Those Who Can't Cook Eat

How to give yourself a heart attack in 10 minutes

2009-09-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

Shortly before my departure for Ghana and the day after Aaron left DC for Pakistan, Shanon and Greg took me on a long bike ride to Alexandria for lunch to cheer me up. Once we made it Alexandria, we dragged our sore butts up King Street looking for a place to eat. We settled on Eamonn's Dublin Chipper because we all agreed that we were in the mood for burgers and fries. The ambiance in the restaurant was great and the owner was extremely welcoming. They sold Strongbow cider which basically gave them four stars in my eyes right then and there. I completely forgot about that 5 mile bike ride back to DC and proceeded to have two Strongbows (which I would regret later).

Everything seemed quite promising until Shanon prepared to order to burger. She (unlike me) actually read the menu fully and I overheard her asking if she could have her burger grilled. It was then that I realized everything on the menu had the words "battered" next to it. My favorite line of the day and perhaps the week was the kind server's reaction: "everything is fried...that is what WE do here." And, the man spoke the truth. Our burgers were delivered to us deep fried in batter and bun-less. Greg made the wise decision to order a fish sandwich which was quite tasty. The fries were delicious and the Strongbow was extremely tasty (as mentioned above). I really could not get over the burger though. Shanon and I both ended up scraping the batter off and just eating the burger but we left to climb back on our bikes, it felt like we had a brick in our stomachs. I would certainly go back to Eamon's but I think I would take the Metro and stick with the fish sandwiches next time.

Eamonn's Dublin Chipper

728 King Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

http://www.eamonnsdublinchipper.com/

Back Again!

2009-09-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

I have not updated the blog in almost four months now which is pretty sad considering how much eating I have been doing. I was away for the summer in Ghana and then vacation in India with friends. The Internet connection did not lend itself well to updates and now I feel too overwhelmed to update much. So, I am taking the lazy way out and presenting you with a montage of my eating adventures over the summer. In sum: Ghana not so great in the food department except for the Jollof Rice; India made me gain 10 lbs.

Success!

2009-05-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

During my recent trip home, I made my sister and Dean take at least a dozen photos of me with Lewis on the chance that they would have to post something on their blog: http://lew-bear.blogspot.com/.

I am happy to report that I achieved my goal and was featured on the illustrious blog last week:
http://lew-bear.blogspot.com/2009/05/sarahs-visit.html

I can die happy now :)

The Marx Cafe

2009-05-31T07:31:00.000-07:00

I have been MIA from the blog for the past couple weeks, but it was entirely beyond my control. Aaron and I have both been preparing for a summer away for work and keeping hours that are not exactly conducive to hobbies.

At any rate a few weeks ago, Janette joined us for beers and a game of dominoes on a sunny Sunday afternoon. We chose the Marx Cafe because it is one of the few places near us that catches the good afternoon sun. Janette sat down in the sunniest spot possible and curled up like cat in heaven. Janette and Aaron enjoyed the Sunday special on Pabst Blue Ribbon and I splurged a little on Peroni. I lugged my 10 lbs domino set with me and we ended up playing a domino tournament which Aaron won as usual.

I have yet to have any food at the Marx Cafe but it was a great Sunday afternoon spot for having a couple beers and hanging out with friends. During nice weather they open the front windows allowing for fresh breezes and excellent people watching. Rumor also has it that they will be opening a roof deck soon. I would highly recommend Marx Cafe for those with time to kill on the weekend. And don't forgot the dominoes.

The Marx Cafe
3203 Mt. Pleasant Street, NW
Washington, DC 20010
202-518-7600
http://www.marxcafemtp.com/

The Hotel Congress

2009-05-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

Mom and I made a little trip down to Tucson to take Jill home and visit Dean and Lewis of the famed Lew-Bear blog (http://lew-bear.blogspot.com/). After a long walk around their neighborhood in Barrio Viejo we decided to take Lewis with us to dinner and headed toward the Cup Cafe at the Hotel Congress in downtown Tucson.

The Hotel Congress gained fame as the site of the Dillinger Gang's arrest in 1934 after the hotel caught fire. Now a days, the Hotel Congress is still an operating hotel with a great bar and restaurant, the Cup Cafe. Mom and I snuck upstairs and wandered around a little bit while we waited for a table. After a couple drinks on the bar's patio, we moved over to the restaurant and enjoyed a really great meal. Jill and Dean have been to the Cup Cafe many times before and seemed to know exactly what they were going to have. It was the Sonoran Crab Cakes (pan-seared blue crab cakes with anaheim, red and jalapeno peppers, bread crumbs and sonoran spices) for Jill and the Rib Eye Au Poivre (pan-seared, thick cut rib eye crusted with black peppercorns served over garlic mash potatoes and seasonal veggies) for Dean.

Mom and I took a little longer to select our dishes but it ended up being Tournedos of Beef for me and the linguine for Mom. The Lindsey Linguine was tossed with fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and Parmesan cheese and Mom found it to be a great, light meal for a late spring evening in Arizona. My dish was a little heavier and consisted for grilled medallions of beef, braised red cabbage, whole roasted rosemary potatoes and a Gorgonzola cream sauce. I'm not a huge fan of cabbage, so a great deal of that was left on my plate, but the rest of the meal was fabulous.

The meal was great and I would highly recommend the Hotel Congress and the Cup Cafe to anyone who finds themselves in Tucson. The special treat for us was Lewis and Dean's dog show at the end of the night which can only be described as priceless.

The Hotel Congress
311 East Congress Street
Tucson, AZ 85701

Take your daughter to lunch day...

2009-05-10T11:17:00.001-07:00

The last time I was home, my dad introduced me to Humble Pie Pizza. I absolutely fell in love with their wood-smoked prosciutto pizza. From the minute I landed in Phoenix on Thursday afternoon, I started talking about Humble Pie. It was not until my last day in town, however, that Dad and I found the time for an early lunch at my favorite pizza place. I should not really call Humble Pie my favorite pizza place because I have only been there twice and only tried one of their pizzas. However, the wood-smoked prosciutto pizza with mozzarella and a sunny-side up egg, is the thing of dreams. The egg is really what does it. That and the fact that they cook the prosciutto to the point that it is practically bacon.

