What I'm dying to try...

As you can imagine, I would eat out almost every night if I could, but 12 hour days at work mean that most nights I can barely drag myself home for a bowl of cereal. So please, let me live vicariously through you! Try these new places I'm DYING to check out...



DC-3 - this new spot on Barracks Row specializes in fancy-pants hot dogs for not so fancy prices. Their Chicago-7 dog sounds like my idea of heaven... fat kid heaven that is.







We, The Pizza - from what I've been hearing, Spike and his boys have done it again. We, The Pizza, located right next to Spike's infamously delicious Good Stuff Eatery, has everything a girl could want. I mean, the cast iron pizza called "For the Greeks in Us Pie" has pretty much everything I never knew I wanted on a pizza. Can't wait.




Dangerously Delicious Pies - I wanted past this place the other day and the aroma was maddening! This Baltimore shop's H Street location has all the sweet and savory pies and quiches your heart could desire. Plus, who doesn't want to be served by THIS GUY.

DCNoodlicious!

Friday night was dreadfully cold, and as the boyfriend is ill, soup was the only logical option. Pho was the obvious first choice, but after hearing raving reviews for months, we decided to try DC Noodles.


His choice: Rice noodles in a spicy soup with shrimp and fishballs







My choice: Green curry (i just can't resist) with chicken and squid ink spaghetti



Verdict: The swanky atmosphere was perfect for a Friday night, but I wish they had a casual dining version next door for quick take-out without the fuss. The food was DELICIOUS and the portions are so big, I JUST polished off the second half of my curry.

CANDY CANDY!!

On this day, 15 years ago I would most certainly have been clandestinely trading Halloween candy under my desk and nursing a tummy ache. Nowadays I get my candy where I can and I am ecstatic about the new Georgetown Candy Bar where grown-ups can stock up on goodies in a swanky environment rather than under their desks. Sweet!

Day of the Dead

Who needs an excuse to eat Mexican food?

No one is the obvious answer, but in case you are one of those weirdos who only has tacos on Cinco de Mayo, here is one more reason to treat yourself to margaritas y comida mexicana: DAY OF THE DEAD. You can find specials for "Dia de los Muertos" at:

Oyamel at 7th and D Street, NW. Enjoy their new mole negro con guajolote. I don't know what guajolote is but I'm sure it's divine.

Rosa Mexicana at 7th and F Street, NW where you can get a cocktail called "The Great Herradura Pumpkin" that sounds perfect for a fall day like today.

Enjoy!

Registry Envy...

Earlier this month, I attended a beautiful wedding shower for a friend. Through an afternoon of deliciously refreshing mojitos and delectable mini-cupcakes, there was one thing I could not get enough of: The mountain of cream and green wrapping paper signifying a treasure-trove of Williams-Sonoma gifts, hot off the registry.

Now I have never been one to fawn over expensive cookery (my IKEA paring knife is my favorite thing in my kitchen), but I had to work hard to 1- keep my jaw off the ground and 2- refrain from shouting envious comments at the bride-to-be, as she unwrapped a variety of high end bowls, pans, and spoons from W-S and Crate & Barrell.

So while there is no wedding, house warming or any other event that requires a registry in sight for the time being, I decided it is best to be prepared when it comes to these things and spend some time online, compiling a list of my must haves. Believe me when I say there has been some budget rearranging done to insure I get a few of these items ASAP.

And for my friends out there; I am still accepting birthday gifts **wink wink**

Bake-it-up-now!

Magnetic Measuring Spoons

Magnetic Measuring Cups

I don't know how I've managed to bake anything in the last few months without the proper measuring utensils. I find myself choosing between 4 different sized teaspoons to measure out salt or "guestimating" what a 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder looks like. I recently learned that I don't even know how to use my measuring cups which are equipted with a spout... am I supposed to fill to the brim or is the line inside the cup the "fill line"? Who knows, but as I try more challenging recipes I need to be able to measure accurately!

Silicone Counter Mat

After attempting to roll out sugar cookie dough on my old-dingy counter-top this past Friday, this little mat really appealed to me.

French Bread Pan

I will never consider myself a real cook until I am able to make a real baguette francais and I won't be able to bake une baguette with the pan... duh! I WILL make Julia proud.

Great Eggspectations!

