The TACO (Tackle) Box

So you've decided to go out to Georgetown to maybe hit up a few bars or lounges and want to get a quick bite to eat before drinking. You realize every sit down restaurant is horribly over priced and the wonderful smell of the Potomac (I say that sarcastically) has you craving some seafood. As you walk around you see a restaurant with picnic tables and a large American flag draped on a wall.

The Tackle Box was introduced to me by a friend of a friend. She was raving about the place for a good 15 minutes and it took another 15 minutes for us to figure out that this place is called the TACKLE Box and not the TACO Box (which it might as well be called) because of her difficulty in pronouncing it. So we decided to give it a try because it was suppose to be amazingly fresh seafood at an equally amazing price.


The first thing we noticed as we walked in was that this place is NOT cheap. They do have their specials with meals starting at $8 but that would only be enough food as a snack. As we looked through the menu meals below $15 consisted of various fried fish and seafood with sides such as mashed fries, cole slaw, etc. I had initially wanted the lobster roll but it was over $20 which is a bit pricey for a self serve place with picnic tables. After much deliberation I got scallops with grilled asparagus, sweet potato fries, and tartar dipping sauce.

The scallops were actually quiet tasty. They did not have a rubbery texture which low quality frozen scallops have and they were a moderate size. I thought the portion of scallops given to me was pretty fair for the $15 I paid but it lacked flavor. The asparagus was well just grilled asparagus. It was a bit bland as it seemed no salt was put on it but it was fairly fresh and not overcooked. It also had a nice smokey flavor. The sweet potato fries were not very impressive. They were a bit greasy and lacked any flavor. It was almost like eating cardboard.

At the end of my meal it was a bit lacking. Even though my meal was not bad it was not good either. I was still hungry afterward and I had just spent $15. Below is what everyone else got. I didn't try anyone else's food (somehow everyone tried mine....) but I'll try to relay what they told me as accurately as possible.

Their signature dish is apparently the fish taco. I'm not sure what kind of fish they use but Kris and Jason both said it was really tasty. The only downside is the portion size. For $8 you get two small tacos that leave you wanting more.

Terro and Cheryl both bot the blue fish with potato fries. They were both pretty happy but at $15 they both were left hungry after their meals.

The Tackle box is definitely not a bargain. For $10 more you can get a proper seafood entree that is both tasty and filling at many restaurants in Georgetown. I had high hopes for the Tackle Box mainly because of its decor but I soon realized the decor is analogous to a person who is obsessed with North Face clothing. They wear a ton of North Face gear to make people think they're outdoorsy adventurous people but in reality have never gone camping once in their life. And Tackle Box has succeeded in this. The place is made to look like a hole in the wall with lots of promise but sadly it has none.

Rundown:

Price: Moderate - High

Service: N/A

Food: Average

Restaurant Decor/Setting: Extremely Casual

3245 M St NW
Washington, DC 2007
202 337-8269
www.tackleboxrestaurant.com

Cheap Date #2: Outdoor Series

With summer in full swing it's nice to be outside again.  Three great events I found are the Pentagon Row concert series, Rosslyn I love the 80's outdoor movie series, and the Crystal City Superheroes outdoor movie series.

Pentagon Row

In its 7th year Pentagon Row has been offering an outdoors concert series which runs June 4th to August 20th every Thursday from 7-9 PM.  It's a great outdoor atmosphere and I highly suggest you go if you have never been.  The concert if held in a quad area which is surrounded by restaurants.  There is ample parking and you're right next to DC if you decide and on a metro line.  It is also a short drive to the Clarendon, Ballston, Crystal City, and Olde Town.

Rosslyn I love the 80's

Who doesn't miss the 80's?  Transformers, G.I. Joe, ALF, Nintendo all bring back fond memories of my childhood.  This is a great event to relive those childhood memories or introduce someone to the 80's if you're dating someone really young...  But like Pentagon Row you have a lot of options to different areas after the movie such as Georgetown, Clarendon, Pentagon City, etc.

Crystal City Superheroes

Everybody loves a good superhero movie.  And there's nothing better than watching it outdoors on a giant screen for free.  Like the aforementioned areas Crystal City is surrounded by lots of things to do before or after the movie.  It is also metro accessible and a short drive to many other locations.

Top 9 list you should never say to a girl you’re dating in the first 6 months (maybe forever)

If you say any of the items listed below be prepared to lose all leverage in the relationship. This would entail your free time (which we’ve established is money since time is money) and money.


9. I’m not seeing/interested in anyone else.

Ambiguity is on your side here. Women like no LOVE cat and mouse games. The more ambiguous you make the relationship the more she’ll be after you.

8. I miss you.

Once you say this you’ve established a marker of your feelings. With that she can gauge your interest in her which allows her to test your limit i.e. how much time and money she can eat up of yours.

7. I’ve never felt this way about anyone else before.

The cat and mouse game is over once you say this. You should pretty much castrate yourself at this point. Women always want what they can’t have cause they never know what they want. Once it’s established that they have you there’s no guessing game anymore. At this point you actually have to WORK to keep the relationship interesting such as planning dates, anniversaries, gifts, etc.

6. You’re the perfect girl for me.

Again this is putting the ball in her court. This establishes another gauge that will allow her to test the limits which she can push you.

