Josh

Glad you qualified that with Little Ethiopia because Ethiopic is, and always has been, the most gentrified Ethiopian restaurant in DC. Do they still serve the basket of dinner rolls before your meal?

They haven't served dinner rolls since I've been (frequently) dining there, which would be about 2 years. They do serve a basket with a few pieces of a dense brown bread that is served with a spiced oil...quite nice actually.

This one bar has changed my mind about Furstenburg's rant.

I want to believe it this time, but I've been hurt before...I'll believe they're open when I'm paying my check after enjoying a bowl of pozole.

Jessica Sidman adds a few more thoughts about DC's food scene.

I think H street NE and Petworth among other "edgier" areas have the potential to be the equivalent of the Northern Liberties area of Philly

There are still many empty storefronts on H that are just waiting for the right enterprising chef or baker to come along...

those outraged by Furstenburg's article, have any of you been to Charleston lately? Or, Jesus, even Richmond? I think he's on to something, with regard to rents and their impact on the specialty grocer, cheesemonger, baker (I think we can all agree he knows something about that) brewer (which he didn't mention but you have to really want to brew beer in DC to have done so, Fritz Hahn's article to the contrary notwithstanding) or young innovative genius restaurateur without a shit-ton of capital (bye bye, pizza man, we'll miss you).

I think if you live in a city with the population of Washington and the second cheesemaker you can come up with in rebuttal to his point is a Cowgirl Creamery from Point Reyes with a retail outlet 2 miles from your house, you're making his point. OTOH, things are certainly getting better, but the question one might ask is, are they getting better everywhere else,too, but at a faster pace?

I guess you're addressing me, what with the cheesemonger comment and all. Yes, I've been to Charleston...in the past 6 months, even. And I ate very, very well while I was there...within one specific genre of cuisine. Looking for something outside of that? Well, you're kind of out of luck.

I for one do not need a "cheesemaker" within even 10 miles of my house. What I like to see are retailers selling high quality products, and that is what I described. For God's sake, Murray's was 1.4 miles from my apartment in NY. And aside from Murray's, the next closest place to get anything resembling interesting and high quality cheese was the Whole Foods in Union Square.

Something I've been pondering since the conversation first started: what is the concentration, the number per-capita of really good restaurants, quirky locally-owned markets, coffee-roasters, ice creameries, cheesemakers, that turns a town from one who lacks to one who has a really good food culture?

That said, the pork chop was excellent. Kissed with a bit of char and smoke from the grill, it was done just under medium and was tender and juicy and omg, I need to foray back into making gremolata because that condiment elevated the pork, while the garlic puree added depth.

I'd strongly suggest that the pork chop come on a plate so it can be eaten in a civilized manner (seriously, unless you want to keep tidying your food up to the middle of the wood block lest you lose anything overboard, ask for it on a plate) and that the monkfish sauce get brighter and lighter.

It sounds like the kitchen is pretty inconsistent at this (early) point. I wish my pork chop would have come a touch under medium instead of the bit above medium I got, and there was no mistaking the healthy amount of dill in the monkfish sauce on our visit.

I couldn't help but laugh at the bit about the wooden block, as my wife and I went through the same contortions to eat the food without getting covered in what I'm sure was tasty pork jus.

The Scrippelle ‘Mbusse was certainly an interesting dish. While I enjoyed the first few bites and loved the texture of the crepe, I cannot see myself ordering this again. There was lemon zest and a smoky tasting pecorino hiding in the crepes that played well together, however when you also got a bite of the smoked ricotta the balance was lost and the dish tasted like an old ashtray smells.

Sthitch, have you tried the smoked ricotta crostini at Red Hen? It's certainly an aggressive flavor, and it may be a love it or hate it thing...

Made out to be by whom, in recent years?

Well, from most everyone who found out I was moving here. That has been DC's reputation, at least in NY. Articles like Furstenburg's add to that reputation, at the expense of the hard work of our local chefs and entrepreneurs.

What do you think DC has that elevates it over any other medium to large city?

Nothing. But then, I don't see article after article decrying Houston's or Portland's or wherever's terrible food scene.

My point isn't that DC is the world's top dining destination...it's that it isn't the cultural backwater it's been made out to be since forever. I was really, really dreading moving here 3 years ago because of all the negative things I'd heard about DC. I've been happy to find that by and large, most of those were wrong.

DC's Chinatown is a joke

Rockville is DC's real Chinatown, just like Flushing is NYC's real Chinatown.

...if a friend was coming in from out of town and asked you to take them somewhere that was uniquely DC, where would you go?

I honestly have to say I don't know what to make of a question like this. Where would I bring someone in NYC who asked the same question? No idea. An old school pizzeria like Di Fara? An old school steakhouse like Keens? A celebrated "special occasion" place like EMP or Daniel? A divey Japanese place in the East Village? One of the many amazing ethnic joints in Queens? A bagel shop? What exactly is New York's cultural identity? What is Chicago's? Houston's? St. Louis has a regional specialty of toasted ravioli and terrible thin crust pizza, so I guess they have DC beat.

