BrB

BrB…what does it mean? Be right back. Better read Bible. Beach ready babe.

Actually in this case, it means Be Right Burger. Its a littler burger joint on the corner in Reston Town Center. They serve made-to-order burgers, sandwiches, and frozen custard treats. They have a few specials that they've already created for you or you can create your own burger. They also offer veggie burgers and turkey burgers for healthier options and a variety of interesting toppings. Nothing they offer is particularly earth-shattering or unique but all tasty in the right combination.

Hubby took me here on an impromptu lunch date one Friday afternoon. The weather was gorgeous so it was perfect day for lunch outside on the patio. I went for the California burger…topped with guacamole and a chipotle aioli plus traditional lettuce and tomato. A little heavy on the sauce but I'm definitely a sauce girl so I didn't mind too much.

Hubby went for the Wild West burger, topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, and bbq sauce, lettuce and tomato. A little smoky, a little sweet. Yumma! The burgers themselves, while I've had better, much better (i.e. Melt and Five Guys…my two favorite burgers ever), these had a nice char-grilled flavor to them. And the fries that were served with them, while again I've had better, I did like that they had a crispy coating and were dusted with garlic powder.

All in all, it turned out to be a deliciously lovely lunch date!

Hominy Grill and Caviar & Bananas

Our second day in Charleston we visited the tea plantation which I already shared with you in my last post.  It was a very interesting food adventure in itself but we also had a couple other very cool food adventures that day.  Hominy Grill for breakfast and Caviar & Bananas for lunch.

Hominy Grill was at the top of my must-have restaurant list for Charleston. And there was really only one thing on their menu I wanted to try.  The Charleston Big Nasty Biscuit.

The iconic building mural

cute cafe feel

loved the old-fashioned mason jars with fresh yellow daisies on every table

The Big Nasty Biscuit is probably their most famous offering. Many celebrities have come and gone in this place wanting to tackle this feast.  A soft, warm buttermilk biscuit (like they can only make them in the South) topped with classic fried chicken (crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside), melted cheddar cheese on top of that, and all of it swimming in sausage gravy (one of my favorite breakfast foods, which needs nothing else but a spoon). It was everything I dreamed it would be.

Needless to say, because of its richness and knowing we would be running around in the heat at the tea plantation, we opted to split this. A good call! Plus splitting it gave us the option to try their cheddar grits as well. The cheddar was mildly sharp and added to the creaminess of the perfectly cooked grits. A perfect Southern breakfast to start the day off right!

Their sweet country charm made the whole place feel like we were in someone's home, not just another gimmicky restaurant.  Beautiful hard wood floors, some of the original windows, old-fashioned tiles in the foyer and bathrooms.  Very charming character!

After the tea plantation we needed a light lunch.  We knew we'd have a heavy dinner at Magnolia's later (which I will share in my next post) and we wanted to be extra hungry when that time came. I had heard about Caviar & Bananas and it was recommended to us by someone who used to live here so we figured it must be worth a try.

They have two locations in Charleston: one at the main market and one closer to our hotel on George St.  We took a hot & steamy walk all the way to the market only to realize, that location was very small and cramped and didn't really have any seating.  So we took another hot & steamy walk back towards our hotel and realized we had already passed by the other location and could've saved ourselves a little extra sweating. (Who's idea was it to go to Charleston in August??)

Anyway, once we finally arrived, we were definitely ready to eat and cool off!! Caviar & Bananas is, well, just like their tote bag says, a gourmet market and cafe.  It reminded me of a smaller and more accessible Dean & Deluca's.  If you've ever been to a Dean & Deluca's, it very cool but can be very expensive, not somewhere you'd be able to shop every day.  Caviar & Bananas, while still very much gourmet, it also offers a lot more every day fare for the average shopper looking for something a little special and unique.

Aside from the small gourmet grocery area, it also has several counters to order food and drinks from for breakfast or lunch.  There was a sandwich counter, a sushi bar, a prepared foods bar, and a beverage bar. We went straight to the sandwiches and decided to split a Duck Confit Panini.

Best. Sandwich. Ever.

The duck confit panini has duck confit (obviously), black pepper mayo, pickled onions, aged gouda cheese, and fig preserves all pressed onto sourdough bread and panini grilled to perfection!  The fig preserves sounds a little weird at first but it works. It works really well.  The duck is kind of fatty, the gouda is salty, the pickled onions are a little tart, so the fig preserves bring a touch a sweetness to balance all the flavors in perfect harmony to make the most awesome sandwich!

Did I mention this sandwich was really tasty?? If you like duck, this is a must-have on your next trip to Charleston. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

And of course we had to pick up some gourmet sweet treat. We opted for butter toffee pecans. Sweet and crunchy deliciousness! They are very sweet so only 2 or 3 at a time is good!

Pablo gave Hominy Grill 4 ants and Caviar & Bananas 5 ants!! Both Pablo approved!!

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!

Vintage 50

Ok, here's another retro-blog post from a fantastic local restaurant Superking and I visited back in December.  Vintage 50 is located in downtown Leesburg, VA, tucked away in the lower level of an office building just off the main strip of Market Street before you enter Oldtown Leesburg.

The atmosphere here at Vintage 50 is warm and cozy, with a bar/lounge area, a lovely main dining room, and a cute little outdoor patio area for when the weather's nice. The bar area has an old-world English pub feel with a modern twist. And the dining room, though not super formal, is sophisticated and crisp. The food is a combination of both...innovative dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients from local farms that keeps the menu changing constantly.

When we were there in December for lunch, we were served from the Lounge menu which is slightly smaller than the dinner menu and offers items such as salads, flatbreads, and burgers. We decided to start with one of their appetizer specialties...Duck Fat Fries!  These are fries like no other. Thick potatoes sliced and poached in duck fat, then fried, and served with a spicy ketchup.  If you've never had anything cooked in duck fat, you need to!

Then for our meal, I ordered the Kobe Beef Hot Dog.  It had been a really long time since I'd eaten a hot dog. So I figured this was the one to have.  Juicy, fat, succulent beefy hot dog with that little crispy snap of the casing. You get your choice of 3 toppings so I chose cheddar cheese, saurkraut, and caramelized onions. Saurkraut, I'm sure some of you are saying, "Eww gross!".  My husband would agree but I love the stuff! And it was awesome on this Kobe beef hot dog!

Superking chose the Vintage Elite Burger.  A massive house-ground Angus beef burger served on a pretzel roll with your choice of 3 "elite" toppings. I'm not really sure what makes them "elite" but they were all pretty yummy looking.  Since this was from back in December, we don't remember exactly what the toppings we chose were. But there some kind of fancy cheese (probably gruyere), some kind of fancy ham, and some kind of fancy mushrooms on that monstrous burger. And he ate every single bite!

We were way too stuffed for any kind of dessert. I think when we left there, we waddled home for a nap! But we are pining to go back for their Sunday brunch (bottomless Belgian waffles and Biscuits & Gravy) and their Dinner Menu (Superking wants to try the Veal Sweetbreads and I want to try the Savory Pear Tart)...Super Yumma Yumma!!