Willow

Willow
The second restaurant that deserves an A in my book is Willow. It's a toss up between Ris and Willow for my favorite dining experience thus far in the DC/Arlington area.

Location: 

4301 N. Fairfax Drive 

Arlington Va. 22203

Service: impeccable 
Food: 10
Atmosphere: 9
(the bar area could be a bit more inviting) 

Margarita flatbread

It doesn't get much better than Willow if you're looking for a fine dining experience. The prices are above average, but worth it. It's the perfect place to take a lady on a date...if any guys are reading this for tips. Great wine list and appetizers are perfect to share. I highly recommend their signature grilled flatbread pizzas to start off the meal right. 

There are two sizes, a smaller and a bigger one (not sure on the exact measurements). The smaller pie is plenty for two people if you plan to order entrees. The larger would def. feed a table of four comfortably. We were boring and ordered the margarita. But if you want to be a bit more daring, there are plenty of options including the calamari ali olio with savory pesto, roasted tomato, fontina and parsley & lemon. 


I'm big into seafood (if you haven't noticed a trend). Naturally, I chose the sauteed Alaskan halibut which was mouth watering, even to look at. 

Alaskan Halibut

Served with fried olives atop and warm barley salad with gigante beans, broccoli, sunflower seeds, basil & lemon under the perfectly prepared fish--this was an A+ dish in my book. I would honestly have a hard time going back to Willow and resisting the urge to order this again. There are a number of other seafood options on the menu ranging from roasted Norwegian salmon to seared scallops with potato ravioli. There are also non-seafood options as well. If you're in the mood for red meat, I suggest the filet medallions. 


Live in the Arlington area? You have no excuse to not try Willow. There is a parking garage right next to the restaurant so parking is not an issue!


Try it and let me know if you loved it as much as me!

Circa

Circa


Location: 3010 Clarendon Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
*Also in Dupont 


Awesome atmosphere, but, unfortunately, not as awesome food or service. When I walked into Circa I was immediately impressed with the modern decor, the bar area and the comfortable seating. Naturally, I was expecting the dining experience to rate quite well.

Circa burger with sweet potato fries 

The servers were unorganized from the get-go. It took awhile to get our drinks (even water) and we had to ask for refills and ketchup for our burgers and fries. The food wasn't bad; in fact, my burger was above average. 


However, I feel like I can get a delicious burger at a number of places. Two of the other people I was dining with ordered the personal lunch pizzas and were less than satisfied. The chicken on the pizza was dry and the flavor was bland. Not terrible, just not worth the price or calories. Overall, it simply wasn't something I would rave to my friends about.

BBQ chicken pizza

 Last thought: I've heard a number of people say they enjoy Circa for happy hour. You can't really mess up a vodka tonic and, like I said, the atmosphere is pleasant so don't count out Circa completely. Maybe I'm just overly picky.

After the meal, I decided I wasn't planning a future visit anytime soon. That disappoints me because Circa has the atmosphere going for it. My suggestion: amp up the service and tweak the menu a bit, then you'll be in business. 
Overall rating: C

Georgetown Cupcake

My apology for the lack of posts this past week. I have just begun my internship on the Hill and have not had much spare time to enjoy dining and writing. Now that I'm getting into the swing of things, you'll see more from me.


Today's food for thought:
When did cupcakes become the latest sweet tooth craving trend? For those of you who know me, I'm not one to turn down anything sweet, but I personally prefer to indulge in homemade ice cream or a big piece of New York cheesecake. Nonetheless, I had to give in to the cupcake craze and try Georgetown Cupcake. 


Georgetown Cupcake, also known as DC Cupcake from its TV show on TLC is located at:
3301 M Street NW (corner of 33rd & M)

While I really admire the originality of the cupcake flavors and the fact that this bakery was started by two sisters, I honestly don't understand all the hype. When my roommate and I went to try it out on a weekday at 3 p.m., the line was pushed out the door and stretched at least half way around the block.


Don't get me wrong, the cupcakes are good and I have nothing bad to say. You would just think people were waiting in line to meet President Obama (ew) with the level of eagerness displayed. 


Because there was a "30 minute wait" for the flavor I really wanted to try, I ended up choosing "vanilla birthday." A madagascar bourbon vanilla cupcake topped with a traditional sweet vanilla buttercream frosting and rainbow sprinkles. Not too shabby, but def. didn't knock my socks off. Perhaps one of the more creative flavors, such as the "chocolate coconut," the "salted caramel" or the "honey banana" would have made a lasting impression. 
Next time, if I go back, I'll go for something more risky--even if they don't have the flavor I initially want. 


To end on a positive note, the prices weren't nearly as high as I anticipated ($3 dollars a pop), the what seemed to be a never ending line didn't take too long and the staff was super friendly.


Overall rating: B
Overrated, but still a yummy sweet treat for a reasonable price.  


My pick: Thomas Sweet
If you're craving the best ice cream in DC, this is the spot.
It's conveniently right down the street from GT Cupcake: located @3214 P Street Northwest!