New Job

Even though my new job doesn't start till September they asked me to come in a few times during the next month. So today was the first of those days. I went in expecting to work a few hours but in the end I was there for nine hours, there is so much organizing that needs to be done. I'm not sure what there former Post person did.. but they did not do there job.

Matchbox

This post is divided into the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

THE GOOD: This Chinatown hot-spot has a prime location. Everyone likes pizza, beer, and burgers, which fares well for a place that is known for the 3.6.9 logo (that's the number of mini burgers you want).
1. The burgers themselves are delicious, from your cheese choices (gorgonzola, cheddar, and !SMOKED GOUDA!) down to the silver dollar-sized pickles that line the bottom. The buns are a comforting consistency and temperature.

2. Pizza is another safe bet at Matchbox, although I'd almost rather have a burger. If you go with friends, get both and mix it up. The salads are okay, but the last time I ordered one to start with it came AFTER my burger, and being a Strict American I prefer to eat my salad before my hot food.

3. The mozzi carozzi is a comforting heart-attack-on-a-plate appetizer, basically like a deep-fried eggplant parm sans eggplant. Cheese, basil, tomato.

4. The girly cocktails are fun, especially the Slingblade and Berry Blast.

I wish I could remember the desserts, but they aren't on the site and we ordered 4 different things...I should revisit before I post about them.

THE BAD:
1. I know (I do know) that I'm nitpicky, but your mini burgers come with little ramekins of ketchup and mustard, and no tiny spreader. So you have the teensy top of a bun, a small plate, a little ramekin of your chosen condiment, and a HUGE CLUNKY BUTTER KNIFE. I'm sure I'm not the only one with bun fatalities, and my heart goes out to other sufferers. If you won't allow us to squeeze out our ketchup, then at least provide us a decent way to apply it. Tools are everything.

2. The Ginger Snap (girly) drink just isn't Gingery enough to warrant its name.

3. You can't get seated if your party is not complete, which sucks if you want to do appetizers and then wait for others to join you later. Not everyone gets out of work at the same time!

4. Expanding your restaurant is GREAT, FABULOUS, even WONDERFUL. Having a zillion stairs and like half a bathroom is ridiculous. Why must I walk down a few flights for a restroom? The expansion is funny, because when you say you are "upstairs" at Matchbox, there are TWO different upstairses. Once we got moved from one upstairs to the other, and literally went across the room, down the stairs, around the corner, up the stairs, across the room, and sat down again. Why is there not a hallway connecting these? What is the deal?

THE UGLY: Last time I was there we saw a rat. Upstairs (right). Yuck.

Matchbox
www.matchboxdc.com
713 H Street NW
Metro: Red/Green/Yellow line to Gallery Place/Chinatown

Time out: BOSTON!

A visit to Beantown brought some good eats, not to mention the great price.

Brookline Village is just a nice stroll from my sister's apartment, which is more towards the Coolidge Corner neighborhood. We originally set out looking for a place that was known for its omelets, only to find it was turned into a Turkish eatery. Although we like Turkish food (mm, 7 Hills of Istanbul in Highland Park, NJ to be exact), it was breakfast time and we wanted BREAKFAST. MMM.

Enter Pomodoro, an Italian place with two Boston locations, which my sister had been to for dinner but not for breakfast. I felt immediately at home in the cozy but not too tiny restaurant, with comfortable seating and a trendy-looking bar. Just our luck--it was Sunday, and an enjoyable jazz ensemble would be playing all morning. A little loud, but loud jazz is better than none at all. Behind the bar was something that delighted me--a row of water caraffes filled with mint and lemon. Yum, why can't all my water look like that?

We were amazed that EVERY brunch entree was $10. Whether you were having granola and yogurt with fruit or steak and eggs. J had said steak and eggs (looked great), while Sis and I shared the breakfast pizza and vegetable frittata. The frittata looked interesting enough at first, but after digging in, it did not retain its upside-down cup shape at all--just fell apart. There were peas and carrots all over the place. While the taste of it was generally pleasing, Sis seemed unimpressed at the peas-and-carrots-ness of it all--aren't there more fun veggies available at this point of the summer? Don't feel bad about skipping this option for the delicious breakfast pizza. Topped with eggs, spinach, and shaved parmesan, it was delicious and HUGE--together, even with the less-than-fulfilling frittata dish by our side, we only ate half of the pizza.

The service was friendly and attentive, and we were kept well-watered.

Warning: this restaurant is cash only! We don't have these types of establishments in DC--if you're sitting down and have a server, they take plastic. Luckily there's an ATM not too far away.

