frogprince

I am admittedly biased but Cashion's is now smaller plates and takes reservations.

Before we left DC 6 months ago, Zaytinya, 2amys, Estadio, Etto, Marks Duck House and the bar at Taberna del Alabardero all excelled at small plates

The easiest off the top of my head (in a home kitchen): pepper vinegar, hot sauce, pickled. All require very little labor, basic equipment and last indefinitely.

Johnny's uses Leidenheimer bread!

It would have to be a *very* drunken stoner's throw because Mixtec closed.

Well shit, that's what I get for moving

One could do worse then Perry's/Mintwood/Cashion's/Bedrock for an Adams Morgan romp the *civilized* way; Black Squirrel for great burgers and Mixtec for decent Mexican merely lay a drunken stoner's throw away down 18th

Robben is a bigger flop than that Wagamama to DC fiasco several year back. But his theatrical talents, not to mention his glistening dome, one would certainly be forgiven for mistaking him for a young Patrick Stewart

Hit this place up on our way home after visiting a rainy and chilly Gettysburg back in early May; very pleasantly surprised. MD crab soup nicely seasoned and generous on the crab. We actually stopped cos their sign out front announced "we have shad and roe" (otherwise it would've been 'cue up in emmitsburg); the filet gently cooked on the flat top, the roe wrapped in bacon and roasted for a couple more minutes than it should have. And who doesn't love a salad bar and fresh bread included in the price of ones entree?

Bedrock Billiards, DC

Bar Tonique, New Orleans

On the super casual side: Greek Spot, Chix, Zenebech Injera, Ooh's and Aah's, Great Wall Szechuan (those last three might not be the greatest idea before a seated show surrounded by other people and not, you know, walking distance to one's, you know, private spot to, ahem, lighten one's load)

Casual but DAMN GOOD: Satellite Room (get the Diner Burger, throw on a few toppings, enjoy fries that came from real potatoes, cut and cooked by a real person, sit with Boo at the bar and thank me later) Eat the Rich/Southern Efficiency- cos Jules is the shit and so is his food (and yes he is a friend of mine)

Pricier: Ghibellina and Etto. These could work if you got in right when they open and just explain your time constraints, shouldn't be a problem.

Until a month ago, I had lived in the hood for the past 9 years. The transformation is, quite frankly, astounding. Cannot even imagine what it will look like when I come home to visit

All I got to add to this is: HASH N' RICE Y'ALL

 Peche found yet another, higher gear (though I be biased on this one for sure).
 

Hint, hint...

Today!!!

That was fast but we do have a place to live now as opposed to living out of the car.

As we didn't have too much time between house viewings, for the most part we stuck we what we know and love: Herbsaint, Parasol's, Casamento's continue to sparkle, each in their own very distinctive way, Peche found yet another, higher gear (though I be biased on this one for sure).

The Joint, deep in the Bywater, astounded us with their 'cue; I honestly could not believe how damn good it was, considering its essentially a shack with a big ass smoker out back in the shadow of the Industrial Canal. All too often I find BBQ to be woefully underseasoned, as though the pitmasters were allowing the smoke to handle all the tasks in the flavor department, as if salt were less important than smoke; not so at the Joint. Ditto the piles of blackened mush masquerading as "meat" (and may have been at some point, long before they were cast into a darkened corner of a smoker and forgotten about for almost a day); folks, there's a very important distinction between something being "tender" and "overcooked;" To simplify matters, we had 2 plates of expertly seasoned, beautifully cooked meat; the sides were clearly shown the same amount of attention as the proteins.

Amongst the many things I will miss about my home town, eating at a restaurant of Palena's celestial caliber regularly will certainly be in the top 5

I'm trying to eat out enough and write enough reviews for Richmond to get a forum unto itself, but I'm just one man.

Richmond, in my time: Edo's Squid, Buzz and Ned's, Bill's BBQ, 3rd St Diner, Lemaire, Comfort, Millie's Diner, Penny Lane (for Scouser fun)

Fredericksburg: Allmans BBQ, Dixie Bones, La Petite Auberge

Every Cracker Barrel along the way, particularly the one by Manassas, as it is right by the battlefields of both 1st and 2nd Manassas

Mathew's Pizza in Baltimore springs to mind, as does Lusco's in Greenwood,MS and The Crown in Indianola,MS

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see these crop up, I've been going to them for quite a few years now and my family has been darkening their doors for even longer; we're still going back and ain't got any quittin' plans yet

I am not really familiar enough with other places to add many, maybe Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester, NY.

