DMV Dining

In early March, Brett and I had a wonderful weekend in New York City to celebrate our second wedding anniversary. We had some amazing food (more on that to come), but I thought I’d start our trip recap with one of the more casual and fun places that we went to. We were looking for a place to go for brunch on Saturday that was near our hotel, affordable, and had a good number of options to choose from. Our friends suggested 9 Restaurant NYC in Hell’s Kitchen, so off we went.

Upon checking in on FourSquare, Brett noticed a deal for a free glass of sangria (score!). Not a bad way to start our morning. Looking over the menu, several items sounded appealing, but the one I kept coming back to and couldn’t resist was dubbed The King French Toast. It was essentially a large piece of French toast topped with peanut butter, banana, maple syrup, and bacon. Just what Elvis would have ordered. I couldn’t resist trying it, partly out of curiosity and but also because I love the combination of peanut butter and bananas. Plus, bacon and maple syrup could only make it better!

Well, let’s just say I made the right choice since Brett and our friends were eying my meal and looking rather envious that they hadn’t ordered it as well. When it arrived, the French toast looked more like a piece of cake than its traditional appearance as it was one very tall piece of bread. Also, the way the bacon was assembled on top made it look like a crown fit for a king. Once I broke into it and ate it all together, all the ingredients added up to a perfect bite.

Brett ordered the seared eggs and short rib mushroom hash. While it wasn’t a bad dish, it could not hold a candle to the Wagyu corned beef hash he had at Bluestem in Kansas City last fall. 9’s rendition was more on the bland side and was lacking flavor. Again, if it wasn’t for Bluestem’s excellent preparation, he probably would have enjoyed this dish more.

While I admit that I was skeptical at first, The King French Toast at 9 is definitely an amazing dish that I would recommend the next time you’re in New York and looking for a good brunch spot. I was happy with my choice and it reminded me to be more adventurous when eating out and to not always go with standard eggs and potatoes fare. I’m fairly certain the “create your own omelet” would not have been nearly as fun as my breakfast that morning.

When one thinks of Local 16, their bar scene instantly comes to mind, specifically their rooftop terrace in the summertime. We haven’t been in years (mostly because it is typically too crowded), but an offer from The Capitol Deal a few months ago piqued our interest: $15 for a brunch entrée as well as bottomless mimosas or Bloody Mary’s.

At first, we honestly had no idea that they served brunch, but after doing some digging, it turns out that Local 16 was also home to DC pizzaiolo Edan MacQuaid, formerly of local pizzerias 2 Amy’s and Pizzeria Orso. Evidently Local 16 was MacQuaid’s new residence and that his pizzas were receiving some rather high acclaim.

While the brunch menu offered typical fare such as Eggs Benedict, pancakes, and French toast, both Rachel and I opted for one of their pizzas instead. I ordered the Aden, which included house made sausage, piquillo peppers, caramelized onions, fennel, and mozzarella. The chewy crust had a nice char to it while the peppers added some spice to the dish. I particularly liked the sausage as it had a very pronounced flavor and blended well with the caramelized onions.

Rachel went with the Garfield, which featured tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan. Local 16 sources their produce from Whipple Farm in Virginia, so it’s no wonder that the cherry tomatoes were delightfully rich in flavor.

And how we could not mention the bottomless pitchers of mimosas? Local 16 kept the libations flowing throughout our meal, even well after we finished our pizzas. Even better – they weren’t gradually diluting the beverages after each pitcher, something we’ve experienced at other restaurants offering unlimited drinks.

For $15, it was an excellent deal. The pizzas alone will cost you $12 a la carte while glasses of mimosas and Bloody Mary’s are $3 and $5 each, respectively. The funny thing is that it had turned out we didn’t even need to buy The Capitol Deal voucher as Local 16 offers the brunch special year-round as long as you are a fan of their Facebook page. Good to know for next time, obviously. Just be sure to make a reservation as they do book up for this special.

