101 replies to this topic

[sphere777]

PoP reports that the downstairs space is almost ready.. looks pretty minimalist to me- any idea what the concept is going to be? Lots of two-tops and a bar- so I'm guessing it's not the regular Komi experience.

Follow-up from a PoP poster named "anon" claimed that it was a separate concept called Little Saroh or Little Sarah. It is supposedly having a "very soft opening" and allegedly has a Thai prie-fixe menu of $45 for walk-ins only.

Rob

[chaofun]

PoP reports that the downstairs space is almost ready.. looks pretty minimalist to me- any idea what the concept is going to be? Lots of two-tops and a bar- so I'm guessing it's not the regular Komi experience.

Looks like it will be a Northern Thai restaurant. From Metrocurean

[sphere777]

According to UrbanDaddy, the name of the place is Little Serow and it will be probably opening tomorrow night. They also claim their Thai prix-fixe meal will be seven courses for $45. However, these folks burned me before on Fiola IIRC so take their word for what it's worth.

Rob

[Fishinnards]

Northeastern Thai (isaan) food is furiously hot and uses pickled fresh water fish instead of regular fish sauce (Pla rah, which even some central Thai's find too pungent). They also eat sticky rice instead of jasmine rice, which needs to be eaten with your hands (just your right hand, actually). He'll probably have to make some serious concessions to the local palate. A really cool idea though. I'm kind of excited. Isaan food is good country food, maybe closer to Laotian food than the central Thai food most people are familiar with.

[Joe H]

Representative photographs of Isaan food - I am getting very hungry...

[Tweaked]

Opening week's menu...

Week of November 8, 2011

nam phrik num
eggplant / crispy pork / herbs

tam mak taeng
cucumbers / bla rah / dried shrimp

laap pla duk
catfish / shallots / chiles

yaam het pet
mushroom / cured egg / lime

sai oua
pork sausage / kaffir / basil

jin tup
beef / charred & hammered

khanom paak khah
radish cake / fermented cabbage / egg

$45

[Fishinnards]

Opening week's menu...

Week of November 8, 2011

nam phrik num
eggplant / crispy pork / herbs

tam mak taeng
cucumbers / bla rah / dried shrimp

laap pla duk
catfish / shallots / chiles

yaam het pet
mushroom / cured egg / lime

sai oua
pork sausage / kaffir / basil

jin tup
beef / charred & hammered

khanom paak khah
radish cake / fermented cabbage / egg

$45

This looks to be northern Thai food, which is different from Northeast Thai (Isaan) food. That makes more sense to me. This is the type of food Andy Ricker has been doing successfully (much less spicy, a lot of pork, Burmese influence, great stuff). But the metro curean article said "Monis will prepare family-style menus of Isaan cuisine from Northeastern Thailand" and "Isaan food has a flavor profile that I love eating on our days off and have been cooking for our staff family meal and behind the scenes for the last few years. Traveling through northern Thailand with Anne (my wife and the other half of Komi) furthered solidified the fact that we wanted to do this." Isaan is northeast Thailand. Northern Thailand is considered a separate cultural (and culinary) region. I am confused by his quote of wanting to make Northeast Thai food (and specifically saying Isaan food) and presenting a menu of Northern Thai food.

[DonRocks]

This looks to be northern Thai food, which is different from Northeast Thai (Isaan) food. That makes more sense to me. This is the type of food Andy Ricker has been doing successfully (much less spicy, a lot of pork, Burmese influence, great stuff). But the metro curean article said "Monis will prepare family-style menus of Isaan cuisine from Northeastern Thailand" and "Isaan food has a flavor profile that I love eating on our days off and have been cooking for our staff family meal and behind the scenes for the last few years. Traveling through northern Thailand with Anne (my wife and the other half of Komi) furthered solidified the fact that we wanted to do this." Isaan is northeast Thailand. Northern Thailand is considered a separate cultural (and culinary) region. I am confused by his quote of wanting to make Northeast Thai food (and specifically saying Isaan food) and presenting a menu of Northern Thai food.

May I just say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE this website and our members who comprise it?

