wdcbrucefan

You very well may be right. I did notice a disclaimer on the beer list that said "all beers not available in all regions." You'd think that they could print localized menus for each location.

It was one of the beers they didn't have on opening night, but waiter said they would have it. Yes, I was challenged with spelling the whole name. I've always ordered it as "Kro" anyways.

Popped into Bar Louie in Gallery Place last night around 9:30... their first night open. Its below the Lucky Strike bowling alley and movie theater. Space is very large, although not quite as big as the Clyde's next door. This'll be a beer & bar food joint. Opening night was not without its kinks, but its opening night. No draught beer was available (CO2 problem) and a few of the bottles weren't either. But, the draught beer list was long and looked promising. Kro, Summer Heat, Paulaner Weiss, and a bunch of others, in addition to the usual standards. Among the less common bottles: Fat Tire. The food menus includes both small plates (of course... its Gallery Place) and regular entrees. We got only an artichoke fritti, served in a cone (like frites at Poste, etc.) with marinara sauce attached. The artichoke chunks were lightly battered and piping hot. The accompanying banana peppers, fried in the same batter, were quite tasty and I'd even go for them as a bar food item of their own. The round bar in the middle is ringed with about a dozen TVs with Direct TV (not yet activated so it was playing the Direct TV promo loop). I asked the waiter if it'll be generally a sports bar, and he didn't seem to think so. The service was attentive, friendly. The wait staff is quite large...

While you're there, just belly up to any bar and order "Lager." That one word brings you Yuengling, no questions asked. And its cheap, since its brewed in Pottsville, which is not far from aforementioned Frackville. Any recommendations for decent restaurants in the Wilkes-Barre/Wyoming Valley area? I'm headed up there, and its always a challenge to avoid Olive Garden or Red Lobster. Was to the Cooper's in Pittston this spring, and their beer list was extensive and impressive. Unfortunately, the food was not so much. And the scene was a joke, even if you can overlook the great white shark on the sign. We arrived around 8pm and by 9pm you could have a limp spaghetti noddle drop in the kitchen. (If you're a fan of "The Office" they ref Cooper's often, but its the original in Scranton.)

I get to Charleston about 6x per year, and here are my favorites... For a solo dinner in the historic district: sit at the bar at Blossom. The fried oysters over grits with peppers & tomato (there's usually a variation on the theme on the menu) are excellent. This has developed into a ritual for me. For shrimp & grits: Fleet Landing, half block from Vendue St. pier. Its a lively scene, especially in season. I have also had their BLT -- fried green tomato, lettuce & bacon. They have a bar that's half inside & half out. The shrimp & grits are one of the stated inspirations for Indigo Landing's dish, although I've had both and they're quite different. (I like Fleet Landing's much better. Its got a kick to it.) On Sullivan's Island: Poe's is a staple. I especially enjoy it during the off season. Sit by the fire. The food's decent, the beer's cold. They too have a bar that's half inside & half out. McCrady's: Its mentioned a number of times here and rightfully so. For a high end meal, its the place to go in the historic area. For breakfast on Isle of Palms: Sea Bisquit. Get there early. For an authentic low country experience in Shem Creek (in Mt Pleasant): The Wreck. But you've gotta know where it is, 'cause there's no sign. I believe they're closed Monday lunch. While you're there, stop into Magwood's next door for some right-off-the-boat shrimp. For sushi: Patriot's Point has a place in the first floor of a office bldg. It looks out at the bridge & across to Charleston. I can't recall the name. For sushi in Historic District: Tsunami is always crowded, but I've never been. For rooftop views: head to the roof of the hotel across the street from the Customs House, on the corner opposite the market. I've got Red Drum in Mt. Pleasant on my list of places to try. Have heard good things.

Matchbox is definately not going into Ellington's, according to a source at Matchbox. And, the contractors toiling at the former Ellington's space on Saturday said its doing to be Italian.

