takohachi

takohachi
3249 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204
tel: 571) 312-7678

what was consumed: lunch bento (grilled salmon, mackerel, sushi)

while learning japanese, we also spent a lot of time looking for places to enjoy japanese food. so, when takohachi opened near school, we (as well as our japanese teachers) were pretty excited about being able to get some pretty solid bento boxes, especially at lunch.

takohatchi also features a pretty good HH, which i've been told is a good deal for pretty good bites. their service can be a little slow, but when your stomach is happy, not a whole lot else matters, wouldn't you say?

online: https://www.facebook.com/takohachijapaneserestaurant/

   

barley mac

barley mac
1600 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209
tel: 571) 800-3070

what was consumed: happy hour! bruschetta, parmigiana truffle potato skils, wagyu beef meatballs, fish tacos ... and dessert!

people say the DC/metro area is expensive (it is). but there are ways to enjoy delicious treats even if you're on a budget ... and, imo, a lot of it has to do with how savvy you are at going to delicious HHs around town. and even if you're not, if you're in arlington, be sure to stop by barley mac!

language partner and i were looking for a place to sit and chat (in english and japanese) while enjoying some american treats. we decided to head to barley mac and loaded up on some of their HH specialties: 

      

i had high hopes for the meatballs and while they were yummy, they were cold :( the potato skins, however, were delicious (and i probably could have eaten the whole thing on my own. but yes, i did share) :D

online: http://barleymacva.com/

   

a-town bar and grill

a-town bar and grill

4100 n. fairfax drive, arlington, VA 22203

tel: 703) 528-1110

what was consumed: seafood HH

kdk and i were determined to go through some list of seafood tower HHs in the wdc area. even though the list was pretty recent, the offers were already outdated. that didn't prevent us from wanting to go through this list. a-town bar and grill was the first on the list and since i was coming out of va for training, we said, "might as well!"

turns out, a-town bar and grill didn't have the seafood tower HH as the article said, but they did have a crab leg special. crab legs it is!

i will also comment that despite our initial plan for crab legs, we also enjoyed some sriracha wings and tator tots. i'm not particular about my tator tots (i.e., i can (and will) eat troughs and troughs of them), and these were no different. crispy on the outside, soft in the center, and sprinkled with finely grated cheese. YUM. and the sriracha wings! kdk and i were (mildly) concerned that the wings would be overly sticky and sweet, but they weren't! i contemplated ordering more of them or ordering yet another order of crab legs. hahahaha.

kdk and i had a great time - a great start to our seafood tower HH challenge!

online: http://www.a-townballston.com/

super pollo charcoal chicken

super pollo charcoal chicken

550 north quincy street, arlington, VA 22203

tel: 571) 970-3421

what was consumed: peruvian chicken! with sides of fries, rice, lentils, and plantains. and inca cola

what is there to do during lunch at FSI when you're exhausted and overwhelmed with all of the language training you've received? our solution was off campus lunch. great idea! a great way to break up the day. in additon to that, living in washington, i found myself less likely to go head across the river to virginia (though i was always willing to when invited).

taking off campus lunches, then, proved to be a great way for me to enjoy while not combating traffic. a win win for me!so, one day, after t and b had a great meal of peruvian chicken (without me! :(... ) t suggested we make an off-campus trip out to super pollo. hurrah! great idea, t! and with t having had spent time in peru (it apparently is the most authentic peruvian food that t has had in the DC area), he knew what was good and with what (sides) peruvian chicken should be consumed. and i was more than happy to oblige when it came to ordering.

3 of us participated in this rendition of off-campus lunching.

quick story: t busted out all of his espanol, a la peru, when ordering at super pollo. m asked him how it felt to be so comfortable in a foreign language, especially compared to the arabic we were learning. t replied, saying that it was GREAT. i know the feeling - it's how i feel when i speak korean.

anyway, back to super pollo. lunch was DELICIOUS. the chicken was roasted deliciously (and the skin was so so yummy, with all of that seasoning). the fries would have also been delicious with that seasoning. the plantains were a nice and not-too-sweet addition to the plate. and the rice - there was something so delicious about it! i can hardly explain it. t tells me it's a peruvian variation of chinese fried rice (or something like that). i couldn't get enough of it. i think i could've gone without the lentils, but 01) it's authentic? and 02) i just love lentils.next time in WDC, i will most definitely look forward to super pollo. i can also see myself getting super fat if i ever end up going to peru with all of this delicious food ... 

arlington cinema 'n drafthouse (& old arlington grill)

arlington cinema 'n drafthouse
2903 columbia pike, arlington VA
tel: 703)486-2345

what was consumed: nachos! and wine and beer and ... bar food genre~

it might be more accurate to say that this blog is about both the arlington cinema 'n drafthouse AND old arlington grill as the food comes from old arlington grill, but consumed (at least by me) before (and during!) film screenings at the drafthouse. but really, to me, they're one in the same.

