In case you missed the news, All Good Bakers moved from Quail Street (also known as, why would I ever be over there in the first place/inconvenient for my life) to 540 Delaware Ave, right next to the Yoga Loft (much closer to my life).
So you can do some yoga and then eat some feel-good vegetarian farm-fresh happy food. Or, like me, you can skip the yoga and go straight to the food. Seriously, I am the WORST at yoga. I'm more likely to have brunch there and stop at Jim's Tastee Freeze on the way home.
There are a few more seats in this location than the last, but that same charming feeling that--and I mean this in a good way--you might be in an episode of Portlandia.
The place was jamming when I dropped by only 90 minutes before closing time on Saturday. I got the last sourdough loaf (YUM) and a Philmore (pastry dough stuffed with apple happiness). Then I ran my errands at Target, BJ's, and Marshall's, and when I got back into my car it smelled like my Ford Fusion used to be a bread factory--maybe even that morning. Amazing smells. Eventually I'll sit down again for a grilled cheese, seitan sandwich, seasonal soup, or scone.
Because the Northway Mall needs like 8 more stop signs than it has, I got hungry before I even got to the light that let's you leave. Thank goodness for that Philmore and the end of the loaf. Sorry J - I had bought the Philmore for you. But you still have chocolate chip mandel bread, Samoas, leftover chocolate chocolate chip cookies that my coworker made for me...you'll live.
Go visit, and try to knock The Profussor from Dukedom. A little competition would be great for the shop.
All Good Bakers
540 Delaware Ave
Albany, NY
Wed-Fri 8am - 3pm
Sat/Sun 9am - 3pm with brunch
Showing posts with label Lunch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lunch. Show all posts
3.26.2012
10.03.2011
All Good Bakers
I love following local personalities on Twitter. I scoped out the ALB Twitter scene before moving here and started following the appropriate blogs. It didn't take long to start hearing (and keep hearing, repeatedly) about All Good Bakers. The idea of a Community Supported Bakery sounded awesome to me (like the Whisked pie share?). I started following them on Twitter and even "Liked" them on Facebook, even though I'm generally opposed to Liking anything on Facebook. [Sidenote, I won't Like your blog on Facebook because I follow it on Google Reader and maybe follow you on Twitter, and I don't need to be told about your new post for a third time in a new way. Really, I like you, and I like your blog, but two places is enough right now for me to express that xoxo.]
And they were always commenting about the delicious lunches and brunches that were available! And talking about how they got some awesome cheese and Farmer Jon (our new neighbor is his farm stand) dropped off these awesome looking veggies. And we'd get a cool peace sign of whoever was in the van, which seemed to drive down our street a lot. Sooo we obviously had to go by.
J and I brought visitor B, a newbie to the Capital Region (but resident of our nation's capital), on a recent Friday afternoon. That scored us 10% off on the yum to come.
B and I both had the grilled cheese of the day. Black pepper goat cheese with garlic pepper IPA jam.
J had the tempeh veggie burger and a similar fresh crunchy side salad. He's Mr. Veggie Burger since he had one in the Columbia River Gorge that was truly delicious and unique. He liked the consistency of this guy. None of us got the crispy flatbread pizza, maybe because we've been making some flatzas at home :)
I appreciate mugs that depict a sweater putting its arm around another sweater.
We got a loaf to go--I think peasant sourdough--and it was so good for so long. It didn't last that long, but even a few days later it was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. So delicious, and bringing much joy to our household.
AGB says they are "baking with ethics," and they shop with them too. They get some produce from Farmer Jon, who has sold us some of the sweetest corn we've had all summer from his farm stand, as well as the best white peaches. +1 for Farmer Jon.
All Good Bakers
160 A. Quail Street (it's the first floor, you'll see it)
Albany, NY
And they were always commenting about the delicious lunches and brunches that were available! And talking about how they got some awesome cheese and Farmer Jon (our new neighbor is his farm stand) dropped off these awesome looking veggies. And we'd get a cool peace sign of whoever was in the van, which seemed to drive down our street a lot. Sooo we obviously had to go by.
J and I brought visitor B, a newbie to the Capital Region (but resident of our nation's capital), on a recent Friday afternoon. That scored us 10% off on the yum to come.
B and I both had the grilled cheese of the day. Black pepper goat cheese with garlic pepper IPA jam.
