KeithA

Ok, the question of parking in CP comes up frequently on this board due to the wonderful proliferation of great restaurants - well I'm going to disclose to you the best, almost-guaranteed spot in CP. Off of CT Ave, one block north of Porter (where the strip of shops begins) is Rodman St - at the top of Rodman St (near where it meets Reno Rd) there is a good deal of available parking. The reason is that on one side of the street is a park and the other side has houses with steep steps where the owners almost all park in the back. The only downside is that it is a good 5-10 minute walk back down Rodman and along CT to Ripple and the other great restaurants in CP. So while not the most convenient spot, it is a good choice for those who just want to park and walk and not spend 30 minutes circling for an open space that is a few minutes closer walk. That being said, many of the other neighborhoods streets are pretty crowded (including the lower part of Rodman closest to CT Ave). However, I do agree with Dean - take the Metro and avoid the traffic hassles, it is pretty much closer than any parking spot available and greener.

So I finally had the chance to get a shake after this discussion caused a serious hankering. I was in Dupont and planned to go to Shake Shack, but due to my schedule ended up at the closer Burger Joint and had their double chocolate. Sadly, I didn't have time to ask about the provenance/terroir/etc of their ingredients. It was a good shake though made using a mixmaster where the guy took the time to make sure it was thoroughly blended without lumps. I enjoyed it - not the best ever - but a tasty treat. The one problem was the weak straw. it was a rather thick shake (which I prefer) and since I was walking I needed a straw (otherwise the klutz that I am it would have ended up all over my shirt). The straw was too thin and narrow and kept collasping as I tried to slurp up the chocolately goodness. As I was struggling, I kept wishing I had one of those extra wide and thick straws and then this would have been a much more enjoyable snack. So my review is go to the Burger Joint, get the shake it is good but bring your own straw, drink out of the cup or use a spoon (they did have extra long spoon - which work well if you like to eat rather than drink your shake).

As a lover of milkshakes and quality-ingredients in food in general, I need to join in this very interesting discussion. A few folks, including Darkstar (thanks for starting the thread), mentioned how using a blender is just as good as one of those retail mixmasters. I've definitely had some good at home blender-milkshakes but typically I like the consistency of the mixmasters ones. So a question for the group - what is the best technique for making a blender milkshake (for those of us lacking the $250+ mixmaster in their gourmet kitchens )? Also, all of this talk of getting pure, no HFCS ice cream, is all well and good for eating just ice cream or gelato, but when you make a milkshake you add syrup. Chocolate/caramel, etc syrup used in most ice cream parlors/restaurants is primarily HFCS. Check out the ingredients on the ubiquitous Hershey's bottle or can. So is anyone asking for real melted chocolate as their shake add-in? I doubt it, which is why using tip-top quality ice cream and milk matters, but to a lesser extent IMHO for a milkshake then for plain ice cream. If you don't mind regular ice cream and likely HFCS-laden syrups and mass-produced milk, check out the huge variety of 75 milkshake flavors at Z-Burger. I haven't been in a while, but there chocolate-varieties were pretty good when I tried them. Now after reading all of these posts, I desperately need a shake! Another item to check out for those who like different flavors in your blended drinks - Rita's Misto (there is one in Adams Morgan)- not at all a milkshakes - but an interesting blend of flavored italian ice and frozen custard.

After a pretty bad first time at Tacklebox CP soon after they opened, I decided to give it another try. And I wholeheartedly agree: Made with tilapia they were really good and unlike many other fish tacos they weren't breaded and fried so you really got a nice taste of the fish. They come pre-sauced, so no need to get any extra 50 cent sauces (it would have been nice if the cashier told us that before we got 3 of them). Also, had the grilled broccoli again - this time it was only a hint of smoke, not overwhelming like before and rather good. 3 of us all had the fish tacos and thought they were delicious. 2 tacos was a pretty good size portion per person. So I would go back for those. But based on the comments above that continue my earlier experience, I'm still staying clear of the hush puppies.

