Zingerman's Deli

Second share from my night of sad steak.

Zingerman's (deli and marketplace) is always a favorite, but I save it as a special treat. Not to mention it's an Ann Arbor landmark. Apparently people get it delivered across the country, so I guess I'm pretty lucky to have it a stone's throw away.

There are often samples given out at the front door, usually of the special salads offered that day (by special I mean salads not on the menu). The store itself is small, which lends itself to being very cozy and personal. To the left are cheeses and meats, and the employees are always willing to offer their expertise and let you try whatever you want. To the right is the bakery booth (for lack of better words) where you can buy breads and pastries brought in from the Bakehouse (next to which is also located the Creamery). To the front are salads and where you place your sandwich orders. Continue on to the right past the bakery where you'll find the register and a trove of goodies - high quality olive oil and vinegars (samples of which are set out with bread for tasting and an employee that actually knows what he/she is talking about), condiments, pastas, sweets, and more.

Next door is... Zingerman's Next Door, appropriately named. Here, you can find coffee, tea, desserts, chocolate, ice cream, and affogato. Between the two is a deck/patio with tables and benches where you can sit and enjoy your food and company. One of the areas is also tented so you can still have a good time if it starts to rain. There is also plenty of seating Next Door, so don't let the tight space of the Deli scare you into thinking you need to get your food to go.

My go-to sammies: Bob & Roz's Fiesta and Tarb's Tenacious Tenure. Bob & Roz's Fiesta is chicken on lettuce with tomato and meunster cheese, roasted green chiles, and a great roasted red pepper sauce. Tarb's Tenacious Tenure is turkey with meunster cheese, lettuce, tomato, Russian dressing, and - the best part - avocado. Their sandwich menu covers everything from corned beef to fish to hot dogs, using quality ingredients including free-range chicken and all-natural turkey. They also have a small part of the menu dedicated to Jewish foods.

But what I really want to gush about is the best mac and cheese EVER!!! Ever. My guess is the Vermont cheddar. Actually, I don't know what it is. What I do know is that it's divine. Like... little macaroni sprites dancing on my tongue in an aromatic breeze of spices and cheese. That didn't come out quite as poetic as I had intended. Take-home message: it's amazing! Must try!

Next on the wish list: Zingerman's Roadhouse! Yummers!!!

$-$$

www.zingermansdeli.com

14K / Cafe Japone

As of late, it has become tradition for JC and me to go to happy hour on Wednesdays. So without fail, we scampered out of work, super excited for a cheap drink and cheap snacks. First stop was 14K, on 14th St NW and K St NW - their huge "rush hour happy hour" sign caught my eye. In addition to happy hour, they were advertising 5:00pm - 7:00pm, get 2 entrees and receive a bottle of wine, which is a pretty awesome deal, we thought. However, we had happy hour hopping in mind, so we headed to the bar. I got a huge cold glass of Blue Moon and JC got a glass of sauvignon blanc to sip on as we waited for our artisan cheese plate. I'm pretty sure we didn't get the cheese that are listed on the menu, as I know and love Humbolt Fog (goat cheese) and it was definitely absent. However, it was a wonderful assembly of crumbly and soft cheeses served with slices of some kind of berry and nut bread, apples, figs, and strawberries. As we devoured the plate, I started craving sushi (I know, how Asian, right?). For 2 glasses of wine, a beer, and the cheese plate, we paid about $20, which we thought was awesome.

Then we ran across the street to Lotus, as we had heard that they have sushi happy hours there. As we headed downstairs into the lounge, we realize how eerily empty it was...we took a quick look around and then ran back out - in true JC and Jung-Ah fashion, running in our heels and giggling.

Next stop, Cafe Japone since their happy hour went on til 8:30pm! I had very little to no expectations as I had read reviews and most of them were about how awful the service is there. There were praises about their food and huge Sapporos, though. We found an awesome parking space right outside the restaurant and went inside, thirsty for a beer. The girl that greeted us was very nice and sat us right away, however we sat there for a long time and finally had to flag down a server to take our drink orders. She didn't give us attitude though, there were only 2 servers for the whole place, and I guess they were busy. We received our $3, 22oz bottles of Sapporo right away, which made us happy during the million hours we had to wait for our sushi while drunk Facebooking and Twittering. Finally our yellowtail with scallions, spicy tuna, california, and crispy salmon skin rolls arrived. I don't know why we keep getting yellowtail rolls, because everytime we get it, we're like meh, it's not that great, YET we ALWAYS get them. The spicy tuna were very spicy and very tasty - I prefer the ones I had at Saki to these, but these were pretty awesome. The california roll was what I expected, tasty in the fake, american kind of way. The crispy salmon skin roll was intense - the salmon skin was super crispy, super salty and very pungent. I liked it alot, but it was just a bit much on the saltiness. After 3 of the 22oz Sapporo, not to mention what we had prior to coming to Japone, we were drunk. And we thought we could eat more, so we ordered their ramen with pork bone broth. As we waited another million hours for the ramen, the table across the restaurant started off Karaoke night. They were a fun group and sang and danced together and it was all good fun. In the midst of all this fun, we got our ramen, and I must recommend this highly. Oh my gosh, it was nothing like the ramen in packages that you get for 55cents at the grocery store. The noodles were chewy and yummy, and the broth was rich and flavorful with a hint of sesame oil. Sooooo good. And soooo big. We ate, sang, danced, and drank. Before we knew it, it was 11:00pm. Another happy hour success!! Tasty tasty!!!

