• 23Feb

    We tried 2fifty’s new location in DC (Mount Vernon Triangle) yesterday for lunch, arriving at about 11:30 a.m. Since they could not find DC landlord willing to let them smoke meat, the BBQ comes from their Maryland location.

    Luckily, 2Fifty still had wagyu brisket at 11:30am, since they tend to run out of it early. The wagyu brisket was truly great, and the pulled lamb, mac n cheese, and pickled vegetable accompaniments were good. This is the best barbecue I’ve had in the DC area so far. The tamales were showcased on a handwritten specials list in the front window, and only $7 for two. The brisket tamales are definitely made in a Salvadoran style (the owners are Salvadoran).

    The staff of this restaurant is super nice!

    -JAY

  • 24Jan

    The $2.50 hot dog stand was at 23rd/M NW today, so I ordered one with mustard and sauerkraut on my way to the Foggy Bottom Trader Joe’s. I like these hot dogs a little more than other DC hot dog stands and they’re also less expensive. A very personable Ethiopian woman has been running the stand for around 20 years, and it is open from Monday to Friday from morning Until 1pm or so. There’s a taco truck across the street as well.

    -JAY

  • 16Dec

    Several of us were hangry in Georgetown when I remember that there was a relatively new (1 year old) Afghani kabob place I’ve been meaning to try, Kabul Castle Kabob. It is on the divey side — you order at the register, hold on to your numbered receipt, and grab a table. When they yell out your order, you go and pick your tray up.

    Salmon, Eggplant, & Manto.

    We tried the Lamb Kabob, Lamb Chops, Salmon, Manto (Afghani dumplings), Sambosas, Spinach, and Eggplant. The food was very good, with the salmon being the favorite of the table, and the manto coming in second. The platters came with salad, bread (which was extremely good in texture and flavor), lots of rice, and a choice of vegetable, so were a great value. Some people at the table asked for no or less rice but the lamb kabob image has the full portion. The veggies (spinach and eggplant) could have used more salt but were still good.

    Next time, we want to order the lamb shank (Qabili Pallow, which a neighboring table was digging into). It looked really good.

    The kabobs run from $15 to $20, while the lamb chops are $27, and the Qabili Pallow is $20.

    The address is 2801 M St NW, but the entrance is actually on 28th Street, not M Street.

    -JAY

  • 14Dec

    We recently tried the (soon to be seasonally updated for winter) dinner menu at the upscale Mediterranean restaurant, Ala, in DuPont Circle. The menu features updated versions of Mediterranean dishes (not including hummus). We ordered from the soon to be updated for the winter season dinner menu:

    Rumaan Nana (pomegranate & mint iced tea) and Levantine Wonderland (orange, cherry, rose, lemon, baharat) mocktails: They were refreshing and not too sweet (although you have to stir one of them prior to drinking).

    Baba Ganoush (charred eggplant puree, dill & pumpkin seed pesto, pomegranate
    seeds): This was probably our favorite dish that evening. The pomegranate seeds and fresh dill worked well in this creamy and delicious dish. Wonderful Za’atar Pita arrived with the baba — you should definitely expect the green seasoning to coat your fingers. This appetizer is vegan and gluten free.

    Akhtubut (grilled octopus, white beans, saffron, harissa, lemon foam): We enjoyed this dish, but the octopus could have been more tender and while it is possible the intent was for the beans to be a little crunchy, some were more undercooked than others. Management said they would work on the consistency issue with the beans.

    Pirzola (grilled lamb chops (3 pieces) spice marinated, braised napa cabbage, herb salad, nigella seeds): The lamb chops were cut to different thicknesses so were also different levels of doneness (medium rare at best, Medium Well, Well). The last cooked chop was a little tough but the other two were amazing. I would order this again. Management said they will work on the consistency issue on the chops. My guest and I practically fought over the tasty cabbage and refreshing herb salad.

    Adana Kebab (minced rib eye, maras pepper, bell pepper, sumac, onion,
    harissa, labneh, grilled long chili pepper): My guest (who has visited Turkey) said this was her favorite version of Adana Kebab. The grilled long Italian chilli pepper was definitely spicy.

    Jewels Pilaf (rice, sundried apricots, almonds, parsley, dill): We enjoyed the sweet and starchy pilaf, but it might have been to close after Thanksgiving for me, because I was getting stuffing vives from this one. This side dish is vegan and gluten free.

    Antep Baklava (pistachio baklava, dark cherry kaymak): We both enjoyed this extremely rich and decedent take on baklava. Neither of us has tried a baklava quite like this one before, and I’ve probably eaten half my weight in baklava in that particular dessert in my lifetime. I’m glad we shared it because a whole order may have been a bit much for me after such a large meal.

    The service was excellent (thanks Yulia!) and food restrictions were handled well. Both floors of the restaurant were very loud (you could hear everyone talking) but it was also a Saturday evening, which is probably their busiest night.

    You can tell we were impressed with Ala because my guest is already planning a lunch at the DuPont location, and I am planning a brunch at the upcoming Bethesda location, which should be opening in late January or so.

    -JAY

  • 11Nov

    Upscale lounge/restaurant Mercy Me relaunched in West End last week, featuring the cuisine of various regions of South America. Mercy Me is under new ownership, with a new chef, Executive Chef Robert Curtis, who is supported by Brazilian Chef and consultant Giancarlo Junyent.

    Mercy Me has a nice upscale lounge kind of vibe and decor, with a good amount of space between tables. We enjoyed the music played in the restaurant, which interestingly enough, Shazam (a music identification app), was unable to identify. The restaurant features curated music through weekly analog DJ sets (Thursday and Friday evenings), although we were not present during a performance. Mercy me also features a new private dining listening room.

