My Funny Valentine

Our family Valentine adventure started with chocolates at 8 am. (Andy and I both got each other Godiva truffles this year -- further proof that great minds think alike.) We then headed for McDonald's for breakfast on our way to the Metro. Our quick train ride down town was arguably Emily's favorite part of the day. Our destination? Disney on Ice. It was a perfect storm of sorts for Andy -- ice skating meets dance numbers meets cheesy script meets hordes of other people's children. He was a trooper, though, and Emily had a blast. We hadn't really taken her to a show before except for the short ones in Disney theme parks. She was well-behaved, getting restless only toward the end when Mickey Mouse wasn't coming out fast enough for her liking.

After the show, we headed to Nando's peri-peri chicken for lunch. Andy and I last ate there in London while I was pregnant with Emily. I had seen Nando's in three countries but there were none in the States at that point. Now there is one in Washington, DC. We had fond memories of their spicey chicken and very tasty spiced nuts. It did not disappoint. I dare say, though, I liked Emily's meal better than my own. Her barbecue chicken wings were sweet and smokey, her corn on the cob had just the right char. After lunch, it was back to the metro and home for a much-needed nap.

Would you like fries with that?

Andy and I had a date lunch on Saturday to Jackson's Mighty Fine Food, which reminded me that I wanted to put in a plug for their kids' menu. Harkening back to dreams of being a real foodie, I have to say that Great American Restaurants, a DC-area group, does kids' food right and adult food even better. Each restaurant is a little different, but Emily is always excited about the sweet potato fries that accompany the extra-tasty grilled cheese or extra-flavorful chicken fingers at Coastal Flats or Sweetwater Tavern. They've also got grouper fingers and a cheeseburger available and carrot sticks and applesauce for folks who don't want fries. At Silverado, she enjoys a big bowl of charro beans. In some 6 years of eating at all but one restaurant in this group, we've loved everything we've ordered. That is, except for one dish. The macaroni and cheese at Jackson's is made with gruyere or something similarly stinky instead of a smooth cheddar. I was glad to see that someone still knows how to make mac and cheese without a box, but found the flavor a bit sophisticated for a toddler.