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lhollers

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Everything posted by lhollers

  1. lhollers
    Ok, yeah, now that I think about it, the play is to go and order a beer and enjoy the beautiful view. Then GTFO.
  2. lhollers
    Sorry Josh, excellent point. Mark, I should've also mentioned that the bar staff don't really know what they're doing - to echo Josh's point, I ordered a Negroni here and the gal behind the bar eyeballed the three parts into a shaker and shook it. Huh. Even normal drinks are STRONG, with way too heavy pours, but the cocktail list they already have built is *alright*. Less than alright, actually, when you consider how close amazing cocktails are at Boundary Road, Copycat, and Church & State.
  3. lhollers
    NO. The space is gorgeous, the beers and cocktails, good. The view is tough to beat, especially on H, with a lack of rooftops actually facing H St. The food is atrocious. I absolutely savaged them on Twitter (which I now feel kind of bad about, but I was pissed). Fries were fries...fine, but little to no seasoning, and zero "rosemary or roasted garlic." Crispy pork belly was actually alright, but small and on top of "fall greens" (spinach) that were soaked in what tasted like soy sauce. The Ten01 Caesar is listed thusly on the menu: "brussels sprouts, avocado, broccoli, kale, cornbread croutons, caesar, marinated tomatoes." What came was unmassaged kale (sounds like a bougey complaint, but without marination or salt or some beating up, it's just torn kale, still fibrous), frozen broccoli (like, legit frozen - ice crystals when bit into), a few croutons, and a thin caesar dressing. No tomatoes. No brussels sprouts. No avocado. I never, ever send dishes back (mostly I don't like confrontation, but I also get that sometimes I order poorly and that's on me, not the kitchen). We sent this back, displeased. I've had happy hour food here, and it's ok, mostly because it's cheap and goes well with booze, but will never again order off the dinner menu. Cocktails and beers on a great rooftop with a beautiful view? That's their bag. Food? No way. Sorry for the rant, there are just too many strong restaurants on H St. now to put up with shit like this.
  4. lhollers
    I agree with this 100%. I love our food scene here in DC, and while I think (/know) there are certainly "better" (however one might define that) options in the city, whenever a friend or family member comes to visit from South Dakota and wants "something different" or "something new" or "ethnic cuisine," Ethiopic is where I take them. I mean, it helps that it's like a block from my house, but still - even if I lived further down the H St. corridor, Ethiopic definitely, as JimCo points out, fills a niche. Do I think it's the best Ethiopian in DC? Nope. Is it my favorite? Nope. Does it still serve as a vital piece of the H St. food scene? Absolutely. Cheers!
  5. lhollers
    Second this. Also, FWIW, having known Kerstin for a long time, I can personally attest that she is committed to (and cites as one of her main motivators) finding and highlighting amazing wines from every price range. We grabbed drinks a few weeks ago at Joe's, where she lamented the fact that fine dining (in DC, especially, but all over) is so focused on trying to upsell already expensive bottles; according to her, the fun of being an expert is being able to find an incredible wine that both pairs with Chef Ziebold's food and that is (*gasp*) reasonably priced. But, then again, I don't have a wine cellar filled with outstanding bottles that I know have been stored and aged properly, and that I know I like...viewing from that angle, I can see why people might be bummed there's no corkage. Cheers!
  6. lhollers
    Odds are, they're the same thing Anda used at the Partisan: tigelles. And yes, they're awesome. Incredibly jealous of you getting to see that game. The ninth inning was just starting on the radio when I was leaving my baseball game (the radio call on Harper's pinch-hit HR was outstanding); I was able to drive home, shower, and still watch the rest of the game, which was definitely unexpected. Amazing 16 innings. For future reference, does Eatbar open up later on Sundays? What time did you get in? Thanks!
  7. lhollers
    Dry pots are awesome; if you dug it, the best I've had is the one at Super Bowl Noodle House in Rockville. Highly recommended (as is the majority of their menu). Cheers!
  8. lhollers
    First and foremost...good lord, am I jealous of your childhood! The only thing my mom could "whip up at a moment's notice" was Tuna Helper! I don't know if this is really fair. Just because someone isn't [insert ethnicity here] doesn't mean that they can't make authentic, fantastic [insert that ethnic cuisine or dish here]. Roads and Kingdoms (fantastic website - highly recommended) recently had a great long-form story on a Guatemalan who now makes some of the best okonomiyaki, a very traditional Japanese dish, in Hiroshima (frequently considered the home base of okonomiyaki). As long as you're willing to dedicate the time and commitment necessary to truly master a dish or a cuisine, where you're from shouldn't matter at all. I think you nail it with these comments. I've spoken with Erik a good deal about Toki Underground; he always, always makes sure to reinforce that it's NOT a traditional Japanese ramen-ya. Instead, it's his interpretation of ramen, with his Taiwanese influences playing the major role in terms of flavor profiles and bowl makeup. I love ramen noodle soup, and I think there are a lot of good ramen noodle soup places in the District. Are they traditional ramen-yas? Having never been to Japan, I wouldn't know. As weird as it sounds, I think that we both DO have "a real ramen culture in DC" (in that we have multiple places making tasty bowls of ramen noodle-style soup), and DON'T have "a 'real' ramen culture in DC" (in terms of replicating a back-alley ramen shop from, say, Tokyo). Make sense? Cheers!
  9. lhollers
    I actually referenced that article in a piece I wrote about the inaugural Ramen World event. He's wrong (and not just because we're seeing so many new ramen joints open). Cheers!
