Breaux Vineyards

36888 Breaux Vineyards Ln
Purcellville, VA 20132
(540) 668-6299
www.breauxvineyards.com

Visited: April 2010



Seriously one of THE best VA vineyards.

The views are spectacular, the wine is tasty (still a bit pricey for locally produced VA wine) but the staff are the best.

When you visit Breaux you'll notice that the layout of the customer centric area is beautifully designed. There are strategically placed trees providing shade, gazebos with tables and many staff keeping the area clean and proper.

I'm never disappointed whenever I visit Breaux and love the drive to this majestic vineyard with hundreds of acres. They grow their own grapes and they make all of their own wine. I find it hard to visit any other VA vineyard when this place has everything I'm looking for.

If you're a dog lover or have a furry companion (no, not your hairy husband or wife), you can bring along your favorite doggy friend. The staff does an amazing job at keeping the ground clean and I've never come across any doggy "surprises" despite all the hairy visitors. Plus, our two monkeys love seeing and playing with all the friendly dogs which often entertains them allowing Mommy and Daddy a few minutes of peace as we enjoy our tasty vino.

So if you do visit Breaux, here are a few hints:
1) Bring your own food; cheese, fruits or nuts but DO buy the freshly baked bread from Breaux. Makes for an even better experience.
2) Arrive early, find a nice spot to setup your blanket in a cool shady area.
3) Do do (Ha! I said doo doo) the wine tasting to sample and get an idea of which Breaux wine you'll enjoy.
4) Grab a bottle of Breaux wine and enjoy yourself and the wonderful view.
5) Relax, take a deep breath and just enjoy yourself, the wine and the company of your loved ones or friends. :-)

I'd give them 5-stars if the prices of their VA produced wine was a bit lower. Just seems a bit high to charge anything over $10 for wine produced in this state when I can go to my local Trader Joe's and pick up a great bottle of French wine for under $7. But I don't hold it against them as I still love visiting Breaux Vineyards and will visit them whenever possible.

Pearmund Cellars

6190 Georgetown Rd
Broad Run, VA 20137
(540) 347-9627
www.pearmundcellars.com

Visited: April 10, 2011



I am SO tempted to give this place 1 star....Frak it...one star.

Lemme explain.

We arrived there before my other Yelp-a-rino amigos and decided to start on the wine tasting. On the plus side they had a little play area for kids with toys, puzzles and all sorts of things to keep the monkeys entertained.

When we arrived a kid was already playing in this area and the toys were spread out all over the small carpet. We were about 6 feet away from out boys who were happy to play in this little area while we began our wine tasting adventures.

As we began tasting the wine, I was disappointed at the flavor of the home brewed vinos and was not surprised when the wine server informed us that only ONE wine was made on premises with the grapes grown on the Pearmund grounds. All of the other wines are made from grapes bought from other growers in different areas.

-1 star for that bit of information....grow your own grapes!!!!!

As we tasted the various wines, I wasn't impressed with the flavor of the Permund offerings. There was something missing from each wine and every single wine left me wanting "more".

-1 for the not-so-impressive Pearmund wines.

Once we finished up the wine tasting, we bought a bottle to enjoy there ($25 for a bottle of white wine; Viognier) which seemed quite steep for Virginia wine. Seriously, I can get some AMAZING 5-star Italian, French or even Napa CA wine at Trader Joe's for under $6...

Anyway...

Once the other Yelpers finished their wine tasting, we decided to head outside, grab a table and enjoy the mountain views while enjoying some cheese, bread and snacks. Before we headed outside I picked up some of the toys in the play area although the toys were already messy before our arrival. We cleaned up as much as we could before our boys ran outside after some of the other Yelp-a-ronis.

We sat outside, enjoyed the view and tried as best as we could to sip some wine and engage our friends and Yelpers in some fun conversation in between chasing after our monkeys. Thankfully 2nd Ben helped me chase after one monkey and the rest of the Yelpers were kind enough to let our boys engage in some frisbee and football throwing fun.

A few hours later we decided to head home and ran inside to use the loo. As I left the restroom, I notice one Pearmund employee (a lady) giving my boys the most EVIL eye ever. When I reached my wife, she informed me that one of the female employees (the same one giving my boys the nasty look) had lectured her about how we "inconvenienced" her by leaving a mess of the toys in the kid's play area. She told my wife that it took her almost 30 minutes to clean up the toys that WE left laying around.

BULLSHIT!!!!

Listen, I hate to be a d*ck but if you're in the service industry it's YOUR JOB to pick up and clean up. We did not create the mess and I'm sorry if we didn't completely pick up all the toys. But how DARE you criticize us...customers with small children for leaving a few toys laying around.

-1000 stars!!!

With the sub-par wine, nasty looks flashed at my boys and for the lecturing of my wife, my friends and I will NEVER return to Pearmund. We are your customers and if I drop trou, take a sh*t in the middle of your lobby I expect you to clean it up with a smile on your face and then THANK me by saying "Please come again sir".

