Souk

one of the final stops on my romp of H Street was another around the corner goody, SOUK. It had been a long time coming for good buddies of BOOF, Bill and AB and I to get together. I had been wanting to go to Souk for a while and I knew that Bill studied abroad in Morocco, so I threw out the idea of Souk and both agreed.

Souk is a smaller primarily tapas restaurant with a nice relaxed vibe. It is filled with warm colors and very decorative pillows on many of the seats throughout the restaurant. I had never realized that in addition to the small dining room in the front of the restaurant (along with the bar), there is in additional dining room in the back with very very dimmed lighting but more of the same color scheme. It also boasts an open kitchen and we all i know, i love an open kitchen. points for that.

to start off we ordered the hummus which was just a simple blend of chick peas puree, tahini, olive oil and lemon. i feel like it is difficult to go wrong with homemade hummus and Souk did a good job with it. No unexpected kicks or surprise flavors but it was good nonetheless.

i also ordered the Chiflour Bi Tahina which is fried cauliflour with herbs and tahina sauce. i can really never see anything wrong with a tempura vegetable and this was more of the same. The flavors were nicely balanced but there was no special kick to it. i think that it could have had some more complex flavors going on but it was still clean and simple.



Additionally, I ordered the Couscous a la Berebere which is couscous served with dry fruits, apricots, nuts and a yogurt sauce. this was recommended to me by Bill and my mouth may have been watering upon reading the description on the menu. unfortunately, it wasn't as good as the description leads it on to be. the couscous was cooked fine as were the ingredients but the flavor intensity that I was expecting from the dried fruits and apricots did not come through as much as I would have hoped. the yogurt sauce helped a bit but it was definitely one of those "great vision, not so great execution" dishes.

AB ordered the Chicken Shawarma which is roasted chicken with tomato onion salad served with Basmati rice. Both Bill and AB enjoyed this dish and Bill felt like she was back in Morocco, which is a clearly a good thing. The flavor and seasoning was there and definitely had mediterranean influences but it also had its own distinct identity.

Bill ordered the Lamb couscous which was a stewed lamb shank with a vegetable medley of squash, carrots, and zucchini served with couscous. This was a big hit and I even had some of the carrots which were really tasty. AB also took really well to this dish and enjoyed the flavor. There are occasions when restaurants mistake good seasoning from salting and this was not the case. The seasoning was nicely balanced.

Additionally, I ordered the Shrimp Biryani (i'm pretty sure that's what it was called), and it was really quite good. The flavor and seasoning was really present and had the nice "kick" that I had been looking for all evening. I would actually caution that unless you are accustomed to very spicy things and can take it, that you might not get it because I had to polish off that couscous to be able to finish it. However, I was really pleased with the dish and the flavor and I think that the bold seasoning that they used in this particular dish should be used more so throughout.

All in all, i enjoyed my time at Souk. There are definitely additional items on the menu that I would like to try and I think tapas is always a good choice among a small group of friends or for a date. If on a date, I would recommend asking to be seated in the back dining room because the front dining room can be a little bit of the fishbowl with the open windows. They had a lot of good flavors in some of the dishes, but I definitely would not be afraid to push the envelope if I were them.

Grade: B

Taylor Gourmet

it's like reliving every lunch in grade school, except better. sandwiches.

although sandwiches are definitely equally a big kid as a little kid meal, i definitely have the fondest sandwich memories from my childhood. nevertheless, as a veg, i have found that many times the most veggie friendly non-salad thing you can find on a menu, is a sandwich, so they have grown to become a very significant part of my life. moreover, there has been some sort of sandwich explosion throughout america as most restaurants, cafes and even sandwich specialty shops (ie Panera, Cosi, Corner Bakery, Au Bon Pain) have taken the average BLT, Ham & Cheese, and PB&J to new heights.

not to be out done, the district has recently seen the entry of a Philly Style Sandwich shop, Taylor's. Taylor's first sprouted up in DC on H Street (yup, H street) back in 2007 when two young philly natives were looking for the same italian style deli hoagie that they were accustomed to. however, they could not find their childhood love in DC, so they decided to start their own. they recognized that H street Corridor/Atlas District was on the up and up, so that is where they decided to open their sandwich chain and has seen tremendous success since. in the past year or so, they opened their second location in Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center and they are soon to open their third location in Bethesda.

