Visit Washington DC: Cafe Soleil, Zenebech Injera and Don Juan Restaurant

I arrived in Washington, D.C. late in the afternoon which gave us time to do a little site seeing.

 

 

 

We were a bit tired and lazy, so we ended up just finding a place nearby. The place we found was Cafe Soleil. We were drawn in because of the happy hour specials, but since we didn't inquire about it until after being seated, we didn't get any of the specials because we didn't want to move to the small bar. I still got a drink called an Orange Crush that can only be described as like a Mimosa but a lot lighter and more watered down.

 

Service was horrible and ridiculously slow. You know it's really bad when there is contemplation to leave because you get seated and it takes over 10 minutes before you even get menus; let's not even talk about the time it took to get water much less anything else.

 

The menu options weren't that appealing, but I really wanted the Steamed Mussels which by the way were really mediocre (tasted frozen) with about half of them not even open.

 

I felt like the Mussels were not going to be enough so I also ordered the Spicy Blue Cheese Onion Flatbread. It taste just like it sounds, too much going on that it was pretty gross.

 

My fiancé had the Hiedenberger which he describe as a fake Big Mac.

 

Based on that disastrous dinner, I vowed to make the next day about getting some of the better food DC has to offer. The first stop, Zenebech Injera for Ethipopian. I ordered the Kifto, but my fiancé mistakenly ordered it well done when wanted raw, so it was disappointing. It was a huge plate of food that could serve multiple people for a good price.

 

 

Stuffed we decided to do a little more site seeing before we continued stuffing our faces.

 

Next stop, Don Juan Restaurant, for Salvadorian food but really I just wanted to get some Pupuseras. Overall the food was pretty tasty and again a huge plate for a great price.

 

But, before headed home, we finished off the DC trip with some cupcakes from Sprinkle (we really wanted some from Baked and Wired but the line was huge and I hate to wait). As the cupcake revolutionizers Sprinkles definitely impressed.

 

Washington DC is a great place to visit because it's such a melting pot and offers easy access to a great variety.

Café Soleil

839 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20006

(202) 974-4260

www.cafesoleildc.com

Zenebech Injera

608 T St NW, Washington, DC 20001

(202) 667-4700

www.zenebechdc.com

Don Juan Restaurant

1660 Lamont St NW, Washington, DC 20010

(202) 667-0010

www.donjuandc.com

Lüke: A Chef John Besh Restaurant - Central Business District - New Orleans, LA

If you are looking to be impressed by French-German dishes in New Orleans, please go to Luke Restaurant, I know I was. 

The restaurant is located in the Central Business District, next to the Hilton and in the former Masonic Temple Building, so there is that historic vibe to the restaurant. The front room is a lot more grand than the back room (where we were seated), but that is offset by views of the open kitchen. 

Apparently they only want to seat people with reservations, so since we did not have one, we were refused seating until 9:15pm (it was 6:45pm) but with a little back and forth, we ended up waiting only 15 minutes before we were seated. However, as we walked through the restaurant to the back room, way too many tables were empty that it made no sense that they acted that way. A lot of tables still remained empty throughout the meal.

I decided to start out my meal with a cocktail. I originally wanted the Mint Julep but they were out so I had the Riverbend (vodka, lemon juice, basil syrup, blueberries & ginger ale) at the recommendation of the server. It was a relatively sweet cocktail, with the ginger ale being the most powering flavor, but you could still taste the alcohol.

My friend choose a regular starter and ordered a cup of the Crawfish Bisque. She ate all of it so I am assuming she liked it, but she did complain of a sour aftertaste.

My boyfriend skipped the appetizers and went straight for the entree. He always seems to find the most basic item on the menu and order it. He had the Luke Burger (bacon, caramelized onions, tomatoes, Swiss cheese) and was raving about it. One thing I can tell you, it was a very good size. 

My friend had the Jumbo Louisiana Shrimp "En Cocotte" with lump crab meat, roasted jalapeño cheese grits, andouille & green onion sausages. She loved it.

I have an obsession with mussels so I had the classic Moules et Frites. Although only having two simply ingredients (garlic & thyme) in the broth, the flavors stood out and the taste was a lot bolder than others I have had with a lot more ingredients. The house-made fries were scrumptious. These are the best kind.

Even with all that food, we still made room for dessert. We first had the Bread Pudding which was delicious but quite sweet. I am also not a fan of over sauced foods.

One wasn't enough so we also ordered the Bourbon Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. It was superb and not too sweet which is a plus for me. The little cookies on top added nothing to the dessert and if anything could have been left off.

All that good food, I still have to give props to our server. He was amazing and engaging. The front desk soured the mood a little bit a first but he more than made up for it. I couldn't have asked for anyone better.


Luke Restaurant

333 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 378-2840 www.lukeneworleans.com