New Favorite at Fresh Garden Deli

I had a late lunch today so I was pretty hungry when I got to my old standby lunch place, Fresh Garden Deli. During a previous visit, I noticed a new menu item - FGD Egg Salad. I was ready to try it today and asked the chef if she recommended I try the egg salad on a sandwich or salad. She said that their homemade balsamic vinaigrette goes very well with this new item, so the decision was clear. FGD Egg Salad Salad (not a typo) is my new favorite lunch! The usual eggs and mayo mixture has been updated with tasty bits of ham, turkey, avocado, and cheese. I'm glad I ordered a full size salad ($9.50) because it was so scrumptious! I think I'll try it on bread next time . . . .

Fresh Garden Deli is located in the arcade at 212 Merchant Street. Please refer to my original post from 8/13/13 about this long-time downtown lunch institution. In case you're curious, "FGD" stands for "Fresh Garden Deli."

FGD Egg Salad (Salad)

 

Dining Near Washington D.C.

As mentioned in the previous post, Executive Women International held its Leadership Conference Annual Meeting (LCAM) just outside Washington D.C. last week. The  following are some of the restaurants we tried, both good and not so good.

Johnny Rockets

The Fashion Center at Pentagon City

1100 S. Hayes Street, Arlington, VA

Ph: (703) 415-3510

We had some time to kill while transitioning between hotels so we visited an old haunt, The Fashion Center at Pentagon City. There was a lot of reconstruction going on which I was not too happy about. To make the best of the situation, I indulged myself with a Dark Chocolate Milkshake ($5.95) at Johnny Rockets. The burgers and fries we also ordered were very average and not worth mentioning here. However, my milkshake was delicious and reminiscent of my days working at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour. I drank as much as I could but left behind about $3 worth.

Dark Chocolate Milkshake topped with Ghiradelli chocolate

Enjera

549 23rd Street South, Arlington, VA

Ph: (703) 271-6040

A trip to the District is not complete without at least one Ethiopian meal. That's something that you can't get in Hawaii. The last time I had Ethiopian food in the Adams-Morgan area, I didn't care for the inerja (thin crepe used to grab and wrap around the food) because of the strong fermented flavor. Enjera's version is lighter in flavor and was delicious with the spicy, savory meats and veggies we ordered. We shared the Meat Lovers Combo for one which was mostly beef cooked in different sauces and one chicken dish (beef zigni, beef alicha, zigni derho, tibsi, awaze tibsy, and cottage cheese) and the Veggie Combo for one (alicha, spicy lentils, yellow split peas, collard greens, green beans, and green salad). There were at least two large parties seated ahead of us and I heard someone say that there was only one cook in the kitchen. The servers were very friendly and our order was taken right away. Our waitress patiently answered our questions and was very attentive. We did have to wait about 45 minutes (probably longer) for our dinner to arrive. Since we didn't have anywhere else to go, we had the luxury of being patient. The food was definitely worth the wait! We paid about $48 for the 2 large entrees, which were combined on one large platter with 3 rolls of inerja per person on the side. Out of the 3 places I've had Ethiopian food, Enjera is my favorite.

The meat dishes are in the center and vegetable dishes
around the edges on two pieces of inerja

Taj of India

509 23rd Street South, Arlington, VA

Ph: (703) 920-1100

We wanted to take the Metro back to DC during our free afternoon on the final day of the conference but it was raining and I didn't want to get stranded. So we went back to 23rd Street and had lunch at Taj of India's Crystal City location. I'm a fan of combo plates when trying something new or different. I convinced my husband to order the Taj Thali ($22.95) which consisted of succulent and tender meat dishes (makhani chicken, lamb roganjosh, beef palak, and dal makhani) served with basmati rice, naan bread, raita (yogurt sauce), and dessert. I tried the Indian Thali ($20.95) which is their vegetarian combo. Once the food arrived, it was obvious that my order was the vegetarian version of my husband's order. Nearly all of the dishes looked the same except mine didn't have meat. My dish also included basmati rice, naan bread, raita, and dessert. The food was delicious and not oily like the Indian take-out place near my office. My husband especially liked the Mango Kulfi he had for dessert. It was a creamy, dense, mango flavored ice cream that tasted similar to Filipino ube ice cream. I ordered the lighter mango sorbet because I was so full. My happy hubby said that this lunch was the best meal of the entire vacation.

