Bourbon Steak - Georgetown, DC

Hi Guys! The bf recently celebrated 5 years at his current company (good job babe!), so they gave him $100 to spend on dinner. Since he had no choice but to share his reward with me, we went to Bourbon Steak for a fancy pants date.
Located in the swanky Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, they have valet parking for around $10. The closest metro is Foggy Bottom on the Orange line.

It's so classy in there, but still up to date and sophisticated. Just look at it! They gave us a nice window table, which gave us a bit more privacy. I observed that we were surrounded by more business meeting dinners than dates.

All celebrations require a little alcohol! We ordered a glass of Moscato and their French 75 (plymouth, fresh lemon, sugar, served tall with a lemon peel). Both delicious, sweet and refreshing.

As we looked over the menu, they brought us a complimentary assortment of fries and sauces. Get this - all fried in duck fat!

After placing our order, they brought another complimentary dish! Their truffle bread was yummy and have a nice texture. However, a side of butter would have made it even better.

Their menu is like many other steakhouses with appetizers, steaks, other meats and sides. We decided to try their steaks since it is their specialty.

LEFT: 10 oz Wagyu Flat Iron ($41) - I ordered this marbleized cut of beef, and thought it was tender.
RIGHT: 14 oz Ribeye ($54) - The bf ordered his favorite cut and found it lacked seasoning.

To accompany our steaks we ordered two sides:

TOP: Wood-Roasted "Magical Mushrooms ($10) - I'm not sure what made them magical, but they were cooked just right, and tasted simple.
BOTTOM: "Breakfast for Dinner", Egg, Corned Beef Hash ($10) - This reminded us of a Bangers and Mash because the corned beef hash was in the fried mashed potato patties with mustard seeds.

We satisfied our sweet tooth with an interesting but beautiful dessert! Brown Sugar Bananas (banana cake, peanut ganache, fried captain crunch ice cream). The captain crunch is what sparked our interest and was used to coat the ice cream. The gold colored blocks were honey jelly, and my favorite part!

They love giving complimentary items, and I gladly accept. These tiny Passion Fruit Pops packed so much flavor and cleansed the palate.

Overall, I thought the service was professional, found the venue gorgeous and the complimentary items to be a nice perk. The food was good, however not memorable. We like bold flavor, which was lacking in the food. The prices are very expensive, so our expectations were high.

Four Seasons Georgetown
2800 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 944-2026
http://www.bourbonsteakdc.com/

Birthday Recap! Kafe Leopold, Ching Ching Cha, J.Chocolatier - Georgetown, DC

Happy Birthday to all my Capricorns! I recently turned a year older and wanted to share the few places where I ate. I wanted to keep it low key and told the bf to take me wherever. He surprised me with brunch in Georgetown!

My doggie was all dressed up for the occasion =)

Kafè Leopold
3315 Cady's Alley, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Neighborhood: Georgetown
(202) 965-6005


I didn't know there was a tiny alley way called Cady's Alley that has a few interior design companies and restaurants. This cafe has a cute outdoor area with a fountain. I'll definitely come back when it's warmer to eat outside. It is much quieter back there away from busy M Street.

This European-style cafe is modern with white Ikea-looking decor, but still sophisticated with cloth napkins and real flowers on each table. The bf ordered the Austrian Coffee, Chedderwurst and Truffle Grits with Egg and Cured Meat.

I had a Kafe Mocha and Malted Waffle. Everything was delicious, the place was cute and the service was fine. I can't wait to go back!

ching ching CHA
1063 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007
Neighborhood: Georgetown
(202) 333-8288


The bf also planned for us to try a tea place after brunch. He took me to this traditional tea house that sells tea products too. I've also never heard or noticed this place before. It's a very small, quiet place that makes you forget you're in DC. They had a pot of hot water going for us on our table for easy refills.

You have the option of sitting at a table with chairs or on floor cushions. The bf ordered a Strawberry Green Tea ($6) and we shared Chicken Dumplings ($5). The loose tea leaves looked like collard greens but had an amazing flavor. The dumplings were tasty too.

I ordered a Floating Lanturn ($7) which was a very mild jasmine green tea. OMG I couldn't stop looking at it! It was the prettiest thing and you drink directly from the glass.

J. Chocolatier
1039 33rd St NW
Washington, DC 20007
Neighborhood: Georgetown
(202) 333-4111

On our walk back to the car, we stopped by this tiny chocolate shop for a quick dessert. This is really the size of the whole place minus the two-person table where we sat.

