reedm
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Posts posted by reedm
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Bump for some recommendations. I'm headed to Tel Aviv for a work trip next week. It will be my first trip to Israel. I imagine I will have couple of evenings free, so I would appreciate any/all recommendations. Thanks!
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More details on the manager position:
Ahso Restaurant, the critically acclaimed Modern American Bistro by chef Jason Maddens is searching for a General Manager.Ahso was opened in 2017 in the Brambleton Town Center, and quickly became the place to get the "DC" dining experience, without driving to the big City. Our menus change constantly and we source our ingredients as locally as possible. We put an emphasis on beverage pairings and we have an eclectic wine list with a focus on small producers.Ahso is owned and operated by Chef/Sommelier Jason Maddens and his wife Tiffany, with no further outside investors. Jason is a lifelong Loudoun County resident, having schooled and worked extensively with successful well known chefs including Michel Richard and Jonathan Krinn. In 2018 Jason earned his Certified Sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers.The General Manager will work directly with Chef Jason and the culinary team to continue to create a superb dining experience for our guests. We are about as "un-corporate" as it gets! Below are the boring details on the position, more for reference than anything else.General- Oversee and manage all areas of the restaurant and confer with owner to make final decisions on matters of importanceFinancial- Be constantly coming up with ways to increase sales and minimize costs, including food, beverage, supply, utility and labor costs and present these ideas to owner- Be proactive in implementing cost-saving systems- Monitor labor hours to ensure proper clock in-outs among hourly staff- Double check all beverage invoices for proper pricing and that check numbers have been addedFood Safety and Planning- Enforce sanitary practices for food handling, general cleanliness and maintenance of kitchen (w/help from Chef(s)) and dining areas- Ensure consistent high quality of food/bev preparation and service- Maintain professional restaurant image, including restaurant cleanliness, proper uniforms and appearance standards- Operate with mindfulness of Food & Beverage costs, i.e. know where things stand for the week/month and ensure ordering is appropriate- Manage restaurant reservation system (Tock), checking daily reservations and obtaining confirmations when necessary to ensure there are no surprises and all guest experiences are planned and prepared forGuest Service- Ensure positive guest service in all areas- Keep in close contact with all staff who come into contact with guests and monitor for complaints or anything less than positive- Respond to guest complaints and do what is needed (within reason…) to turn the issue into a positive outcome- Ensure all guests are welcomed upon entry and are bid farewell upon departure, whether by staff or selfOperational- Ensure that proper security measures are in place to protect employees, guests and company assets- Ensure a safe working environment and address anything that could cause an accident- If an accident does occur, fill out an accident report according to company guidelines- Menu management:- confirm menu with kitchen at least an hour before service start- update menus watching for typos, accurate spacing, etc.- print an appropriate number of menus (do not waste paper!)- check for birthdays/anniversaries/congrats—print special menus and inform kitchen of such- Manage shifts including:- staff arrival/departure at proper times- dining room is set up to standards- lighting- music- comfortable temperature- TVso Staff adhering to pre-set checklists regarding set up and breakdowno Staff checkouts are correct and cash is accounted foro Identify any complaint trends and address proper source, i.e. kitchen, bar, etc.Personnel- Provide direction to employees regarding operation and procedural issues- Create and maintain weekly schedule, adjusting based on actual business trends and unforeseen circumstances, i.e. events, weather, neighborhood happenings- Identify problematic employees and go through proper steps to discipline and rehabilitate or terminate (decision to terminate should always be discussed with owner)- Identify employment needs and take action to recruit new employees- Establish and maintain a training regimen for all new hires and monitor progress- Develop all employees by providing ongoing feedback, establishing performance expectations and by conducting performance reviewsCommunity Involvement- Provide strong presence in the local community and involvement by restaurant and personnel -
Ahso remains the best restaurant in the area, IMHO. (Phil has been back for a while, btw). Ahso emerged from the pandemic stronger than ever, and they adapted to the challenges amazingly well.
However, I'm posting this for another reason. If you know of a great restaurant manager looking for a position, Christian is moving on to a new opportunity. He will be sorely missed.
If you know of someone who may be interested, contact the chef and owner, Jason Maddens. jason@ahsoresto.com
BTW, Ahso is opening a wine store in the very near future--it's two doors down from the restaurant.
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Our friends sent us a box from Katz that included pastrami, corned beef, rye bread, mustard, kraut, pickles, bagels, and a huge summer sausage. Everything was delicious!
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On 9/17/2021 at 1:11 PM, genericeric said:
Visited EMP for the first time since the shift to plant-based food last evening. Service remains impeccable, with a few new faces and many of the pre-Covid team still holding down the fort. I have not seen this elsewhere so I'll post current menu details below. Wines are from the standard pairing ($175pp).
