i got to tacos impala before the rest of my group, so after some foolish waiting, i decided to walk over to 'the pug' to grab a beer while waiting (a few notes about the pug: 01) they have a great beer selection (and a full bar, of course); 02) toki underground is above it; 03) they used to have cheese balls, but didn't see them when i was there last; 04) i love this bar). i walked in and saw erik there ... who let us know that when we were ready to order, he would help us out with getting our food (and some how finagled it so that we could eat at the pug. or maybe we were just the rude customers who brought in 'outside' food to the bar. oopsie poopsie!). we put in our orders and waited with great curiosity about what was ahead of us ... a bit later, erik came back with our fares - one of each of the three types (steak, carnitas, and bean & cheese (veggie)) of tacos for j and me, and just the veggie taco and cheese quesedillas for m. just in time! i was famished.

let me tell you about these tacos. these delicious, delicious tacos. the steak and carnitas were cooked perfectly - tender and seasoned wonderfully. the bean&cheese one was surprisingly filling and while i usually opt for black beans, the pinto beans used here were flavorful and delicious. the corn tortillas, made in-house, that the tacos came in were probably the softest corn tortillas i've ever had. and then, topped with just a few little fixin's, the tacos were simply delicious. while i had 3, i probably could have easily ordered (and consumed) 3 more. easily. the tacos were served with both a red and green sauce - a bit different in flavor, both with a bit of heat, both delicious. i tried each of them and prefer the green tomatillo sauce over the red, if i have to choose one. but the best is, per erik's recommendation, is the green sauce topped with a touch of the red. yay combos! i seriously think we gobbled up the tacos in what couldn't have been more than 5 minutes. sigh. the deliciousness was so ephemeral ...

chips and salsa rounded out our meal (thanks, erik!), but i didn't get a photo because by the time i remembered, we had pretty much demolished the crispy (homemade!) chips and fresh pico de gallo, while saying things like, "i don't know why i can't stop eating these chips!"

as we concluded the night, we all contemplated getting more tacos (after all, there was no line - maybe that was our destiny!), but refrained. for now. ... i could go for some tacos impala right about now.

tacos impala is in the philadelphia water ice space, being used while philadelphia water ice is closed for the winter (brilliant!) ... and it is literally just a stand. order up at the window, pay for your food, wait for your food (you won't have to wait long, but keep in mind the tacos are made to order. imo, part of the deliciousness of the tacos is due to this face. totally worth it!), get your food, try to eat while walking/standing (i probably would not make it if i were to wait to eat the food "at home"). so, be sure to get out to tacos impala before they close for the summer - spread the word! i guarantee it will be worth your time and effort. i will surely be going back. can't wait!

online: no online website for tacos impala (though there are lots of people talkin' about 'em!), but check out the toki underground website: http://tokiunderground.com ... hurry up and open guys - we can't wait! ^_^

american ice co.

2011-01-05T16:39:00.007-05:00

american ice co.
917 V street NW, washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 758-3562

what was consumed: pork and turkey platters (with cole slaw, baked beans, and pickles), chili con queso, beer

i have some friends who are always in the know when new things (and awesome!) things that pop up around time. periodically, they will take me along when they go to visit these places (i should just invite myself otherwise! haha).

so, for new year's eve, friends and i decided that american ice co. was going to be where we ended up. apparently, american ice co. used to sell ice in the summer and coal in the winters (thus the name) ... ??? it's also super close to the 9:30 club - yeah! anyway, j and i decided that (in anticipation of midnight craziness) that we'd head out there a bit earlier for some eats and to grab a spot, as necessary. a couple of comments about our decision: american ice co. is still pretty new, so there wasn't too much crazy traffic, but am glad that we head out there early-ish; american ice co. is the worst place to anticipate a count down as there are no TVs there and none of our phones have second hands readily available (i think); i had a GREAT time!

j and i ordered our wares - pork platter for me, roasted turkey platter for j. i'm not sure where they do all of the bbq-ing, but it is surely delicious! the pork was cooked deliciously with bbq sauce drizzled on top. the turkey was cooked well, so juicy and not at all dry. i think, though, the turkey was roasted as opposed to bbq-d ... ??? i'm not sure. no matter. the platters were served with delicious cole slaw (more creamy than mayonnaise-y, not too much celery salt (which i find often overwhelms other cole slaws) and seasoned very well) and baked beans (in a delicious sauce and peppery which made it great!). and the pickles! i admit, i like the spears better than the disc-like slices (the spears are more salt based while the others are more sweet), though that did not prevent me from gobbling up each piece). there are jars of a sort of spicy vinegar based sauce as well that went well with literally everything on the plate (haha). the platters are served on paper plates with plastic utensils, totally reminding me of bbq cook outs - fun stuff!

we also had the chili con queso, served with a paper bag of tortilla chips. meaty chili + warm cheese + slices of spicy jalapenos = YUM. the cup that it came in seemed a bit small, but j and i couldn't finish it! that is, we spent so much time enjoying our platters that the chili con queso got sort of neglected, despite its deliciousness. the cheese cooled and got a bit hard (as it is known to do), but it made it really hard for us to eat. for a split second, i thought about asking our server if she would heat it up, but couldn't fit anything else into my belly, so i refrained.

american ice co. has an interesting array of beverages (of course including a full bar). j made a comment about how all of their beers on tap were pilsners, making her wonder about their choices for precious beer tap real estate (haha). they also have a series of "metals" (aka beer in cans) that sort of better rounds out their beer selection. the drinks are a bit pricey, but the ambiance totally makes up for it! well, it did for me, anyway ^_~

quick comment about their service. we started in a booth (yay booth!) and had an awesome server who was totally on point. on top of that, she genuinely looked like she enjoyed being there. they are the best kind of servers who make the dining experience awesome-er. yay yay yay!

i can also see american ice co. being really awesome on gorgeous dc days (though they are few and far between). the bar opens up into a patio, separated by a garage door-esque wall that i'm sure will go up as the weather gets warmer. can't wait!

online: no website i can find ... yet! but lots of people are talkin' about it!

room eleven

2010-12-29T17:00:00.007-05:00

room 11
3234 11th street NW, Washington, DC 20010
tel: 202) 332-3234
hours: sunday-thursday 5pm-1am, friday-saturday 5pm-2am

what was consumed: fried cheese, market salad (potato!), panini (with sharp white cheddar, fresh mozzarella, raclette, shallot with small house salad and cured meat addition). and, of course, wine.

there's a bar near my house that i really should make my local bar (but that's another story). anyway, there was a bartender there who was pretty cool (i think his name is dan). one day, word on the grapevine was that he was over at a place just a few blocks away. low and behold, there it is - room 11! and while it took me longer than i would've liked to get over there (oops), i'm glad i finally got the chance!

so, c and i, waiting for some of our other friends, decided to head over to room 11 for some girl talk. we head over to room 11 and looked forward to some good wine and some good eats.

and we were not disappointed!

we sat at the bar (our favorite seats) and started speaking with dan. we weren't really sure what we wanted (wine wise). told him what we liked, we told him what we didn't like, and he gave us some great suggestions (i will have to go back for one of their beer tastings as well - yay!) and we settled on a nice, crisp, tasty rose which was great for the summer day. we paired it with a couple of small plates to share. the food at room 11 is wonderful. fresh, seasonsed well, light, delightful. by the time we finished our eats and our bottle started to dwindle, we took a look around and noticed that the little restaurant (both inside and out) was getting pretty populated. good for room 11! bad for the late comers (haha).

while there, c also mentioned that she had had a wonderful white manhattan (i think it was a manhattan. i've since forgotten. oops again, i know. point is, it normally is a brown drink, but he makes it white!). what a great way to end a wonderful time at room 11. i look forward to visiting room 11 again, especially on a nice day as they have some great outdoor seating!

online: http://www.room11dc.com/

cork wine bar

2010-12-28T16:08:00.004-05:00

cork wine bar
1720 14th street NW # 1, washington, DC 20009-7853
tel: 202) 265-2675
hours: tuesday-wednesday, sunday 5pm-12am; thursday-saturday 5pm-1am

what was consumed: house-marinated olives, rosemary chicken liver bruschetta (with shallot marmalade, herb salad), avocado (with pistachios, toasted pistachio oil, sea salt, grilled bread), asparagus, some meat (duck?) dish, some fish dish (oopsie - i don't remember ... and i forgot to write it down!), lizzy's goat cheese cake (with fresh berries, cookie crumble), double chocolate torte (with chopped hazelnuts)

while going back and forth from nights in and around the black cat, i passed the cork wine bar so many times and wondered what was awaiting me inside. i'd perused through the cork wine selection and was excited to see what sort of food they had in their restaurant.
so, some of c's DC friends decided to throw her the first leg of a bachelorette party out here in DC (long story) and it was decided that it'd be at cork wine bar. seeing as i had intended on visiting cork, i was excited about the selection no matter how it came about (^_~). a reservation for our entire party was made and as soon as the bulk of our party was in attendance, we were seated (yay!).

once seated, bread was brought to our table, and we quickly ordered. cork wine bar has a series of "tapas" that are intended for sharing - just my type of place! lots of sharing, lots of trying:

so delicious!

in a nutshell, the plates of food that came our way were very very delicious. fresh ingredients, flavors that melded well together, nice sized portions, nothing too overwhelming. for sure, i wished i had a bigger stomach to house all of the food that i wanted to eat, but was unable to (though, after some time, all of the food was consumed in its entirety). there was a point in the dinner when someone proclaimed, "oh my gosh, there's so much bread!" and that was true. bread came at the start of the meal, many of the dishes were plated on slices of bread. but in the end, that was ok because the bread was just so tasty. despite all of the carb crazy conversation, we proceeded to consume every single bit of delicious bread. yum~

per the recommendation of our server, we ordered the goat cheese cake and the double chocolate torte:

and wow. they were delicious. the torte was chocolate-y and rich, a nice end to the meal. but the goat cheese cake was wonderful! rich, creamy, not all goat-y that usually deter people from enjoying goat cheese. it was so good that after we got a taste of the one ordered for c, there were a few other dishes of the goat cheese cake that were ordered. yes, indeed. so delicious!

i look forward to my next trip to cork ... especially as i pair my meal with delicious wines - yay yay yay!

online: http://www.corkdc.com/

maoz

2010-12-26T09:00:00.007-05:00

maoz
1817 m street NW, washington, DC 20036
tel: 202) 290-3117
hours: monday-thursday 11am-11pm, friday-saturday 11am-3am, sunday 12pm-9pm

what was consumed: maoz (falafel sandwich), fries (both potato and sweet potato)

i'm lucky to work downtown where there are so many dining options. i love falafel. i've made both of those comments before, but i'm making them again. i will trek long and far (is walking 20 minutes long and far? maybe) to enjoy falafel. so when a peculiar basement space opened offering falafel that's a mere 5-minute-walk away from work, my curiosity was piqued. now, the first time i went to maoz, coworker k and i were on our quest for a snack. i think he had heard from someone else that maoz should be considered, so we were off!

we walked to the the sort of hidden basement space (i think it would be pretty easy to miss them, even though they have a big sign out front) and immediately got in line. while waiting, we took a quick look at their menu (which isn't too large - this is good. yay specialization!), and ordered. our falafel sandwiches came out soon after. i got the junior maoz which just ha the falafel balls in the pita. if you get a regular maoz, there's some lettuce and hummus in the pita (along with more falafel balls). anyway, once we received our sandwiches, i flattened out the falafel and proceeded to add topping from their topping "bar." they have lots of different things to add to your falafel sandwich to spice it up. there are some of the toppings that i love (like their couscous topping and their variation of cole slaw). BUT i have to remember not to get the spicy chili "sauce." it's good, but there's a lot of parsley, a bit more than i can handle (but that's just me).

so, after i added all of my toppings, i was ready to eat! the falafel sandwich is surprisingly filling. after eating part of my sandwich, depending on how much i want more toppings (always), i revisit the topping sbar to add toppings that will accompany my falafel (and it's encouraged at maoz!). you can see how one's belly will easily filly up. especially if you get fries, it's a lot of food. coworker k and i will usually share an order of fries. i do also like that, if you are so inclined, you may opt for sweet potato fries. yay options!