Dad branched out and tried the BLT Pizza which was on special. This proved to be a bit of a mistake. The pizza was basically a prosciutto pizza with a large salad on top of it. Normally, I would think that sounded pretty interesting, but in this case it was basically romaine lettuce covered in a dressing of mayonnaise. This was not appetizing.

So Dad and I order another round of beers and he focused on the pizza under the coleslaw. Humble Pie has Four Peaks Kilt Lifter Scottish Style Ale which is my favorite beer on draft, so that would make up for almost any shortcoming. We did not fit a visit to the Four Peaks Brewery onto the schedule this time around, but if you are ever in AZ, Four Peaks should definitely be a stop on your agenda (http://www.fourpeaks.com/).

The morale of the story is that Humble Pie is still one of my favorite places in AZ, but I would stay away from the pizzas that involve mayonnaise. Unless, of course, you really really like mayonnaise.

Humble Pie Pizza
6149 North Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
480-556-9900
http://www.humblepieusa.com/

Off to AZ...

2009-05-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of going home to Arizona this past week, so the next few posts will be of a slightly different nature. Dad sold a house a few days before I arrived, so he kindly requested that my mom take Jill and I out for a little shopping and lunching. It has been quite awhile since I searched through the sale racks at Anthropologie with my mom and sister, so I was pretty excited. After about three hours, however, I was also pretty hungry and exhausted. The three of us wandered over to the Zinc Bistro in Scottsdale's Kierland Commons. Mom and I had eaten there once before and had vague memories of it being tasty. Plus, it had outdoor seating and on such a nice day it seemed like a crime to sit indoors.

I instantly felt at home in the establishment, because the prices were basically the same as Washington, DC. A disappointing discovery in Arizona. Mimosas were $12 and the burgers were $11 without a side of fries. After I had taken a few minutes to recover from the shock of the prices, I went with a Stella Artois rather than the mimosa and ordered the Basiled Chicken and Brie Sandwich ($10) for my meal. Jill went with the Grilled Curry Chicken Sandwich ($10) with shaved almonds and raisins. I strongly considered the curry sandwich myself, but bad childhood memories involving curry and raisins changed my mind at the last minute. Mom went with the $11 Bacon Blue Cheese Burger. As a table we caved and ordered the House Fries with marjoram and paprika.

Overall, the lunch was great (but that was mostly as a result of the company). The Basiled Chicken Brie Sandwich was tasty but a little too rich for my tastes. I could barely get through half and the family had to help me out with the rest. I tasted Jill's curry chicken sandwich and realized that I was right about the evil raisins. Mom's burger was the winner in my opinion and I got over the fact that we had to pay $5 for fries.

Zinc Bistro is a great place if you have some extra cash to burn, the weather is nice and you like watching all the fabulous Scottsdale women lunching on a Saturday afternoon. Otherwise, you could probably find more affordable and perhaps more interesting food somewhere else.

Zinc Bistro
15034 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
480-603-0922
http://www.zincbistroaz.com/index.html

And Sundays just keeping getting better

2009-04-27T18:38:00.000-07:00

So, Ardeo Bardeo pretty much put me into a food coma for most of Sunday. It was the kind of food coma that keeps you from cleaning your apartment and working on that paperwork you promised you would conquer over the weekend, but not the kind of food coma that keeps you from going out to have a couple more drinks.

The real achievement on Sunday was that Amy and I were able to tear Aaron away from his papers and finals studies for a late afternoon treat. I had never been to Zaytinya in Chinatown before but Amy was all excited about her recent discovery that they were offering their happy hour on Sunday afternoons from 4:30-6:30 so we decided to give it a shot.

It ended up being quite the afternoon. The bartender and mixologist at Zaytinya were preparing for a special dinner that evening and as some of the few patrons at the bar while she was getting ready, we had the pleasure of being her guinea pigs. Three distinct cocktails followed, the content of which mostly escape me now. The lack of details is really neither here nor there, since they do not offer the drinks on their regular menu, but if you do go ask about their Plymouth vodka and sous vide rhubarb cocktail and see if you get lucky.

In general, the happy hour is well worth it even if you don't have the luck of wandering into a taste test. Yuengling and Almaza Pilsner are $4. A selection of white and red wines are also $4, but the real highlight is the signature cocktail of the the happy hour: the Pom-Fili. Made with white wine, vodka, triple sec and pomegranate juice the Pom-Fili goes down easy and for $4 you won't feel guilty ordering a few.

Zaytinya
701 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-638-0800
http://www.zaytinya.com/

A brunch that might actually be worth $30...

2009-04-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of brunch. Before moving to DC, it was not something that I did very often. I was a quick study, however, and brunch has now become a regular Sunday morning/afternoon activity for me. Generally, by Sunday morning I am feeling pretty bad about the money I spent on drinks and food Friday and Saturday, so I try to keep brunch prices within reason. This last Sunday, however, Janette and I had been disappointed in our first brunch choice because they no longer served brunch. In our cranky desperation to find food, we decided to splurge and try Ardeo Bardeo in Cleveland Park.

Ardeo Bardeo turned out to be a cornucopia of pleasant surprises. First, it turned out they had a roof top deck which was perfect for the sunny Sunday morning. Second, and most importantly, they offer a $25 Champagne Brunch special. I still consider $25 for brunch to be a pretty hefty fee, but the special included an appetizer, main entree and unlimited mimosas (the waiter explained that the caveat to the "unlimited" mimosas was that they would cut you off around 9 or 10 if you were behaving badly). Since the mimosas were $9 a piece on the regular menu, the special seemed like it would pay for itself pretty quickly.

Janette was showing some self-restraint because she had some lawyer work to do in the afternoon, so she ordered the char broiled natural beef burger with spicy tomato relish, smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and hand cut fries for $12. She skipped the mimosas much to my disappointment. I went with the special and chose the bruschetta with baby egg plant and vidalia onions as my appetizer (regular price $8). For the entree, I went with the Eggs Benedict...perfectly poached eggs on an english muffin with fennel sausage and hollandaise sauce (regular price $12).

