saxdrop

On 6/23/2017 at 4:28 PM, Al Dente said:

I caught Dead & Company last weekend at Fenway Park, and I must say they are at the top of their game. 

caught the tour closer at Wrigley Field this past weekend. I'm a Dead noob, unqualified to make any relative claim. But as a concert taken by itself, it was pretty glorious. Much of the setlist was things I was familiar with, Oteil got lots of singing time, Johnny appears to be taking a more assertive role during jams (compared to the 2015 Verizon Center show, which was just awful in a bunch of ways), and I got to say hi to Bill Walton. Plus standing in the outfield at Wrigley doesn't suck -- the sound was great, weather cooperated, and the stadium staff are real pros. 

UPDATE: Well I got my friends' kids' ages wrong (theyre actually 9, 9, and 10) but we all felt I made the right call on venue. The kids were conspicuously the only minors in the place when we went, but once we were seated they fit right in. Props to Publican staff who went WAY out of their way with little extras for the kiddos. 

There was a booth available, but it was too tight for our group. WE ended up at one of the communal tables, and bc it was roughly 615 when we started, had open seats on either side for most of the meal. In addition to all the amazing things we tried, we ordered the selection of hams + bread, cajun sausage, and the chicken + fries as things the kids might dig (we hit on two out of three).

Not by design, but incidentally I also ended up with after-dinner drinks at Avec and pre-concert catering the next day from Big Star - so I did my modest part to keep One Off Hospitality Group in business. 

Having no info outside that article, I'm struck by his assumption of culpability and how contrite he comes off.

I've been a pretty consistent booster/defender of Hill Country since it opened.  But the quality shown in roughly bi-monthly visits over the last year or so have inexorably sloped down. But I don't mean to bury HC - just to explicitly and officially (to myself) declare that it ranges from adequate to good, but no longer within spitting distance of sublime. The moist brisket is rarely as moist and smoky as it used to be. And on my last visit on Sunday (June 11) the specials board listed sausage for $6.75. I should've asked how much/many that gave you but I took the fact that it implied a single link the way it was written as a sign that I'm no longer the target audience (if I ever was).

I have a friend who travels to town every couple months, and insist on a visit to this place. Its not so bad I'll try to talk him out of it, but it's no longer the treat I used to look forward to.

Went for dinner on Saturday, June 3 for belated birthday and research for a forthcoming project. 

Food: Salade d'Endives Belge, Moules Diablo Frites, Cavatelli au Confit D'Agneau (pictured), Cavatelli and Salmon (special), and macaroons (white chocolate, lemon, green tea).

Drink: Francois le Saint Calcaire Sancerre (2015)  

Everything except the cavatelli are things i would happily order again. Macaroons were tasty but waaay to rich to finish at that point (6 per order). Server pointed us to the right bottle for the meal given our preferences.

I've been a couple times now over four months. Can't say enough nice things about this place.

First time was a busy Friday night in February. Service issues were obvious first time through but they've obviously tries to address this. [Disclosure: one of the partners is a friend, and he's mentioned finding and holding on to good staff is a battle].

Their happy hour specials are pretty unbeatable

[Posted here b/c I saw a recent reference to Sospeso in the thread]

Popped into Sospeso on Saturday. My understanding is it's been open for about 3 months, self-described as "Mediterranean inspired all day spot." They clearly put a lot of emphasis on design - the large downstairs bar area and dining room look incredible. And their instagram almost looks like stock advertising firm photos they're so composed.

Didn't get to try the food. Our bartender Daniel was incredibly friendly and chatty. Had a local light ale, an espresso (excellent) and a custom cocktail substitute: I wanted a pisco sour, but they don't carry pisco or cachaça, so he tried vermouth. Structurally excellent but the flavor wasn't great.

11 minutes ago, dracisk said:

Balki??

