Jonathan

How cool. My favorite spot to grab food in Brooklyn is Yunnan Flavor Garden. The cuisine is just so delicious and bordering on Thai/Vietnamese in its flavor profile. 

I’ll have to check out this place when I’m in town next.

On 2/20/2019 at 8:07 AM, B.A.R. said:

Seylou is one of the most important food service operations in the DC area.

I've been on this board since its inception, and before that eGullet, and before that Chowhound, and almost everything that has been discussed in those 18+ years about what may be "lacking" in DC, or whether or not DC is truly a world-class food city, is represented in Seylou. It's success and future depends on DR.com and other like minded and passionate people to support it, either monetarily or on social media. 

Seylou literally checks all the boxes: local, organic, sustainable, free-standing, independent, world-class quality, unique, community, I could go on and on. The owners, Jonathan Bethony and Jessica Azeez, work tirelessly and uncompromisingly to put out some of the best breads and pastries in the world. Yes, I said world.

Jonathan, who ran the Washington State Bread Lab and started the bread program at Blue Hill for Dan Barber (started as in did everything from selecting the specific wheat, growing, harvest, mill, bake) is doing the same out of Seylou. Nothing here is inexpensive, but it is all reasonably priced. A loaf of bread made from freshly harvested grains from a local Amish farm, milled in full the day of baking, does not come cheaply. But that $11 loaf of pain au levain will last two weeks and is massive, not to mention delicious. So certainly price point is a barrier to entry for most, and Seylou knows this. If you are on SNAP, the discount for bread at Seylou is 50%. 

Another challenge is the physical appearance of the breads and pastries, specifically the color. Everything is brown to dark brown. It looks burned beyond all hope. The croissants appear as if a single bite will cause the pastry to crumble into dust. There is no "golden" colored anything. The color comes from the whole grains and oils from the entire wheat kernel. That deep brown croissant that looks dry is "OMG this is the best crossant I have ever tasted" as my lovely wife stated oafter her first bite. Cut one in half and it is extraordinary in its lightness, with hundred of airy pockets in between buttery (Trickling Springs) rich dough. Just amazing.

You can say the same about the cookies, bialy's, financiers, foccacia, etc. The District is incredibly lucky to have Seylou, and it is a bakery worth a special trip into DC, just as Metier or Komi are. Go. Buy a loaf of bread or as much as you can afford. This place should be a landmark in DC for years to come.*

*Climbs down from soapbox.

As someone who no longer lives in DC but comes back “home” to visit quite a bit...I agree 100% with all of this. Seylou was the only place I wanted to/cared to/and did visit upon my last trip home. The bread, the pastries, everything was top notch. And their passion, talent and commitment are worthy of our support.

Many people make a restaurant what it ultimately becomes. The owner. The chef. The folks that come and go as employees and the folks who come and go as guests and customers. 

Palena lost a special one last week: Noel Sanchez. He was one of Palena’s first employees and he worked there until it’s final day. His wife worked at Amernick Bakery down the street. Noel also worked at Ghibellina, Posto and DACOR Bacon House. He plated desserts (all those cookie plates), made caramels, spun ice creams, did most of the fry plates that flew out of the kitchen and always did it with a smile and a joke. 

Noel and his wife Dinora have three kids and have worked their tails off like the many immigrants before them who came to America to make a better life for them and their kids and their future generations. 

Here’s what Frank had to say about Noel when we all found out he passed away Thursday (the first day of Spring):

“Noel was one of Palena’s first employees,  starting out as a part time prep cook/dishwasher Saturday mornings. He was intelligent, keen and he caught on quick. His attitude and personality brought light and effervescence. He soon became a pillar that we all could count on. If there was ever a problem, glitch or if someone needed help of any kind, he was always among the first to take a step forward to help. That's how we knew him as a co- worker. 

Why is the tortilla $150? How big is it? 

Was it busy? Did your neighbors enjoy their food?

Reminds me (in a very delicious way) of the Beef Feast Dinners I did at Palena.

20 hours ago, Genevieve said:

I will say that when I had some MilkBar desserts at Momofuku in Toronto (a pie and a cookie), I thought they were delicious. It's possible that the local incarnations aren't as good. But I have not tried and am not really interested in the cereal milk, etc.

Different strokes for different folks. I’ve tried stuff from East Village; Brooklyn and DC and find it all to be pre-made, mass produced junk food/stoner food  rather than something delicious or extraordinary. 

I will never understand the popularity of such mediocrity.

While I’m sure these dishes were all good (if not delicious); I just don’t understand how this is a cohesive meal? 

So many different ethnicities and flavor profiles...call me old fashioned but this just isn’t how I love to eat.

