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I went to Salon Cielo after reading mostly positive reviews from various sites, including Judy's Book. The last time I got my hair cut was when I was in Vietnam two summers ago. So as you can...
I went to Salon Cielo after reading mostly positive reviews from various sites, including Judy's Book. The last time I got my hair cut was when I was in Vietnam two summers ago. So as you can imagine, my hair has grown very long since then, to my hips. I had been thinking of getting it cut when my friend suggested that we get our hair done when she was in town on Tuesday. Although it was extremely last-minute, I was able to schedule two appointments for 2 pm on Tuesday--so literally my friend and I were left from Silver Spring an hour or two after she arrived at my house!
We got there right on time because we had took the wrong exit at the Dupont Circle metro station and had to backtrack. My friend was whisked away and I had to wait a few minutes. In that time I was greeted by an older gentleman (maybe he was the manager?) and my stylist Rosa introduced herself. She had me sit in the chair and proceeded to ask me what I wanted to do with my hair.
I had found a hairstyle that I liked on a Japanese website. I had meant to print it out but forgot, but I had an idea of what I wanted. I have your typical slightly coarse, bone-straight Asian hair and I wanted to get rid of all the damaged ends I had, and I was the type of person who washed and air-dried her hair. I also had never dyed my hair asides from the use of the occasional henna shampoo. I wanted something with layers, maybe to below my shoulders, and I was open to anything new but no highlights. "Hair grows back," I said.
Rosa liked my attitude and led me to get my hair washed. The shampoo girl, while not talkative, was nice and efficient. While I love getting scalp massages, the neck rest was uncomfortable, so all the while I was thinking, "Mmm, that feels nice!" and "Ow, my neck! Is this over yet?" The salon uses Aveda products, which smell lovely.
While I was getting my hair cut, there were people to the left and right of me who also had appointments. The stylists bantered with one another and we (the clients) all chit-chatted about movies, Britney Spears, etc. It was very casual, laid back environment, and not at all awkward or felt forced. I felt very comfortable the entire time.
Rosa mainly used a razor to cut my hair. In the end, it was shorter than what I wanted (above my shoulders) but she did excellent work! My co-worker, who went to cosmology school, complimented on her work. For the first time, my hair has volume, too!
To sum it up:
1. I got what I asked for. No more damaged ends, and had layers.
2. It was shorter than what I asked, but the end result was very cute and everyone says it makes me look more older (in a good way). Thus, only four stars because due to the length and due to the uncomfortable neck rest when I got my hair shampooed.
3. The staff were very professional and friendly.
4. Rosa used three products on my hair. She explained what each product does but did not pressure me to purchase them, as she knew I was just a wash 'n dry gal. (Although I am now really tempted to go buy some Aveda products.)
5. It cost $55 for a wash/cut/blowdry excluding tip.
6. I would definitely go here again! Also, my friend was really pleased with her cut. She had brought in a picture from a magazine and got what she wanted. She looked great, too!
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I am a big fan of Teaism. I first heard of it from Rachael Ray's $40 a Day--I don't have cable but I read a review online. Now, generally, I don't take Rachael Ray's $40 a Day advice to heart,...
I am a big fan of Teaism. I first heard of it from Rachael Ray's $40 a Day--I don't have cable but I read a review online. Now, generally, I don't take Rachael Ray's $40 a Day advice to heart, because there are many places in DC that are cheaper than what she has listed. In any case, Teaism is one of the main reasons why I grew to love tea, especially green tea, which I used to hate because it always tasted bitter. But now I know how a proper green tea tastes like, and how to prepare it so it doesn't taste bitter!
Over the past year, I frequented Teaism on a weekly basis--sometimes bi-weekly; it was that good. I ate at all of the locations. I'll review each of them, as each shop has its own perks and quirks when it comes to food and ambience. Now I don't eat at Teaism much. It's a bit easier on the wallet but it's still considered to be "our place" for my boyfriend and I, and I always recommend it to anyone visiting DC.
Teaism Dupont Circle is the first Teaism. There are three in the DC area at the moment. This place is in walking distance from the Dupont Circle Metro. The upside is that it's in a quaint townhouse. The downside is that it's in a quaint townhouse. It is small, cramped, and gets crowded during lunch hour. Of all the Teaism places, I recommend it for breakfast and lunch. Only go here for lunch super-early, like at 11 am, or late, like at 2 pm, when the rush has died down.
