Yellow chicken curry at Bangkok 54

I went out last night to this Thai restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, called Bangkok 54. The photos are bad, I know (dim lighting is tricky), but the food was fantastic. It’s got to be some of the best Thai in the DC area. I had the duck roll appetizer: tender, saucy duck stuffed inside a lightly fried roti. My entrée was creamy, aromatic yellow chicken curry with potato and onions, plus more roti on the side. Can’t wait to dig into my doggy bag!

Breakfast
1½ cups kashi strawberry fields cereal with 1% milk

Lunch
2 cups fettuccine with pink pesto

Snack
15 baby carrots

Dinner (at Bangkok 54)
16 oz. thai iced tea
1 duck roll with hoisin sauce
1 cup yellow chicken curry
1 cup white rice

4 wedges roti

Sushi at Asia Nine

Every Friday at the National Gallery of Art sculpture garden, there’s a live R&B band, and apparently half the city lays blankets on the lawn and hangs out with wine and snacks. Yesterday I went with Sheryl and a group of her friends, followed by pretty good sushi and sake at nearby Asia Nine. Good times!

Breakfast (from Au Bon Pain)
1 sesame bagel with garden veggie cream cheese
16 oz. coffee with light cream and splenda

Lunch (from Firehook Bakery)
1 portabella mushroom, goat cheese and roasted red pepper sandwich on ciabatta roll

Snack
16 oz. green tea with splenda

Snack (from Firehook Bakery)
1 jumbo lemon sugar cookie

Snack
15 baby carrots

Snack
16 oz. sangria
2 cups tortilla chips with guacamole

Dinner (at Asia Nine)
3 shots sake
1 salmon and cream cheese roll with soy sauce

1 tuna tempura and avocado roll with soy sauce

Cherry pie from Starbucks

My eating got totally derailed this week, but I’m starting to get back on track. I’d been curious to try this little rustic “cheery cherry pie” from Starbucks, and it was delightful! I’m a sucker for pastry, and the crust here was really good.

Breakfast (from Au Bon Pain)
1 asiago bagel with garden veggie cream cheese
16 oz. coffee with light cream and splenda

Lunch (from Chop’t)
5 cups spinach and romaine lettuce with granny smith apple, walnuts, beets, goat cheese, dried cranberries and balsamic vinegar

Snack
16 oz. pomegranate green tea with splenda

Snack
15 baby carrots

Snack (from Starbucks)
1 mini cherry pie

Dinner

2 cups fettuccine with pink pesto

Cheeseburger at Ulah Bistro

We couldn’t find any cookouts to join (a lot of our friends are out of town), so Ikimi and I went out for restaurant burgers instead at Ulah Bistro. I had a classic cheeseburger with American cheese that was cooked right, but could have used more seasoning. Our appetizer of cheesy crab and artichoke dip, though, and my mojito were spot on. Now just a couple more hours to watching fireworks on the roof!

Snack
16 oz. iced coffee with whole milk and splenda

Lunch (at Ulah Bistro)
2 pieces flatbread with crab and artichoke dip
1 burger with american cheese, lettuce, tomato and ketchup
1½ cups fries with ketchup
8 oz. mojito

Snack
1 peach

Snack

1 cup chocolate peanut butter ice cream

Vegetarian burrito at California Tortilla

So, yeah, I got this mostly flavorless burrito from a DC fast food chain called California Tortilla. Enough said there (except maybe that I ordered it in the “small” size, and it was still, to my relief actually, enormous). Their chips and queso were good, though. On a different note: get thee to some Haagen-Dazs chocolate peanut butter ice cream, which I just had for dessert. It's amazing.

Breakfast
1 cup oatmeal with dried cherries

Lunch (at California Tortilla)
1 veggie burrito with peppers, zucchini, lettuce, salsa, mexican rice, black beans, monterey jack, guacamole and sour cream
1½ cups tortilla chips with queso
12 oz. diet pepsi

Dinner
2 pieces baked battered haddock with tartar sauce
1½ cups spicy sweet potato fries

Snack

1 cup chocolate peanut butter ice cream

Anchovy and caper pizza at Pizzeria Paradiso

Went out with Arnesa tonight to Pizzeria Paradiso in Georgetown. I had the “Napoletana” pie with tomato, basil, anchovies, capers and fresh mozzarella. As you can imagine, it was briny and loaded with flavor. The crust had a great crispy-and-fluffy texture but was a little bland; however, dipping it in olive oil sprinkled with parmesan fixed that. Paired with two glasses of crisp, fruity white wine, it was a great start to the three-day weekend.

Breakfast
1½ cups peanut butter puffins and 1 banana with 1% milk

Snack
16 oz. pomegranate green tea with splenda

Lunch
1 turkey and muenster sandwich with baby spinach, tomato and spicy mustard on whole wheat bread

15 baby carrots

Snack
1 container liberte strawberry yogurt

Snack
1 plum

Dinner (at Pizzeria Paradiso)
16 oz. white wine (bertani due uve)
1/4 cup marinated olives

1 individual pizza with tomato, basil, anchovies, capers and fresh mozzarella

Supermarket creme brulee

Crème brulee is one of my favorite desserts when it’s done well, so I was interested to try this frozen, make-at-home variety from Giant supermarkets’ simply enjoy brand. Just sprinkle brown sugar, broil for three minutes, and voila: slightly below mediocre custard. But, bonus: ceramic ramekin! The real standout of the day was the delicious (but not so photogenic) salad I had with the bright Mediterranean flavors of tuna, roasted red peppers, white beans and kalamata olives. It was the perfect summer lunch.

Breakfast
1½ cups peanut butter puffins and 1 banana with 1% milk

Snack (from Au Bon Pain)
16 oz. french vanilla coffee with light cream and splenda

Snack
1 granny smith apple

Lunch (from Chop’t)
5 cups romaine lettuce with albacore tuna, roasted red peppers, white beans, kalamata olives and balsamic vinaigrette

Snack

16 oz. green tea with splenda

Dinner
2 cups angel hair pasta and meatballs with tomato sauce and parmesan

Snack

1 crème brulee