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Rose's Luxury, Chef Aaron Silverman's Modern-American Phenomenon on 8th and G Street in Barracks Row


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I went last night as part of a group of five and absolutely loved it. We ordered the entire menu (well, with the exception of dessert, where we only ordered one of the two options), and while some things were certainly better than others, we enjoyed everything that came out. Pro tip, despite our waiter's belief in our eating prowess, the entire menu is probably slightly more food than a party of five should order.

A few thoughts:

  • The space looks great, and is much bigger than I was expecting from walking by. Because of this, and the way they have the tables laid out, I don't think anyone is going to feel overly crowded. The table that we had, at the far back of the restaurant, near one of the many bars that pop up throughout, was fantastic, and allowed us to carry on conversations at a very normal level. 
  • I love the bar space upstairs, where apparently you can order the entire menu. I was the last in my party to arrive, so I didn't have the opportunity to try any of the cocktails, but the menu read great.
  • Service was very good throughout. Our waiter read our table well, and was a good blend of informal, yet professional. Water was refilled promptly, plates were cleared when they were completed, and the service never felt intrusive. And good descriptions on all of the dishes when they came out. Job well done in my opinion.
  • We ordered everything on the menu, which was twelve "small plates" and two "family style." This worked well for order, because the kitchen sent things out as they felt they made sense, and made for a more cohesive meal than most tapas-style small plates experiences I've had recently.
  • The lychee salad with pork sausage and habanero was fantastic. Other highlights, for me, were the burnt romaine salad (surprisingly, I don't typically like cooked romaine salads), the fennel gnocchi, the cacio e pepe, the fried eggplant and the caramelized cauliflower.
  • The weakest dish was the shrimp and grits (namely the texture of the rice grits, the shrimp were delicious).
  • Both family style dishes, Southern Style Chicken and Smoked Brisket, were absolutely fantastic. Really delicious fried chicken. 
  • The wine list is extremely small (or perhaps focused?).

Anyhow, that's all I've got. We had a great experience, and we all left wanting to make it back as quickly as possible.  On a Monday night we had no trouble getting seated, but I could see this turning into a bit of a wait for a table given their no reservations policy.

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We tried Rose's tonight and really enjoyed it.  The space is gorgeous.  The service terrific.  The food is difficult to shoe-horn into a single cuisine but, to varying degrees, it was interesting and very good.  Some of my favorites were oysters with a dark and stormy granita; a vegetarian sausage with lychee and habenero (also had coconut foam and thai basil i think --  great thai flavors); popcorn soup (really tastes like pureed movie popcorn, put into an isi, with lobster); and spaghetti with strawberry and ricotta (great use of onion in it -- really worked).  I also liked the caramelized cauliflower, eggplant, and shrimp with rice grits.  Had two cocktails that were good.  

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We also stopped by last night and had a great experience. I concur the space it really lovely and unique and the service was spot on. We had the fried eggplant and the strawberry ricotta pasta from the "small plates" section and shared the fried chicken with fixins' from the "Family Style" section. All were very very good with just a bit of a surprise/twist on what you would traditionally expect. This was actually our second visit. We stopped by opening weekend and had a snack at the bar (popcorn soup and lychee salad - also unique and very tasty). Overall, we've loved our experiences and were delighted to see it pretty busy on a Monday night. They indicated the menu would be changing up soon and we noticed at least one new item added this go round, which is a smart thing with such a small menu. Great addition to the otherwise largely uninspiring fare on 8th.

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We went on Saturday night, and was able to get a table upstairs without a wait! We immediately fell in love with the place not only because of the cozy, unpretentious atmosphere, but also because each and every dish was great if not stellar. That popcorn soup was delicious and creative while both pasta dishes (Cacio e Pepe and the strawberry pasta) were fantastic. Oh, and the brisket was insanely tender - a knife was not necessary.