now, what's better than a good movie while eating yummy food? very little, if you ask me. i think that's why i enjoy the arlington drafthouse so much and keep saying that i want to visit more often (and w, this is ideal for drunken movie night as you have the option to grow increasingly intoxicated as the night goes on (increasing my likelihood of staying awake ... and helping me remember the movie altogether ... whoops ...) as opposed to being totally sloshed prior to the start of the flick - yay!).

the first time i visited arlington cinema 'n drafthouse was to see 'the hangover'. that was totally fun! both the flick and the drafthouse. again, there's nothing better than eating and drinking while watching a fun flick. most recently, k and i decided to catch 'social network' while enjoying lovely bar fare. we had a GREAT time!

a few words on the food. according to their website, old arlington grill "specializes in old-fashioned american grill classics with a modern twist." that's a good way to put it! k and i had their nachos - chips, baked, topped with cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and jalapenos (they could add more jalapenos, but i'm a fiend when it comes to spicy stuff - i love it!). at first, she was trying to 'conserve' the cheese (to make sure it would last), while i just stuffed chips into my face ... but then we noticed that there was more cheese waiting for us on the next layer of chips. we immediately proceeded to throw out thoughts of conserving cheese. haha ...

i didn't get to try, but look forward to trying, the fried mac 'n cheese triangles. i wish they came with fries (as is the case at red derby), but so be it. is there a limit to how much fried food one may take in? i'm not willing to test it on my own, but sometimes i wonder if i come pretty darn close - ha!

there's also something to say about the ambiance at the drafthouse. i get a sort of "dinner theatre" vibe from the place (which is totally a good thing), so i had no qualms about making comments about the film to k sitting next to me (of course, quietly) ... and it was ok! that definitely added to the fun of the drafthouse in that the conversation is often interesting and hilarious at the same time - yay!

arlington cinema 'n drafthouse has some live programming as well as "deals" (e.g., $1 monday, $2 tuesday movies). fun stuff! be sure to check their schedule on their website to see what movies are coming. and when you decide, let me know! i can't wait to go back. yay yay yay!

online: http://www.arlingtondrafthouse.com/

northside social

northside social
3211 wilson boulevard, arlington, VA 22201
tel: 703) 465-0145
hours: monday-tuesday 7am-10pm, wednesday 7am-12am, thursday-friday 7am-2am, saturday 8am-2am, sunday 8am-8pm

what was consumed: soy latte, crispy pork belly sandwich (broccoli rabe, olio, santo, smoked mozzarella, salsa verde on italian feather loaf)

in the old murky coffee spot (or so i'm told - i never got a chance to visit murky in arlington as i frequented the (at the time) capitol hill location instead), northside social is an awesome place to grab a good cup of coffee, some delicious sandwiches, and just hang out with friends. if you can get a seat (it's seemed super popular, but also high turnaround, so it's worth the wait). christine had been before and friend seth works there as well, so when friend m suggested we go, i was totally up for making the trek over the river into virginia (yes, food is a great motivator).

after tutoring on a rainy saturday, i hopped on the metro out to clarendon to visit northside social for the first time. friend m had been there already for a half hour, so 2 cups of coffee and a breakfast sandwich in is when i finally arrived (i guess that doesn't really matter - haha). anyway, friend m got the bacon and egg breakfast sandwich and when i joined him, he swore to me up and down that that's what i should get. next time, m, next time. i was on a mission to try the crispy pork belly sandwich ... and i'm glad i did! it was DELICIOUS.

the sandwich: the bread, baked right at northside social, was nice and chewy, not too hard, not too soft. the crispy pork was wonderful. not too salty, and cooked so that there's a significant crunch from the crisped pork that you can feel when you bite into the sandwich. yummmm. i liked that they used broccoli rabe instead of other sorts of greens - the slight bitterness took away from the potentially overwhelming greasy feel that pork can sometimes have. and a bit of smoked mozzarella which seemed to ooze from the bread. served with a side of your choice (i chose potato salad, upon the recommendation of the woman who took my order), this was just want i wanted for a delicious saturday lunch.

the coffee: my latte was really delicious. i didn't see too much coffee art that people have been speaking about, but maybe that's because i got my latte "to go" and messed it up between the counter and my seat (not likely, but who knows). i hear that northside social uses a special sort of soy milk that has a better consistency (i.e., more like milk) and works like the real stuff when heated. all know is that my latte was creamy and rich, not bitter and not too bright. just the way i like it! friend m's note: if you're going to order drip coffee, be sure to order the large "to go." apparently, the discrepancy in size of the "here" vs. "to go" was too much for him to handle (haha), or maybe there's just a secret that he doesn't know.