turns out, maoz first opened out in amsterdam and have opened franchises throughout europe. they have since crossed the atlantic and have brought deliciou falafel sandwiches to us. yay yay yay! maoz is also totally vegetarian. i'm way not totally vegetarian, but i have friends who are sometimes frustrated with what they say is a dearth of options (i just tell them that they need to eat meat. hahaha).maoz is great for a light lunch, or a hefty snack ... both of which i've done. yummy~~~ i wouldn't say that maoz is my all time favorite falafel sandwich place in the area, but it's solid and highly recommended. i will most definitely find myself there again, and again, and again.

online: http://www.maozusa.com/

blacksalt

2010-12-24T09:00:00.008-05:00

blacksalt
4883 macarthur boulevard NW, washington, DC 20007
tel: 202) 342-9101
hours: monday-thursday 11:30am-10pm, friday-saturday 11:30am-11pm, sunday 11am-9pm, happy hour daily 4pm-7pm

what was consumed: blacksalt and vinegar chips, boutique oysters, provencal seafood stew (market catch, blue shell mussels, shrimp, saffron), maryland blue crab cakes (sweet corn purée, crispy onions), steamed blue shell mussels (spanish - chorizo, romesco, marjoram)

for being so close to the ocean, i feel like there is a dearth of good seafood here in the dc/metro area (besides maryland blue crabs, of course. i love it!). that is, the dc/metro area is not notorious for its seafood options as is, say, maine and its lobsters, san francisco and its dungenous crabs, etc. but you should not be fooled! there are some amazing seafood options in the city, and enjoying them at blacksalt would be a great option.

c, j, w, and i head out to blacksalt one day when we all finally had the time to check out their happy hour (which is amazing, btw). we tried to come to blacksalt before, but there were too many people in our party to be accommodated by the already filled blacksalt (remember that blacksalt is not only a bar and restaurant, but also a fish market. so many things going on at blacksalt!). we enjoyed a bowl of homemade "salt 'n vinegar" chips and delicious bread as we looked at the rest of the happy hour menu and decided on what we were going to share. the chips were delicious. a bit more oily than i would have liked, but a small small price to pay for the salty and tangy flavor of the chips.

we finally decided to share a number of different dishes: and everything was super delicious. the seafood was fresh, the flavors were well matched, and nothing was too overwhelming. in fact, despite being over full, i felt as though i could've eaten another bowl of the seafood stew, another crab cake, mussels, and oysters of course. it was funny - this was the first time w had raw oysters (according to him anyway) and it took a bit of convincing to get him to try (though c, j, and i already claimed and divvyed up the rest of w's share of oysters had he not wanted the others ... hee hee). but w, aren't you glad you did! a little bit of lemon juice, a bit of vinegar, and slurp slurp slurp! fresh and delicious oysters now in the belly. some days, i think back at blacksalt's oysters and want to go back and just fill up on those (but just during the months with "r"s! is that true?)

c, j, w, and i decided that we were going to stray from the happy hour menu and order a few desserts because 1) we saw the table next to ours order some really tasty lookin' desserts, 2) we were with some folks (j) with crazy sweet tooths (sweet teeth?), so desserts are more often than not in order, and 3) we could (gosh darn-it)!!wow. talk about indulgence! the way that the desserts were presented made them look so delicious. and once we broke into the desserts, we were surely not disappointed! the creme brule trio included original, chocolate, and caramel-like (i've since forgotten exactly what it was) variations. the crisp sugar top layer with creamy and rich custard underneath, topped with special toppings, per creme brule type. the chocolate/peanut butter "cake" (cake? ganache? mousse? whatever the technical term is) was delicious. rich, chocolate-y, peanut butter-y. i really could eat no more than the taste that i had. but for the sweets lovers, this is definitely a go! in retrospect, we probably only needed to order either the creme brule trio or the chocolate/peanut butter decadence. of course, that didn't prevent use from pretty much polishing off all of the desserts.

i imagine the rest of blacksalt's menu is also fabulous and delicious, but i tried not to look at that menu for fear of being tempted to overeat (per usual). for the time being, i will stick to their wonderful and amazing happy hour menu. i can't wait to go back to blacksalt - nom nom nom nom nom ...

online: http://www.blacksaltrestaurant.com/

creme cafe & lounge

2010-12-23T09:19:00.001-05:00

creme cafe & lounge
1322 U St NW(between N 13th St & N 14th St) Washington, DC 20009
tel: 202) 234-1885
hours: monday-thursday 6pm-10:30pm, friday-saturday 6pm-11:30pm, saturday 10am-3pm, sunday 10am-6pm

what was consumed: chicken & waffles (served open-faced on belgian waffle with syrup), shrimp & grits (sautéed shrimp, andouille suasage, garlic, shallots & creamy stone-ground grits), breakfast potatoes ...

i'd once heard about creme cafe in passing as i asked around about quality brunch places. my mentee and i tried to go a couple of times, but the line was always out the door (though that's what we get for trying to go during peak brunch hours ... but they don't take reservations!) and neither of us wanted to wait (aka we were hungry). finally, i met up with friend a who had time (and was new to DC), so we tried our luck and creme ... and we were certainly fortunate!

it was hard to explain to someone who'd never heard of "southern cooking" what the cuisine at creme would be like, what grits are (especially since i had never heard of them (really) until i moved out eat (but then again, i'm not a huge breakfast person), why i eat so much, why i like sitting bar-seating ... and so on. you see, a was not only from outside of DC, but outside of the US! so her experience extended just to what she'd seen on tv and in the movies, so i was happy to show her a part of DC (and sort of metropolitan american culture, as far as i'm concerned) that i've come to enjoy. but i will have to say that in the end, we had a great time!

after perusing through the menu, and after a bit of conversation, a and i collectively ordered the creme cafe top picks - can't wait! their chicken and waffles comes with the option of coming on pancakes (in fact, i think the menu says pancakes, but you can order a waffles substitute - yes please!). the chicken was fried to perfection - nice and crispy on the outside, juicy chicken waiting to be consumed underneath. creme cafe also makes sure to give you a quarter chicken - just enough to go with the waffles that are cooked (it seems) to order and are delicious (not too dry, cooked just enough) with butter and syrup (and i'm not even a syrup person!). so delicious. a's shrimp and grits were also delicious. the shrimp was cooked nicely (no rubber-y shrimp here), the grits were creamy, and the sauce that all of this bathed in was fresh, seasoned well, and just plain delicious.

now, a word about their breakfast potatoes. at first, i didn't know what they were. i just saw baked/fried slices of something that others had ordered. i was told that they were breakfast potatoes and i HAD to order them. sliced thin-ish, crispier edges, soft-ish middles, a delicious addition to my already fabulous meal. now, i would have preferred the breakfast potatoes with ranch dressing (don't judge!), but by the time i got around to even asking for it, the potatoes were pretty much demolished and sitting in my belly. ahhh~~~

there were some rumors about creme cafe closing, but i've since heard otherwise. let's hope they're still up, running, and serving their delicious food!

online: http://www.cremedc.com/

rasika

2010-12-17T11:07:00.004-05:00

rasika
633 D street northwest, washington, DC 20004"
tel: 202) 637-1222
hours: monday-friday 11:30am-2:30pm, monday-thursday 5:30pm-10:30pm, friday-saturday 5:30pm-11pm

what was consumed: palak chaat (crispy spinach, sweet yogurt, tamarind, date chutney), paneer makhani (cheese, tomatoes, fenugreek), tandoori chicken (chicken, kashmiri chili, mint chutney), basmati rice, garlic naan

this year, prior to the transiberian orchestra's holiday performance, friend t and i head out to rasika for some dining enjoyment. i'd heard so many great things about this indian restaurant. i'd heard of its fine 'flavors of india' as well as its innovative twist on the traditional, which i often appreciate. i'd also heard about the cross between the comfort indian cuisine crossed with the chic, metropolitan, and popular of dining out altogether. so, when tom and i walked in to see the modern decor of rasika, i was excited to see what the eating would behold. hurrah!

we sat at the bar (one of my favorite places to sit) and was immediately greeted by their friendly and very well versed bartender. i was surprised to see their limited indian beers on the menu, but was happy to see an impressive listing of other libations. i opted for a great lakes option for the night (yay!). we quickly ordered an appetizer, palak chaat, which came highly recomended on a number of yelp reviews that i had read. i love spinach, so i was curious about it and had to order it (on top of that, i couldn't remember the dish that i always love to order as an appetizer ... i still don't remember what it is. whoops). and i'm glad i did! the spinach was nice and crips, though not too oily. and the yogurt sauce that came with it was refreshing. we quickly gobbled up each bite.

when it came time for entrees, i was delighted that my favorite indian fare was on their menu! i love paneer makhani! i didn't see it on their online menu, but it turned out that they had changed to their winter fare just that day - yay! the paneer makhani was done just right - tomato-y, cream-y, butter-y, delicious-y! and the paneer was not too soft, not too hard, not too chewy. just right. i proceeded to polish off the entire bowl with all of the jasmine rice that i ordered to accompany the paneer makhani. no leftovers! friend t ordered the tandoor chicken that was charred just right. and coupled with the delicious mint chutney ... delicious! i didn't try the garline naan (as is my way), but friend t said that it was delicious.

i'm happy to have finally gotten the chance to go to rasika ... and i can't wait to go again! yum yum yum, yay yay yay!

online: http://www.rasikarestaurant.com/rasika.html

ted's bulletin

2010-12-13T15:39:00.003-05:00

ted's bulletin
505 8th street SE (between E street & G street), washington, DC 20003
tel: 202) 544-8337
hours: monday-sunday 7am-10:30pm

what was consumed: walk of shame breakfast burrito (sirloin steak, scrambled eggs, hash browns, cheddar, green chile sauce (yes, it’s all in there), served with hash browns), 7:00am breakfast burger (english muffin, country ham, hash browns, fried egg, chipotle ketchup), the reuben (grilled marbled rye, corned beef, sauerkraut, 1000 island, served with hand-cut fries and pickle), green green salad of home (egg, cucumbers, tomato, onions, croutons, tossed lovingly with green goddess dressing) ... and a bunch of sides - corn bread, cheddar grits, bacon & blue cheese brussel sprouts

oh, barracks row, how i miss you. i miss you more now that i don't live in that area and i find it harder to make my way down there. which is even more sad because there are so many awesome places that have since popped up! shucks!

so, friends and i decided that we'd head out to get some breakfast for lunch (i took the day off - yeah!) and decided to check out ted's bulletin. w and k had been before and made sure to let me know that there was a new place on barracks row that had breakfast all day long! now, i'm not a huge fan of the breakfast foods, but my interest can always be piqued! on top of that, they have adult milk shakes, aka, milk shakes with alcohol. some people think about that and make yucky throw-up sounds. but the ones at teds, from what i hear, are different! t ordered a regular milkshake and said it was super duper delicious. and while we were pondering the different milkshake options, the individuals sitting at a table near ours insisted that the adult versions were delicious and way better than without (alcohol). hmm ... interesting!

non-breakfast folks! not to fear - they have quite a few non-breakfast items for your dining pleasure as well. their take on classic american fare is delicious and filling. fresh cut fries, a burger in between an english muffin. yum. as i was having a hard time making an entree selection, i opted for a series of sides. this allowed me some wonderful grits (one of my favorite breakfast foods ... though i guess it's not just a breakfast thing, especially when they call it polenta and serve it for dinner - ha!), roasted brussel sprouts (always delicious), and corn bread (my favorite of all the breads). of course, this did not detract me from tasting others' food, per usual.

overall, the food was fresh and well prepared, the service was prompt and friendly, and the ambiance was casual - all huge pluses. while some people may say that there's nothing special about ted's, but i would beg to differ - their take on the "normal," but doing it so well, definitely makes them wonderful! who doesn't like a local diner to go to and enjoy? i like it, i like it! oh, and i'm determined to go back to ted's to try one of their adult milkshakes, anti-lactose intolerance medicine in hand (tmi? i hope not. i'm just excited about the prospects! ^_^).

p.s. if/when you order take out from ted's, they have this cool take-out window that faces the street. neato!!

