A few memorable, yet inexpensive meals I've had in the past two days has reminded me that when it comes to eating out, the act of eating is sometimes only half the fun. While another quarter may be the companionship, the final fourth, how you get there, can make the difference between a typical dining experience and a memorable one.
The weekend's food adventures began at the Well-Dressed Burrito (19th
and M). A coworker got a few of us together to make the short walk there. I had never heard of it before, but was guaranteed amazing burritos. It is also located literally in an alleyway between M and N streets. We finally found it thanks to a sign on 19th street that points you to the alleyway, and the number of people walking by with bright yellow Well Dressed Burrito bags. The brick exterior and narrow entry exuded some charm, but the interior did not with its flourescent lights and few table and chairs that also doubled as someone's office. But any skepticism quickly faded as the servers quickly took our orders in a line that was much more efficient than Chipotle's. Yes, it's slightly sketchier that the food is made in the back and comes out really quickly, but how long does a burrito take to assemble anyway when you've got all the ingredients cooked already? And this was a very satisfying burrito. I got the house special, the well dressed burrito, which has ground beef, rice, cheese, and sour cream. The ingredients complement each other in a perfectly textured blend.
Then yesterday, Mike and I decided to take advantage of the sunny weather and trek out to Arlington for the legendary Ray's Hell Burger. This place has attained such mythical status that it's even been graced by Obama and Biden's presence. We expected the line to be long, but were pleasantly surprised by the efficiency. Signs on the walls tell you to refrain from finding a seat until you've ordered and been given a number. "Trust us - it works," it reads. Indeed, they space out the order taking so that people can find seats right after they've ordered. I got a grilled burger with sauteed peppers and onions with Gruyere cheese, and Mike got a peppercorn-covered burger with sauteed mushrooms and blue cheese. They came out in a reasonable time. The 10 oz burgers were intimidating at first, but so juicy thanks to a secret lean to fat ratio, that both of us were able to wolf down our respective meals. I didn't try the fries because they looked pretty standard, and I wanted to save my fry-petite for the evening at Granville Moore's.
Later that evening, Mike and I arrived at Granville Moore's at around 7:30 to try our luck at a table for three before my friend Susan and I left for our concert at Rock N Roll Hotel. (We walked by it several
times before finding it, since it is literally a hole in the wall, with a sign that looks almost written in sharpie posted to the window). Knowing that this "gastropub" famous for its mussels would be crowded, our back up plan was to scout out other places in the neighborhood. As we expected, Granville Moore's wait was 60 to 75 minutes. But so were the waits at the two other restaurants by there, Souk and Sticky Rice. After standing around Souk for a while "sorry we don't take names down," we decided we might as well just wait for Granville Moore's and wiled away some time at the Red and the Black bar. Though they don't have a tap system (can this really be considered a bar?), they did have some good bottled beer specials Susan and I took advantage of.
So finally 75 minutes after we first put our names down, a table at Granville Moore's opened up. The mussels were truly excellent and creative (try the Moroccan or the four cheese), but not worth waiting around for so long. I will not be going back unless I felt like killing 75 minutes in an "up and coming" neighborhood. On the upside, the wait staff and hostess were incredibly nice. Our waitress took drink orders quickly and was attentive despite the full crowd. Only today, though, did I learn that they failed to serve us bread with our mussels. At the same time, I will undoubtedly remember the Granville meal for a long time, for the journey more so than the food.
The weekend's food adventures began at the Well-Dressed Burrito (19th
and M). A coworker got a few of us together to make the short walk there. I had never heard of it before, but was guaranteed amazing burritos. It is also located literally in an alleyway between M and N streets. We finally found it thanks to a sign on 19th street that points you to the alleyway, and the number of people walking by with bright yellow Well Dressed Burrito bags. The brick exterior and narrow entry exuded some charm, but the interior did not with its flourescent lights and few table and chairs that also doubled as someone's office. But any skepticism quickly faded as the servers quickly took our orders in a line that was much more efficient than Chipotle's. Yes, it's slightly sketchier that the food is made in the back and comes out really quickly, but how long does a burrito take to assemble anyway when you've got all the ingredients cooked already? And this was a very satisfying burrito. I got the house special, the well dressed burrito, which has ground beef, rice, cheese, and sour cream. The ingredients complement each other in a perfectly textured blend.Then yesterday, Mike and I decided to take advantage of the sunny weather and trek out to Arlington for the legendary Ray's Hell Burger. This place has attained such mythical status that it's even been graced by Obama and Biden's presence. We expected the line to be long, but were pleasantly surprised by the efficiency. Signs on the walls tell you to refrain from finding a seat until you've ordered and been given a number. "Trust us - it works," it reads. Indeed, they space out the order taking so that people can find seats right after they've ordered. I got a grilled burger with sauteed peppers and onions with Gruyere cheese, and Mike got a peppercorn-covered burger with sauteed mushrooms and blue cheese. They came out in a reasonable time. The 10 oz burgers were intimidating at first, but so juicy thanks to a secret lean to fat ratio, that both of us were able to wolf down our respective meals. I didn't try the fries because they looked pretty standard, and I wanted to save my fry-petite for the evening at Granville Moore's.
Later that evening, Mike and I arrived at Granville Moore's at around 7:30 to try our luck at a table for three before my friend Susan and I left for our concert at Rock N Roll Hotel. (We walked by it several
times before finding it, since it is literally a hole in the wall, with a sign that looks almost written in sharpie posted to the window). Knowing that this "gastropub" famous for its mussels would be crowded, our back up plan was to scout out other places in the neighborhood. As we expected, Granville Moore's wait was 60 to 75 minutes. But so were the waits at the two other restaurants by there, Souk and Sticky Rice. After standing around Souk for a while "sorry we don't take names down," we decided we might as well just wait for Granville Moore's and wiled away some time at the Red and the Black bar. Though they don't have a tap system (can this really be considered a bar?), they did have some good bottled beer specials Susan and I took advantage of.So finally 75 minutes after we first put our names down, a table at Granville Moore's opened up. The mussels were truly excellent and creative (try the Moroccan or the four cheese), but not worth waiting around for so long. I will not be going back unless I felt like killing 75 minutes in an "up and coming" neighborhood. On the upside, the wait staff and hostess were incredibly nice. Our waitress took drink orders quickly and was attentive despite the full crowd. Only today, though, did I learn that they failed to serve us bread with our mussels. At the same time, I will undoubtedly remember the Granville meal for a long time, for the journey more so than the food.