Vegetarian Indian Thali

Mango Kulfi and Mango Sorbet

The Portofino Restaurant

526 23rd Street South, Arlington, VA

Ph: (703) 979-8200

I recommended this restaurant to the other conference attendees from our Honolulu Chapter based on reviews I read online as well as proximity to our hotel. However, our experience at Portofino was mixed. My husband and I shared an order of Calamari Friti ($8.50) which was nicely prepared, but had no flavor. Even the dipping sauce was plain. My husband had the Caccuico Livornese for his entree ($21.95) which was a modest serving of shrimps, scallops, fish, clams, mussels, and squid in a white wine and lemon garlic sauce. My husband finished his dish in about 5 minutes, eating just the seafood with as little of the sour sauce as possible, while the rest of us enjoyed more ample sized entrees. I had better luck with the Omaggi di Neptune ($25.95) which consisted of a small lobster tail, shrimps, scallops, and mushrooms in a brandy sauce over fettuccine. My husband's meal was saved by his dessert, Torta di Formaggio ala Mocha, which was chocolate cheesecake in a custard sauce ($6.95). I was disappointed with my Spumoni ice cream ($4.95), which was already melting when it was served. Again no flavor and hardly any candied fruits or nuts. Sorry, but I've tasted better spumoni even in Hawaii. Our group of 8 people asked for separate checks and the restaurant was nice enough to accommodate our request.

Caccuico Livornese

Omaggi di Neptune

Spumoni

Torta di Formaggio ala Mocha

San Antonio Bar & Grill
1664 A, Crystal Square Arcade, Arlington, VA
Ph: (703) 415-0126

There is an underground walkway that connects our hotel to the Crystal City Metro station. Along the way, there are shops and restaurants located beneath the streets. One of these restaurants is San Antonio Bar & Grill. We like Mexican food so we decided to give this place a try. I am not much of a drinker, but I did enjoy my blended margarita with light salt. The complementary tortilla chips and salsa were delicious as I tried not to get too full before my entree arrived. My husband ordered Asado Puertoriqueno ($15.95) which was a marinated flank steak seasoned with rosemary, garlic, and olive oil. It was served with rice, fried plantains, and a small salad. I had Masita de Puerco ($13.95) which was marinated pork served with fried plantains, rice, and black beans on the side. It was very tasty and reminded me of Filipino pork adobo. The presentation wasn't very fancy, but the food was delicious! The ambiance is "bar and grill" so expect some noise from people cheering on their favorite teams.

Blended Margarita

Masita de Puerco

Asado Puertoriqueno

Ernie's Crab House

1743 King Street, Alexandria, VA

Ph: (703) 836-0046

This restaurant is conveniently located near the King Street Metro so it was easy for us to find. It was already past 1:30 when we arrived and there was just one couple in the restaurant just finishing their lunch. The interior was run down and not at all what I expected after viewing their beautiful website. Also, the air conditioning was not working so it was a bit warm as well. It reminded me of the crab shack that used to be near our town house in Alexandria, which was a no-frills  place that sold freshly boiled crab seasoned with Old Bay Seasoning. The price of the fresh Maryland blue crab (which is the reason we went there in the first place) was much too high for lunch for just two people so we opted for a lighter lunch. I had a bowl of New England Clam Chowder ($8) while my husband tried the Maryland Vegetable Crab Soup ($8). Sorry, but we thought our soups were pricey for what we got. My husband also had the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake on Croissant ($13). I had the Oyster Po' Boy ($13). Both sandwiches were very tasty and I especially enjoyed the freshly fried oysters on my sandwich. 

New England Clam Chowder

Maryland Vegetable Crab Soup

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake on Croissant

Oyster Po' Boy

Dining in Washington D.C.

I just returned from the Executive Women International Leadership Conference Annual Meeting (LCAM) held in Arlington, VA just outside Washington D.C. We spent two days prior to the conference at a hotel on Embassy Row near Dupont Circle and checked out the local cuisine.

Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe & Grill
1517 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036
Ph: (202) 387-1400

Washington DC is a great place to have brunch on the weekends with many restaurants serving brunch both Saturday and Sunday. Daughter #1 recommended Kramerbooks for brunch so we took her advice. We both ordered the Crab Salad ($19), which consisted of fresh greens, avocado, tomatoes, red onions, and a fat crab cake patty filled with a generous amount of crab. The dipping sauce for the crab cake was not needed because the balsamic vinaigrette was sufficiently delicious. The bonus was the fresh mini pastries and fresh fruit that accompanies every brunch order. What a great way to start our vacation!

