Ape's Eats

Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca with Bibbiano Wines

2013-11-06T11:14:00.001-08:00

Recently, I was invited to a lunch hosted at Bibiana Osteria by Mr. Tommaso Marrocchesi Marzi of Bibbiano Wines. Besides being a fan of wines from Italy, I was also impressed at how Bibbiano Wines has been a family business for 5 generations. While I am a wine lover, I am by no means an expert. I felt slightly out of place being around so many people who were highly knowledgable about wine.

Luckily Tommaso was a great host and I learned a lot about the wines.

It's important to note that real Chianti aka Chianti Classico can only be made in the Chianti region of Italy. In addition, the grapes have to be grown and produced in the region, being a blend of at least 80% Sangiovese grapes (typical of the region).

via

You can tell if it's an authentic Chianti Classico by the seal.

via

This was a four course meal with a wine paired with each course.

First Course: MISTICANZA arugula, aceto balsamico

Paired with Bibbiano Chianti Classico DOCG

I have never been really good at pairing food and wine together but these two things went hand in hand, the wine really helped enhance the arugula salad.

Second Course: Gnocchi, Smoked Potato Gnocchi, Seasonal Vegetables, Parmesan

Paired with Chianti Classico DOCG Montornello

Another delightful pairing that went incredibly well together.

Third Course: Grilled Sirloin, Anson Mills Polenta, Slow Roasted Carrots, Balsamic

Paired with Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva Vigna del Capannino

This was another delicious dish, perfectly cooked steak and the balsamic glaze pair perfectly and the polenta was the best I have ever had.

Dessert:Chocolate Ganache Terrine with Crispy Chocolate Crust

Paired with Vin Santo San Lorenzo

This dessert was one for the books, a perfect chocolatey indulgence. I didn't quite understand this pairing and I wasn't a huge fan of the Vin Santo San Lorenzo, it was way too strong tasting for me.

This was a meal that was created specially for the wine tasting (at least from what I was able to see online) but if it is how Bibiana cooks normally they did a great job. I will be coming back at some point to give their normal menu a try.

As far as the wines went I was really impressed. I liked all of them on their own (the first was my favorite). This experience made me appreciate how well you can pair wine with food. I have tried to pair wine with my meals before, but this is the first time I have experienced the smooth transition between taking a sip to eating a bite. My favorite combo was the first course with the arugula salad and Bibbiano Chianti Classico DOCG and I will definitely be searching around to pick up a bottle of this and impress some dinner guests...or just keep it for myself :)

After a little research here area couple of retailers that sell Bibbiano Wines in the DC area. You may be able to get them at Total Wine and More in the NOVA area too, I haven't had time to go and search though.

Pearson's Wine and Spirits
MacArthur Beverages

1100 New York Ave NW
Washington DC
Downtown

While this was a complementary meal, I was not compensated to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Clarendon: Z Burger

2013-10-30T10:01:00.002-07:00

Apparently, I am determined to clog my arteries by going to two burger places in one week. I have driven by Z Burger a bunch of times; curiosity rising each time I did. Fate seemed to agree with me so when I saw a Groupon for Z Burger, I quickly snatched it up.

The setup is very similar to Five Guys when it comes to placing your order. You make your selections for the basic burger foundation (single/double, cheese/no cheese, bacon/no bacon) and then you pick your toppings.

My friend and I both ordered single bacon cheeseburgers with toppings of our choice. While the burger itself was a bit too bland for my liking, the toppings were delicious and very fresh.

We also split an order of ½ fries ½ onion rings. Both were decent; the batter on the onion rings was tasty and the onions stayed in the batter when you bit into them (if you ever had that moment where you found yourself holding a hollow piece of fried batter, you would understand why this is a KEY factor of Onion Ring Evaluation). The fries were standard and a little dry, but dipping them in ketchup made up for it.

Taste wise, this place does not really stand out on its own compared to local burger joints in the area. Although Z Burger is not quite my new "go-to" burger place, I will point out that that pricewise, Z Burger is good and pretty comparable to mainstream fast food franchises (ie: McDonald's, Burger King, etc.) but offers better taste and quality in their food.

Would I come back??? Maybe. If I needed a late night bite or milk shake.

3325 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA

Leesburg: Melt Burger

2013-10-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

After going on a tour of the South Lawn, Teddy and I decided to head to Leesburg to go to Leesburg Animal Park. He was in the mood for meat so I looked up places on the drive there and Melt Burger looked like a good option.

We went on a Saturday around 130/2 and it was packed. While waiting in line to order you can watch as they cook the burgers and make the rolls (kind of like my fav restaurant here!).

