Justin "Perpetually Procrastinated Penmanship" C.'s Profile

This event really didn't have anything to do with Yelp (as far as I could tell), but I'll go ahead and lump it in with the other events since that's who provided us access, and there were quite a few Yelpers there. It's actually a tasting event hosted by Beam Global, a spin-off of brands formerly owned by Fortune Brands, one of the largest liquor holding companies in the world before being split up. For folks who don't know, most of the major spirits around the world are owned by just a handful of consolidated companies, so it shouldn't really be a surprise to see so many well-known brands fall under one umbrella. What this allowed for here was essentially a something-for-everyone kind of situation, and for those who like multiple types of spirits it was a real treat to have virtually unlimited access for several hours to some great brands.

Sank and I had a bit of difficulty in locating the actual Stars and Stripes Club at the Nationals ballpark, but this allowed us a couple minutes of unfettered access to the whole stadium, including a few areas I'm pretty sure we shouldn't have been in. Once we did link up with Theresa, Sahar, and Amanda in the actual line though it moved really quickly, and I don't believe any of us were even ID'ed, aside from checking our names off a list.

I was expecting just a few tables with some decent brands to carry the name but mostly swill to push on people for new promotions, but we were rewarded with quite an impressive lineup (although the garbage like Skinny Girl and Pucker still managed to make its way in), and probably close to 50 different labels to try, if you were so inclined. Of particular note, for me, was Booker's bourbon (the only uncut bourbon, straight off the cask at ~126 proof, and one of my personal favorites), along with its smaller cousin Baker's, two versions of Laphroaig (the 10 year and Quarter Cask, if I recall correctly), several types of Cruzan's rum (including the outstanding Single Barrel and the 9 Spice aged rum), Maker's Mark new "46" label (their first new recipe in over 50 years), and a few things from Courvoisier (a Rose, the new "C" label, and Exclusif, a version of their cognac meant to be mixed into a cocktail). There were a couple other good offerings, but these were definitely the standouts. Some reps were quite knowledgeable, while others simply made up information when questioned.

A few mixing tables were set up as well, one by a guy who was supposed to be a master mixologist for the Beam brands (although I really didn't see anything too special about his on-the-fly creations), and another at the extended bar where you could try any number of custom recipes using various brands that were represented. I only tried one of these, the Dancing with the Devil, at Brian's suggestion, and it was pretty fantastic. It's a mixture of Jim Beam Devil's Cut bourbon, triple sec, lemon sour, passion fruit juice, and a few dashes of Tabasco, served chilled. The addition of the Tabasco is usually an automatic win for me, but I've never had it blended with passion fruit juice and I'm now totally sold on the combination.

I wish I had a change to try a few more of their cocktails, but the lines for everything started getting a bit out of control towards the end of the evening. I couldn't even tell at the Maker's Mark table if people were waiting for alcohol or the hand-dipped shot glasses...same thing at the Beam table with their make-your-own bourbon recipe bottles. I had no problem waiting in that line though for a chance to meet Fred Noe (Booker Noe's son, and the grandson of Jim Beam himself) and have him sign my mashbill, as we sipped on his father's delicious bourbon recipe.

There were indeed slim pickings for food here, and I ate more trail mix and peanuts than I probably do in an entire year just to keep my palate distracted from inordinate amount of straight liquor being poured. Luckily there was never a problem getting water here either, nature's cure for most booze related ailments. I did, on one occasion, happen to get a piece of indiscernible chicken on a stick, but that sums up the entirety of my hors d'oeuvre sampling for the evening. If you didn't eat before (as I did at Justin's Café) then you were probably hurting after.

Most of the real fun from this event though came from the mingling with good friends, most of whom are pretty well educated in the tomes of spirit lore, and seeing their take on the offerings. I know Brian, Ruth, Sank, Sahar and Amanda are all much more into scotch than myself, so it was a treat to be able to expose them to a few of my favorite bourbons here. We also got a chance to finally meet the (in)famous Paola, who was just as nice and charming in person as she is to those who don't mock her dislike of injera online. Overall it was a pretty successful night, and while there were flaws, it's got to get five stars from me based on the soul of the event, which was alcohol education with a bit of flair.

