the breezy 'sac

Restaurant Review - El Manantial

Time for a new restaurant review (and to bump Graham's lobster mug down the page a little :-). 

Tired of eating the same old same old? Want to support the little guy in this "big box", chain restaurant world?  Well head on over to El Manantial and enjoy fresh seafood and well balanced, perfectly seasoned meats.  

We had heard of this restaurant a few years ago and just never tried it.  We read about it in magazines and newspapers so we knew we would get there some day.  Last night we decided that we wanted something new so we headed over to North Shore Drive to see if this place was worth it.  Nothing to look at from the outside, it's in a plaza and you wouldn't notice it if you were just driving by.

Read about the family's work experiences on their website.  This restaurant is a fusion of 5 siblings that all have many years in the restaurant business.  Each with a specialty and each with experience at some of DC's finest establishments...http://www.vintechsystems.net/manantial/news.php

We were greeted and seated in a pretty empty dining room.  Just us and one other party.  We talked to the owner and he explained that they have felt the down-turn in our economy recently.  But as we sat there other parties came in and by the time we left there were at least a dozen tables busy.  You could tell that the owner took special care to remember patrons.  Many people that came in received hugs and hand shakes like they were regulars.  Some had favorite tables and were seated at them without asking.  Some knew what they wanted without looking at a menu. 

The menu is diverse and there is something for everyone.  Peter ordered the lightly flash fried oysters for an appetizer and they were amazingly good.  I think we could have chowed down on those all night.  I ordered a spinach salad to start and it was also very good - just the right amount of a light dressing and hearts of palm with feta cheese.  We didn't notice overpowering flavors and everything was seasoned just right.

We had a hard time choosing main courses but finally settled on soft shelled crabs and the oven roasted sea bass with lobster sauce.  After ordering Peter got the bad news that they had just served the last order of soft shelled crabs so he had to opt for his second choice - Petiit Chateau which was 2 scallops, 2 shrimp and 2 beef tips.  Our meals were cooked perfectly.  Peter asked for his beef to be rare and it prepared just as he had asked.  My bass was not over cooked or dried out and it was perfectly seasoned.  Our meals were each served with broccoli, sliced tomatoes and just enough homemade mashed potatoes to give you a balance.  The portions were good sized and in my opinion the right amount of food one person should eat anyway.  I find that a lot of restaurants try to give you huge portions because it makes up for the flavorless foods.  This restaurant does not have to make up for lack of flavor.  We were very pleased with our choices.

We finished the meal with a light and flaky napoleon that had the right balance of cream, puff pastry and chocolate.  Again, pastries are a specialty of one of the owners and all made in-house which is a treat.

We agreed that we would go back.  The service was excellent, the food was delicious and the prices were in line with what you would expect from a small, family owned restaurant.  If you are looking for something new and different whether it be meats or seafood, give this place a try.  You won't be disappointed and you will be supporting the small business owners of our area.  Just say no to the big chains and choose quality over quantity :-)

Lobster 2009

Thank you for celebrating Cinco de Mayo

Thank you for coming to the Cinco de Mayo Party, it was a lot of fun!!  Cheryl the pictures are great... Thanks and lets hope for more Fiestas..

    

 

Graduation BBQ - Sat. June 13th 4-8

 Looks like party season is alive and well with the Sac!

Hope you can join us Saturday, June 13th from 4 to 8 p.m. at the White's for our Graduation BBQ for Casey. BBQ, sliders and great music are planned. Now, we just need you! Everyone welcome, including kids. RSVPs appreciated.

Lobster Anyone?

It's that time again.We are making plans for the best dinner yet.Mark your calendars and call your babysitters as it's adults only.
May 23
7:00 PM
Price to be determined
rsvp by  May 17

CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION

 

It's is time for our Cinco de Mayo Celebration!!! join us on Saturday, May 9th at the Blakney's at 6:30pm. Children are welcome, bring your scooter, bikes, chairs and enjoy de Fiesta.

