Willow - Arlington, VA

The bf and I used another Groupon for this meal...I can't pass up a deal! I've heard great things about Willow's modern American menu, not to mention it was on Washingtonian Magazine's Top 100 in 2010 so I was looking forward to this meal.

There are two entrances, and this picture is of the back entrance next to the validating parking garage located in the same building. If you decide to take the metro, Ballston-MU metro station on the orange line a block away. Outdoor seating is available weather permitting.

This place is huge. We sat in the main dining room, which was semi-sectioned off with furniture but still felt open. There are other smaller rooms around the restaurant too. Decor is simple but upscale.

The menu is small with around 12 entrees offering a variety of seafood, steak, pork, chicken and vegetables.

We started off with their signature item - Grilled Flatbread. We went with The Willow (Wild Mushrooms, Lemon, Thyme, Fontina, Parmesan & White Truffle Essence) for $10.50. This was the appetizer size, but you can order the standard size for $19.50. It was delicious! All of the ingredients blended went together, and you can never go wrong with truffle oil. This was the thinnest flat bread I've ever had, so it's really not a lot of food.

The bf ordered the Petite Filet Medallions (Pepper-Crusted Cast-Iron Seared Steak, Creamy Spinach Tart, Portobello “Fries” and Red Wine-Shallot Sauce) for $30.50. He thought it was good, but wished it packed more a flavor punch with it being encrusted with pepper. It was also a bit overcooked.

I ordered the Crispy Tempura Fried Soft Shell Crab (Corn Pancake, English Peas, Fresh Corn, Snap Peas, Radish & Corn Sauce) for $34.50. I enjoyed the large portion and crispy but not greasy crabs. The corn was sweet and the asparagus was cooked perfectly. I believe the ingredients tasted best together, but individually they were soft of plain.

The service was attentive to us and I liked the food presentation. The atmosphere wasn't as cozy/romantic as I prefer, and I would characterize it as noisy. The entrees range from mid 20's to mid 30's. Overall, a good restaurant that can hold large groups of people.

4301 Fairfax Dr
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 465-8800
www.willowva.com

Bangkok 54 - Arlington, VA

I've missed you guys! It's been close to a month since I've posted (horrid). Life has been crazy busy but I'm back and ready to bring you along on my eating adventures. Let's go...

Many of my friends have considered Bangkok 54 their favorite Thai restaurant in the metro area, so I went with a couple of them to see for myself.

There is a front and back entrance with a small private lot behind the restaurant. The closest metro station is Pentagon City on the blue/yellow line.

The interior is very clean with a blend of Thai and contemporary decor. It's really cute in there.

The menu has a standard amount of items that I've seen at other Thai restaurants, but what makes them unique is their interpretation of the dishes. The food presentation was a nice bonus.

Thai Iced Tea!

I've included pics of my friends' dishes for visual reference.

We started off with 2 orders of Fresh Rolls (avocado, carrots, cucumber, fried tofu, lettuces, and vermicelli noodles) for $5.95. These are different than typical Spring Rolls and are AMAZING! The avocado makes this appetizer memorable. Next time I'm ordering one for myself and I'm not sharing.

Top: Green Papaya Salad (Shredded green papaya, peanut, tomatoes, garlic, dried baby shrimp, seasoned with chili, fish sauce and fresh lime juice) for $6.95. I've tried some that had too much fish sauce, but this was not the case here, when I tried a bite.

Bottom: Daily Special - Fried Soft Shell Crab. Beautiful presentation and great with the accompanied sauce.

Top: Roast Duck Curry (roasted duck, pineapple and cherry tomatoes in spicy red coconut-curry sauce) for $12.95. The pineapples were a great addition and I'm ordering this as my entree next time.

Bottom: Pork Belly Stew (I couldn't find this on the menu, so maybe it was a daily special). Reminded me of a Vietnamese dish that has whole boiled eggs with the pork. We all wished it was fattier.

Onto my my dish! I ordered the Penang Curry (panang curry in the light creamy coconut sauce with sweet basil served on top of steamed broccoli) for $10.95. I always order my curry with fried tofu because I like how it soaks up the sauce. I liked the curry sauce, but I thought there were too many crunchy vegetables.

We ordered some Mango and Sticky Rices for the table, which was a great way to end our meal. The rice was slightly salty, which added another element to the dessert.

Very minor observation, but we all agreed that the silverware was awkward to use because it was rounded.

The restaurant has a lounge and a market next door!

I got myself some delicious goodies and will have a short post on how to make Thai Iced Tea.

I had a great experience. The place was super cute, and not pretentious. The service was fast and nice. Everyone's dish was good! I was pointing out a few things I'd prefer with the dishes, but none of them tasted bad. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying dishes that other friends have suggested. I also ordered Pad See-Ew to-go for the bf and he thought it was exceptional.

2919 Columbia Pike
Arlington, VA 22204
703-521-4070
www.bangkok54restaurant.com

Elevation Burger - Arlington, VA

Apparently I'm celebrating my birthday all January! My cousin bought a Living Social deal for Elevation Burger in Arlington, VA and we met up for lunch on a lazy Sunday. One of the recent fads in the area has been new burger places and this place brings something different to the table with healthier ingredients and sustainable practices. Located in a shopping center, there is parking but it gets crowded as its shared with a super market. The closest metro station is East Falls Church on the orange line.

