Erik "with a K" W.'s Profile

Sadly, my first visit to Bodega will also likely be my last. We were greeted by a sign proclaiming "Going out of business! 40% off all groceries, 15% off beer & wine."

Since it's unlikely that Louisvillians will be able to enjoy the excellent lunch entrees we tasted and the delicious mascarpone mixed berry cake, or the impressive selection (even in its picked-over state) of groceries and alochol, suffice it to say that downtown Louisville is losing a gem.

We were headed to the Louisville Airport from Lexington and wanted to grab some relatively quick lunch since the food options in SDF are abysmal.  I looked up some places nearby and settled on Mirage for its high reviews and super convenient location.

The falafel was easily the best element of the meal.  They were hot, fresh and crispy.  The inside was a wonderful, not-too-ground-up, not-too-chunky, just-right mixture of chick pea, parsley and plentiful garlic.

None of us were extremely hungry, so we all ended up with small meals. In fact, three of the four ordered the Hummus & Shawarma plate, one each with beef, chicken, and gyro meat. I think the best thing about Mirage is their variety of Mediterranean salads.  Many of the plates come with a choice of 2 salads, which is great for getting variety of flavors.  I love tahini-based Jerusalem salad, and Mirage makes a solid version.

Their specials were varied and looked delicious, so I will definitely head back here the next time I'm flying in or out of SDF.

Homebody is one of several great home decor stores in the District, with a solid selection of Umbra, Fred, Bodum and other standard modern home brands.  What's best about Homebody, though, are the owners, Henriette & Erin, who are super friendly, helpful and fun.

Homebody has occasional events with wine and snacks where you can meet local artists and designers and they also have good sales at various times throughout the year that make it just that much more difficult to resist splurging on a beautiful new lamp or a espresso cup set.

Stop into Homebody the next time you are on Barracks Row.

Like Amy S, I can't speak for authenticity, but I know tasty food when I eat it.

The ambience is unassuming the service is friendly, the prices are decent the food was delicious.  My plate of Edie Alata, cubed, sauteed chicken came out on a bed of perfectly cooked rice with nicely cooked, but not mushy collard greens.  The food was piping hot which is one of my favorite things at new restaurant!

Sad to hear that they're currently moving from Bardstown Road, but hope they'll reopen in a new location soon!

Lechon con Asado. Yes please.

I mean there's really not all that much more to say.

Except that their Mojitos are amazing and will git. you. drunk.

Oh and the ropa vieja is far more appetizing than the name "old clothes" might imply.

And the yucca frita is some of the best cooked yucca I've ever had.

So it turns out I could keep going.  Just go there and experience for yourself.

Pulp is my go to destination in DC for any greeting card occasion.  They sell a bunch of independent and local cards from different companies and printing presses and they really run the gamut from touching to irreverent, schmaltzy to insulting.  As an LGBT-run business, Pulp also has all kinds of cards and gifts for LGBT occasions, couples, etc, something you usually can't find at Hallmark.

They have great party favors, stationery, planners, books, decor and other random stuff and a very good selection of DC flag-based memorabilia, from canvas shopping bags to flasks.

All in all, Pulp is a 14th Street institution.  Thank goodness it was saved from the plight of post-gentrification price-outedness by an angel investor!

I was unbelievably disappointed in my Reuben's Cousin sandwich.  What had such potential turned out to be a dried-out heap of otherwise good quality thick corned beef slices, 3 shreds of sauerkraut, and a 1/4 teaspoon of Russian dressing.  There was so little moisture in the whole sandwich, at times it felt like I was biting into a stack of paper towels.

My french fries were limp, cool and flavorless.  The cucumber and tomato salad with eggplant I had was pretty darn bland.  The tahini sauce that came with the side of falafel lacked the slightly-bitter kick I expect from a tahini.

The only reason I'm willing to give Eli's 2 stars instead of 1 is because the Falafel was actually pretty tasty.  So if you're insistent on going, stick with the chick pea balls, everything else was just, well, balls.

In a neighborhood that is starved for retail, you generally can't expect much in the way of coffee, usually you're lucky to have a Starbucks.  That was the plight of Navy Yard until this morning, when Lot 38 opened.

I would have been happy to have a Caribou or Firehook or some other non-Starbucks chain with decent coffee that would have at least spread the demand across two stores rather than cramming a Metro-train full of people every 10 minutes into the tiny little cookie-cutter Starbucks at M & New Jersey.

Instead what we got was a gem! A beautiful, clean, little coffee shop with ample seating on a second floor that will no doubt have wonderful views once Canal Park across the street is completed.  They serve Illy coffee and the cappuccino I order this morning was superb, matching the quality I've experienced at DC institutions like Peregrine, Filter and M.E. Swing.  The place itself was a little sterile feeling, but I'll chalk that up to the fact that the doors had opened 2 hours earlier and you could still smell the fresh paint and new countertops.

This place will be my new afternoon pick-me-up destination when I need to venture out of cubeland.

I've not been in the International Bike Center, but I recently bought a gift certificate from them for my sister who lives a couple blocks away.  Shortly after I completed my order, I got a personal e-mail from Jason at IBC thanking me for my order and assuring me that the gift card would be mailed that afternoon.

Impressed with the prompt response, I wrote him back asking if they had any good "fashion" helmets because I knew my sister was on the hunt for something a little less lycra-inducing than the standard road helmet she has. He suggested a couple brands and said they could special order a number of options if my sister came in and found something she liked.

I was very pleased by the personal attention. I'll be sure to stop in in person the next time I'm visiting Boston!

Mike is an extremely knowledgeable and helpful mortgage broker.  While I was in the process of searching for the right home loan, I spoke to Mike on the phone several times after 9pm sometimes for more than an hour while he explained to me my various options and the costs and benefits of each were.  I did not get this kind of service from any other lenders I was considering.  I think that says a lot.