Restaurant Eve

Restaurant Eve is a special occasion place that was on my radar, along with The Inn at Little Washington, Minibar, and CityZen.  All we needed was a special occasion.  And we got one.  I love engagements, weddings, showers, babies...pretty much anything involving parties, presents, and food.  Although I left the idea open-ended, merely suggesting Eve among a worthy crowd, I basically steered us to the Tasting Room.  It's a risky move to take people out somewhere you've never been, but I felt like we really couldn't go wrong. 

Reservations for the Tasting Room can be made 2 months in advance.  For example, if it is October 15th, you can make a reservation as late as December 15th.  Within weeks of the good news, I booked us a table in October.  I called later to detail dietary restrictions and spell the names of the celebrated couple.  [That was the part where I referred to myself and J as "the garbage cans."  We'll try anything once, even "fluffy ocean."]

We did a 7-course menu, which was definitely perfect--I left full, but not pants-bursting stuffed.  The wine pairings seemed a little steep ($75, $85, and $95 to go with the 5, 7, or 9 course), and we ended up getting a bottle of Sauvignon Gris from Chile and later had a glass of champagne for a proper toast.  

I'll note that our pescatarian was served a lot of fish.  I was expecting at least a few more adventurous fishless vegetarian plates, but was surprised when yet another mini filet would appear.  Between us we ate all kinds of stuff, including pike, sturgeon, sashimi, lamb, sweetbreads, and the super amazing (maybe a table fan favorite) mushroom agnolotti.  The agnolotti was definitely my favorite, along with some of the tiny bites (more on that later). Three of us had beignets for dessert that were okay, but the chocolate-lover special requested the chocolate cake bar from the second menu above (actually, she just said "something with chocolate") and it was awesome.  Super rich, super chocolatey, and a large portion.  Made my beignets seem puny.  She shared, because she's wonderful.

The dining room was a bit warm, especially for a place noting that gentlemen will feel comfortable in ties & jackets.  Not without some air conditioning, they won't!  I'll also say that the service was pretty attentive, but kind of awkward.  With other tasting experiences, servers are coming and going, but usually the same person (or two) explains what each dish is when it comes out.  Swift, efficient, friendly, but unobtrusive (after all, you are likely celebrating).  We had different people coming and going, and it was just a little bit off.  Not bad, just not smooth and practiced. 

I liked everything.  Some things more than others; for example, I found the lamb to be meh.  It was very rare, but that's not a problem for me if the flavor is wow.  A palate cleansing red pepper sorbet was very interesting, in a good way.  The canapes and amouse bouche were also fun, but everything bigger than a bite lost that punch.  If I'm going out for a tasting menu, I want it to wow me.  Not confuse me, or interest me without being 100% delicious, but it should be delicious and intriguing.   It makes me think that Eve has the tasting menu for non-tasting menu people.  An adventure for the less adventurous.  Classic American cuisine, well-executed, yet not intimidating at all.  I didn't know I was so edgy, but I guess I am.  At least when it's going to be $100+ a person.

Overall, Eve is a great place to spoil someone.  The chocolate was printed with "Congratulations," and a little gift bag of take-home treats came out post-dessert.  The sunflower motif and gorgeous, colorful, patterned chargers make you just feel happy.  The pre-meal tastes and post-dessert cookies and bites were fun and welcome extras, and there were plenty.  Mini macarons, white chocolate clusters, and a chocolate/butterscotch/brittle-type triangle were on that final tiered serving tray.  I wanted them to be my end to every meal, forever.

My Totally Unscientific Tasting Menu Rankings
1. Komi
2. Citronelle
3. B&B Ristorante (does this count? It was all pasta...)
4. [Restaurant Eve, I think]
5. Volt
...
Makoto 
Town House

I liked and would recommend all of those Top 5, but it'll depend on the occasion and the audience.  I loved B&B for the great pastas and some truly interesting (and delicious) flavors.  My brother-in-law and sister had a less awesome B&B experience, where they felt like the pasta was the one thing they didn't love.  To which my response was:  WHAT?!? 

