Holiday Highlights

The holidays were nutty, plain and simple. I feel like I never really got back on track after the election, and have been playing catch up ever since. I’d hoped for a really productive week between Christmas and New Years, but came down with a nasty cold that I’m still trying to defeat and my to-do list completely flew out the window.

Holiday Highlights

I have an immense backlog of things I want to write about from the usual restaurant reviews to 2016 recaps and 2017 goals to where we’re moving in February. I guess I’ll get around to it all eventually. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite things that happened over the past two months.

Good Eats

No matter how busy things get, I always make time for food. We went to several delicious places in November and December that didn’t quite warrant a full blog post.

Arepa Zone at Union Market

I know nothing about Venezuelan food, but I know that Arepa Zone is delicious. After a filling lunch at Bantam King, we walked over to Union Market for a bit and later on had this as a “snack”. We take our holiday eating very seriously.

Old Ebbitt Brunch

It’s a must that we go to Old Ebbitt Grill when my dad and stepmom come to visit. We had the usual favorites, but Tom’s shrimp and grits may have been the best dish we ordered. The huge prawns were smothered in a spicy creole sauce on top of a decadent pimento cheese cake. It was out-of-this-world good.

Homestead in Petworth

If you’re looking for an affordable, filling and delicious breakfast in DC look no further than the ‘Stead breakfast Homestead in Petworth. For $10 you get two eggs, bacon, breakfast potatoes, a biscuit with jam AND a pancake. As I said, we weren’t counting calories over the holidays.

The World’s Best Fried Chicken

Go ahead and add Eischen’s to my list of reasons to visit Oklahoma. It’s the state’s oldest bar, meaning there’s plenty of rustic charm, from antique video games to sawdust on the floor to keep you from slipping while cutting a rug.
The real draw, however, is the delicious fried chicken. I compare every other morsel of fried chicken I eat to this place, and none can compare. The fried okra is delicious too. As are the assorted pickles that come free with each bird. Add this to your bucket list.

Fried Turkey and Waffles

Speaking of fried fowl, my family invented the next hot food trend this Christmas – fried turkey and waffles. Based off Tom’s love for fried chicken and waffles, we decided to put a holiday spin on the classic for his birthday celebration. My stepbrother was in charge of frying the bird, and did an awesome job.
My stepmom made the waffles and all the sides, adding up to an epic plate of deliciousness. I don’t know if I can ever eat a regular holiday turkey ever again.

Bourbon Steak on a Budget

We continued to celebrate Tom’s birthday when we got back to DC by going to see the new Star Wars movie in Georgetown. Beforehand, we stopped into the Lounge at Bourbon Steak for dinner and drinks. Although the restaurant is out of our usual price range, we ate on the cheap by sharing their famous oak-fired prime steak burger and duck fat fries trio. We’ll be doing this again and again when a craving for a fancy burger strikes.

Bagels at Buffalo & Bergen

We ended the year with another trip to Union Market to grab ingredients for a New Years Eve dinner at home. Before shopping, we fueled up at Buffalo & Bergen.
I had a simple egg and cheese sandwich on an onion bagel with a hot toddy to soothe my throat, while Tom went with the famous Lox’d and Loaded. I just love Union Market so much.
For the record, we bought scallops from District Fishwife and grits from Puddin’ for the easiest and most delicious NYE dinner ever.

Obsessed with Christmas Decorations

I couldn’t stop snapping shots of my favorite Christmas decor around the city. Here are a few of my favorites.
Old Ebbitt’s giant nutcrackers are fabulous.
We set up our tree this year, but it had nothing on my mother-in-law’s tree. So lovely.
I never got any really good shots of Deck the Yards, but we did all kiss under the mistletoe.
Another reason I want my own little row house.
There’s just something magical about the W Hotel’s Christmas display.

Celebrations for Days

It’s hard for me to see past the holiday stress at times, but the truth of the matter is there are more reasons to celebrate than to fret. The celebrations this year were non-stop and so much fun.
We had Thanksgiving at Tom’s parents. The food was delicious and we loved getting to see our precious little niece.
My company’s holiday party was particularly festive this year. I did help plan it, after all.
I need to work on my photo booth game. All I’ve got is a giant cheesy smile or the dreaded duck face. This is officially a goal for 2017.
Of course, we had a great time celebrating Christmas with my family in Oklahoma. Sadly, aside from the food pictures above the only shot I have to commemorate the experience is from the Thunder game we attended with my brother and sister-in-law. The seats were amazing and the Thunder won!

Let It Snow

We haven’t had any real snow in DC yet, but the winery we help out at got a solid dusting when we were there in December.
I’m not usually a big fan of the white stuff, but as we get into the heart of winter I find myself yearning for the quiet solace of a snowy day.
I still don’t feel like I’ve found my bearings yet, and I can’t believe it’s already 2017. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more and more accepting of the fact that I don’t have it all figured out quite yet. What fun would that be?
Happy New Year everyone!