Dirt Cheap (and Delicious!) Dim Sum

For our November meal, in anticipation of the holiday season ahead, including a December month that would involve both a birthday and a very important FDP anniversary, we decided to search for something cheap and casual. Fun was also key, of course, and somehow the idea of dim sum brunch got came up as a potential solution to our needs. We consulted our imaginary boyfriend Tom Sietsema (food writer of the WaPost and unwitting soulmate of the FDPs) and found mention of a tiny Chinese spot in Annandale that he enjoyed. Its name was A&J Restaurant and it boasted small plates, dim sum all day, and foot-long, deep-fried breadsticks. Sold!
On a sunny November morning, the FDPs made the trek out to Annandale (a mecca for all foods Asian, see Honey Pig blog for further details of this delicious neighborhood). A&J is indeed tiny and tucked away in a building that also holds a Chinese grocery store, bakery, and video store. Blink and you’d miss it, although the gentleman selling dim sum treats out of a truck in the front parking lot was a sure sign we were in the right place. Once inside the small, simple restaurant, we were seated fairly quickly with no reservation (they don’t accept them) after a brief delay caused by our need to fetch cash (they also don’t accept plastic). When we were finally settled, we were presented with menus. Unlike many dim sum experiences, at A&J, you circle your choices (sushi-style) instead of ordering from a chart. Luckily, they provide descriptions next to the items so there is no guessing involved. A&J does not serve alcohol, so we sipped tea as we perused the extensive menu. We started with the breadsticks, which are pretty much just as described, not terribly exciting but enough to satiate us while we waited for the rest of our dishes. The wait was very short, though, and in a manner of minutes, plates began arriving. We started with a dish billed as “smoked chicken” which quickly earned raves from the table for its incredible juiciness and intense smoky flavor. We also began with a light seaweed and bean sprout salad in a garlic and vinegar sauce and a lightly crispy scallion pancake, which was delicious in its own right but also added a nice texture variation from the other dishes on the table. These were followed by fried pork potstickers, steamed pork buns, and steamed veggie dumplings. The steamed items were certainly tasty, but (no surprise) the fried potstickers pleased us the most, with the yummy crispy outside giving way to tender, juicy pork inside. Delicious! Finally, we tried the “5-Spice Spareribs” which come in a clay pot and are literally smothered in a spice rub that is quite intense, at once both sweet and slightly smoky. It was a bit hard to find the meat under all of the rub, and you had to be careful to chew around the bone, but the FDPs aren’t afraid to work for our food. Finally, we ordered one last dish—a “sweet” to finish. We ordered buns with a red bean and pine nut paste in the middle, which were full of flavor but not sugary, and just sweet enough to finish the meal.
We know that you must be reading all of this and thinking, but oh! All that food! The bill! As we leaned back from the table, bellies full and very content, we awaited the damage. Imagine our joy when our bill came and we realized that (including tax and tip) this veritable feast came to $11 a person! We exulted over our successful discovery of a ridiculously affordable and delicious meal. While reaching this destination certainly requires a trek outside of the city, and you have to be sure to bring cash and check your hankering for a mimosa at the door, for an authentic and inexpensive Chinese brunch without much (ok, any) fanfare, the FDPs give A&J three oinks.

Pizza Pics

I want some damn Ice Cream!

October is here and in anticipation of the expensive upcoming month of December (we have the FDP anniversary and an FDP birthday) we chose another value oriented place. Let me just preface this post by stating "You get what you pay for." That being said let's dig right into the Trough.

Comet Ping Pong has a fabulous idea- Ping Pong and yummy Pizza. The idea is fabulous and the pizza is yummy but there's a lot you'll have to tolerate while dining there. The first of them being children. Perhaps if you have children it wouldn't be so bad, but since none of us have any little piggies ourselves it's slightly annoying. Particularly when the child is continuously kicking the back of your booth and screaming and the mother does nothing to stop him. While there were tons of other children around, that one irked us the most. Second and third things to tolerate are crappy service and dirty dishes. Our original server brought over a dirty wine glass, a dirty water glass and dirty side plates to share our food on. After he quickly took them away and replaced them with somewhat cleaner ones he seemed to have quickly disappeared himself. Our food was brought out by another server then after that no one was to be seen for about 45 minutes. We approached the bartender, to order more wine of course, because no one was around to serve us. He grabbed a server for us, who promptly gave us our wine and who then promptly disappeared. One server took our dessert order and five minutes later another server asked us if we wanted to order dessert.....

