Perfection @ Praline

M&S Grill

This restaurant is a downtown debacle. In my experience, the wait staff was extremely slow, the noise level was unacceptable, the restaurant was poorly laid out and had a bad smell coming from the kitchen. The desert tray was its only saving grace.

Grade: D - (poor service at a high cost)

Che Favuloso Floriana!

Let me begin by quoting a WashingtonPost review..."Because you're dining in a converted town house, you get the feeling (surprise!) that you're actually being served in a friend's home."

I couldn't agree more. On a Tuesday evening, after working late, I decided to take my work to dinner or my dinner to work...depending on how you look at it. I remember hearing about Floriana and I have been meaning to try their pasta dishes.

After walking passed a packed patio full of patrons, I decided to ask for a "table for one" inside the restaurant. The host was very kind and sat me in the window. The lighting was just right...not so dark that you can't see what you are eating, but just enough candle lighting for a special occasion feel. Of course, this evening, it was just me and my laptop. Seems only fitting as I was dining in Laptopia. I guess I had plenty of extra mood lighting, that is if you count the LED of my computer screen.

My waitress was not only attentive and pleasant, but strikingly beautiful. The sincerity with which she served me was so refreshing It reminds you that you can find great restaurants in DC that know how to hire great people to deliver an experience in dining.

I ordered the Gnocchi. I have to give it an A plus! Perfectly cooked and packed full of garlic. Granted I could revive the ancestors of Pompei with my mix of Pinot Noir and Garlic breath, but that is also a true sign of a good chef. Even the Jesuits would have approved of the meal.

To compliment my meal I had a glass of the Pinot Noir. It was a great glass of wine and brought my blood pressure down about 10 clicks. With a few sips, I forgot about my long day at work and was happily listening to the laughter of patrons in the next room.

The atmosphere was extremely pleasant. To add to the perfectly prepared soundtrack, there was a group of friends celebrating a birthday in the next room (Happy Birthday Ed! As they say in Italian - Buon Compleanno a Te!) It felt like we were all in a large dining room of a house, not patrons, but guests. I couldn't have written a better script. And if I tried it would have been right out of the pages of "Big Night." Pasta, wine, laughter, making new friends...all great ingredients for a near perfect dining evening. I look forward to returning to Floriana not only to try there other dishes, but to say hello to the wonderful staff. Cheers Matt! Next time I need to pick your brain about places to eat in Chicago. Oh, and I was told I have to try the downstairs Dedo martini.

Food: A +
Service: A++
Overall: A+

Famoso's Fame Worthy Pasta

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be invited to dinner at Famoso located in Friendship Heights. This place describes themselves as...

Famoso Restaurant and Lounge is pleased to be part of the exclusive Collection at Chevy Chase, which includes Max Mara, Tiffany & Co., Jimmy Choo, Klinger, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Bulgari, Dior, Barneys New York COOP, Cartier, and Ralph Lauren, located on fashionable Wisconsin Avenue, just north of Western Avenue in Chevy Chase.

I have to say, when I first got the OpenTable reservation and checked this place out, I was not looking forward to it. I was a little concerned because it was located in the "Chevy Chase Collection" - i.e. among all those snooty stores. I thought this would be an indicator of the type of service and the feel of the place - a place that would try to hard to act like a high priced NY restaurant.

I was pleasantly surprised. Famoso won me over.


I arrived early at the restaurant, which only serves dinner. I was pleasantly greeted by the hostess and asked if I could sit at the bar. I ordered bottled water and sat there at the bar, reading an article while waiting to meet a co-worker. The bartender was very attentive, but not overbearing. Luckily, I came from work, and I was dressed in a suit. This place is not really for those in jeans or sweats. I think you could get away with khakis and a button down shirt. Needless to say, I felt the part of a young executive at a quality restaurant while at the bar.

I finally met my co-worker and we were seated promptly. The tables were set beautifully, and the tablecloth was in fact white - bleached and starched - classic Italian feel. The waiter read the specials at a nice pace - not too fast and not like he was reading a sonnet.

The menu provided several appetizing options as far as Italian dishes go. Like with any new Italian restaurant, I tried the Penne dish - my true test of the quality of the menu and the chef.

I was very pleased with the quality of the pasta as well as the Insalata Mista that I ordered. I did not order wine, but I was tempted. I was walking home that night, so I could have indulged. Perhaps next time I go I will sample the wine. I look forward to going back to this restaurant.

The only drawback I saw was that on a weeknight, the restaurant was nearly empty. There were only three tables at 7:00pm. Perhaps because this restaurant is on the backside of the Chevy Chase Collection stores it is not visited as much. If that is the case, then I will continue to go back happily, because I love sitting in a restaurant that is not too crowded, where I can hear myself think.

Overall I would have to give this restaurant an "A" rating. I will have to go back to see how they are holding up this summer.