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My boyfriend and I were in Philly last weekend and had some amazing meals. We started on sat by getting drinks at continental. You can sit outside and they have fun drinks like the Champagne-a-rama! Then we ate at Budahkan, which is always amazing. We had a tuna pizza (thinly sliced tuna and wasabi on focaccia) as an appetizer and i had the seared ahi tuna, which was on of the best I have ever had, while my boyfriend had the steak which was equally delicious. On sunday we had brunch at Continental mid-town, which is such a fun kooky atmosphere. For dinner we went for drinks at Jones and dinner at to Morimoto, which was very impressive. I absolutely LOVE Stephen Starr restaurants (as you can tell from my culinary weekend). Why oh why can't we have a Stephen Starr in DC?? -
... i'm seeing something of a contradiction in your post, here... -
This is closer to the Capitol than to the Market, but there is an upscale burger place going in at 3rd and PA Ave, SE (Good Stuff Eatery, 303 PA Ave, SE). Signs announcing the liquor license application/hearing are up in the windows. There's a small blurb here. The same page mentions the upcoming opening of Cafe 8 Mediterranean Eatery on Barracks Row. -
Website: http://burgerseven.com/aboutus.html Address: 7505 Leesburg Pike # E Falls Church, VA 22043 Visit: 4:30pm 2/23/11 Decor: Think of a remodeled "Five Guys" without the free peanuts. There are limited booths (~10-15), which could prove a problem at peak times. Well and warmly lit, condiments in ample supply at each table (which might change if some of them start taking a walk). Drink/Condiment station is horribly placed directly next to the registers - expect traffic jams and a circumlocution of the line you just waited on to get to it. Order: B7 (two patties) w/Cheddar Cheese, Lettuce, Onion (raw diced), Tomato, Pickles, Ketchup, Mayo and a single order of Fries. Wait Time: I wouldn't suggest going to this place during a typical weekday Tyson's Corner/Falls Church lunch hour. At 4:30pm, it took about 20 minutes for my order (in a queue of no more than five or six) to be readied. The staff is obviously still finding their rhythm, so it's excusable for their first week open. Just overhearing the kitchen staff, it sounded as if the fry station is the holdup of their line and you might be able to get in and out quicker if you forego the fries (read further for a decent reason why). That being said, they smartly use an electronic pager system a la Fuddruckers in lieu of an occasionally unreliable number-calling system like Five Guys. Look and Taste: Half Five Guys, half Elevation Burger. Considerably smaller and (at least initially) *neater* than a double-patty Five Guys burger and thus easier to eat. Beef was cooked well-done (no option otherwise), and the patties were roughly Quarter Pounder-sized in thickness and pleasantly juicy (re: also very messy). The bun was satisfactory but didn't hold up especially well to the juice/grease from the patty, melting cheddar, and combination of ketchup/mayo. This is very much NOT a burger to eat in the car. The flavor of the meat itself, without the welcome and needed help of condiments/cheese was very typical of normal "grass-fed" beef - in other words kind of bland. I could not taste any attempt at seasoning either on the patty or within the meat itself when I was able to sample a "clean" piece of one of the patties. The fries, cooked in olive oil much like Elevation Burger, were somewhat disappointing as well - they were not especially palatable "naked" (almost reminiscent tastewise of unsalted kettle-cooked potato chips save for the faint remaining essence of olive oil) without an application of salt and the use of a side of the restaurant's "B7 Sauce" to add flavor. The B7 Sauce, to my palate, sort of reminded me of a less tangy runnier variant of the spicy yellow-orange sauce chain restaurants serve with their fried onion appetizers. It's very much not a Thousand Island-based sauce despite having the outward appearance of it. Going to have to taste it again to properly get a "lock" on it flavor-wise. Sweet potato fries are also offered, and despite not having tried them, I'm guessing/*hoping* the sweeter taste would remedy the relative tastelessness of their stock spuds. Also, adding any cheese is an extra 50 cents. Verdict: I'm not *done* with this place yet. It has a nice, well-lit atmosphere, even if I could see it suffering under heavy traffic, and the fact that its neighbor is a Jason's Deli with *far* more seating space might be a kiss of death during the lunch hours. I've yet to try their hot dogs, shakes, and most importantly, their sliders, which if they look like their picture on the website's menu, might be their saving grace if served on proper potato rolls and cooked with their onions to infuse the flavor like White Castle does. Their "onion crisps" aren't onion rings or petals so much as they are that type of super-thin onion ring that looks like a mass of thick fried hair when served (note: this doesn't mean I don't recommend them, I'm just trying to describe them). They also offer only turkey bacon, not pork, which might suggest a silent adherence to Kosher/Halal standards (which might explain why a slice of American costs an extra 50 cents). -