But enough about cranky kids and lack of service. The food was actually pretty good. We started with a carafe of Chianti and an order of "Curtain Lady's Special" which was meatballs in red sauce. They were very flavorful and extremely moist. We got 5 large balls for only $5.95! Before diving into crusty, greasy heaven we decided we should have some salad (damn conscience). We went with the Chickpea salad, which was tasty and a little spicy, as well as the Greek Salad, which was a classic with feta and olives. As for the good stuff, we ordered 3 of the specialty pies. The first one was the "Steel Wills" which was topped with greens, fresh ricotta, garlic, olives and onions. The ricotta was good, but the greens needed a little more seasoning. The second pie was dubbed "The Ace." This one involved eggplant, garlic, onion, roasted peppers, tomato sauce and mozzarella. The ingredients all matched really well together and was a step up in the seasoning from the first pie. The last pie was by far our favorite, possibly because it had meat on it! "The Smoky" was covered with "smoky mushrooms, smoky gouda, smoky bacon, melted onions and garlic." We're not sure how they got everything so smoky, but we don't care. Believe it or not it was not overly smoky or salty and it was melt in your mouth delicious. The one good common factor between all of the pies was the nice crunchy crust. Oh and the prices, all ranged from $12-$16 on the menu.

We contemplated dessert while we waited and waited and waited for whoever was our server of the minute. After one piggy proclaimed that she "wanted some damn ice cream" we chose the "Tin Roof Sundae" which was vanilla ice cream with redskin peanuts and chocolate sauce. "Holy Crap" was the expression that simultaneously came out of our mouths after one bite. It was an incredible combination of sweet, salty, cold and warm and it made all of the screaming children, bad servers, and dirty dishes disappear.... for a moment!

While the food was tasty, the vibe was not. Factor in how far up town in DC it is we decided that it is not worth the trip. One can travel less far for much better pizza and service (such as 2 Amy's or Pizza Paradiso). For this reason we decided on 2 oinks (it was a debate between 1.75 and 2, you can thank the Tin Roof for the extra score). However, if you do find yourself on the 5000 block of Connecticut Ave NW we suggest heading next door, to their affiliate Buck's, for a comfy atmosphere and fun people.

Honey Pig-alicious

Honey Pig Gooldaegee Korean BBQ

For months we had been hearing about a mysterious Korean BBQ joint in Annandale that stayed open 24-hours and was supposed to be absolutely incredible--and with a name like ‘Honey Pig’, obviously we were intrigued. We were finally able to schedule a date to go in late September and hauled out to the ‘burbs on a Saturday evening, not quite sure what to expect. The restaurant is in a strip-mall laden section of Columbia Pike in Annandale and relatively non-descript, except for the giant cartoonish pig painted on the side of the building—a good sign. Upon arrival, we found the parking lot completely packed and had to search for spots in the adjoining neighborhood—another good sign.

We put our names on the list and after a short wait were escorted to our (tiny) table in the back of the restaurant. The place was PACKED with people, young and old, primarily Korean. Asian club music blasted from the speakers and every table had a sizzling grill of some delicious smelling meat cooking away. We squeezed around our table, ordered beers and attempted to read the menu, though it was a little confusing. The waitress had to come back twice asking for our order and we all gave each other panicked and confused looks until we finally pointed at a few things that looked interesting.

