Entry #17: Piola Indulgence or "This might be the best profiterole I have ever tasted."

First take five friends, throw in some pizza and then top it off with (incredible) white sangria...a recipe for a great night.

Yesterday I met with four of my favorite people for dinner at Piola in Rosslyn. Shannon and I got there first. We couldn't help but indulge in the happy hour while we waited for the other.

$3.00 Domestic Beer
$4.00 House Wines
$5.00 Sangria (white or red)

The white sangria was delicious, and it was followed by a most amazing pizza. I had the Bruxelles...a white pizza with lots of yummy goat cheese.

We followed our pizzas with a sampling of desserts. Katie enjoyed the profiteroles. They were perfect, and covered with a warm chocolate sauce. I still had room in my dessert stomach for more (there's always room for more dessert).

Our amazing dinner was followed by a walk around Rosslyn...and a near head-on collision.

Except for that little snafu, the night was a success!

Entry # 16: Fontina Grille...or "I can seriously get all of this food? Seriously?!"

I know that it's extremely politically incorrect...and ignorant...but the blog 'Stuff White People Like' kills me every time I read it.

Entry #36 dives into the love that all white people supposedly have for breakfast places. I can't speak for an entire population...but I can honestly speak for myself when I say that I LOVE BREAKFAST PLACES and very little is more exciting than finding a new breakfast place.

The other day, my mom and I met for lunch in Rockville, where we stumbled upon the Fontina Grille in Kings Farm. We weren't sure what to expect, but eager to try something different we wandered in.

The special of the day was a Sunday brunch that included a choice of french toast, omelet, or crepes, along with a fabulous buffet full of the usual breakfast meats, a salmon pizzette, chicken salad, and even a prime rib carving station.

All of this fabulous breakfast food for under $15.00 a person. And if there's one thing better than finding an amazing breakfast place...it's finding an amazing deal.

The real chocolate factory at Hershey Park! Mmm

Entry #15: Day in PA

Yesterday, I went to Hershey, PA to do some major chocolate therapy and ride some rides.

I managed to buy a cheap ticket from a very generous lady waiting in line ahead of me, and into the park we went! The place was crowded, the sun was hot, and the lines were almost unbearable but that's Hershey Park in the summertime!

The first Roller coaster we tried was Fahrenheit. It featured a ninety degree drop which made it worth the two hour line and the sunburn that I got standing in it. I think the people behind us might have found their religion too...

We also explored the Storm Runner, Great Bear, the Kissing Tower and the Super Duper Looper.

We also did not go crazy at Chocolate World (the place where they give you a chocolaty factory tour and then drop you in an enormous chocolate shop).

The day ended and we enjoyed a scenic drive back to DC. I would say that short of taking off on a spontaneous trip to anywhere, an amusement park day trip was the perfect mini adventure.

Me and the birthday girl at Mie N Yu. We look like Christmas.

Entry #14: Birthday in Georgetown Part 2

I feel like I've spent far too much of my 'DC Exploration Time' in Georgetown...

For the second time in a week, I attended a birthday celebration on M Street, this time at Mie N Yu. First, I enjoyed a Pom Imperial which was absolutely delicious! Then, I shared a duck taco appetizer...it was incredibly good, but I wish there had more.

My entree was the red snapper, which was served on a bed of wasabi mashed potatoes. That was also fantastic.

The birthday girl seemed to enjoy herself, greatly though I wasn't able to get her a gift from Georgetown Cupcake (They were closed randomly...tragic).

The atmosphere of Mie N Yu was also quite beautiful, as each room had a different theme (even the bathroom!).

Following our meal, we wandered to the waterfront to take in the scene at Nick's Riverside Grill (sound familiar?). We visited a gelataria, posed for pictures by the fountain, and took in the splendor of the Kennedy Center in the distance.

Sadly, it was a Tuesday night and we had to go home. I'm sure if this pattern continues I'll have more to share from Georgetown..

Entry #13: Birthday in Georgetown or "Can we go to Quigley's?! Pleaaase?? I'm Hungry!"

Went to Phil's birthday do in Georgetown last night...

