Woodberry Kitchen

My sister took us to this awesome restaurant last weekend when my parents were in town, so I thought it would be great if she were the one to post the review, having been there several times. Ladies and Gentlemen, enjoy her fabulous review of Baltimore's Woodberry Kitchen.

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Matchbox - Rockville Edition!!

I am so completely psyched that Matchbox (of Chinatown and Capitol Hill fame) has opened a new location in Rockville. It's right in Congressional Plaza as a stand-alone building which is conveniently located not far from my work or home! Lookie there.

Being Friday, we headed there for a long lunch to check out the new digs. I am so impressed with the looks of it both outside and in. Sure, it matches the rest of the shopping center from the outside, but that particular shopping center is quite nice-looking anyway. When we walked up, the first thing we noticed was a large outdoor area that is currently under construction. Large heat lamps hang above the whole area which includes a large stone firepit encircled by a standing bar ledge, and a separate outdoor bar. Can't wait for that to open!!

The inside has an open floor-plan except for a separate cozy bar area off to the right. When you walk in the first thing you see is the pizza oven. There is seating in front of the oven in case you want to watch the pros in action. There are metal stairs that lead to the second floor, which is a row of booths and tables that overlook the rest of the restaurant. The ceilings are exposed and the front and back walls have old recycled wood slats nailed to them, creating a log cabin-industrial-chic look. Yes, I just made that up, let's go with it. One unfortunate thing we noted on the second floor, where we sat, is the heat. In fact, we overheard a fellow diner say "man, it's a sauna up here!" as he walked past. It's probably a combination of the open floor plan and the midday sun beating in through the windows with inadequate shading. It wasn't the end of the world and probably wouldn't be too hot at night.

Food! I was keeping my expectations low for the food and service departments, since they just opened this week. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the service was fast and friendly, if not friendlier than the Chinatown Matchbox. The food was also just as good as any I'd had in Chinatown. I didn't order the pizzas, but my fellow diners seemed to enjoy every last bite of the ones they ordered (sopressata and wild mushroom, veggie, and Q special). They looked nice and crispy-charred and fresh from the oven. I ordered the Chicken Muffeletta with a side salad instead of chips. The sandwich contained chicken, serrano ham, provolone, spinach, and olive tapenade on focaccia bread. I was nervous that the tapenede would be overpowering to the rest of the components, but it wasn't at all. The whole thing was a bit greasy, but that's my only complaint. The side salad was fresh and delicious. No one left hungry, that's for sure.

I can't wait to go back for happy hour or dinner to see what the nightlife is like there. There were a decent amount of people there for lunch so it looks like their reputation has preceded them. Viva la Matchbox!

Matchbox Rockville
1699 Congressional Pike (@ Congressional Plaza)
Rockville, MD 20852
301.816.0369

Mussel Bar

Last night we ventured to the hip new Bethesda joint Mussel Bar to see what all the hype is about. We got there at 7pm on a Thursday and there was an hour wait, which luckily we had expected and planned for, having told our third dining companion to meet us there at 8pm. We put our names in and went next door to the new American Tap Room for a drink. This isn't a review of that place, but I'll just say that while the decor and live piano music are really cool, I'm skeptical of the food. I mean, light-up menus and check holders?? Cheese-tastic. Anywho, after a beverage (one Stella and one house Sauvignon Blanc), we went back to Mussel Bar to check on our reservation. Our table was ready and only 40 minutes of the hour had passed! Woot!

The Mussel Bar owners did a great job of transforming the former Levantes into a dark, woody, Belgian tavern. The only way to recognize that it was once the light and airy Levantes is by the location of the bar and kitchen. Everything else is completely different. We were nestled in a table next to the open-air kitchen and behind a giant refrigerator-wall of beers that separates the main dining area from a separate little enclave of tables. It was very loud due to the bar crowd, but that didn't prevent us from being able to hear each other. In fact, I forgot about the noise as soon as I got my menu.

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Eating Our Way Across Barcelona

I spent 4 days in Barcelona earlier this month in a quick jaunt to paradise. Of course Don and I spent most of our time eating and drinking our way across the city, stopping at all the sights on the way. Barcelona is known for several things: Gaudi's amazing architecture, its nightlife that doesn't even start til after midnight, and it's delicious food and drink. Pretty much every meal we ate consisted of pig in some form or another, not something I'd ever complain about but I never thought I'd be missing a turkey sandwich so much! Before I get back to posting recipes, I thought I'd share a few of the food-related pictures with ya'll.

