TinaWDC

Just wanted to chime in, I'm a huge fan of Vigilante Coffee Pop-up on 7th Street across from convention center. They can also be found at local farmer's markets until Maketto opens up! and La Colombe Cafe in Blagden Alley (not sure if this qualifies as an "Indy" coffee shop though).\ Oh, and both Red Apron and Menu in Penn Quarter offer coffee service.

Thanks Don! I felt the same about Moroccan, glad to hear some validation. Will definitely try to check-out Amoo's HOK!!!

Need recommendations for Moroccan and Persian food in the DMV. Yes, I realize these are two separate cuisines...I am not confusing the two as the same or similar. Just trying to consolidate my request. I also realize that most of the recommendations will probably not be in DC proper, that's okay. Thanks in advance!

another test with apple pie (less soupy this time) and my first blueberry pie. blueberry on the left and apple on the right. all butter crusts. also experimented with using food processor to blend the crust (apple) versus doing it all by hand (blueberry). both were refrigerated for an hour before rolling. the food processor crust dough was easier to rollout after refrigeration. the hand blended crust dough did not roll out as nicely and was a lot harder to work with. taste-wise, there wasn't a noticeable difference.

Thanks for the tips! Best thing about experimenting with pies is that imperfect pies are still tasty!!!

Apple pie from scratch. All butter crust. The butter was from South Mountain Creamery in MD that I picked up from Seasonal Pantry. Used only granny smith apples, uncooked. For the flour, I used King Arthur's Perfect Pastry Blend. The filling came out a bit soupy, not sure if I should have waited longer before serving or will try to add a thickner next time. But, I thought apple pies usually don't need a thickner because of all the natural pectin from the apples. Will continue to experiment. The crust came out better than expected, crisp and flaky, with a rich butter flavor. I did not blind bake the crust. Also applied an egg wash and sugar to crust before baking.

Unexpectedly stopped in, and decided to try the food since its currently hawaiian themed. We sat in the open kitchen in the back, brightly lit diner counter style seating. Music ranged from bossa nova to black sabbath. We ordered the moco loco with fried mahi mahi and an order of spam musubi. We did not order any drinks but they do serve in the back. I got the impression that there were different drink selections depending on if you sat in the front room vs. the back room. The presentation on the spam musubi was terrific. They were seasoned with soy/teriyaki sauce and nori furikake, more rice than spam per bite, accompanied by wasabi mayo. The loco moco with fried mahi was great. I thought the mahi was perfectly fried, lightly breaded, tender, moist and flaky, with a fresh taste. Would have preferred fried/sunny-side up eggs over the omelet style that was served. Would have tried more food, but it was an unplanned stop, so will try to go back again before they rotate out the chef/menu. And to check out the cocktail too!

My friends and I (Party of 5) visited Taan on Sunday....we went in very hungry and hopeful and left very disappointed and still hungry. Even though it just opened, for the price, taste, and service quality, I think you're better off going to Sakuramen or Toki Underground in DC or Ren's Ramen in Wheaton. We ordered the duck ramen, maze-men, and the bao appetizer. Our main dislike with both ramen dishes was lack of quantity in both noodles and broth. The duck ramen comes with more broth than the mazen-men, which seemed like it was almost served dry. Due to the fact that all 3 of us that ordered the maze-men found it completely too salty to eat on its own, we asked for more broth. There is an up-charge for more broth ($2 each), but our server did not inform us of this charge before we ordered extra broth for all 3 orders. Even with the extra broth, the dish was still saltier than preferred. The pork belly, duck confit, and chicken confit that came with the maze-men were well prepared and tasty on their own and the noodles were on the chewier side. My two friends that ordered the duck ramen were split, one really like it and one really disliked it. No one was impressed with the 24 hour tomato. I think the duck confit was prepared well, but for the one friend that didn't like it, she thought the duck ramen lacked enough duck flavor, and also found the dish to be oversalted. I ordered the bao appetizer which comes with Pork Belly, Duck Liver, Pickles, and Cilantro. The individual ingredients on their own were well prepared and tasty. My main issue with the dish was that it was essentially the ingredients for a banh mi, but served on a bao. I think I would have preferred a bahn mi. Another issue we had was the quality of service. As noted earlier, our server did not inform us about the up-charge for extra broth. I also found a piece of metal (almost like a piece of metal shaving from a can) in my mazen-men. Thankfully I noticed it chewing and did not swallow it. When I showed it to our server, he apologized and said he actually recognized it as something from the kitchen and will make sure to let the kitchen staff know about the incident. There was no additional follow-up from the kitchen or management about what happened and we did not get anything comp'ed off the bill. That was a bit surprisingly to us...we weren't looking for a free meal, but you would think additional follow-up from the kitchen or a manager would be expected in this kind of situation.

