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Showing results for tags 'Fast Casual'.
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Nice lunch today at http://pokepapa.com Much better than the Annandale version of Poke. Similar to the California places I wrote about...choice of rice (brown, while or black) and/or salad, plus scoops of fish (tofu and chicken also) and toppings. Big difference they had 3-4 varieties of salmon and Ahi already tossed with dressing. A Korean spiced version, basic sweet with green onions, and a siracha mayo mix...plus plain Ahi and Salmon, cooked scallops, some ceviche, etc. I had 3 scoops trying the Korean, basic, and siracha. This saves the step of tossing the fish with your choice of sauce...but having 3 different flavors confuses things inside the bowl. Lots of choices of toppings, including fake crab salad, seaweed, ginger, etc. The crunchy toppings are self service, after you pay. Overall, very good. Would be a great place to have your first Poke! I left very satisfied. -
I second what Dean said. I started to eat the worst sausage I have ever put in my mouth at the Columbia location. It reminded me why I have said many times that, just because someone knows how to smoke meat it does not mean they know how to make sausage. The skill-sets have nothing in common, yet more often than not the barbecue places that say they make their own sausage almost always disappoint. (I'm looking at you, Monk's BBQ).- 4 replies
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Just received this from a colleague at work: Get ready for DC's newest restaurant from Bob Kinkead! View this email in your browser Coming soon from Bob Kinkead! Washington DC's James Beard Award Winning Chef Bob Kinkead announces the opening of his newest Italian seafood concept, Ancora. The pop-up concept located in the Watergate complex at 600 New Hampshire Ave NW, Ancora is Chef Kinkead's vision of an Italian Trattoria. Boasting house made pastas along with Chef Kinkead's famous seafood delicacies, Ancora will offer antipasti and sharing platters of salumi and crudo. While featuring the fresh fish and shellfish Kinkead has become famous for, Ancora will also include preparations with an Italian/Mediterranean flavor. Ancora is certain to become a destination not to be missed in the capital's dining scene. Ancora's menu will change frequently to reflect seasonal, locally sourced, impeccably fresh seafood and produce. Executive Chef Jeffery Gaetjen, formerly of Kinkead's, will be at the helm of this kitchen, assuring the same attention to quality and consistency that made Kinkead's a Washington DC landmark for 20 years. Ancora's bar program will focus on classic cocktails and will feature modern interpretations of libations utilizing Italian aperitifs, wines and spirits. The wine list will consist of mostly Italian wines, featuring varietals from some lesser-known Italian wine producing areas and selections from Europe and the United States. With it's unique location directly across from the Kennedy Center, Ancora will be the perfect place for pre and post theater dining. As the weather warms, the expansive patio overlooking the Potomac River will be the perfect spot for happy hour with friends, or to catch up over a lovely dinner with a beautiful view. Stay tuned for an opening date coming in February. We can't wait to see you at Ancora! 202.333.1600 info@ancoradc.com www.ancoradc.com (coming soon!) Copyright © *2013* *|Ancora|*, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are a loyal fan of Chef Bob Kinkead! Our mailing address is: *|info@ancoradc.com|* unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences -
I grabbed lunch to go from the Laurel location. Based on Hunter's review, I ordered the "moist" brisket as part of my 2 meat combo. I enjoy cooking brisket at home, but don't tend to order it out anymore because it's rarely anything but boring and bland. This meat was delicious however. I will happily order it again. My experience pretty much lined up with Hunter's experiences. Pulled pork was good, but probably nothing to write home about - heavily seasoned, a little on the dry side. I remember having potato salad (that I really liked) as a side when I had it at the catered event - they seem to have replaced it (seasonally) with what they call baked cheesy potatoes. Good, especially with a touch of salt, but I missed the advertised golden brown crust. Cole slaw was good. Corn bread is meh, very soft and crumbly with dried out pieces of corn. They had 6 sauces available, none particularly traditional in my inexperienced opinion. I found a good number, including the spicy one had a touch of sweetness that I could do without. I ended up using the KC Classic the most, and adding some of the smoky sauce (one that had a touch of sweetness) mixed with the classic to the pulled pork. Staff was very friendly, my food was prepared efficiently and the place was rocking for a brand new location. I will definitely be back - I support what they're doing and I liked everything I had enough to want to try more. -
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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I wrote awhile ago about Naf Naf here but couldn't find a separate topic for it. It is another great place for middle eastern food, in what I noted before is the downtown DC good pita triangle when you have Little Sesame and Yafa Grille all within 2 blocks of each other. I had Naf Naf again yesterday for the first time in a while and it was excellent. Great pillowy, soft pita made fresh in shop along with perfect falafel - crisp on the outside, soft inside and not at all dry. The hummus was good and even better when topped with a bit of tahini and schug. The vegetable sides were pretty good too - very fresh. Amsterdam Falafel still has some of the freshest falafel in the city with a great toppings bar but their pita bread sucks - not only is it store bought it is almost stale tasting - these 3 places have surpassed it by far in my opinion.
