ktmoomau

The ARP Group has opened two new restaurants at Robinson Terminal- Ada's on the River and Barca.

https://www.adasontheriver.com/

We wandered down that way for dinner, Barca had no openings, so we ate at Ada's on the River.  The concept is really pretty inside, and has a really nice patio outside.  A friend had told me the entrees were very big, so we opted to just start with the charcoal brioche to start.  It was good, but I wasn't super fond of the orange butter.  For entrees Hubby got the salmon and I got the half chicken.  He really liked the salmon and ate it in no time, so it must have been good.  The chicken was really a huge portion, but it was really juicy, I liked the flavoring on the skin, and the roasted vegetables, yogurt and green sauce underneath were really a nice flavor in contrast to the chicken.  It wasn't mind blowing food, but we both thought our dishes were really well prepared.  This area of Old Town also just didn't seem to be quite as packed yet- I am sure it will be soon.  

Went to eat outside with friends.  We got the three course menu. I started with the cauliflower, which was really good with beet, tahini, zatar, but just  ahuge portion and I ate too much.  I had bouillabaisse which was a really great dish, but I couldn't finish it because I had eaten too much cauliflower and dipped too much good bread in the broth.  For dessert I had a chocolate hazelnut layer cake.  It was too much food, so I took it home and enjoyed it the next day, it was still really good.    The patio was really nice, our waiter was funny and nice, wine was good, we had a really nice meal.

I got the mild sandwich for lunch in Alexandria, because I was headed to court and didn't want to tempt fate.  I thought it had good flavor, but it was super messy and fell apart, which I didn't find appealing.  They were out of okra, so I got sweet potato waffle fries, which were really good.  I would go back and try something spicier.  I might do the tenders, or a sandwich with no slaw, although the slaw is a nice flavor combo.

Is this the same place as the Alexandria location?  I can't tell since the website is essentially non-existant, or I can't find it?

We went to Pho Kim the other day while visiting Tuesday Morning, there was no one there, so we ate inside.  We had two Bahn Mi and some Cha Gio.  The Bahn Mi were good, light rolls, good filling.  The Cha Gio weren't the best, not bad, just not noteworthy.  We kind of thought we should order noodle soup since we got to eat inside, but we weren't in the mood for hot food, so it is what it is.

Delivery last night- pork buns (fine, but nothing exciting), vegetable dumplings (I thought these were really good, better than a lot of vegetable dumplings, they had a nice blend of veggies), chicken dumplings (fine), a chicken dish hubby ordered that I don't know the name of, cold noodles with meat sauce, duck fried rice (not as good as I had hoped), and string beans which were good.  

This is one of our couple delivery options that is decent in our area, they deliver pretty quick and food is good.  We miss Hunan Gate though.

We ate here on the heated upstairs patio two weeks ago and had a really nice dinner.  Chef's choice.  We had a beet and radish salad, lamb pita, dumplings (not a ravioli, but I forget the shape) in a cream sauce, clams with XO sauce, roasted chicken and key lime pie.  We had just had a really good key lime pie from Red Truck Bakery, and this one wasn't quite as good, but everything was prepared nicely. It was nice to eat outside and the patio was nicely heated. It wasn't the meal of the century, but as we hadn't eaten out in months, it was the meal of the last few months for us.  I would definitely go back on the strength of the outdoor seating alone. 

We got the pain campagne with our CSA order (Number1sons), and it was lovely and kept a long time.  They also have the palladin rolls.  And some specials.  I wish there was more available.  

Anyone have a good carry-out/delivery experience from any of the Ethiopian restaurants in Arlington/Alexandria/Falls Church area?

Number1sons does delivery of a lot of their farmer's market friend's products.  They have apples and are adding more, you might check them out, they will deliver too!

I had the sausage breakfast scones from Red Truck Bakery, which I thought were a little salty, especially as they had extra flaked salt on top.  They would have been better with some apple butter on them.  I dunno, I love  a good biscuit, this should have been up my alley, but the flavor was just very salty.

I assume it doesn't fit in the old plastic case...

