MBK

So I'm watching tv tonight and I see a couple eating slices of pizza in New York -- makes me wonder, is there any good New York style pizza in DC? I enjoy Paradiso and 2 Amys for what they are, and even Alberto's ... but am craving a New York style slice. Can I get one in DC, or do I need to hop a train to Brooklyn?

Cupcakes (and cookies, and anything really!) at Baked and Wired -- on Thomas Jefferson Street in Georgetown.

Does anyone have any "can't miss" items on the menu at Sonoma these days? I'm going for my first time tonight, and want to be sure to order correctly. Going with two dining companions, one a vegetarian, the other (like me) an omnivore.

Is Palena's bar open on Mondays? And if not, what's a good comfort food place that is?

Has anyone else tried Delhi Club yet? I went there with my cousin last night, and it was really nice! We had the Bhindi Masala, which is okra sauteed with onion, tomato and spices, and the Dal Makhani, which is black lentils simmered in butter, tomato, and spices. They were both delicious, but I especially enjoyed the okra, which I have rarely but always love. We also had the Pudina Paratha, which was a layered wheat bread with fresh mint, which was excellent. Service was good, if a little hurried, and the place was packed. We got out of there for just about $22 total, but neither of us chose to have anything to drink. All in all, a tasty and inexpensive Indian restaurant worth stopping into when shopping in Clarendon!

West Hartford We ended up not eating out while we were there... my friends and I cooked at their house. We did do take-out sushi from a place in West Hartford that was really not bad, surprisingly. (I don't remember the name, unfortunately.) But the last time I was there, a couple of years ago, I ate at Red Plate, downtown. It was fine. Nothing special, but they had decent pizzas and good beer on tap.

Okay, so I know that Hartford is *not* a dining mecca, but I'm spending the weekend up there and am trying to find some decent options in the area. Anyone have any suggestions?

Funny. We went to BdC on a "date" 3 1/2 years ago... I was kind of in a relationship already (things were somewhat unclear), so we never had a second date after that, but became friends. One or the other of us was in a relationship for the past 3 years or so, but we've both been single for a few months now, so are giving it another go. But because we've already done BdC (and because I live literally around the corner from BdC so there would be no opportunity for a nice walk home!) I think we'll pick one of the other great suggestions...

My comments on my dinner at Palena last night probably won't add at all to what's already here, but ... I can't believe I've lived in Dupont Circle for 3 1/2 years and this was my first trip to Palena. I never knew what I was missing! It was a perfect place for my friend and I to catch up -- we loved sitting at one of the booths for two. And our server was completely understanding when she came by to see if we were ready to order, and the table was covered with baby pictures (my friend's one-year-old who I haven't met yet) and all we were ready to do was order a drink! I had a glass of the Jessie's Grove Zinfandel, which so many people have raved about on this site. Fantastic. And my friend had a Shirley Temple (which she ordered just after telling me she's pregnant again!!) -- the presentation of which was great! There were real cherries in the glass, and my friend said it was delicious! We started off with a plate of the fries. I've read the "soggy" complaints, and all I have to say is, these were delicious. I found nothing to complain about at all, from the fries, to the onion rings, to the potato puffs (?), to the delicious aioli (right?) accompanying the dish. Neither my friend nor I was really excited by the lemon slices, but then again, neither of us really likes lemon. She had the roast chicken, which she allowed me to taste -- and oh my god. I may never order anything else again. So juicy and delicious. I had the gnocchi, which were also very good, but I think I had chicken envy for much of the evening And we finished the evening with the warm apple tart (her) and the brulee of maize (me). I didn't even get to try a bite of the apple tart, so I'm guessing it was fabulous. The corn dessert was excellent -- precisely as it was described by a poster above, so I won't try to say more. I'll be back, probably next week. This is going to be murder on my bank account....

