Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Steakhouse'.
-
_svg.thumb.png.c50387abb33133634363845f12199fa0.png)
I was going to suck some ventworm nuts for Mother's Day but Rosa Mexicana is booked all day long. Incidentally, McCormick is also booked but I never thought to eat there. So we decided to go with Bond 45. Any recs? What are Roman style chopped chicken liver (how's it different from Dean's mama's chopped chicken liver)? -
We went to GrillMarX last night for dinner. Located in the new Fair Hill Shopping Center in Olney, they opened six days ago. If yesterday was any indication, they will do well. They were packed. The only problem we had was that they were so popular that they were not able to seat us until 8pm even though we had a 7:30 reservation. I think that they are still getting the hang of how to time their reservations. They were doing a thriving bar business and the raw bar was very busy. Dinner started with a dozen Wellfleet oysters. Very fresh, briny, plump and well presented. They were served with lemon, hot sauce, freshly grated horseradish, and a grapefruit mignonette. My son ordered the Kona ribeye, which is marinated in Kona coffee, brown sugar, spices and herbs. Very flavorful if not to my particular taste. He ordered it rare, and it came rare. I ordered the regular boneless ribeye, asking for it to be on the rare side of medium rare. Again, it came exactly as ordered. We ordered baked potatoes to go with them but though seriously about the classic paring of creamed spinach. The steaks are 14 ounces and were quite good. My wife ordered the crab cakes, asking for the mustard sauce to be on the side. When they arrived, the sauce was on top of the crabcakes. When she said that she had ordered the sauce on the side, they whisked them away and replaced them with new ones, sauce on the side, in 90 seconds. They came with a very good salsa of corn and red peppers. The wine list is not large, but well selected for the menu and considering that this is Montgomery County, well priced. Unfortunately, as in most restaurants, the wines are fairly young. We ordered a 2006 Franciscan Oakville Estate Magnificat that at $65 was the oldest, and one of the most expensive bottles on the list. A fair price for the wine for MoCo restaurants. We later added a half bottle of 2007 Stonestreet Cab that was not nearly as good as the Magnificat. Glassware was adequate and they brought us new glasses with the second bottle. Dessert was the Amaretto Mascarpone Cheesecake for my son and the Apple Crisp for me. The Apple crisp was huge, came with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and was quite tasty. I didn't taste the cheesecake, but he didn't seem to dislike it as it disappeared quickly. Service was friendly, and efficient. Because my son ordered iced tea in addition to drinking the wine (actually, my wife had less than half a glass of the Magnificat and we drank the rest), the waiter brought him two glasses at a time due to how packed the place was. All in all I think this is a great addition to Olney, which needs more restaurants of this category. I look forward to them ironing out the scheduling, but I can't say that it was their fault, folks seemed to want to linger. If I had any complaint it was that the place was quite loud, but that is to be expected when there are that many people there at the bar. We will definitely be back. -
I went to Ted's Montana Grill in Crystal City for lunch today and it was ok. Nothing spectacular or noteworthy. A couple things though: 1. Everything they offer in beef, they also offer in bison. There is a nominal upcharge. 2. The onion rings are enormous. If you order the onion ring appetizer, you will get what amounts to probably 3-4 onions on your plate. 3. Service today was very overzealous, but that's to be expected as they opened recently (not sure of the exact date). 4. I was the only uniformed military member in the place which is very odd for Crystal Drive at that hour. Edited for grammar. -
Have never eaten there. Don't know what people think. Probably about a thousand other places I'd like to try beforehand. But walking to Corduroy I noticed a sign in a window on the west side of 12th Street between I and K that Bobby Van's is coming this fall. Isn't the other one just a few blocks away, or are they moving? -
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. -
I stopped into the District Chophouse for a post-hockey beer this week, and I'm aghast that I'd never been there before. I didn't realize they brewed their own beer, and the menu looks to be good steakhouse fare at a much lower cost than most steakhouses. But all I had the chance to try was beer.* Who's been in to eat? I'm thinking of taking dad there next week when he's in town. Advisable? Recommendations? *The bourbon stout was very interesting, but two of us thought it got pretty tired and overwhelming about a half pint in. The ale was terrific, and there are a lot of other interesting brews I'm interested in trying. -
New steak frites restaurant coming to Rockville Town Square. From the Rockville Town Center announcement: "82 steak out will offer a truly unique steak frites dining experience modeled after a long time European tradition, now with an American flair. Enjoy Steak and Fries (or sweet potato fries) with your choice of house or Caesar salad served with our super secret sauce for only $18.82!" -
