{Travel Tuesday} Mourayo - Greek cuisine in our nation's capital

Months ago, we had a chance to enjoy some "we" time in Washington, D.C.  We were in the mood for a nice, but affordable dinner.  After consulting Washingtonian Magazine's Top 100 restaurants for 2010, we decided to try out Mourayo.

Mourayo (meaning "safe harbour") is a Greek restaurant located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. At first, we were concerned that there were not a lot of diners in the restaurant.  However, with dishes like butternut squash "meatballs" and duck moussaka, we ended up having a good meal with great company.

Butternut squash keftedes ($9.95) with raisin and sesame seed paste.  We definitely did not miss the meat with these vegetarian meat(less)balls!  It was rich and sweet, while the paste reminded us of figs.

Ground Duck Moussaka ($23.95) with potatoes, eggplant, kefalotyri cheese, and duck stock reduction. Buried underneath the sauce were layers of potatoes and eggplant.  Although there was too much sauce (and a little heavy-hand with the salt), the dish was very savoury, so of course my husband ate it up!

Grilled fresh octopus ($12.95) with fava bean puree, and octopus ink vinaigrette.  Don't you love the dramatic look of octopus ink?  This was an amazing dish with tender, well-seasoned octopus.  More please! 

Aspasia's Ecstasy ($8.95):  Strawberries in red wine with saffron crocus and vanilla ice cream.  We ended our meal with this sexy-sounding dessert.  Truthfully, I find chocolate (and of course, strawberries and champagne) more romantic and this dessert tasted more plummy, like mulled wine. 

Mourayo is located in the Dupont Circle area at 1732 Connecticut Ave., NW in Washington, D.C.

Cheap Eats on the road (DC/Maryland): Korean food cart and BBQ

Because it is only a few hours away from NYC (and a cheap bus ride away), Washington D.C. makes for a quick weekend get-away.  We've gone there before enjoying the city's high-end, cheap eats, and drink places.  Though we did not have much time to sight-see (between business meetings and visiting our newborn nephew), we did manage to check out a couple of cheap eats.  Join us as we rush to find the Korean food cart in Washington D.C. and then take a road trip out to Chaps Pit Beef in Baltimore, MD.

I took the Bolt Bus out from NYC to meet up with my hubby (who was in D.C. on business).  During the ride, I used the free WiFi to search for places to eat for cheap.  I came across the Korean food cart - it was only a few blocks away from the bus drop-off spot and was opened 'til 2pm...giving me plenty of time to make it there (or so I thought).  With my bus running late (due to traffic) and my stomach rumbling (due to hunger), I was anxious about missing the cart (and then being stuck with room service).

When the bus finally got in by 1:45pm, I ran straight to the food cart (and soon realizing that DC blocks are a lot longer than NYC blocks!)  Upon seeing the bright yellow cart being packed up, I rushed and breathlessly asked for an order of Bulgogi Bibimbap.  Luckily Andy, my friendly server, had some food left over from the lunch rush.

Unfortunately, they ran out of egg (love the fried egg with bibimbap!), but I was still happy to try their Bulgogi (spicy beef) Bibimbap ($7).  The dish itself was large and substantial (I later shared it with my hubby).  Though it was not the best bibimbap I've ever eaten, it was nice to enjoy a dish full of vegetables and nicely seasoned (not that spicy) beef for only $7.  In an area filled with chain sandwich and coffee shops, I'm glad I had this option for lunch. 

And on the next day, my hubby took me to a completely unromantic, slightly seedy area for a couple of fantastic sandwiches.  After all, if Chaps Pit Beef was good enough for Anthony Bourdain and Guy Fieri, it's definitely good enough for us.  We were lucky to beat the lunchtime crowd and ordered our meal with relative ease.

The classic Pit Beef ($6) was an easy choice.  The beef was tender and moist (it helped that we ordered it rare) - definitely not plain deli meat.  We tried some of the sandwich with the sauce and vinegar, but thought it wasn't necessary at all.  The sandwich itself was so flavorful.  Though it may not look pretty, this sandwich was definitely worth the trip.

The gigantic Raven ($7.30) had roast beef, turkey, and corned beef.  It was a lot of meat that needed some sauce.  Though we preferred the other sandwich, we could see how others with large appetites and meat cravings would like this huge sandwich.

The Bulgogi Korean Food Cart is located at 1400 L Street on the SE Corner of L and 14th Streets (between N 14th St & N Vermont Ave) in Washington, D.C.

Chaps Pit Beef is located at 5801 Pulaski Hwy in Baltimore, MD.

RFD

It was a humid evening and all we wanted was a casual spot and some cold beer. Luckily, someone had recommended we check out RFD (Regional Food and Drink) while we were visiting Washington, DC.

Located in the Penn Quarter, RFD is known for their vast selection of tap and bottled beers, both imports and domestic, including a giant list of craft beers. It's a large, no fuss sports bar that's perfect for a laid-back night out.

