This Week's Playlist July 15th 2013

1. Aqualung- Jethro Tull

2. Sunshine of Your Love- Jimi Hendrix (originally by Cream)

3. War Pigs- Black Sabbath

4. Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution- AC/DC

5. Little Wing- Jimi Hendrix

6. I Want You (She's So Heavy)- The Beatles

7. Dancing Days- Led Zeppelin

I absolutely love rock music from any time period and any sub-genre, from indie to grunge and I can't forget classic rock. The 1970s is, arguably, one of the best decades of rock music. I still remember when I "discovered" these bands for the first time in middle school and was amazed by their talent, raw sound, and classic lyrics.

Out of the bands that made it into my playlist this week I would say that I listen to Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin the most.

"Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream is a classic, and Jimi Hendrix does a great cover, bringing his feedback-filled guitar riffs and making someone else's song into his own. He turns the four minute song into a eight minutes of face-melting guitar solo time.

I know, I know "War Pigs" is a typical and one of the most famous Black Sabbath songs, but it is still the best in my opinion. Last year, when Black Sabbath played at Lollapalooza this song was absolutely amazing live. Tony Iommi can still play the guitar as well as he did years ago and Ozzy was still belting out the lyrics.

Although, this one Beatles song, "I Want You (She's so Heavy)" always struck me and took away from their typically pop sound. This song is approximately eight minutes long, but only has fourteen different words and a few ominous guitar riffs. Although it is dark and technically very repetitive it has a beautiful and unique twist, especially the way that the chords go from a beginning blues sound into a jazz-infused guitar sound later in the song. It also has an abrupt ending, making the whole song even more mysterious.


Thanks for listening to my classic rock playlist this week and look out for a Lollapalooza 2013 Lineup-inspired playlist next week
xx Lauren

Lia's Restaurant Review

Address and Neighborhood: 4435 Willard Avenue Chevy Chase, MD 20815 in the Friendship Heights/Chevy Chase neighborhood

Price Range: $$$ (Typical entrees range from $15 to $25)

Overall rating: 4/5 for Service

4.5/5 Food Quality and Overall Value

A first look at Lia's menu and you might think it is a little pricey, however, if you are dining on a budget be sure to place your dinner order between 4 and 6:30 to partake in Lia's Twilight Delight special. For $19.95 you get an appetizer, main course, and dessert. It is almost too good to be true and they definitely do not skimp on the portion sizes.

Tomato-Watermelon Gazpacho

There are still plenty of choices to choose from on the Twilight Delight menu. Since it was a typical hot and humid DC day I decided to start with the tomato-watermelon gazpacho. I loved the watermelon taste and it came with an almond lace tuile cookie on the side that paired well with the gazpacho. 

Spaghetti and Meatballs

For the main course I decided on getting a classic dish, spaghetti and meatballs. The red sauce was the perfect consistency (I am very picky about tomato sauce, but this was up to my standards!) and the meatballs had a great flavor. I also loved that it was topped with ricotta cheese. Since I knew I had to save room for my dessert the leftovers also served as great lunch the next day.

Tiramisu with Raspberry Sorbet

Finally, the best part, for dessert I ordered the classic tiramisu which came with a scoop of raspberry sorbet. The cake was perfect, with just enough espresso taste and creamy mascarpone. Also, the sorbet was the perfect accompaniment, raspberry is one of my favorite flavors because it is just the right combination of sweet and tart. It was surrounded by a sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs which added a nice crunch to the sorbet.

Overall, I highly recommend Lia's especially because the Twilight Delight is too good to pass up. Where else can you find a high quality 3-course meal for any less than $19.95? Next time, I want to try their brunch because they have Brie Stuffed French Toast and a Cinnamon Scented Waffle with mascarpone and apples.

This Week's Playlist July 8th 2013

1. Thickfreakness- The Black Keys

2. Hello Operator- The White Stripes

3. Molly's Chambers- Kings of Leon

4. Readymade- The Red Hot Chili Peppers

5. Satellite- The Kills

6. Free Love- Cage the Elephant

7. Little Black Submarines- The Black Keys

This week I decided to dig deep through my iTunes account and find some of my favorite and most memorable songs over the past ten years. Many of these happen to be in my Top 25 Most Played songs playlist.

"Thickfreakness" was the first Black Keys' song that I ever heard because it happened to be on a compilation CD I bought before I even knew who The Black Keys were. It starts off with a roaring guitar lick, bringing listeners right into the duo's blues and distortion-heavy sound. "Little Black Submarines" is also on This Week's Playlist because it was one of the most moving songs I have ever heard live. There is a clear resemblance that the song has to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" because of its intense crescendo. It transitions from a slow-ballad to the pure rock and roll sound that The Black Keys have mastered.

I remember hearing Cage the Elephant on WBRU (95.5) a great alternative-rock radio station in Providence, RI and stopping at Newbury Comics a few days later to buy their first album. "Free Love" struck me because it was loud on the album and even louder in concert. Their self-titled album brought a mix of funk and rock with a hint of Beck and a little Rage Against the Machine-like singing.

