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eatruneat

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  1. eatruneat
    I met up with an old friend for dinner here on Thursday night. We ordered the salted pimento cheese and smoked carolina trout dip bings. Both were really delicious, especially trout with roe and furikake. We probably should have ordered a third one. Clam toast came out next was another hit. Lots of middleneck clams but not so much sausage. Pork and shrimp dumplings were good but not great, especially compared to the first three dishes we had. Finally, we got the smashed fingerling potatoes, which were a disappointment. They would have been better if we had ordered a meaty entree but since we hadn't, they were just there. I would like a do over on that one. Overall, an enjoyable meal with some really great dishes. Momofuku has much improved over my last meal there over a year ago and am glad the place has raised its game.
  2. eatruneat
    FWIW, my brothers live in Orange County and San Diego and are enthusiastic ramen eaters. They think Daikaya is the best ramen they have had and always request Daikaya when they are in town despite me giving them other options.
  3. eatruneat
    Had dinner here two weeks ago with @MichaelBDC to celebrate our five years of dating bliss. I was battling a stubborn cold, but had really been looking forward to TUG and insisted we keep our long awaited reservations. We started with two glasses of lambrusco and then had yellowfin tuna crudo, a spring salad over red grits, Einkorn Sourdough, salami cotto, and a tomahawk pork chop that was on special. Midway through the meal, I switched to a riesling while @MichaelBDC had a glass of red wine. The food was delicious despite my taste buds being a little off due to the aforementioned cold. Each dish was interesting in its own way, had good texture, and was well executed. Service was warm and friendly. Looking back, the overall impression we were left with at TUG was just how solid the experience was. Our only regret was not ordering the lamb ribs, which looked amazing coming out of the kitchen. Next time...
  4. eatruneat
    New Orleans was an amazing setting for a weekend of fun with my college friends. Unfortunately, flight delays on my end threw a wrench into the weekend, especially since a lot of sparkling wine (and not enough food) was consumed by all during the wait for my arrival in New Orleans. First dinner/meal was at Peche and unfortunately we were all experiencing -- to a certain extent -- a sugar crash from a morning/afternoon of drinking sparkling wine. While the food was very good, we didn't enjoy it as much as we could have since it seemed like we wanted something greasy and hearty rather than seafood. Breakfast the next morning was at our hotel restaurant, SoBu. We wanted something not too filling since we were off to massages right after, but none of us wanted a sugary pastry. My breakfast sandwich was fine as far as hotel meals go but the coffee was not good. After our massages, we grabbed lunch at Felix's where I devoured some oysters bienville and a shrimp and oyster po'boy. Not sure how the po'boys at Felix's compares to others but mine was enjoyable. Our second and last dinner in New Orleans was at Coquette and it was amazing. I had the rabbit pate, liver mousse, and rillettes followed by the fried porkchops. We had a great time and everyone loved their meal. Definitely the best meal of the weekend. Unfortunately, the weekend was a fail on the muffaletta front. I was especially bummed when I realized that Napolean is just a few blocks down the street from our hotel. There will be a next time, because the weekend was way too short and left too much to be desired.
  5. eatruneat
    The lawsuit alleges more than just gossiping about women's body parts and the naming of cocktails. I'm not a lawyer, but subjecting female employees to unwanted sexualized conversations, text messages, and an oversexed work environment is a good way to create a hostile work environment. Can you imagine a company deciding or thinking it is acceptable for the subject line of e-mails or the names of memos to be sex acts? Reminds me of a line I read earlier this week about the accusations about Michael Ferro, "There are some acts of misogyny and harassment that are just as much bout reminding women what they can and can't do than they are about sex."
  6. eatruneat
    I am going to add "get muffaletta for plane ride back to DC" on my list. T-15 days until a weekend of gluttony.
