I’ve found it! A diner in Bethesda! It’s Peter’s Carry-Out, right where Cordell runs into Wisconsin Avenue. When I finally went I discovered why I’d never noticed Peter’s, although I’d driven by it or straight toward it many times. It’s small, and the wisdom of Montgomery County government has placed two large signs in front of it for the benefit of those who otherwise would … Continue reading Peter’s Carry-Out, Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland

I love this bar. My kind of place. Just strolling’ ’round the dance floor …wait! That’s all wrong. Barrel 9 isn’t so much a bar as an experience. One way to look at it is that a bar is for drinking, while Barrel 9 is for tasting. That’s a big difference, although rumor has it that the line between tasting and drinking blurs after a … Continue reading Barrel 9, Lusby, Calvert County, Maryland

Shemalis is one of those little neighborhood gems, gems hidden for many but cherished by those in the know. There are two locations now, a grocery cum carryout tucked away in a building on New Mexico Avenue and small grocery at Connecticut and Albemarle. I’d heard a lot about Shemalis for years, but hadn’t been there until recently. I finally went to the Connecticut avenue … Continue reading Shemalis, Wesley Heights and Van Ness, Washington, DC

The latest addition to the restaurant strip near Politics and Prose, whose cafe I need to try, is Call Your Mother. It’s in the former Little Red Fox space between Comet and Buck’s, and across from Rosemary Bistro, The Italian Bar, and I’m Eddie Cano, each of which is very good. It’s only open for breakfast and lunch until 4:00 pm, and features bagels, pastries, … Continue reading Call Your Mother Deli, Chevy Chase, Washington, DC

For our March meeting, our Old Guys Group headed to Oyamel, just around the corner from the site of our February meeting, Rasika, which I reviewed here. We’d hoped to go to Oyamel in February, but they’d just received a nomination from the James Beard Foundation, and reservations were not to be had for love nor money. In March, things had calmed down enough for … Continue reading Oyamel Cocina Mexicana, Penn Quarter, Washington, DC

The yo-yo weather in Washington keeps me off balance, but a recent cold, wind-howling day was an inspiration. Perfect for a hot bowl of pho. Well, it had warmed back up to normal by the time Nancy and I got back to Pho 14, which we’d missed during the lockdowns. And pho is good in all weathers. Pho 14 is the Van Ness offshoot of … Continue reading Pho 14, Van Ness, Washington, DC

Little Beast is hugely popular, especially for families with children. There’s a good bit of indoor seating, a tiny bar, and a broad covered deck outside with more tables. It’s delightful in good weather. I’d been there several times, including on the second or third day after they opened, before they quite had their sea legs. The pizza then was overshadowed by a delicious lamb … Continue reading The Little Beast Cafe and Bistro, Chevy Chase, Washington, DC

Looks can deceive, We were dithering about where to eat supper recently, and finally decided to get around to giving Salsa’s a try. Wow! It really exceeded expectations. From the outside it looks like one of those mediocre or worse Tex-Mex places that mar the landscape, but Salsa’s is Tex-Mex done right. Very right. We decided to eat in Nancy’s and my tiny place, and … Continue reading Salsa’s, Lusby, Calvert County, Maryland

We decided we needed to try a new place for Sunday lunch and, to narrow the field, always a difficulty in Calvert County, we arbitrarily excluded all restaurants in shopping centers. Earlier, Michael had spoken well of the Chesapeake Grille in Dunkirk, but it’s in a shopping center. How about the one in North Beach (which uses the alias Chesapeake Market & Deli)? We hardly … Continue reading Chesapeake Grille and Deli, North Beach, Calvert County, Maryland