DMVDining2

We went for dinner at The Room at McGinty's last week and basically asked ourselves "what is this place doing in an Irish pub?!" because chef Nico Amroune is doing some amazing things in the kitchen. The spring lamb Provení§al was the highlight of the meal: perfectly-cooked, medium-rare lamb with a terrific herb crust. The prices are reasonable given the high-quality of ingredients and generous portions. Feel like it's a hidden gem tucked amongst an ever-growing dining scene in downtown Silver Spring. Great addition to the scene. 

More on the blog: The Room at McGinty's: Fine Dining within an Irish Pub

So my wife surprised me with dinner reservations for my birthday at Crane & Turtle a few weeks ago, and I have to second the sentiments others have said already. It was my favorite meal of 2015 thus far and exhibits the same charm as Rose's - a lot of that has to do with Elizabeth Parker joining the staff, who coincidentally enough used to work at Rose's.

The tuna tataki and Scezuan-style duck were outstanding. I'd love to come back just for the outdoor patio menu, which is basically all their crudos and appetizers.

Another plus: no lines (this was on a Tuesday) AND they take reservations - we have a 2.5 year old and need to coordinate a sitter for date nights so Crane & Turtle was ideal for a night out.

More on the blog: http://www.dmvdining.com/2015/05/a-birthday-dinner-at-crane-and-turtle/

Well that's a bummer, they had a terrific craft beer list, especially for Bethesda. 

The wife surprised me with dinner at Roberto's 8 for my birthday and let me say, this was one of the best dinners we've ever had in DC - right up there with Marcel's and Komi. We never had the opportunity to experience Laboratorio del Galileo, but we were blown away not only by the dishes themselves, but also the gorgeous presentation and terrific pricing. It really is the best value in town when it comes to tasting menus. Our favorite course was the cream of corn with soft shell crab - it was simply transcendent.

More on the blog.

Is Vernon supplying to any other markets in the area? Miss him dearly at the Bethesda Central Farmers Market.

I thought the Beef Drunken Noodles ($12.00) I ordered from the Intentional Wok stand (on the first base side of the 200 level) was very good. It's served in a "traditional" white cardboad Chinese takeout-style container with chopsticks. The portion was large, although the staff were in "deer in the headlights-first day on the job" mode, so were probably not paying too much attention to portion control. The dish contained large chunks of passably tender beef, noodles of a decent texture, and sauce which was not gloppy. It was quite hot, due in part to the garnish of fresh jalapeno slices. I think the Hard Times Chili Mac at $9.75 is still the best overall food value at Nats Park, but the Beef Drunken Noodles have assumed the position of the tastiest thing I've had in that ballpark.  

Funny you should mention this. I too got the Beef Drunken Noodles on Opening Day. Maybe they still have to work the kinks out, but I can't see this kiosk succeeding considering almost every dish was made-to-order resulting in a very slow moving queue. You need to mass prepare this type of food if you're serving in a baseball stadium, plain and simple. Secondly, not only did they run out of chopsticks, but they didn't have any forks as backup! So after spending nearly half an hour waiting for noodles, I then had to walk around the concourse to find a fork. I couldn't find any after searching the four closest spots until I came across Box Frites, where they offered me a wooden utensil that's meant for stabbing fries. Needless to say, it was quite the challenge eating noodles with what was basically a wooden stick. The noodles themselves were pretty good, but the experience ordering/waiting for them while trying to find A SINGLE FORK was rather painful.

We went a few weeks ago and was generally satisfied with our meal. The pacing of the dishes, however, was not ideal. We had our cheese and salumi delivered to the table first, but maybe five minutes later, the rest of our dishes came out nearly at once. It was then a mad dash to try and eat them before they got cold. It also took forever to flag down our waiter after we had ordered dessert. Obviously they still have a few kinks to work out but overall it's a very promising spot for downtown Silver Spring. Who would have thought that a place that specializes in meats has a great tuna ceviche?

More here.

Love love love the place. Their chocolate torts are heavenly while the baguettes are some of the best. It's a gem in Bethesda and I hope they thrive despite the so-so location.