I don’t know where this is, but people should cook more at home. This looks mediocre at best and probably cost you $50 minimum (more with drinks and tip).

Lovely food and food photos.

I’ve always dreamt of getting that space.

A little notice would have been appropriate.

As a graduate not as esteemed as Aggie Chin or Aaron Silverman, I’m quite sad to hear the news. 

It’s all so strange that they would close it so suddenly. But I’m sure we will know the details soon enough.

I just wish it was like 59,000 square feet and there were more choices and perhaps a Shaw Bijou too. There aren’t enough choices for me...

On 4/11/2017 at 5:53 PM, Gadarene said:

Unpopular opinion: people on this board venerate Frank Ruta too much.

That's like saying people venerate Jean Georges, Daniel Boloud or Gunther Seeger too much.

it might be true. But he, and they, are deserving. Having had the pleasure of working for Frank for 6 years, his technique, flavors, attention to detail and work ethic are second to none. From his simple Oxtail Vaccinara or little pork head cheese croquettes to his more sophisticated Lobster and Oyster Navarin with Sauternes...his food is unlike any I've encountered in my travels or in my work with other chefs.

i still dream of his stollen. His bread and tomato soup. His brandade. His bolognese. (I could go on).

On 4/11/2017 at 9:42 PM, Gadarene said:

($26 or what-have-you for a jambon beurre is still presumptively ridiculous this side of Zurich (I think still one of the most across-the-board expensive food cities in the world?), though, and I say that unapologetically as someone who has spent far too much on food in the last decade!)

$26 for a ham sandwich might be on the pricey side. I'm not there. But if it's $26 and after eating it you are satisfied and full then I am ok with that.

At Rose's Luxury, there are diminutive pastas on the menu that go for $13, $14 and $15. If I went there for dinner one night and just wanted to eat pasta...and be sated, I would probably end up having to eat two or three pastas. Which would cost anywhere from $26-$45. 

That is an expensive bowl (or three) of noodles, which typically comes with not much more than butter and cheese.

12 minutes ago, DPop said:

 $26 for a ham sandwich is up there with the $50 truffle gnocchi at Fiola Mare in terms of blatant gouging.

You'd think at a French restaurant they would be more inclined to gougere rather than gouge.

All the photos I've seen look great. Irvin Van Oordt is a talented cook.

11 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Where did I dine?

More specifically (and fairly, because I know of only one person here who might guess the restaurant), what is it, and how much did I pay for it?

(To put things in perspective, note the size of the tongs on the fork.)

PS - Don't worry about the price question; I mistakenly thought it had cost $10 more than it did, and I had smoke coming out of my nostrils.

Looks pretty terrible. Steak Frite of some sort? 

Beautiful photos indeed.

it seems as if butter based sauces are having their moment (not a huge fan).

In the beginning they might not have even offered tasting menus. I remember at some point they added one that was available Thursday thru Saturday (if I remember correctly).

but it was very much in the same mold as Palena Cafe (the first incarnation).

i loved going there and grabbing a few plates for dinner. Delicious food at a very good perceived value. While Johnny and Kwame were both young, only one was offering up a good perceived value...hence only one is still cooking.

On 8/31/2016 at 0:57 AM, Jonathan said:

This isn't a celebration of food and wine and life. It's a celebration of one guys "story" and celebrity. It's mediocre food. It's vastly overpriced. It's so many things that I find offensive...that to actually speak my mind and share my opinion feels good. Feels calming. Feels cathartic. I can only hope that a meal for 2 in November or January or May 2017 (if they have opened yet or opened and then have since closed) feels half as good at quarter the price.(or some fraction of a fraction of a whole or what not)

Just had to go back and see some of the things said about this place prior to opening...

8 hours ago, Lori Gardner said:

I thought they needed some serious PR to get people in post-revamp. Clearly they couldn't overcome the negativity the original concept and some early reviews brought them.      

This restaurant and this chef got more PR than most restaurants and most chefs will ever get in their lives. What this place needed was not PR. It needed to serve diners a great meal at a great perceived value from day one (like every other restaurant in town) all the while making prudent financial decisions to assure the longevity of the place. They didn't do that. They were bleeding money and making poor decisions before the doors even opened. Hopefully lessons will be learned here and the unemployed will find new jobs. 

1 hour ago, Keithstg said:

Sure. Of course Jose started with Cashion's and  Jaleo, not barmini. Seems like an obvious difference.

And cafe atlantico...and maybe zaytinya as well. And it was $65. Let's reiterate...it was $65.

17 hours ago, jca76 said:

 "there were 4 baby carrots on one plate and it was $14.  we had 10 shrimp chips and 4 tablespoons of guac for $16.  scratch that, more like 3 tablespoons of guac." 

I'm sure the narrative made it all the more rich and hearty.