Overall:  AMAZING

Selection:  Excellent, most varieties of liquor and beer, including single shots and single beers

Price:  $$, average DC beer prices, slightly above average DC liquor prices

Service:  Excellent, they will order anything, always quick with a smile and helpful advice

Specialty:  Mass selection of beers and liquor, special orders

               You will not find this store on Google Maps (at least I cannot), but it is definitely the premier liquor store in the DuPont Circle area.  Every time we go to this store on P Street (between 20^th and 21^st) we are greeted by friendly faces and excellent service.  This liquor, wine, and beer store is operated by a group of brothers or close friends.  They always greet us when we enter and they consistently ask if we need help with our selection.  And believe us; any seasoned drinker could use a few words of advice with this wide array of spirits!  From Bud Light to Delirium, from Smirnoff to Ciroc, this store has nearly every spirit imaginable (including much rarer spirits which I could not begin to recognize).

  Beer enthusiasts will be excited to know that wide selection of their beers can be bought in single bottles for tasting.  Liquor enthusiasts will be excited to know that they have nearly every one of their liquors in any size ranging from single shots to handles.  They even have some of the more expensive, rare liquors in collector’s edition bottles and bottles larger than 3 liters.  What is the best part about this liquor store?  They will order anything you want assuming it is legally sold in the U.S.!

               On this particular evening we were looking for “Deschutes Brewery: Obsidian Stout” as featured in this week’s Washington City Paper.  After browsing multiple liquor stores including the mass selection of foreign and domestic beers at 1 West DuPont Circle Wine and Liquor I was at a loss for finding the featured stout.  In a last-ditch effort I asked the store clerks if they recognized the beer name or picture (I brought the newspaper article just in case).  The clerk informed me that they did not carry Deschutes.  I thought all was lost in my search for the elusive beer.  However, he quickly told me he could ask the owner to order the product with no strings attached!  He informed me that they would write down my contact information and call me with a quote for the price of any amount I wanted.  He wrote down my name along with a list of special orders.  I look forward to hearing from them soon.

BOTTOM LINE:  A MUST!

Overall: Good

Food:  Great, fresh ingredients, extensive menu, innovative dishes

Price:  $$, about $10-$20/person

Ambiance:  Good, quiet, dim lighting

Size:  OK, small, 10-12 tables, 8-10 bar stools

Service:  Poor, mostly unenthusiastic

Specialty:  $5 slice and pint Happy Hour (5-7pm daily, during NFL games)

  When entering this pizza joint our nostrils were assailed by the smell of fresh pizza dough.  While our sense of smell was waltzing with buttery dough and oregano, our eyes were met with dim lighting and a desolate dining area.  With dark wood furniture, floors, and bar the restaurant obviously tries to pull off an upscale Italian feel.  However, the staff leaves much to be desired.  The waitresses were standing at the end of the bar drinking cocktails when they turned to meet our entrance.  Instead of immediately greeting us they waited for us to make our intentions clear.  After several moments I stated that my group had a “Living Social” deal.  One of the waitresses promptly shrugged us off onto the bartender, seemingly wanting to rid herself of the nuisance of customers.

  We sat at the bar where I noticed there were only 3 beer taps, although wine enthusiasts might find their selection intriguing.  The bartender approached with a similar irritated attitude as the waitresses.  After receiving a menu we were quite pleased with the selection.  Find the menu online here: http://www.radiusdc.com/uploads/Menus/Radius%20Full%20Menu.pdf.  We ordered the Sheep’s Milk Ravioli and a large Gilera pizza.  Both dishes were delicious.

  The Ravioli is stuffed with a very creamy sheep’s milk cheese and topped with an obviously homemade pesto which has just the right amount of garlic.  The pizza was also delicious.  The dough was perfectly cooked, not too doughy and not too crispy in a New York Style thin crust.  The toppings are nestled with a thin layer of red sauce underneath a layer of mixed Italian cheeses.  Additionally, the “create your own pizza” menu comes with a plethora of interesting choices such as prosciutto and eggplant which make the possibilities nearly endless!  While both of the dishes (and likely anything from the menu) were fantastically delicious, the pizza was so greasy it leaked through our to-go box!  Unlike the waiting staff, the kitchen staff was kind enough to offer us a new box for the trek home.

BOTTOM LINE:  It’s a must!                                                                                                   

(for take-out anyway, since you won’t find any stimulating conversation from the rude staff or the patrons)