Josh
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Everything posted by Josh
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Fewer empty storefronts is always a good thing. Now if we could somehow get some good places to open, that would really be something.
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Yeah, the message said it would be held for 5 minutes, though it couldn't have taken me more than 1 to enter all the info in and submit. I'm guessing it was the "simultaneous" scenario. -
I was determined to secure a reservation today when the spots opened. I loaded the site right at 10am, clicked the "purchase" button for my desired day, and was brought to a screen to enter contact and credit card info. Surprisingly though, once I entered everything and clicked submit (or whatever the link was labeled), I saw only a screen that said "sold out." Is this how others have experienced the site? I find it kind of annoying/unsettling to enter my cc info and only then be told nothing is available. I figured if I got through to that screen the table was mine (like ticketmaster or momofuku reservation system). Is this just the way they have it set up?
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You say that like it's a bad thing. The first time I went, all the cocktails were named with Morrissey lyrics, forever cementing my love of the restaurant before I tasted a thing.
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- Bloomingdale
- Italian
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During the week you should be fine...There will be a wait, but it shouldn't be unreasonable. We went with a party of 4 with no reservations at 7:30 last Friday, and waited less than 30 minutes. I wouldn't call that typical though. Don't skip the pasta with calimari and pickled peppers...
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An entire ounce each of hot sauce and worcestershire??? Dang.
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I had the XLB at the top of the heap for the DC area, but I really have to question the quality of restaurant if the sort of behavior I saw today is acceptable. I didn't even mention the fact that the hostess was mid-call on her iphone (with headphones in) when I walked in, and proceeded to carry on her conversation while trying to talk to me and lead me to a table. I should've walked out right then. That sort of behavior is indicative of a staff that doesn't care at all about the service they are providing and the product they are putting out. Honestly, it raises questions as to the quality and integrity of the food coming out of the kitchen.
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Oh I was tempted. Couldn't pull the trigger though.
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Currently sitting in disbelief at the shoddy service. Every member of the staff is sitting at a table eating lunch (including Dannon yogurt and a Cup O Noodles!). Felt like I was flagging down a passing helicopter trying to get someone, anyone's attention. "Do you want change?" You better believe it. (Food was solid though. Big fan of the cold eggplant in garlic sauce.)
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- Shanghai Chain
- Rockville
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That was fascinating. Thanks for sharing. I love the system he describes for Aviary and the rationale he gives for using it.
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This place is tucked away off the main strip in Beltsville, but is definitely worth a visit. Stopped in for lunch today and couldn't help but over-order. The seafood pajeon is massive and stuffed with all manner of seafood. Excellent crispy texture for all but the most interior pieces. I'll be back for more of that. Also had the kimchi jjigae. Hearty and spicy. This was all served wtih a TON of banchan (kimchi, sprouts, broccoli with chili sauce, potato, chayote, grilled pepper strips). The only downside was having to endure soft hits from the 80s the entire time.
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I'm convinced that the phenomenon represents a failure of execution. I've never encountered the problem in tons of Sichuan meals before Joe's, and haven't encountered it since (at SJR or HKP). Happened twice at Joe's and I haven't been able to convince myself to go back. If I have to plead with the staff of a restaurant to make a dish as it is meant to be eaten, as opposed to "toned down" to an unbalanced mess that they think I want to eat, I'll just head elsewhere thankyouverymuch. (Agree with Dean about SJR, though. I've had more thinly flavored misses than hits in the past 6 months...sad.)
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I guess I still consider Bangkok Golden to be Thai even though I really always stick to the Lao menu...
