blakegwinn

I have never seen a published, professionally written review of Buck's that was negative, I am more suspicious of the anonymous online reviews. The Washingtonian has also given it consistently positive reviews, so Tom is not alone.

I had been kind of busy at work I was avoiding this topic because I knew I would want to write a dissertation but I have a few thoughts on Tom that I definitely want to throw out.

First of all I completely don't understand any statements that you can't trust his reviews due to lack of anonymity or that he gets better food service etc. than everyone else. He is a professional food reviewer so maybe he does but who cares??? Is this different with any other (professional) food reviewer anywhere in the country? Their job is to dine out and write about it in a paper read by hundreds and thousands of people. A good/bad review could seriously impact business. So if you were a chef or waiter and recognized Tom wouldn't you go that extra mile? It doesn't make sense not to. I understand the whole "they should treat everyone with that quality" argument but you are telling me you can't find a little extra gear to push it into? There are always a few more stops you could pull out. I'll bet if the president came they would even find more stops that they didn't pull out for Tom. I do a great job at my office but I know if I knew the CEO would be personally looking over a report I did I would probably go over it 5 times instead of just 2.

So on the flip side what is Tom, or any critic, supposed to do about it? If they stay in a city for more than a year then they are going to get noticed and in turn get a little better experience at some places. The only way I see to have completely unbiased reviews is to have a lottery drawing and a new anonymous person is selected each week to do the reviews. But I like the continuity and it gives him credibility. After years reading I feel like I know his tastes and where they differ from mine. So its either that or to just do away with reviews all together.

I think Tom does a FANTASTIC job at trying to remain anonymous. I feel like some of you want him to live in a bubble jar and not make a single industry friend and get plastic surgery every 6 months or something. (I actually like the insider gossip and info he is able to bring to the table from his industry friends) I feel like a lot of restaurant critics don't even try to remain anonymous and develop huge egos about their status and would demolish a restaurant who didn't treat them like a celebrity. I feel like Tom is extremely bright and has some serious scruples. It almost seems more likely to me that he would tear up a restaurant that treated him fantastic when he came as himself and then gave him poor service in disguise.

Ok a quick note about "amateur" critics. I could care less. I am sorry but as a server I just could really care less. I love coming on this board because I love the restaurant industry and dining out so I like talking about it with other people and I think most of you are the same way. I feel like there are some people, however, who take this thing and their status as a board member WAY too seriously. I did a quick search for Cafe Deluxe on here and came up with pretty much nothing. Yet somehow the place has managed to survive and expand without glowing reviews on this board. I feel like as far as effecting the bottom line of a restaurant this place is a drop of water in a pond. Before joining this board if someone would have identified themselves as a member or talked about posting something I probably would have given you worse service just for being a douche bag.

As far as the anonymous posts on the Post that Tom always discounts, I don't trust those at all. Response is voluntary so obviously you will get bad results. The only people who would go through the trouble to get on and report would probably have a very positive or very negative view. The thousands of people who have decent meals would never be compelled to go on there. I have seen too many people who have gotten into it at a restaurant and been ridiculously rude to the management and staff when they try to fix things. After the staff has finally had enough and stops responding the person feels disrespected and on the ride home they get themselves so worked up they decide to get back at the restaurant by running upstairs to the computer and posting a horrible review online. (or as was the case a few nights ago googling email addresses of owners and sending a scathing email out asking for mass firings. Sorry got carried away for a second. WOW. That is all I can say about the incident. WOW)

I think the heart of the problem is people wanting quantitative measurements and reviews of a COMPLETELY qualitative experience. From one server to the next, one plate to the next, from sitting at 8:15 to 8:45, two completely different experiences could be had at the same restaurant. And that is before even taking into account personal tastes and preferences. There is no right or wrong answers on restaurants even though I feel like a lot of you feel there are. My cousin and his wife love Red Lobster and go there on special occasions. Eh, What are you going to do. I think for such an inexact science Tom does an extremely good job at reducing the independent variables and during his chats really trys to get into the minds of the poster and recommend something THEY would like.

P.S. I have some more thoughts on the previous posts about regulars, preferential treatment, self proclaimed amateur critics and the incident the other night etc. but will save those for another day, another string.

We only had the omakase once and it was so bad we can't find it within ourselves to ever go back. We were seated at the sushi bar during the dinner rush. And I wouldn't be able to recognize Koji so I'm not sure who was making our sushi.

