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Has anyone had an opportunity to visit Fireworks Wood Fired Pizza in Leesburg, Virginia? http://www.fireworkspizza.com/HOME2.htm My family and I have eaten at the restaurant once, and ordered take out twice. On our first visit, the first pie we ordered was the: quattro carni. The second (take out) was the: smokey blue, and the third (take out) was the: fire cracker. Our favorite pie thus far has been the: smokey blue, but felt that the service each time has been poor. During our first visit, the wait staff neglected to remember one-half of the order for my family. As a result causing the food delivery to be staggered. Each time we have called to place take out orders, the phone manners from the wait staff/bartender taking the order has been less than stellar. -
Bidwell opened recently in Union Market, and as hard as it was to pass up the amazing smells of Toki Underground (he was serving a Thai yellow curry), we decided on a real-deal sit down lunch. The space is very smartly done, balancing the sterile white of the market with a mix of dark and grey wood. The country music playing was a bit of an odd choice that really didn't seem to fit the mood of the restaurant or the neighborhood. From what I can tell, there are not separate lunch and dinner menus. There were 4 of us, plus the boy, so we sampled a reasonable bit of the menu. Swedish meatballs: We ordered these right as we sat so my son would have something to munch on. No one was particularly impressed by them. Very dense and served in a brown gravy that could've used...something to brighten things up. Lobster tacos: These have gotten a bit of press, but don't go expecting tacos. This is more of kind of an unfried flauta. The lobster filling had a nice texture, not the least bit rubbery, and the avocado-tomatillo salsa was a nice, if a bit too subdued accompanyment. I would call for a good bit more spice, but I tend toward the spicy. I actually think the dish might be improved if the tortilla had a bit of crunch to it to contrast with the lobster. Crispy deviled eggs: Just a standard deviled egg fried with a light batter. The ranch dressing is touted as having roasted jalapeno, but I didn't taste any smokiness or heat. Probably would be a pretty good bar snack with a few beers. Fried oysters with green chile buttermilk dressing: Nicely fried...these went in a hurry, though at $12 I kind of expected 4 oysters instead of 3...YMMV. Raclette grilled cheese: White truffle listed on the ingredient list...pretty mild influence on the flavor of the sandwich. It was nicely grilled, and I liked the poached egg on top. Definitely a knife and fork kind of sandwich. I guess I'm just used to a more pungent cheese in my grilled cheese (Taleggio is our house favorite), but I found this kind of on the bland side. Gin and tonic salmon: This was the clear winner of the day. A lightly cured piece of salmon that was perfectly seared. Quite tasty on its own, and fantastic with the bright slightly creamy lime emulsion. The cauliflower "steak" beneath it was excellent, with tons of great carmelized bits. Definitely a go-to dish here. Our server was great, and they didn't bat an eye at bringing out a high chair for the boy. I'd be interested to hear what kind of dinner service they are doing. We were 1 of only 3 tables during lunch that day. Of course, that location doesn't really lend itself to a bustling crowd for a formal sit-down lunch. Overall, I'd call it a pleasant experience, but nothing that blew me away (except the salmon dish). Of course it's early on, so I'd be interested to hear others' experiences in the next few weeks. We'll be back, given we're in the market multiple times a week...I'd be curious to see if they start a brunch menu, as I imagine they would do a brisk business.- 8 replies
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Of the new crop of restaurants on Columbia Heights' 11th Street strip, I've been to Kangaroo Boxing Club the most--four times. This isn't by design, but it's easy, comfortable, welcoming, and has enough high points that it's easy to look past the weak ones. The pastrami, for instance. I'm no expert, but this is by far the best I've ever had. I mean, outstanding, off-the-charts, off-the-hook terrific. The rye bread holds up to it and I don't know how it's possible, but the mustard makes it all even better. Seriously: get the pastrami. I'm not as wild about the other meats. The Smokey Joe is okay--too much, too strong, too salty sauce mixed with over-shredded beef that's only remarkable if you get a couple of the awesome smoky end pieces in the mix. The chocolate BBQ on the pulled chicken is also pretty