Banana Cafe

One day speaking with my boss he suggested I find a good Latin restaurant that served Cuban &/or Puerto Rican food that would remind him of home (he is Cuban raised in Puerto Rico). Well I passed this place one day and figured it would be a good place to check out. He checked out the menu before we invited the whole division to dinner and he agreed that the menu was authentic Latin Food.

We got there and the decor seemed to have caught my co-workers a little off guard. The decor seems a bit eccentric and loud, and not necessarily the classiests, but it was friendly and definitely somewhere to come casual and catch up with the family or friends for cheap eats, cheap drinks and a good time. The atmosphere was lighthearted and everyone in the place seemed to be having a really good time.

The menu had a little bit of everything on there chimichangas, Paella (My fave but they had Chorizo in it so I couldn't order it), Relleno, Enchiladas, Burritos, and some authentic Puerto Rican dishes. While waiting for the drinks and food the waiter brought out some chips and salsa, and the whole table just demolished the salsa and chips. My boss had the Ropa Viejo (rice with shredded beef flank) and was thoroughly impressed and claimed it reminded him of home. The table ordered a couple of pitchers of the margaritas which I must say were GREAT! I ordered the Camarones Andaluz (sauteed shrimp and vegetables in a white wine sauce) and I completely savored the dish.

My thoughts: RUN to this place and try it out. You don't have to dress up to feel comfortable and you can kick back enjoy the atmosphere, margaritas and the cheap eats. Definitely a must!

Latin Cuisine (Cuban/Puerto Rican)
Located in the Eastern Market District
Price Range $7-35

http://www.bananacafedc.com/menu.htm

Bistro Francais

After the 2007 CBC Gala and partying, a group of us were seeking an alternative for the Diner since we didn't feel like going to Adams Morgan to grab something to eat. I was referenced to the restaurant prior to and knew it stayed open until about 4 A.M. so I figured I would suggest it and try it out. WELL, that was a waste, I ordered the Oeufs Norvegienne (Poached eggs with smoked salmon hollandaise sauce on an English muffin), being that they didn't really have a breakfast menu, I was limited in what I wanted to order because I was already in the mood for breakfast food. I thought maybe it was only me being finicky about my food because I was disappointed because there wasn't anything on the menu that I really wanted but the rest of the group also complained about their food. One person even complained that their chicken Cesar salad wasn't even that great (I really don't know how you mess that one up). It's not a place I would try to visit again.

Prices range $15-30

http://www.bistrofrancaisdc.com/index.htm

Mate

Sunday night with a taste for sushi and some tasty drinks, a friend suggested Mates. Mates (pronounced Mah-tay's) is apart of the Latin Concepts chain of restaurants. As soon as I walked in I had a strong feeling I wouldn't be disappointed. The menu had the usual maki rolls, nigiri and sashimi but also has a nice amount of creative latin inspired maki rolls that are quite delectible. (Mmmmm my mouth is actually salivating thinking about their rolls, especially the Bamboo roll) The different flavored mojitos and pomegrante inspired drinks are to die for. The bartenders are pretty good and timely unfortunately the waitresses can sometimes be slow, but after getting your food it's well worth the wait. The calamari salad is interesting, the seaweed salad is VERY good. I've never had the ceviches, but I'm sure they are just as good as the sushi!

There is a happy hour during the week, and MAN, me, my cousin and a friend of mine went one day for their happy hour and ate sooooo much, had a few drinks and our tab only came up to about $80 for the three of us (we ordered about a million rolls and a couple of drinks) and we had SO much food leftover. The happy hour menu can be found on their website. http://www.latinconcepts.com/mate

Don't let the ambiance and setting fool you, it's not as expensive as it looks ;)

Location: Georgetown (K & 31st St.)
Cuisine: Latin, Sushi
Price Range: $10-$20

http://www.latinconcepts.com/mate

Cleveland Park Bar & Grill

Located directly off the Cleveland Park metro stop on the redline.

Cleveland park is your neighborhood bar & grill. Me and my cousin stop by this joint quite frequently when we don't want to cook and when we just feel like grabbing a bite to eat, plus the people who work there are all pretty cool. With a menu of pizza's, pasta's, burgers and sandwiches you can't really go wrong. It's a great place to catch a game, and they have a happy hour that starts at 10 p.m. on beer and rail drinks. The food is decent (I haven't been disappointed yet) and fairly priced. Great place to catch up with the guys or get up with the gang.

