2227 University Blvd West
Wheaton, MD  20902
301.933.8388


One of my fondest memories while growing up in Toronto was going down to Chinatown and eating some authentic Chinese noodle soup from some hole-in-the wall restaurant.  When my family moved down to Maryland in the 80s, we searched for that same soup and short of going to Chinatown (which, sadly, does not exist anymore) in DC, we found it at Full Key.  So, in my culinary walk down memory lane, I decided to stop by there on my way to my parents' house for Christmas.

511 East 5th Street
New York, NY 10009
212.687.3641
www.goattownnyc.com


One of the byproducts of the NYC restaurant scene is that every restaurant is looking for a unique spin that will attract diners.  In the East Village, this is especially evident and Goat Town is no exception.  From the somewhat weird name to the tiled benches and ceilings which gives it a somewhat of a feeling that you're eating in a subway or a shower yet it doesn't feel like that's something weird.  I do have to admit that we went to Goat Town for a late dinner and it was part of a very long day of trying to find places to enjoy a drink while avoiding anyone who was participating in Santa Con.  To put it lightly, we had a few drinks in us.

240 East 9th Street
New York, NY  10003
212.979.2733
www.sakebardecibel.com


When I was younger, I couldn't fathom why anyone would want to drink sake which I had thought was always served hot and should be sipped.  For some reason, it just never agreed with me.  But, if you chill that baby and don't filter it, it becomes one of my absolute favorites.  So, when I'm craving a great bottle of chilled, unfiltered sake, I try to make it to Decibel.

238 East 14th Street
New York, NY  10003
646.669.8889
www.baohausnyc.com

The chef owner of Baohaus has been getting a ton of press lately from being featured on a Bourdain show, having his own show, and to guest blogging appearances on eater.com.  He comes off more as a pot-smoking, urban rap star than as a chef but you need only to stop by Baohaus in the East Village to know that he's created something that you will crave at any time of the day.

228 East 10th Street
New York, NY  10003
212.387.9545
www.dieciny.com


We discovered this place after deciding that a 90 minute wait was simply too long for wait for the buns and noodles at Momofuku regardless of how good they were.  Oh, and we were really, really hungry.  Just around the corner on 10th is Dieci.  Its not very big at all and if you go too far down 10th, you're liable to miss it.  As you walk in, you immediately notice that the restaurant isn't much bigger than most NYC apartments.  I've read that it seats 30 but I'd be hard pressed to figure out how unless people were sitting on top of each other.  Regardless, the two times that I've been to Dieci, it's been packed but we were always seated quickly.

728 King Street
Alexandria, VA  22314
703.299.8384
www.eamonnsdublinchipper.com


Appropriately dubbed (i'm here all week folks, and twice on Sundays) a Dublin Chipper, this is Cathal Armstrong's take on a traditional Fish & Chips joint.  The restaurant is no-frills with a few tables up front and wood paneling across the span of the place.  You order up from the cash register and then try to get lucky and snag a place to sit.  Fittingly, they yell out your name and order and you run up to the cashier to get it and head back to your seat to enjoy a treat.

380 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10003
www.chinatownbrasserie.com


Chinatown Brasserie is the type of place you end up eating in when you haven't really thought about dinner plans since you spent the day participating in a run for charity (The Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research) and then decided to spend the afternoon drinking in a dive bar (The Emerald Inn).  So, after naps and getting ready for dinner, you haven't made any reservations and taking a cab to a random spot in the city where there are many places to eat seems like the most sensible thing to do.  This is when you end up at Chinatown Brasserie.

713 H Street NW

Washington, DC 20001

202.289.4441

www.matchboxchinatown.com

When I think of pizza, I think of the unique way certain areas love to make them. I've tried pizza in Montreal where the sauce goes on last, sampled some deep dish from Chicago but my latest pizza experiences have centered around New York's versions from places such as Grimaldi's (Brookyln Style) and Lombardi's. It was with this mindset that I ate at Matchbox in Chinatown thinking that I would get a semblance of New York Style pizzas. What I got was something completely different but just as satisfying. I ordered half a Matchbox Meat and Coppa Italian Ham & Arugula pizza (as recommended by Jessica the bartender). I expected the MM side of the pizza to be heavy and greasy with plenty of savory goodness. It was savory but a tad spicy and a lot lighter than expected. The crust was thin and crispy with no hints of sogginess and hardly any grease. The coppa side seemed fordmidable at first since you can hardly see the pizza in the sea of arugula they top it with. But the combination of the arugula, tomato, coppa ham and pesto sauce was a wonderful surprise and a new take on pizza for me. While it was only my first visit to Matchbox, it really changed my idea of what a pizza should be. To me, without having tried it, Matchbox represents California's take on pizza or at least how I've heard it described. Substituting the traditional to make it more varied and slightly more healthy.