Small interior made with sustainable items like bamboo floors, compressed sorghum tables, LED lights, recycled materials, etc. There aren't many tables, so thankfully we were able to grab one as a family was leaving.

What sets this burger place apart is the 100% USDA-certified organic, grass-fed, free-range, ground-on-premises beef. We both ordered the cheeseburger ($3.99 each). Reminded me of an In-N-Out burger because of the paper wrapping. It tastes good, the patty is thin, and isn't overly heavy or large. I ordered mine with Elevation sauce, which reminded me of McDonald's special sauce.

We ordered their freshly-cut fries ($2.59) that are fried in 100% olive oil. They're thin like McDonald's fries and have a slightly different flavor because of the olive oil but I liked them a lot. My cousin prefers them cut thicker, so I ate most of them.

We both ordered milkshakes ($3.89 each), Oreo cookie in chocolate (top) and strawberry in vanilla (bottom). I ordered black cherry in vanilla but ended up with strawberry. It was good, but tasted exactly like a McDonald's one, so I don't think it was worth the price.

Lastly to use up the rest of the deal, we got a chocolate chip oatmeal pecan cookie ($1.49). It was very dense and thick. The flavor was nice, but I wasn't a huge fan of the texture.

I enjoy supporting places that practice sustainability and offer healthier options. Besides organic beef and fries cooked in olive oil, there are veggie burgers ($3.59) and salad ($3.99). The cashier was very knowledgeable and food came out pretty fast. Prices are fair, so I'd recommend trying it if you want a lighter burger option.

2447 North Harrison St
Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 300-9467
www.elevationburger.com

Ray's Hell Burger- Arlington, VA

To my NoVa readers, you have not been forsaken! I'm finally writing about another NoVa restaurant. My apologies...I'm hardly ever in VA, but I'd like to change that.

There has been so much hype surrounding Ray's Hell Burger, so I knew I had to try it. I went with a couple of friends on a Sunday night for dinner. You know a place focuses on the food if they have a sign like that. Parking is limited in this small shopping center, but there is metered parking along the road. The closest metro stop is Court House on the orange line.

This place is CASH ONLY, and you pay at a register, get a number, and they bring your food to your table. The line moves very fast and they hand you a laminated menu in line. I was overwhelmed because everything sounded good.

The place is small and crowded. We were sitting at the furthest table from the window, so this really is how big the place is. They offer outdoor seating for nice days too.

Onto the menu! The reason why this place has become so popular is their burger size, quality and topping options. You can get these 10oz beef burgers cooked in a 1 of 5 different styles, the option of 11 free toppings, a variety of cheeses including brie (my fav), and some really crazy ones too. If you're feeling adventurous, top your burger with bone marrow, foie gras or truffle oil. You can make any combo you'd like, or order from their preset burgers. Sorry for those that don't eat red meat, there are no turkey burgers, Boca burgers, or Portobello Mushroom burgers.

I was so indecisive, but I chose one of their preset burger options, 'B.I.G. Poppa- Au Poivre Burger with Black Peppercorn Crust, Aged Danish Blue Cheese, Cognac and Sherry Sauteed Mushrooms, Grilled Red Onions' for $7.99. Just typing that out made me salivate. What a burger!

The burgers are served to you open faced.
Top: Mushrooms and Onions
Bottom: Peppercorn Burger and Blue Cheese

Do you see how huge this thing is? The burger doesn't come wrapped in paper or foil to help keep it neat. It's extremely messy, juicy and slidey. I had to cut it in 6th in order to keep things in check.

On the menu, they suggest ordering all burgers Medium-Rare. I personally like my meat that way, so you can see how the center is very pink/red.

There was so much flavor in this burger, OMG. The peppercorn crust was very strong, the cheese was pungent and the mushrooms and onions gave a nice caramelized finish to even everything out. The bun was toasted and the burger was so juicy. I was very impressed at the quality for $8. I was only able finish 5/6 of the thing, and felt like I was going to have a heart attack (not literally, but you know what I mean).

Pretty funny, but everyone at the table either ordered my burger or 'The Punisher- Diablo Burger (Grilled and Brushed with Our Spicy Chipotle Marinade), Pepper Jack Cheese, Charred Jalapenos, Grilled Onions and Piranha Sauce (Fiery, Spicy Green Sauce)' for $7.99.
If y'all know me, I'm not a huge fan of "kill my taste buds" food, so I didn't get to try this. Some of my friends didn't think it was spicy enough. Everyone but me ordered a side of fries or sweet potato fries, and I really liked the sweet potato fries.

Some of my friends ordered their burger well-done, so their food came out a bit later.

One of the free toppings/sauces is 'Heck Sauce', which reminded me of a Texas Pete-type sauce.

I would have to say it was one of the best burgers I've ever had because it tastes great, the beef is moist, the toppings are different, and you get a lot for your money. I don't think I could eat this as frequently as other burger places because aside from it being far from me, it's too huge and sits heavy in your stomach. Naming some of the burgers after rappers is entertaining too (Biggie, Big Pun and Fat Joe).
Next time I'd probably split 'The Burger of Seville- Seared Foie Gras, Sauteed Mushrooms, Bordelaise Sauce, and Truffle Oil ($17.50)' with someone. The runners are funny, the cashiers are super quick, and it's a great place to come with friends and chow down. They offer beer and wine, and even a 60oz Draft Root Beer for $6.50.
1713 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22209
(703) 841-0001

Mon-Sun 11 am - 10 pm