Ferhat Yalcin Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I am very flattered from these honest posts. Thank you very much and keep the constructive posts coming please. This is the only way for me to make the necessary changes and improve. I get the bread from Panorama. We started toasting the bread in our second week. However we only toast the inside not out. Since all the juices of the fish, lettuce/tomato and the sauce are in the bread, it is hard to see if there is any toasting done. I understand this point and we will start toasting both sides of the bread starting this evening. Darkstar, I wish your experience was better and hopefully next time it will be. You visited us during my first catering job, for 70 people, was not as easy as I planned. That smoke had to happen when I started cooking 30 extra burgers in addition of what was on the grill and apparently my hood can not handle that. So we had to open the windows to prevent the dining room fill up with smoke. Normally our thermostat is set at 71 degrees but temperature went down quickly with the windows open. When the party increased their size the same morning, I had to serve them what I saved for restaurant and it effected the menu, we ran out of a lot of things. LauraB, we started this morning a little later than our normal time so some of our prep was not done. That is why we could not get your food out of the kitchen on time. I apologize for this. However, other couple ordered the lobster sliders which were all ready so they got their food first. Our time per order is not to exceed 12-13 minutes but unfortunately sometimes we go overtime. You all had an experience here whether it is good, average or bad. I opened Fishnet to make all the experiences good and better. For whatever the reason you are/were not happy, please let me know on the spot and I will fix the problem unless it is beyond my control and again I really really thank and appreciate all the above posts and. *delivery will start sometime in February, 2012 *yes, I can clean, cut and portion a whole fish in less than 15 minutes *our closing date has changed to 12-22-2011 and we will open on January 4th at 5.00pm in 2012 *menu is shrinking due to our closing *original balik-ekmek is served on not-toasted bread *merry Christmas and happy new year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I am very flattered from these honest posts. Thank you very much and keep the constructive posts coming please. This is the only way for me to make the necessary changes and improve. <snip> I understand this point and we will start toasting both sides of the bread starting this evening. <more snipping > *yes, I can clean, cut and portion a whole fish in less than 15 minutes <final snips> *original balik-ekmek is served on not-toasted bread *merry Christmas and happy new year This is what I love about donrockwell.com. It's what first prompted me to register several years ago. There aren't many (er, any) other spots online or off where so many owners, chefs and restaurant pros can teach, learn, talk and exchange views with regular but interested and understanding joes and janes like me and many others on this board. And, in such a constructive and empathetic way. Great stuff! Truly very cool. Ferhat, thanks a ton for your response here. And, thanks also for what you're doing with fishnet. My experience was by no means "bad" and, as I wrote, I'll be back, loved my hake, the fries, the friendliness of your staff, etc. Panorama is a super source for bread. We know this since they are also the supplier of great bread to spots like Citronelle and Medium Rare in DC (among others). Maybe Corduroy also? I hope the new two-sided toasting makes sense for your business and all your customers. Personally, I'd have guessed that just more grill time on the cut side would do the trick and be more efficient when you're busy but I don't really know what I'm talking about. I do know I appreciate it and thank you for it. As for all the other things about ambient temperature, smoke and supply shortages, it all makes total sense and no restaurant can get all that perfect especially when starting out as you are. Ferhat, one other thing. I snipped your post quite a bit in quoting it above. That was just so I could focus on the overriding point with which you started and because I loved your bullets with the *s. They literally made me smile. Also, the 15 min clean/cut/portion admission tells me you were the guy who carried that behemoth in the from the back. I'll be sure to say hi next time. Thanks again and I look forward to getting back to fishnet early in the New Year once you've returned from the source of Fishnet's inspiration. Happy holidays to you and to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidsdc Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Nice pic! First Bite in today's WaPo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr food Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Tom comes to PG county Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilaine Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 We are closing for a combined vacation. My staff will be with their families and İ will be in Turkey to enhance my taste buds. Besides İstanbul i will travel to Gaziantep and Sanliurfa which are very close to Syria border. Starting December 24th and opening on January 4th for dinner service at 5pm. Merry Christmast and happy new years to everybody. For reasons that have nothing to do with dinner, amd have everything to do with paleolithic archeology (Gobekli Tepe), my family and I would like very much to visit Sanliurfa. I hope you and your family have a wonderful time and come back, and even more so that you can give us advice on achieving our dream. Peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia R Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Nice pic! First Bite in today's WaPo. And Fishnet made Washingtonian's Top 10 Restaurant Openings of 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMVDining2 Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Congrats to Ferhat on making the Top 10 Restaurant Openings of 2011! http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/restaurants/bestbites/22024.