To start off the meal I decided that we needed to split a milkshake so we went with the Double Dark Chocolate. This was really good, although it just tasted like normal chocolate to me, maybe a little richer.

Teddy ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger Char-Grilled Premium Hamburger served with Fresh Lettuce, Red Ripe Tomato, Shaved Red Onion, Crisp Bacon, Aged Tillamook Cheddar Cheese and Our Special House Sauce $9.95. He really enjoyed his burger.

I ordered the Tex-Mex Burger Our Premium Beef Burger topped with Melted Jack Cheese, Fresh Pico de Gallo, Grilled Spicy Jalapeños, Roasted Corn & Black Bean Salsa, Fresh Lettuce, Guacamole and Our Smoky Chipotle Sauce $9.95. I ordered mine without the corn & black bean salsa. This was a delicious burger, not too spicy but enough to make my nose run some. Teddy tried a bite and said that he was fine with the spice but he definitely wouldn't be able to do an entire burger.

It's important to note that these burgers are huge. I wasn't able to take a full bite of the burger because it was too big to put in my mouth (yes...I know) and I couldn't smash it down. Although I was starving I couldn't finish the burger because there was so much there.

On their own the fries are just ok, so I would suggest getting them with one of the toppings offered (Teddy got bacon and cheese...yum!) and sharing them between 2-3 people.

Burgers are the new cupcake, with new restaurants popping up everywhere you look. Melt Burger stands out. I was impressed with their burgers and I liked the fact that you could choose the temperature that your burger was cooked (I need some pink in my meat!). The burgers were quality and there were a lot of fun and creative options to choose from. They cater to the low carb diet, offering to put your burger on a bed of greens. Melt can definitely hold their own against all the other burger places popping up.

So would I come back??? Yes! I've got my eye on the Paris Burger, probably on a bed of lettuce so I have room in my stomach for the entire burger.

525 East Market Street
Leesburg, VA

Gwen's Mac and Cheese

2013-10-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

This cheesy wonderfulness almost didn't happen. My family had plans for a cookout Sunday and on Saturday night a cab driver rear ended my car at 1:00 AM. Although it was a little fender bender where a quick exchange of insurance would have been sufficient, we had to wait for the cab company's manager and the police to arrive at the scene.....2 hours later I was finally on my home (when I was only a minute away from my house).

My eventful (and stressful) night explains why I felt like a train-wreck while talking to my mom the next morning. Mom suggested that I scrap the idea of making the mac and cheese to allow myself to mentally detox by indulging in some store bought mac and cheese. However, I insisted to my mom that since I had already bought the ingredients, I was going to stick to my guns and give this recipe a try.

Let me tell you, had I passed on making this recipe our lives would be missing the *amazingness* of this mac and cheese. I got this recipe from a former co-worker and at first was a bit hesitant given that this recipe does not call for a roux. However, it only took a bite of this deliciousness to conclude that this will be my "go-to" mac and cheese recipe. Perfectly cheesy, the warm and fuzzy feeling you get from this mac and cheese makes it ideal for chilly fall/winter nights. This dish also reheats well the next day and does not lose any of its delectable flavors.

An instant hit for everyone who tasted it, this dish is now in my top three mac and cheese recipes. In regards to preparation and cooking, this recipe is probably my favorite as it is ridiculously easy (cheesy and delicious!). You first mix in shredded cheese (you can shred cheese yourself or pre-shredded cheese works just as well) with cooked pasta, milk and eggs. Then you place the mixture in a suitable pan for baking and let the oven do the rest. That's it! :)

Ingredients

8 oz bag/block of sharp cheddar

8 oz bag/block of mild cheddar

8 oz bag/block of mozzarella

1 12oz box of velveeta chopped (my grocery store only had the 32oz one so I used 1/3 of the box)

3 eggs

3 cups milk

1 box cooked macaroni

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Shred cheese if you bought it in block form and chop the velveeta into small pieces, placing a cup of cheddar on the side.

3. In a big bowl mix together cheese, eggs, milk and cooked pasta and place in a 9x13 baking pan, sprinkle reserved cheddar on top and cover with foil. Cook for 30 minutes, take foil off, then cook for another 10 minutes.

Tips/Comments
-I prefer to use blocks of cheese because I think it tastes better when its freshly shredded, but pre-shredded bags would save a lot of time and energy
-The creator of this recipe also puts a melted stick of butter on top of the mac and cheese before she cooks it which I bet would be divine but it was already amazing without it.

