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Today, Dec. 12 and tomorrow, Dec 13, PV is open only for dinner. It is closed on Sunday, Dec. 14. Starting Monday, it is open from 11am-past my bed time (I stopped listening). I haven't been yet, but give me a few days. Their claim to fame is 36 wines by the glass for under $10. -
So there I was this morning sitting in my office, sipping my first coffee of the day, reading the accumulated e-mails from last night, wondering what I wanted to have for lunch today. (Mrs JPW thinks I'm nuts for this. At the breakfast table I always start thinking about lunch, right now I'm thinking about what I want to do for dinner.) I was sick of the lunch rut I'd fallen into -- pho at Pho Nguyen, Pizza or a hoagie at Giuseppe's, Gyro at Tribes Grill, salad bar at Safeway -- and needed a change. The light clicked on - somewhere in the Post I remember seeing notice of Cafe Spice. I had to pick up baby wipes for Peanut at the Target out there anyways, so why not? It's a small chain with 5 stores around NYC and a couple in Philly. I walked in and it was pretty. But pretty like a Playboy centerfold -- artificial, airbrushed, and without a hint of soul or apparent intelligence. The service was earnest. And by earnest I mean a fresh faced teen from Iowa or some such who butchered all the Indian dish names and tried to hard sell me on more dishes at every possible moment. To be frank, he and the service were reminiscent more of TGIFriday's than even a mallified Indian restaurant. After fending off his frontal assaults on my ordering preference, I successfully ordered the Lamb Vindaloo platter. Again pretty. The lamb was accompanied on the platter with a stew of vegetables ("vegetable of the day!!!" I was told, but it looked like about 7 different plants were in the bowl. The could serve the same thing every day and claim it was a different vegetable), lentils in enough sauce that it was more lentil soup than anything, some decent basmati rice, an undressed salad of cabbage, cucumber, and carrots; and some serviceable naan (but then again how hard is it to make decent naan). Given that it's a cold dreary day I wanted the vindaloo to heat me up. Alas, the heat had been thoroughly Americanized. We've all had vindaloo that was so hot that it killed off any other taste, this was not that hot at all, but there still wasn't much else that could be tasted. Once I again, it was more like spicy lamb soup than anything else. As I walked out, I tried to think of why this seemed so familiar to me. Average Americanized food - check. Overdesigned interior - check Corporate service - check Decent, but in no facet spectacular experience - check "Holy Toledo Batman!", I internally exclaimed, "I just ate at the Indian version of Tara Thai!" PS - I got lost in the parking garage Coming next week -- "Just because I'm the only person here doesn't mean I want you breathing over my shoulder every 15 seconds!! Back off!" -
I have gotten tired of North Indian cuisine and have been trying South Indian food recently. Kerala is an interesting state in India so I was happy to see a restaurant that specialized in its cuisine. The menu has a large section of Kerala dishes as well as North and South Indian options. It is clean and the staff is pleasant. They expect to get a liquor license soon. We ordered "idi appam" (string hoppers) with egg curry, Kerala chicken thoran with Kerala matta rice, and Kerala-style fish curry with basmati rice. The string hoppers have to be ordered an hour in advance so we called it in before we left the house. We asked that the level of heat be 9 on 1-10 scale. I had never had string hoppers. They were similar to the vermicelli one finds in Vietnamese spring rolls but were more delicate, fragrant with coconut. The egg curry served with it was rather mild and had lots of onions. A soothing, pleasant dish. The thoran was chicken, stir fried in spices like cinnamon, black pepper, hot pepper, and cloves, as well as with coconut and garlic/ginger. It was delicious but it would have been better if they had used chicken thighs rather than breasts, which were dry. The matta rice was brown rice supposedly good for those with diabetes. The fish curry was also delicious, tangy with tamarind, I think, and with many spices. The fish was moist and meaty. We enjoyed the restaurant. The prices were maybe $2 higher than I would have expected for the portion size but acceptable because the cuisine is uncommon. The waiter told us they have a lunch buffet with lots of Kerala dishes in addition to the standard stuff so this would be a good option for those who would like a lower cost introduction to the cuisine.
