BlackFinn

for good buddy of BOOF's birthday, Coast, a large group of us ventured to new foggy bottom staple, BlackFinn, for dinner. Ever since BlackFinn came onto the scene in DC last fall, I have always enjoyed all my adventures there and I am a true fan of their happy hour. Furthermore, I also came to know that it is a pseudo big city chain, and the Foggy Bottom location is not its first DMV location but they also have another location out in Bethesda (which I have now also been to).

Black Finn takes on the identity of an "American Saloon" but it simply plays to idea of a restaurant/bar vibe. When it initially opened up, it was purely filled with the young and professional crowd which was definitely to my liking, but as GW (yup, i'm going to trash my alma mater for a second) students got wind of this new place, it quickly became a location of numerous frat parties and everyone's friends winning "happy hours". essentially, it became too collegiate. The decor of the restaurant does not have anything too special going on, it has a front bar and a back bar, and it has slightly elevated seating on the left side of the restaurant to accommodate those who would like to sit down for dinner. The right side and the back of the restaurant also has booth tables and seating along with high stools and tables for the more casual drink and happy hour partakers.

the divide that this BlackFinn has between the two (the dining area and the bar area) is very nice, but because the happy hour crowd is quite large and loud, the restaurant area definitely does not take well to a more intimate dining experience with your sig other. nevertheless, the dining area does do well for large groups, such as we were, but it is a shame that if you sit for dinner, you are unable to get the great happy hour deals even during "happy hour".

to start off, i ordered the spinach artichoke dip which is essentially is a staple on any menu and one that i am always inclined to order. i also find that it it something that is hard to mess up. the spinach dip was done well but i was not overwhelmed by some special and amazing flavor.

the birthday girl, CaCoast, ordered the Beef Sliders which are three miniature beef burgers topped with melted American cheese and grilled onions and served on potato rolls with au jus on the side for dipping. she enjoyed these and said the meat was seasoned well. she also ordered a side of fries and we all really enjoyed the seasoning that was on them.

Coast's bf, NY Sports Fan, ordered the Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwich prepared in hot, medium or mild Buffalo sauce and served on a warm ciabatta roll with lettuce, tomato, red onion and a side of bleu cheese dressing. Not a fan of condiments, NY Sports Fan was pleased by this sandwich because it was not drowning in buffalo sauce as an afterthought. it was a nice balance of the sauce with the chicken because the grilled flavor still came through.

i ordered one of the summer specials which was a Grilled Portobello Pasta featuring whole wheat spaghetti, grilled portobello
mushroom, baby spinach, oven roasted tomatoes, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. I really quite enjoyed this dish and was happy to see something besides a salad and a veggie burger on the menu to satisfy this hungry vegetarian's appetite. my only recommendation is that the dish could have used a little more seasoning because I could barely taste the garlic coming through and the pasta was a little drier then i would have liked. a little bit more olive oil probably would have done the trick. however, to be able to see portobello on the menu as a center to a dish was really pleasing.

BOOF Buddy, England, had the Ultimate Bacon Cheddar
Twice the bacon, three times the cheese! A BlackFinn Burger topped with four slices of applewood-smoked bacon, three times the aged cheddar cheese, crispy fried onion strings and sliced dill pickles on a grilled bulky roll. England also enjoyed his burger and mentioned that it was cooked well and was very filling. Nothing too special in the burger but it was done well.

One of BOOF's closest buddies, Twin, ordered the simple Old School Classic which is just a BlackFinn Burger topped with your choice of melted cheese and sliced dill pickles on a grilled bulky roll. For a side, she ordered a side of grilled carrots that were superbly tasty and good. Similarly to everything else that evening, the burger was done well but nothing too special and to call home about.

Our group was larger than this but critiquing the other half of the table was nearly impossible/a bit excessive. however, i think everyone pretty much had the same quality food with simple american flavors done well but nothing too special. my favorite part of BlackFinn is the happy hour not even because of the drink specials but because of the food specials. All of their pizzas are half off and the pizzas are all really really good. They are flatbread pizzas and two of the four are veggie friendly (the roasted vegetable and the marghertia). During happy hour, they end up being $5.00 which is a deal that you just can't beat.

Overall, I think BlackFinn will always remain a happy hour joint for me and not necessarily a sit down meal. Although there was nothing wrong with the food, there was not special about it and if I am going to sit down for a nice dinner, there are plenty of places that I think I would prefer to try.

Grade: B

*I may have gotten a few of these wrong but no biggie.