I'm more interested in eating good food made by people who love to make good food, and DC has plenty of that.

But he has always been a contrarian and has made great contributions to the food culture of DC, and I suggest that this article was written to stimulate some debate and raise consciousness, so I will give him some credit even if there is a lot to argue with in his piece.

I'm not sure what to credit him with. This article was not written with intellectual curiosity, or in the spirit of debating the DC food culture. If a healthy debate ensues, it is in spite of viewpoints like Furstenburg's, not because of them.

This article is so incoherent in its criticism that it doesn't warrant a coherent response...but I'll waste 2 minutes on one anyway.

Let's start here:

"Great food cities are ones with a discernible tradition, ones that have good grocery stores and markets; many small stores run by people with single-minded devotion to food craft — to charcuterie, coffee, bread, cheese and ice cream — and relatively easy access to really good produce and other ingredients."

Just to make it tough, I'll stick to an area 1 square mile from my house in NE DC.

Charcuterie: Red Apron

Coffee: Peregrine, Sidamo, Vigilante (hopefully coming soon)

Bread: Lyon Bakery, Batter Bowl Bakery, Frenchies

Cheese: Righteous Cheese, Cowgirl Creamery (1.9 miles from my house...the horror!!!)

Ice Cream: Pitango Gelato, Dolcezza, Trickling Springs Creamery

Produce: Almaala Farms, Eastern Shore Organic, H St. Farmer's Market, Join a freaking CSA

As for a discernible tradition, I would offer that DC's seems to be journalists who ignorantly rant about the food scene of a city they clearly have no current knowledge of.

Great food cities have restaurants offering varied cuisines at varied price levels, neighborhood restaurants and special-occasion restaurants. They have chefs committed to their cities and focused on their restaurants, and — most important — a sophisticated and demanding clientele intolerant of bad service and bad food.

Again, let's stick to NE/SE DC:

Inexpensive: A Litteri, Mangialardo and Sons, Shawafel, Chupacabra, Neopol Smokery, Buffalo and Bergen, Red Apron, Taylor Gourmet, Taylor Charles Steak and Ice, Taste of Jamaica, Jam Duong Style, Little Ricky's, H & Pizza, Tortilla Cafe, Market Lunch

Neighborhood: Red Hen, Boundary Road, Le Grenier, Hanks on the Hill, Beuchert's Saloon, Belga Cafe, Granville Moore's, Menomale, Toki Underground, Tash, Montmartre, Ethiopic

Special Occasion: Atlas Room (could also fit in neighborhood). Head over the the dreaded NW, and you get The Source, Fiola, Corduroy, etc.

Look, I moved here after living in the East Village of NYC for almost 10 years. I love the food scene in that city, and in that neighborhood in particular. DC is not NY, and I would hate it if it tried to be. DC is DC, and the food scene here is something to be proud of.

We dined al fresco with the little dude a on Tuesday evening, and loved the place. Although there were a couple minor service issues, we were showered with attention from the managers, likely due to my son's habit of flirting with whoever smiles at him.

Another thumbs up for the tomatoes and stracciatella. We started with that and the scrippelle, which was amazing and unlike any other Italian dishes I've had. We didn't order any bread, but I'd like to try some on a return visit. I had the braciola and the wife the monkfish. The braciola was the clear winner, even if it was cooked just a hair too long for my tastes. The seasoning and crust were stellar, as was the gremolata and garlic puree. The monkfish was good...the addition of dill to the sauce elevated it a notch, although a few of the artichokes were quite woody. We ordered affogato and limoncello for dessert and were suprised that the affogato is really more of a chocolate brownie sundae, with no coffee to speak of. I mean, we ate every bit, but it wasn't what we expected.

Aside from the small service mishaps which will be worked out soon, it was a very enjoyable meal. Between this place, Red Hen, and Etto, we're on a great streak for Italian restaurants in the District.

Salad of arugula, artichoke, sundried tomato

Cacio e pepe

Grilled swordfish and cherry tomatoes marinated in mint oil

Wildaire Cellars 2010 Pinot Noir

We went with the boy around 6:30 on Wednesday. The staff was great and weren't phased at all by having a 9-month old in a high chair (we called ahead to make sure it wouldn't be a problem). Although we sat right down, the restaurant was full immediately after, and by the time we left an hour later, there was quite a waiting list. Looked like they were taking phone numbers and would call when your table was ready so as not to overcrowd the small bar area.

Drinks: The Negroni was good, but a bit syrupy for my tastes. I'd like to taste their vermouth on its own, but didn't see it on offer. My wife's "A Bitter Woman" was great...made with an Amaro I hadn't heard of, Campari, and grapefruit juice. We split a glass of Rose, which was described as "A Weird little Rose." Crisp, dry, refreshing...not so sure what makes it weird, but we liked it.

