amanda mcclements

The Five Bites lists have been rolling in, so much so that you'll get two for the price of one for the next few weeks as I work through a backlog. Thanks for your enthusiastic response and all the delicious lists! • First up for today's double feature are five items from Alex Kara Worgaftik. 1. Costolette di agnello con aceto balsamico e miele (lamb chops with balsamic vinegar honey sauce) at Al Crostino (at right) 2. Lobster burger at Central 3. Prime New York strip steak with creamed kale, potato leek pave, sweet onion rings and ham hock bordelaise at Vidalia 4. Medium guacamole made tableside at Rosa Mexicano 5. Koko Kamikaze (a grown-up spin on the bar shot, made with housemade pineapple and coconut infused vodka) at Merkado • Next up is Mary Beth Albright, who writes an excellent blog about eating locally produced foods called Local Feast . Her five are made primarily with ingredients from within 200 miles of D.C. 1. Potted rabbit rillette with violet mustard and thyme...

Hudson is slated to open in the former David Greggory space at 2030 M St. NW in late September, and save afternoon tea, the new restaurant will offer just about every meal of the day. The restaurant will open at 7:30 a.m. during the week for eat-in and take-out breakfast, including breads, pastries, smoothies, coffees and espresso. On the opposite end of the time spectrum, Hudson will stay open until 2 a.m. Monday through Friday, 3 a.m. on Saturdays and midnight on Sundays. A late-night menu is expected to include small plates, wood-oven baked pizzas and salads. In between, there'll be lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Chef Kyle Schroeder's menu will offer entrees (priced $12 to $25) like veal chops with fingerling gnocchi and veal jus, a New York strip with green lentils, and linguine Bolognese. Mini burgers will come topped with smoked gouda, cheddar and Swiss cheese, and a seafood spin on the same, dubbed “by the sea sliders," will offer salmon, shrimp and tuna burge...

Thanks to Washingtonian 's Best Bites blog for sharing the low-down on the next D.C. chef to compete on "Iron Chef America." Agraria executive chef Ricky Moore (at right) has been tapped by the Food Network show's producers to battle it out in Kitchen Stadium. The episode should air this fall, according to the post. Read Washingtonian 's interview, complete with a requisite game face picture, here .

While most of you (a full 50 percent) don't care if a server gives a name when you're eating out, those of you who do care seem to feel pretty strongly about the issue. (See original post here .) Of voters who had an opinion, 28 percent preferred to leave names out of the dining experience, while 20 percent like the server to give his or her name. An anonymous commenter writes that servers giving their names is "so pointless, and hints of eating at a T.G. McFunster's Family Food Bag chain. How much 'flair' are they required to sport before getting on a first name basis with me? Are we to be friends now? Will he/she stay in touch after the meal?" Hoogrrl echoes that sentiment and writes: "When I go out for a meal with someone, I am usually at the restaurant to be with the person I came with. I didn't come there to make friends with the server. Therefore, personal information is just not necessary. This is a huge personal peeve, about which I have ...

Today's installment of Five Bites comes from Metrocurean reader Susan Hutchison. 1. Sidecar from PX 2. Truffle fries from Poste 3. Chorizo and garlic mashed potatoes from Jaleo , downtown 4. A dozen Blue Point oysters from Sea Catch 5. Greek pocket from Herndon's Amphora Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for you to tell Metrocurean readers which dishes you're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean@gmail.com.

Ah, the dog days of August. The perfect time for long, leisurely lunches ... best accompanied by a glass of wine or two. Joining downtown's rapidly improving lunch options on Wednesday is Proof (bar pictured above). The seven-week-old Penn Quarter spot starts its weekday lunch service tomorrow, and while the restaurant polishes its lunch operation — more specifically until Aug. 31 — the entire menu is 20 percent off. That includes the charcuterie, cheese and all of the wines by the glass — even the choices off the champagne trolley (at right). On chef Haidar Karoum’s lunch menu are paninis, sandwiches, salads and a handful of entrees from the dinner menu. Choices include chilled summer corn soup with avocado, jalapeño, cilantro and crème fraiche ($8), a roasted chicken leg on a bed of toasted farro, fennel, mint and scallions ($12), a "PLT" panini with pancetta, lettuce, heirloom tomato, avocado and mesclun greens ($14), and a grilled hanger steak with heirloom tom...

