Virginia/DC Weekend

A couple of weekends ago I drove back to Virginia for my Dad's birthday. Robin an Erik came as well, so it was two solid days of family time comprised of much, much, much eating. It's how we do.

We kicked off Saturday lunch with Thai food in Chantilly, VA. Robin wanted to try a place that was known for its pad thai. The pad thai was pretty good, but the meaty and succulent chicken satay really should have won the awards. After lunch, Robin and I caught the train to Rosslyn where we crossed Key Bridge into Georgetown. There, we met up with Matt and Suzanne for window shopping and cupcake ogling. Apparently, the cupcake craze has hit Georgetown. We initially tried to go to Georgetown Cupcake Company, but apparently they are outrageously popular since they're featured on a television show. The line was UNBELIEVABLE. It looked like it went three blocks up a Georgetown hill. We did not stand in it.

We did end up going to a place called Baked and Wired with a minimal line and fricking delicious cupcakes. Robin got the Smurfette, which was lemon cake with whole blueberries and--Jeebus help me--it was luscious.








Later that night, we met up with my parents and Erik in at Makoto, a tiny Japanese restaurant in the Palisides neighborhood in DC. Palisades was where we used to live way back when and it is verdant and pretty and I always feel nostalgic thinking about it and looking at it. Robin mis-remembered the time of the reservation, so we ended up killing some time at the Safeway beforehand.
















When it was time to amble over to Makoto, I was completely charmed. First of all, it was tiny (appeals to my cuteness preference); second of all, you were required to trade your shoes for the house slippers to eat there (panty hose footies for those you prefer); thirdly, the servers were all older Japanese ladies who appeared as if they had been there forever.

We did the 10 course chef's choice and it was a bargain for fine dining at $60.







YUM.













Mom and me.

























The Mahan Men.

The sashimi course.













One of the cool things was that they offered a wasabi root, along with grater, to use on your sashimi (well, it came with the special upgrade fatty tuna sashimi, but there was enough for the rest of us to have a taste as well).







































Mom, exiting the restaurant in happiness.












At one point during the day, Robin bet Mom that we would eat something before 8:30. Since he was wrong about the reservation time (it being 8:30, rather than 8), Mom won the $1 bet. Robin paid up.