little serow

little serow

1511 17th street NW, washington, DC 20009

hours: tuesday-wednesday 5:30pm-10:00pm, thursday-sunday 5:30pm-10:30pm

what was consumed: the daily menu. and wine. delicious wine.

oh, little serow.

i hadn't heard about little serow until friend e wanted to go before leaving washington dc. on top of always being up for checking out new places, this invitation was even greater because e is super duper cool. little serow opens at 5:30, but we weren't sure what the line wasn't going to be like, as they don't take reservations (though if there's a wait, they'll take your number and send you a text message to let you know when your table is ready) and the entire place seats maybe 30 people. so e, t, and i decided to meet earlier, maybe grab a drink to check out "the line," then head over soon after they opened. we may have been a bit ambitious about your line-waiting, though, as we were the first ones to enter the restaurant soon after their doors opened. that was a-o-k with us!

this, of course, was after we had spent an embarrassing number of minutes walking around in front of the restaurant trying to figure out where it was. little serow (i think) is characterized as a "pop-up" restaurant. there's no big sign telling you where to go, thus explaining our confused pacing. i wonder if the staff in the restaurant get a big kick out of watching people walking around with confused faces trying to find the door. ha!

once inside, we were greeted, given a quick introduction and overview of the restaurant (e.g. the theme, fixed price, family style, thai food) and then shown to our seats. when we had questions about the wine/beer list, our server (as well as all of the other servers who came by our table) seemed really well versed in what how things tasted, what went good with what, and so on. maybe it's because i have such little knowledge about this sort of thing (or maybe it's because everything is good in my book), i appreciate knowledgeable servers and am happy to hear what they recommend.

soon, the food began to come out. we were ready for a feast (as we already knew we'd be in for quite a number of dishes), but we definitely got more than we expected. which made us quite happy. everything was served family style (i.e., the larger your party, the larger the portions), but there wasn't so much food that you'd be overwhelmed with the portions. that's good, though, in that there were so many courses. some dishes were spicy, some dishes were fishy, some dishes were crunchy, some dishes were soft, all dishes were colorful. lots of contrasting textures and flavors, all at the same time. there was also a constant supply of sticky rice and sliced (raw) vegetables. i often balled up the rice to soak up delicious sauces (we asked for some plates not to be taken so that we could do just that!) and used the vegetables to cleanse my palate (according to the servers' recommendations) and because i just love veggies. yes, i ate a lot. A LOT.

there was also something about the mood of the place. it was really dark inside (so taking photos was quite a feat). all of the servers were dressed in gingham (someone once described them as anthropologie-inspired) and country music was playing in the background. but you know what? totally works. it's supposed to be "country-style" thai food, right? soon after the doors opened, little serow filled up pretty quickly and people were almost constantly going in and out. it was always bustling, but never too loud (that is, i didn't have to yell to hear my dining partners). ambiance is so important; the ambiance at little serow made the dining experience even better.

the meal ended with a nice little bite, not mentioned on the menu. but it was definitely the perfect little bite to bring everything together. (sweetened?) coconut milk on sticky rice. just a little sweet, but not too much. delicious.

gosh. i haven't been this excited about a place to eat in a long time. and i'm not the only one! friends (some who are self-proclaimed foodies, others who've lived in thailand, even others who (like me) just enjoy good food) have been talking about it. a lot. i've been a couple of times now, and i can't wait to go again! that is, i hope it's as delicious (and still around) the next time i come around ...

online: http://www.littleserow.com/

boundary stone public house

boundary stone public house
116 rhode island avenue NW, washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 621-6635
hours: monday-thursday 12pm-2am, friday 12pm-3am, saturday 11am-3am, sunday 11am-2am

what was consumed: delicious cocktails, beer, hot honey wings, bacon burger

in DC, and maybe in lots of other places, lots of businesses are turning towards neighborhoods and "locals" as their primary target market. i think it's a great idea and am happy to support places near where i live. boundary stone is one of those places. i hadn't heard about it; admittedly, i haven't been paying attention these days (though i'm sure i'd pass by it frequently on my runs). no matter; when d said he wanted to check it out, i was happy to accompany.

