I was at the store yesterday for some groceries, also shopping on an empty stomach (always a bad idea!) but had decided to splurge and indulge on some of my new favorite sorbet that is called cabernet blackberry...it really is to die for! After picking up the sorbet I was headed for the checkout when I saw in random frozen display case...VIENETTA. I thought Vienetta had long been pulled from the shelves and was no longer sold!
As a child I would visit my grandparents with my mom for weeks at a time in Coeur D' Alene and I would also look forward to finding a package of vienetta in their freezer. It would be my evening snack as I would sit in the dining room in their big house and watch late night TV. I would usually sneak a second slice of it when my mom would be in the living room reading with my grandparents.
For you who have not been so lucky as to taste this delectable desert it is ice cream with flaky layers of chocolate in it. It is delicious! However I was disappointed to find that the ice cream the use now is not nearly as good, but it still is a great treat!
In other news! I had a conversation with my boss on Friday and am going to be able to work a few extra hours each week. They are really impressed with my work and like how I fit into the company and don't want to loose me to another job. So it isn't full time quite yet, but making steps in that direction! Every hour helps!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thaiphoon & Afterwords Cafe
I met up with Miss. Erin and her plus one, Paul, for dinner and drinks last night. I took the recommendation of my boss and we went to Thaiphoon in Dupont Circle. The location was ideal, the restaurant was trendy looking, however I ordered a Mango Daiquiri and almost spit up my first sip of it. I tasted like really cheap vodka without any flavoring! After getting support from Erin I traded in my mango disaster for a mojito...which had the same cheap alcohol taste. I ordered a chicken green curry, which came with too little rice and was generally a disappointing dish. Overall impression...I won't be making the effort to go to Thaiphoon anytime in the future.
Afterwards we went to Afterwords Cafe. We strolled down Connecticut Ave and found a bookstore that Erin had heard had a cafe and bar in the back. We had gotten there around 9pm and were lucky enough to get three seats right at the bar. The whitty, well thought out menu is enough for you to fall in love with the place from the start. I decided to switch to a beer since the lingering taste from my bad drinks at dinner was still in my mouth. I took Carly's advice and tried the Rogue Dead Guy Ale, which was described as "Hearty, Rich, Balanced" and held true to its excellent recommendation. The beer list was organized from light to dark, which was a really nice feature when picking a beverage. I finished with an Original Sin Cider from NY which I think is a local cider favorite. Described as "Light, Dry, Fruity", it was a delicious finish to the evening. Some other noteworthy drinks on the menu:
Top Shelf Long Beach Iced Tea
Absolut,Bombay,Cuervo,Bacardi, Cointreau,Cranberry Juice, Sour Mix
Limit-2 Per Customer
Electile Dysfunctional Cocktails
BarakStar Martini
Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka, Godiva Chocolate & White Chocolate Liqueurs
"The One" drink that's been soaring on promises '...yes you should' try it
Biden Bluster
Mango Puree, Strawberry & Lemonade Blended w/Ice
Sip slow on a fast train
The McCain Maverick
Bacardi Peach Rum, Mango Puree, Lemon Fizz & Soda
It's not what everyone else is having
Palin Long View
Rogue Dark Rum, Triple Sec, Fresh Lime Juice, Orange Juice and Sour
Enough of these & you'll swear you can see Russia from here
You can see more of the menu on their website
Now I was already sold on the place before I discovered the Desserts. I was attracted to the listing for Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Ice Cream. Cinnamon ice cream is one of my favorites so I couldn't resist. Well while the ice cream was excellent the pumpkin pie was by far the best slice of pumpkin pie I have ever had. It was unbelievable smooth and rich and the ice cream with a little whipped cream was a great combination.
On the way out I got distracted by the actual book store. The children's book selection is wonderful (ps if you have never looked at a "Lion in the Library" and you are an ADPi, you really should go check it out, you will love it). But there is an awesome book selection as well and I will have to go back just to check out the books and maybe grab a cup of coffee!
