A whirlwind weekend in Washington DC was a welcomed break from the tension of the fire, the evacuation and the feeling of dread that has hung over our heads for a week. Upgraded to first, the ride was totally painless; car rental was smooth and we set off for Frederick where we spent the night at a very pleasant Holiday Inn. On the plane, we realized it was our third anniversary. In the emotional chaos wreaked by the fire, the event had slipped our minds. En route to Frederick we stopped at the Double TT Diner for a celebratory dinner (well, sort of). The diner parking lot was crowded at 9:00 on a week night which we took for a good sign. Once seated, the fun began. Our Asian waitress brought us the menu which was like a tome. Page after page of items from Greek to Chinese. Typically this menu contained admonitions and instructions about splitting plates and substitutions and well-done eggs. Something unusual - the tip is automatically added on. First time I've seen that in an American restaurant, except in the case of large parties where the added on service has become routine. Our service was fine and we certainly would have added this tip, but it did leave a bad taste to be force into it.
The food was adequate - I had blintzes which seemed to be the same as those you can buy in the frozen food section of your local supermarket. I had a glass of wine for $2.50 - the cheapest glass I've had in a restaurant for years. The wine was perfectly fine for a house wine. As we left