Need some help looking for a fun place for 2 couples to go out to on a Saturday night in DC after the kids are asleep. We'll already have had dinner at an earlier family gathering, but the parents want to get out and have some fun - thinking a wine bar/small plates or place with good desserts. Any suggestions in DC? Thanks!

Israel is great eating country - if you like fresh foods and homey, less-fancy cooking. I been many times, but sadly my last extended visit was a decade ago. So I don't really have any specific recommendations except to go to a shuk like Mahane Yehuda in Jerusalem and eat some of the best produce - hmmm Jaffa oranges, hummus, and pastries. I never really did much fine dining in Israel and still not sure how that seen has evolved. I do have a good recommendation though on where to get more info - check out Delicious Israel, run by an old friend from the DC area, Inbal Baum, who now lives in Israel and puts together eating and foodie tours and classes in Israel - she should be able to help you out: http://www.deliciousisrael.com/home.html inbal@deliciousisrael.com

Say it isn't so - CP will miss you too much! So just to prepare those of us in the hood when is the lease up?

Last week, I was driving back to DC from the Eastern Shore and thanks to this wonderful website, I knew about the BBQ Joint as a place to stop for lunch. It is a good 3-5 minutes off Rt 50, so I would never have known about it otherwise. I went with a few friends and we tried the sliced brisket sandwich, ribs, and picked chicken sandwich. All were rather good. On the advice of the locals at the next table over, I ordered the brisket - half lean and half fatty. The lean was ok, but didn't have too much flavor, whereas the fatty was spot on delicious. Since there is no distinction on the menu, I'm not sure what I would have gotten if I hadn't asked specifically. I tried all of the 5 different BBQ sauces - mild, medium, hot, spicy, and sweet. All were kind of thin and not too great - I liked the medium best and adding some to the brisket helped it shine even more. I also tried a bite of the picked chicken (pre-cubed smoked chicken with one of the sauces (unclear which one) and it was very good too. I didn't try the ribs, but my friend said they were very good. We also tried a bunch of sides, but they were mostly unexciting and nothing special (fries, coleslaw, cornbread, mac and cheese). The service was slow and a bit confused, but apparently it was the young person's 2nd day. Overall very good BBQ meat, sides not so much - I'd say worth a visit if you are out there, but not worth a special trip on its own.

