allenla98's Profile
Jaded foodie looking for something new
Zacharia's Creekside Cafe in Worcester - they have their new winter menu out but it's not on their website. I haven't gotten there to try it myself yet but I really like their food and their pastries are to die for. The last two times the food has been very salty and when we commented last trip were told to request lower salt when ordering.
Dinner near Sovereign Center Reading PA
Hi,
Looking for a casual dinner spot near the stadium for the day after Christmas. Italian, Steakhouse, upscale brew / pub type would be fine.
Highlights - DC trip report
Recently returned from our 4 day weekend in DC (from Phila). Thanks to all for the advice on restaurants to try. We stayed at the Westin in Ballston (Arlington VA). We started off our dining (if you can call it that!) with lunch at Big Buns, we were tired and hungry and it was close to the hotel. Good portabella burger and regular burger, fries were yummy and ice cold beers were welcome. Dinner that evening was at Tallulah which was our absolute favorite of the restaurants we went to. Didn't know quite what to expect from the outside but once inside, wow, the Eat Bar was hopping and by time we left the restaurant was full. Lovely dinner, I had the pork tendorloin entree, beet salad and day scallops. After dinner at the Eat Bar chatting with locals and a complementary champagne toast to our anniversary from the bartender was real fun. Next day dinner at Hook for our anniversary. I felt that I either expected too much or it was overrated. Food was ok, my entree was not hot (veg was actually cold), management made up for it with offer of complimentary dessert but it was still charged, we didn't bother to complain. I think they had issues that night, I saw other tables sending their food back to the kitchen. The service was very good. It was our first time in Georgetown and neither of us were impressed, just not our kind of scene. We had after dinner drinks at Willow also Friday and Saturday, VERY nice bar and bartenders. I wish we had eaten dinner there, they were closed on Sunday. Sunday was Rays The Steaks in Arlington and it did not disappoint, fabulous steaks, good service and that place is amazing at how fast they clear a table and seat the next diners. We both loved our steaks and appetizers, our wine choice turned out excellent. We didn't know Washington was such a big wine town, pleasant surprise. We hope to return for an overnight here and there since we just didn't have enough time to see all we wanted and the weather was not the best for walking around town. Hope to try Willow next time and return to Tallulah.
Hook Specials?
Hello all - I reserved a table at Hook for an anniversary dinner since it gets such rave reviews and I wanted to spend an evening in Georgetown. Problem is Hubby is not that much of a seafood lover, he occassionally orderes fish out but usually it's a seafood app and a nice steak. I see they have a ribeye on the menu but was wondering if anyone can say if they have any specials that would be steak or even game? I didn't find any steakhouses that I felt would be good for us (we may try Ray's but not for our anniversary dinner). Thanks for any input.
Dining in Arlington (Ballston)
Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions. Our trip is to see the DC Mall area, WH, museums, etc. We are staying in Ballston due to getting a family/friends rate at the Weston. We are driving from PA so will have our car. Looking forward to being in the area and we don't want to break the bank every night so appreciate the tips!
Dining in Arlington (Ballston)
Hubby and I will be staying at Weston Arlington Gateway and are looking for some places in the area for breakfast and possibly dinner. I've looked over the board and only saw a few posts about Pinzimini which is in the hotel. We'd like some reasonable breakfast spot/s and are looking for a nice place for dinner for our anniversary. I have several places on my list that I found through the board posts but haven't seen much about restaurants in the Arlington area. Any hidden gems? Some of the places we're considering while in the area are:
Georgia Brown's
Beck
Blue Duck Tavern
Hook
Granville Moore's
Founding Farmers
Tallulah and Eatbar
Thanks.
Where to Eat?
Hi, I would be interested to find out where you ate as my husband and I will 4 days over our 17th anniversary early May.
