Josh

While we wait for our moving truck to arrive, we are staying with family in Memorial, in the Western part of Houston. The whole family, 2 small kids in tow, had dinner at Izaykaya Wa on Memorial Dr. last night. I luckily called ahead and made a reservation, as it was packed to the gills with a boisterous group of drinkers/noshers when we arrived. This is a true Izakaya, being a great place to throw down a few beers and munch on yakitori and kushiage. It reminded Cristina and I of our old NYC haunt, Village Yokocho. We shared a number of things, mainly standards (edamame, vegetable tempura, takoyaki, seaweed salad). All were done well, especially the takoyaki, which were thankfully not drowning in Kewpie mayo. The chirashi and special rolls we shared were fine for a place that is not focussed on sushi. Chicken skin and chicken thigh skewers were nicely grilled, the skin deliciously crispy and salty. A whole grilled squid served alongside grilled slices of jalapeño (we are in TX after all) was mildly flavored and a bit too chewy...the only real miss of the night. Everything was washed down with several rounds of Asahi and Sapporo, and thankfully the exuberance of our fellow diners drowned out any squeals of protestation from our smaller dining companions.

Samurai Noodle, on Durham in the Heights opened in 2015 as the 1st Houston location of a small Seattle, Washington chain of ramen joints. I stopped in for lunch yesterday, and was surprised to find a nearly full restaurant. Given the heat/humidity, a steaming bowl of tonkotsu didn't really grab me, but Samurai offers 3 tsukemen options: a cold fish-based broth (described as "sweet"), a "peppery" chicken broth, and a spicy version of the chicken. I went with the basic peppery chicken broth ("Tetsu-max"), with "firm" noodles (you can specify the chewiness of your noodles, from soft to extra-firm). The house-made noodles were indeed firm, and I would not recommend venturing below this level, if you aren't into mushy noodles. The broth was strong and salty, as it should be, augmented with shredded pork, bamboo, and bits of nori. Condiments on the table included pickled ginger and chili sauce if you cared to dress up your bowl further. The portion of noodles was reasonable for lunch, though I imagine if I were here for dinner, I might ask for an extra serving, or maybe order some gyoza or karaage to start. There were a couple families with small children, and they have high chairs available if you need that sort of thing.

Great lunch today at Nam Eatery in the Heights. This is a clean (both in terms of sanitation and in decor), brightly lit joint with an unfortunate "umsa-umsa" dance music soundtrack playing. We had just finished a school tour with the 3-year old, and despite the hot & humid weather, he opted for the child's-sized pho with meatballs and a homemade passion fruit limeade. The pho was a great size (I would love to be able to order that size so I could sample other dishes), and comes out bare, ready to be dressed at the "pho vegetables" station up front (complete with hoisin and a few different chili and sauce options). I'd give the broth a 7/10. Light and clear, but with a reasonable depth of flavor. I look forward to comparing and contrasting with other places around town. The limeade was delicious, and I'll have to dig deeper into the long list of fruit teas and smoothies they offer. My banh mi with house paté and 2 over easy fried eggs was great, made even better with a schmear of smoky chili paste taken from the sauce selection. The baguette was appropriately light and crispy. I originally ordered the "combination," with steamed pork roll and cold cuts, but they no longer serve it because "no one ever ordered it." For shame, Houstonians. For shame. Cristina's "shaking tofu" vermicelli bowl was fantastic, with nicely fried cubes of tofu, sautéed onion and halved garlic cloves, along with the typical vegetable accompaniments. The fish sauce accompaniment was delicious, though a little less acidic than I'm used to. Not a complaint, just an observation. A shared shrimp "spring roll" was a fresh, herb-packed roll I've more often seen called a "summer roll," served with the standard peanut sauce for dipping. Nothing life-changing here, but a fine rendition. Given its proximity to our new house, Nam will assuredly be in the rotation, and I look forward to further exploring the menu. (Also, bring back the combination banh mi! I'll order it.)