J had the tempeh veggie burger and a similar fresh crunchy side salad. He's Mr. Veggie Burger since he had one in the Columbia River Gorge that was truly delicious and unique. He liked the consistency of this guy. None of us got the crispy flatbread pizza, maybe because we've been making some flatzas at home :)
I appreciate mugs that depict a sweater putting its arm around another sweater.
We got a loaf to go--I think peasant sourdough--and it was so good for so long. It didn't last that long, but even a few days later it was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. So delicious, and bringing much joy to our household.
AGB says they are "baking with ethics," and they shop with them too. They get some produce from Farmer Jon, who has sold us some of the sweetest corn we've had all summer from his farm stand, as well as the best white peaches. +1 for Farmer Jon.
All Good Bakers
160 A. Quail Street (it's the first floor, you'll see it)
Albany, NY
9.30.2011
Fewer Words Friday at Jack's
Jack's Oyster House recently invited Daniel B. and company for a special lunch highlighting some new menu items. I agree with him wholeheartedly (including that I'd like to see the farm names highlighted on the menu), and here are the accompanying photos. One dish, my favorite (the scallop in the pink peppercorn and orange sauce), was consumed too quickly for my photo--sorry.
This was a delicious salad. I'd like it topped with blackened salmon for a nice lunch. The candied walnuts were really yummy.
I could do without this dish. Mostly, to me, fried is fried is fried. And it belongs in a bar.
I kind of liked the risotto but didn't love it. I'm not a huge shrimp person, and the scallop paled in comparison to its unpictured cousin.
Osso bucco topped the lamb, and I didn't understand anything else on the plate--not that I'm unfamiliar with asparagus, I just didn't want to eat it.
This cheesecake was divine, and despite having eaten a million other things beforehand, I nearly finished it. Light and fluffy and creamy, not too sweet.
Jack's Oyster House
42 State Street
Albany, NY
This was a delicious salad. I'd like it topped with blackened salmon for a nice lunch. The candied walnuts were really yummy.
I could do without this dish. Mostly, to me, fried is fried is fried. And it belongs in a bar.
I kind of liked the risotto but didn't love it. I'm not a huge shrimp person, and the scallop paled in comparison to its unpictured cousin.
Osso bucco topped the lamb, and I didn't understand anything else on the plate--not that I'm unfamiliar with asparagus, I just didn't want to eat it.
This cheesecake was divine, and despite having eaten a million other things beforehand, I nearly finished it. Light and fluffy and creamy, not too sweet.
Jack's Oyster House
42 State Street
Albany, NY
3.14.2011
Pearl Street Diner
Pearl Street Diner, or PSD, is my favorite greasy spoon lunch place near the office. There's really not much competition in the area--Greenhouse is a Chop't-type place with hard, cold seats and fake cubed turkey; Franklin's Tower is ok, but the menu is small, it's sometimes freezing in there, and I've never *loved* my order; Victory Cafe is good, but lunch will set you BACK! [Obviously because I want the gigantic salad with a protein on it, $14. The specials are good and more reasonable.] Granted, I have some more exploration to do. Particularly when it's above freezing, maybe sunny, and I can cross streets at intersections without hurdling over a pile of snow or more recently, an enormous slushy puddle.
So PSD it is. Close, cheap, and usually pretty tasty. For about $7 I can get a decent portion of chicken souvlaki in a pita with a Greek salad. One out of four times the salad might be over-oily, but the service is friendly, it's a lot of food for a little price, and we've never waited long for a table. Sub souvlaki for gyro and there are my orders.
Visitor S had chili and fries when he came with us to PSD.
Now, the name Diner is a misnomer. It's not open 24-hours. It does not serve breakfast all day. If it did, I'd be there more often. But it's inexpensive, the service is friendly, the wait is short (if it exists), the portions are great, and thus it has my weekday loyalty so far.
Pearl Street Diner (does not really have a web site...)
40 N. Pearl Street
Albany, NY
2.10.2011
Debbie's Kitchen
We needed a quick but cute lunch when my outlaws were recently in town. We needed to sit down, eat a quick, reasonably priced sandwich, and then head out to the New York State Museum. (It's free. It's freezing. There's a carousel. Why not?) We considered Scratch Bakery Cafe, but it was a little too small for this time around. A few doors down is Debbie's Kitchen.
[How do you like those icicles?]
Little did I know at the time that Debbie actually sold her Kitchen in 2010, and now it's Tom's kitchen, really.
