So men, we’re going to let y’all in on a big secret: Ladies Talk.

We know, shocking. Glad you were sitting down for that, no?

Now, this can be a great thing for you as a man (”he was great and let me give you all the gory details!”) or a terrible thing (”he was….nice. I guess?”) but either way, it’s happening.

And what do we talk about most? Yes, that is right: chocolate.

But what do we talk about after that? You got it — the art of seduction.  Commonly rephrased as “how he could be better at attempting to get lucky.”

From our detailed and exhaustive research on the seduction of men, we’ve figured out that men are fairly straightforward.  They have a few obvious areas that they want you to focus on and they prefer a direct approach.  Whether you ask them “Can I buy you a drink?” (i.e. the subtle approach) or you just go in for the face-grab, men seem to take heart when obvious is the name of the game.

Ladies….weeeelllll, not so much.  We like to not only be wined and dined, but also just plain seduced.  We want to be made to feel beautiful, desired, wanted, secure…. and just a little bit dangerous.  Simple? No. Easy? Actually — YES.  Let us break it down old school.

Things NOT to do:

1. Stand there and do nothing.

2. Be too reserved.

3. Point 1.

4. Be tentative or too shy.

5. Be scarily aggressive if you have only just met her.

6. Use a cheesy line. Or if you do, say it like you mean it and maybe we’ll believe you.

Things TO do:

[Disclaimer -- most of the below will work at *almost* any stage of the relationship. The better you know her, the more you can do with complete confidence.  However, if you don't know her, use your judgment on what may or may not be appropriate]

1. The Kiss: As patented by The Pick Up Artist, if you want to kiss her, we recommend touching her hair or touching her face, running your hands along her jaw, and then slowly teasing her and leaning in.  If you don’t really know her — then go 80-90% of the way, and let her met you the last 10%.  If you do know her and feel confident, then touch her hair/face and gently pull her in.  Any lady worth her Lady Card can effectively dodge a kiss she doesn’t want, so I give you carte blanche. You have nothing to lose by trying…and the right amount of confidence in yourself goes a long way.

2. Create Sparks: Men. This is critical.  You need to start the fire before you can enjoy the heat. What this means is that you need to touch her in a way that is appropriate in public, but will get her hankering for more. Some ideas that work on most women (but not all, so experiment!): At dinner, stroke her wrist gently as you wait for drinks. It’s a sensitive spot.  Run your fingers down her back as you walk by  Take her palm and gently kiss it.  Play with her hair.   And this is the most important part so pay attention: keep her guessing.  Change it up, do different things, so that all of her attention will be on you and when you are going to touch her next.

3. Make her Shiver: Sweep her hair off of her neck and kiss the nape of her neck as you wait for drinks at the bar (why this works: it’s intimate, possessive, and also a very sensitive spot).  Put your hands (firmly!) on her waist for a moment as you stand together and pull her into you (why this works: she feels secure and desired).

4. Dance with Her: Nothing says seduction like good music and a slow dance.  Benefits of this move: you can turn the lights off and get closer…and closer.

5. Let Her Feel your Desire for Her. Men, this does not mean actually feeling your “desire.”  It means letting her know how much you want to be with her/near her/around her — giving her your focus.  Whether you do this with words, looks, both or with some sort of throwdown, it all works.  Just make sure that she knows — she’ll find it incredibly attractive, and that will only help your cause in the end. [Note: Subtlety is important here too --there is nothing less sexy than a man that is openly salivating or lavishing worship on you when he hardly knows you. We prefer when that comes later!]

6. THROWDOWN. We secretly pretty much all want to feel like we are with a rugged man.  And the best way to do this is to demonstrate some sort of throwdown. Whether it is picking her up in the tried and true threshold carry (we all like to feel light — tip: please don’t grunt), or slamming up against a wall as you kiss her (see point #5), it’s about her feeling how strong you are.  THAT is sexy.

7. Whisper. Especially if you’re in public and it’s nearing closing time. If you haven’t done the deed yet, be careful about being raunchy here. But something as simple as “I can’t get my mind off those heels you’re wearing” will get her heart racing. Whispering it as a secret ramps up the seduction factor as does the physical closeness required to deliver the message.

