Jump to content

B.A.R.

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,129

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    14

 Content Type 

Everything posted by B.A.R.

  1. B.A.R.
    Interesting article in the NY Times today about the Health Department fining restaurants cooking "sous vide" and determining that the methods are "illegal" until a uniform code can be established. All the big boys (Benno, Cuisine Solutions, etc.) are quoted.
  2. B.A.R.
    Definitely very fishy with a soft mushy texture. To me, it's like a huge plate of really firm sea urchin. One of those acquired tastes I never really acquired.
  3. B.A.R.
    Cue the music
  4. B.A.R.
    I think the system works fine as is. I have yet to read a single complaint, be it here, Chowhound, eGullet, etc. about the actual experience of eating at Ray's. Just the apparent "hassle" of getting a table. Really, it's not such an arduous task, and if you find the process too overbearing, don't go.
  5. B.A.R.
    I thought the article was humorous and pointed out that the Chef's were capable of so much more, culinarily speaking, yet choose not to. I want to say 10 years ago or so a Michelin starred chef decided to go all veggie, as he felt that his ability to cook fruits and vegetables was the greatest showcase of his skills. (I'm going to have to research how that turned out, as I believe it went south in a hurry) I don't want to get into any kind of statistical battle, but from 10+ years in the biz, if you have 200 people coming through the door, guaranteed at least 5 of them would be some sort of vegetarian. You know they're coming. Be prepared.
  6. B.A.R.
    I completely agree, the random collection of panels show no promise whatsoever. This panel showed the briefest ray of hope, since the people assembled actually collected wine. Then they just gave their numerical scorings with the briefest of text, rendering the whole thing useless IMHO.
  7. B.A.R.
    Am I the only one who thinks the guest review panels (sommelier panel notwithstanding) are completely inane? The panel this time, if you read the lead, at least were wine afficionados. However, by not publishing each "reviewers" full description I cannot place their three word comments in any context other than the numerical 90 whatever rating. It's as if they took an idea that might have showed promise, and purposefully tried to screw it up.
  8. B.A.R.
    That's an all time classic!
  9. B.A.R.
    And it IS in a basement! This is about four blocks from my office. I just conscripted my Japanese colleague and we'll be heading there for lunch on Friday. Hopefully, he'll be able to smooth the service waters. ETA: I just told my colleague where we were going, and now he's not so excited. Granted this is all second-hand, but he said they are very condescending to all patrons, and that the quality of your meal will vary greatly depending on what the owner thinks of you. He has been "many times" and "it is not a very friendly atmosphere, because they are so judgemental". He said that the food can be "unbelievable, if they like who you are with". We're going anyways.
  10. B.A.R.
    What about the sushi rant, and the fevered support of Kappo Kawasaki? I just searched this site, and found no mention of it. Could it be not even Rocks has eaten there? It must be in someone's basement.
  11. B.A.R.
    I think the Food section is sloooooowwwwwwlllllyyyyyyy improving, and week in, week out I do find more interesting reads. Unfortunately, those that pique my interest are generally not really "food" related (such as today's article about the love life of chef's). The wine column has cratered.
  12. B.A.R.
    It's been a while since I've tried the Clipper City offerings, they started out strong about 15 years ago (as did deGroens) and then went south. I'll have to try again. River Horse IPA has been the house swill of choice as of late. On a hot summer day, after cutting the grass, nothing beats an ice cold long-neck Bud.
  13. B.A.R.
    I can understand Michael's frustration at being consistently pilloried for the same things, when it appears to me, all he has strived to do is provide (a) excellent food at ( reasonable prices on a © first come first serve basis while (d) informing all his guests, up front, of his policies and procedures. Isn't this what most guests ask of in a restaurant? Exceptional Value. No overbooking. No waiting for tables. No $55 Beringer Merlot.
  14. B.A.R.