when you get to boundary stone, you enter through a large and heavy sliding door. the bar is, then, to the left through another door (you enter into a dining area, turns out). there isn't anything fancy shmancy about its decor, but that's what helped me feel right at home.

boundary stone had a nice selection of beers and an amazing whiskey selection, as well as house specialty cocktails. i started the night off with a delicious old fashioned (remember, though, that i'm not a connoisseur. i simply enjoy. ha!). our bartender was knowledgeable about her bar, about the menu, and was overall fantastic.

food: all of the reviews i'd read recommended the bacon burger. i love burgers, so am always willing to try it out. the burger was well cooked (though the server didn't ask me how i wanted it cooked; nevertheless, it came out a nice medium/medium rare) on a buttery bun that had bacon spread on it. yes. bacon spread. i love it! i received a jar of bacon spread for my birthday (thanks, k!) and have been looking for even more ways to use it (besides dipping my fingers into the jar to directly consume. yes, i know. gross. but delicious). on burgers - of course! the burger also came with fries and ... homemade ketchup. now, i'm not a big ketchup fan. i think it's too sweet and doesn't taste anything like tomatoes. but boundary stone seems to make their ketchup homemade. d was saying something about it having cinnamon and other stuff (i've since forgotten -__-) ... ??? delicious. i think i still prefer going sans ketchup, but that didn't keep me from dipping some of my fries into boundary stone's variation.

the hot honey wings were also delicious. i'm usually not a fan of wings doused in sauce, but i was happy to get all of the sauce on my fingers this time around. while "honey" is in the name, the sauce wasn't overly sweet. it was, however, hot, with a nice spiciness. the wings were prepared well, crispy on the outside, but weren't soggy despite the sauce. and the meat came right off the bones. yum!!

the couple sitting next to us also highly recommended the quesedillas. i'll have to check them out the next time i'm around. so, if you're looking for a local place (and even if you're not) with a relaxed and neighborhood feel, swing by the boundary stone public house for a drink! you will most definitely enjoy it. see you there!

online: http://boundarystonedc.com/

old ebbitt grill

old ebbitt grill

675 15th street NW (between F street and G street), washington, DC 20005
tel: 202) 347-4800
happy hours: daily (except holidays) 3:30pm-6:30pm, 11pm-close

what was consumed: the orca platter!

the ladies and i set a date and finally got together. we decided on old ebbitt's to enjoy their raw bar (and a couple of bottles of wine, of course). while i was pretty sure i could enjoy the entire thing on my own (i might, next time!), k and i agreed to split their orca platter: 12 cocktail shrimp, 12 oysters, 12 clams, 12 crab claws, and a 1 pound lobster. the photos, above, show what the orca platter looked like when we were served, and then what it looked like after demolishing the entire thing. yes, we recreated an empty plate. delicious. when can we go again? it will not be too soon!

so, when hankering for oysters, or some other raw bar menu items, i highly recommend enjoying the fare at old ebbitt grill. some friends say it's the freshest and best in the city (i agree with the fresh quality). it's a total bonus that in addition to their regular happy hour, old ebbitt's has a reverse/late night happy hour. AND the happy hour applies anywhere in the restaurant, not just at the bar. i can't say that the drink deals are awesome (i don't even remember if there were any), but during HH, their entire raw bar (i think?) is half off - woohoo!

01 february 2010

old ebbitt grill
675 15th street NW (between F street and G street), washington, DC 20005
tel: 202) 347-4800
hours: monday-friday 7:30am-1am; saturday-sunday 8:30am-1am

what was consumed: spinach, artichoke, and crab dip; octoberfest platter (grilled knockwurst, bratwurst, and pork loin, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, caraway sauce and crispy fried onions); steamed canadian cove mussels (rope-cultured PEI mussels, marinara sauce, linguini, fresh herbs and garlic crouton); seafood jambalaya (shrimp, mussels, calamari, scallops, clams, chicken chorizo sausage, vegetable stew and rice)

i read about old ebbitt grill soon after i moved to DC. talk about how capital hill big wigs come here, its historical significance, a tourist draw, etc. i have to admit, the tourist-y-ness of what i read was actually quite intriguing. would i really see the DC version of celebrities? incentive to go! i honestly didn't even think about the food.