Le Pain Quotidien

le pain is an international restaurant of obvious french flair. it is a very nice restaurant/cafe to dine for breakfast or lunch and it is well known for it's "communal table" dining. i had previously been to both the georgetown and dupont circle locations (unfortunately, no international ones for me :-) ), but to hang out with BOOF buddy, kku, we decided to meet one morning for a sort of after breakfast snack at the bethesda location.

the bethesda location is located on bethesda row which is an adorable area that i had never really ventured to previously, but if I ever find myself back in DC living (which i pray i do), i definitely would want to spend some more time there. i am fairly certain that all le pain's pretty much have a similar set up with a large communal table in part of their restaurant with more individual tables set up around the restaurant and then the bakery/casing taking a large part of space also in the restaurant. the furniture is dominated by a lot of "unfinished wood", and although i really like the concept of the communal dining, i still feel that you just end up communicating with whoever you are with. nevertheless, it is an idea that i do like.

le pain uses mainly (if not all) organic ingredients in their meals and i have had breakfast there before and really enjoyed it. on this day, kku and I just enjoyed a couple of breakfast pastries. le pain is one of those places that it can be difficult to order because EVERYTHING in the pastry cases looks delicious. nevertheless, i just ordered a simple croissant (i know how boring), but it was delicious.

kku was a little but more adventurous and ordered this really tasty bread topped with a creme and strawberries. it was really really good. the creme wasn't that sweet and the strawberries were sweet with enough tart that you were not too overwhelmed. and the bread definitely had a nice pastry puff/croissant taste to it, so it was nice and had a bit of a crunch to balance out the texture.

all in all, a trip to le pain is always good and never disappointing. if you need something quick, i definitely recommend just grabbing a pastry and a coffee to go (coffee is good and strong), but if you have time to sit down...then definitely do that and order something of more substance. their omelettes are pretty tasty...just a thought.

Grade: B

Rita's Water Ice

perfect summer snack.

what the district has been experiencing this summer is not just heat. yes, within what feels like seconds of walking out of your door in the morning you are met with a wave of hot air. yummy. nothing like a hot wave of air to wake you up in the morning...i'm sure it packs a better punch then folgers. but yes, withiin walking out of your door in the morning and that single drop of prespiration begins to form on your forehead, all you think of is man...i wan't some ice cream...at 7:30 in the morning.

although i really can't help you get ice cream or a cold delicious dessert at 7:30 in the morning (try some dunkin donuts iced coffee), I can definitely point you to very good options from noon-10pm.

rita's water ice (italian ice) is a chain water ice shop that has been popping up all over the dc metro area (nova and southern MD included). i had been to the Rita's over by dupont before, but I was so thrilled to hear that eventually a Rita's was coming to the wonderous H street. yes, back to H street we go.

rita's could not have opened at a better time with summer in FULL swing and H street in desperate need of a ice cream/water ice spot with semi regular hours (there is philadelphia water ice but it is more of a really tasty late night joint). rita's is definitely the best post-dinner spot for a quick and tasty dessert to cool off during the very warm evenings. it can definitely be between dinner and a night out in H street or just a nice night cap to your evening.

best buddy of BOOF, Mo and I have made ourselves rita's regulars. the first week that rita's was open they were giving away free water ice which is just unbelievable. now, they are back to regular business but despite being open for only a few weeks, they definitely have gotten their feet under them. tons of people can come through rita's at a time but they keep the flow moving quickly and although my biggest complaint that there is not really enough seating (both inside and outside), the quick pace works for the type of establishment they are. furthermore, the rita's workers are extremely nice and essentially will give you unlimited taste tests especially when it is not that busy.

Mo (please don't hate me for posting this picture) loves the custard and although I am not too much of a custard person it is definitely growing on me. the water ice is always delicious and there are always such good and fresh flavors that you can never get bored. the best flavor i have tasted from rita's is the passionfruit but i also had the blood orange the other day which was also really good. Mo tells me that the wild blackcherry is also really good and I took a glimpse of the mango and it just looked scrumptious but I had resist.

i've kinda have fallen in love with the blendini which is custard, water ice and either pretzels, oreos, m&ms, cookies, or nilla wafers mixed in. it is so good. it is like a pseudo healthier version of DQ Blizzard...especially if you get the fat free custard (which I do and you can't even tell the difference).

another great thing is that Rita's will pack whatever flavor you like that day in a Quart Container for a measly $5 or $6 dollars, if I am not mistaken. ooh and the other day we went and they had raspberry lemonade advertised and because it was such a big hit, it was unfortunately sold out. i am now determined to get back there when it is available. nommmmm.

overall, there is something for everyone at rita's. in a district where cupcakes rock the block and fro yo is usually the summer treat of choice, rita's is definitely a different but delectable option.

