Josh

It was actually the host who refused the transfer. When he said the table was ready, we began to follow him and I asked the tab to be transferred. He stopped and said we had to settle at the bar before going...

I certainly wouldn't turn anyone away from the place! I just think I had the wrong impression of what sort of experience it was going to be. Goodness, I would've loved to have had one of our 1.5 bottles of wine for free...

We visited Fiola Mare for my wife's birthday a couple of weeks ago. Work/home have been very busy, and I never got around to posting about it. In a nutshell: It was very good, but not worth the price nor the top billing. I have read a good number of folks extolling the virtues of Fiola Mare as a "special occasion" place, including Mr. Sietsema over and over again in his chats. The prices at Fiola Mare certainly push it out of the regularly accessible category, so in that respect, I guess it fits the description. But from the absolute first moment we walked into the restaurant, I could tell it was not what I envisioned. The entry-way is tiny and crowded, and on that particular night was quite chaotic. After several rounds of evasive maneuvers to avoid patrons and employees coming and going, I had to flag down an employee just to try and check in. After a brief check of the computer, we were told our table was not ready yet, and that he could not give a time estimate for when it might be. Stellar. This was not followed by a "Please allow me to bring you to our lounge where you can enjoy a cocktail while you wait," but rather a "I'll come find you when it's ready." We pushed through a throng of folks also waiting for their tables to the chock-full bar and enjoyed 2 very nice cocktails (Vieux Carre for me, and a "Foreign Policy" for the wife). I guess I was lucky in getting the sole bartender's attention early, because I heard 2 different groups loudly complaining that they had been waiting 15 minutes for their tab. Happily, our table opened up in about 15 minutes, which wasn't so bad as we got some good "people watching" in while sipping our drinks. Shockingly for a restaurant of this caliber, I was told my bar tab could not be transferred. My wife graciously held our drinks (and her purse) as I flagged down the bartender and settled up. The host stood by idly the entire time. No offer to carry the drinks to our table despite seeing the birthday lady trying to avoid being jostled while holding 2 drinks and a purse. Stellar again. Thankfully, once we got to our table, the service was absolutely impeccable. The seafood tower for 1-3 was $80 (as opposed to earlier reports of $55), but was the most delicious thing we had...not to be missed. The marinated octopus was a crowd favorite. I had the oil poached halibut (though the fish was substituted with something else that I can't remember) with "Venetian spices" and kabocha squash espuma. Perhaps I should've put 2 and 2 together given the season, but I was not pleased to find that I essentially ordered the Pumpkin Spice Latte of seafood dishes. The fish was perfectly cooked, but much too sweet for my tastes. Autumn is such a lovely time of year, but I wish the food industry didn't equate Fall with sweetly spiced dishes. Anyway, as I said, my mistake in ordering. My wife's pasta was nice, topped with a perfect red king prawn, though she and I both agreed that (apart from the prawn), the pasta and sauce were in the same league as Osteria Morini. (That is not a knock at all, but there is a significant price differential between the two.) Dessert was dessert (I'm not a sweets person), but my wife raved about the doughnuts. She wisely asked the "Autumn Spice" gelato (ARGH!) be substituted out for vanilla. So in the end: rough start ultimately offset by gracious service the rest of the evening. Food was very good, but taken as a whole, I would not head back for a "special occasion." If I'm going to throw down the gauntlet here, I suppose I should define places that I would refer to as "special occasion" worthy: Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernadin, Per Se (though that is more "special special occasion" worthy, and was more of a curiosity than anything else), Omakase at Sushi Taro, Komi, and Rogue 24. We were treated well and made to feel comfortable from moment one at each of those places.

Damn. Could've sworn I've seen a bowl just like that there before. Whatever it is and wherever you had it, it looks amazing.

Maketto?

How much does Jose Andres pay his line cooks?

Sadly, I have to agree with Bettyjoan. The last 2 or 3 times we've been have had either subpar food, service, or both. This place has so much potential, but just doesn't seem focused on trying to meet it.