Would it fit in one of those reusable silicone bags they have nowdays?  Or something like this? https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Commercial-FG330700CLR-Food-2-gallon/dp/B00063KZX8/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1317IVK5930FX&dchild=1&keywords=shallow+plastic+storage+bins&qid=1612976721&sprefix=shallow+plastic+%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-2

Delivery from Namaste- we got a tandoori sampler, chef's sampler (samaosa, dal, rice, tandori chicken, fried fish), spicy momos, fried cauliflower jaffrezi.  And bread.  I should have ordered some extra rice, I didn't realize there wouldn't be a lot, but as I am trying to eat a few less carbs, it was fine.  It will be at least two days worth of meals.  The chef's sampler was a good deal.  I really enjoyed the momos, but should have gotten a flavor not so similar to the cauliflower.  I thought the cauliflower was really good (if this wasn't something more typical on a host of menus I would be more impressed).  The tandoori sampler was fine, but I thought the chef's sampler was better.  This is a pretty diverse menu with lots of small plates, I would like to try a lot of other things on the menu.  Everything delivered very well.

This is where grocery shopping was headed to begin with... I do think the Harris Teeter in store model works better in that they can pull a lot of things from the back without disturbing shoppers and employees know the rules.  But I doubt Wegman's will go to that model, as it is cheaper to farm that out and not have employees which you have to pay benefits to.  I see myself rarely shopping in person for "normal" grocery runs, but I didn't do that pre-pandemic either. 

I need to read through this thread more often.  It makes me a little less depressed about the amount of home cooking we all are doing.  I mean I cook a lot all the time, I just feel like right now it is less of a choice and more of a lack of options sort of thing...

Anywho, recent dinners:

Number1Sons CSA salad- roasted quick pickled beets, roasted butternut squash and fingerling sweet potatoes, mixed greens (man they deliver good greens, I forget the purveyor), watermelon radish, blue cheese, bacon and balsamic vinaigrette.

Beef Adobo Korean influence tacos, a little refried beans, topped beef adobo, with kicky kimchi from Number1sons, greens, yum yum sauce from a random delivery. These were very messy and saucy, but delicious. 

Asian Noodle Root Vegetable stir fry (carrots, radish, rutabaga, plus green beans- not a root vegetable, but they were in the fridge and needed used up) with chicken stir fried with miso, and a sauce I made with odds and ends from my Mother's cabinet- terriyaki, soy, marsala cooking wine, white wine vinegar, garlic, dried shallots, ginger, miso, sriracha sauce. Tossed with cooked spaghetti.  My poor Mother has been craving Asian food as Garrett County is sorely lacking in unusual take out options (they do have one Chinese restaurant) so I made a really large batch so she could have cold noodle leftovers.

Beef adobo over mashed sweet potatoes and butternut squash.  Topped with sauteed cabbage and leek with cumin, fennel and some garlic powder.

Turkey noodle soup made with some frozen potlicker broth from a pot of greens made previously, turkey I pulled and froze from our post Christmas, "Christmas Meal", egg noodles, tuscan kale, I also dumped the gravy I made and froze into the broth and added a bit of chicken stock and lots of pepper.  Eaten with some really good Breadfurst bread that was delivered with my CSA goods.

https://number1sons.com/

Not sure if anyone else is using No1Sons for CSA and goods delivery, but they deliver right to your door, and have been adding more and more interesting selections and partnering with some of the Farmer's Market vendors.  I was getting veggies from Spring Valley, but this is an added bonus to be able to get add on items.  I am going to try to get a pasta kit from Tail Up Goat too!  This week they added some good looking citrus.  Some of the items in addition to their pickles, kimchi and kraut:

Fresh Produce

Dicot Farm (MD) certified organic veggies

Path Valley Farms (PA) Amish Co-op providing greens, veggies, apples and pastured eggs

King Mushroom (MD) 

Little Wild Things (DC) 

Spring Valley Farm + Orchard (WV) 

Gardeners Gourmet (MD) 

Villa Fungi and Arcadia Venture (foraging in MD, VA, WV, PA) as nature allows 

Makers

Next Step Produce (MD) 

Kinsley’s Maple Syrup (PA) 

Mikko Fine Nordic Foods (DC)

Breadfurst Bakery (DC)

Little Austria (VA) 

Keepwell Vinegar (PA)

Spring Gap Mountain Creamery (WV) 

Little Sesame (DC) 

Dimitri Olive Farms (Sparta by way of MD) 

Simpli Good (Peru by way of MD)

Number 1 Sons (DC)

I have been working my way through some of the kimchis from Number 1 and Sons.  I got the radish kimchi- I love radishes, and I like the crispy, peppery taste with the spice.  And then I just got the kicky kimchi- which is more what I was really looking for in terms of a kimchi.  They are delivering all sorts of things, so I also got Kraut and some other items.

