Potenza (15th and H)

The occasion: a power lunch with Jackie and Doug to network, discuss our current project and reminisce about working together 5 years ago. We needed a downtown restaurant and settled on Potenza at 15th and H. While the restaurant has been on my periphery since it opened in March, Italian (while fantastic) is not something I typically seek out. I've been to Italy and most Italian restaurants are either the checkered table cloth, overly cheesy pasta mom and pop places or the trendy, over-priced places like iRicchi. Potenza, though, reminded me of sitting in a small cafe table clinging to the edge of the seaside hill in Positano savoring every bite, where the atmosphere only added to the flavor of the meal. Italian, to me is about fresh ingredients and seafood. If pasta is there, wonderful. It isn't necessarily about 1000 degree triple baked manicotti covered in Parmesan crumbs like those mom and pop places. Here, I chose the gnocchi in a lemon pesto with shrimp and toasted walnuts. Most places cannot compare to my grandmother's gnocchi (whose recipe came with her on the boat in 1930 from Puglia just over the heel). And most pesto cannot compare to my friend Andrew's who chops down his basil annually and freezes blocks of it like pellets for later use. But the lemon and grilled-perfect shrimp with the fresh and light dumplings made for a perfect lunch. Jackie had a soup and the calamari. Doug had spaghetti and meatballs. We all each had dessert too. I went for the Cannoli to see how it compared with grandma's. They were crisp cinnamon and cocoa laced shells stuffed with ricotta, citron and chocolate chip filling. Grandma has some serious competition. The bakery bordering the H street entrance supplied us with the obligatory bread basket, but there was nothing routine about these treats. A salty breadstick and a light bread-cake with a nutty olive oil took the hunger pangs away as we waited for our lamb meatball appetizer. The meatballs had a sauce with a kick. Rural Italian is how I'd describe the overall menu with the obvious effort by executive chef Bryan Moscatello to find perfectly fresh ingredients. Jackie and I admired the decor but couldn't quite describe it with a single description. The wooden ceiling was transitional modern, but the distressed mirrors, the country spindle chairs (alluding to the menu) and the richly framed photos of La Dolce Vita era movie stars confused the decor. Confuse isn't the right word though. The restaurant is comfortable and beautiful. Our table was in the light-filled area facing 15th street and the American Bar Association. The center of the restaurant is a bit darker and probably pleasantly intimate for an evening date. Their only noticeable quark was the service, and it is less of a complaint than a double mint double take on our Nebraska-esq, twilight zone-strange server. While she wasn't johnny on the spot with the grated parmesan, I have no complaint with her actual service. Overall, a great place for lunch. I might be annoyed by that particular server during a romantic dinner, but certainly a worthy place for a power meal.

Rosa Mexicano (Chinatown)

