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jfw

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About jfw

  • Birthday 05/25/1977

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  1. Stopped by the Rockville location for lunch. I've mostly been underwhelmed by Matchbox. This was my first time at the Rockville location. Nice space. Cool that there are so many seating options and arrangements. Those options make the place feel dynamic and interesting. Of note. They've expanded to the west cost and opened a location in Palm Springs, CA. I wonder how they'll do out there. The food was so darn average and seemingly unhealthy, I feel worse for it right now. Mind you, I didn't set out to eat 'light,' but...still. I started with the mini burgers. I am not sure why they asked me what temperature I wanted my burgers cooked. I ordered medium rare and they came out well done. Is it really possible to cook a one-inch patty to proper temp? I seriously doubt it. To ask how I want it cooked is to get my hopes up. Anyhow...no biggie. I honestly wasn't expecting a bite-size medium rare burger. The onion straws were tasty and very, very, very plentiful. I chuckled pretty hard when my wife asked how much onion comes with the nine count mini burger plate. I can't even imagine. I followed the starter with the 'sweet and tangy calamari salad.' The menu says: crispy calamari, field greens, banana peppers, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, balsamic vinaigrette. Anything in that list jump out at you as kinda strange? The salad appears to be a nod to 'Rhode Island style' calamari (I sampled my fair share in college), but the kalamata olives aren't part of the RI style dish and struck me as incongruous with the other flavors. I almost asked for the salad without the olives, but then figured I'd take the chance and not question the creator's vision. I should've stuck with my instincts. The olives added nothing good to the dish. Thankfully, they fell to the bottom of the plate and I ate around them. Other than that, the salad was nicely executed. The greens were not bruised. The dressing was lightly applied. The calamari was nicely cooked, though cold. Maybe that was intentional, so as not to wilt the lettuce. Despite the fried squid, this was a lighter counterpoint to the mini burger/onion straw grease fest. Speaking of grease, I guess the market sees pizza mostly as a cheese delivery vehicle, right? I remember going to the original Matchbox location in its infancy and thinking, "Man, they just pile so much gosh darn cheese on these pizzas. It is a bit sickening." I guess that is the winning formula. My wife got the veggie (not 'vegetable') pizza. I had that once at the Capitol Hill location and today's looked just like that (though I didn't sample today's). What a gut bomb. Oodles and oodles of cheese. And potato chips, to boot! Not sure what else to say about this dish. It looked heavy and my wife confirmed it was painfully heavy after only being able to down half the small pie. The rest is sitting in a box in the fridge and I don't look forward to having to wipe up the grease residue that already appears to be seeping through the box. Speaking of that box, 'vintage pizza bistro' is printed on it. I don't get it. What makes the restaurant or product 'vintage?' One final humorous tidbit? On our way out, my wife figured she'd grab a matchbox (you know, a box with matches inside). We kinda imagined the place would have some to share. No dice. We asked the hostess if she had some. "Oh, we're all out right now," she said. JFW
  2. Yes. #31. It is my go-to. I sit down and Kenny(?) says, "Fischer Amber? Shrimp garden rolls? #31?" I say, "Yes." Then I stuff myself silly (usually after asking for more dressing/sauce to put on the #31) and, after the damage is done, am happy to accept the hot towel to save myself the trip to the bathroom for my typical post-meal hand washing. Thank you, Nam-Viet, for ten years of that ritual. JFW
  3. Had a really noteworthy dinner experience last weekend at Ardeo+Bardeo. I hadn’t visited since the ‘re-concept’ occurred, but was excited to see what came of the place. Having lived in the neighborhood for about a decade, I watched the restaurant evolve. I visited a few times each year and tasted offerings by the several chefs who passed through the kitchen. Despite the changes over the years, there is still a common thread that runs through the dishes and cooking at Ardeo. The formula is solid. Ingredients are clearly high-quality. The cooking, from a technical perspective, is skilled. The dishes and ideas are rarely so complicated and outrageous that I fear mis-matched flavors or a garnish or element that is difficult to handle or eat. It is good, relatively simple cooking that doesn’t have to break the bank. Never mind that the whole dining experience beyond the food is also very comfortable. On a total whim, my wife and I showed up without reservations around 6:30PM on a Saturday with our six-month-old