401 replies to this topic

[Biotech]

Had lunch at Central on Wednesday and thought the burger was okay. Maybe I was expecting an epiphany. The onion soup was kind of disappointing. Like others have said, too much cheese and the soup itself was extremely salty - to the point of tongue numbing. Fries were good, but I'm not sure $7 good (i opted for the salad with my burger as we were ordering fries for the table).

Tomorrow is a wedding in Jersey with the traditional White Castle for lunch before the service.

[ohstate]

We walked to Fireflies in Del Ray last night. We shared the "Cheesetique" pizza for the first time. It was very tasty. I was worried that it would be too cheesey, with 4 kinds, but it was actually perfectly topped. Had the leftovers for lunch today, although the office microwave doesn't do it any good. Also shared the burger w/ fries that was good as well. They apparently have a new manager and he's adding music on Thursdays and a bar area. I think this reasonably solid neighborhood place may be trying to step up its game.

[ladi kai lemoni]

Just got back from a nice lunch with coworkers at the WestEnd Bistro. Had the fish burger, which despite being a bit prone to falling apart, was really really tasty and the oven-roasted tomato really adds a flavor dimension that saves it from being a boring fishburger. The three of us also split the mac, ham, n'cheese which is listed for 2 people but really is sufficient for three. The booths are particularly comfortable and we were enjoying the street view and people watching from there.

[DonRocks]

Walked into Proof which was completely full, received a hug from piglet, and walked out. Went to Indebleu and had a rocking-good meal which I'll detail in the Indebleu thread. Then walked back into Proof which was still completely full, received a second hug from piglet, and walked out (well I tried!).

[Pat]

Trattorio Alberto on Barracks Row: house salad, cannelloni with spinach and meat in tomato cream sauce, and Peroni to drink. My husband had the Caesar salad and Fettucine Alfredo. It was what we expected--no more, no less--and was just what we needed for dinner tonight. I'd been away for a couple of days, had just gotten home and wanted to go out to eat something. My husband wanted pasta and didn't want to go far. Two salads, two plates of pasta, two beers: $55 after tax and before tip.

[turbogrrl]

Some people reminded me that today is Steak and Blowjob day. Well, I had the steak yesterday with my lovely girl porcupine (and a fine steak it was), so today I made a new holiday: Hamburger and Milkshake day.

The Diner in adams morgan does well on both fronts, not to mention the eyecandy. Huzzah.

[Tujague]

Post-happy hour dinner at Mai Thai on 18th St. last night. Me: Chicken Green Curry; Bob: Pork Penang Curry; shrimp cakes for appetizer. Good-sized portions and decent prices for better-than-many-places Thai. Highlight of the meal: an charmingly courteous server who announced "It's just me" every time he approached our table--and asked us if we wanted dessert or coffee as he set down our appetizer.

[Al Dente]

Some people reminded me that today is Steak and Blowjob day. Well, I had the steak yesterday with my lovely girl porcupine (and a fine steak it was), so today I made a new holiday: Hamburger and Milkshake day.

The Diner in adams morgan does well on both fronts, not to mention the eyecandy. Huzzah.

The mind reels with questions on this one.

Note to self: Set reminder in Outlook for 3/14 in perpetuity about this important holiday. Be sure to make it as big a deal as Valentine's Day.

Only 364 days to go.

[deangold]

Mongolian Hot Pot with lamb, medium spice. Woah! redolent of cumin foolloed by nutmeg, Szechuan peppercorn, clove, pepper and other stuff I cannot name because I've never seen it before. You dip lamb, bean curd skin, cabbage, saw tooth herb & an oddly green/translucent noodle in the broth. One pot at $16.95 was enought for 2. Medium spicy was enough for Kay and just nicely warm for me. The hot was spice/warm hot not firey, but hot nonetheless.

May be better than Lion's Head!

[DonRocks]

Last night at Palena, a lime-curry seviche of shimajii (a similar (but not the same) presentation was offered a couple weeks ago with madai), a paillard of North Carolina golden spotted tilefish, a "Piatto Unico" with lamb two-ways, ravioli, and salad, followed by a rich Blanquette de Veau.

All I can do is capitulate, dropping to my knees on a random sidewalk, bowing down, and licking the pavement furiously in hopes that Frank Ruta may have walked upon it at sometime in the past.

And today, after an exhausting ninety-minute workout, a large pit beef sandwich and french fries from The Canopy.

