franch

Hey guys! As promised, I'm here to tell you about my time at The Shaw Bijou. As mentioned in this thread at length, I have been very excited for The Shaw Bijou to open. We were great fans of Eleven Madison Park in NYC before moving to DC this year -- it's a very special place for my wife and me, as the hospitality we've experienced there is second to none. We got engaged in their kitchen. Our favorite server at EMP told us to keep an eye on The Shaw Bijou, as Chef Kwame was an EMP kitchen alum. In April, my wife and I went to the Philly Wing Fry event that Chef Kwame had at Union Market and met Greg Vakiner, Kwame's business partner and General Manager of The Shaw Bijou. We learned that Greg was in the kitchen when we got engaged at EMP. When reservations went up, we made one on day one. For the avoidance of doubt, we paid full price for our dinner and drinks, have no financial or otherwise personal connection to the restaurant, and were not comped/discounted/etc. in any way. Also, I used to be able to easily embed Instagram pictures, but they've made it a huge pain in the ass to do so, so I'll link them for anyone curious. Sorry! I arrived and was greeted by two hosts who offered to take my bag and ushered upstairs to the bar. I am offered a seat in one of the infamous Icelandic sheepskin chairs while I wait for my wife to arrive. They are just as comfortable as you imagine. The bar is manned by Ben Long, a Sasha Petraske and Convivial alum, and a gentleman named Zac Hoffman. When my wife arrives, Ben asks us our cocktail preferences, likes, dislikes, favorite spirit, etc. I am prepared a green chartreuse smash and my wife is prepared a maraschino liqueur variation on a martini. Yes, the cocktail glasses are chilled with liquid nitrogen. The bar is a cool spot and the bartenders are skilled -- I wish the bar was open for cocktail service and not tied to dinner service only. The glassware is all different too -- it is sourced from different antique shops around the Northeast. I notice a bottle of William Larue Weller and ask about a spirit/whiskey list. Zac tells me that they haven't drafted one yet, but talks a bit about the spirits they have. The WLW in question is an '07 and is seemingly one of the easier bottles to get in their collection. Zac's Twitter highlights some of them. One cool bottle is the Colonel E. H. Taylor "Tornado Surviving" Bourbon - a bourbon that was in barrels when a tornado destroyed the rickhouse surrounding them, leaving the intact barrels to be exposed to the elements outside as the buildin was repaired. Our first course was served in the bar - a pastry filled with La Tur goat cheese and hazelnut oil with Jamaican jerk-dusted duck prosciutto. This was spectacular. It was a cool take on a charcuterie plate and the flavors worked together really well rather than clashing, not easy with strong flavors like goat cheese and Jamaican jerk. We finish our bites and cocktails and are brought downstairs to the kitchen for our second choice. The chef at the "canape station" explains that The Shaw Bijou is designed to feel like you're at a dinner party in Chef Kwame's home -- from the bar, to the kitchen, to the dining room -- and that the dishes are inspired by different times in Chef Kwame's life. The bite in the kitchen was "chicken and lamb over rice", an homage to the halal carts of NYC, and was lamb sweetbreads, golden rice crisp, and emulsion of smoked sesame seeds. As a frequent halal cart veteran, the reference was clear and appreciated....and delicious. Afterwards, we were walked through the (surprisingly small) kitchen and saw the spice wall, which despite the hype and endless photos, is bigger in person than you expect. We chat a bit with Chef Kwame and Greg Vakiner and some of the other kitchen staff (many EMP veterans) before being led to the dining room. We're offered still or sparkling (complimentary) water and brought a wine menu -- The Shaw Bijou offers a wine pairing ($185), a beverage pairing incorporating "off the beaten path" wines, beer, and cider ($85? $95?), or ordering off the menu -- half bottles, full bottles, and glasses are available off of a fairly small (two page) wine menu. Our server also said we're welcome to continue with cocktails from the bar. In part due to Sietsema's lauding of the wine pairing, we elect to splurge on pairings, though we normally choose a bottle or two. Wine is served in impossibly delicate Zalto crystal glasses that make me concerned I'm going to break them. The flatware, like the glassware at the bar, is sourced from antique stores and each piece is different. Our first course in the dining room is "black clams" with chilis, lime, and caviar. It's delicious (how can caviar not be), although my wife mused that she would expect each of us to receive one rather than this being a course for two. Next up - beet cured hamachi with avocado puree. It's simple and elegant at the same time -- you can tell that the seafood is amazingly fresh by this point. Continuing with the seafood, the decadent "garlic butter crab" is served -- it's king crab poached in garlic butter with uni bottarga on top. This is a highlight. Another highlight is the squash veloute with parmesan foam -- it takes a lot to make a soup of any sort really good to me, and this did it. Next comes bread and butter -- it's some sort of flaky buttery bread that almost reminds me of paratha and carrot butter -- along with the seared foie gras course, served with shrimp and pork marmalade (which I failed to get a picture of). Contrary to Sietsema's review, I didn't find this overly salty or anywhere close to it. This was my wife's favorite course. It was pretty spectacular -- topping foie gras with meat seems risky but it wasn't too much. Around this point I am compelled to mention a constant theme since the beginning of our dining room experience. There's a table that has been pretty loud (though complimentary) that has a (seemingly drunk) patron that began loudly trashing the restaurant, the service, and the food. The person was taking live videos of her doing a speaking review, complete with yelling stuff like "NOT IMPRESSED with this AT ALL" as she was being served courses and name dropping all of the other restaurants that she preferred. Given that they were talking about how good the food was before that, it seemed like she was clearly trying to get a free dinner. Multiple tables were clearly upset and disrupted by her behavior -- I locked eyes with more than one other patron who was clearly offended/disgusted/amused. The staff at The Shaw Bijou handled this with the patience of saints and excellent customer service. I wasn't privy to everything that happened, but they were offered additional off-menu courses (which she loudly said was "the right decision" when a staff member was in earshot). They left mid-dinner, it didn't appear they paid for their wine pairings, and profusely thanked the staff and said they'd like to be back. It was the worst and most disruptive behavior I've seen outside of a fast food restaurant and it was handled in a far nicer manner than I would have handled it. In a newly-serene dining room that I could hear the music for the first time, we are served the sunchokes with tamarind. This is followed by the "steak and eggs" -- house dry aged Wagyu beef, onion subise, and pickled quail egg yolk. We're told about the in-house dry aging and the different kinds of beef that were experimented with. This was my favorite course. The beef was simply sublime and was only complimented by the "egg" part of the dish. I would kill for a full-sized entree size of this. The last real savory course is "mojo", inspired by the red beans and rice place Chef Kwame ate at in the Bronx, and is squab with crispy skin, habanero puree, and red bean puree. I'm a big fan of this -- I like squab generally and love when a "fine dining" type place can incorporate ingredients like habanero and red beans without a failed fusion-y overpowering effect. We're served a palate cleanser of a little cornet pastry with sudachi and elderflower sorbet. The first dessert course is "beets and cream", inspired by red velvet cake that Chef Kwame used to eat as a kid (which was originally made in part with beets). I love this -- I love red velvet cake and the inspiration shines through. I was skeptical of the beets, but color me converted. I am not a super sweet-loving person (and even less so a big chocolate bomb), so this was great for me. My wife would have preferred a sweeter dish. The next dessert is "floating icebergs", a twist on the classic French dessert. I disagree with Sietsema that the meringue was too sweet, finding it to work really well in this dish, but am just as puzzled as he is by the celery twists floating in the bowl. It seems like an attempt to incorporate something weird in a dessert that doesn't really have a reason. We're brought a tray of mignardises -- squash doughnuts, "butterfinger", "Twix." The squash doughnuts are great and were clearly just made as they are still warm. The Butterfinger and Twix bites are good, but not remarkable. We're given a bag with a small jar of sunchoke jam, a chocolate bar, and an engraved spoon as well as the menu. We head back up to the bar for a last cocktail, which was as fantastic as the first. The wine pairings were very generous -- the sommelier informed us how long each glass was to last/for how many courses, and if we were low before we should have been, we were frequently topped up, which was a very nice gesture and very appreciated (I like when the perks of a restaurant you read about from Sietsema happen to "normal' people too)! We were a bit surprised there was no dessert wine offered -- our pairing concluded with the Barolo. I had asked the sommelier to email me the wines we had during our pairing. I was really surprised to see a dessert wine on the list -- somehow our final (1 of 7) glass of wine was omitted. A bit disappointing as we both love dessert wine and the pairing was already pretty pricy, let alone with nearly 15% of it missing. Sietsema's comment that they could go for pizza afterwards seems weird. It was more food than Minibar. My wife left full, and I left definitively not hungry. It isn't the stomach-busting experience that a classic French tasting menu (I'm looking at you Jean-Georges) can leave you with. Wow. So that was a really long and a bit rambling review. Way longer than I meant it to be. Sorry! Anyway...the question lingers in every review - would you go back, and is it worth it? The price is going to be that sword of Damocles hanging over The Shaw Bijou's head -- it's priced with NYC giants like Eleven Madison Park and Momofuku Ko, and exceeds critical darlings Pineapple and Pearls and Metier, leaving only Jose Andres's Minibar ahead of it. The answers are yes....and I'm not sure. Everything was good at minimum, with some room for improvement, and several were standouts. But at this price, everything should be a standout. The mess-up with the wine pairing is particularly hard to take (and reinforces my bias against wine pairings). As everyone here knows, I have an emotional connection to this place and want nothing more than for it to succeed, especially in the face of the backlash and hate it's getting. But it's not the unqualified perfection I wanted it (and it probably needs) to be. I'll consider going back -- but not before I have the chance to experience Pineapple and Pearls, Masseria, and Metier, at the very least. Wine Pairing: 2013 Albert Boxler, Pinot Blanc, Reserve 2011 Neumayer, Grillenbuhel, Riesling (this was supposed to be a Champagne, but we don't particularly care for champagne and love riesling, so the sommelier offered a substitute) 2012 Fritz Haag, Brauenberger Juffer Sonnenuhr, Spatlese 2006 Domaine Faiveley, Mercurey,Clos du Roy 2012 Moric, Reserve 2010 Giovanni Manzone, Gramolere, Barolo

