Medium Rare - Local Chain with $19.50 Steak Frites (and a Second Helping)

[darkstar965]

For those who'd asked about the brunch, we tried it today.

Three options at $17 each. All are offered with a first course choice of either the dinner salad, a yogurt parfait or a small fruit salad (not 100% sure I'm recalling the last one correctly but saw something like that on another table). Then, the three main choices of:

1. Basically a somewhat smaller portion of the dinner combo of sliced steak and frites (can add a poached egg to this one for another $2 or $2.99)

2. A "MediumRare" Benedict that includes a poached egg atop some steak and portabella mushroom sitting on a square slice of bread and slathered in hollandaise. With frites, of course.

3. Three poached eggs with frites.

Beautiful day today. Another 10 degrees and we'd have been breaking in the outdoor tables. That'll be great when it starts.

[zoramargolis]

J and I enjoyed our meal, but agreed that Ray's three courses for $25, with a hanger steak, is a more flavorful steak and a better deal. That said, I think that Medium Rare is a brilliant idea, well-executed and is sure to be a huge hit. We arrived a few minutes after 6 (and said hello to Legant) and when we left at 7:20 there was a mob at the bar waiting for tables to open up.

[kirite]

J and I enjoyed our meal, but agreed that Ray's three courses for $25, with a hanger steak, is a more flavorful steak and a better deal. That said, I think that Medium Rare is a brilliant idea, well-executed and is sure to be a huge hit. We arrived a few minutes after 6 (and said hello to Legant) and when we left at 7:20 there was a mob at the bar waiting for tables to open up.

I wish that someone would open a grilled fish restaurant based on this red meat concept. But I suppose that in this culture, it is a bridge too far.

[darkstar965]

I wish that someone would open a grilled fish restaurant based on this red meat concept. But I suppose that in this culture, it is a bridge too far.

TackleBox in CP if/when it ever opens? Surfside in Glover might fit the bill for you? Basic grilled fish.

[mame11]

TackleBox in CP if/when it ever opens? Surfside in Glover might fit the bill for you? Basic grilled fish.

Tackle Box is on track to open the first week of May. They faced immeasurable delays obtaining permits for the space. The sign has been hoisted so there is no "if" involved.

RE: Medium Rare...

I had a wonderful brunch there last Sunday. I was skeptical of a restaurant with a limited menu but think it's a winner. The steak was delicious, and the frite beyond perfect. Because they don't give seconds at brunch we had room for dessert. OMG! The hot fudge sundae is off the hook.

[DaRiv18]

Months ago, this excerpt peaked my interest the most:

and none other than Michel Richard was (quietly) involved with developing sauces and desserts

But it doesn't sound like these features really thrill anyone, or if the desserts were actually created in-house:

- the secret sauce: to be honest, this wasn't life changing for me given the build up but it was very tasty. Wine, mushrooms, beef stock/jus, fresh pepper.....not sure what else. Loved getting an extra small pitcher of it with our seconds.

- dessert. we really didn't have much room left but felt compelled to at least give one a try. Saving the monster sized fudge layer cake, sundae and cheesecake (NYC) for future visits, we opted for an apple pie slice with vanilla ice cream. It was surprisingly good with fresh crisp apples, a nice crust and not overly sweet. The Ice cream and a latte were less remarkable.

Then, after awhile the first plate of fries and sliced steak (a good size, but bit small portion - I'm bad at ounces but maybe 4-6 oz) with lots of their secret sauce that was good, not great - I tasted mustard, herbs, and likely wine plus some other ingredients I'm sure my palate couldn't identify. . .

I passed on the desserts, but the hot fudge sundae and apple pie looked really good and definitely shareable. The partner told me the cheesecake is shipped in the Carnegie Deli - although somewhat smaller than portion that the deli serves.

The sauce on my first round was a tad salty but was much more balanced when we got the seconds round.

I can't stop by in the near future to evaluate, but I'd appreciate to hear more evaluations of the sauce (and dessert, if you're one of the few who have room left). Thanks to those who have already contributed.

