North Carolina Soul

  So the show I'm touring with is in Charlotte, N.C. right now.  I've been here a couple of times before with another show and I really enjoyed the city.   Both times before i went to a soul food restaurant called Mert's. Anyone who has worked at the Belk theatre in downtown Charlotte has heard of Mert's.  Usually during load ins you are stuck with eating fast food but Mert's is just a half a block from the theatre's stage door on 214 North College Street.  They have all of the soul food favorites like fried chicken, corn bread and sweet tea.
  If you are in a hurry call ahead (704-342-4222) and just get it to go, but if you have a whole hour you can sit down and engoy eating all sorts of Bad Ass soul food.  I went there yesterday between the matinee and evening performance  and as I walked in a three layer homemade coconut cake caught my eye.  As I was seated I remembered what I had enjoyed the last time I was there.  After ordering my tea my a fresh loaf of warm corn bread showed up with  soft butter.  Yes soft butter!  It may not mean a lot to you, but anyone that  knows me knows that I hate going to a 5 star restaurant and getting hard frozen butter.  It really pisses me off.   Anyway  the soft butter lightened my mood and the corn bread was wonderful.  Another favorite is there fried green tomatoes.  They came out quick and hot.  There are just enough in one serving to tide you over while you wait for your main course to come out.
  They have regular soul food dinners, samplers and large orders for the more hearty appetites.  I went with the two catfish dinner, a side of collard greens and black eyed peas.  These bad boys came out super hot and the greens were still steaming.  there black eyed peas have almost a refried consistency.  They definitely don't come out of a can.   The catfish were two huge whole catfish.  It took some work but I pulled it off and when the plate was clean there was still a little room.  Yep just enough for a piece of coconut cake.  Every once and in while you need a little home cooking and Mert's delivers......with some Bad Ass food! Check them out http://www.mertsuptown.com/

Who wants to get a sandwich?

pork and fries

  About a month ago one of the locals here in D.C. told me about this sandwich shop over in Arlington, Earls.  I know I refer to food in Arlington a lot but there are a bunch of great places to eat there and in an area called Rosslyn  and on Wilson blvd.   It's like a gold mine.  He told me about this pulled pork sandwich with peppers, sweet pickles and fries on it.  Yes fries on the sandwich, like in it.  Since then I've been there three times.  It's a quick trip across the river and they are fast.  Earl's is known for their roasted turkey, beef and pork.  My buddies had the crab cake sandwich and it looked incredible.  I could've kicked myself for not ordering one.  But I did try one of their homemade soups, ham and bean, it became a favorite of mine (I ordered a medium to go bowl everytime).

  I tried their steak sandwich that has cheese and peppers with a cheese omelet inside.  They have a curry chicken salad that is to die for and a  hot roast beef that noises of satisfaction.  There is a standard menu and they have specialty sandwiches that change weekly, I think.  Earl's staff is knowledgeable of how they make everything and will give you a personal opinion on their favorites.  The trick at Earls is to order a soft serve cone while you wait for your sandwich to be made fresh.  It makes the experience truly Bad Ass! check them out  http://www.earlsinarlington.com/.

Steak saved the day

  Monday lighting calls suck!  After being in the theatre all week you look forward to having Monday off.  When they schedule a lighting call on your one day off .... well let's just say it wasn't looking so hot.  No phone service, no day off, and no visit from my girlfriend.   Then all of the sudden my boss tells me that I have the option of getting out of there. The crappy day was starting to look a little better and I was in the mood for a Bad Ass steak.  I called Ray's the Steaks and made a reservation for one.
   Don't let the around me app send you to Ray's Hell Burger at 1713 Wilson Blvd, Ray's the Steaks is further up Wilson.  I came here last year twice and was hoping to be able to return this year.  They take reservations and have no dress code.  This totally cool because I hate dress codes and love to have a table ready.
  I walked right in and was greeted then seated.  They start you off with a few warm pieces of their focaccia bread and a small bowl of spicy nuts.  Actually they are spicy cashews, but spicy nuts sounds funny.  Anyway I ordered mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette and started asking questions about the steaks. Now when i sat down the couple behind was leaving and the guy told me to have the hanger.  He said the flavor was great and to not be fooled by the price. I've heard this before but I still wanted to know what the special was.  It was a Kansas City strip and the server told me that if I thought i could have had a better tasting streak when I was done that desert would be on him.  So i ordered it medium rare.
  Shortly after I finished the salad the strip showed up with a presence.  Garnished with caramelized onions and accompanied with their standard mash potatoes and creamed spinach, this steak was quite a sight.  When the waiter walked by and asked how it tasted I couldn't lie, I told him it was awesome.  I think it was clear that i was enjoying my meal as I cleared the plate with a huge smile on my face.  Then he showed me their tiny desert menu.  really it was the size of a business card.  The coconut custard pie was suggested if I like coconut.  Please I friggin love coconut!  It came with a thick graham cracker crust, heavy whipped cream and a couple of slices of fresh strawberries.  Oh and the coffee was good, too.
So the salad was big, fresh and great.  The sides and onions were great.  The steak and it's serious flavor satisfied me with every bite.  Desert was fan friggin tastic and the service was great.  All in all the whole day was salvaged by a Bad Ass meal!  Ray's the Steaks is perfect for any red lover who needs a great steak without a collared shirt.
  They are located at 2300 N Wilson Blvd, Arlington , VA.

Bad Ass Food: A local classic and late night favorite

Bad Ass Food: A local classic and late night favorite: " As most of you know I am presently working in Washington D.C. Sometimes late at night it might be difficult to find somewhere that serve..."

