Bamian

We made the trek across the river to Virginia in search of last minute additions to our Halloween costumes. Whenever we're in a far off new land, I like to search out restaurants that I've seen Tom Sietsema recommend in his weekly chats. When our itinerary called for a visit to Falls Church, I knew we had to pay a visit to the Afghan restaurant Bamian.

Bamian has a beautiful dining room, and in addition to the standard tables, features about a half dozen tables separated by walled dividers so you feel like you're eating in your own private restaurant. Luckily, one of these was available for us!

We were a little hesitant to try out an Afghan restaurant since our first foray into Afghan food was at our friend's mom's house (they are from Kabul), where she cooked up a giant platter of kabobs and fresh bread. I didn't think Bamian would be able to match Mrs. L's cooking, but it came very close!

We began our Afghan culinary adventure with Boolawnee (clay oven-baked pastry stuffed with scallions, chopped leeks and potatoes, and served with a side of homemade yogurt). It was a giant, tasty empanada-like treat that was awesome when topped with the tangy yogurt.

B didn't know what to order so he tried the Bamian Platter, which featured seasoned rice, white rice topped with meat sauce, and one skewer each of shami (seasoned ground beef), chicken, and lamb kabob.

I tried the boneless, skinless chicken kabobs. All of the kabobs are served with thick bread that you use to construct a sort of Afghan taco using the rice, veggies, yogurt sauce, and meat.

On the side (counterclockwise) was the bread, meat sauce (to be poured over the seasoned rice) and my favorite dish, Kadu (sauteed pumpkin). The Kadu was an outstanding combo of sweet, hearty pumpkin, sour yogurt, and tiny pieces of mint. It was one of the most interesting dishes I've eaten. If you like the crispy spinach at Rasika, you've got to try Bamian's Kadu.

We didn't know what to order for dessert so we took our very friendly waiter's suggestion and tried the Baqlawa. It is described on the menu as a thin layer of syrup-soaked pastry with walnut and chopped pistachios. The pastry was so thin and light that it was like a delicate cookie. Think baklava, but lighter.

As I sat at our private table sipping chai, I kept telling B how much I enjoyed our experience at Bamian. The food was excellent, the service outstanding, and the dining room had a peaceful feel. It might not be home cooking, but Bamian makes you feel like you're part of a large, happy Afghan family.

Second Thoughts from B

Normally when we write blog posts about restaurants, J starts it off and I tack on my "second thoughts" after reading her first draft. In the case of Bamian, as I read her descriptions and looked at our pictures, so many tasty memories came rushing back that I almost started drooling. All of the meats were fully flavored and juicy, which made it that much better to have bread and rice to mop it all up. Usually the term comfort food is associated with things you grew up eating (clearly not the case here for us), so let me instead call this "comforting food."

The other thing that stood out for me about our Afghan adventure was the service. My guess is that places like Bamian get two very different types of customers; those who grew up with Afghan food and those who are trying something new. Obviously we can't comment on the food from the perspective of someone from Afghanistan, but as stewards of a cuisine that was mostly foreign to us, Bamian did a great job. We were quickly and warmly welcomed, and our waiter took great care of us as he patiently walked us through the menu and made recommendations. For some, trying something new can be frightening, but with Bamian as your guide, there is nothing to fear.

Washington Post Express - Best of 2009

We've both made clear our love for the Washington Post Express. In fact, many of our posts are about places we first learned about through the Express. As part of my daily commute (it is available for free outside Metro stations), I look forward to catching up on what's going on in the world, whether thousands of miles away or in my own backyard. Speaking of the latter, the Express recently released a "Best of 2009" edition that included every category imaginable, and relied on reader input. As faithful readers, J and I decided we'd use this space to bring you our own (not nearly as comprehensive) Best of 2009 list. Obviously our experience is significantly less expansive, but if someone were to ask us, "In your opinion, what is the best...," this is how we'd answer. Need more information? Click on the links for our reviews of many of our suggestions.

