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DC Valentine's Dinner Guide

[picture taken in Miami]

Matcha Love

Matcha Latte from  Baked and Wired in DC

{Click for the top 2 reasons why you need matcha in your life and to see my matcha picture gallery}

Emporiyum at Union Market

Hello friends! I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I am pretty excited for some turkey and pumpkin pie! Speaking of food I wanted to share my adventure in DC this past weekend with you. My boyfriend and I ended up going to the Emporiyum with two of our friends. The Emporiyum is a food marketplace that showcases food, drinks, and treats from around the country. The event is held annually in Washington, DC and Baltimore. I attended the event in DC and let me tell you, there was SO much delicious food to choose from. I may have gained 5 pounds that day, but it was worth it. We had Maketto x Shake Shack chicken burgers, Maketto ramen soup and dumpling, Pinch dumplings, Ramen Burger, Luke's lobster, chocolate, snacks here and there, mimosas, coconut cocktails, falooda, and so much more! They also had an awesome DJ playing some great tunes. Overall, it was a lovely morning filled with great music, exotic drinks, yummy food, and great company. What more can a girl ask for? Make sure to attend the next one! I know I will.

Looking for Cambodian and TaiwaneseFood in DC? Head on Over to Maketto

Happy Friday! I don't know about you all, but I am looking forward to a R&R weekend and let's not forget eating. Speaking of eating, I wanted to share with you all a Cambodian and Taiwanese restaurant + retail store + cafe (yes, all 3-in-1) called Maketto. The decor in here is minimalistic and clean. When you walk in they have retail clothing (menswear only) but it is still fun to look through their selections. As you continue to walk through Maketto you reach their bar/dining area that leads into an outdoor deck and eventually ends in a closed dining area where the kitchen is located. I'm not done yet. The front of the restaurant has a staircase that leads you to their cafe! My boyfriend and I had a great experience and the food was delicious! Trust me this was my first time having Cambodian and Taiwanese food. If you haven't tried it and like to venture, you will enjoy the food. See below for pictures of the food we ordered!

My New Go to Spot in Miami: Cecconi's

One thing I love about Miami are the restaurants. There are many options to choose from. Every time I go to Miami I always have a new list of restaurants I want to check out. This time around, I had Cecconi's on my list. The restaurant has a chic and stylish look to it. They serve delicious Italian food. If I could own a restaurant it would probably look like Cecconi's. My close girl friends know that for me the decor is always a plus. I went with my boyfriend and his brother for an evening of delicious food. We started out with their margherita pizza as an appetizer. Loved it! We ordered the spaghetti with maine lobster, agnolotti del plin with black truffle, and the garganelli bolognese. All the dishes were delightful. Let's not forget the drink! I ordered one of their signatures called "Subtle and Sage." The drink contained Bombay Dry, St Germain, Maraschino, pineapple, and sage. Perfect drink to have while sitting outside on a warm evening.  Overall, we had a great experience. I know I'll be coming back again.

Food in Houston

This weekend I went to Houston, Texas to visit my good friend Valeria since she moved there for work and a reunion was long overdue. I was excited because it was my first time visiting Texas and I wanted to see the new place she is living at. My friend Darsh also came with me. It was a great weekend, definitely one for the books. We did a lot of eating, laughing, drinking vino, and walking. The three of us love food so we each had our list of restaurants we wanted to try. Of course we didn't get to try them all but we did our best.

First restaurant: Backstreet Cafe 

Tenderloin Stack [heirloom tomato, zucchini, eggplant, portobello mushroom]

Seafood at Brine's

Without question, I definitely recommend the restaurant called Brine located in Mosaic. I have walked by Brine many times and just never gave it a try. I finally checked this place out yesterday.  If you love oysters like I do, you will want to order their $1 oysters for happy hour. The oysters they had for happy hour were from Rappahannock, Virginia. They were fresh and delicious. I also ordered the barcat oyster chowder along with with the plankton pasta (small plate). I always get the clam chowder soup when restaurants have it on their menu but never did I see an oyster chowder. So of course, I ended up ordering it. It was creamy and tasty. The plankton pasta was also really good. The sauce that came with the pasta was light and it went perfect with the dish. Yes, I was hungry and craving seafood like no other. To accompany my meals I ordered a Sauvignon Blanc. If you don't like seafood, they also offer great dishes with meat, chicken, duck, and lamb. I'd say it was a lovely evening of great food and company.

