• 04Dec

    Savor Latin American Flavors at Toro Toro’s Brunch

    Chicken & Waffles

    Like many in the DC area, I fully enjoy brunch, especially when it is a truly bottomless brunch (all-you-can-eat-and-drink). I’ve been to many bottomless brunches, but Toro Toro is one of my favorites. A pan-Latin restaurant that started as a South American steakhouse and has been through a few iterations, Toro Toro, part of the Sandoval restaurant group, has a sexy yet chill vibe.

    Their brunch menu is completely revamped. You can order as many small plates as you like, and as many drinks as well. For drinks, I tried the caipirinha, the passion fruit mimosa, and the margarita. I love the caiprinha–it’s strong and not overly sweet. Their passion fruit mimosa has always been a favorite, and the margarita was perfect.

    For food, I tried the Lomo Saltado, Fried Chicken & Corn Waffles, Chilaquiles, Crispy Bacon Guacamole, and Braised Short Rib Arepa. The standouts were definitely the Arepa and Chicken & Waffles. The Arepa was quite flavorful, and the crisp corn cake provided a nice textural contrast with the tender short ribs and creamy guacamole. The chicken and waffles pair perfectly cooked Fried Chicken and Waffles with a chipotle honey agave and pickled chiles for sweetness and heat. The Lomo Saltado had plenty of delicious steak, and the crispy bacon guacamole benefited from the added smokiness of the bacon. The chilaquiles had one of the best black bean sauces I’ve ever tried. I was too full for any of the dessert offerings at brunch, but will return to try them.

    Service was fantastic, as our drinks were never empty, our server was knowledgeable, and the manager checked on us several times.

    The brunch at Toro Toro offers a good variety of breakfast and lunch options, and desserts to please most palates. The Latin American flavors make this a departure from the usual and the perfect way to liven up your weekend meal.

    -LEM (Lia)

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  • 15Sep

    Happy 1st Birthday, Wilson Hardware!

    Last week was Wilson Hardware Kitchen & Bar’s one-year anniversary media event and it did not disappoint. As soon as I walked through the doors, I was immediately drawn towards the well-lighted high ceiling in their 7,000 square foot establishment. Media folks were guided upstairs where I got to experience just how spacious this restaurant/bar truly is. From the huge brick painted wall mural of a mysterious female bathed in a variety of flowers to live music playing from the 2nd floor, the ambiance was set perfectly for a Friday night.

    View from the 2nd floor.

    Signature drink: “Screw Him.”

    Of the various bar bites served, my personal favorites of the night were the wild mushrooms with truffle butter, and fresh mozzarella with fennel pollen and radish. But my absolute favorite item from the night was not food, but the “adult juice,” as I like to tell my nieces and nephews whenever they get curious about my alcoholic beverages. Wilson Hardware served one of their signature drinks that contains simple ingredients: vodka, lychee, hibiscus, lemon, and champagne, and yet it was absolutely amazing. It was clean, crisp, slightly sweet (and mind you- I don’t have a sweet tooth and am fairly sensitive to sweets) and bubbly. What makes this amazing drink even more amazing is its humorous name: Screw Him. I am tempted to go back this weekend just to get another taste of this refreshing drink.

    Bar bites: Mini crab cakes, quinoa salad, and wild mushrooms with truffle butter.

    Fresh mozzarella with fennel pollen and radish.

    Due to the rain, I was unable to checkout their rooftop, which I was really looking forward to. That is ok, since it gives me a reason to go back ASAP.

    Another reason to go back other than a Clarendon rooftop outing? Brunch! Wilson Hardware came out with a brand new brunch menu with — prepare yourselves — twenty-five cent mimosas (available only with bottomless brunch that is $35 per person). Mimosas for a quarter each?! Sign me up! If bottomless brunch isn’t up your alley, a la carte is available as well. All their brunch small plates sound deliciously promising but one item really caught my eye: Short Rib Hash. It is described in their menu as beef short rib, fried egg, and butternut squash potato hash, with pepper jam reduction. Short rib and fried egg?! Yes, please! They also offer traditional brunch items as well, including Chicken & Waffles, Eggs Benedict, Deviled Eggs & Biscuit, and Belgian Waffles. Check out their brunch menu for more details.

    Wilson Hardware is located at 2915 Wilson Blvd and it is not hard to miss since it is right by the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Garfield St. I highly recommend this spot if you want to grab some drinks with friends, do a proper sit-down dinner, listen to music, grab brunch, or all of the above!

    Cheers!

    -EHY (Elina)

     

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  • 17Jun

    Cookie Decorating Brunch for Kids at Wildfire

     

    Catalina teaching the cookie decorating class, while her father assists next to her.

    We were in attendance at Wildfire‘s Memorial Day brunch where guests enjoyed a breakfast buffet, cookie decorating class and face painting. DCFüd‘s, Editor-in-Chief was the guest speaker for the event.

    Chef Oscar Huerta prepared some delicious brunch items for us including bacon, scrambled eggs, potatoes, banana bread, and French toast. Chef Huerta’s daughter, Catalina, taught cookie decorating skills to the kids at the event. And, yes, the sugar cookies themselves were tasty.

    For $20 a person, this kid’s event was a good value. Wildfire has an upcoming Kid’s Cakepop Class ($20 per child) scheduled for July 8th; a portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to Food for Others.

    -JAY

    Permalink Filed under: Brunch, Etc, Events, Kids, Restaurants Tags: , , , No Comments

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