Wine flights and DC Restaurant week : Places to venture to this week

Anyone down for a wine flight?

Here are a few places worth leaving the comfort of central air to experience in and around the DC area.

Restaurant week (August 24th-30th)

DC restaurant week is upon us once again. For the cost conscious epicurean; this is like Christmas, Easter and Cinco De Mayo all wrapped into one. Some of DC's best restaurants offer three course fixed priced lunches and dinners for $20.09 and $35.09, respectively. Bear in mind, this price doesn't include beverages, tax or tip.

As an added bonus, here is a list of the restaurants that are offering extended dates for restaurant week:

• Dino - August 1 - September 13
• Il Mulino - August 1 - 31
• 2941 - August 3 - 28
• Nage Bistro - August 17 - September 6
• Ici Urban Bistro - August 21 - September 1
• Café Atlántico - August 24 - Sept 6
• Jaleo - August 24 - Sept 6
• Zaytinya - August 24 - Sept 6
• Oyamel - August 24 - Sept 6

Plan ahead and book a reservation at OpenTable.com to be sure and get a table at the more coveted dining establishments.

Lauriol Plaza

First off, I love Lauriol Plaza. With the outdoor patio, the swirl margaritas, the guacamole and  the large quantities of buzzed young professionals trying to unwind after a long day, what is there not to love? 

Every meal I've had there was enjoyable though I personally recommend the seafood. Grilled fish tends to be both delicious and calorie conscious, leaving room for a couple more of those swirl margaritas.

If you plan on meeting a group of people here, please note: They will only seat you once your entire party has arrived. There is no table holding allowed, but you can always get a margarita while you wait for your party to arrive. Keep in mind that it tends to get a little packed and boisterous. If that's not your scene, you might want to steer clear.

Lima

Lima is one of my favorite lounges in the DMV. The layout feels both comfortable and contemporary. When night falls, Lima easily transitions from a restaurant to a nightclub lounge with an international flair that features outdoor seating replete with couches and tables.

The Latin fusion menu is solid, but I've had mixed results with the drinks. The mojitos are tasty but on the weak side.

H street Country club 

H Street country club will be my next first date, mark my words. This two story "country club" over on H street NE features DC themed indoor putt-putt course. If putt-putt isn't your style, they also have pool tables, shuffleboard and (my personal favorite) skee-ball.

They also have a restaurant with a Tex-Mex fusion menu and a smaller bar menu, both with a surprising number of non-meat options. The five page drink menu boasts twenty different kinds of tequila, Sangria and assorted mixed drinks. No reservations required.

Giffords

To beat the heat, check out the ice cream at one of the many Giffords locations. I am a sucker for any place that features non-traditional flavors and Giffords goes that extra mile by offering flavors of the month. This month they are featuring Pumpkin, Caramel Apple Crunch and Oatmeal Cookie. Definitely worth the trip out of the house.

Veritas

If you feel like expanding your palate at a reasonable price, check out one of the wine flights offered at Veritas. Starting at Thirteen dollars, you get the opportunity to sample numerous wines in one of the following categories: White, Red or Dessert. If you merely enjoy variety or perhaps want to get a better idea of which kind of wine tickles your fancy, this is a good place to stop by. They have a decent cheese menu but the selection of actual "food" leaves something to be desired.

Check back often for more spots and events in and around DC.