Box Kitchen

IMG_2515Apart from New York City, one is pressed to find late night eats in the U.S. (clarification: food you want to eat). I found myself in downtown SF starving at 11pm, in need of something more than a “small plate”. Connected to a dive bar is a little hole in the wall serving up eats until 1am, Box Kitchen. I’m immediately skeptical. The drunken early twenties crowd outside would probably eat anything. As usual, hunger takes over, garlic fries are sounding pretty great. I break down…and they are delicious! So delicious that I order another round of fries and a burger. Simple, tasty, open late, and a great draft selection at Tempest Bar. Sorry for judging you twenties crowd, you were right!

Eating Berlin

kaeserieLa Soupe Populaire – tops my list of best restaurants in Berlin. The unique setting enhances the dining experience and the details alone are enough to keep you entertained. Service was as thoughtful as the food, wines were excellent, and if you’re wondering about the cover charge, it’s totally worth it! Menus in German and English.

La Kaeserie – once you’ve entered, you won’t want to leave. If there are free tables, stay for a cheese plate that will not disappoint! I wanted to bring back all the cheese and unpasteurized butter…

Street food Thursday at Markthalle Neun – outstanding street food night!! Bao, jams, fish and chips, New York pastrami sandwiches, smoked fish, Aussie meat pies, wine and cheese plates and I could go on. If you’re around on a Thursday evening in Berlin, this is the place to be.

Aguevo – yummy Mexican spot

Rembrandt Burger – solid burgers and fries

Burger Meister – honestly, I didn’t picture myself waiting for a burger underneath a train station, let alone eating there. I did both. It’s the Berlin version of Shake Shack and yes, it’s tasty.

Brezel Company – because you want a pretzel, because they have pretzels stuffed with cream cheese (genius!).

Coffee:

Silo – super cute cafe, Australian owners, great coffee and deliciously fresh eats.

Five Elephant – good coffee, not many food items, friendly service.

Am Ende der Welt – near Hamburger Bahnof museum, small selection of food.

Beer/Cocktails:

Hopfenreich – craft beer, local and imports, selection rotates often. Drafts are available in different sizes.

Bier Lieb – craft beer store, fun selection!

Die Apotheken Bar – crazy good cocktails (board games too)

Heiden Peters – some of best local beer I had

Hops and Barley – popular local brewery, good stuff, constantly rotating selection

 

Charleston, SC

larder

Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q – don’t judge me because I got the pulled pork nachos. They were delicious! The White Thai on draft was refreshing and tasted much better than the can.

Edmund’s Oast – they make their own beer and charcuterie! None of their beers were quite what I was feeling that evening, so I went with something else (note: the peanut butter and jelly beer was unique). Oh and they have punch on draft! The charcuterie and cheese plates were nothing but fantastic. The farm lettuce salad was refreshing and a perfect fit for the warm weather. The pickled shrimp wasn’t exactly what I expected and the thick layer of aioli ruined it for me. Overall, the meal was lovely and the space was beautiful, I’d go back for sure!

Tattooed Moose – yep, the place from Diners, Drive Ins and Dives…great dive bar! Maybe next time I’ll try the duck pastrami.

Kudu Coffee & Craft Beer – feels like a college haunt, in a good way. Great coffee (lacking in pastry options though), lots of beers on draft to take out into the courtyard (Evil Twin Hop Flood!), super cute and relaxing.

Two Boroughs Larder – reminds me of Philadelphia (I don’ really have justification for that, it just does). Local, seasonal, simple, and kitschy – we had the hot dog and a scrapple sandwich, both were yummy! I left with a tote bag, that dog Walter is too cute to pass up!

Closed for Business – lots of draft options, retro kitschy decor, pork rinds – you get the drift.

 

Georgia, briefly

peachy

Atlanta:

Paper Plane – go for the cocktails, stay for the steak tartare! The 1960s (Mad Men vibe) decor almost makes you feel like everyone should be smoking cigarettes. Food and beverage menus change often, we happened to be lucky enough to try the panna cotta (divine!).

Brick Store Pub – a short walk from Paper Plane so you don’t have an excuse not to go if you like beer. The list is extensive, bartenders are friendly and happy to let you try something if you’re unsure.

General Muir – Jewish deli in Atlanta, really? Yes and it’s awesome. Melt in your mouth pastrami is a must order if you eat meat!