We got to Rasika for the 1st time Friday night. Was spur of the moment, we had no reservation and just grabbed a bar table. Was not a problem getting a table around 7:45ish in the bar area (there's about 10 in the bar, plus ~10 stools at the bar itself). The bar crowd ebbs & flows throughout the early evening, and was quite crowded by 10pm or so when we left. The waitress, Gina, was enthusiastic, bubbly, pleasant, informative. She knows the menu very well. Since we were going for small plates, we just asked what she recommended and went with it. First, we had the crispy spinach (Palak Chaat) & ginger scallops. Both items go on my "desert island" list. The 4 scallops were seared to perfection in a lovely sauce, and the spinach comes in a very healthy portion that gave each of us 2 reasonable small plate helpings. The baby spinach preparation was so unique and delicious... one of those items that you wish you could make at home, but couldn't even come close... in other words, the reason you eat out at culinarily unique places like this. For our second round, we had Gina bring whatever else she most recommended. After all, she was batting 1.000 to that point. The Seekh Kebabs (lamb) and Tawa Baingan (eggplant, potato & peanut sauce, stacked up in a multilayered Napolean-style) were an excellent continuation. They were delivered by the owner (I'm guessing), who described both items for us, since we had no idea what was coming. Ordering the dishes as we went (rather than all at once at the beginning) worked very well, gave the meal a very relaxed feel, and made for a well paced, pleasant. For dessert, we split the chocolate somosa, a lot like a Filo dough version of Parisian pain au chocolate. It was a little dry around the edges, but center oozed chocolate goodness. Bottom line on the meal was very very reasonable: $68 plus tip, which included a ginger martini, V&T, 3 glasses of rose wine (very good). My ratings: 4.5 of 5 for food 5 of 5 for service (we didn't even order anything specific & had great meal, plus made a new friend...) Overall give it a 5 of 5. We raved about it all weekend to friends, and we'll be back soon!

The new restaurant replacing Ellington's on 8th is rumored to be from the same owners. Work on that location was ongoing Saturday, replacing plate glass windows, etc. Contractors said that it'll be Italian, and open in 2 weeks. But there's a lot of work left to do in that timeframe.

Ellington's is closed. But, work was ongoing on Saturday on a new restaurant. According to the contractors replacing plate glass windows, etc., the new restaurant will be "Italian" and will open in "2 weeks." I've also heard that it'll be "Mediteranian." Possibly same ownership -- but lower price point -- from the Med place (Locanda) that's coming along where Mehana was on the south side of 600 block of Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Link to Locanda Chat: http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?showtopic=6609

Rumors abound around Capitol Hill that Matchbox is coming. They've been scoping out locations along 8th Street SE (Barracks Row), including one on the block with Las Placitas. This is still a while off though. Other locations in Dupont Circle & Adams Morgan are apparently coming along. Not sure of the exact locations. Anyone?

I was back at Sonoma today for lunch, 48 hours after I wrote my previous disappointed-with-service review. Happy to say that things were as they were almost every other time I've been in. Food was excellent, service was kind and smooth. And our waitress was quite accommodating of my guests (very very) late arrival, as well as my sudden growth from a party of 2 to a party of 3. The menu's been reprinted, and octopus is now gone. All items on the printed menu were available. Our waitresses were quick with refills of iced tea, water, etc. My second was the ribs over creamy polenta. One of the 2 racks fell right off the bone. And the polenta was quite tasty. I could have almost made a "first" of it. And, I can say that the crowd was of normal size for lunch, with most bar stools and tables filled up by 12:30. Indeed it was the heat on Wednes. that kept the usual crowds away. I didn't explicitly make myself known to Eli (although I made reservation in my name and didn't hide my identity in my PM). As I said, I desired no special treatment or consideration. Having been a waiter myself once upon a time, I know service lapses happen from time to time. Its a credit to Sonoma that any issues were fleeting and have been resolved. I look forward to getting back again soon. Cheers. -- T