[monavano]

Hank's Old Town. The popcorn shrimp and calamari were great as usual. Sablefish, collards, and onion rings all enjoyable (being brief because I know I've waxed on before in the Hank's thread). The only thing that fell short for me was the crabcake. A bit on the small side, dry and too crunchy on the outside. It had me chasing pieces of it with my fork. My only let down so far at Hank's.

[wolverine]

Sette. Bruschetta (ehh -- a bit bland), quattro formaggi pizza (I like the use of gorgonzola), and the cavatelli with broccoli rabe and sausage (a crowd pleaser, as far as I'm concerned). Nothing special, but I always seem to like this place.

[JLK]

Tuesday - pizza at midnight at the Tavern on Rush in Chicago washed down with cheap white wine in even cheaper glasses. The pizza was tasty because I was very hungry, the conversation was lively.

Wednesday - yucky panini from a mini-Corner Bakery in O'Hare. "Napkins are in the bad" she said. They weren't. Greasy fingers.

Late Wednesday/early Thursday - midnight room service from Harrah's in New Orleans. Due to a power outage they were only offering desserts and club sandwiches. I had one of each and the club was better than the bread pudding. Overall, fantastic for weight gain.

Thursday lunch - business meeting with two business contacts who have become friends at Herbsaint, also in New Orleans. A shared salad of arugula, beets, burrata and chopped walnuts was delicious, my gnocchi was the perfect portion size (small) but boring, but the Champagne and company were excellent.

Thursday dinner - catered food at the Audubon tea room connected to the zoo for a Hornets' fundraiser. After photos with the elephant, I lost my appetite a bit. Good thing because the food was nothing special. Again, thank goodness for the company.

Friday breakfast - a most excellent plate of room service French toast, just what I didn't need.

Friday lunch - Copeland's outpost in Kenner with a client's wife. Nothing special.

Saturday lunch - a meal with a family that has recently and successfully completed the Habitat for Humanity program. They don't have the luxury of eating in restaurants often so I was sorry to take them to Gordon Biersch. I was even sorry for the looks of contempt received from our surly server when they didn't know what potstickers were and when they ordered everything well done. Tipped 15% instead of my normal 20%+ for business meals, but I doubt he even noticed. I still have heartburn from those #$% garlic fries.

Trying to rally for another late night meal with another client now that I'm back in DC. Is it any wonder that I have gained 15+ pounds since I took the job two years ago?

[rockcreek]

Saturday: 6 pm seating at Minibar. WOOOOOOO!

Funny story: So I get on the phone and after being on hold, am told that There Is No Way you are getting a table one month from now, and there's one spot on the waitlist. But next month is my birthday, I say (c'est vrai.) Well, how about an early birthday on Saturday? I will totally take it.

I give her my last name, and she says (handle substituted here), "Ah. ol_ironstomach!" (I am the youngest brother. Vrai, aussi. What you gonna do.)

[DonRocks]

Tonight at The Oval Room: Burrata, Red Papaya, Sweet Chili Dressing & Arugula; Goat Cheese Custard, Baby Beets, Blis Elixir & Pistachio; Foie Gras Dumplings, Charred Pineapple, Spice Cookie & Licorice Syrup; Tai Pink Snapper, Artichokes, Lilly Bulbs, Green Olives & Thai Basil; Roasted Chicken, Pumpkin Seed Risotto, Coddled Egg & Lemon Puree.

[u-bet!]

Some people reminded me that today is Steak and Blowjob day.

The Diner in adams morgan does well on both fronts

Wondered why there was an all-male line out the door...

[ladi kai lemoni]

Regent Thai last night - surprisingly good! I enjoyed a plate of Pad Prig King with beef. Nothing mind-blowing, but this is a good place when you want to satisfy a Thai craving and are in the north Dupont area and want to steer very clear of Lauriol.

[turbogrrl]

Wondered why there was an all-male line out the door...

hey now! I said The Diner did well for hamburgers and milkshakes. I've never had a steak there, and my lawyer advises me not to comment about the blowjobs.

[DanielK]

Lunch on the run today was Pho Song Long in Germantown. It wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't go running back. Broth was a tad watery, tendon and beef were chewy. I'm still glad we went there rather than McDonald's or some other fast food place, but I'm glad that Pho 75 is near the house.

