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Greek Salad from Vasos; Alexandria, VA

Vasos is a family standby. Everything that they have is delicious and they have something for everyone. This salad is one of my favorite things to get here. It has everything that I like in my Greek salads: Romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, feta, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, green peppers, radish, and Vaso’s Homemade Dressing, which they actually sell by the bottle because it’s so good. This place does everything right!

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Sautéed Calamari from The Riggsby; Washington, DC Let me start out by saying that this dish is perfect and so is The Riggsby. I can always count on a good meal and great service. This dish in particular came out much differently than I had expected, but it's even better than I had hoped. The calamari is perfectly cooked in a tomato-y broth/sauce with tender cranberry beans and briny kalamata olives. What else needs to be said? This is a dish that I could have again and again and never tire of.

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Veggie Burger from Shouk; Washington, DC This is the most delicious veggie burger that I've eaten in the city. It’s served on pita with tahini, blistered tomato, arugula and charred onion. The patty itself has so much flavor and a really great texture. The texture of a veggie burger is very important to me. I've had way too many that have been mushy and bland, and it's enough to make you think you hate veggie burgers all together. But this burger is quite the opposite of mushy and bland. It's fantastic. Get the sweet potato fries and lebneh for dipping (unless you have a cashew allergy cause then you might die) it's SO GOOD.

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Vegetable Ramen from Bantam King; Washington, DC

What do you know about Parmesan cheese on your ramen?? Probably not a lot, but It’s actually really good. This is the only vegetarian ramen on the menu and it’s very different than the veg ramen at their sister restaurant, Daikaya. Different but still really great! Bantam King has a different vibe, too. It’s sort reminiscent of a Subway (the sandwich shop) in the late 90's. Sort of. Anyway, the ramen is great and they have my favorite UCC iced green tea! Thank you, Japan.

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Gnocchi from The Red Hen; Washington, DC I'm thinking the same thing- this doesn't look like gnocchi! It looks like and has the texture of a cheesy polenta square. Trust me, I'm not complaining. These delicious pan-fried squares are crispy on the outside and soft and smooth on the inside and they sit in a nice little pool of pesto. Great side. Def recommend.

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Garden Pot au Feu from Le Diplomate; Washington, DC Fact: I've had a few glasses of wine. Another fact: This is a delicious dish filled with fresh, seasonal vegetables including ramps, shiitake mushrooms, patty pan squash and zucchini. Also, there are perfectly cooked cranberry beans, a nettle pistou and a lovely broth. Pot au feu = tres tres bien!!

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Avocado-Lime Soft Serve from Daikaya; Washington, DC

I’ve been posting about a lot of Asian food recently, and that probably won’t change! Luckily(?) for you guys, this is dessert and it’s completely delicious. The green stuff is the avocado-lime part, and then there’s the toasted coconut that goes on top. It’s so very very good.

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Momo Bap from Momofuku; Washington, DC

Tasty cold and vinegary veggies with warm rice and a Korean chili sauce. This dish comes with a slow poached egg, but I asked for it without. My favorite part was the cucumbers - they were marinated in a fresh, herby sauce.

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Shiitake Buns from Momofuku; Washington, DC

These are hands down the best buns that I’ve ever had. Not sure what they do to these mushrooms, but they are ridiculous. The steamed bun is so pillowy and perfect and the cucumbers are crunchy and make these buns a complete, irresistible little package that I would like to take with me wherever I go. I will keep coming back for these again and again. Brb, licking my iPhone screen.

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The Veggie from Beef N' Bread; Washington, DC This is quite possibly the best veggie sandwich that I've had - definitely the best I've had in DC. It has so many delicious toppings, making it huge and really really messy. Like the kind of messy where you probably shouldn't eat this in front of anyone. Seriously. Buy it and go sit alone somewhere and go wild, but trust me, there's no pretty way to eat this thing. The bread is great - It's essentially a sesame seed bun, which they make fresh every day. Now to the toppings - there's avocado, eggplant, roasted red pepper, coleslaw, sprouts, Munster cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, wise sauce and finally, jalapeño sauce. Not necessarily a combo that I would ever choose, but it all works! Also, it's great that a shop whose main focus is beef and bread has such a delicious vegetarian option. Good for you beef n' bread, good for you.

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Taco Trio from Chaia; Washington, DC

I’ve been wanting to try these tacos since before they set up shop and could only be found at local farmers markets. Let me tell you - they did NOT disappoint. I seriously could eat here all the time. Breakfast? Sure! Lunch? Obviously. Dinner? Yes!! Wait, are these the new pizza bagel?! I got the mushroom taco (feta, red sauce, cilantro), winter squash (caramelized onions, ricotta salata, chipotle yogurt, mint) and roasted beet (cilantro lime yogurt, goat cheese, fresh jalapeno). My favorites were the squash and the mushroom. I also tried the black beans and a cranberry-orange shrub- they were so good! I traversed the streets of DC in windy ass, 20 degree weather to eat these tacos and I’d do it all again. 

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Slow Cooked Salmon from The Riggsby; Washington, DC

There is a really cool and inviting old world vibe here, which is reason enough to come back, and the food is just as cozy and wonderful. This salmon and everything about this plate of food was great. I also tried the Sauteed Calamari, which was off the chain. I really really love squid. 

My friend and I walked in at around 7:30 on a Saturday night and it was packed - next time I'll probably make a reservation - Or if you’re OK with eating at the bar or in the lounge, I would definitely recommend either for a more informal (but just as perfect) experience. 

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Cold Ramen from Izakaya; Washington, DC

This is a cool and refreshing take on classic hot ramen - cause sometimes you don’t want to sweat a lot when you eat ramen noodles, you know? There are some crunchy veggies in here, which make for some nice textures and tastes. Whatever they marinate the mushrooms in -- A+. I like Izakaya because it’s dark and they have a good amount of food and drink options. It’s also nice/ convenient that you can pop up to Izakaya if Daikaya is too busy. When 1 door closes another 1 opens.

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Hippie Crack Granola w/ Fresh Fruit and Yogurt from A Baked Joint; Washington, DC

I hate that this granola is called Hippie Crack. I also don't understand why granola is associated with any one type of person -- everybody likes nola! It should be called The People's Nola or just Crack Granola. Idk. Anyway, Baked Joint is a great coffee shop with a huge variety of baked goods including cookies, breads, cakes, pie and biscuits. They also have ice cream sammies and cocktails, which happen to be two of my top interests. The coffee is really good and everything is pretty reasonably priced, even though y'all know I’d pay like $15 for some toasted oats over yogurt. Jk!

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Shrimp & Grits from 1905; Washington, DC

Eff this dark lighting. But also, it’s great. Esp if you are a vampire. But really, these shrimp and grits are unlike any that I’ve ever had. The grits were so creamy and tasty – probably because they were made with “lobster butter” which is something that I can’t even begin to wrap my head around. What does it even mean! They also add sweet onion, pickled green tomatoes and squid ink breadcrumbs. There’s so much flavor. I would definitely get this again. And again. Also get the fries. I’m serious – they are made with crack.

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Chaia; Washington, DC It's opening day for their brick and mortar shop in Georgetown! Can't wait to get these tacos inside of meeee! http://www.chaiadc.com

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Fried Squash Arepa from The Royal; Washington, DC

Why have I never had an arepa before!? They’re sort of like the Columbian version of baos/Asian buns and they’re delicious. This particular one includes a huge piece of fried acorn squash, black beans, avocado, crema and cotija cheese with a nice little heap of cilantro on top. One of the best parts is the pillowy arepa itself. It's like the memory foam of cornmeal creations.