The Dallas World Aquarium

aka Dallas For Kids Part 2
My nieces wanted to go to the aquarium, the zoo, and some museums while I was visiting Dallas last weekend. At 10 years of age, they're actively interested in learning things now, but on this trip I only had one day free for these activities.

So on Sunday we went to the Dallas World Aquarium (DWA) as well as two combined museums in Fair Park (the Texas State Fairgrounds), The Museum of Nature and Science.


The aquarium was very nice if a little pricey, but the the newly-renovated, very interactive science museum was a real bargain and the girls enjoyed it a great deal.

Dallas World Aquarium
The aquarium we went to is one of several in the area, hence the odd name. The Dallas World Aquarium has done a good job of packing a lot of exhibitions into their space, and the highlight of the tour is the glass tunnel through the open-air shark tank. I also liked the way it felt like you were immersed in a tropical rain forest as you descended through the three levels toward the basement.


DWA was also almost like a cross between an aquarium and a zoo, with birds (some of them flying around freely), insects, monkeys, and jaguars in addition to the aquatic animals. It's a little pricey for its size at $19 for adults and $11 for kids, but everything is beautifully done.


We rushed through a bit because the girls were eager to go to multiple places. I only saw the river otters from a distance, because by the time we got down there they'd swum off. I was surprised by how large they were.

A quick run through DWA takes about an hour, especially if you don't take in the performances, talks, and feedings. We were there a little over 90 minutes.

DWA In Pictures
I think DWA is best described in pictures and the official web site is somewhat sparse, so here are a few. Once you enter, they suggest you climb the stairs to the 3rd floor and wend your way down. On the way up is a little trough with running water where the very cute miniature penguins swim:



This toucan was flying around free:


This tank had turtles, some rays, and a spoonbill:




Because it was the weekend we "leaped forward" for Daylight Savings, they had brought out a bunch of frogs and this poisonous giant toad:


This tunnel was near the gift shop:


Here's the glass tunnel in the shark pond as the Mayan performers walk through. Because the tank is open-air, it sometimes looks like the sharks and stingrays are flying overhead:



Here you can see the manatees and the giant catfish:



The jellyfish were glowing:


And finally, even the trash cans have been built with a rain forest theme:


Next: The Museum of Nature and Science (Dallas For Kids Part 3)
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Dallas For Kids - Part One

I was in Dallas last weekend for a surprise birthday party for my sister, but it was also one of the regular trips I make there to see my nieces, who just turned 10. I usually try to do some fun things with them and on this trip the list included:

• Amazing Jake's (a family entertainment mega-complex)
  
• Want To Be A Rock Star? (a singing competition they were entered in)
  
• Riding scooters
  
• Dallas World Aquarium
  
• Museum of Nature and Science

Overall it was an action-packed weekend but I outlasted the twin terrors, which is not an easy thing to do. But it was a lot of fun, and here's a recap of the activities:

Amazing Jake's Food & Fun in Plano, TX
Amazing Jake's is a gigantic 90,000 sq. ft. entertainment complex in the Collin Creek Mall in Plano, TX, in the northern suburbs of Dallas. It looks like they gutted a department store anchor and filled it with a go-cart track, miniature golf course, climbing wall, laser tag, kiddie rides, and video games.




The $10 buffet is mandatory but we got the passes ($22/adult, $19/kids) which include the buffet and unlimited rides. While this isn't cheap, it was worth it.

We arrived late and only spent 3 hours there before they closed, but one advantage is that the long lines started to thin out toward the end of the evening. Since we were starving we ate at the buffet first (the food was better than I expected) and then stood in line for 30 minutes to go up the climbing wall.




I had never gone up a climbing wall and I didn't make it. About two-thirds the way up the hardest wall I was struggling to hold on with my fingers and I fell back. It's a lot harder than it looks and I was also tired after running to keep up with my niece on her bike that afternoon.

We next went to the laser tag attraction -- and never left. My nieces were having so much fun that we just kept cycling to the end of the line after each 5-minute game. We never had to sit out more than one or two games, and the larger crowd was actually good because it meant we always had full 6-on-6 teams.


The vests had reflective patches that would glow red or green (depending on your team), or go dark if you were shot. The guns had a red targeting light.

After a slow start I actually got fairly decent at the game, at least compared to everyone else (who were usually first-timers). I found that I seemed to have much better results when I pumped the trigger, as it seemed to increase the rate of fire. In one game I scored over half of my team's 9,000 points.

