Adams Morgan

Shawarma King Vs Shawarma Spot Taste Off Entries 2 and 3

By Prince Of Petworth

You can read the first entry here. Entry two is from Robert:

“SHAWARMA KING
Some of the better shawarma I’ve had in DC. Although shawarma is often billed as fast food in the Middle East, here it took a little longer to prepare, but my patience paid off. One nice feature of Shawarma King was the option to have the shawarma made on pita or on a larger wrap – same price, which is $5.95. I went with the wrap because it allows you to take better advantage of the a la carte servings (I piled them on). There are 16 different toppings to choose from – all looking reasonably fresh, which included, Lebanese hot sauce, pickled peppers, pickled eggplant, a cucumber/yogurt sauce (similar to a tzatziki sauce), as well as hummus and a delicious sliced fried cauliflower. I’m assuming Shawarma King is Lebanese-owned and operated, because in preparing my wrap they also offered to tinfoil it and throw it on a panini-style grill (normally done over a flame, but this wasn’t an outdoor cart). The result was an incredible Shawarma that is definitely worthy of carry-out.

SHAWARMA SPOT

One of the biggest highlights of Shawarma Spot – or at least I was first sold on it from their suggestive declarative statement on their menu – was their fresh brick oven baked pita. Beyond that, I thought the shawarmas were standard fair. I was disappointed that the toppings bar only had 12 options (three of which were very pedestrian toppings for a shawarma spot: sliced tomatoes, old looking sliced lettuce, and mayo) and was not self-serve (I like to have some portion control… or lack thereof). Also, hummus and baba were not even options in the toppings bar – you have to specially request baba on your shawarma. Shawarma Spot does have a greater variety of menu options, such as salads (fatouch, tabbouleh) and manakeesh (bread topped with jebna, lahma bi’ajeen, or zaatar). But there were no falafel options whatsoever!

THE DECISION

In this shawarmoff, the winner is Shawarma King. You get the most value for your dollar with the King (the Spot’s chicken shawarma runs around $7.50 with tax included) and you have the ability to dish out as much of any of the 16 diverse toppings that you wish. Shawarma Spot’s space also seemed a bit cramped, and the messiness award would also go to the Spot – I had to resort to fork and knife… what an embarrassment.”

Entry 3 by Jeannie after the jump. (more…)

In Defense Of Adams Morgan Nightlife by Robyn

By Prince Of Petworth

Ed. Note: Robyn’s post on the defense of Ruby Tuesday’s Salad Bar got a really interesting debate going and it has sparked a new series. You know in DC sometimes we tend to be reflexively negative about certain things. I find myself doing it too from time to time. Like I hate Georgetown. And in reality the last few times I’ve went to Georgetown, I’ve loved it. I love the old homes, the waterfront, etc. But I feel like I said “I hate Georgetown” so often it just became automatic. And not at all true. So with that in mind Robyn has come up with the idea to debunk some of the automatic negative stereotypes about certain things in DC. Thus a new series is born.

Ever heard the soundtrack to Adams Morgan at 3AM on a Saturday? It goes a little like this – to the tune of Beethoven’s 9th.

“Yeah bra!” (high five) “That chick let me touch her boob!”

“Dude, don’t step there. Someone puked up their Jumbo slice, haha!”

Thud. Squish. (sound of inebriated human passing out spontaneously on pavement on top of their own Amsterdam falafel)

Yes, I know. The thought of venturing to Adams Morgan on the weekend seems like buying a one way ticket to an underage college frat party. The abundance of cheesy bars, keg-stand record holders, and flush-faced twenty-somethings who act like teen-somethings after they just pounded a bottle of Boones Farm does not paint a pretty picture for the 18th street strip. Yet, I find something very endearing about Adams Morgan. If you get past the jack and coke chaos cover, there’s a warm, welcoming center to the strip that’s full of culture and cool people. My motto when I go to Adams Morgan? If you can’t beat them, join them.

Reasons why Adams Morgan isn’t so bad: Vegan bar food + 50 cent High Life countdown at Asylum. 4 shots + 4 beers for $12 at Tom Toms on Thursdays. Live music at Bossa. A good bourbon recommendation at Bourbon. Frou frou Felix martinis. Dance # 145 of the night and I’m still not tired at Habana Village. Lying about being in college, and doing a shot with a student because you have the same Finite Math teacher. Who cares if it’s top #40 music? Rooftop deck at the Reef. The crowd at Bedrock Billiards. Ok, Jumbo slice isn’t ALL that bad, especially after 3AM. The chill-pill effect at Pharmacy Bar. OMG! Your (insert accessory) is sooo cute. Let’s be friends. – overheard in line for bathroom at Madams Organ. DJ nights at Napolean.