Laura Hayes (WCP) is going tonight. rereading the Sietsema piece, it's not as awful as on first read. he seemed to like the food for the most part, disliking the foie course and a course that features something he doesn't like of the savory courses. I do think tasting menus across the US neglect dessert as sort of a throw away a lot of times (notable exceptions including Alinea and Jean-Georges), which is a pity. I think TedE is right. every review will not only be "is this food excellent?" but "is this food as good as the food at [Eleven Madison Park/Momofuku Ko/Pineapple and Pearls/Metier]" and the answer MUST be yes for Shaw Bijou to thrive. still excited for tonight!

I agree with this. this is the true crime. my wife and I could have hit up Ben's/Jumbo Slice after our dinner at Minibar as well, which was disappointing. (anecdotally, I've heard that about P&P too)

the sky must truly be falling in the kitchen right now.

o I don't disagree that Shaw Bijou is more expensive than P&P. it's just my continued rage at the idea that the shaw bijou has a floor of nearly $1k for a couple.

I don't know about African-American chefs, but Loiseau des Ducs earned a Michelin star in France in 2014, and Louis-Phillipe Vigilant, the chef, is the first black chef to earn a star. I'll post pics and a summary after my reservation this weekend. I don't know whether to attribute continued comments like this to a deliberate disinformation campaign or more likely one of the PR missteps that we were discussing above. There has never been a mandatory wine pairing of $170 or $185 or whatever. The hand wringing of Washington City Paper and others over a table for two costing a staggering amount when they include nearly $400 of booze has always annoyed me. ANY check is going to be expensive with $400 of booze added on. Also, it is 20% service and 10% tax, not 10% tip.

no doubt re: Masseria, Fiola/Mare (and I've heard good things about Centrolina in this category too), but IIRC, they are priced more at a "special occasion" level than RPM is. i'll check out Bibiana - I hadn't heard of it.

I'm already outed as a ridiculous Shaw Bijou cheerleader, but I can't imagine rooting for the failure of a guy born in the Bronx, who lived with his family in Nigeria in a town with no electricity, and ultimately sold candy on the subway to put himself through culinary school and finance his catering business. Even if he was on Top Chef.

