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Tail Up Goat, Chef Jon Sybert, Beverage Director Bill Jensen, and Service Director Jill Tyler All Come from the Komi Team - Adams Morgan


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I'm delighted for Tail Up Goat and selfishly a little sad for myself. I've been here several times and with each visit I fall more in love with the whole experience. I've never had a hard time booking two weeks out. I think those days are behind us. Again, yay for them! It couldn't happen to better people or a more deserving restaurant. Tried for an early dinner reservations for 5 guests, a little over a month out and they weren't booking yet, totally forgot to check back and then tried at the two week mark and nothing.

I'm not upset at all, totally get it. Just want folks to know they should look to book closer to the 4 week mark if they have a specific date in mind. 

 

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3 hours ago, TheGut said:

Congrats to everyone at Tail Up Goat on receiving a Michelin Star this morning!!

Very well-deserved!  But bittersweet, too -- and not only because finding a table and parking spot will become that much harder.  Also, tonight's Carly's last night on the wait staff; and the new T-U G star will shine just a bit less brightly when she and Jonathan (Copeland) depart for less balmy clines, right near Julien Shapiro!  Best of luck to both of you!  Let us know where we can find you if we're out that way.

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I like the people at Tail Up Goat very much, so you can take this with a grain of salt if you want - But dinner consisting primarily of "bialy, onion jam, trout roe, bottarga, butter [15]" and "stracciatella, winter radish, apple, almond [16]" was absolutely incredible. The breads continue to be perfectly baked, and all dishes continue to be an inventive but not cutesy mix of flavors and texture.

It is rich food, but the richness is always balanced by something else (whether it be acid, or crunch, or slight sweetness, or ...). It is not a salad-greens-based restaurant. It is a combination of decadent and home-y. (Then again, my home is decadent too.)

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1 hour ago, dslee said:

From January 12, 2017 and no longer on the menu, but so memorable!  SO delicious I have to share!  I hope it will make another appearance on the menu!

  • bialy, onion jam, trout roe, bottarga, butter 

Oh, my, that looks good.

I love Tail Up Goat - I saw Jill there a few weeks ago, and told her my meal was fully worthy of a Michelin star, because ... it was.

You know what? I still don't know how to describe the cuisine here, but I actually really like my synthesis of "Modern Alpine" and "Modern Mediterranean," and even though I really have no clue what that means as an ensemble (or, for that matter, on their own), I just like it because it feels right. I don't know what "Modern Scandinavian" is, but I have a gut feeling that would fit in there, too.

The carrot and pineapple cake that is currently on the dessert menu is one of the best desserts -- nay, the best dishes -- in this town in recent memory.  Run, don't walk.

And yes, Gadarene, I had that same dessert: Carrot and Pineapple Cake, and it was just wonderful.

I have always been biased towards older people with more years of experience, but the young talent at Tail Up Goat is bending my bias. I wish I could tell people what a big deal this is, but they'd just poo-poo it for various reasons. They'd be wrong.

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This mister and I celebrated our anniversary this week at Tail Up Goat. It had been way too long since our last visit but it was like no time had passed. I sincerely try not to unabashedly gush about this restaurant because it makes me feel like a blatant advertisement but I just can't help myself. This continues to be my favorite restaurant in town because, beyond killing it with their creative and delicious menu, the wine list, staff and overall experience is unparalleled by comparison to any other restaurant I've been to, in DC or elsewhere.

We ordered and shared...

brown rice bread, house-made ricotta, shoot salad and granola

Vouvray Sec, Clos de Rougement

Sancerre, Les Quarterons

 

carrot ravioli-apricots, ramps greens, and pistachio breadcrumbs

pici carbonara, pancetta, chive egg yolk, and black pepper breadcrumbs

Gewurztraminer Blend, Miscreant

Pinot Gris, Dragone Ramato

 

lamb ribs, oregano, grilled lemon, fig, olive, and fennel onion yogurt

We tried two different reds that I'm blanking on and there might have been a tasting of Rosé somewhere in there as well but I know one of the reds was from the Canary Islands. I think I've had a glass of that one at every visit, its obviously outstanding!

