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Tivoli & Lee (Lee’s Circle, New Orleans, LA)

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On Easter morning, “The Chef” and I had brunch reservations at Tivoli & Lee. It’s located right in the center of Lee’s Circle, a very prime location for an up and coming restaurant. Tivoli & Lee’s menu had a variety of interesting dishes that I couldn’t wait to try…

 

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Bottomless Mimosa. Usually, they place it in a different cup as an identifier for “bottomless” and unlimited refills, but this day was so busy they ran out of the bottomless mimosa cups. This is the cup for a single mimosa.

 

 

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Boudin Dip. Duck cracklin. Seasonal jam. Dijon Mustard.

 

 

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House-made Drop Biscuits. Devil Ham spread (highly recommended by our waitress)

 

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Charlie’s Gumbo. Chicken. Oyster. Andouille Sausage.

 

 

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Quail-N-Waffle. 

 

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Oyster Salad. Arugula. Frisee. Celery. Chopped Egg. Spiced Pecans. Blackberries. Candied Mustard Seed Vinaigrette.

 

I understand that Easter brunch is a very busy time, but we had made reservations around 1:30 PM. Our waitress was sweet and made some decent recommendations. I ordered the bottomless mimosa, because who can eat brunch without bottomless mimosas?! Plus, the single mimosa price was $3, but unlimited was $10. It’s worth it! Unfortunately, it was such a busy day that they ran out of the unlimited mimosa cups and there was a ton of confusion when I did not get refills. To start off my meal, I wasn’t too happy with that…

45 painful and “hangry” minutes later, we received our first wave of appetizers: Boudin Dip with Duck Cracklins, Drop biscuits with devil ham spread, and the Gumbo. The boudin dip was interesting. I don’t think I’ve seen that dish anywhere in the city and it had to be my favorite of these 3 dishes. The Drop biscuits were dense and dry, but the Devil Ham spread was pretty good. If only it had a fluffier and more delicious medium to be spread onto. The Gumbo (see pictures) was obviously sitting for quite a while under a heat lamp. There was a layer of soup skin that had formed on top from sitting for so long. I can’t tell if it was the kitchen’s fault or the wait staff’s fault for the delay in food expediting. As for the gumbo itself, I wouldn’t try it again…

30 minutes after our first wave of appetizers, we received the Quail-N-Waffle and Oyster Salad. The Quail was cold and the waffles were soggy from the sauce. Eating any type of poultry dish that comes out cold is always disappointing. The Oyster Salad had to be the highlight of the meal, since you can’t really go wrong with fried oysters and the salad was refreshing, but easily forgotten.

It’s not often that I do poor reviews, but I feel this was worth sharing because the menu at Tivoli & Lee was very attractive but the execution was lacking. At the same time, I don’t know whether or not to blame the wait staff or the kitchen. Although our waitress was nice, she didn’t address the long wait and didn’t update us on our food progress. It was a long and disappointing brunch…Hopefully, Tivoli & Lee can improve on this, because I see potential for a good restaurant, but service issues need to be addressed.

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Rating: 1/5 spoons
Tivoli & Lee on Urbanspoon

Atomic Burger vs. Mooyah Burger

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This past week I have been craving burgers like crazy! I found two burger joints off of Veterans Memorial that are both delicious and similar, but which burger had the best bite??

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The Atomic Burger. Fresh ground beef. Special A.B. sauce. American Cheese. Dressed.

When I have a stressful day at work, I get into my car and drive home thinking “burgerrrr…”. A coworker recommended Atomic Burger as her favorite fast food burger joint so I drove straight to it. The patty was really fresh…even fresher tasting than some local, restaurant burgers. This is a neater-eating burger and doesn’t cause much of a mess. Atomic Burger’s menu is a lot more simplified and sometimes you just don’t want to complicate a burger. Every now and then, I just want my beef patty on burger buns with a side of fries and in that case Atomic Burger has my vote!

Atomic Burger on Urbanspoon

 

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Rating: 3.5/5 spoons




Mooyah Burger. Double meat. Swiss. Dressed. Fried Onions. Mushrooms.

