Mindful Eating--by Jessica

My philosophy on eating isn't all too complicated. What I believe a good meal should consist of is whole food not some added on stuff. Food should be made to please the person eating it- make them want to come back, not just for gain. The idea Whole Foods has about organic and minimal unnatural things is one I agree with. What I find upsetting though is the cost to get the ingredients to make these meals. I know how long and demanding the process to make them is which is the why I don't mind too much.

I believe that if everyone switched over to eating organic maybe the prices would drop a bit, but I couldn't be sure, it could go the other way around. That's not really that much of a concern though because if you eat healthy you're most likely to be healthy and need less costly checkups and meds, but that's just how I look at things.

My greatest influence on attempting to eat healthy is my best friend’s mother, Heidi. She's super organic and always gives me tips on how to eat better. She has lots of purification and detox things that she says help her keep healthy. Outside of her house she tends to have a little vegetable garden growing and even has her own mini grape vine. Eventually I'll start implementing more of the things she does in my own household, but I have to slowly get my family to start thinking that way and follow a more healthy diet.

You Had Me At Bonjour-- K Holzman

"Bistrot Du Coin", 1738 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, DC. (202) 234-6969 Bistrot Du Coin, Washington, DC - Home Page. Fast pace, but not rushed. Authentic cultural appeal. Reservations taken but not required, open 7 days a week. Alcohol served. 4 Paw rating.

October 6th is a day of great significance. In 1926, Babe Ruth set the record in the World Series with three home runs, in 19992 Bill O'Reilly died (the Australian; unfortunately), and in 2010, I lay claim to what is perhaps the finest dining spot in the D.C district.

Established at the turn of the century, Bistrot Du Coin, has been alive and well for ten years. The restaurant was voted "Best Value" in Readers Choice Washington Magazine in 2003 and 2006 and maintains a great relationship with its "regulars." The owners are great and friendly people who take the time to socialize with customers and make sure they are having a genuinely good time.

Approaching the restaurant, I peeked in the window and noticed an overwhelming crowd of people enjoying their evening. Now, having never heard of the "Bistrot" I was curious as to what must have attracted such a sizable stream of customers on a late wednesday evening. So I looked around the area a bit and saw nothing out of the ordinary. It was on a street corner, a slight distance from the metro- no neon lights or extraordinary measures.

No, the extraordinary measures came once inside this carnival of sensations. Though crowded as it was, I waited only a brief fifteen minutes to be seated which was hardly enough time to take in the exceptional decor and brilliance of the vicinity. French paraphernalia illuminated the walls in context to cultural history and art work with techno music sounding in the background. The two story dining room had floors, tables, and chairs made of solid eye-catching wood. To describe the vision as merely "breath-taking" would be the equivalence of calling Justin Bieber's grasp on America "unfortunate."

Once seated, a vase filled with chilled water and a basket of bread was brought promptly to the table by a french speaking waiter. He was friendly and more than happy to assist my second grade level french skills.

The first course to charm my under-matched taste buds was "Escargot". To the French speaking world, Escargot is a popular appetizer customary in the majority authentic restaurants. To me, however, it meant snails. Once that reasonably portioned plate of sizzling heaven was set down in front of me, all bets were off. Soft aromas of warm butter and garlic twirled through the air holding captive my reverence toward the Western Hemisphere and their cursed cuisine. The first bite into the dish was a marvelous symphony of well-seasoned excitement! Just as the mini bits of seared garlic melted in my mouth, the oily and tender mollusk soon followed. Needless to say, the dish was a success. Such a success, that once it was finished and my company and I awaited the entrees, we held onto the dish using the remaining sauce on the bread. As an appetizer it was very reasonable priced at $8.95, and was quite filling.

And then the entree came. If not prepared by the culinary gods, than by the devil himself because there exists nothing in comparison. "Bretonne," which arrived at the table on a classy, doilied white porcelain plate, was a heavy dish of mini raviolis. One bite, and your sensory virginity is lost. The dish was coated in a mixed-cheese layer perfected with a hint of tangy spices. Beneath the surface, your palate is greeted by a thick creamy lobster sauce complete with variety of seafood, soft and tender mushrooms, and crisp peppers. To find an entree of this magnitude for around $17 is quite extraordinary to say the least.

