theyawns's Profile
Guanciale anywhere in va md or dc?
I've bought it from Red Apron (you can order online and pick up at either the Dupont Farmer's Market or Planet Wine in Alexandria) and Bev at Eco-Friendly Foods just started offering it at area farmer's markets. He had some at the Courthouse market in Arlington a couple of weeks ago. His was sliced, Red Apron's was a single 1 lb. piece.
Good butcher in or around Washington, DC?
I love Let's Meat on the Avenue in Del Ray, Alexandria. Doesn't hurt that I live right around the corner. He'll order you anything you need and most everything is local.
http://www.letsmeatontheavenue.com/
Where to find Pearl Sugar? (for Liege Waffles)
Just got back from Brussels and am hoping to recreate the waffles you can buy on just about every street corner over there. These aren't quite what you'd think of when you think of Belgian waffles. These are a little denser and chewier with a crunchy sugary/caramelly crust. Of the many recipes I've looked at, looks like the key to attaining that crust is something called "pearl sugar." Anyone know of any local sources? Hoping to try maybe this weekend.
Corned beef from the Sixth and Rye truck
Was searching through the board to see if there were any reviews that agreed or disagreed with my assessment of the truck, and by golly, I didn't find anything. So here goes.
I'm a corned beef lover, and was really looking forward to trying out the corned beef sandwich from this truck.
When your lunch consists of exactly 4 ingredients - corned beef, mustard, rye bread, and dill pickle on the side - there is little room for error. Unfortunately, the Sixth and Rye folks used up every bit of that margin and then some. Starting with the least atrocious and working my way to the top -
The mustard was just fine. Good even. Not your typical deli mustard, so it was a little out of place on this sandwich. But I'd probably eat it on a hot dog with relish, if I could.
The pickle cost a dollar. It was a little bigger than my thumb. It was soft. And just tasted like a lot of vinegar. I prefer a crunchy, dilly, garlicky pickle.
The rye bread was stale. You serve sandwiches one day a week. There is absolutely no reason to not have fresh bread.
What laid between those two slices of stale bread was called corned beef but it would be hard to identify it as such if I hadn't ordered it. Its litany of wrong-doings should qualify it for crimes against humanity. (Ok, that's really harsh, but I'm leaving it in, well, because it sounds good.) It was so thinly sliced that it had no textural quality whatsoever, except... when you hit a piece of fat, it was inedibly chewy. Yes, I found myself actually having to pull pieces out of mouth once I realized I would choke if I swallowed what was in there. Corned beef ought to be tender and juicy. This was dry and rubbery. As for the flavor, there just really wasn't much of it. At least nothing that I would associate with a briny, spiced piece of brisket. The sandwich's saving grace was that there wasn't much of the mystery meat.
Maybe I caught them on a bad day, but I'm not sure I have it in me to even give them another shot. I've read enough reviews on yelp that resemble mine and talked to some other folks to simply forget and move on. It's too bad. Had really high expectations.
Next time it's back to Deli City or Wagshal's.
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Deli City Restaurant
2200 Bladensburg Rd NE, Washington, DC 20018
Crystal City/Old Town Recommendation
La Strada in Del Ray (just north of Old Town) is a great little local Italian place. Del Ray's got plenty of other cozy little places, too -- Evening Star Cafe, Cheesetique. Del Ray Pizzeria is a good place for happy hour - great prices on bar food and beers - though I can't say much for the pizza.
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Evening Star Cafe
2000 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301
La Strada
1905 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301
Looking for pork belly
Try calling Let's Meat on the Avenue in Del Ray. If he doesn't have it on hand, he'll be happy to order it for. Last time I ordered, it was there 24 hours laters.
Looking for some Must-Eats in Alexandria, VA
And make a reservation on a Sunday and you get a big family style meal for $20. An unbelievable deal, besides being consistently awesome.
Looking for some Must-Eats in Alexandria, VA
Del Merei unfortunately closed a few months ago, and all of the other places in that strip are soon to follow suit, as the owners are re-doing that entire building. Cafe Pizzaiolo just shut down in that location.
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Cafe Pizzaiolo
507 23rd St S, Arlington, VA 22202
Downtown Korean food carts
There's a new (yellow) truck that's been at 12th & F for several weeks serving bulgogi and bibimbop. Went once and liked it.
Againn. How is it?
I thought the corned beef was quite good. Not the best I've ever had (probably Deli City) but tasty. It came with a nice little assortment of pickled vegetables, which I always appreciate. The sandwich that has my eye, though, is the BLT, which I am looking forward to trying next time I get over there.
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Deli City Restaurant
2200 Bladensburg Rd NE, Washington, DC 20018
Babes in the Woods...
I encountered them exactly twice at the Clarendon market on Wednesdays a couple of years ago. I bought a couple of loin chops one of the times they were there and they were really good.
new TaKorean truck
Checked out the TaKorean truck today on their first day. Got there early and got really quick service. Not sure how the rest of the day went. Had one of each of their tacos and liked them quite a bit. Not the greatest, but would certainly visit again.
Here's the relevant excerpt of my review from my blog (you can read the rest at http://istuffmyface.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/with-korean-tacos-from-takorean/ )
The chicken taco was solid, though the slaw, crema, and sriracha really dominated the taco. But, honestly, that was fine because it was really tasty. The tofu one with the kimchi slaw also tasted mostly of the spicy slaw, but the tofu itself was also a little sweet and nicely chewy. Between the two, I prefer the tofu one, surprisingly. But either is a good choice. I saved the steak one for last. Having a slightly more assertive flavor, the steak held up to the loud flavors of the slaw and sriracha and was overall my favorite of the three. The steak and chicken were cut into small bite-size pieces which I was very appreciative of, making it really easy to eat. The tacos themselves were generously filled, so I’d even say you’d be fine ordering just two.
