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Showing results for tags 'Vegetarian'.
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http://bvfarmfood.com/ 8am-9pm daily Went to Bon Vivant with the Momma. I had forgotten Evening Star wasn't open for lunch, and we decided to try somewhere we hadn't been before instead of wandering down to Cheesetique. I got a pear and walnut salad with pulled chicken. Momma got a flank steak salad. The salad was good, but the fancy way they put the dressing on which looks very nice, isn't super practical. Next time I will just ask for dressing on the side and mix it in myself, and ask for some cracked pepper. The chicken was very good though. The salad itself was fine, if a bit boring, the dressing issue just meant it could use some seasoning. I think Mom's was likely a bit of the same. I should have gotten a sandwich- I just didn't want to spend the WW points on bread. I really like that they have nice real size glasses in the dining room with water, that is really nice. This place had a few groups meeting in the space and had a big table in the back. They were doing a decent take out business, there seem to be a lot of people in Del Ray looking for healthy options, and this would fit that, they also have some vegetarian and vegan options, more vegetarian than vegan. -
HipCityVeg Dupont Circle Grand Opening WHAT: Festive grand opening party for the expanding plant-based fast casual brand’s second DC location in Dupont Circle. Free lunch for the first 100 people in line. Free sweet potato fries all day. Giveaways and samples all weekend. Meet HCV founder Nicole Marquis. HipCityVeg pedicabs will transport customers back to their offices or to Dupont Circle for picnic lunches (5 block radius). WHEN: Wednesday July 24, 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free samples and giveaways to continue throughout the weekend. WHERE: HipCityVeg Dupont Circle, 1300 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC., 202-318-6010. DETAILS: HipCityVeg’s 2nd DC location will be the first in DC to feature the new Banana Whip Topping Bar and Golden Nugget deals. It will also be the headquarters for HipCityVeg’s expanded catering operation. Another location recently opened a month ago in Ardmore, Pa.
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Komi's turned into Happy Gyro for June. It's like a really refined vegetarian diner (think Chicago Diner or the local Fare Well putting on airs). It continuously riffed on (at least my) childhood memories of favorite foods--sure, they're elevated here and fancier, but darn if they're still not comforting and deeply satisfying. There were about 8 dishes of varying sizes, with the main attraction being a choice between a gyro or a cheesesteak. My wife and I picked one of each and split them. Both were delicious and would be perfect replacements for Adams Morgan's post-drinking jumbo slice, but my heart belongs to the gyro because it was the closest thing in the USA I've had to the gyro of my formative years. The mini tacos tasted like--and this is a true compliment--how I remember Taco Bell decades ago. There was also mushroom souvlaki, beet fritters, feta and tomato salad, garlic bread, roasted squash, and strawberry ice cream. Everything was outstanding. (To those who may be curious: as far as I could tell, there wasn't any tofu, seitan, or processed meat substitutes--it was mostly mushrooms or legumes in place of meat.) (EDIT: jca76 kindly explains below that the gyro is tofu-based. I was too busy Snuffles-ing to be bothered to ask.)- 960 replies
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- East Dupont
- Vegetarian
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A friend was raving about this place yesterday. He got lunch there after shopping at the newly reopened Frager's. He got chicken kabob, I think with salad. He thought everything was good and high-quality. Not too expensive. I really should have taken notes. He liked it enough that I'm creating a thread without having tried the place. Perhaps someone else reading this has? It gets high reviews on both Yelp and Google. They deliver through Seamless, Doordash, and Grubhub. It appears that they are closed on Tuesdays but are open for lunch and dinner the rest of the days and post-midnight all but Sunday. 202-544-0910. -
Andy Hayler's Review -
"West Side Restaurant Is Closing after 30 Years; 'People Are in Tears'" on westsiderag.com