I'm just astonished how flawless everything was given that it only opened less than a month ago. They had everything down like clockwork - very knowledgeable, personable waitstaff, timing of dishes out of the kitchen, etc. This place is a true gem in the District. I wrote about it more on our blog if you want to check it out.

http://www.dmvdining.com/2013/10/roses-luxury-is-an-instant-classic/

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I went to Rose's Luxury last night for the first time.

Definitely echo all the positive comments above - great food and great ambience. Hard pressed to think of a better place on the Hill.

As mentioned above, the family style brisket, the pork lychee salad, the popcorn soup, and the cacio e pepe are all very good.

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I went to Rose's Luxury last night for the first time.

Definitely echo all the positive comments above - great food and great ambience. Hard pressed to think of a better place on the Hill.

As mentioned above, the family style brisket, the pork lychee salad, the popcorn soup, and the cacio e pepe are all very good.

You know what's amazing to me? This place is getting rave reviews across the board, but some of the items (strawberry pasta, for example) sound kinda nasty. It's all in the execution, I guess, and Aaron is a very talented cook.

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You know what's amazing to me? This place is getting rave reviews across the board, but some of the items (strawberry pasta, for example) sound kinda nasty. It's all in the execution, I guess, and Aaron is a very talented cook.

I was also skeptical about strawberry pasta.  I was surprised that it actually worked, and I enjoyed it.  The Chef's Counter is great for watching the kitchen in action and solo-diner friendly.

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I ate here for the first time tonight and loved it. I was preparing a detailed review but then accidentally deleted my comments in this rather unforgiving interface after a few paragraphs. Perhaps that is for the best. Go. Go and eat there. Get in line early. It is excellent.

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I ate here for the first time tonight and loved it. I was preparing a detailed review but then accidentally deleted my comments in this rather unforgiving interface after a few paragraphs. Perhaps that is for the best. Go. Go and eat there. Get in line early. It is excellent.

I don't know how long it stores text, but the current version of the software autosaves typing after a fairly brief interval.  If you start typing in the reply box here again, your old message (or part of it) may pop up.

As a test, I wrote that text above, then deleted it and left the thread.  I came back, quoted your post again, and a "View Auto Saved Content" option came up below the bottom left of the screen.  Clicking that opened a window with my previous partial post and a "restore content" button that put everything back as it was.

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I ate here for the first time tonight and loved it. I was preparing a detailed review but then accidentally deleted my comments in this rather unforgiving interface after a few paragraphs. Perhaps that is for the best. Go. Go and eat there. Get in line early. It is excellent.

[There's an auto-save feature! If this happens, come in anew, and you'll be prompted (in the lower-left corner) to view your auto-saved text. If you type longer than one minute or so, you'll see on the bottom-left a message that says "Last auto saved: 1:47:01 PM EST," for example. Man, I'm sorry this happened.

ETA: Oops, sorry, Pat!]

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My meal at Rose's Luxury was one of the best ones I've had in quite a while. I showed up right at opening to go sit at the back bar with Bobbi, who I knew from Liberty Tavern. I also got to say hi to my friends Elizabeth (who is a server there) and Dave (one of the cooks, formerly of the Passenger).

I wasn't certain about it but decided to start with the pork sausage, habanero, and lychee salad. When it came I dubbed it the "anti-social salad" because I would've stabbed anybody who interrupted me from eating it. I've put a lot of things in my mouth this year but this may have been the single best thing of the year, I kid you not.

Bobbi sent me a single Malpeque oyster with dark and stormy granita. I'd had that at their pop-up at Hogo but it was better here - much better taste and "pop" to the granita.

Next I had the smoked peach baby back ribs. Since whenever I usually have ribs they are dry-rubbed I'm always surprised if they are sauced. Still, these were very tasty, just the right level of tenderness. Despite being better than so many other dishes I've had recently, they were the lowest point of the menu that night (which is like saying I got all A+s on my report card except for one A).

Finally, I had the pickle-brined fried chicken, honey, benne seed. Holy crap. That was some beautiful, delicious chicken, especially with a dash of Crystal hot sauce.

