Whoops

First it was cupcakes, then it was French macaroons, and now it’s the New England classic – whoopie pies. They seem to be all over town. I’ve seen them in bakeshops, on food trucks and now as a DC pop-up shop.

The night before Halloween, Elliot and I ventured out to eat dinner at one of our neighborhood standbys. As we were leaving the restaurant, we noticed the large gathering of people in the AutoZone parking lot across the street. We came to find out that everyone was gathered for Thriller on H Street. Sure, the Michael Jackson tribute was great, but what interested me more was the small table set up by the sidewalk. A table piled high with the nostalgic treats.

The treats were baked and sold by McKee Floyd, a former hill staffer that now bakes whoopie pies and dreams of opening Whoops! Bakeshop in spring 2011. But, until that dream becomes a reality, she is taking her whoopie pies and “popping up” all over DC. In the past few weeks she has been on U St, in Georgetown, Adams Morgan and most recently on H St NE.

Floyd prides herself on using only the finest ingredients in her whoopie pies. That night we decided to get one of each whoopie pie offered - a red velvet and pumpkin – bringing the total to $6. Unfortunately, I am unable to eat red velvet anything because of a pesky allergy to red food dye, but Elliot vouched for how wonderful it was. He loved that the cream filling wasn’t so sweet that it overpowered the cake on the outside. And although I liked the pumpkin whoopie, I wish it had been a little sweeter. Yet, I was happy to find the cake was extremely moist, reassuring me that the pies were fresh and hadn’t been wrapped in plastic for more than a few hours.

Although it may be a few months, I am looking forward to her shop opening and being able to customize my own whoopie pie. Floyd hopes that she will be able to have customers choose their cake, frosting and toppings. I don’t know about you, but I think we can all get behind that.

Until then, follow Whoops! on twitter @whoopsbakeshop and look for her to “pop up” in a neighborhood near you.

Keep on Lobster Truckin' - First Bite and Guest Post

Philly has its cheese steaks. Buffalo has its wings. Chicago has its deep dish pizza. And Boston has its chowdah and baked beans. Maine has its lobster. Since DC is a melting pot of transients and transplants, it comes with great anticipation when a close replication of a geographic favorite finds its way to DC. Especially a food that reminds us of summers on the beach with family and friends.


Enter Red Hook Lobster Truck, driving on to the mobile food truck scene with vigor.


Rejoice, New Englanders: the search for a local authentic lobster roll is over.


The perfect lobster roll is elusive and difficult to replicate because of its simplicity. It should feature a tender and non-chewey lobster (which means it must be cooked perfectly), and shouldn't require more that a bit of mayo, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

With that in mind, I ventured on Thursday to Farragut Square to check out the scene. And wow. The turnout was intense. With a line of more than a hundred people wrapped around the corner eager to get a taste of summer (check out the picture from inside the truck), The Lobster Truck DC certainly has a good thing going.


With a crew of just four people inside the truck (one to take orders and the rest to prep), the menu is very straightforward. For $15 you can get an ample-sized lobster roll made with whole knuckle n' claw meat served on a buttered and toasted bun. Presented on a red-checkered paper in an an aluminum tin, the presentation is classic and transports you momentarily to the coast of New England.

Pick up the roll with two hands, shut your eyes, ignore the surrounding street noise, and inhale deeply. The smell alone can take you away to a shack on the side of the road in Cape Cod. Best of all, the taste is very well balanced. It's creamy, but not overwhelming. Meaty, but not tough. Salty, but in a complementary way. Delicate, but hearty enough to eat with two hands and big smile on your face.


For those who think that the $15 for a roll may be a bit pricey or have an aversion to lobster, you can save some coin with an $8 shrimp roll seasoned with paprika and scallions, which is tasty, but not as much as its big brother. It has a bit of a crunch, but I'd stick with the lobster roll if I were you.


And don't fret, if you're in the market for a more complete meal, drop an extra $3 to get your hands on a bag of Cape Cod kettle-cooked chips and a Maine Root fountain drink, built in to the side of the truck. White cream frosted whoopie pies are also available for those of you who are in need of a sweet-tooth fix to compliment the savory saltiness of the rolls.