Coincidentally, Don Rockwell recently announced that MacQuaid will be partnering up with one of Local 16’s owners to open his very own pizzeria on 1832 14th Street NW. The menu will feature a handful of wood-fired oven pizzas as well as some other dishes. No projected opening date as of yet, but rest assured, we’ll gladly keep our eyes peeled on it.

While I had never been to Napoleon since it opened in Adams Morgan several years ago, I have now been for brunch twice in the last few weeks. I can now say that it is a great place to catch up with a close friend as well as a fun gathering with a group of girlfriends.

Walking into the restaurant, it definitely has a fun and classy vibe, with the red and black walls, chandeliers, disco ball hanging from the ceiling, and French music playing in the background. I was told that this place is known for fun coffee drinks, champagne cocktails, and of course, croissants, crepes, and Croque Monsieur.

The first time I went with my friend Livya, she insisted I share the chocolate croissant with her, and what a great decision that was! Buttery, flaky, and with just the right amount of chocolate inside, it tasted like something straight out of Paris.

We then chose from some of the decadent-sounding coffee drinks, and I went with the mocha cappuccino while Livya ordered the French vanilla latte. And what would brunch be without mimosas? We got the blood orange mimosa with Sicilian blood orange juice and prosecco. If the drinks were any indication of how the food would be, then this was a good start.

For my entrée, I ordered the Bolivar, which consisted of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs rolled into two crepes and topped with a citrus caper sour cream. I loved the lightness of the crepes, and the fact that they were filled with salmon and eggs made for a great bite, especially with the cream on top. I generally avoid filling up on potatoes during brunch, but these were too good to resist.

As I mentioned, I didn’t have to wait too long, as a group of us went again and warmed up from the cold this past Sunday. Again I got the blood orange mimosa, as well as the tropical green tea that came in a nice individual pot. I wanted to try something different this time, and was torn between one of the crepes or getting a benedict. In the end, I went with the smoked salmon Benedict, and was very happy with my choice.

The portions of smoked salmon beneath the nicely poached eggs were generous, and with those lovely potatoes it was just a satisfying dish all around.

Napoleon may also be known as a champagne bar at night and a fun lounge in Adams Morgan, but I would highly recommend it as a great brunch option that won’t break the bank but will make you feel like you’re in a Parisian cafe in downtown DC.

As you may have guessed from our Twitter posts over the last week or so, I was just in New Orleans for nine days for my company’s annual meeting. Our meetings are so large (20,000+ attendees) that we can only rotate between a handful of cities. Let’s just say that the years we go to New Orleans and Las Vegas are a little more anticipated than our conventions in Anaheim and Orlando.

Anyway, it’s become tradition that Brett has tagged along either in the beginning before things get too crazy or at the end after the storm has passed. We’ll get to some places that Brett and I went together later this week, but for me, I have to start at the end with one of the most decadent meals I had in NOLA. There are of course several places like this to choose from, but I decided to end my New Orleans week with the famous Breakfast at Brennan’s.

Brennan’s on Royal Street has been home to gluttonous breakfasts and dinners since 1946. I went in with three other colleagues fully prepared to roll ourselves out, and that we did.

We each decided to go with the three-course prix fixe menu for $36, because, well, when in Rome, right? Everything sounded so good that it was difficult to choose. I started with the Creole Bloody Mary and decided to try the Southern Baked Apple with double cream as my appetizer.

I got the cream on the side just so it wouldn’t overpower the apple, and I have to say dipping the apple in the cream was a fun way to eat it. The apple was huge and tasted more like a dessert than a breakfast starter, but I was in heaven. If this was any indication of what was to come, then we were in for a treat.

For my entree, I ordered the quintessential New Orleans breakfast dish, Eggs Sardou. If you’re not familiar with the dish, it’s poached eggs on artichoke bottoms atop a bed of creamed spinach and covered with Hollandaise sauce. Again, I got my Hollandaise on the side, because I’m just not a big fan of Hollandaise. Other dishes ordered at the table were the the Oysters Benedict, Eggs Houssarde (another famous dish), and the Eggs Bayou.

