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Showing results for tags 'Woodley Park'.
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I have lived in Woodley Park three years now and the dining scene depresses me. New and exciting restaurants seem to cycle through neighboring Cleveland Park all the time though Woodley is stuck with the same, uninspired characters which seem to subsist on unaware conference attendees and zoo traffic. Was excited to see a new restaurant going in over the summer only to discover it was another Indian place (Naan Wise) of which Woodley already has one (Rajaji-okay) and Cleveland Park two (Indique, Bindass-very good ). Why is Woodley dining so stagnant and bad? Any thoughts? Or hopefully contradictions...
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Tried out the newish Duke's Grocery today for lunch over in Dupont on 17th street. First a few odd things: 1) it is not much of a grocery - they have a few baskets of produce for sale, but it is really a restaurant, 2) its menu consists solely of sandwiches, a few sides and a bar menu - but for now they do not offer carry out sandwiches (concerns about too long of a wait when they have a tiny open kitchen and basically one (maybe 2 sometimes cooks), 3) it looks like it'd be a place for counter service, but they have bartenders and waiter?/food runners so it is unclear whether tipping is expected. I sat at the bar where you order on the ground floor when you enter - but they have an upstairs with tables and some other ledges and stools around on the first floor too. Overall, I think they are still trying to figure out what their concept really is. Nevertheless, the bar is nice and 2 young bartenders were very friendly and nice explaining the menu and chatting. Now onto the food. So the price/value is great here. All of the amply portioned sandwiches are just under $10 with tax included and despite my gluttony of finishing my whole Brick Lane Salt Beef monster, it easily could be shared by 2 people. The other couple of sandwiches I saw come out were equally well-made, fresh in the kitchen using mostly homemade ingredients in small batches and likewise large. The sandwiches come on a variety of breads from Lyon Bakery including rye, ciabatta, etc. I've never been to the UK nor had Salt Beef but it was described as less salty corned beef. It had thick cut soft white bread that was good and then piled high large chunks of tender beef (not melt in your mouth, but soft). The sandwich is slathered with sinus-cleansing Colman Mustard (think horseradish or chinese spicy mustard without the heat) and house made dill pickles with bit of onion laced within. I said next time I'd get the sandwich with less mustard and more of the good pickles. The sandwich was good and definitely well made with quality ingredients - but I think the mustard overwhelmed the somewhat lightly seasoned meat. Probably go back and get something else or maybe the salt beef on rye with sauerkraut and dilled mustard (Ruby on Rye). Besides these 2 options there are several pork ones, a chicken salad, and a vegetarian aubergine/eggplant sandwich - but check/call before you go if you want something particular as most of the menu changes according to the staff. -
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. -
Funny name. Funny...but not so great...place. Six of us tried this new "local food" spot in Woodley with a bit of hesitation. It's the 2nd outpost of a Vegas based concept centered on crawfish, a product of the Gulf Coast. It's half bar, half restaurant. The tables are all covered in plastic. Most of the food is served in plastic bags dropped onto the tables. Crawfish: this is what drew us. The crawfish were a bit overcooked and not really in season quite yet. Steamed Shrimp: best item tried. A plastic bag full of decently spiced and sized shrimp cooked correctly. Chicken Wings: ok as far as deep frying can take a wing Sausage: also served in a plastic bag. forgettable. sweet potato fries: thin, oily OK, it's a bar and this is all meant to be bar food...I guess? All in, it came to $35/person including roughly one beer/person in our group. Ah, and top it all off: bad table service. We were there early before a crowd formed and still waited a long time for food from a confused waiter. -
Former Liberty Tavern chef Liam LaCivita's new restaurant Bar Civita is now open, taking over the former Murphy's of DC space in Woodley Park. Menu is Italian-leaning with handcut pastas, homemade cheese, charcuterie, antipasti. Most dishes available in full and half-sized portions. Hoping for some good things, since Woodley Park could use some better restaurants! City Paper Post -
My co-worker asked me for recommendations on an inexpensive but good sushi place between work (downtown DC) and her apartment (Woodley Park). She generally goes to Umi in Woodley Park but says she ends up spending more than she'd like there ($25) and is looking for other options. I am not familiar with the options on that side of town and could only think of Kotobuki in the Palisades or Momiji in Chinatown. Is there any other place I can recommend to my co-worker? I want to keep my reputation as the office guru of DC restaurants. Thank you! -
Fusions Alley is actually excellent, and the staff is soooo nice. A million times better than Lex - give it a try! -
Does the Zoo Bar in Woodley Park count as a dive bar? If so, its got my vote as best. (insert appropriate emoticon) -
Possibly exciting development: a new delivery joint called House of Philly 2311 Calvert Street, 265-3500. "We Deliver!" I have not had a chance to try them yet, but they look disgustingly promising. Jumbo buffalo wings and pretty much any other munchie food you could need. If no one else gets there first, I will report back. -
For a posh Francophile and serious foodie who prefers European cuisine. (Friend of a friend so that's all the info I have). Et Voila and Mari Vanna were all I could come up with. And Mari Vanna was a shot in the dark. Any suggestions? Geo range is Dupont to Friendship Heights, though MacArthur Blvd was seen as in range.