Just went here for our anniversary last Saturday. I can't believe this was the first time we have been to Marcel's after all these years. Just an outstanding restaurant with some exquisite cooking by Chef Wiedmaier. The Boudin Blanc is easily one of the top dishes of the District, but I also equally enjoyed the Border Springs lamb chops. And then there was the Foie Gras Torchon - good heavens was that divine. Not to mention the duck breast with BRANDIED CHERRIES!

The service was just as good as the food and makes the overall experience that much more memorable. One of the best dinners we have had in DC bar none. More on our meal here: http://www.dmvdining.com/2014/03/an-anniversary-dinner-at-marcels/

Really enjoyed our meal there. The dishes run a little small but the pricing is very reasonable. It's like a casual Al Dente with a Piedmont twist. Highly recommend the Fegatini e Porcini just for the creamy polenta alone. The agnolotti al brasato was outstanding as was the gnocchi verdi. It's funny, we didn't even get a chance to try any of the pizzas because of all the other dishes we ordered - that's how big the menu is. The Polenta Blanca was one of the best desserts I've had recently. A little twist on creme brulee that was accompanied with some ridiculously tasty chocolate gelato. Great to have Chef Brandwein back in the kitchen, too!

More here - Alba Osteria and Amy Brandwein are a Perfect Match

Let me preface by saying that's it's SO refreshing to dine at a restaurant that not only is devoid of small plates, but is actually affordable to boot AND serves up some great fare. Now that we have a little one, our days of going to special occasion places like Minibar or Restaurant Eve are numbered, but we could not have picked a better venue to celebrate my wife's birthday than at Red Hen.

First of all, the atmosphere is great. Very unpretentious with a nice, open layout. The grilled octopus could not have been better, while the autumn squash soup warmed us right up.

The Creste de Gallo was excellent - loved the braised duck and wild mushrooms. Having been to Casa Luca just a few weeks prior, this dish was just as good if not better, while also being a slightly larger portion AND less expensive. So basically you're getting an entree-sized portion of pasta for $17. That, my friends, is very reasonable.

Just as good was the chicken. I agree with darkstar965's comparison of Palena's bird. It's right up there with Ruta's preparation.

I really, really liked the Brussels sprouts. They had just the right amount of crispness, but it was the yogurt sauce that made it stand out.

Service was definitely slow at times - it seemed like they had a limited number of waitstaff, but nothing that warrants criticism. Anyway, I wish this place was closer as I would definitely dine here a lot given the great food and affordable pricing. You can read more over on our blog:

A Birthday Dinner at The Red Hen

Maybe it's just me, but I felt the prices at Casa Luca were rather expensive given the portions, most notably the pasta. I thought the food was excellent, but Casa Luca shouldn't be branded as an inexpensive option to Fiola. The majority of the pastas start at $22 - that is still a lot of money in my eyes. Meanwhile we had dinner at Red Hen last weekend and their most expensive pasta was $17, plus was large enough to be an entree.

You can read more about our meal here: http://www.dmvdining.com/2013/11/casual-elegance-at-casa-luca/

Surprising my wife here for her birthday next weekend. Can't wait based on all the glowing reviews!

We went on Saturday night, and was able to get a table upstairs without a wait! We immediately fell in love with the place not only because of the cozy, unpretentious atmosphere, but also because each and every dish was great if not stellar. That popcorn soup was delicious and creative while both pasta dishes (Cacio e Pepe and the strawberry pasta) were fantastic. Oh, and the brisket was insanely tender - a knife was not necessary.

I'm just astonished how flawless everything was given that it only opened less than a month ago. They had everything down like clockwork - very knowledgeable, personable waitstaff, timing of dishes out of the kitchen, etc. This place is a true gem in the District. I wrote about it more on our blog if you want to check it out.

http://www.dmvdining.com/2013/10/roses-luxury-is-an-instant-classic/

Well that's a bummer. Here's hoping they keep using their turkey burger recipe because it's really, really good.

Yep, we went this past weekend during their preview event. It's so refreshing that this area will finally have a legit Jewish-style deli with major lasting power. The extra lean corned beef on rye was outstanding - generous slices of tender, flavorful corned beef sandwiched by soft rye bread and a slab of deli mustard. The pastrami was very good as well, but it's the corned beef that really stands out here.