[jparrott]

Guys, it's good. It's really, really good.

Jill Tyler (ex-Proof, amongst other places) and Kat Bangs (sommeliere sensational) worked the floor and dispensed all manner of useful potables, along with Johnny's wife Anne and a couple other folks. The food comes quickly, and you'll have multiple dishes in front of you at a time, able to mix and match (the puddle of dressing on the cucumber salad is an excellent dipping sauce for the laab and the sausage, for example).

If you touch your utensils, you're doing it wrong. Use the herbs, use the sticky rice, use your fingers. They have plenty of napkins for you.

Not cheap, but good value given the precision of the cooking and the well-curated selection of beverages.

Also NB that there is a counter (10 seats? 8 seats? I forgot to count), so it is single-diner friendly.

[Tweaked]

This looks to be northern Thai food, which is different from Northeast Thai (Isaan) food. That makes more sense to me. This is the type of food Andy Ricker has been doing successfully (much less spicy, a lot of pork, Burmese influence, great stuff). But the metro curean article said "Monis will prepare family-style menus of Isaan cuisine from Northeastern Thailand" and "Isaan food has a flavor profile that I love eating on our days off and have been cooking for our staff family meal and behind the scenes for the last few years. Traveling through northern Thailand with Anne (my wife and the other half of Komi) furthered solidified the fact that we wanted to do this." Isaan is northeast Thailand. Northern Thailand is considered a separate cultural (and culinary) region. I am confused by his quote of wanting to make Northeast Thai food (and specifically saying Isaan food) and presenting a menu of Northern Thai food.

and speaking of Andy Ricker, the NY Times has a profile piece on him eating around Chiang Mai...they even discuss some of the dishes featured on Little Serow's opening menu (sai oua and jin tup). Also has a brief discussion on the difference between Northern Thai and Issan cuisine.

[mdt]

Northern Thai or Isaan? I have no idea, but what I ate was damn good. Each dish is packed with layers of flavor and I wanted more. The highlights for me were the tam mak taeng (cucumber salad), sai oua (pork sausage), and the jin tup (beef). And Jake is right about the dressing from the cucumber salad.

Now I need to get me some of that sparkling falanghina they are serving.

[thetrain]

Based on what I ate I'd say its both Northern Thai and Issan - started with a lot of sour and spice and the last two-three courses mellowed into sweet, less spicy Burmese influenced dishes. Everything was excellent, but the highlights were the mushroom salad, the crispy rice/peanut/lime dish that was like a refreshing pad thai (tons of lime and chili), and the hammered beef. Drinks are very reasonable given the prixe fix price - $5 for beer, $40-42 for bottle of wine (really interesting selection - including a Rose Chinon)/$10-12 per glass (very big by the glass selection) and $4 small pours of Belgian/Imperial IPAs. Atmosphere-wise it skews young, minimalist farmhouse design and everyone appeared to be in their 20s-30s.

Any guy with a crush on Zooey Daschel will love the service....and if you don't have a crush the service is still great, attentive and casual.

Overall, this is Komi's cool little sibling - trendier and cheaper than Komi but with the same attention to detail.

[DonRocks]

Any guy with a crush on Zooey Daschel will love the service....and if you don't have a crush the service is still great, attentive and casual.

Sounds like Kat was working.

[thetrain]

Sounds like Kat was working.

Ha! Yes. The all-female service staff had the hipster look down pat.

[marketfan]

Week of November 15, 2011

jeow dtap bpet
crispy pork / duck liver / shrimp paste

yaam het pet
mushroom / cured egg / lime

laap pla duk
catfish / shallots / chiles

khao tod
fermented cabbage / lime leaf / peanuts

sai oua
pork sausage / kaffir / basil

jin tup
beef / charred & hammered

kaeng hung lay
pork rib / tamarind / ginger

$45

As you can see, the menu has changed a bit from last week and it will continue to change every week. Jill told me that they will have one or two new dishes every week. I had dinner there alone at the bar tonight and I can testify that it is a pleasant place to be a solo diner. And the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I was so enchanted by the dishes that I did not even want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to sit there, slowly eating and marveling at the complexity of the many layers of flavor.--and textures. And the length of those flavors.

