October 3, 2009
· Filed under Belgian, DC · Tagged beer, Blue Moon, PranQster
Found my new favorite beer. PranQster is a Belgian-style golden ale made with a mixed culture of antique yeast strains that produce a floral nose, a full fruity flavor and a clean finish. If you like Blue Moon you’re bound to enjoy this brew too (BM is a Belgian-style wheat ale).
Besides the taste, the best part about PranQster is that it’s traditionally served in a goblet rather than your usual pint glass. Classy.
You can find PranQster at Marvin – a bistro/bar that serves “home cooked classics from Belgium to the American South”. I can’t speak to the food at this establishment, but their selection of Belgian beer is extensive. The decor and overall feel of the place is really fun too. It feels like you’ve stepped back in time a few decades – in a good way 
Marvin
2007 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC
February 9, 2009
· Filed under DC, Dessert, Frozen Yogurt · Tagged Entourage, Frozen Yogurt, Penn Quarter, Red Velvet, tangy sweet
I’ve been dying to try Red Velvet ever since it opened this past December in Penn Quarter. I finally got the chance- 2x in one week! The interesting thing about this cupcakery is that the owner is also the art department coordinator for HBO’s “Entourage.”
She is also the sister of Tangy Sweet owner Aaron which explains the neighboring Tangy Sweet storefront. I tried the other Tangy Sweet in Dupont last summer.
There is not much seating in Red Velvet so they encourage you to take your cupcake next door to Tangy Sweet and enjoy it in their spacious modern dining room. I tried the devil’s food (pictured above) – get ready for a chocolate overload, the key west – not as limey as I wanted it to be, and the southern belle – by far the best. The southern belle was moist and the whipped cream frosting went great with the red velvet cake. Each cupcake is $3.25. They’re small, but really, you don’t need much more than that small serving. They are very rich! My friend Cathy broke off bits of cupcake and ate it with spoonfuls of fro-yo. Yummy combo.
Red Velvet
675 E St. NW
Washington, DC 20004
October 24, 2008
· Filed under DC, French, Liquor · Tagged 1223, MCCXXIII, vodka, X Rated
Dispite the total cheeseball name, I was compelled to try X Rated when I saw it at MCCXXIII, which has the BEST Friday happy hour, by the way (open bar from 5-9pm topshelf for $20!). What girl wouldn’t want to try a hot pink fusion of French vodka, blood oranges, mangos, and passion fruit? Come on, it’s PINK!
I asked the bartender what goes well with it and he suggested Sprite – ugh, big mistake. Way too sweet. It tasted like Sprite plus 50 packets of Splenda. If I ever have it again, I’d try one of these recipes. YumSugar has a different opinion, but I do think a bottle of this would make a great girly gift for a friend!
August 22, 2008
· Filed under DC, Japanese, Seafood · Tagged Makoto, sake
August 22, 2008
· Filed under DC, Dessert, Frozen Yogurt · Tagged Frozen Yogurt, tangy sweet
Not the best frozen yogurt DC has to offer, but it’s decent. The opening weekend was miserable because their A/C wasn’t working so hopefully the got that fixed! They do have a pomegranate flavor which is pretty cool but I stuck to the original – just to be safe
Tangy Sweet
2029 P St. NW
Washington, DC 20036
July 1, 2008
· Filed under DC, Frozen Yogurt · Tagged Dupont, Fro-Yo, Frozen Yogurt, Pinkberry
One of my favorite deserts out there is Korean-style frozen yogurt. There recently have been many new fro-yo shops riding off of the success of the Pinkberry chain in LA and NYC. One of these is Mr. Yogato which had its grand opening this past Saturday (June 28) in Dupont. Mr. Yogato carries 19, non-fat yogurt flavors like mango, mojito, and black cherry which is rotated and served 4 at a time. They also offer 30 different dry and fruit toppings. 
Sounds strikingly similar other copycat fro-yo shops, but Mr. Yogato stands out from the rest because of the fun atmosphere the employees create. The storefront is very tiny and there was a substantial line when we got there, but it moves pretty quickly (especially when they pass out free samples while you wait!). Here are other things they do to keep things interesting:
Rules of Yogato
- If Mr. Roboto comes over the speaker system and you sing along,
you get 10% off yogurt.
- Try your luck with a trivia question. Get it right for 10% off, but get it wrong and 10% is added.
- If you will wear a yogato stamp on your head, you get 20% off.
- If you can recite the Stirling battlefield speech from Braveheartin a great scottish accent, you get 10% off yogurt.
- Order a yogurt for 30 consecutive days and we’ll name a flavor after you.
- If a customer suggests a topping or flavor which is then adopted, that customer receives a 5% discount for life.
- If anyone can stump Steve on trivia regarding Seinfeld or “The Rock,” 10% off yogurt.
- Anyone wearing a kickball uniform and has played hard (evidenced by dirt on their knees) will receive an automatic 10% off yogurt.
We ventured into Dupont on Sunday after our kickball game and the BF got a stamp on his forehead. With both discounts, a medium with 3 toppings was $3.50. If we would have ordered in a Arnold Schwarzenegger voice it would have been even cheaper! Bargains are the best.
What we got: the original tangy with mochi, kiwi, and blackberries.
As Arnold would say, “I’ll be back.”
Mr. Yogato
1515 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