This is years of wisdom from many women. Heed it. Recognize it. And APPLY IT.  Whether you are working on a new girl or your wife of 10 years, every woman craves a little seduction and wants to feel like the object of desire and affection.  Trust us — it WILL pay off for you in the end.

Agree/Disagree? Sound off in the comments!

(we’re kidding Ashley, um…. totally….. kidding… )

Anyway, back to Ashley. Besides her powerful proximity to a warehouse of wine, she is interesting to us in other ways. Like many of us, she wasn’t content to simply punch a clock day after day but instead decided to strike out on her own, be her own boss, and all that stuff that we all dream about. Not ONLY that, but she’s doing it with her husband/business partner Ryan (who just so happens to be a former classmate of ours from Belgium–we know, long story). So we thought, what a fascinating CityGirl life journey–finding love, marriage, wine, and your own business in one package. I mean, what a difference a few years can make, right?

Since she’s pretty much living our dream, we were eager to pick her brain and find out a little more about how she pulled this off. We’re also curious about that shiny mane of blonde hair and, worry not, we asked about that too.

Without further ado, meet Ashley!

***********************************

CGW: Hi Ashley! Let’s start with the basics. Name, place of birth, education?

A: My married name is Ashley Grace Sytsma. I used to be Ashley (no middle name) Southwick. I had a hard time ditching the part of my name that had to do with my heritage. And since “Ashley Southwick-Sytsma” seemed like a mouthful, I took my mother’s middle name as my own to hold onto some of my pedigree.

I am thirty years old, and I was born in the OC…Newport Beach, CA. I am forever grateful that my parents took me out of SoCal when I was seven and raised me in Seattle, WA. I have nothing against the OC, per se. I just have more grunge-loving, granola-eating, coffee-drinking tendencies than Newport Beach would foster.

I graduated from the University of Washington in 2003 with a double degree in International Relations with a focus on Latin America and Spanish. However, I spent much of my college time studying and working in Ecuador and Bolivia.

I completed one day of law school in 2005. It wasn’t law classes that scared me. It was the “how to manage your student loans” class.  I wanted to go to law school, but I also didn’t want $150,000 in debt. I ran as fast as I could, and I’m glad I did. I spent the next two years being a professional mosaic artist. But that’s a different story.

CGW: How tall are you? (Indulge us. There is a 6 inch height difference between us and we’re height obsessed)

A: At a little over 5’9”, I am actually the short one in my family. My father is 6’8”. My brother is 6’5”, and I have an uncle that’s 7’1”. Sometimes I wish I broke the 6’ mark, so I fake it with heels. Good thing my 5’10” husband likes his tall-blondy wife!

CGW: We’ll count that one as a win on Christie’s side then. Speaking of your husband, we’re dying to know –how did you meet him and how did you know he was the ONE?

A: Ryan and I worked together at the World Affairs Council. When I first met him, I must admit that I wasn’t too impressed. He came across as “boring”, but if anyone knows Ryan will tell you, that is far from the truth. We worked closely together on a large black-tie event that included a lot of long nights and a ton of stress. We became friends and confidants quickly under those conditions.

I can remember the very moment when I fell in love with him. The event was over. The last attendees had gone. I was standing exhausted in the foyer. He walked out of the ballroom, and with his hands in his adorable suit pockets, he strutted confidently…proud of the event…toward me. We had done it! The event was a smashing success. And we did it together. And it was time to party.

From that moment on I knew this was someone I wanted around me all the time. That project set the stage for many other great projects and adventures to come.

CGW: Wow, we kind of love that you debunked the love at first sight concept. It’s like Patti Stenger says, women are fondue pots. You have to add heat SLOWLY or they’ll burn out. And hey, looking at this photo, we are dying to ask you. How do you get your hair to be so long and thick and beautiful and blonde? Seriously, what’s your secret?

A: Have parents with thick, blonde hair genes. Wish I had tips, but it just grows that way!

CGW: Figures! Ok, let’s move on. We want to ask you about some of your favorite things.

Favorite pair of shoes you own?

A: My vintage Goodwill cowboy boots.

CGW: Favorite cocktail?

A:  Old fashioned fall and winter. Portonic winter and spring.

CGW: Favorite wine drinking memory?

