tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24833281317584714482024-03-12T23:28:33.762-07:00Mandoos for Everyonemlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-74114119319041219592008-11-08T15:48:00.000-08:002008-11-08T16:05:25.503-08:00Chez Shea (Seattle)Mr. BW and I are in Seattle, vacationing. Last night, we dined at <a href="http://www.chezshea.com/">Chez Shea</a>.<br /><br />Mr. BW and I both started with the wild mushroom, carmelized onion & gruyere tart. The flavors and textures were amazing. I could have eaten two more!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDoZJ0CEWwCopLBezHJ_nhq0auOWS0lul1G2XbEemF5MNcTbCv1NfyN0RmkKaUxt_aZuXjqJR_aE238De7-QqL078tDqGiOWaLCC5_ossMw6Bh6Lz_LZxe2QDWMHwt5tBsR2wwEZdkCE/s1600-h/IMG_0150.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDoZJ0CEWwCopLBezHJ_nhq0auOWS0lul1G2XbEemF5MNcTbCv1NfyN0RmkKaUxt_aZuXjqJR_aE238De7-QqL078tDqGiOWaLCC5_ossMw6Bh6Lz_LZxe2QDWMHwt5tBsR2wwEZdkCE/s320/IMG_0150.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266440696544661874" border="0" /></a><br />I then had the roasted golden beets and bosc pear salad. It was light and refreshing, exactly what I wanted.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAP4J2fKPWlqCB6pSV5b8_fvR4_UdEol1GvcvoahKKZEriWg_8s6gNy1zx6pbA-YiN-91WAYZBxqHfHpoSoD1A7mp73SiH7yfIOlYqjpPx_2S6O8RGRnWfJaEgZnsLEwQDsQv9G6ExfY/s1600-h/IMG_0152.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAP4J2fKPWlqCB6pSV5b8_fvR4_UdEol1GvcvoahKKZEriWg_8s6gNy1zx6pbA-YiN-91WAYZBxqHfHpoSoD1A7mp73SiH7yfIOlYqjpPx_2S6O8RGRnWfJaEgZnsLEwQDsQv9G6ExfY/s320/IMG_0152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266440704295110306" border="0" /></a><br />Mr. BW had the pate campagne with black mission figs. As you can see, the figs were part of the pate, not a side, which was an interesting and pleasant surprise.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaQVZCVajWwcKcNNqbM0FzLdhWKL2tCWoK69dqq-LlaqvNG56xQWGIPw03FsP8rXzWiwO_E5zfuvpE2hZ0RDhn_VhDJcVvKY8fE59tU-3q2Mj_pmsBpD4fanD20xqFVEyzRwzmmexjEo/s1600-h/IMG_0153.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaQVZCVajWwcKcNNqbM0FzLdhWKL2tCWoK69dqq-LlaqvNG56xQWGIPw03FsP8rXzWiwO_E5zfuvpE2hZ0RDhn_VhDJcVvKY8fE59tU-3q2Mj_pmsBpD4fanD20xqFVEyzRwzmmexjEo/s320/IMG_0153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266440710702584738" border="0" /></a>I had the house made ricotta gnocci. The chanterelle mushrooms were delightful and the gnocci was lip smacking good.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFqQW7LkVnFQepK-O8Okm6jPG6aYTNsgkf_fgbod8BIhNmWSgLP-DonI1t8Jz3OzkvTteaAQyz_KVGXv321PC4-C86CDgMsjs_RdRiDqkRcR8dYu_3zptgmg1-3WAqIJ9US65rYpfHbg/s1600-h/IMG_0155.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFqQW7LkVnFQepK-O8Okm6jPG6aYTNsgkf_fgbod8BIhNmWSgLP-DonI1t8Jz3OzkvTteaAQyz_KVGXv321PC4-C86CDgMsjs_RdRiDqkRcR8dYu_3zptgmg1-3WAqIJ9US65rYpfHbg/s320/IMG_0155.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266440717930460082" border="0" /></a>Mr. BW loved his confit of muscovy duck leg. And when I say he loved it, I mean he didn't offer me a single taste.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyXEKbCoKOF0LEpNeeFAZn9m2ktVZdLcz0Q3TgQTjq5b4jVyD8IqQofSyjlxwdPpCq8AfINe9vD6E5goXGh15ilySMXvEGd_5mUIPu1NsEGwshRXM0fxHxwj2qsx0O9V9meJVdrqyirs/s1600-h/IMG_0154.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyXEKbCoKOF0LEpNeeFAZn9m2ktVZdLcz0Q3TgQTjq5b4jVyD8IqQofSyjlxwdPpCq8AfINe9vD6E5goXGh15ilySMXvEGd_5mUIPu1NsEGwshRXM0fxHxwj2qsx0O9V9meJVdrqyirs/s320/IMG_0154.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266440713575065826" border="0" /></a>His carrot yam puree was delicious, though.<br /><br />We were so stuffed by the time dessert rolled around that we just opted for coffees. Everything was exquisitely prepared and the service was amazing. The hostess quadrupled as our waitress, server, and sommelier and never let our water glasses get below half full. A great experience -- you can't go wrong!mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-53993216953893848142008-11-06T04:44:00.001-08:002008-11-06T04:46:59.064-08:00Harry's Restaurant<a href="http://www.harryssaloon.com/">Harry's Restaurant / Saloon</a> is a disgusting dive at the corner of 11th and F. Although the place looks far from clean, it's always jammed packed with people and the food isn't too bad.<br /><br />I've enjoyed the burgers, sandwiches and salads before, but my personal Harry's special is the chili cheese fries!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQBROt888yiADjkctPnrxNobgw-D7E0Q9RaMg8kiAxkKBmCcnsfYrX5R8C0AjIIIuHjHB9HOv6xLosGrin4Yv3Xf-aY2l_5lXZ12s2MP3OVoVeLbWREJNDXncNHSKvesu6x4kVL2WDzg/s1600-h/fries.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQBROt888yiADjkctPnrxNobgw-D7E0Q9RaMg8kiAxkKBmCcnsfYrX5R8C0AjIIIuHjHB9HOv6xLosGrin4Yv3Xf-aY2l_5lXZ12s2MP3OVoVeLbWREJNDXncNHSKvesu6x4kVL2WDzg/s320/fries.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265524557304854482" border="0" /></a><br />I picked up an order of these bad boys the other day for lunch and I was in heaven! The food is cheap, the service is fat and good, and it's convenient to work. Harry's gets a thumbs up -- just don't look too closely at the floors or your surroundings!mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-71165787819588508712008-11-02T10:56:00.000-08:002008-11-02T11:07:52.430-08:00Mia's PizzaMr. BW and I happened upon Mia's Pizza the other day, completely by surprise. We were out and about in Bethesda right around lunch time and thought, hey, what do we have to lose? We've tried both Pizza Paradiso and Two Amy's and while we love both, the endless wait time and the always crowded nature of both restaurants prevents both of us from ever wanting to go when it's just the two of us. Instead, we typically save our Pizza Paradiso and Two Amy's outings to dinners with friends from out of town.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3mHNLJq1RjiBDwws45tYSYU1MQbRSzKBwRhIYG6f8e8dQUEFdtrphLpKs5myBt64t9HmAKnKk5m6Jb_xL9mHsje5PrrkwACs_VTJAVLJ6LCSSRv-8v9FcQa891Eh4DkNmVDZaGt35zs/s1600-h/IMG_0146.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3mHNLJq1RjiBDwws45tYSYU1MQbRSzKBwRhIYG6f8e8dQUEFdtrphLpKs5myBt64t9HmAKnKk5m6Jb_xL9mHsje5PrrkwACs_VTJAVLJ6LCSSRv-8v9FcQa891Eh4DkNmVDZaGt35zs/s320/IMG_0146.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264137287940449282" border="0" /></a>The restaurant features a large dining room, with tables that are actually spread out far enough that you don't feel like you're eating with the group next to you. They also have a large patio (where we sat). By all appearances, the restaurant was extremely kid-friendly, tons of families, little kids, and an ample supply of booster seats. <br /><br />Mr. BW started with the soup, which he said was delightful. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghf-j8BF2jISmzgeYmDa7CID0nB_LAB_YK5wG5aC9ivAMMBucxZoQwZYUu8gOH7eg1mQ-5n84yM8htjl915aO8LRH7awH3-ZXhW1ot0S5YlK-rubNmB_zVjyJbRCoAGPl92vXwNNxlBvs/s1600-h/IMG_0150.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghf-j8BF2jISmzgeYmDa7CID0nB_LAB_YK5wG5aC9ivAMMBucxZoQwZYUu8gOH7eg1mQ-5n84yM8htjl915aO8LRH7awH3-ZXhW1ot0S5YlK-rubNmB_zVjyJbRCoAGPl92vXwNNxlBvs/s320/IMG_0150.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264137314290096914" border="0" /></a><br />I ordered the chopped salad with beets, eggs, bacon, tomatoes, and blue cheese. The salad was refreshing, perfectly dressed (not too heavy), and ample enough for me to share with Mr. BW.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0_jSP7MFP9JmD-Bhkq1HPA_1wGQJqVAEz7G013GVQ6dF1wG012p-BqkNTIioU40Z8HkklAi1XOV1GgJ5aL7BseXJE1X08CE9TxDLHO6ob4LJwAv4SFX7rnDzKbGik-sYZFHj8Qr6E1w/s1600-h/IMG_0147.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0_jSP7MFP9JmD-Bhkq1HPA_1wGQJqVAEz7G013GVQ6dF1wG012p-BqkNTIioU40Z8HkklAi1XOV1GgJ5aL7BseXJE1X08CE9TxDLHO6ob4LJwAv4SFX7rnDzKbGik-sYZFHj8Qr6E1w/s320/IMG_0147.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264137296814170994" border="0" /></a>Because we're oinkers, we also ordered an appetizer's portion of meatballs and foccacia to share.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMmZRSQjnsvbO-iPfyOmvbN0NSona5VljPehiLljSjRh7_mDScBde5MJ8iAJuNP-GYBqrdhCsG6rO0W9ZLpoh4CUSoiw555Q5-ACTyTntMefkh_mjCm3baa9YzpQf-fjh-qWuygNQjA0/s1600-h/IMG_0148.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMmZRSQjnsvbO-iPfyOmvbN0NSona5VljPehiLljSjRh7_mDScBde5MJ8iAJuNP-GYBqrdhCsG6rO0W9ZLpoh4CUSoiw555Q5-ACTyTntMefkh_mjCm3baa9YzpQf-fjh-qWuygNQjA0/s320/IMG_0148.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264137306800498802" border="0" /></a>Both of us agreed that the meatballs were quite tasty - perfectly seasoned and textured. The foccacia wasn't bad either.<br /><br />Because we ordered so many starters, we decided to share a pizza. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmV2mvBcRSwrsKqiHEUUxrpdP1_Iah-Jxn2df3_LyvgjY0jvo5NdQETDPfyEIWl5M24GqzC0vpDSvJbOnPbXqUf9tDVkEWkvxapZMh7K8W0i9uEVYCn7XEstHGK0NGz3Kt_1zZeKj_apk/s1600-h/IMG_0151.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmV2mvBcRSwrsKqiHEUUxrpdP1_Iah-Jxn2df3_LyvgjY0jvo5NdQETDPfyEIWl5M24GqzC0vpDSvJbOnPbXqUf9tDVkEWkvxapZMh7K8W0i9uEVYCn7XEstHGK0NGz3Kt_1zZeKj_apk/s320/IMG_0151.