Taste of DC

As some of you know, I returned to my old East Coast stomping ground last week. The great thing about this is that I got to revisit some of my favorite eateries. I wish I could have done them all, but I was trying not to be a total gourmand. That being said, this post is dedicated to my favorite eats and my favorite DC spots. Feel free to comment and tell me some of your favorite spots in DC! In alphabetical order:

Bob & Edith’s Diner (Arlington, VA)

This authentic 24-hour diner is one of my favorite spots. It's totally no frills, but serves up great satisfying eats for cheap. You walk in and seat yourself. Look past all the memorabilia of the owner and his family, who still own and run the place, to the blackboard with daily specials. You can get breakfast, lunch, dinner, and pies made fresh any hour of the day. 

I ordered a stack of Golden Pancakes with bacon (not shown) served with a slab of butter. 

Mike got a made to order omlette with peppers, bacon, with a side of home fries, and choice of toast. 

Mike and I left so happy and full! 

Carlyle

If you are ever in DC and want to get out of the District for eats that will please every palette, pop over to the quaint but hip Shirlington neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia. I recommend always calling ahead, since this restaurant can get packed with wait up to an hour some days. It has great salads, grilled salmon, and the night they had great appetizer special. It was a crab and spinach artichoke dip.  This dip only lasted about another ten minutes, it was amazing.

 

Coastal Flats

You might recognize similarities between this Tysons Corner eatery with the last spot and it's because the two places are part of the same restaurant group, Great American Restaurants. The best non-food part of Coastal Flats is the decor. The restaurant embodies the feel of a large southern porch. From the outside of the restaurant, which actually opens up into the Tysons Corner mall, but while you wait seat lazily on the "porch" in big white rocking chairs or wicker chairs...again, call ahead.

Below is one of my favorite desserts ever: old fashioned banana pudding. I love bananas! I don't talk about it much, but I promise to do a tribute to bananas. I tried to snap a picture, but it's way too good, thus all three of us (Kristi Williams, Kate Fujikawa, and I) took huge bites out of our respective sides. It consists of banana pudding, caramelized wafer cookie crumbles, brown sugar, and caramelized bananas, topped with whipped cream. 


The pudding could only be overshadowed by delicious delightful pieces of doughy gold: aussie rolls. Ask anyone...especially Lauren Thorley. I'm sure she would tell you that if she could transfer anything to Mexico, it would be these delicious bites of dough. They serve them with a poppy seed sweet honey butter, but you don't even really need it. I've never had a cold one, because they don't last long enough, but I'm sure it would be just as delicious. 

One word of warning: service is not the greatest at the most interactive level aka interaction with your server, but don't be afraid to bring this to the attention of the management. They are great at rectifying any problems with free desserts and gift cards (this last time to the tune of $100.)

(favorite dinner item: Sauteed Shrimp and Creamy Grit Cakes, substitute the grit cakes for angel hair pasta. Trust me. favorite light fare: Mixed Field Greens Salad, I get it with no candied pecans and add goat cheese...yum!)

Guapo’s

Great Mexican food is hard to find, but Guapo's is able to deliver with huge spreads of hearty satisfying, and often daring Mexican food. Let's cut to the chase...what'd we eat.

Lindi Haws (formerly Williams) ordered a the Fiesta Salad, which consisted of Chicken or Steak fajitas smothered with barbeque sauce over a bed of Romaine lettuce, Monterrey Jack Cheese, flour tortilla chips, red onions and tomatoes. Tossed in honey mustard. Lindi astutely added rice and beans, making this a delicious filling salad, much too big for just one at lunch.

I decided to go for enchiladas, but not just chicken, beef, or cheese enchiladas, something a bit more daring. Pork? Nope. Spinach! I know it sounds crazy, but I thought of all of you when i ordered them. I need to show you that ordering things that sound odd or even unappetizing could be just what you're looking for. I ordered Spinach Enchiladas with a tomatillo sauce. It was amazing. Lindi and I are convinced they sauteed the spinach in butter before putting it in the enchilada. I ate both of these hearty enchiladas, but barely finished the rice and beans at all. 

Despite the fact Lindi and I were stuffed, we had to have some fried ice cream. For those of you you haven't had this delicious fatty and creamy dessert, please get to your nearest Mexican cantina and try it. This one is served on a crispy cinnamon galleta. Thank goodness Kristi came and helped, because we couldn't stop eating, but also shouldn't have just split it between the two of us.

enough said. 

Mai Thai

I had to include this Old Town Alexandria waterfront Thai restaurant that overlooks the Potamac River. It serves all the expected Thai cusine included pad thai and panang curry (my personal favorite), but also has season specials that gives Mai Thai it's modern gastronomical edge. Below is one of my favorite seasonal appetizers, crab, shrimp, cilantro, cabbage, and other goodies wrapped around a crab leg by lumpia wrappers. It's so crispy and dives perfectly into the tangy glaze served with this light, yet hearty appetizer perfect for pre-dinner or just drinks affair. Only problem: when it's not on the menu, servers have no idea what you're talking about...so eat up while they last!



Matchbox

I love this DC Chinatown modern brick oven pizza joint so much that I shuffled friends and families across town on a busy Sunday afternoon for my law school graduation dinner. It's not your average neighborhood pizza spot. Originally, only 15 feet wide and three stories high, Matchbox recently acquired neighboring buildings for much needed expansion. However, you'll still find a wait up to over 2 hours on weekend nights, where no reservations or call aheads are allowed. They won't even seat you without your whole party. Tables are cozy and each is home to glass encased vintage matchboxes. 

Matchbox serves much more than pizza, although it gets that just right. You can have light and flavorful ahi tuna salads, crabcake sandwiches, or steak and fries. Pizzas have just as much variety from a pepperoni to a fire and smoke pizza topped with smoke gouda and peppers. Here are some of my favorites:

Mini-burgers--> medium with mozzarella ("Donna P." aka my Mom loves loves loves these!) They are topped with onion strings and served with ketchup, though neither need it. Please trust me...they are worth the trip.

Matchbox Meat. This thin wood-fired pie is topped with pepperoni, sweet Italian sausage, crispy bacon, zesty tomato sauce, and mozzarella. It is savory and balanced. I wish I could eat a whole small one myself, but I have yet to meet that dream. 

Matchbox has now opened for brunch on weekends where one can find a hangover pizza topped with eggs and hot sauce or your traditional waffles and stuffed french toast. I suggest going for late lunch, after the working lunch rush and enjoying the bright modern atmosphere, attentive efficient service, and unmatched deliciousness. 


missing notable locales: Below are some of my other favorite spots in D.C.  that I didn't get to go to. I am not going to say much about them except that they are amazing and shouldn't be missed. I missed them, but only because I wanted to be able to fit into my jeans when I got back to Salt Lake, so I'm going to ask my friends who have been to any of these spots to comment on them and tell you what they think! Please participate if you have been for everyone else who hasn't! (P.S. Each place is linked to a description or their website.)

Baked & Wired

Billy Goat’s

Five Guys*

* Now in Utah!

Kanlaya

O’Connells Brewery & Pub

Whole Foods

This needs a caveat. I know you think we have Whole Foods in Utah...we're lucky if it's even half-foods. Get yourself to another state and you'll see how much we're missing. This location in Old Town Alexandria is my favorite with it's huge, clean and delicious salad bar, to rotating global fares, sushi chefs, stone baked pizzas, and huge bakery...it's clearly the best grocery store ever. They have fishmongers, cheesemongers, and sommeliers. Best. Period. 



Zaytinya