lhollers

Hey guys - I'd definitely be down for this, as well... We hit up Panda Gourmet about every other week, and I'd love to go with a big group to keep trying more of the menu. Totally understand if there's no more room. Let me know! Cheers!

Stopped by again last night and have to agree - dumplings and bao are vastly improved. Dumplings we tried (pork-shrimp-chives and veggie) had great fillings and a way better wrapper, much more enjoyable to eat than the super thick iteration the first night. Bao are also improved; seems like they're properly steamed a little longer now. Still a little small, but for $1.25, how can you complain? Here's the full menu (available for a grand total of $23.50 for the whole thing...ftw). Still on the daiquri as their "featured cocktail," but moving to the Manhattan soon. For those unfamiliar, as Mark mentioned, they (monthly? maybe more frequently) pick a base cocktail, then kind of sketch out all the different ways it has gone over the years. Sort of like a drink family tree, if you will. Had two great variations on the daiquiri (a drink with which I'm still not super familiar) - one with aged rum, smashed mint, muddled chili, and lime, and the other a classic Hemingway daiquiri with white rum, maraschino, grapefruit and lime juices. Head bartender really knows what he's doing...great guy to chat with about booze. Mark ("a great spot to go to get drinks and some relatively inexpensive food. Happy that they're here.") and bettyjoan (a great industry bar - late hours, good drinks, awesome service, and cheap munchies. A welcome addition to the neighborhood!") nailed it, above. Cheers!

Simul: Awesome report. We had a very similar experience here last Thursday night. Just a really fun, cool spot, with some bangin' food. Also, you're famous! Cheers!

Mark, I agree with you on the drinks, but wasn't as big a fan of the food. I went with a few buddies the night after they opened; we also ordered the whole menu. While we enjoyed the fillings, we found the wrappers on both the dumplings and the bao to be a bit thick and gummy for our liking. I'm quite sure they've polished up a bit since opening, so I'll be back (a lot, based on the Manhattan and the Sazerac I had). Cocktails were damn good (and pretty much in line with other H St. spots at $12 each for the classics we tried) and the bartenders were quick and personable even while they were slammed - I'd also rank the drinks on the higher end of H St., but think Atlas Room, Church & State, and Boundary are still the cream of the cocktail crop on H St. Again, this is based on one night's visit, so I'll certainly get back more to get a true feel for the spot. Definitely fills a need on H St., and I hope they slay. Cheers!

"Let the games begin," indeed... Logged on at 11:07 am; reservations no longer available. Brutal. Good for Rose's, but brutal. To anyone who ended up scoring some NYE seats: 1.) Congrats - way to be on the ball, and 2.) Goddamnit, I'm jealous.

Cool new pairing menu event going down at Boundary Road - launches tonight. Funky, Foraged, and Fermented offers either a cheese course and a mushroom course for $9, or a cheese course, mushroom course, and a paired beer for $12. Three options, all look awesome. Couldn't figure out how to embed a tweet, so link to the menu and announcement is here. Cheers!

We went last Thursday - knew we would be too late for the initial seating, so had a beer and some oysters at Hank's. When we stopped back at LS around 6:45, they had a spot ready immediately. We didn't anticipate them having something so soon, so walked next door to Duke's, had a cocktail, then wandered back over and got seated right away. This didn't seem to be a typical Thursday night for them, but if you time it right, you can probably sneak in right when they're making the first turn. Cheers!

Went Wednesday night on behalf of Brightest Young Things and agree 100% with the above. Pics below - if you have any questions about specific dishes, please don't hesitate to ask. Highlights were the house-made pork sausage and the steamed fish - both incredible. This place is going to be a huge hit. Less of a line than Little Serow (which I still prefer, as of now), will take reservations, very, very reasonable pricing, and incredibly authentic (thought not quite spicy enough quite yet) Lao cuisine. Chef Seng said she was looking for an early December opening. Sai Oua - house-made pork sausage. Tremendously delicious. This will be an every-visit order for me. Pak Nam - crispy watercress, mango, green apple, tamarind sauce, shrimp. Reminded me a lot of Rasika's Palak Chaat. Laab Ped - duck larb. Should've ordered Lao spicy. Ping Gai - grilled chicken. Great, crisp skin, moist throughout. Really hard not to order the pork neck, but our server said go with the chicken. Moak Pah - steamed sea bass, chili paste, lemongrass, dill. Outstandingly good. Like, really, really tasty. (not sure how to rotate the pictures - they show up right-side-up in my preview and on my computer, but turn on here - sorry about that)

