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/

Crepe Amour

M: I’ve been wanting to go here for a few months now because I read about this place having one of the most innovative ideas of the century: Mac N’ Cheese Crepe. Sadly to say, when we went I was not able to order this because my female partner here was craving sweet stuff.

R: Well, my male partner was welcome to order his own crepe, but unfortunately, his stomach is not large enough to accommodate a whole crepe all on its own and needed my help.

M: Your face is not large enough to accommodate a whole crepe. PLEASE continue.
R: Oh okay okay, anywaysss.... we ended up getting the Fraise Amour. It had nutella and strawberries inside. Absolutely delish. I loved it. Also, prices weren’t too bad either. Menu had both sweet and savory options, so you could go here for lunch if you wanted and get a crepe with chicken as well.
M: So we walked here all the way from McFaddens for a snack and it was worth it. Before this, I would have said that all crepe places are the same to me. But for some reason the ingredients seemed rich and this place does try a lot of new concepts (hint: get the mac n cheese crepe, which is their most popular late night item). Also, if you rather have a more sit-down feel, head on upstairs where there is more restaurant style seating.
R: The crepes are made to order, so you see the whole process from start to finish. I like the idea of the place, cool modern decor, if you’re out in Georgetown, go in for a late night snack on Friday and Saturday!!

http://www.crepeamour.com/

Rock It Grill

M: There’s been plenty of nights where we don’t want to go out to DC and make a big effort but also don’t want to stay in and just watch a movie. Fortunately, I’ve been to this place and figured it to be something we can always fall back on. No need to get all dressed up, just be casual and head on down to Old Town Alexandria.
R: So as he was saying Rock It Grill is located in Alexandria and is a karaoke bar. At first I wasn’t too excited about the idea, but let me just say after going, if you are one of the many young people in the noVA area tired of grimey DC clubs, or too tired of the same old college crowd at bars in Clarendon, this is definitely a refreshing change. I wore jeans and a old navy tank top and I fit in just fine. People were there not to impress, but to let loose and have a fun time.
M: Yeah so this isn’t the kind of place to go pick up hot chicks or guys. There’s usually decent looking guys I’d say, but every time I’ve been I think I’ve only seen two girls that I would actually hit on (if I was single). At first I thought this was a low-quality trashy bar, but after going back a few times I realized that the people who come here just want to have fun and not worry about looking like douches.
R: No matter if they’re bad or good, its a win - win situation watching people on stage sing. You’re either laughing your butt off at them, or you’re enjoying their surprisingly good singing skills. Also, if you’re the adventurous type, you yourself may want to sign up for the stage. Overall go with a group of friends, drink some beers, and make one of them sing so you can all laugh and take pictures.

YogiBerry

R: Not the biggest fan of frozen yogurt personally, but the toppings here are super fresh and yummy. Also, they have just about everything you’d think of. I think next time, I’ll just get a spoonful of frozen yogurt, and fill the rest of my cup with the delicious toppings.
M: So I like the concept of this place a lot. It’s all self serve. You pick how much ice cream and/ or toppings you want. You can mix flavors and do whatever you want. So like Raha said, just come get a cupful of toppings and no ice cream. Also, unlike other places, you don’t get charged by each type of topping. What if you only want one gummy bear? or a whole pile of oreo crumbs rather than just a few pieces? You do what you want.
R: It’s super clean and the whole look of the place is very modern and colorful. I love the ambience. It’s located in Shirlington near all the restaurants. Great way to top off your night with a healthy desert.  
M: So yeah, after you go to GUAPOS (wink wink), head over next door to this place to finish off your night. Lots of different froyo flavors, including mango and taro. Lots of different toppings, from fruits (ewww) to crushed candies.
R: Just so you know, once you fill your cup with everything you want, you place it on the scale, and the price is .49 cents/ ounce.
M: So if fruit costs more in grocery stores, just come get a cup of that stuff here. You can also have your ice cream and toppings be made into a shake for $1.00 more.
R: We’ve also tried a few other places, frozen yogurt places in the mall with fresh toppings, and Red Mango in Clarendon, but this place has the best tasting so far, and kudos to them for a very unique concept.

