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On what seemed like the hottest day of summer so far, we took a field trip to eat some fried fish. If it weren't so hot, I think I would've enjoyed it more as a quintessential DC experience. Horace and Dickies, 800 12th Street NE, serves up their fish fresh, right out of the fryer, pipin' hot. They're known for their deep fried croaker but we opted for their 6-piece whiting filets, some potato salad and mac and cheese for about $10. The fish is coated with a corn-meal based batter, and the pieces are huge! 6 pieces could feed 2-3 adults. Two small plastic containers of hot sauce, tartar sauce and 2 slices of white Wonder Bread come with the fish. The sides cost extra. Someone else had the croaker and said it was fishier (and bonier). The collard greens are good, the potato salad is mustardy and on the sweet side, the mac and cheese is not creamy, more lumpy (but still delicious IMO). The menu also has fish sandwiches (literally several pieces of fried fish sandwiched between white bread), crabcakes, shrimp, chicken and seafood platters. The hot sauce tastes like Frank's and extra containers of sauces can be had for eleven cents. In the refrigerator case, there were mini pies wrapped in plastic that were labeled "bean custard pie". The place is takeout only, no ambiance to speak of. It's just some deep fryers, a counter to order, and some refrigerator cases for drinks and sides. They have an old Zagat's Guide write-up on the wall that actually says, "in a sketchy neighborhood, so exercise caution." I didn't see any reasons for caution, except for the quantity of food you get for the price. whatta deal. Gotta love a place where I asked, "What's good here?" and the lady at the counter says without missing a beat, "Everything's good here, baby! It's all good." -
When this place opened in the spring, I had no interest whatsoever in trying it out even though I'm a pizzaholic. It just looked like a place that would serve canned toppings. However, they had a special $7 for a solo pizza with one topping and $1 for a can of soda. I couldn't resist plus knowing that Pete's A Pizza was gone. Well, this place is actually pretty good. The sauce and cheese tastes good and my fresh mushroom topping hit the spot. The crust was just okay -- a sauce and cheese delivery mechanism. I've been there twice and it has been pretty empty. I just hope they are getting the post-bar closing weekend crowds. I also treasure this place because I know my pizza will always be freshly made. I don't have to worry about getting a dried up reheated slice like I did at Pete's and at Bronx Pizza. Please try it out before they close for good. I'm plan on going once a week for lunch.
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I work in Ballston. I was a happy sometimes consumer of salads fro Sweetleaf, a short two and a half or so blocks from my office. A nice reason for a stroll. In good or even half good weather. Then, Sweetgreen entered and offred free delivery to a common area in our building by noon. All you have to do is remember to order before 11. It's been my go to because of the convenience alone. The other day, I forgot to gt my order in on time. I wanted salad. I walked to Sweetleaf. And then I was reminded about how much more I prefer sweetleaf. Customization is more in your face and in person, but they toss the salad for you and their stuff seems fresher to me if only slightly. I walked back to my office with a bigger and more delicious salad and devoured it. It hit the spot. Sweetgreen will unfortunately win more than not because of delivery, but when I gotstahaveit, I will get me sweetleaf. You? -
Pho 75 in Rosslyn. Metro to Courthouse, about a 10-15 minute walk downhill. Have a small bowl, then a steak at Ray's, then pay your respect's to Dremo's before it closes with a few pints to wash it down. Hops are a digestif, natch. -
Or Taylor on H Street. -
(I just know this is going to become its own post) [ DR] I ate at Open Road tonight. I had the burger (quelle surprise) while my friend had the hanger steak salad. In retrospect, both the pizzas and the fish wrap looked rather good, and might be the go-to if/when I give this place it's second shot. The burger was cooked rather well - the first time in quite some time I've ordered a burger medium and actually *gotten* it medium. The downside was that it didn't have a tremendous amount of taste or seasoning to go with the overabundance of juiciness - the "scallion mayo" and even the addition of bacon didn't help. Next time I might ask for more of the mayo and sprinkle some pepper on there. It's also served on a brioche bun - and unfortunately...meat juices and brioche do not make a harmonious pair. The hanger steak salad looked