Ray's the Steaks

R: If you like steak, this is a must-go spot. I now associate steak solely with Ray’s the Steak.
M: So I’m a meatetarian and have had steak at a lot of different places. But this is by far the best steak I’ve had of all of them. I expected it to be better than the usual stuff like Outback Steakhouse but I still figured places like Ruth’s Chris and Morton’s would be better.
R: But let me just forewarn those college student readers of ours, that this place is a bit pricey, but that is expected for a good steak place. Be prepared to spend around  $80 on a simple two person dinner meal ( no drinks included). I ordered a peppercorn-crusted NY Strip topped with blue cheese and a creamy sauce. This was the house special. I’d highly recommend it, but the peppercorn was a bit overpowering at times.
M: So all the other places make a great steak, don’t get me wrong. The difference here is that Ray’s uses different sauces and garnishes with the steak. My rib-eye (which literally melted in my mouth) was smothered in a brandy mushroom cream sauce. I never realized how much better a steak becomes paired with the right sauce. The closest thing I’ve ever had was a steak that was marinated in Jack Daniels sauce but that was nowhere close to this.
R: It is the perfect place for a romantic dinner, special occasion dinner, or a place to take your girlfriend to show your appreciation for all that they do for you :)
M: So yeah, we went here because I messed up and wanted to make it up to her by treating her to a nice dinner. But honestly, I think I treated myself instead.
R: And if this is what I get when you mess up, feel free to mess up more often haha.

http://raysthesteaks.com/

Sauca

R: So the way I heard about this place is pretty random. I first saw one of their flyers at a middle eastern market in falls church. I was instantly intrigued because the menu had such a unique design. It looked like a passport.
M: Working in the “business district of DC”, I usually see dozens of food trucks weekly.  Sauca was one of those trucks that I would see all the time. Business has been doing so well for them that the owner decided to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant located on Columbia Pike.
R: I finally decided to try this place out with some of my friends. First off, the place is very nicely decorated, with a covered outdoor seating area. Inside, it had somewhat of a diner look, but much more colorful and eclectic decor. The owner of the restaurant, came over to us as soon as we walked in to greet us which was very nice. He took the time to explain the whole concept to us and give his personal recommendations.
M: So the theme of Sauca is very interesting. Basically the world is divided into six regions and there is an entree and side that corresponds to each region.  Each entree is wrapped inside of a pita... There is also some other extras including home-made lemonades and Arnold Palmers. Last visit we had, the owner explained to us he was currently working on concocting some shooters that correspond to the different regions.
R: My favorite meal is the Mexicali fish tacos. It has tons of flavor and is just delicious. I have tried the Beef shawarma and butter chicken as well, both good as well.
R: The food was great and the best part of it is that you can experience the world from the comfort of your seat.

By the way here is an article featuring Sauca: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220017

And here's a link to the official site: http://www.eatsauca.com/

Restaurant Week

It's Restaurant Week in DC from Monday, August 15 to Sunday, August 21.  Three-course lunches and dinners are prix-fixed at $20 and $35, respectively.  Most of these restaurants are considered "fine-dining" and typically cost much more than offered for this week. Make sure you make reservations early (they're already filling up) and check out any of the hundreds of restaurants listed.

https://www.restaurantweekmetrodc.org/
http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=9&ref=6976&pid=68

District Taco

R: If it weren’t for the convenience of having a Chipotle located about 3-4 minutes from my house, I would definitely go to District Taco over Chipotle every time. District Taco is basically just like Chipotle, but much less commercialized. You can taste the home-style cooking in the flavor of the food.
M: The food is definitely fresh. The atmosphere is nice. And I definitely love me some Mexican food. I’m not a big Chipotle fan and I can’t go to sit down restaurants like Guapos or Uncle Julio’s all the time. It’s nice having another fast casual place to go to other than Qdoba and Baja Fresh.
R: I had been told to try the al Pastor, which is the rotisserie pork marinated in pineapple. It is pretty good. I’d say if you want a change from the usual chicken or carne asada taco/burrito, go with the al pastor for a sweet unique flavor.
M: So there’s a place in Charlottesville called Boylan Heights which has the best nachos I’ve ever had (BBQ Nachos). We’ve tried ordering nachos at a lot of different places and nothing has come close until we tried the nachos here. They’re still not Boylan standard, but pretty darn good and I’d definitely order it every time I come here. It comes with your choice of meat and unlimited toppings.
R: Let’s just say this place is so yummy, writing about it just now has made me want to go get it for dinner tonight.

