The Ten Best Foods I Had Over Thanksgiving Break

*Disclaimer: I was home for a LONG time, but nevertheless still ate lots of delicious food.

10. Collection of tapas from Tapas Gitana: My mom and I went to this restaurant the day before thanksgiving. As a former Barcelona study abroad student, whenever we go for tapas, I get the honors of ordering. I chose stuffed mushrooms, Garlic Bread with roasted tomato dipping sauce, Patatas Bravas(traditional oven roasted potatoes with spicy and ali-oli sauce...my favorite!), tilapia with vegetables, and crepes stuffed with spinach, apples, and pine nuts. This was a great meal(although our sangria was awful, but you win some you lose some)

9. Luau Salad with seared tuna from Cheesecake Factory: This salad is perfect, I am not even kidding. I substitute chicken for seared tuna(which is spicy and delicious) which is topped on a huge bed of lettuce with green beans, peppers, carrots, crunchy crisps(I actually have no idea what it is but it is so good), and topped with delicious dressing. If you haven't ordered it, you are missing out(aka get it ASAP)

8. Homemade Spinach Artichoke Dip: I cooked my first artichoke dip for this years thanksgiving. I mixed frozen spinach and canned artichokes with mayo, lemon juice, cream cheese, spices, and more. It sounds like a gross combo, but it was delicious, warm, creamy, and a great addition to my stacy's multigrain pita chips.

7. Pad Thai from Stir Crazy: I usually make my own stir fry at this restaurant, but I decided to be 'lame' and get pad thai. This was far from a mistake. The tofu and veggies are perfectly cooked and accompanied by some of the most delicious noodles that I have ever tasted. This dish made me rethink my "usual'; i think I am going to order this more often.

6. Nana's Homemade Kugel: What would a Jewish thanksgiving be without Kugel? Nana obviously has to cook her Kugel for any holiday occasion or really as often as possible. I do not mind this at all because it is sweet, filling, and one of my favorite foods in the entire world.

5. Nana's Homemade Jello: My nana also makes a strawberry-banana cream jello. It is almost the consistency of mousse, but less sweet and more fruity. I need to get the recipe from her(if shell ever share it) because I could live off this jello. She tops it with fresh fruit and it is truly amazing as a side, dessert, breakfast, etc.

4. Homemade Baked Brie: I also cooked my first brie pastry this week. Take a sheet of puff pastry and plase one wheel of brie on it. Then, spread fresh preserves(i chose raspberry) on top of brie. If desired, add toasted almonds and wrap up the pastry. Then, cook for 30 minutes at 425 degrees. You will be amazed!


3. Shawarma from Mizrahi Grill: The best way for me to describe Shawarma is like an Israeli burrito...but better. At Mizrahi, the cook takes fresh laffa bread(which is basically like naan but better in my opinion and thinner too) and adds a mix of lamb and turkey meat in addition to fries, tahina, hummus, and israeli salad. It is so good and a dish everyone should try at any Israeli/Middle Eastern establishment.

2. Mom's Homemade Stuffing: My mom makes stuffing, just like many moms, but hers is special. She uses ritz crackers instead of bread which gives it a different flavor. She used to eat it as a kid and I like it so much better. Another dish I need to learn how to make!

1. Lou Malnati's Spinach and Garlic Deep Dish Pizza: I actually eat this every time I go home. Lou's is one of my favorite deep dish pizza places in my area. Add spinach and garlic to their delicious crust and perfect deep dish creation, and you have one of the best meals ever. Thankfully, they freeze their pizzas and after four years of begging my mom to send me one to make my finals week(s) a little less awful, she finally has agreed to send a few in the upcoming weeks. Needless to say, I cannot wait!

Cuban Cuisine in Ann Arbor

This past weekend, I visited University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I have been a Michigan fan since birth and had never been to campus, so I figured that not was as good of a time as ever to trek to the arctic(well, it wasn't arctic yet, but still really cold) of Michigan and see the campus. Between exploring the town and an amazing football game, we found time to venture to a great cuban restaurant. My best friend Jamie, who goes to Michigan, had never been to Cafe Habana, which is apparently a beloved Cuban restaurant off campus. We had to wait about 45 minutes to sit down, which made me think that they either were really slow or really popular(thankfully, it was that they are really popular). 

We sat down, each ordered our diet cokes per usuals, and scanned the appetizer menu. Immediately, we all voiced our interest in ordered the baked goat cheese with roasted tomatoes and corn tortilla chips. During our wait, we had seen numerous waiters and waitresses walk past with some sort of cool cheese dip, so we figured this must be it. When i say that this was SO GOOD, I am under-exaggerating.  This was probably one of the best appetizers I have ever had. The cheese was perfectly melted with just the right amount of creamy, roasted tomato sauce, with tiny bits of actual tomatoes in it as well. It was delicious.

For my meal, I ordered the mahi-mahi special. I am still confused as to what exactly accompanied it besides potatoes and really cool miscellaneous sauces, but whatever it was, it was delicious.

A Pictures Worth A Thousand Words: Mahi Mahi

I didn't take a picture of my friend Jamie's sandwich because it was boring, but my friend Sammi ordered a really cool dish called Ropas Viejas.

This dish consisted of spicy beef in a tomato sauce with yellow rice and fried plantains. I tasted the plantains and they were really interesting: different from any plantains I had ever tasted before. Nevertheless, they were really good. 

