Hank's Oyster Bar

Location: Dupont Circle (Q & 17th st)1624 Q St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Metro: Red Line Dupont Circle Metro Stop
Cuisine: Seafood
Website: hanksdc.com

So a couple of friends of mine planned a surprise birthday dinner at Hank's for my roomies birthday. It was a Sunday night, and they don't take reservations, you just have to get there to get your name on the list and wait. Since it was a Sunday night they weren't particularly busy, so it wasn't long before we could get a table. However while we were waiting for the rest of the group & the birthday girl to show up, we decided to grab a few drinks at the bar. Everything was going fine, UNTIL, a little bug decided to run around our drinks and nearly attack us. I grabbed a napkin and quickly killed the little fellow. I was HIGHLY disappointed with how the bartender reacted, he didn't even comp our drinks or grab a manager to let them know what just happened. It was a BUG on the bar!!! Right near our glasses. I was SHOCKED that the bartender didn't go out of his way to correct this one. This action made me skeptical about the rest of the dinner, but I was put to ease once we were seated to our table and we had the most patient waitress ever!

The restaurant is pretty small and fills up pretty fast. We had a party of 10, and I know from my own experience as a waitress, that waiting on large parties can be ANNOYING. You constantly have someone asking for something or making changes to their order, and it takes a lot of patience to work with. As the waitress gave us a chance to look over the menu (which isn't that extensive but sufficient) we were given goldfish crackers to snack on. I ordered 12 Malpeque oysters on half shells (@ $2/oyster, it's not bad although I wish I would have selected a variety of oysters), the lobster bisque, and a side order of collard greens. The oysters were pretty good, the lobster bisque had nice chunks of lobster and was seasoned pretty well. The collard greens were a bit on the sweeter side, but the quantity was pretty large, a dash of tobasco sauce was the solution so it wasn't too bad.

Anytime we needed anything the waitress was excellent at being attentive and quickly solving the problem. I like this place, and would definitely try it again. Everyone enjoyed the oysters (the toten's and sister oysters are pretty good) and the sauce they serve with it, are EXCELLENT! I strongly recommend this place, it's modern, casual, and cozy perfect for these cold winter days.

Hello Cupcake!

Location: 1351 Connecticut Ave NW, DC
Cuisine: Desserts, Cupcakes
Price: $
Nearest Metro: Red Line Dupont Circle

So lately I've been having this sweet tooth and annoyingly haven't really had anything that would satisfy it. So I found out about this little spot in one of my daily email alerts from www.dailycandy.com saying that Hello Cupcake! was opening up. Well I figured why the heck not. A girlfriend of mine, her 18 month old son, and a mutual friend of ours decided to try this place out. Well when we got there (a Saturday afternoon around 3), it was a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG line leading out the door! Once we got inside there were clean pastel colors decorating the walls, and everything looked so clean and crisp and just made you feel so happy. So we patiently stood in line, unfortunately they were out of most of the cupcakes that I wanted to try (for you vegans and Gluten free dieters they also have something to accommodate you), so I decided to get real exciting and went for the hc Original with buttercream icing. I love white cake with triple coconut (I REALLY wanted the dulce de leche cupcake but I was told they weren't going to sell it until the owner perfected the recipe), but nonetheless I was not let down. I ordered the 24 carrot (carrot cake, get it) for my friend whose birthday it was (I did sneak a taste and it was AMAZING. I will caution you, these minicakes are pretty rich and you may need a glass of milk to top it off, so be prepared. They are so goood! Oh a little thing I forgot to mention they change the menu daily so try checking out the website before you make your way over there, some of the flavors are sold daily and some are sold on certain days. So if there is a particular flavor you want to try make sure you are visiting this cute clean shop on the right day.

http://www.hellocupcakeonline.com/flavors.html

Mourayo

Location: DuPont Circle. 1732 Connecticut Ave NW, DC, 20009
(Red Line DuPont Circle Metro)
Website: www.mourayos.com
Cuisine: Greek Seafood
Price: $$$

During the month of Ramadan I caught up with a friend for dinner at Mourayo. Let me just say that during Ramadan, when you have a taste for something you will have great expectations of the food you eat when breaking your fast after a long day of stomach growls and hunger pains. My grandmother was Greek, and so I'm use to having really good homemade Greek food, and haven't had any Greek food in a while. So I figured on this particular day I would like to have some Greek food. So I called and made reservations that afternoon for 6:30 on a Tuesday. When i got there I fell in love with the seaman theme. It made me feel like I was really dining in a captains cabin for the evening. I almost felt like the restaurant might start swaying with the ocean =) I had to remind myself that we were still on land. Being that it was a Tuesday evening the restaurant had a few tables.

