The Front Page

OVERALL: 2 Stars

Ehh, the place was just plain average. Not a stand out in any way, but a sure thing for the price of $21.

Food Quality: 2 Stars -- Buffet style food was bland all around, and the hot foods were more like room temperature. Some lettuce in a bowl with croutons and dressing does not make a great salad. The waffles were tasty, but it took a good 10 minutes to stand in line for them.

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 3 Stars -- served in larger water style glasses, they went down smoothly and were never emptied. Again, ore than one juice offering is always more interesting.

Service Quality/Refill time: 3 stars -- The waitstaff was polite, but the bus boy must have been fired recently, because he never came to the table to clear our plates. The waitress made up for his absence, but that made her a little slow with the refills. 

Atmosphere: 1 star -- Pleather seats and lots of tables with little room to move around the space. The buffet was VERY poorly laid out in a hallway type area leading to bottlenecking of hungry people with plates in their hands. take away a few of the tables and move the buffet to a larger area, heat the foot up, and then we will think about coming back.

Redwood

OVERALL: 4 Stars

Live music was charming, and the service was great. would have liked some other drink options...

Food Quality: 3 Stars -- well laid out and easily accessible in the bar area, the food had a wide array of cold salads and hot foods. The grits were perfectly cheesy and buttery delicious. Fresh soft bagels with lox and all the toppers. This was the first time we had seen soup served at a brunch buffet. It was savory and Mediterranean in flavor.

Mimosa quality: 3 Stars -- basic mimosas, but they were served in unique tall narrow tom collins type glasses. Classy. Perfectly mixed

Service/Refill time: 5 Stars -- John was our waiter, and he was so prompt and attentive. Our mimosas would be halfway empty and he would be  placing another teaming glass next to it.

Atmosphere: 4 Stars -- rustically simple with thick hardwood tables and chairs. There was plenty of space between tables so you didn't feel like you were eating brunch with everyone in Bethesda. Live jazz was charming!

18th Amendment

OVERALL: -1 Stars

Oh. My. Goodness. not even worth my time to review it. Don't even waste your brain power wodnering about it. It was that bad. Lets just say if you were walking down a shady street, and you are so hungry you hadn't eaten in three days, and then you see this place, just keep walking. Look for something else.

Agora

OVERALL: 2 Stars

So this was an interesting morning, we enjoyed the awesome sunny day on a covered porch, serenaded by the most adorable 2 year old screaming his head off. Of course this did not impose upon our mimosa consumption. Bob's touch finally put him to sleep after making 5 laps around the block in the stroller.

Food Quality: 4 Stars -- Quickly served, with a greek theme as expected. The flat bread pizzas were delicious with plenty of fresh perfectly melted cheese. The sausage mentioned is more like a thick pepperoni and strongly flavored. Anything that comes with bread arrives with a hot basket of freshly cooked naan which melts in your mouth. The omelets were slightly overcooked, but the portions were healthy. They do have a deal for unlimited plates only if the whole table participates. 

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 2 Stars -- 2 words: time limit. If your table orders the bottomless mimosas, they literally start a timer. You get 2 hours to get sloshed. And no other options.

Service Quality/Refill time: 2 stars -- still fuming about the time limit thing. I do give the waitstaff credit for shuffling tables around to accommodate our stroller. And only a couple of times did we have to ask for a new carafe. We poured our own drinks, so I really can't give them credit for that either...

Atmosphere: 2 stars -- Tables were wobbly, and the outside eating area lacked decor. Some plant life would have been nice. The inside looked very upkept and newly remodeled. I'm not sure why they forgot to by patio furniture.

El Centro

OVERALL: 2 Stars

We were looking forward to this place so much, and we were sorely disappointed. The site advertised a buffet of delicious, well spiced mexican food, which clearly was not even close. 

Food Quality: 2 Stars -- It was tasty, when it finally showed up. Matt asked for enchiladas in his first order, and finally got them 45 minutes later. The chicken soft tacos were a little bland, as well as the potatoes and eggs tasted like they were just tossed with mayonnaise. The chorizo and egg was yummy. The best thing on the table was the guac, salsa and chips. Hell i could have made that at home.