Zacharias Seasonal Menu
An update on our new favorite restaurant - visited for my hubby's birthday Nov 1st. What an awesome menu update. I just can't say enough about this place. Shawn (sp?) was our server and from the time he introduced himself to saying goodbye the service was exemplary. I started with the pear and gorgonzola dolce tart and my husband got the scampi with white beans. Wow. I had the special salad, spring mix, local cheese, apricots, pumpkin seeds and apple cider vinegar. My hubby got the seafood chowder and it was really more of a soup than chowder. It was too salty for me which is why I avoid the soups. I do wish I would have tried the seasonal soup (can't remember the name!) instead of the salad since you can have salad anytime! For our entrees we chose locally raised fowl, chicken and duck, which were amazing. The Eberly organic roasted chicken with chiorzo and brussel sprouts. The duck also had brussel sprouts which I got since my hubby doesn't like them but I can't tell you what else because he ate it all! I got 3 meals out of my entree (that's what I get for getting a starter and a salad but with the menu I couldn't resist). For dessert which I ususally pass up I got a Pumpkin Souffle cake with chocolate center, creme anglaise and walnuts. It was a perfect 4 bite dessert and I didn't even feel guilty. I was so impressed I got the chef to write it down for me! My hubby had this chocolate torte thing that they embellished with a Happy Birthday edible ribbon. And being a BYOB is always nice except if you want an Irish coffee I guess you need to bring your own whiskey! All in all another amazing dining experience at Zacharias. I would love to go back on my birthday but we are already headed to Philly for the TSO concert, now I need to find a restaurant in town for dinner. If you go to Zacharias I can't believe you would be dissapointed. And don't forget the weekdays they have a casual menu which is more reasonably priced. We dropped $125 without the tip.
Enjoy!
New Favorite - Zacharia's Creek Side Cafe
My husband and I decided to try Zacharia's in Worcester this week to celebate our anniversary. We like BYOB's and had been wanting to try someplace new. Upon our arrival we were greeted by Andrew Gallo who was more than happy to seat us and go over any questions we had. Our server was friendly and knowledgable about the menu. From start to finish our experience was one to remember. The seasonal soup was a red pepper and barley which my husband raved about. I had the forest mushroom and while it was delicious I would have like some more mushrooms. The hearts of romaine salad (1/2 size is plenty for one) was fresh and the lemon anchovy dressing to die for. The new casual menu is very reasonable and I would like to try something from that menu next time we go. My husband decided to try the wild game special, osterich filet. He asked to substitute asparagus instead of baby carrots and that was no problem. I had the red snapper entree and it was very good, I did not realize the side would have red peppers and that's not something i normally eat. I remarked on it as a server was passing by and she stopped and offered to replace the side with something more to my liking. It was a wonderful gesture and shows that the staff will go out of their way to make your dinner just right for you. We even saved room for dessert and I'm so glad we did. My husband got a raspberry tart and I tried the pastry assortment. The pastries were out of this world, the eclair was my favorite but all was fresh, perfectly presented and delicious! This is a must go restaurant and I was sad to see on a Thursday that the tables weren't full. My husband and I are looking forward to our next visit.
My Thoughts on Osteria
My husband and I went to Osteria about 2 weeks ago and we were in the back room and it was drafty (I was cold). The food was very good, it was pasta night and I felt it was more than reasonable cost. Appetizers were good. My husband had steak and enjoyed it. I wasn't very impressed with the room and when / if we go back will try to be seated elsewhere. The service was friendly and no complaints. The bar was packed and I've heard it is a fun place to eat and hang out.
Beer
If you happen to be above Blue Bell on Rt 73 and are looking for a nice ride in the country you could head on to Rt29 North and about 5 minutes above Schwenksville there is Ortino's Northside. One of my faves is Saint Bernardus which they have several selections. They also have Young's Double Choco Stout, great for dessert. Decent food and wonderful beer selection.
Eagleville (West of Norristown on Ridge Pike) you will find Brother Paul's, excellent food and beer selections.
