[MeMc]

I am about to go back to W. Domku again for dinner. I love the space, the aquavit, the salads, the presentation, the edited winelist, and beers. (Even Polish beer!) Not necessarily heavy, winter food I would have thought when I think Eastern Europe. In any event, what didja think?

[DonRocks]

The first time I visited W Domku, I combined it with Colorado Kitchen in a culinary "Haul Ass Tour." Several weeks ago, I went a second time and ate my way through what seemed like the entire menu. The food isn't elevated, but it's comforting, elegantly plated, and at times well-executed: cold beet soup, smoked Baltic sprats, Swedish meatballs - one could do a lot worse, especially washed down with some homemade Aquavit and the fine Bulgarian lager, Zagorka (the beer list here is downright fascinating). If I lived in the neighborhood, I'd be back often. Hell, I'll be back often anyway.

Cheers,
Rocks.

[monavano]

I've heard good things of Domku. Hailing from Philadelphia, and having Polish heritage, I miss good ol' Polski food. Does Domku do Kielbasa? Golabki(stuffed cabbage)? pierogies?
Thanks.

[DonRocks]

monavano, on Aug 23 2005, 01:12 PM, said:

Does Domku do Kielbasa? Golabki(stuffed cabbage)? pierogies?

Yep! Click

[monavano]

Oh, there IS a God!!!

[shogun]

Yeah, that's a pretty awesome looking menu!

[frogprince]

i love this place. bull's blood (that being the hungarian wine and most lugubriously, not a blood sausage black pudding or morcilla) and pickled herring. hmmm.... go go go...

[MeMc]

DonRocks, on Aug 23 2005, 01:14 PM, said:

Yep!  Click

Thanks for the menu! So looking forward to going!

[DCMark]

This is a remarkable place. Very nice inside and a unique menu. Still has a neighborhood feel. Fairly relaxed. If this place was located in Dupont it would be packed and ubertrendy.

The decor is lovely with exposed brick and a mismatch of tables and couches. WiFi. Very nice and large bar. Lax smoking rules. Back room with a large (8 people?) raised table, pool and darts.

Drinks: The beer list is reasonable with extra large Eastern Euro beers at $6 each. Speciality martinis are in the $10 range. It would be nice if Petworth could resist the $10 martini for a while. My wife had one with Russian vodka, honey liqour and apple juice called a Warsaw Uprising. I had a nice ginger aquavit as well.

Food: Out of gravlax....so I had the mussels with tarragon and aquavit. Excellent, best I have had in a long time. The carrot and ginger soup was also a very large bowl and a good summer/fall soup.

My main course was the kielbasa with sauerkraut. Absolutely fantastic. The kielbasa was cooked (grilled) perfectly and the kraut had a delicous sweet frangrant taste. The pierogi with bacon were not my wife's favorite but this may be more because of our lack of familiarity with this dish than anything else.

Dessert was decidedly non-slavic brownie with ice cream

Prices: A bit on the high side but the place was quite full.

Service: I am not going to being overly harsh in considering service in a relatively new place which is trying very hard to be creative in a neighborhood needs places like this. Suffice to say service could use some work.

Overall, I place I will return to...probably at breakfast since the menu sounds interesting (Eggs benedict w/gravlax, Norwegian pancakes...)

This post has been edited by DCMark: 26 August 2005 - 07:57 AM

[jm chen]

I am thinking of trying this out with my sweetie for a birthday surprise. Is there a need to secure reservations for two on a Saturday evening? Is it anywhere near Metro or are we talking about a taxi type of night?

I really want to take a run at the Aquavit.

[DCMark]

jm chen, on Aug 30 2005, 02:05 PM, said:

I am thinking of trying this out with my sweetie for a birthday surprise. Is there a need to secure reservations for two on a Saturday evening? Is it anywhere near Metro or are we talking about a taxi type of night?

I really want to take a run at the Aquavit.

You will have to ask about the reservations.

Closest metro I think is Columbia Heights. Taxi may be a safer option.

This post has been edited by DCMark: 31 August 2005 - 09:13 AM

[tenunda]

DCMark, on Aug 31 2005, 10:03 AM, said:

You will have to ask about the reservations.

