One thing is true. I know how to avoid boredom. It’s the one thing I have learned in 81 years. I keep busy. Sometimes with little things, but I keep busy.

For example, when I eat out – breakfast, lunch, dinner or sometimes even a snack, I make a note of it, and I give it a grade. A+ is the best, C- the lowest grade. Just a note and a grade – not a review. Don’t think I am really qualified to write actual reviews.

As we are now almost 7 months into 2024, I thought it might be good to look at my restaurants experiences and give a report to you (after all, sometimes a grade gives you as much information as a review would). And, because I really don’t want to badmouth anyone based on one meal, I decided to stick with my A reviews. You might think that A’s would be rare, but actually I have given 30 As, or about 2 a week. I guess this is why I continue to eat out.

One other thing. A disproportionate number of the A grades are meals eaten when we are out of town. I think this is because a greater proportion of our out of town meals are dinners at some of the best restaurants in town. Here, we go out for dinner less often and, when we do, it is more down the street, rather than across the town.

The DC area restaurants are:

1. Villa Maya – a Tex-Mex restaurant near daughter Michelle’s house in Rockville, off Norbeck Road and Bauer. (4.4)
2. Puzukan Tan Korean Grill in Arlington (4.7)
3. Cafe of India – our go-to Indian restaurant, often for carry-out, located on Wisconsin Avenue, five minutes or so from our house. (4.4)
4. Java Nation – a coffee house/lunch spot, with two locations, one in Kensington MD on Connecticut Avenue, and the other on Rockville Pike in North Bethesda. (4.4)
5. Ambar – a Balkan restaurant on 7th Street NW in Shaw (with other locations on Capitol Hill and in Arlington) (4.8)
6. Sushi Toro – a small Japanese restaurant on Nicholson Lane in North Bethesda/Rockville. (4.8)
7. Ada’s on the River in Alexandria VA (4.5)
8. Izumi, a new Japanese Restaurant in Adams Morgan on Columbia Road NW (4.6)
9. I’m Eddie Cano, our neighborhood Italian restaurant with very good eggplant Parmesan. (4.3)
10. Fresh Baguette, a breakfast/lunch/bakery with a branch in Georgetown on Wisconsin Avenue. (4.6)
11. Mamman, a coffee shop/lunch spot in Washington’s Union Market neighborhood in Northeast. (4.1)
12. Maya Cuisine – our go-to Nepalese restaurant in downtown Bethesda (4.6)
13. Moko Sushi – Japanese next to Villa Maya (4.2)
14. Jyoti – Indian food in Adams Morgan (4.0)
15. Taco el Costalilla – casual Mexican off Route 1 in Alexandria
16. Shanghai Lounge – Wisconsin Ave (4.3) between Georgetown and Glover Park (4.2)
17. Buck’s Camping and Fishing – on Connecticut Avenue next to Politics and Prose (4.3)
18. Mother Earth Cafe – coffee, breakfast and lunch on 6th Street NW (5.0)

On our Virginia Beach trip, good food at Side Street Cantina (4.4) and First Watch (4.4). On our St. Louis trip, Oceano in Clayton (4.5), Panorama at Art Museum (4.5) and Oishi Sushi in Creve Coeur (4.5). On our recent trip to Maine, Pressed Coffe and Books in Pottsville PA (4.6), Toscana in Oneonta NY (4.7), Blue Benn Diner in Bennington VT (4.6), Chez Rosa in Kennebunkport ME (4.9), The Tides at Goose Rocks Beach (3.9), Loretta (Newburyport MA) (4.6), Himalaya in Scarsdale NY (4.7), and French Roast in Manhattan (4.6).

The numbers in parentheses are Google ratings.

Any thoughts more than welcome.