3000 Washington Blvd
Arlington, VA 22201
571.257.5054
www.obylee.com

I've been looking forward to trying out Oby Lee ever since I saw the signage go up since this combination coffee shop & wine bar is directly on my way to and from work.  The other coffee shops in the area (Northside Social and the local Starbucks) both require a slight detour which, if you're late for work, is a huge detour for much needed coffee in the morning.  Oby Lee let's me pull right up, get a coffee, maybe some breakfast, and not lose an extra minute.  So, this past week, I stopped by for a couple of breakfasts and a quick dinner.

277 South Washington St.
Alexandria, VA  22314
703.683.3247


Society Fair is Cathal Armstrong's latest addition to his Old Town Alexandria empire.  On it's website, they describe it as a "a boutique emporium of epicurean delight ~ where everything we do is devoted to food."  Think of Eataly on a much smaller scale and decorated by Liberace.  Okay, the second part may be a bit of an exaggeration but there certainly were lots of reflective surfaces, chandeliers, gilding, lavenders and overall frou-frou.  I went there for lunch and I still don't quite know what to make of the place.

306 West 13th Street
New York, NY  10014
212.206.0601
www.zampanyc.com

This place is proof positive that the enjoyment of food & drink is not solely based on the enjoyment of the food & drink alone.  This is a bit eye-opening not only for how this blog will go forward (since you don't eat in a vacuum) but also how my perspective changes when I think about food.  Sometimes a meal may actually be better than it is because of the company but I think I would take that trade-off any day of the week....and twice on Sundays.

74 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10014
212.367.7470
www.centrovinoteca.com

If you watch the Food Network, you'll probably recognize the executive chef right away when you walk into Centro Vinoteca and look into the open kitchen. It's both surprising and impressive that she's been there every time I've ate at Centro Vinoteca since a lot of famous chefs these days seem to be absentee (Anne Burrell has since left to pursue more of a TV career but she was there). I've always just wandered in for a late night dinner or a good start to the evening and it has quickly become one of my favorite meals and settings.