dining out: batter bowl bakery

How about that weekend weather! Our neighbor told me that Sunday's gorgeous weather was only about 5 degrees above average, but it's been so unseasonably cold lately that it felt like a much larger reprieve.

Saturday, Tony and I took advantage of the nice weather to clean up the yard. And on Sunday, we met up with Ben for lunch at Batter Bowl Bakery on H Street. We followed that up with a game of bocce at Valerie's apartment with Ben. (Guys won.) And then Tony and I took advantage of the extra daylight to do some more yard work at home. (We're getting the backyard ready to put in a raised vegetable garden! We ... er, Tony, has started on the demo.)

Batter Bowl Bakery is at 4th Street and H Street Northeast. It's right next to Ethiopic, the Ethiopian restaurant, and in fact, the two restaurants are sister companies. Batter Bowl Bakery is a relatively new restaurant, and it's been on my list of places to try.

The bakery is beautiful inside, albeit a little crowded when the rush comes. And the food is great, which is really the most important part.

I originally had my heart set on a parfait with granola, fruit and SOY YOGURT. I feel like if a restaurant puts soy yogurt on its menu, I should order it regardless of the time of day, just to reward the restaurant for offering a dairy-free option. But alas, the bakery ran out of soy yogurt. So I opted for an open-faced sandwich of hummus, garbonzos, avocado and tomatoes. The flavors were wonderful. My only suggestion is that the bakery, being a bakery and all, serve the sandwiches on thicker, sturdier bread.

Tony also ordered an open-faced sandwich. His was tuna, and he loved it.

I ordered the fresh-squeezed orange juice, which was lovely. I'm not a coffee drinker, and Tony only drinks coffee occasionally at work. He really liked his iced coffee at the restaurant, though. "I forgot what good coffee tastes like."

Batter Bowl Bakery is a great neighborhood spot and a great addition to the area. We'll be back.

dining out: dc-3

When my parents came to visit earlier this month, they got in around dinnertime Friday. They'd been in the car for six hours, so we decided to get dinner somewhere quick and casual. I suggested DC-3, the hot dog place on Barracks Row, and they loved it.

The restaurant's name and decor are based on 1940s commercial air travel. Airplanes made traveling across the country easier, and the restaurant links all of those cities via their hot dogs. Like a New York coney dog or a Cincinnati chili dog.

Tony, always the adventurous eater, ordered the bulgogi and kimchi dog. Couldn't stop raving about it, particularly the buttered roll.

And the man ordered fried pickles. He and my dad devoured them.

This place is vegetarian-friendly. I ordered a veggie dog with veggie chili. (And a random pickle just because.) Really happy with it. I've had the falafel dog on a previous trip - also tasty.

We were there right before Lent started, so my dad ordered a Mardi Gras-themed dog.

And my mom went with the Cincinnati coney dog, easy on the onions.

DC-3 is a crowd pleaser, and a good dining option if you're looking for food quickly.

dining out: bgr

Last Friday after work, Tony and I didn't have plans, so instead of going straight home, we decided to stop for dinner. I had heard good things about the veggie burger at BGR, so we made our way to the location in Old Town.

In so many restaurants, the veggie options are either (a) nonexistent or (b) an afterthought. BGR is different. You can tell that some chef somewhere spent a lot of hours trying a lot of different recipes to perfect a veggie burger that doesn't fall apart and has a unique sweet flavor. I read later that the company founder's wife is a vegetarian, and then it all made sense. A man who is in love with a vegetarian, who dines out with said vegetarian, who is keenly aware of the pitfalls of vegetarian options on restaurant menus -- that man is going to make sure his own restaurant prioritizes the veggie burger.

So, the food was great. Tony ordered the ahi tuna burger, which he really enjoyed. He also raved about his parmesan-garlic French fries, but that's when things started to go south. His fries were tossed with the cheese and about a dozen roasted garlic cloves. So the cloves were on his plate, and he thought, hey, eating a dozen garlic cloves is probably a good idea. Said garlic cloves can be spotted in the photo below:

Folks, if you order the garlic fries at BGR, please, for the love of all that is good, do not also eat the cloves. Leave the cloves on the plate. There is no rule that says you must eat all of the food on your plate. Tony had garlic pouring out of his skin for 48 hours. Before Camille and Matt came over for dinner Saturday night, Tony put on several layers of clothing and went for a long run to sweat some of it out, then he took a hot shower to flush more of it out, all while drinking copious amounts of water.