Amazing Jake's is just one of at least 4 or 5 such complexes in the North Dallas suburbs (I've also been to Adventure Landing and thought about going to The Main Event), while I only know of one such facility in Maryland, Adventure Park USA in New Market, MD (near Frederick).

Singing Competition
One of my nieces is taking singing lessons and both of them were entered in a local singing competition that aired on local cable TV. Neither of my nieces made it into the finals, though I think one of them sang well but picked a song that was too hard for her (it had a really wide range), while the other undercut herself because she decided to sing over the vocal track.


I used my new Pano ($2.99) iPhone app to take a panoramic time lapse picture of one of the finalists:


The picture shows the same girl as she performs on camera, exits off-stage, and then poses for the glamour shots. My sister said she's the daughter of a local newscaster.

Both of my nieces had fun and didn't seem to mind not making the finals. What they actually seemed to enjoy the most was going through the fire department's exhibit. The Dallas fire department set up a trailer to simulate a bedroom on fire.


My niece knew all of the answers when the fireman quizzed her: If a fire starts while you're sleeping, roll to the floor to avoid inhaling the smoke, crawl to the door, check it with the back of your hand to see if there is fire on the other side, and if it's hot escape via another route such as a window.

Then he had her lie down on the bed while he started the fake smoke generator. As "smoke" filled the room and the alarm sounded, my niece jumped up, ran straight to the window, and jumped out onto the mat outside.

I guess there's a difference between theory and practice.

Riding Scooters
On Saturday I went scooter riding with one of the twins. This was also a lot of fun though it can be a lot of work, as you balance on one leg and use the other to propel yourself.


We roamed around the neighborhood and my niece claimed that she was trying to get lost but was somehow unable to. Of course, every time we came to an intersection she would stop and consider which way to go.

Next: Dallas World Aquarium (Dallas For Kids Part 2)
Also: Museum of Nature and Science (Dallas For Kids Part 3)
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New-Design Jawbone Bluetooth Headset Earbuds

I lost the large-size earbud on my Aliph Jawbone Noise Assassin ($130) bluetooth headset that I use with my iPhone, so I went to the Jawbone web site to order some replacements.

(As noted before, the fit is critical to the performance of the Noise Assassin. When it works, it's the best headset for clarity and noise suppression.

But if the voice sensor isn't touching your face, it sounds like you're speaking into a tin can to the other end; and the earbud is the most important factor in getting a good fit.)

New Earbud Design
To my surprise Jawbone was offering a new design of earbuds that allows you to wear the earpiece without the over-the-ear hook, if so desired. A new secondary loop rests inside of the folds of your outer ear, and holds the earpiece snugly in your ear and pressed against your face, even if you move or tilt your head.


The catch is that while they only charge for shipping, you could only order one package of three assorted-size earbuds. But since I needed an earbud that fit I put in an order for one pack and chose expedited shipping at $5.

Testing The New Earbuds
So far I like the new earbud design better. The fit is a little more comfortable, and I also no longer have to worry about bending the flimsy earhook (which I no longer use) where its spindle goes into the hole on the earpiece.

I had hopes that I could use it with the medium size earbud because it pressures my outer ear less, but the headpiece was unstable and fell out so I reverted to the large earbud.


Assassin In A Bottle
The only real remaining drawback? When I began testing it after exchanging the earbuds, it was already turned on. Somewhere in the process I must have pressed it enough to turn it on without noticing it (or else I turned it on the last time I stowed it away).

This happens pretty frequently to me and my big concern is that since my use is sporadic, one day I'll go to use it and find the charge will be drained.

So I came up with a decidedly low-tech solution. I cleaned out an old prescription bottle and without the hook, the Noise Assassin slips into it comfortably. So far it's prevented any accidental activations at all, even when rattling around in my pocket.


The Verdict
To me great design incorporates usability as well as style. With the Jawbone Noise Assassin, Aliph has sacrificed practical usage for looks, though this design tweak is a nice improvement.

The terrific noise suppression performance makes up for the flaw but I'm holding out hope that they'll redesign the control buttons on their next model.

Changes I'd Like To See

Ideally, they would offer a more rugged version of the headset. This is the kind of device that gets pitched into my pocket or jacket when I'm not using it, and my priorities are performance, usability, reliability, and durability. Styling is a factor but it can't come at the expense of the other criteria.

