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4Eats: Falafel Inc. Debrief

Quick Pita died and has risen again in a new and improved form. While no Georgetown establishment will ever truly take its place, Quick Pita’s successor, Falafel Inc., sure does justice to our need for a delicious and frugal late-night spot. 4E went full Guy Fieri mode to give you a rundown of what you need to know about this new spot.

Here’s a quick guide to everything you care about:

  1. Prices: 10/10. You’d be hard-pressed to find a cheaper, more filling meal. There are plenty of bougie options in Georgetown, but this isn’t one of them. The price for the value is the best around. Both the main selections (falafel bowls and sandwiches for $4 each) and the sides ($3 each) are well-priced.
  2. Food (Variety): 8/10. While there aren’t many options on the menu, you can easily customize your order with the plethora of add-ins that are traditionally included for free (such as cabbage slaw, tomatoes, etc.). They also have some Middle Eastern specialties you’d have difficulty finding easily elsewhere, such as Barbican, a non-alcoholic fruit and malt soda.
  3. Food (Taste): 9.5/10. Definitely blows any other falafel I’ve ever had in D.C. out of the water. While a falafel sandwich is a pretty basic concept, Falafel Inc.’s execution is pretty close to flawless, and they put a unique blend of toppings that make the mundane falafel sandwich tasty and exciting.
  4. Food (Sauces): 9.5/10. There is just something spectacular about being able to smother a falafel in their garlicky habibi sauce. I don’t know what’s in it, and they probably wouldn’t tell me if I asked, but make sure to try this out (and all of the others, which are equally tasty) when you go.
  5. Ambience: 8/10. The inside of this place harkens to a refugee camp, and for good reason. The dimly lit, plywood walls truly create a unique atmosphere directly emulating the falafel shops in refugee camps. The only thing that would make it better would be more seating, but the lack thereof gives it a more authentic feel.
  6. Staff: 9/10. Very friendly people who work hard to get the food out quickly and correctly. It’s just hard not to think back to Quick Pita’s staff and wonder what ever happened to Sammy.
  7. Hours: 5.5/10. This is probably the only let-down, though the hours aren’t truly bad by any means. We’ve all been itn dire need of a piping hot pita around the wee hours of the night, and unfortunately Falafel Inc. closes at 11pm, making it a great lunch and dinner spot, but not so much a late-night post-game spot.
  8. Bonus: +0.5 for being FTR (For the Refugees). For every $10 spent, the shop feeds a refugee for a day by donating part of its revenue to the World Food Programme, so you can feel even better about having tahini drip down your face as you stuff yourself with falafel.

Final Rating: 9/10

While we all dearly miss Quick Pita, Falafel Inc. is more than worth a try (or several).

Photos/Gifs: washingtoncitypaper.com, giphy.com

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4Eats: Seafood in the City

4eats surfs up chow downSome people say I’m shellfish. Some call me crabby. Some even look at my tall, lanky frame and yell, “hey, look at the jumbo shrimp!” But, whatever the haters say, nobody can deny that I love seafood.

However, ever since I had that quick exchange with Death after I had an anaphylactic allergic reaction from eating 20 or so shrimp (I know what you’re thinking, and yes: It was worth it), I’ve had to stay away from the good stuff. So, instead of eating it myself, I humbly wish to pass on my passion to you, hungry reader.

Whether it’s a fancy tuna steak served over greens or a sloppy lobster roll, seafood makes for a great meal. Seafood dishes also sell for a range of prices (including affordable prices!) which means they could be your dream lunch or dinner regardless of the occasion. Many places within walking distance of the front gates will kill your craving! Here are three of my favorite picks and an easy do-it-yourself recipe:

Luke’s Lobster

Just minutes away from campus, Luke’s Lobster definitely has some of the best seafood around. Their fish is imported directly from Maine and the restaurant is wildly popular in New York City, so you know it’s the real deal. Also, everything on their menu is priced at or below $20.

Everything on this menu is fantastic! The lobster, crab and shrimp rolls are beautiful. Served Maine-style, the fish is “served chilled atop a buttered and toasted New England-style, spill-top bun with a swipe of mayo, a sprinkle of lemon butter and a dash of our secret spices.” Doesn’t that just make your mouth water?

To top it all off, Luke’s Lobster also hosts Student Days every Tuesday where students get a 10% discount all day long! In addition, if you can’t manage the short walk off-campus, Luke’s Lobster also sets up a stand at the farmer’s market every Wednesday. Why aren’t you eating there already? GO!

 

Tacklebox

Located on M Street, this restaurant is always filled with people. The food at Tacklebox is cheap, fast and quite good! Their Make-It-A-Meal combo costs $12 to $15, and the portions are sizable. They have every type of seafood you’d ever care to eat, from classics like oysters, clams and tuna to new things like squid or catfish!

For our 21+ readers, Tacklebox is also famous among upperclassmen for their variety of drink specials and margarita pitchers. Check out their menu for more information!

 

Hot N Juicy Crawfish

This restaurant is the furthest from Georgetown, but it’s definitely the most fun! Hot N Juicy Crawfish is known for two things: the best crawfish and the messiest meal in D.C. This place is different from the rest because you’ll have to eat with your hands and wear a bib and you’ll just love it!

