This Weekend Under $60: The Front Page Restaurant and Grille

As young professionals in Washington DC, there is a good chance that many amongst you are news junkies, the fearless kind of folks who can dissect a Wall Street Journal in minutes like some hungry hunter prepping a rabbit for the pot. While the benefits of keeping a finger securely on the pulse of global going-ons are quite clear, there is certainly also a case that can be made for taking a step back, lest your voracity reward you with a mental stomach-ache. To this end its occasionally nice to peruse the front page (lest you miss something big) and then head right for the comics, because after all isn’t that what the newspaper is really all about?


For this Weekend Under $60, I’d like to prescribe just such a remedy for the mental fatigue of your weekly grind. Starting just south of Dupont Circle at The Front Page Restaurant and Grille, I recommend you kick the evening off right with what has been voted the premier happy hour in Washington DC. After a drink or two migrate on into the dining room for main event.

While the Front Page specializes in the full gamut of American fare, many consider their terrific selection of top-shelf sandwiches and burgers to be the real draw. Priced fairly across the board, the reubenesque Heidenberger and the grilled chicken sandwich stand out from rest of the crowd, but if you are not particularly feeling the sandwich thing, a bowl of the chorizo chili, the herb parmesan encrusted flounder or the baby back ribs are all worth a look.

The business end of the evening behind you, head down to the George Washington campus and the Lisner Downstage for a Forbidden Planet Productions’ presentation of the Bert Royal play Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead. Dog Sees God is a re-imagining of the classic Charles Shultz comic strip Peanuts that sees its central characters now in their teens facing the complex social realities of contemporary teenage life. Tickets are just $5 a head, and there are going to be two showings on Friday at 8 and 11 respectively, as well as an additional one at 8 on Saturday, so you have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the show.

It was only a four-day work week, but your still tired so this weekend don’t over think it. Check out the front page, check out the comics, its all you really need.

Drinks and Dinner for Two: $50
Two Tickets to Dog Sees God: $10
Total: $60

Restaurant Week: Smith and Wollensky

So restaurant week is here. My wallet is empty. My belly is full. Since becoming aware of this lovely week, around three years ago I have firmly kept myself to just three meals out. However great the deals are, dropping 20 or 35 dollars respectively on a meal eventually adds up. This week I picked three spots: Smith and Wollensky for lunch Tuesday, Zengo for dinner Wednesday, and Mie n Yu for dinner Friday. For me restaurant week provides opportunities to accomplish a number of different goals. In order of importance: STEAK, trying a new restaurant, and indulging in an old favorite. I will address the latter two as the week progresses but first: Steak.

Steak is of course at the top of the list. Having a decent steak at a restaurant is generally an expensive affair. Factor in an appetizer, a side, and maybe a glass of wine and the bank is well broke. Restaurant week permits me to indulge in a fantastic cut of meat at restaurants that I certainly cannot usually eat at. There are a number of great places to get a steak during restaurant week: Charlie Palmers, Capital Grill, and my choice Smith and Wollensky.

The Smith and Wollensky meal includes a choice of salad, slice of meat, and delicious dessert. I went with the Wollensky Signature Salad (A delicious affair involving bacon, mushrooms, potatoes, romaine lettuce, and a dijon vinaigrette), the Filet of Beef (more later), and Creme Brulee. I paired it with a rather tasty Cab Sav. The salad was delectable and a nice prelude to the main event. The beef was immaculate. Crusty and grilled on the outside, but tender and juicy on the inside. I couldn't taste anything but salt, pepper, and delicious meat, which is how a good steak should be. It was accompanied by a generous portion of creamed spinach and fingerling potatoes. A smooth and delectable Creme Brulee capped off a fantastic meal.