everyone who enters Taylor's has been known to be overwhelmed by the numerous options of a sandwich almost every kind a way. their menu is divided into hoagies, chicken cutlet sandwiches, veggie sandwiches, pastina and fritto (essentially a couple of appetizers). the hoagies and the chicken cutlet sandwiches definitely dominate this meat heavy menu, but as a vegetarian I do appreciate that they have four veggie sandwiches on their menu. however, it really would be easy for them to have a few more with similar flavors that are highlighted already on their menu. they also have a few pastina options which are pasta salads with veggies and you can also add chicken to them. that also offers a nice veggie option, but every good veg knows how to make their own pasta salad, so there is nothing special about that. furthermore, although i do understand that this is a sandwich shop, a few regular salads would be welcomed here because a half salad/half sandwich is always a great lunch (sans some of the carbs). also, best buddy of BOOF, Mo, is unable to partake in any of the deliciousness that Taylor's has to offer simply for the fact that there is NOTHING that is gluten free on the menu. the only gluten free thing is the fountain soda (which is SUPERB, especially the cream soda), but really? they should definitely improve upon this major issue in their menu. also, a soup in the wintertime would also be a well-welcomed addition.

since i am on the swing of mentioning the not so good things first, i will continue to mention that despite the fresh ingredients, good seasoning, nice sizes and delicious fountain soda, that special bread that they have shipped in every day from philly is really quite hard. perhaps that is the way that the philly hoagie bread is supposed to be and although the bread tastes good, it is so hard to bite through which definitely takes away from the sandwich.

onto the good things: taylor's has a very great feel to it and you definitely feel comfortable when you walk in. for the H street location, they have a large clear retractable door and during the warm days and warm evenings, the whole front of he store is walk in. they have limited seating in the front but it's comfortable but they also have a lot more seating on the back porch. all the guys working are super nice and the rapid rate at which they turn out sandwiches is super great.

as briefly mentioned before, despite the tough bread, the sandwiches are really good. the ingredients are fresh and they definitely take different ingredients and put them together in a very tasty way. i have tried all of the veggie sandwiches at taylors and i think that both the christian street (Portobella Mushrooms, Arugula, Roasted Red Peppers, Goat Cheese) and spring garden (broccoli rabe and sharp provolone) are my top two. they both have a really great and fresh flavor with the nice balance between sharp, savory and a touch of sweet. moreover, although i have nothing against iceberg lettuce, i am a firm believer that iceberg lettuce has no place in specialty sandwich shop. either romaine, baby spinach or arugula, PLEASE and preferably spinach or arugula. iceberg lettuce belongs on a cheeseburger or in a salad but not on a specialty sandwich.

nevertheless because i lived around the corner from taylor's, i maybe only at their once but i always took took it home which was very convenient. another plus to taylor is that they deliver without a lot of DC, so even if you don't live close to any of the locations, you should be able to get taylor's right to your doorstep. :-)

Grade: B

Additional Note: ALWAYS order the 12 inch. even if you can't eat the twelve inch in one sitting ( i never can), it is always the perfect meal for lunch the next day.

Biergarten Haus

yes. yes. yes.

i was certain that this day would never come. ever. in life. but then it did. and all was right and perfect in the world and german bier poured from taps freely with fluency like they've been doing it for the past three months.

if we went through all the failed attempts that numerous buds and I have tried to make it to the bier garten, we would be here for a long time so I will spare you the details.

playing for the 3rd place game (yes, unfortunate i know), BOOF buddies Sho, Cr and L, finally made our way to and IN the biergarten haus on H street to see the Germany vs. Uruguay game. Yes. H Street. I'm just telling you to get here if you haven't already. i'll just leave it at that. although there was still a lot of people in the beer garden, it was not overwhelmingly packed; however, i arrived probably 1/2 hour before the game was slated to start and there was a long wait to sit outside so we opted not to.

i had the pleasure of attending the german beer garden with my favorite german, so i had both my personal opinions and then the opinions of my german. from the exterior of the building with its white walls, dark brown trim and german flags flying from the roof, you know exactly what you are entering in to. upon entering in the on the first floor, the biergarten is very true without with its decor theme throughout the second floor and also outside. Although I just that this was a "stereotype", it was brought to my attention, as we were being stared down with the various stuffed animals on the walls, its accuracy to the German culture that most germans do have a stuffed animal mantle piece in their home. kind of a shocker. Nevertheless, the biergarten is outfitted in dark brown tables, chairs with white washed walls and blue drapery. The light is dim and natural and the you definitely feel a large amount of warmth upon entering the establishment.

