Food on Wheels, The Final Chapter [DC Summer]

My summer in DC and the food truck adventures that have come along with it have finally come to an end. To celebrate both my last day of work, and last day in DC, Stef, Laura and I met for a final food truck lunch break.

To get through all of DC's food trucks, I'd need 5 more summers down here (and a lot of dedication) - so I'll leave this food truck adventure and this summer saying that this is only the beginning. For my last food truck, I went for Korenergy - a Korean food truck serving up familiar classics like BiBimBap. And...even though it was a sweltering hot DC day, nothing satisfied my hunger better than a warm bowl of Spicy Chicken Bibimbap.

Here's how it looked: 

SPICY CHICKEN BIBIMBAP

[mushrooms, rice, sprouts, radish, carrot, broccoli, egg, sesame oil, pepper paste]

Cost? For $8 you'll get a bowl that's big enough to (happily) satisfy you through the rest of the workday.

The bowl was a perfect balance of spicy, tender chicken complimented by crisp, fresh vegetables and was a great way to end both the summer and my DC food truck adventures.

Putting to rest the [DC Summer] food adventures for now and continuing to blog as I head back to NJ and soon (but not soon enough...) Ann Arbor!

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 Hot Mexican Fiesta for a Cool Summer Night [DC Summer]

Everyone knows that when a visitor comes in for the weekend, it's necessary to take them out to your favorite restaurants and show them around to your favorite parts of town. This past weekend, Lizzie came to visit from Michigan and it was only appropriate that Jenna, Melissa and I showed her the best of DC (which meant lucky for us, we were able to be tourists all over again).

Located right outside of DC in Arlington is Guapo's which offers up fun, fresh Tex-Mex cuisine...and don't forget the homemade tortillas. These tortillas are the best tortillas you will ever eat - and there's no doubting that they're made fresh all night, just look at the tortilla oven when you walk into the restaurant. The theme of fresh, homemade food is present in all of Guapo's dishes, even the salsa and chips.

Since neither Jenna, Lizzie nor myself were that hungry because of our continuous eating adventures throughout the weekend, we decided to split two entrees and were more than satisfied with the amount of food we were served.

Here's what we got...

Chicken Fajitas

Served on a sizzling platter over a bed of sauteed peppers and onions 

Vegetable Fajitas

Combination of zucchini, mushroom, tomatoes, broccoli and carrots

Both fajitas were served with Mexican rice, a la charra beans, guacamole, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, Mexican butter and homemade tortillas on the side. The vegetable fajita was a great complement to the chicken fajita and provided a lighter fare to what I normally would consider a heavier dish.

Best dish? Since we only went for the fajitas, it's tough to judge how the other dishes at Guapo's would have matched up. That being said, they all looked incredible and I'd highly suggest getting any dish that comes with or is made with their homemade tortillas. Between the two fajitas, the chicken fajita's flavorful marinade and tender, juicy strips is what made this one the winner.

Cost? Most fajitas were between $13-17 dollars, though they're large enough to share. Other dishes ranged around the same price and for the amount of food you're given, this place is a great deal.

Atmosphere? Fun, young and lively - great for both large and small groups.

Here's their menu if you want to check it out before heading over.

Guapo's

4028 28th St South
Arlington, VA

Food on Wheels, Chapter 1 [DC Summer]

A short lunch-hour break (or in my case half-hour) doesn't allow many Washingtonian's the opportunity to get a good sit down lunch. So what's the solution to satisfying an empty stomach and crammed lunch-break? Food Trucks.


Scattered all across DC are a variety of food trucks serving up cuisines ranging from Bibimbap to Mexican Tacos and homemade Mac and Cheese. Some trucks have their own take on some well-known classics (like the BLT mac and cheese) while other's stick with the traditions they know best - like homemade gyro in fresh pita. Regardless, any truck that you choose is guaranteed to fill you up with some delicious food without bursting your wallet.


Luckily, the food trucks found me - only a block away from my office (around K and 13th if you're living in DC) is a food truck mecca. Everyday at least 8 food trucks are present and the actual food trucks vary on a daily basis.


Throughout the summer, I'll blog about each "chapter" of this food truck experience and hopefully along the way find out which food truck wins the race.


June 14 2012 - Sate


Between trucks decorated with pictures of food that leaves you salivating and yearning for free samples is an unsuspecting red truck bearing only the words "Sate Indonesian Food" in white writing. So why did I go for this truck when the others were waiting to reel me in? Simplicity. Sate's food and menu is simple, serving only two options, with a combination platter as the third, leaving you less overwhelmed and more ready to eat.


Here's what I went for.....

Chicken Sate with Spicy Vegetable Stew, Rice and Peanut Sauce - $8

Julian and Faith went with different trucks - Julian went with the gyro and Faith the chicken bowl - and both looked equally as delicious. Look out for posts on these places in the coming weeks.

Looking to track where your favorite DC food trucks are today? follow @foodtruckfiesta or visit the Food Truck Fiesta website for an up-to-date track of the DC food trucks.