Food truck culture is in full swing in Washington, DC. I got my first exposure while visiting friends  in Los Angeles with Kogi BBQ in 2009. While the culture has been flourishing in LA for quite some time, DC has only recently been exposed to the wonders of gourmet food vending. DC now has (or soon will have) lobster rolls, pizza, korean tacos, Cuban sandwiches, and empanadas coming at you from a tricked out catering truck. These are the only the ones I can think of off the top of my head! Each day it seems a friend is telling me of a new one.

I had grand aspirations of eating a lobster roll today, however; when I stepped out of my office I noticed Yellow Vendor conveniently parked a block away. Seeing as how I hadn’t had good Korean food since I lived in Los Angeles, and the Lobster Truck was a 15 minute walk, I opted for Yellow Vendor.

Their menu is simple. For $7 you have the choice of bulgogi (spicy or regular), bibimbab (with egg and choice chicken/beef), and chicken teriyaki. Lunchboxes are served with a white rice, kimchi, and side salad.

What you see above is a spicy bulgogi lunchbox. The beef was sweet and tender with a good amount of spiciness. There was significant heat to the bulgogi but it did not overwhelm the other flavors. The kimchi was excellent and the salad was dressed in a sesame ginger vinaigrette. It’s enough food to induce a coma along with belly rubbing and contemplation of loosening the belt.

Does the chef recommend? Absolutely.

Now That’s What I Call Good Stuff

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Foodie Republic lend me your stomachs! I have been to hamburger heaven and it is delicious! Where is this place you say? Why it’s Good Stuff Eatery.

Good Stuff is the vision of Spike Mendelsohn who among other things was a contestant on Top Chef. Good Stuff is one of those places that always has a line out the door but is worth the wait. They specialize in hamburgers (basic to gourmet), fries (seasoned with rosemary and thyme), and hand spun shakes. This is a good example of when simple ingredients go right. Spike keeps his ingredient list short and fresh which produces some of the best food in DC. Sit-down, take-out, whatever.

The line at Good Stuff can get long so get there early if you plan on having lunch in a reasonable amount of time. When you walk in, immediately get in line. It’s sort of a ‘switch-back’ model that resembles waiting for a roller coaster. The line takes you by the griddle (shown above) where you can see the line cooks churn out burger after burger.

After placing your order you get a nifty buzzer to alert you when your order is ready. It comes in a classic looking bag (above) in just a few minutes. Today was a special day for my visit. My coworkers are doing a ‘Best of DC’ lunch group and today was our stop for ‘Best Milkshake’.

I decided to go all out and get a Farmhouse Burger with Bacon (made to order), Village Fries (the aforementioned season fries), and a chocolate milkshake. Good Stuff is also known for some excellent mayo combinations to give your fries an added kick. Above you can see Chipotle and Sriracha Mayo respectively.

Am I currently full? Did Grizzly Adams have a beard? Let’s just say I’m in an epic food coma and If I were a bear I would be all set for winter hibernation.

Before we headed back to the office we presented Spike with our ‘Best of DC’ award for his milkshakes. He deserves one for his burgers as well in my opinion. If you’re in the area there is no excuse for not stopping by.

I have been down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the past two weeks to help out one of my company’s subsidiary offices while their director is on vacation. I have been eating as much seafood as possible since the BP oil spill is threatening to destroy the fishing industry in the bayou. Baton Rouge has good food but it can’t compare to what you can find in the French Quarter in New Orleans.

I decided to take the morning off before my flight home to watch the USA World Cup match versus Solvenia and to have a nice lunch in the French Quarter. After sampling some beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde I strolled down Decatur Avenue In search of crawfish. The photo below represents 2 1/2 pounds of boiled crawfish from the French Market Restaurant.

My best friend is currently stuck in Boise, Idaho working for the next two years so I like to tease her every now and then with stuff she is missing. In case you are not aware, Boise is the place food goes to die a slow and bland death. I sent her the below photo and she responded, “That looks so f*cking good that I want to kick you”.

It was kind of mean to send her that photo but it makes you realize how great fresh seafood can be and what me might soon be without due to the oil spill.

The Doctor Is In

One of my favorite things to make is pizza. It’s quick, easy, and freaking delicious. The most difficult part is making the dough but, it’s so simple even the most inept chef can come out looking like a pro. I’ll walk you through a simple dough recipe using basic ingredients you can find at any market and then show you some tips on baking a tasty pie.