Restaurant Revisit: Pupatella

2013-09-30T19:01:00.002-07:00

Pupatella is one of my favorite restaurants in the DC area and I have gotten a couple of my friends addicted to it too. I usually go with my friend Teddy and we always get the exact same pizzas and trade a slice for variety. This time, at the very last minute, Teddy decided to switch his order up and got one of the specials of the month-White Pizza with sweet corn, Italian ham and fresh mozzarella (middle). Wow, this was amazing, I would consider getting this next time instead of my usual, Prosciutto and Arugula (right). My friend Kristen joined us and ordered the Meatball Pizza (left) which she was a fan of.

Next time you are in the mood for pizza hit up Pupatella, you won't regret it (past reviews 1, 2).

5104 Wilson Blvd

Arlington, VA

closed on Mondays

Alexandria: Cheesetique

2013-09-23T17:27:00.001-07:00

Last Monday I had a particularly bad case of the Mondays-it was cold out and my body was not responding well to the temperature change. Luckily I have such great friends and one of them had a long lunch break so she scooped me up from work and we headed to Cheesetique in Delray (also one in Shirlington).

You can't go to a wine bar without ordering wine...as it was in the middle of the work day we capped ourselves off at one glass. Both good wines.

Carrie ordered the 'Tique Cheesesteak sautéed flank steak, creamy italian taggelio and punchy garlic aioli on crusty ciabatta. The steak was flavored really well but some pieces were not so great texturally but the cheese and garlic aioli more then made up for any imperfections the steak may have had.

I decided on the lunch special...$10 for any grilled cheese and tomato soup. The tomato soup was creamy and delicious. For the grill cheese I went with Taleggio & Onion Confit blend of taleggio and fontina smothered with house-made onion confit. A cheesy, delicious combo. If you like caramelized onions or any sort of onions really this is an amazing sandwich to get.

With the check they bring you out chocolate chips, a nice little touch to end the meal.

They have happy hour during the week, definitely be making a return visit sometime soon!

This was the perfect meal to heal a case of the mondays, not much is more comforting then grilled cheese and soup. The food was very good and the server was knowledgeable-both things we picked he listed as his favorites on the menu. Portions were very hearty, I was full after my sandwich and ended up taking my soup to go. Not only are they a delicious restaurant, they are also a wine and cheese shop with an awesome cheese selection and gourmet goods.

2441 Mount Vernon Ave

Alexandria, VA

Arlington: Chasin' Tails: Cajun Seafood and Bar

2013-09-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

The other weekend some friends and I headed to Chasin' Tails: Cajun Seafood and Bar in Arlington. I'm not one who would normally jump at the chance to go to a restaurant like this (seafood, particularly things that have shells) but I had heard the rumour that alligator tastes like chicken so I figured I would be brave and try something new-they do however have a few seafoodless options.

I ordered a "fish bowl drink" mainly because it was served in a fish bowl. This was described to me as a pink starburst and the description was pretty accurate. Delicious but a drink I could only have one of. The boys got the ginormous beers (like the ones they serve at Hunan) which luckily for them were on happy hour (they have happy hours on saturdays, but I don't remember the times).

For an appetizer we all split an order of fries. Good, basic fries.

I decided to go outside of my box and order gator bites...yes I ordered fried alligator as my meal. It was very similar to chicken so I could handle it texturally but I will continue to stick with cows and chickens.

The others ordered shrimp and clams which they bring to you in bags soaked in the sauce (also comes with bibs to protect your clothing!). They all thought everything was cooked really well and the sauce was delicious...basically butter and seasoning.

Everyone really enjoyed their meals and said that the seafood was really well done. The service was fantastic. My friend asked how you go about eating a crayfish to our server and she had someone come out and show us how to break it apart and let us try it before we made a decision on what to order. Prices were pretty good for the seafood.

2200 North Westmoreland Street
Arlington, VA
703-538-2565

Arlington: Pedro and Vinny's

2013-09-12T20:00:00.004-07:00

I feel like to often I get caught up in visiting trendy restaurants. Don't get me wrong, they can be great but sometimes it's nice to try the little guy, the hole in the wall, or in this case....the trailer in the parking lot.

Pedro and Vinny's is a burrito place that some of my friends actually discovered stumbling home late at night. They proceeded to make it a daytime happening and I have been having to hear about this miraculous burrito place for awhile now. I have actually tried this place twice...once when I went with a drunk friend who had the munchies. I tried a few bites and I knew that I would have to have it for an actual meal very soon.

When you walk in there is a menu above the counter with your options/the process.

Basically you pick your tortilla flavor...flour, habenero , spinach, etc (or you can pick a bowl...but its a burrito restaurant so don't be that person...go big or go home). Then if you want cheese they will put some on the tortilla and warm it up. Then you choose your protein (chicken, steak or pork), they are all great. Next comes toppings, I like to get everything except for the beans. They have some sort of cucumber topping that may seem a little different from your typical toppings but trust me, it makes a great addition.

