Restaurant Review: Due South in The Navy Yard

In the mood for a bit of soul food with an upscale twist? If so, you have to check out Due South in the Navy Yard neighborhood. I stopped by last week for a late, lovely lunch on their patio. It was a gorgeous spring day. The sunshine streamed down on us while the soothing sound of waterfalls from The Yards Park below set the tone for a relaxing, outdoor meal.

Lunch began with an order of the Squash Puppies with Roasted Jalapeño Aioli. The Squash Puppies were perfectly crispy on the outside, while still being fluffy and flavorful on the inside. The Roasted Jalapeño Aioli added a tasty kick to the pup, to be perfectly honest I doused each bite in it! The flavor was just too good to leave on the plate.

The main dish I ordered was their Bacon Pimento Cheeseburger. Juicy beef, crispy (but not too crispy bacon), with a delicious spread of that classic southern pimento cheese goodness. The burger came with a side of Herbed Fries that were total perfection dipped in their Mississippi Comeback Sauce. 

Check out this down home deliciousness next time you are in the Navy Yard neighborhood, Due South's menu and atmosphere will not dissapoint!

Lunch Menu

Squash Puppies

Bacon Pimento Burger with Herbed Fries

Due South

301 Water St SE

duesouthdc.com

Pineapple & Pearls Coffee Shop Opens on Barracks Row

If you live in DC and are a foodie like myself, you have been anxiously awaiting the opening of Aaron Silverman's newest restaurant, Pineapple & Pearls.

For those of you living under a rock for the past two years, Aaron Silverman is the Owner/Chef of the critically acclaimed (but not the least bit pretentious) Rose's Luxury. When Silverman announced he would be opening a sister restaurant literally next door to Rose's, I may have let out an actual squeal of excitement.

The fine dining portion of P&P is set to open sometime Mid-April (according to the barista I spoke to this week); however, the walk-up coffee bar portion is now open. My hubs and I stopped by this week to experience Silverman's take on a latte and pastry. Surprise, surprise I was not disappointed.

I had a perfect velvety cappuccino to drink and tasted almost every food option offered. My favorites were the Pineapple Roll, Mexican Hot Chocolate Roll, and Brisket Brioche. See photos below, let the drooling commence.

Final note, as someone in the design industry, I have to give props to Silverman for his meticulous attention to detail. From the stunning walnut and brass espresso machine to the sleek matte black to-go food bag, every piece of this coffee bar experience has been well executed.

Pineapple & Pearls

http://www.pineappleandpearls.com

Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 8am to 2pm and Saturday, 8am to 4pm

Location: 715 8th St SE

Brunch at Mitsitam Cafe

Mitsitam Cafe has been on my list for over a year now. I had read multiple times how delicious and unique it was, but who would guess a Zagat rated restaurant would be in the National Museum of the American Indian? My husband and I decided to eat here on our way to the Cherry Blossoms this weekend, and I am so glad that we did.

Exterior of the Museum

When we first arrived, the cafe was still a few minutes from opening. Luckily, they had an espresso bar in the main lobby so we started our visit by ordering some lattes. The drink options were so exotic, my favorite was the Spicy Chocolate Blackberry Cappuccino (complete with cayenne pepper) for an amazing, unexpected morning latte.

Once the cafe doors opened, we found ourselves a bit overwhelmed by the menu. Mitsitam Cafe serves indigenous cuisines from across the Americas.  Each station, separated by region, depicts the ingredients and cooking methods of both traditional and modern native cuisines. Your choices to dine are in the Northern Woodlands, Mesoamerica, South America, the Northwest Coast and the Great Plains.

We decided to journey to the Great Plains where I ordered the Pulled Buffalo Sandwich, which was delicious. A bit sweet, plenty juicy, and very flavorful for having hardly any 'extras' added to the sandwich. On my list for future dining is the Ground Duck and Buffalo Burger, it looked so amazing while grilling in their open kitchen. I will most certainly be back for more.

Pulled Buffalo Sandwich

Foodie Flash: David Chang to Bring Momofuku to DC

This is big news.  Like, really big news.  For all of you food and travel lovers who have rejoiced in Momofuku on your travels, David Chang is finally bringing it back home. 

This Northern Virginian native, turned super nova celebrity chef, will open a Momofuku in City Center Spring 2015.  Chang spoke with the Washingtonian Magazine yesterday and said the following: 

“We want to be good neighbors. We want to enhance the town. I want to help DC. I still read the Washington Post every day. All my friends and family are there. I root for all the teams there. I was a hair away from opening up in DC ten years ago. I opened in New York because I had more of a support network there. I just don’t want to let people down. You know? I just don’t want to let people down.”

Read the full interview here.