The thing I like most about the Dupont Circle location is the "old-world" feel. It's not quite Asian decor but has an aged look to it. I also like that the food here is made to order (Penn Quarter, a bigger location, cooks up large batches of food for the lunch rush), and that the tea is served in teapots. When you order your food, you get a number recorded on your receipt, and when your order is ready, they call your number. This is the same system they use at Penn Quarter.
This place is best for breakfast because it's quiet in the mornings, which is great to relax and read your paper. Upstairs, it's a little bit warm but you can open the window and look out onto R Street (the view isn't exciting, though). I order the Irish oatmeal with apricots and raisins for cold blustery days. The tea cured salmon, naan & raita is also a light breakfast dish and comes with a side of fruit. The sourdough waffle is filling enough for one and has sliced banana on top. Smoked chicken & apple sausage is alright. It's kind of pricey for a side dish, in my opinion. With the exception of baked goods, I don't order the side dishes. This place is moderately priced so ordering a bunch of side dishes adds up.
One of the best combinations is their famous ginger scones, spread with jam and butter, with a hot mug of chai. Words cannot express my love for Teaism chai. It's spicy, warming, but also tastes like black tea. A lot of places serve the chai mix that's too sweet and foamy, but not this place. If I ever move away from the DC area, I'll miss the chai from Teaism something fierce.
For the upcoming winter months, ochazuke is great. This is a rice bowl with salmon, wasabi, and those addicting nori flakes sprinkled onto the rice. You pour sencha (green) tea on top. The sencha blends with the ingredients in the rice bowl, creating a rich broth. It sounds weird but is actually tasty if you enjoy the taste of green tea. Plus the tea is served in a teapot, so you have enough for your bowl and to drink, making it a nice cost-effective meal at $7.75.
There are four types of bento boxes at $8.75/each. Here I like to get the salmon bento: teriyaki salmon, cucumber-ginger salad, edamame, and rice. I have tried all the bentos and this location does this type of bento well.
For big dishes, a good one is the Thai chicken curry or the Palaak Paneer. These dishes have a hint of heat/spice, so I recommend something like a mango lassi as a drink, since tea will only exacerbate the spiciness. They also used to have cold buckwheat noodles that was pretty good in the summer with gen mai cha, but I don't think they carry it anymore.
For dessert, the scones are tasty. Jasmine Crème Brulee is... interesting. Definitely not sweet like regular crème brulee. I'm not sure if I like it or not.
Zhenzhou Pearls (bubble tea) is one of the better bubble teas I've had. Plus it's dairy-free, always a thumbs-up in my book. Avoid the chai shake because there is always too much ice and it gets watery too quickly. My favorite teas here, asides from the chai, is gen mai cha, hojicha, and darjeeling. I always mean to try others but I usually am loyal to the chai and green tea.
Writing this review made me miss eating here. I think I might head over to Dupont for breakfast tomorrow...
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The Diner
Category:
Restaurants
2453 18th St
Washington, Dist. of Columbia 20009
(202) 232-8807
The Diner is one of Adams Morgan's finest establishments, right up there with Jumbo Slice. Think of that diner where Seinfeld and his friends hung out. Did you ever want to hang out in a place like...
The Diner is one of Adams Morgan's finest establishments, right up there with Jumbo Slice. Think of that diner where Seinfeld and his friends hung out. Did you ever want to hang out in a place like that in the morning? (No, IHOP and Denny's don't count.) Anyway, the Diner fits every mood you're in. Want pancakes at 4 in the morning? Go to The Diner. Want some glazed swordfish or maybe you're craving a steak? Go to The Diner. Hung over and just need something to eat? The Diner is your friend.
The Diner is situated next to Tryst, another popular Adams Morgan coffeehouse/bar/lounge (they're owned by the same people). Go there if you want a good non-Starbucks coffee and if you're not afraid of yuppies tinkering on their PowerBooks. (Oh, and for you intarweb junkies, the wireless at Tryst is free.) The Diner is relatively small so it may not fare well with groups over six, but groups of 3 or 4 will be seated comfortably. Seating-wise, there are booths, tables, and seats at the counter, like any other diner. The environment ranges from a medium buzz to a cafeteria din. Usually it is louder later at night, so I hope you and your dining companions aren't going to have philosophical conversations over hot wings and meatloaf.
