country style donuts

country style donuts

4300 williamsburg road, richmond, va 23231

tel: 804) 222-2466

in the world of krispy kreme and dunkin' donuts, i can't help but to crave some old school donuts (when was the last time you had one of those?), despite my usually absent sweet tooth. i find it interesting, though, that when i'm overseas, i find myself consuming massive amounts of sweets - chocolate bars, ice cream (baskin robbins pralines and cream, please), donuts, brownies, etc. i know, uncharacteristic and weird.

anyway, before heading overseas, and now already months and months ago, friends and i made a richmond road trip. we told people that it was to attend the french film festival in richmond (which was true), but who am i kidding - country style donuts was a "must visit." 

country style donuts is one of those places where they prepare a predetermined amount of donuts for the day's sale and when they're gone, they're gone (they're also not open on mondays, note to self). we made sure to head out of wdc early enough to catch the last batch of warm donuts, and i'm glad we did! sweet, but not too sweet. soft, but not mushy. fried, but not oily. some of the best classic donuts. ever.

when are they going to franchise into Q8?! one can hope ...

a few weeks ago, in ksa, i had some country style-esque donutes. they were pretty good, but they weren't the same. when in wdc on home leave (or for whatever takes me back to that side of the states), you can be sure i'm going to put country style on my list of places to go!

pasta mia

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?

food for thought

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

kogi truck

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/

amsterdam falafelshop

amsterdam falafelshop
2425 18th Street NW, washington, DC 20050
tel: 202) 234-1969
hours: sunday-monday 11am-midnight, tuesday-wednesday 11am-2:30am, thursday 11am-3am, friday-saturday 11am-4am (yay for such a great late night eating option!)

what was consumed: falafel (duh). fries and soda on occasion ...

i'm relatively new to falafel. that is, it's only in the last 5-ish years (that's a not a long time for me - shuddup, i'm getting old) that i actually started to consume mediterranean/middle eastern cuisine, including the likes of falafel (my only regret is that i started to enjoy it so late in life ... sigh).

in the bay area, i enjoyed many a schwerma place as well as the falafel drive-in (which has also been featured on guy fiore's "diners, drive-ins, and dives" or whatever show on the food network). i'm sure i will find myself blogging about the falafel drive-in one of these days. at the drive in, they would sell falafel (i referred to them as "falafel balls") sans pita, sans veggies ... just the falafel ... for 25 cents a piece (i don't know how much they are now). they're not huge falafel, but i felt the 25 cents was reasonable. i'd get myself a nice bag of 'em on eat them on my drove home. ahhh, yet another joy in the bay area. i miss it!

anyway, i had heard about a falafel place with a falafel fixin's bar that served just falafel (sandwiches) and fries. this was my kind of place! the downside was that it was in adams morgan and, at the time, getting to adams morgan was a royal pain in the arse (it still is today, but i'll suck it up and head on over there). one day, i finally made it. and boy, was i glad i did!

so, here's how it works. once at amsterdam falafel, you get in line and you order - small or large, white or wheat (i usually order the small, especially if i'm getting fries). the difference is in the size of the pita the falafels come in as well as the number of falafel that fill the pita. next, you pay (CASH ONLY - they have an atm inside the eatery) and wait for your falafel. once it comes out, you crush the falafel balls a bit inside the pita (as to allow them to spread throughout the pita as well as absorb the great fixin's) and proceed to the fixin's bar. at the fixin's bar, you proceed to fill your pita with as much stuff as well fit, but be sure to spread it out throughout the pita so that when you bite into it, you're not getting a mouthful of fixin's in one spot and not in others. for the bulkier things (e.g. cucumbers), i often find myself helping myself by putting them outside of the pita, but inside of the wax paper wrap that the pita and falafel come in (they don't have forks and plates and stuff. while they do have "to go" wrapping things, don't ask them for it if you're not really taking your falafel to go. and even if you are, don't ask for it!). some people will put their falafel in the cups that are there (or other fixin's in the cups) as to maximize on the fixin's, but i try not to do that (i think it's sort of ... tacky (no offense), but that's just me). i can barely finish what i put in my pita as it is.

from the fixin's bar, i like to get the garlicky spread, the spicey spread (they're labelled as such), hummous, cucumbers & tomatoes, chick peas (if i have room), and tahini paste (if/when i remember). is there anything else? i'm sure i'm forgetting something. when people ask about it, i just tell them "get what looks good - i'm sure it is" - ha!. with my fries, i'll get the mayonnaise (one of the few times i like mayonnaise) and a little bit of the peanut sauce. i usually only have a little bit of it, but i usually can't leave without at least a taste of it.

