Georgetown Muncheez...Late Night Lovin' It!

We all know that this is a bedroom town, any interested after midnight is either likely to get you arrested or on a replay of C-SPAN.  Alias, we often find ourselves looking for a snack after 1:00 a.m. before we head back to our C-SPAN reruns.  Some of the need is just to put a little more carbons on the liquid carbs we over drank, sometimes it is just you are g#d*m@ hungry after dancing your ass off.


I have searched high and low in this town and found very few really enjoyable late night options.  While U Street still has some great spots - Ben's, Toki, etc. - I prefer not to travel, or stumble, far from where I got my drink on.


On the nights I find myself in Georgetown...pause on moment here...for the record, I am not surfing for Co-Eds in Georgetown, there are great spots even for an aging sport like me - such as L2, Neyla's, Cafe Milano, and many others, so save your judgement...there is only one spot of late-night fare...Muncheez!

I know the name doesn't inspire really good food, it is a cross between Jeff Spicoli and Chuckie Cheese, but the food is really outstanding.  With a little middle-eastern flare, there are mainly pita style wraps with such things as labne cheese, four cheese, grilled chicken and even hot dogs.  My personal favorites are the grilled chicken and the four cheese.


The pitas are served in two sizes, Saj - which is thin, and Pita which is a little thicker (that's what she said). There are also salads and pizzas, which are both really outstanding.


The place doesn't have much seating and it does have a walk-up window, which I don't think exists anywhere in Georgetown.  The interior is really cool, with murals by a local artist and some great club-style music in the back ground.


I went there for the tenth time with a couple of friends before heading out to the bars a week ago.  We sat in the back on some low cushioned chairs and ended up staying more than an hour, enjoying the music and the people watching.


Muncheez is still off the radar, which means it is a great place to hit up for a quick bite and enjoy yourself.  No more standing in line for an hour for a cupcake when I can get one of the greatest crepes prepared fresh to order!


Muncheez Mania - 1071 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington, DC

Stanley Cup Playoffs and DC...

I am torn today.  I will not miss seeing the Playoff Game today...either in person or at the best bar to watch the game.  The problem is I have a tie on where is the best place TODAY to watch the Capitals advance.  So I am recommending either/or, with an explanation.

I am shouting out (is that how the kids say it?) to the two best spots for a beer and watching the Caps bring one home for the hometown fans:  Churchkey or Public Bar.   I will explain:

1)  Churchkey:  The pluses, the best beer in Washington with a solid "foodie" friendly menu.  Churchkey gets some of the finest beers that Washington has seen.  If you are confused from drinking too much Shocktop or Stella, you can get a flight of beers and find one a new favorite.  If you, try the DC Brau...DC's first beer in 55 years.  What better way to celebrate the hometown favorite with a hometown brew.

The minuses, too few t.v.s, too few seating in front of a t.v. and the bar men are, well, men.  So boys, I like a flirty bar maid to keep me entertained during the commercial breaks.  Having said that, there are some cute, fun and engaging bar maids there...they just are running the length of the busy bar and conversation is limited.  Understand, these people are professionals and know there beer, so my props anyway.

A note on this, the charm and lure of a great bar, even a busy one, is staff that can and are encouraged to engage with the lounge lizards.  We sit there for the combination of beverage, food and conversation.

One more thing to Churchkey...get off your ass and get your website up and running.  If you need some help try D*MN Good or Bravery Corporation.

2)  Public:  The pluses, Tony and his gang - including you Edwin, have created DC's most sophisticated sports bar...God bless them all.  There are views of the game even sitting on the Jon.  The place opened without food and no one seemed to care, although some people brought pizzas with them.  The beers are tall, like three feet, and there is a reasonable selection of the staple beers.  The bar maids are a plus, eye candy and some of them give great chat.  Commercial breaks are better with chatty young "friends" that you don't have to buy for, although I have - as should you - buy the bartenders a round once and awhile.

The minuses, the food is so-so.  The burgers are good and the fries are great, with some inconsistency.  The wings are really good, but there are some pitfalls in the food and it lacks imagination.  What they lack in Foodie appeal they make up for in specials, buckets of beers and wings.  Another minor draw back is that sometimes the multiple floor layout and seating is difficult  to navigate.  Many times as our group grew from five to twenty-five people we had to move floors and jockey for positions.

All and all, I am really looking forward to this game!  GO CAPS!

The Filipino Kiss...

Maybe it was the Bar Maid.  Maybe is was the drink.  I really don't know, but fate and a kind lady helped me discover a drink that has made desert a think of the past.