Closest metro I think is Columbia Heights.  Taxi may be a safer option.

The closest stop is Georgia Ave/Petworth on the Green line. It's only 5 or so blocks. Walk north on Georgia and then turn right on Upshur (or north on 8th and left on Upshur).

[hillvalley]

I had a nice, relaxing meal there this evening and was pleased with what I found.

First, it should be known, I swear some of those couches came from my grandmother's living room back in the day.

I started with a flight of aquavit with the rose water, dill and blackcurrant. Rosewater was my favorite although I think the dill would make a great bloody mary on their brunch menu. We also tried the cardamom and caraway. If you are a savory fan these two are not to be missed, although with the caraway it felt a bit like drinking rye bread.

For apps we had the pickled herring three ways and the afore mentioned mussels. I am used to my grandmother's pickled herring which is creamy and savory so initially I was a bit put off by the sweet. Once I got over it however, I enjoyed all three versions.

The mussels were good and the broth nicely balanced. We used all of the great, lightly toasted bread to sop up the creamy broth. I almost wanted a spoon when the bread ran out.

For our mains we ordered the Swedish meatballs and pirogi. The savory meatballs in a light, ruex based sauce were great and the lignonberry jelly added the sweetness I was used to. I've never traditional Swedish meatballs and I know have a high standard to live up to. There were three types of pirogi and we had the cheese and bacon. These were great although I would have liked more bacon and am used to more sour cream on top. Then again my Ukrainian relatives were probably twice the size of their Swedish neighbors

This was a successful first trip and I will be back, although next time I will go a bit later to enjoy the live music which appears to be a regular feature.

[africanist]

I definitely need to get back there to try the Aquavit. I haven't once heard a bad thing about it, and dill sounds awesome.

I did laugh when you mentioned showing up later to hear the live music. My first visit was at around 8:00 on a Wednesday night, hoping to catch up with a friend I had not seen in a while. The band wasn't exactly my style (the only song I recall was about the need for a hip replacement), and the music was so loud that we gave up on trying to talk after the first few songs. I'd go back on a Wednesday to get a drink, but not for dinner as much as I may be tempted by a crawfish sandwich.

[jm chen]

Di-dit doo doo di-dit dit-doo... Domku report!

Two of us went over to try it out on Friday night around 7:30. Surprised by a few things: beautiful tall ceilings; excellent, attentive service; and the fact that, other than the ceiling, it really does feel more like someone's living room or basement than a restaurant, largely because of the couches and mismatched tables and chairs.

The food was very tasty, and just what you'd want from solid, no-frills peasant meals. Entrees were meatballs and pierogi. We'd also asked for an entree of kielbasa to split as an appetizer, but a kielbasa sandwich showed up instead: a happy mistake, as the warm sliced kielbasa with blue cheese was a delightful taste that I will now be trying in my own kitchen. The cold sliced beef appetizer included some tasty rye bread and brain-clearing horseradish, but the beef was so thin and spare I wouldn't place that order again. The pierogi: not as good as my great-grandmother's, but a heck of a lot closer than Mrs. T's.

The ginger and lemongrass aquavit was good, but rounder and softer than I expected. My dining companion's dill-and-cucumber cocktail was pronounced perfectly refreshing.

Beet cake: awesome. Seriously. Beet cake. Do it.

So we wrapped up a pleasant meal, and all was well, and our waitress was kind enough to call us a cab. That's when the downside started. We ended up waiting over an hour to leave, and were only lucky enough to make our exit because another friend happened to show up for dinner and offered us a ride home. Definitely not the restaurant's fault -- our waitress was fantastic about making the call and trying to get them to confirm -- but it made us seriously reconsider whether it would be worth the trouble to go back, knowing that the evening might have this kind of bump in it.

Only an issue for my fellow carless urbanites, anyway.

Verdict: a unique, homey restaurant. A great addition to the neighborhood. But it won't become a regular stop on the Chen Culinary Tour.

Jael

[DCMark]

Jael:

You will soon learn that calling a cab in DC is pretty much a fruitless effort. DC has a great cab system (lots of them) but few have radios.

Your best bet would have been to walk over one block to Georgia Ave and hail a cab.