We started the evening at Old Glory . It was pretty good. The food was typical traditional southern style BBQ (which I love!)...the drinks weren't bad.

There was an outdoor open air bar with a pretty good crowd, and by the time we left things seemed to be getting underway as the music got louder and it got more crowded.

We moved on to Nick's Riverside Grill which was incredibly crowded, but for good reason! Drinks were delish and reasonable, and the view was spectacular. We spent the rest of the celebration there before heading back.

On the way to the Metro the birthday boy decided to take us on a detour to Tonic at Quigley's for some tater tots...sadly the kitchen was closed.

We made it back to the Metro after a wild night... will be going back to sample the tater tots eventually hopefully.

Entry #12: Zoe Salon - Fairfax, or "In a few minutes you're going to be like a Pantene Girl"

Feeling in desperate need of a blowout yesterday I booked an appointment at Zoe Salon in Fairfax, VA.

Expecting a routine, in-and-out service I found that I was in for a treat. My stylist was Edward, a New York City native with over 20 years in the hair styling industry. He has worked for some of the best studios and has even trained stylists at some of the most well-known salons.

He used a round-brush technique to blow dry, smoothed with a flat iron, and viola! Shampoo commercial-worthy flippage.

With two beltway-accessible locations nearby, Zoe is a convenient and reasonable place to get top of the line results.

10 years goes by awfully fast...

Wow, who can believe that just ten years ago today JFK Jr., his wife and his sister in-law were killed in a tragic plane crash.

That morning, I was on vacation in Deep Creek, MD with my mom and some of my friends.

Here's a link to People's picture gallery of the lafe JFK Jr.

Coming Soon

I'm not just speaking for myself when I say that I couldn't be happier that Bliss Spa is opening a location in our town.

The brownie bar alone is has me all set to book my first appointment!

I allowed this article to distract me from work for a little while...it reminds me of where I grew up.

The Crab Houses of Maryland’s Eastern Shore

Crab season in Maryland begins in April, the prizes being crabs that survived the previous summer and spent the winter marinating in the Chesapeake.

By JORDAN HRUSKA

Published: July 12, 2009

“YOU’RE going to want the jumbos, hon,” my waitress said as she stood, pen poised over her pad, next to my unadorned pine picnic table on the crowded outdoor deck of Waterman’s crab house.

I understood the advice. There’s nothing more disheartening than picking up a steamed blue crab that looks undersize and limp, without the ballast of plenty of meat under the shell — and knowing that the minutes about to be spent cracking and picking through it will be less than amply rewarded.

But I was surprised that there were any jumbo-size crabs left at Waterman’s that evening — a warm June Friday with the kind of sunburned, jolly crowd I remembered from many a childhood pilgrimage to the crab houses of the Eastern Shore of Maryland. A swarm of hungry feasters clustered around the tables jammed on the deck, arrivals from land and sea intent on attacking their personal shares of the seasonal bounty.

Guttural charges from powerboats headed in our direction suggested that more of the hungry were en route from the Chesapeake Bay, where the calm, wobbling eddies were flashing with the day’s last rays of sun just beyond where I sat. Several larger groups of diners grabbed bottles of cheap beer from aluminum buckets and fried seafood from red plastic baskets. Nearby, in what looked like a modified gazebo, a rock band began its sound check.

Read the rest here...

Waiting for the last train out of Clarendon...

The DC Metro reminds me of waffles. This was

the scene Saturday night while we waited for the

last train of the evening to take us home.

Entry #11: Pseudonyms, Running in Heels and Major Improvisation or "Don't park in Clarendon unless you plan to stay there."

Hi, I'm Lizz Bautista. I'm on GC's list.

Yes, this little line (or the fact that I had to use said line) should have been a major indication that last night would be a complete and total cluster. The original plan was to attend a Bastille Day party at Darlington House. We attempted, instead, to go back to Clarendon Ballroom in an effort to dance to some music (DJ only).

The ballroom was closed for the evening for a private function. We didn't get dressed up for nothing, though, so we attempted Clarendon Grill. Again. We were met with a live band. We couldn't stomach the idea of repeating last weekend (however fun). So we left our chariot (Maxwell's Honda station wagon) in the FREE public garage in Clarendon.