Afterwards we went to Afterwords Cafe. We strolled down Connecticut Ave and found a bookstore that Erin had heard had a cafe and bar in the back. We had gotten there around 9pm and were lucky enough to get three seats right at the bar. The whitty, well thought out menu is enough for you to fall in love with the place from the start. I decided to switch to a beer since the lingering taste from my bad drinks at dinner was still in my mouth. I took Carly's advice and tried the Rogue Dead Guy Ale, which was described as "Hearty, Rich, Balanced" and held true to its excellent recommendation. The beer list was organized from light to dark, which was a really nice feature when picking a beverage. I finished with an Original Sin Cider from NY which I think is a local cider favorite. Described as "Light, Dry, Fruity", it was a delicious finish to the evening. Some other noteworthy drinks on the menu:
Top Shelf Long Beach Iced Tea
Absolut,Bombay,Cuervo,Bacardi, Cointreau,Cranberry Juice, Sour Mix
Limit-2 Per Customer
Electile Dysfunctional Cocktails
BarakStar Martini
Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka, Godiva Chocolate & White Chocolate Liqueurs
"The One" drink that's been soaring on promises '...yes you should' try it
Biden Bluster
Mango Puree, Strawberry & Lemonade Blended w/Ice
Sip slow on a fast train
The McCain Maverick
Bacardi Peach Rum, Mango Puree, Lemon Fizz & Soda
It's not what everyone else is having
Palin Long View
Rogue Dark Rum, Triple Sec, Fresh Lime Juice, Orange Juice and Sour
Enough of these & you'll swear you can see Russia from here
You can see more of the menu on their website
Now I was already sold on the place before I discovered the Desserts. I was attracted to the listing for Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Ice Cream. Cinnamon ice cream is one of my favorites so I couldn't resist. Well while the ice cream was excellent the pumpkin pie was by far the best slice of pumpkin pie I have ever had. It was unbelievable smooth and rich and the ice cream with a little whipped cream was a great combination.
On the way out I got distracted by the actual book store. The children's book selection is wonderful (ps if you have never looked at a "Lion in the Library" and you are an ADPi, you really should go check it out, you will love it). But there is an awesome book selection as well and I will have to go back just to check out the books and maybe grab a cup of coffee!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
This past weekend I needed to go to papersource in old town (ps they have the most adorable polar bear wrapping paper and gift bags I have ever seen!) to pick up some paper for the crafts I am working on as Christmas gifts for some of my friends. I decided to go to Starbucks on my way home to pick up Alex and I a little cup of goodness. I turned down a street and saw the most vibrant rainbow! It was absolutely stunning. Naturally the car behind me started honking so I failed to get the picture that had the row of townhouses and perfect fall looking trees. But I did manage to capture a few shots of it. It also was a double rainbow ooooooaaaaahhhh!!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Matchbox
Saturday night Alex and I met up with Miss. Erin to catch a showing of "Role Models", which was hilarious, and a good way to wind down the week. At Gallery Place/Chinatown there was an ACDC concert going on, as well as the opening night of the new James Bond Movie so things were pretty crazy on the street. We decided to find some place to have drinks and some late night snack food. We ended up having a hard time finding a bar that wasn't packed to the brim! We decided to try a side street and we found a townhouse restaurant called Matchbox. It ended up being a pizza restaurant that Alex had heard about so it was a good find. The drinks were fabulous and I loved that the menu was divided into girly and manly. The pizza lived up to its reviews and I would definitely go back, which is a rare thing for me to say about a DC restaurant. Another unique thing about Matchbox was that in the tables, set in a varnish was matchboxes that the owners had collected. Since they are also known for their mini burgers I know I will be back at some point to try those!
Old Post Office Tower
Alex had veterans day off from work so we decided to get out of the apartment and check out the Old Post Office Pavilion. The tower of the Old Post Office has a great view of the Mall and the rest of the district. It is free and from what I have heard there is rarely a line! It is a beautiful old building and houses a set of bells that are replicas of the ones at Westminster. After our excursion up the tower we headed to the newly constructed Navy memorial which is beautifully done and then enjoyed eggnog lattes at Starbucks.
