I don't remember precisely what it is, but as you can see, I got an Indian soup, which I didn't much care for, some naan, some spicy five-lentil type curry, and a healthy heaping of rice. The food was good, but not great. Then again, I was pretty happy given the close proximity to my office and reasonable price tag. With Greek Taverna only steps away, I'm not sure I'll be back.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Indian Delight
Last week, I wandered over to the Old Post Office Pavilion to grab a quick bite to eat. Mr. BW's former boss always spoke highly of the Indian Delight, which offers a variety of vegetarian Indian cuisine. For less than $7, I got the following:
I don't remember precisely what it is, but as you can see, I got an Indian soup, which I didn't much care for, some naan, some spicy five-lentil type curry, and a healthy heaping of rice. The food was good, but not great. Then again, I was pretty happy given the close proximity to my office and reasonable price tag. With Greek Taverna only steps away, I'm not sure I'll be back.
I don't remember precisely what it is, but as you can see, I got an Indian soup, which I didn't much care for, some naan, some spicy five-lentil type curry, and a healthy heaping of rice. The food was good, but not great. Then again, I was pretty happy given the close proximity to my office and reasonable price tag. With Greek Taverna only steps away, I'm not sure I'll be back.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Rasika
This afternoon, Brother and SIL BW depart to return to sunny Southern California. To celebrate their visit, we went to Rasika last night to enjoy the six course chef's table. O.M.F.G. It was amazing.
The first course (Palak Chaat) was crispy baby spinach, sweet yogurt, tamarind, and date chutney. Each piece of spinach was crispy (duh) and the entire dish was oh-so-delicious. Mr. BW ate every single bite, and he's not a cooked spinach man.
The second course (Fish Chutneywala) was tilapia, mint, cilantro, coconut. It came with a cute little cucumber/tomato salad on the side. The first was perfectly seasoned and the combination of mint/cilantro/coconut/tilapia was amazing.
About this time, our naan arrived. Clockwise from top: plain naan, mint naan, and onion/vegetable naan. Yum.
The third course (spicy reshmi kebab) was minched chicken, mint, coriander, green chili and a side salad. This dish was not amazing, as the other dishes were, but by no means was it difficult to enjoy.
The best course of the night was the fourth course (black cod) seasoned with fresh dill, honey, star anise and red wine vinegar. The best fish course up until last night was the ginger crusted onaga that Mr. BW and I had enjoyed at Alan Wong's in Honolulu. We spent some time debating whether this was a suitable rival, but ultimately decided both were unique, different, and absolutely amazing.
The fifth course (bhindi amchoor) was sliced okra seasoned with dry mango powed and basmati rice...
Served with andhra lamb curry and chicken makhani. The chicken curry was hands down the best curry I have had in a very very long time. We were so full by this time, but I nonetheless still swept up as much curry goodness as I could with the naan and basmati rice.
By the time the final course (apple jalebi) rolled around, we were all uncomfortably full. But how could we resist the delightful apple ring beignet (yes, there was an apple slice baked in there) and orange cardamom ice cream topped with pistachio bits? The ice cream was amazing and just the right way to finish off the mean. I was too full to enjoy the apple ring beignet to the fullest, but I did turn to find Mr. BW sopping up his melted ice cream with the edible orchid.
Dinner was not cheap, but it was amazing and worth every penny. We also ordered two wine pairings to go with our chef's table tasting menu and the wines were wonderfully selected to accompany our entrees. If you have not been to Rasika, Go. Now. Eat. Enjoy.
The first course (Palak Chaat) was crispy baby spinach, sweet yogurt, tamarind, and date chutney. Each piece of spinach was crispy (duh) and the entire dish was oh-so-delicious. Mr. BW ate every single bite, and he's not a cooked spinach man.
The second course (Fish Chutneywala) was tilapia, mint, cilantro, coconut. It came with a cute little cucumber/tomato salad on the side. The first was perfectly seasoned and the combination of mint/cilantro/coconut/tilapia was amazing.
About this time, our naan arrived. Clockwise from top: plain naan, mint naan, and onion/vegetable naan. Yum.
The third course (spicy reshmi kebab) was minched chicken, mint, coriander, green chili and a side salad. This dish was not amazing, as the other dishes were, but by no means was it difficult to enjoy.
The best course of the night was the fourth course (black cod) seasoned with fresh dill, honey, star anise and red wine vinegar. The best fish course up until last night was the ginger crusted onaga that Mr. BW and I had enjoyed at Alan Wong's in Honolulu. We spent some time debating whether this was a suitable rival, but ultimately decided both were unique, different, and absolutely amazing.
The fifth course (bhindi amchoor) was sliced okra seasoned with dry mango powed and basmati rice...
Served with andhra lamb curry and chicken makhani. The chicken curry was hands down the best curry I have had in a very very long time. We were so full by this time, but I nonetheless still swept up as much curry goodness as I could with the naan and basmati rice.