in tow. Front-of-the-house folks seated us at a great table where we could keep the baby in her car seat and away from the passing servers and coming-and-going customers. A thoughtful touch. The meal… The menu lends itself to unconventional ordering and we did just that. Our spread included: -Steak, horseradish crème fraiche, fingerling potatoes-$7 (‘Savory Snack’ menu section): Just as described. Four bite-size arrangements. Tiny, buttery, fried and smashed fingerlings as a base. A dollop of slightly sharp (coulda used a bit more kick) crème fraiche. A 1” square piece of rare steak. An all-American meat and potatoes meal wrapped up in a single bite. In a fantasy world, I’d go to the movies, order a popcorn, and be rewarded with a bucket full of these instead. I could’ve eaten fifty of these things. -Crispy brussel sprouts, apricots, pistachios, yoghurt-$7 (‘Vegetables’ menu section): The sprouts were so nutty and crispy. Some of the leaves were even slightly reminiscent, in texture, of Rasika’s palak chaat. I don’t remember any pistachios, but the sweet apricots were a nice touch and the yoghurt was, I believe, spiked with some citrus (lemon?) and made for a nice added flavor. I happen to really like the vibrant green color of brussel sprouts, but these end up pretty brown and a bit drab looking. That takes nothing away from the awesome flavor and texture, but is just worth noting from a visual standpoint. -Braised oxtail, fava beans, puffed rice, and spiced jus-$11 (‘Small Bites’ menu section): I loved this dish. I’m always up for exciting textures in my food and this delivered. The oxtail was really rich and flavorful. Molded/formed, it was quite firm and took a bit of manipulation to pull it apart. Once free of its tight form, the meat was well-braised and tender. The green fava beans stood out visually and added some pleasant sweetness and a little bitterness. The puffed rice flavor came through more than I would’ve expected. Texturally, those were cool because some fell in the jus and got a little soggy (no problem), but others stayed out of the broth and maintained their crunch. And the jus. Oh, the jus. It was deep and complex. Unexpectedly, there was some ginger in the jus and it was a bright flavor that added another dimension. -Scallop schnitzel, white asparagus, sauce gribiche-$10 (‘Small Bites’ menu section): Another winner. The breading was so light. Cleanly fried. The pounded scallops took up large footprints, so I can only imagine how big those suckers were before they got flattened. Given that, this dish seemed like a very good value. At comparable restaurants in the area, a scallop main course with one additional scallop would’ve cost in the $28-34 range. Nearly everything on the plate worked really well. The white asparagus was a little light on flavor, but the gribiche was nice and creamy and tangy in a way that paired well with the very sweet scallops. There was another sauce on the plate and I’m not sure what it was. Maybe some pureed white asparagus? Anyhow…I liked the concept and execution here. -Border Springs lamb ravioli, English peas, mint, smoked yogurt-$16 (‘Pasta’ menu section): The pastas counted as our ‘mains’ and my wife got this. At that price point, we were expecting pretty lean portions. We were pleasantly surprised to find these pasta servings to be very generous. I got one precious taste of this dish and was left wanting many more. All the ingredients mentioned popped. Particularly exciting? The mint and the smoke flavor. -Rabbit bolognese, ricotta agnilotti, carrot puree-$14 (‘Pasta’ menu section): More praise for this dish. A bit monochromatic, this dish offered more deep, rich, solid flavors. I didn’t quite realize the ricotta would be hiding inside the agnolotti and so breaking the first one with my fork offered a nice surprise of very smooth, stark white cheese against the other brown/red/amber and orange hues on the plate. The bolognese was thick and meaty and the carrot puree was a touch sweet and distributed at the edge of the plate so it could be added to each bite as needed. In the end, not as heavy a dish as I expected (another good thing). We paired all this with a 2009 Mauritson Zinfandel ($45). I remember some good berry flavors and a little pepper that paired well enough with most all the dishes. A pretty versatile option. After all this, we were perfectly sated. I could’ve done with a little dessert course, but it was time to get the little one home and to bed. Getting up from the table, I noticed Ashok was doing his drop-in for the evening. I made a point of telling him everything was amazing and he was, of course, gracious. We stood outside the restaurant for about five minutes while he repeatedly pinched our daughter’s chubby cheeks and spoke freely about his next project, his wise decision to invest in parking in Cleveland Park, and his extended family. From start-to-finish, it was a lovely experience. A reservation is already on the books for a family visit Memorial Day weekend.
