Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken

I love fried chicken. And chicken wings. And donuts. But more so chicken, since I don’t like TOO many sweets. The other day I stopped in at Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken. I never had the combination together, but I assumed it would be as delicious as chicken and waffles.

The place is super tiny. You basically just walk up. Order your doughnuts and chicken, they pull it out of this rack, hand it to you and you eat outside. Simple. Easy. Delicious.

The chicken came in this thick paper bag. And smelled wonderful. There were two options that day, the classic fried chicken and sriracha wings.

We got both. I really liked the fried chicken. It wasn’t very greasy, and it was crisp and full of flavor. I usually need something with my fried chicken, like ketchup or honey, but this was good on its own. The sriracha wings were yummy as well. It wasn’t saucy enough for the husband, who prefers my sriracha wings. But I thought it was still good. The wings aren’t cut, so the drummette and the flapper and still connected.

Creme brulee donut. I don’t like filled donuts. I’m not a fan of the surprise inside, but these were different. There was still a hole! The custard filling was still in the donut, and there was caramelized sugar on top. It really was like a creme brulee with the extra cushion of the donut. I did like it the best out of the donuts that we had that day, (Vanilla, and chocolate fudge was also on deck) but I could only have a couple of bites.

..and the also have a food truck!

Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken
1308 G Street
NW Washington DC 20005
202-809-5565

Posted on July 16, 2014 by miemo 0

The Secret Garden Cafe

I never walked around Occoquan before. Perhaps the scary show about it being haunted is what kept me away. Is that why everything closes at like 5pm?

Any whooooo. We had dinner AND brunch at this place called The Secret Garden Cafe. I love the outdoor seating, and their dinner was pretty delicious.

For dinner we chose to eat inside, because it was hot and I’m trying to avoid getting anymore mosquito bites this year. The dining room is pretty intimate and the tables are small. It kind of looked like we were eating dinner at someone’s home (maybe that was the point?).

The staff is friendly and attentive. And they had a little bakery section if you wanted to take home a dessert! They had a big selection of wines, beers and ales to choose from. I rarely drink but I liked their hard apple cider.

For brunch, you can order off the menu or do the buffet. We sat outside for this one. Enjoyed their yummy MIEMOSas (had to do it), and went for the buffet.

It wasn’t a large selection, and if you are sitting outside you have to walk into the restaurant and back out again. The buffet included a made to order omelet station, and fresh belgian waffles. Plenty of bacon and sausages, home fries, fresh fruit, pastries, etc.

I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere. It kind of reminded me a little of France because of the quaint outdoor seating. Will be back!

The Secret Garden Cafe
404 Mill St
Occoquan, VA 22125
(703) 494-2848

Posted on July 11, 2014 by miemo 0

Ice Dreams Soda Shop

This little ice cream shop was so cute. It is basically a cola cola paraphernalia hoarders dream.

The owner collected all kinds of coca cola trinkets and decorated the shop with it. Along with their ice creams, they had cold and hot drinks to choose from. Cash only!

I got some crazy ice cream with chocolate fish in it.

It kind of reminded me of my mom, because she drank one coke a day, and loved the polar bears and those old school coca cola glasses!

Ice Dreams Soda Shop
3131 Muskoka Road 169
Bala, ON P0C 1A0, Canada

Posted on July 9, 2014 by miemo 0

Beach Bully BBQ

Say that three times fast. Okay, that didn’t do anything. Anywaaays. After a traffic filled trip on 95 South trying to get to Virginia Beach, the honey and I needed to get lunch. We wanted to stay fairly close to the convention center, so we chose to go to Beach Bully BBQ. I always, want ribs.

We opted for the Queen Platter, which is a rack of ribs, and two choices of sides. We went for their version of baked beans, and potato salad.

Verdict? I’d come again. Very straight forward, tastes good, and quick! There weren’t many people there, for a Friday during lunch. The potato salad, has dill in it, which isn’t what I am used to, and I’d pass on that if we were to go there again. But the beans and the ribs in general were good. Fall of the bone tender, and their bbq sauce wasn’t that bad. Is it something I will crave and have to have again? Probably not. But if I am in the area, and want ribs, this will do.

Posted on May 2, 2014 by miemo 0

Dune: Jean-Georges Restaurant

After our engagement, we had dinner at Dune Restaurant at The One & Only Ocean Club. The restaurant was beautiful. They had a koi fish pond leading up to the door, and 3 sides of the walls were glass. There was indoor and outdoor seating, but we opted for indoors because we were still warm from that crazy walk we had earlier.

We started off with bread, and infused olive oil. You got your choice of which infusion of oil you wanted.

I chose the prosciutto wrapped pork chop over a bed of glazed mushrooms. So simple yet so delicious. The meat stayed steaming until the end. The flavor combination was perfect, well seasoned and I just ate it as is. It’s a fairly large portion, and I was sad I couldn’t finish it!

(His meal)

The service was great, like all the service on the islands. We were originally sat next to the window but a large crowd of drunk and rowdy patrons came into our section. The server offered to move us to another table in the other area. We did. We were put in a crowded center table, but as soon as the window freed up, they moved us there and said, “It’s only fair right?”. Since we were at the window originally. They were very thoughtful, friendly and attentive.

If you are on Paradise Island, and looking for a fabulous semi formal place to dine, I’d definitely suggest Dune.

