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It’s not often you see New Zealand restaurants so I thought I would give this place a try. The idea of a meat pie for lunch sounded intriguing and it didn’t disappoint. The restaurant is located on a cute strip mall (if you can imagine one) in Arlington, VA. There is decent parking in the area.

I opted to get my lunch to go but the atmosphere inside seemed more restauranty than coffee shop.

I opted for the steak and cheese meat pie and a slice of the pavlova cake. Next time, I would probably try the curry chicken meat pie! For those who don’t know, imagine a sort of oversized empanada filled with meat and cheese. The pastry has just the right density and balances out the meat. The real kicker is the tomato chutney. It really worked well with the meat pie. It was served with a nice side salad and was really a nice lunch.

The Pavlova cake was a nice summertime dessert. This one is a angelfood meringue, so it is softer version than I am used to. Must be the “New Zealand” aspect. I am also a little fussy about my whipped cream and thought this one was ok. The fruit (kiwi and assorted berries) were nice and even the to-go presentation was pretty.

I would certainly return here and may even try to sit down there. Would also want to try a cup of their “Flat White” coffee – another NZ specialty!

Eamonn’s and PX – 2 very different places in one location. Eamonn’s on street level is the place to go for fish and chips. They have a variety of dipping sauces for your fries along with a variety of fried things to eat! In addition to the aforementioned fish and chips they have candy bars and other sweets fried up for dessert.

This isn’t the place to go with a large group as the seating is in a handful of booths in the restaurant. It can also get busy, so be prepared to wait or double up with some other folks. It is the place to go for some authentic fish and chips. Be sure to bring your appetite!

Now to PX – this is an exclusive speakeasy club above the chip shop. You can only enter with a reservation. If you are in the mood for some high end cocktails in a swanky atmosphere this is the place for you. The bar only seats about 30-40 people, so it has a very exclusive feel. If you are willing to pay up, you can even rent out the space! If you arrive early enough you can order up some snacks from Eamonn’s downstairs.

PX makes all their own sodas, infusions and juices. The cocktail menu has familiar drinks, like their take on a cuba libre and the unique, like the tobacco cocktail. They are always trying something new, so you will surely be in for a treat. Cheers!

Being a big fan of empanadas and having good things about Julia’s, I was eager to give them a try. They offer a good variety of empanadas and a very generously sized. However, tastewise they were rather average. The beef was ok but could have used a bit more flavor. The vegetarian one was a bit heavy on the beans. Chicken was alright, but again nothing special.

Overall, if you have a hankering for an empanada Julia’s is worth a visit. But don’t buy too many since they supposedly don’t freeze well (according to the guy in the shop) and be sure to bring cash, as they don’t accept credit cards.

One of the best ice cream shops! All their ice cream is hormone free and made in their McLean, VA store. You can even find some pints now in local supermarkets.

The biggest dilemma is which flavor to choose! You can always request a taste. I love their bitterweet chocolate and sweat cream. Many of their fruit sorbets are wonderful as well. A special this week is the watermelon seed sorbet- yummy!!! Grapefruit, lemon and chocolate sorbet are delicious as well. Be sure to check it out- your taste buds will thank you!

What a treat! I didn’t realize that this was a prix fixe menu restaurant, but even with the more limited options it was still hard to choose. The restaurant is in a townhouse just off of Dupont – at best it seats about 30 people. The service is excellent and the atmosphere is lovely.

I opted to start with one of their cocktails – a prosecco and raspberry drink. Just right for a summer’s evening! The bread basket has some very long breadsticks and delicious breads. Perfect for eating with the antipasto misto that comes for the table. Burrata mozzaerella, fried sardines, ricotta stuffed zucchini flowers, porchetta, caponata, heirloom tomatoes with crostini and grilled baby eggplant. Each one a delightful taste treat! (The selection was modified since my hubby doesn’t eat cheese.)

Primi was a gnocchi in pesto – a classic dish done very well. Not too heavy. I also took a taste of the bigoli (a fatter pasta) with the pancetta and breadcrumbs and could have had a meal of that as well.

Secondi was the quail with chanterelle mushrooms. It was delicate and full of flavor. The sea bass with Heirloom tomatoes was another tasty option.

Next up, the cheese course. What was most interesting about the selection of 3 cheeses was the eggplant walnut jam that accompanied them. At times both sweet and eggplanty it was a new taste. To end the meal, espresso and a yogurt panna cotta with fresh blackberries and a piece of shortbread. Was glad to have also tasted the chocolate raspberry cake -will hope for that one next time!

A few treats with the bill – chocolate covered almond, raspberry gelee and a cookie made with grappa. The menu is $75 person plus drinks. Not an inexpensive meal but certainly well worth it. They were very accommodating with my husband’s food requests. The service throughout was 5 star. I understand why it is so hard to get a reservation at this lovely neighborhood restaurant.