**** 4.5 stars ****

Inside it basically looks like every other hotel restaurant, in fact even hotel guests might completely overlook it, so I'm not surprised DC diners have failed to find this truly hidden gem specializing in Southern inspired cuisine. As my friend Ashley said, the name sure isn't helping their cause...Grist Mill doesn't exactly conjure up thoughts of a pleasant dining experience. Somewhat ironically though, had she not been bragging about her own homemade chicken pot pie I would have likely never found this place myself. It's amazing what we'll do to satisfy a craving.

When we came in we weren't even sure where the restaurant is, as the bar dominates the forefront of the lobby area. The Jose Cuervo / Crown Royal girls on site even hooked us up with some free mixed drinks as we searched for some sign of a hostess or delineation of space. Finally as we explored further towards the back of the area a lady sat up from her seat and showed us to the actual table area. There's no doubt that this is mid-level hotel staff and service (The Grist Mill is located inside a Hilton Garden Inn directly across from the McPherson Square Metro). They are nice, friendly, but not really quite professional caliber.

Some of this inexperience, or rather lack of expertise, extends to the kitchen as well, although not nearly as much. Their main issue basically revolved around poor timing of firing dishes, resulting in too much food coming out too quickly. Unlike a large percentage of Americans who prefer to shove as much food as possible as quickly as possible into their mouths, I prefer to wait a bit in between courses, to chat with my dining companion(s), and allow my stomach time to digest each portion. It might be a reflection of the average customer's expectations here, and if that's the case then no fault to them, but by my estimation they need to slow down a bit. And now, on to the actual food, which was definitely the highlight of the evening and beats out competitors like B. Smith's and Georgia Brown's, for less cost.

True to Southern hospitality, they started us off with some fresh baked biscuits and soft, creamy butter. These are, no joke, the best biscuits I've had anywhere in DC. If you've had Bojangles biscuits in NC (sorry, but the ones here don't compare) then you're familiar with the buttermilk recipe that works so well. It was a nice unexpected start to the meal and probably the most truly authentic Southern part of the experience.

I started off our actual orders with 3 appetizers (and then after ordering entrees the waitress asked me if I was sure I could eat all that...honey, you have no idea), the lamb lollipops, mini chicken pot pie, and lobster mac and cheese. Surprisingly, my mom actually loved the lamb lollipops, with its strong gorgonzola cheese on the side and red curry dipping sauce. This is nowhere remotely near Southern cuisine, and she's not an adventurous eater by any means, so this was astonishing for me. I liked it as well, although it wasn't readily clear how all the elements were supposed to integrate, so I just wound up smearing chunks of cheese all over my lamb. The lobster-mac wound up being my favorite item of the whole evening, and I even preferred it to the highly regarded Equinox mac and cheese. It's incredibly decadent and rich and the cheese is baked perfectly in the skillet. The chicken pot pie didn't quite match my expectations, but I think they did about as well as possible for an individual serving (if you can't grasp how difficult this is to perfect then you've never tried making it). The crust was brilliantly fluffy, but you wound up having to peel it off then pour the vegetables on top in order to get the full immersion of flavors.

The main portion sizes are huge, and that tipped me off a bit about my server's reservations on me ordering so many items. My mom managed to finish all of her grilled herbed chicken breast, but she barely put a dent in the vegetable succotash. It was loaded with Brussels sprouts, lima beans, peas, carrots, mushrooms, and a Meyer lemon gastrique, definitely a great health conscious dish. My country fried steak was even larger though, sitting atop a bed of whipped mashed potatoes and sweet peas and drowned in black pepper gravy. Some parts of it were a bit too chewy, perhaps not tenderized enough, but overall I think they nailed the flavor of a dish I grew up eating regularly.

