EATING NOW: Tea Leaf Salad, Brussels Sprouts

An occasional collection of bites. Have you eaten anything good or bad, or seen a good scene while you munched? Send in your short bites to missionlocal@gmail.com. Full names only.

Tea leaf salad at Yamo. After seeing a small line spewing out of a hole-in-the-wall Burmese restaurant, my curiosity got the best of me and I stood in line without actually knowing what was about to hit my tastebuds. I ordered the tea leaf salad, which was what everyone was ordering at the narrow bar counter that takes up half of the restaurant and seats about seven hungry people. Sure enough, the blend of self-added sriracha sauce, roasted peanuts, cilantro, fried garlic, bean sprouts and chopped red onions ignited a storm of zesty fireworks in my mouth. Sitting literally elbow to elbow with strangers who silently approved of the food wasn’t so weird anymore. This experience was worth every one of the six Washingtons I spent for that salad. — Yoona Ha

Ribs, mac and cheese and brussels sprouts with bacon at Southpaw BBQ. Why it took so long for me to try this place I don’t know, but I know for sure that I will be back, and the brussels sprouts will be in my order once again. The shaved sprouts are cooked with bits of bacon that give them a slight smoky flavor and taste so good. Along with the creamy mac and cheese and dry-rubbed ribs, they make a delicious but huge meal — so big you’ll have plenty of leftovers to bring home. — Hélène Goupil

Ham and egg english muffin at Universal Cafe. The ham and fried egg english muffin with cheddar cheese and caramelized onions looked as delicious as it tasted — at first. After a couple of bites, the cheese overpowered every other taste, and the sandwich left my stomach hurting for the rest of the day. Plus, at $15 per muffin (to be fair, it does come with a side salad), I think my money would be better spent on something else. — Lisette Mejia

Lentil croquette sandwich on spelt slab bread, and tomato and roasted eggplant smørrebrød on rye at Bar Tartine’s sandwich shop. With so many dinner and happy hour options opening up in the neighborhood, it’s nice to see a good lunch spot added, too. And on top of that, the fact that it’s good sandwich place — a hard thing to come by around here — simply makes us happy. Think of the Scandinavian smørrebrød as an appetizer, two quick bites of healthy dark bread with fresh toppings. The sandwich, on the other hand, is hearty and filling, something you could share with a friend, which is exactly what I did. — Hélène Goupil

DRINKING NOW: The Church cocktail at Locanda, made with gin, aperol, cocchi americano and lemon, is the perfect summer drink. This cocktail doesn’t reek of gin, nor does it resemble your standard “refreshing” drinks, like a basil gimlet or something girly mixed with prosecco and St. Germaine. No, this is an original, a cocktail that anyone, no matter what their hard liquor preferences, would find appealing. It would be just like a cool breeze on a hot summer’s day, if a cool breeze got you drunk. Enjoy it while you can. — Kelsey Elliott (KelsEats)