Getting a seat really depends on your timing. A wait can be 20 minutes to an hour. I've been pretty lucky and have only waited about 20 minutes for seating for two people. Service here ranges from attentive to spotty--they'll take down your order, bring you food, and maybe check up on you, but they mostly leave you alone. Sometimes they mysteriously disappear when you need to request the check.
I've only been to this place a couple of times, so my reviews are going to consist of a few dishes:
Hot Chocolate
It was cold outside. Hot chocolate was nothing exceptional (was probably instant powdered mix) but it hit the spot.
Roasted Rosemary Chicken with mashed potatoes & haricots verts
A huge plate. With a lot of chicken. Might have been half or a quarter, but my 120lb self devoured it all. Crisp skin, succulent meat, juicy, light and herby. Mashed potatoes were homemade with lumps. Haricot verts are French green beans, and these were steamed. They look and taste like regular sring beans to me.
French Toast: Thick-sliced, topped with powdered sugar
My boyfriend had this. His reaction was the same as the last review re: hot and sour soup from Mr Chen's. He likes French Toast and this was good.
Overall, this meal set us back about $22 excluding tax and tip. My chicken cost about $12.99 and my boyfriend's French toast was either $7.99 or $8.99. He may have had something extra with his meal but since we ate here around late October of last year, so our memories are a little fuzzy.
And here are some other items I've tried since my first visit:
Big Fries (lots)
They really do mean "lots" of fries. These are the yummy steak-cut kind. No big secret recipe, just fries.
Chicken Tenders
Just your average tenders. Not bad but not out of this world, either.
Grilled Center-Cut Pork Chop
Mine was slightly overcooked and hard to slice and chew. However, the bourbon-apple glaze was great, as are the mashed potatoes and string beans.
Overall, I'm glad that a place like the Diner exisits. It's so frustrating to find a place to sit down and have a meal in a town that pretty much closes down at 10 pm (when it comes to restaurants, at least). We'll be back to ear here again, I'm sure.
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Mr Chens
Category:
Restaurants
2604 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, Dist. of Columbia 20008
(202) 797-9668
You may miss Mr Chen's when you're getting off the Woodley Park Metro station. It's a dinky little basement restaurant, sandwiched between the brightly-lit Jandara Thai and a Mediterranean...
You may miss Mr Chen's when you're getting off the Woodley Park Metro station. It's a dinky little basement restaurant, sandwiched between the brightly-lit Jandara Thai and a Mediterranean restaurant. As you descend downstairs, your nose is greeted by the smell of bleach, not grease. Inside, there are booths along the sides of the room, with smaller tables. This restaurant is open until 10pm, and they do delivery and take-out. While the "organic" part in their name is dubious at best (the menu notes that organic vegetables and meat are based on "availability"; however brown rice available upon request), this place is without a doubt, one of the better Chinese restaurants in the city. One thing you will notice in DC is that for the past decade or so, more and more Chinese restaurants are moving to the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Chinatown? Ha! I can count on one hand the amount of good Chinese restaurants in Chinatown! But anyway, I digress...
The advantage of Mr Chen's is they offer their entrees in two sizes: small and large, so it's great for small groups or large parties. The small sizes are good enough to feed two people. A party of two can feast well on (at most) three [small] dishes, with leftovers to spare. Anything beyond that is overkill. They also have a decent lunch combination that will give you more food for your money. Service here is attentive, and the staff speak English well, so you don't have to worry about language barriers.
While I haven't eaten everything at Mr Chen's, here are a few dishes I did enjoy:
Beef with Broccoli
This dish wasn't very inspiring. It was good but in contrast with the other dishes I've tried, it ranks as "meh". I gave our leftovers to a homeless bum we befriended named Reggie. If you are staying in the Union Station area, maybe you'll see him.