Poachpods



Heart-Shaped Egg Fry Rings

I'm so Eggs-cited about these finds! (yeah, I went there) The Poachpod is a heat-resistant silicone bowl that float in boiling water to poached eggs without the fuss. The pod can also serve as a double boiler, miniature baking pan, or a mold. The heart -shaped egg rings are pretty self explanatory but is there anything cuter in the world? How romantical!

Viva la cocina!

La Chamba Colombia Clay Casserole Dish

Mocajete

These two items come to us from south of the border... the mocajete is a kind of Latin American mortar and pestle used to grind herbs and spices while the clay casserole dish can be used just like any dutch oven. Can you say a juicy roast, slow cooked in that pot, seasoned with fresh herbs, ground with olive oil in that mocajete? Amazing!


This list is by no means exhaustive, as there are a few things, like a HUGE wooden cutting board or a pot rack, that just don't make sense in my current apartment but that I've mentally noted for the future. Is there anything else that I haven't considered that is a must have? Let me know!

Don't sleep... it's Restaurant Week!

Twice a year the DMV becomes a wonderful place where the average schmuck can eat like a king. Well mazal tov because your time has come...

This year's summer Restaurant Week is August 16-22, meaning this weekend is the perfect time to try that restaurant you always pass but have never been to or revisit an old (but expensive) favorite. Most participating restaurants offer a three-course meal, chosen from a limited menu for an EXTREMELY reasonable price (about $20 for lunch and $35 for dinner). Some spots, like the delectable Acadiana on 9th and New York Avenue in NW, allow customers to chose their entree from the full dinner menu.

On the 16th, I was treated to a FABULOUS birthday dinner at Jeff Tunk's Acadiana, a Louisiana style restaurant that is all a girl could ever want for her 27th. Acadiana is magical, with its beautiful dining room, great service, music that I had to fight hard not to sing along to, and a bottomless helping of the BEST biscuits I've ever had served with butter and a spicy homemade jelly.

From the special restaurant week menu, we ordered the trio of deviled eggs and the sweet corn and blue crab soup as appetizers. Since it was a special occasion we also got the charbroiled oysters which were not part of the limited menu but oh, so worth it. Each oyster was topped with garlic butter and parmesan romano cheese and broiled until bubbly. They are then served with fresh french bread that leaves no doubt that you will sop up every last bit of butter and cheese.

Next we enjoyed the "grillades and grits" - sauteed veal served over cheesy grits in a wild mushroom gravy - along with the New Orleans style barbecue shrimp. By the time this course arrived, we were thoroughly stuffed, but we tried are hardest as it was too good to waste. Doggy bags were ordered almost immediately so that we could save room for dessert: vanilla bread pudding and almond creme brulee.

This wasn't my first trip to Acadiana and it definitely won't be my last. If you're in town I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant for restaurant week. If you can't get a table before Sunday, check out the happy hour which includes decent drink specials and a stellar bar menu (you must have the "gas station" park boudin balls... trust me).

Other sure bets for restaurant week are Capital Grille in DC or Tyson's Corner, 701 Restaurant and Ten Penh downtown and Hook in Georgetown. For those of you in MoCo, there are a few participating restaurants in Bethesda (including Jaleo, Persimmon, and LIA's), Gaithersburg (Pasha Lounge in Kentlands), and Rockville (La Tosca and Againn Tavern).

Now, go eat like a King you schmuck!

Best Vacation Bites: Cape Cod (Part 1)

92 degrees, zero breeze and feels like 97? The vacation is OVER and I am definitely back in the sweltering District of Columbia! While I readjust to the heat and humidity I can't help but conjure up memories of the Cape: the sharp smell of clean water, the cool breeze off of Nantucket Sound, and of course the freshest most delicious seafood I ever tasted.

It is no secret that New England has incredible seafood and I made a point to try every type I could, shunning all other types of protein for the length of my journey (with one delicious exception). Over the next few days I will be sharing some of my favs.

After attending my first Quaker friends meeting, I was introduced to something even closer to God: The Fishmonger Cafe in Woods Hole on the southwestern tip of the cape. This small, simple restaurant offered a great view of the harbor and more importantly the Water Street drawbridge that opens on the half hour to let recreation and fishing boats through to the marina.