With an event at the Harmon Center on a Tuesday night, I chose Rosa Mexicano on the other end of the block in Chinatown for its convenience, not its guacamole that everybody brags about. Having never been there, I decided it was time to give in. You see, I have an automatic gag reflex for any restaurant that is a chain and with Rosa's expansion to National Harbor, two locations in the D.C. metro area added to their 7 others around the nation reduced their status in my mind from that of upscale chains who get a pass for their ability to deliver gourmet to something just north of Applebees status. This fact, added to the idea of paying $25 for a chalupa when I can get out of a night at Guapos for under $15 (unless I go crazy with some 'ritas) -- I have therefore purposely avoided Rosa Mexicano until now. This particular Tuesday night brought with it the pungent stench and the street blockage of a horse show at the Verizon Center directly across the street from Rosa's front door. Thankfully, the horse tents in the street had sides this year, avoiding what was certainly an unfortunate dining experience with horse-ass waiving in your face as the Janeane Garafalo look alike matron explained occurred the year previous with the horse show. There is something unappetizing about eating a "burro-ito" with such a view. Perhaps this is leftover stigma associated from the donkey show in Laredo to which I was once subjected (ah-hem, Chris Randall). As an aside, WTF with a horse show in downtown DC? Are there not more appropriate venues for such an event? Go bother the other Rosa at National Harbor where you don't have to block traffic with your massive trailers and tents. So... with the buzz of the bar as I entered, I somewhat expected Rosa to live up to its reputation as a trendy eatery, but I've clearly come long after this place's prime. I don't think it was just the shitty table we had right in front of the door. The service was mediocre. From the lack of water, to the pushy insistence throughout the evening to order immediately or take our plates while we were clearly still eating, I do not appreciate a restaurant whose goal it is to turn the table instead of satisfy the customer. Now lets talk about the food. The more creative dishes, I will admit, were things I certainly give executive chef James Muir who hails from Buenos Aires some props. The "fusion encrusted and infused" (I know, that term is so two-thousand and late) category of food had two things I really wanted to try: The Pato en Salsa de Zarzamoras (Duck with Blackberry Sauce) is a roasted duck breast served over mashed chile de arbol sweet potatoes, grilled asparagus and blackberry chipotle sauce. The other enticing dish was the Costillas de Cordero (Rack of Lamb), which is a roasted New Zealand rack of lamb, black bean pumpkin tamale, grilled asparagus and pistachio mole. Now, if you know me well enough, you know what my hesitation was. Asparagus? It was with every damn dish there! I don't mind it once in a while. It isn't on my "blechk" food list. But could I please have some variety? I'd have chosen either of these dishes if I had the choice of no asparagus. So... I ended up deciding to compare this restaurant directly with Lauriol Plaza, which has the local appeal for Mexican and doesn't try to be the spectacular restaurant that it is. There, I almost unequivocally get the crab enchiladas, which half the time I have to order off menu. So... as in Forget Paris with Billy Crystal always ordering the veal parmesan... I went with Rosa's version of crab enchiladas, or as they call them, Jaiba. It was two soft corn tortillas filled with jumbo lump crabmeat topped with a creamy tomatillo sauce, melted chihuahua cheese and pumpkin seeds. The waiter assured me the 3 chili peppers next to this dish on the menu were a farce, so for somebody who isn't a fan of the super spicy -- I reluctantly trusted a Mexican's opinion of the heat in this dish. Crazy, I know. Most of the Mexicans I know can eat a hot pepper like its a pickle. The dish was adequate. I don't understand the pumpkin seeds -- they added nothing to the dish, but the tomatillo sauce was some of the best I've ever had. And indeed, while spicier than I'd have preferred, this dish does not rate 3 chilies. Perhaps I am comparing it too much to Thai ratings of spicy. Before dinner, we did order the mild Guacamole en Molcojete. I have no idea what that means, but they make it at your table and it is pretty tasty. My mother's is better though. She adds more lime. I also like the make-it-at-your-table Guac at Cafe Atlantico better. Rosa's was certainly not something I would tell a friend about (OMG Becky, you're going to Rosa? you have GOT to get the Guac, ooh, yummy). But as long as you're there, you might as well get it. You can't miss the kitchen carts with the fixings rolling around the place like they are serving dim sum. I was also in the mood for sangria. We chose the white sangria. Nothing to write home about, and after a pitcher, I'm pretty sure the majority of it was juice versus anything resembling liquor. Perhaps I should have gotten their signature pomegranate margarita instead, but I was recently jaded at Harris Teeter when I saw pomegranate in something totally inappropriate. I can't remember what it was, but my brain wants to say peanut butter. Like the marketing department for this product thinks it'll sell just because pomegranate is the "it" food right now. So I'm boycotting pomegranate despite antioxidants being good for my health. I'll eat more blueberries instead. So, with all of that, I give Rosa Mexicano the big zorbit and will reserve my Mexican cravings for local staples like Lauriol or Guapos. Sorry Rosa! Go cater the suburbanites who frequent national harbor and turn your Chinatown location over to a new "it" place.

Flagship (Portsmouth, VA)

My friend Dr. Mike lives on a pier sticking out into the Elizabeth River. The building used to be a warehouse, turned into condos. Sitting in his living room is like sitting in the stateroom of a luxury liner on the ocean with vast windows and all kinds of nautical views -- from the massive cargo ship cranes and Navy ships to the varied, anchored boats waiting for the 4th of July fireworks. A building on the river of course comes with a marina, in which his friends come in their diesel trawler and carry us across the water, cocktail in hand, to an arm of Scott's Creek. There is perched an old dock where we tied up and navigated the creaking boards to the Flagship Restaurant. This is my second trip to the Flagship and this hole in the wall has earned its blog. There is nothing to the actual restaurant -- with an outdoor covered area and sticky wooden tables inside. It looks like a fish house should look, with nothing trendy, waitresses sloshing sweet tea and local paintings of boats on the walls. Perhaps there was even a wooden ships wheel. If there wasn't, it's the type of place that you'd think one would be hanging. Our table of 7 ordered a couple bottles of chardonnay and I ordered the black and blue wrap -- fresh ahi tuna blackened and served in an herb wrap with blue cheese. The side was a bowl of red beans and rice. Fantastic! The first time I was at this place was for brunch where I ordered the shrimp and grits. I remember them being tasty. Its the holes in the wall that always have the best food!  Since we took the boat, I couldn't tell you a thing about the neighborhood, so here is the address: 103 Constitution Ave, Portsmouth, VA‎ -(757) 398-1600‎. I'd go back to this place... even if it were not on a boat.