No, Cousin Larry! Also, yes it is odd, but I was all in on the premise before i even started watching. Religious scholar Reza Aslan is a consultant on the show which I think (based on interviews with showrunner Damon Lindelof) adds some subtle and unintuitive implications to what could easily feel gimmicky. Ex: how does a person deal with loss when they are denied the millennia-old rituals of grieving? Maybe as much of an indictment as an endorsement, Lindelof is indeed one of the creative forces behind "Lost." I think this show maintains the best parts while leaving behind the worst.

The team behind "Better Call Saul" has fairly earned the benefit of the doubt, for both this and BB, but this season seems to be losing momentum: Saul's story line is becoming increasingly tedious and overall the show more dependent Mike's arc (which I guess is ok). 

I recently binged Season 2 of HBO's "The Leftovers" (critical consensus is skipping Season 1 doesnt lose you much). Ends with Season 3 - currently airing.

After a year away, also catching up on "The Americans" Season 4.

It seems no coincidence Sweet Home resembles Mitsitam since Jerome Grant left the latter to start the former

Although it also seems as if quality-wise the move was zero sum.

Ah perfect! The kids in my group are coincidentally also 6 and 8, and I made a rez way in advance so I feel pretty confident with the choice and I'll be sure to request a booth.

Thanks for the feedback gang.

Piggybacking on this: @Tweaked or @DonRocks if you already went, would you characterize The Publican as (well-behaved) kid-friendly? I know its pretty casual, but does the communal setup make it awkward?

Figure it's fully adjudicated at this point, but Bill Simmons had Jimmy Kimmel on his podcast a few days after the show for an insider's look at how it went down.

On 2/24/2017 at 3:36 PM, ktmoomau said:

if someone tries Sushi2Go, let me know!  I walk by this on the way to my nail place, and I don't ever think it can be good...

I'll second what @stupidusername said about it. I went last night. Everything about this place screams "Terrible. Don't bother." but it punches way above it's weight and I don't mean that to be damning with faint praise. Ordered the "Sushi & Sashimi Special" ($24, I believe). Had the usual suspects. Added seaweed salad, order of 6 gyoza, and a premade cold squid salad [altogether = the image shown x 2 + a little extra]. Was plenty for two of us.

Service was extremely fast and the woman running the counter was as sweet and charming as advertised. Will definitely become a go-to for my en route takeout dinner routine, especially since I need to cut down on my Wiseguy's intake. We were originally craving Takumi - obviously not an equal substitute - but given time constraints and worse than usual traffic due to the rain, we had to compromise and were not disappointed.

23 hours ago, zgast said:

It's almost like they screwed up by charging to check-in bags (everyone carries on now) and now are trying to add even more revenue to fix the very problem they created.

IOW: demand curves are everywhere and at all times downward sloping

4 hours ago, DonRocks said:

What's wrong with foie gras and chicken? Was the chicken battered?

Nothing wrong as far as I am concerned, but Sietsema found it unnecessary. I guess I'll never know what the dish tastes like as originally conceived. The chicken does have a very thick, super crunchy batter.

Finally made it to Kennedy Center this season [ed. Snarky Puppy w/ NSO Pops - it was fantastic!]. As @SRJ noted, this is really the only game in the neighborhood.

Food (shared btw 2): crab "congee" croquettes, scallops, fried chicken & waffle, side of sauteed mushrooms. Drink: I had a "Bonaparte's Guillotine" and she had the house Manhattan (house aged 30 days in amaro rinsed barrel). Nothing mind blowing or remarkably original, but it all performed. Everything was incredibly well seasoned. Chicken & waffle was the highlight, but the house manhattan was the real star (it better be for $20!). Total (w/ tax) = $130.

I re-read Sietsema's review and they seem to have taken many of his issues to heart, although I can't be sure having not been here before: (1) The complimentary honey/chile chips were not dominated by sweetness; (2) Foie gras no longer present w/ the chicken; (3) music was not particularly noticeable. They seem to have the same S-shaped chairs, but in contrast to him, we found them very easy to settle in to.

