Bourbon

Tonight was my second visit to the Bourbon in Adams Morgan and I came away as pleased as I was the first time. I ordered a rail cranberry and vodka and a mac and cheese at the bar while I waited for friends, which came to just $5 each. I was soon joined by friends and we moved to our regular table that seats 8. Around the table our friends sampled the chilli mac & cheese, the spinach salad, the chicken salad and they were all pretty pleased. In the past we had gotten the crab cake sandwich which is outstanding apparently. I have also sampled the grilled cheese and tomato soup a combination for just $9 (or $5 each). One of the side options with the sandwich is bourbon beans which is delicious I hear. You might also want to try their shoestring fries, another signature dish.

Strangely although the place brags of offering 50 varieties of bourbon, our friends were never inspired to order one, so I can't comment on that. We did try various other alcohols and the beers on tap, $5 per rail drink and the same for most beers..not bad at all.

Bourbon is owned by Bill Thomas and Frank Jolley, the guys behind Adams Morgan's Blue Room. The Adams morgan restaurant is located in the same building as the Blue room on 18th street. The original Bourbon is in Glover Park and apparently offers happy hour specials which the Adams Morgan one doesn’t do. Both restaurants have patios and offer the option to sit out on a nice day. While I haven’t been to the place in Glover Park, it’s usually relatively easy to get a table in the Adams restaurant/ bar.

Their brunch looks very exciting and I’m dying to try it. Our friend the Wall did try it out for us and was quite happy with his eggs that he got. Their website states that they now serve brunch between 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday which is great for those who get up late on the weekends! If I were to go during brunch, I would try the bourbon French toast.

For a place that markets its menu as “American comfort foods,” they sure do have a great chef that knows how to make it just right!

Leopold's - A Quaint European Cafe in Georgetown

This rainy afternoon, after watching a movie at the Georgetown Lowes Cineplex, we wanted to hang out a a cafe and sip some coffee and hot chocolate. We had just been to the Dean and Deluca cafe last week and wanted to try some place new. Having hear good things about Leopold's Kafe and Konditeroi (http://www.kafeleopolds.com/) we decided to check it out.

Tucked away in Cady's Alley noted for the fancy furniture and home decoration stores, and named for the architect who designed the space, Leopold Boeckl, the cafe seemed to be doing pretty well. We accessed Leopold's from M street, walking through a dimly lit passage that led to stairs that led to the cafe to the left of a square of exposed brick. There were outdoor tables set up around the fountain in the middle of the square. The place seemed to have a charming quality and a slight European feel.

We chose to sit inside as it was a bit grey but noted we would sit outside the next time. The inside had a modern feel to it. It had blonde coloured hard wood floors and a wooden trellis on the ceiling. The tables were dull glass with clear plastic chairs. There were a few unique chairs paired with some tables to add a touch of colour. There was also desserts on display at one end of the bar and and bar stools at the other end.

The menu has a wide variety of Austrian foods including an extensive selection of desserts. We got the Rigo Ranci for starters--a 3 layered chocolate moose with dark, milk and white chocolate, pretty darn good but a bit on the pricey side at $8. I have to admit I had a tough time picking just one dessert. The baked chocolate mousse, the 2 bean creme brulee, the apricot tart and the linzertorte were all strong contenders!

Shrek was pleased with his cappucino with a shot of chocolate but I was not thrilled with my hot coccoa as I like a really rich hot chocolate drink , both a reasonable $3.50. We ended up doing our snack backwards and followed up the dessert with a salad of shaved apple and walnuts, a light and tangy salad, priced around $7.50.

We definitely want to go back for brunch/ breakfast that is served from 8pm till 4pm. I will probably want to check out the Scrambled souffle with plum compote and currants and the belgian waffle dipped in chocolate. They also have a good wine selection that ranges from $7-9 per glass or about $28 and up a bottle.

The other customers at the Kafe seemed to be equally international with a strong European dominance. There were a number of tables with parents and young toddlers, all very well behaved and entertaining to watch. We made a mental note that this was a kid friendly place, a relatively rare thing at DC restaurants. The spacious cafe and the secluded outdoor courtyard makes it fun for the kids to roam around.

In short, Kafe Leopold's is a lovely place to dine at while taking a break from a hectic shopping expedition, or a great place to just chill out on a lazy day. Just don't go there looking for a quick meal, or if that is your intention do explain that to your waitress.

Mai Thai—best new Thai restaurant in Dupont

Where do you go in the Dupont circle area to get some decent pad thai as a farewell lunch for a colleague? We had ruled out the Sala Thai on P street with miserable ambience in the dingy basement. Thaiphoon seemed a bit too far and so we decided to head for Singapore Bistro on 19^th and M street. Singapore Bistro again doesn’t have great décor either but we had heard they had recently redone the place and their food was worth the trip. On the way, we passed the newly opened Mai Thai restaurant on 19^th street (located where Georgetown Seafood and then subsequently Fin used to be). We were mildly dissapointed that Mai Thai didn’t have the tables set up on their outdoor patio given it was a lovely day . However, in retrospect it was probably a good thing as it allowed us a chance to check out the restaurant's beautiful interiors (the owner supposedly spend about $1million on the décor).Inspite of being up and running for no more than a month, Mai Thai seemed to be doing excellent business. I later learnt that its a chain and the original restaurant in the greater DC area is located on King street in Old Town Alexandria, VA.

The lime green and yellow colours on the warm give the restaurant a cheerful feel. The bar area is beautifully lit and and the bar has a great selection of alchohol. There are elaborate wood carvings on the walls. The restaurant is large and spacious with the option of open tables and booths set up along the wall separated by solid wood panels giving a give a cozy feel. The walls of the booth have wooden framed mirrors hanging. In the middle of the restaurant there are fresh orchids in the vases on each table and lovely orchid arrangements high up on platforms.

The menu has a number of interesting items specific to the restaurant as well as the usual fare you would expect at a thai restaurant. For instance I had “pad woon sen” a tasty dish of thin vermicelli noodles with vegetables and a light soy sauce. Vicky was pleased with the pad thai which was the main reason we picked a thai restaurant. Angelica was happy with her pinapple red curry (chicken) and said it was a good mix of sweet and the right amount of spice. Firestone was a little disappointed that his ka pow pork was not spicy enough, given it had 3 chilies next to the menu listing but admitted it was good. The dishes all cost $7.95 each for lunch and the bill along with a thai iced tea (no appetizers or dessert) came a reasonable $38.23 before tip. I believe they add about $2 to each item on the dinner menu.

Mai Thai dupont circle is my new favourite thai restaurant—go check it out for the gorgeous interior as well as the good food.