Banco

Ding Ding Ding!

I'm not sure I understand your argument here. Are you objecting to how Mr. Gold dealt with the situation at the time, to his posting about it afterward, or both? Wouldn’t Mr. Gold's story qualify as one of those times where it's right to "bitch slap" a patron? I agree a restaurateur should not let "every asshole" get to him, but I was focusing on this one especially egregious display as an example of what no one--restaurateur or otherwise--should have to endure. And as for posting about it here, what person would avoid his restaurant because of it unless he identifies with the AIQ in some way?

As to the advisability of Mr. Gold's post, I can't help but think the only people to be put off by it in sufficient measure to avoid his restaurant would be friends and acquaintances of the offending patron and other plebs and assholes who might behave in a similar way. Isn't it all the better for the rest of us if this element stays away from restaurants like Dino?

Based on this and other good things I've read on the EG Seattle thread, I just bought a gift certificate for Lark for my brother and his wife, who live near Seattle. (The whole object of this exercise, of course, is for them to spend the certificate on me when I go visit them in February.)

There's also a new dish on their menu right now: boar strip loin served on savoy cabbage with apples and amarone jus. It replaces the stuffed cabbage with pheasant ragu they had a few weeks ago (which was not very successful the one time I tried it). The strip loin is done to perfection, but for me the real highlight of this dish was the savoy cabbage--it's crispness just broken by a delicate braise and spiked with morsels of apple. I'm not a big cabbage lover, but I could have inhaled this by the plateful. One thing that bothers me about Sonoma is the relative coldness of the atmosphere, especially now in the fall and winter months. I'm not suggesting chintz and ottomans, but they should do something to give the place a warmer feel. Some art on those stark walls might help. Edited for wine- and aluminium-induced senility

To quote a German bon mot (and there aren't many, I admit): "Du hast gegackert, jetzt musst du auch noch legen!" (Now that you've clucked, you have to lay!) But I understand jdl's reticence. When I posted my first critical review on egullet, which was not nearly as negative, the experience was not pleasant. But I think as long as this site wishes to avoid becoming an admiration society or cheerleading forum, attaching names to substantive criticism such as jdl's is completely appropriate.

After spending way too much time with you turkeys now I have to go home and think about cooking one. Sheesh! Thanks to all for making this site so fun and informative. Have a great holiday.

We found ourselves heading back into town from Franconia last night, and I knew we'd have to stop somewhere for dinner. So I consulted the trusty list of places here on DR and came up with Del Merei grill. Overall it was a good experience. We started with the frickles, and I can say that they are really very tasty, though they could have been fried just a bit longer to attain a better crunch. If you like pickles, you'll like frickles. I followed with a radicchio salad garnished with apples, walnuts, and blue cheese. Everything was crisp and delicious, with a good harmony of ingredients. The dressing was too acidic, however, for such a large portion. by the time I had finished my plate, my palate had been exhausted by the vinaigrette, although I tend to like my vinaigrettes on the acidic side. At Del Merei the specialty is steaks; you order the cut you want from a list of about 10 options, then your sauce and sides. I found all the options intriguing, but ended up going for the hangar steak medium rare with a mustard-horseradish sauce, served with creamed spinach and mashed potatoes with roast garlic. The steak was done perfectly, as was the spinach (still fresh tasting and green in spite of its creamy preparation), and the sauce had just the right balance of horseradish and mustard. The potatoes were good, but could have used more butter. My wife had scallops done in one of various attractive ways. They were excellent specimens, but they had been so deeply seared on the grill that the charcoal flavor overwhelmed the delicate natural taste of the seafood, so that its freshness and quality were wasted. This would have to be my overall criticism of Del Merei: Very good ideas in the kitchen and a commitment to fine ingredients marred by overly aggressive flavoring. The strong flavors of acid, charcoal, and heavy seasoning tended to overwhelm the basic goodness of what the chef is trying to do. This also applied to the kid’s menu: Our son the 4-year-old sybarite had grilled shrimp, which were done to tender perfection but too sharply seasoned and charred for his taste—and he can eat Dijon out of the jar. The exception to this was the steak, which can stand up to this kind of strong treatment, but perhaps the chef needs to adjust his techniques more carefully when dealing with other ingredients like vegetables and seafood. None of these criticisms, however, would prevent me from going to Del Merei again. Chef Reid is obviously committed to turning out high-quality dishes, and his creativity really shows on the plate. The service was top-notch in every respect and the wine list is very good. I’m sure Del Merei is making many people very happy in the Arlington/Alexandria borderlands, and next time I’m in the area, I’ll definitely give it another try.

Well, that does it. I just made reservations for December 17.

