Sunday Brunch is a ritual for a lot of people, but where to go is always a chore. I know that every single restaurant these days has brunch and it is hard to decide where to go. I wanted to write up a list of great places that I have gone for brunch, to make your lives easier. Plus, a lot of these places are not that well known and will allow you to call today for reservations.

Pienza Italian Market

One of my new favorites is the brunch at the Pienza Italian Market at the Gaylord National hotel at the National Harbor. The buffet is like one in vegas. It appears to be a quarter mile long. They offer everything from fresh baked pastries to custom omlets to a dessert bar with fresh custard. It is definately a place to go.

For Reservations call (301) 965-2000 – 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD 20745.

Hanks Oyster Bar

Hanks Oyster Bar offers fresh oysters and some of the best cocktails around. Nothing beats a good bloody mary in the morning. Especially at Sunday Brunch. I would recommend the fried oysters and the lobster bisque. The DC restaurant is located off the red line at dupont circle. The Alexandria restaurant is located just 4 blocks down King St. from the Blue or Yellow lines.

For Reservations call 1624 Q Street NW, Washington DC 20009, 202-462-HANK (4265) | 1026 King Street, Alexandria VA 22314, 703-739-HANK (4265).

Jackson 20

Located on King Street this new American tavern hosts a lavish Easter Brunch.  While it is one of the most expensive @ $50 a head, they have a great selection on the buffet.

For reservations call 703-842-2790, 480 King Street in the Hotel Monaco

Crystal City Sports Pub

Crystal City Sports Bar is located on 23rd street, Restaurant Row, of Crystal City. Just off the blue or yellow line. I know what you are thinking, a sports bar? But, the buffet that they set up on sundays is quite amazing. They offer fresh fruit every southern specialty that you can think of, and freshly made right in front of you Eggs Benedict. You can not beat the buffet for the price, just 12.99.

For reservations call 703-521-8215 – 529 23rd St S, Arlington, VA 22202.

Irelands Four Courts

Located on Wilson Blvd. in the heart of the Court House Neighborhood on the orange line. They offer an extensive buffet, including hand carved meats, along with a nice breakfast menu. Plus, they offer Guiness. It is a must if you are on the orange line this sunday.

For reservations call 703-525-3600 -2051 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22201.

Chadwicks

Chadwicks serves classic American fare.  They offer standard brunch items till 4PM on the weekends.  There is one downfall to Chadwicks, country potatoes instead of hashbrowns.  I know it isn’t much but it is enough to make it so that I have to find a different place for my father.  What can I say, the man loves crispy hashbrowns.  Besides the hashbrowns the brunch is super nice.  They have a nice selection of morning cocktails and it is right on the water.  Who could ask for more, with the exception of hashbrowns.

For reservations call 703-836-4442,  203 The Strand, Alexandria, VA 22314

Acadiana

Acadiana offers a great brunch prix-fixe menu. Just $32 and includes 3 courses and either a bloody mary or a blood orange mimosa. I am a sucker for either of those cocktails. Centrally located between the blue, orange or red lines near mount vernon square.

For reservations call 202.408.8848 – 901 New York Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20001

Well I know that this list is not complete and does not include every single place that offers brunch. But, this is a list of places that I recommend for Sunday Easter Brunch. I hope that you enjoy.

-Rex

Walking to the place we almost missed it and walked right by the door.  The only sign is quite small and above the front door.  If it wasn’t for the line outside, we would totally have missed it.  Once inside we waited for a seat at the bar.  Oh, if you don’t have a reservation, you will be waiting a long while for a table.  Luckily we found a spot at the bar.  I like the bar, you can really see how a restaurant works by watching the waitstaff.  It doesn’t matter what restaurant you are in, the waitstaff always migrates to the bar.  If the waitstaff is having fun, you will have fun.  Plus, the bartenders will not steer you wrong when it comes to the menu.  This might be a bit biased, as I bartended for 8 years, but it has not failed me.

Granville Moore’s goes through 1200 pounds of mussels and 1400 pounds of potatoes every single week.  They must be doing something right.  The menu is focused on a Gastropub theme that is heavily focused on the mussels, fries and dipping sauces. Don’t forget the massive selection of Belgian Beers.  Chimay anyone?

To start the meal Dana and I ordered the Jumbo Bacon Wrapped Scallops.  They were awesome.  Scallops can be tricky to cook, and these were done to perfection.  It didn’t hurt that they were wrapped in the worlds best food, Bacon!  The bacon was cooked perfectly along with the scallops.  This feat is not an easy one to master.  Usually by the time that the bacon is cooked, the scallops are over done.  Not here, both parts of the dish were cooked to perfection.

