zgast

Caveat: I have no dog in this fight and am watching bemused from across the state line. That being said, I tend to focus on the substance of the policy rather than the actors on one side or another. I absolutely support the idea that those working in restaurants deserve a better living wage. However, this policy targets the wrong part of the house - the one that's more highly compensated by and large! The issue for the owners (again, don't really know any on a personal level in DC) is that they will absolutely bear the cost of this because MD & VA restaurants will not have to do the same thing, which limits the ability of DC restaurants to pass on price increases directly. This is exactly what's happened to MoCo restaurants with the absurd DLC monopoly. They're just structurally less profitable in a business where margins are low anyway.

Great to see you back. Hope the surgery went well.

You could cross-reference the trite foods thread and make a couple things from there. Sort of a meta-critique on criticism.

I'm sincerely hoping that you watch Atlanta and that's from whence the Ostrich egg mention stems. Teddy Jenkins episode, specifically. I would love to commit, but may be out of town for work. Will know more as the date approaches.

Corrected. Can't comment on consistency after one visit but my lunch Dan dan noodles were quite good. Struggling to not fall asleep as the portion size was quite generous. Will definitely head back again.

I've found China Bistro's dumplings to be incredibly consistent. PC definitely can have an off night - once the dry fried eggplant fell short of transcendent. I actually haven't been much, though, to PC Rockville since Q opened closer to my house. Sadly, I haven't been to Joe's Noodle House at all. Since my new office is in walking distance, though, I intend to correct that in the short term.

+1

My understanding is that if you're not paying minimum wage (without considering tips) to the front of the house, it's illegal to pool their tips with the back of the house. There are legal moves afoot to change this (actually from the current administration) but that would also allow managers (and employees suspect owners as well) to share in the pool, so it's not supported by many in the business.

Sietsema likes the new menu and execution...

No pretty pictures for me - it was pretty slammed and crowded last night when we arrived for pre-theater dinner. I probably should have known there was a Caps game then, as well. Had three small plates and an entree for the two of us. Started with the burrata bing, which was really delicious. As long as you get the burrata right and add a few good accompaniments, you've got the dish, but they did all that well. Next up were the two dumplings on the menu. Shrimp dumplings were in a vinegar-based sauce and were pleasant. The beef and lamb dumplings were really, really good. I could do two orders of those and call it a meal next time. The only complaint I would have in the whole meal, though, involved the chopsticks. Background - not from Asia or an Asian family that grew up using chopsticks. That being said, I do know how to use them well. The chopsticks here were of the circular variety more common in China (rather than squared off) and metal to boot. You absolutely could not keep a slippery, sauced dumpling in these damn things. After the third or fourth drop, I gave up and asked for a fork. Entree was the branzino ssam. The fish was a touch over-cooked, but presented gorgeously with the herby sauce right on top. You wrapped up the fish in lettuce along with some additional items to form a wrap. Well-conceived and executed. The dinner included a bottle of Ransom Albarino from Oregon, which was good and paired fairly well with our disparate food choices. Also had a glass of the sparkling Riesling from Dr. Loosen, which I enjoyed as well. Thanks for the recommendation - definitely enjoyed this iteration of Momofuku.

OK - I've taken the bait and made a reservation. Will provide thoughts after I dine. Never tried the old format so can't offer any relative comparison.

Well - I know where my 'hood falls in this continuum... What I learned probably applies to any number of the inner suburbs around Washington. One day you realize that your little bedroom community with adequate restaurants and quirky shops has at some point in the last 20 years morphed into a full-fledged city with overpopulated schools, a housing shortage, and an arms race with the town next door over dog parks and rain gardens and Trader Joe’s.

How young? I ask because similar to the 14th St. location, it's a bit tight inside. I'd bring my nine year old but not my five year old niece, who can't sit still.

Really like Casellula at 52nd and 9th Avenue (I worked at 50th and 6th and lived at 46th and 10th) for cheese, wine, and solid food as well. I could see doing a boozy lunch there or a pre-theater dinner might be perfect.

I dunno - I've found some pretty good tacos in the DMV. They might be in a gas station, but I'd still drive to get there and eat outside. If you find great mole, please oh please let me know where. When Gringos & Mariachis first opened, theirs was good. I've stopped getting it, though. The mole at Maya in NYC was excellent, which is why it's frustrating that his DC places just can't match that.

Agree with most of this with the exception that some of the things we characterize as street food really are a fundamental (and wonderful) part of Mexican cuisine. Don't dismiss the taco!

This reminds me of the airlines with the rush to Basic Economy fares to trick the search engines. The total price is the same in the end, but if you lose the initial search, you're dead in the water as a business.

Had the chance to try the Palisades location out. It was hopping last night with what seemed like a mostly local crowd (I'm part of the rough element that gets bused in from the mean streets of Bethesda). Started with cocktails - the Peppino and Boulevardier. Former was limoncello, gin, and prosecco. Went down way too easily. Dangerous. Wife liked the latter - I don't do Bourbon or Scotch so can't comment. Appetizer was the duck, split between two. The duck consisted of a confit duck leg (really, really good and a slab of torchon with an almost brulee top. Our pastas (I generally don't do Secondi) were the garganelli and the garlic ravioli. The first is described as a Neopolitan ragu sauced dish. Never heard of Neopolitan ragu, but it was quite good and seemed to be Bolognese less the carrot and celery. The garlic ravioli had a ton of potential - the waitress described them as being made with gelato, which then melts inside the pasta to make a creamy garlic filling. Sounded like soup dumplings to me, which I do like. While I liked the ravioli well enough, I think a bit less garlic would help. The other change I would make would be to do a tortellino instead of a raviolo. The latter are big enough you have to cut them in half, letting the entire filling run out onto the plate. Bite size would work a bit better. All in all a very good meal.