spicy, and the chicken is fine. I don't remember much about the pulled pork (not a good sign, but it was a couple of months ago) except that I couldn't really find a sauce I liked--I think they all were too spicy for me*--and the bottom bun was soaked through with grease. I clearly need to give it another go. Those sandwich buns are good though. The beans vex me. They vex me so. The first time they were amazing; the second time they tasted like someone had spilled a bottle of vinegar on them; the third time, amazing again; the fourth time vinegar again, plus something else not so good. What the hell? Seems to me that we've got two chefs making two different recipes, and it makes me sad because I've clearly got a 50-50 chance of getting a ramekin of yuck, and those odds just aren't fair. But when they're done right, the beans are the best side on the menu, along with the johnny cakes. The mac and cheese is pretty darn good, and the greens and salad are run-of-the-mill. The garlic fries are nice, but it's the dipping sauce that makes them dangerously addictive. I think they only have three beer taps, but they're stocked with good stuff (the Redtober and Mojo are my recent faves) so I haven't explored the bottles. I stay away from the cocktails, which, even when on special, just aren't that well made. The service is across the board terrific, but the joint is seriously tiny. The bar has been full pretty much every time I've been in, and every seat in the place tends to be taken by 6:30. *Is BBQ usually this spicy? I'm sort of on the mild-to-medium end of the spectrum, but I was surprised that every sauce was so firey. Sigh. Guess I'll have to stick with the pastrami (poor me!). -
"Rhodeside Grill To Reopen with Renovated Bar, New Menu to Follow" by Rachel Hatzipanagos in the Clarendon-Courthouse-Rosslyn Patch Small Business Spotlight. -
I know it's not really fair to judge a restaurant after one lunch, and an RW lunch at that, but since it's been open too long not to have a thread, I will anyway. The simple description, and I apologize to the current team that may or not being trying to avoid comparisons, is that it's essentially Vidalia with slightly different decor. And since I loved Vidalia, I mean that in a good way. Really, if you had told me I had just eaten at Vidalia after an interior makeover, I'd have no reason to doubt you. Started with a delicious basket of banana bread with whipped butter and a fruit compote. First course: Chesapeake Sugar Toads new orleans bbq, popcorn grits, pickled okra Essentially a poor man's shrimp and grits, except that I prefer sugar toad to shrimp any day of the week. If you've never had sugar toad (a little Chesapeake Bay puffer fish) before, you should. The only place I've had it before is, well, Vidalia. It's got a taste and texture somewhere between white fish, crab and shrimp, and was perfect with the toothy grits and sauce. Second course: Confit Duck Leg corn & tasso ham maque choux, duck sausage, pickled peach jam A perfect rainy day course. A nicely meaty leg with crisp skin...the sides had a touch of sweetness that cut through the duck really well. Dessert: Finnish Aura Blue Cheese concord grapes, rye bread, candied walnuts, spruce tip honey Simply a great combination of flavors and textures. So again, I hope I'm not insulting Chef Hamilton in any way by saying, in a obviously small sample size, that this place tastes like a re-born Vidalia. I'll certainly be back. -
Vermilion hosts a wine dinner each month - typically the first Monday of the month - however August will be a bit different. The restaurant is serving up a five course dinner paired with various beers from Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware. Cost is reasonable at $60 inclusive of tax and tip. Menu Passed Appetizers and Tasting Crab Cigars, Curry Russian Dressing Goat Cheese Profiterole with Basil and Mint Grilled Bison Hanging Tenderloin Crostini, Horseradish Cream Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale First Course Prosciutto Wrapped Figs with Gorgonzola, Microgreens Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale Second Course Arugula and Brie Cheese Salad, Dried Apricots, Pumpkin Seeds, Celery Root and Champagne Vinaigrette Dogfish Head Aprihop Third Course Baked Maryland Rockfish, Fingerling Potatoes, Wild Mushrooms, Green Beans, Rosemary Cream Sauce Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA Fourth Course Grilled Bistro Filet Marinated in Chicory Stout, Orange and Soy, Grilled Summer Squash, Shitake Mushroom Glaze Dogfish Head Chicory Stout Final Course Assorted Truffles and Chocolates Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at 703.684.9669. These events typically fill up pretty quickly, so get in early! Cheers! -
