DCVegEats

Had this on the "to visit" list long before Covid.  There was a fire that shut it down for months on end, they re-opened, and then the plague hit.  And so there was a certain amount of anticipation in finally being able to go there.   Much like my tour of Columbia Pike I got a veggie combo and Sambusa.  The Sambusa was outstanding.  Complex, layered textures and flavors with a delightful dipping sauce made it something to savor.  There was crunchy, soft, spicy, warm, sweet and a slight tang.   The veggie combo was more so-so.  Portions were small and some items had nice seasoning but nothing stood out as being memorable.  I tried getting the standards.  There was the Atar, a yellow split pea dish.  It was listed as mild but was so mild that I tasted only the split peas and none of the ginger or turmeric.  I got the Mesir, a spicy Berbere red lentil dish.  It had nice heat and was, as usual, one of my favorite picks.  There was Tikel Gomen, the cabbage/potato dish I usually li

This new addition to Glebe Road has been a darling of the local food critics and a favorite of some friends and family but I have to say that a recent visit made it clear it is neither veg-friendly nor a particularly good choice for those wanting to eat healthy. The menu online doesn't reflect what is on the actual menu and on the day I arrived the only sort-of healthy option on the menu was the yogurt.  I paired this with Hash Browns, figuring I could count that as both my carbs and fats for the day.  The other options were either loaded with sugar or had meat. As we sat there a large truck drove up to the back.  After getting my food I realized this must have been delivering the food.  For a diner they offer no fresh eggs and it was clear that the kitchen was mostly about reheating pre-made food or adding water (for things like the oatmeal).   My yogurt with "strawberry, local honey and granola" was a cup -- much like what you buy at DCA before flying.  The "strawb

Inspired by articles of women-owned restaurants in the area I decided, a while back, to Goldilocks style it and try out three of the Ethiopian restaurants of the Pike, each owned and run by women.  The choices were:  Dama Pastry and Restaurant (1505 Columbia Pike), Bethel Cafe (3045 Columbia Pike) and Meaza Restaurant (5700 Columbia Pike).  A note:  Dama and Bethel show up with different names on a Google search -- Ethio and Ayana respectively.  The "Greens and Teff" vegan Ethiopian appears to have vanished or merged with Bethel/Ayana (???)  In any case, I got a veggie combo at each location and a Sambusa at Bethel and Meaza.  Each dish came with roughly the same items -- a salad option (often shredded cabbage), yellow and red lentil mixes, a veg option (potatoes and carrots or a dark greens dish), and cabbage.  All offered an extra piece of Injera (wonderfully squishy fermented Ethiopian bread) in addition to the Injera the food was on.  Portions were large and very filli