Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar, Capitol Hill - Chef Drew Trautmann is Back in the Saddle!

[Tweaked]

I'm a Hillie and have dined at every place on the Hill (maybe I missed one). Anyway, I've been to Sonoma only once and had a decent cheese plate and a mediocre pasta dish. But based on the fact that the owner of Sonoma monitors and replies to this thread, I think I'll be going back. If only every restaurant specific thread were monitored by the restaurant chef and/or owner, this would be a happier dining world. I'll give it another shot. :-)

My experience with Sonoma is that usually less is more. And by this I use the rule of thumb that the less complicated the dish, in general, the better it is. Go with the meat platter, go with the cheese platter, their burger is good, order a pizza only use one topping (I like the white pizza with a cured meat of choice topping, usually sopresetta). Their winter ragu was killer the time I had it. I keep it simple and unfussy, couple glasses of wine, and you will have a very enjoyable meal.

[Elias Hengst]

....If only every restaurant specific thread were monitored by the restaurant chef and/or owner, this would be a happier dining world. I'll give it another shot. :-)

I think more owners and chefs "monitor" DR than actually let on!

To your point: of course we occassionally have some 'misses,' but we usually hear about it from our staff or regulars immediately and work it out. While the pasta you weren't crazy about may have been a matter of personal taste, it could have been that we messed up - so let us know what you think next time. (Susantf - you can always PM me directly).

I can't stress enough that if you don't like something - at ANY good restaurant - it helps to let someone know your impression. I'm always surprised when eating out with my non-industry friends that they will accept things cooked at the wrong temp, etc...just because they don't want to "bother" someone.

If something isn't right, most places that care about what they do will try to get it right for you if you let them know. And you can let them know in an email, a note, an aside to the manager on your way out - or after your first bite.

The flip side: if you send a clean plate back to the kitchen and then complain (or flame us on DR - and yes, restaurant people remember incidents pretty well) we you'll usually end up the subject of a kitchen conversation like:

Server: "Table 30 didn't like their 18 oz steak."

Chef: "What? They ate the whole thing."

Manager: "I saw them pick up the plate and dribble the juice in their mouth before sponging it dry with their bread."

Server: "Uh, yeah, but they didn't like it. They said it was better at X-restaurant, where they always go."

Chef: unprintable

Manager: unprintable

Eli

[Banco]

Lunch at Sonoma today after a long (i.e., over a week) hiatus. A purée of chanterelle was silky and luscious, if a tad overspiked with sage. When the Arugula salad with Castelfranco, organic citrus, and black olive vinaigrette was put in front of me, I couldn't help but simply stare at how beautifully this salade composée was composed: Colorful disks of orange and pink citrus set off a thistle of glistening Arugula shot through with minced black olive, with leaves of moiré-patterned Castelfranco (a tenderer, less-bitter form of radicchio) radiating from its base. Two or three large blocks of feta studded the rim of the plate. If Niki de St. Phal and Mies van der Rohe had collaborated on a salad, this would have been it. And it tasted every bit as delightful as it looked.

Sonoma also makes the best Manhattans I've had in DC, garnished with brandy-soaked natural cherries, not the usual maraschino mutations.

[Tweaked]

There's a new candidate for "Best in Show: Big and Meaty" Braised Boar Shank with Sweet Potato Puree and Rapini...a dish that crys winter goodness, even if it was 70 degrees on Saturday afternoon.

[Banco]

There's a dinner special beginning this evening at Sonoma: Grilled sturgeon filet served with sautéed fingerlings and wild mushrooms in truffle butter. I just had a sample of it over lunch--moist, meaty, earthy, and utterly delicious

[jiveturk21]

I tip very well, always have, always will. I have only not tipped twice in my entire life, once at a Waffle House outside Kansas City and once at the old Crabhouse in the Fair Lakes area. In fact, I think that I tip 15% when the service is awful, that is generally the low end of my tipping.

Anyway, three of us went to Sonoma on Tuesday night for dinner. I have never been there before, but both of my friends have and liked it very much. Let me start by saying that the food was damn good, lots of small plates that we shared, I give them kudos across the board. I also want to add that I liked the space a lot, it was a bit more cavernous than I expected, and the tables are very wide, but we are a loud bunch, so we could hear each other fine, no real complaints about the environment.