[lizzie]

In the past few days: celebrated my 17 year old's birthday at the Melting Pot - company was great, food was mediocre, but the kids were happy and we had an amazing birthday serenade from the very lively table beside us. Friday night dinner at Marvin - onion soup was delicious as always, loved the bite of the cheese croquettes, spouse had short ribs which were tender and very good - a perfect drizzly night meal, and I had the nicoise salad, which I enjoyed. Watched the end of the very exciting Pitt-Marquette game at U Sushi (didn't eat, just gloated to my Georgetown-educated spouse, which continued through the very exciting game on Saturday as well). Saturday morning found us at Leopold's for another birthday celebration - those waffles are about the best in D.C. - yeasty and not overcooked, and a nice assortment of pastries. Finished Saturday at the newish Rockland's on Washington Blvd., in Arlington - decent BBQ, fries were only ok, beans were sweet just like my mom's - not the best BBQ ever, but good and cheap.

[DonRocks]

Tuna Salad sub with Provolone from The Italian Store.

Pint of Samuel Adams Boston Lager at TGIFriday's, Greenbelt.

An extremely sinewy Beef and Turnip Casserole, and a well-fried Combination Chow Fun, ordered without gravy, at Full Kee, Bailey's Crossroads.

[youngfood]

A huge and enjoyable hot dog (I give a slight edge to PS7's) and a delicious, despite being overcooked, burger at EatBar. I'm starting to love this place, but this is the third time in a row that my medium rare burger has arrived medium well despite the runner's announcing of a "medium rare burger" at delivery.

Some great bruschetta -both rosemary chicken liver and oil cured roma tomato w/ chevre- at Cork, where the trick is definitely arriving early and the back room is much quieter, at least until the couple seated next to proceeds to launch into a divorce after their second bottle of wine. And where any notion of having to pay more than $10 for a decent glass of wine at a decent restaurant has been definitively put to rest (3 of their 44 wines by the glass are over $12, and 31 of 44 are $10 or less).

[Al Dente]

Pint of Samuel Adams Boston Lager at TGIFriday's, Greenbelt.

[DonRocks]

Pint of Samuel Adams Boston Lager at TGIFriday's, Greenbelt.

Oh, you mean I forgot to mention that I got CARDED?

----------------> I GOT CARDED! <------------------

IGotCardedIGotCardedIGotCardedIGotCardedIGotCardedIGotCardedIGotCarded !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Poem
Dedicated to the WONDERFUL server at TGIFriday's who CARDED me last night!

The last time that it happened
was a good ten years ago

An elderly Chinese man
in a seedy liquor sto

And you, my friend, are likely
blind, but I don't want to know

Because you CARDED ME! and
now I'm happy and aglow

By the way, I got carded last night.

I GOT CARDED!

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[eating out]

Friday - Late dinner at Bourbon, 18th St. Addictive Curly Fries, so-so Chicken Nuggets (pale comparison to Eammon's and Chick-Fil-A - I know I know, how can I combine the two in the same breath - but to me they are both great though I avoid Chick-Fil-A now). I think the Nuggets at Bourbon suffered from over-fry - too hard/fried of a breading with no flavor other than fry. And, I didn't particularly enjoy any of the three dipping sauces though BBQ was best of the the lot; instead opted for ketchup. Love the Brooklyn Lager on tap and other beer selections. Ginger Lime Rickey tasted like half bottled lime juice with ginger flavor/half detergent.

Saturday - Pizzeria Paradiso, Dupont. LOVE the Bosco, w/o red onions, w/ salami. Good ingredients, right amount of cheese, salami really takes off after being in the oven. Second time in two weeks, I think this pizza is solid and satisfying. Also, enjoyed the red sangria and the foccacia w/ elephant garlic.

Dolcezza, Georgetown - First time here, was delicious. Avocado Honey Lemon was just the right amount of sweet and tartness, fantastic flavor. Also tried the dulce de leche, which was true to it's source. Texture is smooth and light, of varying degrees dependent on the richness of flavor. Also tried the traditional Argentine cookie, the Alfajor? Was hoping for more dulce de leche filling a la an Oreo, but this was more like a thin layer, hint of dulce flavoring, in between two rather dry, cake-like cookies.

Sunday - Amsterdam Falafel. YUM. When they have a bounty of the eggplant pieces topping, takes the whole falafel up many tasty notches. Also included were the tomato spread, the spicy garlic/parsely? spread, garlic cream, baba ganoush, cukes/tomates and pickles. The small size (3 falafel balls) really hits the spot for a snack in between meals.