Despite the fact that our bellies were full and our hearts content, we continued on to the dessert menu. "Chocolat Liegeois" was its name, and perfection was its game. To be described in short: Oh My God. The dish was composed of caramel fudge, an indulgent chocolate sauce, and fresh chocolate ice cream. But a fare of such refinement was only to be approached with an attitude of experience and strategy. Being a chocolate lover myself, this was no hard feat. Each sweet bite graced the soul with such subtly that every inch of the body ached for more.

It is hard to decipher which is deserving of most applause; the fine service, sinful dishes, or the fact that most of the menu was budget friendly. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a mutant dog walking around somewhere with an extra leg to make giving "Bistrot Du Coin" a five paw rating possible.

Chipotle

Dom and I decided to go to Chipotle instead of many other fancier restaurants because not only is this great Latin American style of food a cheap eat, but it’s also a quick eat. Depending on the day, its not only a great option for a busy schedule on parent weekend, but it is also a place to eat where we can go on a daily basis. The location is easy to get to. All we did was take the school’s shuttle to the Ballston Metro and walked two blocks towards the Ballston Mall. Upon arrival the air smells of fresh Latin spices. It is kind of strange because for me, when I smell spice my I feel like my body temperature goes up or something of that nature, because I always feel so hot! So we notice the restaurant is pretty crowded, which is always a good sign in my opinion when eating out. We then got into the line to order our meals. When we got to the front of the line we were greeted by a friendly woman with a Spanish sort of accent asking me “If I would like a burrito?” Their most signature item seemed to be the burrito, and if you are looking for a lower carb option you can opt for a Burrito Bowl, which basically takes the contents of a burrito and putting it into a bowl instead of wrapping it up. So I said yes, I would like a chicken burrito. If you peer over the counter filled with fillings, you notice that men are in the back cooking and cutting up the meats, frying the rice, chopping the tomatoes, and cooking the other toppings. So I continue down the line of things I wish to be placed in my burrito. I added in this delicious cilantro-lime rice, pinto beans, corn, the mild hot sauce, fresh cheese and sour cream. The woman then folded over my burrito, and wrapped it in aluminum foil. The wrap being put inside the foil seems to be a good choice because by the time we sat, I opened the burrito and the cheese was perfectly almost melted. As soon as I began eating, I could taste the spices and freshness of this meal. I love when chicken is fresh, because to me it has such a distinct taste. According to many of my Chipotle loving friends, they claimed that their are no freezers on site, which makes me happy because working in restaurants before, things do sit in freezers for awhile if no one is ordering them. There were also signs at the front of the store next to the menu that described what seemed to be a philosophy of Chipotle, how they are into the whole farm to table idea. None of their chicken contains hormones to help them grow. I love this idea because the food is so filling on its own, it doesn’t really need any chemical to help the food seem filling like McDonald’s uses in their hamburgers (as we learned in Supersize me). I observed a lot of people were eating the burritos, but were taking them home with them. Chipotle really gives you a good proportion size for what you pay. So if you really stuff your burrito, their is a good chance your taking some home with you. Many people also ordered chips and guacamole, which they also were taking with them. The chips seemed to be drizzled with a sort of lemon salt, and when they are used to eat the guacamole (which also tasted beyond fresh) it is a great combination. I also thought it was really bizarre how one could order a Corona at Chipotle. It gives off that Mexican type of vibe, that you can have a Corona with lime, and it will go perfectly with your meal, no matter if you get chicken or a beef product. I’ve never seen a sort of “fast food” restaurant serve alcohol so this seemed strange to me. I observed the restaurant seemed to be filled with people who seemed so satisfied with their food, because I know I certainly was!

Restaurant Experience

Lee and I went to Sangam Restaurant in Ballston on Wednesday around 5pm. We chose this location because we could easily take the shuttle to the Ballston building and walk a few blocks to get there. When we walked in, the place was desolate. The owner of the restaurant was very friendly and told us that his staff was in the back sleeping. So we sat ourselves and waited. An apprehensive waiter took our drink order (water with lemon). He said he hoped we didn't mind waiting on our food because the staff hadn't started up the kitchen yet. So we decided it'd be nice to have some Naan (bread) to hold us off in the mean time. Instead of the bread we were so excited to get, our waiter brought us out two baskets of what looked to be chips. When Lee asked our waiter what was in them, he hadn't a clue. We then ordered our appetizers (meat samosa & aloo tikki), which took a good 20 minutes to bring out. They were mediocre and interesting to try. Our waiter ignored us for a bit and then strolled to a corner and started to do something that looked to be tap dancing. Then he mysteriously disappeared and a completely different waiter came out to take our entree order. We ordered chicken biryani and lamb curry, which took about 30 or so minutes to come out. Lee was eating lemons meanwhile. Our main dishes were surprisingly better than we had expected - very new and unique to the taste buds. For dessert, we wrapped up with a simple kulfi dish, which is similar to sorbet or frozen yogurt. The menu had claimed that it was home made, but on the top of the dessert we could see letters. It was obvious the dish had been in a cup and flipped into a bowl. It tasted gritty and was very chalky, turning our tongues bright orange! It was a strange experience. We were uncomfortable in the restaurant unfortunately and were very eager to leave. We had fun though, and bonded a ton. (:

SANGAM RESTAURANT -

From outside, it doesn’t look like much. But once you step inside, the burgundy colored carpet along with the earth toned colored paintings add to the Indian vibe that I think the restaurant was trying to pull. The white tablecloths seemed out of place but I thought it brought on the perfect balance between the 2 cultures.

The manager greeted us in a smile and explained to us that he let us in because we were beautiful girls. That itself is self explanatory as of why it immediately scored points for me. The restaurant was empty, without customers or waiters with the exception of a waiter-looking person in his mid 2o’s who seemed clumsy and nervous. But his small talk our notorious technological age seemed to bring him back to this shoes. He apologizes for the slow shift change that is evidently, taking a while. So for appetizers, we compromise and ask for bread but instead, our clumsy friends brings 2 baskets of appetizers, one that made you wonder about his very origins with the lingering after taste of baking with love, and the other shocking you with its obvious spices that in a way, said “we want in every possible way to be unlike anything you’re ever thought about tasting”. The sauce, were not of my liking. But that’s beside the point. Still, we wait for one employee to pick up on our hints of starvation and ask us why, oh why we’re at their restaurant.

Forty minutes in, we finally have appetizers (that we ordered). Before that, we filled our waiting time with eating lime that was brought to us when we came in. a pinch of salt would have made a difference in the Ooli Tiffi. I notice a lot of peas in both appetizers. Does this mean this restaurant is big on vegetables? One can only hope. Our wonderful waiter announces that he will not be serving us anymore because he was leaving, so we get a new waiter who immediately asks discharge our table of extra plates that have been there since we were sat there. We then refilled our drinks (water) and presented our entrees. Behold, the lamb curry and the chicken biryani that we have waited over an hour for was finally staring us in the face. To my surprise, the lamb curry was dipped in a rich red sauce that was acceptably thick with a scent that opposed all ideas that many thoughts were not put into its composition. My mouth watered when I glanced over and stared at the rice that came with the chicken. It vibrant colors of various shades of orange and grains of condiments gave off a scent that brought me back to an age of tents, bonfires, story telling and vast and vast of sand. My hand reached over unconsciously and let a serving onto my plate. It tasted just like it promised. The ivory sauce of cucumber scent that accompanied it accented the natural flavors that were still present in the meal. Needless to say, I was ready to pack my bag and fly off to India so I could see more of what was hidden to me in this restaurant.

In the middle of my voyages to exotic places in India, I was constantly brought back by the manager who apparently didn’t see a reason to step outside to make his fairly long and fairly loud phone calls or why random burst of music could possibly disrupt meals for customers.

First impressions from restaurant experience by Kamilla.