But, I will tell you something, our server was awful. And, when I say awful, I mean awful. It was not busy, so that was not to blame, and there was plenty of wait staff for the room, so we can chalk it up to a lazy server or a server who was just having a bad day. That's fine, I can deal with it, people are people, not always a reflection on the restaurant unless it happens constantly. It did get so bad, however, that I actually grabbed the hostess about halfway through our meal and told her about the issues. She said she would see what she could do and, for about 15 minutes, our server was very attentive, so she must have said something to him. Alas, that attentiveness did not last, he was aloof the rest of the evening, so much so that it dominated our conversation for most of the night.

Anyway, the night wrapped up, we got our bill and were SHOCKED to see that an 18% gratuity had already been added to the bill! Are you kidding me!? I am firmly against adding a gratuity to the bill, but I can somewhat understand with parties of 8 or more at a lower level restaurant where wait staff may get screwed. But you are going to charge us 18% for a party of three on a Tuesday night at a restaurant of this caliber? Long story short, we got the gratuity taken off our bill, left him a tip in the 10% neighborhood (very generous) and called it a night.

So, that's my story. I can't knock Sonoma for the bad service, it does not seem to be a pervasive problem like at Bebo, just one bad server, but I can knock them for their policy of adding an 18% gratuity for a party of three.

By the way, many of my posts have been negative on this board, so I want to let everyone know that since my last post, which was a negative one for Rain, I have had delightful meals at Central, Dino, 2 Amy's and Oyamel. Don't just want to be a naysayer!

[Elias Hengst]

"Jiveturk,"

I'm glad you found the food superlative, ("damn good," actually) but offer our sincere apologies for the sub-par service your party receieved on Tuesday night. I spoke this morning with both the manager, as well as the server who handled your small group, who were similarly apologetic.

Nevertheless, there are no excuses. Jared, my friend and co-owner, would like to invite your party back for dinner, on a night of your choosing for the chance to experience a level of hospitality equal to that of our food.

Jared and I are both longtime DC residents, and we take our neighbor's and guest's experiences personally. Drop a line anytime.

Sincerely,

Eli Hengst

PS: The 18% auto-gratuity is for large parties and was mistakenly applied by our system as you were seated at one of our large "communal" tables - it is a quirk of the computer that we resolved today, and was in no way our policy.

[Banco]

Dudes,

Could everyone sign in today and post about their most recent restaurant experience?...

Well, if you insist. I don't post very often about Sonoma anymore because I go so frequently that I figure readers might be more interested in other people's experiences of this restaurant. Anyway, I was there yesterday after work and finally tried the house-made wild nettle and goat cheese ravioli with mushroom broth and ramps. It was excellent, and went perfectly with a Jovino Pinot Noir. Miles does great things with pasta, and with risotto as well: the saffron risotto is wonderful, as is the seafood risotto with sugar-snap peas. I also recently tried a special risotto with morels that was delicious in every way. The textures and aromas here continue to remind me of the kind of cooking you find in a good restaurant in Italy.

And if you have a hankering for lamb tartare, Sonoma has it: Mild, with just the right acidity, and with a melt-in-your mouth texture.

[Tweaked]

I'll keep the Sonoma thread going...last week I finally went upstairs and had drinks in the lounge...sexy! Very sexy. Understated hip, with couches and arm chairs that says class without being over the top snobby.

A few complaints

For a wine bar, only 4 red and 4 whites by the glass seems a little weak.

Beer selection by the bottle and not very good, Peroni was the best offering.

They recently (according to the waiter) started offering a handful of small plates which came across a little pricey. $8 for a plate of olives, ok, you get a lot of olives and they were tasty, but the other offerings were in the $10 plus range (we didn't sample so not sure how much bang for your buck you are getting)...we went with the meat board, which was lusty as always.

