reedm
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Everything posted by reedm
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I'm not judging, but I'd think a car rental would be a last resort. Europe has a variety of public transportation options, and cars are not the necessity they are in most of the US. Having lived in the UK, Germany, Italy (Rome), and Belgium in the past, I will tell you having a car in a major city is more trouble than it is worth. Gas is expensive, and has many people have mentioned, there are extra fees and hazards associated with driving in European cities. (Big Ben, Parliament). Unfortunately, I haven't been to Italy in several years, so I can't offer any practical restaurant tips, but I look forward to living vicariously through others.
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Man, that seems a bit harsh. You make some good points about critics as well as relative value, but I thought I'd see you use your wealth of knowledge and comment about the price as it relates to other bouillabaisse you've had. I've not had the bouillabaisse, so I don't know the exact ingredients, or if it could be considered a reasonably priced dish. Given the chef's time at Le Bernardin, it might reflect the cost of the ingredients, since high quality fish and seafood are extremely expensive. I believe there is an entire lobster in the larger serving. For my budget, the cote de boeuf is very expensive as well, but check out the price for the same quantity and cut of dry-aged ribeye you'd have to cook yourself. http://fairwaypacking.com/shop/dry-aged-beef/28-day-dry-aged-usda-prime-bone-in-ribeye.html One can certainly eat at Requin without breaking the bank. I'm not disputing anyone's perspective, and I hope I don't appear to be snarky.
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A nickel on the grass for JSnake. I never met the young man, but it is apparent he left this world far too soon. RIP
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Washington, DC to Become Fourth U.S. City to Have a Michelin Guide (2016)
reedm replied to Keithstg's topic in News and Media
I'll be interested to see how the familiar restaurants fare with the Michelin reviewers. Don's reviews are commendably objective, as are those of the members. There's little doubt in my mind that the "name" critics in town are often recognized, and that invariably leads to the best experience possible. I'm not going to ID the restaurant, but I recently visited a restaurant that had been reviewed by the WP, and it was clear they knew the critic was coming. I realize the PR game is important, but it's often difficult know whether reviews offer more hype than substance. As another example, I suspect many members have read the female-themed brunch-oriented blog. I've found most of their reviews are hit or miss, but what really surprised me was the fact that they have restaurants as partners. (Including Central and the Grill Room, btw). How would anyone be able to look to that site for objective opinions? -
I was last there in 2012 (yikes). Not sure if these are near Queen Street, but it's all I have for now. Sidedoor Contemporary Cuisine was a good pick--just checked and it's still in business. Did not care for Fatboy's Southern Smokehouse at all. One consistent highlight in most of the places I visited was the charcuterie plates. I remember being impressed with the quality.
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The article is now on line: http://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/May-June-2016/Getting-to-Know-Don-Rockwell/ Although I've never been the subject of a magazine article, (and hopefully never will), I think it's a good piece. Of course, I don't personally know you, but I understand your comments about accuracy, or lack thereof, regarding some of the facts mentioned in the story. I'm a regular reader, and I think the piece presents a fairly good representation of your website. As mentioned upthread, perhaps the article will attract more contributors. Undoubtedly, more will be able to see your updated site. Finally, I'm very sorry about your chronic pain, and pray you find relief soon.
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A bit off topic, but does anyone have a favorite hotel in Savannah, GA?
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What a phenomenal food town. Looking forward to more great reports!
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Nice write-up. As a Fairfax resident, I hope they continue to do well. We could use a few more spots like this. "Requin Review: A Witty Chef's Smart Spins on Coastal French Cuisine" by Tom Sietsema on washingtonpost.com
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The cuisine, country, food, and everything else associated with the incident are irrelevant. Can you imagine eating at a restaurant in any country and declaring "this is the way they do it in the United States". That said, the employees were wrong, but I don't think they deserved to be fired. I like Carman's writing, but this entire episode was a bit ridiculous.
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My first stay at a Loews; hotel took place about a year ago in Chicago. The hotel was brand new, so it was working out some kinks, but I was impressed with by the level of hospitality evident throughout. It was enjoyable enough for me to consider Loews for a one-night stay in Philadelphia, and the relatively reasonable rate made it an easy decision. The hotel is centrally located, and a very short walk to Reading Terminal Market, and about 10 minutes from Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, etc. I selected an offer included valet parking and two cocktails. It wasn't a huge savings, but the allure of two free cocktails was too much to refuse. (Just slightly kidding) Once again, the level of hospitality was noticeable from arrival to departure. Everyone I encountered was pleasant and helpful--much better than average compared to the other higher-end chain hotels. Parking and check-in was easy. Our room was extremely clean and comfortable. It was a bit worn around the edges, but the bed was comfortable, the TV was large, and the water pressure and temperature were great in the bathroom. The room was not extremely noisy, but the doors would benefit from some sound-proofing. Some fellow guests in the hallway inadvertently let me know there had been a Justin Bieber concert earlier that evening. Back to the cocktails. We arrived fairly late, so we didn't try the restaurant or room service, but I did wander down to retrieve cocktails from Bank and Bourbon, the hotel's bar/restaurant. The cocktail list was above average, and as the name indicates, they offer a broad and deep selection of bourbon, whiskey, and scotch. Of note, they barrel age a number of spirits, and offer cocktails featuring the aged spirits. I sampled a barrel aged Hudson clear whiskey, and it was quite nice. I typically avoid hotel bars if possible, but I enjoyed Bank and Bourbon, and would return. We chose to eat at Reading Terminal Market for breakfast, but I did take advantage of the complimentary coffee in the lobby. My wife wanted tea, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that was complimentary as well. If I get back to Philadelphia, it would certainly be on my short list of places to stay.