Pomodoro
No web site--those who know me know this is a Shade Alert for me...
24 Harvard St
Brookline, MA 02445

Comic Con Day 4

Well today is the final day of comic con. We checked out of the hotel and I had to drag all my stuff/toys/bags to Tom's car in the parking structure that we found for $12 a day, it was about seven blocks away from the hotel. With everything stored away in the car we made it the con around 10:30am. I had planned several panels but really felt that I haven't spent enough time on the floor so I opted not to do panels and instead walk around the floor and enjoy the crowds. We had planned to leave around 2pm to beat the crowds because the con closed at 4pm today. Around noon I noticed that my cell phone was missing. I had just used it ten minutes before but in that short amount of time it was gone. I spent the next hour walking around the floor trying to find Tom because he was going to call me when we were ready to go. I finally called Harry from a pay phone and had him call Tom and tell him to meet me, since my phone book was at home. Tom and I walked around the floor for another hour. I was kind of bummed that this was how the con was going to end for me. Well right before we left I went to the Lost and Found and asked if anything turned in a cell phone. Sure enough I was lucky and someone turned in my phone so I got it back. After that we did one more walk around the floor then headed home.

All in all this con was busier then the past but that can be said for every con as the years go by. I felt that there wasn't as many people dressed up as in years past. I enjoyed the panels I went to, again had to really make some hard choices. Comic Con 2007 is over.

Got a New Job!!!!

Well I got a phone call yesterday and they offered me the job for the second season for a TLC show. It's at a bit lower rate than I normally get but it does last 30 weeks, which is a pretty long time. So I accepted and I start in September.

Comic Con Day 3

Well the third day of con was my panel day. Ballroom 20 was going to have most of what I wanted to see. As with all Cons you have to pick and chose what you want to see. There are always two or three things going on at the same time that you want to see.. you just have to decide which one you wanted to see more. So I choose Ballroom 20. I got in line at 9:30am, the line was huge. I got in to the building around 10am and got a seat about halfway back from the front panel. First up was the Bionic Woman Exclusive Pilot Screening and Q&A. This was a cool pilot and I look forward to watching it when it comes out this fall. Next was TV Guide Hot List, this was the panel that I could have done without but I knew if I left the room I would not be able to get back in. Plus this panel was cool. It had several stars and producers from 4400, Kyle XY, Bionic Woman, Heroes, and Jericho. It wound up being a really cool panel. Finally the panel I was really looking forward to... Heroes Season 2. The entire cast and some of the executives talked about season 2 of one of the most popular series around. They didn't really give any huge news away about season two but they did give us a sneak peek of the season, which was great. After Heroes another favorite of mine was next, the Battlestar Galactica panel. Three of the main women were there. Number 6, Starbuck and President Roslin along with some of the creators and writers. A special guest star came out half way through the panel, Lucy Lawless and announced that her character would be back for the final season of BSG. It was a fun panel. The next panel I didn't really have to stay and see but I wanted to see the panel after so I sat through the Futurama panel, which turned out to be very funny.. they did a live read. It was a very entertaining panel. And finally another favorite of mine was the Joss Whedon panel. He stood on stage and talked for over an hour about everything he is currently working on. After that I had about an hour to go down to the floor and walk around a bit. I got back to the hotel around 7:30pm and I was so tired that I decided just to hang out in the hotel room, order room service and relax. It was a fun third day.

The Simpsons Movie

So I took a break from Comic Con. The Simpsons Movie was opening the weekend that we were down in San Diego for Con so after Friday's Con day Tom and I went and sas The Simpsons Movie. I really enjoyed the movie. It's just like the TV series but longer. I was afraid it was going to be one shtick after another, but it wasn't. It was a really funny and entertaining story. If you love the Simpsons you'll love the movie.

Comic Con Day 2

Today I had planned go to about six panels but as it normally goes when you are on the floor in the dealers room you are having so much fun that you decide to stay and skip panels. So I went to the Warner Brothers panel first thing at 10am, it was okay there weren't really any kind of movies that I would want to see. After that I went back down the to floor and had so much fun walking around and taking pictures and checking out all the cool stuff. Later in the day I wanted to go to the Eureka panel and got in line about a hour before the panel. The line was huge and I wasn't sure I was going to get in, but of course that is how it normally goes and I got in. That was alot of fun and some of the stars were there so that was extra fun. After that panel I went back down to the floor and hung out there till 7pm (when it closes). It was a fun day.. again tons of people but you expect that. Next up is Day 3, the day of panels.

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Ballroom Blitz

Another video by the Syncsta guys from England? I think they are...they're adorable and I actually never really listened to this song from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's quite good. Work is still crazy and we are behind and people are getting cranky and I just trudge through it each day. I still like the job though. Nothing else has been happening. I used to live a life where I had drama and things to talk about and now it's just work and um...more work. I need a life. Hope everyone is well and I can't believe tomorrow is the end of the week already!! ;-) peace

Ballroom Blitz

Another video by the Syncsta guys from England? I think they are...they're adorable and I actually never really listened to this song from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's quite good. Work is still crazy and we are behind and people are getting cranky and I just trudge through it each day. I still like the job though. Nothing else has been happening. I used to live a life where I had drama and things to talk about and now it's just work and um...more work. I need a life. Hope everyone is well and I can't believe tomorrow is the end of the week already!! ;-) peace

Ballroom Blitz

Another video by the Syncsta guys from England? I think they are...they're adorable and I actually never really listened to this song from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's quite good. Work is still crazy and we are behind and people are getting cranky and I just trudge through it each day. I still like the job though. Nothing else has been happening. I used to live a life where I had drama and things to talk about and now it's just work and um...more work. I need a life. Hope everyone is well and I can't believe tomorrow is the end of the week already!! ;-) peace

Comic Con Day 1

Today is the first Day of San Diego Comic Con. Tom and I left at 9:30am hoping to get down to San Diego by Noon... traffic was horrible and we didn't get there until 2pm. When we got to the hotel, which we were paying a ton for. There parking was full. The reason I picked this place was because they had parking. So we had to run around and find a place to leave our car and hope a spot would open up in the hotel.

