Vidalia, Restaurateur Jeff Buben's 20th and M Streets Southern-American Downtown on 20th and M Street - Chef Jayro Cruz Replaces Hamilton Johnson - Closed

[Joe H]

On Wednesday, June 9th I stepped down as chef de cuisine of Vidalia after serving at the downtown destination for six successful years. I am moving on to focus on a number of different projects, including a neighborhood restaurant named Pigtails.

I want to thank Jeffrey and Sallie Buben, owners of Vidalia and Bistro Bis, for their long-time support and providing me the opportunity to work at their esteemed restaurant. Additionally, I credit General Manager Michael Nevarez and the entire Vidalia staff for their continued encouragement during this transition.

I have been preparing for the departure for the past several months and am excited to open my first independent venture. Pigtails’ overall concept will reflect an urban-fine dining cuisine. My interactive 24-course tasting menu that debuted at Vidalia in the spring of 2010 will continue we are currently looking for an independent space. The restaurants will be based in Washington, DC and its name Pigtails pays homage to my favorite ingredient and my four-year old twin daughters. The name for 24 will be Rogue 24.

Any enquires please feel free to email me.

Thank all of you from the DR society for all the support.

RJ Cooper

RJ, I wish you the absolute best and look forward to trying Pigtail's as well as Rogue 24. I should note that I cancelled our reservation (which we spoke about) at Vidalia24. Simply, literally it would not be the same without you directing and participating in it. It was your table, no one else's.

[qwertyy]

Have you sat at the hottest chef's table in DC? If not, what are you waiting for? Chef Cooper has DC turned on its palate! We have openings for Vidalia 24 on the following dates: 6/4 for 4, 6/12 for 6, 6/18 for 2, 6/19 for 6, 6/25 for 5, 6/26 for 6.

On Wednesday, June 9th I stepped down as chef de cuisine of Vidalia after serving at the downtown destination for six successful years. I am moving on to focus on a number of different projects, including a neighborhood restaurant named Pigtails.

I want to thank Jeffrey and Sallie Buben, owners of Vidalia and Bistro Bis, for their long-time support and providing me the opportunity to work at their esteemed restaurant. Additionally, I credit General Manager Michael Nevarez and the entire Vidalia staff for their continued encouragement during this transition.

I have been preparing for the departure for the past several months and am excited to open my first independent venture. Pigtails’ overall concept will reflect an urban-fine dining cuisine. My interactive 24-course tasting menu that debuted at Vidalia in the spring of 2010 will continue we are currently looking for an independent space. The restaurants will be based in Washington, DC and its name Pigtails pays homage to my favorite ingredient and my four-year old twin daughters. The name for 24 will be Rogue 24.

Any enquires please feel free to email me.

Thank all of you from the DR society for all the support.

RJ Cooper

Okay. I'll say it:

I don't know anything about the circumstances behind this move, nor, I imagine, do most folks who aren't in the business. So what are the ethics behind a chef pushing reservations at a chef's table just over a week before departing a restaurant when said departure had been planned for several months?

[kirite]

Okay. I'll say it:

I don't know anything about the circumstances behind this move, nor, I imagine, do most folks who aren't in the business. So what are the ethics behind a chef pushing reservations at a chef's table just over a week before departing a restaurant when said departure had been planned for several months?

This might be a potential story for "The Ethicist" in the NYT Sunday Magazine. Or not. As I have previously posted, we had dinner there three days before his resignation. He had just rolled out several new items and was swinging through the dining room asking for responses.

[RJ Cooper]

Okay. I'll say it:

I don't know anything about the circumstances behind this move, nor, I imagine, do most folks who aren't in the business. So what are the ethics behind a chef pushing reservations at a chef's table just over a week before departing a restaurant when said departure had been planned for several months?

You all shouldn't read to much into this. I have given Vidalia and the Buben's almost six years of incredible service. I enjoyed working with them and the staff past and present. But when you have a great gift they are to good to pass, it's time to take them.

