Live to Eat. Love to Travel. Hungry for more.
I’ve lived in Washington, DC for almost 7 years now, and am still discovering some of the hidden treasures in the city, and have an ever expanding list of places to try! What better way to knock a few off the list than with a food tour! I tried the Mangia DC Georgetown Food tour a few days back and am happy to report that I got to try a couple places on my list, and discovered a couple of interesting fun facts about the city I call home now!
There are days when I just want to eat Takoda's chicken and waffles with a side of the rosemary parmesan tots, but there are other days when I can really do with eating a bit lighter. For those latter kinda days, I'm happy to see some menu additions and changes just in time to prep for summer.. I tried some of these new additions recently, and am happy to report that they still keep the excitement to the taste buds and allowing me to make better choices.
“gauchos”, who are essentially the South American version of cowboys, extremely skilled at this method of cooking Waiters then bring the cooked meats around on spits, portioning out pieces for customers tableside. Part of the fun for customers is in using the card at the table to indicate whether to keep the meat coming (Green!) or hold off (red!). There is also a popular market table salad bar which is very extensive – with a variety of salads, cured meats, cheeses and a Feijoada bar of Brazilian sides.
Baltimore, our often overlooked neighbor to the north is proving that they should definitely not be ignored as a vibrant East Coast City. I spent the weekend there, and will be reporting back on their lovely food and drink scene, but for now wanted to talk about their current 9 day festival – Light City.
Ari Gedjenson of the Mindful Restaurant Group, which also owns Ghibellina and Acqua Al 2, is one of the people who is really investing a lot in this neighborhood, with the opening of 3 restaurants. Dock FC, Ari’s Diner, and La Puerta Verde are all located in the new Hecht warehouse development, and despite being right next to each other, they are each unique in their own way and are inspired by experiences in Ari’s life.
An urban retreat with chic retro flair, the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, Arizona can definitely count me as a fan! I spent 2 nights at the hotel in December, and am ready to go back anytime!
Whether you are interested in exploring the desert, the local art scene, or a food lover, or really just want to pamper yourself, all of it can be done in the Phoenix area. Here is a list of what I enjoyed when I visited for a few days.
Daikaya is no newcomer to DC. In fact, Daikaya has been one of the pioneers of not just the ramen movement in the city but Japanese food beyond ramen and sushi. When they first opened in 2013, DC, was not a “ramen city”! Now 4 years later, the “Daikaya group” comprises Daikaya ramen bar and the upstairs izakaya, Bantam King with chicken ramen, and Haikan with Sapporo style ramen and Japanese small bites. They are each different and provide a unique take at various aspects of Japanese cuisine.
I love love looooovee Shake Shack. I fell in love with the chain years ago when I first tried it in New York. The burgers are my absolute favorite and my usual order is a Shackburger, a fries, and on greedy occasions, a hot dog to add. I’m not going to write about their burgers, because everyone (hopefully) knows that a) they are fantastic b) way higher in quality than pretty much any other “fast food” outlet and c) they are fantastic.
Anyway, so when I found out that they were adding some BBQ inspired items to the menu, I was super excited to try it out.
Pidzza = Pide (Turkish flatbread) + pizza = all sorts of delicious! Pizza with a Turkish flare, the first outpost of Pidzza opened up in Ivy City a few weeks back. Yes, Ivy City is absolutely booming these days!