Our server was very kind and attentive. Service overall seemed to run smoothly throughout, incl. a large group up front by the bar. For a Wed. evening, in that neighborhood, before 8pm, the place seemed to be doing pretty well: not full but humming. Def wouldn't mind making it the regular pre-theater stop but that would amount to at most 2-3x/year.

Also stopped by The Next Whisky Bar on our way out for one drink b/c we had to. Beyond the extensive list, they're definitely trying some cool things w/ the cocktail program. I worry given its size, location, and clientele (at least on this midweek night) it'll largely go underappreciated but I'm sure they'll do fine.

9 minutes ago, Marty L. said:

With some trepidation (see Momofuku thread), may I ask:  What are the approximate food and drink prices?

Tasting (all inclusive, w/ small tasting plates)

3-course: $79

5-course: $108

We added optional Champagne: $20

In the Spirits Library (a la carte bar) drinks are $12-17 and the small plates are $5-9

Went last night for a 3-drink tasting (plus champagne). They're currently doing a Fall-centric menu, specifically inspired around a theme of "Leaves." In one case, this was literally interpreted in the food item but its loosely tied in to everything. One drink involved a tincture made from pages (leafs?) of a 100-year-old book. The delivery/presentation of this drink was equally clever, but I don't want to spoil it.

I can report a couple things: (1) the food (in the tasting room) is incredibly inventive in both taste and form. I assume this is Spero's influence being felt. (2) According to our bartender Alex Levy, the patio is closed for now, but they're working on a major renovation that will provide cover and more complete climate control for year-round use.

As with the old Columbia Room - and really all of the Drink Company places - service was thoughtful, attentive but not overbearing, and gracious throughout. Well worth it.

1 hour ago, lhollers said:

Overordered as always (goat curry, spicy keema curry, masala chicken, and karahi chicken...and roti and palaak paneer and daal)

Whoah! Decided to put together your own personal Indian buffet. Count me in...

Tyler Cowen hosted a dinner discussion at Panda Gourmet with Chinese cuisine expert Fuschia Dunlop.

About an hourlong discussion: video / transcript

The focus is on how to understand Chinese food culture, its growing nexus with Western culture, and especially Szechuan food. Pretty fascinating - they're joined by journalist Ezra Klein and chef Mark Miller.

On 10/20/2016 at 10:43 AM, TheGut said:

The cheese steak was outstanding.

That looks like real bread! I will also be partaking in this spot when I'm nearby.

On 10/28/2016 at 9:55 AM, Tweaked said:

Is there a better looking restaurant to walk into [than The Dabney] when the weather is turning to Autumn and the hearth is blazing and the air is tinged with smoke?

This is the exact thought I had first time walking into Woodberry Kitchen...

On 10/24/2016 at 11:14 AM, Tweaked said:

More from Washingtonian (Jessica Sidman)

From the second graph: "...skirt steak from black-footed Ibérico pigs."

Is that a thing? And if so, why isn't it part of my life? Sidman is knowledgeable so I'm presuming it's not an accident. 

Generally second the most recent comments. Only additional points:

- Pizza tasted yeastier than most other places. Did the crust have a slightly higher rise, or was it my imagination? Either way, I didn't find whatever it was preferable, but it also wasn't offensive. I think the pizza was still squarely within the VPN margin of tolerance.

- Had a appetizer on the specials menu (not sure if daily/weekly/etc but was a printed insert in the menu) of grilled octopus with lightly grilled veg. Octopus had a slightly mushy exterior I've never experienced, though the interior was texturally as you would expect. It was also nearly room-temperature. Overall it was off-putting and I didn't finish.

- Ordered a Chianti (which by coincidence was their house Red) which was unavailable. Then ordered a second choice, but they had only one glass left -- literally it was a glass sitting out behind the bar. Can't remember where I ended up with my 3rd choice, something inoffensive and unmemorable. They were also out of a seasonal pizza special. At 6:30ish on a Monday, I was surprised so many things were out.