[zoramargolis]

I can't stop by in the near future to evaluate, but I'd appreciate to hear more evaluations of the sauce (and dessert, if you're one of the few who have room left). Thanks to those who have already contributed.

The "secret" sauce was a reduction sauce whose contents probably include beef stock, wine, shallots, porcini mushrooms and cream. At least, that's what I tasted.

We shared a piece of three-layer chocolate cake, which was excellent--moist, tender crumb, deep chocolate flavor and a generous slathering of chocolate butter cream frosting sprinkled with sliced almonds.

[DaRiv18]

Thanks zoramargolis! That sauce sounds mysterious and ever-morphing, can't wait to try it.

[bbhasin]

The "secret" sauce was a reduction sauce whose contents probably include beef stock, wine, shallots, porcini mushrooms and cream. At least, that's what I tasted.

add tamarind to your list of ingredients for the 'secret' sauce ( from a very reiable source).

[zoramargolis]

add tamarind to your list of ingredients for the 'secret' sauce ( from a very reiable source).

Actually, that doesn't surprise me, since Michel Richard has been consulting on their menu. He is no traditionalist--one of his "secrets" for depth of flavor in beef braises is soy sauce.

[sphere777]

Went to Medium Rare on Saturday when I was feeling low and came out feeling a lot better. I took a bar seat initially but I did not get a greeting of any sort after initial eye contact and a few minutes' wait. As a single diner I have tended to get better service at a table so I gave up quickly and obtained a two-top from the gracious hostess instead. Once I was seated, I had great service during the rest of the meal.

I have nothing but praise for the food. Steak was done to a perfect medium rare and the fries were great. On top of that, the salad was perfectly tossed (aka invisible to the naked eye) with a wonderful dressing. The hot fudge sunday was good but too much for this diner--I'd say it would be perfect for two. The only complaint I have is that I wasn't fond of the '90s/00s rock in the background and would have preferred something like a leisurely bop soundtrack (a la Miles Davis' "Boplicity" or "So What") instead. But really, who cares about that? I would go back here in a heartbeat.

Rob

[jparrott]

The only thing that surprised me about this place was that it wasn't any bigger. It's good, the people are nice, it's efficient, and any place that pours Stoudt's pils is a plus. I wish they'd work with Weygandt across the street for some of their wines.

I'm guessing Mr. Bucher envisions future outposts will be larger.

[Biotech]

My girlfriend and I went to Medium Rare on Saturday evening pre-Black Cat show and I we had a great meal. We took a gamble going in at 7:15 without reservations, but were lucky enough to snag a table. Service was efficient, steaks and fries were great, and our waiter was warm and personable without being overly so. The only hiccup to the evening was that I was served my gf's medium steak and she was served my medium rare one and this wasn't realized until we were both well into the meal. I initially chalked it up as overcooking my request until I took a longer glance at hers. We mentioned that the runner misplaced the steaks and our waiter made sure the second round was properly dealt out. It was a relatively minor issue, and the rarer version was even better than my initial steak.

All in all a great meal at a great value. I will be back up there again.

[darkstar965]

I wish they'd work with Weygandt across the street for some of their wines.

Funny you mention this as I had the same thought on opening night and asked Tom about it. He didn't seem aware of Weygandts but also conveyed that they'd be mixing things up from time to time so maybe we'll see something from Weygandts at some point.

[Ericandblueboy]

From Washingtonina chat:

I have to completely disagree with you regarding Medium Rare -- it's SUCH a bargain! Thanks to the second helping, there is more than enough meat and potatoes to take home for a complete second meal

Is MR all you can eat or do they simply serve your steak in two tranches?

[jparrott]

Two tranches.

[mame11]

I just had a wonderful meal in New York. Oh wait, it wasn't New York it was Cleveland Park, D.C.

