Tune Inn

The day after the ESOTC (that's Epic Snowstorm of the Century) we embarked on a long journey through the city streets to check out the beautiful, snow-covered aftermath (read our post here). As we watched sledders on Capitol Hill, we just happened to run into two friends who were also out for a walk. Who says D.C. isn't a small town?

We were hungry and the food options were limited, since many merchants decided to take a snow day. Lucky for us, our friends live on Capitol Hill and knew about the dive bar wonder that is Tune Inn.

The Tune Inn is definitely NOT for the uppity Hill staffer looking for a chic place to dine. The Tune Inn is gritty, eclectic, and has enough animal heads on the wall to make any PETA loyalist run far, far away. As we trudged through the snow, I was a bit worried they'd be closed. But once I got inside and saw the decor and the grizzly bartender I realized... the Tune Inn doesn't do snow days.

We were cold, hungry, and really craving warm comfort food. Throwing all dietary cares to the wind (as if we had any other choice), we started off with a basket of greasy, but absolutely delicious onion rings. Dunked into a wading pool of ketchup, these really hit the spot.

Now I know I've told you before that B always asks the waiter/waitress for a recommendation. Well, thankfully he had enough sense to skip the question and just order. Did you see the animal heads and guns on the wall? Does this look like the kind of place that you should ask for the chef's recommendation? I didn't think so.

B ordered the Hot Pastrami sandwich with grilled onions and swiss cheese. The sandwich was decent, but the fries stole the show. I don't think I want to know what they fry them in to get them to taste so good.

I went with classic cheeseburger. Someone mentioned that Janet Reno used to come here all the time for the burgers and who am I to question the culinary taste of the first female Attorney General? Well, the burger was just ok. Maybe Ms. Reno just ordered it so she could eat the fries!

Second Thoughts From B

To set the record straight, my hot pastrami was more than "decent." For me it hit the spot. But there's something you should know about J. She abhors rye bread. So for her to call anything on rye "decent" makes Tune Inn's effort rather remarkable.

But you don't go to a dive bar for the food. And Tune Inn, in case you were asleep for J's part of this post, is the embodiment of what a dive bar should be. That the food was pretty good is just icing on the cake.

Army-Navy Game

As college football season comes to a close, we felt compelled to write about one of sport's greatest rivalries that we attended this last year: the Army-Navy Football Game.

In addition to our rabid support for our own teams that some would argue is unhealthy, we also appreciate sports in general. Therefore, any century old rivalry (117 years to be exact) would be right up our alley. Add in the fact that the outcome would have serious implications on our own team's bowl hopes, and it was a given that we'd to be making another sports-related road trip.

The Army-Navy Game takes place at a neutral site (where the Philadelphia Eagles play), which is only a 2 hour drive from DC. Considering that it takes 2 hours to fight through the traffic generated by some of our local teams in LA, this is nothing. Plus, we've been known to drive 8 (DC-Indy), 10 (DC-Atlanta), and 13 (LA-El Paso) hours to see our teams play. But enough of our fanaticism. Back to the topic at hand...

Army-Navy is like no other rivalry that we've experienced. The pomp and circumstance is what you'd expect from the military. The loyalties, bred from lives dedicated to a cause, run deep. The history and competitiveness is strong. But unlike so many sports rivalries, the entire event is laid on a foundation of respect. There is the familiar drive to win, but without the hate.

Never was this respect more apparent that at the conclusion of the game when both teams stood together for the playing of each other's alma mater. At a time when drunk college kids would normally be hurling insults, projectiles, and their lunch, both student sections made themselves and their country proud.

Now, I'm probably the last person to pass judgment on more traditional rivalries that feature "hate" and less evolved behavior. I think that within reason, there is a place for these sports traditions, but Army and Navy have something that they should be very proud of, and something that every sports fan should experience at least once.

As for the game itself, the days when our Armed Forces teams produce future NFL stars are long gone. If you're looking for the most talented players in the country, you probably won't find it here. In fact, I'm sure that as time goes by I'll forget everything about the game other the fact that neither team was particularly impressive on this very cold day, and that Navy won. But what will linger are the sights and sounds surrounding a very unique sporting tradition that I'm happy to check off my list.

J Says

I love traveling to new stadiums, I love football, and I love people dressed up in funny outfits. For me, the Army-Navy game had it all. Somehow the Cadets and Midshipmen managed to show a fierce sense of competitiveness without acting like drunk college idiots. It was quite a sight to see waves of uniformed fans cheering in unison. The game left such a good impression on me that I almost forgot how cold it was. Almost. Man, it was COLD. You East Coasters call this football weather? I call it frostbite!

Zengo

Have you looked far and wide for a restaurant that blends Latin and Asian flavors? Zengo has you covered.

Sound weird? Somehow, at Zengo, it just works.

While some might roll their eyes at yet another take on the over-done Asian fusion concept, we think Zengo deserves a try for its innovative flavors. Zengo means "give and take" in Japanese. Appropriately, the concept is tapas-style small plates that are meant to be shared. The kitchen works on a sort of free-flowing basis, so plates stream out when they're ready, instead of in a set order. We got our first real taste of Zengo when we took a sushi and margarita making class there a few years ago. It was an incredible experience (helped along with all you can drink margaritas) and taught us to appreciate Zengo's commitment to fun and fresh food.

Zengo is located on 7th Street next to Gallery Place in a hip, two-story space with interesting (if not strange) modern art pieces decorating the walls and ceiling. Bring your outside voice with you, because Zengo can get loud during peak hours.

We recommend starting with the XO Style edamame that is served almost bbq-style (the cooking technique, not the sauce) with salt and something that (according to the menu) makes it "non-vegetarian." Speaking of vegetarians, I think it's nice that Zengo has a special vegetarian menu and listing of gluten-free selections on its website. I dined there once with someone with a gluten allergy and they were completely accommodating.