I finally made it over to Eric Ziebold's hype machine in Shaw. A building that contains both the more "casual" Kinship and the formal jackets-required tasting menu only Metier. I came late on a weekday with my wife hoping to sit at the bar and have dinner. There were no seats, but were told we could hang out at the bar tables and it was likely that we could sit shortly. I had a glass of Riesling from Santa Barbara ($15) and my wife had a glass of Languedoc white ($12). One of the bar servers was very proactive in coming and updating us as to the status of our seats. We were seated and presented with the menu. The menu isn't organized in any discernible way helpful to the guest, but rather based on the way Chef Ziebold came to create the dish. It's a cool story, but makes the menu a bit unapproachable without explanations. I side with Sietsema in pining for the days of menus with "small plates"/"appetizers" and "entrees" sections. In any event, each of the three columns has two small plates, two entrée-sized plates, and one dessert. There is also an "indulgence" column with more decadent entrees at more decadent prices ($28-80) and two desserts that didn't fit anywhere else. Finally, there's large plates "For the Table" - from the famous roast chicken to a whole lobe of roasted foie gras ($150, who wants to have a group Yelp date?) to a presumably gigantic salted caramel peanut bar ($24). With the assistance of our server, we decided to over-order a bit to try more of Chef Ziebold's food, knowing we would be bringing some chicken home. We ordered the torchon of white mushroom (baby beet and wild mushroom salad, huckleberry gastrique, toasted brioche) ($14), the Maine lobster French toast (Asian pear, cucumber, and sesame mousse) ($30), and the Kinship roast chicken (lemon-garlic panade under the skin, pommes rissoles, frisee salad) ($56). To the server's credit, she noted that the chicken is probably enough food for two people, and didn't encourage over-ordering. The white mushroom torchon was unreal. It looked like and had the texture of foie gras, but had the earthy taste of mushrooms. With the little fruit kick of the huckleberry gastrique, I would be hard pressed to not pick this over a foie gras terrine every now and then. The Maine lobster French toast was very good -- it was (understandably) small for $30, but the ability to put seafood and French toast together and have the best parts of both amazing foods shine through was well worth it. At this point we re-up on wine with a glass of a sauvignon blanc blend from DeLille (WA) ($16) and a Bordeaux blend from WA ($18). Bread is served with just-almost-at-the-point-of-melting spreadable butter. The chicken is divine. If you've had the NoMad (NYC)'s famous black truffle/foie gras/brioche stuffed roast chicken, this is its less decadent little brother. The chicken is, of course, perfectly cooked. The lemon and garlic elevates it to a pretty amazing level. The skin was crispy. The dark meat was shredded into a frisee salad. The potatoes were decadent on a level I don't normally see. And the Parker house rolls are some of the best dinner rolls you'll have. We end up wisely boxing much of it to share a dessert. The German chocolate cake (pecan ganache, poached cherries, toasted coconut ice cream) ($12) is, well, just as fantastic as it sounds. Everything works very well together to make a cool version of one of my favorite desserts. I'll definitely repeat, and Metier has leapfrogged Pineapple as one of my next expensive tasting menu style places to go.

not only did he quit but he publicly dissed Kwame on the way out. upon reading, it was exec sous chef (not in the industry, so if that's a different position I apologize). "Anything you'll get at Shaw Bijou you can get [at Barrel] for a third of the price," Ellish says, explaining he and Onwuachi take a similar approach to cooking. "We pull food from the same places. Memories and our interpretation of it. We're not waving magic wands and making crazy food. We take a base dish and tweak it a little bit. Super easy."

agreed with the above that it is kind of "clubby"/"lounge-y" feeling. I get it, but do not love it. still my favorite Italian place in the District I've been to, so i'll keep returning.

haven't had the chance to go here yet. for those who have been, how does this compare to Le Relais de Venise/L'Entrecote in NYC/Paris? is there a sweet house wine deal like L'Entrecote has?

agreed on Gorsuch's tone deafness. I get how he's trying to toe the line between wanting 25-40 year old professionals to be interested while staying hip/hipster/trendy, but I think he managed to piss off both groups in those quotes. Eater has some high quality photos out today. with the pricing backlash and his executive chef quitting and publicly dissing him, Kwame basically has all his eggs in the Sietsema basket, I think. if his food (and everything else about TSB) is amazing like the places he's worked before and Sietsema publishes a glowing four star review, he may sell out December/January immediately. maybe he succeeds wildly and is in a great place going into 2k17 Michelin ratings. but I really think that's his only success route. a scathing review from Sietsema and he may not be around for Michelin season next year. everything needs to be perfect starting Wednesday -- no room for fuck ups. no room for growing pains.

the washingtonian did a first look inside. one week to go for me!