By the time the final course (apple jalebi) rolled around, we were all uncomfortably full. But how could we resist the delightful apple ring beignet (yes, there was an apple slice baked in there) and orange cardamom ice cream topped with pistachio bits? The ice cream was amazing and just the right way to finish off the mean. I was too full to enjoy the apple ring beignet to the fullest, but I did turn to find Mr. BW sopping up his melted ice cream with the edible orchid.
Dinner was not cheap, but it was amazing and worth every penny. We also ordered two wine pairings to go with our chef's table tasting menu and the wines were wonderfully selected to accompany our entrees. If you have not been to Rasika, Go. Now. Eat. Enjoy.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Viet Bistro
Tonight, for dinner, we went to Viet Bistro at Eden Center. Eden Center is a huge Vietnamese complex out in 'burbs and where Mr. BW and I go for Vietnamese!
We started with the vietnamese spring rolls and also an order of fresh spring rolls.
Mr. BW and I decided to go simple tonight and get our old standby, the grilled pork vermicelli.
SIL BW had the grilled pork + shrimp + fresh egg roll vermicelli. SIL BW had a bad vietnamese experiences when she was in college and has not been a fan since. She heartily enjoyed her meal tonight and hopefully this signifies a turning point in her Vietnamese food enjoyment!
Brother BW ordered the lemongrass beef, which, strangely enough, he did not offer to share. It must've been delicious, because he slurped it right up!
We also ordered the Carmel Fish to share. Mr. BW has ordered it before and we enjoyed it greatly, but none of us were willing to commit to it for our entree. It was so tasty, I ended up eating most of the Carmel Fish and saving my vermicelli to bring to work for lunch tomorrow.
We started with the vietnamese spring rolls and also an order of fresh spring rolls.
Mr. BW and I decided to go simple tonight and get our old standby, the grilled pork vermicelli.
SIL BW had the grilled pork + shrimp + fresh egg roll vermicelli. SIL BW had a bad vietnamese experiences when she was in college and has not been a fan since. She heartily enjoyed her meal tonight and hopefully this signifies a turning point in her Vietnamese food enjoyment!
Brother BW ordered the lemongrass beef, which, strangely enough, he did not offer to share. It must've been delicious, because he slurped it right up!
We also ordered the Carmel Fish to share. Mr. BW has ordered it before and we enjoyed it greatly, but none of us were willing to commit to it for our entree. It was so tasty, I ended up eating most of the Carmel Fish and saving my vermicelli to bring to work for lunch tomorrow.
Majestic Cafe (Alexandria)
After church this morning, the crew headed over to Alexandria to do some window shopping and to just enjoy our leisurely Sunday afternoon. After a few hours of moseying around, we headed over to the Majestic Cafe, where we had reservations for lunch. Mr. BW's co-worker, who lives in Annapolis, had recommended that we go for Nana's Sunday Dinner. This month, Nana's special was: buttermilk fried chicken, cole slaw, mac and cheese, and peach cobbler. Mr. BW loves buttermilk fried chicken, so we quickly made reservations. The food is served family style at $78 / 4 people. Additional persons are $25 / each.
We started with an order of fried green tomatoes (not pictured), which I had to order in addition to Nana's menu because they came with goat cheese and a corn/salsa dressing. So delicious. Would definitely go back and order again.
Mr. BW was concerned when the chicken came out so dark, that's usually a sign that the oil should be and hasn't been changed. Nonetheless it was tasty ~ very juicy and well done.
Mr. BW's plated meal (before the mac and cheese).
The glorious mac and cheese. I only ate one piece of chicken so that I could pick at the mac and cheese, which was heaven.on.earth.
I am not a huge cobbler fan and this didn't really do it for me. Accordingly to Mr. BW, it's like no cobbler that he's ever had before. It's baked in an aluminim pie pan and there's a very pie like crust on the bottom ~ not biscuity like he's had it before. Nonetheless, the streusel and the peaches were very good, so all parties we happy.
The best part about The Majestic Cafe is that everything but the butter is made in their kitchen. Including the bread. Everything is fresh, they encourage local, and the menu prices are very very reasonable. Nana's Sunday Dinner is also a great concept, and one that we'll definitely be going back for, as the menus change every month. Reservations fill up quickly, so call early and go.
We started with an order of fried green tomatoes (not pictured), which I had to order in addition to Nana's menu because they came with goat cheese and a corn/salsa dressing. So delicious. Would definitely go back and order again.
Mr. BW was concerned when the chicken came out so dark, that's usually a sign that the oil should be and hasn't been changed. Nonetheless it was tasty ~ very juicy and well done.
Mr. BW's plated meal (before the mac and cheese).
The glorious mac and cheese. I only ate one piece of chicken so that I could pick at the mac and cheese, which was heaven.on.earth.
