Christmas Dinner
Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone! I still have quite the backlog of posts to get to (*glances uneasily at the folder filled with pic files from months ago*), but those will have to wait until next year. XD I’m going to make it my new year’s resolution to try and get posts done in a more timely manner, but in the meantime, I wanted to share pics from my Christmas dinner! My friends cooked up a festive meal – to which I contributed one dish – and it was absolutely fabulous. In fact, we spent most of the night congratulating ourselves on our culinary masterpieces, and declared the dinner to be a smashing success that deserved all the praise we lavished upon it.
Pictured above is the roasted chicken (one of 2), which was accompanied by a nice mustard seed gravy. The chicken was perfectly cooked and juicy. o(^___^)o
The rest -
Lupe
In the old space that used to be Sesto Senso is a Mexican Cantina called Lupe, and I stopped in there a little while ago to meet up some friends for a quick dinner. The interior is pretty nice, with the high ceilings that I remember from the old place, and warm, colorful decor that wasn’t too over the top. The chairs could’ve been more comfortable, but in all, the place was very pleasing.
I got the fish tacos (pictured above), which came with beans and rice. I thought it was okay, but rather underseasoned and in need of a good sprinkle of salt. I thought it lacked punch, as I expected a bright citrus flavor or spiciness from the salsa, neither of which were present.
I also had the corn on the cob:
Christmas Cookies
Happy Christmas Eve, everyone!
Just wanted to drop in with this cookie post, since I got such cute and colorful ones at the Les Delices Bakery today. (I’ll be doing another post on this bakery later). I ♥ this bakery very much! This cash-only place is off of Gude Drive in Rockville.
I really liked these cookies! Nice, and not too sweet. They paired perfectly with my cup of Prince of Wales tea with milk. (^__^)
I also got a tin of Christmas themed cookies from Yoku Moku, a Japanese cookie company. (Not at Les Delices – these were a gift). I love their smooth, buttery cookies! It’s a bit of a hassle to unwrap each one when you just wanna dive in and eat them all in one go, but I suppose it helps to restrain yourself so you don’t consume an entire tin at once.
Obviously, I took the above picture after several cookies had already been eaten, but you can still see how cheerful it looked with all the pretty colors. As for the cookies themselves:
Taste of Saigon
One night, a friend and I got a hankering for some pho, so we naturally headed out to Pho 75 in Rockville, which still has the best pho in the area, in my opinion. Except…they were in the process of closing, and weren’t accepting new customers. Devastated, we poked around on the iPhone to see if any other pho-serving establishments were still open. We chose Taste of Saigon in Rockville Town Center and promptly headed over for some late evening pho-ness.
We were ushered into a dining area by the bar, which I thought was somewhat awkwardly placed behind a partition screen. But we did get a nice view of the bar, where a man in a panda suit (no joke) was hanging out, pretending to be drunk. I’m not sure if he was supposed to be one of the establishment’s attractions or not…? Anyway, in the midst of this bizarre performance, we ordered the calamari dish to share, and two small sized pho each.
Pictured above is the calamari, which was decent, though nothing spectacular. I thought the sweet sauce was a bit cloying, but maybe I just prefer salt and pepper flavors with my calamari. Or something bright and citrusy.
The pho:
beverage lunch restaurants: japanese rockville sushi tea
by Lindsey
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Rolls ‘n Rice
I had driven past the Rolls ‘n Rice a number times while en route to the Whole Foods in Rockville and was rather curious about it…so one day, I stopped in there for lunch with my mom. The interior was nice, with wide spaces, high ceilings and warm colors that were welcoming. I liked the wood paneled shelves on the walls, but the large stone fireplace confused me a little, as it seemed more hunting lodge rustic than zen.
The format is the same as the Taipei Tokyo across the street – you order your food at the front, get a number, take a seat. They’ll bring the food to you. I never really know what I’m supposed to do with tipping in such places. I usually leave a couple dollars, since they do bring the food and then bus your table later, but it’s just a little confounding.
Pictured above is the sushi combo A (8 pieces of nigiri with California roll). Price point was pretty good at $12.95. I thought the fish was decent, though maybe the rice could’ve been more tightly molded.
afternoon tea restaurants: d.c. pastries sandwiches tea
by Lindsey
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Afternoon Tea at Teaism
I still have a bit of a backlog to slog through, but I thought I’d post about something while it was still fresh in my mind for change. XD;; I got out of work early yesterday, so after swinging by the Downtown Holiday Market (where I got a lovely handmade wool hat), I stopped in at the Teaism in Penn Quarter for their daily Afternoon Tea. Their tea is served everyday between the hours of 2:30 and 5:30 at $20 per person. I was curious about how this teashop would handle an afternoon tea service. I went with the “traditional” tea, though they also have an “Asian” one featuring rice balls and green tea ice cream.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that they served it in the classic tiered presentation. I had to make two trips to carry everything downstairs, where I chose a nice table by the water fountain to take my tea.
I had a piping hot pot of Darjeeling tea, which was aromatic and just the right thing on a cold winter’s day. I sort of wished they could serve it to me in a real tea cup, but that’s just a minor complaint. As for the food:
Cuba Libre
When Cuba Libre, a Philly-based chain, opened in Penn Quarter a few months ago, they did this brilliant promotion – diners got 50% off if they dined the first week, and 25% off the second. (I went on the last day of week 2). A restaurant always has to work out a few kinks when they first open, so I thought it was a great way to get people in the door and keep them happy, even if there were a few glitches in service.
Speaking of glitches, I encountered one immediately upon entering. And maybe this wasn’t really a glitch but just standard operating procedure. My friend was waiting for me outside, but was on a quick phone call. I said I’d go ahead and let them know we were there, and hopefully get seated while she finished up her call. The maitre’d informed me that I would have to wait until my friend came in to be seated. Now, I understand that restaurants prefer to seat an entire party only when everyone has arrived, because of the possibility of no-shows, etc. I thought the fact that my friend was just outside and was going to join me in 2 minutes should have counted for something, but no…I had to wait in the busy foyer area until she came back inside. I was rather vexed. And the thing is, I don’t think I would have minded waiting – all he had to do was placate me with an apology (even a fake one), but the maitre’d acted all stone-faced, like he was too snobby to bother.
And I have gone on for far too long on this subject! (^__^);; Suffice it to say I was not happy with the front of the house, and first impressions are rather important…especially when opening a place.
I should say that our waitress was extremely accommodating and attentive! Aside from the check that had to be sent back to include the discounted price, the rest of the evening’s service was very lovely indeed. The interior decor was big and fabulous, with stained glass windows and impressive fronts that made it look like you were on a street in Cuba. Somewhat kitchy, to be honest, but I suppose that was part of the appeal. The place was pretty loud, so it’s not a place for an intimate dinner.
As for the all important food – I’ll start with the appetizer course, pictured above. I had the dark rum-glazed pork belly with vigorón slaw. I enjoyed this dish a lot! The pork was fatty and luscious, and paired well with the light vinegary slaw.
The rest after the jump:
