[schnyder]

They have much better beer -- Sierra Nevada on draft for one -- but sometimes I just crave that American beer (Schlitz, Budweiser, etc.) experience.

How much? No idea, my brother-in-law picked up the check. And with no menus or prices on the board, no telling much it all cost. Sometime ignorance really is bliss.

[monavano]

PBR= Pabst Blue Ribbon??
Just free associating here....keggers.....lots of foam.....pumping the tap....lots of foam...got beer??

[Joe H]

While Comet has very good pizza it has absolutely nothing in common with anywhere in New Haven that I am familiar with. I not ethis because of Don's reference to "New Haven style" which I feel is misleading.

This post has been edited by Joe H: 10 November 2006 - 08:01 PM

[ferment everything]

monavano, on Nov 10 2006, 05:57 PM, said:

PBR= Pabst Blue Ribbon??
Just free associating here....keggers.....lots of foam.....pumping the tap....lots of foam...got beer??

correct. and yes, it's a hipster standby, but mostly because it's real cheap and it's not bud/miller/coors so the hipsters have an icon to latch on to. a buddy is reporting that olympia is now being sold at a few bars in LA, and it has the same appeal: cheap, and unconventional, with a sense of history that doesn't seem to be at all connected to the current brewers in any way but by name.

[hm212]

I cannot believe a pizza place does not open for lunch. Now you know why dinner is so expensive, they are trying to get two meals of revenue in one.

[Heather]

hm212, on Nov 11 2006, 07:22 AM, said:

I cannot believe a pizza place does not open for lunch. Now you know why dinner is so expensive, they are trying to get two meals of revenue in one.

I wondered about that myself (after paying $7 for a bowl of lettuce ). Do they have any plans to open for lunch?

[Jonathan]

Joe H, on Nov 10 2006, 07:40 PM, said:

While Comet has very good pizza it has absolutely nothing in common with anywhere in New Haven that I am familiar with. I not ethis because of Don's reference to "New Haven style" which I feel is misleading.

and the drum beat grows louder...

[DonRocks]

Joe H, on Nov 10 2006, 07:40 PM, said:

While Comet has very good pizza it has absolutely nothing in common with anywhere in New Haven that I am familiar with. I note this because of Don's reference to "New Haven style" which I feel is misleading.

Fair enough, and I've been meaning to change the title. When I asked her, Carole told me that it's really "New Haven 'influenced,'" meaning she wanted to use a very hot oven, and a thin crust that cooks quickly, in as little as 90 seconds if the oven gets hot enough. Coal ovens are illegal unless there's grandfathering. She drew much of her inspiration from Pepe's.

Cheers,
Rocks.

[JeffC]

We had our first Comet pizza last night--mine was topped with smoked mushrooms and pepperoni, hers with olives. The pizza was excellent--thin crust, just enough crunch and char, and--despite what I've read from others--the tomato sauce was sufficient. We both agreed that this gives 2 Amys a run for its money, but the pizza needs to be about a third again larger.

My wife got the house salad--seven bucks for that little bowl of lettuce is larceny, no matter how good the dressing is--but now we know. We split the wonderfully decadent chocolate cake, so next time we'll skip the salad and double the cake.

We'll definitely be back.

[butternut]

I do miss New Haven pizza... My favorites included Sally's red pies covered with veggies, Pepe's white pies with clams, bacon, and garlic, and I must admit, even BAR/Bru Room (on Crown St) pies topped with mashed potato. (Quick props for Sally's incredible staff--they once wandered along Wooster Square with a flashlight to help me find the rental car keys I'd stupidly dropped!)

Can't say I've yet developed such a fondness for Comet pizza. Maybe it was an off night when they were still working out the kinks, but when I stopped in a couple weekends ago, the pizza crust was extremely tough and the portions quite small. That plus a gamut of service issues just left a bad taste in my mouth. Unfortunate, because I had been eagerly waiting for this place to open since first catching wind of it on the DR boards. Hopefully, the next visit (if it happens) will be much better!

[schnyder]

They could use a sign out front. Not that I want it more crowded. I'm just saying...

