Citronelle, M Street, Washington, DC

Yesterday was the Lavatory Lady's 37th birthday! Yeah, I put it out there like that because as a child I promised myself I would never lie about my age. I also said I was going to move to California, become a Soul Train dancer and marry either Michael Jackson or Todd Bridges. Thank God, I've learned to make better promises to myself. At any rate, I’ve wanted to go Citronelle for about 3 years, but it is not one of those places that's friendly to everyone; meaning if you just want steak and potatoes this is not your spot. The evening started with a Grey Goose Martini. It was excellent. Not too much vermouth, very cold and strong. There a few ice crystals and the olives were not huge, but overall a very good drink. The menu changes constantly and is either 3 courses or 9 courses. We went with the 3 course for our table and a bottle of Champagne. The 4 of us were very happy with our entree choices which were salmon, cod, halibut and duck. The presentation of each was amazing! I won't go into details, but this restaurant was a wonderful experience and I would suggest it to anyone with open minded taste in food. They were aware that it was my birthday they provided an additional dessert plate with various choices for the table. The best dessert at the table was Chocolate 3 Ways, pictured below. I love this place and I will be back again, but it won't be because of the bathroom. The best or most important thing is that it was clean. There were floor to ceiling doors and a choice of cloth and paper towels. There was a pretty bouquet of fresh flowers on the basin, but the light fixture over the mirror was cracked. The worst part was the mysterious door leading to what could only be described as Freddy Krueger’s basement. It was too dark to take a picture, but that door should be locked during normal business hours. OK, I have bone to pick with my fellow patrons; while I think it is important for a restaurant to have an open trashcan by the door, I do not think it is appropriate to use a paper towel to open a door and leave the paper towel on the floor. I understand not wanting to touch a handle in the event that one of the more slovenly patrons did not wash their hands, but at least take the paper towel with you and hide it in your purse or something. At any rate, I really did enjoy my experience at Citronelle and I will not hesitate to go back for special occasions.

McCormick & Schmick, Reston Town Center, Reston, VA

Loved it!! I had an evening meeting and decided to drop by Reston Town Center afterwards for a little drinky drink. I am so far removed from the scene that I assumed it would be a quiet night at the restaurants. No such thing, every place was packed! I bellied up to the bar at McCormick and Schmick and may have possibly met my favorite bartender…Cindy! The bar area was beyond busy, but Cindy introduced herself, asked my name and never forgot it for the rest of the evening. What impressed me most is that she did the same thing with every patron, not just the regulars. That is a skill that I do not possess; so I am truly impressed when I see it in others. Not only that she made my martini fast and perfect! It was very cold, no floating ice chips, no vermouth taste and was served with 3 huge olives! OH JOY!! I ordered a Greek salad and Maryland crab soup. The salad was excellent as well; the best part was the leaves were cut down to size for easy eating, but not shredded. The amount of feta cheese was not overdone as I have seen in many places, but they could have thrown in a few more black olives. The soup was very good, but a little on the fishy side for my taste. This was served with a huge hunk of crusty bread and butter, which I managed to avoid like the plague. The bathroom was also very nice. It was clean, clean, clean and this is no small fete when you have a huge crowd of drinking people. The décor was black and white marble and with multi-colored tiles. There were 4 stalls with floor to ceiling doors, my favorite kind of door, and the large handicapped stall had a changing table. The sink area was adorned with fresh flowers, two sinks each with its own soap and wall mounted lotion dispenser, nice touch. The soap was an upgraded foam with a nice scent. One of the faucets was wobbly, but still in working condition. The water was hot and forceful and hand towels were adequate. If I still lived/worked in Reston, I would not hesitate to go back.

