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  1. Zahav (reservations are imperative - it's also a two-minute walk from Amada if you want to sample both) and John's Roast Pork (open M-F 6:45 AM - 3:00 PM only).
  2. No thread on this place yet, and it's been open since, what, April? It's a nice little place with a neighborhood (rather than destination) kind of vibe. Not too many items on the menu, but it's wide ranging: Indian, Georgian (republic, not US State), Turkey, a lot of South American dishes... Four of us spent and hour and a half grazing our way through. Nothing we had was spectacular, but everything was good: well-conceived and executed. I'm not really inspired to describe any of the dishes, but wanted to get the thread going. This is the kind of place I'd stop at once a week or so, walking home from work, if I lived and worked in the area. Compass Rose 1346 T Street NW Washington, DC 20009 202-506-4765
  3. On Friday, doughboy and I went to the new St. Anselm, a Stephen Starr joint located at Union Market. Our server was friendly, and quite good at ass kissing. We had him as a server before, but we can't remember where. We started with beef tartare and blue crab deviled eggs. The tartare was mixed with lots of herbs and seasoning, thus obscuring the taste of the beef itself. The deviled eggs was good, adding crab made it different, but not better nor worse. The best part of dinner were the grilled oysters (with smoked herb butter) and grilled clams, with a chartreuse sauce. The oysters were the best since my first visit to The Ordinary in Charleston. The clams were also excellent. Unfortunately, the monster prawn was overcooked. The Butcher's Steak of the day was a hanger steak. It was cooked to medium rare as requested, and very good. At $28, it might be not a bargain (or maybe it is, I don't order steak very often). We also had the grilled salmon collar. It was nicely grilled - a treat if you like simply grilled salmon. I would go back just for the oyster, clam and maybe steak.
  4. I'm starting a dedicated topic about Zaytinya because it doesn't appear to have one. It's on my mind right now, mostly because a friend is going there tonight and her pronunciation cracked me up. I have zero idea of I myself pronounce it right (Zay-TEE-nyah), however I am completely certain that she wasn't even close. The number of variations I see on the spelling of the name also astounds me. My most recent visit was two weeks ago for lunch. I find lunch to be a pleasant time to visit the place - less crowded, particularly in the bar area. That said, when my friend and I arrived and asked about a table for two, we received blank stares from the two hostesses (in spite of it being after 1 pm, and there being quite a few vacant two-tops scattered here and there). We took matters into our own hands and sat in the bar. Service was prompt (until it was check time) and the food was very, very tasty. Although...as I am sitting here typing, I realize that our carrot fritters never did arrive. Hmm. We had the stewed lamb with eggplant puree, asparagus, chicken with orzo and tomato sauce, and hummus. My new-to-town friend, originally from Wales by way of NYC, was suitably impressed, particularly when the bill amounted to about $30 with tip.
  5. We dined at All Set for the first time a few weeks ago. I must confess that I am Friends with the Owner and Chef as well as one of the bartenders. Right at 5 pm on a Saturday, we had the Chick Peas Fries and some Oysters and Clams to start. The fries were good fresh tasting and accompanied by two dipping sauces. The oysters were Wellfleets and they were expertly served. Chef sent me a few others to try but I forget their name. Clams were ultra fresh tasting as well. The point here is the presentation. It doesn't get much better IMO. Care was taken with this. Well thought out and executed. We ordered the Salmon (Norway) and Short Ribs. Both were great. The Short Ribs were classic comfort and the Salmon was perfectly cooked. I really enjoyed the lentils with the salmon ( I was not sure I would). The point so far is that you can tell that they care about what they're putting out! Dessert: I forget exactly what it was. One lighter one with Olive oil vanilla ice cream? and one chocolate peanut butter slice of decadence. I believe the recipes for dessert were crafted by the former pastry chef at Volt. Bottom Line is that we were served fresh food with care in a beautiful and inventive setting. They are a young restaurant and an independent one as well. I would definitely recommend ALL SET to anyone. Even the kids menu is well thought out. Please pardon my lack of detail. Ooh! The bar serves up some fun drinks. I had a Perfect Storm and with dessert a "Grape Drink" the latter of which was my favorite of the two for its inventiveness.