What a fantastic dining experience! From the moment you walk into the warmly lit dining room you are greeted by the aroma of garlic. A bread basket, fresh bruschetta, warm garlic bread (with a kick from hot pepper), a chuck of parmigiana cheese and some hard sausage are brought to the table before you even look at the menu!

And once the menu arrives, how do you choose? So many wonderful options. I opted for clams casino which were served with a smoky piece of bacon on top of a whole clam. It was just the right size for a starter. For my entree, I selected the soft shell crab special. Wonderful!! 3 average sized soft shell crabs accompanied with grilled zucchini, carrots, asparagus and a piece of warm breaded mozzarella cheese. The crabs were grilled with a light butter garlic sauce- delicious! At $44 not a bargain, but certainly a nice presentation.

My hubby had the shrimp fra diavolo. Several nice sized shrimp with some vegetables, though he would have liked a bit of pasta with it. Evidently, that would have had to have been ordered on the side. The flavor of the dish was wonderful and tempted one to soak up the sauce with some bread!

For dessert, how could I say no to the tableside warm zabaglione with berries! It was a wonderful way to end the meal. They even crumbled a little amaretto cookie on top. Hubby had a chocolate torte which was delicious as well. We had espresso to cap off the meal.

After the meal was done, the waiter brought us some grappa from a giant icy container. This is how they like to end the meal with a complimentary glass of the strong stuff. We were there for the pear infused night (flavors vary).

Throughout the meal the service was wonderful. Water glasses were kept full and drinks were refilled as needed. The pace of the meal was just right – we never felt rushed but never felt like they forgot us.

A meal like this does not come cheap – total bill including drinks before tip was just under $200. That said, for a special occasion it is worth the splurge. We have tried several other high end popular Italian restaurants in DC and this one far surpasses in both food and service. Buon Appetito!

A recently addition to the DC yogurt scene. They offer original, green tea and pomegranate flavors. I opted for the original which was good – a bit tangy. Toppings were a nice variety of fruit and dry toppings.

Tangysweet scores points for its hip atmosphere, though be warned, given the location lines can be QUITE long.

The yogurt has a nice taste and the toppings are fresh with a nice variety. I opted for berries, pineapple and chocolate chips. If you are in the Dupont area and looking for a cool treat, Tangysweet is worth a visit!

The latest in the frozen yogurt craze which is finally hitting DC. Mr Yogato offers orginal, tangy plus 2 flavors on any given day. I thought the original was delicious! Like many other yogurt places you can get a variety of toppings. Mr Yogato had TONS of choices and gave a generous portion of each as well. I opted for the mango, strawberry and chocolate chips and was quite pleased that they lasted to the bottom of the cup.

They are open late on weekends and have limited season both inside and out. If you are looking for a frozen yogurt fix you should check this one out. Plus, if you answer their trivia question you can even get a discount!

At $2.75 a cupcake, these are not an inexpensive treat though they are quite tasty! So far, the chocolate ganache and the red velvet have been my favorites. The chocolate ganache is a chocolate cupcake with a thin layer of ganache on top. Just the right balance! The red velvet cake is done with the right bit of chocolate flavor and the cream cheese frosting is actually a perfect balance of cream cheese and buttercream flavor.

This is a place to go if you like frosting as most of the cupcakes have a substantial topping of it! The strawberry – a vanilla cake with a strawberry topping – was nice but too sweet for my tastes. The vanilla on the chocolate was also good but a high ratio of frosting to cake.

All cupcakes have a pretty decoration on top and depending on how many you get, come in a cute pink box. The store also has beverages to help wash down your treats. Be prepared for a line, though it moves pretty quickly.

A good addition to the DC dessert scene.

I had higher expectations going into the restaurant… southern comfort food sounded wonderful to me. But alas, I don’t think I will be returning anytime soon.

I ordered two of their signature dishes – the crawfish eggrolls and the special mac n cheese. The crawfish eggrolls were heavy on the cabbage and light on the corn and crawfish. The peanut dipping sauce helped make them more palatable.

The special mac and cheese left a lot to be desired as well. it was served with some sauted veggies on the side, which were a welcome addition. The mac and cheese was made with a specific cheddar and had roasted chicken added to it. It was topped with a crispy breadcrumb crust. Unfortunately, it was quite bland and not very cheesey.

The other dishes I tried at the table were fine but nothing too exciting. The short ribs had a nice flavor but were a little fatty for my taste. The special pasta dish with the crabmeat was a generous portion and was probably the best this we ordered at the table!

Did not stick around for dessert… Service was a bit patchy – very attentive at first and then more sporadic as the restaurant got busy. Granted, it is a newer restaurant and they may be working out some kinks, but nonetheless, from a culinary perspective there are several other terrific places nearby that I would go to first.