A: Sitting cross-legged with Ryan in Sienna’s square…drinking a super Tuscan out of the bottle…munching on floppy slices of pizza…watching Italian teenagers strut their stuff.

CGW: We believe that female friendships basically make the world go round. Who is your best friend?

A: My best girlfriend is the strongest, most amazing woman I know. We bonded in college over sappy travel-related romantic comedies (Only You) and Russian literature (Dostoyevsky). As roommates we stayed up late together as she soldered circuits over and over again for her electrical engineering degree while I drilled verb conjugations for my Spanish degree. She did not run away from law school like me, and she is now a very talented, successful patent and intellectual properties attorney  – kicking ass in an area of law dominated by men. Her career originally took her to Silicon Valley where she met her adorable husband, former Apple computer engineer and current computer game designer.  I am monumentally proud of her.

CGW: So, tell us more about People’s Wine Market and the wine business in general. How did you come up with the idea and how does it work?

A: My first business married my love for wine and my love for Latin America. As a wine importer focusing on Argentinean brands, I wanted a way to get rid of last year’s wines while still maintaining my wine’s reputation. I couldn’t find it…so I decided to start my own and thus, People’s Wine Market was born.

People’s Wine Market is an online outlet for exceptional artisan wines. We taste wineries’ overstock, snag the wines that are actually improving with age rather than turning it to vinegar and sell it online to our customers at discounted pricing – and only $5 shipping per pack.

It is a win-win for everyone. The wineries get rid of their old stuff in a way that saves their reputation, the customer gets deals on the best-of-the-best, and we make a little money.

CGW: We love all of that, and we almost cried when we heard about the $5 shipping. What are your wine shopping tips for the clueless?

A: First, frequent a wine shop (or an online closeout wine website J) with a good reputation. If their wine buyer is good, then you should be happy with anything on their shelf…no matter the price.

I can’t take credit for this second tip. It’s all Ryan’s, and it really does work. Say you’re far away from your trusty wine story. Go to the grocery store or wine shop. Think about how much you want to spend on your bottle. Skim the shelves, then grab the bottle in your price range that has the most bottles taken from the shelf. If it’s on sale, and you have to stand on your tip-toes to snag the last bottle, you know you’re in for a treat. If the locals are snatching it up, it must be worth drinking. We use this method all the time when we travel…and it’s never failed.

[editor's note: Ha! We TOTALLY remember Ryan telling us about this method in grad school]

CGW: How much wine is stored at your house at this very moment?

A: Oh…geez…perhaps 90 bottles. I don’t have a pantry. I have a “wine closet”.

CGW: We think a wine closet is admirable. ADMIRABLE, we say. Hey, when can we come over and how many glasses will you serve us?

A: As much as you want! I have a booze motto: I never push…only pour. If your glass is empty, I’ll put something in it until you say, “STOP!”

CGW: We really, really, really, really like your motto. How do you feel about mixing wine with other things (spritzers, coca-cola, etc)?

A: Thank you for asking this question! I think wine cocktails are in need of a revival. There is a reason the fashionable women in Casablanca ordered champagne cocktails. It’s because they’re delicious! They are low alcohol, so you can drink more of them without getting drunk. They are easy to make, and it’s a great way to use up icky wine. Above I listed one of my favorite drinks as a “portonic”. It’s the national drink of Portugal. Mix one part white port with one part tonic. Serve over ice with a healthy squeeze of lime. It’s light, tasty, and refreshing.

CGW: What is it like to be married to your business partner?

A: It is rewarding and challenging. You can’t go home and complain about your bitchy workmate because…you’re married to him. Your “get work done” self can be much more abrasive than your “snuggling on the couch” self. And it’s hard to switch it on and off without clear boundaries. So we’ve set some rules. No work-talk at the dinner table. No work-talk on our morning walks. Ashley gets a morning all to herself every Friday for some “quiet” time. Etc.

But the rewards, especially with our work, are incredible. For example, instead of going to a wine conference in Venice with a bunch of hobos from work that you don’t like, you get to go with your best friend and partner. Plus there is something fundamentally beautiful about building something together.

CGW: So what makes People’s Wine Market different from some of the other online wine retailers or local shops?

Here are our 6 points.

One, we are tough critics. If it isn’t improving with age, we don’t sell it. If it isn’t of the highest quality, we don’t sell it.

