On eating alone

Some people have a hard time going to a restaurant and eating alone.  But I quite enjoy it! 

I sit at the bar, people watch and happily enjoy a favorite dish I don't have to share.  If you are visiting DC may I suggest the octopus at Zaytinya?  They do an outstanding job! 

Many friends who have told us "oh, I don't like octopus!" have changed their mind after sampling it here.   If you go, let me know what you think.

Unexpected Surprise

Tonight D & I shared a meal at a local Spanish tapas bar in Oxford.  Truthfully, it was nice to eat my favorite foods again.  There are just so many meat pies a girl can eat!  

At the end of the meal, the owner came by to check on us and we began chatting in Spanish.  I mentioned that I was looking for a nice brandy or dry sherry to send my meal.  Next thing I knew he returned with steaming hot water and began twirling my brandy glass to gently heat it.  I've never seen that done but he assured me it was the "proper" way to drink brandy.  I don't know if I'd go to that much work in the future but it sure was good!  

New Dim Sum in DC!

I have been craving some good dim sum lately.  I remember taking the kids to a little place in DC's Chinatown full of bustling carts, smells of Hong Kong, and large round tables with lazy susans.  Sadly, it's been knocked down to make room for a high-rise apartment building.

So I decided to google dim sum DC and see if there was someplace still serving dim sum with carts.  Alas!  Let me just say, I love 'the google'!  and I love my neighborhood!  Just down 14th Street, I found dim sum mecca!  

Every day, from 10am to 3pm, Da Hong Pao serves traditional dim sum with push carts.  To me, that's the best part.  You see what they're serving and you point.  Makes it easy when you don't know Chinese or what the dishes are.   

I'm going to have to go back for dinner.  The menu has over 300 items.  Including whole Peking duck, countless noodle dishes, and every possible protein.  Come on, they have an entire menu section dedicated to abalone and sea cucumber for crying out loud!  Not to mention the goose feet, jellyfish, duck tongue, frog... just to name a few delicacies.  Or, you can order fresh lobster or fish from the fish tank near the entrance.  They'll pluck it straight from the water for your meal. So what are you waiting for?  

Go!   I highly recommend the smoked duck.

at Da Hong Pao, 1409 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005   

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