RWBooneJr

At the time, that part of downtown was called Midtown, because it really was the middle of the city (the neighborhood is still called "Midtown" in DCDiningGuide). If you tell people now that there was nothing east of 11th Street and Dupont was an unfashionable neighborhood (which is how it came to be home to a disenfranchised population), they look at you like you're nuts.

The City Sports on 19th between M and L is in the space that used to be Mr. Day's when it was downtown. The entrance was indeed in the back, through an alley.

I loved Blue & Gold, which is now Mr. Day's. If you go up to the second floor balcony, you can still see some remnants of the parrot theme from the B&G days.

Unless anyone has information to the contrary, I believe TakEatEasy is closed. I can personally attest that it hasn't been open during the day for months, and this week I happened by both Monday night and tonight and it was closed both times. There's also no sign of any renovations.

Looks like it has a decent beer selection for an airport too. Kind of funny that your coffee was exactly 1/100th of the cost of DC's minibar.

Announcing NYDiningGuide.com. We think you'll find it the most useful restaurant guide available. User-based sites like Yelp list nearly every restaurant, but it's often hard to tell the good from the bad because their reviews aren't always reliable. That's how NYDiningGuide.com is different. Unlike most sites, our ratings aren't based on user reviews. Instead, the guide rates restaurants using an algorithm that summarizes the most recent ratings of New York's top critics and adjusts those ratings based on cost to assess the relative value of each. Every listing also includes a summary of the restaurant and links to critic reviews, maps and directions, online reservations, and other helpful information. And it's all organized geographically, so you won't have to travel across town to eat well. We hope it gives you everything you need to find a great place to dine wherever you find yourself in the City.

DCDiningGuide has a sibling! In celebration of DCDiningGuide's one-year anniversary, we are launching NYDiningGuide.com, an updated version of the original guide for New York. It's still a work in progress, and currently only includes Manhattan restaurants and the most current reviews. But when it's done, NYDiningGuide will have over 500 restaurants in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and more, better integration with Google maps, a news feed, and a whole bunch of cool new features. We hope you like it and, of course, welcome any suggestions. Thanks to everyone for your continued support!

I don't read that blog, but do they actually write negative reviews of places where they are comped or is everything just the normal only good news write up. Would a blogger that truthfully and accurately panned more than a couple places keep getting invited to other places?

They don't pan anything - it's not that kind of blog. They have, to date, given out only three grades lower than a "B": Miss Shirley's (C+); 1905 (C+); and GBD ( C ).

Comps are just part of the restaurant culture. I've been getting free beers, tastes, whatever, for most of my adult life at places where I'm a regular. I don't expect it, that's just how it works. Even corporate places give comps, though they generally have strict allowances for it. You can't fault restaurateurs for it. It's certainly not illegal.

If I were a restaurateur and wanted to get the word out about my brunch, I'd invite Bitches Who Brunch in to try it out too. And, because I invited them, I'd expect to foot the bill. My guests are free to write about it or not, like it or not. There's no quid pro quo. Kudos to BWB for disclosing the comp. I like their blog; it's a fun read.

I guess I don't see the issue, at least not to the extent it's been presented here. The dispassionate reviewer who is somehow apart from and above it all is an artificial construct of the professional media. If you want that, go to Sietsema, Kliman, or Don (which you can now do all in one convenient place! ). Everybody else is basically a Yelper, regardless of the platform they use. You've got to take everything with a grain of salt. The Internet is just the schoolyard writ large.

Source: Washington Post Food Section

Image: Yelp

Brian Voltaggio's newest restaurant, Aggio (located inside of his restaurant Range) has received the accolades of Tom Sietsema of the Washington Post. Sietsema gushes about Aggio's bread. "The bread baker threatens to sabotage your appetite with the first three bites from the kitchen, admirably watched over by chef de cuisine Johnny Miele." Starting off the meal strong you can expect to munch on fennel pollen breadsticks, miniature funnel cake dusted with Parmesan and warm focaccia served with mortadella Mornay sauce and ricotta. But the meal is just warming up. Courses such as their spinach pasta, lamb ragu and even spaghetti and meatballs deserve "oohs and ahhs" according to Sietsema. Though Aggio does not finish on a strong dessert note Sietsema gives Aggio three stars and said the restaurant has morphed into a "certified wow."

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Three stars for Aggio from Sietsema.

The name of this restaurant always puts this song in my head.

Hot as Kate Upton in zero gravity (you know what I'm talking about).

I do now.

The entirety of human knowledge at my fingertips and this is what I use it for.

Fojol Brothers is "closing its doors this spring."

One of the more interesting things I've heard of in Midtown recently is Gotham West Market, where you can get your ramen fix at Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop.

I think this is a great idea. I'd love to know some people outside of my personal "network" to refer people to. Also, I'm a former "big firm" attorney and, though I still generally represent fairly large corporate clients, one of the best parts of being with my new firm is an increased ability to take on referrals. I've gotten a few matters involving small businesses and individuals that way, which are typically some of my more interesting cases. In the past, I've been referred matters involving contract disputes, executive compensation issues, and enforcement (or avoidance) of noncompetition clauses, though I'd be comfortable with most commercial disputes. I'm admitted in DC, Virginia, and New York. My contact information is:

Richard W. Boone Jr.
Loss, Judge & Ward, LLP
Two Lafayette Centre
1133 21st Street, NW, Suite 450
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 778-4085
Email: rboone@ljwllp.com

My firm bio is here.
 
NOTE: This post may constitute ADVERTISING MATERIAL in some jurisdictions and is not meant to be interpreted as consent to any representation or as providing legal advice.

Will an actual seder be held (Haggadah, seder plate, etc.), or is this simply a dinner? Also, are the 4 cups(!) of wine included?

Must be nice to work nearby if this is a downgrade from across the street!

I think I had a string of bad luck at Bub & Pop's. My last couple sandwiches have been good.

I can think of at least one local source for food news that gives credit where credit is due.  We try, anyway.

I think we should add a page to the guide for Don, to which I contribute this photo:

Irony: a guy who gave his website the most literal name possible and another who named his after himself pontificating about someone's choice of a name.

Perhaps it's a personal quirk, but if ever there were a signal to me for "avoid this restaurant," it's the presence of the word "fusion" in the name.  I guess it just reminds me of all the terrible "fusion" restaurants of the 80's and 90's.  For whatever reason, the term "modern" -- which generally means the same thing -- doesn't have the same connotations (Modern American, Modern Persian, etc.).  Am I alone in thinking this?  Imagine you knew NOTHING else about the restaurant other than the name. Anyway, just a thought . . .

Say hello next time!  GPB is basically my local, and everyone there is great.

I believe the bacon cheeseburger to be the best burger in the DC area.  I have consumed a staggering number of burgers in the DC area.

Why, it just so happens that there is a handy-dandy guide to restaurants and bars on U Street! You might also want to check out nearby Logan Circle (which includes all of the new 14th Street restaurants), Adams Morgan, Shaw, and Columbia Heights.

Shameless plug aside, if he wants to stay on U, he could go all hipster and take her to Oohhs & Aahhs, followed by cheap PBRs at Sollys. He could go for a bit more sophisticated vibe at Dickson, a cool wine bar that's fairly cozy and has good snacks (the ribeye bahn mi is basically just a steak sandwich). Or he could take a leap of faith and try Ethiopian at Etete, which sounds weird but isn't.

The "Don" works in mysterious ways . . .