A local classic and late night favorite

  As most of you know I am presently working in Washington D.C.   Sometimes late at night it might be difficult to find somewhere that serves decent food or food at all.   Last summer I was turned on to Old Ebbitt Grill at 675 15th St., NW for their late night happy hour prices on their famous raw bar.  I don't drink, but I definitely eat.  Some friends and I split an Orca platter that has everything from lobster to oysters on it.  It was a magnificent presentation.  I mean it was Bad Ass HUGE!  
  This year I returned their again in search of something to do before catching the Bolt Bus to NYC for my day of every week.  I walked right in and had a seat at the front bar, they happen to have 3 I believe in the entire resturant.  I was greeted promptly by a bartender  and handed a raw menu as I ordered my soda water and lime.  They change the oyster selection almost daily.  The shrimp were big and fresh and to top it off they have a famous Cincinnati chili that is Delicious.  They serve late enough to fill up before a long bus ride at midnight or before meeting someone special that is arriving just as late and needs a cocktail and bite to eat.  It's also great for colleagues to get together after a long day and/or night.

  Old Ebbitts is also great for breakfast and lunch especially if you have a lot site seeing to do since its about a half a block away from the white house and around the corner from a hand full of other National monuments.  I was also told that its a great place to go and enjoy deserts while waiting off the traffic after watching fireworks on the fourth. The service in great no matter what time off day.  No where to go late at night or can't decide on what to eat?  Old Ebbitt Grill is a Bad Ass place to satisfy everyone in your party.

I Found Pie

  So last week I was trying to figure out something to do when my girlfriend got to D.C. to visit and I remembered that she had written "pie anything" on a birthday club list where they list what it type of pie or cake you want for your birthday.  Well we like to go around and eat cupcakes from different bakeries, wait a minute I'm getting off of the subject a little.  Anyway I had to ask what her favorite was.  She told me about five different flavors and so I started to look.
  All of the locals I asked live in another state, so I went to the Internet.  I accidentally called a law firm that had PIE in the name, who didn't appreciate the call, and stopped dialing just as I realized I was about to call a R.N. Who had the last name Pie as well.  Then I came across Dangerously Delicious Pies.  Well I had to try them out before I took Someone special there for a lunch date.  They are located on 1339 H street NE, Washington, D.C.  Remember NE it makes a difference here.   So I rode my bike their from Crystal City, Arlington, VA. It was hot and about 7 miles but it was worht it.  Oh what a Find! 
  

Pecan and Strawberry Rhubarb

  They have a serious selection of pie.   Savory, Quiche, and Sweet.  I had reserved a key lime to take to work and while I was waiting for them to bring it up i tried a piece of their crab ad cheddar quiche.  It was Bad Ass!  So cheesy and  the amount of crab that was packed into every bite was awesome.  I got the key lime to go, which by the way i don't recommend carrying a pie in one hand and riding a bike across town to the Kennedy Center.  This Key held up to the travel and the taste was at the top of the list of all the key lime I've ever had.  You can taste the rich butter in gram cracker crust.  And the consistency was so thick that I was able to cut it up into 16 pieces.  Everyone tried it and had to know where I had gotten it from.

BBQ Pork

Key Lime

  The next day at the end of the night I found out that it was a friends birthday who happens to love food,  so of course I had to go the next day and get him one.  Peach was the flavor Mark got for his birthday. The peaches were the freshest I've ever had in a pie.  It was truly better than any of the cobblers or pies I've had in Atlanta.  The crust on these babies is amazing.

  So finally at the end of the week on Sunday night Tia got into own and the next day we were off to get pie.  A quick train and short cab ride and we were there.   We had the pecan, the strawberry rhubarb, the bacon onion Gruyere quiche, the spinach goat cheese quiche and the BBQ pork.  They were chopping onions and it was visually uncomfortable for some so they opened the doors to ventilate a little better and were very apologetic.  We talked about all of there flavors which there are way to many to list and how the make them with natural fresh ingredients.  Because of the onions we sat in front of the store to start in couple of their rocking chairs.  The local bus runs right in front every 15 minutes or so.  On Friday and Saturday night they are open until 3:30 and have live music.  What a great experience and truly Bad Ass Food!

Traveling and eating

I travel so I eat at a lot of different places.  I usually ask locals where there favorite place to eat is or favorite place for pizza, or burgers, or Chinese, or desert, etc. Anyway right now I'm staying in Arlington, VA and working in Washington, DC.  I've asked the locals and looked some things up on my own.
  Last summer I was here and was taken to Ray's Hell Burger in VA.  I've been there quite a few times since last year.  The Burgers are definitely Bad Ass!  They have a homemade appeal with  gourmet ingredients resulting in a Bad Ass taste.  Not your average burger joint by far but reasonably priced if you like a quality burger.  I have to say the service is exceptional as well, although if you go to the walk up location you could stand in a line.  They now have a sit sit down and be served location about two doors down.  It's located in a little strip type mall on Wilson in Rosslyn, you can take the orange line.
Check it out...... It's Bad Ass!

The Wake-up

Hi! 5 1/2 years ago I woke up one morning to a smell from my childhood that i had long forgotten.  It was the sweet smell of breakfast or better yet bacon.  I remembered it form waking on Saturday mornings and how it would draw me to the kitchen where my Mom was preparing breakfast.  I had forgotten how much the smell affected me and ever since that morning my love for food has grown.  It has grown to the point of having FB albums of just Food.  In particular Bad Ass Food.  Why eat or get worked up about average run of the mill stuff.  It's like a wonderful relationship that keeps growing and maturing.  Fancy words and snobby attitudes aren't welcome in my relationship with Bad Ass Food.  I feel it would limit the doors that could be opened by looking in the right spots or asking the right people where I might find my next unforgettable bite.  I am definitely not a critic but more so one who appreciates those certain tastes that make me take a deep breath followed by an exhale of satisfaction.  Anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE food.