We hopped on the Metro to Chinatown in order to pay a visit to Ultra Bar. The line was insane. Maxwell and I wandered to the front and struck up a conversation with one of their promoters. Perhaps it was our refreshing honesty, desperation, or maybe just our good looks (or good luck) but the gentleman gave us four names from his guest list to use in the VIP line. My name? Lizz Bautista.

We made it in, thoroughly explored each level and decided on the ground floor, where a DJ spun remixes of current popular songs and some favorites. We ran into some friends and danced the night away (and about 2 pounds)....all the while forgetting about our car parked in Clarendon.

The rest of the night went a bit like this:

2:00 - Max realizes the parking garage closes at 2:30.
2:01 - Dash out of Ultra Bar while bidding our friends farewell, and promising to correspond through Facebook.
2:10 - Catch the Orange Line back to Clarendon.
2:11 - Take a few pictures for posterity.
2:28 - Still on the train.
2:45 - Train still.
3:00 - Get off the train. Run after Max as he attempts to save his car from the jaws of the FREE parking garage.
3:01 - "It's completely locked"
3:01 - "Lie to me again."
3:05 - Running back to the metro to catch the last train.
3:06 - Last train won't be here for 20 minutes.
3:20 - Board the train.
3:23 - Frantically call anyone who might be awake.
3:26 - Avoid conversing with crack head.
3:50 - Make contact with Reed (A.K.A. Frat brother of Maxwell/Knight in Shining Armor)
4:10 - Reed collects us from Vienna in his boxers.
4:20 -"Haha it's 4:20!"
4:30 - Reed safely delivers us to to Maxwell's on-campus apartment.
4:45 - Clear a path on Max's floor for Katie and I to attempt sleep.
4:46 - Sleep came easier than I thought it would.

Later this morning.

Shannon and Courtney took us back to Katie's to collect our cars, after which point we separated. Katie and I collected an extra house key from Tiffany and successfully made it back.

Then after a rather large breakfast at the local Bob Evan's...we managed to make it back in time to recover before what would become an epic shopping trip.

So there are a few things you can do to learn from my mistakes last night:

1) Nothing is free - not even a FREE parking garage.
2) It helps to have a lot of friends who live in the same place. (Man, I love college)
3) Don't leave your keys in your car.
5) Actually, just take the Metro.
4) Clarendon Grill evidently never has a DJ.

As my grandmother might say, "This could be worth something someday!"

Yes, pick up YOUR copy of the latest issue of the Washington City Paper...before it gets pulled off of the shelves...it might be worth something someday.

Doesn't this make you proud to be a Washingtonian?

Weekend Reading

I have this really bad habit (maybe it's actually a good habit...I don't know) of feeling like I absolutely MUST finish the book I'm reading before I can even comprehend the thought of picking up another.

It's always been this way, yet somehow I've managed to get myself mixed into 3 books at the same time. And I REALLY want to start on a whole new book.

Will I spend my entire weekend attempting to finish the biography of Marie Antoinette so that I can move on to something light and fluffy (Like one of Jen Lancaster's hilarious memoirs?)... not likely. I'd rather celebrate Bastille Day (It's on Tuesday) by doing something that involves exploring. Or being social.

But if you're not celebrating Bastille Day...and don't feel like exploring (It's supposed to rain, after all) do check out one of Jen Lancaster's hilarious books. Read it. Laugh. And I'll live vicariously.

Entry # 10: A cupcake adventure in Georgetown or "Don't worry about my wife, I feel sorry for yo husssband"

Ah, the busy streets of Georgetown. You never know who you might run into: Reese Witherspoon coming out of her rented brownstone? (I wish), A few Real Worlders? (No such luck), or a very (VERY) angry man with a new barely visible scratch on his powder blue Mercedes? (Absolutely!)

Yes indeed, you can find all sorts of characters there. A couple of days ago some friends and I drove in after spontaneously craving a treat from Georgetown Cupcake. The parking options were few, and as we refuse to pay to park we drove a little bit further off of the beaten path. We encountered a very heated argument between two luxury car owners who had just been in a very minder fender bender. After hearing Driver A say, "Yea...well I feel sorry for your wife!" we knew it was time to stop watching.