I accompanied these with a couple of their cocktails including an experimental one that all came out very delicious, and washed down the fried chicken with what I felt was appropriate - a High Life.

Seriously folks, get there. Eat well. Go with friends so you can order more stuff but don't let them steal your lychee salad.

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Three of us went to Rose's Luxury last night and we loved it: playful and very precise cooking in a vibrant, charming but not twee atmosphere.  We arrived at 6:30 and left at 10:15 and ate a good part of the menu. From the whipped butter- buttermilk spread sprinkled with grated baked potato skin (great idea) to the  tender Jewish-Texas brisket, we enjoyed this meal!    The popcorn soup had nice chunks of lobster and made me think of Maine Lobster boils with corn on the cob, both slathered in sweet butter.  Yes, it may be a tad sweet but it was something I could not quite imagine working and it does.  Using popcorn like this is a bit like José Andres' recommending potato chips to make a classic Spanish tortilla..   The grilled romaine with poblano and avocado was brilliant.  Never thought of cooking romaine for a Mexican dish -- we are all used to it chopped raw for tacos.   The breadcrumbs work so well on the gnocchi ravioli. We really loved and appreciated these mixes of classic touches with reinterpretations.      The only dish that did not excite us was the octopus: while the  octopus has an interesting ink and burnt lemon sauce, it was a not in itself an exciting protein.  (And it can be).   A slight hitch in service -- a second order of the oysters with dark and stormy granita arrived 2 hours  after we ordered it --at the end of the meal and right after the brisket. Although the server explains that dishes come out in the order the kitchen wants to send it, that was clearly a mistake.  A small hitch in a great meal.  I wish all the new restaurants opening up had this kind of personal vision and level of  cooking.

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I'm glad others have chimed in here with their experiences after my abortive post. Their comments are very much what I would also have written. It's only very rarely that my wife and I continue to think about and discuss a dinner we had three days ago, but Rose's is one of those rare occasions. Easily the best meal out--in all respects, from food to service to atmosphere--that we have had anywhere in a long time, including the Ashby Inn (which might be surprising) and Montmartre (which is less so).

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Anyone have any idea what wait time is approximately like on a Friday night?  Would like to go, but want to be able to get in...

We went on a Saturday (the 26th) and arrived a few minutes before opening at 5:30 to find a line of about a dozen people. That was not enough to fill the place, but it did seem to fill up within the hour.

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Anyone have any idea what wait time is approximately like on a Friday night?  Would like to go, but want to be able to get in...

Another data point - I was there tonight (Thursday), and at around 6:05pm, only a few tables were occupied though the chef's counter was full except for one seat.  By around 7pm, the dining room looked full including the counter in the back.

There's a pork pho on the menu now.

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Is this the most consistently well-reviewed new restaurant . . . ever?  Talk about raising expectations . . .

I'm glad others have chimed in here with their experiences after my abortive post. Their comments are very much what I would also have written. It's only very rarely that my wife and I continue to think about and discuss a dinner we had three days ago, but Rose's is one of those rare occasions. Easily the best meal out--in all respects, from food to service to atmosphere--that we have had anywhere in a long time, including the Ashby Inn (which might be surprising) and Montmartre (which is less so).

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Anyone have any idea what wait time is approximately like on a Friday night?  Would like to go, but want to be able to get in...

Last Monday at about 7 we were quoted a wait time of about an hour. We were able to get bar seats much quicker so took them, but that's what it would have taken to get a table.  Our bartender said that the best way to game the system was to show up around 7:30, stand at the bar, and wait for those people's tables to be ready, opening up bar seats.

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Last Monday at about 7 we were quoted a wait time of about an hour. We were able to get bar seats much quicker so took them, but that's what it would have taken to get a table.  Our bartender said that the best way to game the system was to show up around 7:30, stand at the bar, and wait for those people's tables to be ready, opening up bar seats.

