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13 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

Is "Breaking Bad" worth the investment? I've watched four episodes, and it really is remarkable (if completely implausible).

Hi Don,

IMO it definitely is completely worth it.  It's definitely one of the best tv shows that I've seen, and Walter White will forever be an iconic TV character.  Also since it's over now, you don't have to worry about investing in a show that might never end or jumps the shark.  This is top notch storytelling from beginning to end.

Dinner after April 4 will now be $280 all inclusive.

"Pineapple and Pearls Is increasing its prices to $280 per Person" by Jessica Sidman at washingtonian.com

Thanks for sharing the pic!  If I ever make it  Great Wall Szechaun House I'm 100% getting this.

38 minutes ago, Gadarene said:

Boiled Fish with Mustard Greens

Seems like that could fit my diet!  now i'm intrigued 

This article gives you the scoop on the buying drinks for staff option.

1 hour ago, Waitman said:

Unless they have changed, this is untrue.  I've been to a couple of Bib Gourmand/1-star restaurants over the years.

Any list of restaurants meeting certain qualifications will have some "errors," but Michelin has come through for me: I've found the Bib Gourmand list to be extremely reliable when travelling in strange cities.  

 

A restaurant can't be both Bib Gourmand and starred in the same year, but there have been restaurants that have been Bib Gourmand that have become starred in subsequent years.

2 hours ago, sandynva said:

 Thank you for elaborating your thoughts a bit more, and helping us understand where you're coming from.   I have not noticed Chang being  in the media a tremendous amount, or doing any more self-promoting than other celebrity chefs, so I can't comment on that.    And I think the idea of comparing the prices here to the prices in the country where the  food is from is an unfair  road to go down, because  The good versions of food we have here will almost always be more expensive than the equally good version from the homeland.  For example I've had a $10 plate of pasta in Italy that was as good as anything I've had at fiola, or  I'd imagine that good pho in Vietnam  is the fraction of the price we pay here.   I don't so imagine that in Tokyo there were more expensive versions of Ramen available Than the 400 yen.  

 What I do take issue with is the idea that Ramen is inherently a cheap food and that one cannot charge more than X dollars for it.  A recurring problem that many "ethnic" restaurants have is that consumers are not willing to pay the same prices for say, Chinese or Indian, food as they are for say French or Italian food  and it's a pet peeve of mine.  So I may have read something into your post that you didn't mean.    But what drives me nuts is the idea that X food, inevitably from a non-European country, somehow isn't worth the same prices as other cuisines.  If you look at it in the abstract, $18 buys you a meal from a celebrity chef, that if you count all the meat used to make the stock and in the bowl  (  I remember seeing a recipe for Changs broth once, and it seemed to use an insane amount of meat) costs as much in ingredients as an entrée at Central or the Daniel bolud place in city center.   Why then is it OK  for Central and DB to charge $20-$25 for their entrées, while Changs 18 is too high? It is my understanding that cassoulet  was not originally a particularly high end or refined dish,  and I know polenta was definitely cheap food, as a friend's Italian parents refuse to eat it because to them it's a food for the poor.  Pizza wasn't a particularly expensive food, and hamburgers until recently weren't fancy food either.   But many  restaurants in the area offer $20 versions of each of these   And I don't hear a general outcry about it being too much to charge for a simple food.  

 Nor do I think the comparison to packaged Ramen is fair-- I love the stuff, and consider myself a bit of a connoisseur of the vegetarian varieties available at the local Asian supermarkets, but  I think the stuff I've had at Momofuku is clearly elevated beyond the stuff I get from H Mart.  And the fact that the packaged stuff exists at a certain price point shouldn't drag down how much the more elevated version should cost.  After all, I believe you can get a Totino's party pizza for a dollar or two in your local frozen section if you're lucky,  but no one cites that and says that the pizzas at etto or Ghibellina are consequently too expensive   

 I'm not  going to defend the pricing on the DC dining scene generally, I think there are far too many places that are really middle level charging top end prices and it seems to be a self perpetuating spiral with prices inching steadily upward. But given that model seems to be dominating now, I don't see why chang is any worse than anyone else or why $18  is too much for Ramen.

