Restaurant Review: La Sandia

A few weeks ago, I took my lunch break at a recently opened restaurant in the Tysons Corner mall. The place is La Sandia, which means 'the watermelon' in Spanish, and the chef is Richard Sandoval who also runs several other restaurants including Zengo in Chinatown (DC), Isla in Vegas, Papano in NYC, and Tamayo in Denver. I've never been to Zengo in Chinatown, but the idea of latin-japanese fusion has never tempted me, even though I like both styles of food.

The first thing I noted about La Sandia was the decor. It was a little dark in there, but the mexican-style mosaic tile work along with various shades of glass and cut tin was very nice. I just wish that my first impression would have stuck around long enough for me to get through the chips and salsa. Now a thing about me: if I am going to eat by myself, I actually prefer to sit at the bar. I've always enjoyed feeling like you're a part of the pulse of a restaurant, therefore, I usually sit at the bar. the drinks are usually better that way, and I find that I have much more attentive service. Not this time.

The first food that I tasted here was pretty bad. I'm not sure how, but chef Sandoval has managed to totally screw up chips and salsa, the most basic of Mexican restaurant staples. Instead of being some kind of fried corn tortillas, the chips were unsalted and made from flour tortillas. Gross. Had the chips been made from corn, they would have been the perfect accompaniment with the smoky, spicy, chipotle salsa. In short, while the chips were lackluster, the salsa was a knockout!

As for my main dish, I ordered my old standby: Cheese enchiladas. The bartender recommended these as one of his favorites, so I was happy to go with his suggestion. When my order arrived, I noticed the 'salad' that came with it. It was nothing more than a pinch of dressed lettuce with a slice of radish on top-- hardly what I'd call a salad. The order also came with a good sized helping of refried black beans, a favorite of mine. As I tasted them, however, they had a strange flavor. Perhaps they'd been sitting for too long, or maybe they'd added some kind of pork fat to them because they had a strangely 'non-vegetarian' flavor that was not in the least appealing. There was also Mexican rice, which was not unlike most Spanish rices that I've had. However, this too, was a waste of time as it was WAY too tomato-ey, and largely flavorless and bland. Now, for the enchiladas themselves. They were covered in a tangy, green tomatillo sauce and were probably the best thing on the plate. Instead of what you find in most places, the cheese wasn't a greasy cheddar or other yellow cheese. This was a nice, soft blend of white farmer's cheeses, and was a great combination with the tomatillo sauce that topped the enchiladas.

Considering my lunch was for the most part unimpressive, I decided that I would make my final decision about the restaurant over dessert. I opted with the Mexican take on my favorite restaurant dessert: Brownie, Ice Cream, and hot fudge.

This dessert is my favorite, and as far as I'm concerned, if a restaurant doesn't have a variation of this on their sweets menu, then I probably won't be interested in anything. Go ahead: call me an overgrown kid if you want. I know what I like! :)
At La Sandia, their version of this dessert is called the Morenita (Little Brown Girl) Sundae. This was a warm (YES!) brownie resting on dulce de leche topped with Cinnamon ice cream and topped with lots of hot fudge and praline walnut brittle. Talk about a fantastic dessert! And wouldn't you know it, it was so rich I couldn't finish it all! The DdL was a little too sweet and sour milk tasting for my tastes that day, but I think it is a great carmelly addition to the brownie-ice cream-fudge combo. The cinnamon ice cream was a great touch, and the crunchy sweet walnuts were good, but a little too sweet. Tasting it, the collision of flavors described on the menu were no disappointment, and the rich, powerful flavors were a stark contrast to the over all bland, flavorless food.

Every time I go to the mall I take a peek into La Sandia. It's almost always empty. I wonder if the word has already gotten out that the food at this place is uninspired and flat. I don't recommend that anyone patronize this place unless you're going for dessert. Otherwise, your taste buds will be left highly disappointed.

We're Going to China!

Today, Andrea and I bought our tickets for a trip to China. We're not going to be going until November so we'll miss the olympics. But this morning we were talking about trips and ended up talking about China. When we started looking at flights, we couldn't believe how cheap they were! And since the dollar isn't complete crap like it is in Europe, etc we decided to make a go of it!

We don't know anyone there, but we're starting to plan our itinerary now. If any of you have any suggestions on places we must see, things we must do, and food we must eat, please let us know. We're planning to fly into Beijing, make our way to Xi'an, and leave from Shanghai. We'll be there for just under 3 weeks (18 days), and we couldn't be more excited!!!!

Papal Visit to Washington, DC

Last week, I had the pleasure of getting a ticket to see the Pope's arrival at Catholic University from KMac. She had an extra ticket, and offered to let me have it. And all I could think was, awesome!

I took the afternoon off of work at got to CUA around 1:30. It was already abuzz with activity everywhere, and as I sat at the Metro station waiting for KMac to arrive I was even more surprised when one train pulled up and it was FULL of music playing, singing, nuns! I am still wishing that I were a much quicker draw on my camera so I could have gotten a shot of it. Instead, I stood there in complete awe watching hundreds of really young nuns (the ones in grey and blue habits) walk by. I don't think I'd ever seen so many in one place, and I'm just hoping I didn't look too stupid staring at them with my jaw on the floor. Maybe they're used it, right?


