RWBooneJr

They serve non-alcoholic drinks? I'm only half joking -- there are only about 6 taps but they always manage to have something interesting. I think I go there as much for the beer as the pizza, though the pizzas are great ("flatbread" is a terribly annoying word, BTW). Anyway, I live across the street and would love to join you. I will probably bring a guest. I think we should see if they will do a DR special pizza for us. They had a local ham and brie pizza as a special several months back that would make my personal episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." Although ham and brie is a fairly obvious combination (if I recall correctly, there was also arugula), this pizza was sparingly drizzled with a light mustard sauce that really elevated everything. I liked it so much, I think I went 3 times the week it was a special. In addition to being annoying, I am also, apparently, selfish.

Penn Quarter would be among of the best neighborhoods for restaurants in New York if it were there (and maybe then it would have a bodega, which it sorely lacks). To think that people thought Jose Andres was crazy when he moved into the Lansburgh. I think I'd pick Clarendon/Courthouse as second best in the DC area. I hope Fiola attracts a crowd. That corner of Penn Quarter has always been pretty sleepy after the court closes, though the Source (which, I guess, is technically on the wrong side of the street to be in PQ) was pretty busy for a Tuesday the last time I was there.

I think you should renegotiate. A Dancing Heart Flatbread and an Evolution Salad are ordinarily $17.98. I'm annoying.

I think the key to this is trying to understand every ingredient that you use and trying to make sure it is the best -- meaning most flavorful, not necessarily most expensive -- it can be. The extra step of roasting a squash, or toasting nuts, or even making sure your spices are fresh, leads to "depth of flavor." The reason that we all like restaurants so much is that they go the extra mile, don't take shortcuts, and work really, really, hard. It makes a huge difference.

If you did, I would be there again (I may be there Friday anyway). And I should note, your "family of staff" were amazing. I'm really rather impressed.

Again, I would never deceive you.

Though Don's dream of a manual for Virginia wine is still just a dream, Dave has two good articles in the Post this week, a general article on Virginia wine that features some good producers (including the exceptional Michael Shaps and Claude Thibaut), and an article on a film about the Virginia wine industry (which provides no air dates, but the film is available for purchase). I ordered a copy of the film (it was cheaper than a trip to E Street) and would gladly lend it to a DR.com screening if anyone is motivated enough to organize one.

For anyone that has been around long enough to remember when the last incarnation of Galileo was a single concept restaurant -- no laboratorio, no osteria, and no grill, and the dining room was the sole focus -- you should be excited about Galileo III. The current incarnation of Galileo evokes what originally made that a special restaurant, though this is definitely an updated version. My dining companion and I took advantage of the DR.com deal tonight at the bar, which we split, and can honestly say that every dish was exceptional. From what we selected, it seems like they've opened with a heavier fall menu with a lot of hearty flavors. We started with the Budino Di Parmigiano, which is a gooey pot of cheese with deep mushroom flavor and a healthy slice of truffle. As appetizers, we had the Porcini, which is basically a fritter with sauteed porcini and a black truffle sauce, and the Capesante, which is scallops with smears of yellow and black polenta. For our "mains" we had the Mezzelune pasta, a dumpling-like pasta filled with eggplant and crab in a rather striking orange sauce, and the lamb with celery root pure, artichokes, and an equally intriguing coffee sauce. As for beverages, the cocktail menu features several of Chris' "greatest hits," including the El Diablo Magarita from Andale, and the amazing Manhattan from Dino, both of which may be even better than I remember. My companion got a trully great pear sidecar that I would also recommend. The wine list is fairly small right now, but the "Bliss" Sauvignon Blanc that my companion had, which is one of about ten whites available by the glass, was very good. And the bar menu, which is not yet in place, sounds like it will feature about ten items and be priced a bit more gently. I should also mention the staff, all of whom could not have been nicer or more professional. In short, go get the deal that Chef Donna has offered. This is the rare restaurant opening that lives up to the hype. Congratulations to everyone involved and thanks to Chris for the hospitality.

It's off topic for sure, but at American Flatbread in Clarendon you can order your date a Flying Dog Raging Bitch and she can order you a Stone Arrogant Bastard. Yes, I had a dinner like that there once. I hope they have forgiven me. ETA: Both beers are on tap (or at least were), which is what makes this remarkable. The place has maybe 6 taps.

I would never deceive you.

