Food
Since our hobbies page lists both Food and Travel, it only makes sense that eating is one of our favorite parts of traveling. We both really enjoy getting to know an area by seeking out the regional specialties and do our best to stay out of nationwide chains that we have back home.
Restaurant Reviews
Taverna Cretekou
Alexandria, Virginia (Old Town)
Rating:
I really love Mediterranean food, and I especially love Greek dishes with lamb. Taverna Cretekou has one of my favorite of these, called "EXOHIKON". I can't pronounce it, but anytime both lamb and filo are involved, it has to be good.
The restaurant is fairly small but captures a cozy Mediterranean atmosphere. The Greek staff is quite friendly and and enthusiastic about their food. Prices are on the high side but the quality is worth it. Service is pretty good and the Greek beer is even pretty decent.
I give it 3 1/2 wiener dogs.
Capital City Brewing Company
Washington, DC (downtown)
Rating:
On our last trip to DC, after a long day of sightseeing, we "caved in" and ate at the closest restaurant we could find. This happened to be the downtown location of Capital City Brewing Company. In a nutshell, it was dissappointing.
I have a feeling the place is better than the impression it left me with, so maybe I just picked a bad item on a bad night. I had "The Admiral's Fish and Chips", and it might very well be the worst I've ever had. I prefer Long John Silvers over this. Besides being let down by the "buttermilk and corn flake crumb coating", it was overdone. Service was mediocre, as was their own brew. I had their Kölsch, because I love Kölsch and you don't see it very often. Now, I know I haven't been to Köln for about 6 years now, but I'm pretty sure that the Capital City Kölsch wasn't close to a Kölsch at all. The prices would have been good if the food was good, but paying $12 for something that tastes better at $5.99 at a fast food joint bothers me, not to mention that the service was only ho-hum (should I really have to even ask for malt vinegar for my fish and chips, then wait 5 minutes to receive it?).
To balance things out a bit, Elizabeth had the "Cajun Angels" which are bacon wrapped stuffed shrimp with a bit of a kick. These were pretty good. I guess I should have stuck with a hamburger, but really, how hard is fish and chips?
I give it 1 1/2 wiener dogs, but they only get that last half wiener because I'm betting that if I went back, I'd have a better experience. I doubt I'll ever risk it, though.
Ironworks BBQ
Austin, TX
Rating:
We actually saw the Ironworks BBQ featured on a show on the Food Network and were convinced we wanted to try it. So, on our next trip to Texas to visit Elizabeth's grandparents, we made it a point to try it. I'm glad we did. This place serves up big beef ribs like Fred Flintstone hung off the side of his car and they taste great. The atmosphere is very casual and has a "Hard Rock" kind of personality because of all the celebrity photos hanging on the wall. Actually, it's probably too casual, because eating ribs on paper plates with plastic utensils can have some challenges. Those things aside, I really enjoyed it.
Ironworks is a solid 3 wiener dogs, and is definately worth a stop if you're ever passing through Austin (take floss).
Recipes
Spätzle
Here is how we make Spätzle
Alton Brown Recipes
We love this guy. I view him as a mix of Mr. Wizard and Max Headroom. His show on the Food Network called "Good Eats" is entertaining and the few recipes we've tried from his show have been banger. Here are two we really like:
- Who Loves Ya Baby Back?
- These are very delicious and surprisingly easy to make baby back ribs. The are not "Bar-B-Q" ribs, but are simply braised. This means that it will definately be a recipe we whip out in the long spells of a Wisconsin winter. However, the last step of the recipe calls for broiling the ribs, and I'm thinking I'm going to try replacing that step with throwing them on the grill for a bit. We reheat our left overs on the grill and that works great. Give them try!
- Salmon Fillet en Papillote with Julienne Vegetable
- That's a long name for "fish and veggies cooked in a baggie". This is very quick and easy recipe where you basically just throw a hunk of salmon on top of a pile of vegetables on a piece of parchment paper, then staple the paper together to make a packet, then pop it in the oven for a few minutes. I *like* salmon, but I don't *love* salmon. However, the first time Elizabeth made this, I gobbled up a huge piece of it and asked when she could make it again. Healthy, fast, and delicous!