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Taking advantage of a snow-triggered no-school day, my daughter and I and her 2 girls had lunch at Et Voila on Wednesday. My daughter and I both had French Onion Soup and the girls had the Et Voila Burger with frites. Actually, they even split that order. So we didn't plumb the depths of the menu at all. But everything we had was top notch and our experience was made especially pleasant by the charming and efficient waiter who cajoled the girls into speaking French with him and then presented them with Chocolate Mousse as a reward. The mousse, by the way, was dark and delicious! My only complaint about the restaurant is that it is a long narrow space which is very noisy. Don't know how they might ameliorate that problem.

We flew in and out of Orlando a week ago while staying on the coast. On the way back to the airport we drove through Kissimmee and had a delicious lunch at Jerusalem Restaurant there. It's a little family-run place, a little dark, but the food is fresh and very good. If you're in that area, do give it a try.

Four of us went to Volt for RW lunch on Wednesday. All I can say is that this is a delightful restaurant - the setting is casual/elegant, the service top notch, and the food is sublime. They had some nice choices on the RW menu and the maitre d' indicated that they would probably extend that option at lunch for some time. I'm hoping to take advantage of this again soon!

Pines of Rome in Bethesda makes a great pizza - just regular. Good crust; tomatoes rather than tomato sauce, and reasonable amount of whatever toppings. Their white pizza is also terrific!

That sounds interesting! Will watch for more information. ( I spent one night in Orvieto in October, but did not eat at Chef Polgeri's restaurant.)

Beef, Leek and Barley Soup from Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking. Never tried it before, but sounds good!

I have a friend who usually spends Christmas in France but is here this year and wants to roast a goose for Christmas dinner. She's having trouble finding one. Any suggestions?

I needed a place to meet some out-of-town friends for lunch the other day, so checked the trusty Restaurant Guide and spotted this place that has never been on my radar. Turned out to be a great choice. We had a very pleasant lunch and the daily special I ordered was really delicious. I think they called it a tartine, with caramelized onions, goat cheese and a pile of prosciutto covering the top - with a tasty green salad on the side. Am hoping to go back and try them for dinner soon!

After a hiatus of several years, we had dinner at Ruan Thai last night. Aside from some tough squid, we found the food to be right on the mark - fresh and tasty and basically as it should be. Good place to have within easy dining distance!

What about the Chevy Chase Clyde's? They are very kid-friendly and have a special brunch menu for children. And they take reservations.

On a sort of pizza odyssey, had dinner at Mia's tonight. I had the Margherita and my husband had Salsicce, as well as a pleasant salad and a bottle of wine (turns out Wednesday is half price wine night). Judging on crust, I liked it but found it a bit too bready. The crust at M Cafe we had a few nights ago was better and toppings had more intense flavor. Still, Mia's is a nice neighborhood place. They were doing a good business at 9 on a Wednesday night. Service was friendly and efficient.

Four of us had dinner at M Cafe and Bar last night. I'd read in the Washingtonian Cheap Eats issue that they have a chef from Naples and a brick pizza oven and wanted to try out their wares. We ordered one pizza and a few appetizers and a couple of pasta dishes and pretty much all shared everything. It's hard to categorize this as "cheap eats," but if you stick to pizza and little else it might work. We did order a bottle of one of their wines offered by the glass which was a lot less expensive than the other wines on their list. We loved the pizza! Very Italian-style, pliable crust with some char, toppings light but very tasty. Really reminded me of Neapolitan pizza. I'll definitely go back for more. Also had fried calamari and zucchini, and mussles - both very good. I had some specials - a cold roasted tomato soup with crab meat which was nice if not spectacular, and fettucini with lamb ragu which was delicious. They have a few tables on the sidewalk, but had opened the whole front of the restaurant to make it very airy and pleasant. The wait staff was extremely cordial and service was fine. They do have a web site separate from Famoso. The actual menu differs a bit from what's on the web.

We love Corduroy for special occasions, (or any occasion, for that matter)!

Could be Rosé time again. I'm wondering if there is still any of the South African Avondale around? It was delicious!

Ikea?

I think it's been a year since our last dinner at Corduroy. We have saved it for special occasions, but after eating there last night we're feeling "to heck with it - must go more often!" Soft shell crab was on the menu and 3 of our party of 4 had it either as an appetizer or main course and raved about it. Two of us had the Wild Mushroom Blintz wih Garlic Sauce which reminded me a bit of a crispy spring roll but ever so much better - very tasty. For my main course I had Pan Roasted Whole Dorade after following Barbara's example and requesting it in advance. It is a lovely succculent fish, but rivalled by another item on the menu (which my husband ordered and I sneaked tastes of) - Seared Sea Scallops accompanied by an incredible morel sauce which was truly inspired. One more amazing dish one of our companions had was Squid-Ink Pasta enhanced with morsels of lump crab, stunning to look at and a great combination of tastes and textures. Of course we also drank wine and ate desserts. The food, service and setting were all great. Got to say it was a flawless meal!

Here's a review of an amazing restaurant - Mocajo- where we had lunch last fall that is about mid-way between Rome and the Cinque Terre. Good place to stop for lunch either going or returning! See final post under "Montalcino" in this heading, and http://www.ristorantemocajo.it/index.htm. If you decide to go, be sure to reserve ahead. I actually called only on the morning of our visit. They are closed on Wednesdays.

