Food Truck Friday

As I mentioned in the previous blog I have been in D.C. for the past month and I have had the opportunity to visit the monuments and a few of the Smithsonians , which are pretty cool and free :). I have also had the opportunity to dine out and try different things, but nothing really worth writing about. However, I have found culinary inspiration from what I have dubbed "Food Truck Fridays" . For the past few Fridays during lunch, I stop by the U.S. Department of Agriculture farmer's market  for some fresh kettle corn ( yum!) and then I walk over to the food trucks.....sigh!

The farmer's market and food trucks are a great conclusion to my week and this little outing allow me to enjoy the great weather, fresh  air ( from being inside all day) and the people. I love walking down the row as I look at what each truck has to offer for the day, and each truck is distinct in their cuisine and look, and I love it! The first week I tried the cheeseteak truck, which was pretty good and the second week I tried the Korean truck and got a bulgogi rice bowl ( Korean beef BBQ) and it was pretty good. I also enjoy watching the many people sitting on the grass and anywhere there is a seat hanging out and enjoying their lunch selection as well.

 

Each week I try to eat something different in an attempt to live outside of the box. This Friday, I am not sure what the selection of the day might be but I will be sure to let you know!

Day 4: Repeat Offender!

On my last night in the big city, I decided I wanted to go back ( yes!!) to Founding Farmers and try something different. I will admit, I usually try different places when I go out of town, but when I like something I just stick with it for a minute. Although, I was tempted to get the chicken and waffles again, I looked over the menu and at what the people next to me were dinning on and I decided............

I finally selected the pot roast (pictured above) with veggies and gravy over a bed of mashed potatoes and it was great! The pot roast was so tender that it was falling off the fork and on my shirt. Plus the seasoning was delayed in a sense because it hit my taste buds in waves ( I am so serious!). To add on, the two ladies that I was with selected the beef short ribs and the pork ribs and OMG.....the bones were sliding out the meat because it was so tender and well seasoned. Needless to say, I was more than happy ( again) with my dinning experience at Founding Farmers, and the service was great as usual. 

(Beef short ribs)

After dinner we walked the mile or so to Yogen Fruz.....mmmmmm! If you have not tried their yogurt please, please, please do so! It is the next best thing to Smoothie King, "The Chick" aka Chick-fil-A, and great wine. What I mean is that it is very consistent and no matter what city I am in , I always experience it as if it was my first time and it is deelish! What makes it so great is that you can have the yogurt with fresh fruit on it or you can do what I do , which is have them mix the fruit in with the yogurt to create your own creation. The best part is, the color of the yogurt depends on your topping and my favorite creation is mango, strawberry and pineapples.....try it and let me know!!

(http://susanslacktasteofcarolina.files.wordpress.com Picture)

Day 3: A Site to See

As the week winds down, I finally had the opportunity to visit the new MLK memorial. This experience is definitely one for the books and something that can and should be considered "life changing" for several reasons: 1) its not just black history but American history; 2) this is the first national monument in the national mall dedicated to a non-president and African-American ; and 3) the design and concept is amazing, and fitting to who Dr.King was and what he did.

When I entered the historic site, I noticed families from across the country and world, and at that moment I felt proud to know that people are really supportive and interested in this rare monument. It was also awesome to see that the monument depicts a mountain that the statue of Dr. King broke out from, which holds true to the quote on the side that says "out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope". Then as you walk along the back wall there are several quotes from Dr. King's speeches.....just awesome!

Not to get on my "soap box" but this piece of history , as well as the other monuments and DC sites, is something that everyone needs too see at least once in their lifetime. So many people (including yours truly) spend time and money at Disney and other vacation destinations but never take time to visit history. Sadly, this is why we have a generation of children who do not know who they are because they do not know where they came from. As I began to reflect on the the history of DC I realized that I have not made time to see everything but I have seen more than some. I also realized that my job and travels have afforded and blessed me the opportunity to experience more than I could ever imagine and I am still experiencing!

I said all that to say, that we all came from a "mountain" that we might not have ultimately selected for our lives or are proud of  but the question is........what are you/have you done to be that "stone" of hope that stands out from the norm?