Two, we tell our customers what it tastes like right now. Even if wine is improving with age, it’s changing. After five-six-seven years, old reviews may not accurately describe what it tastes like now. Our reviews do, allowing customers to buy exactly what they like.

Three, we only sell artisan, family-produced, environmentally-friendly wine.

Four, we give people access to new wines. Whether you live in a wine growing region or not, our web-based sales model gives customers access to wines never before available in most communities.

Five, we keep the shipping costs low. Standard shipping is only $5 a pack — always.

Six, we have a unique wine subscription. Similar to a farmer’s produce delivery, we pick the cream of the artisan wine crop, offer it at a screaming bundled discount, and ship it to our customers for free. Customers can choose from monthly or bimonthly deliveries and a mixed or reds-only box.

CGW: We have to say that we think you have an unbeatable business model and we are sincerely impressed. More importantly, we have sampled the wine ourselves and know it to be good!

Follow us later this month when Christie and I sample more of People’s Wine Market wines, sober up, and then blog to tell you all about it!

To aid us in this quest, the good people of the internet have developed Happy Hour Finders. Merging our need to drink together with the wonders of technology, you can now search for a bar by drink special, ambiance, distance, and pricing.

Just last week my friend Katie and I found a happy hour in Philly that had $3 craft beers and 50% off of snacks. We had 2 beers each, a few snacks, and left with a bar bill of $16. I was never good at math so perhaps we just got by on our good looks?

Either way, I want to present you with the tools to find your very own perfect happy hour spot. Whether you’re seeking dainty bar stools, cheap snacks, imported wine or the perfect martini –its out there in Philly and DC.

In Philly

The great guys at Drink Philly keep an eagle eye out for daily drink specials and their happy hour finder is the best in the city.

Bonus! If you’re a beer drinker (or looking to impress someone who is), you must consult Philly Tap Finder to see what’s on tap at area bars. It’s almost scary how well they keep it up to date (how DO they do it?).

In DC

No suprise that our friends at the Washingtonian have a Happy Hour App that let’s you search through happy hours on several criteria. We like the search query called “upscale.”

Drink: A HUGE variety ranging from great wines, tasty beers and innovative cocktails, all at reasonable prices. What makes a lot of the cocktails special is that they are made with house-infused vodkas and rums, so you can definitely get a unique drink here. When I went to Matchbox I came across a wine that has since become one of my favorite – Layer Cake Shiraz. This wine is full bodied and full of flavor that really compliments a lot of items on the food menu. Whatever your drink craving is, you can definitely satisfy it here at Matchbox.

Bathroom Rating: Not too shabby. The bathroom is a single stall which is nice when you want some privacy, but not so great if you really need to go and the bar is full.

Eye Candy: Ladies, start your engines. There are definitely a fair amount of good looking men coming through the doors of matchbox. On a Friday and Saturday night there are several handsome guys in the bar area grabbing a beer and a tasty pizza. Now is the time for sexy eye contact and hair flicking!!

Overall Rating: Matchbox is a must-go place when you are downtown whether you are looking to grab a bite or just have a drink. It is a great place to go with your girl friends if you want to get a little dressy and have some food and drinks. It’s also a great place to go to with a date since the atmosphere is a lot of fun and there is a real no-pressure feel to the place. The food and drink are consistently good (we applaud consistency!) and you will always have a great experience here. 4 out of 5.

Find more info here.

Food: High tea to us consists of sweet AND savory.  We found that the Mansion exceeded our expectations on sweet (the tables were literally groaning with cakes) but felt sad that there was only one cheese plate and one veggie plate to be found.  And they were both empty, as everyone at the tea was overwhelmed by sweets.  So, the cakes were fab! The savory was not (boo).

Drink: Well…tea.  Our disappointment comes with the way the tea was presented. In a whimsical place like the Mansion, we expected very cool and wildly different tea services to abound with cool teapots and neat little tea cups.  Instead, there were boring mugs. BORING mugs.  And in a weird turn of events, our mugs got filled with hot water before our tea options even came around…meaning our tea was cold before we even drank it.  And we had to ask for cream…at high tea! Who does that? Also, the tea flavors where minimal at best.  Overall, the tea itself was somewhat of a disappointment.