One of the great things I've found at S & W is that the service, no matter the occasion is impeccable. While many restaurants seem begrudging about restaurant week, unhappy to have to serve their exclusive food to every day rabble, the staff here was notable cheery and welcoming. They see it, as most restuarants should, as an opportunity to expand their clientele. One of the servers even handed me a sumptuous chocolate covered strawberry on the way. Ultimately, a very satisfying lunch that sufficed for breakfast and dinner as well. A tremendously good omen for the remainder of restaurant week

Fresh Grounds: Peregrine Espresso

For better or for worse, by this point the cup(s) of coffee has become as integral a part of the American morning as brushing teeth and combing hair. This is the age of the coffee mega-chain, the age of Venti and Grande, where millions of Americans queue up daily to get their all important caffeine fix. While America may run on Dunkin' however, the independently-owned java joint is by no means a dying breed, and there are many shining examples of this fact sprinkled amidst the Starbuck-sprawl of Washington DC. This column will be dedicated to sifting the city for these local gems, so that perhaps wherever your morning may take you it can start with some "Fresh Grounds".

Located on Pennsylvania Avenue, just a few short minutes from the Eastern Market metro stop, Peregrine Espresso pairs a personal, local-establishment vibe with a winning combination of delicious baked goods and damn fine coffee.


On the topic of coffee, Peregrine offers a wide array of choices, ranging from fresh, filter-drip coffee to all the usual espresso derivations, while using only the choicest beans from the worlds top coffee growing regions. I tried (and thoroughly enjoyed) a cup of Ndaroini Microlot from Nyeri, Kenya, on of three African-grown beans served at Peregrine, allongside a handful of other offerings from Southeast Asia and South America, including their current seasonal offering, a La Golondrina from Popayan, Colombia.

For the quality of the product, the prices are more than fair, with the regular cups of coffee ranging roughly between $2.50 and $3.50, and you can add on a tasty croissant or scone for just a few bucks more.


The store is open Monday through Saturday from seven in the morning until nine at night, as well as Sundays from eight to eight, and on top of the hot beverage, is a great place to do a bit of work or read a good book. Even if your morning won't be taking you by Eastern Market, wake up a tad earlier and drop on by Peregrine Espresso and you certainly won't be disappointed.

Directions to Peregrine Espresso

DC Restaurant Week 2/16 - 2/22

As you are perhaps aware, this week of February 16th through the 22nd is DC Restaurant Week. If you have had the pleasure of experiencing Restaurant Week in the past, then you know that this is possibly the highlight of Washington's culinary calendar, if you have not then suffice it so say you are in for a treat.

Every February, Washington DC Restaurant Week sees nearly 200 of the city's finest dining establishments offering 3-course pre fixe lunch and dinner meals priced at $20 and $35 respectively. An unbelievable deal in most cases. So as could be expected with deals like these, there is a high for reservations across the board so if you are interested in participating I recommend you get on open table or the phone ASAP to make sure you can find a seat.

Here is a list of all participating establishments, so check it out and see if anything strikes your fancy (something will), and otherwise check back with us throughout the week for news of our own restaurant week adventures.

Check It Out: Vapiano

Picture in you mind’s eye if you will, an Italian restaurant. A really good Italian restaurant. Now imagine, if instead of your traditional sit-down Italian joint, this one served you cafeteria style, and you could customize your dishes any way you pleased. If that scenario strikes you as a pleasant culinary fantasy, than It’s probably time you made it over to Vapiano

Located near the intersection of 18th and M in Foggy Bottom, Vapiano offers a delightful dining experience not only in the sense that it’s unconventional layout offers an ambiance that is at the same time intimate and accessible, but more importantly in that it serves up a broad spectrum of high-quality Italian dishes.

Unlike most restraints where communication between the customer and the kitchen is kept to a minimum, Vapiano allows you to order directly from the cooks themselves and as a result you get to put whatever you fancy on the dish in question, get it quickly, and see the entire cooking process played out right in front of you. Think Mongolian Barbeque meets Italian Kitchen. It’s not the largest dining room and it shares it’s space with the centrally located kitchen and as well as a bar on the far side, so it can fill up quickly around dinner time. They also don’t take reservations, so I would recommend that you head over earlier rather than later if you want to be able to find a good seat.


