Cafe Sol (St. Lawrence Gap, Barbados)

I recently visited Barbados for a second time in only two months. I just got back on Wednesday and I must admit I'm falling in love with the place. The people, the beaches, the food, the music- the whole lifestyle intrigues me. When I was in Barbados for the 1st time all I wanted to try was Cafe Sol's nachos. I read about the restaurant before my trip and had discovered that it was the only Mexican restaurant on the entire island of Barbados. I knew it was fate when I found out that it was only a two minute walk from my hotel. Unfortunately, Cafe Sol was closed down in the fall because of a fire, but it had relocated only a few doors down. The new restaurant was scheduled to open the week before I arrived in March, but just my luck, it was rescheduled to open the day after I left. I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to try Cafe Sol's nachos, that I decided a trip back was necessary as a graduation present to myself. We were back exactly two months later. I was thrilled to be back on the island and couldn't wait to have a delicious plate of nachos. We went to Cafe Sol on the first night of our trip, but the appetizers were expensive and we had decided we were going to come back a second time for them. We never made it back that week to try the nachos, but fortunately my friend Eleanor had trouble with her green card and my vacation was extended for a few days! It was a sign. We went immediately to Cafe Sol after booking a few more nights at our hotel and ordered the ultimate nachos which consisted of chicken, steak, beef, queso, guacamole, sour cream, beans, and salsa. The meat was exceptional. Every piece of steak was juicy and succulent, the chicken was delicious, and the beef was just spicy enough. The plate was huge. However, Eleanor and I were not intimidated, we polished them off in about 15 minutes-impressive/disgusting I know. The salsa was amazing! One of the best I've had-not too much salt, chunks of fresh tomato, nice amount of cilantro and lime juice. The only thing I would have changed about these nachos was the cheese. I don't prefer queso-I love melted cheddar cheese atop my chips. The queso had little flavor and it didn't add much to the dish. Overall the meats were juicy and delicious, the salsa was one of the best I've had and the view was amazing! Because I love Barbados so much and location of this restaurant, I'll cut some slack for Cafe Sol's choice of cheese. I'm giving them an 8.9.

Nationals Park (Southeast, DC)

Take me out to the ball game...take me out to the crowd...buy me some nachos and Heineken...I don't care if the Nationals win! It was a gorgeous Monday night in the city and we decided to head down to Nationals park to watch a baseball game. Going to a Nats game has been on my list since I came to college and I decided to make it happen during my last week here. I was so excited to just have a beer and a hot dog and watch the game. Nachos were ridiculously expensive, but I was starving so they were added to my meal. Now, they're baseball park nachos, so I wasn't expecting someone to be scooping out avocado in the back and whipping up some fresh guac or homemade salsa. The nachos had the basics-chips, cheese, chili, diced jalapeños, and sour cream plopped on top. The chili wasn't too thick or spicy and the jalapeños gave each bit that extra kick. The only thing I didn't love about the nachos was that the cheese wasn't melted. It was strewn on top of the chips and melted only because of the warm chili that was poured on top, so some of the cheese remained in the shredded form. But, the nachos were satisfying and they complemented my Heineken perfectly. I would give them a 5.5- did the job.

Busboys and Poets (Washington, DC)

Now, regretting that I had never made my way out to this place before. Really great vibe, excellent food, and eclectic artwork, Busboys and Poets truly captures DC's history in a unique light. The restaurant has a bookstore inside which also features fair trade products such as jewelry, pottery, and clothing. It's a great place to look around while you're waiting for a table. Went in on rainy Friday night. There were no performers that evening- but I've heard the live poetry readings and bands are entertaining and a bring a unique element to the dining experience. The hosts and servers were very friendly. The dimly lit dining room carries such energy from the artwork strewn along the walls. Of course, I had taken a gander at the menu before arriving. The fact that the appetizers section featured nachos was an added bonus, I had planned on going to this place anyways. My sister was in town and I wanted to take her somewhere different, somewhere truly "DC" and I thought this would be a great place to go and it was. We ordered the nachos-didn't see that one coming did you? They were wonderful. Served on blue corn chips (a personal favorite) with cheddar cheese, guacamole (delicious), pico de gallo, jalapeños, roasted corn, beans, and sour cream. I asked for some chili on the side (Liz gave up meat). The nachos were delicious the combination of the roasted corn, cheese, beans, and refreshingness of the guac filled my mouth with flavor. The chili had a sweet taste, but a great kick. Overall I think what I loved most about this plate of nachos was their presentation. The blue corn chips with the contrasting guacamole and corn brought such color to the dish. Blue corn chips had a better crunch and taste in my opinion. The pico de gallo was delicious and the chili had excellent flavor. Definitely a competitor in the DC region. I'm giving them an 8.8. Also a must-falafel mhmmm best in the city!