the smith

the smith
1314 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009
tel: 202) 250-3900

what was consumed: crab cake tots, kale caesar, daily special (fish and chips) ...

i passed the smith out on u street countless number of times, wondering what it was all about. japanese language partner and i decided to check it out. note: be sure to specify which of the 'the smith' locations you're meeting at so that you don't end up at the chinatown/penn quarter location while the other is at the u street location. just sayin'.

the smith has a pretty traditional american fare menu, imo. they do a good job with what they offer and the service is great. i do like that the u street location has a seating section that is inside, but outside at the same time (the street-facing wall of windows opens up! great feature). one don't miss thing, though, are the crab cake tots. if you're a fan, definitely grab the few bites that makes up this dish. the tot-shaped crab cakes, along with the dressing and the toppings, are super delicious bites!

online: https://thesmithrestaurant.com/location/u-street/

    

bresca

bresca
1906 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
tel: 202) 518-7926

what was consumed: a bnuch of things on their rotating menu, to include white asparagus salad, foie gras negroni, ... a large-er plate of duck, a few pasta dishes, all delicious.

the DC version of my ladies who dine group got together for a delicious meal at bresca. comments off the top of my head regarding our meal: 
- make sure you make a reservation. while bresca is not small, it is also definitely not large. you'll be happy when you get to waltz past all of the people waiting for seats.
- be ready to eat some delicious food!
- be sure to also ask about the foie gras lollipops that another friend of mine keeps mentioning. especially if you're a foie gras fan, i think you will love them.

online: http://www.brescadc.com/menus/

      

      

maydan

maydan
1346 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
tel: 202) 370-3696

what was consumed: a little for each of the sections (from the kitchen, from the fire, spreads, and kebabs). and all of the condiments. 
we figured this would be enough food for us (and it was. there were 6 ladies at this dinner), though i will have to say that the lamb shoulder looked pretty delicious (and pretty huge).

i had heard a lot of hubbub about maydan soon after it opened. and then after michele obama dined at maydan, trying to get a reservation was not only necessary, it because almost impossible (mind you, we were looking for a table for 6. yes. a larger group). but we persevered and were able to snag a reservation for one of our ladies' nights out.

we ordered a variety of dishes, all of which we proceeded to spread on warm bread (that the servers will keep bringing) until we were filled to the gills. they have some more typical middle eastern dishes (which i miss, oh so much, as i consumed so much of it while in kuwait) and others that had more fusion-ish twists. there wasn't anything we had that we didn't polish off by the end of the meal.

note: we took the advice of all the online articles and ordered all of the condiments (and we were glad that we did!). we didn't finish them off, and we definitely had our favorites. it was fun to try all of the different flavors, see what was popular among our group, and mix and match the different bits.

if you haven't yet, be sure to keep an eye out for reservations that become available at maydan. you're in for a delicious treat!

online: maydandc.com/

taqueria nacional

taqueria nacional
1409 T St NW, Washington, DC 20009
tel: 202) 299-1122

what was consumed: tacos!

a friend once told me that if his wife is every invited out by her girlfriends for mexican food, that everyone should just also expect him to be in attendance. i know the feeling, friend! tex mex is definitely a comfort food for me, and i'm always happy and willing to check out the new places that are (thankfully) popping up.

i met up with a friend at taqueria nacional (not to be confused with some of the other taquerias in the DC metro area) for a late lunch. i opted for the meal deal (that included a taco, beans, and salad) in addition to an order of salsa. and while the food was delicious (the carne asada was cooked nicely, the beans were seasoned well, the dressing on the salad was just so yummy), it was a little pricey for what i ordered. of course, that didn't stop me from ordering away. next time, i want to try some of their other things. i'm sure i'll be happy with whatever i decide to fill my stomach with. yum!

online: http://taquerianacional.co/

hazel

hazel
808 V St NW, Washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 847-4980

what was consumed: grandma hazel's zucchini bread, steak tartare, salad of winter citrus, sticky crunchy ribs, chicken mapo, gnocchi bokki

looking for a yummy place to have a nice dinner? check out hazel. they do small-ish plates (meant for sharing), so i recommend going with others who are willing and wanting to try a bunch of different things.

hazel doesn't have a super huge menu, but i was looking forward to so many things! highlights for me included grandma hazel's zucchini bread (i'm a sucker for foie gras mousse), the steak tartare, and the gnocchi bokki. definitely get that. a great fusion of the korean street food rice cake snack and italian flavors. YUM.

