Tikka Masala Street Food Twitter/X Food Review

Vegetable Samosas at Tikka Masala Street Food

You have to be pretty bad to muck up South Asian street food, especially at the entry level, so “hats off” to @tikkastreet in Arlington for beating the odds. A late afternoon lunch was due at 4:55, so I popped inside their tiny front of house, where I identified myself & began to wait. And wait. Over 20 minutes for food that, wait for it, had been microwaved & was sitting less than 5’ behind me… the entire time. When I asked the guy behind the counter why he didn’t notify me (keep in mind, I was the only customer there) he pointed at his colleague in the back, and said “her.” Insert lame excuse here. As for the food, did I mention it was microwaved? (my ears don’t lie.) Vegetable Samosas ($4.99) were a soggy mess & close to inedible, and the nuked Potato Fries ($3.99) cold & flimsy. The $3.99 Gulab Jamun was advertised as a “freshly” made doughnut with a light glaze, but I received two mushy balls surrounded by ounces of tasteless juice or water. All in, just $13.75 total but gobs more in disappointment.

Grade: D- (Affordable, but bad.)

Colada Shop Twitter/X Food review

Colada Shop's Empanada Duo

Lots to like at @Coladashop, including our new pick for DMV’s best muffin (Carrot Pineapple, $4.45) moist as Mawsynram, India and so tasty, you might complain that it’s (only) seasonal. A+ Their $9 Empanada Duo (Chorizo/Carrot & Picadillo) is just as good, but more tender than crunchy. A- Absolutely delicious 😋. Yuca Fries are tasty but you only get 5 for $6.75. Not enough B- Other positives… Crispy Sazón Chicken tenders had a nice tangy bite, but no sauce 😳 B. Plantain Chips were crunchy, lightly salted & plentiful B and that tiny Brownie Bite had me wanting for more (super-soft, very chocolatey.) B+ Nice vibe inside & beautiful people to boot.

Grade: A- 

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.) 

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.)

Taco Bell Cantina Twitter/X Food Review III

Taco Bell's Beefy Potato Loaded Popper

Newbie alert at @tacobell. Beefy Potato (Loaded) Popper ($2.79) hits the spot with (creamy) seasoned beef, potatoes and pico de gallo. Not on par with a @ChipotleTweets burrito, but for under 3 bucks? Sold! B Chocolate Fudge & Caramel Empanadas make a dynamite 🧨 dessert combo for a mere $2.99. Caramel > Fudge by a mile, but creative for Taco Bell. Caramel = 3-bite wonder A-, Choc. Fudge = Too much chocolate, pass D Last but certainly not least, TB’s $1 Happier Hour Drink (Mountain Dew Baja Midnight) a tasty pairing of lime & passion fruit, that belies its thrifty price. A+ True to form, another budget home run (lunch for less than a tenner) for “The Bell” 🔔

Grade: B+ (Killer drank)

Fresh Baguette Food Review V

Opal Noir at Fresh Baguette

Good News and (Mostly) Meh

Cleveland Park has had its fair share of bakery options over the (many) years I've lived here. Fresh Baguette may not be the best, but it is the prettiest. That makes going inside a treat. Trouble is, the taste and value fail to inspire. Ditto for a convoluted menu that never changes (but always seems to cost too much.) There's room for (massive improvement) but I doubt they're open to the necessary changes to achieve it. In the mean time, let's explore some previously unreviewed menu options.

Compass Coffee Twitter/X Food Review II

Applewood Bacon, Egg & (no) Cheese Sandwich at Compass Coffee

Probable last trip to @CompassCoffeeDC (11th & E) ends with a relative smile. Applewood Bacon 🥓 Egg & (no) Cheese Sandwich hits the spot (despite $7.95 price tag/small) B (Thanks for honoring my special request.) Wild Berry Breeze is delicious A- (their cold drinks are always banner) but their Cinnamon Roll (affordable at $4.50) is as dry & tasteless as the rest of their pastry lineup. F (as in fresh, NOT!) Thanks for (most of) the memories.

Fresh Baguette Twitter/X Food review IV

Fresh Baguette's Blueberry Muffin

Less Is More

Another trip to #FreshBaguette and (sadly) more disappointment. Their baguettes 🥖 are pretty good, but the rest of the menu… not so much. Their $4.69 Blueberry Muffin closer resembles an old shoe, dry as a bone with almost no blueberries 🫐 inside. F Almost as bad, FB’s $4.99 Apple Turnover with (wait for it) hardly any apples 🍏 (sense a pattern?) What’s left is a bitter, parched pastry that cries out for any kind of sweetness. D Before you say I’m impossible to please, their tiny Mini Caramel Tart ($2.45) is an explosion of deliciousness, 2 parts sweet, 1 part bitter, all parts delectable. A+ That said, it’s impossible to overlook so many other negatives.

