catharine

Yes, it has cauliflower, but I was just warning you about how veggie this thing is. It also has beans, carrots, onion, potatoes, and more. Vegetarian chili with cauliflower sounds weird. Then again, so does chili with carrots, onions, potatoes, etc. Nevermind. PS - Thanks for spelling my name correctly

I'll have to let you know. Early morning marathon training is not too compatible with 7 pm dinners in MD or DC. Have fun tonight.

Sorry guys, I am going to bail on tonight. I live in Springfield and Rockville is not in the cards for me tonight. See you next time.

I'd love to join you for Dino, but I can't do the 28th. Can I be a maybe for the 10th at Joe's? Rockville might present a challenge for me on a weeknight.

Third. (Or is that fourth or fifth - can't keep track.)

No - I can't make the 28th. I could probably do the 10th, though. You bet.

I can do the 26th and the 3rd and would love to try Lighthouse. Especially with Grover there to advise.

As I indicated on the chili thread, I plan to be there. I'm bringing my +1 I am making vegetarian chili, which contains lots of veggies and beans.

I am happy to volunteer to make a vegetarian chili. I have a really interesting recipe that is all about veggies. It even has cauliflower. No joke. I'd be willing to chip in for the bulk purchase of warming trays. I have sterno if needed.

I walked over to the Grill yesterday for what I suspected could be my last lunch there. Well, I should have known better than to arrive at 1 pm. The grill was closed! Imagine my disappointment. Happily, the lovely hostess informed me that the Grill will be open next week. I didn't catch exactly what days, but I believe she mentioned Friday. I won't make the same mistake again - I'll leave at 11 am this time.

Count me in.

I have used their certificates for Zpizza (Springfield) with no problems whatsoever. I got them at 60% off, so my $10 certificates cost around $2.

We had an early dinner here on a Saturday night a few weeks ago. I had the most amazing goat cheese ravioli, in a light sauce that contained fresh spinach and grape tomatoes. As I remarked at the time, it was one of the most heavenly pasta dishes I've had in a long time. I wasn't blown away by our appetizers - I had a fresh artichoke hearts special that had too many hard pieces in it. Good flavor though. We also had a very ordinary salad to share. I got to steal a bite of the pasta with lobster fra diavolo and it was good. Not fabulous, but good. I would definitely return (especially if I could get that goat cheese ravioli dish).

Wow. Michael is truly unreal.

I used to love the downtown Cafe Asia for their noodle dishes. I especially enjoyed the Gway Tio with rice noodles and the pork/mussel combination. The spicy Chinese Ravioli were another favorite. We ordered delivery regularly when I worked nearby and we were working late. One evening about six months ago we decided on sushi at the Arlington Cafe Asia. It was so incredibly bad. Everything had an off taste and some of the nigiri even looked off (yes, we still tried it...suckers). We called over the manager and the situation was not handled well, in my opinion. She took away the uneaten specimens to examine. She didn't comment or apologize, and never returned. Our waiter came back with nothing to say and handed us a check that had 10% deducted from it. A nice gesture, yes, but the manager should have returned to speak to us. We were really surprised by the whole experience and will never go back - at least not to Rosslyn. I wonder if others have seen a difference between the two locations.

Yikes. You feel very strongly about this. I'm sorry you have so much anger about the subject. I like Finn and Porter (not Porter and Finn, as you wrote above). Actually, I like it a lot. That's my opinion. You're entitled to disagree. Respectfully, Catharine

I've been very pleased with the sushi I've had at F&P the dozen or so times I've eaten there. We also typically do nigiri and maki, but I've never had a problem with the fish there. I will say that I was unhappy with the risotto I ordered there, and when I spoke up the dish was taken off my check with apologies. The steaks/seafood, salads, soups and apps. have also been high quality. I've always had good service, and I stand by my recommendation from the other thread. (I wouldn't recommend the buffet brunch, however. Nothing bad, just not worthwhile.) In addition, if you head over to the strip where Seminary Road intersects with Carlin Springs (?) - where the 7-11 is on the corner, there are a few Ethiopian spots. I've gotten decent takeout there before (but the places are always too smoky for me to eat in.)

