bibap

bibap
1730 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
tel: 202) 849-2054

what was consumed: bibimbap!

from time to time you run into a small mom and pop shop that just hits the spot. that's how i felt with bibap. if you're looking for a quick bit of korean food, be sure to make a visit! and while some of the veggies are canned (e.g. the mushrooms - not my favorite way for things to be served), but the meat that is served is seasoned well and deliciously. i also like that you get a slide of noodles along with miso soup when you visit. YUM.

     

duke's grocery

duke's grocery

1513 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20036

tel: 202) 733-5623

what was consumed: their burger! and burrata.

i first visited duke's years ago ... only to realize i hadn't written about them sooner and that i hadn't tried their burger (what people seem to be going to duke's for). years later, looks like they're still going strong and, in fact, have expanded. so great!

this time, we started off with the creamy and delicious burrata.

and while it's probably better for my health that duke's doesn't serve fries, i couldn't help but wish they did (because 1) they'd do such a good job, i'm sure and 2) i love fries. like really really love). that said, the burger really is super delish, so much so that i might have forgotten about the fries, though just for a split second ...

online: http://dukesgrocery.com/

 

iron gate

iron gate

1734 N St NW, Washington, DC 20036

tel: 202) 524-5202

what was consumed: patzarosalata salad, acquerrello risotto, caramelized ricotta gnocchi, lamb neck phyllo pie, charred octopus

ambiance, delish food, and interesting drinks? check, check, and check.

some friends from my previous tour and i wanted to get together to chat and eat some delish food. one made the reservation at iron gate and, as its been on my list for some time, i was happy to accommodate.

iron gate serves mediterranean style tapas, with lots of interesting flavor combinations, some bolder than others. your server should be able to provide some recommendations (which we took), but also be sure to take a close look at the menu and ask questions about the delish dish options.

as for seating, iron gate has a bar section, and indoor section, and a coveted outdoor section. it was the middle of summer, so we opted for the air conditioned inside. and while the inside was cool, it was a little less popular. the "outdoor" section is still inside the restaurant (i.e., not sidewalk cafe style), but is open and therefore appealing.

iron gate regularly gets written up and rated as a "must eat." i can see why! and while the portion sizes left this one with a gigantic appetite wanting more, the flavor profile was just so delish. i'll just have to order more dishes next time!

online: http://irongaterestaurantdc.com/

gbd

gbd

1323 connecticut avenue nw, 20036
tel: 202) 524-5210

what was consumed: fried chicken, donuts

fried chicken and donuts. together or separate, i will take them all please. at gbd (gold brown delicious), you can do just that.

e and i met up for HH/dinner in dc (the first time since Q8!) and it was also going to be my chance to meet the future mr. e (hehe). gbd seemed like as good of a place as any. i was running late (of course. what happened?!), but that have e and mr. e a chance to start their drinks. upon my arrival, we quickly agreed upon our order.

mr. e was on his own. he ordered the luther: fried chicken between a sliced glazed donut. and while that sounds questionable, trust me when i say that it looked totally delish (mr. e was a total gentleman and offered, but e and i declined. we opted for the deconstructed version).

that's right. e and i opted to split a whole fried chicken and donuts for dessert. the chicken was nicely fried, though i prefer my batter with just a tad bit more salt. that said, gbd also offers quite a few sauces, so perhaps the seasoning is intentional? point is, get the fried chicken, get the sauces, and enjoy! nom nom nom ... 

sadly, they were out of the donut i wanted (i should have reserved one as soon as i sad down! alas) and the glazed donut that i requested (to order) came under cooked :( our server, though, was really hlepful about the situation and successfully worked with the kitchen in order to secure us a delicious pb&j donut. and so, in the end, we were happy campers.

oh fried chicken and donut combo, i hope you're here to stay!

online: http://www.gbdchickendoughnuts.com/

shophouse

shophouse

1516 connecticut avenue nw, 20036
tel: 202) 232-4141

what was consumed: rice and noodle bowl

what is not to like about the chipotle model? and how about a south east asian cuisine version of it? yes please!

after a few episodes of "90-day fiance," j and i looked for a light, quick, and delish option for dinner before calling it a day. her residence in dupont circle offered us loads off options. as i had never been to (the?) shophouse, we both decided that it was time.

just like chipotle, you walk in and get in line next to their counter. you go through a series of options and build your bowl. noodles or rice? what kind of meat? which veggies? sauce/curry? here are my thoughts: as much as i love love love noodles, i think rice is the better way to go. and, off course, get as many veggies as they'll allow. and spicy? yes please. they also had this roasted or grilled or charred (i don't remember how it's described) tofu. veggie or not, i totally recommend it. tofu is delicious and whatever it is that they do to the tofu at shophouse, i wanted more. a lot more please!

shophouse is also a good place if you're looking for a bite to eat for lunch. my guess is that it gets pretty crowded in there, so adjust your timing accordingly. but fur sure include it on your list if you're looking for a quick and tasty treat! i'll for sure be back.