  7. eatruneat
    @MichaelBDC received a very generous gift card to Pineapple and Pearls for Christmas and we wanted to use it before prices went up. We were able to snag a reservation for the bar on the one Saturday in February they were open. In an attempt to contain costs (the gc did not cover the full amount), I did the wine pairing while Michael sipped on a glass of wine. The meal was nearly perfect and lived up to the hype (and price tag). A few pictures of the menu and most aesthetically pleasing, but not necessarily the best, dishes are below: The very good and creative chip & dip was a fun and flavor-filled way to start the evening. The abalone panda cotta with royal ossetia caviar was my absolute favorite dish of the evening. Beggar's Purse with Egg Yolk & Gold Leaf. Pasta was made with beets and the liquid underneath was parmesan broth. This was @MichaelBDC's favorite course. Cheese course. You could hardly tell. Incredibly rich. We had originally wanted to go for my birthday but Pineapple and Pearls wasn't open that evening so I made the reservation for a week later. We went out on my actual birthday anyway so this was a second celebration of sorts. We were so stuffed at this point, we ended up taking half the cake and the chocolates home with us.
  8. eatruneat
    It's not just bad, it's offensive. Reminds me of the quote we got for our wedding reception. $2,200 just for the alcohol. "Top shelf" liquor: Ketel One, Bombay Sapphire, Jack Daniels, Crown Royal, Hornitos, Baccardi, JW Red, Shellback Spiced Rum Wine: William Hill Chardonnay, Louis Martini Cabernet Beer: Ballast Point pale ale, Shcok Top, Stone IPA, Bud LIght Fortunately, we also have the option of providing our own alcohol. So despite the extra work, we'll probably go to Costco and pick up some liquor. We are also thinking of buying a few cases of wine from Napa/Sonoma and having them shipped down. Even if we end up not saving money buy going this route, at least we'll get what we want.
  9. eatruneat
    Thanks for this. Going to New Orleans at the end of March for my bachelorette weekend. Have dinner plans at Coquette and Peche. Will probably wing the day time meals. Any other suggestions on where to eat and drink and what to do do during the day other than eat and drink would be much appreciated.
  10. eatruneat
    Since getting engaged in August, @MichaelBDC and I have taken a bit of a dining out hiatus in order to fund a day of celebration with a side of legal maters. But we popped out of dining hibernation and into Corduroy for a little birthday celebration. Red snapper bisque, seared tuna on top of sushi rice, and pistachio bread pudding for me. I lucked out as the kitchen was out of salmon which is what is usually served with on the bar menu so had to settle for tuna instead. Despite this, I found a way to carry on. Loved every bite, especially the red snapper bisque, which I would be happy to eat every day. I also got a couple bites of @MichaelBDC's mushroom fettuccine, which I really enjoyed. Sprung for a bottle of Cristom Pinot Noir after champagne to start. Thirty six is going to be a good year. Happy to get it off to a tasty start at one of our favorite places.
  11. eatruneat
    Bummer
  12. eatruneat
    Washington City Paper reports Ed Scarpone has joined the Schlow restaurant group and is currently at the Riggsby, though he notes he will also be helping out with other projects.
  13. eatruneat
    Exciting news about the quality and tastiness of the chicken. Less than exciting news about the chicken + whiskey combo.
  14. eatruneat
    In lieu of drinks, my friend asked me if I wanted to join him and his wife for a class at Flywheel followed by dinner nearby. I regretted agreeing to that invite about 20 minutes into the Flywheel class but felt better about it after sitting down at Bantam King. We started with some cold sake, and my friends ordered beer while I had the cold watermelon drink on draft. The watermelon drink was very refreshing and I had to be careful not to drink it too quickly. We also enjoyed the hakushika tanuki sake that we ordered and ended up getting a second one. Feeling very hungry after the spin class, we ordered the chicken gyoza and fried chicken. Both were great. I especially enjoyed the fried chicken. Not too hot, but expertly fried. I ordered the shoyu chintan ramen with a spice bomb. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would, and specially liked the inclusion of corn as part of the toppings. The stock was light, but still very flavorful and the spice bomb added a great kick. My friend ordered and loved his spicy miso ramen and his wife ordered the special chicken chorizo cold ramen. She really liked it as well, but I did not get a taste. I hadn't been to Bantam King since they first opened and had liked it only so so but preferred Daikaya. After last night's visit, I would be more than happy to go to Bantam King over Daikaya depending on my mood.