Whoever's kitchen it is, it's a nice one. You can get half a sandwich with a small soup as a combo (you know how I love combos, or really, the opportunity to eat more than one dish).
We had tasty sweet potato coconut something soup, the roasted red pepper soup, and a lentil vegetable, too. We were all souped up, you could say.
I almost followed FIL with a Thanksgiving-ish turkey/cranberry sandwich, but then I picked turkey, garlic mayo, tomato, spinach, and dill Havarti. On PUMPERNICKEL. No one EVER has pumpernickel!!! I was so happy that I took a bite before taking a picture.
J had corned beef, pastrami, Swiss, and slaw (his third Reubenesque sandwich of the week, and I'm not talking ladies with curves), and MIL had the tuna salad with apples, nuts, and cheddar. She was very pleased by the texture and flavors, and it led to a discussion about how the heck the people on Chopped (not to mention Iron Chef, Top Chef, and just chefs generally all over the place) know what acid to add or spices to mix in order to get that wow factor.
We'll definitely be back to Debbie's kitchen for a yummy, fresh, quick lunch. And next time we'll get one of the delicious looking treats from the display.
Debbie's Kitchen
456 Madison Avenue
Albany, NY
Little did I know at the time that Debbie actually sold her Kitchen in 2010, and now it's Tom's kitchen, really.
Whoever's kitchen it is, it's a nice one. You can get half a sandwich with a small soup as a combo (you know how I love combos, or really, the opportunity to eat more than one dish).
We had tasty sweet potato coconut something soup, the roasted red pepper soup, and a lentil vegetable, too. We were all souped up, you could say.
I almost followed FIL with a Thanksgiving-ish turkey/cranberry sandwich, but then I picked turkey, garlic mayo, tomato, spinach, and dill Havarti. On PUMPERNICKEL. No one EVER has pumpernickel!!! I was so happy that I took a bite before taking a picture.
J had corned beef, pastrami, Swiss, and slaw (his third Reubenesque sandwich of the week, and I'm not talking ladies with curves), and MIL had the tuna salad with apples, nuts, and cheddar. She was very pleased by the texture and flavors, and it led to a discussion about how the heck the people on Chopped (not to mention Iron Chef, Top Chef, and just chefs generally all over the place) know what acid to add or spices to mix in order to get that wow factor.
We'll definitely be back to Debbie's kitchen for a yummy, fresh, quick lunch. And next time we'll get one of the delicious looking treats from the display.
Debbie's Kitchen
456 Madison Avenue
Albany, NY
1.31.2011
74 State/Marché
Recently, J.Esq (of J&J) graced us with his presence, and his lovely parental units let me and my J join them for a celebratory lunch.
Can we start with the bad and end up happy with the good?
1. Where the heck did I eat? Marché? Bistro/Bar? Is one the upstairs and one the downstairs? Why do both menus say Marché? What kind of a name is Bistro/Bar? Why is the name of your hotel the address? It's almost as confusing at Capitol to Capital/iEatDC.
2. Why is the service so slow even when there aren't so many people there? It took 45 minutes to order and get our lunch food, and that was sad for the one of us that had to leave early for a work call.
3. Do you really mean to tell me that restaurants near Empire State Plaza don't know when 800+ people are going out to lunch with their families after the swearing in ceremony?
4. We got a coupon for staying at the hotel that we were told over the phone we could use for our lunch reservation (made at the same time as the room), but it was really for dinner only, and we didn't receive the promised coupon until we asked for it several hours before check-out and at the lunch where we weren't supposed to be able to use it (more on this under GOOD).
Moving on to the things I liked about eating lunch upstairs at 74 State. I loved that for lunch you can "pick 2" for $10, like you're at Panera or something (but much tastier selections in my opinion...sorry lovers of Panera [LS!!!]). Half a sandwich/soup/salad, any combo of those. This method is totally up my alley because I can have more than one thing without being a piglet.
I had half of a chicken sandwich with mozzarella, prosciutto, and arugula and the Market salad with pickled beets and pecans. I'd do it again, quickly. This meal costs less than a salad with chicken at Victory Cafe, but the feel of the place is more upscale, if that's what you're looking for. Also, Victory's salads are enormous, but that's a different story.
J.Esq's salmon on salad was good, but the salmon was overcooked. He had specified medium rare, but it was definitely cooked through and beyond. The grapefruit in his salad was exciting.
