Anonymous wrote:Lots of places have great sized small plates. Bacchus of Lebanon in Bethesda for example. Many of the mezze are ample enough for two of us (husband and wife) to share 4 small plates or 5 (and with 5 we end of taking food home). This is a style of eating in many cultures that isn't a trend - it's how people have been eating for generations.

Bacchus is one of our favorite restaurants. Love it and agree that this is a style of eating, particularly in the middle east.

In Spain, however, tapas are not meant to be dinner. People eat tapas while having a drink in a bar in the early evening. It's followed by a proper dinner much later in the night. It's nice that tapas have made their way over to the US, but I have to agree with everyone on this thread that the concept has run it's course and it's over-used in this city - all of Mike Isabella's and Jose Andres's restaurants are small plates. Seriously - do waiters still have to ask "are you familiar with the concept of small plates?"!!!!!

To the PP who went to Lincoln - don't even get me started on that place!! Expensive, average tiny quantities, and so loud DH and I were screaming across the table to hear each other!!

My recent favorite dining experience with normal-sized portions was Le Diplomate. I'm still dreaming about the Foie Gras!

OP here. I think I need to get my butt to Red Hen finally. How are the mains there?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is always sushi...

I think I'm the last adult in the world who doesn't care for sushi.

You and me, babe.

Oh, and my unicorn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17o1OlroNSE

Lots of places have great sized small plates. Bacchus of Lebanon in Bethesda for example. Many of the mezze are ample enough for two of us (husband and wife) to share 4 small plates or 5 (and with 5 we end of taking food home). This is a style of eating in many cultures that isn't a trend - it's how people have been eating for generations.

Anonymous wrote:There is always sushi...

I think I'm the last adult in the world who doesn't care for sushi.

There is always sushi...

I get what you're saying OP. It does get to be tiring to go out and spend a fortune and still be absolutely hungry. I used to love those tapas places. I got tired of them and tired of fussy fusion places too. Just want a simple nice healthy dinner that isn't a "Chili's" or "filled to the brim" experience that someone cattily mentioned earlier on this forum. I don't want Cheesecake Factory or Maggianos either. Is there some simple, non-expensive restaurant that can fit that bill?

the secret" steakhouses!

I'm not looking for a lot of food, i'd just like to have a meal in front of me that has complimentary tastes, textures, etc., decided by the chef instead of a buffet of potentially mismatched small plates chosen incorrectly by me, my companion and/or the waiter.

I took friend to Lincoln and wanted to cry. We loved the food but both of us were starving after our three little dainty bites per plate and ended up getting Five Guys later.

But it's true - there's not frequently a happy medium between spartan little plates and a huge serving platter of food.

Anonymous wrote:I would prefer a full-size meal, but our unicorn likes the small-plates places.

If you've got a unicorn, you gotta do what you gotta do to keep her happy.