They make all their own spice pastes and sauces including the fish sauce. I think I have been ruined for any local Thai restaurant I know.

The hammered beef is made with a Texan Wagyu beef. The new pork rib is so flavorful and tender that I munched the bone right down to nothing. Some of it is spicy but the side platter of cooling cabbage, cucumber, eggplant, cabbage and lettuce provided good interludes as did making little balls of sticky rice. Definitely eat with your (right) fingers food. I liked it all and right now I don't have any favorites but the rice salad pad- like dish was the most interesting interplay of textures and flavors ---perhaps. On the other hand, I am still thinking about the pork sausage made with kaffir leaf, each slice you eat with a leaf of Thai basil.
Very exciting food.

[SSK]

Not being experts on either northern Thai or Issan, my husband and I really, really enjoyed our first meal here two weekends ago--cooking style was very reminiscent of a marathon cooking lesson we had in Chiang Mai some years back (11 dishes over an eight-hour day). The mushrooms were his favorite, it was a toss up between the beef and the pork rib for me. Service was very friendly and down-to-earth. Unlike other places where we might go on rare occasions for a set meal, this could very well become a regular on our rotation.

[anhdeluxe]

I really enjoyed the hammered beef and was happy to see the shrimp paste and duck liver! That's a starter that is pretty polarizing - either you love it or hate it! The pork rinds were much more fun to dip into everything than the sticky rice, which seemed a bit mushy. I loved the side salad of cabbage and herbs - fresh and crisp and fun to roll up little bundles of food in. Service was great - casual and smart but attentive. My friend and I were lucky to snag a spot at the big bar/table in the middle at 6:30 on a Tuesday night - everyone else after us had to wait a bit...

[qwertyy]

Does anyone know if they offer a vegetarian option? (Not for me--for a teetotaling, meat-eschewing [but otherwise awesome] friend.)

[leleboo]

Does anyone know if they offer a vegetarian option? (Not for me--for a teetotaling, meat-eschewing [but otherwise awesome] friend.)

The info page online says:

"Little Serow serves an Isaan-style family meal for $45 per person. Each week’s menu will be posted online Monday.

Unfortunately, no menu substitutions are possible. Menu items may include nuts and shellfish, even when not listed."

That makes me think they can't accommodate a vegetarian, even by bringing just the vegetarian options. Still, you could ask specifically; when I was there, I overheard a couple asking a cilantro issue, so maybe they could at least tell you which of the dishes are truly vege/pescatarian.

[qwertyy]

Thanks! I didn't realize they had a website.

But double drat. Now I need to find someone else to take AND find another place for dinner tonight...

[leleboo]

How crowded is this place during weekdays? Can we get a table at 6 p.m. for 2 without waiting?

I think it really depends. I was there on a Friday and was actually waiting outside before the doors opened, as were about 6-8 other people. My +1 didn't get there til about 5:45 or 5:50, and we were one of the last groups seated before it was full (I think one other two-top and a four-top got seated after us). However, anhdeluxe mentions getting the last few seats at 6:30 on a Tuesday ... so I think it's very much luck-of-the-draw.

[JoshW0615]

How crowded is this place during weekdays? Can we get a table at 6 p.m. for 2 without waiting?

I went last night for the first time. We arrived around 7:15 without a wait, and when we left around 8:30 there were still about 4 spots open at the counter.

[Ericandblueboy]

Went there prior to 6, had no problem getting a table. Even around 7:30, I saw 2 counter seats available. The food is pretty interesting, and generally pretty good. Our 3 hot dishes were sausage, meatball, and ribs. I think they were all pork products. Would've liked different proteins. Some of the dishes were pretty hot. Since their opening, I think their menu has offered lots of variety. That would definitely bring me back. Does anyone know if they have a limit on table size?

[astrid]

Very happy with my meal here last night, probably happier than after my meal at Komi almost exactly two years before. Superb quality of ingredients and a lot of care in preparing the ingredients. The whole place felt very ethereal, like something out of a TV writer's fevered dream, just a wonderful atmosphere all around. My favorites of the night were the eggplant, the shrimp and clam salad, and the ribs.