Even with the sensitivity of this device to accidental hang-ups and activation I'm keeping the Noise Assassin because it simply works far better than any other headset I've tried, and my prescription bottle workaround has helped a lot. As a bonus, putting it in a bottle also keeps me from losing the earbud, which tends to slip off if I just stuff the Noise Assassin in my pocket.

Related: Jawbone Noise Assassin Bluetooth Headset (1/3/09)

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Amazon Releases Kindle for iPhone

Amazon made the Kindle for iPhone (free) reader available on the iTunes App Store today. While the app itself is still rudimentary, it has a clever method of automatically tracking bookmarks across devices and marks a sea-change in the electronic books market.

With the release of the first of what Amazon promises will be many Kindle readers for smartphones (and in a way that is complementary to the Kindle wireless hardware device), the first step toward a complete remaking of the publishing industry has been completed.

Content Is King
The Kindle reader on the iPhone isn't really that special by itself. What makes it a game-changer is that iPhone and iPod Touch owners now have easy, one-click buying access to Amazon's vast catalog of 240,000 current titles, most at prices far below their hardcover and paperback cousins.

Most popular books are available for $10, with brand-new releases generally about $15 and older paperbacks a little over $6. (Rumor is that Amazon presently subsidizes the cost below its royalty payments to publishers.)

Competitors such as Fictionwise's eReader simply cannot match either the number of titles offered nor the prices, which are as much as 50% off the price at the eReader store (if you can even find them there).

[Update (3/5/09): Fictionwise, which owns eReader, announced that they have been bought out by Barnes & Noble, which is the strongest of the remaining traditional bookstores. So it's possible this will give them the leverage they need to improve pricing and availability.]

There will be some readers who will never make the shift from a physical, paper book to an electronic reader, but most will find the tactile experience outweighed by the convenience of instant availability in the buying process, and being able to carry your library with you at all times.

Using The Kindle Reader for iPhone App
Like all iPhone apps, getting the Kindle reader is a drop-dead simple exercise that takes only a couple of minutes. From the iTunes App Store, you choose the Kindle reader and with a single touch download and install it.


Upon opening the Kindle reader app, you're asked to log in with your Amazon account and password. This registers the iPhone with Amazon, and if you already have Kindle books allows you to wirelessly download them to the iPhone without being charged again.

The reader itself is minimal, especially compared to eReader and Stanza, which offer numerous small ways to customize the font and page display, as well as adding notes to the text (a feature on the Kindle that is not replicated here).


I also prefer to tap to turn a page, and the Kindle reader only supports a swiping motion. It's also bizarre that you can't read in landscape (horizontal) mode as only portrait mode is supported.

Buying Kindle Books
Buying content is also a little awkward, as you can't do it directly from the Kindle app. You're pushed out to the amazon.com web page, which you can access from either Safari on the iPhone or the browser on your Mac or PC.

But after that Amazon has done some clever things to enhance the buying experience.

Once you've logged in, the Amazon web site will automatically recognize all of your registered Kindle devices and give you the option of downloading the material to that device with a single click.

After you've completed your shopping via the web browser, the next time you open the Kindle reader on the iPhone, it will automatically find and download all of your purchases.


Other Amazon Improvements
The most unusual innovation from Amazon is WhisperSync, which automatically tracks the last page read on any Kindle-compatible device and returns you to that point. You can sync up to six devices that way, so if you start reading a book on a Kindle, then read a few more pages while at the store, and then return home to the Kindle, each time the next device will pick up where you left off.


It's also nice to be able to download free samples of books (generally the first two chapters), as this is often how I discover new authors in a physical bookstore.


Otherwise, the main advantage of the Kindle iPhone app over the Kindle app is that it offers the capability of full-color graphics, which is a little hit-or-miss at this time. Some publishers only provide black-and-white text or illustrations, or poor quality color images, but a few have added high-quality graphics (though unfortunately you can't zoom in yet).

The graphics will only improve, and it's my understanding that while the reflective (gray-scale only) eInk display technology used in the Kindle hardware device is easier on the eyes and closer to the traditional book-reading experience, its slow response time makes it impractical for rapid surfing or thumbing through the Internet or other reading material.

Shortcomings
Beyond minor interface improvements, the Kindle reader still has some room for improvement.

Notably, it doesn't support buying or reading Kindle newspapers and magazines. This is an odd omission as the iPhone would seem a natural vehicle for the latter due to its superior graphics capability and its supreme portability.