They have four salsas you can choose from and an assortment of hot sauce bottles.

The red one was a steak burrito and the white was pork. Both amazing. My personal favorite is the burrito (any of the meats) fully loaded minus the beans with the two hot salsas (right two). These are huge, I could only manage to eat half of it.

Both times I have been the people behind the counter have been extremely friendly. Until now I have yet to find a burrito I really like from anywhere except Chipotle (which I know is not authentic but I still love it) but Pedro and Vinny's have managed win me over.

In the mood for a burrito, sober...drunk, stop by-they are open late on Friday & Saturdays!

2599 Columbia Pike
Arlington, VA
703.302.3999

Falls Church: Mad Fox Brewery

2013-09-10T20:07:00.001-07:00

To celebrate my last day at my old job some of my friends and I went out to dinner at Mad Fox Brewery. To start off the meal I tried one of their beers which was delicious.

We split two appetizers, a soft pretzel with a beer cheese dip and fried pickles. Both awesome.

Megan and I each ordered a side salad and decided to split a small pizza. The side salad was good, fresh, local produce. This pizza was ok, I was not a huge fan and didn't eat it-Megan thought it was ok.

Jess ordered the black bean burger which she really enjoyed. I don't eat black bean burgers (I don't like beans...and I like meat) but I always try them when my friends get them and this was probably one of the best versions that I have had.

This visit was a lot better then the last time I was here. Service was fantastic, we had the sweetest waitress ever, she was super knowledgeable about everything-I told her what I liked and didn't like in a beer and she picked the perfect one for me. I wasn't a fan of the pizza but everything else was great. If you like burgers I recommend the Mad Fox Burger, amazing.

Clarendon: Fat Shorty's

2013-09-06T11:16:00.002-07:00

*now shut down*

Fat Shorty's is a semi-new establishment replacing Rabbit in Clarendon. They have a whole bunch of different sausages to try.

We got a sausage platter with a lamb sausage and a rattle snake, rabbit and jalepeno sausage. It comes with 2 sides so we chose the German Potato Salad and the Mixed Greens, both solid, delicious sides. We also tried the Thai Chicken Sausage. The winner of these sausages was the lamb sausage, the flavors were original and quite tasty. The rattlesnake sausage, while good, just tasted like sausage-I had no idea I was eating anything different. The Thai chicken sausage was also good, very original, I wouldnt get this unless you like thai flavors.

A small side of French Fries $3. These were kind of a let down, not crispy and sort of hard inside.

If you like sausage this is a really fun place to go. There are about a million different sausages to choose from, enough to keep things interesting.

3035 Clarendon Blvd
Arlington, VA

Arlington: Twisted Vines

2013-09-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

To continue on with the celebration of a fabulous weekend the girls and I decided to go to Twisted Vines for their bottomless mimosa brunch. It's $5 for a single mimosa or $9 for bottomless (the max is 9) so you mind as well just go for bottomless. The mimosas were ok, a little too strong on the OJ, not enough to get a nice buzz.

Two of us ordered the Chicken, Bacon and Avocado sandwich tomato, lettuce, onion, bacon, gruyere cheese with basil mayo on multigrain bread $11. Delicious and flavorful sandwich, more of a lunch item then brunch but all of the flavors were wonderful.

Croque Monsieur gruyère and fontina, baked ham and a béchamel sauce on sourdough bread $10. Meaty, cheesy goodness that's a little salty but the perfect morning after food.

Twisted Breakfast Burrito tortilla stuffed with eggs, black bean medley, avocado and parmesan topped with cilantro sour cream $11. Delicious, and more breakfasty then the other items on the menu.

The mimosas are weak but the food is fresh, pretty well priced and hits the spot.

2803 Columbia Pike
Arlington, VA

Alexandria Restaurant Week 2013: Geranio

2013-08-29T10:47:00.002-07:00

I just start working in Old Town so I have been on the lookout for some good restaurants to try and it just so happens to be restaurant week so I invited a few girlfriends out to try Geranio with me.

The inside is super adorable, perfect ambiance for a date night or a special dinner.

They bring out bread and butter, the bread was warm and delicious.

For the first course both Kristen and I ordered the Potato Gnocchi with Pancetta and Mushrooms in a Lemon Cream. When reading reviews for this place it was listed as one of the more popular items and it definitely lived up to and exceeded expectations. The actual gnocchi was perfectly cooked and textured while the sauce was creamy, yet light and flavorful. I highly recommend this dish.