 

We really wanted to order the carrot and pineapple cake after the rave reviews but there was no way we could eat another bite, so we ended the night with a glass of medeira and "forced" ourselves to devour the bite of chocolate mouse that arrived at the end of the meal. 

I would highly recommend everything we ordered, but honestly you simply can't go wrong with anything on this menu. 

If this is your first time visiting,  please  start with the salt cod, its a personal favorite but we wanted to try new dishes this time. And you would be remiss if you don't try at least one of the breads/toasts. It continues to surprise me how well these are executed!

I think honestly we come back for the wine as much as we do for the food. My best piece of advice is skip ordering a bottle and instead let Bill pick your wines with each course. There are likely wine connoisseurs on this listserv who know all the wines on this list but I am not one of them. Instead, having Bill pour and talk through two of his recommendations for each course further elevated the already outstanding experience we've come to expect. 

 

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9 hours ago, nmorrell said:

We ordered and shared...

brown rice bread, house-made ricotta, shoot salad and granola

Vouvray Sec, Clos de Rougement

The pici is (are?) simple but amazing.  (One other tip:  The bread dishes are indeed delicious but very filling.  If you don't order one, order an unadorned side of bread and butter instead.  TuG has the best bread in town, IMHO.)

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11 hours ago, nmorrell said:

I think honestly we come back for the wine as much as we do for the food. My best piece of advice is skip ordering a bottle and instead let Bill pick your wines with each course. There are likely wine connoisseurs on this listserv who know all the wines on this list but I am not one of them. Instead, having Bill pour and talk through two of his recommendations for each course further elevated the already outstanding experience we've come to expect. 

Bill is aMAZing, we were shocked and saddened when he left Komi, but oh so happy to learn he'd dived into this new adventure.

Which, ahem, seems to be working out okay.

Obviously we'd been enjoying Jon's mastery for years at Komi, without knowing it -- but at TUG he's been revealed as a genius in his own right.

We're scheduled for 19 May & we're psyched!

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Had dinner for the 3rd time and the love for this place continues to elude me.  The salt cod has improved, a hint of smoke and a hint of fish, all blended together quite smoothly.  The radishes (bagna cauda, smoked trout roe, parsley) made no sense to me at all. The bagna cauda was tossed like a salad dressing and the trout roe didn't feel integrated.  The pici was firm, very firm indeed and salty.  I ended up getting a falafel at Amsterdam afterwards.

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2 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Had dinner for the 3rd time and the love for this place continues to elude me.  The salt cod has improved, a hint of smoke and a hint of fish, all blended together quite smoothly.  The radishes (bagna cauda, smoked trout roe, parsley) made no sense to me at all. The bagna cauda was tossed like a salad dressing and the trout roe didn't feel integrated.  The pici was firm, very firm indeed and salty.  I ended up getting a falafel at Amsterdam afterwards.

Should have tried the carrot cake.  :-)

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Finally made it to TuG for a belated birthday dinner this evening and damn that is some good food.

We shared:

garlic knots, bagna cauda, parsley [11]: I've eaten a lot of garlic knots in my time -- they are yooge down in FL -- and these were off-the-hook good. Lotsa garlic, lotsa butter.

brown rice bread, patty pan squash, dates, pine nuts, yogurt [14] : Possibly the highlight of the meal. The whole so much more than the sum of the parts.

cheese course, goat gouda, cherry mostarda, cocoa nibs [16] : Simply another winner. This gouda is aged longer than your typical red-rind gouda. The nibs are more for the crunch than anything (very subtle), but the cherry mostarda is excellent.

