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

kogi truck

kogi truck
multiple locations
tel: 714) 697-4683

what was consumed: short rib taco, spicy pork taco, short rib burrito

the craze of food trucks is not just on the east. out in so.cal, it's the kogi truck that has been calling out to interested parties for some time now. while in so.cal, i made it a point to look 'em up (i was even willing to drive up to LA! luckily, they also have a truck in the irvine area) and finally got the chance to try the infamous kogi taco from the taco truck ... in one word: YUM (yeah, yeah, i say most things are delicious). for real, the tacos are de-licious!

so, they were in my neighborhood (or rather, towards my neighborhood) today, so i made it a point to head out there to check out the truck. i get in line around 1:10pm (their schedule today was to be in irvine between noon-2pm) and be overwhelmed with the line that wrapped around the truck area in the parking lot of the car wash the truck had parked in (apparently, the truck and the business have some sort of deal? i guess that's a great way to do business?). i seemed to be waiting and waiting and waiting, all the while taunted by the korean bbq being cooked in the truck. after what feels like hours and buckets of sweat (it's dry, but hot in so.cal today), i finally make it up to the front of the line. once there, and my order is in, i wait again for my food. while i'm glad that my food is made fresh to order (more or less), the wait is a killer.

here's the other thing. i put in my order and the guy asks for my name. i say "grace" and what does he put down? crace. really? REALLY? in asian infiltrated irvine? maybe it's because he was overwhelmed with the massive number of graces that visit the truck on a frequent basis (no, we do not all look the same)? or maybe he's just hard of hearing? or maybe he was just tired. in the end, it doesn't matter, but i thought it was funny. i proceeded to take a photo and post it here. i digress ...

the kogi truck has a number of different options, besides their more famous kogi tacos. a variety of tacos, burritos, sliders, quesadillas, even hot dogs! and dessert! all seem to have some sort of korean flair (e.g. kimchee) and most definitely mixed in with texmex. they even have tofu as an options! yes, they're thinking of the non-meat eater (though i'm not sure how it is that they cook the tofu tacos and burritos. they seemed not as popular as the other options). i ultimately opted for the beef short rib taco, the spicy pork taco, and the beef short rib burrito.

at around 1:35 (while i was waiting patiently in line), someone came out with a little sign and gave it to the guy standing just a few people behind me (see photo) to indicate that no one behind him would be served kogi. and let me tell you, there were people who came even closer to 2pm and were (pretty much) out of luck ... too bad! the guy at the end was really nice about it when people came to ask about the line (and the sign). he must be a regular. i can see how some people may take it over the top, a sort of indication of power (and luck?) in that he/she is the last one. people in line were also saying that the last person is also often rewarded with free leftovers in appreciation for holding the sign. i didn't pay attention to what happened to the guy behind me, but he looked more happy to have made the cut than anything else (man, if i came later, as i had thought to, i would've been so disappointed! and maybe even a little bit angry ... even though it's my fault).

so, when i finally got my food, it was well over an hour since i had gotten in line. people started to get really irritated because of the wait, because of the heat, and because despite the huge line behind there were people who were all, "umm, i'm taking this home. will you package this for me?" hello! self service, people! anyway. about the food. tacos = delicious. i would probably wait in line again if it means i could have these tacos again (granted, i say this now that i've cooled down and my stomach is full. had you asked me while i was in line, my answer might've been different). the meat was well cooked and spiced, both the beef and pork (though i think the spicy pork could've been more spicy. to the kogi truck's defense, they did have a bottle of siracha sauce available for consumption). the lettuce in the taco was also seasoned, with a light almost soy sauce-y flavor which complimented the meat beneath. all of this was on top of 2 corn tortillas that weren't too dry and just right. a note to the hungry: the tacos are small, probably 2 1/2ish inches in diameter (though also about 2 inches piled up). nevertheless, i thought they were pretty hefty for their small size. but at $2 a taco, i think it's worth dishing out a few extra bucks for 3 or even 4 tacos (honestly, i would've been ok with just 2 tacos. i know! me!)

