week's end.

Oh man, I am really ready for the weekend. What are your plans? We don't have all that much scheduled. We are, of course, going to MK's spinning class tomorrow and a long training run on Sunday morning. And we'll be watching the Final Four games tomorrow night and going to dinner up at my brother's in-law's house in Orinda on Sunday night. A nice and casual spring weekend...hope that you have something good planned!

And, for your weekend reading, here are some links of interest...

• Loving this throw - especially the price point on it. 

• Hannah - my sister-in-law - started a new blog all about her reads and you'll love it!

• This NYTimes Magazine piece from a couple weeks ago about public schools. 

• San Francisco Date Spots according to Eater.

• I really want to buy this side table for our patio. Thoughts?!

• We are a strong PB&J house - this is a great NPR spot. 

• Bay Area real-estate is nuts. Nuts!

• Mike sent me this song this week - happy listening!

first up.

New restaurants alert! For all of you in DC - great Washingtonian highlights of new restaurants to try....

restaurant roundup IV.

Time for a restaurant roundup. New places to eat are popping up all over the place...here are some updates...

Sauf Haus Beer Hall & Garten - opened this past summer and it is right off Dupont Circle. Thank god because Dupont is a dry zone for any good place to grab a drink and I always have to rack my brain and then inevitably end up suggesting someplace on 14th street because Dupont is so boring! The Sauf Haus though is a great place for a laid-back post-work drink. I actually have only had beers so I can't speak to anything else, but on that front they meet expectations with good beer selection and generous pourings. Of note, keep going upstairs, the best part is the rooftop - though inside by the windows is a good spot too.

Alphonse - opened late summer and we went with Josh and Erin. We all agreed it was solid and definitely hit the spot. And credit to the restaurant for going all in on the italian theme - red, white and black throughout. We also got a sneak peak at Nonna's Kitchen which has since opened on the second floor right above (here is a WashPost article about it). All in, a solid choice on U Street to hit the pizza/italian fix if you are wanting it.

Chaplin's - is tucked over in Shaw and I kind of fell in love with it. Ali and I met up there a couple weeks ago for a weeknight drink and ramen. In the cold right now, nothing could have hit the spot better. And the feel in there is working. There is an upstairs as well. It has personality but not too much...low key and doesn't have a chip on its shoulder - feels like a modern neighborhood bar/hold in the wall. Definitely recommend it.

El Camino - over in Bloomingdale remains to be seen. Here is a link to an Eater piece about it. We went here with Em last month. The chips were a great start. The guacomole didn't have quite enough flavor. My margarita was a margarita - it passed the test but it wasn't anything more. Our food was solid - my tacos were fine. The inside is well laid out, great ceiling, nice long bar. So the jury is out on this one. DC has a lot of plain, fine, nothing to write home about California inspired taco places at this point...though the good news is that it is right next door to Boundary Stone - so I would say, hit two birds with one trip over to Bloomingdale if you go!

Ocopa - doesn't have a website, so here is a WashPost piece on it. Ben and I went to try it out right after it opened and we have been meaning to swing back again. Here's the thing, I really didn't like the way they laid it out and more specifically, the chairs. I know, I know, that sounds small and petty - and admittedly the food makes you forget, but the chairs are odd and not super comfortable. Nonetheless, this place is serving up great food and reviews are raving about them. So get yourself over to H street, ignore the chairs and terrible lay out and enjoy what you're there for!

Copycat Co - has opened finally. We were excited when we heard this was in the works. It opened last month, and we went to pay a visit on Sunday night. The upstairs has a good-looking bar - though pretty dark. We sat downstairs at the front window on stools and tried the potstickers, the skewers and the steamed bao. We both thought the potstickers and the steamed baos were great. The skewers - they were ok - so we would tell you just to get another steamed bao. Great spot - so happy to have it in the neighborhood!

Chez Billy - saving the best for last! This might be our new favorite place in DC. We went here last Friday for a date night and it won. We loved it. Up in Petworth - about a block from the metro - it is just, for lack of a better description, really cool. The inside was brilliantly designed. The bar is awesome. Our food was spot on. The service was fantastic. They have two huge fireplaces which Ben immediatly started talking about and has mentioned twice since. It was cozy but also spaced out. Just a cool, laid back, why can't every restaurant be like this?! Good stuff - get yourself up to Petworth the next time you need a pick me up!

And in case you need even more, here is roundup I, roundup II & roundup III...good luck out there!

taco time.

Ali and I went to El Rey last night for margaritas and cheap tacos and it did not disappoint. The restaurant itself is made out of old shipping containers and it has a great patio area (assuming it doesn't rain). The service and tacos were solid, as were the chips and guac. I would definitely recommend it for a cheap, casual spot on U street.

