2nd $55 Giveaway to CSNstores.com!

Hey guys! If you missed out on the last giveaway, here's another one!

CSNstores.com has offered to give another one of my readers a $55 gift code to their site. They have over 200 online stores where you can find everything from a dining room table to fantastic fitness equipment to cookware!

Entering is easyyyyy (I prefer it that way too)! Leave a comment with:

1. Your name
2. Your email address
3. What you're doing for Halloween
4. Giveaway ends Halloween at 11:59pm

GOOD LUCK!

Matuba - Bethesda, MD

Sorry I haven't posted in a bit, but life has been busy and I've been injured... let's get to it! I get sushi cravings fairly often, but I don't usually act upon them because it can get expensive. This time the bf and I decided to satisfy our raw fish craving with an All-You-Can-Eat revolving sushi buffet at Matuba. There is metered street parking and a metered garage on the same block. The closest metro stop is Bethesda on the red line.

The restaurant is split up into different sections. The 1st thing you see if the sushi bar, then you walk a bit and see the main dining area. Walk up a loft and you see these tables which fit larger groups.

Walk down some more stairs, and there is the revolving sushi bar! I think it sits around 16 people. $17.95 per person for dinner.

I think it's fun to interact with your food and pick which ones look good as they swivel along by. Like a predator stalking its prey...lol.

They had a lot of non-sushi items on the belt like fried dumplings, salad, chicken teriyaki, tempura, etc. I thought there were more of these on the belt than sushi, which I wasn't a fan of.

As far as the sushi selection, it was very limited to about the ones I photographed, along with a few hand rolls or variations of those below. The quality was sadly very poor. One of the salmon pieces had something hard in it, the seaweed for the handrolls were tough, the fish didn't have a clean flavor, and I saw a few flies land on the plates.

I wanted to take a picture of all of our plates but they kept taking them away! This was about 1/3 of our plates. We wanted to get our money's worth despite the fact I was already stuffed.

This review is only about their sushi buffet. I don't know how their normal menu is. I really wanted to like their buffet because its a cool and fun concept, but the quality was not worth it. The selection of fish was disappointing too. The staff and sushi chef were super nice and friendly though. If you're not picky about quality, then this buffet could be something you'd like. It's cheaper during lunch hours too.

4918 Cordell Ave
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 652-7449
http://www.matuba-sushi.com/matuba/Home_.html

Bethesda Row Fall Restaurant Week: Oct. 18 - 24, 2010

Bethesda Row Fall 2010 Restaurant Week
Monday October 18th – 24th
Two course lunches: $15 | three course dinners: $30

Participating Restaurants: American Tap Room, Café Deluxe, Jaleo, Lebanese Taverna, Parker’s American Bistro, Raku, Assaggi Mozzarella Bar, Mon Ami Gabi, Redwood, Le Pain Quotidien (menu to come), Tara Thai, Taylor Gourmet (menu to come)

Listed below are most of the menus. Sorry if it looks really long and confusing, but there's a lot of stuff!

Jaleo
7271 Woodmont Avenue
301.913.0003

LUNCH
First course:
Choice of:
Gazpacho estilo Algeciras
Sopa de cebolla y tomillo con queso Idiazábal*
Endibias con queso de cabra y naranjas
Ensalada verde con queso Idiazábal
Remolacha con cítricos
Ensalada campera tapa

Entree:
Choice of:
Croquetas de pollo
Patatas bravas (Sliced, fried fingerling potatoes topped with a spicy tomato sauce and alioli)
Chistorra envuelta en patata frita (Slightly spicy chorizo wrapped in a crispy potato)
Setas al ajillo (Organic Tuscarora Farm mushrooms sautéed with garlic and herbs)
Dátiles con tocino ‘como hace todo el mundo’ (Fried dates wrapped in bacon)
Manzanas con hinojo y queso Manchego (Sliced apples and fennel with Manchego cheese, walnuts and Sherry dressing)
Gambas al ajillo* (The very, very famous tapa of shrimp sautéed with garlic and guindilla pepper
Trucha a la Navarra (Seared trout wrapped in Serrano ham)
Calamares a la romana (Fried squid served with alioli)
Vieiras con calabaza y clementinas* (Seared scallops with butternut squash purée, Clementine, and pumpkin seeds)
Lomo de cerdo con salsa de cabrales (Pork loin with roasted onion and cabrales sauce)
Butifarra casera con ‘mongetes’ (Homemade grilled pork sausage with sautéed white beans)
Pollo al ajillo con salsa verde* (Grilled marinated chicken served with a parsley purée and garlic sauce)

