1184 replies to this topic

[Gastro888]

The marscapone gelato!

BTW, Dean is just as friendly in person as he is on the boards.

[deangold]

BTW, Dean is just as friendly in person as he is on the boards.

Take this with a grain of salt.... My managers might suggest a very large grain of the sel gris even!

I think the quote of the day is "You can be an a**hole but we love you"

Edited by deangold, 09 September 2005 - 05:51 PM.

[dcpolicywonk]

My wife and I had our first visit to Dino last weekend and it was as wonderful as I expected it to be from all the posts here. The service was very good considering our server was in training. Really no problems with the service at all. The food was spectacular! I started with the panzenella and that was tomato heaven. Just perfect tomatoes. I don't remember what my wife had but she was also thrilled. For an entree I had the Tagliata di Manzo which was (for me) a perfect combination of meaty goodness (perfectly medium rare). The salsa verde was wonderful and the arugula nice and spicy. My wife had the Bigoi in Salsa and was in anchovy heaven. For dessert we had the Panini al Nutella e Mascarpone. Now you don't ever have to twist our arms too hard to get a dessert with nutella. This dessert was very good and made better with the marscapone and the hazelnut ice cream was perfect. We didn't get a chance to meet Dean but he did have to deal with a somewhat difficult two-top next to us and both he and his staff were nothing but courteous, professional and even friendly when I doubt I would have been. We can't wait to go back to try other dishes and are completely amazed that he can offer this food at the prices he does. A true bargain I think.

[deangold]

Please remember our 25% donation to the Red Cross Tuesday night for disaster relief. Our staff is pitching in and donating 25% of their gratuities which really makes me feel good about them!

[porcupine]

Introduction and thanks: I've been lurking for a long time now, but finally decided to post after another wonderful meal at Dino this evening.

Husband and I went for the Katrina fundraiser - thank you, Mr. Gold, for your generosity.

I started with a Negroni cocktail and a cheese selection - thank you, Rockwellians, for turning me on to La Tur (but the Perla Grigia was even better!). Continued with arancini (panko-crusted rice balls stuffed with provolone, served with red pepper sauce), then panzanella (because I'm not ready to give up on summer tomatoes yet). Washed these last two dishes down with the '98 Costanti Brunello di Montalcino (on the specials list). Finished with gelato affogato.

Wonderful service from Abbie throughout the meal, and Mr. Gold was kind enough to stop by and check on us a few times.

Dino is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that makes me wish I lived in the neighborhood.

Looking forward to more wonderful dining and discourse...

PS - Mr. Gold, those arancini would be an excellent addition to the regular menu!

[mdt]

Welcome!

Alright, yet another lurker coming out of cybernation! Come on, lets keep it going.

[bookluvingbabe]

Any timeframe for opening for lunch yet?

[perrik]

Unfortunately we can only dine out on Friday and Saturday nights (my husband works evenings the rest of the week). So, what time should we arrive to give us a fair shot at getting seated within 15-20 minutes?

I'd be happy to chill at the bar, but I'm only 4'10" and it's a long, undiginified climb to get onto most bar stools...

[jm chen]

Unfortunately we can only dine out on Friday and Saturday nights (my husband works evenings the rest of the week). So, what time should we arrive to give us a fair shot at getting seated within 15-20 minutes?

I'd be happy to chill at the bar, but I'm only 4'10" and it's a long, undiginified climb to get onto most bar stools...

Friday nights, honestly, I'd aim for no later than 6:30. In my experience, 7 brings the flood. Or have a late morning brunch and hit Dino in the early evening on Saturday. They open at 5.

Have a great time and report back!

Jael

[deangold]

Any timeframe for opening for lunch yet?

Our problem is hiring up. We would like to open ASAP but we need to find a lead lunch cook.

[DonRocks]

Dean never mentioned he was a member of ZZ Top...

click

[Barbara]

Dean never mentioned he was a member of ZZ Top...

click

[deangold]

Dean never mentioned he was a member of ZZ Top...

click

And that was after getting a trim! You should see my passport picture from '96! My nickname in those days was "His divine grace, Baba Dean Das Cheese"!

[Waitman]

We have not "dined" at the rooftop terrace but have had many a meal, unfortunately, at The KC Cafe, the caffeteria down the hall.  As a food professional, it embarasses me that some of the things they put out are as bad as they are!  We only eat there when we are super pressed for time and my blood sugar situation won't let me enjoy the opera without a meal beforehand.  I do so find going into a hypoglycimic induced coma interferes with the second act of Tosca! 