Mooyah isn’t too far from Atomic Burger and is located right next to World of Beer, where they have probably THE widest selection of beer. Unfortunately, the burger joint itself doesn’t sell beer so I couldn’t enjoy a cold one while I ate my burger, but that’s okay. That’s what the bar next door is for! Anyways, back to my burger, there’s the option for a double patty burger and on this particular day, I definitely needed a double. I have to mention that the service at Mooyah is a little lacking. The cashier at the counter wasn’t helpful or friendly  at all. It wasn’t busy and there was only one person behind me. Regardless, the menu is easy to figure out. Mooyah also offers a variety of toppings. I ordered my classic swiss, fried onions, mushrooms burger. Everything was great, but I will say that the bottom bun is thicker and more pillowy than most burgers. The Mooyah Burger is a lot messier, but probably a result of adding a double patty and a multitude of toppings. I like the variety and options that Mooyah offers.

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Rating: 3/5 spoons

Mooyah Burger & Fries on Urbanspoon
So it comes down to, who has the better burger???

 

In this battle of the burger, Atomic Burger wins! Both burgers are great, but when it comes down to flavor and eatability, Atomic Burger’s patties are clearly fresher tasting and ergonomically pleasing.




DC Coast (Downtown, Washington D.C.)

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Years ago, an uncle of mine visited Maryland and brought home THE freshest and most delicious crabcakes. I can’t remember where they were from, but while I was in DC, I had to try DC Coast…

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Bottomless Mini Ciabatta Bread. 

 

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Seasonal Salad. 

 

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Crab Cakes. Comes with choice of sauce and sides. I ordered the Spicy Remoulade.

 

The building itself looks pretty fancy, but once inside, it’s more casual to dressy casual. Very fine service to go with the decor and quality of the food. The pictures don’t show it, but the bread was little mini ciabattas.  Cute and buttery…mMmmm! It doesn’t look like much that we ordered, but the whole trip was just one restaurant after another. We at at maybe 3-4 restaurants per day so all I could fit were the crabcakes, but they were so worth it! Purely crab with minimal breading and hardy enough to finish the day off as dinner. One order of crab cakes costs $35 with choice of sauce and side. It’s a little on the pricier side, but well worth the bottomless basket and quality crab cakes. I’d definitely visit again for great service and good food!

 

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Rating: 4/5 spoons
DC Coast on Urbanspoon
 




Toki Underground (Atlas District, Washington D.C.)

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Toki Underground is one of the TOP ramen shops in Washington D.C.. I’ve heard so many great things, but I’ve also heard the wait can be up to 2+ hours. We went on a Friday at 11:30…probably not the most optimal time if you’re looking to avoid the wait, but we were craving ramen! The wait was about 1.5 hours and they setup a text message so that you’ll receive a text 5 minutes before they are ready for you. There’s not much to do around there and the neighborhood is slightly shady , but there are a few bars and places where you can grab a small bite (ha!) while you wait. We decided to hang out at a nearby Bagel shop and bar: Bullfrog Bagel.

 

1.5 hours later…

 

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 Limited Seating, but cool decor!

 

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Fried Chicken Steamed Buns. Japanese Mayo. Sweet Chili Sauce. Seasonal Pickles. Herbs.

 

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Special: Chicken Wings in a Vietnamese Fish Sauce Glaze. 

 

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Kimchi Ramen. Kimchi Infusion. Pulled Pork. Greens. Sous vide egg. Kimchi. Pickled Ginger.

 

For appetizers we had the Fried Chicken Banh Baos and Special Vietnamese Chicken Wings. The sides were great and made great bar food, but the ramen definitely was the highlight of it all…

I really enjoyed the depth and richness of the broth. There was more to this soup than a bowl of broth and noodles. I could taste the time and effort that was put in to create these multi-dimensional flavors. There were hints of ginger that I would occasionally taste with every other bite. Very refreshing. A unique feature was the sous vide egg. The egg is cracked perfectly poached into your bowl. If you request an extra egg, you can actually crack it into your bowl yourself. Instead of a normal hard-boiled egg, you get a soft-poached burst of yolky goodness into your ramen bowl!

