Mexican Food is Always the Answer

Today for lunch, I went to a Mexican restaurant next door to my parent’s apartment building with my mom and dad. The restaurant is called Pepito and it is located in Arlington, VA. When we first sat down, we were a little worried because about 85% of the menu is drinks. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a great drink menu, but we were there to try the food, so we were in fact concerned.

The waiter settled our nerves when he came over and began to explain almost every item on the menu to us. He was extremely kind and patient as we asked question after question and still needed time to look the menu over again before actually ordering.

We started off with chips and guacamole. The guacamole was out of this world delicious. My parents and I are extremely picky with our chips and guac seeing as how we spend a week each year in Mexico with the best chips and guac in the world (we think). Luckily, this guacamole did not disappoint. My dad and I tried the guacamole at the same time and as soon as we realized how good it was, we both looked at each other wide-eyed and said “oh my, this is amazing.” I feel as though that truly explains how great it was.

For lunch, I got two chicken tacos. The chicken was shredded and had a light sauce mixed into it that was slightly spicy, but not too overwhelming. There was also a slice of avocado and shredded radishes on the taco. I was not expecting anything too crazy because I am not the biggest taco fan, but I was really impressed. The taco was full of flavor and I enjoyed every bite. I would highly suggest them to anyone who goes to Pepita.

Pepita is a great new Mexican spot that definitely needs to be checked out if you are in the DC area. It is a great lunch spot, but makes an even better evening spot to go sip on drinks and have a small meal to go along with the alcohol you will be consuming. Whenever I walk past at night, it is always packed. I know I will definitely be heading back there to take advantage of the other 85% of the menu that I missed out on at lunch time today. I hope you choose to not miss out as well.

Half a Chicken, Please!

If you are traveling to Berlin, Henne is a restaurant that you cannot miss out on. The menu consists of half a chicken and a choice of either potato salad or coleslaw (which is really sauerkraut). The chicken is fried, but not breaded. This means that the chicken still has its skin on it, but they cook it in a fryer. It might sound unhealthy, but it really does not seem too oily when you start to eat it. Between the potato salad and the sauerkraut, I preferred the potato salad. It was quite creamy, but it was absolutely delicious.

This restaurant may come across as boring since the menu is so minimal, but it is a meal you need to have…if you like chicken. Going into the meal, I was not too excited seeing as how I have chicken nearly every night for dinner when I am at home, but it was not to be believed. That is how delicious it was!

Most of the restaurant seating is outdoors on an enclosed patio. Enclosed meaning it is closed off from the street; there is no roof. The tables would be comparable with long elegant picnic-like tables. If you are with a small group (~1-4 people), do not be surprised when you are seated right next to another group. Although you are close to other groups, it does not feel invasive since the entire restaurant’s seating is like that.

Henne is more than 100 years old, which makes it a historic restaurant. It is really cool to think that the original people who owned the restaurant lived an entire life before you or even your parents were alive. It is well known throughout Berlin and after eating the food, I understand why. They also have a great selection of beers and other alcoholic beverages.

My last piece of advice with this restaurant is to call ahead and make a reservation. You do not want to get there to be told they do not have any seats available for you. This restaurant is not one that you should risk missing out on. Their website is www.henne-berlin.de . Take a look at it and keep it in mind if you are heading to Berlin anytime in the future. It is definitely a must while you are in the amazing city of Berlin!

My Last American Adventure (for the next month)

So here I am on this flight to London, England and yet all I can think about is how good my lunch was yesterday as well as my day in general. Crazy, I know, but that just tells you how good it was.

My parents recently purchased lake front property on Lake Anna in Virginia. My mom and dad both really wanted me to see the property before they started to build the house (and I guess I also wanted to see it too). Because of this, my mom drove me out to the lake yesterday. The first thing we did once we got there was go over to the property to check it out. Right now it is literally a miniature forest, but I know that once the house is built and the landscaping is done, it is going to be absolutely breathtaking.

This is all well and good, but let us get to the meat of this post, the lunch. I know that is what you are all truly here for. We went to a restaurant that is about a 12-minute drive from the property. It is called Tim’s. It is a super cute restaurant right on the water with an outdoor deck when the weather is nice enough to sit outside. Luckily, yesterday was perfect “sit outside” weather. It was hot, but not too hot, windy, but not too windy, and sunny instead of rainy. Pretty much a dream day.

