Moim, Lookout Hill, Helios, Barrio

This long perfect weekend my wife and I tried four places we've never been and I must say I was impressed (with most of them):

Moim: excellent food, excellent service. We had the scallion cakes with seafood- crunchy and salty. The Bi Bim Bop- so good, the "burnt" bits at the bottom of the bowl, the fresh veg, and the runny egg made this an instant favorite. The spicy pork spare ribs were fall of the bone good and swimming in a tangy, spicy BBQ sauce. We also had a monkfish that was perfectly cooked and a sashimi that melted in our mouths. I'd read bad things about this place but now I know I can't trust the interwebs. Maybe a little pricey but I still thinks it's worth it.

Lookout Hill: We went for brunch so we didn't get to sample any ribs so we had to settle for a pulled pork sandwich and a pulled chicken sandwich ($9 each). The pulled pork came with a tart slaw and the chicken came with a jalapeno relish. The relish had a nice hot bite to and couple with the chicken was a treat. The table sauces (a tomato based and vinegar based were OK with the vinegar beating the tomato...I usually go with tomato but this was just OK). The mac and cheese was tangy, gooey and tasty with a nice punch of garlic in the crispy breadcrumbs.

Helios: I know this place has been there awhile but this was my first time. They had outdoor tables so we could sit with our dog. They didn't give us any attitude about the pooch which was welcome. We started with the meze plate of excellent dips: tzaziki and their versions of hummus and babaghanouge served with warm, fluffy pita bread. Highly rec'd. Then we had the grilled octopus which was supremely tender and nicely charred. My wife had a shrimp in spicy tomato sauce that the waiter recommended and he was right. We used the rest of the pita to sop up the spicy sauce. We then went for lamb...I had mine on a pita, she had hers on a plate with crispy fresh French fries. All of these courses plus two diet cokes only cost us $75 and about five extra pounds to work off this week.

Barrio: We didn't eat here. Just stopped in for drinks after Moim. The watermelon margarita was as weak as a kitten and my friend’s spicy drink also apparently came without any alcohol also. The bartender seemed upset we bothered him. Inside the restaurant was a little skeevy. One table had two "gangsta" types with the crooked hats, doo rags, and oversized sports shirts looking kind of pissed but that might have been because one of their molls was passed out, face down on the table. No reflection on the owners but it was a little unsettling. I don't know anything about the food but the ambiance was a little strange and "all-inclusive" Mexican resort feeling. Maybe I’ll go back and try the food but first impressions count a lot in the restaurant biz.