Eat
Chocolate and Wine Paring Class
I love this idea. I often find myself having a piece of chocolate for desert while I am still drinking a glass of wine having put no thought into how a particular piece of chocolate would taste with whatever wine I’m drinking. I recently met with Eric Nelson, the owner of Artfully Gifts & Chocolate, and he told me about this class. What a fun thing to do with a group of girls! The classes are limited to 20 so make sure you sign up in advance. Chocolate/Wine Pairing Class Learn the complexities of pairing wine and...
read moreThe Birthday Party Scene
Our daughter is turning three in March so we recently started brainstorming about what to do for her birthday. We immediately crossed off having something at our house because of space constraints. We knew we would have 12-15 kids plus parents so all of a sudden it is 30-40 people for the event. Last year, we held her party at MyGym in Kingstowne and it was a great experience because we all showed up, the MyGym staff took charge, there was a set time frame, all the kids had a great time and we left without having to worry about clean-up. This...
read moreThe Majestic – Review
We were that table. You know, the group having such a good time that they forget their inside voices.. The table behind us may have switched seats. Whatever. It was only because we were having such a great time. And it’s important to note that not one member of the staff asked us to keep it down. That being said, the staff was very attentive…and then, not. It took some time to be seated for our 7:00 reservation, but they did seat us before our entire party arrived. One of my dining companions dropped her menu...
read moreExtra Perks
When I was taking an art class a few summers ago, I discovered Extra Perks on North Fairfax Street. This locally-owned restaurant has great food at great prices! The Smoked Salmon Sandwich is my favorite menu item and every time it is delicious. The bread is warm and the ingredients make a perfect lunch. They have breakfast during the week until 11am and on the weekend the brunch menu goes until 3pm. The owner’s British heritage brings to Alexandria the ‘Full British Breakfast’ that includes two eggs, bangers (fresh made...
read moreRestaurant Week
During Alexandria Restaurant Week more than 60 restaurants will be offering special menus and pricing to entice visitors to dine in Alexandria. The restaurants are offering either a $35 prix-fixe three-course dinner or $35 dinner for two. Alexandria Restaurant Week is a great time to try a new restaurant at reduced prices. Dates: January 13 – 22, 2012 Make Your Reservation online Tips for Getting the Most out of Alexandria Restaurant Week Make reservations early, many of the most popular restaurants get booked up. Read menus and...
read morePork Barrel Not Bad
After reading some bad reviews on Yelp I was a little unsure about trying Pork Barrel Barrel. That was until my foodie friends (whose opinions about food I wouldn’t question), mentioned they had ordered several times in the last few weeks and loved it. So on New Year’s Day my husband picked up some pulled pork, cucumber salad and macaroni and cheese. I was feeling a little “tired” from a the late night before and boy did that mac and cheese hit the spot. The pulled pork with sauce was moist and flavorful, the salad...
read moreHank’s Is Crazy About Virginia
Hank’s Oyster Bar Old Town is excited to showcase two of Alexandria’s finest: War Shore Oyster Co. and Port City Brewing Co. Show your Virginia love by joining us for a dinner featuring local oysters and beer. View the menu HERE. JANUARY 9, 2012 at 7PM $70 per person For reservations call 703.739.HANK...
read moreThe Gift of Wine
Wine is a gift that is not only practical and classy but its easy. I always bring wine as hostess gift to parties and during the holidays I like to give special bottles to certain family members who truly appreciate wine. If your family is anything like mine (glad the city switched to the large recycling bins with lids) you like to stock up on wine before the holidays especially with out-of-town guests coming. If you aren’t a foodie or a wine connoisseur the idea of buying wine for someone else can be somewhat intimidating. Just like...
read morePeking Gourmet Inn
Tucked away in a strip mall between Seven Corners and Skyline, Peking Gourmet Inn is a 33 year old institution. If you want traditional, Northern Chinese cuisine—and not the hodgepodge that a typical strip mall Chinese restaurant offers, bear with the traffic of Route 7 and head over to the Culmore shopping center. When you walk in, you’re immediately greeted by a very friendly host staff. If you’re lucky, you’ll be seated immediately. Chances are, you will have to wait, unless you’ve had the forethought to make a...
read moreTrip to Mom’s
Some unique finds at Mom’s. I love the convenience, product selection and prices Gourmet artisanal cheeses I thought I’d try the the soy bean spaghetti Hmm……it was a bit of a toss up. I decided to try the Relaxed Mind...