online: http://tedsbulletin.com/

mandu

2010-11-09T16:54:00.001-05:00

mandu
1805 18th street nw, washington, dc 20009
tel: 202) 588-1540

what was consumed: beef & pork pan fried mandu, pa jun (mixed seafood pancake with green onions), yookge jang (thick spicy soup with beef, scallions, egg, and bean sprouts), dak jeem (spicy chicken simmered with potatoes and onions), aloe sojutini, soji (chum-churum)

i've written before about how i'm a snob about my korean food. i blame my mother (which is maybe a good thing to take the blame for. it means that i grew up with awesome food at home and nothing compares to eomma's!). there are very few korean options (and i mean predominantly korean, not those "oh, we also have bi bim bap" as an aside or "we have a bulkogi option" places that sort of riddle the town) in the city proper, especially for meals beyond lunch. i find myself heading out to annadale to get my k-food fix (when i don't cook on my own, that is). all of these reasons, and maybe others, is why people ask me about my thoughts on mandu. i'm almost embarrassed to say that it isn't until now that i actually got myself out to try mandu for myself.

when trying to figure out where to have dinner, c and i made a quick decision to head out to mandu. we quickly head out, made the short drive, and found awesome parking (despite c's sucky parking mojo and mandu's location. i think, though, it's because it was sunday ... ?) there were quite a few diners when we walked in, but still space for us. after a quick glance at their menu (and christine telling me just to pick things to order), we selected a few (standard) appetizers and entrees.

we had to order their namesake - mandu. i usually make my mandu at home because i like the little add-ons (like noodles) or kimchee mandu (yumyum). the pan fried mandu at mandu were nice and crisp. i also liked that they weren't too seasoned, inviting patrons to use the seasoned dipping sauce (a soy sauce and vinegar combination) which is something i often forgo because the mandu is often too salty to begin with. i don't know if they make the mandu wrapper in house, but i don't either so i'm not really one to complain. haha. their pa jun was also not the more usual "one big plate" and was, instead, two small(er) pancakes. i could've gone for more seafood in the pa jun (as seafood was listed as one of the ingredients), but that's almost always the case (haha). again, as was with the mandu, i like that the pa jun wasn't (my version of) over seasoned as you got to taste the different ingredients in the pa jun better as well as enjoy the dipping sauce, which i rarely do.

a note about pah (green onions). they're flavor is wonderful, but i don't like to chew them. and so, while i cook with pah, i usually cut them into huge chunks so that i can extract the flavor, but then pick them out (as un-lady-like as that may be). mandu, on the other hand, chops up pah in tiny pieces (which is the norm). so, what did i do? i picked out what i could, but for the most part, just sucked it up and enjoyed. sigh.

entrees. c & i asked for all portions of our order to come out at the same time and, for the most part, they did. there wasn't anything particularly special about the yookge jang, but it tasted fresh and spicy (c made sure to ask our server to make it extra spicy). i was a little disappointed that there were no noodles (dang myun) in the yookge jang as there often is because i love noodles. oh well. the dak jeem wasn't what i thought it would be (in my mind, what came out is more of a dak doh-ri-tang, but maybe that's just a technicality and/or my ignorance ... ?), but it was still delicious. note: the dak jeem is one place where i did pick out the green onions as best as i could. c just laughed at me. what else is new?

one comment about mandu's rice. maybe it was just the day we went, maybe it's always like this, but their rice sorta sucked. that is, the rice that came with our meals looked like it was the last bits scraped off of the korean-church-sized rice cooker they had goin' in their kitchen, smoshed, molded to look like a 'scoop,' and placed into our bowls. while not the main part of the meal, it is a staple and important part! sigh.

ban-chan. i don't know if many non-korean restaurant go-ers know this, but at most korean restaurants, when you eat all of the little side dishes of food, you can ask for more (just be sure to eat it all). c & i were a little concerned that the policy wouldn't stand here at mandu as it felt more ... american ... but it did! more points for mandu. there were just a few, but delicious, ban chans and c & i most definitely asked for a refill.

when you visit mandu, be sure to have one of their sojutinis. i've had a lot of fun with sojutinis in the past, so i'm biased (though i usually call them cocktail sojus, as is the korean korean way - ha!). the one that is said to be most popular, and the one that i was most interested in, was the aloetini (aloe + soju). really, cocktail sojus are simple (my favorite is still the apple cocktail soju i had in seoul, served in cups made from hollowed-out apples - yeah!). our aloetini was on the watery side, though if you've never had an aloe drink before, you'd never know. especially during hh, i can imagine patrons enjoying mandu's many flavors.

some people may be naysayers of mandu because it doesn't feel like one of those "dive-y" or "korean-style" restaurants that you find in k-towns. the inside is sort of hip, boutique-like, and pretty simple in design. and their dining-ware (i.e. plates and bowls) match. what a concept! haha ... i can see it have the potential to be like the other korean sool-jibs, but maybe only in the dead of night and when they waaay dim the lights. anyway, i found the simple decor pleasant, clean, and comfortable. so there!

i heard that mandu did a korean taco special back in the summer. i'm bummed that i missed it! i hope they do it again. until then, i know i'll be back at mandu in one way or another. yay!

online: http://www.mandudc.com/

notti bianche

2010-10-29T17:50:00.007-04:00

notti bianche
824 new hampshire avenue NW, washington, DC 20037
tel: 202) 298-8085

what was consumed: marinated olives, eggplant carbonata, organic baby lettuce salad (pine nuts, golden raisins, apple, goat cheese, balsamic vinegar), baby arugula caesar salad (white anchovy, garlic croutons, parmigiano reggiano), buscatini with mussles and sausage (turnip greens, pecorino romano), hand crafted pappardelle bolognese (wide flat noodles with meat sauce, fresh herbed ricotta cheese), herb marinated grilled chicken breast panzanella (garlic chicken, tomato, cucumber and bread salad, salsa verde), grilled salmon (eggplant caponata, sun-dried tomato butter, bagna caoda bruschetta), chocolate budino (pistachio gelato, cocoa nib brittle)

americanized italian food is often the 'go to' meal when i'm cookin' up a storm at home. it's easy, tasty, and filling ... and there's so much variety! but sometimes, you want something special, or something you can't make, or has ingredients that are not readily available to you ... or you just don't want to make your own spaghetti. to an italian restaurant we go! but where? there can never really be too many italian restaurants. unfortunately, more often than not, i find myself not being able to select any particular one as my "go to." places are either family style (i.e., too much food for as many as there are in the party - i know. it happens. shocking), too expensive, or just flat out not good.

notti bianche had been thrown around as a place to try for some time now. being a hotel restaurant made us apprehensive (though hotel restaurants are usually pretty reliable), but more than that, it's in an area that's sort of inconvenient. that is, there really isn't anything else around notti bianche. but when you have something goin' on at gw's lisner auditorium, or if you're looking for a place to eat before something at the kennedy center, then notti bianche should most definitely be at the top of your list. and those days when you want some good italian food, make the trek out to foggy bottom and visit the good people at notti bianche!

so, parents were in town and sister's husband had a rehearsal at gw's lisner auditorium and it became my job to find a place to have dinner (which i was happy to do). so, after a quick walk around the kennedy center, we got to notti bianche right when they opened. we had made reservations, though it didn't look like that would've been necessary as the dining area was surprisingly empty. maybe that's because our reservation was for 5pm. no matter. we were happy to be greeted, immediately seated, and waited on with much attention. and so, after asking some questions and trying to accommodate everyone's tastes (which is pretty easy to do with my family as we are not really particular), we put in an order. a large order. hey, there were 5 of us!

we began our meal with some appetizers of marinated olives and eggplant carbonata (what a carbonata is was one of our questions). the olives were deliciously marinated with some herbs and olive oil. i find myself enjoying the firmer olives over the squishier ones, but that didn't deter me from helping c consume the entire bowl. we smeared eggplant carbonata (cooked eggplant stewed in a chunky tomato sauce with herbs) on our delicious bread (by the end of the night, we consumed 2 baskets of bread - delicious!).

the rest of our food then arrived, just as we asked it too (that is, the salads didn't come before the rest of the entrees - wonderful!). so, between the salads, the pastas, the entrees, and all of the things that were already on our table, it got pretty cramped (and we were at a large table!). the entrees were really tasty. the herb crusted chicken was juicy and paired well with the salsa verde, interestingly. and having the chicken sit on a bed of well seasoned fingerling potatoes and brussel sprouts (yum!) made the dish so very complete. the salmon was also grilled deliciously (though i guess i don't find anything super special about grilled salmon. i can, though, each pounds and pounds of it - so yummy) and came on a bed of the eggplant carbonata - yay! more eggplant carbonata the better! haha ...

but the pasta. the pasta was definitely the hit of the night. at least for me. the pasta was cooked just right - "al dente," but not too al dente. chewy, but not too chewy. you know. delicious. as for the gravy, i have friends who say that bolognese is how they determine the quality of an italian restaurant. i think they would approve of this place! the bolognese was served with super duper wide pasta - different from what i've had in the past, but all delicious. the buscatini was also something i'd write home about. with an oil based sauce, we slurped up the pasta and all of the fixings that were included. i've tried to use bucatini in the past and felt like it was long elbow macaroni. but not here at notti bianche! i think i could've eaten another bowl of this (granted, i'm a fan of oil based sauces).

we ended our dinner with a taste of their chocolate budino and pistachio ice cream. not being a fan of desserts, i had no more than a taste; there were others at the table who are bigger dessert fans. the budino was delicious and went really well with the crunchy cocoa nib brittle that topped the dense budino. the illy coffee i had with dessert was a nice end to the meal.

some may say the ambiance at notti bianche is ... quiet. it is. the clientele that was there when we were there was also older (but i think that's more because we got there at 5pm!). i liked that it wasn't all crazy loud and it wasn't overrun by massive amounts of people (though i frequent and enjoy those places as well). but the service was great, so i didn't particularly pay attention to the ambiance!

all in all, i'd have to say that dinner at notti bianche was a great success. delicious and super fresh food with good company. i can't wait to go back!

online: http://www.nottibianche.com/

comet ping pong

2010-08-09T13:41:00.003-04:00

comet ping pong
5037 connecticut avenue NW (at fessenden street), washington, DC 20008
tel: 202) 364-0404
hours: tuesday-sunday 5pm-10pm

what was consumed: arugula salad, the smoky (smoky mushrooms, garlic, smoky mozzarella, smoky bacon, melted onions), the hottie (jalapeno, comet sauce, pepperoni, fontina), the philly (as a pizza, not calzone - house-roasted pork, garlic, red pepper, grilled broccoli rabe, provolone), stanley (our own italian fennel sausage, comet sauce, mozzarella, roasted peppers), and the one with the egg (as had by guy fieri on 'diners, drive-ins, and dives', but isn't on their online menu!)

i've been to comet ping pong a number of times, but have been there to try their pizzas only once. in fact, i was very excited to have pizza and chicken wings, but they were out of chicken wings when i went! sigh. our server did profusely apologize (though it's not her fault) and even stated that this sort of thing (not having their famous wings) hardly ever happens. oh well. anyway, their woodfired pizza (is that what this style is called?) is simply delicious, though it does take some time for your order to come out (be patient - it's totally worth the wait). comet ping pong's ingredients are fresh and the combinations of flavors are well thought out, while not ordinary (they have ordinary combinations and allow you to make your own pizzas as well). i also like that comet ping pong has a nice selection of libations - they have dale's for $4 a can! good pizza with some good beer is wonderful (granted, i'm partial).

comet ping pong, as depicted in their name, also offers a number of ping pong tables for you to play on. not being a ping pong afficionado myself, i'm not sure what the rules are for using the tables (is there a fee? do you have to purchase food/drink? do you get in line? do you bring your own ping pong paddles and balls? etc.), but i have seen quite a few people play ping pong. some even bring their own paddles (does everyone have to bring their own?) which i find funny. for whatever reason, i equate that to the people who bring their own bowling balls and shows to the lanes. and i laugh and laugh and laugh ...

i've also been to comet ping pong to hear bands play (yes, this is where i saw this one band where there were more people actually in the band than there were audience members. the band was huge!). they clear out the area in the back where the ping pong tables normally go and the musicians set up there. it's not really an area with a stage, but the space is large enough while being intimate at the same time.

guy fieri also visited comet ping pong on his show. i looked it up and saw that he had a "fresh from the farm" sort of show, which then made sense (i wouldn't call comet ping pong a diner, drive-in, or dive). i'm happy that comet ping pong has gotten some well deserved national attention.

i can't wait to go back to comet ping pong. this time, they'd better have wings. can't wait!