Malibu Grill

M: Meat, meat, and more meat. My friends all know I don’t eat fruits and vegetables. I’m a carnivore/ “meatetarian”. So the concept of a Brazilian steakhouse which is just a buffet of meat after meat is like heaven to me.
R: I used to go here since I was a kid with family. It’s pretty good. Like Mo said, if you like meat, come hungry and you’ll leave happy. You have a wooden block on your table that is red on one side and green on the other. Flip it to green to signal the waiters to bring around different cuts of meat. Red tells them you’re done.
M: So they have tons of different cuts if beef. Sirloin, top sirloin, salted. They also have good chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, and sausage. It just keeps coming and coming and coming.
R: So lunch here is $12.95 and dinner is around $20.00. $12.95 is a great deal for the amount of food you get. But I don’t think the quality here is that great so I don’t think it’s worth the dinner price. My parents recently went to Fogo de Chao in DC, which is a top of the line Brazilian steakhouse with the same concept as Malibu. They said the food was great! Butttttttt... that comes at a much a higher price. The price range there is between $40 and $50 per person. There’s also Chima, which is another brazilian steakhouse in the area which is in Tysons. Chima's prices fall somewhere in between Fogo and Malibu.
M: I would definitely go to Fogo de Chao or Chima for special occasions. They are definitely awesome. But this place is good for a casual bite. The food is actually good.
R: Good, just not the best.
M: Just make sure you come with an empty stomach and have nothing to do afterwards. Food coma is a definite.

IndAroma

M: IndAroma is an Indian bakery shop. I’ve been here before a long time ago and one of our closest friends keeps talking about going here cause it’s so amazing. I actually know the girl friend of the owner and have been meaning to go more often.
R: The cakes here are delicious!!!! On this one particular trip we got a slice of the mango mousse cake and butterscotch cake. The butterscotch cake (as you can see in the picture) had small crispy pieces of butterscotch candy on top which were amazing.
M: The mango mousse is one of the best things here. All there cakes are light and not too sweet, so I like them (I’m not into cake really, in general). We also got Madras Coffee, which is coffee with partly boiled milk and boiled water made frothy.
R: Very pretty atmosphere, lovely seating and decorations, very warm overall.
M: They do have food here also, not sure how good it is since I only come for pastries and coffee. Another place that’s not too far from here that’s similar is Sheila Bakery, which is a Korean place.
R: If you live in the area, definitely make a stop for a slice of cake and madras coffee after dinner.

http://www.indaroma.com/

Eden Center

M: So Eden Center is an area like China Town, it’s basically Little Saigon/ Viet Town. Instead of being blocks and streets in an urban area, it’s located by Seven Corners in a little shopping center complete with the cultural arches and Vietnamese characters (Along with English ones) for store names.  The rows for parking lanes even have Vietnamese “street names”.
R: One of the first times I went to Eden Center was to try bubble tea at Song Que. My all-time favorite flavor is and always will be the coffee bubble tea. Other flavors that are good are pineapple, coconut, taro, etc.
M: At first I didn’t like bubble tea cause the tapioca bubbles felt weird. I like it now but even though I see the bubbles come up the straw, it still surprises me and feels weird. I’d say coffee is a safe choice, but mango and thai tea bubble tea aren’t bad either. Song Que is also known for their Banh Mi sandwiches (which we saw on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations). It’s a really simple and cheap sandwich. I’ve had it at another place in Eden Center and it was good there too.
R: There are two other pretty good places we’ve tried right next door. One of which is a hole in the wall pho place,  Pho Xelua, that probably has the best pho I’ve ever had. We even went to go one night and a lady walked passed the door and said “they’re closing, too bad though, it’s the best place around!”  
M: I agree. That was actually the best pho I’ve had out of around 7 places. You wouldn’t suspect much of a difference between different places, but I could tell a different in quality and taste.   
R: That same night Pho Xelua was closed, we went to Viet Royale. Viet Royale is much more sit-down and fancy then the rest of the places in Eden.
M: We had a few friends of ours with us that night who never had tried pho before. I usually like getting it with all the different cuts of beef in it (including cartilage pieces). I recommended it to one of them and they were pretty much disgusted by it; they probably are never going to have pho again. So for first timers, I would recommend just chicken or regular cuts of beef.
R: Friends have recommended some other places in the shopping center to get a bite, I may wait to try those until I have some of them go with me. A lot of these places have their menu’s in Vietnamese, etc, so its really hard to know what to order unless someone has given you a suggestion.