I, for one, would like to personally volunteer to be a member of a "private party." I'm just trying to be helpful I am really looking forward to trying this place out.

Thanks, everyone. You've given me a ton of great options.

This year I have the dubious honor of serving on my office's "sunshine committee." We have monthly office parties for the staff of 45. This month we want to do a pizza party and I refuse to go the Sbarro's route (they're located in our food court in the Reagan Building). I would also like to avoid Domino's and the other national chains. Please tell me how I can have a decent pie delivered to the office. I've searched and haven't found a thread on this topic. Thanks!

A "city hike" last night led me to Stacy's for a quick bite. OMG! The cupcakes described above areas amazing as they look. I hadn't heard of Stacy's or Le Cupcake before last night, but add me to the list of fans. As we approached we noticed that a jazz band was playing right inside the front entrance. [They were fabulous BTW, and I recruited them on behalf of my husband's booking agency, but I digress.] Anyhow, the staff, who were taking a break outside, could not have been more pleasant and helpful as the motley crew of 10 of us mobbed this small coffee shop/bakery. Inside we found an assortment of wrap sandwiches, ice cream, and baked goods as well as a coffee bar. I decided to start with a chicken curry wrap. It was tasty - filled with a curried chicken salad with raisins and almonds. But the truth is, I should have skipped it and just had two (or three) of those amazing cupcakes [priced at $2/each]. [i was on a "hike" after all, and surely I needed the extra calories ] I couldn't help but declare it the best cupcake of my life. The cake was light and moist, and the frosting was sweet and flavorful (yes, it had flavor...almond, I believe). And of course, it was just gorgeous. Beautiful pastel with a white swirl and sprinkles. The blackboard calendar showed that they have entertainment at least 3-4 nights/week. What more do you need? Stacy's is definitely worth visiting. Next time I'm in the area I think I'll start with a slice at Zpizza, follwed by a cupcake and a show at Stacy's.

I've been to Rafagino and think it is excellent, but... I don't really think of Rafagino as being near GMU.

Congratulations on graduating, Josh. I think there are several decent options in that area. I attended GMU myself, and also worked at the Fairfax Court not too long ago. My personal favorite in that area is the infrequently-mentioned Il Lupo. It is on 123 across from the courthouse. I am a big fan of their gnocchi. I also like Cattleya for Thai food. There is a new place, Le Tire Bouchon, that I've heard good things about. If you feel like splurging and can get a table, I've always been curious about the Bailiwick Inn. Good luck.

I made my first visit today a little before noon. What the heck have I been waiting for? Yes, lunch meant a missed workout and traveling a few stops on the metro, but it was SO worth it. The hot dog was not like any hot dog I've ever had before. Interesting texture - more like sausage than your traditional hot dog. Yum. The condiments were interesting. The mustard was a little too horseradish-y for me, but that didn't stop me from gobbling up the whole thing. I brought the cannolli back to work with me and I'm glad I waited to eat it. Otherwise I would have felt compelled to purchase a second one. Wow, it was that good. Very light and just the right amount of sweetness. I like that it was half pistachio/half chocolate. Heaven. I must mention that Chef Donna mentioned this site. He was announcing (not sure if it was a general announcement or if was in response to an inquiry) that the bread is toasted on the grill. He was joking that because of this, the bread would have charred pieces. He challenged that if anyone knew how to toast bread on a grill without getting a few charred spots they should notify him. He then added some comment like, for those of you who read donrockwell, you should know that about the bread ahead of time. A great experience that will be repeated soon, I hope.

The lunch buffet at Bombay Tandoor (8603 Westwood Center Dr.) is one of the best I've had.