Black Market Bistro ($$) 3.5 (food 4)
4600 Waverly Ave, Garret Park MD
301-933-3000
www.blackmarketrestaurant.com
Happy Thanksgiving! After a week of preparation culminating in gluttony that lasted 3 hours, I rested then went right back at it... I love the holidays. You eat all you want 'cause your wearing so many layers of clothes who's gonna notice the extra layer of lard! On sunday after turkey day, we (my family and my mother in law) went to Black Market Bistro. I have to admit I am A BIG FAN of the Black's. I love Black Salt (BS) and Black's in Bethesda is COOL! I have not been to Addie's but its on the list. Black Market Bistro started rough. We called the day before for a reservation and they said they didn't take them for brunch. When we arrived at 10:10 (opens at 10) we requested a table for five and the host rolled his eyes when we said we didn't have a reservation. After a short wait we were given a table of good size. Be fore-warned this place is SMALL. The service was below what Black's and BS offer. Some beinget's showed up that we had not ordered and were whisked away. The hot cocoa that my Mother in Law (MIL) order was little more than steamed milk... went back and they got it right. The menu was good bistro fare: croque's (basically fancy grill cheese on super brioche bread), eggs benedict and some paninni's. The kids menu is good: lots of fruit and not too heavy on the nasty stuff. I ordered the steak and eggs ($14), my wife had the croque madame ($12), my MIL had the eggs benedict with the house cured salmon and the kids had pancakes with chocolate chips and grilled cheese with fruit. This is where things recovered. The steak and eggs were very good. The skirt steak was well tenderized and grilled just as would be expected in a french bistro, the eggs were seasoned well, not overcooked and DELICIOUS. The baby yukon gold potatoes although cute, were mushy and were left alone on the plate. The croque madame with beautifully poached eggs looked great and got good reviews from my foodie wife... she took what she could not finish home. The benedict also was received well. As for the grilled cheese (cheddar and mozzarella on brioche bread) and pancakes my kids gave the Ebert thumbs up to both and plowed through them. The service picked up with the meal. The coffee was Illy brand... found all over europe and brewed to perfection at the bistro: no need for sprucing it up as a latte or cappuccino, I like it Black like the bistro. Over all I give it a 3.5 only for service issues... I will go Black... I mean back!
-Zach
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Ben's Chili Bowl
Bens's Chili Bowl
1213 U Street, N.W.
Washington D.C. 20009
(202)667-0909
www.benschilibowl.com
Rating: 4
Ben's Chili Bowl is the real deal diner. If you're looking for great comfort cuisine then this is the place. Cheese and chili fries with a half smoked or chili cheeseburger and a coke is as good as it gets. If you're worried about fat calories then this is not the place to go. Pop your Lipitor and dig in. We went on a Sunday night during the Redskins game. The place was hopping with redskins fans. The backroom has a huge projection screen for watching the game. The price is right. I fed 11 people for $100 plus tip.
1213 U Street, N.W.
Washington D.C. 20009
(202)667-0909
www.benschilibowl.com
Rating: 4
Ben's Chili Bowl is the real deal diner. If you're looking for great comfort cuisine then this is the place. Cheese and chili fries with a half smoked or chili cheeseburger and a coke is as good as it gets. If you're worried about fat calories then this is not the place to go. Pop your Lipitor and dig in. We went on a Sunday night during the Redskins game. The place was hopping with redskins fans. The backroom has a huge projection screen for watching the game. The price is right. I fed 11 people for $100 plus tip.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Amsterdam Falafelshop
Inexpensive, Fresh, Fast, and Fun lunch/dinner.
Vegetarian
They give you a pita filled with Falafel balls
You fill it with any and as much stuff from their self-service bar
Great Fries as well.
Tip: bring your own plastic fork and put the balls on the side so you can fill the pita with more stuff!
Amsterdam Falafelshop ($)
Middle Eastern
2425 18th St NW, Washington 20009
Btwn Belmont & Columbia Rd NW
Phone: 202-234-1969
Fax: 202-234-1950
Vegetarian
They give you a pita filled with Falafel balls
You fill it with any and as much stuff from their self-service bar
Great Fries as well.
Tip: bring your own plastic fork and put the balls on the side so you can fill the pita with more stuff!
Amsterdam Falafelshop ($)
Middle Eastern
2425 18th St NW, Washington 20009
Btwn Belmont & Columbia Rd NW
Phone: 202-234-1969
Fax: 202-234-1950
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Restaurant Nora
Rating 4
With the first "organic restaurant" designation in the U.S. Nora has a lot to live up to, and it does! When organic was not so common Nora Pouillon championed local and organic. Although, some might be scared and expect lots of bulghar and veggie dishes..HA! Try great grass fed rib eye and spectacular duck. The fish is also very good, but keep in mind what is seasonal. We recently went (we are not uncommon patrons) and got a table for 8! The service was GREAT. The meal was the same. The most popular item in our party was the duck liver pate with fruit.... it was well balanced with the fruit to cut the fat. I had the eggplant terrine... SMOKY! The mains varied from vegetarian risotto to halibut, to duck confit, to short ribs. All were good to excellent. Wine wise we started with La Doix 100% Chardonnay Burgundy and then we had a Cote du Rhone... VERY well paired thanks to the eastern european sommelier. Never been disappointed at Nora nor do I plan to.