so, when friend stacey was in town, and we were looking for a place to grab a bit to eat sort of late in the evening, stumbling upon old ebbitt grill was a great find - hurrah!

old ebbitt grill is a part of the clyde's franchise (if that means anything?), so a lot of the specials that are at clyde's is also at old ebbitt grill (like their lobster meal in the summer! yumyumyum). point is, the food at old ebbitt grill is good - pretty standard american fare, i guess you can say. the crab dip we started with was a little on the salty side, but since i love salty food, it appeased my palate greatly (haha). i countinued with the octoberfest platter (you really can't go wrong with brawts! and smashed potatoes. yes, smashed. and sauerkraut! no knockwurst in my platter - they were out! sucks. i did get a double dousing of smahsed potatoes (oh, and a brawt replacement) instead, so i was happy ^_^). hearty, classic, solid. i enjoyed the meal that i had and will most likely visit old ebbitt grill to enjoy their fare again. they don't offer super unique dishes or culinary marvels, but if you want a good meal that is filling and have a great time (all while seemingly rubbing shoulders with capital hill-ers, supposedly), then old ebbitt's grill is the place to go!

AND! the service at old ebbitt grill is fantastic. the servers are nice, knowledgeable, and seem to be overall concerned about your visit and want to make it as pleasant as possible.

i also read (on their menu) that old ebbitt has a regular AND a reverse happy hour (i.e., late night eats) for their raw bar. YUM. let's go!

online: http://www.ebbitt.com/

america eats tavern

america eats tavern
405 8th street NW, washington, DC 20004
tel: 202) 393-0812

what was consumed: hangtown fry (with oysters, eggs, and bacon), vermicelli prepared with pudding (the grandfather of today's mac 'n' cheese), jumbalaya, strawberry shortcake dessert, wiiiiine~~~

i am a jose andres fan. let's just get that out in the open right now. i've been trying to get reservations at 'mini bar' for some time now and am willing to dish out bucks to eat there. and so, i'd say, jose andres can do little wrong in my book.

when america eats tavern took over cafe atlantico, i was a little sad because i enjoyed much of what cafe atlantico offered (mostly the guacamole. which i can eat gallons of). but when i heard about the join effort between jose andres and the nat'l archives, i was intrigued (as was the rest of the dc/metro community, i imagine). so, when friend made the suggestion and was able to score some reasonable reservations, we were on our way. yay!

we walked into the restaurant and were quickly seated in our seats. the interior of the space is the same as cafe atlantico (of course) in that there are multiple floors of dining, but the space is rather ... narrow. but wide enough to have some privacy among different dining parties. the walls are also filled with historic (?) american art reflecting some of the history of u.s. food. there were already quite a few diners present, already eating food. the interior seemed the servers quickly came to take our drink order and explain the concept behind america eats (their website does a far better job than i could, so i'm going to forego that story here. but it's really cool!).

m and i decided to split a 3-course meal between us. i figured that'd be enough food (and it was). we picked a few favorites (mac 'n cheese) and an oyster dish (i had read that some sort of oyster dish was a must! works for me! and yes, i read about food (and others' opinion about food) rather frequently) that i heard was really good. they also had great oysters on the half shell (which i enjoyed on a subsequent visit to america eats) that was served with a variety of citrus add-ons. i will have to say that the mac 'n cheese made with vermicelli is something i could eat every day. loves it.

for our entree, we chose the very shareable jambalaya (in fact, it's supposed to be shared). it was chock full of shrimp, sausage, and other goodies, served with a fresh salsa/salad of peppers that was a nice and cool addition to the piping hot jambalaya. the jambalaya, while prepared in the kitchen (of course) is plated right at your table. very nice, very nice. i will have to say that the jambalaya was a bit of the salty side. but it's supposed to be that way ... ??? frankly, i really would've have it another way. so much so that i had it again at a subsequent visit. haha.

and, of course, dessert. neither m nor i are big sweets fans. but we do appreciate fresh and in-house-made things. our strawberry shortcake dessert was fresh, light, not too sweet, and a nice end to our meal.