I have a feeling this place will make a killing in catering alone. Kind of annoying it's not fully kosher, but there are still a ton of options nonetheless. If you want to check out some pics and such, we just did a post on it here:

Attman’s Delicatessen Opens in Potomac

Dinner last night was transcending. It's been years since we last went to Corduroy, and I'm kicking myself for not dining here sooner. My compliments to Chef Power on not only offering a fabulous deal, but on a very memorable dinner. I told our excellent waiter that my wife could not have anything raw due to her pregnancy, and they were gladly able to accommodate our request.

We started with the eggplant soup, then a beautifully cooked piece of salmon with corn relish, guinea hen with savoy cabbage, Wagyu beef with garlic mashed potatoes, and then antelope with scalloped potatoes. For dessert, we had a sorbet trio as well as a chocolate tort with caramelized banana and caramel ice cream. The tort was far and away one of the best desserts we have ever come across - it was simply outstanding.

There are no words to describe how incredible our dinner was. We'll have a full post about it soon, but Corduroy is undeniably one of the best restaurants in the District. I seriously cannot believe we haven't been since they moved near the Convention Center. We were already talking about coming back and doing the bar special.

And right when we were leaving, I ran into Ferhat! I told him I'll probably him see later this week since I visit Fishnet at least once every two weeks. All and all, we're so glad we took advantage of this deal.

Thanks for the help everyone. We secured the upstairs lounge of Hank's Oyster Bar in Dupont for Tuesday, August 28 starting at 5:30, so you're more than welcome to come by. We kindly ask for a donation of $10 at the door, though you are welcome to contribute more at your discretion. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

OK, looks like we have our plans set for tonight. This sounds like too good of a deal to pass up, plus we still haven't been to the "new" location. I still remember falling in love with the lamb with goat cheese ravioli on our last visit.

So Rachel and I are looking for a bar/restaurant to host a fundraiser for one of our friends. It’s very upsetting – our friend, 34 years old and has always been healthy up until now, started having seizures out of the blue. He was transported to GW Hospital, but unfortunately they could not get the seizures to stop nor find the cause as to why they were happening. They ran multiple CAT scans, spinal taps, etc. He was put into a medically induced coma to protect his brain.

He was then helivaced to Johns Hopkins due to their expertise in neurology. Unfortunately, they too have been able to stop the seizures and he’s been in the Critical Care Unit for over two weeks. It’s been in a holding pattern since.

Meanwhile, his family has been traveling from Pennsylvania, Florida, and Vermont and staying in Baltimore. The costs of travel and lodging have been astronomical, not to mention the cost of care at Hopkins.

We’re looking for a suitable venue to host a happy hour in order to raise funds for his family since we honestly do not know how long he will be in the hospital for.

If you have any suggestions, please let us know.

Do you have a preferred neighborhood or style, and how many people are you talking about? Private room or semi-private?

I'd say roughly 30 people, private room preferable. In regards to the neighborhood, looking for something that's Metro accessible in DC or MD.

Jackie - thanks for the tip!

Bumping this topic - does anyone have any recommendations on a venue for a baby shower brunch? Looking to keep it under $30/person. Let me know, thanks!

Checked it out last week. Nothing to really write home about, but then again, we only ordered burgers and crab cake sandwiches. Interior was very nice. Feel like the menu is all over the place, but could be a nice happy hour spot.

More here: http://www.dmvdining.com/2012/05/the-majestic-bar-and-grille/

Finally checked out Tavira a few weeks ago after living near it for way too long. Really nice place, though I should have gone with something a tad more authentic than veal marsala. My wife's beef medallions, however, were excellent. The live band was also very good. More here:

http://www.dmvdining.com/2012/04/a-taste-of-portugal-at-tavira/

We compiled a thorough list of restaurants in the area that are offering Passover menu options. Please let us know if we missed anything, thanks!

http://www.dmvdining.com/2012/04/the-dmv-dining-guide-to-passover-2012-edition/