Lunch at Society Fair

Ahh, Society Fair…. a mix of an upscale market, restaurant, and cafe…full of fun decor and delicious bites.  It is a favorite of ours for a weekend lunch and coffee.  Plus their Instagram account is rather yummy to follow as well.

The bakery section is full of breads, cakes, tarts, cookies, and pastries and the market provides sandwiches made to order.  They are known for their breakfast sandwich (served until 11am) but we always get The Walter and now Walter’s Cousin.  It is fresh roasted turkey with pimento cheese, oh my!

If you prefer something ‘fancier’ their D.Q.M.W. is great too–braised beef shoulder, horseradish, and spicy picked leeks.

They typically have a soup of the day as well which is a good add-on.

Just a lovely place to start out a day or end a day in Alexandria.  (They also recently opened a spot on Columbia Pike as well.)

Details: 

Society Fair
Neighborhood: Old Town Alexandria
277 S. Washington St
Alexandra, VA 22314
Serve: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Price Range:  $0.50 – $15.00

 

 

 

Union Market DC Food

I have mentioned before that Union Market DC is a must visit.  Since our first time we have been back for coffee, a drive-in movie, dinner, lunch, and dessert.  This market has everything in a fun/up-scale-ish venue.

Red Apron Butcher is a new-ish local chain that first opened at Union Market in January of 2013 and then opened at Mosaic in Merrifield/Dunn Loring in March, and will soon be followed with a spot at D St NW.  They are known for their antibiotics or hormones free meat, but what I have come to love them for is their sandwich menu.   Their beef and cheddar with beer cheese whiz on a Brioche bun beats an Arby’s roast beef out of the park any day.

If you are looking for a spot to grab a Saturday morning coffee and people watch, Peregrine Espresso is the spot to do it.  I loved my beautiful mocha.

I had walked by Neopol Savory Smokery and actually once stopped the foot-traffic flow on accident because I was distracted by the delicious sandwiches being created.  On a Sunday late-morning I decided I was not going to visit Union Market one more time without trying something from Neopol.

I ordered the smoked salmon with cream cheese, capers, red onion, and tomato on a whole wheat everything bagel.  It was huge and delicious!!  I want one right now.

I had heard about Trickling Springs Creamery but had never actually been by one of their retail locations, so I was excited to see they were a venue at Union Market.  Trickling Springs is a local producer of organic and all-natural ice cream, milk, butter, and cheese located in Chambersburg, PA.  I ordered the cookies and cream and felt just like a little kid as I enjoyed it.

So basically if you haven’t been to Union Market, it is certainly worth a visit!!

Details:

Union Market DC
1309 5th St NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 543-5459

Market Hours:
Tues – Fri 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sat – Sun 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Brunch at Estadio

My mother was visiting and wanted to try a unique restaurant for a Saturday brunch… so we drove over to Logan Circle/14^th St and wandered around peeking at a few brunch menus before coming back to Estadio (the first menu we looked at).  I had seen in the windows off Church St. and loved the beautiful decor and did not realize which restaurant it was until we round the corner onto 14^th St.

We did not have reservations and actually lucked out because the seats they had available were at the counter that wraps around the kitchen.  It was like a chef’s tasting without the major price tag.

Estadio describes themselves as “contemporary” Spanish and the brunch menu is full of delights.  The plates are small-ish by American standards, but honestly just the right portion.  My mother and I, like everyone around us, ordered a dish each then ended up splitting them to sample both.  If there are two of you and you are really hungry you might want to get three dishes to split.

My mom ordered the soft scrambled eggs with goat cheese, mushrooms, and scallions.  Mom said next time she went back she would probably ask to have her scrambled eggs medium, but other than that we both thought this dish was fabulous.  The goat cheese combined with the fresh button mushrooms and egg was a perfect bite.

I kind of randomly ordered the scallops and roasted cauliflower.  They were amazing. We had ordered a side of bread (which is also delightful) and I actually scooped up the last of the salbitxada sauce with my piece.  There is no way I was leaving any of this dish behind.

I have been to a few brunches in DC and if you are looking for something that is well priced, classy, delicious, wonderful then book reservations at Estadio.  We will most certainly be going back.

Details:

Estadio
1520 14th St NW
Washington, DC
202.319.1404
Serve: Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Bar
Price Range: $4.00 – $15.00 (Brunch)

Lunch at TaKorean

I headed down to the last Tuckeroo of the season and finally was able to try out the TaKorean food truck. Typically there is such a long line but we went almost at opening time. I ordered their steak bowl and it came with their two types of slaw as a base then with some sriracha splashed on top along with cilantro.

Loved it and would definitely recommend this to any foodie looking for quality food from a food truck.  TaKorean can also be found at Union Market DC as a “taco stand” rather than a food truck!

Details:

TaKorean – Korean BBQ Tacos
TaKorean Twitter for Location
Serve: Lunch, Dinner
Price Range: $3.50 – $9.00

Lunch or Dinner at Dangerously Delicious Pies

When the Dangerously Delicious Pie truck opened a brick and mortar shop right around the corner from where I work in Chinatown, I of course had to go try it out.  They have been open a few months now and I think the food I think it is worth putting on your list to try.  The menu changes daily as they have 50+ sweet pies, savory pies, and quiches, but only rotate in 12-25 types a day, but you can usually see a photo of which pies are available that day via the locations Facebook page (DDP – Chinatown).

