tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18797084359830395942024-03-05T18:14:57.058-05:00Two DCa new couple exploring a new cityBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16502451804375094405noreply@blogger.comBlogger415125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-87716440325102423862014-02-10T23:51:00.001-05:002014-02-10T23:51:34.397-05:00TwoDC Turns FiveIt has been five years since J and I started <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/">TwoDC</a>. That's a long time. It's longer than most of us spend in high school or college. It's longer than a Presidential term. And in this case, it has outlasted our time on the East Coast. We've often written about our California roots. And now we're writing about our return home.<br />
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This is easily the hardest post I've had to write. It was difficult to leave Washington but returning to California was made easy by focusing on our exciting future. This post forces me to look back at all we left behind and close the door on some of the best times of our life.</div>
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We've settled into a new home, a new job (for B) and a new understanding of the meaning of cold winter weather (50s and a light drizzle). However, I've not settled with the fact that DC is not part of my daily life any more. I miss the sparkling white marble of the monuments. I miss being surrounded by passionate people who hope to change the world. I miss the convenience of the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/express/">Express</a> and <a href="http://wmata.com/">Metro</a> (yeah, I said it). I miss standing on the Mall and feeling big and small at the same time. I miss the community of <a href="http://wafc.org/">Ultimate frisbee</a>. I miss the snow (but not the humidity). I miss the view from our condo that overlooked a bustling, dynamic and diverse city. I miss the access to the rest of the East Coast and to Europe. I miss being able to walk to anything and everything. I miss the friends we made that became our second family. And I miss exploring DC and writing about it in this blog.</div>
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This makes blog post number 415. Looking at the backlog of half-written posts, it is clear that the end is near. Perhaps that's why it has taken me so long to respond to J's reminders that I owe her some Second Thoughts on our last few posts. I've not been a good writing partner lately. Maybe it is because I don't want it to end. More likely, I just don't have the words to do justice to the town, to the experience, to the time of my life that was so memorable. </div>
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Art is littered with this very problem. People infinitely more talented have struggled to capture the idea of transitioning from one stage of life to the next. I've sat here for the last half hour thinking of what song lyric, Shakespearean sonnet, movie quote, classical painting or trite cliche would best sum up my feelings, but there are none. Our time in DC was our time. It was wonderfully unique and a real blessing to be able to share with you. So I guess the only thing left to say is thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.</div>
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<b>J Says</b><br />
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Hello? Anyone out there? With the demise of Google Reader and a 6 month lapse in posts, I'm fairly sure I'm writing to my parents and perhaps one PR rep who will undoubtedly email us the same press release 6 times (oh the restaurant is creating a special day-after-Presidents-Day menu? You don't say...).<br />
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As B mentioned, we live in California now. After homesickness crept into about 397 of our 415 posts, we realized that we needed to be closer to our families. But, as I type this, my eyes are welling with tears as I think about the family we left behind in DC. When we arrived in DC in 2007, we were newlyweds with a brand new condo, new jobs, no friends in town and no clue where to get a good meal. In 2013, when we pulled out of the driveway to begin the long journey West, we were driving away from an incredible network of friends and a booming restaurant scene that we'd lived and breathed for 5 years (back to the days when 14th street was the sketchy street you walked down to get to <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/pstreet">Whole Foods</a>). There's no way to sum up what this city and this blog has meant to us. <br />
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When we moved, the number one question our friends asked was "Are you going to start a new blog?" The answer came swiftly and succinctly: NO. It's pretty obvious that food blogging has peaked and is on the downward slope. Some may say that's a blessing, while others (looking to procrastinate at work) are wondering how the heck they're going to get through the day without an amateur recap of the latest pork belly dish. With the rise of <a href="http://instagram.com/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/">Twitter</a>, there's little room on the interwebs for rambling essays like we're fond of writing. Also, to be perfectly honest, blogging is a hell of a lot of work. We're thrilled we kept it going for 4.5 years and are so grateful to have this scrapbook of our time in DC (and we plan to turn it into an actual memory book - not for sale unless there's some editor out there who is really desperate for content). There will be no TwoCA and B and J are exiting the blogging business as soon as we give you the last couple posts we swore for months were coming.<br />
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Thank you for reading and for commenting. Thank you for emailing us and telling us what you liked and what you didn't like. Thank you for inviting us to restaurant openings when we had no business being in the same room as actual honest to goodness food critics. Thanks for all the free booze and that one time you gave us free lobster... that was rad. Please email us to keep in touch and follow along on Twitter as we see how long it takes for us to lose all of our followers now that our tweets concern mainly <a href="http://uclabruins.com/">UCLA</a>, <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm">national parks</a> and California transit issues. My favorite part of this blog was interacting with our readers and I hope that doesn't end. We're a great source for (out of date) recommendations on where you should take your parents when they come visit you in DC. Until we meet again DC, J</div>
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Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16502451804375094405noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-12919310431313901092013-07-11T20:06:00.000-04:002013-07-11T20:06:16.942-04:00Inn at Little Washington - The InnA zillion words have been written about the <a href="http://www.theinnatlittlewashington.com/">Inn at Little Washington</a>'s incredible restaurant (and we'll be adding a few too many words about our experience soon), but not as many that detail the experience of being an overnight guest at the Inn. <br />
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For a celebratory weekend, I booked a surprise trip for B to the Inn for a one night stay and dinner. We paired it with a hiking day trip to <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/12/shenandoah-national-park.html">Shenandoah</a> for an unforgettable weekend. We left DC in the morning and took our time with the drive out to Washington, VA. I figured we could show up well before check-in time and wander around the town. Turns out that it takes about 3.5 minutes to walk around the whole "town." It's really nothing more than the Inn, a few art galleries and little bed and breakfasts. We ended up grabbing a bite to eat at a roadside cafe a few miles past the Inn and heading to check-in early. <br />
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From the minute we pulled up to the Inn, I knew it would be quite a treat. The staff met us at the car, welcomed us by name, and whisked our bags away. We had a welcome cocktail in our hands in about five seconds flat and were led into the tea room for afternoon tea. Our host, Cameron, is the Inn's tea and cheese guru and has a personality as quirky and fun as the Inn's decor. He brought us each a pot of tea and selection of sweet and savory goodies from the kitchen. We sat back in the overstuffed chairs and marveled at the over-the-top room that would make a Louis proud. Everything about the Inn is wacky and wonderful.<br />
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After tea, we were led up to our room. During the Inn's remodel, each room was designed and named for an iconic food personality. Our room, the <a href="http://www.jean-georges.com/about/jean-georges/">Jean-Georges Vongerichten</a> room, overlooked the front of the Inn.<br />
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We enjoyed the handwritten welcome note from Chef <a href="http://www.theinnatlittlewashington.com/patrick-oconnell.shtml">Patrick O'Connell</a> and the basket of fruit and baked goods that awaited us. The room was cozy and comfortable in a country way. It was plenty spacious too, with a separate sitting area and balcony. The fluffy robes and bath products were also top notch.<br />
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We'll save dinner for another post, but breakfast (included with the stay) deserves mention. This is not your ordinary hotel breakfast with stale bagels and bad OJ. It is a breakfast befitting the Inn's five star culinary reputation. We were seated facing the sunny patio in a comfy side-by-side table. This is the one time that sitting on the same side of a table is perfectly acceptable. Otherwise, it's just weird.<br />
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They brought out a selection of fresh juices and pastries, granola and fruit. Though still full from the epic marathon meal the night before, we managed to put away every delicious morsel.<br />
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As we packed up the car to leave the Inn, they presented us with bottled water for the drive home and a tin of hard candies. We've stayed at some pretty cool places around the world, but have never seen so many personal and thoughtful touches as we did at the Inn. It was over-the-top fantastic in every way.<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts From B</b><br />
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Part upper-crust French country cottage, part <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/">Willy Wonka's</a> culinary wonderland, the Inn at Little Washington hardly seems like the product of humble beginnings. However, did you know that one of America's greatest restaurants grew out of an old gas station? True fact.<br />
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I don't know if the origin of the Inn's structure gets the credit but outside of the small fortune required to be a guest, there is no air of pretentiousness or elitism that I could detect among the staff or patrons. Rather, it felt like you were staying at your eccentric uncle's farm house. It was comfortable, quiet and accommodating. Admittedly, we were waited on throughout our stay but it was done so in a friendly and helpful manner that made us feel comfortable. We were given what we wanted before we considered asking for it and were not put in the awkward position of turning down unnecessary service that often comes with high-end hotels. "Yes, come to think of it, I would like some more tea" rather than "no, I don't need you to turn the page of my menu."<br />
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I don't know how a business strikes the balance between pampering and overbearing but the Inn was able to do it. Then again, I don't know how they do half the things there... I'm just happy that they do.
