levjn

The last I heard about Domaso was ages ago, and they had turned into a lunch-only restaurant. Based upon the email you received (and a quick check of their website), that appears no longer to be the case.

Cheers,

Rocks.

Thank you sir for your quick reply!

So.... just tried to call and make a reservation - their voicemail says they are open for dinner Monday-Friday... no dinner or lunch service on Saturday and Sundays...? Oh well... we'll give it a shot for a "weekday" meal I suppose sometime in the future... obviously, one of Rosslyn's biggest obstacles has always been that after the whistle blows and folks are off work during the week... Rosslyn almost shuts down. Rosslyn seems to continually make efforts to appeal as a round the clock type place, but....

FYI - the website does post the following hours... I suppose I should have checked, but I wouldn't have thought a restaurant would not be open on a Saturday night...

Breakfast: Monday - Sunday, 7:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Lunch: Monday - Friday, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Dinner: Monday - Friday, 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Bar Hours: Monday - Sunday, 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Happy Hours: Monday - Friday, 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Has anyone been here lately? We had a good experience here when they first opened, came back about 6 mos later and wasn't as blown away. The atmosphere is really lovely and as others had mentioned "hip" in style. Been for drinks on the outside patio, but haven't dined lately. We're thinking of giving it another try... received an email blast this week and the prices seem to be a bit more reasonable than what I had remembered (which makes it more of a "regular night out" option) and the menu looks good. They apparently won "Best Appetizer" at this year's Taste of Arlington... I'm pasting the email below with the menu that was sent as the website appears to still have the Spring menu.

===========================================================================================

"Our Spring menu is going on Summer vacation. Check out our new summer offerings at Domaso.

Be sure to try the white gazpacho, voted Best Appetizer at the 2010 Taste of Arlington.

We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Paul Healey

Chef de Cuisine

Our New Summer Menu

Appetizers

white gazpacho 6

grapes, almonds, chives, lemon oil

baby greens 6

heirloom tomato, cucumber, peppers, balsamic vinaigrette

calamari puttanesca 9

tomato aioli, fried olives and capers

caprese 11

heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella, balsamic saba, basil

caesar salad 8

brioche croutons, parmesan cheese and traditional dressing

with herb grilled chicken 14

spinach salad 9

hard boiled egg, olives, pickled red onions, warm pancetta dressing

add smoked duck breast 15

beef carpaccio 10

parmesan, crispy capers, horseradish cream sauce*

Sandwiches

sandwiches are served with greens or fries

herb grilled chicken 13

pancetta, provolone, spicy aioli

trattoria burger 13

smoked cheddar, roasted shallot jam*

east coast crab cake sandwich 16

spicy aioli, arugula, pickled red onions*

pepper seared tuna sandwich 15

sliced rare tuna, hard cooked egg, black olive aioli

Entrée

mushroom fettuccini 16

local and exotic mushrooms, marsala, spinach

lobster and shrimp linguine 19

saffron, fennel, roasted tomato sauce*

rigatoni arrabbiata 15

italian sausage, sweet peppers, fresh mozzarella *

roasted herb chicken breast 17

grilled summer squashes, fingerling potatoes, mustard vinaigrette*

steelhead salmon 20

heirloom tomatoes, zucchini fritters, tapenade*

grilled hangar steak 22

truffle fries, herb butter, green bean and cherry tomato salad*

local rockfish 22"

Bonjour mes amis!

My husband and I will be taking our first trip to Paris the beginning of May and thought it wise to get some guidance here. We're looking for recommendations along the lines of Scott's post above - somewhat casual great fare - bistros, cafes, etc... (Scott, how was your trip and any "musts" you'd care to share? We're staying in the Westin by the Louvre - similar location to the Renaissance you mentioned you were staying.) We love the fact that we'll be staying close to a lot of sites... but are a little worried we'll be in such a touristy area - we'll be limited with nearby good eats or paying way too much for a mediocre experience... Of course we can taxi or metro as well, but walking a "safe" mile or so is fine by us too. (we live in Clarendon - so we enjoy hoofing it.) Thanks in advance!

Going to paris in two weeks

Lots of good suggestions, but we can use more. We are looking for hot little bistros and strong romance.

