I love a good burger. And although its more fun to cook them in the backyard with a cooler of beer and some lawn chairs, the next morning your going to want someone else to do all the work. Trust me.
Two of the best places to do that in D.C. are Good Stuff Eatery on the hill (303 Pennsylvania Ave S.E.) and Ray's Hellburger (1713 Wilson Blvd Arlington, VA). Those are just two of the many places to grab a burger around town, but they are my two favorites.
Ray's is part of the Ray's "franchise" in D.C. that includes Ray's the Classics and Ray's the Steaks. All three are known for their incredible ingredients and affordable prices. Ray's hellburgers are MASSIVE. I'm talking like drag my dead body out of the restaurant massive. When you walk in the restaurant (or stand outside because the line is that long) you need to send someone up to the front to grab a menu to browse. Once at the register there is somewhat of a "soup nazi" vibe and you don't want to be the guy holding everyone up. The free toppings include everything from pickles and onions to cherry and cognac mushrooms or piranha sauce. I Usually stick with the Big Punisher...Chipotle Marinade, Pepper Jack Cheese, Charred Jalapenos, Grilled Red Onions, Piranha Sauce(Fiery, Spicy, Green Sauce). This is a fantastic burger. The bun is always big enough, which I think can be overlooked sometimes, the helpings are equal to the price, and there is endless variety. I usually order some sweet potato fries and a root beer to go with it for around 11 bucks.
Good Stuff Eatery was one of the first places I tried when I moved here a couple years ago. I ate here before I tried Hellburger and had a great time eating there. This place is famous for being started by the infamous "Spike" of top chef fame. He is almost in there helping out which is pretty cool since I rarely see Jose Andres in Cafe Atlantico or Jaleo lol. The focus at Good Stuff is on the freshness and quality of the local beef and it shows. There is almost always a line here too because of the location and Spike. Burgers at Good Stuff are juicier than Hellburger since they arent as big and are COVERED with cheese. The menu is not as diverse as Hellburger, but I like to go with the Good Stuff Melt...Melted Cheddar & Muenster,Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms with Good Stuff Sauce. They have four or five different types of mayo too including a Siracha mayo which is my favorite hot sauce. A burger, fries, and a drink here will run you about $13 or so. Good Stuff has the onion rings though! Man these onion rings are just incredible. The only thing I can compare them to are the onion rings at The Varsity in Atlanta and those are legendary. The local dairy farm Milkshakes are also terrific, but they are way overpriced. Another overlooked plus to Good Stuff is the potato roll they use.
All in all I would definitely say that Hellburger is pretty damn superior to Good Stuff if you are going to go strictly burger. I will say that both are very good, but since they are about 15 min. apart, why not make the drive to Ray's? However, if you are looking for some fantastic onion rings or a milkshake you can stop in Good Stuff for a quick bite. Your unlikely to be disappointed either way.
Winner: Ray's Hellburger
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Mourayo 1732 Connecticut Avenue
Trudging back and forth to work every day, I always look at the restaurants that surround me on my way. Mourayo had always caught my eye. I knew it had received good reviews, but it always looked kind of unassuming to me. In fact, more times than not it was kind of empty. But it’s one of the only restaurants in my area that I knew was supposed to be good that I had not yet tried, so I was excited to go.
Heading into Mourayo on a Sunday night, we were seated right away with no reservation- definitely a surprise for a well-respected restaurant in D.C., even on a Sunday. I think the waiter was annoyed at us for waiting so long for the rest of our party to show up, and he didn’t seem to recover the rest of the night.
We started with the melitzanosalata-roasted eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, feta, olive and vinegar. I’m not a huge eggplant person, but it was tasty. The pita bread they serve there is really good, so really any vehicle to use the bread was fine by me.
The wine we ordered was a Greek Syrah. Now I’m not a wine connoisseur or anything, but I’d say it was a tad pricy for what it was.
There were a lot of entrees to choose from (good for me because I’m kind of picky and I like a lot of different options…but that sometimes leads to a panic order followed by immediate regret). I ended up ordering the Kotopoulo “Peloponnesos”- organic chicken breast w/ onions, tomatoes, and okra. It was good- I blame myself for ordering the chicken dish. The Pythagoras “Theorema”- pork loin medallions with figs, almonds, manouri cheese and honey sauce certainly stole the show from my dish. I also got a taste of the Htenia “Mykonos” -dry scallops pan seared w/ basil, eggplant, pistachio pesto. It was very tasty, but a pretty small portion.
All in all I’d say Mourayo was a pleasant dining experience. A little bit pricy, but can be well worth it if you order the right dish and have a more genial waiter- 85/100.
Heading into Mourayo on a Sunday night, we were seated right away with no reservation- definitely a surprise for a well-respected restaurant in D.C., even on a Sunday. I think the waiter was annoyed at us for waiting so long for the rest of our party to show up, and he didn’t seem to recover the rest of the night.
We started with the melitzanosalata-roasted eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, feta, olive and vinegar. I’m not a huge eggplant person, but it was tasty. The pita bread they serve there is really good, so really any vehicle to use the bread was fine by me.
The wine we ordered was a Greek Syrah. Now I’m not a wine connoisseur or anything, but I’d say it was a tad pricy for what it was.