pasta alla norma, smoked ricotta, eggplant, olive [20] : Homemade pasta and nicely smoked eggplant turned into a whip with the ricotta make for a wonderful dish

salt roasted beets, romesco, candied beets, green goddess, red fife cracker [26] : A nice dish with a wide variety of ingredients. The romesco packs a real punch. On the lighter side of things. Candied beets sort of like craisins.

marsala custard, bing cherry, hazelnut cookie [9]
semolina cheesecake, rhubarb + cider jam, rosemary [12] : Two excellent desserts. Both quite filling. The cheesecake is on the less-sweet side, which I like, but the rosemary was overpowering (fortunately you can move it out of the way). I loved the custard, with another helping of beautiful cherries.

Lagniappe:

Mint-cucumber shrubs to start: Very refreshing. Mrs. W was not a fan (she's not a fan of kombucha either)

Chocolate mousse for my birthday: I liked it, Mrs. W did not.

Libations:

Strawberry-Balsamic Shrub [8]: I guess you have to be a shrub fan. It was too much for Mrs. W, but I was happy to finish hers.

Bong Bong [12]
Red Newt Cellars Riesling, Lambrusco, orange bitters : I loved this cocktail. VERY refreshing

You Jump, I Jump [14]
Del Maguey Vida mezcal, Campari, Dolin Dry, pamplemousse : I took a flyer on this one and it was not to my liking. But very pretty pink color.

Overall: An outstanding meal, full of interesting ingredients and combinations, almost all of which worked to a T.

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I do wish Tail Up were cheaper both for food and drink, because it's got such a comfortable, neighborhood vibe that I'd love to be able to pop in more often and snag dinner at the bar without it costing $40 minimum for two of the smaller, less-filling dishes (not even pasta!) and a glass of wine after tax and tip (and who'd want to stop at one glass, with Bill's list?), but at least the money is going to great people.

It is what it is.

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We enjoyed an amazing dinner here a few weeks ago to celebrate our anniversary. We first ate here in February and were blown away, couldn't wait for an excuse to come back in summer and try a different menu. Pasta with trout roe and squash blossoms - wonderfully creative and unexpected dish. The strachiatella (with peaches and oats right now) was rich and delicious. The star of the show for us this time was the lamb ribs though: fig puree, with olives and yogurt sauce. 

Service was incredible as always. They brought us the wrong pasta dish and immediately said we should enjoy it as a treat while they prepped the one we ordered. In no time they brought it over with more apologies. Amazing drinks, amazing food, amazing service: can't wait for another excuse to go back again.

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If you haven't yet had the "watermelon sorbet, nut + seed crumble, feta, mint" dessert, do yourself a favor and order it this--its final--week.  Much better than it sounds on paper, I think it's the second-best dessert I've had there, after the swoonworthy carrot/pineapple cake, and an ode to the fading summer.  Order a Painkiller while you're at it -- part of proceeds go to relief efforts for Irma-ravaged areas (and it, too, is much better than it sounds).  (Oh, and I really loved the new porgy prep, too.)

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Dishes that are especially great right now at TuG:

stracciatella, seeded crackers, trout roe, pickled shallot  [16]  

capunti alla puttanesca, white anchovy, pepitas, candied olives, parmesan [21]  [If there's a better pasta dish in DC now, please let me know ASAP!]

whole bronzino, swiss chard + caper stuffing, roasted shallots, black walnut praline [49] 

cheese course, grayson, sicilian pistachios, honeycomb, meyer lemon + suze jam, cilantro [16] 

Yes, as at many DC places, the prices are creeping up a bit, owing to the (welcome) increase in minimum wage and rising food costs.  Even so, you can put together a great meal here without breaking the bank.  (And of course Bill Jensen's wine list and recs are as creative and interesting as just about anywhere.  And I haven't even mentioned the breads, which are, along with those at Elle, about as good as you can get around here.)  [Full disclosure:  My son has worked there and they know us well.  I don't have any reason to believe, however, that that has affected the quality of the food they've served us--this is a very consistent kitchen, with great attention to detail.]