All we got was basically a deluxe sushi plate - standard nigiri and maki served all at once. There was lots of it and it was decent quality, but that's not what I think of when I think of omakase. I'm looking for imagination and creativity in addition to top quality ingredients. Presentation becomes almost as important as food itself. Sadly, that wasn't what we got. I'm sure it wasn't lack of communication with our server - if memory serves correctly, omakase is right on the menu. So I have no idea what happened.

We'll stick with Kaz for now, I guess.

You know the quality shouldn't matter who you sit in front of but I was just saying my experiences were all sitting with Koji and he was leading us through personally. But it seems like he ran a fairly tight ship. Just from watching it looked like the others were all turning out pretty quality stuff. That is really too bad, I wonder what happened.... And by the way Koji is tough to miss he stands in the front corner of the sushi bar and looks to be about 17.

Lisa and I have gone there many times for both lunch and dinner.

They have a rotary sushi bar at lunch time - something like $13 gets you all you can eat off the conveyor belt. We've done that when we're in a "run and gun" mood for sushi. Quantity, not quality, and get out fast. Thin strips of acceptable quality tuna, salmon, and eel mostly. Lots of junk like terriyaki chicken sticks and fried bits of mystery meat in pastry.

Dinner at the sushi bar is a different experience. The fish served there is of much higher quality. We've never actually ordered the a la carte sushi and always opted for the omakase plate. I believe their deluxe omakase is only around $60 for 2 people and yielded some very imaginative sashimi and sushi pieces. It's not all that filling, though - we did have to supplement our order . But when compared to the pedestrian omakse we got at Sushi-Ko (I still can't believe Sietsema likes that pathetic excuse for a sushi restaurant), Matuba definitely excels. Kaz Sushi Bistro is still the best omakase in the city, but this one ain't that bad.

Wow that is really suprising about Sushi Ko. Was Koji there when you went? I have had some amazing sushi there. Disclaimer: usually when I have gone it is WAY before dinner rush with almost no one in the restaurant. We usually sit at the sushi bar right in front of Koji and he took our orders made it himself and discussed each piece and the variety and selections were great and amazingly fresh. This one plate he did with a few different presentations/cuts of orange clams was phenomenal. He also served what he said was one of his favorites (due to a really good batch of octupi) which was lightly boiled octupus with small slivers of this jerky tasting gelatinous cube. Pretty interesting. Had a really good soft shell roll last time I was there also (It has been a few months). Great sushi but definitely bordering on overpriced. For value I always liked Murasaki in Tenleytown. Get the 25 dollar sushi and sashimi entree. Beth and I used to get this and share it along with a roll or two and were stuffed. Most times I have been there the cuts of fish they use were HUGE. A lot of the sashimi was two bites for Beth. (faux pas I know)

Yeah, but I've had thoroughly mediocre (or bad) experiences at places unrated by Tom, but highly rated by rockwellers/chowhounds/what-have-you. I don't think the disparity in experience is because those other folks were recognized (at least not always) and hence received better food/service than me (an unrecognizable schlump). I think there's a lot of variability in the performance of most restaurants, particularly those below the very top echelon of the feeding chain.

I'll tell you, you and a friend could come into any restaurant I have worked at on the same night and sit in two different sections and you would probably both have completely different reviews. I do think as you go up the food chain though the disparity does even out a bit as you get more seasoned and well-trained professionals.

It's always amusing to see how some people turn into rainy day free marketeers when it happens to support their purposes.

Did anyone catch this in the Post a week or so ago? A study in Scotland showed that the health of bar and restaurant workers really did improve only a short time after a smoking ban went into effect there.

You know if European countries are doing this and even (!!!) Paris is going smoke free than it was only a matter of time.

Dueling studies.

What I find amazing was that no effort was made to find a reasonable common ground in an attempt to accommodate the substantial minority of bar-goers who enjoy the occasional smoke, a habit that remains, last I checked, legal. Had the debate not been dominated by zealots and extremists on the one side and the avaricious and corrupt on the other, I remain convinced that solution could have been found that would have given most diners and bar-goers a smoke-free environment, made life more pleasant for employees (for what it's worth, last time I was at Deluxe, a couple years back, I bummed a Marlboro from the bartender) and still given smokers a few places to light up.

