mr food

I read this and if he listed Persimmon as one of the best, I'm not sure he knows what good food is. A recent meal there was quite unmemorable. Service WAS good though. We're going to Raku Tuesday for the first time. Any recent visits? 

Or Pete's Apizza if you don't want Neapolitan.

We got a garlic and clam from the SS pete's a few months ago and it was truly awful-soggy crust and suspect clams with barely a hint of garlic. A terrible version of the classic Pepe pie.

We had a great meal at Fishnook last night and were fortunate enough to be the only diners at the chef's table. I'll post some thoughts but this is a must dine, IMO.

ok, here are some thoughts written by my wife that I've modified:

My husband treated me to the 4-person chef-side dining experience called Fishnook. Since the other two seats were never filled, we had Chef Ferhat's undivided attention. And what an experience it was. I documented each course on Facebook, much to the envy of my friends. Ceviche with Carolina wild caught shrimp, subtle taste of cilantro, and just the right hint of lime followed house-made waffle potato chips with imported EVOO, fresh thyme, and truffle salt. The lobster risotto was sublime -- every item's unique flavor came to life, particularly the fresh baby peas that tasted of spring. We had never had a traditional Turkish red snapper stew, served on a spicy and herbed tomato base in an individual clay pot. The simple, apple galette was a perfect ending. We also opted for the $25 wine pairings (cheap and cheerful but nothing was undrinkable) -- a different, generous pour for each course. That said, Ferhat seemed open to diners bringing their own wines. Ferhat is a genial, informative host and I'm surprised how little attention he's received from the various food critics.  [/size]This is a great experience that we can't wait to repeat![/size]

Bob's latest is a tribute to Frank Sinatra. 

86 is tannic, but one of the greatest vintages of our lifetimes.

not sure I'm ready to elevate it to that level. I always wonder if the fruit will outlast all the tannins.

Luigi generally takes care of us when we're there so he is front of house. Sergio seems to have overcome his mobility issues and was back to his old self last time we were there.

Interesting. 86GL has always been one of my favorites from that tannic vintage. 

It's worth going just to hang out with Chef Foong and I like their food such as the crispy eggplant. Feed your meter!

Isabella is opening a lot of new places?

That's what I meant.

Whew, Mike might have to step into the clone machine! 

2013 Helfrich - Pinot Blanc Alsace- $13.99 on sale at Calvert-Woodley. New producer to me. Screwcap really emphasizes the fresh, fruity flavors. 

Moco has the Balvenie 14 at $48-best price in the country according to WS, the days of 21 year old scotch for $50 are long gone.  Good selection of bourbons but always call to make sure the store has yours in stock. Local Bowmans small batch is tasty and a good deal at $29

Our meal in this cavernous space was just ok. Corkage quoted at $25 over the phone was charged as $15 by our friendly if somewhat unskilled waiter. We tried the pupusas, ceasar salad, chicken tikka,the faux ribeye (shoulder cut) and two pizzas-mushroom and prosciutto. Nothing to complain about and prices were reasonable but nothing really jumped out at us. Ceasar and chicken (chef is from India and it shows) were probably the two best items overall. Ribeye was a bit tough but flavorful and at $24 not overly priced-fries were good. Pizza  had a pleasant charred flavor but was soggy. Stemware was very poor and really needs to be upgraded. A huge bar with no TVs so no reason to bring in the sports fans who drink and eat. I say this as the place was pretty empty for a Saturday and the neighborhood is still in transition but better than it used to be.   We got the feeling that no one seems to be coordinating the service as there was some confusion on who would be our server,items showed up that we had not ordered, and delivery overall was not well paced. I doubt we will return to Wale. 

Dinner there last night with friends who picked it. Pedestrian food, Inefficient but friendly service, short wine list with no corkage though BTG pours were good. One and done and wished we were at Dino's Grotto again. Oh, those truffles!

There are lots of good recent vintages floating around, too.

What are your favorites? I've loved 2001, less so 2003-not for the long term, IMO. 2005 maybe

Agreed. 

We had a great meal last Friday. I loved my MD crab pasta with the (optional for $20) white truffles shaved by Dean himself but all the food was top notch.  Excellent service by MeMe (sp). I think the Grotto is serving some of the best food in the city right now. $7.50 pp corkage but the list is excellent.

Bombay Club is the best Indian I've had in the city (yes I've been to their sister(s) Rasika a bunch of times too), though sadly I haven't been back for a few years now.

I agree. All the staff were well dressed, polite and efficient  and I was dismayed at how slovenly some of the diners looked when we took our niece there last fall. First time at Rasika-Penn Quarter this Friday. I hope it lives up to all the hype.

Lavandou was very welcoming to the winos. I hope Coppi's continues the tradition.

Decanters are generally there just for looks. A basic ceramic pitcher does the job just as well. That said, I have two decanters, haha!

disagree. A decanter with a wide bottom allows more aeration of the wine faster, IMO. If you have several hours, maybe it doesn't make a difference. I decant all my reds unless I think they are too fragile. Open a bottle, pour a glass and decant the rest for at least an hour then a pour a glass from the decanted portion and compare. Of course, good stemware (I won't get started on brands) aerates the wine on its own.

Speaking of decanters, I just bought a magnum sized one from Amazon for $40 shipped (if you have prime but other vendors may offer it).  Nothing fancy.

We like the one in College Park-very busy so everything is always fresh if a bit over salted.

That sucks!! 

Jewel Of India in Hillandale and Tiffin in Langley Park (not quite as good but perhaps more consistent) are two we frequent. 

Where did you buy it, mr food? Also, I am curious what the room temperature was when decanted for an hour. What if I don't have a decanter? Thanks.

Arrowine in Arlington but Bassins has it for the same price-$12.99. Room temp was 66 degrees so right for red. Decant it in the glass and buy a decanter-they're not expensive.