Nando's Fail

One Loudoun is quickly becoming a cool new hangout area for good food and maybe a movie. One restaurant there is called Nando's Peri Peri. It has African-Portugese cuisine. Sounds pretty unique so of course we had to give it a try.

Now one reason you haven't seen a lot of blog posts here recently at Yumma Yumma is because we recently put ourselves on a tight budget. That means we haven't been eating out very much and when we have, its been cheap uninteresting stuff. Hence no trying out new places. And hence part of the reason our trip to Nando's was such an epic fail.

One of the things they offer is a half chicken meal. Supposedly their chickens are marinated for 24 hours and you get a choice of a flavor...plain, lemon, mild, hot, extra hot. So since we were on a budget we decide to split the half chicken meal. It came with 2 sides and we decided to add a third. We thought, surely that should be plenty of food for us to share. Oh how wrong we were...

We took it To-Go so of course we didn't actually see the food until we got home. The half chicken was more like a quarter chicken. The side of mashed potatoes was literally one small scoop in a tiny box. Our french fries was the size you get in a McDonald's Happy meal. The one semi-redeeming side was the garlic bread...2 pieces and tasty. There was barely enough food for just Hubby to eat. And for all that it was $18. For being on a budget, I thought was pretty pricey considering I could've gotten more for my money had I actually stooped so low as to get an actual McDonald's Happy meal!!

our chicken...barely a wing and a leg. it didn't even fill the box.

our pathetic sides, again the fries don't even fill the tiny box they came in

The thing that irritated me the most...the food was actually really really delicious. I only got one bite of each thing before I ran back out to get myself dinner from Chik-Fil-A. But I wanted so badly to like this place and to keep eating their food. But we were so disappointed!! Maybe we just had an off night. I don't know. But I'm not sure if we'll ever give it a chance to redeem itself. Sorry Nando's!

Eiffel Tower Cafe

One Wednesday every month, I have the privelege of getting a wonderfully relaxing massage in downtown Leesburg.  Its the one day I don't have to work, I run errands only if I have to, and I can explore some shops and eateries that I don't normally get to go to very often.  So I had one these days recently and it just so happens my massage ends around noon...just in time for lunch.  Where to go? There are so many unique little cafes and such in oldtown Leesburg.

I leave the massage parlor and begin walking down the street contemplating this very matter when I happen upon a little building that looks like an old house with a small hanging sign that says Eiffel Tower Cafe.  It seems kind of quiet. Is it open? I'm not sure.  What kind of atmosphere? Can't really tell.  Ah, but there is a menu out front.  Hmm, a few things catch my eye.  My only alternative is to go in and find out what kind of establishment it is.

The main door is on the side of the building where there is an adorable little patio area where I imagine on a nice summer evening it being full of couples enjoying a glass of wine by the ivy and twinkle lights.  The bell on the door jingles as I open it.  It does not appear there are any other customers inside but a middle-aged gentleman with a friendly smile, greets me with a menu and asks if I am alone. Yes, just me, I reply.

He leads me to a table against the wall which is decorated with many paintings and various ornaments of the Eiffel Tower and Paris scenery.  The tables are all covered in white linen and adorned with single red roses and small table lamps. In his genuinely French accent, the waiter tells me about the specials, takes my drink order of San Benedetto sparkling water, then apologizes that its not more busy in the restaurant.  Its always busy on the weekend evenings, he assures me.

He returns with my fancy water and I order the tarragon chicken salad sandwich. A few minutes later, out comes this beautiful plate with a greatly portioned chicken salad sandwich on a croissant which is so buttery and flaky and the tarragon just sings right through so joyously. It is topped with fresh dark greens and a slice of ripe tomato.

Next to this delicious sandwich is a lovely dark green salad lightly dressed with some sort of citrusy vinagrette. It is a delightful compliment to the tarragon chicken. In addition to the salad, there is also a side of pasta.  Penne with some olives and feta cheese.  An interesting Greek flair in a French cafe.  But it works so nicely together.  A lot of food but still light on the tummy as well as the wallet. That whole wonderful feast was only eight bucks!

Thankfully before I was finished with my meal, a group of ladies had come in for a lunch date so I didn't feel so bad that I was the only one in there anymore.  I would love to go back on a Saturday night sometime when the weather's a bit warmer and have a date night with my Superking on the patio.  Their desserts looked pretty amazing too! While I finished up my lunch that day, I felt as though I had been transported to a little cafe in the heart of Paris herself.  What a delightful addition to my day!

Carolina Brothers BBQ

Last Sunday after church, my family and I were discussing where we wanted to go for lunch.  The last couple times we went out to eat, we talked about barbecue but ended up choosing something else.  This time I decided I needed some barbecue.  But there's really only one place in town with barbecue.  Its good food but its a chain restaurant so its nothing special.  And then I remembered a friend of ours had recommended a place called Carolina Brothers Pit Babecue in Ashburn VA.

This is not a fancy place but Ive found those not-so-fancy places with the big barbecue pits out front are usually the best places for real good genuine barbecue.  And this place did not disappoint.  Rumor has it that the building used to be an old-fashioned General Store back in the day.  There are still some of those elements present...the creaky wood floors, the antique decor, and a nostalgic Hersheys sign on the window.