Thanks for the tip...that will be my strategy soon.

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We throughly enjoyed our evening at Rose's Luxury. A quite diverse group of tastes with the small menu and a very casual atmosphere. The place didn't feel like a Washington DC restaurant, rather something more like a Philadelphia or Brooklyn restaurant, and to feel truly transported is a compliment.

Look forward to many repeat trips.

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What a great place.  We took an out of town friend last night around 9...the wait was about 20 minutes.

We shied away from the family style mains this time around, so that we could sample nearly all of the small plates.  A few notes: last night was the last of the strawberry pasta.  They have something new and exciting coming in its place.  The kitchen sent out a gratis order of cacio e pepe (thanks!) and we were back in Rome.  I can find nothing about the version here that didn't match the best we had in Italy.

The pork and lychee salad?  Amazing.  I tried to nitpick, but still came up empty.  The sweetness of the lychee and coconut foam was perfectly offset by the spiciness of the pork.  Total winner of a dish.

The fried chicken with honey and benne seeds was obscenely juicy from brining, but still tasted like chicken (not always a guarantee).  The breading retained some crispness even with the honey.  Moves from great to greater with a dash of Crystal.

Seems strange that a highlight would be the bread service, but hey.  That shallot butter is some kind of special.

We had much, much more that was uniformly good.  Service was very informal, which fit the mood of the table well.  No doubt, we'll return very soon, and often.

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I went to Rose's Luxury on Thursday night to cash in my thank-you from their Kickstarter fund raising effort, and then went back on Saturday just to make sure the first visit hadn't been some incredible hallucination - it wasn't. I can't say anything about the food that hasn't arleady been said better by others here and on other sites, so I'll focus on the atmosphere and staff at this wonderful dining destination.

I can't imagine a better use of the building's floorplan. It has a total of five distinct dining areas (I include the second floor patio space that is currently closed for the winter), each one with a slightly different look and feel. My personal favorite is the Chef's Table, a long bar with stools facing the kitchen space, where you can see the staff prepare all the amazing dishes you are about to consume.

On Thursday, I arrived at around 6pm as the resturant was just beginning to fill up. Chef Aaron Silverman was kind enough to stop by and say hello, and we had a few minutes to talk before the action in the kitchen started to ramp up. He said that the team is still working on the stations setup and that as lessons are learned they will continue making adjustments. From what my untrained eyes could see, there isn't much that needs tweaking - the kitchen staff were all working with precision, and I was impressed with how calm and relatively quiet the space was even as the orders started to come into the kitchen in larger numbers.

This was especially apparent on my followup visit Saturday. I arrived at 5:30 and had to wait in line for a few minutes before I could be seated. The Kitchen was close to slammed within fifteen minutes, as almost all the tables were filled and orders were coming in fast. Still, no panic, no raised voices, just a team of professionals helping each other turn out great food to eager customers.

That brings me to the rest of the staff. It's a tribute to Chef Silverman and General Manager Andy Erdmann that the entire team exudes a sense of pride and yes, joy in working here.  When you are served by accomplished, happy people it makes a great meal a special experience. You might go the first time because you heard about the food - you'll come back again because besides the food, the space and the service make you feel welcome and at home.

If you haven't already been, go soon - I was told Saturday that the Washingtonian had just finished an extensive photo shoot, and Sietsema's review will appear in the December 22nd issue of the Sunday Magazine. Once that happens, even weekday nights may be packed.

TSchaad

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That brings me to the rest of the staff. It's a tribute to Chef Silverman and General Manager Andy Erdmann that the entire team exudes a sense of pride and yes, joy in working here.  When you are served by accomplished, happy people it makes a great meal a special experience. You might go the first time because you heard about the food - you'll come back again because besides the food, the space and the service make you feel welcome and at home.

DEFINITELY THIS. There are very few restaurants where I've gotten such a feeling of the staff being family rather than just coworkers. (And those are the places I love to visit.)

