JennyUptown

Jenny, You're probably right. One day I WILL eat there again. It's just that I live in Howard County and only make down to D.C. once or twice a month to visit my mother who lives in Cleveland Park. The visit ALWAYS includes a lunch or dinner at a restaurant of my choice. I just feel that there are too many restaurants in D.C. to waste my time going to if the first meal I have there is sub-par. Unless I've heard really exceptional things about a restaurant, they usually only get one chance to win me over. But I'll tell you what, next time I'm down in the Friendship Heights area doing some shopping or seeing a movie, I will make it a point to go back to Chadwicks, order a burger and soup, and eat it outside (I love to people watch) and then report back to you. Speaking of Friendship Heights, has anyone been to Kron Chocolatier in Mazza Gallerie? The truffles there are THE BEST I have ever had!! UNBELIEVABLE!! Do yourself a favor and get a sample the next time you're down there. There are definitely better DC options than Chadwick's. We go there (in summer only) because it's close to where a lot of my friends and I live. In the immediate vicinity, there aren't many great food choices IMHO. Really, it's pretty much Chadwick's, Panera (chain), Chipotle (chain), Cheesecake Factory (chain), Maggiano's (chain).

Give them another chance for lunch. Breakfast/brunch doesn't sound like their forte! We've had pretty good burgers, great soups, hummus, crab cake sandwiches, etc. there and although it's certainly not haute cuisine, it's a nice lunch-with-friends-outside place.

I just made a reservation using OpenTable.com. First, I gave myself a scare. I couldn't figure out why I asked for 11 am, but was being offered tables at 9 pm and I worried that everything was booked up. I subsequently realized that although I changed their default from 12 to 11, I failed to change PM to AM. Once I fixed that, I found lots of good options (well, how GOOD they'll be on Mother's Day is yet to be determined).

That's too bad.I would've also suggested Chadwick's on Wisconsin, across from Mazza Gallerie, but after my experience there on Sunday, I would suggest Bob Evan's before going back to Chadwick's Could you be more specific? Did you not like Chadwick's period or just not for Mother's Day. I don't think it's appropriately "nice" for Mother's Day, but on a sunny day, their outdoor seating area is great for kicking back with friends. The indoor part isn't so nice - dark and gloomy.

After my trip to Amernick, I went to Vace. How could I have missed this place before? It's GREAT. Good smells, lots of homemade pastas and sausages, I loved it. The only disappointment was that they didn't have mozzarella di bufala made in-house. I picked up the cheese they did have and will let you know how that goes. I also got some homemade cavatelli and a slice of pepperoni pizza (nicely crisp crust and a sauce with a good sweet/salt balance).

Saturday, April 24, 2004 3:00 pm I approached the storefront nervously. Did I have enough small bills? Should I ask about the doughnuts if I don't see any? Will I be reprimanded? Would my enjoyment of this lovely sunny day be spoiled by this next stop on my to-do list? Clearly this was no average trip to the bakery. I was about to darken Ann Amernick's doorstep. I was freakin' stressed!! But other than more signs telling me what to do (and what not to do) than I had ever seen in a store before...things went fine. I read the signs carefully, learning when doughnuts might be available (Friday, Saturday, maybe Thursday too - after 11:30 am), how to pay, to try "That Baltimore Cake"....etc., etc. I had a good sense of what I wanted: some of the famous cookies, maybe some schnecken and, to Ann's chagrin, a damn doughnut or two. Browsing, I was again shocked by how little merchandise was offered. The cookies (probably six or seven varieties) were teeny-tiny and displayed on small plates of about twenty. There were two or three varieties of shortbread, exceptionally small cheese cookies, no schnecken (instead they had plain cinnamon rolls), the Baltimore Cake and...that's all I can remember right now. What I got: - 1/4 lb of the cinnamon shortbread cookies (@$15 and change per lb) - One black and white cookie - One sugar raised doughnut The damage: Just over $7 The verdict: I'd go back, especially for the doughnuts! I didn't think the cinnamon shortbread cookies were all that. And I LOVE shortbread. These struck me as bland. The friend with whom I shared them said "whatever, they're ok, not great." The doughnut, on the other hand, was delightful. Not comparable to a Krispy Kreme. This one wasn't as light or as sweet as KK, but I loved it just the same. Reminded me of doughnuts I used to get from local bakeries as a kid in NE PA. I haven't yet eaten the black and white cookie - that's dessert for later. As for the service, it was fine. I was greeted from the back of the kitchen when I walked in and they said to let them know when I was ready. But there are signs in several places instructing customers to shout because they're too busy/short-staffed to watch the front of the store (I'm paraphrasing). Interesting place.

I walked by on my way to Ten Penh last week and wondered the same thing. The place looked dusty and deserted.

I'm glad to hear that! The little ones are tough, thank goodness.

No Matchbox for me...I'm working late.

cheap boyfriends? ducks.............. It's actually a good point. I know more single women on egullet than single guys. That's not to say there aren't married women here, but you know what I mean.

Speaking for myself only (and not all of womankind), budget and timing alone have prevented me from getting to some of these upper echelon spots.

No, but if you'd like to, I can e-mail you the one from last time and you can update it.

Thanks, Busboy. You're sweet, but I'm going to stick to the script for tonight. Stick to the script? You were talking scandal and intrigue not long ago. Or is your script more interesting than you've been letting on? The script, actually, is quite intriguing at the moment. The return of PLM? We shall see. As for Matchbox, I will probably leave work at 5:45 or 6:00 and walk over. I'm not definite, but I'm probable.

Thanks, Busboy. You're sweet, but I'm going to stick to the script for tonight.