Soi 38 also has Khao Soi, described on the menu as: "Khao Soi / $12 chicken leg, khao soi curry, egg noodles, sour cabbage" Had it last week when we dined there, and it was just ok. No picture - my apologies. I prefer the more curry-style Khao Soi with pork rind, bean sprouts, cilantro, etc. Soi 38's is more bare bones and soup-like. I haven't found superior in the city, but that's not saying much, as I have yet to try Doi Moi's (saw it on the menu when we dined there, but had already over-ordered. as usual.).

District Cuisine reports that Driftwood is now hiring...opening on the horizon? Be nice to get a website or something up.

I think that'll be the tough part with these, but in my humble opinion, Barcelona, Rose's Luxury, or Tico would be your best bets. Not sure where your parents are from or what they're into, but Tico and Barcelona are both on 14th, so it'll be a pretty cool city scene on a weekend night. I know both also take reservations. I liked Tico a little better, food-wise, but that'll be 100% subjective - both have extensive menus with at least some choices that will appeal to almost anyone. Even though it isn't a traditional "small plates" restaurant, I personally (along with approximately 98% of the rest of DC, it seems) think that Rose's is one of the best spots in the city right now. If it's three of you going, you could order a significant portion of the menu, and the service and style of the place is really, really hard to beat right now. That said, you'd have to get there around 4:15 or so on a Friday or Saturday to try and get a spot during their first seating. You can always put your name in and have them call you when a table is ready if need be. Lots of fun spots around Eastern Market and Barrack's Row to grab a drink or two or window shop while you wait. Another reliable option for tapas/small plates is always Jaleo - it's a tried and true DC long-timer and a Jose Andres spot, so you know the food will be good, if not great. Having never been to Spain, take this for what it's worth, but I really like Estadio, as well - very authentic, very classic Spanish-style tapas joint. Good drinks, too. Honestly, with a week's notice, I think you should be fine with any of these (although I'd still recommend braving the line at Rose's). Hope this helps at least a bit! Cheers!

Geez, Sietsema just gushes about Rural Society...this definitely read like more than a 2.5 star review. Gotta get in here as soon as I can now.

Signage up at this location - "Driftwood" is the name. Still unsure of the concept, but word around our end of H St. is that the backers are foreign investors with little industry experience but lots of funds. Again, that's just what people are saying, I haven't confirmed this at all. I'll ask around some more and see about concept, opening dates, etc. Kind of a bummer that gorgeous patio missed an entire spring and summer of use.

Mark nailed it, as usual. I didn't think it was necessary to post, as my experience was basically the same as Josh's (and yours from the sound of it, Mark). I didn't dislike anything, but there were no revelatory dishes or anything that made me stop and go, "Wow - I can't get this anywhere else." Some minor tweaks to dishes would've improved them, and I think with some time, they should find their sea legs. Granted, I only had three items, so I think going back and trying more of the menu will be in order. As of now, however, this place isn't even close to taking over for Boundary in my weekly go-to's. Would love to hear what some others who have dined here think...

I'll see you there tonight, Mark! This is actually the main reason I've waited to go. My roommate is a server there (though based on your description, Josh, it seems like you didn't have him when you went...he's a pretty chill dude), and I was hoping they would get in the groove in the first few weeks and work out any potential kinks in the kitchen and FOH. I'll be sure to pass your comments along so they can work on improving. Thanks for the posting your review - it sounds like you're in the same boat as me insofar as really, really wanting this place to kick ass and succeed...has the potential to fill a nice slot on our end of H Street that, really, only Boundary excels at right now. I'll report back to see if any of the other menu items are on point!