 

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Had dinner there last night with a dear colleague.  Both of our first times trying and we were both extremely impressed with everything from the wine to the food to the decor / service.

It was also my first opportunity to try a wine from Lightwell Survey (Sebastian Zutants label) - "You're a Wild One" which is a unique blend of mostly Cabernet Franc with a bit of Petit Manseng thrown in.  This was amazingly drinkable stuff that I thought was pretty unique.

In terms of food we had:

- BBQ Carrots (I literally almost licked the dish clean - would highly recommend)

- Einkorn Sourdough with Chicken Liver Mousse - loved the char on the bread which really complemented the smoothness of the mousse

- Tagliatelle - while this was good - I likely would order a different pasta next time.  I didn't get a lot of flavor out of the breadcrumbs and my dining partner commented that it almost felt like "eating sand" in the pasta

- Lamb Ribs - the accolades folks have heaped on them are well deserved in my opinion.  A huge plate of meaty ribs - I was pretty stuffed after we demolished this plate.

- Dessert we had the Oat Cake and Apple Sorbet - I liked the clean flavors in the sorbet, and the surprise hit of tumeric actually worked quite well

It wasn't a cheap meal but we also basically rolled out of there due to being so full - what a wonderful spot and one that once the twins grow up a bit more and give my wife and I some freedom back, we'll be heading to for a date night in the future.

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Had dinner here two weeks ago with @MichaelBDC to celebrate our five years of dating bliss. I was battling a stubborn cold, but had really been looking forward to TUG and insisted we keep our long awaited reservations. 

We started with two glasses of lambrusco and then had yellowfin tuna crudo, a spring salad over red grits, Einkorn Sourdough, salami cotto, and a tomahawk pork chop that was on special. Midway through the meal, I switched to a riesling while @MichaelBDC had a glass of red wine. The food was delicious despite my taste buds being a little off due to the aforementioned cold. Each dish was interesting in its own way, had good texture, and was well executed. Service was warm and friendly. Looking back, the overall impression we were left with at TUG was just how solid the experience was. Our only regret was not ordering the lamb ribs, which looked amazing coming out of the kitchen. Next time...

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That’s brave but understandable,  maybe they could have just added a dish. I don’t really love lamb ribs, though It was a really well made and well thought-out dish. After the first visit I always ordered the fish

i was there two weeks ago and still think it’s very good, especially the fish, the focaccia and sherry pork tagliatelle.  Service at the bar was terrific. I live only a few blocks away, and would be a regular if I could afford it.

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3 hours ago, Harbinger said:

That’s brave but understandable,  maybe they could have just added a dish. I don’t really love lamb ribs, though It was a really well made and well thought-out dish. After the first visit I always ordered the fish.

I agree that it was a really well-done dish, but one I rarely ordered because it was so rich and the other offerings were better value.  Jill Tyler asked me to send along this message from TuG regarding the change-of-pace:

"The lamb ribs had a great run but the kitchen is excited to be shaking things up.  Most importantly, we weren't able to work with local farms to get our lamb because of the sheer number of ribs we were selling.  Now all of our pork, beef, poultry, rabbits and seafood are from farms and fisherman that we have personal relationships with -- that matters.  It means we are supporting other small businesses and supporting better food systems."

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5 hours ago, Marty L. said:

Notice what is *not* on the current TuG menu.  I, for one, think it's a welcome development--but I suppose if the signature dish were your favorite, or go-to, dish, it might take some getting used to.

You know what? I had no idea the lamb ribs were their signature dish; if you'd have asked me, I would have guessed it was the bread courses (which I suppose are "just" crostini on exotic steroids).

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17 hours ago, DonRocks said:

You know what? I had no idea the lamb ribs were their signature dish; if you'd have asked me, I would have guessed it was the bread courses (which I suppose are "just" crostini on exotic steroids).

