If you blink, you might miss it. What use to be a beauty supply store sitting beside the lonely looking Pizza Hut in the East River shopping center, now sits Ray’s the Steak. First of all, who knew? This is Ward 7, the ward that lacks any decent sit down restaurants. And no, Denny’s does not count. This is the ward east of the river, where you typically wouldn’t find any tourists, people walking their dogs, or even a valid reason to get lost. But here sits Ray’s with its bright orange sign, sitting among a dry cleaners, laundromat and the brand new Benning Road Library. While its big brother restaurant sits out in Arlington and has earned a loyal following, this DC location is well on its way to becoming a hot spot in North East DC. I won’t bore you with a lot of comparisons to other steak restaurants; instead let me share with you my observations, Steph P. style:
1. Bouncers, Really? – Upon arriving, you will notice that there are a few folks loitering outside of the restaurant. Don’t be alarmed. They are friendly, will open the door for you and even smile. I have not quite figured out what their true job is, but apparently, it requires more than one of them to perform these simple tasks. I imagine the ad to hire them read something like this: “Looking for someone who can wear all black to greet customers. Must be able to bring your homies to hang out with you out front to give the appearance of a secure environment.”

2. Mmmmm, Steak – I’ll be honest, the steak is great. I have no complaints about the steak. It was cooked perfectly, tasted great and made me want another one. No wonder people keep coming back. On a different note, I would say never ever touch the macaroni and cheese. I’m always hesitant when it comes to ordering my mac, and I should have trusted my first instinct. It was dry, too creamy and just completely undesirable. There was some weird ‘non mac and cheese’ taste to it, but I didn’t take more than two bites to find out what it was. Stick to the steak.

3. Drink Much? – There is a beautiful bar at the front of the restaurant. Nice chairs with cushion seats, just begging for a low key happy hour (if there is such a thing). One problem – no liquor! Apparently, when I went, they were still in the process of obtaining their liquor license so all there was to drink was wine. I know, I know, that’s what you’re supposed to drink with Steak, but what if I don’t wanna? What if I’ve had a long day and am depending on Ray’s to make it all better? Do I have to keep checking back in? (wait, now I sound desperate). But you get the point – until they get their license, it’s good ol’ DC tap water for you….and your usual soda products (blah).

4. Now Hiring – Okay, so I’m really big on customer service, I mean really big. Outside of the Bouncers/Customer Service Representatives at the front door, everyone in the restaurant provided excellent customer service. Whatever training they went through, keep it up, that will keep people coming back for sure. Okay, I can’t stay positive too long, I do have to quickly mention my server. She was the only problem I had during my entire visit. From not knowing the differences between the steaks on the menu to not coming back to check on us, I give her two thumbs down. We had completely eaten, and our plates had been removed, by the time she came back, only to ask us “Oh, you didn’t get your food yet?” After it took us a while to get the check, it took even longer for her to come back and collect the money (which she never did). However, another server noticed that we had been waiting a while and took care of us. So, maybe it was her first day, but she still didn’t seem too apologetic so I could have done without her. Send her back to Ray’s basic training until she’s ready to mingle amongst the commoners.
All in all, Ray’s is a great place to go after work or bring your family on the weekends. With the new DC Department of Employment Services moving in down the street, it’s sure to be a hot spot for lunch soon too. It’s not a big place, but I really don’t think you’ll notice. Word of warning though – they’re not open on Mondays. What’s that about? Nonetheless, make it a point to go there. You can catch the H Street Shuttle on down to Minnesota Avenue Metro and walk it out, and then even head down to Fort Dupont Park afterwards to lounge around. It’s a great start to a new beginning East of the River.

Article written by Steph P.
Originally from Virginia, Steph now lives in DC and works in Human Resources.  While her hobbies include exploring new places in DC on the Circulator bus, her talents are coming up with something out of nothing, making awesome powerpoint presentations and savings lives at the local pool.  While she can’t be everything to everyone, her goal is to expose her writing to anyone who will read it, hoping to make DC a better place, one ward at a time.

With its frosted glass windows, Oya Restaurant and Lounge has long sparked my curiosity. But it was a friend’s birthday that pulled me there the other night. We were drawn by the Prix Fixe dinner menu, a favored way to sample new restaurants.

