Experiencing Technical Difficulties

This here to the left of your screen would be the Wikipedia logo. I had this horrible scare this week (have been invited into a blogging network that I am absolutely excited about, but they were concerned I was using copyrighted information - don't worry; I've been issued the all clear now) regarding my use of the real Mark Felt's likeness. Needless to say, Wikipedia public domain information was part of the issue, so I'm posting their logo just for fun (and because, according to my lawyer, I can!). This little hiccup is past me now, but it does raise some of my blog issues that tend to plague me (though I figured out Google Analytics, like a big girl, all on my own. For that, I clearly get a gold star). So, for your mocking (of my lower than even sub-par technology knowledge) and (hint, hint, screaming from the rooftops, hint) commenting, here are some of the things that bother me about my blog, but of which I'm not sure exactly how to address. If I'm going to be legit, I need your help folks:

Honestly (and by honestly, I mean criticize willingly, my skin isn't that thin), do I need to upgrade to a custom design template? It took me forever to manage this (slightly edited) blogger-sponsored version. A custom design would mean I would need to hire someone to do it for me.

Is it worth hosting dclovesfood.com and redirecting to dclovesfood.blogspot.com? This is a not-for-profit, small scale operation. I don't want to subscribe to any monthly fees, and though the blog tends to pulling me in that direction, this is not fated to be my profession. Dammit, I will continue to hang on to my professional degree (and all of those student loans) with all of my might. Is there a clear benefit to officially becoming a .com (and associating with something as super cheesy as Danica Patrick and GoDaddy.com)?

How do I make my Tweet this, share on facebook, and Google search widgets cuter?  They are so very utilitarian. While yes, my theme is 70's bureaucrat, I would like a little flare. Also, when I share on facebook, the blog title comes through, but not the post title? Anyone out there know why the programming works this way?

While at it, one more thing, how do I include a widget for following me on Twitter and becoming a fan on facebook? Again, cute - obviously.

I'm currently planning a NoVa restaurant geography post (with luck, and five minutes of free time, next week). I would like it to include some mapping function. Is there a relatively pain-free way to do this? Or, alternatively, can I post a PDF? If not, I'll have to take a pic of a map, and well, that seems rather ridiculous.

How do I get my tag links to be in a non-spinning, more useful, application?

That's all I can think of for now. Perhaps you have suggestions as well. I'm open to any and all. Cheers.

Battle of the Burgers, Two Years Later

If the line at Ray's Hellburger wasn't too long before, it sure will be now. Thus, it is time to step out of my burger comfort zone and find some shorter burger lines. (see footnote 1) It is time for Burger Battle II. This round included the (relatively) new Arlington locations of local chains BGR and Elevation Burger. Elevation Burger moved into one of my favorite strip malls, the Lee Harrison Shopping Center (at, you guessed it, Lee Highway and Harrison) in North Arlington, within the last year; and BGR The Burger Joint just opened it's first Arlington location in the Lyon Shopping Center (the crazy crowded one at Lee Highway and Spout Run Parkway).

At Elevation Burger, I was delighted by the flavor of the burger, a little underwhelmed by the shake, and wanted to marry the fries. The meat and cheese here is organic, and it definitely makes for better flavor. Not just organic, grass fed and free-range (those aren't just farming terms; meat really does taste better this way). The burger runs on the small side here (you can add extra patties), so perhaps not the best value. Lunch is a better bet for feeling full. (Full disclosure: I was pregnant on my first stop here, so ravenously hungry. When we returned for lunch with a then six month old, I found the size more satisfying.). The shake - ehh - perhaps the ice cream (strawberry) did not have enough fruit, because all I tasted was sugar and milk. It's okay though, the fries made up for it. Shoestring cut, they are cooked in olive oil, and are heaven. C, whose taste in fries tends towards the steak fry variety, also liked them.

At BGR, it's best for me to order from home and pick it up. The smell of that place is intoxicating. Grease + garlic = nostril heaven. I should admit, first off, that I've not had the classic burger. C has, and he liked it, but there are very few burgers he has met that he hasn't liked - actually, scratch that, I can't think of any. On our first stop, I had the Greek (lamb burger with tzatziki and feta), which is fabulous. Balancing out the grease, I ordered the asparagus fries (tossed in parmesan), which are also very, very good. C had the onion rings, also very, very good (nice crispiness). For our return, I was trying to be (kinda) good, so ordered the veggie burger and sweet potato fries. C had the Southwestern (peppers and mojo sauce) and classic fries. I adore the sweet potato fries - double fried like the classic fries - both versions perfectly crispy and with lots of potato (or sweet potato) flavor. I did not, however, enjoy the veggie burger. It tastes like baked beans, and no, I do not mean that in a good way. C, on the other hand, was in love with his Southwestern, a pretty ideal burger for him. By far, however, our most successful stop-in at BGR was for shakes, specifically the strawberry and chocolate-covered strawberry (the May special). SO DELICIOUS - I may never need to get ice cream again, just shakes - No, I don't really mean that, but they were super good.