Buddhist Vegetables
A good choice entree for an organic restaurant, the Buddhist Vegetables are crisp and sliced into neat portions, perfect for picking up with your chopsticks. If I remember correctly, this had tofu, onion, green bell pepper, baby corn, onion, and mushrooms, stir-fried in a light brown sauce. If your mom calls to check up on you, tell her you've been eating your veggies. You'll get bonus points if you say they're organic.
Chicken Fried Rice
Okay, your stereotypical Chinese food. One thing you will notice is that food here is light on oil and all the vegetables are very fresh. The chicken fried rice will actually have chicken in it, and here they actually cut the chicken into thin, pinky-sized pieces. It's cooked with egg, onion, peas, and carrots. This dish, along with Buddhist Vegetables, is one that I order regularly.
Crispy Fried Eggplant
I don't eat eggplant unless it's fried. And of course, everything tastes better fried. This is a good alternative for vegetarians looking for something similiar to sweet and sour meat variants. The eggplant is sliced into pieces about a third of your hand, lightly coated in tempura batter, and tossed with a sweet and sour/garlic sauce. Tart, not too sweet, crispy. This dish does not make for good leftovers due to the fried eggplant going soggy.
Eggdrop Soup
My boyfriend got this the last time we visited.
Me: Did you like it?
Him: Yes. I like eggdrop soup :)
Hot and Sour Soup
I don't think it's too hard to mess up hot and sour soup, but some places go heavy with the hot. This was a good balance between the two. I am not a fan of spicy foods but I don't mind a little heat, which this has. My 13-year-old brother enjoyed it, too.
Kung Pao Chicken
If you've read reviews on other food sites, such as The Washington Post or DCFoodies.com, they'll praise the Kung Pao. When we ordered it, you had to try to find any Kung Pao. It was swimming in a sickenly sweet sauce. Not very spicy, either. Maybe we got a bad batch.
Mongolian Beef
One of the first dishes my friend Dave and I tried. I think it was overshadowed by the awesomeness of the Crispy Eggplant. We didn't hate it. I think it may have used the same sauce as the Eggplant so the flavors start to run together, but I may have that mixed up with General Tso's Chicken, which has a similar sauce.
Szechuan Beef
I struck gold with this dish. The beef is cut into thin strips, flash-fried and served with scallions (green onion). Very crispy with a light sauce--less sweeter than a General Tso's sauce, I'd imagine. I've had this dish at other restaurants and the strips were always soggy with sauce. I had it again at some other point, but the beef wasn't as crispy, so I'm not sure if this will be a repeat dish for me.
Wonton Soup
I didn't like this so much. The soup was a dark yellow urine and murky. There were two large wontons in it. I don't think I finished mine.
Well, that's my review in a nutshell. I'll be sure to add more dishes as I sample them!
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I think I've mentioned this in other reviews, but I work in Georgetown, so a lot of my food reviews will be restaurants in DC instead of Maryland (where I live). Employees at my workplace get a...
I think I've mentioned this in other reviews, but I work in Georgetown, so a lot of my food reviews will be restaurants in DC instead of Maryland (where I live). Employees at my workplace get a 45-minute break, so if we haven't brought our lunch, we always frequent places that provide fast (and preferably fresh) food. Because let's face it, who wants to waste 20 minutes of their break standing in a line?
Enter Cafe Tu-o-Tu. You may think it's a quaint little French bistro, but it's actually a tiny eatery run by a Turkish family. The "tu-o-tu" part is a reference to 202, aka DC's area code. I'd like to think of this place as a hidden gem of Georgetown. It's situated right by the Four Seasons hotel, which is a landmark to indicate that you're now entering Georgetown. Its location at the edge of Georgetown means that it's noticed by shoppers and tourists, but it doesn't get insanely busy like La Madeline or Clyde's or Johnny Rocket's.
Cafe Tu-o-Tu sells breakfast items such as sandwiches, bagels, and omelettes, but I am more familiar with their lunch fare, which include salads, sandwiches, wraps, paninis & melts. In the winter, they carry soup--usually lentil, which is fantastically creamy and full of rich-bodied spice. They also have appetizers and a few desserts like brownies, cookies, and baklava. As for drinks, they have soda, juice, and bottled water. Or you can get coffee (Turkish, cappuccino, espresso, machiato, etc), tea, or hot chocolate. Refills for coffee are $0.50.