I'm also not how to load books from the large trove of free third-party electronic books in the public domain (mostly books from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries), offered via initiatives such as Project Gutenberg, even though the books are available in Kindle (.azw) format. But Amazon offers quite a good number of free books but they're hard to browse through, so it's easiest to search in the Kindle store by author.

It's also very strange not to know how many pages are in a book (the Kindle reader doesn't tell you). While Amazon uses its own weird "locations" method of tracking the progress of a book, it's a close enough analog to a page that knowing your relative position by location would serve the same purpose.

The Verdict
I was almost shocked by how quickly I converted to electronic books a couple of months after getting my iPhone. Increased eyestrain was quickly counterbalanced by the tremendous convenience of always having my entire library with me, especially when traveling.

Within a short period I had converged on eReader as my favored application because of its simple, refined interface and the availability of both new books for purchase as well as free books in the public domain.

But in a single stroke Amazon has swept all of that away. I had become frustrated by the lack of available titles, or by the calculation of spending over $20 for a book that costs the site and publisher virtually nothing (in incremental costs) to deliver to me electronically even as paperback versions were offered for $7.


I downloaded four books today:

• The Great Decision by Cliff Sloan and David McKean (Kindle: $14.82; Amazon hardcover: $17.79 plus shipping; not available on ereader)
• Angel Isle by Peter Dickinson (Kindle: $9.99; Amazon paperback: $9.99 plus shipping; ereader: $17.09)
• Princeps' Fury by Jim Butcher (Kindle: $9.99; Amazon hardcover: $17.13 plus shipping; ereader: $23.36)
• Angelica by Sharon Shinn (Kindle: free sample of 2 chapters, full price $6.39; Amazon paperback: $7.99 plus shipping; ereader: $7.99)

These numbers are just brutal. Like much of the electronic reading experience, the Kindle for iPhone reader is just good enough to make it worth using, and having a wealth of content available at your fingertips -- and at reasonable prices-- makes it a transformational experience.

The Future
This is only the beginning. From these crude and humble origins, the publishing industry will be reborn if, like Amazon, they have a vision for the future that sees opportunity in the new electronic technologies that are finally maturing. But the industry is trapped in both traditional thinking and business relationships, as electronic distribution poses a mortal threat to traditional bookstores.

Amazon asserts that the Kindle for iPhone reader is a complement to their hardware device, and with their clever autosyncing WhisperSync they're partially right. But I'll never buy a dedicated Kindle device, especially not at $350. I'll either use my iPhone or, I expect, some successor to it that bridges the gap toward a laptop.

Electronic books and their associated reading devices are still a little crude today. But both electronic displays and processors are moving rapidly up the low-energy consumption, high-capability curve, and it's only a matter of time before the shift is complete.
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Howard County Restaurant Week: Bistro Blanc in Glenelg, MD

There are 5 days left in Howard County Restaurant Week.

Go. To. Bistro. Blanc.


I knew that last week was Restaurant Week in Howard County, where I live about halfway between the beltways in central Maryland, but I was too swamped to try some of the special offerings from the local participating restaurants.

On the spur of the moment, I decided to return tonight to Bistro Blanc in Glenelg, MD where I was surprised to find that Howard County, not to be outdone by those big-city slickers, has not one but two weeks in its restaurant week.

I got a meal worthy of a fine downtown DC establishment at half the price.

The Food
Showing them how it's done in the suburbs, Bistro Blanc is offering a prix fixe menu
for the bargain price of $30.08 (and I say that without a trace of irony):

Starter:

Potato Leek Soup
brown butter brioche croutons

Or

Charred Bleu Cheese “Mousse”
pear salsa + crostini + petite greens

Entrée:

Red Wine Braised Beef Short Rib
crisp potato + shaved carrot & baby arugula salad
+ truffle vinaigrette

Or:

Slow Cooked Salmon
spinach black pepper spaetzel + lemon riesling butter sauce

Dessert:

Crème Brulee
vanilla bean + honey tuile

Or:

Chocolate Cardamom & Pistachio Pavé
caramel mousse + raspberry coulis

I chose the charred bleu cheese "mousse"; braised short rib; and the chocolate pave, and it was spectacular. My only regret was that I didn't order soup a la carte on the side; Bistro Blanc is the only establishment where I've ever found the soup to be so noteworthy that it drove a return visit.

The bleu cheese "mousse" was as much a work of art as an appetizer. The crostini in particular was lacy and delicate, and there was a nice contrast between the small block of cheese (which was flavorful without being overwhelming) and the mildly sweet, finely diced pear salsa.