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I have heard that this space, formerly the "Washington Park Gourmet," is going to be some sort of coffee bar. Construction has been ongoing for over a year now, but things seem to have accelerated in recent months. Does anyone here have any inside information on what we can expect, or when it will be opening? I have also heard rumors that the Tryst people are involved...
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Earlier today, I noticed a blue awning over a large window next to the Afghan Grill on Calvert Street, just east of Connecticut Avenue, emblazoned with the words "Cafe de Paris". I wasn't able to stop to investigate. Any idea what this might be? -
We will be having a discounted soft opening tonight, and be open for business tomorrow at 5. We are located at 2606 Connecticut Ave. NW our, phone # is (202)238-9408 Thanks for your support -
I searched and could not find in the archives of DR.com a Petits Plats thread (though, I apologize if it exists). Why so little discussion of this charming little restaurant? Perhaps one reason is location: Petits Plats is located at the end of the string of tourist trapping restaurants that dot the Adams Morgan red line stop. The vast majority of those places do indeed serve insipid food at inflated prices. "Come on, Zoo visitors, walk on in and eat this chicken we just got from Safeway." Yet, set inside a townhome with four cozy dining rooms, Petits Plats offers humble bistro dishes with honest preparation, worthy ingredients, and reasonable prices. My relationship with PP began not in the main restaurant, but in the take-out room of the lower floor. There I am accustomed to call about 20 minutes ahead so that I can be told, in an endearingly accented English, precisely when one of their fantastic roasted chickens will be freshly finished. Stuffed with some of their delicious baguette, crispy onions, garlic, and jus, this is a treat. Eventually I started eating at the restaurant. Sietsema's review of the place in 2000 described the quality as ranging from moderate to very good, but with inconsistensies. That's about right. I recently sampled a special appetizer of asparagus, which were overcooked and not particularly fresh, with smoked salmon, which was soft and not overly salty. The main dishes, though, are the winners at this place. Their grilled salmon is fresh and well cooked, served with a zesty sauce accented with capers. The cassoulet is also good, the duck confit and garlic sausage being the highlights in that deep pot. If you like veal cheeks, sample these, they're fork-tender and rich. A caveat: the entrees are anything but "petits." Some of them are almost offensively large (why, I wonder, serve about 3 cups of white beans with a cassoulet?!) The desserts are reliable; I especially enjoyed the TART lemon tart (sadly, the vanilla ice cream that flanked it was horribly frozen and tasteless). A word to Rockwellians low on cash: it is a secret known to frequenters of the take-out room that those desserts are all available to-go for $4 (rather than $7 or 8). Indeed, on a recent visit, the tray on which a waiter graciously presented some fruit tarts was suspiciously familiar...The wine list is simple, though there is a reserve list with expensive French wines. At this place, I'll stick with the regular list. A safe bet is the 2004 Girard Sancerre, which costs around $35 (and retails at $18). Service is enthusiastic and friendly. The staff has a feel for locals vs. tourists, and one can observe some differences in their approach as they make that discovery. That's good and bad. On whole, a nice neighborhood place worth noting. -
Saida Cunningham is the best masseuse I have ever visited. Friendly, calming, and knowledgeable, she is a real therapist who can work deep tissue, trigger point, etc. She treats you like a friend and patient, and actually keeps written records of each visit, what was tight, etc. and refers back to them before your next appointment. Best of all, her rates are really reasonable, a 90-minute massage is just $95 and she does not accept tips. Office is right across from the entrance to the zoo. Hands Down Body Therapy - website 3000 Connecticut Ave, N.W, Suite 108 Washington, D.C. 20008 (South Entrance) Greg Watson -
I have walked past The Afghan Grill many times and given its location, next to a Philly sub shop and manicure place, I always thought it was your typical mom and pop divey kabob joint. It is far from that! Handsomely dressed with Afghan artifacts, the restaurant works well as a date place, parent place, or catching up with friends place...at very reasonable prices. dinner starts with a basket of sesame topped flat breads, not really naan nor pita, but toasted and tasty with a spicy green dipping sauce, heavy with chilies and mint. we started with an order of the bulanne, a leek stuffed turnover, nothing spectacular, but nicely fried with a thick yogurt dipping sauce. I went with a lamb kabob that obviously had been marinanting for hours and cooked perfectly medium rare...delicious. It came with your standard scattering of charred tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions and rice topped with dollop of pureed spinach. Get some extra green dipping sauce that comes with the bread, it's well worth it for mixing in with the kabobs and rice! My only complaints: Many hard surfaces makes for a loud room and the tiny AC unit couldn't keep up... Overall, a nice little restaurant, well worth a visit if you are in the area. Picture isn't the best but...