As far as the food itself goes, I tend to stick with my trusty standby of pesto vermicelli with pine nuts and grilled chicken, but have also enjoyed some terrific salads and pizzas there as well. Dining at Vapiano is for the most part a can’t-miss situation, so the only real limitation is your own creativity. Get out there and mix it up, you won’t be disappointed.

(also don’t miss the bowl of gummy bears by the door on your way out.)

The Sunday Dinner: Tangerines, Fennel and Crawfish Oh My!

Everyone loves a three-day weekend. It doesn’t just mean one more day before you have to head back to the real world, but also that the next Friday is just four days away. With all this free time on your hand, why not capitalize on the moment tonight and get your chef on. As always, we at The Sunday Dinner are here to make life easier for you, so if you do choose to brave kitchen this weekend, might we recommend:

The Menu:


The Starter Mixed Greens with Tangerine and Fennel


The Main Course Crawfish Etouffée

The citrus flavors of the salad and the crawfish in the etouffee would be complimented well by a bottle of Bodegas Y Vinedos Sur De Los Andes, an Argentinean Malbec that scored 85 on the wine spectator despite selling for about $10 flat. You can pick one up at Watergate Wine and Beverage down in the middle of the Watergate.

This Weekend Under $100: Tabaq Bistro

As you may or may not be aware, this coming Saturday happens to be Valentines Day. If you were, than hopefully chances are that you already have romantic evening planned, however if the latter applies (your secret is safe with us), then it’s high time you got on it.

Dinner and a show tends to be a winning combo, but as is often the case, there are dinners and then there are dinners. To that end, instead of hanging around home this Saturday, I suggest that you set out for the rooftops of U Street and the one-of-a-kind Tabaq Bistro.

Tabaq, an intimate little tapas spot specializing in Eastern-Mediterranean cuisine, is tucked in an unassuming townhouse just a stone’s throw from the U Street metro stop (Green Line). The first floor has some seating and a bar, and from there on up are the kitchens and offices, until you get to the roof where there is a cozy rooftop dining area that looks out over the surrounding neighborhood, offering spectacular views to compliment the savory small-plates. When I say that the ambiance is the main attraction, don’t take it to mean that Tabaq doesn’t deliver when it comes to the food, the menu boasts a winning selection of traditional tapas style dishes and other more filling main courses each with their own interesting textures and complex tastes. The rooftop dining room isn’t huge, so understandably if fills up quickly. Make sure to call at least a day in advance to get a reservation.

After a dinner under the stars, head down the street to Twins Jazz, one of Washington’s top jazz spots and enjoy the lyrical styling of Andrea Wood who will be doing two shows that evening, one at 9:00PM and one at 11:00PM depending on when you get out of dinner.


Sure flowers and chocolate are nice, but rooftop dining and a jazz show, now that’s an evening.

$15 – per ticket to the Andrea Wood show (order here)
$40 - $60 – for diner depending on what / how much you order

Total: $70 - $90 plus tax and tip

This Weekend Under $60: Firefly

So you've been dating this girl (or guy) for awhile. You certainly want to make sure he/she has a fantastic valentine's day, but you are also fairly certain he/she won't dump you if you spend under $60 dollars on the evening. For this Valentine's Day Weekend Under $60, Eat the District brings you to Firefly. This small Kimpton restaurant connected to the Hotel Madera offers an "urban picnic". The idea is American comfort food, of the type you might normally eat on a red-checkered table cloth at an outdoor concert or other venue. Walking in you will see a huge tree growing literally through the restaurant. The rest of the decor reflects this outdoor picnic theme with earthy wood tones and candles throughout. The restaurant, as I mentioned early, is a bit small with limited seating, so reservations are a must. However, the small space creates a cozy atmosphere, perfectly suitable for this "urban picnic."


The food is excellent. They offer an array of small plate appetizers along with picnic dishes to share as a starter. I would recommend the little bacon meatballs from the small plate menu or the cheddar and beer fondue with half-smokes from the picnic menu. It was the main course that truly made the evening for me however. The mini-pot roast is absurdly delicious. Served with roasted shallots and on a bed of creamy golden Yukon mashed potatoes the dish is tender, juicy, and delectable. I would say it's just like Mom made it, but if my mother cooked this well I most certainly would never have left home.