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol_ironstomach Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 A trip across the hinterlands to IKEA pretty much now warrants a celebratory detour to Fishnet. I almost wish that Ferhat would offer a British- (or better yet, Belgian-) style "chip" option, because the crisply battered fried filets they're putting out are far superior to what most would-be fish-and-chips place have on offer. Once again the fried hake sandwich was perfectly done, but the decision to toast has enormously improved the texture of the ciabatta crust compared to what they had the first couple of weeks of operation. Larger condiment cups would be nice though. The current size is bigger than a thimble, but not enough to carry you through a cup of fries. There's a "fish taco" now, which isn't at all in the Baja style but might be described as a salmon burrito. You get two to an order, thus as with practically all of the sandwiches, it's a ridiculous value at around ten bucks for some generous hand-cut fillets. College Park hasn't had food this good since Mandalay relocated to Silver Spring. Don't waste this chance, folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Another lunch stop at Fishnet this past week. Great the last time; even better this time. Fishnet manages to be simple yet interesting, familiar yet unique and a super value that you'd feel good about supporting even if the food wasn't quite as wonderful as it is. - Sandwiches now on great-quality ciabatta from Panorama. This is a big step up from the bread they were using a month or two back and the perfect match for high-quality fish and Ferhat's tasty sauces. - The bread is now being grilled to lightly toast! I know this isn't how it's done at the Bosporus but here, in College Park in winter, it really enhances the sandwich. - Tried the "fish sticks" this visit and had to laugh at what was served. Nothing like the assembly line, frozen fish sticks from the 70s. This is a generous portion of small mini-filets of hake, lightly crisped with panko; delicious and perfect with the aiolis (spicy or lemon) or Turkish tartar - A new "shepherd's salad" of fresh tomato, onion and cucumber flavored with sumac (hint, ask for the pomegranate sauce to heighten the flavor profile of this even more). This is hearty, delicious and a big portion with real value for the money. - Really interesting and flavorful condiments including a balsamic-like pomegranate sauce called 'nar ekşisi,' genuine Turkish sumak delicious on the salad and what gives the unique tartar its purplish color and a turkish chili pepper spice/powder whose name I can't recall It's a real head scratcher to me that nothing like this in quality or distinctiveness exists closer to DC. Ferhat has created something truly special in Fishnet. Totally worth the trip from DC but wish it was closer to his old stomping grounds downtown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 a turkish chili pepper spice/powder whose name I can't recall Urfa pepper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMatt Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Urfa pepper? Or aleppo pepper? Those are the two I can think of. (Of course, once at an Afghan restaurant I confused sumac with pepper. Hoo boy.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Maresh is another Turkish pepper. I love all three Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferhat Yalcin Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 it is `isot`. homemade, dried on the roof of who ever is making it. It is from Urfa. There are few different isot peppers. The one I use is specifically to make cigkofte. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I was about to quote Zora and reply "yes! Urfa! That was it!" but of course Ferhat knows better than all of us. Either the place "urfa" or the type "isot" was on the label. I mostly recall it was the very best kind of four-letter word Deep, dark color and a wonderful intoxicating scent like roasted, dried and ground chipotle, poblano or other moderate heat pepper. Added character and flavor to the shepherd's salad in a big way along with the pomegranate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toogs Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Really great stuff. Just got back with a falafel sandwich and a hake with spicy aioli. Great flavors in both sauces and the falalfel were just right-nice and crisp, hot and gushy middles. Was in a rush so I got carry out but will be back, hopefully often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferhat Yalcin Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I will be happy to share my excitement and happiness with you with these great news: - Sunday,March 4th, we are starting brunch. Brunch will be served only on Sundays(for now) between 9.00am and 2.00pm. Comes with that, there will not be any dinner service on Sundays. So Sundays are for brunch only and no more dinner. Other hours are remaining same so far. - I received a mail this afternoon and it got me very excited and thankful. Restaurant association of Maryland (RAM) has selected `Fishnet` as a finalist for the Maryland Favorite New Restaurant Award. The winner will be announced at the Annual Awards Gala on April 16th. Until that time, they encourage all the finalists to direct their supporters, friends, family to vote for them. So I would really appreciate if you take the time to vote for Fishnet. It only takes less than a minute. The link is http://www.marylandrestaurants.com/gala go to public voting and vote. After voting you need to leave your information so they will know it is coming from real people. If any of you are interested in this gala, you can purchase tickets from the webpage. It looks like there will be cocktail hour, 3 course dinner and dancing. Thank you again!