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 3 Stars -- For beverages poured from a pitcher, they were mixed proportionately. I tried a few of the 'aqua fresca cocktails'. I think they were made by the bartender in training. Way too much liquor, i couldn't finish it. Its sunday for crying out loud, not friday night at 11pm.

Service Quality/Refill time: 1 stars -- The waitresses were prompt at pouring drinks, i'll give them that. The kitchen screwed them out of a decent tip though. We could order 6 dishes at a time for the entire table (and they were SMALL plates). On average 70% of our orders came back. Its not like they showed up with the wrong plates, they just never showed up at ALL. After 1 or 2 reminders to the waitstaff, we would finally get some food. This pattern was great for our portion control, since we got full way before we could eat too much food. 

Atmosphere: 2 stars -- Looked very much like the inside of Ben's Next Door actually. Dark wood, dimly lit rooms with tall cafe tables, selective appearing loft with more tables. Decor was minimalist and indistinctly modern without much style or thought. Could be any bar from ultra rave to chic foodie.

Vinoteca Bar and Bistro

OVERALL: 3 Stars

Girls day! despite the pouring rain, me and to other smokin' hot chicks decided to brave the weather and try this intriguing corner bistro. It was charming and did not fail to please.

Food Quality: 5 Stars -- Perfect portions, and delicious flavors with just enough kick. the pork sanwhich is to die for. I think the menu could use a little sprucing though; the place has a few obvious favorites and the rest sort of fade to the background. Eggs benedict was perfectly prepared. We did not try the french toast, but again, the presentation was beautiful on the next table over... 

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 3 Stars -- A little too much OJ and not enough of the good stuff. No exotic options. We did splurge for the pitcher of bellini ($18) which gave us four generous glasses. Delicious, but why did I have to pay extra for it?

Service Quality/Refill time: 3 stars -- Bless these young college girls! Soaking wet and still working for a living. Where are the burly bus boys to help them move umbrellas around and bring out food? They did their darndest to keep our glasses full and our seats dry.

Atmosphere: 2 stars -- Ehh... if you are going to have an out front patio, the tables need to all have covers that fit and work reliably. The waitstaff struggled with broken umbrellas made for square tables to put them on rectangular tables that were soaking already. Prepare a little better or don't open your front patio in the rain!

Beacon Bar and Grill

OVERALL: 4 Stars

We were totally pumped to try this place, because i had to make reservations a month in advance. It lived up to expectations, and is one of the few places we feel gets somewhat close to the Black's untouchable 5 star rating.

Food Quality: 5 Stars -- Fried chicken, mini bagels and lox, I counted a total of 8 cold salads which were fantastic. Cheese blitzes, numerous cakes for dessert, made to order omelet station. Mac and cheese was not impressive. You need more than just velveeta to make a delicious cheese sauce. Food is the reason to go here. 

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 3 Stars -- Again, just the standard; OJ and bubbly. No exotic juices or what not. The bloody mary was pretty tasty though, and i'm usually not a fan. 

Service Quality/Refill time: 4 stars -- Waiters were well dressed and very polite. I don't think we ever had an empty glass. 

Atmosphere: 3 stars -- The restaurant touted its "sky room" dining area, which pretty much was an extended sun room they had added on to the bar area to make into dining space. It was nice, i'll admit, to sit in the sunlight and stuff my face, but it did get kind of hot in there. They also need to do a better job of keeping the floors dry. I slipped near an emergency exit on the stamped concrete floors and spilt my entire plate all over another diner. thankfully none of the food was hot, and he was very nice about it. 

Scion restaurant

OVERALL: 3 Stars

Across the street from Urbana, in Dupont. We should just get a reserved parking spot in this area. Middle of the road all around. No surprises either way.

Food Quality: 3 Stars -- Skip the lobster hash; too much hash, not enough lobster. And not too flavorful. Eggs chesapeake was pretty respectful. Mac and cheese was great. And one full point just for the fried pickles!

