I’m not ashamed to admit it, but I’ve been here twice within the past week.  The first time was with my (now) former coworker, who wanted to show me what real Peruvian food tasted like.  Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera, so I had to go back.  (What can I say, I’m really dedicated to my job.)  The second time I brought my friend J, a law school student that I was able to convince to stop studying and get food with me.  He’s so nerdy and cute like that.

El Chalan is situated in the basement of a row house, so be careful or you might just miss it!  Both times that I went were for lunch and it was extremely busy.  But seeing as how most people there are on their lunch break, I can’t imagine a wait being too long.

The friendly staff starts you off with complimentary bread, butter, and spicy mustard.  (Warning: it’s really spicy!)  The bread, which had a hint of sweetness, was served warm so that it perfectly melted that buttah.  And I, nor either one of my lunch companions, were brave enough to slather that spicy mustard on our bread.

For drinks, my coworker recommended we try “El Chicha.”  It’s a sweet drink made of purple corn, cinnamon, and other goodies.  It tastes very similar to the Jamaican drink “sorrel.”  Although not a drink that would please all palates, I found it to be extremely refreshing.

The first time around, I ordered the Lomo Saltado, which is beef cooked with fried potatoes, tomatoes, and onions, all served with a side of rice.  The dish was simple yet very fresh and flavorful.

For my second time, I ordered the Cabrito Norteno, which is goat stewed in beer, vinegar, onion, and spice, served with a side of rice and beans.  The goat was stewed to perfection.  The meat fell off the bones and was so tender.  And the sauce was rich and delicious served over the rice.

And for my next visit, cause I have to bring my sister, I’m going to have to order their paella and chicken, which they warn you takes up to 25 minutes to make.  But if they are anything like their beef or goat dishes, I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait.

El Chalan

Address: 1924 I St NW

Phone: (202) 293-2765

Price: $10-25

So our intentions were to go to Churchkey for some of their fabulous drinks and food, but after being unable to fight/death glare our way into getting a table, we decided to take our business elsewhere.  Luckily, we didn’t have to walk very far when we found Logan Tavern, a place I’ve walked past a thousand times but never entered.  (I think I get distracted by the Lulu Lemon store that is two doors down, but who knows.)

Having never been there or even glanced at their menu, we were not sure what to expect.  But seeing as how it was my friend’s last day in the states for the next two years, she was delighted to find that they served good old American cuisine.  Their menu had an array of options, so it’s perfect for even the pickiest of eaters.  After much debate, my friend went with her first option of a burger with all their toppings, which consisted of bacon, mushrooms, avocado, and cheese.  With a mouth full of food, she so elegantly stated that although she’s had a better burger, the toppings really made it stand out.

I ordered the Wasabi encrusted meatloaf, which normally comes with a side of garlic mashed potatoes, but for an extra dollar, I was bold and substituted it for the crab and shrimp mac and cheese!  The meatloaf was moist and the Wasabi crust gave off a subtle heat.

And although it’s not your typical mac and cheese, think more of an alfredo sauce over pasta, it was still really cheesy, nicely seasoned, and I actually liked it better than most mac and cheese’s I’ve tried.

Also, my meal came with the soup of the day: chicken and black bean!

Logan Tavern’s good food and warm atmosphere makes it a place worth taverning…I mean traveling to.

www.Logantavern.com

Address: 1423 P Street Northwest

Phone: 202) 332-3710

Price: $4-30

After seeing DC’s very own Granville Moore featured on an episode of “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” I knew this place had to be phenomenal.  I mean would Bobby Flay (call me!) lead me astray?

The answer: Never.

Wanting to beat the rush, and cause we were famished, my sister and I headed to Granville Moore as soon as their kitchen opened.  (I swear we have really busy lives.)  Having already eaten there before (last time she had the Jalfrezi moules that she loved!), she wanted to try something new and went for Bleu moules, also known as the mussels that won them their victory on “Throwdown.”  Although, I am not a fan of bleu cheese, I still liked the sauce.  The blue cheese wasn’t overpowering or too salty like some blue cheeses can be.  Oh, and it didn’t hurt that the sauce also contained pork belly, shallots, spinach, white wine, and lemon.

Meanwhile, I’m a BIG fan of corn.  Really, who isn’t?  So I ordered the Spicy Corn moules, which had charred corn, lime, and a roasted garlic-chipotle cream.  The broth was perfection.  I could be given a bowl of only the broth and be content.  And just as I was about to ask for a spoon (can’t let the broth go to waste, now can I?), our waitress brought us out sides of bread to soak up our broth.  It’s like she read our minds…or just knew that the broth is just that good.

