Clyde's of Gallery Place, Washington, D.C.

Laurent and I caught the calm between the storms and dined at Clyde's of Gallery Place while the Capitals hockey game was going on in the nearby Verizon Center. We were okay until about time for the dessert course, when the game ended and people started flooding in.

Laurent started off with a bowl of French onion soup that he wanted so badly, he ordered it when the waitress was taking our drink orders. It was after 9 p.m.; I guess he must have been hungry. "Onion soup is onion soup," he explained, saying that things were only noteworthy when they are bad. Talk about damning with faint praise.

For his main course, he ordered the grilled onion-crusted Alaskan salmon on a pool of cauliflower puree and resting on a bed of sauteed spinach. The onion crust included breaded and deep fried onion straws. The dish met with his approval.

Keeping with the theme of the evening, I ordered the hoisin-sesame glazed Alaskan salmon entrée salad. A large slab of salmon nearly the size of Laurent's rested atop a bowl of mixed lettuce and napa cabbage with peanuts, black sesame seeds, vegetables, and a sesame dressing. It was quite nice.

Dessert was an interesting choice. On recommendation of the waitress, I got the Toigo apple pie with vanilla ice cream, and it was one of the best commercial apple pies I've had in a long time, with both the apple filling and the pastry being delicious.

Laurent, though, was still hungry, and decided to forego a sweet dessert in favor of a "Gallery Burger"—essentially a bacon cheeseburger topped with onion straws. He substituted a side of sautéed spinach and garlic for the French fries that normally come with the burger. Laurent's argument is that the protein from the burger is better for him than the "empty calories" of a traditional dessert.

We left just in time, as the place was getting so noisy we could barely talk. I never did hear who won the game.

Bardia's New Orleans Cafe, Washington, D.C.

Today we were at Bardia's New Orleans Cafe, about halfway down 18th in Adams-Morgan. Food was very good, though the service was very slow and haphazard. We both ended up with po' boy sandwiches, accompanied by Cajun fries. My po' boy was the "Bourbon Street," with sliced rib eye steak and sauteed onions, peppers, and mushrooms, plus a little provolone; Robert had the "River Catch," featuring fried catfish and remoulade sauce, which he washed down with an Amstel beer. Robert also got an order of beignets (hot, fried doughnuts dusted in confectioner's sugar), which he said reminded him of being in the French Quarter. I'll have to go back to this place again some time to try the etoufees, jambalayas, and gumbos on the menu. They also had half a dozen daily specials on the blackboard today, all of which sounded enticing, especially the corn and crab chowder, a big steaming bowl of which would have been perfect on this frigid day we're having.

So, that's the latest food report. Some people had complained I wasn't writing about food lately and they were afraid I was not eating. Be comforted to know that I'm far from becoming anorexic!

ShawarmaKing, Washington, D.C.

Earlier this week, we were at ShawarmaKing, a new place on the east end of Columbia Road in Adams-Morgan. They've a simple menu with beef and chicken shawarma and falafel sandwiches. Diners pick either a pita pocket or a large flatbread (for a "wrap") and their filling, then finish their sandwich from a toppings bar. There's no soda fountain, so drinks are sold by the can. I found my sandwich middle of the road, though Robert likes the place a whole lot (he'd been there before). It's a mom and pop kind of place, and the proprietors kept asking us how our food was.

Pete's New Haven Style Apizza, Washington, D.C.

We had panini at Pete's New Haven Style Apizza by the Columbia Heights Metro stop. Robert got the "Big Pete," a beef rib panino, and I got an "Olivia" with chicken and cheeses. The sandwiches are nicely pressed and grilled, then presented on long rectangular white plates with a serving of salad on one end. Good food and efficient service, with the only downside being that they are just a little bit pricy.