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Ripple, Local and Seasonal in Cleveland Park - Chef Ryan Ratino Replaces Marjorie Meek-Bradley - Closed June 24, 2017


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1 hour ago, Pool Boy said:

The egg dish was over the top and probably demanded better textural differentiation, but if you feel like a rich, over the top dish, it's what's for dinner. :)

But I am curious - were all the things you had the WTH variety or just some? Maybe we hit it on a good night versus a bad night? You are making me rethink my tastebuds!

I'm behind on the reviews I owe people, so don't want to write a full one for Ripple, but let me just say that I had the only meal here - ever, in my life - that I would consider, as a whole, "not that good," and I'll tell people why - with pictures - just so they can make up their own minds. It was the pricing, and the entree, that did this meal in.

The dishes on their website look fantastic, and the plating of mine did, too, so the presentation was just fine. Let me do this with pictures:

As soon as I sat down, I told my bartender I might want to start with a beer, and he told me they had this wonderful beer on their menu - I can't remember the exact beer, but it was 3.9% alcohol and $12, and the most expensive beer on the list - I asked for a moment to look over the wines, and ordered a bottle of 2015 Moulin de Gassac "Guilhem" Rosé ($38). This is a very good wine that I knew would go with the entire meal, but it retails for about $10 a bottle:

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Considering they bought it at wholesale, not retail, I paid a 400-500% markup. Nothing more to add here.

Here's this month's menu:

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I asked if the Ocean Trout ($14) was a cold dish, and my bartender said yes, and told me how great it was (it, too, was the most expensive item in its category). It's served with black lime, radish, salsa verde, and chile, so I knew it would be a Latino prep, and while quite good, I got exactly *five* postage-stamps of trout, mixed in with *one radish*, sliced up into several thin pieces:

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(You're straining hard to see any trout at all, aren't you.) At nearly $3 per nibble, this crudo-like dish was far more expensive than even the most pricey sashimi. A good dish, yes, but at $14, it needs to be twice this size. I had asked for some bread, but only had crackers throughout this dish, so I was unable to sop up any of the delicious (but pretty spicy) sauce underneath - quality of the crackers themselves was fine, and I enjoyed one of them.

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The crackers were fine, but the bread was *great*, and I knew as soon as I saw it why it took so long. This bread was *so* good that I thought it might not be free, but it was.

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My apologies for the *lousy* picture of the bread, but trust me when I say this is one of the best bread courses I've had in a long time, pulled straight from the oven, too (which is why I didn't have it with my Ocean Trout - completely forgivable).

I know what you're thinking: Why is Rockwell busting on this meal? It looks great! It's because of the cost of the wine, the cost of the trout, and the entree, which I haven't yet shown you: I decided to pull a 180, go German, and order Schnitzel ($29) with spaetzle, root kraut, brussels [sprouts?], and green apple:

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Again, I apologize for the *awful* picture - I wasn't planning on writing this, and was just keeping these for my own future use - I even turned the plate at an angle to get more of the spaetzle; it was presented to me horizontally which looked a lot more appealing. Here's the rub:

I asked if the spaetzle was veal, and was told it was pork loin. But if you look closely at the bottom of my terrible picture, you can see two blobs of what looks like Russian dressing. It was *this* which completely ruined the dish, and let me explain just how much it was ruined. 

This was distributed, thickly, on the entire piece of schnitzle, and to the best of my knowledge, I would describe it as "mayonnaise, with sugar and Sriracha," or something similar to that. It was sickly sweet, and had that Sriracha/chili-powder-like overtone, and dominated everything. Here's how much:

1) It wouldn't have mattered if the meat was veal, pork, or chicken; if it was beef, lamb, or goat, I could have told the difference.

2) I did not taste a single apple - there could have been none in the dish, and I wouldn't have noticed.

3) I did not taste a single brussels [sprout?] - there could have been none in the dish, and I wouldn't have noticed.

4) I did not taste the spaetzle. I *felt* it, but it might as well have been macaroni and cheese, or angel hair pasta in cream sauce - it didn't matter.

