susannewton

I ate lunch at Willow yesterday afternoon, and it was perfect. The outdoor patio was lovely, and I sat under the wind chime looking at lush flower pots and sniffing whatever was flowering. Mushroom bisque was rich, creamy, earthy. I ordered the flatbread/salad lunchtime special, which had just the right amount of food. Flatbread with blue cheese and carmelized onions was crisp on the bottom, tasty on top. The salad was my least favorite part of the meal, but it was good, with crisp celery, cucumber and radish sticks. For wine, I had the viognier for $8. Dessert was strawberry rhubarb crisp w/icecream. I asked for it room temp if possible (I don't like it when the icecream melts too fast). They happily complied, and the topping was sweet and crunchy, while the filling was tart and tangy. Even with the office buildings and traffic, I really felt transported out of the Ballston corridor to somewhere much more charming. Very much worth a visit if you haven't been. Go now and enjoy the patio!

Then, IMHO, it's also important to post that the restaurant has brown paper tableclothes, crayons and little bowls of goldfish right on the table, plus plenty of highchairs in the entry area. I think that alone attracts parents with young kids... big red flag that says "your little ones are welcome here".

What is the price for Feast of 7 Fishes? It looks like $39 adult/$15 kid in the post above, but when I click on the link to the menu, it says $49 adult/$20 kid.

Finally tried Ray's Hell Burger! We had carry out last Friday night - 3 burgers (plain w/american cheez for kids, B.I.G. for me, and for hubby the one w/bacon and cheese...forgot the name), plus 3 mac'n'cheese, plus 1 orange soda for about $32. At 7pm, the wait was not long at all. I felt bad crowding the area w/stroller for kid #2 and kid #1 scurrying about as usual, but no staff complained or looked haughtily at us. Kids loved the burger and m&c (didn't know 13 mo old could eat so much hamburger!). Hubby devoured his. I loved mine too, but, I thought the bleu cheese was a little strong for the burger. I LOVE strong bleu cheese, but I just thought it overpowered the delicious meat a bit. At any rate, for a very reasonable price, knowing I filled my family with good quality food for only $32 (with leftovers for kids' lunch the next day), I can say this is now in our carry out rotation.

I bought several baked goods from "Best Buns" in Shirlington yesterday for an office gathering. The cupcakes were really good, moist but still the edge had a bit of crips to it. The toffey cookie was liked by several people. It was a bit gooey in the middle, but crisp on the outside (the way I like cookies). Best was the 2 raisin bread I took home. It was delicious, but more of a sweet bread for breakfast with all the raisins. But the crust was dark and crunchy -- yum!

Sanibel I've been visiting my folks on Sanibel Island about once a year for 10+ years now. I used to joke that there were more restaurants per person in Sanibel than anywhere else! There are many good ones, and some bad ones. But, here are my favorites: Lazy Flamingo - I LOVE the peel and eat shrimp, which are always plump and perfectly seasoned. My mom gets the Clam Chowder, and my dad the fried grouper. The pieces of grouper are big and fleshy, with a minimal crunchy coating. We always get french fries and cold beer too. Great casual spot. Traders - current favorite sopt for a nice dinner out. Almost everything is always good, from lamb chops to fresh-made ravioli to delicious parmesan crusted fish. They also have good ribs. Not the best ever, but very nice for an island on the gulf coast There's a trading shop adjacent with jewlrey and other knick knacks. Island Cow - I'm not sure why I love this place. Maybe the strawberry muffins that come hot before the meal? Or the ample portions that always leave leftovers? The food is definitely good, but not great. I usually get a po-boy or a salad. Sanibel Bean - Go here for a really great cup of coffee! They also have icecream, and sandwiches (although I've never had a sandwich). I believe there is now one in the Ft. Myers airport. Doc Ford's - this is the place to watch a game on TV. The food is much better than your average sports bar, but it is a sports bar-type menu. Good fried grouper is what I remember. West Wind Inn -- good breakfast spot. We like the pecan pancakes and the omlettes that come with fresh-baked biscuits. I think the restaurant is supposed to be for Inn guests only, but we've never been turned away. Twilight 2??? -- The Twilight Cafe, run by Chef Robby, used to be my absolute favorite restaurant, on the island or off. He closed about 2 years ago, but I heard he might be taking over a new space. I hope so!

