Fingerling potatoes, onion, bisque sauce. $31
Table, Washington DC
Yay for lobster! This was delicious and beautifully cooked. Some people hate having to extract their seafood from shells, but I think it’s part of the experience and actually very fun. The lobster bisque sauce was super yummy and I thought the plating was simple and classy.
Bread and olive oil. Complimentary
Pantry reconstruction, Mount Vernon.
Capers, olives, onion, anchovy, mozzarella. $17
Etto, Washington DC
Mmm, this was delicious! I usually don’t like a lot of char on my pizza crusts, but this wasn’t bitter in the least. The toppings were also wonderful and tasted great. It must be good if I can eat the entire pizza by myself in one sitting. Perfect!
Lambrusco di Sorbara, Chiarli, 2013. $8
National Harbor MD.
French fries topped with chili and nacho cheese. $5.50
Red Devon Grill, Mount Vernon VA
Omg, there were the perfect chili cheese fries! They were drenched in the nuclear yellow nacho sauce and a healthy helping of chili. It made me sick and I couldn’t begin to finish them (which means that they were made just right, lol)! Gotta appreciate horrible American junk food. 🙂
Mount Vernon mansion.
Eight pieces $5.75
Original Dim Sum Garden, Philadelphia PA
Ugh, these were absolutely disgusting! I don’t know what their idea of xiao long bao is in Philly, but I don’t like it. The wrapper was gummy, and the soup was dark, thick and gel like – gross! And almost everyone of these dumplings ended up breaking when trying to eat. #FAIL
Cat water feature at Betsy Ross House.
New Orleans style deep fried fritters with garlic mayo. $10.95
Warehouse Bar & Grill, Alexandria VA
Omg, this dish was a joke! It was neither a beignet nor fritter. It was a soggy, squishy hot mess! I don’t know in which world you can call this a beignet, but it was false advertising. I wouldn’t have minded if they ended up being good, but they sucked. I’m still flabbergasted that they actually served these shitty cakes. And I wasn’t fooled by all the aioli drizzled on top. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a crappy appetizer.
Bread and butter. Complimentary
Farmers Market at Alexandria City Hall.
Plum, serrano ham, pink peppercorn and hazelnut crumble. $15
Table, Washington DC
This appetizer was really rich and decadent, but still well balanced with the fruit, frisee, and hazelnut. I loved the many alternating layers of ham and foie gras, and it ate cleanly and beautifully.
Washington Monument.
$3.25
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, Washington DC
Ugh, this was so bland! I can’t understand how you can have a burnt sugar topping on a donut with custard filling and still have it come out without much flavor! I’m baffled…
Mount Vernon VA.
Spicy tuna roll. Alaska roll: salmon, avocado and cucumber. Honey Boston roll: shrimp, cucumber, avocado, asparagus, romaine lettuce with honey wasabi sauce. Served with miso soup. $12.50
Passion Fin, Merrifield VA
This wasn’t the best sushi ever, but it was a great value. I wasn’t a fan of their sushi rice (it was really dry and hard), but I liked that you got to choose 3 different rolls to try out. The Honey Boston roll was a nice combination of ingredients. And their miso soup hit the spot!
Miso soup.
Shenandoah National Park VA.
Six pieces $5.75
Original Dim Sum Garden, Philadelphia PA
Omg, these were disgusting! They definitely weren’t fresh and the wrapper was the grossest, gummy texture I’ve ever had for har gow. I could reheat frozen dumplings from Ranch 99 and have them taste better than these. EW!
Benjamin Franklin bust.
Endive and greens, fried egg, bacon, walnuts, fig, apple ginger vinaigrette. $11
Society Hill Society, Philadelphia PA
Ugh, after having to endure the slower-than-molasses service and this mediocre salad, it’s safe to say that I will probably never return to Society Hill Society. And don’t get me started on that egg! It didn’t know whether it should be fried, steamed, or poached (even though it’s advertised as fried). Can it get any more awkward?
Schuylkill River.
Madras roasted duck breast, duck confit fried rice, duck egg, mandarin oolong reduction. $33
Morimoto, Philadelphia PA
I thought I would love this dish, but it actually kinda bored me. It was a lot of duck prepared different ways, but I wasn’t excited about any of the preparations. The fried rice was actually kinda dry and I wish that the duck egg was more runny. As it was, the egg was hard and lifeless. The roasted duck breast was pretty good, but I didn’t like the tea soaked lotus.
Philadelphia Museum of Art.
$4.50
Beck’s Cajun Cafe, Philadelphia PA
Mmm, these were heaven! I loved them so much. They were perfectly fried and oh so gooey and cheesy inside. NOMS!
World Park: Orders and Perspectives.
Vittle Monster 