Melissa LaV

I grew up in Albany, and I am back there frequently. I can assure you it is not, in fact, a wasteland! I recommend: Cafe Capricio - great Italian. Nicole's Bistro - elegant French Karavali - really good Indian food McGuires - great bar and fun "New American" food Jack's Oyster Bar - classic seafood/steakhouse restaurant 67 Prime - great steaks Avenue A - wine bar sorry for the lack of in depth descriptions! But believe me, Albany has some real gems in the downtown area. You just have to get out of the suburbs and you will find some amazing chef-owned restaurants.

I had a fantastic RW meal at Vidalia on Monday. They are offering a very broad menu with just a few upgrades (for crabcakes and shrimp and grits). Amazing fried green tomatoes, fantastic seared duck and lemon chess tart. Yum. Good to see they take the week seriously enough to offer diners a broad range of choices. Makes me want to go back when I have free reign over the menu (which, I think, is the point of RW to begin with...)

Thank you all! I think they would probably like the walk across the parks much more than the walk up lovely Pennsylvania Avenue. I'll try Johnny's or Charlie Palmer. You guys are great! And I now have a whole new way to distract myself at work!!

(this is my first post and question...thank you for all your unwitting help to this point!) My parents will be visiting me at work tomorrow, and we wanted to go out to lunch somewhere on the Hill. Our plan was to go to Sonoma, but they will be closed for renovations until Saturday. Any other ideas for a tasty lunch, preferably with wine service, on the Hill? I work on the House side and would prefer to walk from the House Office Buildings. Thank you! M