the burrito was good too, though i would opt for the tacos. i had the beef short rib burrito and felt that the seasoning on the beef was too ... sweet. the burrito was wrapped in a flour tortilla and then toasted on the outside (which i think is great!). the burrito was also filled with some of the seasoned lettuce as well as some rice (i think?) and eggs. normally, i'm a fan of eggs, but for whatever reason, i wasn't expecting them in this burrito, so it sort of too me by surprise. i think next time, i'll try to spicy pork one. or be sure to ask them to hold the eggs (haha). or maybe just load up on tacos and think nothing of the burritos. who knows! of course, this is just a personal preference, as there were loads of people walking away with burritos. definitely worth $5!

be sure to check out their where-abouts online and get there early! you don't want to be the one right behind the guy with the sign ^_^ kogi truck, come to us on the east! thanks in advance~

online: http://www.kogibbq.com/

in 'n out

in 'n out

multiple locations

what was consumed: usually, set menu #2 - cheeseburger, fries, soda.

i love five guys, don't get me wrong. there's something about being able to pile your burger high up with loads and loads of extras, making your burger as high as it is wide. but i'm a so.cal girl at heart ... and my heart belongs to in 'n out.

i've been the the first ever in 'n out (that is, i've been to the one that they say is the first - in westminster). the simplicity of the burger, the freshness of the burger ... what more do i need to say?

from what i understand, there are no freezers at in 'n out. nothing is frozen; rather, everything is delivered fresh, cooked fresh, eaten fresh. DELICIOUS.

the burgers at in 'n out are fresh and delicious. in the words of christine, they have a clean flavor - agreed! you can get your burger made just the way you want - lettuce tomatoes, sliced onions, grilled onions, special sauce, ketcup, mustard. you can get it animal style (extra of all the toppings) or even the protein version (bun-less). i usually get my burgers with extra lettuce and extra tomatoes only.

and then, there are the fries. when i first tried them, i didn't think that they were anything out of the ordinary. that is, until i realized that they were so similar to my mom's - fresh cut, fried just right, delicious. i hear you can also get the fries special - covered in the special sauce or with cheese or with grilled onions or ... but i have yet to try it like that. yet.

i also remember the first time someone mentioned to me that the owners of in 'n out held steadfast to their christian beliefs. there's a note of "john 3:16" on the inside rim of all of their beverage cups. for whatever reason, in my youth, i thought that was a grand idea (though now i see it on the 'forever 21' bags as well as spray painted on many a freeway wall (what does that mean!??!)). now, even though i'm less comforted by those few letters/numbers (that's a whole other conversation), there's a part of me that is still intrigued, and almost amazed, by such an existance.

i miss in 'n out so much when i'm not in california. and when in california, i go out of my way to ensure that i have it ... at least once.

online: http://www.in-n-out.com/

shikdorak

shik do rak
14775 jeffrey road, irvine, ca 92618
tel: 949) 653-76868
9691 garden grove boulevard, garden grove, ca 92844
tel: 714) 534-7668

what was consumed: korean bbq! usually one of the set menus that includes the works. instead of all the meat options, i usually ask for only cha-dohl (the thin sliced beef) ... yum.

despite all of the korean food i consume at home, i find myself frequenting korean restaurants. while there are some super terrible ones, there are some good ones, even great ones. and there is something about shikdorak that just calls my name. so, when in so.cal, i make it a point to visit. i used to visit the garden grove location, but now frequent the new(er) irvine location.

the food at shikdorak is wonderful. the cha-dohl is fresh, thinly sliced, and cooks quickly on the grill. your meal also comes with lots of bahn chan that they keep filling up as you eat bowls and bowls and bowls of it.

once the gogi is finished cooking, i usually dip it in the spicy sauce and place it on a bed of green lettuce and radish kimchee. i then take one of the rice wraps and stuff the entire thing into my mouth. delicious. other korean bbqs have delicious options, but it's the rice wraps (dduk) at shikdorak that differentiates this place from all others. i'm sitting here thinking about shikdorak and instead of writing about it, all i can do is look at the photos and think about eating it. sigh.

while shikdorak isn't the most romantic of all places, it is good for groups and massive consumption of food. and even though you leave smelling like korean bbq, it's totally worth it! this past trip to california, i visited shikdorak twice (almost three times! sorry we didn't make it, jess!). both times, we had to wait. a lot. that never happens! but you know what? i didn't mind it one bit. oh, shikdorak, i can't wait to visit you again~~~

dc slices

dc slices
tel: none
no address - they're mobile! track their location online: http://twitter.com/dcslices

what was consumed: pepperoni pizza, soda

lunch trucks are all the rage!