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/314/1421983/restaurant/Virginia/Rappahannock-County/The-Inn-at-Little-Washington-Washington"><img alt="The Inn at Little Washington on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1421983/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-33116935839299562802013-05-01T08:40:00.000-04:002013-05-01T08:40:53.444-04:00Tel VehWe live in a condo building that has been searching for a retail tenant for over six years. During that time, we've chatted with our neighbors about what kind of place we'd like to have take over that space. I think we found our answer in <a href="http://www.telvehdc.com/">Tel Veh</a>. Tel Veh is a cafe and wine bar in the ground level of the 400 Mass condo building. It's noisy as heck inside during happy hour, but quieted down nicely as the evening wore on.<br />
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They have a menu of small plates, charcuterie, cheese and wine that we were expecting to be just average. We ended up very impressed by all of the food and jealous of the 400 Mass folks who have this downstairs. Here's a quick play-by-play of our meal:<br />
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Rocket Salad: grilled haloumi cheese, sundried tomatoes, sunflower seeds and honey balsamic. How can you go wrong with grilled cheese?<br />
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Octopus with roasted red peppers, capers and an onion vinaigrette. Perfectly cooked octopus. We even liked it better than Mike Isabella's octopus at <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2011/06/graffiato.html">Graffiato</a>.<br />
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Truffled seafood risotto. Your standard risotto with the addition of a giant prawn and some well-cooked mussels and clams.<br />
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Herb-crusted rack of lamb. B will love any lamb dish. The true test is whether I loved it . . . and I did!<br />
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Selection of three cheeses. I thought they were too skimpy on the accompaniments but they were nice and gave us more of the awesome fig jam when we licked the first serving dry.<br />
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We had a great Friday night dinner at Tel Veh and would probably be regulars if we lived upstairs. The prices are a bit steep during the regular dinner hour, but check out their happy hour specials to save a few bucks.<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts from B</b><br />
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It takes a lot to compose the perfect evening. Food, atmosphere, service, company, occasion, state of mind. But when they do come along, you remember. Tel Veh was not perfect, but it reminded me of another night that was.<br />
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We have some good friends that live in the Bay Area. On one particular visit they took us to a typical California wine bar that was not unlike Tel Veh. Though it was several years ago, I can still taste the cheese, nuts, honey, and fruit that seems so typical of that region. I remember the relaxed atmosphere and the comfort of old friends. It was a perfect night and one I've longed to recreate.<br />
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When I come home from work, I'm often greeted with the question, "What do you want to do tonight?" My answer of "whatever" is my inarticulate way of saying I am happy to go along with whatever my foodie wife has in mind. On this particular night, J had two options in mind and when one was described as a California wine bar with tapas, charcuterie and cheese, I was sold. Why? Because of memories of that perfect night in the Bay Area.<br />
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With those kinds of expectations, Tel Veh was set up to fail. Sure they weren't perfect, but they more than held their own and reinforced the fact that I look forward to my next California meal... regardless of which coast it is on.<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1687138/restaurant/DC/Mount-Vernon-Triangle/Tel-veh-Cafe-Wine-Bar-Washington"><img alt="Tel’veh Cafe & Wine Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1687138/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-23368145147962403342013-04-18T10:29:00.001-04:002013-04-18T10:29:04.201-04:00Beau ThaiOn one of those "we're way too exhausted to cook" nights, B said he was in the mood for Thai food. Thankfully, our friends had just mentioned that they really enjoyed <a href="http://www.beauthaidc.com/home">Beau Thai</a> in Mt. Pleasant. Remembering that they also have a Shaw location, I called them to see if they'd deliver to us on the outskirts of Shaw. They happily agreed to deliver and I happily set about ordering a random assortment of dishes.<br />
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About 30 minutes later, the delivery driver called and dinner was ready. It was a little awkward because the driver didn't get out of his car and I had to look in the windows of three different cars in our building's driveway to see who had my food. Most drivers wait in the lobby, so he gets a few minus points for that. However, I'll overlook it because they were speedy and I like that they take credit cards.<br />
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The food arrived hot and in sturdy non-styrofoam packaging. The crispy tofu wrapped in sesame seeds retained its crunch, which is no small feat for delivery food.<br />
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Two thumbs up (awww, RIP <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/">Roger Ebert</a>) to their signature Beau Thai Chicken: lightly battered chicken tossed in a spicy garlic sauce and string beans, served with white jasmine rice.<br />
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The papaya salad was a little heavy on the Thai lime dressing but otherwise a refreshing way to end the meal.<br />
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We were happy with our first Beau Thai delivery experience. One thing to understand before you order is that it's not cheapo bulk Thai food. You aren't going to get days of leftovers for $5. Instead, it's high quality food served in smaller portions than we're used to for takeout. If you want mega American-style portions, it's probably a good idea to order more dishes than you normally would.<br />
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Have you been to Beau Thai? How is the dining-in experience?<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts From B</b><br />
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Half the fun of having Thai or other Asian food delivered to your home is the next day's leftovers. The business model of inexpensive mountains of food piled high over rice or noodles is well known. But Beau Thai seems to be trying to break the mold. Is there such a thing as "gourmet delivery"?<br />
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Call me old fashioned but as good as Beau Thai was, I missed the delivery experience. I missed the enormous portions of mystery meat slathered in overly sweet or hypersalty sauces that mixed perfectly with white rice. I missed the soggy vegetables and copious amounts of individually packaged condiments. I missed the gluttonous waddle to the kitchen to find 47 pieces of mismatched Tupperware to store the rest of our bounty. And most of all, I missed the soupy, mushy, deliciousness reemerging from the fridge the next day on the fast track to the microwave. That is what delivery is in my mind. It is not good for you and it certainly isn't gourmet, but it is familiar and wonderful. I missed that with Beau Thai. <br />
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Beau Thai should be commended for trying to elevate delivery. They were effective in bringing the restaurant experience to our home. But it seems that my little reptilian brain couldn't handle it. So I guess we'll have to enjoy their food in their restaurant next time because as disoriented as I was, it was tasty.<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1544321/restaurant/DC/U-Street-Shaw/Beau-Thai-Washington"><img alt="Beau Thai on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1544321/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-27104712545972910832013-04-08T13:18:00.001-04:002013-04-08T13:18:13.637-04:00YOCAKE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Would you roll your eyes if I told you that we checked out a new cupcake place? How about a frozen yogurt place? Are you completely over the cupcake and fro-yo trends and ready to move on to <a href="http://www.zekesdcdonutz.com/">donut</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GBDChickenDoughnuts">mania</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AstroDoughnuts">2013</a>?</div>
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Before you jump head first into donutville, take a moment to consider Dupont Circle's new <a href="http://www.yocake.com/v1/index.html">Yocake</a>. Yocake is the brainchild of siblings Ellen and Edward Quach. Their mom is a French-trained pastry chef and her recipes inspired over 90 varieties of cupcakes in Yocake's rotating selection. The siblings opened up a shop in Rockville and one in the Montgomery Mall (since closed due to foodcourt renovations) before setting their sights on DC. </div>
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We had the great fortune to be invited to an opening party to see what Yocake is all about. The Quach siblings and their super friendly staff gave us slices of about a dozen different cupcakes to sample. I loved the banana caramel coconut, the raspberry lemonade, and the chocolate peanut butter, while B gave high marks to the almond pear and key lime pie. The cupcakes are reasonably sized and moderately priced at $2.75 each. They have a "buy 5 get 1 free" deal that's unlimited. So, for your next office party you can buy 50 and get 10 free. They also run a special where they'll give you a free cupcake if you check-in on your mobile device (limit 1 per customer and 50 per location per day).</div>
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If you're not in a cupcake mood, you can go straight for the frozen yogurt. They have a rotating flavor selection ranging from tart <a href="http://www.pinkberry.com/">Pinkberry</a>-style flavors to sweet flavors like cake batter. The toppings bar is top-notch with homemade (!) mochi in several flavors and unique toppers such as mango popping bubbles. They also have cookie-yogurt sandwiches called Yokies that looked pretty awesome.<br />
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If you want to go all in, try the namesake creation: the Yocake. You pick a cupcake flavor, they put it in a cup, then swirl your choice of frozen yogurt on top. They will also top it off with your choice of toppings from the toppings bar.<br />
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B and I split a banana caramel coconut cupcake topped with cake batter yogurt, coconut mochi, and blueberry popping bubbles. I really liked the yogurt and toppings but waited too long to dig down in the cup to get to the cupcake. By the time I reached the cupcake, it was cold and crumbly with frozen frosting. This was probably user error on my part, but I think I'd prefer having the cupcake served on the side. This is coming from the kid who ate all the ice cream out of the Baskin Robbins ice cream cake and never touched the cake, so take that for what you will.<br />
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Yocake sent us home with a dozen cupcakes so we could continue our sugar coma right into the work week. Who wants cupcakes?<br />
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While cupcakes and frozen yogurt may not tickle your fancy like they did a few years ago, Yocake's unique spin makes it worth checking out. I challenge you to find a nicer, more enthusiastic group of store owners. You can taste the effort and enthusiasm they put into each unique cupcake recipe. Mom should be very proud.<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts From B</b><br />
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I understand your skepticism. You must be thinking that if you butter us up with enough buttercream, we'll sing your praises throughout the blogosphere. And I'd be naive to say that my sugar coma didn't positively affect my impression of Yocake. So instead of waxing poetic with flowery non-descriptive adjectives, let me spell out a few of the concrete things I liked, and yes, didn't like, about Yocake.<br />
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What will make me come back:<br />
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<li>The family: there is something to be said about supporting a local family-run business. You won't meet a nicer group.</li>
<li>The prices: Outside of the generic options at Safeway, where else can you get cupcakes for under $3 these days?</li>
<li>The variety: When they said they have 90 flavors, I did a double take. I then assumed it was made up of ridiculous novelty flavors but as they rattled off example after example, I was intrigued more than skeptical.</li>
<li>The frosting: It was more than a hit or two of sugar. The flavors were distinct and interesting. Maple and almond were memorable and several of the fruit-based flavors were outstanding. </li>
<li>The location: Unlike a few <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2009/04/great-dc-cupcake-taste-test.html">other notable cupcakeries</a>, it is not in Georgetown.</li>
<li>The toppings: To me, the frozen yogurt experience has nothing to do with the yogurt. Unless you have an <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2009/06/mr-yogato.html">off the charts fun factor</a>, the toppings are what does it. Bonus points for homemade toppings. The mochi was soft and the bubbles perfectly tart.</li>
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What might send me to <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2010/08/baked-and-wired-beyond-cupcakes.html">Baked and Wired</a>:<br />
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<li>The cake: with the notable exception of the carrot cake and some of the fruit cakes (that have real fruit chunks!), the cake was simply a vehicle to get the frosting in my mouth. Some were on the firm and dry side but I did appreciate those that had filling.</li>
<li>The seating: unless you are lucky enough to get the only table, you'll be eating your sweets on the go.</li>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1677916/restaurant/DC/Yocake-Rockville"><img alt="Yocake on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1677916/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-26617716364153394192013-04-05T12:20:00.001-04:002013-04-05T12:20:55.725-04:00BolocoWe tried to make a return trip to <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2013/01/energy-kitchen.html">Energy Kitchen</a> to see if we liked it apart from the free preview night, but found that it is closed on the weekends. It is a huge pet peeve of mine when restaurants in Downtown DC are not open on weekends. I know that the area isn't as bustling as it is during the week, but there are people who live in Downtown that would like lunch options. That's why I'm glad <a href="http://boloco.com/">Boloco</a> (just around the corner from Energy Kitchen) was open on Saturday.<br />
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Boloco is a regional chain of "globally inspired burritos." They have a location in Bethesda and one in Downtown. We were really impressed with the look and feel of the place. From the reclaimed materials to the free wifi and plugs at each table, they make an effort to make you want to sit and make yourself comfortable. They even have chargers you can borrow to juice up your e-devices.<br />
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We were also big fans of the DC-inspired art. You can even buy it on their <a href="http://boloco.com/shop/">website</a>.<br />
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Another cool feature is the different menus for different categories of customers: regulars, first-timers, kids, and catering. The first-timers menu explains the concept. First, you pick a size (original, small, mini, or 2x mini bundle) and whether you want a burrito or a bowl. Then you choose a flavor combo (from buffalo to Bangkok thai). Finally, you choose a protein (from white meat chicken to tofu). You may also be tempted by their selection of shakes (mmmmmm nutella shake) and smoothies. Once you've figured it out, you place your order at the register and then they'll call your name when it's ready. If you've called in or ordered online, they've got an employee wearing a red hat that will help you out and allow you to avoid the line (cool huh?).<br />
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I tried a Memphis BBQ-style bowl: a blend of pinto beans, rice, sweet BBQ sauce, and coleslaw topped off grilled steak. The steak was over-done (no pink at all), but the rest of the bowl was a winner. I added some hot sauce to balance out the sweetness of the BBQ sauce and it made for a sweet and spicy bowl o' fun. It's unusual to find BBQ flavors in a burrito bowl, and I dug it.<br />
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B tried the teriyaki-style bowl with chicken. This is much more in line with a typical rice bowl but B was impressed with the bold flavors and healthy dose of veggies.<br />
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I'm not sure that Boloco is a go-out-of-your-way-because-it's-amazing place, but it is a very solid lunch choice if you're in Downtown. Particularly if you're there on a Saturday and everything else is closed!<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts from B</b><br />