At the last minute two friends and I decided to head out to dinner. I suggested Medium Rare thinking at 8:30 on a Saturday it should be fine... um, no. There was an hour wait. We put our names on the list and headed to the 4Ps for a drink...

We came back about an hour later, waited a few minutes for a table and were promptly seated. One friend was a vegetarian but was willing to try the restaurant and its mushroom entree. Everybody loved their meals, and I'm ordering the mushroom entree the next time because it's that good.

But for the size of the restaurant it is easy to think Medium Rare is in New York not DC. Look forward to returning for the mushrooms soon...

[darkstar965]

I wish they'd work with Weygandt across the street for some of their wines.

Was at MR again (maybe my 5th visit?) this past week and asked our waiter about Weygandts to see if anything had changed and because I noticed a burgundy on the menu. He said still no collaboration with Weygandt across the way but then, when our beaujolais arrived, we noted that it was imported by Weygandt. Hmmm. Nothing too new or different to comment on from previous posts foodwise in this honeymoon period but can now confirm the chocolate cake is somehow decadent without being too heavy and definitely addictive.

[Anna Phor]

Had brunch with the family at MR this weekend--an early mother's day brunch as I will be travelling for work next Sunday.

The brunch is a $16 prix fixe with a choice of 3 appetizers & 3(?) mains. Choose from a fruit cup, yogurt parfait or salad, then a main of the MR eggs benedict, eggs frites,

I had the yogurt parfait, which was a creamy and not-too tangy yogurt topped with a thin smear of jam and a crunchy nut/granola topping. Spouse had the fruit cup.

The eggs frites consisted of three poached eggs topped with the MR sauce, accompanied by fries. Although each part of this dish was perfectly well executed, as whole, there's something missing--not in taste or texture, but in .. I dunno, eatability, to coin a term? It's too hard to get all the eggy goodness soaked up with the fries, and so there is a whole lot of egg and sauce left on the plate at the end, which doesn't readily soak into bread as it is not a water liquid. I think it maybe needs some bread under the eggs to soak up the juices throughout the meal? (But maybe this is just me. I have the same problem with the classic eggs benedict with ham. I always have to flip the ham so the egg is underneath. If you cut through the egg/ham/muffin combo without this adjustment, then the egg yolk squirts off the muffin and the muffin does not serve its intended purpose of soaking up the egg.)

Mr. Phor had the eggs benedict with steak (the MR website is not coming up for me right now so I can't go check the name of this dish). This is composed of bread topped with the steak chopped with portobello mushrooms--a steak hash, if you will--and finished with a poached egg. The few bites I had of this were delicious and I would get this for myself if we went back. He also had a very well balanced bloody mary.

[jandres374]

Couple questions for those in the know.

How long of a wait can we expect on a Friday night for a party of 6 - arriving between 6 and 6:30?

How do they deal with kids (9 and 7)? Do we need to buy each their own steak or would they be willing to split one between the two kids?

[mbucher]

Well. : your timing and party size should e good at that time. Probbably little to no wait. Kids meals available. Mainly because I have 4 kids . Have fun at dinner. Get the sundae for dessert

[jandres374]

Well. : your timing and party size should e good at that time. Probbably little to no wait. Kids meals available. Mainly because I have 4 kids . Have fun at dinner. Get the sundae for dessert

Thanks Mark. Looking forward to it.

[hopsing]

I plan to come to the restaurant after work with a party of 4. This will be a weekday, but not Friday. Anybody have an estimate of how late you can go before needing to wait on line? Is it 6 or 6:30 or 7? I know nobody knows for sure but if you have an idea, please let me know so I can plan accordingly. Thx.

[mbucher]

You'll be good before 7. Have fun. Get the sundae !

[DanielK]

Get the sundae for dessert

Get the sundae !

One has to wonder what the profit margin on the sundae is.

[Choirgirl21]

You'll be good before 7. Have fun. Get the sundae !

Hoping to still catch you online. I don't think I ever saw an answer to the question about corkage policy. What is it?