Signs up in the old Kemble Park Tavern space. Info, including a sample menu, in their application to serve alcohol. Doesn't look too exciting, but a good neighborhood joint is always welcome. They will be open at 6am for breakfast. . . -
I made my second visit to Busboys and Poets tonight. I foresee more visits for many reasons and for different occasions--just like what the owners must have thought of when he opened this place. Conveniently located in my neighborhood (14th and V), this is a place for: (1) food: i am so glad to see decently priced and well-prepared food in the neighborhood where all things on the new-and-hip U St. are expensive regardless of the quality (think of Alero). All under 10, the chicken pizza w/ mushrooms, spinach, and roasted red peppers would shoulder next to pies at Coppi's, and the spinach salad w/ grapes-covered-in-goat-cheese-and-rolled-in-crusted-candied-walnuts was definitley memorable. I saw juicy-looking burgers, golden catfish, and more pizzas passing by me, and all looked pretty delicious. (2) drinks: The beer selection is pretty large - both tap and bottled: tap including magic hat #9, magic hat hocus pocus, delirium tremmens, amstel light, and two local microbrews. I can't remember too well, but it had a mixed bag of domestic and imported (one German and one French) bottles. There is also a full bar + wine. It's a nice to see this place continuing the trend in the neighborhood where bars offer a wide and interesting beer selection (e.g., the saloon, saint ex, and bohemian cavern). and (3) couches + wireless: this place is huge, airy, and full of couches and a handful of work tables. When are they going to start brunch on weekends? I can't wait to swing by with a book and grab a cup of coffee and a croissant. I sense that Busboys and Poets will become the U Street's Tryst (there were definitely a bunch of people w/ books and lap tops among diners). Anyone else who checked out this new spot? -
I hadn't seen my husband (or eaten a decent meal) in a week, so we decided to try something new for Friday's date night. We headed over to NoPa with high expectations, having all of our wonderful experiences at Rasika in mind - clearly, we knew that the food would be different, but I think we figured the "bones" would be very similar. I wasn't completely disappointed, but in my mind, NoPa still has some tweaking to do. We sat at the bar, which is pretty small, but we found two seats relatively quickly. Service at first was attentive-bordering-on-clingy - we barely had time to look at the cocktail menu before he wanted us to order. I started with a very good "brasserita," which was spicy and tangy and really tasty. Jason had a gin and tonic of some sort, but I'll let him post separately about what he thought. I also ordered a strawberry-basil-vodka cocktail that usually comes with soda in it, but the bartender was happy to leave the soda out (indicating that it wouldn't make a difference overall), and it was very fresh. I probably should have ordered it with dessert. We got a bread basket early in the going, which had decent "regular" bread and some delicious rosemary pull-apart rolls. The butter served with the bread was the proper temperature (yay), but it was unsalted (boo). For our first round of apps, we tried the twice-fried chicken and the smoked salmon croquettes. The chicken, for $10, was a drumstick and two thighs of delicious, perfectly fried chicken that was crispy (and NOT greasy) on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. All it needed was a little salt, and it would have been among the best I've ever had. The homemade ketchup served with it was quite good, though. I thought it was a great value. The croquettes were technically well done, but they had more of a dill flavor than a smoked salmon flavor, which thrilled my husband and disappointed me. Second round, we ordered the olive oil poached octopus and the duck confit. The octopus was tender and cooked nicely, but it had way too much olive flavor going on, and I am not a fan of olives, so it was definitely not something I went back to over and over. On the other hand, the duck confit was amazing - crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and PERFECTLY seasoned. There was also a sour cherry mustard sauce that went perfectly with the meat (when we weren't just sucking the meat directly off the bone like animals). Fantastic. Jason had some beers and I had a glass of sauvignon blanc (neither were anything to write home about - didn't think their selection, at least draft/by the glass, was particularly exciting), and we noticed that service had