The blessing and curse of food trucks is that they don't stay in one spot. But using fancy technology like Twitter and Facebook, you can be on top of these mobile food factories' latest movements. And you should check them out because these little trucks are serving some inexpensive but delicious food.
Check out my Food Truck Twitter Tracker on the main page to track these guys, or head to my Twitter List.
district of columbia
Eat Wonky
'Poutine' is their specialty, a Montreal dish of french fries, cheese curds, and gravy.
El Floridano
A taste of Florida in DC, serving pressed cuban sandwiches and bahn mi.
Fojol Bros.
The original outlandish food truck, serving Indian food, colorful turbans, and hints of ethnic mockery.
Red Hook Lobster Pound
Hailing from NYC and serving up some pricey but supposedly super fresh lobster rolls.
Sauca
They have two carts serving up some seriously good wraps, featuring a diverse array of international cuisines.
Takorean
Korean BBQ Tacos.
Yellow Vendor (Korean Food Cart)
Serving bibimbap, bulgogi, and other Korean specialties, these guys have been around for awhile.
virginia
Rebel Heroes
More banh mi, cubanos, and other sandwiches, with some girl power latino edge!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Top Bites - Bread & Brew Sticky Buns
A sticky bun is an indulgent, messy cross between a croissant and a brownie. It's the American way of taking a French staple--the croissant--and making it silly sweet and then adding excessive nuts and some form of sticky syrup on top. Although Wikipedia says the Germans came up with sticky buns, until I sample some for verification in a future trip to Allemagne, I going to pretend that the Americans have perfected it. Sticky buns just reek of Southern American cooking.
As one of my favorites pastries, a quality sticky bun is always a salivating find for me, and one for which I am willing to make a detour. Luckily, Bread and Brew, the oddly off-the-radar bakery and cafe near Dupont, serves a fantastic rendition. It's flaky on the edges, dense and rich in the middle like a cinnamon roll, and crunchy and gooey on top. A tad sweet, but well worth a stopover if you're in the 'hood and craving a little dessert. If you're in need of some more serious grub, they have some pretty solid quiches, pizzas, and specials too.
Bread and Brew
Metro: Dupont Circle
Neighborhood: Dupont
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| Bread & Brew's sticky bun |
Bread and Brew
1247 20th St, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 466-2676Metro: Dupont Circle
Neighborhood: Dupont
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Buzzworthy: A Beer Garden on H St and Orlando beats DC...again.
Whew, keeping up with all the openings and closings is hard work in this town. One of the most eagerly anticipated openings this year, the Biergarten Haus will hopefully open this weekend. And, if you're on 14th St after a late night out, be sure to check out the newly opened Point Chaud Cafe and Crepes.
Latest updates to the New & Coming Soon page:
Dupont Circle
Lupe Mexican Cuisine (Opening Soon)
1214 18th St NW · Washington DC
--DC really needs a stellar Mexican restaurant, but this location (most recently Sesto Senso) is not a promising one, given the bar crawling on the weekends. (via Prince of Petworth)
H Street
Biergarten Haus (Opening June 11th)
1355 H St NE · Washington DC
--Any new eating and drinking place with a patio is welcome, but a German-styled beer garden with a huge patio is eagerly anticipated! Its opening has been delayed several months, but it should be opening any day now. (via Going Out Gurus)
Logan Circle
Point Chaud Cafe and Crepes (Now Open)
1736 14th St NW · Washington DC
--This neighborhood could definitely use some inexpensive food options, and even better, they will stay open until 3 AM on the weekends. (via 14th & You)
Penn Quarter
Cuba Libre (September 2010)
801A Ninth St NW · Washington DC
--If the DC branch of this Philly-based restaurant is going to be anything like their Orlando location, the space is going to be huge and will channel Havana via Disney's design team (not necessarily a bad thing). The food may be middling, but it's all about the rum drinks and Latin dance nights, right? (via PQ Living)
Carmine's (Opening Soon)
425 7th St NW · Washington DC
--Family-style Italian from a NYC-based restaurant in what will be one of the largest restaurants in town. Eh, I'll reserve judgement until it opens.(via Washington Post)
