DCVegEats

Announcements about new openings for the much delayed food hall at Ballston Quarter (it was originally scheduled to open in the fall) led me to make a stop there this afternoon.  Or try to.  The "getting there" was difficult.  Wilson Blvd was shut down from Henderson to Randolph and walking from a parking spot a few blocks away meant trying to cross an intersection without functioning signal lights, traversing through a recently sodded field and using a sidewalk that has big signs around it saying "will close April 1st."  No foolin.  When you finally get there you have to navigate through and behind a covered walkway to access the plaza, and finally the food hall.  Inside are the following:  A sports bar.  A barbecue joint.  A sandwich place with four sandwich offerings -- all meat.  A pizza place with no pizza.  A "bao bun" shop with one veggie option.  A rice bowl place which had run out of salad greens and was running low on rice.  And an ice cream pl

A souk is a middle-eastern market.  This little spot near Eastern Market was a delight to walk into, with the smell of spices and teas weaving through the establishment.  Selecting three of the bakery items I was able to sample their wares from savory to sweet.  The most entrancing of the selections was a Frangipane Rosemary tart.  The combination was fascinating and unique, like many of the offerings here.  Firm on the sides and nicely soft in the center, there was only a hint of Rosemary and an unexpected bit of sweetness provided by some candied fruit on the top.  Next up was the Aged Cheddar Scallion Biscuit which had terrific buttery layers and a dusting of herbs and salt on the firm top.  Last up was one of the largest Chocolate Croissants I have ever seen.  It is definitely something to share with a friend.  It was also somewhat different in that it had the paper-thin layers inside but wasn't crumbly.  The plentiful chocolate inside was someone pedestrian but good, just no

Much ballyhooed Chiko was a mixed bag for me. On the plus side:  Staff was very friendly and greeted me coming in the door.  The cold peanut noodles were delightful and included boiled peanuts and Asian pear slices (it worked).  The Furikake butter rice was listed as "vegetarian" (Furikake typically includes dried fish) so I took them at their word.  The dish was yummy and resulted in no stomach upset so I'm assuming the description was accurate and this was "Yuzu Furikake, a veggie version).  The Sichuan Spicy Cucumbers were delightfully sharp and lasted a few days.  For takeout, environmentally responsible packaging was used and they avoided the wasteful soy sauce packs I usually toss. On the down side:  The Wok Blistered Chinese Broccoli was good but not better than the garlic broccoli offered at many Chinese restaurants in the area.  I also didn't care for the large number of mushrooms included in the dish.  The rice cakes were listed as vegetarian but

I must have missed something.  Spoons, which have been around far longer than forks, are disappearing from the restaurant scene.  It's not just the high-end places, mediocre restaurants are no longer offering a full set of silverware either.  It's just a fork and a knife.  And yet, they have things in bowls.  I'm sorry, but if you serve something in a bowl, isn't a spoon kind of a prerequisite?  Didn't the bowl run off with the spoon in some children's rhyme?  Are spoons more expensive than knives and forks?  Are they too hard to clean?  Honestly, I don't get it.  I don't even get the selection.  Why eliminate the ubiquitous spoon?  Why not the knife?  This isn't the middle ages where diners had to stab at some dish with a knife they carried around with them.  This is the 21st century.  We like our salads.  With the exception of buttering bread now and then I haven't had a single dish in the last few years which required a knife.  But eating da

Part of the group which runs Rasika, Bibiana and other high-end restaurants, newly opened Olivia is a worthy addition.  Some elements were fantastic, some need a little work, but the overall package is very, very nice.  A stunning interior feels upscale and cozy all at the same time.  In the bar section, where I was seated for lunch, there is a dark wood floor which meets up with a decorative tile, evocative of the Mediterranean vibe the restaurant is working to represent.  Painted brick walls stretch up to a ceiling replete with faux ivy interspersed with retro light bulbs.  The effect is chic yet warm and reminiscent of the latest episodes of "Property Brothers."  Ushered to a comfortable chair with a woven back near one of their large windows, I was able to look down on the street as I ate (the restaurant is a half-story up from the street with 1930s era window designs, adding to the sense of elegance.)  Contemporary cool jazz and instrumental world music piped through t

Advertised as both Indian and Nepalese, I stopped in for a weekday lunch buffet.  Finding little different from a standard Indian menu the one selection which seemed to hail from Nepal were these little lentil balls.  Surprising on several levels (they were served cold and were a bit more zippy than expected), they didn't rise to awesome.  Unfortunately, nothing here did.  Everything about the place is pretty average, from a 1950s restaurant design to the food, which was "okay".  Given that it was a buffet I was able to sample a good number of dishes.  Everything seemed fresh but nothing stood out and a few offerings were downright bland.  I had the roasted cauliflower curry, which was watery, and the yellow dal and spinach/corn curry which were adequate but forgettable.  The rice had a teeny bit of anise added but disappeared under the dal.  The bread was good but as unremarkable as everything else.  I could have added a number of sauces to zip things up.  They had the

One of the newer additions to the Wharf, this is advertised as a "three level" Italian eatery, but it is actually four.  I did take-out from their ground floor marketplace, which has everything from fresh pasta to olives to meat.  Half a level up from there is a cafe for a slice of pie (both pizza options were vegetarian) and a drink.  Above that is supposedly a mid-range sit-down restaurant and on the top floor is the elegant dining option.  I selected from two large rectangular pizzas.  They were called pizzas but looked more like oversized focaccia.  One was a traditional style -- olive oil, rosemary, rock salt and Romano cheese.  The other was covered in plentiful crushed Italian tomatoes with baby basil and the prerequisite olive oil.  Both were delightful.  The crust appears thick but is actually that fermented dough which produces lots of holes while cooking.  The result is a crunchy, crumbly crust which has a touch of tang and doesn't leave you filled up.  The t

Flying out of DCA at ungodly hours of the morning is a pain.  Doing so on a rushed breakfast or empty stomach is worse.  Fortunately, airport cuisine has improved a good bit since back in the day.  The last time I flew out I was able to grab a variety of items from a "mini-mart" of sorts in Concourse A.  This time, I went into the Georgetown Gourmet Market on Concourse C.  In addition to fruit and yogurt I selected my go-to fave, a tomato-mozzarella sandwich.  An hour later, on the plane, I really enjoyed it.  Super-fresh ingredients and a thin but rich bread made for a satisfying sandwich.  My only wish was for pesto, which would have given a needed kick to an otherwise good but unassuming dish.  Somewhat pricey but worth a second visit as options are limited.  As an egg eater I am frustrated that no one at the airport seems to have egg sandwich options, but I quibble.  This made for a great substitute.  As I have a good deal of travel coming up, there will likely be more

For years I avoided Mexican food, which I felt was heavy and fat-laden.  This was reinforced by a good number of Happy Hour type restaurants, which serve nachos up so drenched in cheese and topics that one can't find the chips.  Fortunately, a few years ago, I stumbled upon Guapo's Shirlington.  The food was fresh and light.  The large menu allows for "healthy choices" to be made.  I began to enjoy Mexican food again.  Curious about the new location on the Georgetown Waterfront I had the chance to stop by last week.  While there is no view of the river they make the most of the location.  Upscale lighting and elegant wall coverings mix with concrete columns and bare floor.  Glass exterior walls allows diners to appreciate the fountain (or ice skating, depending on the season).  The menu is, again, fairly large and even though special meal requests are not listed it is easy to pick through and find vegetarian options (vegans may have to settle for the fajitas or ensa

Expanding from Mosaic and Bethesda to the Wharf, I was able to stop in for a late breakfast/early lunch recently.  More spare in design than I expected, the white decor, steel chairs and glassed outside wall gave a fresh feel on a cool, grey day.  I selected one of my favorites for lunch, a tomato-mozzarella sandwich with pesto.  I also had a twist on my adored chocolate croissant, selecting the pistachio chocolate variety instead.  The sandwich was good.  The bread seemed to be a cross between a baguette and a ciabatta.  The tomatoes and mozzarella were nicely fresh and well balanced.  Unlike my other tomato mozzarella sandwiches of late, there was plentiful pesto, which created a good solid base that added flavor to the dish.  The croissant was equally enjoyable with a fluffy, buttery inside and "enough" filling.  The one surprise was a sugar glaze on the top of the croissant, something which is not standard.  Almost unnecessary it thankfully wasn't overwhelming and si

This fast-food chain comes from South Africa and is more than one would think.  Upscale interiors make the various establishments look like full-service restaurants.  Known for their chicken, everything here is covered in "Peri-Peri" sauce which has varying degrees of fire and a nice undertone of sweetness.  Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Nut Free and Lactose Free selections are all highlighted on the menu and yes, there are some good choices for vegetarians.  On this particular visit I got the Veggie Burger and selected the garlic bread as my side.  The garlic bread was incredibly good.  Baked on bread which bears some relationship to the Hawaiian style soft rolls, it was toasted to perfection and "replete" with garlic and flavor.  Maybe not the best choice for the calorie conscious it is definitely one of those things worth splurging on if not eaten too often.  The burger was well cooked and one of the better veggie burgers I have had -- not dry or mushy or spongy.  S