So, who wins? Both have their respective strengths; Elevation - burger goodness; BGR: variety, and obviously, shakes. Fries are a draw - both are fantastically delicious, but in different ways. I have to give the nod to BGR because it is a much better value. But, it's a close call. I'll be sampling both again.

(footnote 1) - ***SPOILER: There is judgment involved here, I admit it. So, stop here if you just wanted to read about delicious burgers.*** It continues to shock me how long lines can be at burger joints. BGR and Elevation, while yes, tasty, are local chains with multiple locations. But, just like Good Stuff and Ray's, they too are always crowded. As I've mentioned before, there is hardly a shortage of burger boutiques (this leads to footnote 2) in the metro area, yet people are still flocking in droves. For me, a burger is a treat, saved for special occasions. I'm hardly a model for always eating right, but moderation folks, moderation!

(footnote 2) - After two years, can we maybe jump on a new trend, or maybe not even a trend, just something other than burgers? (Or artisan pizza; though delicious, we have enough of that too). Richard Blais (whom I adore - loved [sadly, I think it's now past tense] Home in Atlanta), for instance, recently tweeted about opening a flipburger in DC. Is that really what we need, Richard? Let's think outside of the box a little. Perhaps, as some fellow cohorts and I were recently discussing, a downtown noodle house, Jewish Deli, or a bakery for that matter (with bread, not cupcakes). We welcome the additions to our restaurant frontier, but let's look at the needs that are under-served rather than band-wagoning (sp?). #I'm Just Saying.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner: Liberty Tavern

So, it's a little bit difficult to write a post by this title and to ignore the victorious elephant in the room today.  My hat's off to you, U.S. National Team. You never gave up, and in your own true dramatic fashion, gave us a sports thrill for all time. I was there at Irish Times hugging colleagues and screaming my butt off.  (Halftime created an opportunity for an exodus from our office - a large group of us gave up on the live updates that failed to work on our computers - damn you, Uncle Sam! - and headed to the pub). I'm not sure I can adequately express quite what I was feeling, but my fingers were trembling and my heart was racing. After taking the draw to almost 92', I am emotionally drained. There was a small melancholy aspect to the moment; that C and I couldn't share the experience (he was stuck in meetings in Chicago without access to phone or internet - :( so not fair). This was a true moment for U.S. sports, and I wanted to share my joy (heck, the pub's collective joy) with him. (I know, I know - I'm going to call myself out on the whole Jerry Maguire "it wasn't nearly complete" thing). That said, I am so very excited for the win, and 'believe' that the team can inspire us all. USA! USA! USA!

And speaking of winners, Penny needs your votes to get to that pinnacle in the Arlington's cutest dog contest. Our Bernese Mountain Dog just adores attention, and this is her opportunity to shine. PLEASE VOTE for her. She's a very special girl.

Now, on to the matter at hand, the other part of the title. I tend to think of Liberty Tavern as one of those reliable standards, a neighborhood haunt with good food. But, it's really more than that. Because we frequent LT for everything from take-out to brunch, I tend to forget just how superlative their foodie fare truly is. Pretty much every aspect of our latest experience was superlative...

FOOD: By this point in the post, it's likely obvious what C chose for his celebratory daddy-o meal - I mean, who could resist Liberty Tavern's picnic supper fried chicken dinner? It totally lived up to the hype - goodness in a four-piece meal. Pan-fried, the flavor and texture of the meat was along the lines of baked chicken. Yes, I said baked chicken, not roasted. The meat was not greasy at all, which is a good thing.  Our sides were mashed potatoes and watermelon. I would have preferred some of the advertised alternative sides, but I'm hardly heartbroken. What really made me happy was the biscuit and savory maple sausage gravy (we got extra to take home with our leftovers). That, and my delicious watercress salad.