First time at PS7 last night for a combo anniversary/RW dinner. I don't usually like to put special requests on OpenTable reservations, but it has been too long since we got out now that we have multiple little ones so I told them it was our anniversary and nicely asked for a quiet table. PS7's service was great. They were visibly happy to see us at the host stand and took us to a quiet corner table that was a bit secluded. Then, they brought us glasses of cava to celebrate. Nice touches. Service continued to be knowedgable and good through the meal (checked on us some, but not too much, etc.). The food was overall good, but not great. Most dishes were only good, only two were really great and we had one clunker. Before anything else, they brought out a little bread variety plate where the notable inclusion were two chive biscuits that were delicious. We started with an extra, non-RW cheese plate. The RW menu has several different apps, plus chartucherie and cheeses that you can order for what I'm guessing are regular menu prices ($8-12 for apps, $4.50/cheese, etc.). While the cheeses were very good - we had an ashed goat and a cheddar - the pieces were tiny. I think the goat was equivalent to 4 stacked quarters - kind of steep for $4.50. But the accompaniments redeemed it as they were perfect matches for the cheese. There was an apricot? fruit spread/chutney and really flavorful honey with a lot of toasted raisin bread. Also, this was the only tiny portion of the night - the RW menu was ample. Next, we moved onto the 3 course RW menu. First starter, my wife had the nutty goat flatbread - which was huge and almost pizza like. It was very good, nice mix of nutty flavors with melted cheese. I'd order this again to share. I had the warm spinach salad with mustard thyme dressing, onion rings, mushrooms and feta (I had them hold the bacon as I don't do the swine). The bacon was not missed at all - this was the other great dish of the night - I don't usually sing the praises of a salad - but this was spot on scrumptious. I think it just hit my flavor profile perfectly - which just goes to show that if you know your likes (I LOVE onion rings, and onions in general), then it is usually good to go with your gut. Sadly, the meal hit a big bump from there and didn't recover so well. For entrees, my wife ordered, but barely ate the sweet corn risotto with basil, cherry tomatos, parmesan, and spiced pine nuts. This was NOT a good dish. While the risotto was cooked perfectly and the plate looked pretty - the flavor was really off. First, there was nothing "sweet" about this dish at all, no hint of basil, and mostly a really, really off-tasting smokiness to the dish. My wife loves corn and loves risotto and sadly was very disappointed. I traded plates with her and tried to eat some of the risotto, but I didn't enjoy it either. We sent 2/3 of it back to the kitchen when they cleared our plates. I also noticed that at the table of 4 next to us, they had a bunch of entrees and were passing them around and general cleaned their plates - but surprise, surprise, there was at least half a plate of risotto left by them too. At the end of the meal, I told the waiter and the manager who checked in on his own that the risotto was off. The manager nicely thanked me for the input and said he'd go taste it himself. So till they fix it, word to the wise - skip the risotto on the RW menu. The somewhat redeeming side was that the steak and cheese was very inventive and tasty as others above have already commented. Based on earlier comments, the dish for RW seems to be the same as normal. Meat was very flavorful, and I really liked the onion/garlic foam. The bread was good for mopping up the flavors, but kind of fell apart. It is a little silly too - or maybe that was just me for trying to actually stack some of the components of the dish together on one of the rounds to make an open faced "sandwich" - just doesn't work with those twirls of bread. Overall a good dish. For dessert, my wife had the deconstructed strawberry shortcake. She thought it was ok, but didn't really get the point of deconstructing it. It tasted best when you got a bit of everything on your fork, so begged the question why not just serve good tasting strawberry shortcake. I'm guessing (it is only 1 visit afterall) PS7 struggles between sophisticated, deconstruction that works by elevating a traditional dish (e.g. steak and cheese) and having more style/flair over substance (e.g. the strawberry shortcake dessert). Interestingly, the waiter seemed to hint at this when I asked about the chicken entree - roasted chicken, savory waffle, onion syrup, etc. His response to my question - how is the chicken entree? was to completely ignore the question and say, you should really try one of 3 other entrees on the menu. I thought at first he didn't hear me correctly, so I repeated the question and he responded, well if you really want chicken then the dish consists of.....(detailed, knowledgable description)...but you probably eat chicken at home, you should get my hint and order something else. Kind of odd exchange, but hinting at this style over substance issue I think. My desset, the peachy keen (caramel panna cotta was good, but the side of berry sauce and cubes of peaches didn't add much and weren't great on their own) was tasy but similarly would have been better if it was more focused on creating a whole dessert.

Was by Wagshal's recently, so I stopped in and to try some of the smoked brisket. Didn't have time to eat a sandwich then, so I asked for it by the pound. They sell is around 1/2 pound or so in cryovac bags that you boil in water fro 10-15 minutes. Man was it GOOD! Peppery, super flavorful, albeit greasy and a bit fatty, but that is what you want from a good deli sandwich. I really liked how it turned out in the boil at home way, very melt in your mouth texture if you eat it immediately out of the bag/pot (I did mine for about 12 minutes).

Personally, I like Trader Joe's tomato basil sauce the best of the jarred sauces. For the Rao's fans, they have posted on their website their marinara recipe: My link I found this recipe 10 years ago, when Rao's came out with a cookbook and have tweaked it and used it to make my own sauce. I skip the salt pork, so it comes out very fresh, light tasting. Also, I don't use the Rao's olive oil or tomatos, they didn't even have those products when I started using this recipe - just good quality ingredents will do. Not sure if the Puttanesca recipe that folks like is also available.

