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Showing results for tags 'Eric Hilton'.
Found 8 results
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No thread for Chez Billy in Petworth? Ok, I'll go. A friend had been talking this place up late last year, so I wasn't too surprised when my SIL gave us a gift certificate here for Christmas (she lives in NYC, and asked my friend for recommendations). Were there other places I'd rather have been given a GC to in the city? Probably. But, I was also glad to have an excuse to try out Chez Billy. We went on a Sunday night, and the restaurant was never crowded, although the bar had a number of folks. The bar room is actually the more interesting of the two with its high ceilings, but the other room was nice and cozy for a winter night. It was a bit darker than I would like, but maybe I'm just getting old. Service was good. Nothing outstanding, but nothing bad. We started with Tartine Aux Champignons ($12 Sauteed wild mushrooms, grilled country bread, sherry vinegar, duck egg) and Soupe A L'oignon Gratinee Lyonnaise ($10 Classic onion soup), both of which were good. For some reason I was thinking the tartine would be more tart-like, when in fact it was just as described - a piece of grilled bread in a bowl, topped with mushrooms and a duck egg. It was good, but I think I was still thrown off by my own wrong expectations. The soup was excellent. So many times I have trouble with French onion soup cutting through the cheese and bread and eating it in a dignified manner. This was rich and cheesy, but very manageable. Our mains were Confit De Canard ($23 Pommes"Πde terre sarladaise, shitake mushrooms, garlic spinach, roasted duck jus) and Jarret De Porc ($24 Cider braised duroc pork shank, white beans, local kale, bacon). Both meats were falling off the bone, as expected, and both were very good. The pork shank was enormous, and I enjoyed the bean, kale, and bacon swimming underneath. Great wintery dishes on a cold evening. We ended with Plat De Fromage ($8 Walnut raisin toast, wildflower honey), which included a goat, a sheep, and a cow blue (I had been craving a blue cheese that day), and all three were delicious. Although I love walnut raisin toast, I wished there had been a more "plain" bread or cracker or something to let the flavors of the cheese shine through. All in all we really enjoyed our meal and would definitely recommend. I don't know if I'd drive across town, but if you're in the area, it's worth a stop. We even got parking right out front! Beats heading downtown.- 29 replies
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- Georgetown
- Bistro
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I'm very much looking forward to a French place. I've heard Chez Billy Sud is an excellent restaurant. Hope they bring that mojo to Arlington. -
I'd like to put in a plug for Bar à Vin, Chez Billy Sud's cozy wine bar next door. Warm atmosphere. Friendly bartenders. Interesting small plate menu. Wine. Cocktails. What more can you ask for?-
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- Georgetown
- French
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"Where's your brother?" I demanded, looking directly into his eyes, my hand impatiently tapping the bar. "I don't know." "WHERE IS HE?" "I DON'T KNOW!" I put down my glass, and inched closer towards him. "Is it open?" "Is what open?" "IT!" He shrugged his shoulders, and muttered something. "Maybe. I don't know." I took my pen, and instead of gouging it into his eye, signed my check (2007 Chateau Magneau Graves Blanc, $8), walked out the door, turned left, and headed up the street to find his brother. --- Salad Days Sour ($12) - Celery-infused Macchu Pisco, Lemon, The Bitter Truth Celery Bitters, Burnt Cinnamon Rhum Manhattan ($14) - Neisson Rhum Agricole Reserve, Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth, Walnut Liqueur, The Bitter Truth Orange Bitters Sazerac ($8) - Old Overholt Rye, Peychaud Bitters, Kubler Absinthe. Cheers, Rocko. -
I just read about a new taqueria called "El Ray" opening. Can anyone help me? Is this one of my new restaurants? If so, does anyone know its location, menu, hours of operation, and how badly the wine list sucks so I can post the information on my "web-site"? And, most importantly, will it have its own thread here or just be mixed in together with the rest? Any information will be greatly appreciated.- 8 replies
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- U Street Corridor
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After a friend suggested we meet at Blackbyrd last night before a show at the 9:30 Club, I dutifully checked the dining guide and discovered that this place seems to have been overlooked. I can't comment much on the food, other than to say the menu focuses on small plates of seafood and it has a raw bar with 4-5 kinds of oysters, shrimp, crab legs, etc. My friend liked his salmon rueben a lot, but it was gone before I arrived so I didn't even get to see it (let alone try it). The reason I didn't order from the menu is that they offer a $1 oyster happy hour from 5:30-7:30, and the oysters are very good. Last night, the special featured oysters from the James River that were good-sized, clean, and well shucked (served with mignonette and straight-from-the-bottle cocktail sauce). The beer list was decent too (I had a Rhino Chasers Pils), and there was nobody in there (on a Monday). You can find Blackbyrd at: 2005 14th St NW (near U St.) Washington, DC 20009 Telephone: (202) 747-2377 Facebook Twitter All of the online menus I found are outdated. -
Is there not a thread for Amico? I couldn't find one... Anyways, went there for the first time last night. While I can't comment on the food, I had a heck of a great time with some delicious cocktails during Spirits in Black, with guest bartender (last night) Alex Bookless. Seemed like half the bartenders in DC were there! Loud as heck, crowded, and tons of fun (except for the shrill drunk girl next to me for a few minutes, but hey, that's what happens sometimes). I need another Rye on Fire.... -
We tried the newly opened Marvin, on 14th just off U Street. The restaurant serves Belgian cuisine and a few soup-inspired dishes (shrimp and grits), and is named in homage to Marvin Gaye - a huge mural of Marvin is painted on a main dining room wall. I have spent quite a bit of time in Holland and Belgium and the restaurant decor gives some of the feel of a traditional local place in either country(the hard driving rain on Friday night added to the Amsterdam and Belgium-like atmosphere). Full disclosure - we are friends with the owners. The menu included 5 different mussel dishes, several hearty entrees, salads, apps, and more. I had a butter lettuce salad and mussels in white wine with fennel and garlic. This is my favorite salad and it was well done - simple lettuce and a dressing with a nice vinegar bite. The mussels were quite good - very tender and not too large. The fries were served in a paper cone and were nicely crisp and served with curry mayo, wasabi mayo, and ketchup. I thought the wasabi mayo could have had a bit more kick, but it was good to have the 3 choices. My husband had a pork shank over green lentils - he said it tasted like a deconstructed erte soup, which is the traditional Dutch split pea soup, and was perfect for the dreary weather. The bread was a crusty baguette. I had a Delerium (bottle) because the Duvel was not yet available on tap. The beer list had the most commonly seen Belgian brews, and was rather a short list, especially compared to other places in town carrying Belgian beers. But, I would hope that the list will be expanded with time. I did not look at the wine list. A lounge is on the second level and a rooftop deck. We did not stay for dessert (but we should have since we ventured to Busboys and Poets for a less than mediocre dessert in an atmosphere that smelled like the day after a frat party. )
