mhberk

I've always wondered why Ardeo never gets enough credit. I've always been impressed with there service, presentation, and creativity. I would say, if Palena is booked, Ardeo would be a solid choice!

The staff is friendly too! They do various wine flights and serve up some good cheese plates. Wow, you DO get around!!

Thanks mnebergall!! We have Restaurant Eve Satuday night, but we'll try to make it down to the fireworks by 10:30 (that is if I don't drink too much wine with dinner )

Now that it is determined that I will be going to the Morrison House in Old Town for our anniversary on 6/19, can any of the locals offer some recommendations of things to do during the day (places to go, markets, sight seeing, etc)? It looks like there is a festival going on while we're down there (Waterfront Festival). Has anyone been to it in past years? Thanks again!!

If you're ever in Columbia, there is a place called Iron Bridge Wine Company . It's a wine store/cafe. For the restaurant portion, they offer cheese and fruit trays, soups, salads, sandwiches, and 5 or 6 fairly creative entrees (as well as desserts). They are also a full retail wine store as well (the bottles are on shelves along the outside of the restaurant portion of the building). What makes this place unique is that it is that you can buy a bottle of wine at retail, and for a $5 fee, you can drink it with your meal. They provide the proper glasswear. It's worth checking out if you're in the area.

I have special memories of that place as well. I remember sitting next to my grandmother when I was 12 or 13. I remember after cutting into her steak, she leaned towards me and said "now this is how food should be done!" This was all before culinary school and my love for food, but I will always remember the consistency and presentation of her plate as she said that to me.

I remember going there in the '80s and used to be intrigued by the exotic dishes (snake salad, hippo meat, bear meat (when the Chicago Bears played the Redskins in '86), etc.). I still buy their soups at Giant, but don't recall hearing anything about the restaurant recently. Are they still around?

Todd, My wife and I won't let that posting discourage us and we look forward to celebrating our 1st wedding anniversay with you and your staff on the 19th!

I might just take you up on that offer.

Wow!! I can't wait for the 19th (anniversary dinner)!!

I can see how some would interperate calling her that name as being extreme. I thought I was being nice! But you have to understand that I drove 45 minutes each way to go there. I waited nearly an hour outside the doors waiting for them to open. I called the restaurant earlier in the day to make sure they were open on Sundays and the recording said that they were. When I left them (a very civil) message to find out why they weren't open and to find out when I could try again, the only response I got was "next time you should find out if a restaurant is actually open before I try to go." She was talking down to me and made it seem like it was my fault that they had the wrong recording on their answering machine!

If you are going to consider the hotel angle, look into the Morrison House ( a Relais & Chateaux property (whatever that means)) in Old Town. You could walk to Restaurant Eve, or the hotel has a great restaurnant called Elysium. Thanks mnebergall!! This place completely slipped my mind for some reason. The minute I read your post, I called up and reserved a Deluxe room and then made a reservation at Restaurant Eve. I can't wait!! Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

These are all great suggestions!! Right now I'm torn between a nice inn (where most of them have no vacancies on June 19) or a nice hotel, like the Hay-Adams or the Willard, and going to a local 3 or 4 star restaurant. Can anyone suggest any really nice restaurants close to Hay-Adams and The Willard?

Our anniversary is next month and we had plans to go up to Philly, but it looks like we would rather stay around here. We are considering Hay-Adams, but I remember somebody mentioning a historic Inn somewhere in Virginia (not Inn at Little Washington) that sounded perfect. I just can't find the thread that had that post. Would somebody help and share some suggestions/experiences so I can suprise my wife and make our 1st anniversary a memorable and romantic one? I would like to make it under $400 for meal and room. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

I just ran across this thread and wanted to share an experience I had with Greenwood: I had heard from several people that I should give it a try (and almost did when it was in Cleveland Park before Palena moved in). I planned to go on a Sunday, so during the day I called them up to see if they were open. I got a recording letting me know their days and hours. The recording said that they were open on Sundays, (but would be closed the Sunday, the week before for an off premise event). So I drove down from Columbia and got there 20 minutes before they were supposed to open. As opening time came around, we were joined by other restaurant goers waiting for the doors to open. The doors didn't open at the time the hours specified. We waited 35 minutes and the doors never opened! The 10 of us (or so) just went to the Thai restaurant next door. I was so mad that I called and left a message on their recording the next day and explained what happened and asked why they weren't open. I expected an apology or some kind of explanation. All I got was a message (I think it was Mrs. Greenwood herself) telling me that I shouldn't have driven all that way without confirming that they were open and that next time, I should make sure that a restaurant is open before I tried to go there. I wouldn't have minded if she had asked me to give them another try or offered me a compementary app. But this bit! She made it seem like it was my fault!! I was so insulted!! I finally felt vindicated when they shut down until I found out a few months ago that that "Fishing and Camping" restaurant was actually her new restaurant. I truly hope that they fail miserably!!

Actually, we have one here in Columbia. The place is ALWAYS packed for breakfast!! The wait is usually 30-45 minutes on the weekend. It's no Maestro, but the menu has something from everyone.

My wife and I will be coming up from MD next month for our anniversary and we were thinking about going to Morimoto. Has anyone been lately that could offer an opinion or a review? Thanks in advance (from a DelMarVa Gulleter)!!

Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it. My anniversary is on the 20th so we are going to Morimoto (Iron Chef Japan's restaurant in Philadelphia) and a hotel on the 19th. The following week we will be in Cape May, so I don't think we have the budget for this event right now. Defenitely count me in for the next one!!

Ceiba sounds great!! Am I mistaken or is this the restaurant that is owned by the same group that owns D.C. Coast and Tenpenh?

I am a definite maybe. Just have to check the calendar and with the SO.

The 13th is a Sunday

It means that Indian (Americanized Indian) is one of my favorite foods to eat. I eat it every chance I get. The pic means that I am "drooling with desire". This is the highest complement I can give.

I have a friend's wedding coming up and wanted to get him a gift certificate to a restaurant where he can get a tasting menu. I was thinking of something under $100 a person (not including wine) and along the lines of Vidalia, Maestro, etc. Does anyone have any suggestions or experiences that they would like to share with me?

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. 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). We usually just hit Maggiano's or The Cheesecake Factory. Is Clyde's still over there?

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.