To provide some context, I'm not personally vegan, but I can be perfectly happy with a meal that does not feature meat and dairy. Overall I felt that the restaurant did a commendable job of preparing dishes that would not make a person miss the animal products... perhaps to a fault? There appeared to be a concerted effort to add salt and umami to dishes where one wouldn't expect, with the end result being a meal that was begging for some brightness. For example, I'm not sure how a course featuring cucumber and melon would feel heavy, but this one did. Ironically some of the naturally "meatier" courses were favored because they didn't overcompensate. To be fair, I had similar feedback after a recent experience to Longoven in Richmond, so perhaps my palate is more salt-averse than many. I also found it odd that the restaurant didn't highlight some plant-based extravagances given that duck, foie gras, and caviar are no longer served. For the price point, I would've appreciated a little shaved truffle here and there.
Criticisms aside, this was an interesting meal, albeit less enjoyable than previous menus. I don't regret going, but doubt I would again with the current format.
Menu from 9/16/21
Tomato tea with lemon verbena, yellow tomato dosa, salad with garlic and sancho (Bruno Dangin, Prestige de Narces, Cremant de Bourgogne, France 2018). This was one of the highlights - very simple but delicious.
Celtuce in variations with rice (Tatomer, Meeresboden, Gruner Veltliner, Santa Barbara County 2018) Featured celtuce (similar to celery) sliced longer than a matchstick served in a seaweed broth. Tasty, but difficult to eat with the utensils provided.
Tonburi with corn, ginger, crumpets (Girolamo Russo, Nerina, Etna Bianco, Sicily, 2019) Was the table favorite of the night and definitely intended to be the caviar replacement.
Cucumber with melon and smoked daikon (Royal Tokaji, Vineyard Selection, Tokaj Hungary, 2017) My wife adores cucumber but didn't adore this dish. Monotone in texture and flavor
Summer Squash with lemongrass and marinated tofu (Domane du Pelican, Ouille, Arboise, Jura France, 2019) The least successful course of the evening
Sweet Pepper with swiss chard (Ca'n Verdura, Supernova, Mantonegro, Binissalem-Mallorca, 2019) A play on a popper, a deep fried pepper that came with four condiments to try. Was fantastic, but difficult to eat. I'm going to search for this wine as soon as I'm done typing this - blockbuster.
Eggplant with tomato and coriander (Tronquoy-Lalande, Saint Estephe, Bordeaux France, 2008) This was beautifully presented and delicious but completely blew out the bordeaux. pictured below
Beet with horseradish and herbs (Alain Graillot, Crozes-Hermitage, 2015) Had gone through three days of preparation in several different styles - looked like a wrapped filet, tasted like... a beet (albeit a very good beet).
Melon smoked and fresh with yogurt.
Blueberry with elderflowers (G.D. Vajra, Moscato d'Asti, Piemonte 2020) More of a custard
Sesame chocolate pretzel. The bottle of brandy at the end has been replaced by vermouth served in little artsy glasses with a reference to the artist. The brandy was missed, as was the whimsy of some of the previous desserts (name that milk was a favorite)
Pete Wells just published his informative and somewhat humorous review. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/dining/eleven-madison-park-restaurant-review-plant-based.html
I assume you are not a professional food critic, but I spotted a few similarities between your observations and Pete's. 🙂 Well done!
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Quite the change. I wish the new owners great success.
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We tried to make a reservation for three at the sushi counter, only to find out they only offer seating for odd-numbered parties during their Saturday lunch service. Seems a bit odd, and we are not interested in the Saturday lunch option.
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Their Ashburn "snack bar" https://www.foursisterssnackbar.com/ is reliably quite good/excellent as well.
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Ahso remains our runaway favorite in the Ashburn area. In addition to their regular menu, they offer ramen on Mondays, Tacos on Tuesdays, and burgers on Wednesday (the Ahso burger, which is available every night, is a great choice). They remained very creative throughout the pandemic, and I believe they were able to retain all of their staff. Wonderful people.
While the regular menu is excellent, I think the microwine dinner, which consists of four courses and wine pairings, is a great value at $85. We have enjoyed the chef's counter a couple of times for special occasions, which consists of 6 courses + pairings for about $130.
There are a plethora of Indian spots in the area--Saffron and Rupa Vira top our lists.
@Genericeric's suggestions are quite good as well.
Which places let you down?
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22 minutes ago, Ericandblueboy said:
Saw someone recommend Nak Won on Facebook (Washington DC Foodies). Anyone been?