Now, the cost. The meal cost about $36, which I'd say is about double what seems appropriate for the ambience and the fact you order at a counter. Would I go back? Maybe. I don't think it's a place I'd ever suggest that we go, but if someone we're hanging out with is ever in the mood to go to BGR, we'd go along. Or maybe I'd go back if I'm around a BGR for its lunch special (burger + fries + drink for $8.99).

BGR is a locally based chain that seems to be expanding rapidly.

dining out: ted's bulletin

When Ofelia and Nathan were in town for the inauguration, we ate dinner at one of my favorite places on Barracks Row, Ted's Bulletin. The restaurant is a modern take on a retro diner/soda fountain. The decor and furnishings are all beautiful and well-made. Gone With the Wind was playing on a large TV screen on the back wall.

It was build-your-own-burger Tuesday, and the deal includes an alcoholic "adult" milkshake. Here's Tony's Bananas Foster shake, which he says is the best one on the menu. The waitress said it's the restaurant's most popular shake.

The build-your-own burger schtick has the potential to go awry when you have an adventurous eater like Tony. This is the monstrosity that he created:

That's a chicken breast topped with fried green tomatoes, coleslaw, bacon and Boursin cheese. He raved about it, though.

Yours truly got the veggie burger (obvi) with spinach and mushrooms. I love Ted's veggie burger, although it falls apart, so I ate about half of it with a fork.

And we couldn't leave Ted's without homemade Pop-Tarts. I got a strawberry, and Ofelia ordered the peanut butter and bacon.

Hello, Wednesday morning breakfast.

dining out: amsterdam falafelshop

On a Friday earlier this month, Tony picked me up from work, and we made our way to Adams Morgan for some dinner at Amsterdam Falafelshop. This commute, by the way, involved driving northbound on Rock Creek Parkway during rush hour ... and holy moly. No drivers ed class in the world could prepare you for that. Both the northbound and southbound lanes funnel only northbound traffic in the evenings, which would be fine except the exits are not labeled clearly at all and drivers zoom by at extremely high rates of speed around the curves, and the whole thing resembles a real-life Mario Kart race.

Anyway, we got to the restaurant safely. Adams Morgan in general and Amsterdam Falafelshop specifically are teeming with young people. When we got inside, there were not one, but two, foursomes of young women who could be right out of HBO's Girls. Have you seen it? Tony and I just finished watching the first season on Netflix. (He was very vocal in his complaints for about half of the season ... and then he admitted that he actually enjoys complaining about watching it, haha.) The show is about four 24-year-old-ish women who live in Brooklyn and are starting careers and sustaining friendships and working on relationships and all of that. Someone said it's like Sex and the City, only Carrie and her friends were all older and established in their careers and apartments and lives, while Lena Dunham et al are just figuring that stuff out.

Watching Girls -- and then walking into Amsterdam Falafelshop -- got me thinking about that time in my life, when I was 24. I was in a new city (Phoenix), working at my first job, spending nights and weekends with some of the best friends I've ever had. And we had so much fun. All the time. This is how Tony and I spent our nearly 100 percent of our free time: bars, restaurants, used book sales, street fairs, dancing at clubs, lounging by the pool, house parties, reading magazines, wine bars, happy hour, playing video games, barbecues ... and more bars.

I mean, 24 and 29 don't sound that different. But it's so clear that chapter in my life is over. Free time these days occasionally includes things like happy hours and house parties and video games, although more infrequently. (And in the case of clubs ... nuh-uh, not in several years). These days, you're more likely to find us doing: home improvement, brunch, dinner parties, DVDs, games nights ... and more brunch. (And for the record, I'm having just as much fun these days as I was having five years ago.)

Bars vs. brunch. When you boil it down, that's the difference between 24 and 29, isn't it?

So, Amsterdam Falafelshop. I told Tony I was ruining my street cred by being seen with him in the restaurant. (He's 31!)

There's a very Cool Kids/In Crowd feel to the restaurant. There are signs instructing you how to properly order, assemble and eat your falafel sandwich, lest your stupidity be filmed and put on You Tube for the world to see.

The food itself was very good. Loved it. I'm big on falafel, and it was the perfect indulgence to end the week.

You finish your own sandwiches from the toppings bar. Tony, who is generally a more adventurous eater than I am, chose only colorful toppings (like pickled beets). Ha!