do you remember a time when people would say "lunch truck" and you would think jr. high cafeteria food for adults, or "roach coach," or ... these days, people also think kogi tacos, bulgogi carts ... and now, pizza (yes!!!)

today, from what i understand, was dc slice's inaugural day. and my food lovin' friends let me tag along (ironically, i had also brought pizza for lunch today). some argue about whether or not this is the "first" in DC, but it seems that the discrepancy is deep rooted in whether or not "DC" means just DC proper or includes MD and noVA ... that is a whole other conversation. as far as i'm concerned, this is the first i've seen (convenient that it's close to my office), so it's the first for me!

so, around lunchtime, we walked over from the office over to farragut square where dc slice was to have parked for lunch service. today was a nice, warm, and dry day, so i was doubly excited to head out of the office for some good eats - yay! and after blocks and blocks and blocks of walking (ok, so it was actually something like 5 blocks), we finally saw the truck ... to which we bee-lined to, like moths to a flame.

when we finally made it to the truck, we quickly made our selections (i like how they have one window for ordering and another for receiving your order ... though it looked like the same guy working both. ha!) and were soon served. thin crust slices of pepperoni pizza with the option of fresh basic on our slices (yes please). the crust was light, the sauce was tomato-y, the cheese was stringy. YUM! accompanying our pizzas were ice-cold cokes. a perfect meal on such a gorgeous (albeit a little hot for me) DC day ^_^

when we first arrived, they were also playing music through their speakers. i didn't notice it as we were leaving, but that could have well been because i was not paying attention and more engrossed in their fares. they also spelled "slice" incorrectly on their menu board today (i don't know if that was intentional or not - just thought i'd note it here), but i found it funny and endearing more than anything else. they offer wifi as a wireless hotspot, so bring your mobile device along with your appetite and look foward to a delicious lunch downtown!

online: http://dcslices.com/

g street food

g street food
1706 G street NW (between 17th street & 18th street), washington, DC 20006
tel: 202) 408-7474
hours: monday-friday 7:30am-3:30pm

what was consumed: banh mi (traditional vietnamese sandwich - roasted free-range pork and pickled vegetable on a baguette), open sandwich speciality (i forget which one it was, but it was delicious), side salad, fries (of course)

i feel really lucky that there are lots of really yummy places to eat around where i work. one day, christine mentioned going to a place the kera mentioned to her at the restaurant. so, despite the 7ish block walk (ok, ok, 7 blocks is not a lot. but i was still sure not to bust out the highest of my heels), christine and i head out to meet for lunch.

at first, we couldn't really figure out where g street food was. the storefront is rather unassuming and at quick glance, i imagine most (like us) would pass it by. this downtown area, while filled with lots of really great places to eat, is also filled with the standard "cafeteria" fare in the form of a "pay by the pound" sort of place. i'm so glad g street food is not like that!

once we found the right place, we walked in and was welcomed by an open kitchen right behind where we were to place our orders. this proved to be convenient for us in that we were overwhelmed by the menu (as we usually are. their menu isn't super huge, but every single option looked so delicious!) and we had the opportunity to ask any and all questions directly to those who were to make our meals, which they happily answered. we ultimately decided on a couple of sandwiches, salad, and fries as we giddily went to pay for our food.

our food came out soon after and we quickly devoured the delicious morsels. and the bread! now, i don't know a lot about bread. i've mentioned before that i don't crave it like some others do and as a result i'm not as well versed in it as others are. nonetheless, the bread that g street food uses is just plain delicious. crispy crusts, chewy and soft middles. the meats added incredible flavor to the sandwiches and the veggies were so fresh/refreshing! i don't know how else to describe it, but do you see the photos? do they make the food look delicious? yes, the sammiches tasted better even better than they look! i want one now. sigh.

per usual, the clientele at g street food consisted primarily of other office drones (or maybe i'm the only cube-dwelling office drone - haha) who call the farragut square area "home." there was also a surprising number of families. but now that i think about it, because g street food is close in proximity to some of the sites on the nat'l mall (relatively, of course, is there anything (outside of the hot dog carts) that are really really close to the mall?) and loads of people have mobile devices with information at their fingertips, i imagine many will seek out g street food.

i can't wait to visit g street food again and try something else. where is christine?!? let's go! let's eat!

online: http://gstreetfood.com/

tenpenh

tenpenh

closed, as of 01 july 2011 ... sad ...