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While those of us who live downtown might get a little miffed that certain eateries are dark outside of normal business hours, I get it. The <a href="http://www.goldentriangledc.com/">golden triangle</a> is bustling at noon on a Tuesday, but is a ghost town at that time on the weekends. It is one of those chicken/egg things that I won't attempt to solve here.<br />
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Like Energy Kitchen's hours, Boloco's cuisine and business model certainly centers around the working lunch. It is no surprise that it is designed to be eaten quickly, over a laptop, for multiple days in a row. The fact that the food had an impressive depth of flavor was a bonus. That it seemed geared to the health-conscious was a revelation.<br />
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Between the very non-American serving sizes, the calorie counts, and the emphasis on fresh and natural ingredients, I can see why Boloco might build a strong following among the desk bound. I felt like I was paying for quality rather than quantity, which is certainly rare in this type of place. I loved that you could order online for pickup and choose from a fairly diverse selection, all while leaving the guilt of another fried mystery meat sandwich or over-salted soup at the door. As someone who is at the mercy of a government cafeteria during his workdays, I have to admit that Boloco made me a bit jealous.<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1691823/restaurant/DC/Boloco-Bethesda"><img alt="Boloco on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1691823/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-16372540216964863322013-03-27T09:37:00.001-04:002013-03-27T09:37:32.073-04:00Osteria ElisirAs the song goes, "You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run." I don't know if Chef <a href="http://elisirrestaurant.com/enzofargione/">Enzo Fargione</a> is a <a href="http://kennyrogers.musiccitynetworks.com/">Kenny Rogers</a> fan, but he certainly pulled a Gambler-style move with his restaurant <a href="http://elisirrestaurant.com/">Elisir</a> on 11th Street in Downtown. Fargione (formerly of the shuttered <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2011/07/teatro-goldoni.html">Teatro Goldoni </a>on K Street) opened Elisir near the end of 2011 as an Italian fine dining concept with tasting menus and the average check around <a href="http://live.washingtonpost.com/ask-tom-2-27-13.html">$130</a>. Fargione came to realize that the expense account Italian restaurant concept wasn't going to work. He closed the restaurant for about 10 days and rebranded it as Osteria Elisir with a more country Italian feel. With the new decor come lower prices and more simple, home-style cooking.<br />
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Only a few weeks into the new concept and it seems to be a good move. Case in point, we live up the street from the restaurant and never bothered to try it under the old concept. And we eat out <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/p/food-for-two.html">A LOT</a>. Once the restaurant was revamped, however, we tried it on the second night.<br />
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Overall, we had a really good experience with Osteria Elisir. We loved the huge open kitchen and that Chef Fargione was working the line and checking each dish on a Saturday night.<br />
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While we enjoyed a wide variety of dishes, the one we managed to photograph was the Roman-style fried artichoke. As we wrote in our post on <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/12/dino.html">Dino</a>, B has been searching for "the one" artichoke to bring him back to our trip to Rome. This one was dressed up with a sophisticated (and potent!) creamy anchovy garlic sauce, but at its core was a taste of that great meal in Rome's Jewish Ghetto.<br />
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I have a few quibbles with Osteria Elisir that I think will get worked out as they find their identity:<br />
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<li>In their rush to redecorate a whole restaurant in a short span, I think they had some misses. The rope lighting, fake fruit, fake flowers, etc. looks a lot like they ran into a <a href="http://www.homegoods.com/">Home Goods</a> and bought everything in sight. Some of it works, some of it doesn't. Please ditch the rope lights!</li>
<li>The service was very helpful but the pacing was very European. During the 25 minute-plus waits between courses, we felt like we were right back in Italy. Or worse... Spain. </li>
<li>If you are going to charge $6 for an accompaniment for your bread basket, please make it a healthy serving. The ricotta we got to go with our bread was served in a comically tiny dish (however, it was tasty ricotta). </li>
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I don't think any of these things should keep you from checking out Osteria Elisir. We're glad Chef realized it was time to "fold 'em" and reinvent his concept. Smart thinking from a guy who certainly showed he knows how to cook.<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts From B</b><br />
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J wrote her half of this post last week and has been hounding me ever since to finish it. She has even co-opted some of our friends to crack the whip. Hopefully whatever dribble falls out of this brain of mine makes up for the wait...<br />
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A few months ago I helped organize a training course on "effective communication strategies" for several of our senior scientists. Among the things that the instructor emphasized was the concept of identifying a single message. Since most audience members won't remember more than one or two things from any presentation, paper, interview, etc., he reasoned that it was critical to control that sole take-away idea.<br />
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I think restaurants are not dissimilar. After a few days of separation, my thoughts on a place usually boil down to one or two distinct memories. Maybe it was a mind-blowing sauce or an absent-minded waiter. It could be a particularly loud group of diners or an inedible dessert. Sometimes it is more general like a comfortable dining room or a series of familiar flavors. Regardless, without J's super-human memory or this blog's archive, I'm not going to remember every single dish, interaction and emotion from every meal I've ever had.<br />
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I'll let you decide if my delay in writing this post was intentionally meant to better solidify my thinking about Osteria Elisir (it wasn't), but I will say that I do have a few distinct memories from our time there. First, as J said, it was clear that they were still working out the kinks but the potential was there. Second, every single thing on the menu looked like something I'd enjoy.<br />
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While I'm generally easy to please and have been known to let the server decide which direction I'll go, I usually can narrow things down to two or three of dishes I'm most interested in. Not so at Osteria Elisir and this was not a small menu either. It could be that the chef is particularly gifted at designing a menu and describing appetizing dishes but it seems more likely that this is a reflection on the offerings themselves. Either way, I'm curious and willing to investigate further. And doesn't that seems like a pretty good take-home message?<b><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1633909/restaurant/DC/Downtown/Osteria-Elisir-Washington"><img alt="Osteria Elisir on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1633909/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a></b>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-44841901646586773332013-03-06T12:48:00.000-05:002013-03-06T12:48:08.034-05:00DaikayaI have a serious ramen problem. I would probably eat it every day if I could. There's just something so comforting about a giant bowl of noodles in soul-warming broth. My absolute favorite bowl of ramen is the Hakata Classic (with extra noodles and endorphin sauce) at <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2011/06/toki-underground.html">Toki Underground</a>. But, for the days when I can't wait hours for a table, I'm glad there are other ramen places popping onto the scene. <br />
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<a href="http://daikaya.com/">Daikaya</a> on 6th Street NW (next to <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2011/06/graffiato.html">Graffiato</a>) had been rumored to be coming forever. They built the restaurant from the ground up. Seriously. It was a dirt lot a couple of years ago. After a long wait and approximately 86 bazillion articles and tweets about when it would open, Daikaya finally began serving ramen on Valentine's Day this year. <br />
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The 40 seat ramen bar on the ground floor is open but the 90 seat izakaya section will open upstairs later this month.<br />
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We went after 9:00 p.m. on a rainy weekday and scored one of the two booths with no wait. Aside from the booths, there are seats at the bar and a few communal tables with stools. I hear they are working on more coat/purse hooks (a key feature in my book).<br />
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The menu is limited, placing the focus squarely on the ramen. We ordered the only appetizer, gyoza, which were about the same as all the other gyoza in this town. If you've had one, you've had these. <br />
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There are four types of ramen to choose from: Shio (salt); Shoyu (soy sauce); Mugi-Miso (barley-miso); and Vegetable Shio (salt with vegan stock).<br />
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I ordered the Shoyu and liked the roast pork and soy-marinated egg a lot. I also thought the noodles had a nice snap to them. The balance was thrown off by too many bean sprouts that imparted a strong sprouty flavor and a heavy soy sauce component. I know it's a soy sauce ramen, but I stopped tasting the complexities of the beef/pork/chicken broth after a few slurps and felt like I was slurping soy sauce. I read somewhere that it takes a while to figure out the balance of the Shoyu broth and I think they need more time to figure it out.<br />
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B was the big winner with his Mugi-Miso ramen. The barley-miso broth was deliciously complicated and interesting. This is more like the Toki broth that I've come to love and I'll be ordering this bowl o' noodles the next time we eat at Daikaya.<br />
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Will there be a next time? Definitely. I think Daikaya has a lot of promise and I like its convenient location and lack of crazy long wait times. If you do encounter a wait for your table, you can grab a drink next door at Graffiato (psssst....they have prosecco on tap!). They are also now open at lunch time in case you get a noodle hankering while you're at work. <br />
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Have you been to Daikaya yet? What did you think?<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts From B</b><br />
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Depending on your position on noodle soup, I'm either lucky or cursed. Thankfully, I'm on board and enjoy our frequent sojourns to the ends of the earth (Cambodia, Wheaton, etc.) to find J's favorite comfort food.<br />
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While I do love a hot bowl of ramen or pho or <a href="http://www.campbellsoup.com/">Campbell's</a>, I'm clearly not the connoisseur that J is. As long as it is hot and salty and has some form of noodle-like substance, I'm a happy camper. This is not to say that I don't recognize the good from the great. Toki Underground and others certainly deserve the praise they receive. It is more to say that I don't need a chef's touch to be happy. Therefore, speed, availability, friendly staff, and cost are bigger factors for me.<br />
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In Daikaya, you have all of those things, plus J-approved ramen, within a short 15 minute walk of our place (and less than 5 minutes from <a href="http://www.wmata.com/rail/station_detail.cfm?station_id=21">Gallery Place-Chinatown's</a> metro stop). Sounds like a winner to me!<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1731982/restaurant/DC/Penn-Quarter/Daikaya-Washington"><img alt="Daikaya on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1731982/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-89147455240894218282013-03-04T19:55:00.002-05:002013-03-04T20:18:41.445-05:00H&PizzaH Street NE has so many great restaurants, it can be hard to choose. However, since most of the popular H Street places don't take reservations, it can be mighty tricky trying to pick a place for a group of friends to meet for a quick dinner prior to a show at the <a href="http://atlasarts.org/">Atlas Theater</a>.<br />
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The need for quick and easy led me to <a href="http://www.andpizza.com/">H&Pizza</a>, a new-ish kid on the block, that makes individual-sized pizzas fast. I hate to say it's the "<a href="http://www.chipotle.com/">Chipotle</a> of pizza" (the "Chipotle of ____" is as played out as "____ is the new black") but it's a similar concept.<br />
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You can tell the very friendly pizza topper what you want on your pizza and what kind of crust you want it on (traditional, whole wheat, or multigrain) or you can choose from one of their suggested combos. They've got everything to top your pizza from shrimp to strawberry balsamic finishing oil to vegan cheese.<br />
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All the topping options overwhelmed me so I ordered the pre-designed Farmer's Daughter (spicy tomato, housemade mozzarella, hot sausage, farm eggs, spinach, parmesan, red pepper chili oil). You can ask for them to make the farm egg topper runny or scrambled (the answer is runny, duh).<br />
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B went a little crazy and ordered a side salad, Moonstruck pizza, and a dessert pizza!<br />
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The Moonstruck was topped with "mushroom truffle" (is that a truffle truffle?), goat cheese, roasted mushrooms, fig marsala, red pepper chili oil, and crushed black pepper.<br />
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The dessert pizza, which we shared with friends, was nutella, sweet ricotta, strawberries, powdered sugar, and pecans. You really can't go wrong with this combo (though I'd vote for fresh strawberries or at least something less syrupy).<br />
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We left very impressed with H&Pizza. First, it's hard to beat the prices. $8.64 for a pizza packed with gourmet-ish toppings is a steal. It's only $6.82 for a simple pizza with dough, sauce, cheese. Second, it was good pizza. It wasn't the very best ultimate fantastic pizza in DC but it tasted high quality and the crust had a nice crispy/soft combo texture going on. Third, the people were really nice. We went on a Friday night and the place was packed full of people (including a huge group of <a href="http://www.gallaudet.edu/">Gallaudet</a> students having some sort of meet-up). The staff handled the crowd really well and our pizzas came out of the oven in minutes.<br />
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My only complaint is the space and set-up is a bit awkward. It would be nice if you could pay for your order while you are waiting for your pizza to come out of the oven. Having everyone crammed into the small space near the pizza oven didn't work well. There is also little counter space to put your tray o'pizza while you're trying to move from the pick up area to the cashier area. It all felt a little jumbled and confusing. Finally, the ventilation system could use some work. There was a thick haze of smoke in the air and my winter coat smelled strongly of smokey pizza fumes for days.<br />
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Logistical hiccups aside, I recommend H&Pizza for a quick and easy bite on H Street NE.<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts From B </b><br />
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In my defense, I arrived at H&Pizza after a long day at work which caused me to skip lunch. Despite my huge order, I would have made my 16 year old self proud by polishing off everything with ease (not to mention gusto!), plus a few slices of J's pizza. I don't say this because I'm proud of my most recent gluttonous exploits. Rather, I want the readers to know that my thoughts on H&Pizza were heavily influenced by a rumbling tummy.<br />
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Just like no one should call Chipotle fantastic Mexican food, I don't think you'll confuse H&Pizza with gourmet pizza. You probably wouldn't even put them in the same class as some of the District's more accomplished pie slingers like <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2009/11/2-amys.html">2Amys</a>, <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2010/09/redrocks-fire-brick-pizzeria.html">RedRocks</a>, or <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2010/07/we-pizza.html">We, the Pizza</a>. But in a country that loves the freedom to make choices, as well as immediate results for a cheap price, this place is a winner.<br />
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Since we so unpatriotically forfeited our right to create our own pizza and went with items on the menu, I can also say that H&Pizza is more than an oven at the end of a toppings buffet. I was impressed with the quality of ingredients and the contrasting flavors and textures that demonstrated more culinary expertise than your average college pizza joint. And the people were nice. Say what you want about my hunger bias, I am confident that the people were nice.
