The dishes most often found in Jewish homes during the holiday are donuts and latkes. Latkes are made by forming shredded potatoes, onions and eggs into small patties and frying them in oil. They are served warm with applesauce and sour cream. Another food associate ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/12-15/locallife/dining/dining.cfm Fri, 15 Dec 2006 05:00:00 EST Mandu can-do
New Korean restaurant wins high marks, despite its limited menu
By TROY PETENBRINK
Friday, December 08, 2006

A small bundle of delightful surprises — this is a good description of mandu, Korean dumplings similar to Chinese potstickers. It's also an accurate description of Mandu, D.C.'s newest Korean restaurant.

On 18th Street, bordering Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle, Mandu is literally a mother's dream come true. After operating a deli and a Charlie Chiang's Kwai eatery, Yesoon Lee's son and daughter persuaded her to start her own restaurant. It has only been open a few weeks but Mandu has quickly become a welcome addition in a city that has been lacking in quality Korean restaurants.

Mandu occupies the space formerly held by Mt. Everest Indian restaurant, and it's been up ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/12-8/locallife/dining/mandu.cfm Fri, 8 Dec 2006 05:00:00 EST Classically good eats
Ray's the Classics delivers top-notch steaks along with more inventive fare
By MELISSA GILMORE
Friday, December 01, 2006

Ray's the Classics delivers top-notch steaks along with more inventive fare Host Michael Landrum and chef Michael Hartzer improve upon the classics at a steakhouse recently opened in Silver Spring. After the success of Ray's the Steaks in Arlington, many in the area eagerly anticipated the opening of sister restaurant Ray's the Classics last summer. Luckily for diners, it lives up to expectations.

Located adjacent to an office building, Ray's the Classics offers tables that allow diners to peer through storefront windows at passers-by on Colesville Road. The restaurant's décor is austere and elegant without any signs of being ostentatious. Crisp white tablecloths provide th ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/12-1/locallife/dining/dining.cfm Fri, 1 Dec 2006 05:00:00 EST Planes, trains and lamb ragu
Clyde's of Chevy Chase delights the palate, despite the occasional misstep
By TROY PETENBRINK
Friday, November 24, 2006

One room resembles a dining car from the Oriental Express; another location is filled with model boats, planes, trains and automobiles, and a downstairs room is shaped like an oval speedway complete with authentic racing cars. It's not a theme park. It's the remodeled and expanded Clyde's of Chevy Chase.

The décor, a self-described tribute to “the romance of travel during the '20s and '30s when getting there was part of the pleasure of a trip,” is whimsical without being tacky or distracting.

Part of Clyde's Restaurant Group, a locally grown chain of 12 restaurants that includes the original Clyde's of Georgetown, Old Ebbitt Grill and 1789 Restaurant, Cl ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/11-24/locallife/dining/dining.cfm Fri, 24 Nov 2006 05:00:00 EST Making reservations
If you want an easy, no-mess Thanksgiving, try eating out
By MELISSA GILMORE
Friday, November 17, 2006

Although the American tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving centers around a home-cooked meal with friends and family, a lot of us — especially in the D.C. area — step outside of the norm. Going to a restaurant for a holiday meal takes the pressure off people who don't have the room in their homes to entertain a large party or who want to spend as little time with their family as possible.

The following restaurants are a sampling of what's available to those looking to dine out this year. Reservations are recommended for all listed below, and while a few of them may be booked for this year, at least you'll know where to start for next year's feast.

&nbs ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/11-17/locallife/dining/dining.cfm Fri, 17 Nov 2006 05:00:00 EST Sinful soul food
Put thoughts of body-fat percentage aside when dining at Florida Avenue Grill
By GREGORY HAMM
Friday, November 10, 2006

Certain times of the year, such as Thanksgiving, and certain places — your favorite ice cream shop, say, or all of Italy — demand that diets be checked at the door. Florida Avenue Grill, a tiny diner tucked into the corner of 11th Street and Florida Avenue, is one such place. The landmark greasy spoon restores the centrality of comfort to the pleasure of eating.

A visit on a recent sleepy Thursday night sparked an unusual challenge among friends: who could find the sweetest item on the menu? The crumbly cornbread and stewed apples seemed a likely starting point, but the sweet potatoes, confected with a heavy glaze of cinnamon and sugar, easily eclipsed either of these. ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/11-10/locallife/dining/dining.cfm Fri, 10 Nov 2006 05:00:00 EST Watered-down Italian
Mediocre marinara bodes ill for famed Annapolis eatery
By TROY PETENBRINK
Friday, November 03, 2006

The Priola family had a vision when they arrived in America from Sicily in 1969 — to create an intimate and quaint restaurant in true Sicilian style. Nearly 40 years later, their restaurant has become an Annapolis landmark. Located just steps away from the Annapolis City Dock, Maria's Sicilian Ristorante has grown over the years from a small pizzeria to a full-service restaurant that occupies two adjoined brick buildings. 

The main dining area is on the first floor with a handful of tables and a bar as you enter and a larger adjacent dining room. There is additional dining space on the upper floor that is open during the weekend for dinner and also available ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/11-3/locallife/dining/dining.cfm Fri, 3 Nov 2006 05:00:00 EST Style over substance
Jackie's of Silver Spring is big on atmosphere but falls short in the kitchen
By MELISSA GILMORE
Friday, October 27, 2006

Since opening about two years ago, Jackie's Restaurant & Lounge has brought unique charm to a revitalized Silver Spring. With its mod-meets-modern décor and nostalgic American cuisine with a twist, it has the potential to become a regular destination for many diners.

