Lola007

The quality of Whole Foods baked goods has been increasingly disappointing in general, but the hot cross buns I picked up yesterday are possibly the worst bakery item I've ever purchased. Dry and stale, with big raisins instead of currants & candied fruit and not even a hint of cinnamon or allspice. The frosting forming the cross was flavorless and dried out enough that it could be lifted off. Just horrid. Entemanns would have been better than this. If I don't have time to make them again next year, then we will just skip it.

I agree. In general, I find WF baked goods to be pretty poor. The only things that I've tried that are consistently good are the lemon bars and the brownies (individual regular size, not the tubs of bite-size brownies). And don't get me started on the bread. I don 't remember if it was on this site or another one, people were raving about WF's pretzel baguettes. I found them to be doughy and unappetizing. The other breads I've tried from WF (ciabatta, sourdough, etc.) haven't impressed me either.

Does anyone have any thoughts on inexpensive sparkling wines? I will be using it for mimosas and a ginger version of a French 75 for a brunch for 300 people. Thoughts?

I really like Cristalino, a Spanish cava. It's light and inexpensive ($7-$9/bottle). I've made belllinis with it for a couple of brunches, and it's been a big hit. I also like Italian Zardetto Prosecco, which is fruitier and fuller, and a bit pricier ($12-$14/bottle).

I had a bday celebration at Jaleo (Penn Quarter location) a few years ago, and it was great! We even had two Sevillanas dancers grace us with their talent. I also like the suggestion of Lebanese Taverna.

...anyone been to their brunch?

I haven't been yet, although I took a look at the brunch menu (which looked fantastic) when I was there for Restaurant Week last summer. I'd love to hear from someone who's tried Volt's brunch too...

And you can always hit Bistro du Coin. Chinatown-ish puts you near Cafe Atlantico and Jaleo, both worthy adventures, open Saturdays and a cut above pizza and burgers. Not in either neighborhood but not imnpossibly far from Verizon Center is Brasserie Beck, also open (last time I checked) all afternoon.

I second the recommendations for Bistrot du Coin in Dupont and Jaleo in Chinatown. I like the variety of Jaleo's tapas and the atmosphere. Plus you'd be close to the Verizon Center. Another place I'd recommend is the Penn Quarter Teaism, especially for a light meal and nice atmosphere. Have fun!

I'm a big fan of Baked & Wired. I've enjoyed their cupcakes, cakes, and pies (I had an amazing slice of cherry pie at the Taste of Georgetown event last summer). Added bonuses are the cool atmosphere, friendly staff, excellent coffee, and the proximity to the canal. On a nice day, I love to sit by the canal and read the newspaper w/ a cup of coffee from Baked & Wired.

Boca Raton; Boynton Beach

And Delray isn't more than a few minutes from Boca; lots more choices there. Been years since I've been, but Max's Grille in Boca used to be reliably good.

Definitely Boca Raton has more restaurant choices. Max's Grill is still good. I also highly recommend the Kee Grill--it's a fine restaurant (the lamb chops are excellent). For something more casual, my family and I have enjoyed Renzo's, a family-style Italian restaurant.

P.S. In Boynton Beach, I also recommend the Village Tavern.
http://www.villagetavern.com/locations.cfm

The salads and steaks were great, and the atmosphere was lively. Fun place to hang out at whethehr you're on your own or with a group.

The hand pours from Chinatown Coffee Co are consistently the best cup of coffee I've had in...well, maybe ever. The brewing process they use brings out much more flavor and nuance than I can usually taste in coffee. Yes, it's 3 bucks for an 11oz cup of coffee, but I really feel it's worth it.

I second your opinion about Chinatown Coffee Co. I also think they make a fantastic cappuccino. In the States the best coffee shop cappuccino I've had has been at Abraco in New York City. Chinatown Coffee Co's is a close second.

For atmosphere + good coffee, I like Politics and Prose's cafe.

I must confess,I ate several of these----http://ifyoubelieveclap.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/peep_medium.jpg

tonight.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have Kellari Taverna on my list of places to try, but will probably go there for dinner. Taberna del Alabardero might work, but not Kaz Sushi. Anyway, my client has proposed either Kinkead's or Bourbon Steak. I'm leaning towards Bourbon Steak as I'm not a bg fan of Kinkead's and have had good experiences at the Lounge at Bourbon Steak.

Where should I go for a business lunch near Farragut North or Farragut West? Am looking for suggestions for a not-too-noisy casual restaurant. Thanks.

Drew Brees and Who Dat Nation!

remember Gepetto's in Gtown? that was good pizza.

I do remember Gepetto's in both Georgetown and Bethesda. Very good pizza

A Recipe For Clearing The Streets

(redistribution into the atmosphere)

1) Cram 5 lbs of it up your bum

2) Sit on a Bunsen burner

3) Do your best imitation of a steam whistle

That would have been a good answer to a question that someone just asked Governor Martin O'Malley at a press conference about "where to shove and pile the snow"....