I was in love with the dish itself. The yolk of the poached eggs ran into the already creamy spinach and stacked with the artichoke, making for a perfect bite. The dish also came with a grilled tomato with Parmesan cheese, which we all enjoyed. The spinach wasn’t too heavy or overly creamy, and I had to resist finishing every bite in order to save room for dessert.

Ah yes, dessert. While there were many tasty options on the menu, it took five seconds to make the decision to order the Bananas Foster. One of the things Brennan’s is most famous for is the Bananas Foster as the dish was actually invented here.

Our waiter Ron was quite the ham and enjoyed putting on a show of flambéing the bananas and strawberries for the crepe dish. How did it taste? It was divine. The bananas were of course sautéed with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and banana liqueur, and then served over vanilla ice cream. It was the perfect end to an incredibly decadent meal and a foodie’s dream week in New Orleans.

The last time we went to Eatonville was back when it first opened over two years ago, so we were long overdue for a return visit. With Rachel’s friend Dave in town for the day, we were looking for a restaurant that offered brunch on Saturday, something that is obviously more difficult to find as opposed to the traditional Sunday meal.

Fortunately, Eatonville offers brunch on both days, and considering that Dave was staying at his friend’s place at the condo building next door, it made for a particularly easy meeting spot. We also met up with our friends Alicia and Matthew who are in Shirlington, so this was a nice middle ground between there and Bethesda.

While Eatonville is focused on Southern cooking, it’s easy to overlook their excellent beer selection. While several varieties of Abita grace the draft line, Troegs, Ommegang, and North Coast Brewing Co. can also be found. Luckily for us, Schlafly Pumpkin Ale was featured as their seasonal draft. For those that are fans of pumpkin beer, this (along with Southern Tier’s Pumking) is one of the best you will come across. Rachel’s Bloody Mary was also quite tasty with a generous amount of horseradish and spices.

As for brunch itself, Eatonville servers up several comfort food classics such as shrimp and grits, gumbo, and po’ boys. We decided to share an order of fried green tomatoes for the table to start things off. Topped with avocado and a micro-greens salad, the tomatoes were delightfully crunchy and had just the right amount of breading on them without being too heavy or greasy.

For our entrees, I went with a hearty order of steak and eggs. The description pretty much matches the title of the dish: a petite filet (I asked for it medium-rare), scrambled eggs, and “Eatonville” hash (a mixture of potatoes and bacon). When it arrived, my steak was so rare that it was nearly inedible. I informed my waiter how undercooked the beef was and he swiftly apologized and brought it back to the kitchen. Ten minutes later, he came returned with a new plate of freshly cooked eggs, potatoes, and most importantly, a medium-rare steak. This time, the kitchen got it right and overall, it was pretty good. Tender, flavorful, and while not the biggest portion, it did the job.

Rachel couldn’t make up her mind (surprise, surprise) so she decided to get the Eggs and Fixings. She chose the scrambled eggs with a buttermilk biscuit along with chicken andouille sausage and mac and cheese. Not her typical breakfast choices, but she had just completed a 13 mile training run earlier that day, so she felt that mac and cheese was a perfectly acceptable choice for breakfast. And it was definitely a good decision as we both couldn’t stop eating it.

Outside of the undercooked steak snafu, we had a lovely time at Eatonville. Their fried green tomatoes are some of the best you will come across in the District while their mac and cheese is highly addictive. The fact that they offer Saturday brunch is a nice touch as well. One of these days I’ll order The Callahan (fried chicken on biscuit with sausage gravy), but you’d have to convince me to run ten miles beforehand.

During our travels in Kansas City, we didn’t just partake in barbecue. Shocking as it may seem, we put the ribs and brisket down for a day and instead went out for brunch.

Bluestem, located in the vibrant Westport neighborhood, is one of Kansas City’s top dining destinations. Similar to CityZen, Bluestem offers a prix fixe menu where diners have their choice of three, five or ten course dinners that range from $60 to $100.

On Sundays, however, Bluestem also offers an a la carte brunch that is very reasonable, and as we experienced, very delightful.

We started our morning off with an order of mimosas while looking over the menu. Being in Kansas City, I had to continue my infatuation with all things beef, so naturally I ordered the Wagyu corned beef hash. Rachel, opting instead for a slightly healthier meal, ordered the omelet of the day.