The Kills' album Blood Pressures is their most recent and my favorite. Alison Mosshart, lead singer in The Kills was also a member of Jack White's band The Dead Weather (another one of my favorite bands) and has the perfect smokey voice you want to hear on a rock album. This song deviates from their typical sound, but brings a slow reggae beat that sounds great with the guitar. Also, the song is pretty great live.

Thanks for reading and note I've thrown in a few links to some of my favorites from This Week's Playlist, so have a listen!
xx Lauren

Last Weekend's Restaurant Review: Bistrot Du Coin

Bistrot Du Coin

Address and Neighborhood: 1738 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, DC 20009 in Dupont Circle

Price Range: $$$ (Typical entrees range from $15-$25)

Overall rating: 4.5/5 for Service

5/5 Food Quality and Overall Value

Fondant au Chocolat Semi Amer

Make no mistake, I did rate Bistrot Du Coin 5/5 for food quality and overall value. This was my first time at Bistrot Du Coin and nothing was disappointing. The meal starts with a bread basket, which is already a good start. Although extra carbs aren’t the healthiest the Italian side of me cannot help but indulge in two pieces. They have an impressive menu to appeal to even the pickiest diners, with an array of mussels, ravioli, pasta, chicken and steak choices as well as many appetizers and desserts. It would be hard for someone not to find something to enjoy.

I decided to skip the appetizer and ordered the Tournedos Poele, Sauce Roquefort, or for those of us who don’t know too much French, pan seared steak with Roquefort sauce. The included side dish was french fries, although I asked for mashed potatoes instead, my favorite comfort food. The steak was delicious and the creamy Roquefort sauce paired nicely with the meat. The mashed potatoes were buttery with the perfect consistency. Even though the meal was plenty filling I could not help but look at their dessert menu, which had over ten choices. 


As a table we decided to order the Fondant au Chocolat Semi Amer, a bittersweet chocolate fondant served warm with vanilla ice cream. Our waiter also went above and beyond, and since we had a hard time deciding which dessert to pick also brought the Creme Caramel a l’ancienne, a classic cream caramel. Dark chocolate is one of my favorite sweets and the warm fondant cake was rich to say the least. Also, the vanilla ice cream was topped with chocolate sauce and was the perfect accompaniment for the cake. Creme caramel is similar to flan, a baked custard with caramel. In this dish the caramel was at the bottom and the custard was topped off with whipped cream. Bistrot Du Coin is on the more expensive end of my typical price range, but the food was so good that it was worth the money. I cannot wait to return and try one of their mussel dishes or the ravioli.

Last Weekend's Dinner Review: District Commons

District Commons

Address and Neighborhood: 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20037 in Foggy Bottom

Price Range: $$$ (Typical entrees range from $15 to $25)

Overall rating: 4.5/5 for Service

4.5/5 Food Quality and Overall Value

If you go to District Commons you must start out with their Hot Pretzel Baguette that is accompanied by Beer Butter Mustard. It comes fresh out of the kitchen, still steaming hot and it will only cost you $2. It is perfect for sharing with the whole table. I decided to start out with the Arugula Salad ($10) because it has Pimento Cheese Fritters and a Green Tomato Chutney dressing. The salad is an ample portion and the cheese fritters add a creamy kick to create a unique salad. I wanted to keep my meal light by choosing one of their flatbreads ($12), with roasted sweet peppers, goat cheese, basil pesto and pine nuts.

The flat bread is crispy and light, but it doesn’t leave you feeling hungry, I even had a few slices to take home that were still good after a quick 30 seconds in the microwave. Although I was too full for dessert I secretly ogled the customers at the table next to us when they ordered the Boardwalk Funnel cake with a heaping serving of whipped cream and butterscotch sauce. Maybe next time I will have to indulge! Finally, both the hostess and server were extremely friendly and although the restaurant was busy at the tail-end of Friday happy hour all of the food came out quickly and was absolutely delicious. I love when professional service adds to the overall food experience. Although District Commons might be a little pricey for the average college student’s budget it is worth it for a special occasion or for when family comes into the city.

My Weekend Brunch Review

This weekend my grandparents and parents came for a visit to the District. We made a lot of great DC trips, such as going to the National Gallery of Art and the American History museum, but what DC weekend trip would be complete without a few good meals? Here is my review of the two brunch meals we went to at Founding Farmers and Ted's Bulletin. Keep an eye out for my dinner reviews coming later this week!

Founding Farmers

Address and Neighborhood: 1924 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20006 in Foggy Bottom

Price Range: $/$$ (Typical breakfast entrees range from $5-$15)

Overall rating: 4/5 for Service

4/5 Food Quality and Overall Value

Founding Farmers is located right on the edge of GW’s campus and boasts a great menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My parents and I personally find their breakfast to be their best meal and it is surprisingly inexpensive. I always like to try as many of the menu items as possible and usually when my family comes to visit we rotate plates to try a little bit of everything.