despite not sitting outdoors, the outdoor is so great. everything about the space is perfect for every season. long large dark brown wooden tables which span the length of the outdoor patio which gives the whole experience a very "communal" feel. furthermore, it has sun/rain umbrellas throughout the patio and during the world cup (probably most large events), they had a large blue tent over the entire area to protect from rain. They also had a huge projection screen set up which was a very nice touch for world cup watching. moreover, the beer garden features not one, not two but three full bars. one downstairs, one upstairs and one outside which limits the annoying inability to retrieve a drink in a quick and timely fashion.

i have never been to a beer garden so i was unsure of what to expect but i really enjoyed it. most beers ring true to german traditions by coming in a 1/2Liter or Liter mug (so big, so so big) but I also saw some "Boots" around. side note: according to my german, the "boot" is not german at all. nevertheless, drinking from it is definitely a good time and an experience, so you should probably just do it. Additionally, aside from the TWELVE beers they have on tap, one of the beers remaining true to german tradition also comes in a 0.2L glass.

with the german beginning to feel a little germany in the states, we allowed him to pick the drinks for the day, and I should have probably written them down because I don't really recall which was which (i will edit later with the names) but they were all delicious. the drink i do recall is the summer special, Radler, which is a specialty that takes a german pilsner and adds lemon lime soda. it is really delicious with the perfect balance between a nice sweet/sour/spritzy flavor with the nice hops of a beer.

we also ordered a couple of snacks and at this point, the menu was pretty simple but now they have continued to add to the the entire menu (breakfast, lunch and dinner), so they now offer a much larger variety.

we started off with the pretzels which were more like little pretzel rolls and they were ok. i wish they had a great deal of a fresh baked warmth taste rather then the cool sogginess that pretzels quickly take on.

cr also ordered wurstplatten (sausage platter with sauerkraut, pretzels and pommes). we all tasted the pommes (fries) and they were cooked really well with a nice seasoning. cr enjoyed the the bratwurst but did not feel like it was anything special. the sauerkraut was also good enough but nothing that knocks your socks off.

furthermore, aside from the twelve draft beers, there is a huge beer menu of probably upwards of 30 types of bottled german beer...just stupendous.

all in all, i FINALLY really enjoyed my trip to the beer garden and would definitely go back. a lot. they are continually making improvements with expanding their menu for all meals, to adding various events during the weeknights like trivia night on tuesday. the biggest negative was the ONE women's bathroom they had available. apparently, there were more bathrooms being constructed at that time out back on the patio, but really? one indoor bathroom? that was kinda poor planning. nevertheless, i hope to be back because this place definitely has the possibility of becoming the place to be in DC.

Grade: B+ (Beer gets an A but food gets a C+)

Rita's Water Ice

perfect summer snack.

what the district has been experiencing this summer is not just heat. yes, within what feels like seconds of walking out of your door in the morning you are met with a wave of hot air. yummy. nothing like a hot wave of air to wake you up in the morning...i'm sure it packs a better punch then folgers. but yes, withiin walking out of your door in the morning and that single drop of prespiration begins to form on your forehead, all you think of is man...i wan't some ice cream...at 7:30 in the morning.

although i really can't help you get ice cream or a cold delicious dessert at 7:30 in the morning (try some dunkin donuts iced coffee), I can definitely point you to very good options from noon-10pm.

rita's water ice (italian ice) is a chain water ice shop that has been popping up all over the dc metro area (nova and southern MD included). i had been to the Rita's over by dupont before, but I was so thrilled to hear that eventually a Rita's was coming to the wonderous H street. yes, back to H street we go.

rita's could not have opened at a better time with summer in FULL swing and H street in desperate need of a ice cream/water ice spot with semi regular hours (there is philadelphia water ice but it is more of a really tasty late night joint). rita's is definitely the best post-dinner spot for a quick and tasty dessert to cool off during the very warm evenings. it can definitely be between dinner and a night out in H street or just a nice night cap to your evening.

best buddy of BOOF, Mo and I have made ourselves rita's regulars. the first week that rita's was open they were giving away free water ice which is just unbelievable. now, they are back to regular business but despite being open for only a few weeks, they definitely have gotten their feet under them. tons of people can come through rita's at a time but they keep the flow moving quickly and although my biggest complaint that there is not really enough seating (both inside and outside), the quick pace works for the type of establishment they are. furthermore, the rita's workers are extremely nice and essentially will give you unlimited taste tests especially when it is not that busy.