Eventide (Clarendon)

The Occasion: Darryl's birthday week. I owe a lot to this guy. When I was a wee pup, he introduced me to a different level of sophistication and quality in such things as music, clothes, travel, conversation and dining. So on the occasion of his birthday, I sought a new, trendy and upscale location for dinner. At one time I would have called this genre of restaurant "infused and encrusted," but that's so two years ago. In my search, I found Eventide -- a four month old restaurant on the same block in Clarendon as another new staple of mine, The Liberty Tavern. Formerly the burnt down building of a secret society (hence the tall windows high from the ground level so people couldn't see in), the restoration is a magnificent space. Most of the outer walls are exposed masonry firewalls, leaving a rough outer shell embracing the softer luxury of the wood and textiles elsewhere in the decor. With such sophisticated decor though, more attention should have been paid to the bathrooms, which were plain and loudly painted. The first floor is like any other sidewalk restaurant with seating near a bar -- but the bar has popouts making conversation with your peers a bit more palatable. This room was filled with the type of folks you'd expect at a neighborhood bar. Baseball hats and after work clothes enjoying a cocktail. Nobody sheik and everybody very "Arlington." Dining on this level is first come first served. The second floor is the experience, with reservations required. The space is expansive, and the perception of it is embellished by the incredibly high ceiling and heavy blue drapes breaking up the space. The tables are set far enough apart where your dining neighbors can still have a private conversation without putting up booths or partitions between the tables. There is a grand staircase leading to the roof, unfortunately the flow of people from the rooftop bar prevents it from being accessible. The menu was split evenly between appetizers and entrees. Simple items with some kind of twist each. We began with the seared diver scallops. The twist on this dish was the red pepper and bacon puree. Who doesn't love bacon?  Darryl had the Lobster Tagliatelle which was poached lobster tail, lobster meatballs, fennel, brandied butter and arugula. I had the grilled tasmanian salmon with cornmeal gnocchi, spring pea ragout, and sorrel pesto. My salmon was grilled medium and was a very thick piece of fish, so I'm impressed it was so perfect. The portions were manageable and flavors playful. We popped a bottle of California Viognier that was much stronger than the Virginia Viognier I am used to, but once let to sit out of the chiller and after the taste of my pre-dinner cocktail died, it was quite good. The service was adequate. I was never quite sure who our server was. Two guys in suits attended to us. I assume one was the sommelier, but he told us more about the building than the wine. The other could have been the manager, but he acted like a jester busboy. Our actual waitress was fairly non-existent and forgettable. The actual busboy was more talkative than she when he brought a tasting of gazpacho shots with mint to begin our meal. And I just now realized we forgot to eat dessert! We were so focused on bringing out wine to the rooftop deck. I would have loved a strawberry rhubarb tart. Oh well, next time. We took the remainder of the bottle with us up to the third floor which is divided into two spaces. On one side is an outdoor seating area I would have liked to go to, but 1) it is first come first served and 2) It has a menu that isn't as appetizing (at least upon first look) because everything up there is meant to be served "not hot." I've had many cooked dishes outside, so this alternate menu confuses me to the point of stupidity. Do they think the chicken isn't going to survive on the patio? Executive Chef Miles Vaden of Eventide purports an interest in technological advances in cooking. Sorry bud, I think you missed the mark on a "cold food only" menu for the summer crowd in your outside space.  Keep that sort of thing for the vegan lesbian niche market in San Francisco. The other side of the roof top deck is a too-small bar with a stunning view of the sunset with a backdrop of the buildings of Balston. There was a mix between Arlingtoners in their brown flip flops and sexy summer sophisticates out for the evening -- drawn to this rooftop bar partly because of their eclectic drinks. I mean, who serves a Pimm's cup outside of England? What a great summer drink though.  One more thing that deserves mentioning is upon reaching the second floor where the formal dining room is, both sides of the elevator opens, revealing a baby changing room. The restaurant's web site purports understanding of being a parent. I question the rationale. This is a seriously upscale, trendy and posh place. Whoever in their right mind brings a child, let alone a baby in diapers, to such a place should be tarred and feathered. With the exception of the diaper room, I give the restaurant an A for effort and execution, but only a B+ for the rooftop. That space should have been so much more than it was.

http://www.eventiderestaurant.com/

Lost Dog Cafe (N. Arlington)