The House did make significant changes to their rules in January 2007. From 1995 until this year, members & staff could take a meal (or other gift) valued at up to $50 from the same person (i.e. lobbyist) up to twice per year. Such meals and gifts are now banned, with some specific exceptions that are not relevant to this discussion. And, another change is that most folks are actually complying with the rules, at least in the near term. I have not heard of restaurants suffering as a result this year, although there was a spate of articles and concern in 1995 that the then-new-rules would hurt business around the Hill and downtown. However, my personal experience is that its very difficult to get staff out for a meal, unless its somewhere like Tortilla Coast where they are more able to "go Dutch." By way of follow up to my post that started all this, I want to note that I was contacted by PM by Eli, Sonoma's manager, and he offered to make things right on my next visit. This really isn't necessary, as I have had far more good to great meals at Sonoma, and I do recognize that things happen. I am already scheduled to be back at Sonoma in the very near future. And I'm looking forward to having the octopus first that my wife raved about (I had the dish yesterday with calamari). Cheers Eli, and see you soon. Appreciate your response and efforts.

Congress revamped their rules again in January. Member & Staff are not allowed to accept meals, etc. The change was evident when I was able to get a noon reservation for today, going online yesterday late morning. Used to be, you couldn't touch the place at a reasonable lunch time with less than a few days notice. In my opinion, it was far less crowded than my previous dozen experiences. On the red chowder, my guest actually had it (if its the same as shrimp bisque)... so that ran out during lunch service. The other items I cited were 86'd at noon, as lunch began.

Any of these requests, individually, would not have raised a flag for me; however, a pattern quickly developed, became more & more frustrating throughout the meal, and was -- to my mind -- an embarassment to a decent restaurant.

Just had lunch at Sonoma, and came away very disappointed. I've been there many times for lunch since it opened, but today was either an off day or they're going downhill. Bottom line: Service was terrible. Not rude or anything like that, but I had to explicitly ask for everything that I wanted. (Waiter was, according to my credit slip, XXXXX) Iced tea empty? Gotta prompt the waiter to bring more. Need more lemon for more iced tea? Ask for more lemon, and he brings one slice! Is there a citrus shortage I didn't hear about? Coffee empty? Ask for more. And then ask again.... Cream runs out after my guest had 3 cups? Wait for someone to come around. Waters all empty ('cause its 100 degrees outside and we're all dehydrated)? Chase down someone to fill us up. Other problems: Menu had more substitutes than I could keep track of. Instead of octopus, they had calimari (was good though). This was one of 3-4 examples. And I have not experienced this before. All this comes on a day when it was not at all busy. It appears that the congressional ethics reforms have taken a chunk out of their business. You'd think that they'd be trying harder to please the loyal customers, rather than letting things slip. One positive note: They've redone the 1st floor bathroom. Instead of the old one-big-unisex room with no doors on the "stalls" there's now 2 private unis. Good job. [Edited to remove server name...]

Marvelous Market is committed to opening a location at Senate Square, the Abdo development at the former Children's Museum (H St. NE, between 3rd & 4th). This is apparently the only ground-level retail that will be in the development. Since MM's sandwiches have gone downhill in recent years -- while the prices have gone steeply uphill -- I'm disappointed in the selection.

