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Proof, Capital One Arena, Chef George Rodrigues Replaces Austin Fausett, Who Replaced Ben Schramm, Who Replaced Haidar Kharoum, Etc. - Closed Feb 2, 2019


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I had a lovely dinner at Proof last night ... Gnocchi with roasted corn was another highlight.

Say hi next time. :angry:

Proof keeps getting better and better, and Tom Sietsema's review was well-written and paints an accurate picture of the restaurant. I don't assign stars, but if I did (hmm, lightbulb going on...), Proof would absolutely get three. Unfortunately, despite Tom's fairly glowing review, a lot of people are only going to remember the star rating, and this restaurant should not have gotten two and a half. It seems like such a small thing - half a star - but it's not. Not only does it have a devastating psychological impact on the restaurant staff, but it also means Proof is "lumped in" with a bunch of other places, when it deserves to stand out from that pack. I can see this being somewhat of a borderline call, but in this case I think you need to round up, not down.

A Roasted Flatbread ($12) with ricotta, olive oil, lemon thyme, baby arugula, and sea salt was expensive for its size, but was so perfectly executed that it was worth every penny. The combination of these ingredients was in absolute harmony, and at one point I even swooned to myself when I hit a piece of sea salt at just the right moment.

Just as good, perhaps even better, was the Yukon Gold Gnocchi ($21 for a full portion) with chanterelle mushrooms and roasted sweet corn. The gnocchi itself was great, but the chanterelles were the most exquisite versions I've had in recent memory. Everyone serves chanterelles, but not many people can cook them like Haidar Karoum. Was Haidar hovering over my dish? I don't know - they knew I was there - but one thing's for sure: At its best, this is a fantastic bowl of gnocchi.

Following Tom's lead, I also had a bottle of the fine 2005 Defaix Chablis 1er Cru ($38), which is worth every penny. An entry-level Chablis by Defaix is also on the menu for $30, and that wine should be almost as good.

At one point, Mark Kuller came over with a taste of 1990 Krug. Just enough for one small, fleeting sip, which nearly made me melt and flow into one of the cracks in the floor. He offered to pour me a glass, and I had to decline even though, at that moment, I wanted a glass of that wine more than anything in the world.

Cheers,

Rocks.

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I don't assign stars, but if I did (hmm, lightbulb going on...), ... people are only going to remember the star rating ...Not only does it have a devastating psychological impact on the restaurant staff, but it also means Proof is "lumped in" with a bunch of other places,

Please don't start with the stars thing. You've just explained why it's a bad idea.

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Went last Saturday night. About as expected. Very impressed. Server was Anne and thought she was very good. I would definitely recommend trying to get a booth. I noticed some people in the middle tables holding up candles/lighters trying to read the menus as it was too dark. The charcuterie was excellent (loved the mustard, Anne said it's not made in house) as well as the heirloom salad and corn soup. I had the hanger steak and my gf had the lamb. The lamb seemed kind of mild which is interesting as lamb can be too intense on taste sometimes. The wines by the glass were awesome. That Napa Zin was impressive. I am a big fan of Tempranillo and Rioja and Proof did not dissapoint. I just think Spanish wines (even Albarino) are very underated and a great bargain at that.

Great to see Tom's review the next morning in the Post. I too was surprised at only 2.5 stars. OK, maybe you could make a case for 3 or 2.75 (if there is such a thing). The ambiance should get a 4 what with the bar area and bathroom design. Although, I have to mention the fruit flies. I visit 20-30 wineries a year and so I am very familiar with the whole fruit fly / wine attraction but some customers may not. 20 mins into the meal they wouldn't leave us alone. The fact we had several glasses of wine obviously didn't help....

Overall, Mark has a great place and we'll be back again soon with many friends.

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Enjoyed dinner at the bar at Proof on Wednesday night--the space is just gorgeous, and I liked the clever tie-ins to the National Portrait Gallery (my favorite of DC's museums).

The by-the-glass selection is varied and fairly-priced, and I enjoyed the Alvarinho that the bartender picked out for me. Service at the bar was attentive without being cloying. I wish Mr. Zutant's dad hadn't called right after I sat down, as I would have loved to engage him in discussion. Ah, family! Next time, perhaps.

I opted for two "Firsts," the gnocchi and the sweetbreads. The former was absolutely divine--perfectly textured, intensely flavorful, and not distractingly heavy. I wish I had ordered the large portion. The sweetbreads were not quite as impressive--there was a little too much emphasis on the "sweet," with the occasional bite packing an overly salty wollup of bacon. It wasn't a total miss, but I'll opt for something else next time.

When I arrived at 5:30, the place was nearly empty (just me and a couple at the bar, with no one at any of the tables). When I departed at 6:30, there were people practially jumping over each other to secure my newly-emptied barstool. I can certainly see why the place has been such a success--I'll absolutely be back. Thanks for bringing great wine and food to the neighborhood--bravo!

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The slow-cooked pork panini is exactly what I'm looking for at lunch. Tasty, filling, and no more expensive than the crap down the street at McCormick's. The wine by the glass list is also outstanding, with winners in the Shiraz, Bordeaux, and Cabernet, with the only disappointment coming in the form of a dull Burgundy, which was promptly replaced at no charge. Great crowd and an awesome space, including the picture above the urinal closest to the door. That might be the most impressive thing I've seen all week. :blink:

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Tripewriter and I ate here again last night and had another lovely meal. We showed up early, thinking we'd sit at the bar and have a glass of vino, but they offered us a table, and we were sat immediately. We started off with the charcuterie board -- holy cow (pig, etc.)! It was huge. We did what damage we could to it -- which was considerable, as we hadn't eaten yet that day -- but we couldn't finish it. It was ginormous. And delicious :blink: My favorite bite was the grilled bread with a smear of mustard, a slice of bresola, and a sliver of pickle. I accompanied it with their by-the-glass Malbec, which was light and refreshing. Tripewriter had the gin rickey and said it was also refreshing. We split the tomato salad, as we were full of meat. In particular, some of the wee tomatoes -- one of the reds and the yellow -- just had amazing flavor. For the main, I had the halibut and Tripewriter had the chicken. We both enjoyed our respective dishes -- I, in particular, was totally enamored of the greens/lentils with mustard that were under my fish. I could have eaten a whole bowl of them (which is a rare thing for me!). We shared a bottle of Westrey pinot noir, which Tripewriter fell in love with :P It seems like every time we go out lately, we end up with a new case of wine on order...and I'm pretty sure last night won't be an exception. We finished with coffee and the chocolate bundt cake. If I had to pick a weaker portion of the meal, it would be the dessert, but I remember liking the sticky toffee pudding I had last time quite a lot, so I may just not have been in the right mood last night. We had a lovely, relaxing time -- for whatever reason, we really feel at home at Proof, and Sebastian and our waitress (who was great) certainly did nothing to disabuse us of the notion. We're already plotting our return...

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We started off with the charcuterie board -- holy cow (pig, etc.)! It was huge. We did what damage we could to it -- which was considerable, as we hadn't eaten yet that day -- but we couldn't finish it. It was ginormous. And delicious :blink: My favorite bite was the grilled bread with a smear of mustard, a slice of bresola, and a sliver of pickle.

Went there a couple of weeks ago with my wife and 4 other friends. We started with the charcuterie board as well and found it to be quite a satisfying portion for 6 of us! All in all, it was a fantastic meal (everyone loved their apps and entrees) and Matt and Sebastian made the night very memorable. (Ask for a taste of Sebastian's bacon vodka. Awesome...just awesome.)

Side note: Their host staff is well trained and extremely polite and accommodating as well. It's always nice to see a restaurant that takes the time to put more effort into the host staff than just planting a pretty face there.

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I have to tell you guys something, I have wanted to go to Proof since it opened months ago, but I didn't get around to it until last night. Various plans to go there have been cancelled, but even though the Yankees were playing last night, I still made a point to go anyway. And, it met all of my expectations...almost.

Got there right when the doors opened at 5:30 PM, it is a beautiful space. For whatever reason, that is my style of restaurant, I like it. Especially enjoyed the bathroom, not enough to hang out in there for a while, but it was still nice to have a cool bathroom. Overall, decor was an A+.

Sitting at the bar was easy at 5:30, but when we left about 8:00, it sure wasn't easy anymore, even on a Monday night. To say that this place is popular is an understatement. Our bartender (Jimmy?) was very good, great guy, very nice. When we sat at a table in the bar later on, our waitress was great as well, she had some good tips and wasn't afraid to tell us about them. She wasn't wishy-washy, which is what I like in a server. Service was only a B+ though because they couldn't transfer our three drinks at the bar over to our bill at the table. Since our table was in the bar, I'm not sure why it was a big deal. And, really, it wasn't a big deal, but to fight my way through that bar to pay another bill when I just wanted to go home and watch baseball wasn't so much fun.

The wine list was wonderful, I liked the selection of wines by the glass and the option of different sized pours, added a lot to the experience. I also felt that the prices were pretty reasonable. When I order wine by the glass, which isn't often, I tend to be disappointed in the pricing, but not at Proof. Yeah, it was pricey, but at least the list was well thought out and good, I would rather pay $10 for a glass of good wine than $10 for a glass of crappy wine. Yes, I know that is obvious, but you know what I mean. Started with the Aviation, not a bad drink, but $11 was too much. Had the Sauv Blanc and Vermentino at the bar, liked them both. Had the Barbera d'Asti, Malbec, Tempranillo and something else at the table, can't believe I can't remember the last wine we had. Anyway, they were good enough for an A- on the drink side.

The food, on the other hand, fell a bit short for me. Now, I loved everything that we had, I really did, but I did feel that it was a bit pricey. I almost never complain about price, but I did feel that everything on the menu was a few dollars pricier than it should have been. Started with the prosciutto ($12) and the riccota, olive oil, lemon thyme, baby arugula and sea salt flatbread ($12). The food, as I said before, was great, but the portions were small, especially the flatbread. We liked the flatbread more than the prosciutto, but both were excellent. Same with the glazed sablefish, potato purée, pea shoots, wild mushrooms with miso sauce ($24). It reminded me somewhat of the black cod that they serve at Morimoto and Nobu, great fish. The potatoes could have been better, but I liked the pea shoots and the mushrooms. Again though, the portion was pretty small. For dessert we had the toffee pudding cake ($9) which was tiny. When I end a meal, I just want a few bites, but this was simply too small. And, you know what, it was just average, a little bit dry, we should have gone for the goat cheesecake. I give the food a solid B, but if they put a few more ounces on each dish or lower the prices a few bucks, it is easily an A.

Overall, great experience and I will forever kick myself for not going there sooner. And, it made an otherwise miserable night of baseball watching turn out to not be that bad afterall.

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I was there last night too. I love Proof (and I'd say that even if I weren't friends with hmmboy).

When I entered around 8 pm, my first thought was "where are all the people?" jiveturk21, if you thought it was crowded last night, you definitely don't want to show up at 8 pm on a Friday! There were people present; it just wasn't the zoo it has been on my last few visits.

I do agree, though, that meals tend to be a bit pricey for the portions involved. Still, I really love the food offered so I continue to return.

While we waited for our table, my two friends and I ordered a selection of three cheeses. Not a clunker in the bunch; I'd just suggest offering more bread to go with said cheeses. We asked for, and received, more.

Last night was my first time trying the ricotta flatbread which a friend ordered. It was nicely flavored with flecks of salt dotting the creamy cheese. We really enjoyed this as well as my other friend's meatballs and my half portion of gnocchi which are presently offered with leeks and chanterelles. Awesome! My friends were fighting me for the last bits of sauce.

