lmnop

http://www.levelsmallplateslounge.com/index.html

It's small plates so they would have to be comfortable sharing or each of you could order a few plates of your own.

My husband's birthday is this weekend and we're spending our first night away from our son. I have reservations at the Monaco in Penn Quarter, and dinner reservations at Bibiana, but I'm now second-guessing Bibiana. Is this a good choice? I can't get a good feel reading through the thread, and the online menu isn't working.

For some background: he loves Italian. Usually more Italian-American than anything else, but it's definitely his favorite type of food. I would like some type of romantic ambiance given that nights out are few and far between lately. I'm also a vegetarian while he is decidedly not. Some other special-occasion restaurants we have enjoyed are Vermilion, Ardeo, The Oval Room and Proof. I know it's late in the game, but are there better choices I'm overlooking?

Two of us had the '2 whole steamed lobsters with two chowders for $33 RW' special. We added one of the newer big salads, a box of clams and an iced tea. We asked if we could switch one of the chowders for a side salad (my SO doesn't do lactose and they are both priced at $5). No problem.

We went for lunch on Saturday and sat at a table in the bar area. Remembering your post, I asked if I could sub the chowder for a side salad (lunch deal) and was told that they couldn't do it. Since I didn't want the chowder, we asked if my husband could have both cups (he also ordered the lunch RW special) and we were also told no. I ended up paying for a side of fries (2.50). I should have just taken the cup of chowder and given it to my husband, but I was a little surprised when they wouldn't let him have mine. Kind of put a bad taste in my mouth. Luckily the lobster roll was delicious. My husband grew up in Maine and Massachusetts and said the lobster roll was pretty authentic, so he was happy although still hungry after his meal.

I haven't yet been to Taste, but I've heard it can get very loud because of many tables in a small space. Also, keep meaning to get to Al Sospiro. Ricciuti's in Olney might work. They have some small plates and it's usually pretty quiet in there. Upstairs tends to be a little more quiet than the downstairs room next to the bar.

I've enjoyed the coconut cake at Sea Pearl.

I'm perfectly happy trying a brand of half-sours other than Ba-Tampte; I'm not invested in the company. I'm less than happy going to the Fairfax Costco, however, or even Pentagon City.

I just bought the Geshmak half-sours at the Gaithersburg Costco yesterday if that's more convenient for you.

A friend and I are going up to the Frederick, MD vicinity to have dinner at the home of a couple in the mountains above Frederick this afternoon. We'll be staying at the Hampton Inn overnight to avoid a long drive home to VA immediately after, do any of you have any suggestion for a worthwhile brunch the next day? Or places to stay away from? Thanks!

Volt? I haven't been yet for brunch, but I know people who have enjoyed it.

No - but I can completely sympathize with the pregnant women asking the question. When you're pregnant (especially in the early stages), tastes and tolerances can change radically. I'm usually an "eat anything" kind of person, but when I was pregnant, I couldn't even stand the smell of meat for the first 12 weeks. Thank goodness that everything snapped back to normal at week 13!

Same here. I'm assuming that's what the chatter meant too. I'm pescatarian and usually love fish and seafood, but now the smell completely turns my stomach and I can't even look at it when my husband eats it. He had calamari one night and I had to leave the table. I also usually love the smell when my husband cooks on the grill, but now it smells horrible to me. Thank goodness week 13 is next week! Fingers crossed I'll be able to to eat in restaurants again soon!

I've seen it freshly squeezed at the Wegmans in Sterling. Not sure about other locations or whether they always have it.

Sea Pearl is a consistently enjoyable experience for us, although we do tend to order almost the same thing every time we go. My husband loves the preparation of their mussel appetizer and I could eat the broth with a spoon. I usually stick with the sea bass and my husband really likes the baked Alaskan cod. Service is always gracious and helpful and it's a visually pleasing space to dine.There seems to be some sort of private party almost every time we go. Sea Pearl and Passionfish are our two "destination spots" in Virginia.

We went for dinner last night. Right off the bat I liked that most of the two-tops are high-tops (is that the right word?) on the outskirts of the room by the windows. Much more comfortable and private than two-tops squeezed together along bench seating. When we arrived there were only a few tables seated, but the bar in the middle of the room was almost full. As more tables filled up, the room got progressively noisier but not unbearably loud.

Service began a little bit slow but I appreciated that our server had been notified of my allergies (I made a note on our OpenTable reservation request), and apparently had already had a conversation with the kitchen about menu items that contained allergens. She answered a few of our questions about the menu but left without taking our drink order. A few minutes later she came back to take our order and we asked for a recommendation for wine by the glass based on our individual preferences. The wine arrived a few minutes later and while her recommendations were excellent, the (white) wine was pretty warm. She was apologetic and took my husband's glass back to the bar. I opted to keep mine because it had been a long day and I really wanted that glass of wine! It took about 10 minutes for the wine to be chilled and although my husband was eying my glass thirstily, he was glad when his wine finally arrived chilled to his satisfaction.

