Is it 2008 already? This holiday season was a bit like a time warp. One minute it was 2007 and I was baking fourteen dozen cookies and the next it was 2008 and all I wanted was soup and stew. But that's winter, right? And if you end up without electricity for a day, as I did last Friday, then you should have a few good restaurants to turn to. I've visted three noteworthy places recently and have the scoop on some up-and-coming joints too.

Fortune House
On Broadway across the street from Target, this Chinese restaurant has been around for years. For some reason, I hadn't been to it before, but in my quest to try all of the Broadway restaurants, I ate their food twice in two weeks. A friend whose Chinese grandmother loved the place marched in and ordered a ton of take-out one day, including a few off-the-menu items. Soon afterwards, I went to my husband's work holiday party there. They're great for big dinner groups, with the large round tables and enormous lazy susans in the middle. Everyone shares and you get to try more flavors. One of my favorite items was the Singapore Chow Fun ($6.95). There were thin egg noodles with a stir-fry of chicken and vegetables in a lightly curried sauce. The Chicken Salad ($7.25) was a good appetizer with crisp cabbage leaves and hoisin sauce for wrapping up the chicken into bite-sized morsels. We also tried fried rice, Kung Pao Chicken, Baked Spareribs with spicy salt, and Peking Duck served with warm tortillas (a bit odd, but it worked). Everything was flavorful without the bad-Chinese-restaurant quality of too salty or oily. We'll be putting them on speed dial for take-out.

1211 Broadway
443-3128
M-Su, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Aioli Bodega Espanola
I went here for the second time on New Year's Eve day. My first visit was during the late summer, when I sat outside on the back patio and enjoyed the secluded feeling of that area amidst the chaos that has become 18th and L Streets. This time we sat inside and there were few guests--probably all saving up for parties that night. We started with a bottle of cava, the Spanish sparkling wine. They only had one variety, but it was light and refreshing for lunch. Aioli has been at that location for 13 years, with a Davis outpost for just a few. The place is small, but bright and specializes in tapas, with two pages worth of offerings. I've had the Bourek de Casa ($6.25) twice. They're pastry triangles (or in one case, squares), filled with your choice of cheese or meat. Both versions were flaky and delicious, but I preferred the light white cheese filling. The Puerco Castilla ($7.25)--bites of pork braised with raisins, pearl onions, and a sweet and sour sauce, was delicious. I also liked the Albondigas Todo Ajo (garlic meatballs) and Judias Blancas (white beans, tuna, mint, and olives). The lunch special of three courses is a good deal with plenty of food and the salmon we tried as one of the choices was moist and flavorful. On the second visit, I got pork and pineapple rolled in coca bread, while my husband had braised lamb in coca bread. This is a kind of flatbread similar to a naan or lavash. The lamb was fantastically flavorful, but the pork was lacking some seasoning. However, the shoestring potato fries that came with the sandwiches were crisp and hot. I've only had one dessert there, but it was a very tender almond cake flavored with honey and orange water. I'm sorry I waited so long to visit Aioli because the food has been very good. I look forward to going back when the patio is open again and enjoying the little oasis of delicious calm.

1800 L Street
447-9440
M-F 11:30 to 3; M-Sat 5 to 11; Su 5 to 10