Crab Tomato & Avocado Salad

Zorba's Cafe

1612 20th Street NW, Washington DC

Ph: (202) 387-8555

We didn't have a chance to try Zorba's the last time we visited our daughter who lived in the District at the time. She referred to Zorba's as "the good Greek place" so we made a point to try it out. There is no table service and diners must order at the back of the restaurant then seat themselves. Your order number is called out over a loud speaker since most of the diners were seated on the patio in front of the restaurant instead of inside despite the ample seating indoors. My husband ordered Zorba's Combination ($15.25) which consisted of slices of yero meat, a souvlaki skewer, a small kefte pattie (similar to a mini hamburger pattie), rice, 2 dolmathakia (grape leaves stuffed with rice), hummus, pita bread, and tzatziki sauce. I ordered the Souvlaki Platter ($13.50) which consisted of 3 pork (or chicken) skewers with fries, pita bread, and tzatziki sauce. Both orders came with a small green salad topped with feta, tomatoes, red onions, and a yummy Greek dressing. Both dishes were absolutely delicious! The weather was balmy as Washington's searing summer began to transition into fall. It was a great dinner, topped with gelato from nearby Dolcezza Gelato.

Pork Soulvaki Platter

Zorba's Combination Platter

Dolcezza Coffee & Gelato

1704 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC

Ph: (202) 299-9116

Unfortunately, there are no photos of the scrumptious gelato we had at Dolcezza. We were walking back to our hotel after dining at Zorba's and stumbled onto this place. The flavors are eclectic and the price a little steep, but all doubt disappeared with the first bite of the Butter Pecan gelato I ordered. My husband sampled the Chocolate Classico and immediately ordered the large size. I think we paid $14 for two large gelatos, but it was worth it! Dolcezza has 4 locations in and around the DC area. Give them a try!

Hotel Tabard Inn & Restaurant

1739 N Street NW, Washington DC

Ph: (202) 331-8528

This was our second visit to Tabard Inn, having dined there with Daughter #1 a couple of years ago. This historic Inn features a great restaurant that is very popular for weekend brunch. Reservations are highly recommended since those without reservations have to fight for a seat at the bar. We opted to dine indoors this time and were taken to an upstairs room that looked like a former bedroom. To start off, we ordered a couple of Tabard Inn's famous Freshly Fried Donuts ($1.75 each) which were rolled in sugar and cinnamon and served with vanilla whipped cream. (They taste like a refined version of malasadas.) My husband ordered Belgian Waffles with a side of crispy bacon. I ordered the House-Smoked Salmon Hash with Chimichurri sauce, topped with 2 sunny side eggs. I didn't realize that a basket of mini pastries was included with our brunch so we walked out of there really full. The menu on the restaurant's website is entirely different from the menu we were offered last Sunday. I didn't keep my receipt so can't report the price of the dishes we ordered. However, I do remember paying about $42 for our entire brunch, including coffee. I highly recommend Tabard Inn for Saturday or Sunday brunch. Don't forget to make reservations!

Belgian Waffles

Salmon Hash with Chimichurri

Tabard Inn Donuts with Whipped Cream

Hotel Tabard Inn and Restaurant

Our excellent servers, Miguel and Seble

Bistrot du Coin

1738 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC

Ph: (202) 234-6969

Daughter #1 introduced us to Bistrot du Coin a few years ago and it has become our "go-to" restaurant whenever we visit the District. It's a rustic, homey, French bistro that specializes in steamed mussels. Reservations are highly recommended, especially on the weekends. Every inch of space is utilized to try to accommodate the many patrons. It's loud and crowded but the food is heavenly! We ordered Escargot ala Bourguignonne ($9.50) to share, which is prepared in the old-fashioned way with unsalted butter, parsley, and plenty of garlic. I tried not to fill up on the complementary, fresh crusty bread to leave room for our second appetizer, a small order of Moules Marinier ($11.50) which was about 12 mussels steamed in white wine, onions, shallots, garlic, and parsley. This provided more sauce for dipping the bread!  For my entrée, I ordered Homardine ($17.50) which was mini raviolis covered in mushrooms, seafood, and lobster sauce. My dish was topped with cheese and baked. It was rich and I made my husband eat some while I sampled his dinner. He ordered Le Steak Maison ($18.95) for his entrée, which came with bernaise sauce and French fries. The steak was grilled medium-rare, just as my husband had ordered, and it was juicy and delicious.

