Tom Sietsema's Online Chat

[Al Dente]

Een Awlde Irish Balade

Yee kain gow wowt oon fuchk ah dowg

An theen gow wowt oon fuchk ah frowg

An fuchk thee trowll hoo ees nehmed Og

Ba doona kowl ma saite ah blowg

I wouldn't dare refer to this joint as a blog, but I guess I assumed Eamonn's did.

[cheezepowder]

Nobody "crashed" the doors on Monday - the doors were open and people just walked in and were welcomed. Including tourists walking in off the street who had no idea it had just opened!

And, from this link on Metrocurean pointing to the Wash Post Going Out Gurus blog, a GOG was there Monday too.

[hillvalley]

Anybody who reads this board would have known about it if they simply read the Eamonn's thread. If DR members, passersby, or anyone else who walked through that door on Monday evening was not supposed to be there, there was not a peep made from any employee at Eamonn's about it. Everyone seemed to be welcomed with open arms and gracious service. Dining at Eve had nothing to do with it. But thank you for your spirited defense of those of us who attended.

Like I said: It just seemed strange to me after reading all of the posts about this place that all of a sudden there was a bunch of people from the board there. And then there is a report on the Tom chat today about crashers and I said to myself, "self, that seems strange."

I too was surprised to find out how many dr.com'ers where there. Usually when we invade a place someone posts about it on the On A Whim thread or in the thread of the actual restaurant. It seems no one thought to do that this time, that's all.

[Camille-Beau]

Een Awlde Irish Balade

Yee kain gow wowt oon fuchk ah dowg

An theen gow wowt oon fuchk ah frowg

An fuchk thee trowll hoo ees nehmed Og

Ba doona kowl ma saite ah blowg

So why don't yis all just fook off

[DLB]

If you had been reading the board as mentioned, then you would have known Eamonn's would be open on Monday at 5pm. Anyone who saw post #54 on the Eamonn's thread would know it was opening. People who were dining at Eve were informed by staff of the pending opening. Anyone telephoning recently (and not in July) would know of the opening. So nothing "strange" "odd" or "suspicious" about it. No conspiracy here folks. And for the record, Sietsema got a lot wrong in many ways, including the 'party-crashing'. The 'chagrin of the owners' he mentions is likely due to Eamonn's happily welcoming more patrons than expected since they themselves did not advertise. It was all word-of-mouth, people walking in off the street on a MONDAY night (not typically a busy pedestrian-traffic night) or via this "blog" (just kidding Rocks!)

There is nothing like free press! This is nothing more than a PR game. Makes your job very easy

[Escoffier]

So why don't yis all just fook off

Aye, jist be watchin' yer bleedin' gob...

[Hannah]

Appropriately pithy observation (probably not work safe unless you have coworkers with a sense of humor)

[Heather]

I too was surprised to find out how many dr.com'ers where there. Usually when we invade a place someone posts about it on the On A Whim thread or in the thread of the actual restaurant. It seems no one thought to do that this time, that's all.

Not every gathering gets posted, although anyone who cared would presumably have been able to get the info from following the Eamonn's thread.

I too doubt that Sietsema would report something he hadn't heard. If the proprietors didn't want people walking in then they might have closed the doors, or told the bar staff not to tell everyone.

[brr]

Appropriately pithy observation (probably not work safe unless you have coworkers with a sense of humor)

LOVE Father Ted!!

I too doubt that Sietsema would report something he hadn't heard. If the proprietors didn't want people walking in then they might have closed the doors, or told the bar staff not to tell everyone.

Exactly. Someone needs to let them know this info was being given out freely to anyone who called Eve and asked.....so the 'crashers' had no idea they were crashing...

[Camille-Beau]

'Twas not a private party people -- it was a quiet opening. Big difference. No one crashed anything so let's all relax and just enjoy the fact that Eamonn's is now truly, officially and finally OPEN (at least for dinner. . . and without beer. . . for now )

-Camille

[MelGold]

Just got this from Meshelle Armstrong who asked me to pass it along:

The post got out that we were 'open'. Family & friends just got bigger. It was great. Really, we were so happy to see you! - Meshelle

Having done a couple of soft openings myself - one of which was by invite & unknowingly got posted on the internet which then spread like wildfire far beyond our expected turnout - the only thing you can do is be as gracious as possible and do your best to make a great first impression. I think the Armstrongs and family did exactly that.

