dfmcpete

Do they have a bar? I.e., could I go have a drink and some oysters, or would I be an annoyance to the staff?

According to the venerable Silver Spring Singular, Alberto's plans to open a location in Silver Spring on Georgia Ave. near the Beltway ramps. If it's 2/3 as good as the Dupont location, I'll be a fat happy man.

OK, maybe $40 was hyerbole for dinner, drinks, and tip. But seriously, my special lady friend and I rarely spend more than $50-$60 total on a dinner out, and I don't think we're cheap--although people with chronic halitosis rarely think they have bad breath, so... We'd spend about $60 at Simply Home on two entrees and drinks, maybe an appetizer.

Dude, I have been officially priced off donrockwell.com (and out of DC?!) if $100 is a cheap date. In my mind, over $100 is a special occasion--$40 is a cheap date! FWIW, I'm 26, gainfully employed, and not quite married. Does it have to be Saturday night? Menu della Sera at Dino would fit the bill Sun-Thurs--I guess that's an obvious choise for the regular dr.com reader...

Waterman's was a regular spot for me in college in nearby Chestertown. It is undeniably a great place for crabs, preferably outside with beer, friends, and the musical accompaniment as Joe describes. However, I wouldn't order much else there. Crabs, yes; steamers, yes; maybe rockfish. But that's it. Their soups rarely satisfied the Marylanders with whom I ate, although dad always got the oyster stew. I'm not sure how much the indoor dining has changed since they remodeled a few years ago, post-hurricane destruction.

Franklin's is OK; I tend to think all of their beers as "their version of" a better-known beer. Not just the style, but the beer itself. Of course, I can't think of any off the top of my head. DFH in Gaithersburg is good, and DFH is one of the most interesting brewers in the country, IMO. Don't think they actually brew anything locally, though. Frederick has some good brewpubs, and the one brewery there (no pub; forget the name, they brew Wild Goose and now Flying Dog) is great for a tour. I have high hopes for the Hook & Ladder brewpub scheduled for Silver Spring, but I'm not sure they'll be doing any local brewing, either. DuClaw is a Maryland chain with some good beers and OK food (and a very consistent corporate identity, for a small chain).

Any recent recommendations, especially for good value? I'll be in Folly Beach for a week--certainly going to check out Hominy Grill and probably Poogan's; Magnolia's etc are probably a little out of our price range. Thanks!

QH has been oddly closed on a few occasions recently, but it was open when I was there Friday. They have some new specials and plan to host some beer tastings (weekly? monthly? I forget). It was semi-crowded and lively, especially considering the weather. Food was mediocre, but I enjoyed some good beer, and some less good beer (one of the new specials is $1 PBRs when it rains). The men's bathroom has been rewalled/refloored. The bar area floor is bare concrete; maybe they're going to put down new flooring there, as well. The on and off remodeling may be the reason for the odd closures.

Yeah, I know; I betrayed my ignorance of remarkably simple math with that post. Still though, for the meal that prompted the question, we ordered 6 menu items plus a bottle of wine, all of which were discounted to varying degrees (thanks Dino!). In the end, I figured it out myself, and I think the tip was fine.

Etiquette question: when enjoying a discounted meal, would it be out of line to ask the server to calculate/ballpark the undiscounted price? I would want to tip on the full amount, but I don't want to trouble the server or appear to be such a proud cheapskate that I want to know exactly how much I saved. I'll probably estimate it myself, but I thought it was worth soliciting opinions.

Checked out the pub trivia last night--moderately fun. I would encourage others to go, but I don't want too much competition The menu seems kind of ambitious for the appearance of the place; I'd rather have cheaper pub grub. I can't say I even plan to try the food there, but the beer specials are good--$3 drafts upstairs mon thru thurs 4-close, various happy hour specials mon-fri. Last night we had enough beers to make the pub trivia math questions hard, and the tab was <$30.

For a drink, I like la paloma: blanco tequila, squirt (grapefruit soda), and a squeeze of lime on ice in a salt-rimmed glass. I believe Rosa Mexicano will make one. A little girly, but no less delicious. It was originally suggested to me at Blue Agave in Bmore.

That's a shame. Where might you recommend for good oysters in the MD suburbs?