If you are dining with a group I recommend starting off with Uncle Buck’s Beignets which comes with three sauces: raspberry, chocolate and caramel. They do take 20 minutes so be sure to order shortly after being seated. The great thing about a plate that is made to order is that they are still hot when they arrive at the table and topped with powdered sugar.

My Dad and I split the Buttermilk Carrot Cake Pancakes ($8) and the McCann’s Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal ($5). The oatmeal comes with a fabulous vanilla bean cream, golden raisins, almonds, brown sugar, and fresh strawberries. Not only are the accompaniments a great way to spice up a typical breakfast dish, but it is also only $5. I can barely walk out of any food establishment in DC (quick-serve or wait-staff) without spending $10, so let’s just say this is a quite a steal. The pancakes are perfectly fluffy, have a light cinnamon taste with carrot shreds, and to top it off the center of the stack is filled with a cream cheese frosting. Overall, you can get plenty of great food with a small price tag. I do have one important recommendation though. In order to avoid the wait times be sure to book your reservation about a week or two in advance and you should get seated right on time!

Ted’s Bulletin

Address and Neighborhood: 505 8th St SE  Washington, DC 20003 in Eastern Market/Barracks Row

Price Range: $/$$ (Typical breakfast entrees range from $5-$15)

Overall rating: 4.5/5 for Service

4.5/5 Food Quality and Overall Value

The first thing I heard about Ted’s Bulletin was that they had homemade pop tarts, probably my favorite unhealthy breakfast food since I was a kid, which alone was enough of a reason to stop by for Sunday brunch after a walk around Eastern Market. There is usually a wait because of the restaurant’s popularity, but they do have call-ahead seating which helps.

I started with the bottomless coffee which comes with your own pitcher so you can top off your mug at your leisure. Coffee is definitely a morning staple for me and this was much better than your typical weak diner-style coffee and paired nicely with the pop tarts.

    
Blueberry Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Bacon, Strawberry, Brown Sugar Cinnamon, Toasted Coconut and Nutella are the flavors that Ted’s offered on Sunday. I couldn’t decide on what flavor I wanted! I finally decided to order the Brown Sugar Cinnamon and also took a Blueberry Cheesecake one to go, which served as a yummy Monday morning treat. The crust is almost like a flaky pie crust and the filling for the brown sugar cinnamon makes me never want to eat a regular pop tart again. The blueberry cheesecake was also great, filled with real blueberries and cheesecake filling. They both were topped with sprinkles, yellow, orange, and green for the brown sugar cinnamon and blue and purple for the blueberry cheesecake. I also got to try the sausage patties and hash browns. Although the pop tarts were my favorite, the other breakfast items proved to be worth a return trip to Ted’s Bulletin.

    
Our server was kind and apologized for the long wait (although it really wasn’t too bad, thanks to calling ahead), even one of the managers stopped by to ensure that we were happy with our meals and the service. Overall, it was a great outing. Maybe next time I will stop by the 14th and S St NW, U Street neighborhood location when it opens. It will seat 170 customers, about twice the size of the Eastern Market location.

This Week's Playlist July 1st 2013

1. We Found Love- Palma Violets

2. Elephant- Tame Impala

3. Fight Test- The Flaming Lips

4. I Need Something Different- Stone Gossard

5. Deep- Pearl Jam

6. The Punks are Finally Taking Acid- FIDLAR

7. People Don't Change Blues- The Growlers

This week brings a mix of new discoveries and older favorites. On Friday, I bought tickets to the Tame Impala and Flaming Lips concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion (an outdoor venue in Columbia, MD) on October 4th. I cannot wait for such a stellar band combo. I first heard Aussie rockers, Tame Impala when their song was featured on the hit HBO show Girls, which features a great alt-indie music playlist. "Elephant" has an intense bass beat that carries the song and reminds me of a mix of indie band, Deerhunter and the pop-rock band, The Strokes.

Last week Stone Gossard, guitarist in Pearl Jam, released his album Moonlander and his solo work carries his skillful Pearl Jam guitar-playing but brings his own inspiration to "I Need Something Different" by bringing a little more grit and little less grungy punk. With Stone Gossard's album release it also brought my back to listening to Pearl Jam classics. One of my favorite songs off of their most famous album, Ten is "Deep" because of the intense and powerful lyrics that Eddie Vedder belts out to the fantastic solo that Mike McCready shreds through.

FIDLAR also shows a more versatile side in "The Punks are Finally Taking Acid" because they add a bluesy guitar riff that is not typical of their songs and the riff alone has a hint of the Black Keys' sound. There is a great YouTube video that captures fans going wild over this killer song at The Blue Star Cafe last summer in Los Angeles. Check it out here: The Punks are Finally Taking Acid (Live)- FIDLAR