Papa Razzi: A Modern Trattoria

After another routine stop to one of my favorite bakeries, Georgetown Cupcake, a few friends and I decided to enjoy a nice dinner at an Italian Restaurant called Papa Razzi. Now from the first impression, I was quite impressed by the restaurant because it had a very interesting set up and atmosphere. The restaurant was very dim with many dark accents throughout.  Possibly the best feature about the restaurant was the upper seating area because it was very open, and it offered nice views of the city scene. Now in terms of food, I must say that I was quite unimpressed. Maybe it was because I ordered a chicken risotto with mushroom and onions at a pasta place, but it just didn’t create that wow factor that I crave whenever I eat out. Even after trying some of their famous hand made pastas that my friends had, I didn’t feel like it differed from any other Italian that I would get elsewhere.  In terms of service, our waitress was very kind and social, with the occasional conversation here and there. Overall, this restaurant offered a great atmosphere, but the food was not as impressive as I would have hoped. However, I would go back and try something different just to make sure my experience wasn’t subpar because of a poor entrée choice.

College Kid Budget: $$

Washington DC Vacations

Ming's Restaurant in Chinatown DC

After an afternoon of checking out all the major and historical sites and sounds Washington D.C. has to offer, a group of my friends and I decided to grab dinner at Chinatown. After a few minutes of strolling down the streets and checking out all the menus, we decided to give Ming’s Restaurant a try. Ming’s is a very nice restaurant with modern décor and a warm and cozy atmosphere. The menu was very extensive and included so unusual dishes such jelly fish and duck feet. For some reason, I had the urge to try something exotic and unique, but I decided to stick with an old school dish that I knew would always be good, orange chicken. The orange chicken had a crispy and spicy outside, but a warm and tender inside, both of which made this dish so delicious. It tasted a lot more authentic than the fare you would get from like Panda Express or some other mainstream/franchised Chinese restaurant. Other people in my group got beef and broccoli, kung pao chicken, and chicken and broccoli.  We all tried each other’s dishes and they were all surprisingly very good. In terms of service, our waitress was on the ball and she made sure to keep our glasses full throughout the dinner. So overall, Ming’s was a surprisingly delicious Chinese restaurant that I will definitely go back to whenever I’m in Chinatown again. The prices were very affordable and the food was plentiful and delicious.

College Kid Budget: $$

Washington DC Vacations

One of the Best Chili Dogs Around

Ben’s Chili Bowl is just one of those places that I knew I would love from the moment I walked in. Appearance-wise, this restaurant isn’t too attractive. But that doesn’t matter because the amazing hotdogs and chili is the real show. The moment you walk in, you are greeted by hot, fresh, grilled “dogs” and an always packed line filled with hungry customers. You then quickly make your order without even glancing at the menu for 15 seconds. I decided to try their famous chili dog and some chili cheese fries. And I must say that I do not regret my choice one bit because it was so delicious. It was honestly the best hot dog I’ve ever had. The chili truly is what made the hotdog great. The cheese fries were just as good, primarily because it had chili on it accompanied by warm cheese sauce, and an abundance of french fries.  And the best thing about it was that this meal cost me about $7. Well worth it if you ask me. My only complaint with Ben’s is the workers. They seem to be in a huge hurry, virtually making good customer service non-existent. But other than that, this is a fantastic place to grab a delicious lunch, dinner or snack. With the close proximity to the Washington metro stop and the University of Maryland, I will definitely make as many attempts as possible to swing by Ben’s and get one of their famous chili dogs.

College Kid Budget: $

Baltimore Vacations