[apatel]

I had a fantastic meal at Little Serow a few nights ago. Every dish was beautifully executed and perfectly seasoned. The service was good, not great. The waitress was really friendly and informative, but we had to flag someone down continuously for water or drink refills, which was a bit irritating. Other than that though, I'm counting the weeks before I can revisit the place. I'll probably wait until closer to spring in hopes that the menu will significantly change with the season. Looking forward to seeing how the menu evolves over time.

[Ericandblueboy]

Does anyone know if they have a limit on table size?

Forgot that I had posed this question and since no one responded, I sent a note to Little Serow and received the following reply:

For the time being, the largest group we're able to seat is four (though we're hoping to add a table for six in the first part of the year).

They do have a bar but I forget exactly how many seats were at the bar.

[Simon]

Ha! Yes. The all-female service staff had the hipster look down pat.

But not the attitude. The service was endearingly friendly (cf. Zooey Deschanel and the MPDG).

I do have to say I was somewhat underwhelmed by the overall experience. While I enjoyed most of the dishes and thought the quality of ingredients good and the kitchen well-drilled, there wasn't a single dish that had me dying to come back. Slight (and I mean slight) imbalances of flavor in some of the dishes prevented them, for me at least, from fully satisfying; these appeared to be issues of conception rather than execution.

I did enjoy the atmosphere, except for the aggressively loud soundtrack (though understand the rationale for it).

My one suggestion: I'd like to see the kitchen really showcase seafood in one of the courses, instead of using it just in preparations like the catfish or the shrimp toast.

[foodobsessed6]

My experience at Little Serow was fantastic. A couple of the courses we had were standouts, specifically the meat courses -

sai oua
pork sausage / kaffir / basil
neua grapao
Wagyu brisket / duck egg / basil
si krong muu
pork ribs / Mekhong whiskey / crispy garlic

The wait staff was fully engaged with our table and enjoyed the fact that we were being so expressive about the food. I also think it was a great value at $45. I will happily go back - and hope to do so very soon.

[Rhone1998]

I started writing a review of our Thursday night meal at Little Serow and then realized it was going to be nearly verbatim what foodobsessed6 wrote just above. Our meal was fantastic as well, particularly the meat (or should I say, the meatier) dishes. I wasn't a huge fan of the Laap Pla Duk (a crispy catfish salad--I honestly couldn't taste the catfish, though the accompanying flavors we're great, intense combinations of herb, spice, and sour that you see in a lot of dishes here) or the shrimp toast, but the pork sausage, the brisket, and the ribs were all amazing. I think my favorite was the sausage, just wonderfully juicy and meaty and intensely spiced (and by the way, this is seriously spiced and often spicy food...not the place to bring timid eaters).

Two other things to mention. First, the wine and beer list, though not extensive, is pretty interesting. I loved the Stillwater Celar Door Saison (one of several beers available in 4 oz tastes) and thought it went very well with the spicyness of the food. Second, by a wide margin, the staff at Little Serow is the most wildly enthusiastic and, can I say, happiest that I've ever seen at a restaurant. You get the sense that they are passionate about their project, and they really made our evening enjoyable. Can't wait to go back.

[mdt]

Wow, a 3-star review in the Post and no comments? http://www.washingto...tic-review.html

BTW, that chicken is damn good!

[Waitman]

Wow, a 3-star review in the Post and no comments? http://www.washingto...tic-review.html

BTW, that chicken is damn good!

I think Mrs. B, myself and two friends were probably literally the last four people not to have to go through a lengthy and painful wait to get into Little Serow, showing up at precisely 5:30 the evening before the print version of the review hit sidewalks and newsstands and getting the last of the three fourtops available

I will leave to others the detailed analysis of flavor balance, authenticity and such stuff, and focus instead on how much I enjoyed the all-country soundtrack and the all hot (if a little chatty, at times) chick floor staff. And note that, even in and era of high-style,stripped-down decor, there might have have been something that could have been done to make the room look like a friend's unfinished basement after being painted by his bike-courier/stoner older brother.

