[The Doctor]

Couldn't find any posts on this and I have nothing to report since I've never been, but it looks like they are offering two-for-one dinner entrees Sunday through Wednesday in September:

http://www.riedelsrestaurant.com/

[TedE]

The Doctor, on Sep 9 2005, 02:36 PM, said:

but it looks like they are offering two-for-one dinner entrees Sunday through Wednesday in September

In my experience this has been the anguished, pleading cry of a restaurant in its death throes. Has anybody been recently? Didn't they just "re-model"?

[JLK]

I live nearby and the place looks exactly the same to me.
And Ted, you have a point: when Tom Sietsema is asked in chats "what's the first sign a place is about to go under?" he responds "2 for 1."

[oliveDC]

The story I got was that they opened a few months back in soft mode and were tweaking the menu some in preparation for a grand opening. The promo is part of their official grand opening, I guess to attract some attention.

Has anyone actually been?

[JLK]

My boyfriend and I got takeout, but have never eaten there. The burgers were OK, but the process of getting them was a comedy of errors. Asked for mayo only, no lettuce or tomato; received l&t, no mayo. Asked for no cheese, received cheese. And the service was slooooooow, but friendly.

[bookluvingbabe]

New sign on the door indicating they are renovating and reconcepting toward a "pit barbeque" place with a full bar/limited sit down options and will be back on or before October 10th.

[bookluvingbabe]

October 11th--I'm sitting here with the phone to my ear, hoping they will answer and tell me they have re-opened. So far it's been 2 minutes with no answer.

Thwarted again...

Dinner will be an assortment of leftovers instead....

Sigh.

Jennifer

[Camille-Beau]

bookluvingbabe, on Oct 11 2005, 06:02 PM, said:

October 11th--I'm sitting here with the phone to my ear, hoping they will answer and tell me they have re-opened.  So far it's been 2 minutes with no answer.

Thwarted again...

Dinner will be an assortment of leftovers instead....

Sigh.

Jennifer

Drove past it this evening -- everything dark, shuttered...

[tastedc]

Riedel - a very expensive crystal wine tasting glass used by the "wine cognoscenti" or very rich folk...Riedel a BBQ restaurant, c'mon down y'all we're havin' a square dance later, but right now, we gettin' us some fixin's...Which is it? Maybe the concept is a bit confused in a neighborhood that has not proven to be a Foodie Haven? Schlotzky's is pretty good though, I mean if you really LIKE a chain of Muffaletta copying fast food deli sandwiches - weird bread though!

[JLK]

The sign on Riedel's front door re: the "renovation" is now gone. Doesn't look like much is going on inside.

[bookluvingbabe]

It was very dark when we drove past this evening.

Edited to add on Tuesday: Just called now--person who answered didn't know when they were reopening... The owner wasn't in. Sigh. It's sad how little there is to eat around Van Ness that I've become obsessed with the reopening...

Jennifer

This post has been edited by bookluvingbabe: 25 October 2005 - 04:04 PM

[pnut89]

The place was named after the owner; it is just a coincidence that he shares a name with the glassware.

Using the word "was" is not by accident, as the place isn't reopening (per the chef).

[JLK]

To my Van Ness neighbors: wouldn't it be nice to have approval rights over what takes over this space? Ah...it's great to dream.

We'll probably get stuck with more dreck. Another horrible Chinese restaurant. Another chain to go along with the oh-so-popular KFC/Taco Bell combo.

[bookluvingbabe]

JLK, on Nov 15 2005, 12:39 PM, said:

To my Van Ness neighbors:  wouldn't it be nice to have approval rights over what takes over this space?  Ah...it's great to dream. 

We'll probably get stuck with more dreck.  Another horrible Chinese restaurant.  Another chain to go along with the oh-so-popular KFC/Taco Bell combo.

It's just bleak.... We certainly supported Riedel's and would support something else that was new, original and tasty. Give us a Two Amy's, a Dino or a Buck's. We'd be there once a week at least!

The options for a quick dinner or carryout just aren't there and I hate having to find parking and fight traffic if I want to go down to Cleveland Park or up Connecticut Avenue... I was out of town last week and Mr. BLB ordered a sub sandwich from Besta Pizza! That's just sad....

I note that the coffee place up by the car wash still hasn't opened. I haven't tried the new place next to Charlie Changs but it doesn't look that appealing.

Sigh...

Jennifer