dessert lunch restaurants: custard d.c. fries salad sandwiches
by Lindsey
2 comments
CoCo Sala: Part II
The one time I had any savory courses at CoCo Sala was for appetizers, and while the food tasted great, it was also barely there. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I headed over there for a lunch a few weeks ago. Would the portions be just as small? I asked the waitress about the size of the portions very carefully, but it turned out that my concerns weren’t really necessary. I had a salad and a second course, and the portions were just right.
Pictured above is my second course: the artichoke tart (“creamy hearts of artichoke / tomato confit / truffle & tarragon vinaigrette.”) Loved it! The crust was flaky and gorgeous, and the artichokes were bursting with flavor.
The rest under the cut:
Zaytinya Easter Lamb
Some time last week, I heard a mention about the special Easter lamb sandwich they’re serving at Zaytinya during lunch time through April 16, and coincidentally, I Flip For Food blogged about it on that very same day! Of course, I took that as a sign that I ought to go. (^O^)v
I like Zaytinya a lot, and the only reason I haven’t posted about it yet is because I never seem to have my camera with me when I eat there. (I’ve had my iPhone with me, but the pics don’t turn out well). Hopefully one of these days, I’ll actually get around to doing a full-on post.
The lamb for the special was prepared right on the patio, which really brought out that outdoorsy, “spring has arrived!” sort of feeling. Although I have to be honest, seeing the whole lamb rotating over a roasting pit was a bit alarming. (O___o)
So the deal is, $7 for roasted lamb on a pita bread, topped with cucumber yogurt sauce, red onions, spring onions, and some leafy greens. You can also get iced tea ($2) or a box of Greek Easter cookies ($5).
I found the sandwich kind of messy and wet, so I did have to use a knife and fork to eat it. Granted, I did take it back with me to the office instead of eating it on the spot, which might be why the juices went running all over. I also found the portion to be pretty small. The lamb, however, was excellent. Loved it. ♥ If you’re in that area for lunch this week, you should pop over to check it out. You might even catch Chef Mike Isabella on the premises (though I didn’t see him when I went). =D
Captain White’s Seafood
Captain White’s Seafood City is located on the Southwest Waterfront, right on the water. It’s pretty chaotic getting in there, and trying to find parking is pretty tricky business. However, it’s worth the effort if you’re a seafood lover! My friends and I checked it out last Saturday afternoon, and the place was swamped with people. We waited for seemed like forever to get our food. (O____o);;
I got the clams and fries box, pictured above. It’s a lot of food for a good price! I should have gotten some packets of cocktail sauce, but I was too lazy to walk back there from the seating area to fetch any. XD;;
Sushi Oishii
Sushi Oishii is a bit out of the way, near the northern border of Rockville, but it’s pretty good sushi at a reasonable price. ♥ The name means “delicious sushi,” which is kind of funny sounding, but cute. (Though perhaps not as cute as “I Love Mr. Sushi” in St. Louis). I popped in last week with my mom for a nice weekend lunch. The sushi places around here tend to close up by 2 for lunch, but Sushi Oishii stays open until 3, which is convenient for late starters.
Pictured about is their ootoro, or ultra fatty tuna, sashimi style. I’d initially asked for the chuutoro (medium fatty tuna), but they were out of it at the time. Obviously the fattier the tuna, the more expensive. This little number set us back about $14. I *think* the sushi version was the same price, and if that’s the case, why would anyone get the sushi version, when you can get so much more tuna for the same price in the sashimi? XD Anyway, you can see the lovely pale pink color and lines of fat that gives it that rich and gorgeous flavor. I wished they’d served their sashimi with shiso leaf instead, though.
sâuçá
Out of all the Twittering food trucks of late, I’ve been most impressed by the branding and marketing of sâuçá. Take a look at their awesome website and you’ll see what I mean! I was very excited about the launch of this truck o’ food, as their menu looked so diverse and intriguing. Their dishes are inspired by cuisines from several continents, with a minor twist in that they’re served as “sâuçá” – their term for a flatbread sandwich. Their multi-colored logo is a reflection of that global concept, with each color representing a different region of the world.
They’ve been coming by the Chinatown area for a while now, and last week I finally got the opportunity to check them out. And it was great timing too! Not only was the weather sunny and fabulous, but it also happened to be the same day that NPR (I think it was NPR, anyway) was out by the truck interviewing folks on their sâuçá experience. I got to chat with the owner of sâuçá, who was very enthusiastic and pleasant. I asked him how they came up with the name, and he explained that their concept was based around sauces and having a great variety thereof. Originally, they wanted to call themselves “Sauce,” but they were told that they couldn’t trademark a real word. Thus, they changed it to sâuçá, adding a few accent marks here and there for added flair. Their abundant sauces are incorporated into their dishes, but you can also add extra if you want (they have a small fixings area next to the pick up window).