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264137514915607538" border="0" /></a><br />Our pizza was amply sized and featured pesto, onions, and olives. The crust was great -- must better than Two Amy's, which I found to be slightly undercooked, and the option of having pesto on top of regular sauce, as opposed to as a replacement sauce, was something I appreciated. While I do love pesto, I'm a pizza purist -- I demand tomato sauce and usually, lots of it. <br /><br />We heartily enjoyed our lunch and will definitely be going back. The lack of the oppressive wait time and the overcrowdedness that plagues Pizza Paradiso and Two Amy's definitely makes driving up to Bethesda worthwhile.<br /><br />I can't find a website for Mia's Pizza, but it's located at 4926 Cordell Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. (301) 718-6427mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-76395045006974413882008-10-31T16:54:00.000-07:002008-10-31T17:04:39.472-07:00The Capital GrilleLast night, Mr. BW and I had dinner at <a href="http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/About/main.asp">The Capital Grille</a>. A cross-country chain steakhouse is not really our sort of thing as they usually tend to be overpriced and mediocre (for what you're paying!), but we had received a $50 gift certificate mailer from American Express a few weeks ago and thought -- "hey, what do we have to lose."<br /><br />Our reservation was for 8:15pm, but we weren't seated until almost 8:45. Service was initially dodgy -- it took quite a while for our server to come, get our drink orders, and give us the specials.<br /><br />I wasn't particularly hungry and opted for a light meal of soup and salad. My onion soup came in a crock and was pretty tasty; though it could've had a better coating of melted and slightly burnt cheese on the top.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIEIi403OoqehjdWUcQhw0T9XGe2C_K-eG0bsE9YV0J56kt1PNZxPX_dv8we5wbFPnP1ZjzK8fJORS8YSMjTlv5ARfzf_rfaA-se6QxZ327eQBKFD6rp41oVIJnuGgypJYIos-qZNrIU/s1600-h/IMG_0140.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIEIi403OoqehjdWUcQhw0T9XGe2C_K-eG0bsE9YV0J56kt1PNZxPX_dv8we5wbFPnP1ZjzK8fJORS8YSMjTlv5ARfzf_rfaA-se6QxZ327eQBKFD6rp41oVIJnuGgypJYIos-qZNrIU/s320/IMG_0140.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263471762602081570" border="0" /></a>Mr. BW ordered the spinach salad as a starter and, well, it never appeared. We mentioned it to the server when he came with our entrees and our waiter was so apologetic, he offered us dessert -- on the house. <br /><br />I ordered the spinach salad as my entree and it was fine. Nothing spectacular, but it had all the necessary components: spinach, cheese, nuts, and bacon dressing. The only key was that my dressing was supposed to be <span style="font-style: italic;">warm</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">warm</span> it was not. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, though, as I ordered my dressing "on the side."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfCfXy7VStVeDM8qjhShY3-OYMqGeZ5TjwJYSQ17ZFK5Gh_1IoHJAIr6OeZxoYXCAGMq5gaSsNHEQjy4Pg8IpMDQq0Leag2jP83JkBGxPVpkTrKlLkhiE_tXMd0QeAHg9__oTgT0iHSs/s1600-h/IMG_0143.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfCfXy7VStVeDM8qjhShY3-OYMqGeZ5TjwJYSQ17ZFK5Gh_1IoHJAIr6OeZxoYXCAGMq5gaSsNHEQjy4Pg8IpMDQq0Leag2jP83JkBGxPVpkTrKlLkhiE_tXMd0QeAHg9__oTgT0iHSs/s320/IMG_0143.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263471780656630706" border="0" /></a>Mr. BW ordered the tenderloin ontop a bed of lobster. I had a tasty taste and it was pretty good. His entree was $42. While it was good, it wasn't blow your mind spectacular, which is what I expect for $42.<br /><br />Our side of onion rings, however, were blow your mind amazing. I could've eaten a whole bucket of these.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgAwOYhEnWDaFRvl3ts_dQ3jgLZ-E6gqxBJFnBJkAHRhxhCu7AhbZLVwQV8qzKzaKB2h10LEWofSI1xbUxaKXgxP-Uu6PEO1tGQ_BRveWFEf2W3knWCjiBnhZ9zyD43BxXV2-Evh9LF8/s1600-h/IMG_0142.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgAwOYhEnWDaFRvl3ts_dQ3jgLZ-E6gqxBJFnBJkAHRhxhCu7AhbZLVwQV8qzKzaKB2h10LEWofSI1xbUxaKXgxP-Uu6PEO1tGQ_BRveWFEf2W3knWCjiBnhZ9zyD43BxXV2-Evh9LF8/s320/IMG_0142.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263471774808804066" border="0" /></a>Our complimentary dessert (and coffees) were amazing. The cake was incredibly dense and I loved the vanilla/raspbery coilis sauce on the side.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifccoqZjJWgEjC0CzrjzxDZU60hfIo2EYZ5d9Wube8JiUNmJiZ4LYQe24UShrfAMPyUgnF4f12x6mORQkE836RBelyMDNqsiz3M1dRqK1xWofByAkoQGuOLUpYPKIt3ht69Vl4aCU2pGM/s1600-h/IMG_0144.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifccoqZjJWgEjC0CzrjzxDZU60hfIo2EYZ5d9Wube8JiUNmJiZ4LYQe24UShrfAMPyUgnF4f12x6mORQkE836RBelyMDNqsiz3M1dRqK1xWofByAkoQGuOLUpYPKIt3ht69Vl4aCU2pGM/s320/IMG_0144.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263471783181408274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Our total bill ended up being around $81, so our <span style="font-style: italic;">final bill</span> was a mere $31. Because the waiter was so apologetic about forgetting Mr. BW's salad and because we didn't want to screw the waiter based on my decision not to order a real entree, we left a $30 tip for good measure. <br /><br />I'm happy we went -- what a deal! -- but wouldn't go back without another $50 gift certificate or on someone else's dime.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-75712489137366861392008-10-31T16:48:00.000-07:002008-10-31T16:54:02.464-07:00Ray's Hell BurgerLast Saturday, Mr. BW and I decided to check out the hoopla that is <a href="http://www.dcfoodies.com/2008/07/rays-hell-burge.html">Ray's Hell Burger</a>.<br />I ordered the special (burger with choice of two cheeses, side or bag of chips, and a drink). For a few extra bucks, I upgraded to the root beer float, which was totally worth it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6n-f9x8yMYK8VzxFDDjN0SSNUL4Dc5bRE2rk__GOk83VkWu_be30nbl3We3Akrmum_OE5Hk1Qb4VJeOkbzlLk0mvo-dRUB8rqs86gpmf_Ai93C_LUpAjDJyU4tUZRwZ8HzSsA4FK8T4/s1600-h/IMG_0126.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6n-f9x8yMYK8VzxFDDjN0SSNUL4Dc5bRE2rk__GOk83VkWu_be30nbl3We3Akrmum_OE5Hk1Qb4VJeOkbzlLk0mvo-dRUB8rqs86gpmf_Ai93C_LUpAjDJyU4tUZRwZ8HzSsA4FK8T4/s320/IMG_0126.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263469339414130946" border="0" /></a>I ordered my burger with a hearty slice of cheddar, dressed with lettuce, tomato, and sauteed onions. The bun was hearty, but the burger was <span style="font-style: italic;">way</span> too messy. Messy as in it started to fall apart as I was eating it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhumpvUEbq4MF63FZ2j-svlFhG-EKQskUiGGD-Lf8_VB49RDx55vWO2FlsQgeFatqyYBqc1WmWw6NOFfdMJycloMU4Q8hnH5xhJNJMH60WhA2B0RA1xIIJylr99sTtvgABZ3qLsrbfU8/s1600-h/IMG_0127.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhumpvUEbq4MF63FZ2j-svlFhG-EKQskUiGGD-Lf8_VB49RDx55vWO2FlsQgeFatqyYBqc1WmWw6NOFfdMJycloMU4Q8hnH5xhJNJMH60WhA2B0RA1xIIJylr99sTtvgABZ3qLsrbfU8/s320/IMG_0127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263469317603845602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEQYi22IT65oOwzcUzsOvnxfBfu8OK5Do6H8NUwzHsFvqJ_Zyqx_IT6_qOyKtrdaYMvVGnLVUcIQ65JPOK1irxHWqX9cUVGZnFWQcVa7zbCkbmnicFb-BQGsOY0SvZ86unC431K5Dq-4/s1600-h/IMG_0128.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEQYi22IT65oOwzcUzsOvnxfBfu8OK5Do6H8NUwzHsFvqJ_Zyqx_IT6_qOyKtrdaYMvVGnLVUcIQ65JPOK1irxHWqX9cUVGZnFWQcVa7zbCkbmnicFb-BQGsOY0SvZ86unC431K5Dq-4/s320/IMG_0128.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263469331973266850" border="0" /></a><br />Mr. BW had even more trouble with his burger (medium), when, as he was eating, chunks of burger started falling out and onto his plate. While the burger was good, our tab ended up being $28 -- which is, frankly, too much for two people to eat at a burger joint. Mr. BW's final word: "it's just a giant burger, with expensive cheese."<br /><br />I'd recommend this place if you're a burger fanatic or just want to give it a go. But, we've certainly made better burgers on our grill at home.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-20956712724324956302008-10-31T15:31:00.000-07:002008-10-31T16:48:14.826-07:00Present RestaurantThe other day, Mr. BW and I went to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/present-restaurant-falls-church">Present Restaurant</a> out in Falls Church. They don't have a website yet, but Tyler Cowen's <a href="http://www.tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com/2008/09/present_restaurant.php">review</a> is a fairly good description of the dining experience.<br /><br />First, unlike many/most vietnamese restaurants, Present's decor is actually <span style="font-style: italic;">nice</span>. You will not be embarrassed to take a client, or first date, here.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOflFmdE8qomg23KH8kVqQ5Tsx1VHdNy68WLG85VG15o2gD7RYgdF0qw3JtlB1riDFtJRaz4TLb1JC63zkG9EAtEFqt5NgFSV84W1RQIOC72S3SrZO4CgM9VhdRVUhW3Mu32E9mhotwSI/s1600-h/IMG_0116.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOflFmdE8qomg23KH8kVqQ5Tsx1VHdNy68WLG85VG15o2gD7RYgdF0qw3JtlB1riDFtJRaz4TLb1JC63zkG9EAtEFqt5NgFSV84W1RQIOC72S3SrZO4CgM9VhdRVUhW3Mu32E9mhotwSI/s320/IMG_0116.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263449656612100594" border="0" /></a>We ordered a number of appetizers, which were light and tasty.