Sichuan Express Lunch

Rounding out my takeout lunch indulgence, I picked up some food from the Sichuan Express buffet. Craving dan dan mein or something comparably spicy, I choose my favorite mabo tofu. Along with some broccoli, sesame chicken, sauteed eggplant and a shrimp and egg stirfry.

I love the egg and shrimp stirfry. There's something really satisfying about it. The eggplant, while it looked great, was not super hot from sitting in the buffet table and would have been better if it was fresher. The mabo was very good, as always. With a massive amount of Chinese food in my belly, I was off to finish my research into US politics and wrote up a guide to caucuses versus primaries.

Picking up Lunch at Nirvana Express

It was a busy week attending seminars. One the way to a discussion about Colombian Free Trade Agreement potential passage, I walked by one of the funniest car decals that I've seen in awhile. Usually you see the mom, dad, daughter, son plus family pet.  This one I dub... 

 "Crazy Cat Lady, and proud".

Walked up to the Nirvana Express counter and asked the nice man which curries were the spiciest. He suggested the palak paneer and the eggplant curries. With some rice and an extra container of spice paste, I was on my way back to my office to indulge in some Indian delight. The palak paneer was delicious although not super spicy, but the extra sauce did help kick up the spice-level. Definitely need to head back to Delhi Club in Clarendon for a chicken vindaloo to assuage my spice-craving.

Majestic Cafe in Old Town

On the way home from work, we could not decide where to stop in for a quick bite. We went with something new, trying out Majestic Cafe. Part of the restaurant family including Restaurant Eve, PX, Eamonns and Virtue Grain & Feed, there are some similarities to our Virtue experience. Earnest service, a kind welcome and then a puzzling time deciding what to order. While the menu items seemed pedestrian, the quality of ingredients, expert execution and flavor surprised and exceeded expectations. 

 Mussels with corn veloute, corn and bacon.

While I'm generally a traditionalist with my moules order (love wine, garlic and parsley with steamed mussels), this version was astounding. With the flavor of a corn chowder with mussels, every element really worked well together. Plump mussels with thick-cut bacon, corn, a creamy corn/broth dipping sauce to die-for and fantastic house-made bread. I'd go back purely for this dish, over and over again.

Virginia NY Strip Steak

Served with frites and a light garden salad, the compound butter really set off the flavor of the steak.  Excellent char, perfectly cooked, great flavor to the beef. 

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I also tried a house salad with vinaigrette, bacon and avocado which went well with the mussels. It's a bit pricier than our normal post-work dinners, but with everything made in-house, I'd love to go back and try a few more dishes, including the gnocchi and hopefully finally secure a reservation for Nana's Sunday Dinner.

Cleaning Out the Refrigerator

Using the last of our Costco chicken thighs along with mushrooms, onions, garlic and some arugula, I made a quick weeknight dinner. My boyfriend particularly enjoyed the mixture of flavors along with the pasta. Our refrigerator and freezer are borderline barren and its definitely time to visit a grocery store and restock. Luckily we have a nice and long holiday weekend to procrastinate.

Axian Club A Sandwich

They're hiring some new staff at my favorite little sandwich shop near my office. Hopefully this is a good sign that they're doing a brisk lunch business. I ducked in before the lunch rush for a sandwich to enjoy at my desk.

The marbled rye bread is delicious. Excellent flavor, nice and fresh. With some thick-cut smoked bacon, fresh lettuce and tomato slices, ham and turkey with a shmear of mayonnaise. 

Au Bon Pain

Japanese pastries are lovely, with a delicate flavor and texture, and not generally as super sugary as American sweet things. The pastry size is much larger as well. 

In an attempt to sweeten up the meeting with a program collaborator, I stopped by a few area spots looking for some nice pastries to go with some coffee. Marvelous Market was not so marvelous in terms of baked breakfast treats. Pret a Manger may be "ready to eat", but it does a better job with sandwiches and salads. Au Bon Pain had a decent variety, but still does not hold a candle to the memories of bakeries throughout Japan. Some days, I really miss the sandwiches from the bakeries next to most train stations, crusts cut off with soft bread and a variety of fillings. Unfortunately, our guest was not interested in exchanging pleasantries over coffee and pastries. Something tells me that relations will continue to be strained. 

Vermillion Brunch

49F is way too cold for the beginning days of October. There, I said it. What ever happened to the gentle Indian summer of my youth where the temperatures stayed at a nice 60-70? Fortunately the temperatures are expected to return to the 70s in a few days, but this cold snap is just a hint the long winter ahead. My boyfriend is embracing the cold weather, proving that opposites do attract. 

 Continuing on the investigation of brunch menus in Old Town, I met up with my friend to catch up before her month fills up with out of town guests and running events. Spicy Bloody Mary with a good mix of horseradish was a perfect start. 

 Brunch Double Cheeseburger.

Garganelli pasta with bolognese sauce.

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We were upstairs, which was supposed to have more atmosphere, however our table was located particularly close to a couple who were on either a first or second date. Pretty painful to listen to the male rant on and on about a certain former meat-loving now vegan former president's multiple indiscretions. 

The pasta had a truly lovely sauce, one I'd like to one day learn how to make myself. Just another time when my dining partner orders a better meal than me. The burger... I remember the chef used to cook at Circle Bistro and that was a fantastic burger with a buttery brioche bun. This burger had two patties, with a smokehouse sauce and cheddar cheese. More is not always better. Definitely salty, the half I ate put me into an intense salt-coma afternoon nap. 

The service was pretty good, they had an excellent Bloody Mary, but the Brunch menu is a bit limited. Also, with the high only 49F, a cold red pepper soup was just not planning ahead well. I definitely would have preferred a hot soup and salad over the salt bomb. None of the brunch menus I've tried so far hold a candle to the fantastic breakfast menus from Asheville, NC.