Is it possible that in the coming weeks our shorts will be replaced by jeans and t-shirts with sweaters? This past weekend gave us everything from downpours to sunny skies.

recap-2

As soon as Al got home from field hockey on Friday night we decided to quickly feed the dogs and head out in Old Town, Alexandria. With Restaurant Week taking place we knew we had to be careful with where we went to dinner. Our first choice for dinner has a very appealing outdoor patio, but with grey skies in the distance we quickly took to twitter to find some dining recommendations from many of you. Winning tweet?

  We started at Flying Fish, and began our food crawl. Sushi seemed like a brilliant start, since it was a slight shift from normal bar food and we could convince ourselves we were staying healthy. It should come as no surprise that we started with the California Roll (obviously it has avocados) and the firecracker – awesome . Flying Fish offers great happy hour deals and there is always room to sit at the downstairs bar. recap-1 After Flying Fish we ended up several blocks away at Bilbo Baggins. Al decided to order a Painkiller (inspired by our Tiki drink class through Bookalokal!) and I went for a small beer flight. With the changing seasons on my mind I was eager to have my first Oktoberfest of the year. We ordered two dishes – the blue corn tortilla chicken quesadilla and the cilantro fries. The quesadilla isn’t enough for 2 people, but it’s something great to split when you’re not looking to eat too much. The fries were equally incredible and came crisped to perfection. For the beer drinks this should be a favorite spot in Old Town, judging by how busy the bar always is it’s no secret. recap-3 recap-4 recap-5  Though we were ready to stop it seems all good things happen in 3s, so we wrapped up with an order of guacamole from Austin Grill and a frozen margarita for me. With our buddy meeting us out we decided to catch up for awhile. We previously posted how much we were enjoying the new tableside guacamole from Austin Grill, but we’ve noticed recently that they don’t offer the tableside option at the bar. Nonetheless, we enjoyed it in addition to a plate full of chicken nachos (which always seem like a good idea). recap-6 Saturday was Operation Find a Couch. If we were looking for the weather to be a sign of good things to come, Saturday was not the day. It poured the entire day, making quick and frequent stops a complete hassle.  I always get a little annoyed when you walk into one of these large stores and are immediately tackled by a salesperson looking to make some commission. Please, I just want to browse! It took  more than 3 stops this time, but as we returned to one of our original visits from last weekend we finally found the couch we wanted. With a couple fees waived it seemed like the best deal in the end. Note: ALWAYS talk deals for furniture.  recap-7 We had originally talked about having some people over for wine on the rooftop Saturday evening, but the rain dampened those thoughts as the day progressed. Instead we decided to make some hamburgers on the grill, open a bottle of 2005 Bordeaux to celebrate our purchase, and watch the Hobbit while hanging out on the floor with the dogs. recap-8  Sunday was advertised as the nicest day of the weekend; apparently the clouds we woke up to didn’t receive the memo.  Following that, Al was able to get some time in at the pool and I hung out at the gym. With her return to school becoming imminent we decided to stay in and just make dinner that night, and it was incredible. A favorite of Al’s was something called Firehouse Special – a Mexican lasagna of sorts.  Following up on the cliffhanger of The Hobbit, we decided to watch the second in the series.  Now we can’t wait for December 17, when the final comes to theaters.

It is possible that we only have one weekend left of August, and then we’ll be talking about all of the things we want to do this fall? Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Scott

Bilbo Baggins on Urbanspoon Flying Fish on Urbanspoon Austin Grill on Urbanspoon