Some of the mexican disches inlcude: tinga, chiles con rajas, picadillo, chilaquiles, frijoles, arroz, etc. etc..

Come and enjoy Margaritas and beer, we are very sorry we won't have Bill's brewing at this time, we have to wait a few more weeks for beer tasting.

Please let us know if you plan on attending!!!!

Pohanka Acura - Great Customer Service

You've heard me complain about customer service in many blog posts but this time it's all about the good. 

We bought our Acura TL from Pohanka Acura in Chantilly back in 2002 and we have continued to go there for all of the scheduled maintenance, oil changes, etc.  Basically anything that car needed it got from the dealer.  Knowing that you can get better deals out there if you know a good mechanic we decided to go this route with our new car this time.  Well folks, it pays off....

Yesterday we noticed our transmission slipping so we headed right to the dealer to drop off the car (btw, big thanks to Larry for coming to get us!)  They are usually open on Sundays for service but being Easter, they were closed.  No biggie, they have a drop box.  Peter and I got up this AM thinking we were going to have to hand over big $ right on top of paying Uncle Sam his taxes this week - ugh, not a good start to the week.  Anyway, back to the story...before I could call Pohanka, our service guy, Jeff called to tell me the bad news.  Yes, the transmission was gone and it needed to be replaced.  My head began to hurt...but there was good news too.  Jeff researched our service and maintenance history with Acura and Pohanka and was able to call Acura and get them to pay 80% of the total bill!  I nearly spit out my coffee.  I couldn't believe that he did that or that Acura would take on the cost.  Transmissions are not cheap and hearing this was like eating a whole chocolate cake and not gaining a pound!  He went on to tell me that my loaner car paperwork was already processed and I could come pick it up anytime. 

Now Peter and I have always had pleasant experiences at Pohanka and we fell in love with Acura when we bought this car.  We have always said that we will only buy Acura going forward and I gotta tell you, this sealed the deal for me.

Euro Bistro - Restaurant Review

At a time when everyone is looking for the most bang for their buck and a way to help "the little guy" keep a quality, homegrown businesses running, it's nice to find places like Euro Bistro in Herndon ......http://www.euro-bistro.com/ for a tasty meal.

Manoj mentioned this diamond in the rough to us a few months back and Peter and I have been there twice since.  Thanks Manoj!  We would have never gone in this place if he didn't tell us about it.  It is in a strip plaza next to a Birkenstock shoe store, not really a "grab your attention" location.  It's a family friendly and inviting atmosphere.

We have been sticking to the Austrian menu and so far everything that we have had has been delicious.  We highly recommend Schnitzel dishes.  Some come with tasty potato pancakes and others with German potato salad or spatzle.  All are homemade and the portions are huge.  For you beer drinkers out there, Euro Bistro has a large selection of international beers on tap and they also offer a good wine selection that I have enjoyed each time.  Desserts are homemade, try the strudel or black forest cake if they have it when you are there.  You will probably be going home with doggie bags so add a dessert to indulge in later.

This is definitely a place to try and put in your restaurant rotation.  When you don't want Chinese or pizza and feel like a change, give the little guy your business and take a walk over the border to grab some Austrian specialties. 

BLT Steak - Restaurant Review

For those "foodies" out there, you probably already know that BLT Steak http://www.bltsteak.com/ missed the Washingtonian's Top 10 restaurants by 1 this year.  But coming in at #11 is not too shabby in a town where restaurants dot every corner and the competition is fierce. 