After, we met up with Ben and Dan for a quick drink at All Souls Bar. Loved it. Corner bar that feels kind of like a hole in the wall, even though it isn't really a hole in the wall at all.

restaurant roundup II.

Time for a restaurant round-up. We have been to some great places of late....

Acqua Al 2 on the Hill and it is a lovely, charming italian place. We had a great meal there a couple weeks ago with Alex and Brittany. It is one of those restaurants I have always heard about and never got to, and now I am hoping it will be in our regular routine when we are craving italian. 

Fainting Goat. We have been meaning to check it out for a couple months now and finally got the chance earlier this week with friends. It was fantastic. The reviews have been luke-warm and so we were cautiously optimistic and it was great. It is right on U street between 13th and 14th and the front of it is small but when you walk in it opens up and is actually a great space. The food was spot on, atmostphere was really nice, location is great and service was solid. All in, a good spot!

 

Eat the Rich. And last night, we headed over to the Shaw area to get a taste of Eat the Rich. This was actually a last minute change of location but we were all very pleased. (In full disclosure, I was still cleansing, so couldn't do the full test) but the oysters that Ben and friends ate looked great, my fish was very good and the vibe inside is very unique. Loved it - definitely go by!

Click here for another restaurant round-up with more places to try...

field tripped.

We have been laying low of late and life has felt routine and slow. But this past week we did get out for a couple field trips.

Last week, we grabbed a beer at Ivy and Coney over on 7th Street. It is owned by the same people over at Kangaroo Boxing Club (so it is a Michigan bar) and a cool, little spot on the quickly changing 7th street.

On Saturday afternoon, we picked Emily up for a birthday surprise and went down to the Sculpture Garden to go ice skating. It was cold. Real cold. But so great. The rink is charming and there is sure to be great people watching. Of note also, turns out, Emily is a very good ice skater...

After, we walked up to Oyamel for some Mexican hot chocolate at the bar. And we finished the night over in the SE to watch the Michigan game and ordered in indian food...

Sunday night, Ben and I went on a hot date out to Falls Church. We have heard for a very long time that the best vietnamese food is found in the Eden Center in northern Virginia. Well, we can very confidently report back, that it is an experience indeed. It is basically a giant strip mall that has turned into little Vietnam, music and all. There are over 120 stores. This picture does no justice, because it is just one length of the many sided strip mall, but you get the idea...

We tucked into Huong Viet and ordered away. Not pictured is an iced coffee I ordered just to see how close it is to the real thing. Yes, close my eyes and I could have been back in Hanoi - not to mention, the never-ending fish sauce was everywhere. Our spring rolls were awesome, noodles spot on, beef and pork were really good. We might just have to go back at some point soon to find some Banh Mi. The only thing I didn't see in here was when we swung through one of the little groceries, I couldn't find the little vietnamese yogurts that I love. Imagine those don't travel well across oceans...

holiday wrap-up.

In the last ten days, I have been to Michigan twice, Uhauled from Ann Arbor to DC, celebrated Ben's Juris Doctor, visited Denver for Christmas, made a pit-stop in Westchester, a day in NYC, and amtraked it back to DC. We are back in DC after a whirlwind couple of weeks and here were some (not all) of the highlights...

Packing up the UHaul during snowstorm Electra was a joy!

Post loading up the Uhaul, we feasted on indian food with Emmy, Aaron and Brittany. 

The drive was actually enjoyable and we are all moved in. Ben graduated last week and it was a full weekend of celebrating.

We ate at Mani and of course went over to the Washtenaw Dairy for a last, glorious donut.

We also ate dinner at The Grange with friends and family, a great cocktail party at Vinology Wine Bar, a run around the Big House, and final packing and move-out. We bid adieu to the University of Michigan and jumped to Denver to see my folks. This of course including brunch at Luciles with my Mom (beignets were ordered!). We also went to Thump for coffee downtown...

We headed to a new place in LoHi with Dad and Charlotte for dinner, the Old Major. It is pork heavy and very cool - and the first place that I have been that hands you an ipad with the drinks menu.

We lucked out with great weather. Ben and I ran every morning around Wash Park and battled the altitude...

We also went to Jelly for breakfast with Scott (I had mentioned it way back in April in this post on Denver spots).  They had quite the sampling of jelly donuts.

We also went out to the RiNo District to check out The Source. It is basically Denver's version of Union Market and we wanted to check it out! The space is still very much in formation but has a couple cool looking restaurants...

The Leas had us over for Christmas dinner leftovers. We played drinking games in the kitchen like any good adult dinner party would do...

By the time we left Denver, it was the homestretch! On Saturday, we headed into the city with Ben's parents to shop sales and go to dinner. We ended up at this awesome bar in SoHo, Mother's Ruin. I absolutely loved it and the bartender made me what was quite possibly the best drink I have had in years.

