The Gibson

2009 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 232-2156
www.thegibsondc.com

Visited: March 2010



So here's the scoop, on how our rag-tag motley crew of misfits ended up at the Gibson this past Saturday night...it all started with ball crushin' fun over a week ago during a falafel UYE lunch with a few Yelp-a-roni's. While I had my audience of seasoned Yelpers before me, I asked (like the high school freshman asking the cool senior jocks how to score with the cheerleaders) the gals and gentlemen about finding the "right" lounge. Lemme 'splain it to you...

Ever since my trip to Sydney, Australia I have been thinking about this magnificent "speak easy"-eque pub my buddy took us to on our last night in Kangaroo land. The place was called the Victoria Room (http://www.thevictoriaroom.com/) and was so chill and mellow with an ambiance and decor that made you think you were in some 1930's pub. The bartenders we skilled mixologists blending your choice of beverages with your mood and carefully making sure to leave out anything you told 'em that didn't enjoy or feel like having. The result was an amazing drink in a place that just made it even more enjoyable.

At the UYE event the two Bens (Ben M and 2nd Ben) were kind enough to humor me and suggested that the wife and I visit the Gibson. I had read some reviews after searching for Lounges on Yelp (Mike T would be proud) and had come across the Gibson but wanted some info from the folks that knew DC the best; my fellow Yelpers. Both Bens had great things to say about the Gibson moving it to the top of my mental list of "to visit" Lounges.

Fast forward a week later when the wife and I were deciding what to do or where to go on our once-a-month date night after securing the sitters for the entire night. I suggested we hit the Gibson after starting out at another place for dinner and drinks as I was dying to see this place for myself. I managed to get Steve L, Jarrett B and a few other friends to join us for our inaugural outing to the Gibson.

We arrived there close to 10pm and managed to find the entrance after walking past it only once. We hit the buzzer (not sure if it actually worked) and opened the door. A kind young lady greeted us and asked us how many where in our party. I responded with "6 people please" and put our name and my phone number on the list. In the meantime, my wife headed upstairs to say hello to two other friends already enjoying some tasty beverages at the Gibson's 2nd floor.

By the time she came downstairs and after some magical changes, we were all admitted to the lower bar. As soon as we all walked into the lower bar area, I was amazed at the dark and comforting lighting as well as the relatively laid back feel to the Gibson. We were seated at a large booth and all six of us began scoping out the list of many drinks.

Everyone reviewed the drink menus with eagle eyes, too many drink choices to really rush into a quick decision as we all pondered what we wanted to have as our first drinks. I ordered a Sherry Cobbler and wasn't sure what everyone else ordered. Our waitress was truly cheerful and happy and I could tell that she enjoyed her job as she chatted with us and helped our crowd decide on some drinks.

The drinks arrived and we all were amazed. Awesome drinks and we continued to laugh and enjoy some great conversation while sipping our tasty concoctions. Although the drinks were a bit pricey, they were completely worth the price due to the experience of being at such a cool place. A few minutes later I headed upstairs to say hello to our friends and was impressed at the layout of the 2nd floor; the Gibson 2nd floor was more of a living room like layout (away for the bar) with couches and rooms that looked even more inviting.

Note to self, make a reservation next time and request a place on the 2nd floor....

Heading back downstairs after talking to my friends, we all ordered our 2nd round and I decided to add some fun to it. I let my wife order my 2nd drink and told her to "surprise me". She ordered a frothy citrusy drink with a nice bite which I enjoyed in between laughs. At this time we had pushed a member of our group to talk to a girl at the bar and we were proudly watching him successfully strike up a conversation with two ladies.

It was soon time for our last round and I ordered a Martinez for myself and for one of my friends from upstairs who had now joined us. By the time we finished our 3rd round we were ready to head home, catch the last metro train home and call it a night...

Our first trip to the Gibson was truly memorable one that we would have to repeat very soon. I totally enjoyed everything about the Gibson except the waiting. Had it not been for our magical moment, we probably would have waited a full hour before being admitted inside. This is the only reason I can't give the Gibson a full 5-star rating....being outside of New York City I find it hard to wait more than 5 minutes to get into any pub...call it my crazy personal preference.

