Taqueria el Poblano

Posted on February 9, 2016 by melsmosaic

Was finally able to visit a Mexican restaurant that I have only heard great things about. Checked out Taqueria el Poblano in Alexandria/Del Ray, VA. They also have 2 locations in Arlington.

At such a restaurant one much always start the meal off with a margarita. Very nicely done! Found out later they also make them with some Grand Marnier and decided to give that a try…can’t complain at all.

Opted for the other mandatory piece at such a restaurant, guacamole. Just the perfect balance of smooth vs. chunks and nice spices in there. The chips were ok.

One of their specials that night was lobster tacos. Uh, yeah, I think I’ll order those! AMAZING. I don’t think I’d ever had lobster tacos. Huge chunks of meat in those things, some non-mayo coleslaw and other great flavors. So much good food.

My friend opted for pork tacos that came with green peppers, cheese and other great stuff.

We were stuffed to the brim. Definitely have to go back here.

The Pub by Wegmans

Posted on January 23, 2016 by melsmosaic

Wegmans is already heaven on earth. And now they have another element…a full restaurant. I’m not just talking their fancy salad bar or the locations where you sit at the counters and can order and be served. No, it’s The Pub by Wegmans. There are only a few of these in the country. A couple friends and I had to check it out the other day. While doing some research on the website we noticed they use OpenTable. We decided to make a reservation just because we could. It was a good thing we decided to. This place was packed — and we went at noon on a Monday (granted it was a federal holiday)! Had we not done so, we not have gotten a table.

The three of us split a half pitcher of sangria to start while looking over the menu. It wasn’t that exciting of a drink. For the first course we decided to split their White Bean Hummus Platter; Italian Classics Cannellini Beans, roasted garlic, Toscano olive oil, topped with truffle spread; served with roasted baby peppers, mini cucumbers and rosemary fontinella cheese flatbread (and got some non-cheese laden stuff).

These were non-bell peppers and were so good. Since they were roasted they were nice and warm. They also made sticks out of the cukes vs just simple slices. Very tasty!

All of us opted to get the same thing as a main course — Portobello ‘Steak’ — balsamic-marinated roasted portobello mushroom topped with artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper and fresh mozzarella, accompanied by bulgur wheat and arugula salads. I went cheeseless, my friends took it on.

A nice balance of flavors all around. Had to eat every bite.

There were also some Tuscan Fries brought to the table, which were fries accented with rosemary, sage, Italian parsley and garlic. I don’t even like fries and had to help eat them.

We also each had a glass of wine — so nice with the logo on there.

This was such a fun lunch. Delicious all around. Great shopping afterwards, too.

Mykonos Grill

Posted on December 24, 2015 by melsmosaic

Another restaurant tested…received a recommendation to check out Mykonos Grill in Rockville, MD from a good friend. I had driven by it countless times (when going to Bed, Bath & Beyond) and was glad to hear it was worth checking out.

Got there sort of early and the hostess asked if I had a reservation. No, but was able to get a table for my friend and me. Within 30 minutes that place was packed! Wow, this place i obviously popular.

My friend and I split a bottle of Greek Red. Can’t remember the name of it (no correlation to the amount we drank).

They come out with their warm bread and the super seasoned lemony olive oil — so good!

We ordered some Melitzanosalata right off the bat; a smoked mousse (no dairy) eggplant froth, olive oil, lemon juice and herbs. Similar to baba ghannoush.

Based on their specials that night, we opted to split their roasted Branzino, a whole Mediterranean bass, white moist tender flakes, delicate flavor. It was so nice.

The servers were so nice, all the service was great, the place was packed and the dinner just melted in your mouth. I can’t believe I had driven by this place so many times. Glad I finally went.

Founding Farmers

Posted on December 15, 2015 by melsmosaic

After one runs the MCRRC Jingle Bell Jog in shorts & tshirt, because of 60-degree weather in mid-December, why not continue the great day?

My friend and I visited Founding Farmers in Potomac for brunch. I had heard mixed reviews on the restaurant, based on the locations, so was excited to give it a try.

Photo source: wearefoundingfarmers.com

Knowing the popularity of this place I made a reservation a few days ahead of time. So glad I did. It was packed!

When we arrived the #1 priority was coffee. Good stuff. After skimming the menu I opted for a nice basic breakfast; you get to pick eggs, meat, bread, veggie.

I went for scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, wheat bread and a green salad.

Very nicely cooked eggs. The salad was great. There were grapes tomatoes, avocados and almonds in there with a nice light dressing. The price was under $10.

Complaints: they wondered why we wanted jam for our bread and brought us maybe a single serving for the two of us. It frustrated them to bring more.

Then we got the check. It was just over $20 — my friend ordered the sausage, mushroom & spinach pan scramble. We were floored (in a good way)! Then we noticed they didn’t charge us for the coffee (not a major cost to the restaurant). After we gave the waitress the credit card to run, she came back and let us know she forgot to charge us the $3+ each for the coffee and would now need to include it. Seemed like something unnecessary based on the fact that it was her fault and it was only coffee. Not worth the fight.