My mom and I walk into the adorable restaurant to be greeted by a hostess who happily sat us outside. Our waitress was extremely nice and kept our drink refills coming (much needed on a summer day). My mom and I both ordered the crab cake with a side of hushpuppies because how can you say no to crab when you know it is fresh and hushpuppies…do I even need to explain myself there?

After waiting for a top of 15 minutes, our lunch was ready. Everything about it looked delicious. The first bite of the crab cake sent me straight to heaven. It was amazing. They serve it on a bun, but my mom and I decided to take our cakes off the buns and just appreciate them for what they truly are. I put a bit of tartar sauce on the top of my crab cake and it really brought the flavor out. We got ours broiled (trying to be a bit healthier) and it was just as good if not better than any crab cake I have ever had before.

Now let us take a moment to think about those delicious hushpuppies I got to eat. I kid you not, the best hushpuppies I have ever had. Perfect fried round balls of goodness. For whatever reason, I have been in love with hushpuppies ever since I tried them when I was 10 and we took a drip down to North Carolina for two weeks. Being a New Yorker, hushpuppies were hard to come by until I went off to Kentucky for college so I get super excited whenever I get to try some at a new restaurant. I am going off on a rant now. Basically, the food was delicious and the hushpuppies were to die for.

The moral here? Head out to Lake Anna and spend a day on a beautiful lake and eat some amazing fish (or meat if that suits you better) to truly satisfy yourself. A summer day at a lake is not complete without an outdoor meal on the water!

Birthdays Call for Brunch

June 21st: The First Day of Summer, Father’s Day, and…. My Birthday! I have officially exited my teen years as I embark on my year as the big two-oh (I turn 20 today). My roommates and I were going to get up and make a delicious breakfast at home today, but we decided we were too lazy and should just hit the town for some brunch.

We went to a restaurant that I had never been to before called Alfalfa. It is a cute little restaurant situated right in the center of downtown Lexington. I have heard of it plenty since I started school here two years ago, but I just never got around to trying it. I have my two usual breakfast restaurants and I rarely branch out.

Well, I am glad that I branched out today. Not only was the food delicious, but the restaurant itself was extremely cute. The (brick) walls are covered in artwork that is a little outlandish, but that makes it so much more interesting to look at. It also just has a very homie feel, which I love.

I ordered an omelette with onion, green pepper, avocado, and white cheddar cheese with a side of alfafries (their take on breakfast potatoes). It was absolutely delicious. The omelette was definitely on the bigger side, but it tasted so fresh and amazing. Rumor has it their pancakes are out of this word if you are more into sweet breakfast food.

A great thing about Alfalfa is that they serve Kentucky Proud food when possible, so their eggs are fresh along with other ingredients on their menu. I think it is really awesome when I eat at a restaurant and not only am I helping out a local place, but the food I am eating is local as well. I love that!

Moral of the story: if you are in Lexington, Kentucky and want to try something local for breakfast that is also delicious, you need to hit up Alfalfa. You will not regret it. Another awesome perk for you UK students: Alfalfa’s takes Plus! So go out there and enjoy some fresh and delicious brunch.

Teaism

So you are in Washington DC for the day checking out the monuments and stopping into the museums. It hits lunch time and you are starving and do not know where to go to eat. If you are into tea and also do not want too heavy of a meal, you need to go to Teaism.

Talk about a delicious meal. I went there for lunch with my mom and my friend the other day and was blown away. It was very light so it did not leave me feeling like I could not walk. This is a good thing since I proceeded to walk a good (at least) three miles around the monuments after lunch. The tea is also delicious and they have an unbelievable assortment. You want a type of tea, I bet you they have it. Hot, iced, it is yours!

I personally got a salmon bento box and was not disappointed. It was so delicious. It was also probably the first healthy thing I had eaten all week so that made me feel pretty good. My mom and my friend both got different things than me and they both enjoyed their meals.

A great thing about Teaism is that there are several locations throughout Washington DC so if you are not checking out the monuments, there are other places that may be closer to where you are. The atmosphere of the restaurant is laid back, which goes well with the concept that tea is very soothing and relaxing to drink.

After you finish eating, be sure to head next door to the Teaism store and fulfill all of your tea needs. They have the largest tea selection I have ever seen plus every tea essential imaginable. They also have a few other things such as candles and artwork that are absolutely lovely.

Next time you are in DC, do not push this suggestion aside. It was an amazing meal and you cannot pass up the opportunity!