jpbloom

Well, yes and no. If you have pavilion seats, you can bring your own food and drink. You just have to consume it on the lawn or in the picnic areas before you enter the pavilion (which is what we do if it's not raining).

He was there when I was last at the restaurant, about a month ago. All three were which, when I commented on the small space, led him to say "it's a good thing we all get along really well." I don't think the plan was ever for him to be in the kitchen every night, but I could be wrong. Particularly since they are now open for lunch, I would expect there to be some type of rotation.

For sure. Big portions, a mass appeal menu, the appearance that this is wholesome American food - FF will do just fine. I'm betting it will do great in Reston. I've only eaten at FF once, downtown a year or two ago. Based on that experience, this is a spot on review. I have no desire to give it a second shot.

That's the one. Easy subway ride from Farragut West and a quick walk from the Rosslyn Metro station. If I'm not mistaken, it was owned by the same folks as Matuba on Columbia Pike (which is probably the same people as Matuba Bethesda, but I'm not certain of that). Tables laid out in an off center T shape. It actually closed when they took the building down for redevelopment. The lunch crowd dropped off near the end because they were the only tenant left for a while and it got a bit depressing, and the sushi became less appealing, probably as a result of the smaller crowd. In its heyday, though, it made for a very enjoyable and convivial break in the work day.

Boy, this is a blast from the past. A group of us would go to Appetizer Plus pretty much once a week for several years (the group would range from 4 to 12 people). They would put together plates of hand rolls for us as soon as we walked in. Worth the subway ride from Farragut West. Great place that we still miss. Now working in Rockville, the best we've been able to find is Hinode. Good selection and decent turnover to keep things fresh, but the pieces on the buffet are quite small, particularly relative to what you get when ordering off the menu. Near home, I like Todai but my wife is not a big fan, so we don't go there often. --- Auld Lang Cuisine (DonRocks)

We've had bouillabaisse in various places in the South of France, some very expensive, some not as much. Some excellent, some okay, some not so much. Pretty much like in the US. We'll be in Cannes in a few weeks and we had Tetou recommended - allegedly the best bouillabaise anywhere. I was intrigued until I saw it was 160 euros per person with langoustine, cash only - no credit cards. Requin is a bargain in comparison. My wife and I went to Requin a couple of weeks ago. We skipped the bouillabaise but had a "reasonably" priced meal (relative to upscale restaurants in the area) made up of a bunch of small plates. It was good enough to make us want to go back, but not good enough to make it a rush. While we'll probably try the fish or chicken "for the table" next time, I see no reason to spring for the bouillabaise.

You should have said hello! My wife and I were also there Friday night, celebrating my 60th birthday (arrgghhh!). Your review is spot on and matches our experience in several ways (except we stayed in the main building and had no problems with the bill). We've been to the Inn numerous times in the past 30 or so years. For a while it was near dining perfection (I remember a waitress joking as she adjusted a fork she hadn't placed exactly right, "break a rule, break a finger"). It then had a steep decline around the time of the divorce and we stopped going for a while. It had picked up on more recent visits, but still was not performing up to past standards. We thought the food this time was excellent. I had the Menu of the Moment and my wife had the Classics. For me, the seabass was one of those wow moments you want in a restaurant like this. Unlike Cooter and Eddiebosox, my wife thought the lamb had that same wow factor. We had similar questions about the amount of the brioche toast and a couple of other minor things like that (I'm blanking on specifics now), though, that detracted slightly from the meal. We didn't do the wine pairings - I have never been to a restaurant at which they are a good or even reasonable value - see Lettie Teague's article in the WSJ a week or two back. We brought a bottle from our cellar (a '90 Lafite, if anyone cares) and bought a bottle of Champagne off the list. The Champagne was just over 3x retail, but they knock off the $35 corkage if you buy one of theirs. The Champagne took way too long to arrive and it was the wrong bottle when it did. We put off eating the first amuse until we got the wine and had to send back the second until we were ready. Our waiter, kind of clueless in general, offered to slow down the pacing of the meal and didn't understand the issue even though we had mentioned it to the person who brought the second amuse (who must have spoken to him). Once we explained it, pacing was fine, although the meal took so long I was very glad I didn't have to drive home that night. While the glasses were generally kept filled, we had to fill ourselves on a few occasions and they didn't seem to understand why we were switching between the two periodically (pairings were not necessarily best just going white first then red). We also did not get truffled popcorn but that was minor. I honestly didn't look at the menus they gave us, so now I have to go home and check to see if I have the right one. Bottom line, the Inn is still very good but not totally up to the level to which it strives. We go to enough restaurants at that price/status level to have a frame of reference for comparison, and it is definitely better than some (I'm looking at you, Taillevent) but well below others. It's unfair to compare it to Komi (my current favorite), because it's a different type of experience, but CityZen had it beat at the same game. Will we be back? Probably, but it's not a rush.