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1690334/restaurant/DC/Atlas-District/H-pizza-Washington"><img alt="H &pizza on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1690334/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-43193689353338656132013-02-10T22:39:00.000-05:002013-02-10T22:39:29.046-05:00TwoDC Turns Four!<br />
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Four years ago today, we started chronicling our adventures in DC. We had no idea that our little journal would turn into a blog with over 400 posts covering our lives in DC from A (<a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2009/04/acadiana.html">Acadiana</a>) to Z (<a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2010/11/zpizza.html">zpizza</a>). In fact, we've written about at least one restaurant from every letter of the alphabet except X. 2013 will be the year we complete the alphabet!<br />
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On 2/10/2009, DC was welcoming a brand new President to town. On 2/10/2013, DC has the same President but an entirely new crop of restaurants to dazzle him with. New restaurants are popping up so fast, we can't come close to keeping track. 4 years ago we never would have thought that H Street NE and the 14th Street Corridor would be the hot places in town to slurp a bowl of <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2011/06/toki-underground.html">noodles</a> or eat a <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/05/birch-barley.html">toffee bacon donut</a>. <br />
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We are thrilled you've joined us for every up and down over the past 1,460 days. Without readers like you, we'd just be writing to our parents. It kind of bewilders us that anybody except our parents is even out there. Hello not-our-parents-readers and hello to our parents too. Here's to more adventures in DC (culinary and otherwise)!<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts From B</b><br />
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4 years is a long time to do anything. Seems like we should be graduating with a degree by now. I guess that is one of the great things about this city that we call home. After 4 years of exploration, there is still so much for us to see and do. Glad to have everyone along for the ride!Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-36592578503929731432013-02-06T08:26:00.000-05:002013-02-06T17:43:14.726-05:00Hank's on the HillCatching up on some culinary adventures, we take you to <a href="http://www.hanksoysterbar.com/#locations">Hank's Oyster Bar</a> on Capitol Hill. You may be familiar with the Hank's near Logan/Dupont or the Old Town Alexandria location. Hank's on the Hill is the youngest sibling in owner Jamie Leeds' mini-chain. <br />
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The space is narrow and dominated by a large bar on one wall. DC's master mixologist Gina Chersevani (of <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/11/buffalo-and-bergen-at-union-market.html">Buffalo and Bergen</a> fame) has partnered with Hank's to create "Eddy Bar" featuring a wild menu of cocktail creations.<br />
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On this visit with a group of friends, we shared a plate of fried oysters for the table. If you can't get down with the slippy slidey-ness of raw oysters, these lightly-coated fried bivalves are for you.<br />
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Hank's has a chalkboard that lists where the raw oysters are from that day. Since we know approximately nothing about oysters, we let our waiter choose a selection. He explained which ones were brinier and which had a smoother finish. I dump cocktail sauce and horseradish on them and they taste pretty much the same to me. An oyster expert I am not.<br />
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I've never met a lobster roll I didn't like, so I couldn't resist ordering the Hank's version. I was pleased with the large lobster chunks and light touch of mayo. The onion rings were a big disappointment. They were bland and two of the four (yes, four onion rings) were made from the stringiest part of the onion, making them very hard to eat.<br />
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Since apparently B didn't have enough oysters for the appetizer course, he ordered the oyster po boy. Though it was oyster overload, I think he liked the sandwich version of the fried oyster appetizer.<br />
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One of the coolest things about the Dupont Hank's location, the half price raw bar from 10pm to midnight every night, does not appear to have made its way to the Capitol Hill location. This late night happy hour is what makes Hank's stand out in our minds, so I hope they'll consider adding it to the Hill location. <br />
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Even without the late night discount, Hank's makes a nice addition to Pennsylvania Avenue SE and I'm glad to see their recent <a href="http://dc.eater.com/archives/2013/01/17/fire-causes-minor-damage-to-hanks-on-the-hill.php">roof fire</a> didn't keep them closed.<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts from B</b><br />
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I've written the latter half of nearly 400 blog posts under the heading, "Second Thoughts." The title is simply an allusion to our <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/">TwoDC</a> theme that provides two perspectives on all the wonderful, and sometimes not so wonderful, things to do and eat in Washington. In this post, however, "second thoughts" takes on a more traditional meaning... regret.<br />
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Any loyal reader knows that I enjoy eating almost anything and that allows me the flexibility to order the "best" thing on the menu. Sometimes this is determined by the masses (i.e., Google), sometimes a waiter/waitress gets an assist, and sometimes the answer is written in giant letters over my head. In other words, when I go to Hank's Oyster Bar, I'm ordering oysters.<br />
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The problem with that strategy is that on this particular night, I got a bit carried away. I'm sure some of you love oysters enough to have them featured on three different plates. I'm not one of those people. By the time my po boy showed up, I was oystered out. Don't get me wrong, they were good. Really good. But I had enough of the rich, salty, sliminess and was wishing I ordered a salad.<br />
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So to the good people of Washington, learn from my mistake. Skip the third straight oyster dish, but don't skip a trip to Hank's.<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1692227/restaurant/DC/Capitol-Hill/Hanks-Oyster-Bar-Washington"><img alt="Hank's Oyster Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1692227/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-57354306229901811862013-01-28T17:27:00.001-05:002013-01-28T17:36:45.775-05:00Pasta MiaPasta Mia in Adams Morgan was one of those places that had been on our list for a long time but we kept putting it off because it seemed too difficult to deal with. It doesn't take reservations and is notorious for slow turnover leading to long lines of hungry people.<br />
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Pasta Mia is also one of those "rules" places. What do I mean? Check out the photo below:<br />
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While I totally respect an establishment's right to set out its own rules, it definitely is a bit of a turn off when there are so many restaurants in town that are just easier to deal with. However, my love of pasta is so strong that I'll gladly wait in a line, bring cash, and not ask for substitutions.<br />
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Our friends M and A live in the neighborhood and had been to Pasta Mia a couple of times. We relied on their expertise and had a great dining experience. First victory? Arriving around 8:30 p.m. during the winter. This was late enough that the first rush of people was on its way out. Also, I think cold temperatures may slightly deter people from going because they don't want to stand outside. <br />
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Second victory? Letting M and A order the appetizers. They warned us that the caesar salad and prosciutto and mozzarella were giant enough for 4 people and they were right. We could have split this 6 ways easily. Also, this caesar salad is $6.00. Talk about cheap eats!<br />
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Everything at Pasta Mia is giant. Go hungry or don't go at all. Seriously.<br />
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The scale of these photos is hard to decipher, but trust me when I tell you that these plates are ginormous. Even the biggest eater will be taking home a metric ton of leftovers. We stretched each pasta dish into several meals. If you're thinking of sharing, remember the $16 minimum per person on food.<br />
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Yes, the portions were giant and the prices reasonable ($17-ish for 3 days worth of pasta), but it was also pretty darn good. B's pappardelle with bolognese was the perfect hearty dish for winter. Yelpers decry the fact that Pasta Mia doesn't make its own pasta but whereever they get it from, it's got a nice snap to it. You just need to go in understanding that this is a red sauce Italian joint, not a temple of haute cuisine. The prices are also about half what you'd pay at a place that makes its own pasta (see, e.g., Filomena).<br />
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My penne amatrice with spicy tomato sauce and pancetta was kick-you-in-your-teeth spicy and just the way I like it. It made for very excellent leftovers the next couple of days. I don't really like parmesan cheese dumped all over my pasta, but I was afraid to ask them to leave it off. This just seems like a place that it's better to keep your mouth shut and eat.<br />
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Is the chef at Pasta Mia going to win a James Beard award? Absolutely not. Is it a pain in the pitoot that they don't have a website, don't take reservations, and are cash only? Absolutely. But, if you want pasta portions bigger than your head in a no-frills atmosphere with cheap house wine, this is your place.<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts from B</b><br />
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Most of us were dirt poor when we were in college. (I used to think ALL of us were once poor college students but the <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/foggybottom">Whole Foods</a> next to <a href="http://www.gwu.edu/">GW</a> put an end to that illusion). Accordingly, most of us took great pride in finding ways to keep our bellies full while still saving a buck. Tell me if any of my favorite tricks sound vaguely familiar...<br />
<ul>
<li>The stand we all called "Buck Fitty" charged, you guessed it, $1.50 for a large sub sandwich</li>
<li>Creative use of carrots can double or triple the capacity of your Mongolian BBQ bowl and as long as it all fits, it costs the same</li>
<li>Restaurant supply warehouses are often cheaper than <a href="http://www.costco.com/">Costco</a>... as long as you are ok buying rice by the ton</li>
<li>Stand around the right concession stand after an event and the leftover popcorn and pretzels are often given away for free</li>
</ul>
These were things you learned and passed down to the underclassmen. But, only to the kids you liked because these were hard fought victories. The secret place to park for free, the vendor who would slip you an extra-large helping of mystery meat, the somewhat odd but undeniably charming pasta joint with enormous portions.<br />
