Miami Danny

All of those places you mention were out of date 20 years ago. Has nothing to do with the current administration. And good guys has nothing on royal palace...

Saw Ted Danson at Central last week. He has very good hair

Thank you Dean for pointing out that chicken farming has been extremely detrimental to the bay. This is hard for people to understand-that chickens kill fish!

Supposed to be the longest bar in DC. However, size is not everything as no one here appears to know how to make a drink. First gin martini with a twist, came with a huge wedge of lime. On the second try, I asked the other bartender if she had ever seen a lime wedge in a martini and she seemed aghast. When she made my second drink, there was no vermouth in it and I asked, "Can you put some vermouth in that?" Her response, "When we send out our Ketel One's, if we put vermouth in it they always come back." "How often has that happened?" I inquired. [blank stare.] Needless to say, the second one wasn't much better. The fried oysters were tasteless and gooey, and the chicken wings, a recommendation from the bartender, were nowhere near as good as those at my various local dive bars. I'm not sure how you mess either of those up, but hey, with an atmosphere that can only be described as soulless and corporate, I guess anything is possible.

First, I would like to compliment the barstaff on their graciousness, particularly Adam and Nadia. I was able to snag two bar seats at about 7:30, and it seemed, although the place was full, that people were coming and going, and that bar seats were definitely changing hands as people waited for tables. The slushitos my barmate and I ordered weren't ready yet, so we took in the surroundings while we waited for the slushy machine to chill the beverages. The place is an interesting simulacrum of a Spanish tapas joint, with all of the pieces of the puzzle in place; but something seemed to be missing. Maybe it is just too new to look and feel authentic. The tortilla espanola was ok, too much egg, not much potato flavor, more like on omelet, although the peppers on top were a nice touch. I wonder if they are homemade? I also had the deviled eggs which didn't do much for me, either, although they were definitely different-more like a chunky egg salad filling then a traditional smooth mixture. The slushito was great, however, the one with gin-like from a frozen margarita machine made at Wet Willie's except with excellent ingredients and good gin. Brought me back to the beach. Really nice. I also had a few House gin and tonics, which were made with Plymouth and Fever Tree. Also the big ice cube. Nice touch and all-around delicious. Probably will go back soon to try other dishes-do they do a happy hour? That would be awesome.

The last time I had the tartare (last month) I thought it was one of the best examples of this dish I had ever tasted-fresh, subtle, meaty, and with a great mix of traditional tartare ingredients. For $15 with excellent fries, off the appetizer menu, it was more than enough after splitting the faux gras/pate plate. Plus a $6 glass of rose or two. I find Central to be a great bargain if you choose so. Good martinis, too.

It has been awhile, but I used to spend a lot of time in Luray-the chain hotel on the main drag, I believe it is a Best Western, had a pretty good country-style breakfast. I used to get the decent fried chicken at the terrible Chinese restaurant (Brown's), but everyone else hated the place, and everyone but me got violently ill from their food. Unless you are immune to food-borne illnesses, I recommend you dine elsewhere. And by elsewhere, I mean in another town.

Except with one major difference-Mario was a chef who became famous because he was a talented chef. I'm not really sure why this other guy is 'famous'. Fame may mean nothing to you, but there are already over 40 posts here and the guy hasn't even opened. That says a lot.

Just this morning I read pretty harsh and personal complaints on the internet about the local bike shop, and a veterinarian I know. Both had been responded to by their respective targets, and, just like here, there was plenty of give and take. I have a friend in the hotel business (not a restaurant) who was (unfairly) excoriated on Trip Advisor and almost got fired. Even my dentist has comments all over the place. I don't think that chefs and restaurants are called out more than any other professionals, or businesses (other than the obvious fact that there are more restaurants than vets or bike shops). And often, you can't make a comment without someone 'from the business' telling you how wrong you are, or supporting (some might even say shilling for) their compatriots. Pros get on the internet all the time to promote their businesses. And consumers have the same right to make their comments. I think it is important to have a sense of humor about it, like Pizza Man seems to have. I already have several great pizza joints in my neighborhood, and I'm not renting a car to go to Falls Church to eat pizza; but if the business plan works, more power to PO.