  4. I'll reply. Yeah. A great, targeted, niche-type spot. Of the neighborhood, for sure. I think today qualifies as our first 'gimme a pils' kinda hot day. Standard was a perfect spot for spending a couple hours with my best friends (wife and kid). NC-style pulled pork was tart and puckery with vinegar. Maybe not as much brown sugar and hot pepper flake as I'd like, but still my preferred style. Bun and slaw stood up to the pork. Mexican-style (forget the specific region) roasted corn was aptly refreshing...despite incorporating cheese and mayo. Corn was already sweet. (It is only late-April, right???) Two or three roasted and ground chile varieties clinging to the mayo are roasted and ground in-house. I coated the ear liberally with lime juice and this was a big hit. The salty hard cheese also added a counterpoint to the corn's sweetness. Seasonal, so get it now. I like the onion rings a lot. The Black Squirrel sets the bar, but these are a really solid competitor. Definitely buttermilk battered. Good pepper. Good crunch. Certainly not 'strings' or 'straws,' these are hefty enough to be two-biters, but don't require you to put them down between bites. It's a really solid onion ring. Scrimshaw Pils and Spaten were perfect pours for today. We'll be back soon. Welcome, Standard.
  5. Had dinner at Sonoma early this week. Though the flavors were good, I was turned off by the apparent lack of value. Having dined at Sonoma a few years ago, I remember eating excellent food and not leaving hungry. This week, I found portion sizes painfully small for the price paid. I started with a small plate. It was the burrata with winter caponata crostini. As I ordered, I thought I'd eat it alone. Looking at the price, though, I figured it had to be split-able and decided I'd share with my wife. $12. I'm used to the size of the burrata 2Amys serves. That is plenty for more than one person and costs something in the $7 range. Also, the 'i' on 'crostini' suggested there would be more than one piece of bread. Turns out, this was a crostinO. One meager piece of bread. A paltry piece of burrata (looked like we received only half of a full burrata 'puck'). A healthy scoop of diced pumpkin and onions and pistachios (the caponata). Here, the flavors were excellent. The caponata was a smidge sweet, but the pumpkin did balance well with the sharp onion and the creamy cheese and the char on the bread. Despite the taste, I was disappointed to only get one bite of it all, as my wife had the second bite. My main was the roasted trout with kale, molasses-glazed carrots, and smoky crushed potatoes. Again, flavors were a real hit. The trout had skin on both sides. It was edible and added good texture and mouthfeel to the dish. The carrots were nice enough. The potatoes were as described...smoky and crushed. A bit dried out, but still tasty. The kicker here, though, was that everything was pretty cold and light in size. I don't imagine the trout weighed more than 3 ounces (I guess 4 is probably standard, so maybe my serving wasn't so far off from being reasonable), there were three baby carrots on the plate, and the potatoes amounted to about four forkfuls. The $21 price tag isn't terribly high, but I probably only got about eight bites of food off the plate. It just struck me as so little. My wife had the roasted chicken. I didn't try it. She reported decent tastes and inconsistently cooked chicken. In the car ride home, and totally unprompted, she remarked, "I can't believe how little food there was on my plate tonight." That plate cost $23. I'll bookend this by saying we aren't huge folks. Combined weight of about 262 pounds. For a couple of lightweights to leave hungry after spending about $80 on dinner, you gotta figure portion size just wasn't adequate. As much as I'd like to eat the food at Sonoma again, I don't think I can stomach spending that much cash for so little product. JFW
  6. The tartare at Et Voila! is excellent. Clean beef flavor. Nice mustard and caper additions. Appropriately dressed greens to accompany. Solid all around. Sometimes they offer it as a starter and sometimes they offer it as a main. If it is only on the menu as a main and you have a friend with you who is also interested in tartare as a starter, the main is just the right size to split as a starter. They'll serve the larger size at the start of the meal. No prob'. JFW