For the main course we both wanted mussels.  They offer mussels for every flavor palette.  From blue cheese mussels to Moroccan mussels with a curry sauce.  Dana and I both love blue cheese and could not decide who would get the Moules Fromage Bleu, so we both ordered them.   The Fromage Bleu mussels sounded amazing.  Here is a little breakdown.  Mussels, Bacon, Hook’s Blue Cheese, Shallots, Spinach, White Wine and Lemon Juice.  Bacon and Bleu Cheese, hell yeah.  Along with the Mussels we shared a Grande order of frites with two dipping sauces, Truffle Aioli and Chipolte Mayo.

The mussels came out steaming in a great big bowl.  My first bite was amazing.  It had a giant chunk of bacon, a tad bit of blue cheese, a spinach leaf and also some mussel.  The flavor of the broth along with the mussels was to die for.  Yeah, I said it.  These mussels were amazing.  The frites were a bit dissapointing.  They were tasty but I think we got the bottom of the barrel.  The longest fry was about a half of an inch. This made the dipping sauces a bit tricky.  The dipping sauces were quite tasty.  The aioli had a strong truffle flavor that was not too overpowering.  The chipolte mayo was delish and had a little kick.

Overall this place is delicious.  If it wasn’t for the fact that it is way out in North East DC, I would be back for more next week.  The food was great, the service was excellent and the Belgian beers were plentiful.  I would recommend this place to anyone who loves mussels.  It sounds scary I know, but head out to NE and check out Granville Moore’s.  Call ahead for a reservation.

Granville Moore’s
1238 H. St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-399-2546

http://www.granvillemoores.com/

The Mount Vernon Gingerbread House – (Nov. 12-24)

Roland Mesnier the former White House Pastry Chef is constructing a replica of George Washington’s Mount Vernon.  Every day from the 12th to the 24th Roland will be constructing the replica in the Vaughan Lobby from 10am to 3pm.  Visitors can watch as Mesnier constructs the masterpiece, which will include intricate details such as works of art on walls and several marzipan figures.  The best part is that admission to the Mount Vernon Estate is not required to visit the Vaughan Lobby, so this is totally free.

Great Places to Visit – Annandale, Va

Honey Pig Gooldaegee Korean Grill – 7220-C Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003

Honey Pig is a hip Korean BBQ grill.  With good music, fun atmosphere and the fact that it is open 24 hours makes this a go to place for Korean BBQ.  I recommend the Sam Gyup Sal (Pork Belly), Kalbi (short ribs) and Bul Goki (marinated lean beef).    Don’t forget to get some soju (Distilled rice liquor, similar to vodka with around 20% alcohol content).

A & J Restaurant – 4316-A Markham St, Annandale, VA 22003

A & J is a northern style Dim Sum Restaurant.  Featuring small plates and awesome soups.  I recommend the Beef and Tendon soup with the wide noodles.  I am also a fan of the Nyo Lo Sa Bing – a beef pasty that is awesome.  A & J only takes cash so stop by the ATM on the way.

Lighthouse Tofu – 4121 Chatelain Road, Suite 100, Annandale, VA 22003

Soon du bu is a Korean stew made with uncurdled tofu and spices.  It can include a protein such as beef and seafood.  You can get it with kimchi.  Plus you can order how spicy you like it.  The stew is served tableside with rice and a raw egg.  Break the raw egg into the boiling stew and eat.  Awesome.  I am a fan of the spicy kimchi beef.  The bonus is that the Soon du bu comes with a never ending supply of  fresh kimchi, spicy cucumber salad, bean sprouts, and radishes.  Once again don’t forget about the nice selection of Korean Beers and Soju.

There are a ton of other great restaurants in Annandale, but these are hands down, my favorites.

Have a great weekend.

-Rex

Hot Wings

Requirements for a great hotwing:

• Nice juicy wing
• The wing has to have meat, some places serve the tiniest wings that literally have no meat on them.  (They are not on this list, you know who you are).
• The wing sauce has to be spicy, but flavorful.  Some sauces are hot, but there is no flavor to the wing.  All you get is spice.  On the other hand there are places that have smokey and sweet sauces but absolutely no spice.  There has to be delicate balance.
• The wings have to be affordable.  I don’t want to pay $20 for 10 wings.  That is absurd.  Chicken wings are cheap to purchase and unless the sauce has gold dust in it, I am not paying that much for a wing.