Citronelle is an institution, and Chef Richard is a genius.  It was also my first big tasting menu, so it has a special place in my heart.  Komi is hands-down the most incredible meal I've ever eaten. But if you're not too adventurous, you may be better off at Volt or Eve.  Not that Komi was so crazy, but  you're bound to have plates that truly surprise you.  I don't eat octopus and goat every day (but maybe I should).

Now I'll stop going on and on.  Restaurant Eve is a wonderful restaurant, and I'm glad that I went.  I just don't know how soon I'll be back.  If I had to pick one of the above to go to tomorrow, I'd choose Komi.


Restaurant Eve
110 South Pitt St
Alexandria, VA
Metro: Blue or Yellow Line to King Street Metro

Pizzeria Orso

Pizzeria Orso!  The myth, the legend.  Or really, just the yummy new joint in NoVa. 

To cut to the chase, I liked Pizzeria Orso, but I wasn't obsessed.  We waited way too long for a table, and while waiting we saw a child upchuck his meal the second his family was 10 feet from the door.  Not that it's Orso's fault, but it does something to your appetite that can't be undone. 

As a sidenote, I'd prob be even more into Orso if I didn't live pretty darn close to 2 Amys.  And in the end, I prefer 2A.  If I had never left Arlington, who knows, maybe I'd tell you that it's SO MUCH BETTER, etc etc. Convenience is a factor, and it's all a bit psychological anyway, I think.

I really enjoyed the bruschetta--ours had a tomato olive tapenade kind of thing, and that sourdough was perfect--crispy and chewy, not like the countless crappy bruschetta dishes I've had where you it's dry with the crumbs and the oily-ness.  LOVED.  We also had the arrosticini (skewered lamb)--tasty. 

It only made sense to order my fave 2A dish, for comparison's sake.  The Orso edition of my beloved Ripieno Basilico just didn't stack up.  The insides of it didn't ooze out--it wasn't particularly stuffed, and the filling was barely room temperature.  It still tasted good--c'mon people, it's dough, cheese, sauce, and pesto.  But I didn't want to marry it. 

Ripieno I want to marry:

Ripieno that I just liked okay (sorry, the lighting wasn't great):

J dug his crudo pizze with tomato, mozzarella, basil, grana, arugula, and a thin prosciutto (is there any other kind?) across the top.  I liked that it sort of glimmered.  He found it to be fresh-tasting; he enjoyed the dough, and was surprised that the arugula wasn't too bitter.  He's not one to jump on arugula salads and things of that nature.

Our pals K & P had a pie with mushrooms and one with lots of meat--perhaps the Giamette (sausage, pepperoni, ham, and salami), is that right K? 

Check out the oven:

Dolcezza gelato is offered for dessert; I'm turned off by how expensive it is---even Orso can't mark it up more than the store itself.  At Boccato a small was about $3.50 but it was a very generous small.  At Dolcezza it's about a dollar more for a small but I swear you get half as much (at least in Bethesda).  Very very sad.  I've gone off on a tangent.  Anyway, Dolcezza gelato is good and you can find it at Orso.  At 2A, for those keeping score at home, they make their own ice cream in house, and it is divine. 

Orso means bear.  J thought you might want to know!

Pizzeria Orso
400 South Maple Ave
Falls Church, VA
Metro: Bus from East Falls Church Metro, on the Orange Line.  You can prob take a few ART buses or Metrobus.

Last Day of July

[Today's photo: storms knock down trees, and it's not only scary looking, it's really dangerous.]

Let's do a little roundup of my favorite late-July links as we ring in the new month.  I love new months.  Sure, rent is due, but this August my cousin is getting married on the first day of the month!  And as the last month of the Jewish year, yiiiikes the High Holy Days are right around the corner. 

