Chicly Cheap Eats

Get your fingers ready to make those rezzies---Bethesda Row Spring Restaurant Week is fast approaching with bargain-priced three-course meals ($15 and $30) from April 26-May 2. Participating restaurants on the Row are: Redwood, Mon Ami Gabi, Raku, Assaggi, Parker's, Le Pain Quotidien, Jaleo and Lebanese Taverna--not a dud in the bunch. Before or after you dine, be sure to stop in the great indie shops lining Bethesda Row: Ginger, Pink Palm, Bella Italia, Waygoose, Urban Chic and Wear It Well, to name a few. Okay, what are you waiting for?? Make that call! Need more? Here are some special week-long menu samplings:

$15 Lunch at Raku includes your choice of:

1. Mesclun Salad or Ginger Pumpkin Soup

2. Japanese Hamburger Steak; Korean Grilled Spicy Chicken; or Sushi Assortment

3. Croissant Pudding or Chocolate Cake

$30 Dinner at Mon Ami Gabi includes your choice of:

1. Petit Salad; Chicken Liver Mousse Pate; Warm Brie Cheese; or Soup du Jour

2. Steak Frites; Lemon Chicken Paillard; or Seared Salmon

(...and the best for last...)

3. Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake; Chocolate Mousse; or Sorbet du Jour

Ok, if you're still not completely convinced, try this on for size. One lucky diner will win a $200 dinner certificate. Visit www.bethesdarow.com to register to win.

Bethesda Row Restaurant Week!

Another can't miss!! There is so much going on around town my head is swirling, so I'll calm myself with food. A primal delight we can get for much less during Bethesda Row's Restaurant Week, which runs Sept. 21-27. Bethesda Row has no shortage of great restaurants. Check out this list of participants: Assaggi Mozzarella Bar, Austin Grill, Delhi Dhaba, Lebanese Taverna, Le Pain Quotidien, Mon Ami Gabi (a fave), Raku (another huge fave), Tara Thai...plus a fall makeover party at bluemercury and shopping happy hour at Urban Chic. A two course lunch is $12; three-course dinners are $30. Amazing. Book at individual restaurants or when available at opentable.com.

Shopping for Labels for Love

Last night I attended the Labels for Love charity shopping event hosted by CityShopGirl and Bloomingdale's in Chevy Chase, not only for the great clothes and drinks, but because I wanted to meet CityShopGirl Kelly Collis Fredrick. Once I got in I immediately went to the bar for my Bloomie's Martini (a perfectly chilled Absolut concoction with pineapple) and there she was! Saying hello to me because...I already knew her. But as Kelly. (So there, my memory isn't as bad as it seems.) After we chatted I took my drink and bruschetta (courtesy of Lia's) to lean on a checkout counter where I met two women from Arlington. I don't usually go to Arlington because I always get lost. But one of them not only had sisters in my hometown of Albuquerque, she also had spent time in Tucson and had a fabulous purse and necklace she had made herself. More new friends. Now it was time to make the supreme sacrifice and shop to "give back." This was a charity event, after all, giving a portion of proceeds to Labels of Love, which supports local women's and children's causes. Ever crafty, I used my 20% coupon for a Laundry dress, which was already 40% off. Score! Weekend dress problem solved. That plus one more from BCBG made the night a shopping success. I made new friends, reconnected with old ones, had a martini, great food from local restaurants (Lia's, Lebanese Taverna, Georgetown Bagelry) helped support Labels for Love and saved money. All in one night.