Weenend-o-Wanders Part I (FOOD!)

It was a nice break from work, taking off Thurs-Mon, to have my best friend in town to visit. It was time for another weekend-o-the tourist! Needless to say, we wandered around a bit, but it was somewhat directed. I have a few updated opinions about former subjects, so let us get down to the juicy tidbits…

Ray’s Hellburger – Friday night we rocked out in style and hit up the best damn burger in the region! Once again, they didn’t let down as they keep putting out excellent quality beef patties. Annie, Beje, and I dove in and were extremely satisfied afterwards. I got my usual “Let’s Get It On” and it was like sex in your mouth. Mmm… I almost felt as if I needed a cigarette afterwards…

Ella’s – Friday for lunch we dove into an excellent feast of ‘za! The quality is still supurb and any wait is well worth it here. Annie discovered a new way to skimp and ordered a pizza with arugula on it. Since the arugula it added post-baking, you can eat it off the top like a salad and then dive into your pizza! Excellent call Annie!

Pollo Factory – This place is just a given. It never waivers from a standard of excellence. Any place that can deliver white meat as moist as this place is golden in my book. The pollo is always seasoned and roasted to perfection! Kudos on a job well done!

Coastal Flats – This was my first weekend to check this place out. It’s owned by Great American Restaurants and they have a thing with creating great food and atmosphere. I only went because my roommates work there, and I’m very picky when it comes to any type of seafood restaurant. The bar service is superb, but I’m also a bit biased since one of my roommates was my bartender. I did have a few issues here: 1.) The food service to the bar is lackluster. The servers mix up orders, forget bread, and basically kill the bartenders’ chances at good tips on a regular basis (all this from observing for a few hours). I don’t know how their serving system works, but it’s obviously broken here. 2.) My “firecracker shrimp” came out looking and tasting delicious…mostly.You see, these shrimp are butterflied prior to frying. Doing so serves several purposes, one of which is the allow for the removal of the shrimp’s shit-tube. Of course if it’s not removed, as was the case with half of mine, it’s on glorious display (front and center) and actually accentuated by the butterflying.Being raised on the Gulf Coast it didn’t really bother me, per-se, but if I’m paying someone this much to cook my food then they need to prepare it properly.

Eastern Market – Once again, this place delivers on EXCELLENT quality steaks. We grilled up several Sunday and then we promptly devoured them! Here’s my quick suggestion on a great meal:
Steak ==> Rub (salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper (black and cayenne)), grill medium rare, top with whole-seed mustard, top again with a load of fresh parm., broil to melt cheese, serve.
Mexicorn ==> Roast (sweet queen) corn, cut off cob, add lime juice, salt, cayenne pepper, and butter to taste.
Twice-baked taters ==> Bake, cut out oval in top, scoop out, mix insides with sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, cheese, put back in taters, cover with cheddar, bake until cheese melts.
Grilled onion ==> Cut (sweet) onion halves in thick foil, add lots of butter, throw on grill before you cook, remove when done cooking.
Hennepin Belgian Ale from Ommegang Brewery (Whole Foods, Harris Teeter)

Four Provinces of Ireland – This is my favorite place to grab a brew locally. The 4P’s is a laid-back, local pub with some great bartenders and an atmosphere you can enjoy just hanging out in. There’s nothing like relaxing here with a black & tan while munching on a bit of bar food. Did I mention they win the Taste of Falls Church nearly every year? Yeah, the food’s not too shabby…

Finally, The Original Pancake House — This place is a bit pricey for breakfast, but why not eat there for lunch? The blueberry pancakes are excellent and you MUST MUST MUST order the breakfast sausage and bacon on the side for your party. You will definitely not regret it. Also: fresh squeezed OJ & grapefruit juice ftw!

Part II still to come!