Having sufficiently tickled your Valentine's palette, and having sufficiently exercised your wallets capacity take a stroll down to the Kennedy Center. Take the elevator to the viewing gallery and spend some time there. Like the smooth pro that you are, have a box of chocolates on hand to offer your date. Look at the stars, compliment him/her, do whatever it is you do. Escape the gaudy Valentine's Day spending and simply enjoy some time in each others' company. If the weather is anything like it has been, it should be a fantastic evening.



Directions: Orange/Blue Line to Foggy Bottom. Cross Washington Circle and walk up New Hampshire Ave, on your left.

Appetizer: $5-14
Main course: $17-28
Chocolates: $8
Young Love: Priceless

Total: $56 plus tax and tip (Yes, I know it's close but for the love of God it's Valentine's day, splurge a bit man)

Introducing: The Backlot Barbeque

Barbecue is more than a food. Barbeque is a culture, an art, a way of life. Ok, ok, ok – perhaps I am being a bit extreme. But once you try some of the real stuff (more on this later), you will want to join a barbecue cult. Trust me.

But first, what is BBQ? Who makes it and how? Most do not know the answers to these questions because they have never tried the real stuff. Barbeque is really a cooking method, not an actual food. Beef is a food. Pork is a food. Barbeque is a process. So when you hear barbeque, I want you to think two things: low and slow or cooking under low temperatures for long periods of time. This is barbeque; this is the real stuff.

What has your dad been cooking all these years on the grill, you ask? Well contrary to population belief, food cooked over direct heat is not in fact barbeque. Your dad was simply grilling food. Don’t get me wrong, I love grilled food. However, the process you are using and the product you end up with is not barbeque.

I am from one of the major cities in the Barbeque World - Kansas City, Missouri. In KC, we are known for our BBQ sauce, something you might have known already. KC Masterpiece is the best selling BBQ sauce of all time. However, in places like Memphis, sauce is only an afterthought and not an integral part of the process. Every other Wednesday I will use this forum for these types of BBQ debates, to tell you about the techniques I personally use to barbeque, and where to find some of the real stuff in and around the District.

Introducing The Canadian Connoisseur and The Communist Langolier

I would like you to formally introduce you all to our newest contributers, The Communist Langolier and The Canadian Connoisseur. The two have been living in the District for quite some time now and both certainly know their food, put them together though and they are certainly a force to be with reckoned with. They can probably tell it better themselves, so without further adieu, I present The Communist Langolier and The Canadian Connoisseur.


“Pasta Mia” and Contestare Nostra


It all started with my friend Priscilla boasting about being able to out eat most of the guys in our crew. Despite being vivaciously feisty, Priscilla is a small girl and doesn’t strike one as being particularly voracious. I smelled a bet and jumped on it. Friday night; Six o’clock; Adams Morgan; Pasta Mia; Gnocchi in Gorgonzola sauce; me, you, and four witnesses. After preliminary discussions we came to terms of the contest – Gnocchi, but not necessarily Gorgonzola sauce. It was a compromise that I would grow to regret.

Who hasn’t heard rumors about that pasta place in Adams Morgan where people stand outside for hours just to sample the homemade concoctions of the lady some refer to as “The Pasta Nazi”? The place is called Pasta Mia, my friends, and some rumors are truer than others. Yes, you do have to stand in line and I suggest arriving around 6:10 so that you could be one of the first to get in once the doors open at 6:30. My original inclination that the lines would be shorter because of the winter cold proved to be false and we had to brave the January wind for twenty minutes. The restaurant itself is quite cozy – try to get the table on the second level, there is a nice window that provides an excellent view of the hapless folks on the street waiting to get in and jealously eying you as you toast their health with the superb house wine ($5 per glass). The service does leave something to be desired, but the matron of the establishment, an elderly Napolese lady named Antoinette, is very nice as long as you order on time, don’t give her any ‘tude, and don’t ask for cake when she offers you bread. There is a cash only policy and the price is $14 per person, so sharing really doesn’t make sense. That’s a pity because the size of the portions would leave Shaq satisfied.