You can call a Virginia cab to pick you up in the District if, and only if, your destination is Virginia.

This post has been edited by DCMark: 04 October 2005 - 09:37 AM

[brian]

FYI, the Georgia Ave/Petworth metro stop is only about 5 blocks south of the restaurant.

[jm chen]

DCMark, on Oct 4 2005, 10:28 AM, said:

You will soon learn that calling a cab in DC is pretty much a fruitless effort.  DC has a great cab system (lots of them) but few have radios. 

Your best bet would have been to walk over one block to Georgia Ave and hail a cab. 

From other parts of DC, I have called many a cab, and they've always shown up. Not always promptly, but they've shown. So this was an aberration. We thought about hailing on Georgia Ave but the waitress discouraged it, and when we spent part of our wait time outside we indeed only spotted one cab in about 20 minutes.

Again, not the restaurant's fault, but part of my experience there, and therefore it did influence how likely I am to make the trek again for dinner. Might Metro over for brunch sometime, though. Heard good things about the pancakes.

[africanist]

jm chen, on Oct 4 2005, 11:37 AM, said:

Might Metro over for brunch sometime, though. Heard good things about the pancakes.

Took the boyfriend and his parents to brunch there on Sunday. It was delicious as always. I snuck a bite of his mom's Norwegian pancake and it was perfectly light and sweet (and with an interesting lavender syrup). The boyfriend is a creature of habit and always gets the kielbasa sandwich, with blue cheese. I wasn't in the mood for breakfast, so I had my favorite beet soup, and a new choice--the beet salad. I could eat gallons of that soup. Such warm, comforting food; it almost makes me wish for winter to more quickly.

I usually walk up there (or take the metro 1 stop if I'm particularly lazy), but I can see how finding a cab could really be a pain, even on Georgia it might take a little while to find one.

[MeMc]

I went to domku for the second time this week, this time with a crowd of five. It was great. For drinks: kick ass belgium czech, belgium, and polish beers, and really delicious aquavit-- hot chili, lemongrass, rosehips, etc. We didn't have a mixed drink, but they looked fun as well.

My group also loved the sprats, the gravlax (and the goodies on the side: salmon roe, red onion, pickles, tomato, capers, dill, etc), norwegian fish stew, bacon and potato perogi, and amazing keilbasa/red onion/tomato/blue cheese/watercress sandwich, the beet salad, etc.

Also, I was surprised by how much the service improved. Really. When I had first discovered domku, service was spotty. It seems like that's been ironed out.

My concern: I know that it's on Upshur in petworth, but I feel it's every bit as great of a neighborhood place as Hanks. Is it getting the word of mouth and the business it should? That place should be bumpin, but I haven't been there yet when it's packed. I hope I'm wrong and I'm going on off nights.

I know that comparing it to Hank's is not analogous, either, but it's as satisfying of a neighborhood dining experience, if not more interesting. I mean, how often can you eat sprats?

It's worth a cab ride, or inviting a friend with a car. I know, it's only five blocks from the metro, but it still feels like the hinterlands.

This post has been edited by MeMc: 04 February 2006 - 10:29 PM

[qwertyy]

MeMc, on Feb 4 2006, 10:24 PM, said:

...amazing keilbasa/red onion/tomato/blue cheese/watercress sandwich...

I had this sandwich when I was there late last summer and found it really difficult to eat--too overflowing on too hard a roll to eat with my hands and impossible to eat with knife and fork. Did they tinker with that and fix the problem?

I really like the place too, though--I find it so comfortable and quirky (in a great personality sense, not in a bizarre facial tick sense) I would LOVE to have it in my neighborhood. I'd be such a regular.

[JLK]

Has anyone tried W Domku for breakfast? The pdf menu says that they serve breakfast not just on weekends, but also 8a-11a on Thursdays and Fridays (that said, it's probably in my best interest to call to confirm this).

[MeMc]

The Grandsons are playing their once a month gig at Domku tonight. If you're into fun, rootsy New Orleans-y music and want to try Domku, Wednesdays are a good night:

http://www.thedeej.org/

[qwertyy]

Someone posted this to Marc Fisher's Post chat last week, but I can't find any reporting on it. Anyone got any info?