Thanks, all. We went to Palena and had a fantastic meal, which I'll write about later on the Palena thread. Suffice to say, I'm not sure why I haven't been to the cafe there many many times. I'll be back often!

True. The food is just an added bonus... but I figure since I hold myself out as someone who knows food, I should suggest something good! And I am pretty interested in this guy... hard to tell after one date, but I think there's real potential...

I should point out that carnival treats is not a must-have, it would just be a cute reference to date one. We also shared a dark chocolate souffle cake, so we enjoy good desserts too!

I *knew* someone would ask that question! No, no "carnival treats" -- it was only DATE ONE! But Palette brings out cotton candy with the check, and that was the only carnival treat to which I was referring!

Went on a first date to Palette last night. Went extremely well and I'm now tasked with choosing a second date restaurant. According to him, he expects good food, good wine, and carnival treats for dessert, much like date one. He's a steak/American/Italian eater. I'm generally much more of an ethnic foods eater. Palette worked well because he had steak, I had an Asian-inspired tuna dish. Any other places that might similarly please both of us? I want to hold off on Indian or sushi til date three, at least... I'd also like to find nice atmosphere and potentially within walking distance of Dupont, as the real flirting of last night's date came on the walk home, so I want to ensure that there's another walk home!!

It's true. I was expecting (incorrectly) them to be more like Chinese spring rolls, than Filipino. They were tasty, just heavy.

Acadiana is fast becoming one of my favorite restaurants in town. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I'm from Louisiana, so find a certain level of comfort in the cooking, the style, the flavors... I had a RW lunch there yesterday, and was generally pleased. I ate at the bar, which only reminded me how sad it was that it was lunchtime, and I had to go back to work, so I couldn't have one of their phenomenal bloody marys. The bartender at Acadiana makes a bloody mary the way they're made in New Orleanas -- SPICY. If I could convince my friends to go there regularly, I'd be having them far too often. Perhaps it's for the best that it's somewhat out of the way... I started with the Oyster Rockefeller soup, which is my favorite of the three soups on the menu. Acadiana's gumbo, while tasty, is not quite as good as gumbos I love from home. And I've never been a huge turtle soup fan, so while Acadiana's is spot-on, it just doesn't always float my boat. The Oyster Rockefeller soup, however, is a luscious blend of creamy cheese, salty oysters, and spinach, and makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Yum. Then I had the shrimp and grits. I was slightly disappointed -- it was good, but it wasn't anything like traditional shrimp and grits. (For that, head to Colorado Kitchen for breakfast.) The grits were actually a grits cake, kind of like a corn souffle. Very good, but not what I was expecting. And the sauce that covered the shrimp and grits was a little too heavy on the tasso for my taste. Having said all of that, I've had the grits and grillades for dinner there now twice, and can't get over how good they are. In that dish, the grits are prepared traditionally (and WELL!!), the grillades of veal are tender, and the sauce is subtle, allowing all of the flavors to come through. And the po-boys I saw being served to the folks down the bar from me looked delicious. The Zapps potato chips that accompanied the sandwiches made me smile and think of home. For dessert, I had the chocolate bread pudding with bananas on top -- fantastic. Kind of like a "chocolate meets bananas foster" dessert -- two of my favorite flavors in one dish. Heaven. I had a cup of coffee (since I was already feeling the effects of a big meal at lunchtime and had to be somewhat alert back at work...) and was excited to taste that it was Community Coffee -- the only kind you drink back home in Louisiana. A perfect ending to a lovely lunch.

