Roll'd and Sidekick

Finally, a few things at Ballston Quarter worth going back for. Roll'd, a sushi place with a few other options has veggie dumplings which were exquisite. Hand-made dough which was nicely chewy and a cabbage/carrot/corn filling that delights made for a great appetizer. It looked like there were other options (one sushi, a beet poke bowl and some sides) which are also veggie but weren't listed as such so I just tried the dumplings. Fortunately, based on the goodness of the dumplings I think I will likely give this place a second try. There is also Sidekick, a quirky bakery partner to Ted's Bulletin, which also just opened. Offering some very "different" items (a Reuben croissant, amongst others) it initially seems to be a focus on volume more than quality but that was challenged a bit in the items I took home to try. The Everything Croissant (cream cheese and everything bagel flavoring) and the Frostee + Fries Croissant (chocolate malted & french fry creams) were actually pretty good. The croissants looked overdone but were incredibly buttery and light. The fillings were plentiful and rich (the french fry cream actually tastes like salty vanilla) but too concentrated in the center. The croissants are like donuts with the fillings injected. It would work better if the ingredients were rolled in. I chose to squish the croissants to distribute the fillings better. They are also very large -- easily enough for two. The Strawberry Duo Cookie was an incredibly moist (and large) mix of a cookie and a tart that had a remarkable resemblance in taste to the Strawberry Shortcake bars I used to buy as a kid. The Caramel Popcorn Eclair was light and not-too-sweet, although the caramel and popcorn flavors are subtle, at best. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (again, too large for one) had two layers of fluffy, souffle-like chocolate surrounding a hard peanut butter center. It should be noted that they have a trademarked frozen treat, and half of these were listed as vegan. Nothing was knock it out of the park fabulous but better than Buzz Bakery down the street. Worth another visit if only to explore more of their savory options. With these eating options along with True Food Kitchen now open, Ballston Quarter may now be a place I can finally count on for a meal.

Comments

First Watch

Meant to invite some family members here but a friend beat me to the punch. We compromised and went together. Unfortunately, this is a place where it looks better than it is. Across the board. The funky design scheme makes it an echo chamber and, with the pumping music, very loud. Conversation was difficult. The menu is covered in glossy photos and descriptions of the food but ... I started with the Morning Meditation Fresh Juice, a pretty blend of citrus and beet. Or I tried to. Took three reminders to the waiter and when it finally arrived, halfway into the meal, it was 90% ice and 10% juice. My companions opted for coffee. It was ice cold. Another long wait (about 20 minutes) to get new coffee -- and included a reminder to staff that they wanted fresh cups as well. I ordered the Vegetarian Quinoa Bowl, which was described as having up to 12 ingredients. It had three. The quinoa, an egg, maybe two teeny slices of tomato past its prime. It wasn't hot or cold, just r

Afghan Bistro

With family members moving to Springfield, it has been a struggle to find good places to eat so far afield. After flirting with some chain restaurants near the mall, we tried a Pakistani restaurant (there are many, many Pakistani restaurants there), but it fell flat. Finally, someone suggested this amazing place. It's a little hole-in-the-wall in a strip mall. With oilcloth table coverings, the vibe seems questionable. For about a minute. Then you are warmly greeted and given menus with a plethora of choices. My party ordered a great number of items and every dish rose above expectations. The staff are eager to please and checked in to make sure everything was okay, from food to drink needs. When a member of my party dropped a piece of silverware on the floor one of the waiters swooped in with a replacement before we could even ask. But onto the food. We ordered the Potato and Leek turnovers, the Aushak (leek and scallion turnovers) and the Pumpkin dumplings, along with

RASA

The popular grain bowl trend gets a twist with this Indian-inspired takeout bowl place. Same concept -- a base, greens, toppings, etc., but the options are mostly Indian inspired and the majority of offerings are vegetarian (although not vegan, given the heavy use of Ghee in cooking). My take is mixed. Some of the items were outstanding, some less so. I got the Lemon Tumeric Rice, which was delightful. Fresh and tangy, with a little bite, it was one of the best rice dishes I've ever tried. On top of this I got the Tofu/Cauliflower protein. It was half and half. The cauliflower was perfectly roasted, the roasted onions delightful, and the nuts were a beautiful added crunch. The tofu, however, was watery, and the green and red peppers well past prime. Next, I added sauteed spinach, which was incredibly bland, and the peanut sesame sauce, which was "okay" but forgettable. I didn't do additional toppings, although there were plenty. I did get two of the mini s

DCVegEats

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