FCC – Bon Vivant VA

Birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Etc.

rsiv — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 20:19:47 +0000

We’ve been busy. I cut a bunch out, but this will still be a long post.

Pumpkin Pickin’ and Halloween

rsiv — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 15:40:09 +0000

Pumpkin Pickin’ back in October

Easter ’16

rsiv — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 17:52:21 +0000

This easter the Lil Butt is walking, so we did a lot more than last year. We saw Grandma and Grandpa, did the FCC Easter Egg hunt, ate at Nana’s and Papaw’s, and went to a decadent brunch at Sequoia.

Some videos of LB’s first putt, the egg hunt, and shopping for prezzies:

Luzmary / Luz&Mary Falls Church Review

rsiv — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 13:29:43 +0000

We live pretty close to Luzmila’s, so when we heard the owners sold, and then opened up a new place on 29, we decided to stop by for lunch. We started with chicken and beef Salteñas, which were spectacular. Then we shared the mixed fajitas. It came with shrimp, beef, and chicken. I have to say that generally I find chicken pretty bland, but it was the standout here. It was well-seasoned and incredibly juicy. We can’t wait to go back.

And as a bonus, I’ll include a picture of choripán, recently voted best international sandwich by bon appetite. Very easy to make and delicious.

Yayla Bistro Review

rsiv — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 03:52:56 +0000

For lunch today, HB and I went to Yayla Bistro. Some of the girls at work had been talking about it, and we finally thought to go. I haven’t done a restaurant review in a while on here. I have been busy with the little one, haven’t been out as much as we used to, and haven’t been passionate about a restaurant in a while. Yayla Bistro has broken the slump. When I think of Mediterranean food, I think of Greek. I’ve been to Greece, and I can name my top three Greek restaurants. Turkish food on the other hand, is more unknown to me. I can, however, now saw that I have a favorite Turkish restaurant. It was cold and rainy today. The Turkish coffee, sweetened to you liking, definitely warmed me up and hit the spot. My glass of Turkish wine was different, a bit thin perhaps, but delicious and infinitely drinkable. HB’s glass was even better (though she liked mine more). The Yayla soup, a special and recommended by our waiter, was amazing. Words literally fail me; I don’t know how to describe it. The complimentary bread and olive tapenade were great. The mezzes are when I started to get blown away. The grilled calamari was perfectly cooked, charred, and well-seasoned. The Halloumi cheese was surprisingly good. The orange marmalade was a better than expected accompaniment, and the cheese had a curd-like squeakiness. The Lahmacun (flatbread) was excellent as well. Next time, I’ll be hard pressed not to order the calamari and halloumi, but I’m excited to try a new entree. As good as the food was, I think the service was even better. I’m kicking myself for not getting our waiter’s name. He was very knowledgable and passionate about the wine list, had great suggestions on the menu, and answered our questions about the food and customs without judgement. He even brought me a new coffee dish (mine had some coffee spilled on it) when he saw me taking pictures. We’ll definitely be back. Probably for half-priced wine Monday, or live entertainment on Thursday.

Impromptu Party

rsiv — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 00:15:57 +0000

Last weekend was rare in that we had no plans. We had some sushi. We made brunch in, and watched opening day of the EPL. Then some friends from DC called and said they were in the area and wanted to hang out. Not long after, another set of friends said they were just down the way on a rare night away from the kids…

We checked out at rite aid (where we got the calls), walked home with a impulse buy pool, and frantically cleaned. LB loved the pool. Best $15 bucks I ever spent.

HB and I saw that an Astro doughnuts and fried chicken was coming at Falls Church. Instead of waiting, we bought some krispy kremes and chicken strips. I had RP buy a few extra strips on his way over. Since he gave me some bs about it not being paleo, we had biscuits and gravy chips, and chicharones as sides. I was worried the sandwich would be dry, but it was surprisingly good. I even had a few bites with american cheese, which was much better than expected.

Then came the juleps. I grow my own kentucky colonel mint, and have had a bumper crop this year. It was definitely time, and the season, for some juleps.

JD and R came over, and things escalated quickly. When you don’t party often, you have to party hard (and long). The next morning, I surveyed the aftermath. The massacre of so much bourbon and taco bell will go down in infamy. A good time was had by all.

Peter Chang Arlington

rsiv — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 00:13:35 +0000

The other day HB and I needed to do a little grociery shopping at the teeter, so we grabbed some lunch at Peter Chang. This place has been all over the social media, washingtonpost, etc., so we thought it was time to check it out.

The fried pork belly was very good. I also thought the hot and sour soup really stood out. They really do seem to go the extra mile here. Eggs rolls come with orders of soup. The portions are large, and the menu is much more interesting than your typical Chinese joint. I agree that this place is upscale, and fortunately, the price doesn’t match. Check it out.

Greek salad

rsiv — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 01:43:09 +0000

I’ve always been a big fan of Greek salad. I saw something about grilling octopus the other day on twitter and got inspired.

I got some frozen spanakopita and a couple bottles of Greek wine and we had a meal.

For dessert, I got baklava and gelato. It was a great meal, and we enjoyed getting the family together on such a pleasant evening.

Crab on crab on crab

rsiv — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 17:30:47 +0000

After having some of HB’s soft shell crab pad thai the night before, we went out to Pizzeria Orso and had crab pizza (and a negroni). We did this despite knowing we had plans to get crabs with Lil’ the next afternoon.

Taylors hooked us up as usual.

We went to see the O’Gs before their lil girl was born. Notice HW’s cool hat made specifically for shooting (no nub on the top for when one wears ear protection).

We went to Ted’s Bulletin with Lil’ and then again with CK. I can’t get enough of that place. The chicken and biscuits are delicious.

After watching a little world cup while HB was in Target, we smoked some very interesting cigars that constantly changed. Practically each puff tasted different; it was wild. Later, I made some coconut crusted tilapia, and we had a very delicious rose.

LB was given her first kids menu.

She had her first taste of meat.

While I was doing the stay at home mom thing, we had a picnic.

And I finally got around to hanging the last of her nursery decorations.

Now we’re headed out to Tim’s Rivershore for more crab.

Updated to include more crab:

Pita Pouch Falls Church Review

rsiv — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 00:23:05 +0000

My mom lives in FCC and is on the chamber of commerce. While watching my daughter, she went to the grand opening of Pita Pouch a couple weeks ago and told me about it. I decided to check it out and got a couple pitas to take home one day after work. They were good, but not mind-blowingly so. The decor is cool and its not another pizza place or froyo joint, so I thought I might mention them in a catch-up post or something. Then I went back with my wife and got the bowl. OMG the bowl. The cool thing about pita pouch is all the toppings, and with the bowl, you can really load them up and try a lot/all of the options.

With the pouch, you can really only fit maybe 5 or so toppings. My bowl was fully loaded and exploding with different flavors. They even give you have a pita with the bowl, so you’re not missing a thing by not getting the pouch. I’ve had the chicken and the beef, but I haven’t tried the falafel yet. The chicken and beef are both good options; you can’t go wrong. For the toppings, I think I passed on about three, but got at least a little of everything else. Once you load up your bowl, get a mint lemonade. I honestly can’t think of the last time I had such a flavorful meal. Definitely check out the Pita Pouch, and definitely go for the bowl.