I didnt own Vidalia and I have a different outlook on my future then the Bubens. It was just the right time to depart. Summer is slow and they can use this time to treat the growing pains.

I am an extremely honest and open person ask the question and I will give you an answer, but question my ethics is questioning my philosophies on life, food, friends, and commitment. I have lived up to all.

[qwertyy]

You all shouldn't read to much into this. I have given Vidalia and the Buben's almost six years of incredible service. I enjoyed working with them and the staff past and present. But when you have a great gift they are to good to pass, it's time to take them.

I didnt own Vidalia and I have a different outlook on my future then the Bubens. It was just the right time to depart. Summer is slow and they can use this time to treat the growing pains.

I am an extremely honest and open person ask the question and I will give you an answer, but question my ethics is questioning my philosophies on life, food, friends, and commitment. I have lived up to all.

I wasn't reading into anything at all. On the contrary, I was looking at it utterly superficially. The only things I know about the situation are what I read on this board: a public plea for reservations at a chef's table, several positive responses, and then the surprise departure of said chef. I nearly made a reservation for this, and I would have been really annoyed if I had. That's all.

[DonRocks]

[Let's not have an argument about ethics, please, especially when none of us (other than RJ) are privy to the surrounding situation.]

[Flavortown]

Sadly, based on the lunch I shared with Chaofun yesterday, Vidalia's burger is not quite what it used to be. Sure, it's just about the same in appearance: a mountain of fried onions strings atop a seriously huge burger, and a pile of super thin chips flanking the beast; but beneath the surface, it's just not the same. This time around, the meat was severely compacted, rendering a super dense patty -- even cooked medium rare, the meat wasn't crumbly or loose at all; instead it had a texture that resembled sausage. Beyond that, the flavor of the beef itself didn't really shine through: I couldn't place what it was exactly, but it seems like the kitchen is aggressively seasoning the meat with something other than salt and pepper. The result was that I couldn't even really taste the bacon that topped the burger, or even the cheese -- just that odd flavor that was spread throughout the meat. The crispy onions and the chips were great as usual, but the whole package together just is not worth the $16.50 price tag, nor a special trip out of one's way. Hopefully this was just a fluke, as they were surprisingly busy for lunch, and didn't seem to be expecting such a rush.

[Jimmy Chandler]

Has anyone been for dinner -- not at the bar -- since RJ left? I'd like to know if it's still fit for a special occasion dinner. Vidalia was possibly my top go-to spot while RJ was in charge.

Thanks.

[leleboo]

Has anyone been for dinner -- not at the bar -- since RJ left? I'd like to know if it's still fit for a special occasion dinner. Vidalia was possibly my top go-to spot while RJ was in charge.

We've been with people who've ordered off the full menu in the lounge, and everything has been completely up to snuff -- heard raves about the pork chop, the shrimp and grits, and, as always, the mac'n'cheese side. (OK, that one I tasted, and it was still awesome). The lobster salad -- on the bar and full menus -- was also lovely recently.

[Choirgirl21]

Went for a late lunch today for restaurant week. I can't really compare to before RJ left since my only other experience was years ago, also for RW, but with a large group of friends for my birthday dinner. That meal had some service issues, but was overall very good, but I was very drunk by the end of it and don't think I can recall all of the details at this point.

As for today's meal, it was all excellent. I started with the tagliatelle with mushrooms and veal ragu ($3 upcharge). I don't think this dish will be very memorable for me, but it was really good and had the perfect amount/consistency of sauce for the dish, meaning eat bite had a lovely amount of sauce and virtually none was left in my bowl . My second course was the pork belly, which was served on a bed of cabbage, bacon, and cippolini onions. The piece of pork belly was incredibly generous, especially for lunch and had a wonderful crisped skin on top. There was a heavy thyme note in the cabbage that balanced the fatty richness of the belly quite well. I do wonder - and this is not at all a critique of Vidalia as I've encountered this problem in my own home - when the skin is crisped like that, it becomes very difficult to cut, especially when sitting on top of a very thick pillow-y piece of belly. Should restaurants offer steak knives when serving belly with skin on? I considered asking for one but in the end managed by pulling the skin off and cutting it separately. Dessert was the lemon chess pie, outstanding, and that's coming from a person who wouldn't normally choose dessert if not for RW (although admittedly I am a big fan of lemon desserts much moreso than rich gooey desserts).