MBAs: What foods have the highest margins? Cooks: Pizza, Burgers and Tacos MBAs: Well, the first two waves didn't work so well....

Both. Food and wine has a tutorial with pictures. We've had house guests devour enough butter to top three baguettes in one sitting. My next goal is to try this with some really fresh cream from a local farm. Anyone have a dairy farm?

For special occasions, we make our own cultured butter. It's actually insanely easy and tops anything available in the stores.

I stopped in for a gin and tonic the other night (they had stopped serving food and I was stuffed anyway). Those things are both delectable and dangerous.

Finally made it down to Kith & Kin for a dinner last night and would definitely return after what I tasted. The group stuck with one wine all night, so not much to comment on the drinks other than - yes - they could use a shake-up in the wine area. When you've had the majority of the wines on the list (and aren't one of those people who are constantly trying new ones at home), then it's a bit too pedestrian. Appetizers were the Mushroom Forest, Meat & Cheese, and Brussels Suya. The first was a mash of mushrooms, herbs, and some other items topped with a mix of mushrooms. Really great flavor in the mash - probably the favorite of the three appetizers in our group. The meat & cheese was good - two goat cheeses, duck prosciutto, and chicken liver mousse. One cheese was semi-firm: it paired well with the fruit jam on the platter, but was a little pedantic on its own. The second was a gooey bloomed rind cheese. Everyone liked this one a lot. The duck prosciutto was fine - no really strong feelings either way. The chicken liver mousse was different. We actually had a discussion about it because it didn't really have much chicken liver flavor. There were some assertive spices and it was quite good, but became a debate on whether it was necessary to make it with chicken livers if you couldn't really taste them. The verdict on the whole platter was that it was empty and scraped clean before it was taken away. The final appetizer - the Brussels Suya - was quite good as well. Well roasted Brussels with a spice mix, lime juice (squeeze your own and ask for a napkin), and a tomato sauce or foam (we couldn't decide whether it was an airy sauce or a heavy foam). For main courses, we all stuck with small plates. The first (and weakest) was the smoked fish toast. I didn't try this one, but the other two diners agreed on this point. Not bad, just not as good as everything else we had. The curry crab dip was the second main. Good curry with pieces of crab that you could put on the accompanying plantain chips. Everyone liked this one quite a bit, although we all wished there were better ways to get the remaining curry out (the plantain chips were on the smaller side). Countering that was the fact that the plantain chips were definitely the best I've ever had, making you want to just keep eating them well past the point where you should have stopped. Last dish was the goat curry with roti. Wow - definitely one of my favorite curries ever. It was really different from what I've always had since the most salient note was the acidity. The goat and potatoes were both strong - the former tender and moist, the latter crispy. The roti was a bit greasy but that puts it on par with virtually every roti I've ever had. Do I want to know how much fat goes into making those things? Final dish - dessert - was a shared pepper platter. Good, but we were well past the point that we should have stopped. All in all a very enjoyable meal - we even got to see the Petal Palooza fireworks display up close. Will definitely go back when I can face that 40 minute ride again. One final note - it was pretty clear that the chef made an effort to staff the front of the house with predominately black waiters and waitresses. It was notable primarily because despite DC's population being predominately black there is a drastic under-representation of that group in those roles at nicer restaurants here. I'm not sure if he poached staff from other restaurants or simply did a great job training individuals who had less experience in higher-end restaurants but the service was quite strong. Kudos to him either way. Perhaps he can enlighten some others in the scene on what they're I'm sure unwittingly missing out on.

I went last night. Had the hummus with goat and harissa to start. Decent hummus but I’d go for Perfect Pita’s any day over this. It also came with exactly one pita. No that’s not enough but you can buy more for $2.50 a pop. Small plates were the charred eggplant, chicken livers and halumi. The eggplant was - as advertised - charred. It wasn’t bad - and was enhanced by the half of the hummus we had no way to eat otherwise. The halumi came with several good accoutrements- I just felt like they should have been a bit more integrated somehow. Lot of assembly required. The chicken livers were the best of the three. Came on a bed of onions that really paired well. Would order that again. Last dish was the kofte kebab. Was a bit better than what you might get at A casual Greek joint - we finished it and enjoyed. Desert was the pot de creme. Good finish to the meal. Overall a decent not too expensive dinner but definitely not at the same level as what we enjoyed at Bindass. Service was very good - the group always seems to do that well. Probably wouldn’t travel to Cleveland Park to eat there specifically, but I might drop in again after the zoo. I’ve never tried Zahav or Maydan so can’t offer any comparisons. And on the non-PC side, my tribe was definitely out in full force there. Twas like several synagogues got out simultaneously a couple blocks away right before we showed up for dinner. Amusing to see the immediate change in clientele from the Bindass/Ardeo combo.

Pretty much this - I'm about a ten minute walk to downtown Bethesda and am astounded how many of our neighbors drive there. That being said, the surrounding neighborhoods have a very high proportion of older residents, which may cause some of the driving.