You've just been seated at a restaurant, and your server approaches. Do you expect the server to introduce him or herself by name, or do you prefer to keep things on more impersonal terms? Does it depend on how the introduction is delivered? During my six or so years as a waitress, I gradually came to resent (inwardly, of course) people asking and subsequently using my name for the rest of the evening. Then again, I started to be bothered by a lot of normal customer behavior, which was more the result of me needing to get out of the service industry than anything else. Cast your vote in the new poll, located in the column to the right. Have a strong opinion? Vote and then leave your thoughts in the comment section. I'll pull from them when the poll results are tallied.

After more than 500 people were killed and more than 1,500 injured in last Wednesday's earthquake in Peru, Ceviche restaurants are lending financial support. From Monday through Sunday (Aug. 20-26), the Silver Spring and new Glover Park locations will donate 5 percent of their sales to the victims of the earthquake. The Peruvian Embassy will have drop boxes for any additional monetary donations at both locations. Ceviche's executive chef, Javier Angeles-Beron, was born and raised in Lima, Peru, and said in a release, “Any support we can give will make a tremendous difference in Peru. They have lost their houses, churches and schools and need our support.” For additional donation information, visit the Peruvian Embassy's donation page .

Thanks to everyone who cast a vote in Metrocurean's inaugural poll. Thirty-four percent of you don't seem to be fans of Restaurant Week. But 52 percent of vote-casters either loved it or thought it was all right. For the dissenters, what could restaurants do better? Or is it the crowds that turn you off? Stay tuned for the next poll.

A Metrocurean reader from Columbia Heights offers today's Five Bites. 1. Red snapper ceviche at Oyamel (pictured at right) 2. Cold meatloaf sandwich at Tonic 3. Lobster roll at Hank’s Oyster Bar 4. Fried calamari at Alpine Restaurant 5. Palak chaat (crispy spinach with sweet yogurt, tamarind and date chutney) at Rasika Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for you to tell Metrocurean readers which dishes you're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean@gmail.com.

The following restaurants are set to go on vacation ... Bastille : Aug. 26 to Sept. 4 CityZen : Aug. 19 to Sept. 6 Komi : Aug. 19 to Sept. 4 Maestro : Aug. 21 to Oct. 1 Mendocino and Sonoma : Aug. 26 to Sept. 4 Minibar : Aug. 19 to Sept. 3 and Sept. 11 to 17 The Palm : Closed until mid-September for renovations Know of any other restaurants heading on holiday? Leave them in the comments.

For the happy hour goer with champagne taste, Legal Sea Foods at Tysons Galleria has a deal for you. On Monday, the restaurant will launch a "Fine Wine Hour," featuring high-end wines for $9.95 a glass. The deal will run every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. If you bother to do the math, just under $10 a glass is a steal for many of the featured labels, including Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (Tuesdays) and Far Niente Chardonnay 2005 (Mondays), that retail for as much as $70. In other Virginia news, a new family-friendly Italian restaurant, La Promessa , has opened at 7630 Lee Highway in Falls Church. Owner Charli Lucier is offering a menu of northern and southern Italian cuisine, such as ossobuco, vongole rapini and roast chicken basted in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sage. Entrees fall in the $10-$20 range. For the little ones, there's fried mozzarella, minestrone and pasta with butter and grated Parmesan cheese.

As pointed out to me by a friend, this week has been a wee bit random on Metrocurean. To keep that spirit going, here's a recent, brilliant skit from HBO's " Flight of the Conchords ." It's food-related, bien sur , thanks to the trip to the supermarket, where we're schooled on some French food vocabulary, including my very favorite French word, pamplemousse (grapefruit).