The eats are fairly cheap in price but not in quality.  I ordered the BBQ Chicken sandwich platter.  The soft bun piled high with juicy shredded chicken and served with two sides...we chose two classics...mac 'n cheese and baked beans.  The chicken was served "naked" but there was a bottle of sauce on the table. It had a bit of a bite to it but was mostly sweet and a little tangy.  The sides were tasty and comforting...the mac 'n cheese was hot and ooey-gooey while the baked beans were slightly sweet.

Superking got the Baby Back Ribs smothered in a smoky sweet sauce.  The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender with loads of flavor.

I couldn't resist getting a nostalgic Cheerwine in a glass bottle.  Sweet and bubbly!

And a dessert to take home for later...a home-made double fudge peanut butter brownie.  What else is there to say but YUMM!!

A Mellow Mushroom at the Ice Cream Parlour

One night in Myrtle Beach we wanted to go for a low-key cheap dinner.  Whats more low-key and cheap than pizza?  But the problem is that we've been a little spoiled with pizza by The Don's, a local NoVa pizza joint run by a friend of ours.  Their pizza is the best! For us, thats the only take-out pizza we eat.  So to find another pizza worthy of our tastebuds, is quite a feat.

The Mellow Mushroom is an interesting and unique little place.  They serve salads and subs as well as pizza but pizza is their main gig.  And they offer many unique toppings on their pizzas such as broccoli, feta cheese, tofu, jalapenos, bbq sauce, red potatoes, and tzatziki sauce and of course all the typical cheeses and meats and veggies too.

We ordered the Funky Q Chicken pizza...topped with bbq chicken, mozarella and cheddar cheeses, caramelized onions, applewood smoked bacon, and bbq sauce.  It was very rich and tasty.  A little bit of sweet, a little bit of smokey. A lot of flavor.

In our opinion, The Don's still wins hands down. But The Don's can't come to Myrtle Beach with me so the Mellow Mushroom is a good away-from-home option.  And incidentally, there is a new Mellow Mushroom coming to the Adams Morgan area of DC in the very near future! So go check it out!!

After we had Mellow Mushroom pizza we stopped at Kirk's 1890 Ice Cream Parlour for dessert.  It was jumpin'!

Its got an old-timey flair to it and the ice cream is hand-scooped.  There's even a couple old-school video games for the kids.  

Superking got peanut butter cup ice cream and mine was butterfinger, both in a waffle cone dipped in chocolate and peanuts!!  It was so creamy and sweet! It was probably the same ice cream you could've bought in the store but the atmosphere is so quaint. And really, do you want to scoop your own ice cream into a cone? I think not.

Real Southern Barbecue

So after our failed attempts to get bbq twice from this so-called "bbq festival" in Myrtle Beach, we had a hankering for bbq but didn't know where to go. Thankfully I had just installed two free foodie apps on my iphone...Yelp and UrbanSpoon...that could help us out.

Based solely on the many glowing reviews we read, we set out on a journey to find this place simply called the Bar-B-Q House. They claimed to be the best bar-b-q on the beach. Hmm, that remains to be seen.  This place could be a total dump for all we know! But thats the risk you take on a food adventure.  So off we went!

Its certainly nothing fancy on the outside.  It looked just like any other run-of-the-mill fast food type joint.  And the inside wasn't much to speak of either but it was clean and comfortable. We took our seat and a friendly young Southern girl (complete with a cute little Southern accent), comes to greet us and take our drink orders.  Being in the south I have to order sweet tea which I love. Superking orders an UN-sweet tea at which everyone in the closest vicinity gives us strange and dirty looks because everyone knows there is only sweet tea in the south and anything less than that is blasphemy.  The drinks come in very unassuming styrofoam cups.

We order our entrees.  I go for the bbq smoked chicken plate.  Its a 1/4 chicken, smoked and covered with a sweet smoky bbq sauce.  It comes with hush puppies served with cinnamon butter and two sides...I chose baked beans and sweet potato fries.  I love the sweet bbq sauce and the chicken was just melt-in-your-mouth right off the bone.  The hush puppies were crisp on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. And cinnamon butter...oh, it doesn't get much better than that! I even dipped a few of my sweet potato fries in it. Yumm!

mmm, cinnamon butter!

Superking ordered the Big Daddy plate.  I love the name. Hilarious.  You get a choice of two meats.  Superking went with ribs and fried chicken. They specify that we will have to wait about 25 minutes for the fried chicken because they fry it up fresh as you order it! Superking wants to wait. And the wait was worth it! Perfectly crispy fried with juicy tender meat inside! There were also hush puppies, fried okra, and onion rings.  Even the fried okra was really delicious!

They even had available on the table four different house-made sauces to try.  Eastern...a blend of vinegar, red peppers, and spices.  South Carolina Mustard Sauce...traditional and tangy.  Lexington...a tomato-based sauce with vinegar and spices.  Their special House sauce...a traditional bbq sauce thats thick and sweet with a hint of spice.  We tried them all. They were all yummy on everything. Perfect to suit anyone's tastes.

