Carrie Solomon

My husband and I have been to The Hamilton music venue twice in the past two weeks and I agree that it is a beautiful venue with excellent seating and sight lines. As stated by others, the menu is not the same as the restaurant menu, mostly sandwiches and finger food. So far, the pizzas seem to be the best of the lot and are quite good. All in all, a very enjoyable experience if you are into the music scene and don't expect too much in the way of food. We plan to return for as many concerts as possible!

Olazzo in Silver Spring: 1/2 price on bottles of wine on Mondays

My husband and I took advantage of the generous DR discount offered by Roberto to celebrate our wedding anniversary at Galileo III on Saturday. We originally had reservations at Proof, a restaurant we have wanted to try and were never able to make reservations early enough for the date and time we wanted. We cancelled them in favor of Galileo, so I was feeling a little under pressure for Galileo to live up to high expectations. Everything clicked right for us on Saturday, from the warm and gracious welcome to the wonderful food. A few highlights from the meal include: Carne Cruda: Light and bright with flavor Taglierini: Agree with all previous comments that this is a superb pasta dish Filetto di Vitello : We opted for the $30 extra of fresh sliced white truffles from Alba on this dish. Well worth the extra cost if you are a truffle lover (we are!). Stuffed Calamari and Lobster: The lobster was very good and perfectly cooked, but the cabbage stuffed calamari is what really makes this dish sing. It is the essence of great Italian cooking: simple ingredients treated with respect and surprisingly delicious. Overall, a memorable meal. Plus, wife Nancy was delightful and had the most awesome boots on. I would go back just to see her again, but thankfully the food will bring us back, too. Thank you, Chef Donna, for a very special evening!

Cuba de Ayer in Burtonsville has a very good Cubano sandwich. I don't know if it's the Cubano of your dreams, but a very good and authentic version as is most of their food.

We, too, were disappointed that so many chain restaurants populated downtown Silver Spring. My husband and I have eaten at Adega's at least once a month since they opened. Adega is a breath of fresh air with innovative sandwiches and decent wine pours at a reasonable price for a quick dinner. For all you meat lovers, try the Cabernet burger and steak sub, they're both excellent. Wines by the bottle are half price on Mondays and you can take any leftovers home with you.