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- Gaithersburg
- Indian
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Le Matin de Paris has closed, and is being replaced by Manoa Bakery & Cafe.
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Somebody brought this place up when we were discussing bluegrass music last night. Looks like they do open mike Monday-Thursday starting at 8:30pm, and have actual bands on the weekends. Is it worth the trip from DC? How's the grub? Website 1116 King Street, Alexandria (703) 836-8844 -
We missed the opening night madness, but stopped in the following evening for dinner. The dinner menu is now up on their website; lunch is a fixed-price buffet, but the dinner menu is available on request. The menu is lengthy for a neighborhood Indian restaurant, and includes both northern and southern specialties, as well as a short list of Indian-style Chinese dishes. Gubeen went straight for her beloved saag paneer, whereas I took the easy way out and tried the non-vegetarian thali for a range of tastes. The chef previously worked at the Fairfax location of Minerva, and you'll see a lot of similarities in the food, with sauces and curries tending towards rich consistencies. The saag was pretty creamy, but light on the spinach for my taste. The tomato soup (generally in the style of a rasam but listed as "tomato soup") was curiously thick and had slightly skinned on top; I don't know if it was housemade, but it reminded me a lot of a can of Campbell's that had been kicked up with some spices. I realized later that my daal was missing. Those were our only real food disappointments. Good chicken tikka masala (the proper one, not a mislabeled chicken makhani), good lamb curry, good masala aloo gobi. Papadum in the thicker, cracked-pepper northern style. Fresh naan, still a bit oily and with a nice bit of char. Pretty straightforward kheer. Spicing levels weren't too dumbed down...closer to authentic than to Americanized. It's too early to draw conclusions, but I suspect this one will be a solid second-tier player, comparable to the Rockville Bombay Bistro on a good day, and better than most of the mid-county places (which are inexplicably awful). If the lunch buffet is solid, this could be the best non-vegetarian Indian option west of Bethesda. Next time, I need to check out their chat options, and some tandoor action. We talked briefly with the GM, who indicated that the chef is more at home making the northern dishes. Service is haphazard at the moment, with a lot of the staff hanging around the counter and talking, and sorting out their roles on-the-job. I'm not sure that the guy who bussed our table has stacked dishes before. Still, it's a promising step up from the Bombay Dhaba that used to occupy that space. -
In what might be the biggest restaurant news ever to hit Carroll County, Mealey's Table will be opening next month in New Market (although the restaurant itself is in Frederick County). The chef is none other than Nate Waugaman, the brilliant, underrated talent who has been Chef de Cuisine at Addie's for the past several years. Rather than rewriting Nate's description, I'm going to copy it word-for-word here. Congratulations, Nate - you have been one of the best chef's in the DC area for a long time, and it's high time you get the credit you deserve. Cheers, Rocks
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After reading Tim Carman's review of Pinks Cafe Afrikoko, my appetite and curiosity were whetted and I just had to try this place. It's tucked away in a small strip mall in Germantown, just a few minutes from my office. I went there, ordered three dishes, and came away thinking that someone had pulled a fast one on me. I ordered the chicken kebab ($5) to eat in while waiting for my take out orders. For $5, I figured I'd be getting a nice, lunch portion of something. What I got was two skewers of tough chicken that had been covered with a tomato based sauce and sprinkled with a dusting of spices. Nothing else. The chicken tasted like it had precooked and then popped in the microwave (what was that *bing* noise I heard just a minute before my meal was brought out to me?). There was no way the chicken had actually been cooked IN the sauce. Rather, it was just poured on. The sauce was blander than what I had imagined. The pieces of meat that were dusted with the spices didn't taste discernibly different from those that weren't. On top of that, I began to feel nauseous within 15 minutes of finishing and spent the next few hours in and out of the commode. For take out, I essentially ordered what I hoped would be enough for a nice dinner for two. I got a steamed vegetable stew ($7 - the menu said "with banku or rice") and then a beef and rice dish ($10). I was a little surprised to find that they had charged me an extra $3 for the banku (what DOES it mean when it says the dish is served WITH an