My friend had the posole followed by the shrimp and grits ($4 upcharge) - I thought the latter in particular was excellent so it must still be up to par, can't really judge the posole as I only had one bite. He had the pecan pie for dessert, another winner. I don't like pecan pie much at all, way to sticky sweet for my taste, but this was SO GOOD. I mean, so good!

We did tastes of wine with our courses (coffee with dessert) and were generally pleased. Wine prices are obviously high here, but I appreciate that they offer tastes. I especially liked the verdejo I had as my "cocktail".

Service was hit and miss. The pacing was good for lunch and our food was always brought promptly (by food runners in each instance), but there was a long period between when we ordered and when we got our entrees where our server was not only absent from our table, but could not be flagged down despite several attempts. Shortly after ordering we decided to add a side of mac 'n cheese to our entrees, but were never able to. In retrospect I'm glad we didn't because we left STUFFED, but there were other related issues (we weren't checked in on after our apps were delivered and when we were finally able to flag him down, our plates were sitting there totally empty but he walked away without taking them, which I found odd). It struck me as odd b/c it wasn't busy (our rez was at 2:15), but in the end, the issues were minor and didn't affect our meal much.

All in all it was a really satisfying experience (one of the more excellent meals I've had recently in DC outside of restaurants like Restaurant Eve, which I put in a separate category b/c of the price difference), nothing "restaurant week" about it and I would happily go back and pay regular prices based on the quality of food today.

[porcupine]

enjoying the moment, and not worrying about every last detail of what you were going to write on the internet a few days later. It's called "knowing how to enjoy life."

Do I hear an "amen?"

Cheers,

Rocks

Ah, in that case I will post about my experience at Vidalia two weeks ago (not restaurant week). Had the lunch special. Unbelievable quality, shockingly large quantity - more than I usually eat at dinner. Eighteen bucks. Place was almost empty. Hope they keep offering it, but hope they don't fall victim to Lickity Split syndrome.

eta: just thought to check my diet diary: winter squash soup with shrimp, rabbit pot pie, pear/poundcake type dessert, excellent coffee.

[leleboo]

I've now sat here for twenty minutes trying to come up with creative and accurate superlatives for last night's Shenandoah Lamb Loin, shoulder confit, king trumpets, brussels sprouts, pumpkin spaetzle, vadouvan jus ($36), and I just can't. All I know is that my high school best friend (who lives in St. Louis, so we see each other infrequently) and I were talking a mile a minute trying to catch up, and then this arrived, and we each took a bite, and there was an immediate and complete silence while we both attempted to process such perfectly tender lamb on a bed of ridiculously good mushroom/sprout hash. The spaetzle was in long strands, which is unusual to me, but it was flavorful and soaked up all the excellent jus; the shoulder confit would make an incredible sandwich at lunch, hint hint.

I almost never order "real food" at Vidalia; I go to the bar because it's close to my office, I'm friendly with the staff, and their offerings in beer, wine, and liquor are top-notch -- and when I'm there I might get a bar bite, but I generally ignore the big menu. Now? I'm going back for that lamb.

(FWIW, Vidalia is starting a happy hour as of tonight. 5-7 p.m. M-F; all beers except 750s priced at $3.50, some other drink specials, and small plates in addition to the burger and other bar menu items. Yeah, I'm in.)

