dmrenaud

Looking forward to this change. In my initial review, it was precision that was lacking - in the execution of food preparation, not in my review! Maybe brunch this weekend.

Pork noodle soup was outstanding. We were impressed when we had the soup at Union Market, but this was clearly better. More layers of flavor, spicy but not overpowering. A meal all by itself. We also ordered the Cambodian Sandwich. Quite good, but the touch of sweetness was a bit much. When nothing on the drink menu jumped out, the bartender offered to create a cocktail based on flavors we liked. The result was a fantastic bourbon-based drink. Great food and solid service. We'll be back.

Joe's Seafood, Prime Steaks and Stone Crab offers an exceptional fried chicken. Although it's like going to Ruth's Chris and ordering salmon, the fried chicken at Joe's is the best I've had in DC.

I have been four or so times. We went yesterday for lunch, beer, and football. Truthfully, I was surprised how empty the place was. While that is not a good sign, I hoped it was due to the 4:00 start for the Washington football club. True to form, the beers were excellent, the bartenders knowledgeable (or at least more so than I), and the food so-so. I started with a small pour of lager and progressed to an IPA and then a black wheat IPA out of the cask. The beers were balanced and subtlety complimented by the hop or added essence. My wife had some peach beer that in any other place I would expect to taste fruity and too sweet. Bluejacket brewed with just enough fruit to capture the essence without masking or overpowering the structure and balance of the beer. It was a real beer, not a fruity mess. Overall, I have been consistently impressed by the beers in their varied and true-to-form style. They are generous with samples and offer small pours (starting at $2) for the undecided. As far as the food goes, order the tater tots and go have lunch somewhere else. The tots are simply exquisite. I've never had anything else there that impressed. Oh wait, the Cobb salad is good, but that's hardly food.

My wife, daughter, and I went a few weeks ago. We arrived early to ensure a seat at the bar. Still $50. It's $75 with wine pairing. Exceptional and probably the best deal in town. Three courses plus an amuse bouche. Four wines plus a splash of Champagne. The offerings included a choice of three appetizers, two entrees and two desserts. With three of us dining, we were able to sample each of the offerings. The sommelier asked about wine preferences and then masterfully paired based on our desire for amount of oak or fruit. Fabulous meal, exemplary wines, and elegant but casual service. How many more weeks do I have before they close?

Happy to join and make my first post about a new restaurant on H St, Driftwood. Looking forward to finding new exciting places to dine in th DC area. Cheers to all.

Last Wednesday I went with my wife and a friend to Driftwood. We live close by and were glad something replaced the disappointing TruOrleans. Hoping for a good local bistro, we ventured in. They bill them selves as American fare with a Middle Eastern influence. Not enough influence. I will caveat the review by stating that they had only been open for eight nights, so make of it what you will. We sat upstairs which provides a good view of H St and the heaters in the ceiling were enough to stave off the cold leaking in from a blustery evening in DC. We did wonder how comfortable that section will be in January. The decor is welcoming and rustic. The light fixture on the wall as you ascend the stairs is pretty interesting. More importantly, what about the food? The waiter described the plates as large enough to share but not small enough to be consider tapas. So right off the bat, they need to figure out whether this is a sharing place or a one-entree per person place. We ordered the charcuterie platter to start. It was a generous portion for about $7 and included pastrami, cured pork, and belly with some pickled garlic and spicy peppers. Overall, it was tasty, but lacked some accompanying mustards or even bread. It amounted to a bite of pastrami, which is a bit odd. Again, it was tasty. We opted for the tapas interpretation of the menu and ordered five dishes. The menu was a bit heavy on short ribs - and I like short ribs, but they were served with tagliatella as well as in an autumn stew. The meat was tender, but both dishes lacked the depth of flavor you would expect with braised meat. The sauces were a bit thin, somewhat greasy, and in need of seasoning. The macaroni and cheese with ham was tasty and the ham provided the much needed salt. Most in need of salt was the heirloom tomato salad. Tasty, ripe tomatoes, but they need to go across the street to DC Harvest to see how it should be done. The desserts were the star of the meal. We ordered the panna cota and a chocolate terrine. They both stole the show and provided the necessary incentive to return. Overall, a huge step up from the previous tenant and given that the restaurant was only eight days in, left us with the impression that we could deb back there much more often. We are looking forward to seeing them make the necessary adjustments to become a formidable competitor on H St.