  7. We are at 2Amys once or twice a week and somehow I only just noticed Sushi Sushi on Macomb St., NW is shuttered. Sunday afternoon, I saw a 'Notice of Public Hearing' posted in the window at 3712-3714 Macomb Street, NW. The notice mentions: Licensee: Les Deux Garcons, LLC Trade Name: Bistrot Le Zinc Nature of Operation: French bistro serving lunch and dinner. Hours of operation appear to be long. Closing time is shown as 2AM for Fridays and Saturdays. Anyone know more about the place and the plans? JFW
  8. Coming up on a week since we visited and all memories are not as vivid as they were immediately after. But I'll simply echo much of what folks have reported since the restaurant opened. The DonRockwell.com deal was an excellent value. Service was much improved over the horrible service we experienced at our one and only Bebo visit. We used to frequent the Osteria many moons ago and I remember service there being acceptable. Last Friday, the employees at Galileo III were gracious and kind and helpful. No question, there was some fumbling and confusion. But my wife's fear that the service would distract from great food ended up unfounded. Phew. Some random thoughts on the food... Started with the Carne Cruda All' Albese. This was a very nice dish. Nor surprisingly, it was very lean meat. The meat flavor was delicate. I jump on most opportunities to eat tartare and most often come across raw beef. The veal was a nice change. Lightly dressed with good acid, it was balanced and earthy. A fine way to start. I tasted one bite of my wife's Capesante and thought that was the dish of the evening. The scallop was really sweet and tasted like the ideal scallop. I wished I could've eaten more of that dish. Accompaniments didn't stand out as amazing or otherwise, but I remember enjoying the polentas' creaminess and remember just loving this dish. The Budino was fine. Not as mind blowing as I anticipated. I seize any chance for truffles and the generous shaving was decadent and wonderful. My main complaint is about the dish's temperature. I don't know what temperature it is supposed to be served, but it was just barely warm for us. For some reason, I wanted this dish to be hotter. Maybe I fantasized it would be even 'melty-er' at a higher temp. I moved on to the Taglierini and thoroughly enjoyed it. The lobster was undercooked, so a little mushier and stringier than I wanted. I wanted the lobster to be springy and firm the whole way through. I lean towards eating most things as raw as someone is willing to cook them, but the lobster needed a little more heat. Flavors, though, were excellent. This was a very rich dish, but portioned correctly for my taste. I also appreciated how the pasta's starch kept the strands touching. That made handling the dish with my fork orderly and easy. I finished the savories with the Agnello Al Forno. I was looking forward to more near raw meat, as the waiter asked how done I wanted the lamb cooked. He said they usually cook to med-rare and I asked if they wouldn't mind doing closer to rare. Well...the meat came out on the verge of med-well. Thinking that was going to be a strike against the dish, I took my first bite. Turns out, there was enough flavor to the meat and elsewhere on the plate that it didn't matter. Just to be open and honest, I did mention the issue to our waiter and another individual who stopped by after sensing something was amiss. Each wanted to have the dish re-cooked. But I assured each that, though the temp was off, the dish was so darn good I was more than happy to finish it as it was. My dessert was Gianduja Semo Freddo. Flavors were a kaleidoscope of some of my favorite sweet flavors. A little rum, a little banana, a lot of hazelnut, some coffee...it all interplayed very well. Beverages included a negroni (quite good), a phenomenal $55 Aglianico that was one of the best wine values I've had in a while, and a grappa Chris recommended. Final conclusion is that it wasn't a perfect evening, but that it was excellent. Again, the value was certainly there (thanks Don and Roberto) and the kinks we saw seemed easily attributable to the restaurant's new-ness.