DINNER
Entree:
Choice of:
Sopa de cebolla y tomillo con queso Idiazábal* (Caramelized onion and thyme soup with poached egg and Idiazábal cheese)
Endibias con queso de cabra y naranjas (Endives with goat cheese, oranges and almonds)
Ensalada verde con queso Idiazábal (Mixed greens with Idiazábal cheese, anchovies and garlic anchovy dressing)
Remolacha con cítricos (A salad of red beets, citrus, Picón cheese and pistachios with Sherry dressing)
Pan con tomate y queso Pasamontés (Toasted slices of rustic bread brushed with fresh tomatoes with Pasamontés farmhouse Manchego cheese)
Cebolla asada con queso Valdeón (Roasted sweet onions, pine nuts and Valdeón cheese)
Espinacas a la Catalana (Sautéed spinach, pine nuts, raisins and apples)
Pimientos del piquillo rellenos de queso (Seared piquillo peppers filled with goat cheese)
Garbanzos con espinacas ‘que bien cocinas Tichi’ (Moorish stew of garbanzos and spinach)
Arroz cremoso de setas (Wild mushroom rice with Idiazábal cheese)
Trigueros con romesco (Grilled asparagus with romesco sauce)
Croquetas de pollo (Traditional chicken croquetas)
Patatas bravas (Sliced, fried fingerling potatoes topped with a spicy tomato sauce and aioli)
Chistorra envuelta en patata frita (Slightly spicy chorizo wrapped in a crispy potato)
Dátiles con tocino ‘como hace todo el mundo’ (Fried dates wrapped in bacon)
Tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelet with potatoes and onions)
Gambas al ajillo* (The very, very famous tapa of shrimp sautéed with garlic and guindilla pepper)
Salmón con coliflor y frambuesa* (Seared salmon with cauliflower purée and pomegranate)
Calamares a la romana (Fried squid served with aioli)
Vieiras con calabaza y clementinas* (Seared scallops with butternut squash purée, clementines, and pumpkin seeds)
Butifarra casera con ‘mongetes’ (Homemade grilled pork sausage with sautéed white beans)
Lomo de cerdo con salsa de cabrales (Pork loin with roasted onion and cabrales sauce)
Pollo al ajillo con salsa verde* (Grilled marinated chicken served with a parsley purée and garlic sauce)

Postres
Choice of:
homemade ice creams
flan
chocolate torte

Lebanese Taverna
7141 Arlington Road
30.951.8681

LUNCH
Hummus

Chose of two of the following:
Cucumber and Yogurt; House Salad, Tabouleh, Shakshouky, Lebanese Salad, Fattoush, Baba Ghannouge, M’saka, or Grape Leaves

Choice of one of the following:
Chicken Shawarma, Shawarma or Falafel

Side of Fries or Rice
Soft drink or Iced Tea

DINNER
Appetizer:
Bathanjen Mikli (Breaded and Fried Eggplant Cubes with Spiced Tomato Sauce
Fattoush)
Lebanese Salad (Pomegranate Extract, Sumac, Radish, tossed with Pita Toasts)
Lentil Soup (A Traditional Soup of Spinach, Potatoes and Lentils)

Entrée:
Lamb Trio  (Rib Roast Chop roasted with Lamb Reduction; T-bone with Three Herb Green Sauce; and Braised Lamb, Spiced Rice and Roasted Vegetables)
Farouge Moughrabieh (Roasted Boneless Half Chicken with Pearl Couscous seasoned with Caraway and Garlic, Traditional Chicken Gravy and Grilled Vegetables)
Whole Broiled Bronzino (Mediterranean Sea Bass over Saffron Couscous and Chickpea Pilaf, Crispy Onions and Citron Sauce)

Dessert:
Molten Chocolate Turkish Coffee Cake (Chocolate cake made with ground Turkish Coffee and Cardamom with a side of Marshmallow and Pistachio-Orange Ice Cream)
Knaffe (Lebanese style cheesecake with golden semolina crust, sweet cheese and a side of Kaak)