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbSJJKolsU7u4wb8YqR0dLCuPoFJnElPpqag9f7-bcOmo6QMo70untZYlSr5xW3ieNi09kbTVqkVcF6Gif9Mhc-vcDM3CEpt_KTcFoG-Uc5wdn5-8QHNhpnW8mP8-RUF3Rv2x3ZSLuiM/s1600-h/IMG_0123.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbSJJKolsU7u4wb8YqR0dLCuPoFJnElPpqag9f7-bcOmo6QMo70untZYlSr5xW3ieNi09kbTVqkVcF6Gif9Mhc-vcDM3CEpt_KTcFoG-Uc5wdn5-8QHNhpnW8mP8-RUF3Rv2x3ZSLuiM/s320/IMG_0123.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263449682402744770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5D2inVj8ZirI6jqQMGGqtMB22E0S-J9GlHEWXqhGbbj_n81XZRlURkb5bIaNRuYDcYd1XibiDw-zgjfT2sx8L1WYLSS-6UxtThhZx-jIYaeiOLYSBHWuNAlGUqhJA3fiC0Q-RJmmnlcU/s1600-h/IMG_0122.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5D2inVj8ZirI6jqQMGGqtMB22E0S-J9GlHEWXqhGbbj_n81XZRlURkb5bIaNRuYDcYd1XibiDw-zgjfT2sx8L1WYLSS-6UxtThhZx-jIYaeiOLYSBHWuNAlGUqhJA3fiC0Q-RJmmnlcU/s320/IMG_0122.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263449677698196834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZWMchv-gb5yoRZjwD3u7futPl9y4tLg_tzG0xt5VHBuLybaVW-BdfQHjIdt8Vxyj9Imjymz49OqpdFJbkPL_dcjSW74fXO5U-yrxyhOiUQzQ_5zfToHTc86suLeR_yGKRQguQVh7Lvk/s1600-h/IMG_0118.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZWMchv-gb5yoRZjwD3u7futPl9y4tLg_tzG0xt5VHBuLybaVW-BdfQHjIdt8Vxyj9Imjymz49OqpdFJbkPL_dcjSW74fXO5U-yrxyhOiUQzQ_5zfToHTc86suLeR_yGKRQguQVh7Lvk/s320/IMG_0118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263449661616422114" border="0" /></a>For our first entree, we ordered the whole crispy fish, which was *!@&#$!@&!@&( unbelievable. Highly recommended.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9ZmpEZhykBxAPEwloDb1p3LVAP2kvyBos4FjOGFCH_xe4ozQE8dedBmspvU3PxAwYeNXfNOISo6GMYHu-FznBKcAn0K5rC0uYvQchH0lVewIywHStH9Mf9Wa3WmVFkMjZrvsGCbS77I/s1600-h/IMG_0121.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9ZmpEZhykBxAPEwloDb1p3LVAP2kvyBos4FjOGFCH_xe4ozQE8dedBmspvU3PxAwYeNXfNOISo6GMYHu-FznBKcAn0K5rC0uYvQchH0lVewIywHStH9Mf9Wa3WmVFkMjZrvsGCbS77I/s320/IMG_0121.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263449672363800962" border="0" /></a>The orange duck was also good, but slightly too gelatinous for my tastes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKMZ8jkZsIzzNrEVSqos51i3YgmIx3zo4Cyav1L-ahAI6ZEJnVeqg6fxDXXpGbjYoFPaq2FTBxts4z_lVn1stb9zTBGxQyqiqdPmY0vBFD386LaDMuHe4snN9VLG9ihAdHbd9qjlIzRE/s1600-h/IMG_0122.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKMZ8jkZsIzzNrEVSqos51i3YgmIx3zo4Cyav1L-ahAI6ZEJnVeqg6fxDXXpGbjYoFPaq2FTBxts4z_lVn1stb9zTBGxQyqiqdPmY0vBFD386LaDMuHe4snN9VLG9ihAdHbd9qjlIzRE/s320/IMG_0122.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263450358702389714" border="0" /></a>We had a very enjoyable time there and highly recommend it. I wouldn't order the orange duck again, but I can still salivate a little thinking of the fish. Also, per Tyler, the menu is rather limited, so don't go expecting 1,001 different phos and variations thereof.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-9883229138457082232008-10-22T19:00:00.000-07:002008-10-22T19:04:02.382-07:00Mandoo BarWhile in NYC, we also ate at <a href="http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/mandoo-bar00/">Mandoo Bar</a>. I need to preface this post by saying that I love mandoos, as you can probably gather from my blog name! I love mandoos and dumplings of all shapes and sizes. They are one of my most favorite things in the world!<br /><br />So, of course, when our first choice for dinner was all booked up (Lupa), we decided to go to Mandoo Bar instead for a casual, homey meal.<br /><br />My incredible sense of happiness at being presented with plate after plate of mandoos prevented me from taking any photos, but I can highly recommend both the boiled pork dumplings as well as the fried. I hear the kimchee ones are also good and we declined to order the seafood ones, choosing to get an order of bimbimbap instead. My friend, who is Korean, had been concerned that the popularity of the restaurant would have affected its tastiness, but we were quickly assured -- "still good," she said.<br /><br />Just 24 hours later, I am craving more mandoos!mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-45651446777994265072008-10-22T18:54:00.000-07:002008-10-22T19:00:26.099-07:00Aburiya KinnosukeDuring our romp in NYC, Mr. BW and I had occasion to meet up with a good friend of mine for lunch and dinner! We had no prior plans and decided, on the fly, to try <a href="http://www.aburiyakinnosuke.com/">Aburiya Kinnosuke</a>, which my friend had heard of but not yet had occasion to try and which we noticed had good Zagat ratings. <br /><br />Mr. BW ordered the weekly special. As you can see, it was a whole, fried fish with miso, rice, and some other accompaniments.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QDpxtEwTa2WTRAtlGqADRYPMM6oTCQd_c24YqX4JkksP-5megyCTnFJQFPrEKq1pBsLKUDzSNs98R5QBzfD8i4-vV4OG0G5ANkqsPA7gLFzCagLBvaJuuwQ_Z2ofSDx1QgmL_V8hrjU/s1600-h/IMG_0105.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QDpxtEwTa2WTRAtlGqADRYPMM6oTCQd_c24YqX4JkksP-5megyCTnFJQFPrEKq1pBsLKUDzSNs98R5QBzfD8i4-vV4OG0G5ANkqsPA7gLFzCagLBvaJuuwQ_Z2ofSDx1QgmL_V8hrjU/s320/IMG_0105.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260162009784704610" border="0" /></a>I ordered the washu beef curry, which really hit home. Just like my grandmother used to make, but you know, better ingredients and not a giant, endless vat of goodness. It was delicious and I enjoyed every bite.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5QfQAFsQFBxPlCChee-0nHp1mFqgXgqnl4z7T6bt-qux0lBqiv-80dES-4FbrursslYWeT5Chs0KWKayTEQggEHmvS_Md-0gkni33N9m1ypPlTAEHbY1KLAj8xbV1Ti_PL_FE28_aVs/s1600-h/IMG_0104.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5QfQAFsQFBxPlCChee-0nHp1mFqgXgqnl4z7T6bt-qux0lBqiv-80dES-4FbrursslYWeT5Chs0KWKayTEQggEHmvS_Md-0gkni33N9m1ypPlTAEHbY1KLAj8xbV1Ti_PL_FE28_aVs/s320/IMG_0104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260162007402631842" border="0" /></a>My friend ordered the weekly special fish, which you can see in the upper left hand corner. You'll also get a better glimpse of the accompaniments that came with the meal.<br /><br />On the right, assorted seaweeds, pickled plums, and dried flakes for eating with the rice. In the center is the bowl of miso and the middle bottom two bowls contain 1) some sort of dressed root (left) and 2) tofu (right).<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTuKCtke0jwqXQKSJXu-IRB1BJFAK2F-VWv2tS_T9a5KD_iZ1f9UynzCwph5qCTBn7kvidoB0c7x1gbKfWM73Kk7N3RfmXTWwsomDca3y1RaWg4QzUR6FkFEd9JSyCcBw7RcNdfcHEiQ/s1600-h/IMG_0106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTuKCtke0jwqXQKSJXu-IRB1BJFAK2F-VWv2tS_T9a5KD_iZ1f9UynzCwph5qCTBn7kvidoB0c7x1gbKfWM73Kk7N3RfmXTWwsomDca3y1RaWg4QzUR6FkFEd9JSyCcBw7RcNdfcHEiQ/s320/IMG_0106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260162020791932834" border="0" /></a><br />The food was good, service was friendly, and the best part of it all? Each meal was only $15. If I had a place like this near my office, I'd eat there every day!mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-38858026913715571672008-10-22T18:44:00.001-07:002008-10-22T18:53:12.737-07:00Gramercy TavernMr. BW and I had lunch at <a href="http://www.gramercytavern.com/">Gramercy Tavern</a> in NYC after he got done with work and it was delicious!<br /><br />We both started with the Jerusalem Artichoke Soup -- Butternut Squash and Aji Dulce Peppers. Absolutely delicious.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPaSXVvEB-j0T9NWgCm3z5aEe4fDCw0B9ixboqFpYnrFNd5onW5zd3_yVK0VhWqd7OGUq-rqHW8tURB7c1jO0ye8B8-w70-a6hZRJO0i9YNImbV_IgpNx35pgZTJ6iyhR2PEYFrNdGZM/s1600-h/IMG_0108.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPaSXVvEB-j0T9NWgCm3z5aEe4fDCw0B9ixboqFpYnrFNd5onW5zd3_yVK0VhWqd7OGUq-rqHW8tURB7c1jO0ye8B8-w70-a6hZRJO0i9YNImbV_IgpNx35pgZTJ6iyhR2PEYFrNdGZM/s320/IMG_0108.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260160244923308018" border="0" /></a>I opted for the Braised Lamb Shoulder with broccoli and bok choy it was perfectly done. Absolutely melt in your mouth awesomeness.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjbXLwrIkMdNnBC7c9zB8keLz2KtQiI_gQuDxAJAbAudmel4QAH-VyeXEYnTP434UiKcuo_UUDjJFM7WDiPiOjv-Dm8iuk2PbCrlvcZT97fdjuT2diEE85v718BwznXMjEl7jhCWDnnE/s1600-h/IMG_0109.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjbXLwrIkMdNnBC7c9zB8keLz2KtQiI_gQuDxAJAbAudmel4QAH-VyeXEYnTP434UiKcuo_UUDjJFM7WDiPiOjv-Dm8iuk2PbCrlvcZT97fdjuT2diEE85v718BwznXMjEl7jhCWDnnE/s320/IMG_0109.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260160239796665954" border="0" /></a><br />Mr. BW had the roasted sirloin with celery puree and cabbage. Mr. BW likes his meat rare and he enjoyed every bite of his meal!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL07SOBD5k5A1ZWrVUYXIxlcThRf3JUGynVkk1itof4qNCIA7KGWhfYXrGCVBPeEsHBSxHM6uqi5kH4KhGYUBZPn0ta36mA76SG1P0pktGs7chvUeVjo8ArovueA8WTWlhFWf2F1ts5zk/s1600-h/IMG_0111.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL07SOBD5k5A1ZWrVUYXIxlcThRf3JUGynVkk1itof4qNCIA7KGWhfYXrGCVBPeEsHBSxHM6uqi5kH4KhGYUBZPn0ta36mA76SG1P0pktGs7chvUeVjo8ArovueA8WTWlhFWf2F1ts5zk/s320/IMG_0111.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260160072917233666" border="0" /></a>We finished off our dining experience with the best latte ever. I wanted to take my clothes off and swim in my latte.