We went to Malibu Grill Steakhouse for a business lunch last week. My client/friend had never been to a churrascaria before so I gave him the low-down. I figured it was his treat and I hadn't been to one in the VA area yet and I hate going to DC because of the parking and traffic. We hit the salad bar and then put our "green" on. (Note to the uninitiated you have a piece of wood green for "go" and red for "stop" - servings of food that is grilled rotisserie style) we ate and ate and ate and though I love salt a bit more than the next person the sirloin was a tiny bit too salty (take an inside cut maybe?) for me. My friend was okay with it all but he's not a supertaster nor a foodie, so I'll have to show him some fine dining choices next time! They had salad and soup and grilled potatoes and rolls and halibut and alot more items than you could need w/o the grilled meats. The price was right since he was treating and then we went on to business. The waitress/server was a very sweet hispanic girl who kept my soda glass full...blissfully. The water - ewwwwww, I guess I'm spoiled but the water tasted like toilet water! Anyhow I helped him with career advice and resume tweaking and since my last meeting with him he has gotten a few bites so he's happy. I saw a restaurant next door but I forget the name, I would love to find out more about it! I'd put this on a list of things to try for a fast steakhouse in the fairfax or falls church va areas... it's really a toss up if you don't mind the salty meat. (maybe it was an off day? - shrug - ) anyhow... my next place to try is Chez Francois in Great Falls. -
Heading up to MSG for fight night with my brother tomorrow. He's got his heart set on steaks and I'm struggling to figure out where we should go and maybe even find a deal (I know, too much to ask). Staying at 48th and Lexington, so anywhere midtown is fair game, but willing to travel if the times work out with still getting to the fight by 9pm. Thanks.
-
Minetta Tavern 113 MacDougal St. New York, NY 10012 http://www.minettatavernny.com/ If ever there were a drink that was alone worth the time and expense of traveling to New York, it might be the Green Mary at Minetta Tavern ($14). A Bloody Mary made with fresh green tomatoes, it has a sweet smokiness that lingers on the palate for minutes and on the brain far longer. Literally every time I have an ordinary Bloody Mary, or even a good one, I think about this drink. This trip, I had my Green Mary with the Black Label Burger ($26). For the price it should, at least, come with bacon. Really, really good bacon, made by monks in the Black Forest, from hogs raised on a diet of Champagne and truffles. Or maybe some cheese. But, whatever, it's a good burger. It does come topped with well carmelized onions and a side of nicely crisp, but kind of bland fries. And a really, really good pickle. Unlike the drink, the burger is not the sort of thing you lust after. But I'd get it again, even considering the cost. I'm a sucker for a good burger. -
Ventured out to Costata last night. Costata is a part of the AltaMarea empire, and is marketed as an Italian Steakhouse, as Costata apparently means Ribeye in Italian. The space is at the corner of Spring & Sullivan in Soho (despite it being identified as in the West Village on Opentable), diagonally across from Dominic Ansel's shop. The restaurant takes up four floors of a five floor townhouse, recently renovated to include a glass elevator in the front of the house. The basement houses restaurant offices, a glass doored wine room, and restrooms. The first floor houses a bar and table space, as well as the hostess stand. The second floor contains another bar and more table space. Unsure of the third floor's layout, and the fifth floor apparently contains a dentist's office (?). All in all, a very pretty space, and I can't imagine the cost of renovations. PJ Calapo is manning the kitchen here, and is turning out a rather lengthy menu, encompassing at least half a dozen crudos, another half dozen (at least) each of appetizers, pastas, and entrees "“ aside from the steaks and side orders. The specialty of the house seems to be the shared steaks for two or more, which include a Bistecca Fiorentina and a Tomahawk Rib Chop, as well as large langoustines priced per piece. I was seated upstairs due to a private party taking place on the first floor. Looking over the menu, I decided to have a glass of rose and my first softshell of the summer. I was presented with a fried jumbo softshell of uncertain provenance, split in half and served with shaved fennel, calabrian chilies, and preserved lemon. The softshell was excellent, with minimal breading. However, I really enjoyed the combination of the shaved fennel, chili paste, and lemon "“ so much so that I ate the softshell by itself, then the fennel, chili, and lemon together. I wasn't much in the mood for a large steak, so I ended up taking the server's recommendation for a pasta course, which was the garganelli alla fiamma, which was garganelli pasta (potentially made in house but freshly made in any case) along with prosciutto, peas, and truffle cream. The pasta was excellent, if over-sauced. There was a cloud of parmigiano reggiano on top of the dish, so between the truffle cream and the cheese, this wasn't a light pasta, but I certainly enjoyed it. Service was fine. Neither notably good nor bad "“ comptetent. Between my appetizer, two glasses of rose, and the pasta I rang in at right around $70 pre tax and tip. Not exactly cheap, but one could easily spend much more here, particularly on wine "“ they have a premium by the glass selection delivered via coravin that had some pretty nice bottles at pretty nice prices. Ultimately a fine meal in a very nice setting. I'd return, but will check out other spots in the neighborhood first. <Edit> Guess I mentioned Coravin too soon. -