Yeah they are always bumming out smokes. And while many things like not wearing shoes and playing a game of catch still remain "legal" I don't think any one of us here would dispute if people were asked to enjoy that legal right outside the door for the safety and consideration of other guests. THe thing that upsets me about this WHOLE argument is that the complaint basically boils down to smokers, occasional or not, being completely unwilling to walk 20 feet outside for a few minutes (yeah maybe its cold, so don't smoke, same free market argument used against us) at the expense of employee's and other customer's health. Such a minor minor inconvenience it just seems so inconsiderate. Its not even about smoking or not smoking its just about getting up and walking to the door and doing it outside for 5 minutes. Yeah one cigarette's smoke won't kill me but maybe 10 years worth of dense smoke for 7 hours a day will, all because people don't want to get up and go outside to have their cigarette.

An assumption that seems to underlie all the market-based arguments against these bans is that not only do customers have completely free choice as to whether to patronize a particular establishment, but also that employees are completely free to choose where they work. As someone who recently returned to Washington after more than two years working in Wilson, North Carolina, I can testify that this isn't so. Trust me on this.

I have seriously been counting down the days until the smoking ban like a kid waiting for Christmas. I can't wait. I have never even puffed on a cigarette in my life but probably have the lungs of a 3-4 year smoker just from working in restaurants all of my life. I understand the "free hand of the market" and all those other arguments but they only work in a bell jar. I would GLADLY go work somewhere smoke free but to be honest, with my day job the number of restaurants that I could make it to in time and would hire me for night only shifts AND are smoke free is not high. Plus you think our bussers Arturo and Santos who barely speak english, have been at Deluxe 7+ years work from 5am-10pm 6 days a week at two different jobs can really afford to quit just to show the market a thing or two? Just tell their wife and kids to hang on we will be able to afford food and clothes soon Daddy just has to find a position at a smoke free rrestaurant so he doesn't get cancer in 15 years. Yeah that is going to happen.

And in this capitalist argument what happens when all the positions at smoke-free restaurants are filled. Are we all supposed to just hang out jobless until enough waiters quit their jobs, a waiter/busser shortage is created and the market has to adjust by opening new smoke free places? Thanks for the help. Whenever smoking is brought up everyone becomes all Gordon Gecko saying that the market will sort out the smoking issue on its own without government control. I say phooey.

We make sweat shops illegal. Shouldn't we let the free market handle that? People who have no moral qualms about buying sweat-shop goods will have places they can go and people who are opposed to them will have somewhere. And as for the employees, hey if people don't want to work at them they should find another job right?? Three cheers for the invisible hand!!

Seriously though it is illegal to have your pre-prepped sauces at 2 degrees above a certain number and illegal to put your fish in the same container as beef but cancer causing smoke filling the air, no problem. And I really see this as an employee issue more than anything. We have thousands of requirements and laws in place to protect employees' safety in all kinds of professions so why when this is brought up is it all of a sudden the "big bad government" trying to control everything.

Interesting is one way to put it. "When I grow up, I want to be the corporate grind in charge of turnover maintenance at Crapplebee's," is another.

Not that I'm at all a lingerer, but I thought part of the entire point of eating at a place of higher caliber is the right to not be pushed in and out of the restaurant like so much cattle being processed through an abattoir.

I think I had a different reading. What I thought was that clientele of more casual restaurants are now expecting the pacing to be similar to that of finer dining. The restaurants are then forced to charge more to make up the difference from not being able to turn as many tables as they once were.

If eating at the Bar, I remember reading a special bar menu. Can full menu be ordered from the bar or only the bar menu?

I don't want to do a reservation on Wednesday since I don't know what time I will get out of the office but I will be in SS and want to have a good meal. Have there been any issues getting a seat at the bar during the 6-7'ish hour.

It seems to go in waves. I walked in at 6:30 on Saturday to a completely empty bar and within ten minutes of sitting down it was packed but then looked like it cleared out again as we left 45 minutes later. The full menu is not available at the bar. They have a special menu 7-8 apps 3 steak dishes (although you can modify all these to have it diablo style, brandy sauce etc.), the crab royale and a few specials. So far I have stuck to the steaks doing a filet, strip and hanger. The hanger just changed a bit and now comes with a nice little stew of fall vegetables as opposed to the BLT salad it had been served with.

Article

Has anyone mentioned this one yet? Maybe I just missed the string. I thought the turnover rate vs. entree price comment was especially interesting.