I'm a sucker for the hanger steak, medium rare. My friends took my menu suggestions of the chicken and the sablefish. All of the plates went back to the kitchen empty.

Desserts are not my favorite part of meals at Proof, to be honest. We were pretty full anyway so we passed on this course.

The pre-tip bill was, I believe, $160 which didn't include the cheese or our first round of wine in the bar area (another $50 plus tip). We are just medium rollers, I guess, so this is somewhat of splurge unless expense accounts come into play.

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Very much enjoyed my first trip to Proof over the weekend.

The champagne cart is a fun way to start the meal and has options for big and not-so-big spenders alike (3 sparkling wines for under $10 a glass ).

As others have noted, the gnocchi and sablefish are real standouts. My girlfriend and I share whatever we order as a matter of course, but for the first time in years she refused to hand over the gnocchi. I wasn't the least bit disappointed to keep the sablefish which was delightfully rich. While it wasn't a large piece of fish, Sablefish is an expensive protein and I thought for the price ($24) and with the sizeable accompaniments (mashed potatoes, baby bok choi) I thought it was a good and sufficiently-filling value.

The Chablis that Sietsema & Don both recommended is somehow still available and paired well with our mains.

Cheese course comes with a nice spread of yummy toasts, figs, honey, and applesauce.

I was impressed to see a spot which could easily fill every table all night long exercising some discretion and managing to not overbook themselves so as to avoid leaving folks waiting for their tables or jamming the kitchen with orders. They are clearly working hard to make their guests happy here - our server was very quick to offer the champagne cart and to offer to replenish the bread for the cheese course. Kudos!

I'll be back next time I can find a reservation or will order at the bar, which was full, but not as slammed as I'd expect it to be given the restaurant's wild popularity.

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Bottle: Floris Whit Blanche, Hedonism Red ale (double ipa), Egginberg Pils, Hitachino Red rice and Ginger Brew, Orval Trappist, Kasteel cherry, Delerium Tremens (only for 1/2 and 1/2 Pink elephant)

Keg: La Chouffe, Weyerbacher Merry Monks ale, Old Chub Scottish ale, and Kostrizer Schwarzbier.

Be aware the kegs change ALL THE TIME~~~ I can only carry 1/6th kegs, so I gotta keep changin. The bottles are pretty steady, Ill be changing them soon enough for the comming winter. Oh YEAH, I just got Gouden Carolous Noel.

K, there it is.

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Bottle: Floris Whit Blanche, Hedonism Red ale (double ipa), Egginberg Pils, Hitachino Red rice and Ginger Brew, Orval Trappist, Kasteel cherry, Delerium Tremens (only for 1/2 and 1/2 Pink elephant)

Keg: La Chouffe, Weyerbacher Merry Monks ale, Old Chub Scottish ale, and Kostrizer Schwarzbier.

Be aware the kegs change ALL THE TIME~~~ I can only carry 1/6th kegs, so I gotta keep changin. The bottles are pretty steady, Ill be changing them soon enough for the comming winter. Oh YEAH, I just got Gouden Carolous Noel.

K, there it is.

Wow, nice. That was not at all the answer I expected. I'll be visiting soon.

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I noticed some people in the middle tables holding up candles/lighters trying to read the menus as it was too dark.

That was me! In fact, we asked for more candles just so we could read the menu!

In the plus column: Proof is open for after-theater drinks and food.

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The service at the bar last night was great! I was a little nervous about trying to score bar seats on a Thursday night, but we got lucky and there seemed to be a seat for almost everyone there last night. Some places take serving meals at the bar more seriously than others. Proof seems to fall clearly in the camp of those who treat bar-based diners with the same level of respect as those in the dining room. We didn't order that large a meal, but had a great time chatting with the bartenders about the wines by the glass and were pleased with the several reds we tried. Over the course of two and a half hours, three different folks behind the bar made a point of treating us with the level of respect you'd be pleased to have in any dining room. We never had to ask for a water refill, were offered pre-meal crackers & spread (Proof's pre-meal bread & butter), never struggled to get someone's attention for another glass of something or a recommendation for something new, and had our grilled bread accompaniment to the charcuterie replenished without hassle. I know, this isn't an exciting post, but it was some of the most noteworthy service I've had anywhere in quite some time and I thought it was worth giving kudos where they are due. Thanks to the bar staff at Proof! I will not hesitate to seek a seat here the next time I'm looking for a meal and some wine at the bar.

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I think it is a noteworthy post, youngfood, and I agree with everything said. It is rare to find a staff as committed, from Mark down to the waitstaff, to the happiness of the people eating in the restaurant. Proof was a real welcome addition to this neighborhood, and not just because of the great wine and food!

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I love Proof, just everything about the place. When I dined there last night with two friends, I returned to some old favorites like the gnocchi, but did order the new (?) wagyu beef sashimi. I have no idea if it was the 'real deal' but man, that was rich and delicious. I'll definitely order it again.

The cheese program continues to be fantastic. We had six and they were all enjoyable, however the standout was a pecorino tartufo studded with truffles. Divine.

Another highlight was the sparkling rose I drank. Mark - details please??

Our server was an interesting guy. At first, I found him to be a bit aloof (which is fine), however when we engaged him in discussion regarding the cheese selection and later dessert wines, he spoke very passionately on the subjects.

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I love Proof, just everything about the place.

Proof is fast becoming one of my favorite spots as well. I think Hillvalley coined the term 'medium roller' and I'd like to note that while Proof has plenty of potential to run up an enormous tab, a medium roller can do quite well for a reasonable price here. Two sparkling flutes, a bottle of red, three small plates, a large plate, and a dessert ran us about $135 pre-tip and was a plenty indulgent celebration for us.