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Green Almond Pantry is currently open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch service from 11:30AM to 3:00PM and until 7:00PM for take-away of Market and Dinner Specials. Counter seating is limited to approximately 8 seats. Lunch Specials are also available for take-away between 11:30AM to 3:00PM. Here is the article in the Washingtonian: Shaw Now Has a Lovely Vegetable-Centric Mediterranean Market and Restaurant: Former Etto head chef Cagla Onal debuts Green Almond Pantry I recommend following Green Almond Pantry on instagram for the latest updates. Below is the daily menu from a visit on December 1, 2018:
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- Mediterranean
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I just got word that hiring has begun at VEDGE. Please forward resumes to careers@vedgerestaurant.com. More details to follow as I learn of them. I am so excited about this opening more than any other restaurant. Here in Lancaster, both Vedge , along with V street are a local favorite to vegetarians, and carnivores alike. Makes me kind of wish I live back in the District. Almost. Just the messenger, kat
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I have what very well may be an impossible task. I'm turning 30 in late June, and plan on celebrating with my girlfriend, my twin brother, my other brother and my parents. My girlfriend and father will eat anything. My twin doesn't like seafood. My older brother and mother are both vegetarians (no fish). I try to avoid pork, but otherwise the more adventurous, the better. We don't want a white table cloth formal experience (i.e. no Kinship even). Any thoughts? Tail Up Goat won't take reservations for 6. Arroz seems too casual. Convivial is maybe my favorite place in the city, so it's a contender. How is Masseria these days? Worth the cost? Any other ideas? Thanks. -
Saturday dinner near Adams Morgan. One vegetarian, one person who is recovering from surgery and needs bland/healthy/low sodium, four foodies, and one person who probably doesn't care. Request for Adams Morgan came from a Bostonian who hasn't been to DC in quite awhile (I suspect). So he might be thinking A-M circa 1990. Or maybe that's where he found an Air BnB. My guess is that the four out-of-towners all like to drink, though maybe post-op guy is out of commission on that front. Any ideas re where to go?- 8 replies
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- Adams Morgan
- Pride Weekend
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I'm shocked no one has started a topic on Preserve. This place easily is one of the best in the area, and I include DC metro. After having their chef's 5 course tasting menu there last weekend, it is no surprise that they are included in the Washingtonian list of best restaurants. It is in a great location right on Main Street directly across from Chick and Ruth Deli. We had a large group and a fabulous meal with great service. The place is rather small only 40 or so seats in total including a bunch of bar seating. There is an open kitchen right in the back of the long narrow dining room. It is a husband (chef) and wife (FOH manager) team. We started with a round of cocktails - my gin-based one was great accompaniment to the first snack course. $65 for 5 courses (not including drinks/taxes, etc.) was a steal as each course was really 3-4 items with sides. First, we had the Chicken Caesar Skins which was very inventive and delicious. You make your own sandwich of small strips of fried chicken skin, mini romaine lettuce leaves, and spread a bit of Caesar dressing on it (I think I'm forgetting one component too). Also in the first course was their potted, soft goat cheese with warm slices of bread. This was one of the few items that was only good, not great. Most were great. The cheese is topped with oil and possibly some pickled vegetables. ALSO for the first course was a great variety of different quick pickled vegetables - radish, carrots, and 3 more I can't remember. Each one had been brined in a different way - some sweeter, some spicier. I'm a pickle lover and maker and these were superb. Second course was individual bowls of pan-seared scallops with a bit of sausage in a fennel broth and family style plate of head on shrimp with butternut squash salad with a lime-serrano vinaigrette. I don't eat shellfish so I didn't try this course but everyone loved it. Third course was three family style dishes: 1) glazed porcini trumpet pasta with roasted mushrooms, preserved lemons, capers and parmesan - great for mushroom lovers and rich, 2) cheese and potato pierogis with caramelized onions and sour cream - very well made but a bit bland compared to the other bolder flavored dishes, and 3) crispy kale with cumin yogurt, sweet pepper jelly and red onion. This last one is their twist on Rasika's crispy spinach (or Bombay Club's crispy kale) with more mid-atlantic/PA dutch flavorings. The kale was awesome and like Rasika worth a trip. Fourth course was a bucket of delicately fried catfish, with various sides - creamy mashed potatos, Brussel sprout and carrot slaw, bread and butter tomato pickles, cornbread with honey butter and 4 different sauces - regular remoulade, spicier remoulade, and a green and red hot sauce (all house made). The fish and hot sauces were very nice, the pickles were excellent and the cornbread also really decadent with the honey butter. Mashed potatoes were good, but nothing special. Fifth course was dessert - individual portions of Tandy cake and shoo-fly mousse pie. The tandy cake is dense yellow cake with a rich chocolate/peanut butter icing. It was only ok. The shoo-fly was better with sweet but not cloying mousse on top of a thin crust. We also had them pair a white wine with the first 2 courses and red for the second two. I didn't catch the names but they were good and paired nicely. I highly recommend going to Preserve if you are near or passing through Annapolis. Despite the overwhelming amount of food described above, they are mostly an a la carte menu and have a nice mix of vegetarian and meat/seafood items. If nothing else, go for the pickled items and crispy kale.- 6 replies
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- Annapolis
- Modern American
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I first heard about this vegetarian Indian restaurant back in April but never had an opportunity to check out the place until today. This place is located in Herndon off of Fairfax County Parkway. If you are on the toll road you can take the exit for Fairfax County Parkway. There was a steady stream of customers during lunch time. I decided to go with the masala dosas and channa bhatura. The dosa was spot on. Probably one of the better dosas I have had in the DMV. I was not that impressed by the Channa Bhatura. I think the version at Punjabi by Nature is better. If you are vegetarian or looking for something besides the usual kabob joints, I would give this place a look. Tim Carman of the Washington Post recently did a write up on the place. 1. Masala Dosa 2. Channa Bhatura
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Soooooo I finally made it out to Ganesh Temple's Cafeteria after wanting to go sometime. I was repurposing after finding Gui Lin Mi Fen to be under renovation or closed (the guy couldn't really explain what was going on). It was for the best though as this place was truly one of the most memorable adventures I've had in a long timmeeee. It's this nice canteen serving nice Dosas and other Indian veggie dishes out of it's cavernous complex. The place is pretty big especially compared to the slumped wooden houses that surround it. They have it all inside: the wedding hall, prayer space, the canteen and MORE!! It was almost otherworldly seeing this massive Hindu temple in the middle of a random part of Flushing. Any who the food is quite nice and while I am a bit weaker in my Indian palate (didn't grow up eating it in the way I did other cuisines like Chinese) I would rate this place very high. Not only do they have a wide variety of dishes, particularly in dosas, that often one doesn't see BUT they have a whole slew of other dishes as well to quench your indian veggie appetite. I went with the Mysore Masala Dosa which was quite delectable and had the perfect amount of spice (I do love spice and could've handled more but this spice complemented the flavors well rather then overpowering them). I also should laud the price to quality ratio. I don't think a single item (admittedly I forget some of the spelling/names so forgive me dear rockers!!) was over 7 buckaroonies which in my book is a steal for the quality of these dosas. Sooooo between the very cool visiting the temple experience and the food I would say make the trek out here!! -
Shouk is a fast-casual eatery serving 100 percent plant-based deliciousness!!! Here is the menu: - the restaurant opened May 3rd. On Sunday, May 15, 2016, I enjoyed the following: Shouk Pita with roasted fennel, crispy potato, red pepper, pistachio pesto Polenta fries with tomato tahina Shouk Salad with lots of fresh & roasted veggies, crunch, tahina vinaigrette
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- Mount Vernon Square
- Convention Center
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So, we've gone from zero to two "Fast-Casual Asian Bowl Places" on H Street over the past month or so. Last night I picked up carry-out from the brand new Pow Pow, which just opened this past Saturday. They don't seem to have a menu available online, so I can't remember the names of everything we ordered. This is refreshingly not a Chipotle-like concept, and instead has you just pick actual items off of a relatively small menu. They have bowls, with stuff served over rice, as well as gigantic, burrito sized fried egg rolls. We didn't go with one of the egg rolls, and instead got two bowls, Fugazi Osbourne (beef with hoisin sauce and a bunch of stuff) and something I can't remember the name of that had pork and a poached egg. Everything was solid, although I wasn't a huge fan of the coconut rice, in both flavor and texture. Between this and BAB Korean Fusion, I think I prefer BAB. But both are good, and I'm happy this is here.-