rather basic - not very vibrant in color - just steak sitting on a bed of mixed field greens with a minimum of garnish (she swore they forgot the potatoes), but the steak was cooked beautifully and had a good taste. My friend remarked to the server that they seriously need to make an entree based on the hanger steak, a la Jackson's, since it outshines the salad considerably. The menu itself reads like an exercise in "making simple sound needlessly complex." The place seems rather targeted at three relatively nearby establishments - the aging Grevey's near INOVA Fairfax and its open-air bar, Glory Days Grill in Fairfax, and Blackfinn Pub. They even have half-price burgers on Monday to compete directly with GD. I wish them luck with that, as Blackfinn is in the middle of a residential complex with covered indoor parking and a short walk from the Metro and a Doubletree, and Glory Days has more parking than ever would be necessary. I also question the logic of a nine dollar hot dog, regardless of whether it's made with Boar's Head. We skipped dessert, as aside from the "Seasonal Crisp," there's nothing available you couldn't get much cheaper elsewhere. Also, the inclusion of the "Old School" treat/snack menu had us wondering just how many Oreos or Twinkies you get per dollar spent. This place is going to make a fortune on booze alone, though...as Happy Hour lasts until 7pm...that is, if you can find a spot. The parking lot was jam-packed yesterday evening ~5:30pm, but the interior had ample seating - most of the customers were sitting/standing in the outdoor bar area (the place has two bars, and the interior one is well-stocked). Once the Italian Deli and the "TRIO Grill" opens up, I really don't know what they're going to do - there's not enough parking by far, and if they're not careful, they're going to cause accidents on Route 29 since there's only one entry and exit for traffic despite a feed-in lane. You could take your chances parking in the adjacent Sunoco station, but seeing as they generally have tow trucks sitting around, I wouldn't advise it. The location is also just far enough from the Dunn Loring metro station that a 'leisurely walk' becomes more of a "burn off dinner" affair. The Italian Market between Open Road and TRIO looks to be just a glorified deli (sorry DrX) based on the modicum of time I spent looking in the windows at the 'menu boards' on the back wall behind the deli counter. There are two rather large beverage coolers on either side of the space, and I'm looking forward to getting a look at what's inside them, since I'm always curious about new sodas, beers, and drinks. Brass tacks: Did I feel adequately fed? Yes. Was the wait staff attentive? Incredibly - almost to the point of fastidiously obsessive. They even collected the straw I didn't use for my iced tea. Was the food good? Decent enough, but I honestly think Blackfinn has the better burger unless they burn the hell out of it like they did on my second visit there. Would I return? Yes, but I'm not exactly in a hurry to do so.- 3 replies
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- Local Chain
- Merrifield
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A trip out to Bowie to get an oil change (near the office, cheaper than in DC, blah blah blah) led me to an outpost of Five Guys in this small but rapidly expanding DC Burb. Yes, this was my first time at a Five Guys. Evaluation? Not going back. Where was the ketchup I asked for? Why use thinly sliced jalapenos with no heat and less flavor? What the heck was that seasoning on my "cajun" fries (and why can't you just hire a consultant from Thrashers?)? What sort of mad scientist concocted this thing you call "cheese"? Why did my bun have the consistency of soggy kleenex? One of the few -- very few -- things that can be said about chain-i-fication is that it brings about a general consistency between branches of a restaurant. And if Five Guys is headed (and with a store in Bowie, it seems like it) into becoming a widespread local chain, I'm sure not going back to any of them. Maybe I'm missing something; when I posted something on DCist about Palena's burger certain commenters were all over me for being an effete snob and not mentioning Five Guys. Maybe the commute down Rt 50 to Bowie results in drastic quality reduction. But I'm thinking the allure is nostalgia. Oh, and memo to Mr. Mellencamp and other enthusiasts: The chili dogs at Tastee Freeze suck now too. -
Don Pollo, at 7007 Wisconsin Ave in Bethesda (just south of Bradley Blvd). Wow! Some of the best Peruvian chicken I've ever had. Mash potatoes to die for and great Cole Slaw, All for $6 dollars -
The former ABC Canteen spot in Fairfax has been replaced by a new Korean Fried Chicken branch: Choong Man Chicken.