I am new to DC, so haven't gone to every place that is on this list, nor everywhere that is either hyped up as the new hotness of the month or the old school places you simply must go as DC institutions (from Inn at LW to Plume to Old Ebbitt). i definitely got the sense that Plume was a high-end place in a fancy hotel for expense account dining where law firms/etc. could take clients. i haven't been, don't get me wrong. just some of the gimmicks he's engaged in over the last couple of years really annoy me as geared to the crazy food blog crowd. i actually read a blog article re: the London pop-up that the author was "delighted" to see live ants crawling over her salad. come on now. Michelin is supposed to be based on food and the attendant skill, technique, etc. of the chef only -- when i went to Minibar (March 2k16), I was every bit as impressed by the creativity, taste, inventiveness, and technique that went into the courses as i was with my Alinea dinner.

Michael Ellis, international director of Michelin guides, said the following: On three stars: “The two-star restaurants had dishes that flirted with three-star level. We are convinced that the D.C. area is going to continue to evolve.” On Rasika: “We found that we couldn’t confirm the star this year. That in no way means that we cannot confirm a star next year,” On Komi: “We found that there was not a lot of harmony between the different courses. We did not find the level of consistency throughout the menu.” On Inn at Little Washington: “The impact that [chef] Patrick O’Connell has had on a whole generation of chefs,” factored into inspectors’ decisions, said Ellis. “It’s an iconic restaurant.” haha... hard to compare the European guides. I would say if Alinea does, then Minibar does. (also, I find Noma's shtick horrendous and borderline foodie trolling at this point)

that's the only thing giving me pause about this list... no stars for Serow/Komi, Metier (too new?), or Fiola Mare? still don't see how Minibar doesn't deserve three...

I knew I was missing something. it was Kinship. I wrote this list right after dining at the Kinship bar, which was a sublime experience. Corduroy I haven't eaten at and don't know enough about -- it's on my list. Marcel's was also an omission - Michelin has a weakness for French food, and my list doesn't seem to have any French food on it. you're correct about the difference between DC and Europe -- you should look instead to NYC or Chicago as a guide, and even that standard has changed. Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare received three Michelin stars, prompting Chef Achatz to tweet about Michelin throwing the rulebook out the window. Chef's Table was, at the time, stools around a counter and BYOB. the only known criteria are relating to the food -- which is what a 3* BK Fare showed -- the idea that a restaurant must be luxurious or have a fantastic wine list was not necessary to achieve three stars. (also, the two are Fiola Mare and Minibar, right?) I am so jealous. imo, as far as mastery of flavor and cooking techniques and the personality of the Chef in each dish, I don't see a great reason why Minibar doesn't deserve 3 if Alinea does. I think there are "twofers" in Europe. there are none in the US.

Bidwell, Das, Doi Moi, Lapis, Pearl Dive, and Royal seem weird. (and we know how I feel about 2Amys being lauded...) not that surprising - the NYC Bibs are weird too. Sietsema seems to think Bad Saint should have had a star (I haven't been)... I think Kyirisan could at least be in the running for a star... my predictions: 3 Stars: Minibar by Jose Andres 2 Stars: Fiola Mare Komi Metier Pineapple and Pearls 1 Star: Bourbon Steak Convivial Fiola Little Serow Masseria Rose's Luxury Rasika Sushi Taro

reminder: a Bib Gourmand cannot be awarded to a restaurant that gets a Michelin Star, and is supposed to be the "cheap eats" places - $40 for 2 courses and either a dessert or a glass of wine. Bib Gourmands were awarded to: Bad Saint Bidwell Boqueria Chercher China Chilcano Das Doi Moi Jaleo Kyirisan Lapis Maketto Ottoman Taverna Oyamel Pearl Dive Oyster Palace Red Hen Royal Thip Khao 2Amys Zaytinya

truly upsetting. I guess i'll have to try out Keren and/or Chercher now.