I have tried a few of the different flavors, but my all time favorite is the SMOG (aka. steak, mushroom, onion, and gruyere).  The combination is delicious, with the light crust and the ingredients all mixed and melty.  The pork bbq is pretty great, just slightly too salty for my tastebuds.  The savory pies and quiches come with a side salad, which makes for a great lunch or dinner.  Plus at $7.50 it makes for a relatively cheap lunch (or dinner).

As far as savory pies I’ve tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter Chess and the Baltimore Bomb.

Whether you see one of the locations or the truck on the street these pies are worth trying.  They usually have something for everyone including a daily offering of vegetarian options.

Details: 

Dangerously Delicious Pies
Locations: Chinatown (I St & 7th), H St (H St & 13th), Union Station, and DC Food Truck
Washington, DC
Serve: Lunch or Dinner
Price Range: $6.50 – $7.50

Lunch or Dinner at Burger Tap Shake (BTS)

If someone asked me where to get the best burger in all of DC/NoVA I would not even hesitate in answering Burger Tap & Shake (BTS) in Foggy Bottom.  Now I’m not sure if I would get an official medal for being a burger connoisseur, but I probably should because I’ve had my fair share of burgers from Oregon to DC.  BTS’s burgers are the right combination of juicy/flavorful/unique, plus their signature burgers are $8.00, yes you read right, just eight dollars and it is in DC proper for that price, whoo!

My favorite burgers on their menu are probably the Tejas burger (pictured on the right), the Big Daddy, and the High Thigh is good too (aka. chicken, pictured on the left).  And while you are there, you MUST, read MUST get the BTS Shake…BTS has the best burgers I’ve probably ever had and on top of that the BTS Shake is the BEST shake I’ve ever ever ever had.  It’s chocked full of Butterfinger, Twix, and Snickers… you need a big straw to slurp up all the yummy goodness and every single sip has gobbs of candy bar in it (not one of those where you taste like two Oreos then the rest is just vanilla ice cream).  So if you find yourself in need of a fabulous burger and shake then metro, bus, or drive your way over to BTS off Washington Circle cause it is the bomb-dot-com (yes I just said that…)

Details:

Burger Tap & Shake
2200 Penn Ave N.W., Washington DC 20037
202.587.6258
Serve: Lunch, Dinner, Drinks, Dessert
Price Range:  (burgers & shakes) $5.00-$8.00

Dessert at Mama’s Donut Bites

In honor of Fat Tuesday, I’m alerting you to these fabulous creations found at farmer’s markets around Northern Virginia called Mama’s Donut Bites.

I followed my nose to the Mama’s Donut Bites tent at the Saturday Falls Church Farmer’s Market and then watched as these mini-donuts were made right before my eyes.  From the batter being mixed to donuts being cut, the bobbing of the goodies as they are flipped and fried in the oil.  Then they asked if we wanted them lightly tossed in sugar or if we wanted to add our own toppings (i.e. chocolate syrup, sprinkles, jelly, etc.).  We opted for cinnamon sugar on this visit, but the toppings bar sure looked like fun.  After standing in line watching the full process, the reward at the end was biting into these soft, fresh, mouth-watering donuts.  They are a Must try.  You can find out which local farmer’s market Mama’s Donut Bites is at via their Twitter Page or Facebook Page.

Details:

Mama’ Donut Bites
Farmer’s Market’s (usually Falls Church, Vienna, &/or Dale City)
Serve: Dessert
Price Range:  ~8 mini donuts= $3.00  ~16 mini donuts=$5.00

 

Dinner at Taylor Gourmet

The area that I live has been seeing a lot of changes in the last year… we got a Target, a Neiman Marcus Last Call, a new movie theater and more… so things are definitely looking better, and when I heard that Taylor Gourmet was coming to the new Mosaic District I was rather ecstatic.  I had never been to Taylor Gourmet, but a friend that works near the location on H Street constantly raves about the sandwiches and salads.

We were watching the construction finish so I hopped on Twitter to ask @Taylor_Gourmet when their Merrifield location was going to open and they wrote back that their Grand Opening was on February 4th and…. they were giving free hoagies! So as soon as I got home we headed over to stand in line for a sub.  The line was long, the temps were low, but it did give me ample time to read the plethora of sandwiches available with all their fresh ingredients piled on.

Founded in 2008 by Casey Patten and David Mazza, all the sandwiches are named after their hometown of Philly.  So from their menu you can try anything from the Rittenhouse Square hoagie (pictured below) to the Love Park salad.  You can also make your own sandwich or salad if for some reason you do not see a combination that you like.  Their traditional hoagies come with Italian loaf bread with sesame seeds (you can ask for wheat), Italian cured meats, in-house roasted turkey, pork, and beef, and aged cheeses (none of the ingredients are ever frozen).  Also check the menu to see if the sandwich you are ordering automatically comes with lettuce, tomato, onion.

