Clarendon Culture

Things that make me happy

There are a lot of things these days that have made me especially happy.  In no particular order…

Bacon Week starts today at Restaurant 3

The thought of purchasing this year’s Thanksgiving groceries from Trader Joe’s

The fact that LeoNora’s AMAZING croissants and quiches will soon be just a couple blocks away and readily available for any of my cravings (check page 84 of Arlington Magazine for a picture of LeoNora’s goodness)

The hope that Green Pig Bistro will erase all of the old American Flatbread attitude from my street, and bring with it an exciting new dining option

Last but not least - ARLINGTON MAGAZINE!

If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, please do. Not only will you see my face and my photography in those pages, but you’ll also find….

• Clarendon’s very own Remy discusses his famous talent
• Chuck Todd off camera and in his own words
• The silent battle between mom and pops and upscale dining
• An in-depth review of Clarendon’s Eventide 
• The story of how Arlington got its name

… and SO MUCH MORE! I cannot say enough good things about the folks behind Arlington Magazine, and I was honored to work with them.

I snapped some photos of the premier issue, which you can see below.  Now go check it out for yourself! (and if you live in Clarendon 1021, stop by the mailroom for a free copy!)

Weekend in food

Had a lot of good (and some not-so-good) food over the last few days and wanted to share.  Sorry for the bad cell phone pics.  

Friday night: Boulevard Woodgrill Deconstructed Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos.  Excellent.  Even one of our friends who is originally from Mexico deemed them excellent.  

Saturday afternoon: Lunch at Rabbit.  I really wanted to like Rabbit, but I didn’t.  I didn’t like the lettuce or the dressing on my cobb salad - 2 key ingredients.  I couldn’t figure out how it was possible NOT to like a salad that has so many of my favorite toppings on it.  Also, I didn’t ask for the chicken.  I wasn’t charged for it, so I didn’t complain.  The grilled cheese sandwich was nothing different from the ones I make at home.  (I make a mean grilled cheese, though.)

I’m not done with Rabbit yet, and will definitely give it more chances.  I almost wish they consulted with me before they opened to the public.  I would have told them to use a different dressing on the salad, chop and toss it better, and I would have told them to add some type of tomato dipping sauce to the grilled cheese. (look at the grilled cheese plate - there is even the perfect little spot for a little dipping container.)  

Sunday lunch: Fried green tomatoes and mac and cheese from Restaurant 3.  Both were wonderful.  The fried green tomato appetizer wasn’t on the brunch menu, but because Restaurant 3 rocks, they whipped it up for me anyways.  The mac and cheese is not as greasy as it might look in the picture.  Underneath the melted cheese is a perfectly creamy dish.  Might be some of the best mac and cheese in Arlington.  These 2 dishes together are a perfect combination.

On Sunday evening, my cousin and I had an awesome dinner at America Eats Tavern, and I documented the dinner with much better photography.  Will get that posted soon.  

Hope you had a great weekend, and hope this week speeds by as fast as last weekend did!

@CavaMezza opening July 5!!

I am so incredibly excited that Cava Mezze just announced the grand opening of their new Clarendon restaurant!  Grand opening will be Tuesday, July 5 at 5 PM!  

I love all things Greek, and this news couldn’t make me happier.  Cava will be located in the Station Square building at the corner of Clarendon Blvd. and Garfield Street, right next door to Restaurant 3.

If you don’t have time to check out their website, just look at these photos (courtesy of Cava’s website) and get ready for what is sure to become one of Clarendon’s finest!

Southern style at Restaurant 3

When I found out through Restaurant 3’s Facebook page that tonight’s special was chicken fried steak, this Texas girl scrapped dinner plans (lentil and goat cheese burgers, for any of you who might have been curious), and headed over to Restaurant 3.  

The mister and I split the fried green tomatoes and an order of the chicken fried steak.  (Sidenote: we will drive far and wide for fried green tomatoes, and have been known to plan entire vacations around fried green tomatoes.  After doing every combination of google search imaginable, we think it’s safe to say we’ve tried almost all the fried greens in the DC metro area.)

The fried green tomatoes were excellent.  Crispy breading and flavorful tomato garnished with goat cheese and remoulade.  The chicken fried steak was thick and juicy, and the pork-infused gravy was incredible.  It helped scratch my Texas itch, but I can’t say it transported me back home.  Regardless, we are incredibly lucky to have such good low country cuisine right in our backyard.  

Now hurry up & get here, warm weather, so that we can resume patio happy hours!

(Picture quality was a bit poor tonight, as I forgot my flash attachment)

Bacon Week Preview from Dining in DC!

@DiningInDC has a great preview of Bacon Week at Restaurant 3.  Grab a bib, and be prepared to drool.  You’ll be salivating by the 2nd paragraph.

(photos via DiningInDC)

Whitlows Adding Rooftop Deck

Whitlows on Wilson is set to begin construction on a huge rooftop deck, ArlNow.com reports.  The rooftop bar, which will be called ‘Fu Bar,’ is slated to open in September, and will have a nearly 300 person capacity.

Those of you who have lived here since 2006 might remember the tiki-bar themed Mama Quan’s, which closed in 2006, and was eventually leveled and replaced by Restaurant 3.  Through Fu Bar, the tiki-bar theme will be back in Clarendon. 

Construction is set to begin this Monday.