This place does get busy around lunch hour. The best times seem to be from 1:30-3:30 pm if you don't want to wait in a 3-6 person line. The building is a converted townhouse so there is not much seating. Everything here is bright and clean. Outside, there are about three tables that seat about 3-4 people each, and inside, there are about four tables in the back, which also seat 1-4 people. The building is non-smoking but patrons can smoke outside. I am not sure if there is upstairs seating as I usually get carryout. There is also free wireless.
Now for the food. If you are dining in, you place your order and they give you a number and bring your food out to you, like at La Madeline. If you happen to get there and you are pressed for time, then a salad is the way to go. Food (fillings) here is prepped ahead of time and are displayed in Pyrex dishes and bowls behind a glass container. So with a salad you will be out of there in less than 5 minutes. Salads come in regular or small sizes. I've tried something called the Curry Chicken Salad. At least, I think it was curry chicken. It was insanely mustardy. I've had better luck with the Salad Nicoise, which smelled fragrant and was enjoyable. I would have liked more dressing to go with it, though.
I skip the sandwiches here because I prefer wraps and paninis. They use French baguette for some of their sandwiches. While I love French bread, I usually don't like it as a sandwich bread. The bread used for the paninis is ciabatta, which is my favorite bread for sandwiches. If they are out of ciabatta they'll use French. All sandwiches, wraps, and paninis come with a bag of Lay's potato chips. I mentioned that all the fillings are made ahead of time, but they assemble your sandwich/wrap/panini to order.
The only sandwich I have tried is the Kofte, which I liken to falafel, only it's made with grilled and herbed ground lamb. It's served in a pita with tomatoes, lettuce, and mayo. I do like this one but it's sold out a lot.
My favorite wraps are the Karma (grilled chicken strips, lettuce, avocado, sun dried tomato pesto) and Georgetown Wrap (grilled chicken strips, lettuce, tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, and red pepper spread). The Chicken Hummus Wrap is great as well, and is so much better than Baked & Wired's wrap--not to mention cheaper. All of them are flavorful, filling, and aren't too heavy. They also are prepared well and don't leak out excess sauce or anything like that.
Now if I want something a little more fattening, I get a panini. I've tried the Fusion (grilled chicken, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers with sun dried tomato pesto), Anjelique (grilled chicken, onion, sauteed mushrooms, provolone, mayo with sun dried tomatoes), and Aphrodite (fresh mozzarella, fresh baby spinach, roasted red peppers, mushrooms with red pepper spread). The Anjelique is one that I get the most often because I'm lactose intolerant. All of these are deliciously crispy and they have a proper panini press.
The staff here is friendly. The owners must have a busy social life outside of work because if they're not doing food prep, they are on the phone, always. They usually have three people behind the counter. One takes the orders and the other two do food prep. They accept most major credit cards and there seems to be no minimum. The least I have charged here is a wrap and with tax it comes to over $8. However, with food and drink, expect to pay anywhere from $10-15. They have a tip box at the register but I don't think you are required to tip if you dine in.
Overall, I recommend this place if you are looking for a small place that serves up a good lunch and free wireless. You can easily waste a few hours here with your laptop or with a friend.
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My family used to eat here fairly regularly. It got to the point where my siblings and I decided to boycott this place indefinitely because we were eating here way too much. I was also concerned...
My family used to eat here fairly regularly. It got to the point where my siblings and I decided to boycott this place indefinitely because we were eating here way too much. I was also concerned that as "regulars", it was kind of disturbing to actually recognize that obese woman who had her husband inject her full of insulin right there in the dining room. And it's just sad when the only time our family gathers together for a sit-down meal is at an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. But apparently, plenty of families do this every week. City Lite is really popular among Asian folks, which is always a good sign if you're looking for "authentic" Chinese food. In the past, Bamboo Buffet used rein as the supreme buffet in my parents' eyes, but no longer.
City Lite has your regular Chinese-American dishes, and they also have seafood, sushi, pho, and noodle soups. There is also a salad and dessert bar, along with soft-serve ice cream. And there's also dim sum, which I suspect is just frozen dumplings and har gow they just reheat. One day my mom said to us that we were going to eat dim sum for brunch. We got all excited until we realized that we were going to eat dim sum at City Lite Buffet. Now that's one of the main reasons why we've boycotted the place. You don't say "dim sum" to us and then take us to a buffet where they serve frozen dim sum. And now if my mom offers to take us to dim sum we warily ask, "Dim sum dim sum or dim sum buffet?" We aren't going to make the same mistake twice.