[chef4cook]

Oh, you mean I forgot to mention that I got CARDED?

----------------> I GOT CARDED! <------------------

IGotCardedIGotCardedIGotCardedIGotCardedIGotCardedIGotCardedIGotCarded !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Poem
Dedicated to the WONDERFUL server at TGIFriday's who CARDED me last night!

The last time that it happened
was a good ten years ago

An elderly Chinese man
in a seedy liquor sto

And you, my friend, are likely
blind, but I don't want to know

Because you CARDED ME! and
now I'm happy and aglow

By the way, I got carded last night.

I GOT CARDED!

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Congratulations! The only time I get carded is when I get pulled over for speeding!

[WWZ]

Saturday lunch - Ching Ching Cha teahouse in Gtown - salmon miso tea meal - comes with rice and a choice of 3 different vegetables (kale, snow peas, cabbage or squash) - very good! One of the places we keep returning to.

Saturday dinner - late at Bar Pilar - calamari (grilled, not battered and fried) with a great tomato sauce, arugula salad, mussels with arugula puree, suckling pig with bean puree (I could have done w/o this one) - and too many glasses of Cava.

Sunday lunch - A&Js - scallion pancake, fried chicken, cucumber salad with garlic hot sauce, and jiao zi. Love this place - and so cheap too.

Sunday dinner - Comet - very oval pizza with red sauce, greens, olives and smokey mushrooms - good if a tad salty (prob just the olives).

[monavano]

Sunday-an after the market brunch at Taqueria Poblano in Del Ray. I had pork taquitos topped with crema, yellow rice, fresh guacamole, and refried beans. Chips and salsa. All for $8.95.

[KeithA]

This thread shows how much people eat out. It sounds like Don's kitchen must be filled with cob webs

[Tweaked]

Lunch at Sesto Senso, overall not that bad...breaded and grilled calamari over arugula with lemon dressing, calamari was excellent, lemon dressing could have used more punch. Butternut squash ravioli with butter and sage, again could have used an acidic touch to counter the richness of the ravioli and butter, and perhaps a dash more salt. Otherwise tasty.

[youngfood]

Pint of Samuel Adams Boston Lager at TGIFriday's, Greenbelt.

I put Sam Adams right up there alongside Yuengling, Rolling Rock and Stella in the "Inexplicably Cool" category.
TGIFridays in Greenbelt on the other hand is probably about as cool as it gets in the "Inexplicably Dining in Greenbelt" category.

[cheezepowder]

Friday dinner at The Source in DC (downstairs lounge) - pork belly dumplings, general tso's wings

Saturday lunch at Hook in Georgetown - cinnamon sugar donut holes, rockfish with roasted potatoes and romesco sauce

Saturday dinner at Vaso's Kitchen in Alexandria - Greek appetizer platter (corned beef meatballs, hummus, feta/tomato/pepper dip, pita, grape leaves, feta,
tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers with greek dressing, olives, anchovies) and moussaka

Sunday lunch at Fontaine Caffe in Alexandria - Parisienne crepe with chicken, ratatouille, and brie

Monday lunch at The Bagelry in Silver Spring (near New Hampshire and Randolph) - reuben sandwich and an everything bagel with veggie cream cheese

[ohstate]

Just back from my first visit to Eammon's. Pretty good stuff washed down with Guinness. I couldn't get my husband to try it before tonight (he called it "all things fried"), but now he'll go back (but get the fish sandwich w/ other non-fried sides). A minor victory for me. All thanks to St. Patrick's day and the draw of Guinness.

[lperry]

Went to Meaza on Columbia Pike. It was my first visit, and the restaurant was recommended by an Ethiopian friend after I told him we had OK food (good but not great) at Skyline Cafe. He told us that it is fasting time now so vegetarian food will be plentiful and good. We got the vegetarian sampler (they were out of sambussas), and it was very good. We particularly liked the lentils spiced with bere bere (hot enough to make your nose run, but not hot enough to make you cry) and the cabbage spiced with a delicious turmeric blend. We walked to the grocery that is attached to the restaurant and found all the spice blends, but they were mysteriously labeled with "Miscellaneous" so I don't know what was in the cabbage, but I am guessing from the color. The injera was the best I have ever had. Soft, thick, wonderfully flavored. I was sorely tempted to buy a big bag of it in the grocery. The bags were still damp from steam, it was so fresh.