The parental units had salads and the soup du jour, a vegetarian mushroom soup that was less vegetable-laden than we expected. So many veggies were listed in the description, but the cup was mostly broth. And the bleu cheese was extremely funky--I didn't want to taste it just from the look of it; unfortunately getting new dressing took so long that the naked salad was mostly eaten by the time we received it.
Desserts were fun--we had a chocolate torte thing that was just okay, but the cheesecake situation you see up there was a good time. Cinnamon quince, pumpkin, berry, chocolate mint. It was fun to have a variety to taste.
In the end, we explained to someone who looked authoritative about how we were convinced over the phone to book a hotel reservation at 74 State along with the lunch reservation (originally the parents planned on staying elsewhere), and we'd get a coupon for lunch, etc, and he let us use the coupon anyway. But we embarrassed the guys at the table who wanted to leave it all alone. I'm with J.Esq's mom here, though--if you're promised something, and it's used as a selling device, you should get it. That's good customer service. Our server was super nice and seemed puzzled by the influx of people at 2pm.
So some good, some missteps, but overall a pretty reasonably-priced, tasty lunch at 74 State.
Marché
74 State Street (obviously)
Albany, NY
Can we start with the bad and end up happy with the good?
1. Where the heck did I eat? Marché? Bistro/Bar? Is one the upstairs and one the downstairs? Why do both menus say Marché? What kind of a name is Bistro/Bar? Why is the name of your hotel the address? It's almost as confusing at Capitol to Capital/iEatDC.
2. Why is the service so slow even when there aren't so many people there? It took 45 minutes to order and get our lunch food, and that was sad for the one of us that had to leave early for a work call.
3. Do you really mean to tell me that restaurants near Empire State Plaza don't know when 800+ people are going out to lunch with their families after the swearing in ceremony?
4. We got a coupon for staying at the hotel that we were told over the phone we could use for our lunch reservation (made at the same time as the room), but it was really for dinner only, and we didn't receive the promised coupon until we asked for it several hours before check-out and at the lunch where we weren't supposed to be able to use it (more on this under GOOD).
Moving on to the things I liked about eating lunch upstairs at 74 State. I loved that for lunch you can "pick 2" for $10, like you're at Panera or something (but much tastier selections in my opinion...sorry lovers of Panera [LS!!!]). Half a sandwich/soup/salad, any combo of those. This method is totally up my alley because I can have more than one thing without being a piglet.
I had half of a chicken sandwich with mozzarella, prosciutto, and arugula and the Market salad with pickled beets and pecans. I'd do it again, quickly. This meal costs less than a salad with chicken at Victory Cafe, but the feel of the place is more upscale, if that's what you're looking for. Also, Victory's salads are enormous, but that's a different story.
J.Esq's salmon on salad was good, but the salmon was overcooked. He had specified medium rare, but it was definitely cooked through and beyond. The grapefruit in his salad was exciting.
The parental units had salads and the soup du jour, a vegetarian mushroom soup that was less vegetable-laden than we expected. So many veggies were listed in the description, but the cup was mostly broth. And the bleu cheese was extremely funky--I didn't want to taste it just from the look of it; unfortunately getting new dressing took so long that the naked salad was mostly eaten by the time we received it.
Desserts were fun--we had a chocolate torte thing that was just okay, but the cheesecake situation you see up there was a good time. Cinnamon quince, pumpkin, berry, chocolate mint. It was fun to have a variety to taste.
In the end, we explained to someone who looked authoritative about how we were convinced over the phone to book a hotel reservation at 74 State along with the lunch reservation (originally the parents planned on staying elsewhere), and we'd get a coupon for lunch, etc, and he let us use the coupon anyway. But we embarrassed the guys at the table who wanted to leave it all alone. I'm with J.Esq's mom here, though--if you're promised something, and it's used as a selling device, you should get it. That's good customer service. Our server was super nice and seemed puzzled by the influx of people at 2pm.
So some good, some missteps, but overall a pretty reasonably-priced, tasty lunch at 74 State.
Marché
74 State Street (obviously)
Albany, NY
11.03.2010
Lunch at Franklin's
Back to Franklin's. A celebratory (but kind of sad) lunch. But there was nothing sad about The Vulcan Mind Meld -- Primanti Bros. Style. Pastrami, corned beef, pickle slices, Swiss, provolone, slaw, skinny fries, hots, tomatoes, and Thousand Island dressing on toasted marble (rye/pumpernickel). For $12 I got this enormous sandwich that I somehow managed to finish. And then I wanted so so badly to take a nap.