We got a really nice omikase tasting menu to go from Cranes recently.  Everything transported really well.  There was crudo, soup, tempura, tartare, dumplings, lamb chops, monkfish, dessert churros and mini desserts.  The only thing that got a little overdone upon reheat was the monkfish, it wasn't bad, our food was honestly so warm when we got home, it likely just didn't need it, and it got a little overdone.  It was fairly easy to replate the dishes with a flat spatula and spoon.  I was impressed with how well everything held up as to-go.  The crudo, lamb and churros were my favorites.  I liked the sweet potato dumplings, a nice idea on a vegetarian dumpling.  Except the churros because they also had a ribbon of mousse, so we ate that in package.

Last night I met some girlfriends in one of their outdoor igloos.  The igloos seem to be pretty safe- they clean them somewhat between each seating, and let them sit empty for 30 minutes.  Because they are a hotel, you can get a freshly cleaned blanket if you are cold.  We had a selection of their cocktails- mulled wine was fine, the buzz was good- very espresso forward nice for a dessert drink, but the sour was my favorite.  We had ham biscuits, battered cauliflower, southern hummus, meatballs (a little dense), deviled eggs to eat, all fine, none of them were standouts, but nothing was bad.  I wouldn't get the meatballs again as they were just dense.  

Honestly, it was just nice to see a couple girlfriends I hadn't seen in a while.  The outdoor patio here is protected from the wind, so it just doesn't get quite as cold as other spots.

I will admit to having eaten a bit more fast food during covid than I normally do, and I have been bored so I have been trying to switch things up and try places I haven't been in a long time.  Between just trying to be safe to and from court appearances, and when traveling, we have done a lot more drive through, car eating.  I normally am a Chicfila, Taco Bell, Popeyes kind of girl, but I went to Burger King up in Garrett County, and I will say of all the typical you can find in any small town fast food joints (so not Shake Shack, etc) I think Burger King might have one of the better burgers.  I hadn't eaten a Burger King likely since high school.  I thought it was a big sandwich, the meat tasted like meat, it wasn't essence of meat like at McDonald's.  

Went skiing at Wisp- you can buy your tickets outside, and you feel reasonably normal again.  On certain days the lines are very long, I imagine the holiday weekend will be like that, but especially during the week if you can catch a snowy time it is pretty nice.  Only about half the runs were open when I was up, but it was still December.  

Take out from Moonshadow was good- I got a burger and made the trip back to the house well.  They have good rubens as well.  

Ace's was fine, but you have to go inside to get your food, and pay. I got tuna with rice stir fry, which was fine, another day I got a salmon burger, which wasn't my favorite, but wasn't bad.  Nothing to write home about, but not bad. My Mom says I should have gotten a cobb salad.

We wanted Deep Creek Seafood, we just didn't catch it when it was open. 

In Oakland, Don Patron's had absolutely normal Tex Mex enchiladas in a good way, and they upsold me on their take out margaritas, for Oakland having even middle of the road Tex Mex is better than many of the other options.

The best food by far is my Mom's cooking, and she made some stuff for us to take out to the rental house which was great.

We got Pita House delivered the other night.  If you get the vegetarian sampler (Baba, hummus, fool, tabouleh, falafel, pickles, moujadra, grape leaves) and a shawarma combination you will have enough for two people for multiple meals.  And they will be great meals.  It made two full meals, plus some items that I made into a lunch bowl. I hadn't been here in a while, as that section of King St just isn't where I hang out a lot, but I won't be so long in returning.  

Take out for lunch the other day.  The good- the Carolina pulled pork sando and the collard greens which might be the absolute best thing here.  The Bad- the mac and cheese- I didn't order this Hubby did, but it had a weird taste like nacho cheese, pimento and smoke that we didn't like.  The ehh- the nachos, which unlike Sweet Fire Donnas they don't put the chips on the side to dip, so it was fairly soggy by the time it came, although the ingredients are good. 

Last night was steak, roasted brussels and butternut squash with olive oil and balsamic, mixed with Anson Mills farro, topped with some feta.

The night before was some really good white wine sausages from Stachowskis with roasted broccoli and a white wine, lemon, garlic butter sauce with rice.  

This past weekend was pizza on the grill that we ate outside- jeez the weather has been very different today from the weekend, huh?

I went on another cookie streak- mainly to send some to Hubby's team.  Chocolate chip with candied ginger and pecans, gingerbread crinkles, and some delicious and tart fresh cranberry and lemon cookies.  I also made brown sugar pie tarts.