We wrapped up the meal with the French toast bread pudding. It was a pretty solid rendition of the dessert I'm easily the most critical of, and I was glad to see the rum sauce not overpower the actual breading, a common mistake. The whipped cream seemed a bit superfluous, I would have preferred ice cream, but aside from that there weren't any real noticeable flaws. The French toast part is unmistakable here, you really get the sense they made that first and then split it up into little bits to form what is essentially a bread pudding muffin.

The Spanish surge in the DC food truck world just got a bit stronger this month, with the addition of Tapas Truck, following quickly on the heels of Jose Andres' eponymous "Pepe" truck. This one takes a totally different approach, with a variable menu that offers extremely high value. I can honestly say that dollar for filling (including quality) I received here was higher than any truck I can recall, with the huge BBQ portions from Carnivore being the only one that really comes close. I'm glad to see more trucks embracing this adaptable menu format, as many customers will quickly grow tired of you if they see you stuck on repeat forever.

Since there were only 3 options, and you can taste all 3 for only $9, Amanda and I both decided to go that route, and wound up being rewarded with what appeared to be a 4th dish, although I'm not certain if this is something that is meant to accompany one of the named items or not. Right away you could feel the weight of the plate, and opening it up (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) you could see that it wasn't just 2 or 3 things with different sauces, but 4 very distinct items all with different approaches on Spanish flavors. While I will say that these dishes may not exactly correlate to staunchly traditional Spanish cuisine, there is no doubt that the influence is present.

The dishes on the day we visited were:

- Spanish Chorizo served with a garlic aioli and potato fries Provencal: The sausage was cooked just right and although it wasn't quite as spicy as I would expect from a real Spanish chorizo it did have substantial flavor. The aioli went a long way in adding some extra flavor to the fries, which were done better than any other food truck I've had since Fry Captain went out of commission.
- Chicken Verdeo which is sautéed in a scallion cream sauce and served with saffron rice: My favorite dish on the plate, this was a burst of flavors and plentiful with the chicken. The rice was a really nice compliment and had quite a distinguishable presence in itself. To me this was a great example of simple food that has been elevated, and what food trucks should really focus on to provide unique flavors to a constantly evolving palate.
- Shrimp Pil-pil in a spicy garlic-tomato sauce served on a crouton: This was the only dish that had any real noticeable flaws, but they were more my pickiness rather than serious deficiencies. The crouton is obviously a bit stiff in order to support that shrimp and sauce that sits atop it, which is problematic when trying to figure out how to cut into it with a plastic knife and fork. I wound up going just a wee bit too hard and made a crack in the plastic container, which seeped through red sauce onto my pants, ack. The shrimp were tiny but there were certainly a lot of them, and the sauce had some actual heat to it, a really nice surprise!
- Mystery vegetarian dish: I believe the base for this was couscous, although I don't eat enough of these types of grains to be certain whether it was that or bulger wheat. Whatever the case, it was filled with chickpeas, green onion, shredded carrot, and cranberries, and was a very nice, refreshing counter-balance to the strong flavors of the 3 main items. This is something I wouldn't ever have picked off the menu given the other meat options, so I'm really glad they included it to expose me to something different.

We decided to wrap up our lunch by splitting an order of their caramel flan, priced at $4. I'm not typically a fan of this dessert, but this one avoided a lot of the pitfalls that normally turn me off about it. The sweetness wasn't quite so intense as others, and the chalky, cloying presence was thankfully absent. There was an abundance of the caramel sauce sloshing around at the bottom of the container, which I liberally applied to every bite.

They do take credit cards, which I was glad to see as I will be making many visits to this truck as the menu continues to change. For such a small price I was able to sample 4 very unique options for mobile dining, at the cost of roughly one single tapas item at a place like Boqueria (and honestly I enjoyed the food more here than anything from that actual restaurant). This is the second truck from the owners of Mojo, and definitely keeps pace with the quality mark that truck made.