It usualy costs $40 to 60 for Kay and I to grab a bite there, without wine.  Ohhh we do order something that comesin a wine glass and contains alcohol, but our $9.00 glass of beverage alcohol usually bears no resembelance at all to what I call wine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey -- when are you going to start keeping Dino open late enough that I can get a bite after the concert? My season starts tomorrow night and, while I love Bistro and Old Ebbit, each in their own separate ways, a third option would be swell.

(I hear it's a neighborhood thing, true?)

[deangold]

Just got a new cheese shipment (My first after the Augosto suhutdown)...

In addition to La Tur.....

Cora Robiola- a mixed milk robiola aged in Cauliflower leaves, very creamy, very rich and a touch bitter.

Guffanti 4 year old Reggiano- incomparable ith tiny calcite crystals that just melt on the tongue.

Principe- a hugely strong sheep's milk blue

Asiago Vecchio Raw Milk

Grand Old Man Putuzulu - 15 month old pecorino from Pienza in a parmesan style.

Perla Grigia- truffle cheese rubbed with hard spices.

Three pecorino al tartufo- fresh, aged and blue sheep's milk cheese with red wine apple butter and truffle chutney

In addition, we have some new items on the menu--

Razza- skate wing on creamy polenta with wild mushroom ragu

Garganelli with sauusage and greens

Mussels and Sieppi (cuttlefish) on grilled bread in a clam broth with fennel and San

Marzano tomatoes

Cheesey polenta with wild mushrooms

Arancini

Also this wekend- fresh head on shrimp as an appetiser and an entree special: veal chop on the grill

[LolaDC]

I can vouch for the Perla Grigia and the Razza. The truffle cheese is truly decadent, and the creamy polenta and rich mushrooms are perfect accompianaments to the skate. Wonderful stuff, Dean.

[deangold]

Hey -- when are you going to start keeping Dino open late enough that I can get a bite after the concert? My season starts tomorrow night and, while I love Bistro and Old Ebbit, each in their own separate ways, a third option would be swell.

(I hear it's a neighborhood thing, true?)

RIght now we ahve to have our last sale of alcohol at 11pm. We seat till 10:15 sunday thru Thursday with the kitchen open till 10:30. Saturday and Sunday we seat till 10:30 and the kitchen closes at 11. We will, at some point, apply for later hours and se how the ANC and our neighbors take it. I would love to stay open till midnight and serve alcohol till 1am on Friday and Saturday.

But we have the restrictions that Yanyu agreed to.

[Capital Icebox]

Are there prices available for any of these dishes? The menu on the website doesn't list prices, either. (Though it is in many other respects better than most other DC restaurant websites -- Eve, Corduroy, Ray's, Palena and more, I am looking in your collective direction.)

[deangold]

Are there prices available for any of these dishes?  The menu on the website doesn't list prices, either.  (Though it is in many other respects better than most other DC restaurant websites -- Eve, Corduroy, Ray's, Palena and more, I am looking in your collective direction.)

Cheeses are 3/12 and 5/18
Pecorino Trio is 15 because of the truffle chutney
Razza is 19
3 new primi are 16
arancini are 5.75
shrimp are 3 for 9
scallop crostini are 7

By the way you can have the 4 year parm as dessert with balsamico stravecchio. Yum! 20 year old stuff from Carrandini.

[Meaghan]

Cheeses are 3/12 and 5/18
Pecorino Trio is 15 because of the truffle chutney
Razza is 19
3 new primi are 16
arancini are 5.75
shrimp are 3 for 9
scallop crostini are 7

By the way you can have the 4 year parm as dessert with balsamico stravecchio.  Yum!  20 year old stuff from Carrandini.

How big is that shrimp? Just curious...
I'm doing some comparison shopping. Me hungry.

[deangold]

How big is that shrimp?  Just curious...
I'm doing some comparison shopping.  Me hungry.

3 shrimp, 13 to the pound or so, fresh never been frozen. Made with Unio Siruiana olive oil and lemon.

[porcupine]

In addition, we have some new items on the menu--

Arancini

Thank you for putting the arancini on the regular menu!

[Halloween]

The garganelli with sausage and greens is yummy!

[mdt]

The garganelli with sausage and greens is yummy!

We were there on Friday night and had that as part of my meal. It was very good, especially the sausage. The veal chop special was delicious and will hopefully be on the menu frequently. IMO, they are still putting out one of the best whole grilled fish dishes in the area.