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You know what I dislike about Rose's?  It's spoiling me, and I am having a hard time with service at other restaurants.  I was at a great new restaurant tonight, but my server was lackluster and knew very little about the dishes.  I kept thinking back to Rose's where the servers are so well-versed on the food. I don't need servers to give me hugs, but on my second visit to Rose's I was greeted like an old friend. I want to see restaurant employees at other establishments excited about their employer and the food they are serving, as are the staff at Rose's.  Rose's is a very rare place, and I'm hoping that the service culture that makes the place so special will endure over the long haul. There's no reason to believe that it won't, as it seems to be a priority for Chef/owner Aaron Silverman.

A few notables about the food- the pickle-brined fried chicken is a dish I will be dreaming about for weeks.  Moist chicken, perfectly crispy skin, and a touch of sweet honey. I alternated bites with hot sauce, as sometimes I wanted a kick and other times I wanted to taste the unadulterated flavors.  Burnt romaine with avocado, poblana and cotija cheese is another dish that is beckoning me back- it's simple but oh so good.The pasta dishes are also notable, and its difficult to pick which is best. I love the strawberry pasta (off the menu for now) and thoroughly enjoyed a special of pasta with truffles.  So decadent.  I could go on and on....

My love letter to Rose's Luxury is on my blog if you want to read more:  http://beenthereeatenthat.net/2013/11/roses-luxury/


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This is the first restaurant in a long, long time (Red Hen perhaps being another one) that I've heard *nothing* bad about. One person I know said, basically, "˜it was really good, but there were flaws,' but that's the only thing short of a rave I've heard.

I can't raise this above Cafe Montmartre (which, I assure you, is wonderful) until I go myself, but it's currently sitting at #2 in South Capitol Hill in the Dining Guide, above Beuchert's Saloon which I like a lot. These are three really good restaurants to have in such a small area.

Strawberry and pasta is something I still can't picture (it sounds like something you'd make when you're on drugs), but every single person has loved it.

Admit it, I was prescient. ;)

Aaron and Tim (Ma) and Justin and Haidar, I'm coming, I promise. I'll get there: it's been a long few months - it took me forever to get to Red Hen also, but all of these restaurants I've been to at least twice. Your moment in the sun will come soon, although it sounds like everyone already has a nice tan. I'm very happy for all of you.

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I can't raise this above Cafe Montmartre (which, I assure you, is wonderful) until I go myself, but it's currently sitting at #2 in South Capitol Hill in the Dining Guide, above Beuchert's Saloon which I like a lot. These are three really good restaurants to have in such a small area.

It's also making it hard for me to resist the siren call of moving to the area. I keep telling myself it'd be detrimental to my diet and my wallet...:D

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My second time here, tonight with the kids. The lobster/popcorn soup seems to have transformed into a quite heavy, almost custard-like dish--delicious as everyone has said, but they should watch the consistency and texture, otherwise it will cease to be a soup. My son devoured a dozen of the kushi oysters with ginger-laced granita as I looked on in envy.

Like the oysters and the quasi soup, sweet and savory seems to be the MO here. I loved the andouille/lychee salad, which was a witty improv on: sweet and savory. The pickle-brined chicken was a hit around the table. Who can resist perfectly cooked, deep-fried nuggets of (sweet and savory) chicken with that delectable, crunchy skin?

I love the food here but wonder about its legs. I hope Rose's doesn't skirt too far toward the edge of elevated (and pricey) take-out. The kitchen has the skill for more subtlety and they should use it.

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"the wait was about 20 minutes."  Famous last words.

My second time here, tonight with the kids. 

Say hi next time...

Yeah, shit.  We didn't realize the review came out today, and headed out for date night tonight.  Quoted 1.5 hrs wait time at 8:45, but ended up at a high-table upstairs after about 40 minutes.

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Say hi next time...

Yeah, shit.  We didn't realize the review came out today, and headed out for date night tonight.  Quoted 1.5 hrs wait time at 8:45, but ended up at a high-table upstairs after about 40 minutes.

