Sea Pearl @ Mosaic

Photo from Sea Pearl website

K- Last Saturday, C and I met for lunch at Sea Pearl. For whatever reason, I was trying to decide between Sea Pearl and Gypsy Soul – completely forgot about True Food Kitchen, which I really want to try – and ended up making reservations at Sea Pearl as their menu looked quite interesting.  I always make reservations, especially on the weekend as I believe it’s better to be safe than sorry and sometimes, like this time, we are one of the very few people in the restaurant.

Our table was by the window, which was quite nice and our server was quite prompt. I ordered the crab and corn chowder with crisp wontons only to be told that they didn’t have that but they did have a sweet corn soup with crab, bacon and crispy wontons so I ordered that minus the bacon for my first (yes, I hear those of you gasping at my sacrilegious decision of no bacon.)  For my entrée I chose the lobster crepe with shitake mushrooms, green onions, coconut milk, red chili, potatoes hash and sautéed spinach and a cucumber Bloody Mary to sip with my meal.

The cucumber Bloody Mary arrived with a large spear of cucumber rather than a spear of celery thus the cucumber part I’m assuming. It was good, but not very spicy or “tomatoey.” The sweet corn soup wasn’t very sweet, it wasn’t very anything – well, bland. There was a “sprinkling” of crab, which was also bland and of course the crisp wontons, which were nice and crisp.  I was hoping the crepe would add a bit of “zip” to the meal with the red chili but was sadly disappointed. To be honest, I don’t know if and where the red chili part was in my lunch.  The potatoes hash, I did like that – nothing spectacular, but it was good and the spinach was a bit flat.

Overall, for me, the Sea Pearl wasn’t a “pearl” however I had a great time hanging out with C and catching up.

C – These look amazing, don’t they?  Meh. The ricotta fritters with vanilla and lavender honey were just OK. And that was mostly because of the honey. The taste was lacking — like nothing at all, actually — and the rest of my meal was the same. I also had the lobster crepe and, as someone who never salts or peppers, I was looking for the shakers. They weren’t there, or on any table. I didn’t bother to ask. The experience was more about the company anyway.

The atmosphere was nice, though I was surprised to see the dining room so empty at 1:30 on a Saturday. All of the other restaurants at Mosaic are usually packed on the weekends. Perhaps I was served an unusually dull meal, or maybe I made a poor choice, but my instinct tells me lack of flavor may be why we didn’t have to fight for a seat.

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Sea Pearl Restaurant & Lounge
8191 Strawberry Lane, #2
Falls Church, VA  22042

 

Comfort Food at Ted’s Bulletin

C – If you squint, you can see Ted’s Bulletin in this picture. It was a cold and grey day, and what would typically be a bustling green area at the Mosaic District looked a little bleak. The perfect day for some comfort food.

Everyone’s been raving about Ted’s. Specifically, their adult milkshakes and homemade pop tarts. I heard rumors of crazy long waits – they don’t take reservations during peak lunch/brunch times. So, I showed up about 30 minutes early. I walked in, was told the wait would be 30 minutes, put my name on the list and decided to run across the street to Target. I was given a pager and I left my phone number in case I was too far out of range. I walked out the door, saw my friend – also super early – and the pager went off. No wait whatsoever. Strange for a Saturday just before noon, but hey, luck was on our side.

The atmosphere: upscale diner, cozy and comfortable. Counter seating, a generous amount of booths for two, and tables for larger parties.

The food: Deeee-lish. Not low-cal, for sure. My friend had “The Rachel” – basically a Rueben with turkey. I had the “Short Rib Sammy.” I’ve been on a bit of a short rib kick lately, so this was an interesting variation. Grilled texas toast, Vermont white cheddar, arugula, red wine gravy and red wine mayo, served with “bowling alley” onion rings. Fat Fest 2015. And I ate every bite.

The signature items: After enjoying the previously mentioned Fat Fest 2015, I couldn’t in good conscience order both of their signature items. So, I skipped the adult milkshake and split the salted caramel pop tart with my friend. There was a bit of a disagreement over the splitting of said pop tart. Tears fell. Plates were licked. It was an ugly scene.

Ted’s Bulletin
Mosaic District/Merrifield, VA
Reston Town Center, VA
Gaithersburg, MD and
1818 14th Street in DC

Le Pain Quotidien – A Neighborhood Chain

C – When I lived in London, a great little bakery/cafe/restaurant called Le Pain Quotidien (The Daily Bread) opened up around the corner from my flat in Borough Market. Though it was a part of a chain, it blended into the historical surroundings beautifully. Like it had always been there. I used to grab a salad on my way home from work and I met friends there for Saturday morning coffee after a stroll through the market. Sitting at one for the communal tables, I got a sense that this was not your typical fast cuisine. It was a neighborhood hang.

I missed Le Pain Quotidien when I moved back to DC… for about 10 minutes. That’s when I found out they’re all over the Metro DC area. I went to the one at the Mosaic District recently and had, perhaps, the best organic omelet ever. I was feeling quite healthy. Then I tore into the cheesecake. mmm.

Le Pain Quotidien
Locations throughout the DC area including Merrifield, Tyson’s, Clarendon, Dupont Circle and Georgetown.

Cyclone Anaya’s – Mexican in the Mosaic District

C – So, this was a nice surprise. It was a Sunday and we wanted something that wasn’t your typical brunch and we got it. Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen opened in November 2013. It went up so fast, I didn’t even see it happen. That section of the Mosaic District now boasts several new restaurants I’m dying to try.

But back to the Mexican grub. Cyclone Anaya’s offers quite the brunch spread including the typical Huevos Rancheros and the not so typical Carne Asada and Eggs. But we went straight for the lunch fare. This girl wanted a taco.

I had the Del Rio Dinner: Crispy beef taco, homemade tamale and a beef enchilada. Served with guacamole, Mexican rice and beans. It was a lot of food, and yes, I totally cleaned my plate. Every last morsel.

I should say that there didn’t seem to be anything spectacular about the food. It was typical. But typical totally works when you’re in the mood for Mexican.

Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen
Mosaic District
703-992-9227
2911 District Ave., Suite 170
Fairfax, VA 22031

**check out their website for the fascinating story of Cyclone Anaya – the professional wrestler who started a family restaurant. http://www.cycloneanaya.com/our-story/ 

Top 5 DC restaurants worth your lunch hour

K- C and I are both traveling this week but we didn’t want to leave you “post-less.” So here is a quick list of restaurants that are worth leaving your office for and spending around an hour for lunch, especially since many of these places offer the same type of menu for dinner as lunch but at a more affordable price. Some of these places we’ve reviewed on the blog and others I’ve been to and are on the list to be revisited and reviewed.

1. Mari Vanna, 1141 Connecticut Ave NW –

Grandma’s house?

A great place to get a taste of Russia and looks like it could be your grandma’s living room. You could have a nice bowl of Borsch, a vegetable ragout and Kiev cake. Who knows, you might see Alex Ovechkin at the next table! To check out our review click “here.”

2. Estadio, 1520 14th St NW

It’s been awhile since we’ve been to Estadio but we continue to hear great things about it. There have also been a few celebrity sitings.  It’s a wonderful place to escape to for the best sauteed kale I’ve ever eaten, a deliciously warm soup and heavenly calamari. Our review: here.

3. Brasserie Beck, 1101 K St NW

My mouth just starts watering when I think of the mussels at this delightful restaurant. They do have other items for lunch such as steak and frites if you aren’t into mussels but I find it very difficult to try something else. Our review here.

4. Rasika West End,  1190 New Hampshire Ave

We’ve not reviewed Rasika West End yet, but I’ve been a couple of times. The first time the service was very slow but it seems to be picking up a bit. I brought a friend with me who has recently begun a foray into Indian food. She loved it! The restaurant itself has a very nice, modern interior and the food – I usually have palak paneer – is good.

5. Fiola, 601 Pennsylvania Ave

Fiola is a bit on the expensive side however it was ranked #4 in Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants 2013 and Bon Appetit named it one of America’s “Best New Restaurants” in 2012. The food and service is fantastic. It’s one of the few places I will go to for Italian food.

An Afternoon at the Mosaic District

C – The weather in the DC area has been unseasonably cool, so K and I took the opportunity to spend some time outside last Friday. We met at the Mosaic District — the area’s latest mixed-use development in Merrifield, Virginia. The interesting thing about Mosaic is that it’s a bit of an island. Not literally, of course, but the roads that surround it (Lee Highway, Gallows Road, Arlington Blvd. and Prosperity Avenue) are so busy that walking to the site from the nearby Dunn Loring Metro Station, while possible, may be a bit daunting. Once inside the perimeter, Mosaic boasts excellent eateries, eclectic boutiques, a luxury movie theater and the most remarkable Target ever. The whole area invites you to stroll — and that’s exactly what everyone was doing. K and I are consultants, so our schedules are flexible. How is it that so many people had time on their hands to hang out at 2pm on a Friday? The district is so pleasant, it practically begs workers to take a well-deserved skip day.

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K- While walking around the Mosaic District we decided to have lunch at Sweet Green, which has locations throughout DC, Virginia and Maryland and boasts that their ingredients are from local, organic farms. It wasn’t an easy choice with so many good restaurants in the area including Four Sisters, Matchbox and Taylor Gourmet. But we were in a salad mood so Sweet Green it was!

Sweet Green offers salads and wraps. You can choose from the ones they offer or make your own. We decided to choose from the ones they offer and sit outside and enjoy the sunshine. I chose the spicy sabzi salad with organic baby spinach, shredded kale, spicy quinoa, spicy broccoli, carrots, raw beets, basil, sprouts and roasted tofu; topped with a carrot chili vinaigrette and a squeeze of sriracha. It was a spicy and refreshing salad, which I liked very much. I didn’t even mind the raw beets even though I really, really, dislike beets. I think it’s because with the salad mixture I didn’t really taste them. C- had the guacamole greens salad with organic mesclun, roasted chicken, avocado, grape tomatoes, red onion and crushed tortilla chips; topped with a lime cilantro jalapeno vinaigrette and a fresh lime squeeze. She is still talking about that salad!

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Mosaic District
2910 District Avenue
Fairfax, VA 22031

**Mosaic has an excellent Twitter feed: @MosaicDistrict. Follow them for information on free events like Films in the Park.

Before Midnight at Angelika Mosaic Film Center and Café

C – On the grounds of what used to be the Merrifield Multiplex in Fairfax, anchoring the newly developed Mosaic Center and standing directly across from the new and super awesome Super Target, there is a new way to enjoy film. The Angelika Mosaic Film Center & Café opened late last year and it has quickly become the place to be. With only three other locations — two in Texas and one in New York — the Angelika Film Center isn’t a big chain. The concept, according to the website, is a state-of-the-art boutique cinema that exhibits “the highest quality art, independent and specialty films in a cutting edge theatrical environment.” IT IS GORGEOUS. Everything is new, modern and spotless. There’s a café/lounge you can relax in or you can take your meal to-go… right into the theater. They also offer, wine, beer and expresso drinks. At $13 for an adult ticket you might think it’s extraordinarily expensive, however, most other theaters in the area are about $12 for evening shows. If you catch a show before 4pm at Angelika it’s $11, and if you decide on a morning movie it very economical at $6 (M-Th only).

One might think the Angelika is all about the art house films, but Man of Steel, The Great Gatsby and Star Trek Into Darkness are all playing there right now (June 2013). It’s a nice mix that also includes Mud, Quartet and Before Midnight. I chose Before Midnight as I was a fan of the first and second movies Before Sunrise in 1995, and Before Sunset in 2004. These are not my usual kind of movies… talky, talk, talk, blahdy, blah, blah. But they work for me, somehow. Perhaps partly because the characters are my age. I grew up with them and I’ve been so interested to see what happens to them over the years. I was literally the only person in the theater — at 2pm on a Monday — which felt a bit weird, but I got over it as I was absorbed into the long scenes of continuous dialogue. (For some reason, I sat in the pre-assigned seat I chose at the ticket desk. That might be something to analyze later). If you haven’t seen the first two in the series, I’m not sure how Before Midnight would go down for you. If you have seen them and you want to continue the journey with Celine and Jesse, I’d highly recommend a trip to the theater.

Angelika Mosaic
http://www.angelikafilmcenter.com
2911 District Ave
@ Lee Hwy & Gallows Rd
Fairfax , VA 22031