Bathroom Rating: This place has about 15 cool bathrooms on many levels as it is a hotel and a fairy land all rolled into one.  Happy hunting!

High Heel Quotient: Near Dupont South (about 3 blocks away), and with valet parking, you can set your shoe closet to: “big girl heels.”

Eye Candy: Well…high tea features families and such so…eye candy was minimal. Except the waitstaff…

Waitstaff: …who were fairly young and cute.  They also did a good job on refilling our hot water and asking us how we were doing.  They did a less good job on clearing our plates and bringing us things in order (tea before hot water for instance). 

Overall Rating: We give The Mansion on O a 3.5 out of 5. The real draw is not the chance to eat, but to wander around and try and find some of the secret doors. For real, they have a bunch of secret doors and you are welcome to poke and prod around trying to find them. It’s kind of fascinating! Also, almost everything in the place is for sale, and the decor is out of this world.  So, you spend a lot of time feeling a little bit like Alice in Wonderland…but slightly less crazy.  It’s super fun–go and check it out!

Mansion on O, 2020 O Street NW, Washington DC

1225 19th Street NW

Food: Well, The Palm is a power steak house.  An important Washington institution, you only go there to eat meat and change the tax law or something.  We, after a quick solving of the health care issue and redistricting of Congress, had steak, fish, and shellfish.  The steak was HUGE.  Not. Kidding. Around.  But good. Meaty.  The fish was served with sauce at our request, and was also huge.  But also good, if you like a simple fish + sauce combination.  And the soft shell crab was served in a variety of ways and polished off quickly.  If simple meat/fish are what you are after, you’ll find it at the The Palm. But if you have room, don’t forget dessert! We recommend the volcano lava cake. Wow. So good! Gooey. Yum.

Drink: The wine list is long, and full of reds natch.  We, bucking the tide, ordered a bottle of prosecco because we like bubbly!  We were disappointed however, to find that most of the wines were on the expensive side, versus the “order a couple of bottles and still be able to pay rent” end of things.

Bathroom rating: Maybe a 5 out of 10? The bathroom needed a quick cleaning and is a little worn around the edges.  It didn’t wow us, nor did it terrify us.

High Heel Quotient: You are ok! Dupont South  is only a block and a half up the street.  Break out the stilettos!

Eye Candy: If octogenarian waiters are your thing, then you’ve hit the gold standard.

Waitstaff: See above.

Overall Rating: We give The Palm at 3 out of 5, because steak isn’t really our thing. It’s a power place, and if you can sit in the front glassed-in area you’ve got great ambiance.  The waiters were friendly, if slow, and we were able to easily chat it up with our table of hot men (heee!).  We recommend it as a place to go for Happy Hour (good food specials!) and with parents/steak lovers.  Not really an awesome place for a date….it’s a little too casual.  Unless you are steak lover, in which case bust a move!

Believe it or not, I actually do eat something besides tasty burgers.  I love all kinds of food and once in awhile I like to enjoy some tasty Dim Sum.  Sadly, it seems as if the DC area does not have a lot of said food.  However, I’d heard a lot about Ping Pong Dim Sum, which is in Chinatown, and the word on the street is that the joint is buzzing and a fun place to hang out…So I decided to meet some friends at Ping Pong (P2) on a Tuesday night (I don’t know if I’ve ever hung out in Chinatown on a Tuesday night) and check it out.

Dinner: The place was packed.  People everywhere and a buzzing sound all around from so many conversations about politics, Desperate Housewives, and guys trying to chat the ladies up at the bar.  Apparently P2 does a great happy hour from 4-7.  Cocktails are $5 and beer is $4 for imports.  The bar menu during happy hour is pretty cheap fair at around $3-$5.  We sat near the bar and it was just crowded with people…and it was loud!  I do not recommend P2 as a first or second date kind of place.  However, it could be good for meeting for an early drink, and it’s a great place to meet up with friends.   The food was good, with some of it being very tasty, but nothing being great except for the Sticky Rice, which was terrific!  We had a fun time, but I would say that P2 is expensive and I’ve been told that better Dim Sum can be found in the DC area at a cheaper price (although no one told me where, and if they did, I forgot…damn P2 cocktails!).  However, P2 is a cool place.  Good time all around, but I don’t need to return anytime soon, although those HH specials are alluring!

