There are a few dishes at Beuchert's Saloon that don't look like the rest, the whole menu is worth eating but there are a couple of stand out dishes that are, well, outstanding. The Rock Shrimp Okonomiyaki is one, I've been telling everyone about it since having it last weekend. A Japanese pancake topped with watermelon radish, sorrel, toasted shallots and a sweet soy sauce, and a drizzle of lemon cream which adds just a touch of fun to what is otherwise a pretty serious dish.
Dining: S.E.R.
Don't let a simple and easy crossing of a river detract you, as it will set the tone when eating at S.E.R., for the Spanish restaurant in Ballston has made a real mark as a seafood destination for the DC area. From culinary duoChef Josu Zubikarai and Javier Candon, with Christiana Campos-Candon, they will not just introduce you to new flavors from the ocean but its whimsical decor will have you forgetting your closest body of water is the Potomac.
I grew up not far from the sea and on breezy days you could smell the salty air throughout the town, but as a youngster I was never a fan of seafood - perhaps it was because our towns finest harvest were cockles, too salty and slimy for my liking. I've come along way since then, apparently now I can happily clean a plate of gooseneck barnacles (or percebes), a prehistoric looking crustacean that offers up a briny salt-like meat from it's black and incredibly ugly looking shell. I can picture myself on the beach sipping on a sangria with a plate of these without a care in the world. Or in Arlington. When in Basque, right?
Read MoreDining: Pop's SeaBar
It's a never ending summer over in Adams Morgan, at least that's what Justin Abad and John Manolatos of Cashion's Eat Place will have you believe. They've taken over the old Taan Noodle place next door to Cashion's and opened up Pop's SeaBar, which opens today. I got a chance at a sneak peak earlier this week, which means I can tell you all about it.
It's Jersey Shore meets Gulf Coast, the restaurant is super casual with few tables but plenty of red and blue bar stools reminiscent of a 1950's diner that align the impressively long bar and back wall. The walls are covered in beach-side memorabilia and a shelf lined with old school oyster buckets. The decor at Pop's certainly does pop.
Read MoreDining: BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant
BlackSalt Market
If you follow me on twitter you may know that I've been spending a little more time out of my comfort zone of Logan Circle and a lot more time in Upper NW, in particular Glover Park, which I've come to learn is a lot more central than you'd have thought. A short walk in any direction and you can find yourself in Cleveland Park, Georgetown, Cathedral Heights or the Palisades - which is where I found myself this past Saturday for brunch at BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant. It had been a year since my last and only visit here and as I've been eating less meat and more fish I was happy to spend more than I usually do for brunch, I just wish my wardrobe felt the same - my pastel colored polo shirt and shorts were a little too casual even for a Saturday morning - BlackSalt isn't stuffy per se, perhaps it's a reflection of the neighborhood it serves, but I'd recommend pants over shorts.
Brunch wasn't the only reason for visiting BlackSalt, some friends and I were heading out to Maryland for a night of camping along the C&O Canal and we wanted some fish to cook on the campfire, with a huge selection of sustainable fish we went with mahi for kabobs.
Back to brunch.
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