Falafel for the main course. Introspection on the side.

dining out: busboys and poets

Tony and I had a super festive Saturday evening. We started out in Old Town at the holiday boat parade, and we ended up at Avery's Christmas party in Shirlington. And in between all that Northern Virginianess, we stopped for dinner at the Busboys and Poets in Shirlington.

I'm a big Busboys and Poets fan. I love the food, and I appreciate how many vegetarian dishes are on the menu. Before last weekend, I'd only ever been to the U Street restaurant, which is great, but there always seems to be a wait. In Shirlington ... no wait! Same good food, same cool vibe, no wait. You just have to go to the burbs.

I ordered the tempeh sandwich, which I very highly recommend if you're into that kind of thing. It's my favorite thing on the BBP menu.

(It also made me think that I should make more tempeh at home. Note to self.)

Tony ordered an appetizer for his dinner -- vegan nachos. He's not vegan (not even vegetarian), but I always give him credit for being an open-minded eater.

<3

The boat parade, by the way, was a nice wholesome holiday event. Tony, Valerie and I parked ourselves at the end of a dock behind the Torpedo Factory and watched the decorated boats drive down the Potomac. My favorite boat was dressed up like Rudolph, haha:

These sailboats were fun, too. The boat on the left was pulling a dinghy with a snowman in it, and I thought that was funny. And the green one that's lit up like a tree was purty.

Also, how quaint and festive is Old Town:

Holiday boat parade -- a good holiday outing. It's something to keep in mind for next year at this time. 

dining out: the pretzel bakery

My Uncle Mike has a pretty ridiculous idea for a fantasy restaurant. It's called House of Toast. The breakfast menu would include toast (white or wheat) and English muffins. To drink, you can have coffee (Maxwell House or Sanka) or cans of juice (orange or tomato). And that's it. No bagels. No apple juice. No substitutions.

The Pretzel Bakery is kind of ridiculous like that. I mean, this is a restaurant that is devoted to soft pretzels. And only pretzels. That's quite a niche, isn't it? But it is so awesome. 

(Although you can get your choice of mustards and dips. Tony's recommendation: caramel mustard.) 

The Pretzel Bakery has a walk-up window, and you can get your pretzels to go, or you can eat them on the patio outside. There's no inside seating.

The location is off the beaten path. It's at 15th Street and D Street Southeast. But despite the niche market and the location, the Pretzel Bakery seems to be doing well. Every time I go there, a handful of people are hanging out on the patio. If you're in the area, it's worth stopping. Pretzels are $2 each.

dining out: spring mill bread co.

I have a new favorite neighborhood coffee shop! Spring Mill Bread Co. on Barracks Row.

It's been open for about a year, but it wasn't until earlier this month that Tony and I tried it. We woke up a couple of Sundays ago and decided we wanted to go out for an easy breakfast. And it ended up being a nice, laid back spot to grab breakfast, chat with my husband and do some people watching on 8th Street.

As the name indicates, this place is all about the bread, so we ordered breakfast sandwiches on homemade bread. There are few things better than homemade bread.

Also delicious: the rocky road brownie that we shared for dessert. (Is dessert for breakfast a thing?) Anyway, it also was tasty.

It's a small restaurant inside, but there's also patio seating when the weather's nice. Next time, I think we'll go back for lunch because the menu had several veggie sandwiches that I'd like to try.

Spring Mill, I'll be back. It's at Eight Street and G Street Southeast.

dining out: sticky rice

On Saturday evening, after our brewery tour, Tony, Jamie and I wandered down to H Street looking for dinner. Our first stop was Toki Underground, where the host said the wait would be 2 hours and 20 minutes. No thanks. (Seriously, I would be happy to spend money there at some point if the wait was ever reasonable or if they took weekend reservations.) Anyway, the three of us kept walking down H Street and wandered into Sticky Rice, where I was pleasantly surprised to hear there was no wait.

We ordered a bucket of tater tots as an appetizer. Of course. Because how can you go to Sticky Rice and not order a bucket of tots? And I ate them with chopsticks. Of course I did. How do you eat your tater tots? 

My meal was fabulous. I was in the mood for lots and lots of vegetables, and the veggie tofu medley hit the spot.

