Washington DC

Georgetown Cupcakes

Question: What do you think of when you think of Georgetown?

A) A beautiful harbor with cozy restaurants and cafes

B) A spectacular view overlooking the Potomac and the Kennedy Center?

C) Clusters of Hoyas sporting blue and gray near Georgetown University’s campus

D) The award-winning, gourmet cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes

Answer: It’s a no brainer – Georgetown Cupcakes, of course!

You can’t visit Georgetown without stopping by Georgetown Cupcakes. It would nearly be a crime. Scratch that. It would be a crime. Do you remember watching the Food Network on a late summer night and seeing the hit series DC Cupcakes? It made you salivate so much that you wanted to eat half a dozen cupcakes right then and there? Well, hopefully it rings a bell because the stars of the show are none other than the creators of Georgetown Cupcakes!

Alright, let’s get right to it. Hands down some of the best gluten-free cupcakes I’ve ever tasted. Not all the cupcakes are gluten-free, but everyday, Georgetown Cupcakes offers one freshly baked gluten-free cupcake flavor (and one vegan flavor). The gluten-free varieties include lava fudge, chocolate salted caramel, strawberry lava fudge, chocolate birthday, and peanut butter fudge. I’ve had the pleasure of trying the lava fudge, strawberry lava fudge, and peanut butter fudge – and I will vouch for them all! What excites me the most about Georgetown Cupcakes is that just because the cupcakes are gluten-free, the complexity of the flavors are not compromised. In other words, with most cupcakeries, you won’t be so lucky to find gluten-free cupcakes, and if you are lucky, cupcakeries with gluten-free options typically offer a vanilla or chocolate cupcake.You might get cream cheese icing if you’re lucky. Gluten-free flavors tend to be very standard flavors, they aren’t usually the adventurous flavors. And Georgetown Cupcakes truly defies that notion. The strawberry lava fudge has a delicious strawberry icing and a soft chocolate cake base that melt in your mouth with a gooey, rich, chocolatey “lava-like” filling just flowing out of the cupcake. It’s a work of art.

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So, how do you get your hands on these cupcakes? Well, Georgetown Cupcakes can be found in Georgetown, Bethesda, NYC, Boston, LA, and Atlanta. If you can’t make it in person, don’t fret. They deliver all across the country! I once received a dozen gluten-free cupcakes from here via mail as a surprise present to cheer me up – take my word for it, your family and friends will love you forever if you ship them some of these cupcakes!

Cheers,

Anika

Zaytinya

Summer has been glorious: relaxing and rejuvenating. I spent my Fourth of July weekend amidst the crowds of people celebrating in the nation’s capital. Fireworks haloed the Washington Monument- it was truly a memory for the long run. Over the past few years, Washington DC has become a common destination for last minute trips and vacations in my family. Therefore, it’s essential that I have a list of accommodating restaurants at the back of my hand.

We normally reside in a hotel with close proximity to the mall. This allows us the freedom to walk to the main attractions and center city. Zaytinya is conveniently located on 9th and G Streets, just a few minutes walk away from the mall. The Turkish-Greek cuisine is exquisite- I would go as far as calling it my favorite restaurant in Washington DC. The ambiance is wonderful both inside and outside. If you’re seated inside, do take note of the fascinating shaped olive oil jars. And if you’re outside, while enjoying the fresh air, notice that the umbrellas are upside-down. It may be my lack of exposure or taste for a more modern and sleek setting that I find these nuances so amusing. However, the restaurant, food, and service are simply wonderful.

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I could rave about this restaurant and its originality for days, but let’s get to the exciting part- food. Zaytinya recently started offering a gluten-free menu much to my delight. They serve mezzes which are sort of the Greek or Mediterranean equivalent of tapas, based on my understanding. However, in addition to the gluten-free mezzes listed on the menu, I have typically been able to request other dished to be prepared gluten-free. Over the culmination of all my ventures to Zaytinya, I have found the grape-leave dolmades, seasonal mushrooms, and shish tauok are my favorites. However, dessert is a whole separate matter. The dessert selection at Zaytinya is heavenly. If you don’t have time to enjoy a full meal at this restaurant, it is absolutely worth your time to stop in for a sweet treat. The greek yogurt and apricots and most of the homemade ice creams and sorbets are gluten-free. Additionally, the turkish delight can be modified to those following a gluten-free diet, and the cheeses, of course, are gluten-free! I am a yogurt phanatic. Whether its greek or vanilla, key lime or served with honey, yogurt has always been a favorite snack of mine. But this greek yogurt was the “mother of all Chobanis and Fages” as my dad put it. I honestly couldn’t have said it any better myself. As for the ice creams: if you have a sweet tooth for exotic flavors this one is for you. The flavors consist of vanilla with phyllo dough, rose, olive oil, and walnut. The walnut is the ice cream used in the turkish delight, and I would definitely vouch for it. The olive oil ice cream is just something to taste for the sake of curiosity and adventure. Last but not least, cheese. I have always had the urge to order cheese as a dessert in a restaurant, but my parents typically discouraged it. However, this time they surprised me. They suggested I try a new type of cheese, so I did just that (how obedient, right?). The Tulum Peynir was a rather rich cheese with a bold flavor, but I was in heaven. It was served with honeycomb, which was a new texture for me. Anyhow, the combination of the Turkish cheese and honeycomb was delicious.

So if you’re in DC and looking for some good food, even if it is a trek, I would highly recommend Zaytinya.

Cheers,

Anika

Bistro D’oc

After touring the capital city on segways, we had built up quite an appetite (it was most likely the heat)! But nonetheless, we were hungry after a day of exploring and decided to dine at a French restaurant in the touristy area of DC. Although there was no gluten-free menu, our server being French new the contents of each dish back and forth. For starters, we were rather adventurous in ordering Cervelle D’Agneau. Simply a fancy, French way of saying lamb brains. I will spare you of excruciating details, but it was excellent. For my entrée, I ordered the special: mussels in a garlicky white wine base with pommes frites, and a side of creamed young spinach. Everything in my entrée was delicious and very authentic. However, the portions were closer to American standard size rather than French. As for dessert, I indulged in a dessert special, a chocolate mousse with orange peel ice cream. The mousse was unlike anything I had before. The texture wasn’t airy, but neither was it too rich. And the ice cream was house made. The flavor was delicious!

I recommend this restaurant to anyone in DC looking for some great French food!

Cheers!

Anika