Food and Drink

Bar (Express winner: Wonderland Ballroom) Brasserie Beck - we aren't big bar people but you can't argue with a bible of Belgian beer that can fit any taste. It is probably the biggest reason J has begun to like beer... at least a little.
Cocktails (Express winner: Founding Farmers) Co Co Sala - again, we're not big drinkers but we, and the many guests that we've taken here, have never had a drink that didn't make us say, "Mmmm!"
Sports Bar (Express winner: Penn Quarter Sports Tavern) Bar Louie - clearly letting our bias show (this is the UCLA bar), Bar Louie is big, clean, and right outside the Verizon Center for a quick pre- or post-game drink.
Restaurant (Express winner: Zaytinya) Komi - just read our gushing review. Others that come to mind: Charlie Palmer Steak, BLT Steak, MiniBar, CityZen, and Adour.
Meal Under $20 (Express winner: Ben's Chili Bowl) Teaism - can't argue with the Express' choice but for us, variety carries Teaism to the winner's circle.
24-Hour Eatery (Express winner: The Diner) Steak 'n Egg Kitchen - quirky and cheap, this is what a 24-hour joint should be. The Diner is good but almost too well known for this category.
American (Express winner: Old Ebbitt Grill) Poste - not to knock Old Ebbitt, because it is worth the trip, but we'd opt for fresh and local foods any day.
Bakery (Express winner: Cakelove) Sticky Fingers Bakery - the best bakery despite having one hand tied behind its back (it is vegan). Cakelove's cakes are great, but their cupcakes are below average.
Brunch (Express winner: Tabard Inn) Market Lunch - no single TwoDC picture has elicited more feedback than that of the blue buck pancakes. Believe it or not, they taste even better than they look.
Burger (Express winner: Five Guys) Ray's Hell Burger - NO CONTEST! I'm still puzzled how so many people could get this one wrong.
Chinese (Express winner: Meiwah) Meiwah - authentic flavors in heavy sauces that should please American palettes, and some of the nicest owners in town.
Comfort Food (Express winner: Ben's Chili Bowl) Five Guys - it kills us to overrule another BCB selection but for us, nothing is more comforting that a burger and fries that can be found all over town.
Cupcake (Express winner: Georgetown Cupcake) Baked and Wired and Hello Cupcake - maybe the most fun post we've written... reviewing cupcakes. No losers here but certainly some winners.
Farmer's Market (Express winner: Eastern Market) Eastern Market and Penn Quarter - Eastern Market is king but Penn Quarter's location is perfect for us.
Frozen Yogurt (Express winner: Tangysweet) Mr. Yogato - Another one they got wrong. You want frozen yogurt? Go where the experts go (growing up in Southern California makes you an expert). Hint: fro-yo is more than a frozen treat... personality counts.
Gourmet Food Store (Express winner: Trader Joe's) Trader Joe's - don't know if TJ's is a "gourmet food store," but we couldn't miss an opportunity to hype it.
Ice Cream (Express winner: Cold Stone Creamery) Larry's Ice Cream - seriously, people chose a chain for best ice cream? You just can't beat homemade.
Indian (Express winner: Rasika Restaurant) Rasika - this ain't cheap Indian food - which we love - but it is awesome... Awesome!
Italian (Express winner: Filomena Ristorante Georgetown) Filomena - nothing beats fresh, homemade pasta except gigantic portions of fresh, homemade pasta.
Kebob (Express winner: Moby Dick House of Kabob) Mayur Kabab House - here's that "cheap Indian food" we love so much.
Pizza (Express winner: 2 Amys) 2 Amys - they seem to have slipped from the spotlight of a few years ago, but they're still the best in DC if you don't mind the wait and lack of Metro access.
Place to Take Your Parents (Express winner: Old Ebbitt Grill) Mitsitam - parents and really, any out-of-towners, should drop into the National Museum of the American Indian to try food inspired by Native American cuisine from around the country. Perfect location for a quick bite while sightseeing.
Restaurant Bathroom (Express winner: Mie N Yu) Charlie Palmer - completely odd and indescribable, I've been tempted to bring my camera in on multiple occasions. Would that be weird, especially when you can see into the other gender's facilities? The answer is yes.
Seafood (Express winner: DC Coast) Tackle Box - simple but great seafood, and the best fried shrimp ever.
Steakhouse (Express winner: Ray's the Steaks) Charlie Palmer - we've yet to find something to criticize here.
Street Food (Express winner: Julia's Empanadas) Fojol Bros. of Merlinda and the Bulgogi Cart. We love Julia but we don't consider her emps to be street food since we usually visit her store locations (her emps are also sold via On the Fly's Smartkarts).

