Park for Parkers

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas parties are around the corner so you would think that most people would be content to eat in for a while. Well, not me. I am always up for a good dinner out with friends.  I find conversation over food to be therapeutic.  This week I went out with my friends Missy and Heather and we decided on Parkers -- a family owned restaurant in the heart of Bethesda that has been around for some time. It was a cold night and we were happy to rest in the cozy restaurant. It turned out to be the perfect in-between the holidays spot for girl talk and a good meal.

We were all in the mood for chicken that evening-- a bit surprising considering we recently over indulged in turkey, which is a food cousin to chicken right?   Heather ordered a chicken quesadilla, which she claimed was “so good"!  She described the guacamole as perfect and the salsa a little spicy but not too much so. Both Missy and I ordered the chicken sandwich that comes with mozzarella, chipotle mayo and avocado. I decided to just have mozzarella with the chicken while Missy went for the sandwich as offered.  Missy found her sandwich to be “excellent” and went on to say that “The avocado was really fresh and the fries where perfectly salted. I was not particularly hungry when we arrived at the restaurant but I found my appetite as soon as the food came to the table.” The sandwich was cooked perfectly and I ate every bite.  I also had a side of sweet potato fries while Missy had regular ones. Both kinds of fries were very yummy and complimented the sandwich. Overall, I highly recommend Parkers for a casual night out with family or friends.  I hope everyone is enjoying the start of the holiday season!

Eat here maybe? Yes

4824 Bethesda Avenue Bethesda, MD 20814 (301) 654-6366

Chicken Quesadilla 

Regular Chicken Sandwich and regular fries 

Chicken Sandwich with just mozzarella and sweet potato fries

Asian Invasion

“I’m craving sushi!” was the consensus of my friends this Sunday afternoon. The Redskins lost (again) and clocks were set back so it felt late but we were still motivated for a dinner out.  We had no doubt in our minds on where to go for the best sushi in Bethesda. This place never fails to please our cravings. It's a one of a kind spot called Raku and it's right in the heart of Bethesda. It was a busy night, as usual, and there was no available tables but we found seats at the bar and settled in there. Raku offers a variety of Asian fusion type food but tonight our focus was on sushi.  I ordered the Rainbow Roll (a California roll with sashimi and avocado wrapped around it) and shared a side of chicken and pork dumplings. My friend, Dani, ordered the crunchy spicy tuna roll with tuna sashimi and shared the dumplings. My other friend, Missy, got the california roll with a side of rice. Dani loved her spicy tuna roll and said “The sushi was very satisfying. I was craving sushi and it hit the spot! The spicy tuna roll gets a kick from the sriracha but it is evened out with the coolness from the rice and tuna.” Missy described her meal as “boring" yet if still satisfied the craving. She elaborated by saying, "you don’t need to have an exotic meal to have a good meal.”  My rainbow roll was subtle with fresh pieces of fish and was well complimented by the salty soy sauce. The dumplings came on top of a pineapple star anise sauce. They were quite good.  Raku is one on my Bethesda favorites because the food is consistently delicious and there is almost always a good vibe going on.

Eat here maybe? Yes

7240 Woodmont Avenue  
Bethesda, MD 20814


(301) 718-8681

Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll with shashimi

 Rainbow Roll

California Roll with side of rice

Chicken and Pork Dumplings 

American Pride

Over the weekend, my sister and I were sitting at home on a Friday night looking for something to do. The answer to this problem was, of course, to eat out in Bethesda.  It’s always a good last resort if there is nothing else going on.  We hoped in my car and drove into Bethesda. Parking can be a pain, especially on the weekends and we spent twenty minutes aimlessly circling the parking garage.  But we knew it would be worth it.

            As we parked we had no trouble deciding where to eat. My sister has never tried one of my favorite restaurants, so I thought I’d introduce it to her. The restaurant is called The American Tap Room. Bethesda is most popular on Friday nights so we were praying that there wouldn’t much of a wait. We were lucky! We were seated right away at a table that allowed us to have a perfect view of the game playing on TV.

One of the first impressions made at the American Tap Room are the menus. What can be so great about a menu you wonder? Well, they glow! Besides being cool, they also allow you to read the menu without any trouble. Not only the electronic aspect of the menu but also the delicious food choices that were lit up mesmerized my sister

I decided on the salmon, and my sister opted for the chicken sandwich. As we waited for our meals to arrive, we munched on complimentary warm biscuits, which were delicious. Our meals arrived promptly. My salmon was cooked just right and was served with asparagus. My sister is a very picky eater and always hesitates to try something new.  The chicken sandwich doesn’t sound like a huge stretch but it was for her.  As it turned out, the risked paid off – she loved it.   She claimed it was perfectly cooked and she loved the addition of the old bay chips. “The chips and sandwich were a perfect combination,” she said. 

As we were finishing up, the manager approached my sister and I to ask us how we were enjoying our meals.   We gave him some sincere praise for the food. Luckily we saved room for dessert! We ordered s’more shooters. This looks as good as it sounds.  It’s made up of melted marshmallows, melted chocolate and graham cracker crumbs layered in a shot glass.  As they say, the best things always come in small packages.

Eat here maybe?  Yes

7278 Woodmont Avenue  

Bethesda, MD 20814

(301) 656-1366

Glowing menu 

Salmon 

Chicken Sandwich 

S'more Shooters 

Hustle for Mussel

 Sadly, the weekend has come to an end and now we must face the start of a new week.  Monday–- usually a tough day for most of us.  But it is also the day when we rehash the past weekend with friends and start thinking about plans for the upcoming weekend.  That makes it a perfect night to go out for a quick bite.  Not to mention it delays the homework stress for an hour or so. Tonight was cold and rainy but my friend and I decided to venture out anyway.  We went to a restaurant called The Mussel Bar. It’s casual and cozy – perfect for a dreary evening.  We stared with the crab drip as an appetizer.  It comes with bread for dipping. The dip was creamy, cheesy, and the crab itself was excellent and we should know something or two about crabs since we live in Maryland.  On to the entrée…. We figured mussels were the way to go in this establishment so my friend and I split the classic mussels with a side of sweet potatoe fries. My friend described the mussels as “fabulous.” I thought they had great flavor and were not too heavy. The classic broth was so good that we used the extra bread to get every last drop. The sweet potato fries were also delicious and in my friend’s words, “sweet and savory”.  And as all good fries should be they were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.  We left the restaurant and walked into pouring rain being full and satisfied.

Eat Here Maybe?   Yes

Mussel Bar

7262 Woodmont Avenue

Bethesda, MD 20814

(301) 215-7817

                                                 Crab Dip

                                                                Sweet Potato Fries

                                            Classic Mussels