pc "snoopy" z.'s Profile

Spa: Frizzles Salon of Alexandria
Treatment: European facial for $42.50 + tip on $85

First, THANK YOU yelp for hosting this Hawt on Yelp special. It was the only way I was going to venture out and try a facial place in the greater DMV area. For some reason, DC is way expensive on spa/salon/beauty stuff compared to NYC and LA so I'm a bit reluctant to try a new facial place when it will set you back triple digits.

Anyway, I'm not your typical frou-frou girl who wants the mystically calming experience of a full facial. I want the gunk in my pores extracted, my pores shrunk, and my face to feel clean and relaxed after I'm done. Without super distracting music or chatter. Frizzles salon definitely fits the bill and I'll definitely be back!

I was super tardy (darn 395-S was whittled down to one lane! took me over an hour to get there from the Hill), BUT they didn't give me a hard time or shave much off the of the hour facial I was supposed to get, so major props to Frizzles.

My facial person was Patricia. Besides the typical tons o' facial creams/cleansers that she used, she spent a good chunk of time on extractions. I love extractions, and it never felt uncomfortable while she did it. She put little things on my eyes to block the light (she totally had one of those rolling magnifying glasses, kinda like at the dentist). She also used a brush to exfoliate my face. She was very considerate, and let me know what she was doing without being distracting. I also got a hand/arm and neck/upper back massage for a bit. They use all dermalogica products, which, 3 days later, have my skin still holding on as baby soft.

Another major point: They weren't pushy with products. Once I told her I used sunscreen and moisturizer, she smiled and sent me out.

The only things I didn't like were the distracting noise from the salon itself, and the music started repeating after about 30 minutes. Is it enough to knock it down a star? Probably not. Maybe 1/4 of a star. So 4.75 stars it is.

Points for being metro accessible! Maybe I'll do that next time to avoid traffic on Saturdays.

When there are places in the district with good customer service and a decent product/service, I have to give them 5 stars!

The owner is super friendly and always remembers me from the last time I came in (has it been that long since I dry cleaned that suit? oops). She also does some tailoring (my sleeves on a suit jacket, hems on a lined suit pant) which isn't too expensive but isn't cheap either ($40 for both hemmings).

There's a nice little "changing room" for your alterations too (a curtain hung on one of those super curved shower curtain rods and a mini stage). Their hours are longer than many cleaners in the area too (7am to 7pm).

Summary: Authentic, cheap GOOD eats for Eastern Market area.

You'll have to forgive them for their cheesy name. This mom-and-pop Salvadorian (and token Mexican food) place is awesome. Their prices are super reasonable, and they operate as part take-out, part cafeteria-style sit down, part grocery. The only complaint I have is that they close super early (something like 7 or 730 on weekdays). Boo that.

Their jalapeno sauce, while it has some heat, is amazingly smooth. And you can buy it to go if you're not into getting a hot meal right-this-second. Good guacamole too, and their pupusas are super filling and good comfort food! Their ceviche is pretty good as well, although it wasn't especially memorable.

Drinks: horchata! and they've got passionfruit juice as well. They also are one of the only local places with coconut juice(in the cans in the fridge). I highly recommend trying their passionfruit juice (don't know the spanish name).

As for customer service, the woman behind the counter is always super nice and perky...I wonder what she has for breakfast, because I want some of that.

I'll have to followup when I try more of their menu.

Sanphan now delivers!
Better than Old Siam down in Barracks row (a block and a half away) and priced slightly lower. I can attest that the green curry has a good portion of spice, their noodles aren't too sweet, and their service is much better. I always get their Pad Sew Ew, Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles, Green Curry, or one of the specials of the day.

The only thing that Old Siam probably does better is their tom yum and tom kha soups. Otherwise, Sanphan wins handsdown for their noodle quality, spiciness level, and portion size.

The line alone made me skeptical. I know L'efant isn't renowned for its food choices...so anything with a line might be decent. That's no guarentee though. I waited in line for 15 minutes to get a stromboli, while my friend got a pizza slice. Not worth the wait, but still pretty decent.