(Mountain that the statue emerged from is in the background)

(wall of quotes)

Day 2: A Scoop of Grits and an Earthquake

Well......by now everyone has heard about the DC 5.8 earthquake on Tuesday (8/23/11) at 1:51 pm. This day and time will forever be etched in my life for two reasons : a scoop of crab grits and the earthquake.

In hindsight I realized that I was destined to be in DC to experience the quake, and as a result I realized I have experienced a few acts of nature such as a snowstorm, hurricane, tornado, sandstorm, monsoon and the most recent earthquake. During the mist of the later one, I was in training in a hotel basement ( 3 floors down) thinking "is this really what I think it is" or "is this a low flying plane or a bunch of people running upstairs" ( crazy, I know). Even worse, is this chandelier going to fall. Needless to say I was terrified but grateful that it was not worse.

Thinking back, one of the worst parts was not being able to talk to my mom, but I was able to text ( go AT&T!!!) to let people know I was alright ( thanks for the concern folks!!). An hour later things calmed down , the phone lines cleared up and all was well with the world (at least mine). However, as I reflect I realize that tomorrow or the next moment is not promised and we must enjoy today as if it is our last, and I'm proud to say that for the most part I do!!!

( Hotel evacuation after the earthquake)

On a lighter note, I had the opportunity to dine at BusBoys and Poets, which at best can be described as eclectic because of the food, bookstore, gift shop and open mic events they host. As usual I read the reviews and checked out the menu for my dinner adventure. After browsing the menu I decided on the crab cakes, crab grits (yes!!) and veggies. Now.....if you are like me, I prefer to have an even portion of grits to meat (I'm just saying...). Instead, when my plate arrived I had 2 crab cakes and a scoop of grits ...and my face and I said "WTH!!!"..... and I was not a happy camper ( yes, I was too upset and distracted to take a picture, sorry).

Finally, I expressed my displeasure to the waitress and she explained another scoop was extra ($5.95) and I explained to her that I wanted plain grits (no crab) and she said they only made them during the week with crab (again, WTH!!). Finally, I decided to let go of what I could not change, order a salad and enjoy my meal. Overall, the crab cakes and grits were excellent, just know to order an appetizer and/or salad first :). I will say by the time I walked the mile back to my hotel, I was hungry.


.....and there you have the tale of "a scoop of grits and an earthquake".

(http://www.shirlingtonrealestate.com/ picture)

Day 1: The Verdict

Greetings!! Did you miss me???!! Well I missed you! As I mentioned, last week I had the pleasure of traveling to the great city of Washington, DC. During the week I had a few experiences that will be broken up in several blogs. This entry can be considered "Day 1" and the others will follow in that order.

On Monday, I had the pleasure of dinning at Founding Farmers restaurant, which is an upscale farm to table kind of place. With that said, everything ( and I mean everything) is made from scratch and the difference is very noticeable and worth the wait, experience and price. Other than the rude host, the food and service was excellent.

(Picture from Blogspot.com)

My dinner selection consisted of chicken, waffles , mac and cheese, asparagus and homemade lemonade....deelish! Even the ketchup was made from scratch, and it was good. While waiting on my food, like most people, I like looking around to see what other people are ordering so I can get ideas for next time.... and to my surprise, everything looked great! The best part after dinner was I did not feel "nasty" and full after I ate, which was a good thing because my group and I walked about 2 miles to Georgetown to partake in the infamous "DC" or Georgetown Cupcake.

If you are a TLC fan, you have seen the show and the loooooong line to get one. So at 8:45pm (they close at 9:00pm), we dared to stand in line to sample what some call the best cupcake in town. Of course I instantly thought about Cami Cakes! Once I got in the door I placed an order for red velvet and a chocolate coconut. Now, I will say the coconut was different but pretty good and very moist. The red velvet was good as well.....but head for head Cami Cakes has a better red velvet and overall technique to cooking their cupcake. However, I dare to say by the never ending line of people ( including tourist from all over) that DC Cupcakes could be one of the best in DC.... But as you know my heart and appetite has been stolen by the one and only....Cami Cakes!!!! The hunt continues.....