I think we arrived at 6:15 and they had plenty of open tables, even at the kitchen-view bar, though it filled up quickly thereafter.

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I think we arrived at 6:15 and they had plenty of open tables, even at the kitchen-view bar, though it filled up quickly thereafter.

Another say hi next time--a busy night yesterday for DR folks. Arrived right at 5:30 pm for a solo dinner, and took a stool at the far end of the chef's counter. No one else sat there until nearly 45 minutes later, and there was one seat left when I left just after 7--and the rest of the place was pretty much full. (Those low, backless stools are not particularly comfortable--this was fine for a solo diner, but I doubt I'd sit there again, especially with a dining partner.)

My second time here, tonight with the kids. The lobster/popcorn soup seems to have transformed into a quite heavy, almost custard-like dish--delicious as everyone has said, but they should watch the consistency and texture, otherwise it will cease to be a soup. My son devoured a dozen of the kushi oysters with ginger-laced granita as I looked on in envy.

Like the oysters and the quasi soup, sweet and savory seems to be the MO here. I loved the andouille/lychee salad, which was a witty improv on: sweet and savory. The pickle-brined chicken was a hit around the table. Who can resist perfectly cooked, deep-fried nuggets of (sweet and savory) chicken with that delectable, crunchy skin?

I love the food here but wonder about its legs. I hope Rose's doesn't skirt too far toward the edge of elevated (and pricey) take-out. The kitchen has the skill for more subtlety and they should use it.

I think that Sietsema hits it just right about the popcorn soup; it's good for a few sips, but sort of one-note and WAY rich. They gave me a complimentary serving of it, and if that was the usual size, it was almost too much (particularly coupled with the richness of much of the rest of the food). I hope they make this more a seasonal offering; I was glad to get the sample, but I wouldn't order it on a return visit. (NB: They use Orville Redenbacher's microwave popcorn!) The pork-lychee salad, on the other hand, deserves a permanent place on the menu, meriting all the raves it's gotten. It almost certainly is the best dish I've had anywhere this year.

I agree also about the chicken--a very likeable dish, but improved with the addition of Crystal hot sauce to cut the honey a bit. It may be the item on the small-dish menu that has the widest appeal, but it was perhaps the least memorable of what I ate last night. The cacio e pepe is excellent, though not up to the perhaps insurmountable standard of what I had at Eataly last month. Drinks and wine are good, if a bit pricey (especially since my drink was on the small side).

What I liked most about Rose's Luxury is that it seems like it knows from the get-go what it wants to be, and the staff seem happy to be there and do what they're doing (I'm sure that Sietsema's rave helped up the excitement level last night). I am a bit concerned about the prices--it's fairly expensive for the modestly sized dishes (I didn't see any of the family-style platters go out, so I can't speculate on their value), though the quality is nearly faultless. What I found interesting is that as I walked home down the east side of Barracks Row, no other restaurant there had a crowd anywhere near what Rose's was drawing. Tash seemed reasonably busy, but Belga was nearly empty, Pacifico and Cafe 8 ghost towns. Rose's is so different from everything else on the Row that it's hard to imagine that it will necessarily prompt other indie restaurants there to raise their games, but they can still surely feel the heat coming off the place.

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I was there last night, too (I'm a very infrequent poster, but an avid DR reader).  Loved it.  Got there just before 7 and was quoted 45 minutes to an hour and we were seated after about 40 minutes.  We sat at the chef's counter - we were offered a table, if we preferred it.   I loved every bite of my food - the popcorn soup, grilled romaine, the fried chicken, cacio e pepe and the pear dessert.  The weak link of the night was our main server.  He disappeared for long stretches, especially at the beginning of service (we sat a long time waiting to order) and he was, at best, indifferent.  The woman who brought our dishes was great, as were the hostesses and the bartender, but the main server left us feeling a bit unloved, which seems to be unusual, based on everything I've read about the place.  Still, I can't wait to go back.