Got to EatBar for the first time last week. This is the old Whitey's space on Washington Blvd. Arrived about 7:30 on Wednesday night, and the bar had plenty of seats to hang out while we waited for our 3rd companion. Bartender Brian was helpful, friendly, asked our names, told us about a couple beers. While at the bar, had a couple Leinenkugels (Brian described as like Yuengling. I'd say it was better than Yuengling. Smoother. Also ordered the figs wrapped in bacon with mascapone. 3 in the order, $5. The 3 ingredients all melt together into one. Quite tasty. Seating at the tables is First Come, First Served. In other words, fend for yourself. No host. But this was not a problem. We didn't seat ourselves at a table until past 8:30. After we flagged down our waiter for beer, he told us "sorry, I'm not usually a waitress." He was clearly flustered by waiting tables, told us he's usually a bartender, and they were short staffed that night. This could have been a negative, but it ended up endearing us to him, and we thought it was quite funny. He clearly knew the menu well, since they serve plenty of food over the bar. Timing may have suffered a bit, but we were catching up with an out of town friend and enjoyed the extra time to relax and catch up. We ordered a bunch of things to share, asking that the /olives & onion rings come out first. They didn't, but not a big deal: Onion Rings: Crispy, but a little "powdery" in the coating Roasted Olives: Big heap of them, but we ended up being too full to eat many. I'd get them at the bar next time. Mac & Cheese: Tasty, although I like it a bit more zesty.... they could "kick it up a notch" and make it even better. Cornbread & tomato salad: Simple dish, but wow, was it good. Name says it all. The corn bread it in large crouton size chunks, but still soft like regular cornbread. Really excellent! Gnocci with lamb carbonara: Our only "big" dish. Its still really not that big. Gnocci were nice & firm, meat sauce was very meaty, without much sauce to overpower it. The food & drinks are well priced. Gastropub describes the overall experience very well. I hope that more of them crop up. Dessert set us over the top. The Guinness Cupcake was tasty enough, but the butterscotch ice cream sandwich was to die for. Its 2 cookies, with vanilla iced cream in the middle. Enough to share among 4, after the food you've just had. Total bill was $100 plus tip, including the beers & wine at the bar. Overall, Food: 3 of 5 Cost: 5 of 5 Service: 4 of 5... "A for effort" for our "not a waitress." (This was one of the funniest lines I've heard in a while...) Decor: 3 of 5.... got a good motif going with the chalk boards, etc. Bottom line: 4 of 5, all things considered. Will definitely be back...

Have been to Taqueria twice now. Both times had 2 tacos, refried beans and yucca fries, with horchata to drink. Its cheap, among the best options in the Union Station area. Healthy, fresh, cheap, quality food. On nice days, its relaxing to sit on the large fountain across the street and soak up the sun. When it gets very hot and humid, or when our 2 weeks of winter arrive in DC, it could be a tough sell though. Perhaps they can transform the Johnny's patio and offer it up in the winter. As an aside, I'm not a huge fan of next door Johnny's Half Shell, although I have high hopes that it'll improve.

The fire pit is between the "new" outdoor patio & the H St. sidewalk. Its now been relocated to about 10 foot off the ground, directly above where it was, which should keep the DCFD from having to respond to Jersey Girl hair on fire.

My Review of Michel Richard Central: Had a dinner reservation via OpenTable for dinner reservation at Central Friday night at 9pm. Booked a few weeks in advance, and even then, all you could get was the 9pm slots... fine with us. Generally means you won't be rushed. Arrived right at 9pm, were kindly greeted, and immediately seated along the left wall, half way back, and I was looking into the kitchen, which is a treat, as a previous poster pointed out, to watch all the chefs etc. operate in sync. Our waiter poured tap water. Asked later to get bottle of sparkling. They serve Italian sparking water, although I was expecting French considering Chef Michel's pedigree. There was indeed no rush in the service, and I say this as a positive. Some recent Wash Post online chatters have slammed them for moving too quickly from course to course, etc. We did not experience that at all. Our orders were: Her: App: Cheese puffs, Main: salmon Me: App: Onion tart, Main: Hanger steak w/ fries Cheese puffs came out first, and since we were sharing, that was fine. They were excellent. One or 2 showed a little char on the bottom, but 90%+ were perfect. Very hot, plentiful (filled a wire vase). The references in nearly every review are warranted. Onion Tart: It takes a bit more time to cook, so it came out as we finished the puffs. Served on a very hot wood board, cut into 6 pieces. Overall, probably about 6-8 inches in diameter. The white cream sauce over the onion puree was superb. Also very hot, but was hard to resist just digging in anyway. After a brief reprieve between courses, the mains appeared. Hanger Steak w/ fries and small green salad: Cooked perfectly to medium rare (of slightly less). A beautiful log of meat that does justice to Chef Michel's French roots. Put it up against Paris's best bistro onglet and you won't be disappointed. The cut comes unsliced, unlike the usual presentation. The dish had a side of au jus, which was excellent over the meat, as well as the fries (not my usual way, but wow!). The fries were a bit saltier than I'd like, but paired with the meat and the au jus, it worked. Salmon: She was not asked the desired temperature, and came cooked to medium+. For my taste, I'd prefer a bit more to medium rare, so if you want it cooked to temp, just ask. Don't think the menu says, but the salmon's served over lentils (brown lentils?, the smaller ones that breakdown when cooked, unlike French/du Puy lentils). I tasted the pairing and enjoyed it. Wine List: Plenty of low cost ($40-60) options, and a few higher end selections, but all in all, you can hit the price point you're looking for. We had a $60 bottle of Burgundian red from Beaune, to remind us of our honeymoon. Dessert: Although I was inclined to go for something other than the Kit Kat, the waiter raved about it and we caved. Its about 9 inches long and an inch high. Chocolate mousse on a cookie crunchy bottom, dusted with choc dust, with a side of vanilla iced cream with pistaccios topping. Coffee: Of course, they serve espresso, but heard my neighbor able to get a decaf espresso, which is rare. So if that's your thing... Decor: Liked the big stack of big plates next to host. Was a bit freaked out by the 12 foot tall rendering of Chef Michel on the back wall. Glad it took me a while to notice it. But since he's probably rarely in the kitchen, it serves as a reminder that you're eating a true master's creations. Bottom line: Service: 4 of 5, for attentiveness but not being overbearing and measured timing Food: 4.5 of 5, for the hanger and kit kat standouts Cost: 4 of 5 -- fair for the great food, and the wine list leaves you plenty of choices up & down Overall: 4.5 of 5 Will definately go back. Total bill was about $180 with tip.