Since it took longer then we planned I missed the first panel I wanted to go to, Paramount PIctures. So I headed to the dealers room "the floor" and had some fun taking pictures and getting some free swag. The next panel I wanted to do was Lost so I got in line about an hour and a half earlier to make sure I got in. The Lost panel was fun, they keep very tight lipped on stuff but they do give us little tib bits of news like Michael is coming back to the island. Jack and Claire will find out that they are half brother and sister and that the shows will be made of flashbacks, flashforwards and present time all in one episode.

That is the only panel I did today.. it was so crowded for a Thursday. I also got to met an internet friend and his wife and we hung out. Not the way I wanted to start my Con experience but it wasn't a total waste of day. Next up... Day Two.

La Tasca

A return visit to La Tasca (but my first to the Chinatown branch) with a fab friend brought some interest to what otherwise would have been a dull Tuesday. Interesting bit about La Tasca, it's actually a UK chain that is alll over the place across the pond with just five US locations, all in the Balt/Wash metro area.

Tapas are my cup of tea. In fact, I'd like to have tapas-style meals with all kinds of food, not just Spanish. I'd like small plates of Italian, American, Thai, etc etc. That's why I love going out for Indian and Ethiopian food with groups--you get to try tons of stuff. Go out for Indonesian, same deal!

We had the following:

1. Champinones al ajillo (pardon my lack of tilde)- Sauteed mushrooms - You know, mushrooms. Good. Not particularly flavorfully seasoned.

2. Berenjenas gratinadas - I wanted this to be better than it was. It was ok, but I prefer my eggplant peeled, and the cheese had melted and hardened a little, gathering in the middle. So if you wanted to eat some cheese you had to literally cut it with a knife and take a piece, rather than have it smothering your eggplant. It was less "baked with cheese" as described, and rather, topped with baked cheese.

3. Mejillones a la marinara - I really enjoyed these mussels! The sauce was delicious, I wanted to drink it but instead politely dipped my olive and tomato bread in it.

4. Pulpitos a la gallega - baby octopus - I have put out many disclaimers about my lack of adventurousness, but I tried it. It was hard to look at it up close (I'm glad it was kind of dark in there) because ewww gross, but the crunchy legs (tentacles? Whatever they were) were pretty good and had a little kick to them. They could have been potato straws for all I knew.

5. Albondigas a la jardinera - MEATBALLS. Can you ever go wrong? There were peas in the sauce, and they were welcomed.

The service was ok. While our server was friendly and mildly amused at my attempt to order in Spanish (I've been learning via podcast), our service wasn't attentive. We were starving and ordered some appetizer bread (pan de tomate and pan de aceitunas--tomato and olive), which came along with a basket of regular bread WITH OUR FOOD. I'm sure the bread could have been ready earlier, and maybe it's Spanish custom to serve it with the food, but I needed something to nibble on in a serious way. Also, a few times I wished I wasn't staring at an empty glass of water. We were seated in the back left corner of the restaurant, and I faced my friend and a door that was THANK G-D NOT THE BATHROOM, because then I would have been annoyed. Besides the general bathroom smell (even if it's an air-fresheny one), I don't like the people shuffling in and out and around. Very distracting.

Sidenote, my other area of seating pickiness is with "floating tables." I prefer to be anchored to a wall, particularly when it's only me and another person, that way I can't be surrounded on all sides by people (sitting, talking, walking by...). I don't mind a small space, just let mine be against the wall.

Also, La Tasca, your pillows are a little bit awkward sometimes for sitting. Too big maybe? Too many?

Coming up: Why Old Ebbitt Express is the best bang for your lunch buck, and my Happy Hour picks...

Bon appetit and b'teavon.

La Tasca
www.latascausa.com
2900 Wilson Blvd...772 7th St NW
Metro: Orange Line to Clarendon...Green, Yellow, or Red to Gallery Place/Chinatown

Happy Birthday Chris

oday is the birthday of one of my favorite guys out there. Happy Birthday Chris Quilty. Hope you have a great one... you deserve the very best.

The Seeing Stone (Spiderwick Chronicles)

Don't hold me back, I'm on a roll! Last night I finished Book Two. Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing Stone. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Field Guide" as it was a nice place to start, but book two really got the old adrenaline pumping. Getting better acquainted with the Grace Children, and getting nose to toes with the goblins was quite an adventure. I'm not quite sure what to think of Hogsqueal, but I don't think we've seen the last of him.