I had the crabcake from the bar menu yesterday and it was delicious. The breads were also head-turningly good. The little bar snacks were delightful. I wandered in out of the rain at about 4:20 yesterday, so they weren't really ready for me, but they made me feel welcome all the same. It's a beautiful space, and this will be my first choice for dinner the next time I want to indulge a bit (which of course will be very soon). Edited to remove spelling errors worthy of Foster Brooks

Authority is irrelevant among friends or relatives? Hardly. If I'm among friends or relatives I have no problem in making suggestions without being asked, and they have no problem hearing them, because they know my authority (relative to theirs, forgive the pun) on the subject. I think it's with others, such as work colleagues and acquaintances, where unsolicited suggestions could often be inappropriate.

First, the platinum card is only marginally relevant; we're not talking expense here, but taste. As most people on this board know, they do not always go hand in hand. Second, the other qualities you mention have nothing to do with moral leverage, but everything to do with knowledge. And knowledge does confer authority. The question of when to use that authority brings us back to the subject of this thread. I agree that "suck it up" is often the only courteous option.

This is essentially a philosophical question; the possible answers depend so much on the context that I don't think any one of them could be definitive. ETA: It depends mostly on the relationship you have with the person you are eating with, and if the criticizer's comments are volunteered or solicited. Frankness and honesty in one context can be rudeness in another.

Sonoma for lunch.

Yes.

I had Sonoma's braised lamb shank a couple days ago, served on a bed of creamy polenta and flavored with olives and orange. This was one of the most luscious lamb dishes I've had in recent memory. The orange and olive flavorings worked together beautifully, and the light chiffonade of orange peel on top of the dish was the bee's knees. Not to be missed. Also, the breaded Neiman Ranch pork loin was done to perfect crispy juiciness (judging from the one bite my dining companion offered me). ETA comments on lunch today: For dessert I had the forelle pear, which is steeped in rum (I think) with cherries and spices and served with a scoop of ice cream. This reminds me of an old German tradition my mother would cultivate around Christmastime, which we continue in our household; Rumtopf , a giant crock filled with fruits and high-proof rum, left to sit for months and occaisionally refreshed with more spirits throughout the season. Sonoma's tastes quite like it, which is saying a lot, believe me.

Yes.

OK, someone please tell me the name of the restaurant where you can have your male member flirted with while you eat.

Right you are. I'd like to add that one of the reasons our 4-year-old son is so well behaved in restaurants is because we never (well, hardly ever ) eat at chains, which tend to encourage poor table manners even among adults.

Sounds like Laura to me.

Sonoma, Mendocino, Bistro Bis, Palena (of course), Circle Bistro, Kinkead's, Buck's, Belga (if it's not too full and smoky), plus scads of others I have yet to try. Edited to add: Mr. Henry's on the Hill for late-night wings, burgers, etc.

When I'm alone I usually prefer to eat at the bar anyway, and though a restaurant should treat the solo diner as well as it would two or more people, I see no need to reduce a restaurant's business by taking up a whole table for myself, especially as I like to take my time. But not all restaurants have a bar where one can eat comfortably. Montmartre, for example, has little or no bar at all, yet I've always felt welcome there eating alone at a table, even when it's busy. But then the owners are French, and eating alone I think tends to be a more common practice in Europe than it is here, especially in a bistro/pub/osteria setting.

Agreed. I've always thought that one of the surest tests of the quality of a restaurant's service is how it treats the solitary diner.

When I was growing up in Washington State, my parents and I would go on hikes around Mt. Rainier or in the rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula. Afterwards we would have lunch or dinner in one of the many rustic places that dot the roads in the area. They always had bare wood floors, exposed timbers, and the warm and comforting atmosphere so welcome after a day of hiking or chanterelle hunting. But the food sucked. So last night I find myself in a place right in the middle of one of the more unattractive segments of Connecticut Avenue that takes me right back to those places of my childhood: Long wood tables, exposed beams, camping paraphernalia here and there, and wait staff with beards and mustaches, wearing plaid shirts and jeans. But the food definitely did not suck. Buck's let me take a trip down memory lane while avoiding the culinary disasters of its rustic prototypes. I sat at the bar and thought, "I love this place." What I love is the witty and creative take on basic comfort-food staples. The Iceberg wedge with Maytag Blue and applewood-smoked bacon is just plain ingenious. A humble, almost trailer-park ingredient is ennobled by the chef’s creativity and her insistence on top-of-the line ingredients. The dry-aged prime sirloin was a deeply charred slab of pornographic proportions with a (somewhat too) salty crust surrounding a perfectly tender medium-rare center, topped with nothing more than a few nicely cooked fries. This has to be one of the best steaks in town. A look at the relatively extensive and varied wine list reveals another striking difference with the hearty burgundy/mountain chablis outposts of my childhood. And of course the prices are not quite the same, either. Jamie behind the bar was in good form and fun to talk to. Although we shared stories about living on Capitol Hill, he reminded me of my brother, who has camped just about everywhere in the Northwest and has been up and down Mt. Rainier several times. In fact, next time my brother visits me in DC, I now know just where I'll take him for a great dinner. It'll be just like home, except the food won't suck.

I'll be at Buck's at around 5:30-6:00