Healthy Glow: Healthy Eating, La Mode & Ramblings

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

If you ask me what my favorite comfort food resteraunt in DC is I will always answer Circa @ Foggy Bottom. My favorite sandwich is the Jamaican Jerk Tuna Sandwich. It is a grilled tuna fillet cooked to order topped with a refreshing mango relish, a healthy bob of sirachi aioli, slaw and sweet potato fries. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! It is $12.00 but I think it is worth the cost! 

Next time you are in DC visit Circa Foggy Bottom (nearest metro stop Foggy Bottom)

Suite 300  2221 I Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20037
(202) 506-5589

Or visit their website at http://www.circaatfoggybottom.com/