I had a RW lunch at Corduroy the other day, and it was a wonderful experience. I ate alone, and the maitre d was extremely kind, and stopped by my table a few times during the meal to chat, and make sure I was doing okay. I generally dislike eating alone (but not enough to miss out on RW dining!), so it was a nice and much-appreciated touch on the part of the kind maitre d. I started with the spring rolls, which I thought were a little too heavy on the pork sausage. I had hoped they would be a slightly lighter dish, and they were most certainly not. However, the flavors were excellent, and the dipping sauce a perfect complement. I then had the salmon with fingerling potatoes and mushrooms. It was delicious, although I was surprised by the slight tanginess (mustard?) of the dressing on the salad, potatoes, and mushrooms. It may have been described on the menu and I just overlooked it -- either way, it wasn't precisely to my taste, because I thought it slightly overpowered the flavors of the main ingredients, but it was still tasty. And my dessert was one of the best desserts I have had in a long time. I can't say enough about the dark chocolate tart with caramelized bananas. It was decadent, and I would go back for more of that alone. Fabulous.

I dined at Palette last night, and I was very disappointed with the Restaurant Week offerings. There were only a few items offered at the Restaurant Week prices, and since none of them caught our fancy, my date and I dined off of the regular menu. What we ate was lovely, but I am always disappointed with restaurants that don't offer a significant portion of their menu for the Restaurant Week promotion. I guess I'm spoiled by places that do, like Acadiana. A brief report on our dinner... I started with a sweet potato bisque, that was quite nice, and had a tuna entree that had some very interesting Asian flavors which I really enjoyed. The tuna was cooked perfectly -- I asked for a rare preparation, and it came out exactly as I would have prepared it at home. The spring roll served with the tuna was somewhat sweet, almost as if it was made using doughnut batter, and I didn't enjoy that. My date had a spinach and goat cheese salad, that he enjoyed, and the flatiron steak. He didn't say much about it, but there was none left on the plate, so I'm assuming it was good! For dessert, we shared a chocolate souffle cake that was served with peanut butter ice cream. It was nice, although did not hold a candle to the dark chocolate tart with caramelized bananas that I had earlier in the week at Corduroy. Or, for that matter, the chocolate bread pudding with bananas that I had at Acadiana. I am noting a trend in flavors I enjoy together...

My best friend from childhood just told me she's coming to town tomorrow, and I'm trying to make a reservation for dinner. Someplace yummy, but not too fancy (we're both hoping to wear nice jeans). Of course, many places are all reserved with Restaurant Week. Anyone have any suggestions? It looks like I can get a reservation at 15 ria, drinx, Sonoma, or Viridian. (I will already have been to Corduroy, Indique, Acadiana, Palette, and Kaz this week -- so would like to try someplace else.) An added wrinkle is, she and I have a lot to catch up on, and I'd like to pick a place that is mellow enough for us to really sit and enjoy a great meal and talk. Any help would be much appreciated!!

Darn, Belga Cafe is closed til tomorrow.

I've got an hour or two to kill around Eastern Market -- looking for someplace to grab an appetizer and a drink, and perhaps even read for a bit. Any suggestions?

I was just in New Orleans earlier this week. The devastation is overwhelming. Block after block of gutted out homes. And even in the areas that were not terribly damaged by the storm -- the city is a ghost town. Not many businesses are open, and the streets are dark and empty. It is upsetting, and I can only hope that the New Year brings hope and renewal to that wonderful city. While there, I did have a wonderful dinner at one of the restaurants back in business, Cuvee, in the CBD. My hope was that putting money into the economy, in any way, has to be a good thing. And the side effect of that was a phenomenal dinner. If anyone is in NOLA and is looking for a treat, check it out.

Does anyone have any dining recommendations in or around Charlotte, NC? My parents are moving there next month, and I'd like to recommend some places for them (as well as come up with some places to try when I visit!) Thanks.

Thanks all -- I just made our reservation for the Tasting Room in a few weeks. I can't wait! Unfortunately, we couldn't get a Saturday reservation so will have to settle for Friday (we generally like to go out on Saturdays so we are well-rested from the week), but I'm sure it'll be a wonderful experience regardless!

Taking my boyfriend to Eve for his birthday in a few weeks -- I'm leaning toward the Tasting Menu, but what I've read of the Bistro menu sounds amazing as well. Which would you pick? Thanks.