Tonight, I discovered the best gourmet pizza ever, and I've been searching for a good place since college to at least live up to Peppers on Franklin Street, Chapel Hill NC to no success. But in the Lost Dog Cafe, not only have I found the ultimate gourmet pizza, but it's a restaurant with a cause and if that were not enough -- they sell every beer known to mankind. Speaking of which, I had a Dundee -- a Rochester lager brewed with honey that had a big yellow bee on the label. Cute and tasty, just how I like my ... beer. Tonight was all about convenience. I am watching my friend Alyssa's critters for the week -- cats and fish, which require very little watching. So I went over to learn the routine and get a key. We then walked from her home to the quiet and eclectic Westover village of N. Arlington on Washington Blvd where we had a few dinner choices. I have to laugh at the call I made before driving over to ask if the place we were going to was casual as I considered jeans and a polo or shorts and a T-shirt. Apparently a softball uniform would have been okay since this hip place was clearly a very loud team's hangout. The aroma was a mix between wafted whacatacabacky. no judgement. Pizza smell and beer. The wooden booths were sticky and the waitress who sat down with us to take the order looks like she was beat with a hose and hung out to dry. But very sweet. Behind the bar was a wall of beer bottles, 90% of which you'd never heard of. A chalkboard listed the new brews for the summer, and the walk-in convenience store connected to the place let you take home a six pack of these rare beers. Alyssa and JP ordered the pit bull pie which was spicy with jalapenos, pastrami, ham, pepperoni, salami, red onions, basil and oregano. I ordered a Yogi the Lab's pie individual pizza which was basically a BBQ chicken pizza -- one of my favorite combos. It had housemade BBQ chicken breast sliced and topped with red onions, mozzarella and green onions. This version hands down whipped the ass of the original BBQ chicken pizza from the original Macaroni Grill north of San Antonio before they went commercial... That BBQ sauce came from their sister restaurant, an authentic Texas BBQ joint next door. So it is saying a lot that some lost dog place this far from decent BBQ could beat that original pizza. (The commercial version doesn't compare). And don't even talk to me about comparing it to the slop at CPK. The conversation flowed, as did the beer. The place finally came down a few decibels as the softball boys left. At this point, I started to notice all the dog art on the wall and in the bathroom and wondered what the place had for dogs that was so strong. Then there was a wall of people and their dogs, little pictures. Alyssa then mention a place down the street called the Stray Cat which sold sandwiches and was somehow related.  It wasn't until I got home and looked up their web site that I realized their cause that I previously mentioned. I will copy/paste verbatim from their site, which is www.lostdogcafe.com. Being a dog lover and owner of a rescued schnauzer who has brought so much love to my life -- even if the pizza sucked, I'd go back to this place. Thank god the pizza didn't suck.

--- From their site:

The Lost Dog Café has been serving up great pizza, hot sandwiches and beer from around the world in Arlington’s Westover neighborhood since 1985. Wellknown as a place to get great food at a great price, the café also serves up a hefty slice of compassion with each pizza. Café owners Ross Underwood and Pam McAlwee have been rescuing stray dogs and cats almost as long as they have been in business and the effort continues.

It began with a few “lost” dogs needing a place to stay until they could find new homes of their own. In 2001, thanks largely to the success of the Lost Dog Café, the pair established a non-profit foundation dedicated solely to the cause of helping homeless and abandoned dogs and cats find forever homes. Today the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation (LDCRF) places almost 2000 animals per year into permanent, loving homes—each one spayed or neutered prior to adoption. The foundation’s efforts continue to be supported by the Lost Dog Café and its sister restaurant (just a few doors down), the Stray Cat Café.

It’s the compassion that makes the Lost Dog Café more than just a great place to eat—here you can rest assured that you are helping to make a difference—one dog or cat at a time.

To learn more about the foundation’s efforts, to donate, or to volunteer, visit the Lost Dog and Cat rescue foundation website at www.lostdogrescue.org.

Cava (Capitol Hill)

After being mildly annoyed by my last venture out with a recommendation from Washington Post food critic Tom Seistma, I had to quickly give him a reprieve to help restore my faith in his opinion. And his write up this week of Cava -- the Rockville, Md., cum Capitol Hill Barracks Row restaurant did just that. I did their Greek Mezze during Friday night happy hour with my friend Mike who just moved up from Tampa. The posh atmosphere was sexy and inviting. Dark, candlelit with brick walls that didn't let you forget you're on this historic street, but the contemporary and polished fixtures and warm wood added to the buzz of loud laughter. The front windows slid to the side erasing the line between the sidewalk and the bar, welcoming walkers in for a drink. The one I chose was a twist on a mint julep with apricot puree and liquor in it -- my homage to the Preakness this weekend. Go Papa Clem! Move your bloomin' arse!  As the after work crowd arrived, Cava got ever more livelier with a very hip and refined clientele, although our table for two in the back was perfectly private. The number of options on the menu were all traditionally greek but with some semblance of gourmet twist to them. Different Herbs here or there.  Wanting meat -- we chose the Cava grill, which came with 3 lamb chops, 2 chicken souvlaki, 2 grilled meatballs and 2 pork medallions that melted like butter in my mouth. We also ordered a dish of spanakopita to balance it out.  All of the meat was grilled perfectly -- sometimes kabobs can be dry. Not here. And the lamb chops were FANTASTIC. I feel terrible for those people who won't eat lamb. I've had bad lamb before and know why they don't prefer it... don't fear it at Cava though. All of this food would have been perfect for three people at a happy hour timed dinner as we ended up taking home a few things.  The wait staff was attentive and considerate. When I said we'd be having a drink and were not going to even look at the menu for a while, they didn't bat an eyelash unlike other hopping places I frequent. Definitely a good recommendation by Tom and a place I will add to my list of places to return in the near future. http://dc.cavamezze.com/site/home

