4 square

Four years ago today Matt and I stood in front of 170 of our closest friends and family and got married. Today, in honor of that occasion, we celebrated with good food.

(While I'm on a wedding tangent, might I recommend our amazing wedding photographer Chris Baltazar if you live in the D.C. area or you're planning a destination wedding.)

Today's meal marked meal two out of three for D.C. Restaurant Week (aka my 29th birthday week and our 4-year anniversary week). On Tuesday we celebrated my 29th birthday one day late at Johnny's Half Shell in D.C., where we had the following: Stephanie -- BBQ shrimp appetizer, crab cake entree, chocolate angle food cake dessert; Matt -- grilled calamari appetizer, scallops entree, pecan pie dessert. The best part? Matt's grilled calamari, though it was all quite good.

Today for our anniversary we visited another new-to-us restaurant, 2941 in Falls Church, where we had another memorable meal, this time a little more delicate and fancy than my birthday lunch: Stephanie -- prosciutto and melon appetizer, Amish corn ravioli entree, peaches and cream dessert; Matt: octopus appetizer, salmon entree, chocolate truffle dessert. (Of course, this is my over-simplified explanation of some pretty complex dishes.) The best part? Though call, though I'd say it's a tie between my ravioli and Matt's chocolate truffle. Good news for D.C.-area folks: 2941 will be offering their Restaurant Week lunch menu through August 27, so even if you can't make it this week you might still be able to visit next week.
I'm pretty excited for my corn ravioli.

The desserts, for once, tasted as beautiful as they looked.

And, the outside of 2941 is definitely picture worthy, with its koi pond and waterfalls.

If you're having a small wedding and you have the means, might I recommend getting married here. I am sure it would be pretty awesome.

Over lunch Matt and I were inspired to rank our favorite meals of our marriage. While our list somewhat surprisingly focused on the everyday, affordable restaurants we've claimed as our couple favorites, it's difficult to overlook the wonderful anniversary meals we've shared.

1st year anniversary at The Tabard Inn, D.C.

2nd year anniversary at Me Jana, Arlington

3rd year anniversary, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria (aka the best meal of our lives)

Four years has gone by quickly. On my birthday Matt told me he hopes to spend at least 40 more years with me. That would mean we would die when we're 69. Let's hope we can stick it out longer than that, because so far it's been pretty great.

Make your D.C. restaurant week reservations

Yesterday when we landed in Philadelphia before our final connection to D.C., we saw our emails from OpenTable telling us to make our D.C. Restaurant Week reservations. So, in case you missed it, be advised: now's the time to book! You can see the complete list of restaurants and links to reservations here at OpenTable. This summer Restaurant Week is slated for August 16 (my birthday!) through 22.

If you're not familiar with Restaurant Week, the idea is that area restaurants offer three-course prix-fixe menus -- appetizer, entree and dessert -- for $20.10 at lunch or $35.10 at dinner. This year Matt and I have booked one meal so far, this time a lunch at Johnny's Half Shell, a seafood restaurant we've never tried before. That's usually our goal during Restaurant Week, to try something new.

If you're looking for ideas of places to explore, here are a few we've been to over the years during Restaurant Week and would return to again:

• Bibiana -- Italian, D.C. (downtown)
• Cafe Atlantico -- Latin American fusion, D.C. (Penn Quarter), and one of my all-time favorites
• Charlie Palmer Steak -- umm, steak, D.C. (Capitol Hill)
• Harry's Tap Room -- steak and American, Arlington (Clarendon)
• Hook -- seafood, Georgetown, one of the best seafood meals of my life
• Rasika -- modern Indian, D.C. (Penn Quarter)
• Zola -- contemporary American, D.C. (Penn Quarter)

Here are some other restaurants featured during Restaurant Week, but because they are either small plates or are more affordable to start with, I'd hold off and visit during non-Restaurant Weeks. Not only should you save the new stuff for Restaurant Week, but also the more expensive stuff!
Notable restaurants:

• Jaleo -- Spanish tapas, D.C. (Penn Quarter) with additional locations in Crystal City and Bethesda -- perhaps my most favorite restaurant in the world
• Lebanese Taverna -- Middle Eastern/Mediterranean, D.C. (Woodley Park) and Tysons
• The Liberty Tavern -- American, Clarendon
• Marrakesh -- Moroccan, Dupont Circle
• Zaytinya -- Mediterranean tapas, Penn Quarter

Now, D.C.-area people, please share: What are your favorite places for Restaurant Week?

Trendspotting, suburban edition: Pinkberry

During our walk tonight, Matt and I discovered that our very own open-air, suburban pedestrian mall, Fairfax Corner, is getting a Pinkberry this fall.

 Observations:

1. This trend is officially over, now that it has made its way to our open-air, suburban pedestrian mall.

2. Pinkberry is arriving about three years too late, and it is ironically going to be located next to a cupcake boutique, which arrived about five years too late.

3. Fall seems like an odd time to open a frozen yogurt establishment.

4. Even though it sounds like I am knocking it, I am still excited to walk down to the Corner, sprinkle some blackberries and Cap'n Crunch on my sour frozen yogurt, and indulge.

5. I know he has his own show now and all, but I wish Demetri Martin would still do his Trendspotting feature for The Daily Show.