  9. Replying to my own post. (Or maybe Don can just remove it all to avoid any confusion.) Just spoke with Nathalie at the restaurant and she clarified the number is correct (202.783.0083) and they were experiencing momentary trouble with Verizon. All is back up and running and we're signed up to give Galileo III a try this Friday. JFW
  10. Eager to give this a whirl, but the phone number listed at http://www.galileorestaurant.com/ for reservations yields a 'this number is not in service' message. Anyone know the correct number to call? JFW
  11. Changes appear to be afoot at Commonwealth. Last Friday night, the weather was fine and the patio was open. Word is a Spanish chef from over at Hank's is now manning the kitchen at Commonwealth and the menu shows this. We tried a good number of small plates and a couple mains. We had a good balance of seafood and other proteins, but seafood really reigned supreme. Cod croquettes are in the Spanish vein. Different from the Italian version at 2Amys. At Commonwealth, they're denser in the middle (heavier potato batter?) and somehow lighter on the outside. The fried outer portion is crispy and light and gives way to the creamy, heavy potato and cod filling. Gambas al ajillo were ideal. All the traditional ingredients were there. Perfectly browned garlic slivers? Check. Succulent and sweet shrimp? Check. A sprinkling of red pepper? Check. Perfectly translucent and flavorful olive oil? Check. Ten years ago, Jaleo used to consistently send out a great rendition of gambas. Something changed about three or four years ago and I stopped ordering them there. This version (which I've also had over at Hank's) reminds me why I love this simple dish. We also had a squid small plate and an octopus small plate. Each was excellent, though my preference leans towards the octopus. Simply prepared with sweet grape or cherry tomatoes, onion, and butter, this was a dish rich in flavor, but light in feel. Other proteins included a sliced, rare filet (I think it was filet) marinated in Tabasco. This was also a well executed dish. The beef really, really absorbed the Tabasco flavor, but that spice wasn't overpowering. The accompanying sauce, though the color of Tabasco, was actually a cooling agent and, like raita, was effective at moderating the spice level for those who needed to individually adjust the flavor. This dish was very straightforward and basic, but the beef tasted good and the Tabasco tasted good. And that was good enough for me. Micro greens also added a little balance to the plate. I can't remember too many details about the pork belly, but can say it succeeded. I generally like a little sweetness to go with pork belly's fattiness. Commonwealth's prep included a couple pools of demi-glace on the plate and I wanted that to have a bit more sweetness about it. Either way, the pork was also well cooked and a solid dish. My main was another fish dish. I can't remember the exact name of the fish other than it was black something. Totally blanking here. Anyhow...it was a meaty fish. The thick steak curled around its slightly fatty skin. The skin helped keep this fish very moist despite its thickness and meatiness. It kinda reminded me of mahi mahi. In most cases, mahi mahi ends up too dry and chalky for my taste. I feared this fish might end up cooked the same way, but it came out tender, meaty, moist, and firm. Simple brown rice with peas and red peppers accompanied the fish and every flavor worked nicely with the others. Another success. Overall, this was the best meal I've had at Commonwealth. As much as I love the heavy, greasy, British-themed fare, I generally walk away from those meals feeling stuffed and blah. I ate lots and lots of food Friday night. But I walked away feeling sated and somehow not over-stuffed. For me, this direction towards a less 'Brit' theme is a smart move...particularly coming into the warm months.