I couldn't have been happier that the weather was perfect, and the Shrine is the perfect backdrop for the crystalline blue skies that we had that day. The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is one of the 10 largest Churches in the world, and stands taller than the statue of liberty. The interior church can sit 6,000 pilgrims and worshipers comfortably, but Andrea could tell you a story of seeing closer to 10,000 people there for Good Friday a few years ago. It was about 75 degrees in the Sun, and as soon as KMac and I secured our piece of grass closest to the fence, we proceeded to sun ourselves for a while. We were in for a LOOOOOONG wait for the Holy Father's arrival, and we needed to save our energy, and enjoy a perfect spring day, with a gorgeous backdrop to share with other excited visitors.

This is a Franciscan, and I thought it was funny to take his picture while he was taking a picture, too.

Once the buses and vans started rolling in filled with Bishops (Magenta) and Cardinals (Red), the crowd was quickly on its feet. We tried to be as polite as possible, while steadily inching and nudging our way closer and closer to the barrier fence. With all of those bodies so close together, people started getting extremely hot in the sun, that was no shining directly on us. KMac and I struck gold when one of them started feeling slightly faint and sick to her stomach. When she moved back 20 feet where there was more space, we slid into position for a prime view of the Pontiff's arrival. You may also be wondering who the guy in the purple garments is: That is the Ukrainian Catholic Bishop.
All in all, there were about 1500 Bishops to meet with the Holy Father that night. They were having a private meeting with him, and as it was also his 81st birthday that day, they also presented him with a beautiful white cake, and serenaded him with a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" later that evening.
They all filed in and then the scene was empty once more, until there was only one remaining (with a Secret Service Agent, of course). That last man standing there is Monsignor Rossi, the Rector of the National Shrine, waiting to welcome the Pontiff to his church.

Then, there were crazy screams off around the corner, and we caught the first glimpse of the Popemobile. Everyone was cheering and screaming as he slowly rolled up to the entrance of the Shrine.
When he got out, we had our first chance to see his red shoes as he blessed us all before heading in. There was lots of speculation last week as to whether or not the Pope wears Prada. I assure you, he does not. In fact, the Pontiff's shoes are hand crafted Italian shoes that serve a symbol of his time as a Cardinal (hence, the red), as well as a fashion statement that demonstrates his continuity with the history and symbols of the Universal Church.

Then, as fast as he was there, he was gone again. As he turned to walk up the steps, we all sang Happy Birthday to him. When he reached the top, he turned, waved, and was gone again.

The Popemobile

I think that the Holy Father's visit was a very productive one, as well as surprising for many US Catholics. He proved himself to be much more compassionate and approachable than many believed him to be. I am incredibly thankful that I was able to have the opportunity to see him up close and with my own eyes. I regret that I was never able to see JPII either time that I was in Rome years ago. The energy surrounding the Holy Father is truly inspiring, and it was quite a blessing that I had the chance to see him.

Special Thanks to KMac who gave me the ticket to the Pope's visit, as well as for use of a two of her pictures that I included here.

Sakura and Springtime

Springtime in DC brings lots of things- some of them fantastic, and some of them make me want to lock my doors and never leave.

The first one is :Sakura, a.k.a. Japanese Cherry Blossoms. The spring rains bring out a plethora of flowers on the trees around here, but one of my favorites is the Cherry Blossom. The various shades of pink are a beautiful accompaniment to the DC 'sky'line. And along the tidal basin where they are concentrated is spectacular.

However, springtime in DC also brings tourists-- loads and loads of them. The blooming of cherry blossoms is only the beginning. Once the Cherry Blossom Festival begins each spring, throngs of tourists descend, and they don't leave until the fall.They stomp on the grass, they litter the streets, they stand on the left of the escalator, and they are generally in the way of me enjoying my beautiful city, and they tend to leave it in shambles.

I went to the festival on Saturday to enjoy some paddle boating on the Tidal Basin. I struggled to get any good pictures because not only were the skies mostly overcast, but there were so many people, nothing had a clear view. Anyhow, these are some pictures that I've taken of the cherry blossoms this year, and in others. Enjoy!

Rustic Grilled Cheese and Asparagus Sandwich

It's been raining all day, and spring is definitely in the air around our nation's capitol. There was a plethora of fresh asparagus (Spargle auf Deutsch) at the market over the weekend, so I picked some up. I cooked most of it for Sunday Supper with Andrea, but I left a single serving for myself for this week. When I decided that I wanted a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner, I concluded that the only way to do it was to really do it. If I want to fancy myself an epicurian, I need to cook like one, right?

So, after my trip to the gym, I went straight to the cheese section at whole foods. I grabbed two cheeses: a sweet, nutty Parrano, and the firm, sharp Gruyere. I decided that between those two flavors, by adding the mildy bitter and sweet taste of the Spargle, it would be a perfect combination. Then, I realized that the sandwich wouldn't be complete without a nice, crusty bread to go with it.

Off to the bakery!

In the bakery section, I found a hunk of the whole foods' brand harvest bread that they called Pain de Champagne. Gooey, chewy, and soft on the inside, the bread was also hard and crusty on the outside. Excellent!

I got it home and hacked the hunk of bread into slices, and buttered it. While I steamed my prepared asparagus, I sliced up the cheese. Once the asparagus was done, I placed it on top of the Parrano, and put the Gruyere on top of that, and then topped it with the other piece of bread. Now, with all of the slivers of cheese, I knew that I couldn't just grill the sandwich on the stove top.

Presto! I pulled out my handy dandy George Foreman grill and slapped that baby right on there. I heard the butter start to sizzle when I pushed the top down. My rustic, American grilled cheese was now an Italian Panino. Yum!

And my instincts were spot on. In picking the asparagus to go with these two cheeses (Parrano and Gruyere) I picked the trifecta.