DC Frugal Foodie

Steady

2009-09-02T10:10:00.003-04:00

Post Labor Day I'll stop by traveling and be a regular in D.C. again. Until then, sorry for the intermittent posting -- for the few of you who read this.

I did a review of Il Mulino for Restaurant Week. Not a fan. Please don't take me there on a date.

A new restaurant opened in Leesburg. Cajun Experience. Pecan pie, my favorite dessert, is allegedly their speciality. If I don't go to the beach this weekend, you'll find me in Leesburg to try this cute & quaint new restaurant!

Otherwise, GO OUTSIDE!!!! =) The weather is absolutely fantastic. Lots of bistro dining to be had while The Hill staffers are still in recess. I ventured all the way to Silver Spring to find a respectable chips, salsa and margarita joint. Mi Rancho. Doesn't compare to Texas, but it passses muster for D.C.

More reviews to come!

Bingeing on Restaurant Week

2009-08-27T09:29:00.003-04:00

I went to a glorious meal at Bistro Bis yesterday for Restaurant Week. My review for NBC can be found here. I can't wait to go back for a romantic, three-hour dinner one night ... =)

Some restaurants are extending their Restaurant Week specials. Check out the full list here.

On a side note, Frank Bruni wrote his last column for The New York Times Food Section yesterday! "Good Tips at the End of His Meals" is a foodie hit-list of his favorite restaurants in NYC. I wonder who will fill his spot at the NYT??

Finally, The Washington Post did an article the other day on the lure of iced coffee. Considering I drink coffee as my breakfast -- instead of eating a hearty meal (don't tell my mother) -- I was fascinated with the read. ENJOY!

Free Cupcake

2009-08-25T11:08:00.003-04:00

One year birthday of "Hello Cupcake" in Dupont Circle means you can get a free cupcake! While supplies last!

IT'S DC RESTAURANT WEEK!

2009-08-24T09:42:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited! It's DC Restaurant Week. Lunch deals for $20.09 and dinner for $35.09.

So far I have one reservation -- which is actually quite pathetic -- but that's only because I've eaten at so many of these restaurants. My sole reservation is at Bistro Bis, allegedly, according to Todd Klinman, the best restaurant week deal. I am determined to try at least 2 or 3 more.

Bring on the Bourbon Steak!

2009-08-17T15:54:00.002-04:00

I've always wanted to go eat at the exquisite Bourbon Steak nestled inside The Four Season, but the price tag on the menu gives me sticker shock! I guess the recession must be hitting them to because they are now giving some great deals. Below is their presser for the Fall Lounge Menu. I can't wait to go!!

BOURBON STEAK Unveils A New Lounge Menu for Fall

Washington, D.C., (August 17, 2009) – Dubbed one of Washington’s hottest bar scenes, Michael Mina’s BOURBON STEAK, located at 2800 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW is unveiling a new lounge menu created by Executive Chef David Varley. The menu is divided into four sections: “Snacks,” “Sharing,” “Lettuce Cups” “BOURBON Bar Burgers” dishing up an array of options for guests to enjoy while relaxing in the expansive 42-seat bar/lounge or on the 47-seat, very private outdoor patio complete with three fire pits.

Tempting snacks, ideal for nibbling while enjoying a seasonal cocktail, are priced from $5 to $10, and include black truffle popcorn made with truffle butter and fine herbs; sweet & spicy beef jerky; crispy shrimp chips with Old Bay seasoning, as well as warm California olives served with garlic, and hot & spicy pepper.

For those who feel like sharing, alluring small plates are priced between $8 and $21 and include lobster corn dogs served with whole-grain mustard sauce; Cabot Clothbound Cheddar potato puffs and Hudson Valley foie gras mousse served with a port wine jelly and toasted country bread. Assortments of lettuce cups are also available for guests seeking something on the lighter side, and are priced between $9 and $19. Highlights include tempura lobster served with mustard crème fraiche; pulled pork barbeque with pickled watermelon rind; sweet shrimp “Louie” with avocado and shaved green onion, as well as Thai crispy rice and basil salad with tamarind sauce.