American Tap Room
7278 Woodmont Avenue
301.656.1366

LUNCH
Starters
Choice of:
Maryland Crab soup
Soup of the day
House Salad (with choice of dressing)

Entrees:
Choice of:
Steak Frites (Grilled NY strip with garlic herb butter and shoestring potato)
Southwest shrimp salad (Grilled spiced shrimp with corn, tomatoes, avocado, and shredded cheese. Served with house made ranch dressing and tortilla strips)
Grilled Chicken Breast (Served with Italian vegetable medley with a light basil sauce)

DINNER
Starters:
Choice of:
Maryland Crab Soup
House salad

Entrée:
Choice of:
Atlantic salmon (Seared filet of salmon with a grain mustard sauce with asparagus)
Seared Tuna Salad (Sashimi grade tuna with an exotic mix of Asian greens and seaweed)
Chicken Penne Primavera (Penne with fresh vegetables and grilled chicken with Parmesan cheese sauce)
12oz Rib Eye (Served with grilled asparagus and garlic herb butter)

Dessert:
Choice of:
Crème Brulée (A soft creamy custard awaits you under a caramelized sugar shell)
Warm chocolate cake (Made with Belgian dark chocolate and served warm)
Mixed Berries  (Crème anglaise on the side)

Parker’s Classic American
4824 Bethesda Ave
301.654.6366

LUNCH
Choose one from each group from the entire menu:
Soup or starter salad | Sandwich or entrée salad | Dessert

Dinner:
Choose one from each group from the menu:
Soup or starter salad | Choice of three entrees | Dessert

Raku
7240 Woodmont Avenue
301.718.8680
http://www.rakuasiandining.com

Lunch:

Starters:
Choice of:
Mesclun Salad
Ginger Pumpkin Soup

Entrée:
Choice of:
Japanese Hamburger Steak
Korean Grilled Spicy Chicken
Sushi Assortment

Dessert:
Choice of:
Croissant Pudding
Chocolate Cake

Dinner:
Choose 3 out of 4 groups from the entire menu: Soup or Salad | Appetizer | Dessert

Assaggi Mozzarella Bar
4838 Bethesda Avenue
301.951.1988

LUNCH
Choice of:
Ricotta cheese and spinach ravioli (butter and sage sauce)
Italian mild sausage (pickled fennel panino cabbage salad)
Calamari “siciliana’ (with bruschetta)
Pan seared Sea Bass (with braised lentil)
Filet of Trout (garbanzo beans, mussel stew)
Orecchiette pasta with Italian mild sausage (ragu, pecorino cheese)

Dessert:
Choice of
Sicilian style cassata with blueberry coulis
Vanilla crème caramel

DINNER
Starter:
Choice of:
Borlotti beans and pasta soup
Braised Italian mild sausage (with braised lentil)
White polenta with sautéed wild mushrooms (truffle oil)
Arugula and fennel salad (shaved Parmigiano Reggiano)

Entrée:
Choice of:
Orecchiette pasta (artichokes and pecorino cheese)
Short Rigatoni (cauliflower, and wild mushrooms truffle oil)
Ricotta cheese and spinach ravioli (butter and sage sauce)
Sea Bass filet (with mussels, potatoes, saffron broth)
Stuffed quail (with fresh polenta and mushrooms)
Roasted stuffed veal (with braised kale)

Dessert:
Choice of:
Chocolate mousse (with hazelnut granella)
Sicilian style cassata (blueberry sauce)
Vanilla panna cotta

Mon Ami Gabi
7239 Woodmont Avenue
301.654.1234

LUNCH
Starters
Choice of:
Petite Caesar Salad (Romaine, Black Pepper Olive, Oil Crouton and Parmesan)
Roasted Pumpkin Soup (Crème Fraiche and Toasted Hazelnuts)

Entrée:
Choice of:
Steak Sandwich and frites (On Ciabata with Caramelized Onions and Mustards Mayonnaise)
Grilled Salmos and Spinach Salad (Blueberries, Walnuts, Avocado and Citrus Vinaigrette)
Butternut Squash Quiche (Petite Mache and Frisee Salad)

Dessert:
Single Profiterole

Café Deluxe
4910 Elm Street
(301) 656-3131

DINNER
Starters:
Choice of:
Mixed Greens (Mixed greens with shaved parmesan cheese, grape tomatoes& tossed with red wine vinaigrette dressing)
Fire Roasted Tomato Soup (Roasted roma tomatoes, onion and cream)

