Banco

"That's my body double."

I can't believe TS put in a good word for Cafe Berlin. In my several hopeful forays there, it has never failed to prove itself one of the worst restaurants in Washington.

That's been my experience recently at Kinkead's as well, though a plate of oysters at the bar is always nice, and the service is excellent. I think Kinkead's is a symbol of the amazing growth and improvement of Washington's restaurant scene in the past ten years. It's not that Kinkead's has slipped dramatically; it's that there are so many better options in the city now at that price level.

Flatiron steak from Union Meat at Eastern Market. I marinated it in olive oil, garlic, dried orange peel, anchovy paste, ginger and Worcestershire; seared it and then panroasted it with whole champignons. Sauce was a reduction with veal stock and a splash of white wine. Sounds kinda weird, but it was really good--tender and flavorful. It went great with a Rioja. The flatirons at Union Meat are cheap, tasty, and easy to prepare. I was getting really tired of the costlier strips and filets.

I'll keep that in mind. My parents are coming out from Seattle next week and we're all having dinner in the dining room on the 29th. I've eaten at the bar a few times, but am very much looking forward to my first time in the dining room. (Sorry if that sounds vaguely obscene.)

Nope. The name of the guy still there has a closer relation to Irish literature than to the bible. I wouldn't want to give Moses an unduly bum rap.

And speaking of the Watergate, what about the 600 restaurant just across the Kennedy Center? I would refer to it in the thread for "Never Again" experiences, but unfortunately I keep returning because it's the only game in the area for a drink after a rehearsal or a performance. They do a great deal of business based on the likes of me and others in the cast and crew of KC productions. (Once the maitre asked me when I walked in, "Are you guys through with rehearsal now?)And otherwise they also have a literally captive audience, given their proximity to the KC and lack of competition late at night. The result can be truly abysmal. The food is overpriced and seldom rises above "catering hall" style (a term also used in an earlier post on Aquarelle). There is a bartender there who is the worst bartender I have ever encountered in my life, except for one of his colleagues, now thankfully departed, who insulted my pregnant wife when she ordered a non-alcoholic drink. If Kafka joined up with Dr. Caligari to open a restaurant, the result would be the 600. If only Notti Bianche were open late.

I was at BF a couple times earlier this year for lunch/early dinner. They serve competent and unfussy French food, which is exactly what a French bistro should do. Their specials are always interesting, their wine selection is better than many pricier places, and the service has always been excellent.

What got my goat was the pedantic post about "Asian" as a term used to describe cuisine. Is there no area of human activity immune to this kind of PC claptrap?

Yes. Drew told me a lot of the clientele like their steak cooked until it's grey (it is the Hill, after all) which he refused to do with the London Broil. Apparently, the ribeye is more accommodating to this aberrant barbarism.

I'll be at Sonoma's bar at about 5:45 wearing a black jacket and a haggard expression.

I laughed my ass off reading that story.

I second the praise of the London broil, which I had a few days ago; beautifully done and beautifully presented. I just got back from lunch with a colleague. In addition to the London broil, he had the pasta with pulled Amish chicken (who knew the Amish pulled their chickens?) and was delighted. I had the risotto with squash and have since dubbed this my official herald of Autumn. What a great way to start the season. The rosemary-skewered prawns and chickpea puree go so well together you might think they share an evolutionary history. Troy was on hand to supply an intriguing Italian varietal whose name I now forget, but which reminded me of a Savennieres or similar chenin blanc. At any rate it went very well with the prawns. I think fall at Sonoma is going to be very nice...

On a whim I went to Firefly for the first time for dinner last night, alone with no reservation. I know many of you are extremely well acquainted with this restaurant, so I won't go into great detail. I really enjoyed the look and the atmosphere and was hoping to sit at the bar. But it was too full, so the very friendly maitresse d' showed me to a table. Salmon papusa was delicious, with a bracing note of tomato sauce and pickled tomatillos to balance out the richness of the salmon and corn--a very nice starter. Braised lamb was less successful. The solid block of meat was well seared and had a beautiful color; I also admired the skill required to present a braised item in a way that maintained such a sharp geometric shape. But the texture was somewhat dry and flaky. I kept thinking of what Tom Power would have done with this dish. Flavor-wise it was very good, but perhaps the dry texture was the price to be paid for the impressive presentation. A pear crisp with basil was over-sugared for my taste, overpowering any aroma or flavor the basil may have added to the dish. But overall this was a very enjoyable dinner. The split of chateauneuf went beautifully with the lamb, and it would have been fun to explore the interesting wine list further. Alyx was a considerate and attentive server despite what appeared to be a full house. I can definitely understand why Firefly is a regular hangout for many on this board.

I know plenty of gay people that worship Charleston and have never felt anything less than absolutely welcome there. It's a non-issue. The poor girl put her foot in it, and that's that. It's a shame the staff in this fine place have been so upset by this thread--even more, it would seem, than they were by TS's remark in the first place. Don, I hope you did all three.

The Economist recently reviewed a number of wine books. The reveiw includes many of the arguments discussed in Mondovino, with a similar cast of characters: click here "Parkerisé" is bound to figure prominently in my tasting notes from now on--unfortunately.

That makes excellent sense to me. If someone has encountered downright poor service or poor food, he should say so at the time (that does not preclude him mentioning it here as well, however). But more subjective impressions on what was pleasurable and what was less so--as long as they are substantive and informative--I think are the main ingredients of this site and should be posted freely. As for anonymity, I agree with hillvalley. It's enough for the great Rocks, after all, to know our real names, underwear sizes, birthmarks, etc.

