ATM
-
Posts
11 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Articles
Dining Guide
Everything posted by ATM
-
Someone reported on Chowhound.com that Rustico is opening another location in Ballston. Can anyone confirm or deny?
-
Yes, there are definitely service/process issues to work out, but they were working very hard to keep order. Anastasia said they were slammed earlier in the day and ran out of pizza dough, so we ordered the gnocchi and arancino and my daughter had some gelato. Our order got lost so Enzo gave us a pizza while we were waiting for our other food--very nice gesture. The pizza was delicious as always, but it is not as crispy as the pizzas they serve from the cart. They had an explanation in the FAQ portion of their website. The gnocchi was excellent. It was soft, yet still held its shape, and was served with bits of fresh mozzarella, basil and sauce. Large portion for $7. I couldn't eat it all. The arancino was huge--a little smaller than a tennis ball--and filled with flavorful meat, peas and cheese. The website says it has beef, but it tasted more like bacon. Good stuff! I nabbed a taste of my daughter's mix of chocolate and pistachio gelato and it tasted fresh and was served at the right temperture (not too cold). They had about 10 or so flavors: chocolate, vanilla, lemon, mango, chocolate hazelnut, pistachio, blackberry, raspberry (can't recall all of them). Our whole meal cost less than $17. I really hope they do well. We'll certainly be back.
-
Where is the cart? Outside of the restaurant?
-
I just visited District Taco in Ballston today--pollo asado was the lunch special. Delicious as usual. The guac was particularly citrusy today, which I liked. Osiris told me that he hopes to set up in Ballston every Monday. He was at 9th and Stewart Streets--where the Pupatella pizza cart sets up on Thursdays and Fridays. FYI--Orisis apparently was asked to move his cart from his regular spot in Rosslyn, so he's planning on moving just down the street on Wednesday. He's in Crystal City on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can follow his twitter feed or friend him on Facebook for daily details.
-
I got a pizza yesterday--delicious as always--and asked Enzo how things were going with the restaurant. He said things are finally moving along and that he expects to open some time next month. He also said that they would bring back the pizza cart once things are settled at the restaurant.
-
I've had the lunch special twice this week from District Taco cart in Rosslyn. Wow those are good tacos! They primarily serve breakfast tacos (which I'm not into), but I'm glad I checked out their lunch specials. I had pollo adobo one day and chicken fajitas today. Both were made-to-order, served on fresh tortillas with guac, fresh salsa, and lettuce. Both were really good, but I preferred the chicken adobo. The chicken was very flavorful and moist. The owner couldn't be nicer. He said he's from the Yucatan and only uses fresh ingredients. In fact he said to get guac, you need to come before 1pm. They don't reuse leftovers, so they only make a certain amount every day. They offer one lunch special a day and it costs $5 for 2 tacos and a drink. They post their specials and cart location via twitter and facebook every day. http://www.districttaco.com/
-
Went to Screwtop for lunch last Saturday. It was on the later side--1:30ish--and there were only a few other tables occupied. While I was waiting for my friend to arrive, the guy behind the counter (who I later found out was the "cheese expert") poured me some samples of Sparkling Wines they had on sale. Once seated my friend and I shared a small plate of Cheddar Bacon Bruschetta. It was delicious--melty cheddar, crispy bacon bits, and scallions on top. We then wanted to build our own cheese and meat plate. We had a few questions about some of the options and the waitress was nice enough to bring us a few samples to help us make up our minds. We ended up with a French salami, wasabi cheddar, taleggio, and buttermilk blue. They added a ramekin of tupelo honey to pour over the blue cheese because the "cheese expert" said it was too good to miss. The plate also came with slices of white, fruit and nut bread, as well as seasoned flatbread crackers. I will definitely go back to Screwtop. The service was friendly and knowledgeable. Everything we ate was excellent. This is just the type of place you hope succeeds in the neighborhood. The "cheese expert" said that business has been very good at night, but a little slow at lunch. If you live/work near Clarendon, I urge you to check it out.
-
I visited Mitsitam two times over the holiday break with my kids and each time shared a frye bread (with honey and powdered sugar) and Mexican hot chocolate. Both were excellent both times. The bread was warm and a little crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside (like a good donut) and the hot chocolate had a good balance of chocolate and spice. The other food looked and smelled good, but we just wanted a little snack. This place is a gem on the Mall.
-
I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered the addition of fries at Rays tonight. They were a little thicker than McDonalds, but not as big as the chips at Eammon's. They seem to be freshly cut--a few of mine had some skin on them. They were perfectly crispy, lightly salted, and extremely hot when they arrived with my burger. I hesitate to add a criticism because I am very grateful that Michael decided to add fries to the menu, but I have to say that the flavor was a little lacking. I think they needed some seasoning to perk them up a bit. The perfect consistency still made them a worthy caloric splurge, however. Just my two cents. BTW--they still have mac n' cheese and homemade coleslaw on the menu.
-
I emailed the owners, Enzo and Anastasiya, via their website to ask about their updated hours. They sent me this reply, "We are running a reduced temporary schedule right now because we are expecting a baby any day now. Keep checking our website to see when we will be open. We will also be closed today, 5/15/09, because we have a wedding we are going to."
-
I can't express how much I love the pizza at Pupatella. At the risk of causing a stir, I feel it is the best pizza in the area. Obviously everyone has their specific criteria of what makes a great pizza, but here's what I love about it: thin, crispy, charred crust, simple crushed San Marazano tomato sauce, a few large blobs of fresh mozzarella cheese, finished off with several fresh basil leaves, olive oil and salt. They have other toppings you can add, but I like keeping it simple. The one thing to keep in mind about the cart is that it closes on random days. You should always check their website (click) to be sure it's open before you go.