Both Janette and I were extremely happy with our choices. I shared the bruschetta because I felt like a bit of a heifer eating two dishes and drinking unlimited mimosas. Janette declared that her burger was one of the better burgers she had ever had. This is major praise from a Texas girl whose father has his own cows. My Eggs Benedict were pretty serious. The fennel sausage was more like two small hamburger patties and to say I was full at the end of brunch would be the understatement of the year.

Basically, the rest of the Sunday consisted of sitting around and maybe drinking a little bit more. I checked in with Janette on Monday and all her efforts to avoid the mimosas seem to have come to naught as her brunch coma had her watching reruns of an unnamed cable show until late in the afternoon.

Ardeo Bardeo may not be the type of place that you can swing every weekend, but for special occasions and days with really nice weather it is hard to beat the Champagne Brunch.

Ardeo Bardeo
3311 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20008
202-244-6750
http://www.ardeorestaurant.com/

The hot days are back again...

2009-04-26T18:55:00.001-07:00

Somehow DC appears to have managed to skip spring. We went from a few nice days mixed in with days that back to winter temps to 90 degree weather in about 12 hours. While it might not seem like the most appropriate thing to do on the first really hot day of the year, Amy and I spent Saturday eating hot Korean soup in a shack with no air conditioning and then walking around a massive park for three hours with no water.

Amy and I have been talking about going to the Korean wholesale market at 4th and Morse Streets in NE for some time. It just so happened that the day we finally decided to go was ridiculously hot. Amy is also on a mission to do all the things there are to do in DC before she leaves us and moves to India, so Saturday's adventure also included the National Arboretum off New York Ave, NE.

Amy and I met in Korea, so Korean food is something of a bond for us and I was very excited about the little restaurant she pulled me into at the Wholesale Market, even if the name of the restaurant was "Deli and Carry-Out." I ordered my stand-by of Mandu Guk (translation dumping soup) and Amy had ordered a spicy beef soup whose official title has already escaped me. We had our standard side dish of kimchi and splurged on Diet Cokes which made a huge difference in the tiny, hot restaurant. We chose a table strategically placed next to the drink cooler so that anytime someone grabbed a drink we got a nice little breeze.

Koreans are firm believers that on hot days you should eat hot food, so that you sweat more and therefore your body cools from the inside out (I think that is the logic, I get confused sometimes). I would have made my Korean host-mother proud on Saturday because I sweated my way through that entire lunch. My Mandu Guk was fantastic with homemade dumplings and lots of duk (Korean rice paddies). I did not get a chance to sample Amy's but she did a very admirable job of packing it away so it must have been good.

After our heavy meals, we purchased Korean ramen noodles in bulk and then drove over to the National Arboretum. Unbeknownst to us, we came during the high weekend for the Azaleas at the Arboretum and it was quite a sight. I felt like the Arboretum was some big secret that people in DC had been keeping from us. It was beautiful with lots of nice shady spots for lounging on hot sunny days. Sadly, Amy and I are not the best planners and failed to bring anything about warm Diet Cokes on our trek. In the future, coolers with cold beverages and a picnic blanket are highly recommended. However, in a tight spot the water from the faucets in the numerous (and very clean) bathrooms is deliciously cold.

For those of you who can get there the Deli and Carry Out at the Korean Wholesale market is a must, especially if you are a fan of Korean food. For those of you a little less adventurous, the Arboretum is a great place to bring a packed lunch and some carefully disguised cold adult beverages. Enjoy the summer time!

Beautiful Weather and Waffles!

2009-04-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

This last weekend proved to be one of the best that we have had in a long long time. The sun was out and the temperatures were high. Some of us (meaning almost everyone but me) took advantage of the beautiful weather to go for a run in Rock Creek Park at 8:30 in the morning. I chose to sleep until 9:45 when Avery called me and lulled me out of bed to come and meet them for breakfast. As you can see from the photos I was still a little rough around the edges when I arrived at Dos Gringos in Mt. Pleasant. Bad hair and puffy eyes not withstanding, I was very happy and excited to be up and ordering waffles with fruit on a lovely Saturday morning.

My running friends had been telling me about Dos Gringos since last summer. Aaron and I tried to go once for dinner, but when we found out there was no alcohol we reconsider because we generally have one track minds on Saturday evenings. Saturday morning, however, seemed like the perfect time to enjoy the tasty breakfast treats and the warm sunshine on the porch. Several of the groups members ordered the burrito special of the day with a side of fried plantains. Greg went for the Daily Frittata served with fruit and chipotle roasted potatoes topped with cheese ($6.50). I took Kristin's advice and went for the Belgian Waffles with maple syrup and a side of fresh fruit ($4 for the waffles and an extra $1 for the fruit). For an extra $1.50 you can also get chocolate syrup, whipped cream and nuts on your waffle. Coffees and fresh orange juice were also ordered and after a short altercation with a biking group about the chairs they stole from us, the breakfast was greatly enjoyed. Greg and I took the liberty of ordering cinnamon rolls because they just looked so good in the little display case. The staff put a spoonful of icing on the top and then heated the cinnamon rolls until the frosting melted and the rolls were virtually swimming in icing. They were quite possibly the tastiest things I have had in awhile. So good in fact, that I covertly moved the bowl closer to Kristin so that I could get some help with eating the whole thing and save myself some guilt. The only down side for me was the orange juice. While it said fresh squeezed I have had better quality from the Simple Orange Juice at any local grocery store.

Overall, I think I have found a delicious and indulgent new spot for breakfast...even if, unlike the rest of the runners, I did nothing to earn it.