Stan, Cheryl, Peter and I ventured out last Saturday to try this gem and we were quite pleased.  If you like steak and the usual suspects you will enjoy your meal.  The restaurant is actually quite small and as the review stated, it can be quite loud.  You find yourself shouting to have a conversation with your table-mates.  That is a downer.  But the food saved this review.  We were presented with homemade pate and bread which was excellent and then they brought out popovers the size of footballs!  These were incredible!  We agreed that the appetizers were average - I had the Tuna Tartare and Peter had the Shrimp Cocktail.  Cheryl indulged in the Mushroom Risotto and that was nothing to write home about.  We all ordered different cuts of beef and they were accompanied by your choice of a sauce.  They are presented with a large slice of herbed butter and we all agreed that this addition is not necessary, the meat shines on it's own.  Our meats were cooked perfectly and they were wonderful.  For sides we ordered onion rings (way yummy!) fries (wouldn't order again) and creamed spinach (again, would pass on this next time).  There are tons of side dishes to choose from and looking around there are plenty I would try next time instead.  No meal is complete without dessert so we indulged.  My carmelized cheesecake was average, Peter's "banana split" fell short, Stan had a crepe souffle and it was tasty but I think the winner was Cheryl's blueberry lemon meringue pie.  That was the perfect balance between tart and sweet with a delicate crust. 

The consensus was that we would go back.  Definitely a steak house to try if you love a good cut of beef.  For those that want to take it over the top they offer Kobe and American Wagyu too. 

Casey's Eagle Ceremony April 4th 2:00 PM

Everyone is welcome to Casey's Eagle ceremony, Saturday April 4th at 2:00 at Frying Pan Park's Visitors Center Auditorium. Only about 4% of all boys entering Scouts achieve the level of Eagle and we're very excited about his accomplishment. Each Eagle gets his own ceremony, so this is a one-man show. 

We'll have a reception immediately after the ceremony.

Traffic Calming

Hi Everyone-

I wanted to pass along an update on the traffic calming effort on Dower House Dr.  Fred Apelquist is leading the effort and he will take any/all help he can get.  The bigger the army the better the outcome!  If you are interested in helping out please contact Fred via email at fredapelquist@aol.com.

Fred will be organizing an initial meeting at his house and from there he will need help getting the word out and gathering signatures/votes.

If you feel as stongly about this as I think some of you do, feel free to contact Fred to get involved.

Super Bowl 43 Party

Hey, just in case anyone hasn't caught word, the Wolffs are hosting a Super Bowl 43 party. All Sacster's are welcome!

Time and Place

Date:	Sunday, February 1, 2009
Time:	6:00pm - 11:30pm
Location:	Wolff's

Plenty of great seats available for the big game. We have the club level for the adults and general admission for the kids in the basement. Jill is organizing a Chili Cookoff and other fine fare. Please feel free to bring a snack. See ya

Happy Holidays from Sgt. Mark

Hey everyone - the phone rang tonight and it was our very own Sgt. Mark calling to wish us all a happy holiday season.  He is now in Germany and going on his 11th year in the Army.  He sounded great and he asked about everyone.  He told me that his top 3 favorites about Germany are 1) the relaxed attitude of Germans 2) the Autobahn and 3) sorry, I forgot what #3 was...

Anyway, he sounds very happy and sends holiday cheer to all!  He asked about "the Sac" and how the kids were doing.  If you still have his email address drop him a line, I'm sure he would LOVE to hear from everyone!

At a time when we are all stuffing our faces and enjoying (cough, cough) our time with family, keep our troops in your thoughts.  Say an extra prayer for all of them when you sit down at your Christmas or Hanukkah table and give thanks for all that you have.  While we open gifts and eat bon bons, they are working hard to protect our freedom. 

An afternoon at the Kennedy Center

We had an enjoyable afternoon last Saturday, when Kathy and myself took the kids to the performance "The Trumpet of the Swan: A Novel Symphony". Base on the book by E.B. White, the story was read by Kathy Bates among others. We all enjoy the Symphony and the Story. It was a fun, fun afternoon, the kids did really well for the almost two hour performance.

Chipolte coming to Franklin Farm shopping center!

I was just up at the Franklin Farm shopping center, and notice that "Chipotle" is coming to the hood!  I know that G-man will be thrilled, since this is his favorite lunch hang out spot.  (It will be in the old video rental place)...cool huh???

Trick or Treat, Halloween 2008!