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I went to Annangol for dinner and enjoyed it overall. It's at 4215 Annandale Center Dr, in same shopping strip as Napoleon bakery. The seafood pancake was alot of green onion, slices of carrot, and a few little bits of octopus and shrimp. But mostly green onion. The fried dumplings were good though a little greasy. For the main dishes, we ordered short ribs on the bone, short ribs not on the bone, and spicy pork ribs. The server brought a plate of lettuce/other greens for wrapping the meat. She also brought a round platter divided into sections with banchan (including kimchi and a scoop of potato salad) and raw garlic, slices of long green peppers, and spicy bean paste to include with the lettuce when wrapping the meat. She also brought a metal bowl filled with slices of onion. Although there's a burner in the center of the table, she brought the meat already cooked. That's a plus or a minus depending on how much you like cooking it yourself. We were glad to receive it cooked because then we could eat it right away without fussing with it. The onion slices went on the burner with the meat. The short ribs had a bit of a smoky flavor, and my parents were glad that the marinade was not too sweet. The spicy pork was 1 bone plus meat, and the pork was not particularly spicy. I liked the beef better overall. (Annangol also has duck on the menu, both with and without special sauce. The server told us it's a minimum of 2 orders though.) -
Although this will end up in the 'lovable quirk' known as Multiple Locations, where all geographical reference is lost, it merits a mention. I stumbled across the Perfect Pita mother lode on Fullerton Rd., which is walking distance from my home. I didn't realize it was anything other than a Perfect Pita lunch counter to feed the droves of workers in the industrial parks that surround it, but I went in today on a tip from a cashier at Giant who noticed I was buying tabouli and mentioned that Attila's had very good tabouli. She was right. Attila's is the parent business, and Perfect Pita is its 15-shop chain in the DC area. But....the one on Fullerton Rd. is its central kitchen and bakery, so it has fresher bread and more cooks in the kitchen to pump out the goodies. I took a sampling of pita bread, tabouli, hummus and white bean salad, and I can declare it to be worth lots of return visits. What I liked most was its uniqueness. They clearly have their own cherished recipes, so the tastes are very different and very good. The tabouli led with tomatoes instead of parsley, and the hummus led with tahini -- the sesame paste -- instead of chick pea puree. The white bean salad wasn't bad, but the tabouli and the hummus are addictive. Except for these various dips and the bread, you almost wouldn't know it has any other Mediterranean food. The bread leads the sandwich lineup, and there is a gyro and a filafel and almost nothing else from the eastern Mediterranean. Oh well....that bread is good enough to eat by itself, and that hummus is really delicious. -
Jill described it as a Cheese and Wine bar, but apparently there's going to be even more good stuff according to Counter Intelligence. -
I'm a fan of Craft too - my advice, go for the simple and you'll experience great ingredients perfectly prepared. The only things I've had there that I didn't love were the more complicated dishes. -
Well, we have my early front-runner for meal of the year and I can't believe there isn't a thread already for Peter Luger Steakhouse. We were hopping around Brooklyn for a bachelor party this weekend and there was no way we were skipping Peter Luger's (Williamsburg location obviously, also a second in Great Neck). I've heard some amazing things from friends who visit on a regular basis, and the experience lived up to the hype. We started off with various cocktails, and my Bulleit Old Fashioned was well-made and lasted most of the meal. I probably should have paired the steak with a bold red wine, but it worked. We paired the tomatoes and onions with a slice of bacon for the appetizer, and together they made a weird variant of a BLT, but delicious. That slice of bacon was heavenly, definitely a must-have and worked well with the steak sauce poured over. Just google a picture and start drooling. For entrees, we kept it simple - steaks for everybody, potatoes, and creamed spinach. The potatoes provided a decent starch and I really liked the spinach (delicious but not too creamy), but that was about it. They aren't supposed to be the star though - the steak is. And boy, it did not let down. Cooked a legit medium-rare (we did have to please nine, after all) you could cut a bite with a few pushes of the fork. The meat was absurdly tender and flavorful, and we all left extremely full. Our waiters were excellent and provided great service with a playful attitude, everything came to $110-120 per person, and lunch was still a great value.- 9 replies
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I have liked their salteñas in the past at the Baileys Xroads location. -
Ok so I apologize to the Leleboo in advance, I am sure my lackluster searching skills must be incorrect, but for the life of me I cannot find a thread on the Silver Diner, in multiple locations under diners or American food, or in Virginia in Clarendon. I then google searched to no avail. I just wanted to state that I am really liking their new menu. It's not a regular spot for me, but when you want down home comfort food, which I did, don't want to pay a lot, which I didn't, and wanted it delivered to my door, it really was good. Things seem to be made fresh with more care then in past times. Stepping things up I would say. We got take out last night. I got meatloaf with mashed potatoes, corn and veggie mix with a choice of soup or salad side, got veggie chili. The meatloaf was well seasoned and tasted good, the veggie mix were carrots, broccoli, and butternut squash (really... I really think it was), they weren't mush they tasted quite nice. The mashed potatoes tasted very real. Nothing tasted like it was from a box or prepared ages ago. All in all I was really happy with it. So much food I haven't eaten my veggie chili yet, but will have it for lunch tomorrow. Hubby got a burger and said it was a surprisingly good burger. The menu has lots of choices, healthy, not so healthy and lots of gluten free choices. I will be back (or at least order delivery) more often. I was really impressed. It seemed a lot different than in times past. Anyone else tried the new Silver Diner? -