Latest updates to the New & Coming Soon page:
Dupont Circle
Lupe Mexican Cuisine (Opening Soon)
1214 18th St NW · Washington DC
--DC really needs a stellar Mexican restaurant, but this location (most recently Sesto Senso) is not a promising one, given the bar crawling on the weekends. (via Prince of Petworth)
H Street
Biergarten Haus (Opening June 11th)
1355 H St NE · Washington DC
--Any new eating and drinking place with a patio is welcome, but a German-styled beer garden with a huge patio is eagerly anticipated! Its opening has been delayed several months, but it should be opening any day now. (via Going Out Gurus)
Logan Circle
Point Chaud Cafe and Crepes (Now Open)
1736 14th St NW · Washington DC
--This neighborhood could definitely use some inexpensive food options, and even better, they will stay open until 3 AM on the weekends. (via 14th & You)
Penn Quarter
Cuba Libre (September 2010)
801A Ninth St NW · Washington DC
--If the DC branch of this Philly-based restaurant is going to be anything like their Orlando location, the space is going to be huge and will channel Havana via Disney's design team (not necessarily a bad thing). The food may be middling, but it's all about the rum drinks and Latin dance nights, right? (via PQ Living)
Carmine's (Opening Soon)
425 7th St NW · Washington DC
--Family-style Italian from a NYC-based restaurant in what will be one of the largest restaurants in town. Eh, I'll reserve judgement until it opens.(via Washington Post)
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Buzzworthy: Capitol Hill and More Banh Mi
The New & Coming Soon page has been updated with some new additions to Capitol Hill's dining scene, including the restaurant that I most want to try in DC right now--Ted's Bulletin--a stylish homage to America's diner past, serving breakfast food all day and spiked milkshakes.
And until someone opens a banh mi shop in DC or a metro station opens under Eden Center, another food truck--El Floridano--serving those oh-so-trendy Vietnamese sandwiches will never be passe.
And until someone opens a banh mi shop in DC or a metro station opens under Eden Center, another food truck--El Floridano--serving those oh-so-trendy Vietnamese sandwiches will never be passe.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Ren's Ramen - Burn Your Cup-A-Noodles At Once
Ren's Ramen in Bethesda is my favorite kind of eatery: unfussy, affordable, and spectacular in serving up a single signature dish. This shoebox of a restaurant is spare in every aspect, from its narrow confines to the even narrower tables. But Ren's main product--Japanese ramen--is so deliciously luxurious and consistent--what's not on the bare walls doesn't matter; it's what's being cradled in the bowl before you that should capture your attention.
If, like me, your previous encounters with ramen consisted of a styrofoam cup, then banish that gastronomic memory if you're at all skeptical that ramen noodles can be satisfying. I had never experienced the pleasure of eating these authentic buttery noodles before, and from friends' accounts, Ren's Ramen is the real deal.
My favorite is the Sapporo Miso Ramen ($10), a large serving of chewy noodles swimming in the richest broth I've ever encountered. The noodles themselves are good enough, and the scallions, pork slices, and bean sprouts are fine additions. But it's that pork broth that firmly lodges in your memory. It's both sharp and velvety with the richness of butter but without the artery-clogging sensation of a french sauce. I remember the first time I slurped this golden liquid, my dining companion and I glanced at each other and whispered how we had never had a soup broth like this before.
I always elect for the add-ons of sweet corn ($.75), seaweed, stewed fatty pork ($3.50), and a half-boiled egg ($2). In his Washington City Paper review, Tim Carman described the fatty pork bits as "pig candy". With that kind of description, whenever I'm craving pork, my first thought is of Ren's Ramen. The half-boiled egg adds yet another layer to the broth, as the magma-like yoke melts into the soup when you mix everything together. Bordering on overkill-yes, but don't even think about not asking for it.
With three other ramen soup options--soy, salt, and veggie--your vegetarian friends can accompany you as you seek soup nirvana. Just downplay your reactions as they have to suffice with their pork-less existence.