For DC- what about say the Senate cafeteria, (it's in Arlington but Ray's fits this), Market Lunch, 2Amy's used to be, but I don't know that tourists would seek it out like they used to do, yes on Old Ebbitt's, Off the Record at the Hay Adams.  Central might fit the bill too.  Certainly Jaleo (downtown only).

Breadline probably used to be one, Hotel Washington rooftop was one.    The problem is we have less long term been there forever type places, we have so much movement. And now so many of our chefs have become less DC and more international.  Probably at one time we had more iconic places, whether they were that good, who knows.  Plus it seems like good chefs now have to open multiple restaurants and then any one becomes less iconic.  For instance Mike Isabella's Graffiato could have become iconic if he didn't have so many other projects, same as perhaps Good Stuff Eatery (even though I didn't personally like it plenty of locals did).

Market Lunch is an exceptional omission on my part, it absolutely fits the bill

The Adams Morgan branch of Tacos Pepitos was sold to new owners who renamed it Super Tacos but changed substantively little with the annoying exception being that they seldom have lengua because the new owners were trying to find a better supplier; this was several years ago though.

For DC, I might add Horace and Dickie's over on H st; sadly, I don't think we really have a place (anymore, looking at you Harvey's)s that "defines" us as a region the way that some of the joints you mentioned above do for their respective cities.

For New Orleans, Galatoire's, Antoine's, Commander's Palace, Parkway, Dooky Chase's plus about, oh I don't know, a few hundred other places.

Compare that to DC, it just ain't the same in terms of history and a defining sense of cuisine.

A. Litteri's, Florida ave

Zorba's, Dupont

The Greek Spot, Ust

Making larger than your fingers can hold sandwiches out of the goodness of Zenebech Injera (6th and T NW) remains a firm favorite of mine

Between just those two!?!

August.

Though there's a myriad of options out there if you've time for more...

East by Northeast, yes the chef/owner is a friend of mine but the food IS that good.

Dali for above average tapas

Island creek oyster bar, despite my wanting to not enjoy it, was stunning. Never had a better biscuit deep in the belly of Yankee-Dom. Plus they have txacoli rose and varying sizes of platters of chilled shellfish, what more could one want?

Despite my wanting to enjoy it, I hated Craigie on Main.

The Butcher Shop was fun in a 2009-kind of a way

Ten Tables, way out in Jamaica Plain, remains one of the best and worst meals in my 31 years; the seemingly simple food stunningly executed, as for the rest, well, if you're claustrophobic (such as myself) you might want to steer clear of this place, as I had to leave when I started sweating bullets; in my opinion it should be called 7 tables

Oleana, TW Food and Hungry Mother were all most enjoyable as well

Adolfo's (in the Marigny, right across Esplanade from the Quarter) might also fit your bill; old-school Italian in that only-in-New Orleans-way, very reasonably priced (bring cash, no plastic though). It is quite small but this never seems to be a problem thanks to the wonderful bar below, The Apple Barrel; this does, however, present difficulties when trying to recall the nuances of the dishes the next day (or even what one ate).

What is good and affordable in New Orleans these days? (Besides Cochon Butcher!) I was surprised to see that places like Commander's Palace and August have entrees in the high 30s.

On my last visit, Cochon and Galatoire's served top-notch stuff that didn't break the bank (entrees in low- to mid-20s). Coquette and Herbsaint are a little pricier but still doable for those of us on a per diem.

I'll be headed there next week for a work conference. Has anyone had luck with walking in anywhere on weekend nights? (I was hoping to hit Sylvain, for example, but they require a CC for reservation, and our schedules are too chaotic to know when we'll be free.) We're also willing to go anywhere within a short cab ride of the French Quarter, where we'll be based.

Thanks!

Casamento's and Pasacal's Manale, while uptown and slightly longer than a "short" cab ride, definitely fit your bill of good and affordable, not to mention unique, not only to their respective cuisines but also to New Orleans itself. (Don't let the cab ride interfere; its akin to going from Dupont to Van Ness).

Per your weekend walk-in request, I would call some folks and explain your situation, how many in your party, give them a window of what time y'all hope to arrive and see what the options might be; politeness, honesty and transparency go a long way in this biz.

I've always been quite pleased with Marks Duck House, personally, but I gotta admit I've rarely ventured to any other joints that specialize or even offer the dish (i.e. I don't eat a lot of Chinese).

I did make the rather unfortunate decision years ago to order the "Peking Duck" from Great Wall Szuhuan House and suppose I fully deserved the atrociousness of the dish, as they are a Szuhuan restaurant; still, it could have been good and since its around the corner from the house, I couldn't continue to live in such close proximity to Peking duck and not know whether or not it was good, nay, edible.

It was neither, friends.

I once had an enchilada near Hampstead Heath.

I wished I hadn't

Reckon I deserved it though