The corned beef hash was served with a thick, spicy tomato sauce along with a pair of sunny side up eggs. Between that and the tender, flavorful chunks of corned beef, I was in heaven. I love when corned beef hash has a kick to it as it gave a certain life to the dish as opposed to other places where it’s just missing something. This had all the elements I was looking for and I loved every bite.

As soon as Rachel heard the description of the omelet of the day, she knew she had to order it. Filled with heirloom tomatoes, basil, oyster mushrooms, and goat cheese, it was light and airy as she savored each forkful. The roasted potatoes and side salad rounded out the dish.

Overall, Bluestem is a gem and should not be missed if you are looking for an excellent brunch spot. Given how great our meal was, we might have to splurge for dinner next time we are in town.

This past Memorial Day weekend, Brett and I decided to head down to Eastern Market to walk around the area and check out the Top Chef Tour Challenge. We met up with our friends Kim and Brian, as well as their newborn baby Micah. After seeing some lesser-known contestants battle it out (Spike was stuck in LA while Carla competed the day before), we decided it was time for brunch.

With an ever-increasing number of restaurants now available on Barracks Row, it was just a matter of choosing which one to have brunch at. The Chesapeake Room won out over the others based on the menu, and more importantly, the fact that we could be seated outside right away with enough room for a stroller.

We sat down and had a hard time deciding what to get since many of the choices seemed so unique and enticing. I was torn between the spring frittata, seafood omelet, and the Eggs Chesapeake. I ultimately decided on the , which appeared to be their specialty and was by far the most distinctive dish.

Instead of a traditional Eggs Benedict, this entrée consisted of two poached eggs sitting atop fried green tomatoes with a layer of Maryland blue crab and a spiced tomato jam in between. There was no hollandaise with this Benedict, but I actually preferred that since I usually ask for it on the side anyway.

The dish came with mushroom home fries as a side, which I thought were amazing. They were essentially roasted potatoes mixed with sautéed mushrooms and cheese. The egg dish itself was delicious, and I savored each bite of it as all of the components really fit together.

Brett ordered the shrimp and grits, although The Chesapeake Room’s version had its own interpretation of the classic dish. The grits were served in coquette form while the shrimp was topped with blue crab and spring onion-green tomato chow-chow. It was also accompanied with a small house salad.

While Brett really enjoyed the grit coquette, he felt that the shrimp were rather underwhelming. In fact, there was too much going on between the chow-chow, crab, and shrimp to justify naming this dish “shrimp and grits”, especially since the shrimp were somewhat soggy from the aforementioned ingredients that were placed atop. He felt that the version found at Acadiana was far superior and wished he had ordered the fried green tomato crab stack instead.

In regards to the service, we had one slight hiccup when Kim had asked to swap the potato fritter that came with her frittata with home fries instead. The waitress said that this was not a problem, however, when we received the bill, we were charged an additional three dollars for this substitution. This would have been okay had the waitress informed us of the charge when Kim made her order, but she didn’t, so this caught us by surprise. They ultimately removed it from the bill, but the restaurant really needs to be more upfront about this in the future.

From the looks of things, it looked like brunch was a draw between the two of us as I came away pleased while Brett, well, didn’t. He just wasn’t crazy about his dish for the exception of the grit coquette, though he did agree that my home fries were rather good. The service was also a little off-putting, but not enough to completely write off the place. So all and all – good, not great.

After Rachel and some other friends completed the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, a group of us headed over to Acadiana for their Mardi Gras Brunch.

We were trying to find a brunch in DC that met certain criteria: a) it was prix-fixe, b) had something for everyone, c) was well-received, and most importantly, d) had either unlimited or highly discounted libations. Acadiana met each and every one of these prerequisites.

We have been craving New Orleans cuisine since our trip to the Big Easy last November, so we were literally counting down the days until brunch. I myself shied away from any food before our 1pm reservation just knowing that we would most likely be stuffed once we finished.