i'll sometimes take the long walk from work, pick up the falafel, and walk back to work, enjoying the falafel on the way. for real, i'm addicted. i love it. sometimes you just crave the combination of spice and garlic along with all of the other fixin's. YUM. this is making me hungry. if it wasn't (weren't? darn the conditional!) so hot these days, i'd probably be all about the amsterdam falafel today ...

i've been to other falafel places in town and, more often than not, if a mediterranean/middle eastern eatery has falafel, i will try their falafel (at least once). i will have to say, though, that amsterdam falafel is my preferred location and where i default to when craving delicious falafel. oh, amsterdam falafel, i will be back! and it will be often~

online: http://www.falafelshop.com/

ray's hell burger

ray's hell burger
1713 (1725?) wilson boulevard, arlington, VA 22209
tel: 703) 841-0001
hours: monday 5pm-10pm, tuesday-sunday 12pm-10pm

what was consumed: burgers (i asked the guy at the register which one represented ray's the best, and that's the one i had - with blue cheese, grilled onions, mushrooms, and a patty covered in pepper) and a soda ... no fries (i know! no fries! minus 1)

burgers, burgers, burgers! burgers are so delicious. i love them so much! so when the famous "ray's the steaks" (which i haven't been to, yet ... but they're famous) openened a burger joint, i wanted to try. in fact, i had wanted to try for some time, but it wasn't until only recently that i was able to try ray's hell burger for my own.

i took the metro out to the country of virginia and got off at courthouse, like many recommended. the thing is, ray's is right in between rosslyn and courthouse. i.e., either way, you'll have a bit of a walk. the question is, do you want to walk uphill or do you want to walk downhill. good thing i got off at courthouse because my walk was downhill. more specifically, ray's hell burger's current location is where ray's the steaks used to be. i.e., just down the street from the 1713 wilson boulevard address. but the sign still says "ray's the steaks" so it's really confusing. on top of that, ray's is next to guajillo, another popular restaurant. so be patient and look closely! you'll find it ...

we got ro ray's just as it was dinner time (7ish). the place was packed. while people kept getting up to leave, there were more people waiting for those seats. luckily for us (there were only 2 of us - leonard and me), there were a couple of 2-seater tables available. supposedly, having to order before grabbing a table is to help with the turnover with tables, but you know how people are - they'll grab a table first and have one person go and do the ordering. oh well~

we stood in line to place our orders. but what to order? so many options, so many choices ... but no fries! i LOVE fries, so not having fries was disappointing (even though i knew, going in, that they didn't have fries - minus 1 again, even though i took a point off earlier. yes, that's how much i love fries - haha). i was thinking about ordering what president obama ordered, but i couldn't remember what it was (turns out, no one really knows), so i asked for recommendations from the staff immediately in front of me instead.

anyway, we ordered our burgers and then proceeded to wait close to 20 minutes for the burgers to be served. that's a long time for a place that reminds you more of a fast food joint than not. minus 1.

but here come the burgers! the patty, nice and large, was bound to fill my emaciated self (ok, so i was just really hungry, but i felt like i was starving). i ordered my burger medium rare (because then they'll cook it medium), but leonard ordered his burger rare, so maybe that's why mine came out pretty rare as well ... ? minus 1. that's ok, though. i cut my burger in half (as i often do with larger sandwiches and the like) and when i picked it up, the burger fell through my fingers - minus 1. i should've just stuck to my usual plan of cutting my food with a fork and knife instead (don't ask) - minus 1 for me ... ? i proceeded to finish off my burger with a fork and knife and while i didn't eat it like a burger, the flavor combination was totally delicious - plus (as in the opposite of minus, not "and") lots of points. the flavor made all of the bad stuff up until now easier to forget ... i've since been told that i should order my burger "medium" (even though the ray's people say that it's best medium rare) and that that'll make for the perfect burger. oh, and also that the burger i ordered, while the ray's peeps said that that's the most representative of ray's burgers, it's really not. argh!

and oh - ray's hell burger is cash only - minus 1. don't forget!!

so, despite the minus points, i'm sure i'll be back at ray's some time. if not for anything else, to try the cheesy potato puff/tater tot-y things that people keep telling me about. must try!

online: none. what sort of place these days doesn't have a website? argh ... minus 1.