If any of them are stopping by to check the board, congratulations on the opening & good luck!

[tfbrennan]

I think what started this was Sietsema saw this photo from Monday night. Who knew there was karaoke!

[ol_ironstomach]

DonRocks said:

Een Awlde Irish Balade

Yee kain gow wowt oon fuchk ah dowg
An theen gow wowt oon fuchk ah frowg
An fuchk thee trowll hoo ees nehmed Og
Ba doona kowl ma saite ah blowg

Oi, who ya callin' a "trowll"?! He's a right nice fella, my pal Og is, even if he does eat Ouzo and Ho-Ho's for breakfast!

[DLB]

Here is another funny one from Silver Spring:

Silver Spring, Md.: Hi Tom,

A note on the new Ray's: The staff NEEDS some sensitivity training! They NEED to realize that, in an urban area, not everyone who goes to a steak-house is going to be a dedicated carnivore. Not everyone is going to want to hear: "And, this is our 'shmultz' appetizer made completely of animal fat!" And, not everyone is going to want to hear exactly what part of the cow each steak came from... Also, they need more than one chicken entree (fried and smuthered); and more than one veggie option(Thanks, so much for the two pieces of limp eggplant, though!). I really did used to be able to get into the occasional steak (okay, fillet mignon). Ray's has converted me to a non-red-meat-eater...

[erikv]

What is the person who complained about Ray's The Classics today smoking? He/She could choose to dine elsewhere in Silver Spring if uninformed service and bland, non-meat dishes were the goal of their meal.

If I went to a primarily vegetarian restaurant, I wouldn't complain about limited meat options....Putting up with people like this (who then feel free to bash others hiding in the anonymity of the internet) are just another example of why restauranteurs/servers/bartenders/etc deserve heaps of praise.

[Waitman]

I moved to Washington D.C. one year ago from San Francisco. While I appreciate the seasons, finding appreciation for the D.C. restaurant scene has been difficult for me. I now recognize that I was spoiled living in San Francisco. The food here doesn't just seem to be "fair", but actually quite -bad-.

Christ. As if the fucking New Yorkers weren't bad enough.

**********************

A vendetta in the making?

We've been wanting to try Notti Bianche for the longest time - I remember being horribly dissapointed when the DR dinner there was cancelled. We finally got a chance to try it out today....nothing fancy....just their 'lunch on the run' menu, and while the food was good, the whole experience was ruined by appalling service that when we tried to rectify it revealed some serious internal communication problems at NB.

brr, dr.com, 8/21; Link

Horrible experience at Notti Bianche last week. They have a lunch special 'lunch on the run' but there appears to be serious internal communication and customer service problems within the restaurant as the same waiter was permitting some diners to order ANY salad or pasta while only allowing others to order CERTAIN salads or pastas. When we pointed out the discrepancy to the waiter upon hearing him allow another table order a salad we weren't allowed, he sneered, "OK, why don't you tell the lady she can't have her salad".

Anonymous, Tom S. 8/30 Link

[Heather]

Is it me, or is Tom's chat featuring 50% more stupid these days?

Profanity ahead...why does a fucking steakhouse (that advertises the fact over the door) need more than one "veggie" option? Why don't they fuck off to the Macaroni Grill across the street?

[Hannah]

Profanity ahead...why does a fucking steakhouse (that advertises the fact over the door) need more than one "veggie" option? Why don't they fuck off to the Macaroni Grill across the street?

'Cause then they wouldn't get their chance to be a whiny asshat online? (and presumably in person)

[zoramargolis]

What is the person who complained about Ray's The Classics today smoking? He/She could choose to dine elsewhere in Silver Spring if uninformed service and bland, non-meat dishes were the goal of their meal.

If I went to a primarily vegetarian restaurant, I wouldn't complain about limited meat options....Putting up with people like this (who then feel free to bash others hiding in the anonymity of the internet) are just another example of why restauranteurs/servers/bartenders/etc deserve heaps of praise.

I had a vegetarian friend, not into food and who didn't know how to cook. She would say: "I'll eat what everyone else is eating. Just leave out the meat for me." Grrr.

