bojangles' famous chicken 'n biscuits

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/

creme cafe & lounge

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/

art & soul

art & soul
415 new jersey ave NW, washington, DC 20050
tel: 202) 393-7777
hours: monday-thursday 6:30am-10:30pm, friday-saturday 7:30am-11pm, sunday 7:30am-10pm

what was consumed: sunday brunch - chesapeake benedict (jumbo lump crabcakes, tasso ham hollandaise, skillet potatoes), picnic basket hoecake (pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw, “corn on the cob”), po' oyster hoecake (fried oysters, chow-chow remoulade, romaine), capitol hill salad (local apples, blue cheese, pecans, apple cider vinaigrette)

hotel bars, hotel restaurants ... it isn't until very recently that i've recognized the availability of great eats affiliated with hotels. that isn't to say that i haven't eaten at hotel restaurants in the past and i haven't had great food - i just didn't really think about it much. but visiting places like 'art and soul' is quickly changing my mind.

i first heard about 'art and soul' from my summer roommate (thanks, teresa!). she met up with a friend of hers here and told me about her great experience soon after. so, when ines and i were thinking about a nice place to check out for brunch, art and soul came to mind. what's more, we were delighted to find that art and soul has quite a bit of outdoor seating - perfect for that gorgeous sunday (gawd, i'm turning into a washingtonian as i look forward to (and maybe excitedly freak out about) the nice days where outdoor seating is desirable. that hardly used to be the case in the past. oh well~).

we were seated outside (by a sort of rude hostess who was condescending and not at all friendly - not good characteristics for people in the service industry) and we quickly began to scan the menu with what we wanted to eat. what to have, what to have! i had heard about their hoecakes, but was pleasantly surprised with all of the other options presented to me for brunch. ines chose a hoecake for herself and i proceeded to order 3 dishes (a hoecake for me, crabcakes, and salad, the last two for sharing, of course). i just couldn't decide!

once we put in our order, the food began to come out, in a pretty quick manner. first was a delightful cinnamon roll, of sorts. it was baked in a sort of cast iron and placed onto a plate (for consumption and presentation, i guess?) at our table. the soft and warm bread/bun, the flavorful but not overwhelming tastes of cinnamon, and just a bit of sweetness (from some fruit ... maybe apples?) instead of the more popularly appearing slather of frosting/sugar was a great way to begin the meal (and totally unexpected! that is, i didn't know that it was going to enjoy it. additionally, as one who is less of a fan of sweet things and bread, i would totally go back for this, among other things of course). along with the roll, we enjoyed some salad (so fresh! sweet and savory at the same time. the blue cheese was a bit much, but that's also because i prefer other crumbly cheeses on my salads) and crab cakes (the crab cakes were small, but i'm a sucker for them. the cakes with the eggs benedict? one of my favorite brunch menu options. i'm not a fan of hollandaise (i know, i know), so i could've done without it. no matter - delicious). oh, and the skillet potatoes that came with the crab cakes were really yummy - country fried style sauteed with other vegetables, seasoned well. no need for ketchup (though, there is hardly ever a reason for ketchup, imo - haha). yum yum yum yum yum!

the hoecakes, though, were definitely the highlight of the meal. hoecakes are these flat, 2"x4"-ish corn meal cakes that come in different "flavors" that get its name because they, supposedly, were cooked on the blades of hoes in times past - point is, SO delicious. i ordered the hoecake version of an oyster po' boy - delicious and lightly fried oysters, crispy lettuce, and a special dressing (i probably would get the dressing on the side and while that would probably take away from the "integrity" of the dish, i just don't like that much dressing. but that's just me). ines ordered the "picnic basket" hoecake with pulled pork, cole slaw, and beans on top of the hoecake. but when you cut into the hoecake and place all of the flavors in your mouth, it will remind you of a southern-style bbq cook-out. DELICIOUS.

writing about the food is (per usual) making my stomach growl. grrrrr~~~

if there was a downside to the dining experience, i'd have to say that i had a hard time getting the attention of my server (oh, and the hostess, which was mentioned earlier). when he was around, he was great! but then he would disappear. i was thinking it was because there were a lot of people, but that wasn't the case (on top of that, there were quite a few individuals "on staff" bussing tables, running food, etc.). i admit, though, that i was in a bit of a hurry towards the end of the meal, so my thoughts were probably heightened. but still! no matter - this is not going to deter me from making efforts to visit around and soul again and telling people to try it out (hopefully with me! can't wait ^_^). YUM.

online: http://www.artandsouldc.com/

ben's chili bowl

ben's chili bowl
1213 u street NW (between 12th street & 13th street), washington, DC 20009
tel: 202) 667-0909
hours: monday-thursday 6am-2am, friday-saturday 6am-4am, sunday 11am-8pm

what was consumed: original chili half-smoke with cheese, chili cheese fries

ben's is a DC institution. i've heard stories about how, in the midst of the riots here in DC in the past, ben's was the only thing still standing time and time again. you walk in and you see all of the paraphanelia that has accumulated and has been collected over time. you see so much history there! just sitting there and seeing all of those things makes visiting ben's totally worth it.