All 100% correct - I also laughed my ass off when I got the Toki guest chef bill... Each one has been awesome, the movies have been a trip and a great time, and the food is out of sight thus far. I love when chefs get the chance to just freestyle and throw out some new stuff they're trying out, and I feel like the crowd at these events is definitely open to trying delicious new items. If you can't make it in on Sunday nights, the regular menu has some awesome new food on it as well. Stopped in last night to try the smoked mackerel (dynamite, with a rye bread base, sliced heirloom cherry tomato, fennel frond, shaved carrot, and a mustard powder dusting - kind of a Dutch[ish] flavor profile) and the new iteration of the sweetbreads (which used to be way too small and gummy, but are now three huge chunks that have an amazing char to offset the creamy richness of the gland [and some outstanding black-eyed peas to sop up the vaguely Cajun-esque sauce]). They're also are getting out there on the beer selection - we tried two Perennial brews, one the Hopfentea, which was sour and definitely had a distinct steeped fruit tea flavor, and the other the Last Word, one of the funkiest, most intense beers I've ever had, with hints of key lime, wintergreen, and juniper. My brain couldn't wrap around it, but I kept going back in for another sip. Crisp, SOUR, and so, so weird. Killing it on the booze front here, per usual.

Super excited for this... Three blocks from my place, and should be a great addition to the H St. dining scene.

In case you missed it, Boundary is doing special guest chef nights on Sundays where a ... guest chef ... takes over the kitchen and puts a movie of his or her choice up on the big screen. Last night's was Sam Adkins, who was slanging some dynamite sandwiches while The Triplets of Belleville screened. A buddy and I stopped over late and went with the char siu pork. Really, really nice flavors (almost banh mi-ish), with some pickled carrot and daikon offsetting the super tender barbecued pork on a ciabatta roll. I had a Hardywood Virginia Blackberry out of Richmond, VA - Belgian wit with a little rye and a ton of fruit-forward blackberry flavor. As always, a great, low-key crowd and an extensive beer selection. For those with a Sunday night to burn, I'd highly recommend. Remaining schedule is here. Cheers!

Thanks, man! Ended up taking your advice and doing one alcoholic pairing ($85) and one non-alcoholic pairing ($45). This is certainly not a knock on the booze program, because the opening cocktail we had was out of sight (it was called the "24th Regiment" and was labeled belle meade bourbon/cocchi de torino/celery. It was absolutely stunning...pseudo-Manhattan(ish), but with a much deeper, smoother flavor. The 'celery' was in the form of celery bitters, and there were also orange bitters and a lemon twist. I would have no problem paying $12 for this on the regular. Really, really good.), but other than that, it was just ok. I loved having the wide range of boozes, but I thought that they just served "good drinks," rather than "good drinks that paired with the food." And if that's the case, I wish we would've just ordered a la carte so I could've stuck to cocktails and she could've stuck with wines. The other alcoholic pairings were a nice Roederer Estate brut champagne, a forgettable glass of Austrian veltliner white wine (again, I'm sorry, and I KNOW that had I said something, they would've poured something else - it just honestly wasn't that huge a deal), a half bottle of a really good, chewy witbier, an awesome, awesome red (valpolicella superiore), then a quite delicious vin santo dessert wine. The non-alcoholic pairings were actually pretty cool...more cocktail in nature. Started off with a celery and fermented cucumber soda that had a few fermented cucumber spheres in the bottom. Drink smelled like a combination of fresh celery stalk and old, funky feet. That's right up my alley, but the date wasn't too keen on it. Taste was interesting, definitely not unpleasant, and the fermented cucumber balls in the bottom of the drink were quite good. Next was my favorite of the non-alcoholic pairings - a house-made watermelon soda with spicy coffee dusting on the side. I don't like coffee, but licking the glass, getting that spicy grit, then cooling off with the delicious carbonated watermelon juice was a great combo. Then I had a house-made fennel tomato shrub drink, followed by a regular ol' pot of tea (kind of a cop-out, but I love tea, so it worked out fine), then a blackberry soda. All good, and I'm glad we tried one of each, but again, I would've preferred to just go a la carte and try a bunch of Cheftender Bryan's cocktails (which looked bomb). All that said, Ralph was the one running us through all the beverages, and he was awesome - clearly knew a ton about wine and was really passionate about it. We chatted about what we liked and didn't like, and he was able to give us some recommendations on new styles and varietals we might dig. Very well done, as was the rest of the night. 24th Regiment on the left, celery and fermented cucumber soda on the right. Brut champagne on the left, watermelon soda with spicy coffee dusting on the right. House-made fennel and tomato shrub.