LEbauchoir

Louis Vins

L'Osteria

Le Gaigne (we have reservations)

Chez Michel

So - since fall has decided to make its exit this week and has been replaced with winter... I'm thinking pumpkin beers will have to suffice for the fall experience this weekend! Has anyone spotted the Fisherman’s Pumpkin Stout (Cape Ann Brewing Co. - Mass.) in stores or on tap in our area? I'd especially like to find it near Arlington. I've seen the Fisherman IPA in Whole Foods in the past but haven't checked them for the Pumpkin Stout. We had this beer on tap in a bar in Philly last November and had never had a Pumpkin STOUT before... stil haven't seen another. I've even attempted a similar taste by making a black and tan at home using a good Pumpkin Ale with a stout... results are close but still not quite the same. Thanks for the help!

Not sure if you still need this, but for what it's worth! We've been using Ryan's Landscaping for several years now on our projects in Arlington - I'm sure they will work in Fairfax. They have been really fair priced and fast! http://www.ryans-landscaping.com/

Not sure how it is now, it's been years since we've dined there, but we went to Pusser's Landing several times... by request of my family after having a great experience the first tiime. Had really good crabcakes and they were right on the water!

http://www.pussersusa.com/

The Celebrity Delly - Loehmanns Plaza off Route 50 in Falls Church! Fantastic Reubens (and Pastrami) and they don't skimp on the meat! ) (I think I recall seeing something posted in the restaurant that they prepare the Corned Beef and Pastrami in house...) Not a glamorous joint, but great sandwiches!

The Celebrity Delly

Are the worms segmented? If so, would not recommend eating the morels, but if they appear to be all unitary (kind of like maggots) they are probably ant or some kind of beetle larvae, in which case you have grubs in your grub, and they won't hurt you.

No - not segmented per se, these are tiny white (slight ridges) little guys crawling all around... so I sumise, they are more of the maggot variety! I just didn't expect so many of them! Thanks for helping me with the paranoia.

Wonderful- thanks guys for all the advice! As suspected, I was overreacting to possible normalcy - but definitely wanted to check with those experienced first! I'm a long time subscriber to the "don't wash/soak the mushrooms!" So, usually (even with the gourmet blends, hedgehogs, honey, etc. from the market) I just give them a quick inspection, run my knife through and into the pan they go! (should I soak some of these too?) (My husband always complains he gets the crappy job of "damp cloth" on the portobellos! ) The idea of heavy soaking and worms hadn't really occured to me! Hopefully after the soaking tonight (now drying out) they'll still be okay for tomorrow night's dinner... I threw in the towel earlier and ordered a pizza! ha ha! Oh - and Al Dente - your secret is safe here!

So, "Loose Morels" folks... I have never cooked with morels, just had them out dining in dishes. This past Saturday, I bought a pint ($15... I am sure all are wondering ) from the mushroom gal at the Arlington Courthouse Farmer's Market. Excited to do an easy saute as a focal for tonight's dinner, I started inspecting them as I took them out of my paper sack... a few large ones I sliced and suddenly - I found little white worms.... LOTS of little white worms... ...so I sliced the rest and more and more worms! They were on my cutting board and knife, etc.

So - these shrooms are now soaking in my prep sink... the worms appear to have fallen to the bottom of the water, but I have to admit... I am a little "scarred" from the wormy sight. I am okay with a little critter here and there - especially when shopping from the farmer's markets (maybe a little slug on the chard) - and have even cut open a red bell pepper from Giant to find a moth - alive - but the sheer amount of the little worms inside the morels and in between the little cracks - I'm not so sure about. So - question - are all these little worms "normal"? I was expecting a bit of grit and maybe a couple critters, but not this. Should I just proceed after soaking - this is why they must be soaked? Or did I just end up getting dealt a bum hand with this particular pint of morels? I hate to trash them, since they are a bit pricey and an annual treat - and admittingly, I was looking forward to cooking them for the first time.

Please advise.... am I being overly concerned? Thanks in advance!

I'm impressed they could find parking for the whole entourage... without "special treatment"!

There's an article in this week's Washington Business Journal noting the owner's plans to Open a Velocity Five in the Courthouse Area of Arlington... anybody know where that may be going in? It would have to be a large space...

Hi All,

I hope I found the right webpage for newcomer introductions.

My husband and I work in software and love to cook, anything from simple to complicated. Our gardening skills are being tested, as we are from the Southwest--everything is slightly different here!

We've also found that there are an overwhelming number of choices for dining out here, but where to start? And what's really excellent/unusual/funky/fabulous/well designed?