Columbia Room has the best cocktails in DC.  If you argue with me on that then the simple truth is that you are incorrect. There are many instances where I will grant everyone a difference of opinion when it comes to varying experiences, not here. If you don't like the drinks, that's OK, they're still the best, made to perfection, and taste-tested before presentation, every time. I suppose that level of confidence deserves some sort of justification, which I'll do my best to provide, but honestly there's no substitute for experiencing it for yourself and fully comprehending just how marvelous a masterfully made drink can be.

When compared to the other speakeasies that exist in this area, most specifically PX and The Gibson, this bar most closely resembles what you would expect when that term is invoked. Unlike the other two it is solely a bar area (with a small area between the bar and The Passenger to act as a flow through) where the experience is amplified by close, intimate discourse between you and your mixologist. Additionally, you can't really just walk in here like you can on a slow night at PX or Gibson, unless you're very good friends with the bartenders and they happen to somehow not be fully booked. It's a professional bar, with exceptional spirits, and no matter who does your crafting there won't be a drop-off (Derek Brown, the creator, is a master, but his presence isn't mandatory for top-notch drinks as much as Todd Thrasher's is at PX). Most importantly, the drinks here always taste like the fine alcohol you're paying for, not some sugary additive or unique bitter. Those elements are unquestionably present, but they're not the key focus.

Every experience I've had here has been outstanding, and all significantly different, and they've all provided fantastic memories of what easily make up probably 7 of my 10 favorite drinks in DC. How better to mark my 500th review? I followed the no photography rule for most of my initial visits, so since my memory ain't what it used to be I'm really only going to comment on the last 2 trips I was wise enough to shoot (please see photos for full descriptions).

This past December I visited with Nicole, Jan, and Michelle, to celebrate Nicole's graduation. It was the 1st trip for them, so I got to watch as they became entranced by the magic. One of them did the seasonal tasting (which I think is interesting, but I prefer to stick to a la carte), so we got to experience a few really unique drinks, such as the warming Yule Glogg, with a wonderful spice blend and even bits to nibble on in the bottom. A few of Michelle's drinks were incredibly unique as well, especially the Betty's Bronx, a spin on the Ugly Betty cocktail, using both an aperitivo and digestive wine in the mix.

My drinks stole the show though, as they often do, because they're made based on my exact (or loosely, when I'm feeling uninspired) cravings at the time. The King's Ransom, with Old Tom gin, lemon, orgeat, honey, and black pepper tincture, was my 2nd favorite drink ever from here, an incredible combination I would have never dreamed up. After that I wanted something spicy, and the Sunset delivered with Domain de Canton, Pisco, loads of Tabasco (on the 2nd attempt, after some drunken blind prick drank my 1st), Peychaud's and egg white, providing plenty of body to soak up the kick. I wrapped up the night with the most delicious dessert drink I've tasted, a Brandy Alexander, using Fundador brandy, Crème de Cacao, nutmeg and crème. It was so indulgent the only way it could have been more perfect was as a gelato.

The most recent journey back was with Suzy, after already visiting The Gibson, in order to show her the place I come to get spiritual with spirits. Somehow this visit surpassed all others, partially due to the company, and partially due to allowing even more flexibility at the hands of the genius Katie, who runs the bar program. Again, her drinks were great, especially the Horses Neck with a Kick, featuring Hibiki 12 year, whiskey barrel bitters, and Blenheim ginger ale, but I swooned over my libations. Her twist on a French 75 was also spectacular, featuring a rare "eldergin" sort of liqueur, and topped with Feuillatte's Premier Cru.

My first drink was already pre-determined after I had seen her tweet about it. The Sakura Fizz uses Hayman's Old Tom gin, cucumber-agave nectar, fresh lemon and lime juices, creole bitters, crème, egg white, and sparkling sake, and is quite simply the best, most complex drink I've ever had. Next I was feeling like cognac, since it had been quite a while, and was rewarded with a Brandy Old Fashioned, using Pierre Ferrand 1840 cognac, chai spiced maple syrup, fig bitters, ginger and orange peel (skewered on top). This was so warming and soothing, the perfect sipper. I ended with "something dark tasting" (my request), and was given a Black Manhattan, a real revelation of rye, Averna, vermouth, and two types of bitters.