[Banco]

I had the 20 buck pris fix today for lunch and it has got to be one the best values in town. Just a few impressions: a bisque rich with seafood goodness and delicately laced with Cognac; a roast pork loin done to rosy perfection, and a castello blue served at the perfect temperature with delightful garnishes that put me straight off dowdy Dr. Atkins.

[chaofun]

(FWIW, Vidalia is starting a happy hour as of tonight. 5-7 p.m. M-F; all beers except 750s priced at $3.50, some other drink specials, and small plates in addition to the burger and other bar menu items. Yeah, I'm in.)

This I must check out. Tonight.

[hambone1990]

Hey guys, Hamilton here. New to the Don Rockwell forum and wanted some input on what you guys would like to see on upcoming menus? Old Favorites? New favorites? Let me know!

[hambone1990]

Come by and try the new lamb dish this Saturday......

Seared Lamb loin

-smoked shoulder crepinette, lamb bacon, charred figs, summer squash, goat cheese, arugula pesto..

[DanCole42]

Still one of the best bar lounge deals in the city. Plenty of bar bites hover around the $5 range (pork belly sliders, crab cakes, crayfish hushpuppies {try the sauce!}). The "Buben's Reuben" (Smoked brisket, smoked Gouda, house made sauerkraut, Benton's bacon aioli & caramelized onions on rye) - $16 - may not be traditional, but it's creamy and beefy, and who doesn't love that in a sandwich?

[xdcx]

has anyone been lately? How does it compare to the RJ days (the last time I was there)?

[weinoo]

Last night, after an unsuccessful attempt to check out Boqueria (and with Seamus gone, how necessary is it, really?), Significant Eater and I headed over to Vidalia, conveniently right down the block.

We hadn't been in a long time (well, maybe SE had been once or twice for lunch, since her office is right down the block), but for me it had been well over a year. We grabbed two seats at the bar (no waiting!) and had a couple of glasses of wine while perusing the menus...the full dinner menu is available at the bar, along with the bar menu, and we split our ordering between the two.

We started off with the Pate of the South, a fun name for pimento cheese spread, served with pickled okra and house-made saltines; a nice tasty palate awakener...

Ramps are all over the menu (what a surprise) and the Market Flatbread had roasted ramps on it, so order it we did. Not really my style of flatbread (I prefer a more pizza/focaccia - like dough), we forced ourselves to finish it anyway...

Since we'd ordered a couple of items from the full dinner menu, the kitchen sent out amuses for us to enjoy. A ramp "panna cotta," with radish salad and micro greens was more than just fine...

Our dinner choices included a delicious shrimp agnolotti, with rock shrimp, pea puree and fresh peas...

And, because we had to have it, a jumbo lump crab cake, served on what I'm guessing was a mustardy butter sauce. Whether my guess is right or not, the crab cake was...

Dessert was skipped because earlier in the day we'd treated ourselves to gelato at Dolcezza.

I think Vidalia is still putting out some pretty fine food, and with that southern spin that I certainly can't find in NY. And our bartender/server was as nice as they come.

Still worth plenty of visits, in my opinion.

[liz2041]

We had a great experience at Vidalia a few weeks back. We hadn't been there in well over a year and went sort of on a whim. We have decided to go more often. I should have written more contemporaneously and they don't have a current menu on the website so I can't remember everything, but here are the basics. We did the tasting menu so we got 10 different menu items between us, which was fun and we went all over the map. The major hits were the angolotti, the scallops, the crabcake and the lamb. If they post a menu, I will update but we were not disappointed by any of the servings. I did get a porkchop from the left side of the menu for the main and it was very good but just way too big. I would stick with the right side once you are that far in. Oh and we started with the mac and cheese, well, just because. It was very very good.

The service at the bar was fantastic and we even got a run through the kitchen at the end. It was a bit depressing that there was only one other couple at the bar/in the bar area the whole night. People are missing out.

