Thursday, June 27, 2019

Lunchtime Links for June 27th, 2019

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Lunchtime Links for June 26th, 2019

Georgetown Cupcake - Cookies and Creme Birthday Fudge + Toffee Crunch Cheesecake



I love Georgetown Cupcake's cheesecake flavors, so I am always happy to see a new flavor that incorporates a delicious cheesecake base!  The Toffee Crunch Cheesecake consists of a "Toffee cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, topped with a toffee-infused frosting and crushed toffee pieces".  I didn't totally get a lot of toffee from the cheesecake, but the frosting and topping was plenty of toffee flavor and crunch for me, haha.  The cheesecake itself is very rich and creamy - if you haven't tried their cheesecakes before I highly recommend them.

I also got the Cookies and Creme Birthday Fudge cupcake because it looks so fun, haha. This cupcake consists of a "Cookies & crème cupcake cored and filled with fudge, topped with a baby blue cookies & crème buttercream, fudge star drizzle, and rainbow jimmies".  I've had this cupcake before, and it's a great twist on a cookies and creme cupcake.  It's like a birthday cake with Oreos added - delicious! 

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Monday, June 24, 2019

Lunchtime Links for June 24th, 2019

Fogo de Chão Grand Opening Dinner + 10 Year Blogiversary

I just noticed that this past weekend marks 10 years since I started this little blog!  It's been a fun 10 years of a LOT of food and shopping, haha.

While not actually related, I was invited to check out the Fogo de Chão in Pike and Rose for a grand opening dinner before they officially open today, so it was a great way to "celebrate" with a delicious night of food!

The night started off with a lively cocktail hour with passed appetizers.  It was also a good chance for my friend L and I to walk around the space, especially to take in the huge Market Table's offerings.  After the ribbon cutting ceremony, we were seated for a full dinner experience.  While it was very tempting to try everything at the Market Table, I knew I had to save room for ALL the meat that would come around to our table at a seemingly never ending pace, haha.  Everything that we had was delicious, but I have to say that the featured Picanha steak and the lamb chops that came around were my favorites - so tender and flavorful!  But even if you're not a total meat lover, there's plenty at the Market Table to enjoy, and I want to try their lunch/brunch sometime soon so I can have more of their non-meat dishes.  Also, don't forget about dessert - The Tres Leches cake and Chocolate Mousse cake that we had were really good, and I would go to the restaurant just for drinks and that Tres Leches cake any day.  A big thank you and welcome to the neighborhood Fogo de Chão, and I look forward to trying out more of your dishes soon!
 

 

Sparkling wine before dinner


Some meat appetizers before the meat dinner, haha
 

Love this wine wall that separates the large dining areas
 

Just a small segment of the huge Market Table - lots of fresh and tasty dishes 
 

Something I wouldn't have really thought to try until a server recommended it - the Feijoada bar with a great bean stew, rice, and toppings
 

The bartenders were super busy all night with this crowd :)
 

I had some of this bacon during the reception - so good!


Side dishes were brought out first - Caramelized bananas, Polenta, Pão de Queijo (yuca flour and cheese rolls- SO good), and Garlic mashed potatoes



So many yummy cuts of meat! It was hard to keep track of what we were eating after a while because different options kept coming continuously and we didn't want to miss out on anything



Make sure you leave some room for dessert - especially the awesome Tres Leches cake! 


Note: I was invited to the grand opening dinner, but was not paid for this post.

Fogo de Chão - Pike & Rose
11600 Old Georgetown Road
North Bethesda, MD 20852
301.841.9200

Friday, June 21, 2019

Lunchtime Links for June 21st, 2019

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Lunchtime Links for June 19th, 2019

Jinya Pike and Rose - Karaage Chicken Ramen


Mmm, two of my favorite foods in one - ramen and chicken Karaage!  Karaage is a style of frying in Japan, usually with chicken, and is definitely the highlight of this bowl of ramen at Jinya Ramen Bar.  The boneless fried chicken pieces have a rich chili sauce coating them, which adds even more flavor to the broth.  Rounding out the toppings is a seasoned egg, bamboo shoots, green onion, and nori seaweed. 

