Five things I Ate in Washington, DC
The weather is hot, but some of the food is even hotter.
Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, we travel for work. Read past posts here, and please follow my Instagram, @fivethingsiate.
Yellow curry noodle bowl (Khao Soi) at Beau Thai
3162 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, DC 20010
I could never move to DC because I simply hate Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, men in light blue button-downs, and sensible short-sleeve sweater shirts. I also more or less hate discussing politics and I need to feel like no one would ever stare at me because there is for sure someone who is more freaky on the subway. Also, there’s not enough good cheap Thai food. (DC does have very good Ethiopian food, though, so I’ll give it that!) Beau Thai is kind of nice, though, like a place you can get lunch or dinner with family, while still being less than $20 an entree. The only downside is that the spice level seems to unpredictably waver from mild to “bathroom will be a problem” depending on what day you order. On the day I went, the Khao Soi (my fave noodle dish) was pretty assertively spicy, but in a nice way.
Farmhouse Club sandwich at The Best Sandwich Place
919 18th St NW Suite 150, Washington, DC 20006
I wouldn’t call this the best sandwich place, which for me, will always and forever be the Andy’s Deli on 80th and Columbus that closed last year (RIP), or anytime I’ve gotten an egg-and-cheese from a cart after a night out, or a turkey-swiss-tomato-lettuce-and-onion-please on the way to the Shore. I also feel skeptical anytime a place tries too hard to market themselves as good, like a man who keeps insisting he’s a Good Guy. That being said, I’ll begrudgingly admit that this a good sandwich place, if not the best. The assembly line service is fast, which is very important in DC as this is a lunch place filled with 99% blazers and button-downs. I ordered a farmhouse club (roast turkey, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato) and I enjoyed the toasted bun and thick slices of turkey. Crucially, there was just enough sauce (dry sandwiches are my greatest pet peeve of the bread world). There was a bite or two that I would flag as too dry, but the majority of the sandwich did okay.
Frozen Mint Lemonade & More at The Green Zone
2226 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
You thought I was going to open my mouth to complain, but I’m not. I really like the Green Zone, a Middle-Eastern themed bar, a lot. The food is great see batata harra fries, below), and the drinks are perfect for the 90 degree weather. When I went to Egypt a few years ago to visit one of my best friends, I had mint tea all the time (everyone should have mint tea all the time in the Summer). Well, now he’s in DC so we had a lot of frozen mint lemonade, with gin in it (you can choose vodka or gin – I prefer gin). This might be the perfect summer drink. It has so much fresh mint leaves in it it’s almost a smoothie (aka healthy), and it’s frozen but not super icy (think 50% melted Slurpee). Best of all? It’s Not Too Sweet.
Batata Harra Fries at The Green Zone
2226 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
I’ve seen a lot of za’atar this and that (namely fries) at Middle Eastern themed/fusion places, but never batata harra, which is a seasoning that contains hot pepper, coriander, lemon, and garlic. It’s really savory and a bit puckery, which, when combined with the hot fried potatoes, makes a perfect pairing to a cool and icy. Now I want to sprinkle this magic combo over all my food.
Das Combination Vegetarian Entree Sampler at Das Ethiopian Cuisine
1201 28th St NW, Washington, DC 20007
The one thing that I’ll begrudgingly admit that DC has NYC beat on is Ethiopian food. I always make sure to get some every time I visit. I’m usually a meat eater, but I love how Ethiopian cuisine cooks lentils and veggies. They’re so savory and filling I honestly prefer it over chicken or beef. At first I thought the prices were steep, but the veggie sampler at Das could easily feed two. It comes with plenty of fluffy injera.I didn’t realize that Das is a more upscale restaurant when I placed the order on Seamless, but now that I know it might be a good place to take family next time.
Stay cool and hydrated,
Soph