Snowmageddon

DC has now been hit with two massive snow storms in one winter and we’re about to get another 10-20 inches.  I don’t love shoveling, or being cold, or worrying about what 20+ inches of snow and ice will do to my roof, but when the flakes start to fall, the little kid inside takes over.  I can’t help but bundle up and go play!

To give you an idea of just how much snow we got this past weekend, this is my backyard at 5 pm on Friday, when the snow was just beginning to stick:

And this was my backyard at 5 pm on Saturday, after 24 hours of near-blizzard conditions that left everything from snowplows to fire trucks stuck:

You can see a bunch more pictures are on my Flickr page.

Blizzard Brunch

image upleaded by babasteve on Flickr

If you are already getting cabin fever and ready to go have some fun in the great 2010 blizzard, plenty of bars and restaurants are open and ready to serve you a hot breakfast!  So laugh in the face of the great Snowmageddon (although I still prefer Kaiser Snowze), lace up the now boots, and get your brunch on.

(I’ll keep adding to this as people send me tips)

On Capitol Hill: Capitol Lounge, Tunnicliffs, Matchbox (downtown location as well), Argonaut, Sova, Peregrine, The Pug and Tune Inn. (Tonight: Little Miss Whiskey’s, Jimmy Valentine’s, the Red & the Black, Sticky Rice, the Pug, and the Palace of Wonders will all give you $1 off your drinks for every 6 inches of snow.) Updated: Park Cafe

Elsewhere around the city: Busboys and Poets, Kramers Books, Art and Soul, Georgetown Bagels, and Chinatown Coffee. Updated: Steam Cafe off 17th, Clyde’s, Red Rocks, Church Key (lunch, no brunch), Liberty Tavern (lunch, no brunch on Saturdays)

We Love DC, Young & Hungry, and 14th & You also have a list of places open (most will be open this afternoon or tonight).

And @RozSkoz sent me this map of places open around 14th Street.

50% Off Brunch at the Kennedy Center

LivingSocial must have gotten word about the awesomeness of brunch.  Their deal today: 50% off brunch at the Kennedy Center.  I’ve heard great things about this brunch but have never had it for myself.  If it ever stops snowing on weekends I’ll finally get there with this deal.

It’s a 2 for 1 deal, so you pay $37 — the usual cost per person — and with the coupon you can bring a friend to enjoy the amazing view and a delicious meal.  Can’t wait!  Click here to buy.

Is it possible to have too many bacon t-shirts?

This one is pretty great: Haiku About Bacon T-Shirt

If you put bacon

On a plate with anything

Bacon always wins

And in case you missed it, brunch and the city was featured in Washingtonian yesterday!

Today’s LivingSocial Deal: Co Co. Sala

If you haven’t already discovered LivingSocial and Groupon Deals, go sign up for updates or start following them on Twitter.  There have been some great deals and they seem to be continually expanding.  One of your favorite restaurants or stores is bound to pop up, and then you save money at places where you’re already spending it!  Pretty simple, really!

Today’s deal is at Co Co. Sala, which happens to have a great Sunday brunch!  (You can read my review of Co Co. Sala’s brunch here)  If you sign up through this link, you get 5 Deal Bucks to spend on your first purchase. When you spend that first $5, I get 5 Deal Bucks too!  So go buy it, enjoy a great brunch (or dinner, dessert or happy hour!), and spread the word!

Full disclosure: LivingSocial asked me to pass along this deal to my readers.  The incentive that I get Deal Bucks sure doesn’t hurt, but I figured it was a good one to share since I do love Co Co. Sala and their brunch.

brunch at Ben’s Next Door

The problem with there being so few weekends and so many restaurants is that it’s hard to get to all of the places I want to try, and many get pushed down so far on my list that I forget about them.  When I put together the Bottomless Brunch Drinks List, I was reminded of several places that have been on my to do list for far too long.  Ben’s Next Door is one of those places, but it was well worth the wait.

I love Ben’s Chili Bowl – the autographed pictures in cheap frames, the old tables and chairs that are always wobbly, the lack of frills, the eclectic crowd, greasy smell and feel, everything.  Ben’s Next Door goes with a more upscale look and feel, but maintains an old DC history vibe with historical and political photos, paintings, and portraits on the walls – only in fancier frames than you’d find in its sister restaurant.  And while it’s upscale, it still feels comfortable and cozy, which fits well with a menu that includes so much comfort food.

Bloody Marys and Mimosas for a Quarter at Acadiana

Even though this isn’t bottomless, it’s so cheap that it’s cheaper than any other bottomless drink special out there.  Starting February 21, Acadiana will offer 25-cent Bloody Marys and mimosas during their prix-fixe Sunday brunch.  Their brunch, which was previously $32 will also be reduced to $29.  According to The Washington Post’s Going Out Guru’s, “The restaurant is calling it the Parking Meter Special, a dig at the District’s new $2-per-hour parking rates.”

The Manmosa

Photo by Fellowship of the Rich on Flickr

I love a good mimosa with my brunch any day, but the manmosa?  I will have to try this sometime but for now I’m just going to remain a skeptic.  As Justin Loves Food explains, he and some buddies wanted to update the mimosa (I’m guessing they are not the first to do this).  They had orange juice and a bunch of beer — including Miller High Life, which is known as the Champagne of Beers thanks to it’s high level of  carbonation.  They combined the two and voila, a new brunch drink to kick off a day of watching football.

Brunch Nation: Why It’s Hottest Meal of the Year (via DailyFinance)

According to a recent article in DailyFinance, restaurants are seeing their brunch business hold strong through an economy that has otherwise affected business worse than in nearly three decades.  It certainly makes sense when you think about it – while you can drop a good amount on brunch but rarely as much as you would for a dinner out with friends.   Read the full article here.

You Had Me at Bacon

I love getting sent links like the one below.  My friends know me so well! Now the question is, which one to buy? If they were on aprons I’d be sold, but I don’t really wear t-shirts.  I still love them and the rest of the collection is definitely worth checking out.