14K $
www.14krestaurant.com

Cafe Japone $$

Tokyo One

I made myself an unsatisfactory steak with onions and mushrooms for dinner tonight. I didn't know that was possible. I figure any piece of meat presented to me is heaven on a plate. After that unfortunate meal, I'm now looking to treat myself to some Mexican wedding cookies. However... the dough has been in the fridge since yesterday and is now rock hard. So I'm sitting here... watching the dough... giving it the death glare. Hopefully the heat from my gaze will make it thaw faster.

While I was gnawing away at my tough steak, cartoon bubbles floated from my head with images of foods I'd rather be eating, two of which I'll share with you.

Tokyo One is a nice sushi/grill/buffet, not one of those 3.99 all-you-can-eat rib joints on the corner. For $27.99 at dinner, you get the bar, a full sushi bar, soba and udon noodle station, salads, hot foods, fruits and dessert, etc. The full menu would go on for pages - you can see the menu with pictures on the website. But I suggest you don't fill up on those too quick because the star of the show is the Dungeness crab. They're HUGE! A whole crab is the size of my hand!!. Oh my gosh, and soooo delicious!! They're perfectly tender, sweet, juicy. They're not the same as the crab in Maryland that we've talked about before. No seasoning. No butter. Just pure, delicious crab. And it's always fun when you get to pull out and enjoy a huge chunk of crabmeat and not have to fuss with tiny legs and the bother with the complicated compartments of the body of a smaller crab. Drool. Don't even try to keep your hands clean. Just dig in and get messy. It's so worth it! And besides, that's what the bathrooms are for: so you can wash your hands when you're ready. Mind you, the other patrons are probably going to be crazy about the crabs as well. At the Sam Houston Pkwy location, people nonchalantly hang around the buffet pretending to be looking at other items, and when the server brings out a new batch of hot, steaming crabs, there is a mad rush for the crab. A wild stampede and hands boxing through each other to grab the crabs first. I literally had a woman take a crab from my hand. Rude. So what we did was make eyes with one of the cooks in the back and ask him to bring us some fresh crab. Accompanied by batting of the eyelashes. Success: fresh hot crab without the fight.

At the Greens Rd location, you don't have to race for the crab. You won't find crab at the buffet; you order it with your server and they'll bring it right to your table. For some reason... we enjoyed the Sam Houston location better, both environment and taste. But still... Yummers!!!

$$

www.tokyo-one.com

Cabanas

My friend JD is leaving DC and had his farewell dinner at Cabanas in Georgetown. We all met at the bar, where some of his friends were drinking margaritas, which they said was good, but were tiny. I opted for a bottle of Corona, which unfortunately, was not so cold. We were a group of 8 or so, and we had a lovely table by the window. Before I knew it, someone had ordered guacamole and mango salsa and chips for the table. I generally love guacamole and mango salsa, however, I wasn't feeling it. The guac was bland, it was better with some salt and lime squeezed into it, but nothing to get excited about. I had more hopes for the mango salsa, but much to my disappointment, the mango cubes were hard and dry and I wasn't getting the yummy bursts of flavor my tongue was expecting to dance on it. The arrival of my second beer, which was significantly colder than the first appeased me a bit. My friend ordered a caipirinha, which tasted a lot like a minty margarita than anything else...he was not so happy.

For dinner, I picked the enchiladas with wild boar. I don't know if it was the hunger or the beer or if it was really as delicious as it was, but it was DELISH!! I devoured it, even before I could think to take a picture, it was gone. JD had the el pollo rostizado como a Lima, which is basically pit roasted half chicken and it smelled amazing. I was too busy with my enchilada to steal a taste, but it looked good with yucca fries and salsa verde. We noted that it was served with a HUGE side of mayo, which went untouched. As we were finishing up our dinner, a flamenco dancer appeared with a guitarist and put on a show. I've seen better, but for Georgetown, and after a couple of drinks, it was fun.

