Matchbox DC

Hello all! So sorry we've been so absent. I'm sure you've been on the edge of the seat waiting for our next post...or not. Anyway, we are back!

So far our favorite restaurant in DC has been Matchbox. We've been to both locations in Chinatown and Barrack's Row on 8th. The Barracks Row location is way closer (walking distance) to us so we've been there more. I'm slightly obsessed. J makes fun of me.

We had a married couple come visit us (separately though, but within a week of each other) and they both wanted to go there...which was fine by me! BF was so excited to get to eat hamburgers and pizza in the same meal.

Matchbox is known for their drinks. They have a very large drink menu and some great wines by the glass and reasonable (read: below 10 dollars) prices. They also have a fun section called Fancy-schmancy spirits with all kinds of liquors if that is your kind of thing.

We have ordered the "mini burgers" a couple of times. They are sliders that you can choose 3, 6 or 9 of. The mini burgers are hand-pattied certified angus beef on a toasted brioche with a giant pile of onion straws in the middle. I can't describe how good these burgers are. The bread is buttered, toasted and light. The beef is extremely juicy and incredibly flavorful considering its size. I want to know what they marinate the beef in to get that much flavor in each bite! The onion straws are amazing! J doesn't eat onions but he grabs these by the handful. The batter is great, salty and light.

Now comes the difficult part. J likes meatballs and pepperoni and sometimes sausage. I like prosciutto, olives, anchovies, arugula, capers, etc., but I enjoy pepperoni too! So we always have an issue when we order pizza. I want to branch out, but he doesn't. Last time we just ordered two small pizzas (which is not the best value, the large pizza is between $15 and $20 and the small is between $12 and $15, the large is much bigger and I think a better bang for your buck) so that we could get what we wanted. J likes the Matchbox, which is pepperoni / spicy italian sausage / crispy bacon / zesty tomato sauce / mozzarella. It definitely has a spicy kick to it. I couldn't handle the Spicy Meatball pizza because it's all spicy meatball and nothing else (spicy meatball house-made spicy meatballs / crispy bacon / crushed red pepper / fresh garlic puree / zesty tomato sauce / mozzarella) where the Matchbox at least has some nonspice elements.

I ordered the Coppa Italian Ham and Arugla last time. It is coppa italian ham & arugulapesto / ricotta / roma tomato / mozzarella. Coppa italian ham seemed to be a thicker cut of proscuitto. I love pizza with fresh spinach or arugla on top and this fits the bill. They cook the pizza (like all of their pizza) in a big pizza oven. Last time we ordered take out I hung out by the pizza guys and watch the guys work their magic. It looks like a highly specialized skill to cook in a pizza oven. He was constantly moving the pizza around the oven, bringing it out to check the crust, rotating them, etc. When you pizza comes out it is literally sizziling. I love my crust almost burnt and Matchbox cooks it to crusty deliciousness. Then they pile the arugla on top and it is this great combination of rich pesto and ham with fresh, lite lettuce on top.

I would love to try the serrano spanish ham & pecorino romano with roasted garlic / ricotta / buffalo mozzarella / oven-dried tomato or the white anchovy & capers with roasted garlic / red onions / buffalo mozzarella / arugula. Wish me luck trying to talk J into that!

With the other half the married couple, EF and I downed a whole pizza and then we wanted to try dessert. Their dessert menu is pretty tasty looking!

I want to try the fresh fruit pizza, the molten chocolate cake and the chocolate chip bread pudding with banana. EF and I had the coffee & doughnuts. The donuts are actually beignets and the coffee is a little espresso cup with Kahlua and espresso sauce. They are delicious! The beignets come in orange and cinnamon flavors in a cute paper cone. It is surprising how many beignets fit in there. This is definitely a dessert to split! All the desserts are below 10 bucks or you can get a trio for 12. Seems pretty reasonable to me!

Talk about a meal, burgers, pizza AND donuts!

A quick note about the service; the takeout guy Mike is awesome. (is it sad I know his name?) He is super friendly and helpful. We've had a couple of service road bumps but they've always made up for it. One time our sliders took about a hundred years to come out so they gave us free dessert. We don't mind restaurants making a mistake as long as they realize it and say sorry. We realize that the waiters/waitress/kitchen staff are human, but good service is extremely important to us. Please don't treat us like we should feel privileged to eat in your restaurant (this is definitely not toward Matchbox, just a lot of other DC joints we have patronized recently)!

www.matchboxdc.com

The Palomino

I wanted to drop a quick note to give a shout out to The Palomino restaurant in the Crescent Court in Dallas. We always have the best experience there! Last night, after a Mavs game, we decided to go to the late-night happy hour they have every night from 10 pm to Midnight. We were trying to act like we were in our twenties for once instead of old farts...hehe. Anyway, they have a 'drink of the day' that is always yummy and $4.95 all day. Last night it was some sort of apple vanilla concoction with just the right amount of sweet and sour.

Overall the restaurant is amazing...it's got a great lounge-feel in the bar, good lighting, big bar tops, and plenty of seating. During the warmer months they have tons of outside patio seating, great for people watching in one of the snootier shopping venues in Dallas. The restaurant itself is well decorated, the wait staff attentive and the kitchen visible, which adds a little visual interest to the scene.

