Cava Barracks Row

We're settling in to our new apartment.  What a difference a few hundred feet makes!  One of the nicest perks is access to the renovated fitness center with a climate-controlled cardio machine room. The dangererous thing about our new gym is the tv attached to each machine.  While I was trotting along to an episode of HGTV's House Hunters, my boyfriend was watching Food Network's special on Greek food.  With the memory of whole roasted fish in his head, he was on a mission to find a place to try it.  After thinking about possible places, we had an impromptu dinner at Cava.  Without a reservation we had a short wait for a table, so we started off with some taramosalata ($5.95) and pinot grigio at the bar.  The pita is not made in house, so it's just ok, but the whipped roe dip was fluffy and delicious.

 We decided to try some new dishes, and went with the waiter's recommendation of grilled lamb chops $14.95.  They're served on a bed of french fries with lemon and fresh parsley.  The lamb was juicy and tender.

 Whole roasted fish.  Mkt. price $32.95.  This was a 1.5 lb. bronzino with parsley, lemon juice and olive oil.  Very simple preparation, and really enjoyable. 

Grilled Asparagus with lemon vinaigrette and feta cheese ($7.95).

Bombay Bistro in Oakton, VA

http://www.bombaybistro.com/ We headed out to Vienna to visit with some friends.  Afterwards, we tried this Indian restaurant out.  It's a pretty decent hike from where we live, but I liked it and the price point was reasonable.   

 Vegetable Samosa with spicy chana and two sauces. ($1.95)

 Chicken Tandoori with salad and rice. ($10.95)  Very flavorful and juicy.

 Saag Ghost. ($12.95) Lamb cooked in mildly spiced spinach.

 Lamb Vindaloo. ($11.95) Lamb cooked in a spicy sauce with potatoes.

Special Vegetarian Thali ($15.95).  Lentils, raita, a puri (puffed bread), mattar paneer (peas and cheese in a tomato curry), palak paneer (spinach and cheese), baingan bharta (roasted eggplant with tomato, onion and spices), and mango with papaya chunks. 

***

The thali was very good, exceptionally filling, and satisfied my urge to try a bit of everything.  Reasonable prices, fairly prompt service, and worth a look if you're out that way on Chain Bridge Road.

Ethiopian Food at Dukem

One of the nice things about living in the DC area is discovering how delicious, group-friendly and inexpensive Ethiopian restaurants are.   While Etete receives rave reviews from the Post, I thought the restaurant's tables were too close together and very loud.  Madjet had good tibs, but they looked closed when I walked by.  Recently a group of friends gathered to go to Dukem on U Street. 

http://www.dukemrestaurant.com/ While some reviews mentioned service issues, I thought our waitress was pleasant and the meatless options were flavorful.

Spinach Sambusa $2.50

Fried on the outside, it's a different recipe than their vegetable sambusas from previous visits. 

Reminded me of a cheese-less spanakopita.  Hot and delightful.

 Combination Platter (6)

Tibs, Lamb Wot, Doro Wot (chicken), Minchet Abesh (ground beef in ginger and garlic sauce)

cottage cheese, cabbage, collard greens, yellow lentils, tomato-jalapeno salad, red lentils ($31.95)

This was enough for 3 people.

 Special Vegetarian Combination (12) $19.95

Cabbage, collard greens, green lentils, yellow lentils, red lentils, tomato-jalapeno salad, potato salad, chickpeas in spicy sauce.

Ravi Kabob is better than Mehran

You know you have a winning formula when the demand is so high for your restaurant that you can open up a second place across the street without cannabalizing your current clientele. Highly recommended by Pakistani cab drivers, it's cash-only, not fancy, no alcohol, and my absolute favorite kabob restaurant in the area. Better than Moby Dick and the Afghan place, the bone-in kabobs are very tender although you can't go wrong with the Ravi combo of chicken and beef kabobs, and you definitely must try their chickpeas...

Ravi Kabob in Ballston http://www.ravikabobusa.com/

Chicken kabob ($9.50) up close... look how succulent...Lamb kabob ($9.50)a side of the delicious chickpeas lamb karahi

***

I've also tried out Mehran, the other Pakistani place Pakistani taxi drivers recommend.  Although farther away, I think Ravi is much better than Mehran in terms of flavoring and quality of ingredients.  Mehran's lunch buffet is quite popular and it's conveniently located near GWU, but the chana at Ravi and the kabobs outshine Mehran's.