Juicy burgers with all the fixings have also made their way onto Chef David Varley’s new lounge menu and incorporate meat from new vendor, Master Purveyors, who are escalating the quality of product served at BOURBON STEAK. “We are very excited to incorporate these new meats from Master Purveyors into our menu at BOURBON STEAK,” says Varley. “Everything we buy from them is hand selected hanging beef, dry aged the old fashioned way on the rail with no cryovac interference. I like them because they are extreme in what they do and represent their work and product like no other in the business. Eighty percent of what we buy from them is USDA Prime and aged for a minimum of 40 days.”

Burgers are available in either standard size, or can be ordered as a trio of sliders, with standouts such as oak-fired prime steak burger with house made pickles, Cabot Clothhound cheddar and a secret sauce; Vegetarian Falafel Burger, a recipe passed down by Chef Michael Mina’s Mother’s made with Tahini Sauce, Tomatoes, and Parsley as well as glazed salmon burger made “bahn mi” style with garden cilantro, jalapenos and shredded carrots. For the perfect pairing, guests can also choose from a trio of duck fat fries or red onion rings, priced at $5 each. Burger prices range from $13 to $16.

BOURBON STEAK, a Michael Mina Restaurant, is located at the Mobile Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond Four Seasons Hotel, at 2800 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. The restaurant serves lunch weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. which includes complimentary valet parking, and dinner is served nightly, beginning at 6 p.m. and ending at 10 p.m. on weeknights and from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekends. A fixed price pre-theater menu is also available for $59 per person with complimentary valet parking for up to five hours. This special offering is available nightly for reservations seated between 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. At BOURBON STEAK guests will find a spacious 144-seat restaurant, plus a private dining room which can accommodate parties of 22, and a handsome bar/lounge with a total of 42 seats. Additionally, an expansive outdoor patio with 47 seats and three fire pits is also serving through the fall months, weather permitting. For reservations please call (202) 944-2026.

Football, golf, beer and fruit?

2009-08-14T11:04:00.003-04:00

Ah bliss. Football season officially kicked off last night with the first pre-season games. I'm so in love ... and it was the first day of the PGA Championship. Those two sports are the best, with college trumping pro.

In addition to watching grown men play with pigskins and drivers, you know what the "height" of sport season means dontcha? Pre-game grilling and beer. lol. Of course you can always eat those foods, but it more fun when you know that your team -- GO TEXAS LONGHORNS! GO COWBOYS! -- is going to go kick some Big 12/NFC East jerseys. =)

I like Whitlow's on Wilson. Cheap food and beer. Also, the Texas Exes watch at Rhodeside Grill. Again cheap food and beer.

Speaking of beer, I was wrong to say that it was this week. OOPS! I blame that on the "jet-lag." Instead it starts this Sunday. There is a strong likelihood you will catch me at Brassiere Beck on Monday before I head to the Meese concert at the 930 club or on Wednesday night at District Chophouse to sample one of their inhouse brewed specials.

As for this weekend, I've always wanted to visit Monticello. I've never gone -- sad, I know, considering how much of a political junkie I am! -- but this Saturday they are having a "Summer Fruit Tasting." For a mere $10, you can try the fruits of Thomas Jefferson's garden. Should be a great trip!

Enough with the chains already!

2009-08-13T09:20:00.005-04:00

Last night, in addition to my weekly trip to The Whole Foods in Clarendon for a slice of pizza, I had three break-and-bake chocolate chip cookies from Giant. A dozen cookies for $2.99. I'm sure I'll die of diabetes one day -- 'probably shouldn't joke about it -- but for now I am going to enjoy the fact that I can eat cookies for dinner and not feel so bad about it.

My diet is pretty boring in its rotation of blandness. I've gotten into a sandwich rut, i.e. where I eat a sandwich a day. It's like I'm channeling my inner Earl of Sandwich.

