Ray's Hell Burger

Tried for round 2 at Ray's the Steaks tonight, but the wait was almost 2 hours! So, we headed down the strip mall to Ray's Hell Burger. Wow!

We walked in and didn't really know what was going on, but a man who seemed like he could have been the owner told us how it worked: order at the counter, then take a number and grab a table and a server will bring you your food :) Burgers came a few different ways - plain, rolled in peppercorns, cajun-seasoned. And they had lots of toppings - very wide variety of cheeses, gauc, veggies. There was a list of about 10 suggested combinations, but I just opted for my own: a plain grilled burger with blue cheese, roasted garlic and sherried, sauteed mushrooms. It also came with lettuce and tomato.

There was also a list of sides: corn on the cob, coleslaw, mac and cheese, chips.....that's all I can remember. I got mac and cheese :D We also got a pitcher of rootbeer.

I hate it when a menu brags that their burgers are loaded with TEN OUNCES OF BEEF WAHAHAHAHA MEAT MEAT ALMOST AN ENTIRE COW MEAT MEAT MOO!!!!!!!!!1 But that's all Ray's had, so that's what I got. Our food came in about 5-10 minutes, I think. It was much faster than expected. And it was spectacular!! The burger was huge, dripping delicious juices and perfectly seasoned. It had an amazing flavor and I managed to eat it without hesitation until I was nine ounces in. But I finished it ALL :D I like a lot of bread (and hence hate 10 OUNCES OF BEEF), but I think the bun was strong enough to stand up to all the meat and juices dropping out of it. It was a great experience. I loved the mac and cheese! Reminded me mac and cheese I ate in Pennsylvania as a kid. I've been trying to recreate it ever since, but mine always sucks. I sampled a friend's coleslaw. I thought it was unremarkable.

There's hot chocolate for free on your way out, but it was empty, so we went to ACKC in Del Ray for some hot chocolate. Was tonight a little over the top? Probably :D

Ok, Ray's Hellburger - it's really good! Go there! There was no one waiting to sit when we got there around 6:30, but filled up pretty quickly after that. It's cheap too. I forget how cheap, but even the topped burgers run about $8, which especially considering the quality is a really good deal! Sides were less than $2. :D 1713 Wilson Blvd, Arlington

Ray's the Steaks, Arlington

I've been fantasizing about going to Ray's the Steaks for a really long time. Recently, it got worse and I couldn't stop thinking about it...so the date was set and off we all went.
We went on a Sunday which means the menu is a three course prix fixe menu called "A Place at the Table": a certain amount of money from each meal goes to charity. I like charity, but I liked that I FORCED to order all three courses even more :D We got there at 6 and waited about 20 minutes for a table - not bad compared to the hour long wait I was expecting.

When we sat down we were given some rosemary focaccia (I think: there was definitely olive oil and definitely rosemary, at least) and spiced cashews. I also ordered a glass of their cheapest red wine :D

Course 1: We all had the sherried crab bisque. There were three other salad choices. We made the right decision, the crab bisque was amaaaaazing.

Course 2: The price of the meal depended on the cut of meat you chose. There were three tiers: $25, $33 and $38 (at least I think it was $38....). I got the rib eye with horseradish cream on the side, cooked medium rare. It WAS medium rare, and it was glorious. I tasted the other three steaks at the table: a hangar steak, a blackened rib eye, and something else with a the most delicious flavorful mushroom sauce ever. Meat heaven. There was also creamed spinach and mashed potatoes served family style :D Wow.

Course 3: DESSERT!! The choices were: dark, milk or white chocolate mouse, cheesecake, key lime pie, or snickers pie. I got cheesecake (I really needed something heavy after all that...). It was great. I tasted both the milk and dark chocolate mouse as well, and they were also fantastic :D I think I might get one of them next time!

Ray's the Steaks does live up live up to the hype. It was a fantastic meal and the price was amazing (and charitable on top of it!). I'll be back for sure! You should probably go too (unless you're a vegetarian). It's located at 1725 Wilson Blvd, Arlington - between Rosslyn and Courthouse, in a strip mall.

Kabob Palace, Arlington

Oh....remember me? I used to actually post about food :P

Last week, there was a terrible thunderstorm and I was out for a bike ride when I got stuck in it....I got home, drenched, only to find the power was out and my phone had died in the rain :( What a great excuse to go find some delicious food!

Kabob Palace in Crystal City was recommended to me by about 4 different people, so off we went. There was a $10 buffet option, which was about the same price as the entrees, but it only had chicken. I hate chicken, so I ordered a lamb entree :D It came with a salad which was mediocre and had iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, beans (gross!), chickpeas and drizzled with mayo for dressing. It also came with delicious bread, a choice of chickpeas or spinach, and rice :D The spinach was not that good, but the chickpeas were delicious...and the waitress even offered us extra! I had enough food leftover for lunch the next day. Total cost with tip was $42 for four people.

Compared to Ravi Kabob, Kabob Palace is awesome because we had a waitress who took our order and gave us the right food. I've been to Ravi about 3 times now and never got the food I intended to order (but its still really good, so I keep going back in hope that I'll get what I tried to order :)

The Italian Store!

On Friday, I went to The Italian Store in Arlington for some pizza for dinner and subs to motivate me to finish a hike the next day! What could be better than eating a delicious sub on the top of a mountain?

Judging by the number of people coming in for carry out, their pizzas are very popular! Unlike most people, I like my pizza with lots of sauce and just a little cheese. This pizza was the exact opposite...it was loaded with tons of cheese and hardly had any sauce. Sad panda. But, everyone else thought it was very good and many reviews I've read said it was the best pizza in the area. So...you should probably try it anyway :)

The subs are amazing!! I've been there a few times before and they never disappoint. I ordered a small Capri sub on a hard roll: prosciutto, genoa salami, provolone cheese and capacola ham :D I ate it on what I thought was the top of a mountain! Unfortunately, we weren't even close...but I didn't know that, so it was delicious and rewarding and filling...I couldn't even finish it all!

The Italian Store also has a large selection of frozen pasta and raviolis, prepared pasta dishes, freshly made sauces, Italian deli meats, cheeses, salads, Italian wines, cookies and groceries. It's always crowded!!
The Italian Store is located at 3123 Lee Highway, Arlington VA 22201, 703-528-6266. I recommend this place for delicious subs!!

Tour de Cupcake!

Tour de Cupcake may be my greatest food-related fantasy ever imagined...and on Saturday it became a reality! Biking, 3 cupcake stops, friends and grilling! What else could you want? A sunny day? We had that too!

Stage 1: Bike 4.5 miles
Stop 1: Cake Love, Shirlington
Here I had a vanilla cupcake with lime frosting. It was good except it cost over $3!




Stage 2: Bike 4.4 miles
Stop 2: Buzz, Slaters Lane, Alexandria
Here I had a red velvet cake-a-roon, kind of like a cupcake sandwich!

Stage 3: Bike 1.3 miles
Stop 3: Bittersweet, Old Town Alexandria
Here I had a carrot cake cupcake with a mystery, non-cream cheese frosting. I was too full to finish it :(

Stage 4: Bike 1.5 miles
Stop 4: My house for some grilling!!!

Next year will be bigger and better!!