  15. eatruneat
    @MichaelBDC and I went here with my aunt and cousin for their last meal during their D.C. visit. I told my cousin that if she goes to Georgetown, I can take her here for all of her milestones. We ordered several dishes to share and had a lovely bottle of wine from Washington State to enjoy throughout the dinner. The lobster French toast met the hype. Luckily for my cousin and me, my aunt doesn't eat seafood and @MichaelBDC is slightly allergic to shellfish. Pleasantly surprised by the amount of lobster meat on the plate. The saganaki (fried cheese, sweet pepper sauce, and fava beans) was good but probably our least favorite dish of the evening. I loved the ingredients, but he dish just didn't come together for me. Also, I found it odd that the fried cheese was served at room temperature (maybe just a little warm). The last appetizer was the heirloom tomato salad, which was amazing. Everything one would want from a good heirloom tomato salad, with the Ziebold touch. We should have gotten a second order. I tried to get the table to order the roast chicken but my aunt and cousin were not having it. Instead, the four of us split the braised lamb shoulder and the old bay rubbed ribeye for our entrees. As my aunt kept saying throughout the meal, "very good." I can't remember much about the dishes now, but I really liked both entrees and we cleaned the plates. Dessert was the chocolate sesame torte and the gooey butter cake. We also received a little portion of pecan brittle from the kitchen. Chocolate sesame torte was great without being too rich. Butter cake was nice and simple. I really liked the raspberry buttermilk ice cream that accompanied it. Another amazing time at Kinship. And since that chicken is still on my "to eat" list, I have another reason to head back.
  16. eatruneat
    A very lemony dinner for @MichaelBDC and me last night. Dusted off Ad Hoc at Home and made Thomas Keller's brined pork tenderloin. Skipped the preserved lemons for fresh ones. Sides were roasted potatoes with garlic, lemon, and oregano and sauteed green beans (with a squeeze of lemon juice).
  17. eatruneat
    Evergreen comment. It has probably been about two years since my last visit to Rasika and it'll probably be another two years until my next one. Just a mental note for the next time I end up there.
  18. eatruneat
    Went to dinner with my aunt and cousin for their second evening in DC last week. Ordered the palak chaat, makkai kofta, tandoori lamb chops, chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, and cucmber raita. Palak chaat was very good, but my aunt and cousin who eat Indian food regularly in California, did not think it was as revelatory as people here make it out to be. I ordered the makkai kofta to get a vegetable dish into the mix and while I liked it, my family thought it was just okay. After reading Don's review above, I wish I had ordered the eggplant chili garlic instead. Lamb chops were our favorite dish of the evening. Three meaty and well cooked chops. The chicken tikka masala was a request by my cousin and we all enjoyed the dish. However, it felt a little "safe" and I wish we had ordered something more adventurous. The garlic naan was great, we should have ordered more. Agree with Don that the raita was no better than a standard raita and none of the dishes we ordered were spicy enough to merit a dollop of raita. The meal was lovely and very good, but wish I had do-overs on the makkai kofta and chicken tikka masala. Guess I will have to order a bit more non-traditional the next time I am at Rasika.
  19. eatruneat
    Solid dinner here last week with my cousin and aunt who were in town for the cousin's college tours and @MichaelBDC. My cousin asked for something "hip" and my aunt wanted small plates. I steered them away from Momofuku and towards Compass Rose. We didn't have to wait for a table once we got there a little before 7pm and had a really fun time. Started off with a bottle of lambrusco for the adults. First dish to arrive was the poke. Fish was good, but there was way too much rice. Seemed like a rice topped with fish rather than poke. Steamed buns were excellent (aunt and cousin loved it) as was the pan con tomate. Lamb Kefta with freekah salad was my favorite dish of the evening. My aunt and cousin loved the steak that came with the asado, but were not interested in the sausage. Finished off with the Khapchouri which was as good as everyone has been saying. Now that it may be easier to get a table here, I will have to return and try more of the menu, especially the goat curry.
  20. eatruneat
    I second this. And if you are in the neighborhood, you could also mozy on over to La Jambe on 7th St. for a comparison.