Was and still really excited for TackleBox in CP - sadly we were disappointed on our first trip. Biggest disappointment was the tasteless rocks served as "hush puppies." I really like hush puppies and was excited for them, but I don't know if it was an off night or bad recipie, but I would definitely choose a different side next time. Our more general disappointment was the price point - which seemed a bit high for the amount/quality of food. I really like the concept and love that a business has finally filled this empty location - but $36 for counter service for our order was steep for what we got. I had the meal deal with one fish, two side, and 1 sauce, wife had fish sandwich deal that comes with fries, plus 2 lemonades. So basically 2 complete meals without service for $36. The fish sandwich was ok - she had the crispy haddock which was fresh and good, but the bread was odd - some type of fall apart wheat instead of a simpler bun. The fries were good too with a light dusting of old bay seasoning. I had the wood-grilled blue cod - which was a nice portion of plainish fish. Was pretty similar to what anyone could have cooked on the backyard grill. I already mentioned my awful hush puppies (also small portion about 6, quarter size) and the grilled broccoli again only 6-7 pieces with too strong char. The lemon garlic aioli was ok and added some flavor to the fish and hush puppies - but nothing special. So the food was ok, the portions were actually ok, but the price for what you get is expensive IMHO. I can't help but compare it to the other places on the block with counter service where the price is about 2/3 to 1/2 of Tackle Box. I understand fresh fish is more expensive that chicken or beef, but it seems the sides are really what is expensive. And the fish I tried wasn't that tasty. Maybe the shellfish (which we don't eat) is where the value is. I want this place to succeed, so I plan to try it a few more times and hope to discover the gems on the menu. Anyone have any suggestions - particular fish, sides, or even sauces to try?

It is pretty good, but only offered in Friendship Heights at Indique Heights. At Indique in CP, they used to (and may still) have a multi-course lunch deal. The buffet usually has 4-5 different hot dishes - a mix of meat, veggie, and sometimes fish, along with salad, various chutneys, 1-2 little bready items, dessert - usually rice pudding and fruit, and each table gets 1 fresh order of naan. It is worth a try. Also, LivingSocial has been recently having instant deals for Indique Heights - $10 for $15 food (so a slight deal on the buffet with a drink).

I don't get Palena's reason for not having highchairs in the Cafe. I understand it is their choice and maybe they are trying to dissuade parents from bringing the youngins, BUT I've been several times and seen kids in portable high chairs or even strollers - especially during lunch. So clearly they're not denying service and based on other comments are even very accomodating of little kids IF you bring your own seat for them. This seems silly to me. I live in the neighborhood and there are a ton of peope with little, well-behaved kids who are either already going to Palena with their own seats in tow or are skipping it as an eating option because like me they don't want to schlep chairs around or drag a whole stroller in a busy restaurant. So that is my rant - I'd eat here more if it was easier to do so with my family. On a different note, not sure if there is a separate thread, but the baked/cooked foods in the market are yummy. I've had the risotto balls with peas a few times and the blueberry scone was very good today. Seems like they have a rotating roster of baked goods, frittats/savory tarts, risotto balls, etc. Kind fo a mish mash, but all looks good - each thing is about a $1.5-$3 - typical Palena style - scrumptious, but pricey for portion size.

Went back to Whole Foods Friendship Heights this week and saw they also have mixed berry doughnuts, so I'd thought I'd try them after enjoying the chocolate iced, nutella filled ones so much. The mixed berry were ok - but nothing special - sugary, pink icing on top, same somewhat heavy cake doughnut with an ok berry filling. The filling was better than the bright red glop you get in most mass-market jelly doughnuts though - this one probably was made of actual fruit jam. Still love the chocolate ones though - must resist the urge (I work right near this WF, so it is tough).