[Saycheese]

Last Friday -- in NYC, pre-opera snack at Mandoo Bar on W. 32nd (Koreatown) -- pan fried pork mandoo, pan fried vegetable mandoo, and steamed seafood mandoo. The pan-fried dumplings are better than the steamed, and the seafood dumplings are a little non-descript. But the pork mandoo are delicious. Anticipated going to Yakitori Totto after the opera, but we didn't get out until 12:45 am, due to the sudden illness of Deborah Voigt in Act II delaying the performance, and because it was cold, rainy and windy and "some people" didn't feel like going out (*wimps*).

Saturday brunch -- scored a reservation at Bar Boulud (woo hoo!!). Awesome charcuterie, really cool atmosphere. The long vaulted dining room resembles a wine cave, or the inside of a wine bottle -- the ceiling is high and curved, as if you were inside a wine bottle, but at least during the day, it was bright and sunny. Started with the large charcuterie degustation -- a little of each of the house made terrines, ham, headcheese, etc. with smooth and grainy mustard, pickled onions, cornichons, and cubes of braised carrots with spices, along with toasted pain au levain. The terrines were terrine grandmere (smooth), terrine grandpere (coarse), terrine of beef cheeks, tagine of lamb with sweet potatoes, pate de foie, rabbit terrine with big chunks of rabbit and whole carrots, and terrine bourguignon. They offer a 2-course option which allows you to choose 1 main and an appetizer or a dessert. The croque monsieur and croque madame were exceptional -- very robust, with lots of the house made ham, gruyere cheese and bechamel on top (egg, of course, on top of the croque madame). Boudin blanc on a bed on mashed potatoes was velvety and delicious. Duck hash was also very satisfying.

Saturday dinner -- Telepan on W. 69th between Columbus and Central Park West. They offer a pretty extensive 4 or 5 course menu which allows you to choose 1 appetizer, 1 mid-course, 1 main and 1 dessert (cheese is the additional course for the 5 course menu), or you can choose a la carte. For the table, we ordered foie gras donuts dusted with cocoa -- these were small and light, with almost melted foie gras in the middle. These were better than I expected -- I thought they would just be a gimmick. The amuse consisted of 3 different things, the last of which was butternut squash soup with a touch of olive oil, and I forget what the first 2 things were -- but it was larger than most amuses, and very tasty. I chose the 4 course menu, and was quite full -- the first course was egg in a hole with hen of the woods mushrooms -- simple yet flavorful, then papardelle with ragu of pork, then squab, then dessert -- coconut ice cream and vanilla and brandied cherry ice cream. The cheese plates that some of us got as the 5th course were really lovely -- 4 kinds of cheese with accompaniments. Some people got the torchon of foie gras (with a slight supplement) for their mid-course, and raved about it -- it was actually foie gras two ways -- torchon and seared. Everything was delicious, and the portions were generous. We also got the wine pairings, which were inventive and served by the most amazing sommelier. He was young and had a really melifluous voice -- like he was a radio broadcaster on a mellow jazz station in his day job. His descriptions of the wines were really entertaining. It was pretty amazing, because each dish was paired with a different wine, so the sommelier had to pour about 4 or 5 different wines at our table for each course, and describe each one. I was pretty excited to eat here, because I have wanted to for quite a while, and was not disappointed -- in fact, it seems like one of those rare places that offers excellent food, good wines, reasonable prices (considering the quality and the location), and a comfortable atmosphere. Could someone please just give me a few million dollars so these can be my neighborhood hang-outs.

[youngfood]

Takeout from Taw. Man, that is a neat spot. Loved the Salmon Red Curry, but the Pad Thai was too sweet -more soy and less peanut- than I prefer. I'll definitely be back again soon. I so wish DC had more like this.

[Al Dente]

Takeout from Taw. Man, that is a neat spot. Loved the Salmon Red Curry, but the Pad Thai was too sweet -more soy and less peanut- than I prefer. I'll definitely be back again soon. I so wish DC had more like this.

I wish I still lived nearby. The salmon kicks ass.

[Antonio Burrell]

last wednesday, bad bun at Nam Viet....noodles way mushy (huge pet peeve of mine). Sunday, the usual awesomeness that is JNH. Schezuan Beef, Basil and Garlic Eggplant. The eggplant is wonderful, slight spice but comforting in every way. And a very good version of Ma Po tofu. Lunch today, loaded chili dogs and burgers at Vienna Inn with the kids followed by home cooked fried chicken tonight.