The Fishmonger's menu proved just as exciting as the view. For our first course we tried the fried calamari with crispy linguica -spicy Portuguese sausage- and hot peppers tossed in a garlic-herb sauce. The calamari rings were cooked perfectly and not at all chewy.

Fried Calamari

Next we tried the Lobster Roll. For those of you not in the know (like i was) a lobster roll is basically lobster salad on a hot dog roll. This particular roll was 1/3 pound of insanely fresh lobster, lightly tossed with celery and herbs in mayonaisse and served on a baguette with orzo pasta salad on the side. There are no words to describe the experience. Go get a lobster roll ASAP.

Lobster Roll

Finally, we had the fish tostada - perfectly crispy fried scrod, shredded greens, and a wonderful melon salsa served on grilled flatbread and drizzled with chipotle aioli. I will be honest and say I had no idea what to expect when I placed my order, but I was ecstatic when I took my first bite. The combination of the warm crispy fish, slightly acidic salsa, and fresh greens was bliss. And for someone who doesn't usually like melon, I couldn't get enough. It was REALLY hard to share this one.

Fish Tostada

So how can you enjoy the wonders of the Fishmonger here at home?

For some insanely good and spicy calamari try Soussi in Adams Morgan. Their pan-fried calamari with hot sherry peppers is always delicious and has quite a kick. Sit on the patio to avoid the smoky interior and wash it down with an ice cold beer.

Want to try a lobster roll? Head to the Burger Joint on Connecticut Ave in Dupont. Fresh Maine lobster claw meat served on romaine lettuce with slider rolls. As the lobster rolls we had up north ran about $17 a pop, don't expect this to be cheap. But it's worth it. Locations also in Bethesda, Alexandria, and Arlington.

Craving that tostada? Why not go for a pupusa? This is DC after all and you can't throw a rock without hitting a pupuseria. Hit up Ercilia's in Mount Pleasant and try the shrimp pupusa - a yummy combo of fresh fish and gooey cheese inside a corn cake and paired perfectly with repollo - a zesty cabbage slaw. While Ercilia's will definitely not have anything as bougie as melon salsa, you will leave smiling like the Chestershire cat.

If you want to enjoy it all at once, head to Tackle Box on M Street in Georgetown. Take your pick of fried calamari, lobster rolls, fish tacos, or try the seacoast salad with your choice of fish (fried or grilled), served on their Maine salad with a sauce (can you san garlic aioli?) YUM!

Reeeeeed Velvet!

Red Velvet - a cake that has puzzled me since the famous bleeding armadillo groom's cake in the 1989 movie Steel Magnolias. What is it exactly? Why is it red? And why is it so darn good?!

Well it's red because of the heaps of food coloring added to the batter and the addition of cocoa powder to a basic cake recipe means that red velvet is actually a chocolate cake, but as for its popularity - I can't explain it. Maybe it has to do with the 1 1/2 cups of oil in the batter that leads to a decadently moist (and fattening) cake. Or the heavy handed application of cream cheese frosting that perfectly compliments each bite with a bit of creaminess. Or it may be that having a dessert so unnaturally red is just cool.

This morning I decided to try out Paula Dean's recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (who else to go to for something so quintessentially southern?) which calls for heaps of oil, butter, and everything else that makes me feel guilty enough to do an extra 30 minutes on the elliptical. I went with cupcakes instead of a layered cake to make them easier to carry (and eat) on the way to the Cape.

Paula Dean's Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

TIP: I suggest you wear an apron or a long shirt you don't mind getting dirty because you could possible end up with red food coloring and/or powdered sugar all over your front.

The recipe was very straight forward: sift dry ingredients together in one bowl and mix wet ingredients in another. Then gradually add the dry to the wet. If you do not have a sifter (like me) then just use a whisk to combine the flour, sugar, salt, etc to get rid of any clumps. Once your batter is together, simply ladle it into cupcake cups and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes.

The frosting was even simpler... whisk together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth, then add the powdered sugar gradually. TIP: Set the packets of butter and cream cheese on the stove while the oven is heating to soften them - this will make whisking a lot easier.

Spread the cream cheese frosting generously on the cupcakes and maybe top with some chopped walnuts or other nuts you like.

YUM!!