**** 4.5 stars ****

In a night that many would dream up but few would bother to put into place, I decided to visit both The Gibson and Columbia Room in consecutive order, mainly as a way to help expose Suzy to some of my favorite drinking destinations, but also to celebrate her recent graduation from jumping-out-of-big-ass-planes school. The Gibson has long been a spot I can always count on for something new and unique, going back to the days when Derek Brown was here concocting combinations that other bars dared not experiment with, and even after his departure and my subsequent move to DC when it became much more of a convenient walk from my doorstep.

By comparison to Columbia Room, another DC speakeasy style bar, The Gibson falls just short of their lofty standard. Had it not come along (following Derek's departure to start The Passenger and later its spawn Columbia Room) then The Gibson would likely be my top choice for quality mixed drinks in DC, just edging out Quill, with Bourbon Steak following close behind, and far above PX. There are occasional inconsistencies here though that I don't usually find at those other bars, which keeps the rating just slightly lower. I've also been disappointed from time to time by the quality of the spirits used in the cocktails, not that they're bad, but they don't approach the top shelf stuff you'll find at the other three mentioned here (usually).

Using more easily accessible spirits has however allowed The Gibson to remain quite fairly priced in terms of what you get, so I'm rather surprised by the number of complaints it receives in that regard. $12 has become the unfortunate norm for drinks in DC, and if you look at my recent menu photos you can see that everything here ranges from $10-15, with a few outliers.

The other complaints about "getting in" or the reservation system just baffle me. It's hard to believe that the same people who every day, theoretically, make important decisions to shape or influence our government cannot figure out a simple voicemail prompt. It says explicitly to leave your number and they will call you back, which they always do...this is not complicated people. If you want to guarantee getting in then make a reservation. You wouldn't show up to Komi randomly and then just expect to get a table would you? Small space, high demand, big city, you do the math.

To me though, despite the Darwinian dismissal of many guests, The Gibson has the least real speakeasy feel to it when compared to PX and Columbia Room. Sure you go through a virtually unmarked door to get in, but once inside it just seems like a nice cocktail bar, rather than an intimate discourse between you and bartender. Perhaps this is because so much of the space is dedicated away from the bar, with (rather sexy) booths everywhere, an outdoor patio, and tables upstairs...all of which also detract from the touted exclusivity. Luckily the menu cocktails are still quite good, and you can still request custom made drinks, something you can't do at PX.

My most recent visit with Suzy started off with a bit of disappointment, as the cocktail I was craving with Hayman's Old Tom gin, Domaine de Canton and several other ingredients couldn't be made because they had run out of gin. Bummer, I love Hayman's, but I ordered another sparkler to toast with in its place, only to be told 15 minutes later they had received more gin. Why they didn't mention this originally annoyed me, but fortunately the replacement drink was decent enough. As for the rest of the lineup (see photos for full ingredient list) on our last trip...

St. Bart's at Noon: This was my fizzy drink to replace the Who's On It, and I was pleased with the result. I'm guessing the Midori was the nod to the island sensation, and I was surprised by how tame it was, as it often overpowers. The maple syrup and fresh lemon really intermingled well with the Beefeater 24.

Vinnie's on 187th: Suzy's first exposure to Pisco as well as egg whites in a cocktail, and we were both very happy with it. I expected the pineapple syrup to totally dominate this, but it had a really nice subtle touch. The orange bitters really shined here.

Spuyten Duyvil: This was perhaps the biggest leap when trying to guess what she would like, and I wound up drinking more of it than her. Thankfully the Absinthe played a minor role, but overall this was a seriously boozy drink, with no real non-alcoholic ingredients except for the orgeat.

