Lunchtime Links for November 10th, 2010

• The Kitchn: Cute mug & coaster/lid set from West Elm.
• Gossip Girl: Recap from NYMag.
• Serious Eats: Kin Shop restaurant in NYC.
• Tasty Kitchen: Thai honey peanut chicken recipe.
• Chipotle: Soon to be Asia-fied? Haha.

Fun in Fairfax, VA: Pinkberry + Cupcakes Actually

A few weeks ago, my weekend trip to San Francisco got messed up thanks to a plane malfunction (booooooooooooooooo), which left me with a completely free weekend at home.  I made the most of it by going out to dinner, cleaning, and venturing out to Fairfax, VA for the day.  I met up with my friend M at the new Pinkberry, which had just opened that same week, woo!   

I got a mini cup of the seasonal/new Pumpkin with graham crackers.  The taste wasn't particularly pumpkin-y but honestly- I was happy to have a Pinkberry at least somewhat close to me (vs. CA and NYC, haha), woo!!  I also like that they offer a mini cup size- just enough if you're not looking for TOO much frozen yogurt. 

After we finished our frozen yogurts, we stopped in next door to Cupcakes Actually, because I figured I'd make the most of being in the area and try the store out, haha. 

We split the OMG cupcake: A banana cupcake, filled with caramel, iced with peanut butter butter cream, dipped in a chocolate ganache, drizzled with caramel and topped with either peanuts or toffee (I can't remember).

Here's a cross-section of the cupcake, so you can see all of the components.  Thank god we split this cupcake (well granted, I ate more than M did- haha) cus it was RICH!  I loved the flavors though, especially the chocolate ganache + peanut butter frosting combo- super delicious!  Being over $4 with tax though would make me reconsider buying a bunch of cupcakes from them though- that's way more expensive than Georgetown Cupcake or other local cupcakeries!  Overall, a great time in Fairfax trying out new items!

Pinkberry- Fairfax Corner

11942 Grand Commons Ave
Fairfax, VA 22030

Cupcakes Actually - Fairfax Corner

11944 Grand Commons Ave
Fairfax, VA 22030

Lunchtime Links for November 9th, 2010

• Serious Eats: Lunch at Kyotofu in NYC.
• Cute Overload: This puppy doesn't even look real!
• Just Hungry: Ramen museum in Japan.
• The Kitchn: 6 different takes on chili.
• Budget Babe: Recent finds at Old Navy.

Kinkead's DC

A few weeks ago O invited me along to dinner at Kinkead's, to use a Groupon that she had won, woo!  I was looking forward to trying Kinkead's since I've never been, plus it's a seafood restaurant and I could always go for some seafood, yum.

 

In case you forgot, there's a plate when you sit down to remind you that it's a SEAFOOD restaurant, haha.

We started off with the Hawaiian Style Tuna Tartare “Poke” with sushi rice, mango, toasted macadamias, and taro chips.  You can't tell from the photo, but the tuna was stacked on top of the rice and had a nice layered look to it from the side.  I liked the taro chips for the added crunch but would put this in the "good, not great" category overall.  The tuna was sorta overshadowed by the mushy sushi rice for me. 

For my entree, I went with the appetizer of house made Chittara pasta with lobster medallions
 in a light tomato, garlic, clam, and basil broth.  Our server noted that this was a large appetizer, and she wasn't kidding!  I really enjoyed this dish- hellooooooo, pasta + lobster, haha.  The sauce was surprisingly light and the texture of the pasta was great.  I would definitely order this dish again!

O went with the pan seared sea scallops with potato gnocchi, and for the life of me I cannot remember what the middle compnents were (bacon? on top of some sort of greens?).  I tried a bite of this and liked the gnocchi a lot, and thought the scallop was nicely seared and not gummy at all.

Overall it was a nice meal with great company - thanks again for the invite O!  The restaurant seemed to cater to an older crowd overall, and wasn't really the type of restaurant I tend to go to with friends, but I'm glad I tried it out, especially for that lobster pasta dish!     

Kinkead's Restaurant

2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20006

202.296.7700 // on OpenTable

Lunchtime Links for November 8th, 2010

• The Kitchn: S'Mores pops.
• Rally for Sanity 2010: Definitely the best sign, haha.
• Cute Overload: Awwwww, puppy!
• Top Chef Just Desserts: Recap from TVGasm.
• Serious Eats: Momofuku Milk Bar now ships nationwide!!

DSW Gift Card Deal

Just a quick post to let you know about a good deal at DSW, my fave shoe store.  From now until the end of the year, you get a $10 gift card for every $50 gift card you purchase!  The $10 gift card has to be used in the 2nd half of January 2011, but clearly that isn't an issue for me, and shouldn't be for you either, haha. 

Even if you don't have anyone to buy the gift card for, just buy it for yourself to use later!  Or, you can also buy a gift card for yourself and give away the $10 card- it would make a nice supplement to a gift, if you wanted to add on something small.   

For the fine print/details check out the offer here. 

Lunchtime Links for November 5th, 2010

• Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Recap from TVGasm.
• The Kitchn: Vending machines around the world.
• A Passion For Food: Dinner at Gramercy Tavern in NYC.
• The Budget Babe: Another cute red coat.
• Millionaire Matchmaker: Recap from TVGasm.