Nadia ordered the Tomato, Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts and Lemon Vinaigrette. Pretty basic salad and she enjoyed it.

For the second course both the girls ordered the Seared Shrimp Linguine with Garlic, Chilies, Tomatoes, Tarragon and Cream. Kristen said it was delicious, the shrimp was cooked well, and the sauce was flavored well and not too heavy.

I ordered the Cappellini with Smoked Chicken, Field Mushrooms, Spinach, Garlic XVOO. This was ok, I am not a big fan of thin noodles (I did not know cappellini was thin at the time of ordering) and compared to the rest of the dishes this entree did not provide any new or exciting flavors.

For the third course we all ordered the Grilled Atlantic Salmon with Mashed Potatoes, Pancetta, Roasted Garlic & Shallots in a Red Wine Sauce. The salmon was cooked perfectly and all of the flavors were amazing. The red wine sauce was spectacular, definitely worth sopping up with some bread if there is any sauce left.

For desserts we ordered the Tiramisu and Fresh Red Berries with Marsala Sabayon. Both delicious in their own ways depending on the type of dessert you are in the mood for.

I was really happy with all of the food choices and genuinely can't wait to come back here to try some of their other items (or get the salmon or gnocchi...worth a repeat performance). The service was also spectacular, they were very attentive and we ended up staying so late chatting and drinking wine we pretty much closed out the restaurant...whoops, but the point is they were nice with it and told us to stay as late as we wanted.

If you are looking for somewhere to go to for restaurant week (Alexandria's ends Sept 1) I would highly recommend this place, you might want to make a reservation, it was packed when we got there. Best portions I have seen on a menu for restaurant week, in fact they were too much to eat (I left my second dish pretty much untouched in preparation for the salmon).

722 King Street
Alexandria, VA

DC Summer Restaurant Week 2013: Bistro Bistro in Dupont Circle

2013-08-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

The end of the summer is here and that can only mean one good thing, DC summer restaurant week. This year I am only able to make it to two restaurants, the first being Bistro Bistro in Dupont Circle (I'm going to Ambar Sunday, pretty pumped). The inside of Bistro Bistro is adorable, quite a quaint restaurant.

We started off our meal with some red wine and they brought out a roll with two dipping sauces. Both were not very good, most of the tables around us left theirs untouched.

For restaurant week they let you choose an appetizer, an entree and dessert with champagne from a special menu. For my appetizer I chose the Avocado Mozzarella salad fresh avocado, buffalo mozzarella, tomato, olive oil. The mozzarella was fantastic but the tomato wasn't ripe the dish was lackluster. Carrie got the Moules Marseillaise Bouchot mussels steamed with garlic, fennel, tomatoes, saffron-shellfish broth. This dish was fantastic, the mussels were cooked perfectly and the sauce was very flavorful.

For entrees I picked the Garlic Rosemary Lamb-chops marinated with a garlic, rosemary balsamic reduction served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. These were ok, the lamb could have been a lot more tender and the chops were so small it was hard to get a bite size piece without a little of fat on it. Carrie ordered the Linguini Bistro tossed with lobster meat, squid, scallops, mussels, shrimp & mushrooms in a lobster bisque sauce. Unfortunately most of this dish was overcooked (seafood + pasta) so it was hard to enjoy.

For desserts we went with the Creme Brûlée and the Chocolate Soufflé Both delicious desserts, probably the best part of the meal. Dessert also came with a glass of champagne.

While the service and desserts were great the rest of the meal was not very good. I don't like it when restaurants don't feature dishes from their normal menu, and only a few choices available for restaurant week can be found on their menu. While I wouldn't be back for the food, I would come back for happy hour (4-7pm, mon-fri) as I love the way the inside of their restaurant looks and the drink specials are pretty good.

1721 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC

Washington DC: Pulpo

2013-08-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

I was recently invited to try out Pulpo's (octopus in Spanish) reinvented menu by new Executive Chef Billy Klein. Pulpo is a tapas bar (small plates, meant for sharing) which is one of my favorite types of restaurants because you get to try multiple dishes.

We started off our meal with a couple of small bites, Blistered Padron Peppers and Marcona Almonds. We both thought the peppers had a bit of an asparagus taste to them, but they were delicious and a very cool concept. These would both be great options for some happy hour munchies.

One of the new things Chef Billy introduced to the menu are gazpacho's featuring in season fruits and veggies. The two that are currently featured are asparagus served with a soft boiled egg and black caviar and watermelon served with fresh made ricotta on top. Both were incredible, flavorful and the freshness of the produce shined. Both of us agreed that the watermelon was one of our favorite dishes of the night.

