The Hamilton Ribbon Cutting

The Hamilton is open in full swing.  The restaurant that is attracting attention from all of the DMV’s dining media as a one stop shop for food, entertainment and cocktails.  After attending the ribbon cutting ceremony last week, I can see this place becoming a staple in the DC area not only because it offers everything you basically need for a night on the town but it is open 24 hours. Unheard of in this city (*except for the few spots that we are all tired of frequenting…).  In efforts to nibble on the city that never sleeps, Mayor Vincent Gray has hopes that The Hamilton will put the city on the map for offering 24 hour dining options.  I see 3 am eating in my near future….

The Capital Grille Lobster Roll & Roasted Root Veggies

The Capital Grille has made some lunch menu changes.  I stopped in last week when the snow (*that did not stick) had just began to come down.  Since soup was in order, it was pleasant to see that the restaurant had added a roasted pepper soup though I decided to stick to the classics with the Clam Chowder.  The thing I really appreciate about The Capital Grille is that is stays consistent in service and classic menu options that are often needed on days when the snowy, cold weather is putting a dagger in  my day.  The lobster roll seemed fitting behind my soup and I paired with the newly added roasted root vegetables which was a medley of seasonal root vegetables.

Lump Crab Guacamole

Uncle Julio’s has three new twists on guacamole.  Three-pepper spicy guacamole, pineapple bacon guacamole and roasted corn & lump crab guacamole make up the new roster.  The old saying goes “bacon makes everything better” and it did the trick when mixed with the sweet pineapple.  I was interested to try these new guac’s mostly because they liven up the basic avocado mix with a splash of food creativity.  The crab is an excellent idea and I would love to see this grace more menus during the Spring and Summer months.  My least fave of the three was the three-spice and ironically it was because it was not spicy enough (*the irony comes in because I cannot stand spicy food!).  These should be fun during people watching time in Bethesda during the Spring/Summer seasons.

©JohnnaKnowsGoodFood

Last night, I visited Aqua Al 2 on the Hill.  I am in love.  This place takes me back to many afternoons spent in Europe.  On this particular evening, the quiet, serene street may have clouded my vision of what it will be like during the summer months when Eastern Market is in full swing, but I have a plan.  I figure if I frequent the restaurant during the chillier months, I can somewhat wallow in the memories of times spent at European cafes.  Relaxed and casual with the classic touches of Otis Redding playing lightly in the background, I am looking forward to the Balsamic Steak folks have been raving about at the restaurant.

Crumbs Cupcakes

After roaming around Eastern Market, I returned home to an assortment of sweet delicacies courtesy Crumbs Bake Shop.  Enough flavors to put a smile on even The Grinch’s face, I snagged a couple of shots and dug in.  Cupcakes have truly come along way from the boring vanillas and chocolates of the past…Crumbs assortment came topped with M&M’s, Oreo’s and Little Debbie’s cake designs, among others.  The store has expanded in the District with openings on L Street (*1107 19th street NW)  and at L’Enfant (*L’Enfant Plaza food pavilion) on January 18, 2012 (*yesterday).  Contact me if you want to take a bite: Free cupcake coupons, coffee coupons and Buy One, Get One Free coupons to anyone who hits me up on Twitter @jknowsgoodfood or comments below.