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Yeah, Pasta Mia is that kind of place that I would have adored as a poor college student and shared with only my favorite people. You feel just a little cooler to know about it. Not because it is the best in town, but because it is such a deal. So for all of you who remember fondly those days when you signed up for a credit card to get a clean tshirt (and avoid another day of laundry), Pasta Mia is your place.<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/104742/restaurant/DC/Adams-Morgan/Pasta-Mia-Washington"><img alt="Pasta Mia on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/104742/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-20272613552714735012013-01-17T20:29:00.000-05:002013-01-17T20:49:34.323-05:00Energy Kitchen<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Are you tired of your burgers and fries being served with a whopping side of calorie-laden guilt? We are too. That's why we jumped at the chance to go to a menu tasting at the brand new DC location of <a href="http://energykitchen.com/">Energy Kitchen</a>. Energy Kitchen (a chain with locations in NY, NJ and FL) explains its business model like this:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"We take the guesswork out of eating healthy by offering a completely guilt-free, fail-proof menu. There are no hidden temptations, no hidden calories and, best of all, no regrets. Everything on our menu is grilled, baked or steamed, never fried, and always under 500 calories."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Calorie counts for each item are listed on the menu board. Unlike at most fast food places, you don't have to cover your eyes or pretend you don't see the calorie count listed next to that burger you're craving. While other places offer low-cal items, I've never been to a place that <i>only</i> offers low-cal items.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Energy Kitchen is a fast food joint and its simple, no-frills interior reflects that. They only offer diet sodas in the soda machine to keep you from blowing your caloric wad on 1,000 calories of soda. I hope they follow through on their stated goal of offering more natural soda options for those of us who don't like chemical Cokes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking of chemicals, we got a chance to chat with Founder and President Anthony Leone and asked him whether the lower calorie dishes we were enjoying were "real food" or more akin to a frankenfood-like <a href="http://www.leancuisine.com/">Lean Cuisine</a>. Leone told us about the grass-fed beef, whole wheat buns, and lack of artificial flavors in the smoothies. All of this is great news, but if the food tastes like straw, nobody will want to eat it. We're happy to report that the food was delicious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The tasting offered us a chance to try small portions of a variety of menu items. Don't worry, the portions shown aren't the portion sizes you have to eat at Energy Kitchen to keep the calorie count down! We liked each of the "super sides" we tried (corn and edamame salad, black bean and mango salad, and Asian broccoli slaw). While really good, I wasn't super excited by these items because it's not a huge stretch to make a low-cal vegetable salad. I really wanted to see if they could make the typical calorie gigantors (burgers and fries) taste good for under 500 calories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the burger category, we sampled the BBQ Turkey burger (turkey burger topped with turkey bacon, fat-free cheddar cheese and chipotle BBQ sauce). It packed a ton of flavor into 468 calories. The Classic Sirloin Burger made 90% lean sirloin taste decadent. They use their signature E.K. Special Sauce (sort of like Thousand Island with a kick) to jazz things up. Perhaps most surprising was that we liked the veggie burger the best. The patty is an Energy Kitchen-made blend of rolled oats, broccoli, carrots, celery, corn, edamame, peppers, onions and green peas. It sounds a little weird, but we found it to be the most flavorful of the burger bunch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The things that had me doing a happy dance were the fries. I freaking love french fries. I've tried making them at home in healthier ways and I always miss the real thing. I was shocked by how much Energy Kitchen's baked fries tasted like the real fried deal. The sea salt fries (pictured below) are only $1.99 and 198 calories per serving. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I order sweet potato fries almost everywhere I go. I've had so many sweet potato fries, it's a wonder I'm not orange and 450 lbs. I actually liked the Energy Kitchen baked version better than the full calorie fried version I had at the new <a href="http://maddystaproom.com/">Maddy's Tap Room</a> the night before. Energy Kitchen is testing out sweet potato fries in the DC market and I give them my full endorsement to keep them around.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the drinking department, we sampled the Protein Punch smoothie (strawberries, bananas, mangos, fruit punch, strawberry protein and non-fat vanilla yogurt), the Vaccinator (bananas, strawberries, orange juice, vitamin C and non-fat vanilla yogurt), and the Peanut Better (all natural peanut butter, bananas, water, chocolate protein, and non-fat chocolate yogurt). All were thick and had a nice smooth texture (no chalky taste). B was a big fan of the two fruit flavors while I was giddy over the Peanut Better. Peanut butter and chocolate is my favorite flavor combo and I was psyched to get it for 252 calories (16 ounces).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We were a little skeptical of Energy Kitchen's model before we tasted the food. Once we learned that the food is delicious and stands up to the marketing (Fast Food, Not Fat Food), we were converted. We are thrilled to welcome a low calorie fast food option to the neighborhood (it's at 19th and L, by the way).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Second Thoughts From B</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Call me the skeptical one. I was convinced that the servings would be too small, the flavors too weak, or the calorie savings would come from a chemistry trick. I am happy to say that I was wrong on all accounts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But before we get too crazy, let's make one thing clear. If you are looking for the best burger, fries, and shakes in town and don't mind the indulgence, then Energy Kitchen probably isn't the place for you. However, if you love a good burger joint but can only rationalize a visit for a special occasion, this might be a game changer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's start with the shakes and smoothies. I don't have a big sweet tooth so going healthy wasn't too hard for me. Do I love a great shake? Yeah. Do I dread the dairy bomb they often leave in my stomach? Yeah. So all things considered, that's a win for Energy Kitchen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What I lack in a sweet tooth, I make up for in my salt craving and fries are a excellent expediters of crispy, salty heaven getting into my mouth. The baking not only removed some of the guilt, it also allowed me to taste the potato (a novel concept). Another win for EK.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As for the burgers, they tasted healthy. You could tell that many of the components lacked some of the fat that make us crave them. But, they were far from flavorless and certainly better than some full calorie duds I've had in the past. The best thing is that I'll remember the burger far longer than my waistline will. If having a healthy burger means more fries and shakes, sign me up. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1725074/restaurant/DC/Golden-Triangle/Energy-Kitchen-Washington"><img alt="Energy Kitchen on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1725074/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a></span>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-38914204824936325002013-01-15T16:53:00.001-05:002013-04-08T12:21:31.482-04:00HogoIt's not enough these days to open a regular old restaurant in a regular old permanent space. You've got to have a secret password or a secret menu or a pop-up tribute to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/?ref_=fn_al_tt_5">Willy Wonka's three course meal chewing gum</a> to really make a splash. <br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hogodc">Hogo</a> (a new rum-focused bar from the <a href="http://passengerdc.com/">Passenger's</a> Tom and Derek Brown) has thrown its hat into the ring by offering Temporary Works - a diner-like restaurant hidden at the back of the bar. To get there, walk through Hogo's main (dark and moody) bar space to the brightly-lit back room where you can grab one of the seats at the counter.<br />
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Temporary Works will feature a rotating selection of chefs and cuisine. Through the end of January, you can take a culinary trip to Hawaii courtesy of chef Javier Duran's dishes. Citing a lack of Hawaiian food in the District, Duran devised a short menu of Hawaiian classics including <a href="http://www.spam.com/">SPAM</a> musubi and mixed plate.<br />
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After ordering a couple of very stiff glasses of rum punch, B and I ordered dinner. I chose the mixed plate with a burger topped with a fried egg and gravy. Unable to decide between the beef and pork gravies, they gave me a little of both. The burger/egg/gravy combo seems like it was drawn up by someone suffering a major hangover, but it was delicious for the clear-headed as well. The steamed rice and macaroni salad (typical mixed plate sides) were also as good as we remember from our Hawaiian-food loving days in L.A.<br />
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B made short work of the kahlua pork short ribs with cabbage and gave the macaroni two thumbs up (surprising for a guy who normally steers clear of mayo-based salads).<br />
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If you want to get your Hawaiian fix, get to Hogo before the end of the month. Starting February 1, the menu changes to Jewish soul food. While we're not quite cool enough to be on the cutting edge of the hipster trends, we are happy to reap the benefits of having this rotating restaurant in our neighborhood. <br />
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<b>Second Thoughts From B</b><br />
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I'm guessing that more than a few of you are reading this right now
and thinking, "what is Hawaiian food?" Even with a Hawaiian foodie
President, the island's cuisine is known mostly as a stereotype or joke
(I'm looking at you SPAM). In other words, Chef Duran was spot on when
he identified it as an under-appreciated cuisine. Perhaps there is a
reason that every TV cooking competition these days includes a
Hawaiian.<br />
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Growing up 3,000 miles closer to Hawaii, I'm guessing that my
experiences with Hawaiian food is slightly more extensive than the
average Washingtonian, but it is still embarrassingly minimal. J and I
enjoyed the bounty of <a href="http://www.onohawaiianbbq.com/index.php">Ono Hawaiian BBQ</a>
as poor students in LA, but that was more for the enormous portions
than anything else. It is also like saying we know Mexican food by
going to <a href="http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/Default.aspx?type=default">Chipotle</a>.<br />
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As
people who like to explore the culinary scene in DC and abroad, it is
rare that we get to explore flavors that are completely different.
