Portraits After 5: The First Night

A look at "Portraits After 5" at The National Portrait Gallery, where good food and drink meet great art and music!

Portraits After 5 : The First Night from The Art Of Vince Brown on Vimeo.

The Boulevardier View: Fall Picks

I consulted my "beer guy", Al, for some sound advice as to what I should be drinking this season.

The Boulevardier View: Fall Picks from The Art Of Vince Brown on Vimeo.

Souk Moroccan Tapas and Bar

My lady and had a simple plan this past Friday night: Ignore the construction on H Street, grab some sushi and breeze through Temporium. Alas, our plans were foiled by the micro-management of the supervisor on duty at Sticky Rice, our intended destination. Lucky for us, Souk Tapas and Bar (1201 H St. N.E.), located a few doors away, saved our evening. Self described as "pan-Mediterranean", Souk is wonderfully cozy and unassuming. Upon entering and being seated, you really do feel as though you've been invited into someone's home and are about to be treated to a gracious meal. We began with hummus and pita and then sampled the delicious variety of tapas, including merquez(grilled lamb sausage) and arayes(ground beef and tzaziki sauce). We shared the dejaj entree, a plate of grilled chicken breast garnished with tomatoes, garlic and onion. Reasonable prices and good service saved what might have been a crappy night out! For more info visit souk-dc.com

Sushi Go Round and Tapas

Beautiful and stylish fashionista Kayla Kelly and I decided to finally see what all the fuss was with the movie, Inception. So, we headed down to Gallery Place, which gave us the opportunity to revisit one of our favorite spots to get a quick bite; Sushi Go-Round and Tapas (705 7th Street NW). While most sushi joints seem the same after awhile, Go-Round, as it's name implies, has the distinction of having a conveyor belt which brings the sushi to you to choose. There's the standard California and avocado rolls, along with tempura styles but I go for the exotic fishes, like smelt, horse mackerel and sea urchin. My lady always enjoys the smoked salmon and any variety of the tuna. The prices range from $2.99 to $6.99 per plate on the belt and there is conventional seating and a full menu available. Plus, two of my favorite beers, Sapporo and Ichiban, are always on tap. Great spot to stop into before or after a game at the Verizon center or catching a movie. And speaking of, Inception was pretty good, just as many critics and numerous friends have told me. All said, we had a great Thursday night out!

For more info visit www.sushigoroundatverizon.com

Jordan's 8 On Barracks Row

Looking for a great steak on Capitol Hill? How about sushi prepared right in front of you? You can find both, at Jordan's 8, located on hip Barracks Row (523 8th Street SE). Named for Jordan Cappolla, who also owns the cocktail lounge Tapatinis, a few doors down. Jordan's 8 offers American fare including chicken and seafood dishes. I recently took family there and was pleased with both the food and the friendly service. My wife and I started with the Jordan's 8 salad (mixed greens, candied walnuts, blue cheese and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing). Our son went straight for the boneless Ribeye steak ($18) which had a little more fat than he liked, but he enjoyed it just the same. I ate lighter, opting for their renowned Bison burger ($10) which was cooked to order and DELICIOUS! My wife was likewise very satisfied with her choice of salmon and asparagus ($14). As mentioned, the restaurant also has a sushi bar on the second floor, which we will check out on our next visit. And we do plan to return! - VB