Happy Halloween!

One of my fondest memories as a kid is sitting down on the floor, carving pumpkins with my mom and brother. And being at college has really made me miss our little tradition. But this year I've decided (since I'm a senior and all) that I've got to start making my own traditions. So...carving pumpkins solo it is! With a little narrated blog action thrown in there, of course.





Now if you know me, you know that there is usually a food motivation for the things I do, and pumpkin carving is no different. Every year I look forward to pulling out the seeds and toasting them in the over. October isn't october without some pumpkin seeds. Plus, they're totally easy to make. Just rinse the seeds in water, spread them out on an oiled cookie sheet and sprinkle some salt on the top. Bake at around 325 degrees F for about 25 minutes, making sure to stir them after about 10 minutes. And yum, easy enough, you have a nice muchy treat.

And in case you're feeling like you're up for a bit more of a challenge. Here's a recipe to another one of my favorite October foods, pumpkin pie.

Wish List

As a perfect compliment to last week, this week my boyfriend's parents are in town. Which means...YES, more fabulous food. We started today off right by going to BlackSalt, a place known for its extensive fish menu. Now, I would be more specific about the menu, but my ordering went a little something like this: "bring me anything on the menu that isn't that fishy." I realize now that they probably judged me a lot for coming there in the first place, but listen, it didn't matter - the food was fantastic. I had one of the specials of the night, something called a tile fish prepared with white sweet potato puree, greens with bacon, and roasted mushrooms. Twas perfection.

(Side note: If you've read previous blog posts, you know my first experience with oysters did not go as planned. BUT, I tried oysters for the second time. This time was a great success.)

But this got me thinking. I see myself as a person who has tried and knows a lot of restaurants in DC, but here was a place completely unknown that is now easily a new favorite. Which is why (after a little research) I have compiled a restaurant wish list, all the places I hope to go in the upcoming months as I venture out in the city (...and maybe put on a few winter pounds?)

2AMYS for fantastic pizza
Citronelle to pretend I'm fancy enough for french food Obama eats
Volt for Top Chef alum Brian Voltaggio chem project-like food creations
Graffiato...while we're on the Top Chef theme, I haven't heard rave reviews but I like Chef Mike Isabella so I want to give it a try
Minibar just to say I did
CityZen - don't know much about this place but a server I work with swears by it and I trust his judgement
El Centro in search of ONE (ONE PEOPLE) solid Mexican food place in DC. I get that we're not by the border but come onnnn.
KOMI well, because it's number one on everyone's best lists

That's all I've got for now. What about you guys? Any suggestions?

Parents Weekend

I nearly forgot why I love Parents Weekend so much (besides seeing my mom of course...(obligatory in case she ever reads this)). Surprise, surprise, I love Parents Weekend because of the food. Parents come around once a year and all of a sudden you have an excuse to go to the totally over the top restaurants you otherwise wouldn't be able to justify to them when the credit card bill comes around at the end of the month. I've accumulated a few go-tos over the years for this exact weekend - Zaytinya, Rasika, andCentral to name a few.

Wanting to show my mom a few new places this time (and a bit of a different experience for one in particular) I made reservations a couple weeks ago to guarantee we would be properly stuffed.

The first reservation I made was for Casa Nonna in Dupont Circle. Now DC has A LOT of italian food so sometimes it's a little difficult to sort through which ones are worth a visit, but I really like Casa Nonna because of their homemade pastas. There is one dish in particular, a spiced pumpkin gnocchi with creamy sauce, fried pancetta, and sprinkled with amaretto cookies on top that I love. It reminds me of a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks -- fall in a dish/cup. Plus, full disclosure, I am a server at this restaurant so I just thought it might be nice for my mom if I could serve her for a change.

The next meal we had was at Logan's Tavern for a Saturday brunch. The food was pretty standard for brunch, and definitely yummy. But I was mostly impressed by the craft your own bloody mary menu that had tons of options to make your own potent start to the day. But I ended up choosing La Maria Caliente - chili pepper tequila, bloody mix, lime juice, and hot sauce. Perfect.

A mere 4 hours after that meal we were off to Estadio, one of my new favorite restaurants in DC. To be fair, that's because it has too many unfair advantages. 1) I love eating tapas-style. Bite here, sip there. I get to try more things on the menu without getting unbuckle-my-belt full. 2) I love Spain, Spanish culture, and the like so it's only fitting that I love the restaurant that has a picture of Penelope Cruz on the door for the ladies room and a picture of Javier Bardem on the door of the mens. Also, how cute is that? 3) This food is straight up awesome. I haven't tried a thing there I don't like...besides the price tag. But hey, for Parents Weekend, it was a success.

You might think I'm done right? Not even. I saved the best for last - brunch at Blue Duck Tavern. This is hands down my favorite place to eat in DC. First of all the restaurant is beautiful, with wood furniture and paneling and floor to ceiling windows, I just always feel at ease. But really the food speaks for itself, particularly the short rib hash that comes with an olive oil poached egg, horseradish sauce, and a flakey, buttery-goodness biscuit. There has not been more comforting comfort food.

So what's reason for this post? Because I just love to talk about the fabulous things I get to eat. What other reason do I need? :)

Hello fellow eaters,

This week has been a hectic one including an emergency room visit....so stay tuned on the next food update. I have more Hemingway themed eating experiences oddly enough because I was in the Keys! Until then salivate over this picture plez. Key lime pie allll I had this weekend.

Outstanding in the Field

Outstanding is right. This past week I had one of the most amazing eating experiences of my life. Outstanding in the Field is (as they put it) a "roving culinary adventure" that travels across the country, and even across seas, with the mission of re-connecting diners to the origins of their food. Basically this is the fancy way for saying that people pack up a bus full of stuff, choose gorgeous locations across the country, set up a huge table for about a hundred people, and then invite a chef from the area to create a five course masterpiece.

The dinner I went to was in Alexandria, Virginia at the Arcadia sustainable farm at Woodlawn with the team from Birch & Barley leading the way with food. On top of that, Birch & Barley is known for its extensive beer list so it was fitting that each course was paired with a unique beer.

I probably ate about 20 different items that night but just to highlight a few favorites:
- pumpkin flatbread, cardoons, pecorino & pine nuts
- salad of arugula, roasted peppers, grilled watermelon, grilled bok choy, white balsamic vinaigrette & lardons
- ricotta cavatelli w/ braised pork shoulder, lima beans & fresh herbs
- grilled pork loin, sauteed sweet potato greens & jalapeno corn bread
- and last but not least: apple pie with cinnamon chantilly, caramel & granola

The Woodlawn manor that sat beside the lawn where beer and appetizers were passed out


Speaking of which, here we all are drinking and standing around


Pumpkin flatbread (YUM)


RhinoFest, Lost Rhino Brewing Company beer


Table peaking out from behind the farm


Mismatched plates Outstanding in the Field has collected over the years that make the table look adorable


The long communal table


Me and the boyfriend, Zack


And then it got a little dark... but fear not!


The team from Birch & Barley



Um, so yeah. Basically, take my word on it, if you ever have the opportunity to go to one of these, do it.