Vermillion (Old Town)

I often forget of all the options in Old Town for dinning, compartmentalizing all the restaurants there in my mind as colonial decor, mincemeat pie and servers with big buckles on their shoes -- belonging more in an amusement park than in a metropolitan city. But it isn't really like that. This week I was reminded again of the decent fare Old Town has to offer by Vermillion on King St., owned by the same people who do two of my other favorite restaurants -- Tallulah and Evening Star. I've also learned they have a 4th, relatively new one that does beer pairings in Old Town I believe called Rustica (?). The occasion for Friday night was dinner with the Clods and Mike, a classmate from college in town with the Air Force. We chose Vermillion primarily because of its convenience. I had been there before and remember it being decent -- but was there with such a large group, that the details of the restaurant were sketchy. The evening began downstairs in their lounge with mint juleps (because the Clods missed them for the derby) and I of course had my summer special of Hendricks Gin, cucumber muddle and soda. Vermillion puts sugar in their version making it more mojito-y -- but good nonetheless. Once upstairs, we took a difficult to maneuver booth given its velvet upholstery and the complete inability to slide in... The dinner selection was easy. We all chose the chef's tasting menu and wine pairing. This began with a taste complements of the chef of a bit of thin sliced ham and I'm not sure what else. Very tasty and always a classy touch. Our first real course was a crispy fried oyster atop shaved fennel and mint slaw. This was served with a New Zealand Sauvignon blanc. Our second course was a trout served atop blue crab, garlic and leeks. To make it fancy, it also had a roasted bell pepper froth -- that silly new culinary trend -- some call it whipped or flavored air. I think it looks like spit on my plate... nonetheless, this was one damn fine trout. This dish was coupled with a chardonnay from Argentina. Not a big fan of chardonnay here, but it wasn't half bad. Next we had the hangar steak over rye spatzel. I could have had this all by itself on a much larger dish. This was absolutely delectable, however it was coupled with a far-too-tart and in your face cabernet from Australia (or so says the menu... I could have sworn the waitress said it was a malbec... but it was way too bold for a malbec). We finished the meal with rice pudding fritters with dried cherries, pinenuts and a bittersweet chocolate sauce. Oh man -- this tops most any desert I've had at a restaurant. The desert was even paired with an old tawny port. All of that for only $61 was a bargain. The decor of vermillion was subtle and creative -- frames on the wall lit by distant lights to look as if the brick in the frame was the art. Modern, but comfortable and rustic. Our very large booth which could have accommodated 6 was awkward. That I can honestly say was my only complaint. The service and management were very attentive... the manager coming over to our table to answer my question about their relationship with those other restaurants I mentioned. This got him high marks in my book. Overall, a decent meal out in Old Town... no mincemeat on the menu and nobody wore buckled shoes.

The Source (Downtown)

I can certainly see why all the accolades fell upon Wolfgang Puck's relatively new DC restaurant, The Source, which is attached to the Newseum. I went there this week with my old friend Becky, in town from Germany. While I had tried to find someplace with white asparagus on the menu given the season, she really has only one requirement for restaurants -- a tablecloth. I'm sure there are other less trendy places to go in the city which could have satisfied this requirement, but The Source has been on my list since it opened and won the best new restaurant in DC award. We started off in the bar on a crowded happy hour Wednesday where they served my new favorite spirit -- Hendricks Gin -- muddled with cucumber and served up. We also ordered a cheese plate for our wait since we showed a half hour before our reservations. Valet parking was simple and the bar had a lounge atmosphere, hopping with young hill staffers and a sexy vibe. Our table became ready before our cheese plate arrived and I was impressed at the seamless delivery of it upstairs to our semi-private table for two overlooking the staircase. Among the impressive wine list, we settled on a bottle of an Austrian Sav. Blanc -- the strongest grapefruit flavor I've ever tasted in this kind of wine. Very perfect pairing for my choice of the scallops, served with a coconut peanut sauce and a side of drunken noodles. The three scallops on the plate were large and stood alone while the noodles were served separately in a sterling covered dish. The coconut peanut sauce was a sweet complement to the savory and perfectly sauteed scallops. The rest of the menu was asian fusion and all looked good. I was particularly torn between the scallops and pork chop for its licorice honey glaze. Chef Scott Drewno certainly has a creative palette. Had I looked at the desert menu with my order, I would have pre-ordered the chocolate souffle as the entree was just the right size to be able to enjoy a sweet ending, however with the length of time required for that, I settled on the blueberry almond crumble with vanilla salted streusel and ginger ice cream -- heavenly. The service was spectacular. My wine glass was never empty. An empty plate was never static. And the army of servers were never intrusive. Our primary waiter was gentle, sophisticated and clearly knowledgeable. I was pleased by his recommendation of the scallops when I asked him to choose between my two selections. The upstairs decor is striking and modern with a wall of wine behind glass, walls of windows looking out on the rain storm, and tables that were not on top of each other. With the lack of restaurants in that vicinity, The Source brings a hearty competition to the posh Charlie Palmer Steak, just blocks away. Make sure to go with enough green in the bank though as any visit will surely make a dent in your checkbook.