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHd7A3zmVt08MnD0yfW-EHDLW9LCcJs9u14AOBZ3a1zCFthlnYrFcEkO3N9nU8xu_Z8rv9xI4QsFNQluQwKc1_OuvenFkX8gP0mmCmL40_qe-TbK9mvKrgJuysmBEWMYpJREBNn8DDSf4/s1600-h/IMG_0115.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHd7A3zmVt08MnD0yfW-EHDLW9LCcJs9u14AOBZ3a1zCFthlnYrFcEkO3N9nU8xu_Z8rv9xI4QsFNQluQwKc1_OuvenFkX8gP0mmCmL40_qe-TbK9mvKrgJuysmBEWMYpJREBNn8DDSf4/s320/IMG_0115.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260159745596934146" border="0" /></a>Mr. BW ordered the Peanut Butter Semifreddo and Chocolate Macaroon and he said it was out of this world.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBUL2CnQbclh7IjGCcUmV-Nsm5MgmECZ41ts96U5cUsf6EQOB5BZZ6rKPnpUspMF_LiWwK865Ya7uhK-esOLpoumFH66yEUjUqXbqp4oKx382Q9EnLsIY3gg8MQx40fWPdG85INCJ4Qg/s1600-h/IMG_0112.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBUL2CnQbclh7IjGCcUmV-Nsm5MgmECZ41ts96U5cUsf6EQOB5BZZ6rKPnpUspMF_LiWwK865Ya7uhK-esOLpoumFH66yEUjUqXbqp4oKx382Q9EnLsIY3gg8MQx40fWPdG85INCJ4Qg/s320/IMG_0112.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260159614349653618" border="0" /></a>My Concord Grape Clafoutis with Praline Ice Cream was also one of the most amazing desserts I have ever had.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGA18bRFC1V3PfwxPbLr_kuhyphenhyphenFAmnb9zJBevpV9RYQpGcNuTiiHCo_kC3276WVo5Ql1BparhGDtfUt7OiwpMp7aJyqzq9hEEOWIdQ_r1ciDvOmeeS9WD-OSYTsRra3K5NbpQmr4ERm6k/s1600-h/IMG_0114.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGA18bRFC1V3PfwxPbLr_kuhyphenhyphenFAmnb9zJBevpV9RYQpGcNuTiiHCo_kC3276WVo5Ql1BparhGDtfUt7OiwpMp7aJyqzq9hEEOWIdQ_r1ciDvOmeeS9WD-OSYTsRra3K5NbpQmr4ERm6k/s320/IMG_0114.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260159443056378370" border="0" /></a>The complimentary treats were also enjoyable, though Mr. BW ate most of mine.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBfLjQsZBZXwmzSbGeAub0zoIJfpFKqw8mWRrTG3YI0dZL6akSECOEE83tS9rLc1-SVazA1V08j1RUesuvQZB8br2p8dyTetWuqR1JZAfGF1Gm5Hyif3gNL1KzQALNIAHzoDTCUlSIyM/s1600-h/IMG_0113.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBfLjQsZBZXwmzSbGeAub0zoIJfpFKqw8mWRrTG3YI0dZL6akSECOEE83tS9rLc1-SVazA1V08j1RUesuvQZB8br2p8dyTetWuqR1JZAfGF1Gm5Hyif3gNL1KzQALNIAHzoDTCUlSIyM/s320/IMG_0113.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260159341464830770" border="0" /></a>We loved our experience dining at Gramercy Tavern and highly recommend it. You'll notice from the menu that the ingredients are simple and the kind of stuff you'd find in Grandma's kitchen, but everything is wonderfully prepared with just enough of an oomph to make it something special. We can't wait to go back.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-19935263134696700762008-09-28T11:55:00.000-07:002008-09-28T12:02:10.656-07:00Mark's Duck House (Falls Church)<a href="http://www.marksduckhouse.com/">Mark's Duck House</a> in Falls Church gets a 24 from Zagats. I've been interested in trying more Chinese restaurants in Virginia as my favorite ones are all located in Rockville, MD which is just slightly less convenient than Virginia.<br /><br />Lucky for me, Mr. BW's a big fan of making me happy and so we went to Mark's Duck House on Friday night.<br /><br />We started with the obligatory order of pan fried dumplings. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW84ekNc5bTlbcSQOroaM7Eoq7MuEKTsoXKniCp8K7uZfqzpZbFpXLEyI-aJ0KAAOznKjJfIARDJ0O3jhO3kiIeVuQmZdr2Qdr_JhtMH28dREDCu2PUmAWN4__7qjbgwRbT5zakf1w7jw/s1600-h/videos+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW84ekNc5bTlbcSQOroaM7Eoq7MuEKTsoXKniCp8K7uZfqzpZbFpXLEyI-aJ0KAAOznKjJfIARDJ0O3jhO3kiIeVuQmZdr2Qdr_JhtMH28dREDCu2PUmAWN4__7qjbgwRbT5zakf1w7jw/s320/videos+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251148439410173106" border="0" /></a>Photo quality is bad, but as you can see, it's appearance suggests that it's not pan fried, but deep fried. Although Mr. BW enjoyed it, I was not a fan and would not recommend these.<br /><br />In contrast to the dumplings, the bbq pork is delicious. According to Mr. BW - the best he's had! That's pretty high praise, seeing as how he's had it from Sam Woo's in Monterey Park!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DqRcKIYeub3arCJifnq9KDg5UFFOdWMPUuq7ATuDffnvW3BvjtL2KQ2KUxrO62Go6B5ZAN8IC6Hl45YM9IyZEyWmtbC6Ys5qDGKoVdDAwRCmaAQvmL9bE7reo3yUHBa-i-IxqQ6W1QI/s1600-h/videos+014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DqRcKIYeub3arCJifnq9KDg5UFFOdWMPUuq7ATuDffnvW3BvjtL2KQ2KUxrO62Go6B5ZAN8IC6Hl45YM9IyZEyWmtbC6Ys5qDGKoVdDAwRCmaAQvmL9bE7reo3yUHBa-i-IxqQ6W1QI/s320/videos+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251148362900923106" border="0" /></a>The whole peking duck that we ordered was heavenly. The skin was perfectly crisped and the ample portion made for some pretty happy chinese duck taco making.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDd99ekoQv4tQUHkG1oys_4Jn_FYVW7sybEg9ZHV9polVpKI4EKC2SXNdY3wY2S76m_PDEr09WPf4ZyD1J7HoK5Ue4FhcEidjdp0L6DOPHfUwtM9raV2lgKIOzawGfZKmSVcCrPnc3V4/s1600-h/videos+015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDd99ekoQv4tQUHkG1oys_4Jn_FYVW7sybEg9ZHV9polVpKI4EKC2SXNdY3wY2S76m_PDEr09WPf4ZyD1J7HoK5Ue4FhcEidjdp0L6DOPHfUwtM9raV2lgKIOzawGfZKmSVcCrPnc3V4/s320/videos+015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251148290426516194" border="0" /></a>Here's a view of the beef fried noodles and the stir-fry green beans. Both highly recommended. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zOBBpvYDrfUudwHjrOhdCArcnz38FE1S1uudv66v7XRzA3T7tpHRQHKkQLs0HDaS2WnqZa8jaNp5qyk5du5bNk1p6sAJhdiqxh0YCoGDXADLnvnTXWzQ4KCNAGtm4rXWxBWJetG6xBY/s1600-h/videos+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zOBBpvYDrfUudwHjrOhdCArcnz38FE1S1uudv66v7XRzA3T7tpHRQHKkQLs0HDaS2WnqZa8jaNp5qyk5du5bNk1p6sAJhdiqxh0YCoGDXADLnvnTXWzQ4KCNAGtm4rXWxBWJetG6xBY/s320/videos+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251148196883596242" border="0" /></a>Finally, we ordered a whole tilapia:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_zCOaqtn_LL-hv9mSCjYZxeC520W0kKof49CkaNN_6TRSlTOLHEOjK2p79thnBqYfGiRkxJ9lQbKkA0m2hj5gbds_nwr1XX8w3DRSQaHAT985Z8kQgJ2WcXCmZt5MVW8ReBqvOTpK38/s1600-h/videos+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_zCOaqtn_LL-hv9mSCjYZxeC520W0kKof49CkaNN_6TRSlTOLHEOjK2p79thnBqYfGiRkxJ9lQbKkA0m2hj5gbds_nwr1XX8w3DRSQaHAT985Z8kQgJ2WcXCmZt5MVW8ReBqvOTpK38/s320/videos+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251148090890562162" border="0" /></a>Delicious flavoring, but a bit too much by way of small bones for my liking.<br /><br />All in all, a hearty delicious meal. I would highly recommend Mark's Duck House to anyone searching for authentic chinese food.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-43808400403370164022008-09-28T11:46:00.000-07:002008-09-28T11:55:24.311-07:00Crystal Thai Restaurant (Arlington)Last week, Mr. BW and I made an impromptu decision to stop in at <a href="http://www.crystalthai.com/home.html">Crystal Thai</a> while we were out in Virginia, running errands.<br /><br />Mr. BW's boss has heartily recommended Crystal Thai and it gets good zagat ratings (24 for food). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0k0Y-5-0ZUaL6-R_mEM9yTzYf5XXtfE2DYc7GIvks257PFwCqYtxOc96PKXtbjMrh2lBfFZm0Xo-FkQrABhz74hDdVLnclNUPDKPnWMJ1BkW-5txzWiZjuDjP8ncU1El8T9K29_XlLWY/s1600-h/videos+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0k0Y-5-0ZUaL6-R_mEM9yTzYf5XXtfE2DYc7GIvks257PFwCqYtxOc96PKXtbjMrh2lBfFZm0Xo-FkQrABhz74hDdVLnclNUPDKPnWMJ1BkW-5txzWiZjuDjP8ncU1El8T9K29_XlLWY/s320/videos+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251146359211987314" border="0" /></a>Mr. BW started with a Long Island. It was very festive.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7Y9ykGMhSOrEpiwfgLFHOMvm-9XGCaJSmQWF7bAnEdwBYDrSP5kZHGf5q5nwdlWFepQ15_-b2L-HuzJowEJj46s00OFxGjRIrVV9YzA2Bfhr1mdCBbLR_U33B77MbGvR8xr7aWOu6as/s1600-h/videos+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7Y9ykGMhSOrEpiwfgLFHOMvm-9XGCaJSmQWF7bAnEdwBYDrSP5kZHGf5q5nwdlWFepQ15_-b2L-HuzJowEJj46s00OFxGjRIrVV9YzA2Bfhr1mdCBbLR_U33B77MbGvR8xr7aWOu6as/s320/videos+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251146283357415186" border="0" /></a>My fresh spring rolls were very different. First, there was no shrimp, just thin chicken. Second, the rolls use mint, instead of the more traditional cilantro. Also, as you can see, they're fatter than the usual "fresh spring roll" that you get at Thai/Vietnamese restaurants. Interesting to see something different, but I prefer the mainstay.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJI5TRSGf32Lmzph3mxldcWvnwTleHHiWTvtXeMlr5yn7L6hzxEmox2Yb8tKK13MKbDwCqTdlxwUCsl4lOVzRTt8S3FOX8g7cLF6s1zmSEto9i0yq0jNCkFWtOWEs89yMzSRKOtffSAQ/s1600-h/videos+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJI5TRSGf32Lmzph3mxldcWvnwTleHHiWTvtXeMlr5yn7L6hzxEmox2Yb8tKK13MKbDwCqTdlxwUCsl4lOVzRTt8S3FOX8g7cLF6s1zmSEto9i0yq0jNCkFWtOWEs89yMzSRKOtffSAQ/s320/videos+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251146158799420770" border="0" /></a>Mr. BW ordered the num tok appetizer - grilled flank steak with lime juice, chili, red onion, cucumber, and mint leaves. Very tasty and in many ways much much better than a similar dish that we order frequently from our favorite thai restaurant - Thai Noy.<br /><br />For his meal, Mr. BW ordered a special that they had going that night. Pork chops! As you can see, the portion was huge. The taste was very different, reminscent of a lot of hawaiian flavored food that I've sampled in the past.