Bottomline: Class place to go for some drinks and snacks. Great for a date, great for a hip happy hour, great for meeting the parents. Great for avoiding the drunk Hill staffer scene of the neighboring dive bars

[FunnyJohn]

Last Friday started the evening off with dinner at Sonoma. Drew was featuring a special Porcini Risotto -- oh so good essence of 'shroom. For the main had another special -- a whole grilled porgy. This was not your typical DC porgy, this was one obviously fed on steriods weighing in at a good 1 1/2 lbs. Whole fish cooked on the wood fired grill, what could be better, paired with Bess

[DonRocks]

Whole fish cooked on the wood fired grill, what could be better, paired with Bess

Pee orgy?

[jtyler]

I should have posted sooner, but had a crazy two weeks. I went to Sonoma about two weeks ago for a late dinner. We were having a rough time choosing wine-- one wanted light one wanted bigger, the manager/owner/som? came over and helped us choose a bottle. A merlot, that wasn't merlot-y-... it was very good. We each ordered two aps:

The Alaskan King Crab- served chilled with a ginger/lime sauce (i belive) the crab was wonderful and didn't need the sauce which was to cloying and overwhelming for the delicate meat.

The Octopus- Woodgrilled and served with a saffron aoili & a few mixed greens-- this was my favorite dish of the night. Tender, smokey and a little crunch, it was sooo good.

Then a pizza, and the special pasta. Both needed a little salt, but were good.

Our server was wonderful! The only glitch in the evening was two servers (not ours) dropping all four plates at once-- both the apps and the mains. When our server came by a moment later her face fell when she saw all the plates, it wasn't her mistake and we didn't make a big deal about it. It didn't ruin our meal, but it did make it feel a little rushed. It is also a mistake that shouldn't happen-- but will def. go back!

[Ms.Paris]

Had a very, very, disappointing experience at Sonoma last night...

Parents were in town for the weekend, and I wanted to take them to a nice place, known for good wine and good food, for a casual Sunday dinner. I narrowed it down to Sonoma, where the menu posted online looked slightly more appealing to me than it's sister restaurant.

When we arrived at the reserved time last night, the outdoor tables were all full (we'd specifically requested to sit outside). When I mentioned to the hostess that we had expected to be seated outside, she snapped "I can see that on the screen." So not a great start. We were, in fact, seated outside not long after that.... but then waited...and waited...and waited... at least fifteen minutes before our server even came to the table to bring water. No sign of her at all before that. By this time we'd already decided what food and wine we wanted to order. We placed our drink and appetizer orders. And again, waited, waited, waited. Another ten minutes at least before the wine came out. Now, we'd ordered this wine specifically to complement the meals we'd picked out (um, duh). So imagine our shock when the server returned to take orders for the main course -- and only then did she inform us that there were no fish left. Now, in a restaurant with a larger menu, this might not have been a problem. But Sonoma only offers about 7 entrees, and four of them are fish. All of us were planning on ordering fish. We'd ordered a wine to go with fish. And none of us were in the mood for steak, ribs, or burger - the only other options on the menu. I was absolutely furious. Furious that she hadn't told us before we'd spent all this time looking over the menu that half the items weren't available, especially after we'd already ordered and been served the wine. And then it almost happened again with desserts. After having to ask the server to see the dessert menu, she informed us that she would have to check with the kitchen, they might not still be serving desserts this late (10 p.m., and with over 20 other people still eating there!). Luckily they were - but it was another reminder that this restaurant did not seem to have it all together.

As for the food, it was very good - we ended up ordering lots of the small dishes -- the octopus, the goat cheese and stinging nettle ravioli, the linguine, the porcini risotto, the venison carpaccio... Dessert was more hit or miss - the goat cheese cake for dessert was decadently rich and flavorful, but the buttermilk shortcake with fresh fruits tasted like it could have been made from Bisquick.

But the service (and food availability) issues really marred the evening. I didn't make a big deal about it at the restaurant, since it was my parents' last night in town and everyone wanted to at least pretend that the dinner wasn't a disappointment, but I will not be returning, and would not recommend it as a destination if you're trying to impress. Or at least, never go there on a Sunday night

[crackers]

This sounds like one of those "there's two sides to every story" meals.

You describe your dinner as a "very, very disappointing" experience, yet the food you did get was fine and you got to sit where you requested "not long after" you arrived.

Did you explain to your waitress (or anybody else) that the wine you had chosen was intended for fish dishes and that you would like a different wine that would pair better with the octopus, pasta and risotto?

