Food: Maryland

Dat Jerk is a fast-casual Caribbean restaurant where you can have a taste of the islands in a reasonable time! Caribbean spots are known for being a “hole in the wall” & having bad customer service but Dat Jerk is completely changing that standard. My favorite meal is the jerk pork with rice & peas and mac & cheese!

Spice Xing is the first Indian restaurant Chauncey and I went to together. It was only open for carry out when we went since COVID had just started. We ate in the car & were a little annoyed that they didn’t include any utensils since we parked far. The food overall was pretty good but not good enough for us to go back.

Don’t even get me started about their delicious tacos. I’m not sure what I expected when taking my first bite but it wasn’t the Heaven that I was happily introduced to. They’re known for their birria tacos but I personally think everything on the menu is more than perfect!

A seasonal shaved ice spot is just what we need! Mix your flavors around & add special toppings when you get the snowcone size of your choice. I always mix 3 sour flavors then add sour spray to the bottom, middle, and top! Chauncey and I go there every spring and summer when they open up for the season.

Cinnaholic is a popular dessert spot that made its big debut on Shark Tank! They serve vegan delights. Maybe it’s just a vegan thing because we did NOT enjoy this place.

These were our first crepes in the DMV are and after visiting France in 2021, I can easily say these crepes were even better. Not only were they flavorful, the owner made the ordering process seamless as she helped me piece all of my items together since I didn’t know what I was doing. The only downside is they form mold quite quickly.

Known for their burgers, we went to a location in Maryland & truly enjoyed the food. It’s not often that franchise restaurants are consistent in their flavor so Firebirds was a breath of fresh air.

I’m slightly confused because they list themselves as “breakfast restaurant” on Google but they’re more of a southern cuisine. They don’t serve any drinks other than Coolaid & their menu is limited. The service was great, but the food was so terrible that we know why people say they need to ‘put the chef back in the cage’. This restaurant made our top 5 worst of 2021.

Now don’t let the cotton farm-looking building turn you off from trying this amazing establishment! The decor was adorable and the food tasted better than it looked. Do NOT skip over that crab dip.

If you want healthy & want something packed with flavor then head over to Kenny’s Kale! It’s located inside of a food market & offers creative dishes that are formed around kale – the superfood. I actually hate greens with a passion (I know it’s a problem I’m working on) but Kenny’s Kale is something I could try anytime!

Smashing Grapes opened up their 2nd location in 2021 and we were one of the 1st people to attend. The Tik Tok we posted for them truly put us on the food map in the DMV area. We enjoyed both of our times at the Gambrills location but unfortunately experienced some racism at the Annapolis one causing us to never support Smashing Grapes again.

Don’t try to google this spot because it most likely won’t pull up. This is a tiny wine bar in the quiet Leonardtown, MD. Surrounded by a few other restaurants, this tiny establishment has an interior design that I think would shock anyone! The fancy chairs and color scheme makes you feel like you’re at an upscale rooftop bar. They have simple foods to munch on but their pizza was amazing!