Also highly recommended are their frites.  The frites come with a large array of dipping sauces.  We went with the truffle aioli and the chipotle mayo.  I’m sorry ketchup…who?  You will not be missed.

Oh, and they also have an extensive beer list.  Beer lovers rejoice!

Even two (very full) bowls of mussels and fries later, it was safe to say, Granville left us wanting Moore.

Granville Moore

Address: 1238 H St, NE

Phone: 202-399-2546

Hours: Mon-Thu, Sun -5 p m-12 am // Fri-Sat 5 pm-3 am

Price: $4-20

I mean, I’m no Joey Chestnut or Takeru Kobayashi, but I’ve been known to eat a hot dog or eight two in my day.  So when I heard the masterminds behind Matchbox and Ted’s Bulletin (review pending) were opening DC-3, a hot dog restaurant, I knew I had to check it out.

Be warned these aren’t your typical street vendor dogs, I mean they sell those too, but for true hot dog fans, you will be very impressed (and stuffed) with their extensive menu.  Their hot dog creations are named by region like the Cinncinati Coney, Jersey Bacon-Wrapped Ripper, and even the Q’s Seoul Bulgogi & Kimchi.  And if those don’t interest you, you’re free to customize your own hot dog, or fill up on an array of other goodies like their sausages, vegetarian chili, corn dogs, fried pickles, and even cotton candy!

For my meal, I chose the Arkansas Razorback Red.  The hot dog alone is amazing; I mean it’s filled with cheese and bacon.  Can anyone find a complaint to that?  But then they go even further and top it with chili, coleslaw, and fried pickles.  The chili and coleslaw are good, but the fried pickles are even better.  Although I can’t say I have much experience in fried pickles, I can say that I will be ordering a whole side of them on my next visit.

And to satisfy my sweet tooth, I ordered some cotton candy.  As of right now, it only comes in grape, but they are looking into more flavors.  It was a nostalgic way to end the meal.

With its airplane theme and high top tables, DC-3 makes the dining experience fun and creative place to bring people of all ages.

Oh DC-3, you’ll always be a wiener in my heart.

DC-3

Address:  423 8th St SE

Phone: 202-546-1935

Hours: Sun-Thu 11 am-9 pm  Fri-Sat 11 am-10 pm

Price: Under $10

A little fun fact about my mother is that she’s Chinese, but born and raised in Vietnam.  So it’s fair to say that Asian food-wise I’ve been quite spoiled.  But unfortunately when the craving hits, no matter what city I’m in, I find it much harder to find a quality Vietnamese restaurant to satiate me.  Imagine my surprise when I heard about the recently opened Ba Bay, which serves up what can only be described as a modernized take on Vietnamese cuisine.  I was intrigued.

After a thorough assessment of the menu and recommendations from not only our really attentive server, but the owner himself, we started off our meal with a side of chicken pate.  Now I’ve had a lot of pate in my day, and I can honestly say that it was some of the best I’ve ever had!  It was very fresh and flavorful.  But to me, what really made it special was that the recipe comes straight from the owner’s family kitchen, specifically his Grandmother’s.  And don’t Grandmother’s always know best?

For my entre, I ordered the Shaky Beef, which sits above watercress puree and topped with marinated onions.  Let me tell you, the first bite left me shaking from enjoyment.  The meat was so tender, cooked to a beautiful medium rare, and well seasoned.  I never wanted it to end.

Next, my friend ordered the special of the night: Tete de conchon, which is crispy fried pig head, cabbage and hard boiled eggs braised in fish sauce and maggi.  (I know, it totally sounds prettier in French, but what can you do?)  Each element of the dish perfectly complimented and balanced one another.  And I’d recommend ordering it with a side of rice for maximum deliciousness.

And being a Vietnamese restaurant, we just couldn’t leave without trying their Pho.  Although not my favorite dish of the night, it definitely held its own.  The pho broth was really dark, MSG free, and had a hint of spiciness.  Not your standard pho broth, but definitely perfect for those cold winter days ahead.

Finally, in order to get our 2-3 servings of vegetables for the day, we got a side of the bok choy that is cooked in oyster sauce and sprinkled with fried shallots.  Trust me, you’ll have even the pickiest of kids eating these leafy greens.

Ba Bay’s unique menu and cozy ambiance is just what Eastern Market needs!

(Tip: When you Google Ba Bay, make sure to specify it’s in DC and that it’s Vietnamese, otherwise Google thinks you’re looking for Baby items.  Oh, you were looking for baby items?  Congrats!  That works too.)