Summer on the Cape

As many of you know, I am heading to Cape Cod for a week long break from humidity and reality and I'm SO excited I may burst! To prepare, I have started compiling a list of things to do, places to see, and goodies to eat while we are on the Cape.

Captain Parker's Pub in West Yarmouth: this 28 year old pub is known for its famous Captain's Chowder. Rachel Ray loved it on $40 a Day so I have to give it a try.

Captain Frosty's Fish & Chips Seafood in Dennis: Fish and chips, lobster rolls, clam cakes - what more can I say?

The Box Lunch: with 8 locations on the Cape, this place has been serving up inexpensive, high quality lunches for years - Sandwiches or Rollwiches made with pita bread, fresh ingredients, fresh meat and seafood for around $6 each.

Cape Cod Winery: a visit to beautiful vineyards where 6 varieties of grapes are grown and made into award winning wines - and wine tasting is a must!

Jealous yet? For those of you staying in town here are a few places that would make you feel like you're on the water.

Tackle Box on M Street in Georgetown: order a Lobster Pot to go and enjoy it down by the water or dine in at the wooden picnic tables and enjoy the "Maine Meal" where you choose a fish (crispy or grilled), a sauce, and two sides for only $13. Insanely fresh and delicious!

Legal Sea Food in Chinatown: a great Happy Hour from 4-7 that includes $2 PBR cans, $2 off cocktails, well drinks, and wine, and a food menu with 6 HUGE oysters for only $6 and snow crab legs for $10. The regular menu is great too with yummy fried clams and a decent chowda.

So if any of you have been to the Cape please post your suggestions! I will let you all know where I end up and how I eat!

Lasagna? I can do that!

Being home is like visiting a never-ending buffet - there is always tons of food to choose from and I can almost never say no. Over the past week I have attended two BBQs (one of which I helped host), found some delicious leftovers in relatives' refrigerators, and even guiltily enjoyed a fast food value meal...

So in the interest of trying something new and avoiding BBQ leftovers, I decided to attempt my first lasagna last night. Here's how I did it:

In a sauce pan I combined:

• a medium-sized onion, diced
  
• two green onions, diced
  
• half a red pepper, diced
  
• about 5 over-ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  
• a small can of tomato paste

I used a potato masher to break the tomatoes apart and seasoned the sauce with garlic powder, dried basil, seasoned salt, black pepper, about a tsp of hot sauce and accent. I also added fresh Thai Basil and Parsley. I then sauteed 6 spicy Italian sausages without their casing in a separate pan and added it to the sauce.

The Sauce

Next, I created the creamy cheese layer by combining ricotta cheese, shredded parmigiano reggiano cheese, and one egg in a bowl. In a greased 13x9 inch foil pan I layered "oven-ready" lasagna, the cheese mixture and the tomato sauce until all the pasta was used.

Ready for the oven!

I baked the lasagna at 350 for 30 minutes and put it on broil for an additional 3 minutes. The broil was a bit dangerous, but I got it out just in time.

Out of the Oven -- a little dark but not burnt

Overall this meal was cheap, delicious, and easy to make - it could be even easier if you choose to use jarred sauce. **I ALWAYS doctor a jarred sauce by adding some herbs and maybe a dash of hot sauce for some kick. Served with a small salad and maybe some french bread this is a great meal for any occasion. You could also cut it portions and freeze each one separately to eat later or take for lunch. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Bon Appetit!

CoolDown 101

I hope everyone had a great 4th weekend... I know I did! The peaches came out great - juicy and not too sweet with that creamy feta adding something great! The sangria was delicious, although it was definitely upstaged by some real Jamaican Rum Punch (I gotta get that recipe). Here's a pic of how they turned out:

Grilled Peaches with Feta

This week is gonna be a scorcher here in the DMV so I'm sure alot of you won't be leaving your house unless it is ABSOLUTELY necessary. One great way to get out and cool off- Go get Frozen Yogurt! There are tons of places in the city and the surrounding area. Here are my favorites!

Yogen Fruz - what I love about this place is you can get your yogurt one of two ways: the usual soft serve with a selection of toppings OR with the fruit blended in. Delish! Located at 14th and I St and in Pentagon City's food court with more locations to coming soon.

Mr. Yogato - on 17th street between P and Church Streets. Amazingly tangy yogurt, fresh toppings (ask for the banana and granola) AND fun trivia questions can earn you 10% off! *helpful hit - get your dry toppings like nuts and granola on the bottom so they don't fall off!