This place had pretty good pizza (the pepperoni was good and not especially over oily). The prices are okay ($2.99 for a "jumbo" slice of pepperoni, $4something for a stromboli). The meat stromboli had way too much cheese and not enough sausage + pepperoni. Also, since the guys behind the counter are super busy, our order didn't get to sit in the oven for very long and it was lukewarm. Congealed cheese = sad. Also sad that they use styrofoam cups these days, but I'm just an environmental dork from California.

If I were to be really fair and compare it to everything else near l'efant, I would give it 3 stars. It's obnoxiously loud door squeakiness (can we say wd40?), long line, and location/setup (past a security guard, behind a support beam, and it almost hits the nearest table) makes me knock it back down to two stars. And yet again, the lukewarmness of the meal didn't help either.

One of the few gems amongst the abysmal options in the L'efant area. The women behind the counter are always super nice, and their chai tea latte is pretty awesome (I like 'em sweet, like Starbucks but better). Their portions sizes for drinks are larger than standard(not big gulp proportions, but larger than Sbux). I always go here for a pick me up during the work day, since the people are nice, the service is fast, and their chai is to die for. Support a local business and go to Olympic Espresso!

Was here for the G20 last week.
Maybe it's just a reflection on Pittsburgh (and other nonDC cities) that the service here was really good, and the people were extremely nice! Our waiter definitely answered more than his fair share of questions (what comes on the waffles? caramel you say!). No problem getting water and coffee refills (we needed both for sure). And of course they'll call a cab for you while you settle the bill because it's raining. :)

The eggs and bacon in my "The Morning After" special were your standard diner fare...but the HOTCAKES. OMG they were so good. I swear they are cooked in bacon grease or something, and the perimeter of them is edged in crispy goodness 2 inches in. And I only got the plain ones (come with butter, and you can add syrup). Other tablemates got strawberries (sugar added) and banana (sugar not added, so less sweet).

Decor is 1950s nostalgic B&W photographs posted everywhere. Classic diner tables and chairs.

Great way to end a trip to Pittsburgh. Doesn't hurt that FLOTUS, POTUS, and the Japanese prime minister ate here either.

Basic tip for fast Asian restaurants: Order using the number of the item if you can't even attempt to pronounce its name. However, the menu does have enough English in the descriptions for you to guess what you're ordering, even if you're unfamiliar with pho.

2 large bowls of pho (I got meatball, my bf got beef tendon/flank/tripe), 1 vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, and one lemonade set us back about $20 + tip. I had completely forgotten how much that caffeine that coffee had, so be sure you want to be up and about later if you get it.

Broth was flavorfull and clear, and it came with plenty of bean sprouts, basil, peppers and lime on the side. Hoisin and siracha standard on the side. If you haven't had vietnamese meatballs, they're the best of the asian meatballs! And they're not stingy here with the meat or noodles, so you'll definitely be full.

Service was super fast, so I imagine this place is great when it gets a little cooler and you want hot soup ASAP.

Some weird notes: Why do they have a giant Chinese scroll in the middle of the room? and this place suffers from a strict closing time (8pm) and the super thin napkins in difficult to use dispensers. I'll give it 4.5 stars for being one of the few Vietnamese places in DC, and for actually having good pho (Cleveland Park's Nam Viet fails on that front).

Will followup review when I'm less congested and have tried a few more dishes!

Taxidermists dream, aka enough dead animals on the walls to shake a stick at.
But surprisingly, as an animal lover, I still love this neighborhood bar. Good drinks, decent prices, and a cast of regulars that are friendly chatters. Usually busy but not too packed. And the best part...not as flooded hill staffers as some of the other capitol bars. Enough to be amusing, not enough to feel like I'm swimming in clean cut, blue shirt and khaki/suit land.

One tip for eating Ethiopian food: Only eat with people you trust to wash their hands(there's bread involved). Also, just read the descriptions, and stick with basic things like Awaze tibs or a vegetarian sampler.

Another perk: you can almost have individualish dishes here, unlike at the other restaurants in the area, so that worry about sanitation is a little abated. This place tends to get a bit more crowded than other ones, so you might want to reserve on Friday and Saturday.

I am not a vegetarian by any definition of the word, but I love their cabbage here!  I would order extra cabbage, and still want more! I always love the Awaze tibs, and the fish. You do get extremely full on less food because it's more time consuming to eat. Kind of like the same concept as fajitas or hummus - bread and stuff you wrap/dip it in.