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.

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.

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.

Firefly

Next up is Firefly; I’m apologizing in advance as I only have one picture. The restaurant is located an easy walk from DuPont Circle metro. The décor is beautiful inside, although the restaurant itself is located on the ground floor of a hotel (in the blink and you might miss it sense). The tree inside is gorgeous during the day (I went for lunch, not shocking, I know) and I can only imagine how pretty it must be at night. That being said, I wish the food had lived up to the décor. For an appetizer I had the salt roasted baby beets. I love the flavor combo of beets and goat cheese and so I was hopeful. While the food was good it was very small in portion and nothing about it jumped out and grabbed me. For a main course I ordered beef burger. There is something to be said for executing a good well-done burger. I order all my burgers/ meat well-done which means I always run the risk of getting a charcoal briquette.  I was very pleasantly surprised by this burger. For a thick burger it was perfectly cooked. All the flavors worked well together in this classic pairing. I was also able to pair my burger with greens instead of fries (I was feeling healthier that day). The beer-battered pickle was a whimsical addition to the dish and it really added a lot. I’m not generally big on pickles but this one went so well I actually ate the whole thing.

Burger

Overall the cost wasn’t bad but I think I would have found it to be a better deal if I had just gotten the burger. I’d recommend skipping the appetizer and going straight for the main course.

For my overall review I give this restaurant 2.5 out of 5 stars for reasonable price, fairly easy location, solid food, and excellent ambiance.

Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub

I went out to this restaurant, located in the Village of Shirlington, one Saturday recently. I was able to book in advance with OpenTable, which I always appreciate as I’m not a big fan of having to call for reservations. Parking in the area was free (in the garage) and easy to find.  I went with a group (note, more than 4) and they had no trouble giving us a nice and private table. The restaurant’s outside was bright red and easy to spot. The layout worked well so it felt like we had our own area. The staff was super friendly and very attentive without hovering. Ordering off the Brunch menu still offered enough breakfast and lunch options to make sure everyone could get what they wanted. Food ranged in the lunch category from salad to traditional Irish fare.

Smoked Salmon Salad

Shepherd's Pie

I ordered the Daily Chowder (Clam that day) and the Bangers ‘N’ Mash (read: Sausages and Potatoes).  

Bangers 'N' Mash

The portions were good for brunch being a larger than one would expect for lunch. The chowder was well done with a nice balance in the cream sauce to accompany the seafood. It certainly tasted homemade. It also came with brown bread, which paired nicely with the soup as well as being able to stand on its own with a sturdy and soft construction and a distinct flavor. The mashed potatoes in the Bangers ‘N’ Mash were excellent although I found the spice in the gravy to be a bit strong for my palate. The rest of the party all enjoyed their dishes and had no complaints.

Traditional Irish Breakfast 

Overall I felt it was a good value; I was able to get my meal, appetizer, and a drink for around 20 bucks. If you go I’d recommend picking one of the Traditional Fare items for the specialty and quality.

For my overall review I give this restaurant 4.25 out of 5 for a good price, fairly easy location, good/ unique food, and excellent service.