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Picture a clean, simple table decorated with flowers and sleek blue plates. Now, picture those plates piled high with delicious hot local food. Welcome to DC Harvest, honey.  Blue Catfish & Assorted Sauces Farm-to-Table ConceptGU Eating Society was fortunate enough to partner with DC Harvest for an unforgettable meal. Our members went to the local restaurant to enjoy freshly prepared American cuisine that symbolized a true, farm-to-table concept. What is farm-to-table exactly? The two owners of DC Harvest, Jared and Arthur Ringel, gladly walked us through what it means to be a "farm-to-table" establishment – and it's much more simple than one things. Essentially, the restaurant surveys local producers and farmers and directly sources its ingredients from them, which they then use in all of their dishes. Because their ingredients revolve around what the farmers grow and produce, DC Harvest's menu changes often according to what's in season. There's no middle men. There's no loss in freshness or quality. It just goes from farmer, to restaurant, and then on your table. That's it. By sourcing its ingredients from local producers and farmers, DC Harvest sets its quality and standards far above any other eating establishment. Not only is the restaurant supporting local businesses and farmers, which facilitates the health of our community and local economy, but by skipping middle men, it is ensuring the heath of its customers. Without loss of time in transportation, the ingredients hold the utmost quality and nutrition. That's why, by eating at DC Harvest, we know that every dish is the best quality possible.  Market Greens Salad & Paprika Potatoes The AtmosphereThis rustic vibe of the restaurant echoed the locally sourced menu that GUES was lucky enough to sample. We started with some seasonal house veggies, which were deliciously simple, before progressing quickly to a more sophisticated palate. Chef Arthur Ringel and his team brought out plate after plate of incredibly tasty concoctions, eventually filling the table with the following: smoked chicken breast with spicy syrup, pan-seared blue catfish with pecan sauce, crispy paprika potatoes with aioli, and a market greens salad tossed in lemon vinaigrette.  S'Mores Jar The FoodThe salad put us off to a delicate, tangy start. The potatoes were the perfect crunchy accompaniment to the fish and chicken, which were both melt-in-your-mouth tender. Seriously, I’ve never had chicken like this. It was like butter in your mouth, but still covered in this perfectly crispy skin. Chef Ringel later explained that the chicken is brined for 24 hours before being smoked for an hour and a half—clearly, this is some kind of golden ratio. After sampling all of these dishes (sometimes more than once), I was stuffed, but some other members went in for the dessert. The s’mores custard was a favorite, and seemed more than worth the indulgence. The TakeawayWhat really put this experience over the top for me, though, was the fact that DC Harvest focuses on using local and organic ingredients. At home, farm-to-table restaurants like this were my bread and butter. In college, though, I’ve had to make some sacrifices about where I source my food, based on what’s available to me on a daily basis. Finding a restaurant that supports food I feel good about is really important to me—which is why I’m so excited that GUES was able to partner with DC Harvest. I cannot wait to go back to try out their entire menu. But honestly, I’d just go back for that chicken.
Thank you, DC Harvest for an incredible meal and for graciously hosting GUES with the utmost service, quality, and delicious food.