online: http://www.cometpingpong.com/

levante's

2010-08-06T15:00:00.011-04:00

levante's
1320 19th street NW, washington, DC 20036-1610
tel: 202) 293-3244
hours: monday-thursday and sunday - 11:30am-10:30pm, friday-saturday 11:30am-11:30pm

what was consumed: the day's special (stuffed tomato and pepper with fries and salad), baked zuccini (zucchini filled with ground lamb and rice, topped with tomato-yogurt sauce), fries, bread ...

i'd passed levante's a number of times in my back and forth in and around dupont circle. and when it was time to consider a place for a "going away" lunch, levante's came to mind - lots of food variation (i.e., for all omnivores, herbivores, and even carnivores), space to accommodate large groups (though it sort of gets loud as a result - be sure to speak up when you order as to be clear about what you want), and they take reservations. since the first lunch, i've been back 2 more times - it's turned into a pretty popular selection! i'll have to say that the good food options definitely puts levante's on my list for places to visit. the wait staff is attentive and will even do separate checks for your large group! on my first visit, we stated which reservation we were with, were quickly shown our seats, drink orders were taken, and we began to peruse through the menu and make our selections.

the beginning of the meal begins with bread. i always find myself eating far too much bread at the start of my meal, partly because i'm so hungry by the time i make it to levante's, partly because the bread is so yummy. warm and delicious, especially dipped in olive oil. i'm not a sucker for bread, but i just can't resist when it's warm and placed right in front of me. on this day, i opted for one of the daily specials (levante's usually has a few daily specials that the server knows about and is not written on the menu. if interested, be sure to ask! though the server will probably say something about it). the special of the day was stuffed tomato and pepper. which was delicious. the tomato and pepper were stuffed with seasoned rice and meats (beef, i think. levante's does have a lot of lamb) covered in a tomato sauce and yogurt sauce (i think). the meal came with a side of salad or fries. i asked for both and they were happy to oblige (thanks!). a subsequent time, i had the stuffed zucchini, also stuffed with seasoned rice and meat (lamb this time) covered in a tomato and yogurt sauce. yum yum yum ... every time i leave levante's, i leave very very full (and happy), worried about the food coma that will have already set in. sigh. darn food coma.

i have yet to visit levante's for dinner, though i imagine it's good for dinner as well. especially when the weather is good (they have a pretty large outdoor seating area), i will have to think about visiting levante's for some good eats! yum yum yum yum yum ...

online: http://www.levantes.com/

zengo

2010-08-06T11:07:00.001-04:00

zengo
781 7th street NW (between G street & H street), washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 393-2929
hours: monday-thursday 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-11pm; friday 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-12:30am; saturday 5pm-12:30am, sunday 5pm-11pm

what was consumed: pork belly steamed buns (with grilled pineapple and salsa verde), wakame-hijiki seaweed salad (with cucumber, carrot, daikon, apple, ginger vinaigrette), carnitas rice noodles (with pork shoulder, mushroom, cashew, soft egg, hot 'n sour sauce), roasted scallops al mojo de ajo (with bacon, corn, sushi rice, and yuzu-sriracha)

zengo zengo zengo ...

everytime i pass through chinatown, i see zengo. for the longest time, i wanted to try it out ... and i finally got a chance (thanks tom!).

in the (now) bright and shining area of town, zengo is right outside the chinatown exit of the metro, right on the 7th street strip next to so many other restaurants, bars, and other places to go. in passing on my way to the metro, i was fascinated by their decor and curious about their fare. it has that sort of chic metropolitan and contemporary feel, appropriate for the area (and perhaps the clientele).

tom and i went for a quick dinner before seeing the trans-siberian orchestra at verizon (the show, btw, was AWESOME). we didn't have reservations, though the host asked. luckily, we were there relatively early, so there wasn't too much of a wait. we were shown to our seats and our drink orders were taken. zengo has a pretty extensive cocktail menu. there were quite a few things one the list that i'll have to say i would like to try, but maybe not an entire glass of (primarily because i'm not a huge fan of adult beverages that have pineapple and/or mango juice in them - not that zengo's menu was filled with it, but cocktails often are). their beer menu (which is usually my focus) was unfortunately not as extensive as i am growing accustomed to. does this make me a beer snob? i hope not, especially since i usually end up selecting a pretty light lager - ha!

we started with some pork buns and seaweed salad, the followed up with rice noodles and scallops on rice. while these sound very asian, the accompanying flavors were very latin - carnitas, salsas, etc. i can see how a lot of asian flavors may meld well with latin flavors. i particularly enjoyed the noodle dish. i love rice noodles! the hot 'n sour sauce coupled with the pork was quite delicious and flavorful. i wish the dish had more veggies and peanuts (and maybe even a bit more spiciness), though that's usually what i say about dishes with veggies and peanuts. all in all, yum. the rice the scallops sat on was cooked well in that sort of "fried rice" sort of way, which is good. unfortunately, i felt the scallops were a bit overcooked, making them a little rubbery (i imagine this was an isolated event?). of course, this didn't prevent me from consuming far more than my share. oops. oh, and while i understand and appreciate the role of green onions/scallions (and actually love their flavor), i'm not a fan of consuming them. so, i spent a lot of time picking them out (i know - so un-lady-like. oh well~).

after having had dined here, i don't know if i would regularly go back. then again, i'm not one to protest (i.e., i'd probably go back if someone else wanted to go). maybe it's just that i'm not the biggest fan of asian fusion (except for, maybe, kogi tacos - ha!) or maybe i'm just a pure-ist (i'm really not). thanks for the good time, zengo! perhaps i will see you again~

online: http://www.modernmexican.com/zengodc/index.htm

da moim

2010-08-06T09:25:00.000-04:00

da moim
7106 columbia pike, annandale, VA 22003
tel: 703) 354-3211
hours: sunday-thursday 11am-11pm, friday-saturday 11am-2pm

what was consumed: galbi tacos (korean barbecue tacos are served on warm tortillas with sesame-chili salsa, a slaw of julienne lettuce and scallions, and a sprinkle of crushed sesame seeds), kimchee quesedilla (caramelized kimchi and perilla leaves with cheddar and jack cheeses), ddukbokki (rice pasta, (gnocchi-like), sauteed with vegetables in spicy sauce), korean fried chicken (wings)

i have a soft spot in my heart for bars, restaurants, and all other things korean-style-esque (despite my "harsh" criticism of them, of course). as much as i kick and scream about not wanting to go to "those" kind of places, it's just a part of who i am, figuratively and literally, and i really love it. then again, what's more awesome than eating and drinking all at the same time?

i heard about da moim and tagged along with friends who were going to check it out. in particular, they mentioned da moim doing their rendition of tex-mex/korean fusion - kogi tacos, kimchee quesedillas, that sort of thing. so exciting! friends and i were quickly seated (in any empty place, by the way. admittedly, we got there pretty early - way before drinkin' time. mind you, we were there to try their tex-mex/korean fusion more than the booze) in their main dining area (i think they also had a few private rooms towards the back ... or maybe i'm getting this place confused with some place else). da moim has the same "look and feel" that you get from a lot of other korean/korean american places. anyway, da moim's server was really attentive and did his best to answer all of our pesky questions (and, per usual, we had quite a few).

the korean fare at da moim was pretty tasty. nothing is as good as the food you get in korea (of course), but if you have a hankering for ddukbokki, go for it! nicely chewy dduk in a spicy spicy sauce - yum. i wished there was soon-dae to go along with it. ahhh~ their tex-mex/korean fusion, however, left much to be desired, unfortunately. the kogi in the taco was marinated well and was quite fitting for such a fusion dish, but i was a bit disappointed with the "mission tortilla"-esque flour tortilla (i like corn tortillas better), though perhaps the flour tortilla was intentional (???). but now that i've had the tacos at the kogi truck, and have made home-style versions of kogi tacos (in super yummy cork cakes!), really, my bar has been set much higher. my expectations were pretty high, which definitely affects my opinion of the place. i did really enjoy the kimchee quesedilla. i want to pull one of those "oh, i could totally make that," which may be true (and has already been done), but da moim's was still pretty tasty. when i visit again, i will order it! oh, and their korean-fried-chicken was pretty good, but took a long time to come out (which they warned us about, so we were ready for it). but really, what compares with bonchon? very little. no offense, of course.

i will add da moim to my list of places to visit when out in annandale (it is on that annandale strip 'o places, more or less) for imbibing and consuming, korean style and recommend you try it out and draw your own conclusions. but remember - you can never really have too many korean places to visit!

online: http://www.damoimrestaurant.com/

food for thought

2010-07-14T08:15:00.000-04:00

food for thought (at the black cat)
1811 14th street NW (between S street & swann street), washington, DC 20009
hours: monday-thursday 8pm-1am, friday-saturday 7pm-2am
tel: 202) 797-1095

what was consumed: vegan nachos!

i just have to make a quick comment about 'food for thought.' while i'm sure there are other delicious option, i have only had the vegan nachos and often only remember that 'food for thought' is there when i'm at the black cat (sorry).

but let me tell you, the vegan nachos are totally yummy! and definitely something different that's worth a try (in the least). instead of cheese, they use a lemon tahini sauce (which food for thought is famous for) and add other fixin's (mushrooms, olives, onions, and peppercinis) on top of corn tortilla chips. when you're sitting at the black cat, beer in hand, the vegan nachos are a salty plate of deliciousness.

i understand that 'food for thought' has a whole history behind it (i really only found out about as i searched for information for this post). point is, i'm glad that it's around, especially for when i visit the black cat. i will have to get myself a plate of these nachos more often - yum!

online: http://www.blackcatdc.com/food.html

northside social

2010-07-13T15:06:00.001-04:00

northside social
3211 wilson boulevard, arlington, VA 22201
tel: 703) 465-0145
hours: monday-tuesday 7am-10pm, wednesday 7am-12am, thursday-friday 7am-2am, saturday 8am-2am, sunday 8am-8pm

what was consumed: soy latte, crispy pork belly sandwich (broccoli rabe, olio, santo, smoked mozzarella, salsa verde on italian feather loaf)

in the old murky coffee spot (or so i'm told - i never got a chance to visit murky in arlington as i frequented the (at the time) capitol hill location instead), northside social is an awesome place to grab a good cup of coffee, some delicious sandwiches, and just hang out with friends. if you can get a seat (it's seemed super popular, but also high turnaround, so it's worth the wait). christine had been before and friend seth works there as well, so when friend m suggested we go, i was totally up for making the trek over the river into virginia (yes, food is a great motivator).

after tutoring on a rainy saturday, i hopped on the metro out to clarendon to visit northside social for the first time. friend m had been there already for a half hour, so 2 cups of coffee and a breakfast sandwich in is when i finally arrived (i guess that doesn't really matter - haha). anyway, friend m got the bacon and egg breakfast sandwich and when i joined him, he swore to me up and down that that's what i should get. next time, m, next time. i was on a mission to try the crispy pork belly sandwich ... and i'm glad i did! it was DELICIOUS.

the sandwich: the bread, baked right at northside social, was nice and chewy, not too hard, not too soft. the crispy pork was wonderful. not too salty, and cooked so that there's a significant crunch from the crisped pork that you can feel when you bite into the sandwich. yummmm. i liked that they used broccoli rabe instead of other sorts of greens - the slight bitterness took away from the potentially overwhelming greasy feel that pork can sometimes have. and a bit of smoked mozzarella which seemed to ooze from the bread. served with a side of your choice (i chose potato salad, upon the recommendation of the woman who took my order), this was just want i wanted for a delicious saturday lunch.

the coffee: my latte was really delicious. i didn't see too much coffee art that people have been speaking about, but maybe that's because i got my latte "to go" and messed it up between the counter and my seat (not likely, but who knows). i hear that northside social uses a special sort of soy milk that has a better consistency (i.e., more like milk) and works like the real stuff when heated. all know is that my latte was creamy and rich, not bitter and not too bright. just the way i like it! friend m's note: if you're going to order drip coffee, be sure to order the large "to go." apparently, the discrepancy in size of the "here" vs. "to go" was too much for him to handle (haha), or maybe there's just a secret that he doesn't know.

ahh, northside social, maybe it's a good thing you're so far away. otherwise, i would visit you far too many times than you would like. but for the rest of you, make it a regular part of life! i can't wait until my next visit~

online: http://northsidesocialarlington.com/

meridian pint

2010-07-09T11:29:00.002-04:00

meridian pint
3400 11th St NW(between N Park Rd & N Monroe St) Washington, DC 20010
tel: 202) 588-1075
hours: sunday-thursday 5pm-2am, friday-saturday 5pm-3am

what was consumed: beer! fries with this gravy sauce thing, pulled beef short rib sandwich, buffalo wings.