The excellent Gnocchi has been well documented and still features chanterelles, now with leeks where before there was corn. New to the menu was a Crudo of White Tuna with foie gras essence. Four glistening, thinly sliced, but fairly large two-bite pieces of fish in a lovely intense foie sauce were delightful. I don't know if I can order crudo at Hook again after that! The Tuna Tartar is the only nonsushi restaurant-based tuna fix, I've enjoyed in years. Placed above and below nori tempura chips of sorts, the tuna is well dressed with wasabi-soy emulsion and hess avacado bits.

Desserts here haven't gotten much attention, but the goat's cheesecake deserves some love from anyone who's into that sort of thing. It's a fun play on the idea. Our server warned us that it was less traditional (read not as thick) than most, but we loved the strong goat cheese flavor. It's served in a glass with the graham cracker crust and a tart fruit flavor layer on the top and gooey goat cheesecake below. Once you get a spoon or so in, you can mash the various components together to produce a well balanced bite.

And no post about Proof would be complete without some love for their wine program. Their lengthy list is a fun read even if I'm limited to the small roller side of it. Although the list offers many high end options, Proof deserves much credit for many affordable by the glass options, and a decent number of affordable bottles. I wasn't familiar with most of what I saw, so I asked for help. Sebastian landed us with a 2003 Cote des Fees, which was amazing. A blend of grenache, syrah, mouvedre, and carnigan, this was served from a bottle that was cold to touch, in some gorgeous huge stems, and was about the most stunning wine I've ever tasted. The wine was a deep dark hue and the second you smelled it, you knew it was going to knock your socks off. It was more fruit-forward than I expected from an old world wine, but no where near enough to suggest that it came from this side of the pond. I wish I had more to say about this, but while I know what I like when it comes to wine, I'm still working on figuring out how to describe it. I can say that this bottle made an otherwise delicious and fantastic meal special. And it elevated Proof from a spot where I thought you could have a couple delicious courses and some good wine, to a major player in the medium roller big night out category.

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I ate a lot of delicious food at Proof tonight, but I had a few bites of a new tasty thing: ham risotto. That isn't, of course, how the menu describes it exactly, but the rice, simmered with ham hocks, tastes so purely of not just pork, but ham. It was my mother's first trip to Proof so I tried not to hog (pun intended) her dish, which also included pork tenderloin. She also ate every last bite of her cauliflower soup which I didn't try.

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By nature, I am very Type-A (which is polite-speak for "anal retentive"). So, when I made a reservation at Proof to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday, I started planning. "I'm definitely gonna have the sablefish," I thought. "And the meatballs to start! And some cheese! And Jason will probably have venison or hanger steak! Hooray!" All of my planning was for naught, however, as we were derailed from the moment we opened our menus. And that was a VERY good thing!

I started with a lovely, refreshing glass of prosecco, and Jason had a gimlet. Since he doesn't like mushrooms (I know, it's really hard to make our relationship work), my preferred starter--the delicious gnocchi--was out. But, no matter--as soon as Jason saw the charcuterie selections, it was all over. We were having MEAT, dammit, and that was final! The board was HUGE, and it was really tasty and well-put together. We had so much fun deciding which meat was our favorite! I, for one, really enjoyed the jamon serrano and the homemade pate, but Jason liked the speck best of all.

While we waited for the onset of the "meat sweats," we ordered another round of wine (by telling our server to surprise us). Jason ended up with a lovely tempranillo, and I had an Austrian white that was dry and delicious. Even though we both had main dishes that we wanted to try, we admitted that the charcuterie board had defeated us and that we'd never make it through two entrees (especially if they were beef- or pork-related). So, we decided to split the cauliflower soup with crispy oysters from the "firsts" menu and the seared scallops from the "seconds" menu. While the scallops were perfectly cooked and very well-complimented by the accompanying turnip puree, it was the soup that really wowed us. The flavor was simple but intense, and the texture was terrific. Jason really loved the cornmeal batter on the oysters, but I could have done without it as it was almost too heavy and crunchy for the soup.

While we pondered dessert (what, you thought I was going to leave without something sweet? Yeah, right...), we each had a glass of the albarino, which remains one of my favorite wines on Proof's by-the-glass list. Jason decided to try the sticky toffee pudding cake, and I went for the goat's cheesecake. Despite the fact that we were stuffed, both plates were empty in a matter of minutes--the former was delectably sweet without being cloying, and the latter was just frickin' amazing. Texture? Awesome (incredibly smooth, but with the great crunch of the crust "crumbles" on top). Flavor? Awesome (loved the tang from the passion fruit).

While Jason sipped his 30-year tawny, we talked about how wonderful our server, Anna, had been. I asked her where she had worked before Proof, and she said Komi--so I guess she's the one you've all been raving about! I can see why--she was phenomenal. Knowledgable, approachable, funny, great with pacing--she really knew how to read our table.

I could go on and on about the little details that make Proof fantastic, but hopefully you all already know how great it is. If you haven't been, GO! I'll be packing in as many return trips as possible between now and when I leave DC in May. Bravo to the entire Proof crew!

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Last night I sat and wondered why Proof removes all of the glorious fat from the Prosciutto San Danielle.

The white tuna crudo is one of the finest fish dishes I have had in the city. Impeccably fresh white tuna, with just a hint of lime, and the Maldron salt crystals stayed crunchy from the first piece to the last.

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Last night, a friend and I were looking for a good, but budget-friendly dinner. I'm facing my first mortgage payment and buying a new car (eek, all at the same time) and she's a freelancer who is doing lots of home improvement at the moment. Adding to the list of "needs" is the fact that my friend's a somewhat picky vegetarian who does not eat fish.

We both like Zaytinya so off we went only to find, upon arriving at 8:30, that the place was at least 3x as packed as either of us had ever seen. We put in our names thinking we'd try to wait the 90 minutes quoted for a table, and then decamped to Proof which is my favorite, but not the favorite of my wallet's given that I like to order three courses and a cheese plate plus wine! I get greedy here.