5) My bartender raved about the care that went into the root kraut, but I couldn't taste it - it could have been made with biodynamically farmed purple cabbage from Germany, or it could have been made with store-bought Giant coleslaw, and it wouldn't have mattered (well, that's not true - store-bought Giant coleslaw is *disgusting*, and disgustingly sweet, so that would have stood out). With a sauce this assertive, some celeriac would have been very appropriate - maybe there *was* celeriac in it (my bartender did tell me; I just forgot), but I have absolutely no idea what was in the root kraut, because every single bite of this dish - with the exception of the "pure-spaetzle bites" brought forth a sickly sweet assault of strong Russian dressing reinforced with a bit of chili-powder, or whatever it was. Every single bite.

6) The breading was very thick (which is normal for Schnitzel), and upon inspection, the pork tenderloin was pounded to a thickness of about 1/8th of an inch (just a guess, but it couldn't have been much thicker than that - this dish was mostly breading).

Aside from a minor feeling of *maybe* a little upselling, all was forgiven when I saw that there was a Sourdough course on the menu (which probably features a loaf of this exact same, *wonderful* bread) for $9, and my loaf of bread - which, again, was one of the greatest bread courses I've had in a long time even though the awful photograph belies that - was so good that, if the bartender told me (in advance) that it cost $5, I would have gladly paid it. I tipped him 20%(-ish), and he was a very nice man - the initial $12 beer comment got stuck in my head, so that might have biased me going forward.

You know, this really doesn't sound *as* bad as I initially made it sound, but think about this: other than the bread (and amazing butter), every single bite of food I had during this meal was either 1) bad or 2) $2.50, and the wine was way overpriced.

It's possible Chef Ratino wasn't there, and one of the two sous chefs was in command, so I'll write this one off to a space-time anomaly. One other thing which might help the restaurant: I'd let the Schnitzel calm down a few minutes before serving it - it was disproportionately hot compared to the spaetzle, but that's easily remedied. I'm not trying to bust on you, Ripple, I promise I'm not - I've been a huge supporter of yours over the years.

Ripple Trivia: There are two large sections of wine bottles on top of the bar. In the left section (sitting at the bar), there is a bottle of wine on the front-right (bottom row, rightmost bottle). The label on that bottle was designed by Marc Chagall.

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The bread there was great, wasn't it?

The ocean trout dish was overpriced, I will grant you that, but it was delicious IMHO.

I only got two bites of the schnitzel dish, but what I had was delicious. The 'sauce' between to root kraut on top of the whole thing and the schnitzel immediately below was not at all sweet when we had it. And, though there was some spiciness to it, it did not throw this dish off to complete imbalance like your version did. This being said, I am not entirely certain this dish even required this sauce at all. The spatzle underneath it all was not the best I have ever had but adequate.

As for booze pricing in restaurants, it sometimes gets out of hand, doesn't it. The multipliers on pricing of beer, wine, whatever, is usually lower the higher price bottle you go up. But at the same time, you would think a restaurant would want to encourage people to buy wine and not rethink their beverage choice.

Anyway, sorry your schnitzel was overpowered. That sucks.

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31 minutes ago, Pool Boy said:

The bread there was great, wasn't it?

The ocean trout dish was overpriced, I will grant you that, but it was delicious IMHO.

The spatzle underneath it all was not the best I have ever had but adequate.

Yes and yes (although trout is a delicate fish (unless it's smoked), and the liquid in which it bathed was a little too spicy for its own good). Did you think the spaetzle was underseasoned and/or mushy? I don't know if you all dissected your Schnitzel, but that pork tenderloin was *thin* - the dish looks huge, but it's almost all breading.

You know, the only reason I even wrote this is because the public needs a counterbalance. Ironically, I think I did the public a service by writing this; guess who's going to be featured on Ripple's website? To be a critic - a real, honest, critic - you can't have any aspirations for people to like you, or promote you, or do you any favors. I could have raved about this meal, and would be featured in Ripple's marketing publications; the problem is, I would have been lying.