After finishing books one and two I've still got two thumbs up and am holding back hitting book three as I need to pace myself. And don't think that because I am a grownup that I don't appreciate the important things in life. After finishing "The Seeing Stone" I immediately went online to hit the Spiderwick site. I am now a proud member of the International Sprite League. Some things are just too important to ignore!

Harry who?

Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing Stone
ISBN: 0689859376
Authors: Tony DiTerlizzi, Holly Black,

Oh wait, hot men...

....when I started this blog, it was a means for my friends to keep in touch with what was going on with me while I lived in S. Dakota. Um they never checked it so I decided to post hot men. Well, mostly for my own enjoyment! ;-) Well I've noticed that I haven't posted any lately...why break my own tradition? Enjoy ;-) peace

Oh wait, hot men...

....when I started this blog, it was a means for my friends to keep in touch with what was going on with me while I lived in S. Dakota. Um they never checked it so I decided to post hot men. Well, mostly for my own enjoyment! ;-) Well I've noticed that I haven't posted any lately...why break my own tradition? Enjoy ;-) peace

Oh wait, hot men...

....when I started this blog, it was a means for my friends to keep in touch with what was going on with me while I lived in S. Dakota. Um they never checked it so I decided to post hot men. Well, mostly for my own enjoyment! ;-) Well I've noticed that I haven't posted any lately...why break my own tradition? Enjoy ;-) peace

IT IS OVER :(

Yes I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I cried, I laughed, I was totally stunned. What an incredible ending to an unbelievable series. I'm not going to spoil anything here just in case you haven't finished the book. All I'm going to say now is that I was very satisfied with the ending. We got answers to almost every question that was asked through out the series. JK Rowling is a writing Queen!!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful world of Harry Potter.

Very Cool Blog

Very cool blog. Check it out:

http://yawriters.blogspot.com/

The Spiderwick Chronicles

I'm not sure why, but when I was at the American Library Association Trade show I saw a poster for a book that I had never heard of. I know, me not having heard of a book. But there it is. So I see this poster for Spiderwick and I am instantly enchanted. Why? Well, I'm not sure, but I was.

So there I am, looking all over the huge Washington DC Convention Center for this book. After two days I finally find the Simon & Schuster booth and another poster...but no books. No brochures, nothing...just a poster! So I ask, and they have given everything away.

So I come home and I begin searching the Howard County Library database and every time I look they are all checked out. I hate when that happened. Well, after a couple of months...and no it never occurred to me to buy them...I mean it did, but I don't want to buy a whole set of books if I don't like them. So I finally found them...ALL OF THEM! I snatched them off the shelf and stuffed them in my Kfir Luzzatto "THE ODYSSEY GENE" book bag and ran...not walked...to the check out desk and there I was! I was thrilled.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide
by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
ISBN: 0689-85936-8

Since the book is very short I truly expected to find the typical kid's fantasy, I was disappointed. I mean it is a kid's fantasy, but it is so much more. Take a few words, sprinkle in some charm, and add numerous awesome illustrations and you have an excellent book. Getting to know the Grace kids in "The Spiderwick Chronicles" is going to be so much more than an adventure.

If I had to pick one element of "The Field Guide" I don't think I could. The kids are kids, with problems and personalities and if you weren't holding the book in your hand, you might think they live next door--it's excellent. Toss in a few brownies and some animals and you have one heck of a cool story.

I've got book two sitting on the dining room table waiting for me, but work comes first...at least until lunch!

And if you're looking for another great fantasy…minus the Fae…you can try the Cynthia's Attic Adventures by Mary Cunningham.

The Missing Locket
The Magic Medallion

Finally, a cooking show for men!!

Ok, maybe it's not a cooking show, but it's about food and it's about adventure! So my roomie watches the Barefoot Contessa and Emril and Martha Stewart and blah blah...
Ok I've been watching Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. They travel the world and eat some weird shit, but at the same time it looks hella good. So my girl roomie can keep her FoodTV recipe shows and using basil and thyme, I'm watching Andrew eat Jellied Moose Nose and Anthony eating rotting fruit! Finally a food show for men! Oh and it's on the Travel Channel! ;-) peace

Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern


Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

Finally, a cooking show for men!!

Ok, maybe it's not a cooking show, but it's about food and it's about adventure! So my roomie watches the Barefoot Contessa and Emril and Martha Stewart and blah blah...
Ok I've been watching Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. They travel the world and eat some weird shit, but at the same time it looks hella good. So my girl roomie can keep her FoodTV recipe shows and using basil and thyme, I'm watching Andrew eat Jellied Moose Nose and Anthony eating rotting fruit! Finally a food show for men! Oh and it's on the Travel Channel! ;-) peace

Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern


Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

Finally, a cooking show for men!!

