Downtown’s stylish Grazie Mille unleashed its new fall lineup this week. | Tierney Plumb/Eater DC Where to find escargots, road trip-worthy bundt cake, loco moco, and more With Eater editors frequently dining out all over town, we come across lots of standout dishes, and we don’t want to hold back any secrets. Welcome to Eater DC’s rotating roundup of the best things we ate as of late. Chocolate pudding from Bakeshop Chocolate pudding is just not something I ever find myself ordering — or eating, really. But something about the dark dessert called to me from the refrigerator case at Northern Virginia’s Bakeshop the other day. Layered with dark chocolate cookie crumbles, the cool dessert tastes like a richer, luxury version of Dirt Cake — minus the gummy worms. I’m not going to lie — as soon as my mind leapt to Dirt Cake, I threw a few Swedish fish we had lying around into my pudding cup to gild the lilly. Worth it. Multiple locations — Missy Frederick Scallops from Daru When our waitress at Daru told us she’d be sure to bring out our garlic naan with the scallops we ordered to take advantage of mopping up the sauce, I knew we were going to be happy with our order. Sure enough, the curry- and coconut-infused gravy that the scallops rest atop is one of those sauces that you’re going to want to taste every last drop of. Doesn’t hurt that the scallops are perfectly seared, either. 1451 Maryland Avenue NE — M.F. Caramel Pecan Cake from Red Truck Bakery Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images Red Truck Bakery is nestled out in scenic Marshall, Virginia. I’ve started a new tradition when I go camping at Shenandoah River State Park each year — leave with enough time to stop at Red Truck Bakery along the way. My mission: to pick up one of their Caramel Pecan bundt cakes, which is one of my favorite local desserts. The cake is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or snacking, and always proves a hit among my fellow campers (it also has enough shelf life to survive the weekend as long as you protect it from animals). If you have even more time on your hands, pop into The Whole Ox butcher shop while you’re at it and browse their meats, prepared foods, and pantry items — it might just convince you to make another stop in Marshall on the way home. 8368 W. Main Street, Marshall, Virginia — M.F. Curry Loco Moco from the Block Hawaiian food can be tough to find around D.C. (we still remember you, Hula Girl), so it was fun to stumble on loco moco at the fusion-y Balo Kitchen in Annandale’s The Block. Even better; we were having an early lunch, so the dish was giving satisfying, hungover breakfast vibes. Their version has a rich curry gravy, plenty of egg and rice, and a juicy hamburger patty. It’s a comforting, commitment of a meal. 4221 John Marr Drive, Annandale, Virginia — M.F. Emily Venezky/Eater DC Escargots from Amélie. Escargots at Amélie I visited new West Coast-born, Art Deco-styled wine bar Amélie to try out the happy hour flight, but my eyes were immediately drawn to the escargot. The happy hour price feels like a steal at $12, and I always think a great measure of a French restaurant is the often-forgotten escargot that can come out tasting like rubber swimming in flavorful butter. This version was pretty fantastic, with a perfectly crispy round of puff pastry on top of the delicate snail that isn’t overpowered by the parsley and garlic-filled butter it was baked in. The escargot was definitely not overcooked, which is always impressive when they’ve been pulled out of their shells before baking. It paired well with the wine and any pools of salty butter leftover were soaked up with a hefty basket of crusty bread. 1315 14th Street NW — Emily Venezky Steak at Grazie Mille I already know its cocktails are great, but I finally checked out the food at Grazie Mille — downtown’s dimly lit counterpart to next-door Italian hot spot Grazie Nonna. Nearly a year after opening, chef Gerald Addison is firing on all cylinders with a fresh fall menu that kicked off with fritto misto and fried artichoke apps. Sturdy lavash was a great scooper for our generous plate of tuna tartare. The star of the show, however, is its sole steak option that gets theatrically flambeed tableside. The melt-in-your-mouth meat was prepared perfectly and went well with silver skillets of mac and cheese and bright-green broccoli rabe. Despite it being a Tuesday, the luxe lounge had a DJ spinning vinyl until late. Our jewel-toned velvet booth framed with vintage mirrors offered prime people-watching views. 1100 15th Street NW — Tierney Plumb