Was it worth the wait? I’d say so! The wait can be definitely long, but I’ve had friends who have been seated immediately. I hear Tuesday through Thursdays are the slower days in case you don’t have 2 hours to wait.

 

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Rating: 4.5/5 spoons
Toki Underground on Urbanspoon

 

Cosi (Dupont Circle, Washington D.C.)

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Cosi Club Squagel Breakfast Sandwich . Eggs. Ham. Tomato. Bacon.  Cosi Squagel. Jalapeno Cheddar Squagel.

 

A local friend told me that Cosi had an awesome breakfast item…the Squagel. A square bagel. I didn’t think much of it when I heard about it, but when my fiance brought one back to the hotel one morning, I couldn’t help but want my own. The bagel or “squagel” is the perfect thickness for a breakfast sandwich. It’s not too thick and easy to bite into. He ordered the Jalapeno Cheese bagel and it was perfect. Be careful, because I bit into the bagel at a wrong angle and for a whole half hour, my upper lip was burning from the jalapeno spice. Besides that, it’s delicious!

Some reviews mention this restaurant having poor service, however, my fiance and I noticed they were friendly on both occasions.

I didn’t have a chance to try the rest of the menu, but it looked very similar to Panera Bread, with the exception of their delicious bagel/squagels…

 

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Rating: 3/5 spoons (I’d go back!)
Cosi on Urbanspoon

Luke’s Lobster (Georgetown, Washington D.C.)

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One of my last days in D.C. we decided to visit Georgetown and a friend in the group mentioned a great little place that had delicious lobster rolls. Why not right? The place isn’t much to look at from the outside. It’s just a hidden white building off of a side street. Once you’re inside, you immediately feel like you’re out to catch the lobster and crabs yourself! Very nautical! It’s a very small restaurant, but very well-decorated. It’s not the best for large groups, but they easily had enough space for the 5 of us upstairs since it was a Monday afternoon. I’m not quite sure what it’s like any other day…

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Menu. 

 

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Welcoming and friendly face at the counter!

 

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Chips and Allagash White Beer. 

 

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Lobster Roll. 

 

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Lobster Mac & Cheese. Maine Lobster. Maine-made white bread. Melted Gruyere.

 

We were greeted with a fresh face at the counter and she was extremely helpful. We ordered the Lobster Roll and the Crab Bisque (normally Lobster Bisque). I don’t know why, but “The Chef” and I ordered one roll thinking we could share it. We had been munching on small things from other restaurants all day (Cosi breakfast, DC cupcakes, etc.). We didn’t realize how AH-mazing the little “roll” would be! Maybe my expectations were low, but one bite of that roll and I was amazed at how you can have such a simple little sandwich and it just explode with so much flavor and freshness all at once. The lobster was fresh and the mayo was light and complimented it so well. To complete it all was the lightly toasted bun. Yum. Some of our friends felt they liked a more mayo-ey dressed lobster roll that they’ve tried at other restaurants, but I actually enjoyed the freshness of Luke’s Lobster Roll. Afterwards “The Chef” and I had to order something else so we ordered another Lobster roll to go and the Lobster Mac & Cheese to finish off the meal. It was pretty delicious as well. I mean, Lobster and Cheese! They chose Gruyere and I felt that was the perfect pairing…the lobster bisque made a great dipping sauce for it! Haha…

One item worth mentioning (not pictured) is the Clam Chowder. Best I’ve ever had! Fresh, chunky clams in a smooth, creamy chowder.

If you’re looking for a great snack or meal, Luke’s Lobster. Honestly, there was not a single miss. That’s all I have to say! There’s different locations so be sure to look for on near you!

 

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Rating: 5/5 spoons
Luke's Lobster on Urbanspoon

 

 

Shake Shack (Golden Triangle, Washington D.C.)

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I’ve heard so much about this notorious Shake Shack with it’s delicious little burgers, originally from New York’s Madison Square Park, but there just so happens to be a few locations in D.C.!