I have it on good authority that Matchbox will soon announce 5 new locations, including Bethesda and Northern VA. Also, they're searching for a solution to the gas fire pit over the sidewalk downtown. The city forced them to shut it down after a few weeks over the winter.

I haven't been to RTS in a while and am heading there next Wednes. with some friends. So if she goes in that day after 4:30, they'll put us on the list for 7:30? And, they haven't moved to Navy League bldg yet, right? Can't wait to get back. Its Good Friday, so reading about steak is really killing me... even more than usual. I'm hoping that I'm not disappointed by the original after having been to RTC lately.

A group of 4 had 8pm dinner Friday night. Made reservations Thursday evening, no problem. Got there a couple minutes early and bartender was attentive and quick. Sat in booth next to wine cage in back left corner -- tables quite large and comfortable. The decor is an acknowledgement of the space's history as an auto repair shop, with random photos of the universe or something beamed on a screen seperating the bar from the restaurant. Diet Coke: my friend labeled it far too sweet... not mixed right. Miniburgers: Juicy and well cooked with tasty buns. But overpriced at $3 each (compared to, say, Matchboxn downtown). Each burger is bigger than matchbox, plus the pimento cheese is tasty, although not called out on the menu. We ordered our meals, then asked for another minute to choose a bottle of wine. Waitress didn't return for 10 minutes, despite our being stationed next to the wait staff order computer. Couldn't catch her eye, despite several attempts. She returned when she was ready. Entrees: * Ordered 2 halibuts (with fennel salad and cold potato salad); fish servings small, but cooked to flaky goodness with a light yellow crust. $26 was steep for the portion. When ordering, my friend asked whether the potato salad was mayo or mustard-based, and the response was "its your standard potato salad." Fennel salad was tasty but cold potato salad felt out of place on this plate. * Steel head trout with pureed fennel. I tried and was tasty. * Friday's special nostalgia bowl of ciopino. Plenty of seafood. Saw squid, etc. * Side of sweet mashed potatoes (which are actually mashed sweet potatoes): have curry (not mentioned on menu) and therefore were not a hit with the one who ordered them. I tasted them and they were a bit thin, but tasty. I did like the curry in there. Not spicy, just enough to taste it. Bottom line on the entrees: Small portions for the price. Nothing extraordinary, but tasty meals. The meals were each, as the waitress labeled the potato salad, "standard." If I'm paying $24-26 per entree for small portions, I'm expecting something special that I can't make at home. The food did not rise to that level. Desserts: * Pecan pie: tasty, but not at all sticky and firm, as you'd expect usual. It crumbled under the fork, making it really hard to share, especially across the big table. I recommend the pasty chef take a trip south for a few days for a refresher on rib-sticking pecan pie. * Chocolate cherry Bread pudding -- for me, the highlight of the meal! Bread top & bottom sandwiching together a layer of red cherries and melted choc chips! Yum. * Coffee: both decaf and regular were too weak... we commented that it tasted like it was brewed by someone who doesn't drink coffee and doesn't know what they're doing. (They were out of espresso at 9:30 on Friday night... seems poor planning.) Overall, the service was pleasant. But, once we paid and waitress picked up bills, we sat & talked for 20 minutes or more, but waitress ignored the table (and walked by many times) for the rest of the night. (There was no wait to be seated, so there was no rush for them to move us along.) No more coffee, no more niceties, no acknowledgement, no "have a nice night." We were treated like we'd undertipped, which we had not. A note on the Washington Post review (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=cityguide/profile&id=1104489): If you've checked Tom Sietsema on the Washington Post, note that the prices have spiked significantly since his visit. He lists $11-20 as the entree range, but I'd say they're $18-26 now. Amazing what a good review from a great reviewer can do for a restaurant's business. Overall rating: Food: 2 stars of 5 (portions could be bigger, especially for the price) Service: 2 stars of 5 (could be better informed, more attentive) Decor: 4 stars of 5 (I enjoyed the setting and crowd was vibrant and fun...) I hope it improves for the sake of Silver Spring's away from downtown image. It could be great with a little more attention to detail and bringing the prices into line with the food. For a few dollars more, I'd rather go to Ray's the Classics in Silver Spring or a Jose Andres-level restaurant downtown.