Quote

Petworth, Washington, D.C.: Marc,

I was in Domku last Wednesday night when someone threw in some kind of explosive device. One person was injured and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. There were at least 30 or so police, arson investigators, firemen, and bomb squad people that came afterwards and they closed off the entire stretch of Upshur Street in front of the restaurant. Nonetheless, there has been nothing in the press about this incident. Why is that?

Marc Fisher: Good question--that evening, I passed that information along to our police desk. I haven't followed up to see what happened, but I will check. Thanks for the reminder.

[africanist]

qwertyy, on Sep 5 2006, 11:39 AM, said:

Someone posted this to Marc Fisher's Post chat last week, but I can't find any reporting on it. Anyone got any info?

I grabbed the September edition of DC North yesterday and there was a mention of this in it. I think it was in the section of news briefs for each ward but I can't remember for sure. It said two kids who were estimated to be 16 or 17 threw some kind of incindiery device through the door injuring one woman's leg. She was the only person hospitalized. Their web site still has the August version up, or I would link to the story.

I'm a bit suprised this didn't get any other press, as far as I know things like this don't happen very often in Petworth. It's sad, and kind of bizarre.

[qwertyy]

africanist, on Sep 6 2006, 03:09 PM, said:

I grabbed the September edition of DC North yesterday and there was a mention of this in it. I think it was in the section of news briefs for each ward but I can't remember for sure. It said two kids who were estimated to be 16 or 17 threw some kind of incindiery device through the door injuring one woman's leg. She was the only person hospitalized. Their web site still has the August version up, or I would link to the story.

I'm a bit suprised this didn't get any other press, as far as I know things like this don't happen very often in Petworth. It's sad, and kind of bizarre.

Thanks for the info, a. I'll pick up a DC North and check it out. I was really surprised too that I couldn't find any news on this. Glad to hear that it seems to have been a much smaller thing than it could have been...

[lackadaisi]

Right now, I believe my favorite cocktail in all the world may be the dill aquavit with muddled cucumber. Maybe that will change in a few hours, but wow - I love it.

[lackadaisi]

DonRocks, on Dec 19 2006, 10:11 PM, said:

Did you have it with, or without, the instant mashed potatoes?

Without. There was nothing instant about the drink at all- they were quite busy and understaffed (actually, we were served by a guy who had just stopped in for a drink himself, who was really nice and helpful). And, I had it with a really good anchovy and scalloped potato casserole, served with a perfectly dressed salad. Tasted like nothing I have ever had before. I really wish there were more places like this in the city - I hope to return frequently.

[Poivrot Farci]

lackadaisi, on Dec 19 2006, 10:15 PM, said:

...really good anchovy and scalloped potato casserole...

Jansson’s Temptation (Jansson’s frestelse)
A traditional Swedish holiday thing aside from intensely repressed glögg inebriation: Scalloped potatoes baked in cream with a middle layer of caramelized onions and pickled sprats -bit smaller than a herring. Anchovies erroneously found their way into the American version since sprats are called ansjovis by Swedes, whereas anchovies fall under the sardeller appellation. (Domku’s herring sampler looked suspiciously similar to the jarred Abba brand variety)

The three folkloric Norse origins of Jansson’s Temptation’s legend are inconclusive and subject to very little debate by neither mythological conspiracy enthusiasts nor epicurean historians.

Some suspect the namesake of the dish to be Per Adolf “Pelle” Janzon, a gluttonous 19th century opera singer whose troubadour regimen allegedly consisted of beer, schnapps and the dish which won him marginal posthumous celebrity on the 40th anniversary of his expiration date.

Gunnar Stigmark, author of the Gastronomisk Kalender hopelessly attributes the dish to the eponymous 1928 Swedish silent-movie box-office flop starring Edvin Adolphson.

Hippie publishers of the 1967 American Heritage Cookbook believed that Erik Jansson, the really pious Swedish religious reformer who founded Bishop Hill, Ill in 1846 (2000 census pop. 125) was spied eating a decadent dish of anchovies and potatoes bound with rich, creamery butter and farm fresh milk. Janssonist zealots considered Jansson to be the second coming of Christ and cursed the dish as Jansson’s Temptation. He was murdered in 1850.

