Washington, DC

Bertuccis is located in Arlington near Whole Foods and is inside a shopping center with stores such as the Container Store, Crate & Barrel, an outdoors supply and clothing type store, and Pottery Barn. Thus is a good restaurant to combine with a shopping trip. If you park in the parking garage be sure to get your ticket validated at the restaurant or one of the stores and you pay only half of the parking fee. There are other D.C. locations, but this is just the specific one that I visited.

Bertuccis is an Italian restaurant, so the menu has items such as pasta and brick oven pizza. The menu also includes different entrees with items such as salmon, chicken, and steak. When I went I shared the Quattro Stagioni Pizza, which has 2 slices of each of the four different toppings. The 4 different toppings are mushrooms, artichoke hearts, green pepper, and rosemary ham. Interestingly the four different corners are meant to represent the four seasons. With 3/4 of the pizza veggie friendly, but there still being a part with meat, this is a great option for a vegetarian like me dining with people that like meat on their pizza. Pizza prices range from $10 for an individual to $19 for a large pizza, which if they are all cut like the one we had have 8 slices and could on average be enough for 4 people.

They have a variety of starters. The one we tried was mozzerella fritta ($8) and it was delicious. Also, they bring out hot bread with oil before the meal. This was also very delicious and by the time the pizza came we were not that hungry anymore. That is okay, though, because we just had the rest of the pizza boxed and took it home to eat later.

Location: 2700-2800 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA
Phone: 703-528-9177
Hours: M-Th: 11am - 10pm, Fr-Sat: 11am - 11pm, Sun: 11am - 10pm

To make a suggestion of a restaurant to be featured in a future Restaurant of the Week post, please let me know in a comment on this post or by sending me an e-mail at kjersti.wasiak@451press.net

Weekly Topics

D.C., restaurant, Italian, pizza

Restaurant Information

Location: 436 11th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Phone: (202) 624-0053
Cuisine: American

This place is a restaurant and saloon. The walls are nicely decorated with some interesting pieces of art including some fun 3D images in shadowbox style frames. You can sit inside or outside depending on the weather and your desire.

The menu contains mostly burgers and other meat items. There are also salads and pasta. I had the spaghetti without the meatballs and was assured that the sauce does not contain meat. The spaghetti came with a garlic toasted hamburger bun. The serving size was enough for me to take home and have two more dinners of it. I also shared the fries appetizer with one person and took home leftovers. The fries would have easily been enough for 4 people as an appetizer. The person I dined with had a petite burger and it was like a normal hamburger size, so who knows what the other burger looks like. The burger has cheese on both sides of the burger. What I thought was the most interesting about the side of chips that came with the burger is that they put an Oreo on top of it. (more…)

I am a big fan of Uno Chicago Grill. I love the pizza they serve here and that they also serve some other things to help others agree to go here. It is also nice that it is a sit down place that offers pretty fast serving times, but allows you to have a relaxing lunch or dinner to take a break from sightseeing or whatever else brings you to the Union Station area and time allows. Besides recommending the pizza of any variety you prefer, I also recommend the Gorgonzola Walnut Side Salad. This salad has a very delicious low fat blueberry pomegranate dressing. Their menu also includes pasta, sandwiches, burgers, and much more. You can even order online for take out.

pizza, D.C., Union Station, Uno Chicago Grill

In the basement of Union Station you can find a large assortment of places to eat in the food court located here. This place really seems to offer everything you could possible want to eat mostly as fast food type options. There is places like Boardwalk Fries, Haagen Daza, Kabuki Sushi, Nothing But Donuts, Paradise Smoothies, Pasta T’ Go-Go, and Vaccaro’s (serves Italian desserts like gelato). It can get pretty busy, but since it is large and has plenty of seating you can still usually locate a place to sit down. It is a great place for a family or group that has different tastes of what they like to eat, as everyone can get what they want. To find out all the food options available at Union Station Food Court go here.

