It was about a month ago that I received a call from a friend of mine who was down in Glover Park completing a photo shoot and wanted to meet up for lunch (along with the subject of her photo shoot). The weather was warm outside so I recommended Cactus Cantina thinking it would be a good opportunity to refresh my memory of the place and write it up.

Price - $$

Food – B-
There is nothing really impressive about the food at Cactus Cantina. In fact, I’m sure there are loads of little taquerias throughout DC that have tastier food. The focus of Cactus Cantina however is on providing decent, Westernized Mexican food that appeals to a predominantly white demo so they probably intentionally hold back on some of the flavors.

Service – C
There were loads of young kids working at the restaurant, which is fine but doesn’t make for great customer-service banter (normally) nor does it make for great recommendations. Blank stares abound.

Décor – B-
It is a family-style restaurant, which apparently in the restaurant business means an excuse to scrimp on furniture and décor. The walls are adorned with Office Space-esque flair.

Feel – A-
Despite this subpar review, you can’t argue with results – the place is completely packed at all times. I think they have a number of things going for them including location, family friendliness and universal appeal of Mexican food, that seem to negate the need for top quality service or culinary product. Hey – I still end up going pretty consistently even though I don’t really like the food there. Cactus Cantina is an ideal location for margaritas and fajitas on a weekday night or weekend afternoon particularly for families or large groups.

Cost – $$

Service – A-
It’s fantastic.  They are always friendly and seem happy to see me.

Food – B+
I wouldn’t place it in the top-tier of area sushi restaurants but it is certainly not something to frown down upon.  It is good enough.

Decor – B+
It has a quaint, Japanese middle-of-the-road aesthetic going on that works for me.

Feel – B+
Yosaku is definitely more of a neighborhood joint.  It is not worth making the trip up to Tenleytown just for the restaurant but if you already happen to live in the area it is definitely a place to grab some good sushi on a weekday evening.

Yosaku Restaurant is located at 4712 Wisconsin Ave.  They can be reached at (202) 363-4453.

Cost – $$

Service – B
I visited while they were still getting their ducks in a row so the service seemed a bit excited but very professional. Our hostess was friendly and I even spent a few minutes chatting with the manager, Adam, who seemed on his game. The service at the bar was also quite solid.

Food – A-
They don’t serve main courses but they do have an extensive appetizer menu that includes cheeses, meants, flatbreads, and some of the most delicious chocolate in the city. The wine list (as one would expect from a wine bar) is also pretty impressive and I thoroughly enjoyed a glass of the hermann wiemer riesling. Enology structures the menu in a manner conducive to sampling an array of plates and wines.

Decor – A-
I liked Zebra Lounge but it sort of felt a bit euro-trashy – decorated like a cheesy bar on Mykonos. Enology on the other hand has a very contemporary and sophisticated design that should endear it to an older, more professional crowd.

Feel – A
I’m always excited when a venue with some class opens up within walking distance of my house. Enology has the potential to quickly become my neighborhood hang-out because of their high degree of professionalism and aesthetic appeal. The only question I have is whether or not they will be able to draw the right type of clientele from the Upper-Georgetown / Cathedral Heights area but the neighborhood has clearly been waiting for a place like this to pop-up.

Enology is located at 3238 Wisconsin Ave. They can be reached at 202.362.0362.

What’s the Buzz:

June 22, 2008 – Enology Wine Bar (The President Wears Prada) – Does anyone not love wine? Quite possible, but I haven’t met the person, actually I knew one girl in college who didn’t like wine, but she also didn’t like shopping so we won’t count her as a human. It’s really surprising to me that until recently DC didn’t have many wine bars, so I was very excited to try the newest one.  Full article…

Cost – $

Service – B
It isn’t bad.  The staff is fairly young and they do a lot of volume during weekday evenings but do a good job maintaining their composure and acting fairly polite.

Food – A
This place might have the best pizza in DC.  I like their pizza better than the pizza at 2 Amy’s, which everyone claims is the best pizza in D.

Decor – C
It is pretty spartan.  It is not filthy however, which is something I like in a pizzeria.

Feel – B
It is really a takeout place (even though there is seating) so people are constantly coming in and picking up food and then heading out.  That being said, they project old black-and-white films on the wall so that is sort of cool I guess.

Cost – $$

Service – C
It certainly leaves a lot to be desired. My server actually took one of the plates on the table that had a slice of pizza I was eating and was gone before I had a chance to open my mouth. 2 Amys has a pretty high turnover rate so you can’t expect the service to be that great I suppose although there are high-turnover restaurants that do have decent service.

Food – B+
I don’t see what the big deal is. It is just Italian-style pizza really but I guess that it a novelty for people in DC? I don’t even think their pizza is as good as some other places in DC. I am going to give them a good grade however because they use fresh ingredients, they have an interesting menu that contains a lot of items you don’t see in the rest of the city, and they have a decent wine menu.

Decor – C
The main restaurant area gets a C- but it is balanced out by the wine bar, which I would give a B or so. You obviously don’t go there to admire the decorations.

Feel – A-
It is actually a pretty fun place to go. I still can’t quite explain why it fills up as much as it does (I’ve dropped in on a weekday night and been told there was a 30-minute wait) but it is worth checking out sometime when the wait isn’t that long.

2 Amy’s is located at 3715 Macomb St. just off Connecticut Ave. near the National Cathedral.

What’s the Buzz:

June 1, 2006 – 2 Amys Restaurant Review (Washingtonian) - With its black-and-white checkered floors and unadorned yellow walls, this paean to simple pleasures has an airy urbanity. But show up during family dinner hours and it feels more like a romper room. Children are everywhere–downing pizzas and apple juice, scribbling on the tables, knocking into waiting patrons–the place doesn’t take reservations. But there’s a reason the kids make a ruckus–and the kid-free endure it all. Full Article…

December 13, 2003 – 2 Amys (DC Foodies) - I’m going to sum up this review in one sentence…Two Amys is hands-down, the most wonderful place in DC to get gourmet pizza.
Full Article…

Cost – $$

Service – B
Friendly and prompt service but can get hectic, as with most restaurants, during Sunday brunch. Bartenders are pretty down to earth and personable as well.

Food – B
Pretty seasonal menu with a wide-variety of choices. The happy hour burgers and pizza are two of the best deals in town. Monday nights are 1/2 price bottles of wine.

Decor – B
Traditional with lots of wood. – pretty typical decor for an American restaurant.

Feel – B
The uptown location has a better feel with all of the locals. Both offer a decent Sunday jazz brunch.

What’s the Buzz:

May 23, 2007 – Chef Geoff’s (Tremonkey’s DC Bar Tour) - So yesterday Twin #1 texted me asking if I wanted to dine on some cheap burgers after work with some friends, which spawned the post below containing mass quantities of cheap meat eateries when he said he was not sure where they were planning on going! After much deliberation (to be honest, after I remembered about the Super Mugs) I suggested we hit up Chef Geoff’s. Full Article…

September 17, 2006 – Chef Geoff’s (Le Cuvee Amercain) - After attending Christmas Lessons and Carols at St. John’s, Robert and I wandered in to Chef Geoff’s Downtown for brunch. A festive jazz quartet played Christmas songs in the front dining room. We wanted to be able to chat, though, so we asked to be seated in the back dining room. The food was pretty much as usual. It’s not bad, but it’s not special. Full Article…