Suffice to say, we stayed at Proof, dining in the front lounge booth. We snacked on lots of good stuff including my favorite, the wagyu sashimi, but also trying the white tuna crudo. It's funny learning new things and trying new tastes as I try to shed my own pickiness. Although I still can't imagine ordering cooked food, I can definitely see myself ordering the crudo here again. It was amazing with the flecks of sea salt and foie gras emulsion.

Mark shared some incredible wines with us (thank you!!) which really rounded out the wonderful evening. Chef Karoum is doing great stuff here.

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I definitely agree with the previous poster--while the wine selections at Proof are undeniably fab, the food is also a great draw. Last Friday night, highlights were the meatballs (tender and tangy), the sablefish (PERFECTLY seasoned and cooked, with some great baby bok choy and mushrooms), and, of course, the oft-revered gnocchi (the person who ordered this is not even a fan of mushrooms, but he pretty much licked his plate clean). The pork dish was also a hit with our table, though it was a little overpoweringly "hammy" for my personal taste.

Proof keeps giving me reasons to come back--which I will do, without hesitation!

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My wedding diet was derailed once again by a really damn good steak and cheese at Proof today. Not the type you are seeing at Majestic and other mid-to-upscale places these days, who are serving their versions of the sandwich with large chunks of sirloin as opposed to the Philly style shredded beef. Proof does a great job of giving me the version I'm used to from home without making me feel like I just stood in line for a big sloppy, greasy steak at Jim's.

You probably won't believe me, but it goes pretty damn well with a tall glass of Chandon as well. :mellow:

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I heard a recent news report about revelers flocking to whatever city hosts the Super Bowl - not to actually attend the game, but just to be there, for the parties, the excitement, and the overall vibe.

For this reason alone, I went to Proof last Saturday night: There was a Barry Manilow concert at Verizon Center, and I wanted to ... just ... be there.

Haidar Karoum's game statistics: Five attempts, five completions, quarterback rating 158.3.

White Tuna Crudo ($13) with aged tamari, shiso, foie gras essence, and Maldon sea salt is expensive for four pieces of white tuna, but the two-bite pieces are so druggingly tasty, it doesn't matter. Treat the little pile of daikon and shiso leaf as you would ginger, taking a bit in between bites as a palate cleanser.

Haidar surpringly chose to send the Crispy Pork Belly Confit ($11) second, four morsels of hauntingly crisp pork belly, each with a proprietary dab of horseradish mustard emulsion, and each sitting atop its own hash of cabbage, carrot, and red onion (the menu said cabbage and fuji apple). These thoughtfully-cut pieces should be knifed into strips so that the dark-colored and light-colored portions are enjoyed in every single bite.

I thought Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Oysters ($11) was going to arrive second, but this is why Haidar is the chef and I'm not: It worked perfectly post-porcine. The soup itself was in a bowl, solo, with the mini-pile of corn-mealy oysters on the side, and it would be a mistake to simply pop an occasional oyster into your mouth between bites of soup; the oysters are best cut into thirds, dunked with your spoon, and enjoyed with a blast of this piping-hot cauliflower essence.

The Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras ($17) was masterful. Served atop a little piece of brioche-y french toast with some poached Asian pear, almond puree, and cider reduction, it's one of the most skillful sears of high-quality foie you'll find anywhere. I fear I might have gotten a "friends of the house portion," but if not, then this was also a terrific value.

Dessert was a wonderful tarte, and I'd love to go into great detail about it, waxing poetic about all the superb ingredients and execution; unfortunately I cannot, and the fault rests entirely with sommelier Sebastian Zutant, who went five-for-five with his wine selections as well. :mellow:

Cheers,

Rocks.

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Haidar Karoum's game statistics: Five attempts, five completions, quarterback rating 100.0.

While I'm no Jake or Dave when it comes to numbers around here, I do know a little bit about the good ole football game. If Chef Karoum when 5 for 5, and each attempt was for at least 12.5 yards (clear to me that all 5 qualify), with one of the courses going for a TD (strong possibility for the seared foie gras, but that may be my own personal bias towards foie), and no INTs (also clear), that would give a quarterback rating of 158.3 (perfect performance).

I love the internets. Don, please feel free to revise your rating if appropriate.

Note: I'm not sure if there's a good comparable football tool out there to calculate Sebastian's pairings, any other football geeks out there care to take a shot?

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I was there on the same night with a group of 4 and had the same feeling about my experience as Rocks, but ordered totally different dishes.

The Seared Day Boat Scallops are moist, buttery little lumps of perfectly browned white mass, surrounded by a nice assortment of pea shoots and turnip puree. I love scallops raw, but when they are cooked, this is how I want them to be; firm, splitting ever so slightly at the edges, and not chewy in the least bit.

Roasted Pennsylvania Pork Loin sitting on top of a thick ham hock risotto is a dish that doesn't necessarily sound spectacular, but it is a generous heaping of creamy, fatty goodness. The tenderloin here is properly cooked, which was refreshing after visiting a few restaurants who treat their pork like chicken. This was a tinge more than medium rare and served as a nice sponge after the risotto was gone (that went quickly), sopping up all of that great creamy residue.

The Gnocchi was as reported throughout this thread. I loved the generosity of the chef with the chanterelles and had to fight with the wifey over the most browned potato pillows on the plate, as these were our favorites of the bunch.

While the ladies ordered desserts for themselves, my father and I decided to drink more and go the cheese route. The Rogue River Blue was easily the best bleu cheese I have ever had, with that nice strong flavor shining throughout without any of the earthy taste that you tend to get with some bleus. We left the entire board in the hands of Ben the fromager, who did an excellent job selecting cheeses to our specific liking.

