Review of Cava Mezze Grill

How have I lived in the same community all these years and not have realized a popular restaurant chain called Cava Mezze Grill had come in? My friend introduced Cava to me over the summer after they had opened for over a year in the Kentlands neighborhood in suburban Maryland.  Now I am obsessed.

Up until then, I was in love with Chipotle. But Cava’s take is Mediterranean, healthier, and a larger serving. The fast casual concept is the same in that you walk down a line and customize your bowl. However, there is more of a variety in choices.

I ordered a bowl, half of salad and half of rice. Between the well-done protein options of chicken, braised beef, lamb, and meatballs, I chose chicken. My go-to dip and spread is hummus and tzatziki. The toppings I got were cabbage slaw, quinoa, tomato + cucumber salad, and pita crisps. All of these different textures give the bowl a fresh and flavorful taste with every bite. Last but not least, I chose the Greek vinaigrette dressing to drizzle over the giant bowl of ingredients. After 30 minutes, the $9 meal was all gone.

I honestly believe that any combination of what they offer would be delicious. The service is fast and friendly. They are patient and explain what kinds of dipping and dressings they have. Cava also has several interesting drink options such as the Watermelon Mint juice.

I love this place and I recommend it to anyone who hasn’t tried Cava yet!

Atmosphere

On the days that I worked as an intern over the summer, I would always go to the Panera Bread in the busy suburban neighborhood for my 30-minute lunch break. It was my go to place not only because of the variety of delicious and healthy foods they have, but also because of the fast, casual atmosphere.

From the moment you walk in, the smell of freshly baked bread and hot soup fills the air. The restaurant’s color scheme is warm, homely, and inviting. Floor to ceiling glass windows let in natural light and make the whole place bright. During the lunch rush, almost all the tables are full, but you can easily spot someone getting up to leave so that the table is yours to claim before your food is ready. Behind a tall counter, young and friendly staff prepare your order in just five minutes, and you eagerly wait to hear them call your number.

It is perfectly normal to see coworkers getting lunch together, couples on a date, or a mother eating out with her children. But where else can you also find a table of elderly women playing mahjong, a soccer team celebrating their win, and a job interview taking place all in the same restaurant? Panera Bread is never too noisy like how Chipotle seems to be. Panera Bread is convenient for any kind of customer, whether they arrive solo to grab a quick bite while using the free Wi-Fi (like me) or they sit outside to enjoy coffee and baked goods with friends.

Panera Bread has become one of my favorite restaurants because it is classier than fast food joints but more casual than eat-in restaurants that have waiters who you need to tip. Therefore, I save money and time. Plus, real bowls, plates, and utensils don’t make me feel like I’m eating a cheap meal.

Do you like the trend of fast casual restaurants?

Priorities

Saw this on Buzzfeed. So true. I need thing on my wall.

Din 鼎 Tai 泰 Fung 豐

What would you wait an hour in line for? A ride at Disneyworld? A sale at your favorite store? For me, it would be for the soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung. Taiwanese people know what I’m talking about! Din Tai Fung is a world famous, Michelin Star restaurant known for their handmade steamed dumplings and noodles. The restaurant wants people to experience a classic “taste of Taiwan.”

My mom has taken me to visit Taiwan, her motherland, almost every other summer since I was a baby, but it was not until 2007 when she decided to bring me to a new opening location of her favorite restaurant during her high school days – Din Tai Fung. I remember waiting outside with a crowd of eager customers near a large glass window looking into the kitchen where workers in white were hand making each dumpling with incredible precision and speed.

After waiting well over an hour for a table, I was finally able to try a soup dumpling, or in Mandarin, xiao long bao. What amazed me was how the thin, delicate dumpling skin could hold so much of the light, brothy soup and meat. The way I eat it is have chopsticks in one hand and a soup spoon in the other. Once I take a small bite to break the skin, the soup comes pouring out into my spoon and I slurp it down before popping the rest of the dumpling into my mouth.

Din Tai Fung’s xiao long bao is simply hot and delicious. Every time I go back to Taiwan, I insist on eating a meal at Din Tai Fung because other soup dumpling just cannot compare. 

San Francisco

Now that school has started, I keep reminiscing about my fun-filled summer. A month ago I was slowly exploring San Francisco for a weekend. Here are some of my food highlights.

The Ferry Building seemed like the perfect marketplace for hipsters and tourists because of all those organic, natural, local products being sold. Plus there were lots of free samples! The longest line was for Humpry Slocombe ice cream where they have funky flavors and spunky names. I decided to see what the hype was about and got in line, only to order the safest flavor of the day - Harvey Milk+Honey Graham - because I wasn't feeling risky enough to get Secret Breakfast. Now I regret not getting something more interesting.... See all their flavors here!

ice cream + Bay Bridge

On another day, my cousins took me to Kitchen Story for brunch where I had the fluffiest eggs EVER. Be sure to order their Millionaire's Bacon! Everything we ordered looked so beautiful, no wonder it's one of San Francisco's most Instagrammed restaurants.

didn't want to ruin this french toast

Lastly, I heard from somewhere that you can't say you visited California without going to In-N-Out Burger. Maybe I didn't order the best thing on the menu but it wasn't as great as I expected it to be. A couple weeks after San Francisco, I tried a Shake Shack burger for the first time and I thought it was way better than In-N-Out, though a bit more expensive. Someone please explain to me why West coast people are obsessed with In-N-Out!

first and probably last time eating In-N-Out

First Time Blogger

Welcome to my first blog ever! 

This personal blog will showcase fruitful thoughts from a 20 year-old about food, travel, life, etc. I started it for my Advanced Composition class where all of our writing has to be related to food (how cool is that?!). Now I have another place besides Instagram to post every interesting/unhealthy/photo-worthy thing I consume. Enjoy!    

Giant egg custard!