On this trip we started with the yellowtail ceviche (yellowtail, aji amarillo chiles, red onion, cucumber, apple).

At our sushi class we learned how to make their signature Angry Zengo Roll which we highly recommend. However, we tried something new this time, and opted for the Volcano Roll (blue crab, salmon, jalapeno aioli). Holy jalapenos Batman, that was tasty!

To add some greens to the meal we ordered the Give 'N Take Chicken Salad (pulled chicken, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, cabbage, piloncillo-ginger vinaigrette). Maybe the most fattening salad around, but so good.

May I also suggest a little pocket of wonderful known as the Thai Chicken Empanadas (chicken empanadas stuffed with chile poblano, Oaxaca cheese, and topped with mango-curry salsa served on a bed of spicy peanut sauce).

Last, but certainly not least, are the Charred Tuna Wonton Tacos (sushi rice, mango salsa, and tuna stuffed into a crispy wonton shell and served over a generous helping of fresh guacamole). It's almost like a tuna roll and a mini taco had cute little sushi taco babies. I could make a meal out of these tacos alone.

While I really enjoy the food at Zengo, the service can be hit or miss. Once we dined there with a friend who doesn't eat red meat and the waiter sarcastically dubbed him "Chicken Little." While we like to joke around, this waiter was pretty annoying. It's ok though, because Zengo taught us about "give and take." With each snarky comment he continued to "give", we opted to "take" away from his tip.

Second Thoughts From B

I distinctly remember the first time I learned about the concept of latin-asian fusion. At the time, and even now, it is not the most obvious of marriages. But the more I think about it, and the more I taste successful examples of this seemingly odd combination, the more I appreciate it. I've found that the biggest challenge and the biggest reward comes with finding the perfect mixture. Rather than have a Mexican dish with a hint of China or sushi with a taste of South America, balancing the two influences to create an entirely new flavor can be really wonderful. When achieved, the experience is new and surprising, while also being strangely familiar.

Of all the places we've been to that have tried to fuse latin and asian food, Zengo seems to do it most seamlessly. As J pointed out in her description above, the empanadas and tacos alone make a visit worth while. This is not to say that every dish is as successful from a fusion point of view. At times, you really have to scratch your head and take a second glance at the menu to determine what element has been fused.

Balanced or not, from a purely taste point of view, Zengo succeeds with almost every dish. Of note, their sushi rolls are delicious and creative. Pretty much across the board, we've found the flavors to be as loud as the dining room, and for that, your taste buds (but perhaps not your eardrums) will thank you.

Domino's

If you've read our blog posts about pizza, you've probably noticed that we compare all good pizza to 2Amys and all bad pizza to Domino's. I haven't been shy about expressing my dislike for Domino's and its flavorless, cornmeal-dusted pizza (read here and here). Well, someone in Domino's PR group noticed that we weren't fans, and asked us to try their new pizza. He gave us a coupon for a free pizza and claimed that they had totally revamped their pizza recipe. The coupon arrived in our inbox on a cold, snowy night and we decided it was perfect for ordering pizza. Even though I was hesitant to try Domino's again, it's hard to turn down a free pizza.

B went on their website and was pretty impressed with the online ordering system. He placed the order and about 25 minutes later, the delivery guy called to let us know he was downstairs. On the pizza box was an explanation of Domino's recipe change. To celebrate 50 years in the pizza business, Domino's decided to listen to its critics and completely change their recipe.

According to Domino's, the changes include:

• Crust: A garlic seasoned crust with parsley baked to a golden brown
• Sauce: Sweeter, bolder tomato sauce with a medley of herbs and a redpepper kick
• Cheese: Shredded cheese made with 100% real mozzarella and flavored with just a hint of provolone

We ordered a half mushroom and half pepperoni pizza on the hand-tossed crust.

The first thing that we noticed was that the crust was fluffier-looking and it didn't have the yellow cornmeal stuff dusted on the bottom. Things were looking up in Domino's pizza land. I ate the first slice really slowly to see if I could taste the promised differences. The crust was a complete turnaround: it was garlicky and soft, almost like a garlic breadstick. I didn't notice a whole lot of difference in the cheese, but the sauce was tangy and had a bit of a kick. My only complaint is that the new crust is a little on the buttery side, which makes the whole piece feel a bit greasy.

Overall, I really enjoyed this pizza. Before, I thought Domino's pizza tasted like cardboard and was completely "not worth the calories." I don't take back anything I said about Domino's in the past, but I do give them a lot of credit for realizing their pizza wasn't awesome and starting over. You might think I'm only saying this because they gave us a free pizza, but I don't feel any obligation to like their free pizza. I told B that I'd write a post about the pizza whether I liked it or not. It just so happens that despite my best efforts not to like it, I actually did. So, while I don't think you need to race to your computer and order a pizza immediately, I do think you might want to reconsider Domino's if you're like me and had put it on your pizza blacklist.

Second Thoughts From B

As we enter a new year, it seems appropriate that we give Domino's a second chance. While I've never been a huge Domino's fan, I also never had an aversion to it. In some ways, its familiar (if not delicious) flavors are associated with happy childhood memories of late night sleepovers and birthday parties.

Unless you are among the group of people who believe that Domino's pizza cannot be improved on, this recipe change should be seen as good news. You know the garlic breadsticks at Domino's? If so, you know what this new generation of pizza is like because the crust tastes just like the breadsticks. For this lover of garlic, that's an improvement.

Is the improvement so dramatic that it warrents a new "favorite pizza" in your life? Probably not, but it does deserve a chance to win you over. So log on to their extremely user-friendly website and see what has happened...