Gary Tanigawa

I ate there last night and the menu had not changed.

Two hours does sound longer that I would comfortable, unless there was a delay ordering or there was a slow eater in your group . I ate a solo "lickety split" lunch at the bar on Tuesday in about an hour (I was watching the time because I was parked at a meter), which seemed average in my experience. I was asked if I wanted the courses served in a particular order or at the same time, so the bartender is sensitive to the time issue. Perhaps the kitchen was slammed when you were there (I ate a late lunch - 1 PM?) or the server thought your party wanted a more leisurely pace (a lot of the people eating lunch there do not appear to be in a hurry to get back to work). But the staff is accommodating about the pace and I have been asked in the past if I was under any time pressure to leave. Granted that you would not be aware of the potential problem until there was a long wait between courses, but you might try in the future to let them know when you order that your party would like to end lunch at a particular time. I have a feeling that the staff defaults to a more leisurely pace unless the get a cue from the diner that he is in a hurry.

Since no one appears to have posted a link to the Washington Post's story, I will. To summarize the piece, Vapiano is "better and more ingratiating than expected." I agree. I work in the area and welcome the ability to drop in at odd times (closing time is late, albeit variable in my experience). I have eaten there about five times. The pastas are simple. They are not what one would expect from a restaurant charging higher prices, but satisfying for under $10. But its peers are not Maestro and (the late) Galileo; they are fast food places and "family" restaurants. With my expectations tuned to the latter, I have been satisfied in my visits. As someone else opined earlier in this thread, I agree that the pizzas are better at pie-tanza but they are okay here (perhaps I have low expectations for pizza since I was not brought up in the NY-NJ-CT area). The dishes will not impress, neither will they challenge the cautious eater. Reading the cards listing the various dishes, you will have a good idea of what you will receive. I assume most of the business comes from people in the neighborhood who are walking by the location. There is not a lot of parking nearby. I have only been there for dinner and they appear to be doing okay business. I am not sure how many people are served for lunch as the least expensive salads, pastas, and pizzas are $7, which might be a little too much (both portion size and price) what many people want for lunch. And service is friendly - the system with logging purchases on the smart card is patiently explained. Paying the check is simple - no flagging down a waiter and waiting for the bill to be prepared. I also understand there is "happy hour" pricing on some of the beer and wine. Finally, please take the WP's advice in its story to be generous with tipping. It states that tips are pooled so I hope that they all (bussers, cooks, bartender, cashiers) benefit from the arrangement. By its arrangement, Vapiano most resembles a cafeteria (where I do not usually tip) but I am happy to add a tip to the modest amount I am charged here.

From the Gospel according to DonRocks: deangold's comments appear to be reasonable criticism. He tells you what he did not like AND the reasons. It is not a "complaint" because he does more than tell you that he did not like the flavor of the food. He tells you why the su flavor was off, the texture of the ankimo was mealy (could it have been frozen and thawed badly?), why he considered the sushi expensive, incorrectly described, and not proportional to the rice etc. His comments were informative and useful (imho). But going back to DonRocks' foundational post, you might consider not posting criticism anonymously. I know deangold is his real name and that the owner of Dino is posting (thus disclosing his affiliation). His reputation suffers if he posts irresponsibly. He is personally responsible if his criticism is petty, unfair, or prejudiced. OTOH, if DLB posts a negative comment, and (let us assume) it is unfair and made for an ulterior reason, that is anonymous criticism (albeit about deangold's post instead of a restaurant) .

Have you ever liked sushi bought from a cooler in a grocery store? Unfortunately I don't think you can prevent the hardening and cooling of the shari. Consider that no one should keep leftover sushi in the refrigerator (at least I wouldn't), and it should be obvious that you shouldn't pay for such a product. Is there any possibility at WasabiSito of requesting sushi made directly from the kitchen or just taking whatever was just made before it is delivered to the refrigerator? Perhaps if the buyer called ahead for takeout, he could get something edible?

I agree that Calvert Woodley's pricing can be very competitive for the area. For example, I haven't seen 12 y/o Highland Park for $28 for years.

The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. constitution specifies that the powers not specifically given to Congress or prohibited altogether reside in the states or in the people. Virginia's constitution contains no provision analogous to the Tenth Amendment in prescribing power relationships between the commonwealth and its localities. Instead, Virginia applies Dillon's Rule in a strict way. Actions of a county or city must be in accordance with the exact language of enabling state legislation. Pure home rule assumes that a local government may exercise all authority not specifically prohibited it by Virginia's constitution or statutory law. The Virginia General Assembly has been opposed to extending home rule to its localities.