[hillvalley]

schnyder, on Nov 9 2006, 04:39 PM, said:

As I said, I liked this place and will go back. It's not 2 Amys as it's not really for kids. When we bring the kids, we'll do 2 Amy's.

I wouldn't hesitate to bring kids to Comet. Granted it's a little dark inside, but the restaurant seems very kid friendly.

I agree that the pizza's should be a bit bigger. It doesn't take a lot to fill me up (I rarely finish a 2 Amy's pie) but Comet left me hungry and two hours later I am ready for a late night snack. Besides that I am a big fan. They are clearly using high quality ingredients, the crust has great flavor, and I have never enjoyed a white pizza as much as Comet's. Add garlic and melted onions and you have an excellent pie.

[DLB]

This is funny from Tom's chat today.

Quote

When she came back with our salads we both stared at my husband?s salad. Mine was a very basic overly dressed but edible Caesar and my husbands was 6 pieces of bibb lettuce. He asked the waitress if this was the Greek salad. She said it was the House salad. Which, he did not order but that was beside the point by now. While she was at the table he peaked under the lettuce to see if there were any tomatoes, cucumbers etc and all he found were 6 pieces of untorn lettuce and some dressing on the side. He laughed and playfully asked how much it cost and she replied that it was $6 or so. So, he said, Ah, so that makes it $1 per piece of lettuce? So, his comment/question was a little unnecessary but not horrible. She said I guess or something and walked away. No one was angry, loud or belittling in this entire exchange. In fact, we thought it was kind of funny.

As we were about to eat, a man, who it turns out was the owner, swooped in and grabbed the bowl of lettuce and the dressing out from under my husband?s hands (literally) and walked briskly away. He did not say a word. He never asked if we wanted anything else, another salad, etc. I waited to eat my salad thinking that something else would be delivered or that our waitress would come and explain but no one came over to us for a while. We were not charged for his salad and received our pizzas but I have never had that happen EVER. If we had been loud and obnoxious I guess that could have provided some sort of justification for the owner acting so rudely but we were not.

This is a casual pizza place where the food is not that good and the prices are way too high for what they are serving up but I want to like it because I love pizza and want a place I can walk to and relax, kick back, look 8 months pregnant and not worry that maternity clothing is not always the hippest garb. I have told many friends about our experiences there and they have had similar issues. So disappointing

[cheezepowder]

Not so much the Ask Tom poster's issue, but I would add to Tom's response that they really should put prices on the menu board, if they haven't already.

[Heather]

Only $6? They've reduced the price since I was there.

And I agree that the prices should be posted. No sticker shock that way.

[synaesthesia]

From the reader's description, my personal disappointing service experience and the lack of price posting, there's almost an air of exclusivity and unfriendlyness. It's embarassing to ask what the prices are, as if we're supposed to just know.

[mdt]

synaesthesia, on Nov 15 2006, 03:15 PM, said:

From the reader's description, my personal disappointing service experience and the lack of price posting, there's almost an air of exclusivity and unfriendlyness. It's embarassing to ask what the prices are, as if we're supposed to just know.

If they posted the prices that people are quoting here many would probably just turn around and walk out.

[synaesthesia]

mdt, on Nov 15 2006, 03:23 PM, said:

If they posted the prices that people are quoting here many would probably just turn around and walk out.

Well that just fits with the adage... if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

[davidphotek]

First posting on DR. . I've been lurking for a while . I went about two weeks ago with my girlfriend. A few things - Pizza was good, but a little pricey for the size. We each had a whole one to ourselves. Ping pong in the back is great fun, and the place has a cool industrial feel to it. When I was there, the Comet sign was not up inside and I asked one of the waiters about it, but he seemed unaware that there was a sign. So . . my pizza came sans the peppercini topping. When I sent it back, the cook just chopped some up and served it back cold. There were several teen to early twenties staffing the front of the house. While we were finishing our meal (with Sierra Neveda and red wine), the staff all started huddling around for free pizza at the cook's service porch. (Not sure what this is called). They were all eating standing up and continued to operate the register like so . (Health code violation ?) Anyway it seemed like there was no real "manager" for the place (It was a Wed. night). But - - When James (co-owner) came in with a private party of friends, everyone snapped to attention and service went from a 2 to a 10. At the end, my girlfriend complained about the cold toppings to the waiter who seemed to be the most senior. He was very nice and understanding but eluded to the fact that the chef was a bit of a problem (or shall we say "indepedent thinker"). I hope they find a chef with more pride in his work to replace him. The bill was about $50 dollars for two pizzas and 4 drinks.