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 3 Stars -- Each person had to choose between mimosas or bellini's or bloody mary's, and stick with that. BUT they bring carafes pre mixed to the table, so you can take a little of this and a little of that if you want.

Service Quality/Refill time: 3 stars -- No problems, delicious fried pickles came out along with the mac and cheese just as we were getting hungry. Several times we were waiting for carafe refills though. Our drunken selves were getting anxious for our refills!


Atmosphere: 3 stars -- The space was narrow and clean, and the front room had big windows that let in plenty of sun. The hostess podium looked like it had been thrown together the night before in some college kids basement: it was plywood and nails, painted on the front. We got placed in a smaller room in the back, which was quiet and shaded.

Ben's Next Door

OVERALL: 3 Stars

So last weekend we took a break and had to regroup at Blacks. After that interlude, the southern based sports bar was next on the list. Next door to the well known chili place, the dark bar tried to class it up a little.

Food Quality: 3 Stars -- I tried the signature dish and it was delicious, but I couldn't believe how much plaque formed in my arteries from a dish with shrimp in it. Cheesy grits, piled with a white wine and butter sauce cover with shrimp and sauteed veggies. A fascinating combination. Fried chicken a waffles was also a stand out; sweet and salty.

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 2 Stars -- They used the large wine glasses, which i like, they are easier to drink out of and hold more per serving. But all they had was the plane jane classic. Maybe a little pineapple would spruce it up?

Service Quality/Refill time: 3 stars -- The service was appropriately paced; just fast enough to keep you from looking for the waiter. He had a smart mouth on him though. I told him i was deciding between the shrimp and the french toast. He said, so would pass up our signature dish for bread dipped in eggs? well then. 


Atmosphere: 3 stars -- Dark wood, tall stools pulled up to tall bar tables, trying to step up a notch from its namesake next door. On every wall a flat screen displayed a stock image of a beach. This really got on my nerves after a while. I kept waiting for something to happen. Put the morning news up there, or something, music videos, i don't know. It was like a digital fish tank, but less interesting, and with no fish.

The Bombay Club

OVERALL: 3 Stars

Weird eating naan and curries for breakfast. Remember to ask for orange juice to mix with your champagne. A carafe will be provided. 

Food Quality: 4 Stars -- like i said, weird eating hot savory curries over rice and naan for brunch, but then it was a nice change. The sauces were light without too much grease. Most were vegetarian. One had chicken and another had fish. The crispy potato chip things with yogurt sauce and I think diced tomato were delicious. Such a strange combination but we couldn't get enough of them.

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 2 Stars --  No exotic juices or even the typical OJ was offered with their semi-dry champagne. As you probably guessed this made us a little more drunk than usual. As we left we saw that some diners had small carafes of OJ on their table. Why were we given that option...?

Service Quality/Refill time: 3 stars -- Average on the refills. After while Bob realized the bottle was being placed in an iced tub just behind us, within arms reach. That sort of nixed the meaning of refill time. They were very tolerant of us otherwise. Josh knocked over the table and everything had to be replaced at one point. They cleaned up, and offered us more booze. 


Atmosphere: 2 stars -- The decor was tasteful and the chairs very comfortable, but the space was so crammed with tables that is was difficult to get to the buffet. Get rid of the live pianist and spread everything out a little more. There were kids there too, which made keeping our voices down all the more important.

B. Smith's

dining room

OVERALL: 5 Stars

Oh, the south! Being from Texas, this location reminded me a lot of home. But the similarities ended with the menu. Otherwise, the place was sophisticated and had plenty of DC history to support its claims.

Food Quality: 5 Stars -- Buffet's are fun because you can pick and choose from several different options. The first thing on the line was fried fish, chicken and greens. The meat was delicious, with just enough grease to make you feel a little guilty. Macaroni and cheese, sausages, gumbo, jambalaya followed suit. A salad bar was laid out, as well as an omelet and waffle station. The food was placed in random order; the breakfast food was the least accessible when going to the buffet, when I think you should start out with eggs and croissant. 