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I'm sure this thread already exists, but I can't find it. Went here today for lunch, and really enjoyed it. As opposed to Friday, when they apparently had such a crowd that they ran out of pastrami by 2:30 pm, it was pretty quiet at 12:30 today, with no line, and plenty of seating inside. It's been a while since I've eaten at Wagshall's, so I can't second the position of the Post that it's the best pastrami in the city, but it's a really good sandwich. I had the Stacked, which was pastrami, slaw and dijon mustard on a kind of brioche bun. I got potato salad as well for I'm not sure what reason. The sandwich wasn't huge, but was definitely plenty of food, and as mentioned in the article it was a remarkably engineered sandwich, as it maintained structural stability throughout. And the pastrami itself was pretty fantastic. I'll definitely be back.- 21 replies
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- Mount Vernon Square
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It seems like a completely different place. The bibimbap is really, really tasty -- and something genuinely different amid the sea of blah sandwich places. -
This is kind of exciting: ARLNow is reporting that paperwork has been filed that shows Four Sisters Grill will be taking over the space last occupied by Fatshorty's. -
"Photos: Mezeh Mediterranean Gril Now Open in RTC West" by Fatimah Waseem on restonnow.com -
Al Saray, a short-lived attempt at Egyptian fare, is no longer with us. In its place in Springfield Plaza will be The Halal Guys, which began as a food truck in Manhattan and is now "going global," with locations in our area coming to Springfield Plaza, University Mall in Fairfax, Dunn Loring, and H Street NE. I wish them well, and I hope they checked their sales projections. That stretch of Baklick Road in Springfield will deliver direct competition from Karahi Kabob House, Afghan Bistro and Flame Kabob, not to mention Eleni's for solid gyros and a handful of downright good char-broiled pollo places. I would have thought the market was saturated for grilled proteins, but what do I know?- 36 replies
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- New York Franchise
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Pizza has always been a source of contention in our household. I don't love pizza but can tolerate a good pie with fresh ingredients. My wife does love pizza and is perfectly happy with a Dominoes thin crust that leave me feeling both hungry and like I swallowed a bowling ball at the same time. But finding good pizza with fresh ingredients that has convenient takeout (that is highly subjective based on where you live and what you consider convenient) has always been a challenge. Pair this disagreement with the fact that my wife is pregnant (which means she wins almost any disagreement) - we end up doing takeout 5-6 nights a week instead of dining out, and our decent takeout options in Ashburn are limited means I've been branching out some lately - cue SpinFire. I've tried Custom Fuel a few times and was never a fan. It really seemed like a pizza that only took 2 minutes to make - lower quality ingredients and a bit undercooked and soupy for my tastes. So I walked into SpitFire with a mixture of trepidation and desperation, but the Post ranked it above average in their recent fast casual pizza article, so I figured why not. I was pleasantly surprised. Ingredient choices are solid and seem quite fresh, the crust was nicely chewy and had some flavor, and most importantly - it was fully cooked. They even tend to hold them up high in the oven at the end of cooking to get a nice browning on the cheese. The 'spicy' red sauce could use more than its current non-existent kick, but other than that, its a solid option for a 90-second pizza and has moved into the regular rotation. One word of caution - any time I've been to the Ashburn location its been very quiet (typically later in the evenings) - I'm not sure how the process would hold up during a busy lunch rush at the Rosslyn outpost.- 4 replies
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Pizzeria Paradiso is opening their fast casual spot Veloce at 1828 L St, NW, DC on May 4 (Pizzeria Paradiso's tweet).- 8 replies
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So there's a new BurgerFi opening on Monday (Sept 26) in the what became the final resting place of Pat Troy's Ireland's Own (111 N. Pitt St). Based on a quick peek in the window, the interior looks to have been nicely renovated; lots of warm wood flooring and paneling, long communal tables with overhead hanging lights, an elevated counter area near the rear of the space. The menu of burgers, dogs, fries, and custard sounds a bit like Shake Shack, no? Craft beer and wine are also mentioned on the window graphics. This location will join four others in the area (Silver Spring, Woodbridge, Leesburg, and Laurel). We'll see how this location does, as there will be competition from the Five Guys, which will soon be relocating to the former Bertucci's space on King Street. Has anyone tried out the other locations?
