The $2.50 hot dog stand was at 23rd/M NW today, so I ordered one with mustard and sauerkraut on my way to the Foggy Bottom Trader Joe’s. I like these hot dogs a little more than other DC hot dog stands and they’re also less expensive. A very personable Ethiopian woman has been running the stand for around 20 years, and it is open from Monday to Friday from morning Until 1pm or so. There’s a taco truck across the street as well. -JAY ..read more

Several of us were hangry in Georgetown when I remember that there was a relatively new (1 year old) Afghani kabob place I’ve been meaning to try, Kabul Castle Kabob. It is on the divey side — you order at the register, hold on to your numbered receipt, and grab a table. When they yell out your order, you go and pick your tray up. Sambosa, Spinach, & Lamb Chops.Lamb Kabob, Spinach, & Bread.Grilling the Kabobs! Salmon, Eggplant, & Manto. We tried the Lamb Kabob, Lamb Chops, Salmon, Manto (Afghani dumplings), Sambosas, Spinach, and Eggplant. The food was very good, with the salmon be ..read more

Adana Kebab.Even the bar garnishes look great!Pirzola.Jewels Pilaf.Antep Baklava.Octopus & Baba GanoushMocktails.What the table across from us ordered. We recently tried the (soon to be seasonally updated for winter) dinner menu at the upscale Mediterranean restaurant, Ala, in DuPont Circle. The menu features updated versions of Mediterranean dishes (not including hummus). We ordered from the soon to be updated for the winter season dinner menu: Rumaan Nana (pomegranate & mint iced tea) and Levantine Wonderland (orange, cherry, rose, lemon, baharat) mocktails: They were refreshing and ..read more

Upscale lounge/restaurant Mercy Me relaunched in West End last week, featuring the cuisine of various regions of South America. Mercy Me is under new ownership, with a new chef, Executive Chef Robert Curtis, who is supported by Brazilian Chef and consultant Giancarlo Junyent. Mercy Me has a nice upscale lounge kind of vibe and decor, with a good amount of space between tables. We enjoyed the music played in the restaurant, which interestingly enough, Shazam (a music identification app), was unable to identify. The restaurant features curated music through weekly analog DJ sets (Thursday ..read more

Arden’s Garden opened its first juice squeezing facility in 1995, and now has various storefronts throughout the greater Atlanta, GA area. This company is all about improving health through easy access to products made with fresh fruits and veggies and produces multiple day juice cleanse combos. They’re happy to ship their juices, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a variety of their products for review. My favorites in order were the Yoga One, Pineapple Apple Ginger, and Passionfruit Turmeric. I enjoyed the Lemonade Lavender and Complete Recovery (smoothie) as well. I was surprised I ..read more

Yunhan ZhangYunhan Zhang Displaying His Fan SkillsSammie Davis Jr. in the Gallery Downstairs I attended this morning’s free Chinese tea tasting at the Valley Brook Tea popup at the Ven Hotel (2015 Massachusetts Ave NW) in Dupont Circle. Yunhan Zhang is a wonderful host and is incredibly knowledgeable about tea (including its production and history). His family in China grows the tea he serves and sells. Yunhan will be doing these free tasting on Sundays at 10:30am for at least the next couple of weeks but be on time since there is limited seating. No reservations are required. You may want to ..read more

This is a shoutout to Sampannee at 2122 P Street NW (the old Asia 54 space)! They just opened 3 days ago. I stopped by yesterday and tried an off-menu version of Pad Thai, Mango Sticky Rice, and Coconut Ice Cream (which has jackfruit inside). Definitely a place to try some authentic Thai cuisine. Next month they will open the counter next door for breakfast/brunch. The owner and staff are really sweet people — I’m so happy I met them. -JAY ..read more

Veg Heaven makes a variety of wonderful baked goods that seem way too good to be vegan (but are). This winter, Veg Heaven had a stand at the Dupont Circle farmer’s market; this stand was so popular that it sold out halfway through the market’s hours. Freshfarm (who runs the Dupont Circle farmer’s market) has decided not to approve Veg Heaven for the current season when what they should have done was approve this business and request that they bring enough product to make it (at least most of the way) through the market’s hours. One of the above images was taken at 8:30am and one just prior to ..read more

We recently attended an event to showcase the new enclosed heated patio at Bacchus of Lebanon in Bethesda. The patio is nice and toasty! Here is a video of Zaid (the owner) talking about the new patio. Below are some photos from the event. We definitely need to go back soon for more of the yummy fresh hummus and baba ganouj. Chicken, Mushrooms, and RiceFelafel, Kalage Bel-Jebne, and Stuffed Grape LeavesZaid is on the left or the right!Tabbouleh on the LeftBaba GanoujHummusBaklava -Jason Disclosure: From time to time, we are given free items, meals, or entry to events. Our words are still ..read more

Crooked Run and Pizza Serata is a new, collaborative concept from Crooked Run Fermentation owners/brew masters Jake Endres and Lee Rogan, Michelin-starred Chef Chris Morgan, and “Pizza Czar” Anthony Falco. We attended the friends and family event Monday and got to sample their food and beer. We sampled four brews: Raspberry Empress (a sour), and three Pilsner style:, New Zealand, Italian, and German. All four were great, with my favorite being the Italian-style Pilsner, and my guest’s favorite being the New Zealand-style Pilsner. We tried the Arugula Salad (Lemon Vin, Pickled Peppers, Wh ..read more