  6. Chef Spike Gjerde has opened his long awaited farm-to-table restaurant in Clipper Mill. The wife and I went there last night and were shocked at the full dining room, given the restaurant's out-of-the-way location. No matter though, we had made reservations and were seated promptly in the loft overlooking the dining room. The renovation to the building is stunning. The exposed brick walls and recycled old-growth lumber that were used are dramatically illuminated, looking both elegant and cozy at the same time. A wood burning oven is the center piece of the open kitchen, and most of the food on the menu seems to be cooked in it. We ordered: Oysters (raw and roasted) Chicken liver parfait Hamburger Autumn vegetables Everything was very good: the food, the service, and the space. We'll be back soon. Woodberry Kitchen
  7. After a soft opening on Sunday afternoon for friends and neighbors The Red Hen officially opened last night. Menu is not on the website yet, but Washingtonian has a scan. We were hoping to walk down right around 5:00, but never made it out the door; it was apparently packed (as expected given the neighborhood excitement for this place). Early Comments I've read so far are very good on the food, so-so on the value (although no cocktail is over $10, so hooray?). Portions size comes up most, but there are lots of small plates. We're very much excited to try it out. Has anyone been yet?
  8. Please define mid afternoon? Rustic Canyon Wine Bar is superb and one of the hottest restaurants in L. A. right now (#6 in Jonathan Gold's top 100 L. A. restaurants) but it does not open until 5:00PM. Ten minutes from LAX in Santa Monica-we went a month ago and loved it. On par wtih Red Hen or Rose's; extremely creative. Superb wine list heavy on Central Coast wines. If the time works it would be my first choice of any. Press reports on Rustic Canyon including LA Times and New York Times:
  9. Happy to announce that Room 11 Wine and Dessert Bar is now open for business on 11th Street in Columbia Heights. Ben Gilligan is in the kitchen, turning out small plates, paninis, cheese, and charcuterie. Dan Searing is behind the bar and has crafted a selective wine, beer and cocktail list. And Paisley Fig is supplying our desserts. Nick Pimentel was in charge of design and yours truly rounds out the ownership and management team. Drop by to say hello! We can be found on the internets at room11dc.com More coverage Here and Here.
  10. Petworth Citizen is now open! Makoto Hamamura (x-Cityzen) is the chef. Kristy Green (x-Firefly) is the bar manager. Nick Pimentel (Room 11) did the design. 829 Upshur Street NW (Same Block as Domku) Open 7 days: 5pm-2am/3am
  11. After walking through The Block, we had a couple of cocktails at Block Bar, and all three were wonderful, particularly the last two, made with egg whites (a fresh egg, cracked, and de-yolked à la minute). Here are current copies of their menus: Not pictured was a Dark N' Stormy ($10) with Lime, Ginger Beer, and Spiced Rum. The least complex of the three drinks, it was still a delightful rendition, and perfect for a warm summery evening. The two egg-white drinks were exceptional: Bees Knees ($11) with Honey, Lemon, Gin (Tanqueray), and Egg White, is a drink that I have often, and this was one of the very best versions of it I've had lately - you can see the Before and After pictures and the quality is obvious - regard the infinite froth: As good as that was, my drink of the night was the sensational Cucumber Gin Fizz ($11), with Cucumber, Simple Syrup, Lime, St. Germain, Gin (Tanqueray), and Egg White - this was one of the very best cocktails I've had this year, and I even tweeted about the affable bartender who made it: <--- Cocktails do not get any better than this.