definitely taken a turn for the slow. Empty plates would sit in front of us for much longer, and other than the occasional, "Everything good?" there really wasn't much engagement. I already knew, from research, that I was interested in dessert. We ended up trying the fried strawberry pies and the maple pecan sticky bun. YUM to both. They each came with ice cream, but Jason will have to tell you about those - I was definitely only in it for the pastries. The strawberry pies were filled with fresh strawberry filling that was naturally sweet, so it was great that the pastry itself was more neutral and you didn't get that super sugary donut-esque cavity-inducing thing where the dish as a whole is just too sweet for more than a few bites. It was nicely balanced, and I would like to make some myself. The sticky bun was just decadent. Soft on the inside, though, and gooey and sticky and divine on the outside, with a few candied pecans sprinked on top for good measure. It would be the perfect breakfast pastry, if it wouldn't give you an epic sugar crash about an hour after you ate it. It made me think of my grandpa, who could never say no to a big ol' pecan sticky bun - he really would have liked this one, and I smiled while I was eating it because it allowed me to go back down memory lane and think of all the sticky buns we shared while he was alive. So, 4 apps, 2 desserts, 2 cocktails and a glass of wine for me, and then I think 1 cocktail, 2 beers, and a glass of port for Jason, and the total before tip was $139. I gave the overall experience a B-/B. Dessert was a real surprise highlight for me. With a few service and seasoning tweaks, this could be a great repeat place for us (ya know, not every week, at those prices, but for more special occasions). Has anyone else been? I'm sure Jason will pipe in shortly.- 22 replies
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A quick intro to a great new neighbor of mine--Clare and Don's Beach Shack. This is exactly the kind of place I was searching for when I rushed over to Hank's on its opening day--cheap, fun, laid-back, quirky and for the most part really good (don't get fried clams until colder weather comes). Crab Cake Sandwich, Fried Oyster Po' Boy, Fish and Chips are all first rate, and they have a whole section of vegetarian/vegan options. No raw bar, but they do have desserts (a really good key lime pie). They are right up the street by the Clarendon Metro. Maybe it's not worth a trip all the way across town, but if you're in the area it's definitely worth it, especially after a day at the pool. -
I stopped off at Epic Smokehouse in Pentagon City the other day after a late meeting. No thread here yet. Its about 1 1/2 years old. The restaurant is long and narrow with a full big window line. Its not the most attractive walk around neighborhood --across from a big blank wall at Costco...but Oh my there are a lot of new residential high rises in the neighborhood. The long window line looks into a handsome sleek restaurant. I was only looking for a quick meal; went to the bar and ordered off the bar menu, choosing an Epic Burger and an IPA. One part of this meal was simply heavenly; The fries were magnificent; evidently doubly fried in a mixture that includes sage, rosemary, thyme and one other herb. Truly delightful with a memorable taste. Burger was okay...not great not bad. But those fries--> Just delightful. I'll go back for more.
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So, I went for lunch. It was ok. And very strange. 2 of us for a late lunch on Tuesday, 2 weeks ago. There was no line, but they were clearly understaffed, as there were several tables available, but we had to wait, as did the few tables that came in after us. Then it took us a while to get water. Refills were also difficult, and it was a VERY hot day. The service was pleasant enough, but slow and a bit oddly pushy. At one point I asked about the milkshakes, but decided not to order one until dessert. This resulted in "You want to order that dessert now? How about now? How about now?" Dude, I’m barely a third of the way through my lunch! As I said, we had a late lunch. As we were leaving, they were putting up a sign that said they were closed until 5 (or maybe 5:30?). Food was REALLY slow to come out. Food was quite tasty, and fairly priced. I had a patty melt, and my friend had a club sandwich. Both worth eating, and very good fries. -