Bunnies at the Mercat de La Boqueria

These goats are judging you

Breakfast fit for kings: ham croquetas, truita (potato/egg frittata), and sunny-side up eggs on the front plate, a veggie omelette on the back left plate, and fresh bread rubbed with a tomato/olive oil spread. YUM!

Clams, calamari, and sangria by the sea!

Sleepy in Seattle

You didn't really think I'd go through my trip to Seattle without a restaurant review, did you?? Of course not.

I apologize it's not more entertaining, but I am still on east coast time and am quite tired. Rather than go to the famous sushi joint recommended by a coworker, I hopped across the street from my hotel to Bahn Thai, a restaurant recommended by the front desk lady. It did have decent yelp reviews, though.

I ordered Vegetarian Spring Rolls to start which, incidentally, contain prawns. I get the sense that prawns are pretty big at this restaurant considering everything on the menu can be made with them. The spring rolls were made with lettuce, bean sprouts, some other good crunchy stuff, and (minimal) prawns in a rice wrapper, served with a spicy peanut sauce. Down the hatch!

For my meal I ordered the Tom Kah Pug, which is a spicy coconut soup with mixed veggies and tofu. I ordered it with 3 stars of spice (the scale went from 1 to 5 so I decided to play it safe in the middle). It had the perfect level of heat: just enough to made your nose run but not so much that you are interrupting other diners with your sniffles (ahem, dude at the table next to me). Is it gross that I measure spiciness by how much I need a tissue? Anyway... the soup also had a great flavor beyond the spice but the tanginess got to be a bit much for me; I didn't finish all the broth but I did fish all the veggies out. Somewhere between bites 10 and 15 I karate chopped my water directly onto my phone. So far, it still works! Score.

Overall Bahn Thai was enjoyable but not as good as the Thai I've had in Wheaton. If you're in Seattle near the Space Needle and have a hankerin' for some curry, check it out. Sorry about the lack of pictures but it was a dark and intimate space with several cute couples enjoying a quiet meal. I didn't want to be that girl.

Bahn Thai

409 Roy Street

Seattle, WA 98109

Kansas City BBQ

BBQ sauce in the top left, Boulevard Wheat beer, ketchup that remained untouched, Pulled Pork and Ham Sandwich, Fries

I'm not usually a huge barbecue* person, but from what I hear, Kansas City-style is something to try. According to Wiki, "Kansas City barbecue is characterized by its use of different types of meat... along with its sweet and tangy sauces which are generally intended for liberal use." Sounds good to me!

*For the record, I just learned that barbecue is correctly spelled with a "c" and not a "q." I assumed BBQ --> barbeque. Not so.

I asked the concierge to recommend an authentic BBQ joint relatively close to the hotel and without a pause he said "Jack Stack." He said that not only is it the best (in his humble opinion) but it happens to be less than a mile from the hotel I'm at. After some brief research from my hotel room, I decided that I'd trust his opinion and check it out.

The area of Kansas City I'm in is really great. I'm right near the Power and Light District, which is an area filled with bars, restaurants, and music venues. There's the huge Sprint Center (where Daughtry is playing tonight, puke), then an outdoor stage called KC Live! that seems pretty cool. To get to Jack Stack, I walked through what appeared to be a sort of artsy district down to the Freight House, which has a bunch of hip restaurants including said barbecue joint.



I sat outside despite the ominous clouds and stormy breeze and enjoyed a local Boulevard Wheat beer while reading a magazine and awaiting my meal. With advice from the waiter, I ordered The Hatfield sandwich, which is your choice of two barbecue meats served on a french roll with a side of fries. Choices of meats for the sandwich included beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey, and smoked ham; I chose the pulled pork and ham and asked for the spicy barbecue sauce. The food came out unfortunately fast but I was hungry so it was okay. Had I been dining with friends we probably would have been annoyed.

The meat had a delicious smoky flavor and the roll was a great combo of crunchy-soft. The barbecue sauce was uhhhhhhmazing. It definitely had a ketchup base but had a great tangy flavor, a hint of sweetness, and a good kick to boot. I drenched my sandwich in the sauce -- heck, the Wikipedia article told me to do it and I can't say no to them -- and ended up dipping all my fries in it as well. I took half the sandwich home, along with a requested to-go cup of spicy sauce. I plan to eat this before the evening is out.

A closer look at the yummy meat

I wish I had something to which I could compare this barbecue, but I haven't tried any other famous barbecue restaurants in the south/midwest, let alone in Kansas City. Barbecue roadtrip, anyone??