    "Amateur Night"..a restaurant stereotype, but all stereotype start with some "sliver of truth, and then get exaggerated, don't they? Pressure for reservations on these nights is extreme. This pressure comes from people who do not dine out as frequently. Due to this, no-show rates are higher, lateness is higher, guest count attrition (6-tops become dueces) is higher etc, etc. AND check averages are often lower, because this is the restaurant version of the "bridge and tunnel crowd". White zin consumption goes through the roof. Split salads. Split entrees. No dessert. Blender drinks. Many restauranteurs just pack them in in order to offset all of this. IMHO, it only exacerbates the problem and does a disservice to both the restaurants AND the patrons. I was surprised to hear Big Wyoming's comments about Citronelle and "Amateur night". Restaurants such as this are always busy, have fixed price menus and are run impeccably. Are they flawless? Of course not. But I'd be surprised if Michel Richard, Mark Slater, et. al just decided to try and get a few extra $K by compromising service on one night. Now Fogo de Chao, their rent is probably pretty steep...
  15. B.A.R.
    This is far too long in coming but many thanks to Grover and Escoffier for putting this together. It was great to put faces to names, head down some aisles I had never ventured into, and receive a tutorial on the Darwinian nature of Asian food packaging (red means hot). Who would have thought that dried oyster mushrooms and garlic slivers would be such a tasty snack. And if I ever have a drunkin craving for squid and peanut puffs, I now know just where to look. Principia and Brian's enthusiasm and knowledge on topics ranging from bento boxes to rice cookers to Japanese junk food was impressive. Nice to meet you all, and thanks again!
  16. B.A.R.
    Welcome to the board, hope you feel at home!
  17. B.A.R.
    hmmm...the Cuban sandwich and Po' boy still kick ass, so I'm not upset. Unless, of course, this cancels our tour?!
  18. B.A.R.
    If it snows, I'm heading to Birreria Paradiso!
  19. B.A.R.
    The Juice Joint on Vermont Ave. Absolutely fantastic lunch spot. The Chicken wrap with spinach, feta, kalamata olives, red onions, and balsamic vinegar is always impeccably fresh and superb. Ditto for the whole wheat pita with hummus, carrots spinach, sprouts, and a drizzle of lemon juice. Great smoothies. Really nice people. Glad to see that Tom mentioned it in the chat as well. Strictly M-F Breakfast and Lunch.
  20. B.A.R.
    Ahhh....Morrison House. One of the most bizarre restaurant experiences I have ever encountered. My wife and I went there for brunch, maybe five years ago. My wife orders the petite filet with, I believe, a poached egg. They had actually grilled the filet while still wrapped in plastic wrap. And then served it, with all the melted, crispy, shrunken plastic permanently affixed to the meat. Lovely dining room, though.
  21. B.A.R.
    This place sounds like heaven! I think I'll spend my next rainy Sunday afternoon on one of those 10 stools.
  22. B.A.R.
    If they install some kind of rotating bird cage table, I'll be a regular. This is just the kind of restaurant DC needs.
  23. B.A.R.
    Yes, and it does make it easier. Guests can add their comments and requests, and the user can program easy Open Table codes for special requests that get flagged (inside/ouside, front room/back room, upstairs/down etc.) I am sure resident hostess extraordinaire Nadya could probably attest to the fact that trying to place specific reservations at specific tables in a busy restaurant isn't easy. Spending time trying to put OT reservations at only the "bad" tables makes no sense. And OT guests pay the same $$$ as everyone else, AND seemingly dine out frequently , so why would you choose to alienate them?
  24. B.A.R.
    I wrote the OT Restauranteur (technically a lie) response. This just seems silly. Seating a packed restaurant and turning tables isn't easy, and changes constantly throughout the night. Accommodating the myriad of table and special occassion requests can be daunting. Every restaurant has "good" and "bad" tables, and this determination is very subjective. I have never worked in or managed a restaurant where people were specifically assigned the "bad" tables, regardless of how they made their reservation, their age, their race, etc.
  25. B.A.R.
    Velveeta Shells and Cheese mixed with a can of Hormel chili. Ahhhh.....the college years.
×
×
  • Create New...