america eats has a nice selection of beers and wines as well, and options that aren't overly expensive. that's always nice to see.

i've both been back to america eats as well as visited the exhibit at the national archives (though, both times i've been to the archives, i hurried through the museum because i was running short on time. maybe the third time will be the charm? and really, i can't seem to see the declaration of independence and constitution enough! do you blame me? nerd.) and still look forward to going back. again. next time, i'll be sure to get something other than the jambalaya. but it's so good! sigh.

online: http://www.americaeatstavern.com/

the sweet lobby

the sweet lobby
404 8th street SE, washington, DC 20003
tel: 202) 544-2404
hours: monday-thursday 10am-9pm, friday-saturday 10am-10pm

what was consumed: macarons! i've had a variety of flavors, but my favorite is the salted caramel. by far. once, they didn't have any (they were making more) and i almost cried. seriously. k also tells me that their cupcakes are delicious. i trust her opinion. you should too.

i'm not big on sweets. i've even once said, albeit facetiously (because all presents are wonderful), that i'd waaaay rather receive a bag of beef jerky over a box of chocolates (and FOR SURE over flowers. flowers suck. no offense). i'm also the lame restaurant patron who will ask if a side salad or fries (always fries!) may be substituted in a price fixe menu. nevertheless, my desire to try all things food does not preclude me from trying delicious desserts. so, when k told me that i had to try the "perfect macarons" from the sweet lobby, i couldn't resist. per usual.

after a nice lunch, k and i were looking for a little something to have with our mid-day cocktails (yay mid-day cocktails!). she mentioned that there was a (relatively) new place on barracks row that i had to try. she knows that i'm not one for sweets (she really isn't either), but she said that i just had to try the macarons. i, of course, was happy to oblige. so, we head over to the north end of barracks row into a really tiny tiny store front, where we were greeted by a glass case of cupcakes, neatly lined up. looking oh so sweet and pretty. on the other side of the L-shaped counter was the glass case of the macarons we were there to enjoy.

i don't have lots of experience with macarons. i've had some delicious ones in san francisco, but that's about it? i understand, though, that the texture is just as important as the flavor of the macaron. agreed!

k and i got a box of 6 to share. the sweet lobby has a variety of flavors for you to choose from. some are more ... traditional flavors as well as unique and new flavors. we got a few of the more interesting flavors (including passion fruit and green tea). she told me that i just had to try the salted caramel, her favorite; we each got one.

the macaron shell was just perfect - light, soft and yet crisp on the outside, just the right texture. the filling was chewy, but not gummy, sweet, but not overwhelming. i'm glad k suggested i get the salted caramel - it is now my favorite macaron. a nice combination of salty and sweet. YUM.

the sweet lobby also has a neat story - be sure to check it out on their website (they do a far better job telling the story than i do).

k has since gone to, and returned from, paris and had authentic macarons. i'll have to ask her how the sweet lobby compares. in the meantime ... i'll take another salted caramel macaron, please! thanks ^_^

online: http://www.sweetlobby.com/

thai x-ing

thai x-ing
515 florida avenue NW, washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 332-4322
hours: tuesday-sunday 5:00pm-10pm

what was consumed: fixed price special dishes menu (chef's choice!) which included a cilantro and onion chicken salad, soup (2 kinds), squash curry, poached fish, mussels, noodles (like drunken noodles ... ?), and dessert (mango slices with sticky rice)

thai x-ing had been on my list of "must eat" for some time now. but the thought of making reservations well in advance and a fixed price menu was sort of intimidating (i'm not sure why). but when friend m invited me along, i was in!

our entire party met at the east u street exit, out of convenience (the nearest metro is shaw/howard university), then walked the loooooong walk (ok, it wasn't that long. but it was a hot summer DC night. blech) over to the ledroit park location. when we approached 515 florida avenue NW, a rowhouse turned restaurant, i was quickly overwhelmed by the delicious scents that were coming out of the place.

thai x-ing has a downstairs and an upstairs. after a quick peek downstairs (it's super duper tiny - looks like that's where the kitchen is?), we head up the stoop stairs, took off our shoes (as directed), then head to the upstairs dining area.