Price range - about $10-20.

Ardeo Bardeo

Location: Cleveland Park

I have been here to eat and walk by it daily. When I stopped by there I had the Steamed Nova Scotia Mussels (the portions were large) and the Fusille (smoked chicken dish) DELICIOUS!, I have also seen some famous faces dining there. Ardeo Bardeo is a Wine Bar (Bardeo) and restaurant (Ardeo). Upscale and classy the prices are a little more on the expensive side, but it's worth it. With a modern cuisine, the menu is extensive and the food is well prepared and delicious. The wine menu isn't too extensive but it's decent. It's a nice place to go if you want to get dressed up and have no place to go. A great place to take a date if you're trying to impress someone.

Prices are $25-up

http://www.ardeorestaurant.com/
http://www.bardeo.com/

Saki

Saki located at 18th and Columbia Rd is a hot little sushi spot.

Saki is one of the sushi restaurants I like to frequent although it's kinda iffy when it comes to how good the sushi is. It's a small spot consisting of a small bar area and the dining area is a row of tables, a wall length seating arrangement and little cube ottomans. It's a nice intimate place with a great happy hour. The happy hour has half off rail drinks and half off most of the sushi on the sushi menu and the appetizers. The sushi is so-so, depending on what day you go. It's not really consistent, one day it's great and one day it's not so much. But it's not that bad. I recommend it as long as you don't go with high expectations. I mainly go for the vibe more than the sushi because I never know whether or not it's going to be up to par that day. (I've tried most of the sushi on the menu)

http://www.sakidc.com/

Tabaq

Location: U Street Corridor
Cuisine: Mediteranean

I spent my birthday dinner at Tabaq. Located on U street between 13 & 14th St. off the Green/Yellow Line Cordoza Metro stop

Swanky & sexy with a Steven Starr restaurant type of feel it was definitely my steez. Tabaq has a Mediterranean theme with great drinks. The top floor (where the roof comes off in the summer) is where it is at! Leelah the bartender will hook you up with some of her delicious concoctions, you can trust her to shake up something to your tasting (Make sure you look for her). The food is really good. I think I have tried just about everything on the menu (except for any redmeat or pork dishes) and didn't have anything bad to say about any of them. Definitely a great spot for a first date, birthday dinner, or just to grab some drinks and hang out at the bar.

http://www.tabaqdc.com/

MEZE

Neighborhood: Adam's Morgan
Location: 2437 18th St. NW, Washington DC, 20009
Cost: $
Cuisine: Turkish


Walking in Adams Morgan one random Sunday in search of a good inexpensive brunch I came across Meze. Meze is a little Turkish cafe with two floors and an outdoor patio. The breakfast was amazing and CHEAP! I paid $9 for my Meze eggs consisting of poached eggs, smoked salmon on top of a muffin and potatoes! It was excellent and fulfilling. Everyone else was quite happy with their meals as well (they had the Aphrodite & Waffles). The salmon bruchetta is really good too. One of my girlfriends always orders the sausage and absolutely loves it. The workers are nice and the ambiance is really relaxed. I definitely recommend it if you want to spend less than $15 for good food & you don't really have to wait for a table. This has become by far, my favorite place for brunch. I have never had a complaint about the food here. If you can't find me on a Sunday afternoon, you haven't looked at Meze yet.

Price range $7-$20

http://www.mezedc.com/

Dino

Located on Connecticut and Ordway directly off the Cleveland Park Metro Stop on the Red Line)

Dino's is an Italian restaurant in Cleveland Park. The menu is very precise and to the point, the portions are pretty decent and the prices aren't even that costly. The wine selection is said to be the best in the city, and I will agree, they actually carried the wines that are hard to come by, but highly favored by me. The baretender a.k.a. the "Mixologists" was friendly, knew his stuff, and was also a certified sommelier. It's cozy and has a "neighborhood" type of feel but still upholds a certain air about itself. My friend ordered the Hanger Steak and although they don't carry A-1 she enjoyed it all the same. I ordered the Conchiglie ai Fruitti di Mare (pasta with shellfish) it was really good, a little salty, but pretty good. My cousin ordered the Halibut and that was amazing.

They also have a really good special Mon-Thurs, a 3 course meal for $24 as long as it is ordered before 7:00 pm.

If you love wine like I do you will be able to appreciate this place!

Price Range $15-up

http://www.dino-dc.com/index.html