OK, a little more. In my moderately informed opinion, I thought the dinner was well worth $45, if not the three hour wait that will now become inevitable. The tofu salad was a fine and well-textured dish, I quite enjoyed the shrimp toast despite a definitely downscale feel to it -- oily, crunchy, scrumptious. The (braised? it had texture similar to pulled pork) duck with holy basil and raw duck egg was the standout dish for me, gooey and multi-leveled in taste. Because we were with a local celebrity, we got hold of a spice-roasted baby chicken which was tasty but not overwhelming, and a papaya salad ("the hamburger and french fries of Thailand") which proved a refreshing diversion. I thought the story behind the ribs (there is a story behind everything, that chatty stuff I mentioned) about the Mekhong whiskey and the long preparation was more interesting then the ribs, which were nonetheless pretty good in a generically Thai sort of way. Falling off the bone and all that.

I found the spicing to be a little tame, not that there's any value in fire for the sake of fire, just that if you're looking to get your brains blown out, this isn't likely the place. And, one downside was that the flavor palette with which Johnny paints is a little limited. A seven course meal doesn't offer the variety of spices and combinations that seven courses elsewhere would offer -- it's more variations on a theme. And, it's not a place to linger -- the courses come quickly and the guilt would be overwhelming if you tried to camp.

Nonetheless I quite enjoyed the meal, it does raise the bar for quality and care -- if not always for exuberance -- in the local Thai restaurant scene, and there is much to be said for a moderately priced, high-quality bistro of any type.

Get there early.

[DaRiv18]

Some practical notes:

Last night, I arrived solo at 5:29pm to stand briefly in line. I asked the hostess about how long the meal would last -- it certainly isn't a 3 hour thing like KOMI, right? She assured me it was more like a 90 minute jaunt, and that was right on target.

Obviously it is impossible to order poorly here -- all the food I had was excellent. But I did manage to eat poorly here. One might wonder what eating "family style" as a solo diner means. Around course #3, I realized it just means that the dishes come as soon as the kitchen plates them (which is actually how I like it).

Unfortunately, at first I tried to eat at a pace to finish before the next course arrived. This is a bad strategy, because around course #4 I began to notice that the portions seemed moderately larger for the solo diner, compared to those for the couple next to me. I've checked with Rocks and he agrees. I ended up heavily grazing courses #2-5 in front of me for a while, but by the time I was 90% done with these plates, I was pretty stuffed and ready to really slow down.

But no. Course # 6 arrives, a killer ped grapao (duck ragu noodle dish with a fried duck egg on top). First tastes blew me away, but I could only try 2 bites at that point, as it was a heavy, rich, involved affair. And then the whiskey ribs arrive! Impossible. I inhaled the dill aroma, sampled a minuscule bite of the deliciousness, and then boxed up three of my remaining dishes.

Trust me, I am not complaining about having leftovers, but I absolutely will reallocate my intakes next time, because I imagine the kitchen wants me to substantially experience all of the dishes while I'm actually in the restaurant.

Now, if you plan to dine solo, please use my testimony and go enjoy some of the most memoriable/enjoyable foods I've had in awhile. I hope this helps. Great food and value.

[sunshine]