We move to Houston on Friday, and sadly had our final meal at our neighborhood standby last night. I am glad to say that we leave on a high note, with what may be one of the top meals I've had at BR. The menu has definitely gone through some changes, and there are some very exciting looking dishes to be had. I started with the Cured Cobia, thinly sliced, and topped with a pistachio and caper relish and a dusting of finely grated bottarga. This was an excellent starter - light, refreshing, but with enough backbone to it that it feels substantial. My main course of Grilled Wild Alaskan King Salmon was a hit as well. Cooked to medium, as recommended by the waiter (I normally like my salmon med-rare, and would ask for that next time), it was moist, with a nicely charred skin from time on the grill. It came served on a salad of chickpeas, broccoli, and fiddleheads in a mild yogurt sauce and grilled garlic scapes on the side. I'm a sucker for fiddleheads and scapes (add ramps in there, and you have the perfect Spring trifecta), and this dish hit all the right notes. I accompanied this with a sparkling blaufränkisch rosé, with just the right amount of tartness and slight spice to compliment both dishes. I will really miss having BR in my backyard. If you haven't been in a while, go. It's worth a drive to check out what Luke and Mary Kate are doing these days.

Did you like the flavor, or did its conceptual impurity prevent any enjoyment at all?

Fiona at District Fishwife often has fresh local Blue Catfish for a reasonable price. I love it and it fries up nicely.

Count me as another who loves this restaurant but did not rank the chicken in my top 10 favorite dishes there. I think precisely because coq a vin is a "finesse" dish, as you say, it doesn't translate to the blunter instrument of fried chicken. It is definitely not a bad dish, or even a mediocre one, but with the strength of that menu it's odd that that has been deemed the standard bearer. It may just promise too much, as I recently ate at Au Cheval in Chicago and had a riff on General Tso's that shared many similarities to the Convivial dish, but had big hit-you-in-the-face flavors and heat that matched boldness of crunchy fried chicken.

Do what I do: mute the TV and listen to the radio broadcast. Definitely better.

Ugh...I've had exactly 2 late nights there, indulging in cigars and an ill-advised amount of whiskey. Both ended with me being banished to the couch due to the lingering ambiance of my indulgences.

Thanks to Don's timely thread bump, I headed here for my last lunch in Laurel. The A/c was out in the restaurant, so I enjoyed my goat wet fry al fresco. The bone-in goat was nicely cooked, though with a good amount of fat/gristle to contend with in addition to the bones. This is a pretty oily dish, as the grilled meat is sautéed with onions and tomatoes, but not distastefully so. As nelumbo mentioned, you get a choice of sides, 2 of which involve rice, and I think that might not be the greatest option given the pool of oil here. I had the chapati (a rich, buttery flatbread) and collard greens. The preparation of the greens was unexpected and welcome. They were finely shredded, and very lightly cooked, such that they were still quite crunchy, providing a great textual contrast to the rest of the plate. I would've love to have accompanied all this with an ice cold Tusker, but the workday didn't permit it. Shame I won't be able to go back to try again. I would recommend stopping by if you're in the area and looking for something different.