FroZenYo - this self-serve yogurt shop, with locations downtown by H&M, in Columbia Heights, and Friendship Heights, is great because it has 16 rotating flavors, no restrictions on the number of toppings, and everyone gets to live out their childhood fantasy of creating that perfect DairyQueen swirl themselves - which is way harder than you'd think! Just don't fill up your cup - you'll regret it when you hit the register - and when you can't resist eating it all.

Yogiberry - self serve, 8 flavors, many interesting toppings and with locations in Gaithersburg Square and Olney Town Center its perfect for my MoCo people! There's also a location in College Park! Can you guess where I'll be getting dessert when I'm home?

Stay cool and Eat well!

Happy Fruit and Feta Fourth!

Happy Friday y'all! Aren't you excied for the holiday weekend?!

While I doubt I'll be doing much eating out this weekend, I'm sure I'll go grab a few drinks and I'll DEFINITELY be throwing a little something on the bar-b! My family is notorious for barbecues (even in the winter) and I get unnaturally excited about preparing tasty treats for a pot luck! Here's what I have in mind...

Grilled Nectarines stuffed with Feta

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2009/07/grilled_nectarines_with_feta

I'm really excited about this recipe because I eat feta cheese CONSTANTLY. I'll probably do this with peaches because I saw some REALLY good ones at the market around the corner! Pitted peaches, brushed with olive oil and placed face down on the grill. When they're brown, flip em and fill with some crumbly feta goodness! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. And what's a better way to serve them then in a....

Grilled Peach Salad

I sampled a peach, feta, and arugula salad at Trader Joe's last weekend and fell in love. My take is going to be really simple... arugula and mixed greens tossed in Trader Joe's Balsamic Vinaigrette with some crispy bacon pieces and topped with the grilled peaches. I can't wait to see how this turns out!

Another wonderful addition to any summer time fiesta is...

SANGRIA

I'm thinking about making a white version with...

• fresh peaches
• golden delicious apples
• watermelon
• blueberries
• white grape juice
• lots of lime juice
• chardonnay

I chop all the fruit into about 3/4 in cubes (excluding the berries) and dump it all in a big jug or bowl. I then cover it all in the wine and add the juices to taste.

BornHungry's Sangria tips:

• Be creative with the juices... last time I added a bit of lemonade because I didn't have time to juice the limes.
• Pick your fruit based on what looks good at the market - summer is a great time for berries, melons, and pitted fruits so don't be afraid to switch it up. Always go for fresh fruit - it's worth the effort.
• Consider the crowd - would they like a little more kick to their sangria? If so, go lighter on the juice and heavier on the wine. You can even do it like my girl Jess and add a spiced rum like Captain Morgan to the fruit and let it soak for an hour or so before you add the wine.
• Remember that fruits float or sink based on their density so it is always best to serve sangria in a punch bowl with a spoon. Also, don't go to heavy on the light fruits like apples or raspberries. Nobody wants a glass full of apples when those peaches are lurking in the depths soaking up all that wine!
  

So these will be my contributions to celebrating the 4th! I'll be leaving the grilled meat to the men, cause like my boy Arnold Myint said on this week's TopChef "I'm not a grill guy. It'll clog the pores WAY to fast" Enjoy your holiday weekend and let me know if you have something DELICIOUS!

Happy Hour Heaven @ LevelOne

For sometime now, I have considered myself a regular at Level One on 17th & R Streets NW. While I still may get funny looks when I enter the dark 1st floor restaurant to use the loo or if I dare to go upstairs to the de-facto "boys-only" club that is Cobalt, I feel 100% at home on the front patio, being served insanely cheap drinks and great food by any of the restaurant's too-cute-to-be-straight waiters. I arrived at the restaurant with my friends Chrissy and Annie and a slight buzz around 7:30. After being greeted by a super sweet and adorable hostess, we found a table in the outdoor smoking section (WTF?) along R Street. Although we'd missed the amazing $1 rail drink special that runs from 5-7 EVERY NIGHT, we were able to take advantage of the $3 deal.