If you are ever in Ann Arbor, check out Cafe Habana for delicious food and a fun time!

 

Another Dining Delight Outside of the District

Last week, I attended a conference in Denver, Colorado, a really cool city that I had never been to before. The conference was great, but the only downside was that I didn't get much time to explore Denver. Luckily, a few other girls on my program and I got the chance to go out for one dinner while we were there. The conference was held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown, which is on a street with many restaurants and bars. We decided it would be a good idea to explore this street to find the best cuisine possible(luckily the friends I made were huge foodies as well, so this was a great use of our time).

After wandering around, we found a restaurant called Appaloosa Grill. The menu looked intriguing so we decided to go. I ordered a black bean burger with truffle garlic fries on the side.

The black bean burger was honestly amazing. You could tell that the veggies were extremely fresh and it was very flavorful; the burger was actually extremely spicy which was a surprise to me. This was probably helpful because many people get altitude sickness in Denver and this meal caused me to drink A LOT of water. 

Although the veggie burger was great, the best part of the meal was definitely the truffle garlic fries. The side was french fried potatoes accompanied by fresh herbs, minced garlic, truffle oil, smoked sea salt, grated parmesan and topped with pepper aioli. They were honestly incredible, so flavorful and so unique!

The meal was only around $11, which is a good deal for the amount of food(so many fries!) I would definitely recommend trying it if you ever go to Denver!

10 Restaurants I Want To Try

Since this week has been crazy and I haven't had time to go out for a  meal, I decided that this week I will post a list of the top ten restaurants that I want to try in DC(not in any particular order). Looking forward to trying these restaurants in weeks to come!

Goodstuff Eatery(Courtesy of Google)

1. Alero- This inexpensive Mexican eatery is supposed to be incredible. After surveying the menu, I decided that I look forward to trying the nacho platter, sopa de lenteja(lentil soup), the spinach enchilada, and of course, my favorite veggie fajitas. Additionally, the peach daquiri sounds incredible.
2. Goodstuff Eatery: This famous burger joint near Capitol Hill is raved about by politicians and GW students alike. It is a Spike Mendelsohn restaurant. Although I don't eat meat, the "Vegetarians are people too 'shroom burger" sounds delightful. Check out the menu for Goodstuff here.
3. Coco Sala: This chocolate boutique in Penn Quarter sounds like the most amazing place....ever! Their bottomless brunch, although pricey, looks delicious. After browsing the menu, I would love to try the 'hotcake obsession', which combines citrus ricotta pancakes with white chocolate lemon cream with berry compote and caramel passion fruit sauce. Additionally, the 'french toast smores' sound great; it is cinnamon brioche stuffed with house-made marshmallow, dark chocolate, & 
   graham shortbread with warm banana compote and milk chocolate mousse...actually incredible sounding! The 'artichoke tart' with creamy hearts of artichoke, tomato confit and truffle & tarragon vinaigrette also sounds great in addition to the 'grown-up grilled cheese' which is truffle-scented brioche, cheddar cheese with roasted tomato soup and cheese fritter(yum!)
4. Burger, Tap, and Shake: This restaurant is on campus, so I must try it soon! I look forward to tasting the sweet potato fries and the adult milkshake called "the evil empire" which is smirnoff vanilla bean vodka, red wing coffee liqueur, and vanilla ice cream
5. Circa: Located right near Burger, Tap, and Shake, Circa is another must visit in my mind. The fried green tomatoes topped with pepper jack cheese, black bean mango relish and a cilantro lime crème fraiche look like a great appetizer option. The wild mushroom ravioli stuffed with wild mushrooms tossed with artichoke hearts, cremini mushrooms and a beurre noisette topped with fresh herbs and goat cheese also sounds incredible. Check out the menu here!
6. Shake Shack: Originally from New York, this fast food joint is famous. I need to try the shakes, veggie burger, and more!
7. District Commons: Also on campus, this restaurant sounds delicious. The flatbread with Roasted Sweet Peppers, Pipe Dream Farms Goat Cheese, Basil Pesto and the flatbread with smoked Salmon, Lemon & Dill Mascarpone, and Appropriate Condiments all sound great! I also would love to try the North Carolina Mountain Trout with Broccolini, Pine Nuts, and Citrus Burnt Butter. Although pricey, this sounds so great and hopefully I will be able to go when my family visits
8. Shophouse: Called the Asian Chipotle, Shophouse, located in Dupont Circle, has gotten great reviews. Many GW students have raved about the restaurant. I look forward to trying it, although I am concerned that it supposed to be spicy(which I'm not too fond of). Well see how it is once I go...
9. Jaleo: I went abroad to Barcelona and consequentially LOVE tapas. Although the entire menu looks absolutely amazing, I cannot wait to try the Trigueros con romesco which is grilled asparagus with romesco sauce. I love romesco sauce after trying it in Catalonia at a traditional, festive meal. Additionally, the paella(veggie of course) sounds great!
10. Blue Duck Tavern: This is definitely a restaurant that I have to go to with my family, but it is frequented by our president, vice president, and many other famous people. It is right by my apartment and I look forward to trying it, especially the Sweet Potato Pasta, Salsify, Brussel Sprouts, Huckleberry and Pumpkin.

I can't wait to try all of these incredible restaurants!