So here is the story: this beautiful bar maid was tending to my dinning and drinking needs at Jaleo.  She was polite, pretty and exotic, dark hair and eyes and latte complexion.  I asked, "what is your nationality?"  She replies, "I'm seven-eighths Filipino" - a response that begs for a response.  I, of course, couldn't resist and replied, "What comprises the other one-eighth?" Her reply, "Guess and if you can't, you have to try a Filipino Kiss."  I'm such a sucker because I didn't know a Filipino Kiss is a $12 cocktail.

As it turns out, a Filipino Kiss (by the way, it is NOT Philipino Kiss - trust me), is a sweet and slightly disarming cocktail - much like my bar maid.  Mixed properly, it is an outstanding drink served up.  You may be judged for the look - you sissy boy - but it is a great drink to order with a cocktail drinking date.  Here is the recipe:

1 part Belvedere Vodka

1 part Baileys Irish Cream

1 part Midori Melon Liqueur

2 parts Lemonade

A dash of egg whites

This drink should be shaken well and served up in a short glass or Martini glass.  Cheers!

Please, Take Care of Yourself...

Living well sometimes means living hard, and I don't always me from a partying perspective.  Spending time on the beach in the sun (God bless St. Lucia), being out in the elements and just the goddamn loss of collagen in your skin makes skin maintenance a non-negotiable. 

Another fact, well I know my most attractive-while-clothed physical features are my charming personality and razor wit, It is important to looking good under those bar lights for the ladies.  Some, direct from the pages of my volume of grooming notes, here are a few of my thoughts:

1)  Don't fool yourself, no matter how young or well groomed, women make fun of you on Match.com if you include a picture with your shirt off.  If you get past third base, she isn't going to care if you don't look like Usher.  Go to the gym regularly for your heart, but have confidence simply because you take care of yourself and being fit will overall help your appearance.

2)  Groom often, it's like that lawn you always wanted, it is a constant project.  Commit to it for life.  Washing, trimming, shaving and moisturizing are daily activities.  Weekly activities include exfoliating, whitening and - optional - waxing.

3)  Clean is important and soaps matter, face soaps and body soaps are incompatible for their objectives.  Face scrubs will keep you from looking like an actual lizard, looking like a lounge lizard is still okay.  Good body soaps are available at Keihls.com and Sephora.com (Anthony makes a good body soap).  Good face soaps are available at Clinique counters or at Sephora.com.

4)  If you shave, upstairs or down - it's really none of my business - but use a good product.  I use The Art of Shaving Oil and Cream.  The Art of Shaving has some great creams and oils in subtle scents that layer well with cologne.  Use small amounts and lather with a drop or two of water.  If you are afraid to ask for it, they sell it directly on their website or at Sephora.com.  Also, change your blades regularly.  I find rust on my teenagers blades and freak out.

5)  Nose hair is God's joke and a natural repellent to even wild animals.  You will figure out your own system, but it is gross if it hangs out of the orifice.  By the way, as tempting as it is, don't hold a match up there to burn it out - no joke I had a friend do that once and the result was really funny but bad.

6)  Moisturize appropriately for the appropriate areas.  Eyes, forehead, feet and elbows are all different.  Buy well, it is worth it:  Good eye cream:  Strivectin.  Good face cream:  Roth and Caudalie. All are available at Sephora.com.

7)  Use natural products when available, especially antiperspirant.  Natural antiperspirant will not yellow your shirts.  Natural Fresh makes a nice "salt stick" that you wet before you apply, if you are afraid to ask, go to CVS.com.

8)  Use sunblock and stay out of the sun.  That sexy tan is only turning you into leather and a chemo patient. Use sunblock over your face cream,  15 SPF or better, I use 30 SPF because I am better then most of you. 

Good grooming doesn't make you girly man or metro-sexual, it makes you smart.  Go now, and look younger. 

Sunday Dim Sum...

One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday afternoon is dine on dim sum.  Washington doesn't have the greatest selection of dim sum, but I have found a few of my favorites.  In the order of my favorites:

1)  New Fortune, Rockville, MD:  This is as close to the real deal in dim sum as I have seen in DC.  The place is a football field of cheap round and square tables that on Saturday nights often hosts a really bad band playing covers of really bad music.  The dim sum, however, is delightful.  There are a dozen or so dim sum carts being pushed around with scores of varieties of authentic dim sum:  dumplings; shrimp in a dozen forms; BBQ pork; duck and the list goes on.  The service is very pushy and that gives the overall experience something worth doing.