Sushi (Express winner: Sushiko) Kotobuki - no frills sushi is the best we've found... and we've looked!
Vegetarian (Express winner: Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant) Java Green - not only vegetarian, vegan. Good enough to open the mind of the most die-hard carnivore.

Arts and Entertainment

Dance Club (Express winner: Black Cat) Town - knowing the owners makes us biased but even a straight couple can enjoy a night at Town.
Gallery (Express winner: Hillyer Art Space) National Gallery of Art - there are so many great ones to choose from, and this one is free.
Indie Bookstore (Express winner: Kramer Books & Afterwords) Kramer Books & Afterwords Cafe - great location, cool indie vibe, and pie. Let me say it again. Pie!
Museum (Express winner: National Gallery of Art) National Museum of American History and National Air and Space Museum - free and expansive... so expansive that in the case of Air and Space, there are two locations.
Theatre (Express winner: Kennedy Center) Ford's Theatre - most theaters are only as good as the production that is playing there at the time. Ford's is a great, intimate space, and nothing can match its history.

Stores and Styles

Men's Haircut (Express winner: Hair Cuttery) Spa/lon - I've got difficult hair to cut with any kind of style (stick straight) and I've been to a range of different places from the cheap (Hair Cuttery) to the expensive (Grooming Lounge). In my experience, Ben at Spa/lon does the best job. The shop doesn't look like much, but the guy can cut some hair...
Women's Haircut (Express winner: Bang Salon) Spa/lon - J's hair is the complete opposite to mine which is to say it is very curly. To prove he is more than a one trick pony, Ben does a nice job with her hair too. J has been to Bang Salon on several occasions, and has tried out a variety of stylists there and has not been impressed.
Amateur Sports League (Express winner: Happy Hour Kickball) WAFC - is it the best sports league? I wouldn't know since I've not tried them all. But I can say that WAFC (that's ultimate frisbee to you kickballers) is very popular (100s of teams) and rather well run for a bunch of frisbee-throwing hippies.
Biking Trail (Express winner: C&O Canal Towpath) Mount Vernon - to quote myself, "This is my favorite bike path, not only in DC, but probably anywhere."
Hiking Trail (Express winner: Billy Goat Trail) Great Falls - so close, yet it makes you feel so far away.
Gym (Express winner: Washington Sports Clubs) Vida Fitness - J here to put in a good word for Vida. I joined in May because I was looking for a gym that offered a variety of classes. I've gone to several classes a week every week since then, and love it. The Verizon Center location is big and clean, and offers a ton of different classes. I also pop into the Renaissance Hotel location when I need a quick (and very conveniently located) cardio fix.
Race (Express winner: Race for the Cure) Avon Walk - ok, it isn't a race but there's something to be said when thousands of pink-clad women (mostly) walk 40 miles in the rain for a cause...

Sports and Recreation

D.C. Team (Express winner: Capitals) Capitals - the lack of competition in this category notwithstanding...
Local Athlete (Express winner: Alex Ovechkin) Alex Ovechkin - the Great 8 has enough star power to make some hockey converts in this city.
Stadium (Express winner: Verizon Center) Nationals Park - the stadium is almost as good as the team is bad.