[sorry, but I couldn't find an existing topic - I'm sure it exists somewhere] So my new obsession is with the new-ish? chocolate doughnuts at Whole Foods (or at least the big Friendship Heights WF) - these are really good and very rich. They are a cake-like donut (or at least seem so, pretty heavy) with chocolate ganache icing on top and then filled with nutella-like chocolate hazelnut cream/sauce. Really yummy for the chocoholics out there. I will say they are pretty filling - I can only eat 1 and normally I'd have no problem knocking back a handful of doughnuts. Go check them out.

Well, the restaurants you mentioned were unknown to me before, but this description from the Le Releis de Venice website is the obvious inspiration as minus the walnuts on the salad and slight variation in Americanized desserts - this is the meal at Medium Rare: Welcome to Relais de Venise L’Entrecôte For over fifty years at our Parisian restaurant we have offered a unique dining experience where customers come to enjoy just one dish – a green salad with walnuts dressed with mustard vinaigrette followed by steak frites, served with a secret recipe sauce, in buzzy, convivial surroundings. When you dine with us, there is no menu - simply tell your waitress how you would like your steak cooked. After your salad starter, your steak is brought to you in two stages, with one half held back to keep warm, so you can enjoy it at its best and is accompanied with more freshly prepared frites.

It was only there second night last night, but the dining rooms have been pretty full said the management. Last night when I went kind of late it was crowded, but only a short wait around 8:30pm and stayed that way for the next few hours. I passed by around 10:15 and it was pretty empty as you'd expect on a weeknight. They are on opentable but appear for this week at least to have blocked out all of the reservation except really early and really late. I'd say give it a go and don't worry about waiting at all or too long. We'll see what the weekend brings, I'm sure this weekend at least there will be some waits.

I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have a problem making that substitution. I went last night and thought it was good food and a good experience. But the salad wasn't that special - just a bunch of mixed lettuce with 2-3 cherry tomato halves dressed with a mustard vinagrette. Also, they are pretty generous with offering people seconds of fries and steak, so more salad shouldn't be a problem. It is kind of weird to say this about a restaurant, but the best thing I had was the bread. It was freaking excellent! Not that the steak and fries weren't good too, but I was shocked how good the bread was. I asked one of the partners where it was from and he kind of shied away from answering saying a bakery in Virigina that also supplies bread to Central. They quickly brought the salad, bread and butter. Then, after awhile the first plate of fries and sliced steak (a good size, but bit small portion - I'm bad at ounces but maybe 4-6 oz) with lots of their secret sauce that was good, not great - I tasted mustard, herbs, and likely wine plus some other ingrediens I'm sure my palate couldn't identify. The steak was cooked as requested medium rare and was warm, but only ok. The first batch of fries was way over salted. Then, after awhile a server came by with a big unheated grill pan and asked if I had had "seconds" yet. She then gave me another full portion of fries, steak and small can of sauce with a mini ladle. I felt bad for her though because the grill pan was so big and it was hard to serve the steak and fries with the tongs they were using without having the sauce can slide all over the place. She did manage to serve it ok, but I think the grill pan is not a good serving tray despite its kitsch quality. The second round of steak and fries was better. Fries had the right amount of salt and were tasty. The steak was also medium rare but tasty better - not sure if it was the piece or better cooking. Only thing is that the grill pan isn't heated, so by the time it got to my plate the steak wasn't warm, but room temperature. Not surprisingly this brand new restaurant has some nits to work out. I also had a glass of the red Fitou - labeled complex, i think ,that the server described as similar to a Cote de Rhone - I'm not a huge wine connoseiur but tasted to me as an alright, table wine, but nothing too complex or different. I passed on the desserts, but the hot fudge sundae and apple pie looked really good and definitely shareable. The partner told me the cheesecake is shipped in the Carnegie Deli - although somewhat smaller than portion that the deli serves. So I'm happy to have this new addition to the neighborhood. We'll see how their limited, price fix menu goes over. I was seated near the door and it was amusing to me to realize that not everyone is as food-obsessed. Many people came in and ask to see the menu, we're surprised at how limited the options were. Or the couple who sat next to me and said they knew it was limited, but thoughts there would be a few salads/apps and possibly cuts of steak to choose from. Also, the "seconds" aren't really well advertised - not on the menu, no mention by the servers until it is time to get them. The two guys on my other side felt that the portions were small after they cleaned their first round and they asked for the check and left before ever being offered seconds.