Grade: D+

Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj Announces the Opening of Malabar

Black Cod with Honey & Dill at Malabar (Photo: Shimon Tamara Photography)

From our friends at Little Blackbird...

Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj Announces The Opening of Malabar

Malabar replaces Knightsbridge Restaurant Group’s Rosedale, bringing modern Indian fare to the Forest Hills neighborhood of Washington

Ashok Bajaj of Knightsbridge Restaurant Group announces the mid-December closing of the year-old restaurant, Rosedale, to be replaced by Malabar in mid-January 2026. Located at 4465 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 20008, in the Forest Hills neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of the nation’s capital, the incoming restaurant, Malabar, will bring modern Indian fare, with a culinary team led by Group Executive Chef Vikram Sunderam. The restaurant is named after the Malabar Coast, which is the southwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. For the transformation, the restaurant will undergo a décor refresh with the installation of striking new artwork in the 100-seat dining room. The patio, which seats 30 guests for outdoor dining, weather permitting, will have a more tropical vibe as summer 2026 returns warmer weather to the nation’s capital.  Malabar will serve dinner and Sunday brunch and is within easy walking distance of the Van Ness UDC Metro station.

Compass Coffee Twitter/X Food Review

Compass Coffee's Coffee Cake

Saturday mornings should = fresh baked goods, but today’s duo at @CompassCoffeeDC failed to inspire. Our $3.69 Blueberry 🫐 Muffin & $3.95 Coffee Cake battled it out for the title of driest way to start your morning. The muffin was hard as a rock with very few blueberries. Zero flavor, zero moisture. F. Almost as bad, a coffee cake with no moisture (sense a pattern?) minimal flavor and a crumb topping that wouldn’t crumble (even a little.) No sweetness either. D- So much for a good morning.

Grade: F

Taco Bell Cantina Twitter/X Food Review II

Spicy Potato Soft Taco & Cinnamon Twists at Taco Bell

The term “hit or miss” often leaps to mind with @tacobell. Perhaps more so than any other fast food establishment. Without question, they’re best in price, as a full meal almost never crosses the $10 barrier (even with a drink & dessert.) Today’s lunch cost a mere $7.92 and included a burrito, taco, drink & an order of Cinnamon Twists. Full tummy? ✅ Winners? My $1.29 Spicy Potato Soft Taco, with pico de galo (an extra $.65) was near-perfect (fried diced potatoes = nice!) B+ and the $2 Mango Peach Refresca B+. In between? Light & airy Cinnamon Twists that are ultra affordable but light on taste as well. B- And then there’s the Cantina Chicken Burrito 🌯 which was on sale for $2 (vs. $6.49) yet still felt overpriced. Dry chicken & zero flavor across the board = no bargain at half the price. D- Bad burrito notwithstanding, it remains a strong value worthy of an overall B. Closer to a hit (than a miss.)

Grade: B

Room for Dessert Twitter/X Food Review

Four & Twenty Blackbirds' Lemon Chess Pie

I’m at the point where dinner at @wonder has become my favorite thing to do over the weekend. I’m not a homebody, that’s for sure, so let’s settle on extreme foodie instead. Tonight’s doubleheader (courtesy of a 25% coupon: GAMEDAY) ended with something for my sweet tooth 🦷 Room for Dessert might seem like an afterthought, but don’t sell your sugar fix short. The price is right, and after 2 samples, you likely won’t be disappointed (unless you’re craving originality.) Four & Twenty Blackbirds' Lemon Chess Pie is a steal at only $5.45, with a stupendous butter crust. It tastes closer to key lime 🍋‍🟩 for our taste, but the difference is almost negligible. Good value, solid taste B. On the other hand, the $4.95 Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake by Junior’s is like every other slice of cheesecake you’ve probably ever had. That’s not to say it’s bad (far from it) but it is pint-sized and looks like it may have been sitting in its packaging for days versus just made. Average and… kinda boring 🥱 C I’ll be back for more, but for now >

Grade: B-

Fresh Baguette Twitter/X Food Review III

Mini pastries at Fresh Baguette

Mini Pastries quartet at #FreshBaguette. Caramel Chocolate, Pistachio, Raspberry Tart & Lemon Meringue ($2.49 each) Tiny to look 👀 at, but surprisingly satisfying. Only 1️⃣ bite but hearty texture (except for (soft) pistachio.) Rich, not overly sweet flavors + the Raspberry Tart (A+) is downright scrumptious, bordering on perfection. 

Grade: B (Next? Their $9.39 Individual Raspberry Tart & aforementioned bliss.)