Dos Gringos
3116 Mt. Pleasant Street, NW
202-462-1159
http://www.dosgringoscafe.com/index.htm

A special thanks for the post also goes out to Shanon. In my just rolled out of bed fogginess, I forgot to bring my camera to breakfast, so Shanon heroically stepped in. She managed to take one of the MOST unattractive photos of me that I have ever seen, but the waffles looked so good I could not resist posting. See below:

A Journey to VA

2009-04-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

As a DC resident without a car, it is with great trepidation that I venture into the realms of Virginia and Maryland. This aversion is in no way related to States themselves, just that I often find it difficult to think of any restaurant/bar/mind blowing entertainment source that could really make the 40-minute Metro ride home worth it. I do, however, get very excited when friends with cars make plans to trek out to VA or MD and invite me to come along. Some of you may think it is a sad day when one considers the Potomac States an adventure, but for me it is just the novelty of being in a car and getting driven from place to place without walking six blocks to a Metro station and waiting 20 minutes for a ride...but I digress.

Our trip to VA this last weekend was the inspiration of Avery who knew of a good Indian food restaurant in the vicinity of the Dairy Godmother, a frozen custard and sorbet shop in Del Ray. I got the distinct impression that the Bombay Curry Company was just a pit stop on the way to sugary creamy goodness, so I was pleasantly surprised when dinner turned out to be the highlight (at least for me).
The Bombay Curry Company is pretty nondescript from the outside and the interior is about the same. The extremely cozy restaurant has about 12 tables and two waiters, but there was no wait when we arrived around 7:30 on a Saturday evening. The waiter was extremely friendly and helpful, and the wine prices were a welcome relief from DC standards. The average price for a bottle of wine was $19 with wine by the glass coming in at about $6.50 (so...there was mathematical reasoning behind ordering the whole bottle). Avery, Kristin and I all ordered the Butter Chicken entree because there was no Chicken Masala on the menu and that was all we had talked about on the car ride to the restaurant. Marie branched out and ordered the Chicken Jhalfrezi (stir-fried chicken with tomatoes, onions and green peppers). As a table we ordered three sides: Dal Makhani (black lentils simmered overnight with spices), Bharta (Pureed charcoal-roasted eggplant sauteed with onions and tomatoes), and Raita (grated cucumber in blended yogurt). The food came out quickly and in greater quantities than I had expected. Somehow everyone but Marie managed to clear their plates and I even ordered a second round of naan. I interpret Marie's ability to leave food on her plate not to any self restraint on her part, but simply assume that her dish was not as tasty as the Butter Chicken that Kristin, Avery and I put away so efficiently.

The natural next step to gorging on Indian food is to drive three blocks to the Dairy Godmother. I had never heard of this place before Saturday night, but the rest of my party were firm advocates. My novice status was apparent when I allowed myself to be temped into ordering a sorbet while the more experienced of the bunch when straight for the sundaes. My Lemon Lavender sorbet was very tasty at first, but the tartness became a little overwhelming after a few bites and my mouth alternated between numb and tingling for the rest of the night. Marie and Kristin's Turtle Sundaes with vanilla custard, whipped cream, hot fudge, caramel and pecans was obviously delicious and Avery's Brownie Sundae won by sheer size. For those of you make your first trip to the Dairy Godmother, I would have to recommend the Sundaes, but the sorbets have some pretty intriguing flavors like Pink Grapefruit with Angostura Bitters, Pineapple with Cilantro, Cucumber with Fresh Mint, and Papaya with Fresh Ginger and are worth a try on your second visit. Basically, I think you will need to make SEVERAL trips to the Dairy Godmother to truly appreciate all they have to offer. Just don't go on a Tuesday as that is the one day each week when the Dairy Godmother closes its doors.

All in all...it was a very productive and enjoyable trip to the nether regions of VA. Now, I will just need to convince other friends with cars to drive me out there again.

The Bombay Curry Company
3110 Mount Vernon Ave
Alexandria, VA 22305
703-836-6363
http://www.bombaycurrycompany.com/

The Dairy Godmother

2310 Mount Vernon Ave

Alexandria, VA 22301

703-683-7767
http://www.thedairygodmother.com/

Reservations Required

2009-04-12T15:10:00.001-07:00

As much as I enjoy eating out, my favorite set up is sitting around a dinner table with good food, plenty of wine, and no pressure to leave the table or lower your voice. Our current apartment is not very conducive to dinner parties. Primarily due to the lack of a kitchen table (our kitchen and "living room" are tiny). Thus, I am always very excited when friends offer to host parties and even more excited when they plan on doing all the cooking. This perfect scenario became a reality last week when Avery invited several of us over to dinner for wine and pizza. Avery never does anything halfway, so I should have been prepared fro the spread she laid out. When I invite people over for pizza and wine (as I did on Friday night) that generally means paper plates and pizza I ordered from somewhere else. At Avery's we had a dining room table complete with candlelight and daffodil centerpieces and homemade pizza that would put most restaurants in DC to shame.

The pizza came with mozzarella, mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, fresh basil, red onions and bells peppers. There was probably more on there, but since I had no hand in making the pizza my memory is vague. Avery also made a spectacular salad the details of which also escape me. I do remember that we were all very excited about the pea shoots!

I enjoy writing about good food and good company, so I felt Avery's dinner deserved a post (Shanon was also determined to get her picture posted). If you ever have the chance, Avery's dinners are not to be missed.

(Not so) Sweet Greens

2009-04-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

I have worked at the same office for over three years now. Even though I limit my lunch outings to once a week, I had run through all the lunch options ad nausea within the first year. Therefore, whenever something new opens in Dupont Circle my coworkers and I waste no time in descending upon the new destination. Generally, this leads to a short lived obsession where we eat there every week for two months until the old places start to look like better options. For example, I fancy myself to be a relatively health conscience eater and when they opened the Five Guys in Dupont a year or so ago I ate there three days in a row.

Therefore, I was very excited to discover the new restaurant Sweet Greens on the way to CVS sometime last week. The line was wrapped around the PNC Bank Building that houses the restaurant and I sent an excited mass e-mail with details of my discovery as soon as I returned to the office. Roshelle and I made plans to eat there and purposely left the office at 11:45 to avoid the long lines that I had witnessed. I had done some research before our excursion and knew that Sweet Greens specialized in salads and frozen yogurt and that the Dupont Circle location was the second restaurant in the chain (the other original is in Georgetown and a Bethesda location is coming soon). I was pretty amped up about our lunch and even more excited when Roshelle and I walked into a virtually empty restaurant with no lines in sight. The ambiance is very nice with wood panelled walls and floors, green walls, high ceilings and lots of light. The choices at the salad bar looked fantastic and although expensive (salads start at $8) I was sure they would be worth it.

