Alia Said...

I think there's something floating in my drink

Posted by Red

So my love of food routinely got me made fun of at the office, but it got people talking about food, and wanting to try out some of the deals in the area that I had found.

I've already mentioned Proof.

This one is Ping Pong Dim Sum. They do a set lunch menu with a bunch of different things you can try. There is a seafood, vegetarian, and dumpling fix option. The price ranges from $10 - $18, and its a pretty good amount of food.

We ended up ordering all three of them, and they were all delicious.

We also got these crazy flowering teas. It starts out as a hot water in a mug, with a little ball of what looks like hairy weeds. As it steeps it unfurls into this big pretty flower. SO cool.

Alia says... "Um.. I think there's something floating in my drink..."

Category: Chinatown, Seafood, Veggies 0 comments

Proof is in the Food

Posted by Red

Aaaaannd back to Proof.

This is the Grilled Garlic Chicken, with steamed rice, cabbage salad, and a yogurt-cilantro puree. Its a tough choice, but I think this is my favorite of the four entrees at Proof. I think its the yogurt-cilantro puree and the rice. So many places do mashed potatoes, but not rice. Rice is good. So is the tasty white wine (I wish I knew what it was) that came with it.

**Sigh** I miss chinatown lunches.

Alia says..."Life, is good."

Don't worry, I still had room for the Panna Cotta afterwards ;p

Category: Chinatown, DC 0 comments

Wonder-Pho-L

Posted by Red

There is no better winter dish than Pho. IT IS SO GOOD! All hot and spicy (if you want it to be) and not really bad for you.

Beef Pho from Asian Bistro, inexpensive, filling, and delicious. I was so happy leaving that place.

Also, I pronounced it Fo for years, until someone recently told me its actually fuh. well pho-k, I sounded dumb huh?

Alia says... "Wonder-pho-l"

Category: Fairfax, Pho 0 comments

Brussels Sprouts???

Posted by Red

For those who know me, I tend to pick one thing and obsess over it. For a while it was asparagus. Then spinach. Now it's brussels sprouts.

Overwood, in OTA (Old Town Alexandria), has the best roasted brussels sprouts(along with a pretty sweet $10 steak night, and a half-priced bottle of wine night).

One week, I think I went four times. My friend, who loves them almost as much, figured out how to make them the same way, and its really easy. Also, I keep telling random strangers about this place It usually goes something like this:

Girl: I'm in town to run a marathon.
Me: That's awesome, hey random question. Do you like brussels sprouts?
Girl: OMG! YES they are my favorite! I usually eat them before I run but I don't know this area.
Me: Well let me tell you...

This exchange actually happened.

Alia Said... "Ohh baby do you know what thats worth. Ohh heaven a place on earth"

Category: Alexandria, Steak, Veggies 0 comments

Math Nerds, Really Bad Jokes and Not a Care in the World

Posted by Red

I obviously love food. And I don't mind paying for it. That doesn't mean I don't love a good deal.

Now that school is back in, I'm spending more and more time in Fairfax. Thursdays have been my unofficial night to NOT do homework. This, fortuitously, also happens to be wing night at Buffalo Wing University. 25 wings for $15, paired with dollar domestic beers?

Nothing could be finer. They've got about 30 different sauces, with 5 levels of buffalo: Mild, Hot, Extra Hot, 911, DOA. I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to order the DOA, but if you do, you may need a new stomach lining. The service, not so hot. Even so, its worth it.

Alia says... "Feelin hot hot hot"

Category: Fairfax, Hot 0 comments

A Taste of Lord of the Rings in Alexandria

Posted by Red

There are no Hobbits at Bilbo Baggins in Old Town Alexandria but the food and drink grabbed my attention. I ordered the Carolina Pulled Pork sandwich with the house salad rather than the fries. The barbecue sauce looked and tasted more tomato based than vinegar but good none-the-less and topped with some great coleslaw. The house salad surprised me and I loved it.

The beer menu was extensive but I was disappointed there was no Flying Dog, which is a new local favorite of mine. I did get the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale and so did Boricua.

My favorite must have been the bread they brought out. It had a lot of fall spices that gave it a nice kick. I wish I could have eaten more of the bread but it was heavier than my right tit.

Bilbo Baggins is a great place to eat and I would suggest exploring their specials, which is what I plan to do next time I'm there. Just leave yourself enough time if you are there for lunch. The servers were wonderful... but slow.

Alia Said... "Heavy Man!"

Category: Alexandria, Beer 0 comments

Rustic-O

Posted by Red

OMG! I LOVE Rustico.

I checked out their website prior to going and was immediately impressed by their beer selection.

It was suggested we sit at the bar because the chairs were more comfortable and they were Deciding on the food was torture because I wanted it all!

I kept changing my mind on what I wanted and our hot waiter wasn't helping since he loved everything. In the end I decided on the Cheddar Burger and even splurged and got the fries with it.

So back to the beer selection... FANTASTIC! Red and Boricua went with the Brooklyn Lager and Alia had the Bluegrass Brewing Company's Jefferson Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout.

Bourbon Barrel Smoked Stout

A standard American stout by style, however aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels for 90 days. This full bodied stout presents woth a black opaque apearance due to the heavy doses of dark malts and roasted barley. A blend of the dark grains, a portion of smoked malt, and a generous amount of pale malt lends to a filling and warming beer with notes of bourbon, caramel, coffee, toffee and smoke. With the comlplement of conditioning on a Woodford Reserve Barrel for 3 months the stout finishes with a deliciously balanced melding of barrel aged character and the smooth silky flavor of a well made stout.
ABV: 6.4 • IBU: 36.9

We took a bunch of pics here:

The Cheddar Burger