Click below to see the list

1. Capital Lounge – These wings are amazing and affordable.  The sauce is spicy and awesome.

• $0.25 wings on Tuesdays plus dollar off beers during happy hour.
• 231 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20003
• http://www.capitolloungedc.com

2. Hard Time Cafe’ – These wings are grilled and smothered with a nice spicy sauce.  While not the traditional fried wings, these are awesome.

• At $8.95 these wings are little pricey but well worth it.
• Hard Time Cafe is located all over the DC area so check the link for a location near you.
• http://www.hardtimes.com

3. The Exchange – I buy these wings by the pound.  Usually two.  The sauce has good flavor and plenty of heat.  This place is my Softball bar and they offer specials throughout the week.  Check out their website for details.

• $8.49 a lb but worth it. – Check out their website for specials.
• 1719 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
• http://www.theexchangesaloon.com/

4. Kelly’s Irish Times – Excellent wings!  Every other time that I got to Irish Times they have $0.50 wings.  I only go on Saturdays for the $15 all you can drink Miller Lite.  It is a crap shoot if you will get wings or not.  I suggest calling ahead.

• 14 F Street NW,  Washington, DC 20001
• http://www.kellysirishtimesdc.com/

5. Bottom Line – They have great beer and great wings.  On Saturday’s they have $3.50 baskets of wings.  While the size of the wings is smaller, the sauce and  the price makes up for it.

• 1716 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006
• http://www.thebottomlinedc.com/

Honorable Mention

• Wing Zone – Alexandria
• Crystal City Sports Pub – Crystal City
• Bailey’s Pub – Ballston
• Murphy’s Pub – Alexandria

Columbia Firehouse is located in Old Town Alexandria in the same space as the old Bookbinder Steakhouse.  Walking in I thought I was still in Bookbinders.  If you didn’t see the name out front, you wouldn’t know walking into the restaurant. Almost as if they did not even change anything at all.

The building is nice. It is full of rich woodwork, stained glass and even has a atrium dining room. I was seated in the atrium dining room for my meal. It nice but rather noisy. The service was a little slow and the server had to be asked about the specials (pet peeve). I originally went to Columbia Firehouse with Ryan and Melissa for Restaurant Week, but after glancing over the menu we decided to order off the menu.  There was only one entree that could be combined with one appetizer on the whole menu that could add up with dessert to be $35.09.  To make matters worse, neither of those options were available on the Restaurant Week menu.

For our appetizers we ordered the steamed mussels with Coconut Milk, Curry, Lemongrass & Cilantro and the TRIO OF SLIDERS that inlcuded a Steak & Cheese, BBQ & Firehouse Burger.  The mussels were nicely seasoned and the curry sauce was really nice.  Definitely a must, if you try this place out.  The sliders were good too.  We split the sliders three ways. I had the Firehouse Burger slider.  It was cooked perfectly to medium and had a nice soft roll.  I almost wish it was a full sized burger as it was delicious.

For my entree I had a hanger steak cooked to medium.  I love hanger steaks.  When cooked perfectly this cut of steak is juicy and full of flavor.  It came out sliced on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes and creamed spinach.  The steak came out medium/well but based on its temperature and the hardness of my potatoes, it was probably medium when it was set under the heat lamp waiting for service.  The potatoes developed a crust on them by the time that they made it to the table.  The creamed spinach did not look and or taste creamed.  They were extremely acidic and bitter.  But, they were free with the steak.  I guess you get what you pay for. Overall the steak was nice.  It was a little tough from being overcooked, but it was seasoned nicely.   The only real downfall besides the sides,was the littering of fingerprints all over my plate.  Seeing 4-5 fingerprints on the plate kind of creeps me out.  Especially when they are not my fingerprints.  I know it is a recession and all, but they have to have some towels in the kitchen to wipe the plates with.

Ryan had the CHESAPEAKE WATERMEN’S STEW Fresh Seafood, Summer Vegetables, Andouille Sausage with Grilled Bread & Tomato Aioli.  Ryan enjoyed it, but pointed out that the stew only had 3 little carrot pieces in it.  Far from the summer vegetables listed on the menu.  Melissa had the SLOW ROASTED AMISH CHICKEN with Cornbread Stuffing, Spicy Andouille Sausage, Melted Onions & Fresh Thyme.  She really enjoyed it.  I also have to say that the portion of chicken that came with this order was huge.  Definitely worth the money.

