Ristorante Piccolo

I bought a LivingSocial coupon to Ristorante Piccolo and I finally got a chance to use it a couple of weeks ago. The restaurant is in a tiny but cozy building in Georgetown. My friend Chris and I especially loved the violin player that visited each table. The service and food was impeccable, it's obvious that the pasta is made in house. We shared a delicious tiramisu for dessert. This place is on the pricier side (perfect if you have a coupon) but definitely worth it. They also have some really great deals listed on their website.

Ristorante Piccolo

1068 31st Street, Northwest

Washington DC, 20007

www.piccolodc.com

Fado

Meredith and I stumbled across an sweet Irish pub Friday night in Chinatown. They had an awesome U2 cover band playing ... I think the dude thought he was Bono... and I was almost convinced myself. I would go back just for the drunk CAPS fans and the music.

FADO

808 7th Street Northwest

Washington, DC 20001

www.fadoirishpub.com

U Street Pizza Kitchen

I ordered a delicious Margherita Pizza from the U Street Pizza Kitchen last night. It was right out of the oven and covered in fresh ingredients.

I also discovered you can order online/on your phone. Perfecto!

U Street Pizza Kitchen

1110 U St. Northwest

Washington, DC 20001

www.italianonu.com

Banana Cafe & Piano Bar

After shopping the Eastern Market Saturday morning, Lindsey and I decided it was time for some brunch. We were immediately attracted to a bright yellow building with outdoor seating on 8th street. After further investigation we discovered it was a Mexican/Cuban/Puerto Rican restaurant called the Banana Cafe & Piano Bar. Lindsey ordered an omelet which she reported was very good. I ordered the special of the day, banana pancakes. They were absolutely divine. I think I might go back to the Eastern Market again next weekend just as an excuse to have them again. Yum!

Banana Cafe & Piano Bar

500 8th Street Southeast

Washington DC, 20003

www.bananacafedc.com/home.htm

Estadio: YUM!

I've been eyeing Estadio since it opened a few weeks ago, and last night I finally got a chance to check it out.

It was love at first taste. The food was delicious, though I could only pronounce about 10% of the Spanish words on the menu. The menu is primarily tapas, which was an excellent excuse for trying several different dishes. As far as the drink menu went, everything looked enticing, but we settled on the berry slushie drinks. They were bangin'.

The service was great and the food came out super fast. Our server was very knowledgeable and everyone was super attentive with clearing dishes, filling waters, etc.

Things you should know:

- They don't take reservations after 5:30.

- The tables are "communal" which means you may be seated with another party.

- Their website is still under construction. They need to man up and get a menu on there.

Estadio

1520 14th Street Northwest

Washington, DC 20009

www.estadio-dc.com

Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse

Once again, it's that time of year... Restaurant week is here! Jenny and I carefully took time to scour through the list of restaurants, finally settling on Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse. Unfortunately, Jenny was unexpectedly pulled away on a business trip so Meredith accompanied me instead. For the $35 charge, we received a full 3 course meal. I liked that instead of choosing a several things off the menu and only getting tastes.

The food was pretty good. The Wollensky salad and the gazpacho soup were pretty standard... The way I see it, a salad is a salad. The steak was really good, though not the best I've ever had. The mashed potatoes, on the other hand, were amazing. Definitely a must. For dessert we had the chocolate cake and the cheese cake. Both were delicious, and the slices were massive... In fact, they seemed a little out of proportion to the rest of the meal.

I really wasn't thrilled with the service. When we sat down our sever was mumbled his was through the menu descriptions. There were a lot of "Ums", "You know..." and "I can't remember what it's called"s. Not impressed. A restaurant of this caliber should have knowledgeable waitstaff. Later, after we had finished our first course the same server came back and stacked the plates in front of us on the table. It may sound uber picky, but it really left a bad taste in my mouth.

I'm not sure that I would go back to Smith & Wollensky. For the same prices I would rather go to Morton's where the food is a bit better and the service is more on par.

Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse
1112 19th Street, Northwest
Washington, DC 20036
www.smithandwollensky.com

The Dupont Italian Kitchen

I grabbed dinner at The Dupont Italian Kitchen last night with a friend. This place has a real Mom and Pop feel, casual and comfortable. There's a large covered patio outside with lots of tables which is great for people watching. As for the food, it was hearty, the portions were huge, and everything was surprisingly inexpensive. This place would be ideal for a casual Sunday lunch.

The Dupont Italian Kitchen

1637 17th Street Northwest

Washington, DC 20009

www.dupontitaliankitchen.com