Ok, maybe it's not a cooking show, but it's about food and it's about adventure! So my roomie watches the Barefoot Contessa and Emril and Martha Stewart and blah blah...
Ok I've been watching Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. They travel the world and eat some weird shit, but at the same time it looks hella good. So my girl roomie can keep her FoodTV recipe shows and using basil and thyme, I'm watching Andrew eat Jellied Moose Nose and Anthony eating rotting fruit! Finally a food show for men! Oh and it's on the Travel Channel! ;-) peace

Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern


Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

Book 7 Continues and Wii

Today I got to Chapter 29, it's almost over.. it's hard to believe that in a few more chapters I will be done and the Harry Potter saga will be over. I try not to get sad about it and I know I have the seven book to enjoy over and over again but it's hard knowing that this is it.. after this there will be no more.

Later in the day Harry and I went over to our friend Bruce's place and we placed to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoinex Wii video game. It was so much fun yet so much work to get your wand movement just right to cast the spell. It was a fun night.

Harry's Tap Room

Another neighborhood go-to spot.

Located steps from the Clarendon Metro and easily walkable from Court House, Harry's stands out as "the nice American place" on a backdrop of deeeelicious Indian restaurants and bar-y type places.

bar-y: bär-ē, adj.
Quality of a restaurant that ensures that if you drank a lot, had a bite to eat, got trashed and had a one night stand, the gravest error would have been the bite to eat.

COUGHwhitlow'sCOUGHCOUGH...pardon me, I had a nasty greasy omelet stuck in my throat.

Dinner was good, but relatively uneventful. The butternut squash and ginger soup is a winner, but with that title, how could it not be? The endive & Granny Smith apple salad has all the winning ingredients, but for me something was missing...I like more (blue) cheese to balance out all that endive-iness. I haven't had the mussels, which seems like a mistake, so next time I promise I will, as long as it's not before 11:30am. ARBITRARY TIME LIMITER! The burgers (whether it's Harry's or the turkey burger) are burgers. Can't go wrong, nothing to freak out about.

Now BRUNCH! That's a meal I can sink my teeth into. Maybe that's because I adore brunch. First of all, and this is relevant to any meal at Harry's, the lemon wedge with my iced tea is HUGE, which is well recognized by us lemon folks. I only wish I'd get more lemon wedges as my iced tea is continuously refilled.

Moving away from the power of the tea, most recently I enjoyed the cobb salad at Harry's, as opposed to my traditional delicious omelette and the yummy accompanying grits. The parmesan crusted fried chicken on my salad was clearly freshly fried, as opposed to fried then rewarmed or kept warm under a shiny light thing. As I cut into it, I saw some juices (or oils, whichever) seep out, and the golden color was divine. I appreciated that I had to cut the chicken myself, as I'm sure it ensured keeping the heat and texture in place, but my avocado, egg, and cucumber were all in long, clumsy slices. In a deep asymmetrical bowl with a big clumsy butter knife, I had a hard time trying to cut these things up to make an easy enjoyable meal. The ingredients were mostly yummy (the avocado should have been used in my salad maaaaybe the day before), but the difficulty of eating it soured my mood.

I already said the omelettes (or omelets?) were great, but J's particular favorite is the steak omelet. Should I get steak? Should I get eggs? Lunch? Breakfast? Steak omelet solves this problem. Worry no longer. Cheesy grits are a happy sidedish, and the potatoes and pretty good too.

Speaking of brunch, next I'll review Tallula, a place where I literally have had almost everything on the brunch menu, thanks to some friends who don't mind sharing.

Harry's Tap Room
www.harrystaproom.com
2800 Clarendon Boulevard
Metro: Orange Line to Clarendon stop

I want my money bitch!

LOL, this is little baby girl is so cute yet it's kind of sad at the same time. I hope it's lip synced, could be?? It looks exactly like a niece of mine! Her parents are both on drugs, so it wouldn't surprise me if she does talk like this!! ;-) peace

I want my money bitch!

LOL, this is little baby girl is so cute yet it's kind of sad at the same time. I hope it's lip synced, could be?? It looks exactly like a niece of mine! Her parents are both on drugs, so it wouldn't surprise me if she does talk like this!! ;-) peace

I want my money bitch!

LOL, this is little baby girl is so cute yet it's kind of sad at the same time. I hope it's lip synced, could be?? It looks exactly like a niece of mine! Her parents are both on drugs, so it wouldn't surprise me if she does talk like this!! ;-) peace

Harry Potter Book 7 continues

Well I just finished Chapter 20 and all I have to say is Wow.. this is a very emotional rollar coaster ride. I am loving how this book is going.

Central

Ah, Central. The poor wo/man's Citronelle. Another birthday destination, here. I had SUPER high hopes, after reading and reading about it, seeing how the reservations filled up quickly as soon as the date became available for booking through Open Table (I believe it was 1 month in advance). If you are looking to impress coworkers who are "in the know" about DC restaurants, Central is a good place to start. You can definitely get away with a classy but funky dinner there without blowing a hole through your wallet.

The decor is minimal, typical of Michel Richard, but the clean lines are pleasing to these eyes. The bar is nice to look at, too, and I'm sure a great place to enjoy a more upscale happy hour than we're used to having. I will say that I was surprised that with all of the clean lines and elegant details, the beautiful bathroom had a major detraction--a plastic bottle of Softsoap. I know it's petty, but with so much thought going into the other "little things" that plastic container was an eyesore!

