Eat Out. Village Idiot [Thirsty Thursdays!].

So although the picture above shows a empty bar, this place is actually never bare. The Village Idiot is an amazing English restaurant/upscale pub, with really excellent food.

The noises of a crowded bar, with dishes clanging and people chatting, actually gives this place a charming atmosphere, and it feels really warm with the rich dark wood.

My favorite thing about this place is the blended beers. Quite often, their blends are a mix of dark, creamy, frothy beers from England, which are actually much better than the run-of-the-mill Guiness-and-something-else. Their half-and-half is phenomonal and I love the 1903 craftsman lager.

In my pre-vegetarian days, I would eat their ale-steamed mussels, but now I am restricted entirely to the "no face" portion of the menu, but their "two legs" and "four legs" options are quite tempting.

The steak and potato pie looks scrumptious.

The Village Idiot is located at 7383 Melrose Avenue.

-- Lauren Williams