(sorry, ran out of image space - continuing on!) new potato/barley broth/creme fraiche/hackleback caviar *I see a mother of pearl spoon get set down. Jackpot. Apparently this is one of the kitchen's newer dishes. Nice little quenelle of sturgeon roe - as great as you would imagine. Good match with the creme fraiche. The new potatoes (which were tiny) were nice, but a bit overcooked...got a bit mealy. The odd part was the barley broth. All the elements together "worked," but I didn't see how the barley broth made the classic caviar presentation that much better. Don't get me wrong, I finished the dish; I just would've also enjoyed the new potatoes, caviar service, and creme fraiche. Maybe I just didn't get it. Small plates done, and stomachs rapidly filling - to the savories! rabbit/carrot/field pea/rue *First taste of a "meal" type dish. This was one of the birthday girl's favorites, and with good reason. Rabbit two ways (confit and, I believe, a roulade of leg[?]) with a bold rabbit/carrot jus. The dehydrated carrots were kind of like the cabbage with which we started...very, very jerky-like in consistency - in this case, not a bad thing at all! The rabbit was so, so tender, and the carrots gave a great punch of flavor and contrast. I loved the confit and thought the roulade was ok, while the date went nuts over the roulade and just "meh"ed the confit. More for meee! Best part of the dish was the rue (the green leaves on the dish) - honestly, one of the most powerfully flavored herbs or plants I've ever tasted. It was super intense, really interesting, and really cool. octopus/fava beans/olive *Another of my huge wins for the night. Braised, then char-grilled on their own little charcoal hibachi (want), octopus. Let's be honest - it's tough to cook cephalopod. Not in this kitchen. Crispy and charred on the outside, super tender and creamy within. Menu said fava beans, but I though the fresh peas were a great, great match. I wouldn't have changed anything about this dish. mushroom/gelatinous pine nut milk/blueberries *Abalone, pt. II - mushroom form. Huge, dense, meaty, smoky, with some relief from the savory in the form of tart blueberries and their jus...this was a vegetarian's dream plate. Not much more to say other than well done. short rib/leek/burnt eggplant/black berry *Final savory of the night (thank god - I think Casey was about to explode). We'd been watching them char off the cubed short rib all night, and were really looking forward to putting down some great red meat. Not disappointed. The charred leeks that came alongside were really, really good - I didn't realize that leeks could be used whole like that...I always slice them into coins or shreds. Now I know. The little pebbles you see in the picture are actually frozen blackberries that are smashed into the individual cells - really, really cool textural and temperature contrast. The picture below is actually Casey's plate, which she insisted on switching with me. That brings me to two things I would've changed - one, the pieces of meat below were gorgeous...perfectly cooked (obviously), right fat-to-lean ratio, etc. My plate, however (Casey's originally, before we switched), was a half and half fat to meat ratio. Now, I'm totally cool with that - I'm from South Dakota, grew up eating beef, and love fat(/flavor). For some twosomes, however, getting two cuts that different would probably throw them off. Worked out well for us, however, as she got her lean pieces and I got my umami-bomb decadent fatty short ribs. Second, both were served at room temp; personal preference, I like meat to be served a little warmer. I can see how some people don't, and I'm absolutely certain that the kitchen meant to send it out at that temp. Just a personal thought. I had no problems finishing all of this dish. "Meal" over - dessert time. Full disclosure: I really dislike sweets. Cookies, candies, pop, cake, fruit...I don't like any of it. Second full disclosure: I ate every single bite of the three desserts we were served. They were goddamn good and hey, when in Rogue... (<-- pun. nbd.) strawberry/pink peppercorn/balsamic/almonds *All about textures. There was a strawberry mousse, a strawberry jam-type thing underneath, and a dehydrated strawberry "cake" or something. I wish I could describe this better, but it was the odd-shaped light pink one in the front - almost like a dried cake...very pleasant. Strawberry foam to top it off, and pink peppercorn(!) sprinkled around. Oh yeah, and candied almonds, which were outstanding. I seriously loved every component of this dish. One of my tops of the entire meal. caramel/porcini/fig/honey crisp *Nooooo! No picture of