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Pappy

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grouper

grouper (41/123)

  1. Could you please finish the story and tell us how Audrey handled it? I have always found her to be exceptionally pleasant and welcoming.
  2. Who the hell can't finish a single, little bottle of wine? I've never kept a cork in my life.
  3. I'm not sure how helpful this will be, ...I was there about two months ago, but we were dining with my in-laws, so I had 3-4 Johnnie Walker Blacks (before they could open the two bottles of wine we ordered) and have been trying to block out the whole experience ever since it happened. Not because of the food or service, mind you. The place looks better than ever, with only one terrible table just inside the door, and an attractive bar area to wait at if your table is not ready. Service is more professional than ever. It took me a few minutes to grab the waiter initially, but as soon as he understood my predicament he clearly took pity on me and "kept them coming." The wine list is better than ever. It was easy to find a nice, affordable gruner veltliner and an expensive, but fair, Oregon Pinot. Putting together a meal is easy too. I don't recall exactly what I had (the scotch), but I recall it being difficult to make a decision and I tasted everyone's first and second courses and there were many more hits than misses. I do remember that more than one dish was served in a wide, shallow bowl surrounded in a broth, rather than a sauce, which I don't remember the menu describing very well and you might want to be aware of if you don't like that sort of thing. I was surprised, because I thought the whole "broth" thing, which was immensely popular at Seasons a decade ago, was pretty much out of style by now. Finally, it was a Sunday night and Damion Salvatore (sp?), chef and owner, was not in the house that evening (I asked because he was sort of a classmate of mine in high school), and it didn't seem the place missed a beat without him
  4. I was fortunate to attend with Joe last night. We agreed on almost every dish. Along with the highlights he mentioned, there were some lowlights that will go unmentioned until Roberto has time to work on them a little further. I will add that the pizza oven was not up and running yet, nor was he cranking out any of the risottos that the menu promised. The desserts were remarkable and would have been at home in any of the area's finest restaurants. While I'll admit to being pretty jaded on the matter, prices seemed low enough to attract casual diners. It was hilarious to watch the staff. We were told that the entire kitchen staff and virtually the entire front-house staff moved over from Galileo. They seem very reluctant to let go of the "prime dining" mannerisms that is their custom. Dishes were served beautifully adorned. The silver, china and crystal, were a full step above what the menu prices would suggest. Wines were opened on a rolling cart with a linen napkin and an extra glass for sampling. Dishes were set down four at a time in unison. One waiter, noticing an empty glass, retrieved a small silver tray onto which he placed the empty glass after removing it gently from the table. It's a cavernous place with awkward lighting in a less-than-popular location (the old Oyamel spot). I hope they can find at least a temporarily successful home there, as I believe he is one of the greatest cooking talents Washington has. Solid pizzas and an affordable wine list should go a long way in acheiving that goal.
  5. Chatted with Eddie and Dennis, two of the new partners/owners/chefs (?) today. One of which (Eddie) was involved in the opening of Tel Aviv Cafe in Bethesda, the other (Dannis) was born and raised in Potomac. Place is almost done. Beautiful interior of dark woods and amber upholstry. Pinpoint and indirect lighting. Small sitting area and 10 person bar upfront. High banquets along two back walls. Chef's table in the very back. Menu is to be french/asian fusion. Starters included a crab tart. Prices low teens. Salads similar. Mains included salmon and veal tenderloin. Prices in the mid 20s. Chefs table to be multi-course with wine pairings, etc. They are very excited to be in the area and expect to be well received. Our office has already booked lunchs and a Christmas party.
  6. I work next-dorr and I can tell you that they have spent months completely gutting and rebuilding the place, so they clearly are making a significant investment. On the other hand, I have heard, and perhaps mistakenly, that they plan to be all things to all people with cafe seating, a serious dining room, wine tastings, and a broad menu. While I recognize the rents are high in Potomac, given the local demographics and the poor dining alternatives at these cross-roads, I would think Bezu has more than a sporting chance of success.
  7. I eat at Cesco pretty often, maybe 4-6 times a year. It's a comfortable place with a very warm welcome from Francesco's wife Elaine, a tenured wait staff, and a familiar clientel. The cooking is fine, with a few standouts, fresh seafood, and a swath of tired, unispired Italian "usuals." The wine list is sufficient, with only slightly ridiculous Bethesda markups. I see Francesco in the kitchen almost everytime I'm there, wearing an apron, spoon in hand, sweat on his brow. I mention this beause I'm afraid Cesco's output could suffer in his absence.
  8. I'll wager an Andrew Jackson that Roberto never returns to that DC location. In fact, I'd wager this may be your last chance to enjoy Roberto's cooking at that level for a long time.
  9. I eat out often. I don't think I have ever sent a dish back. I have to assume that what was sent out of the kitchen was the best they could produce at the time and is worthy of praise or criticism given the conditions that exst. I stopped mentioning a criticism to waiters/managers/owners long ago when I realized that not a single one of them ever took it constructively, and instead simply tried to comp my dessert (which I didn't want in the first place.) Standards have to vary depending on lots of things. What kind of restaurant? How busy is it? How long have they been open? Could it have been mis-interpretation? At the end of the day (meal), a slightly over-cooked steak isn't going to change my opinion about a restaurant. However, given the number of restaurants available to me, a bitchy hostess, a disappearing waiter, thoughtless food, warm wine, and a $300+ dinner tab are not going to add up to..."maybe it was an off night I guess we should try it again."
  10. The peak of the season is probably past, but softshells are generally available around these parts through the warm part of September. It is my understanding, however, that when it gets really, really hot, the crabs (softies esp) just kinda stop moving around, stop growing, stop molting, etc. They just want to dig into the mud and stay cool. Once the really hot streak passes, you should begin to see a few more in the market. What I can't answer is what percentage of the softshells in our markets come from the Chesapeake, and what percentage come from NC, or even LA, etc.
  11. I think JPW is right here. I don't think it's appropriate to ever mention dr.com, and I hope every contributor feels the same. Certainly none of us, Don especially I'm sure, would want Rockwell.com to gain the wrong reputation in the restaurant community due to the actions or presumptions of any single person. It would be very easy for a manager or an owner to mis-understand anything but the most carefully worded introduction. (And careful wording is not my specialty, at least, as I'm leaving the dinner table.) I don't even think mentioning after the meal serves any purpose. The idea Dan 42 presents that you are giving them marketing feedback falls short. It is not as if they paid for an ad on the site. Rather, it's more like "I heard about your restaurant from a stranger at a cocktail party. Several people who seemed to know what they were talking about liked it very much." Is that helpful?
  12. What a coincidence. I book marked their website (www.niwanohana.com) just this week. I've been thinking I would stop in one evening for a couple of their rolls (Dynamite?, Maryland?, Spicy Scallop?) and cold soba noodles to go. Can anyone recommend a particular roll? More importantly, has anyone had the cold soba? I assume it comes with a dashi based dipping sauce?
  13. Funny you say that. Instead of waiting for a table we went to our Club for dinner instead. And if you know anything about country club food, you know that we probably would have been better off waiting.
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