[DLB]

I had a vegetarian friend, not into food and who didn't know how to cook. She would say: "I'll eat what everyone else is eating. Just leave out the meat for me." Grrr.

Vegetarians are evil people, however vegans are worse. I always find it funny that some people are more concerned with animal rights, than they are for human rights. I also don't like people who don't eat pork, a chicken is just as dirty a pig.

[DC in DC]

I also don't like people who don't eat pork, a chicken is just as dirty a pig.

Some people, such as myself, don't eat pork for religious reasons. (The origins of the religious prohibitions may have been cleanliness concerns, but that's not what motivates most non-pork eaters I know.)

[DanielK]

The origins of the religious prohibitions may have been cleanliness concerns

That was a common urban myth for a time, but not generally accepted by Biblical scholars.

[giant shrimp]

one night we took a visiting relative out to an ethiopian restaurant in adams morgan and early into the meal she started crying. why is she crying? i asked my wife. because you ordered goat and she has a pet goat at home. the next night we went to a chinese restaurant, and the sniffling started up again, this time because i had ordered duck. she had made a pet out of one of those as well. (and if we had found a place with horse on the menu and we had ordered that, the tears would also have flowed, although the animal in question actually belonged to her sister.) years later, out with her "vegetarian" mother at hollywood east, controveresy erupted at our table over the best chicken dish to order. there were several to choose from and i was pushing for the chicken with peaches. "i don't want peaches," the vegetarian mother shrieked. "i just want chicken!" this came from a woman who once confronted my wife with the question: "have you ever been friends with a chicken?" (i wouldn't know where to begin.) while remaining sympathetic to the plight of vegetarians in restaurants, i can only say that vegetarianism can generate an unexpected amount of heartache and confusion, and that its practitioners should probably do their best to stay away from steak places.

[smokey]

Vegetarians are evil people, however vegans are worse. I always find it funny that some people are more concerned with animal rights, than they are for human rights. I also don't like people who don't eat pork, a chicken is just as dirty a pig.

Interesting. I think the biggest asshats are people who make sweeping generalizations about other people and their eating choices/preferences. Different strokes for different folks, huh?

And, I guess I must have lost the part of where it says steak house in "Ray's the Classics"?

Can we get a whole new thread started in which everybody shares their favorite stupid vegetarian story so that we can all feel good about the fact that we hate vegetarians and we'll ignore every other vegetarian we've ever known who wasn't, umm, what was that word, oh yeah, evil.

[Joe H]

Christ. As if the fucking New Yorkers weren't bad enough.

**********************

A vendetta in the making?

brr, dr.com, 8/21; Link

Anonymous, Tom S. 8/30 Link

I had a serious dinner at the bar of Gary Danko several years ago sharing with a couple who live in the Bay area; they try to eat at Danko's at least every couple of months. Curiously, he had just returned from D. C. and was lamenting that Michel Richard had chose to move to Washington rather than San Francisco. He preferred Citronelle to Danko.

Danko is considered by many to be San Francisco's best restaurant.

[giant shrimp]

Interesting. I think the biggest asshats are people who make sweeping generalizations about other people and their eating choices/preferences. Different strokes for different folks, huh?

And, I guess I must have lost the part of where it says steak house in "Ray's the Classics"?

Can we get a whole new thread started in which everybody shares their favorite stupid vegetarian story so that we can all feel good about the fact that we hate vegetarians and we'll ignore every other vegetarian we've ever known who wasn't, umm, what was that word, oh yeah, evil.

please, there's a little vegetarian in all of us, isn't there?

I had a serious dinner at the bar of Gary Danko several years ago sharing with a couple who live in the Bay area; they try to eat at Danko's at least every couple of months. Curiously, he had just returned from D. C. and was lamenting that Michel Richard had chose to move to Washington rather than San Francisco. He preferred Citronelle to Danko.

Danko is considered by many to be San Francisco's best restaurant.

i would not be surprised if the ex-san franciscan lamenting the food here has not eaten at either of these restaurants. (i have only eaten at danko's once, fairly recently, and i don't know why, but i was surprised by how good it was. there is a high level of creativity running through both citronelle and danko's and if you had to move from either city, you would surely regret having to leave either of them behind.)