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With so many ethnic restaurants around DC, oftentimes many trade in authenticity for trend. Mandu DC, however, does not. With its name coming from a traditional Korean dumpling, Mandu maintains authenticity while also being modern, sleek, and trendy. The food is far from ordinary – with its unique combination of flavors derived directly from Korean culture, you can be sure that each ingredient and dish will wow your taste buds. GU Eating Society was fortunate enough to have our latest dinner event at Mandu, as they graciously hosted and accommodated our large group. Read on to hear more about this great restaurant and our visit: We started our evening with a quick ride from Georgetown's front gates, coming on a warm February day. We noticed the outdoor patio was open, which we all told each other we would definitely come back for to experience with our friends. We were greeted graciously by the hosts and led up to our own private room with two long tables to accompany our large group. Each place setting had a personalized menu for our event, with a total of eight courses plus six different snacks listed. After exploring the amazing deals on the Happy Hour menu, the food started to come out. We were presented with one amazing dish after the next – and it felt never ending. We were already full just three courses out of eight in!  Dak Gui (chicken) on a steaming hot plate What did we eat exactly? Here's a peak: First Course: Mandu: pan-friend vegetable, shrimp, and beef & pork dumplings Fried Chicken Ssam: medallions of fried chicken, lettuce and sesame leaf wraps, pickled radish, and assorted sauces Pa Jeon: seafood & green onion pancakes Second Course: Chap Chae: stir-fried clear potato noodles with vegetables Bulgogi: korean bbq marinated and grilled ribeye Dak Gui: spiced and grilled chicken breast Yache Gui: seasoned and grilled vegetables and tofu Steamed rice, lettuce wraps, kimchi, and assorted side dishes to accompany We couldn't decide which dish was our favorite – each one was immensely flavorful, unique, and satisfying. Mandu has by far been one of our best events to date – not to mention our founders, Alex Heintze & Brittany Arnett, attribute their meeting and founding of the club to this very restaurant. We absolutely loved the authentic cuisine at Mandu, and learned a great deal about Korean culture. We thank Mandu for providing us with a fantastic meal full of wonderful food, great service, and at an affordable price for us college students. We will definitely be back for more! We highly recommend for you to try out Mandu for your next outing, whether it be with friends to grab a cocktail and some great bibimbap, or with a large group to share a multiple-course family-style meal like us. Mandu's affordability, great location, and amazing food make it all worthwhile! They have locations on 18th St and K St in DC.
On February 11th, the GU Eating Society teamed up with the Georgetown Hawaii Club and Whole Foods DC to bring the Georgetown community an event that cannot be forgotten – a Hawaiian feast! The event was a huge success; people from all over campus enjoyed some great Hawaiian music, learned about Hawaiian culture, and of course, at delicious, freshly prepared Hawaiian Food.  Fresh-Cut Pineapple Provided by Whole Foods DC All food was provided by Whole Foods DC and the Hawaiian club. Whole Foods offered us a great selection of fresh, organic produce (including freshly pre-cut pineapple, which made the preparation so much easier!), in addition to the nori sheets, the 365 Calrose rice and 365 Teriakyi Sauce that was used in making Spam Musubi. The Hawaiian club provided specialty grocery items that cannot be found in typical grocery stores here in DC.  Spam Musubi So what did we eat? Here's a sample of the menu:
The all-time star of the feast was the Spam Musubi, which was flavorful and filling. Each attendee was able to make their own, while learning about typical Hawaiian foods that represent their cultural background.  Making Spam Musubi Thank you to everyone who came out the event! Special thanks to the Hawaii Club for showing us the ropes of Hawaiian culture and cooking us amazing food. Also special thanks to Whole Foods DC for providing us with real, affordable, and all-natural foods that made the event extra-special.
Our organization had the pleasure of attending an event hosted by Lebanese Taverna DC, a Middle Eastern restaurant. As featured on our Instagram story, the restaurant's interior was sleek and comfortable – our large group was able to sit comfortably in the center of the restaurant, overlooking a display of unique traditional lamps. The service was impeccable, as immediately when we sat, warm, fluffy pita bread with olive oil & za'atar dipping sauce was served. The menu is vast & impressive – from the mezze section, you can choose various dips like hummus and babaganoush, falafel, and tabbouleh salad. For entrées, you can choose from a variety of meats, fish, and vegetable platters, with options to share with your entire table. Lebanese Taverna was kind enough to offer us a pre-set menu of foods that best represent Lebanese culture. We started off with hummus (an amazing accompaniment to the fluffy pita bread), and also had falafel, garlic fries, and their classic Taverna salad. Next, we had a mixed platter of chicken & lamb shwarma with a side of Lebanese rice, which was incredibly flavorful.  Awamat, Lebanese Style Donuts To top off our meal, we enjoyed awamat, which are small balls of fried dough, topped with honey and a side of pistachio ice cream. These were by far our favorite – each ball of dough had a crunchy outside and fluffy, warm inside that melted in our mouths. Overall, our experience at Lebanese Taverna was one to remember. From the service, to the flavorful food, to the atmosphere, we will be sure to visit again.
