A Socially Distant Dining Guide: Part II
Though patios have been open a couple weeks now here in D.C. and dining rooms are soon to follow, we’ve still been on the takeout train. In fact, we’ve ramped up our restaurant meals to twice a week as cooking fatigue has set in and meeting small groups of friends for outdoor picnics has felt more safe and socially acceptable. Overall, I continue to be really impressed by the takeout game and am not in any rush to sit down at a restaurant and eat. Here’s a peak at what we’ve tried since we last talked!
Queen’s English (Upscale Cantonese)
What we got: Pre-fix menu, which included shrimp pin noodles, mapo octopus, smoked hamachi and cauliflower with anchovies.
Cost for 2: $127 before tip
The highlights: Everything was absolutely exquisite, except the cauliflower which was just good.
Process: Place an order online for pick-up. At the time we ordered, they were only allowing 8 pick-ups for every 15 minute time slot to allow for social distancing.
Takeaway: Of all our takeout meals, this is the one I’m still dreaming about more than a month later. The homemade pin noodles with giant, juicy shrimp! The SPICY mapo tofu with the leggy octopus! That smoked fish with a fresh, crunchy pickled watermelon. The price was hefty and I think including a dessert would have been nice, but we definitely got multiple meals out of it. They just added a la carte as a dinner option so I am dying to go back for my favorites and to try some new things… like the tofu purse!
Seven Reasons (Modern Latin American)
Background: I’d made a reservation for my step-dad’s birthday dinner back in February when they announced vegan month. I figured it would be another thing we’d miss out on, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out they were doing it as take-out!
What we got: “The full vegan experience” which serves two and consists of coconut corn chowder, meatless tartar, stuffed calabaza squash, beyond meat chili, mushroom risotto and rice pudding with coconut nibs.
Cost for 2: $105, before tip
The highlights: I remember thinking everything was really yummy, but a month later I’m having trouble remembering any one dish – take from that what you will.
Process: Place an order online for pick-up. No specific instructions, and we had to go back because they forgot one of our desserts.
Takeaway: This made my belly really happy, unlike some of our heavier takeout meals. I’m glad we tried it, but don’t need to order it again.
Fava Pot (Home-style Egyptian)
Background: When I asked our neighborhood Facebook group if anyone had tried Albi, someone recommended Fava Pot, a family-run spot in Falls Church that had just started delivering to D.C.
What we got: Courtney and I shared the chef’s appetizer plate with falafel with tahini, baba ghanoush, and koshary (a blend of lentils, rice, pasta, and a rich tomato sauce topped with chickpeas and sweet caramelized onions); a Mediterranean salad with really nice, fresh feta; lamb chops with beef and rice stuffed grape leaves; and kunafa with sweet cheese for dessert.
Cost for 2: I’m not sure exactly because a friend ordered, but I’m guessing about $60 before tip.
The highlights: Ironically, my favorite thing was not something I ordered, but a friend’s Egyptian style feta pie. Of our dishes, the grape leaves were probably my favorite.
Process: Easy delivery to the DMV.
Takeaway: It’s funny because our friends LOVED this meal and can’t stop thinking about it – right down to the potatoes! Courtney and I both thought it was all perfectly good but not mind blowing. If you try it – which I hope you do – you can be our tie breaker.
Sushi Hachi (Upscale Japanese)
What we got: Agedashi Tofu, Grilled Octopus, Toro (Fatty Tuna), Royal Chirashi Regular, Volcano roll.
Cost for 2: $85 before tip
The highlights: The Chirashi was delightful
Process: Place an order online for pick-up.
Takeaway: All of the sushi was really, really good. The fish was super fresh in the chirashi and the volcano roll was delightful. However the two appetizers were both extremely bland. But they’re nailing what they’re known for, so all good in my book!
ABC Pony (Italian Asian Fusion)
Background: When the shutdown began, ABC Pony started offering a different menu every night – including a “fan favorite” selected by Instagram followers. I’d been waiting quite some time for a menu I loved to line up with a day we wanted takeout and then getting terrible FOMO when I’d see pictures of the food! They’ve moved to three dinner specials a week, in addition to their full menu.
What we got: Pre-set dinner for two: Cobb salad, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, strawberry cobbler and cognac spritz cocktails – including an entire bottle of Cava!
Cost for 2: $55 before tip – hands down the best deal in the city. I’m not even sure how this is possible.
The highlights: I licked the bottom of the container of the strawberry cobbler container and my Southern husband said the shrimp and grits tasted like home. The fried green tomatoes were perfectly crispy and not at all greasy, with the tomatoes retaining their crunch.
Process: You can order directly from the restaurant for pick-up or from Caviar for delivery.
Takeaway: As a complete package, I was totally blown away by the quality for the value. Though I’m trying to support many different restaurants, it’s pretty hard to justify getting anything else. In fact, we’ve already ordered it surf and turf for this weekend! And when things open back-up, this will 100% be our new neighborhood date night spot.
Sweet Sosumba (Vegan Jamaican)
Background: Feed the Malik shared a great list of Black-owned restaurants in the DMV. I was looking for something vegan and open on the weekends and stumbled on Sweet Sosumba!
What we got: Remix platter with jerk ital stew and coconut curry chickpeas, which was served with cabbage and brown rice and peas. Courtney had a chickpea burger with plantain crisps. And we also shared callalo salad with avocados and plantains and fried plantains with avocado and some sort of shake that wasn’t what I ordered but was pretty good.
Cost for 2: About $55 before tip
The highlights: I can’t stop thinking about the remix platter. Everything about it was so flavorful. I also really loved the callaloo salad as an accompaniment.
Process: Delivery through GrubHub
Takeaway: This is another meal that really sticks out in my mind among our takeout dinners to date. It was really flavorful and filling yet felt so healthy – no greasy fake chicken here. I definitely recommend, but skip the chickpea burger and stick to the amazing platters!
Elizabeth’s Gone Raw (Raw Vegan)
Background: This felt like a special occasion meal, so we enjoyed it for my birthday dinner with the family!
What we got: Elizabeth’s offers a 3-course and 4-course tasting menu with different dishes, so we shared one of each. The three course, included strawberry gazpacho, tree range “chicken” and chocolate mousse cake and the four course included wild asparagus soup, arugula and cherry salad, pan seared “crab” cake and rosemary panna cotta. There were a lot more adjectives, but they’re kind of unnecessary.
Cost for 2: $39 for the 3 course, $56 for the 4 course, before tax and tip.
The highlights: The salad. I know that sounds weird, but it was dreamy. I didn’t even know what was in it, but the website says it had sweety drop peppers, cashew cheese, walnut coconut bacon vinaigrette, sprouted quinoa.
Process: Order for pick-up
Takeaway: Some dishes really surprised and delighted, like the soups, salad and “chicken” – others, like the desserts, really fell flat. They give you a playlist from their restaurant to accompany dinner, which is a nice touch!
Salt & Pepper Grill (Indian & Pakistani)
Background: We had a socially distanced dinner party with friends, and they recommended this as their favorite place to get Indian food!
What we got: Chhole (chickpea curry), palak paneer (spinach and cheese) and salmon curry with jasmine rice and garlic naan + pista kulfi for dessert.
Cost for 2: About $50 before tip
The highlights: Salmon curry and chhole were both delicious.
Process: Delivery through GrubHub
Takeaway: They had a really great array of vegetarian and vegan options. I’d happily eat this again – though I’d probably sub another veggie dish for the palak paneer, which was pretty bland.