  12. I had lunch here today and will definitely be back. The dining room is pretty, the food beautifully presented, they have some non-standard things on the menu, and everything I had was good (though the portions could be a bit larger). I went there because they had Kolkata style Jhaal muri (puffed rice, peanuts and various chutneys) which is a fave of mine that i haven't seen in the area. it was served, as it traditionally is, in a small newspaper cone, which i loved. the muri itself wasn't quite Kolkata style, (IMO it had too much date chutney, and not enough mustard oil) but it was very tasty, and i give them credit for having it. the pan fried idli were very good, they had a nice masala on them and came with a very good tomato chutney, though i would've liked them a bit more pan fried. and the okra side i got was very good too--simply prepared with chili and mango powder, but done very well, and there aren't that many places here that make it like this. My friend had the paneer with green chutney and lamb with apricots and liked both. they have some non-standard things on the menu, which was nice to see, like dahi vada, chicken choorma, goat with turnips and more. they also have a 3 course lunch deal for $24 i think. everything was beautifully plated and the service was good. Website
  13. Last week, I went to the Rye Street Tavern, NoHo Hospitality Group's latest foray into Baltimore. It was on a Sunday evening, so we naturally gravitated towards their "Southern Fried Sundays" - a fried chicken dinner, served family style. Keep reading, because I'm going to tell you a little secret about ordering this meal that wouldn't be at all obvious to a first-time diner. and it will make the difference between you "liking it," and "loving it." The cocktails were somewhat expensive, but were well-made and delicious: And a little loaf of cornbread comes out just before everything else arrives: Then, the family-style dinner: Everything about this meal screamed "Repeat!" - everything, that is, except the price: We paid $70 for those two little assemblages of food that you see just above (plus the cornbread). "Geez," I said, "$70, and we got *four* pieces of chicken!" I mean, it was great and everything, but as you can see, there are three starch-heavy items: the cornbread, the biscuits, and the potatoes, and we both paced our dinners so that we finished everything at the same time. We were mildly full, and yes, the richness of the cooking made everything satisfying, but come on! I wanted more chicken, darn it! So, just as we were winding down, our server came up to us, and said, "Would you all care for some more chicken, or side dishes?" "Wat?" Okay, so ... spending my money so you don't have to ... we asked for some more chicken, potatoes, and collards (made with delicious bacon, btw), and got a healthy second portion; the rub is that we had *no idea* it was coming, so we filled up on starch, when we would have really preferred a better balance with another piece of chicken. Remember: Those second portions are coming your way, but not a word was said about them until we had almost finished the meal - if you take *that* into consideration, and use it to your advantage, then $35 is a very fair price for this meal. Also, the restaurant gave us two spice muffins "to have with breakfast the next morning," which is always a nice touch. To Rye Street's full credit, they offered to box up the second helping which we couldn't finish - we felt sheepish about this, since boxing up all-you-can-eat meals is something of a shady practice, but they would hear nothing of it. Keep in mind: I don't know if this is all-you-can-eat; I suspect you get two helpings, and *maybe* a third helping if you really do a number on everything, but I wouldn't count on that. Still, in no way did they seem like they were trying to skimp on things, so this was merely a lack of knowledge on our part - learn from our mistake! Go here on a Sunday night, get this exact same thing, and *remember* that it's essentially all-you-can-eat - I can't guarantee we'd have gotten a third helping, but who knows? There's no need to stuff yourself with carbs, merely so you don't leave hungry. Furthermore, the restaurant, and the grounds it's on (it shares acreage with a distillery) is beautiful - there's even a battleship in the background! And that is damned good fried chicken!
  14. José Andres' new restaurant in Beverly Hills, called The Bazaar, gets a 4-star rave review in the L.A. Times: It sounds like an upscale amalgam of Mini-Bar and Jaleo. "A Rare Four-Star Review: The Bazaar by José Andrés" by S. Irene Virbila on latimes.com
  15. Cathal Armstrong's new restaurant Kaliwa is opening possibly tomorrow at the Wharf (751 Wharf St, SW, DC) (via Laura Hayes' tweet). More info about the restaurant at Washington City Paper: "Kaliwa Brings Food with Full Funk and Fire to the Wharf when it Opens Next Week" by Laura Hayes on washingtoncitypaper.com
  16. Over the last 5 or 6 years, after investigating and experiencing cocktails as a transition from seating to menu to perusal to expectation, my wife and I have built a cocktail cart to recreate some of the things we have had over the years when the mood hits us. Here is a favorite of mine that is a riff on The Last Word that I think is an improvement on same-- "True Syrum" by mojo1229 on kindredspirits.com Rye and cointreau instead of gin and maraschino liqueur. It's great after a long hard week at work. Best with Rittenhouse Rye. Enjoy.