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 4 Stars -- Included in the meal price was champagne or mimosas. Halfway into the meal we challenged the waiter into mixing us some other types of champagne concoctions from a list of juices he had rattled off as we sat down. Pineapple, grapefruit, cranberry. Pineapple was my favorite. The grapefruit was a little bitter.

Service Quality/Refill time: 3 stars -- Our waiter's name was Beau. He certainly seemed to love his job. He could have been a little bit faster with the refills, but thats always limited by the bartender. As he realized we were there for the booze, he began to pick up the pace. 

Atmosphere: 4 stars -- The historical location definitely impressed. Our waiter gave us a well practiced scenario of the Presidents who had passed through and why the space has been designed and decorated as it had. There was a live pianist, trying to class it up a little, but I think he could have practiced a bit more.

Chef Tony's

OVERALL: 3 Stars

Chef Tony's had a great groupon recently, which was perfect: $25 for 1 entree and bottomless mimosas. We had a friendly, well prepared meal at a 50% discount, with plenty of bubbly. The place was crowded and people were waiting out the door as we were leaving. They should spend some of their profit on new tables and decor though.

Food Quality: 3 Stars -- The standards were on the menu; French toast, something with crab in it, steak and eggs. I enjoyed the apppetizers that were priced under $10. Calamari, fried oysters, a greek hummus plate. There were just enough of lunch to give the salty taste you craved but not too heavy or pricy. I would suggest they find a better serving dish for the calamari. The paper lined raised basket made it hard to see into. I felt like i was fishing for the squid a second time. The entrees were yummy. The french toast was my favorite, with the unique caramel sauce on top.

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 2 Stars -- They only served the classic here. No exotic juices. They mimosas were well made though with perfect proportions of OJ to bubbly.

Service Quality/Refill time: 3 stars -- I think out waiter was more interested in discussing the latest movies that were out, but he did his best focusing on our empty glasses after a while. We didn't have to wait more than 5-10 minuted before our drinks were filled. The food was also prepared in a timely fashion, though he forgot that eggs came with our french toast, as it was stated on the menu.


Atmosphere: 2 stars -- The owners must have skimped on decorators, because the paint job wasn't the best. Some walls had traditional appearing murals of potted plants. Others had more contemporary art work. The track lighting was not positioned appropriately so the pendants hung off to one side of the round or square tables. The tables themselves had rickety, plastic legs things covered with white paper drop cloths. 

Masa 14

OVERALL: 1 Star

Only if every other place on your list is totally full, then go here. The food was tasty, and cost effective given that $35 got you unlimited food and drinks. We had a great time, of course, because we entertained ourselves trying to come up with good stories of where the wait staff was... 

Food Quality: 3 Stars -- The best thing about the place was the eclectic menu. Grits, salmon omelet, thai burger. The name makes me think it was going to be latin food, and 20% of the menu had chorizo in it, which to our dismay the kitchen was out of. The Grits with cheesy melted bits mixed in were delicious and buttery. The skirt steak was also well seasoned and cooked to order, no"rare" piece of meat with a warm center. That steak was cold in the center, just like it should be. 

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 2 Stars -- Only 2 champagne cocktails in addition to the traditional mimosa, plus 2 types of bloody mary's and 1 lemonade cocktail. All were average, when we finally got a few on our table. But those ingredients too began to disappear. No more lychee to be found!

Service Quality/Refill time: 1 stars -- The wait staff kept forgetting which drink we ordered, but after the first 45 minutes we didn't care as long as we got anything to drink at all. I maybe got 4 glasses the whole hour and 45 minutes we were there? And the food came out in single plates, making the first round of "plates" very awkward as we all waited for our small amounts of food to arrive. It did, eventually.


Atmosphere: 1 stars -- The place was trying to be modern and industrial, with clean square lines and painted steel pipes for hand rails. The lighting was good, but they had crammed too many tables into inappropriate spaces. We actually moved tables a few minutes after we sat down because the first table we were placed at was literally right next to the front door. Come on! We had a reservation, and that's where you put us? 

