Run Through Washington DC PART 2

Lots (and I mean LOTS) of people in Miami tried to tell me where I NEED to eat in DC but the truth is, nobody knows where to eat like a local. So every chance I had, I asked DC residents what their favorite restaurants were. Three different people in three different parts of town mentioned Oohhs & Aahhs as their favorite soul food restaurant. I wanted those little unknown places, those places off the beaten path, not those celebrity chef places everyone goes to just because. When I walked in and I was practically inside the kitchen, I knew I found what I was looking for. There was a small sign at the end of the minuscule room that said 'Order Here' and immediately to your left when you walk in there are a handful of stools and a makeshift counter. If you want sit-down service, you'd have to make your way to the back of this cramped space to a tight stairway that leads to a tiny dining room upstairs. This place is the epitome of a 'hole-in-the-wall.”

I decided to keep things simple and got fried chicken with some mac and cheese. I decided to sit at the makeshift counter where all the action and cooking was happening instead of making my way to their dining room. Since I was basically sitting inside the kitchen, I saw when that bubbly delicious mac and cheese came out of the oven. My mouth waters just thinking about it. The fried chicken was perfectly crisp, seasoned well and the best part was it was made fresh to order something some local restaurants should try some day. How do I know? Because I watched the cook make the damn thing! The mac and cheese was the type of thing dreams are made out of. It was so cheesy, piping hot and delicious I ate every last bite. Every single one of those calories went straight to my thighs and I don't regret it one bit.

Even though this place is tiny, this place is definitely worth checking out. The cooks (who also acted as hosts and waiters) were kind, accommodating and attentive. The food is made fresh and definitely made right.

_____________________________________
Restaurant Details:
Oohhs & Aahhs
(202) 667-7142
1005 U St NW
Washington, DC 20001




I stumbled into CakeLove on my way to Oohhs & Aahhs actually. I decided to partially ruin my appetite and get a cupcake on my way to lunch. This is actually my second visit at CakeLove, my first having been a quick stop in 2011. I didn't remember if I liked the place (which should've been a big red flag) so I decided to give it another shot. I quickly glanced over all of the cupcakes they had available and quickly settled on their S'mores cupcake. It was a chocolate cupcake, dipped in chocolate ganache and topped with marshmallow buttercream and a piece of store bought graham cracker.

To say this cupcake was a complete waste of my $3.35 is an understatement. Publix makes better cupcakes any day of the week. Sure it looked super cute, pero that's all this cupcake had going for it. The chocolate cake was dry and flavorless, the graham cracker was a regular ol' Keebler graham cracker and the buttercream was the only thing semi-worthwhile.

I took a couple of bites and kept it moving to my final destination. Don't make the same mistake I did. If you come across CakeLove, keep walking and don't stop!

_____________________________________
Restaurant Details:
Cakelove
(202) 588-7100
1506 U St NW
Washington, DC 20009
http://www.cakelove.com/