Roshelle ordered the Chic P Salad: with mesclun and baby spinach, grilled chicken, chickpeas, cucumbers, roasted red and yellow peppers and garlic pita chips topped with a hummus lemon tahini dressing. I am a little old school when it comes to salads and selected the classic Cobb Salad with chopped romaine, grilled chicken, Gorgonzola, egg, bacon, avocado and grape tomatoes. The staff were very pleasant and Roshelle and I wished that we could sit in the calming green room to enjoy our salads and then maybe get some yogurt. Sadly, we both had meetings and I had to head back to the office. Roshelle promised to give me an update on her salad later that day.

Upon returning to my desk, I called Roshelle within five minutes to find out how in the hell you were supposed to open the plastic to go container. She was having similar problems and we agreed that the printed directions "twist here" were not helpful at all. I finally got mine opened but ripped part of the container and cut myself a little bit in the process (minus one point for Sweet Greens). The next disappointment came in the form of the very small piece of cold, dry bread which on the menu is described as "warm and fresh." The salad itself started out great. The chicken is far better than anything that I have eaten in salads from Cosi or Potbelly. Very quickly, however, the salad became too much. The Gorgonzola and avocado all start mushing together and the dressing just became way too rich. I finished half the salad and felt like $9 may have been a little too much to spend on that salad. Roshelle's review came in the form of a chronic stomach ache that lasted until the next morning. This, I don't think we can completely attribute to Sweet Greens however. Roshelle tends to have a sensitive tummy and I think the mixed bell peppers, garlic pita chips and tahini were a bit of a risk to begin with.

In sum, I don't think that Roshelle and I will be rushing back to Sweet Greens anytime soon. Other co-workers have had better experiences than we did, specifically those who used the "wrap-it-up" option (your salad of choice is turned into a wrap sandwich). I would like to go back and try their frozen yogurt at some point, but I think it is back to my old stand bys for the time being.

Sweet Greens
1512 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-387-9338
http://www.sweetgreen.com/

Bagels and Blossoms

2009-04-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

In light of the large meal I ate at 1905 last night and the amount of money I dropped on drinks after wards, Aaron and I decided to forgo brunch this Sunday and ride our bikes down to the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms. Are plan to get up at 8:30 and starting riding by 9:00 ended up being pushed back about two hours, but I was still pretty proud of us at 10:30 when we stopped to pick up supplies at So's Your Mom.

Before moving to our new neighborhood I had never heard of So's Your Mom, but in the last year I have come to love and rely on So's Your Mom for excellent and cheap breakfast sandwiches, bagels and deli sandwiches. Aaron is obsessed with their coffee and my mom was pretty excited about it too when she came to visit. Not being a coffee drinker myself, it is more difficult for me to appreciate. I have taken a poll of several coworkers and friends (several of whom are from or have lived in New York) and have been repeatedly reassured that the So's Your Mom has some of the best bagels in DC.

Cheap and quick for carry out food, So's Your Mom also stocks a wide variety of specialty cooking supplies, condiments and treats. I have yet to find out how they got their moniker, but I have a few of my own working theories.

All and all it was a beautiful morning sitting amongst the cherry blossoms, easting bagels and soaking up the sun that everyone in DC has been desperately wishing for.

So's Your Mom
1831 Columbia Road, NW
202-462-3666

Good Burgers in Unexpected Places

2009-04-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

We had some friends from Texas in town for the weekend and Janette and I were tasked with setting up a dinner for Saturday night. As excited as we were about seeing our friends, we were a little worried about the price of a good dinner in DC. Over time, paying $10+ for a sandwich starts to feel normal when you live here, but we were concerned that are dear friends from Texas might choke on the idea of dropping $30/person (not including drinks) for dinner.

We ended up choosing 1905 at U Street and 9th. Janette and I had been a few times before and while the menu does lean towards the expensive and the wine starts at $8/glass, they have one saving grace that pleases everyone: the hamburger. 1905 is a beautiful restaurant. Great care was put into the design and layout. The intricacy of the details makes you feel like you are eating in 18th century Europe and the cocktails are close seconds to what you would find at The Gibson. All that being said, the hamburger is the real reason that I keep going back. The Angus burger with red onion marmalade, Gouda cheese and steak fries almost justifies the $13 price tag. I have moral issues with paying more than $10 for a hamburger, but in this case I just tell myself that the red onion marmalade must be really expensive.

Janette and I both had the burger and loved it as usual. We also sampled a few bites of the Grilled Sirloin with a Parmesan potato croquette ($22) and the pan roasted gnocchi ($18). Both dishes were extremely well cooked and flavorful, but the burger is still the hands down winner for me.

The competition for the best burger in DC has begun...

1905
1905 9th Street, NW
202-332-1905
http://www.1905dc.com/

Nam Viet...a Cleveland Park Weekend

2009-03-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

I ended up spending a considerable amount of time in Cleveland Park this last week. On Saturday night, Amy and I ended up looking for a quick bite after my cousin's wedding reception. Co-workers had told me that Nam Viet had amazing Pho and having never really experienced Pho, I was excited when the chance to eat there fell into my lap.

Amy and I ordered in record time and the food came out equally quickly. I had the standard Pho (#17 on the menu) soup with tender beef strips served with rice noodles and garnished with green and white onions, cilantro, and parsley. Amy had the spicy version of the same (#18) and we very excited to eat. I think our excitement may have actually gotten the better of us, because I just don't think there was anyway for the meal to live up to the expectations. My experience with Pho is limited as I noted before, but I honestly found the dish to be a bit bland. Amy is the queen of spicy foods so it was not really a surprise that the #18 did not quite hit the mark for her either.