ahh, northside social, maybe it's a good thing you're so far away. otherwise, i would visit you far too many times than you would like. but for the rest of you, make it a regular part of life! i can't wait until my next visit~

online: http://northsidesocialarlington.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.

cafe asia

café asia
1720 i street NW, washington, dc 20006
tel: 202) 659-2696
hours of operation: sun-thu 11:30 am-11 pm; fri-sat noon-midnight
1550 wilson blvd. arlington, va 22209
tel: 703) 741-0870
hours of operation: mon-thu 11:30 am-11 pm; fri 11:30 am-midnight; sat-sun noon-midnight
happy hour: $2 beers on tap, half price sake, $1 nigiri sushi, discounts on other rolls

what was consumed: sushi; beer; happy hour – mon-fri 4:30-7:30pm

i miss the plethora of sushi eating opportunities that befell me while living abroad and on the west coast of the US. there are certainly a number of different places in the dc/metro area, but one that i’ve frequented the most is café asia. for one reason or another, we come to café asia a lot (though there are 2 locations, i’ve only been to the one in dc. the one in arlington is close to where i work (as of 12/27/06), but since i don’t hang out here in clarendon all that much, i’ve never been there. i imagine it’s pretty much the same as the location in dc). some people say that café asia’s sushi isn’t that good, but i happen to be quite fond of the wide variety of rolls and other eats. granted, the nice happy hour special makes it more of an appeal for me. if not anything else, when craving sushi, café asia offers mass quantities at an affordable price. and more often than not, i leave café asia feeling quite good – stomach is full of sushi, beer, and sake. what more could a lovely lovely lady want? ^_~

*an edit of addition*

at cafe asia, i've also found this really great noodle dish (i've had it both at the rosslyn site as well as the dc site. both are delicious). i remember having something similar to it the first time i went to my friend's, jan, house way back in intermediate school. at cafe asia, it's called "bun" and it comes with either friend spring rolls or lemongrass chicken (i usually get both). it's pretty much a cold rice noodle with lots of veggies (carrots, lettuce, mint, etc.) with the rolls/chicken on top. it comes with a bowl of room temperature fish sauce/soup that you pour into the dish, as much (or as little) as you'd like. point is, it's taken me over a decade (omg, i can't believe i can say that!) to find this and now that i have, i eat it every time i go to cafe asia. i can't wait to have it again ... i wonder how it's made. point is, it's totally delicious!

online: http://www.cafeasia.com/

whitlow's on wilson

wiltlow’s on wilson
2854 wilson boulevard, arlington, va 22201
tel: 703)276-9693
happy hour: $2.50 beers on tap tues-fri (4-8pm); half-price wine wed (4-9pm); $5 mugs with $1.50 refills for beers on tap thurs (4-8pm)

what was consumed: widmer heffeweisen, a few french fries

so, i finally made it out to whitlow's (i had walked almost a mile in the opposite direction ... i work literally 2 blocks away from whitlows, but my little detour eventually had me walking almost 2 miles ... in heels) to meet my friend for happy hour drinks. i had read about this place on the internet, so i was pretty excited about having beers for $2.50. if i remember correctly, i had a couple pints of widmer hefeweizen and a random gentleman sitting next to me (prior to my friend's arrival) bought me some french fries (which were good, by the way). the place has a dining area and a bar - the bar in small in area (maybe 15 stools with everyone else standing), but there are lots of tables for eating. since i didn't eat there, i'm not sure how it is (though i've heard good things about the bar food there - especially their hamburgers ... i don't know which day has a happy hour deal (half price!) on the hamburgers, but i'll have to check it out).

online: http://www.whitlows.com

gua-rapo

guarapo
2039 wilson blvd., arlington, VA 22209
tel: 703) 528-6500
hours: mon-thu 5-10:30 pm; fri-sat 5-11:30 pm; lounge: thu-sat 9 pm-1:30 am

what was consumed: guarapo (i equate this to a thick "kerns"-esque alcoholic drink - super fruity ... ); sangria (i love sangria! comes in red or white); empanadas; ... ... mar

a friend of mine invited me to a gathering of her grad school friends for dinner and drinks. seeing that i'm close to the courthouse metro stop (just one away at clarendon), it was an easy "that sounds fun!" sort of decision for me to make. guarapo is a nice lounge-y place to grab a bite to eat as well as some good drinks. it's also in the hip clarendon/arlington area that people seem to flock to (more or less). i hear there's some sort of dancing and stuff at guarapo as well, but you know me - not too into that. ha!