We tried my all time favorite tapa, Patatas Bravas. Potatoes covered in a spicy tomato sauce (just a kick, not super spicy) with a garlic aioli on top.

They currently offer 4 different types of sliders and we tried 3 of them. From left to right, Lamb Merguez, Pork Belly and Octopus (?!?!?!). The Lamb Merguez was my favorite, perfecly spiced. The Pork Belly was served with some sort of fruit compote that paired deliciously. Ahh, the Octopus, it was not bad, but I just don't really like seafood. It was made similarly to a crabcake so it was a very eater-friendly and if you are texturally challenged like I am, this is the perfect form to try octopus.

I tried a flight of their sangrias: white, rose & red. All of them were great, I was really happy with all three of these, the red being my favorite. My friend tried one of their speciality cocktails, Picasso which was good but packed a huge punch.
We ended our meal with Tres Leches 2.0, a unique version of Tres Leches cake created by Chef Billy that was a combination of angel food cake, goat cheese milk frosting, cow's milk dulce de leche, sheeps milk foam, crumble, blueberries. This was extremely original, rich and delicious. I especially loved the addition of the blueberries. A perfect and delicious ending to a meal, I recommend sharing it between 2-4 people as it is a heavier dessert.

I was extremely impressed with the menu of Pulpo. We tried a small portion of what the menu offered, but it was all innovative without being too intimidating...I mean I tried caviar (served with the asparagus gazpacho) and octopus (served in slider form) for the first time.

If you haven't made a decision on where to go for restaurant week, need a fun place for date night or just like really good food Pulpo is the place to be, I look forward to a return trip to try the rest of their menu.

3407 Conneticut Ave NW
Washington, DC

Georgetown: Nick's Riverside Grill & Kayaking at the Key Bridge Boathouse

2013-08-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a beautiful day so Teddy and I decided to head to Georgetown for lunch at Nick's Riverside Grill and kayaking at the Key Bridge Boat House afterwards.

Teddy ordered the Crab Cake Sandwich. This was decent, would have preferred a little more crab but the overall flavor was good.

I ordered Nick's Burger grilled Tasso ham, caramelized onion, cheddar cheese & basil aioli. I thought this was pretty lack luster, all I could taste on the burger was char and none of the toppings were able to cover that taste up. Teddy ended up eating this for me (along with his crabcake) by drenching it in ketchup.

I was not a big fan of the food here and the service was kind of spotty, but I feel people come here more for the environment then food or service. If you want to sit outside on a hot day with a cold beer, staring out at the water and people then this is the place for you.

3050 K St NW
Washington, DC

After lunch we walked over to the Key Bridge Boathouse. For $15 an hour (kayaking, paddle boarding or canoeing) it's a steal and you can go two different directions on the river, one towards the Monuments and the other direction. We chose the other direction because I'd never been that way before. It was a nice, woodsy way and an all around good time.

Washington DC: Hill Country Barbecue Market

2013-08-05T08:45:00.003-07:00

This past Sunday was call for a celebration as this girl got a new job! Very excited to be moving on to the next step of my life so my mom and Jeff took me out to dinner at Hill Country BBQ for congratulations.

Mom, Jeff & I ordered the BBQ platter $27 ($20 on Sundays) and it came with Brisket, 2 beef ribs, 2 pork ribs and 1/4 of a chicken. The brisket was delicious (I recommend spending and extra $2 for the moist), the winner of the meats. Everything else was pretty good, although the ribs were a little to fatty for me. This combo was huge, I would recommend it for 2 people. Teddy ordered the Short Rib special of the night (not pictured) and he said the rub was amazing but it was a very fatty meat.

We all got a couple of sides. The Mac & Cheese was amazing, cheesy and pretty perfect. We also got a cucumber salad, coleslaw & baked beans which were all good. My mom really wanted to try the chile deviled eggs but she said they were kinda of a let down.

Overall this place was pretty good. It's not my favorite BBQ but then again I don't like bones in my meat so the only thing I really enjoyed here (besides the amazing mac and cheese) was the brisket. Everyone else liked their meals though. This place can get pretty packed at night so you may want to make a reservation.

410 7th Street NW
Washington, DC

Old Town Alexandria Waterfront: Virtue: Feed and Grain

2013-08-02T11:01:00.004-07:00

The other day my friend and I decided to have a progressive dinner around Old Town Alexandria. A progressive dinner is where you have each course of your meal at a different restaurant. Our first stop of the night was at this place which must not be named. After walking around for awhile we decided to stop at Virtue Feed and Grain near the waterfront.