food, D.C., food court, Union Station

This is probably the least likely place people look for eating while at the Smithsonian. It also seems to be pretty low on the list of popular places to visit, thus often much less crowded. I would think the less crowded thing also carries over to the Castle Cafe that is located here, but I do not know for sure. Honestly, I did not realize there was a cafe here until I went to the Smithsonian dining website, thus now that I know it exists and I never noticed it the many times I have been to the castle I thought I would share it with my readers as it is something new I learned this week. I will definitely be looking for it next time I am visiting Smithsonian museums near the castle. According to the website this place features “an Espresso/Cappuccino bar, Argentinean gelato, panini, antipasti, organic salads, specialty sandwiches, soups and pastries.” Sure sounds like an appealing alternative to the McDonalds at the Air and Space Museums.

Smithsonian, D.C., castle, restaurant

The National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar Hazy Center at the Dulles Airport has a great dining area although the dining options are limited to only McDonald’s and the McCafe. The main place you will likely eat here if you choose to is the normal McDonald’s menu of items from McDonald’s. There is also the McCafe in the dining area. For those unfamiliar with the McCafe it is also owned by McDonalds and is kind of a coffee place like the places you find inside of book stores. It is a great stop for those who come here in the morning, as they have coffee and muffins. Also, they have great brownies. (more…)

The National Zoo probably offers the most food options of any Smithsonian. This is probably due to its size and the greater likelihood you will be here longer, being using more energy to get through it, and that one takes kids here that get hungry more often to the point of needing food to prevent a total meltdown or bring their attitude back in line. The Zoo has four main places to eat, snack carts seasonally, and vending machines. You can also bring your own picnic to have here as long as you follow the pretty minimal guidelines found here. Continue reading for more about the eating options at the Zoo. (more…)

The National Museum of the American Indian’s eating option is the Mitsitam Cafe. The name of the cafe means Let’s Eat from the Native American language used by the Delaware and Piscataway tribes. I love how the name of the cafe goes in line with the theme of the museum unlike some museums that have boring obvious names or food chains. The Mitsitam Cafe not only has a good name, but it also serves Native American food options to further the experience of learning about Native American cultures and history while visiting the museum. The cafe is divided into different serving areas for different regions from across the Americas. The different region areas allow a great variety of food for everyone to choose from. Another enjoyable part of eating here is the nice view you get out the windows of the Native American Museum’s landscaping.

With this being one of the favorite museums for kids the food options here do pretty well at appealing to the kids. The National Air and Space Museum offers a food court at their Mall Location. The food court hours are from 10am to 5pm.

In the food court you can order food from recognizeable menus from places such as McDonalds and Boston Market (I think this is a pretty good chain to find in a museum and not quite what one thinks of as a typical fast food place). There is also a Donatos Pizzeria for those who feel like having some pizza.

The National Air and Space Museum also has a cafe where you can get typical cafe items including bakery items and coffee.

museum, food court, food, Smithsonian, D.C.

Now you may think by the title that grocery stores either means of course I know I can get food there or you are thinking why would I go there besides just a weekly or monthly stocking up on food. Well, I am actually talking about going to just get your next meal. There are two main grocery stores you can do this at in the Tenleytown area. They are Balducci’s and Whole Foods. There is also a few other grocery like stores, such as Safeway, which I suppose you can do the same thing at, but I really think Balducci’s and Whole Foods stand at as a fun way to go get dinner. Continue reading for more about each. (more…)

Robeks quickly became my favorite place to eat using my Eaglebucks when it opened near the end of the spring semester in 2006. I probably would not have ever finished using my Eaglebucks if they had not opened. I loved getting smoothies theres, as well as the gourmet pretzels. They also have sandwiches and salads. It is overall a pretty healthy place to eat with a great selection of tasty things. Especially great for the end of semester cramming for final exam, completing a research paper, and also doing a group grant proposal project. My favorite thing to get was the dairy free Zen Berry smoothie.

4523 Wisconsin Avenue

smoothies, Tenleytown, restaurants, D.C.