Left: Founders Red Rye's Pale Ale ($3.50/taste). Because Founders Brewery beers are so hard to find, we were pleasantly surprised to see that RFD had a few of them on tap and in bottle. The Red Rye is not a boring pale ale, and with 6.6% ABV, it's both hoppy and big for a pale ale.

Middle: Great Divide Belgica Ale ($4/taste, 7.2% ABV): The Belgica Ale was light and had a nice mix of fruit and malt.

Right: Golden Cap Saison from New Holland ($3.50/taste, 7% ABV): This was soft and would have been better if it had more of a farmhouse aroma and taste.

Next time we would like to sample a lot of the other fine craft beers on tap and in bottle, including Allagash, Dogfish Head and North Coast.

RFD is located at 810 7th Street NW (btwn H St NW and I St NW) in Washington, DC.

Proof: Our Favorite Wine Bar in DC

We wandered around Penn Quarter in DC in search of a lively and sophisticated place to grab a late-night drink. With people dining on the patio and hovering around the bar, Proof looked like the spot we wanted.

Proof is a wine bar and restaurant in DC. The decor is stylish and welcoming. We love the warmth of the exposed brick and leather chairs. For wine-lovers like us, we were thrilled to see that Proof offers about 30 to 40 wines by the glass (with generous pours) .

We arrive by 8:30pm, and both the bar and restaurant is packed.

By 11pm, the dining room is nearly empty...but the bar is still busy.

We love the Enomatic wine dispensers. It's always a shame when wines are not properly stored at bars and restaurants, so these machines usually put us at ease.

Sean Thackrey Pleiades ('07, California, $7.50/2 oz pour):
Intrigued by the name on the menu ("Everything but the Kitchen Sink") and our server telling us that there were around 16 grapes in the wine, we decided to try this wine. Smells like chocolate, with a juicy, fruit forward palate of blackberry and chocolate.

Left: Joguet Chinon ('05, $3.50/2 oz pour)
Most people don't know that red wines from the Loire are great values and really good wines. This 2005 Chinon from Charles Joguet had fresh red fruit with light tannins and decent acidity.

Right: Train Wreck ('06, California, $3.20/2 oz pour)
Its name was more interesting than the wine.

With the kitchen closed, we took a sneak peak at the cheese plate beside us. It looked really good!

And yet, we opt to end the night trying a couple more wines:
Left: William Fevre Chablis ('04, $5.00/2 oz pour)
Grassy with some cedar toast on the nose, the wine is still fresh and the citrusy fruit is well integrated now that the wine has some age on it. Our favorite of the night.

Right: Numanthia Termes ('06, $3.00/2 oz pour)
We were surprised to see this wine, since it's flying off the shelves at retail locations. A big, brawny fruit forward Spanish wine with high alcohol that should last for several years. Always a good choice.

Proof is located at 775 G St NW (at 8th St NW).

Teaism - A Calming Oasis in Dupont Circle

If you are looking for a place to meet a friend, a light meal, or a refreshing tea beverage, Teaism is the place to go. As DC's first tea house, Teaism offers many teas and a few Asian-inspired meals. For under $10, you have many choices including Japanese bento boxes, Thai chicken curry, and Indian naan and raita with tea cured salmon.

The food is served cafeteria style (you pick up your tray once your number is called). There is a larger space upstairs, but having scored a couple of seats and not wanted to drop our tray, we opted to stay downstairs.

Teaism offers over 50 types of teas so the hardest part was choosing which one we wanted!
Berry Beauty tea ($2.75): We love tea, so we thoroughly enjoyed having our own personal teapot. The tea was mild and fruity.

Salmon Bento box ($8.75): This came with the cucumber salad (mixed with pickled ginger - light and tangy!), edamame, and brown rice with a savory (tasted like curry, mixed with sesame seeds) crumby topping. We opted to have the salmon grilled instead of chilled. Though not the best we've ever had, the bento box was good. There were some good flavors and it didn't leave us feeling overly full. It made for a good light lunch.

Teaism (Dupont Circle) is located at 2009 R St. NW (at Connecticut St).

Founding Farmers - Eating Local with the Locals

We love getting ideas on where to eat and after soliciting friends on Facebook, someone suggested Founding Farmers to us.

We were really excited because Founding Farmers uses ingredients from local farms. It's like dining in a farmer's market. Everything is fresh (even their inventive cocktails!). As an added bonus, the restaurant is very environmenally friendly (It is LEED certified, a certified Green restaurant, and a Carbonfund.org partner).





Farmer's Salad ($7): Baby lettuces, avocado, dates, tomatoes, red grapes, marcona almonds (shorter and sweeter than regular almonds), and Parmesan cheese in a champagne vinaigrette. Tons of flavors and textures - knowing that the ingredients arrive daily from local farms, any salad here should be a great pick!

Flatbread ($8) with prosciutto (from La Quercia), fig, and marscapone cheese. La Quercia, from Iowa, makes some great Parma-like prosciutto from domestic pigs. We love the classic combination of salty prosciutto with the sweet figs.

