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/

 

siren by RW

siren by RW

1515 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005

tel: 202) 521-7171

what was consumed: their entire HH bar bites menu -- fritto misto, shrimp pupusa, lamb ribs, croquete, tuna gahoush, savory caviar cookies

happy hour at siren! k and i sat at the bar and ordered one of everything on their HH menu. you know. just to try. one of my favorite ways to eat!

the highlights were the fritto misto and the lamb ribs. the lightly battered fried treats in the fritto misto were crisp, well seasoned, and light (i.e., not greasy and not heavy). it was mostly veggies along with a few pieces of fish. it also included lemons. lemons! a sour but wonderful surprise. and the lamb ribs! fall off the bone, smothered in a delicious ribs sauce ... 

online: http://www.sirenbyrw.com/

habanero taqueria

habanero taqueria

3710 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20010

tel: 202) 722-7700

what was consumed: tacos!

c&j told me that some of our favorite tex mex/latin places were closing/transitioning. the upside is that there are new places opening. enter habanero taqueria.

with both indoor and outdoor seating, you'll definitely find a nice place to park (it was summer when we went, so we enjoyed the weather with some al fresca dining). we were quickly served chips and salsa (mild) which miffy proceeded to eat all of (kids make the rules, sometimes, right?) which we munched on until our entrees were served. 

online: https://www.habanerodc.com/

all-purpose pizza

all-purpose pizza

1250 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

tel: 202) 849-6174

what was consumed: don's meatball surprise, duke #7 

e and i met for a late dinner (after the kiddo went to sleep; happy to accommodate!). as we were catching up, we enjoyed all-purpose pizza's wares.

as we hemmed and hawed about what we should order, our server suggested we order the meatball surprise as it's plated on delicious cheese "sauce" that pairs so well smothered on the meatballs as well as on the crust of your pizza. and the pizza! the duke #7 has a spreadable meat that is just a little spicy. pickled veggies also grace us on the duke #7 and it took all i had not to ask for double, triple, portions of the veggies (they're that good!). i can see why everyone is chatting about all purpose pizza ... !!!

online: http://allpurposedc.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/

slim's

slim's

4201 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20011

tel: 202) 783-0699

what was consumed: corn beef hash with tator tots (and a grilled cheese sandwich for miffy)

on a rainy day, i was miffy-sitting. after some reading at the library, we head across the street for some "breakfast for lunch" at slim's. 

if you're looking for some solid diner-style food, definitely head to slim's. their corn beef hash was just want i was craving. they were also super accommodating and generous with miffy and all of her 3-year old antics. lucky for me, i got to eat the tator tots that came with her grilled cheese and they were so so so delish. they're different from the usual tator tots. maybe they were seasoned in some way? who knows. who cares! be sure to enjoy some on your own.

online: http://www.slimsdiner.com/

colada shop

colada shop
1405 T St NW, Washington, DC 20009

tel: 202) 332-8800

what was consumed: iced cuban coffee, media noche

simple concept, done well. that's what colada shop provides. cuban sandwiches, cuban coffee ... YUM. they don't have a whole lot of indoor seating, but stick around for a seat outdoors! customers tend to turn over quickly so seats open up. there is little better than doing some quality people watching while enjoying delicious treats

online: https://www.coladashop.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/

estrellon

estrellon

313 W Johnson St, Madison, WI 53703

tel: 608) 251-2111

what was consumed: the spanish experience aka chef's choice which included the following: pan con tomate, shishito peppers, iberian chorizo pinxtos, tortilla expanola, croquetas, pulpo a la gallega, paella valenciana, basque cake

it seems like every time we head to madison, there's a new (delicious) place that is added to the list of places to eat. this time, we head to estrellon for good eats with good friends.

estrellon specializes in spanish style tapas. they have a pretty extensive menu with lots of delicious options. what they also provide is a chef's special: a special curated menu of the chef's favorites with portions appropriate for the number of people who are participating (in our case, two. haha). we opted for this not only because we're lazy and indecisive (haha), but also because of our curiosity about what the chef had chosen and why he had chosen to include what he did on the chef's choice menu. and we were glad we did!

overall, the dishes were fresh, well-seasoned, and delish. our server made sure to time our dishes so that we were always noshing on something or, as appropriate, had some space between one dish to the next. some of our favorites: shishito peppers, croquetas, paella valenciana, and, of course, the basque cake! no matter what you do, be sure to order the basque cake. it sounds simple, but it is super delish. definitely a wonderful way to round out a delicious meal.

online: https://www.estrellonrestaurant.com/

  

beans&barley

beans&barley

1901 E North Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202

tel: 414) 278-7878

what was consumed: chicken salad sandwich, burrito, and a delicious latte.

before heading out of milwaukee, we agreed to meet our company for a quick and delicious lunch at beans & barley.

beans&barley is a market and restaurant all in one. specialty things, healthy eats, etc. i could walk around places like beans&barley for quite some time (i did spend a bit of time in the market before sitting down for our meal, don't worry!).

we asked about what was most delicious at beans&barley and our company basically listed most everything on the menu (haha). BJL and i opted to split their vegetarian burrito (it just looked so good!) and a chicken salad sandwich. YUM! good choice! fresh ingredients combined well to create simple and delicious dishes.

my die-hard milwaukee-an friend also told me beans&barley is one of his go-to places. i can see why! it'll be a regular stop for me the next time i'm in milwaukee.

online: https://www.beansandbarley.com/menu/

benelux

benelux

346 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202

tel: 414) 501-2500

what was consumed: fries! with house-made dipping sauces (roasted garlic aioli ftw!). plus mussels (chipotle coconut: sun-dried tomatoes, chipotle coconut milk, cilantro, shallots), a nederland salad (with quinoa, golden and red beets, cashews, lacinto kale, romaine, heirloom carrotos, brussels sprouts, green cabbage, and rice paper with a pomegranate balsamic glaze and pomegranate poppy seed vinaigarette), and an order of the cheese stuffed bitterballen.

hello, milwaukee! my first time in this city, and where do we go for my first meal? benelux. roof-top seating for belgian-style food aka delicious treat! and fries? yes please! 

in addition to some of your usual favorites (e.g. mussels), be sure to order the cheese stuffed bitterballen: meatballs stuffed with cheese curds. yes, i could have eaten multiple servings of the stuffed bitterballen. i agreed to sharing an order with my eating compatriots, which turned out to be a smart move: more room for fries! YUM.

online: http://www.cafebenelux.com/