Logan Tavern

Maybe I've always been lured in by the bright lights of Whole Foods, or the super grilled cheese at Stoney's, but until last night I never tried Logan Tavern. After reading some less than glowing online reviews, it's easy to be a bit wary. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the endearing server; the manager who warned us about the rise in thefts from purses hanging off the back of chairs; and the eclectic menu. Forewarned is forearmed, and my clever friend gave me a purse table hook one year for Christmas. Clearly I was less than clever since it took me over 8 months to realize how to use it, but now it goes every with me and my purse hangs securely by my lap. Our server was attentive without being intrusive, and thoughtfully remembered to provide a dessert with a sparkler after hearing our group was gathered to celebrate a birthday while we were ordering cocktails.
Logan Tavern is offering a Restaurant Week menu for the entire month of August. They include a glass of wine to the dinner RW menu for $35, but if you opt to forego the wine, the price lowers to $28-30 instead. http://www.logantavern.com/

Buffalo Shrimp (small) - I didn't read the menu very well, perhaps over-excited about the chance to have a Buffalo-style non-meat item. I had envisioned fried shrimp tossed in a picante Buffalo wing sauce with a side of bleu cheese sauce. This version mixes the bleu cheese into the sauce. An interesting dish, the shrimp had a nice crunchy coating, but it could be a bit spicier.
Ginger calamari (small) - flash fried calamari mixed with a ginger sauce and red cabbage. Wonderful aroma and a surprisingly large portion.
Seared sea scallops with truffled polenta, wilted greens and sundried tomato coulis. Coulis is just a fancy word for a light tomato sauce. The truffled polenta was thoroughly enjoyed.

Grilled rack of lamb (medium-rare) with creamy polenta, green beans and a minted chili sauce.

Side order of crab and shrimp mac and cheese. Maybe the seafood was more subtle than I imagined, but it tasted like pasta with a light cheese sauce. The toasted bread crumbs added a nice textural juxtaposition.

***

I would definitely go back and try a few more dishes. When the weather cools down a bit the patio seats would be an excellent perch to dine and watch the denizens of Logan Circle parade by.

Cava Mezza on Capitol Hill

I love Greek food. I've been dreaming about Santorini for years. One day I'll make it there. Until then, there's Cava Mezze Restaurant. http://www.cavamezze.com/ I like the location in Eastern Market/Capitol Hill and look forward to having a closer one in Clarendon. Best place to sit is outside on their patio. Inside, it's very dark and very loud. I like to go with friends who enjoy sharing food. If you guard your plate and ward off tasters with your fork, we're not meant to be food friends. About 2 per person is a good starting point, later add another if you find yourself not bursting at the seams.

Eggplant dip - roasted baby eggplant with garlic, herbs and olive oil.
Taramosalata - whipped salmon roe...so fluffy, light and utterly delicious with warm pita bread. Spanakopita - spinach and feta wrapped in phyllo dough

Grilled baby octopus - so tender and delicious with a spritz of lemon juice

Pan-seared jumbo scallops on a mushroom risotto

Cava Mac and Cheese - papadelle pasta with Greek cheese and arugula

Spicy lamb sliders with jalapeno, feta, frisee and Greek yogurt.

***

I've also tried the Saganaki, which is very theatrical with the flames shooting towards the ceiling, but this is more a dish for the eyes than the stomach. The crazy feta is good, but I can only eat a little bit. The mini gyro pita is a misnomer, as the plate includes 3 gyros and is not very mini. The chicken souvlaki was dry and I wouldn't order it again.

Z is for Zaytinya

Despite its former head chef Mike Isabella's less than enlightened view of his female competitors on Top Chef, I have liked Zaytinya since it opened in 2003. It's great for group dinners and solo outings. On an early summer afternoon, it was a fantastic place to sit outside and enjoy some small plates of Mediterranean food with a glass, or two, of wine.

Hommus with a pool of olive oil in the center and warm pita bread is my preferred way to start off.
Adana kebab with onions and sumac. Adana kebab is a Turkish specialty. A mixture of ground lamb seasoned with salt and red pepper flakes is formed around a skewer and grilled.
Kolokithokeftedes are pan-seared Greek zucchini and cheese patties.

Falafel (Lebanese), traditional chickpea fritters, are delicious wrapped in pita with h0mmus.

Lebanese shish taouk is grilled chicken with onions, sumac and garlic paste.