Parents visiting me in DC - need ideas for two restaurants

Thanks! I will check out Brasserie Beck. Also considering Tosca for that night.

Location doesn't matter much as I have a car or we can use the metro (so long as the restaurant isn't far from a stop, my dad does have some heart issues that prevent him from being able to walk too far, but he is generally ok if we take it slow).

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Parents visiting me in DC - need ideas for two restaurants

Chowhounders - can you help me decide on which restaurants to take my folks when they visit next weekend?

Thursday night we are going to Belga Cafe (my parents, my boyfriend, and I).

Friday night will be my parents, another couple that they haven't seen in years, my boyfriend, and myself. I'd like to go somewhere fun but not too loud or overwhelming so that they can catch up with their old friends.

Saturday night my parents will meet my boyfriends dad for the first time, so any place that creates warm, cozy feelings would be perfect!

Ideally, both places would have outstanding food, but not require getting too dressed up. I don't want anything super expensive (i.e., no Citronelle suggestions), but we are willing to pay for good food. My parents like Thai, Italian, steak & chops, seafood, Indian, Asian fusion, etc. They are not into Ethiopian or Afghan food.

I already checked to see if Rasika had openings, there are none that weekend. A few places that I am looking at are Sei, Zaytinya, Cafe Atlantico, Courdoroy, Blue Duck Tavern, Charlie Palmer Steak, Proof, Rice (I haven't tried any so not sure if these even fit with what I am looking for). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Nice place to chat and hang out in B'more?

Mt. Vernon is a great place to walk around, window shop, visit the Walters art museum, hear jazz at Sascha's or other music at An Die Musik, etc. Except for the "mainstream" part, Helmand might fit the bill. A new French bistro called Marie Louise recently opened up. I've only had brunch there but the food was nice and the atmosphere was very charming. On a nice day, George's of Mount Vernon Square has tables outside - which seems to be a rarity in Baltimore! My Thai serves good Thai, Minato has great sushi, and there is also a Mexican restaurant across from My Thai called El Patron. Good luck!

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Helmand
806 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201

Marie Louise Bistro
904 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201

George'S-Mount Vernon Square
101 W Monument St, Baltimore, MD 21201

My Thai
800 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201

El Patron
801 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201

Minato Japanese Restaurant
1013 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Internet/wifi cafes in Capitol Hill SE?

Wow - I can't thank you all enough for the responses, this is great!

Hill food: I'll be coming from Jenkins Row (Pennsylvania and 14th). I do have a car available. I was mostly hoping to find places within reasonable walking distance (or via public transit, if there was nothing too great nearby), as it was my understanding that parking in DC can be a headache.

Also - thanks for the heads up on the Capitol Hill listservs -- I've been hunting around for something like that but hadn't found anything quite yet. Perfect!

Cheers!

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Internet/wifi cafes in Capitol Hill SE?

Thanks to both of you for these great recommendations! Chowsearch, I actually don't even drink coffee...so lame coffee at Port City is less of a concern than good chairs and windows! These are both walking distance from the Potomac metro stop, right?

Looking forward to any other ideas on great coffeeshops in the area to work in that people have to offer!

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Internet/wifi cafes in Capitol Hill SE?

I'm moving to Capitol Hill SE (Pennsylvania and 14th, right near the Harris Teeter) in a few weeks. I'll be feverishly trying to finish up my dissertation before summer's end, so I'd love to find some great coffeeshops/internet cafes in the area that allow people to camp out for several hours and work. I like bright, sunny places with reliable internet, lots of places to plug in, tables big enough to work on, and yummy food. Any suggestions?

I'd also love any suggestions for great restaurants in that area that I should be sure to check out.

Thanks!

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Outdoor bars in Baltimore

Thanks! I did actually try to search, but wasn't too successful in finding what I was looking for. Do you happen to have a link?\

I hadn't heard of One Eyed Mike's - will check it out!

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Outdoor bars in Baltimore

I'm trying to think of places to go this summer for casual drinks with friends where we can sit outside. Any help adding on to my very short list would be greatly appreciated!

Arcos
Gardels
DuClaws

And while we're at it, what about restaurants with outdoor seating?