Sofie and I went to Bistro Italiano for dinner, Wednesday, 7 October. Decision to go to this restaurant was really spontaneous, because first we decided to go to Florentina restaurant (somewhere near Dupont circle, but directions were bad, so we refused to consider this place), then to Café Milano (my friend suggested me this place, but it’s kind of very expensive café in Georgetown), but then I remembered my first choice, Sofie checked directions (this place is really simple to find), and we went to our dining trip.
When we finally arrived to Bistro Italiano, I was really surprised. I thought that this place will be large and very crowded, like MacDonald’s (because it is called bistro, not restaurant or café). But in reality this place is really small with only 11 tables and it looks like a private place to eat! Every table was occupied but we were lucky that one table became free when we entered the door of this restaurant.
I and Sofie were extremely hungry, because we missed our dinner in MU. And the smell of food there was so teasing!
We ordered appetizers (garlic bread with cheese and mozzarella sticks) and entrees (mine was spaghetti marinara with mushrooms and Sofie’s was baked ziti). Our waiter brought us water with ice in it. This was not good, just because I am still a little bit sick and this water was already with ice. We were waiting for our food for about 10 minutes and it was OK. Our appetizers were really good, especially garlic bread, maybe it’s just my favorite kind of bread. After when we almost finished appetizers, our waiter brought our entrees. Sofie had baked ziti, and I had spaghetti marinara with mushrooms. Waiter told me that it will be spicy, so I wasn’t surprised that it turned to be spicy. I love spicy food and it is good for throat when you are sick so I was happy. But even after appetizers I was full, so I could handle only with half of my portion. I always eat a little bit, so these portions really seemed extremely big!
After that we asked for dessert menu, but waiter told us what they have because there was no dessert menu. I ordered tiramisu and Sofie ordered cheesecake. I was surprised to see that tiramisu is a piece of cake, because in Italian restaurant in Russia it was like a creamy sponge cake with chocolate served in a margarita glass. But no matter what this tiramisu was also delicious and very soft.
We paid only 35 dollars for 2, including tip. I think it is not expensive at all for such lovely and delicious place! After that I received a message, my friend asked me how was our dining experience, and I even didn’t know how to describe that I fell in love with this place, seriously! I will recommend Bistro Italiano to everybody, because it really deserves attention, time to visit and money to spend.

Restaurant Experience-Hannah Hatcher

Ysabelle, Katie, Veronica, and I went to Bistrot Du Coin which was located on 1738 Conneticut Avenue NW Washington, DC 20009. This place is a French Restaurant which is translated “Bistrot on the Corner.” It was a cool and crisp night when we set out on our adventure. We took the metro to Dupont Circle and walked a few blocks to get there. The outside of the restaurant was very inviting; its windows were decorated with French flags. We were surprised that it was so crowed on a Wednesday night so we had to wait about fifteen to twenty minutes until we were escorted to our table. When I walked in there was a lively and busting atmosphere of people. There were two levels; the main level and a second level with stairs leading up to it. The tables were adorned with a red and white checkered table cloth. The walls were decorated with colorful pictures and paintings; one was an interesting picture of a dissection. When we sat down we were immediately waited upon by a handsome French waiter. He asked us what we would like to drink and we told him water. He served us water from a glass bottle and a basket of bread and butter. The bread was light and fluffy and airy. When I bit into it the crust had the right amount of crunch and the butter was savory and sweet. Katie and Veronica ordered their appetizers which were Escargot a la Bourguignonne, while Ysabelle and I ordered Tartiflette Savoyarde. The Tartiflette Savoyarde was a layer of onions, potatoes, reblochon cheese, and bacon covered with butter. It was creamy and savory and melted in my mouth. I tried escargot for the first time and was pleased. It had the texture of a mushroom but it had a distinct and unforgettable taste. As soon as were finished with our appetizers our food was served. I had Blanquette de Veau which was veal stew with carrots, onions, and mushrooms enveloped in a creamy white and topped with chives. On the side was a cast iron skillet filled with white rice that was amazingly buttery and delicious. The meat was tender and juicy and the vegetables in the stew were cooked to perfection. The presentation was gorgeous as the food was served on a white plate with a red rim. Katie and Veronica had Bretonne for their main dish. This was seafood ravioli which was crab and ravioli smothered in a lobster sauce. This was unbelievingly scrumptious as the ravioli and crab melted in my mouth with the sauce. When we finished our food we were satisfied. We figured that the restaurant values quality over quantity. They served us smaller portions of food but we were getting exceptional taste and flavor. It was at a reasonable price because I was paying for the quality of the food. I had to drink a lot of water which may be because the food had a good amount of sodium. The food was loaded with butter which is why it was irresistible. Two waiters came when we were finished with our food and took our plates in one trip. They were polite and offered us wonderful service. They checked in on us every ten minutes to wait upon us and make sure we were content. Each of us ordered our own dessert and had a taste of each. I ordered Tarte au Citron which was lemon custard with meringue. This was served on a white plate and strawberry and lemon sauce was drizzled around it. The crust tasted like it was homemade and the lemon filling was citrusy and original. Lemon meringue is made by cooking lemon filling pie and letting it cool. The meringue is poured over the lemon filling pie and baked for about ten minutes to give it a burnt appearance. As I bit into this delicacy I was overpowered by my senses. My taste buds went into shock and I was in ecstasy. I was so impressed with the food I described it as a little taste of heaven. This was a wonderful night and I would gladly go back again. I highly recommend it to every parent who comes to parent’s weekend at Marymount.