[DonRocks]

We had a great experience at Vidalia a few weeks back. We hadn't been there in well over a year and went sort of on a whim. We have decided to go more often. I should have written more contemporaneously and they don't have a current menu on the website so I can't remember everything, but here are the basics. We did the tasting menu so we got 10 different menu items between us, which was fun and we went all over the map. The major hits were the angolotti, the scallops, the crabcake and the lamb. If they post a menu, I will update but we were not disappointed by any of the servings. I did get a porkchop from the left side of the menu for the main and it was very good but just way too big. I would stick with the right side once you are that far in. Oh and we started with the mac and cheese, well, just because. It was very very good.

The service at the bar was fantastic and we even got a run through the kitchen at the end. It was a bit depressing that there was only one other couple at the bar/in the bar area the whole night. People are missing out.

Congratulations to Mike Nevarez - Vidalia's GM since the day they opened - who has been promoted to "Director of Operations" of Jeff Buben's three restaurants. Also to Ed Jenks who has been promoted from sommelier to GM. (Ed, I assume you're still sommelier, or did they get extra help there?)

[mtureck]

In other threads, I've discussed some of the best values in Dupont Circle...the sandwiches at Boqueria and the specials at C.F. Folks come to mind...but the $19.90 prix fixe lunch at Vidalia pretty much blows everything else away.

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've walked by the sign advertising the lunch special, but I had never actually tried it until today.

Non-sequitur that'll make sense in a minute: Remember those horrible late night infomercials for Ginsu knives or the like? They'd show you everything you were getting, then tell you what a bargain it was, and that you'd gladly pay $50. "But wait,' they'd scream, "you don't have to pay $50! It's not $40 or even $30! No, you can get all this for the low, low price of $19.99!"

That's how I felt after my meal.

I started with grilled duck tenders on a bed of sliced apples and frisee with a light mystery sauce. (And by mystery, I mean that I don't remember what the menu said it was). Four or five small duck strips cooked to about medium, nicely juicy and flavorful. The apple added a nice sweetness and crunch, and the frisee contributed a bit of texture, which is pretty much all you can ask of frisee.

For the entree, I had swordfish with a bright orange romesco sauce, mussel veloute, and grilled leeks (or possibly endive). This might have been the best dish I've had in a restaurant this year. Absolutely fantastic sauces, and it reminded me that I really like swordfish, which thankfully seems to be back in restaurants now that the overfishing concerns have come and gone.

I ended the meal with a tasty chocolate pound cake with chocolate sauce and cinnamon ice cream.

Really folks, this meal felt like an absolute steal at $19.90. It's a small menu for the prix fixe, three items for each course, with one up-charge in both appetizers and entrees, but that's nitpicking.

If you're around Dupont for lunch, this is where you should be. I was alone at the bar a little after 1:00, so don't worry, there's room for you.

But wait, there's more!

Did I mention the awesome bread basket? Warm onion focaccia, soft yeast rolls and corn bread, with soft butter and a sweet marmalade of some sort. Yum...

[DonRocks]

In other threads, I've discussed some of the best values in Dupont Circle...the sandwiches at Boqueria and the specials at C.F. Folks come to mind...but the $19.90 prix fixe lunch at Vidalia pretty much blows everything else away.

mtureck, it sounds like you impressed them as much as they impressed you ... click.

[petercarrjones]

Excited to hit the lounge happy hour tonight. I assume it's still one of the best "classy" happy hours in the neighborhood.

[petercarrjones]

Can report that Vidalia is still a great "classy happy hour." Pretty good value for great drinks and food. The barbecue shrimp and the crawfish hushpuppies were winners. They had a dark and stormy variation which was way too sweet for me, though my girlfriend enjoyed it. Their sazarac was strong on the absinthe, while I like mine stronger on the peychauds bitters. I think the best deal is probably the beer- great craft drafts at only $3.50.

All the bar stools were full, but it did not feel overwhelmingly busy, even on a Friday night.