State Dinner's Taste of Northern Michigan has a spectacular burger that we thankfully heard more about. I don't know when I'll go to Michigan...ever...but if I do, I need to make a sort of pilgrimage for that burger.

Love this map with descriptions of NoVa neighborhoods and the restaurants that live there, from DCLovesfood. 

You want hot curry?  Well, read about someone eating it over at I Flip For Food, and then check out this picture of someone MAKING it with a gas mask on, from the WSJ Photo Journal.  Love that photo.  Speaking of photos, check out the burgermobile on the Kansas City stretch of Scout NY's road trip.

Another NJ strip mall gem from eNJoyNJ!

I'm also happy to report that Google Analytics is back up and running, providing the following fodder--these are some keywords people used to find iEatDC via search engine:

*  i basically made love to that duck, to be honest witchu
*  pistachio and funion pizza
*  where can i get pickles in a barral [sic] in vineland
*  injera kosher for passover [STILL?!?!?!]
*  patrick o'connell plaid jacket
*AND no fewer than FORTY-EIGHT different searches leading to the blog related to the Pea Puree Debacle.  One person actually just typed "pea puree debacle."  Others were genuinely and earnestly seeking answers. "did alex on top chef really steal ed's pea puree?"  "did the other chefs on top chef know that alex stole the pea puree for hi winning dish?"

Hope you had a wonderful July but have an even better August!  And what in the world is the August shake of the month at BGR???

Ray's News, Courtesy of WaPo

Ray's the Steaks, Ray's the Bar, Ray's the Classics, Ray's Hell-Burger, and coming soon Ray's the Glass, Ray's the Game, and Ray's the Catch.  Read about the news that Hell-Burger is moving down the street (I guess to the base of the Bennett Park Apartments, based on the address) to make way for Ray's the Game.  No clue when, but I'm sure our pal (jk, we don't know him) Michael Landrum will keep us posted somehow.  We've been waiting on the Catch for a while...

Thank goodness I follow @tomsietsema  on Twitter!

BGR The Burger Joint

This Bethesda (and Alexandria and Dupont) burger joi--er, outlet bills its offering as the" one burger you MUST HAVE before you die."  Now that's taking it a little far.  That said, PLEASE get to your local Burger Joint and have the shake of the month before November ends.  The flavor is pumpkin pie, and the results are OH MY GOSH delicious.  Really.  Just go.

J and B enjoyed the burger of the month on a recent voyage: Thanksgiving On A Bun.  TOAB is a deliciously moist and well-seasoned turkey burger topped with cornbread stuffing, cranberries, and gravy.  I had to do something other than ALL CAPS to show you how amazing I think those toppings are.  Variety is the spice of life, people!

TOAB was great, and the sweet potato fries (and regular for traditionalists) are pretty good, too.  Even the veggie burger is yum--smoky and full of lots o' bits of good stuff.

I didn't have a regular burger, but I'm sure it's good.  Better than Ray's?  I'll have to go back to render that verdict.  For now, the only advantage I see for BGR is that you can bring your vegetarian plus-one there without damning them to a mac 'n' cheese existence (LC i'm looking at you!). 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!!!!


BGR: The Burger Joint
4827 Fairmont Ave
Bethesda, MD
Metro: Red Line to Bethesda (and other locations in Dupont & Old Town, Alex)

Eamonn's Dublin Chipper

"Thanks Be To Cod." That's the saying over at Eamonn's Dublin Chipper, one of way too many delicious places to eat in Old Town, Alexandria. We love Vermilion, Farrah Olivia (tear), The Majestic (same owners!), enjoyed 100 King, and let's not even talk about the shopping. OH the shopping.

