Wine and restaurant reviews
Gabriele and I had a really fine meal at Ray’s the Steaks in Arlington last weekend. We were giving Ray’s a second chance at their new Arlington location on Wilson Blvd. Michael Landrum has made a big name for himself with his growing empire of Ray’s locations. I’ve had a couple of good meals in […]
Last week Gabriele and I had dinner at the Carlyle Grand in Shirlington. Sort of the flagship of the American Restaurant chain here in the DC area, it’s always a solid performer. You won’t be blown away, but you’ll rarely be disappointed either. The atmosphere is upbeat and there are always crowds, which is a […]
I hope everyone’s summer is in full swing. Here are suggestions for some good juice at decent prices to enjoy this summer. First off, the search for a good value, good tasting Bordeaux continues. At times I feel a little like Don Quixote on this quest, but recently there was an encouraging find. I enjoyed […]
Gabriele and I recently went for dinner at Tallula for the first time in a while. As readers of this blog know, we’re big fans of the restaurants in the Neighborhood Restaurant Group. Unfortunately, things had changed since we last ate at Tallula. I apparently was the last person in the DC area to realize […]
Gabriele and I just got back from a very fun trip to Prague, where my best friend Chris married a beautiful Czech woman named Martina. It was a beautiful ceremony held at a castle outside of Prague, and we were thrilled to share the day with them. The service and food at the wedding was […]
I’ve been drinking some good wine this month, or “good juice” as a friend of mine likes to say. Of course I’m doing this purely so I have a nice variety of wine notes to share with you, my readers. <smile> One nice discovery happened during a prospect dinner at Capital Grille Tysons Corner. The […]
Lately I’ve been pairing my wine reviews with trips, and of course I like to write about the wine we have when we go out to dinner. But the quest for a decent $20 Bordeaux, a tasty Rhone or a powerful Zinfandel need not happen out on the town, or on the road. Here are […]
I’ve stated often in this blog that you shouldn’t have to spend big money for a satisfying wine experience. There is more wine production going on worldwide than at any time in history, and on average much better production than in the past. There is a wine glut, and you the consumer are in the […]
Gabriele and I had been meaning to try out Liberty Tavern in Clarendon, and last weekend we had a good opportunity. Our good friend Kristin had a party in Arlington, and after stopping by there we went for dinner. I had been a couple of times for drinks with friends and knew the bar was […]
For the past couple of years Gabriele and I have rented a cabin in the Shenandoah for a quick, relaxing getaway from DC. It’s located about 14 miles outside Front Royal, VA. We’ve always had a nice time, but last weekend was especially fun due to some new food and wine discoveries. The first find […]
With the days short, the nights long and with holiday bills to pay it’s easy to rely on old favorite wines during the winter. Gabriele and I can be guilty of that, but we try and make sure we’re trying new juice as well. Here are some winners we’ve found recently, enjoyed between digging out […]
Last Saturday Gabriele and I enjoyed a nice dinner at Columbia Firehouse in Alexandria, on the site of the long-time Portners and the very short-lived Bookbinders. It was our second meal there, and it’s obvious that the Firehouse is another success in the expanding Neighborhood Restaurant Group (NRG). A lot of the links on their […]