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B.A.R.

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Everything posted by B.A.R.

  1. B.A.R.
    Those in attendance still talk of how much fun our rehearsal dinner was, and it came in at about 1/25 the cost, per person, as the wedding reception. One of the many things my father in-law resents me for . If you are having a formal, elegant wedding, my suggestion would be go polar opposite with the RD. Have a barbeque.
  2. B.A.R.
    You can pretty much take over many smaller ethnic restaurants for a pittance. Huge quantities of food and drink, and a lot of fun to boot.
  3. B.A.R.
    My head hurts.
  4. B.A.R.
    Fair and Balanced? I've yet to read or hear anything that said they lost their lease due to the Veteran's dinners, as was originally posited.
  5. B.A.R.
    It seems with Chef Chang, you've got to strike while the wok is hot. I guess I can scratch this off of my list.
  6. B.A.R.
    Oh my God! It was perfect. I had the Margherita. Crisp to the tooth, yet still a touch soft. Just a hint of tangy sauce, a spare bit of superb cheese, whole basil leaves. I've never been to Naples, so I can't compare, but that pizza was righteous. A symphony coaxed from such a few ingredients. I also had some boar salami that was extraordinary in and of itself. Had I more time, I would have availed myself to the entire antipasta menu. I overheard two of the cooks talking how their ducks just hatched. Cook 1:"They're Mallards" Cook 2: "Mallards, not Muscovy?" Cook 1: "Nope, Mallards. The ones with the green heads," rubbing his head for added affect. "Peter says their good eating" And Rocks, they had some seemingly new serrated steak knives at all place settings and strategically placed pizza cutters (at least on the bar). Superb.
  7. B.A.R.
    Do you have any affiliation with he restaurant? If so, please tell us more. I've read through this thread and several media accounts of the "situation" and it is my opinion that the restaurant is using the Veteran's dinner and ADA compliance issues as a blunt instrument in a public relations fight. Any additional insight into a prejudice by the Hilton towards the Veteran's, this particular Veteran's dinner, and the subsequent lease cancellation due to that prejudice would be greatly appreciated.
  8. B.A.R.
    he's got to be joking.
  9. B.A.R.
    Now, if there was a Health inspection at the height of the refrigeration/dishwashing machine incidents I might be able to sympathize! Restaurant SNAFU 101, be thankful you at least had food! (I see a bottle of Ridge Monte Bello in your future!)
  10. B.A.R.
    I believe patrons in wheelchairs could use the service elevator. You can argue whether this is dignified or not, but generally fits the "reasonable accommodation" statute of the law. Carrying people down the stairs does not. Has anyone ever tried the food there? Thoughts? Recommendations?
  11. B.A.R.
    It seems to me the folks at Fran O'Brien's are using their Veteran's dinners to wage a PR campaign against Hilton. Fran O'Brien's said they did not want any publicity about these dinners before they lost their lease, but they sure do want it now. And, if I read the article correctly, the Hilton has offered to continue to host the dinners (and did so before this brouhaha started). That would seemingly refute the anonymous quote "....VA official suggests, to “eliminate the spectacle” of hundreds of disabled soldiers." So, the owners of Fran O'Briens are now trying to use their good deeds as leverage to retain/salvage their lease, and are doing it publicly. They are well within their rights to do so. However, IMHO, this doesn't make the Capitol Hilton, or Hilton Hotels in general, a collection of heartless pricks.
  12. B.A.R.
    Easy now, people. Restaurants lose their leases ALL OF THE TIME. Many of these restauraunts are good corporate citizens. Many of them are not. How many people on this board could have answered the question "What's the name of the steakhouse at the Capital Hilton?" two days ago? Almost everyone would have had to give the question some thought. Maybe they are looking for a more high profile tenant. Maybe they want a mini-burger/sushi/tapas place. Who the hell knows? Now, it is a possibility that the GM of the Hilton is an intolerant, inflexible asshat. My instincts tell me there is more this story than the disabled veteran's angle, but a restaurant losing it's lease isn't sexy enough for Channel 9 news. Having spent the last 5 years in the hotel industry, and spending a significant time dealing with ADA compliance, most would be surprised at the lack of "letter of the law compliance" at every major hotel in this, and every other, city.
  13. B.A.R.
    This topic is more political than gastronomical, and asking "foodies" to refrain from dining in restaurants on May 1st because of potential service issues is asking them to tacitally support the boycott. Yes, the restaurant industry provides jobs to many legal and illegal immigrants. So do a lot of other industries.
