A Delicious Return to Nam-Viet

On our last visit to Nam-Viet we learned that they would be closing down for a week for renovations. Of course knowing that we wouldn't be able to go for a WHOLE WEEK meant we were super eager to get back in when the reopened.

Honey Pig - My Adventure with Korean Barbeque

I've always been curious about Korean cuisine but never adventurous enough to try and penetrate it by myself. I've had great authentic home-cooked Korean food before and enjoyed it thoroughly. But without knowing what anything was called, its tough to go to a restaurant and order blindly. I've also had a few bad experiences with Kimchi, a staple condiment of the cuisine, so was not eager to repeat that. Luckily a co-worker and friend who happens to be of Korean descent knew of a great place called Honey Pig in Annandale (7220 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 21003) that she has taken friends before. A small group of us went, a mix of experienced Korean food eaters and novices, and it was truly a great eating experience. 

Nam-Viet - Raising the Bar on Vietnamese Cuisine

I eat at the next place I want to talk about fairly regularly with co-workers. When I first came to the Courthouse area, I had already taken my first steps into the world of Vietnamese cuisine while I was in college at a restaurant in Fredericksburg that has since closed. A co-worker who was a big fan of international cuisine told me he had a great place to try and I was totally hooked. It's one of the all-time best kept secrets of Clarendon (1127 North Hudson Street, Arlington VA), and a fantastic treat whether you are new to Vietnamese or a Siracha-seasoned veteran. I can honestly say I have never had a bad meal here, and that comfort has allowed me to branch out and try several choices on the menu that I may not otherwise have tried.

A Different Burger Choice This Time

Now that I'm back to talking about food in Arlington, I thought I'd do a short post on a burger I've been meaning to try at Ri Ra, and finally decided to take the plunge on. In one of my previous posts on Ri Ra, I mentioned that Wednesday is half-price burger day, so I decided to forego my usual (the delicious Guinness BBQ burger) and try the chili cheese burger.

Barney's Beanery - A Study in Contrasts

My last post about a place we visited in Santa Monica. For our final night we just wanted to chill, drink some beer, grab a little food, watch some Olympics on the TV and enjoy a place with good atmosphere. Barney's Beanery was recommended to us so we decided to check it out. The place is in the 3rd Street Promenade, which was a pretty cool place to just hang out and people watch. There were street performers and other goings-on, the weather was great, it wasn't a bad cap to a cool vacation. They apparently have a few other locations in the greater Los Angeles area.

Rosti Tuscan Kitchen

Continuing our trek through the Santa Monica area, we made plans to meet up with some local friends at another area eatery by the name of Rosti Tuscan Kitchen. I was immediately excited about this place because I checked them out online before we went and found a ton a great stuff on the menu. It worked out great as both our friends are vegan, and this place has special vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free menus. This may have been the most anticipated restaurant of our trip for me.

Tony P's Dockside Grill - Excellent Views, Great Brews

While continuing our trip to Santa Monica, we met up with some local friends in Marina del Rey. There we dined at the interesting Tony P's Dockside Grill. Far and away the best thing about this place is the location and its view. Being right on the water and overlooking the marina and the boats has its advantages and the large covered patio is certainly the choice spot here. It was a great spot to meet and catch up with friends.

Santa Monica's True Food Kitchen - Not a Judgement Free Zone

So I'm on vacation with my favorite wife out in Santa Monica, CA and we hit the local food joints about as soon as I got off the plane and got to the hotel. She's been out here for a few days already for a business conference, so a friend recommended True Food Kitchen a few blocks from our hotel. Its a neat place that has a lot of natural food, veggie, vegan, and gluten-free offerings. For this east coaster, it was a bit of a culture shock, but we dove right in.

The Best Thai Food. Period.

So when I first got my job in the Courthouse area of Arlington, a few of my coworkers took me to Sawatdee in Courthouse Plaza (2250 Clarendon Blvd. Arlington, VA). I fell in love. Its the single best Thai restaurant I've ever had. I eat here close to once a week and in my years coming I have yet to have a disappointing meal. If they do a dish, they do it well. Period. I could order anything on the menu, and have never had it, and would expect it to be perfect. It encouraged me to try some new things I maybe wouldn't have tried, because I knew they never half-ass anything. But I've also developed my favorites that I love, so expect to hear me talk about this place multiple times.

Ocean Prime in Downtown Denver

Continuing my short trip in Denver, I went to the local Ocean Prime, a cool place in the historic Larimer Square block of downtown Denver (1465 Larimer St. Denver, CO). Dubbing themselves the "Modern American Supper Club," this is one of nine locations this successful restaurant group boasts, having started in Columbus, OH.

Denver's DiCicco's

This will be my first post while traveling. I'm in Denver, CO for a business trip over two nights, so I had a chance to visit a place that was highly recommended both by the internet and the hotel staff (helps that its probably the only non-chain in walking distance. The place is called DiCicco's and its a family-owned Italian restaurant out here near the airport. The have another location in Arvada, CO as well. I brought a party of around 10 and a good time was had by all.

Fire Works in Courthouse

Fire Works is a relatively new edition to my section of the Courthouse neighborhood from the owners of the Tuscarora Mill out in Leesburg (which I've heard good things about but have not had the pleasure of sampling yet). When they built the new Courtyard hotel on that end of Courthouse Plaza, they included a big space for restaurant on the first floor (2350 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington, VA). When we got word that a wood-fired grill pizza place was opening up there, I got really excited. As it turns out, the place makes some dynamite pizza, and their varieties are as fantastic as they are unique & innovative.