Last night, I had the honor of joining Laura and Kat for drinks at a place called La Tasca in Arlington. The place was pleasant and had a fun atmosphere. It specializes in Spanish style Tapas and Sangrias.
Food: 4/5
I got there late, so I really didn't try the food too much (I have to maintain weight somehow). But the dessert I had, an expresso and chocolate truffle thing, was excellent. The cheese tapa, which was really just slices of cheese and tomatoes was good, though I think they could have found a more flavorful cheese.
Drinks: 4/5
The Sangria I had was really fantastic. Sweet and tart, while obviously having a quite strong kick of alcohol. The beer selection was standard but just fine. I also ordered a Jim Bean and Diet. It was a bit weak, but not bad.
Service: 2/5
This really was the weakest part of the evening, as the waiter would disappear for long periods of time. Most of the time this was not a big deal, but it seemed that every time I wanted a drink or the check or dessert, I had to wait at least 10 minutes before he stopped by.
Conversation: 4/5
In going along with the conjecture of this blog, where I in fact review everything, I will now review our conversation. Overall, it was quite good. Very enjoyable, free flowing, and with a minimum of silences and pauses. It seemed that I spent alot of the time describing to the girls the concept of 'hashing.' I think I managed to convince them to come out next Sunday, which is great cause who doesn't enjoy Virgins.
We then moved onto a nerdiness competition, something that Kat and I engaged in quite regularly while in college. During these competitions, the goal is to see who can come up with a nerdier activity they have done. Kat always tries, but can't quite match my level. Of course, considering I spent most of the day designing Dungeons and Dragons encounters, I am pretty sure I can always win that one. Of course, the fact that I then recited almost all of Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition skit, I think I still would have won handily.
Somehow, once the desserts came out, some of the coffee sauce from my dish got on Laura's mousse. This led to a long innuendo filled conversation about my special sauce and how it gets on everything and makes everything tastier. I'll have to take their word for that.
The only reason this does not make top marks that there was not nearly enough flirting for my liking. I mean, here I am with two very attractive girls. Flirting should have been a much more prevalent part of the conversation. Ignore the fact that one is married and the other has a boyfriend.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Restaurants: Caribou Coffee
Since the Bolling Inn on Bolling Air Force base decided that internet is not something we use in 2009, I've spent alot of time in coffee shops the past few weeks. And one of the places I've enjoyed most was Caribou Coffee. The two locations I've been to were at Crystal City and Metro Center. Both were clean, comfortable, and most importantly, had ample free wireless.
Food/Drinks: 2.5/5
I've gotten a Spiced Hot Tea, a Campire Mocha, and just a regular mocha. The tea (which I'm drinking now) is quite good. The Mochas were kind of weird. For some reason, they seemed to have put nuts in the coffee. I'm not sure what the purpose of this was, but it while it didn't detract from the taste, it did distract as I had to chew my drink. Overall, the coffee isn't the best I've had, but its at least comparable to Starbucks.
Service: 4/5
Nothing really to report here. The people were friendly and efficient. No complaints.
Atmosphere: 4.5/5
OK, this may just be me, but I really like how this place is designed. Lots of wood paneling, a stone fireplace, exposed piping the ceilings, and comfy chairs that seem lived in. Add in the fact that I rarely seem to have a problem finding an electrical socket, and I have all I need.
Food/Drinks: 2.5/5
I've gotten a Spiced Hot Tea, a Campire Mocha, and just a regular mocha. The tea (which I'm drinking now) is quite good. The Mochas were kind of weird. For some reason, they seemed to have put nuts in the coffee. I'm not sure what the purpose of this was, but it while it didn't detract from the taste, it did distract as I had to chew my drink. Overall, the coffee isn't the best I've had, but its at least comparable to Starbucks.
Service: 4/5
Nothing really to report here. The people were friendly and efficient. No complaints.
Atmosphere: 4.5/5
OK, this may just be me, but I really like how this place is designed. Lots of wood paneling, a stone fireplace, exposed piping the ceilings, and comfy chairs that seem lived in. Add in the fact that I rarely seem to have a problem finding an electrical socket, and I have all I need.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Hashing: Everyday Is Wednesday Hash in Washington, DC
Date: 12 Mar 09
Location: Washington, DC
This was the second time I've run with Everyday Is Wednesday, and once again I was astounded by the size of the group. I'm used to running with 30 people max, except for big events. But this group routinely seems to attract at least 75 people. I've heard that 100 isn't unusual. This can be both a benefit and a problem. The benefit is that with that many people, you can always find someone of your running speed. The problem is that the group tends to be more cliquish than most of the hashes I've experienced.
Trail: Urban 4/5
The trail was longer than I was used to, but that wasn't a problem at all. It was actually a really good workout. For an urban hash, it actually had a good combination of major roadways, sideroads and alleys and wilderness. We were running through, well, the ghetto of DC, which as usual seems to freak out some people. However, I always enjoy these, as no one is more likely to come up and ask what is going on than a young black person, and I always like discussing the crazy things I do.
The trail started by running through the neighborhoods of the area, and then shifted dramatically about a third of the way through. We suddenly cut through a gap in a fence and were in a very old cemetery. We ran up the big hill in the center of the graveyard, which gave a very nice view of the area. Admittedly, the area wasn't the nicest, but I still love to see high views of suburbs at night. Other highlights: running through an honest-to-god forest in the middle of the city and crossing the Pennsylvania Ave bridge towards downtown, which gave a great view of the Anacostia River.