SERVICE: Our service for this latest experience was so attentive, at times I thought I'd been outed as a blogger. We dragged in a stroller, and while the staff could have been understandably snotty, instead they were entirely accommodating. That, and they quickly and thoughtfully (like the aforementioned extra gravy) packed our leftovers when baby decided it was time for us to go home. AND there were complimentary COOKIES packed in our doggy bag. COOKIES! 

VALUE: For us, a meal at Liberty Tavern tends to average around $85 (before tip), with one of us drinking and multiple courses for both of us. It's not pocket change, but it's certainly a value, for the amount of food, yes, but more importantly, for the quality.

SCENE: I appreciate that the different parts of the restaurant function separately; that the bar is separate from the dining room, and separate yet from the patio (and I love the take-out window; in and out efficiently with Liberty Tavern at home - awesome). 

All I Really Need to Know I Learned...While Waiting Tables

Well, I had been shooting for five for five on the blog this week. Alas, life (this time life being my AC unit) catches up and things don't happen. This post is dedicated to all those reliable, friendly, and efficient servers out there. Good service is often an overlooked component of dining experiences. It seems we really never notice, until service is really horrible. Having been there myself, beginning at a resort as a teenager and 'working my way up' through pubs and fine dining restaurants, I can share a few bites of wisdom for those of you out there.


1. Multitask, multitask, multitask: This is really the universal rule because it will help you with all facets of your duties. (In fact, it will help you with all facets of your life). Do not return to the kitchen or service stand for only one thing (unless you have absolutely screwed up and have to fix a situation fast). Check in with a few tables at a time, making each party feel special, and then take care of all of their needs at once. It seems quite simple, but I've seen this mistake made so many times (as a fellow waitress and as a diner).


2. Know your audience: Your service experience will have to vary table by table. So many factors go in to the kind of service you are delivering; cuisine, ambiance, dining time, age of diners, number of diners, personal vs. business, whether the diners have somewhere to be. Universally, you want to be knowledgeable and efficient. Beyond that, you are really going to have to read your customers. A couple with kids - suck up to the youngsters a little bit, and be attentive to their needs (like service of the under-10 set first); the parents are sure to love it. Business luncheon - make sure everything is accurate; no one will take offense if you write things down - they just don't want you stopping by the table unnecessarily - simply be quick and be quiet. Romantic date - make sure the couple has what they need for a nice occasion, love up on them a little, but don't linger and try to make friends. (Perhaps this is a clue - waiting tables is a great way of developing your people skills).


3. Respect your boss (and your bartender): Certain professions are prone to being treated, well, with less than what is deserved. They tend to be in service industries, and table/bar service tends to fall within this category. Part of this may have to do with the fact that waiting tables tends to be a respite for those who are 'on their way somewhere else' - the proverbial struggling actress, student paying for books (that would be me, a few years back), someone 'in between day jobs'. But, we should not forget that they are many professionals in the service industry, bartenders and restaurant managers in particular, who have chosen this as their career. Please don't think I'm judging here; this is dignified and honest work. What I'm trying to communicate is that just because you have not chosen this profession, that does not make you better than those who have. Treating long-term staff members with the respect that experienced colleagues deserve rather than as if they are stops along your journey of life is not only the right thing to do, but also will do wonders for making your current job headache-free.


4. Don't $%*^ where you eat: I'm not insinuating that you shouldn't befriend your wait staff comrades - you should (that should be clear from paragraph 3 - you can learn a lot from these folks). No, you just shouldn't treat your place of employment as your personal bar. Several places at which I worked actually had rules - employees would not be served in the bar, period (that meant on-duty or off, no drinking at work). At the time, I thought it was annoying, but looking back, it was a good policy. Several times as a diner, I've found myself wondering where the heck my server could be, only to glance around and find him or her in the bar with friends who are frequenting the establishment. Even if the server is not running late, it is still distracting as a diner to see your server behaving unprofessionally when he or she steps away from the table. Happy hours are typically off site for a reason waiters.


5. Do not ignore the obvious: Much like this experience, all is not lost once things go down hill, if only someone steps in to put the brakes on a bad situation. It may seem trivial, and you as the server may be thinking, my tip is gone already, but simply apologizing for a bad dining experience goes a long way. Comping a dessert or something small is also often worth your while. A good restaurant manager will appreciate when a server tells him or her what is going on, and will also appreciate the fact that the server made efforts to come up with a solution. Any manager knows that comping a little now increases the odds that a customer will make a return trip and spend more later (or better, won't complain about the experience to others). However, one simple step must be taken before any of this occur - the server must acknowledge the negative.


