O Beautiful, Delicious Skies

Dining in DC

As I type this sentence, I am looking over the snowy Washington landscape. "Why DC in winter?" you might ask. The circumstances don't really matter (Russian passport), what matters is this is my next stop on my world eating tour. You gotta start somewhere and staying only in Minnesota would be boring. I got 4 nights and no mini fridge to keep my own food. Lets get to eating!

Cafe Romeo

If you're in the DC area, they're hiring!

I got no history background for this place, but I do know that they are under a new management. This place is a small, hole in the wall with an outdoor patio upfront. When you come in, the first thing that you notice is an incense like smell. Well, this isn't just a restaurant, it's a hooka lounge as well (which my boyfriend assured me isn't that uncommon but this is the first time I'VE encountered one). With that said, if someone is using one of the hookas and you are sensitive to those types of smells, I would suggest take your food to go. Oh, and they deliver, so you don't even have to get off your couch, if you have a couch in Georgetown. Another reason why I would be hesitant to give them 4 stars is because of their wait staff. Maybe it's because they are transitioning to the new management, maybe it's family. One thing is for sure, they are pleasant but not very attentive. We had to come up to the counter and ask for our check.

Wine and hookas... and the not so attentive waiter.

Now to the good part, the food. To say it lightly, it was amazing. Not only is the menu extensive, from salads and pastas, to pizzas and sandwiches, and everything in between, it caters to everyone. In fact, as a person who doesn't like meat unless it's in a crispy pepperoni or bacon form, I really appreciated the variety of options for me in particular. Though don't get me wrong, any meat eater would get their fill here as well.

To start off, we got a couple of appetizers (of which I didn't take a picture because I was too busy eating). Baked eggplant was really good, though it got better towards the bottom because of the oil base. Definitely something to think about for next time. Mozzarella sticks were pretty good too. I'm not a fan of Buffalo sauce flavoring (which flavored the breading around the cheese) but even I enjoyed them. Anthony (my bf), got a raspberry lemonade which was super yummy. It was frothy and liquid at the same time. I'm not sure how to describe it but it was good. It was gooooood.

Raspberry Lemonade, Steak Calzone, and Custom Pasta with Cheese Bread

For the main course Anthony got one of their XL calzones, the steak one. And when they say XL, they MEAN XL. This thing (though doesn't look as big in the picture because of the angle) was as big as his head , though not quite as thick. I got a "make your own" pasta which included cheese manicotti, spicy red pepper sauce, feta cheese, and roasted garlic and onion veggies. That bubbling delicious mess was served with a side salad and a cheese bread wedge. I closed my eyes on my first bite... it was that good.

Overall, a great food experience. I loved the atmosphere, but it is not for everyone. I would recommend. Make sure to wear your loose pants.

Overall

Cafe Romeo Website

Z Burger

After some ogling at the sexy first edition shelves of the Library of Congress (300 some MILES of shelving, so many books, we can only dream), we were hungry and ready to try another Washington eatery, which was Z Burger, a 50's feel burger joint. While looking through the possible food places (pretty much the minute we checked in and figured out the free internet), we noticed Z Burger. Sure, according to their website they are a staple of DC and have been featured on numerous TV spots and newspapers, but what clinched it for us are the 75 varieties of shakes they offer.

The Shake Board

And though they were out of pistachio (boo), I got amaretto, which is the next best thing. On further inspection of the board, I should have gotten the tiramisu because that sounds delicious, but if I dwell on all the other shakes that sound good now, I'll never get to the end of this post. I digress. The amaretto and the caramel apple, which is the shake Anthony tried, were really good.

Unfortunately, the food was no different than any other burger diner. I got the veggie burger, which I'm pretty sure you can get in the Target frozen foods aisle, and Anthony got their bacon cheeseburger, which he enjoyed. What surprised me were the portions of the sides. We got large fries and onion rings. You pay for them separately, but I was expecting like a McD's large. What I got was a healthy, or in this case rather unhealthy (the bag of fries alone can give you a coronary), portion of both, most of which we took back to the hotel to munch on later. I love places that give you the most bang for your buck.

Veggie Burger and a Lunch Bag of Seasoned Fries

Overall, I liked the value and the shakes. There was no wait staff to speak of because it's one of those places you order at the counter and pick it up, so there were no issues there. However, I was disappointed in the food, it didn't wow me. I would still recommend it for the shakes alone, though. Those were fantastic.

Overall

Z Burger Website

I was really hoping to add to this post, however, after spending the whole day at the museums, our feet we falling off and there was no way we were going to walk to anymore restaurants. So this concludes my culinary journey through Washington DC, for now. I'm hoping to get back there and try some other stuff. There was a Turkish cafe that was a block away from our hotel that looked very promising, not to mention all the ethnic restaurants on the embassy row.

So long Washington, I'll taste you again!

AK