Life: Nora and Bistro Francaise

Saturday night we went to Restaurant Nora, America’s first certified organic restaurant. When Maggie and Bobby told me they were coming, I began the search for a good place to take them. After browsing around, I decided that Nora was the best place. 95% or more of everything that you eat at the restaurant has been produced by certified organic growers and farmers all who share in Nora’s commitment to sustainable agriculture. Nora always offers seasonal, fresh organic food, prepared in a healthy, balanced way and enjoys a “big following” of environmentalists and politicians, who can eat here with a clear conscience, knowing that what’s on their plate hasn’t polluted the environment, is healthy for them, and tastes good too. The place was so popular that we had to wait 40 min even though we had reservation. But both Maggie and Bobby liked the food a lot, so the long wait was worth it. 😉

My appetizer: Tree & Leaf Farms Mixed Baby Lettuces with Cherry Glen Goat Cheese, Roasted Pears, Toasted Pecans, Port Wine Vinaigrette

Star and Maggie had Arugula, Radicchio, Endive & Roasted Local Beets with Mountain Gorgonzola, Spiced Walnuts, Aged Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette

Bobby had Maine Peekytoe Crab & Avocado Salad with Cilantro, Red Onion, Crispy Tortillas, Ancho Chili Emulsion

they were all fantastic! 😀

Maggie’s entree: Red Wine Braised Ayrshire Farm Beef Short Ribs with Celeriac Purée, Baby Kale, Roasted Cippolini Onions, Baby Carrots

Bobby’s Applewood Smoked Amish Duck Breast with Sweet Potato & Bacon Hash, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Garlicky Kale, Cranberry Gastrique

Star had Amish Veal Scall opini with Parsnip Purée, Green Beans, Chanterelles, Braised Red Cabbage, Marsala

I had Pan Seared Maine Diver Scallops & Saff ron Risotto with Leeks, Spinach, Winter Squash, Celeriac, Romesco Sauce

it seems that whenever Scallops appear in the menu, I’ll have it! I just love them! 😀

After a lot of “YUM, YAY, this is delicious, that is amazing” and other random chats, we finished our dinner with two desserts

Star and I shared a tiramisu

Maggie and Bobby opted for fruits with ginger ice cream

Overall I liked the restaurant. The ambiance is nice, the service great, food fresh, presentation perfect! 😆

On Sunday, we went to Georgetown, walking around, lunch at Chipotle, some shopping 😉 and we had to say goodbye. I hope we can hang out together soon because it was so relaxed and a lot of fun! 😀

After a short rest at home, we had dinner with another great friend, Qiao. Her birthday was on Thursday but we decided to celebrate it on Sunday night. Star made the reservation at Bistro Francaise. We would like to take Qiao to Le Chaumiere, but it was closed on Sunday.

After we ordered, we had a mini photo shooting 😉

The ambiance is old fashioned, with vintage posters, warm woods and crisp white tablecloths.

the bread was the best!!! I think I filled myself with too much of them before the food came along (as I always do)

Star and Qiao had homemade liver mousse as appetizer

I had mussels baked with garlic, tomato, black olives and butter.

As entree Qiao had braised meat with spaghetti

I had jumbo shrimp and scallop in a spicy sauce that came with a saffron rice

As dessert we all had fruit tart.

The meal was just okay, not the best french food out there, but we had great time catching up with Qiao. She’s the funniest girl I know. She always makes me laugh. I should definitely spend more time with her! 😀

Another weekend is gone and I love weekend full of activities with my favorite people! I feel that finally I’m settled in DC. I can foresee my life here for many years to come! And you know what’s the key for a great life in a place? To have a handful of great friends! I said a handful, not a lot, because friendship needs our dedication, we need to nourish it for it to grow. I prefer to have few friends with tight connections rather than a bunch of friends to just hang out.

Q: What makes a place an ideal place to live for you?