Crepes on the Walk
Crepes on the Walk is a cute little crepes stand by the Verizon Center (which I still call the MCI Center sometimes), and it’s part of the Crepes a Go Go family of creperies. Their website has mysteriously disappeared, so I can’t link you, but hopefully they’re still around?
I imagine that this stand gets a lot of business because of its prime location, and also because crepes are the ideal sort of streetfood. Sweet or savory, whatever suits your fancy, they’ve got it. It comes folded up and tucked neatly inside a paper cone for easy handling. X) They have a nice menu of items, but of course, you can select your own combination of ingredients as you like, which is nice…if a little daunting. (You can check out their menu over on The Thrillist).
I popped over to pick up a crepe (or two) during my lunch hour a little while ago:
Zola Wine & Kitchen
Just around the corner from the Spy Museum is Zola Wine & Kitchen, a swanky wine shop / lunch counter with open kitchen. It can get a little busy during lunch time, but I think it’s worth the wait! (You can put in your order ahead of time through their website, which might cut down on your time, but I’ve never tried it before). Their menu is varied and interesting, with $10 specials that change daily.
Pictured above is the housemade fusilli with “winter vegetables, parmesan and a touch of chili.” I loved this dish. There was a lot of flavor going on, and the cheese and chili worked so well together! My only concern was that it was quite oily. By the time I got to the bottom of the bowl, I could see it swimming in the oil. I would get it again, though. XD
The rest under the cut. (And these pics are from two different lunch trips):
Belgian Fries
Can’t do Canada without a heaping pile of poutine, right? I have to say, I was a little apprehensive. But when in Rome, do as the Romans.
My friends took me to Belgian Fries, a little shop on Commercial Drive that specializes in this stuff. And yes, apparently there’s a big difference between “French” fries and “Belgian” fries, and the website describes what that difference is in great detail, leaving no doubt as to which of these is the superior (*ahem* Belgian).
Here’s the pic I took of my poutine, the classic sort with just the cheese curds and gravy. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised! I thought it was going to be TOO MUCH, but this was the good sort of indulgence. You definitely feel very guilty afterward, but this version was not too greasy and didn’t sit very heavy as you might expect.
We also got the battered fish, to round off this “fish & chips” lunch:
Rangoli
Now that the Vancouver Winter Games are underway, I think it’s perfect timing to revisit my trip to that lovely city from last March! o(^___^)o I actually meant to get started on these posts last week when the Olympics began, but as usual, I have been procrastinating. The good thing is, there are still a few more days left of the Winter Games, so I’m at least somewhat timely. XD;;
I was there visiting a good friend, who had moved out there with her husband not too long ago. I was long overdue for a visit, so I was extremely happy to make the trek (my first ever) across the continent to the west coast. I loved every minute of the trip, and it was definitely one my highlights from 2009! ♥
As for the eats: Vancouver is a fabulous food city! There’s a great diversity of foods from all over the world, and you can sup divinely for relatively cheap. Organic, local, and fair trade products were very popular there. They also had a hoppin’ coffee shop scene, which was something I really liked. There were so many lovely independent coffee shops that had great quality brews. I wish that trend would catch on a little more here!
I didn’t take pictures of all my meals, but I’ll post the few food pics I did take over the course of the next few days. My first post is on Rangoli, a small and quaint Indian market / restaurant on West 11th Avenue. The market is really just a selection of spices and ready made meals to take home for later. The restaurant portion is a very casual seating area, perfect for a tasty lunch.
I had the lamb curry, which came with a side of rice and salad, and two slices of naan. (*____*) Heaven! A pic of the full plate under the cut:
beverage lunch restaurants: asian fusion d.c. latin fusion sushi
by Lindsey
1 comment
Zengo: Part II
Second post for Zengo of Latin-Asian flava in D.C.’s Chinatown. This time, some friends and I popped over for a lunch special. The management got a little testy when we tried to figure out how to apply two coupons for one party…but ultimately they accommodated us, and everything went smoothly.
The wait service, as before, was excellent (barring one moment where the guy taking the plates away spilled an entire glass of mojito on the table…)
Pictured above is the Zengo fried rice bowl. At first, I wondered whether the menu offered a choice of topping: “duck / shrimp / pork.” It turned out that it actually came with all of the above! One of my friends thought that there was too much going on, but I rather liked it. (^__^) It’s definitely a very hardy fried rice dish!