Shmears, Dips, and Housemade Bread ($5): romesco dip, Green goddess dip (avocado based), pimento cheese dip, and airy butter.

Fraise Fling ($12): Made with fresh strawberries, lychee, Snow Queen organic vodka, and Charles de Fere Brut. This was fantastic! It was crisp, fresh, and tasty. We love the old school way the bartender crushed the fruit (with mortar and pestle) to create our cocktail.

Heavy Seas Loose Cannon Hop 3 Ale ($6, 7.25% APV): We liked this American IPA. It was hoppy with a good citrus and resiny aroma and slightly bitter taste. Overall, a quite smooth IPA without overpowering sweetness or alcohol.

Pub Fish and Chips ($14): Lightly battered white fish with crispy hand-cut chips. It was served with a homemade tartar sauce and a 8oz glass of the seasonal special Brooklyn Cuvee de Cardoz.

Southern Pan-Fried Chicken with Waffles ($16): Crisp free-range chicken with gravy and Belgium waffles. It was served with broccoli (vegetable of the day) and their homemade mac n' cheese. We liked how well seasoned the chicken was prepared.

Coffee ($3): We only mentioned the coffee because it is from Intelligentista Coffee. We heard about this Chicago coffee establishment and its commitment to providing great coffee by developing beans with growers around the world. The coffee had a pretty good flavor.

Founding Farmers is located at 1924 Pennsylvania Ave NW (btwn N 19th St & N 20th St).

Brasserie Beck - A Nice Respite from a Hot Summer's Afternoon

It can get pretty hot and humid in DC - what better way to cool off than with a few great Belgium beers? We headed out to Brasserie Beck, a fun open-concept restaurant that combines Belgium and American foods.

The food smelled fantastic (the moules frites and duck sausage and peppers looked really good!), but since we came here for a pre-dinner drink, we just opted for a couple of drinks instead.

The space is elegant and the atmosphere is casual.

Bavik ($5, 5.3% ABV, from Brouwerij Bavik): A crisp, medium body and refreshing pilsner that is a bit fuller with more taste than the mass produced ones. Like most European beers, the alcohol content is higher than their American counterparts, however, this beer has a good hop bitterness and carbonation to keep it interesting. Gold in color with a light head, this is nice, tasty, easy drinking beer.

Uptown Greyhound ($10): vodka, St. Germaine Elderberry liqueur, pink grapefruit juice, and champagne. Light and bubbly, this was a great summer cocktail. The combination of flavors are not syrupy sweet, but crisp. Though the champagne makes the Elderberry and vodka less overpowering, we could still tell that the alcohol was there!

Gouden Carolus Tripel ($9, 9% ABV, from Brouwerij Het Anker): Pours a nice foamy head with substantial lacing. The Belgian tripel had good carbonation, touch of caramel sweetness, citrus, with a warming finish due to the alcohol. A good Belgian beer to try that is balanced, the Carolus Tripel is one you won't find often on tap.

Brasserie Beck is located at 1101 K St (at 11th St).

Zaytinya - Mezze Hot Spot in Downtown DC

We have been wanting to dine at a Jose Andres restaurant. The well-known Spanish chef trained under Ferran Adria, the renown chef of El Bulli (often considered the best restaurant in the world). Andres is known for inventive small plates.

Zaytinya is a great downtown DC spot. The space is light and airy. The food features Mediterranean mezze from Greece, Lebanon, and Turkey.





The restaurant fills up quickly with tourists and the after-work crowd.

Aphrodite's Pear ($12): pear vodka, fresh lime juice, and St. Germain Elderflower liqueur. We preferred this drink as it was crisp and not too sweet.

Thalia (Goddess of Good Cheer) cocktail ($10): grape vodka, lime syrup and limoncello with a sour cherry reduction. This was sweeter than the Aphrodite's Pear.

Pipe Dreams ($7.50): Goat cheese from Pennsylvania with zatar tomato-kalamata, wrapped in grape leaves. We really loved the creamy texture and rustic taste of the cheese.

Taramosalata ($6.50): This was the traditional Greek spread with cured carp roe. It was light, airy, and plentiful!

The warm homemade pita bread went well with our spreads (along with the olive oil and pomegranate vinegar).

Lamb Kleftico ($10): Roasted lamb in a light pastry with feta cheese and dill. This was delicious.

Crispy Veal Sweetbreads ($10): This was the rare miss in our meal. It was an interesting preparation of sweetbreads - breaded and fried with slight tang from the fennel and orange. We love sweetbreads, but much prefer the traditional, baked preparation from NYC's Kefi.

Zak-lava ($8): Light and crispy phyllo pastry with hazelnut cream and chocolate ganache. It comes with a side of labneh sorbet (tasted like honey) on a honey-cardamon sauce. This dessert was a nice twist on the traditional baklava. We love the taste of chocolate and hazelnut together. This was a perfect way to end our meal.

Zaytinya is located at 701 9th St. NW (at G St).