Mo (please don't hate me for posting this picture) loves the custard and although I am not too much of a custard person it is definitely growing on me. the water ice is always delicious and there are always such good and fresh flavors that you can never get bored. the best flavor i have tasted from rita's is the passionfruit but i also had the blood orange the other day which was also really good. Mo tells me that the wild blackcherry is also really good and I took a glimpse of the mango and it just looked scrumptious but I had resist.

i've kinda have fallen in love with the blendini which is custard, water ice and either pretzels, oreos, m&ms, cookies, or nilla wafers mixed in. it is so good. it is like a pseudo healthier version of DQ Blizzard...especially if you get the fat free custard (which I do and you can't even tell the difference).

another great thing is that Rita's will pack whatever flavor you like that day in a Quart Container for a measly $5 or $6 dollars, if I am not mistaken. ooh and the other day we went and they had raspberry lemonade advertised and because it was such a big hit, it was unfortunately sold out. i am now determined to get back there when it is available. nommmmm.

overall, there is something for everyone at rita's. in a district where cupcakes rock the block and fro yo is usually the summer treat of choice, rita's is definitely a different but delectable option.

Grade: B+

The H street location really needs to get some sort of outside seating. that could potentially bump them into A status. for sure.

Also: Rita's is diabetic/health friendly with Sugar Free flavors and a slew of "Slendini" options! go RITA's GO!

Star and the Shamrock

after another failed attempt at making it to biergarten haus (they weren't open for weekday lunch yet at this point but apparently, now they are), we decided to head two doors down to star and the shamrock for lunch. omg. did i mention that star and the shamrock is another H Street Wonder?!? clearly. gosh, i might have a slight obsession with H street. I really don't think it's a big problem. Well maybe it's a little problem, but who is keeping track?

star and the shamrock features food that is very unique but the name explains it all. the restaurant refers to itself more as a "tavern and deli" and it features both irish and jewish cuisine. the restaurant definitely has a very nice irish pub ambiance with its hardwood floors, brown wood tables and chairs and overall warm and welcoming appealing.

when you walk into the restaurant, you do get a little overwhelmed by the HUGE wrap around bar takes up a lot of space. I think this is both a bad and a good thing because it takes up a large amount of space that could have been used for more additional "restaurant" seating, but because it also wants to retain the feel of the pub, the huge bar plays to an advantage.

there was a large group of us and on a 95 degree DC day in the shade, we were just thrilled to be in a nice air conditioned location. they accommodated our large party very quickly but on this "holiday", the restaurant was relatively empty so it could not have been an issue to begin with.

S & S has 10 beers on tap and about 20 specialty bottles. they also have a nice selection (judging from the menu) of scotch, whiskey, bourbon and they also offer wine and specialty cocktails. so essentially, they have a nice full bar but also stocked with some specialty irish and jewish items.

various BOOF buddies tried the hebrew messiah bold, hebrew genesis ale, brooklyn lager, and guiness. the guiness was standard so onto the newbies. the messiah bold is a dark stout beer but it is actually much lighter in body then expected, definitely tasty the hebrew genesis tastes like a standard ale but it was still very good. the brooklyn lager was also really good but let's be serious, i don't think a bad beer comes out of brooklyn brewery.

onto the food. S & S has already made themselves known as a sandwich place and they definitely live up to the hype. i will be honest and say that I was a very poor photog of this meal but no biggie. i can describe it well. :-)

we started off with the curly fries and the onion rings. Although each cost $6.50 which is a bit pricey between the 10 of us, they fed everyone. both were really good. I love me some curly fries...who doesn't? These were seasoned very well as were the onion rings and although onion rings are not my fried appetizer of choice, these were ample sized and fried well.

some of the sandwiches we ordered. all of the sandwiches are pretty large, so most of the group ended up splitting their sandwiches. a couple of buddies got The Concord which was fried bologna, american cheese, ketchup and griddle sourdough. I used to loveeee fried bologna sandwiches so it was a nice surprise to see it on a menu. the buddies who had this enjoyed it and said that it was simple, classic but the sourdough bread definitely gave it a nice flavor as much the rest of the sandwich is definitely full of salty seasoning.

