What I Ate Wednesday: Road Trip 2015 Edition

For this “What I Ate Wednesday” I thought I would take a little trip down memory lane and reminisce on all of the wonderful food that I had while on my road trip this fall. On Monday night I posted a picture of my friend and I from our trip, saying how I really want to go back there some day. It was nice to imagine the beautiful beach and 80 degree weather as I watched the snow falling outside my window…

So here it is – my favorite food from our road trip to Virginia, D.C. and Pittsburgh! They aren’t necessarily ranked in favorite order… but probably pretty close, because I listed them as I remembered them!

1. Chicken & Mushroom Crepes – Blue Talon Bistro, Williamsburg, VA: This restaurant was recommended to us by an online friend of mine. The atmosphere was super charming, a cute little French Bistro tucked into colonial Williamsburg. We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather that we were blessed with on our late fall trip. We tried the “historic tap water” – another guest asked what made the water historic and our waiter replied, “It’s a really old building.” Anyway, I decided on the crepes because I had never tried crepes before. Yes, seriously. And oh my goodness. Every bite of those crepes was absolute heaven. I absolutely love mushrooms anyway, and combine that with fluffy crepes and creamy sauce… it was to die for.
2. Pumpkin Spice Pecan Topped Pancakes – Pocohontas Pancake House, Virginia Beach, VA: Apparently the south is known for their pancake houses, and Pocohontas Pancake House is definitely a place to try if you are ever in Virginia Beach! We had planned on having breakfast at this restaurant from day one planning our trip. It was across the street from our hotel and surprisingly not too busy when we went. As soon as we saw “pumpkin pancakes” on their seasonal specials we were sold – my friend and I both got them! They were worth every single calorie – warm, fluffy, and just full of fall flavor. I ate every single bite!
3. Tuna Salad Panini – The Back Deck Bar & Cafe, Virginia Beach, VA: We ended up meeting with my friend from high school who now lives in Virginia Beach. She brought us to The Back Deck Bar & Cafe which is attached to the Shellfish Co. fish market. The Back Deck Bar & Cafe is exactly what it sounds like – it is a bar/cafe that is on the back deck of this market, overlooking the river. The Tuna Salad Panini was incredible – the tuna tasted so fresh, not like tuna out of a can. I ended up only eating half of the sandwich and saved the other half for my lunch the next day – it was just as good then!
4. Classic Eggs Benedict – Eggspectation, Silver Spring, MD: We did not have the greatest experience at our hotel in Silver Spring (where we stayed near Washington D.C.) but the experience we had for breakfast on our last day there at Eggspectation made up for it. First of all, the restaurant decor was so cute. They had it decorated for Halloween, which of course made my heart smile. Our waiter was very nice and attentive. It had been years since I had tried eggs benedict – many restaurants don’t even serve it anymore. I was not at all disappointed when I opened their menu and found that they had several different versions of eggs benedict! I ended up choosing the classic, and it was a perfect start to a day of travel and wonderful end to our visit in D.C.
5. Fresh Catch Florentine and Chocolate Cheesecake – Surf Club Grille, Virginia Beach, VA: The weight management training that we were attending had planned a networking dinner at this restaurant. We decided to go there on our own, since no one had signed up for the dinner, and I was bound and determined to have fresh seafood while in Virginia Beach! I ended up choosing the fresh catch florentine. I honestly cannot remember what fish I chose but I think it was flounder. It was grilled and served with garlic mashed potatoes, house vegetables and a to die for creamy crab spinach sauce. My friend and I splurged and got dessert – a decadent and delicious chocolate cheesecake!
6. Crab Cake Sandwich – The Salty Dog Tavern, Washington, D.C.: Besides fresh fish, I knew that I had to try crab cakes before I left the area. Every restaurant boasts how they have “the best crab cakes in town”. My friend and I decided to go down to Georgetown in the evening that we spent in Washington, D.C. to grab dinner. We had looked at several restaurants, and at the last minute came across The Salty Dog Tavern. The restaurant was small and cute, and the bartender was super nice. He made me a very tasty cosmopolitan (I decided I was on vacation, why not throw it back to Sex and the City 2004?) which I spilled all over myself after dinner. It appeared that he was the only person working – maybe there was a cook there? But the service was great and the crab cake sandwich was delish.

Not totally food related, but I also discovered on this trip that I do like white wine – Sauvignon Blanc, to be exact. It went very well with my seafood and French cuisine. ;)