[BookGuy]

I was there the other night where guests, who had arrived early, availed themselves of the happy hour menu which they enjoyed. We were in the main dining room taking on shrimp and grits, frogmore stew, and ahi tuna, all excellent but in smaller portions. My experience with Vidalia goes back to its opening when it was much cheaper and the portions were larger and, although as I have aged I tend to eat less, I still thought an extra ounce or two of food wouldn't have been so bad.

[DonRocks]

I haven't reviewed a meal at the great Vidalia in far, far too long. On a frigid, torrential Tuesday before Thanksgiving (when, of course, the parking meter wasn't working and I got soaked), I stepped into Vidalia looking like a wet rat.

"Sommelier" Ed Jenks is now "GM" Ed Jenks.

"GM" Mike Nevarez is now "Director of Operations" Mike Nevarez.

And of course, executing Vidalia's classic southern menu is now Chef Hamilton Johnson.

The bar menu online is from June 4th and is a bit outdated, but my friend stuck with bar bites and got more than his share of food for a whole lot less money than I paid; I was in a more celebratory mood, and wanted to see what this kitchen could do for me, so I went all-out with the Shenandoah Lamb Loin ($36.50), several medallions of loin with perfect fat-to-lean ratio, served with lamb-shoulder truffle bread pudding, scooped balls of butternut squash, fennel marmalade, pear, and lamb jus. A great, satisfying, fully composed dish topped with shavings of black truffle, served in a very Cam-like fashion in that everything was warm, but nothing was hot, and so the top end of the flavor profile was not lopped off. This was an extremely complex, luxurious dish that lost nothing when it slowly fell to room temperature as I nibbled and picked at it over the course of a good 45 minutes - it wasn't a huge portion, and I left comfortably full and not stuffed, as I didn't order an appetizer or dessert.

I've heard for a long time that Chef Johnson had really come into his own in taking control of Vidalia's modern Southern menu, and on this desolate evening (the restaurant was very empty due to the day, the weather, and the week), it was obvious that was the case.

It's hard not to go for the relatively inexpensive Bar Bites (especially when you're sitting at the bar!), but I'm looking forward to seeing more of Chef Johnson's handiwork in the future, and his best work almost surely lies in the more complex plates that challenge him the most.

Kudos also to our wonderful bartender, James, who graciously allowed us to overstay our visit and catch up over a few drinks, after the check was closed and as the staff was trying to clean up and get out early. In no way did we feel rushed or pressured; to the contrary, we were made to feel like family which is remarkable given the confluence of weather, evening, and week. Thank you to Vidalia for making us feel so welcome.

[DonRocks]

Beginning Jul 1, 2015, Vidalia will be open for dinner only.

Lunch (the general situation) has gone from bad to worse in the past ten years - people want to get the hell home at the end of the day; either that, or knock off early and hit happy hour .

I suspect this is marginally related to TakeEatEasy closing.

[mtureck]

Beginning Jul 1, 2015, Vidalia will be open for dinner only.

Lunch (the general situation) has gone from bad to worse in the past ten years - people want to get the hell home at the end of the day; either that, or knock off early and hit happy hour .

I suspect this is marginally related to TakeEatEasy closing.

Noooo!!!!

Best lunch value in the city, though I can't say I'm too surprised since I generally had the bar to myself when I ate there.

I'd say TakeEatEasy was a totally different problem...massive identity crises in a terrible space.

[NolaCaine]

LOVED lunch today. I'm going to miss it.  It's quite, good, and missing a sign out front to let you know you've arrived. Maybe they should try signage before closing down for lunch but what do I know?

Their lovely lunch hostess is looking for a DC-based, preferably day job.

[mtureck]

LOVED lunch today. I'm going to miss it.  It's quite, good, and missing a sign out front to let you know you've arrived. Maybe they should try signage before closing down for lunch but what do I know?

Their lovely lunch hostess is looking for a DC-based, preferably day job.