I have been there 4 times in the past 2 weeks and have not posted yet because what is left to be said?? This place is just great. Great food, great neighborhood hangout. I have still not eaten in the restaurant area but to be honest I like the bar so much and living two blocks away it is just much easier to walk up there when I am in the mood than to hassle with a reservation. The only reason I will eventually get a table is to try the regular menu items. I really like the bar crew and I think they are really what is going to make this place as a "neighborhood" hangout. They all took the time to initiate an introduction after seeing me only 2 or 3 times and they seem to have done the same for most of the people eating in the bar.

With as little as I am able to go out due to my schedule I can see it being very hard for me going to other places around here because it is so nice to go somewhere where I have a relationship with the staff. I almost never go out alone but did it last night because I knew that I wouldn't be sitting alone in total silence. To have all that and FANTASTIC food with Dogfish head on tap??? Let's just say it is getting harder and harder for me to justify spending my few dining dollars at other places.

Oh and the food. Everything has been fantastic, what do you expect? C'mon everyone on this board should know this by now. If anyone hasn't been yet but had specific questions about dishes, service, dress, or bar seating availability/menu put it out there.

Thanks for the history Zora. London Broil -- there's a dish name that I haven't thought about in a LONG time.

JPW, Whole Paycheck again tonight and funny enough they had London Broil in the prepared foods section 9.99 a pound maybe? Couldn't remember but completely overpriced I am sure. Also Beth commented outloud about the price of flank steak completely unsolicited. HAha, I hadn't even told her about this conversation. And I am neither going to confirm nor deny the fact that we might have taken a slight "detour" to the bar at Ray's while walking to Whole Foods. It was completely empty, what was I supposed to do?? 3 appetizers and a round of drinks later it was pretty tough to convince myself to still go to the store and make something for (a much lighter) dinner. It was nice meeting all you guys last night by the way.

No beer. Wine.

What time?

I have the night off and was actually thinking about popping into the bar for a bite. What time are you guys going to be there? I will keep an eye out.

(JPW and Heather)

I suspect most people do, including me, but I couldn't think of any other reason why this one cut should be so disproportionately expensive ("looks almost like skirt steak, and more expensivbe so it must be better. Let's get it!"). The economist in me is very curious. Is there a flank-steak trend (as there was/is with pork belly, short ribs and onglets) that I have missed?

The reason I started getting them all the time was the price vs. strips and filets. And I actually came to prefer the flavor and texture over the more expensive strips and filets. But now they have been raised to the same price as strips and only a few dollars less than filets. I never noticed a "Trend" just prices going up so I assumed they must be trendy otherwise why would WF feel justified driving up the price. If it was just increases in beef prices or them arbitrarily jacking up prices than they would have gone up at the same rate as filets and strips. I wasn't really using them for fajitas or anything in particular just grilling and eating like a normal steak.

So then where does one go to get reasonably priced meat that does not come from a factory farm? I would love to find a butcher in the SS/Wheaton area who I could trust to tell me where the meat comes from and how it's raised. Depending on hangover status, I will try to check out the butchers at the Takoma farmer's market this weekend. But since most of my grocery purchases are made on a daily basis, I really need something is operational throughout the week.

ps....I did read through earlier posts. Laurel seems like it might be the closest alternative.

I am in SS also but I am not driving to Laurel everytime I want meat. And the thing about farmer's markets is that they don't really have the capability to customize. Just a cooler with vacuum packed cuts. I know you pay more at WF but you can customize the cut, weight, and pick out that cut with JUST the right marbling. But I hear you on the butcher. I love the place in Laurel just wish there was one closer.

I went to the Lebanese Butcher in Falls Church today in search of a rack of lamb. What I got talked into instead was marinated lamb chops for an unbelievable $5.99 a pound. They cooked up quite nicely on the grill and were incredibly tasty. I don't know if they normally offer these or if it's a Ramadan special (they usually have various things on sale) but people need to go and get some of these to try. Screw WF and their $15 skirt steak.

I apologize. It was flank steak I just mistyped. But STILL 14.99? Seems a bit extreme. I don't mind paying that for a real nice strip but a bit ridiculous flank. I think that they jacked the price up over the last year because they were usually at least 3-4 bucks less than the strips when I started using them a lot about a year and a half ago. Maybe they are just becoming more popular recently. I don't know.

I don't think I've seen necks there, but the Tenleytown Whole Foods often has backs. I don't remember what the price has been recently, but I do remember remarking to myself "wow, that's expensive for chicken backs". As has been discussed on the Stewing Fowl thread, you can get stewing fowl at Latino markets (such as Bestway in Mt. Pleasant and elsewhere), and not only are they not very expensive, they're much better for stock than the backs and necks of fryers.