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- H Street Corridor
- Quick-Serve
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Tried Dera Restaurant today after a previous visit earlier in the week to Thai Ghang Waan which I liked albiet I don't know if it was a clear first in the DMV. Nevertheless, I digress, the mall Thai is in is mostly South Asian and boy is it huge. Out of all the strip malls I've visited this is one of the biggest conflagrations. I knew I had to come back and do more work on some of these restos which I finally got to tonight! I went to Dera Restaurant as I had previously read about it and it seems to be the most "renowned" of the Pakistani fare at this mall. It's a funny place as the dining room is cavernous but doesn't have quite enough tables. Next door they have a wedding hall party place kinda thing. Anyway, I had a nice meal here, not quite as good as Khan Kabob but still worth a visit as I expand my restaurant holdings (I'm at 120 as of now). I got the Chicken Karahi and the Beef Boti Kabob. Both were respectable indeed the kabobs were better then I thought they would be being nicely spiced with a good flavor. Usually I find ordering kabobs at a non dedicated kabob Pakistani restaurant isn't the best move as an aside. The Karahi was not the absolute best I've had but also a respectable attempt. I would recommend coming here especially if your in the area but if your not I would trek to Khan Kabob over Dera.
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- Springfield
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Ron Johnson, aka "Smokin' Jarhead" is a former marine, now offering some of the best barbecue I've ever eaten, and absolutely some of the very best barbecue you can find in the Washington, DC area. A couple months ago, I bought three Full Racks of Ribs ($24) from Ron, and he delivered them to my front door, where they were waiting when I got home. Between me and my son, one of them didn't survive the evening; the second didn't last the week, and the third is still in my freezer, waiting for Matt to come home from college in a couple of days - the ribs freeze, reheat, and are 90% as good even after being frozen and reheated - all the more reason to stock up. Ron doesn't have a brick and mortar location, and he doesn't have a "food truck" in the traditional sense of the word; he has this huge smoker that he puts on a trailer, and brings over to catered functions anywhere in the DMV - extra delivery charges begin after 40 miles, which easily covers all of DC and the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Ron will smoke anything from ribs, to brisket, to pulled pork, and just about anything else, and he'll bring the food to your door with a minimum order. Let me emphasize again: These are as good as any ribs I've ever had in the DC area, and that includes places like Johnny Boy's, Buz & Ned's, Chubby's, and The Pit Stop - in other words, the Best of the Best. It's unusual for me to be raving about a place that doesn't have a brick and mortar shop, but I did the same thing about Pupatella, eventually going on to declare them the best pizza in the area, which they were for a time - it's the same thing with Smokin' Jarhead: Just because there's no storefront means nothing when he'll bring your order to your door for you. If you're having a Memorial Day cookout, or a 4th of July barbecue, or any other type of house party, he'll arrive at your house with his smoker in tow, and everything will be cooked right there - no grocery store, no cooking, no cleanup - everything is done for you, and his prices are rock-bottom low. I really don't know what else to say: On short notice - one, perhaps two days, you can have the best barbecue in the area delivered right to your home. Call on a Tuesday for a Friday delivery, and the ribs will be waiting on your doorstep when you get home from a long week at work (this is exactly what I did; I've never actually met Ron - I paid him through PayPal, and the ribs were on my front porch when I got home the next day). If you're having guests over for a party, get him and his smoker over there too. I recommended this to one of our members once, who has since turned into a repeat customer, and this is a quote from him: All you need to do is write Ron on his Facebook page or contact him via his business card (below), and tell him what your