That said, neither Tony nor Jamie finished their meals. Tony had the dirty vegan, which he said was "too coconut-y," and Jamie had the mock chicken szechuan (with real chicken), which he said was "too hot." Whatever -- mine was delicious! Many many stars for Sticky Rice. Extra stars for not having a wait.

dining out: we the pizza

Here are my thoughts about going out to dinner on a Friday. I like to go right from work, so Tony and I can spend the rest of the evening in our PJs on the couch with Netflix. (I acknowledge that makes me sound old, but whatever.) But we never know what time time we'll be done with work, so we end up missing reservations. So, for me, making a reservation, wearing heels, putting on big earrings -- that's all Saturday night stuff.

I'm posting this on a Friday because We, The Pizza is everything I like in a Friday restaurant -- it's casual and good. No reservations or fancy heels required. The food is greasy and indulgent, which is how we should all end the work week, right?

Here's the pizza with peppers and mozzarella that Tony ordered when we ate We, the Pizza a few weeks ago. 

Is it the best pizza I've had in D.C.? No. But it's tasty, above-average pizza, served in a cool and casual atmosphere, and it's convenient for folks who live or work on the Hill.

We, the Pizza is on Pennsylvania Avenue at Third Street, Southeast.

<3

From the archives:

dining out: bacio pizzeria

dining out: district of pi

dining out: pound

There was sad restaurant news in Hill East last month: Crepes on the Corner shut down. It'd only been around for a few months, and it was always full when Tony and I were there. But then it shut down, and I was sad. It seemed to be such a good addition to the neighborhood in Southeast at 15th and C streets. 

Then I started to read sad things about Pound on Pennsylvania Avenue near Eastern Market. The owner was considering closing because business was so slow. And I'd be doubly disappointed if another coffee shop-type neighborhood restaurant closed on the Hill, so Tony and I went there for breakfast on Sunday with a friend. 

The weather was beautiful, so we ate on the back patio, which was perfect and cozy. The food was pretty good, too, although the menu was very limited. We had our choice of various types of croissant sandwiches. I went with the Italian Elvis croissant, which had Nutella, sliced bananas and honey, and Tony had the huevos rancheros croissant. Both were tasty.

Here's hoping Pound is able to survive its slow patch. (And maybe add a few things to its breakfast menu.)

dining out: star and shamrock

Husband's birthday requests: liverwurst and bourbon. I mean, the liverwurst part was pretty disgusting, but any birthday celebration that includes bourbon is A-OK by me.

First stop of the evening: Star and Shamrock on H Street, where said liverwurst was procured. Birthday Boy's sandwich also included coleslaw, bacon and onions. In case you were curious what such a sandwich would look like (or want proof that someone actually would order that for his birthday dinner), here you go:

The food isn't fancy, but it's tasty. I'm a big fan of Star and Shamrock. It's a pub and a deli. It's Irish and Jewish. It's got a nice big bar to sit around, and it has a cool neighborhood pub vibe. Every time I've been there, it's been low-key, and that was especially the case when we were there for Tony's birthday, which was on Monday. Trivia was starting as we were wrapping up our meal. Tony and I considered playing, but we abandoned the idea after hearing the first question. (We didn't understand about half of the words in the first question.) Trivia, clearly not our strong suit. Unless it's a question about a movie, director, or actor -- then Tony's your man. Total movie geek.

With full bellies, we made our way back home, where we spent the rest of the evening sipping a selection of fine Kentucky bourbons. I think it's clear the two of us were made for each other, isn't it? Happy birthday, Tone <3

dining out: founding farmers

This was the Weekend of Brunch. 

Tony and I had brunch Saturday at our neighbors' house and brunch Sunday at Founding Farmers with my coworker Avery and her boyfriend Nathan. And aside from brunching, Tony and I didn't do much else for the rest of the weekend. Except relax at home with some DVDs and go for some jogs (to burn some of the calories).

The decor at Founding Farmers is beautiful. It's open and modern and has a classic farmhouse vibe at the same time. And the atmosphere is always bustling. But the best compliment I can give the restaurant is that the food is reliably good. It emphasizes its sustainability efforts and the locally sourced and seasonal food on its menu, which is fantastic, but that wouldn't mean a whole lot if the food didn't taste good.    

We started the meal by sharing a bag of beignets, which were fried and greasy and sugary and warm. They tasted like something you would find at a county fair. Served with dipping sauces on the side -- my favorite was the chocolate, of course.  

Drinks made in-house: my lemonade and Avery's spicy Bloody Mary.