I am not completely ready to pass judgement on Nam Viet yet, however. I feel like the mistake was mine for not being a little more adventurous and trying something beyond the standard fare. The menu was huge and the prices reasonable so I see no reason not to go again. I think next time Amy and I will recruit someone who is more familiar with the restaurant and Vietnamese cuisine in general to make sure that we are getting the full experience. Plus I will need another excuse to post adorable Amy pictures like the one on the left and below.

Nam Viet
3419 Connecticut Avenue, NW
202-237-1015
www.namviet1.com

Vace..."DC's Best Pizza"

2009-03-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

My good friend Janette is a Cleveland Park resident and I often feel a bit guilty that I always make her meet me somewhere near my apartment and never make it to her part of town. The fact that she owns a car and I don't always seems to make it seem more reasonable for her to come to me. At any rate, Janette and I are great friends for many reasons but both of us will tell you that one of the main pillars of our relationship springs from a mutual love of good food and good wine. Our primary activities together usually center around eating out, having cocktails, grocery shopping (did I mention she has a car) and even cooking every once in awhile.

Janette has been talking for sometime about Vace, an Italian deli in Cleveland Park (they have a second location in Bethesda). Several people had told her that it was the best pizza they had ever had in DC and Janette had always wanted to try it, but was a little gun shy about ordering a pizza just for herself. Being the great friend that I am, I happily volunteered to help her out.

We met up on a Thursday evening around 6:30 and ordered a pizza to go. This is really the only option since Vace does not have any kind of tables or chairs. It was a build-your-own-pizza set up with a list of ingredients on the board to choose from. This proved to be a little bit daunting for us, especially since it was pretty obvious that everyone else in the place were pretty regular and knew exactly what they wanted and we were obviously in the way. Eventually, we settled on spinach and sausage which may sound odd but we were thrown into upheaval when they did not have any fresh tomatoes. So, lesson number one was to know what you wanted before you got in line and have a Plan B ready to go. The next lesson: order before you get to the restaurant. We probably waited close to 40 minutes for the pizza which would have been fine if there had been any place in the deli where you could stand without being in someone's way. We did have plenty of time to peruse the shelves of Italian wine, dry noodles and the freezers full of home made ravioli and lasagna (ranging from $6 - $12 for a pound).

We eventually got our pizza and it smelled pretty amazing. A 16-inch large was only $12 after tax which already had me leaning towards loving Vace. It should be noted that single slices of pizza can be purchased for $1 for those who don't want to commit to an entire pizza. The White Onion pizza looked particularly appealing (all things we noticed after we had ordered our pizza).

We made it through the rain back to Janette's apartment and pretty much devoured the pizza that we had repeatedly decried "way too large" for two people to eat. The crust was fantastic and Vace put their tomato sauce on top of the cheese which seemed to make the pizza crisper and lighter. The spinach was obviously frozen in its past life which was a little disappointing, but the sausage was home made and excellent.

I don't know if I could go as far as calling Vace's pizza the best in DC, but it was definitely near the top and the price is hard to beat.

Vace Italian Deli
3315 Connecticutt Avenue NW
(202) 363-1999
http://www.vaceitaliandeli.com/

The Red Derby

2009-03-22T10:45:00.001-07:00

Aaron has been trying to get me to the Red Derby for about a year now. Located at 14th Street and Quincy, the Red Derby is not exactly next door. Realty agents probably still refer to this neighborhood as Columbia Heights, but it is out there. It took us about 35 minutes to get there from out apartment near Adams Morgan. The plan was to meet our old friend Beth and her cousin, Ashley, who were both home visiting for the weekend. Sadly, Beth somehow got overly excited by her taxes and did not realize it was 11:00 until 11:15. After walking 35 minutes through semi-questionable neighborhoods, Aaron and I decided to just eat anyway. Aaron had only been to the Red Derby in the evenings before today. They are famous for their policy of cans-only beer and have extremely reasonable prices (most beers are $2 - $6). We had read in a couple local papers that the brunch was a well-kept secret and decided it was worth a shot. The menu was very egg-focused: hamburgers with fried eggs, a BeLT (BLT with fried egg), breakfast burritos and fried egg sandwiches. Mimosas, bloody mary's and screwdrivers are $2 each when you purchase brunch. I took healthy advantage of the $2 deal. The food was reasonable priced ($7-9) and was quite tasty. Aaron had a Derby Burger (with arugula, avocado and cucumber) and I continued my search for decent breakfast tacos in DC and ordered the breakfast burrito with bacon. Both of us were more than happy with out orders. A very pleasant two hours were passed with couple rounds of mimosas and bloodys ended by a nice extra large can of English Strongbow Cider. The servers and patrons were all very enthusiastic about the beautiful weather and the cheap drinks. The Derby provides a large assortment of games from Battle Ship, to Connect 4 and Yatzee. As a shout out to my absentee sister, I forced Aaron to play Yatzee with me. Then I made us stop playing and order more drinks after he got three Yatzees in a row. It was a great morning and I highly recommend Red Derby to anyone who is willing to make the track to 14th and Quincy.

The Red Derby
3718 14th Street, NW
202-291-5000
www.redderby.com

Sometimes you just need a drink...

2009-03-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite places in DC to have brunch is Marvin. I have not yet posted a review of Marvin because, every time I bring my camera to the restaurant, I somehow forget it is in my purse right around them time that they bring me my first mimosa. The purpose of mentioning Marvin in this post is that the owners recently purchased the vacant building next door and have converted it into a "Prohibition style speak easy." I had read about the Gibson in a few articles and it was featured in the March issue of the Washingtonian magazine as one of the 100 best bars in DC. The review kept mentioned the lack of signage and the unmarked door which made the whole thing seem a bit too pretentious for my tastes.

I eventually caved to my curiosity, especially since Aaron is such a fan of old-school cocktails. Thus, began my incredibly arduous battle to get a reservation. Even though the need to make a reservation and the attitude of every person I talked to on the phone should have reinforced my original decision to avoid the hassles, it instead manifested itself in my absolute need to win! I finally managed to get a reservation for two people at 7:30 on Saturday night. I was given very explicit instructions that if we got there more than 10 minutes late the table would be given away and that there was a two hour limit on our table.

