Cap Mac

Another food truck I’d been following on twitter for a while, Cap Mac, promised food truck atmosphere but with Mac & Cheese. This is one I finally was able track down at Truckeroo (yes, it was a while ago) since they rarely seem to make weekend appearances. My friend and I sampled the two options available at the time. She had the Classic and I tried one made with (I believe) goat cheese and greens.

Classic Mac

The Classic appeared to be big winner. It was filling and visually appealing.

Other Mac & Cheese

In my option the food was very rich, although I believe they currently have new items on the menu. The staff was very friendly (the woman who was at the window was wearing really adorable macaroni earrings) and the line moved right along. I have to say, although the portions fit nicely into the carry box both were super rich and very filling. Also, the price is very reasonable; especially considering it’ll be all you’ll be able to eat for a while.

Overall I’d recommend sticking to the Classic Mac (and trying to get in an extra walk that day).

For my overall review I give the food truck 3.75 out of 5 stars for hearty food, good service, ever-changing location, and good price.

Red Hook Lobster Truck

I’ve been meaning to try Red Hook Lobster Pound Truck DC for quite a while. As an original Mainer I am highly picky about my seafood and anything with lobster. That being said, I waited until the lobster truck was near my workplace to try them out. Following them on twitter is really the only way to find them (unless it’s summer and Truckeroo).  The staff is friendly and efficiently, and although the line was long it moved along quite quickly. The line was significantly longer than any other truck in the area, which is always a good sign. I had a lobster roll (Maine style, of course) and a whoopie pie (from Whoopsiepies). 

"Whoopie Pie"

I’m going to start with the whoopie pie and work my way to the lobster roll. I would not recommend the whoopie pies. It was processed and dry, very unfortunate. 

 Maine-style Lobster Roll

The lobster roll was quite good. It was full of claw meat, which was impressive considering that’s ideally what you want but not always what you get. It stayed true to the Maine tradition of butter-toasted hotdog roll. While the actual meat was not a shredded as I’m use to, with that much claw meat I’d be fool to quibble. 

 partially consumed roll, with claw meat visible

The only thing that would have really added to their Maine “cred” would be if they served Moxie, but that would probably be a bad business choice anyway. Overall the roll was excellent, if on the pricey side. This is not a cheap food truck, although I would imagine it’s as much about the experience as anything.

For my overall review I give the food truck 3 out of 5 stars for a good main dish (passable dessert), good service, ever-changing location, and higher price.

Momiji

The first truly good sushi place I’ve been to in DC, Momiji is located down the street from the Gallery Place/ Chinatown Metro. You enter down into the restaurant and you can either eat downstairs (near the hibachi grill, which makes for some rather entertaining people watching) or upstairs. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, but it does fill up fast because it’s a small space. For sushi I ordered an assortment from the menu where my friend ordered one of the entrees. The entrees appear to be the good option for the more budget side as the rolls already come with a soup or salad. I also ordered the salad to start and got the standard lettuce house salad one would expect from a location with hibachi.

Salad

The entrée (Maki combo) presented on one plate with a nice display of each of the three types.

Entree plate

I ordered one piece of sushi a la carte. I’ve been told to always try the Tamago sushi so that’s what I ordered. The egg was well cooked and the sushi stayed together remarkably well. It was actually too large for one bit and I had to break it down a little to eat it.

Tomago & Hand Roll

I also ordered a Sweet Potato Hand Roll. The whole thing was crisp and warm. The potato was very sweet (without being sugary or over the top) and well breaded. Overall I thought the execution was excellent.

Sweet Potato Hand Roll

The real winner for me was the signature roll. I went for the Dancing Eel and I’d highly recommend it. The roll itself was lightly fried which warmed the rice and the cream cheese on the inside. The combo of warn cream cheese and eel was suburb. The roll was full of flavor and unexpected richness. The size of the roll was the perfect portion for a meal and I almost wish I had just ordered that (not that the other sushi wasn’t good, but I wish I’d had more room for this).

Dancing Eel Roll

Overall, I found the atmosphere charming and the sushi excellent. I have been searching for almost a year trying to find a decent sushi restaurant. This is not just a decent restaurant it’s an excellent one. The price in general is as to be expected at a sushi restaurant in DC.

For my overall review I give the restaurant a 4.5 out of 5 for amazing sushi, friendly service, a good location, and a reasonable price.

Founding Farmers

This restaurant is located a short walk from Farragut West Metro. You definitely want a reservation here because the wait can be exceedingly long. In the same location as the IMF, this restaurant seems to focus on local products when creating its food. Going around lunchtime on a weekend will give you a choice between lunch and brunch menus.

"Drag through the Garden"

One of the best things we ordered was a plate for the table to share: Baby Beignets. I definite must grab these were buttery and soft and came warm to the table with different options for dipping. We were warned they could take a while so have them placed at the same time (although our came out right before the food).

Baby Beignets

Everything on the menu seems fresh and there is a long list of options to choose from. In general it seems that the food was well flavored and appropriately proportioned in general, but nothing too crazy. I ordered the Stuffed French Toast with Bananas Foster, so I was expecting sweet but my meal was almost too sweet for mw to eat and the portion was twice what I could eat.

Stuffed French Toast - Bananas Foster

The real stand out were the sides and drinks. With fresh squeezed juice it’s probably not all that surprising other things would be homemade. However, It was impressed to see the ketchup for the fries appeared to be homemade (with a richer flavor profile) as well as what appeared to be churned butter.