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For a SF dinner, I'd take a look at April Bloomfield's spot, Tosca Cafe. Great food and drinks served in a location that has an interesting history. It's been more than a year since I visited, but I enjoyed the entire experience.
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Another year has passed, and it's time to celebrate another birthday at Fiola. I'm looking forward to seeing what the new prix fixe format offers, and while the "Decadence" 5-course option is enticing, I'll probably choose one of the options with fewer courses. Has anyone been recently?
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Despite finding some utility in Yelp, particularly for trips to places I'm not familiar with, I've lost confidence in their review system. Their "software driven" system hides legitimate reviews, but keeps many that are obviously phony. Thank goodness for this resource!
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I'm by no means defending any of the staff's alleged behavior, but take a look at this seemingly related yelp review. I sense a hidden agenda, trolling, or some combination...
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1000 commenters in the WP so far. Even if 90% are probably trolls, that's a relatively high response rate.
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Forgot to write about a pre-game visit last week. I'm blaming it on the crappy weather/Nats loss to the Phillies. In short, this is a fine place to enjoy some high-quality craft beer and better-than-average bar food before a game. We arrived a couple of hours before the first pitch, and snagged a couple of seats at the bar. Initially, the service was relaxed, and there were quite a few seats, but as game time approached, the place filled up rapidly, and the service was more akin to something you'd experience during happy hour at a college bar. That said, you'd be hard pressed to find a wider selection of excellent beers, and the surroundings, replete with brewing contraptions, are impressive. Beers are offered as tasters or full pours. Prices are reasonable for DC, particularly when you realize you can have a tasty craft beer for a maximum of $7 instead of a $10 (!) can of some crappy AB product at the game. We ordered buffalo wings (excellent), pickle board (unique and also excellent), and brussels sprouts (excellent). Unlike many of the other NRG spots, Bluejacket does not offer charcuterie. Again, the food is fairly priced, and a bargain compared to most of the pre-made and overpriced offerings inside the gates. Highly recommended.
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Thanks for all of the recommendations. It's turning into "one lunch in Philly", which might be a challenge since it is Mother's Day.
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Short notice trip to the area this weekend. Spending just one night downtown (Loews). I've never been to Philadelphia, so I'd appreciate a couple of suggestions somewhat close to the hotel. (Midtown?) No real restrictions, but my wife is not as enthusiastic as I am about seafood, and casual attire is preferred.
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It's been 6 months since my last post about Blue Ocean, but I still venture there every week or two to get my sushi fix. Since my wife is not a huge fan of sushi, I'll dine there solo if she works in the evening. As a result, I'll sit at the sushi bar, and if circumstances permit, I'll chat with the sushi chefs. While they don't offer omakase as a menu option, I've learned they will gladly offer a few of their choice offerings to me now and again when I order the "Chef's Special". By the way, it's a bargain--$25.95 for 10 pieces of nigiri, a hand roll, and another basic sushi roll, miso soup, and salad. (The soup is quite good, but the salad is uninspiring) I'd previously learned one of the chefs (Nigita) played baseball professionally in Japan, so we talk about the Nationals now and again. From previous conversations, I knew Nigita is friends with Chef Seki, and that they grew up in the same prefecture. Tonight, I learned they met in St Louis several years ago when Nigita was a baseball reporter covering a Japanese player who was with the Cardinals. (As some may know, Seki had a restaurant in St Louis for many years). Nigita also told me he worked for 5 years at Sushi Taro, and that the owner was also from the same prefecture. Very small world.
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It's a bit of a drive, but I love what Bavette's does in Chicago. You're allowed to bring in one bottle per person, and there is no corkage fee as long as you share a glass with a neighboring table. We witnessed this while we were there several months ago, and I was the lucky recipient of a glass of wine from a neighboring table. Unfortunately, they didn't bring a rare bordeaux or cabernet. I believe it was an unremarkable bottle you can find in a supermarket. Still, a novel concept.
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Ono Seafood on Kapahulu Ave. It's a hole-in-the wall serving incredible Poke.
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If you're looking for a rare opportunity to buy All-Clad at a 20% discount, today (30 April) is their event supporting https://www.nokidhungry.org/. Donate $25 and receive 20% off everything in the store, without exclusion. As I mentioned in the Events forum, Bryan Voltaggio is appearing at the Tysons Galleria store from 12-2 in support of this event. (My wife works for WS, and I'm mentioning this only to support the event)
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I somehow failed to mention the most important reason behind Voltaggio's visit. He, and Williams-Sonoma, support No Kid Hungry, a national campaign to end childhood hunger in America. As part of the fundraising effort, you can donate $25 and receive %20 off throughout the store, with no exclusions.