  21. eatruneat
    @saxdrop lists nearly all the reasons why I go to Alta Strada. I would also add that it is a good, decently priced, neighborhood Italian restaurant. @MichaelBDC and I recently went with my aunt and uncle who were in town and didn't want anything "fancy." We split a few appetizers including the octopus and a summer salad. My uncle had the fedellini with baby clams, shallots, thyme, and toasted bread crumbs while my aunt, @MichaelBDC, and I split two pizzas (the Little Stevies and the Margherita). My aunt and uncle LOVED it and it was more than enough food as we had almost a whole pizza left over. Most often, @MichaelBDC and I find ourselves at Alta Strada due to lack of planning and desire to cook. We want to go somewhere convenient, where we won't have to wait too long (if at all), and we know the food will be solid. A week after our visit with my aunt and uncle, @MichaelBDC and I found ourselves in that situation on a Friday evening. Not wanting to stay out too late and wanting something simple, we went to Alta Strada for a few appetizers, the aforementioned fedellini, and a pizza. It's a good restaurant to have in the neighborhood, and probably the best casual option in the neighborhood, but not necessarily a destination Italian restaurant.
  22. eatruneat
    Last weekend: Vietnamese grilled pork (thit nuong) using this family recipe. @MichaelBDC and I went all out for this, special ordering pork from the farmers market, pickling carrots and daikon (putting the mandolin to good use), making nuoc cham, and whipping up some scallion oil. The extra effort was worth it. Sunday's dinner was the grilled pork served on top of some noodles with all the accompaniments. Leftover pork and pickled veggies were re purposed into a banh mi sandwich a few days later. Finally substituted rice for the vermicelli noodles for a homey weeknight meal. This weekend: Steak Ssam from Momofuku. A really easy recipe and great for summer.
  23. eatruneat
    Aunt, uncle, and their friend were in town from California so @MichaelBDC and I took them to Convivial for a fun -- dare I say, convivial -- last meal in DC. We hadn't been back in a while, and left wondering why we don't go more frequently. Started the night off right with a round of cocktails. I had a perfectly made Paloma to start while @MichaelBDC ordered the French75. The bar made virgin pina coladas for my aunt and uncle, which they really enjoyed. Their friend had a beer. For appetizers we shared the esgargot in a blanket, the pickled rockfish, and the leeks dijonnaise. All three were very good, but the pickled rockfish was my favorite of the bunch. I ordered the beef nicoise and chard ravioli for my entree and am glad I did. It was my favorite dish of the night and I savored every bite. @MichaelBDC enjoyed his fried chicken coq au vin, a dish he always looks forward to ordering when we go here. I had a bite of my aunt's braised lamb and parisian gnocchi, and thought it was good though I preferred my ravioli. We had a little bit of everything for dessert. All were wonderful. I was impressed by the floating island but especially enjoyed the key lime and speculoos pie and the hot sticky toffee pudding. I have more family coming in town throughout the month, and am thinking of taking them here as well. Don't want anyone to get jealous.
  24. eatruneat
    You can't really judge a place by it's Saturday brunch (something about the A team not working the brunch shift), but you can make a note to skip it at a certain place, which is exactly how I felt after a recent brunch here. Service was inattentive to haphazard. Six of us sat in an end booth, with our backs not against another booth. One person got served over her shoulder from behind without any warning except "move for your food." That was weird. Had to ask a few times for ketchup and even then only got a meager amount. I liked the food I had, a biscuit and egg in a basket. It was good and very instagram-able (which I did not do), but not satisfying in the brunch sense, if you now what I mean. $11 for each brunch entree is decent but I left a little hungry. I still think highly of the dinner I had here earlier (see above), so a bit disappointed with this brunch experience. Will stick to dinner going forward.
  25. eatruneat
    Has it really been 2+ years since the last post on Estadio? Eek! My most recent visit is probably a good indicator of why. @MichaelBDC and I went to dinner with some friends who were in town for a medical symposium a few weeks ago.It was good and we had a lovely time (those gin tonics will get to you!) but nothing was great. The best part of the meal was the cheese plate but good cheese plates can be had at several places around the city. Personally, I enjoyed the jamon wrapped fig with almonds and valdeon, and the montadito with anchovies. It is a fun place to meet up with friends, but no rush to go back.
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