[brr]

welcome david - nice first post!

[legant]

My $0.02: went the other night, for the first time. Unfortunately, you can’t see the menu board from the bar; the board is perpendicular to the bar. Makes ordering a bit difficult. Another bone of contention: Comet doesn’t serve coffee or tea with dessert. Yet Politics & Prose does.

[Waitman]

I went to 2 Amy's last week and Comet this week. Comet has a lot of problems. 2 Amys is at this point the better restaurant. But Comet's pizza kicked 2 Amy's pizza's ass.

[DonRocks]

Waitman, on Nov 21 2006, 09:08 PM, said:

I went to 2 Amy's last week and Comet this week. Comet has a lot of problems. 2 Amys is at this point the better restaurant. But Comet's pizza kicked 2 Amy's pizza's ass.

More importantly, I'm still undefeated.

[alan7147]

Waitman, on Nov 21 2006, 09:08 PM, said:

I went to 2 Amy's last week and Comet this week. Comet has a lot of problems. 2 Amys is at this point the better restaurant. But Comet's pizza kicked 2 Amy's pizza's ass.

I 150% totally disagree with you on this, but to each his own

[schnyder]

Heather, on Nov 22 2006, 06:25 AM, said:

What did you have?

I have been to 2 Amy's, Comet, and Pizzaria Paradiso in the last month, and Comet was the clear winner. PP didn't impress me at all, and my 2 Amy's pie was terrible.

PP is not what it used to be. Disappointing the last time we went.

2 Amy's can be excellent, and there's a nice variety of kinds of pizza. Plus it's better for kids.

But I loved Comet for its crispy crust and unique atmosphere. It's like I'm home from college at a friend's basement. I'm grown up, but still like PBR and don't have kids to worry about. Pure escapism on a thin crust.

[eating out]

DonRocks, on Nov 21 2006, 09:32 PM, said:

More importantly, I'm still undefeated.

True, but perhaps not for long.

[youngfood]

The sign is up! It'd be easier to miss Bucks, than Comet now.

Let me add myself to those proclaiming Comet's New Haven-influenced style pizza to be their favorite in town. We tried pies with smoked mozz, smoked shrooms, pepperoni, and onions and both were great. Fantastic thin, crisp, lightly charred crust. I didn't think the pie pricing was so outrageous ($11 and $12), though they were definitely the two smallest pizzas I've ever seen. I wonder if they will eventually offer personal and LARGE sizes? Blue Moon and Old Dominion Amber were on tap (and I think I saw kegs of OD Ale and Allagash lying around, perhaps to replace them). $6 a pint is a bit much for a divy pizza joint though. I thought the atmosphere was great and service was all we needed it to be. The bathrooms do seem like they're going to have to be labelled eventually, as surely the staff will tire of walking newcomers to the back room and surely some women will tire of walking in on or being walked in on by men.

And I'm no longer undefeated, though if Rocks had to play against my girlfriend five times last night I have no doubt his streak wouldn't have lasted through the evening either! It was a blast to play though.

[ol_ironstomach]

I'd previously overlooked the analogy to Terry Gilliam's Brazil upthread, but there's something strangely appropriate about it, as though Comet pizza were an outpost of a post-apocalyptic wood-fired culture based on somebody's photos of a dollhouse. There are no fresnel lenses separating you from your food, but the tiny "ping pong" tabletops DO make the pizza look a little larger. I was told that, save for the ceiling beams and trusses, all of the welded tables, seating and lighting fixtures were the brainchild of GM Alefantis, and the tongue-and-groove floor planks used in the benches were a serendipitous find.

Also unexpected is the weird feeling that you're talking to the wrong person, when the server looks more like they just wandered in from the cold outdoors than any of the diners do. Come to think of it, I knew more about the beers and toppings than my server did on my first visit, and that's not saying much. Maybe that was their sop to the film's slogan "familiarity breeds suspicion".