[deangold]

We were there on Friday night and had that as part of my meal.  It was very good, especially the sausage.  The veal chop special was delicious and will hopefully be on the menu frequently.  IMO, they are still putting out one of the best whole grilled fish dishes in the area.

We are currently using Baramundi from Australia. Not only is it good stuff taste wise, but the company that raises the fish is a leader in sustainable acquaculture. It great to have a product that not only tastes good but is also grown sustainably and priced competitively with conventional.

I would love to have an all natural beef, for example, but right now it would cost twice as much forcing us to raise the price on our tagliata by about 50%. And the beef isn't as good tasting. We continue to search for an alternative that we can use and afford to use.

[LolaDC]

Will be happily chowing at Dino's tomorrow night. Any Rockwellians going to be there?

[jm chen]

I wouldn't rule it out. If you see a girl in red glasses at the bar, it's probably me.

The arancini and the scallop crostini were tasty but the three cheeses with the truffle chutney were ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Jael

[Sthitch]

Ouch

Dino is a mixed bag of fine wines and slapdash cooking, attentive service and a setting that seems at odds with its menu. Somewhere inside, there's a good restaurant beating; I wish its pulse were stronger.

[bookluvingbabe]

Ouch, ouch, ouch...

Just emailed Mr. BLB to say perhaps a visit this weekend was in order--sort of a show of support.

Although given how busy they always are when we drive past, I'm not sure this review will hurt too much.

[jm chen]

As a near-obsessive reader of food-related items on the Post site, previously I scoffed at overly emotional user reviews. I never understood why people were compelled to write angry tirades that directly address Mr. S after he gives a mixed or unflattering review to a place they really love, crying out "But you don't understand!" or "Why didn't you try the X?" or "You clearly weren't at the same restaurant I go to, because this/that/the other thing..."

Now I really want to write one.

Better I should just keep my mouth shut... except when I'm using that mouth to enjoy the tender arancini, the huge mozzarella panini, the perfectly aged proscuitto, the eternally pleasing cheese choices, the flavorful bigoi, etc. etc.

Jael

[LolaDC]

Better I should just keep my mouth shut... except when I'm using that mouth to enjoy the tender arancini, the huge mozzarella panini, the perfectly aged proscuitto, the eternally pleasing cheese choices, the flavorful bigoi, etc. etc.
Jael

I was similarly surprised by the review. Everything I've ever eaten at Dino has been tremendous -- granted, I've only been there three times. But, still. One star? Dean, if you're reading these -- know that you have a loyal following here that supports you come hell or highly disappointing review.

[JPW]

This isn't the first time that Tom's review of an Italian place has run contrary to the opinions of participants on internet food fora.

[bookluvingbabe]

This isn't the first time that Tom's review of an Italian place has run contrary to the opinions of participants on internet food fora.

Maybe Tom just doesn't like Italian all that much?

[JPW]

Maybe Tom just doesn't like Italian all that much?

Last time he overated what most thought was mediocre.

Edit to add - here it is - Etrusco

Edited by JPW, 30 September 2005 - 01:06 PM.

[DC in DC]

Last time he overated what most thought was mediocre.

Edit to add - here it is - Etrusco

Also, FWIW, he gave a much-deserved 3-stars to Notti Bianche.

[porcupine]

Better I should just keep my mouth shut... except when I'm using that mouth to enjoy the tender arancini, the huge mozzarella panini, the perfectly aged proscuitto, the eternally pleasing cheese choices, the flavorful bigoi, etc. etc.

Jael

Maybe the review will keep out the hoi polloi, leaving more tables for us True Believers, right?

[jm chen]

Maybe the review will keep out the hoi polloi, leaving more tables for us True Believers, right? 

Word. Although the hoi polloi who read past the star and notice the praise for some of the best wine and best service in the city will probably still try to crowd us out!

[ustreetguy]

This isn't the first time that Tom's review of an Italian place has run contrary to the opinions of participants on internet food fora.

Sorry Don if this is verturing off into "off topic" territory. Now remember that Tom reviewed Sonoma just a couple weeks ago and gave it 2 stars. These three restaurants all serve similar foods (i.e. cheese plates, meat plates, pastas, a few mains, many wines by the glass). I guess in his opionion Sonoma is just a little bit better. Personally I've never been to Sonoma so I can't compare, but that certainly won't stop me from enjoying the dishes I love at either Dino or Al Crostino.

[Stretch]

Word. Although the hoi polloi who read past the star and notice the praise for some of the best wine and best service in the city will probably still try to crowd us out!