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Done with enthusiasm! Freddy's is also up for this under craft beer program. They totally deserve the support too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lion Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Stopped by recently for my first visit. Very impressed with the mature and international style of taste. The quality rivals some of the best seafood focused restaurants in the DC metro area. I actually went to Passionfish the same week, and enjoyed the food at Fishnet more. Unfortunately, it's on the other side of the beltway for me, otherwise I would definitely throw it into my normal twice a month rotation. I hope it succeeds in the long run since the only negative I could see was the location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 <snip> Unfortunately, it's on the other side of the beltway for me, otherwise I would definitely throw it into my normal twice a month rotation. I hope it succeeds in the long run since the only negative I could see was the location. Yes! We went up yesterday (Saturday) for lunch and were totally deflated when we finally arrived to learn that Fishnet isn't serving Saturday lunch. Noone's fault but my own of course. I should have checked online and stupidly just assumed it'd be open before the kind of long drive. It's really hard to say from the cheap seats we occupy whether the higher expenses of a DC location could work for another Fishnet. But, given the originality, quality, character, freshness, simplicity and big time value of what Ferhat is doing, I can help but think it'd do phenomenally well in or at least much closer to the District. One can dream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 So you're just telling us that the restaurant isn't open when its website says it isn't open. I'm glad Ferhat isn't sitting at this restaurant with his thumb up his ass waiting for customers when his website says he's closed. Uh, for the most part was saying it'd be great to have one closer to the big population center given how awesome what Ferhat is doing. Also did say it was closed (as the website indicates and as you helpfully point out) with this admission: Noone's fault but my own of course. I should have checked online and stupidly just assumed it'd be open before the kind of long drive. Bit of purposeful humility. Just clarifyin' but, again, thanks so much for your post. Very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidsdc Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 We went this past weekend as well--and it was delicious as always. (We try to stop whenever we make a trip to Costco )Since the last time I wanted to try the burger and they were sold out, I decided to forgo the fish for meat. It was loosely formed, perfectly cooked and quite delicious with lots of beefy flavor. Mr. S had the Falafel and also really enjoyed them. Fries were not as crisp as at previous times, but tasty all the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Horoscope Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Hadn't seen this on the menu before: garlic shrimp over greens. Wow! At $6 it's priced more like an appetizer. Had a nice light lunch with it today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookluvingbabe Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Say hi next time! This was the best lunch I've had in ages. Had the salmon tacos. Well seasoned, amazing sauce, and a nice amount of slaw. I'd probably skip the wrap next time. It was my first visit and I am rarely, rarely, rarely in the area but I can't wait to go back. In fact I think I may need to schedule meetings with people who work at UMD more often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choirgirl21 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Went for my second time for lunch today. I had the hake last time so decided to forego the fish in favor of the homemade falafal with cucumber dill sauce, so good. 2 large falafal patties stacked onto the standard ciabatta with mixed greens and tomato. My only complaint is I would have liked more sauce, which I could have remedied by getting up and asking for it, but I was enjoying eating outside in this gorgeous weather too much. I loved the coleslaw on a previous visit, this time the cabbage was very coursely chopped, flavor was still good though. Friend's fries were crispier this time than I remembered, also really good. I am so happy to have this place within driving distance of my office, although it does make for a pricey lunch. New item on the menu btw: lobster bisque. Didn't have it, just reporting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferhat Yalcin Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 As the demand and requests gets higher, I am happily forced to do this change which will make darkstar and tweaked happy as with the other people. Starting March 31st, Saturday, we will open at 11.30am, every Saturday. Closing is same at 9.30pm. And I personally do not want to live my life in here at the restaurant so the result is starting March 26th, Monday, we will be closed every Monday. I hope this will not be an inconvenience for people who work in the area. I will update the webpage sometime soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 As the demand and requests gets higher, I am happily forced to do this change which will make darkstar and tweaked happy as with the other people. Starting March 31st, Saturday, we will open at 11.30am, every Saturday. Closing is same at 9.30pm. And I personally do not want to live my life in here at the restaurant so the result is starting March 26th, Monday, we will be closed every Monday. I hope this will not be an inconvenience for people who work in the area. I will update the webpage sometime soon. The only alternative I can see, Ferhat, is to clone yourself. Several times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choirgirl21 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 As we pulled up on Monday I had a freak out moment where I convinced myself that you were closed on Mondays and we had come expecting a great lunch only to be disappointed. I quickly realized that was not the case (the large neon "open" sign helped) and that I was remembering the posts here of people who had come on Saturdays not remembering you were closed. I am nearly certain I will forget this at some point in the future and stand staring longingly into your dark windows some Monday afternoon as a single tear trails down my cheek... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toogs Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 As the demand and requests gets higher, I am happily forced to do this change which will make darkstar and tweaked happy as with the other people. Starting March 31st, Saturday, we will open at 11.30am, every Saturday. Closing is same at 9.30pm. And I personally do not want to live my life in here at the restaurant so the result is starting March 26th, Monday, we will be closed every Monday. I hope this will not be an inconvenience for people who work in the area. I will update the webp age sometime soon. What the everloving F? I'm cancelling Mondays then. I mean it. In other words: as a PG denizen, I'm so happy and proud to have Fishnet. I'm so very glad you do what you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia R Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I will be happy to share my excitement and happiness with you with these great news: <snip> - I received a mail this afternoon and it got me very excited and thankful. Restaurant association of Maryland (RAM) has selected `Fishnet` as a finalist for the Maryland Favorite New Restaurant Award. The winner will be announced at the Annual Awards Gala on April 16th. Voting closed on March 9th and hopefully Fishnet will prevail over the other worthy nominees. This week's Gazette has an article by staff writer Lindsey Robbins. The article quotes, sigh, the usually silent Tom Power of Corduroy: Yalcin, who has a background in restaurant management but no formal culinary training, employs a staff of four, including two other cooks. He said he learned cooking from his Turkish mother and from watching the staff at Corduroy, a fine dining restaurant in Washington, D.C., where he was general manager for nine years, working under chef and owner Tom Power. Power described Yalcin as passionate and “eager to please.” Yalcin began at Corduroy as a server and advanced to general manager. Before that, Yalcin waited tables at various bistros in Georgetown. “He has good service skills and understands the customers,” Power said. “I think he’ll do well. I’m very happy for him.” Power also complimented Fishnet’s niche in the casual market, saying it is largely dominated by burger places. More people are opening casual restaurants, as customers are looking to spend less eating out, he said. “Food prices are going up and customers don’t want to pay more,” he said. <snip> Having visited Fishnet, Power said he was particularly impressed with its lack of “cutting corners,” even down to making its own fries rather than purchasing them. “With his price point, it would be easier to have frozen fries,” he said. Looking forward to learning the "election" results and rounding that part of the Beltway for baseball season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookluvingbabe Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 Fishnet passed the in-laws test with flying colors. We took a slight detour off the highway for lunch after their arrival and everyone was delighted. BLPreschooler ate his fish sticks with gusto, although he complained that they weren't really stick shaped. Everyone else had the grilled salmon sandwich and the plates were wiped clean. In-laws liked how light and airy it was. Mr. BLB liked having a place to walk with the boy after lunch. Everyone loved the food. I'm not quite sure when we all last agreed on a dining establishment! The service was great--I felt a bit bad for the young person taking our order when 3 of us began to speak at once. Sigh... He handled it with gusto though. Mr. BLB even mentioned it would be a good stop on a trip to Ikea in the future. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRiv18 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 On a Friday night at 8 pm with two hungry kids and two lazy parental units, it was a stretch to find a decent restaurant that didn't have at least a 45 minute wait on H Street NE. Seemed like a perfect time to head up and try Fishnet, and it was a paradise. By the time we reached there at 8:30, it was pretty chill and we had the pick of our tables. 10 minutes later, our order was up. My wife really enjoyed her salmon sandwich, and I dug my soft shell crab. The fish-sticks made for a perfect app, and we split fries. The shepard's salad is the best palate cleanser after all the fried foods we ate. The music was soft electronica, the noise level was very low, and by the end at 9:00pm when we left (it closed at 9:30), there were just a couple of wi-fi squatters. The only downside to arriving later is that they do run out of the fresh fish (no shrimp by the time we arrived), but that's life when you're dealing with quality products. For my situtation, I don't need Ikea for an excuse to visit Fishnet, as it isn't a hardship for us to head over there. Then again, we are apt to drive out to Virginia for Korean food or for Ray's the Steaks, so we might have a higher tolerance for distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Foodie Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 