Tony ordered Dogs and Rolls, which are fancy pants hot dogs. His favorite was on the end, a tomato chow chow dog with fresh tomatoes, pickled onions, and sweet and sour sauce.

The D.C. location of Founding Farmers is near Foggy Bottom. There always seems to be a small crowd of people waiting for tables, so I recommend making a reservation. We made our reservation mid-week for Sunday brunch.  

<3

And while I'm on the subject of delicious food that is very, very bad for you, may I present this mint chocolate, cream-filled homemade doughnut, which one of the other guests brought to brunch Saturday at our neighbors' house. Yes. 

<3

From the archives:

entertaining: brunch on the grill

entertaining: berries and brunch

dining out: matchbox

dining out: granville moore's & atlas arcade

A year ago, I was boarding a train to Philadelphia with Tony, Jamie, Mike and Jen, kicking off a 30th birthday weekend celebration for Jamie that included dinner at Eric Ripert's restaurant, one too many beers, and assorted adventures befitting the transition from your 20s to your 30s. It was a grand and memorable 30th birthday celebration, a proper sendoff to Jamie's formative decade. 

Fast-forward one year, which means Jamie's 31st birthday is upon us. And, it seems to me, 31st birthday celebrations are as mature as 30th birthdays are grand. The five of us reunited for a birthday dinner at Granville Moore's, which was definitely the right locale for a grown-up birthday. 

Granville Moore's is one of the best restaurants on H Street. It's also small, and it doesn't take reservations on weekends, so it's not always easy to get a table. Maybe it was the rain that kept people at home Saturday evening, or maybe the birthday gods were on our side Saturday, because we waited just a half hour for a table. Which was just enough time to enjoy some Natty Bohs next door at the new Atlas Arcade. More on the arcade in a minute. 

The five of us held court all evening at a large table near the back of the bar. Candle light. Johnny Cash on the stereo. Food that didn't disappoint and unexpected beers that kept coming from a waitress who knows an impressive amount about Belgian beers. 

It's a Belgian restaurant, and mussels are its signature dish. Here are the bleu cheese mussels Jen ordered: 

And one of the many Belgian beer bottles that crossed our table that night:

I don't usually order dessert when we go out to eat, but, hey, Jamie only turns 31 once. I present the chocolate fudge tart that was the highlight of it all: 

<3

As I mentioned, while we were waiting for our table, the five of us ducked into Atlas Arcade, the new H Street bar where you can play classic arcade games while you enjoy your beverage. It reminded me of a smaller, slightly cramped version of Barcade, the appropriately named bar-and-arcade establishment in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. For one thing, the aforementioned Natty Bohs set the hipster tone for the bar.  

And you know what? I like Atlas Arcade. No, I love Atlas Arcade. I played Galaga for the first time in maybe seven years. When Tony and I started dating in college, we went to see a lot of movies at the local movie theater, which had a Galaga machine in the lobby. We'd show up early to movies to get in Galaga time. He taught me how to play, and over the next three years, until I graduated and moved away, I got darn good at that game. So, yes, any bar that brings back those memories, you get an A+ from Jessi. I'm sure the nostalgia is the allure for a lot of folks here.

Here's Tony, Jen and the lovely Galaga machine.  

All that said, I have somehow lost all of my Galaga skills in the past seven years. Because I made it to the second level before getting 86ed by one of those little aliens that swirl down and hit you. Which just means Tony and I will have to go back to Atlas Arcade, so I can brush up on my skills.  

dining out: bacio pizzeria

Tony and I picked up some calzones from Bacio Pizzeria in Bloomingdale on Friday after work, then headed home for a night in, just the two of us. Good food. A couple episodes of Treme on DVD. Jamming to the iPod. Catching up on some reading. A nice night.  

Bacio is a cute, carry out pizza joint, and it remains one of my favorite pizza places in D.C. Mostly because of the cornmeal crust. I was in an adventurous mood Friday, so we ordered calzones instead of pizzas. 

It wasn't a perfect restaurant experience. Bacio messed up the order a bit, including putting olives in my calzone. I hate olives. Luckily, they were whole olives, not chopped up, so they were easy to pluck out. 

But it's hard to stay mad at Bacio for long. The good food makes up it. 

Bacio is a nice addition to the neighborhood for folks who live in Bloomingdale, Eckington or Shaw. It's out of the way for the rest of us, but I say it's worth the trek if you're in the mood for new, good D.C. pizza. 

<3

From the archives: 

dining out: district of pi