Small Plates and Big Appetites [DC Summer]

Fun.fresh.fast.delicious. These are the only words needed to describe the meal that we ate at Zaytinya last Saturday. Luckily, the benefit of going to eat at a "small plates" or "mezze" (for mediterranean food) style restaurant with 8 girls was that we were able to sample almost the entire menu. Each dish we tried was absolutely mouthwatering and flawless with its' balance of flavors and spices. 

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves - but if you're in DC for the weekend and only have one restaurant to try, this one is it. The price is right, the atmosphere is fun, and the food helps to bring the dining experience to another level. 

Here's how we ate our way through Zaytinya's menu:

HOMMUS

[puree of chickpeas, garlic, tahini]

BABA GHANNOUGE 

[fire-roasted eggplant, tahini, lemon, garlic]

TARAMOSALATA
[traditional spread of cured carp roe]

HTIPITI
[marinated roasted red peppers, feta, thyme]

CRISPY BRUSSELS AFELIA
[brussels sprouts, coriander seed, barberries, garlic yogurt]

SPANAKOPITA 

[house-made phyllo, spinach, feta cheese]

SEASONAL MUSHROOMS
[sautéed mushrooms, dates, toasted almonds]

BAMYA
[caramelized okra, fresh and crispy chickpeas, cardamom tomato stew]

GRAPE-LEAVES DOLMADES
[grape leaves with rice, tomato, fennel, pine nuts, golden raisins, served with labneh]

GARIDES ME ANITHO
[sautéed shrimp, dill, shallots, mustard, lemon juice]

SEA SCALLOPS

[seared scallops, yogurt-dill sauce]

BAKALIAROU MAVRO SKORDALIA
[ouzo battered black cod, orange, potato-garlic puree]

AGLAIA KREMEZI STYLE CRAB CAKES
[mini jumbo lump crab cakes, roasted garlic yogurt]

KOTOPOULO YOUVETSI
[chicken, orzo, tomato, kefalograviera cheese]

SPECIALS:

 DESSERT:

Cost? Most dishes are between $8-14 and 2-3 per person is more than enough for a complete dinner.

Atmosphere? High-ceilings, bright colors and modern decor make this a chic, fun atmosphere that's appropriate for dates, fun meals with friends, and family dinners. The bigger the group you go with, the better. Trust me, you'll be wanting to sample the whole menu.

 

 

If you want to check out the menu before heading over.

Zaytinya

701 9th St NW

Washington D.C.

Food on Wheels, Chapter 3 [DC Summer]

As I had written about in my previous post, whenever a visitor is in town it is absolutely necessary to show them your favorite places to eat. Although I had missed most of Jordan's visit to DC because I was away for the weekend, I was lucky enough to grab lunch with her, Pam, and Corey this past Monday and have them all partake in my summer food truck adventures.

Mediterranean-style food is one of the most common across all of the food trucks, so it's hard to distinguish which one to choose and if it's worth foregoing some of the other food options. However, when we came across the Kababji food truck we knew this one was worth stopping for. The food is a great deal - for $9 you can get a meat or vegetable platter with rice and two generously portioned sides - or if you're not quite that hungry a $4-5 salad or side will be more than enough to satisfy your appetite. 

All of the food is fresh, light, and authentic. If it wasn't for the incredibly fast service (you'll have your food in your hands by the time you finish your order), I'd be doubtful that this food came from a truck.

Here's how we did Kababji:

Grilled Vegetable and Rice Platter 

with Labneh (house-made strained yogurt cream spread)

and Baba Ghannouj (fresh roasted eggplant lightly mashed with tahini, lemon juice and a dash of garlic)

Grilled Chicken with Kababji Salad 

(diced tomato, cucumber, dry mint, lemon juice and a hint of balsamic vinegar)

Hummus

Follow where the Kababji Food Truck is today @KababjiTruck or visit their website to see all of their offerings.

Not nearby their trucks? Kababji also has a full-service restaurant located in Dupont Circle that's worth checking out. 

Kebabji

1351 Connecticut Ave N.W.

Washington DC

A Mediterranean Surprise

Looking for somewhere fresh, fast and unbelievably delicious? Located at 307 S. Fifth Ave, Jerusalem Garden satisfies all of the above while keeping your wallet happy. Although Sarah, Julie, Sam and I went out last Saturday night looking to explore a new restaurant on Main Street, we were overwhelmed by the crowds and decided to venture further away, still in search of a good place to eat.  Don’t be thrown off by Jerusalem Garden’s small appearance, the inside atmosphere is lively and the food – when you finally choose from the restaurant’s incredible menu – is bursting with flavor.

Together we covered most of the menu – from hummus to falafel sandwiches and left both satisfied and eager to come back again soon.

Here’s how we did it:

Chicken Sharwma Plate with Baba Ghanoug and Mjaddara with Caramelized Onions.  Broiled marinated chicken breast topped with yogurt garlic sauce, served with fattoush vegetables.

Falafel with Hummus and Tabbouli Sandwich. 

Chicken with Fattoush and Shwarma Sauce. Diced vegetables, lemon, salt, vinegar and olive oil

served with broiled chicken breast and pita chips. 

Fattoush. Parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, carrot, lemon, salt, vinegar, olive oil and sumac served with choice of fried OR toasted pita.

Hummus and Tabbouli Sandwich. 

Baba Ghanoug. Roasted eggplant, tahini, tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, salt. Served with sliced pita bread. 

Hint about the menu:

If you’re feeling a smaller, lighter meal you can choose between the variety of meat and vegetarian sandwiches Jerusalem Garden has to offer. However, if you want a true taste of all that Jerusalem Garden has to offer I highly advise going for the three piece meal. Choices range from falafel, shwarma and kabob plates as starters and are accompanied by two of their incredible sides and salads (try out the fattoush and the hummus).

Atmosphere? Laid-back, cozy and comfortable.  Service was great and our food came quickly – however, expect a wait to be seated, especially on weekends.

Cost? Small sides (which aren’t really that small) start at $3.50, and the most expensive item on the menu – the shish kabob plate, is $11 but big enough to take home for leftovers.

Best dish? Way too difficult to decide, you have to go to check it out for yourself.

If you want to check out the menu for yourself before heading over:

http://www.jerusalemgarden.net/jg_menu.pdf