But I will be back, that's a promise!!

North China Cafe

3141 Fairview Park Dr
Falls Church, VA 22042
(703) 560-1486

Visited: March 2010



Buyer's remorse times two! What the freak does this fat boy mean? Well allow me to explain.

I'm stuck in a building where the food court is made up of North China Cafe and another Italian Cafe. To call them both restaurants would be insults to real restaurants as they are just convenient fast food for us suckers that have an hour or less for lunch. Being a sucker for Chinese food, I tried out North China Cafe (NCC) yesterday and had their Kung Pao chicken.

Well the food was palatable, but the Kung Pao sauce was overly sweet and very very greasy. My stomach wasn't too happy with me for the remainder of my training class and I was burpin' up some funky smelling stuff.

Today, we had less than an hour for lunch. My thoughts of heading via car to the local Chipotle or Panera were crushed by the 45 minute lunch break and I knew I was once again at the mercy of the food court. The Italian place had a huuuuuuuge line and honestly, I hate bad Italian food. The next choice was NCC and I saw that they had Three Flavor Chicken (3FC) today which appeared to be a glossy version of General Tso's chicken.

I paid for my food, got the white rice and headed to the table to dive into my fast food. Holy crap NCC....the sugar producers called and they want all their sugar back! The 3FC was super sweet and I knew the reason...to hid all the MSG which was already making me thirsty. I wondered why they didn't just call this General Tso's Chicken (GTC) as it taste exactly like all the other GTCs I've had at other bad Chinese restaurants.

General Tso probably would roll over in his grave and would haunt NCC if they even THOUGHT about calling the 3FC GTC. Still, I hung my head in shame and still ate most of the 3FC and knew I had to write a review about this place. As the rest of my coworkers dined on their NCC dishes, we all agreed to make a run tomorrow to avoid the food court and to stay NCC free.

You know, sometimes its better to be late for a class than to dine on food that leaves you with bubble guts and a major sense of buyer's remorse. I'm still kicking myself for making the same mistake two days in a row. Let me tell you my friends, it WON'T happen a third time!

The only pro's of this place is that it's cheap. But mind you that if you don't have cash they'll quickly point to a paper sign behind the cashier that reads, "Minimum Credit Card Charge $10". Thankfully I played stupid both days and smiled which had the cashiers ignore this rule and ring up my under $7 charge.

So if you're ever in the area and are debating whether or not to eat at NCC....just GTFO and hit one of the many other nearby food establishments....time be damned!! :-)

Aroma Cafe & Pizzeria

3141 Fairview Park Dr Ste Fc4
Falls Church, VA 22042
(703) 573-0853
www.aromacafeandpizzeria.com

Visited: March 2010



Dear Antonio.

Guess who bee-yatch... Seriously dude, what the frak? Why do you treat me so badly? Talk about slummin' it... Day 1 you take me to breakfast at McDonalds (blech) and then we have lunch at that horrible Chinese place called North China Cafe.

As if that weren't bad enough, Day 2 you took me BACK to North China Cafe for lunch...you obviously didn't you learn your lesson after pissing me off on Day 1?!?! Today, Day 3 you took me to the same food court but that wasn't better...we went to Aroma Cafe & Pizzeria.

Cafe? Pizzeria? Goddamn you're a liar Antonio! You took me to a place where the Philly Cheese steak panini was neither from Philly nor very panini-ish.

I hate you for this...I hate you like Tina Turner still hates Ike Turner...but I'm gonna fight back, I'm gonna make you hurt...

After today's lunch at Aroma Cafe & Pizzeria I'm feeling bloated, queasy and just all around sick...about to make my own "aromas". That's it, you're gonna be sorry for treating me so badly you prick! Prepare to run to the bathroom and break wind at the most inappropriate moments.

BTW, you're no Edward Norton and I'm no spleen.