And I know, get the sundae. But I want chocolate cake!

[mbucher]

Corkage is 12.00 (24.00 for magnums). Bring it on and in!

[jparrott]

Corkage is 12.00 (24.00 for magnums). Bring it on and in!

In other news, a building permit has been let for the construction of an O'Hare Airport-type "Happy Tunnel" directly from Medium Rare's bar/waiting area to the Loire Red section of Weygandt Wines.

[JPW]

In other news, a building permit has been let for the construction of an O'Hare Airport-type "Happy Tunnel" directly from Medium Rare's bar/waiting area to the Loire Red section of Weygandt Wines.

Amirault!

Bourgueil!

[arldiner]

I can echo the abundant praise. Visited on a recent weeknight and while the steak and frites were excellent, the portions (the seconds concept is amazing) and price can't be beat, especially for a recent college grad on a budget. I will certainly be back.

[DonRocks]

Awesome! And to think Medium Rare still hasn't pulled the trigger on a possible collaboration with a wine purveyor (Weygandts) across the street.

I had dinner at Medium Rare last week, and went to Weygandt right before and bought a bottle of wine to take in ($12 corkage fee). The wine salesman at Weygandt enthusiastically said about the corkage, and I quote, "That's a great deal, isn't it?"

If that's not a collaboration (for those in the know), nothing is.

"donrockwell.com: Too local for the national press to recognize; too important for the local press to acknowledge (ignore at your own peril)."

[mbucher]

Mark,

Did you run over Seistema's cat?

VERY FUNNY!!! complete LOL!!

[kirite]

VERY FUNNY!!! complete LOL!!

Does MR plan to replace the so so portabello mushroom with a more interesting vegetarian alternative?

[Lori Gardner]

I was at Medium Rare last week and enjoyed it but not racing back. My husband does not eat meat and I don't think there is any reason at all to bring him there. I loved the bread, thought the salad was a little barren, and liked the steak and frites quite a lot. My dining companions did not want dessert so I passed but was a little disappointed to do so. I try to restrict my red meat intake to once a week, so the experience was indeed a rare treat. Enhance the veggie option and I may be more compelled to return with my spouse.

[darkstar965]

For those who'd asked about the brunch, we tried it today.

Three options at $17 each. All are offered with a first course choice of either the dinner salad, a yogurt parfait or a small fruit salad (not 100% sure I'm recalling the last one correctly but saw something like that on another table). Then, the three main choices of:

1. Basically a somewhat smaller portion of the dinner combo of sliced steak and frites (can add a poached egg to this one for another $2 or $2.99)

2. A "MediumRare" Benedict that includes a poached egg atop some steak and portabella mushroom sitting on a square slice of bread and slathered in hollandaise. With frites, of course.

3. Three poached eggs with frites.

Beautiful day today. Another 10 degrees and we'd have been breaking in the outdoor tables. That'll be great when it starts.

I was one of the first to comment on Medium Rare when it first opened in March. I was very bullish on it and really enjoyed the first few visits. We still like it and will go back from time to time but not quite as enthusiastic as we were for three reasons, one of which I purposely didn't mention until now wanting to give the place time to work out its kinks, one of which I'd referenced above and that may be better now than when I tried it during the honeymoon period of first month and the third which I also referenced (above) in March and is totally their right but personally disappointing:

1. Service ("puposely didn't mention until now"): it's now been nearly 4 months and, having visited MR about half a dozen times during that run, I've observed two annoying things about the service which seem a bit systemic. The first, very minor, is the way they draw on the table paper a diagram to indicate (remind?) who gets what temperature steak. Despite this, more often than not, they get it wrong when the steak is brought to the table if at all busy. The second is about the second tranche which comes quickly on the heels of the first tranche when they're at all busy and without any regard to whether the table is ready for it. Have had a few visits where we ended up with a huge pile of steak or frites or both without any recognition of the issue from the server. I know they're trying to turn tables but maybe a bit more customer focus that that is reasonable?

