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

Ketchup-DC

I have almost made it through all the new restaraunts at the National Harbor. I love that the Harbor is full of an eclectic bunch of restaraunts that you don't see everywhere and I am slowly working my way around to eating at each 1..so you don't have to ;) I was excited to try Ketchup after my fellow bloggers told me how great the one in Los Angeles was. While I had to sit at the bar while waiting for my seat, I promise i didn't let those drinks cloud my critique of the food.

The restaraunt had a very fun and fresh decor. Bright colors, clean and very new. The atmosphere was laid back and service was friendly and fast for 4pm on a saturday afternoon. Our waiter was great..quick and very attentive. When we first arrive there was a 15 minute wait while the staff prepared to switch from lunch to dinner service. So we sat at the bar. Their drink menu was different and creative, so i chose a random house mix. I am no lightweight at the bar, and let me tell you my first drink gave me quite a buzz. I also heard others at the bar complimenting the bartenders on how great their drinks were. I would be happy to visit this place just for the bar..it was that great.

After we were seated it was pretty easy to choose our meals. The menu is short and to the point. I hate restaraunts that give you a 5 page menu and it takes you 20 minutes just to read through it and decide what to order. Right away the fried chicken and waffles stood out to me because it was a "cheddar bacon waffle" that sounds different. I ordered the flat iron steak and let my companion order the waffle which i intended to pick off. We also ordered the spinach and artichoke dip which was served with flat bread and carots.

The appetizer, spinach and artichoke dip was very tasty. Full of flavor and the flat bread went well with the dip and helped make the appetizer not so heavy and too filling. We opted out on the threesome of three different types of fries, waffle fries, sweet potatoe fries and curly fries..just seemed too boring for me :) The chicken and waffles were a great spin on the traditional. The chicken was crispy and well seasoned, juicy and delicious. The only complaint about the waffles were that they were small. Only two little traingles :( the waffles were Great! buttery, flavorful and very unique. We also tried the lobster mac and cheese which our waiter recommended. He said it was originally a microwave mac and cheese, but now the way they make it was much better. I would have to disagree. I've had lobster mac and cheese at a few places now, and many of these places seem to forget to season their macaroni and cheese before adding the lobster. I found it bland and tasteless..not worth the $12.

The second entre we tried was the flat iron steak which came with musrooms and veggies in a "spiced Shiraz reduction" . Now i know i know...i would never order a steak from a non steak restaraunt...but i did :( big mistake. The steak was cooked perfect, which is a plus because i hate when i say medium well and its too well or too medium. Juicy nice piece of meat, but missing in the flavor department. I cut pieces of steak and dipped it in one of the 6 ketchups they placed on my table to add flavor. The vegetables were very lightly steamed and the wine reduction was not a good compliment. thumbs down on that dish.

Lastly we had to at least try the onion rings so we could dip something in our assortment of ketchups. The onion rings were basic..frozen onion rings. Again nothing to write home to mom about and not worth $10.

Overall I would give this place 3 out of 4 hearts for the ambiance, cleanliness, friendly staff and great bartenders! They could use a little help in the kitchen however.

Yummy Yummy

The spot

Last night my husband took me to a portuguese restaurant in downtown dc, 1 block from the Verizon Center. Their website says they have two locations downtown, the 1 i visited was 819 7th street NWWashington, DC 20001. When you first enter you are greated by a happy staff who all welcome you to the building. Next they explained how the place works. They sit you at a table with a number, and you go over what you want from the menu. Once you've made your choice you walk to the register, order and pay. Once that is done you go over to a counter filled with difference sauces: Garlic, lemon-Herb, medium, Hot, Extra Hot. Grab your napkins, silverware and fill up your drink, then return to your table. It only took a few minutes for our foot to arrive at our table by our friendly waiter and everything, EVERYTHING, was delicious.

The Food

I ordered the Hummus as an appetizer, after which the guy taking the order yelled HUMMUS to the cook staff..I loved that. The Hummus was creamy and full of flavor and paired nicely with pita bread slices. They also offered a peri-peri drizzle to pour into the hummus. The drizzle added extra flavor and a little spice..fantastic. Next was my glass of sangria! Great sangria, just the right amount of liquor and fruity flavor. The waiter suggested I get the pitcher, but it was a worknight ;)
Since this was my first time I kept it simple by ordering a half chicken and I chose medium heat. You get to choose lemon & herb, medium, hot or extra hot, which are the same sauces you get to dip into, they just marinate the chicken with that sauce then grill it. I ate my medium heat chicken and dipped it in the lemon & herb sauce. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. It had great grill marks and just the right amount of grill taste. I paired my chicken with red skin mashed potatoes and also tasted my husbands garlic bread. The mashed potatoes had a great consistency and were also well seasoned. The garlic bread they give you are two large pieces of french bread that are softly toasted with butter and garlic and pair nicely with the chicken.

Overall the food was excellent, no complaints at all. This is a fun and laidback restaurant with a nice atmosphere. The location is perfect (except for parking) right in the center of chinatown. The only thing i would change is the whole routine of going to the register to order and pay then pick your own silverware, napkins and drinks...what do the waiters get paid for?

Best and Worst of Bahston!