1001 pennsylvania avenue NW (between 10th street & D street), washington, DC 20004
tel: 202) 393-4500
hours : monday-friday 11:30am-2:30pm, monday-thursday and sunday 5:30pm-10:30pm, friday-saturday 5:30pm-11pm

what was consumed: restaurant week! must-have monday! ... peking style duck roll (moo shu pancakes, hoisin sauce, cucumber, scallion - which i didn't pick out! i'm growing up!), stir fry minced chicken lettuce wraps (shiitake mushrooms, pine nuts, mustard sambal), chef's special (kabob-ed shrimp and scallops on gnocci and broccolini in a curry sauce) ... some other stuff too, but i've since forgotten the first time i went to tenpenh was for restaurant week over a year ago.

i remember being quite excited for the lunch and leaving the restaurant totally full and greatly satisfied. recently, my friends and i participated in their "monday must-haves" menu - sort of like restaurant week, but just on mondays (most mondays?). we chose appetizers from their list of appetizers, any of the entrees on the menu, and any of the desserts. we admitedly concluded, at the end of the meal, that an appetizer/entree/dessert for each individual was a lot of food. of course, this didn't prevent us from eating the bulk of our the food that was served. and all was consumed deliciously!

we started out meals with our appetizers. i had the peking style duck roll - delicious. 4 pieces of duck, cucumber, and scallions wrapped in a moo shu pancake. it sort of reminded me of a spring roll. a delicious and ducky spring roll! topped with the hoisin sauce, i would've been happy with just this part of the meal. but i knew (and was excited about) what was to come. love it. i've also tried their fried spring rolls, calimari salad, roti, lettuce wraps. all delicious.

entrees. a lot of the choices avaible at tenpenh is seafood. a lot of fish dishes (yeah!) cooked in a variety of different ways, with a whole lot of sauces, accompanied by all sorts of veggies, grains, and other deliciousness. the dishes are plated so appetizingly that all you want to do is dig in and fill your belly! maybe it's the way that they're plated, but one may think that the servings seem on the small side. but as you begin consuming the deliciousness, you realize that you're a lot more full that you thought. so much so that you may think you can't finish the meal (of course, not a problem i have. whoops).

one of my favorites is the whole fried fish (though both visits, i didn't order it for myself. i just consumed large quanities from my friends who ordered it. i keep telling myself to order it, but knowing that others will order it, i find myself ordering other things to accompany the fish. hee hee). the entire fish, coated in a delicious and light batter, fried. bones and all. the fish is seasoned and fried so well that i just take pieces of fish straight from the bone into my mouth. for those that would like additional flavor, the dish comes with a delicious complementary sauce. the fish is accompanied by a nice and light cucumber salad, season with a light soy sauce/sesame oil/etc. dressing. one day, i will order it myself. but until then, i will enjoy my delicious entree (which i share, of course) and proceed to eat others' fried fish. oink oink (haha).

finally, dessert. the dessert at tenpenh is delicious. i'm usually not a dessert person, though i've been increasingly craving sweets as of late (perhaps a result of my non-drinking?). the ice creams that are served with many of the desserts are light and creamy, not too rich. this perfectly accompanies the rich pastries, cakes, and other sweets. but a must have? the donuts. light and fluffy, served with a light chocolate mousse. when the servers told us that it was the chef's speciality, we should've listened! it's not that the other desserts were disappointing - they were not. the desserts were delicious. it's just that the donuts were delicious-er (which, i know, is not a word, but how else can i express this?). in other words, i was happy to have had tasted a variety of their delicious desserts, but secretly i agreed with the rest of my party in that we could've (should've?) all ordered the donuts (hee hee). ahh, hindsight is 20/20.