We tried the Absinthe truffle ($2), Champagne truffle ($2) and Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookie ($2.50)

One of the happiest birthdays I've ever experienced. The bf put thought into these places, and knows what I like: trendy, cute, cozy, delicious.

Baked & Wired - Georgetown, DC

I've heard crazy buzz surrounding this bakery, and it's been long overdue for me to try it. Recently the bf and I were able to stop by Baked & Wired! Look at the adorable doggie water bowl outside.
It's in Georgetown, so there's street/neighborhood parking and plenty of parking garages. The closest metro stop would be Foggy Bottom-GWU on the Blue/Orange line.

The bakery has more of a hip, coffeehouse vibe. The display is enormous and showcases each cupcake individuality. They don't only serve cupcakes, so you can have pie, scones, muffins, etc. I don't know the prices for anything other than the cupcakes (sorry!), which were $3.50 each.

I appreciated the customized cupcake liner, which was basically folded parchment paper. Each flavor has a little label and description. Ah, so cute. We ended up sharing a Red Velvet cupcake, and the bf thought it was the best he has ever tried because the cake was very dense, moist and had a great cream cheese icing to top it off.

The other part of the bakery brews Direct Trade coffee and looseleaf tea. Without understanding what he was drinking, the bf ordered a cold-brewed coffee and added simple syrup and milk. He loves Starbucks, so he thought it was good, not great.

In the back, there's a small lounge area to sip on your drinks and nibble on your pastries.

We ate and drank our goodies as we strolled through the picturesque streets of Georgetown.

I adored the vibe and image of the bakery. The bf liked the cupcake more than other place I've made him try (oh, the life of a blogger bf), so I highly recommend it. It's nice that they serve a variety of baked goods, drinks, and offer over 20 different cupcake flavors.

1052 Thomas Jefferson St NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 333-2500
www.bakedandwired.com

Taste of Dupont (8/5/10) & Georgetown (8/9/10)

'Tis the season for tastings apparently! Here's info on both of these free events since they're occurring within the same week - next week!

Taste of Dupont
October 5, 2010
6pm-9pm

Tickets may be purchased online or at the event: $5 for each individual tasting, or a five tasting ticket package for $20.
Buy or Will Call tickets at Dupont Circle Resource Center (9 Dupont Circle) beginning at 5 pm.

FYI, this is not an outdoor tasting with booths, street closings, etc. The tastings are provided within each establishment.

List of participating restaurants and their menus:

Annie's Paramount Steakhouse - White Meat Chicken Chili. $4 Stella, $4 House Wine, $4 Stoli Mixed Drinks, $4 House Manhattans and $4 House Martinis
Bertucci's - Stuffed four cheese Portabello with bread crouton crumbs
BGR: The Burger Joint - Wellington Slider
Cafe Dupont - Bouillabaisse and Coq au vin
Cafe Green - Pumpkin Risotto and Stuffed Mushrooms
Current Sushi - TBD
Darlington House - Tortolloni stuffed with butternut squash
Firefly - Devilled Eggs or Truffle Fries
Floriana - TBD
Gazuza - Veggie Combo roll or Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll
James Hoban's - TBD
Level One - Braised Short-Ribs with Truffle Mac-N-Cheese
Lupe Cantina - Taquito, Quesadilla, or Frozen Margarita. Taste of Dupont After Party with $5 Margartias.
Maddy's - Mom's Meatloaf w/ a Sweet and Tangy Tomato Sauce
Nando's Peri Peri - Chicking Wings, Olives & Nuts
One Lounge - Porchetta Slider on Fresh Baked Brioche
Scion - Braised Lamb Shank over Cous Cous in a Lamb Reduction Sauce
Twist at the Carlyle Suites Hotel - TBD
SoHo Tea & Coffee - Coffee House fare
Urbana at the Hotel Palomar - TBD

Taste of Georgetown
October 9, 2010
11am-4pm
Wisconsin Ave & M St

Proceeds benefit Georgetown Ministry Center's services supporting the homeless.

Tickets may be purchased online or at the event (Eagle Bank parking lot from 11am-3:30pm)
One tasting ticket is good for one tasting.
$5: One Tasting Ticket
$20: Five Tasting Tickets

Also enjoy a Tasting Pavilion for Wine, Ale, Spirits ($10 for four tasting tickets), and live music.