Pasties and g-strings may not have much to do with Metrocurean's regular topics, but I'd like to extend an overdue welcome to the blogosphere to The Candy Pitch , a fabulously entertaining blog about burlesque, written by Metrocurean friend Kelly DiNardo. Be sure to check out the weekly videos (maybe not from work) — like this one of Candy Barr performing a striptease. Kelly's biography on burlesque dancer Lili St. Cyr — "Gilded Lili: Lili St. Cyr and The Striptease Mystique" — hits the shelves this fall. It's a great read, and you can pre-order a copy here . And to tie this to some topic remotely food-related, I offer this recipe for a G'Spot cocktail, courtesy of G'Vine gin (pictured). G’Spot 1 ½ oz. G’Vine 1 oz. sour mix ½ oz. fresh lime juice ½ oz. chambord Shake and serve in a martini glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

A blogger's gotta keep up with the blogging Joneses, so I've added a new poll feature to the sidebar. You'll see it right below the welcome message. This week's poll requests your feedback on Restaurant Week, which officially ended Sunday night. So take a quick second out of your busy day, and let us all know what you think. I'll change the question regularly and report on results. If no one votes, well, then I'll ditch the whole idea. Have a D.C. restaurant-related poll question you'd like to suggest? Leave it in the comment section.

Today's Five Bites are courtesy of Metrocurean reader Nidhi (at left). 1. The Bosco (tomato, mushrooms, spinach, red onion and mozzarella) at Pizzeria Paradiso 2. Veggie chili cheese fries from Ben’s Chili Bowl 3. Mango martini from Indique 4. Chocolate hazelnut cake from Lia’s 5. Asian crunchy salad from Banana Leaves Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for you to tell Metrocurean readers which dishes you're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean@gmail.com.

Once the temperature hit 102 degrees, my brain started shooting sparks and ceased formulating blog content ... But seriously, I only say that so you'll know I understand your pain, even though I've spent the week gallivanting through the chilly Canadian Rockies, gazing at glaciers, eating wild raspberries wet with cold mountain rain, and trying to avoid grizzlies who also like wild raspberries. Seemed like a good week to be MIA, eh? Here's what I missed in the world of DC dining: • Hank's Deux: The Washington Post reports that chef Jamie Leeds will open a second Hank's Oyster Bar in Alexandria come September. I'm also listening out for official word on Leeds' planned bistro, which the Washington Business Journal reports might be at 14th and Irving streets in Columbia Heights. • Capitol Lounge catches fire for the second time, but The Examiner says the popular Hill bar was expected to reopen tonight. • With Restaurant Week nearing its official end, DC...

Metrocurean reader Lisa Davis offers this week's Five Bites. (My apologies for the Five Bites delay today. I've been on planes all morning.) And without further ado ... 1. French toast with applewood smoked bacon and housemade syrup at Bar Pilar 2. Spicy scallop roll at Spices 3. Drunken noodles with seafood at Regent Thai 4. Tacos con carnitas at Taqueria Distrito Federal 5. Goat cheesecake with cherries and port wine sauce at Palena Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for you to tell Metrocurean readers which dishes you're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean@gmail.com.

Now open in Georgetown, Sweetgreen (3333 M St. NW) offers "chef crafted" salads like the Chic P (paprika roasted chicken with mesclun, baby spinach, chickpeas, garlic pita chips and hummus lemon tahini dressing) and Le Parisien (arugula with roasted turkey, brie, grape tomatoes, pears, toasted almonds and Champagne vinaigrette). Patrons can also create a custom salad from a long list of toppings that include artichoke hearts, curried chicken and wasabi peas. The shop's frozen, all natural Sweetflow yogurt sounds delicious, with mix-ins like blackberries, mango and Kix (yes, as in the cereal). Check out this Washingtonian Best Bites post for some background on the four recent Georgetown grads behind the fresh concept. Across town, the rapidly growing nightlife scene marches forward on H Street Northeast with the Friday soft opening of Dr. Granville Moore's Brickyard (1238 H St. NE). More than 50 Belgian beers will be a big draw, along with a menu of mussels and fr...

The crowds around the Bread Ovens at Quail Creek Farms ' stand at the Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market should tell you something good is going on. Their tables are stacked high with beautifully browned loaves of bread, muffins and other baked goods. The rustic Italian potato bread (at left) drew me in on its looks alone. Then I found out that it has white truffle oil in it, and I was sold. The truffle flavor is pretty subtle, but it's a delicious bread nonetheless — crunchy on the outside and moist inside. Try it with Blue Ridge Dairy's fresh mozzarella melted on top (at right). Just pat the cheese dry first so you don't get soggy toast. Quail Creek's breads can be found at the Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market on Thursdays, the Arlington Farmers Market on Saturdays, and a few other places .