It has been a few years, but I have been to Nak Won a number of times. My daughter attended Fairfax HS, and one of her friend's mom owns Nak Won. (I do not have any Korean heritage, and I've never even been to Korea, but I enjoy many Korean dishes. Read: I am not an expert).
We enjoyed every visit to Nak Won, and it seemed to be a favorite with the local Korean community. They also operate(d) a catering business next door which seemed popular.
That's not much to go on, but I'd certainly recommend Nak Won.
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I was stationed in England for several years, and I can attest the chicken did indeed taste fishy. I was also told that was because the chickens were fed fish meal.
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3 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:
@Sthitch and I went to Nakazawa on Saturday. We sat at the sushi counter and each party is separated from the other parties by a pane of glass. The chefs and servers were double masked.
We did the classic for $150, with booze tasting ($90), some add on for sea urchins (Maine, CA and Japan), and a couple of glasses of champagne. With tax and tip, I think the bill came to $450 pp.
The service and food were fantastic. I'm just not sure I really buy into the pricing of high end sushi.
That place is certainly expensive. Two of my close friends have been there at least twice, and I think their tabs were in your ballpark.
What were your highlights?
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I'm very sorry for your loss.
My information is dated, so perhaps others will weigh in if the places I mention have taken a turn for the worse, but here are a few spots in Virginia.
Green Pig Bistro was my local go-to restaurant a few years ago.
Ambar for Eastern European cuisine.
Bangkok 54 for Thai.
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We finally managed a return visit, this time with four of our friends, and we had a fantastic evening. The food and drink were amazing, and despite the COVID protocols in place, the hospitality was wonderful again as well.
While all of the food was wonderful, we agreed the Bison tenderloin was a standout dish. Fork tender, with a delicious smokiness. We opted for the reserve wines, which were also wonderful. I'll leave it to the wine experts here to judge the selection, but I found the dessert wine pairing to be especially nice.
This time, we spent the night at Hopkins Ordinary, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The proprietors were as nice as could be. (What's in the water in Sperryville?)
I too believe Three Blacksmiths is one of the very best restaurants in the area.
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I gave up trying to find a local source, and bought a couple of cans on Amazon. Thanks for the suggestions!
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5 minutes ago, dcandohio said:
To my mom, aged 89, a resilient and resourceful woman who passed unexpectedly but peacefully in her sleep on Saturday. She recycled and re-purposed before it was cool, she was a voracious reader, a gifted seamstress, and she loved a dirty joke.
My mom and dad‘s liquor cabinet had become pretty depleted over the years as they got older and more sick, but there was a giant bottle of crown royal, some shitty sweet vermouth, and an ancient bottle of Peychaud bitters. I’m having a Manhattan in a New Orleans Saints glass that is probably 40 years old. Fly free, mom.
That's a beautiful tribute. Very sorry for your loss.
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1 hour ago, Pat said:
...sous vide in the Instant Pot...
I didn't know that was possible. How did you do it?
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Following a friend's champagne recommendation, I bought a bottle of Mailly Brut Reserve Grand Cru. (About $40 at Total Wine) For my tastes, it was one of the best champagnes I've ever tasted.
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3 hours ago, DonRocks said:
1. Unscrew.
2. DrinkFeeling faint....can barely type...
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My neighbor gave me a sizable jar of uncut moonshine. I'm interested to know if anyone here has any tips/recipes. I'm not into the apple pie types of flavors, if that narrows the options a bit.
Thanks and Happy New Year!
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19 hours ago, Pat said:
Looks great. What did you do about the peppercorns?
I ended up just doing without--added a splash of red wine vinegar for acid, then seasoned the sauce generously. The result was delicious--I'll probably do it this way next time i'm in the mood for beef wellington. I burned the first batch of puff pastry circles--the directions called for 20 minutes, which is far too long.
I highly recommend the potato gratin recipe--they were easy to make, but my were they tasty!
(Didn't make the sticky toffee pudding yet)
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Christmas Dinner:
"Deconstructed Beef Wellington" for my wife and I. Individual Portobello Mushroom Wellington for our (vegetarian) daughter.
Green beans with almonds
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Banana pancakes, bacon, and eggnog lattes.
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9 minutes ago, Pat said:
Would capers work?
I read capers could be a substitute in some dishes. Not sure if that would work for a sauce.
Dublin, Ireland
in The Intrepid Traveler
Posted
Heading to Dublin next month for a week-long golf trip, so I would appreciate restaurant recommendations. Open to all cuisines, and our primary limitation is that it must be able to accommodate 13 people.
Thanks in advance!