  17. "Bryan Caswell Suddenly Closes His Midtown Seafood Restaurant" by Eric Sandler on houstonculturemap.com
  18. I had dinner at New Heights back in April, which may not qualify as "lately," unless no one else can remember a more timely meal there! If you've not been there, ask for a table overlooking the street (and therefore the Rock Creek Parkway, too). The interior is classy, though I can't quite place what the atmosphere is meant to feel like; on one hand, it's not as formal or intentionally posh as, say, Palette or Vidalia, but it's also not meant to be urban and hip, e.g., Tabaq Bistro or Viridian. It's like a neighborhood restaurant gone upscale. Anyway, we had the black bean "pate" as an appetizer, and I found it less than thrilling. It was unpleasantly thick, and was somewhat bland. The entree, however, was possibly the best entree I had last year. It was grilled salmon wrapped in phyllo dough surrounded by roasted fingerling potatoes and roasted carrots. The latter accompaniments were perfect in terms of texture and flavor, but the salmon was out of this world. It fell apart under my knife, and the phyllo surrounding it was appropriately flaky, warm, and not too sweet. I have no idea whether that dish is on New Heights' current menu (or, even if it is, whether it would be on the RW menu), but I think the inventiveness of the dish speaks well for the restaurant's cooking on the whole.
  19. Everyone, the first DC pop up of the Thali Llama Regional Indian Pop Up Series was a big success last week. Featuring the cuisine of Goa, it was a really nice introduction for these New Orleans-based chefs to the DC scene. Many thanks to Bar Bullfrog for welcoming them and creating a fantastic cocktail pairing menu for the evening. They are doing it again on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 17 and 18, this time featuring the dishes of Rajasthan. They are doing a tasting menu, $55 for the menu, $45 for a vegetarian version. Menu cost includes service; alcohol and its service is separate and goes to Bar Bullfrog, who will again be creating cocktails for the occasion. Check out the menu and tickets on their Eventbrite page. Thanks for your support.
  20. The folks that brought us Restaurant Eve have managed to pull off a study in extreme contrasts with their recent opening the immensely popular Eamonn's Chipper and the newly opened "PX." The Chipper has its own thread and needs no introduction. The PX, which opened this evening, is the Chipper's polar opposite. It is located on the upper level of Eamonn's but you enter around the corner when the blue light is illuminated. You ring the door bell and wait for someone to recognize you before you are allowed to enter. An upscale, coat and tie/cocktail dress, cocktail lounge in the speakeasy mode, awaits you after you review the "house rules' upon entry. What awaits you is an establishment new to the DC area; a polished wood,. upscale, speakeasy. What also is polished is the skill of the bartenders and the waitstaff who will be able to make you just about any drink you can name.and then some. It is only open Wednesday through Saturday and not for the faint of heart. The lowest end cocktail is $11, no beer that I could discern. If you are refused entry, keep in mind that the place only holds a little more than 30 people. And that is post #2,000
  21. One of our staffers found this picture. Its the kind of thing that would make me swear off alcohol:
  22. Am I right that no one has written about Maple? Named after the big slab of maple wood that makes up the bar (not pancakes!), this place is right on 11th st. We went for the first time last weekend and were very happy we did. It's a small space and you can tell that the same designers who did Cork did Maple (although I found Maple more comfy/cozy). Lots of wood, grey, etc. and the bar ends in one of those peninsulas that can be a table for four. Outside tables too. The menu is small, and so is the kitchen. That said, everything was delicious. To start we had a summer special cocktail -- gin with limonata, blackberry juice, and blackberries. Refreshing and I am now totally addicted to this drink. We had two of the crostini (I don't remember the price for two, four were $10) and they were tasty -- one with white beans and anchovies and one with prosciutto, fontina, and fig. I give the edge to the white bean one though. I had the short rib panini, which was delicious. Hearty, rich, and just fantastic. My partner had the lamb bolognese, which was also great -- just gamey enough, but not too ripe. We shared a bottle of forgettable Montepulciano, but at $20 for a bottle, it was fine. There were plenty of other choices that were a little more expensive, but we went with the waitresses wine recommendation. We thought it was interesting she suggested the cheapest bottle! Dessert was a special -- cobbler with peaches and blackberries from the farmer's market with dolcezza vanilla gelato. YUM! A few things I loved -- first of all, it is not small plates. I am so tired of small plates! Second, the prices were great. For two cocktails, a bottle of wine, the crostini, two entrees and a dessert our bill was $100 for two people including tax and tip. Finally, they seem to have cool special events. We signed up for an upcoming Italian rare beer tasting. Only quibble was that the wine recommendation was not great from the server, but otherwise she was super nice, efficient, and good.
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