Usually it is a modern spin on something or the fusing of two disparate
cuisines or traditional fare done with fancy techniques and local
ingredients. Sure, Hawaiian food is strongly influenced by Japanese and
European staples, but it is also unique. And that is rare in these
parts, so check it out while it lasts. <b></b><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1726854/restaurant/DC/U-Street-Shaw/Hogo-Washington"><img alt="Hogo on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1726854/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-71430885771432717982013-01-08T18:14:00.000-05:002013-01-08T18:14:47.029-05:00Pearl Dive Oyster PalaceHappy New Year! On New Year's Day, we decided to take advantage of the slower holiday crowds and go to a restaurant that is normally packed to the gills. We walked into <a href="http://www.pearldivedc.com/">Pearl Dive Oyster Palace</a> for an early dinner and were seated right away.<br />
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Pearl Dive is the newest of the Black Restaurant Group places and the first in Downtown (it's on 14th Street Restaurant Row in the Logan Circle neighborhood). We've written about B's love for <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2010/09/blacks-bar-and-kitchen.html">Black's</a> and our meal at <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/04/blacksalt.html">BlackSalt</a>. Pearl Dive has a more casual feel than Black's with about the same noise level and bustling bar scene as the boisterous BlackSalt. </div>
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Since Pearl Dive has "oyster" in the name, we had to start with an oyster dish. The waiter recommended the Tchoupitoulas hot oysters: a sinfully rich blend of oyster confit, blue crab, Tasso ham and roasted corn. If you don't like oysters, try this dish. It's a great foray into the oyster world and doesn't taste slimy in the least. I also like the name Tchoupitoulas. A few years ago, I went to New Orleans about a dozen times for work. The local guys I worked with (all Louisiana railroad men) taught me how to pronounce the name of Tchoupitoulas Street so I wouldn't sound like such a tourist (it's sort of like chop-it-too-luhs). They also swore that the locals call it "T-Chop" for short.</div>
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Pearl Dive gets a round of applause for their fantastic bread basket. I loathe when restaurants put out crappy bread baskets, so I want to make sure I point out the awesomeness of their Addie's Rolls and cornbread muffins (first basket is free and they'll charge for the second, third, fourth...)<br />
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I took another waiter recommendation for my entree and ordered the "Que Sueno de los Gatos" which translates loosely to "what cats dream of." I'm not a cat person so I don't claim to know what they dream about, but I know I've been dreaming of this dish since I had it. This seafood stew with shrimp, redfish, squid, mussels and saffron milk was simply outstanding. To be honest, I usually order seafood stews and mussel dishes so that I can sop up the sauce with the bread. The seafood portion, for me, is the afterthought. This dish showed me that the seafood can be the star. Each piece was perfectly cooked and delicious. That doesn't mean I didn't use every last bit of that bread to sop up the saffron milk broth. We may have even asked for extra bread....<br />
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The waiter told B that this wood grilled Gulf Coast redfish with sage-native pecan butter and stone grits is the most popular dish on the menu. After one bite, we could see why. Jeff Black and his team know how to grill a fish like nobody's business. The pecan butter added a rich and silky finish that knocked it out of the park.<br />
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I pretended to look at the dessert menu but B knew that when I heard "peanut butter and chocolate" we were going to be having the Peanut Butter Black Bottom Pie. Dark chocolate ganache, pretzels, peanuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter mousse, caramel glaze. Did someone invade my dreams and create my perfect pie?<br />
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Pearl Dive set such a high bar for meals in 2013, I'm a little worried we're in for a let-down from here on out. Good thing it's a short trip over to 14th Street when I need my seafood fix.<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts From B</b><br />
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Before I sat down to write this post I went back and read what I wrote about Pearl Dive's sister restaurants. I now have the problem of having nothing new to say.<br />
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I'll be the first to admit that my vocabulary (even when counting the words I make up) is not particularly impressive. And having to describe the consistent excellence of Jeff Black's dishes is becoming more than a little challenging. How many times can I say that his seafood creations are perfectly cooked, mouth-wateringly seasoned, delicate yet bold, balanced and thoughtful?<br />
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Ordering a dud for once might actually be refreshing. What can't this guy do? Next you're going to tell me that he's ruggedly handsome, married to a supermodel, is a scratch golfer and is solving the country's debt problem in his spare time. Is it possible to have a crush on a chef? I think I need an intervention.<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1620712/restaurant/DC/Logan-Circle/Pearl-Dive-Oyster-Palace-Washington"><img alt="Pearl Dive Oyster Palace on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1620712/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-17876546415111889802012-12-27T09:51:00.000-05:002012-12-27T09:51:00.281-05:00Dino<br />
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Last year about this time, we were <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/01/italian-perspective.html">eating our way through Italy</a>. Ever since that trip, we've been searching for great Italian food in DC. <a href="http://www.dino-dc.com/index.html">Dino</a> in Cleveland Park was recommended to us as a way to fill the Italian culinary void. When two of our buddies were visiting and staying at the nearby <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasdt-washington-marriott-wardman-park/">Marriott Wardman Park</a>, we whisked them out of the Woodley Park Culinary Wasteland (that's WPCW . . . it's going to catch on like NoMa, just watch) and up the street to Dino.<br />
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The dish we came to Dino for was B's favorite dish in all of Italy: deep fried Roman-Jewish style artichokes. We haven't found them on any other menu in DC and salivated at the thought of recreating such a great Roman memory. Dino's version was close-ish, but not quite there. These artichokes were baby-sized and had a different texture than the mammoth artichokes in Rome's Jewish quarter. Still fun to try, but didn't hit the mark.<br />
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We have a hard time turning down burrata (mozzarella and cream) when we see it on any menu. Dino's version was a little zippier than most thanks to the red pepper puree and tapenade served with it.<br />
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B's lasagna was the soul-warming homemade variety that is perfect on these cold winter nights. It had a very powerful bacon flavor, which may be perfect for you if you're one of those "everything is better with bacon" folks. If you're not, or if you have food allergies or gluten restrictions, Dino has a lot of helpful notes on the menu denoting special dishes.<br />
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The pappardelle with ground wild boar was more exciting on the menu than it was to eat. The boar imparted a nearly overpowering sweetness that needed to be balanced out by something saltier or spicier.<br />
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We liked dessert more than the rest of our meal. The chocolate torta with a buttery spiced walnut crust was ridiculously good and I couldn't keep my fork away from it.<br />
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B loved the apple pancake with spiced Tuscan batter and house-made vanilla bean gelato.<br />
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Dino did not transport us back to Rome, but it was a pleasant night on the town with great friends capped off with two of the more memorable desserts we've had in a while. <br />
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<b>Second Thoughts From B</b><br />
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Of all the wonderful things we ate in Italy, fried artichoke is what I miss. Was it the best thing? Maybe. Was it something that I've yet to find in the States? Absolutely.<br />
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You can find great pasta, great pizza, great cheese, great wine, great most anything Italian around here. We are certainly not wanting for many things. Yet somehow, great fried artichoke remains elusive.<br />
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This is the second place that Google has identified (Bethesda's <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/09/food-wine-co.html">Food Wine & Co</a> was the first) and the second one that only reminds me how good the artichoke was in Rome.<br />
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But enough nostalgia and unfair comparisons, and back to Dino. I feel that there was a lot more excitement reading the menu than eating the food. It wasn't bad, in fact, it was quite good. Rather, the ideas on the page were excellent and raised expectations to unreasonably high levels. Kind of like our trip to Italy...<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/101806/restaurant/DC/Cleveland-Park/Dino-Washington"><img alt="Dino on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/101806/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-64223086750331582192012-12-20T14:07:00.000-05:002012-12-20T14:07:00.151-05:00Shenandoah National Park<br />
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While we're spending some vacation time hiking the <a href="http://www.incatrailperu.com/">Inca Trail</a> on the way to <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/274">Machu Picchu</a>, we leave you with some thoughts on a more local hiking destination: <a href="http://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm">Shenandoah National Park</a>.<br />
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As much as we loved our <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/10/old-rag-mountain.html">Old Rag Mountain</a> hike, we understand that it isn't for everyone. After all, we paid a price for those spectacular views: 10 miles and 2000 feet of elevation gain, scrambling up rocks and through narrow crevices, and a brutal 0400 wake up call (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093105/">what does the 0 stand for? Oh my God it's early!</a>).<br />
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Fortunately, there are plenty of other options in the region's National Park. Yes, I know that there are technically lots of National Parks in the DC area, but when I think of that title, this West Coaster thinks of <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm">Yosemite</a>, <a href="http://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm">Sequoia</a>, <a href="http://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm">Death Valley</a>, <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm">Grand Canyon</a>, <a href="http://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm">Arches</a>, <a href="http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm">Zion</a>, etc. By that measure, Shenandoah is "the" National Park in the area. Fortunately, it is a good one.<br />
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Most visitors enjoy Shenandoah not more than 100 feet from <a href="http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/driving-skyline-drive.htm">Skyline Drive</a>. That's a good starting point but there is so much more. After all, why restrict your excursion into nature by staying behind glass and on pavement? Recently, we were joined by our hiking buddy Commie (his name is Comstock; he's not a Communist) for a 3 day stroll through the backcountry. We chose a roughly 20 mile loop that started at Bootens Gap and included time in and around Jones Mountain, the Staunton River, and <a href="http://www.nps.gov/shen/historyculture/rapidancamp.htm">President Hoover's Rapidan Camp</a>.<br />
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There are two things that make hiking in Shenadoah particularly nice. There is plenty of access to water (i.e., less you have to carry) and all the trails are extremely well marked.<br />
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This particular hike was especially scenic and for a three-day weekend with pleasant (though at times rainy) weather, surprisingly empty. The one area where we did see a few more people was at Rapidan Camp. <br />
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I may have been in the minority but I loved having a splash of history and culture along mile 14 of our journey. If nothing else, it was nice to get a chance to take the packs off, sit on a bench and get out of the elements for a while. But if you're a bit of a nerd like me, you will be fascinated by this pre-Camp David presidential retreat that hosted President Hoover on nearly every weekend during the early years of the Depression. The mental image of the President, Vice President, and Cabinet standing knee deep in the river with fishing poles and discussing the national crisis is... well... interesting. It should also be noted that the cabin has hosted many other Presidents, Congressmen, Supreme Court Justices, and other dignitaries through the years.<br />
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But, back to nature. As mentioned earlier, much of our hike passed by beautiful streams and ponds, including the one above that made for a refreshing dip. And if you're not walking near water, you're most likely on a ridge that has breathtaking views. On our second night, we were lucky enough to snag a camping spot along one of these ridges (and on the famous <a href="http://www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm">Appalachian Trail (AT)</a>).<br />
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Not a bad way to spend a weekend when you have such beauty to greet you in the morning.<br />
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<b>J Says</b><br />
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I don't know if B brainwashed me or what, but I really love spending a weekend away from civilization in the form of a backpacking trip. After just two days, you feel as refreshed as if you've been gone for a week. There's just nothing like being away from everything, including my beloved iPhone. <br />
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As B said, Shenandoah has everything you'd want in a National Park and us Washingtonians are lucky enough to have it within easy driving distance. If you're not ready to venture out on the trail overnight, there are lots of day hikes that you can cap off with an actual meal in a restaurant along Skyline Drive. I suggest calling a ranger and getting suggestions for a hike or talking to someone in the book section of your local REI. We've found all of our best hikes this way and they'll teach you how to beat the crowds. <br />
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I hope your holiday season is filled with plenty of time with friends and family and just maybe (if the weather permits) a walk in the woods!Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16502451804375094405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-51913515488580383972012-12-15T09:50:00.001-05:002013-01-08T18:11:56.233-05:00New FortuneOn our way back to DC after a great hike at <a href="http://www.sugarloafmd.com/">Sugarloaf Mountain</a> in Maryland, we stopped at <a href="http://www.newfortunedimsum.com/">New Fortune</a> in Gaithersburg for dim sum. New Fortune is the kind of dim sum place we're used to: huge with a traffic jam of carts in the aisles. They serve dim sum on the push carts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week. This is really handy if you're in need of dim sum on a Wednesday (most places only serve it on the weekends).<br />
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The staff members at New Fortune were super friendly. Before we had even taken our seats, a waitress noticed me eyeing the ham sui gok (football dumplings) on the cart and rushed over to bring them to us. Within seconds, we had a table crowded with our usual dim sum favorites. <br />
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I surprised B by ordering off of the cart o' random vegetables (I usually stick to the starches at dim sum) and it was the best thing we ordered. Their Chinese broccoli (gai lan) was outstanding. We were happy with the other dishes too, though some were a little off on the dough to meat ratio (heavy on the dough side). <br />
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I'd probably rank it behind Mark's Duck House in quality but just in front of Hollywood East because the dim sum palace atmosphere is worth extra points. We didn't wait for a table at 11:30 a.m. but I've heard you may be in for a wait if you go after church lets out on Sundays. We were in and out in about 25 minutes and on the road back to DC with a brick of tasty dim sum in our bellies.<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts From B</b><br />
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In my mind, New Fortune was the mirror image of the stereotypical dim sum place. The ladies working the carts were disorientingly friendly. The water and tea service was outstanding. The gai lan cooked perfectly. These are all areas that other restaurants struggle with yet the basic dumplings which form the backbone of any dim sum experience were a little off.<br />
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Since we're on vacation and I'm a normally glass half full guy anyway, I'll focus on what New Fortune did exceptionally well and as J said, that's the gai lan. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that never in the history of the world has someone gone to a restaurant because of excellent gai lan. It is a side dish at best. Something that adds a little color to the table and an opportunity for our mothers to tell us to each our vegetables (or roughage as my mom likes to say).<br />
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I've eaten more than my share of gai lan through the years, but I'm particularly scarred by my experiences in China. Traveling from city to city with my extended family, we had dim sum every morning. At 7am. Often in a stuffy hotel ballroom that was struggling with the ambient heat and humidity of a Chinese summer. Nothing like waking up way too early, wandering into a sauna, and having a giant plate of hot vegetables placed in front of you while your grandmother takes mental notes on who is eating what. Not that I'm complaining, but it turned my insides green. I'm the wrong kind of doctor, but that doesn't seem right.<br />
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For the last 15 years, I haven't seen gai lan the same way. I still like it but I've never been particularly excited about it. Its either too hard or too stringy or too bitter or too heavily coated in sauce. Much to my surprise and their credit, New Fortune made me do a double take. My chopsticks kept finding their way back to the pile of greens instead of the dumplings. Quite a feat.</div>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/104384/restaurant/DC/New-Fortune-Gaithersburg"><img alt="New Fortune on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/104384/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>
Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-67407027272408699372012-12-11T08:43:00.002-05:002012-12-11T08:43:42.670-05:00National Christmas Tree LightingLast week, we had the pleasure of attending the 90th lighting of the <a href="http://www.thenationaltree.org/">National Christmas Tree</a> at President's Park next to the White House (not to be confused with the <a href="http://capitolchristmastree2012.org/">Capitol Christmas Tree</a> in front of the Capitol Building).<br />
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It
was very exciting to see President Obama and family light the tree.