The waitress cranked up the grill situated in the middle of our table, and immediately began bringing an assortment of condiments and sauces. Kimchi of course, apple salad, mixed greens with a delicious light dressing, sesame oil, some kind of garlic dipping sauce and steamed white rice. For starters we ordered a seafood ‘pancake’ and bowl of cold soba noodle soup to share. The pancake was extremely tasty, perfectly crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and loaded with fresh seafood. The soba noodles were also very good, floating in a light broth and the perfect chewy consistency. For the main course, we ordered beef ribs and—surprise--pork belly. The beef came out first and the waitress deftly threw the meat on the flaming hot grill and went about cutting it into portions with heavy-duty scissors. After it cooked for a few moments, she added sliced onions and jalapenos to the grill. The beef was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious with our array of condiments and sticky white rice.

Next the thinly sliced pork belly was added to the grill to cook, along with a huge pile of kimchi. The pork was fried to the consistency of bacon and was also amazing, though at this point we were all extremely full. We struggled with the remaining portions, determined to finish everything because it just tasted so GOOD. At the end, the meal came to about $30 per person including tip—a fantastic deal for the quality and amount of food.

The ambiance is also something not to be overlooked; this place is intense. The music is loud, the people raucous, and the wait-staff run around between tables grilling meats and carrying huge platters of food. Sensory overload would be a good way to describe the scene and we mean that in the best way possible. The only drawbacks may be the close quarters of the tables, making it difficult to get comfortable (not to mention the teeny-tiny stools we had to sit on), and the fact that smoking is allowed in the restaurant, which we were not accustomed to. These things only seemed to add to the charm however, and we left feeling full, fat and happy. Honey Pig is worth the trip and I know we will be going back when that 2 am craving for Korean BBQ hits. 3 Oinks!

Meat-o-rama pictures

4 Little Piggies that love Cow...

MOOO!!! J

After having such wonderful success at Ray’s Hell Burger last year, we decided to up the ante for August, and head to Ray’s the Steaks in Arlington, VA. August is Melissa’s birthday month and her choice made us all very excited! The “Ray’s” restaurants have gained some recent notoriety, not only because of the Obama/Biden burger outing, but because they can hold their own against some long-time DC staples in both quality and atmosphere.

Ray’s the Steaks is modest in appearance with clean lines, white walls, and a skull and crossbones flag hanging in the kitchen—just so the kitchen staff knows who’s boss! There is no bar at Ray’s, but the hostess staff will provide beverages and wine while diners wait for their entire party before being seated. The waiting area is full of wine boxes, and huge wine racks holding some of Sommelier Mark Slater’s best beef pairings. While waiting for the rest of the piggies, I indulged in a glass of Italian Chianti, and settled in for a little people watching.

Once the others arrived, we were seated at a big dark wood table, and presented with our menus and the lengthy wine list. Let the drooling begin! Amanda immediately grabbed the wine list to make our first selection, while we perused the menu. The top of the menu features “butcher’s cuts” which are the finest of the day prepared with the Chef’s favorite and best ingredients. The rest of the menu includes appetizers, a small seafood selection (no fish for us please…only cow!) and a list of main steak entrees. All steaks come with complimentary creamed spinach and mashed potatoes, and the menu provides a small list of other sides to choose, including a piggie favorite, mac and cheese. Amanda chose the Anime Prosecco to start the meal, and we were off!

So here were the evening’s selections:

For appetizers we chose the steak tartar deviled eggs, butter-poached lump crabmeat with corn relish, and bacon-wrapped scallops. The steak tartar eggs were amazing, with a cool and tender tartar. The crabmeat was absolutely delicious with lemon and fresh corn, and the bacon wrapped-scallops were… well, wonderful scallops wrapped in bacon. How could you go wrong?