thai x-ing has take-out options (or so i hear), but the way to go is to make reservations (which you will have to do well in advance) and enjoy the chef's specialties available through the fixed price dining option. i found the multi-course dinner to be well worth the money that i paid. we even left with food to go! which means we had a lot of food considering the size and characteristics of our group (i.e., i was in the group and i eat A LOT). thai x-ing also does not serve alcohol, but is not opposed to you bringing your own and enjoying it during the meal. we surely did!

our meal began with a fresh chicken and cilantro salad. it was chock full of cilantro and onions, had a really fresh flavor, and was lightly dressed with thai flavors. while i love the flavor of cilantro and onions, i don't particularly enjoy chewing them. i.e., the salad was quite tasty, but i didn't eat a whole lot of it. the others at my table seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

next was the soup. we were given 2 kinds! one was similar to tom yum soups i've had at thai restaurants in the past (maybe that was what it was. i don't know what all of these dishes are called and our server referred to them simply as "soup" - haha. despite the heat of outside, the warm soup was delicious. i prefer it more spicy, but it was still delicious. a lighter broth filled with veggies, and welcomed hints of lemongrass. the other soup had a light broth with cooked cucumber stuffed with beef (or was it pork? anyway, stuffed with some sort of meat) which i hadn't seen too much of, but still greatly enjoyed.

next was a squash (i think) curry and poached whole fish (there were, like, 3 huge fish for the 8 of us. i love it!). this was, of course, served with (white) rice. we piled the rice onto our plates, then drowned them in the curry sauce that was flavorful and chock full of squash, veggies, and other goodies. and the fish! i love fish and wish i was better at preparing it myself. the fish came out with a sauce that we poured all of the fish. the sauce helped to take away what others would describe as the "fishy" smell (it's a fish, what else is it supposed to smell like?) and don't enjoy. anyway, we proceeded to devour the fish, leaving pretty much just the bones.

after the fish and curry, and we (mistakenly) thought we were finished with the main portions of our meal (we were pretty full), we were served baked thai-style mussels that had its own sort of curry on top of it. it's sort of hard to see, but there were grilled veggies that accompanied the mussels, which were topped with basil, garlic, etc. - the usual delicious toppings that often accompany thai cuisine. oh, and it was not one, but two plates of mussels. we were thoroughly stuffed by the end of this course.

and then, AND THEN, noodles. i love noodles! but i was so full, i didn't get to eat that much of 'em (we took the leftovers home), but i made sure to at least have a bite. so delicious! our noodles were similar to what you would get if you order drunken noodles (that is, the noodles were fat), but the noodles were covered with much more curry/sauce.

our meal ended with some dessert. yes, there was even dessert - sticky rice with sliced mango. the sticky rice was just the right sweetness (i.e., not a lot), and a great end to the meal, despite me already being totally full. i passed on the mangos (i'm not a fan of fruit AND i was overly full), but my party kept telling me to try as they were really delicious. i'm sure they were!

we all rolled out of thai x-ing, leftovers in hand, talking about how great our meal was. agreed, agreed, agreed!

do you have reservations for thai x-ing? do you have an extra spot? let me know! i want to go! delicious delicious delicious!

online: http://www.thaix-ing.com/

medium rare

medium rare
3500 connecticut avenue NW, washington, DC 20008
tel: 202) 237-1432
hours: monday-sunday 5pm-10:30pm, saturday-sunday 11am-2:30pm

what was consumed: bread, salad, steak & frites (seriously, there are no other options) ... oh, and wine

i love the concept of medium rare: fresh ingredients, well prepared fare, set menu ... so, on a slow-ish weekend, c&j and i head out to get our fill of medium rare. c tried to call and make reservations (recommended), but couldn't get one (i forget the reason why). we decided to take a shot and wait for a table - are we glad we did!