Anyway, to take advantage of the price you pay, my uncle advised us to always fill up on seafood: "They take a look at you and know they will profit from you kids, but they look at Uncle and hate me because they know I'll eat three plates of crab legs." My first taste of sushi came from City Lite, and blech, what a nasty experience. It is made with warm/hot long-grain rice, which is not the way sushi should be made. And yet for some reason every time we've gone here, we would always grab a few sushi rolls every time we go up for seconds and thirds.
The staff here are pretty friendly and do refill drinks and take away plates in a timely manner.
If for some reason you wind up here and you don't want to feel like you've eaten the dingo and the baby by the time you leave, I would advise eating non-greasy dishes, such as the cooked seafood or maybe just the dumpling noodle soup or pho. Also, avoid the sweet fountain drinks and try water or iced tea (unsweetened). Otherwise, you are going to feel ridiculously sleepy and lazy when you get out.
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Around July or August, my sister and I decided to venture to another sushi restaurant. Our last sushi dining experience was at the dismal Jasmine Asian Bistro in Towson, so we were hoping that this...
Around July or August, my sister and I decided to venture to another sushi restaurant. Our last sushi dining experience was at the dismal Jasmine Asian Bistro in Towson, so we were hoping that this time it'd be a more pleasant experience. We decided on Sushi Sono, which is near the Columbia Lakefront. We've always wanted to eat here but we usually arrive on Sunday, which is when the restaurant is closed, or around 3 pm, when the restaurant closes before opening for dinner at 5 pm.
This time, we came around 1:30 pm, so it's still early and we avoided the suits who break for lunch at noon. We were seated immediately. The restaurant is bright and clean. There is also a beautiful view of the lake, which can be easily seen from wherever you sit, except for the private room that's located by the bathroom and the sushi bar (unless you swivel around in your chair, I guess). The restaurant can seat about maybe 50 people excluding the private room and the sushi bar.
The best thing about Sushi Sono is that they have daily specials, so even if you're a regular, the menu never feels stagnant. Right now I am referring to a menu I picked up on the way out, and it's divided into six categories: appetizers, soups & salad, teriyaki, nabe mono (traditional casseroles), tempura, and sushi sashimi. There is also Sushi a la Carte (nigiri sushi) and Maki Sushi (sushi roll cut into 6 pieces).
There is also a party tray (for carryout only). You can order a party tray of 42 pieces for $48, 52/58 pieces for $62, and 70 pieces for $88.
Like I mentioned before, my sister and I were seated immediately. Our server was a friendly woman. At the time we arrived at the restaurant, there was one hostess, 2-3 waitresses/servers, and about 2-3 sushi chefs working the counter. I know at larger restaurants, servers are assigned to zones and take care of 3-5 tables, but this place is pretty small. We had our server who took down our order, and during the meal we'd have other servers who'll come up and ask, "Has anyone taken your drink order yet?" or "Would you like more tea?"
I decided to order my standard Una Jyu ($14.95), which is grilled freshwater eel with rice. My sister decided to have Beef and Chicken Skewer with California Roll. Hers was a lunch special, which cost a little less than my entree at $11.95. It also came with miso soup and salad.
We also ordered sushi--from what I remember, one was a crunchy roll ($5.95), and we wanted fatty tuna, but of course that wasn't available, so we got another roll from the daily specials, but I can't remember what we ended up getting. (Sometimes it's hard to write reviews after 2 months, heh.) Everything we ordered was very fresh and delicious. Sometimes with unagi, you get one that wasn't filleted properly and it's filled with little bones, but mine was nice and tender with the right amount of sauce.
Also a nice touch was that there was free refills on green tea. Initially there was some confusion when I told our server I wanted genmaicha (green tea with roasted rice) and she said the restaurant didn't serve mixed drinks! But all was well when I said I wanted green tea. They were quick to refill our water glasses as needed. At the end of the meal we got two little boxes of Japanese gumballs in strawberry and melon instead of orange slices.