needs are, regardless of the size of your order. He'll give you a quote that's reasonable enough that you'll wonder why you waited so long to do this. Ron should be in constant demand, and have a two-month backlog - that is how good his product is. Here are some facts about his meats: As a rule, he uses inexpensive cuts because the true flavor comes from his dry rub and the smoking process, but he will use whatever meats you request, so if you have a favorite butcher who makes a special cut of ribeye, or a favorite fishmonger who sells wonderful oysters, (I'm making an assumption here) he'll go there, purchase them, and smoke them for you - either at your premises or at his, followed by a delivery or drop-off. Things like hams, chickens, sausages, and turkeys are no problem, and he'll be more than happy to cater to vegetarians as well - the smoker has obviously seen meats in it before, so it would be impossible to keep kosher-vegan, but that's about it in terms of limitations. Some more factual information from Ron himself: The only other thing I want to emphasize is that supporting Smokin' Jarhead will be supporting a former Marine who was placed in harm's way to help defend our country - if you're looking to support our nation's veterans, then getting your event catered by Smokin' Jarhead is a win-win for all involved. One last thing: This is Ron's full-time job; not some hobby he does on the side. He's a professional in every sense of the word, and will bend over backwards so that you're happy. If you trust me as a food critic, I'm happy to put my reputation on the line by recommending Ron Johnson - it will be one of the safest things I've done. Support this great man - email him him right now while it's on your mind, even if you're not ready to place an order. Look at this smoker! <--- This could (and should) be your backyard at your next party! And what emerges from that smoker? Have a look: I'm proud to have a chance to support our country's veterans like Ron Johnson, but you can rest assured that if I didn't believe in his product, I wouldn't be writing this review, which is obviously a rave - that's why I included the pictures, so you can see for yourselves that I'm not just, erm, blowing smoke. Here's Ron's business card - I urge you to give him a try, even if it's just for a single rack of ribs (get dry rub - there are pictures on his Facebook page of pre-sauced ribs, and I got my order of sauce on the side so I could use exactly how much I wanted, when I wanted. It's really good sauce, too, but you don't want your ribs pre-sauced - whatever he uses in his rub is fantastic). PS - Ron, I have a suggestion: Like food trucks do, use Twitter to announce which days of the week you'll be making deliveries in which parts of the DMV. Tuesday can be Montgomery Country, Wednesday can be Arlington, etc. I'm not sure how you'd handle the specifics, but it's a thought, and one that may have some merit. That way, you won't have to run around all over town like a yo-yo. Maybe contact the owner of Food Truck Fiesta - feel free to tell him I referred you. You're also welcome to use this website to announce your deliveries (just try and keep it to "about twice a month," which is the standard we use for all businesses). Who knows? You might come up with something like this as a regular thing as your business grows. I really hope people don't simply read this post and forget about it six hours later - we have a diamond in the rough, and suitable occasions come up *all the time* (think about how many times *all you want* is some decent food in front of you, without having to trudge out to get it) - the fact that drop-off service is available is invaluable, and the fact that your meats freeze and reheat so well is also crucial. Next time I order from you (which reminds me ...), I'm going to buy in bulk like I did before, except given my track record of not having *anything* in my fridge, I may order even more next time. I hope your dry-rub is a success - that's how you'll acquire real wealth, but we're all benefiting from this early stage of your career (I have no idea how long you've been doing this, but if you play your cards right, you could be a rich man one day; it won't come from running around town dropping off orders of smoked meat). I look at this phase as a necessary evil to develop your name and brand, and something that everyone should be taking advantage of while it's still available. Keep grinding it out, but think *BIG* while you're doing it. Fall, 2016 picnic, anyone? One final word: It's not too late to remember Operation Honor Our Heroes this Memorial Day weekend - they *desperately* need both money and volunteers), Contact Christi-Ana Crews (my personal assistant) and help however you can. *Please read that post*!