Takoyaki (grilled octopus) and ikayaki (grilled squid) are also are listed in the English-language menu under appetizers.

The website is now http://www.izakayablueocean.com/ Unfortunately, there is no translation of the Japanese menu, so bring along a translator or be prepared to point at dishes on other table (?). FWIW, ankimo and kakuni are listed in the English-language menu under appetizers. The piece of fish on the sushi is (nontraditionally) enormous.

Massimo Fabbri is named as "Chef" for Tosca in the ad for the Mardi Gras benefit dinner.

I found the last bottle from a purchase a year ago from Michael Downey Selections/Arrowine (I also recall the price was around $20): Crivelli Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato 2003. It seems to have lost the interesting aroma I remember from last year.

Shelly's Back Room 1331 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20004-1107 Seagars (Hilton @ King St Metro) 1767 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314 Many steakhouses sell cigars and allow you to smoke in the bar area.

They obtained their liquor license yesterday so beer will be served soon

Call ahead, but I don't think they are planning to be open for lunch this week.

I'll attend

NOT the same owners

A friend went to Arcadia twice a year ago and recommended it. It's in the San Jose Marriott.

Thanks for the info. It sounds like it may be worth trying out. Unfortunately, the restaurant's website still lists Secchich as the chef so I'm assuming the menu information was similarly out of date

Anyone been to The Oval Room recently?

According to the database entry, your "friend" tips 56% and gives *r*l s*x in the restroom!

Is the "famous" roasted fish with scallion dish on the menu and, if so, what number? Otherwise, do you ask for it as roasted fish or fried fish?

Restaurant Eve has shad roe on special, either as an appetizer or entree ($30) portion. First time I've had it so I had no preconceptions on taste or texture, but it did not resemble the other descriptions on this thread (mushy, liver). I would describe the texture as firm with a creamy mouthfeel. I think it might have been fried (?) which gave the shad roe a dry, not quite crispy, surface texture. Definitely seafood but not fishy, I would agree with giant shrimp's description of it being close to meaty. I'd recommend it and will try to have it again before its season ends.

Well, I ate at Yamazato last night with friends and imho the impressions from just after Mr. Shinmoto left were confirmed. I had the chirashi special; friends had the sushi deluxe, sashimi special, and a teriyaki dish. So we did not have any "a la carte" sushi, but I had liked both the set dinners and individual sushi/sashimi at Yamazato so the fish on the table seem to be adequate for comparison. The four people working behind the sushi bar were busy, but I did not see the second sushi chef from before (who I had seen after Mr. Shinmoto left). I don't know if Mr. Shinmoto's assistant is still working there, but just absent last night. Freshness of the fish was good (3/5) and prices are still reasonable. I would say quality (i.e., skill of the sushi chef) was okay (2/5). Lack of interesting tastes and use of filler (e.g., cooked ebi, tamago, surimi) was imho the biggest difference between now and the past. The whiteboard had bluefin toro, salmon, and albacore from what I remember; previous visits had a more extensive list and interesting shellfish. The rice (seasoned and plain) was not at its freshest (2/5). My conclusion from the two visits after the change in sushi chefs was confirmed: mediocre (but still better than the majority of Japanese-American restaurants) and a significant step down than before. My friends had brought their 17-month old infant and felt it was a family-friendly environment. The service was attentive and the manager (Steve?) was gracious. My friends, who live in suburban NJ, thought the meal was very good. So, on the positive side, my friends (who I suspect are less critical about Japanese food) liked the restaurant a lot! The cooked appetizers (shrimp and vegetable tempura, and age dashi tofu) were excellent (4/5). I would still recommend Yamazato as one of the better Japanese restaurants locally, but not the same experience as the past.

I ate there quite a bit before the addition of the Thai dishes and the loss of Mr. Mitsutoshi Shinmoto (the sushi chef referenced above). But although the menu and the types of (featured) fish listed on the whiteboard were not lost when the menu choices were expanded, I felt Yamazato had slipped back into the the ranks of mediocre Japanese restaurants. I attributed this to the missing Mr. Shinmoto. With grover's and Escoffier's recommendation of the food, however, I will try it again and report back. I admit that I might have been overly critical because I enjoyed my brief interactions with Mr. Shinmoto on a few occasions at the sushi bar. Does anyone know if Mr. Shinmoto is still working in this area? I hesitate to ask the people still at the restaurant because of the implicit criticism that they might perceive.

!!! I once made a mixture of pasta (shells?), anchovies, and diluted peanut butter - and I wasn't even druke!