This restaurant was a complete 180 of the last restaurant we ate at when it comes to food and service, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for reasonably priced sushi in the Rt 29/Columbia corridor. Eat here, then go power shopping at The Mall in Columbia. Now there's a combination that can't be beat!
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I first heard of Baked & Wired when I went to my job interview in Georgetown last year. The manager where I interviewed gave me a coupon for a free coffee. I still have that coupon to this day....
I first heard of Baked & Wired when I went to my job interview in Georgetown last year. The manager where I interviewed gave me a coupon for a free coffee. I still have that coupon to this day. Since then, I've frequented the coffee/espresso/tea bar many times, often early in the morning when I needed a caffeine boost.
Baked & Wired is located on Jefferson, by the C&O Canal, and you can easily overlook it, if not for the bright yellow painted framework. It's connected to a copy/graphics place called Zap. For the most part, this is a pay-and-go coffee shop. In the Zap portion of the building, there's a table that seats about 3-5 people. Sometimes there's someone using their laptop, sipping their cup of joe, utilizing the free wireless. In the B&W portion, there's enough seating for maybe two people. So not a place for a mass gathering. However, if you're looking for a cup of coffee and you don't want Starbucks, this is what you're looking for.
Now, I don't drink coffee much anymore, so I'll review the teas. My favorite is probably the chai, which is great hot or iced. A lot of places don't get chai right, but this place does (although my favorite chai is at Teaism). My experience with the tea varies. Most people think that tea prep is just adding boiling water to a tea bag and letting it steep. However, you have various temperatures that are suited to different types of tea. For example, the water temperature for green tea is about 175 degrees, whereas a black tea, it's 195 degrees.
A lot of times, I order the tea and I'm handed a cup of boiling hot water and a tea bag. It is so hot that I can feel it through two cups, a cardboard sleeve, and need about 3 napkins wrapped around the cup so I don't feel like I'm going to scald myself. Once in a while I get a person who heats the water just right, but it's not often. The tea itself, however, is great. My favorite is the Colonile, a Vietnamese black tea with French vanilla. Mango Ceylon is also another favorite. Hm, looking at the website, they also have Lili’uokalani, which OpenTable/Tryst carries, so maybe they buy from the same supplier.
Baked & Wired also has baked goods, of course. These tend to range in price from $2-5, and are comparable to area bakeries. I have tried a few and they are tasty. I like the cofffee cake and muffins. They even have doggie treats and pies baked from scratch.
They also carry quiche, pasta, wraps, and salad. The pasta salad is the most cheapest entree (it tasted strange when I tried it), but the wraps are extremely overpriced at ~$10. They have a hummus filling with veggies and chicken with cherry tomatoes. I've tried them a handful of times and they taste mushy and bland. These are made ahead of time and sit on the counter until someone buys them. In my opinion, wraps taste best when they are made to order, but the counter space at this establishment is very small, so I can understand why they make them ahead of time.
At the same price, you'll also find entree salads. I like the mandarin chicken salad. The dressing is tangy and sweet but again, price is a factor. You can get a salad at Uno's, Tu-o-Tu, or Marvelous Market for less money.
Staff here are very friendly and are accommodating to the lactose intolerant. I am not sure if they charge extra for soy, but I've never paid extra for soy milk, which is a plus in my book. Be aware that $15 is the minimum for credit cards. They also have debit cards for frequent buyers.
If you're in need for a nice place for drinks and baked goods, Baked & Wired might be just what the doctor ordered.
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On a Monday afternoon back in June, my sister and I just happened to have the day off from both our workplaces, so we decided to hang out together (aw). After a day of shopping, we wanted to have...
On a Monday afternoon back in June, my sister and I just happened to have the day off from both our workplaces, so we decided to hang out together (aw). After a day of shopping, we wanted to have sushi at one of her favorite restaurants in Towson, Sushi Hana. Alas, Sushi Hana was closed. We went to Kyodai, another sushi restaurant that she likes. Also closed! Refusing defeat, we walked around for a while, before finally deciding on Jasmine Asian Bistro. That ended up being a meal that somewhat satisfied our palette but tried our patience.