We had an amazing meal at TuG last summer but my wife is not a lamb fan so we didn't get the ribs. The pork loin/belly entree might entice her though, but honestly, the other courses are so good you really don't need the entree.

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Nooooo I would've wanted to try the lamb ribs one more time before they went off menu although everything I've there over 4 visits has been so amazing I'm not terribly worried about them filling in something else amazing.

I meant to get them last time I went about a month ago but they had a dairy cow strip steak special with ramp butter... this was probably the best steak I've ever had (small pieces of wagyu excluded) - even besting Kinship's incredible ribeye in my opinion.  

I'm sure I'll be back soon to try the new pork (or whatever else) being that at the moment Tail Up Goat is pretty easily my #1 favorite place in DC outside of tasting menu spots.

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Finally made it here last night with the wife. Some parts were great, but others disappointing. Maybe I chose poorly, but I was not hugely impressed.

We had:

Crispy salt cod: this was solid, though the smoked cauliflower was a little rich.

Salami cotto: also good, though more acid in the accompanying peperonata would have cut through the fat better.

einkorn sourdough  with yoghurt and smoked trout roe - my favorite dish of the night, though the bread was a little too charred at the edges.

corzetti and garganelli - the pasta itself was good, particularly the garganelli, but the pesto with the corzetti was a one-dimensional. Like Rovers2000 I found the breadcrumbs with the corzetti a little like eating sand.

Then we split the pork loin and peach glazed belly - this was the low point of the meal for me. The peach glaze was horribly sweet, and with the fatty belly almost inedible. No desire for dessert after that.

The wine was great, but overall I found the food too rich. It is also extremely expensive. It was packed though, so clearly the prices are not high enough to put anyone off.

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Dinner here on a blustery evening yesterday was a highlight and made me wonder why we hadn't been yet.  I was disappointed to learn that they didn't allow corkage, but the sommelier guided us to a lovely red from the Loire Valley that paired well with all of the offerings.  The food was fantastic; we loved the crispy salt cod, it was rich and good winter food, and really enjoyed last night's cheese course.  The stuffed porgy was wonderful; perfectly cooked and well spiced, restaurants don't always do these share dishes well but knocked this one out of the park.  I agree with some of the posters above about this not being the cheapest meal, but it also doesn't compare to places like Joe's Stone Crab or RPM.  We got a $60 bottle of wine, 5 courses and dessert for under $200, and 2 small gratis courses from the kitchen.  Not necessarily a place to hit every night, but this will definitely be in our rotation a couple times a year.

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Pictures I took from the innaugural brunch service at TuG on 12/2 (thank you window lighting).  Really enjoyed the meal and at only $40 a person for 3 courses a pretty damn good deal all things considered to try the awesome cooking here.  I managed to get NYE reservations here which I'm extremely excited for.
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Finally made it for "brunch" yesterday. The way to think about this is not as a very pricey brunch (albeit way cheaper than hotel brunches and the likes of Fiola Mare), but as an early, bargain Sunday supper.  A couple of the items are vaguely reminiscent of brunch food (e.g., the ricotta "pancake" pictured above), but in truth it's simply three excellent, delicious Jon Sybert dishes for less than you'd pay at dinner!  (I had the pork belly and tagliatelle, both fantastic, and a nice semolina custard.)

It's also really nice to be at TuG during the day, in the light--quiet, peaceful, and, as always, as welcoming as any place in DC this side of 2 Amys.

Disclosure:  My son works there occasionally.

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Had dinner there Saturday night with a friend - place was always busy.  Great service and the food shines.  One quip - the meatballs that accompanied the foccacia were salty (and I like salt).  My daiquiri was delicious and I loved the spotlight on Portuguese wines.  So glad I made the effort to go.

