Beth B.'s Profile

I can only give Cristina's 5 stars because 6 stars isn't an option!

If you find yourself in Strasburg or are just passing through, Cristina's Cafe is a must for any self-respecting food lover. Crissy and Wendy Willis have worked hard to create an atmosphere that is cozy, warm and inviting. The craft beer selection is one of the best in the area with 50+ different bottled American craft beers and 3 on draft. They also sport a great wine selection and homemade boutique cocktails. And if you love coffee - the baristas at Cristina's are the best - serving local beans in a variety of different styles.

Cristina's serves delicious food crafted from local ingredients - meats, produce, dairy - sometimes with a Mexican flair and always a treat. Many of the Mexican recipes have been passed down through several generations so you're not going to find them any place else. We love Mama Donna's empanadas - once you try them you'll be hooked. They also offer a variety of homemade cookies, pies and cakes which are to die for.

On the weekends, Cristina's brings local, live entertainment to their stage as well as open mic nights. And in the summer, the patio is a gorgeous oasis to enjoy dinner and a beer.

You can always count on a great drink, dinner and a show. Run, don't walk to Cristina's!

We knew nothing about Ilona's other than it got rave reviews on http://BeerAdvocate.com. Being huge beer lovers on a desperate search for "good beer" in Key West, we decided to give it a shot. All I can say is RUN, don't walk, to Ilona's.

Located in a back alley between Duval and Whitehead, Ilona's is truly a hidden gem of Key West. Owners Jack and Ilona rehabbed the building and it it gorgeous. Outdoor seating hosts dining under an enormous Banyan tree. Indoor seating is cozy and romantic. They have a great outdoor bar where you can enjoy a beer. And when I say "beer", I mean the great selection of the craft beer you've been looking for.

If you love beer Ilona's offers a fantastic selection of craft beer that owner Jack rotates out regularly. During our visit, he offered Avery White Rascal (one of my faves), Holy Mackerel's Panic Attack (10% ABV Belgian), Well's Banana Bread, Full Sail IPA and about 30 others. There is always something new in bottles and on tap so check back often.

I'll be honest. At first I thought "Hungarian food? In Key West?" YES! It was surprising how well the amazingly delicious food paired with the beer. We started the evening with Hungarian Nachos (WHAT?) which were superb. Fluffy french fries smothered in spiced pork - really, really good. The entree menu offers a delightful variety of traditional Hungarian dishes and none of us could decide on just one. So Jack offered up a platter of three dishes with a side of homemade dumplings. We enjoyed Chicken Paprikash (my friend Gregg says its the best Paprikash he's ever had), Beef Goulash (tender beef cubes with Hungarian spices) and Transylvanian Cabbage (pork cubes smothered in sauerkraut, onions, spices - AMAZING!) My Avery White Rascal wheat beer paired perfectly with everything. And the generous portions will fill you up in no time.

For those of you thinking that this must had cost a fortune - it didn't. This is probably the most reasonably priced "fine dining" experience that you will have in Key West.

Our time at Ilona's was complimented by the live entertainment of Dave Bootle. Supported by his keyboard and drum machine, Dave is talented, fun and hilarious.

I really can't say enough about Ilona's. It was truly a Key West night that's going to be hard to top.

Sadly, El Comal is closed. We wish Joe and his family the best.

Don't let the exterior of this little bistro fool you, Sona Restaurant is the real deal. The interior is stylish and cozy, with plenty of seating. Each dish is expertly made with care and love by Chef/Owner Shiv Kumar. I'll admit that I was not a fan of Indian cuisine, but after meeting Shiv and being invited to the restaurant, I figured why not. I'm glad I went. Our meal was absolutely delicious. Each course was so flavorful that we couldn't wait for the next. Shiv gave us a tour of the kitchen which was very clean and organized. He explained how he prepared our dishes and gave us a primer on the basics of Indian food. Sona Restaurant also features wine dinners, chef dinners and cooking classes. If you are looking for incredible Indian food and an all-around good time, give Sona Restaurant a try!

We love visiting Bark 'N Bubbles Ashburn. The tubs make is so easy to bathe both small and large dogs. When I bathe my large dogs at home there is always a giant mess. But when I visit BNB, I get to leave the mess there! Actually there is less mess because they have the tools you need to give a dog bath without the hassle. The next time your pup needs a bath, check out Bark 'N Bubbles. It's worth it!

