*Black's Bar and Kitchen (Bethesda, MD)

For some reason, we always end up in Bethesda. Poor M, it is where her current project is located (NIH). Not that Bethesda is horrible - it is a really nice tree-lined area with a Gucci store! But, I'd be sad if I had to go into midtown on a weekend.

We do have reasons to be there. Previously, it was to enjoy steamed to order blue-crabs coated in old bay seasoning on plastic cafeteria trays and paired with frosty glasses of Hefeweizen (www.dcseafood.com). This time, we went to look for a dress for M to wear to the upcoming nuptials of her cousin. She is also officiating so we were thinking of a black dress she could wear under a jacket. After a quick jaunt at Filene's Basement and a perfunctory stop at JCrew, we headed to Loehmann's where we found a few dresses for her. She didn't buy anything but I ended up finding PERFECT spectator pumps (low with grey and black!), a grey sweater dress and a frilly white shirt to wear under (you guessed it) a cardigan. Taking her shopping is very dangerous for me. We found a few more dresses at TJMaxx but it was closing and we could not locate the dressing rooms. Then off to Bloomingdale's where I think there was a very nice halter dress but not perfect. I think the best thing at this point is to find a fun fancy tank to wear under a black pant suit. I keep gravitating towards something v-neck and sparkly!

M: Can we eat now?

Off we go to Black's Bar and Kitchen. M first picked it before we left because it had an oyster bar and we LOVE oysters. It is also one of the top 100 restaurants in DC for 2007 and 2008, winner of best Bethesda Seafood 2008, Maryland's favorite new restaurant 2007. We got there and I loved its modern, sleek and cozy design. It was a beautiful cool and low-humidity evening so we got a table outside by a small pool. We also got to sit catty-corner - my favorite! I read the menu and it is everything I love. There's a little notice about how the restaurant uses recycled and renewable energy and resources. The hand towels in the bathroom are real washcloths that they launder (I know argument between energy used for blowers vs energy used for washing washcloths). It is a small menu which showcases the best, local, most fresh and flavorful. A small menu means no giant lockers of frozen food. And beautiful words like chicken liver mousse with sherry jelly, premier and boutique fresh oysters on half shell, fried oysters with cornmeal, fried soft shell crab and seared sea scallops.
We got all of the above except for the crab which M traded in for a skirt steak. I had a lovely fresh glass of -you guessed it, albarino and M tried a rose. It had a gorgeous deeper rose color, rich flavor, great legs and was quite dry. Everything was delicious and gorgeously presented - even the biscuits that were served for bread - so buttery, flaky and delicious. I told the server, I love anything with "point" in it and she didn't disappoint. The oysters were amazing - especially the raspberry points. It was delicate, briny but not too briny, fresh and sweet. Thanks for a perfect date, baby.

http://www.blacksbarandkitchen.com

Side note: we were not the only date dining outside. There was a older couple on their first date - very cute. We think there were 2 guys out together. And then this Caucasian girl and Asian guy. She goes, "oh, that's it on the menu? I'll take a cheeseburger medium well." I'm thinking, lady, if I were out on a date with you, I wouldn't waste my money at Black's - you are going to Burger King. I had hopes for the guy because he ordered the fried oysters but then he went "I can't eat this" and off they went with the food barely eaten. They deserve each other. See, every pot has a lid.