If that makes me a snobby muthaf*cker then yes, I am that... Never EVER insult a customer and never give nasty looks to little innocent toddlers for being children. With your sub-standard wine, bee infested outdoor area and blase vineyard...you better learn to kiss the ass of all your customers if you want repeat business.

Just know that I've told my Yelp friends to abandon all ideas of returning here and head to Breaux vineyards for a truly memorable VA wine experience.

Pearmund, I have already forgotten about you....

Outback Steakhouse - Vienna

315 Maple Ave E
Vienna, VA 22180
(703) 242-0460
www.outback.com

Visited: April 10, 2010



Ewwww....

The ONLY reason we came here (the wife and two little cupcakes) was that we had a gift card and were in the area. I know the steak isn't the best and have even heard that its frozen...a "no no" in my book of meat...

But despite these reservations about Outback we still decided to pay this place a visit. Major disappointment.

We started off our dinner with some crab stuffed shrimp:

The crab "stuffing" was primarily made up of bread and there was only the slightest hint of crab flavor. Being so close to Maryland you would think that Outback could splurge a little and make the crab filling a bit more crabby. The shrimp they used had an texture and slight flavor that slapped my taste buds in the face and yelled, "Hey bizznatchez I'm fro-zen!!"

Rubbery textured shrimp, not a good thing....

Our main course was a 6 ounce steak with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. The mashed potatoes were okay, the veggies were "enh" as they were a bit overcooked but the steak was truly forgettable. Nothing disappoints me more than eating red meat (the few times I do eat it) and tasting nothing...

The steak was bland in flavor and it was evident this was not a great cut of meat. I had ordered the steak cooked to a medium temperature and it was more of a medium well. You know, it's probably a good thing it was a medium well as I wasn't sure about the freshness of the steak.

On the positive side of this Outback, the service was friendly and very attentive. I had a nice tall mug of Blue Moon beer and used that tasty brew to wash down the food and clear my taste buds. As we wrapped up our experience, I noticed that Outback was THE Zagat winner of BEST steakhouse of 2009. As I looked at the fine print, it was "Best CHAIN steakhouse of 2009".

Enh...

Well despite this Zagat rating, never again Outback...never again. Or like Edgar Allan Poe's Raven would so ominously quoth, "Nevermore!"

Shoo raven, shoo...

*** Large black flapping wings stir the air as the Raven departs with my last piece of Outback steak ***

Lost Dog Café & Gourmet Pizza Deli

5876 Washington Blvd
Arlington, VA 22205
(703) 237-1552
www.lostdogcafe.com

Visited: April 2010



Wow, what a change! The last time I had been to Lost Dog Café, the place was tiny, the bar was sticky and the food was tasty. This time, the place is much bigger, cleaner but we did have somewhat of a wait for our food. The major plus is that with their new expansion/re-model, you no longer have to wait a long time for a table.

The place is much brighter and just feels much cleaner than it did before. Don't get me wrong, I could care less about how clean a place is...especially if I'm just imbibing on some cold cerveza. Just a plus to have the place really turn around for the better in case I ever decide to take the boss lady and the two monkeys.

Today's outing to Lost Dog Café was last-minute and I was joined by fellow Yelpers Steve L, Fenny L and Ben "1st Ben" M. The only people to give into the cerveza urge was Steve and yours truly which was a welcome lunchtime treat after a brain stewing week at work.

We laugh, we joked and our stomachs grumbled as we waited for our food to come outta the kitchen. I deducted 1.5 stars for the wait as I don't remember ever waiting this long for food to come outta the Lost Dog Café kitchen.

When the food finally arrived I was happy that the Italian Waffle fries were hot, crispy and very tasty. My sandwich (The Cowboy) was a little light on the meat and garlic and had very thin slices of Bree cheese melted on top. Major props to the Lost Dog Café for the baguette bread used for the sammiches; it was so fresh and tasted amazing. There's nothing worse than crumbly old stale baguette bread...ugh.

Thankfully the ingredients in my Cowboy Sandwich (warm roast beef, garlic, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions, garlic and melted Bree) were all tasty. Just wish the darn thing had a bit more meat inside, but all together a very tasty meal.

It's still a great place to grab a frosty cold brew and to have a sandwich or pizza combination that will give you a break from the standard "boring" fast food chain places. I just wish we were there on the weekend and had someone else to drive so I could enjoy more than just one tasty brew.

Based on this experience and past experiences, Lost Dog Café will always have a special place in my cold little heart.

**woof**
****woof***
--B*tches!--
******woof******
********woof*****

Oh yeah, best part of today's lunch was seeing Fenny book outta the parking lot doing 40 mph in order to get to her meeting in time. Thanks for putting up with all of us Fenster!! :-)

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...