Entrees:
Choice of:
Halibut (Served over a corn and asparagus sauté with white wine beurre blanc)
Filet Mignon (With grilled asparagus and béarnaise sauce)

Dessert:
Choice of:
Banana Bread Pudding (With vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce)
Mixed Berries with Crème Fraiche (Seasonal assortment of fresh berries)

Redwood
7121 Bethesda Lane
301.656.5515

LUNCH
Starter:
Choice of:
Soup of the Day
Arugula & Baby Beet Salad (Blue Cheese, Citrus, Pistachios)

Entrée:
Choice of:
Grilled Market Fish (Beluga Lentils, Butternut Squash)
Vegetable Pot Pie (Mixed Greens Salad)
Duck Banh Mi Sandwich (Duck Confit, Cucumber Salad, Chilis, Fresh Herbs)

Dessert:
Choice of:
Chocolate Mousse
Caramelized Pears
Today’s Sorbet or Ice Cream

DINNER
Starter:
Choice of:
Soup of the Day
Arugula & Baby Beet Salad (Blue Cheese, Citrus, Pistachios)

Entrée:
Choice of:
Market Fish (Daily Preparation)
Wild Mushroom Papparadelle (Brussels Sprouts, Truffle Butter)
Grilled Pork Loin (Crushed Potatoes, Braised Cabbage, Cider-Mustard Jus)

Dessert:
Choice of:
Chocolate Mousse
Caramelized Pears
Today’s Sorbet or Ice Cream

Tara Thai
4828 Bethesda Ave
301.657.0488 ‎

DINNER
Starters:
Choice of:
Special appetizers or Thai Salad

Entrée:
Choice of:
Green or Panang Curry (with shrimp or seafood only)
Kapow (with shrimp or seafood only)
Pad Kratiam (with shrimp or seafood only)
Whole fish (for 2 people)

Dessert:
Choice of all desserts except (mango & sticky rice 1 for 2 people)

All meals include soda or ice tea. All Entrées except Whole fish served with choice of deep-fried soft shell crab or fish fried and Jasmine Rice

American Tap Room - Bethesda, MD

Bethesda Row has recently opened a handful of new restaurants, so my old college friend and I met up for some good ol' girl time with a side of dinner at American Tap Room. As you can tell by the name, they serve American food and offer an extensive beer selection. There is metered street parking, and a metered garage right next to it on Elm St. The closest metro station is Bethesda on the red line.

Very spacious restaurant. Large chairs, big booths, high ceilings. The bar is circular and has lots of TVs. Reminded me of a modern den with its wood paneling, soft lighting and leather chairs.

I liked the windows into the kitchen!

The menus light up! This was the 1st time I had seen that before. The check does that too. At 1st, I thought it was a digital menu, but it's actually just a paper menu lit up from behind.

My favorite beer was on the menu - Hoegaarden ($6.30)! They offer over 40 beers and over 50 wines on their menu.

My friend ordered a bowl of 'Maryland Crab Soup' for $5.99, which was their soup of the day. She said it was good and I heard no complaints.

My appetizer was the 'Zucchini Fries (served with a Greek yogurt and dill dipping
sauce)' for $8.99. I loved them! They were crispy, hot and tasted fresh with the sauce. I would totally order them again.

We actually asked for bread after our appetizers when we realized other tables had bread. The rolls were nice and warm, however the butter was sweet. Not like "sweet cream" butter, but actually mixed with sugar. It was odd at 1st, but was eventually good and made it taste like a dessert.

My friend loves arugula and ordered the 'Arugula Salad (baby arugula tossed with virgin olive oil and Belgian honey, goat cheese with toasted almonds)' for $7.99. She wasn't sure if the yellow tomatoes tasted like the red ones, but I assured her they were the same. She enjoyed her salad as well.

Our server suggested the 'Southwest Shrimp Salad (grilled spiced shrimp with corn, tomatoes, avocado and shredded cheese, served with a house made ranch dressing)' for $9.99. I loved it. You can't tell, but the shrimp were big and not overcooked. The dressing wasn't over whelming, nor did it appear to be a typical Ranch dressing. I loved the balance and I ordered it because I avocados in my salad. I'd order this again.