IMO, the waitress should have been commended rather than criticized for erring on the side of caution by checking with the kitchen before taking your dessert order. Understandable given you'd been "absolutely furious" that she hadn't done so with the entrees.

[Meaghan]

Sonoma was closed Thursday and Friday night last week. Maybe that had something to do with food availability and the how busy it was. Plus, can you blame the whole world for wanting to sit outside this weekend? From a hostess' perspective, I know how hard it can be keep those that aren't reserved off of the patio when the weather's so nice.

I went to Sonoma a few weeks ago and had a nice leisurely dinner, but I feel like there are too many tables packed onto the patio, and when you get up to go to the bathroom (all schwilly) you have worry about hitting your neighbors stemware because the tables (or at least in the corner where I sat) are, like, four inches apart. I still love the truffled peaches, though.

[Spiral Stairs]

It does not seem to me that Ms. Paris's complaint focused on (i) any delay in being seated on the patio, or (ii) the unavailability of a large portion of the menu. Rather, her complaint appears to be based on communication breakdowns about those issues; namely, (i) perceived snottiness concerning being seated on the patio, and (ii) the server's failure to note the unavailability of a large portion of the menu in a timely way.

I dunno. If it happened as told, they seem like legitimate complaints to me (though they probably would not have rendered my evening "very, very disappointing"). Truth be told, I have not found service to be Sonoma's strong point. I have not had any issue that caused me a great deal of consternation, but it has seemed a little rough around the edges at times, and it does not surprise me that someone may have said something in a way that suggested snottiness.

[Dave Pressley]

I'm honestly NEVER upset when a kitchen runs out of seafood on a Sunday night. It means they sold out of their stock because they're not over-ordering and that they always have fresh seafood each morning (with the obvious exception of Sundays-no deliveries). I understand that Ms.Paris was upset when the server told her at a later time that the fish was 86'ed, but you can hardly blame the server there. Most of the time, that circumstance is caused by the cook who lost count of their portions and is suddenly out of the item, sometimes after a guest has already ordered it. Honestly, a manager should probably have been the one to tell you they ran out of fish so he/she could assess the situation and made up for it accordingly. (Could have really helped with the wine situation, at the very least...Hello comped bottle o' newly recommended vino!!)

Side note: How can anyone get "furious" over a meal? Just enjoy your tablemates, have a laugh at the situation you find bothersome and move on. Too many restaurants around here to cause you stress at any one of them.

[FunnyJohn]

I had a very disappointing time at Sonoma on Friday. Having taken the wrong way on the Orange line and instead of winding up at Clarendon, I found myself at Capitol South. I decided to stop by Sonoma and found it closed.

[DonRocks]

Side note: How can anyone get "furious" over a meal? Just enjoy your tablemates, have a laugh at the situation you find bothersome and move on.

This perfectly sound line of reasoning fails during moments of extreme hunger.

I'll never forget the time I reheated an entire Italian Store pizza in my oven, only to have the whole thing slide off the cookie sheet face-down onto the floor. It's a miracle my neighbors didn't call the police.

[bookluvingbabe]

I will say that in my occasional visits to Sonoma the staff manages to hit many interactions with the wrong tone way too often. I like the food but not enough to deal with the bs.

I've never been to Mendicino so I don't know if this reflects the management at both but I know that my visits to Sonoma have more often than not left me feeling sour and cranky.

Jennifer

Ps: and I am still pissed that their open table settings won't allow me to make a solo reservation.

[monavano]

I would support the assertion that all fish being unavailable is indeed dissappointing, particularly when you've orderd a wine to compliment what you've got your tasters all geared up for.

And yes, it could put a dent in the enjoyment of the evening especially when you're hungry. Why I yelled profanities yestrday, when making over easy eggs on an electric griddle (I usually us a pan) because they were not cooperating. Unfortunately I verbally assaulted the little buggers before realizing I had asked my husband to open the kitchen windows for what was a glorious morning. Kids on the blockand thier parents: I apologize for taking the name of God in vein. And for using the F word. On a Sunday no less *going to hell in a handbasket, I am*.

