Restaurant Review: Barcode Washington, D.C

Thinking back on this past weekend, it was full of new places to go and people to see. But a place I thought that would have had more of an exciting ambiance turned out to be a big disappointment. We went to a restaurant/lounge in DC called Bar.Code; this place has been talked about as a great place to go for drinks, dinner, and have a bit of fun. Located on 17th and L street, which makes it not hard to miss and it is far from a busy area. The overall set up is quite modern and the three distinct areas of the restaurant  have been arranged in such a way that's comfortable and suitable for everyone's enjoyment. On one side lies the lounge area, small and cozy and there was no service in this area. It would have been nice to have a bar tender come over and ask if we wanted to see a menu or have a few drinks while we lounged and waited on a table. On the opposite side of the place was the bar. It was very tight, not a lot of sitting room. Most people were standing around the bar area. In the middle lied the dining area which were two long rows that stretched from the front of the restaurant to the back; the tables were too close and not intimate at all. 

Once we were seated we were given menus which consisted of appetizers, drinks, cocktails, salads, sandwiches, entrees, and dessert. Prices were varied but the prices were not consistent to what was being offered. I personally thought prices were a little high, but we hoped that what we ordered would make up for what we were spending; not in the slightest. I ordered a tomato and mozzarella salad as a starter and turned out to be a poorly made dish. 

The dish wasn't seasoned enough and the balsamic vinegar was more of a thin dressing then a drizzle. A different type of tomato should have been used to bring out freshness and the mozzarella cheese, even though fresh; it truly didn't fit in to the plate and left a bitter taste on the palate. By now, we were worrying that our entrees were going to end up the same bland and not appetizing;we were right. 


My friend ordered an Italian pannini with fries. The fries had no salt at all and the sandwich was a bit dry had wilted lettuce and marinara sauce was not flavorful. 

I ordered a filet mignon tip pasta with spinach and peppers. There was hardly any sauce, the filet mignon was over cooked, the pasta was not seasoned at all. The meal was absolutely disappointing because it only accomplished part of the culinary equation of a meal both pleasing to the palate and to the eyes.

We skipped dessert and vowed we wouldn't try this place again. After spending a good amount of money  for food that was not of great quality, we have adopted a new strategy about going to new places. When we go to a new place we can sample what these restaurants have to offer and spend less money and then get some kind of idea of what we are getting ourselves into. As for Barcode, think we will pass next time. So for a place with such a high standard, it surely did not meet our expectations.

Location: 1101 17th street, nw dc
Menu pricing: $5-24
Site: http://www.barcodedc.com/

Compiled by Kisha

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Flava Buzz

Food Gossip

Eating fast food has been linked with an increase in depression. I'm not surprised!

A limited edition whiskey is on sale for 250,000 in Singapore.

Will they do away with bottled water? I hope not..it's a luxury for me.

28-year-old man from Sweden blames his erratic violent behavior on the over consumption of nutmeg.

Questlove and Momofoku chef will be having an impromptu televised fried chicken battle on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (4/12) allegedly.

The Real Cookbook is the world's first  edible cookbook. The pages in the cookbook are apart of the ingredients. The cookbook is made of 100% fresh pasta. 

"Food Forward" is a new TV show on PBS that explored various food issues. It airs April 5th.

To all you Starbucks lovers they are using a beetle extract in their strawberry frapp.

Apparently, the cost of ice cream will be going up due to a vanilla shortage.


Weird great news! If a product contains "pink slime" it must be labelled, allegedly.


Coffee maker in your car?

Restaurant openings


New deep-fried pizza restaurant opened in NYC
La Montanara by Forcella 168 Ludlow St. 646.657.0730

Montreal-style deli.
Mile End Sandwich 53 Bond St. 212.529.2990

Chef Andy Riker will be launching an outpost of his Oregon flagship.
Pok Pok NY 127 Columbia St.

New infamous M.Wells Dinnette 
22-25 Jackson Ave at 46th st. Long Island City, Queens 718.784.2084


Festivals 


Hester Street Festival Opens April 28th

Brooklyn Flea Opens April 7th 176 Lafayette Ave 10am-5pm

Hell's Kitchen Flea Market W. 39th st. Every second Sunday of the Month 11am-5pm

6th Avenue Chelsea Festival April 7th btwn 23rd/32nd

Union Square/Broadway Festival April 8th btwn 17th/23rd

Dekalb Market April 7th 8am-8pm


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Sources: Huffington Post, Delish, Timeout NY

Restaurant Review: Matchbox in Washington, D.C

This weekend my friend and I went to another great restaurant near the DC Navy yard. It was a very cute and small, yet intimate place located on 8th street near some cosmopolitan bars and bistros.The service was beyond excellent and the waiter was overtly attentive; he is possibly the best waiter that I have had thus far. Their tables were laid out quite nicely with tiny matchboxes as their center decor etched into the table; hence the name: Matchbox. The menu consisted of two pages with an assortment of great appetizers, mixed drinks, and fabulous entrees. The wine menu and dessert menus were not on the entree menu, but more on those in a moment. My friend and I decided to go for a light dinner which turned out to be great since the day was beautiful and it was nice to be out and grab so great food.

We decided to share dishes which was a great idea because the portions were fairly reasonable for two people. We started out with drinks, and then we ordered an awesome appetizer. Lobster risotto with parmesan cheese, and Pecorino Romano with sweet peas. The lobster was cooked so delicately, which still made the meat sweet and juicy. The flavors of the sharp cheese and fresh lobster made for a great contrast. It awakened my taste buds and I could not wait for the entree.

The entree we decided to share was exceptional;we decided to get grilled romaine lettuce with hanger steak which we had cooked medium well. This was a fantastic dish with a unique assortment of flavors. There were croutons, hard boiled eggs, Romano cheese all mixed nicely with the caesar dressing. The lettuce had been grilled and you could taste the smoky flavors mixed with it's own seasonings. The steak was very tender and it had very simple seasonings, the age old favorites: salt and pepper. The entree was great and very filling, but there was still enough room for dessert.

This had to be my favorite part of the meal because there is nothing like ending a marvelous dinner with a mouth watering dessert. The dessert we tried was named the trio. A fabulous three part dessert that tied into each individual item. The first was a trio of sorbet with vibrant colors with a hint of mint. The flavors included mango, sweet strawberry, and a vanilla coconut. The second dessert was a molten chocolate cake topped vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate and caramel drizzle and a crispy chocolate piece of candy plated quite nicely at the top of the cake. The last item; which just happened to be my favorite was the cinnamon and sugar rolled donuts and the sweet espresso coffee shot. They were all excellent desserts; and we both enjoyed every last dish.

This is a great little place to go if you want some good food and you just want to relax; it is a bit upscale yet it wont break your bank account. It is a definite must try.



Appetizer: $6-17
Entree: $14-28
Location: 8th Street Washington, DC
Number: 202-548-0369
Website: matchboxchinatown.com

Compiled by Kisha