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZ8ks512CWb6-Rf8-gwkzuWcdG4VSq7KKlyLFbBf-OfbmEKC2O16737GYQXn170oYBdDYDt1ve8k79OdyS6UZhyphenhyphenOMzm6aK9dhbOph8hx-vvgMadnv70MG9br2t3i7XNSXInVwNXv7q70/s1600-h/videos+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZ8ks512CWb6-Rf8-gwkzuWcdG4VSq7KKlyLFbBf-OfbmEKC2O16737GYQXn170oYBdDYDt1ve8k79OdyS6UZhyphenhyphenOMzm6aK9dhbOph8hx-vvgMadnv70MG9br2t3i7XNSXInVwNXv7q70/s320/videos+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251146008293020802" border="0" /></a>I ordered the chicken curry as I was interested in something simple that could really help me evaluate the flavors of the restaurant. The chicken chunks were too big, as were the potato (potato?) chunks. The flavor of the curry was excellent, but because the chunks were so large, much of the chicken was tasteless (and getting close to dry) by the time you start eating the individual bits and pieces.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfH4tMFLCGlu6k6qudi38y3BI4e82xOCgKCKEPM0okIAzB55ySwmjB-xE8ClJYpWLvEg2PnjxQT92gKL1hZ4FVC4A-WXHg6V1PLDNMp4b-Xj0Vz_V-jIEUaKmfArhq1eM_v3SPJk_YlYg/s1600-h/videos+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfH4tMFLCGlu6k6qudi38y3BI4e82xOCgKCKEPM0okIAzB55ySwmjB-xE8ClJYpWLvEg2PnjxQT92gKL1hZ4FVC4A-WXHg6V1PLDNMp4b-Xj0Vz_V-jIEUaKmfArhq1eM_v3SPJk_YlYg/s320/videos+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251145856973002706" border="0" /></a>Overall the food was good, but Thai Noy is still probably better.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-14133473709299048892008-09-24T18:19:00.000-07:002008-09-24T18:21:29.841-07:00No FunI had great and wonderful plans to go to <a href="http://www.toscadc.com/">Tosca</a> today for lunch. Better yet, I was taking an interviewee out, so lunch was going to be free!<br /><br />Unfortunately, I was stuck on a conference call and couldn't shake free. I hate missing new dining adventures!mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-90272329118169918732008-09-23T18:31:00.001-07:002008-09-23T18:32:56.233-07:00TeaismToday, I met up with a friend of a friend at <a href="http://www.teaism.com/">Teaism</a> downtown.<br /><br />I ordered the chicken bento box and she had the salmon bento box. The food was causal, cheap, and good for what it was. If Teaism wasn't 0.9 walking miles away from my office, I'd definitely go more often!mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-24461539790511389332008-09-23T18:29:00.000-07:002008-09-23T18:31:44.722-07:00Hank's Oyster BarTonight, Mr. BW and I met up with some friends at <a href="http://www.hanksdc.com/">Hank's Oyster Bar</a>.<br /><br />Mr. BW started with the sardines and ordered the Lobster Roll for dinner. I started with the scallops and had the fish tacos for dinner. Our friends both ordered the Monday/Tuesday special: molasses braised short ribs. <br /><br />Service was great and the food was lovely. The final bill seemed a bit high, but I suppose $171 for four appetizers, four entrees, one beer, and a bottle of wine is perfectly reasonable.<br /><br />Also, since the restaurant does not serve dessert, your check comes with a little dish of coarsely chopped dark chocolate - yum!mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-37351333012486550082008-09-21T19:56:00.001-07:002008-09-21T20:03:38.556-07:00TenPenhLast week, I went to <a href="http://www.tenpenh.com/intro-flash.html">TenPenh</a> for lunch with a co-worker. Since this was my first time dining with said co-worker, I didn't want to turn him off from future dining adventures by busting out my camera.<br /><br />We are currently enjoying some lovely weather here in the good old District of Columbia. And so, we elected to be seated outside. We started with an order of the filipino lumpia style pork and shrimp spring rolls ($11) which were delicious. There were four in our order and the trio of sauces were delicious. Highly recommended.<br /><br />My co-worker went with the braised Korean short-rib that was on special that day and I opted for the Chow Foon Noodles ($14). The food was good enough, but not fantastic. While I enjoyed our spring rolls immensely and while there are numerous other appetizer options on the menu that I find intriguing, I can't say I'd go back again, unless someone else was picking up the tab. Luckily for me, it's close to work and opportunities for comp'd lunches spring up occasionally. Next time, however, I'll be sure to order 2-3 different appetizers and skip the entrees altogether.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-36308657800596590332008-09-21T19:51:00.000-07:002008-09-21T19:54:13.813-07:00radio silenceI haven't been posting these past few weeks for a number of reasons:<br />1) week long vacation in a far away land;<br />2) lack of new dining experiences for quite some time; and<br />3) intermittently too busy at work or too much free time and busy worrying about the ever increasing number of "apocalypse now" news headlines<br /><br />But, Mr. BW and I went to Crystal Thai in Falls Church last night and I have a few new dining adventures for you coming up (although some may not be accompanied by photos).mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-5684706469035340712008-09-09T05:31:00.000-07:002008-09-09T05:33:21.615-07:00End CommercialMr. BW and I just returned from a week long vacation out west -- Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Park to be exact. I was very much looking forward to a few hectic and busy work weeks to come, but based on events beyond my control (no, as far as I can tell, I haven't been fired) I'm finding myself with a lot of time of my hands. And so, I'm waiting for the appliance guy to show up to fix our dishwasher that has been broken for four months before heading off to work and twiddling my thumbs for a few hours. Shaping up to be a relaxing "welcome back" week.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-8581544607049077402008-08-24T11:31:00.001-07:002008-08-24T17:53:22.844-07:00Dogfish Head AlehouseWith the impending start of football season, I've had a hunkering for some good bar food lately. It doesn't help that we've been having so many awesome meals lately (<span style="font-style: italic;">see, e.g.,</span> <a href="http://mandooforeveryone.blogspot.com/2008/08/rasika.html">Rasika</a>, <a href="http://mandooforeveryone.blogspot.com/2008/08/bezu-potomac.html">Bezu</a>, and <a href="http://mandooforeveryone.blogspot.com/2008/08/cafe-atlantic.html">Cafe Atlantico</a>) made with fresh, local ingredients, that I really <span style="font-style: italic;">needed</span> some fatty greasy goodness to cancel some of it out.<br /><br />So we headed out to <a href="http://dogfishalehouse.com/content/view/30/1/">Dogfish Head Alehouse</a> in Falls Church, VA. And you know what? It did the trick.<br /><br />Spicy buffalo wings, hearty alehouse chili nachoes, and some fried calamari.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iOdwA0JLWTY1VohlZnwquOPQ5l8rsQQFZlsH2staPjNje9pfzN-sULPDwqzRW-DlwU3lH6hL_nJhBnN6geCQofuh8NpF-MXmR6mBS_Cd6JjH3xt-Qj-tPHWxCI2vzunspw3mRRCUJ3c/s1600-h/dogfish01.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iOdwA0JLWTY1VohlZnwquOPQ5l8rsQQFZlsH2staPjNje9pfzN-sULPDwqzRW-DlwU3lH6hL_nJhBnN6geCQofuh8NpF-MXmR6mBS_Cd6JjH3xt-Qj-tPHWxCI2vzunspw3mRRCUJ3c/s320/dogfish01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238153790206197090" border="0" /></a>I downed it with a glass of festina peche, which was fruity and refreshing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tF-IH2Sx8hYpjd36dsP2Q5ybgsncCag3ikIImP6hATXdsg1oNunIl7U6iiNp16eIuh1jJxfn4lhDcTReFiTOICTPeuhpgdRp84mn0It6LkSLtwIK48mlZDqHBwADPMq0ytnunGuHWrE/s1600-h/dogfish2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tF-IH2Sx8hYpjd36dsP2Q5ybgsncCag3ikIImP6hATXdsg1oNunIl7U6iiNp16eIuh1jJxfn4lhDcTReFiTOICTPeuhpgdRp84mn0It6LkSLtwIK48mlZDqHBwADPMq0ytnunGuHWrE/s320/dogfish2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238153713868452658" border="0" /></a>On monday nights, they have a $5 half-pound burger and fries special. Me thinks Mr. BW and I will be going back, soon.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-17360165420240099662008-08-24T11:25:00.000-07:002008-08-24T11:45:00.912-07:00Poste BrasserieA belated post for <a href="http://www.postebrasserie.com/">Poste</a>. Get it? Okay, not that funny.<br /><br />Before our fabulous dining experience at <a href="http://mandooforeveryone.blogspot.com/2008/08/rasika.html">Rasika</a> with Brother BW and SIL BW, Mr. BW and I met up at Poste Brasserie to check out the scene. Mr. BW had been before, but I had not.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vL_S7xUQpxN0flrw_tlTgpLfpD-s6P-1B1l5AfC8f7WGmRDf6mjXPJtbaoLYwt8AYy4ZKSfFlbxa6sXtkY2l3ZnT3lEOV9KuTEMofz9ppyCS7pTRqN5P5JvhjWw_vtQZdTPcjRnxTNg/s1600-h/poste01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vL_S7xUQpxN0flrw_tlTgpLfpD-s6P-1B1l5AfC8f7WGmRDf6mjXPJtbaoLYwt8AYy4ZKSfFlbxa6sXtkY2l3ZnT3lEOV9KuTEMofz9ppyCS7pTRqN5P5JvhjWw_vtQZdTPcjRnxTNg/s320/poste01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238152769530433298" border="0" /></a><br />I ordered a ruby red: stoli razberi, hangar one kaffir lime, cranberry juice, and finished with sparkling wine. Tasty.