And last but not least – cheap beer and make-your-own liquor drinks at Dans Café. Pure danger.

What did I forget? Any closeted Adams Morgan lovers out there?

First Entry For Battle of The Shawarmas

By Prince Of Petworth

Last week I suggested a shawarma taste off between the two new spots that opened up in Adams Morgan – Shawarma King located at 1654 Columbia Road and Shawarma Spot located at 2418 18th Street. I didn’t think I’d be an impartial judge so I got a few volunteers to share their opinions with you. The first entry is from Jaime.

<href=”http:></href=”http:>Shawarma King:
When you walk in, you are greeted by bright orange walls and bright smiles from what seems to be a family-run business. They are still sporting a Christmas tree – it may be time to take that down. They offer small or large chicken, beef or falafel shawarmas in either a pita or a wrap. The menu is a little confusing. We opted for the wraps, but are still unsure if you can choose a small or large wrap or if the wrap is the large option. They called us up to the counter after about 5 minutes. We topped the shawarmas ourselves at the topping bar. They had lots of options – fried cauliflower, tahini, tomatoes, onions with sumac, sauces and much more. After that, the server took our sandwiches and warmed and pressed them in a panini maker. This made it a lot easier to eat. They tasted pretty good and the enthusiastic workers were sure to ask us if we enjoyed it. The wrap was more than enough food for one person. At only $5.95, it was a great value. This is an excellent addition to Adam’s Morgan.

Shawarma King PROS:
Enthusiastic Ownership
Put on your own toppings with more choices
Slightly Better Prices
CONS:
Confusing menu & process Continues after the jump. (more…)

New Boutique Opens Up In Adams Morgan

By Prince Of Petworth

This one’s for the ladies. ZiZi Boutique is located at 2409 18th Street, NW. The boutique opened up about a month and a half ago and was recently featured in the Express though I couldn’t find it in their on line archives. I spoke with owner, Maimuna Burnette (pictured above) who co-owns the boutique with Janneta Daniels. The spot has a very nice open layout. It’s nice to see a place like this mixed into all the restaurants and bars. It kinda had the feel of some of the boutiques located on U Street. So if you’re looking for a locally owned boutique with some unique styles be sure to check them out.

A couple more photos after the jump. (more…)

Biagio Chocolate on 18th Street

By Prince Of Petworth

I know there are many fans of chocolate shops here so I thought I share my “discovery” when I was walking up 18th Street. It’s a bit hidden because you have to walk down some steps to get in the front door. Biagio Chocolate is located at 1904 18th St. NW. Its Web site says:

“Biagio Fine Chocolate’s mission is to provide the Washington, DC metropolitan area with the finest collection of chocolate and chocolate related products from around the world. Biagio Fine Chocolate is a destination for fine chocolate in the National Capital Region and aspires to become an important business contributor to the local economy and community.”

Any fans out there?

Great Paintings Inside La Fourchette Restaurant

By Prince Of Petworth

I knew it was going to be tough to find as many murals as I did last week so I thought I’d supplement them with the great paintings inside La Fourchette (the restaurant located in the middle of 18th Street in Adams Morgan.) (more…)

Shawarma Spot Opens on 18th Street. Let’s Have A Shawarma Taste Off

By Prince Of Petworth

Shawarma Spot has opened up at 2418 18th Street in Adams Morgan. So within two weeks time we’ve had two new shawarma spaces open up in Adams Morgan. Last week I wrote about Shawarma King opening up on Columbia Road. So I have a bit of a problem. I’m a huge fan of Shawarma King on Columbia Road but I want to be fair to Shawarma Spot on 18th Street, so I’m proposing a shawarma taste off. I can’t participate because the owners know me and I don’t want any special treatment. So this is where I need some volunteers. I need some folks who love shawarma to volunteer to choose a weekend and on a Sat. go to one place and on Sunday go to the other. I’ll report on your findings. Any takers? Free Pop T-shirts for the first three volunteers.

Really Artistic Unsolved Murder Signs

By Prince Of Petworth

I noticed a number of these signs all over Adams Morgan. It struck me right away for two reasons. First, I thought it was really unusual to see drawings instead of photos. But second, which may explain the drawings, the murder took place in 1968. It seems pretty random to see signs like this for such an old murder case. But it’s legit because it’s listed on the DC MPD’s Web site. Anyone ever see a sign like this before?

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