My wife loves Le Diplomate, so for our "family" celebration of her birthday, we packed up the boys and headed out for an earlyish dinner. When I say my wife "loves" Le Dip, I mean that she (and I) love the consistency. It's like that kid's book "Bread and Jam for Frances." When we go to Le Dip, we know just what we're getting, and we're always pleased. And even then, it's not that we order the same things each time...in fact, I don't know that we've ever repeated an order over 4 or 5 visits. Rather, if you go to Le Diplomate at times that you really want to eat basic, well-executed French bistro fare, and feel like you've stepped outside of the District for an hour or so, you will not be disappointed. If you go expecting some elevated dining experience amongst the scenesters, your mileage may vary. My cocktail of Armagnac and vermouth with bitters (Americain a Paris) couldn't hit my lips fast enough, and did a nice job of dulling the sharp edges of the workday. The bread basket was all that it normally is and we had to physically restrain our 3 year old from downing the whole thing while he drank his cocktail (cranberry juice on the rocks in a sippy cup). The pea soup is the same as Don described upthread, and remains delicious. My wife's Salade Lyonnaise was a mostly faithful rendition save for subbing cubes of potato in for croutons. The boy wolfed down nearly the entire cast-iron pan of macaroni au gratin. The bites I had made me jealous the whole dish wasn't mine. It might feel strange to order this dish if you don't have a toddler in tow, but really, don't think twice. Rich but with just the right amount of salt to cut through the cream and gruyere. Cristina's scallops Nicosia were simple but tasty. Perfectly seared, medium rare center. This is not a dish designed to push boundaries, but it hit all the marks it aimed for and made her very, very happy. I initially ordered the Burger Americain, but changed my mind as the waiter walked away and ended up with a simple steak frites. Cooked to a picture perfect medium rare, and slathered in herb butter, this was exactly what I needed after a shit, shit, shit day. The glass of Crozes-Hermitage the waiter suggested wasn't quite up to the task of meeting the robust flavor of the hanger steak, but was fine. The threenager demanded we share a dessert, but before we could order the creme brí»lée, a plate with tiny, one-bite cherry clafoutis arrived with a candle for the wife...I had forgotten that I mentioned the birthday when I made the reservation. Thoughtful, delicious, but not enough to deter us from the creme. I could go full dad-mode here and post the adorable pictures of my son really getting into his first creme brí»lée, but I'll spare you. I'm not a big dessert person, but this was nice and rich, with a near-perfect madeleine on the side (almost crunchy exterior giving way to a soft spongy inside). All enjoyed with a shared glass of Banyuls. Service has always been a high point, and tonight was no exception. We have always been, and will continue to be those people who dine out with young children. Ours are well-behaved (thankfully), but kudos to the staff for not batting an eye, and treating my son like a real human and letting him order for himself.

Good luck! I just picked up Old Forester Birthday Bourbons from 2012 and 2015 to give to my sons when they are old enough. The trick will be to store them safely out of reach for the next 20 years...

It's definitely fixable. I liked the flavor, and some technical tweaks could really elevate it.

Has anyone ever actually had success finding any of these in DC stores? I've gone to Schneider's countless times over the past 5 years asking about it and never gotten anywhere. I even went so far as to get a rep from Buffalo Trace to send me an excel spreadsheet of all the DC/MD stores they distribute to, but still nothing. I would love to get my hands on a WLW, though I'd be giddy at the chance to grab any of them retail.

Sadly can't endorse the version at Bluejacket. Points given for the fact that it's clearly homemade...a loosely held together puck of rice, black beans, and chickpeas. Served with a nice ancho mayo and pickles on a grilled brioche bun. The flavor was almost there, but the texture undid everything. No attempt to get a sear on the patty, which fell apart upon the first bite. I really appreciate a burger that has some crunch from the griddle/grill on the exterior. That textural contrast can cover up a lot of other sins.

He was pointing out an established fact, not endorsing its practice or claiming he participates in it.

Paying for the opportunity to pay to eat at a place...the mind reels.

I don't have much to tell you, but I don't want to leave you hanging. Jose Enrique is a must. We went with our toddler, and spent our hour wait dancing along to the block party in the streets surrounding the restaurant. This was a weekend night, so I can't tell you what it's like during the week. El Jibarito was fine. Nothing great, but friendly people and good enough food to be worth the 20 minute wait. Loud enough that we didn't stress about toddler, who was warmly welcomed. Skip the "fancy" looking restaurants in the area that cater to tourists. Our experience was that they were overpriced and no bueno. Funnily enough, we'll be back in San Juan next weekend, with the toddler, and now a 3 month old in tow. We are definitely hitting JE again, and likely El Jibarito. I'll respond again if we get word of any other good spots before we get there.

Oh God, no. I was stuck going to the branch in Orlando when there for a conference. Run away. Stay away.

Unfortunately, companies large and small have proven time and again that they will not do the things they "ought" to unless compelled to do so due to litigation.

Oh yeah. Once they formally inform me my car is involved, we will go to f*cking war.

As an owner of a VW diesel that is probably affected, I can tell you that I am LIVID.

I saw on the twitters that Nawab was doing a "tandoori steakhouse" pop up in NYC with the Lucky Peach/Momofuku crew. Is he out at Table?

The bomb and fracking are not "pro" science. They are applications of scientific theories/principles used to solve a problem. Openly and honestly studying the downstream effects of their application in as un-biased a way as possible, and then accepting the conclusions supported by the evidence (regardless of the political or commercial implications) would be "pro-science."

If we want "big wins" in the oral/oropharyngeal cancer area, we might need to consider banning oral sex, since HPV infection is now implicated in most oropharyngeal cancers...(not sure how labelling might work here )

Super Grand in Laurel definitely has frozen favas. They are in the furthest aisle over on the left once you walk in. Goya brand.

That's fantastic. I love that it is actually called "Small Town Brewery."

I saw six-packs for sale at the wine store in Union Market this weekend.