ANYWAY! Eamonn's. The menu is small, the tables are few, and the food is fried. But don't let that scare you. There's nothing heavy about this fried food--although I can't speak to the desserts (fried Snickers or Milky Way, anyone?). You've got some protein options, including "Batter Sausage," which I'm guessing is...battered and fried, like everything else, but you've got to be CRAZY not to get good old fish and chips. I read all the Yelp, Urbanspoon, and Chowhound stuff about Eamonn's and decided we should get "small" cods--apparently the portions are unreliable, and often a small is the same as a large, but for $3 less. Also, with fries, I was sure there was no way we'd leave hungry.

The fish was super hot, super fresh--a crispy crunch on the outside, but flaky yet still moist white flesh within. And the fries were to die for. I mean chips! Keep in mind that this is a messy adventure. You won't get a plate, just your food in a paper bag, Dublin style (I guess?).  But we did get handwipes, which I totally kept in my purse in case of a future sinkless emergency.  Seating is limited, and the "outdoor" space isn't charming at all.  And FYI, the "smalls" were more than enough for both of us.  

To summarize: We had a great time here. We weren't expecting a sit-down fancy place, and so we enjoyed the yumtastic food that came to us with matching smiles. Would it be great to have plates, a long beer list, funky outdoor seating, and an amiable waitstaff (as opposed to the one dude who was perfectly friendly, but seemed more like he belonged at Urban Outfitters or something)? Sure it would! But we can do without. We'll definitely go back to Eamonn's the next time we're craving cod and chips.

Eamonn's Dublin Chipper
728 King Street
Metro: Blue and Yellow Lines to King Street

Some competition for Ray's the Steaks?

Pay no regard to my failed attempt (in the comments) to implore Michael Landrum to open an enormous Ray's Hellburger in the Marriott Residence Inn, right across from Ray's the Steaks.

Instead, apparently Fire Works restaurant is coming. What is it? I have no idea. Here is the blurb from DCmud, The Urban Real Estate Digest of DC:

"Fire Works will occupy approximately 5,500 square feet at the street level on Clarendon Boulevard and open up to the Western end of Courthouse Plaza for patio dining. The 240 seat (160 indoor, 80 outdoor) restaurant will offer upscale casual dining featuring local, fresh and organic ingredients and is expected to open in Spring 2010."

Supposedly it's the same Fire Works as Fire Works Pizza in Leesburg. Anyone been? Is it any good? Should Faccia Luna be worried?

But my dreams haven't been crushed yet--there's still over 3000 sq ft of retail space available. Michael Landrum, are you listening now???

Thanks LB for the link!

Eventide

Let's start with the good:

The dining room is stunning. It's blue and black, pretty but funky (though not too funky) at the same time. The piping hot biscuits that came out first were DELIGHTFUL. Flaky and buttery and lovely. A delicious amouse bouche from the chef just as pleasing--mushroom risotto fritters on perfect little spoons with a touch of Dijon-y-ish (maybe?) sauce. And as an appetizer we shared the uber-delicious rabbit cannelloni. The rabbit was so flavorful and tender, and it was the perfect appetizer. I joked that I wanted it to be my meal, but I'm sure if I ate too much of it myself the richness would be overpowering.





The not so awesome: The dinner menu is pretty small. For example, I don't dig the texture of steak or lamb (unless it's ground), and I don't eat pork or much shellfish. As a result, my options were spring vegetable risotto, roasted chicken, and salmon. Of course, we ate salmon for dinner the night before at home, so I was left with Token Vegetarian Option and chicken. I was assured by my super friendly and helpful server that the chicken is "really good" so I got it. It's not the best roasted chicken I've ever had. Let's be honest, only one place can claim that! BUT, the stuffing was really really good, and I ate it all. To be honest, it's a bummer to eat $24 chicken that's just ok, when the Palena chicken is $13 and more than twice as good--it just seems wrong! J had the lamb. He says it was really good. If only that were enough...