The Daily Dish

Posted on November 16, 2015 by melsmosaic

Visited a restaurant that I park in front of a least once a week for a morning run. I see it when it’s dark out and there is nobody around but my running partner and me. So we had this novel idea to go check this place out during daylight hours when they are actually open.

It’s The Daily Dish in Silver Spring/Chevy Chase, MD. We went at lunch on a Federal Holiday and it got pretty busy, which was good to see.

(image source: thedailydishrestaurant.com)

We started with one of their seasonal special, some pumpkin hummus. Too…good, needed…more. It was served with roasted pumpkin seeds in the middle and roasted cauliflower on the side, as well as the normal pita bread.

After debating the menu for awhile, my friend opted for a salad with pan-seared salmon, on spinach, arugula, fennel, with orange segments, red onion, citrus vinaigrette. I opted for the couscous paella (with shrimp for an extra charge). It was Israeli pearl couscous, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, artichokes, marinara sauce served with quinoa.

My friend’s salad was delicious. My paella was ok. The veggies were nice and crunchy, the shrimp were perfect, but there was far too much couscous to be had. We also each enjoyed a glass of wine. I just remember mine was a Shiraz/Pinotage blend…can never go wrong with Pinotage!

Overall good lunch experience. I’ve heard the restaurant can be hit or miss. They have a wide variety of options on the menu so definitely worth checking out.

Kapnos, DC

Posted on October 28, 2015 by melsmosaic

As a person who could live on a mediterranean and mexican diet, I recently had to check out Kapnos in Washington, DC. It is one of Mike Isabella‘s (from Top Chef) many restaurants. It’s in the U St. corridor, just a few blocks from the U St./Cardozo Metro on the Green Line/Yellow Lines.

The restaurant is said to have small plates so you can have a few per person. That’s a good thing to know because there were too many mouth-watering options on the menu! Several of us were there so there was good sharing opportunity. We were able to cover the menu quite well.

Started with the pikilia, aka a sampling of three spread and got revithosalata (chickpea, tahini, sultan chutney), melitzanosalata (smoked eggplant, roasted peppers, walnuts, feta) & favosalata (yellow lentils, scallions, black garlic, pine nuts).

After much debate, the rest of the food that hit the table was:

roasted duck phyllo pie cress, cherries, pistachio yogurt

roasted cauliflower baharat spice, pistachio, golden raisin

charred brussels sprouts sweet potato, coriander honey, candied pecans

fava yellow lentils, spinach, butternut squash, saffron, pearl onions

american red snapper sunchoke, celery root, saffron broth

marinated lamb bulgur, cous cous, wild rice (didn’t get a picture of this one)

spit roasted chicken lemon potatoes

Some of these ‘small’ plates were huge. There were five of us at the table and there was more than enough. We weren’t going to let any of this go to waste so made room… Everything was mouthwatering and beyond delicious. Since there were so many options on the menu totally worth going back to explore other options. Isabella also has other places in DC and there is a Kapnos opening in Bethesda in early 2016 which will be a good one to check out.

Encantada…oh yes

Posted on August 14, 2015 by melsmosaic

Encantada can normally mean two things. In Spanish, it’s that you’re delighted. In Baltimore (MD), it can mean a restaurant. But I recently learned a third definition of this word…eternal food coma in beyond state of bliss with exceptional service, view, imbibery and edible goods.

Got to check out the aforementioned restaurant, Encantada, recently and it was a great time. It’s on the top floor of the American Visionary Art Museum in Federal Hill, Baltimore, MD. The restaurant “support(s) regional farms, ranches, and aqua-culture, thus nurturing the concept of sustainability.”

(image source: encantadabaltimore.com)

My friend and I wanted to check out so much of the menu and they are small plates so we were able to cover a good amount of it.

But of course, cocktails first. We opted for A Cheshire Cat (Anchor Junipero Gin, Cucumber-lemongrass Syrup, Fresh Mint and Lime, Fizzy Water, Magic Velvet Blue Ice) and an I Dream of Genie (Organic 123 Tequila, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, House Sour, Hibiscus Sea Salt Lime Foam).

Cheers, oh, cheers. Amazing tastes in those drinks! And the magic velvet blue ice never really completely went away… And that foam on top of the margarita (or Genie) just can’t be explained unless you taste it.

For dinner, they had a Prix Fixe of $30 for 6 items from the menu, which was great. Time to share!

We actually opted for 7, just because we wanted a lucky number.

So first we had to get some bread going, so picked the Housemade Bread served with a mushroom butter & a romesco. Apparently that butter was really good.

Next up was probably one of THE most amazing dishes I have eaten for awhile. Portabellos with carpaccio, white miso, chimichurri and pine nuts (though we opted for no carpaccio). Those mushrooms were so thinly sliced, the flavors melded together in some fashion that was and still is inexplicable. Wow.

