Kanishka

REALLY? This has me so upset... thanks for letting me know. If changes are made, I'll be very, very sad. Good memories, and the crabcakes were the best in the known universe.

Baltimore boy talking. The soft shell crabs at Angelina's in Parkville (north of Baltimore) are amazing. Heck, the restaurant is just fantastic in general. My personal favorite seafood place in Baltimore. Of course, I'm a bit biased, but thats what happens when you grow up near such a great place. Hmm... going up for dinner with the folks soon... reservations must be made...

<insert obligatory "Tom's chat was really whiny today" post here>

Good lord, the bar at Palena was CROWDED last night. I got there at 8:30 and waited patiently for a spot at the bar for about 15 minutes (I was determined to try this "Palena Burger" I had heard about). Kate (?), the hostess, was lovely and very accomodating, letting me know on the sly when she planned on seating some folks waiting at the bar. That was a very kind gesture to the starving solo diner -- she gets a gold star. Dinner was, when put in mere words, pedestrian: a burger and fries. When eaten it was something else all together. Washed down with a glass of Grenache I can say the Palena burger deserves the accolades it has received on this site (and others). If you're a fan of the half-pound monsters served up at some restaurants, beef overwhelmed by bacon, ketchup, and whatever else you want on your sandwich, well this isn't the burger for you. Don't get me wrong--sometimes those burgers really hit the spot. But this was in a different category. The cheese and the sauce were accents to emphasize the beef and the bun -- which were spectacular. Okay, I realize I'm probably preaching to the choir. But really, this burger was goooood. Interesting sidenote: I had a couple "Ibitinis" after dinner; the bartender (Kirk? Good guy) informed me once the gentleman departed that I had been sitting next to the drinks namesake. Some Google searching revealed that he's quite the interesting man... funny who one runs into in D.C. Great, now I'm hungry again.

Oh the great Doner Kebab search. I wrote a little bit about it a while ago here on DCist. Meyhane's is okay, especially when paired with half price wine on Saturdays. K

That is really awesome. The quality of food journalism in DC (say what you will about the Post's Food section -- at least we have one!) is another testament to why this is such a great place to live and eat. Has Sietsema ever won a Beard award? Just curious.

I'm so glad Tom kind of lost his cool and pointed people towards his postcards. I was really getting sick of the "well if you'd just read my postcard from... " refrain. K

Agreed. Wait for the summertime when its hot and you can really enjoy a bucket of beers on the deck. But I'd suggest either budgeting ample time for parking (the lines can get ridiculously long) or going on a weekday night. And the soups are the bomb.

So is the burger at Palena still good or not as impressive as it used to be? A dinner decision is pending based on recent evaluations. I do like the burger at Mortons, and the burger at Chef Geoff's (especially on the last Monday of the month) is pretty good. But I can't make a claim about "best" easily. Also, I've heard there's a wagyu burger at Landmark Restaurant in the Melrose that is to die for. Sonoma will also apparently be featuring a wagyu burger, significantly closer to home... K

Last night I had dinner at Nam-Viet Pho 79 (think that was the name...) in Cleveland Park. Have to say I was very disappointed. I had the spicy beef pho, which was mostly spiced via raw jalapenos as opposed to chilis. That gave the dish a ton of heat without flavor; I actually picked the jalapenos out and added sriracha myself. The broth was also not nearly as flavorful as I like it. Also had their special green salad, which came with their "special vinaigrette". Well, maybe a teaspoon of the stuff. Very disappointed by the salad as well... Decent prices, but next time I want cheap eats in Cleveland Park I'm off elsewhere. My service was really bad (granted I was a one top) and the only thing good about the meal was the book I was reading at the time (the new Ruth Reichl). K

Second on the Ethiopian. My current pick is Sodere, at 9th and T NW. I went there last weekend with four other people and we had a huge dinner for $50. I also like the bar at Indique. Not the cheapest, but get the samosa chaat and another appetizer and you'll be set back less than $20. The samosa is massive, and a delicious re-imagining of what a samosa can be.