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-VXOl8RPQZKefbIQzPNx6NxxqIipUmVtVFkhaFKFLYj6qWwhQTzirZ-3P45MGGB1G3vjMtNlWt-KyppQbij22I7uaVKCY_QHvZWjyO7T1q_i47iZzNS6zaCNAfPdU_CLwTe9lhOslk8/s1600-h/poste1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-VXOl8RPQZKefbIQzPNx6NxxqIipUmVtVFkhaFKFLYj6qWwhQTzirZ-3P45MGGB1G3vjMtNlWt-KyppQbij22I7uaVKCY_QHvZWjyO7T1q_i47iZzNS6zaCNAfPdU_CLwTe9lhOslk8/s320/poste1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238152863702692034" border="0" /></a>Mr. BW ordered a whiskey.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDn_CX_nnUDdC8NZqCWOulmHlby-pwizLe3fiphM5okh0ldBJ837fTR9WgOug2qEVbFTMqx0-D88ysfzw_cqL-q7Ng5HxvSahm7Fw4Qj7zogFGbgV-9cfjWp1ZlJneMAqRcZeTo-EbBU/s1600-h/IMG_0078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDn_CX_nnUDdC8NZqCWOulmHlby-pwizLe3fiphM5okh0ldBJ837fTR9WgOug2qEVbFTMqx0-D88ysfzw_cqL-q7Ng5HxvSahm7Fw4Qj7zogFGbgV-9cfjWp1ZlJneMAqRcZeTo-EbBU/s320/IMG_0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238152955295238946" border="0" /></a><br />The bar was nice and I enjoyed the pre-dinner drinks. Will definitely have to go back and check out the reportedly delicious fries and check out the outside lounge. Not usually my scene, but I can do mainstream every once in a while.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-51275432576439256462008-08-24T11:08:00.000-07:002008-08-24T17:56:11.168-07:00Cafe AtlanticoOn Friday, Mr. BW and I treated ourselves to dinner at <a href="http://www.cafeatlantico.com/">Cafe Atlantico</a>. And by treated ourselves, I mean we decided we needed to take one last run at the Restaurant Week specials. Luckily, Cafe Atlantico had openings and we've been wanting to go for some time.<br /><br />We started with some obligatory cocktails: a caipirinha for each of us. Good, but not entirely sure it's worth the $11 price tag. Then again, I'm cheap when it comes to alcohol -- I would much rather pour my own drinks with ample alcohol and little to no filler and not have to deal with driving home at the end of the tunnel.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPFlUWGLMA-lvm-XVvCyjwnVEB1VW9_MyGCV67eWRES7hepi8C8zER1qF4Tf7ArXMsGwS5nwHu4ZMVPvjVyECBZZ4Ms-XgotTuLzc3Cb7VEqarSiWA5ZfPkXv14czjG8gLgEQpZUbegs/s1600-h/cafeang01.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPFlUWGLMA-lvm-XVvCyjwnVEB1VW9_MyGCV67eWRES7hepi8C8zER1qF4Tf7ArXMsGwS5nwHu4ZMVPvjVyECBZZ4Ms-XgotTuLzc3Cb7VEqarSiWA5ZfPkXv14czjG8gLgEQpZUbegs/s320/cafeang01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238149179801943298" border="0" /></a>We each ordered the salad to start. Mr. BW was skeptical when I reported that numerous online commentators had mentioned that the spring salad was surprisingly tasty and highly recommended. Nonetheless, we both agreed ~ toasted rice on salad is scrumdiddlyicious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZaAH0DBnNZmLufXeU4204a-pImrNOnAOE2NyYIopCIeLkETzHo4vSNULtB_k9jHm2vVlDuIGeU7tPuqFo8FsD_J6U7hSB8Pp0o7kWa7zbeO6Gt0Fx3II_fqq79Y-5TvkWjugJVCP6LU/s1600-h/IMG_0111.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZaAH0DBnNZmLufXeU4204a-pImrNOnAOE2NyYIopCIeLkETzHo4vSNULtB_k9jHm2vVlDuIGeU7tPuqFo8FsD_J6U7hSB8Pp0o7kWa7zbeO6Gt0Fx3II_fqq79Y-5TvkWjugJVCP6LU/s320/IMG_0111.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238148950047305442" border="0" /></a><br />For our main course, I ordered a daiquiri. Again, I should've gone with a glass of red wine, which was Mr. BW's wise course of action. I, however, wanted to see what the online buzz was and try these so called amazing daiquiris. Unfortunately for me, there was just a wee bit too much sugar in this daiquiri (again, I like mine to be heavy on the alcohol, skimpy on the filler) and for $10, I should've gone with a glass of red instead.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVS92UUQrItOftqb5RaqS2GN-9g0DISdPXQDd0E7TG03jHjCDa5bzEHpVXWBLBKIh49aBs40De50JlOW3a-q4qu4YrpXomlA0APmcbsMR_6NaMThe5jLXyDxQ-Dg5rTQmQvqiFL6Wx6V8/s1600-h/daiquiri.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVS92UUQrItOftqb5RaqS2GN-9g0DISdPXQDd0E7TG03jHjCDa5bzEHpVXWBLBKIh49aBs40De50JlOW3a-q4qu4YrpXomlA0APmcbsMR_6NaMThe5jLXyDxQ-Dg5rTQmQvqiFL6Wx6V8/s320/daiquiri.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238149126772465138" border="0" /></a>For my main course, I ordered the feijao tropeiro. Grilled pork chop with black beans with pork, rice, farofa, oranges, and sauteed collard greens with garlic. I'm not sure I cared for the farofa* (the mealy yellow stuff which was largely tasteless), but everything else was heavenly. And this from a girl who doesn't really like collard greens. The meal also came with some <span style="font-style: italic;">heavenly</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">wickedly hot</span> hot sauce *not pictured, which was delicious. I need me a tub of that, post haste.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XWNeoUqdE69vdyFh3Oe-k1_61WM5_pGnzxa1lJxg-wjHnkk1YwUrCvi6knpnu1wXcOaSSv1xrH_ThtSLYNx0Fe4bcKpCT06NV1WffC5eZbQQ-Opj2lJkL_1Ucdq3LSbApg6epQ9qGXY/s1600-h/IMG_0112.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XWNeoUqdE69vdyFh3Oe-k1_61WM5_pGnzxa1lJxg-wjHnkk1YwUrCvi6knpnu1wXcOaSSv1xrH_ThtSLYNx0Fe4bcKpCT06NV1WffC5eZbQQ-Opj2lJkL_1Ucdq3LSbApg6epQ9qGXY/s320/IMG_0112.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238148854627264562" border="0" /></a>Mr. BW ordered the striped bass veracruz. Presentation was wonderful and it was good, but my meal was better.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41JRj7B1n0hcomjZXmWpSQpyvv8E49wXBCb4rNW-BCLYLbXRkekhWKh3KJxJFEmMjLbKEzPx3UIiAOVEsc-vjeH4EmBwgg1tSeW6yzABe7hbKucplzrn33HqHke6qkfnj1a15YVAIfGY/s1600-h/IMG_0113.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41JRj7B1n0hcomjZXmWpSQpyvv8E49wXBCb4rNW-BCLYLbXRkekhWKh3KJxJFEmMjLbKEzPx3UIiAOVEsc-vjeH4EmBwgg1tSeW6yzABe7hbKucplzrn33HqHke6qkfnj1a15YVAIfGY/s320/IMG_0113.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238148769038707698" border="0" /></a>Mr. BW's dessert outshone mine by a mile: warm chocolate cake with banana espuma and fresh banana lime salad. So friggin good. I managed to stealthily sneak about 1/2 of it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEw_4HoKKLMKMvKvsGpX5iVd_bcgishRSVzhyphenhyphenC05w4nQfK-u6Rwx5tUdeowyIfnpW7QqPqvzg7_Z0wFeN6Hi9nnJYnFSs1dahaCEOagG6Je4R0nbJGayztLn07BQysnLLhQ4qdzyp6K4/s1600-h/essert2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEw_4HoKKLMKMvKvsGpX5iVd_bcgishRSVzhyphenhyphenC05w4nQfK-u6Rwx5tUdeowyIfnpW7QqPqvzg7_Z0wFeN6Hi9nnJYnFSs1dahaCEOagG6Je4R0nbJGayztLn07BQysnLLhQ4qdzyp6K4/s320/essert2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238148588463606258" border="0" /></a>I ordered the sorbet of the day - passion fruit. Mr. BW said it was darned tasty, but just a bit too sweet for me. Should've gone with the chocolate cake.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RE8_yl-GdAVYaljHHl1xnFKaFvlJj5hpe5jQIrEsIv_Chf9G1li6cEcnKYV7R6gZhzY116lmmIheTWQqWLna8_EEKeCN7dn0joZMhS8bVK0JWhmVeu-HOQctkvwZ47Sjv9ErSaqtcQo/s1600-h/dessert.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RE8_yl-GdAVYaljHHl1xnFKaFvlJj5hpe5jQIrEsIv_Chf9G1li6cEcnKYV7R6gZhzY116lmmIheTWQqWLna8_EEKeCN7dn0joZMhS8bVK0JWhmVeu-HOQctkvwZ47Sjv9ErSaqtcQo/s320/dessert.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238148524184397138" border="0" /></a>BTW: service was outstanding. I've had a few disappointing experiences dining downtown with shoddy (ie slow and ambivalent) service, especially at the more trendy places, but Cafe Atlantico was amazing. Service was fast and friendly. Loved it.<br /><br /><br /><br />*To be fair, I had no idea what the strange mealy yellowness was and didn't bother to ask our server what it was and how to eat it. After poking at it suspiciously and trying bits of it on the tip of my fork, I decided that it just wasn't for me and moved on. As we were leaving, I heard our server explain it to the table next to us. Evidently, it is not supposed to be eaten plain, but rather, should be mixed with the other goodies on the plate to add texture. Go figure.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-67757316849074789782008-08-18T19:07:00.000-07:002008-08-18T19:11:01.626-07:00Mondays!This weekend, Mr. BW and I went to Costco and picked up a bag of frozen scallops on the fly.<br /><br />Tonight, we decided to cook some up! For dinner, we had three scallops pan-fried in butter and olive oil after a light smattering of salt and pepper.<br /><br />We also had some whole wheat penne with Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese and finally, some peas with chopped up bacon! It was a delicious and easy meal. And <span style="font-style: italic;">not that bad for us</span>, right?<br /><br />My plate:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4gee-1sK5sMgGDWtlbhb2_1ZzibU0H5bsPyXoNcXGqEoVZ2P7xu4Rd-iZPAnnUBLnsCNnGdaFFro6E60eDR7ozl7Cn5Mcqrt2v9ROs8f9gqfGl0lw4Zl6D8h7tt5HPYKH5Fe4utzwfc/s1600-h/IMG_2026.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4gee-1sK5sMgGDWtlbhb2_1ZzibU0H5bsPyXoNcXGqEoVZ2P7xu4Rd-iZPAnnUBLnsCNnGdaFFro6E60eDR7ozl7Cn5Mcqrt2v9ROs8f9gqfGl0lw4Zl6D8h7tt5HPYKH5Fe4utzwfc/s320/IMG_2026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236045127722184930" border="0" /></a><br />Mr. BW's plate.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspOTT3ODyPMsL8WTwYUYkzwNzuHWv9V3f6UPFWxePhVA5k3eMeQ3KmNPX14jlFGnlnJzQqizOC-pmJxoB_Gvmg3_eM4o_h3ER6kTpxysecR1rM2VpD2CsKL6hYg03GaAB8KSzTFTQQLQ/s1600-h/IMG_2027.