Restaurant Reviews

Hey there kids,

Everyone get outside this weekend? I hope so. It was the most perfect weekend of the year here in DC. I was able to make the most of it with biking, golf, and walking around capitol hill with Kate, mom & Heinz. So, I've been visiting a lot of restaurants of late and thoughts I would recap a bit for those looking to get a bite to eat in DC. Some recent visits (in order of my favorite to least favorite)

Coppis on U Street. Still one of my all time favorite places, this all-organic Italian place is named for a famous Italian cyclist. Their pizza is outstanding. I also love the lasagna that uses prime cuts of steak instead of ground beef. If you want a seat you pretty much have to have a reservation.

Dakota Cowgirl on 14th. This is hands down the best burger in DC. The servers and bartenders are all really friendly and the place has a hip interior. It's a gay joint so don't go if that'll make you feel uncomfortable. If you're gay, you can work off the burger by dancing upstairs at Ramrod (though I think it's mostly for leather daddies). I took my mom here for an after dinner drink on her birthday. Priceless.

Zaytinya at Gallery Place. We were there for Angela's birthday. The Mediterranean tappas and the service is always outstanding. I love their bar and they now have live belly dancers. Oh, and they take reservations now which is awesome. I highly recommend this place. Also, we were joined by the lovely and talented Silvia with her strapping young boyfriend Yoshi - those two really class up any joint.

Al Crostino on U Street. We went to this small Italian restaurant for Sam's birthday. The food was quite good. It was loud up on the second floor and the wine list left much to be desired but the service was well done.

Jaleo at Gallery Place. This Spanish tappas place is always crowded because DC people love tappas for some reason. The service is fair as is the ambiance. I usually feel tucked into a corner at this place. The food is good but despite having lots of dishes, I can rarely find more than a couple that interest me. This is a good place for vegetarians however – lost of non-meat options.

Tony & Joes at the G-town waterfront. We went there for my Mom's birthday this weekend. We were looking for great view of the harbor but the water is not visible from most the this restaurant. They serve good (if pricey) food in a big dark room that's quiet except for some soft live music. I didn't like the atmosphere of the huge dark room but they receive points for having Benton Lane Pinot on the wine list.

Apex Bar & Grill on U street. This is a brand new restauratn serving mostly American fare and seafood. I did not actually eat here but while the bar is neat, the menu looks entirely too pricey for a place that is essentially a pub. $22 for a piece of fish in a bar?