In a lot of ways, I feel like an honest policeman - you're out there, devoting - and risking - your life to save the public's ass, and *every single person hates your guts*. "Elegy for a Pig."

It's really not in my nature to be a prick - that's why I'm not sure I want to write reviews for the rest of my life. Dine out, yes. Run the website, yes. But I really question whether this is all worth it, having people out there disliking you, just for being honest.

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Hey dude, sometimes things do not fire on all cylinders in a meal. Your experience was obviously missing a cylinder or two. My experience was not that. That's all. When stuff is good it is good. When it is not it is not. I remember calling out Sardi's in Beltsville for pretty subpar peruvian pollo alla brasa - and I LOVE that stuff (note I have not been there for quite a while now, so it maybe improved, who knows?). Even places you love can also have not great days and they put out food that is not what they would prefer.

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On March 10, 2017, I enjoyed the most extraordinary and exquisite tasting menu by Ryan Ratino and brilliant wine pairing by Jose Marie Aguirre!  Wow, this is one of the most exciting fine dining experiences in DC!

  • Oyster & Mignonette! 
    17311234_10210870834438727_8339857001090208814_o.jpg17155817_10210870839838862_3220575145169844716_n.jpg
  • Foie Gras, black pepper, rhubarb, sauternes, rye pancakes!
    17191266_10210870840398876_3606702628302603808_n.jpg17309866_10210870841238897_6457427387514686697_n.jpg17103550_10210870841838912_180477695710638402_n.jpg
  • Carolina Pink Shrimp, mushroom miso, scallop, noisette, en barigoule artichokes!
    17155818_10210870842318924_1503558962983200731_n.jpg16938621_10210870843158945_6025542916182341277_n.jpg
  • Spring Nettle Agnolotti, snap peas, crosnes, green garlic, kalettes!
    17156273_10210870844198971_1139295697117857682_n.jpg17264439_10210870844918989_8641491720088568349_n.jpg
    • note:  I am unable to discern if it was due to the culmination of so much enjoyment or soley this dish This dish is so exquisite, uncontrollable tears of joy poured from my eyes!  I can't recall the last time I had such an experience.
  • Pheasant, spring onion, black garlic, morels, huckleberry!
    17192527_10210870845759010_7933154109283936051_o.jpg17203039_10210870846639032_8738433366251974501_n.jpg
  • Citrus Ambrosia, tapioca, sherbet, meringue, mango!
    17309512_10210870847399051_5353855839697776975_n.jpg17200879_10210870847719059_4619211277548200786_n.jpg
  • Foie Gras Truffles, cherry, hazelnut, milk chocolate!
    17309272_10210870848199071_3453771617244392849_n.jpg
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1 hour ago, dslee said:

On March 10, 2017, I enjoyed the most extraordinary and exquisite tasting menu by Ryan Ratino and brilliant wine pairing by Jose Marie Aguirre!  Wow, this is one of the most exciting fine dining experiences in DC!

  • Oyster & Mignonette! 
  • Foie Gras, black pepper, rhubarb, sauternes, rye pancakes!
  • Carolina Pink Shrimp, mushroom miso, scallop, noisette, en barigoule artichokes!
  • Spring Nettle Agnolotti, snap peas, crosnes, green garlic, kalettes!
    • note:  I am unable to discern if it was due to the culmination of so much enjoyment or soley this dish. This dish is so exquisite, uncontrollable tears of joy poured from my eyes!  I can't recall the last time I had such an experience.
  • Pheasant, spring onion, black garlic, morels, huckleberry!
  • Citrus Ambrosia, tapioca, sherbet, meringue, mango!
  • Foie Gras Truffles, cherry, hazelnut, milk chocolate! 

It is largely due to this post (as well as a few others) that Ripple is - once again - raised up back to Italic, and rated among the very best restaurants in Washington, DC. I now truly believe that I caught Ripple on an off night when I went.