There's been a sandwich board sign out front for years...they recently took it down.

[DonRocks]

Hamilton Johnson has just announced on Facebook that he has left Vidalia.

He is being replaced by Jayro Cruz.

[mtureck]

Not as exciting as bringing back the full lunch would be, but Vidalia is now doing a series of pop-up lunches on select days. Happens to be Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week, and they're serving BBQ pork sandwiches, with hush puppies and your choice of side for $14.95, either to eat at the bar or to take out. I think they've done fried chicken a few times as well over the past couple weeks.

Minor nit-picks aside (pork could use a bit more smoke, hush puppies a tad less salt, collard greens a bit too sweet), it was a solid meal...I'd go back.

[mr food]

Anyone had dinner recently with the new chef?

[DonRocks]

Anyone had dinner recently with the new chef?

I've heard one largely negative report.

[mr food]

thanks Don!

[NolaCaine]

I'm a little disappointed in my Vidalia visit last night. Some caveats. I am allergic to dairy and nuts so had to ask for altered items.  I also paid this bill myself which probably makes me even more...sensitive to my experience.

First service. Excellent. Even though I did not order a cocktail, there was a little bar cart with a bouncer-sized-suit-wearing man behind it making drinks. Vidalia is fabulous for conversation and I could hear him telling patrons about their drinks and how best to drink them. "sip it a bit and then squeeze the lime into it; I think you'll like the contrast".

Food:
I wanted what I couldn't have, of course. Our waiter  split a nice salad and left the nuts and cheese on the side.  It was fantastic.  I ordered the rockfish and my husband the shrimp and grits. The shrimp was good although had a little too much tarragon or some herb on it.

My dish was a total disappointment.  I liked the roe on top because it added flavor to an otherwise bland dish.  What was the dish you ask? fish, a tiny bit of broth (and I generally love broth) and a few lightly wilted mini spinach leaves.  That's it.

Last night, I woke hungry in the middle of the night and I realized that I didn't have a carb.  I bet there was a buttery carb in the dish originally but they left it out instead of substituting it.  How hard is it to fry a potato in oil.  Look, I hate to be critical of a place I generally enjoy and it's not their fault I can't eat butter but really. $147 and no carb?

Not right.

[Tujague]

I was a bit surprised that Tom Sietsema had Vidalia in his list of restaurants accompanying his report on the DC food scene this week; it seemed to be a sort of slot-filler for "American" or "Southern" or "classic" DC places or something.

[DonRocks]

Michael Navarez, who was essentially the *opening GM* for Vidalia, is going to be relocating to Lynchburg. Think about this: the man who was GM for virtually *the entire existence* of Vidalia is leaving.

Michael, you were great. Lynchburg is still within our purlieu, so please keep me posted as to what you're doing.

It is going to be downright *weird* to go to Vidalia and not see you there.

[Josh Radigan]

I will miss Michael. Our paths have not crossed in many moons but he truly taught me how to be a GM. My years of working for Chef taught me how to see the small details but it was working with Michael while doing doing double duty at Vidalia and Bis the value of ownership. Good luck my friend, see you in the future.

[mtureck]

The good news...Vidalia is doing a full lunch again.

The bad news...the spectacular three course $20 special is gone, replaced by a two course $20 special.

The very bad news...the spectacular bread basket is no longer free. You have to pay $5 for it. No!!!

And the food itself, on my one visit at least, is a bit more uneven than I remember. More muted flavors (under seasoned shrimp and grits, I'm looking at you), and combinations that don't really work (a beautiful and tasty she-crab soup overpowered by celery marmalade).

Still a nice place for lunch, but nowhere near the amazing deal it was a few years and a few pages (page 17 to be exact) ago.

Plus, for a place that really advertises their crab cake, I'm surprised it wasn't part of their two course special...I would have happily paid an up-charge, but was told I could only get it a la carte. Honesty, it might have just been a mistake on the server's part, but I didn't feel like asking up the ladder.