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- Florida Franchise
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Just stopped by this place, think it might be rather new. Was drawn in by the Pinkberry-esque yogurt bar. Recently tried Pinkberry for the first time in LA, and after the first bite became addicted. Love their yogurt because of the vanilla tartness. It's almost like frozen Dannon vanilla yogurt, which I love. Alas, Sweetgreen's yogurt is missing that wonderful vanilla tartness - in fact, it tasted like nothing, just cold and smooth. Which is strange, because the flavor itself is called Plain Tart. The only thing tart about this yogurt was the flock of scantily clad coeds downing it . So, unless I ordered incorrectly, and in fact there are two yogurt flavors - Plain and Tart - I probably won't be heading out of my way for a fix. The idea is you get a small or medium, and have 3 or more mix-ins: fresh fruit or other sweet items. The fruit was okay - not California fresh but oh well. The other half of the small but pleasant space is a salad bar, which looked promising and not price-gauging like I'd expect in gtown. Seemed no more expensive than a Cosi salad, but with fresher looking and more inventive options. Anybody else been here yet? I still hope a Pinkberry comes to town soon - LA and NYC, we gotta be next! Sweetgreen 3333 M St., Georgtown eatsweetgreen.com -
Already open in Gaithersburg, opening in Bethesda, per Robert Dyer. -
Address (Sterling): 21305 Windmill Parc Dr #160, Sterling, VA 20166 - https://www.burger21.com/locations/sterling/ Address (Ashburn): 43800 Central Station Dr #100, Ashburn, VA 20147 - https://www.burger21.com/locations/ashburn/ Menu: https://www.burger21.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Sterling-2sided-Menu.pdf Yes, Rockwellians, another burger place (and a smallish multi-state chain one at that). I ate here tonight (the Sterling location) after a particularly shitty Saturday and not-much-better Sunday morning and afternoon, because well, why not. Also, I feel like I'm cultivating a ~rep~ of being our resident "Local Grubgradian" since I tend to review very casual and cheap places. Rest assured, I spend enough time around ~haute cuisine~ as well, but sometimes the only cure for a shitty mood is a big dose of carbs, fat, and protein. Okay, before you visit this place, be sure to download their app off your phone's particular store. Registering on it earns you your first *basic* burger free (~$6.49), and signing up for their email club nets you a free side of fries ($2.49). First impressions: Whoever laid out this space earned their degree in design. The dining room feels like an IKEA cafeteria without the horse meat, but they didn't jam the place full of tables to the point where everything feels claustrophobic like at any Five Guys. The condiment station and drink machines are sufficiently separated and well-laid-out, and even though it was pitch dark at the time (a stark contrast to the smart use of lighting indoors), they've got a really nice outdoor seating area. Downsides include: limited amount of booths, tiny area for a line (arguably worse than the Fairfax Smashburger), use of those highly-questionable tablet-based POS systems, and Top 40 ~muzak~ on loop. What I had, and did I like it: Well, shitty moods call for shitty life choices, so I decided to indulge and get both a "Bacon Cheesy" ($7.49) *and* a "Philly Cheese" ($7.99) with the free side of fries and I splurged and tried their "Cheese and Ale Sauce." I also asked for my patties to be medium and...I got them cooked *medium*! That in and of itself is a minor miracle - though I was there at ~8pm, and it was by no means busy. Despite the pictures you might see on Yelp, the burgers did not come out looking like Leaning Towers of Empty Calories. They were actually pretty compact and neat, about the size of a Quarter Pounder and/or one of their ~designer~ QPCs. The burgers looked like the ones a culinary Ph.D. makes for fast food commercials, and the buns were amongst the best I've seen at a fast casual burger joint, which was important for one very specific reason... ...the juice. Oh dear sweet Jesus, Buddha, Shiva, Vishnu, and "Bob," the *juices*. Do not get a double-patty burger here. Just don't. The patties practically bleed boiling-hot cow juice and with a *single* patty you will find your fingers getting mildly scalded. Two of them atop one another would probably give you second-degree burn blisters. That being said, there's a