List of participating restaurants:

1789
Baked & Wired
Bangkok Joe's
Bodega Spanish Tapas & Lounge
Café Bonaparte
Chadwick's
Clyde's
Crepe Amour/Georgetown Wing Co.
Daily Grill
Dean & Deluca
Fahrenheit Restaurant
Farmers & Fishers
Filomena Ristorante
Georgetown Cupcake
Hook
J Paul's
Mie N Yu
Morso
Morton's the Steakhouse
Neyla
Nick's Riverside Grille
Old Glory BBQ
Paolo's
Patisserie Poupon
Ristorante Piccolo
Rugby Café
Tacklebox
Third Edition
Thunder Burger & Bar
Tony & Joe's Seafood Place

Hook- Georgetown, DC

Hi Everyone! DC Restaurant Week was a month ago, so I apologize for this being late post. Hopefully it will still give you an idea about the place if you're deciding whether to try it or not.

3 of us made reservations to try Hook because I was recommended by some friends. Restaurant Week dinner was $35.09 per person for a choice of 3 courses off a pre-selected menu.

It's located in the heart of Georgetown. I parked in the garage that is about 1-2 blocks away. Street parking is always a nightmare. Closest metro stop would be Foggy Bottom-GWU on the Blue/Orange line.

FYI: The place was very dimly lit for the ambiance, so some pics are either dark or blurry. Sorry!

It was a Thursday night, so the bar was packed with people grabbing a drink. It can get quite loud in there.

There are two areas to sit. This is the main dining room. Sorry its so dark! It's quite beautiful when you look at it in person. We were seated in the front of the restaurant near the window. There are only about 3-4 small tables up front. There is also a long table next to the bar which fits larger groups of around 12.

The bread was soft with grains in them. The spread was a kind of garlic mayonnaise.

Starting with appetizers, my friend ordered the '½ Dozen Oysters (New York)- coriander mignonette'. She let me try one, and I thought it was good. I love all oysters as long as they're not gritty.

My cousin ordered the 'Tomato Gazpacho- jumbo lump crab, fava bean pesto, lemon, olive oil'. I didn't try it, but she said it was ok.

Look at this plate! I ordered the 'Beet Salad- goat cheese, pistachio, wheat berries, pickled watermelon, vanilla'. The server recommended it as well as reviews online. It was amazing. I'm a fan of strong flavors, so the salty pistachios, pungent cheese, and sweetness of the beets were to die for.

Now onto the main course (wow, that's blurry), my cousin ordered the 'Yellowfin Tuna (Florida)- barley, pattypan squash, strawberries, tomato jalapeño sauce'. She didn't know it was going to be seared, so she wasn't prepared to eat that much raw fish. Tasted fine to me, but if you're not into raw fish/meat, I would stay away.

My friend ordered the 'Artic Char (Iceland)- basmati rice, peas, carrot curry sauce'. It was so good! I think she had the best fish dish of the night. I would order this fish next time.

I ordered the 'Barramundi (Massachusetts)- parsnip puree, raspberries, cucumbers, baby heirloom tomatoes, chives'. I think I ordered it because the name sounded cool. It was good with an interesting flavor combination of raspberries and parsnips. I thought it was slightly bland, but I did finish the entire plate, so I can't complain.

We were already full, but made room for dessert and shared all of them. First one was the 'Apple Tart- almond frangipane, vanilla ice cream'. I liked it a lot. The pastry was perfect.

The 'Lemon Cake- honey lavender buttercream, honey ice cream' was very good with the lavender buttercream. I thought it gave an interesting twist to a lemon cake.

Lastly, the 'Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding- chocolate hazelnut biscotti' was good as well. It had a great bittersweet taste that I prefer over milk chocolate pudding.

Our server was really nice and helpful when we asked for recommendations. Their pastry chef won "Pastry Chef of the Year" in 2008, so you can't go wrong with anything you choose. The Restaurant Week menu was a great deal because the entrees regularly are in the mid-20's range. I loved the beet salad, thought my fish was good, and liked the desserts. I also appreciate the restaurant's locally grown produce, eco-friendly and humane meat/dairy practices that they mention on their site.

3241 M St NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-625-4488
Website

Monday Dinner: 5:00pm-10:00pm
Tues-Fri Lunch: 11:30am-2:30pm Dinner: 5:00pm-10:00pm
Saturday Brunch: 10:00am-3:30pm Dinner: 5:00pm-11:00pm
Sunday Brunch: 10:00am-3:30pm Dinner: 5:00pm-10:00pm

Mie N Yu - Georgetown, DC

Recently the bf and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary. I can't even believe it's been so long! We met in college during our junior year and now live together with our dog Riley. For our anniversary dinner I decided to go to Mie N Yu because all of my friends raved about how cute the place was.

Once again, let me apologize in advance for the blinding use of flash on the food because it was so dim in there. The mood lighting is great for dates but not blogs!