while waiting for your party or when you're just hanging out, enjoy tenpenh's bar. i have not enjoyed many of their adult beverages, though they have a lot of them. i have heard, however, that they have quite a few (delicious) speciality drinks. friend j told me that she once had a cocktail with a real live octopus! that's so RAD!! perhaps i'll visit their bar to look for the octopus beverage when i'm back on the sauce (haha).

to top it all off, the service at tenpenh is amazing. your water glass/soda is always filled, you're always asked if you would like another adult beverage, your napkin is always folded for you if you ever leave the table. we also received tastes of butternut squash soup before our appetizers and bites of sweet rice cakes after dessert, all compliments of the chef ... and all delicious!

i can't wait for the next time i get to dine at tenpenh. yay!

online: http://www.tenpenh.com/main.htm

rustico

rustico
827 slaters lane, alexandria, VA 22314
tel: 703) 224-5051
hours: monday 4pm-10pm, tuesday-thursday 11:30am-10pm, friday-saturday 11:30am-11pm, sunday 11:30am-10pm

what was consumed: pei mussels fra diavolo (grilled bread, chorizo), home-made thick-cut fries (tossed in your choice of caesar or ranch dressing), creamy marscapone polenta (wild mushroom ragù, truffle oil), salt roasted beet salad (goat cheese fondue, blood orange vinaigrette, pistachio dust), duck confit & cracklins pizza (brie & sautéed onions pizza with chick pea crust), roasted mushroom pizza (mushroom cream, goat cheese, sauteed spinach pizza), bbq pizza (bbq braised pork, caramelized onions, cheddar)

there is never a dearth of eating options in old town alexandria. there are lots of different kinds of food, in a number of various locations, with a slew of clientele to suit your fancy. BUT, if you're ever in the old town alexandria area and in the mood for some yummy woodfire grilled pizza and a nice cold brew to wash it all down, i recommend visiting rustico. a bunch of us headed out to old town on a cold wintery day to see friends play a little concert. so, after the little usaf chamber group (?) performance at the masonic temple, a group of us head out to rustico for bites to eat.

rustico is known for their pizza and their great beer selection. for those reasons enough, i am enticed to visit rustico time and time again. for those who like options, not to fret! rustico also has a number of other options on their menu. delicious mussels, a most definitely creamy polenta plate, salads, antipastas, etc. they also have the option to select from their cheese/cured meat plates (there's a fancy name for this and for the life of me i can neither remember nor look it up - argh!). i haven't tried it yet, but it looks really good and can't wait to taste for myself.

friends in the group ordered a slew of things, so i got to try a variety of different things. the creamy polenta was definitely one of my favorites and something i'll have a super hard time not ordering the next time i'm at rustico. and the mussels! delicious. i could take bread and dip it into mussels broth all day long. yum.

and, of course, pizza.

with the slew of other things that friends ordered, by the time my pizza came, i was less than my usual voracious. nonetheless, the beautiful pizza pies places before me incited my salivary glands. they have a number of different pre-set topping options as well as the option to create your own (which is always fun as well). while the crust isn't anything out of the ordinary, sometimes that's just what you need to highlight the combination of the crust with the toppings. yum.

on the menu, i saw the option for the gluten free chick pea crust. intrigued! for some reason, i thought it'd be more chick pea-y, but it just felt like another crust (probably made with chick pea flour as opposed to anything else. i don't really know why i thought it'd look any different, but i did. i don't know what i was thinking). my pizza, unfortunately, was a little overdone, so the crust was a little dry and almost burnt. luckily, the duck confit and cracklin's toppings saved the pizza (i pretty much just ate the toppings ... which is what i often do regardless of the pizza crust). despite the chick pea crust disappointment, the meal was delicious and the group left with full bellies AND leftovers for the next day's lunch (yay doggie bags!).

pizza is getting fancier and fancier. and while i will periodically enjoy the quick delivery and convenience of fast(er) food joints that delivery right to my door, i will still fondly and often think of delicious options at places like rustico. just until i can visit to enjoy again. yay!

online: http://www.rusticorestaurant.com/

rubino's

rubino's
26012 marguerite parkway, mission viejo, ca 92692
tel: 949) 582-1166

what was consumed: antipasto salad, small (i.e., 12") cheese pizza, small vegetarian pizza with pepperoni

i love pizza. i've said it before (yes, i know, numerous times), and i'm saying it again. just in case you forgot. I LOVE PIZZA.