The wait staff was VERY efficient and friendly, the head person in charge (I want to say it was either the owner or the manager) was very attentive and hands on with the customers. Our glasses never went empty. So we were given the menus and the menu was pretty narrow, but everything looked so good, we couldn't make up our minds, but the staff remained patient. We finally chose the Ouzo Meze for the appetizer (seafood variety plate), there was octopus, mussels, anchovies, and a few other treats. The seafood was slightly salty and it was good, but definitely had that fresh seafood taste, so it kept its original flavor and taste, you could really taste each crustacean and fishes flavor and could distinguish them. For the entree we selected the Branzino fish (for the whole grilled fish you could either get it baked salted or grilled), we selected salted. I must say that it was an interesting display. After the fish came out it was displayed on a plate entirely covered in salt (looked pretty similar to the salt that you sprinkle on your driveway on snowy days). But it was quite a presentation, the manager/owner brought the fish to our table and began using a pic and axe sort of thing to chip off the salt from the fish. Once the branzino was finally revealed it was very moist and was tender, and surprisingly wasn't very salty. The appetizer and entree selection were pleasant for our break fast.

If your in the mood for some real seafood (not those super over seasoned and over cooked seafood), then I highly suggest this place. The fish tasted like it had just been caught on a line and was made by the fisher who caught the fish, and you can't get any fresher taste than that. There are also an extensive Greek wine selection to flush down your food with and to end your meal.

Station 9

Location: 1439 U St. (U st. between 14th and 15th)
Nearest Metro: U St./Cordoza Metro Stop on the Green/Yellow line
Cuisine: American, Soul Food
Price: $20-up
Website: http://www.station9dc.com/

When you walk in Station 9 the first thing you notice are the massive light fixtures that accent the dark turquoise hues of the large restaurant, that are made of clear solo cups. Creative. Makes me wonder what else I could make out of Solo plastic cups!

Any who you are quickly and kindly greeted by a host at the host stand. Usually there isn't too bad of a wait unless it's a Sunday afternoon for brunch or a Saturday evening, than you may want to call in advance and get a reservation. I haven't really had any of the dinner meals, but the Sunday brunch, is pretty damn good. There are a variety of items that are apart of the brunch buffet. Make sure you don't forget to order the Chef T's bottomless mimosa's. They are so tasty, but be careful they will sneak up on you, and if get a little too rambunctious he will cut you off. So make sure if you order these, you won't be driving.

The brunch spread consist of a salad/fruit bar with a variety of breads and spreads. There is a whole cakes, pies, and desserts spread, which I always avoid because I always end up eating so much of everything else my tummy ends up being so full. The brunch station is where I stock pile my plate. There are cheese grits, which are my ultimate favorite, I don't even have to add anything to make them tasty. There are spiced apples, sausage, a seafood dish (I can't think of the name of it, but it is SO DAMN GOOD), rice, fried chicken (One of Chef T's specialties), and an omelet station. I know I'm missing a few other items that are included for brunch, but there is so much that is offered it's hard to remember it all. I really enjoy Sunday brunch here, for $25, you will definitely get your moneys worth. I normally go for smaller quaint little homey places for brunch on Sundays, but when I want to splurge, I hit up Station 9. You cannot go wrong. Usually it's pretty packed on Sundays, full of families, church goers, and post party people. It's a nice mixed up crowd and the atmosphere is really comfortable so you can loosen your belt a bit.

The lounge is really nice as well. The only bad thing is they are only open until 2am on the weekends, which can be a doozer, but appropriate if you want to get dressed in your best and look and feel sexy in an atmosphere that is as such.