housemate tyler told me about a new beer place opening up in columbia heights weeks ago. so exciting on a number of different levels: new eateries near home AND libations! hooray! a bunch of us finally got a chance to visit meridian pint, within a few weeks of their opening at that ... and i'm super duper happy that we did!

meridian pint has a street level dining area and a basement bar area (with 2 pool tables, a table shuffleboard/shufflepuck, some booths and tables, and a lot of standing room). christine, et al, got there first and saved a booth downstairs. as i head down the stairs, i was happy to be greeted by a nice chill in the air (yay a/c! especially on these hot hot hot DC days/nights). when i met the rest of the party, i was happy to see that we got one of the tables with beer taps right on the table (hooray!). what a great idea! more about this in a little bit ...

food: meridian pint has a series of dishes for whatever you're craving, anywhere from light appetizers and things to snack on all the way to full on entrees. this time around, i tasted the fries and buffalo wings. i love that the fries were served with this gravy sort of dipping sauce that was delicious! the buffalo wings were ok, but i prefer mine fried and without any sort of sauce (though, i guess, then they're not buffalo wings, but rather, just fried chicken - haha). i also didn't finish the wing i was eating because the meat started getting redder and redder the closer i got to the bone. i'm sure it was ok (and i felt ok afterwards), but i refrained from continuing. and, per usual, i wished they'd put more celery sticks on the plate. i didn't get a chance to taste the pulled beef short rib sandwich as i wasn't too hungry. but, quite a few people at the table ordered it and raved about it. that's a good sign, right? there was quite a pile of beef short rib in the sandwich on a nice sized kaiser roll. and that it's served with fries is always a plus! what should i have the next time i visit?

drinks: at meridian pint, you can order beers from your server or bartender (and they have quite a great selection of beers and a lot of liquor options as well) or you can pour your own pints straight from the table (and i hear you can reserve these tables, but that this is something new? shoot, the entire place is new). our table had sam adams and hennepin by ommegang (which i love). i hear that they are going to rotate the table taps - can't wait to see what they put in next! anyway, you pay based on the amount you drink, not necessarily per glass. having experienced bartenders at our table (i.e., christine) definitely helped with avoiding foam. friend jenny made a really good point - even if the beers on tap at your table are not your favorites, you can pour yourself a little glass as you wait for the server to bring you your preferred beverage. on top of that, because you can pour short glasses of beer, it's sort of a way to ensure that your beer will always be nice and cold - excellent! one thing to note: they have a pint maximum (i think it's 12 pints) as to cut people off from going overboard. this makes sense and i think is a pretty good idea (and we only ran into it because our party was so large, not necessarily because we drink a lot. or is it ...). the actual/real downside: it was hard to divide our bill as no one could remember how many pints of beer each consumed (especially as we started pouring partial pints) and we were all over the place with our ordering from the server. then again, we had a pretty big group (12 of us at one point!) and that added to the confusion. in the end, we figured it out ... i think. lucky for us, our group is a pretty generous group, so we were far from short when it came to closing our tab and tipping our server.

oh, meridian pint, welcome to the neighborhood! i'm glad you are here. i imagine you will see me again. and again. and again ...

online: www.meridianpint.com/

blt steak

2010-07-09T09:36:00.001-04:00

blt steak
1625 eye street, NW (between 16th street & 17th street), washington, DC 20006
tel: 202) 689-8999
hours: monday-friday 11:30am-2pm, monday-saturday 5:30pm-11pm

what was consumed: bar snacks (popcorn, olives, almonds), chicken liver pate, popovers, himachi (with avocadoes, tomatoes, jalapenos), and (of course) delicious beverages

there are quite a few steakhouses in the dc/metro area, but i've been to very few of them (i haven't been to ray's the steaks yet!) if any. i think it's because my friends and i find ourselves grilling our own steaks instead. anyway. on one of those illustrious bbq days, there was some conversation about popovers. one thing lead to another and we agreed to meet and enjoy popovers at blt. not steak. popovers.

so, friend k and i met up at blt steak post work (and all other "fun" stuff) to sit at the bar, enjoy some good libations, and have some yummy eats. we started off with some bar snacks (delicious salted and roasted almost, seasoned olives (omg, DELICOUS! i wanted to eat the entire bowl, but agreet to share with k ^^;; ), and flavored popcorn - YUM) to accompany our drinks. i had a refreshing and delicious house cocktail (fruity, but not sweet, with a spalsh of club soda) that came with a garnish of candied ginger and mint. yum~ perfect for the hot hot DC summer day that was tuesday (100+ degree weather! yikes).

after we put in our order, we were served a small mason jar with a bit of chicken liver pate. i love pate and was super excited to see that this was a part of the meal at blt (and secretly wished for more). in fact, k and i contemplated asking if we can each get a jar. hahaha ... the pate was so smooth and creamy, i wanted to slather it on everything that we were served.

our (hot) food began coming out (yay!), starting with the popovers. bw (the bartender) suggested that we share one popover. our response was to look at him with eyes that said, "but there are two popovers. and there are two of us. why should we share?" he just walked away, laughing. we kept looking at him, confused. now, about these popovers. i'm usually not a huge bread person and usually go easy on the bread when available, especially if i know that carbs will appear in another form. but there's something about these popovers that are just so delicious. they're light and fluffy, but super moist (i think it's the guyere cheese that is listed within the ingredients - yes, the popovers came with a recipe!) and not rough-ish in texture (as bread sometimes is). they came out, warm, smelling delicious, and just melted in my mouth. i went between slathering my popover with the chicken liver pate and butter with salt (on an aside, blt has some really rad, albeit rustic looking, salt shakers! k and i wanted to smuggle one out of there, but opted against it as these salt shakers literally were the same size as pint glasses).

we ordered the himachi to share as neither k nor i were super hungry (despite ultimately eating what ended up being boatloads of food). the himachi wrapped a sort of seasoned avocado mash, topped with jalapenos and some other veggies, in a small pool of a light citrus (though a bit too citron-y for me) soup. citron-y or not, totally delicious. as k said, the fattiness of the himachi and the avocado just brought out the creaminess of the entire dish, that ultimately just melted in our mouths.

my stomach is growling (again) as i write this ...

k and i opted to sit at the bar. and i'm glad we did! bw was awesome, as were other members of the bar staff (though we kept hiding our dish of olives from one of the guys as he insisted on taking it away! hands off, mister, we're not yet finished). great conversationalists who know their food and drink (that is the best!). in addition to everything else, they totally made me want to go back and visit them. i will!

one day, i'll have to go back and actually try the steak. rib eye, please. but in the meantime, i will dream about the chicken liver pate and delicious popovers that accompanied our meal. mmmmm~~~~

online: http://www.bltsteak.com/

rogue states

2010-06-29T14:47:00.001-04:00

rogue states
1300 connecticut avenue NW (at N N St), washington, DC 20036
tel: 202) 296-2242
hours: monday-sunday 11am-5am (yes, that's 5 in the morning ...)

what was consumed: ciao down (garlic, tomatoes, basil) burger (pink), fries, soda

recommended for: lunch and/or a casual dinner

i was sitting at my desk at the office one day and friend dave handed me a 5x7-ish flyer for a "new" burger place (thanks, dave!). he had been out during lunch and received one of the flyers as 'rogue states' began their grass roots marketing for their upcoming opening. i began anticipating their opening ... only to have that date slip my mind (i guess i'm not that much of a fan of new places to eat. hahaha - i laugh as i type that). no matter - i soon got a chance to visit rogue states (and have been a few times since then).

so, this is how it works at rogue states. you walk in, select the sort of burger that you want (and decide pink (yes please!) or no pink), appropriate toppings, fries (yes please!) and soda options. then you sit (while sipping on your selected beverage - yes, they have beer & wine here) while waiting for the wait staff to bring your food. once your food arrives, enjoy! repeat as necessary (though i've never had a desire to repeat immediately after completing a meal). simple, eh? here's where it gets complicated. the variation of burgers is not necessarily related to the additions that you add to your burger; rather, the variation has to do with what you add to the burger's patty. i.e., if you order a 'ciao down,' then they mix garlic, tomatoes, basil with the ground beef and together, those ingredients make your burger's patty. YUM. a bit different from other burgers, especially in that others try to maintain the purity (?) of the patty. rogue states offers variation (they also have a more 'purist' patty option as well), which i most definitely appreciate. the patty, then, coupled with their deliciously toasted bread and fresh toppings (lettuce and tomatoes, please) creates a delicious burger!

and be sure to try the different dipping sauce options for the fries! i can't remember what the options were off the top of my head, but there's one that i really liked. i think it's the old bay mayo (or was it the chipotle one?). shoot - i don't remember. i'll just have to go back to refresh my memory (yay!).

among the other things i like at rogue states, one thing i really appreciate has nothing to do with food. rather, it has to do with options. i love it when eateries (a la rogue states) offer a few variations of the same and you choose from that menu. wonderful! now, i love options. i love having options and will sometimes even go out of my way to make sure there are a variety of options available to me (though this is turning into a sort of harrowing existance because i often cannot/will not choose from my options). but when it comes to food, more often than not, restaurants have too many options. shoot - i've already gone through the arduous decision making task of selecting a restaurant (what cuisine? what mood? indoors or outdoors? drinks or no drinks? quick or sit down? options options options!), it is tormenting to then decide what it is that i'm going to eat. granted, part of the distress is because there usually are no less than a dozen thing on those menus that i want to eat (but i digress, per usual). understandably, there is a time and place for eateries that offer everything under the sun (especially if you want to eat one thing and the people you are with want to eat something else or are unwilling to try new and different things (boo!)).

when i teach facing connecticut avenue, i can see 'rogue states' from my classroom. this will remind me of the yummy burgers i've had (which often causes me to digress from the lesson. sigh. you can see what my priorities are - ha!). i'm sure i will find myself at rogue states again ... soon please!

online: http://aburgergrillingcompany.com

kogi truck

2010-06-04T18:32:00.005-04:00

kogi truck
multiple locations
tel: 714) 697-4683

what was consumed: short rib taco, spicy pork taco, short rib burrito

the craze of food trucks is not just on the east. out in so.cal, it's the kogi truck that has been calling out to interested parties for some time now. while in so.cal, i made it a point to look 'em up (i was even willing to drive up to LA! luckily, they also have a truck in the irvine area) and finally got the chance to try the infamous kogi taco from the taco truck ... in one word: YUM (yeah, yeah, i say most things are delicious). for real, the tacos are de-licious!

so, they were in my neighborhood (or rather, towards my neighborhood) today, so i made it a point to head out there to check out the truck. i get in line around 1:10pm (their schedule today was to be in irvine between noon-2pm) and be overwhelmed with the line that wrapped around the truck area in the parking lot of the car wash the truck had parked in (apparently, the truck and the business have some sort of deal? i guess that's a great way to do business?). i seemed to be waiting and waiting and waiting, all the while taunted by the korean bbq being cooked in the truck. after what feels like hours and buckets of sweat (it's dry, but hot in so.cal today), i finally make it up to the front of the line. once there, and my order is in, i wait again for my food. while i'm glad that my food is made fresh to order (more or less), the wait is a killer.

here's the other thing. i put in my order and the guy asks for my name. i say "grace" and what does he put down? crace. really? REALLY? in asian infiltrated irvine? maybe it's because he was overwhelmed with the massive number of graces that visit the truck on a frequent basis (no, we do not all look the same)? or maybe he's just hard of hearing? or maybe he was just tired. in the end, it doesn't matter, but i thought it was funny. i proceeded to take a photo and post it here. i digress ...

the kogi truck has a number of different options, besides their more famous kogi tacos. a variety of tacos, burritos, sliders, quesadillas, even hot dogs! and dessert! all seem to have some sort of korean flair (e.g. kimchee) and most definitely mixed in with texmex. they even have tofu as an options! yes, they're thinking of the non-meat eater (though i'm not sure how it is that they cook the tofu tacos and burritos. they seemed not as popular as the other options). i ultimately opted for the beef short rib taco, the spicy pork taco, and the beef short rib burrito.