Drinks: We had some and I have to say they can pour a unique drink at P2!  If you go, you should try them out, especially for $5 at the HH.  I sadly did not and had to pay more.

Bathroom Rating: I had my friend check out the lady’s room and she was disappointed.  She said it was pretty dark overall and not as clean as she thought it would be (hey, it was a large HH crowd). I’m imagining that if I was a lady, I may not think P2’s bathroom was great for applying makeup. We give it a 4.5 out of 10.

High Heel Quotient: Excellent.  I’ve actually learned a lot by reading these reviews and the whole high heel quotient thing.  I now take this into consideration when planning dates.  P2 is about two blocks from the Chinatown metro so it is easily accessible and your feet will thank you!  Ladies, bust out your best heels and do your thing!

Eye Candy: Definitely a lot of people hanging out around the bar during HH so the odds are good you might find somebody attractive.

Waitstaff: Nice and attentive.  What you would expect for those prices.

Overall Rating: P2 is a cool place to meet up with friends for HH or a good place to hit before a night out in Chinatown.  It’s hip and happening and there is definitely a buzz about the place.  Good food, although it is pricey at non-HH times.  We give it a 3 out of 5.

Ping Pong Dim Sum is located at 900 7th street, and the menu can be found here.

Food: Yum. Yum. YUM. I love mussels and I love steak! Starting off with an order of Moules au Pistou (mussels with pesto, prosciutto and ham) was a heavenly start to the meal.  Known for their Bearnaise sauce, I ordered the Filet de Boeuf Grille avec Sauce Bearnaise and tried a few savory bites of the hanger steak (see picture). Mouth = happy.

Drink: I loved that the wine list straight to the point. I wasn’t in the mood to search through hundreds of options. It was concise enough to pick a few quick options and ask our waiter’s opinion. Bistro du Coin offers different “wines of the month” (i.e. Sauvignon Blanc of the month) but we chose to go with a Sancerre. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again…I’m not a pairing genius but it was DELISH!

Bathroom Rating: Get ready to walk up steep steps into a tiny bathroom. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I didn’t come to this restaurant for its layout, design or roomy bathroom stalls. But there is a mirror large enough for make up checks (must-have).

High Heel Quotient: The only “challenge” I could imagine is the steep stairway up to the 2nd floor seating area. But if you’re lucky, you’re sitting at the front of the Bistro, dipping your French bread in the mussels’ broth and watching the people walking by ::like a good little Fake Frenchie:: and not wandering about the restaurant. No steps up into the restaurant so aim for the main level.

Eye Candy: This is definitely a good place to gaze at Europeans…or at least men who dress like Europeans. Take that as you will.

Waitstaff: My waiter was friendly, funny and helpful. Based on his descriptions of the food, he is obviously proud of where he works. Attentive and helpful –> WIN.

Overall: 5 out of 5. I feel like I’m sitting in France when I come here. The Bistro can get noisy, but that’s typical of a bistro in France. The atmosphere is casual but the food is just plain delicious. The dishes are creative and flavorful and the prices are completely reasonable (especially taking into account that there is a Ruth’s Chris steakhouse across the street). Bistro du Coin is located at 1738 Connecticut Avenue, NW (just a few blocks north of the Dupont Circle metro).

Co. Co. Sala is a huge hit with my girlfriends for exactly that reason. I shimmied into a tight dress with black 4 inch t-straps and dragged some handsome arm candy over to Chinatown (929 F Street, NW) to take the chocolate lounge for a spin.

Food: The Portobello Risotto was delicious. The dish was served with a few spears of crunchy asparagus and melted in my mouth. It tasted creamy but was prepared sans cream which is ideal (read: tastes fatty but not as many calories as you would expect!). My date ordered the scallops with maple citrus glaze. How often have you’ve ordered scallops and they were delivered to your table resembling the consistency of flubber? You wont find those at Co Co. Sala. The chef cooked them perfectly and the maple citrus glaze with tiny pieces of cocoa sprinkled on top made for a nice little party in our mouths. They were so good that we wished we had more than the 3 medium-sized scallops but if the concept was simplicity, then they nailed it.

