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  1. Couldn't find a free-standing Pines of Florence thread, but arlnow.com reports that they have reopened on Columbia Pike. They are offering a 50% off deal until 8/18.
  2. As far as I’m aware, Kismet Modern Indian in Old Town is the finest Indian restaurant in the DC area right now, and perhaps ever. (Based on a single carry out order, its sibling Karma is right there by its side). The breads, the raita, and some of the dishes are the best Indian food I’ve had on this side of the Atlantic. It’s on a very short list of regular go-to’s, and tonight was probably my tenth time ordering from them. Honestly, I wouldn’t know what to even compare it to in the DC area. It’s very expensive, but the quality is in the dishes. Kismet also has a workable wine and beer list. There have been a few dishes I haven’t loved, but there has been nothing I thought wasn’t honorable. I feel like I’m dining at a Michelin one-star restaurant in London. Cheers, Rocks
  3. From: The List, Are You On It. Christophe Poteaux, currently Executive Chef / Food & Beverage Director for Aquarelle at The Watergate, will open this new restaurant in Old Town Alexandria by September, featuring a moderately priced, modern French/Mediterranean cuisine with a blend of world ingredients. So does anyone know where and when this is going to open?
  4. I look at this as "new opening" experience, but not a good one. Mia's had been open about 10 days when I dined there last Sunday evening. It retains the layout established by Carluccio's: The bar is in the back left of the 1st floor, with dining tables at the front. The former bakery area is now a pizza oven and "bar style" seating for dining. The main kitchen and a dining area on the second floor. Overall, I liked the decor and interior look and feel. The menu looks great, though our food was a mixed bag, as was the service. They have a number of issues to work out in these early days. We arrived for a 7:30 reservation at 7:21 and were told (unapologetically) it would be a few minutes before we could be seated. The place was busy, but I didn't feel welcomed at all by the host. (Perhaps he was trying to accentuate an air of exclusivity and buzz. Hmmm.) I initially thought the bar was in the front by the host stand -- and it was full. But this is bar seating at the pizza oven. There's no bartender there. So we left and had a drink at Pizzeria Paradiso, to return in a little while. When we returned we were seated with our party. Where to begin? The service was ok, with exceptions. The food was a mixed bag, as were the drinks. Definitely a lot to process here -- for me and for Mia's. They have a nice cocktail and wine list. I enjoyed their camomile tea-infused Negroni and we ordered a nice bottle of wine (delivered by a manager with radio in her ear and on her hip). But the Bellini was a problem for one of our companions. They had eaten at the bar a few days before and enjoyed Bellini's there. But this one was different. The menu lists "prosecco, peach purée, orange juice, lavender bitters." They believed the original was either missing the bitters or had much less. And the same for the orange juice. They found this one disappointing. The four of us ordered a spinach salad and capresse to share, with 2 pastas, eggplant parm, and a pizza (which looked like a "flat bread" to me). First the salad arrived. We saw a Capresse coming at the same time, but it wasn't delivered to our table. It was ~10 min before we asked about the capresse almost as one was arriving. The spinach salad was fine; solid. The Capresse has some of the best mozzarella I've tasted. Very fresh and delicious. But it was served with grape tomatoes, and not enough of them for the generous cheese slices. I could swear I saw slices of tomato on the first Capresse I saw, but not sure. About the same time as the Capresse arrived, the pizza arrived. The pizza's are rectangular and cut diagonally thought the center, and perhaps two more times--I didn't really study it.. Again, it seemed like a flatbread, though I didn't taste. (I'm not familiar with rectangular Italian pizza, maybe that's a thing.) Unfortunately, that meant that one us had his dinner too early. I ordered a "spicy" shrimp Diavolo with fettuccine (the online menu shows this as "LOBSTER FRA DIAVOLO"--that was not on offer). Other meals included RIGATONI ALLA CALABRESE, and EGGPLANT & PORCINI “POLPETTA”. The house made pastas are delicious. My pasta was light and delicate, despite the wide noodle. The Calabrese was a very tasty sauce and the pasta was a bit more al dente but delicious. I liked the eggplant, though I'm not much of a connoisseur in that department; our companion found the portion too large and the breading a little too much. Now back to the shrimp. It was devoid of spice. The only hint of spice was the red pepper I shook onto it. The tomato sauce was flavorful and fresh tasting, but the chef forgot to add several spices I suspect. That was another disappointment. The pasta dishes were still tasty enough that we took home what we didn't eat. When our waiter came back we chatted with her about all of these observations and we got nothing more than "oh, sorry" this and that, as well as an exaplainaton that the pizza kitchen is separate from the main, so food might come out differently. Uh, ok, it's still a poor experience. What annoys me is that after trying to give genuine, helpful feedback we go no acknowledgement. We should have been comped the Bellini at a minimum. Maybe offered a discount on the check or on a future visit. The manager should have been called to talk with us (they were NOT remotely busy by this point). We were told how the staff had trained for a month before opening. I think they missed a few things in training. I also wonder what the management trained on. I also have to mention that the seating is too tight in the tables by 1st floor windows. There is barely enough room for waitstaff to get between the tables perpendicular to the windows and the chairs of patrons seated in the tables parallel to the windows. I was bumped at least twice, my sweater was brushed off the back of the chair, as was my wife's coat. I looked a the layout and wondered what the managers were thinking. I saw staff struggling to get through the gauntlet of patrons' chairs and window tables with less than 3 feet of clearance. The divider between dining and bar should be moved 2-3 feet toward the bar. I want Mia's to succeed and I'm generally a fan of Alexandria Restaurant Group's efforts and what they bring to the community. This location has a history of being difficult -- it's sad to think about how long it's been vacant over the past 15 years. I note that there are several Italian restaurants on this block (Il Porto, Landini Bothers) and a pizza restaurant (Pizzaria Paradiso). So I have to wonder whether an Italian kitchen is what the 100 block of King St needed. Is this a slap in the face? The gauntlet thrown down? I'll leave that for others to decide.