Second that! Go to Tamburini for same and any other local food delicacy. Besides the deli counter they have a sort of cafeteria-style lunch area in the back with a great selection of prepared foods. Consider spending a night in Savigno in the hills south of Bologna and eating at a wonderful trattoria: da Amerigo (they also rent rooms). http://www.amerigo1934.it/index.php/conten...ction/trattoria. Check it out.Portugal - A nice lunch outing. On our most recent trip, we chose to visit the fabulous palace in Mafra and sought out a place for lunch nearby. We drove over to the coast to Ericeira where we had reserved a table at Restaurante Esplanda Furnas (not the Marisqueira of the same name) which sits overlooking the beach and amazing surf rolling in. As you enter the restaurant you pass a display of their varieties of fresh fish and the grill chef will help you choose what you'd like them to cook for you. We had a linguado large enough to serve 4 which was the most perfectly cooked, succulent sole I've ever tasted. My husband had to try their version of Cataplana (Portuguese mixed seafood dish cooked in a covered copper pan) which he decreed the best ever. And of course we devoured their wonderful starters - really excellent chewy bread, a perfect Azeitao cheese, and octopus salad. Spectacular food and setting and a great waitstaff!

We spend a lot of time in Lisbon and have posted about restaurants there on eGullet. Do not fail to go to Belem for the Monastery and the cafe down the street with the justifiably famous and delectable Pasteis de Belem (little custardy pastries in puff pastry cups). Will you have a car? Our most recent favorite restaurants are seafood places out of town worth seeking out if possible. Of course there are plenty of good places to eat in the city, and then there are the incredible cheeses. We usually bring home a suitcase full!

Yes!!!

Some places that might be nice if you want to drive up the coast towards Grosseto before heading to Montepulciano : http://it.toprural.com/agriturismo-camere/...htm#comentarios, http://www.riparbella.com/engl./e-urlaub.html. We are doing a similar trip in October staying a week outside Pienza and plan to spend one night in Orvieto en route from Rome. That makes an easy stopover, has many lodging options, good restaurants, beautiful duomo, etc. etc.

If you will be driving from Rome to Montepulciano, this could be a delightful place to stop for the night: http://www.lacannara.it/home_gb.htm. I have not stayed here but read about it in a recent issue of the Gambero Rosso magazine. It's just south of Lake Bolsena and famous for its gardens which should be lovely at the time you're traveling. Another place (outside of San Gimignano) that also looks great: http://www.mormoraia.it/index.php. Again, I have not stayed here either and it may not be quite the location you are looking for. I'll let you know if I think of any other places! Molly

We had an early pre-theater dinner with a party of 6 here last night and were very pleased with everything about this restaurant. The dining room is attractive and comfortable and service is very friendly and efficient. Because of our number we ordered a lot. Started with samosas and momo's. Samosas were nicely crispy/flaky and spicy and the momos were very tasty but not quite Tibetan-style as I remember. All came with tasty sauces. Then we had rice, a nice basket of mixed breads, raita, and 4 or 5 different curries. Standouts were a Nepali goat dish which I think was cooked in the clay oven and was delicious and chicken tikka which was nicely spiced and moist . The "soupier" dishes come in little braziers. Curries were all distinctly flavored and good. No room for dessert! In the evening, easy parking is available just around the corner in the County garage. But, Bethesda makes you pay until 10 pm.

To echo MC Horoscope, many thanks to Sudhir Seth and Daniel for arranging such an enjoyable event and a grand repast! Here's what we enjoyed the most: all the breads were wonderful although we couldn't do justice to the Garlic Nan and Mint Paratha because by the middle of the meal we had just eaten too much. Was hard to see so many baskets of delicous breads go untouched! Loved all the condiments and chutneys. My husband and I spent 2 years in Nepal many years ago, so we really like spicy food, and dal (a mainstay of the Nepali diet) is a particular favorite. The Dal Makhni was superb - wonderfully spiced and so rich! Of the entrees, the only one we didn't like so much was the Nariyal Fish Curry. The fish was just too strong for our taste buds. The Peas/Corn/Carrots/Pineapple Gratin, while tasty, seemed out of place. I'd forgotten that the restaurant also features dishes influenced by foreign cultures, and this was one of those. The rice was delicious. I wish I'd thought to ask to have the chutneys returned to the table - to spice everything up a bit! The dessert plate was gorgeous and I particularly enjoyed the Shreekhand which was a lovely contrast to the Semolina Halwa. We look forward to a return visit and more wonderful dal!

After reading Dean's revue, my husband and I stopped in here for lunch yesterday (and even encountered said "revuer" in the flesh!). We lived in Nepal for a few years many years ago and periodically try restaurants that include Nepali in their names, only to find there's nary a Nepalese person on the premises. Not the case at Ghar-E-Kabab. We had long chats with our server and the chef (both from Nepal), and tried all the foods offered on the lunch buffet. We found the food tasty and authentic. The restaurant is small and simply decorated - very pleasant and attractive. There's a parking garage right across the street which is most convenient. Apparently Shangri La in Bethesda is a sister restaurant with a similar menu. Will have to check them out also.