Rumored inspiration for the Swedish chef is also lukewarmly contested.
Um der cleeckee

[deangold]

Poivrot Farci, on Dec 21 2006, 01:37 AM, said:

Jansson's Temptation (Jansson's frestelse)
A traditional Swedish holiday thing aside from intensely repressed glögg inebriation: Scalloped potatoes baked in cream with a middle layer of caramelized onions and pickled sprats -bit smaller than a herring. Anchovies erroneously found their way into the American version since sprats are called ansjovis by Swedes, whereas anchovies fall under the sardeller appellation.

I have a Swedish cousin by marriage who used to put on huge New Year's Eve buffets (for over 200 guests) and one year I helped her with some of the cooking. She used to make 2 Johnsson's Temptations, one large one to be put out and a small one for us to eat in the kitchen. She would have 3 or 4 bottles of ackavit frozen in ice to go along. I think she would call the paramedics and have them standing by before serving the large casserole which had gallons of heavy cream and all the oil from the sprats. She would bake it and add more cream as it cooked down. Thanks for bringing back that memory.

[sandhuy]

I found another great way to warm up during the (2 or so) weeks of DC winter -- flights of aquavit!

Last night I sampled the dill, ginger-lemongrass, and cardamom. In my world, anything cardamom always wins, and last night's sampling did not disappoint with its strong flavor. But most surprising was the dill which was also wonderful in a nicely mellow sort of way. And the best thing about aquavit is how quick a shot or two will warm you up -- I can't wait to go back and try the anise. and the chili pepper. and the rose petal.

(And although my husband thought everything played last night sounded like Bjork, I've always loved the music and overall vibe of the place -- I wish it was my local neighborhood spot.)

[MBK]

sandhuy, on Jan 31 2007, 02:52 PM, said:

Last night I sampled the dill, ginger-lemongrass, and cardamom. In my world, anything cardamom always wins, and last night's sampling did not disappoint with its strong flavor. But most surprising was the dill which was also wonderful in a nicely mellow sort of way. And the best thing about aquavit is how quick a shot or two will warm you up -- I can't wait to go back and try the anise. and the chili pepper. and the rose petal.

(And although my husband thought everything played last night sounded like Bjork, I've always loved the music and overall vibe of the place -- I wish it was my local neighborhood spot.)

We were there over the weekend, and warmed up with dill, ginger-lemongrass, and chili pepper aquavit. If you try the chili pepper, be prepared for spicy. One of us tossed back quite a bit at once, and his face turned a bit red... The other two of us preferred the dill which, as you said, was deliciously mellow. And the Baltika beers ... I'd certainly go back for more.

Food was also delicious, particularly an eggplant dip appetizer nicely garnished with pomegranate seeds, smoked Baltic sprats served on buttered bread with surprisingly tasty tomato, mussels in an aquavit and cream broth (dip the accompanying bread in the broth!), and kielbasa with saurkraut.

The vibe made me smile, and this is a place that will join my rotation of places to go, despite not being terribly convenient.

[demandalicious]

sandhuy, on Jan 31 2007, 02:52 PM, said:

In my world, anything cardamom always wins, and last night's sampling did not disappoint with its strong flavor.

Yes, the cardamom is my favorite. The anise is a close second. The lemon-vanilla is a little too sweet for me and the dill freaks me out a little bit (sorry).

[Nadya]

Quick dinner on Thursday night.

Cheers: Quirky community-center hipsterish decor. Pretty chandolier. Getting a seat is not a problem. Bar staff speaks Russian. Food can be comforting, particularly on a cold night such as last Thursday. Carrot ginger soup is quite flavorful. Would have loved to do shots of acquavit.

Jeers: Food overpriced for a fare most charitably described as "homey" and least charitably, as "mediocre." Split pea and ham soup too starchy and thick. Hunter's stew hot and satisfying but a touch too acidic. Desserts blah. Wish the place had more people in it. Glad I tried it, but will not be hauling bottom all the way up to Petworth again without special reason.

[lackadaisi]

The mussels and pierogi that I had recently made me wish that I had stayed home and had frozen pizza.