  5. I didn't see a thread for Vola's so I thought I would start one. Website Vola's is located in the old Waterfront Market space. They have both the restaurant and outside seating on the boardwalk at the waterfront currently open. I went for lunch yesterday. The inside has that seaside casual seafood joint vibe to it, and I thought it was nice for this location. The outside seating really hasn't changed at all from Waterfront Market. I would suspect that it will do really well. The space is laid out similarly to Waterfront Market with the bar where the service counters were located. I thought the menu had a nice selection of items and will go back and try other things, especially as my office is next door. I don't think they are near as good as Drift, but after one meal, it is not a bad option in Old Town. My server was Donovan, I would go back alone for the service. He was just genuinely nice and warm, but was very professional at the same time. I really enjoyed having him as my server. The food came out in a reasonable time for my lunch break, which is more than can be said for Blackwall Hitch. I had the grouper sandwich. It tasted to me like the grouper was done via sous vide then seared off, but I am not sure, and I don't care if it was as it kept the fish very moist, but also appropriately flavored, but the texture of the fish didn't fall apart, like the salmon I must have sous vide for too long the other night. I really like the sandwich, I thought it had a good bread, sauce, lettuce ratio and nice seasoning. The fries with old bay were delicious and I ate way more than I needed to- although I am quite partial to Old Bay on about anything. The coleslaw was also pretty darn good. It was on the sweet side, but not real sugary like they serve some places down south, I thought it had a nice balance to it and I like the thinness of the sauce. I thought the prices were in line with this part of town for what you got. I am hoping they have a fish taco special every now and then. But I definitely will go try more of the menu. Same photo from the Where did I Dine thread of the sandwich.
  6. La Fromagerie is a new cheese shop that will be opening soon in Old Town (corner of King and Payne Streets). From the website, it looks like the focus will be on American products. Anybody have any additional details?
  7. I just saw the paperwork in the window. Oriental Cafe's signage is still up and the interior looks untouched thus far. Please, if there is a Santa Claus, let this place be better than the Little Caesar's abomination a few doors down.
  8. We happened upon the now open Monaco Old Town when we couldn't find enough seats to eat at the bar at Eve. The restaurant and bar areas were both packed and it was pretty late so we just picked our way through the bar menu. The shrimp corn dog was lightly breaded and much better than it sounds. The crab cake, fries, fried apple pie/turnover, and vanilla ice cream were not. The space is modern and maybe a little overly hip. They do have 20 bottles of wine at $20 a piece and a couple VA wines (Barboursville) available by the glass. I'm not sure I'll rush back, but it looks like they've already developed a pretty good following. Some more details here.
