Jonathan

Menu looks and sounds delicious. As does your ode to Rock n' Zeibold.

When you say 'the menu has a different name on it,' do you mean the restaurant's name has changed?

I think it has changed its name, though I see nothing mentioned on the web regarding the closing of Los Jimenez.

Sadly, as I came to realize on Sunday driving home from New Jersey, this place is no longer worth a trip from out of town, cross town or across the street. It seems as if they have changed ownership--their menu even has a different name on it.

The food a shadow of what it was this summer, which was stunning. The world has lost an amazing taqueria.

It is unfortunate that good quality food has been made to seem unapproachable and dinner table benchmarks devalued by very mediocre commodity supermarket sustenance that bears little resemblence to foodstuffs eaten just 50 years ago.

Amen, brother, amen.

And thanks for trusting me, Don

Two years ago, I was training for my first ever marathon and spent many Saturday afternoons devouring pizza at Ghibellina after 15+ mile runs and a much needed nap. Unfortunately, I got injured a month before the race and wasn't able to get to the starting line. I am back at it again this summer training for the Marine Corps Marathon and have been looking forward to more Saturday afternoons at Ghibellina. They won't be the same knowing Jonathan Copeland isn't doing quality control at the restaurant.

See you at the starting line chef. Happy training.

I had the pleasure of running 2 marathons in 2013, my first and only two. Such an amazing sense of accomplishment. And finishing that first one was one of the best and most emotional experiences of my life. Unfortunately through the training and opening of Ghibellina I developed plantar fascitis during the training of the second one, and even though I finished the training and completed it at my goal, it left me out of commission for all of 2014. So I am looking forward to this one, as I'm healthy and ready.

I am glad I played a small part in your training. Thoughts of food and drink tantalize and torture me during long runs. But man is the food rewarding when you finally sit down and eat.

Have you found anyone yet?

Best espresso in the city, in my opinion. Always poured perfectly. Filled with complexity and nuance.

It is a hole-in-the-wall taqueria with a stack of cookbooks at the register with names like Vetri, Keller etc...oh, and the food was delicious.

And to boot, 3 tacos, $6...probably the cheapest tacos I've ever had.

Hit this place up on recommendation from my fish purveyor, and had the best fish tacos of my life.

Apparently the owner was a line cook at Vetri, and is from Puebla. We were the only ones there at 1pm on a Monday, except his Pat La Frieda driver who was delivering and also eating (smart man).

It's on 6th and Oregon.

This article got me salivating:

http://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/mexico-city-food-scene-tacos-in-mexico-city

The tacos are ironically not what makes this place so great.

Go for the mole poblano, the adobo puerco rojo, the chile relleno, lots of their fresh tortillas.

Apparently there is a woman that does some (or supplies some) of the cooking for this place but not all of it. Her food is the one to get. It's very, very good.

Thank you! I will be by and check them out.

Was in Chatlottesville for 18 hours for a wedding and made my way to Wayside for some good fried chicken (not amazing) and my first ever taste of caneles from MarieBette Bakery.

The caneles were amazing and I need more...need to find them. Make them. Eat them.

The seating at the counter overlooking 14th street and the patio are also available for happy hour. As are the high-tops.

The dining room is not available.

Oval Room

Mintwood Place

Rasika

Osteria Morini

DBGB

Iron Gate

Izakaya Seki

Ripple

Full Red Fully Prepared Pizza Sauce

As for killer slices in New York, I often inhabited Bleecker Street (especially their Sicilian) when I worked at the Spotted Pig, and La Pino Forchetta in Park Slope when I worked and lived in BK. Also DiFara if you just take it for what it is...a slice joint, not pizza nirvana.

As for DC...I'm stumped. If have to compare Alberto's or jumbo slice with wise guys when sober or drunk to evaluate.

As a pizza guy and a guy who has lived in both Manhattan and Brooklyn, I have to agree to disagree.

I went because Todd Kliman effusively praised the place and I was famished and it was 3:30 and I had just run 10 miles and I was famished (did I say that already?).

I got three different slices and thought them all to be mediocre at best. It reminded me of mediocre NY slice joints, not good Or great NY slice joints.

And after I ordered and ate and judged, I had the privilege of watching their delivery come in and was equally disappointed by the extremely low quality tomato product (see full red tomato sauce) and flour and cheeses that were being carted in.

Friendly people, just not very good food.

And the photo above, might have some dark on the bottom from the deck of the oven, but it has absolutely no char or yeasty goodness in the lip of the pie.

Had burgers at the bar for lunch today, and it was delicious...

For $21 you pick your burger, an accompaniment (salad, fries or onion rings), a non-alcoholic beverage, and a milkshake.

Tried the lamb burger and the classic, all three sides and had a very refreshing West Indies limeade and a strawberry shake.

Gluttonous, very good, and dare I say, a very good value. Plus you can tell your friends you "lunched at the 4 Seasons."

What is that dish?!? It looks like something from a bad Sci-Fi movie.

Or cigarettes stamped out into an ashtray.

Had an excellent meal at Vernick Food & Drink last night on my way out of town. It was the best meal I had in Philly this weekend (and probably the best I've had in all of my trips to Philly).

Everything we had was thoughtful, seasonal and very delicious. It was not overwrought or over-thought.

Just for comparison's sake, I would say it reminded me of Mintwood Place or the old Palena Cafe (when you could order off both menus); but with more polished service and slightly younger/hipper atmosphere.

Just really solid cooking, classic flavors (with a twist or two) and great execution all around.

Ordered:

Two Toasts (Beef tartare and Spinach/Fontina)

Asparagus, Romesco, Crispy Egg

Pea Ravioli with Rabbit Ragu

Date Cake with Coconut Ice Cream, Orange and Cardamom

And petite brownie a la mode ($3.....who sells $3 desserts?!?)

No misses. Will be back. And will recommend enthusiastically.

Jonathan, does Noel do all your desserts, including the gelato?

Thank you for your kind words and support. We go to work every day just trying to do a bit better than the previous one.

As for the dessert program...we would love to have Noel do the desserts at Ghbellina, but unfortunately he has a full-time day job, and also works part-time at Posto doing the desserts there. At Ghibellina he works solely as a food runner or server assistant.

The desserts are all done by me. They are simple and hopefully very flavorful, and should fit right in at a Gastropub.

I was fortunate enough to get some experience making gelatos and other pastry stuff at Franny's when I was working in New York.

I think you have to look at specific requests and specific reactions. In this case, it seems highly reasonable to me to do Saltimbocca sans dairy, unless the veal was all portioned and soaking in milk or cream (which I doubt to be the case).

It's not as if the diner requested the saltimbocca vegetarian....or with chicken instead of veal.