Banco

TK: "At a casual place, the pace of the meal is not determined by the staff -- as it has to be at the highest levels of dining. " WHAT!!??

Well said! Edited to add quote by TK: "But otherwise, I'd like to have some degree of control over my meal." Then open the proverbial pie hole! Sheesh!

Interesting (and debatable) Q&A on sommelier etiquette, otherwise very fluffy.

Many thanks to Chef Krinn and his entire staff for a memorable evening: creative, imaginative food, beautiful surroundings, and attentive service worthy of a Japanese hot spring resort. Also a special word of thanks to our sommelier, Caterina Abbruzzetti, whose descriptions of the wines were almost as luscious as the wines themselves. The Savennieres and the after-dinner wine from Southwest France (whose name now escapes me) were particularly inspired choices. My favorites of the evening: Mishima beef tartare; Scottish langoustine cassoulet; sablefish with yuzu demi-glace. All in all it was an extremely impressive menu, thanks not only to its individual elements but also to its overall architecture. It was also a pleasure to finally meet some Rockwellians for the first time. They made the food taste all the better. Finally, many thanks to hillvalley, DR himself, and others who made this delightful evening possible.

That's part of the demand-side issue I was talking about. You could also put Germany, Italy, Japan, China, and many other countries in this category. It's not surprising that countries with comparatively ancient, established cultures and cuisines should IN GENERAL take food more seriously than America IN GENERAL does. For the US, that cultural difference means that other things than actual food quality and variety assume relatively greater importance in the daily decision of what to eat--things like convenience, predictability, fillingness, "atmosphere", etc. It's a complex difference that makes us rather unique in the culinary world, and I don't presume to be able to explain it fully. But it is a real and important reason why chain restaurants are such a large phenomenon in this country. Chain corporations exploit this aspect of our culinary character, and they can also act as catalysts in reinforcing it, as Waitman (and J.K. Galbraith) have suggested. But they have not created it. The source of our culinary decisions is our culture, not our corporations.

No, the consumer you took a shot at wanted to go to Breadline. That's not the kind of consumer I was referring to. And please don't tell me you were trying to "reach others". You're just axe grinding.

This is not a supply-side issue, i.e., big, evil, nasty corporations turning us into gastronomic zombies. That reminds me of the worst kind of college-campus neo-Marxist conspiracy theorizing. Rather, it's the demand side: a large mass of poorly educated consumers. The reasons for this in America are cultural and historical. As a people we are not very well educated culinarily. I don't like big chains, either, but you can't blame corporations for giving people what they want. This is just beginning to change in America now, as people are waking up to the obesity epidemic and looking at the diets of other countries (Mediterranean, Asian) for guidance on how to eat well. But we have a long path to walk until the culture changes, and big chains will be with us the whole way.

Heavens! I've had very good food there a few months ago. Has it changed so much since then? Nadya, perhaps you need to rip Don a new one?

Oh, that's just great. Now I'll be thinking of this all day.

I share the general chain disdain, but this is well said. (Dare I say it? Occasionally I get an itch that only a Wendy's double-cheese can scratch. Lord help me.)

Sonoma opens for dinner at 5:30. Marty's is sportsbar-ish, in case that's not your thing. Have you considered Bistro Bis, just off North Capitol Street near Union Station?

In defense of smokey, no other sauces in the entire culinary repertoire have been more abused, beaten, corrupted, and raped than the humble mayonaise and hollandaise. Maybe he's just had too many of these mutilated corpses on his plate. (Still, I would not give up hope.)

Drinks at the Tabard in front of the fireplace in winter are one of Washington's most pleasurable pleasures. (Service can be glacial, though.)

It is rather time consuming. Maybe JPW will chime in with an opinion about how Bavarian Chef does it (although it's more a Rhenish dish than a Bavarian one). In the meantime, PM me your recipe! Please!

How about sauerbraten, mashed potatoes, and red cabbage? (Anyone know where this is done well?)

Lentil soup, with toasted caraway rye bread slathered in salted butter. And a good beer--or two.

I think this just made my day. What a morsel of the human comedy!

I did it a few months ago. The food at Marcel's is some of the best in the DC area, especially if your taste leans toward French food of the more traditional sort. The limo service went without a hitch.

I remember Bacchus as being the go-to place for Middle Eastern in DC in the mid- to late eighties, until the branch of Lebanese Taverna opened up on Connecticut. Now that the latter has faded somewhat by most accounts, maybe Bacchus will experience a resurgence.

These chats so far have been disappointing: not very substantive, and coyly skirting interesting issues when they arise. Perhaps that's just the "Washingtonian" way of doing things, but as long as TS is around, I don't really see the gap that TK's chats might fill.