Food:

• Roman Artichoke: not much to add here...great.
• Asparagus, fava beans, and prosciutto: Fresh and light. Asparagus and favas were well-cooked and not the least bit soggy. I could eat a much larger plate of this for dinner most nights of the week this Summer.
• Roasted peppers and garlic, olives, and mackerel: This was on the regular menu. Made me wish for some bread to sop up the olive oil.
• Pizza with tomatoes, pine nuts, squash blossoms, and ricotta: The crust was great..good amount of chewiness and char. We avoided the soggy pizza mentioned above, so hopefully that was just an off night. Overall, the pie didn't have too much flavor aside from the pine nuts, and needed a good dash of salt to liven up the tomatoes. Next time I'll try the margherita.

All of the above were Elliott-approved...especially the pizza crust, and it's closer than heading to Pupatella or 2 Amys, so we'll definitely be back.

For those who haven't seen it, France is considering forcing restaurants using house-made food to say so on their menus.

NOOOOOO!!!!!

It's even better when it's all over menus in Germany: "Hausgemacht."

It's not so much the phrase that bugs me...more the things to which it is applied. If I'm eating at a restaurant of a certain caliber, I expect that most things I'm being served are "house-made," and pointing out to me that your chef made his own pickles or mayo really doesn't wow me.

"House-made."

Sure thing...I used this marinade for the pork, and grilled it whole, since the bavette is already pretty thin. It's really a great cut that I'll be using more often.

http://www.theravenouscouple.com/2009/05/bun-thit-nuong-vietnamese-grilled-pork-with-vermicelli.html

The salad was just mixed greens, cilantro, mint, avocado, tomato, shallot, pickled daikon and carrot, with nuoc cham poured over. I'm sure there's a recipe for that on the above website, and tons of ways to personalize the dressing.

The only thing I would change is that the baguette from Lyon is a bit too big for this sandwich, so I'd look for a thinner version.

Union Market Banh Mi last night:

Grilled pork bavette and country pate from Red Apron, pickled vegetables and cilantro on a baguette from Lyon.

"Summer roll" salad with nuoc cham dressing.

Tart apple shrub soda

I'll add to the chorus of glowing reports. The space looks great...love that they didn't cram too many tables in. It felt open and bustling, but not too loud for us to have a normal conversation.

We started off with a glass of the DC Brau-Red Hen collaboration saison, (which was great...aging in the wine barrels gave it a nice puckery dry finish), and a "Come Armageddon Come" (a very lemony and refreshing concoction). BTW, all the cocktails were named after Morrissey song lyrics, a huge plus in our book. To accompany our drinks, we started with the smoked ricotta crostini and the cured king salmon panzanella. There's not much more I can write about the crostini that hasn't been said already...fantastic. My wife likened it to creme fraiche and good smoked fish...without the fish. Surprising at first, but then instantly craveable. The panzanella was simple and well-done, with a sizable hunk of salmon atop small diced rye bread, pickled ramps, and cucumber. It's not often I've seen cured fish served like this...I'm used to the thinly sliced variety, but it was perfect in this dish. The ramps were not terribly assertive, and if the menu didn't list them, I wouldn't have guessed they were there.

Next up, a glass of each of the "Orange Wines," and the grilled octopus with frisee and crispy capers. We liked both wines, though I give the edge to the Italian over the Georgian...a bit smoother, rounder, more refined flavor that matched the acidity of the octopus dish well. The octopus was perfectly grilled, toothsome without being the least bit chewy. I loved the pairing with the crispy frisee and capers. The one oddity was the pesto mashed potatoes beneath the frisee. Great flavor, but a strange textural component to throw in with the rest of the dish.

For our mains, we shared the rigatoni with fennel sausage ragu and the grilled scallops over farro with guanciale and peas. I had a glass of the Primitivo, which at $9 was an awesome glass of wine. The pasta was perfect. Nothing to say other than I would happily order that again and again and again. It's nothing complicated, and I'm sure many of us could make something similar at home, but they really made sure each component was perfect. The scallops were nicely seared, and not overcooked. Overall, a great dish, but we did find that some bites were intensely salty while others were not...the only seasoning mishap of the night, but not a deal-breaker.

The hazelnut budino was fine...nothing to get excited about, but then, I never feel strongly about dessert unless it's terrible. We shared a couple amari (The Cardamaro, which was much lighter than any other amaro I've had, and the Nardini).

Overall a great, low-key affair that we will definitely repeat. I'm very jealous of Bloomingdale for scoring this place...would love to be able to walk there for a glass of wine and pasta 3-6 nights/week.

Yes, but ultimately so frustrating. Why would Englert settle for a nice bar with forgettable (at best) food when he could've really hit one out of the park with that space? Aim higher, people!

Last night:

Creamy garlic scape soup (I really need to write down what I did so I don't forget it...)

Grilled brined pork loin from Red Apron at Union Market. Perfect weeknight dinner thing...nothing needed other than slap it on some heat.

Mixed greens with Banyuls vinaigrette and Camembert.

Tonight:

RED HEN! In-laws in town to wrangle the boy, so we get a nice adults' night out.

Do they still have the counter with a couple dozen different varieties of hot sauce? There was a homemade red one I tried that was great...super hot, but with loads of smoky chili flavor as well. I've only been once, but have been meaning to stop back in for another gutbomb burrito. With a place like Chinitos in the area, I'm glad we don't have a Chipotle.