I did enjoy an excellent sandwich at Corner Bakery yesterday. $6.99 for the "Uptown Turkey on Harvest Toast." Hickory smoked turkey breast, crisp applewood smoked bacon, sliced avocado, leaf lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise. The bacon was too dry and the bread too hard, but for the price I felt full when I was done. Also, if you sign up for the Corner Bakery email distribution list, you get a free cookie on your return trip.

Enough of these chains though! What is there good to eat in Washington, D.C.? I'm really struggling to find good, cheap eats which aren't chains!! I need to be a better scavenger ...

I guess I'm going to have to hold out for DC's Restaurant Week in less than two weeks. The Washingtonian has a listing of some good menus here. I went to Acadiana once and really enjoyed it. Must go back.

No more free Texas food

2009-08-12T09:05:00.006-04:00

Ah, nothing like coming back to the grind of Washington, D.C. welcomed by lots and lots of rain. No seriously, no sarcasm intended. I don't know why I love the rain so much. It certainly makes for some intimate dining: the pitter-patter of raindrops combined with dark lighting, candles and a scrumptious dinner would definately be high on the list of things I love ...

I was sad to leave all of my mom's home-cooking and the free chips/salsa/queso bar at Chuy's, i.e. the place where Jenna Bush got tagged for under-age drinking when she was at UT. With their $3.50 margaritas during happy hour, I'm pretty sure I could have happily nested there for at least the duration of restaurant hours but there would have been no chance of me driving home. No chance! =) I'm sure I'll make another trip to Texas soon.

I did watch Julie & Julia -- in a crowded theatre where I'm sure my brother and I brought the median age down by at least 35 years -- when I was home. The Time Magazine review was spot-on. An excellent two hour adventure into the journey of two women. Meryl Streep's Julia Child will, I'm sure, win her another bouquet of awards this upcoming Spring. While I marveled at the talent onscreen, I was really touched by the notion of how Julia Child wanted to find something to DO with her life ... and then made it happen in a spectacular and wonderful way. She found a passion and single-minded followed through on it. Pretty special.

In the meantime, back here in D.C., I'm just as much on the hunt for good free food as you are. This week is "Beer Week" here in D.C. The Washington City Paper has a decent list of this week's events here. The hit list for tonight includes Marvin's. Beer plus a buffet of Belgium food. I'd check that one out except the price tag says $35 bucks. That's not very frugal at all.

Otherwise, what is there to eat in D.C.? Surely I won't have to cook tonight! =P I do know that tomorrow night has a great foodie event at The Phillips Collection. For free, the DC Bartenders Guild will be bringing in various libations while food while be provided by Fresh Farms. Should be fun! Check the details here.

Free food to celebrate Barack Obama's birthday

2009-08-04T09:17:00.002-04:00

Today is Barack Obama's birthday and in order to celebrate -- and get a whole lot of free publicity -- a couple of restaurants are giving away free food. If you can stand the looooooooooooooooooooong line of people waiting to get their free food, go to Z Burger. Free burgers and birthday cake from 11 am to 2 pm. Also, the first 48 people in line at 1030 am will get gift certificates for 48 burgers and 48 milkshakes next year.

I can't vouch for the quality of the food, but it's free. How much more frugal can you get?!?

If you don't want to wait in line, Dominio's will give you one of their new Chocolate Lava Crunch cakes.

A strike to the heart (and stomach)

2009-08-02T12:57:00.004-04:00

Michael Pollan wrote one of my favorite books of all time: Omnivore's Dilemma. When it first came out, I did not do anything for a week while I absorbed his brillant analysis of the food, commodities and energy market of today. If you haven't read it, you should.

So it was with pleasure I opened my Sunday New York Times to see the cover story on the Time Magazine an article written by Michael Pollan. Titled "Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch," he explains how we have evovled from watching cooking shows so we can learn how to cook complicated and imaginative foods to sitting on the couch and watching other makes meals while we, all too often, bring home take-out or easy to microwave items. It is a thoughtful article inspired by the release of the movie Julie & Julia this week.

