A little taste of Italy at Maggiano's

It’s a Thursday and we have a day off school tomorrow – a perfect night to go out to dinner with friends. We were in the mood for Italian food so we decided on a great restaurant called Maggianos. There are a few in the DC area.  We went to the Friendship Heights one which is part of Bethesda/Chevy Chase.  There were three of us and we were thrilled to get a table right away since we were famished.   I ordered the Crab and Shrimp Tropheo, My friend Dani ordered the Gnocchi with Italian Sausage, and my other dinnermate Sarah ordered the Famous Rigatoni ‘D’.

Dani described her meal as being “delicious though filling and portions were quite large but regardless the taste and balance were on point.” Sarah remarked that her pasta was "Yummy! I was not a fan of the mushrooms but that did not stop me from loving my meal.”  And my meal was delicious!! The sauce was not to heavy and the mix of shrimp and crab was perfect. I loved the taste of the tomatoes and zucchini thrown into the mix. Mine seemed relatively healthy for pasta so I didn’t feel too guilty. After our entrees, we surprisingly had enough room for dessert. We couldn’t decide on one dessert to share so we chose the mini dessert sampler. This consisted of smaller portions of their best five desserts: Apple Crostada, N.Y. style cheesecake,  crème brulee, chocolate zuccotto cake, and Tiramisu.  It was nothing short of amazing. We inhaled it.

Eat Here Maybe?   YES

5333 Wisconsin Ave NW

Washington, DC

(202) 966-5500

My friend Sarah just sipping on her water

Gnocchi with Italian Sausage

Famous Rigatoni ‘D’

Crab and Shrimp Tropheo

The amazing dessert platter! 

Restaurant Week!

If you have been meaning to visit Bethesda for a meal out but haven’t had the chance yet then this week is the time to do it. What makes this week special? Well, starting January 24 (that’s this Thursday) the towns of Bethesda and Chevy Chase kick off their Bethesda- Chevy Chase Restaurant Week.  During this week many of the more casual restaurants will feature two fixed price options. For lunch, two courses will cost $12 while three courses will run $16.  For dinner, the cost of two courses will be $22 and for three courses it will be $33.  This is a great opportunity for Bethesdaians to get out to support and sample their local restaurants.  Don’t let the freezing temperatures keep you in!

Café Break

Senior year is stressful enough, but now I have midterms to worry about as well!!! That means I am packing up my books and heading to the Bethesda Library where I can focus on my studies. My friend, Missy and I met at the library early to confer about math.  By noon we were ready for a break and LUNCH. We headed to one of our favorite restaurants in Bethesda for lunch. The name: Café Delux. It is a casual American restaurant with high quality food. We sat down relieved to forget about our work for the time being. I ordered the macaroni and cheese with a side of broccoli. Missy ordered the grilled cheese. My meal was perfect. It wasn’t too cheesy and the bits of ham added much flavor.  The broccoli was good, balanced my meal and provided the much needed vitamins and minerals.  Missy thought that the grilled cheese was satisfying while not too heavy. She didn’t want to get food coma knowing that there was more studying to do after lunch.  She thought it was delicious with the accompanying tomato and bacon.  As our plates were cleared, we once again became anxious over our pending exams.  The delicious meal was becoming a fading memory.  But ultimately the meal was the perfect brain food and allowed us to study for the rest of the afternoon.

Eat Here Maybe?  YES

4910 Elm Street, Bethesda, MD 20814

(301) 656-3131

Macaroni and Cheese 

Grilled Cheese

Bring in Brickside

As happy as I am with all the delicious restaurants we have in Bethesda, it is always refreshing to add a new restaurant into the mix. An exciting one that is opening very soon is called Brickside Food and Drink on Cordell Avenue.  It is an American style restaurant, which took the place of now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t Bubby’s Deli. The interior consists of black garage doors, dark leather booths and brick walls. According to the chef , the restaurant is suppose to give off a “prohibition” feel.  It’s located just above the cycling studio where I exercise so I have watched this restaurant take shape.  It looks very “cool” and I can’t wait to try it!

Brickside

4866 Cordell Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814

(301) 312-6160

Chopt

My sister Ana and I were in need of a place to grab a quick lunch so we tried a new salad place in Bethesda called Chopt. It’s basically a make-your-own-salad bar except that you don’t actually make it yourself – the person behind the counter does it for you.  I’m sure that clears up some health concerns for those of us who don’t want to pick up any unwanted germs.  You just choose your salad type, select from the numerous amount of toppings, and finish with a dressing. My sister went for the classic chicken Caesar salad while I went with romaine lettuce, croutons, avocado, and vinaigrette dressing. You can take your salad to go or eat-in. We decided to sit down for a few moments to enjoy our salads. Ana is a chicken Caesar salad connoisseur and she thought her salad was perfect.  I loved mine as well.  The avocado  in particular was fresh and delicious with the vinaigrette dressing. Overall, Ana and I were very happy with our choice of salad and we will go back to try something new at the “they make it for you” salad bar.

Eat Here Maybe?  Yes

10307 Old Georgetown Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814

(240) 752-9942

Chicken Caesar Salad

Avocado Salad

New for BBQ

Barbecue fans will be happy to hear that a new barbeque restaurant opened a few days ago in Bethesda. It took over the former Asian Café and has transformed it into a fun new restaurant for barbeque fans. The new joint is called Smoke BBQ. They will be serving house-smoked pulled pork, beef brisket and smoked chicken. Some side dishes include macaroni and cheese, baked beans, collard greens and corn bread. Personally, I am a big fan of barbeque and I have high hopes for the success of this restaurant in Bethesda.

4858 Cordell Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814

 301-656-2011