this one kills - easily my favorite of the three desserts (which is saying a lot given how much I liked the last strawberry one). Disc of caramel pudding, melted/glazed whole fig on top, super light honey crisp...this was awesome. No offense, chefs, but it reminded me of super upscale caramel Jell-O pudding. So great. chocolate/cherry/pistachios/sage *Alright, alright, I didn't love this one. But I tried! Like I said, sweets aren't my thing, and I especially don't like chocolate. That said, I really did enjoy a few bites of this that I had - sour cherry halves with super rich, dark ganache chocolate, a really technically precise chocolate swirl, and some nice pistachios and chocolate "dirt" for texture. Sidenote: one of my favorite parts of the night was Casey taking a huge bite, chewing for a minute, then going "POP ROCKS!" They weren't listed on the menu, and maybe we were just riding high from a great meal, but I swear, the chocolate "dirt" base underneath this dessert had Pop Rocks in it - such a cool, inventive, surprising fizz to perk your palate back up after three rich dishes. happy endings/little things/small bites *Loved the "Happy Birthday" script - tiny things mean a lot (which you'll hear more about below). From top, shortbread cookie sandwich, homemade chocolate and peanut butter bonbon, coconut and white chocolate, almond chocolate bark, and suuuuuper rich orange and chocolate. And that's the food. Random thoughts after I've had time to...digest...the experience. I admit it. I fell into the trap a bit. I read a ton of reviews; I listened to some of the Yelptards; I didn't rely on all of you DR'ers as much as I should have. The fact is, to me, little things matter. When we walked in the door, Dara (GM? Host? All of the above?) couldn't have been more kind. Wished Casey a Happy Birthday, walked us through the place, gave us tips on what to look forward to, etc. Awesome start. We were passed into the capable hands of Ralph (GM? Host? All of the above?) who, again, was flipping awesome. Dude knows his food and booze, was charming and professional all night, and clearly wanted to make sure guests were having a great time. Each person that dropped something off at our table wished my date a Happy Birthday - just classy all around. About halfway through our meal, a gal at a table by ours got a little cold. She didn't say it, mind you, she just started to put on her date's jacket. Before she had it on all the way, Ralph was there with a wearable shawl/blanket thing from the lounge out front - that kind of stuff just doesn't happen at a lot of restaurants, even ones that claim to be in the upper echelon of DC's dining scene. I love the format - for each dish, whomever is free is the one the brings it to you, whether that's a runner, one of the chefs, or one of the FOH staff. We had dishes dropped off and explained to us by all but one chef, and each knew the ingredients, preparation, and presentation, and could answer questions. Some dickheads on Yelp are upset that two of the runners' English isn't that great so they "couldn't understand what they were eating." Chill out, dude. Either ask nicely to repeat or discretely flag down another person and ask them - not that hard. I also saw a lot of chatter online about the "negative attitudes" and "pretension" of the staff here. I've only been once, and I'm certainly not going to tell someone else what their experience was; but, I do know that, at similar places that claim to be at this level, with this quality of food and atmosphere, I've encountered a lot of douches. Food isn't about proving how much more you know than the diner, and it isn't about being condescending (both of which, sadly, I've found at CityZen and Fiola) - it's about taking diners on a journey that helps them learn more and grow more in their eating experience. Rogue 24 offers that. One final thought. Tim Carman wrote an awesome piece in this week's Food section about "value" in dining, in which he argues that size isn't everything. (been saying that for years, Tim) That "big portions" and "a good deal" aren't all that truly matters in dining. I agree. Is Rogue 24 ludicrously expensive? Yes. Will I return? Possible, but certainly not for a while. Was it "worth it?" Unequivocally yes. The amount of times that my date smiled and said, "this is a great birthday"; the genuine interactions we had with like-minded people who enjoyed food and booze as much as we do; the number of dishes that straight-up made me laugh when I tried them, whether that was out of joy or puzzlement or just deliciousness...those moments are what makes a meal "worth it." Thanks Chef Cooper and crew for an awesome time.