The chatter had a legitimate question-why is pizza so damn expensive at this establishment? Tom had a legitimate answer-it's expensive elsewhere, too. I agree that if a restaurant is too expensive for you, you should probably just dine elsewhere, rather than complain that the prices are too high. But if they are selling (less than 12") pies as 12" pies, as the chatter infers, that is another story.

If this is so, then I hope the restaurant doesn't mind if I am a gambler, and like to play the odds. My reservation is a promise, your acceptance is a probability? Cheeky.

Unfortunately, the abuse of public space by businesses, almost exclusively restaurants, is a major factor in the sad decline of Adams Morgan. I can't tell you how many times restaurants violated statutes as well as neighborhood agreements for their own financial gain. They exist to this day, and no one, repeat no one on 18th St. or Columbia Rd. pays fair value for public space. The gov't. turns a blind eye, and, in the end, I guarantee that is what will happen here. Small fine, agreement to plant some trees elsewhere, and Jim Graham at the grand opening.

Awesome. Thanks!

Sounds awesome! Is there some way I can get a price list?

"P.S. I also don't care about where the Prez and his Russian buddy went to eat." I'm not sure what that has to do with kitchen tours, but the point of the piece in the Guardian was that reflexively offering a tour of the kitchen or a 'meet the chef' is not necessarily a bonus for the customer (check out the comments from the Brits). There are definitely some chefs that I would love to meet after a meal that they cooked. Others, I would rather not. Yes-Michel Richard. Yes-Peter Smith. No?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/jun/24/meet-the-chef-no-thanks

Judging by the clientele alone, I would say La Tomate. Perfectly bland. Well lit. Low noise. Good service. Nice view. Inside or out. Enough choices but not too many. Sort cab ride from the Omni. Good luck!

I was half joking-but let's face it, if I am going to a business lunch or dinner, I need reservations. If I don't feel like spending an hour at the bar, I need reservations. If I'm going out with the family, I need reservations. First date? Reservations. Someone in from out of town? Reservations. If it's my day off and I plan on having some cocktails at the bar anyway, then I don't need them. But restaurants also pay exorbitant fees for credit cards, and there was a (fairly recent) time when very few restaurants in NYC took cards other than AMEX, if at all. They made the same claims-that they were able to keep prices lower. But the market demanded them. I think the market demands on reservations may not be the same but to cite wildly inflated fees as the reason and to state that the policy keeps prices down is specious at best. Hey, Pasta Mia has a no reservations policy and the line is down the block every night. Does that prove anything? (Cue sarcastic remarks....)

Of course by simply going out of business, one can save even more.

and the HT on Kalorama

I believe there is a reason the sentence was both light and suspended. As the piece stated, state 'meal taxes' must be paid (which may have not been paid); possibly the same with federal taxes, etc. And his plea was hastened at his lawyer's request. I would guess there is still another very large shoe waiting to drop. As far as licensing, alcohol and otherwise, goes, there are many ways around the requirements of the statutes and regulations.

Here's something to look forward to-according to the City Paper, the wildly popular 'Red Hook Lobster Truck' might be rolling into DC this summer.

Soba Totto, too... 211 E. 43rd St New York, NY 212-557-8200

Fat taste-A big hunk of corned beef or pastrami to munch on while you're waiting for your meat to be (hand) sliced. Kind of like sampling the wine before you okay the bottle....The etymology comes from a guy I knew on Rivington St. who always provided a fat taste before you committed to the merchandise.

I ate at Chang's new Ma Peche a couple of weeks ago-pretty nice and a midtown alternative to the others-save room for soft serve. I would do Katz's-people can argue all day about who has the best corned beef, etc., but the atmosphere at Katz's is amazing-tip the slicer a buck or two at the counter when you order-he will give you a fat 'taste'. Of course if you lived in NY you probably already knew that . And after Katz's you are right next to Yonah Shimmel's knishery and Russ and Daughters for smoked fish, etc. ETA: If you will be there on a Sunday, there is a great new street fair on Hester St. Nothing like a god old-fashioned NYC Street Fair. Tasty Travails wrote about it and the Daily News. has a nice piece about the neighborhood.