JLK

Oya has updated the cocktail menu since the place first opened. I was there last Friday and was pleasantly surprised. It's still expensive, yes, but I found the options much more appealing. Previously most (IMO) had an ick factor.

I'll be at Lebanese Taverna. *sigh* It's ok and all, but... A college friend who grew up in Bethesda is in town and that, of all places, is where she picked.

A friend and I sat at Dino's nice little bar last night to catch up - I've been out of town for most of the last two weeks. The bar or its nearby cafe tables are very pleasant places to chat, drink wine and share a few bites to eat. For some reason, I walked in feeling skeptical. Might have had something to do with that awful press release! I was worried that Dino might be Sorriso East, I guess. But we had a really nice time and enjoyed most of the food we sampled. The service was very friendly (note: my companion knew some of the people there so I can't speak truly objectively on that front). By the end of the night, I think we met 90% of the staff. It seems like a good bunch. We tried the salsa asiago from the crostini menu which, if memory serves (no description on the web site), included grana, olive oil and asiago. Loved this. The saltimbocca were great too - loosely packed braised meatballs topped with finely chopped fresh tomato. I was less enamored of our next courses, Pinci al Cinghiale (we opted for the small portion at $7; it was still pretty big IMO) which is pasta with a "traditional Tuscan condiment of wild boar with onions and herbs," and the aforementioned lasagnette. I found the pinci oddly bland and watery, as if the pasta hadn't been properly drained before being dressed with the condiment. The lasagnette was just too rich for me (and I like rich foods). My companion liked, but didn't love, both dishes so take my comments with a grain of salt. As ya'll are fond of saying "your mileage may vary." We ordered three cheeses, which were tasty, but went unfinished due to the amount of food consumed (I'd had a snack prior to going to Dino ). Alas, the server only could point out "gorgonzola...ricotta...pecorino." No specifics were known which kind of sucked. It's important to note that Dino's liquor license requires the restaurant to stop serving by 11 pm for the time being. The kitchen closes at that point too so plan accordingly. Bottom line: I'm glad to have another CP place to return to and perhaps frequent, particularly since the wonderful Jeff has departed Palena. If anything, I fear that Dino will be too crowded to accommodate drop-ins before too long!

I visited Sonoma the other night with two friends. Had a really nice meal at the bar there. When I tried to make a last-minute Opentable.com res, they were "temporarily offline" and upon arrival, we were told that they probably couldn't seat us until 9:30 - it was around 7:30 at the time. As a result, we dined at the bar. One member of my party knew Mick, the barman on duty, so that was a plus. Still, service was pretty slow (albeit cheerful and friendly) because the place was slammed. What we ate: Charcuterie plate of bresola, prosciutto and salami Three cheeses - unfortunately the online menu isn't presently the same as the in-house one so I can only say that I know we had an Italian bleu (Del...something?) and a delicious Spanish cheese (that was not manchego) and...maybe I need to stop drinking so much wine. We also had the aforementioned bucatini (so good - I'll have to get this next time), the ravioli (my dish which I liked a lot; the broth was great sopped up with bread) and cedar planked wild king salmon, giant white beans, pancetta-leek compote (the friend who ate this said he liked it, but I could tell that it wasn't a rave; he works in a top-notch DC restaurant so perhaps he is spoiled ) No time for dessert this time around. I needed to get home to see Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Brunch at Majestic Cafe was really good today. Our party of six sampled a good deal of the menu: * Whole-wheat waffles with a side of country ham * Sausage gravy with biscuits (my dish; I was clearly the glutton of the group and I enjoyed every last bite) * Broccoli fritatta * Cheeseburger * Fresh fruit (strawberries and bananas today) * Salmon cakes with a salad of zucchini and avocado (Mom's dish; she loved it and didn't share her avocado with me ) I have to say, Majestic Cafe makes GREAT coffee, both regular and decaf. [My father and I are a little particular about coffee to the extent that there's a nice breakfast spot in my hometown that he and I now refuse to go to because the coffee is consistently watery. We no longer care that the french toast is good because the coffee is undrinkable.] I also liked the Majestic lemonade. This is my second brunch at the restaurant, but have never tried it for dinner. Definitely worth a try. For the ladies of dr.com, the boutique two doors down, A La Leila, is presently having a 40% off sale.