The pizza is very good, if miniscule...a little smaller than what I knock out at home for lunch. The flavorful crust leans heavily towards the chewy side, but is well-baked with some blackened bubbles here and there. I tried a red pizza with "melted onions" and the recently-added merguez, and it was a great combo, with a thin red slick of spicy oil spreading out from the merguez pieces.

Trouble is, DC is a lousy pizza town, so there isn't much pressure to improve the value. This kind of money would get you easily twice as much first-rate pizza at any of NYC's finest except for Franny's.

[Joe H]

Joe H, on Oct 21 2006, 10:51 PM, said:

This is not going to be the post/comment/review that I had expected to make; especially since I first heard about Comet's planned opening a year ago and their intention to make a "New Haven" style pizza. I love New Haven pizza.

...

They make a very good pie for whatever it's source is. But it is not New Haven. It is Connecticut avenue. A long way from New Haven. Or Napoli.

From today's Tom Sietsema Chat: " What's your prediction for this place? Will people put up with this nonsense? Will they clean up their act and be a wild success? Or will they flop?

Tom Sietsema: The neighborhood desperately wants Comet to succeed. So far, I'm not getting great feedback about either the food or the service. When you're just doing one thing, though, you really ought to do it well, right?"

Speaking for only myself (not Tom) I believe that I may not be alone in feeling that this is the least user friendly restaurant in the entire D. C. area. It is a shame since the pizza and the ambience have potential. But my wife and I have not been back since my post above from October 21. It was not a good experience then. (We drove directly to Bebo to "finish dinner.") I have followed the various reports of others since our visit. Based on several of them and the comment in Tom's Chat Comet does not seem to be attempting to endear itself to anyone who comes in its door. It would seem that with so many sources for criticism/review/comment they might have learned a bit before the official Post review. I hope that someone alerts them to the comments on here, Chowhound and also the Chat. Some things can still be corrected before it's too late.

[Waitman]

Comet is totally user-friendly. But it's a joint. It's supposed to be a joint. If you want to go to a restaurant and not a joint, don't go to Comet, you'll have a bad time. If you're a self-important Ward 3 Caucasiana-dwelling yuppie writing to Tom Sietsema, you'll have a bad time. Me, I always have a good time. I'm saving my pennies for a long night of cheap wine and expensive pizza sometime during the fourth week of Advent, when I'm supposed to be at some sucky "holiday" party with catered hors d'oeuvres and rail gin.

Yeah, the service is a little haphazard, but it's always friendly and when they screw up, they give you free stuff without giving you a hard time. On the other hand, they have free ping-pong tables in the back and their idea of interior design is to put a bunch of paint on the walls and then belt-sand it off. If ever a joint was "what you see is what you get," Comet's that joint.

I say, party on Garth Jamie.

[hillvalley]

Waitman, on Nov 29 2006, 10:08 PM, said:

On the other hand, they have free ping-pong tables in the back and their idea of interior design is to put a bunch of paint on the walls and then belt-sand it off. If ever a joint was "what you see is what you get," Comet's that joint.

I say, party on Garth Jamie.

The photo montage on the wall across from the bar is of local farmers. For those of you who frequent the markets, take a moment and look at the photos, you'll find some familiar faces.

[Waitman]

hillvalley, on Nov 29 2006, 10:12 PM, said:

The photo montage on the wall across from the bar is of local farmers. For those of you who frequent the markets, take a moment and look at the photos, you'll find some familiar faces.

yeah, whenever I want to get Stephanie in the mood I feed her rum beneath Toigo's picture. It makes me feel a little dirty, but it works.

[synaesthesia]

Waitman, on Nov 29 2006, 10:08 PM, said:

Comet is totally user-friendly. But it's a joint. It's supposed to be a joint. If you want to go to a restaurant and not a joint, don't go to Comet, you'll have a bad time. If you're a self-important Ward 3 Caucasiana-dwelling yuppie writing to Tom Sietsema, you'll have a bad time.