  9. Don asked where we've eaten recently. Last night we walked to the Pita House in Old Town. website It was our second visit this year. It is a nice walk though old town and a casual and inexpensive spot. They seem to do a fair amount of takeout, as well. I had the chicken shawarama salad and my husband had one oft the specials - it was lamb stewed with okra and other veggies. He loved it. The lamb was tender and he really likes okra. It came with a basic salad and rice. The shawarama salad was a basic garden salad with feta cheese and chicken shawarama. Pretty tasty, although a the chicken was a bit dry. The tahini sauce was a nice addition. I didn't try the pita bread, but my husband pretty much demolished the basket on his own. We've been eating out a lot lately - this last week has also included: CD Cafe - Solomons Overwood - Alexandria plus festival food at Zoofari and the Brew-and-Que (St. Mary's county)
  10. Yunnan by Potomac is a new place in northern Old Town (according to google maps, it's outside the actual boundary of Old Town), that opened in early February. I went there a couple weeks ago for lunch and enjoyed it for the most part. They are a Mixian Noodle place from the Yunnan Province. Here's the blurb from their website: MIXIAN: SOUL FOOD Yunnan is a beautiful diverse region in southwest China, offering a variety of unique flavors and textures in its distinctive cuisine – not your typical Chinese food. The soul food of Yunnan is Mixian - delicious rice noodles - which are prepared with braised meats, rich broths and sweet, savory and spicy sauces. Mixian bowls are at the core of our menu and are complimented by a variety of unique small plates. They have (or did) a limited menu at this point with promises for more to come. The menu in the restaurant has more options than the one currently posted online. I ordered Pork Belly Lotus Leaf Bun and the Braised Beef Lu Mixian soup (at least I think that's what I ordered. I just asked what's their best dish/specialty). The pork belly bun was good, but not great. The meat was fine, but the bun tasted like a mass produced Wonder bread version. That may be an unfair assessment, as I'm no expert, but I was underwhelmed by taste/texture of the bun. The soup was good, but again I don't think the broth was as deep and rich as my memories of Daikaya or Momofuku's versions of broth. Like I said before, I'm no expert on this, so maybe my memory of those other soups are better than they actually were?!!? I'd love to do a side by side comparison of all the ramen/mixian broths that's probably impossible. The service was understandably a bit rough as they are brand new. When I sat down I was greeted by a server who came up to my table and said, " ". I said, pardon me, and she said, "Drink?". This time it was an audible question. Barely audible, but audible! I asked what they had and she said, "Soda, water, tea" so I just got water. I saw repeat performances of the super quiet interaction with other guests, and lots of repeat questions. The woman working the register and taking the orders was much more on the ball however. Interestingly, I didn't see a single Asian person working there, but I never saw into the kitchen. Also interesting perhaps was my second "visit" to this place. I happened to park in front the other evening for a class, and a group of 4-5 Asian people were entering and none were speaking English. I took that as a good sign, but it's likely that was their first visit (it took them a few seconds to figure out where it was along the block), so who knows if they'll return? I'll definitely go back when I'm in the neighborhood and I'm happy to have a new cuisine on the scene. Photos of the menu and my dishes below.
  11. There's also Killer ESP in Old Town. I've never been, but I've heard the service is friendly, but very slow; their WiFi is reportedly even slower. In other words, it's arch-hipster. They use Stumptown Roasters from Portland, and are a legitimate Independent Coffee House.
  12. This restaurant just opened up on a relatively dead strip of King Street. The chef is from Kaz. They offer primarily a Japanese set menu, similar to Kaiseke but less delicate. We had dinner there earlier this week and were pretty pleased with the food, particularly since it was opening week. My wife is a pescatarian and they were accommodating with advance notice. Courses consisted of 1: Sashimi platter--scallop, salmon, tuna(lean),grouper,sweet shrimp--the fish was excellent in quality on par with Ogawa in the city and Takumi ( variety was more pedestrian than both), fresh wasabi 2: Probably the most interesting: Lotus and Eggplant Age-Dashi --- Two slices of lotus root sandwiched around a shrimp mousse and two slices of eggplant with crab in the middle--both fried and in a dashi. The lotus root in particular was really good. The eggplant was cooked perfectly and meltingly tender but the crab stuffing was not as good as the shrimp mousse. The dashi needed a bit more salt but was quite good 3: Kurobota pork tenderloin fried in a panko crust with a coated and fried mushroom: The pork was cooked perfectly--just a little rare but overally this was a boring but good dish 4: grilled black cod: this was given to my wife in lieu of the pork--this was the only dish that failed--- fish was overcooked and oversalted 5: In place of the Oxtail Ramen on the menu they gave us Tuna tempura with soba noodle soup. The tuna was fried to a perfect rare and did not overcook in the broth. Broth was tasty. 6: Desert was a Japanese sweet potato custard---this was fine, nothing special. Set menu was $47 a person---very reasonable for the amount of food. We will definitely be back in a month or so after they have been in business a while longer. For Old Town this is a major score given the dearth of non-tourist trap restaurants. The chef is definitely serious about his food and I will happy to see him succeed in this market.
  13. https://www.chopshoptaco.com/ Hubby and I tried to go to Chop Shop Taco Friday night, but it was so busy that they were only doing carry-out at that point. It was a little on the later side, so we didn't think our chances at bar seating were good either. Happily on Sunday there was plenty of space to be had. They make their own tortillas here, I know as I watched them press them on Sunday. I thought the tortillas quite tasty, they were sturdy enough to hold up and not fall apart even when there was a good bit of sauce, but I thought they had good flavor and weren't bland or too tough. To be honest, I would like to see how they make them, as I was a little jealous, mine are nowhere near this good. They serve the tacos to us in this little cardboard box with three taco slots. I had chicken, brisket and chorizo. The brisket was by far and away the favorite. I thought the flavor was smoky, with nice pickled onion balance, good sauce, the meat was tender, but not too soft. I also liked the chorizo- quite oily- but good flavor with lime crema. The chicken was interesting- my least favorite of the three- it had a mango salsa that was kind of mustardy. It wasn't bad at all, but just not nearly as addictive as the brisket. I would like to try more of the menu. The staff was really nice. I haven't been to Urbano yet, but will probably soon, and will do a comparison, the meat and fillings are way better than Tios and Poblano. This place was really fun, the drinks look nice. It is a small space so it fills up fairly easily.