After meaning to get up to Fishnet since it opened (I live in NE so it shouldn't be that hard), I finally made it today. I was heading back home from a conference in Baltimore and happened to be driving nearby at lunch time and stopped in. Ferhat recognized me from Corduroy (and I honestly didn't go there that much), so the man must have a great memory! He was also doing everything from taking the orders to running out the food to changing up the menu. At lunch there is a special that includes a sandwich or taco, a side, and a drink for $14, which is a great deal. I had the grilled swordfish with spicy aioli and fries. The swordfish was nicely grilled, and the ciabatta had been thrown on the grill briefly as well (just enough to leave a few marks and crisp it up slightly, but not make it too crunchy), and the aioli was awesome. Not too spicy, but some nice flavor. The fries were superlative. Obviously fresh out of the fryer, they were crispy and salty with a hint of black pepper as well. I wish I had some more of the aioli to dip! Definitely need to take the +1 and make it back up there sooner than later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozgirl Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 It feels like I spent the weekend circumnavigating the beltway just to get to Fishnet - not once but twice. Both times were completely worth the trip. first visit - Saturday night for dinner. we ordered the fish tacos, grilled salmon sandwich, shepherd's salad, and fries. sandwich = fish nicely cooked, some char on the outside, but moist inside, spicy aioli had a nice kick, and the ciabatta toasted just enough to give structure to the bread (which was softer and far less crusty than i had imagined - not a bad thing). fish taco = my favourite of the two - cruchy fish stick contrasted nicely with the slightly sweet sauce and the slaw fries and shepherd's salad (cukes, tomato, onion, pomegranite drizzle) made for nice sides. All this to say, that we enjoyed our experience so much we came back for brunch the next day. Brunch included: salmon benedict, veggie omelet, and a side of grits salmon benedict = untoasted english muffin, nicely cooked fish, egg poached mostly hard cooked, but still plenty runny (just the way my husband likes them), and a lovely hollandaise sauce that had a strong lemon flavour. the lemon in the sauce was so good! veggie omelet = fine - your standard omelet. grits = OMG the grits!! So, so, good .... creamy, a little gritty, and BUTTERY. I was fearful of the amount of butter that was added to these grits on a per portion basis. They are incredibly rich and I understood why the woman ordering in line ahead of us told us how she craved these grits all week long. I have been spreading the word about this place to friends. Hopefully they too will go. (I was surprised that the place wasn't busier on a saturday night for dinner, but seemed like a slow flow of folks on sunday morning.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Shop College Park just broke the news, so I guess it's okay to announce that Fishnet is going to open a coffee shop next door. (I'll start a new thread for this when I get more details, like the name!) And also when Fishnet will be getting their beer and wine license and/or announces their corkage policy, hint, hint, hint, hint, hint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Horoscope Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Had a great grilled cheese and tomato sandwich today with a sweet corn bisque for lunch! I love it when they mix it up with new specials! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drive-by Critic Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I really wanted to love this adorable place tucked away on a quiet street in College Park. Even before entering, though, I was put off by the fairly strong odor of fried fish. That fried-two-days-ago smell. It just hung in the air. There was no such smell indoors. The place was maybe half-full but the noise level was uncomfortable, and all due to one child speaking in a loud voice. The sound ricochets off the hard surfaces. I can't imagine how loud it must be when full. We definitely must have mis-ordered because our meals were truly unsuccessful. The lobster rolls had no discernable taste of lobster. The spicy gazpacho bore no resemblance to any gazpacho I've ever had. Frankly, it looked as though someone had opened a jar of Herdez salsa verde, maybe doctored it a bit, and then poured it into a cup. It had an odd, off-putting flavor, nothing identifiable as a piece of vegetable. My mother and I each tried it and it was really bad. Then one of the cooks walked over, said he'd forgotten to add the vinegar, and poured some vinegar into the cup. After a thorough stirring, I tried it again. Now it was even worse. Inedible. We both agreed that the cole slaw was very good. I have to say that for $46 for two, I don't really appreciate having to bus my own table. Flame away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Flame away. Soooo..... you went to FISHnet and didn't order any FISH? I haven't had their gazpacho or lobster roll, so I can't speak to them. Sorry you didn't like them. I've been a half dozen times but have always gotten fish sandwiches. As far as the price point and bussing a table, I remember the same discussion a couple of years ago about Bobby's Crabcakes. If Fishnet hired waiters and bussers, the prices would have to be higher. Would you have liked your meal more at $55 instead of $46 so you could have your order taken and table bussed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drive-by Critic Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Soooo..... you went to FISHnet and didn't order any FISH? Soooo...you really ought to read their menu. Their signature items include a burger, a vegan felafel, and a softshell crab sandwich. Three of