Is there a bar or a la carte menu for dinner? The website provides only a "prefix" dinner menu.

Good call.

I had a very similar experience last week. I used to love this place but hadn't been in a while and was disappointed to return. They still make a decent sandwich, but I wouldn't go out of my way for anything there.

One additional detail...tickets are $200 each.

My critique of the cost of this dish was not based on size. It is a good dish, but considering its quality and the ingredients used -- in addition to size -- it is not a very good value at $17. By way of comparison, Sette Osteria, which is just up the street, serves "Cavatelli pasta with spicy Italian sausage, broccoli rabe and pecorino cheese" for $12 (which is, coincidentally, exactly $5 less than Nonna's version). I've actually never had this dish, but I think it is a fair comparison because Nonna is a similar restaurant with about the same level of ambition (Nonna has a bigger wine list and may, for all I know, have better pasta ... though Sette has vastly superior pizza).

I had a prosciutto and arugula pizza last night, which was $15. It was decent, with a thin, crisp crust. Unfortunately, they slathered the crust with a fair amount of olive oil and it was all you could really taste of it. The oil also tasted burnt in a few places. I'm not sure whether they coated the crust with the oil prior to baking and burned it or whether the oil, when combined with the pizza's char, took on that flavor (which is my guess). Either way, I'd get the pizza sans oil. The pasta I had, oricchiette with raab and fennel sausage, was nice -- better than the pizza. However, at $17 for a single portion, it was about $5 more than it should have been.

I stopped by on my way home this evening and found that, with one exception, the only thing remarkable about Casa Nonna, given its pedigree, is that the place is rather unremarkable. It's shooting for mid-level Italian and hits that mark, albeit at a somewhat higher price point than you'd probably expect (maybe 30 percent). The exception is that a solo diner can only choose from appetizers, pizza, or pasta. The salads and entrees are only served in portions designed and priced for two. And, unlike the pasta, they will not make half portions (I asked). The wine list is decent and follows a fairly standard (though kind of depressing) model: glasses are priced about the same as the retail price of a bottle and bottles are three times as expensive as a glass.

Sure...I'll see you at 8:00! Are the special prices just included in the wine list or are they highlighted somewhere?

Anyone know if Akosombo is still open? Anyone been recently? Anyone been ever?

Dear Againn DC, Screw you. I have never been motivated to trash a restaurant on this board, or elsewhere, but you deserve it. I was in your establishment for over 50 minutes last night and none of those minutes was even remotely pleasant. Your staff managed to do absolutely everything wrong. From the 10 minutes I was at the host stand before anyone said a word to me, through the 15 additional minutes it took to get our menus, to the 15 minutes it took to get two average beers, to the two separate times my dining companion tried to order an appetizer, only to be told that the kitchen was out of it, through the 10 further minutes I waited for a manager who never came (which I was forced by my server to do when I asked for my check). All of these I could let pass because, when I finally begged my server for the check saying “I will literally pay you anything you want if I can get out of this restaurant” she told us to just go (no food was ever ordered). But, now you have reported me to Opentable as a no-show. So I feel compelled to report you to this community, Againn DC, as a no-show. Apparently your management has all decamped for Rockville. Sincerely, Never Againn.

Which is weird, when you consider all of the delicious French beers out there...

Is this more like a long-aged Bourbon or does it venture into Scotch territory? And any idea when we'll see it for sale here?

Anyone seen the Wasmund's Barrel Kit anywhere?

This lobster roll, made with leftovers from the fourth, was excellent. The lobsters at Maine Ave were only $9 lb for US-caught lobsters that were some of the best I've ever gotten.

Asia Nine has decent takoyaki on the happy hour menu, which is available from 4:30 until 7:00. It's only available in the bar, but they will bring it to you in the dining room if you beg. The $4 portion is also small, but two makes a normal sized and priced appetizer. If you haven't had it, takoyaki belongs to the category of foods that I would describe as "very unhealthy things drowning in sauce." In this case, the sauce is Japanese mayonaise (which is oilier and eggier -- if that is even a word -- than the white fluff we grew up with), tonkatsu sauce, and bonito flakes. Also "takoyaki" basically means grilled octopus, so it is a misnomer that is usually translated as "octopus balls." They are round fritters, quickly fried in small, semi-circular cups, and rolled over midway through cooking to make a ball. The balls are stuffed with octopus, pickled ginger, and scallion, and the center never really cooks so the inside batter remains soft.