Also, this may seem obvious but I (of course) didn't think of it before we went: it was REALLY LOUD in there. SERIOUSLY loud. Maybe it would be different if the bar wasn't so crowded (it was a Thursday) but who knows. Loud = not romantic.

And the woman at the table next to ours was seated so close to us that she jokingly said, "Hey, sorry we're late!" as she and her husband were seated. Despite her early attempt at light-hearted humor, she went on to be the most obnoxious customer ever, glaring at our server when he tried to do anything right, complaining when he took things away (or didn't take them away soon enough), and made a remark every time he left their table. It would have ruined my meal if I didn't have my cool-as-a-cucumber dining companion smiling across the table. The problem is, if you have some cranky customers and you sit them SUPERCLOSE to non-cranks, the cranks ruins other people's meals. The solution is don't seat people that close together.
On to the eats: We started with the homemade cheese puffs because I felt like we had to--that's what everyone talks about! I know, I'm a slave to fashionable appetizers. They were okay. I almost wanted just a few to taste, and not the rest--they come in a wire cone, and there were a lot. The flavor wasn't quite what I expected, but the first few were definitely delicious--still warm, even. A better appetizer for 4 people maybe than 2, because midway through we were sort of sick of them.

For dinner I had the mussels. They were very good--then again, steaming mussels isn't exactly rocket science.

J had the 72 hour short ribs. They were soft, flavorful, and the sauce was "tasty." Overall a happy camper.

DESSERT! THE HIGHLIGHTIEST HIGHLIGHT OF THEM ALL!!! Richard's homemade kit-kat dessert was delicious. Chocolatey wafery happiness, put in a take-out container for the very full diners aka us.

I hear the lobster burger is to die for, and on a return visit I plan on trying it or having someone I'm with try it.

TTFN, folks.

Central
www.centralmichelrichard.com
1001 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004

Reading Harry Potter Book 7

Well I went to bed around 2am but couldn't really sleep so I got up around 7am and started to read the final Harry Potter book. I was conflicted because I want to read it and find out what happens but then I don't want to read it to fast and finish it because this is the last. I managed to read two chapters the morning I got it and I read another nine chapters today. I figure if I read about 12 chapters a day I can read it in three days. Will see how that works. So far the book is awesome... so dark and so good. JK has really outdone herself and I'm only on the first 11 chapters... I can't wait to read more.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Well it's finally here.. the final book in the wonderful Harry Potter series is being released at 12:01am Saturday. Tom, Bruce and I went to a Borders "Harry Potter Book party" Friday night. It was a lot of fun, there were a ton of people there, some dressed (yes I dressed as a Hogwarts student) but everyone was very excited to get their hands on the last Harry Potter book. Since we didn't pre-order the book from Borders we decided to head over to Ralphs to get our books at 12:01. We got to Ralphs and the parking lot was full. There were about thirty people in line waiting for 12:01 to hit so we could get the book. Well I finally got my book around 12:15am and was very excited yet very depressed. I'm excited to read the final book.. but this is the final book. There will be no more Harry Potter books. No more book parties, No more exciting anticipation, No more Harry Potter. There will never be anything else like the phenomena called Harry Potter.

Bruce and I actually sat down on my couch around 1am and read the first chapter. Bruce left and I read one more chapter before I went to sleep. I need to read this book within five days since I'm going to comic con and I don't want to be spoiled. I'm sure I'll have not problem doing so.

Last of the Wedding Stuff

This was our last weekend to finish up getting all of our wedding stuff. We got alcohol, various cups, organized music, and pick up some odds and ends.. Now there are only a few little things left to get but everything seems to be in order.

Harry Potter 5 In IMAX

Today Harry and I went to Citywalk to see Harry Potter 5 at the IMAX theater. The last twenty minutes are in 3D. All I have to say is WOW. I loved this movie already and seeing it on one of the biggest screens and in 3D made me love it even more. Such a great experience. The only weird thing is when they let us out of the theater, they ushered us out the back and no one knew where to go so we walked around the back area of Citywalk then into the employee only section going up stairs and down escalators. We finally found our way back to the front of Citywalk.. it was very bizarre. Anyways.. loved the movie in 3D.

Shakin' things up!

Hey, this is a secret for a little bit longer, but Echelon is celebrating! We've decided that kids and young adults need their own space at Echelon. So we are going to shake things up with QUAKE!

You can get a sneak peek at www.quakeme.com

And since we have not made a public announcement, only tell a couple hundred of your closest friends!

And if you don't see something you think we should add, let us know!

You can send your comments and suggestions to Lisa@quakeme.com

Finally Completed My HP Costume

Well last year I got my Harry Potter Gryffindor robe, scarf and vest but I needed a tie. They didn't have the tie I wanted. I have waited for months for them to get them in stock. Well today I finally went to Whimsic Alley and got the last of the adult tie that I have been waiting for. Now I have my complete Hogwarts Costume. Harry Potter Rocks!!!!!