I am 100% confident in the accuracy of my post, but I also now believe that Chef Ratino was absent the evening I was there. This does tell me that there may be a lack of depth in the kitchen, but also that Chef Ratino knows what he's doing.

Thank you, dslee, for having taken the time to write this.

Cheers,
Rocks

PS - Ryan, I have *no doubt* that you can reconcile these discrepancies in five minutes. Would you mind coming on here and doing so? I'm giving you all benefit of any doubt I once had - you've got to believe me that the meal I had just wasn't there.

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11 hours ago, dslee said:

On March 10, 2017, I enjoyed the most extraordinary and exquisite tasting menu by Ryan Ratino and brilliant wine pairing by Jose Marie Aguirre!  Wow, this is one of the most exciting fine dining experiences in DC!

  • Oyster & Mignonette! 
  • Foie Gras, black pepper, rhubarb, sauternes, rye pancakes!
  • Carolina Pink Shrimp, mushroom miso, scallop, noisette, en barigoule artichokes!
  • Spring Nettle Agnolotti, snap peas, crosnes, green garlic, kalettes!
    • note:  I am unable to discern if it was due to the culmination of so much enjoyment or soley this dish. This dish is so exquisite, uncontrollable tears of joy poured from my eyes!  I can't recall the last time I had such an experience.
  • Pheasant, spring onion, black garlic, morels, huckleberry!
  • Citrus Ambrosia, tapioca, sherbet, meringue, mango!
  • Foie Gras Truffles, cherry, hazelnut, milk chocolate! 

dslee:  The website shows a four-course (not seven-) tasting menu, with options of all or most of these dishes, for $59.  What was the cost of the seven-course?  And the cost of the wine pairing?  thanks

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6 hours ago, Marty L. said:

dslee:  The website shows a four-course (not seven-) tasting menu, with options of all or most of these dishes, for $59.  What was the cost of the seven-course?  And the cost of the wine pairing?  thanks

Marty L:  Chef's choice progression of snacks is a $10.00 add-on per person with the tasting menu.  Also, a la carte prices for snacks are listed under "snacks" section of the menu.  It appears the "snacks" section is not online, but on the paper menu.  Also, additional menu items can be added a la carte to the tasting menu.  Drinking pairing is $40.00.  You can ask to customize the wine pairing.  This is the most exciting fine dining experience I've had since P&P.

Just a recommendation:  Turn in your menus and let Ryan and Jose take you on an incredible tasting adventure!

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We dined at Ripple last night. Usual informed service-Lauren was great but the meal was the best I've had there; everything top tier. I had the 4 course tasting menu for $49 which I think is a bargain. We brought our own wine. 

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30 minutes ago, mr food said:

We dined at Ripple last night. Usual informed service-Lauren was great but the meal was the best I've had there; everything top tier. I had the 4 course tasting menu for $49 which I think is a bargain. We brought our own wine. 

Needless to say, there are two *very* important takeaways from this page:

1) No matter how much (or little) you may "like" or "trust" an expert, there really *are* off-nights except at the fanciest, most-expensive restaurants where they can afford to have great depth of staffing.

2) It is imperative to remember that I review *meals*, and not *restaurants*. The National Association of <whatever-it's-called> has guidelines that say critics must have at least three meals in a restaurant before writing a review. Personally, I don't think that's enough - five, ten, or even twenty visits, at different times and days, in different situations, with multiple people, preferably anonymously (but not necessarily if you're honest, which many people aren't) are closer to what I think the standards should be. 

This is why it's *so important* for people to chime in here, regardless of what I say. Also, it's just as important to remember that my "ratings and rankings" are meant as quick guidelines, only for people in a hurry. Yes, they're useful, but they're not the final word by any means.

Thanks to all of our wonderful members.

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1 hour ago, mr food said:

We dined at Ripple last night. Usual informed service-Lauren was great but the meal was the best I've had there; everything top tier. I had the 4 course tasting menu for $49 which I think is a bargain. We brought our own wine. 