We had a fantastic meal at Rubirosa. Salads, pastas, and pizza to boot - we highly recommend it.

Not pictured but most importantly, we enjoyed family time with my Mom and Dad, a lot of sleep, a visit with Ben's grandmother, a shiva in Westchester for a family friend, many episodes of Friday Night Lights, watching Michigan football with Timmy, dinner with Timmy and Amanda, and so much more. Hope you had a wonderful holiday week!

double time.

Have any of you been to Baby Wale or Thally yet? They have both been on my list to get to and I haven't yet, but with Ben back and the new year coming down the pipe, these two 9th street places are topping my list. Baby Wale is the sister restaurant to Corduroy. And Thally is getting rave reviews. Cheers to early 2014!

food stops.

It was a weekend of new stops for us. On Monday afternoon, we went over to 14th street to wander a bit. Our ultimate destination was to the new restaurant/bar, Barcelona and then we grabbed dinner at Doi Moi.

Barcelona is gorgeous. I had walked by last month when it was under construction and immediately called Ben to tell him. It is stunning. Gorgeous. One of the best spaces either of us has seen in DC. So, we headed there to grab an afternoon drink. We sat outside and people watched and ate cheese. It was lovely.

With that said, we had also read Tom Sietsema's review before we got there. We left in agreement. The review is mixed and at the end of the day, we would tell you to grab a drink. Enjoy the space. But stick to the uncooked foods, the rest of it is so-so at best.

From here, we headed just a block down to Doi Moi. Another newbie on 14th Street and started by the owners of Estadio. The inside is interesting and dynamic. Alex Wagner and Sam Kass also came into dine while we were there (good validation!). It was a great eating experience, though fair warning they aren't kidding around when it comes to spice. Take it seriously, I had to order soy milk to nurse my taste buds! All in all, we would definitely recommend it for a good night out with some spice.

kapnos.

We had a great dinner with Josh & Erin last night at Kapnos. In full disclosure, I didn't know until Ben explained to me this morning on our run that it is Mike Isabella's new restaurant. I somehow missed that detail! Anyway, it is right next to Isabella's other new place, G. We had a great meal all in all. The flatbread with the eggplant spread was spot on. The goat and octopus were also really good and we had a phenomenal cheese dish. The only downside were the acoustics - apparently we are old enough that too much noise bothers us - but we would highly recommend you swing on by!

weekender.

This weekend felt long and we packed in a lot.

On Friday night, we went out to Merriweather Post Pavilion to see The Lumineers with Erin, Josh, Em, Nick, Val, Dan and YJ. We bought the tickets months ago and it was a perfect summer night for it.

We drank beer and ate snacks in the parking lot while the sun went down...

The Lumineers were great, they represented Colorado well and the 40,000+ crowd thoroughly enjoyed it...

On Saturday morning, we pulled ourselves up out of bed early and headed to Arlington to visit Shai, Alli, Naama and to meet their new baby Tali! We grabbed bagels at Brooklyn Bagel Bakery which beat any bagel in the District...

We had quality time with Shai and Alli. We played with Naama and of course snuggled with Tali (she is just five pounds right now!)...

We hustled back to our side of town and headed up to Union Market to check out the Farm to Street Party...

About 125 vendors were featured to emphasize local food and ventures. We bought ourselves some Zeke's coffee (Baltimore based) and tasted a little bit of everything from pickles to iced coffee concentrate.

We also popped into A. Litteri (that I had mentioned here before) just to check it out and see what the inside is like. It was very cool. Total hole in the wall filled floor to ceiling with italian products and pastas and sauces. In the back is a deli counter where they make up subs and sandwiches. We will definitely heading back when we are hungry to try it....

Saturday night we headed over to Boundary Stone to celebrate Roy's birthday.

We were a little early and so we crossed the street to check out this new store front we noticed, Show Time. It was a great dive bar and we talked to the owner while we were in there. If we lived just a little closer we would probably go here all the time. He said they had just opened about a month ago.

It poured rain on Saturday night for a while so we all moved inside and grabbed a spot inside Boundary Stone and enjoyed the forced indoors. Love the Flying Dog can....

Sunday we mostly laid low. We went up to the farmer's market at Union Market and we sat out on the front porch drinking coffee and watching neighbors head to church across the street...

We also cleaned, hosed the backyard and I worked on my folding chairs (update on that coming very soon!). Oh yeah, and for dinner, we finally went to The Big Board and tried a burger (I can't believe it has been two years since I posted about them!) It was Emmy's last night in DC for the summer (can you believe it?) so we went with Emmy, Ryan and Jen...the burgers were fantastic. As of today, we would all say the best in the District. Seriously, they are that good.

Last but not least, Ben and I started watching Friday Night Lights yesterday and we are hooked. Three episodes in and we just want to hang out on the couch all day every day together so we can plow through the show.  Have you watched it?!