I almost got the Cherry Glen Goat Cheese salad, which had DUCK. Apples and walnuts and other stuff too, but duck confit? Puhleeez people. I just didn't feel much like lettuce today. More like slaw.
EGM didn't want to stray far from her ordinary course--merguez mini burgers with tzatziki. Service was great, as per usual, and our sodas were kept super filled. Like our bellies.
Franklin's
5121 Baltimore Ave
Hyattsville, MD
Metro: Red line to Rhode Island Ave or Green Line to College Park, then a Metrobus that gets you to Franklin's on Route 1. There's gotta be a few. Or drive! Parking in the lot next door is 25 cents per hour--major bargain compared to the meters in Arlington.
I almost got the Cherry Glen Goat Cheese salad, which had DUCK. Apples and walnuts and other stuff too, but duck confit? Puhleeez people. I just didn't feel much like lettuce today. More like slaw.
EGM didn't want to stray far from her ordinary course--merguez mini burgers with tzatziki. Service was great, as per usual, and our sodas were kept super filled. Like our bellies.
Franklin's
5121 Baltimore Ave
Hyattsville, MD
Metro: Red line to Rhode Island Ave or Green Line to College Park, then a Metrobus that gets you to Franklin's on Route 1. There's gotta be a few. Or drive! Parking in the lot next door is 25 cents per hour--major bargain compared to the meters in Arlington.
10.21.2010
AIL's Lunch in Chevy Chase
Hot off the presses, folks, from my Aunt-in-law:
The Red Hook Lobster truck came to Chevy Chase at lunch today and it was not to be missed. Lots of really, really great lobster with some shredded lettuce for crunch and a little paprika, sliced spring onions and almost no mayonnaise. Just as good as Maine and Nova Scotia. I just need a scenic ocean view and I am transported.
And may I note that she recently vacationed to Nova Scotia, so that's a fresh comparison.
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Red Hook Lobster Truck
The Red Hook Lobster truck came to Chevy Chase at lunch today and it was not to be missed. Lots of really, really great lobster with some shredded lettuce for crunch and a little paprika, sliced spring onions and almost no mayonnaise. Just as good as Maine and Nova Scotia. I just need a scenic ocean view and I am transported.
And may I note that she recently vacationed to Nova Scotia, so that's a fresh comparison.
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Red Hook Lobster Truck
5.07.2010
Friday I'm In Love
...with turkey salad. Oh that? It's my delicious turkey salad wrap from the Maryland Food Co-op. It could have used twice the turkey salad, but I could add whatever I wanted veggie-wise and--um--it cost about $3.40. I splurged on a bag of chips.
What a week! It was a blast to finally make it to a Food Blogger Happy Hour. I was a bit late, and people were kind of sitting all around in already-settled conversations, but I still managed to meet the lovely folks behind Eat, Run, Read; I Flip For Food; DC Loves Food; DC Fud; Eat By Tweet (aggregates tweets by official restaurant accounts by city so you can get news and specials, it's pretty sweet); The Frozen Fix (inspired me to finally get this KitchenAid attachment); Seeking CB, and maybe a few others?
A few people at the happy hour asked me if I cook. I do! We do! [In reality we really assemble more than cook, but you know.] We go out once or twice a week. You may recall that when I started blogging I was a poor student in an unpaid internship. I frequently accomplished harrowing feats of frugality, including The Summer Of Bringing Lunch Every Single Day Without Fail. Basically, I don't share recipes because it's all simple stuff that we didn't invent. We make the same favorite things over and over. Nothing like this or this or this or this. Unless we're entertaining.
Speaking of cooking, Inkpad made the compost cookies, yum yum yum yum yum! I finally got to try them, and I didn't have to dirty a dish : ) I know for a fact that she included pretzels, toffee chips, and potato chips, among other items.
This week in the food-related Internet:
Angela & Mark at I Flip For Food went to Minibar by Jose Andres! Looks completely amazing--I want to go eventually, but I have no idea when! It remains on The List.
I want a wood-burning oven in my kitchen (an OMG moment from WSJ).
Everyone's favorite Top Chef judge (not to mention accomplished chef and restaurateur) is talking about the importance of being local, creating jobs, and avoiding chemicals. High five, chef!