the five signature items are not fish; two are not even seafood at all. Plus, why would you think that it would be odd for a fish restaurant to offer seafood? As far as the price point and bussing a table, I remember the same discussion a couple of years ago about Bobby's Crabcakes. If Fishnet hired waiters and bussers, the prices would have to be higher. Would you have liked your meal more at $55 instead of $46 so you could have your order taken and table bussed? I go to Freddy's which is in a much higher-rent location. For $2 more than I paid at Fishnet, I can get a lobster roll with fries (so basically, the same price). I get full table service. So I don't know that having the table bussed would force them to raise prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drive-by Critic Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Soooo..... you went to FISHnet and didn't order any FISH? Menu from Mary's FISH Camp in NYC, which is famous for its lobster roll (though I can't see why - the lobster is indeed top quality and tasty but the one time I was there, it was drowning in the mayo-based sauce). STARTERS Raw bar selections are listed on the board in the restaurant Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad with Nicoise Olives and Mint • 10 Raw Kale with Lemon, Red Pepper, Pine Nuts and Grana Padano • 10 Fried Green Tomatoes with Bacon Buttermilk Dressing • 12 Deviled Eggs with Scottish Smoked Salmon • 7 Wild Salmon Crudo with Citrus Vinaigrette • 12 Canadian Steamers with Drawn Butter and Lemon • 16 Grilled Calamari with Papaya, Peanuts, Chilis & Mint • 12 Fried Oysters and Clams with Fish Camp Tartar Sauce • 12 Salt Cod Fritters with Harissa Yogurt • 11 Colorado Smoked Trout Dip with Celery, Radish and Toast • 11 Boquerones with Orange, Almond and Olive • 12 Spicy Chilled Gazpacho with Lobster Knuckle • 10 MAINS Fish Camp Oyster Po Boy • 15 (Open-Faced) Ahi Tuna Melt with Gruyère • 18 Portuguese Sardine Bánh Mì • 15 Market Fish Tacos with Pico De Gallo, Chipotle Aioli, and Pickled Jalapeño • 18 Pan Fried ‘Hook and Line’ Atlantic Cod Sandwich with French Fries • 18 Fried Clam Roll with Celery Root Remoulade • 14 Herb Marinated Shrimp with Asparagus and Summer Tomatoes • 20 Seared Wild Striped Bass Filet with Farro and Lime Curry Sauce • 22 Whole Market Fish Served Grilled or Fried • M/P 1 1/2 Lb Maine Lobster- Grilled, Chilled or Boiled • M/P Lobster Roll (Limited Supply) • M/P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Soooo..... you went to FISHnet and didn't order any FISH? That in no way invalidates DbC's opinions of the food that she did order. Did you ever eat anything at Bobby's other than crabcakes? Are lobster and clams the only things you'll order at Freddy's? Are Five Guys burgers and fries really made with five guys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 [The number one suggestion I get about this website (at least in terms of what members do) is that the counter-opinions here can be so strong that new users are afraid to post. This is turning into a fight among friends, needlessly. (I can always restore the original posts later so everyone can see what I'm talking about, but for now, I'd like everyone to please take a breath.) This is a terrible thing about moderation - I can see that this is quickly turning into a [pissing match, battle of egos, nitpick-ridden argument, choose your term]; yet, I feel guilty about stepping in and disallowing free speech; yet, the quarrel is taking place in a thread which directly affects someone's livelihood. There is no perfect answer. Take a breath, please, and remember that what you say here has a non-negligible effect on a company's well-being - questioning a post can sometimes draw more attention to things, causing even more (unintentional) harm to the company. I need an Advil. I should write a book. The original post stands as written.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choirgirl21 Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Well I apparently missed all of the fun. I could nitpick some things in that review, but meh, perhaps the restaurant had an off day. I've been there at least 4 times now and have always had consistently good food and a good customer service experience overall. I actually forgot to post about my last trip. I had had a bit too much to drink the previous night - wasn't hung over, but was craving something fatty so I thought it was a good excuse to try their burger, except they weren't serving it, so I opted for the fish sticks instead. These are not the fish sticks of the Mrs. Paul's variety, they were large thin pieces of hake coated in a well-seasoned (verging on salty, which was perfect imo) panko and fried to perfect crispness. The spicy aioli as always added a nice bit of spice and moisture. Slaw was great as always and the fries were better than I remembered them. I split the fries and slaw with a friend and still left stuffed. It's not a cheap lunch, but for the quality and knowing I will always get a good meal, it's well worth it imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferhat Yalcin Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 As we are all humans it is true that we all can have off days. After reading Drive by Critic`s post multiple times and gathering some intel from my staff and tasting all the food she had, it made more sense to me that somebody here!! had an off day!?! Drive by Critic, Thank you very much for coming to Fishnet for the first time. I am very sorry your visit was not up to your expectations. In your post I need to highlight some points. First of all you have your own palate and taste buds and decisions are yours. I have no defense if you do not like a specific type of food but I will say that I am sorry you did not like the lobster roll (I use fresh, live lobsters from Maine, cook them daily resulting 10-12 orders a day with homemade tarragon mayo covering the meat