For entrees we each chose very different steak selections. Mine was a 9oz med-rare, (but more on the rare side…. I like mine very pink) filet wrapped, again, in bacon, with a buttery creamy béarnaise sauce. Kate chose a medium-rare sirloin with “Diablo Sauce,” a chipotle sauce with garlic and onions. It was delicious, albeit a little spicier than the server had let on. Amanda selected the Blue Devil, which was also a sirloin with Diablo sauce only topped with blue cheese and applesauce to combat the spice. Melissa chose the “Brazilian,” a strip steak with a chimichurri-esque sauce. All of the steaks were juicy, cooked to the perfect temperature and seasoned wonderfully. I honestly think, even though I grew up in the Midwest, that it was the best steak I’ve ever eaten. The creamed spinach was so good, even children (God forbid we ever have any little piggies) would eat it up and the mashed potatoes were creamy and fluffy. The mac and cheese was cheesy goodness and the perfect accompaniment to the meal. We paired the steaks with a Washington State Merlot called the Velvet Devil by Charles Smith. Normally we can hold our own but on this trip doggie bags were necessary! But now we had meat for steak and eggs in the morning!

For the birthday girl’s desserts, the wait staff brought us out key-lime pie and a chocolate mousse, both on the house, which brought a sweet and satisfying end to our protein-laden dinner. And with a generous tip included, our portions of the bill were less than $60 each, which makes Ray’s not only a stellar steakhouse, but an affordable one to boot.

Oink rating? We decided based that due to the casual-but-spot-on service and the top-notch quality of the meal to give this winning restaurant 4 oinks!

Stay tuned for September!!

July Dinner: The Piggies Get Crabby

For many people here in the DC area, summertime just would not be complete without at least one pilgrimage to Maryland’s shoreline to feast on crabs. When the FDPs began pondering our July meal, we were overcome by fantasies of ourselves cracking open succulent Chesapeake Bay blue crabs at a outdoor table along the water, our hair blowing in the cool sea breeze, the stresses and strains of the city seeming millions of miles away. Alas, we were quickly brought back to reality when we started attempting to coordinate our schedules for such an excursion. Busy gals that we are, finding time to get out of town was proving too difficult. But we couldn’t let go of the idea of a crab dinner. Thank heavens for Quarterdeck in Arlington—we realized that the best solution was to have the crabs come to us!

At Quarterdeck, they receive daily blue crab shipments from the Bay, and serve them up in a small, unassuming restaurant tucked away near Fort Myer in Rosslyn. You have to call ahead if you want crabs, so that they know what to order and reserve for your party. The FDPs did just that—we booked ourselves a dozen crabs, settled on a weeknight date, and we were all set. While it is not quite the same as sitting water-side, there are outdoor tables at Quarterdeck which, like the crabs, you should reserve in advance. Sadly, the rainy Monday night we were there meant we were forced to move to an indoor table, which was slightly smoky and a bit cramped. Once the menus were passed out and a pitcher of beer was ordered, though, our spirits rose. They cook the crabs when you arrive, so we knew we would be waiting a while for the main course. To tide us over, we ordered an array of appetizers: crab balls, chowder, steamed shrimp, onion rings, and garlic bread—all items were fairly average but they did the trick of keeping our grumbling stomachs happy. Chatting away as always, we hungrily gobbled everything up, eagerly anticipating the crabs that were soon to arrive. The wait was only about 30 minutes, and before we knew it, a dozen steaming hot crabs were dumped in a big pile in the middle of our table. We were given a gigantic pile of napkins, mallets, vinegar, Old Bay (of course), and butter (which we later realized comes with an extra charge, just FYI) and we got down to business of breaking off the legs, cracking into the shells, and extracting the crabmeat. As Amanda declared, this was definitely the hardest we’ve ever had to work for our dinner! But the sweet, fresh crabmeat inside was totally worth it. A short time later, fingers reeking of crab and Old Bay, our table a wreckage scene of crab-remnants, we surveyed the damage, picked bits of crabmeat out of our hair, and declared the night an unmistakable success. The bill made us even more pleased—the pitchers of beer (plus wine for Molly), appetizers, and crabs brought us to $35 apiece, including tip. No, our version of a crab-feast was not quite the picturesque scene that one envisions when thinking of Maryland crab season, but for four over-scheduled city girls craving a night of escape to the seaside, Quarterdeck more than delivered.

For fresh crabs without the Bay Bridge traffic, we give Quarterdeck 3 oinks!