After the former tree was felled by a storm and the 2011 tree died of
transplant shock, it was nice seeing a healthy-looking and not scraggly
2012 tree. Let's hope this one lasts for generations to come!<br />
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Musical performances by acts such as <a href="http://colbiecaillat.com/">Colbie Caillat</a> and <a href="http://jasonmraz.com/">Jason Mraz</a> got everyone in the holiday spirit.<br />
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<a href="http://www.jamestaylor.com/">James Taylor's</a>
rendition of Winter Wonderland gave us happy chills (to go with our
"we've been standing in the cold for hours" chills). Is there a more
soothing voice on the planet?<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000439/">Neil Patrick Harris</a> (a.k.a. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460649/">Barney wait-for-it Stinson</a>) did a fabulous job as host, keeping the show moving and interjecting his own special blend of humor.<br />
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We
highly recommend braving the cold next year to attend the tree
lighting. If you're interested, here are our top tips for maximum
enjoyment:<br />
<ul>
<li>Enter the online free ticket lottery in late October (have all of your friends do it to increase your chances).</li>
<li>If you get Standing Room Only tickets like we did, don't be deterred
because you can still see the stage if you go early enough. They also
have giant screens to help you see the action up close.</li>
<li>Send at least one member of your party to get there right when the
gates open. I arrived at 2:30 p.m. for the 3:00 p.m. gate opening and
was at the very front of the Standing Room Only section. B arrived at
4:00 p.m. and had to wait in a ginormous line, but was able to wriggle
his way up to me.</li>
<li>Dress very, very warmly because you'll be standing in one spot for hours.</li>
<li>Before the show (between 4:30 and 5:00 pm), if the seats aren't all
filled, they will allow Standing Room Only people to fill the seats.
Look for this and be ready to move. We were happy with our standing
spot, but lots of standers were able to snag seats.</li>
<li>Don't leave once the President lights the tree! He does this at the
beginning of the show but then comes back later to speak. So many
people left right after the Obamas lit the tree and they missed all the
fun stuff.</li>
<li>Again, dress very, very warmly so you don't have to leave before the show is over!</li>
</ul>
<div>
Happy Holidays to you!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Second Thoughts From B</b><br />
<br />
Whether
you like the President or not, you can't deny that he can draw
ridiculously high-powered talent to play shows in DC. Better yet, many
of these opportunities are free. Let's look at that last photo for a
second. In addition to the aforementioned James Taylor, Colbie Caillat,
Jason Mraz, and Neil Patrick Harris, the first family is joined on
stage by <a href="http://www.thefray.com/us/home">The Fray</a>, <a href="http://www.ledisi.com/">Ledisi</a>, <a href="http://www.americanidol.com/">American Idol</a> winner <a href="http://www.phillipphillips.com/">Phillip Phillips</a>, <a href="http://www.islanddefjam.com/artist/home.aspx?artistID=7383">Babyface</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442437/">Modern Family's</a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2349726/">Rico Rodriguez</a>. Heck, even Santa Claus himself joined in! <br />
<br />
It
may be dismissed as a touristy and crowded mess in the cold, but not
only are we happy we got to go, we'd love to do it again.</div>
Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-11915381902751618192012-12-05T09:44:00.000-05:002012-12-05T09:44:30.558-05:00TaKorean at Union MarketPart 3 of our series "What To Eat At Union Market" (here's Part <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/11/dc-empanadas-at-union-market.html">1</a> and <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/11/buffalo-and-bergen-at-union-market.html">2</a>) takes us to <a href="http://takorean.com/">TaKorean</a>. Like <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/11/dc-empanadas-at-union-market.html">DC Empanadas</a>, TaKorean is a DC food truck that has taken up permanent residence at the market. Capitalizing on the Korean taco craze made famous by LA's <a href="http://kogibbq.com/">Kogi Truck</a>, TaKorean serves a variety of tacos with a Korean twist.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvvwDkplxKAjAJdj09ikQCUQkVQ3U2vfFx5VHrV90spVPkvM0olJ4KD6_e0qgr_iSKkbCY3_lCexs8s7FxMSh5DIiI2vyu_1TUvuZ05EQ5pAFwJJbkD4WwrNjsRxgyhD-S9SoU26QN_ex/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvvwDkplxKAjAJdj09ikQCUQkVQ3U2vfFx5VHrV90spVPkvM0olJ4KD6_e0qgr_iSKkbCY3_lCexs8s7FxMSh5DIiI2vyu_1TUvuZ05EQ5pAFwJJbkD4WwrNjsRxgyhD-S9SoU26QN_ex/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
On this visit to Union Market, I ordered the bulgogi (beef) tacos topped with kimchi slaw, lime crema, sriracha and sesame seeds (hold the cilantro, please). There is a lot going on in these tacos but it all works together surprisingly well. If you're spice averse, you can order a milder slaw and leave off the sriracha.<br />
<br />
TaKorean offers beef, chicken and carmelized tofu taco fillings and I can enthusiastically recommend the beef. I tried the tofu from the truck once and found it to have a strange, almost anise-like flavor. It wasn't my jam, but I do like that they have tofu as an option. Since you can mix and match tacos, I'll likely give the tofu another go on our next visit to Union Market. If I still don't love it, I know I'll have those awesome bulgogi tacos to comfort me.<br />
<br />
<b>Second Thoughts From B</b><br />
<br />
As we learned in kindergarten, sharing is caring, and I'm happy to report that J cares about me. That means I got two bites from her three TaKorean tacos.<br />
<br />
You could take that one of two ways. It is either "only two bites?" or "two whole bites!" Having that I'm in the latter camp and thoroughly pleased that I was able to taste the wonders of Mexican-Korean Food Truck Fusion, you know those things were good. <br />
<br />
Another way you could tell TaKorean knows what they are doing? Soon after I took my second bite, they pulled a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114814/">Keyser Soze</a> and were gone.<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1648813/restaurant/DC/Downtown/TaKorean-Food-Truck-Washington"><img alt="TaKorean (Food Truck) on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1648813/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-26674454928487688512012-12-03T18:02:00.001-05:002012-12-03T18:02:38.861-05:00Rabieng Thai RestaurantEarlier this year we wrote about <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/01/duangrats.html">Duangrat's</a> Thai Restaurant in Bailey's Crossroads, VA and mentioned that Duangrat's has a sister restaurant around the corner named <a href="http://www.rabieng.com/">Rabieng</a>. Rabieng is the more casual little sister of Duangrat's serving "Thai country comfort cooking."<br />
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The restaurant is small and cozy. On our visit a few months ago they were playing Christmas music. Never too early to get into the spirit I guess?<br />
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We ordered a couple of appetizers to get the Thai party started. I ordered "Tidbit" because I liked the name. Luckily, the dish (crispy rice cakes with peanut coconut sauce) was as fun as the name. The rice cakes provided a crackly bed for piling on the deliciously tangy peanut coconut sauce.<br />
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Even more fun was a special "street snack" item that consisted of rice noodles tossed in a sticky sweet tamarind sauce. They described it as something close to rice krispy treats. While I don't think it resembled the rice krispy treats of my youth, I really enjoyed this salty-sweet combo.<br />
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The waiter recommended one of the specials for B: a crispy-coated fish tossed in a sauce that was delicious and easier to remember several months ago but has since slipped from B's memory.<br />
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I ordered the special pad thai topped with softshell crab. I was expecting the standard, safe pad thai dish but was really impressed with Rabieng's version. The flavors were really bold and each ingredient tasted fresh and perfectly cooked. This was definitely one of the best pad thai dishes I've had and I order pad thai like it's going out of style.<br />
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Our meal at Duangrat's left us wanting more, but the little sister Rabieng delivered a stellar performance. Our advice? Skip the fancier Duangrat's and go around the corner (in a sort of hard to find side alley strip mall) and go to Rabieng. <br />
<br />
<b>Second Thoughts from B</b><br />
<br />
Wow, it has been a long time. Yes, a long time since we posted, but that's not what I meant. I was thinking along the lines of: wow, it has been a long time since we ate at Rabieng. <br />
<br />
On one hand, you could say that time has dulled any details from my memory (true). On the other, you could say that only the really strong impressions remain (also true). So let's go with the glass half full version.<br />
<br />
Looking through the filter of time, I can't remember a single thing about my entree. In fact, if we hadn't taken a picture of it, I wouldn't have the slightest clue what I ordered. That basically means it wasn't bad, but it didn't rock my world either. Moving on.<br />
<br />
I do remember lots of crispy, tangy, sweet, and very orange appetizers, and I remember them well enough to still be able to taste them in my mind, as evidenced by mouth starting to water as I type. That's a pretty good sign that we'll be back. In fact, I'm willing to wager that the following conversation is on the horizon:<br />
<br />
J: Where do you want to go to eat?<br />
B: How about that crispy orange appetizer place?<br />
J (without missing a beat): You mean Rabieng! Let's go!<br />
<br />
My memory of the past isn't so good but I'm pretty confident in my prediction for the future. Maybe I'll even remember my entree next time.<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/105298/restaurant/DC/Baileys-Crossroads/Rabieng-Falls-Church"><img alt="Rabieng on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/105298/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-19191963414290309362012-11-19T16:18:00.001-05:002013-04-08T12:22:52.975-04:00Buffalo and Bergen at Union MarketAfter our tasty <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2012/11/dc-empanadas-at-union-market.html">DC Empanadas at Union Market</a>, we were in need of something to drink. We grabbed a stool at the counter of master mixologist Gina Chersevani's <a href="http://buffaloandbergen.com/">Buffalo and Bergen</a> soda fountain. The soda fountain wasn't 100% open when we visited. They were serving a limited menu of sodas and knishes, and had a ways to go in the decorating department. However, the two sodas we tasted are a promising sign of things to come.<br />
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We tried one pineapple soda and one cherry soda. At $5 a pop (no pun intended), we were pleased that these were not your run-of-the-mill sodas. Each had a complex and completely unexpected progression of flavors. Is that cardamom in my cherry soda? What's that firey kick at the back end of my pineapple soda? Gina proudly explained the wild amalgamation of ingredients (including bay leaf and cardamom) that go into her creations. These are ingredients that sound terrible on their own, but she makes them work.<br />
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People on <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/buffalo-and-bergen-washington">Yelp</a> are freaking out about the use of <a href="http://www.harristeeter.com/">Harris Teeter</a> soda water in the sodas. I agree that it would be preferable to have olde timey soda fountain equipment to complete the experience and I can only assume that the H-Teet water is a temporary thing during this "pop up" phase. So give them a chance to fully open before you get your panties in a bunch, people. <br />
<br />
Gina Chersevani has proven herself a legend in the DC drink scene with stints at <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2009/02/rasika.html">Rasika</a>, <a href="http://www.ps7restaurant.com/">PS 7s</a> and <a href="http://www.hanksoysterbar.com/">Hank's on the Hill</a>. I have no doubt she'll shine just as brightly with Buffalo and Bergen.<br />
<br />
<b>Second Thoughts from B</b><br />
<br />
Whether it is sports or politics, the strategy is always the same during an interview. When in doubt, use a cliche, just like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0014685/">Crash Davis</a> taught you. Every player and manager will tell you that they are taking it "one game at a time," just like every press secretary these days will tell you how their boss cares about the people on Main Street rather than those on Wall Street.<br />
<br />
The food industry is no different. I've not been to culinary school but I'm convinced that at some point between saute and sous vide, a veteran chef pulls each student aside and says, "Always tell people that you put love into your dishes."<br />
<br />
As we were about to leave Buffalo and Bergen for a pre-Superstorm Sandy evening, Gina Chersevani asked if we'd like to take home some of her short rib with maple jus knishes. It didn't take long for us to accept such a kind offer (and add something to the tip jar). Gina explained that she put so much love into these knishes that she'd rather give them away than see them in the trash. It sounded like a cliche but was straight from the heart.<br />
<br />
