Lauriol Plaza

Our travels now takes us to Lauriol Plaza, a local hub of activity only blocks away from Adams Morgan. This modernist restaurant offers a variety of latin cuisine at reasonable prices. A mainstay in the neighborhood this restaurant has slowly built its reputation to become one of the most dependable places to eat a semi-formal lunch or diner. It's exterior offers an outdoor patio ideal for a summer happy hour or for a sunday evening meal, while it's three story interior and rooftop deck allow for a comfortable setting for a meal.

I myself have been going here for several years for many different occasions. Whether it be a birthday party or grabbing a couple of drinks with some friends Lauriol Plaza offers good food and great drinks. I usually go in summer mainly due to my endless craving for their frozen margaritas. While the margaritas are bit expensive my experiences have rendered me to the conclude that they are the best the city has to offer. For food I would recommend the the fajitas or any of the sizzling platers.

On this occasion I stuck to a favorite of mine, the Del Mar which consists of beef or chicken fajitas with jumbo shrimp wrapped in bacon and jalapenos. As you can see from the picture their portion sizes are more than generous. You can also choose from daily specials which are always interesting (e.g. the lamb fajitas, or the seafood chimichanga) and delectable.

(Del Mar Platter)

I am a bit weary on some of their appetizers and would refrain from ordering them, especially the nachos al carbon or ceviche which is sub-par. The desserts are limited and there is no ingenuity or pizzaz to them which makes skipping dessert here a sound option. My affinity to this place will remain as long as the service remains the same, if you want my overall opinion of this place you need look no further than the expression on my face with the worlds most interesting man.

In conclusion Lauriol Plaza offers an array of marvelous and appetizing food that not leave your wallet considerably empty. The downsides are the limited dessert menu and their limited reservation policy. So if your looking to go on a friday night expect to wait in line for at least 40 minutes.

Sacrificial Lamb Kabobs & Wraps

Every sunday night I browse through Campus Food to look for something quench my hunger for the last meal of the week. I usually stick to the same three or four places to satisfy my hunger. But every once an a while a new place appears on the site that arouses my suspicion.

This past week I stumbled on a local Indian eatery called Sacrificial Lamb Kabobs & Wraps. While I have to admit that I chose to eat here solely based on it's humorous title I have to say I was quite surprised by it's taste. I decided to try the lamb wrap (pictured below) with fries, my sister had a gyro with fries.

(Lamb Wrapped in Naan with Fries)

My assessment for the quality of this meal can be eloquently summed up in one word, scrumtrulescent. The softness of the flan along with the tenderness of the lamb all put together with an assortment of spices and sauces that produced the equivalent of an Punjabi atom bomb in my mouth. While that last statement may be a bit over the top I really did enjoy it and will get the opinion of some of my Indian friends in the near future.

I also tried the buttered chicken with chic peas (pictured below) which was also tremendously delicious. After both meals I left myself asking why I have yet to indulge myself more in Indian culture. I plan to eat here again and try something else on the menu which is expanding in the near future.

(Buttered Chicken with Chickpeas)

This restaurant is located near Dupont Circle and offers both carry-out and delivery to certain neighborhoods. The prices are reasonable and the delivery took less than 45 minutes to come on a sunday night which very good based on my past experiences with other local restaurants.

5 Guys Burgers and Fries

5 Guys offers some of the best burgers in the DC area. Originating in Arlington, VA this prestigious fast-food chain offers their award winning burgers in fries at reasonable price. With several locations within the city 5 Guys offers you a quick meal that will surely satisfy your appetite. With a laundry list of awards this chains popularity is growing by the day as can been seen by President Obama's visit.

While they do serve hot dogs everyone goes for their scrumptious burgers. From top to bottom their burgers have to be one of the best I have every tried. Biting into one produces a food orgasm the likes to which you will hardly experience. I personally go for the bacon cheeseburger with everything on it (pictured below). From the buttered buns to the soft meat a burger from 5 guys will not disappoint.

(Bacon Cheeseburger with a Soda)

While I will wait to try every burger the city has to offer before I crown a winner I know I can stand here and declare that this is a top 5 burger. Aesthetically the decor is a bit unpleasing to the eye but at the same time you are there to eat not experience artistic beauty. Prices are reasonable and you get free peanuts and refills.

It's a great place to eat lunch at work or to gather friends before a night out on the town. 5 guys Burgers and Fries gets my thumbs up.

Sweetgreen

I thought that I should dedicate my first post to one of my local favorites. Sweetgreen is an eco-friendly salad bar with various locations around the DC area. This chic fast-food restaurant offers an array of health salads with fresh ingredients. You can choose from eight salads or choose to make your own. They also offer gluten-free frozen-yogurt that can be topped with fresh fruit.

I have tried the caesar reggiano, derby cobb (pictured below), guacamole greens, and bondi. I thoroughly enjoyed every salad with the exception of the bondi. Their frozen yogurt offers a delectable and satisfying alternative to sugary and fat dessert. Sweetgreen strives on offering it's customers with healthy choices and being eco-friendly by having everything in their store comply with green standards. From their recycled utensils to their furniture Sweetgreen is ideal location for the enviornmentally conscience or anyone looking to get a quick healthy meal.

(Derby Cobb Wrap with Watermelon Lemonade)

Although a bit pricy (around $10 for a meal) I highly recommend this place to everyone who enjoys healthy food. On a side note the drinks are interesting, although I tried the watermelon lemonade I would not recommend it.

Welcome

Hello everyone welcome to my food and drink blog. I am a lifelong resident of Washington DC who has experienced his fair share of gourmet this city has to offer. Despite the fact that I have lived in this city my whole life I have yet to scratch the surface of the fine dining and cultural expose. In a city with a vast array of cultural influences you can always find something new to taste or experience.

It is the job of this blog to introduce and catalogue my experiences as well as offer a critique to the food I try and bars I visit. I hope my experiences offer a great insight and motivate my followers to try something new. I love to share my experiences with everyone who choses to read and am open to any critique. I would love feedback on my posts as well as suggestions of where to go next and what to try.

I am also open to share these experiences with anyone who is open to try something new because in the end, life is all about enjoying yourself and this is what I enjoy doing.

Thanks, hope you enjoy what I have to offer