read moreWine 101
Grab some friends and sign up for this series of classes at Le Tastevin. It sounds like a lot of fun! Le Tastevin will be launching Wine 101 starting Wednesday, November 2nd at 8 pm with an exploration of the Vine-to-Wine process. Subsequent classes will explore the nuances of grape varietals, geography, pairing and tasting! The In-Depth Wine Appreciation classes will begin again on Thursday, November 3rd. In the fall of 2011 we will focus on France, taking you from Bordeaux to Champagne. Berets are optional but...
read moreJoe’s Ready For Fall
brown, red and wild rice medley. It microwaves in 3 minutes. My kids love it in soup or mixed with chicken Pumpkin souffle, cheesecake and pie pumpkin ale You don’t have to be a gluten-free person to enjoy these dark chocolate gooey brownies. After baked they will stay doughy for several days. They are even better mixed with chocolate chips. You can’t tell they are made with rice flour I almost bought these but resisted. A chocolate covered potato chip has to be...
read moreDel Ray-New Deli
For years I’ve been saying a new deli is needed in Del Ray Market 2 Market 116 E. Del Ray Ave. Alexandria, VA...
read moreGraffiato Review- DC
By Ronya Misleh It’s cool to go to restaurants where famous chefs cook and share their dishes. It’s not silly to hope to catch a glimpse—or even grab a photo—of he or she who is amusing your palate and filling your tummy. And, even if this is your reason for going to Graffiato, if you just want to see Mike Isabella doing his thing (which is quite likely), and you happen to eat every last morsel on every plate put in front of you without this happening, the trip will still be worth every penny. And calorie. The atmosphere at the...
read moreWest End Art & Wine Festival
The Hadeed Carpet Alexandria West End Art and Wine Festival will be held in Cameron Station and Ben Brenman Park on October 8-9, 2011. It kicks off with an official ceremony held at the Gazebo on Cameron Station Blvd., where the mayor of Alexandria will recognize local businesses and others sponsorting the event, as well as Festival planners and its Cameron Station host. A check will be presented to Capital Caring, the Alexandria charity chosen to be a beneficiary of this inaugural festival. Visitors will enjoy a number of festival activity...
read moreRestaurant Review Indigo Landing
Indigo Landing (near Potowmack Landing) By Ronya Misleh The place where only the first syllable of your order matters. Shrimp Scampi? No, SHORT RIBS. Hot Toddy? No, hot peppermint patty. Girls’ Night Dinner. Indigo Landing, a beautiful–though reception-y (maybe because I did actually go to a wedding reception there six years ago?) dining area. Great view of the Capital building and the monuments and planes landing. We’ll start with the fact that the hostess totally checked in a couple and ruined the surprise dinner that was...
read moreRestaurant Review of Ketchup
Restaurant Review: Ketchup OR An Open Letter to Ashton Kutcher By Ronya Misleh Dear Ashton, I’d like to tell you to stick to acting and not restaurants, but I’m having a hard time choosing the lesser of the evils here. Ketchup? What were you thinking? Obviously, not much other than “I want a hip looking place that has a great sounding menu with all kinds of hipster servers.” Thanks to my fabulous friends, I was able to experience Ketchup at the National Harbor for dinner last weekend. We were all very excited to try it out and...
read moreMommy & Me Kabob Palace
Last week I took my girls to lunch at Kabob Palace on S. Eads St. in Arlington. I had nearly forgotten about this place until I drove by the other day and took notice. Kabob Palace is a an Afghani kabob take-out/dine in spot with a nicer sister restaurant next door with white tablecloths and silverware and yet another sister restaurant next door to that with a buffet and two small private rooms. This little hole in the wall is a popular Crystal City lunch spot with Military folks and taxi drivers and its open 24 hours which means they do a...
read moreNew Wine Bar near Alexandria
A week ago I posted about Cafe Caturra opening and last weekend I had the chance to spend an entire evening there. We arrived at 6:30 and the place was hopping. At first we thought there were no seats at the bar until we realized the bar is an oval and the whole back side was free. To my husband’s college football loving delight it turned out that the flat screens are also on that side of the bar. We were greeted immediately by friendly and extremely attentive bartenders. Yes, multiple people were waiting on us so we were never...
read moreRestaurant Review
Walker’s Grille By Ronya Misleh Slightly off the beaten path but well worth the drive, Walker’s Grille is a new, eco-friendly restaurant that recently opened in Alexandria. The restaurant is part of a new, environmentally conscious building concept—it is located in a Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) building and its mission is to meet, maintain, and perpetuate sustainable practices and implement green design and green restaurant strategies. All that eco-friendliness and green modeling and the food’s good,...
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