Nage

OVERALL: 3 Stars

Nage restaurant a is a charming sidebar to a hotel on Massachusetts ave, about a 10 minute walk from the Farraget north metro. I made reservations, but you could probably get in without them. Good service and tasty food and deep wine glasses of champagne cocktails were filling and came to about $30 per person. 

Food Quality: 2 Stars -- There were several unique plates on the menu, making it difficult to choose: Lemon zest pancakes, kill-it-skillet with macaroni and cheese, smoked salmon cobb... Too bad they left something to be desired: like seasoning.The pecan waffles were perfectly crispy, but needed more cinnamon. Crab Benedict left just enough crab flavor, but the home style potatoes were bland and cold. The pork belly BLT sounded delicious but the best part of the plate was the thin crispy "truffle frites". The pork belly was too thick, making the fatty meat a little too greasy to stomach.

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 4 Stars -- $15 provided you with bloody mary's or champagne cocktails in large, generous wine glasses. The champagne was a lovely, not too dry, and not overwhelmed by the juices. All fresh and apparently changed weekly for various combinations. Blueberry was delicious! lychee and pear were just sweet enough without being syrup-ee

Service Quality/Refill time: 4 stars -- We never had to call for refills. The waitress was quick to see when one of us was empty and offer the entire table new drinks, even when we had half of one left. The place was small, maybe only 20 tables, but the staff was older, experienced, and didn't hover.


Atmosphere: 3 stars -- Small and dimly lit, the place was casual but clean and stylish. It was quiet without too much background noise, so we could easily keep up a conversation in the comfy booths. There were smaller square tables set for two, but which could probably be moved together to make a long rectangular table if a larger group was needed to be accommodated. 

Urbana

OVERALL: 4 Stars

Urbana was true to its name. Urban and chic, hidden in the basement of the Polerno hotel, it would have been easy to walk right by the entrance if your face was stuck in your phone. You could come up with a total of 40,320 champagne concoctions with the 8 different fruits they had to mix with your bubbly. Food was tasty and cheaper than the booze!

Food Quality: 3 Stars -- tasty, but average. The burger was large and juicy, definately the most substantial thing on the menu. The eggs benedict would have been better with more than the sliver of ham they served it with, although the hollandaise had just the right amount of lemon to give it a light finish. Seafood omelet was my favorite. The french toast needed more cinnamon. 

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 5 Stars -- Serve yourself! A new bottle is plopped on our table as quickly as we emptied the last one. 8 puree's were available as mixers: the standard orange, followed by mango, peach, strawberry, blood orange, grapefruit, passion fruit, and cherry.

Service Quality/Refill time: 4 stars -- The refill time was awesome; because... of course it was your own two feet that took you tot he juice bar whenever you wanted it. Only once in a span of 5 bottles did we have to ask for more. we only waited 15 minutes between ordering and receiving our food. 


Atmosphere: 4 stars -- The place had a modern loungy feel to it with booths upholstered in a teal that reminded be of Mad Men scenes. I did notice that we were there a little over 2 hours, and several tables had been empty for 'reservations' the entire time! We were snug around an open seating coffee table type situation while empty chairs enjoyed the luxury of elbow room. If the party doesn't show up in 20 minutes, open up the table man! Come on!

The Getaway

So this is actually week 5 of our brunch adventures, but the first that we decided to post on a blog. 

OVERALL: 3 Stars

The Getaway was...let's say decent. Located a few blocks north of the Columbia Heights Metro it feels like it's deep in the heart of true DC. Come early though, parking is a beast. Prices were pretty fair, about $10-15 per fixed plate. I left feeling content, but not stuffed. Would definitely come back for dinner, food wear great. 

Food Quality: 4 Stars -- the food was definetley the best part about this place. They have a great brunch menu with the standard egg based fare, salads, and tons of sandwiches. Most of the dishes games with a side of crispy tater tots. I wished that I was a bigger man and could down multiple plates. As the waiter kept bringing food for various tables it looked great. I had a large breakfast burrito with chicken sausage. It was very tasty with a great mix a mexican flavor. I really enjoyed every bite, but wished there was a little more...or at least a side dish that came with.