A few weeks ago I read an article touching on the trend of famous chefs opening post here in the District. I read on THE LIST YOU ARE ON IT, that Jean George is to open a restaurant in the old Hotel Washington space. Since then I have been snooping around to see if I possibly there was any truth to this. I know the hotel is not slated to open till August 2009, but if anyone has any information, I am more than happy to listen. I am in the very early stages of putting together a manucript covering my experience all things gastronomic. This has given me a great excuse to taste all the city has to offer. If anyone can help with my research, I would greatly appreciate it. -
Competing with 10,000 religion scholars for table space near the convention center this past Sunday, we settled on the bar at Sullivan's Steakhouse for drinks and a few bar entrees. I have no idea what the food is like in the rest of the place, or the chain at large--it wasn't suitable for our wallets or appetites--but with the Thursday and Sunday deal of $7 each for all happy hour items, we figured it was a reasonably safe bet. We both had well-made manhattans, served by our skilled bartender. Bob's burger was decent, served with respectable fries. My tavern sliced steak with a light mushroom sauce was lean, and while cooked past the medium-rare I requested, an extraordinary bargain. For two drinks each, an appetizer and two entrees, we got out for just over $60 with tip. Not a destination by any means, but you can do a lot worse than this for a lot more money in that area. -
Expanding into the Philadelphia market: http://philadelphia.foobooz.com/2013/02/07/dcs-medium-rare-opening-on-the-1600-block-of-sansom/
-
I couldn't find Nick's Chophouse in the Dining Guide. I had lunch there today and it deserves some serious love. Nick's is a lovely place in the King's Park area, with a bar on the immediate right as you walk in the door, a nice dining room and a spaceous outdoor dining area. The menu features the typical chophouse fare, with Black Angus steaks and lots of salads, seafood and chicken all over the lunch menu. I went with the Special Lunch Menu where you pick an appetizer or soup or salad along with an entree. My $15.95 special began with the "Today's Hummus" and was followed by the grilled BBQ shrimp with grits. The hummus wasn't bad, but how hard is it to make hummus? It's not the best hummus I've ever had, but it was certainly an adequate starter. The grilled shrimp was a hit. They were medium-large, grilled to perfection, covered with a spicy Coca-Cola sauce, sitting on top of perfectly cooked grits, and topped with sauteed spinach. This dish was very enjoyable, and it demonstrated some serious kitchen skills in pulling it all together. I would eat this dish over and over again, but there are some other items on the menu that I intend to try on my next visit, whenever that is. Table mates had the flatiron steak, the petite filet, and the grilled salmon. Each plate, like mine, was completely wiped clean, even prompting the waitress who cleared our plates to remark that we must have really enjoyed our meals. We did. http://www.nickschophouserockville.com/ -
After going to the movies yesterday, we ate at Mon Ami Gabi, which it seems, is a branch of the restaurants of Chef Owner Gabino Sotelino (the card says Chicago, Oak Brook, Las Vegas, and Bethesda) I made the reservation thru OpenTable.com without knowing anything about the place other than what I saw on the website because it was right next door to the theater. My wife started with the Steamed Artichoke. It was served with a lemon-mustard vinaigrette. While she said it was good, she did think it was a little undercooked. She then had the Onion Soup Au Gratin and the Butter Lettuce Salad which came with apple, Gruyère cheese and walnuts. The soup was very good, but much too much cheese for her tastes. The salad on the other hand was ordinary, the lettuce and Gruyere only so so. My son started with the Gazpacho, which was perfect for the very hot weather, and the Escargots de Bourgogne. They were excellent, very tender (not at all over cooked) lots of garlic and butter, and piping hot. He then had the Beef Short Ribs, fork tender (even mor so, they were falling apart to the touch) and flavorful. Served on a bed of baby potatos in butter and parsley. He loved it, but felt the potatos were a little undercooked (is a theme emerging?) I started with the Onion Soup, which I loved. It was huge, had enough cheese to start a heart attack, and was delicious. In addition I had the Duck Leg Confit & Barley Salad, a wonderfully cooked confit and a very tasty barley salad accompanying it. While I wish they had not been served