Bacar SF

How disappointing. Maybe I shouldn't have had high hopes, but when you are going to be putting down $50 per person, how can you not? Anyway, Bacar wasn't that bad, but it was definitely not great. We ordered the pork belly to start. Very crispy fatty pig is what it was. We liked the sweet and sour onions that came with. The flavors were there and it was cooked well, but we were hoping for more. For our entrees, I ordered the duck breast and my friend had the suckling pig. Once the dishes came out, the problem was apparent. On my plate were five beautiful thick slices of duck. But where was the spinach, wild rice, and turnips? They were hidden in miniscule amounts under the duck. The ratio was unsettling. I finished everything besides the duck because there was too much! The suckling pig was the same. There was a giant cut of pork belly and another giant slice of pork and the accompaniments lay idly between. The quality of the food was there, but the proportions made me feel sick. After not finishing my plate, I thought I would give Bacar one more try and ordered the chocolate torte for dessert. It was good, but nothing to scream about. Overall, it was a disappointing meal.

2.5/5
http://www.bacarsf.com/

Ray's the Steaks Arlington

Mmmm beeef. For anyone that can appreciate a good cut of beef, this is the place for you. The steaks were absolutely incredible - tender, fresh, cooked perfectly, and seasoned well (without taking away from the meat). Most steakhouses are stuffy and classic - they try hard to preserve that image of elegance, but Ray's is about serving up a good cut of meat, none of that fluff. There's a lot of chatter and the atmosphere is extremely casual - you're in for a nonconventional dining experience. Besides the beef, the sides of mashed potatoes and spinach are fantastic. Seriously creamed spinach? I swear to you, it's to-die-for. And if you end up taking some meat home, they will throw the sides in your container for free! Dinner is about $40, which really isn't bad for steak. I'd do it in a heart beat, but this time around, I didn't have to ;)

4.5/5
No website

Pukk NYC

FABULOUS! Absolutely incredible! This tiny restaurant on 1st between 4th and 5th serves delicious vegetarian thai cuisine for almost nothing. If I could eat the green delight everyday for the rest of my life, I would be happy. Whoever thought boy choy, chinese broccoli and napa could be so unforgettable? It was amazing. I also tried the stuffed tofu, thai pancake, and glass noodle soup. Who can say no when appetizers and soups are just $3-$4? Screw the sangria and wine, eat up! The sauce for the thai pancake captivates that thai flavor that everyone craves - the basil, coconut, lemongrass -mmmmm. For our other entrees, we shared pineapple red curry and massaman curry, both with duck, and both delicious. I'm not one to stick to restaurants because I enjoy sampling too much, but this restaurant will seriously be on my request list for a long time.

4.75/5
http://www.pukknyc.com/

Zaytinya DC

I am so happy to say that Zaytinya did not disappoint! So many expectations and no, everything was not spectacular, but overall it was a delicious meal. I particularly enjoyed the seasonal mushrooms, imam bayildi, the spice rubbed sirloin of beef, and tagine. Not so impressive was the calmari and mahanek. With my limited middle eastern/mediterranean cuisine experience, I believe Zaytinya tries to improve the traditional dishes by incorporating extra ingredients and flavors, which I really appreciated. Also, I expected this meal to make a nice dent in my wallet, but surprisingly, it was not bad at all. For stimulated taste buds and a gratified stomach, $30 is a bargain. I can't wait until I have another group of friends that I can bring to Zaytinya.

4/5
http://www.zaytinya.com/

Rustico Alexandria

Mmmm tasty and wide beer selection. Their pizza is unique and has a lot going for it, only downside - it's definitely got that oil that you despise sitting on top. The ragout was fabulous. Pricey, but definitely different and in a good way.

3.5/5
http://www.rusticorestaurant.com/

Dos Caminos NYC

Since I am sooo backed-up, I'm going to make this short and sweet.

Good food, good flavors - lots of sweet, spicy, and tangy going on, definitely spiced up Tex-Mex. Worth the price? No, not really. I am impressed however that one of the Top Chef contestants this season is the executive chef at Dos Caminos. Sangria was real tasty - it was like punch.

3/5
http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/dos_caminos_third_avenue/index.php

Alero U DC

Walking down U Street, and not knowing where we wanted to go for dinner, my friend and I settled on Alero. She thought Mexican/Latin sounded good. The atmosphere of the restaurant was a nice mix of trendy and laid back. We surveyed the drinks first and were impressed with the sangria options. We both ordered a glass of rose sangria, sadly, they were out so I got the red and she got the white. They were both good. The menu had your standard fajitas, burritos, and enchiladas, but it also featured a couple interesting options like duck and crab. I ordered the enchilada con mole poblado and my friend ordered the tacos de cochinita pibil, my original choice. My entree was great. The mole was gooood and I've tried quite a bit of mole. It was a nice balance between sweet and tangy. I loved it. My friend's tacos were tasty, the acidity of the dish definitely made it more memorable. It was a simple meal, but a pleasant surprise and probably one of the better, more interesting, Tex-Mex places I've been to in the district.

3.5/5
http://www.alerorestaurant.com/main.html