Starfish Café

Last date I was here: 02/04/2010

Restaurant: Starfish Café (http://www.starfishcafedc.com/)

Location: Barracks Row

Total Rating: 3.3
Food: 3, Price: 3, Service: 4, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 5

Summary: This Caribbean Creole Seafood Restaurant has a cool, contemporary, tropical feel. Decorated with various ceramic fish and oceanic items, this local hotspot offers happy hour specials with a raw bar. They serve daily specials – but beware of ordering the special from the day before (leftovers). Keith had the misfortune of receiving cold paella that we had to send back to the kitchen. Closest Metro is Eastern Market.

August 2008: A lot of the menu is fried, which can be heavy for me. The Fried Crab Fingers are actually the whole front claws, which was different and so-so; I probably would not order it again. I really want to try one of the fresh ceviches. I think this would be great paired with a margarita or other tropical cocktail on a warm evening. Just close your eyes and your experience takes you to white sandy beaches….

UPDATE: Since a big snow storm was on the way, we decided to try Starfish again for dinner. It was empty when we arrived, but soon filled up with the dinner rush. Service was very attentive, but I did not enjoy my meal at all. The mussels were bad - either microwaved or just undercooked - I had to send them back. And my pasta/sauce was way oversalted. Keith, enjoyed his gumbo and po' boy sandwhich though. I think I prefer this place for the appetizers and drink specials only.

What I ate:

Seafood Linguine

scallops, calamari, shrimp, mussels with linguine in a tomato cream sauce

Fried Crab Fingers
Lightly breaded with “panko” and flash fried. Served with a citrus -horseradish sauce.

Stuffed Tilapia Parmesan
Farm-raised Tilapia filets lightly breaded with parmesan cheese and flashed fried,
stuffed with crab meat, shrimp and spinach and finished with a caper-lemon-butter sauce.
Served with garlic mashed potato & fresh vegetables.

Cajun Fried Calamari

Hand-breaded with corn flour and Cajun spices. Served with saffron-lime tartar sauce

Shrimp "Verde" Ceviche

Gulf shrimp marinated in lime juice, tossed with avocado, peppers, chopped cilantro, red onions, diced tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and sea salt

Plus Keith ate:

Gumbo

seafood soup with sausage and rice

Fried Seafood Platter
Golden fried shrimp, oysters, crab balls & catfish filets,
served with fries, coleslaw, our saffron-lime tartar sauce
Served with a cup of seafood gumbo.

Starfish Seafood Paella
Combination of large shrimps, mussels, scallops, calamari rings,
andouille sausage and chunks of white fish cooked with rice
in a delicious saffron broth and topped with fried asparagus.

Shrimp and Grits

Creamy gorgonzola infused grits topped with blackened

gulf shrimp and drizzled with a spicy tomato Creole sauce

Fried Oyster Po-Boy Sandwich

Served on crusty french bread with shredded lettuce, tomatoes and saffron-lime tartar sauce.

Served with coleslaw and french fries.

Tunnicliff's Tavern

Last date I was here: 10/05/2008

Restaurant: Tunnicliff’s Tavern (http://tunnicliffstaverndc.com/)

Location: Eastern Market

Total Rating: 3.85
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 3, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5

Summary: Known as the “ Gathering Place on the Hill”, Tunnicliff’s is a neighborhood favorite pub-style restaurant conveniently located across the street from Eastern Market. With an outdoor patio that is shaded for summer and has gas-heated lamps for winter, this restaurant is always packed with people. The service is friendly but don’t expect a fine dining experience at this local joint. Menu includes comfort favorites like burgers, sandwiches, and pizza. Breakfast is also great here and check out the weekly specials. Closest Metro is Eastern Market.
This is a trusty go-to spot for me when I feel like doing a Happy Hour – but with better than the average “bar food”. The Super Grilled Cheese is one of my favorites, but can be on the greasy side. The pancakes are better than any other diner I’ve been to and are quite filling.

What I ate:

Seasonal Fruit Pancakes with Maple Syrup
(fresh strawberries and/or blueberries)

Fried Calamari

tossed in Parmesan cheese and served with marinara sauce

Super Grilled Cheese
American cheese, tomato and bacon on Texas toast, served with fries
(hold the red onion)

Tunnicliff’s Pizza
garlic & olive oil base topped with bacon, goat cheese, mozzarella cheese and roasted red peppers

Pesto Penne

Penne pasta served with green pesto sauce and grilled chicken

Plus Keith ate:

Two Eggs over-easy
with home fries, toast and sausage

Breakfast Burrito
Spicy!

Black and Bleu Burger

blackened, topped with red onion and dripping with crumbled bleu cheeseserved with fries

Matuba

Last date I was here: 05/30/2008

Restaurant: Matuba (http://www.matuba-sushi.com/)

Location: Arlington, VA

Total Rating: 4.45
Food: 5, Price: 4, Service: 4, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 4

Summary: This tiny award-winning sushi place is a favorite of mine for lunch. The Japanese restaurant is casual and small located along the strip of busy Columbia Pike. Parking can be restrictive as there are only a few spots out back and along the street. I always use the back entrance and am greeted warmly by the smiling staff. The sushi is made fresh daily at the open view bar and the lunch boxes are very reasonable priced. Lunch can get crowded, so I usually go right at 11:30am when it opens.

I have only had the lunch box – it is just soooo good and very filling. Definitely worth the $10. But I’ve seen many others order one of the classic noodle dishes and I would like to try one next time I go.

What I ate:

♥California Lunch Box♥
California Roll, Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura, Chicken Teriyaki with Rice
Comes with Salad and Miso Soup

Lebanese Taverna

Last date I was here: 04/11/2008

Restaurant: Labanese Taverna (http://www.lebanesetaverna.com/)

Location: Pentagon Row

Total Rating: 4.55Food: 5, Price: 4, Service: 3, Ambience: 5, Accessibility: 4

Summary: This chain restaurant offers a warm and vibrant dining atmosphere with the beauty of traditional Arabic features and is another favorite spot for lunch. The restaurant also offers a casual patio area for outside dining located in the central plaza of Pentagon Row. They tend to get busy during lunch, so service can be slow. The garlic sauce can be kickin’ – they even have mouth wash dispensers in the bathrooms. Parking is available in the mall parking lots. Closest Metro is Pentagon City.

The sandwich platters can be a bit tame for me, so I prefer the mezze platter so I can sample a little bit of everything. The nine little squares are always very filling – but keep in mind this is only available on the lunch menu.

What I ate:

♥Vegetarian Mezze Platter♥a sampling of spinach pie, fattoush, falafel, hommos, lebneh tabouleh, grape leaves, olives and tahini sauce

Chicken Shawarma Sandwich
marinated chicken breast roasted with a touch of garlic sauce, lettuce and tomato
served with house salad and french fries