DCVegEats

It seems that every other new restaurant opening in DC is based on Middle Eastern cuisine and boasts "the best" Falafel.  Enter Muncheez and Taim, which recently opened steps away from one another on a busy street in Georgetown.  I couldn't help myself, and got semi-similar dishes at each to compare.  Here's the breakdown: Atmosphere:  Muncheez had loud, thumping music ... so loud I had to shout my order.  They also have signs clearly stating that you must give your "complete" request to the person at the cash register and ~not~ talk to the people preparing your food.  This was not only odd but off-putting.  The menus themselves were hidden in the crowded cash register area and I had to make my order from the very generalized, unspecific menu posted overhead.  Taim, by contrast, had a calm wood interior with plentiful tables and a smiling woman at the register.  Taim wins, hands-down. Price:  This one is trickier.  At $8.95, t...

Thompson Italian is less than a month old and is getting rave reviews.  I don't typically go to new restaurants but family members had made multiple visits and couldn't stop talking about it.  On a Wednesday night there was a full parking lot, and yes, by the time we left there were people waiting for tables.  Again -- on a Wednesday, in Falls Church.  Thompson's Italian is the perfect example of how the restaurant scene has changed in the DC Metro.  The couple who run the place were originally from Arlington but made a rather significant splash in NYC before deciding to bring it home.  The result is Zagat level dishes in the suburbs.  The disadvantage of trying out a new restaurant early is a few kinks, in this case wait staff who are still learning the ropes a bit.  What they lack in experience they make up for with friendliness.  Not only was our server super-nice but we were greeted by a maitre 'd who recognized my companions as return ...

This restaurant wouldn't have been on my radar at all if not for the EaterDC list of places serving Gazpacho during the summer.  The gazpacho was long gone by the time we got there but I'm so glad for the visit.  Truly, almost nothing to complain about it.  An upscale restaurant with Italian leanings, the food was outstanding and the service excellent.  Atmosphere was also impeccable (we sat outside) and this relatively high-end restaurant had a cozy, friendly, neighborhood vibe.  They aren't open for lunch, offering only dinners and weekend brunches.  We got there early but a line was forming -- a sign that this place is appreciated by the locals.  While nothing on the menu is listed as vegetarian there are a good number of dishes which are clearly meat-free and our server's first question was whether there were any dietary issues that needed to be considered, leaving me to believe they would accommodate special requests.  I would say, however,...