nice touch in the form of a communal sink at the end of the condiment station complete with hand soap for the aftermath, which I highly recommend using. This is definitely a three-napkin/lean-over-the-table joint. So, did I like it? Yeah...as much as one can be enthusiastic about ~just another burger joint~ in this area that's positively goddamned lousy with them even after the first few rounds of 'culling.' The Philly Cheese really stood out - it really tastes like you're eating a...very small cheesesteak. The Djion Chive Mayo really gave this thing a tasty kick. The Bacon Cheesy was good, but it didn't exactly stand out after the really good grilled onions and aforementioned Djion Chive mayo - it seems this place shines when you order one of the more *atypical* burgers. Don't get me wrong, it was a really good burger, it was just 'predictable.' The beef on its own was falling apart errantly into small specks that'd periodically drop on the tray, which is a good sign they don't use pre-packed patties from Costco. The miss(es)? The Cheese and Ale sauce. It just wasn't worth the buck forty-nine (even with a few extra flecks of bacon in it), and when you see the condiment station you'll know why. They've got a ton of free/better alternatives available. That also being said, the fries were nothing really special - standard shoestring fare, but the condiment station I believe had Toasted Marshmallow Cream for the Sweet Potato Fries. I've a feeling that will not stick around for long once enough kids find it. Verdict? I got a FAR better burger here than I did at the Tilted Kilt, and it's easily the best current semi-cheap option burger-wise in the vicinity of the Dulles Town Center (Bungalow Lakehouse probably gets the nod for a pricey *froo froo* burger), save the Sterling BGR and *maybe* The Habit Grill in Landsdowne, but you go there for a designer version of a Whopper - you come to this place for the variety. There's also The Counter at Reston Town Center if you feel like ~$15 per person plus parking. Oh, and since it wasn't that busy, their ~Chef du Cuisine~ would occasionally come out and keep an eye out and generally survey the dining area and ask you how everything is. It's a nice touch that makes this place feel a bit more 'homey' than a Five Guys or Smashburger. Check it out if you're in the area. P.S. If I hadn't gotten my fries for free and hadn't splurged on the Cheese and Ale sauce, I'd have paid ~$25. That being said, Quarter Pounders are something like $4.19 now, so spend the extra $3 and eat this burger instead. Oh, and at least at the Sterling location, you have to take a picture of your receipt to use their digital punchcard which, after buying seven burgers (a minimum of $45), nets you...*drumroll*...$5 in credit, and multiple burgers on one ticket doesn't net you extra 'punches.'- 2 replies
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Has anyone ever been to a Mission BBQ? One just opened in Richmond in a not very ideal location, but near a bunch of highways and the train station at least. It's across the street from a Famous Dave's and a few miles down Broad St from Buz and Ned's second location. Based on pure speculation, I'm sure the food rates somewhere in the middle of the two. -
Sorry I didn't see this earlier, but the teen woudl probably prefer BTS. I loved Beefsteak. It's kind of like Sweetgreen, where you make your own salad, but with veggies instead. The veggies you select are dropped from a basket into a water bath that cooks them perfectly. (like a fryer basket.) I like my veggies with a bit of crunch and this was just perfect. One can either order a pre-set menu combination, or just select as many veggies as one would like. Rice, quinoa or bulgur are added, and then you add your choice of toppings. Too many for me to remember to list here. There are upcharges for premium and proteins, such as avocado, poached egg, roast chicken and salt cured salmon. And then you select your "sauce" to top it all off. With all my allergies I was in hog heaven, and selected any and every veggie I'm not allergic to...and then topped it with lemon juice, avocado, roast chicken AND poached egg. Needless to say I won't be repeating that expensive combo again soon, but will order maybe one premium topping at a time. Total damage was over $16. If I had not added all the premiums, it would have been in line with the cost of a salad combo from Sweetgreen. It was lalso arge enough that I should have eaten half and saved the rest for later. (But didn't) -