From the very moment of walking through the second set of double doors, Oya exudes cool. Candlelight glints off the white tables, and mirrors are hung along the walls to double that lazy glow. In the back of the restaurant, at first glance, was a narrow row of water cascading down the wall. But on closer inspection, it was actually a window into the kitchen. From the kitchen, we were brought a small platter of cream cheese rolls topped with salmon roe and all wrapped up in a crepe. It was a bite-sized bagel and lox, but thankfully a much less-filling bite-size.

True to their website, the menu is subject to change and I was out of luck for the grilled fig salad and orange ginger dressing I had eyed for my first choice. Even so, I was not disappointed by the Tuna Tempura roll served with a seven pepper sauce, interesting because the roll itself was fried.  Inside was a tender piece of tuna and rice wrapped in a barely there layer of seaweed before being lightly fried and plated. And I would love to know what made up the seven pepper sauce, which contained a little amount of heat to further enhance the tuna.

My friends and I arrived at Oya shortly after work and I’d been surprised to find it a little sparse. As one might expect, the patrons frequented the lounge area more than the dining, but by our second course, the room had quickly filled and the chatter picked up. The Chef’s pick of salmon nigiri with spicy California rolls was a classic choice for me, but no less because of that with salmon that melted in my mouth.

Up to the final course, I’d enjoyed an Apricot Royale, a sparkling wine cocktail with the sweet hint of apricot to wind down a hot, DC evening. But for my final course, I was curious about the chocolate wine from a Virginia vineyard, and the chocolate scent swirled up from the glass and it tasted like I sipped chocolate. It wasn’t heavy, like melted chocolate would have been. But the chocolate notes were there, with maybe the faint suggestion of blackberry.

I think the best dessert, at least for presentation, was served to my friend. His chosen strawberry dessert was set in the corner of a stark, white plate, and Happy Birthday scrawled out in syrup with a small candle held at the top. This was by far one of the top birthday dessert presentations I’ve seen.

Oya was a night for a special occasion. Would I go back? Yes, and not just for birthdays. And even better, Oya currently has cocktail hour from 4pm to 8pm, perfectly for lounging. Happy Summer!

OYA
777 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001

About the author:
A Texas transplant, Patricia Heatherington is at work on her first novel, in between discovering new restaurants and the joys of living in the District of course. She maintains a blog at patriciaheatherington.blogspot.com about living, and writing, DC.

Address:
3333 M St NW
(between N Bank St & N 33rd St)
Washington, DC

In this age of the Toyota Prius, Whole Foods and the ubiquitous Nalgene bottle, it’s hard not to see words like “green” and “organic” as anything more than marketing ploys and fashion statements. There are those however, for whom the glitz and glam of green movement chic take a back seat to humble, fresh, goodness. One such establishment is DC start-up and Georgetown staple, Sweetgreen.

Wandering down M Street past swank shops and the beautiful people, one comes across what looks like an awfully out of place green and white ski chalet. Inside warm wood tones and a slightly intimidating array of leafy greens and salad toppings, make one feel all the more fit and balanced for having walked in. The salads available range from the hardcore vegan “Sabzi,” with baby spinach, white beans, raw beets and other unique veggies tossed in a carrot chili vinaigrette, to the more carnivore friendly “Santorini” featuring grilled shrimp, feta cheese and grapes in a yogurt dressing. Sweetgreen also offers a responsible take on desert with their mildly sweet and tart frozen yogurt, easily hidden beneath a pile of healthy looking fruity toppings. Pick up an organic juice and a biodegradable fork, and you have a gourmet experience in social statement form.

Instead of parking yourself by the noise and crowds of M Street, I’d suggest taking your salad across the street and behind Dean and Deluca. There you can sit barefoot on the wall overlooking the C&O canal, take in the river breezes and multi-million dollar condos, and flick wasabi peas to the eager fish below.

Written by Alex Becker
Alex Becker is a writer, photographer and political commentator based in Washington DC. A DC native, he enjoys exploring both the political and social culture of the city. He also publishes a popular political blog at www.roosevelt-island.net.