The mussels, hanger steak and two beers totaled $35, $0.09 less than restaurant week and my meal included 2 beers.  It is a very affordable place with good but not so memorable food.  The service was a little slow but the staff was kind and courteous.  While the plates were not wiped down before heading to the tables, the rest of the presentation was rather nice.  The atmosphere is fun and energetic but a little on the noisy side.  It would definitely be a good place for party, but not so great for a quiet date.

As for restaurant week I rate it as a SKIP IT for dinner and a TRY IT for lunch.  Lunch is more affordable and is at more of a price range for this type of restaurant.  Melissa tried it out for lunch and she said that it was delicious and that the Hazelnut & Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream was awesome!!!

Rating

I rate this place with 2.5 out of 5 stars.  It is definitely a TRY IT.

For Reservations Click Here

Reviewed 8/29/09

Rating system

• 5 – Star – HAVE TO TRY IT
• 4 – Star – MUST TRY IT
• 3 – Star – GOTTA TRY IT
• 2 – Star – TRY IT
• 1 – Star – SKIP IT

My parents came to town this last weekend and since it was Mother’s Day I made brunch reservations at Pienza Italian Market.  Pienza Italian Market is located in the Gaylord National Hotel at the National Harbor.  They have a large outdoor dining area that is located underneath the giant atrium in the hotel.  That way no matter what you always have good weather. 

When we arrived they took us through the buffet and described each section.  The buffet stretched a couple hundred feet and included everything that one could think of.  Fresh fruits, salads, bread, italian fare, breakfast food and desserts.  The breakfast food included omlets made to order, fresh made waffles and bacon.  The bacon was glorious.  It was thick cut and cooked till crispy.  MMM. 

After walking through the buffet they sat us down at our table that was situated in the outdoor setting underneath the atrium.  The views were grand as they included the whole atrium and views of the potomac river.  Once seated we waited for out waiter to take our drink order.  By waited I mean we waited 10 minutes to talk to the waiter.  I should have known that this would have been and common theme throughout the meal.  We were at the buffet for an hour and saw our waiter 5 times.  Remember the only way to get drinks at this buffet is through your waiter.  Needless to say our glasses were empty for most of the meal.  At times we had to flag down other waitstaff to fill our drinks. 

Not all of the staff was as bad as the waitstaff.  The chefs were friendly and schmoozed with the diners.  The waffle chef stopped what he was doing to go find my mother a clean plate.  This was nice as this wasn’t his job but he wanted us to have a great experience.  The omlet chef was kind and took my request to add ingredients in my omlet that were not in front of him.  I brought over some smoked salmon to add to my cheese, spinach and mushroom omlet. 

The selection of fresh fruits, salads, and italian anti-pasta was excellent.  They offered a variety of breakfast foods including eggs benedict.   A sign of a good breakfast place is if they can make an eggs benedict.  They made it, although mediocre and no made to order it was pretty darn tasty.  They also offered a pretty good selection of italian dishes including meatballs, lasagna, white sauced pasta and various other meat dishes.  The carved meat station included ham and turkey.  They noted that the meat selection and italian dishes vary from day to day.  They are based on what ingredients are fresh and not on a set menu.

The desserts were amazing.  They had an ice cream bar with fresh Hagan Daz ice cream.  They also had tea cakes, cheesecake, tres leches cake, layered chocolate cakes and various vanilla cakes layered with fruit.  The tres leches cake was amazing.

If it wasn’t for the waitstaff this restaurant would have recieved a better score.  At times we wondered if our waiter had quit as we could not find him.  At the end of the meal he was right on time with giving us our check though.  I guess he was eager to get a tip. 

Overall the food was fantastic, the cooking staff was excellent and despite the waitstaff, I will be going back.  The buffet is one of the best, if not the best in the DC area.  I recommend that you give it a try. 

Pienza Italian Market - $42 per person for brunch

For Reservations call  (301) 965-2000 – 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD 20745.

Sunday Brunch is a ritual for a lot of people, but where to go is always a chore.  I know that every single restaurant these days has brunch and it is hard to decide where to go.  I wanted to write up a list of great places that I have gone for brunch, to make your lives easier.  Plus, a lot of these places are not that well known and will allow you to call today for reservations. 