Regardless, I highly recommend a stop at one of the Jack Stack locations if you ever get to Kansas City! Oh, and definitely check out the KCP&L district (as they seem to call it here).

Home tomorrow night!!!

Hot and Humid in Houston

I haven't posted in a while and am away for work until the wee hours of Thursday morning without access to any of my food pictures, but that won't stop me from writing something about food.

Until this evening, my food on this trip has consisted of Chipotle (chicken fajita salad) and a $5 footlong from Subway (turkey and ham). Booooooring. I got the scoop from a Houston inhabitant who told me that I had to check out Hungry's in Rice Village, which appears to be the little restaurant/shopping district near the Rice University campus. I have to admit, I wasn't too impressed with the area, but Hungry's was definitely a gem. I also don't have much to go on besides the three streets I drove down so perhaps I drove down the wrong ones. No offense, Rice U fans. In your defense, Hungry's was delicious!

They have another location in Houston but I can't say anything about that because my experience with this city is limited to the past 27 hours. The one I went to is a cute art deco-ish style building with a nice looking patio, on which I totally would have eaten if it weren't 90 degrees and humid. They serve typical American cafe fare with a Mediterranean flair. Burgers, sandwiches and salads seem to be the big hits, with each section containing several Greek-style menu options (hummus, lamb, and feta cheese are major players here).

I ordered the jalepeno hummus appetizer and the Mediterranean wrap, then took them back to my hotel room to enjoy in my pj's. The hummus was creamy and flavorful but not as jalepeno-ey as I had hoped. The only hint of spice was tasted when I ate the two jalepeno slices that garnished the dish. No harm though, I heart hummus. It was served with warm pita and crunchy cucumbers. The wrap consisted of lamb and beef gyro meat with tomatoes, onions, lettuce and "Grecian sauce" served on a whole wheat pita. Quite delicious, and I'm hoping that because it was a wrap, it was healthy. At least that's what I'm telling myself. It was served with an iceberg wedge salad in Greek feta dressing, which I didn't try because iceberg wedges do not appeal to me in the slightest. Also, I was full from housing a bowl of hummus and a gyro wrap.

I know this review is probably meaningless to most of my readers who live in the DC area, but just bear with me. I'm bored here in Houston. And hey, if you happen to be in the Medical District of Houston anytime soon, now you have a place to eat that isn't fast food!

Off to Kansas City, MO tomorrow... Perhaps I'll try out some of this famous BBQ they have and blog about it. I know you're on the edge of your seats!

Sticky Rice

Yesterday I had a particularly rough day at work and was in no cooking mood, so we trekked into DC to try out Sticky Rice, a sushi joint on H St. NE. They are known for their funky sushi and tater tots. I can't say no to tots. I should have guessed that the rest of the food would not be very authentic, but for some reason I was expecting something different than what I got.

We arrived around 7:45, and they told us the wait would be 45 minutes to an hour. They said they'd call my cell when our table was ready (I love restaurants that do this!) so we headed a couple doors down to Granville Moore, another place I REALLY need to eat at, for some Belgian beer. After a drink we headed back to check the status of our table and upon being told that it would still be a while, ordered a glass of wine at the bar. Ended up running into friends who had separately decided to trek to Sticky Rice from MoCo on the same night!

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8407 KitchenBar

Last night I jumped on the proverbial bandwagon and headed down to 8407 in Silver Spring to try what everyone else has been raving about (here, here, here, here, you get the point). We went kinda on a whim, even though I've secretly been scheming on how to get there since the day it opened. We wanted a more casual dinner (read: a little cheaper) so we chose a table near the bar rather than heading up to the main dining room.

The decor is posh without being too pretentious, if possible. The whole front of the restaurant (both the bar and the upstairs dining room) is lined with floor-to-ceiling windows. On the first floor, a few of these windows were slightly opened to bring in some of the fresh night air. I did notice, though, that expanding foam is still showing along the edges of the windows. Hopefully they're just not 100% done with construction because it does not add to the ambiance.

We each ordered a drink from the cocktail menu: a mojito for me and a "8407 Pimm's" for Don. Don's drink was made with Pimms, Hendricks gin, cucumber, mint, and ginger and was served with a skewered cucumber slice. My mojito came with rock candy, which always brings me back to Long Island, going to Old Bethpage with my parents. I loved that place. But I digress... Very delicious drinks and lovely presentation!

