Banco
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Everything posted by Banco
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Right. Our 31 cu. ft. French door fridge, for example, is made by LG for Kenmore Elite. I looked also at the original LG but ended up preferring the Kenmore-built version because of slight changes in design and features.
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Otherwise known as an air switch. We mounted one of these on the sink deck next to the soap dispenser. Mountain Plumbing makes nice ones. The point of using an air switch is that it's safe for a wet location like the sink: it doesn't short if water gets into it. It does require a receptacle for power under the sink, however. Overall the look is much cleaner than a toggle on the cabinet or the backsplash, which we wanted free of any receptacles or switches. Re: Bosch wall oven. We have a Thermador Pro, which is essentially a high-end Bosch clone. (Bosch bought Thermador some years ago). We have had people out to work on it three times in the first year of ownership. Beware. Porcupine has the same one and also is less than pleased (see upthread). You will love the Bluestar. Sinks: We have a 16 x 27 SS Julien, single bowl undermount, 8" deep. I thought about a deeper one but it will make you stoop to reach the bottom, which can be a problem for a taller person over time. Eight inches is usually enough, especially if you get a welded sink with tight radius corners instead of big rounded ones. The Julien is 16ga and it is one of my favorite things in our kitchen. You use a sink more intensively than anything else in your kitchen, so I didn't skimp here. Same with the faucet: a KWC which looks and feels great, with very clean lines, pull out sprayer. In my opinion, the place to save money on appliances is on the fridge and the dishwasher. Kenmore Elite is an excellent brand for both. We liked our old Kenmore DW better than our new fancy Bosch. Our Kenmore 31 cu. ft. fridge is a dream. A do-it-yourselfer can also easily replace a DW and a fridge down the road if need be.
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Beautiful! Congratulations!
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My wife and I had a delightful dinner here a couple weeks ago. Sable fish collar, some special Mexican style meatballs on offer that night, plus some other delights I can't recall now. Everything was excellent, prepared with Drew's characteristic care and respect for ingredients but lack of fussiness. The place has a nice vibe to it, service was everything it should be, and it was great to see Drew working the kitchen. Some interesting wines, too. -
I was thinking more of dedicated lounges rather than bars in restaurants. I overlooked Harold Black because the barriers to entry have so far kept me out.
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Wow. The Hill finally gets an artisan cocktail lounge like many other parts of the city. I was in last night shortly before midnight and was still able to have some real food! Amazing! The pate I had and its condiments were delicious. The pate had a smoked quality to it that I really enjoyed. The drinks are expertly made and the space is gorgeous. Beuchert's took over a frame shop that did shitty work so Schadenfreude added to the pleasures of food and drink.
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I wish them success, but frankly I just don't see how they can maintain that price point. They wouldl have to become something like a destination restaurant, and that's nearly impossible in an area with scarcely any parking.
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Went there again on Saturday night. The front door says dinner until 11:00pm on Saturdays, but when I showed up at quarter of they said the kitchen had closed. I hate it when that happens.
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I ate at Ancora for the first time last night and felt so happy, so grateful to be there. The space is essentially the same as before, but the food and service are in an entirely different league. (Martina, wisely, was one of the few staff who were retained.) I had a bib salad with scallions and a delightfully tangy dressing that had me exclaiming, "Oh my God, a salad that hasn't been lying around in the refrigerator for a few days!" Yes, the bar is low, but this was a very good salad, well balanced and well seasoned. Then I had a brioche-crusted fluke with artichoke sauce, fried artichokes, and a kind of confit of haricots verts. It was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. Martina made me a nice Overholt Manhattan, and I was just very happy after a long rehearsal. This is how this place is supposed to be. Word is they will be closing in a few months for a complete remodel, at which time the charcuterie station and raw bar mentioned upthread will go in. (I hope that doesn't make the bar area too tight; once word gets around this place will be slammed after shows--even the awful former places were.) For this reason some things are still in transition, like the wine list, which, although not bad, will definitely get more extensive following the redo. But in the meantime I'll still love coming here.