Ok, that's my waitress wisdom. It's been a number of years since I picked up my apron, but I still have a ton of empathy for all of you out there. Serving tables was truly an educational and enriching job. Every day as an attorney, I apply at least one of the skills I developed as a server. Thank you to all of you who taught me these skills, and to all who serve me now. Please know you are appreciated.

Lunch Liaisons: The Source

(Lunch liaisons is a regular segment wherein C and I meet for weekday lunch dates. The associated posts are not nearly as taboo as they may sound, but instead are reviews consistent with the quick and painless lunch hour theme). 

Back when it opened in 2008, The Source garnered all sorts of kudos. At the time, we stopped in for a drink and apps in the lounge as part of a foodie adventure (the 2008 Birthday Meat Race - I believe a description made be warranted in a food as memories part two post). We were not that impressed, but two years later, thought we should give it another shot in most recent lunch liaison. This experience, I would love to say, was altogether more impressive, but it was not. The dumplings and shumei were underwhelming. The Kobe burger did not stand out. The salmon ponzu salad was refreshing, but again, nothing to write home about. Service was scattered, but friendly (the guy knew things weren't going well, and gave us a trio of sorbets - dark chocolate, orangesicle, and blackberry - the best thing I tried). I was even less impressed when I realized (recent Rammy award-winning) executive chef Scott Drewno was in house at the time. No affirmative complaints, but certainly no affirmations either. Shrug.

If I'm looking for Wolfgang Puck offerings, I'll just pick up a (much-cheaper) Chinois Salad at my next airport outing. Too bad the WP Express in Pentagon Row closed several years ago.

Cooking from Memory: Throwdown Green Burritos

I was quite literally salivating after Throwdown Burrito (and subsequently, Throwdown Brownie, but that's a post for another day). While there's not yet a recipe posted for Bobby's Green Chile Pork Burritos, I was not to be deterred. I tried my own creations from memory - see photos and descriptions below - but as a quick helper on Bobby's version, here's a handy bullet point list.

Beans: puree green onions, olive oil, white vinegar and cilantro to make vinaigrette, mix with white beans

Pork: pork shoulder, cut into large chunks and seared in olive oil, salt and pepper, then cooked on low heat in chicken stock (add pureed tomatillos, poblanos, garlic, and red onions that had been roasted in the oven; cook down to make stew). Reserve sauce for service.

Rice: puree spinach and cilantro, add to cooked white rice

Guacamole: mash avocados, lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, and red onion

Cheese: queso fresco or cojito

Bobby tells me nothing about his tortilla, but adds green hot sauce.

On the other hand, here's my cheap version (in that I did not remember exact instructions, nor do I follow them anyway).

First, I started with the roasting of the peppers. See my rudimentary method below:

 Next I seared the pork, pretty much as Bobby did, in olive oil, salt and pepper 

(I used a non-stick pan rather than a dutch oven).

I seem to have attained that "crust" to which Bobby referred. Good for me. However, at this point, I departed from the Iron Chef's directions and went with my trusty old slow cooker for finishing off the pork (about 8 hours with peppers, as referenced later, for maximum flavor goodness).

In the slow cooker went those roasted peppers (see finished product below). To Bobby's tomatillos and poblanos, I added some anaheim chiles for some heat. I chopped them up and discarded about half of the seeds before adding to the pork.

Those eight hours left me plenty of time for other ingredients, like the cilantro, stored in my creative method below.  Cilantro went into my guac, rice, and beans. It was my universal green. The guac was on the simple side - avocado, cilantro, orange zest, hot sauce, salt and pepper.  For the rice, I seem to have pretty well imitated Bobby's version (cilantro and spinach added to cooked rice), though I did not bother with pureeing and I cooked my rice in a steamer. The beans (cannellini beans for me) were the simplest component - chopped scallions and a few remaining sprigs of cilantro finished them off.

For service, I went with large Burrito shells found at the Salvadoran grocery next to Boccato Gelato (mmm, distracted yum) in Clarendon. I thought these would be high in calories as they most certainly must have been made with lard, but actually, they weighed in at 180 cals each, with a whopping five grams of fiber. For cheese, I shaved some cojito, which added a pleasant saltiness. The pork was served dripping from the slow cooker (fat had been removed). Finally, as Bobby directed, my version was finished off with jalapeno hot sauce. Deeee-licious.