Drink: The early bird gets the worm, or in this case, a glass of wine.  I started off the evening with a nice glass of Little Black Dress Cabernet Sauvignon. What can I say? I”m a sucker for marketing. I had been craving some bubbles since I arrived so we immediately ordered a glass of Prosecco. The Prosecco was served with a long shaving of milk chocolate floating on top. The milk chocolate gradually lent its flavor to the bubbly, giving it a deliiiiicious hint of sweetness and an aroma to die for. HEAVEN.

Bathroom Rating: The entrance to the men’s and ladies’ rooms was covered in mirror so it took a few seconds to get my barring and figure out how to open the door (go ahead…laugh). I struggled with the heavy sliding door but once I got in, I had ample opportunity to check for food in my teeth and touch up my  lip gloss. [Editor's note: We hate this bathroom. It is confusing, hard to understand, and poorly lit.  We give it a 5 out of 10].

Eye Candy: Great place for couples or groups. I bet the bar gets packed full of handsome young professionals from nearby office buildings during happy hours. In fact, I’m more than willing to return at that time to gauge if thats the case, just for you!

Waitstaff: The bartender was friendly and helpful. The waitress was attentive and friendly. Her shift must have ended right at 9:30pm since thats when she announced that the kitchen was closing in 5 minutes and we needed to order dessert. No biggie. We passed on a formal dessert and ended our evening with a leisurely walk around Chinatown.

Overall Experience: The food was delicious but the abrupt end to our dinner was a mood-killer. I’ve heard there are chocolate + wine tastings, however – in  which case, I’m there in a chocolate-covered heartbeat.  4 out of 5.  [Editor's note: Happy Hour happens now from 5-7, with special prices on drinks and chocolates!]

Food: YUMS! Unlike many other area restaurants, Filomena didn’t create an entirely new menu of simpler items or minimize the serving size. The Arancini was to die for – the mozzarella in the middle of the rolled and fried risotto balls melts in your mouth. Served with a simple yet obviously loved and pampered marina sauce (I Heart Basil), these were an amazing (yet possibly too heavy) way to start off the meal. Filomena gets a lot of attention for their homemade gnocchi, especially since there is a cute lil’ woman at the entrance to the restaurant (see pic – she’s SO cute!) rolling and cutting pasta into gnocchi-shapes. I couldn’t pass it up – gnocchi is just too fun (yes, FUN). Several of us at dinner ordered the Gnocchi Della Mamma, while others ordered the Scampi De Palermo. Lots of pasta, marinara sauce, Chianti and big smiles all around the table.

Drink: The waiter recommended a mid-priced Chianti to complement our meal. I’m generally a fan of Chianti (don’t LURV it but I LIKE it) but this one wasn’t the best. ::Rolls Eyes:: I should learn more about wine before judging my waiter’s recommendations, right? Yup. Filomena offered complimentary digestifs post-meal and pre-food coma. Amaretto and Sambuca are an interesting way to “move things along.”

Bathroom Rating: Easily accessible, large mirrors for the last minute dress and makeup check, floral paintings in each of the ladies’ stalls and no climbing stairs comparable to Mount Everest to get there. A wee bit messy but its Restaurant Week – I’m preeeettttty sure all staff were on call to cater to hungry people.

Eye Candy: BAHAHAHA. It’s Georgetown. Unless you like the early-20’s cookie-cutter pink polo and khakis-look, there was nothing to think twice about. [Editor's Note: So true. So true.]

High Heel Quotient: There is a steep stairway into the restaurant from the street but otherwise, my 4 inch t-straps felt right at home (well, not really, because they were the cutest! ::bats eyes::) Overall, no reason to feel risk of tripping or danger of falling.

Waitstaff: Great waiter, great Maitre d’, great folks bussing the tables…Overall, great service. Everyone had a smile and seemed happy to see you, even though they must have been standing for hours while catering to Whiney Whinersons.

Overall: 3.75 out of 5. We waited an hour after our reservation to be seated after repeatedly being quoted ”10 minutes.”  I understand that. Not judging, just commenting. Very impressed with fast food , kind service, nice (aka Fat American) portion sizes (::rubs belly::). Not pleased with catty Georgetowners with ungrateful attitudes. Restaurant Week is a hard week for restaurants and their staff so I have to give Filomena kudos and say, GO TEAM GNOCCHI!