Being big fans of the original Komi which was more of a homey, casual neighborhood joint with great vision, delicious food and quirky character, and watching its transformation into one of the best fine dining spots in D.C., we are thrilled to see some of that original vision and unique character shining through at Little Serow. Little Serow's Thai dishes knocked our socks off. Perfect family-style portions for 4 hungry adults. Frequently filled water cups, sticky rice served and refilled in cute little woven baskets, and a selection of raw vegetables (cabbage,lettuce, endive, daikon, lime radish, thai eggplant) and herbs (thai basil, purple basil) to both scoop and wrap courses, but also to soothe the taste buds from the at times incendiary heat from the dishes. The meal seemed deliberately designed to take our taste buds on a wild ride of crescendoing spice and flavors, then bringing us down gradually to a rich and mellow finish. Started with pork rinds and plantains with a duck liver dipping sauce, then the Northern style green curry with a strong dill component and shrimp (the curry was so good by itself that we slurped it like soup without rice), two kinds of spicy salads (a green papaya salad with tomatoes, green grapes, baby dried shrimp and the crispy catfish salad-both with several kinds of chiles that set our tongues afire and caused perspiration), followed by a rice noodle dish with ground duck ragu and fried duck egg, and then last but not least, tender, falling-off-the-bones pork ribs with Mekong whiskey, palm sugar and herbs. For dessert, we were served little bites of not too sweet sticky rice with coconut cream and sesame seeds. The waitstaff were very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, giving suggestions for how to eat/enjoy the dishes and even recommending an awesome hard apple and cherry cider to go with the salad course (the spiciest items) to offset the heat and complement the flavors. It was a fun, fantastic meal, and a good deal for the number and variety of dishes served. We enjoyed the overall vibe and experience as well -- the rock-country-folk soundtrack, lime green walls with intimate lighting and seating, and a view of the open kitchen in a simple spartan basement space. There was a line down the block before the restaurant opened at 5:30, but by the time we left between 7-7:30, there was no line and a few open seats.

[RWBooneJr.]

I found the spicing to be a little tame, not that there's any value in fire for the sake of fire, just that if you're looking to get your brains blown out, this isn't likely the place.

You should try the Laotian menu at Bangkok Golden. Hottest damned food I can recall eating (and liking), with the possible exception of the vidaloo at Haandi.

[DanielK]

Anyone know what the waits are on a weeknight (post-review) if you *don't* get there right at 5:30? Want to go next week, but arriving at 6:30-7 is far more likely.

[jparrott]

Anyone know what the waits are on a weeknight (post-review) if you *don't* get there right at 5:30? Want to go next week, but arriving at 6:30-7 is far more likely.

Last Tuesday, all the 4-tops were taken by 6. I didn't see a ton of folks coming in, so (on Tuesday) you might get in second seating if you got there by 6:30. YMMV.

[DanielK]

I'm just looking for a 2-top, so might be easier still. Thanks.

[jparrott]

I'm just looking for a 2-top, so might be easier still. Thanks.

Might.

[DanielK]

Decided to take advantage of everyone fleeing the city because of a few snowflakes, and gave it a run tonight. Arriving at 6:20, we were told a 60-minute wait, and it landed up only being about 35 minutes. Note that this is unusual - the hostess confirmed that if you aren't there by 5:20, the average wait, on a weeknight, approaches 2 hours right now.

nam prik makheua (eggplant/green banana/shrimp paste) - nice start to the meal. An eggplant and shrimp paste dip, with fried green banana chips and pork rinds. mmmm pork rinds. Can't go wrong with fried pork.

ma hor (catfish/dried shrimp/palm sugar) - this dish is all about the crunch, and the deep flavor of the seafood without being the least bit fishy. Not a drop left on the plate.

om gapi baan (shrimp/green curry/no coconut) - here's where the heat started to build. Several gorgeous giant shrimp in a green curry with NO COCONUT as the waitress made a point of reinforcing. Tried to get all of the sauce out of the bowl with sticky rice, failed, and used the spoon. Just pretend it's soup...

gai thiang kheun (chicken/sawtooth/shallots) - omg hot hot hot. I love spicy food, and eat a fair amount of Sichuan, and this was pretty up there as far as spice levels goes. However, there's so much crack in this dish I also couldn't stop eating it. Just like larb except it's nothing like larb. Lettuce to wrap it works well; cabbage is a surprisingly good mouth cooler.

nam tok tow hu (tofu/mint/rice powder) - Tofu, mint, rice powder - this dish should cool you off from the chicken, right? Forget what I said about the last dish holy f*ck is this dish hot. I'm nearly crying as I lick the last of the rice powder from the bottom of the bowl, after eating the best fried tofu I've ever had.

ped grapao (duck/duck egg/basil) - Finally the heat begins to recede. A beautifully barely cooked duck egg on top of noodles and ground duck - this is Thai Duck Bolognese Ragu.

si krong muu (pork ribs/Mekhong whiskey/dill) - Richness of this dish cuts away the last of the lingering heat, as our mouths return to normal. I could eat twenty of these, except I was stuffed two courses ago and barely make it through these braised beauties.