Add my vote for the CA pre-theater deal. It's one of the best in the city and is often overlooked.

Dinner in Palena’s dining room Saturday night was some of the best dining I have ever experienced, not only in Washington but anywhere. The terrine of fois gras, red leg partridge, and squab heart was dense and flavorful but not overpowering or sticky. It floated on the tongue for a moment then melted slowly away. The garnishes, especially the soft, ripe dates stuffed with pomegranate seeds, were inspired—not mere decorations but true participants in the flavor scheme of the entire dish. The technical perfection of this dish and the imaginative use of flavors, textures, and colors set a high standard that was met in almost every subsequent course. The terrine of wild Scottish hare was a rich and marvelously full-bodied, spicy dish, redolent of juniper and pepper. The texture of the farce, which could easily have been dry in this case, was moist and light despite the overall richness of the preparation. This would make a perfect lunch after an autumn hike in the woods. Rare grilled bluefin tuna had a pleasingly salty seared crust protecting the delicate uncooked flesh within. In taste and texture it was highlighted beautifully by cannelini beans and shaved fennel. The soup of castellucio lentils was another herald of fall. Unfortunately the ruby red prawns that normally garnish it were not available, but the smoky aromas of the smoked Bouchot mussels and the lentils harmonized together perfectly. I normally don’t order gnocchi, even in Italy, because they so often have a pasty and chewy texture. Palena’s Yukon Gold versions were a revelation: pillowy, light, but bursting with rich potato flavor. They were shown off brilliantly by their light sauce of sage, wild rice, pine nuts, and reggiano. Black trumpet mushroom and celery velouté came garnished with a roasted scallop, purple fingerlings, and olives. The four of us agreed it was oversalted (perhaps the brininess of the olives alone would have sufficed) but this only slightly diminished the pleasure of this richly flavored and aromatic dish, brimming with the fall aromas of mushrooms and potatoes and with a deep sienna color. The New Zealand Snapper was scented with paprika and fennel pollen and garnished with artichokes, crabmeat flan, and bok choy. The technical execution of this dish was perfect. The skin of the fish had been lightly seared, but the flesh retained a light, buttery texture and had fully absorbed the aromatics of fennel and paprika. The bok choy, flan, and artichokes complemented the fish with sweet/acidic/creamy flavors and visual and textural contrasts. In the hands of a lesser chef, this dish could have come out looking muddled and confused because of the variety of its ingredients. But here everything was apportioned judiciously and the result was complex without being complicated. This was one of the most memorable fish dishes I have had in years. The cheese selection was first rate, and included a chevre with a crust of dried grape must. All were perfectly presented with a delicious bread studded with almonds and dried fruits. For dessert a few of us shared the pumpkin and goat-cheese cake with pistachio brittle. All these flavors were married in a perfect union of lightness and richness, savory and sweet. Palena’s cuisine is at such a high level that I would have preferred a somewhat more extensive wine list, including some good dry sherries and more after-dinner selections. But what is there is very good, and we didn’t want to drink a great deal anyway. The main wine of the evening was a 2003 Weinbach Riesling Grand Cru, which was the perfect accompaniment to the terrines and fish courses. A Cotes du Rhone by the glass went very well with the cheeses. We all admired the atmosphere of Palena’s dining room, which struck the perfect balance between formal and casual, much like its cuisine. It is a warm, elegant, and inviting space. The same could be said for the service, which was attentive without fail. Many thanks to everyone at Palena for a wonderful evening.

Although I've been there more often than I care to admit, today I had Sonoma's pizza for the very first time. I went vanilla and had the red version with salami, forest mushrooms, and fresh mozzarella. I loved it. The crust was thin and toasty-yeasty, with the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy, at least for my taste. The toppings were fresh-tasting, aromatic, and zesty. This pizza made me think of Paradiso's version, which I would often have for lunch when I worked near Dupont several years ago. (A friend and colleague who had spent years in Italy once told me that the Chicago deep dish is the only thing that comes close around here to good Italian pizza, and that Paradiso was just all hype and fluff. I still shudder at the utter weirdness of that statement.) Sonoma's version, I would say, is a bit more elegant and understated than Paradiso's--if one can apply such adjectives to pizza. It went great with a Cusumano they've just got in again after a brief hiatus.

58 within 5 miles from my home near Lincoln Park. I wonder how many there were when I went to school in Seattle, back when Starbucks was just local. OK, feeling very old now...

To hell with happy hour! I'll be knocking back Prosecco at Sonoma at 1:30 in celebration of the current slew of indictments!