(Btw.. this place started out as a food truck but got so popular, it is now popping up with different locations)

http://www.districttaco.com/

Kennedy Center- Millennium Stage

M: Jonathan Frederick Kennedy was a good president. So they named a center after him, the Kennedy Center. Located in the heart of DC, the Kennedy Center is a  venue for a variety of concerts and shows. We were able to go to one on the 40th anniversary of their Millenium Stage program featuring OK Go and Pomplamoose.
R: The Millenium Stage at Kennedy Center hosts a free show/performance everyday at 6:00 PM (no tickets required). The one we happened to go to was one of their bigger shows commemorating the anniversary of the program. It really is an awesome program, giving everyone a chance to experience the arts in such an incredible venue at no charge!
M: So this would be a nice place for a date/ couples outing. The rooftop terrace has a great view of DC from all sides, the bottom terrace is nice to relax at before a show, and the inside is somewhat fancy. They do have a happy hour for the show but it’s not that great. There is a restaurant also but reviews say the food is not that great and it was overpriced so we didn’t go to it.

R: It was a fun night, although OK Go is not our usual sort of music, nor is Pomplamoose, I think we would both say we enjoyed the overall experience. Also, if you go to the website, you can see the full schedule for upcoming performances daily. The styles vary from Afro-Brazilian, to classical, all the way to Bollywood.

http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/

Tryst Coffeehouse-Bar-Lounge

R: I think the concept that Tryst has got going on is really unique. It’s a coffee shop, bar, good brunch spot, all in one. It's a little bit of everything all wrapped up into one package. You may see people with laptops discussing a business deal, or a group of friends getting a few drinks and a bite before they head out. 

M:  Yeah, this place is nice for any time of the week. Go out for drinks on a weekend, grab some coffee on a weekday, or the other way around. The atmosphere is very relaxing. There are all different kinds of couches and tables set up for different areas and groups. It somehow feels like you’re hanging out at home with friends but then you look outside and you see the busy chaotic streets of Adams Morgan.

R: I’m a big coffee fan, so I think this place may be one of my new favorites. Sometimes on a Friday or Saturday night I want to go out, but may not feel like drinking. At Tryst, I can go out with my friends, they can all do their thing, and if I’m in the mood for a cappuccino instead of a glass of wine, I still have that option. Also speaking of coffee, I used to work at Starbucks and one of the main goals that Starbucks strives to achieve is to become the "third place." For those who are not familiar with this term, "third place" refers to the social setting you frequent most, other than your home, or work. It is also the home of community life, creativity, and interaction . I think Tryst has found the secret to this concept and masters it. 

M: Tryst has also mastered their music, since I'm a big fan of EDM (electronic/ dance music). I'm not saying it's clubby with thump thump music but it has the right tune to get you ready for the night.  I don’t have anything against the usual coffee shop music, it’s just not my cup of tea (no pun intended). So get a small group together and have some shots. Of espresso. Or tequila. Or whatever you prefer.

http://www.trystdc.com/

Roti

M: I am glad I found this place near my office. It’s a fast casual place like Chipotle but with a Mediterranean menu. It came from Chicago and this was the only location in DC for a while, but now there are two more locations (and two currently being built to open within the next few months).

R: Mo had been raving about this place. He had gone with his coworkers and was dying to take me. I came up from school one weekend last year, which means I took a two and half hour train, took metro couple stations over, and walked about 10 minutes all to have some Roti, oops I mean see Mo, and it was worth it.

