The Counter: When You’ve Got a Big Hankerin’ for a Big Honkin’ Burger

Image from thecounterburger.com

C – Have you ever had one of those days when you can’t shake a burger craving? When all you want is a big ol’ sloppy burger? Well I stumbled into our version of Heaven, my friend, and it’s at Reston Town Center.

The Counter, boasting custom built burgers, is a chain that only seems to have one location in the Metro DC area – but strangely has outlets in Dublin and Jeddah. With locally sourced ingredients, you can opt to build-your-own or pick from their menu. I find building my own anything stressful, so I tend to just choose. For me, it’s typically The Official Counter® Burger: hormone and antibiotic free beef, sharp provolone, crispy onion strings, lettuce blend, sautéed mushrooms, ripened red tomatoes and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette on a brioche style bun. But one of these days I’m going to get one of their Burgers in a Bowl which is, essentially, a burger salad. The 1/3 pound burger is definitely big enough, so unless you’re super-hungry, best to avoid the 1/2 pound option.

The Counter has a nice, relaxed and casual atmosphere. They have a good bar with tons of craft beers — you can even get a Beer Float, which sounds just awful if I can be totally honest. And, at some point, I’m going to try one of their “adult milkshakes.” But that’s not something I can do during lunch, so I’ll have to wait.

The Counter
11922 Democracy Drive
Reston VA 20190

Florencia in the Amazon at the Kennedy Center

Photo taken from Kennedy Center website.

K- I confess I do like opera although that hasn’t always been the case. As a kid, when my mother listened to opera I used to think that it sounded like chickens being strangled. However, living in Europe, I could easily attend an opera or classical singing from anywhere such as a church or the street corner. After awhile I learned to appreciate it. So when C asked me to go to Florencia of the Amazon at the Kennedy Center I said “yes, certainly!”

First we started with dinner and a drink at the bar. It actually wasn’t crowded sowe were able to get a table. The mussels were good, but I would say the frites were even better – especially with beer.  After dinner, we dashed to the opera house and went to our seats. As the seats aren’t on a huge incline, being a short person, I asked to sit near the aisle so I could peek around anyone sitting in front of me.  The show was in Spanish and had the subtitles above the stage. The story was interesting, which was basically an opera diva returns to the Amazon to see her true love. Although the actors did a great job and the singing was beautiful, it was much better not knowing what they were singing. Seeing the subtitles saying “Iguana, I don’t like eating Iguana!” or something like that, kind of ruined it for me.  But overall I enjoyed it. I think the show is no longer, but if you get a chance to an opera – La Boheme is coming up – I would recommend it.

C – That’s hilarious. I totally agree with K on the subtitles. And there were a few parts of the opera that made me go, “hmmmmm.” I will say that we got the best of the cheap seats – $25/each – and that’s because this year I became a member of the Kennedy Center. I’m at the second level which is “contributor” for $120/year. Here’s why it’s worth it:

• Ticket priority! Weeks before shows go on sale to the public, members can choose from their pick of seats. In the past few months I’ve seen the Magic Flute, Jerry Seinfeld and Florencia in the Amazon. In the next few months, I’m headed to Evita, the Mark Twain Prize and La Boheme. The cheap seats sell out first, so ticket priority has been key.
• Member lounges. At this level, it’s nothing fancy. But during intermission, do you really want to stand in a concession line? Coffee, lemonade, water M&M’s and cookies are available in the member lounge. I’ll take it!
• $2 parking coupons. OK-So it really only reduces the cost to $21 to park, but still. It’s something.

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The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20566

BLT Steak

C – I’d like to direct your attention to the popovers in the photo above. Free with any meal at BLT Steak, these could easily be mistaken for the highlight of your dinner. In fact, they’re so popular, BLT provides the recipe in the form of a cute, branded card. But don’t be fooled, the popovers are good, but the steak is the real center of attention here. (Also, don’t eat the whole popover. Rookie mistake. Never fill up on bread even if it is laced with Gruyere.)

I got the filet mignon during my most recent visit to BLT and it did not disappoint. Weighing in at 12 ounces, it’s easily the largest filet I’ve ever been served. Paired with Bearnaise sauce, I couldn’t resist eating the whole thing. Nothing left for the doggie bag.

BLT Steak is expensive and everything is a la carte. So, this isn’t an every week kind of restaurant. But on special occasions, or when you just want a really good steak, it’s the place to be. Bonus: great atmosphere, hopping bar scene and good selection of beers.

BLT Steak
1625 I Street, NW
Washington, DC

 

 

 

Rasika West – yum!

Photo taken from Rasika West FB page

K- I was meeting a friend of mine that I hadn’t seen for a very long time who was flying into DC for a business trip. I suggested we meet at Rasika West as it was nearby to where I was and where he was staying.

I got there early so I sat at the bar. I ordered a Kaminee, which consisted of Pimms, chili gin, lime juice, ginger syrup and cucumber. The chili gin gave a nice kick to the drink and overall the drink wasn’t too sweet. I also munched on some spiced popcorn that they have at the bar rather than the usual boring nuts or chips.

