Walnut Lane by Jonathan Waxman Twitter/X Food Review

Braised Short Rib at Walnut Lane by Jonathan Waxman

Best of @wonder starts with one of my favorite chefs, @chefjwaxman and Walnut Lane. His Braised Short Rib is a near-masterpiece (for carryout) despite its $$ price ($32.95) and a few too many (5!) pearl onions. The mash is divine, ditto for the gravy and the meat... tender as a lullaby. A- Almost as good, WT's surprising Rigatoni with Vegetable Bolognese ($17.95) which tastes exactly the same as the real deal. Vegetarians rejoice: That bolognese is surreal, and the bowl is super filling. Our only regret? Not enough basil. B+

Grade: B+ 

Wok and Roll Karaoke Twitter/X Food Review

General Tso's Chicken at Wok and Roll Karaoke

I realize that @WokNRollDC is probably best known for karaoke, but I'll take good food over (bad) music any day of the week. Based on my delivery order of General Tso's Chicken ($22.95) Egg Drop Soup ($6.75) and Vegetarian Spring Roll trio ($6.95) they can afford to give their microphones a night (or two) off. The spring rolls are extra large, crazy crispy (even after 30 minutes) and full of tasty fillings. B+ Their egg drop soup, on the other hand was conspicuously bland. I didn't see or taste ginger, green onions or even soy sauce. It was just egg and broth, and I barely finished half of it. D However, this dinner was all about the entree, and Wok & Roll rocked it for sure. If you're hungry, really hungry, this is what you order. You get a ton of chicken, and each piece is to-die-for. Moist inside, crunchy outside, and just the right amount of savory, spicy, sweet sauce to make you pang for more. That said, there's more than enough for me and a competitive eater to share. Great rice too (again, even after half an hour.) A

Grade: B+ (Scratch the soup (or swap it for hot & sour or wonton) and we're talking home runs. As is, a bases-clearing triple. 

Don Churro Twitter/X Food Review

Churro Bites & Mexican Hot Chocolate at Don Churro

Finding good dessert is harder than it should be. Luckily, there's Don Churro in Clarendon. Blink, and you might miss it; but odds are, there will be people in line, so... Grab their $10 combo (Churros & a drink) wait about 3-4 minutes, then revel in delight. The Churro Bites (normally $8.99) are 15 strong, as in... no way to eat them all. They're crispy, hot and dusted in cinnamon sugar. Take that, and dip them in dulce de leche (or four other flavors) and count your new (15) reasons for living. Their Mexican Hot Chocolate ($4.99) is pretty good too, and a bonafide steal for $10 all-in. All this from a mini, mini food truck.

Grade: B+ (I finished 12, and they were amazing.) 

wagamama Twitter/X Food Review

Korean Fried Chicken Bao Bun at wagamama

1st visit to @wagamamaUSA & I’m already a fan. Korean Fried Chicken Bao Bun (a steal at $10.50, 2 baos) is a culinary work of art with simple ingredients (green onions, sesame seeds & a sticky Korean BBQ sauce) smothered across a generous-sized fried chicken tender, then tucked inside a fluffy, soft-as-a-pillow bao bun. Seriously, what more do you need? Decidedly Pan-Asian. Decidedly tasty.

Grade: B+ 

Donisima Artisanal Donuts Twitter/X Food Review

Guava & Cheese at Donisima Artisanal Donuts

Just had the best doughnut OF MY LIFE at Donisima at The Square downtown. It’s called the Guava & Cheese. It costs only 5 bucks, and it transcends deliciousness. Pillowy soft, multiple creamy textures and gorgeous bits of chewy guava on top. On a budget? $3 nets you a half-dozen mini churros, which are anything but mini. P.S. I received 8 in my bag! They were scrumptious too. Please, please, please 🙏 visit 🔜 and often. A++ Super nice (& humble) shopkeeper + The Square’s unrivaled ambiance = a new all-time favorite 😍

Grade: A+ 

The Mainstay by Marc Murphy Twitter/X Food Review

Mainstay Steak Frites at The Mainstay by Marc Murphy

Was looking forward to trying The Mainstay by @chefmarcmurphy at @wonder, but can’t get past a well-done steak when I asked for medium. Ordered Mainstay Steak Frites for $29.95. It comes with (a ton of) salty fries (which taste identical to everyone else’s fries at Wonder.) In addition to overcooking the steak, they forgot to put on the garlic 🧄 Chimichurri sauce, resulting in an even drier finished product. Tack on $1.95 for a way-too-salty steak sauce (shouldn’t it be free?) and the verdict is predictable. D- The skin-on fries may have been too familiar, but they were nicely cooked, flavorful & plentiful. B- Ditto for the MOUNTAIN of onion rings ($6.95) Seriously, there were at least a dozen of ‘em, and they were pretty big. Not too greasy, but not too crunchy either ☹️ Note to kitchen: Cook them 2 minutes longer, please. The horseradish remoulade added a nice kick B Still, all I’ll remember is that 10-oz sirloin and the resulting giant side of disappointment. 