I'm not sure the Governor answered the question, but he did say that Maryland would be in a state of emergency for the forseeable future. When it will end? I have tons of food, heat, and power,but am suffering snow fatigue.

The Bayou, in Georgetown. Entrance off K St. underneath the overpasses.

Complete dive, tiny, terrible acoustics, dirty as all get out.

But saw some great great shows there in the late 80s/early 90s.

Daniel, you are so right. The Bayou was as dive-y as it gets, but at the same time, it was a great, intimate venue for concerts. I think I saw The Cars there, maybe the Psychedelic Furs there too. Those were the days!

Build a vodka-chilling igloo or whatever you call the place where you chill vodka (wahd-ka chiller)? That's probably what my Russian and Lithuanian vodka-loving ancestors did.

Stopped by Dean & DeLuca in Gtown late this afternoon and it wasn't too crowded. Apparently it was slammed in the a.m. Got some of my favorite goodies: chicken apricot salad, Proscuitto di Parma, Savanah Bee Co. honey, Kusmi Anastasia tea (black tea w/ lemon, bergamot, and orange blossom), and jumbo sea salt carmels. I also found some decent bread at the Dupont Marvelous Market (kalamata olive--as of 11 am there was no bread at the Gtown Marvelous Market). Went to the Van Ness Giant around 7, and lines were normal although many shelves were bare. Tried to make it to Calvert Woodley too, but apparently it closed early.

It really does look and feel like a Snowmaggedon, Snowpocalypse, and a Foodapolooza too.

My snowpocalypse preparations included a trip to Whole Foods. Among the goodies I bought and have already started eating: chili (really tasty, btw--a little spicy and quite filling), corn bread, black and green Cerignola olives, Asian eggplant (in the prepared food section), & fried chicken.

Despite the utter chaos and rushing around--lots of people crashing grocery carts and cranky kids--the line moved rather efficiently (I only had to wait 35 minutes compared to the wait times of 1-2 hours in the Van Ness Giant that friends and neighbors reported). I also saw lots of people taking pictures of and filming the lines. Snowpocalypse Now.

Going tonight for dinner for my wife's birthday. Anyone have any recommendations for someplace within walking distance for a casual/quite drink for afterwards that is NOT Brickskellar (I am DONE with that place)

I'm not sure how quiet it will be, but Urbana would be convenient and it's casual. Farther away and less casual is the Mayflower Hotel bar. Another option is Firefly. I find it low key and cozy. Guess it depends how much walking you want to do. Enjoy your evening.

I stopped by Chocolate Chocolate, the small shop owned by the Park sisters on Connecticut Ave Friday to get my Vosges fix--- a couple of Barcelona bars and some exotic caramels (Red Sea salt and bitter orange),and picked up some fresh chocolate-covered marshmallow squares and chocolate-covered pretzels.

And FYI, mention the Washingtonian anytime this month and get 15% off your purchase.

Baked and Wired is still the best. And they have bee stings.

I too am a Baked and Wired fan. Love their cupcakes and pie too.

As for Georgetown Cupcake, I may be in the minority, but tend to think it''s over rated. Maybe it's because I haven't enjoyed waiting in long lines for rather tiny cupcakes and just OK service. Or it could be that I didn't have a good impression of GC when it ran out of cupcakes at the Taste of Georgetown event last summer,which meant either wasting several hours in line at the shop later the same day or losing money spent on tickets for the cupcakes.

In any case, I prefer either Baked and Wired's cupcakes or Furin's old-fashioned, normal-sized cupcakes. No fuss, no wait, and no hype.

Maoz Vegetarian's falafel is great. I had the junior combination--half a falafel sandwich, Belgian frites, and a drink for $7.30 plus tax. Falafel was crispy and not greasy. IMHO, it's better than Amsterdam Falafel. The Belgian frites were also very good. It's true that they don't offer as many sauces as Amsterdam Falafel, but after living in Belgium, I'm used to eating my frites with mayonnaise. I also like eating falafel with simple dressings or accompaniments like tahini. All in all, I like Maoz and think it's a good lunch option for vegetarians and non-vegetarians (like me) alike. The only improvements I can think of would be more comfortable seating and a different view of passerbys on the street (Maoz is located in an English basement of a rowhouse practically next door to Camelot--a "gentleman's club").

Just finished a delicious salad of romaine, Korean shin-go pear, walnuts, raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Dessert is a couple of squares of a decadent Vosges Barcelona bar (hickory smoked almonds, sea salt, and deep milk chocolate)!

1) Two Amy's (love the margherita)

2) Pizzeria Paradiso (the Atomica!)

3) Vace

I've yet to try Red Rocks' or Radius' pizza, but hope to do so soon.

And I know it's not in DC, but in NYC, I love Luzzo's for real Neapolitan-style pizza.

Congratulations, Eric! With any luck your kid will sleep through all your great dining experiences.