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 3 Stars -- The Getaway offers three different types of champagne drinks with the Sunday Bottomless Champagne option for $15: mimosa, mango, and passion fruit. The drinks were pretty good, mostly champagne with just a splash of the juice. You could also get a bottomless bloody mary option.

Service Quality/Refill time: 2 stars -- Pretty slow on the refills, though the food came out pretty quick. Appeared to be understaffed on the lower level. Bar tender was the waiter as well. The upper level had more of restaurant layout, so they might be quicker on the pour up there.


Atmosphere: 2 stars -- Obviously a bar that the owners were using the serve brunch. Very dark, with minimalist approach to decor. Good music choices which were not played so loud that you couldn't talk over it. The tables were rickety as well, which sucks when you are trying to cut your french toast and the drinks are splashing everywhere.

District 2

OVERALL: 2 Star

We left with a disappointing buzz from the over juiced, over-iced pint glasses topped with a bit of champagne that they called mimosas. Though I would probably go back to this place to try it for lunch, since the food was good.  

Food Quality: 4 Stars -- I wonder what the place is like for lunch. We enjoyed the waffles, burger, omelet, steak and eggs, and benedict. Good classic brunch food that was prepared quickly and hot. The portions are large. I highly suggest the sweet potato fries as an appetizer.

Mimosa/Champagne Quality: 1 Star -- Pints of champagne and OJ sound like a great idea; less frequent refills, more stable than a champagne flute. But when you fill the thing with ice, and OJ then add a little dry champagne, call it anything but a mimosa.

Service Quality/Refill time: 1 star -- there was 1 host, 1 waitstaff and a bartender. The bartender was obviously busy mixing the worst mimosas ever, while the female waitress appeared to be flirting with the bartender and the single, middle aged dudes sitting at the bar. This left the host who was dutifully glued to his podium, and our waiter who was running back and forth to our table trying to get our food and keep up with us as we sucked our watered down pints of OJ. The demand was high but supply was just not keeping up. After a while, it didn't have to. We left.

Atmosphere: 2 stars -- Non destinct American sports bar. I did like the table arrangements though. We had a large, tall table near the front bay window that had great seating for a larger group. Towards the back were plush semi-sircle booths with tall backs to create the illusion of privacy for the diners. A small front patio area was full of burnch goers. 

Blacks Bar and Kitchen

The epitome of bottomless brunch spots, where we started and will finish our quest.

OVERALL: 5 Stars

Food, drinks, atmosphere, and service were excellent. BUT you pay for it at $50 a person.

Food Quality: 5 Stars -- The is a modern chic place with just enough foods on their buffet without being random. The raw bar is crisp and fresh with oysters, tuna tartar, smoked salmon, and shrimp cocktail. A made to order omelet station is quick to respond to any request. Breakfast sausage, a southwest version of Chesapeake benedict, and cinnamon waffles are among the hot choices. Antipasta of cold cuts and roasted vegetables are available to stack on fresh greens. Follow all this with an array of single serving creamy puddings, cookies, and fruity tartes.

Mimosa quality: 5 Stars -- Options are the theme at this place, which continues with the drink choices. 7 different types of champagne cocktails are included in the bottomless service. Kir Royale was my favorite. 

Service/Refill time: 5 Stars -- As soon as you are seated, you are offered drinks and menus. Halfway through the meal, we asked the waitress to "bring us one of everything we haven't tried yet". She did it with a smile. Awesome.

Atmosphere: 5 Stars -- Modern, with a little swanky on top. The seating was spacious and the background music was just barely there. The sun-filled deck is really a pleasant place to enjoy a Sunday morning.

Our Rating Criteria:

each of the following features will get 1-5 stars, then averaged for the "overall experience."


1. Food Quality 
2. Champagne cocktail Quality
3. Service/Refill time
4. Atmosphere