I had lunch last week at Palena and this same thought is what occured to me. Palena's cafe takes many dishes that you can find other places (albiet some are more unusual) and executes them really well with more finesse and a bit more sophistication than other places - but you are also paying for that extra effort with slightly higher prices too. So the burger costs more than $10, but it is a somewhat better burger - although the last time I had it months ago I agree it is pretty peppery and salty. For lunch last week, I had the open faced fish sandwich which you could compare to fish and chips (except it comes at Palena with really good American-style regular and sweet potato chips, not fries). The Palena dish was really good - a lighter fry than usual with a good thick piece of white fish, which I asked and think they said was cod, on a well made bun with a great slightly zippy tartar sauce. Also on top were the missing components of the fry plate - a fried onion ring and a fried lemon slice. The lemon went really well with the fish sandwich. Also on the side was a very good purple cabbage slaw. I definitely enjoyed this lunch and would prefer it over fish and chips at many other restaurants - but you get what you pay for - at $14 is definitely more expensive than other places. I love good desserts so I also had the buttermilk panna cotta with orange slice and sauce with mini-merengues. This was very delicate and delicious.

Went for lunch their earlier this week. It is nice sitdown space and the staff was friendly. I had the bowl of soup and half sandwich lunch special for $11 which was a good deal. it is also a large amount of food because the bowl of soup is really big. I had the very tasty chicken soup studded with carrots, celery, and lots of chicken. I also opted to add a matzo ball which was the size of baseball, but pretty light and fluffy (I've had lighter, but this was definitely lighter and of the less dense variety - sorry for you meshugenahs who like hard matzo balls such as my in-laws). I really like the flavor of the broth and the texture of the ball, but I thought the ball itself needed some seasoning - it was pretty plain. For the half sandwich, I had the pastrami on rye and the waitress nicely accomodated by request of a side of cole slaw and russian dressing. The sandwich was a good, normal size (not gargantuan like some other delis) and I really liked the meat - good flavor, a bit fatty, but not overly. The rye also was cut pretty thick which was good to hold the sandwich together - instead of falling apart in a gloppy mess. Also, the coleslaw was good - fresh, a bit sweet - like I like. My one big complaint with Parkway Deli is their coleslaw sucks. II also enjoyed having the well-stocked pickle bowl with half sours, pickled tomatos, full sours, and sauerkraut. However, I didn't really think any of it was that great - ok, but not picklicious. They were nice about refilling it though. I would definitely go again and try out some of the other deli delights - including the big cakes shipped in from NY. Afterward, I walked around the corner and checked out the Uptown Deli - which is more sandwich shop with counter service and a side room with tables - like Attmans. Also like Attman's Uptown plays up the Yiddishkeit in its menu more with lots of different sandwich combos and liberal use of deli yiddish. Sadly, I was too full to eat anything except a black and white cookie - which kind of sucked in flavor and was ridiculously expensive at $2.50ish - I'm not sure if they charged by the pound or something. I'll have to come back soon to check out the sandwiches here.

Yes, that is what Mark Bucher told me was the plan as well.

Open City is a pretty good, less expensive place. I've been there many times since it opened years ago. They've had this tilapia sandwich on the menu for awhile and like most of their food it is generous portion. My only nit was the slaw was a bit to spicy for me the time I had it. Generally, I find the food to be only ok - but the price is very reasonable and the outside sitting area is very nice when the weather isn't all wackadoodle like today.

Any word on when Medium Rare will open? I think the initial press said the target date was end of Feb. I've seen a bunch of construction going on inside, but still looks like it is ongoing. I can't wait to check out this new addition to the neighborhood.

Your description was spot on - looks very cool.