Their appetizers are always delicious! Last night we decided to go with an old staple, calamari. While it seemed a little more chewy than normal, it was still pretty good! It has a great peppery batter that just hits the spot. I love their mayo sauce that comes with them and J loves their marinara, so it's a perfect fit for us. We never fight over the dipping sauces (ahhhhh how sweet, haha). Funny, reminds me of a How I met your mother episode. Anyway, I digress...all the appetizers are half off from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm and 10 pm to midnight, which puts them all around the 4 to 6 dollar range. The fondue is another one of our favorites along with the gorganzola french fries! The best deal of all, however, is the pizza. Normally priced from 9 to 12 dollars (and worth every penny!), during both happy hours they are only 5 bucks. 5 bucks! 5 bucks for goat cheese, roma tomatoes, proscuitto and basil?! So much better than Subway! The pizzas are big enough to feed 2; in fact I had some again for lunch today. Talk about fitting in a twenty-something budget!

The bartenders are always great there, and I'm sad I didn't get the name of ours last night. He was a hoot and incredibly good-natured with us. One note, if you park downstairs in the parking garage, don't forget to get your ticket validated!

If you are looking for a great centrally located bar, with above the bar "bar food", this is your place. The crowds are usually trendy and well dressed and the "bar food" classifies as a gourmet meal for most of us! Drinks are great deal during happy hour, and the $5 pizzas cannot be beat! Come one come all, there's plenty of room and reason to go to The Palomino.

We've been to the Palomino for my birthday, New Year's Eve and other random events and they have always been right on the money. Make reservations for big occasions, but for happy hour, the Palomino is still a slightly-hidden gem, so just show up!

We rate The Palomino a 4.5 out of 5 for food and a 5 out of 5 for twenty somethings.

Highlights:
- The three course meal for 20 bucks on nights there are Mavs or Stars games (they also have a complimentary shuttle over to the AAC for diners)
- Great Martinis and creative mojitos
- Tasty Ravioli
- Amazing Calamari and Gorganzola French Fries
- Great thin-crust pizzas for $5!
www.palomino.com

Eno's Pizza Tavern

Welcome to the Babb's first post! We've been meaning to talk about one of our new favorite places for a while now and are just now getting around to it. Sorry for the laziness!!

Eno's is not your typical pizza place, either in location or design, as it inspires flashbacks of a college dive with an upscale feel. Located in Bishop Arts District, it's a quaint neighborhood Tavern that comes alive on Friday and Saturday nights with live music from 8pm - Midnight. With a large bar area, bartenders that can make just about anything and make it well, over 22 micro-brew beers on tap, and a crowd as diverse as this neighborhood is old, you can't pass on Eno's. As they have alot to offer, however, I would recommend getting there before 8:30 on Friday's, as the place fills up quick and seating/standing around the bar can be tight.

The first time we went, we decided we had to try beer as it was known for all its beer selection, but that posed a problem for my husband as he only likes wine that tastes like koolaid...long story short, the bartender let him describe his tastes, try about 10 different beers and then Josh found his beer. A stout so strong and thick it was like drinking black coffee and eating a loaf of bread at the same time...who knew?!

The first item of note at Eno's is the pizza...don't get me wrong, we all love pizza, but this is just pizza on steroids! I'm not sure if it's the pizza oven they use, the truffle oil that can be put onto it or the vast array of cheeses they use but I promise you that the pizza at Eno's is worth the drive, wait and crowd! If you're not very hungry, I recommend a personal size pizza as they can be quite filling. If pizza isn't your thing or you've just come for the atmosphere, try their warm bread with truffle butter. In the words of my wonderful wife, "it will change your life!"

The MARGARITAS! You have to have their signature margarita. It's flipping fantastic! They use a guava necture, a bunch of tequila and a lime and that's it. Nothing else but pure goodness. The tequila is such high quality it doesn't need anything else to cover it up. Yum!

They claim to make the food that they serve and provide the drinks that they offer based off of their "local" ingredients and area availability. Keeping with this same "backyard" approach, Eno's caters to "twenty somethings" by providing a nonchalant atmosphere, beer tastings (for those of us that aren't quite certain what we like), great food at reasonable prices, music that makes sense, and college football on plasma's to please just about every one. Tables on the sidewalk outfront are great during the Spring and Summer months, and the Bishop Arts district is a great place to people watch.

One note that I have is the volume of music. Depending on the night Eno's music acts can be very low key and importantly, low volume, but some nights it's blast-your-ears-out loud. I wouldn't really recommend Eno's for a dressed up, romantic evening out as its possible you may not be able to hear each other very well after 10:00 pm. Don't quote me on this, but I think they also stop serving anything but pizza and appetizers (and drinks of course) after 10:00 or 10:30.

We give Eno's a 4.5 out of 5 for food and 5 out of 5 for twenty-something friendliness.
The only negative to this fine establishment is the large crowds that flock there on Friday and Saturday nights...then again, the large crowds are a testament to it's success! If you're looking for good music, great food, cold beer and creative cocktails then Eno's is for you.

Highlights:
- Live Music Friday & Saturday from 8pm to Midnight
- Pizza, like only Eno's can make it!
- Warm bread with Truffle Butter
- $5 Microbrew Beers - kept cold and on tap
- $5 Guava Nectar Margarita's - the best $5 margarita in Dallas!
- www.enospizza.com