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Silver Springish gift certificate?

laniloa

By laniloa
in D.C. & DelMarVa: Dining

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laniloa

laniloa

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Several of us are going to chip in for a gift certificate for a friend's birthday. He has been working crazy hours and not getting to see his family much. He has two kids (I believe 5 and 8) who are well behaved. They live in Silver Spring but I believe would be comfortable going in NW DC too. I'd like to pick a place that they can enjoy and spend quality time with dad. Where should I send them?

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iamthestretch

iamthestretch

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How about a weekend lunch at 2 Amys? No worries about the kids as everybody else there will be towing a couple too, and the food usually pleases all family factions. I've never tried to get a gift certificate from them, though.

"Mine goes off like a rocket." -- Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, Feb. 16.

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JPW

JPW

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A lot depends on price range that you are looking for and their tastes.

For SS, the best bet would be one of the less objectionable chains -- Austin Grill.

Or you might try talking to one of the innumerable ethnic restaurants, the Latin places are probably your best bet (they seem a little more interested in marketing and generally have someone who speaks English well).

Some favorites - el Golfo, el Gavilan, mi Rancho, Cubano.

Other good ethnic places that might be worth a shot - Roger Miller (Cameroonian), Thai Derm, My Le (Vietnamese), Addis Ababa (Ethiopian- they have a beautiful new roof deck).

As a warning, the amount of English spoken at the two Asian places is very limited.

Anything above ethnic/chain on the price scale and you'll have to send them into the district.

If someone writes a book about restaurants and nobody reads it, will it produce a 10 page thread?

Joe W

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Busboy

Busboy

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Depending how adventurous and patient the kids are, Sabang restaurant in Silver Spring/Wheaton might be a charming change of pace. If nothing else, its would seem an easier place to relax in than the more frenetic Austin Grill or 2 Amy's (where my wife and I got the bum's rush the other night and what was meant to be a leisurely meal became borderline fast food). It's not, on the other hand, so formal that the children would be frowned at. Also, since it serves everything from egg rolls to many-course rijsttaffle, your ability to calibrate a reasonable price and his ability to enjoy a longer or a shorter meal is enhanced.

I'm on the pavement

Thinking about the government.

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Busboy

Busboy

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Also, be sure and consider the whole package when selecting a place. Even a well-behaved 8-year-old and, especially, a five-year-old have limited capacity for being quietly delightful. If it's going to take dad an hour to drive somewhere, park, wait for a table, etc., you dramatically increase the potential for a cranky child ending the evening on a sour note.

I'm on the pavement

Thinking about the government.

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DonRocks

DonRocks

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I remember years ago when I was going to Europe for the first time, and knowing Sergio Toni was from Rome, I asked him what his favorite town was in Europe.

"Roma," he said.

"And where should I visit when I'm in Italy?"

"Roma."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Is there anywhere else worth visiting?"

He smiled and shook his head.

"No."

I haven't been to Sergio's in several years now, but it used to be my favorite restaurant in Silver Spring - the pastas were handmade, his son Luigi worked there (when he wasn't playing in a punk-rock band!), and his daughter-in-law Nadia made what I still insist is the best tiramisu I've ever had.

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JPW

JPW

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Rocks got this one exactly correct.

Don't know how Sergio's had slipped my mind.

Perfect for the family, exact right price range.

Just warn them that the kitchen closes very early (9:30PM).

If someone writes a book about restaurants and nobody reads it, will it produce a 10 page thread?

Joe W

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Nadya

Nadya

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Several of us are going to chip in for a gift certificate for a friend's birthday.  He has been working crazy hours and not getting to see his family much.  He has two kids (I believe 5 and 8) who are well behaved.  They live in Silver Spring but I believe would be comfortable going in NW DC too.  I'd like to pick a place that they can enjoy and spend quality time with dad.  Where should I send them?

Ms. K's Tollhouse on Colesville Rd. may be an option - seems like a traditional place with a pretty setting and good (if non-adventurous) food. URL is http://www.mrsks.com/

Resident Twizzlebum

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JPW

JPW

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Ms. K's Tollhouse on Colesville Rd. may be an option - seems like a traditional place with a pretty setting and good (if non-adventurous) food. URL is http://www.mrsks.com/

I hesitated to suggest this because price point might be a little high for the requested range. Plus, I think that the kids would find more to enjoy at Sergio's

If someone writes a book about restaurants and nobody reads it, will it produce a 10 page thread?

Joe W

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