Pissed off at you,

~I am Antonio's Stomach

----------------------

Dear Stomach,

I'm sorry for abusing you...you know I love you. Let me explain... I had to slum it these days and take you with me against my will and better judgment. Rather than expose you to three consecutive days of bad Chinese food, I decided to check out the Aroma Cafe & Pizzeria.

** Tooooooot!! **
** Tooooooot!! **

Dammit stomach!!

Anyway, I only took you to Aroma because we had an SHORTER lunch break today (only 30 minutes) before getting back to my training class. You know I wanted to take you somewhere nice and even healthy...but I just didn't have the time. I'm sorry for abusing and neglecting you...

Thankfully today is the last day of training and I PROMISE to treat you and the rest of my body to some healthier food in the coming days. Well...mebbe.

Asking for your forgiveness,

~Antonio

P.S. Please close down the gas plant my friend, please...

Hunan Number One

3033 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 528-1177
www.hunanone.com

Visited: March 27, 2010



No long review here for those of you that don't enjoy my long winded shiz-nit...

Hunan Number One is the best for GIANORMOUS beers for not too much bling-bling. Anywhere that serves me a beer bigger than my wife's head for under $6 is a-okay in my book. That book being called, "Antonio's Book of Cerveza". BTW, in case you're wondering I don't compare anything to my head as my melon is quite enormous and scarey...like putting an orange on a toothpick.

To make Hunan Number One even more fun, throw in the wife, a few friends and the always fun to hang out with Steve L and Jarret B. I didn't go there expecting to eat any food, but the General Tso's wings were tasty and the fried rice I mooched off of the rest of the gang was quite tasty. Oh yeah, Steve's friend Okie also offered me some chicken on a stick (the actual name of the dish) which was crispy and tasty.

We definitely kept the waitress busy and made her workout by having her bring us a consistently supply of six huge 32 oz beers. Imagine a petite Asian woman barely but skillfully carrying six beers; three in each hand over to a table of rowdy guests.

I'll have to go back to try out more dishes, but right now they easily earn 3 stars for the big beers and cheap prices. I agree with my boy Batman who has declared Hunan Number One as THE place to start off the any fun night. :-)

Cherry Blossom

46110 Lake Center Plaza
Sterling, VA 20165
(703) 444-0080
www.cherryblossomhall.com

Visited: March 6, 2010


How does a fat boy train his body to get back into shape for running a 10-mile race?

Does he use the Galloway method? No...

Does he hire a trainer? No...

Does he cut out all fatty food? Hell NO!

This fat boy goes to Cherry Blossom and indulges his love of kabobs with all-you-can-eat goodness with such reckless abandon it will make you say, "Daaaaaaaaaamn boy, slow down!"

Ever since our friends told us about Cherry Blossom, we were intrigued and knew we had to visit any place with an all you can eat (AYCE) kabob buffet. We were not disappointed by our first or any of our subsequent visits as the food is always fresh and there is SO much more than just kabobs. The variety of food is so amazing and is only dwarfed by the sheer quality and freshness of the ingredients.

Vegetarians are welcome at this Carnivore Mecca as the Afghan cuisine has many veggie friendly dishes for our grazing friends to enjoy. Mooo :-)

The price for the lunch buffet is amazing ($9.99) which is a real deal compared to what you actually get for that price. You get fresh bread, amazing entrees and even some sweet buffet desserts to enjoy. I love how you can come to Cherry Blossom every day and can enjoy different dishes as the cooks change up their offerings. The only constant items on the buffet menu are the chicken and ground beef kabobs which are t-a-s-t-y goooood.

I usually stuff my face with the fresh bread, yogurt sauce and chicken kabobs. My twins love the variety of rice they have and often scarf down a few bean entrees or veggie fare as I enjoy all the meaty goodness.

The restaurant is amazingly clean and beautiful (not that I judge a place on their decor) but it adds to the thought, "Damn, all this for $9.99?!?!" Yes donkeys, it's that good.