Other buddies ordered The Clogger which is a hot beef brisket, provolone, bacon, gravy, garlic butter, mayonnaise on a kaiser roll. they also the said that the sandwich was very tasty but as you can see, all of these sandwiches tend to be a heavy which is both a good thing because you are full and feel as though you got your money's worth but you are also very very full. with this sandwich, the mayo (although i am not a proponent of mayo), was definitely necessary to balance of the heaviness of the brisket, bacon, and gravy. still very good.

Some other buds ordered the McTuna Melt which is a house-made tuna salad sandwich topped with hot peppers, melted cheddar and rye bread. i debated on getting this because it was one of the two vegetarian/pescatarian friendly sandwiches on the menu. the buds who had this sandwich said it was really good and when they said, melted cheddar...they are not kidding. this sandwich was definitely more of an open face sandwich as the top layer was just melted cheddar. it looked yummy and a bit overwhelming all at the same time. however, the flavor of the tuna salad was good and the hot peppers definitely gave the sandwich a nice kick which is something that was kind of missing from the other two sandwiches.

The last BOOF buddies ordered the Turkey # 2 which is a hot, house roasted turkey with muenster cheese, bacon, mayonnaise and sourdough. this is definitely a sandwich that if I wasn't a veggie, I would be nomming hardcore on this badboy. the muenster cheese was definitely the staple to this sandwich because it gave it a sharp flavor that definitely took this standard turkey and bacon sandwich to another different level. you might see a sandwich such as this typically with provolone or american cheese but the muenster fit in perfectly and was a well welcomed addition.

I really can't remember if anything else was consumed (i kind of think someone may have gotten a reuben) but that is standard. I ordered the Latke Madness but to make it vegetarian (and better, i think) I asked for no hot corned beef (which I think is pretty gross to begin with). I was really pleased with this sandwich as it had 3 potato pancakes, griddled sauerkraut, swiss and russian dressing on it. This sandwich clearly did not need any bread because it was made up of potato pancakes and I was pleased with it's taste. Surprisingly enough, the sandwich was not too salty and the pancakes were cooked well and were tasty. Rather then having the consistency of the familiar latke, it stacked more like a potato burger pattie. I think that if the latkes would have been more of a standard shape and size, it definitely would have really been madness. all in all, it was still really tasty and i would eat it again. once again though, super heavy.

all in all, we had a really good trip to S & S. If you are looking for a nice twist on an original sandwich, then S & S is definitely your place. the meat is super fresh and brined, cured and roasted on site which is also pretty sweet. the seasonings were good and each sandwich definitely had its own unique identity. the restaurant is something different which is always welcomed and fits perfectly in the H Street neighborhood. I am docking them because of their lack of veggie friendly items and also although the sandwiches were good and unique, they were not the best you've ever had...just pretty good. Nevertheless, if you want a filling and relatively decently priced sandwich and beer, this is definitely your place. And you never know, they may eventually even know your name (yes, i just referenced Cheers, no big deal).

Grade: B

Liberty Tree

lovin' me some H street. i've given you guys my posts of both Sticky Rice and dr. granville moore's which are both absolutely delicious places. i have some a few more h street locations to "hip" you guys to (my dad's word, not mine) so that you too become just as obsessed with the up and coming h street corridor as i am.

i won't do the whole h street corridor # 1 up and coming neighborhood DC blurb like usual, just know that if you have not gotten up here, liberty tree is another reason to do so. liberty tree opened as a restaurant featuring traditional new england seafood flavors and brick oven pizza. really? did heaven just come to h street? seafood and pizza? all I really needed was them to have some mac & cheese on their menu and i really might have become the hostess there.

buddy of BOOF, lm and I decided to get out of the house one evening and head to liberty tree for dinner. I usually order in their brick oven pizza and walk the 3 minutes around the corner to pick it up but we decided to eat in there which was definitely a benefit to BOOF. liberty tree is located between 10th and 11th on H street and it boasts definitely a very new england feel inside of the restaurant with sea blues on on the walls and table clothes and dark brown furniture. the head chef, graig glufing, at liberty tree is no stranger to the DC food scene as he was formerly the exec chef at matchbox. 'nough said.

for an appetizer, we ordered the fried calamari which was good. after the calamari I had at Il Canale , I was definitely expecting a little bit more flavor and a little bit more of a kick but they were fried well; however, il canale definitely wins in the fried calamari department.

