Image via Complex Original
Patrick Judabong - photographer, DJ, and founder of the Fat Bastard Crew, known to the world as Buddhabong. He has traveled the world in search of stunning images, great beats, and the best eats. Currently, you can catch him getting fat in and around New York City.
Washington D.C. — not only is it our nation's capital, it's also home to too many incredible restaurants. Most people know the District for Wings and Mambo Sauce, and I've always wondered whether the man himself, President Obama, has ever had the pleasure of trying.
On a recent trip, I was on a mission to experience the best the city has to offer. Between visiting museums, monuments, and shopping at Commonwealth, D.C. welcomed this Fat Bastard with open arms for a 72-hour food rampage.
Fat Bastard Approved!
(Twitter: @buddhabong)
Founding Farmers
Founding Farmers
Address: 1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Website: wearefoundingfarmers.com
At Founding Farmers, expect a 40 minute to an hour wait; reservations are a must (they take them up to two months in advance). FF is a place that serves farm-fresh products, fully supporting the green movement. The line spills out onto the sidewalk, indicating that this is the place to eat at.
I ordered the fried chicken and waffles with eggs, plus their signature New Orleans stuffed French toast a la banana fosters. The waffles were soft but had crispy edges. When the syrup hit the waffle, it filled each gorge, making for a perfect all-over sweetness. The chicken had the right amount of seasoning but was slightly dry. The moist, scrambled eggs straight out of a Julia Childs recipe.
The New Orleans styled stuffed French toast a la banana foster was, for a lack of a better word, slammin! The long, square-shaped entrée came filled with vanilla crème and had a perfectly burnt outer crust. Once topped with powdered sugar, slices of banana, and maple cinnamon syrup, the French toast became complete. My mouth waters each time I think back to the meal.
No wonder there's such a long wait! Well played, Founding Farmers, well played.
Ben’s Chili Bowl
Ben's Chili Bowl
Address: 1213 U St. NW
Website: benschilibowl.com
With over 50 years in the business, it's safe to call Ben's Chili Bowl a classic. Even a gloomy rainy day couldn't deter people from coming to eat at this D.C. institution.
I ordered Bill Cosby’s Original Chili Half-Smoke with a side of chili cheese fries. The Half-Smoke is half pork/half beef smoked sausage in a warm, steamed bun, drenched with chili and mustard, set off with some potato chips on the side. The chili cheese fries arrived first, a pile of golden fries nesting below the joint's signature chili, nacho cheese enveloping everything from the top down.
The chili has a spicy kick, courtesy of what I suspect was cayenne pepper. The smokey flavor from the sausage gives you that authentic, "fresh from the cooker" feeling. The combination of chili cheese fries and sausage makes for a well-rounded meal, sending you into a comfort-food coma you won't want to come out of.
Putting D.C. on the map as the go to place for chili, Ben's has made me a believer. I mean, how can you go wrong at a place where Bill Cosby has his own chili dog?!
Jaleo
Jaleo
Address: 480 7th St. NW
Website: jaleo.com
Tapas on crack! A trendy, happening place, Jaleo translates to "revelry" or "uproar," and uproar it certainly was! Spawned from the brain of chef José Andrés, Jaleo captures Spain's vigor and heritage with truly authentic tapas.
My feast included Jamon Iberico de Bellota Fermin, Croquetas de Jamon Serrano, Patatas Bravas, and Polli al Ajillo con Salsa Verde. I started with the Jamon Iberico de Bellota Fermin, which is a cured ham from the legendary, acorn-fed black-footed Iberico pigs of Spain. Thinly sliced and lightly salted, the Spanish ham is a cousin to the Italian ham, prosciutto. The ham, served with Pan de Crystal bread with tomato spread, makes for a flawless combination. The tomato spread complements the bread in so many ways, but is also a force to be reckoned with on its own.
Croquetas de Jamon Serrano are traditional deep-fried ham-and-cheese fritters. The tiny square slices of ham are first dunked in cheese and then deep-fried to create a golden-brown crust. Bursting with cheese, each bite of this dish is super rich.
The Patatas Bravas are potatoes topped with spicy tomato sauce and sporadic mounds of aioli (garlic mayonnaise). Hints of cayenne pepper become apparent as the spice works up and down your taste buds. The Polli al Ajillo con Salsa Verde is grilled marinated chicken served with parsley puree and garlic sauce. The chicken delivers a smokey charred taste, while the marinated flavor gives off subtle hints of beef stock reduction and wine.
Believe you me, this place was hands down the highlight of the trip.
Good Stuff Eatery
Good Stuff Eatery
Address: 303 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Website: goodstuffeatery.com
Good Stuff Eatery? More like Great Stuff Eatery! GSE prides itself on handcrafted burgers, fries, and shakes using only high-quality ingredients.