Teaism

Forever and ever I meant to go to Teaism, I mean, RACHAEL RAY went there on $40/day, it’s always suggested on The Chat, and it kept slipping through the cracks. [For what it's worth, the fellas I dined with seemed very excited about the fact that Ms. Ray recommended Teaism. Interesting sidenote.]

Recently I finally went to the Penn Quarter Teaism for lunch and was overall pleased and am looking forward to returning there—although maybe a little earlier, next time!

The PQ location was very crowded during the normal lunch time. Despite a sign politely asking people to not “save seats,” seats were being saved—we could see people sitting alone at empty tables with no food, waiting for the person in line. What is the problem with this, you might ask? Someone else may very well eat and finish by the time you get through the line! Seriously! The three of us had to sit outside in order to sit together, which wasn’t the most pleasant option on a typical steamy day.

The fried chicken bento box was our meal of choice. Small pieces of fried chicken (light, not greasy at all), cucumber ginger salad (reminded me of the cucumber dipping sauce at Thai restaurants, but with whole slices of cucumber), and sweet potato pieces. I noticed while online that as your food makes it down the Teaism assembly line, some unmarked squeezy bottles are picked up and the food is drizzled in—um—something. I’m not sure what was on top of my sweet potatos, but I’d rather there wasn’t so much of it.

To drink, the Mint Morrocan Green Tea was not nearly as flavorful as it should have been. When mint is the first word, it should taste MINTY! It did not. Another tea, the “special,” that I can’t remember the name of, had lots of tamarind in it (listed as the main ingredient), and was apparently delicious. The ginger limeade, according to a colleague, was too sweet—the first few sips were good, and after that it was a little too much to handle.

Overall, Teaism is a unique place to go for lunch when you are sick of the typical Cosi/Potbelly scene.

Soon I’ll be posting an It’s Just Lunch—or is it? segment with all my favorite area lunch choices to help you the next time 12 rolls around and you have no clue what you want. Or your picky coworkers want suggestions.

(Friends, if you don’t start commenting I will disown you all.)

Teaism
www.teaism.com
Lafayette/Penn Quarter/Dupont

Job Interview

Today I had a job interview for the second season of a TLC show. I though it went really well.. I had heard about this from a former line producer who is the line producer on the show. They wanted to call a few reference and would let me know within a week... wish me luck.

My big gay heart...

...I found this on Kenneth's page. I wonder if they are going for the "gay is cool" thing or...maybe..they are wondering? Hmmm...would be good to know. I like the song though, when gay goes out of fashion..then we'll really know which bands are sincere. ;-) peace

My big gay heart...

...I found this on Kenneth's page. I wonder if they are going for the "gay is cool" thing or...maybe..they are wondering? Hmmm...would be good to know. I like the song though, when gay goes out of fashion..then we'll really know which bands are sincere. ;-) peace

My big gay heart...

...I found this on Kenneth's page. I wonder if they are going for the "gay is cool" thing or...maybe..they are wondering? Hmmm...would be good to know. I like the song though, when gay goes out of fashion..then we'll really know which bands are sincere. ;-) peace

One Very Fab Conference

I just got back from the Romance Writers of America National Conference. Conferences are always fun, but eternally exhausting. Let’s just say me and Visine become one at these things.

All the big romance names were there: Suzanne Brockmann, Nora Roberts, Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn and I could go on and on.

A lot of young adult authors, too: Shannon Greenland (that’d be me), Simone Elkeles, Stephanie Hale, Heather Davis, Tina Ferraro, Julie Linker... Again, I could go on and on. (and if you’re a YA author and I left you out, totally be cool about it, okay? I’m still a bit blurry from the week long event.)

Simone Elkeles (YA author), Stephen Barbara (fab agent), and myself gave an awesome workshop—and I’m not just saying that. It was called “Its Not Cheating If You Do It With A Younger Guy”. Funny title, huh? Simone came up with it. It definitely got people in the door. The workshop was all about what’s hot in YA right now and how to transition into writing for that market.

Now I’ve been to a lot of workshops over the years. Some are great, some are mediocre, and some are real snoozers. If its not attention grabbing I usually end up leaving and doing something better with my time (coffee, bathroom, etc...) (That’s why I always sit in the back, so I can make my escape). Ours must have been great because only two people got up and left during the whole hour. I’d like to think they had a bathroom emergency.

So now I’m back and I’m leaving again this up coming weekend to give the same workshop down in Tampa. Let’s hope it goes just as well!

Comic Con Schedule

Today the Comic Con Schedule came out. Now I can go through the four days and create my schedule of what I would like to see. Of course I never stick by it but it's nice to see what I will be missing. There are always things that are a must and then there are things that I can see if I get tired of walking around the dealers room. As always there are tons of conflict but I just have to pick and choose what I really want to see. I can't wait for Comic Con.

Corduroy

Corduroy was a birthday destination, and I’m returning soon for Restaurant Week this August (partly to double-check that I’m remembering the food correctly). I’m bound to get hungry while recapping the experience we had last time, which was sensational.