2. Brunch ("may be better now"): big asterisk here that we've only tried the brunch twice and not in the past 6 weeks so this may have now improved. Again, two things with one more minor than the other. I'm especially interested to hear other more recent brunchers' reactions to these. Minor: the choices struck me as a bit wacky. The first option of a smaller version of dinner with optional egg seems odd since, well, it's brunch and not dinner so should have something included that differentiates it IMO. The third option doesn't include steak and you can't really mop up eggs well with frites. Finally, less minor is about the 2nd option of the MediumRare benedict. This may have changed since I last tried it. They seem to chop up their steak and then grill or skillet cook it to a medium well or more. Why do that? We were asked by the server how we wanted the steak cooked and, when I sent back the overdone meat (relative to what I'd ordered: medium rare), was told they can't do it to order due to the prep method. Uh, okay but then don't ask for preferred temp and maybe even tell customers how it'll be? I suggested then that they consider preparing the steak in the same way as dinner for this dish so it wouldn't be overcooked. Not sure whether they now do that.

3. Outdoor tables ("their right but personally disappointing"): we went earlier this week to try an outdoor table and were surprised to find out they had a no dog policy. I know it's absolutely their right to do that. And I know all the reasons why such a decision would be made. But I have to confess surprise and disappointment just because i) we sometimes bring a well-behaved/calm dog with us to outdoor tables around the city and ii) most places in Cleveland Park (Palena, Sorriso, Cacao, Indique) welcome them so seems a bit at odds with the neighborhood. True that one or two others in CP don't allow them either. Just sad that MR doesn't.

Still like Medium Rare. Will still go. Just wanted to share some less bullish sentiment that'll factor into our visit frequency.

[sacrilicious]

As a vegetarian, I had fairly low expectations for Medium Rare but a meat-eating friend really wanted to check it out. In the end, I liked it more than I expected to.

The bread was very good, and the salad reasonably good. At first I wasn't too thrilled with the fries, which weren't that hot. But they were crispy and, despite being slightly cool, not greasy at all, so I ate the entire 2 servings.

The portobello mushroom alternative isn't going to win any awards, but it wasn't horrible either. I'm pretty sick of restaurants slapping a thick slab of bland fungus on the plate and calling it a vegetarian entree. I liked that it was sliced thinly so I didn't have to saw away at it, and that they attempted to infuse some flavor into it with some kind of balsamic marinade, and a roasted red pepper sauce.

The desserts (apple pie and sundae) were so good though. I loved the fact that menu consisted entirely of simple, classic desserts. I was especially happy to unexpectedly find chocolate crunchies in the ice cream! Loved it. Sadly, my sundae was big enough for 3 and I had already eaten a lot by that time, so I could barely make a dent. I wonder if I could go at an off time and just order the sundae.

The atmosphere is really nice too. We got there around 6:30 pm on Saturday and there was no wait. I like the way they've opened up and brightened the interior. (When it was Yanni's I always preferred to eat outside, even with the Metrobus fumes.) We had very pleasant service from the hostesses and all the servers. The first serving came out maybe a bit too quickly after the salad, but the second serving came out just at the right moment.

The only thing that gave me pause was that my meal was the same prix fixe $19.50. Now I don't know the economics of steak served at large volumes, so maybe the cost of prepping only a few vegetarian entrees works out the same. But given that portobellos are at Safeway this week for $2.50 ... just saying I was a little surprised.

While there's no reason to for me to go back, I would be fine tagging along again if carnivore friends all wanted to go. Which, for such a meat-centric place, is a pretty good endorsement from me.

[Dave Pressley]

The only thing that gave me pause was that my meal was the same prix fixe $19.50. Now I don't know the economics of steak served at large volumes, so maybe the cost of prepping only a few vegetarian entrees works out the same. But given that portobellos are at Safeway this week for $2.50 ... just saying I was a little surprised.

With MR's extremely low and generous price point, I would guess that the $19.50 price is based on the seat...not the food cost percentage. Just sayin'.