Pienza Italian Market

One of my new favorites is the brunch at the Pienza Italian Market at the Gaylord National hotel at the National Harbor.  The buffet is like one in vegas.  It appears to be a quarter mile long.  They offer everything from fresh baked pastries to custom omlets to a dessert bar with fresh custard.  It is definately a place to go.

For Reservations call  (301) 965-2000 – 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD 20745.

Hanks Oyster Bar

Hanks Oyster Bar offers fresh oysters and some of the best cocktails around.  Nothing beats a good bloody mary in the morning.  Especially at Sunday Brunch.  I would recommend the fried oysters and the lobster bisque.  The DC restaurant is located off the red line at dupont circle.  The Alexandria restaurant is located just 4 blocks down King St. from the Blue or Yellow lines.

For Reservations call 1624 Q Street NW, Washington DC 20009, 202-462-HANK (4265)  | 1026 King Street, Alexandria VA 22314, 703-739-HANK (4265).

Crystal City Sports Pub

Crystal City Sports Bar is located on 23rd street, Restaurant Row, of Crystal City. Just off the blue or yellow line.   I know what you are thinking, a sports bar?  But, the buffet that they set up on sundays is quite amazing.  They offer fresh fruit every southern specialty that you can think of, and freshly made right in front of you Eggs Benedict.  You can not beat the buffet for the price, just 12.99.

For reservations call 703-521-8215 – 529 23rd St S, Arlington, VA 22202.

Irelands Four Courts

Located on Wilson Blvd. in the heart of the Court House Neighborhood on the orange line.  They offer an extensive buffet, including hand carved meats, along with a nice breakfast menu.  Plus, they offer Guiness.  It is a must if you are on the orange line this sunday.

For reservations call 703-525-3600 -2051 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22201.

Acadiana

Acadiana offers a great brunch prix-fixe menu.  Just $32 and includes 3 courses and either a bloody mary or a blood orange mimosa.  I am a sucker for either of those cocktails.  Centrally located between the  blue, orange or red lines near mount vernon square. 

For reservations call 202.408.8848 – 901 New York Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC  20001

Well I know that this list is not complete and does not include every single place that offers brunch.  But, this is a list of places that I recommend for Sunday Easter Brunch. I hope that you enjoy.

-Rex

I said it in the Cafe Atlantico post, I would return.  I did and it was a whole lot better than the first time.

Ahh minibar. When visiting cafe atlantico on the second floor sits a small counter with just six stools. Many without knowing think it is just a small bar sitting area for the one tops, but no, the lucky few that get to sit at those six seats each night are the luckiest people in the restaurant.

With just six seats and two servings each night it is hard to get just one of those hallowed seats. But how do you get a seat at minibar? My only answer is to call, call a lot. Reservations for minibar open up every day when the restaurant opens. But remember when you call you are calling for a reservation exactly one month from the day that you call. So if I call today March 30th, it would be for a reservation on April 30th. Sounds easy right? Nope. One more caviat. They start taking reservations at 10 am and  are regularly booked by 10:01 am.

So what are a few tips for snagging a reservation.

1. Speed dial
2. Redial
3. Start calling at 9:55

It is just like trying to get through to a radio station. Although none of those tips have actually worked for me with a radio station. But, then again I don’t review radio stations. Oh, and I also got a reservation at minibar.

The food is spectacular to look at and quite tasty too. We started with a few appetizers including fresh potato chips, and olive oil bon bons. But then, we had cotton candy foie gras. Sounds odd, sweetness of pure sugar with the savory creamy foie gras. It was amazing. I would recommend the tasting just for that one single taste.

As soon as they had us going they handed us dragons breath popcorn. What is it youmight ask, well it is a popcorn flavored bite frozen with the help of a little liquid nitrogen. When you bite into it, your breath is instantly chilled and you appear to have smoke blowing out of your nose.

Overall the experience was great. The atmosphere was fun and social. Although, there was a lot of ambient noise we could easily talk to the other four lucky individuals. While the food was at best a 3, the atmosphere and show involved were a 5. Jose Andreas has definitely out done himself. So tomorrow morning I would recommend getting on the phone at 9:55 and start calling.