I went last night and noticed that the Okonomiyaki was no longer being offered. On a more positive note, the Duck Fat Pork Ribs were delicious as ever! And FYI: even though its not on the menu anymore, you can ask for Chirashi.

I'm pretty sure Akosombo, near the convention center is CLOSED and has been for awhile ( a year or more now?). I was lucky enough to have eaten there twice....definitely miss the food, it added some needed diversity to the area, at the time. If anyone has information about the owner/if she has moved on elsewhere in the DMV area, please post a reply!!!

I just got back from a recent trip to chicago (2nd time), and ate some really great food, so I wanted to share. 1) The Publican. went for dinner. we ordered way too much food than 2 people can physically consume. Overall, the food was great, noise level comfortable, and a casual vibe. Definitely make a reservation because the wait for a table can be long, and the restaurant has communal table seating, as well as private seating. You can order from a limited menu in the waiting/bar area. I would definitely go again. Very Pig-centric restaurant (pig art on the walls). Overall, the food was great, we enjoyed everything we ordered and LOVED 2-3 dishes. The portions are definitely meant to be shared and orders come out whenever...no particular order, and wait times between each vary from 10-20 minutes. Highlights: daily pickles (in-house picked veggies plate) pork rinds (think lovechild of cheetos and doritos, with some spice), charcuterie plate, chicken liver pate (if you love pate, you HAVE TO try this one), and the short ribs. Ok, but not awesome: blood sausage. It was more soft (mushy) than I preferred. the frites with eggs: it was literally a plate of fries with two sunny side up eggs on top. technically flawless...but kinda boring and bland compared to everything else we ate (maybe we were also so stuffed at this point, it was unfair to judge). 2) The Maxwell Street Market: tacos stands, Rubi's and Lencho's. I won't go into detail since both have a sizeable following on Yelp. Lenchos only has 3-4 options for tacos, whereas Rubi's menu is more extensive. If you like lengua, definitely get an order at Lenchos, they were superb. For all other tacos/quesadillas cravings, head to Rubi's and you won't be disappointed. 3) Hot Doug's: Hot dogs. There's always a line...and I think its justified (duck fat fries Fri/Sat only). Its a small place, with longs lines but usually a seat frees up by the time you're actually ordering (think Ben's Chili Bowl before they expanded). Get the classic Chicago dog, grilled, with everything. They also have speciality sausages, I suggest ordering off this menu too. I got kangeroo (spicy) and boudin noir (exceptional blood sausage) on this trip. and of course, order the duck fat fries (skinny fries) if you're there on fri/sat. I definitely preferred Hot Doug's Boudin Noir over the blood sausage I got at the publican. 4) Glazed and Infused doughnuts. They have multiple locations, I went to the Damen Ave site. I tried maple bacon and creme brulee. Would definitely eat another maple bacon, the creme brulee was so-so. Kudos for the hard sugar crust on top of the doughnut, but I found the brulee filling bland. 5) Rick Bayless has a group of restaurants and you can look up info for yourself on all of them. I've been to 3, all great. Would recommend breakfast at Xoco if you get the chance. 6) Greektown: definitely wished I had more time and stomach to explore all the restaurants here...but my one recommendation for pastries and small bites is Pan Hellenic Pastry Shop. I liked them the best compared to others in greektown. for what its worth: my two deep dish experiences, I liked Giordano's over Lou Malnati. also, I flew United, and on my way back, close to gate B11 (ORD), there is a Frontera Tortas by Rick Bayless. I was excited to be able to gorge myself on Tortas before leaving Chicago...the gluttony continues even in the airport! -- Tina my one attached pic is from Hot Dougs. Bottom is chicago dog, and above is the boudin noir (left) and kangeroo (right). 2 orders of duck fat fries (left) and one reg fries (top).

Hi Everyone, my name Tina and I've been a lurker for years, but finally decided to be a legit member...inspired by my recent trip to Chiacago. I really enjoy food and food politics...and always trying to balance the love of cooking and the love of trying new restaurants....I don't think its possible to be a superstar at both....unless there are meals that I am unaware of or extra hours of the day I have not yet discovered. Hope to engage more as time, work, and life permits...awesome forum, thanks DR!!!