Lavandou

Location: Cleveland Park
Cuisine: French Bistro
Price: $$$
Website: http://www.lavandoudc.com/
Nearest Metro: Red Line Cleveland Park metro stop

I've lived in Cleveland Park for the past 2 years and walk past this restaurant almost daily. Lavandou is a rustic French looking bistro painted with oranges and yellows. When it's warm outside the windows in the front are open and inviting. The easel that sits outside the door invites you in with their daily specials, the one that stands out to me is the Tuesday special - $16.99 for all you can eat Mussels, prepared one of three ways. Finally I rounded up my roomie, her sister and a friend to try out this neighborhood icon that looks as if it should be housed on street with a brick road. The hostess and waiter were wonderful, they were patient, uber friendly, and very helpful in guiding us in our decision making. The waiter brought out bread that we devoured mercilessly. We chose a couple of appetizers, and what would a French dinner be if you did not order the Escargot Beurre d'Ail. There was plenty to go around. The sauced that housed these lovely little snail edibles was quite good, not too salty, not too bland, just right. The ratatouille was good, nice and hearty. I decided to go ahead and try out the L'Assiette de Frommage (assorted cheese plates). Although I'm not quite sure which cheeses were actually on the plate, they were pretty good (I think it was 3 or 4 different cheeses), I do know there was a brie that I just couldn't stop eating. The cheeses varied in flavor from the very salty to the more subtle. Being that everyone at the table decided to go ahead and order the all-you-can-eat mussels, I went ahead and tried the Jaret d'Agneau au Romarin (lamb shank in a rosemary sauce and pasta) which was great it wasn't overwhelmed with the flavor or the sauce and the meat was cooked perfectly. The mussels came in a variety of sauces (Provencale, pices et Basillique, and Safran et creme) I would have to say the Safran et Creme was THE best. The Basillique was okay but wasn't necessarily favored by the table.

I would have to say that this place is nice for getting together a few friends to grab a couple of glasses of wine and enjoy some nice homemade (the food was pretty fresh I must say), or even to go on a table and pretend that you are at a bistro on the French Riviera. The ambiance takes you out of DC and takes you to France and encompasses the nice things about France. I definitely would recommend at least checking it out once (suggesting that you go on Tuesday for the All-You-Can-Eat mussels, but if you want to take advantage of it stay away from the appetizers and go straight for the mussels, because they will really fill you up)

Bodega Spanish Tapas & Lounge

Location: Georgetown 3116 M St. NW
Cuisine: Spanish Tapas
Website: http://www.bodegadc.com/

So one of my best friends decided to randomly tell me he was in town and we couldn't find anywhere to eat because it was Friday around 11ish or midnight. Everywhere else had pretty much stopped serving food for the night. But we were fortunate enough to happen upon this lovely little Spanish masterpiece. The walls were decorated with bold red and black designs and bullhorns on the wall. Lo and Behold! The kitchen was still open and our stomaches could calm their cries for nourishment. We were quickly greeted (there were a few couples and bar patrons present). The waiter was very very welcoming and seemed to be intuitive to our needs. He quickly filled our glasses with water and gave us a plate full of lemons upon our request (I only asked for one, but hey the more the merrier, I like when they give more for my refills).

After several attempts to get our order, because of course me and my best friend needed time to catch up, or shall I say he needed to brief me on his crazy love life status and all the players involved, we finally glanced at the menus. For our appetizers we ordered the Calamares Fritos con Ali-Oli (Calamari), Pulpitos a la Plancha (octopus fried and sprinkled with paprika). Both were really good, especially the Pulpitos a la Plancha. The presentation wasn't super amazing but it was literally piping hot when it was served and the waiter and busboy were very accomadating. They also served us some really good bread with an aioli sauce. For the entree we both split a Paella Marinera (seafood paella). I was happy because they didn't put chorizo in the paella! Woohoo! The appetizers were pretty great, the entree was a bit bland, but wasn't bad.

Definitely recommend this spot for a date if your on the way to the last movie in Georgetown.