Just found out that this is where we're heading this weekend for a friend's birthday dinner. I've walked by the Hyattsville location a few times when I'm at University Town Center, but that's about the extent of my knowledge of the place. Completely off-the-cuff first impression is Olive Garden does soul food. In short, what am I getting myself into? -
Mrs. TJ works in DC and, in the past, she has come home with wonderful goodies from Marvelous Market. Sometimes brownies. Sometimes gingerbread. Sometimes these fruit and nut crisps (think really crisp 'bread' slices of this stuff -- with salt!). Their stuff in general used to be like food-crack. So she stops by there last night and is completely dismayed that they had posted a sign that they were now outsourcing their bread production, in part, to a 3rd party bakery. Apparently it is not just the bread. Grrrrr. -
We decided to go to something that I had heard about in a tourist magazine at the Hyatt when we were staying there! I also had read about it in some of the local publications... it's called Philip's! They had a brunch at 26.95? pp, parking under the restaurant was 5.00 flat (make sure you bring a 5.00 or LOADS of change or some singles and quarters! LOL) We enjoyed a seafood, chicken, roast beef and breakfast buffet-brunch as well as nice desserts more than you could possibly stomach! They also had crab legs, all types of shellfish, stuff on the shell, crawfish, shrimp, everything you can imagine! I had some sliced roast beef, grouper, snapper, hush puppies, bacon, waffles, s...on a shingle, pasta salad, french toast, shrimp and more, but about 1/2 serving spoon of each since I would burst!!!!! Anyhow I had the mango drink special it was delicious! and hubby had an iced tea, I had a coca cola and we drank lots of water as well. The total with tip was under $100.00 with all drinks, tax etc. A word to the wise though, when you visit here do not eat before and expect to skip supper being over-full! It is easy to get to from VA less than 30 minutes drive from anywhere in Fairfax Co and closeby to anyone in the DC area as well. They have a beautiful porch area with open windows so you can watch things go by... it was very nice and "homey". The staff was attentive as well. Go there! -
There's a dearth of good Korean BBQ places in Rockville so I was excited to hear about Iron Age, which opened up about a year ago. Unfortunately my experience here wasn't positive. I went with about seven other people for a meetup group. Between us we split a shabu shabu pot and the pork BBQ set. The BBQ portion is all you can eat for $18-$22 per person. For this reason they were really strict about the shabu shabu people not sampling any grilled meats. Service was poor. Our server seemed incapable of multitasking, despite the fact that the restaurant was nearly empty. He flat out refused to take orders when he was busy doing something else. We didn't even get our first glass of water until the grill and the shabu shabu had been set up. On the plus side, he was prompt once he decided to graciously accept our request. But I'm willing to forgive bad service for good food, and the food was not good. We asked for lettuce and we got this sad looking bowl of diced up greens dressed in a sweet soy sauce. I'm accustom to having some sort of wrapper (lettuce or wontons or something) for KBBQ and we didn't get anything like that. The dipping sauces were anemic: both the ssamjang and the chili sauce were watery. The complimentary gyeran jjim was a joke: completely flavorless. The other banchan were mostly misses: a potato salad that was too sweet and a sludgy kimchee that, while sour (the way I like it), had no texture and tasted mushy. As for the meats: the pork belly was expected. Thankfully it's hard to mess up. Next came the beef brisket, which was still frozen and the fat parts were disintegrating. The soy marinated pork had an off taste. I was disappointed they didn't offer a gochujang-based daeji bulgogi which would've been a better use for the meat. So this place is a far cry from Honey Pig or Shin Chon, which are my primary experiences with good KBBQ. Based on my experience here I can't reccommend it, but I wanted to do a write up in case someone does a search.- 27 replies
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Tom Sietsema breaks the news here. Congratulations, Mark, and welcome back! (For those of you new to the area, click here for a chat we had with Mark almost four years ago when he was at Breadline.) -