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I just got back from a quick weekend to New York. The whole trip was animated by absurd amounts of hype--mainly because I reread my dogeared Goethe and decided that sometimes you just gotta pull a Faust and make a bargain. At least that's how I explain how I procured those Hamilton tickets for Saturday night. I was afraid the hype would sully the experience, like poor Japanese tourists with Paris Syndrome. But it didn't! So the next day rolls around and I decide to keep the hype train going. Superiority Burger in the East Village has been getting a lot of buzz, especially with the James Beard nomination and glowing reviews from the Times and the New Yorker. It's a fast food joint, but less like one done by Danny Meyer and more like one done by Ian MacKaye and John Belushi's Olympia diner guy. Everything is vegetarian or vegan but not in a crunchy Moosewood sort of way. They've got a burger, a wrap, sloppy joes, and various side salads. The burger is the best veggie burger I've ever had--that first bite took me back to sitting outside LAX, jet fumes in the air, tearing into an In-N-Out burger. It had that balance between patty, cheese, sauce, and toppings. It used its iceberg lettuce not as a throwaway, but as an integral textural component. It was incredible. The wrap was also insanely good--it's everything you expect from a vegan wrap, but, you know, actually delicious. I sadly didn't get a chance to try the sloppy joe. The two sides I tried (burnt broccoli salad and crispy potatoes) were both more complex and nuanced than they had any right to be. They could be at home at a Jose Andres restaurant. I suspect most of the sides are equally amazing. The burger, wrap, and two sides ran about $25. Like Hamilton, Superiority Burger lives up to the hype. And thank goodness because it's about the only place I can afford after getting those tickets.
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- East Village
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Went to the Naked Lunch restaurant on Saturday, in the bottom floor of the new Mom's Organic Market in Courthouse (on Lee Highway). Enjoyed my lunch thoroughly. They don't seem to have a separate website (though they're a separate restaurant that I think only operates in MOM's - there's one in Rockville and Merrifield, maybe others). I can't find their menu online, so I'll try to remember to take a picture of the takeout menu I brought home. Some of the items are described in the yelp reviews. It's a tiny, tiny place - one two-top table, four barstools (with backs and padded, yay) at a little counter, and that's it. Good for take-out, if it's too full to eat in. Service (ordering at the counter) was a little slow, though it could be because they don't have their routine down yet. Service was also very friendly and accommodating. Everything was vegetarian, and I believe they can make most or all of the dishes vegan. Mostly it's fast-casual steamed or roasted veggies, on top of grains, with tasty sauces. They have set items (I was looking at the Lin Bowl and the Moler Bowl, but ended up with roasted cauliflower steak over spinach, brown rice, mushrooms, and a couple other things I think, with a zingy chimmichurri sauce/dressing). They'll substitute anything, it seems like, or just add things (I had asked about another dish that included sweet potato, and when I ended up with the cauliflower, she asked if I would like sweet potato on it too - yes please). And you can create your own combo if you prefer that to the bowls on the menu. Mine was very tasty and filling. I asked for light dressing, and she gave me extra on the side because she said she'd gone very light - I appreciated that. Delicious dressing, and it complemented the veggies very very well. My husband had the Sushi Bowl, which included tofu, rice, avocado, and some other things, and a gingery sauce that I liked very much (I'd order that dish another time if I wanted a change from the cauliflower). They have lots of fresh juices (all the combos had vegetables, which I'm not a fan of in juice form, so I didn't try them, but I wouldn't be surprised if I could get it without), kombuchas, bottled drinks in the refrigerated section, and a black bean burger as well as the various bowls. I'll definitely go back. -
"This is it," I thought to myself. "This is the best taco I've ever eaten in my life." I had read about the lines at farmer's markets for Suzanne Simon and Bettina Stern's taco stand, but didn't really know much about it. The other day, I decided to go see for myself, and I am *so glad* I found out early on about Chaia. First, the location: Chaia is on Grace Street, which is just a few feet off of Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown, south of Georgetown Park Mall - it's *right there* off Wisconsin, and even has a little sign directing pedestrians to "tacos and beer" - don't let the words fool you. Having read their website before I went, I had a pretty good idea of what I was in for, and I also had a pretty good idea of what I was going to order. One thing of great importance: Chaia is a daytime-only taqueria: Tuesdays