the arugula files

Cheap Eats: B&J Carryout

Marcus and I were driving in the middle of nowhere Maryland, looking at houses that would host my future garden, when we came across B&J Carryout.  I knew right away that I had to eat there.  B&J is quintessential road food, the way you want it. 

I got a crabcake with iceberg lettuce.  The crabcake was homemade and tastier than some versions I’ve had at high-end restaurants in DC.  Marcus got a steak and cheese sub that would beat out some of the Philly joints we’ve been to.

They had soft serve ice cream served from a small window.  I love coming across finds like this.  B&J belongs on Washingtonian’s cheap eats list.  Shhhhh…let’s not tell them about it and we can have it all for ourselves.  B&J is in Accokeek, Maryland at 15805 Livingston Rd.

Ella's Pizza

If you find yourself searching for a casual place to eat near Gallery Place, try Ella's Pizza.  The wait, if there is one, is usually manageable, the service is top notch, and the tab is affordable. The trick at Ella's Pizza is knowing what to order.  Unfortunately, many of the pizzas are bland and disappointing, and the crust isn't good enough to carry the pizza without tasty toppings.  The margherita, in particular is a BIG let down. Here's a list of the pizzas I've tried that deliver on flavor:

• genovese (potato, parmesan, prosciutto, pesto)
• lombardi (caramelized onions, gorgonzola, rosemary)
• polpotini (ella's meatballs, tomato sauce, leeks, parmesan)
• melanzane (eggplant, tomato, red onion, yellow peppers, black olives, goat cheese)
• pucillo (prosciutto, arugula, tomato, smoked mozzarella)

Ella's has great happy hour specials (bar only) from 4 to 7 pm.  Try the sangria!

Liberty Tavern, Happy Hour

Half priced wine and $3 beers make Liberty Tavern one of Arlington’s best deals.  Add some seriously delicious pizzas, metro accessibility, and bar seats (if you get there by 6:00) and you have the makings of a perfect happy hour, which runs until 7pm.

On a recent visit, I had the Vermont pizza.  This stand out, covered in granny smith apples, caramelized onions, sage, Cabot cheddar, and big hunks of prosciutto, is easily one of the best pizzas I’ve had in the DC area.  Seriously.  I’m not being hyperbolic.  The topping combination is flawless, and the crust was perfectly charred.  Another pizza, a new seasonal addition to the menu, had figs, fontina cheese, arugula, proscuitto, and a drizzle of balsamic.  I couldn’t decide which pizza was better, so I ate two slices of both.

 

The sliders at Liberty Tavern were not as exciting.  I’ve tried the crabcake and meatball versions, but both left me feeling disappointed.  The whole slider thing has taken a turn for the worst, in my opinion.  What’s next?  Button portabella mushroom sliders?

Tab for a recent happy hour: ~$98.00 or about $30.00 per person with tip

• 8 glasses of wine
• 1 beer
• 2 pizzas
• 1 order of meatball sliders

A serious bargain for this level of deliciousness.

Cheap Eats: the Lebanese Butcher

My first dining experience at the Lebanese Butcher wasn’t a home run, but I would go back.  The baba ghanoush was tasty while the hummus left me wanting for more flavor—garlic?  For dinner, I had the chicken shawarma.  Juicy delicousness is the only way to describe the chicken, although I would have enjoyed a fluffier pita. The pitas at the Lebanese Butcher are thinner than the cheap napkins dispensed at the table. The best part of the plate--a garlicky tzatziki sauce that accompanied the shawarma. I call this stuff magic. Magic was so good, if someone slathered it on the pavement, I would lick it dry. Marcus had the lamb shawarma, which was, unfortunately, dull and dried out.  As it was close to closing time, the cook brought us some free bakalava and tea (or do they give this to everyone?).  It was a nice way to end the meal.

 

The experience wasn't perfect.  Yet, I would go back to the Lebanese Butcher for a few reasons.  I need to try the falafel and grape leaves dishes.  And I really liked the feel of the place.  Most people note the hole in the wall décor as a negative. I liked the experience.  Seriously, where else would I get to see the brains of so many different animals? Or shop around for imports from Beirut?   The adjoining market is a mini-transport to a country I've never visited.  A trip through the crowded aisles, filled with tahini, lentils, and lebanese soda, was just enough to temporarily satiate my never ending wanderlust.

p.s.,the Lebanese Butcher is on Washingtonian's Cheap Eats List.  Check off another one for team arugula files.

Cheap Eats: Comet Ping Pong

Tonight I went to Comet Ping Pong on Connecticut Ave near Politics and Prose. I’ve heard mixed reviews, but it is on Washingtonian’s Cheap Eats List and in my quest for checking off EVERY restaurant, I quite frankly had no choice.  THEY made me do it.

Comet’s menu features pizzas, mostly.  There are a few salad choices, wings, and a lone meatball sub.  All of the people in my crew ordered pizza: one pepperoni, one meatball, a “Smoky Joe” (bacon, gouda, and smoked mushrooms), and a “Softie” (soft shell crab, thyme, lemon, garlic, and caramelized onions).  You can probably guess which one I ordered.

The soft shell crab pizza was the best, easily.  The flavor combinations were bordering on perfect.  The fresh squeezed lemon added a bright zingyness to each slice.  The thin pizza crust, unfortunately, was a little chewy, which is why if you visit Comet it’s best to order more unusual topping combinations, like the bacon gouda and smoked mushrooms, rather than stick with pepperoni or meatball.  The sauce and crust are not good enough to carry traditional pizza toppings to the next level. You just end up with an average pizza.