I absolutely adore this place. It's my favorite Italian/pasta place in the city (I haven't been to the all-star rated places like Fiola/Fiola Mare or Centrolina, but they compete at a far different price point than RPM Italian). I've now been probably six times. Cooking pasta perfectly once is easy or lucky. Doing it this many times is a mark of a great restaurant. Let me preface this by saying I wanted to hate this place. A vaguely Trump affiliated celebrity restaurant that's associated with a national chain brand that's more expensive than I'd like for some simple stuff? Ready to pass. Fortunately (or not), it didn't work out that way. The first time we went was opening week. The sommelier (a woman who I have sadly forgotten the name of) was extremely helpful, explained how the wine bottles were selected, and picked a fantastic Valpolicella at a price point that was reasonable. We ordered the Truffled Garlic Bread circa 1963 ($9) and Lobster Caprese ($20) to start. The bread came in about ten pieces and was divine. It was literally the perfect garlic bread. The combination of crunchy bread, garlic, truffle earthiness, and butter was absolute perfection. The lobster caprese comes with more lobster and more buffalo mozzarella than you'd expect. It's very good, but that's a dish that sort of writes itself. I had the Carbonara ($18) and my wife had the Maine Lobster Ravioli ($25). The carbonara came with an egg yolk on top, which was mixed tableside. Both dishes were superb - the flavors were on-point (note that the carbonara is more Italian-style -- no cream) and the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. We shared the Pistachio Cannoli ($9) which was as good as any cannoli I had in NYC. We've returned several times and had many dishes. Nothing was anything less than great. Standouts include the Spaghetti and Meatball ($24), a simple dish with one giant perfect meatball, the Prosciutto Tortelloni ($16), which is as delicious as you think it might be, thankfully the prosciutto shines and doesn't get overwhelmed by the rest of the dish, the Pappardelle Bolognese ($20), and the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio ($16) with its truffle aioli. We have also tried the signature dessert, the Torta Meringata ($23). It is listed as serving 2-4 -- it's a big stretch with 2. It is a salted caramel and vanilla gelato cake flambéed tableside and cut into four "slices." It is decadent and rich and amazing, especially if you're a salted caramel lover like me.

For now, just another scene-y trendy overpriced U Street bar. The space is beautiful and large. They thankfully had a plethora of bartenders working to address the opening night crowd. It is LOUD - nothing to dampen sound, so even without any music, you'll be screaming to your companions.Though their online menu lists house spirits, there are none yet. They're working on it. There's also no Manhattan flight. The drinks were fine to good, but nothing was great, and for $12, there are a lot of great cocktails to be had. They have a gin and tonic on the menu with house-made thyme tonic. My wife ordered one and was given a regular gin and tonic ($7). If you're on 14th and U, you're in easy walking distance to The Gibson, Quarter and Glory, and 2 Birds 1 Stone. If you care about cocktails and want to pay $12ish for them, they're all better choices. Though, I whine about the trendy/see-and-be-seen crowd and their bars, but it's clear this bar isn't targeting me, because there were surely a ton of people drinking those $8 Miller High Lifes. I won't return until house spirits show up.

this must have been near 9PM on a weeknight! i have noticed this about DC in general. it tends to be more ~family friendly~...even Zaytinya at 10:30PM was full of children. :-/

hah! well, it's very good. 2 Amys was okay to good, but there's a baseline with Neapolitan pizza that unless something goes catastrophically wrong (rotten ingredients, drastically undercooked or overcooked, etc), it's still going to be okay. i am intrigued by the "wine bar" small plates and if i find myself up there, may return for those. however, this is just idiosyncratic to my wife and me, i like a good glass of wine and delicious small plates in a bit more of an adult atmosphere. i know we only went once, but there were SO MANY SCREAMING CHILDREN. running around, knocking into tables, sitting at tables screaming, what have you. that's my biggest reason i don't want to go back....