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I was there last night, too (I'm a very infrequent poster, but an avid DR reader).  Loved it.  Got there just before 7 and was quoted 45 minutes to an hour and we were seated after about 40 minutes.  We sat at the chef's counter - we were offered a table, if we preferred it.   I loved every bite of my food - the popcorn soup, grilled romaine, the fried chicken, cacio e pepe and the pear dessert.  The weak link of the night was our main server.  He disappeared for long stretches, especially at the beginning of service (we sat a long time waiting to order) and he was, at best, indifferent.  The woman who brought our dishes was great, as were the hostesses and the bartender, but the main server left us feeling a bit unloved, which seems to be unusual, based on everything I've read about the place.  Still, I can't wait to go back.

That is so weird, as it is the complete opposite as my several experiences.  Our last server was so awesome that we invited her out barhopping afterwards.  The one before that was also amazing, in a way that I had not previously seen in this area.  I wonder if the server was just having a bad day.

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Strawberry and pasta is something I still can't picture (it sounds like something you'd make when you're on drugs), but every single person has loved it. 

You don't have to worry about it any more, I believe it's off or coming off the menu. This is also one of two dishes I've had there, the other being the popcorn soup, that we didn't love. It was good, more interesting than great, and we didn't order it again after our first visit. Given that every single other thing we've had was amazing, we didn't feel we needed to give it a second chance.

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Jason and I went to Rose's last night - after a run through Capitol Hill yesterday, we were motivated to head back to the area to check out this very buzzy restaurant.  Bottom line - Rose's exceeded expectations, which were already pretty darn high based on feedback here and elsewhere.  I can't remember the last time I had a meal that had so few flaws and that was so much fun.

I knew it was going to be crowded, so we got in a cab around 5:30.  By the time we got to the restaurant (definitely before 6), the tables were all full and the upstairs bar only had one seat available.  We always prefer to sit at the bar, so I took the open seat and we were prepared to have cocktails until another one opened up.  After about 15-20 minutes, one of the bartenders coordinated the adding of one more seat and the "scooching" of a solo diner, so Jason could sit down and we could start to order food.  How wonderful that they noticed an easy fix and made it happen quickly and happily.  We even wound up chatting all night with the woman who graciously moved.

We ordered about half of the small plates on the menu.  First, we ordered the Vietnamese pate and the popcorn soup.  We had a little snafu with the pate, as it came out with a layer of peanuts on top (NOT noted on the menu), to which I am allergic.  No problem - a peanut-less version came out in seconds.  It was delicious - like the best banh mi sandwich you ever had (it came with pickled veg, fresh herbs, and grilled crusty bread).  The popcorn soup was my least favorite dish of the night, which is not to say that it is bad (it's not).  Rather, it was very rich (Jason commented that it was more like a mousse than a soup) and a tad too sweet.  I'm glad I tried it, but I probably wouldn't order it again.  Jason liked it a lot more than I did.  Bread service came out with our first plates, and oh my gosh was it amazing.  Fluffy potato bread, served with perfectly soft, smooth butter (which had chives and tiny crispy potato skin bits) - it disappeared very quickly.

Next we had the grilled romaine and the cacio e pepe.  For me, they were the best dishes of the night - just flawless.  The romaine had a subtle spice and was so savory and satisfying, I forgot I was eating lettuce.  I don't even have words to describe the cacio e pepe.  Perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned - such a simple pleasure, but remarkably well-executed.

For our last round of "dinner," we had the fried chicken and a soft-shell crawfish with grits and hot sauce beurre blanc.  The fried chicken was fabulous - crispy, hot, sweet, moist, flavorful, and perfect with the Crystal hot sauce they brought with it.  I thought it was a generous portion as well.  The crawfish itself wasn't super flavorful, but the grits were spectacular and the sauce was delicious and made up for any issues with the protein.