Our appetizers arrived: a mixed green salad ($7) for me which was presented with 2 pieces of cucumber cut lengthwise wrapped around the mound of salad. Everything seemed fresh but I don't think it was tossed as well as it could have been. I hate when salads are overdressed, but I couldn't taste any dressing on about half of the salad. My husband had ordered the moules frites ($18) which was listed as an entree, as his appetizer. There was a choice of three preparations and he chose the white wine, garlic & tomato version. The broth was light and tasty, but the mussels were overcooked. We really enjoyed the frites with ketchup made in-house.

Our entrees were pan seared diver scallops with fennel and leek risotto and potato gaufrete ($28) for me and bone-in duroc pork chop with vanilla bean shallot reduction and pommes gratin ($28) for him. Mine consisted of 3 huge nicely seared scallops over a pile of the risotto with the gaufrete perched on top of the scallops. The risotto was creamy but not overly so with a nice al dente bite. However, I couldn't detect much fennel or leek. The gaufrete was almost impossible to cut, and I was left wondering if I was supposed to leave it as a garnish although I eventually conquered it. My husband was pleased with his entree, and his potatoes were delicious--decadent without being overly rich. Portions were a bit on the smaller side, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

We shared the chocolate mousse ($8) for dessert which was light and creamy and a nice end to the meal. With tax and tip we spent about $150, with 2 glasses of wine each. We would return, but would probably give it a few months to settle in before doing so. Right now, for the same amount of money, we felt like The Tasting Room is the better option for "finer dining" in Frederick but we're glad that we tried Shab Row.

Rehoboth

We've been going to Rehoboth for 30+ years; for the last 2 of those our absolute favorite restaurant there is Lupo di Mare in the Hotel Rehoboth, on Rehoboth Ave not far from Lingo's Realty but on the opposite side of the street. The chef here has magic in his fingers... everything just comes out great, even standard Italian fare is raised to a higher level. Prices are typical for Rehoboth but seem less because of the quantity and quality of what you get. I always have enough for lunch the next day. My favorite app is the fresh figs stuffed with gorgonzola, wrapped in prosciutto, grilled and drizzled with a good balsamico... Ab-Fab! Also the grilled octopus is delicious. Very authentic, typical food that you would find in Italy, where we spent this past summer. We also like the Back Porch, Eden, and Pig & Fish. Not wild about Dogfish, we have found the food to be dull and the wait to be long. Also underwhelmed by Espuma, thought it was overpriced every time we've gone although we liked the food (not loved). Can't wait to go to Henlopen City Oyster House based on the recommendation above, we'll try it this weekend!

Thank you! That's the one. Have you eaten there? Any feedback?

I haven't eaten there yet. I noticed it a few days ago on OpenTable. I showed the menu to my husband who said he would rather go to the Tasting Room for the $$ but I'm sure I can convince him to check it out for a glass of wine and a snack at the bar. I will report back if/when we go.

Someone I know recommended a restaurant in Frederick that I believe opened very recently. She mentioned that the cuisine is meant to be along the lines of upscale bistro and that the sommelier is also the head chef (or at least involved in the kitchen in some way). Unfortunately I can't remember the name of it to save my life. Does this ring a bell for anyone? Have had no luck searching online, perhaps because it's so new.

http://www.shabrowwine.com/

That seems to make much more sense to me. And it alleviates the teacher from the duty, which shouldn't be put on them. In most cases the school would not be liable unless a teacher committed gross negligence, which is a high standard, but I can understand them being hyper sensitive. It just seems to be a little silly to send this home to parents instead of just providing something at this point. With all the other regulations they are putting in place for parent foods. If you are going to be that hyper sensitive then provide it or put the job on someone who volunteers for it.

That idea does make sense, and it sounds like that could work for schools lucky enough to have room parents. I think the problem with schools providing birthday treats is that schools aren't allowed to spend county, state or federal money on things that don't have a direct educational impact and birthday snacks don't fall into that category. I'm sure some principals out there have done it in the past and gotten away with it, but lots of principals are extreme sticklers for the rules. If the onus was put on schools to provide the snacks, who would pay for them? Good luck trying to convince the county to add that to their budget

I'm glad to hear that the school wouldn't be liable unless a teacher committed gross negligence, but that also usually means that the teacher is put on unpaid administrative leave while the case is investigated. This is all, of course, worst case scenario, but it would just be a horrible situation to be in all around.