Now in the spirit of this blog, I overcame my urge to order the same things I've gotten at Level One for the past 4 visits... my take on Bethenny Frankel's Skinnygirl Margarita and the Grilled Portobello sandwich with sweet potato fries. A highlight of my year was definitely when i realized I could get tequila and lime juice on the rocks in a salted glass for ONE DOLLAR and it's just as satisfying (and intoxicating) as a regular margarita!

Instead, I ordered an ice cold vodka-ginger ale and the Bayou Burger - an angus, seasoned with cajun spices and topped with Andoullie sausage, pepperjack cheese, sauteed onions, and cajun mayo. Doesn't that just sound perfect?

Peep the buffalo chicken sliders in the background... looks good huh?

So how was it? While I don't think anything can touch the fresh and juicy portobello sandwich, every component of this burger -especially the cheese and sausage- was a great addition. The only downfall - I received a well-done angus when I requested medium. This blasphemy means I couldn't taste the beef like I wanted to, but I could tell it was well seasoned. Like always, the sweet potato fries were on point -thin cut, fried to perfection, and this time, dipped in cajun mayo. Yummmy!

So for those of you who haven't been, it is time to ignore what you've heard about the wild nights at Cobalt and make your way to a relaxing evening in the shade at Level One!

Born Hungry recommends it for the cheap drinks, spicy crab dip, sweet potato fries (with cajun mayo), insanely good people watching, and flirty-friendly service.

http://www.cobaltdc.com/levelone.php

UPDATE: LevelOne and Cobalt have the most INSANE specials!
NEW HAPPY HOUR
$1 RAIL DRINKS & $2 Domestic Beer 5-7 MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY!!
...and then until 9:
$2 Domestics
$3 Rail
$4 Call (stoli,skyy,smirnoff etc...)
Make a Martini for 2 bucks more.

Please let me know if you find this review helpful!

so I was in the mood for a quickie (pronounced quiche)...

After a long, hot day at the pool, my good friend Estelle had the ingenious idea to make a quiche for dinner last night! Now, I was never a fan of quiche growing up, but that is probably because I only had the frozen mini versions at parties.

Despite her English roots, Estelle is an excellent cook and has taught me a thing or two about simple and delicious meals (stay tuned for my Shepherd's Pie attempt later this summer) and we've attempted a quiche before that was simply AMAZING!

Last night's quiche contained the following:

Crust - whole wheat flour
sea salt
canola oil
cold water
The crust was rolled out, placed in the pyrex pan, and baked at 400 for about 20 minutes until it was fully cooked.

Layers - tomatoes
zucchini (lightly browned in a frying pan)
mushrooms (quickly sauteed so they wouldn't be raw)
cooked turkey bacon (microwaved of course)
grated sharp white cheddar
When the crust was fully cooked we layered everything up in the pan, with most of the veggies on one side (more turkey bacon for Dan, more veggies for us!)

Filling - eggs (we ended up using about 10; it was a BIG quiche)
soy milk
chopped scallions
seasoning (salt, pepper, dried basil)

When we poured the filling over the whole thing, we realized we didn't have quite enough which was no problem... we just beat up some more eggs and added it in. Then we finished it all up with another healthy sprinkling of cheese.



After what felt like an eternity... we sad down and enjoyed a delicious place of quiche with a small salad and some Trader Joe's corn and chile salsa! So easy, and soooo good!!

It's a new day!

Hello and welcome to Born Hungry!

This blog will is my attempt to share with you all my not-so-secret obsession: FOOD! Starting today, I will be sharing my thoughts and opinions on the new restaurants I try, recipes I attempt, or whatever crosses my plate!

A little about me: I am 26 and the child of Liberian parents which means I was raised to believe that food is not to be taken lightly and that if it isn't sweet, it's not worth eating.

I have lived in Washington, DC for the past 2 years but I been in the DMV area since I was 13. Living in DC means there are thousands of great restaurants and bars to choose from and I've made it my unofficial mission over the last two years to try as many of them as possible.

So what gets me excited about a place? A great happy hour and cheap eats always tickle my fancy as does a perfectly balanced plate prepared by one of the area's premier chefs. But the ONE THING I can't get enough of is food that looks and tastes like someone's mama made it - be it a Liberian ol ma or Salvadorean abuelita, I absolutely love food that tastes like it is full of heart and soul!

I look forward to this journey that I hope will be filled with only the BEST food out there... hope you join me!