Found ourselves in Rockville today, doing some holiday shopping and needing a snack...out of the corner of my eye I spotted Greenberry on the other side of the plaza from Filene's. We thought we'd give it a try since we didn't have time for a "real" lunch! First, the women at the counter said they have only been open for about 2 weeks, and that this is the first franchise for Greenberry yogurt. Ever. She mentioned her brother-in-law and another sibling, I believe, came up with the recipe themselves and don't use any powders. She said that they are not affiliated with any other "berry" or froyo venture. So that makes me wonder if they are even related to the Greenberry Coffee and Tea? On to the taste--I must say, this is one of the best I've had...probably second to the froyo we had at Yogurtland in Hawaii this summer. Smooth, creamy, with no "dry" aftertaste. I had the original (tart but balanced) mixed with dark chocolate (intense), with marshmallow, chocolate Flake and candied pecans. Mr. S had the strawberry mixed with dark chocolate and said the strawberry was exceptional. -
I don't know where you live, but Pho and Grill, with two locations (Gaithersburg and Olney) have a vegetarian bowl (confirmed that they use vegetable broth) that my wife loves. You should check it out. Regular Pho is near the top of my list as well. -
Has anyone tried Bollywood Bistro in Fairfax City? Any news? -
We crossed the river to VA through Point of Rocks/Rt 15. Driving back, we saw a little roadside stand selling kettle corn and barbecue. Catoctin Popcorn Company from Frederick runs the stands which also sell The Kernel's BBQ. I bought a bag of fresh (still hot) kettle corn and it was great. It is much puffier than prepacked kettle corn. The combination of salty-sweet buttery goodness was perfect. I also bought some cinnamon candied pecans but did not like the taste. They were cloyingly sweet and tasted a little off. While I was waiting for popcorn, BF was admiring the large smoker (large horizontal one on its own trailer) and bought some ribs. We ate the ribs standing by the trunk of the car. The ribs were very tender and the meat fell off the bone. There was enough char/smokiness without being dried out. We would definitely stop by again the next time we are out that way. I need some reason to go to Leesburg again soon. -
While I am unsure about the Herndon location of Matsutake, I have noticed the Wilson Blvd location going by a new name: Boru Fusion. I am unsure what stayed the same as I have not been there before, but bewarned that the website has music--it confirms that it owns the Crystal City location too. Please update! :-) -
I have heard that this space, formerly the "Washington Park Gourmet," is going to be some sort of coffee bar. Construction has been ongoing for over a year now, but things seem to have accelerated in recent months. Does anyone here have any inside information on what we can expect, or when it will be opening? I have also heard rumors that the Tryst people are involved...
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Murphy's, as you can imagine, was packed after the Scottish parade yesterday. We got there just as the parade was ending, meaning we were still able to secure a table downstairs to enjoy lunch, live music, and many pints of Guinness. Murphy's really deserves a shout out for its fish and chips. Not so much the chips, but the fish is really good. IIRC it was only $6.95 or $7.95. Two healthy fillets of cod, I believe. Here's why they're so good. The batter is crisp and light and stays crisp. It also adheres perfectly to the fish fillet and doesn't get mealy. Good stuff, and they pour a proper pint. More than one if you ask, too! -
Kasha Neam sold Kennedy's Natural Foods to a longtime customer, Karen Sherwood, a couple months ago. It's ironic that I'd been going to Kennedy's for well over ten years, and that Kasha's daughter, Elaine, knew my voice when I called, and even what I was going to order: "Tofu Delight, multi grain, no onions, right?" But as many times as I'd been there, we never even knew each other's names, and they had no idea it was me who had been raving about them for so long. But yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Karen (yes, Kennedy's is now open mid-day on Sundays), and here's the scoop: Karen will be keeping the name "Kennedy's Natural Foods" which has been around for decades. She's also opening Nourish Market on Old Dominion Drive in McLean, near the intersection of Spring Hill Road (this is very close to being Great Falls). Nourish Market will (in addition to being a market) feature grab-and-go fare that's made at Kennedy's, so in essence, she'll have a single-kitchen mini-chain in a few more weeks. At some point in the future, "Nourish Market" will be worked into the Kennedy's Natural Foods signage in Falls Church. The sandwiches (I enjoyed a Chicken Salad, multi-grain, no onions) appear to be fairly close to what they were before, with slight variations on the names. Cheers, Rocks [P.S. Out of deference to both Kasha and Karen, I'm retiring the Kasha's Kitchen thread (retired in italic), and beginning this new one.]