Grade: D 

Outback Steakhouse Twitter/X Food Review

The Bloomin' Burger with Aussie Fries at Outback Steakhouse

Hate to say it, but @Outback appears to be on a straight tumble towards mediocrity. Love affairs like this don’t die overnight, but this isn’t a one-off. (Sadly) it appears to be the new norm. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still good/great news to report, starting with the single best restaurant dish in the U.S.A. the Bloomin’ Onion 🧅 1900 calories of unrivaled goodness that never, NEVER disappoints A+++ Three cheers for unprecedented value as well, courtesy of Outback’s $14.99 Aussie 3-course with enough food to feed an army (or yours truly.) It starts with a Baked Potato 🥔 Soup 🍲 followed by The Bloomin’ Burger & Aussie Fries and a slice of New York-style Cheesecake that’s normally $10 on its own! The soup was… kinda yucky. Cheese, bacon bits & an oily aftertaste, when all I hoped for was clean, simple potato. To its credit, it was hot but otherwise D- The burger was a monster 1/2 pounder, but the kitchen put cheese on it despite my repeated pleas to the contrary. They cooked it to death as well (asked for medium.) FYI they undercooked my brother’s steak 🥩 AND his wife’s too. Unforgivable. Aussie Fries were ok, but I left almost all of the burger on my plate (server - no questions asked) F Luckily, the meal ended on a positive note: That cheesecake was GOOD. B+ Love the price $, dessert & the 🧅 but the burger and soup were disasters. Sorry Outback, you get graded on a (high expectations) curve.

Grade: C- (My brother & his wife hated theirs.)

The Drama Twitter/X Movie Review

Robert Pattinson & Zendaya (r) star in The Drama

I Don’t

IMDb Plot: A happily engaged couple is put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails. Directed by Kristoffer Borgli.

Westville Twitter/X Food Review

Egg Scramble Plate at Westville

Some things seem simple (such as ordering scrambled eggs (to go) at 3:30 in the afternoon.) Dig deeper, and it’s closer to impossible. Thankfully @WestvilleNYC in Clarendon does, and… they’re MAGICAL. An Egg Scramble Plate is only $13 yet comes loaded with gorgeously soft scrambled eggs (at least 3 eggs) with your choice of 3 free toppings (including bacon, chorizo & sausage.) I went with tomatoes only, but the options are endless. Eggs: A+ Home Fries: B (a bit overdone, but flavorful & tender) Portuguese Muffin. Toasted, chewy. B. Crazier still, order online via Toast and get $10 off your 1st order. 10 bucks!

Grade: A (Sublime eggs, friendly hostess and unabashed happiness. Can’t wait to come back.)

El Diez Mexican Bowls Twitter/X Food Review

Steak (Build Your Own) Rice Bowl at El Diez Mexican Bowls

@wonder recently added 2 new restaurants to their oft-delicious mix, so it didn’t take much nudging to choose El Diez Mexican Bowls and their oh-so-enticing $10 Bowl + Chips + Soda. Value A+ As for the food… Very customizable (steak, brown rice, Pico de Gallo & Tomatillo Salsa) with even more choices for wider taste 👅 options. Unfortunately, said ingredients are flavorless (especially the steak) and look 👀 like they were just tossed atop the rice with zero consideration. You get a big bag of chips, but (strangely) no salsa (we added some from Burger Baby.) No option to add a tortilla either = straight out dumb. Luckily 🍀 you can find them elsewhere on Wonder, but why go to the trouble? Again, great price, but meh food C- (Limesalt is better.) 

Grade: C (Seriously, 10 bucks is a steal.)

Marty Supreme Twitter/X Movie Review

Timothée Chalamet stars in Marty Supreme

This Is Theater

IMDb Plot: Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness. Directed by Josh Safdie.

Project Hail Mary Twitter/X Movie Review

Ryan Gosling stars in Project Hail Mary

Whoop, There It Is

IMDb Plot: A science teacher wakes up alone on a spaceship. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing Earth's sun and that an unexpected friendship may be the key. Directed by Andy Weir.