through Saturdays it closes at 8PM, and on Sundays, it closes at 6PM - it's closed altogether on Mondays. Please don't forget this, or you're going to show up and find a closed taqueria. And they serve beer, too - in keeping with their "hyper-local" theme, the two breweries they sell are Port City Brewing and Atlas Brew Works. Don't make the same mistake I did: Donnie Boy just *had* to have a beer with his tacos, and for no particular reason, so I started off with a plastic cup of Atlas Brew Works Rowdy Rye ($5). Why in God's name I did this, I don't know - Chaia sells cold-pressed juice from Misfit Juicery and seasonal shrubs, and non-alcoholic beverages are what you should be paying attention to here, unless you *really* like hop-laden beers at the opportunity cost of something truly special. Read on for another reason not to succumb to the temptation of ordering a beer. I got the Market Trio ($11), saving all of twenty-five cents from the í la carte taco prices of $3.75. You should ignore this special, and order however many tacos you want, and get whatever sounds good. Still, three tacos were just about right for me, and gave me a chance to try three different versions, the top three on the list: 1) Mushroom with feta, red sauce, and cilantro 2) Smoky Collards with queso cotija, tomatillo salsa, and pickled radish 3) Creamy Kale + Potato with pepperjack, polano crema, green sauce, and pickled onions. On this one taco, I sprung for a fried, pasture-raised egg ($1.50, available weekends only) - I'm a sucker for eggs and potatoes together, since they conjure up memories of diner breakfasts. I'd gotten my beer first, and nursed it throughout the meal. Note that you're not allowed to go out on the patio if you order beer, so if you want to eat outside, keep it non-alcoholic. Wanting to enjoy the egg while it was hot and runny, I ate my tacos in the order 3), 1), 2), and as I was about one-third of the way into the Kale and Potato taco, I paused, and said to myself, "My God, this is the single greatest taco I've ever eaten." I know it's California-style, and that it's vegetarian, but I don't care - this was not only the best taco I've ever eaten, it was the best quick-serve food I've ever eaten (think what that's saying). The corn tortillas are unbelievable, and the combination of ingredients on this taco was perfect. Do yourself a favor and *get the egg* with this - I could not believe what I was eating, and even cheated a little bit by dripping some of the egg yolk onto the other two tacos (only a few drops, as I didn't want to flirt with ruining perfection). Read that previous paragraph as many times as you need to read it - get this taco, and get it with an egg. In fact, get *three* of these tacos, and get *each one* with an egg. It'll set you back $15.50, and you'll love yourself (and me!) forever and ever. The Mushroom taco was next up, and it was fantastic as well, with thinly sliced mushrooms that picked up everything because they were so thin. A few days ago, I complimented the Wild Mushroom Taco at Virtue Feed & Grain - allow me to paraphrase my dear friend Terry Theise: 'I like tortilla chips, and I like truffles, and I also have no problem recognizing which of the two is better.' It's the same situation here: Virtue's Wild Mushroom Taco was tasty bar food; Chaia's Mushroom Taco was a great and profound taco by taqueria standards - there's a huge difference between the two, and if you like mushrooms, get over here and order this - it would also be terrific with an egg. Then came the collards, and this is why I should have gotten a cold-pressed juice: the collards are, by nature, bitter, and the rye-based beer was loaded with bitter hops - it was bitter on bitter, and literally left me with a bitter taste in my mouth, even as I was driving over the Memorial Bridge to get home it was still there, in a pronounced way. This is a *very* collard-greenish taco, and you have to really love collard greens to love this (think about the collard greens you get at barbecue shacks, without any of the pork they usually put in them). I'm not saying 'don't order this,' merely that you should be prepared for a blast of collard greens, and if that's what you're in the mood for, then you'll really enjoy it. As a boxed set, for $11, this was a fantastic meal, and I cannot recommend Chaia enough, both for vegetarians, and also for lovers of California (San Francisco, not Los Angeles) taquerias. This food was fantastic, and I contend that the first taco was the single greatest taco I've ever eaten in my life. I don't like putting pictures into my reviews, because I think it's lazy, and ruins the surprise for the reader when they get to the restaurant. However, in this case I'm going to make an exception, because this food is so beautiful, and tastes so good, that you'll be surprised no matter what I publish. Here you go: Enjoy your meal, and thank me later. Chaia is strongly initialized in Italic, and is one of the very greatest taquerias this city has ever known. It's also quite possibly the best quick-serve restaurant in DC, and happens to be the only one currently run by women. You're going to love this place.