Thai of Shirlington, Shirlington Village, VA

I really love the Shirlington Village as my experiences there have always been positive. My latest visit to the Thai of Shirlington restaurant was great; with the exception of a very rude hostess, who left for our table without us, threw our menus on the table and nearly mowed us down on her way back to the front. I used to come to this place all the time, but kids are typically not big lovers of Thai food so it's not on the schedule as much as Extra Virgin (another Shirlington favorite). I typically am not too adventurous when it comes to Thai food and I once again went with my favorite drunken noodles. Yummy! The noodles were big and wide and not stuck together in a mushy ball like some places. The dish was very spicy! None of that wimpy crap here; the red peppers were the real deal. There were no vegetables as advertised on the menu, unless they count the one sliver of red bell pepper and basil leaves. Not a complaint, just an observation. I decided to give the Thai Pepper Vodka-Tini a whirl; just for the sake of being different. OH lordy. If you're having spicy food, do NOT order a drink made with pepper. Folks, when they say pepper, they mean it. You can't see actual pepper floating in the drink, but the vodka was obviously infused with it. It became quite apparent after I took a bite of the spicy dish and then took a sip of the Martini in an effort to cool my mouth. Big mistake!! Rest assured, there are no more pepper-tini's in my future. The ladies room was VERY clean. Someone took the time to paint it red, which I thought added a nice touch. There was also pretty tile and excellent lighting. There was nothing very exciting or scandalous about it, but fortunately it is not a restaurant I will have to take of my list.

Zatinya, 7th Street, Washington, DC

My husband and I discovered Zatinya by accident on my birthday a couple of years ago. It has now become part of our ritual of skipping work and taking in a movie while the kids are at school. Like an actual date! The restaurant is decked out in white and blue and reminds of the time I spent in Mykonos (good time, great memories, I need to find those pics). Sorry, I was caught up in the moment. The chairs and tables are done in muted tones that go well with the blue/white walls. The other thing I love about this restaurant is the bar area which isn't tucked away as if to shame its inhabitants, but is stretched along the wall with a great assortment of libations and beautiful back lighting. The food is Greek and Middle Eastern inspired and while they do not have a kid's menu, the food is kid friendly. The small portions bring to mind the tapas found in many Spanish restaurants. We all enjoyed the French fries with yogurt sauce and hot, yummy, puffy bread served with olive oil. The falafel, spanokopita and hummus were also hits with us. Amazingly, I never went into the restroom until now. They had my favorite floor to ceiling doors and a very large room for the handicapped (no changing table). The soap was upgraded to something pearly, nicely scented and moisturizing. It's nice not to look like you've been playing in chalk after your hands dry. The highlight for me was the sink area. The minimalist decor continued, but the faucets and sink were incredible. The faucet was a silver tube coming out of the stone wall with the handles for hot and cold on either side. The water flowed into a stone bowl sitting atop a brown wooden stand, very pretty and different. The hooks for purses were a very nice touch. Who hasn't had the fumble to wash hands and hold on to a purse at the same time? The rooms were clean and there were open trashcans around the room and near the door. Darn near perfect. Oh yes, they make a great Martini here (no floating ice/crystals, a smidgen of vermouth, very cold with big ass olives).

P.S. I have video, but it looks like something out of the Blair Witch Project. I’ll post pictures later.

Zola Washington, DC (800 F. Street)

I had the pleasure of dining at Zola's on F Street last Friday night. It's a beautifully decorated restaurant and I was certain the bathroom would be equally as stunning. I was not disappointed, but of course there were a couple of areas that could stand improvement. The red and silver décor was very nice. The doors were floor to ceiling and solid with a circle of decorative opaque glass about 3/4's of the way up. The locks were strong and sturdy (I have a fear of being exposed). When I opened one of the doors, I found a solid wall of sheet rock. I was a bit confused, but soon discovered the stall and the one beside it had been converted into a nice large handicap stall complete with its own sink. The regular sinks were a little on the messy side with water and hair and the mirror was in need of a wipe down. One of the soap dispensers was inoperable, the others were fine and the soap was nicely scented and not overly drying. It was definitely one of the nicer bathrooms I’ve rated this week. If you get a chance to dine there make sure you check on the restroom. I have to give an honorable mention to the Apple Martini. I am not an Apple Martini drinker because I find them overly sweet and let’s be honest it’s not REALLY a martini, it’s just a fruity drink in a martini glass, but that’s a whole other blog. Our friend did not care for the one our waitress brought, but I tasted it just to see and it was perfect! The color was a very nice barely there green, not the usual nuclear waste, swamp creature green. The taste was strong and pleasant with a hint of apple as opposed to slap you upside the head jolly rancher flavor you get with most places. I might actually order one, but I still wouldn’t call it a Martini.