at around 1:35 (while i was waiting patiently in line), someone came out with a little sign and gave it to the guy standing just a few people behind me (see photo) to indicate that no one behind him would be served kogi. and let me tell you, there were people who came even closer to 2pm and were (pretty much) out of luck ... too bad! the guy at the end was really nice about it when people came to ask about the line (and the sign). he must be a regular. i can see how some people may take it over the top, a sort of indication of power (and luck?) in that he/she is the last one. people in line were also saying that the last person is also often rewarded with free leftovers in appreciation for holding the sign. i didn't pay attention to what happened to the guy behind me, but he looked more happy to have made the cut than anything else (man, if i came later, as i had thought to, i would've been so disappointed! and maybe even a little bit angry ... even though it's my fault).

so, when i finally got my food, it was well over an hour since i had gotten in line. people started to get really irritated because of the wait, because of the heat, and because despite the huge line behind there were people who were all, "umm, i'm taking this home. will you package this for me?" hello! self service, people! anyway. about the food. tacos = delicious. i would probably wait in line again if it means i could have these tacos again (granted, i say this now that i've cooled down and my stomach is full. had you asked me while i was in line, my answer might've been different). the meat was well cooked and spiced, both the beef and pork (though i think the spicy pork could've been more spicy. to the kogi truck's defense, they did have a bottle of siracha sauce available for consumption). the lettuce in the taco was also seasoned, with a light almost soy sauce-y flavor which complimented the meat beneath. all of this was on top of 2 corn tortillas that weren't too dry and just right. a note to the hungry: the tacos are small, probably 2 1/2ish inches in diameter (though also about 2 inches piled up). nevertheless, i thought they were pretty hefty for their small size. but at $2 a taco, i think it's worth dishing out a few extra bucks for 3 or even 4 tacos (honestly, i would've been ok with just 2 tacos. i know! me!)

the burrito was good too, though i would opt for the tacos. i had the beef short rib burrito and felt that the seasoning on the beef was too ... sweet. the burrito was wrapped in a flour tortilla and then toasted on the outside (which i think is great!). the burrito was also filled with some of the seasoned lettuce as well as some rice (i think?) and eggs. normally, i'm a fan of eggs, but for whatever reason, i wasn't expecting them in this burrito, so it sort of too me by surprise. i think next time, i'll try to spicy pork one. or be sure to ask them to hold the eggs (haha). or maybe just load up on tacos and think nothing of the burritos. who knows! of course, this is just a personal preference, as there were loads of people walking away with burritos. definitely worth $5!

be sure to check out their where-abouts online and get there early! you don't want to be the one right behind the guy with the sign ^_^ kogi truck, come to us on the east! thanks in advance~

online: http://www.kogibbq.com/

in 'n out

2010-06-03T09:00:00.001-04:00

in 'n out

multiple locations

what was consumed: usually, set menu #2 - cheeseburger, fries, soda.

i love five guys, don't get me wrong. there's something about being able to pile your burger high up with loads and loads of extras, making your burger as high as it is wide. but i'm a so.cal girl at heart ... and my heart belongs to in 'n out.

i've been the the first ever in 'n out (that is, i've been to the one that they say is the first - in westminster). the simplicity of the burger, the freshness of the burger ... what more do i need to say?

from what i understand, there are no freezers at in 'n out. nothing is frozen; rather, everything is delivered fresh, cooked fresh, eaten fresh. DELICIOUS.

the burgers at in 'n out are fresh and delicious. in the words of christine, they have a clean flavor - agreed! you can get your burger made just the way you want - lettuce tomatoes, sliced onions, grilled onions, special sauce, ketcup, mustard. you can get it animal style (extra of all the toppings) or even the protein version (bun-less). i usually get my burgers with extra lettuce and extra tomatoes only.

and then, there are the fries. when i first tried them, i didn't think that they were anything out of the ordinary. that is, until i realized that they were so similar to my mom's - fresh cut, fried just right, delicious. i hear you can also get the fries special - covered in the special sauce or with cheese or with grilled onions or ... but i have yet to try it like that. yet.

i also remember the first time someone mentioned to me that the owners of in 'n out held steadfast to their christian beliefs. there's a note of "john 3:16" on the inside rim of all of their beverage cups. for whatever reason, in my youth, i thought that was a grand idea (though now i see it on the 'forever 21' bags as well as spray painted on many a freeway wall (what does that mean!??!)). now, even though i'm less comforted by those few letters/numbers (that's a whole other conversation), there's a part of me that is still intrigued, and almost amazed, by such an existance.

i miss in 'n out so much when i'm not in california. and when in california, i go out of my way to ensure that i have it ... at least once.

online: http://www.in-n-out.com/

shikdorak

2010-06-02T18:00:00.008-04:00

shik do rak
14775 jeffrey road, irvine, ca 92618
tel: 949) 653-76868
9691 garden grove boulevard, garden grove, ca 92844
tel: 714) 534-7668

what was consumed: korean bbq! usually one of the set menus that includes the works. instead of all the meat options, i usually ask for only cha-dohl (the thin sliced beef) ... yum.

despite all of the korean food i consume at home, i find myself frequenting korean restaurants. while there are some super terrible ones, there are some good ones, even great ones. and there is something about shikdorak that just calls my name. so, when in so.cal, i make it a point to visit. i used to visit the garden grove location, but now frequent the new(er) irvine location.

the food at shikdorak is wonderful. the cha-dohl is fresh, thinly sliced, and cooks quickly on the grill. your meal also comes with lots of bahn chan that they keep filling up as you eat bowls and bowls and bowls of it.

once the gogi is finished cooking, i usually dip it in the spicy sauce and place it on a bed of green lettuce and radish kimchee. i then take one of the rice wraps and stuff the entire thing into my mouth. delicious. other korean bbqs have delicious options, but it's the rice wraps (dduk) at shikdorak that differentiates this place from all others. i'm sitting here thinking about shikdorak and instead of writing about it, all i can do is look at the photos and think about eating it. sigh.

while shikdorak isn't the most romantic of all places, it is good for groups and massive consumption of food. and even though you leave smelling like korean bbq, it's totally worth it! this past trip to california, i visited shikdorak twice (almost three times! sorry we didn't make it, jess!). both times, we had to wait. a lot. that never happens! but you know what? i didn't mind it one bit. oh, shikdorak, i can't wait to visit you again~~~

dc slices

2010-04-16T16:24:00.000-04:00

dc slices
tel: none
no address - they're mobile! track their location online: http://twitter.com/dcslices

what was consumed: pepperoni pizza, soda

lunch trucks are all the rage!

do you remember a time when people would say "lunch truck" and you would think jr. high cafeteria food for adults, or "roach coach," or ... these days, people also think kogi tacos, bulgogi carts ... and now, pizza (yes!!!)

today, from what i understand, was dc slice's inaugural day. and my food lovin' friends let me tag along (ironically, i had also brought pizza for lunch today). some argue about whether or not this is the "first" in DC, but it seems that the discrepancy is deep rooted in whether or not "DC" means just DC proper or includes MD and noVA ... that is a whole other conversation. as far as i'm concerned, this is the first i've seen (convenient that it's close to my office), so it's the first for me!

so, around lunchtime, we walked over from the office over to farragut square where dc slice was to have parked for lunch service. today was a nice, warm, and dry day, so i was doubly excited to head out of the office for some good eats - yay! and after blocks and blocks and blocks of walking (ok, so it was actually something like 5 blocks), we finally saw the truck ... to which we bee-lined to, like moths to a flame.

when we finally made it to the truck, we quickly made our selections (i like how they have one window for ordering and another for receiving your order ... though it looked like the same guy working both. ha!) and were soon served. thin crust slices of pepperoni pizza with the option of fresh basic on our slices (yes please). the crust was light, the sauce was tomato-y, the cheese was stringy. YUM! accompanying our pizzas were ice-cold cokes. a perfect meal on such a gorgeous (albeit a little hot for me) DC day ^_^

when we first arrived, they were also playing music through their speakers. i didn't notice it as we were leaving, but that could have well been because i was not paying attention and more engrossed in their fares. they also spelled "slice" incorrectly on their menu board today (i don't know if that was intentional or not - just thought i'd note it here), but i found it funny and endearing more than anything else. they offer wifi as a wireless hotspot, so bring your mobile device along with your appetite and look foward to a delicious lunch downtown!

online: http://dcslices.com/

g street food

2010-04-15T17:00:00.001-04:00

g street food
1706 G street NW (between 17th street & 18th street), washington, DC 20006
tel: 202) 408-7474
hours: monday-friday 7:30am-3:30pm

what was consumed: banh mi (traditional vietnamese sandwich - roasted free-range pork and pickled vegetable on a baguette), open sandwich speciality (i forget which one it was, but it was delicious), side salad, fries (of course)

i feel really lucky that there are lots of really yummy places to eat around where i work. one day, christine mentioned going to a place the kera mentioned to her at the restaurant. so, despite the 7ish block walk (ok, ok, 7 blocks is not a lot. but i was still sure not to bust out the highest of my heels), christine and i head out to meet for lunch.

at first, we couldn't really figure out where g street food was. the storefront is rather unassuming and at quick glance, i imagine most (like us) would pass it by. this downtown area, while filled with lots of really great places to eat, is also filled with the standard "cafeteria" fare in the form of a "pay by the pound" sort of place. i'm so glad g street food is not like that!

once we found the right place, we walked in and was welcomed by an open kitchen right behind where we were to place our orders. this proved to be convenient for us in that we were overwhelmed by the menu (as we usually are. their menu isn't super huge, but every single option looked so delicious!) and we had the opportunity to ask any and all questions directly to those who were to make our meals, which they happily answered. we ultimately decided on a couple of sandwiches, salad, and fries as we giddily went to pay for our food.

our food came out soon after and we quickly devoured the delicious morsels. and the bread! now, i don't know a lot about bread. i've mentioned before that i don't crave it like some others do and as a result i'm not as well versed in it as others are. nonetheless, the bread that g street food uses is just plain delicious. crispy crusts, chewy and soft middles. the meats added incredible flavor to the sandwiches and the veggies were so fresh/refreshing! i don't know how else to describe it, but do you see the photos? do they make the food look delicious? yes, the sammiches tasted better even better than they look! i want one now. sigh.

per usual, the clientele at g street food consisted primarily of other office drones (or maybe i'm the only cube-dwelling office drone - haha) who call the farragut square area "home." there was also a surprising number of families. but now that i think about it, because g street food is close in proximity to some of the sites on the nat'l mall (relatively, of course, is there anything (outside of the hot dog carts) that are really really close to the mall?) and loads of people have mobile devices with information at their fingertips, i imagine many will seek out g street food.

i can't wait to visit g street food again and try something else. where is christine?!? let's go! let's eat!

online: http://gstreetfood.com/

tenpenh

2010-04-05T14:10:00.008-04:00

tenpenh

closed, as of 01 july 2011 ... sad ...

