Swankalicious

I recently started working at Connecticut and R Streets, NW. I've already begun to exhaust my options, which include: Zorba's, Pizzeria Paradiso, and Chipotle. Any other suggestions for good lunch takeout? Thanks....

Help! We're having a going away dinner for a friend tomorrow nite in Dupont, no one's made reservations (I know, I know...), and we need some help! There will be 10 people. Type of food doesn't matter. Any ideas? Thanks...

They'll have my fussy teenage brother with them. I'm thinking of Zaytinya one night and Sette Osteria another night. Any other suggestions for moderately priced, quintessentially "DC" places?

Where to go - aside from the standard chains?

Kitchen Confidential is actually one of my favorite books - but it still doesn't stop me from craving eggs benedict from time to time, or brunch for that matter. :)

I am craving a cheap & delicious brunch, and I'm a huge fan of eggs benedict. However, I usually end up shelling out $20-25 at places like Kramerbooks, Grand Carlyle, etc. Any cheaper ideas?

I would recommend Jaleo over Zaytinya. I had a really mediocre meal there on Saturday - I think they might be stretching themselves too thin. Another fun option in Dupont Circle is Al Tiramisu.

My boyfriend and I are spending the weekend in NYC. We'll be eating at Jacques Imo on Friday night, Babbo on Saturday ... and we're looking for a dim sum brunch on Sunday. We've already tried Triple Eight Palace, so we'd like to try something new. Any suggestions would be most appreciated! Thanks!

yeah why?

Inn of the Seventh Ray!

Oh, give it another try! There are many locations. The RH&B branch in Fairfax is always quite tasty. Rocklands off Duke Street was scheduled to open awhile ago. I'd recommend essentially anything there. You can't go wrong. However, be forwarned: one of the branches is also a meatmarket nightclub.

Rocklands is delicious! I'd also recommend Red Hot and Blue, actually. I know it's a chain, but it's tasty.

Worth the price?

My favorite haunt in Bethesda is Black's. MMMMMMM! Also, California Burrito is tasty.

Rosa Mexicano is delicious! I went twice and enjoyed it thoroughly. Infinitely better than the other offerings around town.

Hello all, I want to go out to dinner on Valentine's Day (maybe that's a mistake) with my boyfriend. However, we don't want to go someplace gimmicky with $60 per person menus. Just someplace cozy and interesting, not too pricy. Also, we might be in the Baltimore area that day. Any suggestions?

You're probably eating by now, but for future reference... Mixtec (yummy, authentic Mexican...in sparse surroundings) Pasta Mia (be prepared for a wait) Chez Antoine Meskerem San Marco Julia's Empanadas (not really dinner...more of a late night stop) Tamarindo

It was more like 22 people, we didn't get drinks, people shared food ... and it was more than 500$, I am estimating.

Hi everyone, Mystery solved--it was I, swankalicious, who received the less-than-stellar service at Zaytinya the other week. In fairness, the food was terrific, as usual, and our waiter was incredibly sweet. But people were put off by both the clueless reservationist and the host, who essentially took me aside to berate me ... for more than $500 and with two months of advance notice for a res, I expected more. Anyway, Tom's chat suggested I contact Jose, which I haven't had time to do b/c of the holidays. I will this week.

"Smooth things over"? I don't think I understand your point. I would think that a restaurant, being part of the hospitality industry, would be grateful and appreciative of all customers and happy that someone chose their restaurant for a special occasion. Who knows, maybe some of my guests would return in smaller parties. What's to be gained from being annoyed with a large group? It's not like Zaytinya is hurting for business ...

Hi all. I am having a large, important business party at Zaytinya in a few weeks. For some reason, I feel somewhat intimidated, because when I made my reservation for 6:30pm on a Saturday night--speaking with the manager directly--they seemed less than thrilled with the prospect of such a large party hogging such a large portion of space during a prime time. The party is a surprise and I want everything to go smoothly. In fact, I would like to prepay (so there is no awkwardness with the check), and I would like to let the management know this is a special occasion. What is the etiquette for this? Do I call the manager back and say, you know, this dinner is really special and important to me, I've chosen your restaurant, please make it happen? I'm nervous, I've never hosted a "dinner" party like this before, and could use some tips! Do you think Zaytinya would be more accommodating if I explained the situation?

Thank you for your suggestions. How about anything metro-accessible in Arlington or Alexandria? Zaytinya was reluctant to take a Sat. night reservation for that many people, in essence I didn't get a very confident vibe from them, and this is a special occasion, so I don't want anything to go wrong ... I am thinking a price range on par with places like Jaleo, Zaytinya, etc. Nothing quite as high-end as Marcel's.

Please help me! I am planning a party for about 30 people in December, and am looking for a restaurant that can comfortably accommodate that many. I also don't want to go anywhere incredibly expensive. I tried Zaytinya, but they do not have a private-ish dining area. Any suggestions? Please? Thank you!

Anyone know exactly when the storm is slated to hit DC? I have heard many differing reports...

Anyone know when this restaurant is slated to arrive in DC?