Anyway, we parked and did some minor shopping. But by the time we made it over to our actual destination, the line was triple what it was when we originally drove by. We decided to stop into Fresh (which is right next door) to look at a dress that my friend saw outside.

When we got into the store, however, what we found was so much better! Not only were we given champagne, but we were also treated with free cupcakes from Baked and Wired, which is almost as good.

My friend got a dress too.

(Click on the picture to read a CNN article about Fresh and 21 other "Ways to explore Georgetown.)

A Happy Monday Gift...to me ;)

One of the benefits of working in Old Town? Sometimes random people come into your office and give you things.

Today I was presented with a (small, but still much appreciated) gift card to the Lorien Spa.

Don't worry, I got one for my boss too!

Entry #9: Manoli Canoli - Chevy Chase

Had a mother-daughter dinner at Manoli Canoli the other day with mom. As any of my friends know I adore Italian food, and this place is no exception. I ordered the gnocchi with pesto sauce and it was so good that I ate it again for lunch the next day.

If you're ever in Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights area, you must go!

And no, we didn't indulge in ordering a canoli....

Looking for a REALLY good reason to have this...

Karen Millen...L.O.V.E.

"Why Ruth's problem is a particularly female one."

Who's having the worst month ever? Read here...

Entry # 8: Squating in Style...or "Calories Don't Exist on National Holidays"

Ah the last day of the beloved three-day weekend. Tomorrow morning, I'll wake up (begrudgingly) with nothing but memories (and facebook photos) of the fun that was this weekend.

I spent my time 'vacationing' in my dear friend, Katie's, as yet unfurnished new apartment. On an aerobed. In the living room. It was AWESOME. Sometimes you just need quality time with friends, without TV. (Her cable man hasn't manned up yet. Typical.)

On the 4th we spent hours deliberating on what to do for the big fireworks display. Eventually we were hijacked by two friends and taken (in a NEW metro car) to the Mall to watch the fireworks.

It was beautiful! I've always sworn that I would never fight the crowds to watch the display in the Capital, but I'm so glad I did.

After that we power walked to Gordan Biersch in Chinatown for what turned out to be an embarrassing display of junk food consumption. And it was delicious.

Entry #7: Clarendon

One of the things that I'll miss most about being an undergraduate? Three day weekends. EVERY WEEK.

The fun always started on Thursday (sometimes around noonish?) when I got back to my room after class.

Sadly, in the real world, these fabulous weekends are no more. Unless it's a holiday. And luckily for all of us this weekend just so happens to be the 4th of July.

I had to take advantage of this opportunity to do something fun last night. As soon as work ended I got into my car and drove to my friend's incredible new apartment at The Reserve in Fairfax Corner (After stopping to buy a new dress. Banana Republic).

Sooo we met up with some friends and drove to Clarendon to do some dancing. We started the night at Mister Days. It was still early and there weren't a lot of people there. One good thing: No cover!

We decided to suck it up and get in line at Clarendon Ballrooom. After a fifteen minute wait in line and an $8.00 cover we walked in to find the place crowded and a live band playing. The music, played by band Burnt Sienna was really good. They played great covers of some of my favorite songs.

But we wanted to dance. We went upstairs to the Ballroom's rooftop terrace to take in the scene. It was lovely, but there was no DJ.

Three of us moved on the next place, the Clarendon Grill. It was lovely, the cover was only $3.00, but they also had a band playing. At it wasn't that great....So we took ourselves back to Clarendon Ballroom to finish out the night upstairs on the terrace.

No major dancing for us, but at least we didn't have to go to work today!

A chick flick you won't feel guilty dragging a boy to

I L.O.V.E.D. The Proposal. So funny. See it. That is all.

New Neighbors Keep Things Exciting!

Regardless of your politics, you have to admit that Al Franken's road to Washington has been fascinating to watch. As the (hopefully, not former) funny man makes his way into town, I'm personally looking forward to seeing how he shakes things up.

Staying tuned...