When my friend arrived we went to the dining room – I couldn’t handle the bar anymore as there was a girl there who sounded like one of the Kardashians – to have dinner.  The dining room is exquisitely decorated and can get a bit noisy when it starts filling up, especially since the tables are a little close to each other.

Photo taken from Urban Spoon.

When the waiter came to take our order he was very informative but not overly so. He answered our questions and offered to help with the menu if needed.The menu had a nice choice of vegetarian options. There were also other choices for non-vegetarians such as fish and chicken entrees.

My only question was although it’s not on the menu, could I have palak paneer. He said “yes,” which made me very happy as it’s my favourite; sadly as it is my favourite, I have a tendency not to explore other dishes. I have vowed to change that next time I go to an Indian restaurant but that wasn’t going to be the night. I also ordered garlic naan and basmati rice. My friend ordered the shrimp pepper masala.

My dinner was fabulous, so much so that I ate all of it, which left no room for dessert. But I enjoyed every bite of it!

I’m looking forward to going back and trying something new – maybe the paneer mattar, malai palak or vegetable biryani. Yum!

Rasika West

1190 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
Entrance on New Hampshire Avenue & M Street.
Valet parking is available at Dinner only.
See map

Tel: 202.466.2500

Tea at the Willard – take one

C – So, the Saturday before last we tried to have tea at the Willard. Sounds so sophisticated, doesn’t it? My friend and I had this planned for weeks. Imagine our surprise to find a big, brash bridal show going on in the lobby and hallway – Peacock Alley – where tea was to be. The tea had been moved to a tiny corner and the harpist had to compete with a wedding band. No one called us to let us know our tea experience wouldn’t be the one we had expected. We were not thrilled. However, kudos to the Willard staff, as they apologized saying someone should have called us. They cancelled our reservation without penalty, validated my parking and rescheduled us for the following weekend.

By this time, we were hungry, so we went into the famed Round Robin bar. We had bar snacks – club sandwich and calamari – along with some hot, alcoholic drinks to stave off the chill of the day. It wasn’t very crowded and it was lovely. And then the Hoyas fans descended. It got very loud, very raucous and quite crazy incredibly quickly. That was our cue to leave.

Next week… Tea at the Willard! (we hope)

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The Willard Round Robin and Scotch Bar
1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC

World of Beer – Yes, there is such a thing!

C – I didn’t really have high hopes for this place. The name is kind of cheesy and it really just looked like your typical sports bar. But little exceptional things kept happening and the sum throughout the evening meant that I’ll be going back soon.

1. Seriously the most comfortable bar stools ever. Super cushiony, double-wide. You could pretty much sit there all day (and I’m sure that’s the point).
2. Mac and cheese to die for. Everyone’s doing this little side these days and I can’t fully explain what made this one different. It was very small, but totally rich with flavor.   I couldn’t have had any more than I was served. It was perfect.
3. A truly great selection of beers from around the world. I had the Maes Pilsner from Belgium. Someone else had the Hofbrau Original from Germany. But the real test came from the girl from Galway. She was absolutely beside herself when she found out Kilkenny was on the menu.

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The atmosphere was friendly and casual. The place had an open feel which made me comfortable – as if I could escape if need be. There was a band that played on a little stage and super huge pretzels served hanging. The only negative was the specialty drink my friend ordered. The Berry Cosmo was very thick and she had a hard time with it. So, they don’t do everything right, but WOB totally works if you’re looking for low key and lots of beer.

World of Beer – Arlington
901 N. Glebe RD 105
Arlington, VA 22203

Eventide and Odd Bar in Clarendon

C – Eventide sits in an old 1920’s building in the heart of Clarendon. The ceilings are high and the decor is casually elegant — exposed bricks, long, dark blue drapes and incredibly comfy booths that close you in by the moveable armrest. I went for Easter (2013) brunch. It seemed to be the most cost-effective experience in town that day. $19 each as compared to $29 for Liberty Tavern’s Easter special. It was not an extravagant spread, but each item was pure quality. So, I did what anyone would do in that situation. I pigged out. I literally ate everything there. The ancho glazed beef short rib was my favorite, but I also liked the egg scramble with gruyere and scallions and the banana cream pie for desert. Great atmosphere. Excellent grub. I’d definitely go back.

K – Odd Bar and Roof Terrace

I did not have Easter brunch at Eventide but I’ve been to the bar and the roof terrace. The bar has changed a bit in decor and is now called “Odd Bar.” Besides the addition of beers the food pretty much remains the same, which is great because I’m a huge fan of their truffle fries. They have a nice herbed, garlic taste and the basil aioli pairs well with them. The bar does get filled up pretty quickly so it’s better to get there early.

The roof terrace is quite nice in the summer. It’s nice to look at the Clarendon city-scape while drinking a nice chilled glass of white wine or prosecco or even a cold glass of beer. The only thing is, there is a two-hour limit on the roof top. If no one is up there you might possibly stay longer but it’s usually quite busy up there.

Eventide Restaurant and Odd Bar
http://www.eventiderestaurant.com
3165 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington