Healthy Glow: Healthy Eating, La Mode & Ramblings

One of my favorite things about living in Mexico is the food. For the past year I have been living in the DC area and I could never find really good Mexican food! But now that I am going on my sixth week living in Mexico, great eats are literally on every corner. I usually eat breakfast, lunch, and the majority of my dinners at home.

But there is NO way I could leave this food heaven, without at least going out and eating!

Two weekends ago a group of friends and I headed out to Los Arcos on Paseo triunfo de la republica No. 2220Col. Partido Romero C.P. 32030 Cd., Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico.

According to the food reviewer at El Paso Times, “The restaurant has what might be the best seafood on either side of the border.” When I told my boyfriend I just had the best seafood ever, like, in my whole life…He stated, “In MEXICO?!”

Yes, in Mexico.

The ceviche is fresh, the tres leches cake is sweet and is the perfect dessert to share, and their shrimp dishes are to die for! I had the avocado shrimp that makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

“Los Arcos specializes in made-to-order seafood dishes.” The service is quick and thoughtful. And to top it all off, the restaurant has this freshly baked garlic bread that is hot, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

There shrimp cevice via.

Just a sampling of their mouthwatering seafood.

Lucky enough for my readers inside and outside of Mexico, they have locations everywhere! Visit their website! 

Finally! A restaurant that can end the curse of the 1837 M Street NW, DC! Boqueria is a New York City Tapas spot that has the makings of a successful, long-time, sexy DC tapas landmark. Since I only have two more months left in DC, I made a list of go-to eateries that I have to visit before I leave. 

DC’s Boqueria is from the same owners of the popular restaurants of the same name in the Flatiron District and Soho in Manhattan, NYC Boqueria serves Spanish tapas and more to a neighborhood starving for the jetset crowd. The word Boqueria, is derived from Mercat de la Boqueria, the popular food market in Barcelona. Like the Mercat, DC’s Boqueria has one of its two kitchens on display behind glass at the entrance of the restaurant.

I visited Boqueria for Sunday brunch a couple weekends ago with a college friend. I arrived early to look for a parking spot, which was very easy to do on noon on a Sunday in DC! I ordered the red sangria which was not very strong, but was chocked to the brim with fresh fruit. The first couple sips tasted as if it had been sitting in a fridge with other savory foods, so it had a slightly off taste. 

I did love how quiet the space was on a Sunday afternoon. Usually DC brunch is loud, busy, and rushed, but this spot had a very relaxed feel. Also, the spot was full of light! 

I ordered the Cochinillo al Horno for $16 for my main dish. It features a rich roast suckling pig, fried egg, oven roasted potatoes. It was over the top delicious. 

For a starter I ordered the Churros Rellenos for $ 8 which was recommended by my waiter.  The Churros were filled with Nutella (pastry cream is also an option) and dusted in cinnamon sugar. 

My verdict: If you are looking for a quiet upscale brunch with girlfriends, then this is the spot for you. I still prefer Jaleo in Penn Quarter and Estadio in Logan Circle, but La Boqueria has some unique additions on their menu!

NEIGHBORHOOD:

Dupont Circle

METRO:

Dupont Circle (Red line), Farragut North (Red line) or Farragut West (Blue and Orange lines)

CUISINES:

Tapas

TAGS:

Tapas

HOURS:

Mon-Wed, 11:30am-11pm ; Thu-Fri, 11:30am-midnight; Sat, 5pm-midnight

Sax opened in May 2011, One of the newest foodie haunts of DC’s Penn Quarter is Sax Washington D.C. When I say it is does not compare in terms of bravado, sex appeal, and opulence to other restaurants in DC I mean it! Imagine having dinner in the Palace of Versailles. Okay, now you understand. I am a pretty over the top girl in all terms of my life, so you KNOW I had a good time.

What also makes Sax so special is the 15-20 minutes burlesque show behind a glass wall above the bar. The show can be seen easily from any table in Sax.

Sax was still offering its DC Restaurant Week menu, so I picked the vegetarian selections. My first course was the Grilled Brussel Sprout salad sin bacon. The chef, Jonathan Senigen, took one of my favorite vegetables to a different level. Que rico!

Beet Gnocchi was my main course. I wanted to bathe in the rich sauce and then take a nap in the light and melt in your mouth gnoochi. After awhile, the sauce was too rich for me, but I had no problem cleaning the bowl :)

Then, for my last course I had the Apple Crepe Brulee. Usually I am not a fan of any kind of ice cream but this ice cream was different. Lighter, airy, the ice cream served as the perfect compliment to the apples. 

One of my friends had the Saxual Chocolate cake. I am not a big fan of chocolate but she enjoyed her dessert.

Lastly, the chef sent our table some other sweet treats which I really appreciated. I pretty sure I ate everyone’s share. No one said the crazy women taking pictures of all her food had to share sweets. 

Photos via Sax DC

I suggest that you make a reservation and please do dress up. Sax is a little too formal for every day wear.

Twitter: @SaxDC

If you want to drive, valet parking is $12. However, the restaurant is located two-short blocks from Metro Center. Plan accordingly because Sax does not accept walk-ins.

Picture courtesy

Picture courtesy

H street. It is the new sexy, hipster, happening part of DC. People who visit this part of town are usually tired of the same old DC spots and want to go somewhere new. If you are that person, I have a spot for you, Toki Underground (TU)! TU is located at the heart of the H Street district right above the Pug at 1234 H St, NE.

I went there recently night with a group of friends beating the dinner crowd. We were seated quickly, which I hear is very rare because of the TU’s popularity and limited seating. I was grateful because I came hungry!

I wanted to get the full TU experience so I ordered steamed chicken dumplings (6 for $5.00) and a bowl of steaming hot Masumi Vegetarian Ramen ($10.00) with two freshly cracked eggs. 

I am a connoisseur of dumplings so I came to eat and critique! I didn’t believe the hype, but I finished my delicious dumplings in 5 minutes flat! The dumplings were bursting with flavor, weren’t dry, and were perfectly steamed!

Next I had a bowl of steaming hot Masumi Vegetarian Ramen.

This ramen was out of this world! I have had ramen in a lot of countries, but this ramen tops the list. The flavors were complex, each ingredient had a distinct flavor that came together so perfectly. Then when the waitress cracked the two eggs in the flavorful soup it really sent the flavor over the edge.

You can see their menus and website here.

My verdict: If I had to wait the typical wait (45 minutes to an hour) I don’t know if I would have waited. While the food was great, the space is very small and not good to take large groups of people who want to talk or sit together. If you are looking for a non-typical DC experience I suggest you head out to Toki!

1234 H Street, NE (above The Pug)
Washington, DC 20002 
Click for Google Map

T (202) 388-3086 
F (202) 388-3085

S,M,T,W: Food 5p-10p / Bar: 5p-2a
TH,F,S: Food 5p-12a / Bar: 5p-3a

Catering available
info@tokiunderground.com

After a work meeting I had yesterday afternoon at Howard University, a friend raved about how we had to stop at Sankofa for one their delicious wraps. I was tired and wanted to go home, but I had to see what this place was about. 

According to their website, “Established in 1982 by film makers determined to humbly construct a means of independently telling their own stories, this film & video distribution company primarily focuses on African and African American films, and other works from the global African Diaspora. Distribution markets include non-theatrical, educational and institutional venues, and private retailers.” You can learn more about what they do here. 

Sankofa is also a bookstore, performance space, brunch spot, study place, meeting space, and restaurant all rolled into one!

I wasn’t feeling well and I had a lot to do on Saturday so we got our meal to go. 

There menu was quite extensive considering how small the place was. It has a brunch/breakfast menu and a lunch/dinner time menu. Sankofa has a number of fresh smoothies (no additives), vegan, vegetarian, and carnivore options! Click here to read the whole menu!  I really enjoyed reading the description of each item on the menu because each item on the menu has a special name. According to their website, “In order to pay tribute to movies by and about people of the African Diaspora, and Third World Cinema, we have named our meals after visionary film directors who have been steadfast in their commitment to telling our stories.”

I love a little knowledge with my meal! After looking at the menu I decided on the Gloria Ronaldo wrap was what I wanted. I always looking for restaurants that prepare tofu well. The wrap has has hummus, spiced and baked tofu, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, artichokes, dill, and sankofa dressing. I paired my wrap with a side of chips. However, you can pick a salad or a fruit.

The Bookstore portion of Sankofa.

Sankofa also serves a number of alcoholic beverages. 

The only problem I had with Sankofa was how long it took for our food to be made. My friend stated that it didn’t take long for her food to be prepared on her past visits. So I may come again, but not during the lunchtime rush. 

This wrap was worth the WAIT. I have never had tofu that is so full of flavor! I was skeptical because the wrap was so small, but I was so full after eating it. The chips were also crunchy and full of flavor. I am definitely coming back to this Sankofa. If you ever in the DC area, do your tastebuds a favor and come!

The information: 

755 Massachusetts Avenue
Indianapolis

Monday - Wednesday 8:00am - 10:00pm
Thursday - Friday 8:00am - 11:00pm
Saturday 9:00am - 11:00pm
Sunday 9:00am - 10:00pm

Indianapolis trendy Massachusetts Avenue has a lot to offer. Chic lounges, exciting fusion restaurants, boutiques, and Yogulatte! Yogulatte is the perfect spot to cool off on a scorching hot summer day. This past weekend, I finally popped in for a well-deserved treat with my brother and his friend! 

Customers can pick an array of frozen yogurt flavors, all of which you can sample first with the taster cups provided at the counter. The flavors change periodically. Currently, Yogulatte offers Peanut Butter, Cheesecake, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Red Velvet, etc. When I was there I made sure to try everything! 

The frozen yogurt and toppings are self serve. Customers can walk up to the dispensers and take as much yogurt as they want. Then customers can also add unlimited toppings.  Toppings range from healthy fruit, nuts, candy bar crumbles, and mochi! I had a bit of everything.  I had so much fun creating my own dessert. I added mango, blackberries, blueberries, gummy bears, heath bar crumbles, kiwi, strawberries, coconut shavings on top of vanilla, peanut butter, vanilla bean, chocolate and red velvet frozen yogurt. I went a little crazy. After you pile your cup with toppings the attendant will weigh your cup  at $.49 per ounce. 

I left full and happy! 

Yogulatte also offers a full espresso bar with lattes, teas, fresh muffins, bagels, Danish pastries, cinnamon rolls, and other baked goodies. If you aren’t in a rush bring your laptop because Yogulatte gives all of its customers free WIFI. 

If you are ever in Indianapolis and need a treat, stop by Yogulatte! Want more information or stay updated on the new flavor offerings? Visit their Facebook page!