DCVegEats

Don't get over to the Navy Yard side of town very often so it was a treat to wander through this burgeoning neighborhood taking in the sights and sounds.  Osteria Morini is a lovely Italian restaurant right on the river with cozy wood tables, comfortable chairs and outstanding wait staff.  The food was also quite nice although I would say that everything was a tad "different" -- in a good way.  Started with the Burrata Antipasti.  Rather than a Burrata ball, it was a flat dish, with the cheese either melted down or scraped out from the center, then chilled.  It was topped with candied walnuts (the menu said pumpkin seeds), apples (soaked in something) and shaved fennel.  It felt dessert-like -- a kind of rich cream with a subtle hint of cheese and sweet toppings.  Not at all what I expected but when it comes to Burrata, I will try anything and everything.  It was particularly spectacular when slathered onto a warm slice of the house-made Rosemar...

Been meaning to check out this new entry to Ballston, a local chain which has two other locations in the area.  Like many restaurants in the DC Metro, the owners have a focus on sustainability and giving back, which is nice.  Unfortunately, I was pretty underwhelmed by their food.  There were the garlic knots, which are replete with garlic but very, very small.  When I think garlic knot I think bun-sized.  These were finger sized.  By making them small you lose the soft center and basically have all-crunch, which isn't ideal.  They came with a tomato sauce which tasted fresh but was overly sweet, in my humble opinion.  I'm also picky about my pie -- I prefer more tomato to cheese, which is not typical in America, I've found.  For that reason I order Margherita Pizzas where ever I can find them.  The Margherita here is ... unique.  Covered in Burrata Mozzarella rather than standard Mozzarella, the topping is hugely rich, almost too...