2)  Cafe Atlantico, Washington, DC:  Okay, this isn't really dim sum but they call it Nuevo Latin Dim Sum and it is fantastic!  Most of the dishes were created at the Mini Bar, a personal favorite, so there is everything from empanadas to creamed potatoes.  One of the best parts of the Cafe experience is the service and the amazing drinks.  

3)  Ping Pong, Washington, DC:  This is really a no brainer, Ping Pong has great dim sum all week long so going here on Sunday isn't anything special.  Having said that, when I think of dim sum, Ping Pong is high on the list.  The sake selection is great too.

Washington's Best Burgers...

There are times of the day when sitting in a lounge is ill advised - between the hours of 3 a.m. and 6 p.m., for starters.  I also don't recommend any of the major Christian holidays - Christmas Day, Easter Sunday or Mother's Day (I know, it's a Hallmark holiday but your Christian mother thinks Jesus invented it).

During those non-peak lounge hours, you have to eat.  I occasionally enjoy a burger and the burger boom is on.  So here is my guide to the best burgers in Washington, listed in order of their rating, according to my 100 point proprietary scale using multi-regression analytics and my iPad:

#1:  The Burger at the Quill Bar at the Jefferson Hotel:  The perfect burger in the perfect setting.  The meat is excellent and always cooked to the requested temperature.  The cheeses are outstanding and real.  The presentation is perfect, including the house-made ketchup.  Fries, which are in my opinion part of the burger experience, not a side order, are superb.  This burger does get bonus points for being at the Jefferson - which has perfect scores for service and ambiance.

#2:  Morton's Prime Burger at Morton's:  I really don't like Morton's but my props to the second place, silver-medal winning burger there.  The reason I don't like Morton's is that I think the chain struggles to maintain its freshness as a steakhouse.  That aside, the burger is, as you would expect, great beef.  They do get the temperature correct at order and variety of toppings is very good.  Once I asked for crab on top and they didn't blink - after charging me $15 extra.  There was a point deduction for the fries and the atmosphere is designed for something other then a burger.

#3:  Black's Burger at Black's Bar and Grill:  Okay, I throw one out to Bethesda now with the Burger at Black's Bar.  Typically a lunch call, the burger also makes its appearance on the happy hour menu and it is excellent.  They don't always get the temperature correct - play it safe and order medium and you will likely get medium-well - but the beef is good and the presentation is great.  The staff gets extra points in the bar area.  The fries are also good, but sometimes inconsistent in firmness.  I don't like over done fries and sometimes these come out too crunchy or worse, cold.

#4:  The Prime Rib Burger:  Never mind the middle-aged prostitutes at the bar - at least that is what I think they are - the burger here is very good.  The beef is prime and the temperature is correct, always.  The fries are nothing special - I see the same ones at any sports bar.  As far as the atmosphere, think 1980's and the original movie Wall Street.  Also, be prepared to sit among some the aged power brokers of Washington - no fresh talent here to look at.

#5:  The Burger Joint (BGR):  The only quick service - hardly quick service - place on the list.  My props to the creativity of this "joint" for making the list while getting a zero on ambiance.  The food here is outstanding and that alone gives it high scores.  The beef is good and the temperature is hit and miss, but these people make more then burgers.  They have a burger, The Greek, that was featured on Bobby Flay's Throwdown and it won.  Also, the sweet potato fries are the best fries on the list.  I don't want to mention it, but I must, the Lobster Roll is also worth having - even if it is over priced.

There you have it!  Enjoy your heart attack.  

What to do on a rainy day...before the lounging hours...

A lounge lizard gets his cues from the finest minds of imagination. Those velvet jackets, snake skin shoes, blue suede bucks and Dunhill lighter made their appearance in the cult classic movies. I even tried putting a Scarface hot tub in my living room once - that truly is a movie prop, I learned.


So on this day I revisit the best movies of my favorite brother directors: the Coens, Joel and Ethan. So here is my rainy day list of my favorite Coen movies and a note on my take away life lessons:

1) The Big Lebowski: It's influence on me: I no longer take baths for fear that someone will throw a ferrite in the tub with me. Honestly, I did try to make a White Russian with non-dairy creamer once - ill-advised. Terry cloth bathrobes are great blowing attire. Lastly, a rug can tie the simplest of rooms together.

2) Raising Arizona: It's influence: "Make sure you got your dip tet;"  "You want to find an outlaw, hire an outlaw. You want to find a Dunkin' Donuts, call a cop;"  Lastly, white shoes are really cool, but use a shoe horn to save the heel. 

3)  Fargo:  It's influence:  Wood chippers; Buicks; Arby's can be sexy: "Ah, hon, ya got Arby's all over me;" and lastly, You betcha, hon!