Fire & Sage

In the downtown Marriott is a restaurant. Like most hotel restaurants, I don't consider them destinations. But when Tom Sietsema, the Washington Post's food critic who has yet to misguide me, raves over the renovations of a restaurant called Fire and Sage in what used to be a tacky 90s nautical themed place (Regatta bar), I put it on my watch list.  Fast forward two weeks to an evening with my ladies Ty, Monica and Jen.  Ty being pregnant, we asked her what her desire was for the evening.  Normally when I ask somebody's desire, the expected response is a genre -- like Italian. Ty responded -- I want bacon wrapped scallops.  Ah hell.  So off a googling I went until I found some half decent menus with bacon wrapped scallops at recognizable locations in DC.  Two showed up on the list. Mortons in Crystal City and this Fire and Sage place.  I'm sure there are more, but these were the list I had. Mortons is a bit pricey, but I threw both out there.  The girls started drooling over the Fire and Sage menu. I warned them it was a hotel restaurant... a place for transient businessmen to pick up hookers, watch sports on the big screen and drink into the night enjoying the solace from screaming children at home. Then I went to make a reservation. The lady laughed at me. Laughed! "oh, you won't need a reservation."  Warning #2. But the ladies were content with the menu so we went.  Free valet parking if you go to the restaurant (warning #3) -- marketing ploy to draw people in. Not worth it. We walked in and picked our own seat when the bar was full (warning #4). Nobody second guessed the tub sized baby gift in a 'nice' restaurant (warning #5). Jen and I getting there first, and 5 minutes before the end of happy hour ordered some aps and drinks. The sliders were nothing special, but the garlic sea salt fries were fantastic.  Of course it was just garlic and sea salt.  How hard is that? The fries themselves were nothing special. The drinks were very weak, albeit tastey -- like juicy juice. The waiter was friendly and attentive... of course, us being his only table.  I ordered the scallops wrapped in bacon... given that was the impetus behind recommending this place. Was I ever disappointed.  Scallops have a sweet spot. You can't over cook them or else they are rubber. If you undercook them, that's called ceviche. To get the bacon cooked, I imagine they would need to fry it up first, wrap them and then continue cooking... but I'm not sure that's what they did because I could bounce these suckers off the wall like one of those rubber balls from a gum ball machine. The dish was served with greens and a glob of cheese grits.  And me being a southern raised boy, I use the word grits only in the technical term. Cement would probably be a better description. Jen and I did split some of their mac and cheese, which was half decent, although I've certainly had better. I was utterly disappointed in the entire meal. Lets move onto the ambiance. The best I can say about that is it was no longer a nautical theme. There was nothing special about this expensive renovation that would have me recommend this place as trendy.  Shut off the sports on the TV, dim the lights, fire the chef, keep the waiter but make him take off that stupid Marriott name-tag (this is a restaurant, not a hotel), and tell the bartender to double his pour. I don't remember what Tom had when he went, who was there or what impressed him so, but let me tell you, this place was utterly forgettable. The only reason I remember these details is for my readers to warn them away. Thankfully I was with some sexy and fun women who distracted me from the "dining" experience.

Liberty Tavern (Clarendon for dinner)