A word of advice to those who do a progressive dinner....carb heavy items are not the best choice, you will fill up quickly (neither were the fried items we ordered below...did not plan this meal out well).

We continued the meal was some more tasty beverages.

Then we got an order of fried pickles. The breading on these was great but I personally do not like fried spears, I prefer the chips.

We also got an order of wings, very good. Crispy and buffalo sauce goodness.

We sat at the bar and the bartenders were awesome, the perfect amount of social and very attentive. The appetizers were delicious and based on their quality, I would love to come back and try the dinner (plus I eyed the dinners that people had around me and they looked awesome).

106 S Union Street
Alexandria, VA

Falls Church: La Caraquena Latin American Cuisine

2013-08-01T09:01:00.002-07:00

For June's dining club we decided to head over to La Caraquena Latin American Cuisine in Falls Church. My friend Jessie saw it on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and she has been dying to try it ever since.

Being the lushes that we are, a few of us decided to order some drinks while we waited for everyone else to get there. Plain Margarita, Mango Margarita and a Passion-fruit sort of drink. All delicious and packed a punch.

The table decided to split an order of the plantains for an appetizer which were a little soggy, but overall the flavor was really good.

I ordered one of the arepas that Guy tried, Reina pepeada chicken salad blend made of avocado and mayo. The table loved this but unfortunately I was not a fan because of the mayonnaise flavor. If you like avocados and mayonnaise this would be a heavenly dish for you.

Carries also got an arepa, JP's Favorite which consisted of seasoned thin slices of steak sauteed onions, tomatoes and cilantro. This was delicious, all of the flavors went together perfectly.

Lili tried the Sopa de frijoles (black bean soup pretty much) Latin style soup with Spanish sausage topped with Latin white cheese, micro cilantro and garlic croutons. She liked the soup but she has had better.

Megan got a chicken sandwich, El Sabrosa, wheat berry crown roll spiced up with a homemade chipotle tartar sauce and filled with thin grilled slices of chicken breast, Gouda cheese and fresh avocado slices. There was a lot of flavors on the sandwich but they all went together well.

Jessie got a chicken dish, Pollo La Caraquena Latin-style baked chicken served with black beans and white rice. The sauce on this was fantastic. It was savory and rich (but not so much that you could only eat a few bites) with a kick to it.

We all split the Quatro Leches Cake (thats not an error...4 MILKS instead of 3). A heavenly, moist and flavorful cake. Jessie thought it was important to quote "It's so good I'd eat it off the floor," a little Miranda action from SATC??

Overall this restaurant was pretty good, worth a visit. They serve unique food, but it's a little pricey. I liked it, I just didn't love it, but I recommend trying it out at least once! Although some of my friends want to come back just for the quatro leches cake :)

I would strongly suggest making reservations as the restaurant gets super packed around 6:30-7:00. Parking is also weird, but there is street parking all around and a motel you can park in if there is space.

300 W Broad Street
Falls Church, VA
703-533-0076

Other dining club visits
Satay Sarinah
Four Sisters
Rus Uz

Hampstead, NH: Christina's Country Cafe

2013-07-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

Before we went to Rhode Island, we stopped by New Hampshire to visit some family and one day for lunch we stopped by Christina's Country Cafe (open for breakfast & lunch).
I ordered one of my favorite breakfasts to splurge on, Biscuits and Gravy. This was delicious, the gravy and biscuits were both wonderful and the portion was huge.

My mom and aunt ordered omelets My aunt did a create your own, and my mom ordered the Greek Omelet. They were both really happy with their meals and I tried my mom's omelet and all of the toppings in it perfectly melded together.

My other aunt ordered the Tuna Salad Sandwich. She really enjoyed it and I stole a bite and thought it was pretty good as well. It was light on the mayo which we both really enjoyed.

My cousin ordered a kids burger with a million toppings and she enjoyed it.

We all really enjoyed this restaurant. It was good, hearty breakfast food for decent prices and huge portions. Service was very good and they were patient with kids.
416 Emerson AveHampstead, NH

Arlington: Pupatella

2013-07-29T20:11:00.002-07:00

Pupatella is probably one of my favorite restaurants in the NOVA/DC area which you can easily tell by the amount of times it has been featured on my blog.

In case you haven't taken my advice yet you don't know this little tidbit of info. At Pupatella you can see them making the pizza in front you. Definitely entertaining when you have to wait awhile in line on a Friday or a Saturday.

Teddy and I always get the same pizzas (prosciutto & arugula for me and spicy diavola for him), we have had others but once you find the one...that's it.

Bottom line...Go.