i didn't go home for the christmas holidays. instead, i made sure to go home when airplane tickets weren't through the roof, but more importantly, when my extended family from seoul would be in town. my cousins and their kids (i.e., nieces and nephew) were in town for their winter holiday (they get 2+ months in the winter. sort of like our summer vacations) going to school here in the states, getting the "american" experience, learning a bit of english. when it comes to places to eat, i've been trying to think of places that were memorable to me, but also sort of representative of so.cal (i.e., so.cal food that i've been missing so much!). so when the kids said they wanted to eat pizza, i searched through the annals of my mind's memories to find a pizza place i used to super enjoy when i was a kid ... rubino's!

in h.s., we had these things called "gold cards." these gold cards were good for a year and had discounts to local businesses. the sale of these gold cards were for fundraising purposes and a sort of advertisement for the local businesses. point is, rubino's was on that list, so i ate a lot of their pizza when in h.s. so many good memories of eating super yummy rubino's pizza - i wanted to share such memories with my family.

rubino's pizza is great. everything is made from scratch, their pizza is hand-stretched, all of that good stuff. but the cheese! 100% mozzarella cheese! and the toppings! so fresh! the entire combination is so delicious. when a hot pie sits in front of you, the delicious scent of the flavor combinations abound. and then, when you take a slice, the cheese is all stretchy and delicious. rubino's doesn't have the culinary creations that some of these new pizza places have. instead, they take those pizzas that we consider "ordinary" and regular and make them super duper delicious. that's a sign of a great pizzeria, eh?

according to their website, rubino's has been there since 1976 (that is, they've been around beginning with their santa ana location. who knows when their MV location opened ... no matter). not a surprise, then, that 13 years after my own h.s. graduation, the pizza there is still fresh and delicious. be sure to visit the people at rubino's if you're ever in the suburbs of south o.c.! YUM.

online: rubinospizza.biz

modern times coffeehouse

modern times coffeehouse (in the politics and prose bookstore)
5015 connecticut avenue NW, washington, DC 20008
tel: 202) 362-2408
hours: monday-saturday 8am-10pm, sundau 8am-8pm

what was consumed: coffee! prosciutto, basil & mozzarella panino (prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, and olive oil on mini-ciabatta loaf, served warm); turkey, apple & brie (sliced turkey breast, granny smith apple, brie, and honey mustard on baguette, served warm)

i love bookstores. i could sit in bookstores all day long. reading, browsing, watching, sitting, spending money (and it is for this reason that i try to avoid bookstores if i can). and now that bookstores have coffeeshops attached (or has that always been the case?) all the more reason for me to spend hours and hours there.

in DC, there are a number of 'famous' bookstores for their guest authors, special events, and overall coolness. politics and prose is one of them (they always have lots of events and stuff that, yes, i've been meaning to go out to). what's more, i heard friend anna was working the affiliated coffeeshop. with that, i took the opportunity when meeting with ines to enjoy the bookstore, visit anna, and try out modern times coffeehouse.

located in the basement of 'politics and prose,' modern times offers a lot of the standard coffeeshop favorites - drip coffee, lattes, etc. additionally, they have a nice list of delicious soups, salads, sandwiches, baked goods, and breakfast options for one to choose from to go along with their delicious coffee.

ines and i visited on what had intended on being a sunday of good eats and reading. books in hand, we were ready for all that modern times had to offer. just as we walk in, we are greeted by a hustling and bustling cafe with not an empty table or chair. what to do? luckily, a nice young lady who was just about to leave offered us her table. thanks!
after quick glance at the menu, ines opted for the turkey, apple, & brie sandwich while i asked anna about her favorite (and/or popular) sandwich option and went with the panino. all of this, of course, to accompany my coffee (iced tea for ines).

our sandwiches came out not too much later. they were nice and warm, toasted, and oozing with cheese. so delicious. and a pickle on the side! the sandwiches were neither overly large nor ridiculously small. ines and i went halvsies and enjoyed bites of both sandwich types. delicious.

ines and i had a great time (and i finished the book i was reading at the time - hurrah!). i look forward to my next visit to modern times for some good reads and great eats!

online: http://www.moderntimescoffeehouse.com and http://moderntimescoffeehouse.blogspot.com