[Woodleygrrl]

crappy blackened tuna salad at Bobby Vans. yuck. over cooked and over priced

[Andelman]

We tried out Cafe Pizzaiolo (sp?) in Crystal City on Sunday afternoon. We got a NY Style cheese pizza and I thought it was a pretty damn good pie. It had a nice crisp crust and a limited amount of sauce. The gelato wasn't that great, we should have made the trek to Dolcezza instead. They also have lots of kids games, coloring books, etc..., which is nice when the little ones are in tow...

[bioesq]

We took my older son and his wife to Bar Stuzzichini on Saturday in New York's Flatiron district. Wonderful small plates and pasta, great electricity and a solid, reasonable wine list, mostly from Southern Italy. I would strongly recommend it.

[eating out]

Swell Burger from Tacqueria Nacionale. Heavy lunch with the soggy fries, but tasty and hits the spot. Really enjoy the seasoning of the meat, and the fact that it still manages to be somewhat juicy even when charred on the outside well done on the inside. Tried the Mango/Orange Agua Fresca, but didn't enjoy it as much as the watermelon or honeydew flavors.

[lackadaisi]

Lunch at Ici - Unseasoned hamburger and fries. Better than Bobby Van's, at least. I'm sure I will go frequently. I tried the mushroom and chicken crepe and it was pretty good.

[DonRocks]

Tom Ka Gai from Sweet Rice, Falls Church.

Dinner at New Heights:

Smoked-Salmon Pupusa, Guacamole, Pickled Tomatillos, and Feta Cheese
Quail Leg "au Vin," with Potato Puree, Pearl Onions, and Bacon
Steamed Wild Striped Bass (!) with Fried Oyster, Quinoa, Dried Chili-Brown Butter, Oyster Mushrooms, and Pumpkin Seed
Sauteed Chicken Livers with Bacon Cornbread
Seared Flintshire Farms Pheasant Breast with Steel Cut Oats, Endive Marmalade, and Port Soaked Cherries
... a wicked match with 1996 Rouget Echezeaux, amplifying otherwise-hidden cherries in the wine
Grilled Wild Boar Chop with Choucroute Sauce (!), Bacon Braised Cabbage, and Crisp Carrot
Cheese Plate with Homemade Walnut Bread
Turkish Coffee Pot de Creme with Homemade Ginger-Cardamom Biscotti

This meal was top-to-bottom fantastic, with numerous huge strengths in both conception and execution, and no major misses. I guess I should qualify this by saying that "they knew I was coming," but still ... when John Wabeck is on his game, he's one of the very best chefs around as was evidenced by this magisterial demonstration of culinary ass-kicking.

[goldenticket]

Tues - Laziness kicked in and Eamonn's (and Clinton) came to the rescue. FOD - yellowfin grouper and chips - yum!

Wed - Wings, chili and beer at Hard Times. IMHO, can't go wrong with the grilled chili-lime wings and a bowl of half Cincy/half veggie with beans and cheese.

Lots of first visits in the following list -
Thurs - Lunch at the Pho place in Culmore. Nothing special, but it hit the spot on a slightly breezy March day.
Dinner - Carryout appetizer combo from Layla's on King St. First visit there, enjoyed the variety (hummos, baba ghanouj, tabbouleh, falafel, etc). Friendly service while waiting at the bar. I will go back for a full meal based on these two things.

Fri - Lunch at work from THAI Shirlington - Basil Chicken lunch bowl. This is a standard for our office and it's fine with me (especially when someone else is paying!)
Dinner at the bar at Nage before a film at National Geographic (wondered why the DR.com birders weren't there to check out "The Lord God Bird" . The "3 bites-3 sips" special is a great deal for $12! Bites included: a cauliflower croquette w/raisins, pine nuts; escargots; and pork belly cooked in a Thai style (basil, lime, some vinegar) - all were very good. I was especially impressed that my mother ate all three without complaint or hestitation . Wine pairings were very nice as well, as was Matt (?) the bartender. We also had an order of the Spinach Ricotta Gnudi With a Smoked Salmon Carbonara, Fresh Peas, Mint, Fresh Horseradish, and American Caviar. A touch salty (probably from the salmon) but a lovely dish with great flavors.