I dun know... even as a yuppie I might not be happy with this... if it's true - quoted from user review on WaPo

Quote

3. One of the owners of the restaurant nearly seated a party ahead of us because they were his friends, and told us that even though we had been waiting first, "it doesn't matter ... I'm the owner." - lisagsch

Unless it was tongue in cheek... and don't get me wrong here. I REALLY WANT to like this place, because I'm a Ward 3er.

[Heather]

Waitman, on Nov 29 2006, 10:08 PM, said:

Comet is totally user-friendly. But it's a joint. It's supposed to be a joint.

The concept might have an easier time of it in Mt. Pleasant than in upper NW.

[Joe H]

Waitman, on Nov 29 2006, 10:08 PM, said:

Comet is totally user-friendly. But it's a joint. It's supposed to be a joint. If you want to go to a restaurant and not a joint, don't go to Comet, you'll have a bad time. If you're a self-important Ward 3 Caucasiana-dwelling yuppie writing to Tom Sietsema, you'll have a bad time. Me, I always have a good time. I'm saving my pennies for a long night of cheap wine and expensive pizza sometime during the fourth week of Advent, when I'm supposed to be at some sucky "holiday" party with catered hors d'oeuvres and rail gin.

Yeah, the service is a little haphazard, but it's always friendly and when they screw up, they give you free stuff without giving you a hard time. On the other hand, they have free ping-pong tables in the back and their idea of interior design is to put a bunch of paint on the walls and then belt-sand it off. If ever a joint was "what you see is what you get," Comet's that joint.

I say, party on Garth Jamie.

I went into a great deal of detail in my earlier "review" of Comet from October 21 with specific criticism of the pizza (tomato "sauce" is squirted from a plastic bottle, etc.) as well as a number of points that I felt they should consider. Rockwell eliminated most of the text but this is particularly relevant to your comments:

"There are no prices listed anywhere-although the metal framed blackboard used to list the pizza options is copied from Pepe's. A carafe of decent Chianti was a surprising $26.00. We also wondered why they didn't open earlier than 6:15, not at the announced 6:00PM. Perhaps they should have a sign outside-any sign to let someone driving, even walking by know what this place is. They might also answer their phone with the name of the restaurant rather than just "hello-" when they decide to answer which is not very often in the daytime. Of course when they don't answer there is no recording. Frankly, it almost seems like an affectation of sorts to me that this restaurant has no sign, opens later than announced, rarely answers their phone in off hours (while regular hours are shorter) and doesn't list their prices anywhere.)"

Whether a joint or a restaurant a bit of consideration to the public would go a long way.

[schnyder]

Joe H, on Nov 29 2006, 11:58 PM, said:

I went into a great deal of detail in my earlier "review" of Comet from October 21 with specific criticism of the pizza (tomato "sauce" is squirted from a plastic bottle, etc.) as well as a number of points that I felt they should consider. Rockwell eliminated most of the text but this is particularly relevant to your comments:

"There are no prices listed anywhere-although the metal framed blackboard used to list the pizza options is copied from Pepe's. A carafe of decent Chianti was a surprising $26.00. We also wondered why they didn't open earlier than 6:15, not at the announced 6:00PM. Perhaps they should have a sign outside-any sign to let someone driving, even walking by know what this place is. They might also answer their phone with the name of the restaurant rather than just "hello-" when they decide to answer which is not very often in the daytime. Of course when they don't answer there is no recording. Frankly, it almost seems like an affectation of sorts to me that this restaurant has no sign, opens later than announced, rarely answers their phone in off hours (while regular hours are shorter) and doesn't list their prices anywhere.)"

Whether a joint or a restaurant a bit of consideration to the public would go a long way.

The big COMET neon is now up. I love this place, but I gotta complain...

Last night, driving home from a banquet dinner that had nothing to offer my wife to eat, we decided to stop at Comet for a pizza and a PBR. After all, it was only 9:40 pm. We walk in, all the tables are empty, but there are about 15-20 people hanging around the bar. A nice young waiter stopped us and said, "Sorry, kitchen's closed." Sure enough, you can see the kitchen workers breaking down and cleaning up. It's 9:40!! I'm not asking for NYC hours where you can get anything anytime, but 9:40??!! Is this an early-bird-special-only joint catering to the retirement homes up and down Connecticut? No, it's a pizza joint! Very disappointing.

