Ray's to the Third (Arlington, VA)

The newest restaurant in the Ray's restaurant empire quietly opened in the Courthouse neighborhood last week (opposite Ray's Hell Burger and Ray's Hell Burger Too). I am pleased to say that we made it to Ray's to the Third (I don't know how to use superscript) tonight (during its first week in operation!) and were not disappointed.

The basic menu is quite simple: steak, fries, salad, bread.  Now, they have some of the classic Ray's appetizers (think steak tartare deviled eggs and sherried crab bisque) and they also have other staples such as fried chicken (which I saw and for which I will be returning), but I felt compelled to confirm that their steak lives up to the Ray's name tonight.

Certainly, the "Bertolucci" does. The "Bertolucci" is a hanger steak (think intense meat flavor), served with roasted bone marrow (in the bone). Cooked flawlessly, I was surprised by the tenderness coaxed out of this challenging cut of meat. While I've tried the hanger cut at Ray's the Steaks previously, I would posit that the piece served by Ray's to the Third tonight was superior to that I tried at Ray's the Steaks.

My other half ordered the Blackened Top Sirloin, which -- as its name suggests -- is blackened with Cajun seasonings and topped with garlic. I was afforded one, single bite of the sirloin, but enjoyed it thoroughly.

Both of these steaks lived up to the Ray's name -- and, along with the perfectly dressed salad and better-than-McDonald's-fries-used-to-be fries -- I can recommend you visit Ray's to the Third without reservation. You certainly won't go home hungry. Oh, and they have eminently drinkable wines by the glass ($5-7), as you might expect from a Ray's operation (we tried the Malbec, Super Tuscan, and Cab -- the Malbec was my favorite).

It was relatively empty tonight -- something that I anticipate changing in the near future -- but I firmly believe that Ray's to the Third fills a niche that is otherwise missing in the Courthouse neighborhood. I will be returning. Often.

Mo's Midtown (Hartford, CT)

I spent four years of my life in Hartford, Connecticut, but it wasn't until late in my junior year/early senior year that I discovered Mo's Midtown...and I really don't know how I lived before then.

Mo's is a greasy spoon, no doubt about it, but their breakfast food is outstanding. While I have had the pancakes (and understand others' affinity for the same), it is the Egg McMo that has become the standard bearer for all breakfast sandwiches.

I order it on a hard roll, over-medium, with cheddar cheese -- and I've never had another breakfast sandwich which compares. Throw in the phenomenal home fries -- think large potatoes which melt in your mouth like butter -- and you'll be in heaven.

Oh, and their coffee is on-point too.

In short, when in Hartford, go to Mo's Midtown. And having gone back this past weekend provides even more incentive to return to my alma mater on a yearly basis...

District Taco (Arlington, VA)

What was once a food cart is now a restaurant. Not quite as fast as Chipotle, not quite as slow as a sit-down meal, District Taco delivers.

I've tried most of the meats, but my favorite is the Al Pastor -- spit roasted pork, carved like gyro meat, served with pineapple. If you feel indulgent -- and I usually do -- top it with pinto beans and chorizo. I also usually get the corn tortillas (though you have to order them by name).

Song Que (Falls Church, VA)

Grilled pork banh mi. Check. Taro bubble tea. Check.

Better bread than the other banh mi shops in the area, paired with an excellent blend of the pickled goodness and jalapenos. The meat isn't as flavorful as other shops, but it's the pickled crunch (with a kick of heat) that keeps me coming back for more.

The Vietnamese pate is also good, although you know you're eating liver (if that matters to you).

The highlight (for me) is the taro bubble tea. No one else I know likes bubble tea. Maybe its the texture of the tapioca pearls. But the taro milk tea is for real. Do it. Thank me later.