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 

Made in China

The life of a senior in high school is filled with papers, tests, and college applications. We stress about our grades and colleges and stay up late to get it all done but we still have to eat. There are many nights when I am swamped with homework but still want a meal from one of many favorite restaurants in Bethesda. The solution to this problem is having good take-out and delivery options.  Sometimes there is nothing better than to have the excellent restaurant meal you were craving in the comfort of your own home. The downside is that many great restaurants do not deliver. When I am stuck at home and want a reliable and delicious delivered meal, I always turn to the same place -- a Chinese restaurant called Bethesda City Lights of China Restaurant or "City LIghts" for short. Tonight was one of those nights when I was too busy to go out so my family called in City Lights for dinner. We called the restaurant and ordered  fried rice, orange chicken "sauteed light", beef,and broccoli and fried meat dumplings. Within 45 minutes (often sooner) the delivery man was standing at my door with my food in hand waiting to be paid. (Note:  City LIghts takes both cash and credit). My family, as always, quickly devoured the food.  My sister described her meal as tasting “very authentic.”  We agreed that the fried rice had a good amount of beef, chicken, and shrimp in it without overpowering the rice. Other comments: "the dumplings were cooked “just right.” ,"the food is consistent and reliable", and "I love the "sauteed light" options".   City Lights never fails to impress my family.

Eat Here Maybe? YES

      Bethesda City Lights of China Restaurant

      4820 Bethesda Avenue  

      Bethesda, MD 20814

      (301) 913-9501 

      

Just Wing It

Happy Wednesday! Wednesday is an exciting day of the week for those living in and around Bethesda. You might ask why is Wednesday is such an anticipated day? Not only are we are closer to the weekend, but it also happens to be wing night at Hard Times Cafe. (Yes, we do get very excited for half price wings). On most Wednesday evenings, my friends and I head to Hard Times after a tough day of school and sport practices. Today was one of those days! Hard Times is the perfect place for a short break in the middle of a busy school week. It offers a casual and relaxed atmosphere. My friend and I split an order of boneless chicken wings with a blue cheese dipping sauce. My friend described the wings as having a "crunchy outer coating, and delicious spicy flavoring that provides a sensational meal." She also added that the wings were "Spicy yet satisfying." I agree with her. The wings are spicy.  I don't care too much for spice myself, but the addition of the blue cheese sauce mellows the heat of the wings and gives a delicious flavor. Here are a few pictures to stir your appetite and inspire a visit to Hard Times Cafe.

Eat Here Maybe?  YES

Hard Times Cafe

4920 Del Ray Ave.

Bethesda, MD 20814

(301) 951-3300

MMMM....YUM!

Hello and Welcome

Hello. My name is Meghan and I have grown up and lived in a wonderful area called Bethesda! This area is just right outside of Washington D.C. and is never boring. One thing I love the most about Bethesda is all the great restaurants. My friends and I constantly go into Bethesda whenever we are in the need for a fantastic meal. My friends and I can be very indecisive about where to eat and often spend most of the night thinking about where to go. I imagine many other people have this problem. That’s where I fit in. I hope to end the indecisiveness and questions about where to eat in Bethesda. I will blog about my experience’s and the food at restaurants in hopes to make your choose of restaurant that much easier. Hope you enjoy!