Your seafood will vary based on seasoning and spice level – both of which you get to choose – and is served to you in bags. The only thing that doesn’t change is how juicy and flavorful each crawfish is! Watch out for rogue juicy squirts though, your bib can only handle so much.

 

In-Home Seafood Recipe:

To get this recipe, I went straight to my mother (fun fact: she is also allergic to shellfish and shares in my pain). She says the best way to make a filling, tasty dish using seafood is to make a shrimp dish! Her personal recommendations are to spend your dough on good shrimp (from any number of seafood markets in D.C.) and then buy any and all other ingredients cheap (aka, Leo’s or Safeway). Here is her recipe for her favorite, Spicy Garlic Shrimp!

Ingredients:

  • Shrimp, 12 (Jumbo sized is best, peeled, deveined, with tails intact)
  • Olive oil, 2 tablespoons
  • Garlic, 2 cloves (crushed with the side of a knife)
  • Red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon (which they incidentally have near the pizza at Leo’s … just an observation)
  • Steak seasoning, 1 teaspoon
  • Lemon juice, 2 teaspoons
  • Zest of lemon, 1 teaspoon (Hint: this is made from lemon peel, so buy a lemon for the juice and grate the peel!)
  • Fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon (chopped)

Directions:

Total time to cook should be 4 minutes.

  1. Heat a large skillet or pan over medium high heat
  2. Add olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and shrimp to pan
  3. Season with salt and pepper
  4. Cook shrimp 3 minutes or until just pink (don’t over cook!)
  5. Toss with lemon zest, juice and chopped parsley
  6. Remove shrimp to a serving platter, leaving the garlic cloves in the pan.

This dish is best served hot, so let it cool, but don’t wait too long! Also, throw in some lemon wedges (read: do not squeeze them, just put them into the dish) to add some extra flavor. Enjoy!

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4Eats: The Art of Ramen

4eats

Cheap, unhealthy, and easy to make.  It’s every college student’s guilty late-night pleasure. When we’re sick of Leo’s, too broke to order take-out, or too lazy to cook, we can always depend on this little guy. What is this goodness I am referring to? I’m surprised you even asked. Ok, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and suppose you’re eating legit food, now that you’re on summer vacation. But, really, how could you forget about your best friend, the one that’s always there for you, Ramen.

While most of us are guilty of slurping these pre-cooked noodles of yumminess, we haven’t really given it the respect it deserves. We may resort to it to satisfy our ravenous cravings but, in Japan, ramen is an art. There are ramen masters who have perfected the cooking of these wheat noodles in distinct flavorings of deliciously seasoned broth. But fear not! We don’t need to travel to Japan to taste good ramen. DC has seen its fair share of ramen shops that you should try!

Daikaya
705 Sixth St. NW in Penn Quarter
What you’ll find here 4 types of Sapporo-style ramen: miso, shio (salt), shoyu (soy), vegan
Fun fact Chefs were trained intensively under a ramen master from Sapporo.

TAAN Noodles
1817 Columbia Road NW in Adams Morgan
What you’ll find here 3 types of ramen: pork-based, duck-based, vegetarian; kushiyaki; onigiri; and various small plates
Fun fact Toppings include pork belly, duck confit, and chicken confit.

Sakuramen
2441 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan
What you’ll find here
Gojiramen – Traditional shoyu ramen with chashu, menma, scallions, nori, and sprouts
Sakuramen – Signature Vegetarian Ramen! Kombu broth with menma, corn, green onion, mushrooms, nori, and drizzled with a homemade fragrant oil
DC Miso – A tribute to Washington DC and our veteran friends with chashu, menma, green onion, cheese, naruto, and nori, and more
Fun fact Offers ramen flavors from around the world.

Toki Underground
1234 H Street, NE (above The Pug)
What you’ll find here Ramen: Toki Classic, Taipei Curry Chicken, Vegetarian, Red Miso, Kimchi; Dumplings & sides
Fun fact Inspired by a Hakata-style shop in Taipei. Add-ons include pulled pork, pork cheek, and “Toki Endorphin Sauce”.

So here you have it. A brief intro to the true beauty of ramen. We hope we’ve convinced you to go out to these ramen shops and taste what ramen can be. It is something more than the result of a college student’s tight budget and imagination. It’s actually an art in itself.

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4Eats: A Simple Roman Fare

sandwich

Some of us are using our summer vacations to travel the world, the rest of us are sitting around wishing we were too. Well, the next time you want a taste of Rome, head over to A.M. Shoppe with a group of friends and order a platter of sandwiches and some plates of antipasti for a simple Italian-inspired meal. After walking through the streets of the culturally diverse Adams Morgan neighborhood, A.M. Shoppe is truly the perfect place to settle for an afternoon bite to eat.

A.M. Shoppe

For those lucky ones who are above 21, Justin Abad, co-owner of A.M. Shoppe, has created an atmosphere ideal for quality wine-tasting. With a selection of about 70 labels, Abad wants his patrons to sample only the finest wines and for his staff to know the taste of each and every one. Each bottle is only $10-$20, making it a great deal for quality wine seekers.