in the potato roll). I am sorry you did not like the spicy gazpacho ( I use a lot of fresh vegetables and spices, using a blender, resulting a pureed soup style gazpacho,not chunky at all, yes there is pureed gazpacho in United States and there is nothing wrong with it, in this case it will be very hard to define what kind of vegetables are in the gazpacho just by looking, however experienced palates can tell, before serving I add a touch of green apple balsamic vinegar from `ah love oil and vinegar` in your case it was forgotten and again I apologize for that) You also mentioned you were put off before you came in because there was an odd fried fish smell in the air. Unfortunate but I have no control over that smell and it is actually coming from the grill not fryer (I change my oil every 5 days using 100% pure canola oil and filter the oil after the third day, which is better than the usual restaurant standards) You would not smell that kind of a thing in the city because all the vents are going up in the sky 9 - 10 stories. Fishnet is only 1 story and I have a flat roof but my vent is towards the back of the building facing the street behind the restaurant. Think of this as your neighbors are having a barbecue party in their back yard and you get to smell the smoke. You already mentioned there was no smell indoors which is how it is supposed to be and a sign of a clean and careful restaurant. Noise level would be high because of my hardwood floors and there is no sound absorbing equipment. There were actually 4 kids in the restaurant at your time ( by looking from the camera recording) and this will bring some noise. My restaurant is kid friendly, a lot of families come here and I never claimed to be a quiet place. I am glad you liked the coleslaw. Your bill came up to $46 because of the 2 orders of lobster roll ($16 each) and I can not dictate the price on lobster at all, 2 sides, gazpacho and a drink. My system is, you bus your own table as I have no wait staff. Even if you do not bus your own table we still clean up after you and do not say anything negative after you or expect anything from you. In your case you did not quite bus your table, there were still napkins and cups on the table and we still cleaned up after you. While you believe you have all these valid points in your post, I believe that you took unnecessary jabs and making Fishnet look bad. I always welcome if a critisim is constructive but your post is not that. In this board it is almost always the point that when you go into a restaurant and if not happy, you should talk to a manager or the owner of the restaurant. I wish you did that while you were not happy with almost anything you had but you chose not to do so. Even Tom Sietsema always tells his chatters to speak up. If you do not tell me(or someone who works in here) how your food was, how am I suppose to correct it or serve you some other things from the menu??? By the way if you choose to visit Fishnet again and order the lobster roll and gazpacho, most likely they will taste the same because I was not able to discover anything wrong. As I said at the top of my post, somebody had an off day. I still believe that somebody was not Fishnet. Maybe you were having an off day and whatever experience you would have most likely to be negative. And I do not appreciate you saying my gazpacho looks like Herdez salsa verde (btw, I had no idea what that thing was until I googled it and yes my gazpacho looks like that crap but it is homemade and I am sure tastes much better) and I definitely do not appreciate paying $25 an hour to park my car in New York for couple of hours on my own, somebody needs to get me the valet for that price. I wrote this to defend my restaurant and express my feelings. I have no intention to disrespect Drive by Critic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted July 26, 2012 Author Share Posted July 26, 2012 I wrote this to defend my restaurant and express my feelings. I have no intention to disrespect Drive by Critic. Thanks for chiming in Ferhat. FWIW, I heard from the woman Drive-by Critic mentioned with the loud child (believe it or not!) - Ferhat, you have more fans here than you think! She told me you (Ferhat) were off that day, and also has her own version of events which I will let her share only if she wishes. Sorry this particular visit didn't work out for everyone; Drive-by, I would recommend, based on two prior visits, that you give it another go, and maybe ask Ferhat for daily specials that day, or call in first and see what they have. So far, I'm batting two-for-two at Fishnet, and wish I lived closer - I'd go once a week. At the same time, I don't want any member here to feel like they can't write about a negative experience. With proper substantiation, all experiences (each of which is a valid data point) are more than welcome, about all restaurants, even website favorites like Fishnet. (And yes, it's always a very good idea to speak with management if you're unsatisfied with anything, in order to give them a chance to correct any problem.) This isn't my best writing, but it's 6:10 AM and I'm going back to sleeeeep. Cheers, Rocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookluvingbabe Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Mother of the "loud" child checking in. So.... We thought it was loud too and were even playing telephone and having a contest to see who could whisper the longest. I thought it was pretty obvious that Ferhat wasn't on site as the servious was slow and a bit wonky. Nothing terrible. We went through all of the snacks in our bag while waiting and that helped. I didn't notice any odors outside the location. But more importantly the food was terrific. The "loud" child ate his fish sticks and half of my salmon and most of Mr. BLB's fries. We introduced Fishnet to new fans (and hopefully this board and the other mom won't run away in mortification