DanM

We are thinking of doing something rather stupid this weekend... join the mass crowd of tourists in DC. The strategy for meals that seems to work for us with our two kids is to find bakeries, delis, grocers, and similar places with a cooler full of salads, sandwiches, fruit, etc... that will survive a few hours and not draw the ire of security teams. We are looking at a couple of hotels in the Dupont and Logan circle areas as well as near the main touristy areas. I would appreciate any advice on where to go to fill our cooler.

Thanks!

Dan

Bump!

The better half will be in Metro Center tomorrow and needs a few lunch ideas. Is there anything new in the area?

Thanks!

Dan

Sorry, I should be more specific. Abby is almost 2... the more she is entertained and enjoys the environment, the more likely we are to actually eat and not inhale our meal to get her out of there as quickly as possible... toddlers!

Bump... we may be spending next weekend in DC and am curious if there are new options. Are there restaurants that specifically cater to kids?

We stopped by here for a quick lunch. The fish tacos were great, but the vegetarian bean taco was forgettable. The mango aqua fesca was amazing and better than the overpriced pitcher we purchased at Oyamel.

Dan

Oyamel was our big splurge during our vacation. Wife and I were very pleased with the food. The guacamole is way too expensive at $13. They better be putting something special in it for that price. The waiter seemed to have a bug up back end when he has making the guacamole and seemed to want to be somewhere else. They were having a self proclaimed squash blossom festival last sunday. We had a squash blossom quesadilla which was amazing. The only complaint is the cajeta dessert we tried. The plate was warm so the two sorbets melted quickly and watered down the caramel.

Dan

Rustico was our last night out during our trip. It was a schlep from Dupont Circle, but well worth it. Less than 1 minute after placing our order, a big gentleman with glasses, beard, and dressed in his best flannel shirt and jeans informed us that they were out of of gazpacho and apologized profusely for the mixup. My wife's melon and tomato salad and our bucket of fries came quickly and were both delicious. The star was the roasted mushroom pizza. I have always been a big fan of pizzas in wood fired oven and they do it perfectly. The crust was crisp on the bottom and tasted of the fire it came from. I had the Luke, I am your Father beer flight, which matched up well with the hearty pizza. Plating the butterscotch pudding in a mason jar is a trick I will have to remember for the future.

Overall, we were very impressed by the quick and courteous service and the quality of the food. It seems that the restaurant is doing just fine since Chef Morales departure.

Dan

It strikes me that Pepe's and 2 Amy's are significantly different in style and aim to as to make direct comparisons problematic.

FWIW my stops at Pepe's have been at off hours, with no line and -- perhaps because it was a calmer time of day -- good quality.

They are more alike than you realize. They are both Neopolitian style pizza restaurants that use brick ovens. 2 Amys is more authentic in the style than Frank Pepes given their DOC status. The other major difference is that 2 Amys uses wood to fire their oven while Pepe's uses coal.

Dan

Pepe's can't compete with Two Amys? Are you serious? What about Sally's or Modern?

Quite serious. Pepes is good but has become a chain and has suffered in quality. Besides, who wants to wait 2 hours in line for a pizza? Modern's pizza has been constantly soggy. I honestly have no comment on Sally's as every time we want to go there, they are closed.

Tonight LOML and I had Founding Farmers for dinner. I agree with others that the food is good, but not great. The big fail was the flatbread. Flatbread is usually a large fougasse like bread with toppings, not sliced bread with toppings. The bay leaves and thyme twigs in the onion topping was not appreciated. The chips that came with the sandwich were spotty with unveven seasoning and donenes. Bread pudding was good though.

Dan

Wifey and I went to 2 *mys last night before seeing Harry Potter at the Uptown. We shared an Etna pie, olives, and salt cod croquettes. I also had a beer that was served in the appropriate glassware and at the right temp. Big kudos for that. The salt cod croquettes were moist with a nice crispy crust. The olives are not much to get excited about, but are fun to munch on. The pizza was stunning and darn near perfect. We live in New Haven CT and 6rank Pepes can't competem

Dan

First, thanks again everyone for your advice for our trip. Did you know this site jas special formatting for mobile phones?

On to the reviews.

