Today's Deal: 50% Off Cacao Chocolates

And on the eighth day, finally, there was chocolate. Drop $10 for $20 to spend on goodies, or pay $25 for $50 worth of delectable chocolates, Parisian macarons, heaps of truffles, or a chocolate bunny just in time for Easter, from the local emporium of fine European chocolates and pastries, Cacao.

Both the Cleveland Park and Bethesda locations are brimming over with inventive and absurdly delicious creations from renowned pastry chef and chocolatier, Jacques Poulain. Spend an afternoon enjoying cocoa delights in the cozy cafe or take some home for future feasting. Even better: Sate the appetite of your sweet-toothed acquaintances -- remember, a box of deliciousness shaped like chocolate candies makes for a truly dulcet present, even if there's one or two missing.

Visit http://tracking.livingsocial.com/SHFg for this great deal.

Cereal Bowl Closes in Cleveland Park

Cleveland Park's Cereal Bowl restaurant, located on Connecticut Avenue between Ordway and Newark Streets, NW has closed. The restaurant, which specialized in cold, mixed cereals succumbed to what many neighbors regarded as a limited and over-specialized menu. As one patron posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv, "The proprietors of the Cereal Bowl always seemed like such nice folks that I wanted to patronize their store -- it's just that I virtually never needed a bowl of cereal, nor did anyone I know."

Cleveland Park has long had a schizophrenic --sometimes combative-- relationship with restaurants. Some restaurants are desirable to some neighbors. Others have met fierce opposition, including a Cosi, which was beaten back because of opposition by some neighbors to "chain restaurants," and Divino, an Argentine restaurant/tango hall, which some neighbors opposed because it would bring more late-night traffic into Cleveland Park.

But the restaurant scene has been hopping in Cleveland Park: Palena and Ardeo have recently expanded,.  Ripple is planning an expansion as well, and the Tackle Box will be opening in early 2011. Cleveland Park's newest culinary venture, Cacao, a chocolate shop, has lunch and dinner -- eat in or take out.

Who Will Be the Cleveland Park Listserv's 10,000th Member?

Sometime within the next week, the Cleveland Park Listserv will reach a new milestone: 10,000 members. Who will be member #10,000? Listserv founders and publishers Bill Adler and Peggy Robin will present a box of Parisian macarons from Washington, DC's newest pastry and chocolate store, Cacao, to the first listserv member who correctly guesses the day that we reach 10,000 members. Yum.