Trapper John

Word on the usually accurate Cleveland Park mailing list is that Yanni's is closing on Sunday. No reason given. It's a pretty good space with an excellent patio , so fingers crossed that someone inventive does something fun with it soon. Cleveland Park doesn't need any more vacant restaurants. (That said, the Cacao patisserie/chocolatier which just opened next to Indique las week is a fantastic addition to the neighborhood. Finally, a decent baguette can be had in CP.)

Don, if you would have tried the dishes and combinations that I tried last night, you would feel the same way. There is no excuse for that at the level of restaurant this purports itself to be. Absolutely nothing was well made. My wife and I along with our friends are still angry and how bad the food was. I have had bad food, but this topped it. My tuna was almost inedible. At that price point , have had some fabolous meals in DC. Maybe he let someone else put the menu together, because I did taste talent or dedication in any of the dishes. The toughness of the Hanger Steak and lack of taste is amateur. I have four people who love good food and same restaurant you do saying the same thing.

I work a block or so away from Poste, and as a result, it's in light rotation (i.e., once every 30-60 days) for lunch. The fact that I return there every month or so tells you that I do like the place, though it's never blown me away -- perhaps the dinner menu is more ambitious. I will say that the duck reuben is a delight -- one that makes it difficult to leave it behind and venture to other areas of the menu. And I seem to recall that a gazpacho I enjoyed last year was truly special, exploding with the taste of late summer. Again, it's not on my list of the best restaurants in town -- but it's a very nice place with a terrific back garden.

But . . . jigones's post reminded me of the first time I dined at Poste, when I was served the single worst piece of tuna that I've had in DC. Quite simply, it was "off." It was a decaying piece of fish. Now, the staff was very good about apologizing for it and preparing me a (non-tuna) replacement meal (which I believe was comped), but the incident put me off Poste for a while. But since going back, I've been pleased with the place. Which, I suppose, is all a roundabout way of saying that every restaurant can have a bad day, and that if lots of people are raving about a place and you really didn't like it, you probably were unlucky enough to eat a a good place on its bad day. So I'd recommend to jigones that he give Poste another shot. Just stay away from the tuna.