I am in nirvana, having just quite unexpectedly had the best dining experience and meal out I've ever had in DC at Liberty Tavern in Clarendon. This always hopping place I've known for its bar scene and previously blogged about its decent brunch buffet can teach some of the 5 star joints around here about quality service and modern American gastronomics. As a thank you for dog sitting Ruby while in Key West, Alyssa and I decided on Liberty Tavern for a meal tonight. It's a bar. I didn't even think about making a reservation and didn't need one. Of course after the experience, I'm very surprised I could even get in. The bar was of course packed, loud and hopping on the first floor with all kinds of young professionals starting their weekend on a Thursday night. After only a few minutes of waiting, we were escorted upstairs to a table for 2. Our waiter, Jimmy, greeted us cordially. We chose an inexpensive sangiovese and ordered the shrimp appetizer, our first decidedly surprise of the evening. The large gulf shrimp came fried in a spicy batter with breaded fennel and, strangely, fried and breaded slices of lemon. Never thinking I'd see a fried lemon again, I decided to take a bite. It was like candy noshing on a lemon head. Interesting in the good way. When it was time to order, this is when Jimmy proved himself above the fold when it comes to waiters. We had a few questions about the menu. Not only did Jimmy answer our questions in significant detail, he anticipated follow-on questions going into third order detail. I felt like I could ask him the name of the boat my fish was caught on. When asked what the most popular dish and his favorite, he gave a lecture on the different dishes, my mouth watering at every word. Jimmy's favorite dish, something new, was the skate. A meal our table neighbor chose and it did indeed look good, but I went with the Branzino. The decision was difficult with the number of Executive Chef Liam LaCivita's wood burning oven choices on this season's menu. My Branzino was served over a bed of house made spinach spaetzle with a smoked pepper sauce. In a unique addition, two strips of thick and savory maple juniper bacon topped the fish. Before my fish came though, the home made bread came and Jimmy even described the different bread choices. An amazing waiter who deserved every bit of my 30 percent tip. Alyssa chose the Beef tri tip -- a cut of meat I had never heard of, but she raved over. I was so impressed with the night that I called the manager, Shawn, over to complement him on the excellent evening and Jimmy's service. For the last 4 years, Ceiba has held my top spot in all of DC for their service record. I'm sorry Ceiba, you've been served. Liberty Tavern takes that top spot now. High marks all around.

La Te Da (Key West)

Dinner last night was at La Te Da, a dinner theater famous for its drag shows. The chef there,  I think her name is Georgia Chase… I haven’t kept up… serves a mediocre  theater menu. While her gazpacho was spicy and fantastic, it was far too large a portion for a starter. My entrée was the citrus mahi, whose sauce was out of this world, but when paired with a piece of fish that had obviously been frozen, was disappointing. And for those of us with lactose issues, a single choice of cheesecake or cheesecake wasn’t going to cut it. When we asked the waitress who was foreign and didn’t remotely understand the question if there were any options (even for an up charge) other than cheesecake, she offered us key lime pie, which we accepted. However, a person who understood the dilemma would have said, the pie has whipped cream and a chocolate crust… what kind of place serves an alternatively lactose free dish that is covered in lactose? But what can you expect when you staff your purportedly top tier restaurant with people who don’t understand the primary language. A second example of this there was when my sugar packet solution to our unlevel table was unsuitable for our waitress and she called the bus boy to fix it… instead of him removing my sugar packets and replacing them with a cork he brought… instead he saw the sugar packets and decided the wobbly table was fixed. If you’re going to have a good restaurant, the competence of your wait staff must be unquestionable. The ambiance of the place… being outside… could have been spectacular under the shade trees on a breezy evening. But instead, there were screaming children poolside who were residents of the hotel and smokers who felt it appropriate to light up in the eating area – a practice I find rude and reprehensible no matter the one human family blah blah blah acceptance down here. I will not ever couple dinner with a show at La Te Da again.

Hot Tin Roof (Key West)

Hot Tin Roof is the restaurant for the Ocean Key Resort and has a beautiful view of the sunset with the address 0 Duval St.  Just above Mallory square and far enough away from the sunset festival to have a nice dinner, but still enjoy the low-key music from the band playing below – this is a higher scale restaurant. Having timed our reservations to coincide with the sunset, we arrived only moments before it became comfortable… the sun glaring in our eyes and the humidity frizzing mom’s hair. Mom and I each started off with a martini.  Mine was a key lime pie martini mixed with Licor 43, which reminded me of the swizlestick bar in Fort Walton Beach.  I started the meal off with shrimp scampi – 2 of them… just a bite to put something in my stomach, although the puff bread would have sufficed.  The shrimp were pink, large and local. Mom had the grilled scallop served over polenta. My meal was the Yellowtail snapper, which came with a tangy red sauce over it and was a rather large slice of fish.  I couldn’t eat the entire thing, but really wanted to.  The fish was a bit dry, but the flavor of the sauce made up for any misgivings. An Australian Sav. Blanc complemented my meal. Mom had the shrimp risotto, which had arugala in it and proved humorous to watch her slice her grits. Her meal, although good, was far too rich for me. Our meals came only moments after the beautifully clear sunset dropped behind Sunset Key across the water. Not a cloud in the sky that evening. Our wait staff seemed accustomed to the amateur photographers who covered the outside balcony where we sat.  The inside of the restaurant was empty, perhaps expected for a Monday night as the new crop of tourists had not yet descended on the island.  With only moderately good and considerably pricey food, I may opt next time to watch the sunset from the pier and enjoy the festival below instead. A good experience nonetheless.