for dinner, LM ordered the atlas burger which is a 8oz Grilled Angus beef, gorgonzola, caramelized red onions. she really enjoyed the burger and said it was cooked very well. with all the new burger joints opening around the city, liberty tree offers a very classic but yet flavorful burger that does what it is meant to do, be a burger.

departing from my usual brick oven pizza (and I recommend any pizza at liberty tree), i ordered the grilled eggplant lasagna. it has been a while since this vegetarian has enjoyed some eggplant lasagna or lasagna at all for that matter, and it was a nice and well done entree. It featured marinated eggplant, fresh mozzarella, basil, mushrooms, and tomato sauce. my biggest complaint about the dish is that it had too much tomato sauce. rather than just having a touch of tomato sauce throughout the lasagna, it was drowned in a soup of tomato sauce which definitely took away from a lot of the flavor of the eggplant, mozzarella, and mushrooms.

after a few other trips to liberty tree, I am also well aware that they boast a very nice wine and beer list, so you can always enjoy one of those with your meals. and again, i definitely recommend the pizza.

my biggest drawback about liberty tree is that in this summer heat, they can't seem to be able to get their AC under control. on the evening that i went with LM, it was so hot in that restaurant that by the time we were finished with our meal, we were running out of the restaurant because it definitely appeared to be cooler outside then inside and outside it was 95 degrees. it is not a good thing when you can feel the sweat droplets forming on your forehead during dinner, gross. I thought that this may have just been a one time broken AC problem but after another recent trip to liberty tree, it was still pretty warm inside that restaurant. it was definitely cooler outside than inside and although the heat was not as uncomfortable as the first trip, when we got our red wine, the room temperature was definitely a little too warm for a red. liberty tree, i appease you to please get this fixed as we definitely have not seen the worst of summer and i really want to come back for some clams, scallops and peppadew peppers.

if you want a nice trip to new england, liberty tree is definitely your place as I am pretty certain that it is the only place in dc that is uniquely new england cuisine.

Overall Grade: B (really, the AC docked it from a B+)

Things to do: hang out with me. I would also definitely recommend taking a trip next door (!) to Rita's for some nice water ice and custard for dessert. YUM.

Dr. Granville Moore's

i’ve been gone for a minute, now i’m back with the MOULES.

best mussels in DC, why yes.

i am no stranger to dr. granville moore’s. i love this place. i love that i moved to the h street corridor/atlas district/edge of capitol hill because I don’t think that I would’ve made it to this place if I hadn’t. thank god for that.

i have mentioned many times before that H street is the top upcoming neighborhood in DC, so do not be dismayed by the bumpy ride that you will endure getting to GM’s.

without knowing vaguely where dr. granville moore’s is located on H street, you would never find it. It literally is one of many “hole(s) in the wall, and one might think they are “run down” brick townhouses lining H street. nevertheless, when you find this gem, you walk in and you are welcomed by the scents of moules, frites and most wonderous of all, belgian beer.

the interior is a little dark with just enough light so that you can see your food, the menu, your company and your beer. it is definitely has a bar feel with wooden tables and chairs and barely enough seating to sit my entire family. there is an upstairs which also seats a plenty, and they have an outdoor patio but that can really only be enjoyed in the early spring/late fall because i was told by the hostess that heat/humidity+moules= gross. that made complete sense to me.

onto the meal. originally, this trip was intended to be a large group outing with numerous co-worker buddies, but people’s weekends were packed, so it just ended up being me and great buddy of BOOF, Sho. Sho had never been to GM’s before so she was pumped for the moules, frites and beer that we were getting ready to enjoy. We went on a late sunday afternoon, not soon after they opened, but it was already getting packed. a favorite feature of GM’s is how EVERYONE is welcome. kids, big kids (us), parents, grandparents…everyone. it does make for a lovely scene.

for drinks, we both opted for beers on tap (the names now escape me—i will update with them later) and they were both tasty. as i mentioned a while back, in comparison to BB, their on tap beers are not nearly as exhaustive which is a minor drawback. For dinner, Sho opted for the Moules Champignon, which are made with truffle oil, mushrooms, cream and hoegaarden. I opted for the Moules Navigateur, which are made with coconut milk, serrano peppers, onion and garlic. Needless to say, they were both delicious. the seasoning was spot on for both and both sets were cooked perfectly. the taste and seasoning was well permeated throughout the mussels and you clearly wanted to sop up all the left over juice with bread when you were done. both had their own distinct flavor and successfully gave you the taste of mussels with something a little more and special. so good. most definitely the best and freshest moules in the city. HANDS DOWN. Now, we also split a grande order of frites between the two of us. you have a choice of two/eight types of sauce for your frites and we chose the truffle aioli and the chipotle mayo. both were so tasty and the frites were slammin’. yes, i just said slammin’. don’t judge.