Sweet Green
Mmm…lovely Sweet Green! Among the latest in food trucks to hit the streets of D.C., Sweet Green serves up some tasty frozen yogurt and salads, Tweeting their location as they go. They’ve recently started coming to Metro Center on Fridays, so I finally had a chance to try them out.
The yogurt came in a couple sizes, with three toppings included in the standard cup size for a total cost of $5. For toppings, there was a pretty good selection of fresh fruit, nuts, coconut shavings and mint. I got mine with baked apples, strawberries, and mint. (*____*) Soooo good. The yogurt was very fresh, and had a little tartness to it, but not too much. (I always found the popular froyo’s too sour for my taste). Loved it!
I also got a salad:
Burger Bar
Of course, one of the foodie ventures I was most looking forward to in San Francisco was checking out Chef Hubert Keller’s casual restaurant Burger Bar in Union Square! (^__^)v Chef Keller was of course, one of the finalists in Top Chef Masters, who famously (or infamously?) doused his vat of pasta with cold water from the dorm shower stall during one of his challenges. His Burger Bar has a few locations, including St. Louis and Las Vegas. He also has the higher end Fleur de Lys – with one location in San Francisco, though we were unfortunately unable to secure a reservation for this trip.
Burger Bar doesn’t take reservations, but the wait wasn’t too incredibly long. We showed up around 1pm, and were seated probably in 20 minutes or so for a party of 5. The table was situated in the bar area, a high table with bar stools that was placed right up next to the glass wall overlooking Union Square. The menu is basically a do-it-yourselfer, where you can choose your meat, bun, cheeses, toppings, and sauces from an ample selection. There are probably an infinite number of combinations you could come up with! (@___o) Some of the toppings were quite decadent, including lobster and foie gras (or even black truffles: an extra $30). If you can’t handle so many choices at once, they also offer a few Chef’s Burgers.
The milkshake list is just as daunting. Ice cream, toppings, sauces…even liquor if you so choose, can be mixed any which way you want.
Pictured above is the peppercorn burger with Dijon mustard and accompanied by a basket of fries. I didn’t taste the burger itself, but my friend who got it had rave reviews. I did nab a few fries though, which were quite good!
More under the cut:
Sushi Damo: Part II
Last weekend, I sauntered in to the Rockville branch of Sushi Damo for lunch. (They also have a New York restaurant, apparently). I’ve blogged about this place before, but I thought I’d revisit it here because I tried a few things I don’t usually see on the menu of a Japanese restaurant.
I actually started with dessert. And why not?? A fresh, zingy little sorbet is great for refreshing the palate. In any case, I so rarely have dessert on an empty stomach, when I can appreciate the flavor of it best. This is the lychee sake sorbet, topped with what I believe is a jelly made from pomegranate. It was actually quite good indeed, and very refreshing. A bit reminiscent of a lychee martini.
Proof: Part III
Okay, this is the THIRD time I’ve blogged about this place, but I can’t help myself. It’s one of my favorite restaurants in D.C., AND it’s right down the street from my work, so with their lunch special deal, I naturally end up there on many an afternoon. The cool thing about this place is that their menu is always changing. So at least I can bring you something new each time. (^___^)v
Last week, I popped in there with a few folks from work and found myself ordering the gnocchi. There it is pictured above: “sauteed Yukon gold potato gnocchi [with] wild mushrooms, sweet corn, green beans, tomato, parmesan.” The wild mushrooms were particularly delicious! The sauce was a little heavy on the salt, but otherwise this dish was very tasty indeed!
Something else from the new menu:
Pho 75
Pho can be had in a lot of places around here, including my local shopping center that also houses a Panera and Five Guys. Out of all of these, however, the best of them is located in Rockville, just a little north of the court house and Metro station. I’ve been going there for years, and it’s still my favorite. ♥
However…
A friend of mine insisted that there’s a place in Virginia – Pho 75 – that’s THE best, and so, after much talk and anticipation, she took me out there last weekend to give it a try. It turns out that Pho 75 is the pho restaurant that I remember seeing next door to D.C. Sandwich, the banh mi shop in Falls Church I visited a while back. (^___^)
Pho (pronounced “faaah??”) is rice noodle in broth, topped with your choice of beef or chicken, thinly sliced. I usually get the regular sized bowl of beef brisket, which is almost always “number 15″ on the menu, regardless of which pho restaurant I go to. XD