So dinner had its ups and downs, but brunch at Eventide was a complete disappointment. They have a fabulous rooftop seating area, though, so if ambiance and decor made a meal, this place would have it! J enjoyed the bison sausage omelet--it was tasty, I tried it. The portion wasn't unreasonably small, but it was markedly smaller than what we've seen for brunch elsewhere in the area (Boulevard Woodgrill, Harry's, 3 Bar & Grill). Maybe we were just sore because the yummy biscuits from dinner were conspicuously missing, making us long for the basket that R3 provided with their brunch. Those amazing biscuits were great at dinner, but they seemed even more appropriate at brunch. Alas...

My frittata was room temperature. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be or not, to be honest. I generally like food HOT unless it's leftovers straight from the fridge and still cold, so it was sort of a bummer. Kinda like cold chicken on a salad--Bummer City. The "frittatta" tasted more like a quiche. It was edible, but not very good.



The roof was a nice place to sit, but the service was nowhere near as attentive, even though there were only two other tables seated for brunch upstairs at the same time as us. Brunch prices are significantly different than dinner (which is a little too costly for frequent returns), and you almost don't feel like you are at the same restaurant. I can't believe they have $8 brunch entrees and nothing less than $23 for dinner. It's sort of surprising. I would have been just as happy, or maybe happier, having brunch at the Silver Diner down the street.

And just a notice to every brunch establishment in the DC area that doesn't adhere to this already: You must offer iced coffee. And it must be delicious. It is way way way too hot (especially recently in August) for people to be sitting on your patio or roofdeck drinking hot coffee. Please don't look at us like we're crazy when we ask for iced coffee--we swear it's normal where we're from.

Eventide
3165 Wilson Blvd
Metro: Orange Line to Clarendon

Italian Store

What can I say that hasn't been said?

At the Italian Store in Arlington you can get every shape of pasta you ever dreamed of. Like stellini--"little stars." Also, any kind of European cookie, cracker, wafer, candy, etc, that you want is there. AND there are homemade pastas, raviolis, and other treats hanging out in the fridge area. Seriously, you could only eat from this place for the rest of your life and be fine.

We were always beleivers in Italian Store pizza. Call me a snob, but I won't touch anything made here, here, or here. If you were raised anywhere in the NY Metro area then you wouldn't either, at least not with your head held high. But Italian Store's pizza (which is offered both by the pie and by the slice) is the best real pizza in the area, in my opinion. I enjoy Faccia Luna, but that's fancy-pants pizza.

Lately we evolved into the sandwiches--they rock for a picnic or just a casual weekend lunch. A "small" hard roll is enough for any adult's lunch. My favorite is smoked turkey/lettuce/tomato/mustard. I like their "special dressing" or plain ol' oil & vinegar, but find that unless I'm eating right away on the--er--patio, the liquid saturates my roll in a semi-sad way. No one wants a soggy sandwich. [For ex., if you are going to say...Chrysalis, then maybe get it dry for safe keeping. It's not a terribly long ride, but ya know.]

You can get any regular deli meat you like (J likes the roast beef/turkey combo) OR get a super fun Italian sandwich with capacola, genoa, prosciutto, pepperoni, etc. There are always a few of the favorites pre-made because they know their customers. I recently picked up a Napoli for a friend. The description reads as follows: "Pepperoni makes this our spiciest creation, with lean capacola ham, and buttery soft mozzarella cheese." Spicy!

Oh yeah, and then there are these cookies. Do you like black & white cookies? Then go right now and buy yourself some Berger's. Oh wait, maybe not yourself. Warning: we finished these by ourselves in barely a day and a half. Find a few friends before purchasing them. Apparently if you are from Baltimore they need no explanation.



The Italian Store
3123 Lee Highway
Driving or hitting the bus is best, but...
METRO: Orange Line to Clarendon--it's almost a mile walk. Doable and worth it.

Dairy Godmother

You know I love Dairy Godmother. I told you so here. I follow them on Twitter, stay up to date on the flavor forecast, and even check out the custard cam to avoid lines.