I may come by (Matchbox, that is) for a drink, but no Full Kee for me tonight. Wearing a blue top and black skirt for those (outside of mdt and Al_Dente) in attendance I have not yet met.

Discounted fruity drinks at Matchbox...free pizza at Ella's during happy hour...super-cheap beer at Lucky Bar (stick with the bottles - trust me)...$1 food plates until 7 pm at Savino's (yum, meatballs on Friday)... These are a few of my favorite things.

This is the only bad behavior buffets brings out in me: * Scope out buffet, taking only my favorite stuff * Skip vegetables completely * Avoid salads like the plague * Find dessert area and try four or five True story. Me + the Paris lunch buffet in Vegas = four servings of Bananas Foster and not much else. I should move back in with my parents to see if the concept of a "balanced meal" sticks this time around.

Where exactly do you mean? I can't picture it and I nearby. Is it in the strip with the jewelry store and the Cingular shop?

Or maybe Ardeo?

I used to travel to Roanoke, VA from NYC on business rather frequently. On my first trip, my visiting coworkers asked our hosts "where should we eat dinner tonight, the best place in town?" They tried to send us to the Olive Garden, I kid you not. From that point forward, we arrived armed with as much pre-trip restaurant research in-hand as possible. Just the past weekend on my way back from Vegas, my friend and I found ourselves in the Philly airport on a layover faced with some seriously bleak food options. Figuring "who can screw up fried stuff?" we went to the TGIFriday's near our gate. Good lord, it was awful...from the service (we contemplated whether or not the restaurant was enrolled in the program where mentally challenged adults are given food service jobs), to the level of cleanliness (appalling) to the food (my favorite teenage word "gross" seems appropriate here), we were really depressed. But there was no food on the plane and few other options in the airport so that's where we ate.

Based on dear Amanda's review, it sounds like a place I'd enjoy and I am in fact heading to NYC next weekend (4/30-5/2)...but having kept up on the Amanda Hesser talk, should I trust this review?

It would seem safe to assume that most restaurants would assume a higher child to adult ratio than usual. What are you thinking of with respect to cuisine, price, location, etc.? Does MIL have any favorite foods, any dislikes, etc.?

From Tom's chat today: Looking for a meatier-than-most happy hour? Morton’s is offering $4 martinis -- take your pick from classic, Cosmopolitan, apple and chocolate martinis -- along with FREE beef filet sandwiches, 5-7 p.m. on Mondays through the summer.

Just back from Vegas. We stayed with a friend who was there on business and had a 2 BR suite at Mandalay Bay. Nice, but so crowded and far from the central part of the strip. Still, beggars can't be choosers. Where we ate: Because of proximity and decent food, we ate at Border Grill in Mandalay for two lunches. We chowed on free chips and salsa (three to choose from - the chipotle was our fave), followed by carnitas tacos (so good I had them twice) and salads (the turkey tostada salad was huge and loved by my friend; the chopped salad was bo-ring). They have good cocktails - IMHO the caipirinhas are sweet, but good and way better than the mojitos - and we had quite a few beers (I like Negra Modelo best). Their lower level patio is a particularly nice place to sit. Prices are pretty moderate for Vegas and if you're on a budget, you can make do nicely by ordering apps or soups. For dinner on Friday night, we were tired and on a budget so we revisited Taqueria Canonita at the Venetian. I was feeling kind of stuffed from lunch still so I split an order of queso fundido with chorizo with my compadres and had corn and green chile soup for my entree. Delish all around. The location - depending on how you feel about kitsch (reminder: this IS Vegas) is either fun or awful. We didn't mind sitting by the "canal" listening to gondoliers serenade the tourists they were bilking. This is another moderately priced option. On Saturday, it was Spago at Caesar's. Note: their online menu is not updated. Very different atmosphere than I expected - I thought it would be stuffier. Instead we found it to be more upscale than our previous two restaurants, but in a stylish, comfortable way. Our servers were formal yet pleasant. We were offered a delicious amuse of tomato soup. Not quite smooth, but not chunky either. Fresh and fruity. We loved it. Entree prices were, in our opinion, a little higher than they should have been. My pork tenderloin (bland in spite of a mustard sauce) came with a white bean ragout that was OK, but...not all that, let's just say. On the other hand, two of us had a fantastic pasta appetizer there. Small, al dente ricotta dumplings served with tomato cream sauce, pancetta and fava beans. Yum. I wish I'd had it for my entree. Sadly, no room for dessert. On Sunday, we decided to do something different and use our rental car to escape the strip. With no internet access, we picked Sergio's on Tropicana more or less out of the phone booth. And it was not a bad pick at all. The dining areas are a little on the corny side with Italian-inspired murals and all, but the service was super-friendly (it was a slow Sunday night - maybe only five occupied tables) in a way that amused my party of three. Entrees came with a choice of minestrone or green salad with house-made Italian dressing (that got raves from my friend). I had the minestrone which was fine if unexciting. My small portion of pasta on Saturday night made me crave more so I got the suggested penne alla vodka. I know - not exciting, but it was GOOD. I shared a side of peas sauteed in pancetta, garlic and EVOO and I will now look at peas a whole new way. They were great. One friend had the special of lobster ravioli which managed to be light somehow yet still very filling. The other arrived stuffed and just had their insalata Caprese. The highlight was the nicely seasoned greens. The "bufala" mozzarella was awfully firm and not distinctly flavored, but my friend pronounced the overall dish as "not bad." We shared a very nutty tartuffo for dessert and had great lattes all around. All in all, we liked Sergio's quite a bit and it was a nice break from the glitz and glamour of the strip.

I'd just skip the cruise period.