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Before I knew of my food allergies (soy, nuts, sesame) I was a sushi addict. I would be still; however I find sushi in DC to be sub-par to NY, and the same goes for service, unfortunately. I realize this is a generality but it is sadly true in most cases. I often order sashimi from Uni sushi but decided to re-try Tono tonight. When I called and gave my phone number/address, the manager said that he saw I hadn't ordered recently. I explained that this was due to my allergies- especially the fact that Tono had blatantly disregarded them in the past, including soy sauce which spilled all over my order. Major problem! The manager explained that he was the new Sunday floor manager, and would take special attention to make sure my order arrived allergy free. Wonderful.. I ordered the Sashimi-jo, no sauce anywhere, no allergens, please do not even include soy sauce in the bag, and they were happy to sub a salad for the miso soup. Sounds promising, right? Well, I was told my order would arrive within 45 minutes. An hour later, it showed up. Forgivable, whatever. I opened up the order to see some sort of fried crawfish/shrimp(?) along side my sashimi. What is it fried in? What is it? I called and asked to speak to the manager. He told me it was fried in peanut oil. Ok, so obviously you did not pay attention to my allergies. Then the manager had the gaul (balls even) to tell me not to order Japanese food again, due to my allergies to most of the main ingredients. Sir, I eat fish safely. I eat wasabi, ginger, vegetables- safely. But if there is a peanut fried item in my sashimi, I throw out the 25 dollar order which you refused to refund. And, FYI, I regularly order sashimi from Uni sans probleme. And if there ever is a problem they are gracious about it, at least apologizing and not telling me to stay away from all Asian food. No, I am not foolish enough to wander into Thai restaurants. But I can and do eat Chinese food on occasion (steamed of course, no sauce)... If I could prepare wonderful (and safe) sashimi in my kitchen, I would. God forbid I try to pay you for it. -
Here's extreme advance notice about NH's regional foods Chesapeake Bay “Crab Boil.” We're passing up Restaurant Week this year to give you this Blue Crab Special. A three-course dinner: Chilled Gazpacho followed by three steamed Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs, Virginia Little Neck Clams, sausage by a local charcuterie, poached shrimp, farm-fresh corn on the cob and bliss potatoes. Not crazy about crabs? Substitute Louisiana-style BBQ ribs, slow-cooked meaty baby backs. For dessert, you choose: Market Peach Cobbler with homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream or Angel Food Cake with macerated berries. Beverages are also locally sourced. A “bucket o' beer” with brews from local breweries. Horton Viognier and Chatham Vineyard's unoaked Church Creek Chardonnay by the bottle and the glass, both highly touted Virginia wines. There's a perfect Crab gin in West Virginia's Smooth Ambler. For a long time, NH has had its eye on a summer food event showcasing Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs. It's here! Monday, August 13 through Sunday the 19th. The price for the three-course dinner is $38.00 per person; all beverages charged separately. -
Months ago, the Gin Joint at New Heights Restaurant got wind of a start-up, indie gin distiller in Brooklyn and, ever since, has been looking for a chance to visit and taste. By coincidence, over the weekend the Gin Joint received an email from the distillers, Breuckelen Distilling Company, asking if they could bring their “Glorious Gin” in early this week for sampling. One thing led to another and soon the two parties had agreed to an impromptu public tasting event this Tuesday, February 28, at 6:00 PM. Short notice but a momentous event for both parties since Tuesday's tasting at the Gin Joint signals Breuckelen Distilling's entry to the DC market. Breuckelen's non-London-dry-style “Glorious Gin” is produced entirely from scratch, starting with organic wheat grown on a small farm in upstate New York. The grain is distilled once, then separately with each gin botanical (juniper, lemon, grapefruit and ginger) then again as a blend with the botanical enhanced spirits. The result is a spirit similar in character to a genever-style gin but different too in that “Glorious Gin” contains no malt. For the event, the Gin Joint will sell a customized gin cocktail based on Breuckelen's “Glorious Gin” (featuring rosemary and lime infused ice cubes and the Gin Joint's own ginger tonic) and will offer gin lollipops. Chef Ron Tanaka's kitchen will also serve complimentary hors d'oeuvres. The Breuckelen Distillery “Glorious Gin” tasting takes place Tuesday, February 28, 2012, starting at 6:00 PM. Breuckelen's distillers will lead the tasting and talk shop with the Gin Joint's devoted giniacs. For additional information, please contact Kavita Singh at 202.234.4110.
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I passed by Lex Cajun Grill on Connecticut in Woodley Park and it looks like it has closed, though the sign is still lit up. Anyone know whether it's history or just being renovated? I'd love to find it out's being replaced (as long as it's not with a souvenir shop).