I loved the braised beef short rib too, which was tender and boneless and nicely seasoned without being too salty. The truffle vinaigrette on the arugula salad was again a great, slightly acidic complement, while the fine wisps of crispy potato provided more texture than flavor.


Finally, when the dessert came out it was so beautiful I almost couldn't bear to eat it. (I said almost. I'm not stupid.) The drizzled lattice of carmelized sugar that adorned it reminded me of a Christmas ornament angel, and I loved the caramel mousse underneath the pave. The pave (a term I wasn't familiar with) turned out to be a couple of slabs of dreamily creamy chocolate pistachio fudge.


The Verdict
I'm amazed that a restaurant of this quality and creativity exists in Howard County (or really, anywhere outside of the city). At one time the crab cakes at G&M's were considered fine dining in this area. (I'm kidding. Sort of.)

The meal I had tonight could easily hold its own against many of the best restaurants in Washington DC. Chef Mark Dixon has real talent and an artistic flair and we should be thankful that he chooses to ply his trade so close to home (for me at least).

The only off-note is that the sparkling water I had was a little too seltzer in character, and not worth $6 (unlike the bottle I had at Palena in Washington DC last week, which was a fabulous way to cleanse the palate between courses). But if that's all you can complain about, life is pretty good.

Restaurant Week ends on Sunday, March 8th so if you've even been thinking about trying Bistro Blanc, now is the time. This is an opportunity not to be missed.

Related:

• Bistro Blanc In Glenelg, MD (1/13/09)
• Bistro Blanc News and Views (blog from the restaurant)

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Newseum Exhibits: G-Men and Manhunt

I used my annual press pass at the Newseum in Washington DC to tour some of the exhibits I hadn't seen on my previous visit there: G-Men and Journalists (a collection of FBI artifacts) and Manhunt (about the hunt for Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth).


While neither exhibit is worth a special trip to the Newseum, they are both slickly produced and worthy additions to the overall experience. Of the two, the FBI exhibit is broader and is especially interesting now that the FBI no longer conducts tours of its own building.


G-Men & Journalists
The FBI discontinued public tours of their headquarters building (just 3 blocks down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Newseum) after 9/11 caused an increase in security. Many of the artifacts on display in G-Men and Journalists are on loan from the FBI and have been out of the public eye since then.

It's staged as a collection of about a half dozen of the most famous cases in FBI history, including: the first Public Enemy #1, John Dillinger; the Rosenburg spy cases; the Lindbergh baby kidnapping; the Unabomber; and especially relevant to Washington-area residents, the Beltway sniper shootings that terrorized the DC area in 2002.

Outside of the exhibit are life-size cutouts of J.Edgar Hoover and some famous crime figures. It's interesting to note how short many of them were. Hoover was only about 5' 7" tall.


Some of the artifacts on display are authentic (for example, Dillinger's death mask, displayed outside of Hoover's office for many years; and the electric chair used to execute Lindbergh baby kidnapper Bruno Hauptmann).



Other items are mock-ups made by the FBI to test theories or demonstrate to juries how the crimes were committed. For example, there's a full-size replica of the back-end of the modified blue Chevy Caprice that Beltway snipers John Muhammed and Lee Boyd Malvo used in the killings. The model was built to show the jury how the killers were able to lie inside the car and fire out through the trunk.


Almost by definition the G-Men exhibit is a little grisly and disturbing, as the FBI's mission is to unravel crimes and protect against the darker side of humanity. Oddly though, the artifact I found most unsettling was the handwritten Arabic poem written by Saddam Hussein to his FBI interrogator after the latter had gained his trust, in the months prior to his execution.

Manhunt: Chasing Lincoln's Killer
The Manhunt exhibit on the top floor of the Newseum is based on a book by James Swanson, Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase For Lincoln's Killer. There are many Lincoln-related events this year through April 30 during the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, including the reopening of Ford's Theater after renovation.


I was slightly disappointed by the lack of depth to the Manhunt exhibit, though I learned some interesting tidbits. (For example, the Newseum stands on the site of the hotel Booth stayed in prior to the assassination, the National Hotel.)


Manhunt is billed as a chance to learn about the assassination and the ensuing hunt for Booth in the same way the American public learned it (via newspaper accounts, fed instantaneously from the telegraph for the first time). But somehow the drama of the hunt doesn't unfold in the exhibit, which compresses the chase itself into some summarized panels.