Ugg it's so frustrating. On the one hand I don't think food allergies should be considered a disability under federal statutes, but on the other if they aren't a disability then the school might not be required to offer alternative lunch options everyday. But I really don't think food allergies should be a disability within the meaning of Federal Law, but apparently they think so.

It is so frustrating because even though teachers have immunity for actions within their jobs, that ends with gross negligence, which is a jury question, which means any judgment call can be scrutinized in court, which means lawyers and money, which schools try to avoid at all costs, but limiting snacks to packaged foods, individually wrapped means you can even do cupcakes or apples or bananas. It pretty much subjects them to a lot of high fructose corn syrup and junk food unless parents are very picky, which after being so frustrated by all these rules I can see why many would just throw their hands up, or not want to participate. Are they going to have alternate snacks in case a parent brings in snacks with gluten or nuts for those children that can't have them or toss the whole bunch? Because at this point it seems like the school should just start providing snacks.

Food allergies are very serious. But at a point all these rules just get to be a little silly. I would say it's all my fault, but I don't practice that type of law

My school (I'm a teacher in MCPS) has resorted to providing birthday snacks. MCPS- approved fruit smoothies are doled out in the cafeteria as birthday treats. Schools really have to take a hard line on "outside" food provided to students. Although it may be parents purchasing and bringing in the treats, ultimately it's the school's liability if someone has an allergic reaction or gets sick. And yes, it can ultimately affect the teacher who dished out the treat. Foremost, I would hate to think I had anything to do with a child having an allergic reaction and on a different level I could potentially lose my job.

The sad thing, in the case of my school, is that these treats are PTA funded and we're not the kind of school where our PTA has enough money to provide Promethean boards. So the money used for birthday treats means fewer resources for our school community.

I can't say I'm 100% upset at these regulations. We've had some parents drop off full sheet cakes for their child's class to enjoy at lunch but can't stay for the celebration. That means our cafeteria staff or the paraeducators on cafeteria duty have to cut and serve the cake. In what ends up being about a 20 minute lunch period after all students go through the line and get seated. And make sure all milk cartons are opened, all straws can punch the hole in the juicebox, and all Lunchables opened and bananas peeled. But I digress....

Somehow I survived as a child allergic to nuts in MCPS (and in life), but it was a far less litigious society back then. I did have some close calls back then with food provided at school, but my parents believed that it was ultimately my responsibility to check labels religiously (we discovered my allergy when I was 8) and to politely refuse anything that could be questionable and I still follow that guideline as an adult. Believe me, as an MCPS employee I'm all too familiar with rules and guidelines and the like that just don't make sense, but in this case the rule is silly until a child goes into anaphylactic shock and you were the one who served the treat.

Roast it. Toss in a little olive oil w/ s & p. Sprinkle with parmesan & chili flakes when it has about 3 minutes to go.

We use EVO red meat formula. When we first adopted our dog we gave him what he had been used to eating. It was either Iams or Science Diet but I can't remember. We consulted a dog behaviorist who said that it was giving him the equivalent of rocket fuel for dogs, which is one of the reasons why he was running in circles even after long periods of exercise. We switched to a grain free diet and he calmed down a lot. Make sure that you use natural peanut butter with no added sugar in the Kongs.

What good ones have you been to? I've found all my AYCE sushi experiences (and really, most of my AYCE experiences in general) to be utterly unrewarding. Buffets are never as good as they sound.

Yuraku in Germantown is delicious. The buffet is only offered at lunch and it looks like there's a variety of sushi and other dishes as well. To be honest, I've never ordered the buffet option because I don't eat enough fish to make it worthwhile (and they watch you to make sure you don't just eat the fish and leave the rice), but I go almost every weekend for lunch after the gym and order a roll and a salad. Be prepared to wait for a table and the waiting area is tiny so the crowd usually spills out to the sidewalk. They are closed on Mondays.

Had a wonderful brunch at Urbana today. The mushroom omelette was delicate, varied, and inventive. My poached egg veggie nest featured julienned asparagus, mesclun, and red peppers. We had not been here before. Service was very professional and unobtrusive, and we loved the sleek decor. While most of the other brunchers were downing copious amount of champagne, we confined ourselves to two pots of Earl Grey tea.

Has anyone stayed at the Palomar next door?

I have. Sometimes we feel like having a mini "staycation", so we book a dinner reservation in DC and a room at the Palomar. Kimpton hotels are great. The happy hour at Urbana is fun too.

I looked at the law and, in a way, you're both right. The rule is one license per company per county, as you thought. However, "chain stores, supermarkets and discount houses" aren't supposed to get any any new licenses at all. The exception is the renewal (grandfathering) or transfer of an existing license.