Has anyone tried it? I'm a fan of the chef -- interested in this new place. Thoughts? -
Opened last week. Website here. No menu online yet, I have a paper copy, will try to photograph and post a pic later this weekend. Open 11am -9pm Sunday and Monday; 11am -9:30pm Tuesday -Thursday, 11 am -10 pm Friday Saturday. 7945 MacArthur Blvd. -
Finally got my ass out the door around 9pm last night. Thank god El Pollo Rico is open until 10. -
Although it's been there for more than two years, I have yet to try the offerings at Nicecream Factory's Clarendon location (former home of Red Mango). They must be doing something right, as they are opening a second location in Old Town, at 726 King Street, right next door to Eammon's: A Dublin Chipper. Yogi Castle closed a year ago, so that section of King Street hasn't had a frozen dessert option for a while. With Five Guys opening across the street in the near future, there should be plenty of casual diners looking for something sweet to follow their burger. They use liquid nitrogen to flash freeze ice cream to order, supposedly making a denser and creamier finished product, with custom, fresh ingredients. Anybody tried it? -
Oops, double post, read on... -
Went to the Class 302 Cafe location in Cerritos and wasn't super enthused. The drinks are big and colorful but were wayyyyy too sweet, with no compensating tartness, for my tastes. Our group had several of the boba drink options (tea, smoothies, etc.) and I didn't care for any of them (soft boba, ugh). It looks like other locations have an interesting self-serve option, sort of like the Pinkberry of boba spots, but the Cerritos location is counter service only where they make your drinks. I noticed that shaved ice was big with the other patrons while we were there (well, also it's summer). I didn't see if the Cerritos location has hot food but it is available at other locations, according to the online menu. Has anyone else been? The self-serve boba bar might be interesting.
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I spend a lot of satisfying times in Bozzelli's and I think it belongs in the dining guide. It is a family-owned and operated deli with a seating area on Alban Road in Springfield -- Backlick runs from Annandale to Springfield, changes its name to Alban roughly at the big oil tanks across I-95S, and then changes its name to Pohick when it crosses Rolling Road into Lorton and Fairfax Station. Bozzelli's menu includes some of the best subs in the DC area. They have a few "signatures" like the Metro (basically an Italian hoagie), the absolutely decadent Pepperoni, Steak and Cheese, the Senator (Italian cheeseburger) and many more, all of which I can tell you are as good as any in the northern Virginia 'burbs....at least this side of the Italian Store. What finally drove me to write them up was the best breakfast sandwich I've had in a long time -- ham, egg, cheese, peppers and ketchup on an 8" pressed Italian bun. Man, was that good...! And on Fridays in Lent, there isn't a better 12" tuna salad sub anywhere. Bozzelli's also offers salads, a few pasta dishes, fresh-made desserts and unusually good pizza. They also have cooking classes on the occasional Wednesday evening, where Mama puts on some displays of excellent Italian cooking. http://springfield.bozzellideli.com/
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I grabbed lunch here for the first time today, think it's been open for a little over a month. I haven't been to every taco joint in the district yet, but the first visit here beat every visit I've made to Taqueria Distrito Federal. I had the lengua, the carnitas, and the fish taco (daily special; tilapia). The lengua had a nice crust on it, which I've not had on lengua in the past and made for more of a roast pork belly mouthfeel, and the carnitas were properly fried and chunky, not pulled pork. The fish was not overcooked, although the fish taco as a whole had more of an earthy chili funk to it than the brightness of a Baja-style fish taco. The spiciness of the base tacos was fairly mild. They have a nice selection of salsas on the table to fix that, though. I believe the tortillas were homemade, just off the griddle. A bit apt to crack but still flexible enough to do the job, great flavor, and with the correct number of two per taco. My wife's al pastor huarache was also delicious. Taqueria Habanero on Yelp Jon- 11 replies
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Paty's American looks and feels familiar, which is no surprise given it's a new restaurant in the GAR group. To be clear, I've always liked these restaurants, believing they offer a good meal (and most often I think it's better than good), that's reasonably priced, and comes with excellent service. To be sure, thats my take on most "upscale chains" (e.g. Cheesecake Factory), and I'm not a tough critic in general, so you might need a grain of salt with this review. Still, one among an army of hostesses led us to a comfortable booth in a neo-industrial space (with one wall having a gigantic, and bizarre mural consisting of an eclectic collection of famous people), drink orders were taken promptly, and our server even asked our preference for bread in the soon-to-arrive bread basket (we wanted those donut hole-like rolls, natch). I had the Tex-Mex Eggrolls and the Louisiana Pasta and both held up their end of the bargain. We were handled by multiple servers and bus-persons, and everyone was eager to help. The boy got the Calamari, and the lobster ginger sauce that came with it was very tasty. The wife got the Charleston Salad, which looked fresh and comes with quite a bit of fried chicken. This restaurant holds the line with the others.- 13 replies
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