FREE ICED COFFEE on May 11 from participating Dunkin' Donuts, my favorite. (via @frijolita). Ya'll, today I tried the 99 cent iced coffee that 7-11 has been screaming to me about--yes, screaming. I drive past a 7-11 and there's a huge tarp/sign advertising it. Basically, it's as if you took the supersweet frozen coffee blended thing and let it melt. SO sweet, re-dairy-ified with who-knows-what kind of milk or cream (!), and just yuck. I just want good coffee--cold. With milk. Not skim.
Maybe Ben's should start serving The Mother In-Law (via WWDTM blog). What?! A tamale playing hot dog?!
DIY cake platter out of old/different stuff! (Thanks InkPad).
I have to go now, because someone brought home cupcakes from the recently-opened Frosting ("A Cupcakery Bakeshop"). They all look pretty darn good, and the flavor selection is sweet...um, awesome. "Campfire" has a graham cracker bottom, chocolate ganache layer, and DAMN marshmallow frosting. Update: I also indulged in the carrot cake. Both had super moist and delicious cakes and really tasty frosting that wasn't too sweet, a complaint J reserves for Something Sweet. Interesting flavors and textures, too. What a pleasant experience!
This isn't food related, but it should improve your weekend. Have a great one!
5.04.2010
NYC is my lunchspot: CRISP & Macaron Cafe
Lunchtime in NYC. It can be as simple as a hot dog or maybe a bit more fancy (hey, you can get a deal mid-day!). On a recent trip, there was no subsequent suggestion that would steer me away from the original proposal: CRISP. With two locations in Midtown, this environmentally- and health-conscious eatery is servin' up some quality falafel sandwiches that are delicious, filling, and downright good-looking. Keep in mind that only the one at 3rd & 43rd is open on weekends--that information might come in handy, folks.
How adorable is the packaging? My falafel is IN there!
That rogue lettuce leaf is too cute.
I had the Parisian: tomato spread, goat cheese, roasted peppers, and red onions. GORGEOUS. DELICIOUS. I'd never really had flavors like this with my falafel, because usually it's a tabbouleh/tzatziki kind of situation, a Mediterranean vibe. Suspicions confirmed: goat cheese makes everything better. The falafels here are nice and light, crispy on the outside, and airy on the inside. My sandwich is HUGE: these pitas have 4 or 5 balls in 'em!
This is sister's falafs, the Africa: North African peanut sauce, sweet potatoes, corn salad, green onions, cherry tomatoes. A little spicy, so if you like it hot, the Africa may be for you. You can have your contents in a pita, or served OVER a salad but still with a pita (whole wheat or white) on the side.
And by the way, the fries are great. Also: the menu notes for you which house-blended tea pairs best with what meal. For serious!
I can't get over it. I love lunch.
CRISP
110 W. 40th Street (btwn 6th & Broadway)
684 3rd Ave (corner of 43rd)
So I needed to bring something back for the old man (sorry about not bringing you back anything from Bouchon). So macarons it is!
That's pistachio, nutella, coconut, caramel, and two dark chocolates. Yum. These were pretty good, but they had nothing on Bouchon's ganacheyness. The cookie part was a little chewy, and the filling didn't make me want to shout praises from the rooftops. But a cookie is a cookie, and I'd eat them again. This joint also has some good looking lunch options, but the seating is Sparse with a capital S.
P.S. A note to my friends on the Bolt Bus: Sorry I didn't share. That was mean. I know you saw the cookies.
Macaron Cafe
161 W. 36th St
4.20.2010
If you can't make it to Java Green for lunch, then go for dinner.
Recently my frequent dinnermates and I had a strange situation--we could not find any Friday or Saturday night for our monthly gathering. Even a weekend morning brunch was out--everybody was traveling at all the wrong times. So we settled on weekday happy hour, which obviously turned into a trip to Java Green. Speaking of Java Green, Cafe Green recently opened, and it already has some raves (and rants) on Yelp.
Back to our dinner.
Here was my line of thinking: You can't go wrong with an old favorite. I had the rice and beyond. The new, updated menu renamed the orange chicken to be "sweet and sour," but I assure you, it's the same. E was with me on this. The best part of R&B (not that R&B) is that you get so many different items and (most importantly) textures! Smooth, rough, gummy, crunchy, sweet, spicy, and I could go on. It's all there.
Mmmm, "chicken" sandwich. M's choice. She seemed to like it, but I was suspicious about the ratio of bread to guts.
B had a lot of the same contents as rice and beyond, but also some bulgogi. And no potsticker/dumpling guy (which I think was missed). Otherwise, yum yum contents!