This movie has fixated the entertainment writers for better then a week now. Directed by Nora Ephron -- who brought you When Harry Met Sally -- and starring the incomparable Meryl Streep as Julia Childs -- so many reviews have been written about her portrayal of a woman who happily passed away at 92 in her sleep, it makes me wonder whether our interests are so diluted and specialized that we will rarely have cultural figures everyone would know.

I'm sure I will watch the movie which will be good for me because this past week of gluttonous eating every night has led to my skirts feeling a bit tighter. Instead of going to a restaurant, I am going to go to the movies. Mental candy as opposed to edible candy.

I took a good run this morning to work off the calories of an unexpectedly delicious meal last night. After having running errands for the better part of all day Saturday (This is the part of being a grown-up I absolutely deplore! I swear I will probably, if I ever get married, be the worst housewife ever because I hate to clean, run errands or do anything remotely domestic!), I settled down to a dinner at Chevy's Mexican Restaurant near Pentagon City.

Chevy's is a chain restaurant so you know the prices are relatively cheap. My chicken chimichanga was $9.99, but what was really delicious was the salsa. In fact, their salsa is so legendary, you can buy a bottle of salsa for $7.99. I'm not sure I will accurately capture the freshness and lightness of the salsa. Not purely tomato based, the completely pureed salsa arrived in a glorious mish-mash of color: a burgundy palate with splices of green and black. The chips were essentially salt-less and so airy I ate an entire basket myself.

I should have sensed the salsa was to-die-for simply by the service of the waiter who brought us our own individual bowls of salsa.

Which reminds me. I wrote a review for NBC Washington nearly a year ago which caused quite the rucus because I said Lauriol Plaza in D.C. was the best Mexican food in the city. I still get amused by the fracus simply because I was only choosing a locale in the city -- as opposed to Virginia or Maryland. I'm just a critic, just one person's opinion, so raising someone's hackles is always interesting.

This week I'm excited to go to Texas and get some real Tex-Mex though!

Food should be a competition

2009-07-31T08:51:00.004-04:00

I like how riled up people get about their food. Well ... maybe riled is too harsh a word. Passionate. I like how passionate people are about their food, especially in defending their geographical favorites. They talk in detail, usually with either arms or voices raised (sometimes both), and you can feel how strongly they long for a dish RIGHT THERE while you are talking.

Last night I attended a chili cook-off and, other then burgers and bbq, chili seems easily prone to these types of geographic rivalries. I love watching Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" on the Food Network. He discovers some of the hidden gems around our country, including some excellent chili locales. Check it out.

Of course, an in-house chili contest means (1) it's more intimate, (2) there's more egos and (3) the champion is crowing even more about his -- sorry girls, it was a he who won -- chili crown.

Being from Texas, I like Texas chili the best. Last night's winner was closely akin to ours: not too sweet, with beans and beef. An excellent Mexican cornbread soaked up the right proportion of liquid to solids. Here's the link to Tyler Florence's Texas Chili: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/tylers-texas-chili-recipe2/index.html.

Every state/city does contests and rankings though. The Washingtonian issued their "Best of Washington 2009" recently. Looking through the pages, I can certainly understand some favorites. Naturally, I focused on the burger section. Not sure I agree with all of them but I will say one restaurant which I used to like -- Sonoma -- I will no longer be going to in order to get burgers. One, the beef pattie has gotten smaller but the price is still the small. De-valuization. I don't like it. Two, even though I requested the meat well-done, this one was charred beyond recognition. Three, the lettuce was double the size of my burger. Awkward. Four, I got chewed out by the hostess who was in jeans and a cut-off top. Yes. Me, the customer, got chewed out by the hostess. Never going to go there again.

Otherwise, this weekend I think I'm going to try some receipes at home. I'll let you know how those turn out. This one is one of my favorites from Paula Deen. The total costs of the ingredients is about $20, but the food will last you all week.

BAKED SPAGHETTI

Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoons Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Paula Deen’s Seasoned Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Paula Deen’s Sweet Italian Herb Blend
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
2 small bay leaves
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining. Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for 20 more minutes. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes. Cut into squares before serving.