Mie N Yu's theme is the the Silk Road (historic trade route), so the rooms and cuisine reflect Asian, Middle Eastern, North African and Mediterranean traditions. It is located on M Street in the heart of Georgetown. Similar to Paolo's in Georgetown, one would either have to drive or take the metro to Foggy Bottom on the Blue/Orange line and take a bus. Parking can be a bit difficult to find especially on the weekends, but as long as you don't mind parallel parking or walking a couple blocks, then you should be fine.

The restaurant is right next door to Urban Outfitters.

Let me focus on the ambiance for a second. It's so cool in there! It's funny because I've passed by the restaurant so many times before and didn't realize what it was because you can't see past the waterfall-filled windows. The first/main room you hit is 'Moroccan Bazaar'. Everything is made of wood, and there are drapes covering some tables, and pillows adorning others. What I thought was unique was that some of the tables were elevated like a few feet above the floor. So it gave the place a cool feel. It also helps with privacy because essentially they're fancy booths.

This is a view from our high table which the bf reserved for our special occasion (aww how thoughtful, haha). It has comfortable pillows and the drapes make you feel like you're outside.

I know you all might think this is strange, but I tried to take a picture of the bathroom because it was cool. There are around 8 stalls that have doors from floor to ceiling and men and women share them. Then in the center of the room there are a couple Zen-looking sinks with rocks in them. The wall has floor to ceiling mirrors that make the room look huge. There is also a bathroom attendant that turns the water on for you, puts soap in your hand and gives you a towel. It was really nice, however that kind of prevented me from taking a ton of pictures since he was kind of always next to me.

This was our table! The chairs were comfy, I liked the drapes because it felt like we were eating outside. I thought it was a nice size for 2 people, but it might be a bit cramped for 4.

Alright onto the food! For our starter we ordered the 'Smoked Salmon Bruschetta - pastrami rubbed smoked salmon, Vermont goat feta, bell pepper, tomato, onion, toasted baguette' for $7. I loved it. They gave us so much salmon and the balance of flavors with the veggies was great. It tasted very fresh.

For my main course I ordered the 'Miso Hanger Steak - American natural beef, Japanese ratatouille, ginger teriyaki glaze' for $26. The beef was very flavorful and salty. It was tender and was a good portion for me. The ratatouille part (underneath the steak) was a bit oily.

The bf ordered the 'Miso Pekin Duck - Pennsylvania natural duck breast, yuzu braised bok choy, organic bamboo fried rice' for $24. We both wanted to get this dish since we love duck, but decided that one of us should get something different so we could try different dishes. I loved his dish. The duck wasn't gamey and was cooked perfectly. The bamboo fried rice complemented the saltiness of the duck.

Onto dessert! We decided on the 'Buddha’s Delight - chocolate lava cake, chai latte creme, crispy strawberry ravioli' for $16. It was so good! Very rich chocolate cake with melted fudge in the center. The Chai latte creme was a great dipping sauce for the ravioli and cake. We finished the entire thing even after being stuffed from the other food.

Sorry the pic isn't so great but we didn't really get around to asking the waiter for a picture.

Our server was really nice and told us to check out the rest of the place when we got a chance. They have around 8 themed rooms on 2 floors. The other ones are opened on the weekends though. This is the 1st room up the stairs called the 'Venetian Room.' It's mainly a bar with small tables.

This is the only one is the restaurant and its called the 'Bird Cage.' It is hovering over the room below, and is reserved especially for the Chef's Tasting Menu. It can accommodate up to 7 people for a 4-6 course tasting for $95 per person.

This is the 'Baroque Room' and it is also on the 2nd floor. The chairs are made of strange pieces of wood and makes me feel like a Viking feast should be taking place in there.

Back downstairs is the 'Hong Kong Bar.' They have a SUPER EXTENSIVE alcohol list. They really have everything you could possibly want. I just liked the cool lighting.

Right next to it was the 'Turkish Tent' which was a bright and comfy-looking room. Right next to it was the 'Tibetan Lounge' which was roped off so I couldn't really see it.

Overall I thought the place was cute, and romantic for an anniversary dinner because you do have a bit more privacy to talk and the lighting is low. The themed rooms really makes this place stand out if you want to experience something unique. The wait staff is friendly, but beware that they can be slow. Dinner took 2.5 hours of mostly waiting around. The meals are delicious, but expensive. The most expensive thing on the menu other than the Chef Tasting would be the 'Wild “Inside - Out” Flounder' for two people to share at $69. 3125 M Street, NW. Washington, DC 20007 202-333-6122 Website