Service wasn't stellar, but I rarely expect that when I go to a restaurant with a big group of people. I thought the food was overpriced for the mediocrity and modest portions. Now I was fine with everything, until a couple of days later when I saw that my credit card was charged twice for different amounts. I had put in $41 for my portion of the check, which was correctly charged, however there was a second charge of $90. I know sometimes the card is swiped for the wrong amount, and the server realizes it and the pending charge disappears after a couple of days when they void it. Unfortunately, I found on Tuesday night that both of the charges were processed. I called as soon as I discovered it and spoke to someone who basically said that it was too late (10:00pm) for them to help me that day, however I should call back on Wednesday and ask to speak to the manager. I did just that and after repeating my story to a very nice lady, she asked me to fax her a copy of my credit card statement, which I tried to do, but their machine was not receiving faxes. So I called back on Thursday and asked for an email address where I could send the scanned copy of my statement. Well, the email address was wrong also (I had repeated the spelling of the address back to the manager 3 times). What the heck is going on?! I was unfortunately busy before their dinner time to call them and I know better than to try on a weekend night. I was looking at their reviews online and it's amazing how many people complain of being overcharged or double charged...you'd think they would learn something? Hmmmm. Tasty tasty!

$$

www.dcseafood.com/cabanas/index.htm

Happy Hour at Saki

On the way to meeting up with some friends for dinner, Saki's happy hour specials caught my eye. $3 beers - I think they were Miller Lite, Amstel Light, and Heineken - and 1/2 price sushi. Since we had half an hour before the agreed meeting time, we stopped in for a quick bite. Most of the rolls were around $3.5 and the nigiri were $1 per piece. Pretty nifty deal, I thought.

It's a very cute place, the color scheme is white and black with a very trendy feel. When you walk in you can sit in a lounge area off to the back right or you can head straight for the bar. We opted to sit at the bar where you can see your sushi being made. The service was prompt (they weren't busy at 6:00pm) and friendly.

We ordered a california roll, a spicy tuna roll, and a yellowtail and scallion roll and a couple of Amstel Lights. The beer was icy cold and delicious, as expected and the sushi was good beyond my expectations. The yellowtail tasted fresh, the california roll was packed with lots of avocado, and the spicy tuna was FABULOUS. I've had spicy tuna rolls at a hundred million places (not really, but a lot...you know what I mean), and this was one of the bestest. I feel that a lot of places don't chop/ground the tuna finely enough so you get big chunks of tuna, but Saki's spicy tuna mix was perfect! It was spicy and tuna-ey and sooooo yummy. We regretted not getting two of the spicy tuna rolls, but it left us wanting more, and that's always good. I'm so planning on going back for those, and you should come! Tasty tasty!!!!

$

www.sakiasiangrille.com

Rock Bottom Brewery

JC and I had happy hour at Rock Bottom Brewery in Bethesda last week, and the deal was so good that we went back again last night, with our friend SW. On Wednesdays, they do a $6 23oz beer with $3 refills and at the end of the night you get to keep the gigantic beer glass. It's awesome!! Not to mention $5 appetizers and pizzas from 5:30 til 7:00pm. They have a fantastic fried calamari appetizer - calamari, green beans, pickle slices, tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, baby corn, and whatever random veggie I may have left out are tempura fried then sprinkled with parmesan cheese and to be dipped in ranch dressing. It's delicious and goes so well with their light lager! We also got their buffalo wings, it seems only right that you have wings at happy hour with beer, right? I like their wings, they're not greasy and they don't have mushy skin hanging out all over the place like a lot of wings I've had at happy hour. They're not crispy either, but not too fatty or gross. The sauce is pretty good, it's spicy but not enough to make you cry. We have yet to get more than those two apps - with gigantic beers, we get way too full to eat any more. I'm lame and got too happy at happy hour to take pictures. But you should definitely check it out for happy hour with your friends!! Tasty tasty!!

$
www.rockbottom.com

Jackie's

My roommate is coming back home this week so I should really be cleaning (or sleeping), but I've done a good job of putting it off for a whole week, so what's another few hours?? And so, with Conan playing on hulu.com in the background... Let's talk Jackie's.
One might call the neon green heart that lights up the brick exterior after sundown to be tacky. One might find the bubblegum pink banquette, retro plastic dining chairs, and lounge covered in a myriad colorful cushions to be kitsch. But one will definitely find this car-shop-turned-restaurant to be fresh and the food to be absolutely delectable!

I've been there a number of times, as your tastebuds will surely ask of you once you pay a visit. Seasonal menus offering the best of local ingredients change daily. I'll walk you through all the goodies I've had so far.