That was some really tasty lamb Friday night, every course a winner. Sadly the only chance I had to do one of these dinners, but you're missing out if you don't go.

This confirms that I'm traveling way too much. I'll only be in town one of the five Fridays. Otherwise I'd probably be there for each of these. By the way, how does one do a "whole animal" seafood dinner?

That is hardly a "prime location" these days. Look at all of the empty space up and down 19th Street, Vidalia closing for lunch, various restaurant closings or non-openings, etc. Everything has moved east. That's the cyclical nature of DC real estate. When I started working downtown 35 years ago, Farragut Square was the relatively new downtown, with the Hecht's at 7th and F dying and Lansburgh's and Kann's recently gone. Woodie's at Metro Center and Garfinkel's were still alive but not for much longer.

On DrXmus's recommendation, my wife and I stopped in to ABC Canteen for lunch today. Our experience was consistent with what others have posted, including talking to the owner about the tortillas and tamales (and this board). We each went for the three taco combination, each getting the fish and carnitas. Both very good, the pork tender and flavorful and the fish really nicely fried (although like noted above I wouldn't have minded some cabbage on it). I really enjoyed my chorizo taco, with good spice even without any toppings. My wife enjoyed the barbacoa taco but found it a little stringy. The tortillas were very good on all, light but strong enough to hold all of the fillings, even when moistened with sauce. We're not really fans of hush puppies but had to get an order, based on the buzz here. They were very tasty, not at all greasy. They're really filling when combined with three tacos, though, so I may have to pass on them in the future. Overall a very nice find and worth the trip. Thanks DrXmus and others who have posted.

I remember the Tysons Carnegie fondly and was so upset when it closed. Having grown up on (and even briefly working in a) New York deli, it was without question the only place around here that ever came close. While it was horrible for my cholesterol, boy was it good. We wouldn't split a sandwich because I always wanted to take half home to enjoy the next day. The only downside was that it looked and felt like an Embassy Suites lobby/restaurant (which it was), rather than like a real deli.

Dinner at Gyspy Soul last night showed that this could be a great addition to the area once some of the newness shakes out. The food was excellent and the service good but there were some issues that need to be addressed. Managers acknowledged and dealt with them very nicely and professionally, though, and they will not prevent us from going back. First, be forwarned if you have looked at the menu on the website - that is not the menu at the restaurant. While many things are the same, the actual menu is shorter and some of the prices are different (higher). While I understand an established restaurant not changing its on line menu frequently, this was surprising for a place so new. Another reason to be forewarned - the seats against the windows are under air conditioner vents which blow very strongly. They turned the AC down but it was still strong enough to blow my wife's hair in her face and literally lift my menu off the table slightly. We moved to a booth across the aisle, which was much better, and we noticed that three other tables or diners changed seats to get away from those vents during the evening. The manager explained they are getting diverters installed to eliminate the issue. Next the big problem. There is apparently a problem with the ordering/ticketing system such that our orders did not get to the kitchen properly. 15 minutes after ordering our server told us our appetizers would be out soon. 15 minutes later, after noticing several tables that came in and ordered after us getting their food, we called her back to question the status. It was apparently at that point they noticed the error. Both she and the manager were very apologetic and offered to comp the appetizers, which came about 10 minutes later. They then offered complimentary desserts, which was not necessary but a nice touch and appreciated. Now on to the good - the food was excellent, the setting and decor very nice (although it can get a bit loud) and the service attentive without being intrusive (I had to pour my own wine, but I actually prefer that). The bar was hopping, with numerous bartenders keeping things moving. Seats there could be very interesting, directly in front of the open kitchen. When it finally arrived, I loved my appetizer, bone marrow with sea urchin, mustard antlers and ink toast. The bone was really deep, providing a lot of rich gooey marrow. The tang of the sea urchin and greens balanced out the richness very nicely. While the ink toast was black, it didn't seem to add any real flavor component but was a nice conduit for the other ingredients. My wife had the deviled eggs from the pantry portion of the menu (smaller starters). While she enjoyed it, she thought it could use at bit more of the ham to add flavor. For the mains, I really enjoyed my rabbit with ricotta dumplings. The chef coaxed so much flavor out of that rabbit. Yum. My wife had the confit shoat. We both loved the taste. She was not thrilled with the texture, but I thought it was apropriate for the dish. I normally don't order dessert, but I'm glad they offered it. I really enjoyed my caramel cremeux and my wife enjoyed her milk chocolate pudding with bananas. We regretted not ordering the bread basket (which has a separate charge), both because our starters took so long and because it looked really good. I normally don't eat bread at restaurants so we didn't consider ordering it, but will do so in the future. Also the portions here are not terribly large so although I was satisfied at the end of the meal, I was not full and I could see others wanting the bread to help fill them up. Finally, a word about the wine list. While it's got varietal variety (which sounds redundant but isn't), it is heavily loaded with products from Elizabeth Spencer, Owen Roe and Dave Phinney. There are plenty of choices at various price points and the mark up isn't too bad (relative to other comparable restaurants), so most people will be satisfied. Wine geeks will find it lacking, however. One point worth noting - Chef RJ was in the kitchen, running the show, not just watching. I would not expect that to be the case moving forward. That may or may not change the food in the future. So, overall, a very nice experience and one I would recommend. As we told the staff when leaving, we'll be back, but after we give it time to work out the kinks.