C's ramen was pretty good. It was ramen--it didn't knock my socks off, but it was hot and noodley, and full of veggies. If that's what you need, it'll deliver. But I'd prefer pho.
Ready for the bummer part? If it's a nice day, maybe you want to take a little walk for some dessert. Guess what? Hello Cupcake closes at 7 Mon-Thurs. Don't worry, I can bring cupcakes into any conversation.
Java Green
1020 18th St NW
Metro: Orange and Blue Lines to Foggy Bottom or Farragut West; Red Line to Farragut North
Back to our dinner.
Here was my line of thinking: You can't go wrong with an old favorite. I had the rice and beyond. The new, updated menu renamed the orange chicken to be "sweet and sour," but I assure you, it's the same. E was with me on this. The best part of R&B (not that R&B) is that you get so many different items and (most importantly) textures! Smooth, rough, gummy, crunchy, sweet, spicy, and I could go on. It's all there.
Mmmm, "chicken" sandwich. M's choice. She seemed to like it, but I was suspicious about the ratio of bread to guts.
B had a lot of the same contents as rice and beyond, but also some bulgogi. And no potsticker/dumpling guy (which I think was missed). Otherwise, yum yum contents!
C's ramen was pretty good. It was ramen--it didn't knock my socks off, but it was hot and noodley, and full of veggies. If that's what you need, it'll deliver. But I'd prefer pho.
Ready for the bummer part? If it's a nice day, maybe you want to take a little walk for some dessert. Guess what? Hello Cupcake closes at 7 Mon-Thurs. Don't worry, I can bring cupcakes into any conversation.
Java Green
1020 18th St NW
Metro: Orange and Blue Lines to Foggy Bottom or Farragut West; Red Line to Farragut North
4.07.2010
Jungle Grille
I may not have easy access to happy hours or food trucks, but I've got a few things. Namely, Franklin's and Jungle Grille.
I adored the homemade chicken salad on a wrap with sprouts, cucumber, lettuce, and tomato. Pick all the crunchy toppings you want and make up your own sandwich--I did! The chicken salad is herby and creamy, and did I mention that it's warm? Warm (not hot) chicken salad, cool crunchy vegetables, and darn was I a happy gal. I'm not sure if the photo does justice, but the size of this thing was pretty unbelievable. I was preparing all day for JG, but I have to be honest--afterward I felt a little remorse for finishing. Just tooooo full. The pickle wasn't my favorite. I rarely find a worth sandwich-side pickle. Too floppy.
And that's my Nantucket Nectars (Half & Half) in the background, along with a giant cup with ice in it (soo thoughtful, a nice touch!).
And HOMEMADE potato chips! These suckers are a cross between chip and wedge--they aren't really "crispy," but the opposite of that is NOT soggy, it's potato-ey. Scientific word, look it up. I loved these chips (and I'm not the only one). One order is enough to share, so bring your buddy.
E enjoyed the chicken teriyaki with pineapple--she says it was tasty. I can't deny or confirm because I didn't taste it, and I didn't even take a picture! How is that possible!
Jungle Grille is a friendly place with a broad and delicious menu (and fro yo), but if you want, just go back and get the same thing every time. It's not that they are reinventing the culinary wheel, it's just that in that area, most of the food is barely edible. And that's why I bring my lunch 99% of the time.
The decor is a little odd, but not everything is about looks. The soundtrack alone can woo you; we were constantly entertained by the mix of 80's and 90's pop that was played; we actually stopped our conversations and looked around, as in, "Really? This song?" Gooses.
Jungle Grille
8145 Baltimore Ave
College Park, MD
Metro: You can Green Line to College Park and take a bus. Or drive. It's in a strip mall with lots of other stuff, it took me a few minutes to find it!
I adored the homemade chicken salad on a wrap with sprouts, cucumber, lettuce, and tomato. Pick all the crunchy toppings you want and make up your own sandwich--I did! The chicken salad is herby and creamy, and did I mention that it's warm? Warm (not hot) chicken salad, cool crunchy vegetables, and darn was I a happy gal. I'm not sure if the photo does justice, but the size of this thing was pretty unbelievable. I was preparing all day for JG, but I have to be honest--afterward I felt a little remorse for finishing. Just tooooo full. The pickle wasn't my favorite. I rarely find a worth sandwich-side pickle. Too floppy.
