Lucy

Had drinks and a light meal on the roof at Eventide last Sunday. The chilled pea soup was great, and my dining partner loved his chicken. The service was friendly, and we were delighted that the chef was willing to whip up something special for the 3-year-old (OK, pasta with red sauce, not so special, but still). One quibble, though: Wo ordered the cheese plate, which arrived fast and...chilled (the cheese, that is, not the plate). And when we asked what the three cheeses were (the menu says only "artisanal"), the server who brought them pointed to the blue cheese and said, "This one's the blue." He guessed that one of the others was "the cheddar," then went to find our original server. She, too, accurately pointed out the blue cheese--and guessed that a different one was the cheddar. Neither had any clue what the third selection (whichever one it was) happened to be. Now, we're an easygoing bunch, but we did think the lack of knowledge was a little strange--and, frankly, a sign of incomplete training. (Also, we would have liked the cheese at a better temperature, hot day notwithstanding.) Nonetheless, I look forward to going back for a meal in the dining room.

I completely agree--my pizza was a sodden mess. As to the atmosphere? A little loud, to put it mildly. (I'm a fan of family-friendliness--I had my kid there, in fact--but this was ridiculous.) And we had terrible service. But the kitchen was slammed. I, too, am willing to try again, especially given the dearth of good pizza in the area.

Went to Charlottesville for a quick getaway recently. We had only one adults-only meal, about which we deliberated at length before finally picking Mas. On a Thursday night, the place was amazingly busy--it must be the hippest place in town. (It was certainly a young, loud crowd.) We had a great wine (sorry--I wasn't in charge of remembering what it was), the cheese plate, the warm artichoke spread, and the seared tuna. All quite delicious, though none so memorable as to make me want to go back. The one disappointment was some kind of okra thing, which--well, I think we were both trying to like okra, and I am now convinced that isn't possible. Anyway, the real find of the trip was a little Mexican place called La Cucina del Sol, west of the city in Crozet (where we were staying). Crozet Pizza was well-recommended, but we took a chance and took the 2-year-old to this place instead and were not sorry. The menu is a bit upscale, though the decor (TVs showing Disney videos) is not. The house guacamole (they serve regular smooshed stuff as well as this sorta deconstructed version) was great, my fish tacos were good, and my dining companion's scallop special was awesome. The kiddo lapped up the rice and beans, too. I just Googled this place and saw that it got some pretty negative reviews, so I don't know. Maybe we just hit a good night. But it was reasonable and family-friendly, and I'd go there again if I were in the area again. (Didn't have the time to do any beer or wine touring, alas, so maybe I will be in the area again.)

We ended up at Passage to India, which was a little quiet that night (my daughter's every squeak seemed magnified) but perfectly welcoming. The service was great, the food good (I'd say great except that the fried-vegetable appetizer, which we'd ordered with my daughter in mind, seemed very far from fresh), the evening an unqualified success. I'm very grateful for the advice!

Thanks to all for such prompt and helpful responses. I will cull the list according to my whim (I'll probably lose Mia's, which I agree sounds perfect for the occasion, just because I eat so much pizza lately) and offer my friend a choice of three or so. Dinner is next Thursday; I'll report back if it's a huge success (or huge disaster).

Here's a fun one: An old friend of mine is coming to the area on business, staying somewhere on the Rockville Pike. We're to meet for dinner on a Thursday night, and...he wants to see my almost-2-year-old. I used to be very familiar with the Bethesda dining scene, but, you know, I haven't gotten out much in the past couple of years (and yes, I am dying to). Anybody got great suggestions for a family-friendly but not too noisy restaurant in the area? I absolutely do not want to go to the Rio Grande, the Austin Grill, or Cafe Deluxe; I'd rather go more upscale. (We'll be eating early, and the kid is pretty good, so we might be able to get away with a slightly fancier place.) The only place I can think of is Il Pizzico (and I am recalling that it's usually quite crowded). Thanks in advance for your help.

Thanks, everyone, for so many posts encouraging new people to come. I will be there with (1) my baby, (2) spiced pecans (savory), and (3) possibly a six-pack. Looking forward to meeting everyone!

Hello, everyone-- I used to lurk on this board quite a lot, but I admit I am responding to a a gentle reminder that I hadn't so much as logged on in a year. I can explain! In a former life I was the restaurant editor of a fine local publication, and I did a little food writing myself. Then I left the job and had a baby, and both budgetary and maintaining-my-sanity constraints meant that I did not want to be reading about restaurants I could no longer regularly patronize. But now my baby is a toddler, and I am able to contemplate going out more regularly again. And, you know, I miss thinking about other restaurants than the ones where I can safely take a child. (Bless you, Austin Grill!) So here I am, and I look forward to spending some time on this board again.