Wrecking Bar – they brew their own beer here (other options available too). Though I did not eat, I saw some pretty fierce looking charcuterie plates.

Abbatoir – part of the Star Provisions empire. A nice place to stop in for a cocktail and nosh while shopping around the Westside Provisions District.

Miller Union – if you want to experience top notch service and dining, this is the place to go. Menu speaks for itself.

Little Tart and Octane – a match made in heaven, the two share a space in Grant Park. Little Tart serves up the best croissants in Atlanta (and probably beats most other cities too) and Octane shares the same prestige in the coffee world.

Macon:

Mellow Mushroom – reminded me of my favorite pizza joint, Flatbread Company. They are also a chain, but haven’t sprouted up in New England yet. We had the privilege of being served by Michael, their resident beer nerd. Thanks Michael, you are awesome! The pizza is yummy and we couldn’t eat it all so we left with the raddest 70s looking take out box. Oh, and the bathrooms are labeled “brothers” and “sisters”, adorable.

Savannah:

Local 11 Ten – I found this place in a Southern Living article on Savannah and looked forward to reporting back good things. I have nothing good to say. The cocktails were awful, the food didn’t wow me, and the service was the worst I had during my entire trip. We sat at the bar, maybe the table service was better, but I felt unwelcome and there isn’t any excuse for that, EVER.

Coffee Fox – the coffee here is pretty good. I really wanted a pastry for breakfast, but when I looked at their case I was disappointed. Rather than take a chance on kolache, I went to Goose Feathers.

Goose Feathers – people flock to this place, no really, there are lines. I got the sticky bun and now I have cavities in all my teeth. Kidding, but the bun is covered in hard caramel. Once you get through that, it’s golden! Service is fast and friendly.

Dough

doughDough deserves to have lines out the door. People like to line up for things like doughnuts, but this place is the real deal. The Cafe au Lait doughnut is amazing, amazing, amazing! The filled doughnuts always sell out, if you’re lucky enough to get one, savor it.

Aita

aitaAita was a brunch stop on a recent visit to Brooklyn. It’s a swank little restaurant with chic vintage flair, well-curated, not over adorned. The menu has options for every guest. I chose the montecristo, pretty basic, no minds blown. The dinner menu seems to be their focus, next time I’ll get a pasta dish.

Pequena

pequenaMy love for Pequena began when I moved to Fort Greene. It was just across the street and filled with Mexican tchotchkes, how could I resist? Here’s the deal – not everything is great, the servers can be snarly, and the place can get crowded. However, if you are patient, order a regular margarita and the plantain and black bean quesadilla, you will leave happy. The tostadas are also a win, but don’t bother with the chicken.

Washington, D.C.

dcA weekend in D.C. condensed:

Pizza Paradiso – This place is solid. The pizza and the beer list are sure to please!

The Fainting Goat – I wanted to be more excited about this restaurant, food was okay.

Ted’s Bulletin – we went for the homemade pop tarts, I liked the donut better.

Oyamel – super Mexican spot, tasty food and modern decor

Bayou – Louisiana cooking, food was heavy, but overall good. If you like Abita, they have lots!

Batter Bowl Bakery – I got the sunny side egg dish and I left feeling hungry. If I spend $10 at breakfast, I should be full.

DC Brau – drink it!

 

 

Table Donkey Stick

tdsCold, tired of walking, and hungry, we found Table Donkey Stick. The restaurant was full, but we managed to get a table quickly. They were still serving the Valentine’s Day menu (a la carte), we ordered a few items and a bottle of wine, all PHENOMENAL.

Kumamoto oysters wrapped with cured pork – heavenly

Cheese plate with sunflower seed bread and honey – they could have just given me the bread and I probably wouldn’t have even noticed the cheese was missing, it was that good

Aged Duck entree and Cheesecake were also great, but the other two were out of control awesome! You must eat here!

The Radler

dasradlerThey have pretzels so I had to go. Unfortunately, I’ve had better (Bronwyn pretzels dominate all pretzels). I was also unhappy with the side of three mustards. They all had the same consistency with only mild flavor variations (my guess is they will improve with time and tweaking). But let’s talk about beer, tons of great options at The Radler! The space is ample and gorgeous, great for large parties.