[jandres374]

We have been here a handful of times usually with the kids (10 and 7). It's not perfect but we always leave happy and well fed. Our meat has always been served as ordered, bread is warm and fresh, and salad is what it is. The only variable seems to be the fries, sometimes perfect and sometimes lukewarm and not salted. The limited wine list is fine. Our kids love the sundae, which they happily split into to two and we have also enjoyed the apple pie and cheesecake. Service is always friendly and accommodating. We will continue to hit here whenever the kids ask for steak.

Not sure I understand why Sietsema continues to take shots at this place as did again in his chat today.

[Ericandblueboy]

Not sure I understand why Sietsema continues to take shots at this place as did again in his chat today.

From the chat:

If you like sliced meat that may or may not be cooked as you ask for it, only a handful of wines to choose from and a meal that might last no longer than most sit-coms, Medium Rare is the spot for you.

From that sentence, I see 3 reasons. 1. Steak not cooked to requested temperature on a consistent basis. 2. A poor selection of wines. 3. Not a leisurely paced kind of restaurant. But he qualifies it by saying that's why he doesn't like it. If you don't care about those things, then he suggests the place is perfectly suitable for you.

[jandres374]

From that sentence, I see 3 reasons. 1. Steak not cooked to requested temperature on a consistent basis. 2. A poor selection of wines. 3. Not a leisurely paced kind of restaurant. But he qualifies it by saying that's why he doesn't like it. If you don't care about those things, then he suggests the place is perfectly suitable for you.

We have been 5 times now with parties ranging from 4 to 8 people and our steaks have always been served at the ordered temperature, including the second batch. He did not say poor selection of wines but limited. The pace here is no different than Ray's and we have never been rushed out the door even with people waiting for a table.

[DonRocks]

Our kids love the sundae, which they happily split into to two and we have also enjoyed the apple pie and cheesecake.

How is the "grand-mère à la mode" that comes with their tarte aux pommes?

[darkstar965]

From a post I made upthread on July 10th

...3. Outdoor tables ("their right but personally disappointing"): we went earlier this week to try an outdoor table and were surprised to find out they had a no dog policy. I know it's absolutely their right to do that. And I know all the reasons why such a decision would be made. But I have to confess surprise and disappointment just because i) we sometimes bring a well-behaved/calm dog with us to outdoor tables around the city and ii) most places in Cleveland Park (Palena, Sorriso, Cacao, Indique) welcome them so seems a bit at odds with the neighborhood. True that one or two others in CP don't allow them either. Just sad that MR doesn't.

Still like Medium Rare. Will still go. Just wanted to share some less bullish sentiment that'll factor into our visit frequency.

And, a post made by Tom and Mark (in its entirety) from the Cleveland Park Listserv which appeared just yesterday, August 3rd:

We have really enjoyed being a new part of the Cleveland Park neighborhood. We

hope Medium Rare has proven to be a good-value, fun, relaxed, neighborhood

restaurant for you. As the ANC and the City have graciously, recently approved

additional outdoor seating for the restaurant, we now feel that we have

sufficient space to allow our neighborhood dogs and their owners to enjoy our

outside seating together.

We will try to have water out for your dogs when you come by on your walks in

the evening and when you sit down with us. We have designated Monday through

Thursday from 5 – 6:30 as “Yappy Hour”. We will also make sure your dog gets a

treat when you join us on the patio –- maybe even steak/frites flavor.

We will do our best to seat our non-dog lovers away from our furry friends. All

we ask our dog owners is that if your dogs become aggressive or disruptive to

our other guests/dogs, you come back another time -– and also please clean-up

after your dogs in case of accidents. Otherwise, we look forward to meeting

your pets (when it is not too hot).

We hope you are enjoying your summer, and please come by for a visit.

Sincerely,

Tom (Cosmo) and Mark (Duffy and Foster)

The reasonableness of the above is a wonderful thing to read and will be a wonderful thing to experience (for those with and without "furry friends"). Thanks gentlemen. See you soon.