[giant shrimp]

Joe H, on Oct 21 2006, 10:51 PM, said:

On a Saturday night at 7:30 with the restaurant half full we left hungry. The pies are small. Very small if you don't eat the half inch thick edges of the crust.

you should eat your crust. it's good and even has salt on it. also, the pizzas seem to have expanded a bit in size, are more consistently oval and cut into more pieces than they were earlier on. polkadot charring looks like art. i believe the owners are still working on comet. at least that's what they appeared to be doing last sunday night when buck's was unexpectedly closed (maybe also because of the holiday weekend). the garden salad, by the way, was nothing to complain about, with baby lettuces and a pickled carrot slice (also some stray autumn foliage). i think comet is pretty much doing the one thing it's doing well -- but it's not easy to describe exactly what that one thing is and i am surprised how oblivious people can be to what a radical place this really is. how well take it or leave it plays at the boxoffice is a different matter.

[Waitman]

Joe H, on Nov 29 2006, 11:58 PM, said:

I went into a great deal of detail in my earlier "review" of Comet from October 21 with specific criticism of the pizza (tomato "sauce" is squirted from a plastic bottle, etc.) as well as a number of points that I felt they should consider. Rockwell eliminated most of the text but this is particularly relevant to your comments:

"There are no prices listed anywhere-although the metal framed blackboard used to list the pizza options is copied from Pepe's. A carafe of decent Chianti was a surprising $26.00. We also wondered why they didn't open earlier than 6:15, not at the announced 6:00PM. Perhaps they should have a sign outside-any sign to let someone driving, even walking by know what this place is. They might also answer their phone with the name of the restaurant rather than just "hello-" when they decide to answer which is not very often in the daytime. Of course when they don't answer there is no recording. Frankly, it almost seems like an affectation of sorts to me that this restaurant has no sign, opens later than announced, rarely answers their phone in off hours (while regular hours are shorter) and doesn't list their prices anywhere.)"

Whether a joint or a restaurant a bit of consideration to the public would go a long way.

By dint of having two of them, I am often forced into the company of teenagers and the riff-raff with whom they associate. They do funny things with their hair. They pierce parts of their bodies that I don't think should be pierced. They wear jeans that would be rejected out of hand should someone try to give them to a homeless person. Their slang, their music and their phone manners are largely foreign and occasionally obnoxious to me. And please don't ask me to text someone.

So I have a choice. I can be a cranky old geezer bitching that they're just not the way I think they should be (all that money at Brooks Brothers -- wasted) and rant to newspaper columnist about their appearance. Or, I can set back, watch them do their thing with an air of detached bemusement and even a bit of appreciation for the style they "affect" and discover that they are in fact charming, witty and almost always surprisingly (given the piercings and hair colors) polite.

In others words, I can want something to be the way I think it should be, because that's the way things have always been. Or I can remember that a little change and diversity is almost always a good thing, accept other people's visions rather than imposing mine, and enjoy the ride without getting my knickers in a twist about their phone manners.

As long as they put out a decent pie which, by the way, my kids do.

[silentbob]

I dunno, that sounds like a long-winded way of saying that indifferent/bad service is excusable -- even "charming" -- as long as the food is very good (and the consensus does seem to be that the pizza here is all that).

It seems hard to imagine that we would go out of our way to rationalize poor service at a place where the food is mediocre/bad. Some may even say that the two go hand-in-hand. But at a restaurant where the food is great, then the bad service suddenly becomes one of its quirks!

Reasonable minds can disagree on the quality of service at Comet, but I think bad service shoud be called out as bad service, period. Not excused. Whether the quality of food nonetheless justifies a visit is, IMO, a completely separate issue.

[Waitman]

I'm not excusing bad service because I don't think it is bad service. Casual, informal, relaxed, post-modern, even mediocre -- whatever you want to call it. I've had significantly worse service at significantly "better" restaurants and am quite a bitch about service issues. Maybe it's Chevy Chase's answer to Bistro du Coin . If they're a little raggedy around the edges, so be it. They have been polite, responsive and enthusiastic to me.

If people are getting their knickers in a twist about the menu board, Comet is probably not their speed and they should consider an amicable parting of ways.

