John’s Island Carolina stew – The Trellis Restaurant

John's Island Carolina stew - The Trellis Restaurant
Roasted turkey, shrimp, mussels, clams, cannellini beans, tomatoes, corn and lima beans. Served with grits and cornbread. $12.95
The Trellis Restaurant, Williamsburg VA

This was a super-hearty dish and it had a very nice rich and well-develop flavor. I also loved the grits. They give you a very healthy portion, and I couldn’t finish it because I wanted to save room for dessert. That and I was drinking the rest of my calories, hehe!

Bloody Mary cocktail - The Trellis Restaurant
Traditional Bloody Mary: house-made bloody mary mix. $7

Governor's Palace
Governor’s Palace.

Butifarra casera con mongetes – Jaleo

Butifarra casera con mongetes - Jaleo
Housemade grilled pork sausage with sautéed white beans and aioli. Almuerzo rapido (3 items) $20
Jaleo, Crystal City VA

This pork sausage was yummy especially with the fried white beans. My favorite part was the texture of the beans with the crispy bits. This was definitely a hearty little plate.

Potomac River with Crystal City in the distance
Potomac River with Crystal City in the distance.

Hugh Copeland’s Time Square cheeseburger – Gershwin’s

Hugh Copeland's Time Square cheeseburger - Gershwin's
On a brioche bun, side of asparagus. $10
Gershwin’s, Norfolk VA

A friend and I had done a dinner cruise on the Elizabeth River, but wanted to extend our night so we ducked into Gershwin’s for some live entertainment. We sat at the bar and enjoyed talking with our friendly (and talkative) bartender. Even though we already had a full dinner on the cruise, we decided to split a burger anyway. And I must say that the burger (half) was pretty tasty!

The Washington cocktail - Gershwin's
The Washington: a Manhattan made with cherry infused bourbon. $10

Spirit of Norfolk
Spirit of Norfolk.

Seafood nachos – Hell’s Kitchen

Seafood nachos - Hell's Kitchen
Tortilla chips topped with she-crab soup, backfin crab, shrimp, melted mozzarella cheese, lettuce, diced tomato, Old Bay and scallions. Served with sour cream and Hell sauce. $10
Hell’s Kitchen, Norfolk VA

This was certainly interesting. I wanna say that I liked it, but here was also something about it that wasn’t fresh tasting. It definitely wasn’t healthy but I didn’t expect it to be either. The bad eater in me says “Yes” while the common sense side says this was “disgusting”!

Bulleit bourbon Manhattan cocktail - Hell's Kitchen
Bulleit bourbon Manhattan. $7.75

Battleship Wisconsin
Battleship Wisconsin.

Tacos – El Sabor del Taco

Tacos - El Sabor del Taco
Chicken mole, carnitas, and fish. 3 for $10
El Sabor del Taco, Washington DC

These tacos were decent. I liked the corn tortillas, but they were thick enough to not have to double wrap the tacos. Ugh, too many carbs! The fillings were ok but they were kinda bland. I definitely had to use the lime and pour plenty of salsa on each.

Spinosaurus, National Geographic Museum
Spinosaurus, National Geographic Museum.

Turkey reuben – Cafe Phillips

Turkey reuben - Cafe Phillips
$7.79
Cafe Phillips, Washington DC

I was visiting one of our other offices near Union Station and needed a place to eat lunch. I was told that this Cafe Phillips location was recently penalized by the Health Department for unsanitary practices, but I went anyway, lol! The person who told me said that they still recommend the place regardless of the violation. I actually liked this sandwich. It was warm and gooey and the turkey slices tasted great.

Hall of Nations, Kennedy Center
Hall of Nations, Kennedy Center.

Gambas al ajillo – Jaleo

Gambas al ajillo - Jaleo
Shrimp sautéed with garlic. Almuerzo rapido (3 items) $20
Jaleo, Crystal City VA

Wow! Garlic shrimp is probably one of my favorite tapas items and this version rocked! I absolutely loved the garlicky sauce and the shrimp were cooked perfectly. I wanted a huge bowl of that sauce to dunk pieces of bread into. Noms!

Old Dominion Boat Club
Old Dominion Boat Club, Alexandria.

Conference desserts – Hyatt Regency Crystal City

Peach melba and chocolate pecan tart - Hyatt Regency Crystal City
Peach melba and chocolate pecan tart.
Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Crystal City VA

I attended a 2-day conference in Crystal City and they would put out snacks and desserts after lunch before the afternoon sessions began. The desserts weren’t that great, but they were a pleasant distraction from the conference at hand. Hehe!

Cherry and ricotta cheese verrine - Hyatt Regency Crystal City
Cherry and ricotta cheese verrine.

Arlington
Arlington and the Potomac River.

S’mores doughnut – Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken

S'mores doughnut - Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken
Chocolate cake donut with chocolate glaze, graham cracker crumble, toasted marshmallow. $2.50
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, Washington DC

This donut was really moist, but I really wasn’t into it. I guess I was in the mood for a regular fried donut and not the cake variety. I liked the look of it though.

United States Capitol Building
United States Capitol Building.

Prez Obama burger – Good Stuff Eatery

Prez Obama burger - Good Stuff Eatery
Applewood bacon, onion marmalade, roquefort cheese, horseradish mayo sauce. $7.25
Spike’s Village fries topped with thyme, rosemary and sea salt. Snack $2.59
Good Stuff Eatery, Crystal City VA

Mmm, this burger was delicious! I won’t say that it was better than In-N-Out because it was very different and hard to compare. I loved the bun and the patty and toppings were great. I especially liked the horseradish mayo sauce. The fries were also amazing and I loved that they have a variety of dipping sauces that you can try.

The Lone Sailor statue, The United States Navy Memorial
The Lone Sailor statue, The United States Navy Memorial.