For dessert, we tried the olive oil cake with vanilla ice cream and sea salt.  It was the ideal amount of sweetness for me - nothing cloying, and a great end to the meal.  I also got some French press coffee that tasted as good as it smelled.

Service at the bar was phenomenal.  Despite the fact that the space was VERY full (in addition to the butts in seats, there was a substantial layer of people standing around waiting and ordering drinks), the bartenders were tuned in to the needs of all of their guests.  I let the staff select my wines based on a couple of preference notes, and the choices were great.  We never felt pressured, rushed, or anything other than completely warm and welcome.

In total, we were there for nearly three hours, and we ordered 3 glasses of wine, 2 cocktails, 2 beers, 6 small plates, 1 dessert, 1 coffee, and 1 parting shot of Jameson.  The tab was $141 before tip.  I'd happily pay more for the experience we had (though of course I hope I won't have to), and I cannot wait to go back.

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so, wednesday eve, the in-laws suggested Rose's, and I didn't have the heart to veto based on the fact that TS's review had just landed. I got there a bit before 7, was quoted an hour and 45 mins wait. I started standing in the crowds around the bar, hoping to score the corner. In the end, I had a panic-inducing 10 mins where I was afraid I wouldn't be able to hold all of the seats I managed to get"”but we landed three seats around the corner, someone helpfully grabbed me one of the floating stools for the edge,  we settled in, and I canceled my downstairs table.

Fair warning, it seems the bar has specials that the tables don't have, and on wednesday, they were *amazing*. The menu had a linguettine with with pesto that was really good. But the bar had a linguettine with a butter/garlic sauce and liberally sprinkled with truffles. The only mistake was trying to share it amongst four people, despite all the food we had eaten and were going to eat. (we also had the pate, lobster soup, the pork and lychee salad, the sprouts, the brisket, and the fried chicken.)  Rather than trying to do that again, the men just requested two more orders of the truffled pasta. I'd argued for just one, but I regret nothing. At $30 a plate, that was the most delicious and unrepentant indulgence I can remember in a very long time. That pasta was made of the softest, dreamiest noodles I have ever put in my mouth. And somewhere just before this point, Brian let on that he had a nearly full bottle of Pappy van Winkle 20 year.

truffled linguettine and pappy van winkle. damn. just, damn. it was fucking amazing.

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Fair warning, it seems the bar has specials that the tables doesn't have, and on wednesday, they were *amazing*. The menu had a linguettine with with pesto that was really good. But the bar had a linguettine with a butter/garlic sauce and liberally sprinkled with truffles.

when I was at Rose's a week ago, both of these pastas were available at the tables.  The pasta with truffles was a special described to us by our server, and the linguettine with pesto was on the menu.   I don't think there are specials limited to the bar, but I could be wrong.

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when I was at Rose's a week ago, both of these pastas were available at the tables.  The pasta with truffles was a special described to us by our server, and the linguettine with pesto was on the menu.   I don't think there are specials limited to the bar, but I could be wrong.

Interesting. The bartender had *said* the truffles weren't available downstairs, but he could have been pulling our leg ;-) But, OMG. dreamy.

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when I was at Rose's a week ago, both of these pastas were available at the tables.  The pasta with truffles was a special described to us by our server, and the linguettine with pesto was on the menu.   I don't think there are specials limited to the bar, but I could be wrong.

I don't recall the pesto pasta being offered as a special, but the pasta with truffles was definitely suggested to me when I was at the chef's counter on Wednesday.

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when I was at Rose's a week ago, both of these pastas were available at the tables.  The pasta with truffles was a special described to us by our server, and the linguettine with pesto was on the menu.   I don't think there are specials limited to the bar, but I could be wrong.

I had the same experience on my first visit. The pasta with pesto was on the regular menu and the pasta with truffles (Wow) was a special. Although they will be closed this Tuesday thru Thursday for the holidays, you have something new to look forward to next weekend that has just arrived on the menu - go to  http://instagram.com/p/iL-_E-zPm8/# to see it in all its glory.

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