The World Is Your Oyster

My mother and I decided to go to Old Town Alexandria after work to spend some quality time together. Sometimes, you just need a day with your mom to share some laughs. I love going to Old Town Alexandria because of its deep history. For history geeks, read more here.

Old Town Alexandria offers boutiques, boat tours, historic sites and museums, and great restaurants. We did some shopping and then headed over to Hank's Oyster Bar where we had oysters, old bay seasoning fries, calamari, shrimp, and octopus. Oh! Let's not forget the rosé. After, our dinner we headed on over to Pop's Old Fashioned Ice Cream. There are so many flavors to choose from. We went for kahlua chocolate chip and chocolate chip ice cream. One word: yummy. Enjoy the pictures!

Roll Play

I have found my new favorite Vietnamese restaurant near Tysons Corner. This spot has a rustic and industrial look, which I'm totally digging. The people that work there are very helpful when it comes to placing your order on the touch-screen kiosks. You can either pick from their pre-made items or create your own. They offer rolls wrapped up in rice paper, bowls, banh mi, and pho. Let's not forget their fresh coconuts you can get. I was too excited, that I ended up getting the banh mi with lemongrass beef and a side of pho soup. You can select what protein (lemongrass beef, chicken, pork belly, shrimp, or tofu) you want to add in your rolls, banh mi, or soup. I'm definitely coming back. If you're in the area, you must try this yummy Vietnamese restaurant.

Sisters Thai

My go-to spot for Thai food is this super cute restaurant located in Mosaic District. The interior decoration is out of a magazine or pinterest. The people that work there are very sweet! Their menu has a lot of options, but I usually go for the Pad See Ew or Drunken Noodles. They are both delicious! If you choose either of those, you will for sure come out satisfied. Also, don't forget to try these drinks: Iced Thai Tea, Green Tea Freeze, and the Thai Tea Freeze. I could have one of these every day. If you have been to Sisters Thai, let me know what your favorite dish is. Enjoy the pictures!

Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, and Spring Rolls

A Wonderful Brunch at Fiola Mare

This past Sunday I surprised my mother for her birthday by taking her to Fiola Mare in DC for brunch. It is currently ranked the No. 1 spot in Washingtonian's Top 100 restaurants in 2016. I couldn't agree more with them. It was a perfect Sunday brunch. The moment we got there until the moment we left, the service was great. They wished my mother a happy birthday when she sat down. She was definitely not expecting it and started blushing (hehe). The brunch menu was on point.  I ordered their mimosa while my mother ordered their peach blossom mocktail. The peach blossom mocktail had a wonderful taste to it and it came with a cute flower. For our anitpasti, we ordered the grilled green asparagus and the zuppa di ortiche. Both were simple, but delicious. Then for our main course, we ordered Paccheri and the Spaghetti Gragano alla Granseola. Both of our meals were so yummy and just perfect. Lastly, for dessert we ordered the bomboloni and the piemontese warm chocolate cake. I have to say that the award for the best dessert went to the chocolate cake. Oh, I almost forgot! The brunch came with a basket of warm pastry and breads (croissant, pain au chocolat, cinnamon roll, herbed brioche, walnut raisin bread, fresh fruit jams & farmer’s butter). The cinnamon roll was to die for!! I highly suggest for you to check out this restaurant when you're in DC. Currently my favorite restaurant. 

What's your favorite restaurant?! Please do share cause I'm always looking to try new places :) 

Peach blossom and mimosa.