After all the trouble, I walked into the Gibson with the firm intention to dislike it. I managed to maintain that attitude as we shown to are table by the giant bouncer and almost set our menu on fire while we held it over the tiny tea light candle on the table (which was the only light source in the place). I even managed to mock the all black walls and floors and the fact that they had even painted the beautiful front window black. Then I ordered my first drink. The Salad Day Sour was a combination of celery-infused Macchu Pisco, lemon, The Bitter Truth Celery Bitters and burnt cinnamon. I don't know what possessed me to order the drink, since writing it all out now makes it sound a little gross. Whatever the motivations, the drink was amazing. I particular like it when bartenders find away to make you think you are doing something healthy when you consume your cocktail. I felt pretty damn good after I emptied my martini glass of salad blended with high doses of alcohol. Aaron had a Sazerac which the waitress lit on fire at the table. I knew right then I was not going to like that drink. My initial reaction was affirmed after Aaron let me take a tiny sip of his rye + absinthe concoction.

After washing the taste of Sazerac out of my mouth with the remaining gulps of my salad drink, I decided it was best to stick with my fruity drinks and picked the Brunswick Sour (a mix of Appleton Estate White Rum, cane sugar, lime and a merlot float) for my second round. The merlot float was a carefully poured layer of merlot wine floating on top of the lime and rum. It was like dessert to my responsible dinner course of salad. Aaron had a Rhum Manhattan which was slightly better than his first choice but the waitress could still light his on fire. It should be mentioned here that Aaron loved both of his drinks.

The only thing that the Gibson really needed to score 100% was some type of food and maybe a slight reduction in the arrogance level. Gibson's is a great place for special occasions or when one of your really rich friends is paying for the drinks. The cocktails run between $10-$16. Wine and bubbles are also served for those that are a little scared of mixed cocktails...although that is kind of the whole point of going to Gibson. Make sure you eat beforehand or that you can get to a Big Slice quickly afterwards. Two drinks goes a long way at the Gibson.

2009 14th Street, NW
Call 202-232-2156 for reservations
No website...because that is how cool they are

People that are better than I am...

2009-03-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

My friend Chris was very excited about the idea that I was starting a blog and sent me a link to his favorite "food photography" site. I took one look at this thing and immediately felt bad for myself. Not only because it was so much nicer than my blog in terms of photography and lighting, but she also just seems to have a much much more productive life. So, for those of that want to see how blogs are done, this is it: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com%2F

Now I have something to aspire to :)

Restaurant Week 2009 - Bistro Bis

2009-03-11T17:33:00.001-07:00

After the disappointing and rather expensive evening at Agraria on Friday night, I actually considered trying to convince Aaron not to go out to dinner on Sunday night. In addition, I had completely forgotten that the Oscars were on that night, and while I no longer place bets or plan parties around the Oscars, I do still enjoy sitting on my couch in pajamas, eating pizza and making fun of beautiful people's fashion choices. The desire to stay home in pajamas was considerably intensified by the fact that both Aaron and I had ridiculous hang overs from the previous night.

At any rate, I reminded myself that Bistro Bis was President Obama's favorite restaurant in DC and that there was a infinitesimal chance that we might run into him at the bar and five minutes later I was in the shower and contemplating my own fashion options. Although we did not get to share a bottle of wine with Bistro Bis' most famous patron, it was easy to see why President Obama is such a fan.

The atmosphere in the restaurant was a little too bright and clean for me. It reminded me of a hotel lobby (which was appropriate since it is connected to the lobby of the Hotel George). Bistro Bis won early points, however, by offering "Restaurant Week" wine choices in addition to food. Aaron would not let me order a bottle of wine because he had something like "homework" to do later, but it was still very exciting. The thing that really sold me on Bistro Bis was that unlike other high end restaurants who treat Restaurant Week patrons like they are court ordered community service, Bistro Bis actually seemed excited that we were there. They only offered a special Restaurant Week menu with a variety of choices for each course and cheap wine (did I already say that).

Aaron started with Paté de Campagne a country style pork paté with pistachios, mesclun
salad, toasted baguette and mustard sauce. I thought it sounded pretty gross and looked like Spam but it was not too bad when I tried it (it actually tasted just like well cooked Spam). I stuck with a classic and had Onion Soup Les Halles with a rich beef broth, caramelized onions,
sourdough croûtons and gruyère cheese. It was everything that French Onion soup should be with cheese so good that you can't stop eating until it is too late and you know that you are not going to feel very good in about three hours.

For the main course it was Coq Au Vin with a red wine braised chicken, root vegetables,
pearl onions, crimini mushrooms and bacon lardons for Aaron and Duck Confit Façon Tarbais
(in other words a duck leg cooked in garlic and thyme with tomato). The combination of gruyère cheese and duck was not a well thought out plan on my part. Aaron was absolutely horrified when it became clear that I was taking the skin off the duck meat, but I just didn't think my stomach could take it.

The classic French dinner was completed by a dessert of caramelized apples wrapped in a crisp butter pastry, with vanilla bean crème anglaise for me and a Tarte au Citron with lemon curd, sweet merinque, pistachio and raspberries for Aaron. The Tarte au Citron was one of those desserts that just looks too beautiful to eat. But, then we tasted it and destroyed the whole thing in about 30 seconds flat. My fancy apple pie was surprisingly light compared to everything else I ate that night. I was a very torn at the time, but I was exceedingly glad the next morning that I had opted out of ordering the Chocolate Moltan Cake with a chocolate/raspberry mousse filling.

I never saw the actual menu, so I can't comment on the prices of the food during a regular visit, but for Restaurant Week, I felt very good about dropping $35.08 for the three course meal (I of course spent more than that because I ordered enough glasses of wine to fill a bottle of wine). And, while Aaron was in the bathroom between the first and second course, I discovered that if I craned my neck just right I could watch the Oscars Red Carpet on the bar TV, so it was a win-win situation.