Ladder 3: A rockstar cocktail, one of the best I've had here. The combination of Laphroaig with multiple peach elements was brilliant, and well worth the top monetary billing on their list.

Guys, bring your ladies here. They won't be disappointed, and subsequently neither will you.

**** 3.5 stars ****

Sometimes you're just destined to not enjoy a place the way others do. We've all got different tastes, and thankfully there's a best-suited bar or restaurant out there for all of us, but PX will never be that bar for me, because we just can't seem to see eye to eye. As much as I wanted this relationship to work, due to my regular visits to their downstairs partner Eamonn's, and my long standing love of carefully crafted cocktails, it's clear now that it's just not meant to be. Following my first visit to PX I was ready to give it 2 stars and never return, but I wanted to give them, and my friends who love it, the benefit of the doubt, so I kept waiting for an excuse to return, and the second visit wielded much better results, closer to 4 stars, so my rating is somewhat indicative of both visits combined.

The first time around was actually the culmination of a first date dream I had concocted and found a willing guest to accompany me on. I was always intrigued by the juxtaposition of Eamonn's, a simple fish and chips place, with PX, a rather pretentious speakeasy style lounge, so I decided to see if I could find a woman comfortable enough with visiting both places in the same evening. Amy graciously indulged me and we had a great time, but it was in spite of the awful level of service we received from the staff at PX. We had been sitting below in the restaurant on a cold February night, since they won't grant you access before your time slot, and as a result we arrived a full 90 seconds after my 11PM reservation time. I was told by the hostess that she "would see if our seats were still available", as if we had somehow inconvenienced them, even though they're supposed to be booked for 2 hour slots and there were zero signs of anyone else attempting to get in. After seating us in what I like to call the Retirement Home Room (segregated from the rest of the bar, it's pastel blue with white lace curtains and resembles something you would find in South Florida old folks homes) we were attended to rather dismissively the rest of the night. The fact that all four cocktails we ordered were disappointing was secondary to how unwelcome they made us feel (and we were far more dressed up than the rest of the guests, so it wasn't due to that). But briefly on the former note, if you're going to charge $16.00 per sparkling cocktail, how about using something a little better than Virginia Fizz as the base?

Moving on...that experience was about a year ago (side note: PX is the oldest current DC area speakeasy style bar, opening up in 2006), and I was ready to give PX one last shot, as a way to expose my current girlfriend to all of DC's "best mixology bars" in one whirlwind tour. This was actually the last leg of the tour, but as my least favorite I'm getting it out of the way first. This time, by sheer luck of someone else being sick, we happened to steal Todd Thrasher away from his duties at Restaurant Eve and were treated to much better drinks mixed (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) by the creator himself. There was still one resounding issue though...the drinks at PX are all entirely too sweet, at least for my tastes. Almost everything reminds me of a great punch bowl recipe, but as a place to enjoy spirits it falls short. My goal this time was to ensure I avoided the sweet disasters of the previous visit, so I asked Todd specifically about each cocktail, and was still let down. Describing the previous visit's menu wouldn't be much use, as all but the Gin and Tonic have been replaced, so here's a quick recap of what we had recently. See pics for descriptions, just using abbreviated names here.

Sparkling Mojito: Really enjoyed all the mint flavors, one of the better mojito inspired drinks I've had.

Beautiful Life: A good sparkling cocktail...the herbal notes are there, but you have to search for them amidst the honey.

Sofa King: I love Old Tom gin, so was stoked to try this, although I was weary of the sweetness from mandarine liquor and dandelion bitters. It's a nice drink, but Todd was wrong in saying it's not sweet. It is.

Trystan: One of the most heavily praised drinks here, but I'm not sure why. The green tea flavor dominates, choking out every other element.

Grog: A permanent fixture, and I can see why, as it's quite nice. It still suffers from being sweet (Hell, it includes powdered sugar), but it's more balanced by the lemon elements.

Norfolk Dumpling: High hopes based on uniqueness, but this was awful. The duck sauce soda is the only thing you taste and it's a completely amplified version of anything you would imagine.