Proof

Proof
Location: China Town
775 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20001.
(Corner of G St. & 8th St. NW
Price Range: $25-up
Website: www.proofdc.com
Nearest Metro: China Town Metro Stop


A friend of mine wanted to take me to a "late" birthday dinner. So I had heard from a friend we should check out Proof. Well I figured since they had a great wine menu I would go ahead and check it out. We walked in to a warm, rustic styled restaurant decorated with bottles of wine lining the walls behind glass displays. We were quickly seated by the hostess (it was a Sunday and not very packed). The feel of the place was warm, romantic and cozy.

The waiter came to our table and handed us the wine menu and the food menu. The wine menu was EXTENSIVE. It was immense. The wines are sold by the glass in different sizes 2, 6 and 8 oz that are automatically dispense. I was overwhelmed and wasn't in the mood to really experiment so I started (and ended) with a muscat wine. Sorta dry.

To start with we received complimentary pita chips with a sour cream dill onion dip, it was very light and very tasty. To start with I ordered the baby beet salad which was exactly what I wanted. My date ordered the meatballs and ravioli. He said they were very good had a hint of spiciness to it. I ordered the duck for the entree. And can I say it was AMAZING! The duck was flavored just right it wasn't too sweet, not too salty just perfect. The meat was succulent and I devoured it. The presentation was simple and simply done.

The server was really nice and friendly, however there was really no follow up after we received our meals and after we were done w the entree the blank plates just sat staring us in the face for quite some time. He walked by several times and still no follow up. A little disappointing.

I looooved the bathroom. It was really cool and was decorated with silver and pink wall paper and accessories. I loved it! So bright and vibrant. It was a complete contrast to the restaurant. The wallpaper was silver w a print of sexy pantyhose clad legs and lingerie from our grandmothers heydays.

For dessert I ordered the strawberry shortcake. (I have no idea how I was able to even eat, let alone, order, dessert. But I sucked it up and took one for the team and ordered it anyway. It sort of had the texture of a scone with strawberries on top and whipped cream. It was good, just different.

I strongly suggest this place especially for a date. It's a nice place to grab a glass of wine before a game or the movies with a bunch of friends. Definitely check this place out!

Zaytinya

I've driven past Zaytinya and have worked with people that use to bartend at Zaytinya, and EVERYONE raves about this place. I never like getting caught up in the hype, but even the exterior decor captured my interest. I love Mediterranean food and I decided I wanted to go there for my birthday with a few of my girlfriends. When you walk in it is really modern and elegantly decorated. Even the bathrooms are really nice, but it still has a friendly comfortable feel to it. We had a short wait so we decided to grab a drink at the bar. I ordered the Pom-Fili cocktail and it was perfect. The bartender was a good bartender and knew what he was doing. Once our buzzers went off we were seated by the hostess and met by our waitress. She was quite patient because it took us forever to order since there were so many items on the menu that we wanted to try. We ended up ordering the Falafel, Grape-Leave Dolmades, Cretan Snail Skordalia, Octopus Santorini, Seared Salmon, Lamb Chops with Hommus Bil Toum, and the Rabbit Stifado. Mind you it was only 3 of us eating. =) We were skeptical about the Snails, but they were amazing. I would definitely suggests these to anyone as an appetizer. I realllllly enjoyed the rabbit and the lamb chops. I can't complain about any of the mezze plates we ordered. I mean I loved every single plate. Everything was seasoned perfectly not overly salty, all of the meats were savory and perfectly chosen. The only thing I would be mindful of the next time I go is that I ate so much that I didn't have enough room for dessert =( . It is definitely a place to go on a date or just with a few friends. It was amazing, and lived up to all of my expectations. Definitely a must!

www.zaytinya.com

Location: Penn Quarters
701 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
(Corner of G & 9th)
Nearest Metro Station: Chinatown Metro
Price Range: $15-up

Al Tiramisu

Al Tiramisu
DuPont Circle
Italian Restaurant
Red Line
Website: http://www.altiramisu.com/


Ah, I've resurrected! And i've been hungrier than ever! On a late Sunday night around 9ish (almost past my bedtime) my sister who was in town, and I were looking for a place to grab some good grub. My roomie had given great accolades to this Italian restaurant called Al Tiramisu in DuPont. Well since we were both in the mood for Italian I figured hey why not. So we walk in and were greeted by a very tall, polite gentleman. The restaurant is sort of small and quaint, reminiscent of the restaurants in Italy, and was filled with couples. I was happy they were still open (it was about 10 at this point).