Acadiana features a three-course brunch for $29. For $9 more, diners have access to the raw bar where they can feast upon unlimited shrimp and oysters. The kicker, of course, were the dollar Bloody Marys and blood orange Mimosas. Yes, you read that right. Each cocktail during brunch is only one dollar!

Once we were seated, the table received a few baskets of freshly baked buttermilk biscuits served with a side of red pepper jelly. After one bite, I knew we were in for a great meal. It was the quintessential biscuit: flaky on the outside, soft in the inside, and still warm when it reached the table.

For the first course, I went with the turtle soup. Having eaten this for the first time at Commander’s Palace and fallen in love with it, I could not pass up another opportunity to try it again. Acadiana’s version had a thicker consistency than that of Commander’s as well as a significant amount of turtle meat. In comparison, Commander’s Palace was more of a bisque and featured a subtle combination of turtle and pork. Overall, I preferred the version I had in New Orleans over Acadiana’s, but don’t let that discourage from you ordering it as it was still very good.

Rachel went with an old favorite – fried green tomatoes, topped with Zatarain’s spice boiled gulf shrimp rémoulade. When eating southern food, you can’t go wrong with that dish. Her only issue was that while each component may have worked separately, as a whole it was too much as the sauce overpowered everything else. The shrimp was a nice touch, but in the end, the fried tomatoes were left a little soggy.

After sipping on a few mimosas (and some of Rachel’s Bloody Mary), I ordered the southern shrimp and grits for my entrée. They were simply outstanding. I have had shrimp and grits before (notably in Charleston), and while it wasn’t prepared in a traditional style last Sunday, these were still the best. I’m not sure if it was the delicately-prepared cheddar cheese grit cake, Tasso ham, or the rich sauce poured on top, but I cannot recommend this dish enough. Just wonderfully executed.

Rachel ordered what appeared to be their specialty, the Eggs Acadiana, which consisted of two poached eggs, Louisiana crawfish crab cakes, and Tasso ham hollandaise. She got the hollandaise on the side, and it came with a side of diced potatoes. She could have done without the potatoes because they didn’t add much to the dish, but the crawfish cakes were delicious with all meat, no filler, and a perfect blend of spices. It wasn’t a wowing dish, but it was a great spin on the regional Chesapeake Benedict.

As if it could not get any better, it did. I ordered the pecan tart for dessert and it was absurdly delicious. I’m dead serious: if you ever go to Acadiana, you have to order this. Describing it as rich would be an understatement. While the chocolate ice cream scooped on top might be a tad overboard, the bourbon and caramel glazed on top made every bite worthwhile.

Rachel was torn between the traditional beignets with chicory coffee crème anglaise or going a little lighter with the sorbet trio. At first she ordered the beignets, but that was before the first two courses. Halfway through the entree, she switched out her dessert to the sorbet, which featured caramel apple, pineapple, and Abita root beer flavors. Having been to the Abita Brewery and trying their root beer, I can attest that its like likeness was uncanny. Each scoop was incredibly refreshing and was a great way to conclude the meal.

To top things off, the server dropped off turtle pecan fudge bites with the bill. We could barely eat the small morsels given how extraordinary full we were, but the whole table managed to try one and left Acadiana that much fuller.

Overall, Acadiana served up an outstanding brunch. The food was delectable, the service was exceptional, and the price was just right given the portions as well as the highly popular dollar mimosas. Throw in the live jazz that was being performed throughout the day and you have yourselves quite the experience. Well done, Acadiana.

Acadiana is located at 901 New York Ave NW in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, DC.

I recently heard about the deal at Masa 14 for Sunday brunch, and upon first glance, it seemed too good to be true. My friend Livya and I decided to check it out for ourselves and indulge on unlimited tapas and drinks for $35.

We decided to order some drinks first, with Livya choosing the Masa Mimosa while I got the Lychee Bellini. Both were very refreshing and we hardly noticed when they would come by with pitchers to refill. I think we each had about four glasses, but it was hard to tell since the servers never let our glasses go empty.

