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.

Niente Speziale di Spezie! (Nothing Special about Spezie!)

The other night I had the opportunity to make a second trip to the Italian Restaurant - Spezie. Located downtown on L Street, this restaurant is not worth a third trip. In fact, other than the authentic Italian camerieri, this restaurant was bland, slow and too expensive.

High: The pumpkin ravioli with crushed amaretto cookies sprinkled on top.
Low: The $200 check for a meal for three - and no alcohol was ordered!

Advice: If you are walking down L Street to head to Spezie, just keep on walking and hold your wallets close, you are bound to lose a few bucks if you walk in there!

Overall grade: D-

Circa Conn. & Q

Situated on the corner of Connecticut and Q Street is a relatively new restaurant-by-night, coffee-by-morning place called CIRCA. I used to be a patron of wrapworks when they lived there, so I thought it was about time I stop looking in the windows and try this new tenant out.

The first time I went to CIRCA, I ordered a glass of the Australian Pinot Noir and the Margarita Pizza. Simplicity is my main ingredient when eating late at night.

Eating for one, I was right in thinking I wouldn't have a hard time getting a table. I walked in and the polite hostess sate me right away. Although I didn't care for the location, right near the end of the bar and kitchen, I did have a plug that I could access to take notes and work on a few things, so I was happy.

Let me begin by saying the atmosphere at CIRCA is very pleasant. Although the space sometimes seems cramped the staff does a very good job of spoiling you while you are a guest at their restaurant. I never had to ask for a refill, as the waiter had a keen eye to know when I was about to ask. It is a delicate balance between drowning a customer in water refills and leaving them in drought conditions while at the table. The staff at CIRCA had it down to an art.

The wine. Ah, the wine. In vino veritas and this is the absolute veritas. This Australian Pinot Noir has to be one of the best I have had. Within seconds of tasting it, I was breathing a better air of relaxation all around me. The anxiety of having to do late night work just went away with one sip. It also packs quite a punch on an empty stomach, so don't be surprised if you are a little tipsy after one glass.

The food. The pizza was so-so. I have certainly had better at 2AMYs or Pizzeria Paradiso.

The atmosphere. This restaurant may have been the better ones for people watching, my alter ego job. Beautiful people all around telling interesting stories that your ear can only carry a few at a time. Sitting there having dinner I felt like I could get up, walk around the room, gather business cards and walk home with a movie idea, a book deal, an art showcase, a campaign secret and even a scandal or two. The place was buzzing. The only thing I had a hard time understanding was the playing of Xmen on the large flat screen television mounted on the back wall. Not sure what that was about, as it just seemed out of place.

Overall assessment. I would have to give CIRCA an A(-). Definitely worth a return visit or two. Definitely a place I recommend to my friends. I have yet to try them early morning for coffee. Maybe they can give me that really definition of barista, you know the one that Starbucks butchers with their terrible customer service. Cappuccinos anyone?

What Makes Up the Give and Take?

The other day I went to Zengo, the Japanese for Give and Take restaurant in Gallery Place/Chinatown. I have to say that I really liked the atmosphere, although I am not sure about the loaves of bread that hang from the ceiling and are strewed about the walls, like some sort of art project gone bad. In fact, while having my meal, my eyes kept focusing on what seemed to be stale rolls hung on the wall with nails. I was quite impressed with the service, the food and the overall atmosphere. I do have a few complaints though. Namely, they don't sit you until your entire party is there. This annoys me, because I like to get to places early, and I like to read or do e-mail while I wait for my party to arrive. This was not an option for me at Zengos. The hostess was less than pleasant as well. The waiter was great and their drinks were great. The food seemed to be very small portions, but I was pleasantly surprised at how filling they were. Price was prohibitive, but aren't all the Gallery Place restaurants? I am not sure I would go back on my own dime, but it seems to be a good spot for a company sponsored happy hour or dinner. Overall, I would give it a B plus.