1001 pennsylvania avenue NW (between 10th street & D street), washington, DC 20004
tel: 202) 393-4500
hours : monday-friday 11:30am-2:30pm, monday-thursday and sunday 5:30pm-10:30pm, friday-saturday 5:30pm-11pm

what was consumed: restaurant week! must-have monday! ... peking style duck roll (moo shu pancakes, hoisin sauce, cucumber, scallion - which i didn't pick out! i'm growing up!), stir fry minced chicken lettuce wraps (shiitake mushrooms, pine nuts, mustard sambal), chef's special (kabob-ed shrimp and scallops on gnocci and broccolini in a curry sauce) ... some other stuff too, but i've since forgotten the first time i went to tenpenh was for restaurant week over a year ago.

i remember being quite excited for the lunch and leaving the restaurant totally full and greatly satisfied. recently, my friends and i participated in their "monday must-haves" menu - sort of like restaurant week, but just on mondays (most mondays?). we chose appetizers from their list of appetizers, any of the entrees on the menu, and any of the desserts. we admitedly concluded, at the end of the meal, that an appetizer/entree/dessert for each individual was a lot of food. of course, this didn't prevent us from eating the bulk of our the food that was served. and all was consumed deliciously!

we started out meals with our appetizers. i had the peking style duck roll - delicious. 4 pieces of duck, cucumber, and scallions wrapped in a moo shu pancake. it sort of reminded me of a spring roll. a delicious and ducky spring roll! topped with the hoisin sauce, i would've been happy with just this part of the meal. but i knew (and was excited about) what was to come. love it. i've also tried their fried spring rolls, calimari salad, roti, lettuce wraps. all delicious.

entrees. a lot of the choices avaible at tenpenh is seafood. a lot of fish dishes (yeah!) cooked in a variety of different ways, with a whole lot of sauces, accompanied by all sorts of veggies, grains, and other deliciousness. the dishes are plated so appetizingly that all you want to do is dig in and fill your belly! maybe it's the way that they're plated, but one may think that the servings seem on the small side. but as you begin consuming the deliciousness, you realize that you're a lot more full that you thought. so much so that you may think you can't finish the meal (of course, not a problem i have. whoops).

one of my favorites is the whole fried fish (though both visits, i didn't order it for myself. i just consumed large quanities from my friends who ordered it. i keep telling myself to order it, but knowing that others will order it, i find myself ordering other things to accompany the fish. hee hee). the entire fish, coated in a delicious and light batter, fried. bones and all. the fish is seasoned and fried so well that i just take pieces of fish straight from the bone into my mouth. for those that would like additional flavor, the dish comes with a delicious complementary sauce. the fish is accompanied by a nice and light cucumber salad, season with a light soy sauce/sesame oil/etc. dressing. one day, i will order it myself. but until then, i will enjoy my delicious entree (which i share, of course) and proceed to eat others' fried fish. oink oink (haha).

finally, dessert. the dessert at tenpenh is delicious. i'm usually not a dessert person, though i've been increasingly craving sweets as of late (perhaps a result of my non-drinking?). the ice creams that are served with many of the desserts are light and creamy, not too rich. this perfectly accompanies the rich pastries, cakes, and other sweets. but a must have? the donuts. light and fluffy, served with a light chocolate mousse. when the servers told us that it was the chef's speciality, we should've listened! it's not that the other desserts were disappointing - they were not. the desserts were delicious. it's just that the donuts were delicious-er (which, i know, is not a word, but how else can i express this?). in other words, i was happy to have had tasted a variety of their delicious desserts, but secretly i agreed with the rest of my party in that we could've (should've?) all ordered the donuts (hee hee). ahh, hindsight is 20/20.

while waiting for your party or when you're just hanging out, enjoy tenpenh's bar. i have not enjoyed many of their adult beverages, though they have a lot of them. i have heard, however, that they have quite a few (delicious) speciality drinks. friend j told me that she once had a cocktail with a real live octopus! that's so RAD!! perhaps i'll visit their bar to look for the octopus beverage when i'm back on the sauce (haha).

to top it all off, the service at tenpenh is amazing. your water glass/soda is always filled, you're always asked if you would like another adult beverage, your napkin is always folded for you if you ever leave the table. we also received tastes of butternut squash soup before our appetizers and bites of sweet rice cakes after dessert, all compliments of the chef ... and all delicious!

i can't wait for the next time i get to dine at tenpenh. yay!

online: http://www.tenpenh.com/main.htm

rustico

2010-03-09T14:47:00.000-05:00

rustico
827 slaters lane, alexandria, VA 22314
tel: 703) 224-5051
hours: monday 4pm-10pm, tuesday-thursday 11:30am-10pm, friday-saturday 11:30am-11pm, sunday 11:30am-10pm

what was consumed: pei mussels fra diavolo (grilled bread, chorizo), home-made thick-cut fries (tossed in your choice of caesar or ranch dressing), creamy marscapone polenta (wild mushroom ragù, truffle oil), salt roasted beet salad (goat cheese fondue, blood orange vinaigrette, pistachio dust), duck confit & cracklins pizza (brie & sautéed onions pizza with chick pea crust), roasted mushroom pizza (mushroom cream, goat cheese, sauteed spinach pizza), bbq pizza (bbq braised pork, caramelized onions, cheddar)

there is never a dearth of eating options in old town alexandria. there are lots of different kinds of food, in a number of various locations, with a slew of clientele to suit your fancy. BUT, if you're ever in the old town alexandria area and in the mood for some yummy woodfire grilled pizza and a nice cold brew to wash it all down, i recommend visiting rustico. a bunch of us headed out to old town on a cold wintery day to see friends play a little concert. so, after the little usaf chamber group (?) performance at the masonic temple, a group of us head out to rustico for bites to eat.

rustico is known for their pizza and their great beer selection. for those reasons enough, i am enticed to visit rustico time and time again. for those who like options, not to fret! rustico also has a number of other options on their menu. delicious mussels, a most definitely creamy polenta plate, salads, antipastas, etc. they also have the option to select from their cheese/cured meat plates (there's a fancy name for this and for the life of me i can neither remember nor look it up - argh!). i haven't tried it yet, but it looks really good and can't wait to taste for myself.

friends in the group ordered a slew of things, so i got to try a variety of different things. the creamy polenta was definitely one of my favorites and something i'll have a super hard time not ordering the next time i'm at rustico. and the mussels! delicious. i could take bread and dip it into mussels broth all day long. yum.

and, of course, pizza.

with the slew of other things that friends ordered, by the time my pizza came, i was less than my usual voracious. nonetheless, the beautiful pizza pies places before me incited my salivary glands. they have a number of different pre-set topping options as well as the option to create your own (which is always fun as well). while the crust isn't anything out of the ordinary, sometimes that's just what you need to highlight the combination of the crust with the toppings. yum.

on the menu, i saw the option for the gluten free chick pea crust. intrigued! for some reason, i thought it'd be more chick pea-y, but it just felt like another crust (probably made with chick pea flour as opposed to anything else. i don't really know why i thought it'd look any different, but i did. i don't know what i was thinking). my pizza, unfortunately, was a little overdone, so the crust was a little dry and almost burnt. luckily, the duck confit and cracklin's toppings saved the pizza (i pretty much just ate the toppings ... which is what i often do regardless of the pizza crust). despite the chick pea crust disappointment, the meal was delicious and the group left with full bellies AND leftovers for the next day's lunch (yay doggie bags!).

pizza is getting fancier and fancier. and while i will periodically enjoy the quick delivery and convenience of fast(er) food joints that delivery right to my door, i will still fondly and often think of delicious options at places like rustico. just until i can visit to enjoy again. yay!

online: http://www.rusticorestaurant.com/

rubino's

2010-03-08T16:50:00.001-05:00

rubino's
26012 marguerite parkway, mission viejo, ca 92692
tel: 949) 582-1166

what was consumed: antipasto salad, small (i.e., 12") cheese pizza, small vegetarian pizza with pepperoni

i love pizza. i've said it before (yes, i know, numerous times), and i'm saying it again. just in case you forgot. I LOVE PIZZA.

i didn't go home for the christmas holidays. instead, i made sure to go home when airplane tickets weren't through the roof, but more importantly, when my extended family from seoul would be in town. my cousins and their kids (i.e., nieces and nephew) were in town for their winter holiday (they get 2+ months in the winter. sort of like our summer vacations) going to school here in the states, getting the "american" experience, learning a bit of english. when it comes to places to eat, i've been trying to think of places that were memorable to me, but also sort of representative of so.cal (i.e., so.cal food that i've been missing so much!). so when the kids said they wanted to eat pizza, i searched through the annals of my mind's memories to find a pizza place i used to super enjoy when i was a kid ... rubino's!

in h.s., we had these things called "gold cards." these gold cards were good for a year and had discounts to local businesses. the sale of these gold cards were for fundraising purposes and a sort of advertisement for the local businesses. point is, rubino's was on that list, so i ate a lot of their pizza when in h.s. so many good memories of eating super yummy rubino's pizza - i wanted to share such memories with my family.

rubino's pizza is great. everything is made from scratch, their pizza is hand-stretched, all of that good stuff. but the cheese! 100% mozzarella cheese! and the toppings! so fresh! the entire combination is so delicious. when a hot pie sits in front of you, the delicious scent of the flavor combinations abound. and then, when you take a slice, the cheese is all stretchy and delicious. rubino's doesn't have the culinary creations that some of these new pizza places have. instead, they take those pizzas that we consider "ordinary" and regular and make them super duper delicious. that's a sign of a great pizzeria, eh?

according to their website, rubino's has been there since 1976 (that is, they've been around beginning with their santa ana location. who knows when their MV location opened ... no matter). not a surprise, then, that 13 years after my own h.s. graduation, the pizza there is still fresh and delicious. be sure to visit the people at rubino's if you're ever in the suburbs of south o.c.! YUM.

online: rubinospizza.biz

modern times coffeehouse

2010-03-04T10:46:00.002-05:00

modern times coffeehouse (in the politics and prose bookstore)
5015 connecticut avenue NW, washington, DC 20008
tel: 202) 362-2408
hours: monday-saturday 8am-10pm, sundau 8am-8pm

what was consumed: coffee! prosciutto, basil & mozzarella panino (prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, and olive oil on mini-ciabatta loaf, served warm); turkey, apple & brie (sliced turkey breast, granny smith apple, brie, and honey mustard on baguette, served warm)

i love bookstores. i could sit in bookstores all day long. reading, browsing, watching, sitting, spending money (and it is for this reason that i try to avoid bookstores if i can). and now that bookstores have coffeeshops attached (or has that always been the case?) all the more reason for me to spend hours and hours there.

in DC, there are a number of 'famous' bookstores for their guest authors, special events, and overall coolness. politics and prose is one of them (they always have lots of events and stuff that, yes, i've been meaning to go out to). what's more, i heard friend anna was working the affiliated coffeeshop. with that, i took the opportunity when meeting with ines to enjoy the bookstore, visit anna, and try out modern times coffeehouse.

located in the basement of 'politics and prose,' modern times offers a lot of the standard coffeeshop favorites - drip coffee, lattes, etc. additionally, they have a nice list of delicious soups, salads, sandwiches, baked goods, and breakfast options for one to choose from to go along with their delicious coffee.

ines and i visited on what had intended on being a sunday of good eats and reading. books in hand, we were ready for all that modern times had to offer. just as we walk in, we are greeted by a hustling and bustling cafe with not an empty table or chair. what to do? luckily, a nice young lady who was just about to leave offered us her table. thanks!
after quick glance at the menu, ines opted for the turkey, apple, & brie sandwich while i asked anna about her favorite (and/or popular) sandwich option and went with the panino. all of this, of course, to accompany my coffee (iced tea for ines).

our sandwiches came out not too much later. they were nice and warm, toasted, and oozing with cheese. so delicious. and a pickle on the side! the sandwiches were neither overly large nor ridiculously small. ines and i went halvsies and enjoyed bites of both sandwich types. delicious.

ines and i had a great time (and i finished the book i was reading at the time - hurrah!). i look forward to my next visit to modern times for some good reads and great eats!

online: http://www.moderntimescoffeehouse.com and http://moderntimescoffeehouse.blogspot.com

zaytinya

2010-02-03T16:13:00.010-05:00

zaytinya
701 9th street NW (at G street), washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 638-0800
hours: monday 11:30am-10pm, tuesday-thursday 11:30am-11:30pm, friday-saturday 11:30am-12am, sunday 11:30am-10pm

what was consumed: mezzes! crispy brussel afelia (brussel sprouts, coriander seed,barberries, garlic yogurt), piyaz (warm giant beans, kaleoven roasted tomato, garlic), bantijan bil laban (fried eggplant, roasted garlic-yogurt sauce), midyes (fried mussels, walnut tarator sauce), sea scallops (seared scallops, yogurt-dill sauce), kotopoulo youvetsi (chicken, orzo, tomato kefalograviera cheese) ... and mythos beer

do you watch top chef? i do. i love it. i've had top chef show-watching parties. i wanted to have a party just to have carla cater it. i've been to spike's hamburger joint. i can't wait to visit bryan voltaggio and volt (fredrick, md just seems so far. gotta suck it up!). going to zaytinya to visit mike isabella, then, seems pretty natural (i also had a mike isabella sighting - as i was waiting for the bus on my way home via gallery place/chinatown. sooo exciting! hahaha). so, when shar (friend) came in to town for an overnight trip from nyc and suggested zaytinya (a part of josé andrés' family of great restaurants), i was all for it. great suggestion, shar! i was also super excited about spending time with shar. nyc is so close, and yet so far away. excited to have great food and have shar time! yay~~~~

now shar, being the conscientious individual she is, tried to make reservations online to ensure that we would get a seat. unfortunately, the only reservations available were for less convenient times - a sign of popularity, i'm sure. no fear! i suggested that we should go in and see if there are any seats available, sans reservation. it was just the two of us, so it shouldn't be too big of an imposition, i'd imagined. i was also willing to wait. sitting at the bar is also always an option (and i love sitting at the bar!) lucky for us, we were seated right away. hooray!