at her own "loud" child being called out.) Our only compaint is that the portions are small. I think they are 100 percent priced fairly for the portion size but I was hungry pretty quickly after we left. Of course I only got to eat a small share of my lunch. Next time we will skip the fish sticks, get the "loud" child his own salmon and get a fish tacos to split. Mr. BLB is already plotting our return. With our "loud" child whose enthisuasm for Fishnet is undiminished. Sigh... Jennifer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Mother of the "loud" child checking in. So.... We thought it was loud too and were even playing telephone and having a contest to see who could whisper the longest. I thought it was pretty obvious that Ferhat wasn't on site as the servious was slow and a bit wonky. Nothing terrible. We went through all of the snacks in our bag while waiting and that helped. I didn't notice any odors outside the location. But more importantly the food was terrific. The "loud" child ate his fish sticks and half of my salmon and most of Mr. BLB's fries. We introduced Fishnet to new fans (and hopefully this board and the other mom won't run away in mortification at her own "loud" child being called out.) Our only compaint is that the portions are small. I think they are 100 percent priced fairly for the portion size but I was hungry pretty quickly after we left. Of course I only got to eat a small share of my lunch. Next time we will skip the fish sticks, get the "loud" child his own salmon and get a fish tacos to split. Mr. BLB is already plotting our return. With our "loud" child whose enthisuasm for Fishnet is undiminished. Sigh... Jennifer It's a casual place and as such, is likely to have kids, who are not always quiet (as the parent of a tween, who was loud as a younger child, I have experience). I certainly wouldn't find that out of line in a casual place, and appreciate family-friendly restaurants that have good food. When I want a peaceful, quiet restaurant, I go somewhere more upscale/fancy (and even then may not find it). I appreciate reviews that mention noise levels in places that you'd expect/hope to find fairly quiet. Since this isn't a place for a romantic evening or business meal, it wouldn't bother me at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Sigh. As one of the more unqualified Fishnet fans (who hasn't been in a couple of months due to travel), the latest several posts on this thread are a bit saddening. - I'd sure hope "negative" posts...or, rather, constructive criticism, would always, always be strongly encouraged here. If everything's positive all the time, it becomes useless IMHO. - Maybe Fishnet had an off day. Maybe they didn't. Suffice to say, every place has and can have an off day. And, in the interests of empathy and utility, we can maybe even help restaurants by being constructive and balancing good with bad. - FWIW, I think I must be at least 10 for 10 at Fishnet. - Will definitely be back very soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted July 29, 2012 Author Share Posted July 29, 2012 Sigh. As one of the more unqualified Fishnet fans (who hasn't been in a couple of months due to travel), the latest several posts on this thread are a bit saddening. - I'd sure hope "negative" posts...or, rather, constructive criticism, would always, always be strongly encouraged here. If everything's positive all the time, it becomes useless IMHO. - Maybe Fishnet had an off day. Maybe they didn't. Suffice to say, every place has and can have an off day. And, in the interests of empathy and utility, we can maybe even help restaurants by being constructive and balancing good with bad. - FWIW, I think I must be at least 10 for 10 at Fishnet. - Will definitely be back very soon. [in case anyone cares, I deleted posts 87-90 in this thread so things didn't spiral out of control (which, trust me, they were going to). I restored them temporarily in case anyone wants to look (scroll up to see them). The Mountain/Molehill graphic was about posts 87-90; not about the original post itself. I got complaint letters from everyone, with the standard "I sure as heck didn't do anything wrong!" "Blah blah blah sacred cow!" comments, so at least I ticked everyone off equally. I'll probably move any more "discussion about the discussion" to another thread and/or delete it - the original post, tenuous though it may be, stands as written despite literally inviting a flame war. Likewise booklovingbabe and Ferhat's responses since they were implicated, directly or indirectly, in the original post.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia R Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 <snip> Looking forward to <snip> rounding that part of the Beltway for baseball season. Fishnet now has its regular menu on Sundays along with some brunch-y items [lobster omelette, french toast with blueberries and shrimp & grits] and expanded hours [11a - 4p]. So, on the way to an Orioles game we stopped for a quick bite. I had the fish sticks and shared sides of coleslaw and french fries. Whoever was on the fryer is really talented. The coffee was really tasty - what brand/roast is it? I'm glad I finally made it there and definitely need to return to try more of the menu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanvtaylor Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 A really nice lunch here on Saturday--we both ordered the fish tacos--mine with grilled salmon, my wife's fried--these were great as always. We split a side of fries. Everything was great and we left full and happy. Service was great--friendly, and while there isn't any 'formal' table service, we felt that the hostess/food runner was more than happy to help customers. We saw the brunch menu, and expect that we'll be back for that very soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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