Yeah. It doesn't make a lot of sense. Tom has had longstanding beefs with both the lack of good wine bars and the general standard of service in town. He finds a place that has both of these advantages in spades plus, let's see what else he liked, good bread, good cheese, good salumi, good produce, and can still only muster one star? Must have been a really dry piece of chicken.

[B.A.R.]

I've never been to Dino, and this review isn't going to dissuade me. The positives were greater than the negatives in the text of the review. Had I not read "One Star", I would have thought this was a good "two star" with great value wine and service.

Just the kind of place I love!

Didn't he give one star to that pastry shop in Georgetown where the service was a complete clusterfuck? Just seems, with the seeming ubiquity of two star reviews, that this "one" star is an odd fit.

I know the owner posts here, and they might be disappointed. But Mr. Gold, if you are as busy as I hear you are, then this review shouldn't slow you down. Keep up the good work.

[deangold]

As William Tecumseh Sherman once said, fame is “When you die, the press spells your name right in the morning.”

I cannot argue with Mr. Sietsema’s opinion, that what he gets paid for. In fact, there are points we agree with in his review. We only had the crostata on the menu a week or so. The chicken we started sourcing from another supplier.

What you do hope for is that a reviewer is consistent in his review.

“Dean Gold says he wants his sunny new restaurant in Cleveland Park -- the eponymous Dino…”
-Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, Wednesday July 13

“…and a perky color scheme that suggests Disney rather than rustic Italian.”
-Tom Sietsema, Washington Post Magazine October 2

Since we have not changed anything at all décor wise except adding a few copper coated wine buckets, how did “sunny” become “Disney-esque”?

“Occasionally, a preparation better reflects its country of inspiration. Rotisserie-cooked lamb showcases meat of prime savor, and whole sea bass is prepared as it might be in Italy --- simply with lemon and olive oil. A side dish of grilled vegetables brings together velvety mushroom caps, tiny yellow squash and radicchio, seasoned just right to allow their flavors to shine….One day's catch --- swordfish arranged with green and yellow beans in a loose stack, and excited with an anchovy-laced vinaigrette --- produced a sublime treat”
-Tom Sietsema, Washington Post Magazine October 2

“…slapdash cooking”
-Tom Sietsema, Washington Post Magazine October 2

Also, Mr. Sietsema has numerous times mentioned that he visits restaurants three times for a review in the Sunday Magazine. We know of two visits he made where, based on our examination of the checks afterwards, he tried everything he mentioned in his review.

Another of my favorite sayings is “De gustibus non est disputatum*”.

*There is no arguing with taste

[alan7147]

I would like to add that rarely have I seen an owner of an establishment exhibit such enthusiasm to his/her patrons about the product they are offering. One can see that Dean genuinely cares about Dino and the diner's experience there.

[Sthitch]

Dean,
I have looked forward to trying your restaurant, this review did not dissuade me from that. And after your classy reply to the review I hope that I will be able to pay you a visit more quickly than I had anticipated.

[porcupine]

Another of my favorite sayings is “De gustibus non est disputatum*”.

*There is no arguing with taste

Another to keep in mind: illegitimus non carborundum.

[B.A.R.]

Let's not forget: spaghetti carbonara

[Dental_FlossTycoon]

Dean, some friends and I already had reservations for Saturday night and bye Gawd we'll still be keeping them. Just reading your Bio on your web site is inspiration enough for even the slightest epicurean taste bud.

I look forward to tasting everything!

~Joshua

[deangold]

Also, Mr. Sietsema has numerous times mentioned that he visits restaurants three times for a review in the Sunday Magazine.  We know of two visits he made where, based on our examination of the checks afterwards, he tried everything he mentioned in his review.

Actually, he was in three times in total. He sat at a bar table on our second night open. I don't want to be inaccurate!

[Al Dente]

[Miami Danny]

Last time he overated what most thought was mediocre.

Edit to add - here it is - Etrusco

Also, his constant raves for the mediocre at best Al Tiramisu are mystifying. And that cheesy shtick ("You have a view!") is something out of the red sauce-soaked Mamma Mia! past. And Yanyu was one of the most overrated places I ever ate. Tom has always been inconsistent. Even when I agree with him!

[brr]

stopped by Dino yesterday evening for a flying visit - I think I was in and out in 15 minutes although I would have loved to have stayed longer

had a 3 ounce pour of the valpollicella and two crostini - the cod was wonderful and the blue cheese topped anchovy was god, although the blue cheese overpowered the anchovy somewhat

$8.80 incl tax....not too shabby

Edited by brr, 05 October 2005 - 09:57 AM.