I got some frozen chicken back/necks at whole foods when I made stock a couple of weeks ago. I think it was either .99 a pound or 1.99 a pound. I was buying a bunch of other stuff and can't remember exactly. They also had some beef bones for stewing also but it was in the frozen section not in the refrigerated section. Like with the frozen turkeys and pre-made frozen hamburgers and stuff. Also I have found with Whole Foods (at least the one in SS that if you call over a day or two advance they can usually save whatever you want or cut anything you want.

A different question, has anyone seen hanger or onglet steak around? I have seen skirt at whole foods but the hanger is actually a different section of the diaphragm I thought. Are they just labeling it "skirt" in stores? I actually tried laurel once or twice but they were always out (only one or two hanger steaks per cow I think he said so it goes quick) Whole foods skirt steak is ridiculous at 14.99 a pound (same as strip and ribeye is actually cheaper) so I am looking elsewhere.

And another thing I have seen a couple of links on here to meat cut guides and just wanted to add that I have always used wikipedia. Really good descriptions.

My wife and I have been loyal to this place for awhile and have been surprised that it does not get more attention. On our last visit, I also had the Pork Lechon. My wife loves the same snapper dish and Fricasse de Pollo. The Bistec Palmilla and Bistec Empanizada (kind of like a cuban chicken fried steak) are always delicious. There is not much to boast about on the appetizers other than the plantain chips with mojo sauce.

The Tostones appetizer is my favorite thing on the menu I think. Either my girlfriend or myself always gets the Lechon so we always have at least one order.

Having just moved in a few blocks away in August, I was extremely excited a few weeks ago to discover they do takeout...

Frozen spinach was not implicated in the recall. Additionally if you are cooking the spinach (my understanding) the risk of e coli is mitigated.

Plus the recall on spinach has expired and you can find bagged spinach again at the store.

But... I stopped buying bagged spinach about a year ago because I became suspicious of the decay often found inside the bag.

I always wonder about that. I know it probably doesn't taste as good but I am not wasting a whole bag just because it doesn't taste quite the same. So its' not dangerous when it starts to get that mushy brown look on some of the edges is it?

Rather than Afterwards -- which has their desserts delivered on trucks -- why not Cashion's for dessert.

The people I have had in from out of town just always liked the atmosphere at Afterwords. I guess most of my "out of towners" have been from small suburbs though where the only bookstores are Barnes and Nobles.

Has anyone been recently? My family's having dinner tomorrow with out-of-towners who are staying at the Hilton, and this seems like the only moderately-priced place nearby for people whose tastes are VERY unadventurous.

I had a decent pizza here two years ago, but that's about it. Any other recommendations that are within walking distance would be appreciated as well.

Pizzeria Paradiso, or I have taken out of town REALLY picky eater's to Mimi's before. Worked fine but the singing sideshow made me want to gag. Out of towners seem to love the novelty though. Either way I like Afterwords for after dinner dessert, coffee and discussion.

Scratch that after dinner crap, I almost forgot teaism. But it closes at 11 I think so you can't talk too late into the night.

I love mushroom soups, but no one else in my family does.

The pears seem not so sweet this year. Very disappointing.

Roasted brussels sprouts with lardons.

Made Risotto last night and dropped in a bit of gorgonzola cheese, walnuts and some apples I had softened up a bit. Topped it off with some pork just to get some protein. Turned out pretty well I was happy with it. I love that combination of apple/pear and gorgonzola with nut. I even got a seal of approval from my girlfriend after sneaking it past her (doesn't like gorgonzola).

Re: the Sietsema outing

Anyone else convinced Landrum is just greeting every suspicious looking, 35+ guy, asking a lot of questions, ordering a lot of food, and sneaking notes when no one is looking, as Tom? You may be wrong 12-14 tables a night but when you get it right you get instant respect among the industry. And I am only half joking, I think he might just be ballsy enough to do this. Has anyone on this board been greeted with a knowing wink and called Tom at The Classics? I say CONSPIRACY!! No one else? I am the only one? Ok I will be quiet now.

Agreed.

Speaking of fronts, I smell trouble brewing with this line of discussion.... I would buy the good stuff for a piece of steak that I am going to splash with salt and pepper and slap on the grill and cook to a nice medium alive but for stew, I could really care less. Sometimes I wonder about all the hype. I can see a difference in the organic steaks I get but not a whole lot in other meat products like the chicken ribs etc.