but of course, there's also the food.

if it's the first time you go to ben's, be sure to get the original chili half-smoke. the original chili half-smoke with cheese comes with onions and mustard. again, if it's the first time you go, i suggest you get it the way that they make it, with all of the fixin's. after that, feel free to fight with the people behind the counter not to have onions on your half-smoke (oh, wait, that's just me). this is apparently the way you're supposed to eat it, the way that bill cosby eats it, the way that president obama eats it! nice~

ben's, being located in one of the, now, hip parts of town, is a great place to visit for a quick bite, a regular meal, or a late-night snack. they are open really late (except sundays) on a general basis and even later on friday/saturday night (though, mind you, those late nights are often when they are the most busy ... oh, and you often have to fight off drunk people). seriously, i never thought a "hot dog" could taste so delicious.

a couple of downsides ... ben's is also cash only. they have an atm at the location for convenience. and then, there are the lines. the line is way way way long all the time. the people behind the counter (as i've mentioned before) are not necessarily the most reliable in terms of taking your order. sometimes, you'll get your food and you'll have to wait to pay for it. there is usually seating in the back, but if you don't look for it (and you don't stake your spot), you make lose it to other, more aggressive, people.

but no matter - all of these things, however, have never prevented me from going to ben's for delicious half-smokes. YUM.

online: http://www.benschilibowl.com/

the hitching post

hitching post restaurant
200 upshur street NW, washington, dc 20011-4848
tel: 202)726-1511
hours of operation: tue-sat noon-midnight

what was consumed: half fried chicken dinner with 2 sides (i had the steamed broccoli, baked potato, both were smothered in butter ... just the way i like it. hahaha ... jess had the macaroni & cheese and cole slaw while amy had the macaroni & cheese and french fries – a heart attack in the making) ... but oh, so good~
$10.95 + tax & tip
$4 beers (bottled – none on tap)

after reading a review in the paper, jess (with amy) invited me to eat at a “local favorite” (according to the paper). apparently, they had been meaning to try this place out, especially because there’s not a whole lot right around where they live. so, i made the trek out to the northwest, met up with amy, and drove out to “the hitching post” (though, mind you, we could’ve (and should’ve) walked to the restaurant that was just about a mile away from where they lived ... and after the meal, a nice walkin’ would’ve done us some good!).

we walked into the place and noticed that i was the only asian and jess and amy were the only white-folks. it didn’t make me feel uncomfortable and initially, i didn’t even notice (it was only in retrospect that we actually made that observation). but here’s the thing – the ethnic make-up of a particular restaurant is important in that if the place is filled with those who are of the “place” from which the food that is being served originates, then the food must be good. in this case, that statement was once again correct and we were not disappointed. the hitching post is run by the owners – it looked like the wife of the fine establishment did much of the serving while the husband did much of the cooking/frying (though, my guess is that they share in the different roles. it’s just that the wife was the only one who came to our table).

all three of us ordered the fried chicken dinner. our server asked if we didn’t want to order a variety because three chicken dinners equals a whole lot of chicken (and she was right – each chicken dinner was to come with one-half chicken, fried, and 2 side dishes. of course, when i thought side dishes, i thought a standard scoop of mashed potatoes or a small helping of broccoli. but no, it actually meant a whole head of broccoli and a bowl of macaroni and cheese). the thing is, the review said that the fried chicken was most excellent and we all wanted most excellent food, so ...

with our meals, we ordered a few beers – standard dining procedure. we received our beverages, but waited a good 45 minutes for our chicken to arrive. but let me tell ya, it was totally worth the wait! the chicken was fried in the classic “fried chicken” way – not too bland, not too salty, not over fried, not under fried. ‘now THIS is fried chicken!’ was the thought that passed through my mind. not to mention the sides ... as stated above, i ordered broccoli and a baked potato as my side. i received, literally, almost a whole head of broccoli that was stuck with slabs of butter (that’s the best way to eat it! and yes, i ate all of my broccoli). the baked potato oozed with melted butter and sour cream that was beginning to seep down the sides of the potato, the result of the potato’s inner heat. amy, the mac ‘n cheese connoisseur, said that the mac ‘n cheese was some of the best she’s ever had and jess gave the cole slaw two thumbs up (saying something along the lines of “you can tell a good place by it’s cole slaw ... this is a good place.”). we all rolled out of the hitching post, doggie bags in hand. oh yeah, seeing that we visited the eatery toward the end of the year, the folks also provided a cottage calendar for us as we began our departure.

oh, hitching post, i shall visit you again~

the aftermath ... after consuming the fried chicken and butter filled meal, i felt much better the following day. i think that when sick (in the future), i will consume food such as that of the hitching post in order to appease my body of it’s ailments. and what of the leftovers? jess said it best: “fried chicken = good cold.”