online: https://hazelrestaurant.com/

haikan

haikan
805 V St NW, Washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 299-1000

what was consumed: a few happy hour specials (cirspy pork belly, chicken kara-age, haikan fries, deviled eggs) as well as a veggie ramen with extra chasyu (this is turning into my favorite MO when enjoying ramen. not so traditional, but ... YUM).

looking for a fun ramen, and then some, place? be sure to check out haikan.

my "ladies who dine group" decided to head to haikan for an evening of chatter and delicious food. on a cold night, ramen just sounded even better. it was easy to make a reservation at haikan, and i'm glad that we did (though it was a little bit tight for our group of 6). but that's ok! haikan has a fun vibe - the happy hour crowd is boisterous, just as is the dinner crowd that comes in afterward. definitely try the happy hour bites - they are delicious. and while haikan specializes in ramen, i enjoy the other little things they have to offer. a little something for everyone (though, who doesn't like ramen?). oishi!

also, there's something really fun about the area around that atlantic plumbing building (the 9:30 club, the other restaurants ... and i love that movie theater). happy to see this as a part of my former stomping grounds. can't wait to try the other things around there!

online: https://www.haikandc.com/

doi moi

doi moi
1800 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
tel: 202) 733-5131

what was consumed: thai style fried beef jerky, crispy rice salad, sticky chicken wings, taro root and potato dumplings, and crispy fried whole branzino, accompanied by brussels sprouts and sautéed okra sides

hooray for dinner with friends! on a rainy DC night, a few of us head to doi moi for delish thai/pan asian fare.

doi moi has both appetizer/small plates dishes (for sharing) and a handful of entrees. we went with our server's recommendations (the thai style fried beef jerky and the sticky chicken wings--i can see why they are favorites! the beef was definitely not jerky and was more delicious steak pieces. the fried chicken were battered wings covered in a slightly sweet and spicy sauce. YUM) as well as what the internet recommended (crispy rice salad - served cold! i don't know why i thought it would be warm, but ... this was BJL's favorite), and what we all love (taro! the dumplings were delish, albeit a little plain, but the spicy broth was just so so so good). we threw in a couple veggie sides and we were glad we did (i.e., super delish). and while we probably were OK with the shared small plates, we felt we should go for an entree ... 

the whole branzino was prepared whole (i.e., with the head). fine by me, maybe not fine for everyone. it was lightly battered and cooked beautifully, and sat on top of a slightly spicy slightly sweet sauce. i could have eaten the whole fish myself (don't worry - i shared!). 

doi moi, thanks for a delicious experience!

online: http://doimoidc.com/

compass rose

compass rose
1346 T St NW, Washington, DC 20009
tel: 202) 506-4765

what was consumed: summer squash, pescaditos fritos, curried lamb, kakuni steamed buns, a couple of desserts (i forget which) ... and of course the khachipuri

bjl and i received a gift certificate to compass rose for christmas one year (thanks MiL!). we FINALLY made our way to compass rose!

lots of small plates from all around the world. the jamaican curried lamb (love the habanero!) and the pescaditos fritos (good if you don't mind the whole fishies; lightly battered, seasoned perfectly, fried so that they're light, served with a spicy aioli) were probably the favorite among the dishes we ordered.

be sure to order your khachipuri first. maybe it was just us, but ... i was literally counting the number of people who received their khachipuri before us (there were tables that turned over before we received our order. in fact, we had finished our entire meal when the khachipuri was served). that said it was super delish (despite being full - a good sign that it's a good one). let's go eat khachipuri at compass rose!

online: https://www.compassrosedc.com/

  

chicken & whiskey

chicken & whiskey

1738 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

tel: 202) 667-2456

what was consumed: peruvian chicken with a side of yuca fries and guasacaca 

rotisserie-style chicken with peruvian spices with delicious sides in the front, secret whiskey bar in. the back. a perfect combination for the 14th street crowd, if you ask me. the dining area in the front is definitely fast casual: order your food, find your seat, enjoy. they have beer and wine in the front, and the hard stuff in the back. the chicken is juicy and seasoned simply (my favorite way). oh, and i could eat the yuca fries forever, they're so good ...

online: http://www.chickenandwhiskey.com/