Just what Herndon needed! It's always a treat to stop by Bark 'N Bubbles. The tubs make it so easy to wash your dog (no more sore back) and there is no mess to clean-up. The staff is always helpful. The pups LOVE visiting!

I'll preface this by saying that I love hot dogs. When Joe's Dog House in Herndon closed I was heart broken. Since then we've moved to Front Royal where there are no good hot dog joints.

Luckily, my husband works in Herndon and when he goes into the office he often eats at the Wiener Circle. He would taunt me with tales of tasty dogs, so when I found myself in Reston last week, I had to try it out.

The Wiener Circle is only open from 11:30am-2:00pm and it was 1:45pm. So I high-tailed it over to a very unassuming strip mall in front of an industrial park which houses this outstanding little restaurant. There are no tables, so plan to carry-out. The place is tiny, but the food is fantastic. I ordered a 4oz beef dog and fries which were cooked on the spot and served hot and fresh. I added ketchup (yes, I know its a sacrilege), onions and brown mustard. The staff was incredibly friendly and chatted me up as I waited for my dog. I proceeded to eat my lunch in the car as I was late to a meeting, but I'm here to tell you...that was one tasty dog. Fries were also really good. I highly recommend The Wiener's Circle to anyone who appreciates a good hot dog.

We visit the pedestrian mall in old town Winchester frequently and have passed by this place often. We ended up here last week because it was raining and we didn't want to run in the rain to Winchester Thai. So we popped into Violino Ristorante wet, cold and with no reservations.

It was a Friday night and the place was packed. Even without a reservation, the happily seated us once a table became available. We only waited about 5 minutes. We started the meai with cocktails, bruschetta and calamari. The bruschetta came with a variety of toppings and were all quite good. The calamari was well prepared and tasty. Next we ordered some wine and beer and shared a pasta course with Rosemary and mushrooms - the pasta was homemade and delicious. My main course was Veal Paganini - veal scallopini with sun dried tomatos - so tasty! We had the choice of pasta or stuffed cabbage as a side. I had the cabbage and it was just as good as the veal.

If you are in the mood for really good Italian food in a fine dining atmosphere check out Violino Ristorante.

Let me preface my review by stating that I am a little biased as I visit the bar quite often and love the staff. It is the only place in Front Royal that is anywhere close to a "real bar" and has a full bar and great beer selection. Lucky Star Lounge also has live entertainment throughout the week.

With that said, I've had a couple of meals here that were just OK. So, we didn't eat there often. But recently we had a guest staying with us who was a vegetarian and good veggie restaurants are few and far between in Front Royal. So, I punted and took him to Lucky Star as they have a pretty extensive vegetarian menu. I am not a vegetarian, so for the first meal I ordered the special - pulled pork BBQ sandwich. It was REALLY good. I mean, REALLY good. And I know good BBQ. It was so good in fact that when we went there a second time, I begged them to make more BBQ for me, but unfortunately they were out. Instead, I had the hot ham and brie sandwich with honey mustard and it was very, very good. The service is always fantastic and the wait staff is very friendly and accommodating.

So if you are rolling through Front Royal and are looking for a place to get a good beer, great meal and maybe watch a little TV - check out Lucky Star Lounge.

The Wine and Duck is a tiny restaurant almost hidden by the movie theater in downtown Front Royal. We wanted something a little different and love duck, so we decided to check it out.

The tiny dining room was packed during our visit so we sat in the window seats. I had a lovely pinot grigio and my husband had a beer. I started with the French onion soup, which may well be the best French onion soup I've ever had. Next up was the spinach salad with warm dressing. My salad had a little too much dressing, but it was still pretty tasty. They actually gave my salad to the wrong table, and when MY salad arrived offered to give me a free dessert for the mix-up. I had the duck with tamarind and pickled daikon radish. The duck was delicious but the radishes were so pickled that you couldn't eat more than a couple. My husband also had a duck dish with a heavy but incredibly flavorful sauce. We were so stuffed from dinner that we passed on the free dessert. I highly recommend the Wine and Duck if you are in the mood for a tasty, cozy meal.