After going to a festival in Columbia, MD, I was in the mood for some ice cream. There was an ice cream truck at the festival, but I wanted something from the area. A web search found a likely place nearby. Owned and operated by two local entrepreneurs, Sweet Finishes exceeded my expectations.
It was a hot, 90° day in May. I was in Alexandria, Virginia and decided I could use some ice cream. There are lots of options in Alexandria, but Casa Rosada - Artisan Gelato caught my eye. I went there and was not disappointed.
We were on a road trip, traveling through Pennsylvania, and looking for a place to eat lunch. A web search turned up a couple of likely spots. The one that peaked our interest was Mountain Pies. Pizza pies, that is. And, as we found out, their pizza is great!
I was going with friends to see a play in Rockville, and we decided to do lunch beforehand. We decided on Mosaic Cuisine, a French restaurant with a reputation for a great brunch. The reputation is well deserved.
Ben's Chili Bowl is the most iconic of all the restaurants in DC. So when it reopened after 10 months of remodeling, it is news. So much so that the mayor DC proclaimed the reopening day, May 1st, as Ben's Chili Bowl Day.
I was in Richmond, Virginia doing some site seeing. Needing somewhere to eat lunch, I was driving around and passed a brightly painted building. Realizing it was a restaurant, I turned back. The restaurant turned out to be City Dogs, home to the best hot dogs in the city!
I was running an errand on a Saturday morning and decided to have lunch in nearby Bethesda, Maryland. Not too many places were open. But the Mussel Bar and Grille was and they even had a DC restaurant week special. It's a fantastic Belgian restaurant.
One of the most popular breakfast spots in the Buffalo region can be found in the town of North Tonawanda. Located in the heart of the city, Figmor Cafe & Eatery serves all the classics in comfort and style.
I was on a road trip looking for a place to eat. I decided to take the exit right before the Maryland line with Pennsylvania, on Interstate 83. I quickly found a nearby bar and grill that turned out to be first rate: the StoneBridge Grill.
2025 was a bad year for restaurants in DC, as a record number of restaurants closed. Here are the places I will miss.
Jim's Dining Guides 