Dough-rae-me

You can roll over to foodnetwork.com, search for pizza dough, and get about 1,000 results. They’ll tell you to use three different kinds of flour, water, special salt, honey, sugar, cornmeal….way too complicated. We’re not trying to make pizza to serve at a $500 per plate fundraiser are we? No. We’re making pizza at home. I have tried several of these recipes and guess what? One isn’t that different from the other. Basically you are going to need water, flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and olive oil. That’s it.  Here are the rough measures:

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 ounce of active dry yeast (one envelope)
• 2 tbsp olive oil plus more for coating
• 2 cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting

This recipe makes 4 personal thin crust pizzas or two hand tossed pizzas.

First, warm the water in the microwave for about 20 seconds. It should be warm but not scalding hot. While the water is warming place the salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. When the water is warm, pour it over the sugar and salt. Quickly, pour the yeast on top of the water without stirring and let stand for 7-10 minutes. This process basically wakes up the yeast and gets it ready for the flour. You’ll notice that 5 minutes in, the yeast will now be foamy and fragrant. This is good. It should look something like this:

Once you get to this point you can add the two tablespoons of olive oil and whisk around once or twice. Now, add one cup of the flour and stir with a spatula or spoon. Once it’s combined add the second cup of flour and stir to combine. At this point you can ditch the spatula or spoon and get right in there with your hands. We’re trying to have fun aren’t we?

A lot of recipes will call for a stand mixer with a dough hook or some other fancy contraption. Really all you need is your two hands. After about a minute of hand mixing you should see something like this:

It’s not pretty but it’s a good sign you’re on the right track. If after combining the flour into the water/yeast/sugar mixture it appears too dry or too sticky, feel free to add more water (dry) or flour (sticky). After kneading the dough in the bowl for 4-5 minutes you should have a ball that is smooth, well combined, and not overly sticky.

Continuing, coat a fresh bowl with olive oil, transfer your ball of dough into it, roll the dough around to coat in the oil, and cover with a damp towel (or cover in plastic wrap). It’s now time for the dough to rise. Generally I wait an hour but you can let it go longer if you like. Also, keep it in a warm place. 70 degrees or warmer is better. Once the dough has risen you can work with it right away or seal in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. It’ll last for 3-4 days.

This whole process should take no more than 20 minutes with roughly half of it involving you waiting. Not too shabby eh?

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

The two photos below show the dough pre and post rise. This was just over an hour. See the difference? It doubled in size and is light an fluffy as opposed to dense.

Use the hour of rise time wisely. Generally I crack open a beer before getting started on heating the oven and prepping the toppings. Tonight I chose Sierra Nevada Torpedo. Hoppy and good. It went well with the pizza.

Next, I put my pizza stone in the oven and cranked up the heat to 550 degrees. I use a $15 round pizza stone you can buy at Target or Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Again, nothing fancy here. There are debates about using ceramic tiles, rectangular vs. round, and a whole bunch of other stuff. This is probably the one area where I feel doing your research and paying for quality will payoff. Honestly, I don’t have a car and the Bed, Bath, and Beyond near my house had the $15 pizza stone so I bought it. Someday I’ll go for something better but, my $15 stone does the job just fine.

You’ll have to figure out the placement on your own. I have a small apartment oven that provides heat from the bottom so I aim a little low. If I had a better oven I’d probably place it square in the middle. Oh and all that grit on the stone? Pizza Love. It’s scraped clean but previous cooking experiments have left it stained. Not to worry. Heat for 45 minutes to an hour before putting the pizza in.

Ingredients

At this point your dough is rising and your stone is heating in the oven. You’ll have this time to gather your ingredients for your pizza. I’m of the mindset that you should put whatever you want on your pizza. My only suggestion is choose ingredients that aren’t too wet. This will cause your pizza to ooze thus staining your pizza stone and causing unwanted smoke.  For this recipe I chose simple crushed tomato, fresh mozzarella, Sopressa, and fresh basil. That’s it.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like A Big Pizza Pie

Once the dough has risen, transfer it to a floured surface and divide into two (hand tossed) or four (thin crust) portions. For this demo I did hand tossed. Ball up one portion of the dough and flatten with you hands or rolling pin remembering not to overwork the dough. When done you should have a circle about 8 inches across (more or less).

Now that the dough is ready, layer your ingredients onto the dough and get it ready for the oven.