[New Foodie]

I've only been to Sonoma twice (even though I live on the Hill) and both trips were within a week of each other and both about a month ago. I thoroughly enjoyed my food both times (pizza with prosciutto and mushroom risotto) but the service was not good either trip.

As happened in the post above, we were seated and didn't have a server stop by for at least 10 minutes if not more. I had good company both times so it wasn't the end of the world, but we were hungry and thirsty, so it would've been nice to be waited on more quickly. Refilling water and wine was slow throughout both meals. I wouldn't say the service snafus ruined either dinner, but it was very noticeable and despite the good food, I'd be more hesitant about recommending Sonoma.

[Dave Pressley]

I'll never forget the time I reheated an entire Italian Store pizza in my oven, only to have the whole thing slide off the cookie sheet face-down onto the floor.

So how was the pizza?

[Elias Hengst]

Dear Rockwellians and Ms. Paris,

Let's keep this simple and start with what we did wrong. Then, I'll explain a couple things from our perspective.

1) our patio was understaffed and service was slower than acceptable

2) the server did not properly recite the 86 list to the guest upon providing the menus.

Regarding the first: we hope you let us make it up to you. PM me, and we'll take care of your next dinner at Sonoma - we'd love the chance to change your first impression. The server, btw, has been suspended and reassigned to training shifts.

Second, regarding the availability of fish on Sunday night, well, you could read this chapter of Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain....

But in case you haven't, let me explain: being closed Thursday and Friday, we had to limit our menu offerings on Sunday primarily to those that could deliver Saturday, and that meant taking off the flounder and yellowtail. We'd prefer to err on the side of caution and freshness with our ingredients, even if it means 86'ing things late on Sunday.

Now, quickly: about the, uh, 'bisquick' flavored shortcake. Not sure what the culinary version of an "ad hominem" attack is - "ad laganum?".....

But in defense of our humble shortcake, I thought we'd share the ingredients, as some people's tastebuds may have forgotten what "homemade" actually tastes like: Path Valley Farms cultured butter (organic, from Lancaster, PA), flour, rgbh-free buttermilk, sugar, baking power, baking soda...and the very seasonal Path Valley Farms strawberries (also organic, from Lancaster).

I hope that Ms. Paris will take up the offer to dine again as my guest.

I also hope that anyone who has had less than excellent service or food at Sonoma will let me know personally - via email, PM, or just, say, a phone call.

Thanks,

Eli Hengst

[Ms.Paris]

Thanks much to Mr. Hengst for replying -- I appreciate your offer to make it up.

Also, I was unaware that the restaurant was closed Thursday and Friday - it makes more sense, then, that there wouldn't be fish on Sunday. Just wish I'd known that in advance!

[wdcbrucefan]

Just had lunch at Sonoma, and came away very disappointed. I've been there many times for lunch since it opened, but today was either an off day or they're going downhill.

Bottom line: Service was terrible. Not rude or anything like that, but I had to explicitly ask for everything that I wanted. (Waiter was, according to my credit slip, XXXXX)

• Iced tea empty? Gotta prompt the waiter to bring more.
  
• Need more lemon for more iced tea? Ask for more lemon, and he brings one slice! Is there a citrus shortage I didn't hear about?
  
• Coffee empty? Ask for more. And then ask again....
  
• Cream runs out after my guest had 3 cups? Wait for someone to come around.
  
• Waters all empty ('cause its 100 degrees outside and we're all dehydrated)? Chase down someone to fill us up.
  

Other problems: Menu had more substitutes than I could keep track of. Instead of octopus, they had calimari (was good though). This was one of 3-4 examples. And I have not experienced this before.

All this comes on a day when it was not at all busy. It appears that the congressional ethics reforms have taken a chunk out of their business. You'd think that they'd be trying harder to please the loyal customers, rather than letting things slip.

One positive note: They've redone the 1st floor bathroom. Instead of the old one-big-unisex room with no doors on the "stalls" there's now 2 private unis. Good job.

[Edited to remove server name...]

[Al Dente]

Does a server deserve to be called out in a public forum? I mean, if he personally did something to offend you, I suppose it's fair game, but did this particular employee have control of every variable that took away from your experience?

[Heather]

[*]Coffee empty? Ask for more. And then ask again....

