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

Welcome Back Ann Arbor

With countless nights of partying, going out and good times with both new and old friends, it’s time to say goodbye to Welcome Week and hello to yet another fall semester in Ann Arbor.

Julie, Megan, Sam and I decided it would be appropriate to create a new roommate tradition of trying out a new restaurant in Ann Arbor each month. For our inaugural trip, we visited Seva’s, a vegetarian/vegan restaurant located at 314 E. Liberty Street. Although the restaurant does not serve meat, the dishes are bursting with flavor and extremely filling. The expansive menu satisfies all types of eaters, from the pickiest to the most adventurous and with new specials every week, it’s impossible to try all of the incredible dishes this restaurant has to offer.

Here’s how we did our Seva’s trip:

Chargrilled Vegetable and Goat Cheese Salad   

Chargrilled mushrooms, red and yellow peppers, zucchini and red onions and warm sesame-coated goat cheese on organic baby lettuce, topped with roasted pecans.

Spinach Salad

Baby Spinach with fresh avocado, chargrilled tempeh, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, tomato and croutons, with smokey maple dressing.

African Mango Sautee with Tempeh

Tempeh burger and a blend of peas, carrots and carrots sautéed in a sweet and savory mango sauce and served over couscous.

Cost? With most entrees and salads ranging from $9-13, Seva’s is college-budget friendly and a nicer option than delivery or the café’s on State and South U.

Atmosphere? Laid-back, cozy and very earthy. The wait staff is extremely helpful and friendly and willing to accommodate any and all of your diet needs.

Even better: right below Seva’s is the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, which hosts big names from the Sklar Brothers to Michael Ian Black.

If you want to check out their menu before heading over:

http://www.sevarestaurant.com/menus/Main%20Menu%204-22-11.pdf

The Clinton Station Diner

Location: Exit 13 off Route 78 West in Clinton, NJ

Coming from the Westfield area, Clinton is not exactly right around the corner. But to kick off the Jersey Diner Series, my cousin Dan, my brother Michael, and I, felt the 30-minute trip down Route 78 was necessary.  

The Clinton Station Diner hosts two different dining ambiances that both overlook a scenic area of 78: one half is a927 Blue Comet observation train car and the other is a much more cozy, family dining atmosphere lined with model train tracks suspended from the ceiling. The waitstaff was extremely friendly and happy to serve all their customers. We were also impressed by how quickly our rather large order was served (we did get some stares for ordering enough food for six even though there were only three of us).

Now onto the food. Clinton Station Diner had a fairly standard diner menu, with breakfast served around the clock, however, there were a few items that set this place apart from other diners.

Burgers and fries: The burger was juicy, flavorful and char-grilled to perfection. Their fries, hand cut from fresh potatoes, were wedge-sliced with a great balance of crunchy outside and soft, warm inside.

Hungry and ready for a challenge? Clinton Station Diner offers a prize of $5,000 to any ten people who can finish “The 8^th Wonder”, a burger that weighs in at 105lbs including the bun and toppings, in one hour.

If you’re interested in a small taste of their delicious burgers, try the “Nano Bites”, 0.4oz of the same ingredients in their larger burgers.

Pancakes: A perfectly portioned order of fluffy, light and buttery short stacks. 

Omelet: Greek omelet filled with feta cheese, tomatoes, onions and kalamata onions served with well-done hashbrowns that I could’ve mistaken for my grandmother’s latkes. Great way to start, or end, the day.

Greek Entrée: Spanakopita: flaky crust with the just-right balance of warm spinach and feta. Served alongside a Greek salad which on it’s own would be a delicious meal. **Best dish of the night**

Before leaving, we finished off this feast with two desserts: a chocolate mousse bomb and a vanilla shake. Although the shake was a little thin for my liking, the weight of the mousse bomb definitely compensated for it. Both desserts were amongst the many good-looking treats displaced with the other bakery selections.

If you want to check out their menu and other details before heading over:

http://www.clintonstationdiner.com/index.htm