Small order of Mussels

Homardine

Le Steak Maison

Panas Gourmet Empanadas

2029 P. Street NW, Washington DC

Ph: (202) 223-2964

We stopped at the Dupont Circle location of Panas Gourmet Empanadas (they have another store in Bethesda, MD) located near our hotel for an evening snack. It's a small, very casual place with a few tables and chairs. Panas offers a wide variety of empanadas and 4 kinds of savory "dripping" sauces. Upon our arrival, the friendly gentleman behind the counter offered us a free sample of the Chipotle Steak empanada with Salsa Verde dripping sauce. The empanada was warm, savory, and full of flavor. We decided to order the "Combo x 4" ($8.50) which comes with 2 dripping sauces and a small bag of fresh plantain chips. Both the empanadas and chips are baked and not fried. We selected the Carne Asada (beef, olives, peppers, eggs, onions, parsley), CubaNovo (pork, onions, cilantro, lime, Grand Marnier), BrieArt (brie cheese, mushrooms, artichoke hearts), and Chicken Melodia  (chicken, Sauvinon Blanc mushroom sauce, onions, cilantro) plus 2 portions of the mild Chimi dripping sauce. Each empanada was labeled with initials on the corner (made of dough) to indicate the filling. Clever! My favorite was the BrieArt empanada, no sauce needed. Both my husband and I preferred the Salsa Verde over the Chimi dripping sauce. It's a great place for take-out since the décor is "fast food" and nearby Dupont Circle is so enticing when the weather is nice. Another customer placed a large order of at least a dozen empanadas and extra plantain chips, all the while complaining about the lack of parking. (Welcome to DC!) 

Empanadas, Dripping Sauces, and Plantain Chips

Open City Diner & Café

2331 Calvert Street NW, Washington DC

Ph: (202) 332-2331

Open City Diner is just a few steps from the Woodley Park Metro (near the National Zoo). It has become another "go-to" place for breakfast whenever we are in the District. The cool, hipster atmosphere reminds me of my college days in the late-'70's. My favorite breakfast is the Salmon Scramble ($9.50) consisting of eggs scrambled with chunks of cream cheese, tomatoes, and chives. It comes with a choice of toasted whole wheat, white, bagel or English muffin, and hash browns or grits. I love ordering coffee served in a large mug with 2 animal crackers smiling at me from the saucer. This was my third visit to this restaurant and it seemed a little more "divey" than I remembered, but the food was still good. We have only been here for breakfast, which doesn't require reservations.

Salmon Scramble and Americano with complementary animal crackers

FreshFarm Markets
Dupont Circle and other locations

When we lived in the area in the early-1990's, one of the things I really enjoyed was the wonderful farmers markets. There used to be one every Tuesday afternoon near our home in Alexandria and I really miss the wide variety of fresh produce that we just don't have in Hawaii. On Sundays, FreshFarms holds a farmers market just north of Dupont Circle. We strolled between the vendors and gazed at peaches the size of softballs, a towering mountain of huge bell peppers, fresh cheese, herbs, and even empanadas. Alas, it was too early in the season for fresh apple cider. I miss being able to buy this autumn treat directly from the farmers. The next time you are in the DC area, check out FreshFarm Market's schedule to find a farmer's market near you.

Breakfast at The Pineapple Room

My husband and I like to stop at the The Pineapple Room by Alan Wong for lunch on the weekends once in a while. The restaurant is nicely decorated in neutral tones and it's a treat to dine in pleasant (air conditioned) surroundings where the servers wear uniforms that do not consist of black t-shirts and jeans. We usually sit at the counter and order a carafe of plantation iced tea to go with our lunch. The convenient location on the third floor of Macy's Ala Moana Center store is a pleasant a break from shopping. With all of the construction going on at the Center, we try to arrive as early as possible to find decent parking.

We heard that The Pineapple Room serves breakfast on the weekends and decided to check it out on Saturday. I was happy to find that the price of breakfast was reasonable given the moderately-upscale venue. I ordered the Homemade Corned Beef Hash, which came with eggs prepared to order and a choice of potatoes, white rice, brown, rice, or fried rice for $12.75. I asked the waitress for her suggestion and she recommended the fried rice. I'm glad that I took her suggestion and really enjoyed the little bits of kalua pork that flavored the fried rice just right. I also ordered the house coffee for $3.00, which included my own private pot of coffee for easy refills.

My husband had Two Eggs Any Style for $11.00, which came with meat of your choice and the same starch selection I was offered. He chose crispy bacon and brown rice. We were both surprised to see that his plate was sprinkled with a green onion oil. My husband said it was good, despite his dislike of onions on his breakfast.

I admit that we were a bit shy and ordered "safe" dishes for our first breakfast visit to The Pineapple Room, but we will be back. There were a few intriguing items on the menu that I want to try. The first is "Spong," which the waitress said is Chef Alan Wong's own homemade version of Spam. (Get it? Spam plus Wong equals Spong.) The other dish I want to try is the Asparagus Omelet with Bacon Vinaigrette. I saw another customer eating it at a nearby table and she seemed to be enjoying her meal. Check out their breakfast menu for more information. Breakfast is served Saturdays 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. and Sunday 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. The Pineapple Room takes reservations for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The Pineapple Room by Alan Wong
(Located on the third floor of Macy's Ala Moana Center)
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard, #1300, Honolulu, HI 96814
Ph: (808) 945-6573

Homemade Corned Beef Hash, Eggs Over Easy, and Pineapple Ketchup with Fried Rice

Eggs Any Style with Bacon, Green Onion Oil, and Brown Rice