we sat down and began to quickly look through the menu. zaytinya's menu is filled with mezzes. i.e., tapas. aka, small plates of utter deliciousness. i love tapas because you get bites of a number of dishes. shar and i looked through the menu and we each chose 3 mezzes (one of which (piyaz) was recommended by our server). while we waited for our mezzes, we enjoyed gooood conversation and the warm bread (what is that bread called?) dipped into an oil/sweet vinegar sauce. i will have to admit, though, that the bread was deceivingly filling. while it looked like puffed flatbread, we couldn't get enough of it! and then, dipped in various sauces, it was totally delicious.

we ordered a series of different mezzes. some vegetarian, two seafood, and one chicken. the brussel sprouts were super delicious (and probably my favorite, if i had to choose. but i'm biased - i looove brussel sprouts). the crispy-ness of the roasted brussel sprouts, with just enough garlic, on a delicious bed of yogurt. shar and i even said we could have probably each had a dish to ourselves. yummmmmm. the scallops were also nicely seared with some amazing flavor, not too fish-y. and i'm glad we took our server's recommendation with the piyaz because it was delicious! beans, kale, and other veggies in a broth that was a bit sour, a bit salty, all delicious. i'll have to say that we were not a fan of the chicken orzo dish. there was something ... missing. what was missing? we couldn't really put our finger on it. as a result, the tomato sauce pulling the dish together was far too sweet for our tastes. we were also really full from the other dishes and the bread, so maybe if we had had it first our impressions would be different? no matter. one last comment: there is a lot of dill on everything. dill in the sauce, dill as garnish, dill sprinkled on everything. i enjoy the flavor of dill (though not too much dill) and the combination of flavors that resulted was very very favorable. nonetheless, i thought i'd mention it here for the dill-haters (poo poo on you! haha).

next time i visit zaytinya, i want to try some of their lamb dishes (people have really enjoyed the lamb dishes). and maybe i'll get another mike isabella sighting - ha! can't wait!

online: http://www.zaytinya.com/

dino

2010-02-01T15:45:00.001-05:00

dino
3435 connecticut avenue NW (between ordway street & porter street), washington, DC 20008
tel: 202) 686-2966
hours: monday-thursday 6pm-9:30pm, friday 6pm-10:30pm, saturday 5:30pm-10:30pm, sunday 5:30pm-9:30pm

what was consumed: restaurant week!
what i ordered: antipasto della macelleria (pate & salumi - wild boar prosciutto & sausage, house-made wild boar pate (with rosemary, pine nuts & dried cherries), house made duck pate (with apricots, pistaccio & ginger), fegatini (duck liver crostini), house made ginger mostarda), insalata d’anatra (duck confit (house-cured leg & thigh, crispy skin), lemon caramel glaze, arugula salad, young fresh ginger mostarda), “flat iron” (vande rose flat iron steak, lemony anchovy salsa verde, tuscan roasted potatoes), budino di pane (warm bread pudding, vanilla gelato, whipped cream)
what others ordered (and i tasted - yum): insalata di barbabietole e agrumi (beet & citrus salad - a variety of colors of local organic beets, uncle matt’s organic florida citrus, mache, shredded ricotta salata (a firm aged style of ricotta), cracked black peppercorn, citrus vinaigrette, “silk road” spiced salt), scamorza (smoked mozzarella (from lioni in nyc), broiled, topped with oven roasted tomatoes, crostini), polpette di pesce (fish “meatballs” - ricotta, bread crumbs, herbs, onion, taurino’s salsa piccante), pappardelle al cinghiale (wild boar ragu - a light stew of cubes of wild boar, a touch of pork belly, crushed tomato, onions, golden raisins, currents, celery, carrots, red wine, herbs & spices, grana cheese, house-made ribbon pasta), gramignia con salsiccia (sausage sauce - house-made duroc pork & rose veal sausage, spicy greens, a bit of tomato, house-made curved pasta tubes), petto d’anatra (duck breast - dr. joe’s pekin duck raised for the succulent layer of fat under the skin, seared medium rare, crispy skin, dried cherry & amaro sauce, garlicky tuscan 4 bean & farro stew, chestnut, prosciutto & pancetta braised cabbage), arrosto d’orata (whole fish - venice’s favorite, the most prized of the bream family, rich, meaty, mild, head & tail on, grilled & finished in the oven, capers, lemon & spiced olio), pescespada selvaggio (hawaiian swordfish - sustainably caught, grilled, house made summer heirloom tomato sauce, kalamata, garlic & olio sauteed local organic spicy greens), "cappuccino" di nutella (nutella & mascarpone crema, bourbon soaked cherries, whipped cream, cocoa powder), tiramisu (lady fingers, mascarpone, frangelico & drumgray scotch cream liqueurs), gianduia “nico” (bittersweet chocolate gelato with chopped chocolate, hazelnut gelato with toasted hazelnuts, chocolate sauce & whipped cream)

whew. that's a lot of food.

so, the dc eating crew aka grub club rang in the new year with our first meal ... at dino! thanks again, jenny, for organizing!

while waiting for others to arrive, drinks were ordered. i was thinking that i should've sat at the bar because they have complimentary antipasti (but i didn't). i will have to next time, though - the olives looked really good. i ordered a rob roy. i thought that was the name of the drink that i like, but it turns out it's not. the rob roy was good, but my search for the name of the drink that i like continues! i should just go back to the bar where i had it before and ask the bartender. but i digress. as the rest of the party joined, we dove into the bread along with some really good wine. we then quickly proceeded to order our RW meals.

course 1. a series of super yummy starters. i ordered the pate (you know me and pate). i wish there was more fegatini and proscuitto because those were my favorite things in the collection. i probably would eat a whole plate of the fegatini and proscuitto. yay for salty and cured meats and pates (yes, despite all of the conversation i hear about how duck pate is made. sigh). the other pates were good, but maybe too complicated in their flavors for me. of course, that didn't prevent me from consuming the plate (haha). others ordered a number of super yummy dishes. citrus-y greens, mozerella flown in from italy (or so we were told), and fish balls! you can't go wrong.

course 2. the pasta course. except i didn't order pasta. duck confit was on the menu! and arugula! i couldn't resist. the duck confit was nicely prepared, crisp, with just the right amount of duck fat that oozed out when i cut into it and mixed in with the arugula salad. my friends were generous with their sharing - they are caring! the wild boar ragu, the sausage sauce ... delicious!

course 3. my main entree - steak. i was torn between the steak and a spare rib dish (which, i was told, was flavorful, but fatty ... which is probably why it was so flavorful - yum). the steak was nice and juicy, cooked medium rare. the steak came out a little more rare than i thought it would, but i still enjoyed the flavor of the beef. then again, i love steak in lots of different forms. the roasted potatoes that the steak came with, though, were a little over cooked. sadly. i love potatoes! but i couldn't finish these. alas. oh, and the steak dish also came with a green pureed sauce (the salsa verde) that i was sort of confused about. it had a good flavor, but i wasn't sure what the sauce was for. so the salsa verde stayed on the plate. though by this time, i was so full that i wasn't thinking too much of what was left over on my plate. the fried whole fish, though, was probably the best of the entrees (even better than the steak!). seasoned well, crisp, cooked just right. ahhh~ oh, and the conversation about eating fish eyeballs was definitely interesting. hahaha~

dessert. of the 7 of us, only one of us (jason) actually ordered dessert as a part of our RW meal. but, as you can see, there were quite a few other desserts that came with our meal. the gelato (cold, sweet and creamy, and delicious), the nutella creme (a sort of thick pudding, rich in chocolate/nutella-y flavor. just an espresso cup full would've been enough for all of us, but it was more the size of a cup of coffee. definetly for the chocolate lover~), the bread pudding (that came out warm! coupled with the ice cream, the bread pudding was delicious. quite a contrast from the other desserts that were chock full of chocolate and other sweets) ... but my favorite was tiramisu. light, moist, not too sweet. it was like a puff of delicious dessert once placed in my mouth. there is just no other way to describe it. and i normally don't eat a lot of sweets! we were comped these desserts (minus jason's tiramisu, of course) because 01) we were hit on the head by some other restaurant patrons who, on the 2nd floor, had file folders filled with papers. i don't think it was intentional, but it fell on our heads. well, not all of our heads. thanks for takin' one for the team! haha ... and 02) we (apparently) were given old menus, altering what we ordered. neither one of these things were a big deal, but we were comped nonetheless. that's the interpretation i got from what our server said. no matter - it was a generous act by the restaurant and we were happy to receive it! thanks!

the end of the meal also came with coffee and aperetifs (of which i chose limoncello - yum). others had grappo and that was really strong smelling. the limoncello, though on the sweet side, was what i call a great dessert! haha ... what a great way to end a ginormous meal! so full. i literally rolled home, thinking about the rest of the dino menu and what i would have the next time i visit. i hope it's soon!!

online: http://www.dino-dc.com/

sticky rice

2010-01-19T23:34:00.001-05:00

sticky rice
1224 H St NE(between N 12th St & N 13th St) Washington, DC 20002
tel: 202) 397-7655
hours: monday-thursday 11:30am-2am, friday 11:30am-3am, saturday 5pm-3am, sunday 11:30am-2am

what was consumed: bucket of tots, halibut something, tilapia ceviche, godzirra roll, snap crackle and pop roll, millennium roll, green curry ... chef's special/chef's choice ... beer, sake ...

i heard about sticky rice from friends before it even opened. despite everything else friends said, the only words that stuck were "sushi" and "tator tots." what a GRRRRRREAT idea - sushi and tots! i couldn't wait. unfortunately, it wasn't for some time that i actually got the opportunity to visit sticky rice. friend s was visiting and as we were thinking of neat and uniquely-DC locales, sticky rice came to mind, so we head over. we walked in a little bit earlier than the standard dinner time. sticky rice was just starting to fill up and when i saw that seats were available at the sushi bar in the upstairs seating area, i asked if we could sit there. we took a look at the menu, made a number of selections, and anticipated our food. and good thing too because it was worth the wait as we gorged on delicious eats!

now, while the more traditional japanese/asian fare is available and delicious, i would recommend the more creative selections available on the menu. between quite a few vegetarian options, new combinations of rolls, and (of course) tator tots (come on!), there are definitely a plethora of things to try. try things! be adventurous! and be filled with delicious combos~

the last time i visited sticky rice, we made reservations (just in case. turns out, though, that because we made reservations for the sushi bar, there were special "sushi bar reservation" dishes that had been set aside - so excited!) and just as we walked in, we were directed to our seats at the sushi bar and ordered the chef's special, i.e., chef's choice, i.e., chef, give me what's good today. friend johnny was working and i was totally looking forward to the good eats that would be coming my way.

i love getting the chef's special and the fare at sticky rice definitely did not disappoint. we were served a slew of "small" plates (they actually weren't that small) of different sushi and sashimi, all super fresh, many which incorporated flavor combinations that i probably wouldn't have thought of, but was glad they were there because they were delicious! seaweed salad, grilled fish, ceviche, spicy plates, not spicy plates, fried plates ...

as we were eating, the main sticky rice guy came in and we all began to chat (i asked him if the tator tots really was a sort of homage to his hometown. turns out, his grandfather was a potato farmer (or something like that), so yes, a sort of homage. so cool!!). as we continued in our consumption, he proceeded to ask us what we were eating, what we liked, and whether or not we liked to try new things. heck yeah we like to try new things! he then proceeded to have us takes a few prototypes. some favorites? sashimi guacamole (who would've thought that guacamole including chunks of fish would be so delicious? trust me - we gulped that stuff down), tempura fried tomatoes (sorta an asian take on the whole fried green tomatoes dish - yum), carrot (or was it sweet potato - point is, what a great idea!) nigiri. despite having already been filled with lots of other delicious dishes, our stomachs definitely made room for more deliciousness. ahhh~

we didn't order tator tots this last time (despite my initial desire to do so), but that turned out to be a wise move. mauri literally had to roll christine and me down the stairs and out of the restaurant. i think c and i sort of scared mauri with our never-ending and exorbitant delicious food consumption - ha!

i can't wait to go again! DELICIOUS!

online: http://www.stickyricedc.com/