Jump to content

Pork Belly

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    53

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male

Recent Profile Visitors

The recent visitors block is disabled and is not being shown to other users.

Pork Belly's Achievements

grouper

grouper (39/123)

  1. Pork Belly
    Totally agree that Momofuku 2.0 is terrific. Loved the curried beets, branzino, steak saam and clam toast. I hope people will give it a shot. Here’s a link to my blog post I just put up with pictures: https://rickeatsdc.com/you-dont-know-momofuku/
  2. Pork Belly
    Went for dinner on Saturday night. I'm not one to overly fixate on atmosphere but it was pretty depressing. It's a big place with tons of seating and multiple cooking stations in plain sight. So when the seats aren't filled and the cooking stations are underutilized or dark, it's noticeable. Plus there's the desolation of the mall itself, which wasn't such a big deal when the place was packed but becomes a further drag now that it's not. The food itself was good in spots, such as the de-boned and butterflied branzino, but mostly felt faded as well. I hope they can fix things because the vibes aren't good. You can read my full report, which I took no pleasure in posting, on my blog: https://rickeatsdc.com/the-saddest-restaurant-in-washington/
  3. Pork Belly
    For fans of Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, I give you the local Bethesda version -- Dads in Cars Getting Bagels: https://rickeatsdc.com/dads-in-cars-getting-bagels/
  4. Pork Belly
    Thanks for the report and totally agree on the duck confit -- it's a superb dish.
  5. Pork Belly
    Probably everyone on this site is a "foodie" -- even if you don't like the term. Here's my story how I came to realize I was different than most of my friends and family and why I don't apologize for my foodie-ism in a world that considers gluttony one of the seven deadly sins. "My Name Is Rick and I'm a Foodie" by Rick Chessen on rickeatsdc.com
  6. Pork Belly
    Had a terrific dinner the week between Christmas and New Year's. The rest of DC may have felt half empty but this place was buzzing. Highlights included all of the pastas (particularly the squid ink with perfectly cooked lobster and scallops), the grilled calamari and the branzino. Basically any pasta and any seafood will be reliably good. If they can keep the prices in check and the quality up, it should do well. On the quality point, Fabio was there overseeing everything that came out of the kitchen; it will be interesting to see whether there's an impact when his attention is diverted to the Waterfront or elsewhere. For those interested, in a more in-depth review with pictures, please check out my blog: "Sfoglina - a Real Mouthful in Van Ness" by Rick Chessen on rickeatsdc.com
  7. Pork Belly
    Went a couple of weeks ago for Bo Ssäm. Here's a photo of the terrific pull-apart pork shoulder that you wrap in either pancakes or lettuce leaves with various herbs/sauces. Also came with a plate of a dozen oysters, for some reason. Somewhat pricey at $225 but this thing can easily serve 8, so if you have a big group it's not that bad. Plus it's a great communal experience. For those who follow my blog, this made my list of The Best Things I Ate in 2016. Here's the link: https://rickeatsdc.com/the-best-things-i-ate-in-2016/
  8. Pork Belly
    You may be wondering why this thread is back after being dormant for more than nine years. I just posted a new entry on my blog Rick Eats DC that tells the story from 2006 involving the Grill, this very dr.com thread, and a very agitated Chef Donna. Hope you enjoy: https://rickeatsdc.com/the-time-roberto-donna-wanted-to-kill-me/
  9. Pork Belly
    Those of us who make food a central focus of our lives often have to figure out how to co-exist with those who couldn't care less. Here's a true story of how a halibut almost broke up my marriage during a dinner at Aureole in 1997. "The Halibut that Almost Broke Up My Marriage" by Rick Chessen on rickeatsdc.com
  10. Pork Belly
    Went today for lunch. I felt like it was almost the opposite of All Purpose. Here, the couple of inches on the crust's outer ring were excellent and as good as anyone's in town. The inner pie crust, however, was exceedingly droopy and lacked any real spotting or char to give it texture. I recognize this is probably classic Neapolitan style, so you can put it down to personal preference. I'd put it in the top ten (and will do so), but for me probably closer to #10 than #5. See pics below for a better sense.
  11. Pork Belly
    Haven't been to Pizza CS yet but plan to rectify that soon. I hear great things and will update the ratings. Someone also raised a good point about Wiseguys, which I have been to many times and probably deserves a spot.
  12. Pork Belly
    So glad to read this chain. I thought I was going crazy after reading all the praise heaped on AP's pizza in other forums. Here's my pizza, half of which is the massive outside crust virtually devoid of toppings. I almost always finish what's put in front of me, but those bread bombs were too much to choke down. I also wasn't crazy about the addition of honey to this particular pie -- the combination of honey and tomato sauce was a dead ringer for the Spaghetti-Os of my youth. All this earned AP's pizza the title of "most disappointing pizza in DC" in my round-up of DC pizza places. You can find the entire list here: "Best Pizza in DC: 2016" by Rick Chessen on rickeatsdc.com
  13. Pork Belly
    This place is a gem. I've spent a lot of time in Key West and the roast pork is as good as any I've had down there. The vaca frita (fried shredded beef) is good as well, with crispy bits and sour orange to drizzle over the top. The surprise star, though, is the sweet plantains. Whatever you do, get them as a side. They are deeply caramelized and creamy without being oily. Plantains often seem to be an afterthought. These are crave-worthy. PS - if you're looking for a Cuban sandwich, Mi Cuba's version is solid. For more Cheap Eats, please check out my latest blog post: https://rickeatsdc.com/dc-cheap-eats-vol-1-fall-2016/ (And thanks, Don, for allowing the shameless plug...)
  14. Pork Belly
    Hi DR colleagues -- Wanted you to know that I've launched a new DC restaurant blog called Rick Eats DC. You can find it at www.rickeatsdc.com. You can also follow on twitter and Instagram. Hope you enjoy and look forward to your feedback! Best, Rick Chessen aka Pork Belly
  15. Pork Belly
    I went this week and had a decidedly mixed experience. On the positive side, the room has a great vibe and the service was terrific. And there were a few memorable dishes -- the fluke Veronique was lovely, the baby elotes were delicious, and the blueberry shortcake & Brillat-Savarin was one of the best desserts I've had in years. But there were odd shortcomings. First, I agree with those who say there's not enough food. Our menu was similar to the one above with the substitution of a cold tomato and peach broth for the egg drop soup and an oyster for the caviar. That means that the savory courses included: (1) four 1-2 bite snacks, (2) a small serving of tomato/peach soup (essentially tomato-peach water), (3) a small-but-delicious piece of fluke, (4) a roll, (5) a sweetbread-stuffed chicken wing (two boneless coins and one section of wing bone with almost no meat, and (6) seafood curry (one shrimp, two mussels, and a couple slices of raw fish). My wife and I were both hungry heading into dessert. Second, and related to the point above, there was not a single meat or pasta course among the 13 courses listed on our menu but FOUR dessert courses. That felt terribly unbalanced to me. Some tasting menus like Komi build from light dishes to heavy dishes but always include something that feels substantial. Here, you have all these lighter dishes and then they hit you with four desserts? It just feels wrong. i love Rose's so so much. Maybe that's why this felt somehat disappointing. Hopefully they will adjust.
×
×
  • Create New...