So our President is at it again. He visited Dairy Godmother . Sort of like his visit to Ray's (as in, it's one of my favorite places), except this time he left ol' Joe at home and brought the girls instead. See some photos as re-tweeted from @DairyGodmother here.

The thing about both of these places is that they are ALREADY popular. They are ALREADY hits. You ALREADY wait in huge snaking lines at peak times to get what it is that you need and crave to continue living one more day (read: giant juicy not-totally-dead burger + creamy custard in interesting flavors).

So you already know you should go, but for the first time I tried something NEW at DG, and I've been thinking about it ever since I had it. Yes, have the flavor of the day (or at least a bite of someone else's). And yes, have the turtle sundae or the brownie sundae (brownie sundae is for extreme chocolate lovers ONLY). And definitely, most definitely have vanilla custard on whatever cobbler they have going on.

But also, have the flavor of YESTERDAY or maybe TWO days ago on a sandwich. This sandwich is not on cookies. Instead, it is about 2-3 inches of custard in between two slices of CAKE, frozen.

I had lemon meringue pie custard (crust and all) between two slices of yellow cake, and let me tell you...wow. Wow. WOW.

Oh, and bring your dog. They <3 the DG puppy pops.Dairy Godmother
2310 Mount Vernon Avenue
Del Ray
No, you can't take the Metro there (but you can take the motorcade)

Restaurant 3 Brunch

To follow up my pretty positive happy hour experience at R3, J and I had brunch there on our way to the bike store in Ballston. He hadn't been back since You Know When. And looking back at our first visit to R3, I see that we had the duck confit with molasses lettuce wraps--basically my happy hour pulled sandwich, but with lettuce wraps instead of a bun. What was good stayed good, at least!

J knew he was getting the chicken and waffles, but he couldn't help but glance at the pulled duck sandwich. I reminded him that I already had it, and for half the price! Also, he muffled something about the short rib quesadilla--sounds good, but was actually not so identifable as short ribs and pretty greasy when S had it at happy hour. So he went with his first intention (with my peer pressure). The fried chicken was really tender, and although we both agreed that the waffle wasn't necessarily the most visually impressive one we'd ever seen, it was tasty and it was a good size for pairing with the chicken.



I had the omelet of the day, which had cheese, asparagus, tomatoes, red and green peppers, and squash, along with a side of grits. I can usually sum up my meal with: had vegetables, was healthier than J's, but not nearly as good. But seriously, I love omelets and feel like it can tell me a lot about a place. It's eggs, people!



My iced coffee was good (and re-filled before the check!), and J called their iced tea "bangin'," although that might have had more to do with his lemon-squeezing/Splenda-mixing skills and less to do with the restaurant's brewing technique.

The star of the show was the breadbasket. And by bread I mean muffin. Actually, there were a few pieces of regular bread in there, but I pretended I didn't see them. The cinnamon muffins were DELICIOUS. And of course I was a fan of the zesty jammy marmaladey situation. Who wants butter?!?!



Sidenote, R3 recently had signs up about a tiki-style party that would be in memory of Mama Quan's, which cracked us up. Such an inside Clarendoners' joke, but still. Good job.

UPDATE: R3 is apparently now 3 Bar & Grill (not sure if they dropped the Restaurant, but the Bar & Grill is definitely IN), and is going for a more Southern and American-y sorta thing. Changes include a focus on microbrews, availability of chicken & waffles for dinner (not just brunch), and slightly lower prices. For example, the pulled duck molasses sandwich was $11, and is now $9. Applause! I want to try the mac & salad.

Restaurant 3
2950 Clarendon Boulevard
Metro: Orange Line to Clarendon

Ray's Hell-Burger has the best burger in Virginia...

According to the Food Network!

Not that I'm surprised. You all know my obsession. HELP. I AM IN NEED OF IRON. I NEED LOTS AND LOTS OF RED MEAT, FRESHLY GROUND PREFERABLY K THX.