After that the Cauliflower arrived, which is served nashville style with vegan ranch dressing, bread n’ butta’s, and corncake. It was deep fried and a bit too spicy for me but my friend devoured it. It was essentially chicken wings but with veggies. There was nothing left to be seen on that plate.

Next up, Skate, which is a mildly-flavored fish. This guy was served with sunflower seed romesco, a fried artichoke and pickled zucchini. Very nice! Had never had an artichoke like that.
More veggie time now…enjoyed some delicious heirloom tomatoes with cucumbers, olive oil, black garlic, sea salt. The black garlic was very cool. Had a different taste and we honestly couldn’t identify it at first!

Grabbed some Brussels Sprouts next…take me to heaven! They were served with blistered grapes (totally unique), pine nuts, and fig cotta — another one you don’t get often. There wasn’t enough on this huge plate!

Needed more meat so we ordered some duck, which was a fennel & juniper cured breast, english peas, blackberry gastrique and fresh blackberry dish. Another one that was out of the park.

During all this time there was also the need for some wine so we ordered a Malbec, a nice balance to all the flavors.

Ok, so to sum this all up. So many good flavors, so many choices, will have to go back to explore the menu even more. Good thing they had very affordable valet parking since we needed to roll out of there and our car was right in front of us!

Paladar

Posted on August 3, 2015 by melsmosaic

Went to check out a place down the street from me with all this heat because of little desire to cook. It’s Paladar, in the DC-area, and I’d been there once right when they opened so it was packed. Was looking forward to checking it out again.

It’s a Latin restaurant which means some of their drinks are perfect for a hot evening. My friend and I both opted for Sangria — one of us red, one of us white. These things went down way too easily!!

For some food, we grabbed the neccesary guac then went with ceviche. The guac is served with yucca, plaintain, malanga and ‘regular’ chips.
They have unique ceviche options! I opted for Salmon & Mango, which was thinly sliced salmon, fresh mango and red onion tossed in sweet and tangy coconut ginger marinade. Very nice balance between all the flavors.

The other ceviche at the table was the Mixed Seafood one, with a great blend of fresh snapper, calamari, and shrimp tossed in sweet and tangy broth made with lemon, lime & orange juices, aji peppers, and celery, topped with fresno peppers, carrots and onion. Nice flavors all around.

A place worth checking out for drinks and/or dinner, definitely on a hot summer night.

Gringos & Mariachis

Posted on March 29, 2015 by melsmosaic

Caught up with a friend the other night and we were in the mood for some good margaritas. There are always the cookie cutter places. Why we must we always go there? Then I remember checking out a place in Woodmont Triangle (in downtown Bethesda) last year that I wanted to go to again.

It is so ‘hidden’ that it’s easy to miss. We eventually tracked down Gringos and Mariachis on Cordell Ave. I say hidden because there is no sign for it. The exterior of the building is gray and their name is painted in black above the windows. If you don’t know exactly where it is, amongst other popular restaurants, you walk right by it, as we did. I only worked and lived near it for years and missed it.

Anyway, we walked in and it was packed on a Friday evening. We snagged a (1) stool at the bar and (fast forwarding) were eventually able to get another. They had a good variety of margaritas and I opted for the smoked one to begin.

The bartender said it’s the combo of the type of tequila and mezcal, and of course the special salt blend they use that makes it good. Very unique and darn tasty!

We also got some staple food, from chips and guac to salsa. Some of their salsa is super spicy! They have tacos al pastor, which are very hard to find in the US. I remember having them in Mexico. It’s a pork taco and very good. We also had their delicious seafood taco with Mahi Mahi.

Another great restaurant to check out, especially if you’re into margaritas. And, it’s close to the Bethesda Metro and near many of the parking garages.

Bidwell

Posted on February 18, 2015 by melsmosaic

Recently found out about a newish (one year old) restaurant in DC at Union Market. It’s a growing area and Union Market alone has tons of great little (food) shops. The restaurant is Bidwell, and there is also a restaurant by the same chef in NYC. They have a garden on the rooftop and in the summer grow their own herbs and veggies — nice!

Our ‘table’ was great — right in front of the kitchen so we got to watch all the action take place. It was a busy night, they didn’t expect it, so stuff was a bit under par, but that just meant we got to watch more of the fun take place.

It took awhile to get our cocktails because they had one bartender but I eventually received my City Sage.

Quite unique. I’m not a huge bourbon drinker but that sage intrigued me. Was totally worth trying it!

For an appetizer, we tried some of the highly-kitchen-rated Brussel sprouts. So nice and crisp and crunchy — give me more!

We then had to try the kale salad, just super fresh, with pine nuts and a nice vinaigrette (that had anchovies in it to give it a perfect saltiness).

To cap it off, went with the salmon served over cauliflower. Again, very good — after I received it 3 times over. They initially told me there was no dairy, but that white stuff at the very bottom is mostly dairy. The second time I got it, the cauliflower should be outside right now (freezing), the third time, delicious!

Overall, I will totally check this place out again. The manager apologized for the slow service but the food was delicious. If you’re in DC and can make it to Union Market, check this place out.