      
The children of the sac at  Halloween Parade, around Franklin Pond!  Please share some of your Halloween pics!!!!

The New Trend in Mailboxes!

Family Photo Day!

Hey Everyone!  It is that time again!!!  Family photo day is coming soon.  Jim Harrington will be out to our neighborhood on Sunday, November 2nd.  What an easy way to take care of Christmas gifts and those Christmas cards too!!!!  Get the family together for a photo session right at Still Pond!  We will be starting the session at 9am. Each family will have 45 minutes session with Jim.  Please let me know if you are interested ASAP!  We have a few afternoon time slots available.  Enjoy!!!!!  Please pass this along to friends or neighbors!

If needed we can add another day for pictures.

Check out Jim's Website at: http://www.jamesharringtonstudios.com/default2.asp.  You will see alot of us from the Sac here!  "CHEESE"!

Carbo's interviewed by the Roanoke Times

 Students flood Radford University campus

Friday was move-in day at Radford University. Classes start Monday -- Labor Day.

By Tim Thornton
381-1669

RADFORD -- It was the voice of experience.

"Get here early and be patient."

Mark Carbo was moving two daughters into Radford University dorms Friday morning. Becca was a freshman last year, so the family -- especially younger sister, Chelsea -- learned from her experience.

Ratchet straps are better than bungee cords. Bed risers add storage space in a tiny dorm room. A hand truck is worth its weight in gold.

"Having a 1-ton pickup truck doesn't hurt, either," Mark Carbo said.

There were lots of pickups in Radford on Friday morning as students moved in ahead of the start of classes Monday -- Labor Day. Pickups, SUVs, minivans, U-Haul trailers, all packed with the essentials of modern college life.

"People are bringing in huge TVs," Chelsea Carbo said. "My roommate and I have a 19-inch."

She met her roommate at orientation, so they had plenty of time to work out color schemes and who was bringing what. But the room they're moving into is a little smaller than the one they shared this summer. But Carbo was confident everything she brought would fit.

"I brought everything," she said. "Absolutely everything. I don't regret it at all. I'm going to use it all."

She and her father had strapped sundries onto her rolling duffle bag. The stack of stuff on the cart beside her was roughly as tall as she is.

There was an astonishing variety of hand trucks, hand carts, rolling luggage, rolling storage bins and -- in at least one case -- a skateboard rolling around campus. They wheeled by, laden with clothes and electronics and appliances and guitar cases.

The line to get into Muse Hall -- the high-rise freshman residence hall -- stretched down the sidewalk toward the library, past Lucas Hall. But there seemed to be order and precision amid the chaos.

Carts that usually carry tools for maintenance and grounds crews prowled parking lots, looking for people and baggage to haul toward dorms.

Other carts hauled away stacks of cardboard from recycling drop-off points outside residence halls.

Big tubs of ice held bottled water at strategic points. University employees walked down that long line outside Muse offering water to parents and new students laden with all the accoutrements of a new school year.

Bands of sorority and fraternity members wandered the campus in T-shirts with Greek letters on them, offering help and information.

"We're helping with anything," Sigma Sigma Sigma sister Danielle Clark said.

"They do a good job here," Mark Carbo said.

His second daughter to become a Highlander had an advantage over most of the newcomers, of course.

Chelsea Carbo visited her older sister a lot last year, so she's gotten the lowdown on life at Radford, including which professors to take and which to avoid. And what to haul down from the family home in Reston.

"I got to hear what to bring and what not to bring," Carbo said. "Of course, I ignored her."

Jim's B-day Bash, Saturday August 23rd

It's gonna be Cheeseburgers in Paradise. A Jimmy Buffet style BBQ to help Jim celebrate the big 50. Come one and all, Saturday August 23rd, starting at 5:30.

If you'd like to bring something, side dishes and appetizers would be great. And, anything to help channel the master Jimmy Buffet himself is of course welcome.

Hope to see you there.

Maura
3304 Bywater Court
Annex de la Sac