A final gratis bite of coconut cream sticky rice was the perfect end to this meal.

I think beer is the way to go, but skip the awful Thai lager they have on the menu. The pilsener works well with the first 3 courses, the IPA cuts the heat of the two spicy dishes, and the smoked porter is a perfect foil for the richer ending plates.

Get there at 5:15, but go soon because the crowds are only getting worse and the price I'm sure will rise quickly.

[TheMatt]

I'm beginning to think I try to go here this weekend (or next week). Mmm. Which doorway should one wait at? It's been awhile since I've been near Komi, so I'd hate to wait at the wrong door. Or have they labeled the door now?

[DanielK]

Still unlabeled. Down and to the left of Komi's front door.

[DMVDining2]

We went last week on a Wednesday. Got there around 6 and was able to get a table for four around 7:45. The ped grapao with fried duck egg was probably my favorite course, but I really enjoyed everything outside of the om gapi baan (shrimp curry soup). It was just too strong for my taste buds, but other than that, it was well worth the money spent. I love the minimalist atmosphere as well as the friendly, welcoming staff. It doesn't even feel like you're in DC when you step inside. Will hopefully write a post about it soon, but with no pics, it's not nearly as fun. Bottom line, I'd definitely go back.

[The Doctor]

with no pics, it's not nearly as fun.

Do they forbid photography as they do at Komi?

[DMVDining2]

Do they forbid photography as they do at Komi?

That is correct.

[goodeats]

Do they forbid photography as they do at Komi?

Plenty of rule breakers then. Cf. yelp site

[Mark Slater]

Last night's late dinner couldn't have been more fun. New flavors and textures. Incredibly savory food with lots of soul. The fried chicken was rock n roll on the plate. A couple of bottles of Gruner Veltliner quenched the fire. Super warm and friendly service from Amy and crew. It was great to see Ann and Johnny having so much fun.

[DiningInFrederick]

A couple of bottles of Gruner Veltliner quenched the fire.

Mark, which ones did you pick? I'm very wine ignorant and the last Gruner Veltliner I had was a bottle I got at Chevy Chase Liquors on their recommendation for pairing with my home-cooked Thai food and it was just too damn sweet. I do know barely enough to realize that the sweetness is meant to cut the heat (thank you The Splendid Table), but this was too much like juice with a little alcohol. Sorry, can't remember the producer. I really just want to know what you chose anyway

Pax,
Brian

[Mark Slater]

Mark, which ones did you pick? I'm very wine ignorant and the last Gruner Veltliner I had was a bottle I got at Chevy Chase Liquors on their recommendation for pairing with my home-cooked Thai food and it was just too damn sweet. I do know barely enough to realize that the sweetness is meant to cut the heat (thank you The Splendid Table), but this was too much like juice with a little alcohol. Sorry, can't remember the producer. I really just want to know what you chose anyway
Pax
Brian

Brian, it was 2 bottles of the GV they are serving by the glass. Nice and dry with good acidity and fruit.

[giant shrimp]

Brian, it was 2 bottles of the GV they are serving by the glass. Nice and dry with good acidity and fruit.

There is a really good half bottle ($34) of gruner veltliner worth trying; i should have written it down, but i am sure the restaurant would be happy to tell you. gobelsburger is good, too, and i have seen it recently at tenleytown whole foods; it's also at the cork store, along with a higher-priced reserve version. haven't encountered problematic sweetness in any of these three

[Deac]

Hello, there. First time poster, long time reader. I'm interested in heading there tonight to do it solo since my girlfriend lives in Fredericksburg and we'll celebrate Valentine's this weekend. Since my office is practically across the street, I can go reasonably early. A couple of questions: are they doing the normal menu for tonight? how hard will it be for a solo diner if they show up before 5:30? If there's a wait, I don't mind going back to my office to do so.