Ba Bay

Address: 633 Pennslyvania Ave

Phone: 202-547-0002

Price: $8-20

I’m a girl who likes her burgers.  At almost every restaurant, if there is a burger on the menu, I’ll try it.  Now imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Ray’s Hell Burger; a place not only known for their burgers, but whose burgers Obama (I don’t know if you’ve heard of him) craves and takes other world leaders to like say, the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.  Oh well, no biggie.

Upon my inspection of their menu, I was quite impressed with the seemingly unlimited options.  On top of choosing from salivating and humorously named burgers such as, the B.I.G. Poppa (and yes, please do throw your hands in the air, if you’re a true playa) or the Let’s Get It On, you’re given the option of building your own burger.   For free you can get the standard toppings like onions, pickles, and jalapenos, but go on be bold and ask about the ones they charge you for.  I dare you.  For an additional $1-10, you have your choice of things like double creamed brie, roasted bone marrow, guacamole, and seared foie gras with truffle oil.  I think we can all guess which one is the extra $10.

But feeling like eating a classic burger, I ordered the Soul Burger Number One.  It comes with applewood smoked bacon, swiss cheese, cognac and sherry sauteed mushrooms, and grilled red onions.  The burger was juicy and you could definitely tell that they use a high quality meat.  And although it wasn’t the best burger I ever ate, it certainly was the manliest.  I’d suggest fasting for a day or so before going.  I also ordered a side of sweet potato fries and their seven cheese mac and cheese, both of which were surprisingly inexpensive ($2-3)!  Now, their sweet potato fries I’d order again and again, but I’d pass on the mac and cheese.

Be warned, you might encounter a bit of a wait, but nothing even the hungriest devil can’t wait around for.  Ray’s Hell Burger is the perfect spot for quality burgers and a fun atmosphere with friends.

Address: 1725 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA

Phone: (703) 841-0001

Hours: Mon-Thu, Sat-Sun 11 am – 10 pm, Fri 11 am – 11 pm

Price: $2-16

Brunch, the beautiful love child of breakfast and lunch, is my favorite meal on the weekends.  It’s the perfect meal to have to catch up with friends or cure your hangover blues.  While going through severe bacon withdrawals (see post below) I decided brunch at 1905 Bistro was the only solution to my problem.

Although 1905’s brunch menu is limited, it certainly does not lack in flavor or appeal.   And did I mention that they offer bottomless mimosa’s for $15 dollars?!!!  I’ll have two orders of that thank you!  Oh wait, I forgot I’m supposed to be talking about their food.  Whoops.  My friend ordered the Breakfast Fry, which consists of:  center cut sugar cured pork loin, white boudin sausage, pepper cured bacon, and two fried eggs, with white cheddar stone grits and fried apples.  She said she nearly felt her heart stop, but that it was totally worth it.

I ordered the burger, which was good but nothing too special.  Surprisingly the highlight of the burger emerged when I was told they were out of ketchup.  KETCHUP.  Just when I was about to yell, “Blasphemy!” I was offered an array of four dipping sauces.  The au jus sauce totally saved the day.

But, definitely the MVP, which I believe stands for “Most Valuable Plate,” of the meal was their pepper cured bacon.  As previously noted, I have had my fair share of bacon and this was beyond my wildest dreams.  It was thick cut, juicy, with the right amount of fat, and not overly salted like many bacons fall victim too.  My table may have ordered 3 extra plates of the good stuff.  All in all, it was the best bacon I’ve ever had.  Sorry Wilbur.

Now let’s discuss the restaurant itself.  I’ve heard people reference the décor as that of a “vampire saloon,” which I not only find to be fitting, but also flattering, cause vamps are SO in these days (totally Team Edward btw).  So yes, while it’s a bit dark and gothic, it still has a cozy potentially romantic feel to it.  And let’s be honest, maybe some things are best done in the dark.  Like eating enormous amounts of bacon.  Meow!

www.1905dc.com

Address:  1905 19th St NW

Phone: 202-332-1905

Price:  $8-27

Yesterday, I attended Heavy Sea’s Annual Bacon and Beer Bash.  Yes, you read it right BACON & BEER.  Now, I won’t bore you with how awesome it was.  I’ll just let you oogle over the action shots.

The list of bacon dishes.

Bloody Mary’s made with Bacon infused vodka.

BLT’s

(L) Maple Bacon, Double Smoked Bacon, Jalapeno Bacon, DUCK Bacon, Bourbon Bacon, etc.

(R) Bacon Explosion: Sausage wrapped in Bacon

Waffles served with Bacon Ice Cream

Bacon Pate

Fried Bacon Risotto

Bacon wrapped crab dip

Our table.