I don't think there was one thing on our plates that wasn't fried! Except my baked beans I guess.  But by the end, everything was gone! Very simple atmosphere, very simple presentation (paper plates, plastic forks), but great great food! I have to say I think they really lived up to their claim of best bbq on the beach! I know I'd like to go back!

Founding Farmers

Happy Memorial Day everyone! What better way to celebrate the fallen men and women who have given their lives for our country and freedoms, than to have a great meal with family at the Founding Farmers Restaurant.  Located in the heart of our nation's capital, just a few blocks from the White House in the Foggy Bottom area of DC, this restaurant makes everything from scratch. Yes everything, even their ketchup and butter and sodas.  And all their food is obtained from local sustainable sources. Even their tables and decor are environmentally friendly, using re-purposed woods for the tables, recycled paper for the menus, and "green" paints on the walls.

cool lobby decor made from natural products, even a little reading nook filled with foodie books to peruse while you wait for your table

little pig statue over-looking the lobby

The first thing we had to order were the Bacon Lollis.  Yes bacon lollipops, essentially. Smoked thick-cut bacon on a stick that has been candied with a cinnamon brown sugar glaze.  OMG! These were unbelievable!! I could've eaten just that and been completely happy for the rest of my life.  As a matter of fact our waiter, Branden (who was a really good waiter) said sometimes his favorite meal from there were the bacon lollis and a glass of a bourbon.  Awesome.  What else can you say to that?

We also ordered Farmers Chips, Cheddar Crisps, and Dips.  The cheddar crisps were like cheesy crackers and the chips were real potato slices, both served in a copper bowl.  The three dips, all super yummy, were onion dip, pimento cheese spread, and Green Goddess dip, which I believe was avocado based. 

Left to right dips: pimento cheese, green goddess, onion

As we scarfed those all up, I enjoyed one of their house-made seasonal sodas...grapefruit soda.  It was real grapefruit juice with sparkling bubbly soda water.  Simple, yet refreshing and delicious; the perfect drink on such a hot steamy 95 degree day.

neat staircase lined with cute bird lights overhead, leading to the upstairs dining room

jars of fruit and veggies, unique decor

For my entree I opted for one of their gourmet flatbreads.  Proscuitto, fig, and marscapone on toasted ciabatta bread, served on a wooden paddle made from some local guy in Maryland.  It was the perfect combination of salty, sweet, and creamy with a little tanginess from the balsamic vinegar drizzled on top.

lower bar area (there was a smaller one upstairs)

Superking enjoyed a good ol' country farm-boy meal of fried chicken and waffles. The chicken was pan-fried southern-style to perfection...juicy and peppery with just the right amount of crisp.  The combination of the chicken with the semi-sweet waffle topped with house-churned butter and white creamy pepper gravy was strange yet beautiful.  It was served with some really cheesy mac 'n cheese and asparagus which was supposed to be double-whipped red potatoes.  But the waiter fixed it and quickly brought us a side of the potatoes as well.  Still steaming, you could see the potato skins mixed in. Delish.

cute and tiny metal carton for the pepper gravy

My in-laws joined us on this food adventure.  We thought it only fitting to bring them along since they were the ones who told us about this place.  And my father-in-law is ex-military, plus yesterday was his birthday, so happy birthday and happy memorial day to him all in one meal!

this whole side of the menu was drinks, mostly alcoholic

Mom Superking ordered the fish and chips.  The chips were served in a brown paper bag as is traditional, I've heard, in Britain. They were also supposed to come with an 8oz draught beer! But she decided to skip that.  Dad Superking decided on the Chef salad, a nice large wedge of iceberg lettuce topped with fresh veggies, including tomatoes and golden beets and even soft corn bread croutons.

sorry the fish and chips are a little blurry (trying to take it fast!)

beautiful colorful salad

The restaurant offers a breakfast/brunch menu, and at least a few of the items are served all day, including their beignets. We so badly wanted to order those but we were so stuffed from everything else! Oh well, that just means we'll have to go back. And very soon!

Superking waiting for our table, dreaming of the yummy food we're about to have

For those of you looking for more animal-friendly choices, they also offer a separate vegan menu with items such as BBQ "chicken" (which I believe is actually tofu or some soy-based product) and chocolate stout waffles. Sounds worth a try even for a bacon-and-dairy-lovin' girl like me!

Left to right: Superking, me, Mom-in-law, Dad-in-law

The Founding Farmers motto, written right on their front door is "true food and drink". Here's a quote from them about what they stand for..."The Founding Farmers name represents a combination of ideas: it is a celebration of the land and the American family farmer; it is a nod to the founding fathers of our country, many of whom owned and farmed land that surrounds Washington, D.C.; and it is a place where true, sustainably-farmed, grown, and harvested American foods are brought to our guests...It’s about growing, buying and eating food that is good – for the people that eat it, the farmers that harvest it, the animals that produce it and the world that grows it." 

God bless America and those that have fought for our freedoms!

pretty church across the street