The trail was well marked for the most part and had a good number of FRB loops for those fast bastards. There was only one beer stop, but it was well placed (and was greatly needed by the time I got there). I heard there were two shot checks, but I guess I either missed them or was too far behind to take advantage of them.
Circle: 3.5/5
One of my favorite experiences when visiting different hashes is seeing how they run circle. Overall, I had a favorable impression of the circle. With a group so big, it often degenerated into chaos, but the RA was able to regain control effectively. It moved quickly though alot of phases, including hares, virgins, violations, anniversaries, and a naming. I didn't stay for the naming, so I can't really comment on that.
Group: 2.5/5
I don't want to punish the group too much for not being as welcoming as they could have. They were not mean or off putting at all. Its entirely likely that after a long day of wandering around DC, I may not have been at my most social. However, it seems that whenever I tried to integrate myself into a group, there was no outreach made. Every attempt was made by me, and it was rare to get any reciprocation. I think its was partially a function of the large group, which led to a bit of cliqueiness. It was telling to me that the only person who actively came up to me and introduced themselves was a 'Just,' or a relative newcomer.
Everyday Is Wednesday Hash runs every Thursday evening in the DC metro area.
Location: Washington, DC
This was the second time I've run with Everyday Is Wednesday, and once again I was astounded by the size of the group. I'm used to running with 30 people max, except for big events. But this group routinely seems to attract at least 75 people. I've heard that 100 isn't unusual. This can be both a benefit and a problem. The benefit is that with that many people, you can always find someone of your running speed. The problem is that the group tends to be more cliquish than most of the hashes I've experienced.
Trail: Urban 4/5
The trail was longer than I was used to, but that wasn't a problem at all. It was actually a really good workout. For an urban hash, it actually had a good combination of major roadways, sideroads and alleys and wilderness. We were running through, well, the ghetto of DC, which as usual seems to freak out some people. However, I always enjoy these, as no one is more likely to come up and ask what is going on than a young black person, and I always like discussing the crazy things I do.
The trail started by running through the neighborhoods of the area, and then shifted dramatically about a third of the way through. We suddenly cut through a gap in a fence and were in a very old cemetery. We ran up the big hill in the center of the graveyard, which gave a very nice view of the area. Admittedly, the area wasn't the nicest, but I still love to see high views of suburbs at night. Other highlights: running through an honest-to-god forest in the middle of the city and crossing the Pennsylvania Ave bridge towards downtown, which gave a great view of the Anacostia River.
The trail was well marked for the most part and had a good number of FRB loops for those fast bastards. There was only one beer stop, but it was well placed (and was greatly needed by the time I got there). I heard there were two shot checks, but I guess I either missed them or was too far behind to take advantage of them.
Circle: 3.5/5
One of my favorite experiences when visiting different hashes is seeing how they run circle. Overall, I had a favorable impression of the circle. With a group so big, it often degenerated into chaos, but the RA was able to regain control effectively. It moved quickly though alot of phases, including hares, virgins, violations, anniversaries, and a naming. I didn't stay for the naming, so I can't really comment on that.
Group: 2.5/5
I don't want to punish the group too much for not being as welcoming as they could have. They were not mean or off putting at all. Its entirely likely that after a long day of wandering around DC, I may not have been at my most social. However, it seems that whenever I tried to integrate myself into a group, there was no outreach made. Every attempt was made by me, and it was rare to get any reciprocation. I think its was partially a function of the large group, which led to a bit of cliqueiness. It was telling to me that the only person who actively came up to me and introduced themselves was a 'Just,' or a relative newcomer.
Everyday Is Wednesday Hash runs every Thursday evening in the DC metro area.
What The Hell Is This?
Thank you for stopping by my new blog.
First off, to answer your question that you are redoubtably asking yourself (Why the hell do we need another blog?), the simple answer is we don't. But I've always wanted to keep a blog (even tried it once) but I just couldn't keep the motivation up for it.
Last night, as I was running through the ghetto of Eastern DC, desperately trying to keep up with the fast bastards in front me, what I was missing came to me: I needed a concept, a basic conceit that gave me a reason to continue writing. And that concept is this: I review things. And not just movies or restaurants or books. No, my friends, I review everything. How was that date last night? It was a 4 out of 5. How bout that hash? Ummm...well the run was a 4, but the group itself was a 2. Stuff along those lines.
So now that I've explained what I'm doing, lets get to reviewing.
First off, to answer your question that you are redoubtably asking yourself (Why the hell do we need another blog?), the simple answer is we don't. But I've always wanted to keep a blog (even tried it once) but I just couldn't keep the motivation up for it.
Last night, as I was running through the ghetto of Eastern DC, desperately trying to keep up with the fast bastards in front me, what I was missing came to me: I needed a concept, a basic conceit that gave me a reason to continue writing. And that concept is this: I review things. And not just movies or restaurants or books. No, my friends, I review everything. How was that date last night? It was a 4 out of 5. How bout that hash? Ummm...well the run was a 4, but the group itself was a 2. Stuff along those lines.
So now that I've explained what I'm doing, lets get to reviewing.
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