[ol_ironstomach]

Having taken this long to finally drag my butt down there, my $0.02: this is a brilliant concept. They do one thing, and they do it great. There's a minor bit of shock when the main plate arrives and at first you see only a modest portion of sliced steak, but when the second round arrives (and there will be one, as the total quantity appears to be apportioned from the get-go) there's an "a ha!" moment at which the hungry diner is pleased that they're getting seconds, and the not-so-hungry diner is pleased to realize that they've avoided the uncomfortable choice of finishing their plate, or leaving it unfinished, or leaving it unfinished and asking for the leftovers.

We liked the salad just fine, but it has to be said that the bread is unusually good - rustic, crusty, chewy, airy - and better than you'll find at a lot of fancier restaurants. The dining room atmosphere is really far nicer than I had expected, although the brown paper table liners will forever consign it to the "casual" category. Call it a classy sort of casual. I was surprised that it wasn't mobbed at 6:30 on a recent weeknight...at this price point, Red Line commuters should be lined up around the block.

[darkstar965]

... it has to be said that the bread is unusually good - rustic, crusty, chewy, airy - and better than you'll find at a lot of fancier restaurants.

Better than most fancier restaurants agreed. But not better than Citronelle. Same bread. Panorama. Addictive stuff.

[darkstar965]

Has been over a year since the last post on a place packed most nights. So here goes:

Efficiency isn't always a good thing. Generally defined as doing things consistently, quickly, simply and at lowest cost possible, efficiency is overdone when it begins to affect quality of food or experience. That's maybe happening a bit at MediumRare.

To explain...

MediumRare has to be one of the most efficient restaurants in the area. A brilliant formula that likely also produces one of the fatter margins in the business from a food perspective (obviously alcohol is a wholly different deal). The food does remind of Paris though the venue and pace are nothing like the inspiration. Someone a ways upthread likened the pace here to Ray's. Maybe at one point true. No way now the case.

Efficiency is how the only decision for a customer is steak temperature and maybe which wine to drink from the still limited 'it ain't gonna change' list. Efficiency is why the "seconds" sometimes arrive at the table before the first portion is half finished. Efficiency is why, when you order medium well but get very rare, it's taken back, usually with a smile, and replaced in literally less than a minute or two. Tables turn. Staff jog more than walk. Excellent restaurant management software greases all wheels.

Quality is still more consistent than at many restaurants. And, of course, twenty bucks for dinner is a great deal so can't expect perfection like you might at, oh, I don't know, MiniBar maybe? Off topic.

So what's the problem with Medium Rare?

Not really a problem, per se. The formula is clear and, for the most part, it really works.

But....

MediumRare has become so popular that you can almost hear the system groaning as it strains past its limit were it not for music that seems much louder than in its first few months.

Tonight, our server (who perhaps was doing the best she could--have no idea how many tables she had, how new she was, etc.) forgot to bring bread, delivered steak not cooked as ordered (3 times!) and was supported on occasion by colleagues who'd drop something on the table with a clang without breaking stride and not even making eye contact let alone proffering a word or two. I don't even blame them for this. They seemed stressed and a tad overwhelmed.

It's The System. It's Efficient.

The menu is exactly the same as when it opened nearly two years ago. And, to their credit, you can pretty much count on tasty steak, frites, that delicious Panorama bread and perfectly mustardy vinaigrette on the greens most every time there.

Maybe it's management? Brian Zipin left and is now at DGS. Maybe MediumRare could slow down just a bit, focus a tad more on pausing enough to understand an order and even augment/rotate the wines a bit more?

Or, maybe it doesn't matter. They're clearly doing very well. Always busy. Can't please everyone all the time and all that.

Attaining the highest possible profit is about maximizing efficiency while providing 'good enough' quality to ensure big demand. And, while "good enough" is an inherently individual and subjective concept, clearly MediumRare is more than good enough.

