Cupcake Heaven?

I love cupcakes, especially those from Georgetown Cupcake. Now although my second experience wasn't as mind blowing as my first, it still was very good.  At this moment, Georgetown Cupcakes are featuring new holiday flavors like gingerbread, pumpkin spice, and peppermint chocolate cupcakes. So if you want to try some unique holiday flavors, be sure to stop by Georgetown Cupcake during this month.

To read my post about my first experience at Georgetown Cupcake, just follow the link: Georgetown Cupcake

Washington DC Vacations

Papa Razzi: A Modern Trattoria

After another routine stop to one of my favorite bakeries, Georgetown Cupcake, a few friends and I decided to enjoy a nice dinner at an Italian Restaurant called Papa Razzi. Now from the first impression, I was quite impressed by the restaurant because it had a very interesting set up and atmosphere. The restaurant was very dim with many dark accents throughout.  Possibly the best feature about the restaurant was the upper seating area because it was very open, and it offered nice views of the city scene. Now in terms of food, I must say that I was quite unimpressed. Maybe it was because I ordered a chicken risotto with mushroom and onions at a pasta place, but it just didn’t create that wow factor that I crave whenever I eat out. Even after trying some of their famous hand made pastas that my friends had, I didn’t feel like it differed from any other Italian that I would get elsewhere.  In terms of service, our waitress was very kind and social, with the occasional conversation here and there. Overall, this restaurant offered a great atmosphere, but the food was not as impressive as I would have hoped. However, I would go back and try something different just to make sure my experience wasn’t subpar because of a poor entrée choice.

College Kid Budget: $$

Washington DC Vacations

Georgetown Cupcake

There's not really much I can say about Georgetown Cupcake except the fact that I truly love this place. After hearing all the hype about how amazing these cupcakes were, I decided to take a trip to this famous "cupcakery." And I must say that I was very impressed! The prices were a little steep for the size of cupcakes you were getting, but it was well worth. These cupcakes were small but they were just jam packed with huge flavor. The cupcakes were aesthetically pleasing and flavor choices were extensive and unique.  My personal favorites are the Red Velvet and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. The cupcakes were moist and the icing was light and sweet.  The bakery itself is pretty small and the interior is very bright, white, and modern. This really is a grab-and-go kind of place since it's pretty crowded and packed.

Now the biggest concern and complaint that I hear about this place are the lines on the weekends. As a result, I would suggest that you come to Georgetown Cupcake during the week. For example, I went on Friday evening and the lines was about 10 people deep...not bad at all!  Oh yeah, one more thing, be sure to come with about $15-30 because the prices are pretty steep, especially for cupcakes ($15 for a half dozen, and $29 for a dozen...or you can pay $2.75 for one). But other than that, Georgetown Cupcake is a fantastic cupcake place that everyone should definitely experience at least once. Give it a try, you won't regret it!

College Kid Budget: $-$$

Washington DC Vacations

Pizzeria Paradiso: Brick Oven Pizza at its Finest

A few days ago, a couple of my friends and I decided to take a trip to Georgetown. The primary purpose of this trip was to go shopping and check out the famous and much hyped Georgetown Cupcake. But little did I know that the highlight of my trip may have just been this pizzeria called Pizzeria Paradiso. Nested on the bustling Pennsylvania Ave is a nice pizzeria that seemed to draw large crowds. I didn’t think much of this restaurant when I walked past and glanced at the menu. However, just before I past the restaurant, I happened to glance at a customer’s freshly served pizza, and at the moment I was hooked. I had to go check this place out.  We went in, put our name on the waitlist and then in about 10 or so minutes we were taken downstairs to this seating area. The overall atmosphere of this restaurant was very rustic, with a prevalent bar/pub theme throughout. It seemed like I was in a wine cellar that happened to serve great brick oven pizza.

Now the pizza at this restaurant was the real show. From being cooked in a huge brick oven, to utilizing fresh ingredients, the pizza was delicious, crispy, and so fulfilling.  We ordered two pizzas: The Atomica, which featured tomato, salami, black olives, hot pepper flakes, and fresh mozzarella; and the Margherita which featured tomato, basil, and mozzarella. Both of these pizzas were very good and I will definitely have to try them again.

So overall, if you are ever in the Georgetown area and are looking for some fresh and delicious brick oven pizza, be sure to check out Pizzeria Paradiso. I will be returning to Paradiso, hungry for more!

College Kid Budget: $$

Washington DC Vacations