Yield: 10 servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ease of preparation: easy

Maybe frugal is all in the mind ....

2009-07-29T08:38:00.002-04:00

Last night I had a scrumptous dinner at Equinox, off the Farragut West metro station. (Exit on the 17th Street side or else you will be walking a long time.) Don't let the picture on the website fool you. The space is not cavenerous but rather very small and very intimate. I honestly think if the bar fit more then 20 people comfortably then they would have to be the skinniest people around!

Aside from the oddly mish-mashed architectural flourishes -- sconces which look like Vidalia onions don't go with the plastered ceiling -- the service is exceptional. Our waitress was charming without being overbearing. Patient. She was patient.

I had along a wine connesiour (of sorts) and a chef (from a competing restaurant) so I was on my best foodie behavior. And the reason for our journey was the $40 "Spring Tasting Menu" below. A great deal for the price but hardly frugal. Tonight will be dinner at Sonoma (on the house) for a going away party for a friend. Now that's my idea of a good meal: FREE!

Too bad D.C. isn't really having any great food deals. I can't remember the last time a restaurant opened which really popped out in my mind. I guess I need to keep on doing some hunting. Sonoma is a good deal though. Meal, without wine, is about $15.

Equinox invites you to enjoy some of Chef Todd Gray's

best-loved dishes with a special 10-YearAnniversary Menu.

For the remainder of July and August, Chef Gray has created tasting menus

that reflect the season's freshest flavors in his favorite preparations.

10th Anniversary July Tasting Menu

Spicy Field Arugula and Sweet Watermelon Salad

Preserved Lemon, Shaved Parmesan and Lingurian Olive Oil

Loosen Bros. "Dr. L" Riesling Mosel , Germany 2008

Chef's Market Middle Course

Silky Egg Fettuccine with Crispy Eastern Shore Soft Shell Crab

Fondued Tomatoes, Pea Shoots and Garden Mint Butter

Heron Pinot Noir , France 2007

"Summer Blueberry"

Vanilla Bean Custard, Path Valley Blueberries and Fresh Bay Leaf Gelato

Elio Perrone "Bigaro" Rose, Italy 2008

$40/with wine pairing $65

*This tasting menu is available every night through the rest of July with a Market Middle Course that changes daily*

Equinox Restaurant

(202) 331-8118

818 Connecticut Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20006

A once a year opportunity

2009-07-28T09:19:00.004-04:00

I ate a marvelous dinner at Fogo de Chao last night. Exquisite meats, sides and a plentiful salad bar PLUS a gentle glass (or two) of Cabernet and a Molten Chocolate cake to die for. Price? F-R-E-E. I know!! I'm really lucky. And it wasn't even for an NBC review. Sometimes friends are just that special ...

Some of these excellent restaurants -- which clearly go against my $15 a meal budget -- give a bargain once a year for "DC Restaurant Week." Lunches for $20 and dinners for $35. Week of August 24, 2009. It fills up fast so go to Open Table today and book reservations. They just noticed it!

Liquid Diet

2009-07-26T17:33:00.007-04:00

During the day I work for a "company" where there is a lot of free food floating around. Usually I try to go to the cafeteria's salad bar -- since this is the only time during the week my diet will see a green vegetable which isn't plucked, battered and fried beyond recognition ... or isn't a mere garnish to a buttered dish -- but I'm too cheap to always pay the $0.40 per ounce. So, I rely on the network of free "briefing lunches" to fill my daily diet with food.

If all else fails, then I usually have a "liquid diet" for dinner. Is this healthy? Probably not. I don't think merely drinking a glass of orange juice for dinner is all-together healthy, but it is certainly more healthy than having a pint of ice cream for dinner. And it's 100% more healthy then just drinking a glass(es) of alcohol for dinner, which I confess I sometimes do.

One of the more tempting "liquid diets" is the SEI happy hour. Located across the street from the gorgeous National Portrait Gallery in Chinatown, SEI has the most drop-dead, divine Japanese moijito. Liquid sin: sweet, even-tempered with a kick of sake. I downed my first in about 15 minutes and followed it up with a second, which disappeared in nearly the same time. I swear, if ever I found a personal weakness to my one-drink-a-night resolve (don't ask, it's a long story) then this drink is it!! During their happy hour, this drink can be found for a measley $7. Ends at 8 pm.

