Busboys and Poets

I don't know how I've gone to DC so many times but never visited Busboys and Poets. Thankfully Ms. S made sure that this trip would include a visit. I arrived at the U Street location on 14th street a little early and spent quite some time admiring the space. There are multiple seating options including traditional tables, couches and a few things in between. I also explored the bookstore, which had some inspiring books, and I had to resist buying everything in there. When Ms. S arrived we were sitting in the room with the stage. The menu reminded me of a diner menu because it had so many options. I ordered the French Toast, eggs, and turkey sausage.

The French Toast looked really dry when it arrived and I wasn't sure I would enjoy it. Looks definitely deceive because it tasted incredible! The turkey sausage and eggs were pretty standard fare. Though I must admit that any restaurant with turkey sausage gets extra points from me! Ms. S was far more adventurous. She ordered the Peanut Butter Panini.

Yup! She sure did. It was filled with banana slices and honey. She really enjoyed it but did state it was too bready. I will say the sweet potato fries were delicious!!

My first trip to Busboys and Poets will certainly not be my last. I look forward to dining there for other meals and also attending an open mic night or two.

Hungry yet?

Lupe Cantina

After good times at the spot next door we were famished! The manager or owner of Lupe Cantina stopped us outside and asked our group to come in. We negotiated a pretty good deal and decided to enter. The menu had a lot of options but our table ended up with a lot of repeats.

The Soft Tacos were my dish of choice.

I requested the flour tortillas stuffed with chicken. It included lettuce, cilantro, onions and pico de gallo. I wasn't expecting much but the chicken was surprisingly well seasoned. It was served with rice and beans which only made it better.  Ms. S and her Mr. K ordered the Chicken taquitos.

Three corn tortillas rolled with marinated chicken and deep fried.  They definitely enjoyed it. A little crunch goes a long way. Enchiladas were also a favorite at our table. 

Corn tortillas green or red lupe sauce. It was served with rice and refried beans.  Mr. S ordered the Fajitas.

The sizzling platter of sweet peppers, onions and cilantro was served with three tortillas, rice and refried beans. Ms. G and Mr. S ordered the Chicken nachos.

I must admit I had a little food envy when their Molcajete plate arrived.  The homemade tortillas chips were topped with refried beans, melted mozzarella, lettuce, guacamole, salsa, jalapeños, queso fresco and sour cream. Presentation wise, this was definitely one if the better looking dishes that we ordered.

Overall Lupe Cantina was uninspiring. The food was fine but I've eaten a better version of each dish elsewhere. The atmosphere is lively and if you bring the right group of people with you, you could end up staying there for a while. That's exactly what we did.

Hungry yet?

Meiwah

Since she absconded the NYC jurisdiction earlier this year, Ms. S is now one of my DMV peeps. She was taking a leisurely lunch so she joined me for a feast at Meiwah. In my quest to find a restaurant halfway between us, I discovered Meiwah.  

It was still warm enough so we sat outside. It was pretty crowded but didn't take too long for our waitress to stop by and take our order. Although I generally don't like to share, it seemed the logical thing to do at a place where I wanted everything off the menu. We started with the Combination Lo Mein.

It's usually a mixture of beef, chicken and shrimp. We went beefless and it was still fantastic. I have to admit any place that thinks to offer a combination ranks high on my list. I mean why should I have to choose?! We also ordered the Hunan chicken.

Spectacular! The flavors were right and the crunch assured me that the veggies were fresh not frozen. At the end of the meal our plates were empty. My mouth is watering a little as I write this entry. They were kind enough to bring us a few slices of orange after they cleared our plates. They looked so good that I ate some before I photographed it. Oops!

Meiwah definitely hit the spot. It is the perfect place for lunch. Though I don't know that I would want to go back to work as full as I felt, but it was too hard to resist cleaning my plate.

Hungry yet?

White and Church

Last June, I had the pleasure of attending the soft opening for White and Church. I found the menu on NY Magazine's webpage and hoped that I'd get a chance to sample a few items. Unfortunately, the star of that evening was the 60 option cocktail menu. Nevertheless I was in love with the space. The dramatically high ceilings, the well lit bar area that was thankfully not backed by a mirror and the two elevated semi private alcoves. I vowed to come back and try the food. Another opportunity arrived a few weeks ago when I received an invitation to the fall grand opening. At that event, White and Church had introduced its projector.