The Arsonist: A complimentary drink at my request to replace the Dumpling, this was the best drink of the night. The Jager was subdued nicely by the scotch, and the apple and pear bitters a nice contrast, although I didn't taste the tarragon.

After stuffing ourselves on a great lunch at the Tapas Truck, we were still curious about a new arrival on the Farragut food truck scene, so Amanda and I headed over to Cupcake Joy to see what they were all about. We had snagged one of their red velvet sample bites on the way to our original destination and it was a definite palate pleaser. This is a pretty barebones operation as far as the cupcake truck world goes (compared to some of the well established ones, such as Sweetbites), but they turned out a pretty fine product in the end.

At $3 a cupcake they basically fall in line with every other mobile vendor out there, but they also offer a discount on a dozen at $29. The one thing really holding them back in my estimation is the selection, which is pretty sparse, and consists almost entirely of variations on chocolate or vanilla. There are a few unique flavors though, and I'm not sure if those will be rotating or not, but they don't really coincide with the current season in any way, so it's possible they'll be permanent fixtures. The website lists many more flavors that weren't featured, so I'll be intrigued to see how they turn out, and if they can up the production to include more options per visit.

I decided to try the Lemony Joy (whoever thought naming a cupcake after a dish detergent was a good idea really needs to reconsider the implications) and Amanda went for the Sweet Potato Joy (also, putting your name in the title of every cupcake is not necessary). She easily got the better of the two, with a cupcake that reminded me very much of my mom's sweet potato pie. The cake batter was perfectly moist with the ideal density and the frosting wasn't too sweet or too plentiful. My lemon cupcake had a nice burst of zest to it and certainly wasn't on the sweet end, but it seemed tiny compared to hers and just seemed to singular in focus. I don't particularly care for the over the top, 15 ingredient, $6 monstrosities some brick and mortar shops create, but a little more inspiration than just lemon cake and lemon frosting would have been nice.

I definitely preferred these cupcakes to Curbside's drab offerings, but they've got a ways to go before they catch up to my still-reigning queen at Sweetbites Mobile.

This is not only my unequivocal favorite furniture shop in all of DC, but it's also one of my absolute favorite stores to shop in for anything. The amount of treasures waiting to be claimed at GoodWood is staggering, and it's one of those types of places where I walk in and just want everything. I would have to say this store definitely leans more towards the masculine in terms of style, with a huge nod to rustic pieces and vintage guy paraphernalia, but that doesn't mean women can't appreciate it too, as Julia found out when she visited with me and fell in love with several items.

This was actually the last stop on our tour of the unofficial furniture district that extends through Logan Circle and up to U Street, and the one I had been holding out the most hope for in terms of acquiring some new pieces to replace some stuff my previous roommate had taken with her when she moved out. They absolutely did not disappoint me. The biggest difficulty was in refraining from loading up on all the other miscellaneous goodies in the shop while trying to focus on what I was primarily there to obtain. I wound up scoring a pew/bench from the 1900's (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) with storage shelves underneath, an old farmhouse table (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), and four schoolhouse chairs (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) from the 1850's for a total of just under $1,200...quite a steal in my mind. Their delivery prices are fixed rate if you're in DC, an incredibly low $35 no matter what, and I believe $65 if you're out in the VA or MD suburbs.

I should point out that the owner here doesn't really negotiate prices, because he doesn't need to. They've got a pretty high turnover rate here and I always see new things each time I visit. The quality is also far above what you'll find in competing stores such as Miss Pixie's, where items like tables and benches are made to look antiqued without actually being so. There is so much to find on every surface here, from vintage luggage sets, to old dentures, to several types of awesome taxidermied turtles, the gift possibilities are nearly endless. If you're looking for a unique centerpiece for your home, look no further. I guarantee that GoodWood will have one.