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspOTT3ODyPMsL8WTwYUYkzwNzuHWv9V3f6UPFWxePhVA5k3eMeQ3KmNPX14jlFGnlnJzQqizOC-pmJxoB_Gvmg3_eM4o_h3ER6kTpxysecR1rM2VpD2CsKL6hYg03GaAB8KSzTFTQQLQ/s320/IMG_2027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236044883654349106" border="0" /></a>mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-6794826968514654452008-08-16T17:04:00.000-07:002008-08-16T17:23:54.957-07:00Bezu - PotomacTonight, Mr. BW and I ventured out to Potomac, to dine at <a href="http://www.bezurestaurant.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bezu</span></a>. Mr. BW read about Bezu online somewhere and asked that I make reservations during Restaurant Week so that we could try it out, without spending beau coup bucks to do so. It was work every penny and both of us agreed that we will definitely be going back.<br /><br />Do not be turned off by its bland strip mall location.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8icfxk48NiaNAIeyFowyUCw0I7JRChGRMBenIXBdMOqPAAM9ms5d09s6EVXglKxQZLuWb6p5kRXgu-_gmwXTAsyRemWSoIbPXmmyVCHCcA3KjpC3xBnTv7BF0verEE5gRMsLqeETocm4/s1600-h/IMG_0102.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8icfxk48NiaNAIeyFowyUCw0I7JRChGRMBenIXBdMOqPAAM9ms5d09s6EVXglKxQZLuWb6p5kRXgu-_gmwXTAsyRemWSoIbPXmmyVCHCcA3KjpC3xBnTv7BF0verEE5gRMsLqeETocm4/s320/IMG_0102.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235271712523177506" border="0" /></a>Fried beggar's purse with kobe beef, compliments of the chef. Served with a very tasty aioli sauce. Both of us gobbled it up. Unfortunately, the tray full of beggar's purses that I was secretly hoping for never arrived.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0-8PowIrhcc-c-1_kExIqHWi2QK2cJEA4x04AqBE4OuP6TqbfTexOS9gmlkneb7C_fV5PLKIpjgeN2OzdvB7oab1w3WJcPcpeZ__NLq-2gVbK9QI8TZ7lXyp31jKMRLWRuQWDqQpkeA/s1600-h/IMG_0103.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0-8PowIrhcc-c-1_kExIqHWi2QK2cJEA4x04AqBE4OuP6TqbfTexOS9gmlkneb7C_fV5PLKIpjgeN2OzdvB7oab1w3WJcPcpeZ__NLq-2gVbK9QI8TZ7lXyp31jKMRLWRuQWDqQpkeA/s320/IMG_0103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235271621383418898" border="0" /></a>For Restaurant Week, Bezu was offering a three choices for each course. Mr. BW selected the calamari, which he said was delicious.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSf1m1nyinmY-X9dQhP5RLpV3Sfhd71_GaOyg5n6r9HZ5fQQUjdB2vk65xKWaWRlehkpqXzTkmSC2Wf8h5FFcSWu8X7smNKwvFclVhY4EzvnmbC1sX8uG7JvC-0bRKqwQS3s7w3NrXJ40/s1600-h/IMG_0105.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSf1m1nyinmY-X9dQhP5RLpV3Sfhd71_GaOyg5n6r9HZ5fQQUjdB2vk65xKWaWRlehkpqXzTkmSC2Wf8h5FFcSWu8X7smNKwvFclVhY4EzvnmbC1sX8uG7JvC-0bRKqwQS3s7w3NrXJ40/s320/IMG_0105.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235271527473498994" border="0" /></a>I went went the seasonal salad, which was also quite tasty. The warm goat cheese and poached pears were a refreshing start to the meal to come.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDjLSYKpKp82pR9uaEQdvKIbutch6HprvqfIlneAaclwGBAmniuk199CqhZWIlezuI2QawjLVwi5M2KFIojbntMvt-EX4t3JxfillprXqgrIYFLRIqaINhh6XSFwwrLc7Xs1t5S6kr8g/s1600-h/IMG_0104.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDjLSYKpKp82pR9uaEQdvKIbutch6HprvqfIlneAaclwGBAmniuk199CqhZWIlezuI2QawjLVwi5M2KFIojbntMvt-EX4t3JxfillprXqgrIYFLRIqaINhh6XSFwwrLc7Xs1t5S6kr8g/s320/IMG_0104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235271374418453426" border="0" /></a>I couldn't resist -- I ordered the Fuzu rice noodles course. An interesting twist on traditional asian rice noodle dishes -- this one included shrimp, chicken, <span style="font-style: italic;">and scallops</span> with snow peas, carrots, bean sprouts and onions! And black sesame seeds on top! A distinctly asian taste, but also just different enough to be unlike anything I had ever tasted before.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4jicFOO5Rhgdspp4RVGHWtycWVcOM3eL7mD2cJgDYOjjZMVCMokYsemWk4XVMZmt8p8DjbMpuWtUxt-PMaGN7GFUWE8FSnJoHfNxLRzf24AbzrUCD0hKZKvs6s1AfZkU-8pk3FTPXbM/s1600-h/IMG_0106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4jicFOO5Rhgdspp4RVGHWtycWVcOM3eL7mD2cJgDYOjjZMVCMokYsemWk4XVMZmt8p8DjbMpuWtUxt-PMaGN7GFUWE8FSnJoHfNxLRzf24AbzrUCD0hKZKvs6s1AfZkU-8pk3FTPXbM/s320/IMG_0106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235271235293869026" border="0" /></a>Mr. BW ordered the ginger crusted skate, which he enjoyed immensely.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWlmDM-gooikyUWZ9V0EKQRnmE2us9CFySSEvmJg7ymWXpKYVKTIy9n16Bgm721JMzfuWw3qKRG1qHY9RGxy65wLiauZZha0yfBmQPophT3lQWpIGLz0bvYag78_TsRmE-tAG3JXOmyc/s1600-h/IMG_0107.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWlmDM-gooikyUWZ9V0EKQRnmE2us9CFySSEvmJg7ymWXpKYVKTIy9n16Bgm721JMzfuWw3qKRG1qHY9RGxy65wLiauZZha0yfBmQPophT3lQWpIGLz0bvYag78_TsRmE-tAG3JXOmyc/s320/IMG_0107.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235271116594594626" border="0" /></a><br />After our server complimented us on our incredibly clean plates, he brought us our dessert selections. Mr. BW ordered the rice pudding.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWCjGlemAJahc7fgK98XpvAKbCq60YicWmGzuvOpoKoI3Z6G8Wj2aS5LSJZCvxZ29Yi3UvQqaM5PlYbec88jXkc1A9wjy-Ym96zxuYFMlGVZtOux6v_hd6f-k6t-635dolKaNd9QEk1s/s1600-h/IMG_0108.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWCjGlemAJahc7fgK98XpvAKbCq60YicWmGzuvOpoKoI3Z6G8Wj2aS5LSJZCvxZ29Yi3UvQqaM5PlYbec88jXkc1A9wjy-Ym96zxuYFMlGVZtOux6v_hd6f-k6t-635dolKaNd9QEk1s/s320/IMG_0108.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235271006520919874" border="0" /></a>I ordered the mango beignet, which was also delicious.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbT8gR6S-kVsraZKlfj1oaUlwWgVeNlTaYYRaVAw56WM90mMh31iz_rcsBb2Y10eVGPdZX-qtQYKsvz6dITGcT2t-tkGbuprfxVaX8qCdAny-AleqR84Tx3PSAbk5UbqI0Hb-CtwUaJ7Q/s1600-h/IMG_0109.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbT8gR6S-kVsraZKlfj1oaUlwWgVeNlTaYYRaVAw56WM90mMh31iz_rcsBb2Y10eVGPdZX-qtQYKsvz6dITGcT2t-tkGbuprfxVaX8qCdAny-AleqR84Tx3PSAbk5UbqI0Hb-CtwUaJ7Q/s320/IMG_0109.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235270934237680402" border="0" /></a>To accompany our meal, we ordered the 2006 Cambria Viogner. The last time Mr. BW and I were wine tasting in Santa Barbara, we tried to go to Cambria but could not find it. A series of very confusing signs, dead ends, and other available and readily marked vineyards thwarted our attempts to visit the winery, which is one of the few more widely distributed Santa Barbara wineries. Luckily for us, Bezu's wine mark up was not that bad, particularly if ordering off-the-beaten path wines (which is to say that the price for the oft-ordered and well-known veuve clicquot was a hearty 3x what you'd pay at the store). Anyhow, our wine was reasonably priced and next time we visit Bezu, we'll be sure to go on a Monday, where <span style="font-weight: bold;">all bottles of wine are 1/2 off.</span> Yes, you heard me. Go. Visit. Order wine.<br /><br />See the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=cityguide/profile&id=1080468">Post's review</a> dated February 22, 2007, auspicious, sayeth Mr. BW whose birthday happens to fall on the 22nd.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-50402241995007715962008-08-16T13:08:00.000-07:002008-08-16T13:25:48.032-07:00ZolaOn Wednesday, after two days of eating steamed veggies and brown rice for lunch, Mr. BW and I met up at <a href="http://zoladc.com/">Zola</a> for lunch! I was particularly excited because it was Restaurant Week and Zola was offering their full menu. Thus, we could try anything on the menu and only pay $20.08/person. My kind of adventure.<br /><br />We were seated in the first room to the right of the entrance and this was the display in the middle of the room. Not something I'd seen before and not entirely sure how I feel about it as a decor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Mkz-PSnVjEnH1kZP4nrUH9naBuu5P0n3-BnOXkCiyqnBBqaU0k6MKuVTdeQfYBKGVDa7jU9SU58mnukVqMTyttwJbPFdSKAl_5lHe7HZk5-y4shi9hnzY7cPM3ZdpbhwXGlD9dPNwkQ/s1600-h/IMG_0102.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Mkz-PSnVjEnH1kZP4nrUH9naBuu5P0n3-BnOXkCiyqnBBqaU0k6MKuVTdeQfYBKGVDa7jU9SU58mnukVqMTyttwJbPFdSKAl_5lHe7HZk5-y4shi9hnzY7cPM3ZdpbhwXGlD9dPNwkQ/s320/IMG_0102.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235210812369963970" border="0" /></a>Our bread was delicious. And the brown sea salt on the butter? Fab.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvjqphMg8fnjDYdkt9aaY1pc2GwWzciMMvWxStBmAwoqWorNVHGumNL0mgOvAQeMMTSKYLZTKHz6AsvJ4Kv-pYg9EkKltfxldkWNgabxeFO7LbfvKjdT4pzRIVQhhUGi1PJ_dQgnIYd8/s1600-h/IMG_0103.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvjqphMg8fnjDYdkt9aaY1pc2GwWzciMMvWxStBmAwoqWorNVHGumNL0mgOvAQeMMTSKYLZTKHz6AsvJ4Kv-pYg9EkKltfxldkWNgabxeFO7LbfvKjdT4pzRIVQhhUGi1PJ_dQgnIYd8/s320/IMG_0103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235210752599716210" border="0" /></a>I started with the sunchoke tortelloni with grilled ramps, lemon-spring garlic jus, and sunchoke chips. It was okay, not great. A little too heavy for lunch and the individual flavors did not seem to stand out.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Acn8jEl4qwXTnuBoWSuH0GxLZGJ1TLPqVCxVDbmuJd3TgZJXdTa0rn3h4F-AqTsH3d90gR0NHcDFu6iEismEabr-_0maprK3d-GiEwRgdJpOAfVDmNygd0PBwlFjQ1zHDf4TTIRL334/s1600-h/IMG_0104.