Finished off the 24 course Journey menu with a birthday girl last night. I'll put up the current menu, some photos of the dishes I managed to take pictures of (of course my two favorite bites were ones in which I forgot to pull out the iPhone...idiot! ) with my brief notes on each, then some thoughts on the experience in general. To preface my comments (and to head off a repeat of the mdt v. RJ Cooper spat from earlier), I'd like to reiterate what I *think* mdt was trying to get across when discussing his meal - in a format like this, there's just no way you're going to love every single dish. With 24 wildly inventive bites of different flavors and textures are set before you, some are inherently going to be better than others... Eating is entirely subjective, and some of the things I didn't enjoy as much last night, you all may love - I'm only giving you my specific experience (which was, spoiler alert, awesome). Also, I should make clear from the outset that the length of my comments on each dish in no way reflect how much I enjoyed that specific dish - some I just remember super vividly, and some were kind of 'filler' in between courses I may have enjoyed more. First, the menu (which, in a classy touch, is provided to you after the meal, along with a personalized "Happy Birthday" from Chef Cooper on hers - nice!): solid cocktail /smoked peach/moonshine/toasted peanuts *This was presented on a little white pedestal, with the "smoked peach" a gelee orb that was misted in moonshine and sprinkled with toasted peanuts. We were instructed to just slurp it up, like a shot. Interesting, but I didn't get any flavors or smells of booze, nor did I find the gelee particularly exciting (I had a very similar reaction to the watermelon gelee a few courses later). This was by no means "bad," it just wasn't a flavor profile that drove me wild. arugula pesto/savory flowers/rye cocoa flatbread *Gorgeous - really nice, dense rye crackers with a super bright and vibrant arugula pesto. Good combination of flavors in the bite, and definitely woke up the palate. I never know how much edible flowers add to a dish, but goddamn does it look good. swordfish belly/gravlax/dill *Fishy. More so than I liked, but that's just personal preference. I mean, it's cured fish with "gravlax" in the description - it was exactly as described. oyster/miso butter/cucumber foam *THIS. GOD, THIS. Absolutely perfect (and perfectly simple) grilled oyster with miso butter and a cucumber foam. Along with the smoked sable we got next round, this was my favorite bite of the evening. Presented on a bed of salt, two nice-sized oysters with a ton of foam - we got forks, but I slurped mine down. Heaven. Plump...so plump. Briny and sweet. I chewed on this way longer than I needed to simply because I didn't want to lose that flavor. Seriously outstanding. watermelon /chicken skin/snake oil green cabbage /smoked hemp butter/pickled mustard seeds smoked sable /rabbit liver parfait/onion jam *These three all came together on a really cool cross-section of a log. The watermelon gelee, again, didn't do much for me. I would've preferred just a bigger piece of chicken skin with the snake oil hot sauce, both of which were really tasty. The green cabbage (ours was red) was dehydrated with the hemp butter and mustard seeds in the middle, almost like a cabbage jerky sandwich. Flavors were really, really interesting - hard to chew, very vegetal, with some pop and acidity from the mustard seeds. This was a dish that wasn't blow-you-mind good flavor-wise, but was so texturally interesting that you had to keep chewing, puzzling it out. The sable, as I mentioned earlier, was the other winner of the night for me - almost like a little sandwich cookie, it hit every single pleasure center in my brain and palate. Rich, creamy live mousse, slightly sweet cracker, caramelized sweet onions. I could've eaten twenty of these, easy. Snacks out of the way, time to move to smaller plates. jack fish/marigold petals/sea grass/rice coral/coconut *Jack fish on the menu; we were told hamachi - same fish, and who cares when it's this delicious? Rivaling some of the sashimi I've had at Sushi Taro, this was a large cut (think two pieces of nigiri, without the rice) of super tender hamachi. Although I would've been cool with just the fish, the puffed rice gave a great textural contrast to the melt-in-your-mouth (hate that phrase) fish. Coconut foam was just sweet enough counter the fish's inherent salinity. More flowers so, naturally, a beautiful dish. zucchini/tomato pudding/olive oil jam *Interesting. Not much to say about this one - loved the presentation, and the halved cherry tomatoes were really good...intense tomato flavor. Seemed like this dish was more about the tomatoes than the squash, though they did play well off each other. cauliflower/sea urchin/smoked butter nage/cedar *Also an awesome course - first time the young lady friend had ever tried uni (I made sure to wait until after she finished to tell her what it was). I've never seen uni with cauliflower before, but, to me at least, you could put uni with used mulch and it would still taste awesome. Incredibly briny, very sweet, with the slightest touch of iodine underneath (not at all unpleasant). Everything I like about uni, with a really nice cauliflower puree underneath and mini fried cauliflower florets (almost like cauliflower oatmeal) added tableside for some salt and textural contrast. I really liked this dish. prawn/watermelon/togarashi *I wanted to love this dish, but would've tweaked it very slightly. First, the grilled watermelon cubes that went along with it were just a little too soggy for my taste. I 100% realize that it's probably really, really tough to get a nice char on miniature watermelon cubes without semi-melting them, but the one bite I got that was crunchy and blackened was awesome with the shrimp. Second, the tartare itself was cut a little too rough - there were some large pieces, as well as some pieces that strung together when attempting to get a forkful. Finally, the tartare is just a tad overdressed - the flavors were all there, but it was almost mayo-thick in consistency. All of that sounds like a lot of criticism for a dish, but it's serious nitpicking...this was really great, flavor-wise, and a bit of the tartare with some of the tempura sea bean that accompanied was one of my favorite bites of the evening. I would absolutely order an a la carte portion of this dish. abalone/spruce/strawberry/kohlrabi/mustard *Ahhhh, abalone - how rarely I see you. Loved the mollusc, not a huge fan of the strawberry gazpacho underneath. I thought it was too thick and viscous to work with the firm abalone. The mini strawberries inside were dynamite, though. Were I to try and recreate this at home, I would keep the tart mini strawberries and abalone, then either reduce more or thin out the gazpacho and use it as a drizzled sauve over the fruit and mollusc. However, my date absolute loved the strawberry gazpacho, so there you go. Goddamn, food is awesome...everyone likes what they like. avocado/sweet peppers/corn/coriander *Solid, if not amazing. This was described to us as a "deconstructed guacamole." The avocado was definitely present, and I picked up hints of cilantro, but that was about it. The avocado mousse was almost ethereal, though - amazing how light and airy they whipped it. Loved the blocks of compressed tomato that came along with. The best bite of this dish was with an entire tomato block, a bit of the avocado mousse, and one of the cilantro leaves. Nice. I didn't pick up any corn. pike/natua/chives *Boom! This one was another runaway winner. The pike was presented as the little gray disc you see underneath the roe, and it was outstandingly good. If you've ever had a fishball in Asian soups, think of that texture, but lighter. Some roe on top for pop and salinity. Really went well with the dynamite nantua sauce (basically a bechamel with crawdad stock). My favorite part of this dish was that the spoon they gave us perfectly fit the curvature of the bowl it was served in - saved me the embarrassment of the licking the bowl clean to get all that sauce. It was that good. araucana egg 67*/potato/garlic/cedar *Didn't get a picture of this one, but a very, very sophisticated technique. I was insanely jealous of their sous vide, and this dish just convinced me even more that I must have one. The kitchen had cooked just the yolk of an egg until it was barely set, but no longer runny. It was almost an egg-yolk pudding, and matched up great with the whipped potatoes. There were also (someone correct me if I'm wrong here, please) these paper thin wafers that had an incredibly savory garlic flavor. This was one of the more comforting, warm dishes we had. Excellent.