On the downside, the line may be a bit daunting and takes some time to get through. And yes, $20 may be a little bit pricey when it comes to a food truck lunch, but sometimes it's ok to pay for quality.

To find out where (and when) you can get your lobster or shrimp roll fix, follow the Red Hook Lobster Truck on Twitter via @LobsterTruckDC
 
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A DC-area native, Adam Zuckerman is entrepreneurial attorney, MBA and blogger who is inspired by social media, tech, food, witty conversation and all things outdoors. You can follow him on Twitter via @apzuckerman or his blog, www.FindingZuckerman.com.

It's Easy Being Green

Yes, I admit, I am addicted FourSquare. Before you make fun of my dorkiness or warn me that people are going to stalk me and break into my apartment, I would recommend that you learn more about this new social media tool. There are plenty of benefits to checking in at each store, restaurant and other random venue you frequent. As of yesterday I am the newly crowned "mayor" of Sweetgreen in Bethesda entitling me to a free Sweetflow (i.e. yogurt) each time I go to the store. Not too shabby. Even if I didn't get a freebie, I would still spend plenty of time at one of the 4 locations (5 if you count their roving food truck).

Sweetgreen was started by 3 Georgetown graduates who were tired of asking themselves where they should go eat. According to their website it was then that they decided to open a place where they would happily dine on a daily basis. Without a doubt, they succeeded. Everything about each Sweetgreen location draws you in and entices you to linger. The wood paneling and green accents can accurately be described as simple, modern and chic. The lights are bright making it the perfect place to sit and do a bit of work while enjoying a healthy treat.

The ingredients for the salads are a colorful display that looks just as pretty as it does appetizing. There are multiple types of greens, vegetable, dried fruits, cheeses and other toppings. Most of the items are locally grown and/or organic. This makes for a more expensive salad than most people are used to, but the freshness makes it worth every extra penny. You have the option to choose a salad from their menu (there are both traditional - i.e. caeser and more creative "chef-crafted" salads). If none of the options sound appealing you can create your own. Each store also features a salad of the day that contains items bought from local farmers markets.

If you are looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth, look no further than their frozen yogurt with active cultures which is called Sweetflow. It was inspired by the West coast favorite, Pinkberry, but it has it's own East coast twist. You can top the yogurt with everything from agave nectar to ladyfingers. Sounds perfect to me, especially since I know it's not only healthy and sustainable, but also really really good.

image: arugulafiles.typepad.com

Eat the World with Sauca

Most mornings start off the same. Alarm 1 goes off - press snooze. Alarm 2 goes off - press snooze. And when alarm 3 goes off I finally find it in myself to get up from underneath the covers and face the reality that I need to get ready, shower and commute to work. Thankfully, Wednesday mornings are slightly different - or at least they will be from now on.

This past Wednesday I woke up and checked Twitter only to find that the Sauca Mobile - a new foodtruck concept was making an appearance in my neighborhood and only a block from the the metro. I had been following Sauca on twitter for awhile, and thought that this would be the perfect morning to try this new concept.

For those of you that haven't heard of Sauca, they are marketing themselves by saying they are about "enjoying delicious, healthy, global foods in a new and exciting way, where sight, sound, smell, taste and touch are key to the full experience." It is a food truck that is heading out to feed the hungry people of DC with food that draws on flavors and traditional ingredients from around the world.

After visiting the truck that morning I would have to agree with the descriptors. I didn't have a ton of time - so I did a bit of the 'dine and dash' thing. I quickly scanned the menu which is posted on magnets on the side of the truck, and decided on a toffle with banana. From the taste and smell of the toffle it appears to be a fresh

waffle with a bit a caramel/toffee kind of crust on the top. The staff inside the truck was pleasant, apologizing for the wait and helping me make a decision about which toppings I should try.

The first bite that I managed to sneak in before heading down into the metro was delicious. Perfectly hot and crisp with the right amount of sugar to satisfy my early-morning sweet tooth. If I had more time on my hands (and the truck had opened on time) I may have decided to have a breakfast sauca (eggs, potatoes and cheddar cheese served on flatbread). Alas, that was not the case, so I guess I will just have to wait until the next time I run into the Sauca Truck.

image: eatsauca.com