As the storm blew through the city, we were both stuck working from home in the warmth and safety of our condo. We also got to indulge in these not-so-little balls of love. I didn't grow up with knishes but they tasted, no... felt, like home. You know you've found comfort food at its best when you have to describe it with feelings rather than flavors.<br />
<br />
As for the sodas, you could tell that they were made by someone who understands flavor because they had the same level of complexity as a well-executed entree. Still, I had a bit of a hard time shelling out $5 for a soda. I don't know why, but $7 for a fancy ice cream soda seems more sensible. So I guess next time I'll have my knish and soda a la mode.<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1718534/restaurant/DC/Capitol-Hill/Buffalo-Bergen-Washington"><img alt="Buffalo & Bergen on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1718534/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-65640634736269370612012-11-14T19:56:00.000-05:002012-11-14T19:56:15.755-05:00DC Empanadas at Union MarketIt took us a couple of months to make our way to the new (or newly revitalized and reopened) <a href="http://unionmarketdc.com/themarket/">Union Market</a> in Northeast DC, but it won't take us long to go back. The bright and airy space isn't completely finished (more vendors are on their way), but there is a lot to love there now.<br />
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After cruising around the market and picking up some lamb sausage from <a href="http://www.borderspringsfarm.com/">Border Springs Farm</a> and bison steaks from another purveyor, we followed our rumbling stomachs to <a href="http://dcempanadas.com/">DC Empanadas</a>. The duo behind DC Empanadas has been rolling the streets of DC in their blue food truck for a while but have now put down roots in Union Market.<br />
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The menu features an assortment of freshly fried empanadas for $3.50 each or 3 for $9.00. These are bigger than the mini-emps at <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2010/07/panas-guest-post.html">Panas</a> and perhaps a tiny bit smaller than the jumbo-emps at <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2009/04/julias-empanadas-guest-post.html">Julia's</a>. I think they are the perfect size for tasting a couple of different flavors.<br />
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We tried the Speedy Gonzalez (a mild Cheese Empanada filled with Queso
Blanco, Asadero Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese), El Matador (Chorizo, Potatoes and Spices) and the Daily Special "Pollo de Don Carlo" chicken in white wine sauce empanada.<br />
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Though they provide hot sauces for dipping, we found the empanadas to be stars on their own. The crust is perfectly flaky and you can tell that a lot of love and effort goes into developing the flavors of the filling. DC Empanadas just took first place in our empanada-loving hearts.<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts from B</b><br />
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Who doesn't like fried food other than our doctors and our waistlines? Seriously, who? I feel like <a href="http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/about/jimmy-fallon/">Jimmy Fallon</a> asking that baby who doesn't like more cash in the <a href="http://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/">Capital One</a> commercials... Unfortunately, unlike more cash, having more fried food has some serious downsides (so says the guy who works at the <a href="http://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a>). So if you're going to do it, do it right.<br />
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DC Empanadas makes it worth your while. Not only are they beautiful on the inside, they are beautiful on the outside too. Unlike other empanadas that treat their casing as a convenient transporter of meats and veggies, these golden pockets of joy could be eaten empty. They are buttery and light and just the right thickness. Of course it helps that they are fried to order and delivered piping hot (again, unlike other empanada vendors who choose the reheat or hot lamp routes).<br />
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I don't know if the food truck version of DC Empanadas can live up to the Union Market offering. My stomach hopes so (and my waistline is worried).<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1612598/restaurant/DC/Capitol-Hill/DC-Empanadas-Washington"><img alt="DC Empanadas on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1612598/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-19646724673276178952012-11-06T09:16:00.000-05:002012-11-06T09:16:36.207-05:00Fast GourmetA few years ago we told you that the best fried chicken in the area is in a <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2010/10/kerrigans-corner-deli.html">former gas station in Maryland</a>. Now we're here to tell you that some of the best sandwiches we've had are at a gas station in DC.<br />
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<a href="http://www.fast-gourmet.com/index.htm">Fast Gourmet</a> is tucked behind the service counter at the gas station at 14th and W streets NW. You can't tell from the outside, but inside is an actual restaurant with lots of tables.<br />
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The menu runs the gamut from empanadas to rotisserie chicken to sandwiches. I was eying the fish tacos special but they were sold out by the time we placed our late afternoon lunch takeout order. I scrambled to come up with something else and settled on a meatball sandwich with sweet potato fries and a steak and cheese sandwich with regular fries.<br />
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We were blown away by how much we enjoyed these sandwiches. The bread was the perfect balance of toasty and moist, and the fillings tasted like someone put a lot of time and effort into seasoning the high-quality ingredients. Our only complaint was that the sweet potato fries were really far on the sweet side. Stick with the regular fries and you'll be happy.<br />
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Don't let the gas station exterior fool you. Fast Gourmet is legitimately fast and gourmet.<br />
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<b>Second Thoughts from B</b><br />
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I feel that locals are going to read this post and have one of two very different reactions: "Duh!" and "Huh?"<br />
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Some of you are familiar with, and therefore, probably frequent patrons of Fast Gourmet. Our rave review will not come as a surprise. You've known about this gem for years and while you like being in the know and seeing Fast Gourmet get a little love, you'd probably prefer it stay a relative secret. After all, once the masses (or worse, the President) discover it, things usually change for the worse (see: <a href="http://twodc.blogspot.com/2009/03/rays-hell-burger.html">Ray's Hell Burger</a>).<br />
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On the other hand, you could be in the "Huh?" category. Gas station food is usually a last resort of <a href="http://www.slimjim.com/">Slim Jims</a> and bad coffee. Sandwiches that aren't prepackaged mush are a revelation. Sandwiches that are mouthwateringly good are mind blowing. <br />
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So unless you reside in the White House, head over to the tastiest gas station in the District. Regardless of which camp you come from, your "Duh!" or "Huh?" will quickly become an "Mmmmmm..." On this election day, that's at least one thing that we can all agree on.<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/7/1554909/restaurant/DC/U-Street-Shaw/Fast-Gourmet-Washington"><img alt="Fast Gourmet on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1554909/minilogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921316199475986632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879708435983039594.post-34189988927374116462012-10-30T17:34:00.000-04:002012-10-30T17:34:14.263-04:00Old Rag MountainBeing stuck at home for several days thanks to Hurricane Sandy makes us especially appreciative of the power of nature... not just the destructive power, but also its awe-inspiring beauty and therapeutic effects on the soul. Washington, DC isn't just a city of power and culture, it is also an area surrounded by natural wonders worth exploring. And since we've been cooped up on telework for the last few days, we thought it would be nice to create a miniseries of posts dedicated to fresh air and stretching your legs in the great outdoors. <br />
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Any discussion of hiking in the Mid-Atlantic region should begin with <a href="http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/old_rag.htm">Old Rag Mountain</a>. Located within a 2 hour drive of DC on the eastern side of <a href="http://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm">Shenandoah National Park</a>, this approximately 9 mile loop tops most nature lovers' to-do lists. And rightfully so. The trail is an enjoyable, yet challenging, combination of well-groomed paths, strenuous switch-backs, rocky scrambles, and unparalleled views. The only downside is the crowds. <a href="http://disneyland.disney.go.com/">Disneyland</a>-sized crowds.<br />
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Everything we read about the trail said to arrive no later than 7 am. Being the overachievers that we are, we arrived at 5 am. Yeah, you read that right. 5 am.<br />
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We were going to do Old Rag on a weekend at the peak of the fall colors. That meant going down to <a href="http://www.visitculpeperva.com/">Culpeper</a> the night before, staying in a <a href="http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/US/VA/Culpeper-hotels/BEST-WESTERN-Culpeper-Inn/Hotel-Overview.do?propertyCode=47127">motel</a>, and arriving at the trail before the crowds showed up. On the drive down, however, we learned that there would be a spectacular meteor shower (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orionids">Orionids</a>). This altered our plans. Now the goal was to be on the trail early enough to see the stars and a meteor or two. In other words, 5 am.<br />
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Mission accomplished. Stumbling out of bed at exactly 3:59 am, we got to the Old Rag parking lot a little after 5, hit the trail (almost a mile from the lot) by headlamp by 5:30, and arrived at the first overlook for sunrise. Was it worth it? Oh yeah! And yes, we saw a few meteors.<br />
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We can't tell you much about the loop's 2 miles of switchbacks to get to the overlook (it was dark) but we can tell you that the next 1.5 miles of scrambling was lots of fun. If you go, be prepared to squeeze and contort your body in yoga-esque ways to get up, over, and through the rocky terrain. It isn't rock climbing, but you will need to use your hands and knees in many areas. <br />
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This is where you'll most appreciate your efforts to arrive early. The benefits of solitude while in the wilderness are obvious. Less obvious is the fact that those who sleep in will be in stop and go traffic throughout their climb. I can't imagine coming all that way to escape the city just to find the frustrations of rush hour traffic on the Beltway.<br />
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After you scramble to the summit, the rest of the way is mostly wide open trail and fire road, which is an alternate out and back route for those who want to summit without the scramble.<br />
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By the time we were back at our car it was 11:20 am. There, we were met by hoards of hikers of various ages and physical abilities just arriving at the trail. After seeing no more than a dozen or so people on our hike, we encountered several hundred on the road between the parking lot and the trailhead. I think I'd rather endure another few hurricanes than be stuck on a trail with half the Delmarva population in front of me.<br />
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<b>J Says</b><br />
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Like B said, Old Rag is a fantastic combination of rock scramble, hiking, and scenic views. If you want the scenic view to be of the mountain and not the butt of the hiker in front of you, go early. Did we emphasize this enough? OK good.<br />
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I highly recommend driving out the night before and staying in a <span id="goog_1961037200"></span>cheap motel<span id="goog_1961037201"></span> in Culpeper (the <a href="http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/US/VA/Culpeper-hotels/BEST-WESTERN-Culpeper-Inn/Hotel-Overview.do?propertyCode=47127">Best Western</a> was clean and comfortable and only $90). Not only does it make the wake-up time more manageable, you can also grab a relaxing dinner in town (for us that meant <a href="http://www.tacobell.com/">Taco Bell</a> and <a href="http://www.coldstonecreamery.com/">Cold Stone Creamery</a>), tour the <a href="http://www.walmart.com/storeLocator/ca_storefinder_details_short.do?edit_object_id=2136">local Walmart</a>, and go to bed early. <br />
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I'll leave you with a wardrobe tip: wear durable pants. Due to all the scrambling, you're going to be sliding on your behind a lot. Nobody wants to do the second half of the hike with scraped up legs (from wearing shorts) or a hole in their pants. A pair of hiking pants or thicker workout pants should do the trick. <br />
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Happy hiking!Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16502451804375094405noreply@blogger.com0