This sounds like I'm a alcohol bulimic, but I'm not. I drink maybe an alcoholic drink once every two weeks. Just searching for a good bargain wherever I can find it!

But if you are looking for substance, a nice complement to your cheap foodie habits is the pizza at Whole Foods. Now, I'm from Texas so I was intimately familiar with Whole Foods before it exploded into the 600+ store monolith the chain is now. A not-so-good secret is you can buy pizza by the slice there for $3.99 (or two for $5.99). The width of the pizza at the crust is at least five inches, not quite a Jumbo Slice; however, the variety of garnishes are infinitely healthier. Check it out. I like to get a slice at the Clarendon Whole Foods and then walk across the street to the tiny park there and enjoy the gorgeous weather we've been enjoying lately.

Okay. Enough with these chains. The goal for this week is to try and find more neighborhood deals!!

P.S. For those of you who miss the Murky Coffee, here's an interesting article about my least favorite coffee chain from the owner Nicholas Cho.

If it's cheap is it quality?

2009-07-24T08:39:00.006-04:00

I was reading through The Washingtonian's Cheap Eats magazine. The volume of information is rather overwhelming, but I guess it's a good-a-start as any to find cheap food. I guess the larger question is "Is it quality?"

If I just wanted cheap food, I would go to any of the Fast Food Nation's highlighted food chains. I mean, even after reading that muckracking book, I still love Chick-fil-A and Sonic (a premium Texas chain). There isn't a Sonic nearby, but there is a Chick-fil-A in the Ballston mall. I'm sure Californians would say the same about In-N-Out Burger, but if I can go to a restaurant and get food for under $15 then that's what I want.

The Washingtonian's Cheap Eats restaurants are, in fact, restaurants so I'm going to really try and eat at most of them since I haven't already.

In the meantime, I got a press release about how Old Ebbitt Grill is hosting their 1st Annual Block Party Labor Day Weekend. "Delicious fare, libations and live music" from 6 pm to 11 pm. For $65 dollars you will get burgers, jumbo lump crab cake sandwiches, beef brisket, shrimp cocktail, bratwurst and more PLUS frozen beverages like White Lemonade, Blue Margaritas and Strawberry Daiquiris. Also, there will be beer and wine.

Old Ebbitt Grill is one of my favorite restaurants. Maybe it's the proximity to The White House -- thus you get great citings of people who work in The West Wing -- but the long LONG line to get a table often disuades me from going. I will say though the wait is usually worth it. They have fresh bread with room-temperature butter for free, beautiful calimari as an excellent appetizer choice and one of the best burgers I have ever eaten in this city (at a bargain basement rate of $8.95).

I don't know if I want to pay $65 for four hours of drinking and eating. I may just turn into a comatose food zombie when I am done, but it's something to consider. It's not being a "frugal foodie" unless you divide the $65 over 4 four hours.

www.ebbittblockparty.com
for those who are so inclined.

Seriously??

2009-07-23T08:59:00.005-04:00

Have you ever gotten in a food rut? I do. Sometimes I eat the same foods over-and-over again, mindlessly, without thinking of either the calories or nutritional value. Usually though my old staples include The Italian Store in Clarendon where you can get a relatively healthy sub sandwich for about $7.99 with tax. I always order a large "Milano" on a hard roll, with everything, but lately they always run out of hard rolls! Sadness. The soft roll isn't as good because there is SUCH an abundance of meat, lettuce, tomato, hot peppers and various acrutrements (plus a heavenly dressing which is both sweet and sour) that the bread always ends up soggy at the end.

Maybe this is why I'm growing bored with The Italian Store ... they don't have what I what ... or they have what I want it's just so easy to get. What's the challenge there? Isn't part of being a foodie finding something exclusive and delicious which no one else knows? It's an adventure of sorts.