Dinner last night at Belga for the first time in a while. Friday night, had a reservation for 8:30 and it was jammed. Waited a few minutes to be seated, but had corner table... tough on the waitress to get back & forth, but the crowded, loud atmosphere was very enjoyable. It felt a bit like a bustling Paris bistro. What a tribute to how much the Hill and 8th Street have changed in the last 5-10 years. We split the grilled mussels (have had them before and watching the shells leave a neighboring table reminded me) were amazing, with garlic and butter. If you like grilled oysters, you will love these grilled mussels. Soak up all the butter with the tasty basket of bread. My dinner was the Le Vrai Steak Belge, which is (as noted up the thread) a filet with compound better on top, along with frites to die for, and a bowl of lightly dressed, mustardy mixed greens. Steak was rested perfectly, cooked consistently to temp (med rare) throughout. My taste of my wife's rabbit was pleasing as well. The frites are crispy the way they ought to be... a dark golden brown that leaves you upending the cone to get the little stragglers out of the bottom. Dessert was the chocolate flourless cake with scoop of ice cream. The warm cake on a very cold night hit the spot as it melted the ice cream with each bite. Espresso & coffees came after dessert, which felt very Parisian and kept us inside a bit longer before venturing out into the cold. We were full, but not stuffed beyond belief (a good thing!). Service was very cheery and kind. Meike offered some very tasty advice on wine & beer selections. She goes out of her way to be helpful, kind, and a pleasure to dine with. The beer list is extensive, and although I first ordered a White Elephant (1/2 Delirium & 1/2 Hoegaarten) and they were out of DT on tap, I ended up with Duchesse De Bourgogne. She described it as mustardy, and that was a great description. I would also note that its nothing like any beer I've ever tasted. Almost like a wine. Once it warms a bit closer to room temp, it really opens up. Of course, its from Belgium, not Burgundy. (Check it out at: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/verhaeghe-duc...ourgogne/6945/) I will have to return however to try the DT/H half & half. Overall rating of this visit: 4 out of 5 for the cooking, beer, and service (a 5 of 5 for the service!)

Considering its location and reputation, you can have a great sushi meal for lunch for about $30 per person, incl. tax & tip. Stick to the Kaz specialties and you won't be disappointed. The fois gras tuna is excellent. I recall that soup is included in every meal. They take a limited number of reservations for Noon, but nothing later. And if you have a noon reservation, be on time. They won't seat you past 12:10 or so. Policy to only seat you when the whole party has arrived, but I've gotten past that before. I am meaning to go & sit at the sushi bar next time. Have only sat at a table in my half dozen or so trips.