Moving to a different part of America is a real challenge for us after years in the Southwest. Back home I'd learned the restaurants and markets. Our first good find here was Crystal Thai--the service is excellent, the atmosphere is lovely--the beautiful attire of the wait people is visually very nice, the food is very good.

Recently we discovered the Sunflower restaurant, which thoroughly meets the Vegan needs of our daughter and pleases us all with it's variety. (husband is not really interested in Vegetarian, but still likes the menu offerings there.)

We also love La Tasca tapas, Henry's, Red,Hot&Blue, Lebanese Taverna, Stray Cat/Lost Dog---We like all kinds of food.

Recently word of mouth led us to Artisan's Confections, and the whole family was stunned with their fabulous chocolates. Okay, here's me: I'll try almost anything, humble, funky, whatever, sharing a meal is a spiritual experience, then, here's my mother, who received the chocolates recently: Martha Stewart/World SeasonedArtist/a serious "Excellence" snob--she loved Artisans! I was really proud to be able to offer those chocolates, . Those are the kinds of win experiences that we have been looking for here in the D.C. area.

So we're interested in everything, from just really good to amazing. We're currently in need of some recommendations for Vegetarian/Japanese/Asian in the Arlington area.

My husband would love to find a really good Mexican restaurant locally--on the order of El Charro in the West . There's a Mexican restaurant near Santa Fe in Los Alamos, New Mexico, that is so good you can never quite compare another restaurant to it. And Cisco's, in Austin, Tx has the best Migas in the known universe in my opinion. Does anyone make Migas here? Scrambled eggs with fresh tomatoes, a few corn chips, and cheese? (shudder--it might even be Velveeta!) Sounds so simple, but I've not been able to reproduce it in my kitchen.

Tamara

I also live in Arlington and had to suggest a couple spots that came to mind that you may like - For a vegetarian/Japanese/Asian - have you tried Mei's Asian Bistro on Washington Blvd (behind the Giant and across from Rocklands). We aren't vegetarians - but love Sunflower as well - and I am addicted to their General Tso's "Chicken" - Mei's has it as well and is closer to us than Sunflower. Mei's has a TON of Vegan & Vegetarian Options - http://meisasianbistro.com/veggie_cuisine.html - I still prefer Sunflower, but for proximity sake and that they also serve Chinese, Japanese and have a Sushi bar - it sounds like Mei's would suite the whole family! The owners are very friendly and work very hard to make the restaurant a success! )

I have to second the El Charrito Caminante on Washington Blvd for very good "take out" - and it's unbelievable how inexpensive they are! ) Another old Mexican "dine in" restaurant in Arlington we like is El Paso Cafe - it's on Pershing near the intersection of Glebe. It's a little more "local" feeling than Rio Grande and such.

Happy Dining! )

Does Tacklebox serve any tasty beverages... of the alcoholic variety?

We have been a few times. The kabobs are ok. Had the lamb once and it was overcooked also. Decent Lebanese for the price.

The owners appear to have made a good effort fixing the place up. However, I think the reason for the big late night crowd are the hookahs, not the food.

I have to second the reason for the crowd as probably the "hookahs"... this patio is constantly packed (even on a weeknight 10, 11, etc.) and there's a flat screen tv outside! We've been about a dozen times for quick lunches and a few take-outs... food is pretty good - seems like it's not as good as it had been before - maybe it's the bigger crowds now? last time we ordered though - we decided we probably will consider Lebanese Taverna (market or the restaurants) next time if it's as convenient (haven't tried Me Jana yet - so I can't vouch there)... reason we'd put Tarbouch lower down our "got to" list:

the grape leaves were very teeny last time around at Tarbouch

the hummus isn't as good or fresh tasting as LT

on one occasion, my husband noticed his pita coming out of a store bought plastic bag - not the nice poufy fresh bread you get at LT

and several items I requested on a Sunday afternoon were "unavailable" b/c the supplier hadn't delivered... like the Fattoush salad?

The kabobs and sandwiches are good - but sometimes they are on pita... sometimes on a sub roll - I prefer consistency...

The owner is always very friendly and doesn't seem to have a problem filling the place now.. it's nice to have it on the corner there! It's right down the street from us - so we liken it to grabbing a bite to eat like the Italian Store, etc. but not a sit down and dine, have a few drinks kind of place... that's us... if you're into the Hookah - then maybe Tarbouch should be on your radar for an evening out!