Sure the cafeterias serve some great pizza, but in my opinion nothing compares to how great Armand’s is. It is another place that takes Eaglebucks, however in my experience there were several times when the machine to do it was not working, but that was a year and a half ago so maybe it is now more reliable. They have great Chicago style pizza. You can even order their pizza online for delivery, although I am not sure about if Eaglebucks work for this.

4231 Wisconsin Avenue

pizza, D.C., Armand’s Pizzeria, Tenleytown

The Cheesecake Factory is a great restaurant for a family meal when your parents/family are in town for helping you move in or for parent’s weekend. It is just down the Metro line at the Friendship Heights stop. There is pretty much something for everyone here. Do not forget to save room for some cheesecake if you like it and good luck getting your parents to buy you one for your down fridge for some late night snacks while studying.

5345 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Metro Stop: Friendship Heights (so yeah it is not really in Tenleytownm, but its pretty darn close)

cheesecake, restaurant, D.C.

I know it is a fast food chain type place, but it does take Eaglebucks and it is right there next to the metro for grabbing a quick sandwich to take for lunch if you are doing an internship like I did. I was in the Washington Semester program, so a lot of my classes we had to go to meetings around the city and that was another time it was great that I could just get this instead of the not so great cafeteria lunches. It also good to just grab a cold drink. You can get a fountain soda or a bottled soda/water/juice.

Address: 4441 Wisconsin Ave #A

Tenleytown, Subway, restaurant, D.C.

A most charming dining spot, the Old Angler’s Inn has been immortalized in countless Washington D.C. novels as a romantic winter getaway, sitting before the fireplace and perusing the menu. It is equally glorious in the summer when the main action moves to the incomparable terrace.

10801 MacArthur Boulevard
Potomac, Maryland 20854
301-299-9097 301-365-2425

Hours of Operation

Open daily from noon until 11:00 PM Tuesday through Sunday. We are closed on Mondays.
Lunch
12:00 - 2:30

Cocktails & Light Fare
2:30 - 5:30
Weekday Dinner
6:00 - 10:00
Weekend Dinner
5:30 - 10:00

History:The Old Angler’s Inn, with its, over a century-old tradition as a center of comfort for travelers, bonhomie and gracious living embodies in its location and legend much of what an historian meant in writing that the Potomac Valley “was a region which is distinguished, for here men and events fashioned design for the nation to follow and act upon.”

Near the site of the Inn, the Indians of the Algonquin Nation maintained a post for their “traveling traders” after whom the Potomac River is named. Not far from where the Inn stands, Captain John Smith made camp on his canoe trip up the river in the summer of 1608.

Young George Washington, as aid to General Braddock during the French and Indian Wars crossed the Potomac nearby on his way to fight the French at Fort Duquesne. Washington also designed the locks on the canal which can be inspected from various nearby points along the canal.

On July 4, 1828, President John Quincy Adams shoveled the first earth at nearby Little Falls to mark the beginning of the canal which made the Valley a main artery of ante-bellum commerce and travel. The Old Angler’s Inn was opened in 1860 to serve those journeying to and from the Nation’s capital, and also to serve the gentlemen and ladies of the capital and the great estates which graced the Maryland countryside.

During the Civil War, couriers with urgent dispatches from the Capital and officers and men of units of both North and South found respite at the Inn.

In 1864, gold was discovered by a California soldier who returned after the War to operate a mine successfully there until 1880. One of the owners of the gold mine was so appreciative of the fine food and the many hours of good company he found at the Inn that he presented the proprietor with a set of solid gold fishing hooks fashioned from the ore of the mine. (It is after these hooks that the “Order of the Golden Hook” which makes the headquarters at the Inn is named).

Teddy Roosevelt stopped here to hunt and to fish at wide water, a naturally- formed link of the canal lying at the foot of the slope on which the Inn rests. Its rugged rock formations give it the appearance of an unruffled mountain lake.

The Inn was restored in the spring of 1957 to make available once again the Inn’s charming setting, the hospitality, the fine foods and carefully-chosen beers, wines and liquors, in the same tradition which has made the Inn a Capital landmark.