Home and Away

Local Blog (Express winner: District of Sound) duh...
Monument (Express winner: Lincoln Memorial) Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial - J loves the Washington Monument for its simplicity, the view from the top, and use as a navigation device. As for the Jefferson, you have to love its pairing with the Tidal Basin and that it is underrated and off the Mall enough to thin the crowd. Plus who doesn't like an underdog?
Neighborhood (Express winner: Dupont Circle) Dupont/Logan Circles - we both instantly thought of Capitol Hill but if you tracked where we go the most, the evidence clearly points to Dupont and Logan Circles... and everything in between.
People-Watching Spot (Express winner: Dupont Circle) The National Mall - it is a perfectly named place for the seemingly millions of tourists from every corner of this country that gather together with a collective look of awe and confusion, while clutching a camera in one hand and a map in the other (and some awesomely terrible patriotic t-shirts!).
Reason to Travel Outside the Beltway (Express winner: Shenandoah National Park) Butler's Orchard - I can't believe we're disrespecting Skyline Drive but for a quick escape from the city, plus added benefits like fresh produce, Butler's is a great choice.
Unintentionally Funny Thing About D.C. (Express winner: Marion Barry) Washington Nationals - again, there's no arguing with the Express' winner, but we've yet to go to a Nats game (and we've been to many) where we haven't hung our head in shame and laughed at their best Bad News Bears imitation.
Volunteer Organization (Express winner: So Others Might Eat) One Brick - they make it almost too easy to do something good in the world.
Weird Landmark (Express winner: The Awakening) Einstein Statue - not so much weird as it is unexpected... a giant Einstein statue across the street from the Vietnam Memorial. It seems to be a big hit with all our friends on the B&J 5-cent tour. (J says - this statute is flat out weird because it looks like Einstein is made of poop. B hates when I say that but it's true. Go check it out for yourself and let us know if you agree).

Filomena

Looking for fresh pasta made by cute old ladies and served in a kitschy atmosphere? Look no further than Filomena in Georgetown. Filomena is located in a basement on Wisconsin Avenue near M Street. It was too dark in there for us to take food pictures so you'll have to go and experience it for yourself.

Filomena's menu lists the names of all of the famous people that have dined there. Allegedly, Bill Clinton is a big fan. After trying his favorite pasta dish on a previous visit, we're fans too. On this trip we started off with the Insalatina Di Stagione: organic field greens, bleu cheese crumbles, and toasted pecans tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. It was a bit heavy on the dressing but delicious.

For my entree I ordered the cavatelli pasta special. Cavatelli are ricotta dumplings and I am in love with them. They are squishy, little pillows of wonderful. I know Filomena has lots of other great pasta dishes on the menu, but I can't get past the cavatelli. The special featured jumbo shrimp, pancetta, and cavatelli tossed in a creamy tomato sauce. The best part is that the portions are ridiculously large so I had two awesome lunches to take home!

B ordered the Festivale in Venezia (black fettucine in a brandy tomato sauce with shrimp, scallops, lobster and crab). After the first bite, we looked at each other and giggled. We adore fresh pasta, and Filomena does it as well as anywhere we've dined.

At the end of the meal, Filomena offers complimentary pours of Amaretto or Sambuca liquor. They are meant to aide digestion and warm you up on the inside. We didn't go near the Sambuca because it tastes like black licorice, but the Amaretto warmed my tummy. We passed on dessert because we were stuffed to the gills, but it wasn't easy because Filomena makes a large variety of desserts in house every day.

Second Thoughts From B

As you descend into the underground Italian heaven that is Filomena, you pass by a couple of angels. Maybe they are little, old Italian handmade pasta masters covered in flour, but they are angels to me. Any Italian restaurant worth its salt needs fresh pasta and no place features the difference between dry and fresh better than Filomena.

J and I have been here on several occasions. The menu is expansive but I've usually stuck with the thicker pastas so I can fully appreciate their wonderful textures. Each dish I've had is top notch, not to mention huge. When you look at the menu, the prices may scare you at first. Most past dishes are around $30. But to justify it in your mind think about the fact that you're essentially paying for 2-3 meals.

The sauces are all fresh and it shows. These are not one dimensional flavors gooped onto a pile of noodles. You'll also notice that the ingredients justify the prices. If it says shrimp, we're talking fat and juicy shrimp. Crab or lobster, same thing... no bits so small that you forget they're there. Instead, giant chunks everywhere.