This post is 100% on the money.  I've heard Chang voice these exact same sentiments on a couple of occasions in interviews.

I went here recently as well.  I second your thoughts that the scallops in coconut risotto and basil ice cream and duck confit were the standouts.  The wings were really good too.  I definitely want to go back and try the mussels, but I guess I'll skip the sea bass (thanks for the cilantro tip!)

On 6/25/2016 at 5:34 PM, anhdeluxe said:

My favorites from dinner last night: foraged mushrooms, eggplant red curry, duck confit, scallops with basil ice cream, mussels in coconut sausage broth. Offal salad. Loved the sea bass crudo but the cilantro was pervasive. Matcha pavlova for dessert. The rabbit was forgettable. Service was fine and friendly, nice beverage selection although I was not into the pickle juice cocktails. It gets louder and louder and the concrete interior doesn't muffle anything. Chef Ma seems like a sweetheart. 

Every USA restaurant on the list (including 51-100) comes from a Michelin City.  Maybe DC will make the list in the near future...

19 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Not a chance. No single review could have any effect on this chain, which is no worse than any of fifty others. Oh, there might be a two-percent drop in business at the DC location for a week, but things don't work like they did twenty years ago (although they sort-of did then, too) - Founding Farmers is primed for big growth, mark my words. 

It's like movie reviews and and box office money.  often movie critics panning a blockbuster movie has minimum effect on the overall box office (see Batman v. Superman).  

On 5/31/2016 at 11:08 AM, TedE said:

That seems optimistic.   Out of all of those I would guess Metier would be the best chance for 3 (I haven't set foot in the place, but from everything I've read here and elsewhere it best fits the "profile").  My guess is a relative slew of 1 star reviews, and a smattering of 2s with the outside chance of a single 3 star.  They aren't coming here blind; just by choosing DC for a city guide they would already have compiled a laundry list of eligible restaurants.  The official reviews will simply sort them into buckets.

Pineapples & Pearls should be on that list.

Had a chance to go as well Sunday night, sat at the bar and had a wonderful meal.  The brown rice bread was incredible, it was so flavorful and well balanced, and something that stands out among all the new great restaurants in DC.  All the dishes were actually really well balanced, with sweetness playing into most of the other dishes I had as well (carrot puree) in the ravioli and beets with the lamb ribs, which as a dish was rich and flavorful and decently filling.  

One thing to warn others who haven't been is that the lamb ribs does come with a lot of cilantro that I had to spend some time picking off.  This is in no way limited to Tail Up Goat, as many restaurants do this, but I do wish if cilantro was on a dish it would be noted on the menu.  It might be a small thing or garnish for some people, but it is really an offensive taste for others (like me).  I can't be the only one who thinks this, right?  I know there are a lot of cilantro haters out there.

Also from the Washingtonian:

"The seats at the bar are for reservations only, but the experience is different from the dining room and the chef's counter. "We want the bar to have its own appeal to it," Faile says. There, diners will eat the same tasting menu, however drinks are not included, which drops the base price down to $150. Faile's $20 "show cocktails," are available for purchase, and you can also order classics."

Although maybe not ideal, and definitely ironic, those who don't want to drink alcohol can get the tasting menu only at a lower price point if they sit at the bar.

And what about booking a table for 2 but showing up single as Tom suggested?  I think there's a thread somewhere about this.

First, I think all restaurants should have reservations for one available to be accessible to all types of diners.  That said, since some restaurants allow res for 1 on open table and others don't, the ones that don't clearly made that choice not to have that option.  Thus, I can imagine them being pretty annoyed if you make a res for two and just show up as one.

The best thing to do might be just to call.  Either they'll give you reservation that way, or they'll tell you they don't do res for one but that the bar is open seating.

That was a nerve-wrecking episode for Marjorie fans. With two DC chefs in the final six, chances are good at least one (hopefully both) make the final four.

On 2/18/2016 at 0:55 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

Just wondering what shows merit my attention after I finish watching Bloodsuckers.

Breaking Bad!

Hi all my name is David.  Recently really taken an interest in food and expanding my palate, and have really made it a point to get into the DC restaurant scene over the past year.  Looking forward to chatting with like minded individuals on this site!