Friday, April 25, 2014

Grub It Up: Top 10 Favorite Spots to Eat


It's no secret that we love to eat. We are both big fans of dining out and love spending the week planning out where we'll dine for brunch and dinner on the weekend (not that we actually get to eat out every meal on the weekend, but we like to plan for it just in case). We've hit up a bunch of new spots lately and thought it would be fun to share our top ten favorite meals with you. Mom would like to stress that these are OUR favorites (not hers) -- she never seems to have trouble finding something at each spot, though. We are incapable of ranking them in order of favorites, so we've gone alphabetical by restaurant name.

p.s. don't worry -- mom makes us eat plenty of fruit and veggies at home, too.

1. DGS Delicatessen - we visited for the first time over spring break, but we won't stop talking about it. Our favorites were the gnocchi mac n' cheese, chicken and waffles, and the egg cremes, which according to Kane, were "so yummy, I want a 100 the next time we go."

2. El Centro DF - this was another spring break discovery of ours where we really branched out of our quesedilla safe zone to try a cheese enchilada. Mom's pretty sure that we loved it because the waitress promised to put candles in one for Cam's birthday, but Kane says he found it "very inspiring."

3. IHOP - we are weekend regulars at this breakfast staple, which is within walking distance of our house, and we usually show up in our jammies. Mom tries to make us order the Create a Face pancake (with fruit and yogurt), but we favor the Funny Face pancake (with chocolate chips, whip cream and maraschino cherries). Cam says the chocolate chip pancakes are "out of this world, totally yummy."

4. Nationals Park - we start eating from the moment we get off the metro stop (we get our peanuts outside the park for the walk over) and do not stop until the end of the game. Mom and dad don't mind because it ensures we actually make it through an entire game. You might not say it's a "meal" per se, but peanuts, popcorn, and dip n' dots are tops. "I love it all," says Kane.

5. Panera Bread - also within walking distance of us, we love a little weekend lunch at Panera. Mac n'cheese with a smoothie is our favorite and picking which cookie we'll get is always a big decision. "So delicious," according to Cami.

6. Pete's New Haven Style Apizza - we keep it simple here with slices of Original, but the real pull? "I like the gelato," Cam spills.

7. Pleasant Pops - Cameron brought this one up kind of out of nowhere, but it truly is one of our go to food trucks in the summer time. They also now have a store. According to Cami, she "like[s] all the flavors" of popsicles offered.

8. Potbelly Sandwich Shop - it's your standard turkey sub and chips meal, but as Kane says, "it has cheese."

9. Teds Bulletin - this has long been a favorite spot of ours and our favorite meal makes it clear why: Mr. Breakfast (with a bacon smile), 1/2 a vanilla shake, and whatever homemade pop tart we're feeling that day. Kane dishes that it's the pop tart that seals the deal: "They're outstanding. Different colors for different holidays." Can't go wrong.

10. Zaytinya - this is numerically last, but probably first in our hearts (if we HAD to pick). We love it for both brunch and dinner and even have made mom come up with our own version of the "Zaytinya snack plate" for home (toasted bread/pita, olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping, hummus, a cheese, and usually a greek yogurt parfait). Kane's most favorite menu item are the meatballs, which he declares are "infinity out of this earth." Jose Andres was actually there on our last visit, but mom couldn't get Kane to go take a picture with him -- Kane said he'd "catch him next time."

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