Wait, does Sonoma advertise the "bottomless cup?"

Some of your complaints sound aggravating, but I've never had an upscale casual place refill my cup without my asking for it. And was the problem running out cream after three cups, or having to ask someone to bring more?

[youngfood]

[*]Need more lemon for more iced tea? Ask for more lemon, and he brings one slice! Is there a citrus shortage I didn't hear about?

[*]Coffee empty? Ask for more. And then ask again....

[*]Cream runs out after my guest had 3 cups? Wait for someone to come around.

Not to discount your experience, but individually none of these things strike me as particularly problematic. I don't suspect most patrons need more than one lemon slice per ice tea, need more than one cup of coffee at lunch on a hot day, or go through an entire thing of cream at lunch, and generally I don't think occassionally having to ask for something when you want more or a refill is all that big a deal. At a bare minimum, these are all honest oversights, right?

[Dave Pressley]

Not to discount your experience, but individually none of these things strike me as particularly problematic. I don't suspect most patrons need more than one lemon slice per ice tea, need more than one cup of coffee at lunch on a hot day, or go through an entire thing of cream at lunch, and generally I don't think occassionally having to ask for something when you want more or a refill is all that big a deal. At a bare minimum, these are all honest oversights, right?

I couldn't agree with you more, youngfood. I don't think the server's name needed to be posted either. That's unnecessary and could really get the guy in trouble with his bosses--even fired.

[wdcbrucefan]

Not to discount your experience, but individually none of these things strike me as particularly problematic. I don't suspect most patrons need more than one lemon slice per ice tea, need more than one cup of coffee at lunch on a hot day, or go through an entire thing of cream at lunch, and generally I don't think occassionally having to ask for something when you want more or a refill is all that big a deal. At a bare minimum, these are all honest oversights, right?

Any of these requests, individually, would not have raised a flag for me; however, a pattern quickly developed, became more & more frustrating throughout the meal, and was -- to my mind -- an embarassment to a decent restaurant.

[Banco]

All this comes on a day when it was not at all busy. It appears that the congressional ethics reforms have taken a chunk out of their business.

I was there today at about 1:15 and they seemed almost full. And didn't those "congressional ethics reforms" take place long before Sonoma even opened? (At any rate, they seem to have had little effect--on restaurants or anything else.)

Sonoma was indeed out of a few things today, including the red chowder, which I had intended to try, and the porgy, which was replaced by snapper. I had the latter, and it was excellent, as was my service (at the bar). But the rash of 86'ed items in recent days does appear odd, even when taking the bathroom renovation into account.

[wdcbrucefan]

I was there today at about 1:15 and they seemed almost full. And didn't those "congressional ethics reforms" take place long before Sonoma even opened? (At any rate, they seem to have had little effect--on restaurants or anything else.)

Sonoma was indeed out of a few things today, including the red chowder, which I had intended to try, and the porgy, which was replaced by snapper. I had the latter, and it was excellent, as was my service (at the bar). But the rash of 86'ed items in recent days does appear odd, even when taking the bathroom renovation into account.

Congress revamped their rules again in January. Member & Staff are not allowed to accept meals, etc.

The change was evident when I was able to get a noon reservation for today, going online yesterday late morning. Used to be, you couldn't touch the place at a reasonable lunch time with less than a few days notice. In my opinion, it was far less crowded than my previous dozen experiences.

On the red chowder, my guest actually had it (if its the same as shrimp bisque)... so that ran out during lunch service. The other items I cited were 86'd at noon, as lunch began.

[Banco]

Congress revamped their rules again in January. Member & Staff are not allowed to accept meals, etc.

On the red chowder, my guest actually had it (if its the same as shrimp bisque)... so that ran out during lunch service. The other items I cited were 86'd at noon, as lunch began.

This is perhaps for a separate thread, but haven't members and staff been forbidden from accepting such favors for a couple decades now? There must be a new aspect to the January ruling that I'm not aware of, but on the face of it I don't see how it differs from what was decided before (in the 1980s?).

The shrimp bisque was actually a special today, whereas the red chowder (with clams) is on the regular menu.