The exhibit does a better job of succinctly telling the story of the simultaneous attacks on Lincoln, Secretary of State William Seward, and Vice President Andrew Johnson. And the photographs of the conspirators in prison, in special manacles that prevented them from bringing their hands together, are oddly compelling.


(They ignored an obvious tidbit, that accused conspirator Dr. Samuel Mudd, who set Booth's leg after he broke it jumping onto the stage after shooting Lincoln, was an ancestor of long-time CBS reporter Roger Mudd.)

The exhibit mentions that Booth was shocked when, after several days on the run, he read newspaper accounts vilifying him for the assassination instead of proclaiming him a hero as he expected. It's never stated as such, but I wonder if this contributed to Booth's determination to fight to the death rather than surrender as his co-conspirators did.

Ultimately there were two exhibits that I think touched upon the raw emotion of the time. One was the picture of the soldier, Corporal Boston Corbett, who shot Booth in the burning barn where he had holed up. I was struck that the nation appeared to regard him as Lincoln's avenger.

The other was a small, pocket-sized photo given to one of the searchers hunting for Booth. The man had scrawled his acid condemnation of Booth all over the picture, leaving only the face exposed and framed in the careful 19th Century handwriting.

The Final Word
Perhaps my desire for additional depth in the Manhunt exhibit is more a matter of my own personal interest in the subject. The Civil War was when the United States came of age, and Lincoln had an uncommon gift for expression that resonates through the ages. I've always wondered how the course of history might have changed had he lived to begin the arduous task of healing the nation.


Overall, both exhibits enhance the Newseum and complement the other displays, with rare historical artifacts that have been seldom or never shown. Both are scheduled to remain throughout 2009.
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Palena in Washington DC

Last week I also ate at Palena in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington DC, and it immediately became a new favorite with its subtly inventive cuisine, which delighted me with many small surprises.


Palena was founded by two former 1980's era White House chefs, Frank Ruta and Ann Amernick, and though pastry chef Amernick has retired, the food is still stellar. Co-owner Ruta won the James Beard Award for best Mid-Atlantic chef in 2007.

I ate in the less formal section in front (called the Palena Cafe) where you you can choose from both the cafe menu as well as order a la carte from the prix fixe menu served in the formal dining room.

The Food
I wasn't very hungry after eating at Central earlier in the day, but wanted a good cross-section of the food so I ordered the lamb and barley soup; the gnocchi; and the roast chicken, the latter two at the suggestion of the friendly, knowledgeable waiter.

I received my first surprise before any of the main courses even arrived, when they brought out the bread basket with two types of bread. The lighter bread was good but it was the dark bread that excited comment upon my part. The server said that it was pumpernickel-rye-nutmeg, and I think it was this last spice that left an unusual, but very pleasant aftertaste.


When the soup came out it was good, even though I'm not usually fond of the consistency of barley after it's soaked in liquid.


I tried the Yukon Gold potato gnocchi because this is apparently a house specialty that is always on the menu in some form or another. The gnocchi itself was a tad mushier than I like, but the tomato-based sauce had a touch of fennel that gave it a nice twist.


The roast chicken was also very good, with tender meat where the flavor seemed to go all the way through and crispy, salty skin. It was very tasty in a very refined way, though my personal standard for a decadent roast chicken experience is still the small "Fest chickens" barbecued on butane spits in Germany (called Hendls in Bavaria and Haenchen elsewhere).


I was full by this point but had enjoyed my meal so much that I couldn't resist getting dessert, so I chose the cinnamon ice cream with pistachio pound cake. It was terrific, with the ice cream in particular having a nice balance between the asperity of the cinnamon and the underlying sweet creaminess.


The Verdict
I left eager to try Palena again in the near future. I'll probably opt for the Cafe again as I like the option of choosing from the entire menu and you can walk in without reservations, which I understand are difficult to get for the dining room. My entire experience there from the food to the service was excellent.

The truffled cheeseburger was also highly recommended by the waiter, and I'll have to try that on a future visit and maybe the minestrone soup. I might want to experiment more from the dining room menu also.

Getting There
Palena is located literally next to the Cleveland Park Metro Station exit on the east side of Connecticut Avenue. This is a pleasant neighborhood and if you sit at one of the two-toppers in the bay window as I did, you can watch the traffic going by.

They're only open for dinner, from 5:30 to 10:00 pm.

Cleveland Park is one stop up from the National Zoo (which is in the Adams Morgan district, a lively neighborhood known for good ethnic and progressive restaurants and nightlife).
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