  12. If you can get over to 2Amys to order the current batch of octopus salad, hurry thee! It is so meaty and firm. It is without any, any, any of the chewiness or bounciness octopus sometimes shows. Decorated with citrus and dill, you'll ignore the wonderful fresh herbs and flavors and dwell on how perfectly the octopus is cooked. Other worthy and recent additions include the roasted artichokes with prosciutto and mint and the braised fennel with green olives and anchovy. The fennel dish was solid, but a bit lacking in true fennel/anise essence. But the green olives were salty and rich and this dish borrows the nuttiness the cauliflower with anchovy dish typically displays. Must be the shared anchovy ingredient. The ice cream menu hasn't included the roasted pineapple flavor in a long, long time. It's back. Get this. Remember Gillian Clark's heavenly pineapple upside down cake at Colorado Kitchen? Take the buttery flavors, the nutty caramel flavors, the slight crunch, and the sweet pineapple and swathe it in 2Amys' decadent vanilla ice cream. Brilliant! If tonight's display at the wine bar is any indication, things are about to go seasonal and revised at 2Amys. This is welcome news. A few new cocktails (I can't believe I just wrote that word, as I detest it) are on the blackboard. Should be a refreshing and tasty spring and summer at this neighborhood favorite.
  13. Despite a lackluster brunch experience a few weeks ago with some friends at EatBar, I accepted an invite to return to the other side of the building (Tallula) last weekend. I'll echo much of what Rocks mentioned about his recent visit. The Tallula experience was very tasty. Starters included the Fritto Misto and the Warm Mushroom Salad. The prawn on the misto plate was jaw-dropping. It was enormous. And tender. And sweet. And slippery (once past the nice fried envelope). Nicely done. The sweet and tart, sweet potatoes and lemon slices, were also fried just right. I contend the fried lemon at Palena, though, is a bit more consistent in flavor and texture. Overall, a solid plate. The mushroom salad was more of a spinach salad with a few pieces of mushroom. That's not to say there weren't some excellent flavors and textures on the plate, but I think the proportions were slightly off. Highlight of the salad was a perfectly poached egg. The egg white was light and bright and the whole package jiggled nicely on the mound of spinach and 'shrooms. I believe there was a crouton of sorts on the bottom and that it was appropriately buttery and crunchy. Forgot to mention some drinks. I started the meal with some infused bourbon. I forget all that went into the infusion, but I know the result was stellar. Honey tones were memorable (five days on) and so were some other herbal flavors. A good drink. Reds by the glass (I believe we had a Tempranillo, a Malbec/Bonarda blend, and a Rhone blend) all paired well enough with the food. No specific flavors I remember from those wines. Mains included the Chatham Cod with lentil crust and the NY Strip. My cod was outstanding. The cod wasn't as moist as what I cook at home, but everything else about it was far better. The lentil crust was nicely proportioned. Not too thick, but a good coating. Bacon wasn't as prominent a flavor as I expected, though the curry in the sauce was lovely. There was also a honey flavor prevalent in that sauce, but I doubt it was from the cider that was part of the reduction. Believe it or not, the cauliflower on that plate might've been the real highlight. I love what 2Amys does with cauliflower (they get it to taste toasty and nutty), but this was also rather amazing. The flavor was not bitter or sharp. It didn't appear to be dressed with much of anything. I think it was just really good product cooked exactly right. I didn't know cauliflower could shine like that. My wife had the steak and I didn't manage a taste. That's enough of a sign that it must've been excellent. I usually get a taste of everything, but she was really protective of that plate! Dessert was banana cheesecake. Subtle banana flavor was just enough to liven up a nice, creamy, single-serving cheesecake. Not surprisingly, the banana went well with coconut, hazlenut, and chocolate flavors. A great end to the meal. I never tried Barry Koslow's food when he was at Mendocino, but I'm glad to've tasted it over at Tallula. JFW