I'm a bit saddened to see (and hear) it whirring like an overseas production line in which I feel as if I'm playing the part of the widget.

All said, I'll be back. And I suspect that calculus is well understood by the owners.

[mbucher]

Here's a great example supporting Don's comments up thread . Folks like me , operators , actually engage with this board . We check it daily I check it 10 times a day.. to get feedback like this is invaluable. To see our business through our customers eyes, and unlike customer comment forms (which often exaggerate the negative to enhance probability of receiving a comp", I get great, honest , transparent feedback here. And in turn I provide honest, quick and transparent responses. Nothing from a PR firm, nothing from one of my managers , from me.. Directly. Typos and all. I am grateful and appreciative for the feedback .

[ad.mich]

Here's a great example supporting Don's comments up thread . Folks like me , operators , actually engage with this board . We check it daily I check it 10 times a day.. to get feedback like this is invaluable. To see our business through our customers eyes, and unlike customer comment forms (which often exaggerate the negative to enhance probability of receiving a comp", I get great, honest , transparent feedback here. And in turn I provide honest, quick and transparent responses. Nothing from a PR firm, nothing from one of my managers , from me.. Directly. Typos and all. I am grateful and appreciative for the feedback .

Well if you're listening...

I would second darkstar's post above after my own experience. Efficiency to the point of coldness is off putting. The food was satisfying but the overall experience was lacking. Hard to get mad given the price points, and it is certainly a full meal, but as someone who doesn't live in the neighborhood it's the kind place I won't be back to unless other's insist. At least not for a while.

(on the plus side, my last two trips to BGR have been the best I've ever had there. service and food have really stepped up there.)

[mbucher]

Thx. Heard

[darkstar965]

As the one who wrote the long post just above, I feel obligated to respond here to the three posts that followed.

First and foremost, thank you, Mark. A sincere and profound thanks for two reasons.

1. Your engagement with the board is huge. Selfishly, it enriches donrockwell.com immeasurably to have owner, chef and staff perspective like yours. Often, the regular joe and jane types (like me) don't have the right perspective or context when we comment. And, whether we do or not, knowing more about a place, about an owner, about a cuisine makes it all the more meaningful. It makes those of us--most of us--eager to learn able to be more empathetic. All great things.

2. Also, I really think businesses (not just restaurants) that are truly open to constructive, balanced and substantive feedback do better than those that aren't over the longer term. MediumRare is a huge hit in Cleveland Park and clearly the other parts of the business (BGR) are doing phenomenally well too. Most B2C businesses simply don't have the humility and empathy to listen. You clearly do. I'd guess that partly explains the success.

My long post above wasn't a vent or a grenade. In it, I expressed and meant real admiration for MediumRare, its consistency, its value, and its business model. The food is also really good! Are there things that could be a bit better or different? Sure. And maybe it makes sense to do something about those but maybe it doesn't in some cases. It really is about offering "good enough" quality with maximum efficiency, knowing there will always be some who are disappointed. And, it's extremely tough to do that well in the restaurant business with so many different expectations and so many different challenges.

Congrats on what you're building, Mark. Thank you for doing it and for engaging here. You and your team rock. We'll be back soon.

[mbucher]

The restaurant business is almost a statistically impossible business. Very few succeed long term. I decided In May 2008, when the first BGR opened I would do it differently . a) invest in great people, develop their individual skills to help them succeed far beyond their time working with me. b ) be accessible (I still answer every customer comment myself and personally write a thank you note to anyone who takes the time to proactively give me feedback to make my teams better c) I've never said no to a charity or cause (check my record) I believe a local business has an obligation to controbite to the community that supports its success. D) If other restaurant companies do it , I do the opposite (many claim great software , systems , technology , manuals etc, yet 80% don't make it to their 3rd anniversary . DC's a wonderful foodie/restaurant community, we all root for each others success, we all help each other and we all share.things. This board is the heartbeat of it. Happy Holidays !!!