[Tweaked]

Man I guess it's Sonoma's week to get pissed on! we still love you guys...especially the white pizza with sopresseta...yumm-o

[Elias Hengst]

Man I guess it's Sonoma's week to get pissed on! we still love you guys...especially the white pizza with sopresseta...yumm-o

When it rains, it pours....

Thanks, Rockwellians and Hill dwellers, for the more moderate, rational comments that followed...

El

[wdcbrucefan]

This is perhaps for a separate thread, but haven't members and staff been forbidden from accepting such favors for a couple decades now? There must be a new aspect to the January ruling that I'm not aware of, but on the face of it I don't see how it differs from what was decided before (in the 1980s?).

The House did make significant changes to their rules in January 2007. From 1995 until this year, members & staff could take a meal (or other gift) valued at up to $50 from the same person (i.e. lobbyist) up to twice per year. Such meals and gifts are now banned, with some specific exceptions that are not relevant to this discussion. And, another change is that most folks are actually complying with the rules, at least in the near term. I have not heard of restaurants suffering as a result this year, although there was a spate of articles and concern in 1995 that the then-new-rules would hurt business around the Hill and downtown. However, my personal experience is that its very difficult to get staff out for a meal, unless its somewhere like Tortilla Coast where they are more able to "go Dutch."

By way of follow up to my post that started all this, I want to note that I was contacted by PM by Eli, Sonoma's manager, and he offered to make things right on my next visit. This really isn't necessary, as I have had far more good to great meals at Sonoma, and I do recognize that things happen. I am already scheduled to be back at Sonoma in the very near future. And I'm looking forward to having the octopus first that my wife raved about (I had the dish yesterday with calamari). Cheers Eli, and see you soon. Appreciate your response and efforts.

[Banco]

The House did make significant changes to their rules in January 2007...

Thanks for this information. I wonder if the new rules will have much of an impact on the restaurant scene as the year goes on.

Sonoma now has grilled mackerel on the menu; the wood grill uses the oiliness of this fish to perfect advantage. It's served with a fingerling potato salad that combines the best of Hausfrau cooking and haute cuisine. A panzanella, also new on the menu, with heirloom tomatoes, microbasil, and mozzarella, is quite good as well--perfect for the summer.

[ulysses]

Bottom line: Service was terrible. Not rude or anything like that, but I had to explicitly ask for everything that I wanted. (Waiter was, according to my credit slip, XXXXX)

[Edited to remove server name...]

First let me say this is no good. I generally believe that this forum is a way of social networking. We all like food and we all like eating out. Something we should not have in common is ruining some poor server's life because we had a bad experience. It should be apparent that managers/chefs/owners are all reading this board and that pointing fingers can really do damage.

Secondly, let me say that I know that Chef Drew is committed to the idea of seasonality and ingredients only being served at their freshest. So if Drew gets Mackerel on Friday and doesn't think it should be served on Sunday....well, honestly thats what he does for a living. I marvel at the food every time I eat there(as recently as this afternoon). It simple, local(for the most part) and completely makes sense. I've said it before and I'll say it again: not that many people in D.C. are doing what he's doing.

Watching this restaurant get beat up hurts. If something as trivial as slow or inattentive service really makes you "furious" or gives you one of these " ", then maybe you shouldn't be eating out so much. I don't like bad service either but I deal with it like most everybody else i.e.tell a manager or not. I've had a thousand bad experiences in my life and I've rarely felt compelled to tear people apart on a public forum over it. Especially knowing that in almost every restaurant theres someone like drew manning the stoves/books/doors pouring their heart and soul into it.

Ultimately, I think that there should be a little less venom on this board, particularly this thread.

[wdcbrucefan]

I was back at Sonoma today for lunch, 48 hours after I wrote my previous disappointed-with-service review. Happy to say that things were as they were almost every other time I've been in. Food was excellent, service was kind and smooth. And our waitress was quite accommodating of my guests (very very) late arrival, as well as my sudden growth from a party of 2 to a party of 3.

The menu's been reprinted, and octopus is now gone. All items on the printed menu were available.

Our waitresses were quick with refills of iced tea, water, etc.

My second was the ribs over creamy polenta. One of the 2 racks fell right off the bone. And the polenta was quite tasty. I could have almost made a "first" of it.