I had a nice time with a new restaurant, polite staff, pianist playing on a grand piano and good food. The entrees are in the low-$20's, which was more than I expected. A cool feature was the free homemade cotton candy for the kids! I was jealous. After completing your meal, the server brings a tray of desserts for your viewing pleasure, however they desserts are look plastic, so it was kind of odd/funny,.Its a great place to meet up with friends, bring kids, and grab a drink.

7278 Woodmont Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 656-1366
http://www.americantaproom.com/bethesda

Nest Cafe - Bethesda, MD

One of my coworkers has been raving about this American-Mediterranean inspired restaurant for months, so finally the bf and I had our 1st meal there. Nest Cafe is near all the commotion of downtown Bethesda, but is far enough on the side that it is also peaceful. There is metered street parking and metered garage a block away. The closest metro stop is Bethesda on the red line.

As you can see from the above photo, they have an outdoor eating area. It's almost as big as the interior. The small dining room has nice cozy decor. I love dark wooden tables without table cloths, simple flatware and glasses. There's something casual, yet about classy about it.

My coworker loves their wine selection and 1/2 price bottles on Mondays and Tuesdays, so as a tribute to her, I had a glass of their 'pinot noir (99 Vines Mendencino County CA 07)' for $6.95. There are about 7 wines served by the glass. I feel like my glass had a decent amount of wine, which was great. The wine itself was light, but tasted diluted.

They gave us jalapeno rolls with garlic butter. It was an interesting and unexpected twist considering the menu didn't have anything Mexican-inspired. I don't think I finished mine, but the bf liked them.

The bf ordered the 'Carne Pizza (pepperoni, prosciutto, and sausage)' for $13.95, which was my coworker's recommended dish. The bf thought the pizza tasted like Pizza Hut, though I thought it reminded me of Pandini's. I liked the prosciutto the most out of the pizza and that was his least favorite part (reminded him of chewy bacon).

Ordered the 'Sausage Rigatoni (Slow cooked pork sauce with sausage, fennel and shallots)' for $ 13.95. I subbed Whole Grain penne for $.95. The same sausage that was on the pizza was in the pasta, which I would've preferred without the casing. I thought the sauce lacked depth of flavor, but the bf liked it, so we ended up switching plates halfway through our meal.

Our server was super nice and friendly. Surprisingly our food arrived at lighting speed, which makes me wonder about the food preparation. Lots of families with kids were there, and it was a nice space for them. The food was good but nothing really impressed me, which was a slight bummer because my coworker loves the place so much. The outside has a younger and fun vibe, which is enhanced by the live band that plays Friday and Saturday evenings.

4921 Bethesda Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 718-6378
www.nestwinebarcafe.com

Z Burger - Tenleytown, DC

Nothing like eating junk food after exercising, even if I am putting back the calories I just lost! The bf, doggie and I were hungry after our walk at the National Arboretum. On our drive home, we stopped by Z Burger for some fattie grub. There is only street parking available. The closest metro stop is Tenleytown-AU on the red line.

The colors remind me McD's actually, except they incorporate a lot of stainless steel too. It gives me a 80's movie feel.

They have a big outdoor seating area, which is surrounded on 3 sides, so it makes you feel like you're eating inside but not.

We obviously ate outside because of this big baby.

They have a fairly simple menu consisting of burgers, hot dogs, cheesesteaks, fries/onion rings, and milkshakes.

Their milkshake menu is what drew me to this place - 75 flavors! I got a 'regular-sized Marshmellow' for $3.39. It's very thick and has a nice consistency. I would've preferred a toasted marshmallow flavor, because it almost tasted tropical? I don't know why, but it was good either way.

We shared some 'Onion rings' for $2.89. This thing was HUGE! The rings are the size of my hand, and were just too much to finish. We weren't big fans of the batter, which reminded me of funnel cake. I prefer flakier batter.

We also shared a 'Double Hamberger' for $4.49. It was good, however I didn't find it special. The meat was more dense and less seasoned. We topped out burger with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mayo and sautéed onions. If I were to compare it to another burger place, it reminds me of a Five Guys, which I prefer more.

If you love milkshakes, this place has every flavor you could imagine. They have a good number of free toppings, and the food is affordable. Our order was ready in a timely fashion, but if I were to go back, it would be only for a milkshake.

4321 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20016
(202) 966-1999
http://www.zburger.com/