together (I'd have preferred the soup first, then the confit), they were both delicious. For my main dish, I had the Steak Provencal. It was cooked just as ordered, medium rare, and delicious. Very tender and flavorful. It came with a huge mound of frites that were like none Ihad ever seen before. Thin ribbons of potatos, french fried and not at all chip like, but unlike any frites I'd ever had. They were very good. We accompanied the meal with a 2001 Cháteau Moulin de Lavaud that was quite good (if a bit young but what can you do, it was the best value for Bordeaux on the small, all French, but well chosen and relatively well priced list imho) and which my wife really enjoyed. (She even asked why since she doesn't normally like the Bordeaux that I prefer, but since this was a Lalande de Pomerol and thus pedominately Merlot, I knew it would please her.) Service was excellent, attentive without being too attentive. Water glasses were kept filled, empty plates were removed quickly but without anybody being rushed, and once I said I'd take care of it, the server left the wine alone and did not try to keep filling the glasses. The only problem was that it was so hot outside (high 90s) that the airconditioner was laboring to keep the restaurant cool. All in all, it was a good meal with some misses, but some very good hits too. Considering the location in the middle of Bethesda, the prices were reasonable. Dinner for three with wine but no dessert (we went next door for ice cream), with tax and a 20% tip was just under $200.
-
Well? I'm waiting. -
I was looking for information about it, but it doesnt now show up on the Marriott website for that hotel. Has the Shulas closed? -
Four of us had dinner at The Green Tree on King Street in Leesburg Saturday night. We were intrigued by the restaurant's description as serving authentic recipes from the 18th century. According to the blurb in the Entertainment book, the original owner researched colonial recipes in the Library of Congress, and adapted them to more modern practices. Since one of our group is a docent at Mount Vernon who happens to be an expert on the cuisine during the time that George Washington lived there, we figured it would be an interesting exercise. Our visit on Saturday found a place that was somewhat better than some of the more dire reviews that appeared online. The dining room was once lit only by candles, for example, but since that was written some electric lamps have been added, and that means that those of us of a certain age can still read the menus. We arrived at 7:00PM to find only one other table occupied. By the time we left, a couple more tables had filled. This place is not overly busy, and I have to wonder if it's trying to rebound from declining fortunes and rising costs. The menu includes an appetizer course, a soup course, entrees and dessert. Not on the menu, but served before the entree is a salad course. The entrees range from some long term items such as the cheese pie (kind of like a quiche) to mushroom canapes to a crab and cream casserole, which is what I had. The appetizers can run large, so for some like the cheese pie, you might want to share. We avoided the soup course considering the weather, although I'm told that the cabbage soup is a favorite. The entrees are supposed to be items that were served in the late 18th century, and our period expert says that they appear to be very similar to items that appear in contemporary diaries from the time. A couple of the items claim to have been taken directly from records of meals hosted by Thomas Jefferson, including his favorite liver dish. I was a little surprised to find an Indian curry on the menu, but I haven't had curry for a long time so I tried it. There was also a crab-stuffed flounder, a lamb kabob, a perch poached in dill cream, and some specials that didn't seem at all colonial. A couple of things make me think that this restaurant is trying to overcome bad times. The curry I had, for example, was described as having a collection of side condiments, as it typical of an Indian curry, but the condiments were presented already on the curry, and the sides were eliminated. Other things that make me wonder are the butter that's served, which is the same California Dairy packet that you get at Costco. There's nothing wrong with the butter other than its presentation, but it doesn't really fit the image of fine dining. Service was quite good, although the staff was pretty thin. The head waiter is a retired gentleman who is clearly a colonial food scholar who can quote from Jefferson's diaries during his time in France and at Monticello, He's assisted by a runner, and things are delivered promptly, the orders are correct, and the result is well paced if leisurely. We finished with the bread pudding, which was quite good. The restaurant makes its own desserts for the most part, and apparently is known for its pies, but I really like bread pudding, so I went with that and wasn't disappointed. The wine list is short, but reasonably priced. The house white is a California pinot grigio. We ended up spending about $40 per person. I thought it was a little steep, but I was outvoted by the rest of the table. Maybe I'm a cheapskate. A couple of other thoughts. This restaurant is part of a group that lines that side of King Street in