Definitely a help! Thanks for the info - I love when staff notice little things like that...it's not a huge deal, but a subtle top-off to finish out the course(s) always impresses me. Sold. Damn good idea. Thanks for the advice!

Taking the young lady friend here tonight to celebrate a birthday and tackle the Journey menu. Super excited. Anyone know how the drinks pairing works? I DM'ed Chef Cooper, and he explained that the Beverage Director comes around and explains before the meal, but I was hoping someone could chime in and give me a sense of what to expect, drinks and price-wise. Thanks!

Went to Agua 301 last night for the first time. A haiku: Ceviche too cooked. Tacos, however? Really great. Overall, just...meh. Al pastor was delicious - crispy pork belly without being too gristly or fatty. Pineapple habanero salsa was a great match with the pork. Carne asada with kimchi was a nice flavor combination, although the meat could have been a little more tender. Apparently they make their own kimchi. Tortillas were nice, corn I believe. Ceviche was big lumps of fish - a little too chewy, almost as if it had been poached beforehand. Also had a well-made pisco sour and a really sweet hibiscus margarita. May return if in the area, but certainly not going out of our way to get here. Cheers!

Second, even though it does kill me to walk by here and see a huge, gorgeous patio that's completely going to waste. Being at 3rd and G NE, I would love an H St. outdoor drinking option that's closer than Little Miss Whiskey's...