The only thing that would have made the evening better was if the Obamas sat at the table next to us, struck up a conversation about how my boyfriend's appetizer looked like Spam, became best friends and was eventually appointed Chief Advisor for International Health (I made that position up but it sounds cool). And, then we could have weekly dinners at our favorite place.

Bistro Bis
15 E Street, NW
(202) 661-2700
www.bistrobis.com

Restaurant Week 2009 - Agraria

2009-03-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

DC is a place with some pretty amazing restaurants...restaurants that on the average day I can only dream of being able to afford. There is a magical event that happens about twice a year, however, that is known as Restaurant Week. Together with the women from my office who share my love for food and my small pay check, I try to take advantage of Restaurant Week whenever it rolls around. During Restaurant Week I can barely (but always happily) find the money to enjoy a great meal with nice drinks and good friends in a lovely atmosphere. Agraria on the Georgetown Waterfront met three of the above expectations...all except the great meal part.

I have heard from several friends that the Waterfront restaurants are not worth much more than the lovely view of the Potomac. Sadly, Avery, Marie and I were there on an extremely cold February night with nothing but a broken water fountain to gaze at. We probably should have lowered our expectations since we made the reservation at the last minute after hearing that the restaurant we originally chose was not up to par. The fact that Agraria still had available reservations during Restaurant Week was a pretty ominous sign.

Overall, my meal was actually pretty good. I chose some safe, but in the end, smart choices. For the appetizer it was Fried Green Tomato with Cornmeal Crust, Basil Pesto, Goat Cheese Flan and Tomato Jam. It was the Goat Cheese Flan that really sold me on the appetizer. I always like the idea of cheese being made into something that seems unnatural (did anyone else get excited when Carla on Top Chef started talking about Goat Cheese Soufles during the finale???). In the end the Flan was way too sweet, but the tomatoes and the pesto were very tasty. Avery did not fare quite as well with her appetizer but she chose the House Salad, so there probably wasn't too much to say there anyway. Marie ordered Wild Maine Mussells which I was at first a bit jealous of, until she gave me one to try and I experienced my first completely uncooked mussell. The waiter told us the mussells were just very "naturally dressed" but to me they just tasted like the kind of mussell that comes back to haunt you at 3:00 AM (Marie survived without incident).

Both Marie and Avery had Potato Crusted Rockfish with Braised Arugla for their main entree. Avery made the mistake of asking for the waiter's recommendation between the Rockfish and the New York Strip with Roast Garlic Mashed Potatoes. He basically called the steak boring and made me feel kinda bad for not exploring new culinary terrains, but in the end I won hands down with my steak and pototoes. Avery's fish was undercooked to the point that she felt inclined to send it back (to be fair, they did give her a free glass of champagne). My steak was well cooked with just a little too much fat in the cut and the mashed potatoes were probably the only thing on anyone's plate that was worth writing home about.

For the dessert, I will just say briefly that I order something called Campfire S'mores Pudding. I'm sorry...but how delicious does that sound? It was like my favorite childhood dessert had come back to me but in an extremely convenient format. No open fires, no pulling hot marshmellows off branches....perfection. Unfortunately, my pudding tasted like some had taken the burned branches and mixed them into the pudding. It was the bitterest chocolate flavor I have ever experienced and I spent the rest of dessert staring at Avery's carrot cake and Marie's blueberry pie which were both quite good.the drinks was pretty tasty, but at the end of the day Agraria has too much competition in DC for good, cheap food (see entry on Ben's Chili Bowl) to be putting out that kind of food and cha

Overall, Agraria is not a place I would go again. The company was great but you can enjoy great company for much less than$75+ per person. One less restaurant in DC to be curious about...

The Chili Bowl

2009-02-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

For my maiden entry I was faced with the obstacle that I don't often take a camera with me when I go out to eat. In fact, I very rarely allow or appreciate when people take photos of me while I am devouring whatever is in front of me.

However, as I searched through my photo files I realized there was one place where pictures are always in order, because generally if you are eating at this establishment you have probably already had quite a bit to drink. I am talking about the legendary Ben's Chili Bowl.

Some of you may be familiar with The Chili Bowl as it gained some notoriety during the Inauguration because President Obama made a Saturday afternoon stop there for lunch. There is nothing quite as reassuring as watching Hope Embodied devour a chili dog the size of his fist in a few quick bites.

In actuality, I have never really liked chili dogs or even chili cheese fries. On the average day I would generally sit around picking out the fries with only cheese and the slightest amount of chili on them, but at Ben's I usually find myself ignoring all reason, pushing aside thoughts of the oncoming stomach aches and eat everything in front of me. I should also point out that I have never been at Ben's when the sun is out and usually aim more for the 2 - 3 AM window when I am a good 2-3 sheets to the wind. It is at times like that when the gooey greasy goodness of Ben's Chili Bowl really hits its stride. That also (P.S.) is usually when you start to look at your food like it is the most amazingly attractive person you have ever seeen (see photo at right).

The magic of Ben's it that the long lines and the famous people from Bill Clinton to Bill Cosby and Bono hanging on the walls totally legitimizes your decision to eat crazy amounts of heart stopping-food in the wee hours of the morning. For the average DCer that you meet, the review on the quality of Ben's food might be relatively ambiguous. In fact, many may not be able to remember exactly what it tasted like, but the knowledge and the photographic proof that you stood in line and cleared your plate means that above all else...YOU had a good night.

1213 U St NW
(202) 667-0909
www.benschilibowl.com

The Beginning...

2009-02-17T18:01:00.000-08:00

This evening marks my entrance into the world of blogging. My motivation for embarking on this new plan is a combination of inspiration and boredom. My good friend Kate has a wonderful blog (http://sincerelyyours-kate.blogspot.com/) that makes me want to get up three hours earlier and bake cupcakes every time I read it. In addition, my lovely live-in-boyfriend has recently started graduate school which means he reads and writes and expands his mind each night while I watch something on Bravo.

Alas, I am not an avid photographer, nor am I crafty and my cooking skills leave quite a bit to be desired. The one thing that I truly do well and that I truly love is eating and drinking. Ideally eating food that someone else cooked and cocktails that someone else made.