Sleepy Monday

The B&B that was my house this past weekend is officially closed for business. Guests + brunch for 25 = I'm exhausted. We had an East meets West themed brunch for my son's baptism. Catered shumei, shark fin dumplings, and pineapple buns from Rosslyn's China Garden. I made oven bacon (throw it on a foil lined broiler pan - the fat cooks off, and it's much more difficult to burn than frying it), scrambled eggs, and Paula Deen coffee cakes (that stick of butter; always a crowd pleaser). We also tossed a spinach salad, and also served some bagels, lox, and cream cheese from Costco (I hate that place, but at times, it's necessary), and my lovely sister-in-law sent a yummy Edible Arrangement (pretty and tasty, but wow, those things are expensive). Mimosas and Jasmine Iced Tea capped off a nice menu. It was a perfect ceremony and lovely brunch. 

I even tried to bring in brunch leftovers for the office this morning, only to be forced to store them in the office communal fridge. From the looks of our fridge (I have a small one in my office I brought in after one too many Lean Cuisines disappeared, so this was the first look into the communal one in months), it appears that the concept of personal responsibility has been thrown out the proverbial window. Goodness, there were no less than 75 plastic bags with various almost empty containers, a produce crisper drawer with a layer of brown liquid, and multiple ziplocs of rotting vegetables. I gagged when I opened the door. Seriously, folks, you continue to thrown in your crap and also eat of this abyss, and what, hope that someone will come and clean up after your disgusting arse?! Does everyone's office fridge resemble this state of neglect?

So now, after grossing you all out with tales of office fridge woes, I need a break. I'm done and just want to finish my RSS feed list. Here's some highlights:

Poste's Market to Market Dinners sound like a fun date night.

Best crab cakes in the city? The WaPo Going Out Gurus went on the hunt. Personally, I think Coastal Flats may deserve a higher ranking, but there are many on the list I have not yet tried.

NYTimes Food and Dining took note of the fact that farmer's markets are not just for veggies anymore....Sky rockets in flight, carnivores' delight....sing it with me now. Locally, I find that there are lots of pork offerings, but grass-fed poultry and moo-cows are harder to come by. Thoughts?

DCist ran this funny little BBC commentary on DC vs. London flavor during Saturday's epic cheap goal battle. USA!!! USA!!! USA!!!

Metro employees had quite the week. I moved to DC with the ideal of using public transportation for life. Yeah, about that….don't ask me how much I now pay to park. We've got the drunks bragging about their multiple past arrests (yay!); reinstated bus drivers, one who ran a red light and killed a taxi passenger (granted, a neutral arbitror found in the driver's favor) and another who assaulted an off-duty police officer serving the community; finally, of course, we have the grand dame of them all (imagine the Keith Jackson voice): a union president who when all logic fails, cries "slavery" - yeah, I'm still confused also. And now they are wearing shorts! (Really, I have no problem with the shorts, but this headline fit into the general theme). Perhaps the new scorecard will solve Metro's woes (what, does my sarcasm not come through adequately?).

Alexandria is getting a home brewery (via WeLoveDC). 

On the North side of the Commonwealth, Beard award-winner Kojo is coming!!! A two-hour live Arlington-centric broadcast from Clarendon's St. Charles Catholic Church tomorrow (6-8:30, Tues., June 15). Too much fun for Arlington food nerds!! 

This month's food blogger happy hour was at Zentan. Susur Lee's place is a ton of fun. Perhaps his Singapore Slaw is not laden with technique, but the salted plum dressing is truly addictive. On the bar side, to call the Blood Orange Blossom a strong cocktail would be an understatement. It led (seriously, one cocktail?!) to really bad timing on losing an iPhone. In Apple's defense, I think the Clarendon store helper man was trying hint at things to help me out, but I only speak food nerd, not computer nerd. One last thought on Donovan House, the ADC rooftop pool is a posh spot, perhaps too cool for me. 

I do love me some Jen & Liz from WaPo's Celebritology. One just had a baby, so we have that whole soul mates thing going. They are smart and snarky. They covered Lost oh so well. And, they praise Zach Gilford and Friday Night Lights too.

Is it just me, or does this Seersucker Social business remind you of a Renaissance Fair?

Finally, the new daddy at my address must choose which foodie events we shall attend this week to celebrate his big day. Shall it be a baby-inclusive celebration of Kid's Restaurant Week (Art & Soul looks particularly good), the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival at the National Harbor (featuring Capital Cooking and Pork Barrel BBQ), or a late celebration Monday with Liberty Tavern's gluttony-filled fried chicken picnic dinner.