And that's my Nantucket Nectars (Half & Half) in the background, along with a giant cup with ice in it (soo thoughtful, a nice touch!).
And HOMEMADE potato chips! These suckers are a cross between chip and wedge--they aren't really "crispy," but the opposite of that is NOT soggy, it's potato-ey. Scientific word, look it up. I loved these chips (and I'm not the only one). One order is enough to share, so bring your buddy.
E enjoyed the chicken teriyaki with pineapple--she says it was tasty. I can't deny or confirm because I didn't taste it, and I didn't even take a picture! How is that possible!
Jungle Grille is a friendly place with a broad and delicious menu (and fro yo), but if you want, just go back and get the same thing every time. It's not that they are reinventing the culinary wheel, it's just that in that area, most of the food is barely edible. And that's why I bring my lunch 99% of the time.
The decor is a little odd, but not everything is about looks. The soundtrack alone can woo you; we were constantly entertained by the mix of 80's and 90's pop that was played; we actually stopped our conversations and looked around, as in, "Really? This song?" Gooses.
Jungle Grille
8145 Baltimore Ave
College Park, MD
Metro: You can Green Line to College Park and take a bus. Or drive. It's in a strip mall with lots of other stuff, it took me a few minutes to find it!
2.03.2010
Jetties
Even though there were plenty of tables when we arrived, the late lunch crowd on a Saturday was quite plentiful. On to the eats! When you walk in, don't jog up to the counter and bark out your order--pick up one of the order sheets and fill out what you'd like--you can select an existing sandwich or create your own, if you're that type.
First we've got my pick: the Steps Beach ($7.50): homemade turkey salad with golden raisins, diced apples, tarragon, and lettuce--the original is on multigrain, but I went nuts and modified that right into some PUMPERNICKEL! WHAT! This was hands-down the best turkey salad I've ever had (except for my mother-in-law's post-Thanksgiving turkey salad, of course. Obviously.), but not the best "__ salad" ever, because let's face it, Boatyard in Annapolis makes a righteous good chicken salad. It had texture, crunch, sweetness, and that pumpernickelly bite, all in one sandwich. I could have this every weekend.
E went for the Surfside ($8.65). Carved turkey, havarti, bacon, avocado spread, and whole grain mustard on sourdough bread. Now I didn't mention this earlier, but Jetties is pretty serious about turkey--they must roast plenty of them each day to provide the carved turkey sandwiches and turkey salad the way that they do, and I appreciate it. There's nothing like real meat, none of that deli sliced processed nonsense. E really enjoyed the sandwich, but she would have preferred less grainy mustard. I LOVE the stuff, but hey, I'm a mustard fan. Know yourself, people!
Last but certainly not least, C had the hot sandwich of the day--the name is lost on me right now, but it was brisket and onions, and it was yummy. I may have picked some stray pieces of brisket off of her sandwich wrapper (plates are for wimps). Her only improvement would be slicing the brisket thinner--every Passover hostess' dream. Also, the bread looks a bit weak for what it's holding.
Also, Jetties carries cupcakes from Something Sweet, which has the distinguished pleasure of being situated near 2 Amys (cue angelic/heaven music and bright lights as if shining from above). J says he's had their cupcakes before and they are "just ok," but he didn't seem to complain or hesitate when I brought him back a chocolate with chocolate frosting from Jetties.
Jetties isn't alone in its family--the other day I passed by Surfside in Glover Park, Jetties' sister on Wisconsin Ave. It was packed at brunch-time! I'm sure we'll get there soon--the menu looks reasonably priced (pending portion size, of course) . And the group's hidden-ish bar that hosts a lot of private events in Georgetown? I won't hold my breath for an invitation. I'm unconcerned, given the reviews. Yikes!
Reviews I read before my adventure to Jetties mentioned that it's pricy. The sandwich prices are fine, but it all adds up--my sandwich + Nantucket Nectars half & half + bag of chips + 2 cupcakes (one for me, right then, and one for J) = $17. But if you bring your water bottle and skip the extras, it's definitely tastier than Cosi (and let's be honest, their sandwiches don't fill anyone up, do they? Or is it just me with the neverending pit stomach?) and not far off $-wise. Service was superfast, even for C's hot sandwich, but keep in mind that it was quiet when we arrived.
Jetties
1609 Foxhall Road
Getting there: Find the best Metrobus from your place, drive (plenty of street parking available), or put on your hiking shoes from Georgetown. But there's always the Vern Express from Foggy Bottom.
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