  14. Zento opened a few weeks ago in the space previously occupied by Burrito Grill (North Washington near the corner of Wythe St). In addition to the sushi and sashimi menu, they have a variety of teriyaki dishes, ramen, bento boxes, and small plates. We stopped in last night to check it out and were happy with what we tried. They have a happy hour from 5-7pm daily, with a selection of discounted beverages, small plates, and roll combo (2 from a list of 6 varieties for $9.95). The spicy tuna roll and tuna avocado were both very good, with fresh ingredients. Edamame and seaweed salad are pretty standard fare - no surprises there. We shared a sushi/sashimi combo . Other than a few pieces of sashimi that were a touch on the cold side (better than too warm), we had no complaints. Pieces were generous, clean, and well-cut/prepared. Veggie tempura was fresh and hot, with vegetables still fresh and crispy. My only quibble was that it was a touch greasy. We're looking forward to heading back and trying some other things. The dishes we saw at other tables all looked very nice. Service is friendly and efficient. Free parking in the two retail lots with entrances on Pendleton and Wythe Streets (if you pull in somewhere you have to take a ticket, that's the wrong entrance). This has become a decent block to stop for lunch or dinner, with Teaism on one side and Zento on the other.
  15. Old Town Alexandria Patch states that Hank's Pasta Bar is opening on Feb. 4, 2016. The address is 600 Montgomery St, Alexandria, VA. Here is the Washington Post article from last May about this upcoming restaurant from Jamie Leeds.
  16. Has anyone stopped in at this new Neighborhood Restaurant Group restaurant yet (where Bookbinders used to be)? I saw an article that said they opened the main floor this week. I was looking through the lunch and dinner menus on their website, and the reuben eggroll caught my eye.
  17. Although it's been there for more than two years, I have yet to try the offerings at Nicecream Factory's Clarendon location (former home of Red Mango). They must be doing something right, as they are opening a second location in Old Town, at 726 King Street, right next door to Eammon's: A Dublin Chipper. Yogi Castle closed a year ago, so that section of King Street hasn't had a frozen dessert option for a while. With Five Guys opening across the street in the near future, there should be plenty of casual diners looking for something sweet to follow their burger. They use liquid nitrogen to flash freeze ice cream to order, supposedly making a denser and creamier finished product, with custom, fresh ingredients. Anybody tried it?
  18. 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
  19. I can't offer much more than the fact that a banner for "Mason Social" is up on the side of the building at the corner of Madison and N. Henry. The building has had a fresh coat of paint and special use permits are in place with the city for various construction-related activities. The permits were filed by the owner of the property. That's the extent of what I've found in my internet searching. Here's hoping it's something tasty and a nice addition to an area which could use some livening up.
  20. I'm surprised there's not a post yet about Hummingbird. As far as I know, it's not quite open, but should be soon. It's the latest from Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong, Todd Thrasher, and the Eat Good Food Group: the restaurant/bar at the new Hotel Indigo on the Old Town Alexandria waterfront. The bright and airy interior space looks really nice and there is a great patio area, as well. The menus are still in progress, but it sounds like there may be a seafood slant, with the occasional Irish touch, too. Some additional info at Zagat.
  21. 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!
  22. Got a mailer for the new Bistro Sancerre last week, so I walked over to check it out. I knew there was activity in the space some months ago, but somehow missed that it had opened already. This may be telling. I walk by this area to Whole Foods frequently, but not this secluded plaza. The restaurant faces onto a plaza with fountain which is the side of the Embassy Suites. Inside, the dining space steps up 2 levels, with a private dining room and art display, extending all the way to the Duke St side of the building. I only ate in the bar. A few beers on tap, but good ones. Extensive beer bottles/cans selection. But I think the wine is more important. The bar seats about 10+ 3 or 4 high-tops for 2 people, and one for maybe 4 people. It looks nice but a bit hard (lots of stone), not much character. Had some sliders and winter squash soup. Sliders were pretty tasty. Good beef and brioche buns. The soup was a little gelatinous. Good flavor. The bartender said it was made with emulsified fish (cod? don't remember now). I'm pretty sure I heard that correctly. Anyway, it looks like the place is worth a try for a real dinner. Maybe this week... Looks like they specialize in steaks. Some pics attached.
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