Restaurant Nora : 2132 Florida Ave, Washington, DC http://www.noras.com
-Zach
With the first "organic restaurant" designation in the U.S. Nora has a lot to live up to, and it does! When organic was not so common Nora Pouillon championed local and organic. Although, some might be scared and expect lots of bulghar and veggie dishes..HA! Try great grass fed rib eye and spectacular duck. The fish is also very good, but keep in mind what is seasonal. We recently went (we are not uncommon patrons) and got a table for 8! The service was GREAT. The meal was the same. The most popular item in our party was the duck liver pate with fruit.... it was well balanced with the fruit to cut the fat. I had the eggplant terrine... SMOKY! The mains varied from vegetarian risotto to halibut, to duck confit, to short ribs. All were good to excellent. Wine wise we started with La Doix 100% Chardonnay Burgundy and then we had a Cote du Rhone... VERY well paired thanks to the eastern european sommelier. Never been disappointed at Nora nor do I plan to.
Restaurant Nora : 2132 Florida Ave, Washington, DC http://www.noras.com
-Zach
Friday, September 28, 2007
Zengo
Zengo
781 7th St, NW (Chinatown)
Washington, DC 20001
202-393-2929
http://www.modernmexican.com/zengodc/index.htm
Rating - 5
This place was really great. Its in the heart of Chinatown. Its busy, its loud and the drinks are great. It gets my highest score for atmosphere. The minute you walk in you can feel the excitement. The music is latin and high energy. The thing I enjoyed the most was the drinks and appetizers. The drinks are made fresh. All the popular drinks are available including several Mojitos, Caipirinha, Margarita, Sake,and Sangria. My favorite drink was the Kimono Kiss (Grey Goose orange / Fuki Sake / kumquats / ginger $11). The food is great and reasonably priced. Got to try this one.
781 7th St, NW (Chinatown)
Washington, DC 20001
202-393-2929
http://www.modernmexican.com/zengodc/index.htm
Rating - 5
This place was really great. Its in the heart of Chinatown. Its busy, its loud and the drinks are great. It gets my highest score for atmosphere. The minute you walk in you can feel the excitement. The music is latin and high energy. The thing I enjoyed the most was the drinks and appetizers. The drinks are made fresh. All the popular drinks are available including several Mojitos, Caipirinha, Margarita, Sake,and Sangria. My favorite drink was the Kimono Kiss (Grey Goose orange / Fuki Sake / kumquats / ginger $11). The food is great and reasonably priced. Got to try this one.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Mia's Pizzas
Mia's Pizzas
4926 Cordell Ave
Bethesda 20814
(301) 718-6427
My new favorite neighborhood pizza place. It's laid back and casual.I've had consistently great pizzas and salads here. My kids like the little mac and cheese which is served piping hot, homemade and a little crunchy on top. Pizzas have great crust. Wine selection is good. Really nice on a warm night sitting out on their little patio. I've also had pleasant lunches here with friends.
4926 Cordell Ave
Bethesda 20814
(301) 718-6427
My new favorite neighborhood pizza place. It's laid back and casual.I've had consistently great pizzas and salads here. My kids like the little mac and cheese which is served piping hot, homemade and a little crunchy on top. Pizzas have great crust. Wine selection is good. Really nice on a warm night sitting out on their little patio. I've also had pleasant lunches here with friends.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
La Tasca
La Tasca Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurant
Rating: 5
www.latascausa.com
722 7th Street NW
Washington DC 20001
Phone: (202) 347-9190
Fax: (202) 347-9091
Review: The atmosphere is great. Its cozy and alive. We sat at the bar area and ordered tapas and drinks. We ordered a variety of tapas and they were all excellent. Plenty of food and well worth the price. The drink menu went along with the spanish theme. We had Sangria. There were many varieties of Sangria. The most popular was the house traditional Sangria, it was delicious. Definitely going back for dinner with friends.
Rating: 5
www.latascausa.com
722 7th Street NW
Washington DC 20001
Phone: (202) 347-9190
Fax: (202) 347-9091
Review: The atmosphere is great. Its cozy and alive. We sat at the bar area and ordered tapas and drinks. We ordered a variety of tapas and they were all excellent. Plenty of food and well worth the price. The drink menu went along with the spanish theme. We had Sangria. There were many varieties of Sangria. The most popular was the house traditional Sangria, it was delicious. Definitely going back for dinner with friends.
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