http://edencenter.com/

La Tasca

R: SANGRIA!!!!! Awesome atmosphere, with 5 or 6 different kinds of in-house sangrias.
M: I wasn’t a big fan of sangria before but I love coming here. All the different flavors are good, but it’s funny to see how they use box wine. They end up making multiple huge containers of sangrias every day. You can see the giant glass containers at the bar with all the different fruits ans spices inside.
R: The different ones vary in strength and alcohol content. There is one called Cadillac Red, that has a good amount of brandy in it. It packs a strong punch.
M: So i would suggest coming here for happy hours mainly. It’s $12/$15 a pitcher for sangria vs $23+ and the tapas are $3 vs $8 regular.
R: Our favorite tapas are the calamari and the fried eggplant! So so good, and so so worth $3.
M: There are three La Tascas in the area: Chinatown, Old Town Alexandria, and Clarendon. I think the Chinatown one has better food and sangria, but it does get very crowded.
R: THIS IS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE ALL TIME FAVORITE HAPPY HOUR SPOTS because compared to other bars where you’re usually just getting cheap beer and some mediocre nachos, here you getting an elegant atmosphere, drinks that are actually made and not served by popping open a bottle, and food that will make your taste buds very happy :)

http://www.latascausa.com/site/locations/washington-dc/

Ravi Kabob

M: This is my favorite Pakistani/ Indian food in the DC area. My family and close family friends actually cater this place often when we have a lot guests over at our houses.
R: I’m persian, so I’d say its my favorite “brown” place to go for kabob. My favorite overall place for kabob is Shamshiry, but we’ll get to that in another post. The main differences for me between middle eastern (persian, arab, etc) kabob joints and brown ones (paki, indian, bengali, etc) are that the middle eastern ones are a bit more simple, more focused on the basics, while the “brown” ones have a lot more spices, and almost always have chick peas on the side.
M: I think the chick peas are actually one of my favorite things here. The spices and flavors are so bold on all the food. When you first walk into the place, you can smell and taste it in the air.
R: I love the samosas! Something I almost always get one while waiting for my meal.
M: Samosas are always a safe bet. They have meat and veggie ones. They usually serve them with green sauce (spicy) and brown sauce (sweet tamarind) on the side. It’s amazing dipping the samosa in a mix of the two.
R: When finding this place, you’ll notice there are two. Ones nicer and more of a sit-down place and the other, seems a lot more run-down (kind of place where you would pick up food to-go)
M: The sit down place would be better to go in a large group. There’s more space so it’s family-oriented. The run-down place is THE place to go. It’s small, cramped, dingy, etc but that’s where the legit food is. It seems as if these are two different restaurants.
R: It may have to do with the cooks? Everyone seems to prefer the older looking one for the food, I’d agree.
M: Next time you’re craving Indian food, in the Ballston area, or just looking for a quick and dirty (not actually dirty) meal, stop by Ravi Kabob and pick some up. 