2300 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA  22201
703.841.7297


I guess I've never bought into the great American steakhouse obsession.  The only two steakhouses that have truly blown me away were the Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn and The Strip House in the West Village.  Part of the reason is that most steakhouses don't offer very much variety and I've always enjoyed preparing steak at home and due to home field bias, I think my steaks tend to taste better also.  But, it's always good to have a steak restaurant in your back pocket in case you have friends who share the great American obsession.  Ray's the Steaks is always talked about and the reviews looked great so how could you possibly miss?

1739 N Street NW

Washington, DC 20036

202.331.8528

http://www.tabardinn.com/restaurant

You can find the Tabard Inn on a secluded side street near Dupont Circle which is surprisingly hard to find by car (one way streets and me do not get along).  The street is typically scenic and tree-lined with brownstones all along it.  As I got closer, I started to get a little worried as the front of the Tabard Inn looked pretty run down and there was a really tacky sign for valet parking on the sidewalk.  When you walk inside, the check-in area and the waiting area for the restaurant are musty and the furniture was run down.  However, walking into the restaurant, you're transformed into a whole new world.  The front dining room is lined with windows and full of sunshine.  The outside patio looked like a wonderful garden setting but unfortunately there were intermittent showers on the day I ate brunch there.

New York, NY 10009

212.614.2728

www.crifdogs.com

There's not much not to like here because of the simplicity of the place. If you are craving deliciously cooked hot dogs with or without a twist then this is the place to go. It doesn't pretend to be anything else. My favorite order is the Temptee Dog (ever since a trip to Seattle showed me the virtues of cream cheese and hot dogs) and a can of PBR. I can't think of a better place to satisfy your late night cravings.

4075 Wilson Blvd

Arlington, VA 22203

571.384.1820

www.rusticorestaurant.com

In my ongoing search to find a neighborhood restaurant, I went to Rustico (owned by the Neighborhood Restaurant Group which also owns Tallula) which always looks busy as you drive by.  I went with my two nieces and my parents as they came down to visit the DC area for a day.  As you walk in, the setting is stark and elegant but not too much so that it doesn't promise a casual dining experience.

402 East 78th Streetn

New York, NY 10075

212.517.5340

www.sushiofgari.com

This isn't so much a review but more of a homage to what has become one of my favorite restaurants in New York City.  I've been to Sushi of Gari several times now and it has never failed to impress.  There are a few locations in the City but I prefer the original (which is saying a lot since it is located way up on a sleepy block on the Upper East Side).  The space is very small and when you enter, you can't help butting into the hostess station but the intimacy of it all is very appealing.

2761 Washington Blvd

Arlington, VA 22201

703.778.5051

www.tallularestaurant.com

For my first dining experience in Arlington, I went to Tallula with my parents on my birthday (for the first of two birthday dinners).  I drive by the place practically every day and it has always looked like the neighborhood restaurant that you always want in your back pocket in case you need to pick a place to eat in a pinch.  Tallula is run by the Neighborhood Restaurant Group (ironic! I know!) which has a collection of acclaimed restaurants in Northern Virginia.

5876 Washington Blvd
Arlington, VA  22205
703.237.1552
www.lostdogcafe.com


Having just spent 6 years living in New York City where I have to say my appreciation for good food grew exponentially, I wanted to test out just how much my tastes had changed.  So, upon moving back to Arlington (just outside of Washington, DC), I was still unpacking and decided to order a pizza from a neighborhood pizza joint that I remembered fondly from back in 1999-2000.  My pizza habits have changed considerably from back then when I favored a more deep dish approach to now when I crave the perfect thin slice with crispy dough that's slightly burned on the bottom.