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.

Co Co. Sala

Co Co. Sala is located a very near the Gallery Place/ Chinatown metro. Heads up, it looks super fancy from the outside and I walked by it once assuming it was too fancy for the place I wanted. The inside is even nicer with gorgeous swaths of cloth everywhere. My one regret of the whole experience was I went to a restaurant with cocoa in the name and didn’t get hot chocolate. Shame on me, obviously I will have to rectify this one day (you can even go in to the bar just for the hot chocolate). I went here during restaurant week so I basically picked from a specific three course menu. The appetizer was an artichoke tart. Which was delicious, excellent flavor pairing, but very tiny.

Artichoke Appetizer

I ordered the Cheese Magic for lunch. While I was most looking forward to the cheese soufflé, it was really the salad and marmalade with lovely bold flavors which stole the show. Overall the three foods paired together and made a well rounded meal. Again, the presentation was amazing but the portions were tiny.

Cheese Magic

For dessert I selected Onyx which gave me two chocolate boxes. Wow was this dessert good. It’s obvious why the specialty is chocolate.

Onyx

Overall the food was superb but the portions were fairly small. It did make me feel like I was dinning in a fancier location (I have no idea why I associate very small plates with fancy but I do). Presentation and taste was amazing but I would recommend breakfast in the morning if you’re going for lunch. Overall the price wasn’t too bad for me (although certainly not dirt cheap), but I was also going during restaurant week.  I’d recommend going here for dessert and a drink because it’s definitely worth seeing.

For my overall review I give this restaurant 3.5 out of 5 stars for price, fairly easy location, amazing flavors in small portions, and excellent ambiance.