Finally, I have to mention the decor. Usually, Filomena feels like a very traditional, yet over the top, stereotype of an old Italian upscale restaurant. But for Halloween, they go all out. It is covered in ghouls and goblins and anything else you associate with the holiday. And like everything else at Filomena, they do this bigger and better than anyone with literally thousands of professional quality props. We wish we could have taken a picture to do it justice (some can be found on their website here) but instead, consider this: the decorations require a disclaimer on the front door warning people that they might be scared to enter. This sums up Filomena to me; anything they do, they do bigger and better that anyone, and thank goodness (and those angels) that this includes their pasta.

Halloween

When I was little, I lived on the perfect Halloween block. It seemed that every house had a kid my age and every family loved being active in our little community. I fondly remember gathering together in our costumes and going from haunted house to haunted house in search of the best candy.

But when I was in second grade, my family moved and I found myself in a house on a hill without my friends. Halloween quickly changed for me, and I'm ashamed to say that for several years we were the house at the top of the hill that turned out its lights to avoid the trick or treaters. I guess passing out "nature's candy" (read: raisins) also had something to do with it...

The point is, I grew up and out of Halloween earlier than most, and never really got back into it. After all, to quote Brandon Walsh when asked if he was going to a costume party, "I don't drink [that much] and I dance like a white guy."

J, on the other hand, loves Halloween, but we've never really celebrated together other than to carve pumpkins and enjoy some good people watching. Some of this had to do with switching coasts and again having to build up a group of friends to act silly around, but still, we could do better.

We swore 2009 would be different. Along with another fun-loving couple, we hit the internet to find something to do. There were two requirements: costumes had to be involved and we had to stay away from Georgetown.

You might be asking, why not Georgetown? Let me explain. J and I spent our first DC Halloween there. We had moved about two months prior and had heard that this was the place to go. So we took Metro to Foggy Bottom and started following the crowds. After we crossed the bridge into Georgetown, we were funneled onto the sidewalks of M Street by metal barriers that allowed one lane of "traffic" in each direction. Everyone was either in full costume (usually with props or wings that made it impossible to get by) or felt the need to stop and take a picture of those in costume. As you might imagine, it took 45 minutes to travel one block. Not good times. On a side note, that is how we stumbled across the very good Italian restaurant, Papa Razzi.

So with Georgetown off the list, we decided to try the more family friendly neighborhoods of Capitol Hill. Good choice! Despite the light drizzle, I once again felt that community feel of Halloween that I grew up with. Parents and kids alike were dressed up, and the neighbors clearly embraced this costumed invasion. Many homes were decorated but all paled in comparison to one rather partisan display of fear for the 2012 election...

If you can't tell from the photo, that is a Republican cemetery featuring the graves of Nixon, Reagan, and Bush surrounded by the ghouls of Palin, Gingrich, and Romney with the title, "Beware of 2012" written in jack-o-lanterns. Very clever...

After a quick bite to eat at the new pizza place by Eastern Market called, Seventh Hill (review to follow), we joined the other Halloween revelers on the Metro. Our car contained mostly superheros and made for a surreal and very memorable part of the night.

J Says

I was so excited to experience Halloween in DC in costume. Fueling my excitement was the fact that B and I dressed up as 90210 characters (Kelly Taylor and Steve Sanders from the Halloween costume party episode). We totally lucked out and had the pleasure of spending the evening with two great friends who fully embraced the Halloween spirit as much as we did. You might know them as Cyndi Lauper and the late Captain Lou Albano.

Anyway, we ended up at the "Graveyard Jam" party sponsored by thingstododc.com at the Hard Rock cafe, which featured a band, followed by a DJ, and a costume contest. The band was laughably bad, but their set was over quickly, and the DJ spun dance-worthy tunes for hours. We stood on the second floor overlooking the main level dance floor and had a blast dancing and checking out the costumes.

I highly encourage you to get into the Halloween spirit next year and dress up. Even if you don't want to go to a party, just hop on the Metro and check out the scene.