What's the corkage fee? I was there at a wine dinner maybe 6 to 8 months ago and it was a challenge to do it there since we had 5 bottles for one table (I think we ended up opening 7) and they made a one-time exception for us because I begged.

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59 minutes ago, Pool Boy said:

What's the corkage fee? I was there at a wine dinner maybe 6 to 8 months ago and it was a challenge to do it there since we had 5 bottles for one table (I think we ended up opening 7) and they made a one-time exception for us because I begged.

One of our group has many events at Ripple so he got the corkage waived. Excellent stemware and plenty of it.

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when the bf suggests ripple for dinner, i often demur in favor of 2 amys/tail up goat/the dabney/little serow/whatever favorite i am craving at the moment.  (although there's something to be said for a place where you can get a last-minute reservation rather than risking an hour+ wait when you show up.)  and yet, whenever we do go, i am always reminded "oh yeah, i actually really like this place!"  last night was just one of those dinners.  (the bf would say that i should just remember this reaction when debating when to return, but the point of cravings isn't to rationally consider past experiences!)

while we were waiting for our cocktails, gm/wine director jose, with whom we'd had a very nice chat on our last dinner a few months ago (and who remembered our wine order!) stopped by with a complementary glass of a lovely rose cremant that had a surprisingly interesting finish.  a great service interaction like that at the beginning of a meal always sets a good mood.  and our cocktails were excellent:  the farmersonly.com -- a name that made me giggle thanks to the dating website's ridiculous commercials -- was a frothy gin-based drink with a springy balance of yuzu and beet.  the spanish eyes was a sort of bamboo variant, with hazelnut syrup softening the sharpness of sherry and dry vermouth.  (the bf would have preferred less sweetness, but i think he'd really just have preferred a traditional bamboo; i thought it was well balanced and less sweet than i'd worried it might be.)  

a two-bite mushroom tartlet from the snacks category had mushroom "flour" in the crust, was topped with grapes, and was surprisingly sweet (in an interesting, kind of good way).  i'm not sure i'd order it again (a bit expensive at $9 or thereabouts), but the bf's comment, with which i agreed, was that we would have been suitably pleased had it appeared as an early course in a tasting menu.  (and if it were reworked to tilt slightly more sweet and then presented as a dessert, i think i might find it ingenious.  i'm a sucker for using vegetables in desserts.)  the ocean trout crudo (black lime, salsa verde, radish, chile sofrito) was the only repeat from our prior meal; as previously mentioned, it's expensive for its small portion, but quite tasty.  the dutch asparagus (quail egg, green olive, egg vinaigrette, farm greens) was the standout of a strong dinner; the egg was hard boiled, the asparagus suitably firm, the entire dish was springy and salty and acidic in the best way.  (no suggested edits or critiques from either of us, which is pretty hard to manage given how analytical -- and judgy -- we tend to be about food.)  

the hen egg (potato espuma, burnt onion, cured yolk, herb oil), which we ordered without the sweetbreads as the menu offers as a possibility, was decadent without being too heavy.  you can't go wrong with the classic combination of potato puree, sweet onion, and poached egg; it won't surprise you, but it will be eminently satisfying and delicious.  spring nettle agnolotti (snap peas, turnip, green garlic, baby kale) was almost outstanding -- pillowly pasta, crisp slices of snap pea, etc. -- but slices of pickled ramp (or possibly green garlic, now that i've looked back at the menu) added distracting sweetness rather than pops of acidity.  (a tweak in the brine could correct this easily.)  nicely seared but undersalted halibut (green asparagus, black garlic, mussel emulsion, wild ramps) sat on a bed of craving-a-spoon-worthy sauce.  

i often don't agree with sietsema's taste -- we have very different biases/preferences in dining -- but ripple's complimentary write-up in his spring dining guide is well-deserved.  now i just have to remind myself to go back more frequently.  

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9 minutes ago, MidwestTransplant said:

Thinking about going here tomorrow after work.  Does anyone know if the four course tasting option is available to a diner eating alone at the bar? 