This special is available at Jinya Ramen Bar locations from now through the end of November, so be sure to try it out while it's on the menu!

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Lunchtime Links for June 18th, 2019

Monday, June 17, 2019

Lunchtime Links for June 17th, 2019

Commonwealth Indian Pike & Rose - Yellow Crab Curry

I recently went to Commonwealth Indian, which opened recently in Pike & Rose.  If any locals remember the old La Madeleine spot, this is what finally took its place.  They did a really nice job completely transforming it though, and you wouldn't think it was the same restaurant space at all.  I knew for my first visit I had to try the Yellow Crab Curry entree, which I've seen lots of good reviews for since they opened.

 


The Yellow Crab Curry consists of "Maryland jumbo crab lumps, lightly simmered in turmeric, coconut milk, red chili and royal cumin".  All of the entrees came with a small salad, rice, yogurt sauce, and little Papadums.  We also ordered a side of the Rosemary Naan because I can't resist some extra carbs, haha.

As you can see the crab curry has big chunks of lump crab, and it was delicious to the last spoonful!  You can request varying spice levels when you order - this one was Medium spice, which had a tiny kick and was the perfect punch of flavor for me.  I can definitely see why people have been raving about this dish.  If you like crab dishes, you should not miss out on ordering this menu item!


Commonwealth Indian
11610 Old Georgetown Road 
North Bethesda, MD 20852
240.833.3055

Friday, June 14, 2019

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Lunchtime Links for June 13th, 2019

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Lunchtime Links for June 12th, 2019

Fogo de Chão Pike & Rose Tour


Last night I was offered the chance to take a look inside the new Fogo de Chão at Pike & Rose, which is scheduled to open in just a few weeks on June 24th.  I can't believe that this corner of Pike & Rose used to be a City Sports and later a Nike outlet store, it looks completely different!  It was a great chance to see how they've transformed the space, with lots of thought put into large and small table groupings, as well as a separate private dining area.  Here's a small tour in photos of the new space:




Outdoor patio dining area


Sleek and bright bar area - perfect for happy hour or drinks while waiting for a table - with plenty of outlets and bag hooks under the counter, always a nice touch!



I really like how bright and open the restaurant feels, and the unique light fixtures for different areas of the restaurant.  These pretty flower arrangements are above the Market Table.


I also love the dark blue tiles that surround the open kitchen area, where you will be able to see lots of meat being cooked.




A giant wall sculpture of O Laçador adorns every restaurant!  This is the story behind the sculpture for a bit of background.





Current menus for the Pike & Rose location - lots of options for dinner, brunch, and lunch! 


Fogo de Chão - Pike & Rose
11600 Old Georgetown Road
North Bethesda, MD 20852
301.841.9200

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Lunchtime Links for June 11th, 2019


Monday, June 10, 2019

Lunchtime Links for June 10th, 2019

Sunday Morning Bakehouse - Apple Almond Crumble Toast



I had to snap this photo quickly so it's not great, but I had to write about this delicious toast from Sunday Morning Bakehouse that I had over Memorial Day weekend!

After trying the strawberry toast over Mother's Day weekend, I was very happy to see a new flavor out at the market.  I shared this with my friends on our overnight trip to VA, and we really enjoyed the combination of the thin apple slices and crunchy crumble topping.  The whole toast could've been covered in the buttery crumble and we would've been happy, haha.  The thick croissant toast was a delicious and sturdy base for everything on top.  I'm glad I had a chance to try out this new toast flavor!

Monday, June 3, 2019

Lunchtime Links for June 3rd, 2019

Bucknell University - 15 Year Reunion

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  I got to spend some time back at Bucknell University in PA for my 15-year college reunion, which was a lot of fun!  It was great catching up with friends and enjoying our time on campus - especially with so many updates and new buildings since we had been there even for the last reunion.  Of course I also had to get a new mug (the dark grey one in the photo below) and the "new" logo waffle maker in the cafeteria, haha.  I'm already looking forward to the next chance to get back there with friends!