Burger came with a Homemade Ketchup

In general I’d recommend things from the menu that stuck as close to the garden and homemade tradition as possible (and avoid anything that looks too fancy). The price was very reasonable for the area with everyone getting their full meal for around 20 bucks.

For my overall review I give this restaurant 3.5 out of 5 for good food, wonderful homemade touches, fairly easy location, good price and friendly service.

Migue’s Magnificent Mini Donuts

Here’s another review out of Eastern Market. It’s easy to reach from the Eastern Market Metro. This one I haven’t seen around a lot and I didn’t see any social network connections so I can’t really give hours or times but I saw them there on a Saturday morning. If you do find them they serve adorable mini donuts. Generally the gentleman in the tent makes the mini donuts fresh while you watch. It is an automatic machine but that means everything comes out even. Once you get your donuts you have the option of adding your own toppings including powdered sugar and other expected toppings, which means you can get them exactly how you want them (I’m a bit of a donut purist so I just had mine plain).

Mini Donuts

The flavor was full, with enough seasoning to give the plain donuts standout flavor without overpowering. The price was the best part of this deal. For only three dollars you get eight mini donuts which are probably enough for an individual. For nine bucks you get a whole box which should be plenty for a party.

For my overall review I give this “restaurant” 3.5 out of 5 stars for good food, fairly easy location, and super price.

Eastern Market Crepes

Eastern Market Crepes is one of those food tents that set up on the edge of Eastern Market in downtown DC. Easy access from Eastern Market metro, the only real availability obstacle is that it’s only around weekend in the summer (that I’ve found). It’s a guy making handmade crepes with just about every food combination under the sun. You can choose from one of the standards (which I’d recommend the first time, whoever put the menu together knew what they were doing). All cash transactions, and you put your money into marker wine glasses, so bring exact change or plan to tip. Average price for crepes are 7-8 dollars which is a good price for a very filling meal. Be prepared for a long line though as quite a few people have discovered the crepes. The crepes come straight off the grill and into paper wrapping so make sure to grab some napkins (or a plate!) because it is hot.

Crepe

My favorite flavor combo is from the savory side (my personal preference when it comes to crepes) and is one of the standards. It’s Ham, Apple, Maple, and Munster.  It works well in that you get the savory from the ham and cheese, the sweet from the maple, and a little acid from the apples to even out the flavor. I find it to present a well rounded flavor profile and great for munching while walking around the market.

Ham, Apple, Maple, and Munster Crepe

Overall, the price is very reasonable and the food is amazing, but I wish I was able to get it more than only on weekends in the summer.  When going I’d recommend a savory crepe, and stick to one of the recommended crepes before making your own.

For my overall review I give this “restaurant” 4 out of 5 stars for delicious food, fairly easy location when available, and reasonable price.

Zaytinya

Another place ventured to for lunch, this restaurant is literally across the street from the Gallery Place/ Chinatown Metro station. Super easy to get to from the metro it was also another restaurant which I was able to book for online. Although the size of my party changed greatly between reservation and arrival, the staff was very accommodating and sat my smaller party (2) at a more appropriately sized table. The decor was a bit like a modern twist on Greek roots. The food appeared to be Mediterranean tapas. We decided to get the four-course lunch. Before the meal the server gave our table a basket of pillow-y bread which we were eventually given a olive oil and balsamic to dunk it in.

Bread

Each person gets to pick one food item from each section.  To start we got a deep fried eggplant with a sauce on top. I felt the eggplant slices were perfectly fried so that they were soft and warm on the inside while still maintaining their crunch on the outside.

Fried Eggplant

The other appetizer was a cold salad with pita, tomato, and other vegetables.  Normally I can’t stand raw tomatoes but in this salad, the yellow ones especially, were superb. This was a nice refreshing change of place from the fried choice.

Fresh Salad

For the next course we got a Panini-type dish with ground lamb in it and meatballs (sorry for the fuzziness in the pictures, something apparently got on the lens). The spices in the Panini were too strong for my palate to really enjoy. And the meatballs weren’t anything too special. Overall I would have taken a second helping of the appetizer round in a heartbeat.

Meatballs

Ground Lamb Panini

For the main course we ordered lamb meatballs and the piece of lamb. I am a huge fan of lamb so I was part of the reason it appeared so much in our choices. After the last round I was a little dubious but this lamb stuck true to its roots and really brought out the flavor. The straight lamb piece with tomato and onion garnish was a good example of getting the simple things right (and again this was another instance in which I loved the tomatoes, the grilling left them warm with an explosion of flavor upon the first bite).

Grilled Lamb

The lamb meatballs were obviously hand packed and well cooked. The flavors were rich and filling and the goat cheese in the dish complemented the richness of the meatballs nicely.

Lamb Meatballs

There were only two choices for dessert so we got to try both from the sampler menu. The ice cream dish I expected more from. Although it wasn’t bad the general construction made it a bit tricky to eat without making a mess (our ice cream kept sliding around the plate).

Ice cream Dessert

The second dish was a fruiter dish in a glass. The peach flavor in this was delicious. All the flavors in the glass combined perfectly and each element on its own was superb.

Peach Dessert

Overall the price wasn’t too bad considering we got a four-course meal (heads up, everyone at the table has to order it) and I did feel full at the end but it is one of the more expensive places I’ve been to lunch. (This may also be because I’m cheap). If you go I recommend the multi-course option, I think it gives you the best chance to sample the menu for the dollar.

For my overall review I give this restaurant 3.5 out of 5 for a decent price, very easy location, good food, and good service.