Mark Slater

Every place I've worked in the last few years, when the waiters cash out at the POS , their numbers are entered into a spread sheet that distributes percentages to bartenders, busboys, runners plus the credit card carrying charges are deducted also. This seems to be standard these days. 

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2 hours ago, Keithstg said:

Was thinking of Weygandt, now that I look at the storefronts online...

If you're shopping for selection,  Wide World of Wines. If you're shopping for price, Calvert Woodley. 

2 hours ago, Keithstg said:

www.envoyerfinewines.com

I wouldn't ship now, though. Best to wait for (much) cooler weather.

That said, I'm sure the you can also treat yourself at Schneider's, Bassin's (MacArthur), or Cleveland Park Fine Wines & Spirits

You can skip CP. Shitty selection,, overpriced.

According to Popville, https://www.popville.com/2019/08/woodward-table-dc-dowtown-replaced-by-cheesecake-factory/

In college I was a fan of Pointillism.

I saw him last year at Corduroy when I worked there.

When I was a kid (50+ years ago) the family used to go to a German restaurant called Voorst's near the Bowery. I cant find any mention  of it.

I worked with Alain at Jean-Louis at the Watergate. Such a nice man.

I had a very enjoyable dinner at St. Anselm last night. Service was outstanding right from the start. The delicious biscuits are a great way to lose your appetite. We had king crab leg, beef tartare, oysters. All very tasty , except the oysters. They had shrunk on the grill and were very small. For a mid course we shared the salmon collar, which was enormous and beautifully cooked and seasoned. For main, I had the NY strip, a good steak done perfectly. Creamed spinach was creamy. Don't miss the mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert. I was quite surprised to see a packed restaurant on a Monday night.

Cleveland Park no longer has any "fancy" restaurants.  Plenty of mediocre places, though.

11 hours ago, cuisine soignee said:

Full menu still available? Trying to arrive tonight right as doors open, for one last dinner.

Menu and wine list were smaller than usual. 

Big crowd waiting when I got there last night at 8:30. Dinner was great as ever. It was full till 10PM

3 hours ago, DaveO said:

From a quick look it appears there are about 40 people lined up to get into Ray's at about 5:35 with some already sitting.  It looks too crowded for me to get into there tonight.  I'd suggest getting into line early for those that wish to have a farewell dinner Saturday or next week.

I had planned on going on the late side.

7 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Oh, I had Vace probably twenty-years ago - I guess I haven't been in a couple of years, but I don't see them changing a whole lot (I like it very much).

Vace is close by where I work. I tried to like their pizza. Maybe its the sauce. I was similarly unimpressed with their meatball sub. 

1 hour ago, Bart said:

Nailed it!   I feel the same way and always wondered why this isn't noted more in reviews and write ups.  The décor feels decades out of style.

I always thought it was like grandma on acid. 

City Paper reported a kitchen fire at Osteria Morini. I had a pleasant lunch there today on the patio. We left at 2:30.

9 minutes ago, mtureck said:

As someone that has not experienced it, why isn't it feasible in the US?

In Europe, waiter is a profession. Students train at vocational schools (something the US sorely needs more of) starting at age 15 and get jobs for life. The three star I am most comfortable at and have eaten at the most is Eric Frechon at the Le Bristol. After my second visit, Raphael, the maitre d', remembered me, as did the sommelier. The sommelier there one Sunday night was 21 years old and had been studying for 6 years. The busboys have apprentices who are not allowed to approach the table. None of that would fly here, I'm afraid. Socialism!!

54 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

Did you know that the mooing that Bessie the Cow (the cheese cart) makes is done with a little hand-held device that the poor fromagier must repeatedly turn over as they walk through the dining room? 

Folks, in case you haven't noticed, fine dining in DC has gone from being "an excellent value" to "an extreme luxury" in just ten years. You can say "O'Connell and Andrés," but I think the one person at the vanguard of this (inevitable movement) was Trabocchi.

We have world-class prices, but we don't have the restaurants to match. If I'm dropping $1,000 for two people, I'm going to be at one of the best restaurants in Europe, where I can spend the night and can also have breakfast - and I'm going to do that about once a year, well, going forward, maybe twice.

Do you remember, maybe 5-10 years ago, when people in DC were implying that 'fine dining was dead?' Well, it wasn't; in fact, at the highest levels, I don't ever again see it being the value that it once was - only a general economic calamity could change the course of things at this point. Ultra-luxe dining is now reflective of the extreme disparities in wealth in the general population (to some degree, it always has been, but not like this).

"Nice" or "Fine Dining" service in Washington bears no resemblance to the 3 Etoiles MIchelin restaurants in Paris. When you experience them, it becomes clear why it is not feasible in the US.

The busboy dressed as the altar boy swinging incense was a little much. 

As was the kid strewing rose petals in our path.

This time of year, I like to make elaborate antipasto plates for dinner. I finally found some things at Vace that I really like: marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts and charred red peppers in olive oil (in a jar). I stopped by Whole Foods and got some jumbo lump crab and guacamole. Very pleasing.

I'm raising a glass of Gruner Veltliner to Jon Genderson of Schneiders of Capitol Hill. He was such a nice guy. Thoughts to his family. 

Everyone is selling can wines now. Regular 12oz. Cans are a half bottle.  Now they are marketing 8oz cans.

7 hours ago, dracisk said:

It's even on OpenTable. I lived above Trio/Fox and Hound's for 2 years when I was in law school, but I seldom patronized either place.

Fox and Hounds had the absolute cheapest cocktails in town for many years.

Convivial has a fun lunch menu. Plus, they serve lunch till 4PM.

I was impressed in 1974 when I could get a beer at the Munich McDonald's.