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The opening paragraph reminded me of the infamous Apalachin meeting of Mafia bosses in 1957.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apalachin_Meeting
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Did you mean tonight? The new Hawk and Dove just opened a couple weeks ago, b/w 3rd and 4th on Penn. I've had just chili and a salad there, which were both good. The place looks nice. Then of course there's Sonoma, in the next block towards the Capitol, which would be quick if you could snag seats at the bar.
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My wife and I ate at New Heights last Saturday and had an altogether delightful experience. This was our first time there, so I can't compare the new chef, Takeshi Nishikawa with his predecessor, Ron Tanaka. But everything we had was carefully prepared and imaginative, the service was efficient and charming, and it was a pleasure to watch the snow coming down through the large windows in the dining room. Our server said that nearly all the meats on the menu are done sous vide and then finished in the pan. I have no particular view on this method, for or against, and it certainly did not detract in any way from the quality of the dishes. Overall, Chef Nishikawa seems to take a moderately deconstructionist approach. For example, a salmon starter paired sashimi-like chunks of salmon with crispy, paper thin shavings of pumpernickel over a ribbon of caper-spiked horseradish remoulade and dill. A Granny Smith dessert took apart apple pie a la mode, with wafers of fresh apple alternated with gelatin balls filled with cinnamon apple puree, all served with a quenelle of vanilla ice cream. Chicken leg confit was more conventional through no less elegant, brimming with all the comforting flavors of a high-quality bird in a carefully reduced and intense sauce. Although they may sound like it, none of these dishes came across as fussy or affected, but instead were interesting, fun variations on some standard flavor combinations, often with new and interesting textures. I didn't take a detailed look at the wine list, but the pairings listed for the individual dishes (an herbaceous viognier with the salmon, a buttery chard with the chicken, and a Sauterne with the apple dessert) were excellent choices. NH of course also has a great bar, and their cocktails maintained that reputation. The "Hanky Panky," with Bluecoat gin, Fernet Branca, and sweet vermouth had three of my favorite things so I couldn't help but like it. I was also impressed by the decor. Some finish carpenters spent a lot of time on this place. If you're a woodworker then having a drink at a Bubinga bar is a rare pleasure.
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John, thanks for this information, which is very helpful. I have spent far too much money and wasted far too much time (waiting for service) after rehearsals and shows in the various incarnations of that space, so this is really good news. Hopefully the prices will be somewhat attainable for bohemian dilettantes, but even if not, I think Ancora will be assured not only a captive audience (which has been the seductress of mediocrity under previous owners), but also a happy and appreciative one.
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Josh Hutter from Poste is taking the reins at Sonoma following Chef Bonk's departure for the Queen Vic.
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Josh Hutter, former sous at Poste. I should add that I was at Queen Vic recently and had some wonderful sweetbreads, which Mike always liked to do at Sonoma when he got the chance. It will take some time before he can hit his stride at Queen Vic, but the signs are promising. Since he'll have more creative control over the food there than at Sonoma it will be interesting to see how he changes the menu
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I second the positive opinions here. I've only had the raw oysters, but they were very good--far better than I expected since I'm a bit of PNW chauvinist when it comes to oysters and shy away from the Virginias. But all of them (Stingrays, Rappahannocks and Old salts) were excellent.
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If this happens it might just make me believe in a benevolent deity. The lack of dining options near the Kennedy Center is a disgrace, but even worse is the fact that the one option that has existed (600/Rivers) has always been a mismanaged farce of Fawlty-esque proportions with mediocre, overpriced food. Lord be praised.
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Is there a bar or just tables?
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If I remember correctly, the sponge cake in twinkies is produced by a chemical reaction, not baking. Good riddance.
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I haven't been to the place either, but if Mr. Fieri's TV show accurately reflects his approach toward food in general, then the review was perfectly calibrated to its subject.
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Barbara, thanks. Next time we have a get-together over here we will let you know!
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We were the few, the proud,..
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I admit I was effusive, but we really were very impressed. And I think the experience at Jaleo does depend a lot on what one orders. As for palate fatigue, that can work both ways. I think we have become so tired of effortful, overwrought and aspirational cuisine recently at the city's more expensive places (and even its less expensive ones) that Jaleo's fresh and simple approach on that particular evening came across as revelatory.
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Sweaty bike saddle?
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S&W and Cafe Berlin in hot, messy succession? What is wrong with you?