So we sat, and viewed the menu. It wasn't very extensive, but they had the usual pasta, salads, and anti pasta entrees. We both quickly agreed on the cheese and spinach ravioli. I took a glance at the wine menu and was surprisingly pleased. As I have said before I love wine, and they had two of my favorites. The wine list was more extensive then the food menu, not necessarily a bad thing. The food came amazingly quick which please me and my sister since our stomachs were literally growling at this point. The waiter asked us if we wanted cheese, and of course, I couldn't decline. We greedily ate our food and, I will say the food was decent, nothing to really write home about, but it was still filling and if it was a little cheaper I probably would have felt a lot more enthusiastic about it.

The dessert menu was pretty extensive as well, and I opted for the tiramisu (my fave dessert). My sister opted for a chocolate style gnocchi dessert that was served with ice cream. It's not on the website and I can't remember the name of it, but it was pretty good. I was a little disappointed with my tiramisu, I don't know if it was because I had extremely high expectations, it still hit the spot, but just wasn't what I was expecting. It was good just not the best. I would definitely suggest this restaurant if you want to stop for a swig of good Italian wine or for some yummy Italian dessert (just don't go in there with high expectations on the Tiramisu).

I might have to try it out again to see if I feel the rest of the entrees are worth the bang for the buck. LIke I said the food wasn't that bad, however if it was a little cheaper I might be more enthusiastic about it. The service however was fantastic, someone came by to make sure the water glasses were filled and to check and make sure everything was okay. I never once thought to myself "where is the damn waiter". That definitely made the experience pleasant. Wouldn't suggest this spot for large gatherings of friends, but if you want to opt for something a little more quaint and unpretentious.

ZOLA

Okay so it's one of my favorite weeks of the year!!! RESTAURANT WEEK! Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to ravish it like I would like, BUT I did get to try out Zola's for lunch. So my co-worker made reservations at Zola on OpenTable.com for lunch. We left work and headed on over there. We got there and the atmosphere was really nice. The bar was to the left and I wouldn't have minded taking a seat over there and grabbing some drinks if the table wasn't ready. Its very inviting and has a very upscale mysteriuos feel. With wood interior, sleek designed walls, chrome, and frosted glass with blacked out images of people alluding a mysterious espionage feel, appropriate for a restaurant connected with the Spy Lounge. Very chic, modern and contemporary.

We were seated and I was excited because the whole menu was included in the Restaurant Week special. I ordered the House Cured Salmon Pastrami for the starter, Lobster Mac & Cheese for the Main entree, and the Basil Creme Brulee for dessert. I must say the Star Restaurants know what they are doing. The flavors, seasonings and mixes are made to perfection. The House Cured Salmon Pastrami was so delicisious if they had a larger portion I could have eaten it for the entree. The Entree itself was sooo creamy, with healthy CHUNKS of lobster, it was perfectly seasoned and the portion looked small but was actually pretty hearty, I had enough to serve two other people! After eating what I could of the entree I went ahead and broke my diet rule and had dessert (it's restaurant week, with these prices who could resist), and it was amazing!! The brulee wasn't torched too much, just slightly so it wasn't too thick and the basil added a subtle twist, the creme was just so smooth and light, and didn't make me feel guilty for eating it at all. I also had the ginger lemonade. It was pretty good a little tart and woke up my senses, but tasty.

Needless to say this restaurant is a winner! I loved it. I would definitely recommend anyone trying it. I will say it's a little pricier so more than likely if it wasn't restaurant week I wouldn't dine here on a regular basis, but it is definitely a nice place to splurge a little on a delectable meal. My next move is to try out their dinner on a date ;) This is a nice place to get dressed up and feel classy for dinner, definitely a nice spot to take a date!

Location: China Town
Price Range $30-up

Website: http://www.zoladc.com/