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Indigo is not cheap but it's worth it. Limited seating inside but a great patio for beautiful days like today (not sure what they'll do in cold weather "“ I guess more people will carry out). Very friendly and warm service. Family-owned and "“operated, and you can tell (in a good way). I had lunch here for the third time today and ordered the mango chicken for the second time. The first time I ordered it I didn't realize it was a special. I was disappointed that it wasn't available the second time I visited, but I ordered the butter chicken, which was also delicious. But the mango chicken is not something I often see on menus in the area (or anywhere for that matter), and I love it. Thinking back, I can't remember if the chalkboard menu described it as spicy (it may have?). What I got was definitely not spicy, and I wouldn't have minded some spice to counteract the sweetness of the mango. Nonetheless, I greatly enjoyed this dish. The chickpeas (chana masala?) served on the side, often an afterthought in other restaurants, were delicious as well with a deep flavor. My dining companion ordered dal, which I can usually take or leave, but this dal was amazing, smoky and complex. I could have eaten a big bowl of this dal with some rice and been satisfied. My dining companion is a native of Bombay/Mumbai and says this is as good as the best home cooking he had growing up. I'm not as much of a connoisseur (I ate Indian food for the first time in college), but I also love the food here! -
Spotted this last week walking home from my new job, stopped in for lunch today. Apparently they opened a few weeks ago. Lunch was an order of Misir Wat to go, which came with a small helping of collard greens, a small helping tomato/onion/pepper salad, and a second piece of injera. The lentils had a nice flavor with a little bit of heat but nothing searing. There is also a breakfast menu with ful and fir fir and egg sandwiches. Hours are 7-6, maybe 7-7. maybe. It was entirely pleasant and I'll probably hit this once every week or two. No idea if there is any relation to the Bunna in New York, probably not. They also have a full coffee menu and sell beans from Nagadi Coffee in Silver Spring. -
Hi All-- I'd like to take my SO out for a special birthday dinner in a couple of weeks. Looking for suggestions. She's a vegetarian so we need options for her. I'm a carnivore so I hope to be happy too. Looking for something in the $150 range all in. Close to Fairfax would be swell, but I'm happy to take a spin into DC as well. Nothing dressy. On the quiet side. Decent wine list for her, but I don't drink. -
This feels blasphemous to even put out there, but has anyone had a veggie burger anywhere in the area that they really enjoyed? I mean a burger made in house with vegetables/grains...not a soy/fake meat burger. I had a very nice one the other night at Brookland Pint (just make sure to ask for real cheese instead of that Daiya crap), and Woodland's Vegan Bistro on Georgia has an ok version, but not great. Bonus if it comes with good fries on the side.
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Shagga is located near the intersection of Routes 1 and 410, just a few minutes south of College Park. As a disclaimer, this is my only experience with Ethiopian food to date, but it's set the bar high for sure. I've only ever tried one dish here, and the Vegetarian Combination is so good that I almost can't imagine getting anything else. Nine different items laid out on injera, each perfectly cooked and seasoned, for the price of a single entree (you can double it for two, although one order may be enough to share if you're not starving). Some cold items, like a house salad, beets, and lentils. Some cooked or stewed items, such as split peas, collard greens, potatoes, cabbage and carrots, string beans and carrots, and chickpeas. A fine balance of sweet, sour, savory, and spicy across the board. Also visually striking with the multitude of colors. It's served with injera on the side, which is helpful because the bread on the bottom tends to get too soggy to be enjoyable, despite soaking up so many flavors.