Frank Bruni with The New York Times is pretty good at this. I enjoy all of his blogs and articles. He usually has an excellent stand alone article in The New York Times' weekly insert "Dining and Wine in New York."

I think I also like him so much because he isn't a thin foodie. Much like Paula Deen (my hero), he has some heft and I like it. It makes you believe them more -- as though their girth justifies their gastronomic critiques. Thin people talking about food makes me think they are just being estoteric because, really, SERIOUSLY, who can eat so much good food and be so thin!?!? Like Giada De Laurentiis with her show on The Food Network. She's so thin and tiny -- notice she never swallows her food just chews -- you wonder if her receipes are actually good. (Some are, but I'm sure I'm just being a Mean Girl since she is so beautiful, very talented and married to the style director of one of my favorite stores Anthropologie.)

Frank had a great article this past Sunday in The New York Times magazine (I do read other newspapers ... I read pretty much all the national ones, I just favor The New York Times the most) about being a "baby bulimic." Check it out. Fascinating.

Which brings me to the best article I read yesterday from USA Today talking about how obesity is being considered in South Carolina as child abuse. How does one get a 14-year-old child to 555 pounds ... is that abuse? Too much cheap food?

I never cook at home anymore

2009-07-21T22:33:00.006-04:00

Before The Food Network was THE Food Network, I was fairly obsessed with Paula Deen. She was so full of life -- and seemingly made every dish with about twelve sticks of butter! -- and that draaaaaaawl made you just want to cuddle up to her stove so she could chat you up while making the best dishes around town.

I envisioned myself as the Asian Paula, but I wasn't disciplined enough to pull my own Juli & Julia, i.e. Sery making a Paula Deen receipe a day for a year. I mean, I guess I still could, but a new Paula receipe a day would turn me into the fattest Asian girl around.

Mostly though I just like to go out to eat. I enjoy trying new meals (within reason), in a beautiful atmosphere, with excellent service and no dishes to wash. Very rarely do I even try to cook at home with non-frozen, non-pre-packaged, non-microwaveable items!

Isn't it odd that being a "Frugal Foodie" today involves the choice between cooking at home instead of going out. How much the culture has changed where you think going out to eat everyday is normal whereas staying at home and cooking something is unusual.

When I do cook at home, I eat the most random food. Today I had some banana bread I made. The best banana bread receipe you will find is from Chef Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery in Boston. It's called "Flour's Famous Banana Bread," and the ingredients cost me about $10 dollars to buy. I'm telling you, it is impossible to mess this up. I have never followed the receipe exactly and it still comes out right. Astonishing. Something to think about.

Bread and ice cream for dinner. Don't tell my mom or my doctor. They would be horrified with my bad eatings habits, but I never skip dessert no matter what I eat. Habitual sweet tooth. (Insatiable really.) My latest obsession is the best gelatto in the metroplex: Buccato in Clarendon, on Wilson Boulevard, across the street from Whole Foods. It's a cash only establishment in an ugly strip of stores. Ignore the exterior although the prices may get your attention. One scoop is $3.50. You'll probably think it a rip-off because the serving size is so small; however, the taste is exquisite and so lush you savor each tiny morsel -- to the point where you are, in fact, full. More scoops are available for an additional dollar a scoop yet it feels gluttonous because, again, the fullness of the flavor. I like the "Lucuma."

Tomorrow there aren't any real cheap foodie specials, but if you can stand the "important people" crowd there are free drinks and treats at Urban Chic is Georgetown. Not really a food specific event but there are free treats (probably crackers for the starving waifs who can fit into the trendy clothes) and free champagne.

Personally, I'm going to delve into D.C.'s weirdly hot burger scene. There's burger wars, burger bracket-ology like it was March Madness or something, and even entire blogs devoted to the perfect burger. I shouldn't complain because there are a lot of good ones out there here in D.C. Try Big Buns in Arlington. Excellent sweet potato fries and a beautifully dense burger. The width of those things has to be a solid 3 1/2 inches across and maybe 2 inches deep. The price tag for the burger is a solid $7-ish, but I don't remember (bad blogger I know). I was just really full and only ordered a basket of their Sweet Potato Fries. For $2.95 it was a steal. Definately gives Ray's Hell Burger a run for the money -- without all those darn long lines caused by Obama and Biden's visit!