I was being indecisive because too many of the options looked good, but I finally decided to try the Rittenhouse Square hoagie (pictured above) that included grilled chicken, tomato, and pesto then toasted to perfection.  I also got an order of the Taylor Sampler, which included risotto balls, stuffed peppers, mozzarella sticks, and fried ravioli (YUM!).

And this Saturday morning we have a date to try Taylor Gourmet’s latest line of breakfast hoagies!  I better start looking at the menu now.   I also want to check out their Taylor Charles Steak & Ice on H Street that serves “authentic” Philly cheesesteaks!

Details:

Taylor Gourmet
Locations: H St NE, K St NW, 14th St NW, Dupont Circle, Merrifield (VA), & Bethesda (MD)
Serve: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Price Range:  $7.10–$11.60

Lunch at Eamonn’s A Dublin Chipper

I did a little stay-cation in Old Town Alexandria and I had done some research into good-eats in the area that we should try.  Arriving in Old Town around lunch time, and after lugging our suitcases down King Street from the Metro Station, we were certainly in need of some replenishment, aka food.  So we popped into Eamonn’s A Dublin Chipper for some “authentic fish & chips.”

The restaurant, named after one of the owner’s sons, has 20-seats, is maybe 10 feet wide, and feels like one of those old-timey pharmacies.  For me, I was a tad overwhelmed as we were unsure whether we should order or sit or what.  But finally someone saw our lost look and let us know to order at the counter then hopefully find a place to sit.  We stepped up still not having much of a clue and ordered some cod with chips.  Then we grabbed a seat looking at ourselves in the antiqued mirrors, and tried to figure out the water dispenser which was reminiscent of the Gatorade buckets on the soccer field in the 90s. Finally our freshly fried food came out pipping hot.  Now this place isn’t somewhere to go for healthy fare, so expect some grease on your brown bag full of your fish and chips.  All the sauces, which are listed behind the “Jackeen” working the counter are homemade and free of preservatives and trans fats, so remember to pick which one you want when you order.

I had never had “authentic” fish and chips, and looking around it didn’t look like anyone else had a clue either, so I ripped open my brown bag to make a “plate” and laid out my meal.  The cod was fried just right and the hand-cut “chips” were up there on the scale.  We ended up liking our food so much that we made a stop back by for dinner on our way home from our stay-cation.  And this time we looked like we knew what we were doing!

My only negative, besides the small space, is that their fried Snickers was not everything I had heard a fried Snickers to be.  But hey, they specialize in fish and chips… not fried candy bars 😉

So if you find yourself on King Street in need of a good hearty meal, stop by Eamonn’s and give thanks to the cod!

Details:

Eamonn’s
728 King St., Alexandria, VA
703.299.8384
Serve: Lunch & Dinner
Price Range:  $5.00-$12.50

Eamonn’s is a part of Cathal & Meshelle Armstrong’s family of restaurants, which also includes the high-end Restaurant Eve, the American-classic Majestic Cafe, and PX, their speakeasy bar.

Dessert at Bayou Bakery

I had never had beignets (gasp! I know?!?!), so when I read about Bayou Bakery in a local magazine we knew that the time had finally come that we needed to try some “authentic” fried goodness.

So one semi-cold evening in DC we headed in to Bayou Bakery and ordered up two coffees and a plate of beignets, then found a cozy little seat in the corner to wait and see what these things were all about….  The bakery is like a hybrid between a “fast casual” restaurant and a coffee shop.  They have a handful of benches/tables/chairs, but they also have a few “swallow you up” chairs and make-shift tables to perch your goodies on.

Our number got called and we ran up to grab our pipping hot and fresh beignets that were covered in powdered sugar (beware, it’s easy to suck it down your windpipe!).  Our first, second, third, and last bites were scrumptious and we then knew what we had been missing out on for all these years.  I’m a tad embarrassed to say that we graced the Bayou Bakery with our presence again two days later to have another order of these mouthwatering treats.

Bayou Bakery also has a multitude of other things on their menu too.  Their grilled pimento cheese on buttery Texas toast is another taste treat that I have had and I hear that the rest of their menu is good too.  The menu includes anything from biscuits to gumbo and they have specials like their Mambo Combo daily lunch and their Chew Dats nightly hot plate.  And even more nightly specials like Monday’s “Who let the dogs out?” which is two all-beef hot dogs for $4.  Their sandwiches and meaty options washes down easily with one of their Abita Brewing Company beers that are direct from Abita Springs, Louisiana.

So when you find yourself near the Arlington Courthouse, pop on in to the Bayou Bakery for some savory or sweet morsels.  Oh, and did I mention that the beignets, aka the doughnut of New Orleans, come three to an order for $3.  You can’t even get one cupcake in the DC metro area for that!  And if you are looking for a King Cake for Mardi Gras they make those here too.

Details:

Bayou Bakery
1515 N Courthouse Rd, Arlington, VA
703.243.2410
Serve: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Desserts
Price Range:  $2.00-$14.00