It is most definitely best to stick to familiar comfort foods when trying to please my mom on her visits to DC. Of all the places I've taken her few have excelled at delivering food that not only pleases her simple palate but also lives up to my own standard of good cuisine the way that Art and Soul does. It's so nice to be able to have a comforting country style meal in a more upscale yet relaxed atmosphere, a departure from the typical diners that are stuck in the 70's with their latticed white paper place mats and plastic cups that you just know something is swimming at the bottom of.

We stopped in for lunch on a cold day, just after she had landed at DCA. After the meal I was pretty surprised by how full I was, although to be fair I did wind up eating most of the sides that I ordered for the pair of us, not because she didn't like them, but because I'm a freakin beast when it comes to Southern sides. The macaroni and cheese (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) is much more filling than the portion size looks, and it gets a wonderful crispy texture from being baked in the skillet with the bread crumbs on top. It's not your typical gooey cheese style mac'n'cheese, but feels rather more like a decadent casserole. The collard greens with the country ham soffritto were equally as good, a really nice surprise as variations on this dish generally disappoint at most places in DC. The saltiness of the ham really soaked into the greens, making them extremely flavorful. I wasn't as thrilled with the market vegetables, as the presentation is just rather boring and ultimately too simplistic. There's not enough variation in flavor, or depth of it, to make me want to choose this side again over another one.

The main course options we ordered were definitely more satisfying for my mom than for me, as the free range, buttermilk brined, fried chicken (http://www.flickr.com/...) she ordered was far superior to my cast iron skillet fish fry. The scallion mashed potatoes with black pepper gravy were also far more indulgent than the basket of fries and honey butter hush puppies I received. My items were a solid "good" on the taste scale (B,NG,G,VG,E), so not entirely disappointing, but hers were easily a "very good". It's definitely not the type of fried chicken I grew up with, where the emphasis was more on the flavor in the breading. Here the outstanding element is the chicken itself, and you can absolutely taste the quality of the meat that's used. By comparison my fish just seemed kind of boring, although at least it was extremely bountiful (perhaps the only reason this dish justifies the same price tag as the chicken).

I'm not sure how often Art Smith ever sets foot into Art and Soul these days, but rest assured you are in great hands with chef Wes Morton. Many of his dishes at the most recent Cochon 555 were among my favorites of the day, and he really grasps a breadth of Southern specialties.

A few of us decided we weren't ready for our evening to end, so after leaving the cramped Living Room bar space we headed over to Linda's, which provided much more room along with a much broader selection. This was a great step up in terms of bar quality, for me, even though from all appearances it definitely didn't look like the kind of place I would frequent.

The first thing I noticed here was a pretty nice draft list along with a lot of bottles to choose from as well. Right away this won some bonus points with me, as I had yet to make it over to Brouwer's to sample their beer selection and I was really craving a good pint. All the usual big name craft brewers (not quite an oxymoron yet) suspects are here, like Stone, Rogue, and Lagunitas, but there are some smaller great quality beers by Firestone and others as well, and of course the obligatory fratty favorites that end in some variation of Lite (sold by the pitcher). I was thrilled to find Stone's Smoked Porter, one of the best in that style, on draft, but it was nice trying some of the sort of local Ninkasi brews as well, as they aren't available where I live.

Unfortunately we had just missed the late night happy hour, a pretty great iteration that runs from 7-9PM, allowing you to extend one happy hour somewhere else into a continuously happy night. The beer prices were still pretty reasonable though, especially compared to what I'm used to in DC, which I'm guessing helps fuel the large volume of customers here, as this bar as really packed. We hung out in the main bar area for a bit, but the real fun was had outside in the open air beer garden. The staff outside was just as courteous and timely as the bartenders inside, and we never had to wait very long for a refill. This felt very much like a neighborhood bar and even though I'm not from here it was still welcoming.

I made a note in my draft review that there was a really cool crown here. I'm not really sure what that means, and it's likely a tipsy typo for crowd, but part of me wants to hope that somewhere at Linda's is a bejeweled headpiece just waiting for me to claim.