There were a lot of entrees to choose from (good for me because I’m kind of picky and I like a lot of different options…but that sometimes leads to a panic order followed by immediate regret). I ended up ordering the Kotopoulo “Peloponnesos”- organic chicken breast w/ onions, tomatoes, and okra. It was good- I blame myself for ordering the chicken dish. The Pythagoras “Theorema”- pork loin medallions with figs, almonds, manouri cheese and honey sauce certainly stole the show from my dish. I also got a taste of the Htenia “Mykonos” -dry scallops pan seared w/ basil, eggplant, pistachio pesto. It was very tasty, but a pretty small portion.
All in all I’d say Mourayo was a pleasant dining experience. A little bit pricy, but can be well worth it if you order the right dish and have a more genial waiter- 85/100.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Komi - 1509 17th Street NW
For our first "review" in D.C. I am posting a review of Komi, the Post's best restaurant in DC. It's hard not to get your hopes up when it is such an ordeal to get a reservation somewhere and all of the other reviews you read say that this is the best restaurant in D.C. and possibly the best on the east coast. However, my expectations were fulfilled and then some. Komi is probably the best meal I've had...ever.
In order to get a reservation here you have to get somewhat lucky and get through the busy phone lines exactly one month in advance of your target day. Its similar to trying to get a reservation at Minibar without the smugness and herd mentality.
Komi is in an old townhouse right outside of Dupont. They have renovated the restaurant recently, but it is still very inviting and doesn't have any of the stuffiness that usually accompanies a top notch restaurant. We all wore jeans and none of the staff had a problem with it. Obviously, with a chef like Johnny Monis, most of the patrons don't know much about food in comparison so it was helpful to have a waiter who didn't shy away from explaining everything we ate.
The degustazione course at Komi will run you 125 bucks, but its well worth it. The waiter asks if you have any food allergies and that is pretty much the last input you have in your meal. The entire dinner was a complete surprise. The 10 small plates you start with range from 1 bite to three and ran the gamut of fresh sashimi to alaskan salmon served in a small martini glass to a caesar salad baked within a crouton.
Somehow, I have NO IDEA how, he had put together the tastes of the lettuce, parmesan, and caesar dressing into a liquid form and baked that in a homemade crouton. This was an interesting small plate, but the highlights were the salmon, a scallop covered with truffle and olive oil and chives, and the entrees.
It isn't really apparent until you get your entree that Monis' focus is on traditional Greek cuisine. We had the suckling pig and the baby goat. Both were phenomenal and did not need any condiments. However, we were presented with homemade hot sauce, tzatziki sauce, hummus, and olives. The hot sauce was Siracha-esque and complimented the pork very nicely. Even more food was presented after the entrees- we had 3-4 dessert plates, the highlight of which was the cinnamon ice cream with honey.
The biggest compliment I can pay Komi and the chef is that throughout the 3 hour meal I didn't once think "when is the next plate coming," "my ass hurts from sitting so long," or "why the hell am I still eating." If you can keep me entertained for three hours I would consider it a success. I give it a 99/100 and would definitely go back if I could save up for 3 months, hah.
In order to get a reservation here you have to get somewhat lucky and get through the busy phone lines exactly one month in advance of your target day. Its similar to trying to get a reservation at Minibar without the smugness and herd mentality.
Komi is in an old townhouse right outside of Dupont. They have renovated the restaurant recently, but it is still very inviting and doesn't have any of the stuffiness that usually accompanies a top notch restaurant. We all wore jeans and none of the staff had a problem with it. Obviously, with a chef like Johnny Monis, most of the patrons don't know much about food in comparison so it was helpful to have a waiter who didn't shy away from explaining everything we ate.
The degustazione course at Komi will run you 125 bucks, but its well worth it. The waiter asks if you have any food allergies and that is pretty much the last input you have in your meal. The entire dinner was a complete surprise. The 10 small plates you start with range from 1 bite to three and ran the gamut of fresh sashimi to alaskan salmon served in a small martini glass to a caesar salad baked within a crouton.
Somehow, I have NO IDEA how, he had put together the tastes of the lettuce, parmesan, and caesar dressing into a liquid form and baked that in a homemade crouton. This was an interesting small plate, but the highlights were the salmon, a scallop covered with truffle and olive oil and chives, and the entrees.
It isn't really apparent until you get your entree that Monis' focus is on traditional Greek cuisine. We had the suckling pig and the baby goat. Both were phenomenal and did not need any condiments. However, we were presented with homemade hot sauce, tzatziki sauce, hummus, and olives. The hot sauce was Siracha-esque and complimented the pork very nicely. Even more food was presented after the entrees- we had 3-4 dessert plates, the highlight of which was the cinnamon ice cream with honey.
The biggest compliment I can pay Komi and the chef is that throughout the 3 hour meal I didn't once think "when is the next plate coming," "my ass hurts from sitting so long," or "why the hell am I still eating." If you can keep me entertained for three hours I would consider it a success. I give it a 99/100 and would definitely go back if I could save up for 3 months, hah.
Introduction: Mission Statement lol
For young "professionals" making the trek to the District of Columbia, navigating the DC restaurant scene can be daunting. In our search for greatness in fine dining around the District, we've had more than a few missteps. We'd like to share our dining experiences: the highs and the lows. I'm no expert, but I know what I like, I know what I don't like, and I am pretty sure you will feel the same way.
From worst meals to best boozy brunches we'll be your guide to all-things-food that our nation's capital has to provide.
From worst meals to best boozy brunches we'll be your guide to all-things-food that our nation's capital has to provide.
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