[chris9b9]

Finally tried W Domku last night with my wife and her sister/brother in law. My wife and sister have Polish heritage and we have been to Poland 4 times in the past year.

This is one of those places I really wanted to like.

I knew this place was casual, but middle school plastic chairs at a cheap table by a drafty door? Our other option was a worn couch with two chairs that looked like they were bought at a fraternity auction. Nicely stained fabric. Not all of the chairs and tables were that bad, and the area by the bathrooms with the pool table is nice for drinking with a small group of friends.

The food.

Aps: The chicken mousse liver with toast was good. The Potato Latkes with gravlax not so good. Thin, dry and too dark (a few seconds from burnt) - Like they were made 6 hours early and microwaved.

Beer: Zywiec for $7 a bottle (that I was buying until recently at total beverage for $11 a six pack! The selection of three drafts: Jever, Hennepin, and Dead Rogue Guy (sp) was not impressive, but we went with the drafts for the same $7.

Main: My Hungarian Chicken Goulash over mashed potatoes was great. Meat fell off the bones.
My wife got the potato onion bacon pierogies. I tasted them. We both deemed them "ok."
Brother/sister in law both got the fresh kielbasa over kraut. It was edible, but nobody liked it. Had a funky flavor. We couldn't figure out if it was gamey or had a strange spice. Waitress couldn't tell us when we asked, but said it comes special from Baltimore. My wife said it was way too coarse and even grissly. Never had a sausage like that before and hope it was the last. This is from somebody who eats blutwurst an hasn't met too many sausages he didn't like(stop laughing).

This is a good neighborhood bar, but a mediocre cafe at best. Its a shame because it has potential. A few thousand towards new furniture and maybe $10,000 towards fixing the entryway/ front area and tweaking the food could make this worth the trip to this neighborhood.

We had a flight of Aquavit (flavored Vodka): Anise, black currant and Lemon grass. They were fine, but not as good as the Piatek family Cytrynowka that I was given at a DC United Tailgate in November.

[vdorjets]

I finally went to Domku yesterday for brunch and have been kicking myself ever since for not making the trip sooner. My first impression was that I had walked into a smaller version of Tryst due to all the local hipsters and deep couches but as soon as the food arrived, I realized that I was in a restaurant masquerading as a coffee house, not the other way around.

My friend and I split an order of the ablskiver (fluffy pancake balls dusted with powder sugar), I had the hash topped with salmon and a perfectly-poached egg, and he had the Norwegian apple pancake. All three were excellent and extremeley affordable (the pancake was $12 and the hash was $8). Of course, our bill ended up being a bit higher because we washed down the food with several excellant coctails. For those that like extra spicy Bloody Marys I highly recommend the Bloody Domku which is made with a home-made habenero-infused Aquavit.

While eating brunch, we couldn't help looking at the lunch and dinner menus which seem even more impressive (the entrees cost between $14 and $18) so I'll definitely be back there soon. This time however, I'll be sure to make a reservation which I was very surprised to learn that they take for brunch, lunch and dinner.

[saf]

MBK, on 27 October 2009 - 12:26 PM, said:

Anyone been lately?

I have. I live in the neighborhood, and am there regularly. What kind of info are you looking for?

The fall menu is new, and good.

[MBK]

What's good, what's not so good ... I haven't been in over two years so any tips would be helpful!

[saf]

MBK, on 28 October 2009 - 09:51 AM, said:

What's good, what's not so good ... I haven't been in over two years so any tips would be helpful!

OK, dinner?

I love the nalasneki (cheese - I've never had the chicken.) I don't like sauerkraut, but a friend who does really enjoys the Bigos. The husband says go for the tilapi, because the side of beet risotto is the best thing ever. He also recommends the salmon, because he cannot resist brussel sprouts. Actually, he really likes all the fish, and decides based on what side he is in the mood for.

The pate and the veggie caviar are nice.

In general, we're really enjoying the fall menu.

I note, the glogg is tasty, but is heavy on the vodka, so I've given it up. The hangover from more than one is simply too much.

Brunch? Lunch? I could look at those menus and comment too.

[susanmab]

They're open in the snow!

They're walking distance!

life is good.