We love Cherry Blossom so much that we hosted our monkeys' 2nd birthday party there. It was an AMAZING way to not have to worry about prepping, cooking, and cleaning and could focus on our boys. Plus the staff was so kind and welcoming that it made our little party of 20+ people a resounding success.

I'm telling you, if Cherry Blossom was any closer to us I'd weigh 500 lbs as I would eat there everyday. Why pay $10 to eat at a fast food place when you can pay the same amount and get some quality food. So far everyone we've taken there has raved about the food and has come back on their own.

So 10-miler be damned, I'm stuffing my face with AYCE kabobs whenever I'm in Sterling, VA. :-)

Pastry Xpo

8190 Strawberry Ln
Merrifield, VA 22082
(703) 642-0249
www.PastryXpo.com

Visited: March 19, 2010


Ugh...major buyer's remorse here.

At the most, I'd give this place 2.5 stars.

First off, is this the place to get your sweet fix? No.

Is this the place you go to surf the 'net (free wi-fi) in peace in the middle of an urban neighborhood overlooking a closed-run-down movie theater? Yes.

We had decided to visit the Pastry Xpo after a friend of our was RAVING about the deliciousness of the sweet offerings. From the description, you would've thought one would see angels after eating any treat from Pastry Xpo as they happily serenaded you with trumpets from heaven as you stuffed your gluttonous face.

So yes, were were looking forward to trying out this place...

When the wife and I walked into this place with our two monkeys, I had high hopes based on the selection of pastries that the merchandise would taste as good as it looks. After scanning the display case, I settled on a slice of the chocolate log with macadamia nuts. The wife chose a Napoleon with a latte while we ordered two small chocolate chip cookies for the twins.

As soon as I locked eyes on the chocolate log (we call it la Buche de Noel even when its not Christmas), my mouth was salivating. Thoughts of the tasty Buche de Noel from the French embassy pastry chef popped in my head and I couldn't resist. I paid for everything and was surprised that it came out to be almost $20 for not a lot 'o stuff.

Here's a final list of what we ordered:

- 1 slice of the Buche de Noel
- 1 piece of Napoleon
- 2 small chocolate chip cookies
- 1 small latte

Sitting down, I gave the twins their cookies and immediately dove into my Buche de Noel. Ummm? No. Enh... The cake was so dry I took a sip of my water to wash down the first bite. The chocolate portion of the pastry wasn't that flavorful and I already felt let down after just one bite.

I took a bite of one of the twins' cookies and was unimpressed. I've tasted better cookies from a frozen Toll House cookie packet bought at a local supermarket. By the time I finished tasting the bite of the cookie, the wife chimed in with, "This is the worst and driest Napoleon I've ever had...ugh"

I took a bit of her Napoleon and found it forgettable due to the "old" flavor of the filling and the soggy texture of the supposed-to-be flaky dough layers. Both the Buche de Noel and the Napoleon appeared to have been a few days old, frozen or made at some other far off store. Heck for all I know they were made at some far off store, frozen and shipped to the Pastry Xpo a few days later.

Whatever the case of when or where the pastries were made, they were not worth their price. I leaned over to the wife and told her I would've preferred to have gone right next door to Cold Stone Creamery for some ice cream had I known the Pastry Xpo pastries were going to be this bad.

To be nice a list of positives:
- The place was very new, quiet and clean.
- Free wi-fi
- Not too many people inside contributing to the quiet atmosphere.
- The wife said the latte was tasty

So will we return to Pasty Xpo? Nope. I'd rather drive a few extra miles to Praline or even indulge my sweet tooth by visiting Locolat. I think Pastry Xpo would do good to learn from these other places as the quality of their treats is what will bring us and other customers back over and over again...no matter how far away we live.

If I was ever in this area and was dying to satisfy my sweet cravings, I'd definitely go next door the Cold Stone...

