my favorite things

after we come back from a trip, lp and i always crave certain foods from particular restaurants so i thought i'd come up with some of our favorite places to eat:

1. amsterdam falafel- i really like falafel and this place is, hands down, the best place to get it. it's all you can get there, in fact. they have fresh, made to order falafels and a great DIY topping bar, which i appreciate.

2. hill country bbq- it's the ONLY place to get texas style bbq around here. it takes it's style from bbq joints close to my hometown, so of course i think it's great.

3. 7th hill pizza- yum. my two criteria for pizza are toppings and crust and this place has both. the toppings are fresh and there's a great selection. they do the wood fired style of cooking the pizza and they do it well.

4. cava- this is a mezze style restaurant, which means small plates of delicious greek style food. one of my favorite things there is this cheese that they light on FIRE!!! fun food!!!

5. thai xing-tiny restaurant operating out of a row house. downstairs- a wonderful thai cook prepares whatever his heart desires. upstairs- you eat what they bring you. and you love it.

6. chix- rotisserie style chicken in bowls or wraps or just a full chicken. plus, it's all organic and healthy and they have black beans, which is always a plus in my book.

7. marvin- chicken and waffles or mussels are the way to go here. both, if you're lucky enough to eat with a sharer. plus, it's right by my house which makes it super convenient!

8. tortilla coast- now, i will preface this by saying that there NOWHERE in dc that has tex mex as good as austin. with that being said, this is as close as i can get. pretty good margs, bob armstrong queso and veggie tacos. plus, it's affordable which is saying a lot for dc food!!!

9. pete's apizza- another pizza place!! this one delivers so it's our usual for when we want to stay home. it's so fresh that when i eat it the next day (their pizzas are HUGE!!), the crust is still perfect. again, great toppings (fresh mushrooms, artichoke, roasted red peppers)

10. shake shack- i die for this place. i'm not a burger person usually. i find most burgers too big or too greasy or too dry or just not right. this place has (in my opinion) perfect burgers, perfect fries (cripsy crinkle cut fries- are you kidding?!?!?!) and perfect shakes. you cannot go wrong with anything on their menu!!