ETA: There are places where management sends in secret shoppers to make sure the host acknowledges you within 90 seconds, the drinks contain exactly 1.675 ounzes of bourbon and the waiter introduces themsleves by name, kneals beside your table and tries to sell you bottled water and dessert. The staffs wear pressed button downs, matching aprons, bright smiles and well-mannered hair. Their signs are always lit, their laminated menues lavishly illustrated and you can can an extra side of cheesy chili fries for only $1.99.

I hate those places.

[alan7147]

Waitman, on Nov 29 2006, 10:08 PM, said:

Comet is totally user-friendly. But it's a joint. It's supposed to be a joint. If you want to go to a restaurant and not a joint, don't go to Comet, you'll have a bad time. If you're a self-important Ward 3 Caucasiana-dwelling yuppie writing to Tom Sietsema, you'll have a bad time.
I say, party on Garth Jamie.

So do we need to live in Mt. Pleasant to have a good time here? I live in Bethesda(which I am sure meets your criteria for Caucasiana-dwelling yuppie) and have had a good time.

[Mrs. B]

Waitman, on Nov 30 2006, 11:29 AM, said:

I'm not excusing bad service because I don't think it is bad service. Casual, informal, relaxed, post-modern, even mediocre -- whatever you want to call it. I've had significantly worse service at significantly "better" restaurants and am quite a bitch about service issues. Maybe it's Chevy Chase's answer to Bistro du Coin . If they're a little raggedy around the edges, so be it. They have been polite, responsive and enthusiastic to me.

I think you are reaching a bit here buddy. I kind of think that getting the order royally screwed up constitutes bad service even if they did bend over backwards to apologize. You know I love this place but lets not let it become our sacred cow.

[Waitman]

Quote

--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mrs. B @ Nov 30 2006, 11:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
I think you are reaching a bit here buddy. I kind of think that getting the order royally screwed up constitutes bad service even if they did bend over backwards to apologize.

And a free replacement arrived within minutes. And we gleefully devoured the screw-up, too.

Quote

(Mrs. B @ Nov 30 2006, 11:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
You know I love this place but lets not let it become our sacred cow.

Fair enough. (Cuts and runs).

[jparrott]

Waito, would you love it less if the menu had prices on it?

[giant shrimp]

jparrott, on Nov 30 2006, 11:50 AM, said:

Waito, would you love it less if the menu had prices on it?

what menu?

[Pat]

Waitman, on Nov 30 2006, 11:29 AM, said:

I'm not excusing bad service because I don't think it is bad service. Casual, informal, relaxed, post-modern, even mediocre -- whatever you want to call it. I've had significantly worse service at significantly "better" restaurants and am quite a bitch about service issues. Maybe it's Chevy Chase's answer to Bistro du Coin . If they're a little raggedy around the edges, so be it. They have been polite, responsive and enthusiastic to me.

If people are getting their knickers in a twist about the menu board, Comet is probably not their speed and they should consider an amicable parting of ways.

ETA: There are places where management sends in secret shoppers to make sure the host acknowledges you within 90 seconds, the drinks contain exactly 1.675 ounzes of bourbon and the waiter introduces themsleves by name, kneals beside your table and tries to sell you bottles water and dessert. The staffs wear pressed button downs, matching aprons, bright smiles and well-mannered hair. Their signs are always lit, their laminated menues lavishly illustrated and you can can an extra side of cheesy chili fries for only $1.99.

I hate those places.

I haven't been to Comet yet, as I rarely get to that part of the city, but watching this discussion and others on the board, it's seems that this is part of a (I hate to call it) trend of sorts in which restauranteurs are reclaiming restaurants for their own vision and not adhering to conventional standards of what people expect (e.g., not keeping regular hours and answering the phone). It seems a natural progression from the impression I have of Buck's and places like Colorado Kitchen, the two Rays, and new Eammon's and PX (maybe even Bebo). You get what you get: a joint or a speakeasy, a place where reservations are taken only under certain circumstances and the menu changes a lot, a place where they they have limited food options and may run out before you get there. It's anti-"fine dining" and taking all this food stuff too seriously. I'm probably cluelessly stating the obvious here.