The first plate that arrived was that of my friend Aaron and we had to have a moment of silence as we mourned the heard of cows that was slaughtered to prepare his Penne Bolognese. Meat lovers out there – if you get this dish on Friday night, leftovers for Saturday and Sunday lunch are guaranteed. My dish came next – Gnocchi in Gorgonzola sauce. This seems to be the favorite of the majority and it doesn’t disappoint. Homemade Gnocchi are notoriously difficult to prepare and so is Gorgonzola sauce, but if you don’t mind gaining a couple of pounds then this dish is a must-have. My buddy Chris had the Tortellini Rosa - tomato cream over tender cheese pasta pockets – another universally beloved entree. The Canadian Connoiseur was next and will tell you all about her Tortellini Arrabiata in her section. My friend Eduardo had the Spinach Fettucinni with Porcini mushrooms. Finally, Priscilla’s Gnocchi was laid in front of her. The girl hadn’t eaten all day and dug in with the furor and gusto of a starving banshee. Still, about half way through her meal I thought that I had the bet won. Her eyes were watery, her breathing heavy, she had to unbuckle her jeans. But never underestimate those Krazilians (ethnically Korean Brazilians) – Priscilla gave it a final push and won the bet. I had to pay for her diner. The loss would have left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I managed to wash it away with some of the best Cappuccino I ever had ($3 per cup). It was a long walk back to Foggy Bottom, but it did little to relieve the feeling of complete satisfaction in my belly.



As the connoisseur, I wanted to try all the dishes, of course…but at last, I was able to narrow it down to something with the spicy Arrabbiata sauce, and finally, I chose the cheese tortellini to go with it. While most of the pasta dishes are $15, if you choose a simple sauce plus pasta combo, it’s just $13. Even the most expensive pasta dishes are still only $18, such as the Spinach Fettuccine with Porcini Mushroom Sauce. The Washingtonian chose Pasta Mia as one of the best “Cheap Eats” in the District…and we completely agree! They do have a wine list, but if you want to stick with the low budget theme, their house red is a great table wine.

On this particular night, I had a hard time deciding which dish I liked the best. Our friend’s Gnocchi Sorrentina (tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella) was amazing. The gnocchi are as fluffy as marshmallows, and when Pasta Mia says an ingredient is fresh – it is. Although the Gorgonzola sauce is also delicious, given the portion sizes, it can be a little heavy – especially if your goal is to finish the entire dish. My Tortellini Arrabbiata, however, was near perfection. I know that “all’Arrabbiata” means angry style, but this meal gave me the opposite reaction! The tortellini was al dente, and the red pepper gave the sauce the perfect amount of kick. It might have been even better when I finished it the next day!

Now, let’s be clear about expectations: you’re not going to Pasta Mia if you want lots of personal attention or a romantic setting…you’re going there for the great pasta, right? So, enjoy it! Yes, you have to wait in line, and yes, the tables are close together and a little cramped – but only because everyone wants to get in and it happens to be a small place! Don’t expect to get pampered by waiters – just tell them what you want to eat (straight from the menu, please) and then wait (yes, wait – it’s homemade, remember?) for some amazing pasta! Also, keep in mind that going here for dinner is more of an event, as opposed to a quick grab and go place. Order some wine and an appetizer if you’re the type that gets antsy while waiting. Enjoy the bread and olive oil on the table, too – but whatever you do, don’t fill up before your pasta arrives!

I’ve heard that the desserts are great, but I haven’t been able to cut myself off from the delicious dinner in order to save room for it…yet.

Pasta Mia is located in Adams Morgan at 1790 Columbia Rd (between 18th and Champlain). No reservations are accepted. Get there before 6:30. Cash only.

Open for dinner only – Tuesday through Saturday.