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The takeout taco is the food discovery of my four years in Howard County. Back in Arlington, I stopped occasionally at a stand that appeared on good weather weekends, but you can count on the joints around here for a front-seat feast of tacos, salsa and a squirt of lime. These are $2 treats that usually spice up a day when I'm out doing errands. Now, you can count on the tacos at the R&R deli in Elkridge -- a new takeout spot for breakfast and Mexican food at Rte 175. R&R serves great tacos. I tried the barbacoa, the carnitas and the carne asada on Monday, and they're spectacular. Heaped meat, good tortillas, a nice salsa. R&R is near the Shell Station where Rte 175 hits U.S. 1. Okay, let's admit it: R&R is in the Shell Station where Rte 175 hits U.S. 1. That's why Mrs. HowChow has not yet sampled the tacos there. But it's not like you're ordering food in a gas station. The restaurant's owners have a separate door, and they set up a bright commercial kitchen separated by a glass wall from anything automotive. The tip about R&R came from a comment last month by Alberto A. Flores. The R&R tacos were stuffed, and they're in the league with the best takeout around, certainly in the league with my favorites at Pupuseria Lorenita's taco truck in Elkridge and Lily's Mexican Market in Columbia. R&R's big standout was the milkshake that I had with my tacos. The guys there whipped up milk and real strawberries in a blender, and it was a refreshing, delicious drink. Not the dessert of a milkshake at The Duchess in Ellicott City. It was more like strawberry milk, but real strawberries that they had pulled from the fridge and hulled right in front of me. The R&R Deli serves a pretty broad menu from American or Mexican breakfasts to tortas sandwiches to platters of beef, cajun chicken, or blackened salmon. I really liked the guys there, who chatted and gave off the vibe of folks who were really interested in serving good food. Now, I just need to convince my wife. -
Back from another trip to O. C. and, once again, no idea why Don buries this national class Mid Atlantic beach resort in the "Baltimore" thread. There are more people from the D. C. area there (and Philly and Wilmington) than Baltimore. Regardless, we went back to Shark on the Harbor in West Ocean and discovered Hooked which has waits which make Rose's look look like prep school to the graduate school 90 minute wait at 9:30 last night at 80th and Coastal Highway.. Hooked is the equal of Black Salt. It is THAT good. By Ocean City standards THAT is incredible. O. C. shouldn't have a restaurant this good. But it does. No reservations. No comment. But, it has a lot of ambience, white table cloth, soft lighting and is worthy of an anniversary and the drive from D. C. Shark on the Harbor is a different place before the sun sets. It has a really talented chef but doesn't have the "feel" (before sunset) of a serious restaurant. Yet some of what is served is imaginative and excellent. We loved it and will return-after dark. Right now, based on a half dozen or so trips in the last year and tens of thousands of calories I would suggest that Hooked is Ocean City's best restaurant. Captain's Table, Liquid Assets (fantastic setting for a restaurant with tables in the middle of a candle light lit wine shop) and Shark on the Harbor all are seriously worth a visit, too. We go back to O. C. for New Year's Eve. We will spend it at Hooked. Probably much of the evening waiting in line...-
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Anyone who puts (the original) 2nd ave Deli at the top knows what he is talking about. And validates my belief (since he agrees) that Brooklyn's tops Altmans.
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I've had lunch at Pio-Pio in Clarendon twice now, after medical appointments nearby one month apart. Yesterday, I had a quarter chicken, yuca, and spiced cabbage. I've had deep-fried yuca at various Peruvian chicken joints dozens of times, but yesterday was the first time I ever had it right out of the fryer, and oh man was it good, hot, crisp, soft inside (all except for one too-thick piece that wasn't cooked through). The chicken was good too. The spiced cabbage is mostly vinegar-marinated cabbage with a few slices of jalapeno, and is fine, if served up too generously. -
If you're ever around in Baltimore around brunch Miss Shirley's is a great place to go. The place is always hopping on the weekends. They have excellent grits with applewood bacon, sweet potato fries and salmon BLTs. -
I feel your pain. Last week, Mr. MV and I were in Vienna and I mentioned the Amphora Diner and Anitas for dinner options. Unfortunately, we went to the latter. In a word-disgusting. Stale chips, gross salsa (tasted of ketchup), slimy verde sauce drowning a burrito that was smothered in a "cheese" sauce reminiscent of some processed cheese product brought out of a nuclear bomb shelter from the 1950's. Yes, we ate, we paid, we tipped well. Never. EVER. again. -
Surprised no one has posted on this place in Baltimore. Late last year, they opened up The Abbey Burger Bistro on Cross St. in Federal Hill. They use local Roseda farm beef for their burgers and they also make their own chips. While you can decide on your own toppings, they also have some unique burger offerings. The Harry's Bistro burger has bacon, cheddar, and fried egg served with an English Muffin. Messy but good. They also have a peanut butter burger with bacon- surprisingly delicious. I've also tried their Hudsdon Valley foie gras burger. They also serve homemade ice cream which is excellent. I once had their Berger Cookie shake- made with vanilla ice cream and spiked with Vanilla Stoli and Godiva Liqueur. While service on busy nights (weekends) is pretty slow because the bartenders are the waiters, it's worth checking out if you're in the area. pics 1041 Marshall Street Baltimore, MD 21230 443-453-9698