  14. Stopped in at EatBar this past Sunday around 1:30PM. Chose it over Tallula, as I expected they wouldn't be serving the same brunch menu. Wanted savory, non-breakfast items. Turns out, the two spots share the Sunday menu. Stuck around anyway. Overall, a pretty lackluster dining experience. We sat for approx. twenty minutes before anyone acknowledged us. When the waiter did show, I was actually around the corner scoping Tallula to see if the waiter/waitress situation over there was any more robust. It was and I returned to the table to suggest our group move. But the bartender/waiter was finally attending to us and asking around for drink orders, so we stuck it out. I ordered a burger and asked for med.-rare. Burger came out brown, dry, and cooked well-done. Also, it was really, really salty. Not much flavor other than salt. It clearly sat under the heat lamp too long, as the lettuce was completely wilted, the tomato was petrified, and the onion was also dry as a bone. My wife said her burger also only tasted of salt. I sent mine back for a re-cook. It came back to me like a black and white cookie. Half the burger was 'blue' and stringy raw meat and the other half was just like the hockey puck I sent back. Also as with the first attempt, the only discernible flavor was salt. Blech. Pretty bummed to've paid $12 for such a bad burger. Garnish, even the second time around, was also woefully meh. I've heard good things about the standard evening menu at EatBar (and even sampled a few 'snacks' about twelve months ago), so this unfortunate experience let me down. Any other similar or different stories out of here lately?
  15. We must've been seated near you, though we only saw two little ones going a bit bonkers. Playing with a free-standing patio umbrella did look a bit risky to child, pond, and nearby diners. For the fourth or fifth time, we really enjoyed all our food (and drink) at Blue Ridge. Kinda pains me that it has received recent bad press. Highlights included the grilled okra (we've had about eight orders of this over all our visits), though the accompanying cream sauce was a bit different this time. Still a nice, rich sauce, but not consistent with what we had in the past. Not knowing they were participating in Restaurant Week when we walked in, I ended up taking advantage and ordered three courses at $30.09 ($5 less than others were charging). Started with the broiled oysters. They were fine. Nice and big, but I always prefer raw. Breading was nicely browned and well-seasoned. Good enough, but probably not worth the $11 on the regular-priced menu. My flank steak with mashed root vegetables (a bit early in the season for those?) was cooked to perfect med-rare and was an excellent piece of meat. The mashed veg was good and I enjoyed the tartly dressed salad greens atop the whole assembly. My wife's trout was perfectly grilled. I continue to claim the cooks at Blue Ridge know their grill very, very well. Her accompaniments (some zucchini and onions and tomatoes?) were light and lovely. Solid dish. A vegetarian friend's grit cakes with mushrooms and grilled green beans all looked hearty and flavorful. I didn't taste, but he reported great satisfaction. The green beans were monstrous. I also finally had the 'Barack-wurst' snack. Tight sections of sausage on skewers. Nothing mind-blowing, but a filling snack if you expect to order a light main. The dill cream sauce was well balanced. Two bottles of Lolonis Old Vine Cuvee were also good. An unexpected flavor profile. Can't remember all we tasted in it, but we did order two bottles. Something must've been right with it. I see it retails from the winery for $12, so the $29 price at Blue Ridge seemed a bit high for their mission statement. Still, I do think they offer a truly excellent wine program at a palatable price point. The coffee selections looked very appealing and I was willingly to risk the caffeine buzz to try the pressed coffee. Turns out, they were out of my preferred bean and said they subbed Whole Foods organic (presumably from across the way). I appreciated the honesty. But, turns out, they did have the decaf version of the coffee I initially requested. Score! It was a wonderful cup of rich, dark coffee. Pecan pie was good enough. The place was empty and I was very bummed to see that. I continue to enjoy good value and good food at Blue Ridge. Give it a try. It's an excellent neighborhood spot.
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