online: http://shophousekitchen.com/

little serow

little serow

1511 17th street NW, washington, DC 20009

hours: tuesday-wednesday 5:30pm-10:00pm, thursday-sunday 5:30pm-10:30pm

what was consumed: the daily menu. and wine. delicious wine.

oh, little serow.

i hadn't heard about little serow until friend e wanted to go before leaving washington dc. on top of always being up for checking out new places, this invitation was even greater because e is super duper cool. little serow opens at 5:30, but we weren't sure what the line wasn't going to be like, as they don't take reservations (though if there's a wait, they'll take your number and send you a text message to let you know when your table is ready) and the entire place seats maybe 30 people. so e, t, and i decided to meet earlier, maybe grab a drink to check out "the line," then head over soon after they opened. we may have been a bit ambitious about your line-waiting, though, as we were the first ones to enter the restaurant soon after their doors opened. that was a-o-k with us!

this, of course, was after we had spent an embarrassing number of minutes walking around in front of the restaurant trying to figure out where it was. little serow (i think) is characterized as a "pop-up" restaurant. there's no big sign telling you where to go, thus explaining our confused pacing. i wonder if the staff in the restaurant get a big kick out of watching people walking around with confused faces trying to find the door. ha!

once inside, we were greeted, given a quick introduction and overview of the restaurant (e.g. the theme, fixed price, family style, thai food) and then shown to our seats. when we had questions about the wine/beer list, our server (as well as all of the other servers who came by our table) seemed really well versed in what how things tasted, what went good with what, and so on. maybe it's because i have such little knowledge about this sort of thing (or maybe it's because everything is good in my book), i appreciate knowledgeable servers and am happy to hear what they recommend.

soon, the food began to come out. we were ready for a feast (as we already knew we'd be in for quite a number of dishes), but we definitely got more than we expected. which made us quite happy. everything was served family style (i.e., the larger your party, the larger the portions), but there wasn't so much food that you'd be overwhelmed with the portions. that's good, though, in that there were so many courses. some dishes were spicy, some dishes were fishy, some dishes were crunchy, some dishes were soft, all dishes were colorful. lots of contrasting textures and flavors, all at the same time. there was also a constant supply of sticky rice and sliced (raw) vegetables. i often balled up the rice to soak up delicious sauces (we asked for some plates not to be taken so that we could do just that!) and used the vegetables to cleanse my palate (according to the servers' recommendations) and because i just love veggies. yes, i ate a lot. A LOT.

there was also something about the mood of the place. it was really dark inside (so taking photos was quite a feat). all of the servers were dressed in gingham (someone once described them as anthropologie-inspired) and country music was playing in the background. but you know what? totally works. it's supposed to be "country-style" thai food, right? soon after the doors opened, little serow filled up pretty quickly and people were almost constantly going in and out. it was always bustling, but never too loud (that is, i didn't have to yell to hear my dining partners). ambiance is so important; the ambiance at little serow made the dining experience even better.

the meal ended with a nice little bite, not mentioned on the menu. but it was definitely the perfect little bite to bring everything together. (sweetened?) coconut milk on sticky rice. just a little sweet, but not too much. delicious.

gosh. i haven't been this excited about a place to eat in a long time. and i'm not the only one! friends (some who are self-proclaimed foodies, others who've lived in thailand, even others who (like me) just enjoy good food) have been talking about it. a lot. i've been a couple of times now, and i can't wait to go again! that is, i hope it's as delicious (and still around) the next time i come around ...

online: http://www.littleserow.com/

mandu

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/

levante's

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/

rogue states

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

hello cupcake

hello cupcake
1351 connecticut avenue NW (at N street), washington, DC 20036
tel: 202) 861-2253
hours: monday-thursday 10am-7pm, friday-saturday 10am-9pm

what was consumed: cupcakes (duh). i've had the you tart!, 24 carrot, peanut butter blossom, prima donna ... yeah, for someone who doesn't like sweets and other desserts, i've tried a whole bunch ...

i teach classes in dupont circle. for the most part, i go to and fro the dupont circle metro station. for a long time, there was a store space that had at one point been filled with a stationery store. one day, i passed by, and i saw the sign for "hello cupcake, coming soon!" i was very excited.

i'm not all up with the cupcake craze, nor do i eat an incredible amount of sweets. but i do like trying new things, so i wanted to give hello cupcake a try as well. additionally, i'm usually the one who brings the cake to birthdays and other functions. i like cupcakes because they allow for variety - love it!

so, once i knew they were open, i made the short walk up from work and had the prima donna:

yum.

a nicely flavored berry frosting (the sugar kind, not the butter cream. i'm not a fan of the butter cream), moist and delicious chocolate cake that wasn't too sweet and just the right amount of chocolate. YUM.