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Just a quick report from what I can easily call the best Thai restaurant (that takes reservations) in the District right now. We went with a couple of friends from Rome who were jonesing for Thai food (I guess it's hard to come by there). There were a number of interesting sounding dishes on the menu I didn't get to try since they wanted to stick more with the standard Thai dishes they missed so much. That said, everything we had was good to great. Grilled pork necks compare well with BG. I actually prefer the dish I had at Soi over my last order at BG as Soi's had a deeper carmelization. I was excited to try the Larb Tod (minced fried chicken)...not bad, but it seemed quite dry. I don't know if it was just our batch, or if that is how it is meant to be. I tried to order the spicy lemongrass soup described above, but was delivered the standard Tom Yum Goong. No complaints with the soup which was pungent and sour. It was, however served in a hot pot with a ladle that was too wide to fit into the trough of the pot. I wonder if the broth differs between the 2 soups...if so, I'll have to give the other version a shot. The Massamun curry with chicken was wonderful and rich. The sauce was thicker and had more depth of flavor than I've found anywhere else I've ordered it in the DC area. I'd like to try it at Thai Taste or Nava to compare. Kana Moo Krob is fried matchbook sized pieces of pork belly with chinese broccoli in oyster sauce. Fantastic dish. Still dreaming about it. The belly pieces had nice crispy skin with a toothsome fatty layer. Not melt in your mouth, but the texture worked well for the dish. Pad See Eew with pork was an excellent version with more of that carmelized pork goodness. Pad Thai was just so so, which was kind of surprising. My benchmark for Pad Thai is the "special" version we were served at BG with shrimp paste a while back. This was far below that level. They tout the cocktail menu, but seeing as we were toddler wrangling at the time, we stuck with pints of Singha on tap. All in all a good showing. We'll be back when we don't feel up to making the trek to Falls Church or Wheaton, which is likely to be pretty often.
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- Downtown
- Foggy Bottom
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It also works equally well at that belly easing the morning after at brunch.
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Just a quick report to say we went the other day for an early dinner and loved the new space. (Except the lack of high-chairs or booster seats...1 or 2 of either would be awesome.) My toddler loved the fish nuggets...ok, who am I kidding. He did, but my wife and I REALLY loved them. We also had fried catfish and grilled bluefish sandwiches that hit the spot. The fish was expertly prepared and portioned nicely for the sandwich. We made the "mistake" of ordering 2 sides of fries, and took the 2nd one to go. My Evil Twin IPA was fantastic. There was a youngish couple there on a date, and the dude apparently felt like flexing his muscles a bit. He pitched a bit of a fit when his fish and chips came out, complaining that the portion was too small. Crazy, since the food was cascading over the sides of the plate. Hats off to whichever staff member dealt with him, because from the looks of it they stood firm, and he ended up pouting and sitting without any food while his date enjoyed her grilled fish platter. Ah, young love.
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I would love for Rose's to take some reservations. I think Dean makes a solid argument for why restaurants hate them, but models such as the limited slots available at Toki and Red Hen show that there is an in-between that can work in everyone's favor. Such a policy would be a welcome change not because I am an egotistical douchebag who must control every aspect of my life, but because I'm a parent, and therefore must engage in at least a minimal amount of planning before heading out for dinner. I'd love it if Rose's made my life easier for me in this regard, but they certainly don't have to. Not doing so does not mean they are inhospitable or are prejudiced against those who have chosen to procreate (What would that even be called? Parentism? Anti-Procreationism?). Obviously they are good enough to get away with it, given that even with their no-res policy, my wife and I will be spending our anniversary there tomorrow evening. (Also, the Nats have had a winning record the past 2 years, and are 2nd in the division this year, so there.)
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Oh, I've had the heads served that way. This was just the actual shell and tail (no heads), and had a different texture to it, probably due to them using some sort of salty/garlicy glaze. Damn...now I'll be thinking about those things all day.
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Flying back from a weekend conference in Vegas. Only 2 notable dining experiences were a special of garlicy sausage at Bouchon, and a great meal at Lotus of Siam. 2 dishes that should not be missed are the raw prawns marinated in fish sauce and served with a tamarind paste, and the deep fried garlic shrimp served along with the fried shells. Odd to say, but I could eat those fried shells all day. They would make an amazing bar snack. Interesting that I've never encountered them before.
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Infectious Disease Specialist in DC For Sick Young Man Visiting Town
Josh replied to DonRocks's topic in Help Needed
I second the GW ER if they feel he needs to be seen immediately. There is absolutely no reason to drive all the way to Baltimore. -
In every way I can think of, Red Hen is to be applauded as a restaurant that gets it right.
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I'm going to agree with Chefgunshow on this one. If this is what passes for good food writing in 2014, then I'm done reading about food. This is linkbait meant for people who follow food and dining like it's on TMZ. Funny they should mention Bourdain, since he talked about a lot of these same points in Kitchen Confidential 13 years ago.
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Well that's disconcerting. A bad dish is going to go out from time to time, but one would hope the palates in the kitchen would pick up on something as obvious as what you described. Kudos to you for speaking up.
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Since it seems like it's all the same players involved, I don't have high expectations for this iteration.