Location: awkward. I have friends that walked by Corduroy daily without knowing it was there, until I clued them in. The restaurant is hiding inside the Four Points Hotel, for now. It’s scheduled to move to Shaw (1122 9th St NW to be precise) at the beginning of the new year. While I want it to be packed with people, both for Chef Tom Power’s sake and for the welfare of the people (seriously, they are missing out right now!), I kind of liked it being somewhat of a secret spot. I felt like I knew something that no one else knew—just me and everyone else who reads Tom’s chat. We walked from Dupont because it was a warm-but-not-hot day and we enjoy a good stroll.

Enough small talk. I had the buffalo mozzarella porcupine, which was divine. I can’t really explain what it is, but it’s cheese, it’s warm, and it has a spiky (but not painful) breaded outside that made me downright glad. Being a recovering vegetarian, I opted for the safe roasted chicken as my entrée. This was the first time I had ordered chicken in a while. As a relatively non-threatening choice, grilled or roasted chicken is my go-to food, but I had an incident in Philly that curbed my chicken appetite. Basically, I had the same rubbery, dry grilled chicken for lunch and dinner for four days straight. Blech.

My meal at Corduroy reopened my heart to chicken dishes, and made me a believer in the 3 hour dinner. We lingered over wine, thought about dessert for more than 2 minutes, and—how is it so—DIGESTED a little in between each course. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxing, the perfect private and romantic birthday spot.

The vanilla bean crème brulee was a fine choice in dessert. I have nothing negative to say about this meal, except that I made the mistake in not repeating it weekly ever since.

Corduroy
www.corduroydc.com
1201 K Street NW
Metro: Metro Center or McPherson Square

Happy Monday

...it is Monday right? Was a long weekend, had my friend up for the weekend and was so glad to have her with me. Especially 'cause I had to take my roomie to the ER on Friday! I came home and she was doubled over in pain, turns out she had gall stones! So called 911 and followed the ambulance to the hospital. She had surgery this morning to remover her gall bladder and she's doing fine. The kicker? She is so happy to lose more weight (how much does a gall bladder weigh?) LOL! My friend Greg is doing well. Work is doing well, I've finally learned to step back and have a life. I didn't check email all weekend (big ass lie) but, I didn't answer any! ;-) Hope everyone has a good week, I'm up until my friend txt's me that she made it home ok. Rob over at Bent has some awesome pics of Chris Evans!! Here is just a sample... ;-) peace

Happy Monday

...it is Monday right? Was a long weekend, had my friend up for the weekend and was so glad to have her with me. Especially 'cause I had to take my roomie to the ER on Friday! I came home and she was doubled over in pain, turns out she had gall stones! So called 911 and followed the ambulance to the hospital. She had surgery this morning to remover her gall bladder and she's doing fine. The kicker? She is so happy to lose more weight (how much does a gall bladder weigh?) LOL! My friend Greg is doing well. Work is doing well, I've finally learned to step back and have a life. I didn't check email all weekend (big ass lie) but, I didn't answer any! ;-) Hope everyone has a good week, I'm up until my friend txt's me that she made it home ok. Rob over at Bent has some awesome pics of Chris Evans!! Here is just a sample... ;-) peace

Happy Monday

...it is Monday right? Was a long weekend, had my friend up for the weekend and was so glad to have her with me. Especially 'cause I had to take my roomie to the ER on Friday! I came home and she was doubled over in pain, turns out she had gall stones! So called 911 and followed the ambulance to the hospital. She had surgery this morning to remover her gall bladder and she's doing fine. The kicker? She is so happy to lose more weight (how much does a gall bladder weigh?) LOL! My friend Greg is doing well. Work is doing well, I've finally learned to step back and have a life. I didn't check email all weekend (big ass lie) but, I didn't answer any! ;-) Hope everyone has a good week, I'm up until my friend txt's me that she made it home ok. Rob over at Bent has some awesome pics of Chris Evans!! Here is just a sample... ;-) peace

Lindy's

[Today's photo is of Long Bay in Tortola, BVI.]

Lindy’s is a Foggy Bottom staple. It’s a great pre-game meal if you’re a Colonials basketball season ticket holder, and it happens to be a great place to resume leavened-bread-eating post-Passover.

The space is nothing to marvel at—it’s small, usually full, and when you are seated at a “table” upstairs you spend most of your time listening to the conversation of the people next to…wait, maybe that’s only me. Nosy!

Two words for you: Burl Ives. Not the guy, the dish. This burger solves the biggest problem for most BBQ-goers by eliminating the need to choose between burger and hot dog. The Burl Ives consists of a 6-inch sub roll with two (2) hamburger patties sitting side by side, topped with a hot dog (split long-ways so it sits nicely). HOW CAN YOU GO WRONG HERE?! The answer: You cannot.

If I’m not feeling up to the ol’ BI I’ll go for the Acapulco burger, which has a dollop of tasty guacamole on it.

Lindy’s also has what we call “thebestonionringsever.”

You can get each style in either a hamburger, a veggie burger, or with chicken.

Beer and burgers people.

Lindy’s Red Lion
2040 I Street NW
Metro: Foggy Bottom/GWU