Delia's Mediterranean Grill & Brick Oven Pizza

Yesterday I visited Delia's Mediterranean Grill. This was actually a rather haphazard choice to dine after a movie. Located in Alexandria, VA right across from the Hoffman Ctr movie theater, this place can easily be overlooked with the other casual dining options in the area. The atmosphere in Delia's was very relaxing, yet mildly upscale. An interesting combination, but somehow it works for this restaurant. The staff was extremely pleasant and helpful, from the hostess to the wait staff that all seemed to be very familiar with all of the menu options.

The food was pretty good. For starters we had the Pizza Knuckles...essentially pizza rolls stuffed with cheese and pepperoni. They were excellent! For an entree I had the Capellini Santorini, which was capellini pasta (spaghetti, but a little thinner) with lump crab meat, scallops, and shrimp, topped with a cherry tomato sauce. The pasta was decent; it had just a bit of a spicy kick to it. I personally think it would have tasted better with a vodka sauce or maybe tomato basil, but I’m not chef. My guest had the Gamberetti alla Montese, really difficult to say, but so much easier to eat. Fettuccini pasta with shrimp and crab in a creamy white wine and parmesan sauce. It was excellent (I actually had a bit of food envy). The portions sizes were perfect for the style and price of the restaurant. In terms of drinks I had the house special which was pomegranate sangria. It was perfect, tasted a bit like juice though which could get you in a bit of trouble if you have too many.

If you happen to be dining with children they have a reasonable sized $5 kids menu with various types of pasta and the classic fries and chicken fingers. I ordered some raviolis with marinara to take home for the boy. To make them more "kid friendly" they were tri colored ravioli, with blue food coloring in the filling. Cool if your child is into odd food (like my child is, he loved it).

Overall I enjoyed the meal and would visit this restaurant again. There were some other menu options that I look forward to trying. The atmosphere was conducive for a first date, casual lunch with friends, or a place for the family to eat after a movie.

Copper Canyon Grill

rotiserie chicken #1 salmon

This was my third time visiting Copper Canyon Grill in Silver Spring Md, and i got there and realized i've never shared this place with my RR followers! I'm sooo sorry for holding out on you guys. CC Grill is amazing and they get better and better every time i go. First lets start with the fact that parking is free in the garage by the restaraunt on weekends, thats a major plus. Next the service is always excellent. The staff is over the top friendly, but not annoying. They pride themselves in using fresh never frozen ingredients and having every server take care of you. So if you need something just grab the first person that walks by and they will take care of it. This helped all our needs be taken care of quickly. The staff was also very knowledgeable about the food and the ingredients, they really could sell the menu to you. The atmosphere is nice and cozy, the grill is open so you can see it and the flames shooting up. They have nice booths as well as tables for larger parties. They also now have call ahead seating which i love.

Now to the food. Off the appetizer menu you must try the crab dip. It has large chunks of crab and is fullof flavor. the dip is served with a loaf of french bread fresh from the oven. The entree's are all american favorites such as steak, salmon and chicken but each dish is loaded with flavor and delicious seasoning. The rotisserie chicken is one of their specialties and they season it with 35 seasonings and you can taste each one. The chicken is juicy and falls off the bone. Also their salmon is the best, THE BEST grilled salmon i have ever had. Order it medium and it is the perfect combination of juicy and tender melt in your mouth goodness!!!. Even their vegetables are full of flavor and seasoning. The spinach and honey carrots are both excellent. The mashed potatoes are also delicious, i can never get mine to come out that smooth and creamy at home. .. The jumbo lump crabcakes are also very good. They are all crab meat and not filled with bread and other things like most places. The side of salsa and also the crabcake sauce top it off and follow the trend of flavor flavor and more flavor.

Overall CCGrill is a great place for a date or a family dinner with the kids. The menu is delicious, nothing i've tried has disapointed me yet. The staff and the decor are excellent and i would recommend this place to all of you!!! Even the bathrooms are great! 5 out of 5 stars all around, evertime.

Art and Soul

salmon

crabcake appetizer

I recently had dinner at Art and soul restaraunt located in the Liason Hotel on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. While I did not dine with my normal group and was not able to taste everyone's food, I can give you a rundown of what i did taste in food and atmosphere.

The establishment has a nice, romantic atmosphere. It is quiet, low lights and comfortable intimate seating. The hostess was friendly and helpful. Our biggest complaint of the night was our waiter, who was attempting to amuse us with a fake accent and made up nicknames that we didn't appreciate. He was however, attentive and prompt. The crowd of people were what you would expect on capitol hill, an older more mature crowd wearing business suits and appearing to have just left work late on a friday night. We even recognized a DC councilman.

Now to the food...
The menu was very short and included some southern dishes such as hoecakes and shrimp and grits as well as seafood dishes including fish and crabcakes. The crabcakes were considered an appetizer at $14 and came with a side of cole slaw and fries. If you are a light eater this would be a good choice. The crabcake was fairly tiny however. I opted for the " ATLANTIC SALMON roasted stone fruit, wheat berries, black pepper fennel sauce". The salmon was well cooked and had a good amount of seasoning and flavor. The fruit and fennel sauce complemented the fish well and the flavors were delightful. I also ordered a side of seasonal vegetables which included carrots, squash and green beens that were full of flavor and cooked just enough not too steamed and raw. I also tried a french martini from the bar which was pretty good, nothing to write home to mom about. The bartender could use a little heavier hand.

Overall I would visit this place again because of the ambiance and calm atmosphere. Even though i enjoyed the salmon i would try something else off the menu next time to give it a more thorough review. For now we'll give it 3 out of 5 stars