On my previous visit to Fremont Diner in Sonoma, I had what must surely be the greatest breakfast food I've ever eaten (major bonus: It's served all day long). Last night, my friend and I hit it up for an early dinner, and unlike last time when we sat on the patio, we opted to sit in the ridiculously charismatic indoor portion of the restaurant, just outside of the bar and kitchen area. Our server was terrific, and was an extrapolation of the restaurant as a whole - as casual as anyone could be (she literally got up on a chair right at our table and changed light bulbs), but it all fit in perfectly with the charming atmosphere of this amazing restaurant, which is putting out food as good *and as serious* as any restaurant in Sonoma, despite the "weathered" look of the menus: My friend got a glass of the Gloria Ferrer Brut Sparkling Wine ($8.99, served in a Mason jar), and I had a glorious mug (or two) of the Ruhstaller "1881 Sacramento" Red Ale ($5.99 for a large, thick, 16-20 ounce mug - I felt like I was back in Munich). For dinner, you can pretty much throw darts at the menu here and hit a bulls-eye, and my advice is to order whatever "reads" the best or appeals to you at the moment. I love Chicken-Fried Steak ($15.99), and so I got it - it came topped with some of the best sausage gravy you'll ever eat, some amazing Sprouting Broccoli (we must remember, we're in California) and a Sunnyside-Up Fried Egg on top. It was everything you could ever hope for with this dish, and as good as any rendition I've had in my life - a couple squirts of their housemade pepper-vinegar sauce on my sprouting broccoli, and my plate went from exceptional to perfect, and I didn't want the meal to end. Fremont Diner takes barbecue very seriously, and you should pay attention to whatever they say is in the "Pit" that day. My friend got an off-menu pit special of a Pulled Pork Sandwich ($12.99) with baked beans, and topped with slaw and pickles on a brioche bun. I have now had so many "bad-to-ordinary" pulled-pork sandwiches in a row (dozens) that I couldn't imagine why she ordered this, but everything became clear as day when I nabbed a single morsel of pork: revelatory. Then a pickle: shockingly wonderful. This was the pulled-pork sandwich that Zeus would order for Hera, and the only thing that could have been improved upon is that the beans could have been cooked a little longer, as they were still a little tough, and they also benefitted from some housemade barbecue sauce and a couple shakes of that pepper-vinegar sauce that I had. Other than that one blip, it was the ultimate pulled-pork sandwich, and qualified in every regard as "real barbecue" that even the most jaded pitmaster would respect. We were full, but there was *no way* we were stopping here: We bought a Bucket of Biscuits ($3.99) with rhubarb jam for breakfast, a Pound of Brisket ($24.00, also an off-menu pit special) for lunch, and planned our trip to the Ruhstaller micro-brewery near Sacramento the next afternoon, courtesy of our gracious server's recommendation. It was, in every regard, a perfect meal - the type of meal that conjures up your fondest recollections of that lobster pound in Maine, or that little unknown restaurant you wandered into somewhere in New Orleans. If you're anywhere near Sonoma County - and I mean anywhere within an hour - make a detour to the Fremont Diner, one of the greatest restaurants in the Napa-Sonoma region.
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It looks like Agraria's second location will be Founding Farmers, at the IMF building. See links here and here. -
If you were to pull out of the Watergate and head northeast on New Hampshire Avenue, and keep going, and going, and going, you'd weave your way through DC, cross Eastern Avenue into Montgomery County, go through Takoma Park, Langley Park, Hillandale, White Oak, Colesville, Cloverly, Ashton, Brinklow, Sunshine, Etchison (yes, Etchison), and eventually end up in Damascus. Tom and Ray's will be on your left. Tom and Ray's was founded in 1960 by Tom Bellison and Ray Luhn. Tom's sons, Gary and Rick, now run the restaurant fifty years later. And yes, they even have a website. It's the type of place where you can order two Pancakes and Sausage ($5.60), three Eggs (over easy (GFY)), Sausage, Home Fries, and Toast ($6.70), a cup of Decaf Coffee ($1.65, unlimited refills), leave a healthy tip, and still have a couple dollars left from your $20 bill. Everything (*) was good, solid, diner-level breakfast fare, without the gratuitous salting and glistening sheens of nastytude you find in so many old-school restaurants like this. (*) Everything, that is, except the sausage, which was titanically awesome within the genre (let the skeptics among us find this out for themselves). It's a good thing none of the other food was salty, because these homey, crumbly patties - sourced from Mount Airy Meat Locker - have all you'll need. Happy Mother's Day, mom ... Your C-F S.