Sat - Dinner at Los Tios - Enjoyed by everyone in our party of five. Chicken Acapulco was a generous grilled chicken breast topped with grilled onions, zucchini and tomatoes. Watch out for members of your party running up the tab with $17(!) premium margaritas - granted they are HUGE, but still... Fajitas were very good as well. Prices are lower than South Austin Grill, our usual, close-by go-to for Mexican/Tex-Mex, so we'll be checking out Los Tios again.

Sun - Back to the tried and true - dinner at Ray's the Steaks. A good time and a good meal was had by all. Grandma got the entrecote, mom the hanger steak, +1 the Sliced strip w/mushrooms and onions, and I had the Diablo.

This was a LOT more eating out than I typically do. On the road in California this week, so more eating out on the schedule (including lunch in a different Old Town at the Old Town Cafe - a Singaporean restaurant in Dublin, CA).

[DanielK]

Dinner tonight - crappy hot dog at Estadio RFK. Actually, best hot dog ever at RFK, because DC United won 5-0.

[deangold]

Irene's Pupuseria 3 on Georgia avenue. Fantastic mixed pupusas con todos- the wrapping was dry, totally grease fre and light. The filling was wet, sloppy, sort of the kitchen sink approach to pupusa filling. A nice note- the curtado came on the side in a separate bowl removing the common soggy issue witht he curtado juice getting the second pupusa soggy while eating the first. There were two sauces, the runny tomato sauce which was even more bland and watery than I am used to but the green salsa had a nice kick. The Curtado had some sort of herb in it that made it especially tasty when doused witht the firey green salsa. Dessert was a fried cassava cake (well 4) dipped in a runny honey based sauce served with a mug of ground sawdust mixed with dirt tha tthey tried to trick me into believing was made from corn. I know that I am probably impuning a cultural landmark and it is what it is, but I will not be having it again. The fried thinngies yes... Two beers, three pupusas and 4 cassava things and it was under $20 and I can barely move. Since we are no longer going to Sergio's place due to horrible service issues, it is good to have a new Pupuseria to go to. I will ost on their own thread (or create one) when I have had a chance to taste more of the menu.

[rbh]

Last Wednesday dinner - Kinkead's for the gf's b-day dinner. With all the new places opening up, sometimes a place like Kinkead's gets forgotten for a good solid piece of fish... and while not simply prepared, a place they know not to overwhelm the natural tastiness of its ingredients. And the always good service. When faced with the dessert choice... go with the lemon trio over the apple tart.

Thursday lunch - Quiznos across from work
Friday dinner - late dinner after the Caps game at Stoney's, steak and cheese sandwich and a Stoney's amber to wash it down. just what I needed about that time.
Sat dinner - Merkado, skirt steak with asparagus and plantains. I never get wowed by any of the dishes here, but I can say I've never had a bad meal... and I like the mojitos.
Sun brunch - Cheesecake Factory/Clarendon. After a failed attempt to seat 12 of us at Whitlow's. Unbelievably only a 15 minute wait at the factory. French toast with a side of bacon. nothing special. it was more important to have a place where the gf's family could all get together.
Sun dinner - Bob's 88. my first time here. soup dumplings were disappointing. shabu shabu as expected. lion's head...omg, this is the best dish I've had in a while. i'll need to write more about this dinner in the bob's thread.

[Gus]

Saturday dinner - Hong Kong Palace. Four of us split the dried beef appetizer, tea smoked duck, eggplant with spicy garlic sauce, ma po tofu, dumplings, and fish with bean curd with spicy sauce. It was a serious over-order, resulting in several days of leftovers (no complaints there!). Being a pescatarian, I tried only a few of the dishes, but they were all excellent. The tea-smoked duck seemed to be a particular hit with the table.

Sunday dinner - Dukem. Split the special holiday vegetarian plate with a friend, which included 20-odd different items. I particularly enjoyed one of the cold salads (not sure what was in it, but it was crunchy and citrusy), and the potato in spicy sauce (again, I'm sure there's a more accurate name for this). Could have done without the yellow peas, which, despite being a staple of the menu, seem a bit bland and have an unexciting texture (and I guess just aren't really my thing - obviously your mileage may vary). It was a huge amount of food for a great value - something like $24.00 total for food, and it could have easily fed a third person (or 4 not-starving people).

[u-bet!]

Dinner tonight - crappy hot dog at Estadio RFK. Actually, best hot dog ever at RFK, because DC United won 5-0.

Are the Dominic's carts still set up in the concourse, or did they go the way of the Nats?