A single ramen serving is quite large, causing me to always curse the Japanese and their envious metabolism. Instead, I often pair up with my dining companion and get the single serving with extra ramen and all the fixings, which makes for a perfectly sized, cheaper meal. This ramen isn't cheap like pho, so a typical sitting will set you back around $15-18 with all the extras.But I'll take Ren's Ramen over some overpriced downtown power spot any day. This is easily one of my favorite eating spots in DC right now. (May 2010)
Ren's Ramen
6931 Arlington Rd
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-693-0806
Metro: Bethesda Metro Station
Neighborhood: Bethesda
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| Miso Ramen image from Wikipedia |
My favorite is the Sapporo Miso Ramen ($10), a large serving of chewy noodles swimming in the richest broth I've ever encountered. The noodles themselves are good enough, and the scallions, pork slices, and bean sprouts are fine additions. But it's that pork broth that firmly lodges in your memory. It's both sharp and velvety with the richness of butter but without the artery-clogging sensation of a french sauce. I remember the first time I slurped this golden liquid, my dining companion and I glanced at each other and whispered how we had never had a soup broth like this before.
I always elect for the add-ons of sweet corn ($.75), seaweed, stewed fatty pork ($3.50), and a half-boiled egg ($2). In his Washington City Paper review, Tim Carman described the fatty pork bits as "pig candy". With that kind of description, whenever I'm craving pork, my first thought is of Ren's Ramen. The half-boiled egg adds yet another layer to the broth, as the magma-like yoke melts into the soup when you mix everything together. Bordering on overkill-yes, but don't even think about not asking for it.
With three other ramen soup options--soy, salt, and veggie--your vegetarian friends can accompany you as you seek soup nirvana. Just downplay your reactions as they have to suffice with their pork-less existence.
A single ramen serving is quite large, causing me to always curse the Japanese and their envious metabolism. Instead, I often pair up with my dining companion and get the single serving with extra ramen and all the fixings, which makes for a perfectly sized, cheaper meal. This ramen isn't cheap like pho, so a typical sitting will set you back around $15-18 with all the extras.But I'll take Ren's Ramen over some overpriced downtown power spot any day. This is easily one of my favorite eating spots in DC right now. (May 2010)
Ren's Ramen
6931 Arlington Rd
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-693-0806
Metro: Bethesda Metro Station
Neighborhood: Bethesda
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Let's Try This Again
Wow, I can't believe it's been more than a year since our last post. Let's just say that after the economic meltdown really hits its stride last year, our enthusiasm for exploring DC's food scene took a little vacation. We really shouldn't be surprised, but DC's food explosion continued unabated. With all of the closings of old neighborhood standbys and all of the ever-increasing openings of some exciting options (food trucks!), we've been feeling seriously guilty about abandoning our culinary duties.
And so, dear reader, we're attacking our foodie exploration with newly deepened hunger. Economies may be cyclical, but in DC, there will never be enough burgers and cupcakes.
And so, dear reader, we're attacking our foodie exploration with newly deepened hunger. Economies may be cyclical, but in DC, there will never be enough burgers and cupcakes.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tasty Bite: Saigon Bistro
Phở near Dupont! This place doesn't have the wiry little man who looks like he'd rather be shoving bamboo splinters under your fingernails like the Arlington standby Pho 75, but the phở is mean enough to compensate. Even the vegetarian Phở Rau Cái is especially good here, as far as meatless dishes go. It smells of cinnamon and exotic, sweaty climes. Not unlike A-lo.
Rating: n/a
Recommended: Phở Rau Cái, Phở Tái Chín
Saigon Bistro
Rating: n/a
Recommended: Phở Rau Cái, Phở Tái Chín
Saigon Bistro
2153 P St. NW
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 558-6188A Second Look: Ipoh
Roti canai is sooo good, and everyone I know likes it. Can it be so hard? Why aren't there roti canai vendors on every street corner? A big pot of chicken curry, and whatever they use to cook that crispy, flaky, chewy pancake. Food cart entrepreneurs take note!
Until someone implements my fantastic business ideas, Ipoh does as fine a roti canai as you'll find anywhere in DC. It's only a tad spicy, too much so for A-lo's delicate innards, but nothing your average curry-friendly fellow can't handle. With excellent green curry and pad thai, and some easily avoidable misses like the mango chicken (life tip: in the daring game of pan-asian menu navigation, "mango" is always a minus, and "crispy" a massive plus), Ipoh should be dominating the Woodley Park asian delivery scene. If they do a good General Tso's, I can finally say a sweet goodbye to Mr. Chen's.