Place the pizza onto the stone and cook for 8-10 minutes but keep an eye on it. Once the cheese is bubbly and brown and the dough get’s a dark  golden brown it’s ready.

Behold!!

From start to finish the entire project took about 1 hour and 30 minutes but most of it was waiting around. I’ve made this dinner for family and friends and it’s always a hit. Gathering eclectic ingredients, good drinks, and good friends will make your pizza night one to remember.

Well folks, today was interesting. After I had finished my delicious lunch, my banana decided to take on a life of its own. It was completely unexpected turn of events. Usually I just eat my banana and go on with my day. Today Mr. Banana pleaded for his delicious life. The following played out in real time between 12:30PM and 2PM. Names, events, and locations are reflected as accurately as possible.

12:30PM

Nearing the end of my nutritious lunch, I began to eyeball my banana with a deliciously murderous intent. As I contemplated my plan of attack, Mr. Banana promptly pleaded for his life. He has a wife and baby son who live in my fridge and wants to see them grow up big and strong. Since I’m a reasonable fellow, and mostly full from the rest of my lunch, I decided to delay the decision on his fate until 2PM.

1:30PM

Now I’ve given Mr. Banana a solid hour to plead his case while I digest the rest of my lunch. He really doesn’t have anything more to add other than wanting to see his kid grow up and something about there will be consequences if he is killed. Just when I am about to provide him a stay on his execution guess who shows up? None other that Nutella. If you are not familiar, Nutella is a scrumptious badass. Basically he jumps on almost any food and makes it even better. He likes his job. He’s good at his job. When someone questions eating something he gets rather upset.

Well friends, Nutella pulls out a knife and puts it up to Mr. Banana’s throat and says: “If you don’t kill this banana, I will.” That sounded pretty serious and tasty to me.

1:45PM

At this point, Mr. Banana had to know it was not going to end well. He had a terrible start to his day when he got into my lunch bag and then watched as I devoured a PB&J sandwich, 20 baby carrots, and some crackers. Nutella and I prepared his execution William Wallace-style. Blindfolded, Mr. Banana makes one last plea for his life:

2:00PM

I’m not going to lie. He was delicious and full of potassium. Mr. Nutella added a little extra sweetness to the story as well. I am afraid however that there will be consequences to my actions. As he lay split open on my desk he let out his death rattle:

I fear the worst that tomorrow I will encounter his kin looking to avenge his death. Will Nutella and I be up for the challenge? Stay tuned to find out!

Did you miss me? I have now lived in DC for nearly a year and I have to say I am really enjoying it so far.  Over the past several months I have been acclimating myself to my surroundings. There are many great concert venues, restaurants, bars, and museums in the area that can keep one quite busy.  I have found that there are also several blogs in DC that relate to local color so, I’m not quite sure what to do just yet.   In the meantime, I’ll keep you up to date on what I think is fun and exciting in this city.

This brings me to the happenings this week.  Beer Week anyone? What is now becoming an annual tradition, or so I’m told, DC hosts a beer week each summer.  Several brewers and restaurants participate to offer a wide selection of beers to sample throughout the week along with food pairings.  Some events are free while others cost a few sheckles. I kick off the week’s activities with a visit to Cafe St. Ex for the Brooklyn Brewery tasting for Beer Week.

Unfortunately, my schedule is quite packed this week already so I won’t make it to too many other events. Brew at the Zoo, I will miss thee.  Perhaps I can booze with the Orangutans on Halloween? Perhaps.  I will however be able to tell you much more about DC tourism by week’s end.  Monuments and museums here I come.

It’s good to be back.

A New Chapter Begins…

In the past 5 months life has taken some drastic turns. Basically I’ve been transferred by my work to Washington, DC.  I’ve got a new city to explore and a new niche to carve for myself. I hope to be able to report back soon with some great new music and other things on the East Coast.

Until then….

Nutritious. Delicious. A Well Balanced Meal.

As Los Angeles eating institutions go, Father’s Office has the hamburger market cornered. What can be so special about a hamburger you say? Well then you have never had one at Father’s Office.

There is a reason why there are no substitutions or modifications to their menu items. Simply put, the items are perfectly crafted to maximize flavor. Now you may read some reviews that the burger is sub-par. People who complain about the burger quote In ‘n’ Out as having a superior burger. Well if you want all beef patties with special sauce served with lettuce and tomato on a sesame seed bun, I’ll direct you to the nearest fast food establishment. This place is not for you. If your palate is sophisticated enough to handle caramelized onions, arugula, sirloin, and bleu cheese, step up to the bar.