The kids and I ate there last week. I so wanted to love this place, but I have mixed feelings. It was really nice to see the decor so open and bright. It hits the mark for a good neighborhood and kid friendly place. Paper tablecloths and crayons, little bowls of Goldfish -- great start! However, everything I tasted was bland. The kids mac-n-cheese looked like elbow pasta with cheddar cheese put on top and then maybe microwaved or steamed... I can't say it was creamy at all. Perfect for the 6 year old, though. The Risotto balls had a cheese (maybe mozarella) that oozed out, but it wasn't until I added the tomato sauce that I thought it had any flavor. This worked perfect for the 11 month old. I had the pulled pork sliders. The meat was tender and tasted of pork, but there was no zing. I asked for relish to try to add some tang, but it wasn't available. The cole slaw was tasteless, limp, and looked like it had been plopped in the serving dish during morning prep, or even the night before. The bright side were the french fries, which were shoestring-style and hot and crispy. I took the flank steak home to my husband, and he said it was quite good. I have to admit it smelled very flavorful in the car, but I didn't taste it. The beer was great. I had a New Holland draft, which I hadn't tasted before and liked a lot. I probably will go back because it's in the neighborhood, very kid-friendly, and good beers. I will just choose more carefully next time what I order.

I've had only a few items from the restaurant -- a falafel sandwhich stands out in my memory as being extremely savory and hot (as in temperature). Sometimes it seems falafel is pre-made and just tossed on pita, so I really appreciated it being hot. I also love the butcher shop next door. I've done a variety of things like cheese, bread, ground beef, even some veggies. Once when I ordered the ground beef, they asked if I wanted spices added, and even went so far as to shape them into little kabob patties for me! Another time I bought a leg of lamb they deboned for me. I think I shocked them by declining the bones and trimmings! (I just wasn't going to have time to do anything with them and had no freezer space). If you go during Muslim holidays, they have a lot of prepared food you can just take home and warm up. And it's 1/2 the price of the LebTab market right near our house. You do have to have trust the lady ringing you up is doing it fairly, because the receipt is undecipherable, not your typical grocery receipt where the name/price/weight of an item is displayed. Not a complaint, just an observation. And I also sypmathize with Altus on feeling a bit conspicuous, even in the butcher shop. But I do love this place and am thinking I should drive out of my way more often! Finally -- baba ghanouj as baby food? Brilliant! We're taking our 7mo old to Turkey next week, and I've been wondering what we'll feed her. I know it will work out fine, but that post just helped allay my concerns

hmmm... me, bouncing baby and chasing 5 yr old. you??? I've got to make it to an event and get to know the DR crowd instead of just lurking about

I can confirm it is non-smoking. Everyone tonight stepped outside to smoke. Overall, my first visit this evening left me with mixed emotions. I'm excited there's a nice place to go get a beer and watch a game nearby (within walking distance). I'm disappointed because I don't think it will be a place for the family. No highchairs, no kid menus, no milk. There were service problems tonight (one entree arrived 25 minutes later than the other 2, charged for items we didn't order), but they did just open Sunday so ok. And, they tried to accommodate for the kids (pointed out what was kid friendly, brought a side of peas though not on the menu). The food was fine (kielbasa, wiener schnitzel, grilled cheese), but not spectacular. Total bill with tip was over $80 (1 app, 3 dinners, 2 beers). I know it's called a sports bar and grill, but I had hoped it would be family friendly. As a man with his 2 young daughters at the table next to us said, "This is not Clarendon..."

Anyone know what the frosting at Georgetown Cupcake is made of? I like it much better than the buttercream at CL. I'm thinking cream cheese is an element? (sorry if this is a thread elsewhere.... I searched but didn't find)

Hi -- this is my first post and it's very intimidating! Here goes... I found this site when I was outraged 3 summers ago at paying more than $2 for ONE tomato at a farmer's market in NoVa. How can it be so expensive and hard to get good, quality ingredients!?!?! I was looking for CSA delivery services, and somehow ended up here. I tried CSA's for 2 summers, and loved the local, super fresh angle. However, I got discouraged by the Kale and Cabbage overload, and my husband rebelled at eating one more "rustic frittata" loaded with kale. So now I just plant a few tomato plants by the lamp post in my front yard, and hope 1) the dogs don't defecate on them as they walk by, and 2) my neighbors don't consider my garden the blight of the 'hood. Ah well, I do bring awesome tomato/mozzarella platters to all summer cookouts!