I was fortunate to enjoy his food on several occasions. One night we flew to Chicago just to go to his restaurant and it was one of the best meals of my life. RIP.

It's a nice position to be in but I've been able to go to a lot of high end (high priced) Michelin starred restaurants in many countries. As a result, in comparing apples to apples and looking at cost, I'm often very critical and destination restaurants, while often excellent, frequently leave me a bit underwhelmed. Friday night's dinner at Eleven Madison Park still has me in awe. With no real choices other than one of two for the main protein and whether you will or won't eat foie gras, you put yourself in the hands of the chef but what hands they are. A couple of days later numerous courses still have me saying wow. The only disappointment was a squash course that was not bad but simply oversold. With two bottles of really nice wine picked from an intense list, the total for two brushed up against $1000 (it would have gone over had the recent price increase kicked in), but even at that price I would dine there again in a second.

Different stores. Italian Gourmet is the one at Nutley and 123. Italian Store used to be in Vienna. I thought it was in the strip where Pure Pasty is now located. Been gone a long time, though.

We had a truly wonderful dinner at Ashby on Friday night, the first fine dining meal we've had in quite a while where every course was excellent. While a very interesting wine list, all we got from it was a Chidaine sparkler because we had brought our own bottle (an '86 Pichon Baron that although okay was well past its prime - drink 'em if you got 'em). Drinking a full bottle each is much easier when you just have to walk a short distance to your room. Staying at the inn just capped off a wonderful evening. There was just one issue, and it was minor. We arrived later than planned because of work and traffic. We were told changing our 7:00 reservation to 7:15 was not a problem. At 7:20, though, we were told we would still have to wait a while for an outdoor table (on one of the few perfect nights of the summer). We ate inside rather than waiting but really would have preferred the patio. The inn itself was nice enough that I'm sure we'll be back regardless of the new chef but this meal definitely has put a schlep out to Patowmack Farm in my future.

All this talk about the Shields (Shieldses?) reminded me that we just missed them at Town House, having reservations for shortly after they left. Not about to make the same mistake, we now have reservations for the Ashby Inn this Friday.

I don't know when this was announced but am wondering whether it should change our plans. My wife and I were planning dinner and an overnight stay in October for our anniversary. Should we move this up?

Good thing I saw these posts or I would have forgotten about the Montalcino dinner, which we loved last year. We'll be there tonight.

I haven't been in a while but these are great deals and now supporting a very worthy cause. I'll be there tomorrow.

It's been several months since I've been able to take advantage one of these offers, but that's been because of my schedule, not from lack of interest. As I noted a couple of pages upstream, you're really missing out if you're not taking advantage of these opportunities. Once again, a really nice dinner tonight. We both loved the ceviche and the lobster. The ceviche was a particular winner - tasty seafood without being too acidic. The beet salad was the weak point, but that's only because we're not big fans of beets. YMMV. Ended with a mint chocolate chip ice cream that was a great closer. If you don't have dinner plans for Saturday night, find a way to get to Grapeseed. You definitely won't regret it. Jeff, thanks again for maklng these great meals available at such a great price.

Passionfish does a good job, always on the menu as an appetizer.

I'll give another thumbs up to Sheba. Not the best Ethiopian in the area but consistently very good over several lunches and dinners and it satisfies the craving when I don't feel like schlepping into the District or to Baileys Crossroads. Service has always been attentive, but I haven't been there at peak times.

Unfortunately no time to post while people could still go to this, but another great meal last night. A confit fest (I'm still not quite getting how there can be an apple confit, but since the dessert was fantastic, I'm not going to question). The stand-out course was the duck confit, but every bite was great. You really are missing out if you're not taking advantage of these opportunities. Thanks again, Jeff. One word of warning - although these are tasting menus, the portions are big. Go hungry. I know most people won't complain about that, but it's worth noting.