Thanks Dan Rockwell thread.

Lost Dog Cafe

Dear Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar:

You are the sweetest, most lovely beer I've met in a while. I missed you during Passover!!!!

Love,

Me.

The world has many beers. Just look at the Brickskeller Beer List! And while I don't have some organized system where I try them all one-by-one, I try to vary what I order. So what I'm saying is, RHBN is my flavor of the month (or three).

Oh right! Lost Dog Cafe. This hoppin' neighborhood joint is full of pizza, beer, and 20-somethings. We didn't get carded, but a pair of girls next to us did--maybe they thought an underage couple wouldn't have the chutzpah to sit at the bar and order beer? Don't look for a beer list--just take a look at the shelves behind the wall, and choose quickly (because if you keep scanning and looking and reading, your eyes will get very tired).



J had Yogi the Lab's Pie without the red onions (so just barbecue chicken, green onions, and mozzarella) and it was tasty. I like their BBQ sauce, which is featured on many of the sandwiches available.

I had the Burro on K's recommendation. She loves it, but it wasn't for me. It was essentially (and tasted like) an okay-ish version of TJ's 5-layer dip (with beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole) and shredded lettuce on a flatbread. It didn't seem like dinner. I know now I would have been better off with something hot and cheesy, but I was in a weird mood that night. Any night where I can pass up a hot pizza with basil on it is definitely a weird night. Next time I want the Pedigree Pie, with garlic butter, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, spinach, parmesan, fontina, mozzarella cheese, and basil. YUMMMMM.



The Burro





Yogi the Lab Pie






Lost Dog Cafe
5876 N. Washington Blvd
Arlington, VA
Metro: More of a driving place, but not super far from East Falls Church Metro on the Orange Line

Restaurant 3 Happy Hour

The following positive and constructive comments sum up our recent happy hour at Restaurant 3:

"This beer is really good!"
(ladies, remind me what kind of beer again?)

"Good, but a little too greasy."



"When I asked for a veggie in place of fries, I didn't think they'd be swimming in butter."




"I'm going to put balsamic on ALL my pizza from now on!"


"Too much roll, not enough lobster."



Full disclosure: Monday HH at R3 is HALF-PRICE "bar bites," which means that the most expensive item above (the Lobster Roll) only cost $7.50. So things that are "yummy" and "tasty" must be qualified as "half-price tasty." For example, I had the pulled duck sandwich, and it was really good. I'd definitely have it again for $5.50, but would I have it for $11? I'm not sure. I asked for a fry replacement and was offered asparagus--it would have been awesome if the 'gus wasn't chillaxing in a jacuzzi of Paula Deen's favorite ingredient (that's butter, friends. Watch some Food Network). It wasn't crowded at all (maybe because Monday isn't the hottest HH day and spots like Whitlow's and Lib Tav seem to monopolize the after-work scene), and the bartender was super nice. They were out of the risotto tater tots, even though we were there before 5:30pm (and HH begins at 5pm). Maybe they ran out over lunch?

I'll go back to R3 for HH with any of you on a Monday; I want to try those risotto tater tots and their burger. It's a great deal for some interesting and tasty food with a very low cost. Way better than my first experience, when the service sucked, the meat was undercooked, the food wasn't even very good, and it was way too expensive for all of its flaws. And $5 glasses of wine? I. Am. In.

Restaurant 3
2950 Clarendon Boulevard
Metro: Orange Line to Clarendon

Murky to Close and Move--New Clarendon Coffee on the Way!

Update: New coffee shop will be Bayou Bakery.

You know I wasn't the biggest fan anyway. But Murky Coffee is moving to DC under a new name, and the folks at Liberty Tavern are going to renovate the old space (which is apparently not ADA accessible because of the upstairs, hence the closed upstairs space...) and keep it as a coffee shop. I doubt it will be open in time for my last set of finals, but no matter what, I look forward to the new addition to the neighborhood (so long as it doesn't AT ALL resemble Murky even a TINY bit, besides the whole selling-coffee thing).