I went with the Farmhouse Cheeseburger, which includes dairy-fresh American cheese, farm-fresh red ruby tomatoes, grilled onions, crisp lettuce, and pickles served on a sweet, buttery, soft, freshly-baked Pennsylvania Dutch bun and the "Good Stuff Sauce" (think Shake Shack's Shack Sauce) The Farmhouse Cheeseburger is juicy, mega-tasty, and not too oily. Size-wise, it was petite but, to my surprise, filled me up. The Good Stuff Sauce is a mash-up of thousand-island dressing and another secret ingredients, making for a light, tangy taste.
To correctly complement the burger, Spike's Village Fries are a must, coming blanketed with fresh thyme, rosemary, and sea salt. If found the fries to be a little under-salted, so, depending on your palate, you may want to shake a little more on. If you're into dipping sauces, they have a wide array to help better enjoy your herb fries. Some local favorites are the mango and sriracha mayo.
This meal would not have been complete without a milkshake. I got the Milky Way Malt, which was rich and thick, packed with tons of chocolate/malt, which is good, but I would probably have been happier if I'd went with the Banana Fosters milkshake, being a fan of the fruit.
Another burger joint added to the Fat Bastard list.
Artfully Chocolate
Artfully Chocolate (ACKC)
Address: 1529 14th St. NW
Website: thecocoagallery.com
What's a food rampage without dessert? No food rampage at all, that's what.
I didn't really know what to think when I first walked into Artfully Chocolate. The establishment is part art gallery, part cocoa bar, and part wine bar. There is mixed media art on the chocolate in the front cases, and the baristas behind the counter, ever-ready to take your order, make you feel like you'll satisfy all your art and sweets desires. ACKC is known for their infusion drinks—collectively known as the Divas—which can be prepared three different ways: as a hot chocolate, an ice cream dessert, or a milkshake.
I tried the Marilyn Monroe milkshake and the Grace Kelly hot chocolate. The Marilyn Monroe has a white chocolate base with crème de menthe, and is topped with whipped cream and crumbled Oreo cookies. The minty shake wasn't too thick, and when the liquid entered and exited the straw the draw was smooth and refreshing. The Grace Kelly was a dark hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, ribbons of caramel, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Not too sweet, the dark chocolate and caramel blended perfectly.
Dessert is mandatory! And when you're in D.C., this is the place.
Matchbox Chinatown
Matchbox Chinatown
Address: 713 H St. NW
Website: matchboxchinatown.com
Pizza in Chinatown? Well, D.C.'s Chinatown is more like one, two streets, max. Nestled in "Chinatown" is Matchbox. At the entrance, you're greeted by flames above the front archway. The restaurant is open and airy but currently under construction. Nevertheless, the food that awaits will be calling your name.
I went with the pizza over the mini sliders; I ordered the veggie. The thin crust pizza was flavorful and hearty. It came topped with crimini mushrooms, Spanish onions, roasted poblano peppers, roasted garlic, mozzarella, fresh herbs, and small fingerling potato crisps. The roasted garlic was delectable, never overpowering the other ingredients. The garnish of fingerling potato crisps provided a salty kick, while the outer crust was crunchy and slightly burnt (a fact of the brick-oven pizza experience).
Offering a variety of funky fusion pies, there is no doubt that you'll be able to find the right one to satisfy your craving. Refreshingly different from New York pizza, Matchbox was certainly a gratifying change.
Marvin
Marvin
Address: 2007 14th St. NW
Website: marvindc.com
Marvin pays homage to the late, great soul singer—"inspired by the story of Marvin Gaye's infamous two years in self-imposed exile in the small Belgian town of Ostend." This restaurant brings out the best in Soul food and Belgian food, slamming the two together creatively.
I wasted no time inhaling the moules frites and chicken and waffles entrées. The meuniere moules (mussels) frites (french fries) incorporated white wine, garlic, and shallots. The chew factor was semi-gamey, but when coupled with the frites made for a perfect match. The frites were long, not oily, and only lightly salted. The dipping sauces proved to be quite interesting, with three choices: ketchup, wasabi mayo, and curry mayo.
The country-fried chicken consisted of free-range chicken atop one small waffle above a mound of collard greens, everything surrounded by gravy. The chicken was crispy and juicy; nothing dry here. Two words come to mind about the chicken: lip smackin'. The waffle sat sandwiched between the chicken and the greens. It was airy, but paled in comparison to the succulent Amy Ruth's waffle in New York. Since the collard greens were on the bottom, it was a bit watery, but still manageable. My only real gripe is the waffle to chicken ratio: The waffle should have been bigger. Or there should have been two instead of one.
For a different yet refined take on Soul food, this is the spot.