    We started with cocktails, a Tropicalia Spritz (Vodka, Lilet Blanc, Alphonso Mango, Passion Fruit, Vanilla, Ripe Pineapple, Pet Nat), and Passion Marg (Habanero, Lime, Passion fruit, Pineapple, Mezcal, Tequila Blanco). Both drinks were tasty well-made cocktails. I didn’t taste habanero in the margarita, but that is probably a good thing.

    The menu has a variety of good options, but we had to decide, so we ordered the Ceviche (Hamachi, Purple Sweet Potato, Passion Fruit, Leech de Tigre), Chorizo Mussels
    (Honey Chorizo, Coconut Milk, Fennel, White Wine), Chaufa (Braised Pork Belly, Fried Rice, Piperade), and Whole Roasted Bass (Shaved Fennel and Orange Salad, Ahi Amarillo, Naam Prik). We enjoyed all four dishes, but we were probably most surprised by the Chaufa; the pork belly was executed wonderfully, with the perfect texture, and was served on very garlicky fried rice. The sauce on the mussels was savory, with the chorizo really enhancing the flavor of the dish; this preparation is easily as good as some of the best mussel dishes we have had in DC. They also did a great job with the texture and flavor of the sea bass, and we enjoyed the fennel salad, although the blood orange flavor seemed to get lost in the dish. The ceviche was a light and flavorful way to start the meal.

    The waiter recommended the Gnocchi (Braised Short Rib, Poblano Mole Sauce, Salsa Criolla, Cotija Cheese), so maybe we should try that dish next visit. Truth be told, we ordered mostly seafood because I had eaten at a kabob house for lunch.

    For dessert, we had the Chocolate Tres Leches (White Chocolate Cream, Citrus Jam, Banana Rum Sauce) and Pavlova (Coconut cream, Cherimoya Sorbet, Caipirinha Strawberries). We both enjoyed the light, creamy, and fruity Pavlova dish, but admittedly, neither of us had tried one before.

    My dining partner from that evening is already planning to bring his girlfriend to Mercy Me for date night, since the restaurant has a great vibe and wonderful food. You should check Mercy Me out too!

    -JAY

  • 31Oct

    Arden’s Garden opened its first juice squeezing facility in 1995, and now has various storefronts throughout the greater Atlanta, GA area. This company is all about improving health through easy access to products made with fresh fruits and veggies and produces multiple day juice cleanse combos. They’re happy to ship their juices, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a variety of their products for review.

    My favorites in order were the Yoga One, Pineapple Apple Ginger, and Passionfruit Turmeric. I enjoyed the Lemonade Lavender and Complete Recovery (smoothie) as well. I was surprised I enjoyed Yoga One as much as I did since I’m not usually into green juices. If you like lemonade and lavender, you should definitely try the Lavender lemonade. Green Energy Machine (which somehow dodged the photo op) was definitely too “green” for me. I haven’t tried the juice shots yet.

    It was nice having access to these great products last week when I was under the weather (I had a cold). I’ll admit I’d like some more Yoga One, Pineapple Apple Ginger, and Passionfruit Turmeric juices here right about now, even though I’ve recovered.

    -JAY

  • 13Aug

    I attended this morning’s free Chinese tea tasting at the Valley Brook Tea shop at the Ven Hotel (2015 Massachusetts Ave NW) in Dupont Circle. Yunhan Zhang is a wonderful host and is incredibly knowledgeable about tea (including its production and history). His family in China grows the tea he serves and sells.

    Yunhan will be doing these free tasting on Sundays at 10:30am for at least the next couple of weeks but be on time since there is limited seating. No reservations are required.

    You may want to check out the Sunday Dupont Farmer’s market (a block away from 8:30am to 1:30pm) and the current art gallery downstairs as well.

    -JAY

  • 25Jun

    This is a shoutout to Sampannee at 2122 P Street NW (the old Asia 54 space)! They just opened 3 days ago. I stopped by yesterday and tried thePad Thai, Mango Sticky Rice, and Coconut Ice Cream (which has jackfruit inside). Definitely a place to try some authentic Thai cuisine. Next month they will open the counter next door for breakfast/brunch. The owner and staff are really sweet people — I’m so happy I met them.

    -JAY

  • 01Apr

    Veg Heaven makes a variety of wonderful baked goods that seem way too good to be vegan (but are). This winter, Veg Heaven had a stand at the Dupont Circle farmer’s market; this stand was so popular that it sold out halfway through the market’s hours. Freshfarm (who runs the Dupont Circle farmer’s market) has decided not to approve Veg Heaven for the current season when what they should have done was approve this business and request that they bring enough product to make it (at least most of the way) through the market’s hours.

    One of the above images was taken at 8:30am and one just prior to 10am (market hours are 8:30am to 1:30pm); I bet you can tell which is which.

    Right now, you can find Veg Heaven’s products at the following farmer’s markets:

    Eastern Market Saturdays and Sundays from 8 to 4 pm

    Palisades Sundays from 9 to 1pm

    UDC Saturdays from 9 to 2 pm

    Cleveland Park Saturdays starting on May 13 from 9 to 1 pm

    -JAY

  • 30Jan

    We recently attended an event to showcase the new enclosed heated patio at Bacchus of Lebanon in Bethesda. The patio is nice and toasty! Here is a video of Zaid (the owner) talking about the new patio.

    Below are some photos from the event. We definitely need to go back soon for more of the yummy fresh hummus and baba ganouj.

    -Jason

    Disclosure: From time to time, we are given free items, meals, or entry to events. Our words are still our own.

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