Steaming shoyu ramen at Daikaya for lunch today. So tasty, so satisfying. So difficult not to curl up and take a nap!
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DC Culinary Adventures — a whirlwind of a weekend!
Getting through Monday by thinking about our amazing weekend of culinary adventures; starting with dinner at The Pig with our friend, Matt, on Friday (Hugo enjoyed the macaroni and cheese and the wild boar ragu, though we decided the porchetta might have to wait another few months)!
On Saturday, we swung by Stachowski’s Market to pick up some amazing sandwiches for a Gravelly Point picnic with friends — including the colossal 4-meat grinder, a crowd-favorite meatball sub, pastrami, and turkey club, each of which fed 2-3 people.
Saturday night, we got a sitter and grabbed a quick drink at Graffiato (my Gin Blossoms was nice, but Liz’s Tony Starr 3.0 was the jackpot as the smoky mescal and charred lime played off the blood orange and other citrus flavors nicely). Later, we met up with Sarah and Adam to check out the new izakaya on the second floor of Daikaya. So many dishes to recommend, including the crispy Brussels sprouts and pork belly (pictured), the wasabi octopus, the fried garlic, the deceptively simple grilled avocado filled with ponzu sauce, and other delights.
Yesterday, we finished off the weekend grabbing brunch at Poste with my cousin. While Hugo managed to eat a little bit of everything while simultaneously dropping it on the floor, the wait staff was amazing, and he was a big hit with the other diners. We started off brunch with their fantastic (and apparently award-winning) maple-bourbon glazed doughuts, in honor of this being doughnut week in DC. (We did not make it out to the newly-opened GBD or Astro Fried Chicken and Donuts, but we’ll probably burn off some calories before we venture out to those.
Last night, we detoxed, with a nice grilled chicken salad at home, taking advantage of some veggies we picked up at the Dupont Circle farmers market. We plan to eat a lot more salad in the coming days, as we love when “seasonal vegetables season” approaches each year.
Wow, I just had one of the best meatball sandwiches I’ve ever eaten, at the new Red Apron in Union Market. The meatballs were delicious, the bread held up to the meat and sauce without being too tough or too….uh… bready, and the salsa verde is an excellent touch, playing off the sauce and the parmesan in an almost-pesto-but-not-quite vibe!
I also got to swing by Salt & Sundry and pick up Woodberry Kitchen’s “Snake Oil” hot sauce, and to restock my supply of pineapple syrup (a.k.a., liquid gold) at Buffalo & Bergen.
After a recent Yelp! hiatus, I returned to the game today with a quick review of Sprig & Sprout, the new “Viet-American” spot in Glover Park.4 Stars (though I’d probably give it 3-1/2, given the option).
3-1/2 stars, for nice addition to the neighborhood! We stopped in last week after they’d only been open for a few days. I had the pho with eye round, and the broth was quite delicious (particularly when I sriracha’d it up to my liking). We also had the vegetarian egg rolls, which were fine, but not amazing.
It’s great for a fast meal, though I’m not sure how it travels if you take it to go. While we were in there, though the tables and counter seats turn over fairly quickly. The prices are higher than what you’ll pay at a “numbered” Pho restaurant, but certainly reasonable/competitive with other quick dining options in Glover Park, and worth a visit, particularly on a cold night.I’m looking forward to going back and trying the banh mi!
Along with an amazing array of toys and quirky gifts, Franklin’s brewery/restaurant/general store in Hyattsville, MD, has an amazing array of 750 ml craft beer choices. Locals, imports, all great!
They’re no Aphrodite’s Oystahs (try em out if you find yourself in Rockland, ME), but these are some tasty oysters at Rappahannock Oyster Bar.
I swung by the new Wiseguy NY Pizza at 4th and Mass (really 4th and H) this afternoon. While I’m not an expert on New York-style pizza, I think this is a great addition to the neighborhood, and it easily slides in among the better by-the-slice offerings in the city.
It’s also great to have another quick lunch option near the office. In fact, it’s a bit hard to remember what the dining options in Chinatown/Judiciary Square/Mt. Vernon Triangle looked like 10 years ago… a whole lot has changed. In fact, at that point, Mt. Vernon Triangle might not have existed, outside of the NPR building, Louie’s Rogue, and a bunch of parking lots.
Welcome to the neighborhood!
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GUY FIERI, have you eaten at your new restaurant in Times Square? Have you pulled up one of the 500 seats at Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar and ordered a meal? Did you eat the food? Did it live up to your expectations?
Did panic grip your soul as you stared into the whirling hypno wheel of the menu, where adjectives and nouns spin in a crazy vortex? When you saw the burger described as “Guy’s Pat LaFrieda custom blend, all-natural Creekstone Farm Black Angus beef patty, LTOP (lettuce, tomato, onion + pickle), SMC (super-melty-cheese) and a slathering of Donkey Sauce on garlic-buttered brioche,” did your mind touch the void for a minute?
"— As Not Seen on TV - Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square - NYTimes.com
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Miss Shirley’s to open in DC? This would be awesome!
When Baltimore residents are looking for dishes like chicken and waffles and Key lime-cheesecake stuffed French toast, many of them (between 1,000 and 1,500 on a typical Saturday, in fact) turn to Miss Shirley’s. Soon, D.C. residents may get the same opportunity. (via Eater DC)
"Taylor Charles still plans to re-create the street-eating experience of a Philadelphia cheesesteak shop right inside its H Street store. The decor will include manhole covers, street lamps and street art/graffiti. Patten says he’s still trying to find a good source for manhole covers."
— Taylor Charles Steak & Ice set to open in December - All We Can Eat - The Washington Post
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