I felt like making something new today, especially with it being Sunday, and I like eating good meals before a new Monday. Well, today I settled on osso buco, roasted garlic potatoes, and oatmeal raisin cookies. The osso buco and potatoes were good but the cookies looked like baked cat vomit.
More on that tomorrow.
22 February 2009
Norm's Beer and Wine, Vienna, VA
I like Norm's. First, his name is Norm. That's fun. Second, they have a good selection of beer and wine - go figure.
I like beer. I like wine. Places like Norm's - individually-, locally-owned specialty shops - are some of my favorite places. Norm's has a great selection of microbrews, including many from the mid-Atlantic, and also has quite a few imported selections. I haven't perused the wine aisles as much as I should have. What better time to start than now!
If you're ever out Vienna-way, stop by Norm's. It's easy to find, and even easier with the map:
View Larger Map
I like beer. I like wine. Places like Norm's - individually-, locally-owned specialty shops - are some of my favorite places. Norm's has a great selection of microbrews, including many from the mid-Atlantic, and also has quite a few imported selections. I haven't perused the wine aisles as much as I should have. What better time to start than now!
If you're ever out Vienna-way, stop by Norm's. It's easy to find, and even easier with the map:
View Larger Map
21 February 2009
Stuffed to da Gills, Part Two
After we ate all the tapas, it was then soon to be dinner time! We met up with a good friend to dine somewhere in Tyson's Corner Center and settled on La Sandia. Modern mexican food...don't be skeptical. It was good.
If you need a map to Tyson's Corner Center, go find it yourself. But, in my kind and benevolent ways, I will give you the link to La Sandia. Just settle your little cursor right over....not there...wait...right here.
NOTE: If you look around the website a bit, you can tell that this guy, Richard Sandoval, is probably doing a good job. I think there are 13 restaurants listed on the site. But whatevah.
I had pork carnitas. I love pork carnitas. It is simple and, more often than not, it tastes great. La Sandia's did not disappoint. I was pleased to see that the meat was not swimming in its own liquefied fat with this dish. I like the fat to still be solid and attached to my food, thank you very much.
The sides were sufficient too - black beans and rice. There is not much you can do with those two. However, I really liked one of the two salsas that came with the carnitas. One was salsa verde and the other a habanero salsa. The verde was too citrus-y for me, but who cares. The habanero salsa was great and definitely added a much needed kick to the carnitas.
Finally, the guacamole. I love guacamole. La Sandia's fit the bill. There was definitely a good use of pico de gallo, and the avocados were perfectly ripe and fresh.
I think La Sandia, based on this one visit, has earned a repeat visit. Now, next time I can try the carne asada.
If you need a map to Tyson's Corner Center, go find it yourself. But, in my kind and benevolent ways, I will give you the link to La Sandia. Just settle your little cursor right over....not there...wait...right here.
NOTE: If you look around the website a bit, you can tell that this guy, Richard Sandoval, is probably doing a good job. I think there are 13 restaurants listed on the site. But whatevah.
I had pork carnitas. I love pork carnitas. It is simple and, more often than not, it tastes great. La Sandia's did not disappoint. I was pleased to see that the meat was not swimming in its own liquefied fat with this dish. I like the fat to still be solid and attached to my food, thank you very much.
The sides were sufficient too - black beans and rice. There is not much you can do with those two. However, I really liked one of the two salsas that came with the carnitas. One was salsa verde and the other a habanero salsa. The verde was too citrus-y for me, but who cares. The habanero salsa was great and definitely added a much needed kick to the carnitas.
Finally, the guacamole. I love guacamole. La Sandia's fit the bill. There was definitely a good use of pico de gallo, and the avocados were perfectly ripe and fresh.
I think La Sandia, based on this one visit, has earned a repeat visit. Now, next time I can try the carne asada.
Stuffed to da Gills, Part One
I feel like my stomach has been pumped full of air to twice its normal size, then stuffed full of good food. Or perhaps you could say I ate well today.
The Adventures in Travel Expo barely happened today. We were roaming around Chinatown thinking of lunch and decided on La Tasca, the tapas joint. As I completed my order, I read the small leaflet in the menu. Oh, hey dumb ass, it's Restaurant Week in DC.
Needless to say, we went with the lunch special for the week (unlimited tapas) and tagged on a pitcher of rosada sangria. The sangria was pretty damn good and the food was, for the most part, also good. I took issue with the following: seafood paella (dry) and seared tuna steak (dry). However, these were smaller tapas portions made specifically for Restaurant Week (I believe) so they were probably prepared and cooked en masse for the masses. So, I'll give them a break...a little one. The best were the following: pork medallions, fried eggplant, marinated olives, and chorizo.
La Tasca on 7th - here's the map.
View Larger Map
The expo came next but we only stayed for about 30 minutes. It was mostly adventure travel agencies or national tourist groups at information booths. We were excited to see hiking trips to New Zealand. That place is gorgeous. We did get to sign up for some free drawings. We'll find out if we won sometime soon - I think.
*fingers crossed*
The Adventures in Travel Expo barely happened today. We were roaming around Chinatown thinking of lunch and decided on La Tasca, the tapas joint. As I completed my order, I read the small leaflet in the menu. Oh, hey dumb ass, it's Restaurant Week in DC.
Needless to say, we went with the lunch special for the week (unlimited tapas) and tagged on a pitcher of rosada sangria. The sangria was pretty damn good and the food was, for the most part, also good. I took issue with the following: seafood paella (dry) and seared tuna steak (dry). However, these were smaller tapas portions made specifically for Restaurant Week (I believe) so they were probably prepared and cooked en masse for the masses. So, I'll give them a break...a little one. The best were the following: pork medallions, fried eggplant, marinated olives, and chorizo.
La Tasca on 7th - here's the map.
View Larger Map
The expo came next but we only stayed for about 30 minutes. It was mostly adventure travel agencies or national tourist groups at information booths. We were excited to see hiking trips to New Zealand. That place is gorgeous. We did get to sign up for some free drawings. We'll find out if we won sometime soon - I think.
*fingers crossed*
Shipley Do-Nuts Kolaches
These kolaches are one of life's little pleasures. Today is the perfect day for one. If you are not from Texas or nearby states, you likely have no idea what I am talking about because there are no Shipleys here in the DC metro area. Just like there are no Whataburgers.
Curses on you mid-Atlantic fools!
They have no photos of them on their website, so I'll give you the nutritional info instead.
Curses on you mid-Atlantic fools!
They have no photos of them on their website, so I'll give you the nutritional info instead.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