[crackers]

Can we get a whole new thread started in which everybody shares their favorite stupid vegetarian story ...

yawn. ---> click

[Heather]

And, I guess I must have lost the part of where it says steak house in "Ray's the Classics"?

The awning very prominently says "Steaks, Chops..."

And I too noticed the Notte Bianchi story. Meeoooooow.

[Capital Icebox]

A vendetta in the making?

brr, dr.com, 8/21; Link

Anonymous, Tom S. 8/30 Link

It's not a vendetta yet. They posted about it here, sent a letter to NB, and still didn't hear anything, so then they turned to Tom. When they start picketing outside the restaurant or launch the website www.iwasrobbedofadecentsaladbyaprickwaiteratnotti.org, then you have yourself a vendetta.

[CrescentFresh]

A vendetta in the making?

brr, dr.com, 8/21; Link

Anonymous, Tom S. 8/30 Link

And I too noticed the Notte Bianchi story. Meeoooooow.

It's not a vendetta yet. They posted about it here, sent a letter to NB, and still didn't hear anything, so then they turned to Tom. When they start picketing outside the restaurant or launch the website www.iwasrobbedofadecentsaladbyaprickwaiteratnotti.org, then you have yourself a vendetta.

What strikes me most about brr's situation is that he did EVERYTHING people on all sides of the industry say should be done. Restaurant managers, restaurant critics, and restaurant diners alike are all in agreement when we say 1001 times, "Did you tell somebody while you were there??!!"

brr does, and for some totally bizarro reason, management at NB chooses to follow the Ostrich Method of Customer Satisfaction by sticking its head in the sand and ignoring it. I find it completely appropriate for brr to alert Sietsema and for Tom to include it in the chat. Perhaps now brr will get the answer he deserves. If not, it's just another example of how the NB FOH has jumped the shark.

[Barbara]

I second CrescentFresh's remarks in their entirety.

[Waitman]

brr does, and for some totally bizarro reason, management at NB chooses to follow the Ostrich Method of Customer Satisfaction by sticking its head in the sand and ignoring it. I find it completely appropriate for brr to alert Sietsema and for Tom to include it in the chat. Perhaps now brr will get the answer he deserves. If not, it's just another example of how the NB FOH has jumped the shark.

You've been singing that song since the day Danny announced his departure -- and taking shots at his replacement -- without, as far as I can tell, having actually been to the place. Several other posters has posted glowing reviews of late. Perhaps brr hasn't declared a vendetta (I did pose it in the form of a question, though it is on the verge of getting interesting), but others seem to be trending in that direction.

[CrescentFresh]

You've been singing that song since the day Danny announced his departure -- and taking shots at his replacement -- without, as far as I can tell, having actually been to the place. Several other posters has posted glowing reviews of late. Perhaps brr hasn't declared a vendetta (I did pose it in the form of a question, though it is on the verge of getting interesting), but others seem to be trending in that direction.

I agree you posed it as a question. And I wasn't questioning yours, or anyone else's questions about brr's post here or in Tom's chat. I was merely saying I don't blame him for trying to get an answer.

As for my comments about NB....I said what I had to say, responded to a couple of followups....made a wisecrack here and there (par for the course) ....but frankly, I've essentially shut my mouth about the whole thing. Those enjoying their meals there notwithstanding, frankly, other folks have been a lot more harsh than me about management and service there of late.

[ScotteeM]

But it was just a salad!

I don't think that's grounds for a public trashing.

[brr]

Christ. As if the fucking New Yorkers weren't bad enough.

**********************

A vendetta in the making?

brr, dr.com, 8/21; Link

Anonymous, Tom S. 8/30 Link

had a busy day at work so only realizing now that you guys picked up on this - haven't had a chance to read what other posters are saying but wanted to reply quickly - a vendetta, no, not really but given that they can't be arsed replying to a personal email I sent them detailing what I consider to be a horrible customer service experience I had no qualms in submitting an abbreviated version to Tom

I'm done now......there are plenty of great restaurants in the area that deserve my $$ more than NB

[diannesh]

Vegetarians are evil people, however vegans are worse. I always find it funny that some people are more concerned with animal rights, than they are for human rights. I also don't like people who don't eat pork, a chicken is just as dirty a pig.

What hole are you living in? Do you really think all vegetarians are driven by animal rights?

