DC Trip

Last weekend Jeff and I hopped a plane to DC to visit his parents.  As usual, we spent a lot of time seeing the sites and finding good things to eat.  We especially enjoyed the Capitol Hill food tour we booked through DC Metro Food tours.  I figured a recap was in order, so read on to hear about it!

First stop:  Capitol Hill Tandoor & Grill

They started us off with tamatar shorba soup.  It was tomato-y and flavored very nicely.  The second plate came out with chicken jalfraizi, some rice, and some uber delicious naan that was baked fresh just for our group.  Everything was great, but I would totally go back just to eat the naan.

Second Stop:  Cava Mezze

There was quite the selection of food at this stop; in fact, it was way more than I expected.  We started out with pita bread that could be dipped in some pretty spicy harisa or olive oil and was served with some olives.  We hadn't been sitting there long when two servers brought out some cheese and proceeded to light it on fire.  Talk about a cool show!  They call it saganaki and it was melty and fantastic(and a little cute... who doesn't like little cast iron skillets?!).  For a main course we sampled a lamb kapama... aka braised lamb shoulder with orzo and some cheese.  We finished off with fried Brussels sprouts with a yogurt sauce.  I know, it sounds gross... but it was actually quite tasty.  All in all, I really enjoyed this stop.

Third Stop:  Zest American Bistro

Only one dish here, but that was all I needed to know it was a great place to eat.  We had braised short rib atop cheesy grits in gravy.  The short rib was tender and the grits were so nice and cheesy that I forgot I was eating grits.  I'd love to have this dish again.

Fourth stop:  Lavagna

We stopped here for dessert before the group parted ways.  We had tiramisu and limoncello.  I was expecting a more cakey-looking tiramisu and was surprised when the server brought it out in little dessert cups.  It was borderline pudding-y and overall I found that texture really worked for it.  The flavor was just right and I devoured mine before Jeff was halfway through with his.  We finished up with the limoncello.  It was just okay in my opinion, but I also don't like lemon flavored things in general since it reminds me of dish soap and cleaners.  Jeff, on the other hand, loves lemon flavored things and thought it was delightful.

I'd dare to say this food tour was the highlight of our trip and we would definitely recommend it to others.  Our tour was composed of people of all kinds(locals, travelers, small groups, solo) so check it out if you're in the area!