item?). Oh, well...whatever. Got home to find out the vegetable dish was....frozen mixed vegetables (you can't mistake those machine cut veggies for anything else). They had been steamed and given the once over with a pepper grinder. For $7??? WTF? The one and only saving dish was the beef and rice dish (go figure - it's the one thing I can't remember the name of). While it was a little oily and the heat came predominantly from black pepper, the meat itself was very tender and the sauce had a flavour. It was great to dip some of the banku in the sauce. So - I (think I) got overcharged, got a bit sick, and went one for three on the meals. And yet, I'll still give them one more shot, seeing as how Carman was so positive on it. Maybe they knew he was a food writer and helped them with their decisions. I can't feel that we just didn't get our money's worth. -
ArlNow reported last month that Jay's is scheduled to close this Monday, May 18, 2015. -
I drive Washington Blvd every day and just glanced over and noticed it this morning (same building as the marble and tile place). From what I can find it is a Persian take out spot. Does anyone have the scoop on this place? Why did they choose that name (is it a tribute to Timberlake and Samberg?!?!)? I consider myself a hardcore carnivore, but I can honestly say I didn't read the sign and think "Mmmmmmmmmm, meat in a box!" On the plus side, it is on the right side to make for an easy stop on the way home. -
I've been to Sakoontra a few times, and I'm surprised there hasn't been much conversation about it here. Very good and very consistent Thai food in the Costco plaza off the Fairfax County Parkway and West Ox. Whenever I visit a Thai restaurant, I always try the Drunken Noodles (kee mow) for the sake of comparison. This dish is very good at Sakoontra, which I requested "Thai spicy" not "American spicy". The thick noodles sauteed with just about everything in the kitchen hits the spot time and again. I have also tried the Panang Chicken and the Yum Watercress, which I think is unique to this restaurant. Again, very good and reliable Thai dishes. My girlfriend has had the Pattaya Seafood, with the spices dumbed down for her palate, and I tried it on our last visit. Nothing to write home about, but certainly not bad either. I find the squid to be a bit chewy on various dishes here. Whenever I'm in that part of the Fairfax County Parkway - West Ox - Fair Oaks area, Sakoontra is my first choice of restaurant. -
In my efforts to eat lunch across the 'burbs of NoVA, I had lunch today w/ a friend at Walker's Grille, which is in an odd location behind Inova Alexandria. There's plenty of parking, a built in clientele w/ the hospital & doctors offices, I think it was about 3/4 filled. The space is attractive enough, reminiscent of an office building, a little noisy, & has an outdoor patio that might be nice, when the weather is warmer. We both got sandwiches, I was craving a club, (which is why I tried this place), so, turkey club w/ bacon & cheddar on wheat toast- large, a little dry, & the fries were a little limp. My friend had the reuben, said it was ok, not outstanding. Service was excellent, so while I won't be rushing back, I think it was just fine...- 4 replies
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- Springfield
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From a WaPo chat last week: and... -
Olea is the latest venture in the space previously occupied by Parsian Restaurant and Zorkafor's SandVeg. They're currently in a soft opening phase, and are serving the menu at half-price for the next few weeks. I haven't been in yet, but plan to make a visit, as I did enjoy the sample of their pizza that was being offered out front. It had a light, crispy crust, good flavor, and wasn't at all greasy. The chef (Mehrnoosh) and her husband, Majid, are Iranian and, according to this blog post linked on their website, she had an Italian restaurant in Tehran prior to immigrating to the US. The menu includes panini and salads, though they may be adding breakfast and some other items in the future. The space has been nicely updated, the staff appear to be very friendly and enthusiastic, and I hope they'll be very successful! -
According to Arlnow the long running Hamburger Hamlet in Crystal City could close. Evidently there are some last minute negotiations going on to try and keep the restaurant operating per the article -
I read a while back that Pedro Matamoros has moved to Silver Spring's Golden Flame. Wondering if anyone has tried it out since then? We are thinking of going soon, so will report. -