[brr]

But it was just a salad!

I don't think that's grounds for a public trashing.

But it was the greatest salad you've ever seen, you had to see it to understand!!!!

Public trashing? Hey, I gave them a chance to respond to my complaint by contacting them privately and they blew me off.

The whole incident yanked alot of chains for me.....truth in advertising, different waiters implementing different rules in front of customers, blatant hostility when we politely inquired as to why some were getting magic salad and some weren't, whoever was sorta in charge completely ducking us when we wanted to talk to him, and then not following up.......

....and thanks to the folks who fairly accurately presented my side of the story in absentia

[Barbara]

We went to two places during RW, both of which offered "heritage tomato" salads as an appetizer. This, being August--the best possible time to eat tomatoes, both were sensational. OK, OK, Corduroy and Tosca. I simply can't understand why ANY place worth its salt would not offer the same. Never mind the enfuriating business that brr went through.

As was mentioned elsewhere in Tom's chat today: you can have the most wonderful food but, if the service is lacking, you are screwed. And that is brr's experience in a nutshell. Had the management responded to him about this, he would have enlightened us. But, they didn't . . .

[JLK]

Keep in mind that email is rarely the most efficient way to address a concern with a restaurant. Have you called and asked to speak with the manager?

[brr]

Keep in mind that email is rarely the most efficient way to address a concern. Have you called and asked to speak with the manager?

Not sure that I agree with you that email is less efficient but thats neither here nor there.

C'est fini......in the interests of bringing this to some sort of closure myself and Julia (the GM at NB) have spoken since the Sietsema posting and the attendant brouhaha here at DR. The details of our conversation are unimportant, what is important is that someone at NB acknowledged my complaint, which is all I ever wanted in the first place.

[B.A.R.]

edited to remove drunken posting.

Have you still not heard from NB?

[DLB]

Tom Sietsema: Confidential to the restaurateur overheard bragging to a bunch of customers in his young dining room last week that he knows who I am and that I'm in his pocket: Don't count your poulets before they're hatched.

[DonRocks]

Tom Sietsema: Every week, I get two or three "mystery" callers or emailers, who don't/won't divulge their identities, but who are obviously restaurant insiders and like to tell me what's REALLY going on around town. Who's boinking whom. Who isn't paying his bills. That sort of thing.

This was not one of them, but rather, a friend of a friend who happened to be sitting within earshot of the restaurateur in question.

So Tom, do tell, do tell ...

I stay fairly abreast of the restaurant boinkings myself, so I can only imagine the lurid detail Tom must hear.

[bilrus]

So Tom, do tell, do tell ...

I stay fairly abreast of the restaurant boinkings myself, so I can only imagine the lurid detail Tom must hear.

We should certainly make every effort to get those people on dr.com.

[Heather]

We should certainly make every effort to get those people on dr.com.

Who's to say they aren't already here?

[tfbrennan]

Who's to say they aren't already here?

[Pat]

I'm impressed to learn that he pays for the Postcard travel himself.

That's something I had wondered about, but I had assumed the paper must be picking up some of the cost. It turns out that he pays the full cost (about $30,000 per year) himself.

[DLB]

I'm impressed to learn that he pays for the Postcard travel himself.

That's something I had wondered about, but I had assumed the paper must be picking up some of the cost. It turns out that he pays the full cost (about $30,000 per year) himself.

That's a huge expense out of pocket for anyone. I don't love my job that much

[blakegwinn]

That's a huge expense out of pocket for anyone. I don't love my job that much

Yeah but is your job eating out at every restaurant in town and then jetting around the world eating out as you go and then spending time writing about your experiences in detail? Seems like most of us on this board do that already without it being our job.

What was all the cryptic talk about the Silver Spring branch of CO Kitchen? I never understand when he starts talking about "hints". Was that a hint to the owner to call him or some disguised hint to the reader?

[Capital Icebox]

What was all the cryptic talk about the Silver Spring branch of CO Kitchen? I never understand when he starts talking about "hints". Was that a hint to the owner to call him or some disguised hint to the reader?

My ass-umption is that the individual was confused and was probably thinking about, or had heard about, Ray's the Classics and that Tom was hinting for Gillian to give him a call if she was thinking of opening up a second venue.