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4

3

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1

Bostons Best and worst
I recently spent a month in Boston, MA. There are many restaraunts with awards and certificates posted all over there walls, which can lure you in to eat. But let me tell you those awards aren’t always the best way to measure a restaurants performance. 1st on the Best list is Café Pompeii, Italian restaurant in the North End of Boston. 282 Hanover St. Boston, MA 02113. Delicious pasta that tasted like it was freshly made in the back. Try the lobster ravioli or the tortellini. They also have a great Sangria. Next on the best list is Modern Pastry shop, 257 Hanover St, Boston MA, right across the street from Pompeii. While the line wraps around the corner for Mikes pastry, the locals recommended Modern and they were right. The cannoli’s are fresh and delicious. The next place I would list in my top places is the Hard Rock café, 22 Clinton st Boston, MA 02109. I have never eaten at a hard rock so I’m not sure if they all are this good. But the food and the drinks were excellent! Try the Hurricane, or the x-rated tea. I wanted to take home their bartender! The food was fresh and delicious. Even the appetizer trio, didn’t taste frozen at all and they were the first place with good cold slaw. The atmosphere was fun and clean which is a plus, and service was great. Next for something a little different a Moroccan restaurant. Tangierino, 83 Main st. Charlestown, MA 02129 (close to bunker hill). WONDERFUL!!!! Romantic atmosphere, great Moroccan décor, lighting, belly dancer. I tried a drink that was Moroccan, a blueberry something martini…would not recommend it. But the food was great! The lamb was tender and a great balance of flavor. The mashed potatoes were fluffy and flavorful. As an appetizer we tried the shrimp which was also flavorful and plump. The entree’s were reasonably priced $30 for duck and $33 for lamb. The appetizers were a little expensive $15 for 4 shrimp. Before the entree’s they bring out bread with a hummus spread and olives, different and a great blend of flavors. Tangierino also offers a lounge and hookah bar downstairs. Try visiting the shops in Faneuil Hall for some great cheap eats. Everything from sandwich shops to Lobster rolls (MUST TRY!!!!).
Pics 1-3from Pompeii

Pic 4 Modern Cannoli and Crème Puff
Now for the Bad Boston. No Name Restaurant 15 ½ Fish Pier, Boston MA. 02210. No Name was recommended to me by a local, but I do not know why, maybe they didn’t like me? I arrived with a party of about 8 people for lunch and we just walked in looking lost, like maybe we are supposed to seat ourselves? Finally a server came up to us, he didn’t speak good English and was not very helpful. The tables had some small paper cups on them and the waiter brought out some water in pitchers. The menu consisted of maybe 10 items about 1 page, I kept flipping it over to see if there was more. One item on the menu was scod…everyone pulled out their phones to google what that was because the waiter was not around for us to ask. When he returned he said that was fish and chips…. On to the food. I ordered fried shrimp and a friend next to me had fried scallops. They were obviously frozen. They tasted like the kind you buy frozen in the grocery store and stick in the over, but worse. The shrimp was on top of the fries which was on top of the cole slaw all squished on the plate and a side of the greenest tarter sauce I’ve ever seen. Another in my party ordered the seafood chowda, which was yellow because of all the grease in the bowl. She couldn’t even swallow her spoonful and sent it back. While this place was known for their fish I tried the broiled salmon and it was greasy and mushy. This place is Must Not SEE, for Boston, stay away from the No Name.
Pic 5

Sushi Lovers Pay Attention

Mate
3101 K St NW
Washington, DC 20007-4404
http://www.latinconcepts.com/mate

I am reviewing this place, but I will let it be known Mate is surely an absolute favorite of mine. If you are looking for great sushi, great drinks, and a fun hip location to hang out with friends then Mate is surely the place.

My cousin and I discovered this place a couple years ago when going to the Georgetown movie theater. We would always see this funky looking little spot on the corner that seemed like fun, but we never went in. Finally one night in our quest for all things new and different we ventured in. We sampled about 4 different rolls (mostly cooked stuff) and we were hooked. Since then we've brought countless friends to the spot and they have also become hooked (including previous non sushi eaters and my 5 year old son that could barely pronounce sushi prior to coming there).

Now if you don't like sushi, then please don't bother coming to Mate, why...because its a sushi restaurant! The only other menu options are some green salad, soup, and dessert (also really good though). They offer a wide variety of options. If you prefer cooked sushi there are about 5 rolls on the menu that will accommodate you (my particular favorite is the volcano roll that is topped with spicy crab salad). If you prefer raw, they make a spicy yellow tail roll (not on the menu, but easily requested) that is great, along with the tiger roll that's pretty good. You can also get yourself a sashimi sampler platter (not my personal thing, but if your into slabs of raw fish its surely the way to go).

The drinks are just as good as the sushi. My personal favorite is the Lychee Martini. For those that like a little more punch try one of their many flavors of Mojito (which can also be made in the non-alcoholic form). If you want something a little more mellow, the plum wine and saki is also a really great option. They have a little something for everyone (man, woman, lush, and lightweight)

The decor at Mate is very trendy. Simple low couches and chairs with bright velvet coverings. Intricate light fixtures. A paneled wall that lights up behind the bar, this is also home of the DJ booth. Just the right amount of color and simplicity to attract the young professional DC crowd. The service is also great. From the bouncers at the front door waiting to check your ID, to the host that is ready and waiting to accommodate you, to the friendly waitresses outfitted in little black dresses waiting to tell you all about menu.

As I mentioned before Mate is a definite favorite place which is why it undoubtedly goes on our LOVE LIST

With a review of:


Will we go there again...Hells Yeah!!! And you should too ;-)