 http://www.ravikabobusa.com/

National Harbor

M: Right across the Potomac from Alexandria into Maryland (eww), National Harbor is a very nice view from Old Town Alexandria, driving over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, landing or taking off from Reagan Airport or just wherever you can see it from.
R: A very different scene. Its nice if you want a change from your typical outings in Clarendon, Georgetown or DC. Also, older crowd. Seems like most people are working age, 30s and up for the most part.  
M: It’s like all those other areas. There are shops, restaurants, nice waterfront, along with the Gaylord Hotel. Yes, weird name but it is the heart of the area. I went to a conference here once and this place is huuuuuuuuge. It even has its own forest inside.
R: There are also events and such around the holidays. We went for the tree lighting event for Christmas. It was very crowded!
M: It is a pricey area somewhat like Gtown. They have a McCormick and Schmicks, Rosa Mexicana, and other well known places. We ended up going out for drinks at a local place called Ketchup. Cool artwork on the wall, all dealing with.. ketchup. They do have a piano bar there, I think it’s the only one in the area? It is an older crowd of course (like 30s and 40s) but it’s something different.
R: By the way, did I mention they have a peep factory!!
M: The one major problem with the area I’d say is PARKING. It’s like freakin $11 bucks an hour in the garage. Killer. 
R: Yeah, I’d say go, check it out, see if its your style. It’s not somewhere I’d go to often, but it is something different than the usual bars/restaurants in town that we all know so well and all too often get bored of.


http://www.nationalharbor.com/intro.htm

Dama Restaurant

M: I’ve always liked Ethiopian food. I’ve been to are Eyo, Meaza, Lalibela and some others I don’t remember before. Hands down, this is the best one I’ve been to.
R: My very first experience with Ethiopian food was not the best (we ate it elsewhere). Also, I always had this fear that all the food would have raw meat. For those who also have this stereotype that is preventing them from trying it, do not let that fear get in the way. Yes, most Ethiopian places have dishes with raw meat, but you can definitely get your meat cooked.  So, one day Mo suggested we go to Dama. Considering my last experience eating Ethiopian food was not that great, I was a bit hesitant. But I decided to give it a second try. Looking back I am super happy I did. The first time I had eaten it, I had hated the bread, called “injera.” I even told Mo, I would eat the meat without the bread. At Dama, I found myself wanting to ask for additional injera. It has quickly become one of my favorite places to eat.
M: I actually liked the bread from the get go. I remember Raha said her parents didn’t like it cause it looked like a “wet towel”. I think the bread makes the experience. It would be just like everything else if it was with a fork or rice or whatever. Pertaining to that... you’re supposed to eat it with your hands, just in case you weren’t sure.
R: And it gets reallllly messy, so be prepared. Luckily they bring you a wet nap afterwards just like when you eat ribs.
M: So the place itself might be a little confusing. There’s two buildings and three different signs. There’s Dama Restaurant, Dama Diner, Dama Pastry and Cafe, or something like that. Just look for the building with the crazy parking in front. When you first walk in, the restaurant portion is on the right and there’s a mini grocery store to the left. If you walk through the grocery store, you’re in a little coffee/ dessert bar.
R: The first time we came we got a slice of white chocolate cake, espresso and tea. It was all delicious. The espresso came in a very cute clear glass, where you could definitely see the different parts, the cream, the body and the heart. (for all the coffee aficionados out there). The white chocolate cake was light, fluffy and rich tasting. Love love loved it!
M: It’s actually owned by one of my friend’s parents. I’m guessing it’s more authentic since mostly only Ethiopians are there. After going I looked it up on yelp and it actually got really good reviews and an average rating of over 4 (on a scale of 5).
R: On a side note, its not the fanciest of places, but still very cozy. Also, it seems as though they may be currently undergoing some renovation, but don’t let that stop you from dropping by. Definite two thumbs up for this place!!


P.S. if you take a look at the menu and are totally lost as to what to get, go for the Lamb Tibs!!! (Our favorite)