Brasserie Beck – It’s got mussels!

K – Brasserie Beck, I can sum it up in one word – YUM! Cute brasserie with blue and white decor, wood tables and good food. I had the classic white wine mussels with garlic, parsley and cream. They were very tasty however I will say I wasn’t too fond of the cream part – I think it made it a bit heavy. I’m used to having the white wine and garlic be in more of a “broth” than a cream sauce. But it was still good and the frites were nice and crispy and went well with the Gulden Draak beer I had. For dessert was the chocolate cake – mmmmm – I had that with a coffee, not the beer! Service was good, our waiter was most helpful and he’s the one that suggested the Gulden Draak (they have a huge beer menu), which was an excellent suggestion. Overall, although a bit pricey, I would go back.

C – First of all, I got lost on the way. So, word to the wise: ignore your GPS. Brasserie Beck is actually really easy to find: 1101 K St NW. If you’re taking Metro, get off at McPherson Square, cut through Franklin Park and it’s just 2 1/2 blocks East. When I got there, the first thing I did was order a beer. I have no idea what I was drinking. Sorry. I asked the waiter for something Pilsner-y or Lager-y and, like magic, the perfect beer to go with my post-GPS battle arrived. I had the mussels as well and I agree with K, the sauce was a bit heavy. For dessert? Again, I don’t remember… because I had like 3 of those beers. Thank goodness for K who actually remembered what she had. Otherwise, this would be a sad little review. I did take a snapshot of it. I seem to recall it was REALLY fantastic chocolate awesomeness. The perfect end to a lovely meal.

So what, I’m still a rock star!! Pink Concert

The opening band for Pink was the Hives – and that’s all I have to say about that as I’m not a fan. I tried to enjoy their set , but it just didn’t happen. However, as always, Pink was amazing! Her set included old stuff, new stuff and even Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.” She did have some weird guy kind of emcee the concert as it was sort of set up to be a game show called the “Truth About Love.” I’m not sure it worked or it was needed as the stage was pretty cool on its own and well….Pink….she doesn’t need any gimmicks as her singing is incredible and she is a great performer. She did have a lot of the acrobatic-thing going on as she began the show descending from the ceiling and later on being suspended by slings and flying through the air with some contraption.

Overall, it was definitely entertaining and the full house she performed to seemed to enjoy it as much as I did. If you ever get a chance to see her in concert I highly recommend it. For me, I can’t wait for her next concert! – K

#Estadio = again

K – Recently we went to Estadio for lunch. I wasn’t sure what to expect as restaurants in DC can have a lot of hype and turn out to be just “meh” and expensive. Estadio turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I loved the interior – it was cozy with a Spanish feel to it. The food on the menu sounded delicious and it was bit difficult to decide what to order.  I started with the butternut squash soup, vanilla cream & toasted pepitas soup for myself and we shared the small plates of Rhode Island calamari a la plancha with salsa verde; sautéed red kale with garlic, sherry & chili flakes; crispy Brussel sprouts with carmelized onions, pine nuts & currants and I ended with the Catalan lemon & almond tart.

I won’t go into the details of how the food tasted, I’ll just say that all of it tasted fabulous. As for service, it was a bit slow but good nonetheless. I would certainly go back again, which is saying a lot – at least for me.

C – I absolutely loved this place. It’s on the other side of Logan Circle, away from the hustle and bustle of K Street — the perfect place for two great friends to meet, chat and eat. The atmosphere is very hip yet relaxing and casual at the same time. I also started with the butternut squash soup and I kind of wanted to lick the bowl when my spoon stopped working. The Brussels sprouts were to die for. (I never thought I’d say that about Brussels sprouts). And who knew I liked kale? I finished with the manchego cheesecake with quince jam and pistachio granola along with, ehem, half of K’s desert — both equally delectable in their own ways. The only think I wasn’t too keen on were the roasted baby chorizos with potato crisps. I’d go again, as well.

http://estadio-dc.com/