we also ordered two bottled beers (the names escape me again..sorryyyyy) and they were both delicious.

overall, GM’s never disappoints. the moules are delicious, the frites are slammin’, the beer is great and the scene is delightful. however, if you go on an evening any night of the week, be prepared to wait a while. they will take your number and you can head to any of the bars nearby (one the pug is right next door) and they will call you your table is ready. also, you could head to one of the local galleries and check out an exhibit in your spare time too (see city gallery exhibit post). i recommend this for groups (not too big because it might be forever before you get a table) or a date. it isn’t too loud so you can carry on a nice conversation without yelling across the table to each other. drawbacks, small draft list and space. the venue is intimate which gives it a lot of its character but i do sometimes feel the place packs a bigger punch then allowed. i am really not sure if that made any sense. whatever. haha.

Grade: A-

Nancy Donnelly and Jill Finsen Exhibit @ City Gallery

after reading fellow blogs of http://www.frozentropics.com and http://hstreetgreatstreet.blogspot.com, I was inspired to take full advantage of all that H Street has to offer and check out my first exhibit and the relatively newly opened City Gallery.

It was opening night for these two artists, so it was a relaxed vibe filled with hipsters and older buds of the two artists. The space is small but warm with nice hardwood floors and white walls to not deter your eye from the artwork itself. I particullary enjoy smaller art galleries such as these because it is more intimate without feeling like you are in everyone’s personal bubbles. The two artists were very warm, as Jill, just started striking up conversation with me.

Jill Finsen is the oil painter who uses a lot of texture in her artwork. A lot of her pictures are landscapes but as I could tell, she rarely used brushes. Rather, she used the palet itself to form a lot of her paintings. I really enjoyed especially with the bright colors, strong lines and great use of complementary colors. My particular favorite, however, was the only one that wasn’t a landscape. In fact, it was the abstract piece that she did. I am a sucker for abstract art, so it really caught my eye.

Nancy Donnelly is glass blower who then oil paints her glasswork. Her main pieces were hanging from the ceilings of the exhibit. They were all multi colored cranes and I really enjoyed them. She also had a table of multi-colored glass balls which were also very nice. My favorite piece was her statue piece that also had bronze running around it. Very different, very interesting and very cool. It was definitely a departure from her “pretty” stuff, which was pleasantly enjoyable.

Overall, I enjoyed my first City Gallery Exhibit. If you want something nice to do, while waiting for a table at Sticky Rice or Dr. Granville Moore’s, I would definitely recommend the 4 block trek to City Gallery. Its small and a perfect way to the past the time. The exhibit was nice but no upcoming Picasso’s, Warhol’s or Monet’s. When both artists took a departure from the “safe”, they were very successful. I just recommend they start making that departure more often.

Exhibit: B-

City Gallery: B+

Sticky Rice

oh snap. double whammy. so much to post. so little time. so many restaurants. can my wallet take it? probably not but at least my belly is full.

After taking a less 24 than hour trip to the south (NC), best friend of BOOF, Mo, kindly picked me up from the airport. On the way back into the city, suddenly a great hunger overcame us and clearly in our minds, the only restaurant that would deliciously fill that void in the H street corridor is Sticky Rice. Although there are numerous delicious restaurants that are popping up all over the H Street Corridor such as Liberty Tree, the well established "Dr. Granville Moore's" and the relatively new, SOUK, Sticky Rice's tater tots were clearly calling our name

when venturing to the H street corridor, do not get dismayed. Although its a bumpy ride up to the top of H street, it is well worth the trip. You might find yourself a little uneasy as it appears to be a not as nice neighborhood; however, after living here for the past 8 months, I will say that it is one of the most diverse and gentrifying areas of the city. The cat calls are typical for any location in the city (yes, even in foggy bottom), but the people are good-hearted and the area is actually very very safe. It was recently tabbed as the Best Up and Coming neighborhood by CityPaper, so take that! Columbia Heights...

easiest way to get there is to hop on the X2 from Chinatown or if you're lucky, there is a free H Street Shuttle that picks up in Chinatown and drops off at Rock & Roll Hotel.