The pizzas are “individual size” and priced from $7.95 to $17.00.

There are three ping-pong tables in the back (FREE!). Sadly, they were setting up for a live show, so no ping-pong for us.

If you live in the neighborhood, or you are buying books at Politics and Prose, Comet Ping Pong is a great place to stop in and have a casual dinner. Otherwise, it is a little out of the way.

Cheap Eats: Bobby's Crabcakes

Not far from the Metro, in Rockville's faux town center, you will find Bobby’s Crabcakes.  Bobby’s is one of the two seafood restaurants named on Washingtonian’s Cheap Eats list (the other is the Tackle Box in Georgetown).

I had the crabcake sandwich, with french fries, and coleslaw ($15.95).  The crabcake was good: lightly broiled lump crab meat held together with very little binder. I love big chunks of unadorned crab meat; however, without any binder, or a crispy outer edge you would get from frying, I found myself adding salt to give it a touch more flavor. I really liked the potato roll, which didn’t over power the crabcake. The boardwalk fries were perfectly cooked and salted.  The coleslaw was only okay.

 
Marcus’ BLT ($9.95) was perfectly constructed: dark green lettuce, Roma tomatoes, and a generous portion of bacon, topped with a light dab of mayonnaise. The next time I'm craving a BLT, I will think of taking a trip to Rockville, for sure.

Bobby’s is a great place for lunch or a to fulfill a seafood craving on the cheap.

Mr. Yogato

Mr. Yogato is at the top of the list for destination spots in Dupont Circle.  I recently visited the small yogurt shop on a Monday night at 9:30.  The line reached the door, and it appeared that most of the people waiting had made a special trip to the neighborhood to fulfill their cravings for some FROYO.

Mr. Yogato serves a variety of flavors (up to 18), but only rotates four flavors at a time.  Peach, mojito, tangy, and soft were available when I stopped by.  I chose peach and got chocolate chips to top it off.  It cost me around $3.75.  The frozen yogurt was delicious; it tasted more like yogurt than fake ice cream.  According to a HUGE sign on the wall, Mr. Yogato's is fat free and only 25 calories per serving (there are 5 servings in the little portion).  Not bad.

One of the attractions at Mr. Yogato is the goofing around that goes on between the staff and customers.  Here are the rules:

1. If Mr. Roboto comes over the speaker system and you sing along, you get 10% off yogurt.

2. Try your luck with a trivia question. Get it right for 10% off, but get it wrong and 10% is added.

3. If you will wear a yogato stamp on your head, you get 20% off.

4. If you can recite the Stirling battlefield speech from Braveheart in a great scottish accent, you get 10% off yogurt.

5. Order a yogurt for 30 consecutive days and we'll name a flavor after you.

6. If a customer suggests a topping or flavor which is then adopted, that customer receives a 5% discount for life.

7. If anyone can stump Steve on trivia regarding Seinfeld or "The Rock," 10% off yogurt.

8. Anyone wearing a kickball uniform and has played hard (evidenced by dirt on their knees) will receive an automatic 10% off yogurt.

I didn’t make these up.  I swear.

Other quirky things: olive oil is one of the many free toppings (chocolate sprinkles, Hershey’s syrup, and honey were also available free). Lots more toppings, including fresh fruit, are available for a few quarters more.

It is clear that Mr. Yogato will continue to draw people to 17th Street.  I’ve seen a few glass-eyed frozen yogurt seekers coming through mumbling the lyrics “domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, domo…”

Ray's Hell-Burgers

Visit any local food blog or food board and you will find something written about the newly opened Ray’s Hell-Burgers.  The chatter is nonstop; in the foodie world the opening is akin to Angelina Jolie’s recent birth: first we want facts, then we want photos, then, bored with all that, we want gossipy tid-bits that have nothing to do with the headline (in Angelina’s case the birth of her twins and in Ray’s case the actual taste of the food at his burger joint). After a few weeks of reading chowhound boards and Don Rockwell, I got it together and headed for Ray’s, which is located in a small, easy to miss strip mall on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington.

Since I had read so much about what to order, I came with a game plan and tried my best to help my boyfriend and his brother decipher the menu.  I knew this was the type of place you could end up at the register and when they asked, “what can I get you?” an immediate sense of confusion and pressure would leave you looking like a hungry deer caught by headlights.

I ordered my 10-ounce burger seasoned “Diablo” with Vermont Cheddar and grilled red onions.  The burger came with corn on the cob and a slice of watermelon.  A mug of delicious root beer washed it all down. 

The burger was tasty.  The meat wasn’t greasy and the huge patty was matched with the right amount of cheese. I ordered the burger cooked "recommended" and it was just right: warm and red in the center.  It could have used a touch more seasoning or maybe the hell sauce for a little more flavor. The burger came with the new bun (apparently the old ones were falling apart) and it was good, but a little too big, maybe?  The watermelon and corn were a welcome substitute to french fries.  If I had fries, I would have had to lie down on the floor and wait for a crane to bring me home.

Ray’s would benefit from two improvements: frosted mugs for the root beer and air conditioning.  Otherwise, the price is right ($7.95) and the food is tasty.