Pleasantly Surprised

2009-07-20T20:58:00.006-04:00

So Urbana is celebrating their third birthday this week. $3 dollar drinks and $3 dollar pizzas. Not a bad deal. Check it out. I ordered the margherita pizza, and it came with the lightest, yet still hearty, crust. It was like pita bread but warmer.

Plus I asked for the free cupcake you get when you order their three course meal for $30 dollars. Red velvet with cream cheese icing. Not exactly the best cupcake ever but a good deal for being free. An added bonus was the chef bringing out the cupcake himself. Cute. Cost of dinner tonight? $9 dollars plus tax and a good tip (the waitress was really on her game).

Best deal for tomorrow will be the free pastry at Starbucks when you order a drink. Personally, I think Starbucks is the most overpriced and not good coffee around. The regular coffee is too strong and the mixed coffees are too sweet. Basically, I am not a fan. I prefer the Dunkin' Donuts -- if you are desperate for a chain coffee -- but otherwise I like to support local establishments or just make my own. I make an excellent coffee. The fat free or sugar free creamer from Coffeemate really sets it apart, but when you can get a free pastry, then Starbucks coffee is worth the price. The coupon is good until 1030 am tomorrow.

Otherwise, I am really disappointed that Chipotle raised the price of their burritos from $5.65 to $6.10. I go to Chipotle when I am just desperate for a good hearty meal really fast. Now I have to pay $0.45 cents more. Sad. Oh well. The burrito is cheap -- even for someone from Texas who is used to excellent Tex-Mex. Will do the trick.

Tomorrow I hope to find a really excellent dinner for under $10 dollars. I know it's floating out there ... I can dream can't I!?!

For the Foodie Cheapskates

2009-07-19T08:57:00.004-04:00

Everyone loves food, but lately the pursuit of food is so nuanced -- and expensive -- it's hard to say that one is both a "foodie" as well as "frugal." It's either or. Even if you cook at home, the price of the ingredients are so expensive, it's hard to be the Paula Deen of your hometown.

Yet I LOVE nothing more then a good meal, with some good wine, and excellent conversation alongside. (Well, maybe the only thing better than that would be if the meal were al fresco, in sensationally temperate 80 degrees, with brillantly sun-shiney weather.) I just don't like to pay for it. So I'm caught between a rock and a hard spot.

Thankfully, I have a freelance gig which allows me to taste some of the premier food Washington, D.C. (and the surrounding metroplex) has to offer. Without writing for NBC Washington, there would be no way I could try all the delectable goodies cropping up daily. FYI: My still new favorite would be Brabo Tasting Room in Old Town Alexandria. For about $25-$30 a person, this is an absolute steal. The no reservation policy means you have to be patient for a table, but the wait is well worth it.

Also, I appreciate the gentlemanly nature of the men of this city who take me to all the restaurants who aren't cutting-edge/new enough for an NBC review. Their wallets certainly subsidize my foodie taste-buds.

But I want to find good great -- GREAT food, if at all possible -- on the cheap, without having to rely on work or the benevolence of men. And not just the restaurants who annually show up in The Washingtonian's Cheap Eats either, but how to eat a great meal, every meal, for $15 or less.

This blog will only be updated once or twice a day because I do have a day job which doesn't allow me to post on blogs so check the blog either early in the morning or late a night, once a day, seven days a week. I'll have a suggestion and hope you'll post a suggestion for me too.

And not just my review of restaurants but also articles, reciepes, interviews and maybe even an episode from a really good show which shares how to find excellent food cheaply in one of the most expensive cities to live in here in these United States.

Happy hunting -- and, most importantly, happy eating!!

Here's an article to consider. From this morning's New York Times "Week in Review" Section: "Foie Gras Palates, Hot Dog Pocketbooks."