And the prices are hard to beat. $2.50 for a single, or three for $7.
Pizzeria Orso
I went on Saturday night and opted to sit at the bar instead of waiting for a table. The bartender and staff were attentive and helpful. The menu was decent. We started with the fried mussels and fennel salad. The mussels were excellent. Salad was good enough.
As for the pizza we split an Orso - lots of cheese - and the broccoli rabe and sausage one - to which we added tomato puree. The pizzas should've and would've been great. However, there was so much burnt flour on the bottom-side of the crust that it completely overwhelmed the rapini and sausage pie (not subtle flavors) and mostly overwhelmed the Orso with an acrid, bitter taste. A little disappointing, but of course, it didn't keep us from completely polishing off everything.
Has anyone tried Kushi yet?
You get a little bit of pickled vegetables, miso, and rice. The last couple of visits I've gotten the $18 deal which is any 3 skewers, a california roll (with actual crab) and 2 pieces of nigiri.
Has anyone tried Kushi yet?
I've been methodically working through the skewer menu. Only a couple have been disappointing -- wagyu strip loin and wasabi chicken -- the others I've had have all been fantastic -- duck sausage, pork belly, wagyu short rib, okra, chicken with plum sauce, pork rib. The pork rib in particular is my favorite. The lunch deal of $12 for any 3 skewers is a scream of a deal, considering the wagyu ones are usually $10 a piece.
Zola on the Go cart?
Went down to 7th & F again, and sure enough the Zola on the Go cart was there again. Talked to the guy running it, but unfortunately was not able to order anything, as he was having propane issues. I did find out that they'll be there everyday in the summer.
So, the menu is all sliders -- hot & cold. Not sure how many come in an order, but each of the items below is $5 or 6. They also had whoopie pies, fruit, and handmade chips.
Here's what I can recall from memory. There were a bunch more hot that I can't recall right now, but just the 3 cold.
Cold
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Mortadella & Romano
Caprese
Roasted Vegetable
Hot
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Veal & lamb mini brats
Lamb meatball
Lamb bbq
Zola on the Go cart?
Was strolling through chinatown on lunch break and came across a lunch cart on the corner of 7th & F (right around the corner from the Sauca truck.) I work around the corner and had never seen it before.I looked briefly at the menu, and there were a variety of sliders and some sandwiches. I'd assume they're affiliated with Zola's, but there was also a DC Central Kitchen sign, too.
Anyone know anything about this cart? Is that it's usual spot?
Couldn't find any information on the zoladc.com nor dccentralkitchen.org
VA Beach/Hampton/Norfolk lunch recs?
Am off to the VA Beach / Hampton / Norfolk area next week for a couple of days mid-week.
Looking for good lunch spots around there (or between DC and there for the way there or back.) Price not really an issue -- anywhere from dirt cheap to high-end welcomed. Just looking for something good and highly recommended.
where to get cannoli shells?
anyone know where to get some pre-made/fried cannoli shells?
thanks.
Fresh Cornichon Cucumbers?
I found some tiny pickling cukes at my local (Crystal City) farmer's market. The vendor had actually set them aside from all of their others, and I bought them all. So, check your local farmer's market. A lot of the vendors have pickling cucumbers right now.
dinner near Ram's Head in Annapolis
thanks. found Purple Tooth on yelp, and think that's where we're headed.
dinner near Ram's Head in Annapolis
driving up from DC to see a show Tuesday night and am looking for a nice spot for dinner, besides eating at the Ram's Head. Any good ideas? Wouldn't necessarily have to be a quick meal, but not a long leisurely one either.
Thanks.
Sushi but no Sushi Taro?
we're trying to solve this same dilemma of replacing sushi taro.
Went to Sakana on Saturday and was not that impressed. Had only one decent roll -- the Sakana DC roll. Everything else was pretty bland, actually.
Back to the drawing board for us...
Anchor Porter?
Chevy Chase Wine and Spirits is the find of the year. Thanks so much for the recommendation. Went last night and got a screaming deal on a case of Anchor Porter. And they have so many other choices I rarely see around town.
Anchor Porter?
Anyone know a store around town that sells Anchor Porter (not Steam)? This is one of my all-time favorites, but since moving from the west coast, I gave up hope of ever finding it. Except, I discovered that Pete's Apizza in Columbia Heights has it in bottles. Would love to find a place to get a six-pack of own.
source for duck legs?
Looking to make some duck confit for a NYE dinner. I've found whole ducks at WFM in Clarendon, but they don't appear to just sell legs. Anyone know somewhere around town who might sell duck parts?
Thanks.
dinner near An Die Musik (409 N Charles)
thanks for the recommendations. Decided on Sotto Sopra, and it was excellent. We had the calamari, arugula salad, duck ravioli, and veal agnolotti. All were really really good.
dinner near An Die Musik (409 N Charles)
coming up on Saturday to see an 8:00 show at An Die Musik and looking for good options within walking distance nearby. Price isn't a huge issue, but, like everyone, the cheaper the better. Places with prix fixe/pre-theater options also welcome.
Been to the Helmand which was great, but would like to try something new.
Thanks.
The BEST coffee and/or espresso inside the beltway?
I will echo the Java Shack recommendation. Excellent iced americano!