We'll start with appetizers. One word: OYSTERS. If you're a fan of oysters (and even if you're not!), you have to try the fried oysters with a cucumber and onion relish and some sort of amazing sauce. The oysters are just perfectly lightly breaded, so you don't have to break through a layer of hard crunch. You bite in and your tongue is met with warm, plump, juicy, creamy, oyster goodness (let's try to fit some more adjectives in). And when you get a bite of oyster with the cucumber and sauce all together - heaven. Another favorite is the shrimp risotto with devil's oil. Yes, devil's oil. It does pack some heat, but don't let it scare you - it's not volcanic heat that will leave you drenched in sweat. It's the perfect amount of heat to complement the creamy risotto. The portion also allows for a cheaper alternative to an entree.

Which brings us to soups. When you're in Maryland, clearly crab is a must-have. Naturally, the Maryland crab soup here is pretty darn great. The tomato-based soup is rich and hearty, with a great share of big lumps of sweet crab meat and healthy veggies, and has a bit of a kick to it. Also great is the gazpacho. It is perfectly cool and refreshing, with fun pops of finely diced peppers, tomatoes, onions, and cucumber. The two are basically polar opposites, but equally delicious. I have a hard time choosing between the two... hence I had both in one night. Sigh, no shame.

An entree that you might not find on the menu anymore when you visit, as their menu changes daily, is halibut with artichoke. It sounds simple but it was so good! The halibut was perfectly cooked, with a great lemon butter sauce, and a lovely roasted artichoke. I'm a little sad that I'll probably not have it again since the menu changes daily.

And we end with dessert. I've only actually had dessert once, poundcake with raspberries. To give you a fully honest review, I'll have to say it wasn't anything to write home about. I mean... it was poundcake with raspberries with sauce. To be fair, I'm sure they have other great desserts.

While you may not find the same items that I had, I promise you you'll have an amazing meal. And should conversation run dry with your dinner companion/s, nature shows projected onto a mesh screen hanging from the ceiling might provide you with fodder for small talk, if you're into mollusks and fawns.
Yummers!!!

$$

www.jackiesrestaurant.com

The Lounge at Bourbon Steak

My friend JC and I had an adventurous Thursday evening of happy hour and consuming very little food and bar hopping. We were running about all over DC and our final destination was the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown. We ordered a couple of beers, and as we flipped through the bar menu, came to a cigars section. So what the heck, we ordered a cigar and took our beers outside and sat by the firepit (I don't know how else to describe it). First of all, the lounge is very beautiful with oak floors and marble bar top, but their courtyard is just fabulous! The service is marvelous and the chairs are nice and roomy -with a cigar, drinks, and my fave girl, it was a fantastic time. Unfortunately, I don't remember what cigar we chose, and we didn't eat, but we had such a great experience, I thought I'd write an entry about it. Think a cool evening with good friends, scotch and a cigar by the fire. AWESOME.

$$$

www.fourseasons.com/washington/dining/the_lounge_at_bourbon_steak.html

The Big Greek Cafe

I've been hearing about this "My Big Fat Greek Cafe" from people at work. Everyone's been gushing about how good their food is. I couldn't believe that there was a place named after a movie - and well, there isn't. It's the Big Greek Cafe, and from the outside on Georgia Ave, it doesn't look like much. But you walk in, and the place is completely white, with a bit of blue, lovely pictures of the Greek islands, and blue and white checkered table cloths, looking very very Greek (to me anyway), oh and so super duper clean. I ordered the bifteki (beef and lamb patty) sandwich platter with fries and salad, and JF decided on the gyro sandwich platter with roasted potatoes and salad. The salad was interesting with mixed greens, an herby vinaigrette, feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and capers (which I didn't see coming). It would have been good, except for the fact that there was waaaaaaaay too much dressing, so much that I couldn't get through more than half of it. The fries were delish - I haven't met a french fry I didn't like, and the sandwich was fantastic!! The bifteki was seasoned perfectly, wonderful herb combination and just enough seasoning to blend with the yogurt sauce and the lovely, chewy, and pillowy bread. The gyro sandwich was perfect, not too salty (I've encountered some dry, salty gyros before, and they are not tasty), and the potatoes were good, but I recommend the fries. The food is cheap, yummy, and the portion is pretty large. For that I'd call it "My Big Fat Greek Cafe." Oh, they sell huge cans of olive oil from Greece at the counter -I asked the nice cashier which was better, Greek or Italian olive oil and he said definitely Greek!! When I run out of my Italian oil, I guess I'll try the Greek. Tasty tasty!!!

$

www.biggreekcafe.com/