  10. lhollers
    Ha! Close your eyes and point to the menu...you'll be pleased. That said, the Chicken Saag and the Goat Curry are where I most often find myself returning. Cheers!
  11. lhollers
    This. As a supporting anecdote, I coach baseball on Capitol Hill; the boys are 13 and 14 and, as little dudes of that age often do, tend to discuss things across a randomly broad range of topics. At practice last week, I overheard them discussing, of all things, Indigo. I jumped in and we proceeded to have a detailed discussion of our favorite items on the menu. Then a few parents overheard us and THEY joined the conversation, adding what they loved. This place transcends boundaries and has been an excellent, albeit relatively unknown (fingers crossed), addition to Capitol Hill. Cheers!
  12. lhollers
    Just went and covered last night their new "Tour the World" option in the Bedouin tent...amazing. Rather than focusing on one specific country like they usually do, new chef Angel Franco just sends out dishes from the regular menu (along with plates of specials that the kitchen is testing out to put on the menu). Your only role as a diner is to tell them when your group is full; if you like something, order another plate or two of it. Server gets a list of allergies, likes, and dislike to start, and is happy to pair alcohol with the specific plates. Seems like most groups will have no problem hitting over 20 countries in the course of a meal. Very intimate setting, and a great time. Cheaper than the regular one-country option, too - just $60 per person. Cheers!
  13. lhollers
    Mega bummer. Happy hours with a cheese plate, some discounted glasses of wine, and the sun shining in from Pennsylvania Ave. (alright fine, and some truffle garlic fries) were pretty fantastic. Big loss.
  14. lhollers
    This reminded me - he and Luke Feltz (of Boundary Road, and now Jon's new roommate) are doing another popup at Boundary on the night of Sunday, April 24th. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say it'll be "tacos" and there are some seriously cool ingredients and cooking techniques being tossed around by these guys. Cheers!
  15. lhollers
    For what it's worth, I did the interview with the new chef if you want to read it - gives a pretty good overview of his outlook on running a kitchen. Jon seems like a great guy for the job; he's known Erik for a while, he has some great chops in the kitchen, and he's obviously clearly passionate about what he's doing at Toki. Also has some really cool ideas to help out some of the non-native American BOH staff. Story here. Cheers!
  16. lhollers
    Eric: Not saying this is the be-all, end-all list or anything, but a Thrillist colleague of mine recently did a DC-area BBQ roundup...might be a good starting point. "The Best BBQ Joints in the DC Area" by Laura Hayes on thrillist.com Cheers!
  17. lhollers
    Boundary Road on H St. NE has a menu right now that sounds very conducive to the constraints outlined above. I also know Chef Luke and GM Mary Kate are open to e-mails re: potential dining concerns, allergies, etc. No question people would get out of there with food and booze or wine for under $100 a pop. On the other end of H St., Sally's Middle Name has a menu that is almost all gluten free and / or dairy free; the space might be a little small, though, and I think for groups you have to arrange a private event.
  18. lhollers
    Bangin' review from Sietsema today in the WaPo.
  19. lhollers
    Writing an article for Thrillist on some of the best Eden Center dishes, so found myself there all day yesterday during the snow / rain / ice. Long story short, we ended the journey with a banh mi from Banh Ta deli. Ordered the #5, pate cha (pate and sliced pork roll). Paid $4. Proceeded to eat one of the best sandwiches I've had in a long time, full stop. Perfect french baguette, with a thin, crackling crust and a chewy-soft interior; outstanding pate, creamy and sweet; and super bright marinated vegetables (seemed to be the usual daikon and carrot). Asked for extra jalapenos. FWIW, my dining companion doesn't have much experience with Vietnamese cuisine, though she gamely soldiered on with me all day; she took the first bite and just said, "Holy shit. *This* is the best thing we've had all day." Agreed. If you're in the area, this will be one of the best $4 you can spend. Husband and wife couple running the place couldn't be nicer, and they have a ton of other goodies, both sweet and savory (try the salted, spicy plums - unlike anything I've eaten before). Cheers!
  20. lhollers
    Saturday night is always slammed for that first turn, but we've shown up around 7:30 and been able to walk in for a two-top. Worst-case, you can always just go grab a drink or two at Hank's or Duke's. And $49 is still a steal. I love Northern Thai food and I love to eat, and I've always been beyond stuffed after finishing. Cheers!
  21. lhollers
    Excited to hear more - I've never been, but we're heading here for Valentine's Day (I know, I know...worst dining night of the year. What can I say? The gf's a traditionalist.) Cheers!
  22. lhollers
    These are all great suggestions! Happy to hear more, and thanks to all that have shot something back about their faves! Cheers!
  23. lhollers
    Great stuff - thank you both! Keep the recommendations coming, please... Also, sorry, should've mentioned, this will be a multi-visit process, so there really is no such thing as too many dishes. Thanks!
  24. lhollers
    Little bump bump on this thread. What are *THE BEST* items / dishes at Eden Center (any spot in the complex) for $10 or less? Heading there for a massive food excursion and want to try as many options as I can. Seriously...as many as I can. All suggestions welcome - food, drinks, snacks, etc. Thanks!!
  25. lhollers
    Well, shit. Spent forever yesterday getting lost in Wikipedia and linking to more and more info on Uyghur/Uighur cuisine. Got me all excited, but now it sounds like we might have to wait a bit for them to get in a groove, Bart.
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