Proof has definitely put itself at the top of the restaurant heap in DC, in my opinion, and it's not just because the food is outstanding. I really like going to a place where I know I will always be taken care of by the staff. All too often in this area, I feel like there are egregious missteps in the service at restaurants, even some of the good ones. Proof is such a relaxing experience because I know that I can go there and ask Sebastian to pair my glasses of wine to go perfectly with my food choices without breaking the bank while doing so. The wine he picked for my main course was a wonderful glass of Corbieres, which came in at $7 for a 6oz pour (a steal in my opinion). I also know that I will not be rushed through any courses so that they can get me out of there in 2 hours, which I have found happening all too often on Friday and Saturday nights at busy places. Basically, I know that when I leave I will not be saying "The food was great, but...." or "Everything would have been perfect if.....". Proof is always just "Really damn good."

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We had a lovely night at Proof yesterday. Unfortunately, I'm not remembering names of dishes very well, so I'm going to have to go off descriptions.

First, I broke my leg in two places on Valentines Day (whee!), and yesterday was my first nondoctor outing since. This, of course, means that every single member of this board should start posting three times a day so that I have enough to read while trapped indoors.

We started off at a good Caps game (good even though we lost to the Devils, 1-2 :)) and then headed over to Proof for dinner. We had a vegetarian friend with us and were worried that he might not have enough options, but he ended up being the only one to take food home, so I think it went well :lol:

We started with the charcuterie board. The one disappointment was that they weren't willing to make it a combination of meats and cheeses, so we ended up with a lot of meat for two of us and a separate portion of cheeses for him (for more $, of course). The meats were lovely, if not as spectacular as my memory had them, and for me the absolute highlight of the board was the chicken liver. Ooooh, it was good, particularly paired with the great grilled bread. I don't know what Proof and the Mendocino Grille do to their breads before they serve them, but EVERYONE should do it! Tripewriter had an aviation cocktail and I had the temporanillo. Both were nice.

Next Tripewriter had the endive salad and finished off every little piece. I had the dish with the Italian name that nobody at our table recognized (and I can't remember, though it started with a "p," I think). It was something like a roti with cheese and salad and prosciutto on top. Having just finished a giant platter of meat, I found myself sincerely wishing that there were more greens and less meat (!). I didn't think that I would make it through the whole thing, though it wasn't large, but I did. Somehow. It was delicious, which helped :wub:

Next our guest had the gnocchi, which he 1) didn't share :) and 2) left unguarded at the table while he excused himself with nose issues. We were both sorely tempted to partake in his absence but managed to restrain ourselves...barely... I had the scallops, and see above for a better description than I could give, with the exception that I just loved -- loved! -- the greens. They were fabulous. Tripewriter had the 5-spice duck, of which he gave me a piece, and it was lovely (though I was still glad that I'd ordered the scallops).

Our guest and I were too, too full for dessert, so Tripewriter was on his own with a trio of sorbetti. He seemed to enjoy them and didn't once offer to share :mellow:

Our wine, chosen by me because it's a particular favorite of Tripewriter's, and I can't find it to buy anywhere but at Proof, was the Westry Shea '03. Delicious.

Thanks for Proof for a good night out and to the other patrons for not being grossed out by my having my leg up on the booth (on Tripewriter's coat, bien sur). I hope that my hot pink cast made it a little less traumatizing ;)

PS: Any idea how often the menu changes? We noticed a number of items that were carry-overs from the last time we dined there. My parents would like to check Proof out when they visit in April, and I just was hoping that there might be new fabulous menu items. If the menu is static, we may switch to Rasika instead...

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I had the dish with the Italian name that nobody at our table recognized (and I can't remember, though it started with a "p," I think).

Piadine :)

The menu has remained largely static over the last few visits with just a few additions and tweaks. I don't mean to speak for Mark who's enjoying some well-deserved rest, of course, but my guess is that the menu will see more changes as spring (and spring ingredients) roll around.

I was also at Proof Saturday night, on the early side. Lots of "tried and true" dishes were ordered because I brought my parents, uncle and exceedingly food-fearful aunt. She is the same aunt who likes to order French Martinis and then complain that there's never enough chambord/pineapple/whatever so I always brace myself when dining in a restaurant with her. This time, she was about to ask our wonderful server Max if she could have the white tuna crudo, but cooked. Not kidding. Sadly. Managed to head her off at the pass and refrained from throwing flatware at her. :mellow:

There's a new addition to the dessert menu involving a grilled banana and bread pudding. I recall liking it and that my mother and I cleaned the plate, but otherwise it's a blur. I drank a lot in order to get through the night.

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Our guest and I were too, too full for dessert, so Tripewriter was on his own with a trio of sorbetti. He seemed to enjoy them and didn't once offer to share :mellow:

Well, you did say you were too full. And I was very conscientious about describing how tasty each flavor was!

I enjoy the tried and true--the meats, salad, and duck were all very tasty--but look forward to the new as we near spring.

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Nothing big to report here; my wife and I only had drinks and a dessert last night after seeing There Will be Blood at E Street. The bar was packed with suits at 11:15. We squeezed in at a little table and had a beautifully crafted and delicious bundt cake with hazelnut ice cream. Service was prompt and attentive despite being slammed. A Moscato d'Asti went quite well with the cake, and my Martini was good, though I should have ordered the Aviation I noticed only later on the cocktail menu.

I'm surprised Proof is apparently the only place that's hit on the brilliant idea of having hot chicks climb up and down ladders behind the bar. It was hilarious watching the guys' heads track up and down.

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though I should have ordered the Aviation I noticed only later on the cocktail menu.

Oh yes, you definitely should have had the Aviation. I had quite a few on my birthday a couple weeks ago, which rendered me unable to type up a homage to the food. I do remember fighting everyone else for the gnocci, and refusing to share my risotto. I also remember a love-in at the bar later, where we encountered another party celebrating a birthday. And then things got really hazy...

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I had a terrific Aviation cocktail there last night thanks to Sarah. I wish I could remember what the other excellent cocktail was that I had, but it was a rather busy evening and I've already forgotten the name of it.