  14. B.A.R.
    So this is how they select the panels?
  15. B.A.R.
    I, too, was in Eve for lunch with my wife today. I believe my wine went sailing in your direction. Small world. Todd most graciously, and unnecessarily, comped the wine. Rafagino's is a great little place. Husband is Portugese and runs the FOH, wife is Italian and is BOH. Great values in Portugese wines on the list. Service is casual yet refined.
  16. B.A.R.
    It has been stated here before, but essentially, if there is a problem with your debit card, you are out CASH until it is fixed. Five days is a long time to not have access to several thousand dollars of your own money. (Still bitter after all these years)If there is a screw up with your Credit Card, you are only out credit, which your bank can easily extend to you if you were in a pinch. They aren't so free with cash, even if it is yours. Re: CC #'s on receipts. I believe most POS machines, at least the ones I have worked with (MICROS/Squirrel/Aloha), you can program how you want the CC # to appear on the receipt. The default setting used to be the entire card number. Some systems may still defaualt to that. You still should have the entire card # recorded in you CC# Batch Detail Report.
  17. B.A.R.
    I can attest I used to receive 5-7 calls per week regarding this issue. Now that everyone has access to their bank accounts/credit card statements 24/7, they see charges come and go and always believe someone is at fault. I worked as a night auditor in a bank in college (some year's back). You would not believe the mistakes that are made that customers never knew about! Now, If I read Rissa's post correctly, her credit card processor makes two charges, one for the authorization and one for the actual charge. If that is correct, Corduroy should change processors. One authorization should be the only charge on a particular evening (for 15,20,30% greater than the actual bill). Once you (Corduroy) receive the signed receipt from the customer, then the check is closed to that amount in your POS system. At the end of the night, the credit card batch is settled and the restaurant asks for X amount of dollars from the bank. The difference between the authorization and the settled amount is what should drop off in 3-5 business days. I would be furious as well if I paid $100 for dinner, was authorized once for $130, and then settled A SEPERATE TRANSACTION for $125 (actual amount) and still had $130 and $5 pending on my account. I used Merchant Services and Merchant Link and never encountered dual charges for authorizations and actuals. Don't even get me started about check cards. People, never use a check card. Ever.
  18. B.A.R.
    Now you have me quoting my own post! Five minutes of a two-hour show is certainly not an objective example. The five minutes I watched were a little bit goofy, but I realize that part of trying to de-mystify wine for the novice is to make it more approachable. Welcome to the board!
  19. B.A.R.
    They are in my house.
  20. B.A.R.
    I have long been a huge GAR fan. Lately, my love has been waning. It does seem that each restaurant only has two or three entrees that are special to that particular outlet, and every other menu is repetitive or "cross-marketed" from another property. Back when my wife and I were dating, we used to go to Carlyle Grand, eat well, drink heartily, and get out for a C-note pre tip. Now that's used up with a children's mea, two entrees, a shared app, dessert, and two glasses of wine (each). Still a fan, but not as passionate. Service is always stellar. And why is it, that at every location, you must order your meat selections at least two degrees of doneness more than you generally would? I know the drill now, but Rare is Raw and MR is barely rare, across the board.
  21. B.A.R.
    Andy Nelson's is the place to go, and I am angry for DanilelK. What a horrific story.
  22. B.A.R.
    If you don't like Tom's writing, or the way he turns-of-phrase, I really don't think it matters as to his effectiveness as a reviewer. What I admire about Tom is, that his reviews are consistent, and I can base my dining decisions based on his recommendations, because I have learned his palate, and how it relates to mine. The chat has certainly gotten less a little more bitchy lately (last six months) but it is entertaining. What other major city's restaurant reviewer is so accessible? None. And not just accessible to the general public, either. When I first started managing restaurants in DC, I sent the obligatory "Hi Tom" kiss-ass message. And he responded, and answered phone calls and e-mails. Truly rare. I disagree with the Rustico/food sickness posting, but I don't think it was malicious. I think his BS detector wasn't quite functioning properly. In short, he's human just like us, but, IMHO a great asset to the dining AND restaurant communities.
  23. B.A.R.
    Lifted from another website: "I'm sure this wine sees a lot of wood"
  24. B.A.R.
    Possible replacements for Tom
  25. B.A.R.
    I've had food poisoning twice. One required hospitalization, the other should have. I think most people, when they eat something at a restaurant that doesn't quite agree with them, immediately think "food poisoning". If they ate the same meal in their home, they'd think they were "coming down with the flu". Just my two cents.
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