squidsdc Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Yikes! I just found out that my niece, who spent the last year in Italy and turned 21 last month, is available for dinner tomorrow night. We wanted to take her out to dinner and to celebrate with a drink before she leaves to go back to college in MN August 1st. Here's the scoop. She used to be a plain jane when it came to eating out--chicken fingers, and such. Italy and traveling in Europe has done wonders for her, though, as she now cooks for herself and from what I hear, eats a lot more variety than before. She also has tried wine and beer, and said she prefers over wine the microbrews and belgian beers that she had in Europe. On the one hand I'm thinking Et Voila. But I also was thinking BIrch & Barley. I haven't been to either place myself, and don't know what else is out there that I'm missing. We'd prefer to avoid huge crowds (like Oyster Palace) and I didn't know if there were any other places, such as in the U Street corridor, that I'm missing. Hard to get the uber happening place without huge crowds, I know. Anyway, I appreciate any and all suggestions. TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweaked Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Brasserie Beck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBooneJr Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 It's been a while since I've actually eaten at Brasserie Beck, but I'd bet it would do nicely. [ETA: Great minds think alike.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidsdc Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 I wondered about Brasserie Beck, because there hasn't been a posting in a long while (not since Thor left.) While the menu is more extensive than Et Voila, it's also pricier. Has anyone been there recently, and if so, does the cost merit the food over Et Voila? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Granville Moore's, which may be less hectic on a weeknight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidsdc Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 Thanks for the info so far...just to clarify, it doesn't need to be a Belgian restaurant, just that she enjoyed having good beer! I'm thinking District Commons may also be a possibility with their huge beer list. I don't know much about the food offerings, however. There's a history with mussels and me recommending restaurants and not in a good way--I suggested a family dinner for my Mom's bday at Le Mannequin Pis about 15 yrs ago, since my Mom loves mussels. Well, sister has never let me forget that there was nothing on the menu for "kids" and sister felt she and daughter were not treated well....and it has been a black cloud held over my head ever since, and not just when I'm recommending restaurants. So why has everyone continued to go to me for recommendations?! And that's why I would want a restaurant with more of a focus than mussels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodeats Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Bibiana comes to mind but only since she just came back from Italy. BB has gone downhill--the last two times, though six months ago, were so salty that I wish I only had beer and not food. B&B is nice for beer and quiet downstairs, but I don't know why I'm not keen on their cooking. Proof always has a nice wine list as does Cork--can't go wrong with the cooking there. I've also been hearing good things about Art & Soul again and the new Hank's Oyster opens tonight on Cap Hill. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Birra Paradiso? Pizza Paradiso? Good beer lists, though the pizza there may not live up to pizza she had in Italy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidsdc Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share Posted July 25, 2012 Actually when we passed by Pizza Paradiso I mentioned it to her, and she told me the last time she was downtown she had it with her friends and loved it. But that would've been too casual for our celebration. Anyway, I offered her the choice of European or American, both with good beer lists. I was concerned that European would not live up to her expectations, but she looked at the menus and chose Et Voila. I'll post more in the thread tonight about the food specifics, but everyone really enjoyed their meals. Dinner for 4 with drinks was about $200, Since I pre-contact all restaurants for my allergies, I have a built in gauge and both the FOH and BOH were fantastic...I can't wait to go back to try more of the menu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zgast Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 Reviving this topic. Looking for recommendations for a fun restaurant that might make for a good 21st birthday dinner for my daughter. Looking to spend $50-100 per person for 2-4 people. Food should be good, but the lively scene is where my knowledge falls apart as these are the places I generally don't go out of my way to frequent. Would be great if they had a cocktail menu or interesting drinks as well. Would Nina May fit the bill here? Any other new places I should consider? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Slater Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 7 minutes ago, zgast said: Reviving this topic. Looking for recommendations for a fun restaurant that might make for a good 21st birthday dinner for my daughter. Looking to spend $50-100 per person for 2-4 people. Food should be good, but the lively scene is where my knowledge falls apart as these are the places I generally don't go out of my way to frequent. Would be great if they had a cocktail menu or interesting drinks as well. Would Nina May fit the bill here? Any other new places I should consider? Thanks! Happy Hour at Joe's Seafood Prime Steaks and Stone Crab starts at 2:30. If you sit in their awesome bar area, you can pig out on King Crab, raw bar and all the other goodies they have. Reduced price wine and cocktails, also. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhone1998 Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 13 hours ago, zgast said: Reviving this topic. Looking for recommendations for a fun restaurant that might make for a good 21st birthday dinner for my daughter. Looking to spend $50-100 per person for 2-4 people. Food should be good, but the lively scene is where my knowledge falls apart as these are the places I generally don't go out of my way to frequent. Would be great if they had a cocktail menu or interesting drinks as well. Would Nina May fit the bill here? Any other new places I should consider? Thanks! Le Diplomate? Definitely fun and lively, with consistently decent food (pre-pandemic at least). They also have a variety of different seating options depending on your party's preferences. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 I like Nina May but not THAT special. Some place on the water? Jackie? Albi? Compass Rose? Maydan? Tails Up Goat? I like the atmosphere of Le Dip but Convivial has better food. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zgast Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 A ton of great suggestions thanks all! I'm leaning towards Le Diplomate or Convivial right now (she's a great restaurant attender, but tastes don't tend to be too exotic). We'll save the fancier places for when we get to come back and celebrate with her. Joe's Seafood sounds interesting for happy hour (is it really run by the same people as Summer House & Mon Ami Gabi?), but she'll need to do later in the day to accommodate a couple adult attendees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 Zaytinya would be good, too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidsdc Posted May 18, 2021 Author Share Posted May 18, 2021 On 5/17/2021 at 7:22 AM, zgast said: Reviving this topic. Looking for recommendations for a fun restaurant that might make for a good 21st birthday dinner for my daughter. Looking to spend $50-100 per person for 2-4 people. Food should be good, but the lively scene is where my knowledge falls apart as these are the places I generally don't go out of my way to frequent. Would be great if they had a cocktail menu or interesting drinks as well. Would Nina May fit the bill here? Any other new places I should consider? Thanks! Wow, my niece who was the subject of this original post is turning 30 this year! 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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