Posted on March 10, 2014 by miemo 0

Dangerously Delicious

I have a new favorite pie. Not the Baltimore bomb, but THE TRIPLE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE. Holy OH MY. I haven’t found a chocolate mousse that I loved as much as when I was in France. But this pie. Takes the cake.. (haha!) So yes. That my go to slice now at Dangerously Delicious Pies. Chocolate lovers have to try. You’re welcome.

It’s not on the their site though. So it makes me a little sad. I had it at Killer E.S.P. the first weekend in February and it’s all I can think about!

Posted on February 12, 2014 by miemo 0

Burger Fi

After barely eating meat for a week, it was time to enjoy some cow. We drove down to see our friend Anna, where she suggested this kinda new place in her town BurgerFi. They’re burgers are a little on the small side according to the guys, but it was the perfect size for me. They have EVERYTHING that I could possibly imagine to put on a burger. But then again, my burgers are always the same. Bacon, cheese, sauteed mushrooms, pickles…and whatever their special sauce it.

I love it. And you can get fries in multiple ways! Definitely worth a try.

Posted on February 7, 2014 by miemo 0

Anniversary Food Adventure

Okay, so I usually don’t write lovey gushy stuff. So I’ll try to refrain from that. But my honey and I celebrated another year together by eating! We started off at his favorite pizza place in Leesburg, Fireworks Pizza. We normally just go straight to the point here. Pizza, and dessert. At the Arlington location, I like to get their appetizers. But today we were so hungry, after a 45 minute wait, we got spinach dip to start.

Then the main event, PIZZA! Smokey Blue with shrimp. There’s bacon, bleu cheese, balsamic glaze, sauteed onions along with rosemary, which just ties everything together. Afterwards, we had the chocolate chip cookie sundae. It didn’t last long enough to take a picture. Picture cookie dough in a shallow ramekin, blasted in a wood fired oven, until its crisp on top and the chocolate is bubbling. Top it off with a cold scoop of vanilla ice cream. Oh MY.

Afterwards we went to paper source to feed my stationary and paper goods addiction. And we found this gem.

I took too long staring at pens, stickers and stamps, so he went and got us starbucks!

We went to get pampered before going to our dinner date!

Bistro Cacao. I love this place. It’s so french, it makes me miss Paris more, but fills the void.

Lobster bisque with white truffle oil.

Pan seared duck with a blueberry reduction, braised endives and potato gratin

Mousse au chocolat with raspberry and mango sauce.

I love food. And my life. Le sigh.

Posted on February 5, 2014 by miemo 0

Out & About

It’s been awhile since I’ve been out and about. So last Saturday I spent the day with my friend Tiffany and we had a whole day of food, people watching and catching up.

Our first stop was Hot & Juicy. She never been to a down and dirty seafood joint. Now that my older brother moved back to Louisiana 🙁 this will be my choice for crawfish when the season rolls around again. Since they were frozen, we opted for shrimp, po boys and crablegs.

After walking around in the cold, we decided to stop in for some tea and coffee at Sidamo on H Street. Super cute, tiny place known for it’s Ethiopian pour over coffee. Here we caught up. People watched, and made up stories about the characters we saw. Nothing interesting. But a very cozy time.

No trip to H street is complete without a stop into Dangerously Delicious Pies. I can’t believe I haven’t written about this place yet. If you find yourself near a location, stop in! They have both sweet and savory pies. This trip, I came home with Blueberry, Lemon Chess and Baltimore Bomb.

The night ended at Lyon Hall. One of my favorite spots for happy hour. I love their charcuterie and mussels. And we got exactly that, along with some rose. Perfect ending to our girly day of food!

Posted on January 10, 2014 by miemo 0

California Torilla in Lorton, VA

I don’t usually like to write about chain establishments, but sometimes when I get a chance to try something new to the area I don’t mind!

First off, I LOVE HARDSHELL tacos. I love the crunch. I NEVER eat softshell tacos. What a waste of a taco. If I want something soft I’ll eat a quesadilla. That being said, I love taco supremes from Taco Bell (don’t judge) and barbacoa tacos from Chipotle. BUT the only time I can have them is if I am going to eat them there. They get soggy, WAY TOO FAST at Chipotle.

Well there’s a new lunch place in town. California Tortilla. We were cruising the local shopping center to find a place for lunch, and lucky for us it was their training day. We popped in and ordered anything we wanted for free. While we ate, the owners and managers were there to tell us about the location, ask us our opinion and give us an extra hand with drinks and trash (don’t expect this on the regular, I think they were just getting feedback to be ready for their grand opening).

I ordered two hard shell tacos with steak and avocados, and I made it a “fresh deal” by added chips and guac and a drink. I ordered it to go, even though we were eating in. They pack the salsa and the sour cream separately…and guess what, by the time I got to the second taco, it wasn’t soggy. THAT IS AMAZING TO ME. I definitely like the vibe in there. They have a WALL of hot sauces, and a frozen yogurt place built in! They also have those touch screen drink fountains. SO MANY selections.

When asked how I liked this place, and if it was “better”, this is what I think. I feel like it tastes fresher. I like the guac better than Chipotles, and they have queso which is a favorite of the boo. They make everything in smaller batches to guarantee the fresh taste as well. I was happy with our lunch choice, and looking forward to eating there for lunch during the work day whenever I have a taco craving. They also have salads, burritos, quesadillas …so I pretty much can go there whenever I crave Southwestern food!

California Tortilla
Lorton Marketplace
Lorton, VA

Posted on November 8, 2013 by miemo 0

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