To eat, I ordered the tuna tartare appetizer, which was served over a paper-thin slice of pineapple and drizzled in a pineapple/cilantro glaze. I think (it's not listed on the online menu). Either way, the tuna was melt-in-your-mouth good and the sauce gave it a nice kick. I also ordered a side dish of the spaetzle gratin with smoked gouda and bacon. OMG. I would eat that every day of my life if I could. Don ordered the grilled chicken monterey jack cheese sandwich with chipotle aioli and avocado relish, served on a fresh kaiser bun. The sandwich was way above average for a chicken sandwich, but also not something that you couldn't get elsewhere. However, it was served with duck fat fries. I will travel far and wide for duck fat fries. They are amazing.

Overall I would highly recommend 8407 and perhaps next time we will dabble with their entrees to get a better feel for the place. When we first arrived, there were a lot people drinking in the lounge who I assume were leftovers from happy hour, which I will certainly be attending one day soon.

8407 KitchenBar
8407 Ramsey Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 587-8407

New Kam Fong, Wheaton

After hearing much hype about New Kam Fong in Wheaton, we decided to check it out with some friends on Friday night. The decor definitely lived up to the reviews: bright, large dining room with various poultry hanging in a glass display case by the bar. We had to wait about 10 minutes for our table; not bad at all for a weekend evening at 7:30. The service was quick and friendly. The alcohol selection was subpar but not unusual for a Chinese dive. A couple white wine options (both chardonnay), a couple red wine options, 4-5 beers, and no liquor as far as I could tell. At least they had Tsing Tao!

We ordered crabmeat fried wontons, wontons in hot oil sauce, and pan-fried vegetable dumplings to start. The crabmeat wontons were tasty but overloaded with cream cheese to the point that I barely tasted crab. The wontons in hot oil sauce were highly recommended in reviews but were underwhelming in flavor. The shrimp pieces were large and fresh, the wonton wrapper was perfectly textured, but the "hot" oil sauce was bland. I was expecting something spicier considering the title of the dish and the fact that it had a pepper icon next to it. The vegetable dumplings, however, were excellent. The dough was nice and doughy but not too much so. The filling had actual, visible, vegetables in it unlike the pureed mush I often find in veggie dumplings.

For our meals, we all shared Buddha's Chow Foon (sauteed wide noodles with mixed veggies and tofu), Buddha's Delight Boneless Duck, Lamb with Bean Curd Skin Casserole, and a chicken with crispy noodle dish, the name of which I can't remember. One of the diners is allergic to shrimp if you were curious why we ordered two "Buddha's" dishes. No shrimp in those bad boys. The chow foon was flavorful, if not a little slimy for my liking. The boneless duck was severely lacking in duck; there may have been 7 or 8 bite-size pieces in the entire thing. The lamb was served piping hot in a cast-iron pot. I enjoyed the combination of spices, but not everyone did. There were also little pieces of bone swimming in the sauce that were impossible to find until you bit down on them. We liked the crispiness of the noodles in the last dish, but that's about all I enjoyed in it.

The portions were great, especially considering how inexpensive everything was. The couple we dined with took home the leftovers which amounted to at least half of what we were served. They planned on reviving the food at home with a healthy dose of sriracha.

I want to trust the good reviews I've heard so I will give New Kam Fong a second chance, but my first impression was that the dishes were super oily with a lack of overall flavor and substance. Perhaps I don't know what "good Cantonese food" is, but if this is it I'm not sure that I want to eat it! Sorry to all those that love this place! Please suggest dishes I should try next time!

New Kam Fong

2400 University Blvd.

Wheaton, MD 20902

301-933-6388

Cava Rockville

We've been trying to get to this Greek Mezze (small plate) restaurant for quite some time and finally made it out there on Saturday night. Before I go further, I will say that it certainly did not disappoint. I highly recommend this place, especially for larger groups as you can order even more dishes to share across the table. Everything we had was fabulous and cooked to perfection.

We've heard tales of how crowded Cava can be so we thought that we could get there at 6:30 and be okay. Who eats at 6:30 on Saturday night, anyway? Apparently, all of Rockville. There was a 40 minute wait when we got there around 10 after six but we managed to find a seat at the bar to have a glass of wine while we waited for our table.

The biggest downside of Cava is the ratio of restaurant size to the number of people who are obsessed with it. It's nestled in a strip mall off Shady Grove Road with a tiny entrance area, long bar with tables for two along the side, and a more open dining room in the back. Tables are squished together quite close in the dining room so that you have to squeeze sideways past diners to get to yours (and if you're me, you probably had your ass hovering over someone's souvlaki). The closeness ended up being not so bad, as we had a few laughs with the table next to us. Good booze and great food breeds jovial patrons.

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