But the service and prices may turn some customers off. The servers disappear for long periods of time and the hostesses seem bothered that they have to seat customers. The bartenders are not terribly attentive either. On a recent visit to Jackie's, one bartender admitted that she was missing a critical ingredient to my cocktail, but mixed and served it to me anyway.

If diners can overlook the shor ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/10-27/locallife/dining/dining.cfm Fri, 27 Oct 2006 05:00:00 EST Zen with a kick
Chilly service mars an otherwise tasty visit to Simply Home
By ZACK ROSEN
Friday, October 20, 2006
If nirvana were a Thai restaurant, it might look a lot like Simply Home. Nestled cozily in the street-level floor of a converted townhouse, with its own adjoining home decor shop, it's easy to miss the place among the bustle of U Street.

The austere eatery has white walls, sparse decoration and ambient dance music to bring you the most relaxed dining experience outside of a coma. Low, round tables surrounded by ottomans at the restaurant's entrance make a perfect, if slightly crowded, spot to grab drinks before you go out. Inside, rows of square black tables, each with a single green marigold in a tiny vase, make for a striking effect.

Unfortunately, the icy wa ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/10-20/locallife/dining/dining.cfm Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:00:00 EST Suburban surprise
Evening Star Café features a gay-friendly atmosphere, 1,000 wines and great food
By MELISSA GILMORE
Friday, October 06, 2006

AS CHAIN RESTAURANTS continue to dominate D.C.'s suburbs, it's refreshing to find a place that has adapted to its neighborhood. Located in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Va., the Evening Star Café specializes in American cuisine, serving diners in a delightful atmosphere reminiscent of what one would find in a small town.

Tables with colorful umbrellas surround the outside corner of the café, and strings of lights create soft borders around the front windows. Walking in, the bold décor shrinks the already small dining room. Large diamonds of alternating black and white cover the floor. Red booths, quirky art and whimsical sconces line the walls, creat ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/10-6/locallife/dining/dining.cfm Fri, 6 Oct 2006 05:00:00 EST A night to remembe
Clarendon's Tandoori Nights offers great Indian cuisine in a  splendid environment
By TROY PETENBRINK
Friday, September 29, 2006

FOR AN AREA THAT has become overrun with national chain retail stores and restaurants, the homegrown Tandoori Nights in Clarendon's Market Commons is a welcome addition.

The restaurant has been open for about five months and is owner Neal Miglani's second location. He opened his first Tandoori Nights in Gaithersburg, Md., in 2001. His idea was to bring a fresh and contemporary approach to the Indian dining experience. And it seems that he has done it — twice.

As you enter the second-story location, which includes a seasonal outdoor dining patio, two carved warriors stand guard as if ensuring that only the truly worthy are allowed entry. Once inside, you discover ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/9-29/locallife/dining/dining.cfm Fri, 29 Sep 2006 05:00:00 EST Upping the hip quotient
Urbana injects some fresh style into the D.C. dining scene
By GREGORY HAMM
Friday, September 22, 2006

Culturally and in its social scene, the District has always nursed a brooding inferiority complex relative to New York and San Francisco.

But change is afoot. Halo and BeBar have done their part to inject a fresh sense of style into D.C.'s nightlife, as have restaurants like Vegetate and Simply Home, and the recently opened Urbana, in Dupont Circle, continues that trend.

Urbana is attached to the Hotel Palomar, the latest boutique hotel from the Kimpton Group, whose other forays in town include the hotels Helix and Madera, both of which have proven appeal with a certain hobnobbing gay set.

Much buzz accompanied the opening of the Palomar earlier this summer after ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/9-22/locallife/dining/dining.cfm Fri, 22 Sep 2006 05:00:00 EST An undiscovered gem
The Market Inn has been in the same location for decades serving up some awesome seafood
By TROY PETENBRINK
Friday, September 15, 2006

MARKET INN IS truly a diamond in the rough. Offering some of the best seafood in the area, the restaurant is hidden in the city's Southwest quadrant, squeezed between a railroad overpass and a highway.

The restaurant opened in 1959 and is still owned and operated by the Mandis family. Many of the staff have worked at the restaurant from nearly the time it opened and others are second generation employees.

It is housed in a one-level building, adjacent to a free valet parking lot for patrons, that looks like something you would find in New Orleans — think Café Du Mode but with the smell of fried seafood instead of coffee and beignets.

Inside, ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/9-15/locallife/dining/dining.cfm Fri, 15 Sep 2006 05:00:00 EST A lunar eclipse
Mezza Luna tries some inventive tapas, but don't expect the food to live up to the menu
By GEORGE OLIVE
Friday, September 08, 2006

Mezza Luna is on a busy section of 19th Street, NW, where it competes with many eateries trying to attract workers and shoppers for a midday meal. The “half moon” of its name suggests the restaurant's focus: small plates of Mediterranean dishes. While it does have a few entrées, lunch patrons seem to go more for the tapas-sized offerings, and half-order pasta dishes.

Those petit plates comprise a hot and a cold list, over 40 possibilities, including the specials. They vary from ordinary, like bruschetta, to the less quotidian, like fresh sardines. Like with any such extended list, quality varies. We tried two from each list—enough, it turned, out for a fil ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/9-8/locallife/dining/mezza.cfm Fri, 8 Sep 2006 05:00:00 EST