I'm happy to report that Proof carries Collette Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé "Les Moulins" 2004, which is a glorious white Burgundy.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Sebastian, who is a very kind and generous host. Hope to revisit soon.

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My guests and Tripewriter and I had a great time at Proof on Monday night. I had given our visitors three options -- Proof, Rasika, and Central -- to choose from for this evening, and after reading the menus, they chose Proof. We started, of course, with the ginormous charcuterie board. We all four enjoyed it and, in fact, polished off every morsel. Note to self -- this is MUCH easier to do with four than with two! Our server, whom we'd had the last time we were at Proof, remembered that the Westry Shea Pinot Noir 2003 was a special bottle for us, and he let us know that there was just one bottle left -- so we pounced on it. As fabulous as ever. I had the piadina, which cracks me up because we always get the giant board o'meat, and then the next thing I get is also covered in meat. However, this time there was a very nice balance between the cheese and greens and meat. Our guests had the chickpea flatbread and a salad, and Tripewriter also had a salad. For mains, I had the amazing scallops, my guests had the steak and the duck, and Tripewriter had a real winner in the pork on the butternut squash risotto -- amazing, and definitely what I'm getting next time. Probably. Desserts were the sticky toffee for them and something delicious for me and for Tripewriter that has at this time completely slipped my mind. A highlight of the meal was Hmmboy, who had been dining in the next booth (a pleasant surprise) gifting us with the pork belly -- wow! I wish Christmas were that good! ;) That's the other thing that I'm definitely getting next time. Probably...

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Had a great meal at Proof on Saturday. It was my first time there and I was impressed from start to finish. We started with the charcuterie board which was absurdly large and delicious, although I kind of wish it came with more accompaniments to balance out the meats. I followed that up wth the pork confit (which is as good as everyone says) and the cod. The Cod was cooked perfectly and had a nice balance of flavors, but I found it a touch on the salty side. I have a high tolerance for salt too, so for me to notice that means someone must have had a heavy hand in the kitchen. Still a great dish though. The lady had the ahi tuna app and the scallops for dinner, both of which were fantastic.

It was one of the few times that we ordered a bottle of California Chardonnay with our dinner and it was really a great compliment to the meal. I can't seem to recall the name but it was a hearty chard and really went well with all the seafood on the table. An enjoyable time all around.

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Proof Wednesday night, first time having dinner there. Not a perfect meal, but some amazing highlights. The sablefish was the single best fish dish I've ever had. Absolutely perfectly cooked, flavorful meat, wonderful glazed crust on the outside. Sitting on some quite boring mashed potatoes that do absolutely nothing for this dish, though. Also tried the gnocchi that others have recommended, and didn't see what that was all about. Kind of mushy, no? Charcuterie plate was fantastic, not a dud among the choices. Defaix Chablis is a great rec and went well with everything. Service was pretty anemic but whatever. Overall loved it and am itching to try other things on the menu.

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The Southern Tier UberSun is $10 on draft, and totally delicious. I don't know how Proof continues to get these impressively obsure kegs, but it really keeps the place high on my list of places to check out once in a while. Followed with an Aviation cocktail, and got a couple sips of the Corpse Reviver #2. Very tasty. Food was white tuna sashimi, wagyu carpaccio, pork confit, sweetbreads, ramps, broccoli, and cheese plate for dessert. The sweetbreads stole the show, crispy exterior and creamy insides, with mashers and spinach and dates playing nicely alongside. The pork confit was good, but surprisingly, a bit dry. Rich porky flavor. Left full and happy. Will return soon.

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I stopped by for a quick snack this evening. I agree with Eric that the confit was tasty but dry - confit is usually long cooked and stored in its own fat. This appeared to be chunks of very good pork, roasted until chewy. ;) The slaw underneath it was delicious. The endive and beet salad was quite good also. I had two glasses of the "rose of the day;" I don't remember the name but it was bright and refreshing.

We really need to get here for dinner sometime. Maybe next month for Scott's birthday...

ETA: Sebastian was delightful, and, as always, looked fabulous. Is there a sommelier in town with lovelier ties? I certainly don't think so.

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Proof last Saturday for the first time was a treat. Our group of 4 all commented on how comfy and nice the decors is from the soft leather seats to the great wine bottle glass walls. Service was very friendly and helpful in picking out glasses of wine to pair with our food. Kudos to our server for matching the interesting white burgundy with the delicious sablefish. The food was mostly very good. We started with a nice cheese plate which again had great pairings of condiments to go with each of the 3 cheeses (ash-rind pipe dreams goat with green apple slices, a very nice guyere with a golden raisin chutney/jam, and pecorino with extra thick honey). Other apps were gnocchi, chickpea spread flatbread, and white tuna crudo. The gnocchi topped with mushrooms, bit of asparagus and little peas had a very nice flavor combo, but like some others have said the gnocci itself was rather mushy. The flatbread was very tasty with a different twist on typical middle eastern flavors with the addition of pink, pickled radishes (I think that's what they were), however the chickpea spread itself (aka hummus) could use alittle more zip like some lemon. The crudo was very light and rich tasty at the same time - all around a nice dish that others have commented alot about already.

The hands-down winner for entrees was the sablefish as others have raved. Moist, flavorful with perfectly cooked bok choy. Only minor complaint was the mushrooms were too peppery (some of the other dishes were likewise over seasoned with salt or pepper). Very good dish, I wish I’d ordered it. Rather I had the alright duck breast, which was nicely cooked but lacked depth of flavor – I couldn’t taste the five spice and its bed of coleslaw was pretty bland. The pomegranate sauce with the duck added a nice punch but I thought it was too sweet. Others also had the rabbit and didn’t think it was so hot, but I didn’t try it. We also had the crispy cauliflower side, which I really liked. A very different flavor for this vegetable which melded well with its sauce. Others thought it was only so so, because it lacked a strong cauliflower flavor – which I think is a plus though as I’m not usually a big fan.