5104 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA

Herndon: Zinga Frozen Yogurt

2013-07-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

During a sleepover with one of my bfs we decided to finally try Zinga Frozen Yogurt right by her house.
Off to a good start, tester cups that are not monitored like some places.

Baller bottom of the cup things. Not my thing but an awesome creative selection.

Yogurt. Props to an original flavor I haven't seen anywhere else, blue daiquiri- was pretty good.

Fruit/wet toppings.

Dry toppings. Awesome presentation. Much more sanitary.

After you pay you can pick your own spoon color. It's the little things, remember how awesome it was when slurpee came out with different colored straws??? ( or was it just me?)

My creation. Strawberry and Tart + random toppings.

I loved this place. Out of all the places I've been to recently it's definitely on of my favorites. Good yogurts, good toppings-how awesome we're the dry toppings dispensers? Never seen that before. 13320 Franklin Farm RoadHerndon, VA

Glenshaw, PA: The Upper Crust Pizza

2013-07-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Ordered pizza from The Upper Crust Pizza while visiting my family in Pittsburgh this weekend. One large 1/2 sausage 1/2 meatball.

One large 1/2 pepperoni 1/2 anchovy (minus the anchovy because they forgot to put it on)

Cheesey Bread

Small side salad. The pizza here was pretty good, although I prefer this place for delivery in this area.
715 Dorseyville RoadGlenshaw, PA412-963-0323

Alexandria: Trattoria Da Franco

2013-07-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my friend and I decided to have a progressive dinner in Old Town Alexandria. We drove around and decided upon Trattoria Da Franco because they had an adorable patio.

We started our meal off with antipasti (appetizer) of Bruschetta. This was pretty bland, basically chopped onions, tomatoes and capers on some bread.

Side of garlic bread. Basic bread, would pair nicely with a saucy pasta dish but bland on its own.

Special of the night, Asparagus with Cheese. Not bad, just asparagus covered in mozzarella But oh wait, guess how much this side of asparagus $15.

Because we only tried the appetizers I can't really form an opinion on how the overall quality of the restaurants food is but there are a few things that will not make me come back. When we ordered our bruschetta the server asked us if we wanted garlic bread $8 (little pricey for garlic bread in general) so we said sure, turns out we had to pay for it, which would have been find had the server told us.

Another big thing was the $15 price tag attached to the asparagus side dish. $15 is completely unreasonable to pay for something that is in season. This is not some high class steak house that charges an arm and a leg for sides, this is an Italian restaurant whose dinners cost $15.

I recommend taking your business to another restaurant in Old Town.

305 South Washington Street
Alexandria, VA

Gettysburg, PA: Mr. G's Ice Cream & Tommy's Pizza

2013-07-24T07:23:00.001-07:00

Teddy and I recently spent a Saturday in Gettysburg and my job in prep for this trip was figuring out where to eat.

Ice cream is my dessert of choice and according to Trip Advisor Mr. G's Ice Cream is the top rated place to eat in Gettysburg so not going here was not an option.

I got something called Ghost Tracks...which is basically moose tracks (peanut butter cup, fudge swirls, etc.) but better and Teddy got Mint Oreo which he really liked.

The homemade ice cream here was refreshing, creamy and perfect.
404 Baltimore StreetGettysburg, PA

The decision on where to eat lunch was a little harder. Gettysburg has a lot taverns that look awesome to eat at, but we were all hot and sweaty from walking around all day so we decided to hit up a casual pizza joint (also in the top 10 from trip advisor).

They have an awesome craft beer selection, Teddy got some sort of dark beer that tasted like coffee while I just stuck with boring ice tea.

We got 1/2 cheese 1/2 pepperoni. I was not a fan, it was on par with frozen pizza but it did it's job because we were hungry. Teddy liked the doughyness of the pie.

Food was cheap and pizza was decent so this would be a great place to stop by in Gettysburg if you have a large group of people who need a quick meal or you are traveling with kids.
105 Steinwehr AveGettysburg, PA

Barrington, Rhode Island: Daily Scoop

2013-07-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

After our very filling lunch here, we decided to walk around the town of Bristol and then stop and get ice cream at a place that I saw got really good reviews and fun flavors, Daily Scoop (technically it's in Barrington?? not sure where the city limits for Bristol are).

Anyways they had a ton of fun, creative flavors and they allow samples.

My aunt and I got the Caramel Crunch with Hot Fudge, delicious!

Jeff got 1/2 Pistachio 1/2 Caramel Crunch and he enjoyed both.

Some more items...

The ice cream here had some of the most creative flavors I have seen in awhile and their prices are good (cash only!), a perfect place to stop on a hot afternoon.
230 County Rd
Barrington, RI