The Pit Stop

Gilbert's Corner
Intersection of Route 15 and Route 50
Aldie, VA
(703) 944-3611

Visited: March 7, 2010


Before I begin this review, let me tell you that I've washed my hands numerous times after leaving the Pit Stop, given my kids a bath, washed some dishes, and even washed my hands again...yet the sweet smokey smell of the Pit Stop is still strong on my hands and fingers. With such a strong scent, you would've thought that my hands worked the smoker used by the Pit Stop...but no, the smokey goodness that permeates simply comes from the delicious food at this amazing little place along the side of the road.

I must thank Steve "The Batman" L. for inviting the me (along with the wife and monkeys) to visit this wonderful little oasis in the middle of Aldie, VA. If not for him, I would've never made the trip out to this part of VA and would never have discovered the deliciousness that is the Pit Stop.

The first thing you'll notice as you pull into the gravel/dirt lot where Ronnie has his smoker and stand, is the smokey smell. As soon as you're in the parking lot, the smoke seems to envelope you like that dark smoke monster from the TV show Lost. But unlike that smoke monster, this one is merciful and woos you with its scent of delicious meats. Ronnie's smoke monster pulls you closer until it seems that your hunger is about to hop out of your stomach and grab some tasty morsel directly off the smoker.

Ronnie and his son work the small stand with welcoming smiles and very friendly personalities. As cliche as this may sound, you can't help but feel welcomed and you a once stranger are now part of a BBQ family enjoying meats cooked up by your cool "uncle" Ronnie.

Parking the car we hurriedly ended a phone call with some friends and placed an order for a whole chicken with the BBQ sauce on the side. We also ordered on small container of baked beans and a potato salad. Okay, quick tangent here...

BBQ sauce. I wanna bathe in this homemade BBQ sauce. If you have any hesitation or questions about Ronnie's homemade BBQ sauce, he'll happily pour some on your finger for you to try out. Folks, the BBQ sauce has so many flavors that my mind was racing trying to figure out what I was tasting. Whatever the combination, the flavors of the BBQ sauce were delicious and a condiment truly deserving its own short little paragraph. Did I mention that I'd love to bathe in this BBQ sauce? Yes, it's that friggin' good!!!

Thankfully the wife had the foresight to order the BBQ sauce on the side which kept things much neater and allowed us to dip deliciously smokey pieces of chicken in our mini vats of BBQ sauce. The chicken was amazing and any traces of fat hat disappeared during the 4 hour smoking process used to cook this chicken. The meat was tender and juicy with that fabulous smokey flavor infused in every piece of meat.

The potato salad was great and very satisfying. The beans were a little too sweet for my taste but I enjoyed combining a bite of beans with chicken...gotta mix the salty and sweet flavors. Ronnie had run out of the smoked chicken salad which Steve and his friends told us was "the best" they had ever had. Our boys also enjoyed the chicken and side items but entertained themselves by tasting generous helpings of BBQ sauce on their forks.

About an hour later Ronnie asked if we wanted some smoked chicken salad which he had been saving for another customer. Apparently the customer did not show up and he decided to share it with Steve and the rest of us. The smoked chicken salad was a delicious combination of smoked chicken, sweet relish, celery seeds and other tasty ingredients. Our one monkey (the finicky eater) LOVED the chicken salad and devoured the whole container by himself. This was amazing to us as he never eats meat and we realized this was some uber-tasty magical chicken salad if ate the entire thing alone.

Important notes worth mentioning:
- Fully licensed to operate legally in VA
- Only open on the WEEKENDS
- They accept credit cards. Bonus!
- You can call ahead and place a special order
- If you're a pork eater, the ribs looks amazing and H-U-G-E!!
- BBQ sauce is a MUST!!

So should you make the looooooooong drive out to the Pit Stop for BBQ? Yes! Will you enjoy the freshly cooked food and ambiance along the side of a busy traffic circle? Hell yes! We'll be telling all our friends about the Pit Stop and will definitely be back very very soon. I think we'll see if we can call ahead and ask Ronnie to throw a rack of beef ribs for us in his famous smoker for us non-pork eaters...we will keep you all posted.

BTW, it's 9pm....almost 7 hours after eating the Pit Stop chicken...and my fingers still smell like smokey goodness. :-)