This writeup is long overdue...thanks to Bart for nudging me to get it done. My wife and I spent our 11th anniversary in the very capable hands of Chef Ziebold and Celia's team earlier this month. The short version is this: We had a fantastic and luxurious evening from start to finish. Metier is truly a spectacular fine-dining experience. Congratulations are definitely in order to the Ziebolds for opening a place of this caliber in DC. We were escorted to the lower level via a small elevator just behind the host stand of Kinship, arriving to a warm, softly lit salon with a fireplace. Celia met us here, made sure we were comfortable, and brought flutes of champagne to enjoy as we were presented with a trio of amuse-bouches (falafel, lobster eclair, artichoke tea). The lobster eclair was essentially a Maine style lobster roll, with the eclair pastry standing in for the buttered roll. Excellent. The artichoke tea was delicately flavored and poured from a teapot. I know there was a garnish already in the tiny teacup, I think described as some sort of granita, but this far from the meal, the detail escapes me. We were brought into the main dining room, an intimate space with fewer than 10 tables, and a large picture window revealing the kitchen. Notably, the window is actually a window, with a pane of glass, so you have the opportunity to view the kitchen, but not the distraction of hearing the bustle and clinking of pans and plates. We were given he option of perusing the menu to know what was coming, or just going with the flow and being surprised at each course and we opted for the latter. We chose to go all in and got the higher level of the two wine pairings. Our champagne cocktail (made with Remy XO, of course) accompanied our first course of Butter Braised La Ratte Potato with Ossetra caviar, creme fraiche, and topped shavings of katsuoboshi. My god. As chef later explained, this was his take on a "loaded baked potato." Apparently the caviar was Celia's idea, and I'm glad he listened to her. Next was a whimsically presented dish (Morel and King Trumpet Mushroom Salad) of mushroom fritters, morel mushrooms, shaved Darden ham, and juniper meringues made to look like white mushrooms, all served on a halved log. Each component here stood well on its own, but the combo of the rich, salty ham and sharp, but still earthy pickled mushrooms killed me. The perfectly cooked Poached Alaskan Halibut balanced sweetness from an Indonesian-style curry, and coconut rice, with the maritime funk of uni. I was sorely tempted to lick the bowl clean, but maintained some dignity by using my bread to scrub every last bit of sauce. The Palette of Kuroge Beef was 4 thin slices of astonishingly marbled beef served raw on a dish meant to mimic a painter's palate, with dollops of 4 different accompaniments: spring garlic tapenade, shiso chimichurri, horseradish mousse, and smoked beef butter (YES), all topped with freshly grated Bolivian pink salt. I could have lingered all night on this dish. The beef alone was perfection. There were no losers among the sauces, but that beef butter will haunt me. At this point in the pairing, we had a choice between a white Burgundy from Meursault, and a Californian pinot noir from the Santa Rita Hills (Wenzlau, 2012). We split it up, obviously, and both were delicious pairings, though my preference is for the pinot, which had less fruit and more earthiness than I expected (a good thing). Agneau Au Foin is a portion of lamb loin cooked in a bed of highly curated hay from around the region. The hay ups the ante on the...lambiness of the lamb (sorry, running out of descriptors here), and is brought back from the barnyard and into the realm of the luxurious with a bit of mild goat cheese, and a wine sauce with minced green olives, tomatoes, and roasted red peppers. There were two dessert courses (Tea and Shortcakes and Frozen S'more) which were great, but not being a huge sweets person, my descriptions wouldn't be very exciting. What was exciting was the delicious Madeira that closed the meal (Blandy's 1988 Malmsey). As one would expect from a restaurant of this caliber, service was impeccable but friendly. This is truly a star of a restaurant, not just in DC, but nationwide. In the Pineapple and Pearls thread, there was some lighthearted talk of comparing the two. They are both fantastic, but ultimately are aiming for completely different targets. Yes, both are "special occasion" "fine dining" restaurants, but the similarities end there. There is room in DC for both approaches, and we were lucky to have the chance to experience both before we make the long move down to Houston.

I'm really going to miss their brunch sandwich ("The Good Doctor"). In my pre-kids life, it helped soothe many a hangover. And while they are certainly not a place geared to handle kids (no high chairs), we've stopped in at off times (either early on a weekday, or on the early side for brunch) with ours and they've handled it very well. Thinking back, this was actually the first restaurant I ate at in DC. Back in 2008 when I was in town to interview for my current position, I stayed with a friend near Lincoln Park, and he took me here. Coming from Manhattan, this place seemed so cool and completely at odds with my perception of DC restaurants at the time. I remember making a comment about how H St. looked a bit "bombed out." Little did I know I would live nearby a couple years later.

I think the yelper is just a troll unrelated to the story. The "review" was written the day the Carman article came out and mentions only details that were in the article. This person has also posted 1-star reviews for other restaurants that are just copy/pasted news reports about health code violations, and bad reviews about places outside of CA that seem to have either been in news stories for bad behavior or drawn the ire of other yelpers. Clearly I have a presentation to write for this weekend and am in dire need of better ways to procrastinate.

This response is ill-advised, and I should have been in bed a while ago... But to suppose that Simul has no idea how the "real world" works is ridiculous. No, I suspect he knows quite a bit about how people behave at their lowest and most vulnerable. Given what we know regarding this situation, the patrons were annoying, to be sure. Abusive? No, I don't think so. An environment where staff feel free to openly mock patrons *in writing* and have done so (and apparently been warned against it) previously is not a healthy one. That they were caught is their own fault, and not Carman's.

I await your review on pins and needles. I have been so curious, but couldn't take the plunge. You are a brave, brave man.