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Northside 10 opened up this weekend, it took over the Chez Andree space on Glebe Rd. Brought to you by the Southside 815 folks. Drove by and saw that it looked open, and wanted to watch football. So, instead of packing into Pork Barrel, stopped by here. It was pretty crowded. Decent draft list, including Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. They had a bunch of TVs playing the playoff games (go Packers!) and a lot of the crew were familiar faces from other Del Ray restaurants, as were many of the guests. Lady got the burger, asked for medium, probably more medium well, but she loved it. I got some pretty darn good wings. Found out we had accidentally stumbled into Friends and Family soft opening, so they didn't charge us for the food. Oops! Paid for it anyway with a big tip. Although kind of a weird location, I think it's going to do well. Very residential area, lots of family's can easily walk to it.- 4 replies
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The Going Out Gurus have the latest scoop on the space that was formerly Wrap Works, appears to be a coffee shop type place in the likes of Tryst. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/goingoutgur...circa.html#more "Not unlike Tryst and Open City, the restaurant will be part coffee shop, part restaurant and part bar. Menu decisions are still being worked out, but Carlin tells us to expect "small- to medium-sized plates" with "international flair." The mastermind behind the restaurant's offerings is Munehiro Mori, a chef whose resume includes stints at Asia Nora and Wolfgang Puck's Chinois restaurant in Vegas. The owners hope to offer a wine list with 50 to 75 bottles and a full bar." -
Being new to donrockwell.com I decided to look around and see what I could find about the places in my neighborhood. I was a little surprised that there were not any posts about Sixth Engine even though they've been open for over three years now. Perhaps that's because it wallows in mediocrity. Don't get me wrong, they've always had a consistently good brunch and well cooked burgers. The problem for me is that much of the rest of the menu has always been a little 'heavy handed' when it comes to ingredients and sauces. Thankfully, the chef who opened the place, Paul Madrid, has left and things are starting to get better. Additions like the arugula salad and roasted cauliflower with "Ling Sauce", which is very much a sweeter General Tso's sauce, have injected life back into the menu. Hopefully they will continue down this path. The bar program, on the other hand, came flying out of the gate and hasn't lost its momentum. Draft beers rotate regularly to highlight the best of the season and the bartenders take pride in not only making the drinks, but also the ingredients, creating custom shrubs and tonics to use in their creations. While I realize the latter can be found at craft cocktail bars all over the city, it's surprising to find in a place that has the vibe of a glorified TGI Fridays. The layout is more on par with the food than the bar program. Do not go there if you're looking for a quiet evening. The bar bleeds into the downstairs dining area and with TVs in both, it can quickly become a situation where you have to yell at the person across the table from you in order for them to hear you easily. The beautiful upstairs dining room has exposed brick walls and hardwood floors that echo all of the activity in the kitchen that adjoins it. Surprisingly the outdoor patio is the least noisy of the three even with the traffic on Mass Ave just a few feet away. There are a plethora of tables and the service is good. The sun us really the only enemy. During happy hour you're fine and in the shade while the sun scorches Philos' patio across the street. During brunch though you are in the sun's crosshairs and it will roast you at your table even with umbrellas in place to help prevent that. At the end of the day Sixth Engine is a nice place to get a drink and maybe have something to eat if it speaks to you. Otherwise, have a few drinks and walk around the corner to Wise Guy Pizza and score a slice of pie.- 7 replies
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Based on the sign I saw in the window, it appears that the former Drinx location is going to be the 12th Green Turtle. I can't wait, another restaurant in this location that will have no impact on the culinary landscape and I can completely ignore. -
I thought there was a thread for this restaurant but I can't find one. I stopped in this evening and got a Troegs DreamWeaver beer and a small plate. The food was pork and veal meatballs cabbage all'Amatriciana. The vinegar on the raw cabbage made the whole thing work super well. Wow, that was good. It was $13. (Beer was $7.) There were maybe 5 meatballs, but it was enough for me and what I wanted. I've heard mixed things about this place, but I think the most critical comments were about the bourbon selection, which is not something about which I claim any expertise. The meatballs and cabbage were awesome.- 5 replies
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Out here is the "country" the co-owner of Fireworks, Patrick Dihn, opened Oak Stone Pizza in Winchester. It is a wonderful addition to the city. with of course great pizza, and surprisingly good wings. Hopefully its success with encourage other restaurateurs from NoVa to make their way out here.- 1 reply
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I just saw a sign for a new Grille restaurant to open near Terasol on Conn. & Fessenden. Does anyone know about it? -
When I was at Pentagon City mall a few days ago, I noticed the Ruby Tuesday has closed. The sign on the paneling over the empty space says that a Harry's Tap Room will be opening there. I can't recall if it gave an ETA other than "soon" on the sign.
