Dinner at Kapnos in Washington, DC

I met up with Lauren to try a Mediterranean restaurant from Top Chef alum Mike Isabella.  She had been wanting to go there and I love TC, so it was a great choice for us both.  All of the food was excellent, and despite being tapas style, the plates were kind of large so we got a lot of food.  There are definitely many more options than when I lived in DC but this a great choice for this kind of food.

Brussel Sprouts - candied pistachios, butternut squash and berbere spice.  Great flavors and the sprouts had a nice char

Charred Octopus - grilled harissa, grilled eggplant and roasted tomato.  Octopus was perfectly cooked and again, SO many flavors.  Delicious

Marinated Lamb - grains, roasted apple, prune, and toasted walnut which a yogurt sauce.  Possibly my fav dish.  Large portion and lamb was so tender

It was Monday so we also ordered the Moussaka special - kind of a lasagna but with a Mediterranean spin.  So delicious.  The best I've had

Roasted Duck Phyllo Pie - with cress, cherries and pistachio yogurt.

It was tasty but pie skin was a tad burned for me

Greek Diner - apple bread pudding, walnut, golden raisin, and salted caramel ice cream.  This was divine but was pretty full by the time this came out.  Perfect mix of flavors and I didn't mind the raisin shockingly.  I think because the golden ones was milder

Lunch at The Alibi in Washington, DC

For lunch at our conference, Salar and I went to a British pub near the hotel.  We got to sit outside which was nice since it was mid October. Probably in hindsight not the best decision, as the food was so heavy that it was tough to focus.  Very authentic tasting and super filling.   Don't come to eat if you have something important to do after though otherwise you will be comatose.

My Cottage Pie (ground lamb with mashed potatoes and cheese on top) with fries (chips)

Salar got some kind of vegetarian sausage dish that was swimming in gravy as well.  No one could move after

Dinner at Ping Pong Dim Sum in Washington, DC

Salar and I were in DC for a work conference.  Our train got delayed so we got in later than we hoped.  We were going to try to get ramen but the line was long and we were both tired and hungry.  We decided to walk through Chinatown and ended up going to Ping Pong Dim Sum.  They had some nice prix fixe options since we couldn't really share since he doesn't eat meat.  Not the best dim sum of my life, but DC was never known for having the best C-town.  We were both full after which is really what mattered.

Meat-y appetizer included Honey Roasted Chicken Puff, Chicken and Black Pepper Spring Roll, Crispy Prawn Ball, and Crispy Chicken and Peanut Satay Slider

Hoisin vegetable puff, Mixed vegetable spring roll, and Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad and Steamed Vegetables with Asian curry sauce

My assortment of dumplings

Vanilla mochi.  Perfect end

Snack from Pommes Frites in NYC

Dan and I had a late night snack at the new location of Pommes Frites.  The old location blew up from a gas leak about a year ago.  Fortunately they rebuilt so we had some delicious poutine.  Still not as good as Montreal poutine but not bad at all for being outside of Canada.

Poutine.  Not pictures - 3-5 cups of different dipping sauce.  I know there was gravy but underneath were naked fries so wanted to take advantage and dip

Dinner at Miss Lily's in NYC

We went to Miss Lily's for Nicole's birthday.  We had a nice spot in the back - darker and more fancy than the front part.  The food portions were very large so I was sad that I couldn't take my leftovers to go because it was too much to eat in one sitting.  Always a great meal when we go there, and excellent drinks as well.

I ordered the Curry Goat Stew - boneless curried goat stewed with peas, irish potatoes, roti and jasmine rice.  Probably the best goat dish I've ever had.  So delicious and filling with a hint of spice

Nicole got the Oxtail Stew - rich gravy, broad beans, rice and peas.  I tried a little and it was excellent.  I just didn't want to deal with bones so the curried goat won out

Side of roti and rice

Many people got Jerk meat.  I think this was jerk chicken?  Largeee portion

Dinner at Turntable in NYC

We went to Turntable for Tpho's birthday.  Not a formal dinner but late night eating at its best.  Chicken was definitely solid as was the rest of the food we ordered.  Only thing I lament was that the place was very dark so my pictures weren't great haha.

Hand Cut Fries - nice and thick and perfectly fried

Corn Cheese, which tasted a lot better than that name sounds.  Corn on the cob mixed with melted mozzarella cheese, mayo, butter and onions 

Bulgogi platter - soy sauce marinated rib eye with stir fried vegetables

Half soy garlic and half hot chicken . Delish!

Lunch from Num Pang in NYC

I picked up a rice bowl from Num Pang at Brookfield Place.  The food was a little spicier than I expected so it was a bit of a challenge to eat.  The rice and veggies were moist but the meat a tad bit dry though the cream sauce helped.  I think it's best to stick to their sandwiches.

Grilled Spicy Pork Rice Bowl with brown rice, grilled vegetables, chili yogurt and chive lime vinagrette