now, some people cannot justify paying $3 for a cupcake (yes, they are $3 - sort of pricey). but if you think that people pay a lot more for desserts at restaurants, doesn't this sound pretty reasonable? and what about people who pay $5+ for danishes and the like? and, you know, sometimes, you just need that perfect sweet bite. in that case, $3 is nothing.

anyway ...

i've tried other cupcake places in the city (which i will write about in due time) - georgetown cupcake, cake love, red velvet ... but i'll have to say that hello cupcake is my favorite. the way that they make their frosting, the combination of flavors, etc. their peanut butter blossom is always a favorite one - a dollop of peanut butter frosting atop lovely chocolate cake, and a hershey kiss as decoration. their carrot cake cupcake has just the right combination of carrot-y goodness mixed in with the other flavors that often accompany (e.g. cinnamon) topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting. one of my favorites, though, has to be the you tart! cupcake. a lemon cake with a just-enough-tart tart frosting and a twist (as in lemon twist). christine agrees with me - this is her favorite.

don't get me wrong - their classics are great too (e.g. chocolate cake with chocolate ganache aka chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, vanilla cake with chocolate frosting ... ), but if the option is available, why not choose one with a bit more ... flair? they have a number of cakes that are the standards (i.e., hello cupcake serves them on a daily basis), but they also have a few that sort of rotate during the week. their schedule is available online. and for those who have issues with gluten, hello cupcake has a gluten-free cupcake. i believe they also have a vegan cupcake (i believe both are availabe all week long ... ?). try 'em and let me know how they are ^_^ because i'm pretty sure i'll be spending s'more time at hello cupcake.

online: http://www.hellocupcakeonline.com/

firefly

firefly
1310 new hampshire avenue NW(between N street & 20th street), washington, DC 20036
tel: 202) 861-1310
hours: breakfast - monday-friday 7am-10am, saturday 8am-10am; lunch - monday-friday 11:30am-2:30pm; brunch - sunday 9am-2pm; dinner - sunday-thursday 5:30pm-10pm, friday-saturday 5:30pm-10:30pm; happy hour - monday-friday 5pm-6pm

what was consumed: chopped organic chicken liver (with pickled radish, soft herbs, honey-grain toast), collard greens & house made Italian sausage summer squash & smoked mozzarella sandwich (baked on ciabatta bread with pesto aioli, tomato and arugula) with greens, hot ham & cheese sandwich (smoked va ham, gruyere cheese, sauerkraut, and herb-mustard on ciabatta) with fries (yay internet where i can get all this detailed information!) ... lots and lots of options for lunch!

i've mentioned this before, and i'll mention this again: i love all of the eating delights that i get from working downtown. there are lots of cuisines to choose from at a variety of diffrent prices, all walking distance away. and even those places that aren't walking distance, a short trip on the metro or bus makes so many things in this city accessible. so, on this nice and sunny (and not humid - woohoo!) summer day, we ventured out to find a nice place to eat. sushi? couscous? ultimately, we passed by firefly on the way to dupont circle and decided it was time to try (that is, try for me, revisit for my lunch companions).

also serving as hotel madera's (a kimpton hotel) restaurant, firefly is located south-ish of dupont circle. i think all of the vegetation around the front (i.e., trees) and odd way the streets start getting in that area sort of prevents people to go in that direction unless they are specifically looking for the hotel or are on a walking adventure (i.e., lost). i remember stumbling upon it when i first came into DC, but didn't really think anything of it and moved along my merry way. but not today!

i had already eaten today and had originally intended on simply tagging along with my co-workers for their meals. but you know me and my insatiable hunger. besides, the lunch menu looked really yummy.

while firefly has other options, their sandwiches (served with either a green salad or fries) were right in the middle of the menu's page, as though they were calling, as though they are destined to be the center of attention. co-workers, anyway, were drawn to the delicious sandwiches. the bread was good (though, i'm not a connoiseur of breads, so what do i know), the sandwich fillings were delicious and flavorful, and the portions were pretty large.

i, however, did not succumb to the pressure and instead ordered the chicken liver pate (of sorts) and the collard greens side. the collard greens were tasty, but a bit tough for my liking. the collard greens are cooked with sausage and that's always a plus. ... and the chicken liver. oh, how i love pate, fois gras, and other things along that vein. firefly's was nice and creamy, not too heavy, not too light, simply delicious. i spread the liver on the nicely toasted slices of bread and was in a state of flavor bliss. YUM. just thinking about it, now as i write, is making me want s'more. yes, i think my stomach is officially growling (despite the massive amounts of food i feel i've already consumed today. how is that possible!?!??!)

anyway. also, to note, our server (olivia) was fabulous. attentive, funny, helpful, etc. - all of the things that you want to see in great servers. and believe you me, my co-workers have the strange ability to wear a server thin in just minutes. the entire wait staff, in fact, seemed to bring good service. ahhh, it's so wonderful when service is good.

and so, i imagine i will find myself back at firefly. maybe i'll try their dinner next time. hurrah!

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