I would call them right now and ask - that said, I see no reason why it wouldn't be. Let us know?

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Closing. Received the following e-mail from Ripple.

Dear friends,
 
It is with great sadness that we will be closing Ripple later this month. Despite a great sense of pride and accomplishment for everything that our team has achieved over the last seven years, the reality of a slowing business means we will no longer be able to serve our guests in Cleveland Park.  We will remain open through dinner service on June 24th, and hope you will be able to join us over the coming days to share another memorable meal with us, or perhaps a glass or two of wine at the bar.   
 
We believe that our food is as good as it ever has been, and less than a month ago we received our highest rating ever from Tom Sietsema in The Washington Post Spring Dining Guide. But, unfortunately, our reviews and recent acclaim have not translated to the bottom line.
 
We are deeply grateful for your support over the past seven years. We have made fantastic lifelong friends. Couples have met at Ripple, gotten engaged at Ripple, and even celebrated their weddings at Ripple.  We have been fortunate to have a warm, wonderful staff who have built connections with our guests and provided memorable meals.  Some of our staff have even gotten married after meeting here! This has always been a place about family, and we will dearly miss all of you - our extended family. Whether you found us in June of 2010, or had your first meal with us much more recently, we are forever grateful and hope we can serve you again - either at Roofers Union in Adams Morgan, or somewhere else in the future.  
 
We are grateful to our wonderful staff, some of whom have been with us from the very start. We will try to help them find new jobs - either at Roofers Union or at other restaurants.  It is because of the talented chefs and servers and dishwashers and line cooks that we were fortunate enough to win Best Upscale Casual Restaurant, as well as Wine Program of the Year in 2014 from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, in addition to numerous awards for our wine and beverage program.  To all the members of our team over the years, we can never thank you enough.  You are the best and we wish you all the best.
 
We have a wonderful landlord whose family operated a restaurant here starting in the 1932.  We are grateful for their support.  We love Cleveland Park. We grew up around here, we live around here, and we hope for the best for everyone along the strip between Macomb and Porter. We know that many of our neighbors are also suffering, and we encourage you to support these local businesses and restaurants.
 
Our final dinner service will be Saturday June 24. Until then, we will continue to bring you the best food, produce and drinks from the finest local farmers and other sources. We are still serving an amazing menu from our extremely talented Executive Chef Ryan Ratino, and we will be offering great half price deals on many of the rare and eclectic wines on our bottle list.  We have smaller snacks at the bar, and everything from a-la-carte options to a full tasting menu in the dining room.  We would love to see you in the coming days - and we encourage you to stop by or make reservations for one more meal with us in Cleveland Park.
 
In the words of Robert Hunter...
"Reach out your hand if your cup be empty
If your cup is full may it be again,
Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men."
 
With great appreciation,
Ripple
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4 minutes ago, marketfan said:

Such a shame.  I am going tonight. Any insights into why Ripple had to close?  Is there a problem with the Cleveland Park location for restaurants?  And if so, why?  It is close to a metro,

It said it in the email:

"But, unfortunately, our reviews and recent acclaim have not translated to the bottom line."

My meal (above) was disturbingly "not very good," but everyone else seemed to really enjoy it, so I assumed I went on an off-evening (but to be honest, I haven't even thought of returning).

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3 hours ago, marketfan said:

Such a shame.  I am going tonight. Any insights into why Ripple had to close?  Is there a problem with the Cleveland Park location for restaurants?  And if so, why?  It is close to a metro,

Other restaurants that have closed in CP in the past few years have indicated that lack of parking, lack of foot traffic, and significant increases in rent have chased them out.

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1 hour ago, Tweaked said:

Sources tell me:

significant drop in customer volume.

A 5-year lease renewal was due in July and the owners felt like they couldn't make that kind of commitment.

Given how long the economy has been booming (at least, on paper), this sounds like a wise business decision by the owners. I wish them the best of everything, and hope they show up somewhere else - Ripple was one of the great surprise success stories of the DC restaurant industry, at least from the consumer's point of view.

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