[monsterriffs]

Sad news - Vidalia will be shuttering.

Even though it had been many years since I had gone, Vidalia was the site of some of my first "fancy" meals, which roughly coincided with my joining this community. Though I seem to recall getting shrimp n' grits, it was the petit fours we had one day during a bar lunch that jump to mind with particular force. I think I just felt them to be a wholly classy and elegant to cap a very enjoyable lunch. Adieu, Vidalia.

[DonRocks]

18 hours ago, monsterriffs said:

Sad news - Vidalia will be shuttering.

Even though it had been many years since I had gone, Vidalia was the site of some of my first "fancy" meals, which roughly coincided with my joining this community. Though I seem to recall getting shrimp n' grits, it was the petit fours we had one day during a bar lunch that jump to mind with particular force. I think I just felt them to be a wholly classy and elegant to cap a very enjoyable lunch. Adieu, Vidalia.

It made absolutely no sense that I didn't hear back from Mike Nevarez when I wrote him - now I might know why.

Most of our 1990s James Beard Award Winners are lasting only 20 years (Galileo, Kinkead's, Cashion's Eat Place, Cafe Atlantico, Vidalia)

Q: What's the difference between a "good" restaurant, a "great" restaurant, and a dog?
A: A "great" restaurant has a slightly longer life span.

[Pat]

This was one of my first okay days in a while, and it has now been downgraded.  i'm sad to hear this.  

[Poivrot Farci]

Congratulations to Mr. Hambone, who has worked very hard for a long time with modest fanfare and gets the rare opportunity to call the cherished hall -or in this case basement- of maniacal tutelage, his home. Alain Passard did the same and few have complained.

[Bob Wells]

I have a funny Vidalia story that shows how far DC has come restaurant-wise. When Mrs W and I got married in 1996, we planned a family dinner and settled on Vidalia after having had an excellent meal there. They gave us an extremely hard time over menu options and we finally bailed, but not before I sent a lengthy missive -- by FAX! -- to Jeff Buben explaining in deep detail how they had screwed up and why we were going elsewhere. I got an almost immediate call from the lady I had been dealing with. She was incredibly apologetic, and they ended up treating us and my sister-in-law and her bf to a $250 meal.

The punch line is where we ended up eating: Two Quail! I recall it as being "ok" foodwise, but we had a very nice time.

[DonRocks]

12 hours ago, Poivrot Farci said:

Congratulations to Mr. Hambone, who has worked very hard for a long time with modest fanfare and gets the rare opportunity to call the cherished hall -or in this case basement- of maniacal tutelage, his home. Alain Passard did the same and few have complained.

I, too, am excited for Hamilton (or "Hambone," as his crew calls him), and really look forward to trying Honeysuckle. 

[DonRocks]

Nobody asked me, but:

Saddest Restaurant Closures of 2016

"Don Rockwell, owner, donrockwell.com: 'Vidalia. Do yourselves a favor, and be skeptical of anyone who says otherwise."

---

Thanks to Jeff, Sally, R.J., Hamilton, Mike, Doug, Ed, and the incredible talent that was incubated by arguably the single-most influential restaurateur in Washington, DC history. All good things must end, but this one really hurts.

I will always remember the photo of Jeff walking through the restaurant, carrying a basket full of Vidalia onions, and smiling at the camera. He once told me that it weighed a lot, they needed to do a bunch of takes of that photo, and that he was becoming extremely fatigued towards the end.

In your honor, chef - with R.J. and Doug, you maintained the most-accessible high-level wine program in the Washington, DC area, and were one of only a few restaurants ranked in Bold. Yes, things dropped off a bit towards the end, but Vidalia was still good enough to be ranked #1 in its region, and to be retired, strongly, in Italic. I've had Plume ranked very highly since my first visit, right after they opened, and Michelin correctly awarded them one star this year, but I've *never* had them ranked above Vidalia.