Charlottesville in the Rain

K – It’s a bit ironic that when I went to Charlottesville for an audition it was raining and now as I write it’s pouring outside.

I’ve been to Charlottesville a few times. It’s a nice little college town with a pedestrian mall where it’s easy to hang out, shop, have a coffee and lunch or dinner. When it’s nice outside there are quite a few restaurants that have outside seating.

Unfortunately that day I was unprepared for the rain so I didn’t stay as long as I had wanted to – but I did take some photos. As you will see in the photos it was pretty quiet that day due to the weather even though it was lunch time.

If you want to stay near Charlottesville to visit other sites – since it’s also near Monticello, the wine trail and Montpelier – there are plenty of places to stay. One place that I’ve stayed before  – for a special occasion – is the Clifton Inn. It was a great place to relax, have a swim, take a walk, enjoy a wonderful dinner and I could bring the dog!

Charlottesville is about a 2 hour and 15 minute drive from Washington D.C. There are two parking garages that are near the pedestrian mall – Market Street and Water Street as well as other parking options.

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Flippin’ Pizza – A Healthy Pie?

C – One of my favorite recent discoveries is a small Flippin’ Pizza outlet hidden in the Flower Building on Rt. 7 in Falls Church. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like much. There’s a tiny table out front and a sign that promises 2 slices and a soda for $6.00. Inside, though, is another story. It’s very cool. Think brick wall and old photos.

Two choices here, you can eat in or carry out. I’ve done both. The eat in experience is quite good if it’s not too crowded. Bottled beer is available, which is a great selling point for me.

Everything I’ve had here is mostly good. Very good, in fact. I recommend the Pepperoni Bites while you’re waiting for your pizza. The Brooklyn is one of my favorite pies. Last time I was there, however, I went a bit off piste and ordered The Whitestone.

It looks good, but it just didn’t work for me. No sauce. But, if you’re into that, the nutrition info is to die for if you choose the gluten free option: 1 slice = 1/6th of the pizza, 140 calories.

Flippin’ Pizza
8 outlets across the DMV

Brunch at The Liberty Tavern #Clarendon

C – Just when you thought it was spring, winter comes back around. On my way to Union Station this morning, it was 30 degrees and, of course, I did not dress for it. This winter was a hard one. To deal with it, I spent a lot of time brunching.

The Liberty Tavern in Arlington is one of those places that makes you feel all warm inside. On a recent Saturday, a friend and I met for their weekend buffet brunch. It was cold and pouring rain when we arrived, and the last thing I expected was that they would not have a record of my reservation. Thank goodness for the iPhone – I was able to show the hostess my OpenTable.com confirmation and we were promptly seated. Let this be a warning: OpenTable isn’t perfect.

It was a lovely buffet with an odd, but fantastic variety. The usual brunch items were excellent – eggs, biscuits, sausages, etc. The banana pecan French toast was to die for. As was the coffee. It apparently comes from the cafe across the street. I didn’t get the name, but I must have had about 4 cups.

At $20 bucks, this brunch is a great value. I suspect temperatures will rise at least slightly this weekend, but I went ahead and booked for Saturday anyway. Looking forward to warming up at The Liberty Tavern.

**Sorry, no pictures. Too busy eating!

The Liberty Tavern
3195 Wilson Bsoulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22201
Phone 703.465.9360

Spring is Blossoming in DC

K – Each year I make it a mission to go see the cherry blossoms at the tidal basin at peak bloom but not at peak crowds. I can’t help myself – it’s so beautiful to walk in the fresh and usually warm spring weather and see the cherry trees with their fluffy, pale pink blossoms. But fighting through the crowds isn’t my favourite so each year I go a different day or time. This year I went mid-week and early in the morning.  It was bit chilly but not too cold and there wasn’t a crowd so it was easy to walk around the basin and enjoy the scenery without being nudged by someone trying to pass. I decided to drive and parked at Hains Point and there seemed to be quite a bit of parking there at that time. There is also a shuttle to the basin (it costs one dollar), but since it was such a beautiful morning I decided to walk instead. I will say walking along the Potomac from Hains Point to the basin was pretty dirty. It looked like the Potomac overflowed and deposited all of the trash that people thoughtlessly had tossed into it onto the ground. The sidewalk was also buckling so if someone has trouble walking I’d recommend walking elsewhere.

Besides the cherry trees blossoming there is the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which celebrates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. Among some of the things they have at the festival are paddle boats so you can view the scenery from the basin, a community art show, concerts and Japanese exhibitions and events. The festival goes until April 13.

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Le Pain Quotidien – A Neighborhood Chain

C – When I lived in London, a great little bakery/cafe/restaurant called Le Pain Quotidien (The Daily Bread) opened up around the corner from my flat in Borough Market. Though it was a part of a chain, it blended into the historical surroundings beautifully. Like it had always been there. I used to grab a salad on my way home from work and I met friends there for Saturday morning coffee after a stroll through the market. Sitting at one for the communal tables, I got a sense that this was not your typical fast cuisine. It was a neighborhood hang.

I missed Le Pain Quotidien when I moved back to DC… for about 10 minutes. That’s when I found out they’re all over the Metro DC area. I went to the one at the Mosaic District recently and had, perhaps, the best organic omelet ever. I was feeling quite healthy. Then I tore into the cheesecake. mmm.

Le Pain Quotidien
Locations throughout the DC area including Merrifield, Tyson’s, Clarendon, Dupont Circle and Georgetown.