Bacon Popcorn & Chips

Bacon Gelato

Guys cooking bacon.  Marry Me?

Pig Butchering Exhibit

Free meat from said Pig Butchering Exhibit

All in all it was a fulfilling day.  And surprisingly enough, I’m still not sick of bacon.  Now, I’m off to go order some at brunch!!!

It’s safe to say that my sister likes food as much as I do, if not more.  After all, she’s the girl who pulled a muscle after eating too much shrimp.  (I know…I come from a really attractive family.)  But because of her love for food, I always trust her restaurant recommendations.  Especially when it comes to Japanese food because she has visited that food haven so many times.  So I was shocked when I came back from Kushi unimpressed and not understanding the fuss she made about this new place.  But like the good sister she is, she said she would take me back and to leave the ordering to her.

Now Kushi is not your standard sushi restaurant.  I have to warn you, if california and volcano rolls are what you’re after then this is not the place for you.  Kushi offers up a selection of sushi that although limited, will not leave you wanting.  You go to Kushi for the simple quality of the fish, not the over the top sauces and adornments you see at other sushi places.  We ordered seared fatty salmon and eel nigiri.  I’m pretty sure the salmon was the best thing I’ve ever eaten, and trust me that’s saying a lot.  The salmon melts in your mouth and almost makes you believe that this fish has been on a diet of butter.  And the generous slice of eel was not going to be a wallflower and go unnoticed.  It was savory and sweet, warm and tender, and heaven in my mouth.

My sister also swears by their rice balls.  (Giggles)  Everyday, there is a different rice ball filling.  Unfortunately for us, the day we chose happened to be the pickled plum filling.  It was savory and tart, and definitely exercised taste buds I didn’t know I had.  On other visits they have served the rice balls with a salmon filling, and if you have the good fortune to be there on one of those days do not let the opportunity pass.  According to my sister, it will be the best $3 you have ever spent.

Kushi also offers an unrivaled grilled selection.  After watching and lusting after it, we finally decided to order the duck sausage stuffed quail.  It’s flash fried and then slow roasted over the grill for another 5-10 minutes.  And not to sound too girly, but it was just so cute!  Ahem…it was also scrumptious, tiny little drum sticks and all.  We also ordered the grilled squid and fried chicken, which I would order again.

By now you’re probably getting thirsty, so let’s take a break and check out their beverage options.  They offer a wide variety of Asian beers, sake, and most importantly shochu (which my sister tells me is difficult to find in this city)!  Her favorite specialty cocktail is the shochu breeze.  Without sacrificing the potentness of the shochu, the cocktail manages to come off as light and refreshing with help from cucumber and citrusy favors.

And let’s not forget about dessert.  You cannot go wrong with any of the gelatos, but if you’re looking for a uniquely asian experience definitely go with the black sesame.

The restaurant itself is really impressive.  It has a great ambiance, perfect for dates and get together with friends, and a great lofty feel to it.  But what really makes it shine are its sushi and grill bars, which I highly recommend over the standard tables.  You can watch all your food being made to order, ask the chefs questions, and strike up conversations with the strangers next to you!  It’s casual and perfect.

www.eatkushi.com

Address: 465 K St NW

Phone: 202-682-3123

For those of you who have never had the good fortune to have a Dim Sum experience, let me break it down for you.  Imagine tapas, asian style.  Small plates of food meant for sharing.  However, there is one ingenious feature of Dim Sum that puts it above the rest.  Rather than examining a long menu, putting in an order and then waiting for your food, the Dim Sum process is magically instantaneous.  Servers push carts of steaming hot plates around the restaurant, and when you see something you want all you have to do is point, grunt, or drool at a particular cart.  The language of hunger is universal!

There are too many dishes to list, but I’ll give you my top 5:

1. Har Gow (shrimp dumpling)
2. Ha Cheurng (rice noodle roll, with shrimp inside, and covered with a sweet soy sauce)
3. Clams with black bean sauce
4. Fried taro and shrimp
5. Fung Zao (chicken feet) Go ahead be wild.

Also highly recommended are the char sui baau (steam pork buns), wu tao go (taro cakes), juk (rice porridge), lou mai gai (lotus leaf rice), dan tat (egg tarts), and dou fu fa (a sweet silky tofu dessert.)

Seeing as Dim Sum is a popular weekend family tradition among many Asian families, expect to see just that.  Families.  Lot’s of them.  But trust me, it only adds to the Dim Sum experience!

China Garden

1100 Wilson Boulevard

Arlington, VA 22209

703-525-5317