And before I submit this, I think the whole notion that I haven't been there because I don't live in that part of the city is part of this phenomenon as well. It's a reassertion of the neighborhood restaurant, a place you're not going to drive 30 miles out of your way to get to. It might be closed. They might be out of what want to eat.

[mdt]

Pat, on Nov 30 2006, 12:26 PM, said:

I haven't been to Comet yet, as I rarely get to that part of the city, but watching this discussion and others on the board, it's seems that this is part of a (I hate to call it) trend of sorts in which restauranteurs are reclaiming restaurants for their own vision and not adhering to conventional standards of what people expect (e.g., not keeping regular hours and answering the phone). It seems a natural progression from the impression I have of Buck's and places like Colorado Kitchen, the two Rays, and new Eammon's and PX (maybe even Bebo). You get what you get: a joint or a speakeasy, a place where reservations are taken only under certain circumstances and the menu changes a lot, a place where they they have limited food options and may run out before you get there. It's anti-"fine dining" and taking all this food stuff too seriously. I'm probably cluelessly stating the obvious here.

And before I submit this, I think the whole notion that I haven't been there because I don't live in that part of the city is part of this phenomenon as well. It's a reassertion of the neighborhood restaurant, a place you're not going to drive 30 miles out of your way to get to. It might be closed. They might be out of what want to eat.

I don't see how any of the places above (my emphasis), save maybe CK, are like what has been described at Comet. Maybe you should venture out and try some, they are open during their advertised hours, save maybe an emergency that has happened at CK. But to call out those places based on your impression is worth about as much as the paper it is printed on.

[Mrs. B]

I would say that the FOH lacks polish and professionalism at this time but has abundent enthusiasm and good humor. That makes up for a lot in a joint as opposed to a "fine dining establishment" though by no means excuses it.

[Pat]

mdt, on Nov 30 2006, 01:05 PM, said:

I don't see how any of the places above (my emphasis), save maybe CK, are like what has been described at Comet. Maybe you should venture out and try some, they are open during their advertised hours, save maybe an emergency that has happened at CK. But to call out those places based on your impression is worth about as much as the paper it is printed on.

I'm not sure what you mean by "calling out," but my comments weren't intended to be negative. It actually seems to me to be a deliberate move on the part of restauranteurs to be reclaiming something. I don't think that's a negative point.

I can't call the service at Comet good or bad since I haven't been there. I'm sure it's frustrating to people who have been there and have thought they've gotten bad service or an experience not worth what they've paid, but people tend to have different expectations for neighborhood places vs. destination restaurants. That's part of what I was getting at in what I wrote.

[Waitman]

Pat, on Nov 30 2006, 12:26 PM, said:

It seems a natural progression from the impression I have of Buck's and places like Colorado Kitchen, the two Rays, and new Eammon's and PX (maybe even Bebo).

mdt, on Nov 30 2006, 01:05 PM, said:

I don't see how any of the places above (my emphasis), save maybe CK, are like what has been described at Comet. Maybe you should venture out and try some, they are open during their advertised hours, save maybe an emergency that has happened at CK. But to call out those places based on your impression is worth about as much as the paper it is printed on.

You are correct, the cases are completely different. At Ray's the Stakes, they ask you to finish in 90 minutes during busy periods. At Comet, it may take you 90 minutes just to get your drinks.

Let me take moment, not to re-engage on Comet, but to stick up for Pat. I think what Pat was saying is that we are (in our view) fortunate to have a few reaturanteurs in our midst with an ideosynchratic eye and the confidence to say "take me or leave me." The result is restaurants that, to many of us, have a certain charm. Sometimes they annoy people -- I seem to recall JoeH having his differences with Ray's, for example, and Chef at CK and I had a little cage match here at DR. Bebo's service was, last time I looked, far from being universally praised. I have heard PX dismissed by respected food people as pretentious (by far the exception).

It's inevitable - if a place has a personality, some folks just ain't goin' to cotton to it. But we are fortunate to be in a place where we have a growing number of places like this. It makes going out (and these discussions) exciting.

If that was the point that Pat was making, I'd suggest it was indeed, worth the bandwidth.

If not, Pat can flame later.