Last night, I had a great meal at Charlie Palmer Steak. The menu had just been updated for spring/summer to add some seasonal elements. There's a chilled corn chowder with lobster and avocado, for example, as well as buffalo mozzarella and heirloom tomato "composed salad." I had been to CPS before and liked the whole experience, the food, etc. but this time, I came away loving the place. Everything about our meal was more personal which added to the experience, IMO, greatly. The visit didn't start off all that auspiciously. I found that our bartender wasn't very friendly, but she made my mother a rave-worthy vodka martini so...whatever. Not long after we arrived a drunk and loud rowdy crew (in jeans, no less) rolled in and caused a little commotion in the bar area. Some members of the party seemed to know the other (male) bartender and I could see that he was uncomfortable. They were seated in a quiet part of the restaurant quickly in order to get them out of the way. About our food: IMO, the bread service could be improved. I like having options (ciabatta or kalamata olive last night), but the bread is served almost cold and with unsalted butter. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar came later, but was probably intended for the salads. Warm bread makes a big difference, I think. Mom had the romaine salad with fried pancetta and blue cheese. I had some of the crisp bacon and it was delicious. Dad had the mixed greens. My friend and I shared the buffalo mozzarella. It was fine (my friend really liked it), but I've had some really excellent buffalo mozzarella lately and this just wasn't on par with the best of that lot. Perhaps it was bland? Maybe. Mom and Dad both had the CPS surf & turf, filet mignon with butter poached lobster and loved it. I tried the lobster - unusual for me, yes I know - and really enjoyed it. I had the marinated hangar steak (at $29, it's one of the lower priced entrees) and had zero regrets. It was SO GOOD, a cut of beef I pretty much always enjoy cooked a perfect medium rare and full of flavor. My friend had the lobster, also butter poached, and ate every last bit of it. Our sides were great - the most buttery (buttery-est?) mashed potatoes, asparagus and a new-to-the-menu creamed corn. When I was last at CPS, I had the bittersweet chocolate dessert and wasn't crazy about it, but I remembered enjoying my companion's sorbet a lot; I steered the group in that direction. Instead of the mix of ice creams and sorbets we had last time, we were served six little scoops - two each of mango, blueberry and rasperry. So delicious and perfect for summer. At the end of the night, we asked the wonderful host Martin if we could see the view from the roof deck (used only for private events). Upon exiting the elevator, you have a lovely view of the Capitol, brightly lit against the night sky. I suspected it would be a very enjoyable experience for my visiting parents, which is why I made the request to go up there, and I am so happy I did. It was an enjoyable end to a special night.

Jacques, that's just mean. Cheesecake Factory??? But I had already booked Majestic so we're all set.

I just had my heart broken. Well, not broken, but bruised a little. Harry's was a GREAT recommendation, but they are booked until late.

Nice menu, but geographically it's not ideal. The VA friends. We're trying to avoid having them come all the way in. G'town would be fine. Rosslyn, etc.

The breakfast/brunch buffet at Paris. Seriously.

Has anyone ever had brunch at Cafe Milano? I just looked at their web site and am now wondering if it's actually lunch they serve, not brunch. <grumble> Back to the drawing board, perhaps.

I never hear much about Butterfield 9 around these parts. Is it because it's been around for awhile, or because it's not that good?

Hello all, I'm making my first trip to Taqueria Poblano tonight (Ballston location, near the home of a friend). I'm pretty excited about it quite frankly between my need for a beer (one Negra Modelo please!) and the inexpensive cuisine. Looking at the online menu, I'm very interested in trying the tacos al pastor and, as always, I need to satisfy a craving for guacamole. What are their other can't miss items?

You know, my original post had a note saying "the typos are theirs not mine" but instead, I decided to fix the headline myself (It versus Its) and be nice. Then you have the Kendricks! Also not my fault.

Here is a press release describing Dino which will open in July in the old Yanyu space. Presently there are signs in the window advertising that they're hiring for all positions.

Or apple pandowdy. YUM.

Is this a sit down event?

I'm sure it's great, but it would not work for my very traditional group. I had a great dinner at Cafe Atlantico and look forward to the brunch experience at some point...but not with Mom and Dad.

I guess my invitation got lost in the mail. Ritz in PC sounds very nice, but is pretty pricey. $78 per person. The couple we've meeting up with has had some financial difficulties of late so...

I just called David Greggory to make a reservation for Father's Day. Imagine my surprise. Woman answering the phone: "We're only open on Sundays for special occasions." Me: "Err, it's Father's Day. Special occasion, yes?" Woman: "Let me put you on hold for a sec." Long story, short. No special brunch at DG for Father's Day. That's a shame because my father liked their Mother's Day brunch so much he wanted to return. Dear old Dad doesn't make many requests. Now what? I'm going to see if Tabard Inn has availability, but would appreciate any other suggestions. Key points: * Georgetown or near-in Arlington options are great geographically because we'll be joined by friends of my parents who are coming in from Fairfax. * Must take reservations. * We're not opposed to buffets, per se, but we'd prefer to avoid a very pricey one (e.g., $75 per person). * Seeking traditional brunch-style foods (e.g., eggs, waffles, fruit). Nothing too far from traditional or ethnic. * We've already been to Ardeo recently for brunch.

Depending on what time I can get out of here, yes!

Not to worry. I was familiar with those. Still no chicken and I spoke with Jeff (who is off tonight, but will be waiting tables - just to mix things up - tomorrow) and he said no chicken for awhile. Tonight was weird. No Jeff (off tonight as mentioned), no Kurt/Kirk (I can never get it right; he has left Palena) and no Carolyn (she too last left, I hear?). The food was good though. I like the new tagliatelle. It's pretty light for this hot weather. The cheese plate is as great as always. By the way, there was another 2 year old watching DVDs sighting in the cafe last night. I feel for the parents and all, but long term what is this doing to the kid's attention span??

But is it sponsored?

So, how was it? Signed, The woman with a bad cold

If you should find yourself in San Antonio, TX you can get water ice (and other Philly-centric foods) at Philly's Phamous.