Cheese Board Cheese Board

A curated selection of assorted cheeses, served with crackers, fruits, and nuts for a perfect pairing.

Carmella's Plates and Pints

Carmella's Plates and Pints

1908 E Carson StPA 15203, Pittsburgh, United States

American • Bar-lounge • Breakfast-brunch • Delivery Services


"Honestly, I'm so bummed. I had been wanting to try this place for a LONG time. Finally got around to going. We had a reservation for 630pm, they took us right away. Wasn't very busy at all when we got there (although it did fill up towards the end of themeal). I started with a beer off the tap, it was delicious and they did have a decent beer selection. We started with the cheeseplate appetizer. Out of the 4 or 5 cheeses maybe 1 (cheddar) was really good, the rest were just ok, as one person said beforethe bread etc that accompanied the cheese was scarce...but again, appetizer. For dinner we both ordered the lobster shrimpbutter risotto. The risotto was mush and the lobster seemed like it was cooked twice over. Small lobster to begin withespecially for almost 40 dollars. The flavor was decent of the risotto but it was OVERPOWERED with fennel. So much so that mywife had to stop eating it halfway through because all she could taste was the licorice. We ordered the peach bread pudding fordessert. Ice cream was good, the bread pudding was too bread like, not enough milk or moisture. Seemed more pound cakey thanbread pudding. And there wasn't a peach or peach flavor to be found. The bill came and it was pricey! We don't normally look atthe cost of things...if we're going out, we're going out...but this was enough to jump off the page for what we ate. I wanted tocome have a pour of bourbon, but to be honest I was so taken back by the pure disappointment dish after dish, that I wouldn'thave enjoyed it so I just said nvm. We won't be back and I'm deeply disappointed by that."

Blue Duck Tavern

Blue Duck Tavern

1201 24th Street Northwest, Washington, 20037, United States Of America, 20037-1104, Washington, D.C.

Steak • Brunch • Terrace • American


"It can be quite the task to find the perfect restaurant to take my ex-chef father to for special occasions, an adventure that was further complicated by the pressures of the ever-stressful Father’s Day Dinner. Thank goodness for Blue Duck Tavern in Foggy Bottom! The menu boasts fresh, local ingredients, simplistic dishes, and phenomenal flavors that hit the spot. It can bring ex-chefs to their knees. The restaurant is gorgeous – high ceiling, aesthetically pleasing interior architecture, large windows that allow a lot of light inside, and a very quaint and beautiful outdoor seating area. Reservations are recommended for any day of the week but parking is amazingly not too difficult so it’s totally worth the trip. Blue Duck is affiliated with the Hyatt hotel, so expect a mix of tourists and locals looking for an excellent dining experience. On to the food! I’ve heard rave reviews about the signature Pear Martinis…but I could not pass up the opportunity to order a Cucumber-Ginger Martini. Super satisfying and surprisingly not too sweet for my palette! The ginger really balanced out the drink and gave it a perfect kick. Will probably not please everyone – my mom made quite the face after having a sip of my drink – but I thought it was pretty fantastic (I had two. ‘Nough said! Blue Duck has an extensive wine list and a plethora of other signature drinks and a large beer selection so there’s a little something for everyone. The dishes are tapas-style, even the entrees. For example, crab cakes are served without any type of garnish, just two cakes in pan with some type of tartar sauce on the side. I would definitely recommend ordering side dishes to supplement the meal, since you won’t get much with the entrée! All that foodie hype sure lived up to expectations. Not to overuse my current favorite obsession..but the crab cakes (what else would I order?! were delicious and were very meaty, they did not taste too fried, weren’t greasy/full of mayonnaise, and weren’t overwhelmed by breading. They were the perfect temperature and very evenly cooked. Enough to share…though go the selfish route and eating them all for yourself! I recommend ordering a couple of side dishes in addition to entrees in order to have a more complete meal. My favorites were the roasted mushrooms (an assortment of shitakes, black truffle, porcini and the daily harvest vegetable. I lucked out and had sugar snap peas sauteed in chipotle chile butter…excellent flavors. And be sure to save room for dessert : We opted for banana chocolate chip sorbet, which consisted of three incredibly generous scoops, and the signature apple pie, which really is more of an apple cake. Plenty to share, though to be fair I refused to let the banana sorbet stray too far from my spoon. Service was wonderful, and I loved how all the food was carried to the tables – the runners/servers all knew who ordered what! Waiter offered great suggestions (especially for dessert! and was attentive and knowledgable. The menu is relatively limited regarding number of offerings but that is not to say it’s at all limited in flavors!…other intriguing dishes include cuttlefish ravioli, smoked sturgeon, and marinated sheep’s milk cheese with fava beans. Brunch breakfast menus looked excellent as well, all the more motivation to go back!"

Dirty Habit

Dirty Habit

555 8th Street NW Washington, DC 20004, 20003-2897, Washington, D.C., United States

Kebab • Asian • Global • Mexican


"Overall, the food was very good and the venue was nice and modern but the service was a bit slow and the prices were on the higher end with cocktails costing $20 each along with an automatic 20% gratuity applied. There was an empty hostess stand when we 1st arrived but after asking the bar they advised us that the hostess was on the other end of the restaurant (the hotel side). Our server was pleasant and made good recommendations, but there was a long lag between our courses, and he did not come back to our table for quite awhile after we received our entrees. We had the Hamachi Crudo and Scallops to start, and both were delicious. The scallops were buttery and the Hamachi crudo was light and flavorful. For entrees, we had the Cacio e Pepe with shrimp added and the Steak and Frites. The Steak and Frites had very nice flavor and I was satisfied with the Cacio e Pepe as well. The Wake and Bake cocktail was very comforting and a perfect fall drink if you like apples and the smokiness of mezcal. We ended with the Na'Nu and Make a Wish. They were okay desserts, but I was not really impressed with either one. I am glad we tried them out, but I'm not sure if I'll revisit given the prices and lack of attentive service. We might consider giving them another shot in the future because the food was very good for the most part. It's frustrating that the gratuity is already added because I didn't feel like the service was worth 20% but I guess they don't have to try as hard when they know they are getting 20% automatically."