Kali's Court
Kawasaki
City Cafe

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Bmore dinner with mom and grandma

Many thanks to all of you for your amazing input! We ended up going to Abacrombie and I was really impressed. Besides the dining room being uncomfortably cold, the service was impeccable (and adorable) and the food was absolutely delicious. My shrimp appetizer was definitely some of the best shrimp I've ever tasted - sweet and buttery and resting on top of creamy grits and some kind of chutney that complimented the sweetness of the shrimp so beautifully. The beef tenderloin was perfectly done, and the basil pannacotta dessert was like nothing I've ever tried before. I was really happy with the choice, and I think my family really enjoyed themselves too. I'm going to revisit this thread next time I have visitors in town - you all gave me so many great ideas for other places to try. Many thanks for the input!

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Baltimore internet/wifi cafes

A post below on wifi cafes in DC got me thinking...I'm always looking for internet cafes in Baltimore, especially those near Mt. Vernon. Here is my list of usual suspects - anything I'm missing? I tend to like larger, sunny places with reliable internet, lots of places to plug in, tables big enough to work on, and yummy food.

Evergreen Cafe - 501 W Coldspring Lane
blueHouse - 1407 Fleet Street
City Cafe - 1000 Cathedral St
One World Cafe - 100 W University Parkway
Gigis - 1005 North Charles St
Kiss Cafe - 2400 Boston St

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Bmore dinner with mom and grandma

I'm looking for a place to take my mom and grandma for dinner on Saturday night and need some help narrowing the list! Here are the requirements...

- FABULOUS food
- located in a nice part of town
- casual, hip atmosphere, not too overwhelming or loud (I'm thinking Pazo would be too much)
- not super expensive, but relatively upscale (maybe $20-$30 entrees)
- takes reservations, and where I could likely still get one for Saturday evening
- Grandma likes seafood, Thai, steak, and more, is relatively open-minded, but would probably prefer a non-smoky atmosphere

A few places that I've heard of but never tried are Corks, Blue Sea Grill, Sotto Sopra, True, Timothy Dean Bistro. Places I've liked but already done are Petit Louis, Kali's Court, Helmand, Sascha's, Pazo, and others.

Any help in narrowing or opinions on the places I'm considering would be most helpful!

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Suggestions for Baltimore girls night out

I'm looking to take two girlfriends out for a fabulous dinner in a restaurant with great atmosphere. Not too picky about the kind of food (although one of them doesn't eat sushi or red meat) - but we definitely want somewhere upscale, fun and hip.

Extremely expensive places like Charleston are out, as are pubs and taverns. Pazo is along the lines of what I'm looking for, but I've been there several times and would like to try something new. I'm considering Bicycle, True, and Zodiac. Any thoughts on those, or alternate suggestions?

Thanks!

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Cazbar vs. Helmand?

I'm trying to decide between having my birthday dinner at Cazbar or Helmand -- any opinions?

Actually - any suggestions for a great restaurant that could take a group of between 15-20 on a Friday night would be much appreciated! It's a birthday celebration, and would be perfect if it wasn't anything too expensive since most of us are students.

Thanks!

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

NYE dinner in Baltimore with great atmosphere!

I'm looking for a restaurant along the lines of Ixia - great atmosphere and fantastic food, where I could still get a reservation for a party of 5-7 on NYE. It would be perfect if it is in the Mt. Vernon area...any ideas? Thanks so much!

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Delivery (any kind!) in Mt. Vernon, Baltimore

There are so few delivery places in Baltimore that I've found! Please tell me I'm missing a few gems that will deliver to Mount Vernon.

I'm NOT looking for nearby carry-out places (sometimes you just feel too lazy or busy to go out). So far, my list includes...

Kumari
Viccino's
XS
Yung's Chinese food
Papa John's

...and that's IT! Any great suggestions? Any kind of food is welcome, so long as I don't have to go pick it up! :)

Chella in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Great WiFi cafes around Pac Heights?

I'm working in SF for the summer and would love to explore cute WiFi cafes in my area (around the lower Pac Heights/Polk Gulch area) as possible.

My favorites so far are Royal Grounds on Fillmore St, Nook on Hyde St, and one on Polk St next to Funky Door Yoga that I can't remember the name of (Aqua or H20 or something to do with water). I know there is another Royal Grounds on Polk St as well, but their tables are too tiny to really work on!

Are there other cute cafes people can recommend that have free WiFi and plugs for laptops, and are relatively nearby? Thanks in advance!

Chella in San Francisco Bay Area