Italian films with subtitles were projected on one of the walls. It was something like an art installation. That night, I fell in love with the Fried Polenta.  A few days later I returned for a press dinner and for the first time, I saw White and Church as it should be. A glorious modern space that was elegant and classic yet had a comfortable "I could eat here everyday" feel. I was extremely excited when I saw the tasting menu.  We started with a Tomato and Bread soup.

The chef Matteo Boglione sent this dish out to "open our stomachs" for the meal to come. The aroma of fresh basil instantly drew me in. The soup was perfect. If I've learned anything from eating at Italian restaurants, it's the importance of the tomato. The tomato was definitely the star in this dish and it shined brightly. The next item on the tasting menu was Stuffed Green Olives.

A fried green olive stuffed with pork, veal and pistachio mortadella. Since I don't eat any of the proteins in that particular dish, Matteo was kind enough to provide me with a Farro Salad.

Yum-my! A plate of farro, baby artichokes, pecorino cheese and tomato confit…all for me! If you’ve been reading my blog you know I’m not a salad eater. This salad was a big shocker because I actually thought it was delicious! Next up was my absolute favorite dish the Pecorino Cheese Crème Brulee.

This dish was amazing. It was extremely sweet yet filling. I am definitely adding pecorino to my list of cheeses!  We received a welcome addition to our menu in the form of my love, the Fried Polenta.

What I don’t understand about this amazing dish is how something fried and crispy can still be light and fluffy.  Matteo really out did himself this time. The Fried Polenta was served with Parmesan Cheese Fondue.  The sweetness of the Parmesan is perfect for the polenta., which is why I sent it for a little swim :)

I was also pleased with the Artichoke Croquettes.

They were chillingly good. No, seriously, I got goosebumps! The saffron sauce, burrata cheese and black truffle shavings melded well together. The truffle scent was predominant but not overpowering.  The Farfalle Pasta was another venture into heaven.

Of course the pasta was al dente. The tomatoes, arugula and pesto were well blended yet distinct and the pecorino cheese left me with a “holy cow!” feeling. By the time the Burrata Cheese Ravioli arrived, I thought I was no longer interested in eating.

But it smelled so good; I almost ate it without photographing it first! I definitely wanted another bite of this one and stared at my empty plate for quite some time.  Luckily the Tuna Steak arrived shortly after.

It was served with eggplant cream, fried artichokes, caramelized black olives and basil oil.  I was so full at that point but still managed to eat every bite of this dish.  Thankfully that was the end of our entrées.  The deep fried rice ball was extremely sweet.

Definitely not something I would order, but I can see why others would want it. I mean who turns down sugar?  The chocolate cake was far more interesting to me!

Creamy deliciousness. I could have eaten the whole thing by myself.  

White and Church is really a fantastic restaurant. It has blossomed in the last 3 months and I really hope it continues to grow. A lot of the focus is on the astounding cocktail list. That’s all good and well, but a restaurant is about food! I hope White and Church doesn’t suffer the fate of its predecessor. Matteo is a talented chef. The menu has a lot of variety and something to please everyone. His price point is also currently extremely low. Right now he is practically giving the food away! I’m looking forward to returning soon to eat larger portions and sample a few of the items that weren’t on our menu.

Hungry yet?

Ichiban Sushi

Woohoo! I had a chance to visit my peeps last month so it was a wonderful weekend filled with great eats. First stop was Ms. G's lovely neighborhood in Bowie. We went to the town center to enjoy a variety of Asian cuisine that they serve at Ichiban. After a great sushi experience in Miami Ms. G is ready to try most things. We still decided not to get too adventurous so we started with a Rainbow Roll.

Pretty, right? Salmon, tuna, yellowtail layered on a roll filled with crabmeat, avocado, cucumber,  & asparagus. YUM! The asparagus was a welcome surprise, because most places don’t put asparagus in that roll.  We were quite happy with our sushi but we decided we also needed something hot.  We ordered Broccoli brown sauce with chicken.

Another great dish! The portion was large which made my stomach smile. The broccoli was fresh and they didn't overcook it so I could still get a crunch each time I bit into it. After all that you'd think we were done but we still had some room left so we ordered another roll.

This Salmon and Avocado roll disappeared quickly and we were finally full. The portions at Ichiban are perfect for sharing but you may still find yourself ordering more than you anticipated. The menu isn't particularly creative but each dish was well executed. I recommend stopping in after shopping in the town centre. It'll be perfect for refueling.

Hungry yet?