I just hear the words "peach schnapps" and I run away screaming. (Doesn't peach schnapps + bourbon = Southern Comfort?) Thanks for all your suggestions. It'll be fun exploring them!

(Incidentally, here's an informative site on absinthe, pastis, herbsaint, etc.: http://absinthe.msjekyll.com/

Oui. The classic ingredient is Herbsinthe, a Louisiana version of the French original. But a more easily obtainable subsitute works well, such as Pernod, Ricard, etc. (Ironic that the French versions are easier to find.) I wonder how one of the Czech absinthes would taste in this drink. The other ingredients are Rye Whiskey and Peychaud's Bitters, plus some sugar.

Does anyone know where in DC one can obtain a properly made Sazerac? (An inveterate inebriate friend of mine wants urgently to know.)

Let me say first off: thank God for Notti Bianche. I've always found the immediate area around the KC to be a gastronomic wasteland at the middle price range, and since I work there in the evenings for a few weeks during the year I've been feeling pretty hopeless since Nectar's departure. I came in for an early dinner at about 5:45 last night and was the only one there. To start, a very well made Negroni, garnished properly with an orange slice. A lot of bartenders still don't know how to make these, so such a well made one was a double surprise. The caprese was a beautifully executed classic, with deep purple and meaty-tasting heirloom tomatoes, along with cherry and golden pear tomatoes. The mozzarella had an absolutely beautiful, pillowy consistency. I also loved the crunchiness of the fleur-de-del sprinkled liberally on top. My main was roast chicken with sage, sauced in what appeared to be a pan reduction with demi-glace, accompanied by braised kale and a parmesan-risotto cake. Everything was carefully and expertly done. The chicken (a breast with part of the wing left on in the French manner) had nicely seared, crisp skin, and was cooked to the perfect degree of juicy doneness. The crisp texture of the parmesan-risotto cake played well off the roast meat and braised vegetable. However, this entree should have been titled “roast chicken breast”, not "roast chicken" as it appears on the menu; the latter should include some dark meat from the bird as well. Service was attentive and helpful (a recommended primitivo proved an excellent companion to the herbal and roasted flavors of the chicken). There is a little bar in back that looks like fun and where smoking is allowed. No time last night for dessert, but I will definitely be returning to Notti again.

Ohhhh, that's a very nice wine...

Just wanted to put in a few words in praise of the bar at Bistro Bis. Part of the year I work late in the evening and don't have a chance to have dinner until 10:30 or so. That's when I head to Bistro Bis and dig into their steak tartar, which is served with cornichons, grainy dijon, garlic potato chips, and a bit of frisee and other greens seaoned with a pinch of (I think) fleur-de-sel. The tartar is moist, perfectly seasoned with capers and a hint of onion, and cherry red. It's so good that it has prevented me from exploring other items routinely available on the bar menu, such as the smoked trout salad and the charcuterie and cheese plates. Wines by the glass are always good, especially the granache, which is a perfect chaser for the tartar (as is a martini, always well made at Bis). Service is smart and friendly. What's there not to like? Edited to add: I'm not a dessert person, but I recently had a selection of petits fours after dinner last week with a glass of Malmsey. Exquisite.

I wanted to follow the sage advice of you all and order the tasting menu, but alas it was not to be. We got off to a bit of a late start and my pregissima wife was not up to a nine-course, labor-inducing extravaganza. Next time. We had a wonderful dinner all the same. Chef Monis's house-made crackers were an immediate hit, and I couldn't help but wonder if he is thinking of marketing these somehow. We were generously offered a few amuses to start: a house made water-cracker topped with scrambled duck egg and osetra caviar; a delicious, succulent specimen of an oyster dressed with a bit of pomegranate vinegar and pepper cream; and dates stuffed with mascarpone. All were excellent, carefully presented, and showed the Mediterranean/Greek influences and flavors that were to prevail the rest of the evening. Marinated fresh sardines were tangy and briny, but not so much as to overpower the freshness and texture of the fish. Ravioli with roast goat and mint was oversalted but otherwise it was a perfect dish: the barnyardy aroma of goat brightened by a chiffonade of fresh mint leaves, with plump pillows of perfectly prepared pasta. (Perhaps chefs Power and Monis should have a goat ravioli contest, with us all as the lucky judges.) The dayboat scallops with golden tomatoes, haricots verts and cucumber were an inspired combination, and it's obvious that Chef Monis put a good deal of thought into the flavors and textures of this dish. I found the cucumber garnish somewhat overpowering, and the scallops--probably in the commendable interest of serving us our entrees simultaneously--had been out of the pan a tad too long before they were served. But these are quibbles; overall the dish was very enjoyable. Other dishes were a sea urchin risotto in lobster stock garnished with sea urchin roe (exquisite) and a bronzino with fingerlings, which I didn't try but which drew raves from the person who did. We finished with a rich goat cheese panna cotta garnished with a compote of fruit whose name now escapes me (a memory lapse partially due to two bottles of white Penedes that were an excellent accompaniment to nearly all the courses). Service, by the estimable Sebastian and our server Anna, was excellent throughout the evening; we were offered some roast suckling pig that had been cooking during the day. We had to pass after so much other delightful fare. But perhaps next time I'll indulge in the grande bouffe, and there certainly will be a next time.