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Friends treated me to dinner here last night and it was fabulous.  We shared about 2/3rds of the menu between the three of us.  This place does wonderful things with vegetables and breads.  farro sourdough, benne seed + aji dulce yogurt, roasted + fermented carrots, daikon, flax seed -- we were amazed there was no meat in this dish, so much umami!   

Sunchokes were good but overshadowed by other menu items.  Cheese course was served as more of a shaved cheese salad; also good but maybe would have been better ordered as a dessert/final course than in the early rounds.

I was evenly split on which was the better of the two pastas we ordered, both excellent IMO.  One friend didn't like the funk of the taleggio & mustard greens and so preferred the gorro, the other was into the funk and found the gorro too mild.

taleggio ravioli, smoky mushrooms, mustard greens, mustardy breadcrumbs -- 
gorro de bruja, pistachio pesto, goat feta, confit onion, olives, nutmeg breadcrumb

seared halibut, acqua pazza, fermented + roasted fennel, salsa verde, calabrian chilies -- the only miss of the night.  The fish was a bit overdone and cool so it spent too much time at the pass and suffered for it.  However, the sauce was wonderfully balanced, and if the fish had been on point, this would have been outstanding.

caramelized sweet potato, butter lettuce, smoked apple butter, parm, yogurt, apple + candied olive -- done well but the sauce was not as interesting as that on the halibut and because of the sweet potato as the center of the dish, a little sweet to my palate for a main dish.

We got all of the desserts.  The turmeric sorbet would make a great palate cleanser between courses; I didn't find its tartness and flavor balance compelling as a finish to the meal.  The rainwater madiera custard w/ pistachio was perfectly balanced between silky smooth and buttery-nutty crunch.  The brioche bread pudding was miles above any bread pudding I've ever had, somewhat deconstructed, every bite having layers of flavors, there was a spoon battle going on with everyone trying to get another bite and another bite.

We also had an interesting rose with the meal, very spice forward with a lovely fennel-y finish, Etna Rosato, “Rosso Relativo,” Alice Bonaccorsi, Sicily, Italy, 2013 

And very early on a cold, blustery Sunday evening in the middle of the shutdown, the place was packed and I can easily imagine they turned all the tables twice, so good on them.  

And if I was going back on my own limited budget, I would have a glass of wine at the bar and the farro sourdough, then pack up & go and pride myself on my restraint. 

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Last week I attended the special "Dairy Cow Dinner" Tail up Goat hosted where every course featured beef from dairy cow/cows from "Earth n Eats".  As with the other Tail up Goat event dinners I've been to this awesome, with the main featured giant steak brought out reminding me a Komi final meat course meets (meats) a high end steak house.  Was certainly stuffed by the end from the courses plus the wine pairings but no complaints on my end.  Pictures and further descriptions from my IG:

 

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17 hours ago, Jonathan said:

Reminds me (in a very delicious way) of the Beef Feast Dinners I did at Palena.

That Palena dinner may have been one of the best dinner I had in my life.  If this was marginally close even, I might have to get on their list for special events and see if they do it again.

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Does anyone know if the good folks at Tail Up Goat ever accommodate a party of six? I’ve been many times with 2 and 4 but was surprised I couldn’t make a reservation for 6.  I certainly understand wanting to keep the intimate feel if that’s the purpose but had hoped to host a going away dinner for a close friend who is moving and loves TUG (almost) as much as I do. I was going to call today but didn’t want to sound pushy by asking. 

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11 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

I don't know the answer, but I can't imagine any more-pleasant people on the other end of the phone - call them and ask!

For those who missed it ...

Their tables can't hold more than five, except during the prix-fixe family-style meal at the start of the evening, which I recommend to you:

http://www.tailupgoat.com/family-style

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As a follow up, thank you again for the family dinner suggestion, I think that’s the perfect style for this occasion. And it will come as no surprise to anyone that has been to Tail Up Goat that they were extremely accommodating and always go the extra mile to make you feel like you’re part of their family.  

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