Butcher Burger, or Hellburger as it’s known locally, makes some damn good burgers.  Which is not totally unexpected, since it is owned by the same man who runs Rays the Steaks, located just a few storefronts away.  Whether it is worth the money and the time, that’s for you to decide.  Having just opened on July 1st, a few kinks are expected, but the ambience is decidedly chaotic. The outside of the restaurant is unassuming, no sign as of yet, just a small piece of paper posted up on the storefront window and the long line of waiting customers hinting at what’s inside. There are only a few sit down tables and a couple more stand up tables scattered around a movie poster dotted, cafeteria-esque room, and they are all packed. If you have any sense, go with a friend, if not only to have them be the designated table nabber.  Use your time in line wisely, deciding what you want before you get to the ordering counter is essential since the staff still seems somewhat unorganized and frantic. They only take cash, but the good thing is they have an in-house ATM just past the meat station. There is a variety of different styles of burger and toppings and every burger comes topped with lettuce and a fat slice of ruby red tomato. 

A must if you go by and there is no line, otherwise expect to wait a little.

Reviewed 9/2/08

The yellow and purple Chi-chi-esque decor, out of place with the younger, hipster patrons who frequent this otherwise stylishly furnished sushi bar/restaurant, is only a foreshadowing of the gastronomical delights in store for those who eat here. Our server was a bubbly, personality-laden red-head who swore, wrongly, that she’d waited on us before. Lots of people say that about us, for some reason. She was fun and knowledgeable about the menu, giving us certain inside pointers about what was good and what was not. She leaned us towards two entrees: a broiled (psst! actually grilled, our waitress whispered confidentially) seafood platter for him, and toasted-rice crusted escolar (a Chef’s Thunder special) for her.

Escolar, aka “white tuna”, we were familiar with from numerous ecstastic visits to Bonsai Grill (the great local sushi bar near my old apartment in crystal city). As sashimi it is a tender, buttery, luxurious melt-in-your-mouth-good white fish. We were so excited to see it on the menu that we didn’t think twice about ordering it. In fact, we also ordered two pieces of escolar nigiri to whet our white tuna loving appetites. The bread basket was delightful: doughy, pleasantly chewy breadsticks, glazed with butter and garlic, with a flavorful wasabi-white-bean hummus dip. The nigiri was delicious, as was expected, but left us feening for more.

The seafood platter consisted of three large shrimp, two scallops, three calamari and a large hunk of a white fish of undetermined species. Everything had beautiful appealing criss-cross grill marks, but unfortunately much of the platter was over-cooked and stringy. The toasted-rice crusted escolar came in a huge, forearm sized slab that was agreeably seasoned and had just enough of that rich, buttery flavor to recognize it as white tuna. For sides, we both chose the vegetable du jour (buttered broccoli and carrots) and bleu potato dumplings. The vegetables were average, but the bleu potato dumplings blew us away. Crisp, lightly fried balls of savory whipped potato in a golden brown coating of bread crumbs with a bold, tangy blue cheese nugget tucked in the center. Unfortunately, you only get three.

Our waitress was very attentive, keeping our diet colas filled and checking on us every few minutes to chat and ensure we were happy. She was dryly sarcastic too, quipping “Wow, it looked like you didn’t like it,” in reference to our empty, crumb-licked plates. For dessert, we decided on the key lime tart, which came out in a crumbly, sweet graham crackery crust with the hint of coconut and topped with a gooey drippy meringue that made us think the pastry chef should start lifting weights because they needed to be whipped a few minutes more. The lime filling was refreshingly tart and paired well with the sweet crust and sweet sweet topping. It was a good deal for being five bucks and generously portioned. And it was fat free!

The price at the end was a little steep, around $60 sans tip, but we felt we had a decent meal and good service. We were still raving about the escolar a few days later, when we started blowing it out our nether regions. His was yellow/orange, mine was yellow/green, but it was the same. Oily, floaty and insistent, our love for escolar came back with a vengeance. Scared that we had been food poisoned, we turned to our only reliable source: Wikipedia. There we found our beloved escolar was a fake. Frequently used as a cheap substitute for actual white tuna, aka albacore tuna, escolar contains indigestible oils that cause gastric distress in the form of crazy, unexpected diarrhea. Without going into details, over the course of two days, our love of white tuna was suddenly turned into loathing; cursing at that dumb, delectable irresistible fish while draped on the toilet at cursing at ourselves for being duped into making ourselves superby regular. But, during our frantic search for what the hell was wrong with us, we ran into some very amusing sites, namely Escolar Evil or Not, which if you look at the link title, pretty much says it all. We were not alone.

Knowing what we know now, would we go back? There’s a chance we might. As long as you don’t get the escolar, Flying Fish is a fun, friendly, hip place to spend your good money on some good seafood and service.  

Visited: 3/31/07