Leesburg, and includes The Leesburg Colonial Inn, Bella Luna and the Georgetown Cafe. The Green Tree seemed to be the busiest of the bunch on the night we were there. Also, the chef is clearly producing specials for more than one restaurant. As much as I love escargot, for example, I don't think it qualifies as an 18th century American dish. I also have my doubts about the crab-stuffed flounder, which I'm told was quite good, but our captive docent didn't think she'd ever seen in any of her studies. Overall, I think The Green Tree is worth a visit, although I'd think of it as more of an exercise in culinary anthropology than as the latest in fine dining. I halfway expected to see Deb Duchon show up around a corner at some point. The restaurant doesn't have a Web site of its own (I'm told they're working on it) but the group can be found at http://www.theleesburgcolonialinn.com. Wayne Rash -
Please transform this topic into a post elsewhere if there is an established general thread about new places and transformations. However, last night I noticed copies of an application for a liquor license posted in the window of the McDonald's that closed some time ago, i.e. across from the Uptown, down a bit from an Italian restaurant on the corner whose logo is a winged lion. Does anyone know what's up at this location? -
So...my partner and i went to Harry's Tap Room in Clarendon on sunday, to take advantage of the brunch. it was about 1:00 and it seemed steady...not overly busy from what i could see... so here is the thing, and let me state before i get into my complaint...i was a waiter for a looooong time, and my tolerance for sub-par waiting is pretty high, as i understand that bad days happen, and everyone can have an off day. SO...after we were seated we waited for about 10-15 minutes for the server to come over and ask us if we wanted something to drink (the waiter came within about a minute of our arrival, which was nice). We gave him our full order (one lemonade, one oj, steak and eggs (steak MR, eggs over hard) and eggs benedict). and then we waited. and the waiter finally came with our drinks (at about half an hour into our sitting down) at which point we asked about the bread and jam. he told us that they bread was in the oven and he was sorry for the wait. he also said that he thought the benedict was up on the line and the steak should be ready soon. ok, fine. the bread would be fresh and our meal would be out soon. good deal. so about 5-10 minutes later, the biscuits arrived. we also asked for refills on the drinks, as they had been long gone. my first issue was that i found it hard to believe that the biscuits (which, while small were REALLY good) would have taken about 40 minutes to bake. i also started getting concerned that my partner's eggs benedict had been sitting under a heat light for about 15 minutes at this point. i would think that this would 1. keep the eggs cooking, taking away the runny poached part of the meal, and 2. would have made the bread soggy... and where was my medium rare steak? so at this point we started becoming uncomfortable. i have mentioned i was a waiter, and i am LOATHE to cause issues at restaurants. but i was really hungry. our waiter came towards us and dropped off drinks at the next table, which had been sat about 15-20 minutes after us. the guy at that table made a joke asking if they had run out of oj. the waiter laughed it off and headed back to the kitchen (which was an open kitchen, in full view of anyone sitting in the restaurant). and still we waited. i should also note that the host table was right behind us, with both the host and a person i assume was a manager or something standing there, in full view of our nearly empty and food free table. so after another 15 minutes, i called over the hostess and said that we had been waiting about an hour for our food. (it had actually been more then an hour at this point) and if there was anything she could do. she said she would get the waiter. i watched her head over to the kitchen, talk to the waiter, who looked around at us, then went back to waiting near the line. she came back towards us, stopping to talk to the managerial type man. THEN a runner came towards us with two plates. FINALLY...oh, wait...where is he going? he went to the table next to us (with the slow oj, that had been sat 15 minutes after us...) and dropped off there food. at that point we stood up, told the hostess we were leaving and left about $10 to cover the drinks. so yeah...has anyone eaten there? is the food good enough for us to go back and give it another shot? i feel like i wanted to send an email or something, but the site didn't have a contact for me, and i sort of didn't want to call and have to explain the whole situation over the phone...i would go back if i was somehow shown some compensation (for having to wait, not getting any food, etc) but again, the waiter in me feels a little guilty. had the server come over a little more often, i probably could have been placated. any thoughts? (and if this is an inappropriate thing to do, complain about a restaurant, just let me know! thanks!) -
From today's metro section. -
trying to get some info if anyone has heard about this alleged steak restaurant in the MD burbs???? thanks, Sari
_svg.thumb.png.c50387abb33133634363845f12199fa0.png)