You aren't reading the article wrong. Murky requests our sensitivity to Murky people's feelings during the transition. Was anyone going to go in there and say BOO YAH! I GONNA ICE MY ESPRESSO ALL OVER THIS SPACE! (I guess somebody might do that. Tsk. Let's all be nice. That incident was so last summer.)

New Coffee Place
Coming soon to 3211 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA
Metro: Orange Line to Clarendon

NEWS! Ray's Hell-Burger--Still Delicious, New Side Dish Added

VEGETARIANS, READ NO FURTHER. KTHXBYE.*

I have no idea when the new side dish appeared. Anyone? Comments? (I don't know because I'm not allowed to have Ray's more than once every three or so weeks...let's be honest, no one should. It's a huge amount of red meat for one person. You need to space that stuff out, ya'll. I care about each and every one of you, and I want you to live for a very, very, very long time.)

We both got blackened burgers cooked "recommended." J got Vermont white cheddar, grilled peppers, and heck sauce. I got grilled onions and dill pickle chips. We noticed the blackened was kicked up a notch--previously it was difficult to distinguish between grilled and blackened, but tonight we felt the heat! And we liked it! On the side were cheese tater puffs, these little buttery balls of pretty-good-ness (they were good, but not AMAZING--definitely more interesting than French fries, though). When did these little guys appear? Last time we checked the options were potato salad, mac & cheese, and coleslaw. Wow, I didn't realize coleslaw was one word.

The Boylan's Diet Root Beer tasted flat, but the Cheerwine I had next made me forget about all that sadness.

And yeah, that's my hand in the picture. There was another picture that DIDN'T have half of my blurry hand in it, but I want you to really get a sense of how hungry I was, and how I didn't want to wait for a picture to be taken before tasting one of the fluffy puffy thingies. And not bad for a camera-phone picture, right?!

*I <3 you vegetarians, but there's nothing for you here. No veggie burgers, no fish sandwiches, no fake meat, no Portobello mushroom situation...

Ray's Hell-Burger
1725 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA
Metro: Orange Line to Court House, or an uphill walk from Rosslyn on Orange or Blue

Velocity Five Sports Restaurant & Bar - Court House OPEN

Just a little announcement: I walked by Velocity Five last night (it replaced King Street Blues) and it was OPEN. Over the weekend the sign said "coming soon" and a nice flat-screen TV was playing sports to the sidewalk from above the door.

Good for them on the quick turnaround. If I was working on opening a sports bar during March Madness, I'd have a similar fire under my tush to get started.

Just trust me that it's open--the web site doesn't yet have any news/pages about the new location. And if it's true that appetizers are half-priced between 5-7, then consider me psyched.

Velocity Five Sports Restaurant & Bar
2300 Clarendon Boulevard
Metro: Orange Line to Court House

Minh's

While it's still cold, do yourself a favor and head to Minh's for an enormous bowl of pho. (Most Americans say pho like "fee fie PHO fum" but it's really more like "fuh"--the problem is, most people won't know what you MEAN when you say "fuh" so you're stuck seeming confusing and pretentious at the same time).

Yes, the ginger beef is also good. Yeah, there are other dishes (like pretty much anything made in a clay pot) that are delicious.

But the savory soups outdo them all--I'm a huge fan of beef noodle soup #2, which contains well-done brisket. Others have rare beef, or both rare and well-done TOGETHER (J's choice). The "cup" is pretty big--you and a friend can each get a cup and share an entree (or get two and you've got leftovers for lunch). Get "large" and don't bother with entrees. They are not kidding around with the large, my friends!

So quick! Hurry! Before it gets warm again!

Minh's Restaurant
2500 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA
Metro: Court House