M: So the environment is very similar but instead of adding guacamole, you add hummus and baba ganoush. You can get sandwiches (like burritos) or just a rice dish (like burrito bowls). By the way If you get here past 11:50 during lunchtime, you can expect the line to be out the door.

R: Best part is, it’s all really healthy. All the ingredients are super fresh and delicious. Feta, Black olives, taboulleh, tahini, hummus, cous cous, spinach, etc.

M: The only downside to Roti is that they’re only open weekdays until 5 pm. If there was one in Northern VA, it would probably make a ton of money on the weekends. Anyone want to start a new partnership?

http://roti.com/http://roti.com/

Tidal Basin Paddle Boats

R: I had heard about people going paddle boating in the Jefferson Memorial Tidal Basin and wanted to go for a while, but always dismissed Mo when he suggested it because I thought it would take too much time/ be too expensive/ or be too complicated. One day he convinced me go and give it a try. Let me just say it was super easy, cheap and really fun! If you’ve never gone, I’d say its totally worth it.  

M: The only problem is that on really nice days it may be hard to find parking nearby, since the lot is not that big. There are plenty of boats to rent and it’s pretty cheap, $12 for a two person boat and $20 for a four person boat (which comes with a canopy for the sun) for a two hour rental. The area you can paddle in is pretty vast. Bring a camera and you can get some nice shots of the Jefferson Memorial, other monuments and planes landing at DCA.

R: Also don’t worry its pretty easy to paddle and most people can do it, its basically like biking sitting down. The only advice I’d give is don’t paddle super fast in the beginning cause you’ll tire out quick and  it’ll be dreadful getting back to shore in the end.  

M: This is one of the classic DC recreational activities. You always see paddle boats when driving down the side of the Potomac. Also if you want to be just as cool as us, make sure when you’re pulling into the dock at the end, to turn that shit around and back into the spot.

http://www.tidalbasinpaddleboats.com/

Ozio

M: O-ziiii-ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
R: I like the crowd, I like the feel, I like the music, I like the signature tree that’s on the wall on the top level ( and want one for my room), and I LOVE this rooftop.

M: And I love you.
R: Haha thanks, me too. Back to what I was saying, this was one of my favorite and unique rooftop bar experiences in DC so far. Its huge so there’s enough space to walk around, pretty ambiance, more than one bar so it doesn’t take overly long to get a drink and A/C (which is perfect for humid summer nights in DC). The rooftop is even retractable.
M: I was surprised with how big the place was. We’ve been to Eden but the rooftop area there is pretty small and its surrounded on both sides by tall buildings. Getting to the rooftop was like a little maze. Different staircases, different floors. There are four different floors to party on including a smoking floor. Make sure you’re on the guestlist so you can get access to the rooftop. You can do this by signing up on the website or through their Facebook page.

http://oziodc.com/ 

El Chalan

M: I heard about this place through my brother-in-law. He’s been coming here for over ten years. It’s his favorite Peruvian restaurant and after going here twice I can see why.
R: So when most people think of Peruvian food, they think of Peruvian chicken that you can get at Super Pollo and what not. It was a nice change to go to a sit down restaurant and be able to order traditional Peruvian dishes other than charbroiled chicken.

M: Super Pollo chicken is the bomb diggity but I agree. I’ve gotten the Llomo Saltado and Seafood Paella here, both of which are very flavorful and popular. With every meal, you need to make sure you order a Pisco Sour. I’ve ordered this drink at many different places and it’s one of my favorites. Nice lemon-y taste and topped off with frothy egg whites and sugar. May sound disgusting but it’s kind of like a drink with a top off of meringue. Pretty delicious. 
R: Be warned, there’s raw egg whites in the drink, so if that’s a problem for you like it was for one of our friends, don’t get it. For newcomers, I think a really safe and yummy choice is definitely the lomo saltado, once you’ve tried different things or feel more adventurous you can go for things like the seafood paella.
M: This place is only a few blocks from my office, so if you ever want to go, give me a call and treat me to dinner :)

http://www.elchalandc.com/