5. Don’t worry I can pay for that.

I think it’s gentlemanly for a man to pay for a woman. I’ve paid for dates plenty of times but this shouldn’t become a habit. Women’s suffrage happened for a reason. You’re both working and you shouldn’t be stuck with the bill all the time while she leaches off of you. Choose the times you pay wisely i.e. special occasions.

4. You should meet my parents.

This is inviting her to be apart of your family. This is never a good idea and also alludes to marriage.

3. Let’s move in together.

Personal space is a definite must. You may think you’re saving money on rent but once you realize women use toiletries like none other you’ll give it a second thought.

2. I love you.

This is far worse than #7 on the list. You’re pretty much saying please put a leash around me now.

1. Will you marry me?

I don’t think this one needs an explanation.



I’ve been busy with work and life stuff hence no updates in almost 2 weeks. I’ll get back on the ball as I have more free time. Food reviews will be coming soon!

Cheap Date #1: Biking

Up until now I pretty much just talked about food.  It was brought to my attention by a couple readers that I need to diversify my posts and that cheap dates aren't just about going out to eat. That's true and I do have posts in the works that do not involve food and here is the first.

The DC area is full of trails that span through parks and even downtown areas.  I didn't discover the wonders of biking until last summer and have been hooked since.  Biking as a date has many advantages over other physical activities.  Usually girls are a little apprehensive about throwing balls in holes or hitting them.  Running gets old pretty fast and a lot of people don't enjoy it since you don't get anywhere fast.

Biking is a great way to see your area from a different perspective, shed some extra pounds, and be able to hold a conversation with someone while doing something.  This site has a list of the major trails in the DC area: http://bikewashington.org/trails/

I can only give my experience with the DC and VA trails as those are the only trails I've biked.

W & OD

This is a great trail to bike since it runs from Purcellville to Shirlington. It leads to many other trails which can take you into the DC monuments or into Arlington and Alexandria.   I would only take this trail to get onto other trails as I don't think it offers much to do if on a date.  If you're biking for distance than this is a great trail to do but if you would like to get closer to the city then I would not suggest going west on this trail.

Four Mile Run Trail

Running through Arlington, the Four Mile Run Trail offers great picnic areas and a sense of being away from the city while still being in it.  The trail is nicely tucked away but also runs through busy areas such as Shirlington. The entire trails follows a fresh water stream which is stocked with fishable farm raised rainbow trout.  People are also allowed to bring their dogs off leash into the stream.  This is a great trail cause you can have your picnic, do a bit of fishing and dog watching, and then ride a short ride into Ballston, Clarendon, or Shirlington to end the night.

Custis Trail

The Custis is the main route from Virginia into the monuments of DC.  This is a great trail to ride as it has a fair number of hills and turns which will work up a sweat.  The trail can be used to enter Georgetown through Key Bridge or through the Lincold Memorial through Memorial Bridge.  I would suggest not turning onto Key Bridge and continue biking straight and cross into DC through Memorial Bridge.  The monuments are much more biker friendly and there are more outdoor activites.

Capital Crescent Trail

This trail runs through Georgetown and follows the C & O Canal to downtown Bethesda.  It's a great oppurtunity to see the C & O Canal of Georgetown and you can park your bikes and walk around Georgetown.  There are interesting restaurants and locally owned shops along the trail as you pass Georgetown and head towards Bethesda.

Mount Vernon Trail

This is a very scenic trail as it follows the Potomac River from Theodore Roosevelt Island to Mount Vernon.  Roosevelt Island does not allow bicycles but offers great picnic areas and contains a small bush maze which is fun to get lost in.  The sights along the river are great and Old Town Alexandria is a great resting spot to explore if you're heading to the trails end at Mount Vernon.

The cheapest and easiest way to start a relationship

We've all seen it before.  At parks, lounges, clubs, restaurants, school, even AT work men pursue women.  In the pursuit of finding a mate men sometimes end up spending a vast amount of money AND money (Yes I said money twice.  Initially I was going to write "time and money" but time is money so you're essentially spending money and money).

When that one girl has caught your eye she is either dating someone else or single right? The correct answer is no.  No decent looking woman is every truly "single".  So as you're chatting it up with her and possibly taking her out to dinner or spending time together she most likely has 2, 3, or even 4 other guys she's "hanging out" with also.  If you think she's worth it you'll step up your game which would probably mean more money and money.  At this point you're competing with multiple guys meaning your value to her probably isn't much because if she loses you she still has 4 other guys to buy her dinner.

So, what to do?  Use that effort on someone already in a relationship or specifically a troubled relationship. You may think women in troubled relationships are hard to find but the fact is people get bored easily and when bored they get curious.  Your job is to spark her interest and more importantly swoop her (definition of swooping). Most women in a relationship are (or at least should be) monogamous.  So your job is to get her to open up and start a conversation that will let you know what she's lacking.

Since the girl is already in a relationship you have no competition.  She wants things to work out but at the same time you've made her curious.  Your value is exponentially greater with her than the single girl because she feels she doesn't have many options and you're the knight in shining armor.

This is the cheapest and easiest way to get a girl but not the greatest.  Don't get attached and don't expect the relationship to be serious.  Since she basically cheated on her bf to be with you (if you were successful) then there's nothing stopping her from doing the same thing to you.