For cod's sake...

Generally speaking, I'm not a "fish" person.  Growing up, the closest thing we had to an ocean nearby was a dirty lake and a river that was most famous for catching fire.  So, as you can imagine, fish never appealed to me very much.  Since moving to DC, I'm come out of my shell a little, so to speak, and have started to enjoy the delicate and wonderful flavor that fresh seafood can offer.   But before all this, there was one fish that spoke to me.  One fish I would be willing to look past even a nice hunk of beef for; battered and fried cod.

Oh yes, mild and flaky cod fillets, battered and fried to a golden brown and smothered in tangy tartar sauce and malted vinegar.  And chips on the side?  Why not!?

Now, I've had this deep fried delight everywhere from San Diego to Dublin, Ireland.  I've had some very very good fish and some not so great fish as well.  And in my experience, no one does it better than our very own Eamon's (a Dublin Chipper) in Old Town Alexandria.  The propreiter of this establishment, Cathal Armstrong (who also owns Restaurant Eve and the Majestic) is no stranger to fish and chips.  After all, he is a native Dubliner and therefore probably has a pretty good understanding of what makes this particular dish so special.

I've been visiting Eamon's for years since it first opened and I've been sure to tell all my friends/co-workers/ perfect strangers know that if you want the best fish and chips you'll ever have, head into Old Town and look for the giant E on King Street.  Though a little pricier than most of your typical fried fish establishments (you can get a nice friend fish plate across the street at Murphy's), I always felt that the quality of the food justified the slightly higher price tag  (the paper bag you eat out of doesn't help either).

Well, this weekend girlfriend and I just happened to be in Old Town running a few errands and trying to avoid getting soaked by the seemingly endless rain.  Now matter how we positioned the umbrella or zipped up our jackets, we couldn't escape that damp chill that an early spring storm seems to bring.  We both knew there was one food that pretty much made for this kind of weather; fish and chips.

So we headed over to Eamon's, ordered a large fish (me), a small (her) and a large order of chips with curry sauce.  We sat down at one of the big tables and watched out the window as the drenched masses walked up and down the sidewalks outside.

When our food arrived, we were a little taken back by what we saw.  Though it had been a while since we had both been there, it looked as though they had decided to cut back on the portions significantly!  It looked as though we had gotten about HALF THE FISH we used to get.  And the curry sauce?  We barely got a few little drops in the bottom of the plastic dipping cup.  When did this happen!?

Listen, I'm all about paying a little extra for higher quality food.  But it seriously looked like we ended up with about 8oz of fish for $13.   Did someone replace the cod with Chilean sea bass?

Eamon's, I love you.  Really, I do.  If I didn't, I wouldn't even have bothered with writing this post.  Maybe we just got the shaft on the portions this one time. Maybe our order got messed up.  Perhaps the guy at the register didn't like the look on my face.  Who knows?

But fish and chips is supposed to be a filling, satisfiying meal.  Not a light snack that makes you running for the fridge as soon as you get home.  So please, don't skimp on the portions anymore.  I don't want to have to start going to Murphy's and eating a lesser piece of fish just to get full.

Thank you.

Yo Fro Yo

Like most men, sometimes, I can be such a little kid. I still love going to amusement parks, I become giddy at the thought of buying new toys and still like going out for ice cream. Actually, any frozen treat will usually fit the bill and recently, my icy drug of choice has been frozen yogurt.

I love it's tangy, tart flavor, the mild sweetness and, of course, the bountiful choice of toppings usually available. Plus, although it's probably just as bad for you as a pint of Ben and Jerry's, it FEELS like it's healthier (ah, the bliss of implied healthiness and ignorance).

So yesterday Girlfriend and I are in Chinatown running errands and nursing a pair of hangovers. We sat down for some lunch at our favorite spot down there, Chinatown Garden. Something about wonton soup always makes my hangovers feel better.

Afterward, since we were already nearby, we decided to pop into American Apparel to grab a few new fresh tees. When we arrived we saw that American Apparel had themselves a new neighbor:




"oooohhh... herrrow!"

Frozen yogurt? Self serve? Count me in!


Now, I wasn't thinking about frozen yogurt until I saw the sign. I was actually a little full from lunch and my hangover wasn't quite gone all the way. We went into American Apparel, got our stuff and by the time we checked out we had talked ourselves into walking next door to... ya know, just check it. I mean, we weren't going to actually get any. We just wanted to see what the place was all about.

So 15 minutes later I'm in the car finishing my giant cup of tasty yogurt and thinking about how persuasive the power of frozen yogurt can be. :)

Although I've had better frozen yogurt (ahem, Pinkberry!), FroZen Yo's is pretty good. And their selection of flavors is pretty impressive. Their selection of toppings is also impressive with everything from gigantic blackberries to Captain Crunch, everyone is sure to find something (or things) they like. And since you aren't limited in the number toppings you can add (unlike most other places that charge you for additional toppings) you'll be able to make your yogurt treat as unique as you want it to be.

With frozen yogurt being all the rage right now, these kinds of shops are popping up everywhere. I think FroZen Yo does a pretty good job of setting themselves apart with their selection of rotating flavors (16 I believe), self-service (you pay by the lb) and friendly staff. The design store is clean and modern, if not a little generic. But I have to wonder how well they'll be able to handle the mobs of tourists that will surely descend on them in the summertime. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I predict long waits when the mercury starts rising.

One omission I would like to point out is the lack of Fruity Pebbles. Come on FroZen Yo, get your head in the game. You can't sell frozen yogurt and not give a man his Fruity Pebbles! What is the world coming to!?


FroZen Yo

1006 F St NW; 202.347.1313

Jamaican me crazy!

Ok, bad title. It's all I could come up with. Forgive me.

But I'll make it up to you with letting you in on a little known secret in DC; Negril. Negril is one of the very few authentic Jamaican restaurants in the greater DC area. A fixture in the DC area since the 80's, Negril offers fast, affordable and absolutely delicious Caribbean treats.

If you've never had Jamaican food, you're really missing out. A strange cross between Latin, Caribbean and Soul food, the flavors meld into some of the most flavorful dishes I've ever had.

I always start with one of their beef patties. Flaky pastry on the outside, spicy meaty goodness on the inside. Next up? Fricassee Chicken. Chicken that is fried then stewed in a tomato based sauce served with rice and peas. Oh. My. God. I could eat this every day. Seriously. Still hungry? Looking for something you can eat on the go? Try the Jamaican Jerk chicken sandwich. The only thing it's missing is a warm beach and a six pack of Red Stripe beer.

Misses? There are a few. The Ox Tail Stew is rich but unbalanced. The veggie pattie isn't bad, but compared to the beef pattie it's certainly lacking.

Finally, not being much of a fish guy, I can't vouch for this personally. But apparently their seafood dishes are their best. So it looks as though some return trips may be in order.

Overall, highly recommended. Cheap (entrees between $6-$12, seafood may be slightly higher), generous portions, and great flavors. I just wish I had some of that Jamaican weather right about now...


Negril - Silver Spring
965 Thayer Ave.
Silver Spring, MD
(301) 585-3000
Monday-Saturday 11am-9:30pm
Friday til 10pm
Closed Sunday

Located in the heart of Silver Spring off Georgia Avenue, 2 blocks from the Metro.