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

Bar Dupont

This is an awesome place for people watching. Grab a seat on one of the orange couches outside and enjoy the bustle of Dupont Circle. The service is a bit slow, so plan to settle in and stay a while.

Bar Dupont

1500 New Hampshire Avenue Northwest

Washington, DC 20036

Zola - Get the Scallops.

I went to Zola with a friend for an early lunch. The food was amazing. If you get a chance to go there get the scallops for a main course. The lobster mac and cheese was very good and has been on the menu since the beginning but once you taste the scallops and linguine you will never go back! The restaurant also has a great location near the Chinatown metro.

Zola

800 F St NW

Washington DC 20004

http://www.zoladc.com/

Bar Louie. Never Again.

Jenny and I dropped into Bar Louie yesterday for a late lunch. Though the restaurant was empty, our service was absolutely terrible.

This morning I checked my bank account and my card had been charged 4 times. I'm not happy.

Bar Louie

701 7th Street, Northwest

Washington, DC 20001