Grade: B+

The H street location really needs to get some sort of outside seating. that could potentially bump them into A status. for sure.

Also: Rita's is diabetic/health friendly with Sugar Free flavors and a slew of "Slendini" options! go RITA's GO!

Black's Bar and Kitchen

going with the flow.

impromptu happiness. because numerous co-workers were unable to celebrate my previously mentioned friend’s celebratory going away happy hour last week at cantina, they decided to plan an impromptu happy hour at Black’s Bar and Kitchen in Bethesda.

little did they know that I had recently added sister restaurant BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant to my must go to restaurant list. If I had to choose one type of food that I would consider myself a connoisseur of/eat every day, it would be seafood. So, I was ecstatic to find out there is a fun unique slew of “modern american” restaurants in the DMV area which specialize in seafood. needless to say, despite the 40 minute metro ride, i would be at this happy hour.

I arrived a little late but my co-workers had already started chowing down on some mussels, oysters and flatbread, all of which looked delicious. Upon walking into Black’s, I knew that I was going to love this place. The restaurant is divided into two parts, the long (beautiful) bar area filled with high tables and stools and boasting a soft brown wood color. On the other side, is the sit down restaurant area, which on its wall features an awesome panoramic forest landscape which matches perfectly with the dim lighting and overall relaxed but not snooty ambiance. In the Bethesda suburb, it could have been easy for this restaurant to be snooty, too expensive and not good for the more “local” scene, but on the contrary, it has more of a sophisticated, stylish but relaxed vibe. i dig it. oh and two words: open kitchen. need i say anymore?

owners and chefs, Jeff & Barbara Black, are not new to the food scene in the DMV as Black’s is one of their four restaurants in the area. they also own Addie’s (Rockville MD- New American), Black Market Bistro (Garret Park MD- New American Cuisine) and the aforementioned, BlackSalt (Washington DC- Contemporary American Seafood). They have garnered critical acclaim and praise for all of their restauraunts with most of them (if not all) making it onto the the Washingtonian’s Top 100 list. they are wonderfully revitalizing the DMV american/contemporary seafood scene. thank God.

Back to Black. Black’s features a wonderful 4-7 mon-fri happy hour, also late night thurs-sat specials and an 11-5 sunday happy hour. but more importantly they have great deals. they have stella, blue moon and smitwick’s on tap for $3.75 and they also have miller light (for those of you who like that…) for $2.75. They also have a daily selection of wines for $5.00 by the glass. Another side note, their wine display is quiet impressive as it forms the wall behind the bar, and I was told that the red’s are kept at a perfect 57 degrees. take that luke warm red wine.

I mentioned that a large part of my dislike of Cantina was founded in its lack of food happy hour specials. No worries, we did not have that problem at Black’s. They only had four items but the 3/4 items that we had off that menu, were delicious. We ordered “Addie’s Mussels”, which are cooked in a tomato, garlic, shallots, lemon and parsley sauce. So fresh and so delicious. Definitely on par with Brasserie Beck. I ordered the Fried Squid (Calamari) which was absolutely delicious. Definitely, some of the best I have ever had and that is saying a lot because I have had some delectable Calamari. It was fried perfectly, not too hard but just right, and the seasoning was light enough that you still tasted the squid but well enough that you weren’t overpowered by the seafood taste. It was also served with an un-recreatable sauce but it had a mayonnaise base (maybe some tartar and ketchup?). I thought I would save the oysters for last because one thing that you must know about Black’s is that it is known for it’s Oyster Bar. So fresh. So delicious. They just slide right off the half shell. The Chesapeake Bay Oyster is their stalworth but they have a variety of other rotating oysters depending on what is freshest that day. so great. We also had a wood grilled flatbread that was topped with cheese, mushrooms and deliciousness. I can’t remember what all it had on it but it was super tasty.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by my trip to Black’s. I had no idea that this gem was in Bethesda and I would definitely make the trek back up there again for an actual dinner. Furthermore, their other restaurants were recommended by my co-workers who live up in Maryland, so I would also make the journey up there to see what the buzz is all about. Black’s is a great place for both a group and/or a date because they divide the area’s so well. Also, if you want a relaxed date, you can definitely head to the bar area or the great large outdoor patio space.

Grade: B+/A-