we walked into the basement-esque first floor of the building to medium rare, already hustling and bustling with people. while we were worried about getting seated within a reasonable amount of time, the hostess assured us that we would be seated in 20-ish minutes .. and we were! (in the end, we resolved that that the tables turn over pretty quickly here, despite people taking their jolly time, because all of the time hemming and hawing over what to order is automatically cut out - good call!). the hostess showed us to our table, and our server soon came to our table, took our drink order, asked how we liked our steak cooked ("medium rare!" we all shouted. seriously), and off he went! that was it. simple.

medium rare was delicious. soon after our server took our "order," he returned with some freshly cut bread and butter (i know freshly cut because i saw the server actually cutting the bread) - chewy, crusty, delicious. then came out plates of crisp salad, lightly dressed with a sort of honey mustard. i'm usually not a big fan of honey mustards, this dressing wasn't too overwhelming with mustard flavor, so it was a nice compliment to the fresh greens. then, just as we polished of our salads, our server came with our plates of steak and frites. the steak was cooked to perfection - medium rare. the steak is served with a steak sauce that is liberally poured over the slices. while i'm not a sauce person, i happily welcomed the dousing of my steak with this sauce. j described the sauce like the rarebit sauce at meridian pint. i concur! finger lickin' delicious (to borrow a phrase). the frites were nice and crispy, well salted. and what makes a great thing even greater? seconds! that's right. after your first go at he steak and frites, our server came back with another serving of steak and frites and sauce. we proceeded to enjoy every bite (other friends who've been tell me they wrapped up the seconds to enjoy the next day. not us. all gone that night). we literally waddled out of there, totally content with the food we had just inhaled, knowing we would be dreaming of steak and frites that night. DELICIOUS!

so, let me know when you want to go, because i will happily accompany you. i can't wait to go again! yum!

online: http://www.mediumrarerestaurant.com/

luke's lobster shack

luke's lobster shack
624 E street NW, washington, DC 20004
tel: 202) 347-3355
hours: daily 11am-10pm

what was consumed: schooner combo (crab roll, maine root soda, miss vickie's ships, pickle), hurricane's soups (maine lobster bisque)

i didn't grow up on the same coast as the great state of maine. as a result, i'm relatively new to the phenomenon that is the lobster roll. and i am loving it! i have been to a few establishments and have indulged in their lobster rolls (delicious). and no, i have not (yet) waited in that super duper long line for the red hook lobster truck (but my time is coming). but it is true that 'the lobster roll' is becoming a standard addition to many places. also, there seems to be a sharing of NYC's cuisine with us down here in "the south" (well, sort of "the south" here in DC). i welcome them with open arms.

that is, i welcome luke's lobster shack with open arms. friend s and i were trying to think of a place to grab a good bite to eat. yay for the (then) newly opened luke's lobster shack! they have a pretty limited menu as it is primarily seafood rolls, soups, chips, and sodas (making it easier to make a decision because i have a hard time with deciding what to order). it's nice to have a limited number of things to choose from. i like that luke's specializes in something, and does it very well. when i visited, they were out of the shrimp roll. i take this to mean that once something sells out, they are out, until they get a fresh new shipment in. that's a good thing, right? right? right?

so, in the midst of the usually crazy busy chinatown area, we walked in to a pretty empty luke's (we luckily got in before the dinner/pre-verizon center crowd), ordered our meals from their window, and proceeded to scan the (sort of small) dining area as we had the pick of our seats (yay for early dining!).

i opted for the crab version of the schooner combo (s got the lobster, and she tells me it was delicious!). it was chock full of crab meat, lightly seasoned (with mayonnaise? butter? lemon? some combination of the 3?) on a lightly butter-toasted bun. i really appreciated that, while buttery, the roll wasn't dripping with butter. that just seems to take away from the flavor of what is supposed to be filling the roll - the seafood!

i also couldn't resist the lobster bisque. i know that the bisque is usually made with cream, and cream often upsets my stomach, but i was willing to take the risk. the bisque was delicious! creamy, just seasoned enough, filled with lobster meat ...

i will have to visit luke's again to try the lobster and shrimp rolls. and with the way my appetite has been lately, it will be during the same visit! yes, i eat a lot. oink oink. but i will make room for the fares from luke's lobster shack! nom nom nom ...

online: http://lukeslobster.com/dc/