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.

Bread & Brew's sticky bun

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

1247 20th St, NW

Washington, DC 20036

Get Directions

(202) 466-2676
Metro: Dupont Circle
Neighborhood: Dupont

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.

Miso Ramen image from Wikipedia

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)

Rating: 4 stars (out of 4)
Price: $$ - Inexpensive
Recommended: Sapporo Miso Ramen

Ren's Ramen
6931 Arlington Rd
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-693-0806
Metro: Bethesda Metro Station
Neighborhood: Bethesda

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El Pollo Rico - Does it Live Up to the Hype?

Frequented by both cops and models, Arlington's El Pollo Rico is known as the place in DC for Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken. After having sampled a few of its competitors around town, I finally made it out to Arlington with Mistress KGB, our photographer, and Tintin in tow, eager to find out if El Pollo's chicken wares were worth the raves.

None of us had been to El Pollo Rico before, and a friend had described the exterior as resembling that of a dry cleaner, which surprisingly turned out to be a spot on observation. The industrial illusion turned out to be appropriate, as inside, the lines were long and the counter-staff were churning out chickens like a factor assembly line. Place your order–quarter, half, or whole–and bam, it's plopped down almost immediately in front of you.

Now normally, such quickly-produced food would warrant some suspicion. Perhaps these chicks had been sitting under a heat lamp and all the moisture had been sucked out. But alas, the food lived up to the hype. This chicken was thoroughly juicy, almost bordering on being too moist. The rotisserie flavors were strong and blunt, with a surprising, tangy edge that I hadn't experienced so fully at other chicken joints.

Tintin and I agreed that the chicken was indeed really good, making it easy for El Pollo Rico's chicken to rank as the best I've had in DC. Mistress KGB concurred, but claimed her favorite place in Falls Church produced equally good food.

Unfortunately, the accoutrements disappointed slightly. No traditional yuca fries were offered; instead stock french fries were served in their place. Normally, Cisco fries (if that's what they were) aren't my idea of good cooking, but these seem to have been cooked/thawed in the same grease and seasonings as the chicken, so they were surprisingly serviceable.

The coleslaw was forgettable, but the sauces were downright terrible. Almost more than the main dishes, I love the little green and white sauces that come with Peruvian fast food. I have no idea what they're called, but I expect them to be savory and spicy. The sauces at El Pollo Rico were too thick, bland, and almost inedible. Steer clear and opt for some ketchup instead, if you need some sauce for your fries.

While the chicken was superb, I have to admit that the overall experience left me a bit wanting. My favorite Peruvian place in the city, Granja de Oro, offers chicken that is almost as good on its best days, along with tasty yuca fries and spicy sauces. Otherwise though, El Pollo Rico has some of the best chicken around, and that's what you're looking for, right?

Rating: 3 stars
Recommended: Chicken, duh.


El Pollo Rico (also in Wheaton)

932 N Kenmore St

Arlington, VA 22201

Get Directions

(703) 522-3220

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• Washingtonian - Best Cheap Eats
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Best of DC: Burgers

Sir Noshalot hungers for:

1. Central Michel Richard - They probably make some other good shit here, but I wouldn't know because they serve the single most delicious cheeseburger this side of my childhood.




2. Ray's Hell-Burger - The meat is quality, and you can taste it. Options for au poivre, blackened, or straight up. A whole menu of cheeses, several hard to pronounce. Gratis sherried mushrooms and other fine toppings. Dominion root beer on tap (floats!), and Dracula's Blood (soda) in the bottle. It makes me sad when I think of all the other burgers in the world that could be Ray's burgers.
   
3. Elevation Burger - As close to In-N-Out as you can find in these benighted eastern states.

Still skeptical: Good Stuff Eatery hides dry, over-seasoned patties behind a shamelessly twee menu.


A-lo is launched into a food coma by:

1. Ray's Hell-Burger -Ray's is edged out by Central for the tastiest burger in town, but considering that a meal at Ray's will set you back by at least half as much, Ray's get the nod from my frugal self. Like Sir Noshalot, I'm partial to the "au poivre," blackened with pepper and topped with Ray's special sauce. Cut that sucker in half in order to handle it.
2. Central Michel Richard - My burger here was supremely tasty, but it had better be for $17. The patty was packed with beefy flavor, without being distracted by overpowering cheeses and sauces. My biggest complaint was the amount of meat juice which had made the otherwise excellent bun soggy. Sir Noshalot, usually sulking in the corner of the restaurant by himself, tells me that soggy buns aren't usually an issue.
3. Urban Burger - They have a lone, out of the way location in Rockville, but it's well worth stopping by, if you're in the area.
4. Busboys & Poets - The food at Busboys can be hit or miss, but the burgers are reliable and inexpensive, and the U-street location is always hopping. My favorite is the Gorgonzola burger, which also benefits from the best burger buns in town. If only Ray's used these babies...
5. Elevation Burger - I've never been to In-N-Out, but lord knows we East Coast folk are tired of hearing about it. I like these burgers for their compact size and tasty companion fries, so I don't leave the restaurant feeling like I need to run to the gym immediately (see Central and Ray's).
   
6. Honorable Mention - Call me crazy, but quite possibly the best burger I've had in DC was at the TGIFriday's in Foggy Bottom. I won't even dare suggest that TGIFriday's is an overlooked purveyor of fine American foods. Instead, there must have been a burger maestro working his magic at the grill on those two occasions years ago that I experienced such greasy bliss. I remember it was elevated by the fried onion rings within the burger that provided a contrasting but complementary crunch.

Best of DC: Pizza

A-lo's picks:

1. Pizzeria Paradiso - I don't care what the naysayers scream—this place is still the best.
   
2. 2 Amy's - A different style than Paradiso, but a far more comprehensive menu.
   
3. Pupatella - A pizza cart run by a cute couple in Ballston. Simple, cheap, and good enough.

Yet to try: Moroni Bros (forged in the Paradiso kitchens!), Posto (had some pasta but no pizza), Comet Ping Pong (I know, I need to get over there)

I tried Pete's Apizza once, and I can't say I'm eager to rush back. I'll give it another shot eventually.


Sir Noshalot champions:

1. Pete's Apizza - A-lo's on crack. This isn't exactly New Haven style, but it may be better, sitting very comfortably somewhere between generic pizza and the froofy kind.
   
2. Pizzeria Paradiso - I could eat an Atomica every day of the week.
3. Comet Ping Pong - Great crust, great toppings, great ideas, great space. If it were on the Metro, I'd actually think about going now and then.
   
4. A trip to Providence, RI for the deliciousness that is Al Forno