Attention: Friends, Romans, fellow alcohol lovers, I have a new signature drink.  The Lychee-tini.  Yes, I’ve typed that word and, amazingly, still have facial hair and testicles.  My first, and we always remember our first, was recently, in Rehoboth Beach – a revelation. Something I have looked at and never taken seriously, like a Zac Efron movie, or my sister.  There’s something about the sweet that, uh, give me one shot and it knocks me out for the rest of the night.  I’m swimming the breaststroke in a lychee-tini pool, infinity and all!

I recently, and by this I mean Sunday, had 3 lychee-tinis at a bar in New York.  This past weekend, I saw Ringo Starr, Angela Lansbury, and chatted up one of the many Billy Elliots -and yet the tini was my highlight.  It was from Lure – at Prince and Mercer.  Fresh lychee juice, gin, lime juice, and fresh cucumber puree.  I drank them like an Amish man cuts corn: smooth, steady, and like I’ve been doing it since I was 13.

Run out and find one in D.C. and when you do, let me know!!!!  I fear my new obsession will keep me locked inside with a collection of ingredients, perfecting my own personal private lychee heaven.  For I know not where they live in the city….

AEK

Groupon sent me today’s deal, which looks interesting.  If interested, you have to purchase the gift certificate from Groupon today.

-JAY

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Sooner or later, your girlfriend is going to figure out that all those fancy restaurants are just your bedroom redecorated with a new elaborate disguise each week. Today’s Groupon will help you postpone the inevitable by throwing a real fancy restaurant into the mix. For $20, you get $40 worth of casual Italian cuisine and drinks at Kora Restaurant, Bar, and Lounge in Arlington.

Head chef, owner, and fearsome Iron Chef opponent Morou Ouattara serves up a sumptuous lunch and dinner menu of trattoria-style tasties. Discriminating dinner diners will have their choice of primo pastas, such as spaghetti con polpette ($14) and anise gnudi with caramelized onion and autumn-squash cream ($15). Adventurous seafarers,on the other hand, will want to explore the homemade squid-ink pasta, a tagliatelle dish with shrimp, calamari, clams, and mussels ($22). Depending on their appetite, veggies can get a filling carciofini calzone (tomato, mozzarella, artichokes, basil, $13) or a light insalata caprese ($9). Just save room for tiramisu, gelato, or Bongo Bongo (cream puffs, chocolate semi-freddo, and dark chocolate sauce).

Kora’s can complement anything you order with a vast selection of Italian reds, whites, and sparkling wines. For something more only-here, though, try one of Kora’s specialty cocktails such as the ChamPino (Campari, Dubonnet Red, and Prosecco, $9) and the Bossanova (Bacardi rum, Galliano, apricot brandy, apple juice, lime, and sugar, $9). Your Groupon is good for one per table, so treat your favorite table to a romantic night at Kora’s.

Not valid for tasting menu, prix fixe menu, or specials during Restaurant Week.

Kora Restaurant, Bar, and Lounge2250-B Crystal Dr.
Arlington, VA 22202

www.korarestaurant.com

Bagels should have some chew to them while still being crunchy outside and having good flavor. Here is my take on the local Bagel Situation:

Manhattan Bagel in Ballston, rating: bagels C+ and D for service = “C”  overall.  They have employees who really dont seem to want to be at work, and at times have seemed depressed or irritable.

Brooklyn Bagels in Courthouse has “B” bagels and “B-” service, for a “B-” overall.

Bruegger’s (Ballston): Excellent service/friendly but the bagels just don’t have the right texture and are more like regular rolls or bread with holes in them.  C- for bagels and A-  for service =  B-.

Georgetown Bagelry (Bethesda) and Firehook Bakery (Alexandria and DC) have decent bagels and service (B+).  Georgetown  feels like a real bagel shop, which is great, and has a good variety of products. I even remember them having flat bagels.

Firehook is not a bagel shop at all but has good bagels’ it has a very limited variety of bagels and none of the typical spreads and such that a true bagel shop would. Overall between B and B+.

Obviously I wouldn’t recommend a substandard product (by NY standards) as Lender’s frozen bagels, but Ray’s are available in the freezer case at Giant (and are on sale for $2.50 a pack).  Ray’s are not sliced, so you must microwave them for 30 seconds, let them cool, and then slice and toast them, but they rate at least B+ without having to leave your home (once you’ve purchased some).  I usually purchase the sesame Ray’s bagels because cutting thawed onion bagels by hand can be messy.