I now have, let's see, no less than six posts in the queue, so look for a busy week here at Deepthroat's Guide. For now, I rest.

Need a Break

It's Monday, and the week has already gotten away from me. No posts this week, but I promise I'll be back next week with stories of the brunch for 25 I'm hosting this weekend (thus explaining my utter lack of time to blog) and our lunch liaison perspective on The Source (timely, given Scott Drewno's RAMMY win last night). In the meantime, I'll miss you all and eat well.

Lots to Love About Northside Social

I'm not even sure that I need to write this post, it's pretty much been covered. Yeah, everyone gets it, Northside Social in Clarendon is pretty awesome. For what it's worth, here is what makes it awesome to me:

1. Vibe - Unlike it's predecessor, it's not (yet) exclusively full of hipsters with nothing to do but harass their barista friends, preventing them from making paying customers' coffees. Yup, all likes of society are here - the mommies, the students (about two feet from GMU law), and the old folks.

2. Wine! - While in line for coffee, I was sidetracked (yeah, the wine is not located next to the coffee line by accident) by a bottle of Spruce Goose Pinot. For reference, I'm in love with this vineyard because they craft a pinot grape juice  to serve the beverage palates of the non-drinkers and preggers amongst us.

3. Noshing - The sandwiches, for like $6 or $7, are pretty freakin good. As the pork belly was so highly recommended, this has been my only between the buns foray thus far (synopsis - tender and pleasantly complex, needed a little dijon to bring out the flavors, kick-ass potato salad). I definitely will try and try again though.

4. Baked Goods - Also, reasonably priced at $2. Thus far, both the chunky monkey scone (banana and choc chips, mmmm) and apple turnover have been delectable.

5. Internet - Two, yes two!, free wi-fi networks

And somehow, I left off the coffee, the main draw. It's Counter Culture, and it's served in a tasty and efficient manner, all I really ask for in a coffeehouse. Northside Social, however, clearly is shooting to be more than a coffeehouse, and it appears succeeding. Already, outside seating is at a premium, and significant lines are to be found on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Double bonus points info - The folks behind Northside Social (and Liberty Tavern, and Lyon Hall) just bought the the Alpine Restaurant space on Lee Highway in North Arlington. Another exciting prospect!

Welcome to your Wednesday

Hi folks, hope you had a nice holiday weekend. Here's to hoping for another thunderstorm (via philliesfan99 for DCist). I'm finally getting back into the swing of things, which means trying to cram everything into a shorter than usual week.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems Tyson Corner's Inox did in fact close over the weekend. According to Twitter, the imminent closing was on, then off, then back on again. To remove or not remove from to-do list? Well, I tried to link to their website, which is not in operation, so that's a pretty good sign (or bad, if you are Inox).

Pinnacles reached - 100 followers on Twitter over the weekend (with @sirscoopalot, who was following and then not before I could return from Colonial Williamsburg), and 1000th hit on the blog since the counter was turned on - Yup, I'm a nerd. Also started a facebook page, if you want to become a fan.

Speaking of facebook, I wanted to add some color to the page, so I just posted some pics of the lovely guac, pineapple cilantro chutney, and corn & black bean salsa I served with chipotle shrimp skewers last week. This week's colorful culinary adventure: Bobby Flay's green burritos from Throwdown Burrito. Maybe I will find a way to work in dried limes - I'm intrigued.

And, speaking of Williamsburg, though my tweets for recommendations did not pan any results, we actually were directed to a rather lovely afternoon dining experience by one of C's clients. I did not expect much, but the Trellis turned out to be a beautiful afternoon setting.

DC can be refreshing too. Read We Love DC's post about the variety of DC neighborhoods no one knows about - great stuff. 

ArlingtonNow warns us to watch out for the nastiness who has been dubbed the Courthouse Creeper - Ewww. Watch out Courthouse girls.

Attended the launch party for the Capital Cooking Cookbook, where I discovered some of the best barbeque I had never tasted in DC. Grabbed a quick drink at Eatonville on the way in to the event. Their Georgia Peach cocktail contains whiskey, but does not taste like it. I also tried a side of the (completely vegetarian) collard greens. How is there no pork flavoring those delectable greens?

And, what else? Oh yes, only the biggest thing on Earth!!! Get your World Cup on folks. Jim Graham would like to help us drink our way through the tourney.

Ok, happy hump day everyone. I'll try to fit in posts on Northside Social (yes, another one) and NoVa restaurant geography this week. With only two days left, no promises. I'm just trying to be honest with you.