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Shake Stack. Cheeseburger with Shroom Burger all-in-one. Cheese fries.

 

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ShakeMeister Dog. Shack cheddar and American Cheese Sauce. Crispy Shakemeister Ale Marinated Shallots.

 

I was initially confused when I bit into the Shake Stack and realized the first patty was a whole fried mushroom. It was juicy and lightly battered, but had such a great *crisp* in it’s bite. What makes a Shake Shack burger so delicious is their neat, yet hearty burger drenched in their Shake Shack cheddar and sauce. I ordered non-cheese fries thinking I wouldn’t miss out since cheese is just cheese…but boy was I wrong! I kept eating our friend’s cheese fries instead…

As for the hot dog, it was so good. I loved it’s smokiness and the marinated shallots on top. I debated on getting a Shakemeister burger instead, but my fiance and I decided to share a dog and burger instead to get a little variety. The shallots were so good…I could even eat those fried shallots if they offered it as a side.

Great service. Yummy burgers and hot dogs. Some of our friends did mention that the Shake Shack in NYC was more flavorful and juicy, but I believe it’s all subjective…Is it worth the hype? I’m not quite sure I’d travel far and wide for the burger, but I just might have to journey to NYC to try the original…

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Rating: 4/5 spoons

 

Shake Shack on Urbanspoon

Daikaya Izakaya (Penn Quarter, Washington DC)

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Chefsgirl has landed in D.C.! “The Chef” and I decided to try to visit the cherry blossoms hoping there would be some sort of bloom. Unfortunately, this cold season has put a hold on that and what could warm us up more than a hot bowl of ramen so we decided to pay a visit to Daikaya Izakaya, one of D.C.’s ramen hot spots. You would never think by the outside and inside decor that the restaurant is Japanese. It’s clean and modern on the inside and uniquely has non-asian servers. Nothing wrong with that! It just goes to show how anyone is welcome to have some ramen! When we arrived, we were immediately seated so there’s not much of a wait time (unlike Daikaya’s competitor: Toki Underground)…

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Fresh Ramen noodles.

 

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Pan Fried Dumpling with Pork and Cabbage filling. 

 

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Shio Ramen. 

 

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Spicy Miso Ramen. Added corn.

 

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Soft Serve. Avocado Yuzu with Toasted Coconut. Calpico Yogurt with Crushed Wasabi Peas and Chocolate Balls.

 

Our server recommended that we try the Spicy Miso Ramen, “but once you try it, you won’t wanna try anything else!”. I opted for the original Shiso Ramen and “The Chef” ordered the Spicy Miso Ramen. To be honest, I was actually sad when I tried both bowls, because I really wanted the Spicy Miso Ramen to myself! She was right, but there is nothing wrong with the Shio. I’m a spicy kinda girl so the Spicy Miso would have been the perfect choice, but for those who want something more mild, I would go with the Shio or other ramens. The broth is very homey and simple compared to Toki Underground’s rich and intense broth. Don’t forget you can add toppings to your bowl: corn, extra ramen, Chashu, veggies, and more. The potstickers were good, but they came after we almost finished our ramen, which leads into our next topic: service.

When we originally sat down, the server expected us to order right away and considering it was our first time, the menu was confusing so we had to inquire about a breakdown of the menu and special recommendations. Afterwards, everything was okay, but I expected more since we were 1 of 2 tables in house.

Before leaving, something caught our eyes: soft serve! We ordered the Avocado Yuzu with Toasted Coconut and the Calpico Yogurt with Crushed Wasabi Peas + Chocolate Balls. I’m so glad we ordered it! They were so delicious. Now that I’m back in NOLA, I don’t know where else I can get this! My fav was the avocado since the texture of the soft serve was so smooth and airy, almost like whipped marshmallow?? So good! I highly recommend that you leave room for dessert and to get the Avocado Soft Serve if it’s available that day! Although service was a little iffy, the ramen and soft serve is delicious and is definitely worth a shot. How does it compare to other ramen shops in the city? Stay tuned!

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Rating: 3.5/5 spoons
Daikaya on Urbanspoon