But do not fret under-21ers! Wanting to share his love of all things Rome, Abad offers a selection of cheeses and cured meats, either filled in sandwiches or assembled in an artisanal platter. A.M. Shoppe offers a variety of cheese, sandwich, and meat & cheese platters for parties of 8-15 or 16-24 people. These platters are great for catering a simple, but fancy afternoon picnic.

Another option is to order their sandwiches individually. Priced at about $8.50 each, these artisanal sandwiches include delicious cured meats and quality cheeses. Here is a sample of their award-winning sandwiches:

Admorghese Finocchino Mortadella,Prosciutto, Cotto, Provolone, Spicy Pickled Vegetables and Olive Oil

Tipperary Prosciutto di Parma, Cashel Irish Blue Cheese and Fig Paste

A.M. Cubano Pork Confit, Cuban Mustard, Prosciutto Cotto, Comte and Pickles, Grilled on the Press

For your own simple Roman fare, try making this Prosciutto Sandwich at home:

Ingredients

  • 1 6-inch piece baguette, halved horizontally
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Thinly sliced Prosciutto de Parma
  • Cured olives, for serving

Drizzle olive oil over cut sides of the baguette.

Place a few slices prosciutto on cut side of one-half of baguette; cover with the remaining half to make a sandwich.

Serve with cured olives.

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4Eats: Surf’s Up and Chow Down

4eats surfs up chow down

So, your post-school year plans have left you here in Washington for the summer. Maybe you’re here for a (hopefully paid) internship, a job at the RHO or summer classes at Georgetown.

Regardless, you’ll be here for three stress-free, relaxing and blissful months. You can finally go see a concert at Verizon Center without worrying about that calculus exam tomorrow, visit all the monuments at the Mall or spend the day at Six Flags America. All this going out means you’ll be eating out, and as a result, you’re probably happy that you won’t have to see the inside of Leo’s for a while.

Despite your love-hate relationship with O’Donovan’s on the Waterfront, you’ll soon realize that strolling over to Leo’s for some edible sustenance makes your wallet a lot heavier and a lot happier than eating out on the town. After a week of delicious culinary creations at some of the District’s finest restaurants, followed by several days of frozen meals and ramen, you’ll soon face a wallet reminding you to spend your last dollars wisely before the next paycheck (not to mention, you’ll probably have a stomach begging for real food instead of freeze dried noodles). That’s where we come in. Here at 4Eats, we’ll bring you out of your meal-deprived misery and offer some D.C. eatery ideas and recipes where you can get a real bang for your buck:

Surfside

With temperatures rising, what could cool you off more than a refreshing lunch at Surfside? Only a 20 minute walk up Wisconsin Avenue, Surfside offers a beach-inspired menu, making it a great place for a relaxed, summer hangout. Customers are transported to the oceanside as they dine on an open rooftop deck with a beach mural backdrop. Surfside’s menu includes a variety of tacos, quesadillas, burritos, salads and rice bowls, all with a tropical twist. Their salsas, moles, curries and guacamole add bold flavors to their dishes, leaving you wanting more. The best part? The portions are HUGE and nothing is more than $15.

Some mouth-watering entrees include:

Tahiti (taco)
Seared rare ahi tuna on flour tortillas with wasabi cream, sweet soy glaze and lime sesame salad

Harbour Island (taco)
Seasoned braised pork on corn tortillas with tomatillo sauce, cucumber radish slaw and queso fresco

Tobago (quesadilla)
Braised pork, grilled pineapple & jalapeno salsa, cilantro and jack and cheddar cheese

St. Bart’s (burrito)
Warm flour tortilla with blackened fish, romaine lettuce, fresh jalapeno, pico de gallo, avocado and fresh squeezed lime.

Nantucket (salad)
Surfside greens with grilled salmon, grilled corn, zucchini, goat cheese and cherry tomato with a tomato basil vinaigrette.

And if you’re feeling creative, Surfside allows you to make your own taco, quesadilla, burrito or salad with any of the ingredients they have. Explore Surfside’s complete menu for all their delicious and cheap dishes!

In Home Fish Taco Recipe

But here at 4Eats, we don’t endorse simply eating out every day. Summer at Georgetown means experimenting in the kitchen, especially if housing assigned you a Village B or townhouse on Prospect. Here’s a cheap and easy-to-follow recipe for fish tacos, a perfect home-cooked dinner to whisk you away to a surfside vacation:

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless and skinless tilapia fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces, rinsed and patted dry
  • Olive oil, salt and pepper
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh salsa
  • 12 corn or flour tortillas, warmed
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
  • Optional garnishes: cheese, cilantro, lime, avocado

Directions

1. Heat broiler, with rack in highest position. Place fish on rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil & season with salt and pepper. Broil until fish is lightly browned on top, 5-10 minutes, until flesh is opaque throughout.
2. Meanwhile in a small bowl, mix sour cream with 2 tablespoons fresh salsa.
3. Divide fish evenly among tortillas and top with shredded cabbage, sour cream and fresh salsa.

View the complete recipe here.

Surf’s up (and dinner’s served), Hoyas.