In the Healthy Dining topic, khoww mentions Protein Bar: Has anyone been to Protein Bar? How's the food? I saw that there's a Protein Bar coming to Ballston (on Glebe Road near Wilson) so I'm curious about it. One's open in Penn Quarter. Another is coming to 19th & K. It's from Chicago, and according to their website, they have high protein healthy food and drinks. Protein Bar's website is www.theproteinbar.com The first I'd really heard of Protein Bar was on the City Eats blog. Nevin Martell wrote a series of articles describing his "Protein Bar Challenge" in which he decided to eat at Protein Bar for a month. He also exercised and lost 12 pounds by the end of the month. His final article (with links to his prior articles) is here: http://blog.cityeats...nds-in-a-month/
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The Waterfront Market & Cafe held their press preview last week and friends and family grand opening on Sunday. The official public opening date has been announced as next Tuesday, November 26. Based on photos from the various events, the space looks great and it should be a very nice addition to the quite limited options located directly on the water. There's definitely a push to draw locals in with the "back to your waterfront" tag line. The menu will include custom sandwiches, salads, prepared gourmet items, beer and wine to go (or drink there), fresh sushi, pastries, etc., with similar items available for purchase at the retail market. More specifics here, via LocalKicks. Jody Manor, the owner of Bittersweet Cafe and Catering (in business since 1983), knows a thing or two about creating a sustainable, successful business, so here's wishing him a long run in this latest venture. I'm looking forward to checking it out soon after it opens!
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Opened by a former Passage to India chef, this small, inexpensive, counter-service shop needs to be on the DR radar. Was running some errands in Bethesda and we decided to stop here after reading the review in the Weekend section of Friday's Post. I find samosas to be disappointing a lot of the time. The dough too thick and the filling bland, they are saved only by the chutneys. However, I could have eaten the samosas here on their own. The dough was light and crisp and the potato filling was nicely spiced. Some of the best I've had. The tandoori chicken wrap was excellent due to the moist, spicy chicken that seemed to be right out of the tandoor. Looking forward to trying some of the entrees on the menu. If I worked anywhere near Bethesda, I'd be all over that lunch special. -
I read about this coming a while back on Price of Petworth, and the +1 and I were looking forward to a new lunch place in NoMa since we will frequently package lunch with a grocery trip to Harris Teeter. We enjoy Roti and Potbelly on occasion, but are always up for something different. I believe this just opened on or around January 31, and we visited on February 4, so it's pretty new. You can see the menu here. It's not huge inside, with maybe 5-6 tables and some counter seating if I'm remembering correctly. I assume most of their clientele will be taking food back to their nearby offices. They offer catering as well as breakfast options, in addition to lunch sandwiches, sides, and desserts. We decided to split the Spicy Italian (8" for $7.95 - dry capicola, sicilian salami, genoa, capicola, and provolone) with "everything" (lettuce, tomato, onion, hot peppers, oil & vinegar). We also split the Classic Philly Cheesesteak (8" for $6.95 - white American cheese with mushrooms, grilled onions, and sweet peppers). Both sandwiches were pretty good. We liked the soft Italian rolls they were served on, and although I would have preferred a bit more meat on the cheeseteak, I thought it had good flavor. The spicy Italian was stuffed pretty full and had a nice kick from the salami. We also shared a side order of onion rings ($2.99), which were decent, but pretty generic. There were plenty for two of us, but not that many for the price. I think next time we decided we would likely just split a bag of chips. They do have what looks to be housemade potato and macaroni salad and cole slaw in a case up front too. We didn't save room for dessert, but they have some cookie and brownie options along with cannoli and carrot cake. There was also a small selection of European candies. I think A Deli (despite the dumb name) was good enough we will probably put it into our grocery store lunch rotation.