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Although I've had many a late night drink/dessert here while listening to live piano jazz over the past few years, the food was never something to come here for. Well, gotta say that may be changing. I joined a group of 4 friends which chose 701 for dinner on Friday night. We were pleasantly surprised with our meals [we were sampling each others all night]. Seems that 701 has a new Chef Bobby Verua [sp?] who started this past Restaurant Week [whatta time to start lol]. Think he hails from NY, and brings subtle Asian influence to the dishes [but not in what I call the normal retread way]. For starters, we tried the Beef Carpaccio w/ Arugula, shaved Parmesan, & Mustard Vinaigrette, Ribbons of Tuna [Crushed Avocado, Rice Crisps, and a creamy Garlic sauce ... great contrast w/ the rice crisps and the tuna!], Fried Calamari [perfectly fried lightly w/ a light coating ... but the accompanying sauce really kicks it up], and Asian Pear/Romaine/Bleu Cheese salad, and a small plate of Pumpkin Raviolis [glazed Chestnuts w/ Truffle-Sage brown butter sauce, lightly sweet]. Very good beginning to our meal. For mains, we tried the Horseradish-Crusted Veal Chop w/ Quail Egg, Potato Dauphin, & a Sweet-Soy Bordelaise [hunk a scoop of everything in one bite, great], Glazed Pork Belly w/ Sweet Potato Puree & Pickled Cherries [tasty fatty goodness, another place for me to get my Pork Belly fill lol], Stuffed Saddle of Lamb w/ Braised Tomatoes, Crisped Potato Confit, and Pear Demi [quite good but didn't love], Dry-Aged Sirlion Steak w/ Ancho-Soy Glaze, Gingered Shiitakes and Truffled Potatoes [nicely done], and Roasted Mahi-Mahi w/ Sweet Potato Ravioli, Malayasian Chili Sauce & Basil Oil [liked but also didn't love]. Perhaps my tastes of the Veal Chop & Pork Belly tainted the rest of my tasting, dunno but the flavors of those 2 were excellent. As for desserts, not so much. We were cautioned by the server that the desserts aren't there yet, the Chef hasn't focused yet on them [putting his stamp on the 1st/2nds] but will be very soon. Thankful for that information [and not particularly attracted to the dessert list], we still shared a couple w/ coffee. Lemon cheesecake [eh], and honestly an Apple-something else which was cold [i.e. not fully cooked, not easy to cut through] that underwhelmed me. Our thoughts were that warm desserts would have gone over well with the cold weather, perhaps something lightened like a warm ricotta cheesecake, else a bread pudding or sorts. There are lots of choices if the Chef peruses the competition, looking forward to trying his versions once ready [just based on what we saw with the other courses]. As for service, it's fine as it's always been for me. He had a good sense of humor, chatted us up, and nicely prefaced our expectations about the desserts [so as not to ruin or lessen our experience much] We were mentioned how happy we were with the meals to the server, that the Chef stopped by to thank us. He's young, looks to be only in his early 30s perhaps? Very gracious. Server mentioned how liked he was so far, & has the kitchen's respect already. [guess plugging away at 200 meals during a RW night on your 1st week can do that heh]. Now I have an excuse to actually try meals at 701! Maybe take advantage of their Pre-Theater menu for less than $30. -
Stan's Restaurant is in the MacPherson Square area, and is a worthy addition to the Dining Guide. A friend and I both tucked into a club sandwich, which thanks to Mario Batali in Lucky Peach a few years ago, I usually order at my first time in a restaurant because, as he says, "the club sandwich is the most interesting, most telling dish about how hard the kitchen is trying." And so it would be at my first visit to Stan's.... The club sandwich here did not disappoint. The combination of ingredients hit the spot. Filled to the edges of the four triangles, the lettuce was fresh, the bacon was fried in-house, the tomato was fresh and maybe local, the architecture was sturdy, and the satisfaction quotient was high. I had the fries as the side, and almost to my surprise, they were crisp on the outside and soft and hot in the middle. This place is a bit of a dive and somewhat loud, but I can't think of too many reasons not to return when I'm in that neighborhood.- 38 replies
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