Location: 2641 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20008 Price: $$ Cuisine: Lebanese  GUES is all about supporting our local businesses – that's why we are extremely fortunate to have a company like Whole Foods as one of our sponsors. Each month, we team up with the Whole Foods stores in the DC area, particularly the Glover Park location, to bring our members and all Georgetown students awesome events.  What have we done so far? To start, Whole Foods sponsored our GUES Potluck dinner, allowing one lucky member to win a $50 gift card if voted best dish. Best of all, Whole Foods hosted and catered our end of semester Holiday Party, giving us a feast. We chomped down on tons of food – including honey-baked ham, maple-glazed carrots, brussel sprouts, and even fresh oysters. We finished off with 365 assorted cookies & pies for some sweet treats. Everything was tasty, all-natural, organic & prepared fresh – that's why we love Whole Foods, we always know we can trust their great quality & affordability.  If you're looking for a great place to go grocery shopping or grab pre-made food that isn't frozen and lacking on nutrition, check out Whole Foods DC. It is definitely GUES-approved!
 Come one, come all! The time has officially come to apply to the GU Eating Society.
We are so excited to join Georgetown's campus as the first and only organization dedicated to discovering culture through cuisine. Join the movement and be a part of what we're building by applying to be a general member. What does our organization do? We aim to learn about different cultures through their cuisine, whether that means going to one of the various international restaurants in the greater DC area, or teaming up with a cultural club on campus in hosting an event. In addition, our organization is one big family – our various other events bring members together to eat, have fun, and explore Georgetown/DC. Whether you're a full-fledged foodie or just interested in expanding your taste buds, GUES is the right club for you. Get ready to meet new people, have lots of fun, and most importantly, eat. Eat a lot. Applications are due by Wednesday, February 1st at midnight! Just click on the "Apply" tab for more information, and the application. Taste the Culture! On Thursday, 10th, a group of 20 Eating Society members went to Maketto to receive an exclusive demo from their chef de cuisine. After our 20-minute drive from campus to the restaurant, we were surprised to see that one the ground floor, instead of having a regular bar or reception, Maketto had a retail store “mix of international footwear, clothing, accessories, books, and magazines.” From that moment on all of us realized that this restaurant wouldn’t be like any other we had been to before. We then were led to the kitchen which of course, had a super fresh and hip vibe and where we were greeted by Chef James Wozniuk.
We then proceeded to watch Chef James show us how to make his signature yellow curry which uses Prahok as its base. He also explained the need for every ingredient as well as each of their respective origins, which ranged from Cambodia to Taiwan. We learned about different types of curry and each of their respective colors and spiciness. When the demo was over, we were offered a selection of vegetables to have with the dip as well as some rice. After we finished the demo, we all went to the cafe to finish off the night with some Crispy Chicken, Pork Steamed Baos, and Doughnuts. Needless to say our experience at Maketto was an unforgettable one and I can’t wait to back there! This restaurant is perfect for a night out in town and for trying new and experimental foods. Hey guys! My name is Ashley Do, and I am a member of the GU Eating Society. Last night, a new Italian restaurant in Georgetown – Flavio DC – graciously hosted GUES for an amazing dinner. The menu for the night included different types of pizza and pasta – I personally ordered the Capellini Pomodoro. Italian food in Georgetown is not a new concept, but what made this experience truly unique was not only the extremely fresh ingredients, but more importantly, the company. As a junior, I find it sometimes difficult to meet more people at Georgetown and to challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone and say that sometimes uncomfortable "hi." However, at the dinner at Flavio, I was able to get to know other peers at my table (of course, between eating the delicious food). It helped that the people at the restaurant were so friendly as well!
If you want to go out to eat in Georgetown and want to try something new, check out Flavio! I loved the food and the company, but to top it off, the interior was aesthetically pleasing. The exposed brick and urban lighting makes it the perfect place to go out on a date, have a girls night, or just for fun! The restaurant also hosts private parties, and the space is great for it. I will definitely be back again, and this time will try that amazing-looking Spaghetto Bolognese.
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