To start, we ordered the Daily Petite Quiche, Hijiki Seaweed-jicama Salad, Petite Mushroom Escabeche Omelet, Veggie Benedict, Black Bean Puree, and Spiced Tuna Steak. Granted, this may appear like an excessive amount of food, but Masa 14 specializes in Latin-Asian tapas, so these smaller plates are meant to be shared.

Overall, everything was delicious, with some standouts like the seaweed salad, tuna, and omelet. Some of the dishes were definitely heavier than others, and before we knew it, we were getting full with all the plates in front of us.

The rare tuna steak came on a sandwich bun along with a small but thick piece of bacon, avocado, and wasabi. The bread wasn’t really necessary so we discarded it to focus on the high quality piece of fish. The Veggie Benedict was actually a variety of roasted vegetables with a poached egg atop a piece of challah bread. Again, a nice dish but the bread seemed to overpower the rest of it. The black bean puree was a perfect bite with a scoop of the puree with poached egg on a tortilla chip.

We decided to order a few more items to stretch out our relaxing and gluttonous Sunday. Up next was the Fruit and Granola with yuzu yogurt, the Pan Dulce with ancho whipped cream and pineapple syrup, and to top it off, the Crunchy Shrimp. I know looking at these selections, you might think, “dessert, dessert, and shrimp?” Yes, it definitely did not belong, but with unlimited options to choose from, it was simply too hard to resist. The sesame crusted shrimp came with a chipolti aioli sauce that went perfectly together. We only ate one or two, and then it was on to dessert.

The fruit, granola, and yogurt combo was nice and light, and definitely the healthiest thing we ate all day. The large chunks of homemade granola were nice and crunchy and elevated the dish to more than just a bowl of fruit. The Pan Dulce tasted just like French toast and was a perfect way to end the meal.

All in all, brunch at Masa 14 is a great opportunity to try lots of different items on the menu without feeling limited by price. It’s hard to tell how much of a deal it was, since we didn’t individually add up each dish to see if we would have spent as much or less compared to ordering a la carte.

However, the unlimited drinks alone makes the $35 brunch worthwhile. If we went with a larger party we would have been able to try more dishes, but regardless, we undeniably left satisfied. I could potentially see us going with a group of 10 and basically ordering the entire menu, with everyone being able to have more than their fair share of food while already knowing up front what the bill would amount to. Hmm, this year’s birthday idea perhaps?

While we have dined at Bethesda’s Mon Ami Gabi several times in the past, this was our first time eating brunch at the French bistro.

We had some friends in town and thought it would be a great place for brunch choice given the reasonable prices and expansive menu selections.

Even though the entrees on the menu sounded appetizing, I ordered one of the daily specials instead.

The restaurant offered an open-faced duck confit sandwich served on a slice of toasted brioche, greens, bleu cheese spread, and a side of frites. Combined with the fact that it was only $9.95, I was sold.

The sandwich was as delicious as it was described. The duck was succulent and really worked-well with the “open-faced” presentation.

The only thing I was not prepared for, however, was the overflowing cone of frites. It was clearly quantity over quality as I have had much better frites at other establishments, but that of course clearly did not keep me from shamefully finishing the entire portion.

Rachel ordered the Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. She likes to have the Hollandaise sauce on the side to dip, and usually asks for the eggs to be poached well so that they don’t run. The waiter took note of both requests and said, “No problem.”

However, there was a problem. When everyone’s food arrived, it was evident that both requests were ignored, prompting Rachel to request a new dish.

The waitress profusely apologized and said that they would bring her another one right away. She didn’t mind waiting, but there is always that awkward time when one person is missing their food while no one else knows what to do because they want to be polite despite their food getting cold.

Rachel kept insisting to our friends that they go ahead and not wait for her, but it is honestly never fun when that sort of situation occurs. Fortunately, the new dish didn’t take too long to come out of the kitchen, and she was happy with the result.

Overall, we were very pleased with Mon Ami. Outside of Rachel’s Eggs Benedict snafu, the food and service was great. The waitress truly seemed apologetic regarding the error and continuously made sure that our waters and coffees were refilled. It’s definitely one of the better brunch spots in Bethesda, especially given the reasonable prices.