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Acn8jEl4qwXTnuBoWSuH0GxLZGJ1TLPqVCxVDbmuJd3TgZJXdTa0rn3h4F-AqTsH3d90gR0NHcDFu6iEismEabr-_0maprK3d-GiEwRgdJpOAfVDmNygd0PBwlFjQ1zHDf4TTIRL334/s320/IMG_0104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235210655982035810" border="0" /></a>Mr. BW started with the scallop cress salad with watermelon carpaccio and dressed with ramp-pink peppercorn vinaigrette. He gave me a tasty taste and it was delicious. Wish I'd gone with my first instinct and ordered it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZXU4E1egkWap24zLrZxH3T82VGlpT3tywk-4oBEItZf2CIzRr-F9gEaVsZ5rjI80yh_4AK-dLUxVEU2Z53QZTNrOLzcZ6TXQkACltWxv3R36HqGSh_8VuoTULRCPKkKjfLH58vg-k1k/s1600-h/IMG_0105.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZXU4E1egkWap24zLrZxH3T82VGlpT3tywk-4oBEItZf2CIzRr-F9gEaVsZ5rjI80yh_4AK-dLUxVEU2Z53QZTNrOLzcZ6TXQkACltWxv3R36HqGSh_8VuoTULRCPKkKjfLH58vg-k1k/s320/IMG_0105.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235210588147948770" border="0" /></a>Mr. BW ordered the blue crab omelette with a salad of baby lettuce, tomato vinaigrette and topped with crispy shallots. I didn't get much out of him except that it was "okay." My guess is he wasn't blown away.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gKgwzZ2KerGJOgvgA6mHUvPBz8iJmCE4ArlCELITRTafpmUYlXXGjicmkZ_3FQxm3xkeNyfV3YrV9zH31eVhM7o6UuQFAXNZJfuGvHk762axR7WBH9RyD41HI1RhRUpxrvOuKRCXYSs/s1600-h/IMG_0106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gKgwzZ2KerGJOgvgA6mHUvPBz8iJmCE4ArlCELITRTafpmUYlXXGjicmkZ_3FQxm3xkeNyfV3YrV9zH31eVhM7o6UuQFAXNZJfuGvHk762axR7WBH9RyD41HI1RhRUpxrvOuKRCXYSs/s320/IMG_0106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235210516615034306" border="0" /></a>I went with the grilled lamb sandwich with goat cheese aioli, sweet pepper and asparagus slaw and a side salad of arugula to finish the meal. My lamb was tasty enough, but I always forget that lamb is a hard meat to have in a sandwich -- just a little too chewy and messy for when you're dressed up and have to go back to work. The breading was delicious and I heartily enjoyed it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcJBaVFIyMr-imXEALYBvPmRzTBD2iq7J7fUQFFq3BwQBbCvFK3r_YMdg6Wz_3W0mh9jyRKUDjdLINUDkEMNQ1zbqISixdzfahlJ3D33Q6U2IKOI3B5_XzsqtyTkugq2BG0H8iJ4DWns/s1600-h/IMG_0107.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcJBaVFIyMr-imXEALYBvPmRzTBD2iq7J7fUQFFq3BwQBbCvFK3r_YMdg6Wz_3W0mh9jyRKUDjdLINUDkEMNQ1zbqISixdzfahlJ3D33Q6U2IKOI3B5_XzsqtyTkugq2BG0H8iJ4DWns/s320/IMG_0107.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235210378620124386" border="0" /></a>For dessert, I selected the passionate tart -- passion fruit, meringue and brandy soaked blueberries. As you can see, I had to get my dessert to go because the service was so exceeding slow. Our reservation was for 1pm, and we did not receive our entree until well past 2pm. I understand that it was Restaurant Week and that they were over capacity as a result, but I don't believe restaurants (or any business for that matter) should sign up to participate in an event of any kind when they do not have the necessary manpower to do it well.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzw8Um5Ir3dJqH7-fBm6yciJAVbvAlZz5gkFXCoP8BkOm6JeHhYasfn-PPPjtq0lc6mpINmFGAFCQBMaB8Y7AQhK0o1YNSKapwrObN_Gi-DCGj8OI_xVe9cIol2jITLQYAe6YmA9a8EJI/s1600-h/IMG_0109.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzw8Um5Ir3dJqH7-fBm6yciJAVbvAlZz5gkFXCoP8BkOm6JeHhYasfn-PPPjtq0lc6mpINmFGAFCQBMaB8Y7AQhK0o1YNSKapwrObN_Gi-DCGj8OI_xVe9cIol2jITLQYAe6YmA9a8EJI/s320/IMG_0109.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235210244985907602" border="0" /></a>Anyhow, my dessert was not great, and had I paid the $7 sticker price for it, I would've been sorely disappointed. Mr. BW got the bombe...chocolate bombe and they packed it with a scoop of ice cream. Not the smartest thing to do when it's take-away!<br /><br />All in all, I don't regret having gone to Zola, given that including the exorbitant dc restaurant tax of 10+%, the final bill was just $44.08. However, I definitely would've regret having gone if we had paid full price for the meal. Would not recommend it unless you happen to find yourself near the spy museum or even better, on an expense account.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-47838844391584406642008-08-12T19:45:00.000-07:002008-08-12T19:54:46.786-07:00A Homecooked Mr. BW MealTonight, after getting home from the gym, Mr. BW whipped up the following.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzZqnHdltlffBvCE8E6BDucymTcOzOyRex7EleKXbVRJt-Cu-cWAK34-Nb_4Z-G5vHDl3jumFuH81OFoALAZRCF39I9ftAQU3IJN-gdPtpFbUN7mUQvDgWgJkoI-IEku0Zs5aPhTplqk/s1600-h/IMG_1996.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzZqnHdltlffBvCE8E6BDucymTcOzOyRex7EleKXbVRJt-Cu-cWAK34-Nb_4Z-G5vHDl3jumFuH81OFoALAZRCF39I9ftAQU3IJN-gdPtpFbUN7mUQvDgWgJkoI-IEku0Zs5aPhTplqk/s320/IMG_1996.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233828371489995650" border="0" /></a>Pasta in spicy vodka cause and breaded pan fried chicken with fresh grated parm. There were any number of great things about this meal. First, we had all the ingredients already and were even able to finish up both the bread crumbs and the pasta sauce so less clutter in our cupboards and fridge! Second, the entire meal, from start to finish, took approximately 30 minutes. Third, I whipped up the following salad which was a perfect accompaniment to our main course:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhno2yCnLhUql5s8-C_7hL2HwWhU-OBuXclB_R9d8XYQ3GGHrHZAoz0YTPMpVneHQX73H4u93aOP1pyB5rBrJoUIJxk0c1cC899NOW18I2rZd7sS6ouRwf5aleZjrrFTsrMUTRWtgDokjQ/s1600-h/IMG_1997.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhno2yCnLhUql5s8-C_7hL2HwWhU-OBuXclB_R9d8XYQ3GGHrHZAoz0YTPMpVneHQX73H4u93aOP1pyB5rBrJoUIJxk0c1cC899NOW18I2rZd7sS6ouRwf5aleZjrrFTsrMUTRWtgDokjQ/s320/IMG_1997.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233828274214252162" border="0" /></a>Fresh tomatoes from our small urban garden, walnuts, artichoke hearts, and cheese smuggled in from Switzerland by our neighbor! (Just kidding all you wanna be ICE agents out there ~ he DID declare it on customs). Our salads always wear homemade dressing and tonight's outfit was my standard salt + vinegar + evoo + vinegar with a twist! For vinegar, I used sauvignon vinegar that we purchased last November after tasting it at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.pasolivo.com">Pasolivo</a>.<br /><br />Dinner was quick, satisfying, and inexpensive. We also cleaned up immediately after finishing dinner, instead of prolonging the pain, which means we're now finishing up our bottle of Italian pinot noir while watching the Olympics!mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483328131758471448.post-45773515692900257372008-08-12T19:38:00.000-07:002008-08-12T19:43:11.198-07:00Aria TrattoriaLast Friday was one of those gorgeous summer days where the thought of sitting couped up in an enclosed air conditioned building was just too much to bear. And so, my coworkers and myself decided to head over to the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center to enjoy <a href="http://www.ariatrattoria.com/">Aria Trattoria's</a> patio. Because I'm still relatively new to the office, I didn't want to scare everyone by taking pictures right off the bat. And so, our started of "fresh" bread was not photographed. The bread was served in a cone shaped vessel and it was cold. Yes, cold. Did not bode well for our food.<br /><br />Two of my coworkers ordered panini's. This is one of them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-y1M1Hc7D2zqEPux_7Yi7VfjwsZXv1SY_Gvwg4OB-37d4AY2fzcw28_Is6RfGjirIaoH6ALku4i0U1HWlT6HaSfGSRKBiCJs7HFmDtIV5x2fBKbUOgvHv5NZ3dHNgVUP-dOy_g-gmIA/s1600-h/IMG_0106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-y1M1Hc7D2zqEPux_7Yi7VfjwsZXv1SY_Gvwg4OB-37d4AY2fzcw28_Is6RfGjirIaoH6ALku4i0U1HWlT6HaSfGSRKBiCJs7HFmDtIV5x2fBKbUOgvHv5NZ3dHNgVUP-dOy_g-gmIA/s320/IMG_0106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233826348956995970" border="0" /></a>For about $9, she seemed to enjoy her food well enough.<br /><br />I ordered the pulled chicken salad which arrived in the following fashion.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVweFMGejo1nNBa318nvDI4s2fc51COh8IEjyer9oa1zCoIijlsjiyl65v9YOhl5b_wiP3DOL5v7uMUGjwMmPZ0AH8HLIFxU1Tr-h1TRldfc14OskRSf8UwbCE17g4cHXpJPCLtarRY8/s1600-h/IMG_0105.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVweFMGejo1nNBa318nvDI4s2fc51COh8IEjyer9oa1zCoIijlsjiyl65v9YOhl5b_wiP3DOL5v7uMUGjwMmPZ0AH8HLIFxU1Tr-h1TRldfc14OskRSf8UwbCE17g4cHXpJPCLtarRY8/s320/IMG_0105.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233826228764396466" border="0" /></a>The presentation was certainly interesting and the chicken salad itself was quite tasty. However, the puff of very thin bread it was served in was stale. <br /><br />Nevertheless, a good time was had by all as we were in and out in less than 90 minutes and the final tab was reasonable, given the princely location. Not sure I would ever <span style="font-style: italic;">recommend</span> that someone go to Aria for the food, but maybe the patio.mlwindchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758614786701763900noreply@blogger.com0