Lincoln - McPherson Square, DC

Brunch for birthday celebrations is such a nice change from typical dinners. We took my wonderful aunt to Lincoln. Their seasonal menu uses fresh, local ingredients for its American dishes. They have outdoor seating in front for warmer weather, and metered street parking.

The interior is beautiful! The detailing is on the walls, furniture, ceiling and floor looks modern yet colonial-chic. Jars hang from the ceilings while the floor is COVERED in real pennies. One of the walls changes color, and it was hot pink while we were there.

See the hot pink wall? Can't have brunch without some drinks! We had Bellinis and Mimosas.

 The birthday lady ordered the Brunch Burger ($13). Who doesn't love a fried egg on top?

My cousin ordered the Poached Eggs Benedict ($13). She thought everything was seasoned well.

My Stuffed French Toast ($10) was quite special. I ate the entire thing, didn't have to cover it in syrup and enjoyed the pears very much. It was very light and fluffy. I'd recommend this and order this again!

My cousin and I were being fatties and decided to share a Gingerbread Waffle ($14) from their waffle/omelet station in the front. It is made to order and you can top it however you like. You have the option of a regular waffle too. It tasted like a dessert!

Such a beautiful place and the food was delicious. Everything was between $10-14, so it can add up if you want more food. Our server was nice, but not as attentive as he was serving a large party in a separate room. One cool thing was a DJ was playing house music during brunch, which brought a trendy vibe.

Lincoln Restaurant
1110 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20005
lincolnrestaurant-dc.com
(202) 386-9200

MOA - Rockville, MD

A large group of my girl friends and I had dinner at MOA, which is a Korean restaurant hidden in a more industrial part of Rockville. I actually used to work across the street years ago before they opened! The parking lot is small, but there is plenty of street parking.

The interior is bright with wooden tables and benches. They do not have tables with grills built into the center. They bring a portable grill if you order BBQ. They have a wide range of items from soups, BBQ and other traditional Korean dishes.

I've listed the dishes that everyone got, just as a reference.

1. Seol Leong Tang ($7.99) - This is what I ordered. A milky-looking noodle soup with beef. The milkiness come from the bone marrow in the broth. It was my first time trying this dish, and I wish it was spicy.

2. Mul Naeng Myun ($9.99) - Cold soup with beef and vegetables. Has a tangy taste, which makes it a popular dish among my friends. I personally do not like cold, noodle soups.

3. Pork Tang Su Yook ($14.99) - The Korean version of Sweet and Sour pork. I thought it was yummy!

4. Bulgogi Jungol ($29.99) - The plate that the meat is grilled on has a moat (is that the right term?) to hold vegetables, noodles and broth. The beef drippings also help add flavor. This was nice because there was extra stuff other than just meat.

5. Son Wang Mandu ($8.99) - These dumplings are the size of my palm! The biggest ones I've ever seen before. I enjoyed them.

6. Yukgaejang ($8.99) - Spicy, shredded beef soup.

I like that they give yogurt drinks at the end with the bill. Another good dish is their Spicy Octopus, which I've had on a different visit. Small staff, but very helpful! The kim chi is homemade and really good.

MOA Korean Restaurant
12300 Wilkins Ave
Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 881-8880
www.yelp.com/biz/moa-korean-restaurant-rockville