Generally, my rule of thumb is that any place that has the words "Asian" and "bistro" in it is usually something to avoid. After dining at Jasmine Asian Bistro, I wish I had listened to my gut instinct instead of just my gut.
Inside, the restaurant was tastefully decorated, with booths and smaller tables on one side, and a sushi bar on the other. We sat down and decided to order Thai iced tea and iced coconut juice for drinks, and coconut shrimp and Japanese shu mai for appetizers. For sushi we picked white tuna, unagi, salmon roll, dynamite roll, and the dragon roll.
Initially, the food came out promptly. The coconut shrimp was elegantly presented, lightly fried, and it seemed like the start of a promising meal. The shu mai was acceptable. I personally am not a fan of shu mai, but my sister likes it, and even she thought it was nothing special. After we had finished our appetizers, my sister went out to feed the meter. Then our sushi arrived. That is, all the stuff we ordered, except for the white tuna and salmon roll. We decided to go ahead and eat anyway. The rolls were overall tasty, though not the best I've tried. I thought the dynamite roll tasted like it was filled with hot Thousand Island dressing with chili sauce and rice. Yuck.
During our entire meal, the server checked up on us a couple of times (as in literally looked at us but didn't say anything). She did not offer water or asked if we wanted refills of our drinks. Our sushi also came to our table without any chopsticks or any small dishes for soy sauce/wasabi. Keeping in mind that at this time, we had arrived at the restaurant around 5 pm, and the restaurant was not crowded at all except for maybe 2-3 small parties. There were about two or three servers, excluding the sushi chef.
When we finally finished our sushi, we had to gently remind them that we had ordered the white tuna and the salmon roll. Well, that took a long time for them to bring to us. I don't understand how they could forget that we ordered two additional rolls, because we marked it on the a-la carte menu! Out of the corner of my eye I saw the server fishing through the pile of orders at the sushi bar. Shouldn't ours be among those at the top? Not sure if they found our order, but they finally brought us the white tuna, which was swimming in some kind of watered down chili sauce. It didn't taste all that good, and didn't look like "seared white tuna" to me. They also forgot the salmon roll, which we had reminded them about earlier.
By then we were getting kind of pissed off, so we asked for the check. They did not charge us for the salmon roll, but they did charge us for sake, which we didn't order at all! But then I realized that with our two drinks it would end up costing more than the sake on the bill so we just paid and left.
This was a decent meal but the dining experience was so frustrating, that I cannot recommend this place unless you are the type of diner with the patience of a saint.
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Cake Love
Category:
Food & Dining
935 Ellsworth Drive
Silver Spring, Maryland 20901
(301) 565-CAKE
I was really excited when Cake Love was slated to open in downtown Silver Spring. I have heard so many good things about its sister bakery over on U Street. It prides on creating cakes and other...
I was really excited when Cake Love was slated to open in downtown Silver Spring. I have heard so many good things about its sister bakery over on U Street. It prides on creating cakes and other baked goods from scratch---which, granted, is a lovely concept, but any bakery worth their sugar would do that anyway! Cake Love has a variety of baked goods, from brownies to cupcakes to eclairs, as well as their trademark layer cakes that you can purchase by the slice or custom order for any upcoming events. If you are interested in "trying before buying", they have samples on hand all day of the cakes. The bakery is bright and clean, and staff are attentive and friendly.
Prices range from $2.50-4.00 for the baked goods. All things considered, that is about the same price you would pay for any bakery in DC. It does take a hit on the wallet when you realize that you would be paying about $10 for three cupcakes, though!
I have tried the eclairs, buzz balls, and crunchy feet. Of all of those items, I liked the buzz balls the best. The crunchy feet had potential, but I was saddened that it was not really crunchy at all. It is just flavored pound cake. The crunchy feet I bought had some spice to it, which was one of the things I liked about it. The buzz ball would have been awesome if it had come fresh from the oven. It was a little messy to eat but enjoyable, nonetheless.
The folks at the bakery tell you that everything tastes best served at room temperature, but honestly, I think most people do not wait for their eclair or whatever to warm up---I know I don't! Overall, this place is okay. I am still open to coming in once in a while for a quick snack, but I imagine the baked goods would taste better in the morning, when they're freshly baked, with your coffee.
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