I know you weren't really looking for dives, but in Anguilla you can often find roadside barbecue pits setup that are pretty good. There is a roadside barbecue setup on Friday (and perhaps on Wednesday as well) that is basically a few barbecue grills setup at a shack down the road from Cuisinart and near Malliouhana. Several of the chefs who were cooking at the Malliouhana culinary event last July went there and said it was great. Folding lawn chairs around the grills for seating so it's not exactly a restaurant but it might be a good option for lunch one day. I think it's called B&D's.

They all look pretty much like this:

Veya restaurant is an option as is scheduling a boat trip out to Scilly Cay where the only thing on the island is a tiny casual restaurant that serves lobster, crayfish or chicken. You'll need to book that ahead of time, like when you check in at Cuisinart. I'm sure they could set that up for you. All of the locals were highly recommending Tasty's Cafe which was mentioned upthread as well.

Regardless of the restaurants you choose, don't be surprised if you're served fish and meat that's been frozen -- even lobster since a lot of the area has unfortunately been overfished. Have a great trip!

Thanks Camille-Beau! I appreciate your help! Having info like this before the trip makes it so much easier to dine once we get there!

I think that is further down Lee Highway (toward the city), near Courthouse.

I am pretty sure the stuff going up on Glebe Rd is all residential.

There is some new retail slated to go in across the street from Lee Heights (Arrowine, Crisp and Juicy, etc..), but I think the development has hit a stand still.

The Potomac Custom Builders site is across Lee Highway from Courthouse (by the old Bergman's Cleaners) and it is all residential. (The site a block or so West on Lee with the 7-11 is for sale and it would allow commercial mix use.) Rumor is that the old apartment area (it's over 6 acres) that was cleared behind the Lee Heights shops is going to be townhomes... dont' think it's zoned for any commercial mix use.... but it looks like Archstone is the company who purchased it in Dec.

Macaroni Grill is going to now be a Union Jack's. I don't know a thing about them though. Welcome, levjn.

Great! Thanks Shaggy! Never heard of Union Jack's... but from a quick google I'm assuming it's the same as the pub in Bethesda? Seems to be a good match for the rest of the pub type restaurants in Ballston... Rock Bottom and Bailey's... Ballston Common is getting a theme...

Your Eventide is on the tops of our "can't wait for it to open" list! That's a great building and your renovation is coming along nicely! My husband and I live about 2 1/2 blocks behind your restaurant and are very anxious to have nice rooftop dining (A first I believe for Arlington?) and a more "mature" lounge/bar crowd (we're in our 30's - "mature" for what many late night spots in Claredon have become...)!

My husband and I are travelling to Anguilla next weekend and thought I'd check in here to see if anyone has any further/updated opinions on the dining options that were listed on this thread? We are staying at the Cuisinart Resort (yes, the blender people - husband keeps asking if we get a free blender! ) - one dinner at Santorini in the Cuisinart resort is included with the package - but that leaves the other 3 nights. What other restaurants are highly recommended... often when we travel we really like the local cuisine which tends to be more "casual/fun" meals out (not dives - but casual restaurants on the beach, etc.) - not always the 5 star dinner nightly! We have such great food in the DC area with excellent "gourmet" options - it's hard to justify spending several hundred dollars on a 5 star meal out of town - when we could be hanging out at a more casual restaurant having the local food - like conch! Some of the best meals we had in Greece last year were in the taverns with more "tapas" style - not the 5 star "Italian" or "Asian Fusion" spots... We were in Greece - we wanted Greek food! I know I can find dining recs on some travel sites - but I have no way of knowing what kind of "palette" those reviewers have for truly good food!

Awesome - you're already delivering! Thanks! Now - if anyone has any idea of what we might get to replace the Mac Grill and Sushi restaurants in Ballston Mall... when driving by the other day, the old Mac Grill had doors open and there appeared to be some workers coming and going? Maybe another chain? (btw - is there a thread for "what's closed, coming in, etc.?)

Hi - I've been a lurker for a while now, much like others and have enjoyed reading everyone's candid reviews! I live in Clarendon with my husband and although I love to cook at home - we really like eating out and trying new restaurants, dishes, etc. so we're always anxiously awaiting what restaurants are opening next! It seems like this board often has a jump on what's going in & where before anyone else knows! Case in point - Thirsty Bernie's on Lee Hwy... we noticed it last weekend and had to peek inside! Of course, when I googled for it - this board was the only mention of this new restaurant on the web - I'm counting on getting the official opening info through here too! And of course - this board is a great place to get the latest "reservation/no reservation/list" policies for Ray's!