Rating: 3 stars
Recommended: Roti canai, green curry, pad thai
Ipoh Asian Cuisine
Until someone implements my fantastic business ideas, Ipoh does as fine a roti canai as you'll find anywhere in DC. It's only a tad spicy, too much so for A-lo's delicate innards, but nothing your average curry-friendly fellow can't handle. With excellent green curry and pad thai, and some easily avoidable misses like the mango chicken (life tip: in the daring game of pan-asian menu navigation, "mango" is always a minus, and "crispy" a massive plus), Ipoh should be dominating the Woodley Park asian delivery scene. If they do a good General Tso's, I can finally say a sweet goodbye to Mr. Chen's.
Rating: 3 stars
Recommended: Roti canai, green curry, pad thai
Ipoh Asian Cuisine
2625 Connecticut Avenue NW, 2nd FL
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 332-3636Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Buzzworthy: Taylor Gourmet
The one convenience that I wish we had more of around here in the District would be more bakeries. Sure, there are Marvelous Market and Firehook, but they range from OK to not-so-OK.
Gourmet Taylor, an Italian-style sandwich shop in the too cool H St neighborhood sounds like a step in the right direction. Yeah, it's not a bakery, but they still deal in some baked goods—and truck bread in daily from Philly apparently!—so I think we should be grateful for that small crumb (ha!).
Both the Post and the City Paper have some recentish write-ups, and they appear to describe Gourmet Taylor as a quality hip establishment. I haven't tried it yet, but any new retail option enticing enough to get me out of my usual neighborhood circuit is enough for my Buzzworthy list. Hmmm, sounds like the perfect solution for the upcoming barrage of Spring picnics (if Spring ever decides to show its allergy-ridden face.)
Rating: n/a
Recommended: not yet tried
Taylor Gourmet
Gourmet Taylor, an Italian-style sandwich shop in the too cool H St neighborhood sounds like a step in the right direction. Yeah, it's not a bakery, but they still deal in some baked goods—and truck bread in daily from Philly apparently!—so I think we should be grateful for that small crumb (ha!).
Both the Post and the City Paper have some recentish write-ups, and they appear to describe Gourmet Taylor as a quality hip establishment. I haven't tried it yet, but any new retail option enticing enough to get me out of my usual neighborhood circuit is enough for my Buzzworthy list. Hmmm, sounds like the perfect solution for the upcoming barrage of Spring picnics (if Spring ever decides to show its allergy-ridden face.)
Rating: n/a
Recommended: not yet tried
Taylor Gourmet
1116 H St NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 684-7001Monday, March 16, 2009
Tasty Bite: Ipoh - Superb Asian Delivery Finally?
One of the few negative aspects of living in Adams Morgan/Woodley/Dupont Circle is the lack of a reliable and worthy Asian delivery option.Ipoh Asian Cuisine opened in the last few months in Woodley Park, and it promises to end our gastro curse. It's one of those nondescript Pan Asian restaurants that cooks everything from pad thai to lo mein to sushi. Normally, I would avoid such a place. The range of cuisines, while convenient, means the kitchen doesn't turn out anything memorable (see Banana Leaf in Dupont). But all these other offerings are mere distractions from the star attraction: Malaysian food. Apparently Ipoh is a city in Malaysia, and if there is one Maylaysian dish that can draw me in, it is the heaven sent, Roti Canai!
Roti Canai is a flakey, slightly greasy pancake, usually accompanied by a small side of chicken curry liquid for dripping. You just rip the roti apart, dip the buttery crispy chunks in the mildly spicy chicken curry sauce, and chomp away. It's a fantastic appetizer or light meal, and I'm happy to report that Ipoh's version is excellent. I'll admit that I'm no expert on Maylasian food, but Ipoh's rendition is the best that I've ever had. And best of all, they offer free delivery.
I haven't tried any of their other dishes, but I will definitely be rushing back, so keep an eye out for a review in the future.
Rating: n/a
Recommended: Roti Canai
Ipoh Asian Cuisine
2625 Connecticut Avenue NW, 2nd FL
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 332-3636
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