Chicken shawarma (from here). I made the yogurt/tahini sauce from here, and loved it. It will definitely be the new standard accompaniment to the chicken. Cauliflower & chickpea salad w/ dill, parsley, & capers. The shawarma has become a regular in our rotation. Adults love it, 3 year olds love it, and now we know that 10 month olds do too. Super easy, and delicious, even with a short 1-2 hr marinating time.

We were in Fredericksburg this past weekend for the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon, and had the chance to stop in at Bistro Bethem the night before. I know next to nothing about what the rest of the dining scene in the town is like, but if you find yourself down that way, you won't be disappointed at Bethem. The service was pleasant, and very child-friendly (crayons and a cup with a lid were promptly brought without asking). My son's gnocchi with 3-cheese Mornay disappeared quickly, and without the chance for me to snag a taste. My wife and I started with grilled asparagus with VA ham and a sunny side up egg, and the cheese board with Cambozola, roasted garlic, and pickles. Both were fine, though I wish there was an option for charcuterie with the cheese board. It was served with Dijon and pickled red onions, which really screamed out for some sort of pork product to go with them. I had the special, pan-fried soft shell crabs over grits, with a tomato salsa, and Old Bay aioli. The crabs were cooked nicely, but there was way, way too much aioli...like 10 times too much. The rest of the dish was great, but someone needs a lighter hand with the squeeze bottle. My wife had the "pyramid pasta" from the menu, small ravioli-type parcels filled with a ground chicken mixture, topped with a "radish chimichurri" and guajillo sauce. I found the combination of flavors in this pasta very odd, and would not strongly recommend it. The chicken filling had a bit of sweetness to it, and there needed to be a good bit more acid in the chimichurri to sharpen the flavors. The guajillo sauce was pretty much a non-factor as far as my tastebuds could tell. Not a hit, but not terrible. Some folks next to us had the mussels, which looked (and smelled) great. We skipped dessert to let the boy get an ice cream cone at Wally's down the street a bit, so I can't comment on their options.

I agree with the general idea that they need to hone their reservation system. I missed their call yesterday asking me to confirm my reservation, and the message requested that I call back to confirm. When I called today, I sat through the dreaded recorded message waiting to hear which button to push for reservations (it's 1, but annoyingly that information is given after all the other options are listed). I was then connected with a pleasant lady who informed me I did not have a reservation for tomorrow. After a little while of hearing keyboard tapping, and a brief hold, she came back to say, "Oh, you didn't say it was for Metier. I was looking at Kinship." (The first thing I said when I called was that I was calling to confirm for Metier for tomorrow evening.) An interaction that gives me echoes of dealing with United Airlines is not really the best way to start a very expensive fine-dining meal. That said, I'm incredibly excited to go tomorrow, and celebrate my last fine-dining meal in DC with my food from my favorite chef in DC (and maybe anywhere, for that matter).

I used to be a big fan of Talenti. When they first came on the scene, most (if not all) of the varieties they sold had very few ingredients, and ones that clearly made sense given the flavor of ice cream. Lately, the ingredients list is growing, and I recently had their Key Lime Pie flavor and was amazed to find there was no "lime" listed among the ingredients.

The bar was sparsely occupied when we arrived at 6:45 tonight, and open seats were there for the taking until well after 8:30. I'm not going to give a long review other than to say that the roast chicken is the truth. It is real, and it is spectacular. Pair it with the 2005 Calabretta and you're doing well.

Tim *Carman* Yes, it sounds as though this guy may have not been the meekest customer out there, but for Christ's sake, make fun of your customers in ways that don't leave a paper trail! As Simul said, in my business (and I suspect most others), these employees would have been fired on the spot with no second thought.

Looks like chef Chang has a training problem. After my experience, I vowed never to go back, and I'm guessing the guys in this story probably won't be either. The amazing part is that the manager admits these same servers have done this before, and he's warned them! And yet he still hasn't decided whether to fire them.

I don't know that that's a fair reading of this list. After a quick once over, I counted ~20 "Western" (as in European or American) restaurants on the list. Is that too few? (Not a rhetorical question. I'm curious as to what folks think would be appropriate.)

I was at Camden Yards last weekend...Beer is cheaper there, and I was a few in, but the Old Bay sausage filled me up and wasn't offensive.

I tried the standard Dead Rise out of curiousity, and was surprised that it actually worked. I'd be interested in trying this one too. Where have you seen it on tap?