Domku. Friday night We walked out of the Metro station and was not thrilled with the neighborhood. We aborted our plans and settled with takeout. Safety comes first.

This evening we went out with LOML's aunt and uncle at Old Ebbit Grill. I ordered trout parmesean with roasted potatoes and greenbeans. It was covered with a thick layer of hollandaise which overpowered the fish. The potatoes were dried out and underseasoned. Green beans were not much better. Wifes salad was not much better. Service was slow and I was constantly in need of water. Aiter was not around and did not follow up with me on a drink order. Not worth returning.

Dan

Posted with a crackberry

I just finished bottling a beautiful chili stout, so to quote Quint from Jaws, "Here's to swimmin with bow legged women!"

Dan

Wife dearest was referred to Filomena Ristorante in Georgetown by a friend of hers. I searched the site, but I did not find any reviews of this place, except that they have excellent bread. How is the food? Is it any good?

Thanks,

Dan

Wifey and I will be in DC next week for much needed R&R and will be staying at a hotel between Dupont and Logan Circles. I plan on packing picnic lunches and such while we are there. Are there any good local markets in that area? What about the rest of the downtown, mall, and capitol areas?

Thanks!!

Dan

Thanks for the help!! Our hotel is 2 miles from Georgetown, which makes it a pain to get to by metro, but more convenient by bus.

Thanks again,

Dan

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of spending the day helping (at least I hope I was helpful to) Chefs John Mathieson, Scott Muns, Scot Harlan, and John Wabeck with prep for their dinner at the James Beard House. I was not able to sample any of the foods they prepared, but based on what I saw, I am sure it was an amazing feast. My wife and I are going to try to stop by on the way back to Connecticut for lunch at Inox. Thanks again for the amazing opportunity. Best of luck to Chef Wabeck on his upcoming exam.

Enjoy the beer

Dan

I realize that this is slightly off topic, but it is related to dining. I was wondering how safe the bus system is in DC. Due to the lack of metro stops, this might be the easiest way to get to Georgetown for restaurants.

Thanks,

Dan

Dan, I made a quick pass through your list and put stars next to places I think you'd enjoy (two stars next to places that seem to really meet your needs). I think you should make a special trip for falafel to Max's Kosher Cafe in Wheaton (get a large falafel, medium-spicy, with the works; note that they close at 2 PM Friday, and don't open again until 11 AM Sunday). Consider also a quick visit to Georgetown Cupcake if you find yourself in Georgetown. There are certainly other places I can add, but you're doing just fine with these candidates. Cheers, Rocks.

Thanks for the help, Don. Any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Dan

Thanks everyone for the help. This is my preliminary list of restaurants for the trip. I also want to look into farmers markets, grocers, delis, and other places where we can pick up prepared food

2 Amys

Baked & Wired

Best Buns Bread Co

Birreria Paradiso

Boccato Gelato & Espresso

Café Olé

Chop'd

Cowgirl Creamery

Dolcezza

Domku

Java Green

Juice Joint

Larry's Ice Cream

Layalina

Moti's Falafel

Oyamel

Patisserie Poupon

Pita Plus

Potenza Bakery

Rasika Restaurant

Rock Bottom

Rustico

Surfside

Tacklebox

Tangysweet

Taqueria Nacionale

Teaism

The Dairy Godmother

The Fractured Prune

Thanks again!

Dan

Thanks for those who have responded so far. Eastern Market is definately on the top of my list for the bluebucks. I just hope everything is back up an running by then.

ktmoomau, regarding the dietary restrictions. Don't worry too much about it. You would be surprised how many restaurants have a small selection of vegetarian plates on their menu.

Ice cream... where's the best place to go?

Thanks,

Dan

Good morning,

Wifey and I will be visiting DC next month for a quick and hopefully cheap vacation. I was wondering what are some good options for cheap eats in the DC area. We keep kosher, but are willing to eat vegetarian and fish when we go out. My wife is from Texas, so Mexican restaurants are a bonus for her and I am a baker, so bakeries are are on my short list. We are also willing to pack a few picnics during the trip, so good local markets would be appreciated. We will have our car, but will mostly be travelling by Metro during the week.

I greatly appreciate any advice you can provide!

Dan