We had a delicious supper at Uptown in the K-mart plaza yesterday! This place is very unique and different for a pizza place which has a fancy ordering computer where you touch the screen to select what you want and what quantity or type. No "sit down style" waitress/waiter service when we were there. You order and they bring the food to your table and you get your own utensils, papergoods and drinks. We just wanted a quick supper We shared the New Yorker Pizza Medium (and took some home) I ordered Lobster Ravioli, hubby spaghetti and meatballs and we both ordered cannoli's for dessert. The pizza was very tasty and made almost to "bronx or NY perfection" and the cannolis were the best I've had since 1978 with an exception being a small place on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx in a real "Italian bakery". The food overall was not disappointing considering it is in a strip mall and more of a help yourself restaurant... and it was very empty but nice and clean and had alot of black and white photo's scattered throughout. It is very unique and definitely worth the trip. I've heard that if they were in DC they would be on par with 2 Amys. The lowdown information: Uptown Brick Oven Pizza 470 Elden St Herndon, VA 20170 (703) 230-0005 www.uptownbrickpizza.com Bring an appetite -
The missus and I had a solid meal at Burma on 6th last night. Try the spare ribs with honey-- they were tender and full of flavor. The beef curry was disappointing as I had read in the Post and Washingtonian that it was packing some serious heat, but this was bland and flat. We also tried a dried bean curd dish with stir-fried veggies which was a winner. Despite the space being a former jujitsu studio or some such, the place has an agreeable warmth-- kind of like eating in someone's home. I'm sure I'll be back because I have a feeling there are some dishes on the menu that I'll enjoy more than that curry. Salads and apps were $6-8, and entrees around $11. -
Article from Prince of Petworth. New bar and restaurant with a social enterprise twist opening April 2012 at 1926 9th St. NW. Info here and menu. -
I just called Kate's and they confirmed that they closed as of yesterday. -
Ended up at the Sly Horse Tavern. How bad was it? REAL BAD. Fortunately, my friend, who had been there before and so I guess liked it, had a coupon for $20 off so at least it wasn't expensive. We waited for a table at the bar because the restaurant was full. It's a small place, extremely old fashioned. Our pleasant-enough-but-not-exactly-warm bartender gave us the requested glasses of wine - sauvignon blanc for me and cabernet sauvignon for my friend - filled to the brim for both and ice cold for the white, and then scooted to the opposite end of the bar. In honor of my new job (yes, I'm milking this seemingly), my friend picked up the bar tab so I can't comment on the prices. From the cheese ball we were served with crackers (not in the same universe as Komi's homemade crackers!) to our appetizer of brie and fruit (served with some sort of raspberry sauce EVERYWHERE and liberally sprinkled with almond slices), this was a great way to help me lose a few pounds before my upcoming vacation. It was all so nasty that I had no interest in that "one more bite." We both selected beef for our entrees, particularly after learning that they were out of almost all of the other specials (we sat down around 6:45, mind you). Mine came with a sickeningly sweet wine reduction and gorgonzola as well as mashed potatoes (which weren't great) and chopped zucchini. We passed on dessert. Thanks to the coupon, we paid $28 each while tipping about 18% on the pre-discounted amount. Still, it was a total waste, and I hope I never cross the Sly Horse's threshhold again! -
The national dish of Springfield appears to be rotisserie chicken. The new (4 months old) A-Nine is a fine addition to that trend. The spare restaurant is in the plaza across from Mike's, in the place that Royal Court Barbecue used to occupy. I just polished off half a chicken, and it was succulent. Standard white and green sauces gave it a nice kick, and sides of beans, rice, plantains and salad were unspectacular but good. I would definitely return, and next time I'll pay attention to the daily specials. There was a green noodles dish accompanying a nice little steak on the specials board today, and it looked quite appetizing. 6133B Backlick Rd. (703) 992-9003
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They are having a tasting for some Kiwi wines tonight. -
Driving down Backlick Road toward Springfield, I pass a little gas station with food mart that now has a "Coming Soon" sign for Hong Anh Vietnamese restaurant. I don't know anything about it other than its location of being roughly half a mile from Braddock & Backlick Road intersection and that parking might be difficult (or not). It's a strange location to me, but has anyone else seen this sign?? -
Has anyone ever been to this place? I've seen their ad in the metro at Bethesda - it says opening Fall 06, but I'm not sure if it has opened yet. Here is their website: http://www.dysfunctionalcuisine.com/ [No longer works] Apparently there is already one in Annapolis: http://www.yinyankee.com/ [No longer works] What's the word?