One of the down sides of the Santa Monica location is that it is tiny and gets very crowded. Chances are you will wait in a line to get in, stand around to wait for a table (first come first serve), then after figuring out there are no waiters, order at the bar. The new location in Culver City (on Helms Ave.) has a patio that has more seating than the entire Santa Monica location alone. All ordering still takes place at the bar and tables are on a first come first serve basis.  Overall the Culver City location maintains all the unique charms of the Santa Monica location but alleviates the crammed nature.

The sweet potato french fries are still served in a miniature shopping cart with a side of their special sauce. Don’t even think of asking for ketchup. Remember no substitutions.

Having around 36 beers on tap Father’s Office has one of the better selections in LA. What is also great about the bartenders is that they actually know something about what they are serving. Tell them what you are in the mood for or what you are eating and they’ll have a couple of recommendations for you in a snap. Don’t be afraid to ask for a sample tasting either. They are more than happy to oblige your request.

The burger is anything but average. Served on a baguette style bread (flaky and chewing but still soft) topped with caramelized onions, bleu cheese, and arugula. I like my meat on the medium rare side (as pictured) but they will take orders up to ‘well’. If you want something more juicy take it on the rarer side. Nothing is worse than dry meat.

If you are looking for ordinary this place won’t be for you. If you are interested in a great selection of beers, friendly bartenders, and original cuisine, head over to Father’s Office. Just keep your head on a swivel to grab a prime table.

Hollywood Nights. Hollywood Hills.

With the official start of Summer kicking off last weekend one could not think of a more appropriate place to spend it than the Hollywood Bowl. KCRW began their annual World Music Festival on a rather warm evening with a selection of artists from South America.

Thievery Corporation was supported by Federico Aubele, Los Amigos Invisibles, and Bebel Gilberto. Seu Jorge also came on for a couple of songs during Thievery’s set. It was a Latin flavored night at the bowl and with the temperature in the mid 90s at the start of the show it was certainly caliente.

One of the fun parts of the World Music festival is that the Bowl allows you to bring in your own food and drinks.  This is good for two reasons. One; you save money ($8 for one beer versus a 6-pack at the store) and two; you can eat/drink exactly what you want.  The Shih and I decided on Sushi and Guinness but our other friends were dining on mini panini and wine. To each their own. One negative side effect is people often over drink leading to beverage spillage on cherished items or being accidentally smacked firmly in the head by an overzealous liquor enthusiast. All in all though the pros beat the cons.

One of the aims of the World Music Festival is to introduce the masses to a more diverse music scene than MTV can provide. Bebel Gilberto and Los Amigos Invisibles were artists that I was not familiar with but afterward left me wanting more. While Bebel could have benefited from a smaller venue she still played a memorable set as dusk arrived.

Thievery Corporation took the stage immediately following Bebel Gilberto. One interesting feature the Bowl used this year was a revolving stage. Almost like a trap door. This way there were no gaps in the performances and each artist cold build on the momentum of the previous performance.

What seemed like an endless stream of guest performers (nearly a dozen in all), Thievery Corp got the Bowl grooving and moving for the better part of 90 minutes. Below is a snippet from one their more well known songs “Lebanese Blonde”.

With some sweet parking luck we were able to escape the madness of the Hollywood Bowl easily and head back to the Westside. The first night of the Summer came to a close, however; I am looking forward to many more evenings at the Bowl over the next few months.

Jack Johnson will be making four stops in the Southern California Area coming up in late August.

• Wednesday, August 27th – Harder Stadium @ UCSB – Santa Barbara, CA
• Friday, August 29th – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – Irvine, CA (KROQ Sponsored)
• Saturday, August 30th – Cricket Wireless Amphitheater – Chula Vista, CA
• Sunday, August 31st – UCLA Intramural Field – Los Angeles, CA (KROQ Sponsored)

Tickets go on sale to the general public for these shows on Saturday, June 21st at 10AM. For the KROQ sponsored events you can get your tickets now using the presale password: KROQALLATONCE

I’ll keep my ear to the ground for the other shows to find the presale password. I’ll update this post if anything should surface. Click the image to go to ticketmaster’s listing for Jack Johnson.