the roundup: october 2023

Food:

On the first day of October, we went for Vietnamese food in Falls Church, VA at Eden Center and it was just sooooo good and flavorful. We love Houng Viet Restaurant and that is my favorite spot in Eden Center- just a note, they are cash only! Bring on soup season!

I made some delicious grilled pork belly with a bunch of veggies and lettuce wraps and it was such a simple and delicious meal!

I remembered how much I loved Alison Roman’s Caramelized Shallot Pasta and decided to make it this month. It is SO delicious and should make a comeback for the colder weather!

I made the Bon Appetit Shabu-Shabu Noodle Soup recipe for dinner and it was honestly, one of the best things I have made in a while. It is super easy (with the right ingredients) and so flavorful. I added in some pea shoots for some greens and I am in love. I will be making this all winter long.

We tried NUE Vietnamese restaurant in VA in October and it was honestly such a hit. The food was so special and well done and I would highly recommend it. While everything was amazing, the stand outs for me were the grilled oysters, chili oil wontons (when I tell you this was the best homemade chili oil I ever had…), the coconut curry risotto and the whole fried fish. The whole fried fish was done to perfection and served with lettuce, herbs and vermicelli to eat as wraps. Everything was amazing.

My husband and I had a date night at Rasika in West End and had such a nice meal. He had actually never been there and I hadn’t been in a long time. Everything was delicious!

I made the garlic knots from Dan Pelosi’s new cookbook, Let’s Eat, and they were out of this world easy and delicious.

We tried a Vietnamese Cajun seafood spot in VA called Chasin’ Tails and it was wildly delicious. We got a lot of food but the highlights for me were the deep fried lobster over garlic noodles, the crab legs and the fried calamari. If you are looking for an amazing and interactive meal, you should definitely check this place out!

Starr Restaurant Group just opened a new Mexican restaurant near Union Market called El Presidente, and it is really delicious. We went for brunch and enjoyed everything we ordered and the service. They had great guacamole, amazing queso, fresh made corn and flour tortillas and our mains were amazing. I got the chorizo and eggs with black refried beans and it really hit the spot. We will definitely be back to try dinner!

I made the Italian Sausage Ragu from Katie Parla’s Italian Islands cookbook and dang, was it easy and delicious. This will definitely be going into the rotation.

I made a childhood favorite for our Halloween party this year and it was a big hit! Anyone remember dirt cups?! They are so easy to make just layer some chocolate pudding with crushed Oreos and add some gummy works on top!

Drinks:

I actually had a very light drinking month as August and September were filled with alcohol. It was nice to take a break but I will be back with more wine/drinks recs soon!

Other Things:

We watched all four of the Halloween Town movies this month in preparation for Halloween and as a distraction for everything going on in the world. I would highly recommend them, if you are looking for something light and nostalgic

I just pulled this candle out for Fall and I really love it! It is the Polyamberous by Boy Smells and it is warm and vanilla-y with nots of amber and wood. Perfect coy smell for your home!
I have been absolutely living in my Conway Pullover Sweater from Madewell as it is getting a bit colder. It is such a cozy throw-on sweater that has great quality.
Almost a year after our wedding, I finally made and ordered our wedding photo album (plus one for each grandma and one for each of our families) and I did them on Shutterfly. It was super easy to make and customized and I am super happy with the way they came out.