Fresh Baguette Twitter/X Food Review II

Blueberry Muffin & Pumpkin Croissant at Fresh Baguette

Still searching for that perfect bite at #FreshBaguette, and it’s not their $4.69 Blueberry Muffin, which had little to no moistness and an astounding lack of blueberries. D (for disappointing.) On the other hand, their $5.85 Pumpkin 🎃 Croissant 🥐 is a hit! Gorgeous to look at, and full of pumpkin filling that’s (pleasantly) not too sweet. Generously sized too. B+

Grade: C (Hard to overlook the blueberry-less muffin) 

Daily Provisions Twitter/X Food Review

Half-Smoked, Egg & Potatoes sandwich at Daily Provisions

Save the Day

First bites at @dailyprov, and so far, so (really) good. Clean, open retail space with covered patio & a very unique (& tasty) Half-Smoked, Egg & Potatoes Sammy ($9.95) on a soft/yummy Portuguese poppy seed roll. Lots of textures & we especially love the 2 mini potatoes 🥔 (nice & flaky.) B+ #BigFansAlready Even tastier? Their crispy Cinnamon Cruller, which somehow manages to live up to its $$$ cost ($4.95 & relatively small.) Can’t recall a better cruller in all my travels. A- Daily Provisions = strong 💪 possibilities.

Overall Grade: A-

Popeyes Chicken Dippers Twitter/X Food Review

Chicken Dippers at Popeyes

New Chicken Dippers ($4.99) at @Popeyes with BoldBQ sauce. Identical to their scrumptious Tenders, only smaller. I counted 14! B+ Matched with DMV-best Mashed Potatoes & Cajun Gravy (A) & banner Cinnamon Apple 🍏 Pie 🥧 ($1.89 deep-fried & delicious EVERY time, A+) Yes, Popeyes is that good 😋 

Overall Grade: A-

Krispy Kreme Twitter/X Food Review II

Krispy Kreme's Superman, Batman & Wonder Woman doughnuts

Truth, Justice and the American Doughnut @krispykreme has really hit on something with their recent limited time offerings. Two months ago they celebrated PAC-MAN's 45th anniversary. This month, it's superheroes. Specifically @DCOfficial. Best of the lot? Batman's delicious Bat-symbol with a chocolate icing covered cookie & creme filling. Sooo good. A- Superman's blue-themed entry is solid but not spectacular. It's basically a glazed doughnut with a simple buttercreme filling. C+ Wonder Woman looks the best, but its raspberry promises didn't score. More flavor please. C Overall Grade: B-

Cinnabon Twitter/X Food Review

Classic Roll & Churro Stick at Cinnabon

What's All the Fuss About?

Could someone please explain the “allure” of @Cinnabon? I’m stumped. Their Classic Roll costs a tidy $6.79 and packs a robust 880 calories. Mine was downright cold, with minimal frosting and (remarkably) even less cinnamon flavor. Truth be told, it tasted of nothing. I can only assume it had been sitting there all day. Almost as bad? $3.79 for a skinny Churro Stick that was probably sitting next to my Cinnamon Roll hour for hour. It had some taste, but shouldn’t cost more than 2 bucks. Needless to say, I won’t be back: There aren’t enough airports or train stations in the world to justify it.

Grade: D-

Krispy Kreme Twitter/X Food Review

Team Ghost, Strawberry Power Berry & PAC-MAN Party Doughnuts

Pac Man Fever @krispykreme celebrates the 45th anniversary of PAC-MAN with a trio of tasty limited-edition doughnuts Tops amongst them, the Strawberry Power Berry Doughnut with a delicious strawberry Kreme filling. B+ Fingers crossed, it will join the everyday rotation. The PAC-MAN Party Doughnut is a party indeed, with a yummy yellow buttercreme icing on top. Solid B. Team Ghost packs a nice chocolate filling and is the prettiest of the bunch. B- Overall Grade: B

Modena Announces a Month of Regional Italian Tasting Experiences

Modena Executive Chef John Melfi

From our friends at Modena...

Modena Announces A Month of Regional Italian Tasting Experiences

Ashok Bajaj is pleased to announce Knightsbridge Restaurant Group’s chic Italian restaurant, Modena, located at 1100 New York Avenue, NW (entrance on 12th and H Streets), is inviting diners to explore Italy one bite at a time. No passport is required to indulge in signature dishes from four popular destinations: Tuscany, the Piedmont, Sicily, and Emilia-Romagna. Executive Chef John Melfi will showcase swoon-worthy fare with a weekly four-course dinner, priced at $70 per person or $100 with wine pairings (tax and gratuity not included.) A vegetarian option is also available from each region and this month-long adventurous dining option is available for takeout as well.