Now moving onto the restaurant and the food. SR has been typified as "Asian Fusion". When I typically rave about SR, everyone is like WTF is "Asian Fusion"? Well, Asian fusion is a variety of Asian food/recipes/spices all rolled into a delicious menu. SR is always bustling. On a typical night, you will have to wait 10-15 minutes for a table, but many chose to take a seat at the bar and order a few drinks before getting seated up or downstairs. If you want a quieter setting, I recommend requesting to be seated upstairs as downstairs can become quite the ravenous scene with loud music, people weaving in and out and random music videos playing on the projector screen. The restaurant features a full bar with a nice selection of mixed drinks, beer and even...Sake...BOMB! The drafts are always solid, usually featuring your usual bud light, miller light, blue moon, maybe a doghead (?) and stella. I potentially just made that list up but essentially, just a nice standard draft list but they have a good assortment of bottled beers as well.

Sticky Rice is a pretty small space which is why on thurs-sat night, there is at least a 45 minute wait in the evening, and they do not take reservations under any circumstance. The decor is very warm featuring a lot of reds and blacks with nice hardwood floors. The Sushi bar is upstairs and on any given night, you will see probably 3 or 4, not your average sushi chef forming delicious rolls. you will understand what I mean by that when you go. :-)

first things first. you must never go to SR and not order the tater tots to start off. They are the staple of the restaurant because they are usually not only fried and battered to perfection, but the dipping sauce....ooo that dipping sauce is most delicious. It has enough a creamy taste but the spicy kick that it also features causes you to force feed yourself tater tots. You feel like you're back in a middle school cafeteria lunch but it is much better. much much better

SR boasts a very eclectic and diverse sushi menu, a far departure from your standard sushi rolls. They will put anything and everything into a sushi roll w including foods like sweet potato, goat cheese, and toasted almonds. My only draw back about the Sushi at SR is that it is hit or miss with its freshness. On this particular night, Mo ordered an assortment of Sashimi and Nigri and was very pleased with how fresh it was. Nevertheless, I have never had a bad experience with their sushi and I have tried numerous rolls on prior visits.

A positive thing about SR is that even if you are not in the mood for Sushi, there are delicious bowls that await you. On this evening, I opted for a personal favorite, the "Dirty Vegan" and I decided to order it with the Udon noodles. It features various vegetables and tofu cooked and tossed in a tasty peanut sauce. It is delicious. The best thing about the "bowls" is that you will definitely have tomorrow's lunch already prepared when you leave the restaurant.

I believe that one of SR's best qualities is its very vegetarian/vegan friendly menu. There are numerous options for both food lifestyles as well as numerous meat-eater options. There is no discrimination at SR. Moreover, as the pescatarian that I am, there menu is also to my liking as eat features not only your typical eel, salmon, yellow tail and tuna, but it also makes the DMV's favorite seafood, Crab, a primary part of their menu. OH and let's not forget, Mo, is the resident gluten-free foodie and SR boasts numerous gluten free options on their extensive menu. Furthermore, they also offer all of their bowls with the option for rice noodles/or rice so that is also a tasty option if you're a "non-sushi liker" Gluten Free foodie. I don't want to review previous visits to SR but i will note that if you are ever there when they have the Mac & Cheese with Crab meat special, purchase it. eat it. love it.

As previously mentioned, there are some issues with SR too. 1) Freshness of seafood is hit or miss which essentially makes the whole SR experience hit or miss. 2) Sometimes overcrowded. It is unfortunate that the only time you can have a really quiet dinner is late night. 3) No reservations. This becomes a real big issue because for me, I find it ridiculous that i have to walk the block and a half and wait at the bar for 45 minutes to be seated, when I could have done that in the pleasure of my own home.

Sticky Rice is not the ideal place for a large group only because they can't really accommodate it, but it is ideal for a small group of friends or a date with your significant other.

Overall, food is good and inventive but it is not unbelievable and is not the best sushi you will ever have. Noodle dishes and appetizers are also tasty. High grade because it is close to the top in the "Good Sushi but affordable" category and SR does a great job of accommodating everyone's different eating preferences.

Grade: B/B+

Weekly Deals and Fun:

Monday: 1/2 Priced Sushi after 10:30 pm-- if you can stay up this late, it is definitely worth it

Tuesday: Karaoke Night (and I also believe this features $2 dollar Tecate's)

Wednesday: Wing Night

Thursday: Bingooooo