For desserts we got the sticky toffee pudding, the chocolate cake, and the rhubarb pie-like creation. Desserts were great all around. The toffee pudding was rich, but not too heavy and could have used an extra swirl of caramel on top even. I really enjoyed it. My wife loved the chocolate cake and wouldn’t give me a bite, but I did try the really excellent hazelnut mousse that comes with it, which I think could be a dessert in itself. Didn’t try the rhubarb but its plate was licked clean.

So some hits and misses, but mostly the former and overall a very nice dining experience. Can’t wait to go back and really dig into the wine list.

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This past Friday night, my family celebrated three law school graduations (my sister's, and both of our boyfriends'). I am so glad we chose to mark the occasion at Proof! What an amazing night of food and fun.

Appetizers included the always-impressive charcuterie board, the sauteed sweetbreads with dates and bacon (so popular that a second order was placed), the meatballs, the Wagyu sashimi (my dad's first experience with that type of preparation), the asparagus soup (delicious), and the gnocchi with asparagus, ramps, peas, and mushrooms (as good as it's ever been--pillowy yet rich, and the perfect expression of spring). Everything was wonderful, though the sweetbreads seemed to be the table favorite.

The entree winner was the sablefish, which I recommended after falling in love with the dish on my last visit. It was just as wonderful as I remembered. The halibut (with sunchokes, among other things) was a close second--the folks in the kitchen really know how to cook fish. Black sesame-crusted salmon was very tasty, and the pea shoot spaetzle that accompanied it was a lovely touch. The pork loin and a beet salad also went over well, though the fish dishes definitely outshadowed them.

The goat's cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding cake were terrific as usual. I read upthread that there was a rhubarb dessert, so I inquired about its availability--sadly, no rhubarb, but chef put together a refreshing strawberry shortcake instead.

I couldn't possibly remember all of the wines and beers we drank (we had 6 very different palattes, so we stuck with by-the-glass), but I do recall that our server was wonderful about listening to our likes and dislikes and then making spot-on recommendations. He was excellent and read our table perfectly--kudos! The atmosphere was perfect for our celebration--Proof is such an upbeat, energetic place, and that fit our celebratory mood to a tee.

Thanks to Mark for stopping by the table--my family really enjoyed meeting you, and it was great to see you again! I will miss dining at Proof once I move to Atlanta (at the end of this week, eek), but it will be at the top of my list on every return visit to DC.

P.S. My sister and her boyfriend dined at Citronelle last week, and they said their experience at Proof (it was their first visit), in terms of ambiance and food and service, blew the venerable Georgetown establishment out of the water. I know the two restaurants are vastly different, but I think it's a great compliment to Mark and his incredible team. Well done!

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June DR.com Event at Proof

Come join your fellow Rockweilers at Proof on Tuesday, June 10, at 7 pm for a multicourse meal by Chef Haidar Karoum -- with optional wine pairings by Sommelier Sebastian Zutant!

The cost for those who choose the pairings is $100/head, which includes food, wine, tax, and tip. For nondrinkers, the cost is $85/head. The pairings will be the equivalent of about a half bottle of wine per person; for those who want more, a double pairing is available for $15 more ($115/head).

We'll start meeting in the bar area at 6:30 pm for complimentary hors d'ouvres. We will be seated at 7 pm.

There are only 30 places available for this fabulous event, so sign up now! PM DON (DonRocks) with your name and the number of people in your party. Payment will be required in advance.

For more information about Proof, see www.proofdc.com.

See you there!

PLEASE NOTE: I am leaving the country for a couple weeks, so please PM Don to sign up! It's looking like a great group of people -- and you would only make it better :lol:

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Really nice birthday dinner on Monday at Proof that I'd been intending to do a full write up on...

Ordered mostly the usual favorites and was very pleased as usual with the white tuna crudo, gnocchi (spring version with leeks, asparagus, peas & wild mushrooms), sweetbreads, and sablefish. Tried the pork confit for the first time and liked it well, no issues with it being too dry.

Our server (Matthew?) was the best yet. He produced some really nice wine pairings for us, highlights being the Tardio Madeira with the sweetbreads, a Pinot Meunier (a first for me) with the Sablefish and what I think he said was a White Grenache with the gnocchi.

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I had a dream last night in which I was waiting at Proof for my date. (My date was not my wife, which is why I shall tread lightly when recounting this dream in this household.) I ended up being stood up, and ate my meal alone. Mark Slater, who (inexplicably) was my waiter, was very friendly throughout my sad meal. Toward the end of the evening, he asked me for a favor. He pointed at the bar, where Don Rockwell was courting a young lady. He said that Don had in his hand a slip of paper on which his phone number was written, but he was too shy to give it to the girl. Mark asked me to get up, walk to the bar, grab the paper out of Don's hands, and give it to the girl. I was pretty uncomfortable about the request, but I figured Mark had been very kind to me, so I would go ahead and do it.

I walked toward Don and the young lady, but just as I got there, Don apparently summoned the courage he needed and handed the paper to the girl. She accepted it with a broad smile, and I am sure everything worked out happily ever after. As for me, I nonchalantly walked by as though I was just headed to the bathroom the whole time.

While it is true that neither this dream nor this post has much to do with Proof, I believe it to be sufficiently weird that I had to record it somewhere.

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I had a dream last night in which I was waiting at Proof for my date. Mark Slater, who (inexplicably) was my waiter, was very friendly throughout my sad meal. .

Awesome. We've just opened a large patio in front - Mr. Slater, we could use another server who had a llittle wine knowledge :lol:

Your subconscious obviously know Rocks quite well. Though the "broad smile" and happily ever after" parts seem a bit dubious.

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Said patio is very nice (although I chose to dine inside Friday night; big a/c fan). Ate many of my old favorites with a friend, including a remarkably good cheese plate. We sent it back bare. We were attended to by the delightful Ashley and Mark helped us choose wines which is always a good thing.

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