El Siboney (Key West)

We made our way on bikes to the Cuban restaurant that Billy, the pool bar guy, recommended and it was exactly the kind of place I like to go to when traveling… seeing and tasting from the local’s perspective. On the corner of Margaret and Catherine Streets (I love that all the street names are names…) is a one story brick home-turned-business with maybe 3 parking spots out front. It is very out of the way for the tourist crowd, but a nice change of pace from the bustling Duval street.  The restaurant’s name is El Siboney and purports itself to be a family friendly Cuban restaurant offering the best in authentic Cuban dishes on budget.  It was filled with mostly locals… little old ladies, latin families (I assume Cuban) and perhaps 3 tourist families.  I had the grilled pork tenderloin (for some reason, pork says Cuban to me) and mom had the mahi. Each dish was served with black beans, yellow rice and fried plantains. Mom enjoyed her mahi, not having ordered that fish in a number of years which made her question why? We guessed the spices on her fish to be cumin and paprika. My pork loin was served butterflied and was far too large to eat in one sitting. With some lime squeezed over it, it was tender, juicy and flavorful.  While I enjoyed my pork, I wish I had called ahead to order the paella which has lobster and shrimp in it, but takes over an hour to make. The best part of the meal was in the end though, a small bowl of rice pudding.  As a rice pudding fanatic, I can honestly say this was the best I’ve ever had.  Creamy with overpowering vanilla flavor and large grains of rice.  The staff at this restaurant was friendly, attentive and fast, but don’t go there for the ambiance.  A trip to this hole in the wall is strictly for the magnificent food, not for a dining experience.

Evening Star Cafe (Del Ray)

So tonight I ventured into Del Ray, what could be my ideal neighborhood if I lived in the middle of nowhere, to Evening Star Cafe. I've frequented this restaurant a number of times in the past and always pictured it low key with really good food. But apparently for somebody who considers themself low key, Evening Star is higher end. I chose a glass of Horton Viognier, my favorite white from my favorite local winery -- snaps for the wine list. Perusing the menu, I started with the Fried goat cheese and beet salad, one of my favorite culinary combinations even though on their own I like neither -- snaps for the salad. For my entree, I chose the scallops because I had remembered them being tasty before, although the menu was different now and these scallops were not the same. I am finicky about my scallops though. They have to be cooked to the perfect balance between rubber and raw. If you can find the flashpoint between the two, they are perfect. These met that flashpoint. There were four medium sized scallops on my plate surrounding a mound of bacon and sprout hash. Again... flavors that just danced in my mouth. I had to look up on the menu to figure out what I was eating... I had no idea bacon and sprouts... it was (the good kind of) interesting and the flavors unidentifiable... but so good I ate every bite. The bacon was thick and the texture of the hash made every bite savory. The ambiance of the place, adorned with erector set lamps, loud color walls and a matching loud vibe that overwhelmed the small space made for an eclectic and enjoyable experience to supplement the A+ culinary excursion. Evening Star is a great date restaurant, clearly solid in its long standing status as one of the best restaurants in DC since its opening in the late nineties. I note its absence this year on the Washingtonian's 100 best. Perhaps the Washingtonian hasn't been there since chef Matt Cordes arrival a year or so ago when he brought a more modern American menu to the place. My dinner companion's side was jalapeno mac and cheese! Come on, who thinks of that! yum. Before he came around, I remember the menu being a bit more creole. The shift was noticeable and welcome. Highly recommended.

Rice (14th St)

Thaiphoon is a trendy hotspot in Dupont and Po Siam is a dump, hole-in-the-wall in Arlandria. Thaiphoon serves their Pad Thai on chic white plates while the drunken noodles at Po Siam have no real presentation to them at all. But if you switched the two dishes from each kitchen, patrons at either location wouldn't know the difference.

But at Rice -- which helped pave the 14th St renaissance that began in 2004 and is only now catching on -- is an entirely different Thai place. You cannot find Chicken with olives and basil anywhere else in this city (that I know of). And sometimes I crave that dish like until I can think of nothing else, to my own detriment because when I get there and finally order it, I forget to ask them to turn down the heat. Smallwerld<--not a fan of the uber spicy.

The restaurant has basically three menus in one. A "traditional" Thai menu... although everything on it seems to have its own special modification -- like the string beans served with the pik khing chicken; Rice specialties (like my chicken/basil/olives) that offer fusion thai or re-thought combinations of food using uniquely Thai ingredients; and a seasonal menu -- October has a lot of 'pumpkin' items. I can't tell you what was on the seasonal menu Friday when I went because I was too focused on my chicken/basil/olives that I didn't even open the menu.

The restaurant is small, sleek and minimalist. The art is on the plate, not on the walls. Like the artful way they deliver a side of rice with each dish... sometimes sweet, sometimes black, sometimes green, but always shaped and styled with care reflective of the restaurant’s name.

My only complaint? The teak chairs... I now selfishly take the booth seat if we get such a table because the chairs are simply awful. Hard. handcrafted and rustic/modern vibe? sure... but hard and uncomfortable. They do not inspire lingering. Perhaps this is a passive-aggressive way to turn tables.

The service is forgettable... which means not bad, but not out of the way. And don't leave without a lychee martini!