So Shopper's Food Warehouse in Germantown has a license and was only built about 10 years ago. I thought that Shopper's decided to take their one license and apply it to Germantown, as Giant was way down-county. But Shopper's overall isn't that old, maybe 25 or 30 years - so how do they even have a license? What probably happened is that they used to be Jumbo food stores and have transfered their one grandfathered license as needed - to SFW's in different locations. Giant continues to hold theirs in White Oak, while Costco and Trader Joe's can't get one at all (unless they're able to buy one from a company going out of business, if the licenses are transferrable that way).

Interesting. Thank goodness we have people in Annapolis and Rockville that watch over and care for us so deeply.

So would there be any chance that Wegmans will be able to get a beer/wine license when they open in Germantown?

We had a celebratory dinner here last night. We started with a round of drinks at the wine bar downstairs which was a great start to the meal. My husband loves vodka tonics, but rarely orders them because they aren't usually mixed well. J & G's version tasted delicious even to me and I'm not a fan of vodka or tonic. My only (small) gripe is about the stools. I am a small person at 5 feet tall, but the seats on the stools were too small even for me. My husband decided to stand instead of perch on the stool. We were led to our table upstairs which was very comfortable and right by one of the windows.

We started with the calamari and the parmesan risotto. I was a little concerned that this would be a heavy start to our meal, but the risotto was surprisingly light and the yuzu dipping sauce for the calamari was very refreshing.

I don't eat poultry or red meat, but there was a variety of seafood dishes to choose from. Unfortunately, due to an allergy I was limited to the salmon with mashed potatoes and truffle vinaigrette.To his credit, our server offered to have the kitchen make any of the other available fish with the salmon preparation but I decided to have the dish as it was intended. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the dish was delicious as a whole. My husband had the 12 oz filet along with the potato gratin. He chose the J & G steak sauce, and our server wisely also brought the black pepper jam to cut some of the sweetness of the steak sauce. He said the meat was also perfectly cooked to the medium rare temperature he prefers. The gratin was satisfying without being greasy or heavy.

There were few desserts on the menu I could safely eat due to my allergy, but the trio of sorbet I ordered was delicious and not overly sweet. If I remember correctly, the flavors were passionfruit/banana, fig & red wine (?), and raspberry. After a few bites of sorbet I looked up and my husband was more than halfway through his warm chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream, so I took that as a sign that he liked it Our server kindly brought a third dessert to the table after he found out we were celebrating my husband's birthday. It was a cheesecake with toasted coconut along with passionfruit sorbet. The cheesecake was light and airy and I would have eaten the whole thing if I hadn't already had most of my sorbet. I was disappointed that we left so much on the plate, but we were simply out of room at that point.

Service was extremely professional but warm and friendly at the same time. As a party of two, we sometimes find ourselves in and out of a restaurant in under an hour, even if we make a point to tell the server that we'd like to pace our meal and aren't in a rush. Looking back on our choices, we should have left feeling overly full but the pacing of the meal allowed us to leave feeling satisfied but comfortable. Overall, we really enjoyed all aspects of our experience at J & G. The $30 valet parking charge is another matter, but even that won't deter us from returning.

If you go to Monocacy Crossing, you must (must, must) sit on the dining room to the left side of the hallway as you approach the host stand. Unless they have remodeled within the past year or so, the other dining room does not have nearly the ambiance.

When you book your reservation, they are usually pretty accommodating about both seating and veggie-only requests. I usually order vegetarian at Monocacy. No slap-dash side-dish amalgamation here, it's been hearty fare with balanced flavors and main-dish legitimacy.

That being said, any appetizer with scallop should not be missed. The sear is always remarkably perfect.

That's funny because I prefer the room to the right of the host stand . It looks like they did a small renovation of that room over the past few months (at least the paint looks new).

Perhaps Monocacy Crossing? There aren't too many veg options on the menu but they tend to be pretty accommodating.

http://www.monocacycrossing.com/

Ended up at oval Room last night after failing to get a last-minute reservation at hotter tables (e.g., Proof, Komi, Palena). Turned out to be a stroke of luck. The 8-course tasting menu was terrific - all completely distinct and delicious (ok, maybe the goat cheese custard wasn't great, but the pastrami kampachi, fois gras, asparagus soup, short ribs, and frozen yogurt with berries more than made up for it). And because the chef relies on infused oils and gels rather than cream and butter, everyone left feeling sated but not stuffed. All in all, a terrific evening. This place deserves more attention than it gets.

That's great to hear because that's where my husband and I will be celebrating our anniversary in a few weeks. We're not doing the tasting menu, but I hope the a la carte options are delicious too.