Dining: Alba Osteria

July 31, 2014 Russell W. Warnick

I think we can all agree that Washington is awash with the bottomless brunch cocktails, however, there are not so many of the bottomless food options. At $30 for both, Alba Osteria has pretty much undercut the competition. A relatively new restaurant with a not-so-new chef, Roberto Donna of Al Dente and more famously, Galileo, helms the kitchen. I dined at Al Dente a year or so back and I have fond memories of the upper northwest establishment; Alba Osteria on the other hand is not quite the same caliber, however for an all-you-can-eat affair it can't be sniffed at.

I'd like to say you should choose carefully, but you really don't have to. Perhaps a wasteful attitude, but if you don't like a dish you can simply discard it. In the interest of full disclosure I was at a group brunch -- a dozen of us -- despite this our server was attentive and as efficient as you can be serving a party our size. Other than a borderline unacceptable wait for a second beermosa (beer, Prosecco and OJ) refill it was great. Our server lead the ordering and prompted us to order two of everything off the menu (smart move), enabling us to decide what we liked so we could order more of.

Travel: Hilton Head & Bluffton, SC

July 8, 2014 Russell W. Warnick

There's nothing quite like spending ten hours in a car while your driving companion sings along to Broadway tunes (thanks SiriusXM), so when I got to my destination of Hilton Head Island this July 4th weekend I very much needed a drink (and food). I've been to Hilton Head a few times before, so when it comes to dining out I pretty much have my bearings, on this trip however it was America's birthday so it called for burgers and beer, mostly.

There are staples to my visits to Hilton Head: The Skull Creek Boathouse and the Bluffton Farmers Market, which by virtue means lunch at Old Town Dispensary. The Boathouse is an all-American restaurant on the upper-west side of the island overlooking the creek. If it's not too hot, find a seat at the outside bar, order up a local draft beer or frozen margarita while you look over the menu -- you'll be finished with at least one round of drinks before you get through reading it. The menu is pretty diverse with dishes ranging from fried fish, blackened fish, burgers, tacos, pasta, and salads to sushi and oysters. It's a restaurant on the water, order fish because that's what we do.

Dining: Dumplings & Beyond

June 13, 2014 Russell W. Warnick

This post is completely self-serving, a new restaurant specializing in dumplings, aptly named Dumplings & Beyond opened in Glover Park, and these dumplings are pretty impressive for DC standards. I'm not going to call this place a "hole in the wall", it's not, but it is basic - think bamboo decor, a simple menu with dishes you'd find on most Chinese menus. But the dumplings are worth shouting about. Not that this place wasn't busy on the Sunday evening I visited, at its peak nearly half of the tables were taken with diners, it just deserves to be busier. I want it to do well.

Events: World Cup Dining

June 9, 2014 Russell W. Warnick

On June 12th the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Rio De Janeiro, for four glorious weeks our television sets will be tuned into 22 men running around a sweltering pitch for 90 minutes. We may be in a country that, for the most part couldn’t care less about the game, but we’re DC and we’re pretty passionate about it, just ask Mayor Gray. With a city full of chefs from all corners of the globe you can be sure that restaurants and bars across town are offering up discounted food and drinks. Here is a growing list of places you can watch the game and order up some cheap eats, and lots of Caipirinha's.

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