And, I can say that the crowd was of normal size for lunch, with most bar stools and tables filled up by 12:30. Indeed it was the heat on Wednes. that kept the usual crowds away.

I didn't explicitly make myself known to Eli (although I made reservation in my name and didn't hide my identity in my PM). As I said, I desired no special treatment or consideration. Having been a waiter myself once upon a time, I know service lapses happen from time to time. Its a credit to Sonoma that any issues were fleeting and have been resolved. I look forward to getting back again soon. Cheers. -- T

[Pat]

I had dinner at the bar last night and discovered, to my dismay, that Mick doesn't work there anymore. I hope I find him somewhere else. The bartender who waited on me did just fine, but I was disappointed by the news. I guess I would have known this already if I got there more often .

I eat meals out rather sporadically and have a tendency (unfortunate, I suppose) to go back to places and order things I know I like. I suspect I would branch out more if I ate meals out more often, but I tend to be a creature of habit.

The Amish chicken pate at Sonoma is one of my favorite foods anywhere. I headed there mostly to get that, but I also relish the duck salami. I got the half charcuterie board with those two items and some speck. I'm not as keen on the pickled scallions as I am on the other accompaniments, but, oh, those truffled peaches . I also got a 2-cheese plate with a fairly hard Spanish cheese I don't recall the name of and Oregon smoky blue (I think that's the name). The red wine jelly that comes with the cheeses is one of the main reasons I order cheese at Sonoma, and it didn't disappoint. (I love cheese but should be wiser about avoiding the additional cost and calories.)

I did vary my routine some, though: I ordered prosecco (great with the food and the weather) instead of Moretti beer.

[Tweaked]

Grilled Prawns yum

Lamb tartar yum

Pizza, red sauce, local goat cheese, wild boar sausage...even yummier.

[FunnyJohn]

Just some counterexamples to your list of ex-chefs: Eric Ziebold, Fabio Trabocchi, Frank Ruta, R J Cooper, Gillian Clark, Johnny Monis, Tom Power, Jonathan Krinn, Barry Koslow, Carole Greenwood, and Jamie Stachowski.

The first six celebrities you named would be complete unknowns had they not worked the kitchens at Louis XV, Jamin, French Laundry, Bocuse, Gordon Ramsay, and Mondrian; they sure as hell aren't famous for their looks.

By all means, cash in and enjoy your fame - just make sure to clear a little space on the stage for the next generation of hard-working cooks that will be joining you.

Cheers,

Rocks.

And Drew Trautmann

[gourmetgrazer]

And Drew Trautmann

i thought miles vadan(sp?) was cooking at sonoma

[FunnyJohn]

i thought miles vadan(sp?) was cooking at sonoma

Miles cooks too, but Drew is there and in the kitchen most of the time.

[Elias Hengst]

We'll be showing the replay of today's Tour stage at Sonoma today from 12-2pm.

Just head to our second floor Avenue Lounge to view the stage on our 42" screen....

Hope to see you!

Eli

ps. I'll announce other stages on a daily basis, depending on our private event bookings.

[wdcbrucefan]

Bad news: 3 alarm fire this AM on 200 Block of Pennsylvania Ave. Sonoma likely affected, per WJLA story online. Anyone have eyes nearby? Trover Shop, Art & Soul, Cap Lounge also right there.

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0807/445783.html

[Pat]

News 4 just said it was Cap Lounge that caught fire first.

[wdcbrucefan]

WJLA story has removed Sonoma from the list of buildings effected. Not sure if this means anything significant. (The first posting around 7am at WJLA didn't list Cap Lounge... that's been added.)

PS: I finally figured out how to embed the links... I'm a little slow.

[Pat]

WJLA story has removed Sonoma from the list of buildings effected. Not sure if this means anything significant. (The first posting around 7am at WJLA didn't list Cap Lounge... that's been added.)

PS: I finally figured out how to embed the links... I'm a little slow.

I just got back from being down there. Sonoma and the Trover book store looked pretty good from the outside. If they had damage, it doesn't look from PA Ave. to be that substantial. Overall, the fire looks not as bad as the last one, but that's hard to tell from the front if the fire started in the back. I'll write more in the Cap Lounge thread.