I am not a huge cobbler fan and this didn't really do it for me. Accordingly to Mr. BW, it's like no cobbler that he's ever had before. It's baked in an aluminim pie pan and there's a very pie like crust on the bottom ~ not biscuity like he's had it before. Nonetheless, the streusel and the peaches were very good, so all parties we happy.
The best part about The Majestic Cafe is that everything but the butter is made in their kitchen. Including the bread. Everything is fresh, they encourage local, and the menu prices are very very reasonable. Nana's Sunday Dinner is also a great concept, and one that we'll definitely be going back for, as the menus change every month. Reservations fill up quickly, so call early and go.
Cakelove
On our way back from Annapolis, Mr. BW had the brilliant idea to stop at Cakelove and pick up a cake for dessert. Brother BW zeroed in on the Strawberries and Cream layered cake.
Absolutely stunning. Go. Order. Eat. It's $40, but it's divine and might just be the best cake that I've had since our wedding cake.
Absolutely stunning. Go. Order. Eat. It's $40, but it's divine and might just be the best cake that I've had since our wedding cake.
Middleton Tavern (Annapolis)
On Saturday, we went to Annapolis with Brother and SIL BW. Mr. BW had been to Annapolis before with his brother, and had eaten at Middleton Tavern, which he insisted, has the best crab cakes around. We spent a few hours walking around and window shopping, slowly making our way to the restaurant. On the way there, we saw a very stylish dog.
When we reached Middleton Tavern, I knew our crab cakes were going to be good. The building is a historic tavern/boarding home.
The food was so good, that I, unfortunately, forgot to take any pictures once it arrived. Because we had had a large breakfast, Mr. BW and I ordered the cold seafood martini, an order of crab balls, and the warmed goat cheese to share. Everything was amazing. Brother and SIL BW ordered the crab cake sandwich and an order of crab balls to share. The crab balls and crab cakes are the same recipe, but the balls are simply 1oz balls, as opposed to 4oz cakes. They come either fried or broiled, and the broiled is definitely the way to go. Just enough filler to keep the cake together and perfectly seasoned. Mr. BW and I will definitely be returning.
When we reached Middleton Tavern, I knew our crab cakes were going to be good. The building is a historic tavern/boarding home.
The food was so good, that I, unfortunately, forgot to take any pictures once it arrived. Because we had had a large breakfast, Mr. BW and I ordered the cold seafood martini, an order of crab balls, and the warmed goat cheese to share. Everything was amazing. Brother and SIL BW ordered the crab cake sandwich and an order of crab balls to share. The crab balls and crab cakes are the same recipe, but the balls are simply 1oz balls, as opposed to 4oz cakes. They come either fried or broiled, and the broiled is definitely the way to go. Just enough filler to keep the cake together and perfectly seasoned. Mr. BW and I will definitely be returning.
2Amys
On Thursday night, Mr. BW and I went to 2Amys with Brother and SIL BW, who are visiting from California!
I started with a glass of Grotto del Sole, which was fizzy! Fizzy! An interesting red to try, but I don't think I would do it again.
For starters, we ordered some oven roasted olives and the supli a telefono to start. The supli a telefono is deep fried risotto croquette, stuffed with bufala mozarella! It was delicious!
For our main courses, Brother BW had the margharita extra.
I had the Santa Brigida + Sausage topping.
I can't remember what SIL BW got, but here it is:
Because Mr. BW is a daredevil, he had the Two Amys + sardines.
All in all, our food was delicious. We've heard so much hype about 2Amys and how great it is, and while the pizza is delicious, I'm not sure it's the best pizza I've ever had. And I've eaten my fair share of pizza. That being said, it is definitely authentic Italian style pizza that, if you are in the DC area and love pizza, should give it a shot. Prices are reasonable, but since it's not metro accessible, those who rely on public transit may have issues getting too and fro. Nonetheless, it's too much of a Washington institution to pass on. We went on a busy night and were seated in less than 3o minutes.
I started with a glass of Grotto del Sole, which was fizzy! Fizzy! An interesting red to try, but I don't think I would do it again.
For starters, we ordered some oven roasted olives and the supli a telefono to start. The supli a telefono is deep fried risotto croquette, stuffed with bufala mozarella! It was delicious!
For our main courses, Brother BW had the margharita extra.
I had the Santa Brigida + Sausage topping.
I can't remember what SIL BW got, but here it is:
Because Mr. BW is a daredevil, he had the Two Amys + sardines.
All in all, our food was delicious. We've heard so much hype about 2Amys and how great it is, and while the pizza is delicious, I'm not sure it's the best pizza I've ever had. And I've eaten my fair share of pizza. That being said, it is definitely authentic Italian style pizza that, if you are in the DC area and love pizza, should give it a shot. Prices are reasonable, but since it's not metro accessible, those who rely on public transit may have issues getting too and fro. Nonetheless, it's too much of a Washington institution to pass on. We went on a busy night and were seated in less than 3o minutes.
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